IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE: Ive worked pretty hard on making my original main character arguably unique to this point, so I am in the process of deviating from the vanilla default character name of Nora, in favor of my own characters personal name- So, hence forward she will be named Audrey Stryder. Sorry if this causes any confusion getting back into things.
State Of Decay- Book 2- Ch. 4
J. N. Petersen
Before the war, the Hotel Rexford was a beautiful, multi story elegant hotel frequented by the rich and famous, as well as Boston's own private elite for both business and pleasure. Now, the once grand establishment was but a sad shadow of its former glory- Like the Titanic itself, sitting broken in a sea of ruins- compacted, and stripped of its finery and grandeur as it lay, crushed among the remains of old Scollay square...
The glowing red Rexford sign still hanging above the sturdy oak double doors blinked erratically, and immitted a rather loud, annoying buzzing sound as they approached- Audrey let MacCready take the lead since he was familiar with the people here, making herself small as she kept close to his shadow, eyeing their surroundings with wide, curious eyes as they went inside.
Upon crossing the threshold, they were greeted by the sound of the receptionists nasal, condescending voice as she harped on a man standing near the check in counter- like them, he was smooth faced, wearing a pair of worn out, dirty denim overalls over a thin, sweat stained cotton shirt with long sleeves pushed up to his elbows.
"Fred, are you gonna hang out in the lobby all day again, or are you gonna go down stairs and do some work?" She complained shamelessly, causing him to balk.
"What?" He responded immediately, hazy blue eyes widening incredulously as he spoke. " -Being available to the customers is work, Claire! its not all about cooking chem's you know..."
Claire- a ghoul woman of what Audrey assumed was African American dissent, whose appearance seemed almost ageless to her untrained eyes- gave him a disgusted look, her thin upper lip curling at the sides as her hairless brow furrowed deeply above large, lashless black eyes.
"Its not all about sampling those chem's either, Fred!" She bit back bitterly. " Maybe if you spent less time using, you could focus and get something done for once!"
Fred- a tall, gangly Caucasian man in his middle years, looked utterly aghast, as if the idea was inconceivable to him- and she couldn't help but crack a small smile at the near comical reaction.
"Where's the fun in cookin' it if you aint using it?" He protested seriously, hating the idea. " C'mon, gimme a break! I'm the only reason people even come to this shithole anymore...Could ya gimme a smile, at least?"
Claire's eyes narrowed to blackened slits, and as she listened to his argument, she shook her head in disgust, loathing the low life with every fiber of her being.
"People come to see you because their chem addicts and bottom feeders! This place was a palace once- Now, it just has you...Think about that." She advised coldly, only to be blatantly ignored by the man as MacCready and Audrey approached- Turning around, Fred regarded them with hopeful eyes and a broad, yellow toothed smile of welcome.
"Awe maaaaan- someone new! You need some Jet, Chick? Home-brewed, Reasonable prices...?"
"No thanks, Fred- Peddle your poison to someone else." MacCready answered sternly, before Audrey even had time to reply- She gave him a dirty look, before engaging the man anyway, despite his protest.
"What other kinds of chems do you have on offer?" She asked curiously, in case he had anything else worth buying for her first aid stash.
"Well, we got some medicinal shit like your Rad-X and Rad Away for radiation sickness...Hey- do ya think thats why they call it Rad-X? hehe, Far out..." He rambled dopily, losing his train of thought as he went off on a mental tangent...MacCready and the fair vault dweller shared a quick look that questioned the mans faculties.
"...You were saying?" He prompted incredulously, patience wearing thin as exhaustion began to set in.
"Oh, Right! So then I got some Mentats- those are for the brainy types, ya know? Like Egg heads? And Buffouts for the muscle men...Just try it all, is what i say!" He suggested humorously, with blatant disregard for all health or safety- Audrey was familiar with the mental stimulant's and steroids- she was more interested in antibiotics and stimulation packs though, as she had little use for recreational drugs...
"Nah- sorry, not today. Im a little light on caps right now, and we need a room for the night..." As she spoke, both her and her companion looked passed the dealer, to the receptionist watching the scene quietly from her post behind the counter. cracking an almost frightening smile, the woman straightened as they made eye contact.
"Before you even start, lets get to the point- we do have rooms. One room, to be specific- payment due up front..."
"Sure." Audrey exclaimed nonchalantly, reaching into her pack for her cap sack. "Could you tell me a little bit about this hotel? I just love the architecture..." Unimpressed, the ghoul rolled her eyes exaggeratedly as her patron began to doll out the payment at a languid pace.
"Uhg, why do they always have questions?.." She complained rhetorically, before reluctantly obliging despite herself. "...The hotel Rexford used to be a grand establishment- we even had guests that didnt throw up all over the floor! But now...well, now people only come by looking for a place to nurse a hangover, shoot up chems, or cheat on their wives...Its owned by Mr. Marowski- You shouldhave seen this place back in his day...It was flowing with high end chems and beautiful people- and oh, the parties..."
"But not now?" The astute vault dweller asked curiously, raising a delicately arched brow. Claire gave her a withering look, face falling even further- if that was possible.
"...Now, he just broods in the back office and disgraces his parents memories- I swear, if they knew how far hes fallen, they'd die all over again!... uhg, no more, i have to stop before i get myself all worked up about it..."
"Thats unfortunate- i was hoping to learn more about this Mr. Marowski character..." Face screwing up incredulously, the ghoul gave her another sharp look.
"Why? hes worthless! The big-wigs caught him with his pants down, and now he just has this ratty hotel...thats the way Goodneighbor operates- how its always operated...The strong kick their way to the top, until someone stronger knocks them down..."
"Someone like Hancock?" Audrey asked audaciously, unable to help herself- earning a more than dry look from Claire in result...
"...Yes. Someone Like Hancock- Now, You gonna use this room, or not?"
Smirking, MacCready prodded his smart mouthed charge gently toward the staircase, giving Claire a polite nod in answer before the curious vault dweller could protest. "-Room's on the top floor. When you come to the hallway, it'll be the last door on your right..."
"Thank you!" He called over his shoulder quickly, herding her up the steps- Awkwardly avoiding his touch, Audrey shrugged away from him, taking the lead up the creaky stairwell that smelled of dust and moldy wallpaper whilst making sure to keep a safe, platonic distance between herself and her new male companion so he, nor anyone else could get the wrong idea of her.
"Hey- watch it!" A harsh, rough voice barked at her nasally as she rushed to the top, running straight into another unprepared guest in her haste to reach their room at the end of the adjacent hall. She barely had time to recover her balance before her victim spoke again, backing up to put a comfortable distance between them and better see her face- and as she looked up to meet his gaze and apologize profusely, she was shocked to find that even though no trace of his scarred, burnt visage was the same, she recognized the man immediately.
"W-Wha- no... it cant be!" He stammered before she could speak, taking the words right out of her mouth. " It's YOU! from sanctuary hills, right?" he asked in utter disbelief, reaching out to take hold of her shoulders roughly with two knarled, scarred hands- causing MacCready to take the offensive as he crested the stairs.
"Hey buddy- hands off!" He demanded firmly, discreetly flashing the rifle he had tucked inside his khaki duster as he closed the distance between them. The ghoul hesitated before releasing her from his grip, and once the shock of the moment had worn away, the surprised vault dweller could finally address him, eyeing his familiar yellow trench coat, and buckled fedora get up carefully- it had been over a lifetime since the pair had stood across from each other in her doorway, back in Sanctuary Hills-but somehow, it still felt like it was only yesterday to her...
" Its you...from Vault Tech..." She whispered breathlessly, feeling a strange sense of destiny as their paths crossed for the second time in over two hundred years.
"I AM vault tech..." He growled back at her, black eyes narrowing frightfully to demonic slits as he echoed the very words he had spoken at the gates two centuries prior- and it struck her then, how lucky Goodneighbor's mayor was to have such minor scarring- for as shocking as his appearance might have seemed before, his features were no where near as repulsive as the poor soul standing before her then...
"look at me..." He rasped, echoing her thoughts even as she thought them. "Twenty years of loyal service, and I wasnt on the list- but you...Two-hundred years and your still perfect...How? how is that possible!?" He demanded to know, shaking with barely suppressed rage as she shrank back against the wall in fear. Audrey looked away from him in shame, feeling her insides quiver at the ferocity with which he spoke- had he not known?
"You...you didnt know? they didnt tell you?" She asked, aghast- MacCready's brows furrowed deeply as he listened, struggling to make sense of what they were saying- There was no way the smooth skinned vault dweller was two hundred years old. She didnt look a day older than twenty five, for Atoms sake!
"Tell me what?" The ghoul asked bitterly, eyes raking slowly over every inch of her flawless, beautiful body, seemingly unmarked after two centuries of violence and destruction. "How did you make it through these last two centuries untouched?"
"T-the vault...It was some kind of Cryo-facility... They stuck us in these chambers and put us on ice- I only thawed out recently." She reviled carefully, looking up beneath her lashes meekly to watch his face, hoping to discern the truth of his involvement in the scheme that ultimately resulted in her husbands death, and the kidnapping of their only child, Shaun.
There was a moment of heavy silence as the ghoul absorbed her words, but she couldn't make heads or tails of the mans frightening facial features, as scarred and eroded as they were- similar to a cadaver, the skin and cartilage of his nose had completely rotted away, scarring over heavily in a grotesque manner as the marred flesh pulled tightly over the rest of his patchy, pink face. He had no lips left to speak of, the delicate flesh of his mouth having been chapped and worn away into a harsh, hard line over so many years of exposure and healing...
"What?...I had no idea." He claimed, sounding genuinely surprised to hear of his corporations folly. " Vault tech never told me...thats unbelievable!"
"Its true." She insisted sharply, knowing exactly how insane it all really sounded- beside her, MacCready scoffed, turning away from them abruptly as he began to pace the hallway, absorbing all he had heard and willing himself to stay silent for the rest of the tale as a million accusations and rationalizations ran through his mind.
"...Well, I had to get to the future the hard way- living through the filth, and the- the decay! And the bloodshed...look at me. Im a ghoul- a freak!" The ghoul sneered menacingly, fixing her with a look of such blatant envy and hatred, that it made her briefly fear for her safety.
"A-are there any other ghouls out there from... before?" She asked timidly, diverting quickly to another, less sensitive subject- chancing a sideways look toward her companion, she wondered if he would still back her up should the Ghoul become hostile- After all he had just heard, surely he thought she was either insane, or some kind of manipulative pathological liar...Neither seemed like a desirable perception.
"What, you mean like delusional kent down at the Den, or nothing-ever-bothers-me Daisey?" He scoffed derisively, looking unimpressed. " ...Theres a couple of us around, but no one from the neighborhood...no one from vault tech."
When he spoke of home, the desolation in his tone was so obvious, it formed a lump in Audrey's own throat as she too thought of old Sanctuary Hills, and how badly she missed it.
"I'm so sorry- I had no idea this was going to happen." She told him honestly, tears springing to her eyes despite her pride as she empathized with his plight. Averting his gaze, the Vault tech sales rep felt his own anger dissipate in the wake of her apology.
"...You know, your the only other person i've met that I knew... before...God- I've been so alone here! No common wealth settlement wants a Ghoul with two centuries of Vault Tech sales experience!" He lamented mournfully, bringing the startled woman up short.
"...Well, If you arnt getting along well here, where else could you go?" She questioned blandly, unsure of what to say, but desperate to keep the conversation light...
"Diamond city bigots dont allow Ghoul's inside, so its just here, or back at Sanctuary, talking to that crazy fucking robot of yours..."
As he spoke, a lightbulb went off inside her head- ignoring the obscene insult toward her beloved, though admittedly annoyingly optimistic robot butler, Audrey brightened as she remembered that Sanctuary was actually a perfect option for a Ghoul like him- He just didnt know it yet!
"You should go back to Sanctuary- It's run by the Minutemen now, and like Goodneighbor, everyone is welcome." She informed him matter of factly, feeling a sudden sense of hope that he would take her up on the offer. "Maybe Preston Garvey could put all that sales experience to good use?"
"What? Really?" He asked strangely, looking back up at her with wide, almost disbelieving eyes that tugged at her heart strings pitifully- he was like a kicked puppy after receiving an unexpected reward, she realized. "Do you really think so?"
"I do actually- And if you do decide to head back there, I'll come visit you next time I'm home- I promise." She declared fervently, gaze unwavering as she gave him her word. Looking back toward them sharply, the young merc rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, whispering beneath his breath.
"Oh brother..."
"Yeah?" The Sales Rep asked again, as if he couldnt believe what he was hearing. "You...You'd really do that? I'll think about it- T-thank You." He told her warmly, before reaching up almost hesitantly to give her an awkward, yet polite tip of his hat- a gesture of goodwill he hadnt used since the bombs dropped over two lifetimes ago.
Blushing shyly, Audrey bowed her head a bit, humoring him by dipping into a shallow curtsey for a fraction of a second before he made a hasty, stiff legged departure, leaving her alone once more in the hallway with MacCready.
"Well...This is our room..." He stated lamely after a few long moments had passed in silence, and she hadnt made a move toward the door. Squirming internally, Audrey eyed his posture and body language suspiciously before willing herself to move from her spot by the wall, to open the sturdy wood door to the room they had purchased.
"So...You probably think im nutt's, dont you?" She asked him self consciously, allowing herself to cross the threshold into their small, one bed room lit by a single, low watt light bulb hanging from the center of the high, flat ceiling- Thankfully, she noted there was a rather comfy looking sofa, pressed against the wall by the door for him to claim, should he decide to stay. The only other piece of furniture in the room seemed to be a rickety, unevenly built dresser of modest making.
Closing the door quietly behind them, MacCready shrugged casually, his even featured expression giving nothing of his true thoughts away as she watched him turn toward the couch to relieve himself of his gun, and shrug out of his travel worn Duster.
"...Or a liar- I know I would..." She continued to ramble awkwardly when he didnt answer. Stretching, the young merc heaved a long, exaggerated groan as he stretched his fit, limber form, before discarding his hat as well and flopping down on the dingy, thick cushioned couch.
"Honestly?" He told her then, stretching out and allowing himself to relax. "It doesnt really matter to me if you are crazy, telling the truth, or lying- If you are, you have your reasons, and thats not my Job. You paid me, and now I'm just along for the ride- Im not here to ask questions." He stated simply, rendering her momentarily speechless as she stood in the center of the dimly lit room.
"Well...Okay then." She amended unexpectedly, letting the subject go. "Goodnight, I guess..."
"Mmmhmm...Night." He responded sleepily, already almost out. Feeling a bit underwhelmed, Audrey turned toward her own bed- a full sized mattress without a box spring, tossed haphazardly upon a restored bedframe, wishing to all the world for a clean sheet or blanket to separate her body from the sweat stained threads of the bare mattress as she climbed on top of it reluctantly to retire at last.
Much to her relief, sleep came quick- and before she knew it, it would be time to wake once more.
. . .
. . .
The morning air was chilly, and a thick veil of fog still hung in the atmosphere as Audrey and Macready exited the hotel Rexford in the early hours of the morning. Having decided to infiltrate the warehouses quietly, one by one while the men inside still slept, the brazen vault dweller had awakened her paid companion while the moon still lit the sky, and After a short rundown of the objective at hand, they gathered what few belongings they each possessed on their person, and headed down stairs to check out.
Still tired, MacCready stretched out his heavy, cramped limbs from sleeping on the sofa, while Audrey retrieved and lit her last cigarette, starring down the street ahead of them curiously as she inhaled her first hit of nicotine for the day- A few yards head of them, in the center of a section of unbroken road, two men stood over a crumpled figure on the asphalt- and she didnt have to look twice to know it was a body. Quickly, she gave the merc a sharp look of warning, nodding silently ahead of them as he straightened- eyes following her gaze right away.
"I cant believe it- He looked just like Sammy too!..." They heard one of the men rasp mournfully to the other as they inspected their kill- The pair shared a quick, meaningful look before deciding to approach- whatever was going on, the men were wearing the signature, pressed white suit and fedora getups sported by Hancock's city watch, so it was unlikely they'd be attacked for asking questions...
"Sure as hell didnt act like 'em...Institute thinks they can replace people with Synths, in this town? They got another thing comin..." The other man replied confidently, shaking his head in defiance as he looked down at the corpse by his feet. His partner sighed, shifting his weight as his thoughts took an obviously discomforting turn.
"...what am i gonna tell his mother?" They heard him ask broodingly before both eyes looked up as they neared the active crime scene.
"Hey- Whats going on guys?" MacCready asked casually as he sauntered ahead of his charge protectively, keeping their focus on him as she trailed silently behind, listening.
"Huh- oh, hey Rob... Just your friendly neighborhood watch, shootin' down institute spies as they crop up..." The first man- a tall, smooth skinned guy with a freshly shaved face and soft brown eyes quipped sarcastically as he gestured toward the body- Audrey examined the scene quickly, eyes softening as she realized the victim couldnt have been more than twenty years old- He was tall, gangly, and blond, dressed in a faded pair of jeans and a plaid flannel over a simple thin, white cotton T-shirt that was now soaked red with blood from the bullet wound in his chest... His wide blue eyes starred sightlessly toward her as gore slicked the side of his face, resting against the cool pavement as it pooled around him.
"What happened here?" She asked gravely, unable to help herself as she recalled a similar scene in Diamond city, not so long ago...
"Well," The second man- another Ghoul- began explaining in his airy, graveled voice. "Pour Sammy got snatched up by the institute, then, those bastards sent this low rent double in his place- Its pathetic! He didnt last two days before everyone realized something was wrong with him...Then they made the call, and here we are- speaking of which, i gotta figure out where to dump this body, so why dont you two just get going?"
Sensing her hesitation, MacCready leaned in toward Audrey slowly, giving her a long, meaningful look that told her not to argue as he silently willed her to let it go- they had things to do, and time was wasting...
"...Alright- we're going." She complied reluctantly, giving the boy a quick, sympathetic look before forcing herself to look away and push it from her mind so that they could move forward- bitterly, she wondered if he might still be alive if Hancock hadnt given his speech the previous night...
"Hey!" The Ghoul called after them, before they could make it too far down the curving street. "You stay close to you and yours now- They start acting weird, and you get the gut feeling that theres something wrong...You know what to do." He warned gravely, giving them a long, stern look.
Maccready nodded with a straight face, before turning away again, using a long, strong arm to keep herding Audrey onward as she craned her neck to look backward- It didnt feel right to her, leaving the situation. Were they going to make sure he was really a Synth before dumping his body? If he wasnt a Synth, would their be repercussions for those who murdered him? If he was, would they just toss him out like garbage to rot? She didnt think she would toss Nick Valentine away to rot like that, should he expire...
...But than again, she kind of had, hadnt she?
. . .
. . .
It was well passed noon by the time the covert pair of mercenaries finished cleaning up the allegedly abandoned warehouses in Goodneighbor- and it would be several days before the smell from inside would become pungent enough to be noticed above the usual odor of sweat, trash and piss that permeated the chilly fall atmosphere in Scollay square, alerting the townsfolk of their nefarious deed- But, the dynamic duo didnt plan on waiting around that long before securing their pay...
"Alright- we cleaned house for Hancock, now its time to collect." The eager merc declared, rubbing his palms together greedily in anticipation as he plotted out his future expenditures. Audrey rolled her eyes, grinning despite herself as his excitement wore off on her- though, she knew she wouldnt be able to spend her earnings frivolously, like him.
"Shhh- No ones supposed to know who ordered the hit, or who carried it out!" She reminded him hastily, looking around them quickly for any prying eyes, or listening ears. Rolling his eyes exaggeratedly in response to her paranoia, MacCready chuckled, shaking his head at her.
"Please- No ones out to hear me. Besides, Everyone knows that nothing happens in Goodneighbor without Hancock either knowing, or having his hand in it somehow...He can pretend to be the innocent Politician all he wants, but he's not really fooling anybody- and he knows it too. Thats what makes the guy so badass." He informed her casually as they passed beneath the statehouse balcony, to enter the ancient, heavy subway doors to the Third Rail...Like last time, the sharply dressed bouncer- a stout old Ghoul by the name of Ham- checked them at the top of the stairs, giving MacCready a firm warning not to cause any trouble before stepping aside to allow them through...
As they descended, she thought about his words, applying them to her growing mental profile of the Mayor of Goodneighbor as she listened to the sound of various voices bubbling up the stairwell from the lounge below over the rhythmic hissing of the snare- she could already smell the heady scent of cigar smoke and beer, inhaling it deeply moments before they even touched down on the dirt stained landing platform of Charlie's Third Rail.
"I got lips, ruby and sweet...
I got hips that cant be beat...
I got eyes, that are lookin for love- and I just need a man thats
man enough..."
"Alright, let me handle things here..." Her companion insisted confidently as he lead the way toward the bar- Like last time, Magnolia was center stage, and all eyes were on her as she snapped and swayed to another original, Jazzy beat.
"I got arms to hold you tight...
I got charms to keep you with me at night...
I got all that you could ever want- And i just need a man whose
man enough..."
"-Aye Whitey! how's it goin'?" He addressed the bot conversationally over the sound of the music. Whitechapel Charlie hovered still in his place behind the bar, somehow managing to look severely unimpressed as he scanned Macready's tired, disheveled appearance briefly, before turning his attention toward Audrey behind him.
"Out of the way MacCready- me and the lady have a bit of business to discuss." He told the young merc flippantly, rendering him momentarily speechless- and she couldnt help the smirk that twisted the sides of her shapely lips as she watched him deflate, before stepping aside dejectedly to allow her forward with a sour expression.
"Dont need another casual lover
Walkin out the door in the mornin light
I wanna man that can stand on his own
Instead of lookin for another lover every night..."
"So- I heard some exterminator went and cleaned out all the rats in the old warehouses...wouldnt happen to know anything about that now, would you?" The crafty bot asked cryptically, causing her to blush pridefully despite herself as her smirk broadened to a grin and she averted her gaze subconsciously- Feeling a perverse bout of dupers delight as she participated in the misleading double entandre.
"Just doing my job..." She replied bashfully, causing him to chuckle warmly, the same way he did for Magnolia during their interactions.
"Always nice doing business with a professional- Here..." He said, sliding a neatly tied whiskey pouch full of what she assumed to be bottle caps toward her discretely. "Our mutual friend appreciates your service..."
"If you got style, and you know how to please
and a smile that makes me weak in the knees
if your a guy who is gentle and tough- than you might be the man whose
man enough..."
"Does he?" She asked strangely, brows furrowing as she remembered what her new companion had said about the mayors involvement in his settlements affairs... "How could he know, when we've only just finished?" As she spoke, MacCready gave her sleeve a gentle tug, and as she turned away, Charlie answered her question cryptically, in a way that sounded as much like a threat as it did a warning...
"Nothing happens in Goodneighbor, without Hancock knowin'..."
Jerking his scruffy chin in the direction behind them, MacCready prompted her to look toward the leather sectional sofa lining the wall left of stage, where- To her surprise- the mayor himself sat casually, studying her with watchful black eyes as he puffed a cigarette contentedly, surrounded by his goons...As they made eye contact, he gave her a lazy grin, raising a shot glass full of a warm, honey gold liquid in her direction- a toast to her- before consuming the liquor indulgently. On his right hand sat the ever present red head- Farenheight- who glared suspiciously in their direction as she watched beside him with crossed arms, and legs...
"See- I told you..." The young merc gloated quietly beside her, looking mildly alarmed, if not a little irritated- because he knew what Hancock was demonstrating, being there when they came to collect their pay...He was telling them that he knew- without a doubt- who, and what was happening in his town, at all times. An obvious show of power...
"I dont need another casual lover
walkin out the door in the mornin light
i want a man, who can stand on his own
without lookin for another lover every night...
if you got style that cant be beat
and you got a smile that makes me weak in the knees
if your a guy, who is gentle and tough- than you might be the man whose
man enough- oh
You might be the man...whose man enough!"
Smoothly, Charlie slid a shot of the same golden liquid toward her, before hovering away wordlessly to begin polishing glasses at the other end of the bar- and she starred at it thoughtfully for several moments as the song came to an end before finally allowing herself to toss it back as hancock watched from across the floor...
"That was for a special member in the audience tonight...You know who you are." Magnolia crooned seductively into the microphone, gaining the mayors attention once more as she gave him a flirtatious wink from her spot on stage...
Making direct eye contact, Hancock's features turned almost gloating, and he gave her a lazy grin, reaching forward to ash his cigarette on the shallow, rectangular coffee table in front of him as Magnolia danced off stage to claim the unoccupied spot to his left- much to Audrey's surprise. As he leaned in to whisper compliments in her ear, brushing aside the loose strands of curling black hair that escaped her high, elegant bun, She watched the redhead to his right's face carefully, trying to discern her reaction to the raven haired beauty as her charge casually extended an arm to rest around Magnolia's shoulders while she melted into him affectionately- if she was jealous, or angered by the open display of intimacy, she sure didnt show it...
MacCready scoffed as he followed the vault dwellers watchful grey gaze toward the entourage in the corner, expressing his envy of the Ghouls apparent luck with the ladies.
"Uhg, whats with chicks and Hancock? You'd think going Ghoul would have done a number on the guys sex life- but women still throw themselves at him left and right!.."
"Women are suckers for a man in uniform..." She informed him listlessly, rolling her eyes a little as she gave him a soft, coy smile. "Besides, he doesnt look so bad after seeing...well, what a Ghoul could look like..." Soberly, they both recalled their encounter with the Vault tech sales rep the night before, shuddering at the memory...
"Yeah, I'll be the first to admit, Both him and Daisy over at the general goods store really lucked out in the looks department- Creepy eyes, dont get me wrong- but less scarring than alot of the other Ghouls ive met...He even got to keep his nose!" He stated incredulously, as if it were unheard of- which it might have been, for all she knew...
"Yeah, I wondered about that..." Daisies skin could pass for almost unblemished with a little bit of makeup- But after over two centuries of exposure to radiation and the elements, the skin and cartilage around her nose had been worn away to the bone- yet Hancock's nose remained fully intact, if not minimally scarred over...How?
Considering Audrey's pretty, ponderous expression bitterly, the young merc felt another queer rush of jealousy toward the Ghoul, deciding vainly to change the subject to something that pertained to him, instead.
"So- You impressed yet?" He asked precociously. "I told you i'm a damn good shot..."
Blinking, Audrey considered him carefully as her brain switched gears, caught off guard by the sudden change in subject.
"...Actually, I am- I dont think i could have pulled it off without you today." She told him honestly, whilst giving him the verbal pat on the back he was looking for.
"I thought you might feel that way... I'm completely self taught you know. Picked up a sniper rifle when i was ten years old, and never looked back- I always thought it was smarter to hit my targets at long range- i mean, why take chances, right? I had to come up with every trick in the book to survive in the Capital Wasteland..."
"I'm sure your parents were thrilled about your uh, hobby...What were you doing in the Capital?" She asked seriously, brows furrowing at the prospect of a ten year old handling a dangerous weapon.
"I grew up there- Never knew my parents." He told her matter of factly, without any hint of sadness or ire- as if it made no difference to him either way. Sadly, she supposed that must have been the reality for most kids, growing up those days...
"I...I cant imagine how difficult that had to be for you." She told him sympathetically, thinking of her own son and how he had to have felt growing up without her for the last ten or so years- for he had been at least that age, when she had glimpsed him in Conrad Kelloggs memories not so long ago...And he had looked so much like Nate.
"Hey- At least i wasnt alone." He amended fairly, not wanting to be pitied. " I lived underground in a place called Little Lamplight, with a bunch of other kids- left when i was about sixteen. They kind of had a policy there- No adults. When you were sixteen you just packed up and left...I know it sounds crazy, but having adults around was just something we couldnt trust."
Shaking her head, Audrey looked almost sick as she imagined Shaun, growing up with alone with a bunch of other kids in some hole in the ground...
"How could a bunch of kids survive without any adults around to help?"
"Everyone pulled their own weight, just like a colony youd find anywhere." He answered simply, shrugging it off like it was no big deal. " We had our designated jobs and we watched each others backs- And would you believe i was actually the mayor for a while? Me- crazy, i know..." smiling ironically at his humble form of bragging, she giggled at the self depreciating joke.
"Pretty brave, how you guys all pulled together like that."
"I dont know," He responded reflectively, eyes growing far away as he averted his gaze, remembering a time not so long ago for him. "Looking back on it now, ive started to wonder if maybe we werent all just lucky... Anyway, when I hit sixteen I hit the road and ended up wandering the Capital Wasteland for a while- Took an odd job here and there, but things were still pretty hot with the Brotherhood Of Steel running the show, so i hitched a ride with a caravan and made my way north until I landed here- managed to make a decent name for myself too, before I heard the Gunners needed some sharp-shooters...Biggest mistake of my life; They were animals...Killed anything that moved if it got in their way. I ran with them for a while because the pay was good, but i dont know- I guess it just started to catch up with me so...I left, and here we are! so there you have it- my whole life in a nuttshell..." He joked awkwardly, feeling self conscious now that- almost- everything was out in the open.
"Damn MacCready- That was one hell of a story. You've certainly had quite the upbringing!" Audrey exclaimed in a complimentary fashion that somehow managed to make him feel patronized rather than validated.
"Hell of a story or not- I just thought that maybe you deserved to know who you were traveling with..." He informed her defensively, cheeks burning as he internally regretted reviling so much of himself at once.
"I appreciate you sharing that with me MacCready- really. The road...Well, the road can be a lonely place, without someone to share it with." She told him again honestly, casting her gaze downward solemnly as she recalled the ever present, aching, gaping hole Nate had left in her heart when he had passed away...It really was good to have a distraction, and she found she was grateful for his company over all...
Sensing her shift in mood, the young merc wondered vaguely about the ludacris encounter he had witnessed between his new employer, and the brooding Vault Sales Ghoul- It had been completely unexpected, and her story had been too outlandish to have been made up at the drop of a hat...Maybe now that they were better acquainted, he would eventually learn more about the mysterious vault dweller, and her true business in the common wealth...
Prompted by the music, Audrey looked back up to see Magnolia take her place once more in the spotlight, just as Hancock rose from his seat, causing the rest of his entourage of sharply dressed triggermen to stand at attention as well. Quickly, they made sure they had all they had come with, before quietly and politely making their way back toward the VIP room, where a private stairwell would lead them back up to the statehouse above...
"How does one go about arranging a meeting with a guy like that?" Audrey asked her companion absently as she watched the mayors tall, broad shouldered figure retreat through the doorframe and hang a sharp right out of sight.
"You dont- If you hadnt noticed, the guys got his hands in everything that goes on around here, both behind the scenes and center stage. He's on the go from dawn till dusk- and then some..."
"Thats absurd- He's the mayor! He has time to lounge in his bar, yet he cant be bothered to speak with his own citizens?" She chastised indignantly, face flushing as she grew hot under the collar- hushing her quickly, MacCready looked around quickly to make sure they hadnt drawn any attention, not quite able to help the slight smirk that twisted his lips when he looked back at her, pleased by her reaction.
"Thing about guys like that- For every person that loves him, there's gonna be at least one that would love to see him dead...Thats why hes surrounded at all times by that gang of thugs he calls guards- and that redhead. But, even that wouldnt be enough to keep him safe, if someone was really determined... Better to keep the public at arms length. No, if you wanna talk to Hancock, you need to be invited in- and to be invited in, your gonna have to really get his attention..."
"We just murdered like, thirty people for the guy!" Audrey hissed at him incredulously.
"Shhhhh!" He reminded her again sharply, giving her an exasperated look as he looked around them nervously once more. " Part of the deal was that nobody knows who did the job, or who ordered it, remember? If your gonna do this merc stuff, your gonna have to learn how to play by the rules..."
"I'm not a mercenary! I dont kill innocent civilians..." She insisted bitterly in hushed tones, face screwing up as the ghost of Conrad Kellogg resurfaced in her minds eye, smirking at her before morphing into mirror image of herself, wearing the same jaded, twisted expression...
"Sure- Whatever you gotta tell yourself to sleep at night." MacCready responded dryly, shrugging off the unintended insult gallantly. "Either way, keep your mouth shut if you want people to take you seriously here, and not put a bullet in your back."
"hmph...See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil- who would have predicted id be living my life by gang land rules after so many years of being a proponent of justice?" She complained reflectively in response, appreciating the grand irony of the situation...
"...Who ever thought I would have partnered with you for half my usual fee?"
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