Chapter Text
Walking into the meeting room, Theresa went over to her desk and got to work on some documents. She had just wrapped up a class in the training room, sharing some safety basics with the newer staff members, so she could still hear people in the corridor. After a few minutes, someone knocked on the door and she leaned back in the chair.
"Yeah?"
A face she remembered from the class peeked in, a rather new member who was still a bit shy, so it felt great to see him be confident enough to knock on her door.
"Eh, didn't mean to disturb you, Theresa, but I don't know who else to ask," he started, walking in and closing the door slightly, "My roommates and I... things disappear in our room."
"Oh? What's gone missing?"
"Nothing valuable - a pair of boots, a picture frame, a wig, ...a teddy bear. Most things disappeared at night. We probably would've heard them... but with these new beds, we sleep like rocks! It's amazing!"
Theresa chuckled, "Glad to hear it! But okay, I'll let the security team know. Since it's nothing valuable, they can't prioritize it, but they’ll keep an eye out. Thanks."
Getting lunch in the cafeteria, Theresa, Jake, Lupe, and some other friends sat and discussed their day so far. They had a rather pleasant conversation, some jokes, and laughs. Then one by one were done with their meals and made their way out to continue their work. Eventually, it was just Theresa, Lupe, and a few others.
“No eggs today either? You stop liking them or something?” Theresa asked.
“No, it’s just… I don’t know,” Lupe replied with a slight stutter, “it just feels a little weird after reading about them.”
“Thinking of raising a chick, or something, huh? Don’t let it stop you from getting some good protein, kid. Pretty sure none of the eggs we eat have babies in them, definitely not the normal chicken eggs.”
Lupe kept her eyes on her plate where she still had a piece of steak she had barely touched, and Theresa could swear that very faint tremble in the floor was Lupe tapping her foot impatiently.
“What’s wrong, kid? You seem stressed.”
Breathing in, Lupe stood up and grabbed her plate, “Yeah, I got some work to do, better get back to it!” she chuckled.
“With the steak?”
“Yeah, eh… I’m feeling a little too full right now, so I’ll eat it later.”
Having a meal like that outside the cafeterias could be a bit of a hazard, but Theresa let it slide. Lupe was a well-behaved kid who cleaned up after herself, so it couldn’t be too risky. “Alright, just be careful. See ya later, kid!”
Walking down the road between Jamaica Plain and the Plaza, two Nightingales were rather excited about their visit to the newly renovated headquarters.
“Ever been here before?” Ellis asked his new friend.
“No, I was always needed in the field. I did hope to see it someday. Glad it’s not as a Gunner, though. Can’t imagine them actually caring about how it looks, or how clean it is.”
“Yeah, Cassandra said there was a whole sublevel full of ghouls, so it wasn’t too big of a surprise that half of their staff got sick and they needed her help. That, and they had shared toiletries for a while.”
“Not surprising indeed, people know too little about hygiene these days. I once had to deal with… well, it was a nasty sickness, can’t remember what it was called. Turned out they had a frying pan with oil they had reused several times because they didn’t want to waste it. It wasn’t pretty and many of them stopped eating fried meals for weeks.”
“That’s nasty… Let’s see, I think this is where we enter…”
Entering the building, they walked over to the desk where a guard greeted them. After a few basic questions, they were clear for entry.
Following the guard through the double doors, the two Nightingales were amazed at the scene before them. The whole atrium had been turned into a science center, everything was clean and renovated, and in the middle was a fountain with a spinning globe statue.
“Woah, did we just travel back in time?” the friend asked as he looked around.
“It was far less impressive before the war, I can assure you,” Cassandra replied as she approached them, “Welcome. You must be Philip, the ex-Gunner Medic Fiona talked about.”
“And you must be Cassandra, the Resident Witch she spoke so highly of,” Philip smiled as he shook her hand. “I’m excited to see why you got that nickname.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll see why very soon,” she chuckled, “Let’s start the tour, shall we?”
Showing them around the medical wing, it was easy for them to see how in the world they managed to get all those vaccines so quickly. A lot of tech had been salvaged from the nearby hospital and Cassandra had a really good team of scientists. They were currently working on a new vaccine, so it was a good time to show her two students how they worked.
After some time, they sat in the clinic and had a discussion, when two workers arrived, one limping.
“Please help, something cut him on the ankle - we don’t know what.” one of them informed as she helped her friend over to the gurney, “We were just walking down a hall on the office level, something just… swished past and cut him.”
The Nightingales got to work, Ellis and Philip opening their bags to prepare for treatment while Cassandra removed the boot. Whatever it was, it had cut through the boot and left three straight wounds on his ankle.
“Claw marks?” Ellis asked.
“Looks like it. Clean cuts, two inches between them,” Philip pointed out as he wiped off the blood, “But what could be so quiet?”
“Could also be a new contraption,” Cassandra added as she fetched some clean gauze, “We got a few working here who loves to invent new things. And sometimes, it would lead to a few patients. If they still haven’t learned their lesson, I might just have to show them how it feels to be a test subject.”
The slightly cold tone at the end of that sentence had Philip glance over at Ellis, who looked back with a nod. Indeed, it was no good idea to get on her bad side.
After wrapping things up for the day, Philip and Ellis made their way down to the office level, where they got to pick one of the vacant quarters. Getting into the elevator, they continued to discuss the strange incident.
“A vertical crossbow? …some hidden trap on the wall?” Philip suggested but sighed in defeat, “There were no burn marks either, so it couldn’t have been by lasers. …heh, or maybe it’s just some sicko with a stealth boy and handmade claws, or something.”
“That’s… possible. I hope they figure it out before more people get hurt,” Ellis sighed as they exited the elevator and went down the hall. “Anyway, about that bloodleaf, you really think it’s-” Ellis was cut off as he rounded a corner and bumped into someone.
“Oh, sorry! Eh… I- um…” Lupe looked back and forth between the two boys, struggling to get any more words out. Likewise, Ellis tried to apologize but didn’t know if he should let her speak or try assuring her it was okay.
After a good ten seconds of their stuttering, Philip chuckled, “Sorry about that, miss. We’re new here.”
Finally finding words, Lupe smiled, “Oh, yeah, I can tell! I’ve been here from the start. I’m Lupe, head of logistics! Nice to bump into- I mean, to meet you!”
“Likewise!” he chuckled, “I’m Philip. This is Ellis. We’re Nightingales, came here to study with Cassandra for a few days. So! Head of logistics, huh? …that must mean you’re the ex-gunner technician! Did you work here before?”
Ellis sighed in relief. While he didn’t quite know how to join the conversation they had about the Gunners and the new and improved plaza, he was happy to have Philip save the situation. Had Ellis been alone, he was certain he wouldn’t even know how to walk away without being awkward. It was just one of those situations where it wouldn’t have been a big deal, had they just walked away after their first attempt to say sorry. But they both froze and tried to be polite and say something more than “sorry”. Thinking about it, it felt nice to know he wasn’t the only one who struggled socially, and she was one of the department heads!
Looking at her, Ellis noticed how unusual her outfit was. A clean white shirt, overall trousers - which were the kind of red you don’t see much of nowadays, a utility belt and a yellow flower in one of the pockets. It was nice. It looked like she enjoyed her job. But there were a few hints of recent struggle.
Moving on from that observation, he noticed that… whatever she was holding, was leaking. And if he had to guess by the small puddle it made, it was blood.
“Eh, sorry,” he interrupted and pointed at the bag, “It’s dripping… blood?”
Looking down, Lupe jumped a little, “Oh! Thanks, eh…” she quickly bent down to dry it up with a towel, “It’s some blood bug meat… for the kitchen lab! I gotta go before I make a bigger mess!” getting up again, she gave them another smile, “Thanks again, I’ll see you later! Bye!”
“See ya! Take it easy around the turns!” Philip waved and watched as she quickly made her way to the elevator. Turning back to Ellis, he seemed occupied with some thoughts, “What’s up? You barely said a word. …never talked to a girl your age before?”
“Oh, what? Eh… no, I’m just…” Ellis sighed, trying to focus, “Thanks for jumping in. I’m not very good at handling awkward situations like that one.”
“No problem, pal. Just take a deep breath, don't think too much on what you did, ...maybe focus on something they said and go from there. And remember… it could always have gone worse.”
“...that’s not helping!” Ellis chuckled, having it said a split second before realizing the last part was a bit of a joke.
The next day was rather exciting, waking up in a new and interesting place, and getting back to studying medicine in a safe and well equipped laboratory. They had almost forgotten yesterday’s incident. But then, someone suddenly got on the PA system and called for an emergency meeting with all the department heads. Curious, Ellis followed Cassandra to the meeting room, where he got to meet all the other department heads, including the very nervous head of facilities.
“This place is haunted!” Mansfield exclaimed, “There are several reports of strange noises at night, shadows in the hallways, people getting attacked by something invisible, belongings and food disappearing without a trace, lights flickering, and there’s a very strong scent of death spreading through the air vents!”
“Calm down, it’s not some ghost! We just got a pest problem, that’s all,” Patty Emins assured, “There are plenty of holes in the walls we haven’t gotten to patch up yet. So, whatever the vermin is, it got plenty of places to escape into and dig tunnels.”
“Oh yeah? Then how do you explain the shadows and invisibility?” Mansfield challenged.
“Duh! The thing is sneaky! And don’t try to tell me you’ve never missed something that was right under your nose, happens to everyone.”
“U-huh, and the lights?”
“That must’ve been us,” Jake intervened, “We were adjusting some things on the generators.”
“...alright, but the smell-”
“Decaying meat,” Cassandra explained, “The food that disappeared, some of it was meat, correct? By the sounds of it, it’s probably a carnivore, and they tend to hide their leftovers.”
“Which makes it dangerous, a threat to the building AND a serious health hazard,” Aiden pointed out, “I’ll go over the reports, set up traps, and go over the camera footage. Let me know if you find anything-”
“Wait!” Lupe suddenly interrupted, “Eh… I can handle it! I got plenty of time. …and I- I’m more experienced with animals!”
Aiden sighed, “This isn’t just an animal, Lupe. It’s dangerous, it’s damaging the building and putting us all at risk - it’s a pest, not a potential pet. And it’s my job to deal with it.”
“Sorry, Lupe, but Aiden’s right,” Jake sighed, “And when the chief ain’t here, we don’t have time to take risks like that. Even if you’re a wasteland whisperer, there’s a risk you might get hurt.”
Lupe didn’t sigh in defeat, she didn’t seem bummed out. She was worried. And when Jake mentioned how she could get hurt, she reached for the bandage on her arm. Ellis took note of this.
“Alright then, people, the meeting’s over!” Theresa declared, “Let’s get back to work!”
As everyone was making their way out of the room, Mansfield gave one more comment, “It’s not ridiculous to assume it was a ghost, was it? I mean, we have those mysterious sightings of a man in a trench coat who vanishes in the blink of an eye.”
“Yeah, but we don’t have records of him lifting weights in the middle of the night, slapping people, or leaving dumps without flushin’, now do we?” Patty pointed out.
Just as he got out of the room Ellis noticed Lupe quickly walking over to the elevator. Unsure if he should follow, he stood still. Eventually, it was just him and two others in the corridor.
“Looks like Lupe is up to something,” Cassandra pointed out and stepped up next to Ellis. “What did you notice?”
“...she seemed worried. …you think she… might be responsible for the pest?” he asked.
“Definitely,” Theresa joined in, “Must be a new pet she’s kept a secret, and now it’s gotten loose. I get the crow and the radstag kid, but a carnivore? Poor kid must feel really guilty.”
“Oh…” Ellis took a moment to think. It must explain those hints of struggle he saw earlier. The tired eyes, the slight twitching, the bandaged arm. It must’ve been exhausting to care for it while also keeping it a secret, and then have it escape?
“You should go after her, Ellis.”
He turned to look at his mentor, “What- Why? Why me?”
“We’ve already made our opinions clear after her first two pets. She will feel more guilty and think we’re just pitying her if we go after her. Someone new, on the other hand, might be more understanding and help her stay calm,” Cassandra explained, “If the creature really is dangerous, we must help her stay focused.”
“Besides, I’m supposed to have a class and Cassandra got a project to oversee,” Theresa pointed out. “Aiden will know we’re up to something if we’re not where we’re supposed to be.”
“Just be by her side, listen to her and help her find her pet,” Cassandra encouraged with a pat on his back. “Put your skills to the test and learn something new.”
Giving it a thought, he then nodded, “Okay… I’ll do it.”
“She probably went down to the basement,” Theresa informed, “Jake mentioned she had been there a few times recently, and it is the less crowded part of the building.”
Looking around the basement, Ellis eventually found a storage room where he heard Lupe whisper something.
“Please, come back… if Aiden finds you, he won’t hesitate! He will kill you! Come on, Pickle, I need to get you out of here! Please, Pickle…”
Finding her crouched down by a hole in the wall behind some boxes, Ellis carefully approached her. …wait, wasn’t it some dangerous carnivore?
“You named it Pickle?” he asked.
Surprised, Lupe turned to see who it was. Seeing Ellis, she relaxed, “Yeah… I know it’s silly, but at least I didn’t name him something like... Cuddles. …what are you doing here?”
“I… saw how nervous you were. Figured you had to be… involved or responsible somehow,” he explained, “I wanna help, if I can. Just… tell me what happened.”
Taking a deep breath, Lupe looked down at the hole, “Please don’t freak out... I tried to keep him in my room. He’s a baby, so he seemed happy to stay put and take his naps, as long as I kept him fed. …but then I think he got restless… or too hungry.”
“What kind of creature is he?” Ellis asked, a little scared at the thought that this dangerous creature… was just a baby.
Looking back up at Ellis, she braced herself for the criticism, “He’s… a chameleon…”
“...a chameleon?”
“...deathclaw,” she finished.
…oh boy.