//------------------------------//
// The needles in the red 
// Story: Fallout Equestria: Stable Dive 
// by Comrade Bagel Muffin 
//------------------------------//

"Two Bit," Haphazard, a fourteen year-old earth pony colt, called from a rocky crag over looking the small rocky canyon. "Are you sure that we're in the right place?" The blue colt strained to have his voice heard over the wiping winds of the Badlands.
"I'm sure of it. I got this lead from a very good and well trusted source." The brown stallion called back up. "Circuit Breaker have you found anything with that Geiger counter yet?"
"Nothing but background noise." The fourteen year-old unicorn filly yelled back. Two Bit sighed.
"Haphazard, go further south, to the end of the canyon. then start making your way back to us."
"Alright, what ever you say master." Haphazard jumped ran off. The rocky canyon wasn't that long, nor was it all that deep, but getting into the canyon without spraining an ankle wasn't an easy task. The ground was rocky and uneven, and in many places there were jagged rocks pointing out of the ground like spears. The Geiger counter that was tied around his neck started going crazy. He smiled at the loud and annoying noise, it meant he had found it. "Master over here! It's over here!" Two Bit and Circuit Breaker came running around the gagged rocks coming down from the north.
"Good job Haphazard.." Two bit walked down
"Are you sure this is such a good idea?” Circuit asks as her own Geiger counter stared bouncing around in the red. “I mean this is a lot of radiation more than even that stupid hotel we stayed at and got those rad sores? I’m just saying Two Bit maybe somethings a just better left undisturbed.
“We’ll be fine you worry to much about the details. Besides as if I’m about to risk losing the two of you to some small bit of radiation, remember the place where we got there Geiger counters, there were some radiation suit in the back.” Two Bit gave his little slave a winning smile as she nodded, and pulled out her ration of Rad-X.
“Yeah I remember telling you that they might be a good investment, but you were like ‘shut up slave, you listen to me not the other way around’ like a complete jackass. OW!” She screamed at him after he batted her on the horn.
"And I remember telling you to drop the attitude little missy, especially while we’re in heavy slaver towns, I don’t need them thinking I’ve gotten soft, it’ll get me killed and you two taken to somebody that doesn’t understand how to use talent, like that dipshit fuckicle in Fillydelphia. “I also needed to make a scene while our little friend used his very special talent. Those suits were a good investment, but not at the price that asshole price gouger was selling them for.” He looked over to his other slave. “Get the suits out Haphazard.”
“Yes sir, Master.” Haphazard’s head bobbed up and down, as he pulled three suits out of his bag. Two Bit took the larger one from his hoof with an approving nod while Circuit Breaker floated her suit over in her magic,
“Okay fine these and the radiation meds will certainly help. Let’s see the suit plus the Rad-X plus the rad away mean we’ll have about seven hours of protection, best case scenario about nine.” Circuit started putting her radiation suit over her utility barding. “So, I take it you know what to do about the literal hoard of ghouls  that will be waiting for us down there?”
“Yes I do you and Haphazard are going to lure then all into the lowest parts of the Stable, then lock yourselves into one of the one of the heavily leaded lined storage rooms, and once the bulk of them are in the bottom I’ll shut the door locking them with you while I loot the rest of the Stable with the Puppy. The timber wolf looked to the slaver hearing it's name called. At the end I’ll come down and get the two of you.” He pulled out a bag of heavy led shot and gave them to Haphazard.  “There you go between your literacy and his sling you two should be okay now start moving.  
“Like we have a choice come on Haphazard, let’s go.”





Everything went to hell in a handbasket nearly as soon as they got a ghoul hoard that was nearly the size of an entire Stable population chasing them down the corridors heading to the bottom floors. First off, the ‘universal’ that Circuit had managed to copy from the Steel Ranger terminal the last time she had access was about as universal as a one size fits all set of horse shoes, which is to say it was complete bull shit. The second issue was that once they’d found their way to the bottom the radiation spiked to all new kinds of not good levels. Even if they hid in a storage room with Rad-Away they’d be lucky to just have minor symptoms of radiation poisoning by the end of this. The third problem with Two Bit’s plan was quite related to the first as they ran down the tight hallways staying just a few meters ahead of the lead ghouls they found lots of rooms storing radioactive waste, but nothing like what the map described as heavy lead shielded storage rooms.
“Hap! I not sure how much further I can run. My sides are hurting me to much and I’m already feeling queasy from the radiation.” She screamed between desperate gasps of air her sides burning. Haphazard gabbed her, and pushed her in front of him around a sharp corner.
"There!"
"That's just a small closet Hap. It won't have the lead lining we need."
"It's that or be eaten!" He screamed as he kept pushing her onward the ghouls snapping at his tail. Her horn lit up preparing to shut the metal door behind them she made it in Haphazard jumped in right behind her. Her horn flared up. But the door didn't close as the ghouls slammed into it she screamed in fear and frustration.
"Fuck, you assholes!" She bucked against the door. Her horn glowing brighter as she pushed all she could into slamming the door. Haphazard got on his hindhooves loading his zebra war sling with a heavy lead shot and after twirling it several times fired it into the ghouls trying to break into the room. The heavy lead shot evaporated the head of several of the ghouls. Two ghouls slipped through the door as she slammed it the jumped on her biting and ripping at her suit. "Hap help!" She started crying bucking desperately at the ghouls. Haphazard charged the two ghouls that were on his fillyfriend bucking one of their heads in against the door. Before the second one bit into his shoulder.
"Circuit crush it!" He screamed in agony as it ripped his suit apart biting and tearing at his shoulder. Circuit pulled out a lead ball and began beating the ghouls head in screaming at the top of her lungs. Haphazard got up and joined her hitting the ghoul with his one good front hoof. Until the ghoul's head was putty on the floor. The both held each other crying as the adrenaline died down and the pain and fear hit home. Their radiation suits were torn to pieces and the only noise that was louder than their crying and the ghouls howling and screaming beyond the door was the loud clicking of their Geiger counters.
After an hour Circuit breaker had dressed and treated Haphazard's wounded shoulder and the two of them barricaded the door. with the empty shelves of the storage room. As they rested in eachother's hooves they looked at what little medicine they had, enough Rad-X to last a couple hours and a Rad-Away each.
"How much do we have?" Haphazard asked rocking his fillyfriend as she held onto him like her life depended on it. "I mean the medicine will last right? If we take it slowly Master will be able to save us right?"
"Even if we try to stretch it we won't make it." She said, I mean we'll be lucky if we come out of here barely alive. That's how bad it is."
"What if...What if we got another Rad-Away?"
"If we had another Rad-Away it would be bad but not absolutely grim." She sighed. "It's over we're done." She stared at the wall before her ears perked up and her eyes went wide as Haphazard gave her a hickey.
"I can think of worse ways to go out than locked in you with a closet for a couple of hours." He gave her a playful smile. "I'm sure you'll think of something to get us out of this. You're brains and my unshakable stubbornness. We can't lose." He blew a raspberry into her neck causing a fit of laughter. She carefully pushed him into a the wall locking lips with him.





They held eachother close together as the minutes turned to hours. They'd shared the first pack of Rad-Away, their Rad-X was now completely gone, and they were both beginning to feel the pain of moderate radiation poisoning. "It's time for our drink, if Two-Bit's coming for us he'll have to find us within thirty minutes or we won't make it out." Circuit Breaker drank half the Rad-Away. She offered the other half too Haphazard he drank his half the leaned in for another kiss she met him lips with her own. Her eyes shot open as the Rad-Away went from his mouth to hers. She pulled away, but before she could do anything he put his hoof over her mouth.
"Go ahead and swallow." He said weakly. "You deserve it Master will need you to know how to fix me up." She tried to shake his hoof away but couldn't find the strength to do it her lungs burned until she swallowed the other half of the Rad-Away. Haphazard smiled hitting the ground.
"You idiot!" She wailed grabbing him sobbing. "Why? Damn it. Idiot." She hit Haphazard's side. Her horn glowing lighting the room.
"You look like an Celestia." Haphazard said with a weak smile. "You'll make it through. I made sure you'll make it though."
"But I don't want to make it though without you! Why do you think I put up with Two Bit's shit, because you won't run away with me. I don't want to make it through this without you, you, you idiot!" She sobbed pulling the colt's week body up to her's. "Please don't leave me alone. Please Hap. Please." She sobbed her horn casting the best healing spell she knew, it didn't accomplish anything. "Please Hap, don't leave me in a hole alone." She cast it again. Loud bangs went off down the hall.  She looked to the door. "The ghouls are coming back Hap get you sling." The colt weakly grabbed the strong leather of the Zebra War sling, with a weak limp hoof. She cradled him as the door was hit denting inward. There were six more loud bangs. The door was slammed in a the large timber wolf, Puppy stood over them.
"What the hell happened Circuit Haphazard are you o-" Two Bit's eyes widened with concern. "Is he okay."
"He's dying get him out!"
"Puppy Grab and Run." Puppy grabbed Circuit and Haphazard carefully throwing them on its back and running up the stairs, Two Bit ran behind them blasting away ghouls as they ran back into the canyon.
"Our suits were destroyed help him."
"We'll get him to Derpy, they'll know what to do Puppy, Derpy go!" The timber wolf started running. Two Bit did his best to keep up, leaving a fortune left behind in the shallow canyon.