Explosions.

They’re not fun. I’m not sure what part of it I hate the most. That it can send me flying, the ringing in my ears, the shrapnel piercing its way through my skin, or maybe that it’s very, very deadly. They also can knock you unconscious and make you wake up in a strange cell without any gear. I especially hate when that last one happens.
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I’m not sure what made me want to get up more, the cold, hard floor or my pounding head. Still just five more minutes would have been nice...

My eyes slid open to stare at a blurry patch of gray until it became a metal wall. I pulled myself off the metal floor and turned around to see bars.

Well... fuck.

To top it all off my gear was gone with the exception of the cloth I keep covering my flanks. I fell to my haunches. The sudden movement reminded me about of headache. I moved a hoof to my forehead as if it would help. I noticed it felt heavier than usual, which reminded me of the pipbuck. At least they, whoever they were, didn’t take it.

I moved toward the bars of the cell to see if there was anyone around. The thin hall stretched in both ways. To my right I could make out what I guessed to be a dead end several cells down, while to the left the hall stretched further to a point the bars would not let me go out further to see. As with my cell the hall was lined with the same silver-gray steel walls.

“Hello?” my voice echoed. “Anyone?”

Silence

I think about an hour had passed until I heard hoof steps down the hall. My view of whoever it was was blocked by the narrowness of the hall and the bars of my cell until she stopped by the cell next to mine, pulled out a piece of bread, and tossed it in between the bars. She moved toward my cell and proceed to reach into her bag.

“Hey, where am I?” I asked.

She continued to pull the bread out, ignoring my presence.

“Hello? You nearly make me explode, lock me in a cell, and take all my shit, the least you could do is acknowledge me!”

She stared at me for a second, then threw the bread into my cell and walked back in the direction she came.

I sighed and went to go eat the bread (which was stale and moldy. It was probably 200 years old and i doubt prisoners got their best food.) I sat against to the wall that separated me and the other cell that had gotten bread.

“Do you know where we are?” I asked whoever was in the cell next to mine.

No answer

“Hello? I know somebody over there got bread.”

Still no answer. I paused, formulating my next words carefully.

“Is answering me really that difficult or are you just an asshole?”

“We’re in a Steel Rangers bunker. Happy?” A deep voiced stallion responded.

“Asshole.” I mumbled to myself

I heard hoof steps down the hall again. Three ponies stopped at my cell. One in the trademark Steel Ranger’s armor without her helmet, the other two in robes. The pony in front had dark blue robes with several detailed lines and curves all over. The other pony wore red robes with much fewer extremities than the other.

“Is he one of them?” The pony in the extravagant robes asked the other in power armor.

“Don’t believe so ma’am.” replied the metal encased pony post haste. “He entered the factory shortly after we wiped out the others. He wasn’t wearing their outfits or anything similar.”

There was a short pause. “Hmm...” Her gaze turned to me. “Where’d you get the pipbuck?”

“What I don’t get one of those fancy interrogation rooms with the one way mirror?”

“We don't have an interrogation room. But we do have an execution room.” She leaned in with a grin across her face. Being a smart ass never does help many situations.

“Fine,” I sighed with defeat. “I’m a merc. An employer sent it to me yesterday.”

“Who was the employer?”

“I don’t know who he was. He only contacted me through my pipbuck. He wouldn’t give me his name.”

Fancy robes looked over to the other in robes and gave a nod then turned back to me. “We need you to take the pipbuck off.”

In my time waiting in the cell I had decided to pass the time with my pipbuck. In that time I found out the pipbuck doesn’t just slip off. “I can’t” I felt a small sense of victory over my captors.

“How can you not take it off?”

“Ma’am,” Other robes interrupted, “pipbucks can’t be removed that easily. If he doesn’t have the key he can’t take it off.”

“How do we get it off then?”

“I have an idea.” The metal armor clanked as the armored pony approached.

It wasn’t until she raised her armor-clad hoof everyone had realized what she was doing.

“No!” Other robes yelled.

I’m going to be spending more time unconscious, aren't I?

Yes, yes I was.

My eyes creeped open for the second time today. I proceeded to move my head out of the puddle of drool my unconscious mind decided to let escape of my mouth. Unfortunately, I was stopped by how cumbersome my head felt. Oh, and the searing pain from where I was hit in the head and from where I could guess my head had bashed into the back wall. I decided to deal with the pain over staying in the wet puddle of saliva.

“Good to see you're awake.”

Outside my cell sat the other mare in robes from earlier.

“Uhh... ya,” I respond still half in a daze. “How long was I out?”

“Somewhere around thirty minutes.”

I nod to acknowledge I heard. A few minutes past in silence as I gathered myself. I looked back to robes. She was still sitting outside my cell. Her lingering presents was beginning to feel awkward.

I tried to break the silence. “So... What’s your name?”

Robes looked up at me, then moved her gaze to her hooves, “It’s... Metallic barrel.”

A brief silence.

“Well... it’s different...”

“My parents were paladins and I guess they thought I would become one too.” A sigh escaped her lips. “And yours?” Her tone adjusts.

“Wanderer.”

Her mouth moves but is cut off as a speaker out of sight crackles to life. “Barrel we need you back at lab D now.”

“Coming” She stated back to the speaker. She looked to me as if to say goodbye then runs off.

Time passed. I couldn’t tell how long or how much. I was lying on the cold metal floor when I heard hoof steps down the hall yet again. I raised my head as a mare in the same less elegant robes barrel wore earlier approached the bars. A glow encompassed her horn as a key appeared from her a small saddle bag and fit it into the slot on the door. She twisted the key as I stared, somewhat confused. She gripped the handle in a magical glow and the door swung open.

“Umm... Hello.” I stared at the silent mare, confused.

“You need to get out of here follow me.” She ordered me.

“Ok...” I hesitantly agreed. “Why are you helping me?” I asked rising from my spot.

“I work for the brutes.” A short unemotional answer.

“Who?” I kept my eyes on the mare as I emerged from my cell.

Without pause she answered,“Mr. X’s connections and mercs.”

I nodded in agreement. I found it alarming how he had an entire group under his command. It would make sense how he would have all those caps though.

A question came to mind. “He has agents in the Steel Rangers?”

“Only a few... but enough.”

Another nod from me followed by silence. The quiet mood was broken by two scribes ahead, staring at us, their minds processing the two in front of them The mare and I froze in place. They stood still until both their minds came to the same conclusion: I was suppose to be in a cell. One pulled out a laser pistol, the other soon following his lead. Both scribes fired. I quickly use the doorway as cover. The traces of light hit the mare then she falls to the ground.

Small beams of light passed the doorway and hit the back wall. A short break in the barrage and I took my chance. I popped out and retrieved the laser pistol from the mare’s fresh corpse but at a cost. Two streaks of light hit me. One singed the cloth covering my flank while the other singed my fur and skin. I had the pistol in my mouth and moved behind the other side of the doorway. I took a short breather then popped out again and pulled the trigger with my tongue five times.

I wasn’t at all adept with energy weapons but that didn’t stop me. Out of the five I fired, one hit. I couldn’t aim with the damn thing! There was a lack of real sights on the thing and firing it just felt different from a conventional gun.

I begin to panic. I could hear the two scribes advancing now. I wouldn’t have much of a chance if the two of them flanked me. They were getting too close. I popped out again just trying, hoping I’d hit something

Suddenly the world around me slowed to almost a stop. A dim yellow light highlighted one scribe's torso. Next to her torso, head, and limbs appeared numbers in percentages. Less than a second later a message appeared on my E.F.S.

WELCOME TO S.A.T.S.! (STABLE-TEC ASSISTED TARGETING SYSTEM)

The rest of the directions were self explanatory enough. Line up body parts of enemies then S.A.T.S. helps with the aiming. The percentages are your chance of hitting the different body parts.

I lined up four shots for one scribes head then accepted. Time resumed as quickly as it had slowed and my pistol aimed for the scribes torso. I pulled the trigger four times. It felt like I was watching in slow motion as all but one of the streaks hit the scribe. She tumbled and fell to the ground, dead. The other stopped in her tracks as she saw her friend fall. I moved behind the cover again and reloaded the gun.

I took a deep breath and came out from the cover again. I aimed my gun in the other scribe’s general direction and activate the aim assist. a message popped up on my E.F.S.: SATS is currently depleted. “Fuck!” I cursed aloud and begin firing almost randomly in an attempt to hit the scribe. Only one or two of the barrage hit, most zooming past her.

I ducked behind cover again and noticed the fresh singe marks on my fur and warped skin as they began to sting. I squinted my eyes from pain and reloaded my gun. I took another deep breath, knowing this time I have to aim my own shots. I jumped out again, more ready this time. I aimed the gun at the scribe, carefully. I fired four shots and two hit, making her fall to the ground, no longer breathing.

The adrenaline wore off and my mind switched back to it’s usual state. The gears in my head began to try to think of a way out of the bunker.

“Hey.” A deep voice from down the hall interrupted my thought. I trotted over to the source, the cell next to mine.

“Look, if you get me out of this cell, I can help you get out of here.” The stallion stood taller than the average buck with a dark gray coat and jet-black mane. His bright red eyes completed it, making his looks able to intimidate the strongest of creatures.

“How do you know how to get out of here?” I asked skeptically. Lying was all too common to save your own ass in the wasteland

“I’m an ex-Steel Ranger. I left. They didn’t like that so I’m in here.”

“Fine” Even if he was lying we had a better chance escaping together than me by myself.

After taking the key from the mare sent to help I took it back to the dark stallion’s cell and unlocked the cell. The separate series of metal bars swung open and he immediately walked out and in front of me. “Follow me. I know where they should be keeping our gear.” He ordered, continuing forward. He took a laser pistol, holster, and ammo from one scribe. “Take the ammo from the other.” He ordered again, not even turning to make eye contact. I did as he said and took the ammo and the other laser pistol she had, hopefully so I could use parts from the two I had to make a better one.

As we exited I crouched down and looked up to the dark stallion. “Get down.” I whispered. “In case, anymore are nearby.” He looked back to me for a second before crouching down too.

We continued for a short time occasionally seeing another scribe that we were able to get past. It was only after a short time after he said, “We’re almost there. Only down this hallway,” that the speakers came to life with a crackle and the voice of a stallion came on to say, “The two prisoners have escaped. Everyone be on alert. Two scribes were found dead outside the holding cell area. They are armed and dangerous. Everypony please be cautious and on guard.While lethal force is authorized, if you encounter the two it is encouraged you do not kill the stallion with the pipbuck.” Well, guess that meant if worse came to worse I could use the dark stallion as a meat shield.

“Shit!” The dark stallion cursed “Hurry up.” He barked in a whisper. As we reached the door that lead into the room where our gear was being held, “There! Its them!” was shouted from behind us. The dark stallion didn’t hesitate to open the door and hide behind the wall to the side of it. I was not as fast. A single streak hit my hind leg before I could get to cover on the other wall next to the door.

After I got behind cover, dark didn’t hesitate to fire off several shots at the two scribes. Only a few hit... but he was still better than me. I popped out from cover and activated SATS. I lined up four shots for one scribes head. I was soon watching the scribe fall to the ground in slow motion. “Help!” The remaining scribe yelled as loud as he could. It wasn’t long after he fell to the ground, next to the other.

We rushed further into the room. It took us all of two seconds to begin checking every locker and foot locker. The first, locked. Second, locked. Third was surprisingly locked. I swung my hoof toward the foot locker with a grunt followed by the pang of metal as my hoof hit the locker. “Damnit...” I mumbled to myself.

I turned around to check the dark stallion’s progress. He seemed to have little luck either. He muttered something to himself, probably a curse. He stayed facing away from me as he checked another foot locker. It wasn’t until now I took note of his cutie mark. Five silver-gray stars aligned in a pentagon. I begin to ponder what the stars could mean. Into astronomy? Doubt it. Doesn’t seem a Steel Ranger would have time for something like that. That is if he could even find a way to see past the clouds.

“I don’t go that way.” I jumped from my thinking state and came back to reality as the stallion talks.

“What?” I asked once I regained my grasp on reality.

“I’m not a coltcuddler so you may as well stop staring at my flank now.”

I swallowed and felt my face becoming red. “I don’t go that way!” is the only thing I can think to say. Although, blurt out would describe what I did better. A short but still awkward silence passed until I blurt out, “I’m straight!” Although if I weren’t he would be pretty irresistible... What are you thinking, Wanderer!? You’re straight!

He only responded with a brief stare and shake of the head. I swallowed again as my mind refuses to forget what happened. The heat coming from my face didn’t help either. I moved my eyes away from his flanks. The stallion’s colors were so bland. Black and gray. It made me think of my own coat and mane colors. I looked to my own coat. Same bright red coat. I look up to my short cut, almost blinding yellow mane. I always hated my coat and mane color, made me stick out like a sore thumb.

Especially in the middle of the wastes.

Almost like my genes decided to make me a living target. At least I don’t have to worry about anything accidentally running me over in the middle of the night. Maybe his colors wouldn’t be so bad but it does seem bland. And from what I had seen I doubted his personality makes up for that. He didn’t look too bad with them I guess. Makes him look intimidating... and... attractive...

Damnit! Brain stop it! I do not go that way! Without even a gaze in my direction. “Told you, not gonna happen.” I found myself staring again... Brain. I hate you.

I sighed and looked back to the lockers. “So find anything? All these lockers are... well locked.”

“Doubt you even did much looking staring at my ass...” He mumbled. I decided it's better to just ignore the comment altogether. “No they’re all locked here too.” He said more clearly and looked around the room until his eyes rested on a door in the back of the room. “All these should have electronic locks if memory serves and there should be computer through there.”

As soon as he finished I walked over to the door. “What are we waiting for?” I asked as I tried to open the door without success.

He only sighed and shaked his head. “I wasn’t finished... the door’s probably locked too.”

I would have had a rebuttal but the door exploded.

Me and the stallion were thrown against a wall. Shrapnel hurts alot more when you have no armor. I could tell the stallion figured the same as he tried to recover from the blast. Shrapnel had made it’s way into his skin too, made evident by the small spots of blood forming on his body. My body was still trying to recover as he got to his feet and yelled something. Unfortunately the ringing in my ears was louder. The stallion whipped out his pistol and began firing off rounds... or well, beams at a target my head didn’t want to turn to. Seconds turned to minutes as I lie on the floor. I blinked as I regained my composure then move to get my legs back underneath me. I was shaky at first but I had to get balanced quickly I got my balance and stood on all fours.

The stallion yelled something again as I got to my hooves. The ringing still overpowered his voice but I could make out. “Get to the computer!” Without a nod of agreement and only the time it took my brain to decode what he had said, I rushed to the computer. I jumped through the the scrap metal that was the door and turned right to face a wall then right again to get to the computer. The room was small with nothing more than a few supplies and the computer. Luckily the blast didn’t damage the computer to my knowledge and I got to work. A screen that asked me to enter a password stared me in the face.

I remembered years ago when I was a foal. My dad had taught me the basics of getting past a password screen. I racked my brain to remember them. As each step popped up in my mind I entered the correct commands to access the desired screen. I stared at the random symbols and letters, soon spotting out the a word amongst them and entered it. Wrong, zero of four letters correct. Three tries left. Dammit! I rushed to type in the next. Wrong, one of four letters correct. Two tries left. I matched the letters of the last word to another. They have one in common. Enter. Wrong, one of four letters correct. “Celestia damnit to the moon!” I cursed aloud without noticing. Another boom from outside.

“Hurry the fuck up!” The stallion roared. I remembered one of the tricks my dad taught me. If you have one try left, back out. The system will reset. I pressed the back key and then entered the commands to get to the same screen I was at seconds ago. I choose the first word my eyes recognized on the screen and typed it in. Luckily that was correct. One option popped up on screen and before my brain could recognize the letters I pressed it. A screen flashed afterward telling me all lockers were unlocked.

“Done!” I shouted out. Amongst the gun fire I heard his laser pistol thrown to the ground.

I rushed out. I almost stopped and crawled back into the small room when I saw a huge Steel Ranger in their iconic armor with a gargantuan, high-tech rocket launcher mounted to his back, followed by three scribes armed with various rifles. Some of the scribes occasionally used the one in armor as cover. Two other scribes lie on the ground next to the two others from earlier. Although I was in mortal danger my mind couldn’t help but think the large stallion was compensating for something.

“Surrender and you will not be harmed.” Over-compensation shouted a few short seconds before he launched a rocket right at me. I ducked as the rocket whizzed back my face and exploded in the back room.

I quickly made it behind the door’s archway. “You didn’t even give me time to say anything!” I shout back.

“Well do you surrender?” He asked in a relatively calm tone amongst the chaos.

“No!” I shouted back without hesitation.

“Hey coltcuddler,” I looked over to see the dark stallion crouched over a foot locker. He was lucky I needed him or else I would have had as many shots as I could lined up for his head in SATS. “Stop arguing with short dick over there! Cover me while I try to find something useful!”

I nodded then popped out from cover and fire a few shots without even aiming. I continued several more times. The fourth or fifth time as I came back I saw the dark stallion moving to another locker. “Any day now.”

“Shut up half these are empty!” He opened the next foot locker and a grin slips across his face. “Finally!” He pulled out a battle saddle and two tommy guns. “I just need to get this on.” He moved back behind the door’s archway and fumbled to slip the saddle on.

I kept giving suppressing fire until I come back to cover and saw the stallion with a grin on his face, a battle saddle on his back, and the two tommy guns at his side. He gave me a nod. I ran over to the lockers as he popped out from cover. I reached an unopen locker and check. Nope, nothing. Next, a stimpack. Might come in handy. The next had most of my stuff. Before I can reach down to pull something out I noticed the sound of lasers. Not laser pistols. Something much more rapid. I turned and saw the two tommy guns firing lasers. The stallion’s grin had now turned to a full on smile as he sprays across the outside hall. Over-compensation flinched a few times as he was hit. The dark stallion gets behind cover and reloads as another rocket fires.

My eyes moved back to the foot locker. Nowhere near all my stuff was there but the bear essentials were. I pulled out my combat armor first. As I slip it on I couldn’t help but notice its condition was starting to dwindle. I probably should do something about it soon I thought. I picked up the two rifles and tossed them to the floor to grab my old, beat up battle saddle. I couldn’t help but smile at the only reminder I have of my family. I run back to my cover with my rifles and battle saddle held on my back. I sit down and hurried to get the battle saddle over my armor and then get the guns attached. If I remembered they’re single shot but still better than a laser pistol.

I made sure the guns are loaded. Then I popped out and hoped S.A.T.S. works with a battle saddle. I lined up two shots from each gun for a scribes head. Apparently a battle saddle uses more energy in S.A.T.S. then a single gun. I agreed to the what I had entered and its not long before the scribe hit the ground. I went back behind cover and reload. I can’t help but notice over-compensation didn’t even seem close to falling.

I look to the black stallion with a small frown. “We gotta get rid of the big guy.”

“I know! What do you think I’m trying to do!?” He yells back, angered by my statement.

“We need something more...” I pause to think for a second as the stallion pops out and starts shooting again. I finally come to something. “How many electronic systems should that suit have?”

He thinks for a second after taking cover again. A rocket whizzes by and explodes, leaving a hole in the back wall. He finally responds with one word. “A lot.”

I dive for the lockers again. I search through several, finding nothing.

“What are you doing?” He asks

“Praying to Celestia I get lucky and find what I’m looking for. Just cover me for now.”

He nods having nothing else to do but shoot at the others. Only one locker left. I start to lose hope. By my guess the stallion has wasted almost every round he has on over-compensation. “Please.” I mutter to myself, almost praying. I open the final locker and look in. My face lights up and I almost want to burst out in pure happiness. I grab the small object with my teeth and run back to my spot.

“Take out the scribes first.” I ordered.

“What did you get?”

“Just do it quickly.” I poped out again and killed a scribe as the stallion took the other.

“I need back up. ASAP!” Over-compensation yelled to thin air. He probably had some kind of communicator in his armor.

I took the object in my mouth and activated S.A.T.S. I aimed once at over-compensation and ended the targeting section of SATS. I watched in slow-motion as the grenade arched and landed right under him. I smiled in contempt as a blue electric like sphere surrounded him. He tried firing his rocket launcher but nothing happens.

“Follow my lead!” I shouted as I exited my cover and rushed to the walking tank. The other stallion followed behind me. I came up to him and the other stallion covered him from behind so he can’t escape. I pointed my guns straight at his head, right into the eyes. One bite of my trigger and the behemoth fell.

I took a few deep breaths as adrenaline drained from my body. Time seemed to slow to a normal pace as my brain realizes it was not longer in mortal danger. A grin slide across my face as I looked up, across the body, to the stallion.

He looked back. “Don’t look at me like that coltcuddler. I know what you're thinking.” Before my brain could fully register and adjust my facial expression he releases a small smile then turns away. “We need to get to the exit it should be on the top floor... which won’t be easy to get to.” His tone was back to a more serious one.

I wanted to retaliate at his ‘coltcuddler’ comment or at least grumble something under my breath but curiosity got the better of me. “Why’s that?”

“Lots of paladins patrolling and working closer to the surface.”

I paused for a moment. One paladin was hard enough. Several though... not good. Even if the one paladin we faced was a walking tank, I still doubt many would be a good idea to take on with only the two of us.