Hiding In The Green: A Fallout 4 Story

A False, Deluding Young Man

A week's hike through the Commonwealth in the company of Kellogg and an Institute Courser was the ultimate Road Trip from Hell, at least in Deacon's opinion. When he first spotted the Courser, he immediately thought 'Oh, hell no, they've rumbled Old Man Stockton.' The thought was accompanied by a stab of panic. When he realized who the Courser was with, his reaction was, 'Shit, are they going to take out all of Bunker Hill?' The stab of panic turned into something like the little get-together Brutus and friends had organized for Caesar on the Ides of March.

However, then the old trader lady showed up, and rather than start a bloodbath, Kellogg and the Courser had signed as guards for a trip into the middle of nowhere. What the....?

Although Deacon had no idea what was going down, he knew one thing: he had to go along and find out. So using his incredible powers of charm and charisma, he persuaded Carla to hire him too. Almost a week had gone by, and he still didn't know what was going on.

Now they had reached their destination, or what he assumed was their destination, the settlement of Sanctuary. Deacon had once lived in a place rather like this, back when Barbara was alive. University Point, where Kellogg had gone to find something and had instead left everyone dead. But here they were doing something he had never seen at University Point or anywhere else: they were having a community party, with a feast and what looked to be a dance floor for afterwards.

Nobody was heavily armed, although there was some serious artillery on the turrets, something like Mk. 4 or thereabouts. That wasn't bad, it was enough to protect a community against threats like raiders or ferals, but against Kellogg and a Courser? Those two would chew up Mk. 4s and spit out the bits.

Glancing at the tables, Deacon recognized Preston Garvey, the last of the old Minutemen and the first of the new—and then he saw Nick Valentine, seated next to a young woman he'd seen several times. Raina Queen. She wasn't a beauty, but there was something very appealing about her.

She had turned up just as Piper was pounding on the gates to Diamond City—and then a day and a half later, she was in Goodneighbor, trading with Daisy and acting like ghouls were no different than anyone else. And Raina Queen was good friends with Valentine, the only synth brave enough to live openly. Somebody worth watching, in other words.

Well, he had told Kellogg he wanted to go to Sanctuary on account of a girl. Raina Queen was a girl and if anyone here was prepared to help take on Kellogg and a Courser, it would be Nick Valentine. "There she is," he said, and flashed his scary ass companions one of his best smiles. "Wish me luck."

However, even as he started toward her, she got up and approached the newcomers. "Carla! It's good to see you again. And you have guards now? That's smart. Welcome to Sanctuary. Please, take a seat and join in, all of you. Let me tell Jonny to get you some cider..."

There weren't any empty seats until a few settlers got up and invited the newcomers to sit, they were done and they were going to start the music now anyhow.

Deacon went for the seat by Valentine, far enough away from Kellogg's and the Courser's seats for a degree of comfort. "Mr. Valentine, I know you don't know me," he began, but the synth interrupted him.

"Know you? No, but I've certainly seen you around. Sometimes you're Diamond City security, sometimes a drifter hanging around Goodneighbor, and maybe once or twice I've seen you around Bunker Hill." Valentine tapped his temple. "People tend to remember the outward details, like clothes and hair. Facial recognition software tracks people by the things that ain't so easy to change. Which is not to say you don't make it a challenge. You're quite the quick change artist."