Chapter 490 - Cazadortious

Soon enough the group gets close enough to spot Lake Mead, afterwards locating the dock where the bomber is supposedly near. Unfortunately for the group's progress, there's a large building beside the dock that's absolutely covered in a come-like substance, indicating that some creatures had set up shop there...

The group back away slightly as a larger than average Cazadore flies atop the building and starts cleaning it's antenna. It hadn't noticed them yet, but it would once the group got closer, Tamia wondered how many Cazadors were actually inside the structure...​​

Tamia, Veronica, and Anja drop the bags of ballasts and ready their weapons as they slowly approach the building. The closer they get, the louder the faint buzzing becomes, causing the group's skin to crawl at the sound.

If there was one thing that the three had in common, it would be their hatred of bugs... Cazadors especially due to their sheer speed and incredibly deadly poison. Anja aims her silenced SMG at the Cazador atop the roof and fires a couple shots at it.

The shots are relatively quiet, and the rest of the hive wouldn't have heard it had a few stray bullets not hit the concrete wall of the building, making a large crashing sound. The only good side to this is the fact she managed to kill the Cazador, blasting the creature open with numerous holes that spewed out puss-like blood.

The sound of buzzing abruptly increases as Cazadors, large and small, began pouring out of the building like a never-ending tide of nightmares.

The group start firing with abandon, Tamia firing her revolver, Veronica firing her plasma pistol, and Anja continuing to fire her SMG. The many Cyberdogs at their sides launch sonic attacks as well, but the Cazadors are fast and smart enough to avoid most of that.

The sonic blasts instead strike the building, blowing a large hole into the wall and causing the roof to collapse in on itself. Judging by the screeching, the collapse had killed a few Cazadors with it. Though, now with the larger hole, more Cazadors were able to climb out of the hive.

Tamia had to dodge to the side as a Cazador flies straight at her with its poison stinger ready to strike, she manages to avoid it and a Cyberdog tears it out of the sky in response, but this attack signalled the start of a life and death fight.

The Cyberdogs would be relatively fine if they were struck by a Cazador, but the group wouldn't be so lucky... A couple stings and they'd be killed for sure, the poison these creatures produced wasn't called the deadliest for no reason.

Tamia holsters her revolver and draws her Ultra Chainsword, powering it on and grinning as the blade being oscillating like a chainsaw. She swings it at another Cazador and easily bisects it, it was as if she were cutting into butter with a knife as hot as the sun!

"Remind me to kiss Afton for this thing!" she exclaims with a sadistic grin as she continues cutting down anything that approaches.

Veronica herself was going to town punching Cazador's like they were beachballs with her unique power fist, sending what amounted to timed insect bombs flying into their allies.

The group fights like this for a couple minutes, occasionally having close calls with a Cazador's stinger being stopped by their armour. Veronica even had a stinger still sticking out of her deathclaw duster.

The trio takes a moment to catch their breaths while glaring down at the many Cazador corpses. "Should we loot the hive or just have the dogs collapse it?" Veronica mutters, more to herself than anything.

Tamia nods, "I'm not going in there, so unless you want to try your luck we're destroying it." she states.

The trio nod in agreement and command the Cyberdogs to bark down the building until it collapses completely, hopefully destroying any Cazador eggs that may be inside. Afterwards they head to the docks and look over it into Lake Mead, taking a moment to admire what is essentially the life-blood of the Mojave.

Lake Mead contains some of the cleanest water you'll find in the wasteland, so it isn't strange to see so many factions trying to claim it. If it weren't for the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead would be the most highly sought resource instead.

"So, er... Any idea's on where to start?" Tamia asks, pulling out the rebreather Loyal had given her.

Veronica shrugs, "The news article said it should be close to this side of the lake, so swim around the deepest parts to make sure you don't miss anything... Also, there might be some creatures swimming around here, I'd recommend you don't take that thing unless Afton told you it was safe." she says, gesturing at the Ultra Chainsword.

...

Tamia glares down at it, "Hmm... Afton didn't say anything about using it underwater... But I have a sneaking suspicion it wouldn't be good." she says with a sigh, handing the weapon to Veronica before drawing a knife from her boot.

"Um, can't the Cyberdogs go with her?" Anja asks, not wanting to send Tamia into the lake that's probably filled with creatures.

Veronica shakes her head, "You seen dogs swim? Well imagine a dog trying to swim with metal plates welded to it... They can swim, but barely." she explains.

"Don't worry about it, I'll be in and out fairly quick. Just keep an eye on the surface and shoot anything that looks like it wants to eat me... Cool?"

"Cool." Veronica gives a thumbs up.

Tamia nods, "Alright, all be coming back here to collect the rest of the ballasts occasionally, so just chuck them in when I'm near." she says before taking off the majority of her clothing. Trying to swim with a heavy duster or combat armour seemed like a sure-fire way to drown, even with the rebreather. Plus, manoeuvrability underwater was probably king anyway.

Tamia hefts the backpack of ballasts and nods at them, walking over the end of the dock in her underwear and putting in her rebreather before jumping in, leaving the duo and the thirty Cyberdogs watching as she swims away.