Piper woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of movement in the next room of the abandoned shack Renton and her were occupying for the night. The mattress at the other end of the cozy room was empty; she was sure that Renton was the cause of the light commotion. She rose to her feet and let out a sudden yawn, her breath left a bad taste in her mouth, she should've brushed last night but was feeling dizzy, a side effect of the trauma she suffered from the raider ambush hours before. Being as quiet as she could be, Piper walked into the next room to see Renton on his Pip-Boy listening to a holotape at a very low volume. His eyelids looked heavy and his milk chocolate face was covered in marks of dirt.
Renton looked up to see Piper with a concerned look on her pale face; still suffering from the scuffle no doubt. He turned off the holotape and sat back in the battered, ocean blue kitchen chair, the cushion pushing through the hole in the plastic cover.
"Hey Ren, you still up? She asked with concern in her tone as she approached him and sat on an identical chair across the table.
"I can't sleep. I just like playing it to hear his voice." Renton replied sounding monotone and staring deeply into the floor in front of him.
"I see." Piper responded, mimicking his deep stare at the floor. "Listen, we've only been traveling together for about three weeks now, but I feel like I can trust you with what I'm about to tell you." Piper said making eye contact with Renton's dark colored irises. "I have a little sister named Nat, who lives with me in Diamond City. I didn't know if you were someone I could trust with that kind of information at first since, you know, a nosey reporter like me has enemies." She said, ending her sentence with a guilty chuckle.
"I guess I can understand why you didn't tell me." Renton replied.
"Yeah, and the reason I'm bringing this up is because it's been a while since I've seen her so I was wondering if we could go back to Diamond City for a day or two to check up on her and see how things are with my newspaper?" Piper asked. "I mean, I know your mission is important to you and you don't have to come with me, but she's all I have left." She continued while looking at the floor as if she was ashamed to ask.
"Okay. We'll head out for Diamond City first thing tomorrow. We could use a clean shower and ammo while we're there." Renton said with a faint smile, the guilt of earlier was still clinging to his heart.
"Thanks Ren, I really appreciate it." Piper said with an excitement in her tone. "Well, we have quite the trek tomorrow, so I'm going to go back to sleep. You should get some rest too Ren." Piper suggested.
"I will in a bit." Renton said.
"Okay. Goodnight Ren." Piper said, turning back towards the bedroom.
"Piper, you know, I-I just want you to know that I appreciate you coming along with me and that I don't want you to judge me based on what happened earlier. I had to-"
"You don't have to justify what you did, not to me anyway." Piper interrupted, and turned to face Renton again. "If it wasn't for you doing what you did, you probably would've had to break me out from a raider camp, and I wouldn't want you to have to do that, not for me anyway. So, as weird as it sounds to hear, I appreciate it Ren, thank you." Piper said with a sincere closed lipped smile.
"You're welcome." Renton replied.
Diamond City looked like nothing Renton had ever seen. From the top of the large set of stair he could get a good feel of how Diamond City was structured. The smell of noodles filled his nose as Piper escorted him closer to the center of town. The sight of armed guards made Diamond City feel safe from any outside threat, that comforted him, but the stares he was receiving balanced out the safety with anxiousness.
Piper stopped in front of a rather small house on the left side of the city's rigid ramp. 'Publick Occurrences' the sign above the abode read.
"Well, this is where I live. Contrary to how it looks, it's better than wrapping yourself in a plastic bag. Piper joked, her hands placed on her hips and gazing up with a proud look on her face.
"I'll take my chances with the bag." Renton joked with a faint smile.
"Hey now, I would actually pay to see that." Piper jested back.
"You would pay to see me in nothing but a plastic bag?" Renton quipped.
"What? No! I didn't say that!" Piper replied, her face turned rosy red.
"I know, but since the topic came up, would you like to?" Renton asked with a straight face.
"Jeez Ren, are you okay in the head?" Piper asked, still red.
"Anyway, it looks too small to run a newspaper." Renton replied looking back at Piper, completely changing the subject. "How many readers do you have?" Renton asked.
"You mean like, now, or, ever?" Piper inquired, still a little confused from the sudden change.
"Now." Renton replied.
"Umm, I think six, maybe." Piper stated.
"And ever?" Renton asked.
"Heh, about the same." Piper replied.
"I see." Renton said looking back at the ragged sign.
Piper opened the rickety door, which squeaked throughout the motion while Renton followed along a few paces behind. He wasn't expecting to see a little girl whom looked like a younger Piper, working the press machine in the center of the room.
"Hey Nat!" Piper said cheerfully.
"Hey Piper!" Nat exclaimed, her response equally as cheerful.
Piper walked over to Nat and gave her a tight embrace. Renton stared at the two of them intently. He remembered how this meeting would have never taken place if he didn't snipe the leg of that raider who attempted to kidnap Piper. A sudden flash of the female raider's face interrupted Renton's thoughts. The blood oozing from her wound, the scared look in her eyes, her tears, and the image of her holding hands with her daughter, an image Renton had to improvise because he didn't know what her daughter looked like.
"Ren, this is Nat, my baby sister." Piper said, turning to Renton with a wide smile.
"Yeah, I doubt a baby could run the newspaper singlehandedly while you're out." Nat said sarcastically.
"Renton? Renton are you okay?" Piper questioned.
Renton snapped out of his mesmerizing flashback.
"I'm okay Piper, and hi Nat. It's nice to meet you." Renton said wiping his forehead clear of perspiration.
"Hi. So, is he your boyfriend?" Nat asked curiously.
"What? No! What would give you the idea?" Piper inquired. Her face returned to a rosy red hue.
"Piper you're blushing! You must have a crush on him." Nat concluded.
"I-uhh, I-umm, I'm not blushing. You must've been out in the sun too long, you're starting to see things Nat." Piper said, looking back at Renton to make sure he wasn't getting the wrong idea about what Nat said.
"Yeah, she's seeing things like I'm seeing things." Renton said with a genuine smile, confirming that he and Nat saw the same fiery cheeks.
"Umm, you didn't go out and try to investigate stories did you?" Piper asked with a more serious tone, trying to change the subject.
"I did some." Nat admitted, her head tilted away from Piper and braced for a scolding.
"Nat, what did I tell you about doing that when I'm away? Something bad could've happened to you, and then what?" Piper reprimanded.
"But Piper, I actually found something you might want to hear." Nat tried to explain.
"I don't care what it is Nat, I don't want you putting yourself in dan-"
"Mayor McDonough is a synth!" Nat interrupted.
"What did you say?" Piper asked in astonishment, her eyes wide and mouth agape.
"Yesterday night I was out walking around and I overheard Danny Sullivan saying he was going to talk to the mayor about something troubling him. I followed him to the mayor's office and while I was in hiding I saw Mayor McDonough shoot Danny Sullivan in the chest twice before going back into his office and before he closed his door I could see a synth standing in his office. He had yellow glowing eyes, and his skin was paper white, and half of his face was missing!" Nat explained frantically.
"What's a synth?" Renton asked.
"Synths are robots that look and act exactly like humans. They're created by the Institute." Piper informed Renton, turning to face him.
"And they are?" Renton further questioned, crossing his arms.
"The Institute is the biggest myth in the Commonwealth, and the most feared. They kidnap people from the shadows and no one knows where or who they are. They're also responsible for creating synths." Piper stated.
"I see, maybe they have something to do with my brother." Renton said.
"It's possible, but like I said, no one knows who they are or where they are so finding that out might prove to be a little difficult." Piper said turning her attention back to Nat. "Did anyone see you Nat?" Piper asked, putting both hands on Nat's shoulders.
"I don't think so, I was hiding pretty good, but the synth that was with Mayor McDonough did look in my direction. He didn't chase after me or anything though so I think I got away without them noticing me." Nat assured Piper.
"Hey Nat...Where are your goggles?" Piper asked in a worrisome manner, looking around their abode, hoping that they were just misplaced on the floor.
"I don't know. I haven't been able to find them since last...night." Nat concluded, her eyes widened to match her older sister's. Nat had realized that she might have lost them around Mayor McDonough's office.
A sudden and hard knock was heard at the door. Everyone stood completely still for what felt like several minutes, but a moment later a second set of knocks echoed throughout the house. Piper rushed Nat behind a small cinderblock wall that blocked a cooking fire from the rest of the house. Piper walked over to the door and Renton followed next to her hoping that he was a small comfort to her. Piper opened the door and there stood the devil himself dressed in a nicely pressed brown blazer with a yellow rose in his left breast pocket, matching hat, pants and tie, white collared shirt, and a checkered green vest. He had a grin on his face and in his extended right hand were Nat's pink goggles.