Stop Raiding My Heart

Chapter 7

Gage was in awe of this woman, she had accomplished a great feat. A man alone became lazy and gave up on freeing the parks, but she came and changed that. The raiders were content with Iza's progress. Gage was proud of the woman he loved. He was snapped out of his daze when Iza began to speak. "Tonight we party!" Iza said as the raiders cheered.

The slaves began to prepare the feast for the raiders. Iza walked around the tables as they were being set for the raiders. Two slaves were lighting torches around the feast area. Once the feast had started Iza and Gage sat at the head table. Gage placed his hand on her thigh and squeezed as he saw a man approached the feast. He wore a dark power armor, a brahmin skull on the shoulder. Iza stood up and the raiders that were standing guard and Gage took aim at the man.

"State your business." Iza said loudly as she walked toward the man. She saw a woman, and a child behind the armored man.

"My name is Ashur. I have come to seek a new home for my raiders and my family." The man said carefully. "I heard this place is safe for raiders."

"Come sit at my table we will talk. Bring three extra place settings to my table!" Iza ordered as she walked back to Gage. The man took a breath and him and his family followed Iza to the head table. "Are you hungry?" Iza asked the family.

"Who are you? Why did everyone stand down at your command?"Ashur asked as he took a seat next to the woman. The slaves placed plates of food in front of the guest.

"I am the Overboss here in Nuka World. These are my raiders, they each have a leader,but they all obey me. I am Iza and this is Gage." Iza said as she ate the grilled radstag in front of her. "We are celebrating my victory of libration." The man looked at Iza.

"I used to librate people. I tried to free the Pit, but we lost to many and fled." Ashur said. "I was a raider boss, but I have failed my men."

"Earn my trust and I'll send a team to go with you back to the Pit. They will see that you stay a friend if it comes to that." Iza said. "I cannot afford another gang here. It would cause too much strife."

"You are a wise woman. Who is this man, I know his name, but what is his purpose?"The woman next to Ashur asked.

"Gage is my right hand man, he has guided me through my libration of the parks." Iza said as she grabbed Gage's hand under the table. Gage looked at Iza than continued to eat.

"I remember when we were like that. Do you have any children? We have our miracle Marie." The woman said as she moved closer to her husband.

"I had a son, but we have no children together. I don't think Gage has any children either." Iza said, Gage stopped eating and looked at the woman.

"Iza we should return to FizzTop soon." Gage said. "We have a guest room, but it only is a twin, we also have a couch in the grand room. You are welcomed to stay with us." Gage said as he stood up from his chair. "Come Iza." Iza left with Gage, the couple walked to FizzTop grill. "Iza my love I dont think we should trust them. What if it is a trap?"

"Gage we will give them a chance. The woman was me once, looking to protect her child. Diffrence is I killed my son." Iza said as she sat on the bed. "I shot him in the head, then blew up his work after his death."

"Iza we all have had kills we regret, but it had to be done. Your son was hurting the Commonwealth." Gage said as he sat next to Iza.

"Gage I never got to raise my son, he was taken when he was six months, next time I saw him he was sixty. I wanted to raise him, to see his first milestones. I missed all of that because of the fucking war." Iza said as she leaned into Gage. "I want a baby."

"Iza do you really want to bring a life into this world? The radiation could kill a baby." Gage said as he looked at the woman. "Iza being a parent is alot, we just cleared two of the parks." Gage said as he held her close.

"Gage. Please this is the best time. It is safe now. No fear of ghouls, lurks, bugs, death claws. This park is safe." Iza said as she snuggled into Gage. "We cleared the park for the raiders. We have done alot for them, what about us? Where is our family? We are not in a gang family like the other raiders."

"Iza we can try, but I cant promise anything. You were frozen for two hundred years and I am getting old. Im sure if I was frozen in my early twenties I would probaly look alot better. From the big freeze things may not work like they used to. You said you were the only one that survied, so there is no way to find out if it did change anything. Also it will be strange for the raider. Raiders sell kids they don't raise them." Gage said as he kissed Iza's head. Iza looked up at the man, he sighed. The door opened and Asher walks into their room. "Ashur are you settling in okay?"

    "Yes thank you. I overheard the conversation. How are you alive if its been two hundred years?" Ashur asked as he placed his hand on the pistol on his hip. "Only a ghoul could live that long."

    "I am no ghoul. I was part of a Vault-Tec experiment with my family. I remember the day the bombs dropped. I remember the death of my husband, and the death of my son." Iza said as she watched him closely. "If I was a threat to you my raiders would have killed you at the feast. Don't forget who's empire you're in."

     "Interesting. Back on topic why are your raiders here? The commonwealth is full of opportunities to get rich quick. They'll be happier with more caps in their pockets." Ashur said as he walked to the balcony.