Chapter Text
“General, nice of you to drop by,” Preston said. Joseline rolled her eyes and followed him into The Castle.
“I have three factions to look after if you don’t remember. Besides, I know the Minutemen are in good hands.” Preston didn’t do well with praise so he smiled at her and went on to give her the latest updates.
“We’ve helped the Railroad turn several settlements into safe houses, mainly Sunshine Tidings and Taffington Boathouse. Both locations have easy escape plans in case of Brotherhood or rogue Courser invasions. Des said she has some intel for you on Ayo and the escaped Coursers he took with him. Things have been fairly quiet otherwise. We’ve just started to implement some of the Institute tech you sent our way. We thought Greygarden would be the best place to start things out. Supervisor White readily agreed to the upgrades.” Joseline nodded along to the report and was glad to hear things were going as planned. She frowned for a bit thinking about Dr. Ayo.
He broke out with several Coursers and scientists not long after she arrested him. Mostly those who didn’t seem keen on her changes in the Institute. She was keeping a heavy eye on everyone else. She only trusted a handful of Institute scientists and it wasn’t enough. Dr. Li and Virgil were lending their expertise but neither of them were great fighters. She needed to find an enforcement replacement and fast. It was part of the reason she decided to go to the surface. She had someone in mind but it would take some convincing.
“Keep an eye out for rogue Synths and Dr. Ayo, but he’s my problem. I don’t want any Minutemen risking their lives for this on their own. You get any news and it goes straight to me. No engagement unless provoked. Got it?” She turned to look at Preston with a serious expression. He nodded at her in grim agreement. She knew he didn’t like it but it was for the best. Ayo was her problem.
“We’ve also gotten a request,” Preston added and shifted in place. Joseline raised one eyebrow and turned to give him her full attention. She was heading towards the General’s Quarters intent on dropping off her gear. “Goodneighbor has requested assistance.” She couldn’t help the nervousness that took over. She nodded.
“Any idea with what?” She asked. Preston shook his head and sighed.
“There’s been talk that Goodneighbor has become a prime target of the Brotherhood. We keep a few Minutemen on hand there but my guess is they need more protection.” Josie stared off across the courtyard and sighed.
“I’ll head there myself and talk to John.” Preston nodded. Joseline walked into the General’s Quarters, dropped her bag on the bed, and sat with a sigh. She was tired. The bed was calling to her but she had things to do. People to talk to.
Going through the Institute’s records of escaped Synths and Synths that replaced people was exhausting because the list was extensive. She didn’t bother to hide her disdain for that fact and it took long nights of sifting through data to create a foundation in which to fix the mess. She needed to cross-reference her data with the Railroad’s and there was no guarantee that their records would be as well documented as the Institute. She would have to make a trip to Railroad HQ and then to Goodneighbor.
Joseline could already feel a headache coming on. She hasn’t spoken to John Hancock since their impromptu breakup. And she didn’t know how she would be received. She laid back on the bed and stared at the stone ceiling. It was now free of cobwebs and mud. She was impressed by the improvements made to The Castle and applauded the work it took to get rid of the smell of Mirelurks.
She contemplated the other reason she was there and did not look forward to it. She came across a database of Synths that were bonded to people across the Commonwealth and into the Capital Wasteland. She didn’t know why or what their purpose was or if they even knew they were Synths but on the list, she found one name she knew. She didn’t look forward to revealing that and she wasn't sure if she should but she had a responsibility to synths now. They were a part of her and she made it her mission to help them as much as she could.
Joseline sighed and then hauled herself out of bed. She checked her appearance in the cracked mirror on a worn dresser and decided she looked fine even though the dark circles under her eyes weren’t fooling anyone. She moved down to the lower floor of The Castle and was immediately met with the sight of people rushing around, others on terminals (sent by the Institute), some mulling over a map of the Commonwealth, and several people being patched up by the resident doctor.
She walked over to the infirmary and nodded at the Minutemen sitting there and from what she could gather one or two Railroad Agents.
“What happened?” She asked. The doctor turned to look at her and looked briefly surprised.
“Ferals. We’ve been trying to clear out the subway system as a possible route to get to certain places but every time a station is cleared more Ferals move in. This bunch was ambushed by a pack of them. We didn’t lose anyone but we just went through a hell of a lot of RadAway.” The doctor, a woman named Gladys, looked forlornly at a big locker Josie assumed was full of chems and medical supplies. Gladys left in a hurry at the pained moan of one of her patients whose bandages were soaked through with blood.
Joseline nodded at those looking at her and turned her attention to a man in a familiar duster. People made way for her without asking and Josie tried to ignore the stares and whispers.
“Mac! What are you doing here? Thought you’d still be in Goodneighbor.” MacCready gave her a big hug and laughed at the way she lightly punched his shoulder.
“Yeah. As much as I like Goodneighbor it isn’t exactly the safest place for kids,” he admitted. Joseline’s smile widened.
“You brought Duncan out,” she said. Mac nodded and smiled.
“Thanks to you. He’s in Sanctuary, going to school.”
“Sanctuary is the safest settlement in the Commonwealth and I’m sure he’s safe with Curie,” she added. Sanctuary was well fortified, they had the numbers, and was turning out to be one of the most popular settlements around. Curie, still working on side projects, decided to take in several children who were orphaned. She ran a school and a makeshift orphanage while handing off most of the medical duties to the settlers she trained. The robot-turned-synth seemed to have a natural knack when it came to kids and Joseline trusted her completely.
“Anyways, you know I don’t do well just sitting around so I thought why not do some jobs for you. Duncan is safe, and the Minutemen's salary isn’t so bad.” Joseline snorted at the veiled quip and looked down at the map. The Minutemen offered shelter, meals, training, and a meager 100 caps per month. It was hardly a well-paying job but in the Commonwealth, it was more than most would get. The map was incredibly detailed thanks, mostly, to her. She traveled all over the Commonwealth and it was almost a replica of the map on her Pip-Boy.
“What you got planned?” She asked, noticing several locations marked in red.
“Some Raiders set up close to several settlements and Preston’s sending teams out to clean house. I’m taking a team out to Croup Manor. Some activity in the area has our people on alert. It’s a shi-crap show of hostiles. Maybe even some bots.” He looked grimly at the map and Joseline didn’t like the sound of it.
“When do you leave?” She asked.
“First thing in the morning.” Josie nodded.
“I might meet up with you guys. I’ve got some places to stop at first but I want to check in on the area. If there’s Brotherhood then we’ve got a problem.” They looked seriously at each other before Joseline moved on and MacCready went back to staring at the map. Several Railroad Heavies were lounging about and seemed exhausted. Among them was a familiar white-haired woman who took one look at Joseline and broke into a wide grin.
“I heard you had to retire your minigun,” Joseline said holding a hand out for Glory to take. The Heavy grasped her forearm and was hauled to her feet.
“Yeah, well the damned thing fell apart in my hands after the last attack on Goodneighbor. Had to downgrade to a combat shotgun.” Glory motioned to a heavily modified shotgun leaning against the couch. Josie frowned.
“How bad is it?” She asked. She heard reports of the attacks but not much in terms of detail and from what she got from Preston, John was holding out asking for any real help. Glory sighed and rolled her shoulders.
“Three attacks in the last month. The first one wasn’t really an attack then a horde of Ferals who seemed to find their way through the sewers. Your Ex chalked it up to being a freak incident but then a group of Raiders thought they could take advantage of some of the damaged walls. Fahrenheit tracked the Raiders to Easy City Downs, odd since that particular group tends to stick to their bot races. Nordhagen Beach got hit too but the Minutemen are a force to be reckoned with nowadays what with Institute upgrades.” Glory gave her a crooked smile and glanced at the fully-stocked armory. Joseline made sure to help stock not only the Minutemen with upgraded weapons but the Railroad as well. “We just got back. The last attack was a couple of days ago. Gunners seemed to decide it was their turn to take a crack at it. With the last attacks so close together, the Neighborhood Watch was down a few men and things weren’t looking great. Amari got us on the radio, and she asked for help from the Railroad. Me and a couple of the guys grabbed our gear and headed out. It’s not looking great. The whole front wall was taken down and the only reason the Gunners didn’t get past the Statehouse was that KL-E-O was raining hell. Daisy’s wounded and so are a few of the Drifters. Fahrenheit took a bullet in the shoulder and at least half of the Watch are wounded or dead. Hancock had no choice but to ask the Minutemen for help, and he’s not happy.” Joseline’s frown deepened. She cursed John for being so stubborn but also knew it was partly her fault. She should have insisted Goodneighbor be under the protection of the Minutemen but she didn’t want to push. Men were dead because Goodneighbor, her second home, wasn't properly protected.
“Thanks, Glory. I’m heading that way to talk to John. This sounds planned. Someone must have sent the Raiders and Gunners that way. Maybe even the Ferals.” Josie sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “You know where Deacon is?” She asked. Glory plopped back onto the couch with a wince.
“Yeah, he’s back at HQ. Des has him grounded. Why?” She asked. Joseline gingerly sat on the armrest of the couch.
“I need him for something.” She was lost in thought for a moment before deciding. “Can I ask you something?” Glory looked at her curiously and nodded. Josie sighed and rubbed her eyes. It was a difficult decision and while she was determined to talk to those involved there was a part of her that wasn’t entirely certain. “I have information that someone is a synth and I’m pretty sure they don’t know.” Glory didn’t look shocked. She looked around the room and then back at Joseline. “Do you think it’s a good idea to tell them?”
“My answer will always be yes. If it were me, I would want to know. Thankfully, I haven’t had to deal with such a dilemma. Who is it?” she asked. Joseline didn’t answer.
“And if they’re bonded to someone?” Joseline added. Glory frowned and shook her head.
“That’s a bit different. There’s always the chance that the synth replaced someone like...well, you know what I mean. Either way the bond, well, some of the Synths I know call them artificial bonds. I don’t know if I agree with that name. A bond is a bond,” Glory said. The Railroad Heavy looked tired and Joseline didn’t blame her.
“Thanks, I mean, I know I’m going to tell them but I just wanted to be sure.” Joseline patted Glory on the shoulder and went back to the General's Quarters. She wasn’t looking forward to what she was going to do.
. . .
Hancock glared at the fallen walls. His town fought and they almost lost. He wasn’t keen on asking for help because Goodneighbor always managed to stand on their own in the past but there was no doubt now that they wouldn’t survive another attack without help. He huffed and moved back into the Statehouse. KL-E-O was hurt in the fight but she was still marching back and forth as a sentry in case anyone tried to test their nonexistent defenses.
The Minutemen and Railroad Agents on hand assured him that someone high-ranking would be dropping by to assess the damage and offer official help. He simply nodded at them. They earned his respect. They fought alongside his people without question. He told Glory that she and her men could stay but she just shook her head and told him that they needed medical help and she wasn’t going to trust anyone other than Carrington or Gladys. Amari had her hands full with her patients and Glory posed the argument that The Castle had more beds and that she needed to report to Preston anyway. He didn't argue with her.
John was on edge. People he respected and even loved to a certain degree were hurt. He desperately wanted to pop some chems but even the strongest chems couldn’t chase away the anger and shame that filled him. He was the Mayor of Goodneighbor, none of this should have happened.
He was expecting Preston, who else would they send? He was ascending the stairs to check on Fahrenheit when his mind wandered to Joseline.
They could send Joseline.
He scoffed and shook his head. He doubted she would show up. From what he knew, she was incredibly busy negotiating and heading the alliance between the Minutemen, Railroad, and the Institute. It was something he tried to keep out of but he couldn’t fault the progress made. There was a part of him that hated the fact that he declined any official help. Maybe if he took them up on their offer, none of this would have happened.
He hasn’t seen Joseline since he left. His mind was still a jumbled mess when it came to her and how he felt. He couldn’t fault her for what happened but he was still bitter about it. He loved her. She was everything and she let it fall apart. A small part of him piped up that he did too. He was a grumbling mess when he walked into the makeshift infirmary.
“Why do you look like you just took a dose of psycho?” Fahrenheit asked. John forced himself to let out a mocking laugh and fell into the chair beside her little cot. She was instructed not to move and he could tell she was not happy about it.
“What have I become, huh? Mayor of Goodneighbor can’t keep his fucking town safe. What happened? All this shit is going to make me do something stupid,” he muttered at her. She didn’t do anything other than raise an eyebrow.
“What? Like, break your confusing streak of sobriety? I always thought you were better on chems,” she threw back at him. He knew she was lying but he didn’t call her on it.
“I haven’t been the same since…” the words left him unbidden and he turned his head painfully to force himself to not finish the sentence but Fahr couldn’t be fooled.
“You’ve been fine, just like I’m sure she’s been fine. Thanks to her, the Commonwealth has a chance to fight these kinds of threats. I hate her for leaving you but I wouldn’t trust anyone else to do what she’s been doing.” John couldn’t argue with that. Their eyes met and for a brief moment John could see the pain she was in and he betted she could see his.
“Being shot does wonders for your social skills,” he said. She threw a nearby tray at him and then groaned in pain.
. . .
Ellie frowned at him and he briefly wondered if she thought he'd finally gone crazy. He looked away from her and to the file on his desk.
“Radio Freedom says the area is dangerous and that no one should go there until they get more updates. I don’t think you should go.” Nick listened to his Secretary but shook his head.
“I’ll be in and out. If it’s too dangerous then I’ll just head back. It’s imperative to a case,” he replied. He could feel the way she frowned at him.
“And what case is that?” She asked. He scrambled for an answer but didn’t have one. She knew all their open cases and she already knew he was lying. Nick Valentine sighed and pocketed his gun.
“Don’t worry about me, Ellie. I’ll be fine and besides, if it’s blacklisted on Radio Freedom then that means the Minutemen are there.” He looked at her and was pleased to see that he was winning the argument. She thought it over before she huffed and stormed to her room. Nick sighed but he wasn’t changing his mind. He needed two more tapes and one of them was near Nahant Wharf.
. . .