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As they made their way back to Diamond City, Sico couldn't help but feel the weight of it all pressing down on him. The city was fragile. The people were tired. The dangers were endless.
By the time Sico and the others returned to Diamond City, the first light of dawn was creeping over the ruins. The city was barely stirring, but those who had heard the gunfire were already awake, watching anxiously from behind makeshift barricades and half-collapsed buildings.
The Minutemen on guard duty opened the gates swiftly, and the wounded were rushed through first. Sarah, despite her own injury, refused to be carried, brushing off any attempts to help her. Sico kept a close eye on her as they made their way toward the infirmary.
The "infirmary" was just a repurposed section of the old market—once a bustling center of trade, now lined with scavenged medical supplies, stained cots, and exhausted nurses moving between patients. It wasn't much, but it was the best they had.
Sico stepped inside, the scent of antiseptic, blood, and sweat thick in the air. The wounded lay in makeshift beds, some wrapped in bloody bandages, others groaning as nurses did their best to treat them. It was a grim sight, a reminder of just how fragile everything was.
Doctor Sun, the city's resident physician, was already moving between patients, his sleeves rolled up, hands stained with dried blood. Despite the chaos around him, he remained focused, speaking in a calm, measured tone as he directed the medics assisting him.
Sico made his way over, stepping around a medic kneeling beside a wounded soldier. "Doc," he called.
Doctor Sun glanced up briefly before returning his attention to the young man in front of him, who had taken a bullet to the thigh. "Give me a second."
Sico nodded, watching as the doctor worked quickly, extracting the bullet with steady hands before handing the medic a stimpack. "That should stabilize him for now. Keep him off his feet for at least a day," Sun instructed before finally turning his attention to Sico.
"You look like hell," the doctor muttered, wiping his hands on a rag.
Sico gave a tired smirk. "You should see the other guys."
Sun huffed. "I'd rather not. Too many bodies coming in already." He gestured to the rows of injured. "Some of these people are from the fight last night. Others? Just accidents from the reconstruction. People are exhausted, which means they're getting careless."
Sico exhaled sharply. "How bad is it?"
Sun crossed his arms, his expression grim. "Three dead from last night's skirmish. Six more wounded, but they'll make it—assuming they don't get infections. The ones from the worksite? Mostly fractures and lacerations. I can handle those, but I'm running low on supplies."
Sico frowned. "What do you need?"
Sun sighed. "Stimpacks, antibiotics, clean bandages—hell, even just extra hands. The medics are doing their best, but we're stretched thin."
Sico glanced around at the overworked staff, the sheer exhaustion evident in their faces. This wasn't sustainable.
"I'll figure something out," he promised.
Sun raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? You planning on growing a stimpack tree?"
Sico smirked. "Something like that."
The doctor shook his head but didn't argue. "Just don't take too long, or we'll be treating people with duct tape and prayers."
Sico gave a short nod before turning to leave. As he did, he spotted Sarah sitting on the edge of a cot, letting a nurse clean the gash on her forehead.
"You should be resting," he said as he walked over.
Sarah snorted. "So should you."
He huffed, leaning against the cot beside her. "Stubborn as ever."
"Right back at you."
They sat in silence for a moment, watching the medics work.
"We need more supplies," Sarah finally said. "And more people to help with security. This won't be the last attack."
"I know," Sico admitted. "I'm thinking of sending a team to Goodneighbor. See if we can trade for meds."
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Goodneighbor? You sure that's a good idea?"
"It's risky," Sico admitted. "But we don't have a choice. If we don't get those supplies, more people are gonna die."
Sarah considered that for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Who are you sending?"
Sico sighed. "Haven't decided yet. But I'll need someone who can negotiate and someone who can fight."
Sarah smirked. "Guess that means me, huh?"
Sico chuckled. "You just got patched up."
"Yeah, and? You know I'm right for the job."
Sico exhaled, knowing there was no point arguing. "Fine. But you take Preston and a few others with you."
Sarah grinned. "Deal."
Sico ran a hand through his hair. "I'll talk to Preston, then we'll set up the plan. Get some rest in the meantime."
Sarah gave a lazy salute before leaning back on the cot. "Yes, sir."
Sico smirked before heading out.
A Desperate Gamble
Finding Preston wasn't difficult. The man was already up and organizing the next patrol shift near the gate. When Sico approached, Preston turned, his expression unreadable.
"Guessing this isn't a social call?" he said.
Sico shook his head. "We need supplies. Doctor Sun's running low on everything, and we've got more wounded than he can handle."
Preston frowned. "What's the plan?"
"I want to send a team to Goodneighbor," Sico said. "See if we can trade for medical supplies."
Preston's expression darkened slightly. "Goodneighbor's not exactly friendly. They'll trade, but they'll squeeze us for everything we've got."
"I know," Sico admitted. "But it's our best shot."
Preston exhaled, rubbing his chin. "Who's going?"
"Sarah, for one," Sico said. "I want you there too."
Preston nodded. "Alright. We'll take four others. Keep it small, but not too small."
Sico glanced at the horizon. "Leave at midday. Try to be back by tomorrow."
Preston grunted. "No promises. But we'll do our best."
Sico clapped him on the shoulder. "I know you will."
Sico let out a breath, looking around at the busy streets of Diamond City as workers and Minutemen alike tried to keep the settlement running. It was barely morning, yet everyone already had their hands full. He knew that if they didn't start securing more supplies and allies now, it wouldn't take much to bring everything crashing down.
Turning back to Preston, he said, "Before you head out, I want you to reach out to Hancock. See if he's willing to come with you to Goodneighbor."
Preston raised an eyebrow. "Hancock? You really think he'd want to take a trip back to his own city like that?"
Sico smirked. "Come on, it's Hancock. He probably misses the place more than he lets on, and having him with you might make negotiations easier."
Preston considered it, then nodded. "Alright. I'll swing by and see if he's up for it."
"Good." Sico ran a hand through his hair. "I'm also sending Piper and Robert with a few soldiers back to Sanctuary. They'll take the trucks and bring back whatever supplies we've got left."
Preston frowned slightly. "You sure about sending Piper? You know she's not exactly subtle."
"That's exactly why I'm sending her," Sico said. "She's got a way of getting people to talk. If something's going on between the settlements, she'll hear about it before anyone else. Plus, Sanctuary's still our main base—we need to keep an eye on things there too."
Preston sighed. "Alright. But if this all goes south, don't say I didn't warn you."
Sico smirked. "Wouldn't be the first time."
With that, he turned and made his way toward Publick Occurrences, Piper's office-slash-home, which wasn't far from the market. The door creaked as he pushed it open, revealing Piper hunched over her typewriter, clacking away with the focus of someone who had been up all night working.
She glanced up, her eyes tired but sharp. "If you're here for an exclusive, you're gonna have to wait. 'Diamond City's Savior' still hasn't done anything headline-worthy today."
Sico snorted. "Give me a few hours."
Piper leaned back in her chair, stretching. "Alright, what's up? You've got that look."
"I need you to take a trip to Sanctuary," Sico said, getting straight to the point. "Robert and a few soldiers will be going with you. You'll take the trucks, load up on whatever supplies we've got, and bring them back here."
Piper's brow furrowed. "So, I'm a delivery girl now?"
Sico smirked. "More like our eyes and ears. Talk to the settlers, see how things are going. If anything feels off, I want to know about it."
She studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, but you owe me."
Sico chuckled. "Add it to my tab."
Piper grinned, standing up and stretching again. "Fine. But if I find out you sent me away just so you could get into more trouble without me around, I'm writing a whole front-page story on it."
"I'd expect nothing less," Sico said as he turned to leave.
By the time noon rolled around, both teams were ready to move. Preston had managed to track down Hancock, who, to no one's surprise, was more than happy to take a trip back to Goodneighbor.
"Finally," Hancock said, grinning as he adjusted his hat. "I was starting to get sick of all this 'law and order' crap you guys got going on here."
Preston sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't cause any problems."
"Me?" Hancock placed a hand on his chest, feigning innocence. "Come on, Preston, you wound me."
Sico shook his head. "Alright, enough flirting. You've got a job to do."
Hancock shot him finger guns. "You got it, boss."
With that, the Goodneighbor team—Sarah, Preston, Hancock, and four Minutemen—set off, heading east toward the city. At the same time, Piper, Robert, and their small escort climbed into the trucks and started the journey back to Sanctuary.
Sico watched both groups leave before turning back toward the city. There was still plenty of work to do here.
The rest of the day was spent reinforcing Diamond City's defenses. Sico personally oversaw the patrol rotations, ensuring there were no weak spots in their perimeter. He worked with Sturges, who, despite being exhausted, was still doing his best to keep up with the city's constant repair needs.
"We're making progress," Sturges said, wiping sweat from his forehead. "But we're running low on good materials. We need more concrete, steel—hell, even wood is getting scarce."
"I'll see if I can arrange a supply run," Sico said. "For now, just do what you can."
Sturges sighed. "Ain't much choice, is there?"
As night fell, Sico finally allowed himself to take a break, sitting down near one of the makeshift barricades. The city felt quiet again, but he knew it was just temporary.
A few hours later, one of the gate guards jogged over. "Sir, we've got movement on the horizon."
Sico stood up, his exhaustion immediately pushed aside. "Which direction?"
"Northwest. Looks like Piper's team."
Relief washed over him. "Open the gate."
A few minutes later, the trucks rolled in, covered in dust but intact. Piper hopped out first, brushing herself off.
"Miss me?" she asked.
Sico smirked. "That depends. You bring me good news?"
Piper crossed her arms. "Well, the supplies are in the back, so there's that. But I also heard something interesting."
Sico frowned. "Go on."
"Some of the settlements are nervous," Piper said. "There's been whispers about raider groups organizing—more than usual. Some folks are saying they've seen them moving in bigger numbers, like they're planning something."
Sico's expression hardened. "Did they say where?"
Piper shook her head. "Not exactly. But they mentioned seeing more activity near the old highway leading east."
Sico exhaled. "Alright. We'll look into it."
Piper studied him for a moment, then smirked. "You're not gonna sleep tonight, are you?"
Sico chuckled. "What's sleep?"
She rolled her eyes. "Try not to die while I'm taking a nap, okay?"
Sico gave her a lazy salute as she walked off, then turned his gaze back to the wasteland beyond the gates.
Things were getting worse. And he knew it was only a matter of time before the storm hit.
Meanwhile, Preston's team had reached Goodneighbor without incident. The streets were as lively as ever, filled with the usual mix of traders, drifters, and people who had nowhere else to go.
Inside The Third Rail, Hancock led the way, grinning as he threw his arms wide. "Home sweet home."
Daisy, the old ghoul trader, looked up from her shop. "Well, well, look who finally decided to visit."
Hancock smirked. "Miss me, Daisy?"
She snorted. "Not even a little."
Preston, ever the professional, got straight to business. "We need medical supplies. Stimpacks, antibiotics, bandages—whatever you can spare."
Daisy frowned. "That's not gonna be cheap, sweetheart."
Hancock leaned on the counter. "Come on, Daisy. You know we're good for it."
Daisy sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Look, I want to help, but supply runs have been getting harder. If you want a bulk deal, I'm gonna need something in return."
Preston crossed his arms. "Like what?"
Daisy hesitated, then lowered her voice. "There's been some… problems. A group of raiders has been harassing our caravans, taking shipments before they can get here."
Hancock's smirk disappeared. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't want you running off and getting yourself killed," Daisy shot back. "But if you can deal with these raiders, I can give you what you need."
Preston glanced at Sarah. "What do you think?"
Sarah cracked her knuckles. "I think I've been waiting for an excuse to crack some skulls."
Hancock grinned. "That's the spirit."
Preston sighed. "Alright. Looks like we've got a new job."
With their deal set, the team prepared for yet another fight.
Back in Diamond City, Sico stood on the wall, staring out at the darkened wasteland. He could feel it in his gut—something was coming.
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• Name: Sico
• Stats :
S: 8,44
P: 7,44
E: 8,44
C: 8,44
I: 9,44
A: 7,45
L: 7
• Skills: advance Mechanic, Science, and Shooting skills, intermediate Medical, Hand to Hand Combat, Lockpicking, Hacking, Persuasion, and Drawing Skills
• Inventory: 53.280 caps, 10mm Pistol, 1500 10mm rounds, 22 mole rats meat, 17 mole rats teeth, 1 fragmentation grenade, 6 stimpak, 1 rad x, 6 fusion core, computer blueprint, modern TV blueprint, camera recorder blueprint, 1 set of combat armor, Automatic Assault Rifle, 1.500 5.56mm rounds, power armor T51 blueprint, Electric Motorcycle blueprint, T-45 power armor, Minigun, 1.000 5mm rounds, Cryolator, 200 cryo cell, Machine Gun Turret Mk1 blueprint, electric car blueprint, Kellogg gun, Righteous Authority, Ashmaker, Furious Power Fist, Full set combat armor blueprint, M240 7.62mm machine guns blueprint, Automatic Assault Rifle blueprint, and Humvee blueprint.
• Active Quest:-