Hey guys! Two chapters for you today! I had this one written out for quite some time and finally, FINALLY, we can have that Hancock goodness most of us wanted, haha. Thanks for favoriting, reviewing, and following!
"Good..neighbor? After being out there for a week, I sure hope so," Betty said to herself. She whispered a silent prayer that despite Downtown Boston being reduced to nothing but a crumbling skyline and a hotbed for psychotic humans and monsters alike, there were plenty of places to stow away if the fight was too great. Supplies weren't too common, much to Betty's surprise, but if one knew where to look or was pretty handy with a bobby pin, there was little to worry about in that regard. With all the hiding and running away, Betty was pretty sure she was lost, but she believed Diamond City mustn't be too far away.
The neon signs of Goodneighbor lit up the street with gaudy colors of red, yellow, and blue. Night came quickly during Boston's winters, and at the very least, that hadn't changed. Traditional winters from pre-war times were wiped away when the bombs fell and released their poisonous radiation clouds. Now, winter in post-apocalyptic Boston was nothing but chilly winds and ferocious, radioactive thunderstorms.
Betty hoped she didn't have to pay some sort of toll to enter the town like she was forced to do a couple of hours ago before she crossed a bridge. She didn't have much of a choice, with five raiders pointing their handmade pipe pistols and rifles at her head. She was forced to give them most of her caps and all of her stimpaks, Rad-Away, and Rad-X. Upon reaching the entrance of Goodneighbor, Betty was relieved to find that only a blue door stood between her and relative safety. Maybe she could sleep in a quiet alley, somewhere hidden and tucked away.
Once she was inside, she breathed out a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived, when a bald man in a worn, leather jacket approached her. She gripped her rifle in her hands until her knuckles turned white.
"Hold up there," said the man. "First time in Goodneighbor? Can't walk around without insurance."
Betty, however, was sick and tired of everyone who came across her trying to take advantage. It was sickening, that so many people were cruel to those with no will or means to fight back. Besides, fighting in close quarters always made her nervous, but she had to stand up for herself...or at least try to.
"Unless it's 'keep-dumb-assholes-away-from-me' insurance, I'm not interested," she said with a scoff. The man curled his fists and took a step closer to Betty.
"Boss?" Fahrenheit asked the self-proclaimed mayor of Goodneighbor. She looked around to see what held his scrutiny so well, considering there wasn't much that interested him, until her eyes fell upon a young woman clutching the strap of her knapsack, a combat rifle dangling from her shoulder and her long black hair piled in a knot on the back of her head. She was quite pretty, but a bit thin and unsure of herself. "Of course, a new girl. Why am I not surprised?"
The ghoul had his head tilted a bit to the side, his tricorn hat perched on his forehead. He held up one finger to his bodyguard and brought it to his lips, shushing her.
"You promised you'd cut back with the Med-X. Makes you jumpy and that makes me jumpy."
"Would ya give me a sec? Tryin' to eavesdrop a little here, god damn," said the ghoul.
Fahrenheit shook her head and said, "It's just Finn pulling his extortion bit on the new blood."
"Not that shit again."
The ghoul tossed his cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it with the heel of his boot. As he walked away, ready to show this new blood what his town was made of, Fahrenheit quipped, "If she's of the feminine persuasion, send her my way, would you? I've screwed all the girls that'd have me here."
He muttered under his breath, "You and me both, sister."
"Now, don't be like that," the bald man said to Betty with a hiss. "I think you're gonna like what I have on offer..you hand over everything you got and 'accidents' won't start happening to ya. Big...bloody accidents."
Betty didn't really listen to what the thug said, distracted by a figure headed in their direction. She froze as he came into the light, the fibrous skin on his hands and face marring whatever good looks he may have had once, if ever; she wasn't sure. He wasn't much taller than she was, although most people were taller than Betty on a good day. The hat and red frock coat were distracting enough on their own, but put them both on a man who looked like him and even Betty couldn't tear her gaze away.
"Whoa, whoa. Time out," the scarred man interrupted with a wave of his arms. "Someone steps through the front gate the first time, they're a guest. You lay off that extortion crap."
The bald man rolled his eyes and said, "What d'you care? She ain't one of us."
"No love for your mayor, Finn?" the scarred man said. He crossed his arms behind his back and directed a kind smile towards Betty before looking back at Finn. "I said let her go."
"You're soft, Hancock. You keep letting outsiders walk all over us, one day there'll be a new mayor," said Finn.
Betty fought between turning around and going elsewhere or staying out of respect for the scarred man who came to her defense. If she weren't so exhausted, the choice would've been easy.
The man in the red coat closed the gap between himself and Finn, and put an arm around his shoulder. "C'mon, man. This is me we're talkin' about. Let me tell you something."
He glanced at Betty with his dark eyes and gave her a smirk before he pulled a knife from behind his back and stabbed Finn in the gut twice before he crumpled to the ground. Betty swallowed the gasp that formed in her throat and took a step back as the woman the scarred man was speaking with before whooped and clapped her hands.
"Nice one!" she called out as she gave the scarred man a thumb's up. What the hell kind of town was this?
The scarred man stood above a fallen Finn, bending down to wipe the blade on Finn's jacket. "I'm soft, eh? Now look at ya. Still think I'm soft, Finn? Why'd ya have to say that? Breakin' my heart over here."
Finn was on the verge of bleeding out and reached up for the scarred man with a gasp. The man kicked Finn's hand away with amusement. Betty on the other hand, couldn't stand to watch anyone suffer, even a shithead like this Finn. She took aim with her rifle and shot Finn in the head to put him out of his misery. The scarred man didn't move a single inch and his black eyes bore into hers. He was fearless and out here in the wasteland, Betty discovered that any who were fearless were also the most dangerous.
"You all right, sister? " the scarred man asked Betty in a low, gentle voice.
"Oh, sure. It's not every day I get mugged and then witness a murder right in front of me."
"You obviously haven't been living it up enough," he said, "But we won't judge you for that here."
Betty was always the type to blurt out whatever she thought, which had gotten her in hot water many times before the war. Her late husband used to say it was one of the many things that drew him to her, her lack of a filter. This particular moment was no different.
"You...you're a ghoul?" she asked. Betty's mouth formed a thin line when she realized how awfully rude she sounded. He looked nothing like the feral ghouls she encountered with Preston near their settlements. "You don't look like the others I've seen out here."
"Like it? I think it gives me a sexy, king of the zombies kinda look. Big hit with the ladies. This whole town's filled with more rad freaks like me, so I'd keep those sorta questions on the low burner next time," the scarred man explained. "Goodneighbor's of the people, for the people, you feel me? Everyone's welcome, includin' yourself. "
"Meant no offense, I apologize. I know this is going to sound strange but I'm, uh, pretty sure you're used to that. I've been frozen in a vault since the bombs fell so...I'm not really sure what's going on now. I've seen a lot of weird shit the past few weeks while searching for my son. This is all difficult to comprehend."
"Ridin' those chems a little too hard?" he asked with a laugh.
"What? No, it's...a long story. Is there somewhere I can stay a few nights?"
"I could give you a tour if you'd like. Town's small so it won't take long." The ghoul, as he called himself, stuck out his hand and said, "The name's Mayor John Hancock."
"I'm Betty, uh, Elizabeth Parker." She smiled as the ghoul took her hand in his rough one and kissed it before she asked, "Wait, you're John Hancock..the famous American patriot and smuggler? Biggest signature on the constitution John Hancock?"
"The very same," Hancock answered with a bow. "Consider this town your home away from home...so long as you remember who's in charge."
"All...right..." she answered. "You're obviously insane because he's been dead for like, almost five hundred years now, but all right. Tour me."
"Oh, I know I'm gonna like you," said Mayor Hancock with a hearty laugh. He offered his arm to Betty, who hesitated. It wasn't that she didn't want to touch him in particular, she just didn't want anyone to touch her. She was sick of being frightened all the time, but this was her life now and she had to get used to it. The ghoul noticed her hesitation and was about to lower his arm but grinned when Betty sighed and looped her thin arm through his.
"I don't bite unless ya ask me to," whispered Hancock and before Betty could react to his shameless flirtation, the tour began. "Check it out, softskin. Said you were lookin' for a place to hit the sack, right? If ya don't mind sharing space, the big building right there," the ghoul turns and points out what looked like the Old State House, "is my home, but the top and bottom floors are open to anyone who can't afford a private room at the Hotel Rexford."
Betty craned her neck and looked up at the Old State House and the skyscrapers beyond, many of which were shattered and crumbling to the ground. The fact that many of the buildings were still standing at all was a miracle in itself.
"I used to come here when I was little but it was called Scollay Square back then," said Betty.
"You really did come from a vault, didn't ya? Not a lot of folks know shit like that anymore," he said.
Hancock walked them over to Kleo and Daisy's shops and points at the signs. "These are the stores of Goodneighbor. May not look like much, but we got everything you'll need and then some. Kleo runs 'Kill or Be Killed.' Any sort of weaponry and armor you can imagine. Daisy on the right sells everything else. Food, chems, scrap, and some ammo and lesser guns Kleo won't sell. Daisy's a ghoul like me, pre-war though, and Kleo's an assaultron. Don't piss either of them off. Ain't nothin' I can do for ya then."
They passed a doorway that led to a bar owned by Hancock himself, called the Third Rail, and he led Betty to the next public area. "That's the Hotel Rexford and our beloved Memory Den. For a shit-ton of caps, you can relive any of your fondest memories."
"Seriously?" she asked.
"Oh yeah, I go in maybe once every month or two. Don't go under too often; you'll either go broke or insane. Sometimes both at the same time," he warned.
"Tell me more about your town, Mayor Hancock."
"It's all about the people, understand? They're freaks, misfits, and troublemakers, and that's why I love 'em. Everyone here lives their own life, their own way. No judgments."
There wasn't anything wrong with that, Betty thought, and Goodneighbor wasn't burnt to the ground yet so somehow it worked. She had no plans to make this her home forever, but as the mayor put it, it could be home away from home while she traveled through downtown Boston. She realized that Mayor Hancock had led her back to where they began the tour and she thanked him with sincerity. The ghoul leaned forward as he bid her good-bye and tweaked her chin, a smirk on his face as Betty froze in place.
"Check ya later, softskin," he said in a low voice.
Hancock ambled back over to Fahrenheit, proud that he managed to snag more than a simple 'hello' out of the softskin. He still had it. If only he could charm her right out of those clothes..
"So what's the verdict, boss? Can I call dibs?" Fahrenheit asked as she leaned over Kleo's counter.
"Naw, we're both shit outta luck with that one. She's too worked up lookin' for her son. Said she was frozen in a vault."
"That sounds more like an excuse than anything else," Fahrenheit said.
"Can't win 'em all. I know when to fold."
"Losing your charm, eh? There goes that flawless record of yours, Boss. What were you at again?" his bodyguard asked with a chuckle. "Not that it matters now."
"It's either 12 or 13 new dames in a row, but I can't remember if I bagged both of them twins or the same one twice."
"Silence, she's walking this way," Kleo murmurs.
Betty walked by, with a polite nod for Fahrenheit and Kleo who returned the greeting with nods themselves, but shot Hancock a quick smile before heading towards the bar. Hancock gave Betty a half-assed salute and watched her dip around the corner. He leaned on the counter before he said, "Eh, might give it another shot. I ain't no quitter. Oh shi- I got a killer idea. Meet up below the balcony."
The ghoul wedged his hat beneath his arm, jogged towards the Old State House and pushed the door open with his shoulder before disappearing inside.
Betty took her time to watch anyone who walked past her and tried her damndest not to stare at the ghouls, of which were plentiful here in town. They were nothing compared to the monstrous ferals she encountered out in the wasteland, simply unfortunate souls with a run of bad luck. People must be cruel to them and the thought weighed on her heart a bit. A door opened and she peered at a balcony high above her, to see Mayor Hancock walk out and lean against the railing.
"Hey, everyone!" Hancock announced. "Gather 'round! Let's kick the breeze back...shoot the fat..."
It took a couple of minutes, but soon the area below the balcony had swelled with the citizens of Goodneighbor, eager to listen to the words of their mayor. Betty was forced to stand shoulder to shoulder beside the robot named Kleo and the tall woman who was speaking with Hancock earlier. Her strawberry blonde hair was shaved on one side and the other fell over her eyes. She towered over her and looked down on Betty out of the corner of her eye. Betty swallowed her nerves and prayed that this...amazonian woman didn't murder her for taking a tour with the mayor. Perhaps they were closer than she thought?
Hancock rubbed his hands together and began his impromptu speech. "Now, I know y'all are doing your own thing, but I don't want anyone here to forget what matters..." He looked off to the side and saw his oldest friend shuffle right into the middle of the crowd without a word. "Hey Daisy, glad you could make it, how's my favorite girl doin'? Didn't I see you on a date with Marowski the other day?"
Daisy blew out a cloud of smoke and replied, "He fuckin' wishes!"
Hancock and the crowd erupted with laughter. As strange as it was, Betty admired that Hancock knew all of the townspeople by name and had earned the respect of those who defied all other laws or semblance of order. Yet here they were. What the mayor had to say was more important than anything else and they would listen to him.
"All right, all right, we're getting off track, what was I saying? Oh, that's right! What matters is, we freaks gotta stick together!" Hancock pointed at Betty and added, "Even you, vault girl. You're just as much of a freak as the rest of us here and you know it."
A few drifters turned to look at her, some nodding in agreement and others not caring much for what they saw. All Betty wanted to do was melt away into a puddle but Hancock spoke again and she was forgotten.
"And the best way to stick together is to keep an eye out for what drives us apart, you feel me?" the ghoul continued.
"You fuckin' tell 'em, Hancock!" someone shouted.
"Now, what out there in that big, friendly Commonwealth would want to drive us apart? What kind of twisted, un-neighborly boogeyman would want to hurt our peaceful community? Huh? Lemme hear it."
"The Institute and their damn synths!" a drifter woman with shouted out.
"That's right, who fuckin' said that? Come on up to my office later, doll, you've earned yourself some Jet."
Betty watched the drifter woman swoon at his words but if it was regarding the free drugs or Mayor Hancock himself, she wasn't sure. She returned her attention back to the balcony and couldn't help but smile. He really did love this town.
"The Institute! They're the real enemies, not the raiders or the super mutants, not even those tools over in Diamond City."
"I dunno, Hancock," said a town guard. "I'd sure love to give McDonough a kick in the ass!"
The people of Goodneighbor jeered; some punched the air with their fists but most shouted that they would rip this McDonough to shreds if they ever saw him again.
"Hey, we all know I got my own personal beef with that lard-head, but stay focused! I want everyone to keep the Institute in mind. When someone starts acting funny, when people start doing things they don't normally do...when family starts pushing you away for no reason, we all know who's behind that kinda shit. The only way to stop it is to stick together. They can't control us if we're not afraid! Now, who's scared of the Institute?"
"NOT US!" the town shouts in unison.
Hancock placed a hand over his heart dramatically before he slammed his fist on the balcony railing. "And which town in the Commonwealth should the Institute not fuck with?"
"GOODNEIGHBOR!" they all cried.
"And who's in charge of Goodneighbor?" Hancock asked as he leaned over the railing with a dark, wicked smile that sent fear racing down Betty's spine.
"HANCOCK! OF THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!"
"And don't you fuckin' forget it!" The crowd dispersed and Betty was alone and forgotten. Mayor Hancock whistled loudly, gaining her attention. "Didn't mean to pick on ya, I was just tryin' to make a point, you feel me?"
"It's all right, Mayor. Your people love you," she said.
"That they do. Hey, you thirsty, softskin? Hungry?" he asked. She nodded and he said, "Bar right below me. Go on and head in. If anyone bothers ya, tell my bouncer, Ham. He'll teach 'em some manners."
Betty thanked Mayor Hancock for his concern and escaped the last of the blazing sun below ground. The end of the world was over and this one was left in its place. If there was any excuse to get good and properly wasted, it was that. Time to drown a sorrow or two.