Chapter Seven: Desdemona, the Railroad, and a Detective's Perspective

Author's Note: You might justly wonder, dear reader, just how my sole survivor picks up the trail of the Institute...or why he would feel he needed to. Malcolm's main driving motivation is to help as many people as possible, and the Institute has hurt a lot of people. So, of course they're gonna clash.

-chapter break-

The rounds of the settlements was uneventful in of itself. Plenty of people of the visited settlements didn't really even register MacCready's presence. He found he didn't mind essentially being the General's shadow. All the better to protect him.

When Malcolm swung by Diamond City he helped with a case that ended with him having to take down an Institute Courser.

He'd not even realized the significance until both Nick and MacCready told him about claiming the Courser chip, "Lots of important Institute data on that boss, could let us know how to defeat the Institute."

Nick had tutted softly, "I'd wondered when you'd capture the attention of the Institute. They're not going to give up easily either."

MacCready seemed wary at that, but said, "Well if anybody could take them down, it's Malcolm."

Malcolm sighed, "Probably should figure out how to contact the Railroad, they're probably equipped to decode this."

Nick smiled ruefully, "Well count me in on that, because I think they're probably be more trusting if you've got me with you. I got to figure the Railroad have been keeping tabs on 'Diamond City's Synth Detective', so I can vouch for you."

Malcolm nodded, "Well then, I suppose it's time for me to follow the Freedom Trail."

MacCready saluted, jokingly, "Wherever you go I follow, boss."

When they followed the Freedom Trail and discovered the password for the terminal in the church was 'Railroad' Malcolm rolled his eyes, "The only worse password they could have possibly gone with is 'password', Nick. I suppose it was too much to hope that the password would be 'swordfish.'"

Nick chuckled, obviously getting the pre-war reference, "I know doll, but you gotta figure most people in the Commonwealth aren't exactly literate."

Malcolm glanced over at MacCready, "Um… I don't know exactly how to ask this, but how well can you read?"

MacCready seemed flustered and rather embarrassed, "I read comics, back in Little Lamplight. I was doing my best to learn, when the people teaching me weren't really more knowledgeable than I was."

Nick hummed understandingly, "Not too many books, these days...or people teaching. If the Institute hadn't put memories in my head I don't even know how I could have gone about learning how to read from scratch."

Malcolm nodded, "No judgement here Robert, you've got an impressive vocabulary… and stellar sniper skills."

MacCready smiled, and patted his trusty sniper rifle, "At your disposal, boss."

They crept inside of a weird clearing, formerly hidden behind a secret door in the church.

Suddenly bright lights blinded them.

"Halt!" A mysterious woman's voice commanded, "Who goes there, state your purpose?"

Malcolm shielded his eyes, "I'm General Maelstrom Germaine, of the Minutemen. I seek to find the Railroad."

The lights cut, "I'm Desdemona, leader of the Railroad." The red headed woman explained, "And I find it difficult to believe the the General of the Minutemen would have come here."

Malcolm turned to MacCready, "Even when I introduce myself, I can't win."

A strange male voice interjected, a man wearing reflective sunglasses, who had definitely not been standing next to Desdemona before, spoke up, "He's not kidding Dez. This is the Vault Dweller I told you about, the one I'd been tailing."

Malcolm leaned forward, "You! I'd thought I'd seen you following me."

The man smirked, but continued talking to Desdemona, "He killed an Institute Courser, like just a few hours ago. He's got a Courser chip, Dez."

Desdemona scowled, "Tell me General, from what I hear you've only been out of your vault for a little over a month. Do you even know what a synth is?"

At this Malcolm exchanged a glance with MacCready, both stepping aside to let Nick step forward. With a sarcastic tone leaching into a faux gentility, Malcolm turned to Nick, "Gee, Nick. Do I know any synths… maybe any that might be standing right here, in front of the person who just asked me that."

Nick rolled his glowing yellow eyes, but had a soft indulgent smile twitch over his lips.

The mysterious man chuckled, "I did mention that he saved Nick Valentine from Skinny Malone."

Desdemona rolled her eyes, "Would you lay your life down in defense of your fellow man, even if that man was a synth?"

Malcolm stood straight, "Yes." He said seriously, "Synth or not. A life is a life."

MacCready saw Nick shift to stand straighter, Nick faced Desdemona head on, "The kid is dead serious, he went off to rescue me before he was told I was a synth, and I can tell you that when he rescued me what I was didn't even faze 'im." Nick paused to light up a cigarette faux casually, and then continued speaking, "He stormed into vault 114 and took on Skinny Malone and his crew. He even managed to do it non-lethally, if the rescue wasn't impressive enough by itself."

Desdemona turned to the mysterious man, "Deacon, show these men to Tinker Tom, to see what he can make of the Courser chip."

With that the woman stalked off.

The man identified as Deacon sighed, "Sorry about that, she… the Railroad has to be cautious. If the Institute were to discover us… well it wouldn't be pretty."

MacCready huffed, "There's caution, and then there's whatever the hel— heck… that was."

Malcolm sighed deeply, "It's… She's just trying to protect her organization." Suddenly Malcolm looked very tired, "Let's just get the info we need in order to infiltrate the Institute."

Nick placed his left arm on Malcolm's shoulder, "You don't gotta be the one to do everything, doll. You say the word, and me and MacCready will do all the talking."

Malcolm smiled, "I appreciate it Nick. Thanks."

MacCready didn't really understand how the Railroad placed the relevant transporter data onto Nick Valentine's circuitry, but he felt he didn't really need to.

He did however find great amusement in the codename the Railroad had granted Malcolm, "How did you not get the codename 'Charmer'? It was right there!"

Malcolm chuckled, "Well I don't know, Bullseye, I guess Desdemona wasn't particularly charmed by my use of the silent treatment."

They had left the Freedom Trail quite a while ago, planning to head to Sanctuary to get the teleporter plans to Sturges to see what supplies they would need to get it running.

MacCready has seen the codename Bullseye on the Railroad board of available names...and well, what competent sharpshooter turns down that sort of opportunity?

Nick, for his part had narrowly avoided being offered the codename 'Fixer' when Tinker Tom had commented on Nick taking the upload time to do some self-maintenance on his right hand. He had jokingly smiled and had said he preferred 'Gumshoe'.

Nick shook his head, "Still though, the name Whisper isn't what I would have thought you'd get."

Malcolm shrugged, "You can totally ask Cogsworth, pre-war me totally would have earned the codename Whisper."

MacCready smirked, "Cogsworth said as much to me back at Sanctuary, it's how I learned about the sketchbooks."

Malcolm smiled, "Thanks for finding those, I hadn't even realized how much I missed drawing. Plus, it reminded me about my violin!"

Nick interjected, "A working violin?"

Malcolm nodded, "Yeah, it's safe back at Sanctuary. Maybe one of these days I'll even play something for you."

Nick grinned, "I look forward to it."

It was a long way to travel to Sanctuary, and they weren't going to make it before night fell. So they all camped out in a run down old storefront.

As they settled in, Malcolm and MacCready started to prepare some food for themselves, and Nick decided to take the opportunity to properly clean the exposed parts of his right hand.

Nick turned to MacCready, "You know, for an ex-Gunner you're not so bad." His easy smile and casually teasing tone spoke of a willingness to completely look past any animosity he might've had previously over having someone he had at first perceived as a mercenary tag along.

MacCready sighed, "I wish I could take all the credit, but honestly…" MacCready pointed at Malcolm, "He's got a lot to do with it."

Malcolm blushed, "You flatter me Robert, but you said so to me yourself that you only ran with them, you never really were a Gunner."

MacCready nodded, "Should have never took up with them in the first place, but the past is the past."

Malcolm hummed in acknowledgment, as he busied himself preparing some noodles with shredded brahmin meat for both himself and MacCready.

MacCready turned to Nick, "So… I noticed earlier, you called Malcolm… doll?"

Both Nick and Malcolm chuckled. Malcolm smiled mysteriously, "It's a bit of a story, you want to tell it Nick?"

Nick nodded, "Sure, it makes for an interesting campfire story."

Nick angled himself to face MacCready, "I'd been given a case, find this girl Marreen. Turns out she wasn't missing, so much as Skinny Malone's new flame."

MacCready leaned forward with interest, "The gangster?"

Nick chuckled, "The very same. Anyway, I got caught by him, and he had held me captive for two weeks. The guard posted to me that day was taunting me, saying how it was only a matter of time before Skinny decides it's not worth having me around, and that I'd never see the outside of that vault again. Then suddenly, the guard taunting me slumps over unconscious."

Nick paused to laugh and to light a cigarette, "Then this, blur of motion flys past the window, I call out; 'Hey you, if you're here to rescue me, you've got three minutes to hack that terminal.' and the door was open before I finished my sentence!"

MacCready slapped his knee and laughed, "Malcolm's got a real gift with the terminals." He agreed, "Fastest I think I've ever seen."

Nick nodded, "Of course I have no idea why this stranger would want to rescue me, so I'm a little wary. When I asked him why he just handed me a packet of cigarettes and a note my secretary Ellie gave him to give to me."

Nick shot an apologetic look at Malcolm, "I… honestly thought you were a mercenary Ellie hired… wondered how many caps she'd had to pay. Then I noticed that you'd not killed any of Skinny Malone's guys, and I re-evaluated you right then. Guessed from the Pip Boy you were a vault dweller, but I really couldn't get much of a read on you."

Malcolm shrugged as he dished out a bowl of noodles for MacCready, "Not a lot of context for you to work with, at least Preston had the 'luxury' of seeing my vault almost immediately after meeting me. He compared my situation to being similar to a pre-war ghoul."

Nick smiled, "Yeah, once I'd learned the cryogenically frozen bit, I initially put down your kindness to pre-war values...but you continued to surprise me. I mean, I'd heard the Minutemen we're making a comeback before I managed to get myself captured for two weeks, and then next thing I know I learned the guy rescuing me was their new General."

Nick shakes his head, "We were walking back to my office in Diamond City, and I'm agreeing with him jokingly saying about how he's become 'quite the charmer'... and well, the original Nick Valentine has this— I suppose it's almost what you would call a vocal tick— when I agreed with him I said 'That you have doll.' and even though Malcolm had been nothing but civil in the short time I'd known him I honestly feared some sort of... retaliation?"

Malcolm chuckled, "He called me doll before he learned my actual name."

Nick smiled, "Ellie sent you to help me before she realized she never even asked you your name too. You really were awful at introducing yourself, I asked Piper and she still thinks you're just some random vault dweller turned drifter."

Malcolm laughed, "I don't want to have to be interviewed."

"Fair enough."

MacCready shifted to get more comfortable, but something dug into his back, he pulled at it, "Well, you managed to introduce yourself to the Railroad…" MacCready dug out a strange metal block shaped device, "What's this?"

Malcolm gasped, "An… old metronome? Wait a sec…" Malcolm consulted the map on his Pip Boy, "Hey Nick, how familiar was pre-war Nick Valentine with the storefronts in this area?"

Nick shrugged, "Not very, from what I recall he was more focused on the job he'd moved here from Chicago to help with. Why?"

Malcolm stood and started rooting around the storefront, "Because… if that metronome is any indication, we've stumbled across an old music shop."

MacCready glanced around at the loose papers on the ground, with what looked to be… MacCready held up a sheet for Nick to look at, "I think… this is sheet music right?"

Nick takes the paper and nods, "That it is."

Malcolm had wandered somewhere out of sight but they could still hear him rooting around in the back.

Nick leaned back towards the sound and called out, "Looking for stuff for your violin?"

Malcolm called back, "Might as well. Already found some replacement strings, synthetic horsehair for my bow… and, ooh jackpot!"

"What?" Both Nick and MacCready asked in near unison.

Malcolm emerged from a backroom, with a small violin case in one hand and a regular sized one in the other, "A child's violin, and another regular one." Malcolm set the cases down, and started fiddling with the strings, "There are other instruments back there too, but I only know how to play the violin."

Nick chuckled, "Couldn't wait for us to get back to Sanctuary before you played me that song, eh doll?"

Malcolm smiled brightly, plucking the strings to check the tune, "What can I say?" He jokes sarcastically, "I'm astoundingly impatient."

Malcolm played two songs, one request for both Nick and MacCready, before they all decided to call it a night.

Nick took a full night watch, because he didn't need to sleep, so he wished Malcolm and MacCready a goodnight as they both settled in to sleep.

-chapter end-

Author's Note: Malcolm actually managed to introduce himself...and of course the first time he does he's not believed. Poor thing.