One Woman Army

Best Buds

I took a knee in my armor, slinging my shotgun to the back of the suit as Hancock and I stopped for his 'Chem break'. With me in armor, I didn't get as tired as he did, and I wasn't going to begrudge the ghoul his chems. Just because I didn't take them regularly didn't mean he had to stop. I set my helmet on the ground next to me, freeing my hands and taking out a can of water. I took long pulls of the can of purified water, emptying the container in one go.

"Thirsty?" Hancock smirked at me as he watched me crush the can in my fist and stow the aluminum scrap.

"I'm always thirsty..." I caught the look on Hancock's face and spoke before he had a chance to open his mouth. "And before you offer, no." A look of disgust crept across my face as I thought about it shuddering. "It would be like fukkin my brother, so no."

"Harsh, man. Harsh." Hancock looked a little taken aback, and I was sure he didn't think that would be my reasoning. "You saying I'm like your brother? That makes him one badass dude then, don't it?"

I nodded agreeing with him.

"That he was. And he was one of the best test pilots I had in the unit, other than myself." My face held a look of nostalgia as I remembered Nate fondly, grateful that the settlers at Sanctuary had provided a burial for the deceased of Vault 111. "He was my loose cannon. Crazy fucker would do anything."

"Sounds familiar. He do Chems?"

"Not unless you considered Stimpaks to be Chems." I grinned a bit at the memory. "The rest of the unit considered us the stimpak junkies with as often as we got injured. Armor was always a target though. His wife, Nora, was a lawyer and she never could understand why we did what we did. She was always worried sick. We were the first ones in, and the last ones out."

Hancock shrugged, giving me a nod.

"Best way to be." He looked at me thoughtfully as he took a couple Mentats. "I don't think you are a Stimpak junkie though. You don't take unreasonable risks, but damn you get creative in your solutions."

I smirked a bit, adding a slight chuckle to the ghouls observations.

"Nate would call it a refined sense of justice..."

Hancock looked at me in question.

"How come?"

"Well his justice was to just shoot a guy. Mine was to take down all he knew and loved first, then shoot him."

"Well, Sister, your brand of justice is right up my alley."

I was quiet for a minute, finally admitting to something I'd been keeping to myself.

"Preston thinks I'm too harsh, sometimes."

"Preston needs to quit being a pussy and man the fuck up." Hancock didn't even bat an eye, giving me the answer I needed to hear. I still felt the need to support my second in command anyway.

"Hey, he's an excellent conscience reminder."

"Of what? The perpetual stick up his ass? He's as bad as Danse with that. Except for the shooting part. Brotherhood are all trigger-happy fuckers."

"They each have their reasons."

"Yeah, well, don't listen to them." Hancock sat back on the old bench he found along the street. "I think you're doin great. Cleaning up the Commonwealth one scumbag at a time." His face twisted to a frown as he continued. "Need to include those bastards with the Brotherhood of Steel, too."

"Hancock, they are allies right now, and until the Institute is dealt with we need the firepower." I sighed, taking a deep breath. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't antagonize Paladin Danse any more than you would anyone else, alright?"