The Pain scorched in her left side as she popped the final shot into the Super Mutant's head. That damned Deathclaw in Concord. It had been around 6 months since then but the near-fatal bite mark still hadn't fully healed. Almost certain that they had cleared all of the ferals from the apartment complex across the street, Maya slumped down against the rubble panting for breath.
"You're gonna wear yourself out Kid, We've been on the road for nearly 3 days now and you haven't stopped." Nick Valentine shook his head while pulling a cigarette out of his breast pocket. The too-human synth lit it up and passed it to her with his damaged hand. Maya inhaled deeply, cocking her head back to look at the orange sky. It had been an intense few days. Hell it had been an intense 6 months. She closed her eyes, all she could hear was her heartbeat pounding in her ears. The Psycho was wearing off. She felt every fibre in her body scream from sheer exhaustion. She was smarter than this. She knew that if she let her guard down for a second in the Commonwealth then it could all be over. It would all be for nothing and she'd be damned if she was the one who lived and she let herself get killed. Scraping her hair back with her free hand, she grinned at her companion. Her way of letting him know he was worrying too much.
It was different for Nick, being an early model synth he didn't need to sleep. He would stay up all night on cases Ellie had given him to look into on the road. Humans, on the other hand, did need sleep. Every night since she agreed to take him along, Nick insisted that Maya rest come nightfall. She'd always humour him. Find a shelter, set up the mattress and go through the routine. Nick didn't know who she thought she was fooling. No matter how low she put it, he could hear her listening to that holotape. Poor kid had been through a lot. Going to sleep pre-war and waking up 200 years later to watch your husband get killed and have the murderer steal your baby? At least they were on the right track. Nick smiled back at his new partner, he couldn't blame her for not being able to rest. This was the first real lead she'd had since she came out of Vault 111. The boy was alive and they were going to the one person who might be able to get them the information they needed, now that Kellogg was taken care of.
"Hey Valentine.." Maya drawled, struggling to pick herself up off the ground. "Is that the sign?"
Nick walked over to her and looked down the street "Goodneighbor" with an arrow pointing to a door further down. "All are welcome" scribbled underneath, Nick furrowed what would have been his brow.
"Goodneighbor, one of the worst places in the Commonwealth" Nick sighed. He hadn't been back in a long time and for good reason. He knelt down and put Maya's arm around his neck.
"Come on Kid, We'll take you to Hotel Rexford and finally get you a good night's sleep. I know that junk is still pumping through your veins and making you all feisty but I don't want another word about it, you hear me?" Nick teased as they slowly made their way down the street. Maya hung her head and let out a quiet snigger. The Psycho was definitely wearing off. Before the war she hadn't touched a drug since early college and even then it was only weed and some ecstasy at parties, experimenting, her long overdue rebellious phase.
She married Nate right out of college and was pregnant with Shaun by the time they were back from the honeymoon. She never had a chance to get the dust off the old law degree. She smiled to herself. Nate always used to say that. She'd planned to pursue her legal career when Shaun was in preschool. She didn't mind waiting, she loved her home, her husband and their baby. It wasn't perfect timing, but she was 25, she had all the time in the world to have a career. She had, had all the time, or at least that's what she thought back then. She sighed, feeling Nick turn his head to check on her. She had talked about it, of course, she had to let the detective know what had happened. But she could never tell anyone the reality of it for her. Nate was everything to her, she'd loved him the moment she saw him in High School. He was older than her and a polar opposite, but the way he made her feel was like a fantasy. She knew she would spend the rest of her life with him, do anything for him. She'd had boyfriends before but Nate resonated with her. Shaun was all she had left of him. Forcing tears back, she made herself stop thinking. It hurt too much. She couldn't rest yet. She'd missed the majority of his childhood because it was stolen from them, but she wasn't going to lose anymore.
John Hancock glanced over his shoulder as he heard Finn trying to scam a couple who just walked in. Fahrenheit would have to wait. He would have recognised that voice anywhere; the great detective of Diamond City, what the hell was Finn thinking? Hancock had warned him more than enough about this shit. Goodneighbor was meant to be a safe haven for everyone. Unlike the rest of the Commonwealth, there were no conditions and the people could live their lives the way they wanted. He noticed the small frame and bright blue Vault suit of a woman standing next to Nick, clearly this was Finn's new 'easy target'. A vault dweller huh? She didn't look like she'd been in the Commonwealth long. Her skin was pristine and she just looked, different. He decided he'd better get over there before this went any further.
"Unless it's 'keep-dumb-assholes-away-from-me insurance', I'm not interested" Maya snapped mercilessly. Shit, maybe that psycho hadn't completely worn off yet. Nick chuckled in approval, fiddling in his pocket to pull out another cigarette. She may have been new to this world but she'd met Finn's type a hundred times pre-war. Her heart hammered in her chest, the psycho pulsating through her, reacting to her building adrenaline. Finn didn't appreciate her response. She felt her holster, her instinct telling her what to expect.
"Whoa, whoa. Time out." Hancock announced his presence as he strolled out of the alley. He laughed internally, this little vault dweller had a fire in her. Had he just heard this girl challenge Finn? Where did Nick find this one?
"Nick Valentine makes a rare visit to town, and you're hassling his friend here with that extortion crap? Hancock snapped, glaring at Finn "Good to see you again, Nick" He smiled, turning to examine the detective and his new companion.
"Hancock." The synth took a calm drag and nodded in response.
Hancock grinned, he knew the detective didn't approve of the way Goodneighbor operated. He couldn't help but stare at the girl, still on the defensive, next to Nick. He was right about one thing, she was new to the Commonwealth. They sure didn't make them like her anymore. She was a mess right now, looked like she hadn't slept in days and was covered in the blood and dirt of the wasteland. Hancock couldn't help himself as his eyes lingered on her face, examining every feature. Those eyes felt like they were piercing his soul. Her pupils too focused for how dilated they were. He grinned knowingly.
"What d'you care? She ain't one of us." Finn snarled, challenging him. Hancock came back to reality. Who the fuck did Finn think he was talking to? He was bigger than Hancock sure, but the stupid thug had clearly underestimated him. He decided to give him one last chance to back off.
"No love for your mayor, Finn? I said let her go" Hancock growled, his previous airy demeanour had vanished. He wasn't playing this game any longer. If Finn had a working brain in that thick skull of his, he'd walk away.
"You're soft, Hancock. You keep letting outsiders walk all over us, one day there'll be a new mayor."
Hancock smiled, guess that brain wasn't working after all.
"Come on, man. This is me we're talking about. Let me tell you something…" Hancock took a deep breath, his insides burning as he moved closer to Finn. He extended one hand to his shoulder and gripped. In that second Finn realised his fate. A flash of silver was illuminated by the streetlight as Hancock drew his blade and lunged it into Finn. The ghoul stared coldly into his eyes as the life slipped away from him with each gash. He released his grip on Finn's shoulder and let the limp body fall to the ground.
"Now why'd you have to go and say that, huh? Breaking my heart over here" Hancock shook his head and wiped his dagger on a rag from his pocket. He looked up to see the Vault girl with her eyes wide. He couldn't tell if she was scared or impressed.
"You alright, sister?" Hancock's smile was warm as his eyes met hers. Maya stared, dumbfounded.
"You, You're a ghoul?" She stammered, still in shock at what she had just witnessed. She winced, realising the rudeness of her question. People had explained to her that the feral ones were people who had lost their minds due to the radiation. She was also told about the others who were just normal people, their physiology altered by it, changing them so that they were practically immune to radiation and had a prolonged lifespan. The ones she saw while travelling had been Raiders. This was the first ghoul she was in a position to have a conversation with.
"That's right. Like my face? I think it gives me a sexy, king of the zombies kinda look. Big hit with the ladies." Hancock winked with a cheeky smirk. He couldn't help the change in his tone. "Listen. Lot of walking rad freaks like me around here, so you might want to keep those kinds of questions on the low burner next time." He dropped his gaze as he spoke. It didn't bother him he was a ghoul, he made himself what he was. He just couldn't stop it from bothering him whenever it was all someone saw him as. "Anyway, hope you're alright, sister" He shook it off, his welcoming smile returned.
"I'm fine, thanks for taking care of him" Maya muttered, the tension leaving her body as she started to relax. It was strange how comfortable this ghoul made her feel, made even stranger by the fact that he had just murdered someone in front of her for disrespecting him.
"Good. Now don't let this incident taint your view of our little community. Goodneighbor is of the people, for the people, you feel me? Everyone's welcome." Hancock beamed at her. Maya could see a sparkle in those deep black eyes. This ghoul was very charismatic. She could see how he'd make a good leader.
"I feel you" Maya couldn't help herself as her mouth moved to mirror his grin. His teeth were very white and straight, a rarity in the Commonwealth. It made his smile that much more captivating.
"You'll see. You make enough friends here, you'll call this place home soon enough." He gave a final smirk as he looked her up and down one last time. "So long as you remember who's in charge."
Hancock turned and retreated back into his building. The woman who had been watching patiently from the alley followed suit. Maya swore that she gave her a bitter glare before disappearing behind the door.
"Welcome to Goodneighbor Kid. Now you know why I don't come here often." Nick grimaced, chucking his cigarette in a gutter before making his way to the alley. "Let's hope Miss Clair has rooms left."
