Nick was good at a lot of things - solving mysteries, clues, and he was a decent handyman (well, synth). But all in all, he was most proud of his fast thinking brain and a tongue that could keep up with it. However, with the way Skinny Malone had been talking lately it probably wouldn't be enough. Nick might not live to see next week, but he had enough skills to get this meat-headed jackass Dino off his back.

"Keep talking, meathead." Nick said casually, not even looking up from the book he smuggled in with him. "It'll give Skinny Malone more time to think about how he's gonna bump you off."

"Don't give me that crap, Valentine. You don't know nothin'. You got nothin." Dino said dismissively.

"Really?" Nick asked, looking up from the book, "I saw him writing your name down in that black book of his. 'Lousy cheating card shark,' I think were the exact words. Then he struck the name three times."

Nick enjoyed the "Oh shit," look that was beginning to gradually appear on Dino's face.

"Three strikes? In the black book?" Dino said starting to sweat "But I never...oh no...I gotta smooth things over fast." He said starting to leave.

"Yeah, you do that." Nick mumbled. He was about to go back to his book before he heard a thud, a thud that he now recognized as a body hitting the floor. Nick looked up and was overjoyed to see Piper, though he was less overjoyed to see a man wearing a black skull bandanna going through the pockets of Dino. But hey, now wasn't the time to get picky.

"Look Piper, we got three minutes until they realize muscles-for brains ain't coming back. Get this door open."

"Good to see you, too, Nick."

"Likewise."

"Got the password," said the previously hunched over man, holding up a slip of paper.

Nick gave Piper a proper hug when the door was open, "So," He said, eyeing the new guy, "Who's the help?"

"Technically, I'm the help," Piper said with a shrug. Nick gave Piper a quick glance before staring down the new guy.

"I'm on a missing person's case and Piper said you could help. Your assistant told us you were missing and here we are." New Guy explained.

"I get the feeling there's more to this story."

"That's the 'three minutes to get the hell out of dodge' version." New Guy replied.

"Well then, let's go." Nick said.

Nick filled his old and new friends in on the case, or "sit rep" as new guy said when asking.

"I've been cooped up in here for weeks. Turns out the runaway daughter I came here to find wasn't kidnapped. She's Skinny Malone's new flame, and she's got a mean streak."

The trio stopped abruptly, hearing voices down the hall.

"Do we have a chance of talking our way out?" New Guy asked.

"Not much of one," Nick answered grimly.

"Fuck."

"Not a killer then?" Nick asked.

"I just hate involving civilians," New Guy said, pulling a pistol and a knife from his coat. "Give me some room," he ordered. "Stay close to each other and only engage when necessary."

"Got it." Piper responded, pulling out her own pistol.

"Here," New Guy said, handing Nick a revolver.

"Thanks,"

The trio proceeded to storm the trenches, or hallways as the case may be.

Nick was impressed at first, New Guy was a good shot. It was almost surgical. Two shots to a chest, one to the head. No doubt whatsoever that the person on the receiving end was dead. When somebody rushed the New Guy, Nick went from being impressed to being scared. One Triggerman managed to knock New Guy's gun out of his hands, but when the sorry mug tried for punch, New guy grabbed his arm and pulled him towards him, while kicking out at the Triggerman's side. There was an audible crack of ribs breaking and pop of an arm dislocating. The kick threw the triggerman off his feet and New Guy brought him back to earth with a knife in the chest.

New Guy, whoever he was, was a human weapon.

Luckily, they got a break when they got a locked door. Unfortunately the lock was a bit too much for Nick.

"Look for a key."

New Guy had already stepped up to Nick's side. "Let me try."

"You do that, I'll look for a key." Nick declared. New guy just kind of grunted, as he already had a bobby pin or two in his mouth.

When Nick and Piper were out of earshot, they started to chat.

"He's a good fighter," Nick started.

"I didn't know that, I hadn't seen him fight until now."

"He's very intense." Nick went on as he opened a drawer.

"He has every right to be. On an unrelated note, I found a box of gum!" Piper said, popping out from behind a counter

"Not the point, Piper, and why does he have every right to be?" Nick asked as he crossed his arms.

"That missing person's case of his," Piper said.

"Yeah what about it?"

"It's his son."

Nick Valentine sympathised with that. Nick the synth detective had a few memories that he had no right to have, memories that belonged to Nick the human detective among them a pretty young fiance and many nights trying for kids. Regardless, Nick understood.

"That'll do it." Nick said, more to himself than anyone else.

There was a brief silence that was interrupted by New Guy calling out.

"Got the door open! Let's move!"

"Careful, we still haven't seen Skinny Malone…" Nick was cut off before he could finish his warning.

"I think we have." Piper said, reaching for her gun.

In front of them was Skinny, two triggerman, and a broad with a baseball bat. Nick didn't like the body count shaping up.

"Nicky," Skinny called out, "What're you doin'? You come into my house, shoot up my guys. You know how much this is gonna set me back?"

Nick stepped forward, ready to own up to the situation.

"I wouldn't be here if it weren't for your two-timing dame, Skinny. You ought to tell her to write home more often."

"Awww… Poor little Valentine. Ashamed you got beat up by a girl?" Darla said with a voice just condescending enough to make Nick consider violence. "I'll just run home to daddy, shall I?"

"Hopefully." New Guy piped up.

"Who's this asshole? Some guy Nicky hired to kill us?" Darla snapped, "Told you - you should have just killed him, but noooo, you had to go on and on about 'the good old days."

"Darla, I'm handling it. Malone's always got things under control."

"No, Skinny Malone, you really don't." New Guy said, stepping forward. "We came into your house, shot up your guys, you know how much we set you back?" New Guy turned his attention from Skinny to Darla, and his voice went from harsh and spiteful to soft and nurturing. "And Darla, your place isn't here, it's back home with a family that loves you, not with these thugs."

The look of panic crossing Darla's face would have been funny if it hadn't been sad.

"I...you're right! What am I doing," Darla gave Skinny a quick look, "Goodbye Skinny, I'm going home" She said, quickly running out of the vault.

"Oh come on Nicky." Skinny cried out, somehow even more distressed than earlier. "Now you and your friend cost me my girl?"

"My friend here," Nick said sternly, "Just did you a favor, you've always had a bad taste in women."

"You smug asshole," Skinny muttered

"Now that she's not around maybe you'll see sense and let us walk? You still owe me for two weeks in the hole." Nick suggested slyly.

"Alright, you got ten seconds! After that if I ever see any of you, I'm gunning you down."

"Fine with me" Nick said taking off with New Guy and Piper.

"Allen Marks, by the way." New Guy said

"Nice to meet you." Nick said with a nod

"Clockwise."

"What'd you say?" Nick said, genuinely unsure about what he had heard.

"Likewise."

Nick turned to Piper, who had started chuckling.

"Back to diamond city?" Allen said, ignoring the reporter.

"Sure."