[A/N: Season two is pretty fire so far. But Lucy has the survival instincts of a dodo bird. 🤣]
"Is she... ok?" Jonny asked nervously. I could tell he was genuinely worried about Elizabeth.
"She's alive. But I don't know if this power she has is stable yet. I'll have to give her a full examination when we have the time." I said as I pulled out a spare blanket from my inventory and wrapped her up like a burrito.
I lifted her into my arms and turned to face my two companions.
"Lady... leave the power armor and take Elizabeth back to Hestia dome. If we find the boy, then Jonny will take him and join you while I finish things with the Overseer."
"Boss!"/"Sir." Both immediately tried to protest but I put my hand up and stopped them.
"That's an order. The safety of the kids comes first. And not taking them back before the real showdown starts would just leave them in unnecessary danger. Lady... Do it." I spoke with conviction and finality leaving them no room to argue.
Lady's power armor opened and she jumped out of it. I walked up to her and put the unconscious Elizabeth into her arms.
"Go." I stated simply which caused her to stare at me for a second before looking down at the girl and then turning to leave.
I could see her reluctance to leave my side but I believed I was making the right choice. She would be able to take the direct route back to Hestia which means it would still be around 45 minutes before she could get back.
But by then I plan to be standing over the Overseer's corpse.
As much as I'd like to have the full team with me when I confront the Overseer, Elizabeth's importance has skyrocketed with the new ability she has.
I simply did not want to risk losing her, not solely because she is a child and I'm a bit soft hearted but also now because she has tangible value to my cause now.
Jonny looked at me with worry. "Will this be fine? If it's just the two of us or even by yourself? The Overseer will probably prepare alot more defenses around himself..."
I gave a small smile as I approached the back of the power armor Lady left behind. "Don't underestimate me Jonny. I value my life and wouldn't risk it for no reason. Like I said before... worry about your own life."
The power armor adjusted to me and I was sealed into it. Instead of my pistols, I once again was equipped with a laser rifle.
I had a few other surprises I hadn't pulled out yet, but the laser rifle was fun to shoot and left cauterized holes in my enemies which I thought was fun.
*crackle*
An intercom on a wall near us in the lab clicked on and a deep grainy voice spoke.
[So the new mice were actually wolves... It was my mistake for not taking you more seriously...]
"You're the Overseer?" I asked.
[Indeed.] The voice replied matter of factly. [And you? Military? Vault-Tec? Perhaps even a foreign spy? Here to steal on your master's behalf?]
I chuckled at the thought. "No. I have no master. I simply wanted what was here and moved to take it."
[Oh? So you're a common thief then. Greed... A trait that has haunted humanity since antiquity. But once my research is complete, that flaw will be fixed.]
"Fixed? What exactly is your plan? To mutate the survivors on the surface into mermen then control them all using a telepathic connection? That doesnt sound like greed is being fixed. It just sounds like hell." I retorted.
[So Meryl told you. Figures that soft hearted shrew couldn't stay quiet. It matters not. You are a promising specimen so I'd like to show mercy and extend an offer. Become one of my warriors or... refuse and die.]
*crunch*
I punched the intercom into pieces giving the bastard my answer.
"Let's go. I gotta tell this fucker my answer in person as well."
Jonny nodded and we marched outside the lab back into the main corridor.
The corridor spiraled inward until we found the doors leading to the central laboratory. Where the Overseer conducts his experiments as well as his office where he stores his data.
The doors slid open without resistance and we took a cautious step inside. What we were met with were rows upon rows of cylindrical tanks. Each clearly containing what appeared to be mermen.
But what tripped me up was the fact that the tanks looked very familiar.
'Are those... Vita Chambers? No... they just look the same but contain mermen specimens. Maybe they are just for containment? No there's something else connected to the biometric scanners... ah he's using something like a mesmetron to program the subjects.'
I was able to perceive the name Hypnotic Inc. on the panel of the instrament and was able to connect the dots due to my memory to the manufacturer of the mesmetron pistol from Fallout 3.
We walked slowly past the rows of tanks, I counted at least 200 of them in this stadium sized lab.
At the center of the lab was a large moon pool surrounded by elevated platforms with lab desks lining them.
And standing on the platform directly in front of us was a figure in a lab coat.
His back was turned to us and in front of him was another tank different from the ones lined up at our sides. That one contained a teenage boy, the same one were came to rescue.
"You must be the Overseer." I broke the tension as we stepped up close enough to the platform to keep out sights on the man. "Release the boy and I'll make your death painless."
I wasn't here to play games so I didn't bother negotiating.
"You're too late... the process has already begun." The man's voice echoed as he turned toward us, revealing the tube in the kid's arm as fluid finished entering his veins.
"You bastard. Stop it now!" Jonny yelled and aimed the gatling plasma directly at the Overseer.
The man who looked like Davy Jones in a lab coat sneered. "This child will serve a greater purpose now then he ever would have before. To unite humanity with a superior evolution. To bring an everlasting peace to this world under my rule-"
*ahem!* "Can we skip the monologue already?" I said with barely contained annoyance. "I'm in a hurry to take all your stuff for myself so *I* can unite humanity under *my* rule. And I don't plan to turn them into gross fish creatures like you so they will actually thank me for it. You'll just be a funny footnote in my history book."
The Davy Jones Overseer's face contorted into rage which got even worse when I just decided to start shooting him.
*pew* a laser moved so fast the Overseer almost missed it. But unfortunately for me he had protection.
The laser came inches from his face before hitting something causing ripples and dispersing.
'An telekinetic barrier? He actually created the telekinesis plasmid and can use it to make freaking barriers?!' I thought in alarm. 'This just got a bit harder...'
Jonny didn't wait to be told and the gatling plasma winded up before spitting globs of green plasma all over the Overseer but every bit of the plasma fell useless down the barrier.
"Insolent rats. I'll show you the difference between us." The Overseer reached down and pressed a button on a nearby console causing a hissing sound to echo around the room.
"Jonny stop!" I grabbed his shoulder to get him to stop wasting time and ammo. That telekinetic shield was holding strong and things started hissing around us.
The tanks holding the mermen began to flicker and crack open.
The first battle to defeat the final boss was about to begin.
And I had to wonder if I prepared enough for this...