#falloutober2022

He shrugged. “It’s like I said out there. I’m gettin’ too comfortable. That business with Bobbi made me realize that. I gotta get back out there for a little while, get sharp again.” 

Fahrenheit crossed her arms. “Bullshit, John. You’re going with that Vault Dweller. You’ve been watching her since she got here.”

“I offered to go with her, yeah. She’s lookin’ for her kid. Seems like a good way to see some action. And I gotta do this. I can’t let myself turn into the same kind of shit politician as everywhere else.”

“Don’t lie to me. You’re looking for action, all right. If you’re leaving to take up with someone else, you could at least have the balls to say it to my face.”

He blanched. Stuffing the last few things into his bag, he tossed it over his shoulder. “You wanted to cool things off, not me. And I ain’t planning on nothing like that. Help take care of the city, I’ll be back in a little while.”

Fahrenheit didn’t say anything else, which was almost worse. Enough at least to make Hancock light out of there like his ass was on fire. And almost run smack into the Vault Dweller. Fahrenheit had given him the death glare, this one gave him a bright smile. 

“You all ready to go, Mister Mayor?”

“Hancock, ma’am. Just Hancock.”

“All right. Then I’m just Hawke. No ‘ma’am’ stuff.”

“Deal.”

He chuckled. This one surprised him. He’d expected someone fresh out of a Vault to be soft, to have no idea how to navigate the outside world. But this one was smart, and tough. She wore a long scar across her face like a trophy, yet she’d talked down Bobbi No-Nose and ended things clean after realizing what she was up to. It was enough that Hancock was still trying to figure her out. 

He was doing just that when she piped up. They’d left Goodneighbor behind, heading west over the broken remains of a road. “I appreciate you coming with me. I didn’t really expect the mayor himself to do so.”

“Gotta let the people run things for a while. It’ll be good for them. And me. Maybe not for you, though. You gotta put up with this mug now.” He laughed, sliding that self-deprecation in as easy as breathing. 

He sure didn’t expect the soft way she replied. “I don’t see anything wrong with that.” 

That threw him for a loop. He covered it with a joke. “Are all Vault folks like you?”

She froze for half a second before shrugging. “I don’t know. I’m the only one left. We were cryo-frozen. Over the years, the other pods started to fail. I got lucky somehow, mine defrosted me. Everyone else wasn’t so fortunate.”

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry.” There was definitely more to this woman than he’d realized. 

She shrugged again. “Hey, you didn’t know. And I don’t think it was anything malicious. It was more like it wasn’t expected for us to be frozen that long. But everyone outside died when the bombs fell, and the folks who were taking care of things in the Vault eventually did too. No one to fix things when they start breaking down.” 

She’d said it with nonchalance, but Hancock wasn’t fooled. He knew how to mask hurt with the best of them. But one detail stuck out, and he steered the subject that way. “When the bombs fell? How long were you frozen for, ma’am… I mean, Hawke?”

“Two hundred years. Or so I’m told. I had a house in Sanctuary Hills. It was a nice, new neighborhood back then. The house is still there, I can show it to you sometime.” She chuckled. “I’m sure you think I’m crazy, or that I’m on chems. Claiming to be pre-war.” 

“You ain’t on chems. Not like that, at least. I know all about chems. But with a story like that, I’m more surprised you aren’t on them.”

A wistful, sad smile crossed her face. But it hardened immediately. She pointed outward. “Look.” 

Five raiders blocked the road ahead. They were shoving around a ghoul while a woman and a child cowered on the ground. The thugs were laughing. Hancock couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it didn't matter. Rage filled him, and he racked his shotgun. It would be a sprint, but he could get there quick enough. He hoped.  

“Fuckers.” Hawke muttered beside him. In one smooth motion, she ducked behind the shell of a car, pulling the rifle from her back. He saw now it had a long scope, and the words ‘Death from Afar’ painted on the stock. As he watched, she expertly lined up a shot. Up ahead, a laughing raider’s head suddenly snapped back and he fell to the ground. She pivoted only a fraction and fired again, taking out a second thug. Good Lord, that's the sexiest thing I’ve seen in a long time. The other three broke and ran. 

Hancock’s brain hadn’t quite rebooted when she stood, slinging her rifle back over her shoulder. She gave him an almost embarrassed smile. “My, uh, late husband was military. He insisted I know how to shoot, in case I ever needed to protect myself.” 

Then she was taking off up the road toward the three who were all hugging and comforting each other. Hancock could only follow, still waiting for his brain to catch up and digest all of this information. By the time he got to Hawke’s side again, she was already talking with the family. 

“Thank you!” Tears streamed down the woman’s face as she held the child close. Of the three, she was the only non-ghoul. “I didn’t know what those raiders were going to do!”

“Do you have a home? We could see you get there safely?” Hawke put a hand on her back, rubbing it soothingly. 

The man shook his head. “We’ve been hopping from camp to camp since we got kicked out of Diamond City. No offense, Mr. Mayor, but Goodneighbor’s too rough for raisin’ a kid.”

“Then come to Sanctuary Hills with me. It’s not much, but it’s a safe place. There’s a few folks there, we’ve got a bit of something going.” Hawke offered. 

 This time the man looked down at his family. “Will they accept us? Most places don’t like mixed couples.” 

“They will. And if anyone gives you grief, you tell me and I’ll deal with them personally.”

As the group of them started off down the road again, Hancock watched Hawke talk with the family. He shouldn’t have been surprised at how good she was with the kid, joking and asking about things he liked. She also asked the parents about themselves and just talked to them like they were regular people. In the short time between spotting the raiders and now, Hancock felt like he’d finally gotten a sense of the kind of person Hawke was. 

“Hey, Hancock?” Her voice interrupted his thoughts. She turned a smile on him bright enough to power Diamond City for a week. “You still with us?”

The commotion had attracted others, too. Hancock was standing to her left, one hand on his shotgun. Danse, in his new power armor, was at her right. Nick was between them, with Deacon and Cait right behind. She didn’t see MacCready, but she knew he had her covered already. Even Curie and Codsworth had come over, and she could hear Preston and Sturgis shouting to be on the lookout for other intruders. The entire town was mobilizing now, just in case. 

Hawke turned her attention back to their mysterious guest. It was a human child, surely not more than nine or ten. He was dressed in the very distinctive coat and boots of a Brotherhood Squire. A sour taste immediately rose in her throat. She'd only interacted with a Squire once before; she'd taken one out on a mission as a gesture of goodwill. 

She'd never done so a second time. 

A hand was rubbing circles on her back. Hancock. He hadn't gone on that mission, but he remembered how she'd been after. How she'd raged, barely coherent. They're just kids… just kids… they're so fucking brainwashed…. spouting jargon like a fucking cult! He'd never seen her so disturbed, nor disappear that deeply into chems for nearly a week. Enough to make even him worry. And it looked like those memories were coming back in force. 

"Darlin'? Come back, okay? Stay with me." He stepped closer, his arm sliding around Hawke's waist. 

"Yeah…" She took a deep breath and turned to the Squire. "What are you doing out here, kid? You get separated from your patrol? Did you get attacked?" 

The Squire bared his teeth. "I came to find you! I heard you take up with all kinds of abominations. I came to see for myself. You're one of us, a paladin! I didn't believe it." 

"Well, what do you think now that you’re here?”

"You are a disgrace to the Brotherhood! I see you not only have the exile." He sneered at Danse. "But also synths and ghouls! You cavort with the very things we are to stand against! Even right this moment, you let that creature touch you." 

"Cut that shit right now." Hawke snapped, moving closer to Hancock automatically. "This is a good man and I love him. I accept everyone, no matter who or what they are." 

"Then it is true! Then you are no better than these creatures! I will not allow such a stain in our ranks!" The kid fumbled for his pocket but Hawke was faster. 

"A 10mm pistol?" She tutted, holding it up and away. “You packed light.”

Danse’s voice was deadly serious beside her. "Squires are not allowed weapons." 

"I stole it, okay? I knew if I was coming out here myself I'd need protection!" The kid tried to make a break, but Danse had him dangling in the air before he could take two steps. That made him start shouting again. 

"Unhand me, you filthy synth! You have no right to exist, let alone have power over me!" 

Hawke saw Danse flinch hard at the words, and it was enough to banish any good will she had left. In a voice that left no room for argument, she thundered, “That is enough, Squire!” 

The kid shut up immediately, eyes wide. Danse set him down and he stood at attention. Hawke stepped forward, standing over him. He really was just a kid. He was just regurgitating the Brotherhood talking points he’d been fed all his life. Maybe she couldn’t do anything to change that, but she felt, just this once, she had to try. An idea came to mind, a phrase in Latin. The Brotherhood loved that kind of shit, and maybe this time, she could turn it back on them. 

“Squire, have you ever heard the phrase ‘vae victis’? It means ‘woe to the conquered’. It means that those defeated in battle are at the mercy of their enemies. And, they shouldn’t expect those enemies to go easy on them.” 

The kid’s eyes were saucers. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I will be making a trip to The Castle in one week’s time. I will drop you off at the Prydwen on my way. If you want to be, given you’ll likely be in a lot of trouble for this little stunt. Until that time, you will remain here in Sanctuary Hills, with the understanding that you are under vae victis.”

“Y-yes ma’am.” The kid was sweating now, surely imagining a week of torture. 

Hawke smiled. Perhaps it would be, for him. At least at first. “Excellent. For now, Curie will escort you to a room where you can sleep while you are here. For dinner, you will join me and my partner at my house. Tomorrow, perhaps you can meet the people of our little settlement, maybe help out in the garden. We’ll see.” 

Curie came forward, bubbling with excitement. “Oh my, it is so good to meet a new person! And a child! This will add wonderful new information to my databanks!”   

The kid stared blankly, too stunned to reply. Curie took him by the hand, a broad smile on her face as she led him away. He went without a fight, clearly unable to process what was happening. 

Hancock’s arm slipped around her waist again. He sighed. “You ain’t gonna change him, darlin’. We both know that Brotherhood shit is too deeply ingrained.” 

“I know. But I have to try. This kid’s got fire, got defiance. Maybe… just maybe we can show him something else. If not, in a week he’ll be Maxson’s problem again. But at least we can say we tried.”