Chapter 9: Preparing for the Future
A/N: It's been a while since the last chapter, and I apologize for the delay. This one was a monster chapter and kind of helps to set up the rest of the story so I had to make sure it was right. Enjoy! Warning: Blood, Gore and Suggestive Themes in this chapter.
(It's a story about raiders though, so I think that's to be expected.)
"Jesus Christ! What is taking so freakin' long?!" a thin man barked at Liz. He stood over her as she sat at a metal desk in the old factory that her gang used as a base. A terminal sat in front of her and she continued to work calmly on the wiring.
"Patience, Clarence. Good things come to those who can wait." She replied, connecting two wires together. She had been at it for an hour and Clarence, the boss's new second in command, had been breathing down her neck the whole time.
"That's Scorch to you, bitch…" Clarence responded through gritted teeth. He stood a few inches taller than Liz, and was just as thin. He was a stark contrast to the Raider Boss who ran the gang. He wore simple leather armor with spikes on his shoulders, elbows and knees that made him look ridiculous. He covered the lower portion of his face with a dirty red bandana, his dirty brown hair popping out of the top of his head. He looked as intimidating as a rag doll, but was conniving and clever. It didn't take long for him to weasel his way into the boss's good graces and become his most trusted raider.
Clarence and Lil had problems since his gang was 'persuaded' to join hers by the boss himself. They were rivals fighting over territory surrounding the factory. If it wasn't for Lil and her squad, the gangs would still be at war. She was able to weaken their rivals enough to force them to assimilate, or die.
"Sorry. Scorch." She said with a humorless laugh. "That's not a whole lot better." She snapped the panel back in place and started to screw it shut. Before Clarence could respond with another cruel comment, the raider boss guffawed loudly and patted Scorch on the shoulder.
"Go easy on him, Lil. It'd be better for everyone if you twos got along." He said, still chuckling. He towered over the two, his massive size casting shadow on the seated girl.
Lil didn't respond. She turned the terminal around and pressed the red power button. The screen crackled to life as the raider boss gave a cheer.
"'Atta girl, Lil. See? I told ya she could do it, Scorch." The raider beamed down at his protégé and patted her back. "Now, let's see what's in this thing."
Lil rose from her seat, allowing Clarence to sit down and start to type on it. Using a password he found with the terminal while on a scavenging run, he was able to access the information. She watched as Scorch flew through the terminal entries and located the one he was looking for. "Ah ha! See? Right there. Apparently, there's an old weapons cache. Prewar. Down in an old, abandoned military base. With those supplies, we can make a push into some of the settlements in the Commonwealth."
Lil looked uneasy. "The Commonwealth? That's a lot of heat to worry about. Nothing goes on there without those damn robots catching wind." Though she had dreams of wiping out the asshole who killed her family, the idea of fighting his synth army scared her, and most other raiders, away from moving in on the Commonwealth.
"What the fuck do you know, kid? Trust me. Those settlements are ripe for the taking. All the other raider gangs are too chicken shit to attack 'em. That means more loot for us." Scorch responded, defensively.
"I agree. Clarence… I mean, Scorch has told me all about some 'a the settlements on the outskirts of the Commonwealth. We can start there and see how it goes. If it's too much heat, we back off." The boss said, smiling at Liz. "I won't go puttin' our gang inta harm's way. Don't ya worry, Lil."
Liz returned the smile, but she still didn't trust the plan. "So, who should we send to get the weapons?"
"Well, it only makes sense that we send our best. Don't want to take any chances…" Scorch replied, looking over his shoulder at her. "That would be you and your band of misfits."
"I think that's a great idea. Lil, round up your guys and get goin' as soon as you can. The bunker shouldn't be too far, so ya can be there and back before night fall." The boss agreed.
"And leave this place undefended? If that military base is abandoned, I doubt we need all of my squad to go. Send some of the green boys. Get their kills up a bit." Lil replied, referring to the new recruits they had gained recently. The rest of her gang had gone out on missions that Clarence had suggested, leaving her squad and a whole lot of Clarence's men to defend the factory. If she were to leave, the boss would be very vulnerable.
"We can't risk the new blood with this mission. We need someone with experience. This can make or break our future, Lil… As much as I hate to admit it, your squad is the only ones that can do this." Scorch retorted.
"And our boys should be back from their other scavenging missions soon, Lil. We'll be back to full strength before you get back." The boss tried to reassure her.
"Boss…. I don't like this." Lil said, boldly.
"It'll be alright, Lil…" The boss said and put an arm around her shoulders. He walked with her to the door. "You think that little shit can best me anyway? If he were to try somethin', he'd be dead before he could lay a finger on me." He continued in a low voice once he was out of ear shot of Scorch, who stayed at the desk.
Liz sighed but nodded. "Alright….. just make sure that you're still kicking when I get back, alright?" She asked with a smile and turned to leave.
"I promise, Lil. Now go get me some guns!" He said with another laugh, closing the door to the factory behind her.
Once outside, Lil walked past the slave huts and to her squads' quarters. Some slave traders had come to buy new stock as they made their way towards the Capital Wasteland. She briefly gave a glance to the three men and two women that were being traded for a hefty amount of caps. She had seen this a dozen times in the last year since the boss taught her a lesson about weakness that she still had scars from. One of the women looked up to her with sad, pleading eyes. Liz just shrugged to her and continued on her way.
Upon arriving at the small shack that she shared with her squad of five other raiders, she was welcomed by the sound of a wrestling match. She stood by the door to watch as Harry once again challenged Red to a contest of strength. Harry, a muscular man standing six feet tall, had his arms wrapped around Red. His signature metal armor was strewn on the floor to keep the fight even. His sniper rifle was lying across his bed.
Red, on the other hand, stood almost seven feet tall and the term "muscular" was an understatement. The goliath rivaled the size of the Boss himself, and sported a similar long, bushy beard. His red hair gave him his nickname, even though he kept his head shaved to a layer of short stubble on his head. His thick leather armor was laying neatly on his bunk and his leather jacket and pants gave him more protection than Harry.
With a wave of his arm, Red put Harry on his back, pinning him to the ground as the rest of the squad cheered at the unsurprising victory. Celeste sat in her chair and watched with glee in her bright blue eyes at the scene in the middle of the room as Harry, her lover, was beaten. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, as usual. She chose not to use armor, as it made her movements weighted and more noticeable. She preferred stealth in all of her battles, so it was no wonder that she relied on Harry to keep her safe during engagements when she couldn't sneak behind her enemy. Celeste was like Liz. She was captured as a slave and was forced to fight for her life in the ring. Lil was impressed by her fighting spirit and recruited her for her personal unit.
To the right of Celeste stood Bundy, looking displeased as ever. The man never smiled. He was the oldest on the squad, having been a raider for a decade or so. His age and experience was clear by the graying hair and scars on his face. He was part of the Boss's squad before being asked to keep an eye on Lil. He didn't like the assignment at first, but after working with the young girl for a few months, he has come to enjoy the jobs they are given and can see Liz growing into a proper raider. He is the most well-armored of all of Liz's unit, wearing all metal armor that was repurposed from power armor taken from a Brotherhood of Steel soldier that they had sold years earlier.
"Alright, alright, Uncle! Jesus, Red… go easy, eh?" Harry said, tapping the large man on the arm to show that he gave up. Red stood up with a dopey smile on his face, helping his friend to his feet.
"Good fight, Harry." Red said and patted his shoulder with a heavy hand, almost knocking the raider back to the ground. "Oh…. Sorry."
"All good, big guy." Harry replied with a smile and put his armor back on.
"You know, Red's gunna hurt ya one a these days." Celeste said and helped Harry with his armor, rubbing his shoulders as she did so.
"Neh, Red's just a big teddy bear." He said and kissed her hand with a charming smile.
"Heads up, lugheads. Lil's back." Bundy announced, standing up straight from his leaning position. The squad turned to the door, seeing Liz standing there.
"Sorry, Boss." Red said in a deep voice. "Didn't see ya there."
"Glad you are all having fun." She said and walked to her bunk. She opened her chest that she kept her belongings in and pulled out her knife and a few boxes of ammo, which she slipped into her bag.
"Ooh…. More ammo can only mean on thing…" Celeste said, excitedly. "We got a job?"
"Yeah. The Boss wants us to go find some prewar weapons cache. Suit up. We gotta leave as soon as possible so we can get back before night fall. I don't like leavin' with just that dumb ass Scorch to protect this place." She replied, closing her chest and locking it again.
Bundy walked to his bunk, which was next to Lil's, and grabbed a few medical supplies and his pistol. "Ready when you are." He replied without so much as a smirk.
Lil sighed and watched as the rest of the squad finished grabbing their gear. "Let's get a move on then."
A few hours later, Liz and her squad arrived at the bunker. The military outpost consisted of two building with elevators leading to the deeper levels of the facility. One of the elevators had caved in, leaving only one way up or down. Not ideal, but it'd have to do. The turrets had been powered down for years, leaving nothing between them and their target.
"I hate when things are this easy… Means that something is bound to go wrong down there." Harry grumbled, checking the ammo in his rifle.
Red smiled. "Don't worry. Nothing we can't handle." He said and looked at Liz for approval of his statement, which she provided with a nod and a smile.
"That's right. Let's get down there and see how bad it is. If it's too risky, we pull back and say that we tried." She replied and led her squad into the concrete building where the working elevator was housed. "Celeste, you and I will check it out first. If we send the elevator back up, that means it's safe for you guys to meet us down there." Liz pressed the button to call for the elevator car. Once inside, her and Celeste rode it down to the lower levels.
As the doors opened, Liz stood in front of Celeste, her combat rifle at the ready. She scanned the room and, seeing no turrets, Protectrons, or humans of any kind ahead of them, stepped out into the hallway before them. She hit the button once Celeste was out, sending the car up for the three men to join them.
With the squad together, the group made their way down the tunnel that wound around the bunker. Most of the doors leading from the tunnels opened to rooms that had long been picked clean. A quick scavenge of each room resulted in nothing but a few stray bullets that had fallen out of boxes. Even the mess hall had little more than old dishes to take back.
"What a waste of fuckin' time." Harry said after checking yet another cleared out barracks. "You sure Scorch sent us here? Looks like it's been cleared for ages."
"The cache has got to be deeper." Bundy replied. "Probably in an armory or something."
Lil scanned a map of the facility that was hanging on a wall in the mess hall. She squinted at the faded blueprint before tapping her finger on one of the rooms. "There… Just a bit further down the hall, door on the left next to the commander's office."
Taking point again, she led them further into the bunker until they came to the large blast doors of the armory. The massive doors hung wide open for anyone to access. The team walked into armory, which was the size of small bank vault, and checked the lockers, crates, and ammo containers. Nothing remained of the weapons cache.
"Oh, what the fuck?! What a waste of god damn time!" Harry fumed, kicking a box of papers clear across the room.
"Shut up, Harry…" Liz said, bringing her combat rifle up to her shoulder.
"Why? Not like there's even any security to play with down in this hole!" He shouted.
"I said Shut Up!" Liz commanded as the rest of the squad heard what she heard; footsteps coming down the hall at them. They were coming fast.
The squad armed themselves and was about to charge out of the armory when a stun grenade flew into the small, confined area, blinding the raiders. Lil tried to see through the light, but was tackled before she was able to get a clear shot. She punched and kicked at her attacker, but was not nearly as strong as the larger man that pinned her down.
As the light dissipated in the room, she looked over to see her squad overcome by a group of familiar faces. Raiders from Clarence's gang had Celeste face down on the cold steel floor of the armory. Harry was shouting for them to get off of her, but was busy having his hands tied behind his back. Bundy was pinned against a wall with a pistol under his chin. He grimaced at the enemy before him, but didn't push his luck. Even Red couldn't fight off the four men it took to subdue him.
Lil looked up at the man who was kneeling on her stomach. She glared up at the man, who grinned back at her with a twisted smile. "Night night, bitch." He said and smashed his head into her's, knocking her out cold.
When Lil came to, her hands were bound behind her, her arms wrapped around a pole that her back was leaning against. Through the haze in her head, she heard Harry shouting at someone to "Get the fuck away from her."
"Well, well…. Look who is finally coming back around." A man said, walking over to Liz. She raised her head, her eyes unfocused as she felt a boot connect with her cheek. Her head slammed into the metal pole behind her, almost knocking her out again. She shook her head, fighting to remain conscious as she heard a group of people laughing at her.
Liz grimaced and looked up at the man in front of her, who knelt down to be eye level with the bound raider. "Hello, beautiful. How you feeling?" He asked her. Lil didn't answer him, just glared at his twisted smile. "I bet you ain't feelin' too good. But at least you're alive. Can't say it's gunna stay that way, though."
"Where's my men?" Liz asked, her voice lighter and weaker then she had wanted it to be.
The man grabbed her chin and turned her head to the four people of her squad. Liz noticed that they were all back in the mess hall, the tall ceiling and metal rusting walls were the perfect spot to hold them. Large pillars, like the one Liz was tied to, supported the ceiling, and the tables and booths still stood in their original spots. Bundy was hanging by the wrists a foot off the ground, suspended from a chain connected to the ceiling. Harry was handcuffed to the lesg of one of the tables, a cut above his eye causing a small stream of blood to run down his cheek. Red was lying unconscious on the floor on the other side of Harry, his hands tied behind his back. Celeste was on the floor in front of Harry, being held down by a few of the raiders. Celeste looked up at the enemy with hate in her eyes, but didn't seem harmed in any way.
"They are all right here, boss lady. Scorch said that we could play with you a bit. Said that we had free reign to do anything we wanted to you and your little squad here…." He said and made her look at him again. "And then you know what he said? He said that we had to leave you to starve to death. Terrible way to go, but just the thought of you and your little group dying down here slowly… Just puts a smile on my face."
Liz looked straight into his eyes and smiled. "You fuckers think… that this is over?" she chuckled under her breath. "You should have just killed us in that armory. Cause this is not going to end well for you."
The raider before her grabbed a fist full of her hair and pulled her head back, moving closer. "You are in no position to threaten us. No big, bad raider boss is going to save your sorry ass this time. He can't protect you. Hell, if Scorch's plan is on track, the big fat fuck is probably already dead." He said, brushing a hand against her cheek. "Always did have a thing for you, Lizzie. I'm going to enjoy this."
Lil smiled up at him and, fighting against the pain from her hair being pulled, lurched forward and sank her teeth into his nose, biting down hard. The man screamed and pulled back, leaving a chunk of flesh behind. "You fucking whore!" The man screamed, falling backward and pushing himself away from her. "You're going to fucking regret that!"
The painful wail and following threats caused a few of the other raiders to rush to their man's aid, trying to stop the bleeding. The men left holding Celeste were distracted by the display, allowing her to get her legs free. The thin woman smashed her boot in between one raider's forehead. She twisted her wrists free from the other and scrambled to her knees. She threw her weight into her shoulder and collided with man who had helped to pin her down, causing him to fall backwards and slam his head against the metal floor.
Lil looked to the side to see Celeste spring to her feet and ran Red. She quickly untied his hands and smacked his face until he woke up. Red sat straight up and looked around to get his bearings.
Another raider, pissed that Lil had hurt his friend, walked to her and landed a punch right between her eyes, making her see stars. Red, having seen the hit, roared in anger. "You don't touch Lil!" He howled, stomping towards him. He grabbed the raider by the neck and threw him into the metal wall of the mess hall. The rest of the raiders turned to face the giant menace, but had put their guns on tables off to the side of the room. They had figured that they had their enemies under control. In hand to hand combat, they were no match for Red
As Red started their beatings, Celeste knelt down near Harry and picked the locks on his handcuffs. Once free, they worked together to get Bundy down from the chains. Lil continued to watch the fight in front of her, a smile on her face as Red landed hit after bone crushing hit on the would be executioners. The man with no nose had his legs broken. He tried to crawl from the room into the hallway as he heard his friend's necks snapping under the foot of the colossal raider.
When the attackers were no longer a threat, Red turned to Lil and rushed over to her, breaking the ropes around her wrists easily. "Lil… You ok?" He asked, his big worried face staring down at her.
"Yeah. Thanks Red." She said, rubbing her wrists as she stood on wobbly feet. She was still lightheaded after the damage they did to her face and head. "Everyone alright?" She asked, mainly worried for Celeste based on what she saw when she came to.
"Yeah… Good thing you woke up when you did, boss." Celeste replied. Harry hugged her tight once Bundy was on the ground.
"Fuckers deserved more than a quick death, Red." Bundy said with venom in his voice. "Wanted to cut 'em myself."
"Sorry, Bundy." Red said, sadly.
"We still got the one alive." Liz replied, walking over to the man who was bleeding from his face. She grabbed his broken leg and dragged him back towards the middle of the mess hall. The man screamed in pain as she did so.
"Let go of me, you bitch!" He shouted as Liz pinned him up against the same metal pole she was tied to.
"Celeste, would you do the honors?" Liz asked, motioning for the handcuffs with her head. The young girl smirked and nodded. She grabbed the steel cuffs that head held Harry and locked them around the raider's wrists, with his arms around the pole.
"You fuckers… you're all gunna die once Scorch finds out about this!" He raved, struggling to get his hands free.
"Hey Bundy… you got anymore Stimpacks?" Lil asked, looking over at him.
"Got one. Some bandages too. You hurt?" The man said, holding out the syringe for her.
"Nope." Lil took it and stuck it into their hostage. "There…. Your legs will be better soon. Well, enough to keep you from dying from that injury, anyway . Nose should stop bleeding too." She said, kneeling down to be eye level with him.
"Why would you waste that on me if you're just going to kill me anyway?" Her enemy growled at her.
"Because I don't want it to be over quickly. No…. I want you to starve to death. Will probably take a few days, maybe a week if you're lucky. Dehydration will probably get to you first…" Lil said with a wide smile on her face. "I only wish I could be here to see it, but it seems that we are needed back at the base."
She turned to look at her squad and stood up. "Let's get going. We have a back stabbing Clarence to kill." The raiders grabbed their gear and started to make their way to the exit.
"No wait! Stop! Just kill me! Don't leave me like this!" The man shouted as his nose finished healing.
Lil looked back at him over her shoulder. "Keep screaming. It won't help you, but it might make you feel better." She replied with a smirk before the doors to the mess hall closed behind her.
Lil looked down the scope of Harry's gun. The sun had already set by the time they made it back to the old factory. It appeared that none of the other squads that were sent out to scavenge for supplies had come back. It wasn't hard to figure out what Clarence had done to the rest of Lil's gang. The men patrolling the old factory were all Scorch's men. The Boss was nowhere to be seen. Liz feared the worse.
She sat back on the hill overlooking the factory, her team around her. "It doesn't look good."
"How many are there?" Bundy asked.
"A lot. Enough that it would be crazy to attack them. By ourselves, we'd be slaughtered." Liz shook her head.
"Then let's just get the fuck outta here. No reason to go in there and die." Harry replied, in a hushed tone.
"We can't leave without knowing what happened to the boss." Celeste said, looking worried. "Can we?"
Lil thought for a second. "Alright, you four stay here. I'll go see if he is still alive. If he is… I'll see if I can get him out of there. If I'm not back in a half hour, get outta here. Get as far from the Commonwealth as you can. If Scorch finds out what we did, he might come after us. Head to the Capital Wasteland, alright?"
"Lil… please be careful." Red said and hugged her.
"Yeah. Alright, big guy. That's enough. I'll be back in a few minutes, ok?" She said, patting his arm and trying to keep an open flow of air under his squeeze.
Red let her go, wiping a tear from his eye.
"Wish me luck." She said and hopped over the hill, sliding down towards the factory.
The concrete structure that she called home for the past two years now looked like a foreign place. The fires that burned throughout the night felt like spotlights, just waiting to catch her. The turrets that kept her safe now seemed like the enemy. The large cement walls now appeared to be a prison that she had to break into in an attempt to rescue one of the few people in this messed up world that she still cared about.
Once inside the fence, Liz made her way straight towards the double doors that led into the factory. She glanced to the other side of the slave quarters to see her shack was reduced to ash. They must have set fire to it shortly after her and her squad had left. Her heart dropped to her stomach. If they had set fire to it that quickly after her squad departed, that meant that the boss had been in trouble for hours now.
It seemed that most of Scorch's men were drunk or high, as raiders often were. But this time, they seemed to be celebrating. The guards that normally kept watch over the factory were either asleep on the ramps and scaffolding, or were loudly laughing and singing as they took hit after hit of their chems. Clarence must have given them the night to relax after their underhanded victory. It made her sick to think about, but made sneaking through the cement building towards the boss's quarters that much easier.
Liz finally made it to the metal doors and slowly pushed her way into the room. It was dark, with only one light illuminating the room. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but when they did, the sight made her breath catch in her throat.
Sitting in a chair was the raider king. His long hair and beard were soaked with blood and the red fluid pooled around his feet. His giant hands and arms were chained to the chair, the metal cutting into his bare skin. Blood spray and splatter covered the wall behind him. Lil ran to the chair and, using the sleeve of her jacket, wiped the blood from his face to see if he was still alive. "Boss? Hey, you still with me?" She asked in a panic.
"Go fuck yourself, Clarence." A weak husky voice escaped from the beard of the raider boss. Lil smiled and tears started to form in her eyes.
"Fuck you too, old man." She said. "It's me. It's Lil…" She started to loosen the chains around his wrists.
The raider boss huffed out a laugh. "Lil? That fucking little weasel said that you were dead…. Or worse."
"Nah, you know me. I learned how to defend myself from the best." She said softly. As she moved the chains to loosen them, her hands became coated with blood. He was bleeding out. "Shit, boss…. I gotta find you a Stim." She backed away and scrambled to her feet. She started to look through drawers and boxes, she opened his chests and the lockers that lined the room. Everything was gone, picked clean by Clarence and his boys. The idea that Lil used her last Stimpack on the guy in the bunker crept into her mind. As she started to get more desperate, realizing that there were no more medical supplies in the room, she cursed herself for being so stupid as to care more about her revenge than the possibility that she might need the fucking thing in the future.
"God damn it… Hang on, boss. I'll go find one. Those bastards have to have another one somewhere." Lil said and was about to leave the room when the Boss coughed and spit up blood.
"Don't… risk your life… trying to save mine…" He said with labored breath. "You stupid girl… Haven't I taught you nothin'?"
Lil walked back to him, tears falling down her cheeks. She was almost glad that she was alone in the room. Raiders didn't cry, especially not over a fallen boss. "Guess not, cause I already risked it getting in here."
"Always were stupid." He grunted back. With difficulty, he lifted his head and looked at her, a smile on his face. "Proud of you…"
She sniffled and wiped her eyes on her clean sleeve, trying to hide them from him. "I can't leave you here, boss…. I can't."
"Then don't." He said, then paused to catch his breath. "Put me down."
Lil froze. Was he really asking her to shoot him? Put him down like a sick Brahmin? She had done some terrible things since she lost her family, but how could she kill the raider boss? A man whom she respected, if nothing else. "Boss… You know I can't do that."
"Sure you can…. You're stupid, remember? No matter how hard I tried…. To beat it outta ya… you still give a shit about people… Fuckin' stupid kid that you are." He coughed again. "If you leave me alive… That fuck Clarence… wins… I'd rather go out… by the gun of one of my own… than to die because of what he did … to me."
Tears rushed down Lil's face. He was right. If he died from blood loss because of the torture they put him through, Scorch would win. It was the last thing that Lil could do to get back at the guy who betrayed her, and it would be the last favor she could grant the boss. After a few more seconds of contemplation, she nodded and grabbed her gun. She found the Boss's pillow and carried it back over to his chair.
"I'll see ya around, Lil… Make me proud… Get what you want outta life… It's over before ya know it… " The raider boss coughed again, but smiled for her.
Liz held the pillow up to his forehead and put the muzzle of her gun to the pillow. It would muffle the sound of the gunshot enough that the other raiders shouldn't be able to hear the sound. With tears streaming down her face, she whispered her last goodbye.
"Alright, it's been a half hour. Let's get the fuck outta here." Harry said to the squad. They were still waiting on the hill for Liz to return.
"It's been twenty minutes, Harry. Calm down." Celeste said, watching out for Liz. She wanted to go with Lil. After all, sneaking was her specialty. But she knew that her boss wanted to do this alone.
"Twenty, thirty, who the fuck cares! Let's just go!" He growled. "Before they see us."
"They're too high to give a crap." Lil said, standing at the base of the hill on the opposite side of the factory. The squad, relieved that she was ok, slid down the hill to see her.
"Where's the boss?" Bundy asked.
"Dead." Lil replied. Her eyes were puffy and red, but in the dark, she was sure that her squad couldn't see them.
"Those bastards…" Bundy growled, his fists clenched.
"Wasn't them…. I killed him." Lil replied, her voice emotionless.
"What?! Why?" Celeste almost shouted in surprise.
"Cause he was weak. He let our home be overtaken by our rivals. I told him to just kill Scorch and his gang months ago, but instead he lets them join us… and this is what happens. Our gang's all dead. All except us five. There's nothing left for us here." Lil answered.
"So you shot him? I find that hard to believe." Harry said, shaking his head.
"Want to see the fresh blood on my barrel? Shot him point blank in the forehead." She replied, coldly.
"Whatever, he's dead. Let's go." Harry responded and turned to walk away from the factory.
The squad set off away from the factory in silence. After about ten minutes or so of walking, Harry finally spoke up. "We should head to the Capital Wasteland, start up our own raider gang."
"Oh? And who would be boss, you?" Celeste asked, with a humorless laugh.
"Well, obviously I'd be the leader. It was my idea, and who else could run a full gang?" He replied.
"I think Liz would be a better leader." Red said, walking next to Liz.
"No offense, Lil… but a raider boss has to be strong. You got brains, but you ain't got strength. So, let's just say that this is my raider gang now." Harry said, looking at everyone.
"Like Hell it is." Bundy replied, stopping. "You aren't boss material."
"Oh yeah? And you are? What makes you right for the job, hm?" The men squared off with one another when Liz stepped up.
"Harry's right." She said, and everyone fell silent. "A raider boss needs to be strong. Needs to be intimidating." She walked towards Harry, smiling at him.
"Right…. And I'm strong and intimidating. I'm the obvious choice." Harry said, glad that Lil agreed. "I mean, I will definitely need your help, Lil… You got a good head on your shoulders."
"That I do. Unlike you." She replied, emotionlessly. Before he could stop her, Liz raised her pistol and put a bullet in his head, dropping him immediately. The group stayed in stunned silence as Liz walked to the corpse and shot three more rounds into its head. When the echo of the bullets fell silent, she looked back at her squad.
"Anyone else need a demonstration of strength?" The squad again stayed silent. "Good. That settles it. And no more of this Lil shit. It's Liz, or Boss. I think this is the start of a beautiful new chapter in our lives."
Liz and Gage walked back to Nuka Town after clearing out the Bottling Plant. At the entrance way, they were greeted by the head of each gang. Mason crossed his massive arms as the pair walked towards them. "There she is. Can't believe you did it, boss." He said with a breathy laugh.
"The whole park is ours." Mags said with her usual smirk.
Nisha sulked behind her counterparts and said nothing to the Overboss as she walked past the group, motioning for them to follow her.
"We have things to discuss. Come. Let's go to my quarters." Liz said, a confident smile on her face. As the conglomerate reached the elevator, Hound came jogging up to them, his mask covering his face.
"Hey boss. Got that information you asked for." He said, and then noticed Mason glaring at him. "Is this a bad time?"
"Yeah, Hound. It is. We got stuff to talk about and it don't involve you! Get your ass back to the amphitheater." Mason growled at his scout, making the young man take a step back.
"Now, now, Mason. Hound did a little favor for me. He can come up and hear this too. Come on up, Hound. Join us for a drink." She said and stepped onto the elevator, waiting for the other gang leaders and her new scout to get on. She pressed the button and the group rode quietly to the top.
"So…. What's next, boss?" William said once they had all piled off of the elevator and stood at the bar in Fizztop Mountain. Liz grabbed glasses for everyone and poured whiskey into each glass.
"I think we need to talk about where we go from here." The Overboss handed a glass to each of the raiders, including Hound. None drank from their glass until Liz held her glass up. "But first… here's to the successful takeover of Nuka World." She drank the shot, as did the rest of them. Gage hadn't taken a glass, wanting to remain sober and alert. It was the first time in quite a while that all of the gang leaders were in the same room at one time.
Once they all set their glasses back down, Mason spoke up. "What, uh…. What did you have in mind for our next steps, boss?"
Liz sat on a stool in front of the group, smiling casually at them. "Next, we get the power plant up and running. I noticed that not all of the lights and electricity are working in the parks and I want to get that working again. Nisha, I want you and the Operators to work together on getting it fixed."
"What?" Nisha hissed. "You got some nerve asking us to do anything for you. After how you treated the Disciples."
"You will get your fair share, Nisha." Liz replied, remaining calm. "Ya see… we aren't stopping at Nuka World. I want the whole damn Commonwealth." The leaders of the gangs all looked at one another, uneasily.
"You sure that's a good idea, boss? I mean… the Institute has that place pretty well under control." Mason spoke up first.
"I don't know if the payout is worth the risk." Mags tried to reason before the Overboss spoke up.
"Think about it for a second, my friends. The Commonwealth has everything you all want. Mags, William… think about all of those settlements, just waiting to be picked clean. They haven't been raided in years thanks to the Institutes influence. And Mason, you wanted a challenge right? You can prove once and for all who the strongest group in the Commonwealth is. We both know that the Institute can't stand toe to toe with the Pack."
"Fuckin' right." Mason said with a smile that stretched across his face.
"And Nisha… how much fun would it be to cut into those scientists who think they are so safe underground in their little fortress. Perfect play things for you and your gang." Liz asked her.
Nisha turned her head away but couldn't help but smile at the thought of hearing the untouched Institute screaming under their knives.
"And the best part is… there isn't any competition!" The Overboss added. "Other raiders are too chicken shit to attack the Commonwealth, right? So let's show them what a post-apocalyptic world looks like. You guys with me?"
"Hell yeah!" Mason said without hesitation.
"You do make a very persuasive argument, boss." Mags said, looking to William, who nodded. Nisha stayed silent.
"Nisha…. Come on. You will have so much territory to play with in the Commonwealth, one park won't make a difference." Liz said, standing up from her seat. "We can't do this without you."
The leader of the Disciples sighed and nodded. 'Fine. But you better start doing right by us, or you won't like what happens." Her head turned slightly to look at Gage, who glared back at her with a sneer.
"Good, glad that's settled." The boss said. "Now, while the Operators and Disciples are fixing our power issue, the Pack and I will be moving in on the first settlement outpost in the Commonwealth. We can plan our raids from there, get some of the neighboring settlements to supply our gangs with food, water and stuff." Liz looked from gang leader to gang leader. "I also want your gangs out of Nuka Town. Now that you have claim to the other parks, Nuka Town is mine."
"If you want that, boss." William said with a shrug. "The Operators will leave a few men in the town as guards for you."
"So will the Pack." Mason agreed as well. "Can't have our Overboss unprotected."
Gage grimaced, not liking the idea of the wolves still so close to Liz. The Boss, however, shrugged. "Sure, could use the help. For now." She stretched and yawned. "Well, if you don't mind. I think I am going to get some shut eye. Doing all the heavy lifting to clear out the parks really takes it out of ya."
The gang leaders smirked and bid the Overboss farewell before descending down to the ground below. Once they were gone, Liz turned her attention to the young member of the Pack, who had been waiting patiently off to the side for the meeting to be finished.
"Well Hound? What do you got for me?" She asked, taking off her coat and throwing it on a table. The cool air felt great on her bare arms.
"Oh, yeah… Sorry." Hound removed his mask, showing the face of a man who was a few years younger than Liz. He had a handsome face with brown eyes, which seemed dull thanks to a hard life. "Your gun tech made it back to his house at Sanctuary. It's not far from the Nuka Transit station in the Commonwealth. Might be a good place to set up an outpost."
"How many other people live there?" She continued.
"About 6, other than the handyman. Some old lady, a couple in their mid-thirties. I think they have a kid about a year old. Then there's another woman, young girl. She ran right up to your man and pulled him into a kiss as soon as she saw him. Kinda sweet." He said with a chuckle. "Oh, and some guy in a long tan duster. He carried one of those… laser musket things. Maybe old Minuteman, but god knows how he's still alive."
"Good work, Hound. You better head back to see if Mason wants you to do anything. He didn't look too happy that you were helping me." Liz replied and sat at one of the booths.
"Eh, he'll get over it. But I better get going all the same. See you later, boss." He said. He put the mask back on his face and rode the elevator down to the ground. Liz watched him leave and then flopped backwards on the bench of a booth, laying down on the cracked red plastic seats. She took a deep breath and sighed, folding her hands over her eyes.
"So, you gunna tell me the real reason you're goin' after the Commonwealth?" She heard Gage ask as he stood over her.
"To make a shit ton of caps, Gage." She replied, but didn't even try to mask her lie.
"I've been running with you for a while now. I ain't once heard ya mention anything about caps. Hell, I seen you pass by a few while in the park that you didn't even bother to pick up." Gage replied.
"Fame? Because I'm fucking bored? Pick one." She said, curtly.
Gage sat on the bench across the table from her. "I kinda poured my guts out to ya on top o' that bottling plant. Not that I expect ya to do the same, but it wouldn't hurt to fill your partner in on this, would it?"
Liz groaned and sat up, looking at him. She tried to think of a lie, tried to make something up… but she couldn't do that to Gage. She sighed again and rubbed her forehead. "Cause I want to wipe out the Institute." She replied.
She waited for the angry outburst, the claims that she was crazy or the shouts that she was on her own before he stormed out of the room. In response, all she got was a calm question of "Why?" Gage didn't seem upset as he waited patiently for her answer.
Liz looked down at her hands that were folded in front of her. She couldn't look up at Gage. "They killed my family. My dad, my sister… my mom. The Institute killed them because they were trying to kill me. I don't know why they wanted me dead but… I want to see those bastards die and watch as their whole world burns down. I know that sounds crazy, but if it's the last thing I do, I will see that fucking prick who leads that whole group in their underground lair breathe his last breath." She finally looked up into Gage's eyes.
"Alright then." He said calmly, with a shrug. "Ain't gunna be easy, but it'll be a hell of a ride going after those fuckers."
"You…. You're ok with it? You're ok with helping me attack the Institute?" She asked.
"Well, it ain't like I'm overly thrilled at the idea of going up against the Institute, but the Commonwealth was always a target of mine, even when I started to plan the takeover of Nuka World. And... I wasn't liein' when I said that I finally found something worth fightin' for. You are worth fightin' for." He said to her, with the slightest smile on his face.
Liz stared into his eyes for a moment or two in silence. That was the first time anyone had ever said anything like that to her. It made her feel like her crazy scheme wasn't some chemmed up dream that could never happen. It made her feel that she was worth sticking around for. Most importantly, it made her feel like she had someone on her side, someone that trusted her and that she trusted completely.
She couldn't tell if it was the whiskey she had drank, the lack of sleep or food, the fact that it had been awhile since she last intimate with another person, or if Gage was the real deal that made these thoughts manifest in her brain. Before she could stop herself, she reached across the table, grabbed the front bar on his armor and pulled him into a kiss. Their lips locked as she ran her other hand over his scalp.
When she pulled back, he stared for a second in stunned silence. "You… you sure you know what you are doin'? You sure this is what you want?" He asked, quietly.
Liz smirked. "Partners, right?" She said and picked up right where she left off, kissing him deeply as she crawled across the table towards him.
Liz woke up in the middle of the night. Gage was fast asleep beside her. His arm was draped over her stomach. She slowly got out of bed, dragging a blanket with her to keep out the cold from the night air. The parties had all died down, though raiders still wandered about in Nuka Town below. She stood at the railing, looking out over the park.
She thought back on what got her to this place, the people she killed, the lives she destroyed. Was all of it worth it; to stop the Institute? Something she wasn't sure even still existed? She knew what she had done up to this point was not for the right reasons. She was well aware that everything she did was for herself alone. But now she had the fate of the Commonwealth in her hands. If she continued to lead the raiders into Boston, she would change the wasteland forever.
And what if she did succeed in destroying the Institute? Would she rule over the Commonwealth? She was a raider, not the fucking Minutemen or the Brotherhood of Steel. She could lead men and women to rob, cheat, steal and destroy, but could she lead them to rebuild? To live in a world ruled by raiders?
The thought of her holding power over the Commonwealth also made her think about the other gangs. Her power would always be a threat to the others, even those that appeared loyal to her. She would be leading a pack of jackals that she wasn't even part of with no one truly on her side other than Gage. She would be overthrown in no time at all, and the Commonwealth would be left to the mercy of those gangs around her. Deep down, she knew she had to think of something.
"You always leave your bed in the middle of the night? What, did I snore or somethin'?" Porter asked, walking up behind her. He wore his pants and boots but didn't bother putting his shirt on.
Liz looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. "No. Just… thinking. That's all." She said and looked back out at the town. Gage rubbed her shoulders and planted a kiss on the base of her neck.
"What are ya thinkin' about?" He asked.
"About what comes next, and what we need to do." She said and sighed. "I think I need a gang."
"You got three of 'em." Gage replied with a chuckle.
"I can't trust any of them to do anything except stab me in the back once the Commonwealth is under our control…" She thought out loud. "But if I had my own gang, my own men to fight with me… I would at least have some kind of protection, right?"
"Ya got me, ya know." He said, wrapping an arm around her waist.
She pressed herself back into him and sighed. "I know, Gage. But we are going to need more." Her eyes wandered to the Traders outpost and a smile replaced the look of worry on her face. "And I think I know where to start." She grabbed his hands and turned around to face him, placing another kiss on his lips. "Come on, let's go back to bed. We deserve a little rest."