Chapter 345 - Showing Your Wood...

The next day the group gathers their supplies and the loot they'd taken from the Fiends, Afton takes an hour or two to get accurate coordinates around Camp McCarren, just in case he was forced to infiltrate this place in the future... They'd never expect him to simply teleport inside...

After their preparations are made, they let Datri know that they'll accept the job, only with a downpayment first, however. The man agrees, knowing that they'd likely have no one else to do the job if he refused.​​

Once they refused the large sack of caps, the group began heading for the Gunrunners. Karl, Boone, and Afton only really needed ammunition, but Anja and Josie would need to be completed outfitted with new equipment...

What they currently had wasn't bad for soldiers, 9mm Submachine guns are good due to the sheer quantity of .9mm bullets lying around. And service rifles were known to be incredibly reliable, despite their rather lacklustre firing power.

It's a long, boring walk. Only making Afton angrier at the Fiends for destroying Dirt-Bird. He sighs to himself, promising that his new vehicle would be 'nuclear proof'.

Josie and Anja make small talk on the way, the two women finding some degree of companionship in the group of men. The former still seemed to hold some hostility for Anja's ghoul nature, but they slowly worked through it.

When the group finally reached the Gunrunners, they noticed that a large group was already there, most likely outfitting themselves... Afton couldn't really tell if they were bounty hunters, bandits, or simple prospectors. Regardless, he didn't ask. That was their business, and he'd stay out of it as long as it didn't bother his.

Half an hour later Afton was standing before the Vendertron listing off the armour and weaponry they'd agreed on while walking up here. Anja wanted to keep her leather armour for now but Afton refused and bought her some Recon armour, along with upgrading her weapon to a 12.7mm Silenced Submachine Gun. With a couple knives that Afton would be teaching her to use properly.

Boone didn't need any other weapons, but was outfitted with some desert-camo combat armour. He didn't buy any last time as it was less essential than outfitting Karl who'd likely be in the midst of combat. But now it was probably a good idea to equip himself with some.

Josie on the other hand didn't want any heavy armour, she wanted to be backline support or something akin to that. Afton shrugs and just buys her another set of Recon armour, deciding that even if she didn't want to be anywhere near where the bullets were flying, she'd still need protection. They also sold off her Service rifle, replacing it with a Marksman Carbine, a powerful long to medium-range weapon.

After all that, they stocked up on a huge amount of ammunition. So much so that Isaac is dumbfounded by it, "You guys plannin' to fight an army or something?"

Afton nods, "Yeah, an army of Deathclaws... Ah, that reminds me. "I'd like two-hundred Explosive .50cal rounds as well." he says to the Vendertron, almost causing Isaac to faint at the sheer amount of caps that would cost.

In all honesty, the most expensive thing Afton was buying today was the Explosive bullets. He couldn't complain however, as they were probably the most essential. The explosion would disorientate the Deathclaw if it doesn't immediately die, allowing them to land a couple more shots on it.

He considered buying some Incindiary or anti-armour rounds, but eventually decided against it. Fire would only piss them off and possibly attract more with its pained screams, and Anti-armour might not even be useful against their leathery, scaled, hides.

Once everything was purchased, the group bid farewell to Isaac and left. However, most didn't recognise where Afton was leading them.

"Where to next, kid?" Karl asks.

"I want to see Doctor Usanagi and get some implants, you guys can get some if you want, otherwise I'd like you to help Anja and Josie get used to their new weapons." he says, and Karl nods.

"Yeah, good thing you weren't planning on having us go straight to the Deathclaws... Despite their size, I'd not bring two people who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn..." he says, sending a glance at Anja and Josie who look away sheepishly.

Afton enters the New Vegas clinic while the others wait outside, once inside he's immediately given a wide-eyed stare by Doctor Usanagi.

"You!... Shouldn't you be dead?!" she exclaims, shaking her head and immediately covering her face with his lab coat. "Are you still infected!?"

Afton chuckles and shakes his head, not minding the guns of the bodyguards pointing at his head. "I managed to find a cure, I still have some scarring," he gestures at his face, "But I gained more than I lost." he says, presenting his arm to her.

...

"Cybernetic?" she mutters, walking over and examining it.

"Nope." he says, taking his glove off and revealing the green, leather skin of his hand.

She flinches backwards slightly at the sight of it for fear of getting infected with something, but her curiosity wins out in the end. "Intriguing... Would you mind if I examined you?"

Afton shrugs, "I was actually here to get some implants, if you don't mind... How about this, you show me your implants, and I'll show mine." he says, waggling his eyebrows at her.

[Lady Killer is in effect]

The Asian lady blushes slightly but manages to quickly hide it. "I... I would be willing to waive the Implant costs if you let me fully examine you."

Afton grins, "Oh? If you wanted to see my wood, all you'd need to do is ask."

"Wood?" she asks, deciding to take it literally instead of replying to the innuendo.

He nods, rolling up his sleeve and revealing the bark-like upper part of his arm that acts almost lime armour.

The bodyguards in the corners of the room just look at each other in confusion about what was actually happening here... They'd never seen Usanagi act like this before... It was really strange!