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The city was safe, with the future was uncertain, but at least for tonight, Diamond City had something it hadn't had in years. That is freedom from those who control them from behind the scenes, and Sico believe that the city will be more prosperous under Danny as the mayor.
The night stretched on in a haze of laughter, clinking bottles, and the comforting hum of a city that—for once—felt at peace. The people of Diamond City weren't just drinking to celebrate; they were drinking to breathe again, to shake off years of tension and corruption. Even the guards, usually stiff and always watchful, allowed themselves a rare moment of relaxation.
Danny eventually found himself slouched in his chair, watching as Vadim made the rounds, keeping drinks flowing and spirits high. Across the table, Sico was nursing a beer, his eyes still scanning the room even as he looked relaxed. Piper had started scribbling notes on a crumpled piece of paper—probably already drafting tomorrow's article about the city's new leadership.
Despite the warmth of the celebration, Sico knew this peace was temporary. Diamond City had won a battle, but the war for stability was a far from over. And there was still work to be done, which that work would start first thing in the morning.
Sico was up before dawn, shaking off the haze of the previous night's drinks as he made his way to the training grounds just outside Diamond City's walls. The city was still waking up—merchants setting up their stalls, scavvers heading out for the day, and the always present sound of a radio crackling somewhere in the distance.
As he reached the training area, he spotted Sarah Lyons, MacCready, and Robert already putting the Diamond City guards through their paces. The three of them were some of the best fighters he had under his command, and he trusted them to make something worthwhile out of these guards.
Sarah was barking orders, her voice sharp and commanding. She had the recruits running drills, their boots kicking up dust as they sprinted across the training field. MacCready, on the other hand, was working with the more experienced guards, showing them how to properly take cover and move during combat. Robert was overseeing melee training, making sure the guards could handle themselves in close-quarters combat.
Sico crossed his arms and observed for a moment. The Diamond City guards had always been a passable fighters which enough to keep raiders at bay, but they lacked discipline and real training. That was about to change.
Sarah spotted him first and strode over, wiping sweat from her brow.
"You're late," she said with a smirk.
Sico scoffed. "Didn't realize I had a schedule."
"You don't," she admitted, "but we started without you anyway."
He nodded toward the recruits. "How are they?"
Sarah sighed. "Some of them are promising. Most are soft. Used to patrolling inside the walls, maybe getting into the occasional brawl, but they're not ready for real fights." She glanced at MacCready, who was chewing out a recruit for fumbling his rifle reload. "MacCready's already lost his patience with half of them."
Sico smirked. "Sounds about right."
He walked over to where Robert was demonstrating knife techniques. The man was a veteran, someone who had seen his fair share of bloodshed since he follow Sico since they were out from the vault 81 with his sister Jenny. He was showing the guards how to disarm an opponent with quick, brutal efficiency.
Sico clapped him on the shoulder. "How's it going?"
Robert grunted. "They've got the basics down, but they hesitate. You hesitate in a real fight, you're dead."
Sico nodded. "We'll work on that."
He turned back to the field and decided it was time to step in.
"Alright!" he called out, his voice carrying across the training ground. "Everyone, gather up!"
The guards scrambled into formation, some looking more awake than others. Sico let his gaze sweep over them before speaking.
"You've all lived behind Diamond City's walls for years, thinking they'd keep you safe. Thinking you didn't need to be better because the walls would do the work for you. But those walls aren't enough anymore. If you want this city to survive—if you want your families to stay safe—you're gonna have to be better."
He let that sink in for a moment before continuing.
"This training isn't gonna be easy. You're gonna hate me by the end of it. But when the time comes, when a real fight happens, you'll be ready. And that's all that matters."
A few of the guards exchanged uncertain glances, but no one spoke up.
"Good," Sico said. "Now, let's get to work."
The morning turned into a grueling session of drills, sparring, and weapons training. Sico pushed them hard, making sure they understood that this wasn't just some routine exercise, this was about survival.
Sarah focused on discipline, keeping them sharp and aware. MacCready drilled them on marksmanship, forcing them to shoot under pressure. Robert made sure they could fight when the bullets ran out.
By midday, some of the weaker recruits were struggling to keep up. One of them, a young guy named Felix, collapsed after a particularly tough sprint drill.
Sico walked over and crouched beside him. "You done?"
Felix shook his head, breathing hard. "No, sir."
Sico nodded. "Then get up."
Felix gritted his teeth and pushed himself to his feet. Sico didn't say anything, just gave him a small nod before walking back to the others.
By the time they wrapped up, the guards were exhausted but sharper than they'd been before.
Sico wiped sweat from his forehead and turned to Sarah, MacCready, and Robert.
"They're improving," he said.
Sarah smirked. "Barely."
MacCready scoffed. "Give 'em a few weeks of this, and maybe they won't die in the first five minutes of a real fight."
Robert simply grunted in approval.
Sico looked back at the guards, who were now catching their breath, drinking water, and wiping off sweat.
"This is just the start," he told them. "Training doesn't stop here. We're gonna keep pushing until you're ready for anything."
They nodded, some more confident than others.
Just then, Sico spotted Danny approaching from across the training grounds. He was wearing his usual patched-up leather jacket, hands in his pockets, but there was something different about him. He walked with more purpose. Maybe the whole 'Mayor of Diamond City' thing was starting to sink in.
"Well, well," Danny called out as he got closer. "Look at you all, making Diamond City's guards look like an actual militia."
Sico smirked. "That's the plan."
Danny stopped a few feet away and let his gaze sweep over the recruits. "So, how's the progress?"
Sarah was the first to answer. "They've got potential, but they're soft. Too used to patrolling behind walls."
MacCready leaned on his rifle. "They'll toughen up. Or they'll wash out. Either way, we'll know soon enough."
Robert, predictably, just nodded.
Danny exhaled, scratching his chin. "Well, I guess that's better than nothing." He looked at Sico. "Any idea how long until they're fully trained?"
Sico shrugged. "That depends. If they keep up, maybe a few weeks before they're decent. And a few weeks before they're something worth fearing."
Danny whistled. "That long, huh?"
"You want real soldiers? That's how long it takes."
Danny sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, fair enough."
Sico wiped his hands on his pants and then looked at Danny. "Speaking of things that take time… how bad was the damage from yesterday's celebration?"
Danny's expression shifted, and then he let out a small chuckle. "Oh, you're gonna love this."
Sico raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"
Danny grinned. "Around 7,754 caps."
MacCready nearly choked on his water. "What? You mean to tell me you let these people drink away nearly eight thousand caps?"
Danny held up a hand. "Relax, relax. I didn't say we lost money."
Sico crossed his arms. "Go on."
Danny's grin widened. "So, after the party, I had a little idea. See, we just got rid of the most corrupt bastards in Diamond City, right? And you know what corrupt bastards love to hoard?"
Sico's eyes narrowed slightly. "Caps."
"Caps," Danny confirmed, his grin stretching ear to ear. "And let me tell you, those greedy assholes were sitting on a fortune. After we ransacked their places and confiscated their 'hidden savings,' we pulled in more than 20,000 caps."
Silence hung in the air for a moment.
Sico blinked. "Twenty thousand?"
Even Robert looked slightly impressed.
Danny nodded. "Give or take a few hundred."
MacCready let out a low whistle. "Damn. That's more money than I've ever seen in my life."
Sarah chuckled. "Looks like our new mayor's already pulling his weight."
Danny threw up his hands. "Hey, I just did the math. The real credit goes to the people dumb enough to stash all that wealth while the city suffered."
Sico smirked. "And you're telling me that covers last night's expenses?"
Danny clapped him on the shoulder. "Covers it and then some. We've got plenty left over."
Sico let out a low whistle, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all. "Well, at least some good came out of their greed. That's a hell of a haul." He folded his arms, considering the possibilities. "Use what's left over to pay some wages or put it toward upgrading the city's defenses. Either way, make sure it doesn't go to waste."
Danny nodded. "Yeah, that was the plan. Thought about reinforcing the gate, maybe adding a few more turrets. If we want to keep Diamond City safe long-term, we can't just rely on thick walls anymore."
"Smart thinking," Sico said. "Walls don't win wars—people do. And right now, these people need all the help they can get."
Danny exhaled, glancing back at the recruits, who were still recovering from the brutal morning training. Some of them were stretching out sore muscles, others gulping down water like they'd been stranded in the Wasteland for days.
"How much longer do you think this training's gonna take?" Danny asked, rubbing his chin.
Sico's expression grew more serious. "A week. That's all we've got."
Danny's brow furrowed. "A week? That's not a lot of time."
"No, it's not," Sico admitted. "But the Minutemen need to head back to Sanctuary soon. We've been here long enough. Once we're gone, I need you to oversee the training."
Danny blinked, clearly taken aback. "Me? You sure that's a good idea? I mean, I'm no soldier."
"You don't have to be," Sico replied. "That's why Sarah, MacCready, and Robert are here. They'll handle the plans on the training. You just have to make sure it stays a priority."
Danny let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. "Damn. You really think I can handle that?"
Sico smirked. "You're the mayor, aren't you?"
"Technically," Danny muttered.
"Then act like it," Sico said. "Diamond City needs strong leadership, and that means more than just keeping the lights on. You want this place to be safe? To actually stand a chance when real trouble comes knocking? This is how you do it."
Danny looked down at the dirt, thinking for a long moment before nodding. "Alright," he said finally. "I'll do it. But if this all goes to hell, I'm blaming you."
Sico chuckled. "That's fair."
Sarah, who had been listening quietly, clapped a hand on Danny's shoulder. "You'll be fine, Mayor. Just don't let them slack off, and if they do, you can call us."
MacCready scoffed. "And if they do slack off, just tell 'em I'll be back to personally kick their asses."
Danny let out a dry laugh. "That's… honestly pretty motivating."
Sico gave one last glance at the guards, who were now getting back into formation, ready for the next round of training. "Alright," he said. "Let's get back to it."
The rest of the day was a brutal grind. Sarah had them running drills until their legs felt like lead. MacCready made sure their marksmanship improved—he had no patience for missed shots. And Robert drilled them in close-quarters combat, ensuring they wouldn't freeze up when things got personal.
Sico watched over it all, occasionally stepping in to correct stances, adjust grips, or bark orders when someone started slacking. He wasn't about to let this city fall back into complacency. Not after everything they'd fought for.
By the time the sun started setting, the recruits were barely standing. Felix, the young recruit who had collapsed earlier, stumbled over to Sico.
"Sir," he panted. "Did… we do good today?"
Sico studied him for a moment before nodding. "You didn't quit."
Felix gave a tired but proud smile. "Thanks, sir."
Sico clapped him on the back. "Go get some rest. You'll need it."
As the recruits dispersed, Danny approached Sico again, looking more serious than before. "I meant what I said earlier," he murmured. "About taking this seriously. I'm gonna do my best."
Sico met his gaze. "Good. That's all anyone can ask."
Danny exhaled and smirked. "Guess I should start practicing my 'tough leader' voice."
Sico chuckled. "You'll figure it out."
With that, Danny left, and Sico turned back to his people. There one week left before they head back to Sanctuary. That was all the time they had, but if there that told them today was, they were making progress.
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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:-