484. Defenses has Finally Finish Been Built

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Over the next few days, the transformation of Diamond City's security force truly began. With Sarah running them through intense physical training, Robert drilling them on squad tactics, and MacCready teaching them marksmanship and battlefield awareness, the recruits were forced to either adapt or break.

For the next two days, Sico observed the transformation taking place in the training yard. From sunrise to sunset, the recruits were put through grueling drills, pushed to their physical and mental limits by Sarah, Robert, and MacCready.

Robert was relentless, driving them through intense squad-based exercises, drilling them on how to move as a unit, cover each other, and react under fire. He had no patience for hesitation or sloppiness. If a recruit failed to keep up, Robert made sure they felt it.

"Again!" he barked as a group fumbled a simulated ambush drill. "You think raiders are gonna let you reset if you screw up? No! They'll gut you and leave your body for the crows! Now move!"

The recruits, exhausted and drenched in sweat, forced themselves back into formation, gripping their weapons tighter, their movements sharpening under pressure.

MacCready took a different approach. He focused on marksmanship and battlefield awareness, ensuring these men could handle their rifles with precision. He ran them through live-fire drills, stress tests, and target practice under simulated combat conditions. If a recruit flinched or hesitated, MacCready was there in a flash.

"Control your breathing!" he shouted at a young recruit who was shaking as he aimed. "Your rifle's your best friend. You treat it like a scared little kid, it'll fail you. Hold it firm, take your shot—trust your instincts."

Sico stood with his arms crossed, watching them work. The results were already starting to show.

The first day had been rough—exhaustion and frustration were written all over the recruits' faces. Some had come dangerously close to quitting. But by the second day, something changed.

The hesitation in their movements started to fade. The wild, desperate gunfire that had once characterized their shooting drills was now more controlled, more deliberate. The recruits still weren't soldiers yet, but they were improving.

Sarah joined him on the sidelines, wiping sweat from her brow as she watched MacCready chew out a recruit for failing to check his surroundings.

"They're getting better," she admitted, stretching out her sore shoulders. "Not good enough yet, but better."

Sico nodded, watching as Robert made the recruits redo their entire drill because one of them hesitated for a second too long.

"They have to be," he said. "The Commonwealth isn't forgiving."

Sarah smirked. "Yeah, no shit. You thinking of stepping in yourself?"

Sico turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"What, you think I just watch for fun?" he said with a smirk.

Sarah chuckled. "Alright then, boss. Let's see what you've got."

The second morning, Sico walked onto the training field, rifle slung over his back, and stood in front of the recruits.

"You've had Robert, MacCready, and Sarah drilling you nonstop," he said, his voice carrying over the field. "Now, you're gonna train with me."

The recruits exchanged glances. Most of them had only seen Sico as the leader, the one who gave orders from a distance. They hadn't seen him in action yet.

MacCready smirked from the sidelines. "Oh, this should be fun."

Robert folded his arms, watching with interest.

Sico gestured for the recruits to follow him to an open clearing just outside the main training area.

"This drill is simple," he said. "You have to hit me."

A few recruits blinked. One of them, a burly man named Carter, frowned. "Uh… what?"

Sico shrugged. "You and the others need to land a clean hit on me. You do that, you pass."

The recruits hesitated. They knew Sico wasn't just some leader barking orders—he had built Diamond City into a fortress, led battles against raiders, and survived encounters with the Brotherhood of Steel. He wasn't someone to underestimate.

Still, Carter cracked his knuckles, stepping forward. "Alright," he said. "Let's see what you've got, boss."

Sico smiled. "Come at me."

Carter rushed forward, throwing a heavy punch. Sico sidestepped effortlessly, pivoting on his heel and using the recruit's own momentum to send him tumbling to the ground.

Before Carter could get up, two more recruits lunged at Sico from opposite sides, hoping to catch him off guard.

It didn't work.

Sico ducked under a swinging fist, swept the legs out from one attacker, then caught the other's wrist, twisting it just enough to force him to the ground.

The rest of the recruits hesitated, watching in shock.

Sico straightened up, cracking his neck. "That was sloppy," he said. "You relied on brute force, no strategy. You attacked without thinking. Try again."

They did.

For the next two hours, Sico put them through hell. One by one, in pairs, in groups, they tried to land a single hit on him. And every time, he countered, dodged, or redirected their attacks. He wasn't just stronger—he was smarter, faster, always three steps ahead.

The recruits learned fast. They had to.

By the end, many were lying on the ground, groaning, but the look in their eyes had changed. They weren't just training anymore—they were learning.

Sarah whistled from the sidelines. "Damn, boss. Didn't think you had that much fight in you."

Sico wiped the sweat from his forehead. "You don't build an army by standing still."

Robert chuckled. "Alright, I admit it. You're not just a leader. You're a warrior."

MacCready grinned. "Well, at least now they know what they're up against."

Sico looked over at the recruits, who were now sitting up, catching their breath.

"Lesson of the day," he said. "In the field, there are no second chances. Train hard now, so when the time comes, you survive."

The recruits, despite their exhaustion, nodded.

Sico dusted off his hands and gave the recruits a final glance. They were exhausted, battered, and bruised, but there was something different in their eyes now—a fire that hadn't been there before. They were learning, adapting. He nodded to Robert, MacCready, and Sarah, handing the training back over to them.

"I'll leave them to you," Sico said. "Keep pushing them."

Robert smirked. "Oh, don't worry. After today, they're gonna wish they never signed up."

MacCready slung his rifle over his shoulder. "By the time we're done, even the Brotherhood's gonna think twice before messing with Diamond City."

Sarah grinned. "Get out of here, boss. We've got this."

Sico gave a short nod before turning on his heel, making his way out of the training yard and heading toward the city's entrance. Today was an important day—the final pieces of Diamond City's new defenses were being put in place, and he needed to see how Sturges and his team were doing.

The sun was high in the sky as Sico made his way to the front gate. The sounds of construction filled the air—hammers striking metal, saws cutting through wood, and voices shouting orders back and forth. The new defenses were nearly complete, and it was an impressive sight.

Towering over the main gate was a newly built watchtower, reinforced with steel plating salvaged from old cars and scrap metal. It provided a perfect vantage point over the city's entrance, allowing guards to spot incoming threats long before they reached the walls. Alongside it, a series of barricades, sandbag positions, and automated turrets were being finalized, creating a formidable first line of defense.

Sturges stood in the middle of it all, barking orders to his workers. He was covered in sweat and dirt, but the grin on his face told Sico everything he needed to know—things were going well.

"Sturges!" Sico called as he approached.

The engineer turned, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Well, if it ain't the boss man himself. Figured you'd show up once we were about done."

Sico glanced around, taking in the new fortifications. "Looks solid. You think it'll hold against a real attack?"

Sturges smirked. "Hell yeah, it will. We reinforced the walls with extra plating, set up those turrets you scavenged, and put in some new firing positions for the guards. Ain't nobody getting through here without a hell of a fight."

Sico nodded in approval. "Good. Last thing we need is another raider gang thinking we're easy pickings."

One of Sturges' workers jogged up, wiping grease from his hands. "Boss, the wiring for the turrets is all set. They should be online in the next hour."

Sturges clapped the man on the back. "Nice work, kid. Get the rest of the team to double-check everything—last thing we need is a jammed turret when we're getting shot at."

The worker nodded and rushed off.

Sico walked up to the base of the watchtower, tilting his head back to look at the top. "Mind if I check it out?"

Sturges waved a hand. "Go for it. Built it sturdy enough to hold up against a damn mini-nuke."

Sico climbed the metal ladder, boots clanking against the rungs. As he reached the top, he stepped onto the wooden platform and took in the view. From here, he could see far beyond Diamond City's walls—the ruins of Boston stretching out in every direction. Smoke curled from distant fires, a reminder that the Commonwealth was still a dangerous place.

He could also see the road leading up to the city, the first place any would-be attackers would come from. With the new defenses in place, any hostile force would have a hell of a time getting through.

A voice called up from below. "What do you think?"

Sico looked down to see Sturges grinning up at him.

He nodded. "It's good work. This is gonna make a difference."

Sturges chuckled. "Damn right it will. Raiders, super mutants, even the Brotherhood if they try something stupid—we're ready for 'em."

Sico took one last look before climbing back down. As he reached the ground, he clapped Sturges on the shoulder. "You've done good here. This'll keep people safe."

Sturges rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, hell, boss. Just doin' my job."

Before Sico could say more, a voice rang out from the gate.

"Hey! We've got movement on the road!"

Instantly, the atmosphere changed. Workers grabbed their weapons, guards rushed to their positions, and Sico turned sharply toward the gate.

He jogged up the steps of the newly built guard station, looking out past the barricades. A group was approaching—half a dozen figures moving cautiously toward the city.

Sarah's voice crackled over the radio. "Sico, you seeing this?"

"I see it," he muttered.

The figures came closer, and Sico's sharp eyes took in the details. They weren't raiders—too organized for that. They weren't Brotherhood either—no power armor. They looked… desperate.

"Civilians," he muttered. "But they don't look like settlers."

Sturges frowned. "What do you wanna do?"

Sico thought for a moment. Then he grabbed the radio.

"Hold your fire. Let's see what they want."

The group stopped just outside the barricades, raising their hands in a universal sign of peace.

A woman stepped forward, her face weary but determined. "We're looking for a place to stay," she called out. "We heard Diamond City was safe."

Sico studied them carefully. They had the look of people who had been through hell—clothes torn, faces sunburned, weapons slung loosely at their sides. They weren't raiders.

He turned to Sturges. "Get me Geneva. We need to decide if we're letting them in."

Sturges nodded and jogged off.

Sico turned back to the group. "No sudden moves," he called. "We'll talk."

The woman nodded, relief washing over her face.

As the guards kept watch, Sico felt the weight of his decisions settling on his shoulders. The Commonwealth was changing, and Diamond City had to be ready.

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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:-