state of decay ch ? northy bound

"What a pansy..." MacCready exclaimed disparagingly as he observed the activity surrounding prospect hill through a pair of heavy duty binoculars in the early morning light- no walls surrounded the once active park at the top of the hill- Instead, barricades had been erected at all but one of the roadways and alley's leading into the debris strewn block, closing it off from the rest if the surrounding city.

After scouting the area carefully in the pre dawn hours, the pair had been lucky to find a forgotten stairwell leading to the top of a half toppled office building that once functioned as a fire escape, allowing them to survey the opposition within. Below, Northy was nowhere to be seen, having holed himself up with his remaining ragtag group of raiders in one of the surrounding buildings. Outside, white suited triggermen patrolled the block, armed to the teeth with various automatic weapons ranging from light weight pipe pistols to heavy, manufactured machine guns- no doubt hired out of Park Street Station to swell his own ranks, and protect him not only against the shroud, but the very likely wrath of Sinjin for desertion...

Counting twenty or so triggermen, Audrey began to doubt their chances of success- there was no way they could take on so many men. Not directly anyway.

"The odds arnt in our favor." She noted out loud, causing MacCready to shrug.

"When are they ever?" He asked pointedly, not seeming to share her concern. "At least here we have some hope." Raising a questioning brow, Audrey sniffed.

"How so?"

lowering his binoculars, the young merc turned his head in her direction and gave her a lazy grin- they were both laying on their bellies at the edge of the rooftop, to avoid being spotted by the patrolling thugs.

"If i know one thing, its mercenaries- and that's all these gang bangers are, really- All we have to do is buy em off, and they'll turn right around and do our work for us."

brows raising, Audrey blinked at her young partner in surprise- the thought had never even occurred to her.

"Damn MacCready, I'm impressed." She admitted approvingly, causing him to look away as a light blush tinged his cheeks. "But how do you propose we go about contacting them, without them opening fire and alerting whatever men remain under Northy's command?"

"Easy- I doubt these guys are very eager to take on Sinjin when he comes around- all we gotta do is sneak in, and post a letter in an obvious place with our terms. If they lay down their weapons, the shroud will grant them amnesty and allow them to return home, and if they fight with us we'll double whatever this coward is paying them- Northy wont even see it coming..."

"double?!" She hissed incredulously, taken aback. " We dont even know what they were offered, and i doubt we have enough caps to pay twenty men ourselves!"

Rolling his eyes exaggeratedly, MacCready scoffed at her misgivings.

"No, probably not- that's why, when the job is done, we pay them half and make Hancock pony up the remainder. He benefits from our success here as well, after all..."

" And if he refuses?" The doubtful vault dweller shot back stubbornly.

"If we show up at his door with twenty heavily armed goons, there's no way he will refuse- if he does, he'll have a fight on his hands, and he cant afford to lose any men with the threat of war against Sinjin looming on the horizon."

Thoughtfully, Audrey considered the plan, admitting internally that he was probably right- not to mention that the idea of putting Hancock in proverbial check tickled her immensely. She was still salty about his underhanded tactics, and way of forcing her to do his bidding...

"...Devious." She observed, complimenting him amiably. "I like it...Well then, I'll let you take the lead on this one. Lets get to work."

. . .

. . .

A quick, quiet search of the debris below yielded a pencil and several pieces of paper, with which Audrey carefully wrote out the details of MacCready's suggested demands- As planned, they would offer to double whatever Northy was paying each man to fight, and grant those who would stand down leave to return home safely. If the terms were accepted, the men who fought would be expected to dispatch Northy's own men, and bring the man himself alive to the shroud to face justice at the top of Prospect Hill.

When the notes were finished, MacCready snuck down, tacking a copy to three of the barricades surrounding the block before returning to their hiding spot- after that, it was the waiting game as they listened for signs of commotion below.

Two hours passed with no signs of alarm before they heard the welcome sounds of gunfire as the Triggermen met their demands, and advanced on the opposition.

"Alright, C'mon- its time to get to the top of the hill. It shouldn't be too much longer before the job is done."

Nodding, Audrey took a deep breath to steady her nerves, and followed him down to the streets below, letting her lead him up the park steps to take their place at the top of the shallow hill...Once they were in place, she forced herself to stand tall and straight, belaying any appearance of fear or uncertainty. Not long after, the nearby sounds of battle ceased, and a procession of blood spattered triggermen began to climb the hill, dragging a kicking and screaming Northy in tow.

Meeting her at the top, the man at the front- a tall, stout Ghoul whose once pristine white suit was now speckled with gore- met her professionally, giving her a long, deliberating once over before holding up one of their notes.

"Its done." He announced in a gruff, rasping voice, his expression not betraying whatever thoughts might be running through his mind as he appraised the Silver Shroud, and her young cohort. " We brought the coward- now where's the money."

Reaching into her coat slowly, so as not to spook him, Audrey pulled out a fat pouch of caps.

"Here is 2600 caps- the rest is in Goodneighbor. Once Justice is dispensed, I would invite you to accompany us to retrieve the remainder of your payment from the mayor."

Brows furrowing, the ghoul deliberated, before jerking his head to the side and spitting out a glob of phlegm, grunting.

"Shoulda known Hancock would have a hand in this..." He stated blandly. "Fine- he's all yours."

stepping aside, he allowed two of his men to come forward, dragging the terrified raider captain forward with them- he struggled and pleaded pathetically, screaming at them to let him go.

"No- God no, please!" he begged hopelessly, face turning white when he saw Audrey in her black trench coat and fedora. " Your not real- no! I don't wanna die!"

Audrey pursed her lips, pity tugging at her conscience as she starred at him through the lenses of her tinted sunglasses. A knot of unease formed in her belly, and for a moment her resolve wavered- sensing her discomfort, MacCready leaned toward her and murmured in her ear.

"C'mon Audrey, you gotta do it." He insisted softly. "If you don't, they wont respect you and the shroud will lose its influence..."

Taking a deep breath, she nodded an affirmative, before pulling out Kellogg's silver magnum revolver and placing it at Northy's sweaty brow. Without further hesitation, she pulled the trigger, and Northy was no more.

Immediately, the men restraining him dropped the body to the grass, and Audrey reached into her other pocket to pull out one of the remaining calling cards. She showed it to them pointedly, before tossing it to the ground with an air of carelessness.

The Ghoulish triggerman leading the group looked down at the scene of carnage, seeming to chew on his thoughts for a long moment before returning his stoic black gaze to her, and giving another curt not of approval. Feeling numb, Audrey reached out, offering him the fat sack of caps.

"Well," He growled finally. "That's that- jobs done. Lets move out, I wanna be home by dark."

. . .

. . .

Audrey's stomach tightened and flipped uncomfortably as they neared the walls of Goodneighbor, anxiety rising with every step. Behind her, the company of sharply dressed Triggermen she had purchased followed at a languid pace, carrying their weapons at the ready as their trained eyes scanned the surrounding ruins for any hint of danger. By now, she was sure Hancock had already gotten word of their approach- after all, a group their size couldn't move unnoticed through the debris strewn alleys and streets.

Demarcus- the stern, suited Ghoul who spoke for the thugs- and MacCready flanked her on either side as she lead the way, and when at last the buzzing neon sign above the blue metal door was in sight, the apprehensive vault dwellers eyes swept around curving roadway, unsurprised to find two armed guards at the top of the wall, aiming automatic rifles at her unannounced party.

"Hey boss- you might wanna come see this..." The man on the far left called down from his post. Moments later, the Mayor joined him at the top of the guard tower, before peering down at her with an expression that morphed quickly from confusion to shock as he beheld her sizable force.

"Shroud." Hancock exclaimed indifferently, fixing her under an accusing stare. "To what do i owe the pleasure of your...company?" lips pursing, Audrey removed her sunglasses, and returned his gaze unwaveringly as she prepared to answer.

"As promised, Smiling Kate and Northy are dead, and behind me stand the proponents of Justice, who have come seeking compensation for their service...I personally have paid 2600 caps for their bravery- and ask only that you match my sacrifice, so these fine men can return to their homes."

Jaw setting, the ghoulish mayors black eyes narrowed dangerously down to where she stood as he seemed to chew on her words- boldly, she had made their affiliation public, effectively cornering him between a rock and a hard place. If he refused her request, their altercation would most likely come to blood, and whatever stragglers managed to escape would be all too happy to talk- before long, Sinjin would be making moves to retaliate...

"I see..." He clucked almost humorously, thoughts racing a mile a minute as he eyed the assembly below- somehow he had to find a solution- a way to mitigate his losses and turn his misfortune into an opportunity. "Fahrenheit- open the gate." He instructed his body guard firmly, without looking. There was a brief pause as the adolescent redhead hesitated before obeying, moving to unbar and open the heavy metal door. Once Goodneighbor was no longer cut off to them, Hancock made a gesture of welcome, waving a open hand toward the threshold with a smile that was anything but inviting.

Beside her, MacCready gave her a subtle shove, silently pressing her onward. Swallowing hard, Audrey nodded, stealing herself before taking the first steps forward, leading her entourage onto the cobbles of old Scollay Square- inside, she was shocked to see signs of a recent struggle in the market. shards of dark brown glass were scattered across the cobbles and pavers, and here and there the ground drank in spots and spatters of bright red blood.

what had happened while she was away?

As the men crowded the area, Hancock's watchmen formed a line in front of the statehouse, cutting them off from the narrow alley way that lead to the downtown strip, weapons at the ready. As he descended the short wooden guard tower, he fixed the audacious vault dweller with a scathing stare full of meaning, only looking away when he came to a stop just before her. Swallowing hard, Audrey realized that once their business here was concluded, she would be in for quite the scolding...

Deliberately, the mayor turned his gaze to the machine gun touting thugs behind her to scrutinize the men, and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"Roscoe...Go get the caps." He ordered after a long minute, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and popping one casually between his lips. She could see the wheels in his head turning behind the unfathomable black depths of his eyes, and curiosity replaced her former sense of worry as Roscoe turned on his heel to do his masters bidding. "which one of you fine gentlemen is in charge?" He asked then, lighting his cigarette and exhaling a puff of smoke into the crisp late afternoon air as he addressed them at last.

Confidently, Demarcus stepped forward.

"That'd be me." He declared, his ravaged face stoic as ever- if he was intimidated by the mayors display of power, he showed no outward signs. Moving aside, MacCready grabbed Audrey's wrist, pulling her wordlessly away from the group incase a scuffle should break out. Hancock nodded slowly, looking the man up and down with a sense of silent approval.

"Got a name, Ghoul?" He asked wryly, taking another drag off his smoke.

"Demarcus." The other man answered tersely, eyes hardening at the use of the word "ghoul".

"Demarcus... You look like a smart man- dare i say even an ambitious man? what would you say if i offered you a Job?"

"I would say it depends." Demarcus retorted after a moment of consideration, taken aback by the offer. "What would the job entail?"

"Nothing too extraneous- There's a few spots I need filled inside my operation. I need men to oversee and take part in the manufacturing of arms and ammunition, and to beef up security both inside the district walls, as well as along specific trade routes between here and bunker hill."

Nodding absently, the sharply dressed ghoul considered.

"...What's in it for us?"

"Only what every man wants- all the caps needed to indulge whatever lifestyle you desire...And my own hospitality of corse. Goodneighbor has a number of amenities for you and your men to enjoy, should you choose to accept."

Demarcus's eyes narrowed skeptically as he weighed the mayors words- Undisputedly, John Hancock was one of the commonwealths most prominent names, and you dont get that way by making empty deals and threats- but he also knew the mans reputation for shady practice...

"And the catch?" He allowed himself to ask after a brief pause. Exhaling another puff of smoke, Hancock gave the other Ghoul a slow, lazy smile.

"No catch- just the promise of your loyalty, and silence concerning the internal and political affairs surrounding Goodneighbor..." Audrey blinked as comprehension dawned on her- this was his way of restoring the upper hand. If he allied the men with his cause, then it would both buy their silence concerning his involvement in the hits against Sinjin's crew, and provide him with much needed men to defend Goodneighbor and its economy.

Clever.

"Sounds fair enough...When we receive the remainder of our payment, I'll be happy to consult my men."

Hancock nodded a quick acknowledgment, appearing confident.

"Wonderful! Afterward, I'd be happy to have you and your men join us at the Third Rail, to celebrate your victory against Sinjins men." Just then, Roscoe emerged from the statehouse, a bulging pouch in hand. He gave the group of men a quick, distrustful glance, before meeting the mayors unworried gaze and handing him the caps. Promptly, the crafty statesman turned, and offered Demarcus the pouch.

"I have enjoyed- and look forward to doing business with you." He told the other man then, before turning to face Roscoe once more. "Roscoe, please escort the widow Stryder and her associate to the parlor inside- and keep them there. I'll join you once an agreement is reached."

"Yes sir." Roscoe responded dutifully, snapping his fingers and pointing at a broader man with similar facial features before gesturing wordlessly to where she and MacCready stood to the side of the crowd. Without question, the other man moved in to push MacCready toward the Statehouse door, and likewise, Roscoe positioned himself behind her to herd her along.

"Hey- get your hands off of me!" MacCready protested loudly, shrugging the other man off as he walked. Ahead of him, Audrey entered the building without complaint, lips pursed as she tried to plot out her next move- If the mayor could manage to broker an agreement with Demarcus and his band of rough and tough triggermen, she was fairly confident he would let them off the hook with naught but a slap on the hand, but if they refused his offer...After the fighting, she may end up paying Hancock back with her own life.

. . .

. . .

In the parlor on the right hand side of the ground floor of the old building, Audrey sat still and straight in one of the worn leather couches in the center of the room while MacCready paced impatiently back and forth behind her- If the floor had been carpeted, he would have worn a path into it as the minutes ticked by...

Finally- mercifully- after an hour of waiting, Hancock broke the suspense by at last joining them in the dusty, silent room, not bothering to close the door behind him.

"So- it would appear as if you two really know how to hold your own...I gotta admit- i had my doubts." He informed them casually as he strode toward the dry bar in the back corner, wasting no time in opening the drawer to retrieve three shot glasses and a bottle of scotch- At once, Audrey breathed a deep sigh of relief, sensing things outside had gone well.

"...oh yeah? What kind of doubts?" MacCready asked indignantly, hazel brown eyes narrowing accusingly at the mayor. He hadn't appreciated being detained like some common law breaker...

"Are you kidding? The day she got here, it looked like she had just stumbled out of the vault- I thought for sure Id find her dead in the gutter, or gone before sun up...As for you, with your attitude- well, lets just say im surprised you made it this far without losing your teeth." He told the younger man seriously as he stepped toward him, handing him one of the amber colored shots.

Insulted, merc scoffed, shooting his charge a look of annoyance that she empathized with- though sometimes, she had to admit she agreed with Hancock's assessment. Robert MacCready was a different breed of man, and she herself was still getting used to his obtuse demeanor...

"Gee, thanks- your confidence is inspiring..." Audrey told the mayor dryly, causing him to grin as he turned to hand her her own glass.

"Sorry, it's just strange for me- this whole Silver Shroud thing..." He admitted, looking apologetic as he explained. " These days, it real rare to find someone who will fight back- Someone who's not willing to take things the way there handed to them...Too many good folks out there not willing to get their hands dirty, and too many assholes taking advantage of it..."

Thoughtful, Audrey considered his words, watching carefully as he tossed back his shot of scotch, before she lifted her own to take a sip- there was something about the almost reflective tone in which he spoke that piqued her interest, and she couldn't help prying further.

"...What do you mean?" She asked hopefully, as the burning amber liquid warmed her throat and tickled her tongue- Beside her, MacCready sighed impatiently, downing his own drink before reaching into the pocket of his torn duster to pull out his nearly depleted pack of cigarettes. After lighting up, he rudely exhaled an exaggeratedly large cloud of smoke in their direction, earning a sour look from the mayor.

"Well," The Ghoulish statesman responded willingly, ignoring the young mercs petulant behavior. " Take what happened to Diamond city for example- It used to be a half decent place to live before McDonough took over- a little stricter than i usually go for, but not terrible...It's funny, I thought he and i had a pretty decent childhood growing up, but then he decides hes gonna try to get elected with this anti ghoul crusade 'mankind for McDonough'. Before you know it, he's got families with kids lining up to drag folks they called neighbor out of their homes and into the ruins- Unfortunately, there were no costumed hero's around then to save them."

Surprised at the mention of Diamond Cities up tight mayor, Audrey started, interest piqued.

"Wait- you and McDonough knew each other as kids?" She asked, shocked by the revelation.

Thin brows furrowing above his intense, inky black orbs, Hancock regarded her with subdued appreciation, enjoying the obvious interest she was paying him before rewarding her with an explanation.

"Oh yeah, the guys my brother- We grew up together in a little shack on the waterfront. He was a standard big brother. Entitled. Punchy- liked to shove rotten tatoe's down my shirt and slap my back...But still, i never thought he would be capable of something like what they did to those ghouls..." Curious as to how she would react, he watched the young woman standing before him carefully as she chewed on the new information, adding it to the growing list of what little she knew about him- and though he couldn't be sure, he thought she looked strangely... dissatisfied.

Once more, she lifted her green, grey eyes to study the scarred, angular planes of his face, trying to discern any similarities in the two men's features. To her disappointment, she couldn't- His face was too gaunt, and too scarred, whereas McDonough's was smooth, with a healthy layering of fat to cover its underlying musculature.

"I never would have guessed..." She admitted then, shaking her head in wonder. "Why did he campaign against the ghouls?"

Chapped lips hardening into a thin, wry line, Hancock shrugged as Audrey subconsciously stepped closer to him, eager to know more about the past that had turned John McDonough, into the ghoulish Statesman who now stood before her.

"Because he thought he could win?" Hancock guessed easily. " There had always been a pretty clear divide between those living in the stands, and those down on the field- Personally, I'm not convinced they didnt do it just to improve their view..."

As he spoke, Audrey reflected on all the violence she had witnessed during her travels through the commonwealth, shaking her head solemnly in response- Anywhere else, she wouldn't have been surprised if the ghouls had been lined up and dispatched execution style on the side of the street. To her, simply expelling them from the city seemed almost...merciful.

"...of all the things I've seen since leaving the vault, it seems to me that things could have gone worse- At least they left with their lives." She pointed gently, as if to comfort him. Obviously disagreeing, the Ghoulish Statesman shot her a black look, wrinkling his scarred nose as his lips curled into a sneer.

"Oh sure, nobody got beheaded- at first- but how long do you think those folks lasted out there in the ruins? A week? Two?" He inquired bitterly, surprising her with his ire. "The city condemned those ghouls to die- cowards just got someone else to pull the trigger..." At the conclusion of his sentence, the mayor turned back toward the corner to pour himself another drink, downing the glass as soon as it was poured before refilling it again.

Embarrassed by her own insensitivity, Audrey averted her gaze in shame, eyeing her own unfinished drink in her hands- without MacCready, or help from characters like Piper Wright and Nick Valentine, she herself wouldn't have lasted even a few days in the wastes...

"Thats...that's awful." She amended sympathetically, hoping to appease him. Nodding absently at her words, the mayors fathomless black orbs seemed to grow far away as he turned back to her, remembering a time long ago, when his skin was as smooth as hers...

"...I remember storming into his office above the stands after the inauguration speech- He was just standing there, starring out the window, watching as the city turned on the ghouls. He didn't even look at me- just said, 'I did it john...Its finally mine.' I should have killed him right there, but i don't think it would have changed anything. Instead, i pleaded with him- begged him to call it off...he said he couldn't- That he had nothing against the ghouls, but that he was just carrying out the will of the people- and he couldn't betray the voters. Then he smiled- this hideous mile fucking long smile...He never smiled like that when we were kids. I didn't even recognize him."

"...what do you mean, you didn't recognize him?" MacCready asked then, his own curiosity piqued despite himself. Shooting the young merc a quick look, Hancock's lips quirked into a sad, halfhearted smile as he shook his head.

"I don't know- just didn't seem like the guy i grew up with... When i had first heard the rumors that he had been swapped for a synth, thinking back on that night i thought it made a lot of sense..." He answered bleakly, before looking away from them to peer pensively out the parlors only open window.

"And now?" Audrey dared to ask- and for the first time since she had met him, the mayor of Goodneighbor seemed unsure. there was an odd set to his brows as they furrowed over wide, black eyes, and the way his jaw set made him appear almost vulnerable.

"...I don't know- i don't think i buy it... I've seen him since then, and there's no way they copied him that perfectly- He's even still got his tight ass walk. At the time though, i just needed to get the hell away from him...Him, and that whole damn city. I still wasn't a Ghoul at this point, so i didn't have to leave, but i couldn't bring myself to stay in that cesspool after that."

After a few moments of silence passed, Audrey took another sip from her glass.

"...Where...Where did you go? What did you do after...all that?"

looking back toward her with a brooding expression, Hancock heaved a long sigh of his own before replying.

"Well, i had been sneaking off to Goodneighbor to get decent chem's for years, so i knew all the safe routes- After leaving i managed to track down a couple of the families and lead them here- but most couldn't get used to the Goodneighbor life style..." Frustrated, he scoffed at the notion before continuing. "I brought them food for a couple of weeks, but after a while they just disappeared- As far as im concerned, folks in Daimond city signed their death warrants, and all the good people were just willing to sit by and watch..."

In an attempt to shake off the ghosts of his past, Hancock took a deep breath and once more emptied his shot glass- The thin, tired skin beneath his eyes seemed to redden as she watched, and with muted amusement she realized he was becoming quite buzzed.

"I...I felt like i was the only one there who saw how truly screwed up things were- who couldn't just pretend that things were fine- I still feel that way...or i did, at least until i met you. I know i run my mouth and all that- maybe come off a little harsh- but, having someone else around who see's the world how it is, and isn't afraid to do something about it...well, it means something to me. Goodneighbor is damn lucky to have someone like you around."

A blush rising to tinge her cheeks pink, Audrey looked away from the intensity of his gaze then, unsure of what to say next- before the war, she had dedicated her life to the pursuit of justice- and since Nate's death over a month prior, avenging his murder, and pursuing her sons kidnappers had been the sole focus of her existence...How could she not relate to the Ghoulish mayors testimony, and feel for his plight?

Swallowing hard, Audrey met his gaze shyly from beneath her lashes.

"...Does that mean you forgive us, and that we're not in trouble anymore?" She asked coyly, lips pursing as she waited for his response- to her surprise, the mayor barked a quick, loud laugh as the conversation reached its crux.

"Not quite- your little stunt might have worked out in the end, but while you were away, one of your other deeds came back to haunt me..." He revealed mysteriously, recalling Sinjin's unfortunate visit that morning.

"...I dont understand." She admitted after a minute when he failed to elaborate, a knot of apprehension beginning to form in her gut. Clearing his throat, the mayor shifted his weight awkwardly, wishing he didnt have to be the bearer of bad news.

"Yeah...You might wanna finish that drink, and go visit Irma at the memory Den." He told her seriously, humor draining from his face. "Im afraid our buddy Kent got himself into some trouble- which isnt abnormal- but unfortunately, i wasn't able to help him out this time..."