Chapter Text
“You’re sure about this?” Nick asked at Nora’s side. The Boston Airport stood ahead, looking perfectly peaceful in the quiet day in the Commonwealth. In the shadow of the Prydwen airship, the whirring sound of a vertbird’s roters caused the detective to look up, and he watched with an ominous sense of foreboding when he heard the shots of gunfire at a nearby shooting range.
Sensing his discomfort, Nora reached out her hand to place it atop his shoulder. “Hey, Valentine,” she murmured, and he turned his head so he could look at her. She looked at him gently, and squeezed his shoulder in reassurance. “You’re not going in there alone. I’ll be with you.”
He breathed out shakily, but the detective managed to keep his hands from trembling as he looked out at the Brotherhood of Steel base. It didn’t look too intimidating at this moment, the blue of the sky giving it an almost optimistic look as the detective tried to recall and picture what the airport was like in its’ hayday.
“Do you think the people who made this airport ever thought it would be used as a military base 200 years later?”
“Nick, anything was used as a government base if it benefited them.” Nora raised a brow at him. “All that patriotic stuff about being proud of your country and unifying was all propaganda shit.”
Nick looked at her, taken aback by this sudden and passionate insistence on how the times were before. “You’re pretty passionate on the subject,” he pried.
Nora cast a sidelong glance at him, an emotion close to annoyance shimmering through her, but not directed at him. She rolled her eyes. “I’ve just . . . seen too much. All the Vault-Tec BS, the food shortages, the government experiments and endless evidence that the ones running the country only cared about themselves.” Nora frowned. “It’s enough to make the naivest person bitter.”
“Well they’re all dead, decaying, or ghoulified by now, anyway, if that’s any help,” Nick added at his own little attempt to lighten the conversation.
She smiled at that, her gaze significantly lightened. “Nicky, you always know just what to say.”
He grinned, and followed fast on her heels as she started to approach the building. “Let’s go get ‘em,” she said. The only sign she had taken a recent injury was the slight guard at her right side; her arm lingered just a little too close than what would be normal.
Nick was surprised, grateful, and wary all at once when the Brotherhood clones didn’t shoot him on sight as he trailed behind the headstrong Nora. She walked with her head held high with an authoritative gleam in her eye that told them not to dare mess with her. The detective wondered what it would be like to have that kind of power over people without even needing to say a word, and decided he was probably better off not having it.
None of the armored shells made a snide comment about Nick, at least not within his hearing range, but he did see a few of them pause suspiciously or watch him obviously as he walked close to Nora.
Personally, Nick thought she was amazing. If Nora gave any inclination that the Brotherhood’s response (and lack there of) bothered her, she didn’t show it. It had taken Nick years to master that kind of poker face, and it deepened his insight on the woman he had come to call ‘partner.’ He wondered how often she had subjected him to her blank face without him realizing it, and decided it would be better not to think about that. An idea like that would drive any man crazy with uncertainty, even Nick, so he closed it up and shelved it away in his mind to never return to again (if he could help it).
Before long, they were clambering up into the Vertibird. Nora took the lead and offered him a hand up, which is when the first complaint was made in a wordless snort of disapproval by the pilot. The mask on Nora’s face cracked just a bit, revealing her irritation as her brow twitched, but a squeeze from Nick’s hand as he sat in the copter smoothed it back out. She returned his comforting gesture in thanks, and let their hands part ways.
An elbow nudged into his side, and Nick turned at Nora’s prompting to meet her gaze. She had a devious grin splitting her face, and she asked over the roar of the Vertibird’s roters. “How many Vertibirds does it take for the Brotherhood of Steel to send so they can actually help the Commonwealth?”
At first, Nick thought she was asking a genuine question, then beamed when he realized she was making a joke. “I don’t know, what?” he called, hoping his voice wasn’t totally drowned out so she could hear him.
Nora smiled excitedly as she answered, “Nobody knows – they keep blowing up!”
Nick laughed, and just like that, the tension this place brought on Nick was gone, replaced by the solidarity of knowing that Nora had his back. More than just a partner, she was there to make sure nothing bad happened to him during this little adventure.
One of the Brotherhood soldiers on the Vertibird saw the two of them laughing, and frowned at the synth detective. Nick only grinned wider.
(**)
The first trash can decided to voice his trash opinion when the two detectives walked along the catwalk before entering the airship.
“Disgusting.”
Nick didn’t bother looking in the direction of the insult, but he saw how fast Nora’s head spun. Her eyes were calculating as she frowned, and Nick thought she might be dedicating the person to memory. She glanced towards Nick, as if waiting for him to say something, and the detective knew that she would if he didn’t. Either way, he still had a comeback prepared as he replied, “Not much of a sight, yourself.”
The Brotherhood guard standing watch was quiet, and it was only because of Nick’s auditory receivers that he heard the sputtering behind the microphone at all.
Nick smiled in a mocking, subdued manner. “Stunned speechless, I see. Maybe next time you’ll think before you open that mouth.”
The pair entered the airship before the guard’s brain would catch up with his mouth and escalate the situation, and while Nick worried he might get Nora in trouble, her ecstatic smile made it all worth it.
“I won’t get you in trouble, will I?” he asked.
She led him around the bend of the main room to an observation deck. “Nick, please. If you get me in trouble for that mouth, I might thank you.”
He grinned wickedly. “Guess I really got lucky and picked a good one in you, didn’t I?”
“Oh believe me we are just getting started,” Nora said, but then she stopped as her attention diverted away to the front where he stood. The leader of the Brotherhood of Steel himself, Arthur Maxson. Nick went quiet, even as his chest burned with immediate hatred.
Nora looked toward the imposing figure of Arthur Maxson standing at the peak of the observation room, and Nick watched as her authoritative mask fell back over her face. She strut smartly into the room with Nick behind her, and stood crisply to attention. “Sir! Paladin Connors reporting for the All Back.”
Maxson turned to her, his face lined with deep frown lines. “Paladin Connors. Good; I have been waiting for your arrival to-mmngh!”
In typical Brotherhood fashion, the man had positively frozen in shock at the sight of Nick standing so casually behind Nora. It took everything Nick had not to burst out laughing as he looked at the man’s sternly perplexed expression. In the Elder’s eyes, Paladin Nora Connors was fraternizing with dirty, low, abomination-to-mankind, disgusting-
“Paladin Connors!” the man jutted out stiffly, his lips pursed tightly together. “Explain yourself; now!”
From where Nick stood, he didn’t have a clear view of Nora’s expression, but god what he would have given to see it, because her voice lilted in false innocence. “What do you mean, Elder?” she asked. She even tilted her head slightly to the side, as if confused by the order. “What would you like me to explain?”
“Explain at once why this abomination of mankind is accompanying you!” he snapped. The man’s shoulders looked so tense that Nick thought they might snap, and while an insult sat at the tip of Nick’s tongue, he chose to practice restraint as he allowed Nora to take the lead on this one. This wasn’t exactly his terf, anyway. Not with this madman.
“This is Detective Nick Valentine, sir,” Nora replied promptly, and she turned her body slightly to one side when mentioning the detective. “I require his expertise in his field to help solve a murder. We believe it involves a wealthy psychopath and a famous tennis player that met on a train.”
Elder Maxson frowned as Nick used all his self-control to keep his eyebrows from shooting straight up his forehead as his eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. The detective pressed his lips together thinly to hide the fact that he was trying as hard as possible not to laugh, and looked to the Brotherhood Elder when the stiff man addressed him. “Okay. That sounds . . . rather strange.”
“Amazing that strangers on a train would meet as they did,” Nora supplemented, not one trace of amusement on her expression as she spoke completely deadpan. Nick faked a cough to shield his swelling laughter. How was she so good at this?! He would have broken after the first line.
The Elder seemed disconcerted by the whole thing, not understanding the reference, and he shifted his stance while coldly regarding the synth. “Well, I suppose that is acceptable, but it is not right for a member of the Brotherhood, and a Paladin, no less, to work in conjunction with an abomination on mankind. You are to be rid of this companion at once.”
Nick waited for one tense moment on what Nora would do, and of what he thought she would say, he was surprised by her blunt, “You know I’m not going to do that, Maxson.” The playful tone in her voice fell away, and she sounded more like herself, and almost sad, or disappointed.
The detective looked sharply at the young man, glancing between him and Nora swiftly. The Elder huffed out a sigh through his nose, and his brows knit together in frustration. “It was worth a try, I suppose.” His lip twisted at one corner in disgust when he looked back at Nick, then turned to Nora. “At the very least, don’t stay here for long if you’re taking that thing with you. You’re going to make a poor name for ourselves.”
Nick saw Nora’s hand tighten at her side for one moment before it relaxed. A telling sign. The detective watched her, feeling thoughtful as Nora nodded once. “Fine. Now what did you want me here for, Maxson?”
The man turned in place so he could gaze at the Commonwealth far below. “As you know, our resources are growing sparse due to our extended time spent in the Commonwealth. With the Institute no longer a threat, we have greater responsibility even now to help the people of this place get back on their feet after so many years of travesty.”
Nick frowned, narrowing his eyes a bit. More like they need to take advantage of the fact that the Commonwealth has no apparent force besides the Minutemen, which aren’t exactly a trained army that could take on someone like the Brotherhood of Steel . . .
So far what this man was saying made absolutely zero sense in Nick’s mind, but he knew that whatever the Elder had to say, there was no guarantee that Nora would follow his orders. The Elder went on, “You are, without a doubt, the greatest resource we have here. You already have an esteemed reputation with the people of the Commonwealth, as well as a wealth of knowledge and experience with the creatures and people of the land. All of which is why it is so important for you to accomplish the task I am assigning you.”
Both detectives remained still and quiet, waiting for whatever the Elder had to say. The man’s shoulders lifted and fell with a sigh. From where Nick stood slightly behind Nora, he could see her folded hands clench nervously behind her. Nick carefully moved his arm so he could rest his hand at the small of her back, his palm barely brushing her fingers. The movement must have been enough to bring her some comfort, because she gently touched his palm in return, fingers curling.
Maxson’s voice cut through the quiet. “We need someone who’s resourceful and a clear leader to gather tribute from the people.”
Nora’s shoulders grew tense, like a rubber band about to snap in two. “What?” she asked, her words snapped out from gritted teeth.
“Don’t give me that tone, Paladin,” the Elder said, pivoting to look at her over his shoulder. His cold steel eyes were unforgiving. “We are the Commonwealth’s only hope for mankind against the filth that pollutes their land.”
Nick scoffed under his breath. What about the Minutemen, asshole? Or Diamond City, Bunker Hill, Sanctuary? Hell, even Goodneighbor is giving humanity a chance, except you only see these places as hovels that low-lives dwell in while you sit all nice in your airship where they can’t touch you.
Neither paid Nick any attention as Nora’s crisp voice came back in turn, “You want me to help the Brotherhood steal from the hard-working settlers of the Commonwealth?” Her voice was as sharp and as unforgiving as his, and she ignored his order to drop her tone.
Maxson’s eyebrow twitched. “It’s not stealing; it’s . . . tithing. Like in a church. Payment and fulfillment of our resources so we can continue to save the Commonwealth from themselves. We’re doing them a service, and should be recompensed. Simple math, really.”
“Oh, don’t give me that holier-than-though bullshit, Maxson!” Nora spat, all pretense of civility lost between them. Whatever line there was had suddenly been lost, and Nick felt something curl pleasantly in his stomach as Nora tore into the Elder. “You know what other group does that – calls it tribute?” She paused, and Nick wondered if it was for dramatic effect. “Raiders. Raiders collect from the people of the Commonwealth – call it tribute – food in exchange for their safety from them else they risk death.” Nora frowned heavily. “Is that what you want, Elder? You want me to go down there and threaten innocent and honest farmers, that if they refuse, I have rights to slaughter them – like a Raider?!”
Nick could have kissed her right then and there.
The 23-year-old bristled. “Do you not understand what’s at risk here, Paladin?” the Elder asked, turning towards her now, his face seething with rage as his teeth ground together. “Without resources like food and water, I could have Brotherhood members going to bed hungry, and that could lead to weakness if they are not up to full strength. Our presence in the Commonwealth could then dwindle as we’re overcome by evils of this land. We might have to return to the Capital Wasteland, and leave this place as diseased as it is.”
Nora’s voice held not a shrapnel of mercy or caring as she bit out, “Then leave.”
The Elder’s mouth turned down in fury. “You seem to be unable to grasp the situation we are in, Paladin. But if you are unable to meet this standard, I have no problem stripping you of your rank of Paladin, and replacing you with someone who will be able to complete the assignment. Someone who wouldn’t be as soft-hearted to a bunch of spineless dirt farmers.”
A combination of cold rage and horror clenched in Nick’s gut, a sensation he didn’t know that he could still stimulate. His mouth tightened at the corners, and he didn’t stop the glare from forming over his face. The synth could have ripped the man apart viciously for threatening the people of the Commonwealth. Good people that only wanted to live their lives in safety with some little shred of happiness. He waited for Nora to tear into Maxson, but blinked in confusion as Nora’s voice came out as soft as ash drifting through the air.
“You will do no such thing,” she said, her voice filled with confidence, even as quiet as it was. Where did such self-assurance even come from?
“Oh really?” Maxson challenged. “And why not?”
“Because you forget that I’m not just some Paladin that you can order around to do you bidding, Arthur,” she snipped softly. Nick wished desperately that he could come around to her front to see her expression, but remained where he stood as Nora reminded the Elder. “I’m the General of the Minutemen; I have over 30 settlements at my bidding that will respond to my call to arms if needed, and I know they are armed to the teeth. If you so much as take one tato from a settlement as ‘tithes,’ it only takes one word from my people to call the rise to arms against the Brotherhood.”
It was either incredibly brave of Nora to make such a threat, or horribly stupid. The Brotherhood was a driving force, regardless of what Nick thought of their bigoted beliefs, and making a threat to their incredible arsenal wasn’t something to take lightly, especially against a less-prepared militia of Commonwealth farmers. Not to mention it wouldn’t exactly shine well with Arthur’s superiors if he returned to the Capital Wasteland to report that the entire Commonwealth rose against them in rebellion. It would make him look as if he were incapable of leading.
Maxson appeared to think the same as he pressed his lips together, and Nick thought his eyebrows might dig so far down his face that they would fall off. “Is that a threat, Mrs. Connors?”
“It’s Ms. Connors, thank you,” she replied tartly with a nod. “And yes,” she added, “it is.”
The Elder took a moment to take this in, his gaze clipped and stern “Well,” he said, and Nick knew there was a returning threat sitting at the end of the man’s tongue, “I know you believe what would happen should you choose to make well on your threat to us.”
Nora tilted her head carefully to one side, the movement barely perceivable, but it was there. Her tone dripped with condescending annoyance. “You really think I don’t know that, Maxson? But do you know what would happen if you chose to take up arms against the Minutemen? What that would look like to the Commonwealth?”
He stayed quiet, considering her words, and Nick had the sudden feeling of the breath being knocked out of him as victory went through his mechanical heart.
The Minutemen were the saviors of the Commonwealth, the faction that destroyed the Institute once and for all. If the Brotherhood were to take up arms against them, even the most bi-partisan of settlers, the strongest sympathizers with the Brotherhood would turn against them.
God, and if word got out that the Brotherhood was enemies with the woman who orchestrated the fall of the Institute? The one who pressed the button that set off the explosion to destroy such an evil organization . . . ?
It would be chaos. Absolute war, even worse than with the Institute.
The Elder seemed to understand the implications Nora was saying to him, and he absorbed her words thoughtfully as he plotted out what he would say in turn to her.
“And think how shameful it would be,” Nora said, twisting the dagger of her words even further, “for the Brotherhood branch in the Capital Wasteland to learn that the Commonwealth syndicate were chased off by the very settlers they were trying to protect and supposedly ‘save from themselves’.”
Maxson bristled indignantly, his lips curled into a soundless snarl. Nick knew with certainty that Nora had this man-child beat, and he smirked smugly, his fingers lightly tickling the spot at the small of her back. Her hand curled up discreetly to touch his, a smile in the gesture.
When he didn’t say anything further, Nora went in for the kill, “So, Elder Maxson, if you want this happy little crusade to keep going the way it is – with your men and women still alive – you’ll keep away from my settlers. If I get wind that a Brotherhood member so much as touched a tarberry without permission from a settler without paying for it fairly, you can be certain that I’ll take action.” Nick imagined emerald fire burning in her eyes. “Do not test me, Maxson.”
Arthur Maxson glared heavily at this subordinate woman, his mouth turned down in displeasure. “Fine,” he said through ground teeth. “But don’t come crying to me when the Minutemen aren’t strong enough to cleanse the Commonwealth.”
Cleanse the Commonwealth of what, exactly? Nick thought to himself bitterly.
Nora didn’t say anything to his barb, though, and instead allowed his words to glide off her like water down a duck’s back. “We’ll see about that, Arthur,” she said, her tone airy and uncaring about what he had to say. Some of the tension relaxed in her shoulders, and she went on with a decisive and authoritative tone, “I’ll come back in a week with a list of settlementsthat I’ve given permission for the Brotherhood to negotiate with. I’ll let the leaders know so they’ll be expecting you. There you can barter and trade for crops without the use of force. I’ll be receiving reports from each settlement, so I’ll know if any of the Brotherhood have gone back on what we’ve agreed upon.”
Nick thought this was too generous in his eyes, but it was fair. Maxson glared on crankily, but said nothing. Nora pressed for a response. “Is that understood, Elder?”
The Elder grit his teeth, and Nick could have sung in relish to how this conversation had gone. Nora prompted again with a tone in her voice, “Elder?”
“Understood,” he growled, his voice snappy. After a beat of silence, he added grudgingly. “General.”
Was this Heaven? Was this real life? Nick felt light and airy like he was dreaming. This had to be some kind of alternate reality or something because there was no way Arthur Maxson just addressed Nora with respect as a person of equal rank to his, even if it was a bit forced.
General- Nick could have started singing right then and there.
Nora didn’t break her gaze from the leader of the Brotherhood. When he didn’t say anything further to her, she questioned, “Is that all?”
“You’re dismissed, Paladin. Just,” he huffed out a frustrated breath, his shoulders tense as he looked Nora up and down, “uphold our ideals, Connors. Don’t let the Commonwealth eat you up.”
“I’ll uphold my ideals, thank you.” And with that, Nora turned on her heel and strut out of the observation deck to go to the ladder that would lead them to the main deck of the ship below.
Nick went after her, and didn’t cast a backward glance to the Elder as he dutifully followed Nora. The destroyer of the Institute said nothing to Nick, and he chose to wait as he climbed up the ladder. Near the top, she offered a hand to him, which he took gratefully.
As soon as the synth detective stood at Nora’s side, she let out a forced huff of air, her expression finally twisting into one that showed how annoyed she was. Her lips pursed in irritation, and her cheeks were puffed out from holding in so much air.
“Pretty impressive, Counselor,” Nick said with a smile; his hand went to rest at her shoulder to provide some means of stability. “I’ve never seen anyone talk down a Brotherhood official like you did.”
The nickname earned him a very small smile in return, but it wasn’t there for long before she was worrying her lip again at the thought of what just transpired. “You can never tell with the Brotherhood, though,” she said quietly, wary to keep her tone of voice lowered in case of anyone listening in. “Even if we kept him at bay for now, who knows how long it will be before he grows desperate enough to steal from the people, anyway? Or maybe a new Elder to lead them who doesn’t care about any of it as long as he gets his way?”
“Hey,” Nick called to her softly, and stepped in her line of sight so she could look up and meet his glowing yellow eyes. His finger went to touch her chin and tilt her head to gaze at him. “It does no good to dwell on what may happen. What matters is the present. We’ll deal with the bad pitches as they come, alright?”
A bit of light returned to her eyes; she tilted her head forward to let the crown of her head bump against his chest as she stepped into his space. “Thanks, Nick,” she said.
“Not a problem,” he rumbled, and pulled her into a careful embrace before releasing her. “You just keep your chin up, alright?”
“Alright,” she agreed.
Nick didn’t give a single damn about what any watching Brotherhood brainwashed soldier had to say or think, so with his hand on Nora’s face, he pulled her in for one burning kiss against her mouth. With a few steps, he guided the both of them into the dark shadows in the underbelly of the ship, one hand on her hip.
He took pleasure in the sound of her breath catching, and smiled against her lips as she returned his kiss in full. Her hands went up to grab his wrists along her head, and broke the kiss so she could tilt her head up and look at him. “What was that for, Nick?” she asked.
The detective shrugged a little, but the embarrassed smile gave away how bashful he was. “I just . . . I just felt like kissing the woman who put Arthur Maxson in his place with a few well-placed words.”
She grinned at him, smirking with a coy eyebrow raised, “Oh, you like a woman that can craft some well-placed words, huh?”
The detective laughed and went in for another kiss, chuckling under his breath and tugging teasingly at her lips with his teeth, “Of course, doll,” he growled, and stepped back with a teasing wink as he took in her bright and flushed face, “But we can work more of that out later.” She grinned, pleased.
Nick let his hand drift down to hold hers, and frowned in concern when he saw her flinch as she lowered her arms. He suddenly thought of her wound, and decided to ask, “You said there was a medic on this ship?”
Nora paused and looked at him with interest. “Why? Do you . . . is something wrong? Is a medic the best that can help you, I mean-”
“No, no,” Nick said, and shook his head, smirking in amusement. “I mean for you. To check your wound.”
“Oh!” Understanding cleared across Nora’s face. “Yeah, I guess we should.” Her head turned to look at the Main Deck area. From what Nick could see, there were 3 bedrooms that encircled a ladder which led to the lower deck, and a long hallway that stretched to the very end of the airship. He guessed that on either side of the hallway were rooms filled with supplies or services the Brotherhood required.
Nora gestured to the hallway. “This way, Nick. Stick with me, okay?”
“Not a problem,” he said in turn, and walked close at Nora’s heels, comforted immediately by being in her presence.
About as soon as Nora stepped into the med room, Nick was met with hostile glares and sneers, despite being so close to a Paladin. The medical officer turned to the duo, his sharp eyes regarding each of them critically before asking sharply, “Yes? How can I help you?” Nick made note that he asked the question to Nora, choosing to ignore the synth.
Nora went to the hem of her coat, rolling it up so she could show the dressed wound. “I was shot today in the field, doc. Was wondering if you could take a look at it for me before I go out again.”
Whatever was in the medic’s mind about being judgmental towards Nick seemed to flee as he went around Nora’s side, his gaze thoughtful as he looked at the wound. “Hm, let’s see then.” Gentle hands went to pry aside the dressing, and Nick stepped dutifully to the side so the man would have some room.
Once revealed, Nick felt relief soar through him. There was only minimal bleeding on the gauze pad, and the wound was closed, scabbed over darkly with only a thin line of red surrounding it.
Nick released a sigh, relieved, causing the doc to look at him over his shoulder thoughtfully. “You do this, synth?”
For a moment, it took Nick a second to piece together what the man meant, but when he did he looked at the medic incredulously. “No!” he refused, insulted. “God, no! Of course not!”
“Nick was there to help me!” Nora snapped. “He shot the raiders that did this to me and kept them from doing any worse damage. Show some respect.”
The man grunted, then straightened his back as he placed the dressing back over the wound. “It’s healing just fine. What did you use?”
“A stimpak after the bullet was pulled out,” Nora said, and pulled down the hem of her shirt. “Just this morning.”
He hummed, and nodded. “Well it’s doing fine right now. No signs of infection. Just don’t open the wound and you should be fine. Good night’s rest will certainly help.”
Nora nodded in understanding, and reached into her pocket so she could pull out the proper amount of caps. “The usual?” she asked, and revealed a small bundle of caps in a cloth that was tied with a string.
The medic nodded. “45.”
The bundle of caps sailed through the air and into the man’s waiting hands. He thanked Nora in turn, “Take care of yourself, Paladin.”
Nora chose to stay silent, and instead walked out of the room with Nick at her side.
It wasn’t a far walk, as they went to the room across the hallway from the medical room. Similar in size, it was cluttered with books and papers stacked from hell to breakfast rather than stocked with medical equipment and supplies. A bookish man wearing spectacles stood, holding a clipboard and pen as he took inventory.
Nora went to exchange words with the man, chatting casually as she dug into her bag to bring forth a stack of papers as thick as a dictionary. Nick watched with quiet interest as the bookkeeper’s eyes bugged out of his skull, and he went for his pockets to retrieve an appropriate amount of caps in exchange.
Nick watched, pleased, as Nora walked away from the exchange several dozens of caps heavier, and grinned as she jut her head to the doorway. “Come on, Valentine,” she said. “We’re outta here.”
The detective blinked, his expression giving away his surprise as he went to Nora’s side, following her closely. “Oh, so soon?” his words dripped with sarcasm. “We were just getting acquainted with everyone here.”
“Yeah, haha,” she said. “Let’s just go before-aagh!”
While looking at Nick while talking, Nora missed the scribe walking towards them both while carrying a tower’s worth of papers, causing the two to collide. The papers went flying this way and that. Nora went sprawling to the floor, and Nick was instantly at her side to help her back up, worried especially because of her still-healing injury.
“Shoot! I’m so sorry!” the stranger said in turn. The voice was distinctly feminine and reminded Nick of his kind-hearted secretary. The synth cast a glance to the young woman, who hastily scrambled to pick up her mess of papers. She was wearing some kind of orange suit with a strapped on cover for her head, which Nick took to mean that she was a Scribe like the one he and Nora encountered earlier. “I’m still getting used to this space,” she rambled on like a busy magpie. “I guess I need to look out for where I’m walking.”
Nick said nothing, but stilled at Nora’s side when her voice pried, “Scribe Haylen?”
The young woman paused, then looked up. Her blue eyes widened as her mouth opened in shock. “Knight – I mean, Paladin – Connors?!”
Nora rolled her eyes, bending at the waist to retrieve some of the fallen papers. “You know it’s Nora, Haylen. What are you doing here? Bringing some reports to HQ or something?”
The woman scoffed, taking the papers from Nora so she could scuff them into a semi-organized pile. “Heh, I wish. No, I’ve been permanently stationed at the Prydwen for now, myself and Rhys included.” Nick saw how she looked down in an almost guilty manner when she said that, and his suspicion grew – though he didn’t know have an idea of what it could be.
Nora and Haylen stood, and Nick took pleasure in how his partner caught wind of her guilt. He always liked seeing how intuitive she was. “Is it just a re-stationing, or is it. . . something else?”
The young woman was quiet; the synth saw how some of her hair fell out from her hood, the color a startling and vibrant red. She tucked it back under the stiff lines of her hood. “Something else,” she finally admit, her voice quiet. Haylen looked up quickly at Nora before looking away. “Ever since Paladin Danse-” her voice suddenly cut off, her throat closing from an overwhelming sense of emotion as the young woman looked away. Nick widened his eyes and glanced to Nora in silence, who looked at Haylen with a level, even frown. Her lips pulled taut across her mouth, and Nora appeared to be restraining herself.
Not noticing any of this, Scribe Haylen cleared her throat and let her words clamber out, “Rhys and I were stationed out here. They’re worried that we may rebel or be linked to the Institute somehow because of what he was.”
Nick looked away, and didn’t stop the scoff that went out from his lips. At his side, Nora’s voiced her concern. “That doesn’t seem fair; they have no reason to question your loyalty to the Brotherhood.”
Scribe Haylen offered a sad smile. “Well, apparently they do, because I’m still here instead of out there.” She sounded wistful as she said it, and her eyes darted to the side in thought.
“It sure is safer up here, there’s at least that,” Nick found himself offering, not entirely sure why he wanted to help bring comfort to this woman – a member of the Brotherhood, no less.
Haylen considered Nick for a moment from the corner of her eyes, both women surprised by his gesture of words. The Scribeoffered a small smile at him, though, and Nick took that as a good sign. “Who’s your friend, Pala – I mean, Nora?”
Nora made a side step towards Nick and put one arm around his shoulders. “This is Nick Valentine, my partner.”
To Nick’s growing surprise, the Scribe thrust out a hand to him so he could shake it. She didn’t flinch when he reached for her with his metal claw, and something of a smile crossed her face when he did. “Um, nice to meet you, Mr. Valentine.”
The detective chuckled. “Mr. Valentine was my father; Nick is just fine.”
She looked a bit strained when he said that. “Sure thing,” she said anyway, emulating as much warmth as she could. “I’ll remember that. You and Nora traveled for long together, now?”
“He is my partner,” Nora said, stepping in to help defend the detective. “We solve cases together. He’s a detective.”
Sudden understanding went over Haylen’s face. “Oh, you guys are detective partners! I guess I was a bit slow to catch up.”
Nick and Nora chuckled politely, though the synth felt something plummet through his chest. Scribe Haylen thought they mean that they were romantic partners.
Which wasn’t technically false, but still something the two weren’t crazy about spreading around, especially on an airship filled to the brim with synth-hating lunatics.
Nora smiled tightly. “That’s right,” she said.
Haylen smiled to Nick in turn, and it seemed genuine enough, if not a little awkward as she directly addressed the synth. “Well, I’m glad to hear that Nora has found someone good enough to stick with. He the last one, Nora?”
“The ‘last one’ huh?” Nick asked, amused as he looked back to his partner, who burned red. “How many have there been, Detective Connors?” he asked, teasing.
She glared at him, though he knew it was in jest when he saw the delightful burning red of her face. “It-you – not a lot!” she spluttered.
Haylen rolled her eyes playfully, and Nick was reminded of sisters during the Pre-War era that would fight over boys and having to share clothes. “Oh, please! You had so many! The sniper guy, weird glasses guy, that pretty reporter girl, oh and the woman with the accent! She looked like someone who got in a lot of fights- I thought for sure the ghoul in the red coat and tricorn hat would be the one you settled with, but I guess government authority figures are out and detectives are in, huh?” Haylen winked at Nick, who could have blushed from what the Scribe insinuated. “What number does that place you, Nick?” she asked, grinning.
“Hay-len!” Nora whined, and buried her face in her hands.
Nick couldn’t lower his smile at the playful teasing. “I think six, if my counting is right. Not too shabby, I think.”
“I agree,” Haylen said with a laugh, shifting her pile of papers to her other arm for maximum comfort.
Something seemed to catch Nora’s eyes, because she placed a hand lightly on Haylen’s shoulder. “Could you guys excuse me for a sec? I’ll be right back.” Nora turned heel and tossed a wink at Nick over her shoulder before she sprinted down the hallway toward the opposite end of the ship without looking back or slowing down.
The pair, suddenly alone, fell into an awkward, quiet place between them. Nick tried to lighten the atmosphere, “She must have forgotten something,” he excused for his partner, tone a bit stunted.
Haylen smiled warmly, “Paladin Connors can be like that sometimes, but she’s already got so much on her plate that it’s expected.” The scribe laughed lightly, and she looked to Nick with a friendly expression, “How long are you two going to be on the Prydwen?”
It was a harmless question, and Nick was appalled to hear such a kind tone from a Brotherhood member. “We’re leaving just now, actually,” Nick answered amicably. “Nora came in to report to Maxson, but we have other business to attend to, uh, back on solid ground.”
Haylen smiled in a friendly manner, and it would have been difficult to miss the jealousy that flashed a bit in her eyes, and she asked resignedly, “Any business in particular?”
Nick paused in consideration for one moment before replying, “Angel hunting, actually.” He hoped Haylen was someone he could trust, and it wasn’t a secret or anything that he and Nora were tracking down the nefarious and elusive faction. Besides, there was something trustworthy about the wide-eyed Scribe, and her tone was too light and filled with kindness to be someone who could back-stab the people she was allied to.
And if Nora was an ally to this young woman, she was someone Nick could trust (more or less), regardless of the faction she was in league with.
The Scribe frowned in thought, “Aren’t – Aren’t the Angels only a myth? Just a rumor spread through the citizens?”
“Apparently not,” Nick said, and wished he could light a cigarette on the ship to distract his thoughts and to avoid making eye contact. “We’ve been trying to track down the leader for a while – no such luck, though.”
“I mean I bet,” she empathized, her eyes widened with awe at the thought of the feat Nick and Nora had set out to accomplish. “I imagine it’s a lot like trying to capture smoke, or stop a river from flowing. Any luck so far?”
Nick shrugged off-handedly. “We caught one of the snipers who’s in league with them, but they crafted an escape and got him out before we could really learn anything else about them.” Nick tried not to let their situation sound totally desolate when he added, “But at least now we have confirmation they exist. We’ll get ‘em, and justice always prevails, in the end. I know we’re getting closer.” They had a lead, after all. If they could track down and learn more about this MacCready guy, it might yield some better results.
It was hard not to let it get to him sometimes, though. Finding the Angels was definitely a priority, but investigating such an elaborate faction yielded little results, and it was easy to get distracted by so many settlements and people who needed immediate help.
He and Nora’s agenda was thinning, though, and Nick expected that finding the Angels would quickly become their main objective to hone in on.
Haylen sighed, “Well, shoot. Hopefully something will turn up.” The young woman looked thoughtful for a moment, and Nick thought she wasn’t going to speak, but then she chirped, “You know about the signal grenades, right?”
Nick waited for a second to sort through his memories. “Uh, can’t say I have,” he admit.
“Nora – I mean – Paladin Connors received some signal grenades from us that emit blue smoke. If she’s in a bind and sets one off, any nearby Brotherhood can come to provide support.” She smiled in encouragement. “I just – I worry about her sometimes. Paladin Connors has done great things for the Brotherhood, and I know she would be an incredible asset if she could apply herself more.”
Perhaps a bit embarrassed from being so emboldened, Haylen looked down shyly at her feet. Nick raised a critical eyebrow. “She doesn’t apply herself?” he echoed.
“Well I mean -” Haylen tried to defend herself, but faltered a bit and shrugged sadly. “People talk. Especially about Paladin Connors.”
Nick frowned. “Bad things?”
Haylen hesitated before she amended. “They just. . . they talk. Everyone knows that Paladin Connor’s situation when she rose through the ranks of the Brotherhood was uncommon.”
“How so?”
The Scribe looked at Nick pointedly as she said in a tone like it was obvious. “She had been with us for several months and got promoted to Paladin.” At Nick’s clueless look, Haylen supplemented, “Nora started as an initiate. From initiate, there are a few higher levels under ‘initiate,’ and then you can start working your way up to Knight. Then from Knight, a few variances later, you can become a Paladin.”
Nick remained quiet, having an idea of where this was going, and Haylen’s tone made it sound like the most obvious thing in the world. “This whole process usually takes years to accomplish. Just going from Initiate to Senior Initiate can take months, and that’s only if you have talent and instincts that are second to none.”
The detective maintained his neutral expression, and he filled in the gaps as Haylen drew them. “There are some members that are bitter towards Nora for rising through the ranks so quickly.”
Haylen nodded her head, anxiously diverting her eyes two ways. “There are some. Not everyone but some who don’t feel like Nora has earned her place as Paladin so quickly. They think something or. . . someone else’s influence might be involved.”
Understanding flooded Nick’s processors as memories that weren’t his passed through his mind’s eye. Watching as women climbed the ladder of success in the Old World, how whispers would rise up as special skills or personal favors became the go-to excuse as to how any women would gain even a grain of power in the professional world.
“Sleeping with the boss.”
“Dames will do anything for a promotion or a raise.”
“Man, wish I was a boss so I could have a bunch of dames chasing after me like that.”
“Slut.”
“Whore.”
“Fucking bitches.”
“They think she’s. . .” Nick swallowed as hot fury coursed through his sockets and wires. “They think she’s . . . involved with Maxson?” His respect for Nora kept him from saying it more bluntly, but all Nick felt was a blinding rage that people would talk about Nora in such a way.
Haylen nodded seriously. “I know it’s not true, but people talk. And it doesn’t help that Paladin Connors is known for being . . . flimsy when it comes to following Maxson’s orders. It just makes the rumors more believable.” Nick frowned, and Haylen sighed. “And some people.. well, there’s a rumor floating around the ship, and some are saying that Elder Maxson is . . . one of them.”
All of Nick’s thoughts and gears ground to a sudden halt at that revelation. He opened his mouth, stupefied, then closed it when his synthetic vocal cords didn’t work. He tried again. “They, they what-” He checked Haylen’s expression, “They think Maxson is a synth?”
“Shhshh!” Haylen hissed, her eyes wide as she stepped closer to Nick, throwing her hands out to stop him. The detective took a step back from her sudden proximity, his optics staring at her in confusion as Haylen looked at the detective sharply. She looked around worriedly before glaring at Nick accusingly. “Don’t go around saying that so loudly!” Realizing their closeness, Haylen stepped back a pace, and had the grace to look embarrassed under Nick’s withering stare.
“Is there something . . . wrong if Maxson were to be a synth?” Nick asked, his voice incredulous in a mocking manner. While Nick would be over the moon at the irony of Maxson being a synth – god if only he would be so lucky – he knew it would be absolute chaos within the Brotherhood ranks.
Haylen looked absolutely appalled of herself when Nick brazenly challenged the Brotherhood’s beliefs, and she looked away guiltily. “I mean, to me, no. Not after-” she swallowed, “not after former Paladin Danse’s . . . execution.”
Execution? Nick blinked, confused as he let his thoughts spin through his processors. She thinks he’s dead. She thinks that the synth, former Paladin Danse currently residing in Sanctuary . . . is dead.
. . . Why?!
Nick maintained his expression in as neutral a position as possible. This was Nora’s ally, he had to remind himself. If there was some reason for Nora to keep this Scribe Haylen in the dark about Danse’s current position and state-of-life, that was her choice.
Anything beyond that was out of his scope of practice.
It didn’t seem moral in his mind, to make this woman suffer for whatever reason.
. . . But it wouldn’t be fair of him to assume to know the situation of what was going on between her and Nora.
Not that it meant he wouldn’t interrogate it to Nora later.
Feeling the social pressure of having to reply to Haylen, he cleared his throat in a very human-manner and spoke to her lowly. “I-I’m sorry for your loss. Danse was close to you, I presume?”
Haylen nodded, some tears in her eyes. She reached up to frantically rub them away. “He trained me, actually. When I was an initiate. Took me under his wing.” She sniffled a little, “I miss him.”
Nick nearly felt his heart twist, though it wasn’t there. Unable to let someone go on crying, Valentine offered any comforting words he could bring. “It’s . . . hard losing people that you care about, especially the ones you look up to.”
Scribe Haylen gave a small smile, and nodded. “It is,” she echoed, her eyes red from her tears. The Brotherhood Scribe seemed to suddenly understand the situation she was in, and she wiped hastily at her eyes. “Excuse me,” she said, turning her body a little away from Nick. “I don’t mean to get so emotional.”
“It’s not a problem,” Nick said a big grudgingly, suddenly perturbed by the atmosphere of the discussion. What reason would Nora have to keep such a heavy secret from the Scribe? Was she really not that trustworthy?
Speak of the devil, Nora suddenly appeared behind Haylen’s back, grinning from ear to ear. “Hey!” she said, her body slowing to a stop from her jog down the hallway. The Paladin looked between the two of them, “Sorry about that. I had some things I had to drop off for some caps.”
When neither immediately replied, Nora frowned a bit out of curiosity. “Everything okay?” she asked.
“It’s fine, doll. We were just chatting,” Nick replied smoothly when he saw the glimmer in Haylen’s gaze. “Get everything sorted out?”
Nora nodded sharply. “Yup! All done. We should be clear to go, now.”
Scribe Haylen nodded in turn, and Nick thought that she looked a little sad, though she tried to smile as optimistically as possible. “Well, I wish you two the best.” Her smile grew a little more. “You too, Mr. Valentine. Take care of our girl out there, will you?”
The detective chuckled, and decided he liked this scribe. “I will if she will,” he returned.
Haylen smiled, looked away, then bustled past the two so she could go down the hallway. “I’ll see you two sometime later, then! Take care, alright?”
“Of course! You too!” Nora called, going back to look at Nick, who frowned in consideration. The feeling of Nora’s hand brushing his brought him back, and he looked back at her curiously, caught in the smile that lined her features. “Ready to go, Valentine?” she asked softly.
His hand squeezed hers gently. “Lead the way, Nora.”