478. Choosing a Mayor for Diamond City PT.2

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As they followed her back into the market, Sico had a feeling that this was going to be an interesting day.

Piper led the way with a confident stride, weaving through the bustling streets of Diamond City like she owned the place. And in a way, she kind of did—if not physically, then in spirit. Sico had always known Piper to be a sharp reporter, but seeing her in action reminded him just how naturally she fit into the rhythm of the city.

"You're about to witness a masterclass in getting people to spill their guts," Piper said over her shoulder, flashing a playful smirk.

Preston chuckled. "Alright, show us what you've got."

She nodded toward Takahashi's noodle stand, where a handful of locals were hunched over steaming bowls of synthetic broth. The stall was a staple of Diamond City, a neutral ground where folks from all walks of life sat shoulder to shoulder, eating in relative peace.

"This is the perfect spot," Piper whispered. "People drop their guard when they're eating. It's instinct. Plus, Takahashi barely speaks anything other than 'Nani shimasu ka,' so no one expects to be overheard."

Sico crossed his arms, watching as she strode forward with effortless confidence. The folks at the stand barely looked up, focused on slurping down their noodles, but Piper slid onto a stool like she belonged there, flashing a friendly smile at an older man to her right.

"Rough day?" she asked casually, reaching into her satchel and pulling out a battered notepad.

The man, a scruffy-looking settler with sun-creased skin, glanced at her. "Ain't they all?"

Piper laughed. "You've got a point. At least the noodles are still good."

The settler grunted in agreement, shoveling another mouthful into his mouth. Sico and Preston watched from a short distance, intrigued by her approach. She wasn't asking about Danny right away—she was making herself part of the environment, easing into the conversation without an obvious motive.

She let the silence sit for a beat before speaking again. "I was just talking with some folks about the city. How things have changed, how they're still changing. You've been here a while?"

The settler wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Long enough."

"Then you probably remember when Danny was still running security under McDonough," Piper said, her tone light, conversational.

That got the settler's attention. He glanced at her fully now. "Yeah. I remember."

Piper nodded, taking that as her cue to keep going. "He's a good guy, right? Honest? The kind of person you'd trust to keep this place together?"

The settler leaned back slightly, considering her words. "Honest? Yeah. Danny ain't one of them types looking to screw folks over. He did his job, and he did it right. But leading Diamond City? That's a whole different beast."

Piper tilted her head. "How so?"

The settler set his chopsticks down. "Danny's steady, sure. But leading means making tough calls. McDonough, for all his faults, knew how to keep folks in line. Kept the city strong. You need more than just a good heart to lead. You need grit."

Piper let that sit for a moment before nodding. "That's fair. But do you think someone like Danny could grow into that role? If he had the right people backing him?"

The settler scratched at his beard. "Maybe. If folks believe in him. If he steps up."

Piper smiled, thanked the man, and turned her attention to the next person—a younger woman who had been quietly listening while stirring her noodles.

"What about you?" Piper asked. "Do you think Danny could lead?"

The woman hesitated before answering. "I mean… he's not a bad choice. I'd trust him more than another McDonough. But he never really seemed like the type to take charge, you know?"

Piper tapped her fingers on her notepad thoughtfully. "That seems to be the main concern. People respect Danny, but they're not sure if he has what it takes to really lead."

Sico exchanged a glance with Preston. That was the most honest feedback they'd gotten so far.

After wrapping up the conversation, Piper walked back over to them, hands on her hips. "See? That's how you get real answers."

Sico smirked. "Alright, I'll admit it—you're good."

Piper grinned. "Damn right I am."

Preston nodded, rubbing his chin. "Sounds like we've got our work cut out for us if we want people to rally behind Danny. They don't dislike him, but they need to believe in him."

Piper crossed her arms. "Exactly. He needs to show them he's more than just the guy who used to run security. He needs to prove he's a leader."

Sico leaned against a rusted metal railing, arms crossed, as he processed everything they'd just learned. Piper had a point—asking people directly wasn't always the best way to get the truth. People weren't just going to hand over their honest thoughts unless they trusted who was asking. And even then, some things had to be teased out, read between the lines.

He turned to Piper, who was still flipping through her notepad, her sharp eyes scanning over the notes she'd taken. "Alright," Sico said, "how about we take this a step further?"

Piper arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Got something in mind, General?"

Sico smirked at the nickname but waved a hand. "You've got a way with people. They trust you, at least more than they trust us coming up to them all official-like. What if we asked folks not just what they think of Danny, but what he'd have to do to actually get their trust?"

Preston nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. We're not just trying to figure out what they think of him now—we need to know what it'll take for them to back him."

Piper tapped her pen against her notepad, considering. "So, instead of just 'Do you think Danny could lead?' we ask, 'What would it take for you to trust him as your leader?'"

Sico nodded. "Exactly."

Piper grinned. "Now that's a damn good angle. Alright, let's see what Diamond City's got to say."

She wasted no time diving back into the crowd, her instincts kicking in as she scanned for potential targets. Sico and Preston followed, keeping a respectful distance as she worked her magic.

The next person she approached was an older woman selling fresh—well, relatively fresh—Mutfruit from a wooden crate. The woman, her face lined with years of hardship, wiped her hands on her apron and gave Piper a wary look.

"You again," she muttered. "What's the story this time?"

Piper laughed. "No story—just trying to get a feel for what people want from their leaders."

The woman scoffed. "What people want don't mean much these days."

"Maybe not," Piper admitted. "But if someone was going to step up, what would it take for them to earn your trust?"

The woman eyed her for a long moment before sighing. "Honesty, for one. Ain't had an honest mayor in years."

Piper scribbled that down. "Honesty. Anything else?"

"Fairness," the woman said firmly. "We need someone who actually gives a damn about folks like us, not just the rich bastards up in the fancy apartments. McDonough played favorites, and look how that turned out."

Piper nodded. "So someone who listens to everyone, not just the upper class."

"Damn right." The woman crossed her arms. "And he better have some backbone, too. If he starts rolling over the second things get tough, this city'll eat him alive."

Piper smiled. "Sounds like you've thought about this a lot."

The woman shrugged. "You live here long enough, you learn what doesn't work. Maybe it's time we got something different."

Piper thanked her and moved on.

Next, she struck up a conversation with a pair of caravan guards leaning against a wall, their rifles slung over their shoulders. They were mid-conversation about a recent raider ambush, but Piper slid in smoothly, joining the chat with a casual remark about how bad the roads had gotten.

After a few minutes, she steered things toward Danny. "So, what would it take for a guy like him to actually win people over?"

One of the guards, a burly man with a scar across his cheek, snorted. "Danny? He's alright, but he's gotta show he can handle himself. We don't need another pushover."

His companion, a wiry woman with sharp eyes, nodded. "Yeah. McDonough talked a big game, but when things went bad, he hid behind his walls. We need someone who'll stand with the people, not just order them around."

"So, leadership through action," Piper noted.

"Exactly," the woman said. "If Danny really wants to lead, he better be out there proving he's got what it takes. Not just words—actions."

Piper grinned. "Got it."

She worked the market for nearly an hour, talking to traders, workers, even a couple of kids playing with a broken baseball. The responses were varied, but a pattern started to emerge:

• People respected Danny but weren't sure if he had the strength to lead.

• They wanted a leader who was honest and fair—someone who wouldn't play favorites.

• They needed to see him take action, not just sit behind a desk.

• They wanted someone who would stand with them, not above them.

By the time Piper regrouped with Sico and Preston, her notepad was filled with scrawled notes, and she had a triumphant look on her face. "Alright, boys. We've got ourselves a blueprint."

Sico took the notepad, flipping through it. "This is good. This gives us a real starting point."

Preston crossed his arms. "So, now the real question—how do we make this happen?"

Piper smirked. "That's the fun part."

Back at Publick Occurrences, Piper spread her notes across her desk, pointing out the key takeaways. "Danny's biggest hurdle is proving himself. People like him, but they need to believe in him as a leader."

Sico nodded. "Then we need to put him in a situation where he can show them what he's capable of."

Preston rubbed his chin. "A public display of leadership. Something that forces him to step up."

Piper tapped her fingers on the desk. "We could stage something. A town hall, maybe? Get people together, have Danny speak?"

Sico frowned. "No. That's too easy to ignore. Words aren't enough."

Sico leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin as he considered the idea. Piper had a point. A town hall meeting might get people talking, but it wouldn't be enough. Danny needed to prove he wasn't just another bureaucrat. He had to take a stand, publicly, against the very people who had kept Diamond City in their grip for so long.

Preston crossed his arms. "What if we put Danny in a position where he finally stands up to the upper-class folks in the city? You know, the ones who've been running things from the shadows, pulling the strings while everyone else suffers?"

Piper raised an eyebrow. "You mean like a public confrontation?"

"Exactly," Preston said. "Something big. Something that forces the issue. If Danny can stand up to the upper-class folks—show people he won't just bow to them—he'll earn their trust. And if those rich bastards try anything shady… well, let's just say they'll be reminded that the Minutemen are watching."

Sico's smirk was slow but approving. "I like it. It's risky, but it's the kind of move that'll make people sit up and listen."

Piper tapped her pen against the desk, thinking. "Alright, but we need to be smart about this. If we're going to push Danny into a confrontation, we have to control the setting. The last thing we need is for him to get steamrolled."

"Agreed," Sico said. "We need a scenario where Danny has the upper hand. Somewhere public, where everyone can see him take a stand, but also where he isn't walking into a trap."

Piper stood up and started pacing. "The market's too chaotic. The Mayor's office is now Minutemen territory. But… what about the entrance plaza? Near the city gate?"

Preston nodded. "That could work. It's open enough for a crowd, and it's neutral ground. The rich folks won't be able to just shut things down like they could in the Mayor's office."

Sico grinned. "Alright. Now we just need to figure out what exactly Danny's going to stand up against."

Piper's eyes flicked toward her notes. "People hate how the rich folks hoard supplies. Food, water, medicine—it's all kept in their little safe zones while everyone else scrapes by."

Preston exhaled sharply. "So we call that out. Expose it."

"More than expose it," Sico said. "We make them answer for it."

Piper's smirk returned. "Now you're speaking my language."

The plan came together quickly. Piper would spread the word that something big was happening at the entrance plaza—something people wouldn't want to miss. Sico and Preston would make sure Danny was prepared, giving him the information he needed to hold his own. The Minutemen would be nearby, a quiet but unmistakable presence to ensure things didn't turn ugly.

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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:-