//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: the plans ahead // Story: Unfortunate events // by knetch //------------------------------// Spike’s Pov Ever have the feeling of having a Deja vu? A thought in your mind. Where you think you have already live through a particular situation? Because. Here I am, looking at the human version of the Cake’s twins doing mischief in somepony else house. Heh, this brings me back to the Castle. They would sneak in and make a mess around with the books. I still remember the “book fortress” they made with the Castle’s library, and the scolding that Twilight gave them later. Fun times And now I am seeing the two little humans that were messing with some kind of golem. “Get you cursed paws off me, you little demons!!” yelled the golem, but it’s complains fell on deaf ears. As they were drowned by the laugh of the kids. This golem was made of metal with a little rust on some areas. It was a big ball with an arm that had another ball attach to it. While it was aiming it at the twin and i could see lenses inside it making me realize that it some kind of camera. “Mary, Carl! Stop messing around with Wadsworth before I take you to your Mother” Albert said sternly to them with an annoyed expression. He kinds of reminds me of Twilight with the twins. “But, Uncle Albert we just wanted to play with Wadswoth. but it was her idea” spoke the little boy while pointing to the girl, they are so alike the Cake Twins. i wonder how they are doing. “Thanks for ratting me out Charlie! Yes, we wanted to see how your Mister handy worked. So we dismantled it, but we were going to put it back together. I swear it” said little girl to Albert with a pout after glaring at her brother. “Look kids, I told you this before you can’t enter people’s houses without their permission. Thinking of that. How did you get in?” Albert scolded to the Twins and sounding a little Worried. “But Mama told us, that you did it all the time. Almost every trader that Mama talks to, has a story about it” the little girl said with a smug smile over her face. “Look Mary, i know what they say about me, but half of time I went poking around back then. I could have ended up dead and don’t mistake it. There are lots of things in this house that can make it explode. With you in it” Albert was scolding Mary when Carl suddenly noticed me. “Uncle Albert? That’s not a Deathclaw is it?” that seemed to break the argument between Albert and Mary as they looked at Carl, he seems both a little afraid of me but yet curious. “That’s Spike and he is a dragon and that is Camille, my hunters picked them up this morning. Now, stop changing the subject. I will take you to Moira. If you want to talk to spike, do it later alright?” he said while grabbing the twins. “Albert, sir. Do you mind, if I start putting this mister handy back together?” Camille asked, she knew about this golems? “Alright, there are some tools in the locker near the door, and use that workbench over there “he responded gesturing towards the metal table next to the locker and went outside with the pair of troublesome twins. “Alright, Wadsworth was it? I am going to start assembling you” Camille asked the golem as she went for the tools. “Yes milady, I believe that we are not acquaintance yet. I am the butler of this house” the golem responded as Camille was putting together another ball/camera. “I heard that your name is Camille. Yes? And also I would assume that this creature is yours, am I correct milady?” creature? Did it just called me creature? That snobby bucket full of bolts. “Hey tin can! I can talk, you know?!” I may put more tone in that sentence that I intended. I know but I simply can’t stand being addressed as a creature. This is Canterlot nobility all over again. “He is right, you know?” she scolded the tin bucket “I know that he isn’t human, but he is sapient” that look on Camille's face bring so many memories. “I apologies Sir Spike, it’s that I haven’t encounter non humans that could make a conversation. With the exception of the ghouls of course” the camera focused on me, making me really uncomfortable. As Camille was attaching another camera to its body. “Alright tin… I mean Wadsworth, and sorry for snapping at you like that” strange golem aside this house seems to be made of some rusted metal. “Got to give those twins credit. They did manage to disassemble you without breaking anything” Camille said clearly amused about the old golem peril. “Lady Camille, I do not appreciate being dismantled whenever those little twins come to this house. Even if young Mary is talented in repairing machines such as myself. I think she takes after her mother in more than one aspect” the robot said while testing its newly attached camera. “When I was her age Stanley, our chief mechanic let me watch while he was maintaining Andy back in the Vault” the Young woman said to the golem with some nostalgia. “I assume that this “Andy” would be a “Mister Handy” like myself, correct?” the golem said while its cameras stared at Camille, with a smile she nodded and went back to work. As Camille set on fixing the robot thing. Curiosity got the better of me and I went to explore the house. “Wadsworth, do you mind if I explore the house a little?” “I assume, since Master Barnes brought you here and your partner is fixing me without stealing anything. That you are trustworthy, am I correct Sir Spike?” the Cameras seized me up. Now that I saw it more clearly. The cameras were not the only thing following me. Near the bottom of the chassis. I saw three little holes, no bigger than my fingers, in a little pod that were giving a menacing green glow and were pointed at me. A shivers ran through my spine as I realized that this golem was having me at gunpoint. And that Camille, who was oblivious of the threat, was a hostage. “D-Don´t worry Mr. Wadsworth, sir. I will not touch anything” That thing was threatening my friend, I cannot risk Camille’s life. As I walked up the stairs Camille was giving me a concerned look, she must have picked on my nervousness. The second floor was cleaner than the lobby where Camille was repairing that golem. Near the stairs. I could see some kind of vending machine sporting the words saying “Nuka-Cola” on the other side. I could see medical supplies along with a small laboratory it reminded me of the old basement on the Golden Oak's library. As I stared the rusted wall. I could see two doors, one open and the other closed. I entered the open door to find several wooden trunks. As I peeked inside one of them I found a generous amount of books. Not enough to compete with Twilight´s collection, but enough to have a small library if you counted all the trunks and the books on metal shelves. It was a strange room but what really weird me out. It was all those hats that were nailed to the walls. Some of them were made like metal helmets akin to a Changeling's face. They also had a strange symbol on the forehead, something close to a number three but more rectangular. The other hats were black and made of cloth with an old faded letter E. Some were damaged while other where clean, and some had little spots of blood, that dried long ago, on them. There were many of the black ones. But why would Albert need so many hats and not clean them. And why they were nailed to the wall. As I exited the room. I watched Wadsworth having more limbs now. At total it got six limbs, three cameras and three claw like arms. It was moving them as Camille instructed while having the other two on the ground like some three-legged oversized spider. I could see that one of the cameras was looking at me. It never stopped looking at me. Then without warning. There was a little explosion, fire started erupting from below its chassis on a tube-like structure. And Wadsworth started to float in the air. “Thank you Milady Camille, I am almost good as new. You might want to speak to Moira Brown if you are looking for work. I definitely wouldn’t mind another mechanic in town” I tuned out the conversation as I went to the closed door. I tried to open it but it was locked. interesting Before I got my wings. Twilight always tried to teach me about the legends and folklore of Equestria and other Countries as well. She hoped to develop my curiosity about the world. why am i telling you this? one of the book was the legend of a griffin adventurer that had some really helpful tips on using claws. and with a little practice..... I never told Twilight, but lets say that Cutie Mark Crusaders tried lockpicking once, and they have to learn in from somewhere. One of my not so good ideas, And all for some a gem that looked really tasty. Now I know that this was not the best idea I ever had, in hindsight given the circumstances. I could have ended up dead. But I had to see what was on the other side of that door. I went for the lock trying to pick it with my claws. But just as I was focusing on it, there was a knock on the door. “Come in, the door its open” Wadsworth told the newcomer. “Hey Wadsworth, is Albert home?” I peeked through the second floor and saw a man wearing a tight skin green suit entering the room. On the side of his chest was the same sword with cogs that Albert got on his shoulder pad. “Oh, who is the VaultDweeler?” as he eyed Camille. “Master Latchkey, it’s been some time since you were here. Master Albert went to Craterside’s to deal with the twins” Wadsworth said with what could as well be a shiver. “This helpful young lady, is Camille. Albert brought her along with the Dragon that is upstairs staring at you” at this the man raised his head to meet my eyes, along with his hand going for a strange pistol strapped on his hip. “Easy there, I mean no harm!” I shouted while raising my claws, his eyes went wide and landed on Wadsworth. “A talking Deathclaw? I have heard rumors from some traders that those exist on west side” he watched me with a mixture of awe and ware, it was a little awkward for me. “Please, do not shoot Spike” I heard Camille say with alarm as the man turned to address her. “My name is Kenny, mind explaining to me the situation Camille?” he crossed his arms on his chest as Camille started recounting our encounter with the Hunters. I went to the first floor and took a sit on the floor near Camille I could see that this man was tracking my movements. “And now Albert is helping me in finding my father” Camille finished as the door opened it felt weird to hear the story. If I haven’t lived through it and still were on Equestria. I would call that pony crazy. Shooting? Suddenly an entire group massacred by shadows? I am on a fantasy book? Heh, and here I am trapped in a place nothing like my home. I wonder what is happening back in Equestria. “I see you kids have met, good” Albert passed through into the house “any words from the citadel Kenny?” “Yes, the elder wants to know why did you abandoned your unit” at this Albert’s face soured and his eyes narrowed. “Arthur has my report. As you know Camille is the daughter of the overseer of 101 and Spike it’s an offworlder. Therefore I decided to give them a head start and get them to GNR” he explained with a sight while gesturing to us. “You know that the Elder is not going to approve of this, especially since you are not returning Camille to 101” I did not like the sound of this “but then on the other hand there is Spike” “Don´t you know that is rude to talk about somepony while they are in the room?” I couldn’t stop myself but I have has enough about this. “You are right little dragon, I am sorry “Kenny said to my while giving me a sad smile “if you plan to get them to GNR. Are you going to give them some gear?” he asked. “I was getting to that, Wadsworth! Hand me two type 93 rifles along with ten magazines of 5.5, also four fragmentation grenades and a pair of EMP grenades please” the robot floated to the second floor, but suddenly a camera looked over the edge of the plataform. “Would you also like two sets of ballistic body armor along with combat knives Master Barnes?” As the Golem said this, he appeared with a full backpack and two weapons that hanged from its scissored claws. Wadsworth descended in front of us and handed Camille the bag as Albert grabbed the weapons. As I saw this i was curious about what they were talking about. but there was this faint sound on the background like a long whistle far in the distance but getting closer. “What is that sound?” as I said this Albert and Kenny looked at me, then the jacket wearing man closed his eyes. “A mortar!” he said suddenly in alarm his eyes wide open as an explosion rocked the building