FSE

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When Cooper woke up the next morning, he did so very reluctantly. The sleep he usually got was the half-baked kind, where one lingers on the edge of dozing off without quite falling through, but for the first time in what felt like centuries, he truly felt rested, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why.

Pearl’s claw was draped over his chest, her body leaning against his right side as she spooned him in her sleep. Her forked tongue lolled onto the pillow she was resting on, appearing like she’d been knocked out cold. He felt some measure of satisfaction at having brought the chatty deathclaw into exhaustion from their proclivities last night, but that was a feat he didn’t feel like he should start boasting out loud.

Her leg twitched as It rested over his hips, Cooper shivering as the minute movement made him gasp in pleasure. Pearl had insisted they stay mated for the whole of the night, and his dick had stayed lodged inside her during their rest, resulting in more than a few lurid dreams and half-hearted romps in the night.

As heavenly as the sensation was of being buried in deathclaw pussy, Cooper was awake now, and he grabbed her by her malleable thigh, gently sliding out of her. He winced as her walls, lined with those hellish bristles clung to him on the way out, gripping him with an almost desperate pressure, as though her loins couldn’t stand to be empty.

Pearl muttered something in her sleep as he pulled out of her, but she didn’t wake, even as the blend of their juices slapped loudly to the sheets below. The nest was ruined down there, but Cooper imagined Pearl would be too satisfied to care.

Wary of her thorns, he sat up, placing a hand on her shoulder as he watched Pearl sleep. His chest swam with a mix of sensations. He’d let his sexual frustrations get the better of him once again, and he’d loved every moment of it. He had no excuse this time, he’d gone all the way with Pearl, he should be embarrassed at reducing himself to such a state, concerned with the moral ramifications. And yet…

Yet all he could feel was a swim of butterflies every time he looked at his lover, everything about her was just… right. The novelty of her inhuman parts, the way she teased and joked, the way they’d created that book together, it all brought a smile to his face. Damn it, what was going on? One tumble in the sheets and his thoughts were all jumbled up. He needed to get some fresh air, that always helped.

His eyes lingering on her slumbering body, he lifted away the covers, pulling on his clothes and making a hasty exit, making sure to grab his coat for the cold. He gave himself a quick clean in the bathing chamber to get their stringy fluids clear, then made for the entrance.

He shielded his eyes against the whitewashed landscape as he rounded the last corner, the windstorm still kicking up sheets of snow, obscuring the distant trees and outcrops in mist. Powder billowed a little into the tunnel mouth, smothering the campfire in a cold sheet, and Cooper brushed it clean, flicking on his lighter after placing some fresh kindling within the ring of stones.

Cooper sat against one of the walls for a while, staring into the crackling flames and trying to make sense of his thoughts. The stark, cold air helped him focus, and he knew why his mind was a mess. He liked Pearl, that was obvious, but what _wasn’t _obvious was what he should do with that knowledge. She’d made him feel wanted, loved even, but was that just how deathclaws behaved with each other? She might have been part human, but on the outside she was just like the pack, she shared their mentality, but to what degree?

He considered just telling her his feelings and see what she said, but In the end decided against it. His problems were his to deal with, alone, as they always had been.

He flinched as he heard a branch snap, and he turned his head, squinting into the snowy haze. Four figures were fading in from between the trees, their bodies protected by long cloaks and fur hoods. His first instinct was to reach for his weapons, but his heart froze as he remembered he’d left everything back in Pearl’s room. He wasn’t even wearing his armour.

His heart began to hammer against his chest as he noticed the figures were carrying guns, making a beeline for him. Hiding would be pointless, they’d already seen his campfire, the light giving him away even in the blizzard. Damn it, he’d become so complacent that he’d let someone get the drop on him, and he hadn’t done that in years, if one didn’t count Omega’s reveal. He was lucky it hadn’t been a pack of hungry animals that had happened upon him out here.

Trying to appear less alarmed than he actually was, he settled back against the wall, waiting for the group to close in. It wouldn’t do to make any sudden moves, if they were here to rob him, he’d rather part with his possessions than his life.

As the group drew closer, Cooper could make out more details of their apparel. Three of them were sporting mostly leather armour, the occasional sliver of metal glinting as the wind bracketed their clothing. The fourth and most distinct of the bunch was wearing pre-war military armour, the kind only rich mercenaries could afford. The ballistic plating was thick and bulky, and was known to reliably stop bullets.

The group formed a ring around the tunnel mouth, their rifles slung across their chests, two were bolt-loaded, while the other looked like an automatic. The one in combat armour was holding a laser rifle, the bulky battery pack making up the stock, the muzzle ending in a pair of lenses rather than a traditional muzzle. Unlike his companions, he was pointing it closer to Cooper’s feet.

“What do you want?” Cooper asked, looking at each man in turn. He noticed one of them was a woman, and he thought he might have recognised her, but couldn’t be certain.

“Hendrix sent us,” one of them answered, a man maybe a few years younger than Cooper. “Old man was worried you kicked the bucket, sent us to bring your corpse back.”

“Sorry you had to waste your time,” Cooper replied, relaxing now that he knew they shared the same employer. “Still kicking, as you can tell.”

“And the pack?” another asked, gesturing with his hunting rifle. “You ice those overgrown iguanas yet?”

Cooper hesitated before answering. He didn’t look the part of a weary hunter with all his gear missing, but he had to make up something the hunters would believe. Hendrix’s people were afraid of Omega’s abilities, maybe he could play into that and drive them away.

“Managed to down a couple of them.” Cooper said. “But whatever’s in your darts must have diluted, cause it took two clips to knock just one of them out. They ripped straight through my power armour like it was nothing, came this close to running me through. Took damn near everything I had just to get clear.”

“I’ll say,” the one in the combat armour muttered. “You got nothing but the shirt on your back. Quite the investment for two deathclaws.”

“What about Omega?” the woman asked. “You manage to bag it?”

“Caught a glimpse of it the other night,” Cooper replied. “It was eleven feet easy, but so pale it blended in with the snow. Wasn’t gonna even try catching it without the armour. I was just about to go home when you guys showed up, and I highly recommend you do the same. We’re in its territory, it could be watching us right now,” he added, glancing conspiratorially out at the haze.

That seemed to get one of the hunters spooked, but the other’s weren’t so impressed, especially the man with the energy gun. Cooper knew a well-travelled hunter when he saw one, and this man carried himself better than the others, the way he held his weapon, the way he stood and talked, they were all little tells that this one wasn’t easily tricked.

“Where’s your buddy?” the man on the right asked. “Don’t tell me he left you all alone to take on Omega?”

“Buddy?” Cooper asked, a touch of worry in his voice. Did they know? No, they’d been following his tracks, and must have seen evidence of Pearl’s presence, probably suspecting it was a fellow hunter’s. “Oh, her,” he said, pretending to recall something. “she was travelling up to the Abbey when I happened upon her. Long gone now.”

“I don’t like this,” the armoured man said. “Something’s not adding up, _several _something’s actually. Where are these ‘claws you took out?”

“Inside,” Cooper answered. “They made a den in there.”

“And you’re just camping out the front of it?” he continued. Cooper hesitated too long before he could answer, and he shouldered his laser rifle.

“I don’t know whether to be confused or concerned, but I _do _know that you’re talking bullshit. Arms above your head.”

Cooper had no weapons, the hunter must have noticed that, but he’d be stupid to not obey. “I really did take down some of the pack,” he said, raising his hands. At least that much was true.

“We’ll see about that,” the hunter said. “Jorden, tie this guy up.”

“How?” one of them asked back. “I didn’t exactly bring a spool of rope!”

“Keep your gun on him then,” the hunter replied tersely. “Shoot if he moves. Carlson go check it out, see if our _Tracker _is telling the truth.”

The man on the right, Carlson, hesitated, peering into the tunnel in much the same way Cooper had when he first saw the den. “M-Me? How about _I _watch him while you all go?”

“You’ll probably shoot him before we get any answers,” the woman added.

“Rather not corner ourselves like this,” Jorden added timidly. “if this is the only exit, and Omega follows us inside…”

Wish I thought of that, Cooper thought, watching the group start to argue. He prayed their voices were loud enough to travel through the mine and wake Pearl up, hoping that his virility last night wouldn’t come to bite them both in the ass.

“You people are fucking useless,” the armoured hunter grumbled. “I’ll go with you, Carlson. Jade, Jorden, you stay here with this guy. Get him to tell us what the fuck’s going on.”

The hunter stalked into the tunnel, a reluctant Carlson following behind, shooting Cooper a dirty look. He became more and more anxious as the two men walked into the mine, holding their guns aloft. Would Pearl wake up in time, or would they find her in her sleep, and cook her alive with that laser rifle?

He wanted to stop them, but the man and the woman had their guns trained on his chest, and the moment he moved, they’d plug him full of holes. He needed to make an opening, but no ideas came that didn’t end up with him dead. Pearl was tough, but would her scales stand up to a laser strike? Either way he couldn’t let her come to harm, he had to do something!

“You should just leave these things alone!” Cooper called out, exclaiming as loud as he dared. “They’ll kill us all if we stay in their territory much longer!”

There was a flash of pain, and Cooper braced his hands against the rapidly approaching ground. He rubbed at his temple, glaring up at the one called Jorden as the hunter reversed the grip on his rifle. “Be quiet,” the man warned. “Won’t tell you again.”

Cooper pushed himself off the floor, peering down the tunnel with a worried look on his face. The hunters were about to make the turn, and all he could do was watch uselessly, some friend he turned out to be…

“… Oooooh yaw-awwwn, slept like a big old scaley log,” -came from around the bend, the two hunters stopping as the voice grew louder. “Would have slept a bit better if you weren’t shouting all morning, Coopsie~”

Pearl turned the corner, her pink scales catching the light spilling in from the tunnel mouth, turning them into an iridescent white. She was picking at something on her bicep, her gaze turned to the floor, oblivious to all the humans gawking at her.

“What’s with all the ruckus? Thought I’d fucked your brains out enough to leave you speechless yet again, but I guess…” She finally decided to look up, her speech faltering as she did a double take on the hunters. “… Oh,” she said, her amber eyes going wide. “uh, _hiiiiiii? _Friends of yours, Coops?”

The two sides didn’t know what to do apart from stare at one another. Even the armoured hunter looked like he’d frozen up, caught off guard by Pearl’s flawless speech, the source of which was undeniable.

“D-Did that thing just say… ‘Coopsie’?” the woman, Jade, asked, her question directed to no one in particular.

“So, ah,” Pearl began, holding up a hand. “Come here often, or…?”

Time seemed to slow as Cooper sprang into action, shouldering into the man called Jorden in one swift movement, taking advantage of Pearl’s distraction. He struggled with the man for a moment, prying the rifle from his hands and then decking him across the chin. Jade whirled on him, taking aim with her bolt-action, but Cooper had overpowered the man, compressing his backside to Cooper’s chest and covering his neck in a headlock, the man choking out indecipherable words as he tightened his hold.

Jade hesitated, Cooper using Jorden’s body as his personal meat shield. Jade was a guard, used to dealing with stray animals, not hostage situations, and Cooper didn’t give her the chance to form a plan. He levelled Jorden’s rifle one-handed, and pulled the trigger, the woman’s shoulder splintering like broken wood as her flesh parted, a red mist spraying out behind her, the gunshot echoing loudly off the walls of the tunnel. The weapon kicked so much that the muzzle pointed to the ceiling.

The woman went down with a cry, cooper meeting the eyes of Carlson further down the passage, who turned to look back at the commotion. Unlike Jade, he held no reservations about collateral damage, bracing his weapon against his shoulder, sending a burst of rounds his way.

A bullet caught Jorden in the chest, Cooper feeling wet blood trail down his front as the man wailed in pain. He couldn’t pull back the loading bolt while gripping Jorden, but he didn’t have to restrain the man anymore, shoving his hostage to the ground as he reached across to chamber a round. He took to a knee, peering down the iron sights, the weapon banging as he fired another shot. It missed, a distinct ricocheting sound filling the tunnel as the bullet crashed into the walls.

Cooper thought it was the end, staring down the barrel of Carlson’s gun, when Pearl unleashed a dreadful roar, the kind one might here late at night, travelled on the wind by some unseen mutant horror. The horror was in plain view this time, however, Pearl hunching onto her forelimbs like a cat preparing to strike.

Carlson looked as though he’d just soiled himself, but the other hunter was as unfazed as Cooper was by the sound, the man bracing his laser weapon, part of the advanced rifle spooling up like a chain gun. There was a brilliant flash of red light, and then a series of strobes began to lance down the tunnel, birthing from the lenses of the barrel.

Pearl charged, her chest inches from the ground, bounding across the tunnel like a charging stag, the tips of her horns bathed in red light as the lasers sailed over her head. Attempting to throw off the hunter’s aim, she weaved from left to right as she closed the distance, her spiky shoulders brushing the walls, but the lack of space wasn’t doing her any favours, and she cried out again, her roar now one born from pain.

There was a sizzling sound as the hunter adjusted his aim, the strobes of light crisscrossing over Pearl’s chest. She shielded her face with an arm, her white scales burning to black as the lasers scorched her limb. Cooper had seen energy wounds before, the superheated light could melt entire limbs if given enough time, and for one horrible second he thought that would happen, but Pearl kept up her momentum, her scales protecting her from a grisly fate.

The hunter with the laser gun held his ground, even as the hulking mass of scales rushed him down, perhaps thinking that he could stop Pearl if he plugged her with enough energy. He aimed for her chest and stomach, the lasers burning black lines into her torso, but she was on him a moment later. Like a _yao guai _pouncing on a gecko, she barreled into him, following the hunter as she fell down on top of him, pinning him under her weight.

She raised her hand, holding the claws out as though she intended to decapitate him, but the hunter reacted first. His arm a blur, he reached for his belt, taking out a giant hunting knife and swiping it across Pearl’s face. She blocked it with her horn, winding her long neck and goring its tip through his wrist, the man snarling through his teeth as he tried to pull his arm back.

The one called Carlson regained enough sense to take aim at Pearl, swinging his gun in shaking hands. He fired in full automatic, the muzzle flashes lighting up the tunnel in dim yellow instances. He delivered ten or so rounds into her flank, some of the bullets sparking off her dorsal spikes, before Cooper was reloaded. This time he didn’t miss, Carlson going down with a golf ball sized hole in the side of his neck.

Cooper winced as Pearl finished off the incapacitated hunter, swiping across his chest with her powerful claws, a wet gurgle emanating from his lips. The fight couldn’t have lasted more than fifteen seconds, but it was all over, the echoing gunshots subsiding to the ever-present sound of rushing wind.

Before Pearl had time to utter a word, Cooper rushed over, holding her in a tight hug as he wrapped his arms around her. She’d been snarling like a beast starving for air, but that quickly turned into a rumbling purr as she returned his embrace.

“Fuck me!” she exclaimed after a moment. “that’s the second group of hunters that’s tried to kill me this week, and it’s only Wednesday!”

He chuckled into her bosom, the humour relieving him of some of the tension in his heart. “You okay, Pearl? I thought… I thought I was going to watch you…”

“It’ll take more than superheated light to take me down,” she replied, but the way her chest hammered against his own betrayed her concern.

He was about to see to her wounds, when someone coughed behind them, the pair turning to see one of the hunters was still alive. It was the woman, propping herself up against the wall, one of her shoulders shattered apart.

“P-Please,” she whispered, her bottom lip trembling as she raised her working arm in surrender.

Cooper glanced at Pearl, raising his brow in a silent question.

“Reckon I should send a message and eat her?” Pearl asked, her chops curling into a grin.

“Oh god!” the woman gasped, trembling even harder now.

“Pearl,” he chided.

“I was joking!” she explained. “Look, wait here, be back in a tick.”

She turned around, rushing back into the mine, Cooper standing over the woman as he waited. She looked up at him with questioning eyes, no doubt confused as to why he was on the same side as a talking killing machine, but he wasn’t in the mood to give explanations.

When Pearl returned, she was carrying a small case in one hand, the lid stencilled with a white medical cross. She hunkered next to the woman, but held the kit out of the human’s reach when she made to grab it.

“Ah-ah,” Pearl scolded, wagging a claw, the movement causing the woman to shrink away. “First, you’re gonna give me a little information, then I’ll give you some meds. Deal, miss…?”

The woman looked too flummoxed to answer, so Cooper did it for her. “Jade,” he said. “She was on watch the night you escaped.”

“Really? How ironic,” Pearl chuckled. “Listen, Jade, I don’t know if carelessness should be rewarded with gratitude, but if you hadn’t been such a terrible guard, then I wouldn’t be here. So I’m going to return the favour, on the condition,” she added. “That you answer me one tiny little question. Ready for it?” she asked, her smile coming off as a little more _toothy _than normal. It was obviously meant to scare Jade, and it looked like it was working.

“How did Hendrix find us?” Pearl asked. “And I’m not talking about today. Last time I met one of you lackies, you captured my pack and I. How’d you get the jump on us? Speak up now, you’re bleeding out fast.”

“I-I don’t know!” Jade replied, her voice shaky. “Hendrix, he told us to head out one day, he makes all the patrol routes, w-we just follow his orders!”

“C’mon, Jaaaade~” Pearl said, singing out the word. “Starting to get hungry over here with all this useless info…”

“I swear that’s all I know!” Jade pleaded. “Hendrix does all the organizing, I... we just do the legwork! Please, that’s everything!”

“Alright, I believe you,” Pearl replied, placing the kit on Jade’s lap. “You’re just a minion after all, shouldn’t have expected much. Begone now.”

The woman looked between Cooper and Pearl, her eyes wild and confused. “Go on,” Cooper added. “She really _will _eat you if you don’t get out of here.”

Jade scrambled to her feet, almost dropping the medkit in her haste, turning to flee into the snow. She turned to look back as she waded into the powder, and then she was gone, her footsteps fading soon after.

He dropped the hunting rifle, the weapon clattering on the gravel as he turned to Pearl, who was glaring out at the snow.

“Sure that was a good idea?” he asked.

“No,” she admitted. “But it wasn’t wrong.”

“What was that all about anyway?” Cooper continued. “You said Hendrix got the jump on you, what did you mean by that?”

“Just following a hunch,” she answered. “tell you later, right now we should get these bodies out of here, before they stink up the place.”

She grabbed one of the corpses from under the armpits, Cooper doing the same with another. He followed her out into the snow for a good hundred meters or so, until she stopped by a tree, depositing the body unceremoniously next to the trunk. She held no pity for the hunters, and he wondered how many times she’d had to dispose of her would-be killers.

“Could you bring over the last one?” she asked as he dragged the one called Carlson beside the other. “That guy really burned up my arms with that laser thingy, should probably run them under some cold water.”

“Sure,” he said. As they made to return, Pearl placed a hand on his shoulder, turning him left and right as she examined him. “Just making sure you’re not hurt,” she explained. “Meet you in the pool?”

“Yeah,” he replied. They retreated to the entrance of the mine, Pearl hurrying inside while Cooper hauled out the last corpse, the one belonging to the experienced hunter. His chest piece was ruined, three rend marks slashed diagonally across the plating. He was glad she hadn’t done that to _him _when he’d been in this guy’s shoes.

After a few minutes of dragging, he placed the body beside the others, the corpses already partially submerged in the snow. He mumbled an apology as he rolled it onto its side, fishing in its pockets and pulling out a handful of battery cells, the equivalent of a magazine for an energy weapon. The dead wouldn’t need the ammo anymore.

Shivering in the cold wind, he turned back to the mine, retrieving the hunter’s laser gun when he arrived. It looked in pretty good condition. The sights were slightly unaligned when he peered down them, but that was nothing a bit of tweaking couldn’t fix.

He left the rifles, as they were no better than what he had on hand, moving further inside, the tight walls staving off the cold as he moved to the first intersection. Pearl was standing in the passage veering off towards her room, her beige backside to him.

“Hope you don’t mind me holding onto this,” he said, turning the energy weapon over. “Not many of these around, especially not in good working… order...”

Wait a moment, Pearl wasn’t beige, she was pale and pink. He paused not five feet away from the deathclaw, his heart beating faster as it turned to look back at him, Cooper vaguely recognizing it as a member from the pack, though he couldn’t be certain which, as they all mostly looked the same.

There was intelligence in its eyes, but not as much as Pearl’s, and unlike her, this one saw him only as prey. It turned, its arching tail flowing through the air behind it, the beast hunching to keep its head from hitting the ceiling, giving it a very predatory posture.

Cooper tried to move, but couldn’t, his body freezing up, not following his brain’s commands. It took one slow, agonizing step towards him, and Cooper retreated an equal pace, his boot catching on one of the minecart rails. He tried to steady himself, but his brain couldn’t keep up with his body, and he tripped, the laser gun falling to his side as he crawled away on his ass, moving like he was in slow motion.

Its breath washed over his face as it leered closer, planting its giant fists on either side of his head. It opened its jaws, presenting its ivory teeth, Cooper choking out a few unintelligible words as its chops pressed against his neck.

Its musky smell filled his nose as it poised over him, drawing out the killing blow with a long pause. Instead of a bite, it retracted its fangs against its scaly chops, pushing its nostrils into his face as it breathed in his smell. It pushed the back of his head into the gravel, turning his head this way and that as it buried its face into his, suddenly far more interested in smelling him than killing him.

Its maw opened again, its forked tongue snaking out draw a line across his face, Cooper grimacing as it left a smear of drool in its wake. What was it doing? Surely it remembered him shooting it a few days ago, he should be dead, but this was the second time a deathclaw had his life in its hands, but didn’t take it.

“P-Pearl?” he asked, regaining control of his voice, raising it as much as he dared without startling the creature. It cocked its head at him, then resumed to push its nose into his neck. “Pearl? A little help, please?”

Hoping her sensitive hearing would catch his words, he waited, the beast scenting him for a few moments longer before he heard footsteps. He looked around the deathclaw’s muscular arm, but his heart sank at what he saw. Another deathclaw had rounded the passage, its coat of scales a dark brown that bordered on black. Again, this beast wasn’t Pearl. Its creamy eyes locked onto his, and then the thing started to prowl closer.

“Pearl!” he shouted, starting to panic, even as the curious deathclaw lapped at his throat, dragging its organ up and down from his cheek to his collar.

More footsteps responded, and he thought for a horrible second it wouldn’t be his companion. He sighed when this time it was Pearl who appeared around the corner, a bemused expression on her face as she watched the deathclaw lick him like some kind of overgrown puppy.

“Can’t I leave you alone for two seconds without you getting into trouble?” she said, seemingly oblivious to his peril.

“Get this thing off me!” he exclaimed.

She watched the bizarre scene for a few seconds, then emitted a series of growls and purrs, interspersed with the occasional hiss. That must be _deathclaw _speech. The one busy licking him suddenly stood up straight, peering over at Pearl with a confused expression. It growled back, which Pearl replied to with another couple of growls, pointing a claw at Cooper with the final ‘word’.

The deathclaw, who looked even more muscular than Pearl, dipped its head in a display of obedience, the one that had been watching doing the same. It stood clear, Cooper picking himself up, along with his weapon, the deathclaws stepping out of the way as he rushed to Pearl’s side.

“Thought I was gone for a second there,” he admitted, the deathclaws cocking their heads as he spoke, they mustn’t hear speech all that often. “That big one was about to swallow my head whole, but then it stopped.”

“I think she smelled me on you,” Pearl replied. “My scent is all over you from head to toe after our romps last night. I’ve claimed you, and they don’t want to piss me off by hurting you, so you’re good.”

“Claimed me?” he asked.

“That’s what we do when we find a mate. You lather your pheromones on them, helps keep the other deathclaws from getting any ideas. We’ll have to apply it regularly though, make sure the pack knows you’re my man.”

More of the members of the pack began to creep in from the passages, exposing their jaws as they yawned like cats waking up from a nap. Cooper was a little alarmed by their presence, especially from the bigger ones, but he felt comfortable enough around Pearl that she would keep him safe if they tried anything.

“They must be hungry after being knocked out for a few days,” Pearl said, clapping her hands together. “How about some brekkie? You guys remember that word, don’t you? Brekk-ie.”

The largest one of the bunch, the one that had licked Cooper like he was a damned ice cream cone, grunted in a way that came off as an affirmative, as did one of the others.

“Been teaching them English in my spare time, which is all the time really,” Pearl explained, switching languages as she translated for the others. “They mostly understand yes and no, so if someone gets too close just say so, they should get the message. I’ll go get the carcass.”

“I’ll come with you,” Cooper said, hurrying along after her. She smirked at him, but didn’t say anything, the two plucking the dead brahmin by its hooves, hauling it inside. When he asked why they didn’t just eat it there, Pearl explained that the deathclaws didn’t like the sunlight as much as she did, they preferred eating indoors.

As Cooper cooked up his portion, setting his stove up a considerable distance from the carcass, the pack of six deathclaws delved in on Pearl’s command. She seemed to hold absolute authority over each of them if she got to decide when they ate. They ripped into the dead cattle like vultures, fleshing stretching taught from bone, joints snapping as they used their claws to sever chunks of meat. Cooper shouldn’t have been surprised to see the beasts tear into the brahmin the way they did, but the sight still made him grimace.

Before long, one of the deathclaws separated from the grisly feast, wiping at its chops with the back of its hand. It looked like the smallest one out of the pack, but it still towered over Cooper at about eight feet when it wasn’t hunched over, its scales a creamy, beige tone that reminded him of varnished wood.

It lapped at its claws with its forked tongue, swirling Its dark length around each digit. Once it had thoroughly cleaned itself, it set its creamy eyes on Cooper, beginning to inch closer to him. Unlike the others, this one seemed almost hesitant in the way it approached him. Perhaps it was far younger than the others, or maybe just more curious than them. There was something endearing about watching the clawed beast slowly build up the courage to get a look at him, when it could just rip his face off if it so pleased.

“She’s quite harmless,” Pearl said, placing a reassuring hand on his knee. “She’s the youngest, just turned an adult by human standards.”

“It have a name?” he asked, the deathclaw blinking the moment his words left his mouth.

“Nah,” Pearl replied. “Well they do, but it’s sort of a unique growl I don’t think you could pronounce.”

The runt of the pack gained enough courage to poke him on the leg, the beast aware enough to keep the sharp edge of its claws clear. He let it pick at his clothing for a while, and then the little beast sat between his and Pearl’s feet, its tail wagging behind it as it looked at the two expectantly.

“Think she wants to learn a few words,” Pearl said. “I know that look.”

“They can talk?” Cooper asked.

“Yeah! Didn’t I tell you before? This one’s a pretty quick learner, try getting her to say something.”

“Uh, hello,” Cooper tried, the deathclaw blinking its reptilian eyes at him. He repeated the greeting, but the creature didn’t reply. Frowning, he tried something different. “My name’s Cooper. Coo-per.”

“Coowa,” the deathclaw chirped.

“Close enough,” he said, Pearl snickering beneath her hand. The runt glanced at Pearl, then made a noise that sounded suspiciously like someone clearing their throat.

“Purr,” it said, unless it was actually purring, but Cooper was sure it was the former.

“That’s me, Purr the alpha,” Pearl said. The runt started making incomprehensible noises that might have been words, Pearl nodding along, pretending to understand whatever it was saying.

“So just how smart are these things?” Cooper asked, watching the deathclaw grow tired of the one-sided conversation, curling up into a ball of scales, exposing its teeth in a yawn. “Does it actually understand what it’s saying, or is it just copying us?”

“The Enclave scientists compared the ferals to parrots, so they’re smart in their own way,” Pearl explained. “Could say they’re kinda like… I don’t want to say pets cause I’ll sound like a weirdo, but I’ve seen what domesticated dogs and cats are like in human society, and these guys are sort of the scaly equivalent.”

“Don’t think it’s strange comparing your own kind to housepets?”

“Of course I think it’s strange. I’m part them, and part human, I’m literally the _definition _of strange. I’ve wondered my whole life what deathclaws and humans are to me, who I identify more with, but it’s… weird. Got DNA from both sides running through my veins, but even I’m not sure which one’s got precedence. Don’t even have the excuse of identifying with my parents, cause my mom _is _my dad, and he’s a test tube! It makes my whole existence a confusing mess.”

“Does that… bother you?” Cooper asked.

“Only when it comes up,” Pearl answered, chuckling in an attempt to stay humorous, but it wasn’t very convincing. “Didn’t really think about it all that much when I was young, back when I was surrounded by Enclave and the other deathclaws, but now that I’ve got so much time on my hands… it nags at me, like an itch or something. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the pack’s company, but it’s… they’re not like me, y’know? And that makes me feel alienated, even though I’m the alpha. I’m probably explaining it really badly, aren’t I?”

“Maybe you should take up your search again,” Cooper suggested, Pearl lifting her eyes from the floor to look at him. “You can’t have been the only hybrid to escape the Enclave, maybe talking to someone who’s like you could be good for you.”

“Cooper, even if the others did manage to escape, they’d have gone into hiding just like I am, or took up with a feral pack and moved on, they could be literally anywhere after all these years. It’s pointless.”

“But they’re as close to family as you got,” he pressed. “You can’t give up on them. Maybe you could return to this Enclave base after winter, see if the trail’s still there.”

“I have all company I could ever need here,” Pearl insisted. “The pack… and now you. I get what you’re trying to do, and I appreciate it, but I just don’t see it ever working.”

“I’m not telling you to go out right now. It’s just something to think about,” Cooper tried. “I know if I was the only human around, I’d like to talk to someone like me eventually.”

Pearl shrugged in response, stroking the younger deathclaw for a while before speaking up again, changing the subject.

“See you picked up a new toy,” she noted, gesturing at his energy weapon. “How’s it handle?”

“Pretty good,” he answered. “Lifted six cells off that guy, but the sights are a little loose.”

“I have tools, next to our writing desk,” she explained. She’d called it _our _writing desk as though Cooper owned it alongside her, but he didn’t choose to correct her.

“You seem to have everything in this den of yours,” Cooper remarked. “Next thing I know you’ll be telling me you make your own fuel.”

“I have a refinery out the back,” Pearl said, snickering at his bewildered expression. “Nah I’m lying. Hey, do me a favour and cover up the books while you’re there? The pack like to chew on the pages if they see them.”

“You’re not coming?”

“Think I’m just gonna stay here for a while,” she replied, glancing up at him as he stood. “Need a bit of time to unwind after being lasered. And don’t give me that look, you trust me, right? The pack won’t harm you even if I’m not around, seriously.”

He believed her, but he still gave the pack a wide berth as he circled the carcass, which was now little more than a pile of bones at this point. He felt the eyes of the deathcalws following him into the passageway, Cooper suppressing a shiver as he heard one of them snap the brahmin’s ribcage apart.

-xXx-

Cooper wiped down the laser rifle with a rag, the fabric coated in a layer of oil. As Pearl had said, she had a basket full of handheld tools and replacement parts hidden away in one corner, things that one would need to maintain a basic electric grid like the one she had employed for the mine. Fixing the sights was a simple case of turning a few loose screws, the hunter had kept his weapon in otherwise great condition. Cooper was more familiar with ballistic weapons than those that fired energy, but maybe Pearl had a book somewhere that could help him get started, as he didn’t fancy parting with such advanced weaponry.

As he picked through Pearl’s collection, grinning when he saw the cover of Gamma Season, he found what he was looking for, a copy of Nikola Tesla and You. He opened it up to the index, taking a seat as he perused the various topics inside. Apparently, it was possible to recycle used energy cells, though the process required more advanced machinery than what Pearl had on hand. A nearly unlimited amount of ammo would be useful indeed.

He browsed the book for a while, pausing when he heard something coming down the hallway behind him. He turned, expecting it to be Pearl, his expression darkening when he saw it was one of the ferals.

It paused in the doorway, wrapping its claws over its flanks as though it was folding its arms, its bright eyes watching him, lacking any sort of pupils. It was the same one that had pinned and then licked him earlier, the memory causing him to shift in his seat.

“Hope you’re not planning on doing that again,” he sighed, expecting no real answer but saying it anyway. The deathclaw, ever fascinated by his speech, tilted its head like a curious dog’s, walking slowly over towards him on its giant legs. They were as thick around as his torso, flexing with even more muscle than Pearl’s. Surely this giant beast was too big to be bossed around by her?

He bristled as it approached, forcing himself to calm down. Pearl had told him to trust that no harm would come to him, but the memory of these things charging him down from the dark mineshafts was still fresh on his mind. The deathclaw paused a few feet from the desk, opening one of its hands. Something was clutched in its huge palm.

“What have you got there?” he asked, the beast tipping its hand over, a chunk of meat slapping wetly to the desk. It must have been leftovers from the brahmin carcass. Drips of blood pooled over its edges, but the surface was browned, slightly cooked. Had Pearl sent him this meal, using this deathclaw as a proxy?

“I’m good, thanks,” he said, pushing the books clear before the blood could make a mess of them. The deathclaw hovered nearby, and when it saw he wasn’t going to eat, it reached out and pushed the meat closer to him.

He glared up at it, hoping his body language would translate better than his words would, but the deathclaw just stared back, miming with its hands as it demonstrated how to eat. Did it think he didn’t understand how to feed himself?

“Fine, if it’ll get you to leave.” He picked up the lustrous meat and took a bite, making sure the deathclaw got a good look while he did. He swallowed down a bite, but the deathclaw didn’t seem satisfied, encouraging him to eat the whole thing. Maybe it felt bad about getting all personal with him before, and was offering the meat as a sort of peace offering.

He _was _hungry, and he guessed there’d be no harm in entertaining the creature. He finished off the portion, nodding and rubbing his tummy with a hand. “Mm, yeah very tasty, thank you.”

The beast huffed, seemingly satisfied at the display. As he returned to his book, the creature plonked itself down behind him, the impact shaking the ground, the beast so tall that it could easily hover over his shoulder to watch what he was doing. It looked on in silence as he wiped the rag over the rifle, its face moving left and right like a pet tracking a tasty treat.

“This is a laser gun,” Cooper began, the beast turning its gaze to him. “Can you say laser? Pearl said you were like parrots.”

The deathclaw blinked, only reacting when he said Pearl’s name.

“Not a big talker, huh? Fair enough.”

The beast kept him company as he worked for a while, apparently never boring of watching his dexterous fingers strip away parts of the weapon, Cooper taking note of some of the internal components, using the book as a guide. He didn’t dare fully dismantle the weapon, afraid he might never get it back in working order, but the idea that he might as well tend to his other weapons while he was at it crossed his mind.

“Pass me my syringer, would you?” he asked the deathclaw, the beast following his finger towards the weapon laying nearby. It blinked in reply, so he mimed picking the weapon up, and then pointed at himself. The creature seemed to get the picture, standing up and plucking the tubular weapon off the ground.

It held the syringer up to its face, a wave of recognition flashing over its features. It opened its mouth wide, its fangs curling out towards the gun. “No!” Cooper shouted. “Don’t eat it, I know I shot you with it, but don’t do that.”

Pearl had said they understood _yes _and _no, _and the deathclaw paused with the gun inches from its maw, reluctantly thrusting it into his outstretched hands.

He wasn’t all that familiar with how the gas-powered syringer operated, but it wouldn’t hurt to clear off the dirt and grime. He read more of the _Tesla _book while he worked, but then the deathclaw soon grew impatient, reaching for one of the other books on the desk.

“Pearl said you shouldn’t touch them,” he chided, the deathclaw freezing mid-reach. It gave him a deathclaw’s equivalent of puppy-eyes, and somehow that had an effect on Cooper, and he eventually relented. “Fine. You can’t even read, but whatever, just watch those claws…”

It seemed to understand the warning in his tone, and the deathclaw plucked a copy of _Guns and Bullets _from the pile, setting it carefully down next to the one Cooper was reading. It flipped the book open to a random page, slipping a claw between the pages to use as leverage, then brought its face down, pretending to read the scrawling text.

Cooper couldn’t help but laugh when it turned the page at the same time he did for his own, matching his reading pace down to the second. He flipped the same page back and forth a couple times, amusing himself for a few minutes as the thing copied him to a fault. These creatures seemed to like imitating, they were still animals, but there was a certain intellect to their actions, more than any other creature that Cooper had come across.

There wasn’t a whole lot of use for the syringer anymore, but Cooper thought he might be able to sell it somewhere, or use it against other deathclaws if he ever got caught out by them, so he cleaned it down. Next came his rifle, which was in better condition save for the empty magazine, Cooper teaching the deathclaw how to load the bullets into the case. The claws made the process clumsier than it should have been, but it eventually got the hang of it, huffing in satisfaction as it handed him a full mag. Aside from the browner colouration of its scales, it wasn’t all that different from hanging out with Pearl, albeit this one hadn’t uttered much more than few huffs and grunts.

Eventually his arsenal was back in working order, and he stood up, shouldering his fresh weapons before stacking the books away, hiding them under Pearl’s robe. He wasn’t about to go wandering around without a gun at hand, not because of the pack’s reawakening, but because of the close call with the hunters.

“Let’s go find Pearl,” he told the deathclaw, the beast rising to its feet and following him out. It stuck close to his side, like it was afraid he might run off or something. When they passed the brahmin carcass, the animal reduced to a few slops of red meat, the deathclaw made a grunting sound to get his attention. He watched it pick up a stray chunk, dangling it out at him.

“I’m good,” he said, sighing when the creature moved its hands insistently. Did it think he was hungry, or was this yet another offer of peace? He might have just been adopted by this creature if it was the former.

It couldn’t understand his words, but it could gleam his intent from his tone of voice, the deathclaw soon getting the message that he wasn’t hungry, downing the chunk in a single bite.

He looked around, but couldn’t see Pearl, and it seemed that the pack had dispersed after all the food was gone. Seeing he had the time for it, he picked a random direction and started walking, surmising he could take the time to explore the mine a little bit now that he wasn’t in danger of being torn apart by the locals.

The way was still lit by the glow of the lightbulbs, allowing Cooper to see down the full length of each shaft until the turn. He noted that his follower seemed to shy away as it drew closer to the lights, and he remembered Pearl mentioning something about them favouring darker spaces. It could have destroyed the lightbulb with an idle flick of its claw, but chose not to. Had Pearl forbidden damaging them, maybe?

Just as Cooper was starting to feel like the mine was abandoned, another deathclaw walked into view from the turn ahead, Cooper recognizing it as the smaller, chatty creature he’d taught his name to before. It came bounding down the passage, Cooper resisting the urge to run as it sprinted full kilter. The second before it crashed into him, it dug its talons into the gravel, pivoting to the left and beginning to run circles around him like an energetic dog. It avoided colliding with him, but his follower wasn’t so fortunate, the tall deathclaw shooting its smaller counterpart an annoyed look.

“Coowa!” the creature said as it paused in front of him, jumping from left foot to right as it hopped on the spot. It was panting hard from its mad dash, flinching towards him in a mock charge as Cooper watched it curiously. It seemed to want to play. When it made to run another circle around him, he intercepted it, grabbing fistfuls of its scales and attempting to bring it to the ground, the deathclaw resisting him easily. It purred as it leaned its weight on him, the two crashing to the floor, Cooper laughing as it wrestled with him, surprisingly considerate of his limitations.

His ward scolded his new playmate, growling under its breath as it chased the runt away, the deathclaw darting out of its reach, sprinting into the tunnel behind them. It was the first time Cooper had heard it ‘speak’, and that was only because it seemed to be fussing over him like his personal guardian.

After dusting himself off, they proceeded deeper into the mine, coming across the runt again after a few minutes. Like before, it was rushing down the mineshafts, taking the turns that didn’t intersect with Cooper’s path. Maybe it was exercising, or keeping itself warm by doing laps, but it was an amusing sight either way.

He could hear noises coming from down one of the passages, and he followed it, vaguely recognizing the area from his initial sweep of the den. The passage curved to the left, then ended in a square-shaped room, two deathclaws standing inside. Their dark scales caught the light of the overhanging bulb as they shuffled from the left side of the room to the right, their muscular arms flexing as they hurled giant rocks into piles. One wall of the room looked like it led into another passage, but was caved in by a tide of rubble, the creatures removing the debris one rock at a time.

They stopped what they were doing when they noticed Cooper, peering at him curiously from between their sweeping horns. Their scales were rimsong between black and brown, with their bright, creamy eyes standing out harshly against their deep complexions. They looked identical at a glance, but there were subtle differences between them if he looked long enough. A shorter horn, a rimsong claw. The way their horns swept out from their faces at differing angles was the most obvious distinction.

They inched closer, giving him a few cursory sniffs, one grumbling to the other in their strange dialect. Cooper would have held quite the grudge at someone who’d shot him full of sedative, but these creatures seemed like they’d forgotten the whole ordeal, or maybe they didn’t care now that he smelled like their alpha.

They started to pick at his clothes, Cooper trying to relax as their roaming claws caught on the fabric, one of the creatures giving his laser rifle a tentative flick with a talon. His ward sensed his growing discomfort, the two beasts backing off when it loosed a growl that might have been a warning. It seemed to hold some authority over the other members of the pack, so it wasn’t just Pearl who could order them about. Maybe this one was the second-in-command, or the unofficial matriarch to the others, it certainly gave off fussy mother vibes. That seemed as good a name as any for it, Matriarch.

The two deathclaws returned to what they were doing as Cooper and Matriarch lingered off to the side, watching as one passed off a rock the size of Cooper’s chest to the other. One seemed to be in charge of hauling, while the other was responsible for organizing the rocks into stacks, piling them around the edges of the room so there was space to walk.

One of the beasts took a large stone off the other, the deathclaw struggling to lift it, even with its monumental strength. Matriarch narrowed her eyes as Cooper set his rifle down, moving over to the struggling deathclaw. He motioned for it to put the rubble down, and after a bit of thinking it seemed to get the message, placing the huge stone down with a thump.

Cooper moved behind the stone, bent down, and then shouldered all his weight into it, the rock rolling a few inches forward. The deathclaw got the picture quickly, and the two of them started to roll the rock towards the back of the room. Cooper was heaving for air by the time they finished placing it, but the deathclaw seemed grateful for his efforts, reaching down with a clawed hand and ruffling his hair, a display that Pearl must have taught it.

The deathclaw by the rubble handed off another rock, and its counterpart rolled it away, Cooper stooping to pick up another from the debris. He tested its weight, finding it practically impossible to lift, then settled for one that was about the size of a pistol. He wasn’t contributing much, considering the deathclaws were flipping rocks the size of his body, but he helped the pair along anyway, the two laborers huffing in what might be their version of a chuckle at his measly efforts.

“Join in anytime you want, Matriarch,” Cooper panted, fully aware it couldn’t understand him. Just when he thought the beast would stay content watching, it walked over, working in tandem with the hauler to tunnel away into the rubble.

Cooper had to rest his hands and back frequently, but the deathclaws went at it, drawing on their seemingly endless energy reserves. While they were strong, it took two of them, sometimes all three to move the larger, heavier pieces of stone, the rocks so jagged they had to be flipped rather than rolled. If only those giant digging machines deeper in the mine were still intact. He’d seen similar models restored by NCR engineers, the things able to move mountains of rock in mere hours.

The thought gave him an idea, and he got to his feet, snapping his fingers to get the pack’s attention, telling them he’d be right back. They seemed to get the message, as Matriarch didn’t follow him out when he turned to leave. He backtracked his way to where he’d seen the excavator machines, but he wasn’t naïve enough to think he could find one that still worked after all this time. Instead, he turned towards the scattered equipment lying around the mineral deposits, kneeling in the gravel to pluck through them.

He tossed powered drills over his shoulder, their bearings long since melted away into uselessness, stuffing aside other broken hand tools until he found what he was looking for. Alongside all this advanced equipment were more traditional tools, like pickaxes and chisels. The metal was rusted away in places, the wooden shafts rotting and splintered, but he found a few that were mostly intact, and he bundled the ones in good condition under his arms, returning to the blocked passage (giving the energetic deathclaw that was still running laps a friendly hello as he went).

The labouring deathclaws stopped what they were doing when he dropped the tools, the metal echoing down the passages. He clutched a pickaxe above his head, preparing to strike the largest piece of rubble. The deathclaws didn’t need to be told to move away, they shuffled off, tails flicking in what might be confusion as he brought the pick down hard, a spiderweb crack weaving down the middle of the piece of stone.

With a few more heaves, he succeeded in cracking the boulder in two, the deathclaws rumbling their approval as they collected the pieces, carrying them away. One of the deathclaw labourers tried to mimic him and use a pickaxe for itself, but it couldn’t quite get used to the movement, as much as it tried.

The clicking of his pick joined the grumbling deathclaws as they worked at the blocked passage, Cooper wiping the sweat from his brow as the hours passed. The rocks just kept coming, spilling in from a pocket in the ceiling, but their progress through the rubble was steady, if a bit on the slower side, the passage slowly freeing up as they cleared it. Together, the four of them bored out the earth, the mystery of what lay beyond the rubble fueling Cooper’s efforts.

The rocks began to subside, a sliv”r of’open darkness revealing as they cleared out the next mound of dust and rock. With one last swing, Cooper split the final bits of blockage apart, the two labourers hurrying over to clear the way. The newly opened passage was pitch black, Cooper reaching into his pocket and flipping his lighter open. He flicked the gears, the deathclaw’s eyes catching the resulting spark. The candle of flame provided a pitiful light, but it was better than nothing.

The beasts stood to either side of him warily, and It was Matriarch who dared to lead the way, the two others falling in behind her. Cooper brought up the rear, ducking his head to avoid their winding tails, their bodies already fading after a few paces on their long legs. The way the creatures blended into the dark never ceased to amaze him.

He followed them into the revealed room, the walls branching out after a short distance. What had they uncovered? Could it be an armoury, an entrance to a Vault, maybe?

It was nothing so extravagant. The room was barely big enough for the three deathclaws, the beasts touching shoulders as they scanned the new surroundings. It was a carbon copy of the intersection near the entrance, the path splitting into two more passages, each one caved in by even more rubble. Cooper swore he saw one of the beasts sag its shoulders at the revelation that the work hadn’t bore fruit.

“Ah well,” Cooper said, the deathclaws peering back at him. “least we’re all warmed up after a long day’s work, right?”

They probably would share the sentiment, cold-blooded creatures like them probably hadn’t felt so hot in a while, which was better than nothing.

The two labourer deathclaws sidled up to him, the one that had ruffled his hair before doing it again, the other pushing its face into his arm. His use of tools had helped him keep up with their efforts, which seemed to impress the pair. They couldn’t express their gratitude in words, but they could do so through gestures, the one touching his hair running its claws over his scalp, the tingling sensation reminding him of when Pearl groomed him like that.

He felt hot air on his neck as one of them leaned down, a forked tongue not unlike Pearl’s worming out between its fangs. It lapped at the beads of sweat clinging to his skin, tracing them up his neck, one of the tapered ends flicking at his lips. He winced as he smelled its foul breath, his grunts of discomfort turning into ones of arousal as one continued to massage him with a hand, the other with its tongue.

The sensations he was feeling were so like Pearl’s; the sharp claws, the pinch of an errant thorn or spike as scaled flesh rubbed up against him. He began to sag, one of the deathclaws wrapping an arm around him before he fell. It felt so good, but… but they _weren’t _Pearl, and that realization jolted him back into reality, and he shoved the two beasts away, retreating back a few paces and raising his hands.

“That’s enough,” he panted. “No touching Cooper, got it? I’m already taken.”

They appeared to understand his tone to a degree, the two labourers glancing at each other in confusion, while Matriarch looked concerned. He backed out of the passage, the deathclaws following at a safe distance. Couldn’t they smell Pearl’s scent on him? Surely coming on to the alpha’s mate was a no-go, even for animals. A shiver passed down his spine at the thought of them licking and touching him, and what else they might do if given the chance. He’d spent a whole night in Pearl’s arms, of course, but this was different. The pack were animals, beasts, he wouldn’t ever consider crossing that line.

But the guilty bulge in his pants betrayed his thoughts, Cooper blushing as he tried to suppress his wondering thoughts. He’d spent too long coddled up against scales and thorns, and his body was reacting to it, that was all. He mumbled excuses under his breath, convincing himself he hadn’t stooped to that level.

“Cooper … per… per…” echoed down the passage.

He perked up at the voice, hurrying into the subsequent chamber. The stacks of rubble trailed into the passage beyond, there must have been a hundred rocks at least, and he caught a sliver of pink and white as Pearl stepped over the haphazard piles, her orange eyes blinking as she appraised the cleared path.

“Keeping busy I see,” she said, giving him a coy grin as he walked up to her. It felt good to be able to hold a conversation with someone again. “And you’re getting along with the pack, too! Colour me impressed.”

He asked her where she had been these past few hours, Pearl’s expression darkening as she scratched her neck. “Went out for a little stroll. I know, I know, bad idea after I was literally being shot at this morning, but I needed some space on this one.”

“What ‘one’? Are you alright?”

“Yeah! Well, sorta…” Pearl said, turning around. “Walk with me.”

She shortened her long strides so he could keep up, the pack following behind them, the tall beasts leaning in and listening in on their conversation even though they couldn’t understand what they were saying.

“I was thinking about what you said,” Pearl began, holding out an explanative hand. “About me reuniting with my hybrid sisters. I don’t want to be the pessimist and say it’s hopeless – even though I did – but the only way I’ll be able to even entertain the thought of taking up the search again, would be to take out Hendrix first.”

“You… You want to attack the lodge?” Cooper asked. “You serious? That place is built like a fort.”

“You think I don’t know that? Hunters from that lodge have been combing this valley for me ever since they moved in, and today they finally found me, it won’t be long before I’ll have no choice but to pack my things and move, and that’s not going to happen.”

“Why not? You’ve moved from other hideouts before, haven’t you?”

“That’s not the point,” she replied tersely. “Hendrix’s people will just come after me again, or some other group will take up where they left off. The bounties will never stop as long as this loose end doesn’t get tied up. Hunters never let a juicy target just walk away, you should know that better than anyone.”

It was hard to deny her logic, considering he’d tracked her for over several days just for a shot at getting his fortune. “How does wiping out Hendrix have anything to do with finding the other hybrids?” he asked.

“Remember when I questioned that woman about how my pack was captured? To me, it seemed awfully convenient that after years _of eluding the hunters, suddenly all seven of us were captured in just _one night. There are other deathclaws in this valley, not many, but they’re there, so why us in particular? What happened to cause them to switch up tactics, and target this pack specifically?”

“… Omega happened,” Cooper muttered.

“Exactly!” Pearl replied. “There’s only one other group in the Wastes that knows how valuable I really am, and is willing to pay for my recovery, _intact _may I add.”

“You think Hendrix is in league with the Enclave?” Cooper asked. “I thought you said they hated outsiders.”

“They’re not above employing help from mainlanders if it means reaching their goals,” she said.

“What if it’s just coincidence?” Cooper countered. “You don’t exactly blend in, Pearl, you’re exotic, and no offense but you’d make a fine trophy to any aspiring hunter.”

“It makes sense though, right? The Enclave needs to find a valuable asset hiding out in the wild, so of course the first people to go to would be the local hunters. Where’s Hendrix getting all the reward money from, huh? Does he have a Vault full of caps or something?”

“He’s a businessman,” Cooper explained. “He’s the only one that trades in exotic wildlife this side of the country, that’s gotta bring in wealth and influence.”

“That might be the case,” Pearl said, the way her tail flicked behind her indicating her disapproval. “Let’s say that you’re right and this is all just coincidence, but the fact that old codger is still a threat to me isn’t speculation. Either he goes, or I _do, and I’ll be damned if it’s gonna be _me.”

Cooper chewed his lip in thought, hesitating under Pearl’s gaze. He didn’t hold the same biases against Hendrix as Pearl did, but he couldn’t deny that she was in danger because of him, and it was obvious who he’d choose over the other.

“We’ll need a plan then,” he said, Pearl cocking her head in shock.

“Does that mean… you’re in?” she asked. “I thought you’d need a lot more convincing, I had a whole speech planned and everything.”

“Why? We’re friends, right? I haven’t exactly had a lot of them before, but this is what they do, yeah?”

“They help each other assault highly defended compounds, that’s a widely known fact,” Pearl said, chuckling weakly as she rubbed her horns. “You’re sure you want to, though? I don’t think attacking your former employer will do wonders for your reputation.”

“Pearl, you’re something else,” he laughed. “You spent the better part of a week yearning for my company, and now the second I agree to join you, you start pushing me away?”

“I wasn’t yearning,” she defended, hiding her grin behind a claw. “well, maybe a tiny bit, but don’t start telling everyone that!”

“I don’t see how just us two are gonna take out a whole compound full of guards,” Cooper added, Pearl nudging him with her elbow.

“Did you forget we’ve got five other deathclaws ready and willing? I’ll have a chat with them.”

She turned around, addressing the two laborer’s and the Matriarch with a string of growls, the beasts hissing in reply. Cooper couldn’t follow the conversation, but it seemed that the two sides were arguing over something. As he waited, he saw the runt appear down the mineshaft ahead of them, attracted by all the chatter. When Pearl addressed it, the deathclaw simply nodded, the way it acted so human appearing uncanny to Cooper.

Pearl had the final word, and she turned to Cooper, a smirk on her face. “They’re a little tired after all that clearing you guys did, but they’ll help, after a bit of rest. We should set off sooner rather than later, maybe tomorrow morning. Hmm…”

“What is it?” he asked.

“We’re one short,” Pearl explained, glancing left and right. “Guess she’s a little shy of you, Coops. I’m sure she’ll come around once we set off.”

“Now that you mention it,” Cooper began. “There were seven cages back in the lodge, and there’s six of you here, so where’s the last one?”

“Oh, him!” Pearl replied. “We didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye on who got to be alpha. We’ve sparred it out several times in the past, and being captured ticked him off again. I won like always, but he got a bad case of _sore loser _and took off, for good this time. Can’t blame him, he missed out on owning a damned fine harem if I do say so myself.”

“Yeah, noticed that you’ve referred to everyone so far as a she,” Cooper muttered, glancing between each deathclaw, who all blinked back at him in turn. “Might go tinker with the power armour, could help with our attack on the lodge, assuming _someone _hasn’t completely ruined it.”

“My bad,” Pearl said, her tone unapologetic. “don’t exhaust yourself, we got a big day ahead of us.”