Ch.27: Please help us

Upon arriving into the raider's settlement, the stupid bastard split us up into groups while he took the boy to go find the 'stash'.

Whatever that was.

I split off from the others when no one was looking by switching to my stealth suit and then blending into the scenery.

After that I found the scene where Mace was about to kill the kid so I pulled out an Assaultron Blade.

I had purchased this blade awhile back because I thought it matched the aesthetic of the suit.

Before Mace could stab the brat, I sliced his head clean off.

A sneak attack executed flawlessly.

"F-Frankie?!" The kid looked like he had just witnessed a miracle.

I stared at him with a dead pan expression. "You lied."

He stiffened and then started explaining himself. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to. I just wanted to find someone to help me get this collar off. And you seemed like you could help."

'He doesn't seem to be lying to me now. That's a start.'

He continued, "I know I don't have a right to ask you but... please help us..."

"Fine."

Joshua looked shocked at how easy I agreed.

"Um... The transmitter! There's a terminal connected to a transmitter inside my dad's old room. It's connected to all the collars and can detonate them using signals sent out from the transmitter."

"If you can hack the terminal, you could also disengage all the collars."

'That's it?' I thought. 'Surely it wont be that easy.'

"Okay, so all I need to do is sneak into the big house and disable the collars?"

Joshua shook his head. "No, the door to that room is directly behind the 'throne' that Axel sits on most the day and his right hand, Lady guards it at night. You wont be able to sneak in there without taking someone out.

And don't underestimate Lady. Everyone is afraid of her because she is crazy and very dangerous."

Joshua gulped as if remembering something tragic.

"That bat shit crazy woman carved up the guys loyal to my father by herself with no help. She's a monster in human skin." The boy shuddered.

I grinned. "Don't worry about it. I can get it done, no problems. Now... let's talk about payment."

The boy went wide eyed for a second and then seemed to get cautious.

"What do you want..?"

I pointed back to the hatch and said, "I want what's in that stash."

Relief washes over Joshua. "Okay! Dad told me it is just grandpa's old stuff. You can have it as long as you do as you said."

He stuck his hand out to my amusement and I met his and shook it hard.

"Pleasure doing business with ya! Now go find a place to hide while I work."

Joshua nodded and then ran off somewhere in the settlement.

I, on the other hand, was going to see what is so valuable about this stash that those idiots were after.

I opened the hatch and peered down inside.

There was an 8'x8' room but barely any space for a person to stand because of all the crates.

I jumped down and started looking around, there was just enough light coming from outside that I could see.

I started opening the crates and found things like clothes, holotapes and papers. Some of them had guns like a 10mm sub machineguns and hunting rifles.

I pocketed everything valuable as I went.

I reached a crate that was buried at the back and popped it open.

My eyes went wide at what I saw.

A Vault-Tec jumpsuit.

It wasnt just any jumpsuit, this one was emblazoned with a golden '76' on the back.

"No fucking way..." lifting the suit with both hands, I admired it for a second before seeing what was under it.

"Pip-Boy!" I threw the vault suit into my inventory and then picked up the Pip-Boy like I was Ralphy Parker that just got a Red Ryder air rifle Christmas morning.

'This guy came from Vault 76? What are the chances I would find this here?'

I was infinitely curious to learn more about this guys life but I was on the clock right now.

I packed up the rest of the loot and then left the hatch behind.

I had raiders to kill and slaves to free.

<><><><>[3rd POV]<><><><>

"Where the fuck is Mace? You fuckheads better quit stalling and tell me straight." A loud boisterous man's voice echoed throughout the hall.

On a makeshift throne was a well built man covered in scars and had a full beard of facial hair.

The man was rough looking like so many survivors these days. He wore leather armor with a yao gui skull helmet and had a bandolere with grenades strapped to his chest.

"Um I... Mace is... just-" the raider did his best to think of another excuse but Axel's patience, the man in front of him, was already spent.

"Enough! Go find Mace and bring his sorry ass to me. And the kid too!" Axel commanded the woman who stood lazily to his right.

She wore tight leather chaps that hugged her toned legs inspiring feelings of primal lust in any men or woman who saw them.

Her figure going up was just as impressive. Her body maintained a blend feminine charm and an athlete's physique. She had fat in all the right places but had toned muscles as well that did not subtract from her beauty, but accentuated it.

Her blonde hair was cut at shoulder length pulled into a ponytail and one of her bangs obscured her left eye but left the rest of her gorgeous face exposed.

She wore a light coat of black eye shadow that did wonders at making her cool blue eyes seem piercing and intimidating.

But as beautiful as she was, no man who knew her was crazy enough to try thier luck with her.

Because all the men around knew, that the ones that had tried in the past, met a very bad end.

This... was Lady.

Her sultry voice responded Axel's command with a hint of haughtiness. "Tch, that asshole better have a good reason for this..."

She didn't like having to do extra work. So absolute pain was already promised to Mace once she found him.

Axel stood up from his throne and approached the bumbling raider as Lady stepped out of the hall.

"Um... boss?" The raider muttered fearfully.

"Am I?" Axel stopped arms length from the man. "Am I your boss?"

"Of-of course! Who else would you be?" The raider seemed to sense danger and metaphorically exposed his belly.

"I see." Axel responded simply with no emotion. "Then tell me what Mace is planning."

A simple question. But one that determined life or death for the raider.

"Planning? I... Uh, dont kno- huh?" Before the raider could finish his statement, he was surprised to find a knife in his gut.

"Ah? Ahhhhhh it hurts!" The raider screamed in pain but Axel with his massive hand grabbed his arm and held him while he twisted the knife he held in the other.

"That wasn't the right answer..."

The other raiders that had come with him were being held by Axel's men at the side.

When Axel was done with the raider, he wiped the remaining blood off on the raiders body before turning to the others.

"I wonder how many of you need to be gutted before I get my answer..?"

His questions caused three pairs of underwear to suddenly become heavier and emit a foul odor.

Axel would definitely hear the answer to the question he asked.

<><><><><><><>

Joshua left the old shed and dashed away towards the settlement's doctor's office. The doc there was another slave that was forced to treat the raiders whenever they needed it and was also one of the few people Joshua had any ties with.

He made sure no one spotted him as he opened the back door to the building and snuck inside.

Checking to make sure there wasn't any raiders and finding none, he hurried over a tired looking man who was distracted by something in his medicine cabinet.

"Doc!" He said excitedly, grabbing the man's attention.

"Joshua?!" The man stood up in surprise. His aged face showed nothing but kindness and concern for the boy. "What are you doing back? What happened?"

"There's no time Doc! We need to get everyone ready to fight! Where's Bee?"

The boy said many things the old doctor couldn't make sense of so he raised a hand and said, "Slow down. She's in her room... She's been sulking in there since you left. But what's going on Josh?"

Joshua decided to give him a quick answer to move things along.

"Someone is here to help us! We are gonna be free today, Doc! That's why we got to get everyone ready. To finish off the raiders and take out home back!"

The old man's eyes bulged almost not believing what's he's hearing. But he didn't take the boy for a liar. He had been looking after the boy since he was born since Joshua's parents were not good people.

Hearing there was a chance to liberate the settlement and get rid of the raiders, the old man's eyes gleamed with a malicious glee.

"Go see Bee. I'll handle talking to the others..."