As Nick hoisted himself up on his elbows, he readjusted his hat, taking a moment to refocus his vision. He watched his partner in horror and awe as she tumbled past the descending hammer. The Behemoth drove its weapon into the pavement, grazing Jill's thigh, and slicing through the strap of one of her packs. The leather pouch fell to the ground, scattering shotgun shells and fusion cells in all different directions. The detective cursed aloud, grabbing at his arm as he attempted to get onto his feet. Landing on the pavement like he did had knocked his shoulder out of its socket. This was a moderately common occurrence for him now that he was always traveling – one which Jill had to help him fix over a dozen times. He pushed himself against a stone wall, using it to awkwardly force himself up.
The foul monstrosity bellowed its hideous roar, its murderous eyes locked onto Nick and Hancock. The two exchanged terrified glances as it lifted its hammer above its head, howling in a frenzied manner. It threatened to bound over in their direction – that is, until Jill scurried around to the other side of it. She pulled a switchblade from the remaining pouch she had, and jammed it into the beast's thigh, dragging it downwards with her as she ran. It swung its free arm around, crying out in pain and rage, and knocked the General backwards. She went airborne with an agonized cry. The monster had pushed her shotgun into her chest as it hit her, knocking the wind right out of her.
Miraculously, she stood, clutching her chest, and staring the abomination down. Her upper lip twitched as she huffed, her face twisted with pain. She may have had a few fractured ribs after that one. "Yo, fucknuts!" She screamed at it, coughing up a bit of blood, and waving her shotgun in the air. "Come get some!" With that, she shuffled backwards, firing somewhat randomly in the Behemoth's direction. She was leading it far enough away for Hancock to take the shot. However, fate seemed to have different plans. The creature struck the ground in front of her with its hammer, sending her back yet again. Losing her weapons this time, she skidded across the pavement, stopping only when she bounced off a large slab of a collapsed building, and went flying straight into a boarded up door.
Frantically, Nick whipped his head over his shoulder, grateful to see that Fahrenheit had caught up with them. She, Ham, and the neighborhood watch had kept themselves busy with the Supermutants that had infiltrated Goodneighbor. "Cover me!" He shouted in her direction, getting a curt nod from her before he stumbled forward. His injuries extended beyond just his shoulder, as he found himself with a new limp. The beast was almost upon his lover, now too close to her for Hancock to fire. Without a second thought, he threw himself as far as he could to get to his laser rifle. He slid across the ground, getting an annoying amount of pebbles stuck in his skin as he reached for his gun. It was just within his reach when he stopped.
"Hey, ugly!" He choked out, firing a round past the Behemoth. It turned its detestable head around to stare at him. He fired again, this time hitting the beast in the shoulder. It growled menacingly, turning fully, and beginning to lurch toward him again. The thing had all but forgotten about Jill, and was more than likely focused on stepping on Nick's head. The detective fired a third time, just to be sure the Behemoth was intent on leaving Jill alone. Eyeballing the distance, he decided it was just barely isolated enough for the Fat Man to launch its payload. "Now, Hancock! NOW!"
Hancock pulled the trigger, sending the mini-nuke gracefully through the air. It sailed smoothly toward its intended target, erupting in a small, fiery mushroom cloud as soon as it made contact with the Behemoth. There was a sudden, acrid stench of burning flesh. "Oh, that's gonna smell like shit when it gets hot tomorrow." The Mayor laughed to himself, lowering the Fat Man, much to his shoulder's relief. He took in a deep breath, exhaling sharply upon looking at the damage the horde of Supermutants had done. Granted, the Behemoth was mostly a smoldering pile on the ground, and the rest of the Supermutants had been killed. For that, Hancock was thankful. But just within his visual range, he was able to count eight dead, and at least twelve seriously injured. "Nick. Check on Jill."
The Ghoul's distraught voice got the detective's attention. He'd just been lost in thought for a moment while staring at the explosion. He shifted over on the ground, using his rifle as a crutch to help him stand. That dive really did a number on him. His chest felt like it'd gotten hit by a truck. Why he didn't think to take a few stimpaks with him, he wasn't sure. The call to battle sometimes overrides logic – something he learned very quickly from Jill. A wide range of emotions swelled up in him as he approached her. To start, he was angry at her for being so reckless again. He wanted to chastise her for it, in hopes that she would take it to heart. It killed him to think of losing her, especially if it was because she just didn't think before running into the fray. However, he respected her greatly, admiring her bravery and perseverance. He adored her intelligence and wit, and her commitment to helping those that need it. The old Synth was well aware that she'd fully intended on sacrificing herself for Goodneighbor if need be. She took a terrible risk when she decided to distract the Behemoth, and draw it away from the town, Nick, and Hancock. This was just her way.
"Jill?" The detective leaned down next to her, brushing a lock of hair out of her face. She'd turned a ghastly pale color, most likely out of shock. She shifted her eyes up toward him, smiling slightly. "Oh, thank god." Nick placed a hand over his heart, beyond relieved that she was okay. He decided against scolding her. She was truly a noble woman, and for that, Nick commended her.
"Hey, sweetheart." She laughed quietly. "I'm okay. I just really need a stimpak, and..." She paused, her face regaining some of its color. "Maybe a massage?"
"I'll see what I can do." He smirked, offering a hand. Trying to get her to her feet was more of a challenge than it should have been for him. "Ugh...wait." He'd helped her sit upright before he couldn't take it anymore. "My arm's dislocated, and my leg's giving out on me."
"Alright, honey...you know the drill." Using the frame of the door she'd sailed into, she fought to get up onto her feet. "Shit!" She yelped, losing her balance and sliding back down to the doorstep. She huffed, snapping her eyes shut. "Never mind. I can't get up. Something's broken."
"Hey. You two don't look so good." Fahrenheit waltzed up to them, gripping a couple of stimpaks. "Hancock said you mighta taken more of a beating than it seemed."
"He's not wrong." Nick and Jill spoke in unison. They exchanged curious glances, for they'd never done that before.
"No kidding." The redhead injected each of them, then stepped back for a moment to give them some room. Jill groaned as the medicine took its eerie effect – healing her wounds nearly instantaneously, and even going as far as to repair her damaged bones. She still didn't understand how it worked. As for Nick, most if not all of his pain subsided. He inhaled deeply, feeling relieved. "Come on, girly." Fahrenheit pulled the General up, clapping her on the shoulder.
"Thanks." Jill smiled at her, then turned her attention to Nick. "Okay, you ready?" The detective nodded once, turning his head away from his damaged arm. His partner grabbed him by the wrist, straightened his arm completely, and placed her hand under his triceps. "One, two, three..." Gripping his upper arm tightly and pushing it up into position, she sent his shoulder back into its socket. He grimaced, fighting back a pained scream. Thankfully, the stimpak was still in effect, causing the pain to diminish quickly. "How's your leg?"
"A little sore, but much better." He got up on his own, thanking Fahrenheit for the assistance before she returned to Hancock's side. He sighed quietly, taking a moment to look at all the death and destruction he'd just taken part in. "All those people..."
"I know." The young woman rested her head on his shoulder as she took his hand, beginning to walk with him back to Goodneighbor. "I heard someone mention that they were seen at the river, around where the Institute was. I think they followed Hancock's scouts back here for a raid." She sounded defeated, glancing back over her shoulder at the dead woman and child. "Can't save 'em all, I guess."
"No, you can't, and I hate it just as much as you do." He watched the citizens of Goodneighbor picking up the pieces of the gate, and finding new materials to make it stronger. Their resilience was truly inspiring to him. "But, just remember...the people will always find a way to come back from hardship."
From then until sundown, the duo assisted the people of Goodneighbor in cleaning up, which included hauling bodies. They were to be kept in a secure storage area until dawn, when they would be given proper burials. By the end of it all, twenty had died, and thirty-two were severely injured. Jill teamed up with Dr. Amari, administering immediate medical attention to those who needed it. Nick, on the other hand, assisted Hancock and several others in constructing a new gate. Fahrenheit and Ham took a team of neighborhood watchmen to scout out the immediate areas surrounding Goodneighbor. When they returned, they reported that all was clear, much to everyone's relief. Once a small bit of order had returned to the town, the townsfolk turned to Hancock. He stood among them in the middle of the street, pivoting around in place, getting a good look at everyone.
"My people...my friends..." The Ghoul began, his voice strained. He removed his tricorn hat, resting it over his stomach. "What we've experienced today is a reminder of what war has done to us. It's divided the people of this world since the beginning, and it's never gonna stop. Today is a reminder of what life is like in a world controlled by war. We've seen the needless deaths of innocents – their only crime being that they came into this existence, this...state of decay that our world is in. Today, we watched our friends and loved ones risk their lives to defend this town. Some..." He looked over his shoulder, back to a bullet-pierced fedora lying on the street. It sat there among bullet shells and blood splatters, motionless despite the quiet breeze. "Some died defending this town. It's no secret that war has broken our world, and life in the Commonwealth is harder for it."
The people of Goodneighbor listened intently, their eyes trained on their Mayor. Hancock was used to this. He was supposed to be a source of hope and inspiration to them, and he did everything in his power to live up to it. "But, although this world is broken, we the people are not. We've endured trials and hardships that no one should ever have to. We've stood tall against those that threatened to oppress us, those that came to interfere with the life that we've built. We've survived this long because we're united, because we won't let this world break us." Chatter began to erupt within the crowd – varied voices piping up in agreement with Hancock. Due to this, the Ghoul raised his voice.
"July 4th, 2288, will now and forever mark a dark day in Goodneighbor's history. This was the worst attack we've seen since the winter of '86, when we lost nine citizens, and three of our faithful guardians to a passing raider gang. So, today...today, I declare that we celebrate the 4th of July not only for America's founding fathers, but in honor of all who've ever taken a stand for Goodneighbor! Those who gave their lives must never be forgotten, for they were the heroes we needed when times were grim. Those who risked themselves for us must always be remembered as friends and heroes of Goodneighbor – friends and heroes that are of the people, and for the people!"
"Of the people, for the people!" The crowd echoed Hancock, pumping their fists into the air. Once again, the spirit of Goodneighbor prevailed. Even those in mourning raised their heads high, gazing hopefully up to the sky above. Mayor Hancock sent the dead off with a bang. As he lifted his arms, the fireworks sailed into the air, leaving sparkling trails of light in their wake. Colorful explosions furiously ignited the night sky, flashing red, white, and blue, as well as some yellow, pink, and green. Nick looked down at Jill, who appeared lost in thought as she watched the fireworks. Her gaze was distant – or maybe "vacant" is a better word for it. The detective startled her when he gently placed a hand on her back. She turned her head to smile at him, but even her smile seemed off.
Leaning over, the Synth pressed his lips to her temple, earning a low sigh from her. "Are you okay?"
"I will be." The General reassured him, wrapping an arm around his waist, and holding him closer. "If it's all the same to you, Nick, I think the fireworks have been waiting for us." Gesturing to the brilliant lights above, her smile turned genuine.
"Heh. Couldn't agree more." With that, the two resolved to enjoying one another's company for the rest of the night. By dawn, they would be assisting in the burials and attending the funerals. By midday, at least ideally, they would set out for Diamond City to check on Ellie and the detective agency. Hopefully, everything would be fine, but, life in the Commonwealth was tough. It never lacked for excitement, though. There was always another case to close. Although they knew there would be greater challenges ahead of them, neither Nick nor Jill knew that their story had only just begun.