POV Rio
We arrived in Goodneighbor and talked with Hancock. From what he said, Marowski was making some moves but had strangely not begun his attack. Hancock wasn't sure why that was, but he also had some good news. The Railroad agreed to join the battle. Though they were only doing so to kill the Courser and to capture some captured Synths.
"Look, I wanted to talk with you," Hancock said after we discussed what had been happening while I was gone.
"Sure, what's up?" I ask.
"Look, I needed to mention... Just you taking care of Bobbi. I ain't proud of having to put you through that. That sort of dictatorial sh*t. Ain't usually my style," Hancock said with some apology in his tone.
"She was endangering innocent lives. There's no need to apologize," I reply.
"Don't get me wrong, I agree she had it coming, but... I don't know. It just doesn't sit right with me having to get you involved like that," Hancock said with a little regret.
"It was the right thing to do. Even if you didn't ask me, I would have tried my best to help. She would have gotten a lot of innocent people killed," I reply.
"True. But it doesn't change the fact that she's outta of the picture cause of us. Hell, that sorta bull's the whole reason I became mayor in the first place. Some ass named Vic ran the town for I don't know how long before that. Guy was scum. Used us drifters like his own personal piggy bank. He had this goon squad he'd use to keep people in line. Every so often, he'd let them off the leash, go blow off some steam on the populace at large. Folks with homes could lock their doors, but us drifters, we got it bad... There was one night, some drifter said something to them... They cracked him open like a can of Cram on the pavement. And we all just stood there. Did nothing," Hancock said with some shame.
"Was there no one who could have helped?" I ask.
"Who knows. Maybe. Honestly, we were all so terrified, we couldn't bring ourselves to move until it was over, let alone get help... I felt like less than nothing. Afterwards, I got so high, I blacked out completely. When I finally came to, I was on the floor of the Old State House. Right in front of the clothes of John Hancock," Hancock started.
"John Hancock, first American hoodlum and defender of the People. I might've still been high, but those clothes spoke to me, told me what I needed to do. I smashed the case, put them on, and started a new life. As Hancock. After that, I went clean for a bit, got organized, convinced Kleo to loan me some hardware. Got a crew of drifters together and headed out into the ruins, started training. Next time Vic's boys went on their tear, we'd be ready for 'em," Hancock said with defiance.
"You don't actually think the clothes of John Hancock spoke to you, right?" I ask.
"Nah, I just felt, you know, a connection. It seemed like he and I were dealing with the same sh*t - serious oppression... So the night of, we all got loaded, let Vic's boys get good and hammered, and burst from the windows and rooftops where we'd been hiding. They never even saw it coming. We didn't have to fire a shot... We didn't have to. But we sure f*cking did. It was a massacre," Hancock said with some pride.
"Once we'd mopped up, we strolled right into Vic's quarters in the State House, wrapped a rope around his neck, and threw him off the balcony. And there I am, gun in hand, draped in Hancock's duds, looking at all the people of Goodneighbor assembled below... I had to say something. That first time I said 'em, they didn't even feel like my words: Of the people, for the people! Was my inaugural address. Became Mayor Hancock of Goodneighbor that day. And from then on, I vowed I'd never stand by and watch. Ever again!" Hancock finished his tale.
"And you're never going to have to. We'll take care of the Commonwealth together. That is if you are willing," I say.
"Hah, glad we are on the same page. And you know what. Sure, I'll come with you. It was about time I took a break from Goodneighbor. But I need to handle Marowski first. Once I am sure things will be fine without me, I will come with you," Hancock accepted.
We shook on it, and I was relieved, as that was enough to make Hancock my companion. Which meant he would be safe. I was worried as I had heard that there was a large Raider Army forming in the West. And it was clear that the targets were the Minutemen and our settlements under us.
"Oh, there's one last thing that I almost forgot to mention. When you were here last, you mentioned you were looking for a guy named Kellogg. Well, I got word from a caravan that he was spotted in the far South West, a bit North of an old substation near Natick Banks. Word is that he is living in a small cabin near the overpass," Hancock says.
I was quite shocked that he was spotted that far south.
"How recent is this news?" I ask.
"Literally came in today. And the caravan contacted the Railroad that then passed the info to me. Seems like the Railroad has been keeping an eye on him as well. So the info should be less than 2 days old at the worst. If you hurry, you might still catch him," Hancock responds.
I was caught in a bit of a dilemma. Kellogg was fairly important, as this was the first usable lead I had gotten in weeks. But there was the looming Gang war in Goodneighbor and the Raider Army in the West. It seemed like Hancock noticed my struggle.
"You don't need to worry about us. Goodneighbor will be fine. Marowski has been crippled thanks to you. He has a few more men than we do, but I am certain that we will win in some time. I know that the Kellogg guy is some personal business, so you should go deal with that," Hancock says.
"Sigh. Fine. But take this radio. If you need help, press this button and call for help. The Minutemen will come to your aid. Though we might not be able to send massive numbers, as we are facing a massive Raider Army in the West. But no matter what, we will send some troops," I reply.
Hancock takes the Radio with a smile and thanks me. I also give him some of the Chems I have. While they may be addictive, they can help in combat situations. And despite what Hancock said, they were outnumbered by a decent amount. I estimated Marowski had around 300-350 troops. While Hancock had around 180-225. The Railroad could send some people, but I doubted they could help much, as they are barely functioning as is. Their headquarters in Lexington was destroyed, and beyond that, the Railroad is likely going to ignore Marowski and focus on the Courser and whatever other Synths get sent in.
And from what I knew from the original story, the Railroad lost most of its safehouses and was generally in a bad condition at this point in time. The Institute, on the other hand, was doing pretty great as far as I can tell. Clippy has gotten me the info on how much the Institute intends to support this gang war. Luckily for Hancock, it isn't much. The weapons and ammo that the Institute has provided to Marowski are mostly looted from their various operations. So old Raider gear and weapons. Low quality but plentiful. The Institute has basically supported Marowski for no cost to the Institute. They didn't give him any tech or energy weapons. At most, they will fight the Railroad with up to 200 Gen-2 Synths and the Courser. But Hancock isn't the priority; it's the Railroad.
However, I can't say the same for the Raider Army in the West. According to Clippy, they have paid a sizable amount of Caps to the Raiders and also dumped the remaining stockpile of their ballistic weapons and ammo. They also sent a sizeable amount of explosives to them. But supposedly, they haven't sent any direct agents. Which I find very odd. I would expect that if they sent so many supplies, they would have some direct agents to make sure that the plan succeeds. I also can't figure out why the Institute would invest in this idea. As far as the Institute should see, the Minutemen shouldn't be a threat to them.
'Perhaps, they just want to meddle. As far as their digital records say, they didn't start this army, only invested in it.'
I was curious if some greater third party planned this army or if this was a result of me. Many of the groups that joined this army are either mortal enemies of mine or are threatened by the Minutemen. Even the caravans that help fund it are doing so because of our trade policies cutting into their profits. The Minutemen sell purified water for free, and we protect caravans coming through our territory. This has opened several new trade routes and made several caravans lose Caps because they profited from those other routes. Some through resource scarcity, others from tolls. Even if I have caused them small losses, they likely view us as a threat that could worsen.
'Well, they are corrupt capitalists, so I can't say I am that surprised. I will have to make sure they suffer for working with Raiders.'
I figured I could just send out word of the collusion over the new Radio Station I made. It had been fully set up already. I even sent a Changeling to be the host. I named the station Lightbringer Radio: No matter the night, no matter the fight, Lightbringer Radio brings the light.
I was actually really lucky when I summoned the most recent Changeling. They happened to be a massive music aficionado. Combined with the numerous music tapes, Vinyls, and other forms of media, I had a decent setup for Lightbringer Radio. The Changeling took on the name of DJ Pon-3 for its identity. I found the name amusing, so I agreed.
'I wonder if they will do a crossover with Three Dog?'
But with the Radio station set up, we could start broadcasting across the Commonwealth and beyond. I also made sure that the radio is clearly separated from the Minutemen. It needs to be an independent radio station and, more importantly, seen as a neutral third-party source of information and news.
Regardless of the Radio Station, I figured that going after Kellogg now would be for the best. Preston and Curie, as well as 100 of the best Minutemen, will be sent to Sanctuary to defend it. I would send more, but we still need more troops to defend the Castle. Sanctuary was set up with a single Artillery Cannon, but it was accompanied by dozens of automated turrets and massive concrete walls. Those by themselves would be a nightmare to get past, and the Raiders don't have air support as far as we can tell. And worst-case scenario, we can deploy more Artillery Cannons.
Kellogg, on the other hand, is hard to track, especially at this time of year. Snow and Rain can make tracking much harder. That and Kellogg is an experienced mercenary. He knows how to conceal his tracks. Of course, I am not just going after him to avenge Nate and Nora; instead, I hope to get access to his memories and use them to my advantage. Not to mention, Kellogg is by far the best surface agent the Institute has at its disposal. By killing him, we cause even more issues for the Institute. But it won't just be that. No, I intend to send in that computer virus to cripple the Institute at the same time.
'When will they learn that their actions have consequences. I guess I need to do that for them.'
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Author's Note:
So Rio has made a decision, a dangerous one, but I think it's a decent move given the situation. Capturing Sanctuary would be insanely difficult even with a massive numerical advantage. Nothing the Raiders have can break the walls, so they have to do it the old-fashioned way. With ladders. A siege tower wouldn't work in the uneven and forested area of Sanctuary, and where would they even learn how to make them? Goodneighbor will be fine even if all of Hancock's men die, as now Hancock is a companion, even if he doesn't know it. And worst case scenario, both are lost, then Rio can recapture them easily. He would just have to infiltrate Sanctuary and activate the Workshop, which would allow him to rebuild/repair any turrets. Goodneighbor, on the other hand, wouldn't last long if Rio came to clear it out.
But Kellogg, I think, is a bit more unique. There is a theory that I subscribe to that says Kellogg left a trail for the Sole Survivor on purpose. And even if he didn't, Father would likely make sure the Sole Survivor and Kellogg would meet. If for nothing other than to finish his experiment. So, Rio going after Kellogg while they have a lead means that when the Institute goes silent, Kellogg doesn't just vanish. Or use his very, very long life's worth of experience to cause issues for Rio and the Minutemen. But that's just a theory... A GAME THEORY, thanks for reading! I miss MatPat. Until next time, Ciao.