Someday somebody was going to write a biography about Allen Marks, and when that day came he was going to read that biography, just so he could find out how he kept getting into these messes. It had been four days since he started palling around with Cait and in that time, he'd been led into two traps, made 600 caps (his take was 300) and somehow became an antique baseball collector.
Also, he ambushed a chem deal with a bartender and a washout.
"Well, since it's just the two of us, 50-50 sound good to you?" Paul Pembroke, originator of this whole situation, asked after Cooke was safely out of earshot.
Truthfully, it didn't. There were five people dead (including the son of one of the most powerful men in Diamond city), four killed by Allen, one killed by Cooke. So really, Allen thought he deserved a bigger share.
"Sounds good to me," Allen offered regardless, "I'll take the caps, you take the Chems?" Again Allen wanted those chems - not for personal use mind you (well, maybe a few packs of Mentats), but so he could boil them down to their base chemicals and make explosives.
"Thanks," Paul said, before gathering the chems and leaving.
"You should have asked for more," Cait critiqued as Allen counted up the caps.
"That would have violated the terms of the arrangement!" Curie admonished.
"We made out well enough," Allen said, "besides, add the salvage from the guns, ammo, and Marowski's chem lab, and we'll make out like bandits."
"Fair enough," Cait replied with a shrug.
"Curie, are you sure you don't want a cut?" Allen asked.
"No thank you, monsieur, I have no need for caps."
"Well then, Cait, 50-50 as per the usual!" Allen offered.
"Set me up." Allen handed over her share, pocketed his, and stood up.
"Where are we off to now?" Curie asked.
"We should head to Marowski's lab," Cait suggested. Allen shook his head.
"By the time we make it there, Marowski will have heard and stepped up security. Let's let things cool off for a little while."
"So, where are we going?" Cait demanded.
"I'm thinking Goodneighbor. Time to refuel and restock."
"Sounds good to me."
Allen was offered a job in Goodneighbor. Like all Goodneighbor jobs, it was a little sketchy, but something made him accept. Something also made him a little nervous, and when Allen got nervous he sent people away.
"Curie, why don't you go to the Memory Den? Tell Dr. Amari I sent you, she could use an assistant." Allen phrased it like a suggestion but it really wasn't.
"Are you sure, monsieur? You might require my services." Curie argued.
"My might is outweighed by Dr. Amari's probably. Besides, she's a physician, you'll learn more from her than from me," Allen persuaded.
"Of course, monsieur, should you ever require my services…."
"I know where to find you." Allen assured the robot.
As Curie rattled away, Cait scowled and asked, "Is now when you tell me to fuck off?"
"Nope, now is when the two of us go to Diamond City," Allen corrected.
"Why?"
"I was just offered a job that takes me into the Cabot house and I'm not the only one in the Commonwealth curious about what's inside."
"So, Piper, how's the newspaper?" Allen asked, doing a very bad job of seeming casual.
"Good, the articles about our exploits are doing pretty well," Piper answered.
"Just making sure but..."
Piper cut him off with an easy assurance. "Always a fake name, always a different one, your is identity safe."
"Thank you." Allen supported freedom of the press. He also supported freedom from the press. If a private citizen wanted privacy about a private matter (his Shroud exploits, Virgil, or Vault 81 to name a few) they deserved it. He couldn't keep his Minuteman shenanigans quiet though.
"So, why are you here?" Piper asked, reaching into her fridge. "Nuka Cola?"
"I've got a job, and no thank you."
"I doubt you need my help." Piper said, twisting the cap off her Cola.
"Fair enough, but it's going to make a good story, and I figured you'd be interested."
"What's the job?"
"Don't know the details, but I'm meeting my employers in the Cabot house." Piper spat up some her Cola at that. Allen grinned. "Knew that would interest you."
"Aw, Blue, and it's not even my birthday," the reporter cooed.
"When is your birthday?" Allen asked with a tilt of his head.
"When's yours?" Piper countered.
"April 1st. Now, you in or not?"
"I'm in. Anyone else in your little entourage coming along?" Piper asked.
"Cait's waiting at the bar. Wanna invite Nick?"
"Nick's on a case, something about a grasshopper. Where's Curie?"
"With Dr. Amari. Meet you at the dugout?"
Piper nodded and chugged the rest of her cola. "Sure, just let me pack my things and say goodbye to Nat."
The Cabot house was not a very reassuring place to be.
"This place is giving me the creeps." Piper said as the trio took their seats in the parlor, "Some of this stuff looks older than you, Blue, but it still looks brand new."
"That's true," Allen granted. He continued, failing to conceal his smirk, "But there's a job to do, and I plan on seeing it through."
"This rhyming thing is goin' to be a habit with you two?" Cait cut in with a long-suffering sigh.
"Not a clue." Allen was grinning wider that he really needed to, but that grin fell the moment they saw their host.
"Hello, hello, welcome to Cabot house. I'm Jack Cabot." Jack cabot looked, sounded, and acted young. But there was no way he could be young, because Allen remembered this exact man detail for detail from two hundred years ago. He was one the doctors who helped give him a neural implant (long story).
"Is there anything I can get you?" Jack offered, "Whiskey, Scotch? Perhaps something less strong?"
"Have any vodka?" Allen asked, standing up to shake Jacks hand.
"Of course," Jack said, seemingly delighted at the request. "Edward," Jack clapped twice to the devoted ghoul standing just a few feet away. Edward was soon back with a bottle of vodka and some glasses.
"Now please sit down, tell me your names." Jack requested.
"I'm Allen Marks."
"Cait."
"Piper Wright, Publick Occurrences."
"Piper Wright, you say?" Jack commented, "The reporter?"
"In the flesh."
"Big fan," Jack gushed, "I especially loved your 'Synthetic truth' article."
"Well, thank you for supporting the paper," Piper said modestly.
"Sorry," Cait interrupted, "What's this about a job?"
"We'll get to that, consider this an interview." Jack said, sipping from his glass, "I have but one question, do you believe there is other intelligent life in this universe?"
"I haven't had nearly enough to drink to believe that hooey," Cait barked before downing her glass in a mouthful.
"Do you mean UFO's? Little green men in shiny outfits?" Piper asked.
"No no, all that is nonsense. I'm talking about the hidden history of the planet, ancient powers that allowed humans to evolve." Cabot explained.
"You buyin' this bullshit?" Cait asked Allen, none too quietly. Allen waved down his companions, and resumed control of the conversation.
"Mr. Cabot, I apologise for my friends' manners." Allen said with a glare. "But I assure you, whatever work you have for us will be completed in a timely manner."
"Of course, Mr. Allen, I appreciate the gesture. But I am curious, what do you think?"
"Aliens are a bit above my paygrade. If i see 'em, I'll believe in e'm, until then..." Allen just shrugged.
"Not a bad attitude to have, Mr. Allen." Jack said standing up, "Edward will explain the details of the job with you."
"Of course," Cait complained, "this job just had to take us to the ass end of the Commonwealth,"
Piper agreed with Cait, Parsons Insane Asylum wasn't just out of the way, it was on a whole different track. Allen was pensive, but it was different this time. Usually when Allen got quiet, Piper got worried, but this time he didn't seem distressed, it was more like he was solving a puzzle and was stuck.
"That man," Allen suddenly declared, "is over two hundred years old."
"Bullshit." Cait said, "Nobody's two hundred years old."
"I'm a tad older than that, but I was in Cryostasis for that time," Allen mused. "But how did he do it?"
"Are you sure it's him?" Piper asked.
"I'm positive."
"How do you know him?"
"The Cabot's were a prominent family in the pre-bombs, especially in the scientific community, they did some contracting work for the military. Jack's specialty was neuroscience; he lead a medical team that gave me an implant." Allen said, tapping at a part of his skull. "But believe it or not, that's not the important part."
"What is the important part?" Piper asked. But Allen went quiet, staring at the same distant spot on the horizon.
"Allen, you holdin' out on us?" Cait demanded.
"The important part right now is getting some rest, it's starting to get dark."
"Blue!" Piper snapped.
"The Cabot's were a big family, I'm just wondering how many of them are still alive," Allen defended. Piper nodded, accepting Allen's reasoning.
"Now," Allen ordered, "Let's set up camp. I'll cook."
Allen took first watch that night. About halfway through, he popped a mentat.
"If you're usin', you might as well share." Cait said from behind him.
"It ain't for the high," Allen justified, "I need to think, need a clear head."
"Sure, o' course."Cait replied patronizingly. "That's why you waited until we were sleepin' to take it." Allen glanced at Piper's sleeping form before sighing.
"I didn't want anyone to worry."
"What's between you and the reporter?" Cait asked.
"It's a long story." Allen said,
"I've got time."
Allen scratched the back of his neck, and told his tale. The Cliff Notes version, how he was pre-war, Nora, Shaun, how he met Piper, and how he almost got himself killed.
"Piper's heart is in the right place," Allen defended, "But she worries about people, it's kinda her thing, and I didn't exactly give the best first impression."
"So you're not fuckin'?" Cait clarified.
"No." Allen said, exasperatedly. "Now go back to bed, I need to think."
"It's time for my watch." Cait objected.
"I'll take your watch for you. Now get."
As it turned out, through no fault of Allen's, the reclamation of the delivery from Parson's was a bust. To redeem himself, Allen was assigned to find Emogene Cabot and the investigation led them to an amphitheater in the outskirts of Boston city limits...where a cult was apparently hiding out.
"Emogene is indisposed right now. She's not taking any visitors," an especially sleezy cult member named Thomas said, doing a very bad job of seeming innocent.
"I just need to make sure she's okay." Allen assured the man, doing a much more admirable job of pretending like he wasn't about to shoot someone (he hated cults).
"You have my word, she's okay. Not that it's any of your business, but we're having a bit of a spat and she just needs some time to calm down," Thomas explained.
"I'm a friend of the family, maybe I can help." Allen offered.
Beside him, Piper begged, "C'mon, Brother Thomas, have a heart."
"I said she's not seeing anyone, you'll just have to wait."
"Look, Thomas," Allen said stepping closer to the man, "I was hired to find her and make sure she's safe, right now you are preventing me from doing both, which means she's probably not safe with you, which also means I'll have to kill you. Now, a few words with her to make sure she's alright and I'll be out of your hair. Or you can continue to be an obstacle and loose the head your hair grows on."
Allen and crew were unlocking the door to Emogene's room moments later. Both Piper and Cait were now staring at Allen, who had gotten suspiciously quiet and panicked.
"Well, well, if it isn't Mr. Marks. I never thought I'd see you again." Emogene said, before taking a drag from a cigarette.
"Two hundred years tends to give that impression." Allen drawled back, trying to hide his embarrassment.
"So does not saying anything the next morning," she said, sauntering closer to Allen, "Don't worry, I don't hold any grudges. It was a fun night."
Allen practically squeaked, "Jack's waiting for you."
"Tell him I'll be right over. I'm making a pit stop in Goodneighbor if you'd care to join me." Emogene offered before walking out the door.
Allen turned to Piper and Cait who were staring at him with two of the most shocked expressions he'd ever seen.
"Look, Amsterdamn 2071 was a very weird time for me."
Piper literally rolled on the floor laughing.
Parsons Insane Asylum was under siege.
"We'll take separate routes," Allen ordered to Jack, "See if we can't cut off any new forces. My crew and I will show up first, clear out the surrounding area." Jack, likewise, was leaving for Parson's with his own crew of mercs.
"Good idea, we'll meet you there." Jack agreed.
Shortly thereafter, Allen was running, with Piper and Cait trying their best to keep up.
"Blue, wait up!" Piper called.
"Can't afford to." Allen argued from over his shoulder.
"Allen, what's got you so spooked?" Cait demanded.
"Lorenzo!" Allen shouted as if that answered everything.
"Blue, you are not doing this again."
"Fine but I am not stopping!" Allen declared, finally slowing down.
"What's got you so spooked?" Cait asked again.
"Back before the bombs, America was essentially a military state. The general was the president, the majors and lieutenants the congressmen - not say there weren't actual presidents and congressmen. Figureheads. But it was a power vacuum, different families vying for power. The Cabots controlled the science divisions of government. Every technological advance was thanks to them."
"Where does Lorenzo come into play?" Piper asked.
"Lorenzo was the Cabot family patriarch, a genius by all standards, but he went mad. Killing off members of the other families at first. Eventually he just started killing random people. Finally, there was so much evidence that even the Cabot family influence couldn't save him from the justice system. But they managed to plead insanity."
Allen was frantic, he remembered the reports, he'd seen the pictures; Lorenzo had become a psychopath of the highest degree.
"So what are we going to do?" Piper asked.
"If he gets loose, he dies, that's all there is to it," Cait voted.
"I'm inclined to agree." Allen said.
"Blue, there has to be another way." Piper begged.
"Everything else was tried," Allen argued. "You're new to this story, Piper, it's a pre-bombs matter, and the only way to stop Lorenzo is to kill him."
"Blue -"
"Save your breath," Allen snapped, "It'll slow you down."
Lorenzo was dead.
All throughout the asylum Agent Marks never hesitated. Truthfully no one else got a kill in, not Jack, Piper, or even Cait killed a single Raider. And when they made it into the basement and realised there was no chance of keeping Lorenzo contained, Allen didn't hesitate in flipping the switches to flood Lorenzo's room with radiation. Cait was impressed; Lorenzo was a monster, he needed to die, so Allen killed him.
Piper didn't know what to think. As a rule, she agreed with Nick in that "killing always takes it's toll on the killer," but seeing Allen kill without regret and without remorse or hesitation scared her.
It wasn't until later that she understood.
During dinner that night, without prompting, Allen said, "Lorenzo outed a friend of mine."
"What's that mean?" Cait asked.
"When a spy is in the field, their best defense is secrecy. All the skill in the world doesn't mean a thing when you are surrounded by enemy forces. If they know who you really are, then you die." Allen said solemnly.
"And he told someone about a friend of yours?" Piper asked. Allen nodded.
"His name was Reese, he was the best and bravest of us all. Reese refused to kill anyone."
"Doesn't that make work for the CIA difficult?" Piper asked.
"He made it work," Allen said proudly. "Every mission he ever went on was a resounding success - thousands of American soldiers owed him their lives, tens of thousands American civilians. And Lorenzo just sold him out. He didn't need the money, the Cabot's were richer than god." Allen scowled.
"The Pre-War sounds like a mess." Cait commented.
"It was."
"Why were you fightin' so hard to preserve it, then? Sounds like the world needed a swift kick." Cait argued.
"I don't know anymore, I used to. 'Used to' applies to a lot of things now." Allen mused, staring at the embers of the cooking fire. "Get some rest," he ordered suddenly. "Still got some work to do. Commitments to fulfill and whatnot. I'll take the first watch."
Piper and Cait went to sleep, Allen stayed up, and halfway through his watch, he popped a Mentat.
He just needed to think.