As Buddy slowly began to waddle away, towards this other settlement to be picked up by Adam at a later time he and Salvatore turned to the path back to Midway to get back to somewhere safe themselves.
For the first few hours the trek was uneventful, aside from some terrain they had to avoid. However as they were approaching whatever sort of nebulous border that the Horseman of War could claim was his territory, they had the unfortunate situation of running into another gang of War's men not too far from where they were accosted on the way out here yesterday. And just like then they were unable to take a detour without doubling back quite a ways.
As they approached, and Adam hoped against hope that he didn't have to pay another 100 caps each again, they noticed a handful of War's men arguing with two Knights of the Round as they stood firm in front of two women. Assumedly protecting them from being accosted as Adam was yesterday.
"I simply cannot allow you to order any sort of 'strip search' on these innocent women here." One knight said, his hand on his sword hilt, but the sword not yet drawn.
"And I said they could be working for Pestilence, or hell, Death, for all I know. Besides tin can, you are outnumbered, and in War's territory. You are awfully far from your little roleplay castle." The man said, trying to get under the skin of the knight. However the knight seemed to keep his calm, or at least he didn't make a move. It was impossible to tell his expression at a distance and under a metal helmet.
"Be that as it may, we stand for the people of Chicago. We will not bow to anyone who wishes ill on the people of these lands. Thou art no different than any other common rabble I have slain before."
"You never met a man like me, friend." The man said. It was clear that, despite his attempt to rile up the knight, he was the one losing his composure. "You should get out of here while you can, you metal bastard." The man put his hand firmly on his gun which he had let dangle on its strap.
"We go where we are needed." The knight responded, resolutely. "And it seems we are needed here." He too readied his sword, drawing it slightly from the sheathe, not all the way but showing he was ready to cut him down if he needed to.
This whole scene was playing out not too far from where Adam and Salvatore were standing. The entire group of War's men were too focused on the conversation ahead and had their backs to the two of them. Meanwhile the knights seemed to be fully engaged in the conversation and hadn't noticed the two of them either. However the women seemed to notice Adam and Salvatore but only gave them a quick glance, not expecting anything of the two strangers who showed up.
However it was Adam who stepped up, walking over to the conversation that was still ongoing and ever more looking like a fight was about to break out.
"Gentlemen." Adam said with a calm and measured tone as he walked over. "Perhaps I can be of some help?"
"Unless you got some women you are hiding. Then no, fuck off." The man returned.
"I appreciate your assistance, young man, but please do not endanger yourself, this is a job for the Knighted."
"Wow, imagine the tin can saying something smart for one. Fuck off guy." The raider looking man said before turning back to look at the knight again.
"What if I could offer you something more valuable?" Adam said to the raider now. Instantly the man began to slowly turn around, his interest piqued.
"Oh?" He said, the greed obvious on his face.
"As you can see I'm a Scaver." He said gesturing with his full hands to his various bags full of gear. "I just came back from a very lucrative spot. One still filled with guns, ammo, armor, and plenty of other things."
"Keep talking…" The man said, taking the bait entirely.
"I'm sure it could do you well in the standing of your boss, War, if you were to say… bring back the gear of an entirely empty former raider base?" Adam grinned. The man turned skeptical as he listened.
"Scavers ain't exactly known for being generous for their locations…" He said, now completely disengaging with the Knight and turning to face Adam. "So what's in it for you to tell me?"
"Making friends. Of course." Adam smiled. "As you can see this is already a lot, and there is a ton more there, I don't mind sharing… if you are willing to let us and those women over there through." The raider seemed to get lost in thought for a few moments as he scratched his head.
"This ain't a trick?" He said, squinting his eyes at Adam.
"No sir." He smiled and raised up the light machine gun he was holding as evidence. "Where do you think I got all of this stuff?"
"Hmmm." The raider hummed aloud as he thought. He looked back at the knight, the women, and then Adam again. "Alright fine, fuck it. Tell me where it is." He said walking closer to Adam. Adam put down his duffle bag and machine gun and showed the man where Second Life was on his Pip-boy, even giving some pointers on how to get there using local landmarks.
After a few minutes of explaining the man rounded up the other guys and started to move back the way Adam and Salvatore had just come from. However, before the man left he turned to speak to Adam again.
"Hey, what's your name?" He said, his tone demanding and rude despite all Adam had just given them.
"Adam, Adam Baxter." Adam said, still with a pleasant smile despite dealing with unpleasant people. The man returned that with a nod.
"Adam. I'll remember that. You'd better hope I remember that for good reasons." He said. The underlying threat of his words not hidden at all.
"I promise, my tip is genuine." Adam assured him.
"Good, cause the last thing you want is to be on War's bad side." He said coldly before he finally turned around and left with the others to head to Second Life.
By now Salvatore had joined Adam at his side. He had been hanging back when the conversation had started originally because he was caught off guard by Adam's sudden actions as well as to give him a vantage point to shoot every single man here if needed.
Once the raiders were gone the knight turned to look at Adam for a moment before pulling off his helmet. Under it was a gruff black haired man with a clean shaven face and his moderately long black hair tied into a manbun.
"Thank you, sir." He said with a wide grin offering Adam a hand. Adam took it and shook it happily.
"Seeing you guys inspires me to do good." Adam chuckled, deciding buttering the knight up was not a bad thing. The knight laughed heartily.
"Ah! What a good man you are!" He gave Adam a wide grin and patted him hard on the shoulder. It kind of hurt due to his strength and the metal gauntlet but Adam bore the pain and didn't say anything. "My name is Bedivere, senior Knight of the Knights of the Round." He said proudly. Adam laughed softly.
"I had the good fortune to meet Sir Percival on the road to Midway some time ago." Bediviere smiled and nodded.
"Good fortune then indeed! Percival is quite the charming fellow!" He laughed some more and then looked at the women.
"Do not worry, your passage will be safe from here on, though I would suggest you do not proceed further, these roads can be dangerous with War's camp taking up in the area. I'd suggest if you are desperate to leave Chicago to take a boat from the Pier." One of the women meekly nodded and the other, the more rugged looking of the two, and the only one with a gun, looked at the knight and then Adam and gave a resolute nod.
"Alright. I don't need to leave so badly to be held up again, we can just head back." She looked at her traveling companion, gently patted her head, put her arm around her shoulder, and then started to lead her away as they walked the long path back to wherever they were headed.
Bedivere turned back to Adam once the women were safely off and smiled again.
"Well tis good fortune to have met thee this day, Adam. You have made a friend of the Knights, that's for sure. Good tidings on you this day, and may your path be blessed with warmth." Adam chuckled.
"Well, good luck and safe travels to you too." Bedivere then turned around to walk away flanked by his partner knight, probably a junior knight who was dispatched with him. As soon as they were away Salvatore rolled his eyes still as annoyed with the knights as ever.
"Okay. I gotta ask, now that everything is over… what the fuck were you thinking?" He asked Adam sharply. Adam turned to look at him now.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean not only did you throw yourself into an argument that had nothing to do with you and that could have gotten you killed but you gave up a location full of goods worth looting to these scumbags for free. I know you got a boner for playing white knight but do you really have no forethought?" Salvatore scolded. Adam sighed.
"I thought it through well." Adam corrected. "We were not going to get past without issue no matter what we did, after the knights were dealt with either by force or by words they would have accosted us right? Or the knights would have fought them and then I would have helped and we would have gotten into a firefight. But even besides that I was making friends, the guy got my name. I'm sure he will remember what I did for him."
"He's a scumbag, like the rest of them." Salvatore scoffed. "The gratitude of scumbags isn't worth the air that it takes them to convey it."
"AND." Adam adds. "It also got me in good graces with the knights too. You can never have enough friends."
"Was getting friends worth the probably thousand of caps worth of gear and loot you left behind in that building?" Adam sighed again.
"Salvatore…" Adam turned to fully face him now. "They are going to get to that building and turn it inside out, grab the guns, ammo, and armor that was left behind and take it with them, and in the process ruin it even further, hopefully burn the whole thing down." Adam said darkly. "I don't plan to ever go back to that place if I can avoid it and the less that is there the better." Adam continued, bitterly, as he turned to look down the path they would have to head down soon. Still seeing the figure of the two women in the distance though quite far away by now.
"Besides, it's in War's territory, and it's too far for easy looting, not worth going back even if I wanted to…" Adam said, softer now. "Whatever's left… would like have just rotted…" He said even softer and then shook his head lightly.
"Let's just go, I would like to put this whole thing behind me." He picked his gun and bag off the ground and began to take the path back to Midway. Salvatore sighed too, not yet walking, just watching Adam beginning to head back to the city before he too picked up the pace and followed after him.