• Published 6th Apr 2016
  • 2,272 Views, 32 Comments

Fallout Equestria: Black Cat - Rixizu



Break Point is a simple pony that just wants a simple and easy life. That is shattered when she accidentally causes the death of the son of a powerful crime lord. Now she must fight for survival.

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Chapter 44

Aurora listened as the big wigs screamed at each other. Break’s escape had rattled them, and they were ready to point the blame for the disaster. Commander Blackwing had taken responsibility for the debacle, which Aurora was eternally grateful for, but this did little to appease the others.

“It’s crucial we send an expedition to the surface!” General Wind Dancer slammed her hoof against the table. “That earth pony mare knows New Cloudsdale’s location! And of our weakened state!”

General Capstone shook his head. “No, we can’t afford it. If you’re worried about the surfacers learning our location, we’ll just relocate the entire city.”

Wind Dancer scoffed. “Move the entire city? You make it sound so easy. Its cost to the Enclave’s coffers would be staggering.”

“The general is right.” Commander Blackwing said. “Except for Break Point and the renegades, nopony else can reach our city easily. Besides, they completed their objective with no reason to return. I doubt she’ll become a threat to us again.”

Capstone didn’t agree, getting into a heated argument with Blackwing. Wind Dancer sighed, annoyed as the conversation derailed once again. Aurora watched the scene awkwardly. They had said nothing about punishing her for Break’s escape, but she’d rather not draw their attention. Unfortunately, she didn’t get her wish.

“What are your thoughts, sergeant?” Wind Dancer asked.

Oh ponyfeathers, he wants my opinion. “About an expedition into the surface world?” She forced a smile.

“Yes, if anypony were to lead it, you’re the best candidate, sergeant. You’re our only combat capable stand user.” A curious smile formed on Wind Dancer’s face. Test Tube wasn’t really an option. His power, while curious, was impractical for combat.

Yes, but Break knows my stand and I’m not confident I could defeat her by myself. “I’m not opposed to it, sir. But I’ll be alone.” Even if she brought along a company of soldiers, they’d proven incapable of combating stand users. Stand users must fight stand users.

“I realize that sergeant, but action is necessary.” Wind Dancer raised her voice to catch the other’s attention. “I have a proposal.” Capstone and Blackwing watched her with interest.

“I say we send Sergeant Aurora to the surface to gain intel on the enemy stand user group. She might even infiltrate their ranks and gain their trust. I doubt Break Point will rejoin them after what happened. Tell me, have you met the traitors personally?”

Aurora considered this before shaking her head. “I don’t believe so, but being a pegasus might draw their attention.” She also feared the possibility they’d seen her in passing.

“You could pass as another deserter,” Blackwing said, considering the possibilities.

“She might even uncover if they have another piece of the alien skeleton.” Wind Dancer said. “For the time being, we shouldn’t worry about stealing it. Instead, we focus on gaining information. Once we’ve learned of its location, we can organize a plan to claim it.”

“Maybe. Its benefit to the Encave would be astronomical.” Capstone wasn’t confident but warmed up to the possibility. “What say you, sergeant? Will you take this dangerous mission?”

Aurora nodded eagerly, more than happy to deliver some payback to those bastards. “Yes, sir.”

“Don’t worry about backup,” Blackwing said, “we already have some agents on the surface who can assist you. You won’t be alone.”

“So, we all agree?” Wind Dancer asked a little smugly. The other two agreed and they began planning for the most ambitious mission into the wasteland to date. Though she hated being away from her wife, eagerness filled Aurora’s heart. This mission might save the world.

---

Break dragged her hooves as she entered the small village. It wasn’t much of a town, home to half-dozen ponies and little else, but seemed cozy enough. Ponies eyed her as she entered but otherwise continued their business. It relieved her to gain rest after her frantic escape from the Enclave. They’d sent several skyships after her and hadn’t slept for over two days. It pushed her past the point of exhaustion. It was a lucky break she’d found this place. Though she wasn’t confident she’d completely evaded her pursuers, she needed rest.

“Excuse me, where can I purchase a bed for the night?” Break asked, pretending she wasn’t as tired as she appeared.

“A bed?” The mare ran a tiny shop with her goods on shelves behind her. “Sure, Here at Rocky Road’s Emporium, we have everything a pony might need, and then some! For the right price, nothing is beyond your grasp! It’s never a rocky road in the Wasteland shopping here!”

Break gave the mare a blank look.

“Need a bed? I have a small tent for a very reasonable price!”

Break froze realizing she didn’t have a single bottle cap. The Enclave had taken everything but her PipBuck, which they couldn’t remove. She sighed, annoyed she might need to find a cave to sleep somewhere. Her stomach growled realizing she hadn’t eaten in over a day and it was still a mystery how long the Enclave had kept her under sedation. Her mouth felt dry, driving by a painful thirst.

“Nevermind.” Break sighed again. “I don’t appear to have anything to pay you. It’s a long story.” She turned, hoping she’d find some empty buildings with some supplies she might scavenge. Amazing stand powers or not, she still was a mortal pony capable of starving to death.

“Now, hold on, friend!” Rocky Road grabbed at her hoof. “It’s clear you have hit hard times and I am a very generous mare.”

Oh ponyfeathers, I don’t like the sound of this. “Do you need help with something?” Break forced a smile and couldn’t help but notice the other mare staring at her strange white leg.

“Well, I have a job that needs doing.” Rocky Road replied. “You seem like a capable mare and I require the services of somepony like yourself. The Steel Rangers have been causing a whole heaping of trouble lately, and they took something rather valuable from me. It was shiny, so they stole it without any consideration for a poor defenseless mare like myself.”

“What did they take?” Break wondered if she had a choice. Fear of dying of exhaustion and starvation filled her, knowing being capless severely decreased her chances of survival. Besides, the Rangers were jerks of the highest order and she didn’t doubt Rocky Road’s story. Get in without detection and stealing the item didn’t sound too hard.

“A piece of pre-war technology.” The mare replied. “I’m not certain what it does, but it’s valuable. Do this favor for me, and I will provide you free room and board for several days and compensate you thirty caps.”

“Eighty.” Break might be desperate, but she wasn’t stupid knowing how risky this favor was. They argued for many minutes and Break whittled her down to sixty caps. After sealing their agreement, Break flopped on a hard mat in Rocky’s sleeping quarters. She fell asleep when her head hit the mat.

---

“I’ll be fine,” Aurora said towards her tearful wife. A stab of guilt hit Aurora. This mission would take her away from New Cloudsdale for many months, and Weather Report would worry and worry.

“I know. I will be here waiting for you. Make sure you stop those horrible monsters that destroyed our beautiful city.”

“I’ll get them, I promise.” The attack had rattled the entire city and many ponies still feared to leave their homes worried about another attack. The Enclave had reassured the public that they were working hard to bring the perpetrators to justice. Regardless, the city required time to heal its wounds. She gripped her special somepony’s hoof tight, reassuring her she’d come back alive from this mission. After a kiss and hug, she left her wife for the final preparations.

Aurora gazed upon what passed for her equipment and sighed. The clothes were basically rags, providing almost no protection against the elements. The weapons weren’t much better, but thankfully they only seemed worn down and rusty. They would prove deadlier and more accurate than they appeared. She changed into her disguise and gathered her saddlebags. It wouldn’t do walking around dressed like an Enclave soldier. Pegasi, while rare, weren’t unknown in the wasteland. Sometimes earth and unicorn ponies had pegasi foals. The reverse was also true for pegasi, of course.

Though not allowed to live in the clouds, the Enclave sent them to hidden villages on the surface. They lived comfortably for surfacers, ignoring the random dangers of the wasteland not forced to scavenge to survive like other surfacers. It originally proved a controversial arrangement, but supporting the foals in the cloud cities was impractical. And they created a stock of superior ponies than your typical surface pony. They also provided vital support for the cloud cities by mining valuable ores and acting as spies. Aurora had a cousin born a unicorn and last year she’d received a letter that he’d just gotten married with a foal coming. She briefly considered going down to visit him, but the city’s location needed to remain a secret for their own protection.

“You will find our agent here, Sergeant Aurora.” Commander Blackwing hoofed over a piece of paper. “There’s some strange activity in the city of Zinnia that might be worth investigating. I don’t know the details, but there have been mysterious deaths. Be careful, it’s run by a criminal organization called the Cosas.”

Aurora saluted. “I’ll do my best, sir.”

A warm smile formed on Blackwing’s face. “I know you will, Aurora. Good luck.”

---

“And here is where those sons of guns are keeping my property!” Rocky Road gestured to the heavily fortified building. The Rangers had converted a school into a fortress. A heavy electrified fence protected the parameter. Guards dressed in full power armor patrolled the premises. Security drones joined the patrols carrying heavy rocket launchers on their shoulders, covering anything the Rangers missed.

“Um, is this stolen property really worth this?” Break forced a smile. When asked to perform this job, she’d expected a small outpost she could sneak into without a problem. And her employer had only vaguely explained the stolen object, some sort of spherical object.

“You’re the Black Cat! You can handle this, no problem.” Rocky Road slapped her back so hard Break almost toppled over.

“Why are they on so high alert, anyway?”

“Raider problems.” Rocky Road replied. “They’ve been causing problems since their army got disbanded. Not like they care about protecting us innocent ponies or anything. You’re not considering reneging on our deal, are you?”

“Going in there is suicide.” Break said flatly. Why had her sleep-deprived brain even agreed to this crazy plan, anyway? Her situation didn’t seem nearly as precarious once she was fed and well-rested. “I’ll do some other favor for you.”

Rocky Road grabbed at her pleadingly. “Please! That was a rare bit of tech worth hundreds of caps! We can renegotiate our deal! 120 caps!”

Break only gave the mare a blank stare.

“160?” The mare gave a hopeful smile. Break’s expression didn’t change and Rocky Road kicked away a stone. “I’m telling everypony how you reneged on your deal! Your reputation will plummet because of this! You’ve messed with the wrong shopkeeper!”

Oh, brother. “I’ll pay you back for your hospitality. You said you were having raider problems, right? I can deal with them instead.” Rocky Road didn’t reply walking away grumbling to herself.

Break only sighed. She’d leave the caps on the mare’s counter and if she refused to accept them, it was her problem. Still, her curiosity burned, wondering what tech the Rangers had taken. They were infamous for hoarding every advanced piece of equipment they got their hooves on, but for what purpose nopony knew. Break looked at the Ranger base once more before turning her attention to some raider hunting.

---

Skyway paced before the door, trying to gather the right words. It’d been days since his mission to New Cloudsdale, and he still hadn’t told Green Mile about her cousin’s death. He wasn’t sure how she’d take the news. Her previous behavior before learning Break was alive had worried him. He’d seen her stand in action once and didn’t want her coming after him in revenge.

Thankfully, the leader had been more understanding. In fact, it had thrilled him how much damage they’d caused to the Enclave. Skyway’s attack would cripple the city for decades. Break’s loss was only a minute price to pay. Besides, Wind Whistler agreed that Break might become a problem one day. The dirt pony was too squeamish about killing. Their group didn’t need this liability.

Okay, here goes nothing! Skyway walked into the common room, wearing a forced genial smile. Green Mile was hanging out with another fresh recruit, Scavenger, a lanky unicorn who spoke with a stutter. They huddled around an old pinball machine based on Sword Mares they’d scavenged. His appearance brought Green Mile to immediate attention.

“You’re finally back?” Green Mile asked, her game forgotten, and the ball fell into the bottom hole. “Where’s Break?”

“D-did s-something happen?” Scavenger’s eyes widened in worry and concern.

“Well, you see.” Skyway scratched the back of his head trying to appear apologetic and hurt. “The mission succeeded, but your cousin…”

“Guys, you got to hear this!” Moonlight ran into the common room holding an old radio in his hooves.

“Moonlight, we were in the middle of a conversation.” Skyway gave the unicorn a glare.

“You don’t understand. It’s about Break!” Moonlight put the radio on the pinball machine, catching everypony in the common room’s attention. He turned the radio’s volume up for everypony to hear.

Huh, has the Princess of the Wasteland already learned of her death? This saves some awkwardness. It would be easier to create a positive spin if Green Mile learned of her cousin’s death this way.

“A lowdown worthless coward!” A voice said. Whoever this person was, it wasn’t the Princess.

Huh?

“And ya saying the Black Cat didn’t help ya in your time of need, Rocky Road?” The Princess of the Wasteland asked.

“Damn right she didn’t!” Rocky Road said. “She promised to help me and then turned her back when things looked tough! It was only a small outpost, she could have handled it no problem!”

“Yah, the Steel Rangers have been bothering ponies of late.” The Princess replied. “They’ve been attacking my radio towers taking them apart for parts. If they keep going, they’ll halt all my broadcasts bringing darkness and despair to the entire wasteland, don’t ya know.”


“Right! The Black Cat stops an army of raiders, but lets the Steel Ranger walk all over everypony, shameful!”

“Now Black Cat, I realize the Rangers are a tough bunch, but you can’t just ignore them.” The Princess sighed. “You coulda at least given them a stern talking to!”

“Yeah! You should be ashamed!”

“Thanks, Rocky Road for having this brief chat with me.” The princess said. “I don’t get enough guests on this program. I think it’s vital for my little show to reach out to the community. Black Cat, I still believe in ya despite everything and good luck out there. And now time for a little music to lift the spirits, Saturday by Sweetie Belle. Now I know what you’re thinking, but give it a chance. It’s better than you think. This is the Princess of the Wasteland signing off. Stay safe and stay smart.”

Skyway stared at the radio in abject horror, mouth agape, unable to comprehend what he’d just heard.

“I know right.” Moonlight said. “I thought the Black Cat wasn’t afraid of anything! The terror of the Wasteland? Please.”

“Whatever.” Green Mile rolled her eyes. “I’m just glad she’s safe. When you came to me Skyway, I feared the worst. No, she’s just getting into trouble as usual.”

“I-I can never b-believe how these t-things keep h-happening to her.” Scavenger shook his head. “S-sometimes I wonder i-if she’s c-cursed.”

Impossible! She still lives?! The implications hit Skyway like a ton of bricks. The Enclave must have captured Break. He’s seen her get caught by the explosion. How did she escape, though? Had she betrayed their group? Yes, that explained everything. The Enclave would never release Break after they got their claws on her. Oh, ponyfeathers! This ruined everything! Both Break and the Enclave would seek revenge!

“Skyway?” Green Mile asked, raising an eyebrow as Skyway suddenly made his way towards the door.

“I just have some business with our leader.” Skyway forced a confident smile.

“Skyway?” Wind Whistler asked as Skyway barged his way into his leader’s office.

“We have a situation!” Skyway spent the next few minutes explaining the contents of the radio broadcast. Their leader remained silent, absorbing every word in his usual calm manner.

“That is an issue.” Wind Whistler said. “But fear not. It’s unlikely Break betrayed us to the Enclave.”

“What makes you so certain?”

“We have her cousin.” Wind Whistler replied. “She wouldn’t do anything to harm her. Break must have escaped the Enclave somehow.”

Skyway calmed his beating heart. His old friend was correct. The Enclave would have dissected her to learn her secrets. They wouldn’t release her regardless of what information Break told them which left a major problem.

Skyway wanted to scream. He’d messed up big time and should have found a better opportunity to kill her instead of pointless enraging the Enclave. He’d been so certain that’s been the best moment to kill her. A confused expression crossed his face. Why had he thought that? Why had he turned to murderous, destructive thoughts right at that moment anyway? It was very unlike him.

Wind Whistler placed a comforting hoof on his friend’s shoulder. “Calm yourself, my friend. You couldn’t have known.”

It isn’t over yet. Another chance will arise. She faces the might of the Knights of the Heavens. A voice said. Skyway’s eyes glazed over, reassured by those words.

“Don’t worry about it.” Wind Whistler returned to his seat. “I will send somepony to take care of her. I want you to remain here and watch over Green Mile. She’s a useful asset, but I fear what might happen if she learns of this. Controlling her is difficult.”

Relief filled Skyway. “Who are you sending?”

“The twins, I think.” Wind Whistler replied. “Together they will deal with her without a problem.”

---

Wind Whistler bit his lip as his old friend left. The news troubled him. How had the dirt pony survived? The possibility of her survival should have been nill!

“Are you bothered?” An old pony said, and Wind Whistler turned to discover Path Finder walking from the secret entrance. He limped his way towards Wind Whistler’s office.

“She didn’t survive as you predicted.” Heat gathered in Wind Whistler’s voice.

“The future isn’t certain.” The old pony said cryptically. “But fear not, the pieces are gathering together. You find other paths to kill the troublemaker.”

“Right.” Wind Whistler said, not convinced.

“In fact, I believe the Enclave might prove useful.” Path Finder replied. “I know another piece’s location, but it's in a dangerous place.”

A smile formed on Wind Whistler’s face. “And they will provide the warm bodies we need to retrieve it.”

“Indeed. We just need to visit a young Enclave officer.”

-—

Path Finder whistled as he returned to his tiny hut. It was inconspicuous, nothing more than a collection of burned-out wood, but it served his purpose. He pushed the curtain protecting the door aside, revealing shelter with decent accommodations. A pony of his age didn’t require much to survive. One his shelf was a skull not unlike anything seen in Equestria or beyond its borders. Despite falling several hundred hooves, it hadn’t even received a single crack. Next to it were several other pieces of the creature’s body, partially assembled. Only parts of the torso, upper left leg, and right leg remained until its completion.