Radiance Ch. 20

"Are you ok my male!!? Tell me are you hurt in any way!!?" Visa's voice exclaimed and Seven could feel various body parts being pulled out and his armour inspected for breaches by his overly concerned claw girl.

"I'm fine Visa, counter and the armour did their jobs," Seven said as he managed to hoist her off him thanks to the servo-assisted movement.

As he popped up from under her he looked around the diner just in time to see the others appearing from their cover spots, "Everyone ok? Sound off people" he called.

"My fucking ears are ringing but all good over here," Gregory said decloaking next to Ven who instantly scooped him up and hugged him tightly as he obviously hadn't realised his human was there with his cloak still on.

"I believe I am uninjured," Riss said appearing from her own cloak and Seven noticed she was still holding the human guy she and Gregory had pulled from the cage in her hands.

"How about our new friend there?" Seven said dusting himself off as he finally managed to make it to his feet while basically wearing the very clingy visa like a scaley coat, it was amazing what setting off a miniature thermonuclear weapon could do to amp up the emotions and the worry around here.

Riss hoisted the incredibly scared and confused man into the air and proceeded to turn him over like she was holding up a mannequin.

"He appearssss to be uninjured but I can check more thourghaly if you wissssh" she said looking him over and Seven could actually see her tongue flickering against his skin even from here.

The poor guy looked utterly scared out of his mind, "No that's ok Riss he looks fine, set him down, I believe introductions are in order and we'd better make it quick as something tells me a nuke going off does not go unnoticed around these parts" Seven said.

Seven clomped his way over to the now utterly stunned man and it was only now that Seven realised that he was a Native American tribal most likely from one of the tribes of Zion.

He looked up at Seven with wide dark brown eyes and he noticed that he had some kind of decorative paint drawn in very intricate patterns and shapes, "Hi there please don't be afraid, I know this group looks scary but we're honestly nice people, my name is Seven and despite what I look like I'm a human just like you under all this metal, so is the guy in the tight rubber suit currently being hugged to death by the big claw boy right there, the guy in the suit is called Gregory and his boyfriend slash life mate is Ven, the big beautiful claw girl who thinks I'm utterly unaware of her trying to sneak up on me to hug me from behind is called Visa" Seven said just a second before a pair of hands appeared on his chest and pulled him tightly backwards into her placing a rather large scaley boob on each shoulder pauldron.

The shocked guy looked from face to face that Seven pointed out, "The large rolling armoury over there is actually the sweetest living cloud girl you'll ever meet and she's called Wisp" Seven said pointing to Wisp who raised a gattling gun covered arm retracting the guns so she could wave at him.

"And finally the very friendly NightStalker girl with eyes like dishpans who looks like she's trying to find a way to push her tongue through your ear and out the other one is Riss, trust me everyone here looks scary, but we're really not," Seven said gesturing to everyone.

Finally, the guy spoke, "T-Thank you for life-saving, I called Runs-With-NightStalkers, I is from tribe of Dead Horses" the man said pressing his hand to his chest and that's when Seven noticed that partially covered by the paint on his chest was a large tattoo of what appeared to be a man running with what had looked like wolves but upon closer inspection were actually a pack of quadrupedal NightStalkers all running through what appeared to be a forest together.

"Huh well, would you look at that, looks like the stars just aligned, what are the chances of Riss being the one to spot you of all people in that cage and getting us to help her pull you out of there with a name like that?" Seven said grinning at Riss under his helmet.

RWN turned to look at Riss as her tongue which was flickering next to his ear actually touched it and tickled it, this was the first time he got a truly good look at her as Seven had guessed his initial shock and surprise had blinded him somewhat and now his mind was catching up with him.

His expression changed from one of curiosity to one of utter shock, "S-S-Shadow Walker!!" he exclaimed loudly and instantly threw himself to the floor on his hands and knees with his forehead kissing the floor right at the very confused looking Riss's feet.

"Shadow Walker?" Seven asked curiously.

RWN was utterly shaking like he feared Riss would reach down and smite him, "P-P-Please f-f-forgive S-S-Shadow Walker!! G-G-Green ones steal family and friends and eat, w-w-was, not they fault, w-w-was mine, did not see in time, please guide to realm of spirits!!" he said in a voice that was filled with fear and reverence.

Riss looked at the others with a look of pure confusion painted on her face, "I umm think he thinks your a spirit of some kind Wisp said looking at Riss.

Riss knelt down and placed a hand on the shaking man's bare shoulder, "Rissss is not a sssspirit pretty red human, Rissss is just Rissss, I am a NightSSSStalker" she said and he lifted his head to look at her as she tried her best to give him a warm smile all while her tongue flickered a few inches away from his face.

"B-B-But Riss is NightStalker who walks like man, talks like man, saves one of the people from the green ones, Riss must be Shadow Walker!!" he exclaimed.

That's when Wisp heard something, or rather that array of sensors of hers did, "Err guys we gotta go we got incoming" she said in a very stern voice.

Seven looked where she was incidacting and instantly he began to hear the distant hooting and growling of what had to be Ghouls a whole lot of Ghouls.

"Time just ran out guys, Riss grab Runs With You and let's get the fuck out of here or we're going to be up to our asses in rotter's" Seven yelled.

For some reason, he didn't have to prompt her twice and Riss grabbed the surprised-looking tribal man up and once again threw him over her shoulder and the group were out of there like all of their tails were on fire.

There is no sight quite like seeing two deathclaws running down a city street one of which was being ridden by a human in a rubber stealth suit, being pursued by a human in full power armour, a black painted sentry bot that already had its gun arms spinning and was periodically spinning on its body pivot to fire backwards while also being pursued by a human in full power armour as well as a Bipedal NightStalker girl who was also carrying another human over her shoulder.

"Keep running they're fucking gaining on us!!!" Wisp yelled as she spun around again to spray the utter horde of feral Ghouls that was filling the street stampeding down the road behind them with laser fire.

"We need to find a place to hide!!!" Gregory yelled from Ven's back as his big claw boy thundered along like a champion racehorse below him.

"There!! Go there!!!" Visa yelled pointing into the distance.

Seven followed her point and saw a huge very official-looking building looming up in the distance, it looked like it might be a capital building of some kind, but given its size and by the look of it being in incredibly good nick it should hopefully be easy to secure and lockdown.

Even in the power armour with it taking most of the load Seven's lungs were still burning like crazy as they ran up the huge flight of steps to the huge reinforced doors which thanks to whatever metal they were coated with were still standing.

Visa and Ven hit them like a pair of living bulldozers and the pair spun on the spot sliding on the marble floor to grab a door each waiting for the others to rush past them and into the huge atrium, Wisp was the last one through and no sooner was she through they slammed the doors hard with a huge bang.

"Find something to brace it!!" Ven yelled as he and his sister struggled to hold them shut, their large clawed feet screeching as they dug them into the marble flooring.

Seven instantly spotted a huge brass and cast iron banded beam standing against the wall next to the doors in a large decorative style stand, "Wisp hep me!!" he yelled and the pair dashed forwards smashing through the display and hoisting the heavy beam up which caused Seven's servos to scream with the strain.

The pair struggled over to the door and with a tremendous effort, they slammed the huge bracing beam into the slots on the door and walls with a huge echoing bang that pealed away into the darkness of the huge building.

Seven collapsed backwards onto his ass with a bang which was drowned out by the growling and howling not to mention the banging against the heavy doors, "Holy fucking shit that was a close one" he breathed.

"No time to rest my love, we don't know if the rest of the building is secure, we need to find a safe place to lock down just in case they get inside somehow," Visa said puffing heavily as she hoisted him back to his feet, he felt her lean against him and he instantly moved and propped her up.

"You ok my love?' he asked and she nodded.

"Sorry just out of breath," she said and he shook his head.

"Don't you dare apologise sugar tail, you just saved all of our lives, here, lean on me and don't you dare argue with your human, he knows what's best" Seven said smiling inside his helmet as he wrapped her long arm around his shoulder and held her up.

Ven grinned and did a little whip cracking motion with his large hand, "That told you" he said grinning.

"Don't get cocky there claw boy, you answer to me remember? Now come along let's get you some water to drink and get you rested, then you WILL submit to a full foot, leg and shoulder massage because I will not have MY claw suffering in any way on MY watch" Gregory said taking hold of Ven's hand leading the now surprised and rather meek claw away in search of somewhere to rest him, much to everyone's surprise including Runs-With-Nightstalkers who was still hanging from Riss's shoulder.

Visa watched her brother being led up what looked to be a circular staircase that leads to the first floor of the large building to go in search of a place to rest, then she glanced at Seven with a slightly worried look on her face, Seven grinned inside his helmet.

"Don't give me that look you're not getting off without a massage either claw girl, now come along your human is going to be looking after you now" he said grinning evilly inside his helmet and he knew she could feel it.

Visa huffed but then she smiled softly, "Thank you, my beautiful human," she said quietly as Seven led her limping along towards the stairs as her brother.

"Umm I'll find another way up" Wisp called looking at the stairs and Seven gave a wave of his hand to acknowledge her as she rolled off deeper into the lobby, he wasn't exactly worried about her given that she was in the body of a heavily armed sentry bot and was basically a living cloud.

He also noticed that Riss had not placed RWN back down on his feet and was still holding him clamped tightly on her shoulder and he couldn't help but smile to himself and shake his head slightly as he helped his own huge non-human girl up the stairs after her brother and his human love, at least no day was boring with this lot of crazy tails around.

"In here guys! This will be perfect!" Gregory's voice echoed back to them from further down the narrow landing that was full of heavy wooden doors, apparently, he'd found an open one and had headed inside.

Seven led Visa towards the door and was pleasantly surprised to find that Gregory had found what looked to be some kind of luxurious office and by the time they entered the door Gregory had planted his big claw boy on a huge leather seat and was currently in the process of propping both his huge feet up on.

"Nice catch Gregory, this will be perfect, alright sugar tail plant that perfect rear end of yours in that seat there and get ready for the foot massage of your life," he said pointing to a second huge leather armchair and Visa obediently moved over and planted her big sexy bum in it while Seven promptly grabbed a second footstool and made his way over to her to place it in front of her just as Wisp rolled in holding the next thing on Gregory's list, a giant water bottle filled to the brim and designed for a water cooler.

"Check out what I found near the wheelchair ramp," she said holding out the bottle to Gregory who gratefully took it from her and turned back to his claw boy.

"Right pampering time claw boy and don't you dare try to argue with me, you're getting all the human love that big heart of yours can take," Gregory said popping the bottle and trying to find something to pour it into just as Riss placed Runs-With-Nightstalkers down on what appeared to be a leather couch.

"Alright Runs, while we pamper our big beautiful claws here why don't you tell us what happened to you and what you're doing here so far from home, don't you guys live in Zion?" Seven said as propped Visa's very tired and sore looking feet on the footstool.

Runs-With-NightStalkers nodded and taking a deep breath as Riss sat herself down on the couch next to him began to tell his tale as best he could.