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Sico clapped him on the back. "Welcome to leadership." While laughing to Danny.
The next morning, Sico was up early, moving through Diamond City before most of the residents had even stirred from their beds. The sky was still a dull gray, the sun barely peeking over the ruined skyline of Boston, but the city was already coming to life. Merchants were setting up their stalls, guards were rotating shifts, and the ever-present murmur of conversation filled the air. The tension from yesterday had settled somewhat, though Sico knew it wouldn't stay that way forever. The people of Diamond City were stubborn, and change—real change—would take time to sink in.
For now, though, his focus was on something more immediate: the city's defenses.
Sico made his way toward the main gate, where Sturges and his crew had been working for days, reinforcing the walls and setting up new watchtowers. The Minutemen had a reputation to maintain, and that meant ensuring Diamond City could hold its own in case of an attack. The old baseball stadium had decent defenses already—tall walls, a well-secured gate—but it wasn't enough. Raiders, super mutants, and worse lurked in the Commonwealth, and if Diamond City was going to stand as a symbol of stability, it needed to be fortified like one.
As he approached, Sico spotted Sturges standing atop a scaffold, hammering away at a wooden support beam. The man was covered in sweat and grime, his sleeves rolled up, but he was grinning like always. That was Sturges for you—no matter how tough the job, he'd always find a way to enjoy it.
"Sturges!" Sico called up to him. "How's it looking?"
Sturges glanced down, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Oh, hey, boss! Not too bad, all things considered. We're reinforcing the walls here, adding some extra plating to keep any big nasties from smashing through." He gestured toward the gate, where a few Minutemen were securing steel panels over weak spots. "That'll make sure nobody's breaking down the front door anytime soon."
Sico nodded in approval. "And the watchtowers?"
Sturges hopped down from the scaffold, landing with a grunt. "They're coming along. We've got one mostly done, another about halfway there. I'd say, give it two, maybe three more days, and we'll have 'em fully operational."
Sico crossed his arms, surveying the work. The towers weren't just for show—they'd give Diamond City guards a better view of the surrounding area, allowing them to spot threats before they reached the walls. It was a simple but necessary upgrade.
"That's good," Sico said. "Faster than I expected, actually."
Sturges smirked. "Well, when you've got a bunch of Minutemen breathing down your neck, you tend to work a little quicker."
Sico chuckled. "I won't argue with that."
The two men walked along the edge of the construction zone, watching as workers hauled materials, welded metal plating, and assembled the framework for the remaining towers. It was slow, exhausting work, but it would pay off in the long run.
"Any issues so far?" Sico asked.
Sturges shrugged. "Eh, just the usual. Short on materials in some spots, but we're making do. The biggest headache is keeping the damn merchants from getting in the way. They're complaining about all the noise, saying it's bad for business."
Sico sighed. "Of course they are."
Sturges grinned. "Yeah, well, I told 'em they'd be complaining a hell of a lot more if a bunch of super mutants came waltzing in here because we didn't do this."
Sico smirked. "Good response."
The two men stood in silence for a moment, watching the workers go about their tasks. The rhythmic pounding of hammers, the occasional burst of welding sparks—it was the sound of progress.
Sico turned to Sturges. "Alright, keep me updated. If you need anything—materials, extra hands, whatever—let me know."
Sturges gave him a mock salute. "Aye aye, boss."
Sico glanced up at the half-built watchtower, imagining what it would look like when finished. A proper stronghold needed more than just high walls—it needed firepower.
"Make sure you mount machine guns on each of the towers," Sico said, turning back to Sturges. "Bolsters the defenses, keeps anyone from getting too close."
Sturges scratched his chin, nodding thoughtfully. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Those towers are gonna give us a good vantage point, but without firepower, they're just fancy wooden balconies. We've got a couple of salvaged turrets from an old military checkpoint, should be able to rig 'em up."
"Good," Sico said. "I don't want Diamond City to just *look* secure—I want it to *be* secure."
Sturges smirked. "Don't worry, boss. By the time we're done here, this place is gonna be a damn fortress."
Sico clapped him on the back. "That's what I like to hear."
He lingered a bit longer, watching the workers move back and forth, hauling supplies, hammering planks, welding metal plates into place. It was progress, slow but steady, and it made him feel like they were actually *building* something worthwhile. Diamond City wasn't just a place to trade—it was becoming a beacon of stability in the Commonwealth, and that meant everything.
But there was still a lot more work to do.
---
After leaving Sturges to his work, Sico made his way back into the heart of the city. The marketplace was in full swing now—merchants haggling with customers, traders shouting over one another, the smell of cooking food mixing with the ever-present scent of rust and old concrete. It was a chaotic mess, but it was *home*.
As he moved through the crowd, he caught sight of Preston Garvey near the city's entrance, talking with a small group of Minutemen. They looked sharp—armor clean, rifles well-maintained. They were taking this seriously, and that was good.
Sico approached just as Preston dismissed the group, who nodded before dispersing to their posts.
"Looking good," Sico said as he stopped beside Preston.
Preston gave a small grin. "Yeah, they're starting to get it. Having an actual foothold here in Diamond City makes things *real* for them."
Sico nodded. "That's the idea. We're not just a group of wandering do-gooders anymore. We're rebuilding."
Preston sighed, crossing his arms. "You think they'll ever fully accept us here? The folks in Diamond City, I mean."
Sico glanced around the marketplace, watching as people eyed the Minutemen with a mix of curiosity and wariness. "It'll take time. People don't trust change, even when it's for the better. But once they see that we're not here to take over, that we're here to help, they'll come around."
Preston nodded. "Yeah. Just gotta keep showing them."
Sico patted him on the shoulder. "Exactly."
---
The rest of the day was spent checking in with various key figures—Geneva, Danny, a few of the more influential merchants. There were still arguments about trade regulations, concerns about Minutemen presence, whispers of unease about what Diamond City was becoming. But that was expected. Change was never easy.
By the time the sun had started to set, Sico found himself back near the main gate, watching as Sturges and his team continued their work under the fading light. The watchtowers were coming along nicely, and the added layers of steel plating along the walls gave the city a much more fortified appearance.
It was slow work, exhausting work—but it was *worth* it.
As he stood there, arms crossed, taking it all in, Danny appeared beside him.
"You really think this will work?" Danny asked quietly.
Sico smirked. "It's already working."
Danny let out a breath, shaking his head. "Guess we'll find out soon enough."
Sico chuckled. "Yeah. Welcome to leadership."
Sico stretched his shoulders, exhaling slowly as he watched the last rays of sunlight sink behind the walls of Diamond City. The day had been productive, but there was still more to do. One particular matter weighed on his mind—the training of Diamond City's security forces.
Turning away from the watchtower construction, he made his way toward the open training area near the bleachers. He could already hear the sharp, commanding voice of Sarah Morgan barking orders over the rhythmic sounds of boots pounding against the dirt.
"Move, move, move! You call that formation? Tighten it up! If you scatter like that in the field, you'll be dead before you can blink!"
Sico smirked. She was tough, but that was exactly what these men needed. The old Diamond City Security had been little more than a glorified neighborhood watch—complacent, under-trained, and overly reliant on the city's walls to keep them safe. That wasn't going to cut it anymore.
As he stepped into the training yard, he saw the recruits in action. A dozen former guards—now Minutemen trainees—were running through drills, practicing firing positions, and learning to work as a cohesive unit. Some were adjusting quickly, but others still moved sluggishly, their old habits hard to break. Sarah, however, wasn't letting them slack off.
She spotted Sico approaching but didn't break stride. "Drop and give me twenty!" she snapped at a recruit who had fumbled his rifle reload. The man groaned but obeyed, dropping to the ground and pushing through the punishment exercise.
Once satisfied, Sarah turned to Sico, wiping sweat from her brow. "You're just in time, boss. Watch your step—some of these guys are still tripping over their own feet."
Sico chuckled. "Yeah, I saw that. How's the progress?"
Sarah folded her arms, glancing back at the trainees. "Mixed. Some of them have potential. A couple even seem eager to prove themselves. But most?" She let out a sigh. "They're soft, Sico. Years of sitting behind these walls made them lazy. They're not used to real combat."
Sico nodded, unsurprised. "That's why you're here. Break them down, build them back up."
Sarah grinned. "Oh, believe me, I plan to. But it's gonna take time. You don't turn security guards into soldiers overnight."
He looked over the recruits again, watching as a few struggled to maintain a proper stance while holding their rifles. "What about weapons proficiency?"
Sarah shrugged. "Better than expected, but that's not saying much. Most of them are decent shots, but in a fight, accuracy doesn't mean much if you freeze up under pressure. I've been running them through live-fire exercises, combat scenarios, stress drills… but they're still hesitant."
Sico crossed his arms. "What do you need?"
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "You mean besides a few months of intensive training?"
Sico smirked. "Yeah. What can speed things up?"
Sarah thought for a moment before nodding. "More experienced fighters. Some of our Minutemen veterans could help run drills, put these guys in real combat situations."
"I'll send a few your way," Sico agreed. "What else?"
Sarah rubbed the back of her neck, looking over the recruits again before turning back to Sico. "Maybe also a few lessons from Robert or MacCready," she said. "They're the best we've got, and the guys here could use some firsthand knowledge from people who've seen real combat."
Sico nodded thoughtfully. Robert was the leader of the Minutemen's elite unit, the Commandos, and MacCready was his second-in-command. They were hardened fighters, veterans of countless skirmishes against raiders, mutants, and even the Brotherhood of Steel. If anyone could whip these rookies into shape, it was them.
"I'll talk to them," Sico said. "If we're serious about turning these guys into soldiers, they need to train with the best."
Sarah smirked. "That's what I was thinking. Robert's got that no-bullshit attitude, and MacCready knows how to get through to people. Between the two of them, I'd say we have a real shot at making something out of these recruits."
Sico glanced at the trainees again, watching as they moved through another drill. Their movements were sluggish, hesitant, but there was potential there. He just needed to make sure they had the right teachers.
"Alright," he said. "I'll track them down. In the meantime, keep pushing these guys."
Sarah saluted mockingly. "Oh, don't worry, boss. By the time I'm done with them, they'll either be soldiers or they'll wish they never signed up."
Sico chuckled. "That's what I like to hear."
As he turned to leave, he caught the sharp crack of gunfire behind him. He glanced back to see one of the trainees struggling to control the recoil of his rifle, nearly losing his grip. Sarah was already on him, barking instructions, forcing him to correct his stance.
It was slow progress, but it was progress.
Finding Robert and MacCready wasn't difficult. They were holed up in one of the repurposed buildings near the city's outskirts, using it as a temporary headquarters for the Commandos. When Sico stepped inside, he found Robert leaning over a map spread across a makeshift table while MacCready sat nearby, idly cleaning his rifle.
"Sico," Robert greeted, glancing up. "Didn't expect you to drop by."
Sico nodded, stepping closer. "I need your help. Sarah's training the new recruits, trying to turn them into real soldiers. She suggested you and MacCready step in."
Robert leaned back, arms crossed. "We talking about the old security force?"
Sico nodded.
MacCready let out a low whistle. "Man, those guys barely know how to hold a rifle, let alone fight a war. You really think they've got what it takes?"
"They don't have a choice," Sico said bluntly. "Diamond City's changing. We're making it stronger, but that also means more people are going to want to tear it down. The days of hiding behind these walls and pretending we're safe are over."
Robert considered that for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. We'll help. But I'm not gonna sugarcoat it—this isn't gonna be easy. You're asking us to take a bunch of soft, lazy guards and turn them into soldiers in a matter of weeks. Some of them won't make it."
"I know," Sico said. "But the ones who do will be the backbone of this city's defense."
MacCready sighed, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. "Guess I better start working on my motivational speeches. Fine, I'm in."
Sico grinned. "Good. Sarah's running drills in the training yard. Head over there and see what you can do."
Robert gave a short nod. "We'll handle it."
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.
________________________________________________
• 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:-