Diamond City and Piper

They made their way closer to the city centre, Alex taking extra care and shortcuts to avoid potential ambushes or super-mutant patrols.

Eventually they came across some red signs, armoured men wearing strange baseball uniforms patrolling the street. Nathan made his way towards them, armed raises in a peaceful kind of manner.

One of the guards spotted Alex, informing the other guard next to him.

"On your way to Diamond City?" The guard asked in an aggressive tone.

Alex: "Yeah, me and my partner over here got some business there." Nora came from behind him, the guards distracted by her appearance.

"Hoho, that's one 'partner' you've got there. You interested in selling her in the market or something, she'll fetch a good price you know?" Nora tensed up at the guard's words, finding out just now about slave trade.

*bang bang*

Alex took out his pistols and fired two rounds, shooting the guards in the head. Nora was shocked at his behaviour, how easily he killed them and without remorse.

Alex: "Sorry to frighten you sugar, but you see... I'm not really a fan of slave trade." Nora nodded her head with her eyes widened, she did consider the guard a scumbag but she didn't think he deserved his fate.

Nora: "Won't this bring consequences?"

Alex: "That's why I shot both, the other could be innocent for all I care but I won't risk witnesses."

Nora: "And what about me then?" She stopped all of a sudden, making Alex stop and turn towards her.

Alex: "I can be sure that you're an honest person because you weren't born on this godforsaken spit of land. And I can assure you that the only guards they station outside of the city, are her because they cannot be stationed with the civilians."

Nora realised that his words had some truth to them, and nodded still pretty unsure wether to follow his mentality.

Following the signs the amount of guards increased more and more, whistling at Nora who paid no attention to them. One guard however got too brave and tried to slap her ass, only for his hand to be blown off by Nora.

The other guards did nothing, and only laughed at their comrade's pathetic state. Nora now understood Nathan's words, these people care for themselves and themselves only.

Nora: "Why are you so different?" Nora asked suddenly.

Alex: "Different? What do you mean by that?"

Nora: "You don't have the same mindset as these people, and the fact that you took Preston's job confirms that.

Come on, I could tell from Preston's face that the caps weren't nearly enough for the job but you still took it. Why are you like that?"

Nora was now very sure that Alex didn't deserve to be living in this kind of hell, his emotionless acting was only a mask.

Alex: "Don't call me a saint yet Nora, I won't help people for free. I just have a set of morals that I abide by, morals that cannot be broken. The moment I break these morals I am no longer human."

His answer didn't fully satisfy Nora, but she dropped the topic.

After walking for a bit more they arrived in front of a metal gateway, guards and electronic machine gun turrets covering the place.

Alex: "I welcome you to Diamond City... hope you like it."

Going past the gate they spotted a woman shouting towards a microphone in front of a closed iron gate.

?: "What do you mean you won't let me in Danny?! Am I some kind of dangerous monster?!" The woman kept shouting towards the intercom.

Danny: "It was on the orders of Mayor McDonough Piper, I cant do anything about it."

Nora looked at Alex with a questioning gaze, he was just shaking his head at the little spectacle.

Piper: "Argh!....psss hey you two, you want to get inside Diamond City right?" She turned towards them and spoke in a whisper so the man through the intercom won't hear them.

Nora: "Uh... yeah?" She decided to speak since Alex was now completely silent.

Piper: "Them just follow my lead ok?" She winked towards Nora, the latter totally confused at what was going on.

She turned towards Alex for some assistance, but he just shrugged his shoulders-couldn't be less bothered with this situation.

Piper: "What was that.... you two are traders from Quincy? Hear that Danny?

Are you going to be the one explaining to the entire market why a fresh batch of guns and supplies was turned from the city?" She was speaking the entire time with a smirk on her face.

Danny: "...Argh, fine I'll get the door open." Soon after a loud noise of metal clinking and scraping could be heard as the door was being lifted.

Nora stumbled back slightly at the sight of this huge metallic door moving.

?: "Piper?! Who the hell let you back in?!" A short fat man with a thick grey moustache, dressed in a business suit shouted.

Piper: "Why the hell are you keeping people from finding out the truth McDonough?!" She retorted but once the man saw the duo his expression immediately changed.

McDonough: "I'm sorry you two had to see this scene, don't let it-" He was interrupted by Alex who just walked past him.

Alex: "I ain't got time for this bullshit, Nora get moving." Dogmeat growled at McDonough and got to Alex's side, turns out that after the Deathclaw incident they both accepted the other.

Nora: "Y-yeah, wait for me." Nora snapped out of her little daze and ran to his side.

Piper: "Now that's someone interesting..." Piper never saw someone shrug off McDonough's ass kissing like that.

After a bit of walking they arrived inside what looked like a huge modified baseball stadium, but metal houses and stairs everywhere.

Nora: "Where are we?" She looked around and all she could see were people dressed in rags, and hits made from metal tins.

Alex: "Welcome to the remnants of civilisation sugar, now don't tell me you're not impressed?" Alex smirked underneath the mask.

Nora: "No... I think it looks quite warm and cozy." She retorted Alex's sarcasm.

Reaching the centre of the city Alex was quite surprised because of the additional traders... more specifically slave traders. Some had super mutants in chains, some just thin men, women and children.... and some to Nora's disgust had naked young women lined up like an exposition.

Alex: "I'm disgusted as well, but let the feeling die. If you do anything in the middle of town you'll just get yourself killed, you'll get me killed as well." Alex put his hand on Nora's, whose hand was holding the holster of her 10mm pistol.

It took a while for her to calm down, her eyes bloodshot red and her body shaking with rage.

Nora: "And this is what is left of humanity...." She said through gritted teeth.

Alex: "Now you understand why I prefer the wasteland.... a lot more civilised in my opinion." Nora didn't laugh but he still got a little smile out of her.

Nora: "So why did you bring me here?" She calmed down enough to regain her senses.

Alex: "Well as shit as it may be, there are still some good people. People that can help you find your son, and one of those people is Nick Valentine a detective." He was leading her to his office, though he knew he wouldn't be there.

In a shady alleyway between some buildings there was a heart and arrow made up of neon lights, the words Valentine Detective Agency written on the inside.