I rush out into the main building. The quiet earth pony sneaks past me, and whispers to me as he passes, “Please, don’t let them get to me.”
He moves into the office, and becomes absolutely quiet. I move out more, to see what’s happening. I see the rest of our group having a stare off with a bigger group of red armored ponies. Shield doesn’t wear any expression other than his normal unworried one, “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
A mare in heavy armor glares in anger, “We saw him with you, our slave. I understand, you are all ponies just trying to get by and trade, I can respect that. You probably didn’t know he was our slave, an easy mistake to make. All we ask is that you hoof them over, and we can just part ways from here.”
I walk up to join our group, “Who are you to claim other ponies as slaves?”
I see a smile in their eyes, “Celestia’s Legion, the true owners of the Wasteland. He was captured whenever he decided to fight against us with the New Crystal Republic. He is our rightful property, and I want him back. He was good with explosives, and I want him back at my side with those skills.”
Hail scoffs right at them, “Get out of my sight, you filthy slavers. I will not tolerate your kind. He signed up with us for mutual protection as we scavenged. If you things want him, you’ll have to get past us first.”
Hunter and Rattle draw their weapons, and prepare to fire. I prepare a spell for their faces. Hail starts to rev up his minigun. The pegasus charges up his beam weapons. I can see a red dot on the forehead of one. And Shield aims his shotgun forward. Shield emotionlessly looks at them, “Turn around and never bother us again. If not, you will suffer heavy casualties.”
The Legion ponies all draw machetes or prepare to charge. The mare looks at us, “I don’t think you know who I am. I am Emundans Victor Terra. If you scourge have any brain left, you would know not to mess with me.”
Hail snorts, “Oh boy, you have a fancy title! I’m quivering in my magical boots! Oh save me now from these fancy words!”
Terra glares at him, “It’s obvious you aren’t taking me seriously.”
Hail simply leans in, and sarcastically says, “Oh, really? No, I’m taking you seriously, one hundred percent!”
She glares even harder, “I see you don’t take me as a threat.”
Hail leans back to standing, “No shit. You want a cookie for that grade a observation? You wanna sit down? Picking up something like that must’ve been real hard on your back!”
She spits at his feet, “Fuck you.”
I can hear his laughter ring out, “You wish you could! Yeah, no, not even for money.”
She shakes in rage, “You’ll pay for that.”
He revs up his gun even more, “Cash, credit, debit, or bullet? Would you like paper or plastic?”
She calms down, “I’ve had enough of this.”
Hail, of course, uses this, “Thank you, come again!”
Terra looks back at the group of twenty armored ponies, “Kill them.”
The Legion charge almost immediately, and we meet them. I fire off a spell to kill one, and rush in along with Rattle. Bullets fly as we jump into the frey.
I almost instantly feel machetes dig into me, and cut me through my suit. I duck down quickly, and spot a pony charging forward. I lunge up at him, and impale them on my horn. With a swift jerking of my head to the side, they’re left to collapse and clutch at the wound.
The spray of a shotgun knocks a pony down. The fire of minigun rounds not quite piercing armor on first blow, but still taking down ponies. A body is sent flying over me before it is turned to ash by a laser, and another’s head explodes. They still manage to move forward at good pace.
I take a ponies head, and bring it down upon my back leg. They reel over in pain, and I take them out with a blow to the head. I look aroud for another target only to see the Legion ponies have move passed me.
I rush after them, and jump into the frey once again, this time much closer to the resounding gunfire. I take one pony, and throw them in front of a machete swing, killing them. The one who swung the machete tries to free it, but I take him around me, and face him towards Hail. He aims and kills the pony in a hail of bullets. Oh, hail of bullets, Hail, I get it now.
One pony gets too close to Sheild, and receives a shotgun blast to the chest. Most of the chest dissapears, but they still advance. Then their head explodes into gore by a revolver shot.
One moves up next to me, and swings. I can’t manuver out of the way, and try and block the decapitateing blow. The pony gets near my neck, only to be turned to ash by a single beam.
Then, I see Terra, right next to Hail. Swinging down her machete, much sharper than any of the others, in a fatal blow. I try to move, but I’m stuck in place as I watch it happen in slow motion. Hail is only aware of her by the time his head is almost cut off. Nopony else notices, and she continues the swing, seeming to me like in slow motions.
She’s about to kill him, before she is sent flying away. Rattle stands there with his sledgehammer, hitting her with all of his force. Remember, he broke a metal door in half. She just flies away, probably with a broken rib or two, but fine otherwise.
Terra looks at us in surprise, before picking herself up, “Retreat!”
The Legion ponies all look around confused, before following the order. We open fire on the fleeing opponents, felling five more, but sadly not Terra. The six Legion ponies, including Terra, flee into the distance. We all take a breath, and put away our weapons.
I look over to see Hail nod respectfully to Rattle, “Thanks for the save back there. Maybe you aren’t one of those lying skeleponies.”
Rattle simply smiles, “I don’t want to see anypony die for no reason.”
Hail nods, “Why don’t we start over introductions. I’m Hail, former Knight of the Steel Rangers.”
Rattle nods back, “Rattle, skelepony.”
I look around again as I see the quiet pony come out of the office, “You didn’t sell me out?”
I simply look around me, “Well, considering there are dead Legion around, what do you think?”
He finnaly smiles, “Oh, Creators, I am blessed! Thank you!”
I smile slightly, “So, mind telling us your name?”
He looks sad, “I, um, I don’t have a name.”
Shot looks up towards him, “You don’t have a name!? This is a travesty we will have to take care of! Sentinel, your thoughts?”
I think, “Terra mentioned your explosive skills. How about Long Fuse?”
He smiles, “That’s wonderful!”
I nod, “Good, now, we need to rest.”
———
Footnote: Level Up.
New Perk Added: The Parties (almost) All Here — Friends in blood, or at least in bullets. It might not be perfect, but it’s better to have somepony watch over your back. Almost like you got a gun out of your back. Wait, idea! There’s a chance anypony attacking your back randomly get shot, from a high caliber bullet that will come out of your back!