The main building was surprisingly well kept when compared to those that surrounded, fixed up and looking as if the changed world had overlooked it. Lesh's group entered swiftly and decisively as the others followed. Butcher and Carnage moved with an efficiency that made light work of any obstacles. Doors, no matter how reinforced buckled and groaned under their might, sometimes even torn from their hinges with a terrifying ease that echoed through the structure as they walked the path to the basement in the building's depths.
What greeted them in the basement took them by surprise. Rows upon rows of shelves stretched into the dim lighting, laden with an improbable bounty of food and rations. Instant noodles in both packets and cups formed towering stacks, alongside an embarrassing abundance of chips and biscuits along with a range of tin foods, boxes of cereal and various other nonperishable's that would have stood the tests of time. All of it was piled high across various shelves and even make shift shelving's, some of the tins, he noticed well stacked neatly had gathering a fine layer of dust. It wasn't just sustenance; it was a testament to meticulous, perhaps obsessive, hoarding of goods possibly from a prepper or it could have all been stolen goods, he wasn't sure and didn't much care.
The few former prisoners who had chosen to follow Lesh and his companions stood transfixed. Their emaciated, drawn faces, usually etched with a mix of fear and resignation now held a raw, palpable hunger. Many practically salivated as guttural sounds almost escaping their throats, their eyes wide with disbelief, barely holding back the urge to grab, to gorge, was an almost physical force, kept barely at bay only by the imposing presence of Butcher and Carnage who both served as an unspoken deterrent to keep them in line. Their gazes flitted from the mountains of food to Lesh, uncertain how this miraculous discovery would be shared.
Lesh's hoarse tone cut through the tense quiet. "We will gladly allow all of you and the others who wish to leave to take everything left after my group takes some of the supplies here. I can also promise it won't be scraps. After all, there is far too much here for all of us to handle on our own and we haven't even been to the freezer yet, you all have my word that well we will be taking a fair amount there should be more than enough for the rest of you." His words landed with the weight of unexpected mercy, eliciting surprised but suspicious looks from the freed captives as the leavers whispered among themselves, a few seemingly having snuck a few cans into their ruined clothes or convincing others to do it for them, it didn't go unnoticed but a small twitch of his hand ensured Butcher and Carnage didn't do anything except stand vigil. Hope flickered in their eyes; it was tentative and fragile and what seemed like a silent promise that they desperately wanted to believe but also felt they could only believe it once they saw it with their own eyes. They were too accustomed to betrayal and scarcity to trust him on words alone.
The freezer area was marked by a formidable slab of steel mounted into the wall. Again, Butcher and Carnage made short work of it like all of the previous doors, their combined strength it from its fixtures with a deafening screech of tortured metal. The sight that greeted all present was stomach-turning, a sudden plunge from relief and joy quickly turned into profound horror. Hanging on makeshift hooks were a disturbing mix of various monster bodies, some recognizable and others grotesque and alien. That though wasn't what had caused them to feel sickened though, rather it was the bloody and twisted bodies of other people, seemingly having been carved and used as meat, indistinguishable from the beasts around them, some recognizable to the various former prisoners. The stench of blood was thick and cloying. The sight alone caused a collective gasp followed by a choked silence, they had all been used to the horrors of the world but this was still something they had not expected to see, something beyond words.
Lesh was sickened by such a sight and his words were laced with a cold anger. "If you guys wish to take monster meat, feel free to do so, but we will not be touching anything in this freezer. There's no telling what has or hasn't been contaminated, not just physically, but spiritually and be aware should I see anyone trying to touch the human bodies I will allow my two friends to take care of you." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the gruesome display, a muscle twitching in his jaw. "But it does make me wish we had caused far more pain to the ones who were responsible for this place rather than swift deaths. Eating monster meat is understandable, a grim necessity in this world. I can even somewhat understand cannibalism in extreme situations where there is no other option and it's the only way to survive! But they clearly had enough food and supplies down here that such a situation should never have come about. There was no reason, no justification to turn to cannibalism!" His words hung heavy, a condemnation of the depravity they had uncovered.
He turned to Butcher and Carnage, his expression hardening as he moved away from the macabre display before methodically, he had them store tin foods in their pockets, ensuring they took a large amount and variety of instant noodles, some boxes of cereals along with chips and biscuits. They moved with purpose, selecting a fair amount of the various foods in the room and filling their arms with provisions, a stark contrast to the earlier, almost frantic urge the former prisoners had. After securing their share and having the followers do the same, they made their way out, leaving the grim freezer behind.
The mix of followers and leavers who had followed watched in disbelief, their initial suspicion replaced by a dawning sense of awe as true to his word, the portion of the resources taken by Lesh and his group consisted of just slightly over a quarter, leaving an extraordinary amount behind for their group of survivors just as he had promised. Relief washed over them but it was tinged with a new dilemma. Though incredibly grateful for the unexpected bounty they were unsure whether to take any of the meat from the freezer or to just leave it as Lesh and the others had. The thought of it, even if it was untouched seemed to carry a dark, unsettling connotation after Lesh's remarks.
Making his way upstairs to the higher floors of the building, Lesh could easily discern the room that should be the mentioned weapons room. Its solid steel door, much like the freezer in the basement all but screamed of deliberate reinforcement and clearly forced into place as a stronghold within the building. "I know how strong the pair of you are, but I doubt you would be able to force yourselves through this like with the freezer door," he calmly stated, his hoarse tone carrying hints of amusement when see saw them take it as a challenge. "So, rather break the wall next to it to create an even big door for us."
With a grunt that rumbled through the quiet hallway, Carnage used his knuckleduster, a brutal extension of his fist to begin shattering parts down the side of the metal door. Chips of plaster and concrete flew, through the air exposing rebar and wiring. Butcher gripped the now-exposed edge, his massive hands finding purchase as they twisted them apart with an audible growl of exertion before, with a sound like grinding stone and tearing fabric the entire metal door began to groan and scrap across the floor to the side, tearing loose from the reinforced wall as dust and pieces of cement cascaded all over the place as it was moved open, carving out enough space for them to fit through easily into the treasure trove beyond.
Turning to Butcher he couldn't hide his admiration, having figured they would have made a hole at his provocation yet instead the pair had all but make the solid door, frame and all open up as if it was all one solid door that had been forced open. "Please go get some of the others for me, both of those coming with us and of the ones who have chosen to leave. If they're to survive they will need to be prepared and ready as well." Butcher offered a curt nod, his imposing frame quickly departing to gather the wary survivors.
The room itself was not large, but also far from being small and seemed to be rather spectacularly disorganized. It was a chaotic jumble of salvaged potential, a battered locker with three guns openly visible inside, accompanied by ammunition boxes brimming with bullets making him wonder if this was where Vick had gotten his. Next to the locker, scattered all over the floor were various swords and knives, their blades glinting dully in the sparse light. Shields of various shapes and sizes, from small bucklers to tower shields were piled haphazardly in a separate corner alongside large heaps of makeshift armors, the familiar marauders armors alongside crude but functional ones fashioned from scavenged materials. Weird scrolls and pieces of parchment, their contents a mystery made a precarious pile near the door. Lastly, on a shelf all its own, forming the only organized area in this mess of a room were a range of potions. Different colors and shapes, from simple vials to fist-sized bottles, they shimmered with a faint glow. Their effects were unknown, but their careful arrangement meant they had immense value.
A bulky former prisoner, his eyes wide with an almost childish wonder voice his disbelief. "There's so much stuff here! And and you're really going to let us take some? I heard how you left a lot of the food back in the basement for us, but you're really going to allow for us to freely take from here now as well? Not after you have already left the area to play it safe in case we use these weapons to rob you?" The idea of being allowed to pick alongside Lesh, rather than sifting through scraps and the level of trust was a concept entirely alien to them. They had already found his generosity regarding the food astounding but now they would even be given weapons and armor to help survive? It was something they hadn't even thought to hope for. It was a lifeline in a world that had offered them only burdens and pain.
"Those coming with me kindly get a set of armor and one weapon," Lesh instructed, his gaze sweeping over the eager faces. "Leave the guns and bullets though; those are for the ones who will be leaving. The rest is free to take and once everyone has gotten something rotate and allow the next group till everyone who will go with me has a weapon and some armor. Then once everyone has their armor on we can leave to head to where our base will be." He ordered well grabbing a sturdy backpack with a free chain before, with surprising deliberation taken to examine each item began to load it with half the various potions, scrolls and parchments. He found some odd, leather-bound books along with them that he quickly added to the other items he planned to take, but once more, much like with the food he didn't take everything much to the continuing surprise of those present. His actions consistently defied their expectations of opportunistic survivors as he time after time proved to keep his word, even going so far as to reprimand one of those who would be leaving with him when they attempted to take multiple sets of armor and more weapons than they could use.
Once he had taken what he wanted and ensuring those who would be leaving had done the same Lesh simply left the room silently without a care. The leavers present cast gazes at his back, their awe giving way to a shared, quiet excitement as they proceeded to inspect everything in the room with glee, the weight of their new unexpected freedom settling upon them and the various goods present giving them a higher feeling of hope for survival.