Hey guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for all the follows and favorites! (Didn't realize this was so long a chapter. Sorry?)
Betty and Hancock trudged back toward Diamond City, exhausted from the fight within the hidden vault of Park Street Station. Betty's hand was wrapped in a ruined shirt, torn from the body of a triggerman on their way back to the surface. By the time they left the vault, dusk settled in and the trip back to the city was now a risky one.
"How's the hand?" Hancock asked her.
"Sore, but worth it."
"You sure you don't wanna a stimpak for it?"
Betty shook her head and replied, "I want to savor it a little more. When we get back to Nick's office, I'll patch it up."
Hancock knew she wasn't comfortable with fighting someone up close and personal, but she seemed proud of that surprisingly good right hook that laid out Malone's girl. As she should be. It was nice to know Betty wasn't afraid to stand up for him, even if he didn't need her to. He lit two cigarettes at once and handed one to her, which she took with a grateful smile.
"One of the best smokes of the day is the one after a good brawl," he said.
She blew out a cloud of smoke and asked, "You don't have to answer but what did you and Nick fight about?"
Hancock frowned, which Betty wasn't used to and he explained, "On our little tour you remember that place I showed ya, the Memory Den? This dame, Irma, she runs the place. She and I had a thing for a few weeks, but I had no idea Nicky was sweet on her. He never talks about that sorta shit. Came over to see her one day...only I was there, too. Can't blame the guy. I mean, you see the gal you love on her knees for someone you called friend...that's enough to piss anyone off. Broke it off with her right then but the damage was done. Sucks losing your best friend, especially to some dame that didn't even matter."
The pair made good time reaching the outskirts of the city before it became too dark. Now, they faced the dilemma of getting Hancock into Diamond City again.
"Did you ever try to apologize?"
"Too many times, but he didn't wanna hear any of it."
"That's because I wasn't ready to," a voice behind them said. The pair turned and saw Nick Valentine come around the corner. "Just got back from dropping off the girl. Follow me through the gates and they shouldn't give you any trouble. John, if you could wear this until we get to my office, I'd appreciate it."
The synth tossed Hancock a black bandanna and the ghoul glanced at it before he said, "I ain't coverin' up."
Nick pointed at Betty and said, "You want to help your peach here? Then put your pride away for five minutes and put that on instead."
"Wait, he shouldn't-" Betty began to say.
"-No. Nicky's right. It's just a few minutes," said Hancock as he wrapped the bandanna around his face, leaving only his dark eyes free.
With Nick leading the way, Diamond City security didn't even lift their heads before opening the gates. A few of the residents stopped to shake Nick's hand, welcoming him back to the city.
"Nick's a synth, but they aren't afraid of him here?" Betty asked Hancock.
"There's still folks that hate him, but he's done a lot of good including rescuing the former mayor's daughter from raiders when I was younger."
Once they were inside Nick's office, the synth called out, "Ellie? Are you here?"
Betty and Hancock smiled as Valentine's secretary rushed down the wooden stairs and hugged him with all her strength.
"Oh god, it's really you!" she said to Nick.
Valentine smiled at her, the first Betty had seen from the detective, and said to Ellie, "Well, it's hard to mistake this mug for anyone else."
"If you keep laughing at Death, some day, Death's going to laugh back," she replied.
The detective smiled again and said, "Not as long as I got a few friends to back me up...that means you too, John. We're all right now."
The ghoul nearly leapt over the desk and threw himself at Nick for a bear hug. "Aw man, I missed ya, pal!"
Nick stood still for moment before he gave Hancock a rough pat on the back and said, "I'll admit, there were a few times I got caught in a scrap and knew it would've been different if you were there."
Ellie hugged the ghoul as well and said, "Welcome back, Mr. Hancock. You saved Nick, this agency, and my job. Thank you both so much."
"Not a problem. You're a sweet kid and it's great to be back in here," Hancock said with a tug on her ponytail.
"You know...if you don't mind putting on a detective hat instead of your usual, Nick could sure use a new partner, Mr. Hancock," Ellie said with a grin.
Valentine held up his hand and said, "Whoa, one case at a time, Ellie. John's partner needs our help, first. Please, take a seat and let's get down to business Miss...?"
Betty sat down across from the detective and answered, "Betty Parker."
"All right Miss Parker. When you're trying to find someone who's gone missing, the devil is in the details. Tell me everything you can, no matter how...painful it might be," said Nick, his voice kind.
Betty looked up at Hancock, who was perched on the corner of the desk and he nodded before she began her tale. He hadn't asked her the details of what happened, as he wasn't the type to pry. He figured she'd tell him when she was ready.
"I guess I'll start from the beginning," Betty began to explain, her voice shaking. "I saw the bombs fall in 2077."
Ellie began to write furiously as Nick sat up and asked, "You're pre-war? How is that possible?"
"Yes. Myself, my husband, and our son were chosen for Vault 111, near Sanctuary Hills. They said it was because of my husband's military service. We were getting ready for a veteran's banquet when the warnings on television and the radio started going off. We ran to the vault, my husband holding our son. After the bombs started to fall, they had us stand in these pods, said they were just going to run a few tests, then...then they froze us."
"Vault-Tec was notorious for sick experiments on the dwellers," Nick said, nodding his head.
"We woke up, I don't know how long after. This man, he and someone wearing a hazard suit opened my husband's pod and tried to take our son from his arms. Nate was..murdered. He was trying to keep them from taking Shaun and that man just...just..."
She had to stop and held her face in her hands as she sniffled, her shoulders shaking with unexpected sobs. Hancock turned away, unable to stand the sight of his partner crumbling with nothing he could do to stop it. He took the bandanna from his pocket and held it out to Betty, which she took and dried her eyes with.
"It's okay, you don't need to say anymore than that," said Ellie in a soft voice as she rubbed Betty's shoulder.
"So, we're talking about a group of cold-hearted killers, but they waited until something went wrong to resort to violence. What else?" Nick asked.
Betty took a deep breath and continued her story. "After the man murdered my husband, he looked me right in the eye and said that I was the backup. I'm not sure what he meant about that."
Valentine glanced at Hancock and asked, "Anyone been following you two?"
The ghoul shook his head. "If they were, I would've snuffed 'em by now."
"That just confirms it: whoever took your son had an agenda. Babies need a lot of care and the kidnapper referring to you as backup means it was planned. There's a lot of groups that take people. Raiders, super mutants, the Gunners, and of course, there's the Institute," Nick explained.
"So you think this Institute is responsible?" she asked.
"Well, they're the boogeyman of the Commonwealth as John likes to call them. Something goes wrong, everyone blames them. Easy to see why. Those early model synths of theirs strip whole towns for parts, killing everything in their way. Then you got the newer models, good as human, that infiltrate cities and pull strings from the shadows. Worst of all, no one knows why they do it, what their plans are, or even where they are. Not even me, and I'm a synth myself. A discarded prototype, anyway. Do you know what the killers looked like?"
Betty nodded and said, "I'll never forget that face. A bit older than me, maybe 40 or 50. Bald, deep voice, and a scar across his left eye, a bit worse off than the one I have now-"
"-Wait," Nick interrupted. "It couldn't be...you didn't hear the name 'Kellogg' at all, did you?"
"Man, I thought he fit that description when Betty mentioned him to me, but I didn't wanna go one way or another in case I was wrong," said Hancock.
Valentine took a pack of smokes from his desk and lit one. Hancock motioned for one as well and the synth tossed him the pack. Nick took a few pulls before he said in a low voice," Hmm...it's way too big of a coincidence...Ellie? What notes do we have on the Kellogg case?"
The secretary walked over to a filing cabinet and sifted through the folders in the top drawer before she answered, "The description matches. Bald, scarred eye, reputation for dangerous mercenary work but no one knows who his employer is."
"And he bought a house here in town, right? Lived there with a kid," said Valentine.
"Yes, that's right. The house in the abandoned West Stands. The boy with him was about ten years old, though."
"He's ten? Oh god, this happened ten years ago...I can't believe it," Betty whispered. Her stomach twisted into a knot so tight she wasn't sure if it could be undone. Ten years she'd never get to spend with Shaun. She felt light-headed until a firm harm clamped down on her shoulder.
"It'll be all right, Birdie. He'll still want his Ma back," said Hancock.
"Is this Kellogg still in town?" Betty asked when she found her voice again.
"They both vanished a while back," Nick explained as he stood up from his desk. "The house is still there. Let's take a look, see if we can snoop out where he went."
As the Hancock and Betty followed Nick to Kellogg's former home, the detective explained that everything he'd ever dug up on Kellogg before he disappeared was bad news. That he was more than a mercenary and has no enemies because they're all dead, save for Betty.
"You think he'll come after her?" asked Hancock. "I wanna be ready to gut him like a fish."
"Not if I get to him first," said Betty with venom in her words.
"That's the goal. Find Kellogg before he finds you, Betty. Here's the house," said Nick. He twisted the handle on the door but it was locked. He looked about for another way inside and said, "Damn it. Breaking a window would bring attention over to us."
Hancock chuckled and said, "Betty's way ahead of you, Nick.
The sole survivor picked the lock with ease and before she led them inside, Hancock passed her his .44 with a nod. Kellogg's home was mostly empty at first glance, with only a desk and couch on the main floor. There were a few papers scattered about, and Hancock picked them up and searched for any hints, but found none.
When Betty sat behind the desk and reached down to open a drawer, the faint red glow of a button beneath the desk caught her attention.
"Guns out, boys. Just in case," she said before she pressed it.
A wall slid open and revealed another room hidden behind it. Inside were a few cabinets, shelves and an armchair beside a small, corner table.
Hancock picked up a stray .44 bullet from the table and said, "Guess I'm not the only one who prefers this beauty."
Betty looked over her partner's shoulder and said, "Those cigars. I've never seen that brand here in Boston, even before the war."
"San Francisco Sunlights," said Nick as he picked up the box. "Won't lead us anywhere on its own, though."
"What do you suggest?" she asked him.
"Unless you have a dog-"
"-I do! He stays at the settlement Preston and I started at Sanctuary Hills."
"I'm up for a road trip, what say you, softskin?" Hancock asked her.
Betty opened the door to Kellogg's home and fell back against Hancock with a gasp. The ghoul pulled her behind him and took aim with his shotgun, only to see a panting, muddy German Shepherd down his sights.
"Dogmeat!" Betty shouted and her beloved dog bounded past Hancock and Nick to lick at her face and neck.
"Lucky mutt," Hancock said under his breath and Nick elbowed him in the ribs.
"How did you...Mama Murphy, you did it again," Betty said to Dogmeat before she kissed his wet nose. "You came all this way to help me, boy?"
"A Commonwealth mutt like him can track a man's scent for miles. Here," said Nick as he handed Betty one of Kellogg's cigars.
Betty held out the cigar for Dogmeat who sniffed and licked at it several times before he bounded just outside the door, barking madly.
"Hell yes, got 'em!" Hancock said with grin. He scratched behind the shepherd's ears until its tongue rolled out of its mouth. "Good dog."
Betty stood at the doorway in silence, not sure how everything came together so quickly. Dogmeat would find Kellogg and she'd finally be face to face with the bastard who murdered Nate and stole Shaun away. But now, with the mercenary within reach, she was terrified. No enemies alive except her. She wouldn't stand a chance, but with Hancock and Dogmeat at her side, there might be a sliver of hope that she'd be able to walk away with Shaun in her arms.
She turned to Nick and shook his exposed, metal hand. "Thank you so much for your help, detective."
"Stay safe, and stop by the office when you and John find your kid. We'd love to meet him," Nick replied with a smile.
Dogmeat continued to bark and Hancock held out his hand to Betty and said, "Let's go get that asshole, Birdie. By tomorrow, you might have your boy back in your arms."
As soon as their fingers locked together, Dogmeat took off with a wild howl and they chased after him.
Outside of Diamond City, across a short bridge over the river, Dogmeat slowed his pace and began to sniff intently. Hancock and Betty arrived moments later, out of breath with their hands still entwined. Betty believed the ghoul was being a bit presumptuous about it, until she discovered that whenever she wanted to slow her pace, it was much easier to burn through the pain of straining muscles when someone is pulling you forward.
"What the hell do you feed that thing?" Hancock asked Betty as he leaned against a rusted car.
She shrugged her shoulders and pulled a bottle of water from her pack, drinking about half of it before she tossed the rest to her partner. Dogmeat gave a sharp, alert bark and the pair lifted their heads as he bounded towards Betty.
"You found something, boy? Let's see," she said to her pup.
Dogmeat led the pair over to an overturned box down by the river's edge, and in a dirty ashtray sat a San Francisco Sunlight cigar along with two .44 bullets, the cigar a bit wet from a passing rainstorm, but the label had not yet begun to fade or peel. Hancock reached over and pocketed the two bullets.
Betty picked up the cigar and held it out to Dogmeat. "Find that bastard, boy."
Another wild howl and the pair was on the run again as Dogmeat led them down the train tracks, unused and overgrown with brush. Hours later, the German Shepherd led them down a set of steps and beneath the train overpass. A machine gun turret lay destroyed in front of a service door built into the gray concrete.
"Look!" Betty shouted. Bloody rags hung beside the door and she held them out to Dogmeat.
"Kellogg must've gotten hurt back there," Hancock said as they followed the hound up the side of the overpass and back onto the brush. "Maybe that asshole is crippled and we can have a little bit of fun with him."
"Here's hoping," Betty replied.
Dogmeat led the pair off the train tracks once again and into a large, metal building that creaked and swayed with the breeze. At the bottom of the stairs within stood a make-shift tent and there lay a pair of boots in the darkness. Betty rushed toward the tent, murderous intent on her mind when she heard a faint beeping. Hancock perked up at the sound and in the dark, noticed a minuscule red light beside the boots. There was no time for a warning shout, and the ghoul managed to yank his partner away before the blast went off.
Betty and Hancock fell against the stairs, the ghoul receiving the brunt of the concrete steps digging into his back. She lay across his chest, silent at first as her hearing returned, and she tilted her head back at her now grinning partner.
"Could get used to this, you know," he said.
Betty chuckled and muttered her thanks as she helped him to his feet. Dogmeat whimpered for attention as he sat beside a table with yet another San Francisco Sunlight cigar in the ashtray and .44 bullet on the ground, which the ghoul collected. Still on the right track, thank goodness. They continued across another, longer bridge, tractor trailers and cars broken down and taking up most of the space. Hancock climbed on top of a truck's cab and reached down to pull Betty up while Dogmeat squeezed beneath or between the vehicles.
After walking through a small, quiet town inhabited by a handful of feral ghouls who now lay littered across the streets in pieces, the pair and their dog came upon a caravan that had been ransacked.
"Damn, we missed somethin'," Hancock said in a low voice. An assaultron lay severed in several chunks, its head seemingly on display as it sat on a metal crate. He picked up another Sunlight cigar and held it out to Dogmeat. "Another one of his stogies."
"Error. System corrupt. I can't feel my legs," said the assaultron.
"Don't worry, I gotcha," said the ghoul before he shot the assaultron head with his shotgun. His eyes found another .44 bullet. Now he had five, but was hoping there'd be at least one more-
"-Found another of Kellogg's bullets," said Betty as she sorted through some of the dried leaves beside the crate.
"Yes!" Hancock shouted as he plucked the bullet from her palm. "Full chamber's worth!"
"How far have we gone, you think?" she asked.
"Judgin' by the way my legs feel twenty pounds heavier, must've gone clear across the Commonwealth by now. At least eight or nine hours. Not much of a fan for keepin' time," said Hancock. "We should take a rest before we barge in on Kellogg."
"I don't want to stop just yet," she said. "He feels close."
"Fair enough, still got a little bit of fuel in me. But before we go after him, wherever he is, we gotta stop for at least an hour or two. Try to catch a nap, maybe eat a little something. You don't wanna face a guy like that after running for almost the entire night. You won't make it."
Through hills and wilderness they continued, following Dogmeat who was still hot on Kellogg's trail. Betty's adrenaline had faded by now, and all she felt was the searing pain in her sides and calves from the journey. Even Hancock shot up a Med-X almost every hour to keep his own pain at bay, though Betty had refused his first offer.
They came upon broken fence with more of Kellogg's bloody rags, and Hancock reached out to feel them. "These are leanin' towards the fresh side. He's nearby."
Betty checked her Pip-boy and was floored to see that she and Hancock had indeed traveled across the Commonwealth. The only area of note near to their position was Fort Hagen, where Nate was stationed for a few months before his military discharge.
"He must be in the base...Fort Hagen..it's over that way," Betty said, catching her breath. "It'll be a fortress. Nate was stationed there for a little bit."
"You ever been inside?" asked Hancock.
Betty shook her head and replied, "No. I have no idea what's in there, besides Kellogg, or how to get in. Our house is a little north of here, maybe another two hours by foot. We didn't have to live on base, he just came for work."
"Any ID cards of his that might've survived the bombs?"
"Military took away all those things when he was discharged, unfortunately."
"All right. Let's stop here for now," said Hancock. "We can't just go in blind. Rest up and get somethin' in your stomach."
They settled down in a small thicket behind a boulder. Betty wanted to light a fire and warm her bones, for the chill in the air was enough to take her teeth but it was too much of a risk. Listening to the radio was a similar danger, so the pair sat right beside one another as Dogmeat curled around their boots for warmth. Hancock threw an arm over Betty's shoulder before he pulled her close beneath his coat.
"Should feel warmer right against me. Us ghouls run hot."
Betty smiled when she discovered that he was right. Hancock felt at least ten degrees warmer than the biting, cold air. She pulled out a box of Fancy Lads Snack Cakes and two bottles of water from her pack. She tossed one to Dogmeat, who ate his greedily before she offered one to Hancock.
"Just pop it in my mouth, would ya?" he asked. "Don't have the strength to lift my arms yet."
Betty obliged him before she unwrapped one for herself and ate in silence before she rested her head against her partner's shoulder, eyes closed and in search of rest.
"Can I talk to you? It ain't anything bad," Hancock asked with a voice softer than what Betty was used to by now.
"Are you all right?"
He nodded and said, "Yeah, yeah, it's just the Bobbi thing is still botherin' me some. I ain't proud of having to put you through that."
She scoffed and said, "That's not your fault. Bobbi forced my, and MacCready's, hand when she didn't take the out Fahrenheit gave her. Mel and I were ready to."
"Still, the whole thing was fucked. I should've sent MacCready to stop ya, not encourage it."
"You seem awfully torn up about Bobbi...was there's something between you two?" she asked. It didn't seem like Hancock held a torch for anyone, at least not one that she noticed.
"Nah, nothin' like that at all. I just hate seeing guys like me use their sway to do that kinda harm. Hell, that sorta bull's the whole reason I became mayor in the first place. Some ass named Vic ran the town for I don't know how long before that. Guy was fuckin' scum of the earth. Used us drifters like his own personal piggy bank. He had this goon squad he'd use to keep people in line. Every so often he'd let 'em off the leash and go blow off some steam on the populace at large. Folks with homes could lock their doors, but us drifters, we got it bad. There was one night, some drifter mouthed off to them. They cracked him open like a can of cram on the god damn pavement. And we all...just stood there. Did nothin'."
"You were obviously outmatched. They would've killed you too," she reassured him. "It was smart to not interfere that time. You got to live another day, didn't you?"
"You're right, but it was still a spineless thing to do. Felt like less than nothin'. Afterwards, I got so high, I blacked out completely. When I finally came to, I was on the floor of the Old State House. Right in front of the clothes of John Hancock." The ghoul chuckled and continued his tale. "John Hancock, first American hoodlum and defender of the people. I might've still been high, but those clothes spoke to me, told me what I needed to do. I smashed the case, put them on, and started a new life...as Hancock. After that, I went clean for a bit, got organized, convinced Kleo to loan me and my boys some hardware. My crew headed out into the ruins, started training, kinda like we are now. But the next time Vic's boys went on their tear, we'd be fuckin' ready for 'em. That night came, we all got loaded, let Vic's boys get good and hammered, and burst through the windows and rooftop where we'd been hiding. They never even saw that shit comin'. We didn't have to fire a single shot, but we sure did. It was a fuckin' massacre. Once we mopped up, we strolled right into Vic's quarters at the Old State House, wrapped a rope around his neck and I threw his ass from the balcony."
Betty swallowed a hard lump in her throat and said, "Jesus, it's brutal out here. Makes quiet times like this seem like a figment of our imaginations."
"Heh, like the space between dreaming and bein' awake. Christ knows I feel that way right now."
"What happened after?"
"There I was, gun in hand, draped in Hancock's duds, lookin' at all of the people of Goodneighbor assembled below. I had to say somethin'. That first time I said 'em, they didn't even feel like my words: 'Of the people, for the people!' was my inaugural address and I became mayor of Goodneighbor that day. From then on, I vowed I'd never stand by and watch. Ever again. This deal with Kellogg? It's my problem now, too, and I ain't gonna let you go down without puttin' up a good fight myself."
"You don't owe me anything, especially your life. If anything, I'm the one who owes you."
"Birdie, I'm pushin' damn near fifty by now, and lived enough for two lifetimes. If me kickin' the bucket means you get your boy, I'm cool with that. Honorable way to go. I don't want you to worry about me...focus on you and your kid. The second you wrap your arms around him, you fuckin' run. Run home and if I make it, I'll follow you there."
"All right if that's how you feel..." Betty began, "then you'll have to make me a promise. If I don't make it...take him somewhere safe. Maybe Daisy would look after him, like she did with Fahrenheit. He'd have a chance at this world with someone like you nearby. Though I'd prefer if he didn't get into chems.."
"How about I show him both sides of the coin and when he's a grown ass man, he can decide for himself. Fair enough?" Hancock answered.
"Does that mean you promise?"
"You have my word that if you fall, I'll see your son is raised safe and well. But you won't die today, Birdie. I won't let ya."
By sunup, Betty and Hancock felt strong enough to face Kellogg on his own turf. The only questioned that remained was Dogmeat, who whimpered and whined as Betty thought on whether or not to send him home.
"I don't mind keepin' him around," Hancock said as he scratched behind the dog's ears, "But if he's gonna worry or distract ya, he's better off home, where he'll be safe and you can make it back to him in one piece."
Betty knew her partner was right and bent down to kiss her dog's snout. "Hancock's right, boy. I know he can handle himself and so can you, but your whine if you get hurt is enough to take my head out of the game and lose. We don't want that, right?"
Dogmeat whined a few more times before he licked her face and she hugged him.
"Go home to Preston, Dogmeat. We'll be there soon with Shaun," she said, pointing in the direction of Sanctuary Hills. Dogmeat jumped up to lick at Betty's cheek before he nuzzled Hancock's hand and was off, running as the day broke. They watched him for a moment before they turned to face the looming Fort Hagen and they began the final half-mile to the base.
Several turrets greeted the pair and Betty shot back, her assault rifle doing enough damage to take all of the machines out of commission.
"Some makeshift stairs over here," Hancock called out. "Maybe we can get in through the roof."
Sure enough, there was an escape hatch built into the roof of the fort and both Betty and Hancock had to pull the heavy, lead doors open together. More than ever, she was glad to have a partner like the ghoul by her side. She never would've made it this far on her own.
Inside, Hancock dropped down first and took aim with his shotgun as he peered down the sights, checking for any sign of the mercenary. He let out a low whistle and said, "Birdie, you can come down-"
Betty fell out from the drop and landed right on top of Hancock, sending them both to the floor with a crash. He scrambled for his shotgun and sat up as he took aim again, but Betty's decidedly dramatic entrance didn't garner unwanted attention.
The ghoul looked down at his partner's head in his lap as she smiled up at him with reddened cheeks and whispered, "Sorry!"
"I could really get used to this," he said with a raised brow and a smile.
"Save your version of sweet talk for later, Hancock," said Betty as she stood up. "Are you okay?"
A metallic voice called out, "Is someone present?" and the pair froze.
Hancock held a finger up to his lips and stood up. He motioned toward the magazine on Betty's rifle and gave her a thumbs up with questioning eyes. She nodded and he peered around the corner before he recoiled, letting out a low breath.
"Synths," he said, his voice barely audible. "Two of 'em."
Betty felt a panic creeping up her spine but she shook it away. Kellogg was here, which meant Shaun was too. There wasn't any time left for her to be frightened. Hancock nudged her with the butt of his shotgun and signaled for her to take the right side as he went around the corner. Her side of the fort was dark and not a speck of light streamed through the blacked out windows.
"Attacking enemy!" she heard a synth say, followed by the sound of Hancock's shotgun. "I am damaged. Kellogg will not be pleased."
"Damn right he won't be!" shouted the ghoul.
Betty rushed ahead, blasting away a machine gun turret and came face to face with the second synth. She felt glued to the broken tiles beneath her feet as it turned its head to examine her. It pointed its gun at her and pulled the trigger as Betty winced. But the fiery shot never appeared. The gun was jammed and the synth tossed it aside before it vaulted over a broken desk toward Betty. Snapping out of her fear, she took aim and fired a few shots before it attacked her. She and the synth struggled, its metal fingers threatening to crush Betty's wrists. She managed to free a hand and reached for the exposed wiring by the base of its neck before she pulled, shocking herself and destroying the synth.
"More of 'em!" Hancock shouted from a few rooms away.
Betty rushed towards the sound of his shotgun blasts and tackled a synth that had crept up behind the ghoul, its shock baton raised for a strike. She tore the baton from the synth's metal hand and jammed it into its neck, short-circuiting the wires there.
"Initiate Directive Sigma Omicron - Protect Kellogg," a synth announced before Hancock's slug blew its chest apart.
"God damn it!" Hancock shouted. "He'll be onto us in no time!"
Three more synths arrived and were shattered by Betty's rifle in mere seconds. In the sudden silence, she took Hancock's arm and pulled him as she searched through the rooms.
"The lower floors," she panted, "Nate told me they kept everything below ground. He has to be down there."
"Man, I ain't lived like this since...fuck, can't even remember," he said to himself with a grin. He glanced at Betty and added, "Can't wait to see the look on your face when you get your son back. That'll be the cherry on top of all this."
"Any grenades left?" she asked him.
"Three, and I think one's a fuckin' dud. I'm gonna fight Cricket for that shit."
"Cricket?" Betty asked.
"Yeah, this psychotic, little gal who sells weapons and ammo outta Bunker Hill. Makes me look like a normal, upstanding citizen."
"Can't wait to meet that nutjob, then."
They found a set of stairs that led further beneath Fort Hagen and reloaded their weapons before going down, a group of synths waiting for the pair.
Betty and Hancock unleashed hell right as the synths did the same. It was a blind flurry of shotgun shells, exploding bullets, and lasers as plaster was ripped from the walls.
"Say somethin', Birdie!" Hancock shouted over the noise from behind an overturned Nuka Cola machine as he loaded more shells.
"What?!" Betty shouted from around the corner, not hearing what he asked.
"Good enough!" he replied with a grin before he stood up and fired, destroying the last synth.
At the bottom of the stairwell were two doors but one led out to the Commonwealth and the other chained, with no amount of pulling, kicking, or punching able to free it.
"Fuck! What now?" she asked, out of breath.
"Gotta find another way. Thought I saw somethin' two flights back up." He frowned before he reached out and touched Betty's outer thigh, eliciting a hiss of pain that even she didn't expect. "You were shot here, twice. You didn't feel it?"
"Guess not," she replied, looking down at her wounds. Hancock pulled a stimpak from her pack and handed it to her before she stabbed the syringe into her thigh without hesitation.
"You got this. Follow me."
Betty followed behind Hancock and when they were two floors up, he broke open a set of blue double-doors with a slam of his shoulder. She was right behind him with cover fire as synths raced in, armed to the teeth. A lone synth guarded the next room filled with switchboards and dusty computers and it fell after Betty unloaded an entire clip into it.
"Hack into the terminal while I patch myself up for a sec?" he asked, winded.
"You were shot?" Betty asked. She walked toward him until Hancock held out his hand.
"Didn't I ask ya not to worry 'bout me in here? I'll live, you get on that terminal and do your thing."
Betty took a deep breath. Hancock was right. He was fine. She was fine, much better than fine if she were being honest. The adrenaline surged through her veins and with every password she tried, her hands shook with anticipation at the prospect of wrapping them around Kellogg's neck. She couldn't quit understand such a feeling at first, this...bloodlust, but that bastard deserved it. He murdered Nate and kidnapped Shaun before he left Betty to die in that vault. Fuck him. The world would be better off without scum like him tainting the Commonwealth.
The security door swung open and Hancock sorted through the contents of the lockers kept behind the gates. Some ammo, a few stimpaks. All helpful, all useful. Grenades and shotgun shells in a trunk. Unlocking the security door also brought power to an elevator beside it and Betty pushed the call button.
"How you holdin' up, softskin?" Hancock asked as the elevator brought them below the base.
"A little better than I thought I would. Maybe a bit...cruel. I never thought I'd ever say something like this but, I can't wait to murder that man," Betty said with a hard face, eyes wet with tears. "I want that son of a bitch to suffer. What the fuck is wrong with me?"
"That asshole destroyed your family. I'd think there was somethin' wrong if you didn't feel this way. In the end, you gotta go with how you feel at that moment and deal with the aftermath," said Hancock. "Make peace with it one day, if ever, but don't feel guilty about hurtin' this shithead."
The elevator opened to a cramped hallway with a door on the left chained shut. Hancock wrapped the chains around his arm a few times before he tore them off and kicked it open. It was the chained door from earlier and right across from it, the exit. A turret stood at the end of the hall, and Betty shot it before it even registered their presence. Another set of stairs and when they reached the bottom, a dark voice echoed all around to taunt Betty.
"If it isn't my old friend, the frozen TV dinner. Last time we met, you were busy cozying up to the peas and apple cobbler," said Kellogg's cold voice.
"Lemme cut out his tongue at least," Hancock snarled. "I've gotten real good at that shit."
Betty pressed forward. Hearing that man's voice again sparked new fury within her, especially that he had the gall to insult her along the way.
She opened another metal security and Kellogg's voice said, "Sorry your house has been a wreck for over two hundred years. But I don't need roommates. Oh yeah, I see you following her, ghoul...you're the junkie peacock mayor of that shithole, Goodneighbor. I heard about you. Was friends with Vic back in the day, you know. If you can convince the vault girl to leave right now, maybe I won't wipe Goodneighbor off the map."
Betty looked back at Hancock with worried eyes and her partner shouted at the top of his lungs, "FUCK YOU!"
He urged Betty ahead. Hancock wasn't worried about Goodneighbor. In fact, he felt pity for any who were foolish enough to attack the town. They had enough munitions to fund a small-time war effort.
The pair came upon the command center for Fort Hagen, skeletons still sitting at their posts, waiting for a command that came much too late.
Kellogg chuckled and said, "Never expected you to come knocking at my door. Gave you 50/50 odds of making it to Diamond City. After that? Figured the Commonwealth would chew you up like jerky. Guess I have you to thank for that, eh Mayor?"
Hancock ripped his .44 magnum from his holster and took aim over Betty's shoulder as several synths ran down the hall towards them. His partner joined in and soon the floor surrounding them was peppered with bits of plastic and metal, along with four destroyed synths. A wall of bulletproof windows came up on their left, but with barely any light at all, they couldn't see a thing.
"Look," said Kellogg's voice. "You're pissed off. I get it. But whatever you hope to accomplish in here? It's not going to go your way. You've got guts and determination, and that's admirable, but you are in over your head in ways you can't possibly comprehend."
Hancock laughed and said to Betty, "Goes from insultin' us to reasonin' with us...I'd say he knows he's screwed."
"Maybe he's injured, like you said outside," she replied.
The pair went deeper into the command center. Ammo was plentiful and they had no shame in dumping box after box of their preferred calibers into their packs. Not only would Kellogg be dead and Betty reunited with her son, they'd be swimming in ammo for at least two months.
"It's not too late," Kellogg announced. "Stop. Turn around and leave. You have that option. Not a lot of people can say that...like your friend there. Even if he leaves with you now, he and his freaks at Goodneighbor are finished. He has you to thank for that."
"Don't listen to him," whispered Hancock. "Nothin' will happen, Fahrenheit won't let it."
Finally after killing a few more synths and destroying a handful of turrets, Betty and Hancock came to a large, circular room that must belong to Kellogg. There was no sign of Shaun, much to Betty's dismay. She searched through a few boxes and the desk for any sign of her son, maybe a toy or clothes, something. Maybe Kellogg moved Shaun to a different room the pair hadn't came upon yet.
Kellogg echoed above the pair one last time as he announced in a weary voice, "Okay. You made it. I'm just up ahead. My synths are standing down. Let's talk."
The metal door in the room swung open and the pair followed the short hall. There, at the end, was one last door and through its tiny glass window, Betty could see Kellogg's scarred face.
"Don't follow me in yet," she said to Hancock. "This is between me and that sadistic asshole."
"You got it, Birdie. I won't come in if the fight's still fair." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her close before he added, "Remember: Don't rush in there, guns hot. Check around while he spits his bullshit at ya, see where you can really hurt him and when that time comes, don't hesitate. You fuckin' kill him because we both know he ain't lettin' either of us walk outta here."
The Sole Survivor was ready to meet her greatest and only enemy. She had enemy attorneys that she fought with words in court but this...this was much more satisfying.
She hugged her partner tight and as her fingers slipped from his hand, he said, "Wait!"
Betty turned, worried that maybe she was walking into Hell with the safety on her rifle on. Instead, Hancock grinned and pulled her into his arms before he dipped her over his knee and kissed her, hot and heavy. There was the tiniest chance that neither of them would make it out of Fort Hagen, and Hancock wanted to be sure he had one final shot at kissing the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on.
"For luck, ya know?" said Hancock as he helped his partner stand upright. "More on my end, you don't need any."
Betty smiled and hugged her partner again before she turned to open the final door and face her sworn enemy and plague to the Commonwealth. As she walked into the large room, the lights flickered on overhead and all Hancock could do was stand in the shadows of the dark hall and watch his girl walk straight into the belly of the beast.
Kellogg stood at the room's center, arms above his head as he wore a savage grin, surrounded by a handful of synths. "There she is. The most resilient human being in the Commonwealth. Funny...I thought I had that honor."
"Not if I can help it, you fuckin' prick," Hancock growled under his breath. The gears in his mind spun with such haste that he thought for a moment he'd snap. He emptied the chamber of his .44 revolver into his pack with jittery hands and reached into his pocket for Kellogg's rounds before he slipped each one into the pistol. He peeked around the corner and watched a synth circle around Betty, hunting her.
As Betty came to a stop within inches of him, Kellogg asked, "Where's your friend? He doesn't have the balls to face me like you do?"
"You're lucky I want to deal with you myself. Where is he? Where the fuck is my son?!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the metal walls around them.
"Right to it then, huh? Okay. Fine. Your son, Shaun. Great kid. A little older than you may have expected, but I'm guessing you figured it out by now. But if you're hoping for a happy reunion? Ain't gonna happen. Your son's not here."
"God damn you, you mercenary motherfucker. Where. Is. My. Son?!" she bellowed.
"What's the cliche? 'So close but yet, so far away?' That's Shaun. But don't worry. You'll die knowing he's safe and happy in a loving home. The Institute," Kellogg explained with a sneer.
She scoffed. "Here. The Institute. I'll find Shaun, no matter where he is. Nothing will stop me."
"God, you're persistent. I give you credit, it's the way a parent should act. The way I'd be acting if I were in your place, I like to think. Even if it is useless." Kellogg was silent for some time before he said, "But I think we've been talking long enough. We all know how this has to end. So...you ready?"
"In a hundred years, when I die, I hope I go to Hell just so I can kill you all over again," Betty said with a snarl.
"I love it when they go down fighting," Kellogg replied as he reached for his pistol.
With no reluctance or second thoughts on her part, Betty lifted her assault rifle and slammed the butt into Kellogg's chin with all her might. The mercenary, caught off guard, staggered backward into a set of terminals and rolled away as Betty drove her bayonet into the machines instead of Kellogg's throat.
The synth who'd been creeping up behind Betty lifted its gun and aimed for the back of her head. Hancock rushed into the room and leapt at the synth's back. He rammed his fingers into its eye sockets and pulled out his combat knife before cutting its head off. The ghoul and the machine fell to the tiled floor and Hancock glanced up and saw Betty struggling against Kellogg as the other synths shot at her.
Laser shots burned through Betty's clothes, searing her skin beneath but she didn't feel any of it. All she could think of was curling her fingers around Kellogg's neck until his face turned all shades of purple. Kellogg slammed his head into Betty's, forcing her back, and he grinned at her as blood spilled from between his lips before he disappeared.
"What the-" Betty whispered. A force ripped the gun from her hands before it lifted her off the tiled floor and threw her against another set of terminals, her vision going black for a few seconds.
"There's a reason I'm known as the most resilient man of the Commonwealth," said Kellogg's disembodied voice. "I should've shot you in the head back then. Won't make that mistake twice."
Hancock threw a synth over his shoulder as the last one attacked, clawing at his coat with its ruined arms. He ducked and pulled his arms free before he saw his partner being held down by...well, there was no one there, but the ghoul knew better.
"He's using stealth!" Hancock shouted. "Follow his voice!"
Betty kicked out with all her strength and heard Kellogg yell in agony. She threw herself at the empty space where her boot connected with Kellogg's groin and they fell over a desk and onto the floor.
The synth tossed Hancock's coat aside and screeched at him before going in for the kill. His laugh was dark before he said, "Let's dance, bitch."
Kellogg's stealth field flashed several times as he wrestled with Betty. His strength began to overpower her and it was his hands wrapped around her throat instead. "Why didn't you take my offer?" he grunted. "Why do you have to be so damn unshakable?"
"You ruined my life," Betty croaked as her fingers tried to pry through his grip, "I won't let you ruin anyone else's."
Hancock ran to match speed with the synth before he dropped and skidded between its legs, turning to fire his last two shells into its back. He pulled out his .44 magnum filled with Kellogg's bullets before he slid it to Betty and shouted, "It has his bullets!"
Betty slammed her elbow into Kellogg's bloodied face several times before her neck was free. She snatched Hancock's gun from behind Kellogg's head and pressed the end of the barrel against his right temple, where he'd shot Nate. The mercenary couldn't help but smile at the Sole Survivor's tenacity and closed his swollen eyes as Betty squeezed the trigger until the chamber was empty and only half of the man's skull remained.
Hancock stood up on unsteady legs and limped over to Betty, the deep cuts across his chest and arms dripping blood with a steady rhythm. Betty remained straddled over Kellogg's body, her breathing heavy and ragged. She rested her head against the ghoul's hip and he cupped her cheek.
"I'm...I'm sorry Shaun isn't here," said Hancock. "At least you're both safe from this piece of shit. Are you hurt bad?"
Betty shrugged her shoulders and he knelt down beside her with a pained groan and reached out to take her chin in his hand. One of her eyes was already a deep shade of blue-purple and her nose might be broken, he wasn't sure. Split lip. Gash across her right temple. Laser burn across her neck. He didn't even want to think about what she looked like beneath her scorched leathers.
"Adrenaline's gonna wear off in a few and you're gonna be hurtin' bad. I know you ain't about it, but please, consider some Med-X. At least until I get you home."
"Okay.." Betty answered in a small voice.
As Hancock went to grab their packs from the hall, Betty stared at the gory mess that was Kellogg's head. He deserved it. She didn't feel awful at all. In fact, at that moment, she felt nothing. A piece of metal jutted from the broken skull and she pulled it free, holding it up to the light. Her partner returned, holding their packs and several Med-X's in his hands and he said, "A souvenir. Nice. Here, gimme your arm, Birdie, and I'll give you enough to make it home."
Hancock tied off her arm above the elbow with his belt and searched for a large enough vein so he wouldn't miss on the first try. He didn't want this to be more unpleasant than it was already. Finding one, he slid the needle beneath her skin and pushed down on the plunger before pulling the needle free. He tossed the spent Med-X aside and rubbed his palm over the injection site several times to lessen the burn of the drug as it seeped into her bloodstream.
"It's nice," she whispered. "I don't feel much of anything now."
Hancock frowned and he injected himself with both stimpaks and Med-X until there wasn't a trace of pain or weakness left in him. Betty stood up, her eyes still on Kellogg before she stuffed the metal object from his skull into a pocket on her knapsack.
She took off her burned and tattered leathers with haste and her partner asked, "What are you doin'?"
"I want the Institute to see what I did to their 'great' mercenary when they look at me," she said as she pulled her shirt over her head, not caring that Hancock would see a fair amount of her bare flesh. She kicked off her boots and pulled off her pants before she did the same to Kellogg.
As much as Hancock longed to see more of Betty's pale skin, he knew this was no time for smooth talk or wandering eyes. Instead, he searched through the desks scattered about the room, looking for a clue or some sort of hint that pointed out where Shaun was kept hidden. Not one for computers or anything of the sort, he tapped a key on Kellogg's terminal and the screen lit up. He couldn't help but chuckle and he looked through the few files that were available and saw that Shaun was given to the Institute not long ago.
"What do you think?" Betty asked as she picked up her assault rifle from the floor.
He turned around and nodded his head, appreciating her idea of revenge. "They're gonna shit themselves when you show up at their door wearing their best man's clothes. Even the scar, holy shit. If I didn't know you, I wouldn't fuck with ya lookin' like that."
"No, they're going to shit themselves seeing us at their door. Here," she said as she handed Hancock Kellogg's .44 magnum. "I imagine this might be better than the one you have?"
"Hell yes, thanks, Birdie. I'll follow ya into Hell if I gotta. You sure know how to show a ghoul a good time."
"Thank you," she murmured into his chest as she hugged him.
It was bittersweet, to leave Fort Hagen without her boy, but Betty knew she would find him soon. Now, it was she who left no enemies alive but unlike Kellogg, she'd use her newfound skills to rid the world of dark hearts like the mercenary. With a partner like Hancock, who's heart was as big as his ego and the finesse to back it all up, Betty couldn't fall.