Chapter Text
Vik stumbled up the stairs of the Memory Den, numb and tasting bile in the back of her throat. Dogmeat was close at her heels.
Watching Nate’s murder through Kellogg’s eyes had been worse than living it the first time. She knew what would happen…saw the look on her own face, trapped in the cryopod. And to see Shaun, see him as the little boy with his father’s eyes…her baby was gone, lost to time. Her son wouldn’t know her when—and it was when, not if—she found him. Vik was lost in a swirling maelstrom as she approached Nick. The storm ceased vioenty when Nick’s mouth opened, and Kellogg’s voice came out.
Vik stopped tracking for a bit after that. The next thing she knew, they were in the Third Rail and Nick was pressing a glass of whiskey, neat, into her hand.
She was into her third glass when Dogmeat’s ear flicked towards the VIP area, and her own ears picked up the mumblings after. It sounded almost like threats.Threats meant a potential fight.
She could go for a fight, hitting something hard and repeatedly sounded fucking perfect right then.
Placing her empty glass deliberately on the bar, she stood and headed toward the VIP area, Dogmeat walking next to her. She didn’t have to look to know Nick had followed her.
Two men, clearly the aggressors, were menacing a young man who was facing them.
Dogmeat started to growl, a deep gutteral growl that made the hair on Vik’s neck stand up despite her familiarity with the faithful hound. Vik folded her arms across her chest and shifted her weight to one hip as they turned.
The two did a double take, exchanged a glance, and made their exit with parting words to the man they’d been harassing.
Vik paused, debating whether to let them through, before a memory of the Mayor flashed through her mind. While she was hoping to speak to him again, she doubted he’d be as hospitable if she’d started something in the local bar. Later, she’d learn how wrong that assumption was, but in that moment it kept her from doing something exceptionally stupid.
She moved, and Dogmeat followed her lead.
MacCready was a salty bastard, but she immediately liked him. She haggled him down on price and hired him on the spot. She adored Nick, but the kind of trouble she wanted to get into would be too much for the old detective.
For the next month, Vik and MacCready, went after several bunches of raiders, returned Daisy’s library books, stormed the Trinity Tower to rescue Rex Goodman, and saved Austin in Vault 81.
Vik was showing Daisy her new combat rifle back in Goodneighbor when the radio started playing a familiar intro:
“When evil walks the streets of Boston, one woman lurks in the shadows. Shielding the innocent. Judging the guilty. That guardian is… the Silver Shroud!”
“No fucking way,” Vik said.
“Why does it not surprise me you’re a Shroud fan,” Daisy chuckled.
Mac made a face. “Are you serious?”
Vik shrugged, a lopsided smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. “Another lifetime, I never missed one. Where’s that coming from, Daisy?”
“Kent Connolly, he has a set up off the lobby of the Memory Den. I’m sure he’d love to talk to someone who remembers the original episodes like he does.”
Vik glanced at Mac, who shifted awkwardly.
“Head down to the Third Rail, Mac. I’ll meet you there in a bit.”
“You sure?”
“Oh yeah, you deserve some down time. I won’t leave Goodneighbor without you. Besides, I owe you a round after the mole rats.”
Mac nodded, waving to Daisy before heading off. Vik headed to the Memory Den, stuffing down the flashes of what happened the last time she’d been there.
Before she walked in, she felt eyes on her and turned slowly. On the balcony of the statehouse, she could see a figure in the fading light. His tricorn hat and red jacket confirmed her suspicion. She waved, and made a motion like she was tipping her nonexistent hat. The laugh that flittered down to her made her smile widen as she turned back to the door and went in.
Kent, it turned out, put her own fandom intensity to shame. In no time at all, he’d talked her into getting the costume from Hubris.
A quick errand, not like when she’d go centuries ago when she’d lose hours browsing. Easy money, too.
Of course, that was before she and Mac found the dead scavenger outside of the door…and heard the shuffling inside…