//------------------------------// // Chapter 24 // Story: Fallout Equestria: Black Cat // by Rixizu //------------------------------// Scavenger tensed as he connected the hacking tools to the safe’s terminal. He had been lucky to find these tools in one of the empty shops evacuated during all the fighting and craziness of the last few hours the shop owner not wanting to get caught up in the fighting. Scavenger felt guilty just taking it knowing how difficult it is to survive in the wastelands, so he left more than enough caps to pay for it. He felt like utter crap. His body so blackened and bruised that he looked almost unrecognizable. Still, his injuries were nothing compared to Boomerang’s and Bubble Trouble’s and getting around wasn’t too difficult. The two were being treated by a local doctor. Some bystanders also got hurt during all the fighting, but thankfully none of them died thank Celestia. The death count caused by all the fighting was something Scavenger didn’t want to think about. He wanted to join the other’s and get some much-needed medical treatment, but he wouldn’t abandon his friend Break. Not after everything they had been through. He prayed to Celestia that Break was still alive. She had to be. All this death and bloodshed couldn’t have been in vain. The terminal showed the key log and all the recent words used on it. He only had one attempt left at the password until the terminal locked itself out. He could unlock it again, but it would take a few days. This terminal had better security than most and the attempt count couldn’t be reset without hacking the system. Scavenger looked over all the words and prayed again he could find the right one. Tact Coat before her death said she made the password random, and he believed her. She was evil and sadistic enough to be it. The password could be anything at all. Could he even do this? It seemed impossible. Scavenger blinked and noticed that one word on the screen was just random letters and numbers. Wait, no. It couldn’t be that simple. Tact Coat said she made the password random. Did she mean a random word or…? This had to be it. Scavenger didn’t hesitate as he clicked the random collection of letter and numbers. The safe beeped and clicked open. Scavenger burst out laughing. It hurt due to his mouth being so beaten and swollen, but he didn’t care. Tact Coat hadn’t counted on someone looking at the key log and finding the password that way. Her cruelty had been her downfall. She should have just made some random word and kept it to herself since there was no way they could have forced her to tell it to them. Scavenger’s muscles burned as he pushed the safe open, but he didn’t care. He was too excited and giddy and howled in joy at what he found inside. There Break was lying against a wall alive and alert. She had pieces of wood impaled in her flesh but otherwise didn't look so bad. She gasped as she saw him approach. “Scavenger, what the hay happened to you?” Break asked. Scavenger said nothing. Instead, he ran up to her and gave her the strongest hug he could manage and she returned it a moment later. He didn’t even try to hold back his tears. This was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his life. --- “How the hay are you still alive filly?” Boomerang asked her for the twelfth time. Break sighed. She sat next to the Boomerang’s bed. Despite the healing potions and the medical robot, he was still in bad shape. He would be in bed for a while. Her injuries weren’t nearly as severe. The splinters from the explosion weren’t as bad as she feared and with a healing potion or two after was enough to get her back on her hooves. “Just lucky I guess.” Break replied with a weak smile. She didn’t feel all that lucky after everything that happened to her but that said because it was what he wanted to hear. "Damn right you are," Boomerang said, "no wonder ponies are calling you the Black Cat. You cause bad luck to everypony else and keep the good stuff for yourself." Break sighed. Not that nickname again. She hated it so much. Ponies were thinking of her as a herald of doom. How ridiculous. And would it kill ponies to learn her real name? “I tell you, you are one awesome dangerous mare. Ponies should fear you.” The pony in the bed next to Boomerang said. It was the one they called Bubble Trouble. She beamed at Break who shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Break wasn't sure what to make of this mare Boomerang made friends with. She was a nutcase much was certain and a former raider. Break wanted nothing to do with her, but Boomerang became fast friends with her. The fact they were becoming more than friends was weird and not something she wanted to ponder on. Break gave Bubble a weak smile. “Thanks, I guess.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. "You are so lucky." Bubble said. "During my time as a raider, I never got a cool nickname. Maybe it's the heroing stuff? Hmm, something to think about." Break nodded and pretended like she knew what the other was talking about. "Seriously though filly," Boomerang said. "Many ponies think of you as a hero now and an inspiration. That isn't something you should take lightly." Break groaned with frustration. “I don’t want to be a hero though.” She wanted to live her life in peace not be some avenging hero that rights the wrongs. "I know," Boomerang replied, "but I think that makes you hero material. You do what is right even if it scares you and don't want trouble." "I guess." Break said looking off into the distance. Would her life ever be normal now? No, how could they when she had these powers? She called Good Times, Bad Times and looked at it. Was she born for greater things? What am I supposed to do now? Go out in a mask and cape and fight evil? No, that was just silly. She would just help wherever she could like settling disputes or stopping the occasional raider. She didn’t see how she could do anything more than that being only a single solitary mare and all. Scavenger interrupted her musings as he entered the room. He still looked beat-up after all of Tact Coat’s beatings, the evil witch. He had bruises all over his face that made his face swell like a balloon. It turned out that healing potions weren’t the best at fighting bruises so his injuries had to heal on their own. “A-am I i-interrupting anything?” Scavenger asked. “No, what’s up?” Break replied. Scavenger hesitated for a moment and Break tensed. It was clear on his face he had bad news. “T-there have b-been ponies a-asking around about you.” Oh crap, that’s never a good sign. “Is it the Cosas?” Break hadn't seen them in a while but she knew they were after her after she accidentally got the boss's son killed in an incident that greatly confused her how it even happened in the first place. Its impact in her life couldn't be understated. It forced her to run away from home and started this whole crazy mess. Worse, Robin, their head enforcer, was after her and his ruthlessness was legendary. They also had that hunter with the cowboy hat and sniper rifle with the crazy powers and Break suspected that he had an ability like she did. She didn't feel like tangling with him at the moment. Scavenger nodded. “R-robin is in town. T-they don’t know you are here y-yet, but it’s o-only a matter of t-time.” “Best I just leave quietly then.” Break replied. Sure, she had her ghost, but the last thing she wanted was to start another fight in Forks which had already seen enough trouble. "Oh, come on," Boomerang complained, "why do I have to be bedridden when this happens?" Break gave him a weak smile. “It isn’t your fault.” “You said you’re planning to go to Zinnia, right?” Boomerang asked and Break nodded. “I’ll meet you there then.” Zinnia was a town to the east and possibly where her cousin Green Mile might be. She didn't know for sure if this was true, but the card she found on that white stallion had been her only clue and was a good enough start as any. "I-I'm coming with." Scavenger stood up straighter and looked Break in the eyes much to her astonishment. He had changed a lot in the last few days. Break gave him a small smile. “I was planning to.” “Ah, I wanted to come too.” Bubble complained. "We will catch up soon enough," Boomerang promised. Break nodded, and she peeked around the door for any sign of the Cosas. Seeing the coast was clear. She left with Scavenger close behind her. It didn’t take them long to get to the outskirts of Forks. Since everything was still in havoc and confusion. Only a few token guards were at the gate and nopony paid them much mind. Break’s pace was almost too much for Scavenger to follow and she had to slow down so he could catch up. “Sorry.” Break rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. “It’s fine.” Scavenger replied. “W-we don’t have time to waste.” Break gave a reluctant nod and continued on but made her pace more measured. She worried about that hunter and his apparent tracking powers. Was it even possible to avoid him? Did he have a time limit? She felt like such a coward just running like this. She should be stronger. No, what was she thinking? Running away won’t solve anything. Even if they avoided them, they would find her trail again, anyway especially considering how much trouble she tended to cause somehow. Perhaps I could lure them into a trap? It was so unlike her to think of such things. She didn’t want a fight, but she had no choice. If she didn’t kill them, they would get her in the end. She needed to stop putting off her problems. “Scavenger, are there any interesting places around here?” Break asked amongst the quiet. “N-not sure what you are asking.” Scavenger replied. “It’s like this…” Break explained her idea. “W-well, lets s-see.” Scavenger gave it some thought. “T-there’s an a-abandoned m-mill n-not too far from here. T-that would make a good a-ambush point.” Break sighed. She really didn’t want to do this. If the hunter couldn't use his tracking powers to find her anymore, at least they had a place to lay low for a while. “Show me the way.” --- "What a mess." Robin scratched his head as he looked over the carnage and destruction of the battle from a few days ago. They hadn’t taken away all the bodies yet and rarely in his life had he seen such large-scale bloodshed. Their stench feted in the air giving the entire town an unpleasant odor. Robin covered his mouth in an attempt to keep the horrid stench out. Nothing about this made any sense and, of course, it involved the filly they were hunting. What exactly this involvement was, was impossible to tell. Everypony he talked to had a different tale of what happened. Some said the filly was around town at the time. Others said she led the battle against the Stones herself. Some even said the filly had magical powers now that gave her the ability to fly and destroy things with her mind like that made any sense. The only thing he knew for sure was the Stones were finished, killed down to the last pony and Tact Coat was dead. How would he even explain this to his boss? The slaver camp mess had spread their numbers thin which the filly also caused somehow. Should they even take over the town? With the casino gone Forks didn't have much left to its name. A small token presence might be enough. Thankfully this wasn't his decision to make. "Black Cat like I said," Nightingale muttered under his breath as he surveyed the scene. Ray snorted and shook his head. “Unbelievable.” At this point, even Robin believed that filly to be a doom magnet that brought destruction wherever she went. Heck, the wasteland might be a safer place with her dead if they could find her. There were almost no clues about her current whereabouts and any clues they got contradicted each other. Picking up her trail would be difficult. Would they have to wait for the "Black Cat" to cause another incident before they could find her again? "I need a drink," Robin said and his fellow Cosas chuckled. "Aye my friend, but things aren’t as bad as you imagine," Spitzer said walking up to them. “And why is that?” Nightingale asked. "I found somepony that might help us," Spitzer said. The tracker presented a Pegasus mare of all things a rare sight in the wastelands these days. The rumors said they hid above the cloud cover that shrouded the world in darkness like cowards. The mare had a yellow colored coat with a green mane. “Name’s Banana Twist. “The mare said. “I heard your hunting the Black Cat?” "Yes," Robin replied. Are we seriously going to start calling her that now? “I might be of help.” Banana Twist said. “I have sharp eyes and can see for miles on end if I want to. If she’s left town, I can spot her.” "Okay," Robin said, "and your payment?" The mare smirked. “500 caps.” Robin grunted in annoyance. That wasn’t a small fee, but they needed her. Spitzer couldn’t use his strange power to track their target anymore. Its time limit had run out apparently. “For that price you better deliver.” "Oh, I will." Banana Twist said. "And I want something else. I want you to let me join the Cosas. I've always been interested in joining your little group and with the Stones gone. It looks like your group is about to expand." “You ask a lot.” Robin didn’t like this mare one bit. “No way are we paying that!” Nightingale said. “I say screw off. We can find her ourselves.” "Sure, but you will have to earn your keep," Robin said after a moment, "you have to come with us to kill our target.” “The Black Cat?” Banana Twist shrugged. “Why not? It’s sure to leave an impression on your superiors. Alright, I’m in. Just make sure my payment is ready when we’ve completed the mission. "Very well," Robin replied, "but you do as I tell you. If you ignore even a single order, you're out." The mare nodded. “No need to get so uptight. One minute.” She flew into the air and flew around in a random pattern. After a moment, she dropped back on the ground. “Found her.” Banana Twist said. “I saw a purple mare and a stallion with a green coat traveling west. I assume that’s the mare we are looking for?” Robin made a small smile. “It’s them all right.” He furrowed his brow. “I would assume that they would travel south towards Azalea or east towards Zinnia. There’s nothing that way.” “I saw an old factory or something that way in a mile or two.” Banana Twist said. “If Scavenger was with them, then maybe they are trying to get some cash by looking for salvageable goods?” Nightingale said. "Possibly." Robin didn't think so though for this smelled like a trap. It made sense. The two departed not soon after they entered the town. Did the filly and her friend learn about them and flee the town? It seemed likely to him. An old factory would be a good place to launch a trap. If this was true, the filly's boldness surprised him. The two versus his entire team? Was she counting on her strange luck to save her? Usually, she only ran away. Had the fight with the Stones emboldened her? Trap or not, this wasn’t an opportunity he would waste. The secluded area would be in the perfect place to pin her down and out there had no places to run to. "Let's go," Robin said, "expect a trap. The filly could be planning something. We should get there before they have much of an opportunity to set anything up or get reinforcements." The rest of his team nodded, and they left for the direction the Black Cat went at a strong, but not too tiring pace. Banana Twist flew above them staying alert for any dangers. As they walked, Robin worked out battle strategies in his head. He planned to think this attack through. Robin wanted a good look at this factory first and he wanted a general plan worked out. He would not let her slip through his hooves this time. As entertaining as this chase was, he wanted it done over with already and they still needed to find Spring Rain's little brat. He had expected him to be here in Forks, but no luck. No doubt Spitzer would demand more money to look for the foal if he even agreed to the idea at all. What was he complaining about? This was his job. He was the Cosas’s lead enforcer, but he had to admit it was tiring at times. It was nice to be out of Primrose for once. In fact, this might be the farthest from that town he had ever been. He might have to thank the Black Cat for that at least. This whole trip was at least better than fighting raiders the filthy scum. He thought of one time when he tricked a bunch of the idiots into a cave which he collapsed on them. Quick and easy just the way he liked it. Robin smiled as he got an idea. This time they would get the slippery Black Cat for good.