482. Making Diamond City a Special Jurisdiction on Minutemen Territory

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Danny looked around, watching as people went about their lives with just a little less worry than before.

As the sun cast long shadows over the marketplace, Danny exhaled slowly, taking in the subtle shift in the air. The merchants weren't happy, but the people—his people—were starting to see the logic in the new system. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

Sico and Preston stood beside him, both watching as Geneva finalized her notes. The tension in the city was far from over, but this was a strong first step toward something better.

Sico adjusted his coat and turned to Danny. "You know where to find us if things get rough."

Danny smirked, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah. I'll try to keep the city from burning down while you two go play soldier and engineer."

Preston chuckled, giving a relaxed salute. "We've all got our roles, Danny." He turned on his heel and started making his way toward the barracks where Sarah and the security force were still drilling. There was always more work to be done.

Sico stretched his arms behind his head. "I'm gonna check in on Sturges and his crew. Those watchtowers aren't gonna build themselves."

Danny gave him a nod. "Keep me updated."

With that, Sico and Preston parted ways, each heading toward their respective responsibilities.

---

As Preston approached the training grounds, he could already hear Sarah's sharp commands cutting through the air.

"Again! Faster this time!"

A group of security recruits rushed through their drill—moving in formation, taking cover, checking corners. The ragtag militia of old had been replaced with something resembling a real army.

Sarah spotted Preston and strode over, wiping sweat from her brow. "Didn't think I'd see the day Diamond City's security would actually look like a fighting force," she said, glancing back at the recruits.

Preston nodded, arms crossed as he watched them cycle through a room-clearing exercise. "They're getting better. Still a ways to go, but this? This is progress."

Sarah sighed. "We need more weapons. We've upgraded from pipe pistols and hunting rifles, but we're still outgunned if we ever have to go up against the Brotherhood or the Gunners."

Preston frowned. "We'll have to work on that. Sico mentioned setting up some weapon production with Sturges—maybe we can start making our own instead of relying on scavenged gear."

Sarah smirked. "If anyone can pull that off, it's him."

Preston clapped her on the shoulder. "Keep pushing them. They're gonna be the backbone of this city soon enough."

Sarah nodded and turned back to her recruits, barking new orders.

---

Sico made his way toward the main gate, where Sturges and his crew were hard at work reinforcing Diamond City's defenses. The once-ramshackle barricades had been torn down and replaced with solid steel walls. The foundation for new watchtowers was already in place.

Sturges, wearing his usual jumpsuit and welding goggles, was directing a group of workers as they welded together large metal beams. He spotted Sico and waved him over.

"'Bout time you showed up," Sturges called, pulling his goggles up onto his forehead. "We're making some real progress here."

Sico took in the sight, nodding in approval. "Looks solid. These towers are gonna give us some real sightlines over the Commonwealth."

Sturges wiped his hands on a rag. "That's the idea. Got some good snipers in the security team—figure we set 'em up here, we'll have eyes on any trouble before it even gets close."

Sico ran a hand along one of the steel support beams. "What about automated defenses? Turrets?"

Sturges grinned. "Already workin' on it. Got a few set up on the inner walls, but I'm thinkin' we should put some heavy-duty ones right at the entrance. You know, make anyone think twice before tryin' to knock on our door uninvited."

Sico smirked. "I like it."

One of the workers approached, looking nervous. "Uh, boss? We've got a problem."

Sturges sighed. "There's always a problem. What now?"

The worker scratched the back of his neck. "Some of the merchants aren't happy about the construction. Say we're 'changing the character of Diamond City' or some nonsense. A couple of 'em are trying to slow us down—blocking shipments, complaining to city officials."

Sico narrowed his eyes. "So they're trying to mess with progress now?"

Sturges shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time folks resisted change. But I figure you might have a better way of dealin' with 'em."

Sico crossed his arms, thinking. If the merchants were trying to stall construction, then they were more than just greedy—they were actively working against the security of the city. That wasn't going to fly.

"Alright," Sico said. "We'll handle it. But first, let's finish up here. The sooner these defenses are up, the sooner people realize we're serious about protecting them."

Sturges grinned. "Now you're talkin'."

---

Later that evening, Sico met up with Danny and Geneva to discuss the latest development.

"So now the merchants aren't just overcharging people," Sico said, his voice tight with frustration. "They're trying to stall our defenses. What's next? Are they gonna start sabotaging water purification?"

Danny ran a hand through his hair, clearly exhausted. "I was hoping they'd come around, but I guess that was naive."

Geneva adjusted her glasses. "It's not all of them, but a few key merchants are trying to make things difficult. The worst offenders? Solomon, Arturo, and Becky."

Sico let out a short laugh. "Of course it's them."

Danny sighed. "We need a way to handle this without making things worse."

Sico leaned forward. "We hit 'em where it hurts—licenses. They wanna keep playing games? Fine. They can do it outside these walls."

Geneva hesitated. "That's… a big move. If we ban them, it could cause even more unrest."

Danny frowned. "Or it could send a message."

Sico nodded. "Exactly. We're not running a dictatorship here, but we're also not gonna let a handful of greedy bastards hold the city hostage."

After a long pause, Danny exhaled. "Alright. We issue an ultimatum. They cooperate, or they're out."

---

The next morning, the announcement was made.

A meeting was called in the marketplace, where Danny, Sico, and Geneva stood in front of a gathered crowd.

Danny stepped forward. "We've heard your concerns, and we're here to address them directly."

He glanced at the assembled merchants. "This city belongs to everyone—not just a handful of traders who think they can manipulate the system for their own benefit."

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

Sico took a step forward. "Let's make this real simple. If you do business in Diamond City, you play by the rules. You don't get to raise prices unfairly. You don't get to sabotage security. And you sure as hell don't get to block progress just because it doesn't benefit your bottom line."

Danny crossed his arms. "So here's the deal—work with us, or take your business elsewhere."

The marketplace fell into silence.

Then, slowly, a few voices rose from the crowd.

A man near the front spoke up. "So… no more getting ripped off?"

Danny nodded. "No more getting ripped off."

A woman in the back called out. "And those security improvements? They're staying?"

Sico smirked. "Damn right they are."

A few merchants exchanged glances, clearly debating their next move.

Then, Becky, one of the most outspoken traders, let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. But if we start losing money because of this, we're gonna have words."

Sico chuckled. "We'll be sure to listen real close."

The meeting ended, and as the crowd dispersed, Danny turned to Sico.

"You think they'll actually follow through?"

Sico shrugged. "They will. Because if they don't… they'll find out real fast that Diamond City's future doesn't have room for their bullshit."

Danny exhaled, a small smile creeping onto his face. "I think we just won."

"For now," Sico said. "But there's still a hell of a lot more to do."

Danny smirked. "Then let's get to work."

Sico watched as the crowd dispersed, the tension in the marketplace finally beginning to ease. The merchants might not have liked the new reality, but they weren't going to fight it—at least not openly. It was a step forward, and in the Commonwealth, every step forward counted.

Danny exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well… that could've gone worse."

Sico chuckled. "Could've gone a lot worse."

Geneva, still clutching her clipboard, adjusted her glasses. "They'll toe the line—for now. But don't expect them to just roll over. The moment they see an opportunity to push back, they'll take it."

Danny nodded. "Yeah, I figured as much. But at least we bought ourselves some time."

Sico crossed his arms, glancing around the marketplace. "That's all we ever do out here—buy time. But that's not why I pulled you aside."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What's on your mind?"

Sico turned to face him fully. "The Minutemen. We're not staying in Diamond City."

Danny blinked, caught off guard. "Wait—what?"

"We'll finish what we started here," Sico continued. "We'll make sure you have full control over this city, that no one can challenge your authority. But once that's done, the Minutemen are moving on. We're needed elsewhere."

Danny frowned. "I… I don't get it. You've spent all this time helping us. You built up security, gave the people a voice, made sure Diamond City could stand on its own. And now you're just gonna leave?"

Sico nodded. "Yeah. That was always the plan."

Danny scoffed. "Would've been nice to know that before we got this far."

Sico smirked. "Would you have trusted me if I told you that from the start?"

Danny opened his mouth, then closed it. After a moment, he sighed. "Alright, fair point."

Sico placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "This isn't abandonment. This city will still be under Minutemen jurisdiction, but you'll be the one running it. Not me. Not Preston. Not anyone else."

Danny hesitated, his expression unreadable. "Why?"

"Because Diamond City isn't just another settlement. It's the heart of the Commonwealth. If the Minutemen controlled it directly, it'd send the wrong message." Sico met Danny's gaze. "You're the leader of this city. You need to be the one calling the shots, not answering to us."

Danny looked away for a moment, his jaw tightening. "That's… a lot of responsibility."

Sico nodded. "Yeah. It is."

Danny exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Shit, man. You're really dropping this in my lap, huh?"

Sico chuckled. "You've been carrying this city for a while now. I'm just making it official."

Geneva, who had been silent until now, cleared her throat. "This… could work."

Danny looked at her, surprised. "You think so?"

She nodded. "If the people see that Diamond City still has autonomy, that you're not just another Minutemen puppet, they'll rally behind you." She glanced at Sico. "And as much as I hate to admit it, Sico's right. The Minutemen being here gives people confidence, but if they stay too long, it'll start to look like an occupation."

Danny ran a hand through his hair. "So… I'm in charge."

Sico smirked. "You always were."

Danny let out a dry laugh. "That's debatable."

Geneva crossed her arms. "Well, it's reality now. So you'd better get used to it."

Danny sighed, shaking his head. "Alright. Fine. But if I'm gonna be running this city, I want to do it right." He turned to Sico. "I want your word that if we ever need help, the Minutemen will be there."

Sico extended his hand. "You have it."

Danny stared at him for a moment before clasping his hand firmly. "Then let's finish what we started."

Sico held Danny's gaze for a moment before releasing his grip. He could see the wheels turning in the man's head, the weight of leadership settling onto his shoulders. Danny was capable—he'd proven that time and time again—but it was one thing to fight for control and another to actually hold onto it.

Sico exhaled and rolled his shoulders. "Look, it's not like we're packing up tomorrow. The Minutemen aren't leaving in a day or a week. There's still plenty of time to make sure everything's solid before we go."

Danny let out a breath, nodding. "Alright. That helps. I just… I don't want to wake up one day and find out you and Preston just vanished in the night."

Sico chuckled. "Yeah, not my style. We've still got work to do—reinforcing security, smoothing things over with the merchants, setting up a proper supply line for weapons and gear. And let's not forget—half the city still doesn't trust you."

Danny groaned. "Yeah, thanks for that reminder."

"I'm serious," Sico said. "People need to see you leading, making decisions, proving that Diamond City is better with you at the helm. The Minutemen backing you up only goes so far. If they think you're just some guy standing in my shadow, then the second we leave, this whole thing falls apart."

Danny scratched the back of his head. "And here I was thinking you were gonna make my life easier."

Sico smirked. "That'd be too easy, wouldn't it?"

Danny shook his head with a tired laugh. "You're an ass."

Sico grinned. "Yeah, but I'm an ass who gets shit done."

Geneva, watching their exchange, cleared her throat. "As much as I enjoy this touching moment, we have work to do." She adjusted her glasses, looking at Danny. "If we're going to transition leadership properly, we need a strategy. A real one."

Sico nodded. "She's right. This isn't just about telling people you're in charge. You need to show them. We need to reinforce that this is *your* city, not just a Minutemen outpost."

Danny crossed his arms. "And how do we do that?"

Sico shrugged. "For starters? Public works. If people see you improving their lives—fixing the water supply, expanding housing, making trade easier—they'll stop questioning whether you should be in charge."

Geneva nodded. "We also need a proper governing system. Something official. Right now, you're the de facto leader, but that's not enough. We need structure, laws, accountability."

Danny frowned. "Diamond City's always run on an informal system. You're telling me I need to set up a government?"

Sico raised an eyebrow. "You think people are just gonna listen to you forever because you made a few speeches? No. They need laws, rules—something they can rely on. Otherwise, the second there's a crisis, they'll start looking for someone else to follow."

Danny sighed. "Yeah… you're right. Damn it." He rubbed his temples. "Alright. So… government, infrastructure, proving to the people I'm the right guy for the job. Anything else?"

Sico smirked. "Yeah. You might wanna work on your speeches. 'Cause right now? You sound like you'd rather be anywhere else."

Danny groaned. "Fantastic."

Sico clapped him on the back. "Welcome to leadership." While laughing to Danny

________________________________________________

• 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:-