2. The Silver Shroud.
Maya squirmed in bed, cocooning the duvet around her. She opened her eyes only to be blinded by the intense sun. It illuminated the immaculate room, untouched by the war. The double bed was pristine, the familiar scent of French lavender and lemons filled her nostrils. As her eyes adjusted, she looked to the doorway and was greeted by the only person she wanted to see.
"Hi, Honey. How's my beautiful wife this morning?" Nate cooed as he approached the bed.
For an instant, her heart stopped. Countless questions screamed in her head, the most prominent being, how was this possible? Her body reacted quicker than her mind could process it all, she was already across the room swinging her arms around his neck. He didn't even stumble as she collided with him. The rays of sun burnt into the back of her as she inhaled his crisp scent. She cupped his face, the flood of emotions building in her so much she could hardly take it. It was Nate, they were in their bedroom in 2077 and the war hadn't happened, it was all a bad dream, a sick joke summoned by her subconscious. Codsworth was humming her favourite song in the kitchen. Shaun. Where was Shaun? She hid her face in Nate's chest, it was him. Cautiously, she raised her head to look at his face, he was joking about how he should let her sleep in more often if this was the treatment he would get. She memorised every syllable. Nate gazed lovingly at her as he spoke, oblivious to the horror she had endured for what had felt like 6 months. Maya's heart resumed its pace as she found his eyes, oh, how she had missed his eyes. She was lost in those pools of chocolate that eased her psyche. Nate was still talking absentmindedly. His breath was minty and warm as it touched her face, apparently his parents were taking Shaun to Lynn Woods today. A concerned look appeared on his face as he asked her what was wrong. She couldn't bring herself to respond with words, her fingers tangled themselves in his hair as she pulled him into an almost violent kiss. He tasted just as she remembered, his lips soft around the edges with that slight dry spot in the centre. She couldn't hold back the tears any longer.
Nick jumped from his seat, sending a multitude of cases into the air as the ringing of Maya's screams rippled through to his room across the hall. As he kicked open the door, he lowered his pistol, there on the bed, he saw her huddled into a ball, sobbing and shaking. Another nightmare. He wasn't sure if he'd of preferred to walk in on someone robbing her. With her shooting skills and Kellogg's pistol under her pillow, Nick knew she could handle that. This though, this was the reason the kid couldn't sleep. He knew what the nightmares were. When she did rarely drift off on the road; he heard her calling Nate's name, telling him how she thought he was dead, quickly followed by screaming as her husband and baby were taken from her again like it was the first time.
"Hey, hey. Shhh now, it's over. I'm here kid, I've got you." Nick soothed as he crept over to the bed to comfort his partner. "I know it's hard, trust me, I know. It's raw right now but I know better than anyone that there's light at the end of the tunnel. You're strong, Kid. You're going to get through this. Amari will get these old wires hooked up to that implant in the next few days and we're going to find Shaun." He squeezed her shoulder as she sat up and fragilely positioned herself next to him on the bed.
"Speaking of the good Doctor, I'm going over there this morning to do more tests. I'll probably be gone a lot over the next few days, and I may not make it back after Clair's seen what I did to her door." He winced at the thought. "You gonna be able to keep yourself out of trouble while I'm gone?" Nick nudged her as he put two cigarettes into his mouth to ignite. Maya let out a quiet grunt of amusement as she took one of them with a shaking hand.
"I'm sure I'll manage." she croaked, adjusting her voice with a cough. "After we went to see Amari yesterday, I spoke with a few locals; apparently there's a lot of work going around in Goodneighbor." She rubbed her eyes while the smoke billowed out of her mouth. "I also stumbled upon this radio signal last night. It was the darndest thing, The Silver Shroud. I used to love that show before the war. I'm going to look into who's broadcasting it. Should keep me out of trouble for a while."
Nick left Maya to change while he attempted to salvage some of last night's work that was now decorating the floor of his room. She composed herself as she made her way to the window overlooking the town. She needed to do something about those dreams. They were starting to break her. The image of Nate's eyes turning to stone as he took his final breath was engraved in her mind, torturing her whenever she closed her eyes. Maya examined her Pip-Boy and tuned into The Silver Shroud Radio. As she removed the stained tank-top over her head, she glimpsed at her vault suit. It was covered in the blood and remnants of the ferals and super mutants from before they had arrived in Goodneighbor. Each as equally unappealing in sight and scent. She had been so focused on seeing Doctor Amari yesterday, she didn't even realise how bad it was. She let out a frustrated groan as she rummaged in her bag and realised she had neglected to pack anything to clean it with. If she hadn't been so rushed since seeing Kellogg, she would have scavenged more places or even picked up extra clothes. Hindsight is a bitch sometimes. Maya came to the conclusion that there was no force on this earth that could convince her to put her suit back on before she had cleaned it, her old-world sense of hygiene was something she refused to let go of. Nick almost blew a fuse the first time he saw her pop some Rad-X before diving into a river just to bathe. She looked down at the tattered shorts she'd worn to bed. The ghoul, Daisy, had given them to her as a gift when she went to restock some supplies yesterday. Pulling her top back on, she realised that she would have to go out like this and hope Daisy had something for her. She blushed at the thought of being outside in so little, she'd had enough offers to 'tour the town' from the locals when she was in her filthy vault suit yesterday. It was early morning though, she looked out the window to the street below and noticed it was nearly empty. She laughed at herself, she'd seen a couple fornicating shamelessly in an alley yesterday, and yet she was worried about going outside in shorts and a tank top that she'd worn to bed? Humoured by how irrelevant pre-war customs had become in this world, she grabbed her cap stash and dagger as she walked over to Nick's room.
Giving a wave to her companion as he disappeared into the Memory Den, Maya felt her face flush red as the few people on the street focused their eyes and wolf whistles on her. Maybe she should have taken Nick's coat when he offered. She quickened her pace, instinctively pulling the leg of her shorts down in an attempt to cover herself further. She turned the corner into the alley by the Third Rail and didn't even notice the drifter in a checkered shirt and sunglasses as she walked into him.
"Well, well. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes? I was wondering when I was going to run into you." He placed both hands on her shoulders and greeted her with a cheeky grin.
"Deacon?! What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?" Maya exclaimed, lowering her defence, a wave of joy mixed with confusion filled her as she hugged her good friend and fellow Railroad Agent. A regular feeling when it came to Deacon. His knowledge and skill never ceased to amaze her.
"Did I ever tell you how I was raised by a group of a Mirelurks? I've been able to communicate with them ever since –" Deacon stopped, he caught Maya raise her eyebrow, half amused. "So anyway, I get here and Daisy starts telling me about this pretty, little vault dweller who stumbles into town with Nick Valentine." He lowered his glasses to give her a smirk. "Apparently she started running her mouth off to one of the big bad thugs of Goodneighbor and then had to be rescued by Mayor Hancock. Ringing any bells, Charmer?"
Maya blushed an even deeper crimson as she threw him a scowl. She didn't need rescuing, not really. It was good that Hancock had appeared when he did, but she could have handled someone like Finn.
"Well, I guess that's the short version, yeah." She ruffled her hair with an embarrassed look on her face. She was once again very aware of how she was dressed. She saw Deacons eyebrows raise behind his glasses.
"Forget something this morning did we? Wouldn't of been my choice, personally." He snorted as he examined her attire. "Off to see Daisy? Though I gotta say, it's a nice view from back here"
Maya let out an annoyed growl as she pushed him into the wall of the Old State House and stormed off around the corner into Daisy's Discounts. She'd explain to him about the radio broadcast when she'd got some clothes and felt less inclined to hit him. Deacon loved old comic book heroes after all, maybe he'd know where to start looking.
Hancock often resided in the VIP lounge of The Third Rail. He inhaled his third hit of Jet as the world slowed down and blurred around him. Damn, he loved being high. He saw Fahrenheit flash him an amused grin over her shoulder as she leant against the doorway. There were certainly perks to being Mayor. He put his head in his hands as he listened to Magnolia's now deepened and distorted song. Jet had a funny way of blocking everything out around you. He didn't know how long he'd been out of it when Fahrenheit tapped him on the shoulder with two members of his Neighborhood Watch standing either side of her.
"Boss, AJ and DeLancey were whacked earlier today, they both had this card when we found 'em." Hancock's eyes returned back to their focus as the short-lived hit wore off. He looked at the card presented to him with squinted eyes. The Silver Shroud eh? Christ, what had Kent roped some unknowing drifter into here? Hancock had let him do his little radio broadcast, hell, he even tuned in when he was high. Poor guy was stuck in the past, that little show was all he had left. But they were Sinjin's boys. He felt his head clear up almost instantly.
"Well, I guess it's about time someone did a little spring cleaning around here. Those two had it coming, we all know the shit they pulled. Anymore problems and they would have had Fahrenheit, here to deal with." Hancock rubbed his head, preparing himself to get up. "So, do we know who this Shroud is?"
"Well you'll be pleasantly surprised, Hancock. They happen to be talking to Charlie at the bar as we speak." Fahrenheit turned and gestured to the door behind them. Hancock stumbled forward and placed his temporarily heavy body up against the doorway.
"You gotta be fucking kidding me.." His mouth hung in disbelief. Was he still tripping? This couldn't be real.
"Told ya that you'd be pleasantly surprised. It's that little Vault Dweller you were so keen on the other day." Fahrenheit smirked at her boss, trying to gauge his reaction. "No fair, I totally could have handled Finn, you never let me have any fun." She pouted like a disappointed child.
Hancock barely registered his bodyguard's remarks. He was too entranced by what he was seeing. There she was, brazen as a Deathclaw in heat and dressed in a black trench coat and fedora. He couldn't help but snort in amusement when he heard her speak. Her voice was just like the show, over the top and attempting to sound intimidating with cheesy lines, telling Charlie how justice was coming for Kendra. Hancock noticed she was with some guy who was backing her up with his own quips. Was that Deacon? He would have bet caps on it. That clown from the Railroad who had everyone but him convinced he was just some drifter whenever he sauntered into town. First Valentine and now the Railroad at her side. This girl had some serious friends. When Charlie had finally given her what she wanted, she turned to the face lounge and gave a shy smile as she momentarily locked eyes with Hancock. He tipped his tricorn hat to her in return. His stare not leaving her even as Deacon put his arm around her shoulder and escorted her to the exit. Hancock pulled his packet of Mentats out of his pocket and offered them to Fahrenheit before placing one in his mouth. That girl was something else, he knew he liked her the second he saw her and fuck, she was gorgeous. He grinned to himself. If the 'the Silver Shroud' wanted to do some spring cleaning then he could definitely give her a hand with that.
"Fahrenheit, Do me a favour, doll. Go tell Kent that the Mayor wants a word with this Silver Shroud tomorrow. I'd go over myself, but I've apparently got unfinished business here." Hancock winked at two women at the bar who were ushering him over. "Nothing wrong with a little leisure time from mayoral duties, eh?"
"Sure thing, Boss. Though if that's your plan for the night, I think I'll just pop over to the Rexford when I'm done. After the last one, you're lucky I can still look at you." Fahrenheit frowned and shook her head as her boss lit a cigarette and made his way over to his new conquests. For a Ghoul, he certainly didn't spend many nights alone. It was impressive to say the least.
The sun had already began to rise and had enveloped Goodneighbor in an amber hue as Maya and Deacon made their way back from their visit to Kendra. Deacon removed his pompadour wig and stuffed it in the back of his pants, whistling a tune to break the uncomfortable silence. Maya joined in, the two of them so out of tune that it could have easily been mistaken for two birds having a disagreement. Deacon hated killing just as much as she did. But when it came Kendra and the others that she had eliminated in the guise of the Shroud, there was little choice. This world was different, there was no justice system, no consequences for the damage they caused, if anything it gave them more of an edge. If everyone turned a blind eye then where would that leave the innocent and defenceless who were just trying to survive? The Shroud's inflated sense of justice didn't seem so crazy in this world.
Maya tuned into the radio, waiting for Kent to get word of her latest victory. It wouldn't be long now. She jumped in surprise as a message bellowed out of her Pipboy on repeat. Mayor Hancock was requesting a meeting with the Silver Shroud. She felt her stomach drop. She'd seen Hancock last night before seeking out Kendra. Was he angry? Was she about to be kicked out of Goodneighbor for her actions? It was still early, the message didn't specify a time but then again she didn't know how long it had been playing. Shit. Maya wracked her brain, trying to anticipate every outcome. She decided that she'd better get it over with. She tried to tell Deacon not to get involved, to wait for her back at the hotel. It was her who decided to become the Shroud and had got him caught up in it. He stopped her in her tracks by waving his hand at her and started pushing her towards the door of the Old State House. Maya only protested a little.
Hancock stirred in his sleep as he heard the creak of the front door. As he tried to free his arm, he felt the weight of two bodies draped over him, pinning him to his bed. It was probably just Fahrenheit coming back. He relaxed as he heard two of the boys telling her he was upstairs. He knew she wouldn't walk into this.
"Hey, ain't you that Silver Shroud?" Hancock shot up, groans emitting from the two naked women he had just disturbed. The door was shut, thank fuck he had some decency last night.
"Want a little pick-me-up, handsome?" A hand slithered up his body, trying to push him back down while another presented him with a fresh inhaler of Jet.
"Sorry, sister. Duty calls." Hancock lifted her hand from his chest and kissed it before getting up in search of his signature tricorn hat. He'd just managed to find his clothes, discarded by his chem table in the heat of last night, when the knocking on the door started. The awake, startled woman fumbled for the bed coverings. The other was still dead to the world, spread on the bed, leaving nothing to the imagination. Hancock lit a cigarette and was about to respond when Deacon peaked his head through the door. Opening his arms with a sarcastic smile, he gestured for them to come inside.
As the double doors of his room opened, Maya didn't know where to settle her gaze. She hadn't felt this awkward since leaving the vault, that much was certain. The woman on the bed was eyeing her suspiciously. Maya clearly felt more embarrassed than she did, even Deacon was quiet. She cursed herself silently, she definitely should have waited before coming here. She unintentionally raised an eyebrow at Hancock. He was making some witty remark about how he'd heard someone in a costume was taking out the trash around town.
"And the kicker is it ain't me. How should I feel about this?" Hancock chuckled, ignoring the tense atmosphere.
"This neighbourhood is ill, I am the cure." Maya couldn't help herself. He wanted to meet with the Silver Shroud, then the Shroud he would meet with. She felt Deacon crumble beside her, trying to cover his amusement with an unconvincing cough.
"You're priceless. Like the Silver Shroud…herself, I guess? Walked right out of a comic book. Priceless." He raised what used to be an eyebrow back at her. The sleeping woman let out a quiet moan in her sleep. Maya broke his gaze to glance at her. She quickly regretted her decision and focused back on Hancock, she could feel her cheeks start to burn.
"You've been busy scaring people. Bashing a few faces. I respect that. So far." Hancock inhaled deeply as he studied her face. The way he focused on her made her feel hypnotised, like they were the only ones in the room. Everything but him seemed to fade away. It was an unnerving feeling, yet it didn't feel unpleasant. "But I gotta ask, one freak to another, why the get up?" That smile again.
"Many have sought to piece the Shroud. To no avail." Maya responded with a proud grin. She wasn't going to break character now. Deacon had to leave the room.
"You just don't stop. Stay you, pal." Hancock rubbed his head, bemused. He proceeded to inform her that all the scum she'd been hunting had belonged to the same guy, Sinjin. He said how a mercenary named MacCready had found him last night before he came back here. Sinjin's best goons, Smiling Kate and Northy were planning on some revenge. Kate had already formed a plan of attack while Northy had hired some goons and was running scared, ready and waiting for her to come to him. Maya didn't understand why the Mayor was helping her. She'd been in town for 3 days and had caused more trouble than a gang of Raiders.
"He will be judged for his crimes." Maya said, a hint of seriousness in her exaggerated voice.
"Trust me, He needs a lot of judging." Hancock looked down with a disgusted expression. This was not the first time he'd had trouble with Sinjin. "Just keep piling those body bags up until you find the location of the big guy himself."
"Sinjin thinks he's above judgment. But no one is safe from the Silver Shroud." Maya's voice was in character, but she gave Hancock a look to let him know she was sincere. She bowed to the Mayor and began to leave. Where the hell was Deacon?
"Don't get killed." It wasn't a question, Hancock's tone was concerned. Why did he care if she got herself killed? "You deal with Sinjin and I'm inclined to show you some gratitude. You feel me?" He bit his lip as he winked at her, his playful manner was back as quickly as it left. She couldn't read him. She tipped her fedora at him in recognition as she departed. Deacon was standing on the floor below, struggling to keep a straight face. As she descended the spiral staircase she could hear Hancock apologising to his two guests followed by sultry giggling as she reached the exit. She couldn't explain it, but she felt a pang of resentment as she left.
