Support System
The journey to Diamond City was pretty uneventful. Quest figures most creatures could sense her mood and decided to stay clear, she saw a couple patrols for the Brotherhood of Steel but they were pretty noticeable and she easily avoided them. The few dumb raiders that wanted to pick a fight with her didn’t last long after she picked up some rebar. Quest long emptied the bottle of Buffout from the tree house and picked up some other drugs from the fresh corpses. Taking the drugs helped her physically move but she was still mentally exhausted. Most of the journey to the Jewel of the Commonwealth was done on autopilot.
Walking down the bleachers, Quest sees Nat scream for Piper. The reporter rushes out to her but Quest doesn’t hear a word she says because the world goes dark.
Waking up sweating profusely but shivering up a storm, Quest throws up over a side of a bed. Luckily there was a bucket ready.
“She’s going through withdrawals, you should let me give her something, “a lazy drawl reaches Quest’s ears before she finally lifts herself up and sees the voice came from Hancock, the mayor of Goodneighbor. Along with the ghoul, near the corner Nick Valentine, a synth that helped her track down Kellogg. By her side, Piper, who was busy cleaning up Quest’s mess.
“No, she doesn’t need anymore of that crap Hancock,” Piper hisses.
“She’s not going to be any good to us in that condition.”
“Where am I…what day is it,” Quest asks shakily.
“Your over at Nicky’s place but what happened to you” the brunette dabs a wet clothe onto her forehead.
“You don’t have to fuss over me Piper.”
You were asleep for four freakin days, Blue! Let me help you a little.”
Quest makes a grunt and falls back down to her pillow. Piper continues to wipe her down with cold water, being careful around her healing wounds. The guys stay silent avoiding looking their way.
“What happened to your tin-can boyfriend,” the reporter asks as she finally finishes up changing the bandages.
“Danse? He isn’t my boyfriend.”
“Okay, okay your “daddy” or whatever kinky shit you guys in the Brotherhood call each other.”
“Piper!”
“No no, please tell us. I would like to know for educational purposes. You’ll never know when metal suits and bigotry would be a major turn on for somebody.”
“Enough of this,” Nick growls out “give the girl a break, she just got up and the whole world changed for her again.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, Quest…” Piper casts a worried look over at Valentine.
“She needs to know Piper. The sooner the better,” Nick says sternly “Look kid, I know this might be hard for you but the Railroad blew up the large airship the Brotherhood had.”
The Prydwen is gone…Quest just lays there silent not really paying attention as Nick, Piper, and Hancock tell the story. She doesn’t really know how she feels about the news. The Brotherhood of Steel felt like home to her for so long but near the end they betrayed her and Danse. She blinks back some tears and forces herself to stop thinking of the ex-paladin. He’s probably dead anyway…
“That wasn’t the only thing that happened when you were passed out, before their tin can in the sky was blown up, the Brotherhood came to Diamond City to report they had news that McDonough was a synth.” Piper’s eyes shined with excitement over her correct assumption. “They wanted to enter the city and dispose of him but the citizens of Diamond City wouldn’t allow that.” The reporter sits up her straighter with pride and a smirk forms on her lips. “You see McDonough is ours and he needs to stand trial here, not shot up by some Brotherhood cronies.
“But there are some people who are still loyal to the mayor,” Nick tiredly says.
“Ex-mayor, Piper chimes in”
“Fine ex-mayor. They don’t believe the Brotherhoods words and now they are holed up in the mayor’s office, armed to the teeth if anybody tries to go up.”
“We don’t want innocent lives lost so the head of security isn’t forcing a move and is hoping to starve them out but things are at a stand still here and the whole city is so tense.”
“WHAT DOES ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME,” Quest screams out. “I JUST WANT TO GET REVENGE ON THE INSTITUE FOR MESSING WITH MY LIFE.”
Piper jumps from the sudden outburst and it looks like Nick turns a little paler if that was possible.
“Hold it guys,” Hancock steps in “this is too much information for her. Let me take her for a walk and let her cool her head.”
Piper and Nick just nod while Hancock helps Quest up. Once outside, the ghoul hands her a couple of pills, and told her it was Buffout. She takes them without complaint and feels a little better.
It was early morning outside, and a wind swept up the blonde’s dressing gown. She didn’t care much and nobody was around to look at her anyway. Piper was right there was a tense feeling clinging to the air. Checking her image in a reflective surface she stops and stares.
“Whatever you went through, it sure did a number on your pretty face,” Hancock leans next to her “you almost look like a ghoul, pretty ironic huh?”
“Umm, sorry…”
“You know, I shouldn’t care anything about you after what you said to me but I can tell you are something special even when you were spouting out that Brotherhood bullshit, so I’ll forgive you. Hey, I’ll even pay for you to go over to that doctor and get your face patched up but you gotta help me.”
“Why would I help you?”
“Because we are friends. You, me, Nick, Piper, and everybody in Diamond City are friends. Hell, I’ll throw in Goodneighbor too and you know what friends do? “
Hancock stares down into Quest’s eyes and she can see the man in them.
“Friends help each other out. If you help us get to my brother, the good old mayor of Diamond City, then we can help you get back into the Institute with an army behind your back to get your revenge.”
The ex-soldier stares at Hancock and processes his words.
“So I’ll have an army to support me and all I have to do is get you guys to the fat mayor?”
Hancock burst out laughing, “Yeah, you got that right, sunshine.”
“Okay, let me get some things first and we can head over to the doctor’s office.”
Instead of going back to Valentine’s they head up to the west stands to Kellogg’s house. Quest asks Hancock if he could wait outside while she grabs a few things. Rummaging through Kellogg’s containers she finds one of his old outfits and thinks back to the old mercenary.
‘In the end, I can finally understand when you said we were alike… I can’t forgive you for shooting Nate but maybe I can get some revenge on the Institute for using us in their game…’
She takes off the dressing gown and folds it up for Piper. Slipping into the grimy, black leather jacket seemed kind of comforting; it definitely provided some much needed protection. Nothing like the power armor she had in the Brotherhood but the old leathers were far more flexible. Before leaving the building, Quest grabs a gun and some drugs that sat in storage. She went too long without any weapons but she had to remind herself that this next mission had to be done without any force.
Walking down the bleachers, Quest sees Nat scream for Piper. The reporter rushes out to her but Quest doesn’t hear a word she says because the world goes dark.
Waking up sweating profusely but shivering up a storm, Quest throws up over a side of a bed. Luckily there was a bucket ready.
“She’s going through withdrawals, you should let me give her something, “a lazy drawl reaches Quest’s ears before she finally lifts herself up and sees the voice came from Hancock, the mayor of Goodneighbor. Along with the ghoul, near the corner Nick Valentine, a synth that helped her track down Kellogg. By her side, Piper, who was busy cleaning up Quest’s mess.
“No, she doesn’t need anymore of that crap Hancock,” Piper hisses.
“She’s not going to be any good to us in that condition.”
“Where am I…what day is it,” Quest asks shakily.
“Your over at Nicky’s place but what happened to you” the brunette dabs a wet clothe onto her forehead.
“You don’t have to fuss over me Piper.”
You were asleep for four freakin days, Blue! Let me help you a little.”
Quest makes a grunt and falls back down to her pillow. Piper continues to wipe her down with cold water, being careful around her healing wounds. The guys stay silent avoiding looking their way.
“What happened to your tin-can boyfriend,” the reporter asks as she finally finishes up changing the bandages.
“Danse? He isn’t my boyfriend.”
“Okay, okay your “daddy” or whatever kinky shit you guys in the Brotherhood call each other.”
“Piper!”
“No no, please tell us. I would like to know for educational purposes. You’ll never know when metal suits and bigotry would be a major turn on for somebody.”
“Enough of this,” Nick growls out “give the girl a break, she just got up and the whole world changed for her again.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, Quest…” Piper casts a worried look over at Valentine.
“She needs to know Piper. The sooner the better,” Nick says sternly “Look kid, I know this might be hard for you but the Railroad blew up the large airship the Brotherhood had.”
The Prydwen is gone…Quest just lays there silent not really paying attention as Nick, Piper, and Hancock tell the story. She doesn’t really know how she feels about the news. The Brotherhood of Steel felt like home to her for so long but near the end they betrayed her and Danse. She blinks back some tears and forces herself to stop thinking of the ex-paladin. He’s probably dead anyway…
“That wasn’t the only thing that happened when you were passed out, before their tin can in the sky was blown up, the Brotherhood came to Diamond City to report they had news that McDonough was a synth.” Piper’s eyes shined with excitement over her correct assumption. “They wanted to enter the city and dispose of him but the citizens of Diamond City wouldn’t allow that.” The reporter sits up her straighter with pride and a smirk forms on her lips. “You see McDonough is ours and he needs to stand trial here, not shot up by some Brotherhood cronies.
“But there are some people who are still loyal to the mayor,” Nick tiredly says.
“Ex-mayor, Piper chimes in”
“Fine ex-mayor. They don’t believe the Brotherhoods words and now they are holed up in the mayor’s office, armed to the teeth if anybody tries to go up.”
“We don’t want innocent lives lost so the head of security isn’t forcing a move and is hoping to starve them out but things are at a stand still here and the whole city is so tense.”
“WHAT DOES ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME,” Quest screams out. “I JUST WANT TO GET REVENGE ON THE INSTITUE FOR MESSING WITH MY LIFE.”
Piper jumps from the sudden outburst and it looks like Nick turns a little paler if that was possible.
“Hold it guys,” Hancock steps in “this is too much information for her. Let me take her for a walk and let her cool her head.”
Piper and Nick just nod while Hancock helps Quest up. Once outside, the ghoul hands her a couple of pills, and told her it was Buffout. She takes them without complaint and feels a little better.
It was early morning outside, and a wind swept up the blonde’s dressing gown. She didn’t care much and nobody was around to look at her anyway. Piper was right there was a tense feeling clinging to the air. Checking her image in a reflective surface she stops and stares.
“Whatever you went through, it sure did a number on your pretty face,” Hancock leans next to her “you almost look like a ghoul, pretty ironic huh?”
“Umm, sorry…”
“You know, I shouldn’t care anything about you after what you said to me but I can tell you are something special even when you were spouting out that Brotherhood bullshit, so I’ll forgive you. Hey, I’ll even pay for you to go over to that doctor and get your face patched up but you gotta help me.”
“Why would I help you?”
“Because we are friends. You, me, Nick, Piper, and everybody in Diamond City are friends. Hell, I’ll throw in Goodneighbor too and you know what friends do? “
Hancock stares down into Quest’s eyes and she can see the man in them.
“Friends help each other out. If you help us get to my brother, the good old mayor of Diamond City, then we can help you get back into the Institute with an army behind your back to get your revenge.”
The ex-soldier stares at Hancock and processes his words.
“So I’ll have an army to support me and all I have to do is get you guys to the fat mayor?”
Hancock burst out laughing, “Yeah, you got that right, sunshine.”
“Okay, let me get some things first and we can head over to the doctor’s office.”
Instead of going back to Valentine’s they head up to the west stands to Kellogg’s house. Quest asks Hancock if he could wait outside while she grabs a few things. Rummaging through Kellogg’s containers she finds one of his old outfits and thinks back to the old mercenary.
‘In the end, I can finally understand when you said we were alike… I can’t forgive you for shooting Nate but maybe I can get some revenge on the Institute for using us in their game…’
She takes off the dressing gown and folds it up for Piper. Slipping into the grimy, black leather jacket seemed kind of comforting; it definitely provided some much needed protection. Nothing like the power armor she had in the Brotherhood but the old leathers were far more flexible. Before leaving the building, Quest grabs a gun and some drugs that sat in storage. She went too long without any weapons but she had to remind herself that this next mission had to be done without any force.