I felt like I'd been hit by a freight train.

The back of my head throbbed angrily as my mind pushed through to consciousness, voices echoing off in the distance as the ringing in my head began to clang louder than a railway crossing. I opened my eyes, only to shut them again, certain I was about to throw up.

I was being carried, slung over the shoulder of a massive man. The jerking motion of his uneven steps made my stomach feel like it was trapped on a tilt-a-whirl gone haywire, but I focused all my energy on the situation at hand. I raced through the blurring images of the last hour in my mind, desperately trying to piece together everything that had happened, but every time it seemed within reach, it slipped through my fingers like so much pale smoke.

When finally, it hit me.

Ilya! Oh God, what happened to her...? She must have gone back down the tunnel, but who knows if there was another way out? For all I knew, she was trapped under a cave in, or eaten alive by a mirelurk, or worse, at the mercy of the Director and his synthetic monstrosities, doing God-knows-what. Her father was tortured to death for this information, what would they do to her?

I wasted no time, formulating a plan even as I feigned unconsciousness. I could tell by the empty holster at my side that they had already taken my weapons, and to make matters worse, I hadn't the faintest idea where we were going. The distant sound of gunfire told me we had left the underground, but other than that, we could be anywhere by now.

It was quickly becoming clear... There was no fighting my way out of this one. Not only was I being carried by a man twice my size, but from what I could gather, there had to be at least half a dozen more surrounding me. As I laid there with my eyes closed, I got the sense that this wasn't just some random ambush. They had known where we were, and a raider doesn't drag his victim halfway across the city to rob him... Something told me this was personal.

Suddenly, a voice called out for the others to stop, but my body kept moving. The man carrying me just continued to lurch forward, seemingly oblivious to his leader's orders.

"Hey, big guy, when I tell you to stop, you stop," the man ordered again.

"AAHG! I tell you before human...MY NAME NOT "BIG GUY"!"

That voice. That horrible, horrible voice. Deep and guttural like a jagged knife that cut right to the bone. A tremor of terror ran through me as the weight of the situation came down like a ton of bricks.

"RAWRHG!"

A roar ripped through the night air as my eyes snapped wide open, suddenly very much awake. The metal collar around my captor's neck lit up like a lightning storm, electrifying him into submission. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground and crawling away as quickly as possible from the writhing beast next to me, but before I could get away, one of the men jerked me back. Sure enough, it was one of Hancock's pinstriped goons. I caught the bastard on the jaw and knocked him off balance, sending him flying into a pair of trash cans, but that was as far as I got. The rest of them were on top of me and had me pinned in no time flat.

The beast was lying on the ground, grunting heavily as it tried to catch its breath. Its face was contorted in an inhuman grimace, its leathery green body covered in the scars that came with the brutal life of such a creature. The scientists of the Pre-War era had a lot to account for, but none greater than their unleashing of these hellspawn upon humanity. They were men once, now twisted and devolved into vicious brutes, with only a single thought in their tiny, bloodthirsty brains.

Destroy. Maim. Kill.

This was a Super Mutant.

They were called "Super" because that's what they were supposed to be. A superior race of men that could withstand the harshness of the apocalypse. Bigger, stronger, smarter... well, bigger and stronger anyways. The eggheads never did perfect their recipe for their virus to evolve humanity into a newer "better" state, and instead, they settled for a serum that would provide them with near invincible super soldiers to fuel their endless war. It only came with a few minor side effects. After all, what was a little uncontrollable rage, schizophrenic hallucinations, and a few genocidal tendencies in comparison to how it would affect the fight on the eastern front?

Hancock had to be crazy to use one of them, that or really, really pissed off...

"So there, fella, you wanna to cooperate now?" The man said.

"Grrr," he growled his reluctant assent and got to his feet, docile once more.

"Now then, why don't you help our good friend here to his feet so we can get moving?" The mutant nodded and before I knew it, he had me by the ankles and my head was dangling inches above the ground.

"No, I meant... ah, forget it. Just carry him inside, you idiot." The mutant grunted in what I could only assume was another 'yes' and we began moving once again. As we headed back down the road, I alone heard his gruff whisper.

"I not Idiot... I Strong..."

************

The mutant called 'Strong' carried me like that the rest of the way, until at last, a towering steeple came into view. The large brick building sat in shambles, like the bones of a great beast with its maw open wide, ready to swallow me whole. In an instant, I knew where we were. This was none other than Old North Church... Its grand history had spanned the centuries, being the oldest building in the country and the site of the fabled lanterns that had once warned Paul Revere of the coming British. Looking at it now, it was an absolute miracle it was still standing after all these years, but it wasn't the antiquated tales of tyrannical invasions from far-off lands that concerned me. No, this wasn't just some cheap tourist stop anymore, this... this was the site of a massacre.

This was where the Railroad had ended.

Inside, the place was a mess, a shell of its former self. The once beautiful building had been long left to the ravages of the Wasteland, and every inch of the room showed it. As we entered, the mutant sidestepped a large pipe organ that sat smashed to pieces on the ground, no doubt having fallen through the moldy floorboards long ago. Likewise, a great gaping hole grinned at us from the ceiling above, the pale morning light flooding into the room and filling it with an eerie glow amidst a haze of dust and debris. As we walked down the aisle, the air heavy with the stench of death and decay, I suddenly realized how much like gravestones the pews looked half-buried in the wreckage...

At last, we stopped before the altar and the great brute dropped me on my head without a hint of warning. I scrambled to my feet as fast as I could only to find myself completely surrounded. Watchmen lined the balconies above, whooping and hollering as they waited for the show to begin. Wild, raging, and drunk, they were armed to the hilt as they cried out for blood... My blood. As I gazed back towards the entrance, I saw Fahrenheit, that icy bitch, with a cigarette in her mouth and a smile on her face as she took up her position in the back. No way out, no escape.

Suddenly, a slow clap began to echo throughout the room, cutting through the tension like a sharp knife. Before I knew what was happening, the entire hall had exploded into cheers and applause as Hancock appeared out of the shadows, that smug yellow-toothed smile on his face as he slowly ascended the up steps to the podium. With all the flair one could expect from the ringleader of this two-cent carnival, he raised his hands high above his head and an excited hush fell over the room.

"Friends! Brothers! Freaks of the Wasteland!" Hancock cried out like a preacher at the pulpit, "We are gathered here in the holy light of Fuck-All to honor and mourn the soon-to-be-departed, Jacob Burns. Murderer, traitor, coward... and the last dumb asshole to ever screw me over," he added as he raised up a flask, letting out a hearty laugh that echoed throughout the room.

"So then, what can be said about dear Mr. Burns, eh?" Hancock continued, that smile of his growing wider by the second, "Why, practically a legend in his own right, the man ensured his place in infamy the day he single-handedly brought down the great airship Prydwen, damning his own brothers to die engulfed in flame. Not content with this shame, he had a particular penchant for showing up where he wasn't wanted, until he finally found himself cast out of every vestige of civilization in the Commonwealth, left to die out in the unforgiving wastes alone."

"That was, until he managed to crawl his way onto my doorstep..."

"Now, some of you might say, and rightly so, that I have always held a bit of a soft spot for the outcast, the underdog, the vagrant and the vagabond... Perhaps, it would seem, to a fault, for as I watched the world turn its back on this man without so much as a trial, do you know what I saw? Why, I saw a neighbor... A neighbor in need, like so many of us had once been. I daresay, there wouldn't be a single man among us today if not for second chances... And so, against all advice and counsel, I let this man in. I let him into my home, to my people, and to my family..." Hancock's voice drifted off for a moment as he gazed up fondly at the crowd, before his brow hardened once more.

"And how do you suppose I was repaid for my kindness? For this mercy towards a man that had shown me and mine none? Why... wouldn't you know it, but I woke up the next morning with a knife sticking out the middle of my back!"

The room suddenly exploded into chaos. Everywhere I looked, men were calling for my head and worse as broken bottles and heavy debris began raining down on top of me. This whole scene was taking an ugly turn for the worse, and fast. If I didn't come up with something quick, I was going to be a goner for sure. I rallied all my courage as I swallowed the ever-growing lump in my throat and began to speak.

"Listen, Hancock!" I blurted out, my voice cracking as the sweat began to pour down the back of my neck, "You've got to believe me, I had no way of knowing there would be synths down in that mine! Hell, I was just as surprised as you were and barely escaped with my life! But the vault, the treasure... I saw it, Hancock, it's real, I swear! It's just that... this thing... It's all so much bigger than I could have ever imagined. If you just let me go, then I swear on my life, I'll be able to pay you back and then some! C'mon man, just give me a chance!" I barely got the last words out before I was on my knees, a swift punch to the gut stealing the air from my lungs. I gasped for breath as the man's goons laughed insidiously, closing in on me with their weapons drawn, but with a quick wave of Hancock's hand, they stopped dead in their tracks. Everything seemed still for a moment as they awaited their orders...

"You know, this reminds me of a story," Hancock said almost casually as if the thought had nearly slipped his mind, "A sort of cautionary tale if you will... and a lasting reminder to all the Commonwealth on exactly what happens to those who place their trust where it doesn't belong. And to think, it all happened right here... in this very room. Of course, you do know where we are... don't you Burnsie?" He continued with that wicked smile.

Of course, I thought spitefully to myself. Everybody knew about Old North Church... Why, up until the Prydwen's fall it was all anyone could talk about. In reality, it had been the canary in the coal mine, the first time the Institute had really shown what they were capable of. Back then, no one had even heard of the Railroad before, let alone considered the idea of actually helping the synths. It was just so unthinkable, it hadn't even crossed their minds. The Brotherhood had known of course, but whoever the leader of the Railroad was, had been a master of diversion and espionage, so much so, that even our best intelligence could barely bring back more than mere whispers and rumors, let alone any hard data. It wasn't until here, at the church, that we'd seen how deep the rabbit hole went, or how merciless the Institute could be.

The whole thing was over before it had even begun. The synths had come from everywhere, and nowhere, all at once, descending upon the church like demons reclaiming the gates of hell. They overwhelmed the Railroad's forces with sheer numbers and firepower, and within a matter of minutes, their screams could be heard echoing throughout the streets of Old Boston. Then... just as quickly, they were silenced. Never to be heard from again. To this day, no one really knows how the Institute had found them, hidden so deeply within the ancient catacombs of the crumbling cathedral, but one thing was for sure, by the end of that night, everyone knew the Railroad's name, and precisely what would happen to them if they ever ran afoul of the Institute's good graces.

"What's the matter, Burnsie? Ain't you got nothing to say?" That horrible rasping voice spoke up again, snapping me back to reality. Hancock leered gleefully over the podium, his flesh dangling from his face as that yellow-toothed smirk spread wide, "Now don't tell me you've gone and forgotten what happened to our dear friends at the Railroad? Why, considering what the Institute did to it, I figured you could relate... Tell me, Burnsie, who do you think got it worse? The Railroad or your boys? Because I'd always thought a quick explosion would be the way to go, but then I realized that not all the Brotherhood would have died on impact. Can you imagine? Surviving an attack like that only to drown in the bay below... But let's gets serious, after all, this whole question is a bit of a joke... I mean, how can anyone compare the loss of a few misguided outcasts to that of a thousand drowned rats?"

A surge of rage ripped through me as I jumped to my feet, more than ready to settle this thing once and for all, but it was clear Hancock had no intention of taking me on himself. Before I knew it, there were a dozen hands forcing me to the ground amid the cheers and jeers of the crowd. I cursed myself for being baited so easily, but then again, Hancock always did know how to push my buttons...

"Predictable as always, Burnsie..." He chuckled as he pulled out an old carton of cigarettes and placed one between his sore-ridden lips, making sure to enjoy a nice, long drag before speaking again.

"And see," he continued in between puffs, "That's the problem right there... After all, the Railroad had known what they were getting into, how could they not? Everyone had warned them not to trust the synths, but they wouldn't listen, insisting that beneath all those microchips and artificial flesh lied the soul of a man. They all knew so much better, and the rest of us? Well, we were just being unfair, bigots even... and if only we would take the synths in and give them a home, a life, a future, then you'd see. They're just like us, yearnin' to be free..."

"Of course, you and I both know that's nothin' but a crock of shit. The Railroad should've gotten a clue to that when they had to reprogram the damn things in the first place! It really was their own fault in the end. No one to blame but themselves, no matter how good their intentions may have been. Oh, how we had laughed it up when we'd gotten the news. Of course, the Institute had infiltrated their ranks... How could they not when the Railroad had practically invited the enemy willingly into their arms? All of us in Goodneighbor just sat back and had a good long laugh at what gullible suckers those high-and-mighty synth-lovers really were. Because when it comes down to it, there just ain't no trusting a thing like that. It's what they are. It's just what they do... what they were made to do."

"Which brings me back to you, Burnsie... Because you see, our tale is very much the same. Everyone had told me not to trust you, not to let you in, and I gave you a chance anyway. But there is one thing different about our story, Jacob. I'm not going to let you do me in... You ain't about to be the loose end that turns into a noose around my neck..."

Suddenly, a pair of hands hooked my arms behind my back, holding me in place as Hancock smiled that hideous smile. The ghoul took another lazy drag from his cigarette before he whipped out a switchblade and began to twirl it between his fingertips. Before I knew it, he had jumped down from the podium and was bearing down on me with knife in hand.

"You know Jacob," he said lazily as he walked, "I didn't want to have to kill you, I really didn't. I'd honestly hoped you'd have kept your word and we could have just put this whole ugly mess behind us, after all, I'm sure there's plenty of assholes out there that would enjoy this a lot more than me, but as I told you before... A good neighbor always pays his debts."

"Y-you don't have to do this, Hancock!" I cried out desperately as I began to shake, sweat pouring down my back as I begged for my life, "I'm telling you the truth, I swear! There is another vault out there, bigger than any other and beyond our wildest dreams, and... and I can prove it!" I blurted out without thinking, but it seemed to work. Hancock stopped playing with the knife and glared. Before I knew it, he was inches from my face so close I could smell the necrosis.

"Prove it, huh? And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Hancock asked as he rested the tip of the knife beneath my chin. I swallowed hard.

"It's something we, er... I, found. Down in the mine, I mean library! It s-sort of looks like an old spyglass, but it's called an 'oculus device', some kind of trick lens that reveals secret messages. I used it on the map and it worked, told me where to find the next marker. Just... just check my pockets, it's got to be there somewhere!" I added breathlessly, praying to whatever god was up there that it would be enough. I watched with bated breath as Hancock withdrew the knife and seemed to think it over, weighing all the pros and cons in his mind before he did what he always did in these situations. He looked down, let out a deep sigh, and shook his head. Every muscle in my body tensed.

"You're breaking my heart here, Burnsie..."

And just like that, my fate was sealed. All the blood began to drain from my face as the crowd erupted into a roar of applause. There wasn't a man alive that didn't know what those words meant. They cheered their leader on as he walked around the room, his hands raised above his head as he whipped the audience up into a frenzy.

"So whaddya say, boys?" He called out with glee, "Is he a synth or ain't he? Guess we gotta crack him open to find out! Better place your bets now, it's gonna be your last chance..." He added darkly as the crowd cheered wildly again.

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. My vision began to blur as the adrenaline drowned all my senses. The cheers around me grew louder and louder as they called for my head until the sound thundered in my ears. I didn't know what to do. I watched helplessly as Hancock began to approach me once again, the steel of the blade grinning in the sunlight as he walked. He grabbed me by my collar and lifted me up, staring me dead in the eyes with a look of steely resolve.

"Let's find out what you're made of, eh Jacob?" The man whispered in my ear as he raised the knife above his head. I stood paralyzed as I held my breath and closed my eyes, waiting for the final blow to strike.

But it never came.

At that very moment, the door slammed open behind me and I could hear the sound of several people entering the room. My breath hitched in my throat, the blade mere inches from my flesh, as Hancock looked up with a scowl on his face. Everything seemed to stand perfectly still as heavy footsteps made their way up the aisle, and I started to wonder what fresh hell this could possibly bring.

As soon as Hancock's men made it onto the stage, however, I had gotten my answer... in the form of that unforgettable shade of Vault-Tec blue.

My heart sank into the floor.

Even with a bag over her head and her hands tied behind her back, that figure was impossible to mistake. Ilya had been captured.

"Well, well, well... What do we have here?" Hancock said smoothly as he eyed the girl's voluptuous figure, suddenly very much intrigued, "Burnsie, baby... A vault dweller? What else have you been holding out on me?"

"We found her snooping around outside, boss," one of the henchmen offered, "Looking for a way inside. Figured she had to be with Burnsie here since there ain't no one else dumb enough to try... So, what you want us to do with her?" He asked, but Hancock didn't seem to be listening, an idea or two already forming in his depraved little mind as dark-hooded eyes roved up and down the girl's body. The man made sure to straighten his jacket and adjust his hat before yanking the hood off her head and giving her his most charming smile.

Ilya let out a terrified gasp, her eyes wide as she backed away in horror, but Hancock didn't seem to mind, in fact, he seemed downright amused as he advanced closer and closer until the girl found herself backed up against a wall with nowhere to run. The man leaned in, a devious smile on his face, as he placed both his hands on either side of her head and whispered so close in her ear that she could no doubt smell the stale booze on his breath.

"Hey there, sweetheart, what's the matter? Ain't you never met a ghoul before?" He asked as a rotting hand moved in to brush away a lock of her hair. Ilya recoiled.

"Get away from me! Don't bite me!" She cried out as the room erupted into a round of laughter.

"Whoo boy! This one's straight out of the box, ain't she?" Hancock laughed as he reeled back, wiping a tear from his eye, "Listen girlie, I know I may look like something out of cheap horror flick, but I ain't no monster. And as for biting, I only do that on request," he added with a wink as the girl's face flushed a deep red.

"Leave her alone Hancock!" I demanded as I struggled against my bonds, "This is between you and me, she's got nothing to do with this!"

"Nothing? Sure don't look like nothing to me... In fact, I'm starting to think this little trinket here just might be worth something after all," he added as he pulled a glint of gold out from his pocket and my mouth dropped. The Oculus... Hancock... He had had it the whole time... and still he was gonna do me in! I thrashed against the men holding me back, but it was useless. Before I knew what was happening, Hancock was leering over the girl once again, knife in hand and Ilya's eyes wide in terror. But with one quick flick of his wrist, her bindings fell away to the floor, leaving Ilya to stand there looking very confused.

"You'll have to excuse the rather rude welcome, my dear," Hancock said as he placed the spyglass carefully into her hands, "But what can I say? We people of Goodneighbor just have our ways about these things, although you certainly have my apologies. But Burnsie and I... Well, we got some history, see? Unfinished business and all that... Can't say I didn't warn the bastard either, but this? This changes everything... I mean, if he was right about the vault, then what else might be hiding out there? I think I just might like to find out..."

"Now then!" He said with an excited clap of his hands, "Of course, I'm going to need all the details I can get, Burnsie's word don't hold much water round here if you hadn't noticed, so if you'd like, we can adjourn to the back room and discuss everything in private, perhaps over a nice bottle of wine...?"

"Ah, w-well... I'm not sure if that's such a... er, good idea..." Ilya said uncertainly, her eyes quickly darting back and forth between Hancock and myself.

"Oh, but where are my manners? By all means, allow me..." Hancock exclaimed, and with a snap of his fingers, his goons dropped me to the floor like a ton of bricks. I scrambled to my feet as fast as I could, glaring daggers at my would-be killer as he took off his hat and offered Ilya a low bow.

"The name's John Hancock... Mayor of Goodneighbor and scavver extraordinaire, at your service. And, you are...?"

"I-Ilya, Ilya Astor," she replied, completely taken aback. Hancock smiled warmly as he took her hand gently in his and gave it a tender kiss.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful woman... It's an absolute pleasure, my dear," the man said, laying on the charm so thick that I thought I just might throw up.

"Oh yeah, well it's been a real blast for me, let me tell ya... An absolute thrill!" I yelled as I pushed myself in between the two of them, "Listen, as much as I've enjoyed the near-death experience, you ain't the only one interested in this vault. We've had the Institute on our tails ever since Diamond City and barely escaped that library with our lives. All we're doing now is losing precious time, so if you are taking me up on my offer, then just hurry up and pick your goon squad and let's get this over with already..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, there Burnsie! What's your hurry, now? Why, I ain't even dressed yet!"

I stopped dead in my tracks, not sure if I had heard that correctly.

"I'm sorry, what was that again?" I asked, my voice cracking ever so slightly as I did.

"Why Jacob, you didn't think I was about to send you off with just anybody, now did you? After the little stunt you pulled last time? No, I don't think so... I'm gonna keep you nice and close this time around... After all, I've got an investment to protect, now don't I? And besides, someone here's got to look out for Miss Astor," He said as he eyed the girl out the corner of his eye. I could feel my face fall.

"Aw, don't look so glum Jacob," he added as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder, "Something tells me this is the start of a beautiful relationship... dontcha think?"

And something told me I'd just bitten off more than I could chew.