FO4 | Book 1: Bombs on Monday Morning ✔️

Bonus Chapter: The Master of Disguise (Honest)

I gathered up some provisions from Diamond City before heading out using the money that Nick had paid me for a few cases. I knew that the trip back to Sanctuary wasn't going to be too dangerous — the road leading back home rarely was — but anything could happen.

When I got back to Sanctuary it was around four o'clock, and the first place I stopped was at the far end by the river where Sturges was setting up the Relay.

To my dismay, it still wasn't finished.

I spent another week traveling back and forth between Sanctuary and various places for the rest of the scrap Sturges needed to finish the Relay. Afterward, I just couldn't take the repetitiveness anymore. Again, I felt the itch to go out and do something.

At first my mind turned to Goodneighbor. I missed Hancock, and I could go for some drinks at the Third Rail. I wondered how MacCready's search for his son's cure went.

Then, that's when it hit me. I remembered that I told Deacon I would help him with a job. It had been weeks. I was so sure that he thought I wasn't coming. A pang of guilt twisted my heart into a knot.

The next day, I set out with the intention of going to the Railroad Headquarters at the Old North Church. I set out early because I knew it was a long trip.

It was even longer because a group of Super Mutants had taken to searching an area close to the path I usually took to get to Goodneighbor, and that was the same route I knew to get to the Railroad Headquarters. I had to sneak around the big, green brutes to make sure I wasn't spotted and killed on sight.

I sighed with relief once I made it to HQ. Inside, I was met by blinding lights like the first visit. I told the guards that I was there to help with a quest from Deacon, but they didn't want to let me in. Eventually, they went to fetch Desdemona for permission.

Desdemona let me in, and she was surprised to see me. I kept the pleasantries brief, because I needed to find Deacon right away before the guilt ate me alive. When I found him, he was sleeping on a bunk bed in the far corner of HQ.

"Am I dreaming?" he asked groggily. "Because I never thought you'd show up."

"No. I just forgot..."

He rubbed his eyes and groaned. "Did you have to remember while I was asleep?"

"If you need to rest, by all means, rest. I can wait. In fact, it's still dark out."

"Yeah, let's do that." He almost instantly fell back asleep.

Deacon looked funny because he wasn't wearing his sunglasses or his black wig. He was bald, and his eyes — from what I could see past his squinting — were brown.

Desdemona provided me with a sleeping bag and assured me that it was safe here, that I could rest easy. I was inclined to believe her so that I could get some rest before tomorrow.

Deacon woke me up the next morning. I brushed out my long, messy hair and put it up in a bun before I put my shoes, Pip-Boy, and coat back on.

He led me back out of the church, and we traveled to a secluded area underneath an old highway bridge. He told me to stay put while he went off somewhere. It was still dim outside and a little foggy, so I couldn't make out where he was going.

The January weather was chilling me to the bone. I didn't own a thicker jacket, and it was a miracle I hadn't come down with a cold yet. Despite our irradiated surroundings and drastic change in climate and weather patterns since the War, it still wasn't warm enough.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and seeing my companion's sudden change of clothes startled me. I jumped back.

"Whoa, it's me," he said, raising his hands up.