Part 2

Garv was slightly mollified that his instinctive leap to skip right past the shelves at the front had proven right. The back storage rooms were far better off for ammo, medical supplies and food than he'd hoped. There were more ferals hiding in the shelves of boxes and the cramped conditions weren't ideal, but they needed everything they could carry to help them plan this attack on Jared.

He still felt a heel whenever he looked towards Vaultie, but he wasn't about to back down on their earlier argument whatsoever. He was stubborn, Garv knew that. What he didn't anticipate was an equal stubbornness in their intellectual little friend. The three took a quick and unusually quiet poke around the kitchen but failed to turn up anything exciting. Outside, the ferals persisted at the door, still hissing. The door had several serious dents in it now, but it still looked strong.

They moved further into the stockroom. It looked the same as the rest of the building - damaged. But still mostly intact. A quick survey of the room turned up some finds but what the two raiders and Vaultie didn't expect was probably the least threatening thing in the entire building as they explored the room beyond the box-lined corridor. A dead body slumped against a steamer trunk.

Garv swore heavily and turned away from the sight as fast as he could, which confused Vaultie immensely. 'You know him?' She asked.

'Knew. I knew him.' The raider cursed again and ran a hand down his face. 'His name was Josh.' He stood still for a second before he marched off back through the storage rooms and back to the kitchen they'd left, ignoring Vaultie's look of surprise and Sturges' squirming uncomfortableness. He could hear the ferals hissing and reacting to his presence on the other side of the old kitchen equipment. They couldn't get to him without tearing a hole in the wall or breaking through the doors and both were hardly quiet activities.

Garv hadn't known Josh as well as some others had before Quincy, but he knew Josh had the dubious honour of having the strangest/worst luck in the entire infantry of Minutemen. One of those people who could only accidentally find things by literally stumbling into them, or tripping over and falling into it - or once, walking into a hunter's trap and ending up upside down, staring at it. It looked like this time his capricious luck had really bitten him in the ass. But why? Why had he even come here? Surely he must have been aware of the ghouls, aware of their neighbours - Jared and his pack. Why come here alone?

….Had he been alone?

The body looked somewhat fresh which meant that he'd managed to survive for a year or so before meeting his end. Garv was almost thankful for that.

Seeing the outfit, the hat, the logo on his jacket had brought back a flood of conflicting emotion - the biggest of which was anger. He'd been living his life for the last year in numbness compared to the rage and grief lashing against his ribcage. Just like Vaultie, he had buried the emotion of the world as he knew it imploding as deep into himself as he could. A tendril of that was now creeping back in when he least wanted it to.

He snapped out of it long enough to listen to the long hissing and shuffling of the ferals in front of the double doors and the kitchen - as though they were workers lined up for breakfast in the old world.

'Dammit.' He growled.

The ferals hissed in the wake of the sound and reared forward to try and reach him, but the opening was small and the other bodies got in the way. They couldn't reach him just yet. The doors were looking more and more dented though, long deep gashes in the metal. He thought of sinking a couple of rounds into them - for Josh, at the very least - but they had a smarter and more protected target to kill and fusion cells were hard to come across as it was. Maybe one day he'd come back and finish off the lot of them - if he lived that long.

Instead of heading left, back into the storage and confronting the body all over again, Garv started exploring right and immediately hit upon the offices.

The desks lined the floor, their busted computers gathered dust. Someone some time previously had trapped a teddy in an upturned bin and just to make doubly sure that it couldn't escape - had handcuffed the two bear paws.

He shook his head to himself - if he didn't know any better he'd have sworn Sturges had done it. It didn't do much for his humour, but it did ground him to the here and now, not what could have been or what went wrong.

Josh would not be alone. He knew that much. Minuteman or civilian - Garv was prepared to find more bodies.

'Garv? You okay?' Sturges appeared at the door with a worried looking Vaultie trying to act nonchalant behind him. She was good at keeping her face neutral, he'd give her that, but she was tense trying to act relaxed.

'Yeah.' He sighed. 'I'm fine.'

'There's some stairs a little ways behind us. Reckon there might be another fusion core down there?' Sturges offered in the awkwardness.

Garv reckoned there would be more ghouls. Nevertheless, they had to cover the entire building - just to make sure nothing else crept up on them. Finding his centre was easier, now he'd taken a moment to himself. He could focus rather than have the guilt and betrayal compounded.

The generator room was covered in a layer of oil. A rainbow of colours merged across the floor around them as they stepped through the puddles. 'Whatever you do,' Garv warned with a growl. 'Don't fire a single shot in here. I mean it. We'll all go up.'

Sturges and Vaultie nodded quickly. Garv had seen what loose oil on a floor could do to a group plenty of times before. He'd even employed the method once or twice - but you'd have to be seriously backed into a corner to even consider something as uncontrollable as fire.

The basement wasn't actually a basement - it was a car park turned loading bay. Several rusted and practically destroyed cars were laid where they had been parked for the last 200 years but that wasn't what had immediately filled the universe. The bullet ricocheting off the concrete beside his head was.

All three immediately turned left and dived behind a rusted old truck as someone cursed from the gloom and reloaded.

'Don't shoot!' Vaultie yelled over the truck. 'We're friendly!'

'You're raiders!' Came an angry reply. Whomever had answered was female and angry which, presumably would equate to her being the shooter.

'We thought this place was empty!' Sturges agreed.

'Well it's not!' The shrill, nettled voice countered. Another bullet pinged off the rusted framework for good measure, sending flakes of the car flying. Somewhere above them, there was a crash. The hissing ferals seemed to be getting louder.

'Shee-ite. They've broken down the doors.' Sturges whispered.

He really didn't think he'd stirred them up that badly. There must have been dozens up there. That, in itself, was bad. Being pinned down by some irate woman shooting at them only complicated the problem.

They needed a way out of here that did not include going through a hoarde of feral ghouls or getting shot in the ass. Garv raised his head ever so slightly over the bed of the truck and glanced around. There - there was a terminal by the rolling doors. Presumably, it controlled them. It could be an escape.

As much as he hated the idea of it, they did need Vaultie right at this minute. 'Do you think you can hack that terminal?' He demanded and turned to her. He almost expected a sassy and chilly "Oh so now you need me?" but it never came. She seemed to fully grasp the situation as wordlessly as Garv had.

'I...I don't know. I think so. They shouldn't have very good firewalls. It's just a supermarket - but I won't be able to do it if people are shooting at me!' She warned him with a worried look. It was another look he'd seen in the past in various guises. Her eyes were screaming "Please tell me you have a plan to get us out of here alive".

There seemed to be a whispered conversation on the other side of the room as well. Evidently, the shooter wasn't alone and they too had heard the sounds of the ferals. 'We can't just stay trapped in here, this is ridiculous! Somebody needs to do something.'

'The Sight says we should trust them.'

'I don't care what drugs tell you to do you crazy old bat, they're raiders!'

'They're not just anybody. These people are special.'

'Please, please Marcy, I don't want to die here -'

'Jun, shut up!'

The voices were familiar to him, but he couldn't remember where he'd heard them before. Sturges, however, seemed suddenly excited. 'Marcy? Jun? It's ol' Sturges!' Another shot pinged off the framework and the ferals hissing began to get closer. 'Damn, woman! Stop shooting at me!'

'I don't care who you claim to be, you're a raider!'

'Marcy be smart about this! You can't take on all those ferals by yourself! I know what happened to Josh!' Sturges begged. 'I don't want to die here, and I know you don't either. We have a way out!'

'Oh yeah?' Came the sarcastic reply. 'Why should I believe a raider?!'

'Marcy-' Jun begged.

Garv turned to look up at the stairs. Oil was dripping steadily, soaking into the porous concrete. Shadows were dancing on the wall. The ferals were almost on top of them. The group were going to have to move - soon. 'Because if you don't -' Garv yelled 'You'll die. We can get the terminal to open the doors, you've just got to trust us.'

There was a derisive snort from the gloom followed by a cracked and old sounding 'Trust them.'

'Vaultie,' Garv murmured. 'Get ready to hit up that terminal.'

'But -' She replied warily.

'I got this.' He replied and aimed towards the stairs. The shot ignited the oil and raced up the stairs towards the ghouls. There was no going back that way. 'Go, Vaultie!' He yelled.

She leapt over the truck and scrambled towards the terminal as the smell of burning ferals and smoke rolled across the ceiling. Garv was watching the stairs, waiting for the first burning feral to tumble down into his sightline. The smoke was getting thicker - but Garv noted with some concern that the oil was not infinite. It was burning up, fast.

'What are they doing? Why can't I just shoot-' Came an argument from the other side of the room. Garv grit his teeth as he kept one eye on Vaultie, just in case the aforementioned Marcy decided to take a shot at her - and the other eye on the stairs.

Feet were appearing in the fire. Lots of feet. They were panicking and bumping into each other as the fire caused pain. If he hadn't seen himself what ferals could do in large numbers and if he had some sort of morality left, he may have even felt sorry for them. However, he hadn't survived this long to get sentimental. 'Vaultie!' He yelled.

'Got it!' She returned just as the huge roller shutters began to jerk into life. The oil fizzled out on the ground, and the ferals were really pouring into the stairwell now. Many of them on fire and setting others that had escaped the ignition on fire as they crashed into each other. The second the shutters looked big enough to roll under he yelled 'Last chance! Go!' And pushed Sturges out into the open.

Vaultie was already nipping into the light pouring in and the arguing group seemed to make up their minds, bolting for the second set of shutters as Garv ducked out into the light.

The light outside was bright compared to the loading bay. Garv blinked as he slowly adjusted. 'Close the shutters, Vaultie!' He ordered as the smell of burning flesh and rags leeched out into the fresh air and sunshine. The sound of the shutters paused for a second before the old, rusted gears screeched back into life and began to close their escape point again. Garv kept his musket on the opening beside Vaultie, who had yet to move away from the terminal.

He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding when the metal shutters finally settled and turned to the new problem - the other group.

They too, were a trio. Two women and a man who looked like most life had been knocked out of him. Dressed in settler clothes. Sturges seemed to know them and in the daylight of the wasteland - they did look familiar.

'Marcy-' Sturges tried.

'Don't even talk to me, raider scum!' the woman in the chequered shirt growled, her gun held firmly at them. 'We're just going to go our own way. Try and stop us and I'll put a bullet in you.'

'Marcy, c'mon. It's Sturges. How long're you gonna last out there, huh? Where're you gonna go?' The handyman raider pleaded, his hands raised.

Marcy Long scowled. 'I don't know, but anywhere's better than this-'

'Sanctuary.' The older woman announced abruptly and Garv heard the intake of breath from Vaultie. How had she heard that name? Or had she meant sanctuary as in any kind of sanctuary? 'You know what I mean, kid. Don't you?' The old woman smiled knowingly.

Eyes turned to the paling Vaultie. 'How do you know about that?' She asked quietly.

'The Sight tells me things, kid. I saw you leaving that awful vault. I know what kind of pain you're hiding and the good heart you have. Dogmeat found a good one in you.'

Dogmeat? The - the Red Rocket dog?!

'We're not going anywhere raiders recommend!' Marcy snapped.

Sturges interjected again. 'Marcy, you look like hell - Jun looks even worse. Let us help. Nobody knows about that place but us three. I'm sure Vaultie would love some help up there, wouldn't you?' His smile was strained as he desperately tried to convince them to accept the offer and dragged Vaultie in on it.

'Yeah.' She chipped in. 'It's a big place for just me…'

'And what makes you think we'd trust her over you? Huh? What's a stupid Vault Dweller going to do when we're attacked?'

More than you'd think, Garv admitted quietly to himself.

'Have you got anything better?' Sturges asked. 'We can walk you back up there.'

Now Garv threw him an incredulous hold-the-fuck-on look. 'We're meant to be scoping out Corvega!' He hissed. 'Not escorting nutty settlers anywhere.'

Marcy Long sneered at his insult. 'We don't need them!'

'Marcy,' Sturges tried again, practically pleading with her now. 'There's ferals all over. You're not looking so good. Come with us back to Sanctuary. You got a better plan?'

For the first time since they'd entered Lexington, a sullen silence fell. Marcy seemed to be accepting the wisdom of Sturges' points - even if she didn't like them. She turned and began a huddle with Jun, speaking in another language - rapid fire and too fast to get even an inflection from.

Garv turned on Sturges and grabbed him by the ear to hiss 'What is wrong with you? We're meant to be scouting out Corvega!'

'We were gonna look around to see what's changed, boss-man and not a lot will have!' Sturges defended. 'Besides, the plan was always to head back to Sanctuary and get geared up for a fight - what's different about taking a few extra people with us?'

'Everything.' Garv hissed. 'Every damn thing! We'll be easier to spot sneaking out of here for one! How are we even meant to test the defenses with three extra- what?!' He demanded at seeing the old woman approaching the arguing pair.

'You know there's a secret way into there - right?' She questioned. 'The Sight knows.'

'And I'm a sugarplum Deathclaw, Grandma.' Garv replied sarcastically.

Sturges threw the old woman a sorrowful look. 'I'm sorry Mama Murphy, man's got no manners.'

Say what, now? Garv stared at Sturges in slack-jawed awe. The handyman had always been on his side - he'd never answered back as far as Garv could remember. He went with the flow. Now he was sticking up for the old woman?

'Garv, this here's the woman that warned Quincy that Gunners were on the way in the first place.' Sturges sighed. 'If she says that there's a secret way in - I believe 'er.'

Since when did Sturges - Handyman, mechanic, motor genius and the most rational man on the planet Sturges - ever believe in psychic powers? Especially that of an old woman who may or may not be off her face on Chems at the minute.

'Trust me, boss man.' Sturges implored.

Something inside Garv snapped, but it snapped damply. 'You know what? Fine. Fine! This was a shit-show from start to finish anyway.' He pinched the bridge of his nose. First Vaultie dragged them into a mess at Thicket Excavations and nearly got them killed, then she set off a pack of feral ghouls that almost killed them - twice! - Garv got shot at among many things and now Sturges and Vaultie want to play settlers. Why did he ever think it was a good idea to have her tagging along? At all?

Garv did not like the fact Vaultie seemed to have such sway over Sturges. He did not like her busy-body attitude. He had a distinct feeling that she was going to get herself killed which - depending on when it happened - would or would not solve at least half his problems.

The huddle of Marcy and Jun Long broke apart and Marcy long glared at the two raiders. 'I don't like it but - if this Sanctuary is as good as you say it is, we're in. If you're lying, I'll put a bullet in your heads.'

'It's real, Marcy.' Sturges smiled brightly.

And Garv would love to see her try putting a bullet in his head. It was a lot harder than you'd think. He hadn't spent the whole last year doing absolutely nothing. But - he resigned himself to the fact they were heading back with three extra people and no scouting done.

He watched Vaultie take her hard earned Nuka Cherry and hand it to Jun Long, probably hoping to turn that sagging grimace upside down. He took it, didn't even thank her and threw it back, gulping until it was gone - much to her shock.

Garv probably shouldn't have had a deep and savage feeling of smugness at the fact that once again, her offer of help had been taken - not just taken, but seized - without even a thank you and she seemed uncomfortably perturbed by that. It wasn't a very large victory in the grand scheme of things - but it made Garv pettily amused by the way she'd give an inch and they'd take a mile. Just like Mathis. He didn't get the same feeling from these wasters as he did from Mathis. They weren't that dangerous.

That didn't mean, however, that he was happy to escort them back. Even though they were heading the same way. That woman had shot at him for Atom's sake.

It was going to be an even more fun walk back than it had been walking here. He could tell.

A/N: Okay so, uh, this got big. Like bigger than I was expecting but it was hard to convincingly write Marcy Long agreeing to anything where raiders were involved. She hates raiders like Preston hates Gunners. It's scary. And I was advised to keep the Josh thing in. B'cuz reasons. Anyway I hope you enjoy the conclusion to the Super Duper Mart fiasco!