Chapter 517 - Bawler Brawler

After Dean unloads the rest of his bullets at the Super Mutant, Veronica is finally given a chance to get a good look at it... Its skin is blue, meaning it's a Nightkin and it's wrapped in many chains, as if it'd been restrained until now. Add the many brutal scars displayed across its body and the name 'DOG' written across its chest, Veronica was sure the creature didn't have a choice in its actions against them...

Regardless, this thing had just kicked and potentially killed Afton and Anja... For that, she wouldn't forgive it.​​

Dean quickly tries to reload his revolver as Dog walks towards him, "DOG NO BE CAGED AGAIN, NO BE HUNGRY! DOG EAT YOU!" the mutant roars as he goes to charge Dean, but is taken off-guard when Veronica appears behind it and viciously uppercuts it in the side, her shotgun fist weapon blowing flesh from its side.

*BANG!*

Despite the force of the attack, it looked only to be a flesh wound... Its skin was much thicker than she'd expected, fortunately, the stopping power of her attack knocks it off balance slightly. "Dog can go fuck itself!" she taunts, raising her fists in a boxer's stance.

Dean glances at her, "I do not think it's a good idea to insult it! You'll just make it angrier!" he says as he reloads and observes the beast regain its balance.

Veronica sneers under her helmet, "How else am I gonna get its attention? Unless you want to do it!?" she says as she runs towards it for round three.

Dean shakes his head and flips the wheel of the revolver back into the gun, "Ah, no, I think you've got it handled."

*BANG!*

Veronica slams her fist towards Dog's head, but it blocks with its arm and she ends up hitting its shoulder instead, blowing a hole into its muscle.

"DOG KILL YOU!" the Mutant roars as it grabs Veronica by the helmet and tries to break her neck. This would have been effective had Afton not taken this particular weakness into consideration.

Veronica deals a number of hits to its stomach in response, blowing yet more flesh from it... By now Dog was looking like a walking wound, but despite that, it continues moving and attacking, as if hadn't been hurt at all.

Dog unloads numerous punches on Veronica and only becomes angrier and more fierce at seeing her not taking any damage at all. He reals back from one of Dean's bullets bouncing off of his forehead and picks up a rock before smashing it into Veronica's head.

The rock smashes into her visor, doing no damage but blocking her vision as the rock turns to dust on impact. She makes a punch for Dog but misses as he's already moved, this time towards Dean.

"Now, now... Be a good Dog and go back to your master..." Dean offers while slowly backing away from the mutant, his gun ready to fire.

Dog growls in response, grabbing his head and thrashing around painfully for a moment, "M-Masters o-orders! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!!!" he screams as both he and Dean unconsciously approach the edge of the roof.

By this time Veronica had managed to dig the dust out of her visor and looks towards Dog, getting an idea... She breaks into a sprint while the creature is undergoing some kind of mental break, her heavy steps causing it to turn around. Dean, realising what was about to happen rapidly gets out of the way.

"This is payback!" she shouts as she crashes into Dog, carrying him for a moment, before finally throwing him off the edge of the building, gifting him with one shotgun punch to the face before it falls into the Cloud below.

She takes a couple of breaths after this, Dean steps beside her while looking down at where Dog had fallen. Both could see shadows in the Cloud, and it was easy to tell who was who due to the agonizing screams Dog was letting out.

Dean chuckles, "I believe this is the Golden Rule? 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.', you sure showed that blue bastard... A shame about your friends though." he offers, doing his best to seem sympathetic, even if his only regret that they wouldn't be able to help him escape the Sierra Madre now.

Veronica shakes her head, "If I know Afton, he's probably still alive down there, or inside the Police Station waiting for us... Trust me, he's survived worse things than this," she states confidently.

Dean shrugs, "Whatever you say. Honestly, I have half a mind to ditch your pretty behind and try find my own way out," he gestures at the collar, "But I suppose trust is a two-way street... Let's head to the Police Station and find your friend, shall we?" he says as Dog'd screams begin petering out, though strangely, they seem more angry than pained.

Veronica nods, "Alright... Got a plan?"

"Hop over the rooftops and climb in through a window, the cells should be on the ground floor and basement, which is a problem considering how many Ghosts are now wandering around." Dean explains.

"Alright... Let's go." she says, drawing her plasma pistol and following Dean as he starts making his way to the Police Station.

Elsewhere :

Elijah scowls at the monitor, he'd been watching the fight between his slave and the group from a streetside camera. He'd thought everyone was going well when the first two had fallen from the roof, but the next thing he knows his former apprentice kicks Dog to his death!

"I won't let years of work go to waste like thisss!" he hisses, quickly thinking over his other countermeasures... Dog was dead, he had no doubt about that, the Cloud was a vicious as it was efficient, and Dog was already wounded when he was kicked inside... But, Dog wasn't necessary for his plans, he only needed someone strong enough to hold the Switches for the Gala event... Perhaps someone in Power armour...?