Chapter 4

As Fade pulled up to the garage, he was taken aback to discover a bustling swap meet in full swing. The air was thick with activity as people haggled over a wide array of goods, from women trading designer purses and exotic perfumes to men offering up watches, antique knick-knacks, and even entire cars. The currency of this unusual marketplace was food and water, which flowed freely among the bartering masses. The garage itself had been transformed into a maze of makeshift stalls, each one teeming with merchandise and eager traders vying for the best deals. Fade didn't spend too much time looking at the things for sale since the most important thing right now is food, and that issue should be solved over the next few days. As he was strolling through the crowded garage, Fade stumbled upon a small storage room. A large red curtain hung from the entrance, billowing slightly in the breeze. Guarding the doorway was a burly girl, her arms crossed, and a menacing bat clutched in her hands. Standing beside her was a slender woman, her lips curled into a wicked grin as she held a box of precious supplies at her feet. The air in the room was thick with tension, as if the two women were prepared for anything that might come their way. Fade hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should approach, but stopped when he heard some men talk while pointing in the women's direction. Apparently, some women got together and made a red-light district, hence the red curtain. Seeing this, a desire of wanting to create a harem started to form in Fade's head, nurtured by childish fantasies. 

That was when he heard a commotion near the entrance to the garage. He turned his head to see a gang of rough-looking men, their bodies adorned with tattoos, brandishing bats and pipes. The leader of the group, a bald-headed man with an intimidating presence, spoke up. "Boss said to seize the supplies, leave nothing behind, and while you're at it, snatch a few women to bring back with us," he barked. The tone of his voice left no room for questioning or negotiation. Fade felt a cold shiver run down his spine at the thought of what these men intended to do with the women. He was no hero, especially now that the apocalypse had arrived, but he knew that women will be a rarity in the future, so he had to protect those he could, and it would be better if he could make them his. As Fade observed the men's invasion of the garage, he noticed them taking food and women without mercy. When they spotted the box of food beside a woman, they pounced, snatching her alongside the provisions. The woman beside her tried to defend her, but the three attackers were too much for her. Fade could hear the chaos erupting in the storeroom, as some of the thugs took advantage of the vulnerable women there. The sounds of fighting and women's screams filled the air, as the men continued their brutal raids. Fade felt an overwhelming sense of calm cruelty and resolve as he witnessed the brutality and greed that now ruled the world. He knew it was time to make his move when the men were distracted by the scantily clad women. As he walked up behind the men, he slowly took out his gun, pointing it at the back of the head of the leader before pulling the trigger.

"Bang"

The sound of the gun firing came with a spray of blood and grey matter from the leader's head, before he toppled to the ground like a puppet that had its strings cut. The sound also caused everyone to freeze where they were, as they turned to look in Fade's direction. Even the thugs froze in place unable to act, not that Fade would give them the chance. He pointed the gun at the next thug's chest before pulling the trigger, this time the sound caused everyone to scream in fear before dropping to the ground for safety. Fade, unperturbed, continued in the storeroom to shoot the remaining thugs. Without hesitation, Fade burst into the brothel, his gun blazing as he took down one thug after another.

The women inside screamed and hid as best they could, their hearts pounding with fear. But Fade didn't falter in his mission to protect them. He moved through the dimly lit makeshift rooms with deadly precision, eliminating any threat that stood in his way. As he cleared each room, Fade noticed that some of the women were injured or traumatized by the attack. He knew it was a bit villainous, but in order to show them the cruelty of the new world and instill a sense of dependance for him into them, he could only save them, not protect them. After all the thugs were dead, Fade looked around at his hand work. About a dozen dead bodies laid on the floor as the women coward in fear as they looked at him. His eyes landed on the curvy woman that was standing outside the door as her bulky friend helped her up and decided to walk up to them. Seeing his approach, the bulky woman stood in front of the other, but the curvy woman put a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her aside before straightening her clothes.

When Fade stood in front of her, he could see that even though she was trying to present herself as a strong and independent woman, a trace of fear remained in her eyes. "Relax, I just want to talk," Fade said before putting away his gun, "My name is Fade, you should know now that this world is a dangerous place, especially for women. Without the strength to protect yourselves you need someone backing you that will make people think twice before crossing you. If you are interested come to apartment 408 and bring all those you trust." Not waiting to hear her reply, Fade turn around and left the garage, heading back to his apartment. Fade opened the door to find Stephanie pointing the gun his way with tears in her eyes. "I told you to shoot thru the door," Fade said with a smirk on his face before closing the door behind him. When she realized who it was, she dropped the gun before throwing herself into Fade's arms. "When I heard the gunfire, I imagined the worst," Stephanie said as she cried into Fade's chest. He could only wrap his arms around her and try to consul her. 

It took a few minutes before he could get her to calm down, before taking her to sit on the couch. "What happened? Why did you shoot so many times? Did you run into a ravager?" she asked. "No," he said before explaining what had happened in the garage. "This world is going to hell yet there are still such monsters in it," she said before a look of worry appeared on her face. "People like that thrive in these situations since they no longer have morality holding them back," Fade told her, "Besides, as a man I am not much different, I also want women and willing to kill those whose mess with me." "If that was true, since you have a gun, you could have gone looting and killing, but you haven't," Stephanie said as she gave him a smack on his arm before a smirk came to her lips, "And if you women, you can have as many as you want. You have gotten too strong in that regard for me to handle by myself anymore, so I could use a few sisters to help relieve the burden." Fade's eyes sparkled with mischief as he scooped Stephanie up into a princess carry, her lithe form fitting snugly against his. "Indeed, my dear. It seems fate has blessed me with a woman who not only accepts but actively desires the company of others," he chuckled, his voice low and sultry. Stephanie squirmed in his arms, her face flushing with a mix of embarrassment and excitement as he carried her towards the bedroom. "Please, Fade, put me down!" she begged, her voice breathy and husky. But Fade only laughed and continued on his way, her protests falling on deaf ears. As they entered the bedroom. As he lowered her onto the bed their eyes met, filled with desire and anticipation, as they prepared to embark on another thrilling adventure together. Stephanie's struggles soon turned into moans of pleasure, with her body melting into his.