After the little hiccup in The Third Rail, and subsequent pillage of random goods where Nora could get to without drawing any attention to them, she had lead him down through the streets and into a back alley. MacCready wasn't too fond of tight corners, but Nora wasn't exactly very forthcoming with information just yet. He still couldn't get that image of her out of his head, hunched over and rifling through some random's belongings. Here he thought that vault dwellers had a reputation for being goody-goody, but this one seemed to have a knack for being a bit of a sneak thief. He wasn't judging of course. After all, MacCready was of the mindset that you did what you had to in order to survive out here. He wasn't one to turn his nose up to stealth, since he favored it himself what with being on his own nine times out of ten. The idea of pocketing things other's probably wouldn't miss or notice appealed to him as well. MacCready knew what it was like to struggle and take what you could, so beings Nora did the same gave her some decent marks in his books.

He was so busy musing over her odd, and yet seemingly similar attitude, that he almost ran into her when she stopped abruptly behind a dumpster.

"What...?" MacCready questioned, looking around at where they were hiding. What was up with this?

Nora glanced over at him and sunk down to her knees again. This time she put one of her hands inside her coat and started pulling out a random assortment of small objects, placing all of them down on the ground in front of her for him to see. MacCready was almost surprised when she kept going for a while, not making a sound. Was that a magic pocket or something? She just kept pulling things out… How on earth was she holding all of this crap…

"Uh... you need some help there?"

One last rifle through the pocket and Nora placed down a handful of .45 caliber bullets. She finally looked up at him after glancing at her spoils. "What kind of ammo do you use for that thing?" She asked him finally, after a beat of silence. MacCready was a little put off about her ignoring him but he couldn't help but be impressed by all the stuff she was carrying.

"Thing? This is my favorite sniper rifle..."

Nora let out a small laugh at that. Seemed like she had a bit of a sense of humor. That was good.

"Well, I'm sorry. I'm not one for sniper rifles. Don't have the patience for it, I guess." Nora answered truthfully.

MacCready took that into consideration. Not many people enjoyed waiting and watching for the perfect shot. It took a lot of practice. He trained himself after all, back when he was a young mayor. It wasn't like he had anyone holding his hand either. It just became a necessity when none of the other kids wanted to take up the defense mantle. Afterwards though, when he got a few years of practice in… Well, that was a different story. Now, he loved it. Lining up your enemy in scope and letting the bullet fly, watching as their head explodes into paste… There was just nothing like that for him. Ridiculously satisfying once you got the hang of it. MacCready took to it pretty well when he was younger, and now with all the years he's been practicing, there was rarely a shot he missed.

Nora saying she didn't have the patience for it didn't really bother him, after all it's not like many people out here were able to snipe. Most preferred ridiculously charging your enemies and beating them to a pulp with whatever object was available to them.

He preferred to stay in the shadows. Watching. Waiting. Being cautious. That's how you survived.

"What, so you just use that pea shooter there all the time?" He joked, pointing to the small little gun at her waist. Nora looked down at it a little self consciously, but still managed to breathe out a little bit of a chuckle. She would have to get used to his jests and sarcasm, that's just how he was.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Guess you'll have to find out, huh?"

So she could dish it out too, then.

MacCready smirked back at her, watching her separate the ammo that was on the ground. She didn't seem to mind his jesting, so that was a good thing.

After a few beats of silence, MacCready bent down and picked up a box of .308 ammunition. He glanced down at her, waiting to see if she would object to his bold move, but she only smiled up at him and started to stand.

Nora got the picture since he decided not to answer her. Having to guess at which gun took which ammo would've been embarrassing for her, since she was still a little new to this. Nate had only taught her so much back before the bombs dropped. She was glad he took it upon himself to let her know without speaking.

"So, those are all your then." She spoke, "Like I said, I don't use them. Here." Nora began handing him a few other boxes of the ammo he had picked. He had never met an employer before who would willingly share their ammo with him. Normally, he'd have to scavenge his own or buy it. Seemed like this lady was very different than what he was used to. Watching her stack more of the boxes in his hand set a smile on his face. This was a nice change.

"Anything else in that magic pocket of yours that you want me to hold? You just let me know..." MacCready teased. She laughed and sunk back to her knees again.

Nora started to go back through all the stuff and stick it back where it belonged. MacCready wasn't far off with his teasing, Nora was really surprised at how much this overcoat could hold.

"Oh, trust me. I'll let you know." She joked back. He'd learn in time just how much crap she would get her hands on. Nora was a bit of a hoarder after all. Many times she'd have to travel back to Sanctuary or one of her other hideouts just to lighten the load.

"So..." Nora started, waiting for a few seconds to figure out how to word what she was going to say. It didn't seem like MacCready was bothered by her behavior like some of her other companions were. Most didn't like when she took to stealing. Admittedly, this wasn't a behavior she had before coming out of the vault. It wasn't until shortly after leaving the vault that she picked up the habit. It just seemed like everything around her was going to shit. She needed to take everything she could in order to find Shaun... In order to help the settlers whenever she could.

Being the General of the Minutemen was draining on most days, but she did enjoy helping settlements out whenever possible.

Still, it would be best to broach the subject with him beforehand. This way she could decide if he would be a constant companion in her life or just a sometimes partner like Piper or Preston. It wasn't that Nora disliked them, on the contrary. She enjoyed their company and cared about them immensely, especially after traveling with them for so long. They held a special place in her heart, but they just didn't understand her mindset on most things.

Dogmeat offered no qualms with her ever. He simply adored her and that made her happy. It was an unbelievable stroke of luck that lead the dog to her. He was a decent companion in combat and offered her the love and affection she was starting to miss so much. Nora just couldn't take the possibility of him getting hurt, as he often did when they traveled together. Opting to leave him behind at his doghouse in Sanctuary, Nora switched partners often in order to try and find someone who would work well with her skillset. No one seemed to fit that bill yet.

After hearing about a hired gun from listening in on other's conversations, like she was apt to do, Nora figured she would try and give the mercenary a chance. After all, what sort of mercenary would object to a little bit of thievery?

It's not like she did it a lot... It's just... if they wanted to keep it, maybe they should hide it better.

No, scratch that. Nora couldn't even in good conscious say that. Considering all the locks she's picked in her short time in this new world, that wasn't even an option.

She just enjoyed the thrill of taking things that didn't belong to her.

After she stepped out of the vault, not much in her life really made sense anymore. Her son was stolen from her, her husband murdered... She became so numb to emotions out here that nothing really made her feel anything.

That was until she started taking things. Maybe it was the rush of adrenaline. The thrill of possibly being caught. She wasn't really sure... All Nora knew was that it was the only thing that made her really feel anything right now. Most of her interactions were pretty sarcastic and hollow. All of her emotions were spent after the trauma she endured.

How was one to function like that in a world like this?

With everything gone to shit, and with the way her mentality was slowly waning, she didn't care about the things she was taking. They were placeholders for emotions long lost. Placeholders for things she should be feeling.

She was also getting just... really good at it. No one seemed to notice when she was sneaking. She was invisible. Able to watch and gauge reactions around her. That was something that always interested her anyway, since before the bombs fell. You don't get very far in a law degree without having some modicum of behavioral analysis.

This new type of invisibility was invigorating. No one could shoot what they couldn't see. She used her skills to her advantage more often than not. Preferring to take the first shot when she could in order to spare harm from coming to those at her side. She was a protector.

Nora also had this insane desire to take and give to others. It was almost like a compulsion. Oh, that desk fan over there? That could be used in order to make another turret system for one of her towns. She needed to protect them. She had already failed to keep her son safe once. If she could prevent that for others, Nora would do so no matter what. Taking what she could in order to help herself survive, and the others she had taken under her wing.

Sometimes taking more in order to sell it later... But, you did what you had to in order to survive. Nora was realizing that with a growing ferocity with each day she spent out here.

"You didn't seem to mind my bad habit, MacCready. Was I right in assuming that?" Nora decided to ask. She had waited a while to phrase it correctly, thinking before speaking like she normally did. This seemed to startle MacCready a little bit who glanced at her quickly. He must have been waiting for her to speak for a little while.

"You were. I'm a hired gun. I don't usually turn my nose up at much." He answered her. It was a pretty honest answer, all things considered. If that was what he thought, perhaps he would be a better suited companion for her needs.

"What do you turn your nose up at?" Nora decided to ask. She asked questions whenever she could. A habit born out of her curiosity and previous career. Questions usually lead to more information, and if she could ask the right ones, she could direct the conversation wherever she needed to. She could be in control.

MacCready barked out a laugh, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned against a wall. He was still waiting for her to pick up her belongings, but she got lost in thought earlier for so long he thought she was having a fit or something.

"Guess you'll have to find out, huh?" MacCready replied. He went with her earlier comment in order to joke around, but also remain aloof, as was his nature. If he could kill two birds with one stone he would. He didn't particularly let things out in the open right off the bat. She'd have to do some digging in order to get anything from him.

Nora threw up her head at that, smirking up at the sky and taking a breath.

"Touché."

It seemed MacCready could keep up with her. That, and it would probably be a little bit more difficult to control the conversation with him. It seemed like he could misdirect when necessary, that or he enjoyed throwing her off.

After another few minutes, Nora was on her feet. Everything was nicely packed inside her overcoat. It wasn't like this was her normal get-up either, but after doing that mission for Kent it sort of made her feel a little bit more powerful. Almost like she was one of those old superheroes in those comics Nate used to read. It made her feel good to wear it. Like he'd be proud of her. That, or he'd probably make fun of her…

Either way, it offered decent protection and was black enough to not draw attention to her whenever she was sneaking. It also helped to deter the male gaze, which was something she was also extremely grateful for. It fit its purpose for right now.

"Ready to head out now?" MacCready asked. He started to get up from the wall and walk towards her. His sniper rifle was thrown over a shoulder as he glanced at her. Nora nodded her head, starting to lead the way out of the alley.

"You make a habit of going into alleys? That where you take stock of all your stolen goodies?"

MacCready was awfully bold for a gun for hire. Nora noted he liked to joke a lot. That was something that reminded her of her past... Of Nate…

A small smile found it's way onto her features. Even though she was in front of him, and he probably wouldn't be able to see, Nora still dropped her head down in order to hide it. Here she was trying to forget about her past. About what happened. She was succeeding very well up until this moment. Come to think of it, the past few hours with MacCready held the most amount of times she had since thought about her late husband.

Even though she had only known him for a short period of time, it seemed like she was able to joke back and forth with him. This was new for her, as most of the others she had encountered didn't really know what to do with her particular sense of sarcasm. There was that one time she even managed to let out that beautifully crafted pun about mirelurks on Preston to just have him stare back at her.

It was gold. Came to her right in the middle of a firefight. And he just stared at her like she had two heads.

Alright, so maybe it wasn't that great, but damnit Nora laughed at it herself and that's all that mattered anyway.

Still, the joking is what she missed most of all. That's how Nate would try and tease her anyway. He always said her jokes were terrible, but laughed at them anyway. It was his little joke with her. His way of flirtation.

Nora shook her head. Ridding herself of the intrusive thoughts. Nate would have to wait. She didn't want to open that can of worms right now. Burying it deep inside of her once more, she pressed onwards. If denial was a sport, Nora would have been an all-star.

"I usually prefer to do it inside a dumpster. But you're new, so I figured I would spare you... for now."

MacCready laughed at that, catching up to her easily with his longer legs. "Thanks for that. Don't much like the smell." He answered, peering over at her from beneath the brim of his hat.

Nora let the smile go freely now, unable to hold it back with their banter. It seemed like she would enjoy MacCready's company. Even if he reminded her a little bit of someone from her past. She'd work through it whenever she had to cross that bridge. Right now, she'd just take it one day at a time like she had been before.

It was still nice to have someone to joke with. Nora missed it.

MacCready watched the smile form on her face and kept pressing onward. He kept a little bit of distance from her in order to try and gauge where she was going. He was also a little curious about her too. Didn't hurt to watch her emotions on her face. After all, that was the best way to read someone. He had to admit to himself that he felt oddly at ease with her. It seemed she could go back and forth with him, which is something he really liked and rarely found. He couldn't remember the last time he had someone joke back with him. There wasn't much use for jokesters out here. Most people dealt with caps and harsh words. What happened to sarcasm to spice things up anyway? He wasn't about to let it die.

Deciding to continue on with her, just to see where it would get him, he chimed in with "So, you want to tell me what the getup is all about anyway? Doesn't look like much in the way of protection." It was weird, but he didn't really want to stop talking to her just yet. She was pretty interesting to speak with. He also found himself oddly curious about her attire, and wanting to know more about her without asking outright. It looked oddly reminiscent of something familiar... Something he had read before…

She shook her head at him and started to walk quicker down the street towards the exit of Goodneighbor. "If I told you, you'd definitely make fun of me." Nora confessed. There was no way she was going to tell him that it was a costume for the Silver Shroud. Knowing him as little as she did, Nora guessed there was no way he'd let her live it down. He just seemed like the type. Besides, he probably wouldn't even know who the Silver Shroud was anyway. The only reason she did was because Nate enjoyed comics and both of them liked listening to it together on the radio whenever the show was on. It was a little embarrassing to admit, but he was pretty popular back in the day.

"Me? Make fun of you? I'm shocked you would even think so..." He chuckled, but pressed on.

"Come on... I'm just curious is all. What happens when we get into a fight and I have to save your as- butt..." He managed to catch himself just in time before the curse word found it's way out. MacCready still had promises to keep, "because you keep that silly black coat on?"

Nora peered over at him with a brow raised. She was going to address that stutter mid-sentence, but decided against it. Maybe he was just trying to clean up his mouth or something? She wasn't really sure, but decided against prying.

"It's not silly. It's armor... ish…" She answered instead. They had made it to the front gates of Goodneighbor. Taking up her arm and fiddling with her Pipboy in order to ignore the current conversation, she hoped that would be enough to deter him. It appeared she was wrong.

"If by 'ish' you mean keep you warm-ish, then yes, that probably will do it."

Nora groaned and glanced up at the sky again. He wasn't going to let it go, was he? Nope, he was just going to keep pushing until she told him. Then he'd probably tease her about it until kingdom come, she could see it now. That, or he'd probably give her the look that Preston did and totally not understand where she was coming from.

Nora couldn't decide which one was worse.

"Fine. I'll tell you..." She groaned, letting the Pipboy come to her chest as she folded her arms over herself in order to try and give herself some semblance of protection against this embarrassing tale. MacCready stopped and copied her stance from a few steps away, except he had a giant shit eating grin on his face that Nora wanted to pinch.

"It's...a costume. Perhaps from a certain pre-war superhero of sorts..." She whispered the last part, hoping he wouldn't hear, and closed her eyes while she waited for the teasing.

Except the teasing never came.

MacCready's arms faltered a little, but he corrected his posture within a few seconds. "Wait. You're not talking about... You mean, the Silver Shroud? You managed to find that out here?" He marveled.

There was no way a girl like her knew anything about comics.

MacCready wasn't one to brag, but he knew a decent amount considering his collection of comic stacks back in the Capital Wasteland. It was a childish fascination, born out of the harsh conditions of his childhood and the desire to become something better. He didn't grow out of it, and didn't much care that he didn't. He enjoyed comics. Maybe it was a little dorky, but hey, to each their own. Right now those stacks were back with Duncan to keep him company. If he couldn't be there, at least his stories would be there to keep his spirits up.

MacCready was for one thing, shocked that the Silver Shroud costume had survived the apocalypse, and for a second thing, was even more surprised that she had managed to not only find it, but use it as her own armor.

Nora whipped her head in his direction to glare at him in surprise. "I managed, yes. How do you know about the Silver Shroud. Isn't that a little bit before your time?" She questioned, wanting to know just exactly how he'd known anything about such a big part of her previous life.

MacCready just shrugged his shoulders and gave her an easy smile.

"I know things."

"You know things?" She echoed. Trying to get information out of him was difficult.

"Yeah. I like comics." He continued. His smile morphed into a smirk as he watched several emotions play out on her face. MacCready waited to see what her reaction would be.

Nora ran her hand through her black hair and smiled. It was a genuine one this time, and pretty large. She saw no point in trying to hide it from him. It seemed like this MacCready was full of surprises.

"Color me surprised then." Nora answered, shaking her head as her fingers left her scalp. "You're different from what I expected." She continued, once again being very truthful with him and letting her thoughts process outside of her own head. In this short amount of time he had surprised her twice. Once with his easy going, joking nature, and now knowing such a strange and unorthodox thing in this time period. Not many people had a penchant for comic books. At least, not anymore.

She was also surprised he let out that he even enjoyed anything, since she was pretty sure MacCready was one to keep things to himself. Maybe they would get along better than she thought…

"What? Mercenaries where you come from don't read comics? How dare they..." MacCready feigned shock, placing a palm over his chest for emphasis and earning a loud laugh from Nora.

The two of them continued out of Goodneighbor and down the beaten path. He wasn't sure where they were going. Didn't think to ask. Right now that didn't matter to him, though. He was having a good time with this new lady.

Nora. She was alright.

"Why do you think I'm impersonating the Silver Shroud? Someone's gotta teach them what superheroes are all about."

MacCready laughed loudly at that.

Yeah, she was definitely alright.