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Then he stepped back into the streets, the weight of responsibility still heavy on his shoulders. The battle was over, but the real fight—the fight to rebuild, to keep everyone alive—was just beginning.
Sico stood by the entrance gate, arms crossed as he watched the truck rumble to life with a loud cough of its old, stubborn engine. Piper was in the passenger seat, leaning out of the window with a cocky grin as she gave him a thumbs-up.
"We'll be back before you know it, General," she called.
Sico gave her a small nod. "Just make sure you actually come back in one piece."
She smirked. "No promises."
A few Minutemen were in the back, rifles slung over their shoulders, their expressions a mix of exhaustion and determination. They knew the risk—they were venturing outside the safety of Diamond City's walls with barely enough manpower to defend themselves if things went south. But they also knew the stakes. If they didn't get those medical supplies, the wounded wouldn't make it.
The truck lurched forward, sputtered for a moment, then groaned as it picked up speed, rolling out through the gates and into the wasteland beyond. The guards standing watch gave them a brief salute as they passed, and then, just like that, they were gone, kicking up a thin cloud of dust in their wake.
Sico exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. He hated sitting back while others took risks for him. But right now, there were more problems to handle inside the city.
He turned away from the gate and started toward the construction site.
Diamond City had already been in the middle of repairs before the raider attack, but now the damage was worse. What had been a methodical, organized process was now a desperate rush to patch up gaping holes, reinforce weak points, and make sure the city didn't collapse in on itself.
The metallic clang of hammers against steel filled the air as he approached, accompanied by the distant shouts of workers calling for tools, materials, and orders. The scent of rust, sweat, and freshly cut wood mixed in the air.
Sico spotted Sturges near the base of the main wall, standing on a wooden scaffold with a welding torch in hand. Sparks flew as he worked, sealing a new metal plate over one of the many breaches. His sleeves were rolled up, his face smudged with dirt and sweat, and he looked like he hadn't slept in at least a day.
Sico climbed up onto the scaffold, careful of the loose planks. "Need a hand?"
Sturges glanced at him, lifting his welding goggles onto his forehead. His eyes were tired but sharp as ever. "General, I appreciate the offer, but shouldn't you be off doin'… I dunno, general things?"
Sico smirked. "I think fixing the walls so we don't get slaughtered in our sleep counts as a general thing."
Sturges chuckled. "Fair enough." He handed Sico a wrench. "You see that panel on the right? It's about as sturdy as wet paper. If you could tighten those bolts while I finish welding this one, we might actually get this section done before sundown."
Sico took the wrench and got to work, tightening the bolts with steady, firm twists. It wasn't glamorous work, but it was necessary. As he worked, he glanced around at the other workers—civilians, Minutemen, even a few Diamond City security officers. The battle had blurred the lines between them. Right now, it didn't matter if you were a trader, a guard, or a soldier. If you had two hands, you were helping rebuild.
"You think the raiders will come back?" Sico asked, his voice quieter than before.
Sturges didn't stop welding. "They always do. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, but yeah. This ain't the kind of world where you get to let your guard down."
Sico nodded, finishing the last bolt. "Then we better make sure they don't get through next time."
Sturges pulled his welding torch away, inspecting his work before giving a satisfied nod. "Damn right."
The two of them climbed down from the scaffold, stepping back to take in the wall. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't perfect, but it would hold.
For now.
Sico dusted off his hands and turned to Sturges. "What else needs fixing?"
Sturges laughed. "What doesn't? We got half a dozen buildings with structural damage, the market's a mess, the power grid's barely holdin' together, and don't even get me started on the water pumps."
Sico sighed. "Where do we start?"
Sturges smirked. "Oh, you're in it now, General. Hope you weren't planning on sleeping tonight."
Sico smirked back. "Wouldn't dream of it."
And with that, they got back to work.
Sico wiped the sweat from his brow as he followed Sturges and the rest of the crew down the narrow pathways of Diamond City, stepping carefully around scattered debris and discarded tools. The city was still reeling from the attack, but the air buzzed with determination. People weren't sitting around waiting for things to get better—they were making sure things got done.
Sturges walked ahead, waving a wrench in the air as he called out to the crew. "Alright, folks, before we start hammerin' away at every busted building in town, we gotta handle the big one—power. If we don't get the grid back up and running, then we're working blind when the sun goes down. And trust me, tryin' to weld in the dark? Not fun."
A few workers chuckled, though their exhaustion dulled the sound.
Sico nodded. "Makes sense. No lights, no security cameras, no way to see if trouble's coming."
"Bingo," Sturges said. "And I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be fumblin' around if some smartass decides to take advantage of the situation."
The group moved steadily through the city, weaving between makeshift repair sites. A few civilians stopped what they were doing to watch them pass—some offering tired nods of appreciation, others barely looking up from their work. The usual lively chatter of Diamond City's market was subdued, replaced by the steady clang of metal on metal and the occasional barked order.
They reached the front of the Diamond City security office, where Danny, one of the city's guards, was waiting for them. He stood with his hands on his hips, eyes flickering between the crew and the entrance to the underground power grid access point.
Danny let out a tired sigh when he saw them. "Took you long enough."
Sturges smirked. "Good things come to those who wait, Danny boy."
Danny rolled his eyes but didn't argue. "Come on. It's a mess down there."
Sico followed as Danny led them through a heavy steel door, its rusted hinges creaking in protest. The air immediately grew thicker, tinged with the scent of oil and burnt-out wiring. The corridor sloped downward, dim lights flickering along the walls.
By the time they reached the power grid's main chamber, Sico could see what Danny meant by "a mess."
Cables were strewn across the floor like tangled vines, some cut, others melted from the heat of battle. Several of the generators were dented or outright destroyed, and the main fuse box had taken a bullet or two, its casing cracked open to expose fried circuits.
Sturges let out a low whistle. "Well, shit."
Danny crossed his arms. "Yeah. That about sums it up."
Sico exhaled, rubbing his chin as he took in the damage. "Can we salvage anything, or are we looking at a full rebuild?"
Sturges crouched near the largest generator, running his hands along its metal frame before prying open a panel. He squinted at the wiring inside, muttering something under his breath before glancing over his shoulder. "We ain't dead in the water, but it's gonna take some real elbow grease."
He gestured toward the fuse box. "That thing's toast. We'll need new fuses, which means either we get lucky and find some spare parts lying around, or someone's gotta make a supply run."
Danny sighed. "We don't have much left in storage. Between the damage to the market and what we already used up patching the walls, we're running low on pretty much everything."
Sico cracked his knuckles. "Then we improvise. What do we need, exactly?"
Sturges scratched the back of his head. "Couple of things. New fuses, some wiring—preferably not the crispy kind—some scrap metal to patch up the casing, and a working capacitor. If we can scavenge those, I can get at least half the grid running again."
Sico turned to Danny. "Where's the best place to find what we need?"
Danny rubbed his temples, thinking. "Well, there's the storage room here, but like I said, it's been picked clean. The market might have something left, but you'd have to talk to the vendors—see if they're willing to part with anything. And if you're really desperate, there's always the old maintenance tunnels beneath the city."
Sturges made a face. "Yeah, I ain't too keen on crawlin' around down there. Last time we sent someone in, they came back talkin' about radroaches the size of molerats."
Danny shrugged. "You wanted options."
Sico crossed his arms. "We don't have time to be picky. If the market doesn't have what we need, I'll go into the tunnels myself."
Sturges sighed, standing up and wiping his hands on his already-dirty pants. "Alright, fine. But let's check the easy places first. No sense in diving headfirst into a nest of radroaches if we don't have to."
Sico nodded. "Agreed. Let's move."
The market was quieter than usual, most vendors still recovering from the chaos of the past few days. A few stalls had been overturned in the attack, and some traders were still picking through their ruined goods, salvaging what they could.
Sico approached Arturo, the city's weapons dealer. The man looked up from where he was restocking his shelves, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly.
"If you're here for ammo, I'm fresh out," Arturo said, crossing his arms. "And before you ask, no, I'm not interested in any deals right now. Half my stock got wrecked in the fight."
Sico shook his head. "Not here for guns. I need parts for the power grid—wiring, capacitors, fuses. You got anything?"
Arturo let out a long breath, rubbing his forehead. "I might have some spare wiring in the back, but capacitors? Not likely. And fuses? Good luck. You'd have better chances stripping them out of an old terminal."
Sturges sighed. "Well, it ain't much, but we'll take what we can get."
Arturo disappeared into his shop for a moment, returning with a small bundle of wires. "This is all I got. It'll help, but you're gonna need more."
Sico took the wires and nodded. "Appreciate it. Let me know if you come across anything else."
As they moved to the next vendor, Sico could feel the clock ticking in the back of his mind. Every minute wasted was another minute without power, another minute Diamond City was left vulnerable.
Sico led the way through the market, weaving past half-collapsed stalls and traders still assessing the damage. The scent of dust, burnt metal, and faintly spoiled food clung to the air, but the people of Diamond City moved with the same stubborn determination they always had. They had survived worse. They would rebuild.
Up ahead, Crazy Myrna's shop stood mostly intact, though the sign above her stall hung at an awkward tilt, and the counter was cluttered with more junk than usual. Myrna herself was fussing over a pile of salvaged goods, muttering under her breath about "filthy synths" as she rearranged some old circuit boards.
Sico stepped up to the counter, clearing his throat to get her attention. "Myrna."
She whipped around, eyes narrowing in instant suspicion. "You a synth?"
Sturges groaned. "For the love of—Myrna, we've been through this."
She huffed, crossing her arms. "You never know. They could be anyone."
Sico sighed but didn't rise to the bait. "We're here for parts. Wiring, fuses, capacitors—anything that can help us get the power grid running again."
Myrna's expression shifted at that. Whatever her paranoia, she was still a businesswoman, and she knew a crisis when she saw one. She tapped her fingers on the counter, thinking.
"I might have some of what you need," she admitted, "but supplies are tight. Lotta folks looking for spare parts after the attack."
Sico leaned on the counter. "What'll it take?"
Myrna pursed her lips. "I need someone to clear out the storage room in the back. Raiders didn't get in, but some damn molerats sure did. I swear, I hear 'em scratching at night. You get rid of them, I'll give you what I've got."
Sturges grimaced. "Molerats, huh? Guess it's better than radroaches."
Danny snorted. "That's debatable."
Sico didn't waste time arguing. "Fine. Where's the storage room?"
Myrna pointed to a reinforced door behind the stall. "Down the steps. Be careful—one of my workers went in yesterday and didn't come back."
"Great," Sturges muttered. "Another damn side quest."
Sico ignored him and pushed open the door. The scent of mold and stale air hit him as he descended the narrow staircase, boots echoing against the stone steps. The dim light from the shop barely reached the bottom, leaving most of the room in shadow.
As he stepped forward, he heard it—a faint rustling. Then a sharp squeak.
"Here we go," he murmured, drawing his sidearm.
The first molerat lunged from the darkness, its beady red eyes glowing as it bared its teeth. Sico fired a quick shot, the bullet tearing through its skull. The others followed, scurrying from between crates and old shelving, their gnashing teeth snapping at the air.
Sturges, standing at the top of the stairs, let out a curse. "You need a hand down there?"
Sico fired again, dropping another molerat. "I got it."
Another one came from his left, jaws open wide. He sidestepped, bringing his boot down hard on its skull with a sickening crunch. More scurried in the shadows, but he kept his breathing steady, taking them down one by one until the last body hit the floor.
He exhaled, scanning the room. The only sounds left were the distant hum of the market and his own heartbeat.
"Clear," he called up.
Sturges stepped down cautiously, wrinkling his nose at the carnage. "Well, that's disgusting."
Danny, who had stayed at the door, chuckled. "Better you than me."
Sico ignored them and turned his attention to the storage room itself. Shelves lined the walls, cluttered with old electronics, scrap metal, and tangled wires. He spotted a few boxes labeled *Electrical Components* and pried one open. Inside were several dusty but intact capacitors.
"Jackpot," he muttered, grabbing what they needed.
They carried the parts back up to Myrna, who eyed the blood on Sico's boots before nodding approvingly. "Took care of 'em, huh?"
"They won't be bothering you anymore."
She grinned. "Well, a deal's a deal." She reached under the counter and pulled out a small metal box, flipping it open to reveal a handful of fuses. "Not much, but should help."
Sico took them, nodding. "It will. Thanks."
With the fuses, wiring, and capacitors secured, the group headed back toward the power grid. As they walked, Sturges glanced over at Sico.
"Y'know, General, you didn't have to go all action hero on those molerats. We could've just sent someone else."
Sico smirked. "And miss out on the fun?"
Sturges shook his head with a chuckle. "You got a weird idea of fun."
Sturges cracked his knuckles and crouched by the busted fuse box, inspecting the damage. "Alright, let's see if we can bring this old girl back to life."
Sico handed him the parts, then knelt beside him. "Where do we start?"
Sturges grinned. "Hope you weren't planning on an early night, General."
Sico smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it."
By the time they returned to the underground power grid chamber, the tension in Sico's shoulders eased slightly. They had what they needed—now it was time to put it to use. And with that, they got to work.
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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:-