“Still nothing?” Aurora grunted in annoyance. She sipped at her coffee, exhausted. She’d forgone an entire night’s sleep waiting for Robin to crack. He hadn’t. Aurora would have admired him if it wasn’t so irritating.
Wrecking Ball yawned and shook his head. “Not yet, he’s put on a brave face, but he’ll crack. After I buy some healing potions, we’ll start over the process. He can’t last forever.”
Aurora nodded. While a terrible act of cruelty, time was precious. Her gut told her the Knights of the Heaven were planning something. They’d stolen the mysterious skull from the Enclave for a reason.
“Any clues on our killer?” Wrecking Ball asked.
“Plenty.” Aurora hadn’t spent the entire night watching somepony get tortured. Instead, she worked hard examining Robin’s notes, finding them most illuminating. “I’ve eliminated most of the suspect list. I have four possible suspects I want to investigate…” Her voice trailed off.
“What’s wrong?”
“They’re all part of your crew, Wrecking,” Aurora replied, “it’s possible the killer’s been under your nose all along.”
Wrecking Ball snorted. “Afraid you’ll wound my pride? It stings, but catching the bastard matters more.”
“You’re not canceling today’s work, are you?”
“No, why?”
Aurora’s face broke into a grin. “If our killer hasn’t flown the coop, I believe finding them won’t be difficult. Healing potions are great, but the killer’s wounds were severe. They’ll still be suffering a great deal of pain. A pain that wouldn’t be easy to hide.”
“If we’re lucky.” Wrecking Ball didn’t seem convinced, certain the killer had fled, but it was her only plan. “Very well.”
“What about Robin?” Aurora said. “Should we leave him alone?”
“He’s not going anywhere.” Wrecking Ball. “Not with those injuries. Leave him. It’ll only be a few hours.”
“Okay.” It was Aurora’s turn to sound unconvinced, but let the matter drop. His bindings and the lock guarding the door should be more than sufficient to hold him tight until they returned.
---
“Getting cozy with the boss, I see.”
Aurora started after finding an unexpected pony greeting her after exiting Wrecking Ball’s home. It was Spring Rain, Cosas’ water specialist, and a general nuisance to everypony.
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” Aurora replied coldly. She cursed, hating how this might start rumors about them. Lucky Weather Report wasn’t around to overhear them. She’d never cheat on her wife, but such rumors could corrode any relationship, false or not.
Spring Rain rolled her eyes. “They’ve got me asking around and placing where everypony was last night.”
“The killer getting shot, right?” Aurora asked. “The ruckus woke me up. That idiot Cosas fired his weapon everywhere. Lucky nopony got shot. Otherwise, I was here all night. Wrecking Ball had some paperwork he wanted help with.”
“Right.” Spring Rain smirked which turned Aurora’s stomach. “Something else happened. Somepony attacked their base last night too. The Cosas demand some answers.”
Aurora shrugged. “Beats me. If somepony attacked the Cosas, I doubt they’d still be hanging around. They’re likely long gone by now.”
“While incompetent, the Cosas aren’t foalish enough to let somepony slip past their borders so easily. They’ve even blocked the sewers so nopony can escape that way again.” Spring Rain shook her head. “They’re certain they’re still here.”
Inwardly, she cursed. With this level of determination, the Cosas would overturn every stone until they found Robin. She made sure not to glance back, worried that Cosas might uncover the torture room by accident. While well hidden from sight, it wouldn’t stop any determined investigator.
“Can’t help you, sorry.” Aurora kept her tone dispassionate. “If you would excuse me, I’m late for work.”
Spring Rain gave her a strange smile, but let her pass. What was that about? For some reason, she increased her speed to work.
---
Robin struggled at his bonds, wincing as they rubbed against his fur. The magical restraint they’d placed over his horn made any magic impossible. These bastards had been prepared. His capturers had momentarily departed, leaving him alone to stew in his pain and filth. While she survived the night long torture session, but holding out forever was impossible. Sooner or later, he would crack, screaming for the pain to finally stop. Even stubborn ponies like himself had their limits. Never in his life had he received such a beating. Lack of sleep made him beyond exhausted. Every movement was punishing, causing a great deal of agonizing pain. His body demanded sleep, but Robin feared the consequences of succumbing to his exhaustion and injuries. Instead, he needed to escape and soon.
“Forgive me, Break. I might not survive this.” Despite the desperate hour, his mind had shifted to his new friend. She was a resourceful mare, and it always astounded him how often Break stumbled into one crazy mess after another. Heck, this situation was pedestrian compared to the crap she’d faced. If the Black Cat could survive, so would he.
“Come on!” Robin screamed at the top of his lungs, fumbling without success with his ropes. They tore further into his flesh but smirked after realizing how badly they’d tied him. The knot wasn’t terrible, but not strong enough to resist a persistent and desperate pony. A grueling, almost endless hour passed, but he refused to surrender.
"Just a little more." Robin grunt, twisting his hooves in a clockwork motion, and cried out in triumph when the ropes dropped to the ground. He recoiled at the sight of his bloody hooves. But he ignored them, instead focusing on freeing the rest of his body.
Dear Celestia, I’m a bloody mess. Ugly bruises and burned fur covered his body, and Robin wondered if he was even recognizable anymore. I’ll enjoy paying you back for this, you Enclave bastards.
Robin considered his next move. The Enclave had spies of other tribes, leaving him wondering who he could trust, and cursed himself for never considering the possibility. The boss needed to know about this. After chastising himself for his stupidity, he focused on his immediate escape.
His prison was an ugly concrete box beneath the ground. They’d locked tight anything sharp and dangerous into a box with a thick padlock. They were smart enough to not provide anything usable if their prisoner escaped. He fiddled with the device restraining his horn but found it impossible to remove. No matter, magic had never been his strong point. Besides the chair, the only other object of interest was the coffee machine sitting on a plain folding table. After all, a pony needed energizing for their torture session.
Ambush them, maybe? Robin dismissed the thought. The open stairs, making it difficult for his enemies not to notice him coming down. Worse, they had a stand user whose powers froze anything it touched. How could anypony defend against that?
“I am royally screwed, aren’t I?” Robin rubbed his temple, pushing his exhausted brain to devise a solution to his predicament. His ground his hoof against the stone wall, leaving a slight blood trail. The fresh pain focused his mind and a slight smile formed on his face when the coffee machine caught his eye. Not that he desired coffee, but noticed the machine’s hefty weight. He examined the box’s lock and grinned.
"One, two, three!" He slammed the coffee machine against the metal lock once again. His tiredness and sore body made the gesture appear more like he was dropping the machine on the lock than smashing it, but he’d already caused some serious dents.
“One, two, three!” The lock twisted under the immense weight, almost ready to snap off. The machine wasn’t looking any better. An enormous crack ran along its surface, revealing the guts within.
“One, two, three!” Robin’s heart jumped as the lock snapped off. He dropped the machine and a small elated laugh escaped his lips.
He spent the next few minutes rummaging through the box. It contained various instruments of torture, cleaning chemicals, and simple first aid supplies. Unfortunately, it contained no healing potions, but he’d somehow manage without them. A small smirk twisted his lips upon spotting the poker they’d used on him. Of the various torture instruments, it seemed most useful for forcing the trap door open. What a strange irony. Celestia worked in odd and mysterious ways.
Robin jammed the poker in between the door and grunted, pushing the poker against the lock. He used his body to increase the force of its leverage. Unlike the chest’s lock, this one was stronger and proved more stubborn. He yelped in surprise as his body slipped off the poker, crashing down the small flight of stairs. Not a long fall, but his battered body didn’t appreciate it, giving him a fresh ripple of pain throughout his body. With poker in hoof, he crawled back up the stairs, beginning again. Several more painful tumbles followed, but he refused to surrender. His heart leaped when he heard the sound of wood breaking.
“Come on!” One final push and the trap door’s lock broke with a snap.
He laughed, overcome with the euphoria of his triumph and his body slumped. He shook his head several times, forcing himself to not succumb to exhaustion. After struggling to his hooves, he pushed at the door and cursed, realizing something was covering it. Thankfully, it appeared to only be a rug and not a piece of furniture. After sliding the rug away, he opened the door proper and genuine light hit his eyes. Well, the light a pony could expect from the wasteland anyway,
The building Robin had found himself in was a reconstituted post office. Wrecking Ball had repurposed the mailboxes into a shelf for holding his company's various work contacts. The stallion had converted the lobby into a modest living room. Thick curtains blocked the enormous glass windows. The room served as both an office and a living area. The stallion liked keeping it neat and everything stood in its proper place. Not a single paper was uneven and Robin found no traces of dust. Robin limped towards the front door. His weak muscles pushed the door aside after some effort, and he gasped as an unexpected sight greeted him. It was Spring Rain. What was that accursed mare doing here?
The mare tilted her head in astonishment. “Robin, is that you?”
“Yes, damn you.” Robin didn’t have time for Spring Rain’s nonsense. “Hurry and get some help.”
Instead of running to retrieve help, the mare tisked with disapproval. “You realize I’m the only thing between you and death, right? Such language!”
Robin almost screamed in frustration but took a deep breath to calm himself. “Please call for help, I’m in serious pain.”
“That’s better.” Spring Rain purred. She pointed a hoof at a passing colt drawn by the commotion. “You, summon the nearest Cosas. Tell him I’ve found Robin and he’s seriously hurt! That’s a good little colt.” The foal replied with a terrified nod before running off.
Robin wanted her to seek help, but he supposed that would suffice. Several awkward moments passed while Spring Rain studied him.
“They’ve put you through utter heck.” Spring Rain said. “Was it Aurora and the brute Wrecking Ball? I figured he was more than a gentleman caller to her.”
“Really?” Robin wasn’t eager to answer questions. This wasn’t her business and the mare wasn’t even an official member of the Cosas.
“Yes!” Spring Rain brightened. “I suspected they were up to something. No proof though, but I figured that once they tried disposing of your rotting corpse, I’d caught them redhoofed. Besides, I have other suspicions. But it had only been a glance. Hard to say if I’d seen anything.”
“What?” What was the mare blabbing about? If she suspected something, why didn’t Spring Rain break into the house and investigate? Or at least inform the Cosas? Oh right, that would involve work. Robin found her world choice odd but discarded his suspicions. They seemed more of Spring Rain's mad ramblings. Much to his relief, two Cosas carrying a stretcher ran towards them.
“Sir!” The mare saluted. “I’m glad to see you’re still alive. Don’t worry, we’ll get you help right away.”
Robin nodded, allowing them to place him on the stretcher. He eyed the two ponies and a paranoid part wondered if they were Enclave spies in disguise.
No, don’t suspect everypony you see. That’s pointless and self-destructive exercise. Instead, search out the inconsistencies.
Spring Rain, of course, stood by, watched the entire show, bored without moving a hoof to help. While resting on the stretch eased his aching body, but he didn’t dare succumb to his exhaustion yet.
“Contact the boss, I have dire news.” Robin gave the Cosas both serious looks. “And Spring Rain, don’t tell anypony about Aurora yet. She’s more dangerous than she looks.”
Much to his confusion, Spring Rain gave him a suspicious look. “Why?”
“It isn’t your concern. Besides, I don’t want Aurora and her buddy flying the coop until I’ve assembled the forces needed to stop them.”
“What? Those two?” One Cosas fought to hold back his laughter. “What, they have stand powers too? Are they the goddess Celestia’s chosen or something? Or did aliens give them powers?”
Robin scowled and glowered. “Never you mind.”
Since he reported to the boss about stands, ponies had been tossing him strange looks. Despite giving the report behind closed doors, rumors spread around the Cosas. Several ponies believed him either stupid or mad. Much to his shock, Spring Rain dropped her silly persona. The mare wore a dangerous smile, showing teeth instead, which never disappeared as they took him away. What the hay had that been about? An involuntary shudder passed through Robin for reasons unexplained.
---
Scavenger sighed in delight after spotting an amazing treasure. After a better part of an hour searching, they'd finally uncovered something making the trip worthwhile. They’d receive at least 400 caps for this beauty.
“Tsk, same we can’t find anymore.” Free Bird flew around, reexamining the contents of the junk pile, before surrendering.
“This core processor is a beauty!” He beamed as he removed some computer parts from a discarded cargo robot, a military-grade cargo-carrying drone. Trash had once buried it and took some effort to uncover it.
The piece appeared to be in working order, and he knew plenty of ponies interested in restoring robots. They proved useful servitors, and their immunity to magical radiation made them invaluable. Most scavengers hadn’t explored this deep, fearing both the tunnel’s structural integrity and monsters. Scavenger, however, was a pro. Monsters weren’t an issue, and he had an excellent eye for judging where ponies could walk safely. Several of the old subway system’s tunnels had collapsed, but this one appeared stable. Scavenger dusted his hooves and exited the crashed subway car he had uncovered earlier this morning.
He frowned as his Geiger counter began cracking. It warned of high levels of magical radiation. Somehow the upcoming tunnels were becoming dangerous, and it soon became apparent why. Much to his surprise, he found several barrels of magical waste along the dangerous path. One barrel had tipped over and its contents oozed over the floor, glowing a sickly green color. Where had that come from? Had somepony dumped them here during the war? It seemed a little random, but his gut told him it was deliberate but wasn’t sure why. Ever since he’s entered the abandoned subway system, Scavenger had the distinct impression somepony was observing him. This might prove his paranoia.
While he had some anti-radiation drugs, venturing forth seemed unwise. If the person who planted the barrels wanted peace, Scavenger would oblige. Besides, there were still plenty of other tunnels to explore. His observers agreed and their scrutiny had decreased, glad this pony was respecting their boundaries. Scavenger knew upsetting the locals was never wise. The next tunnel looked promising when he froze, disturbed by a sound of gunfire.
“Sounds like the heavy-duty type.” Free Bird said and Scavenger nodded in agreement. It was the type of weapon usually reserved for ponies in power armor. Scavenger tensed, wondering who else might be down there with him.
Maybe it’s only some Steel Rangers picking a fight with some raiders. He heard no return gunfire, which puzzled him. Was somepony being chased? Somepony might need his help. Yet, he knew his stand provided little protection from such weaponry. He desired help regardless.
“Well, can you smell where they’re coming from?” Scavenger asked Free Bird.
“Yes, oh dear.” Free Bird replied.
“What is it?” Scavenger tensed.
“It’s Break. I'd recognize her scent anywhere!”
“Has Break become enemies with the Steal Rangers?” As the sounds drew closer, he became certain those were Steel Ranger weapons and power armor. Heavy steps were chasing somepony.
“Does it surprise you?” This news came as no surprise to Scavenger. Someponies collected stamps or postcards. Break, however, collected enemies at a dizzying rate. Somehow, through no fault of her own, she often pissed off ponies who quickly sought her blood. He wasted no time chasing Break’s scent. His stuffed saddlebags clanged from his sprinting. After darting up a flight of stairs three at a time, he entered a door leading to long corridors. They almost barreled into Break and her companion as they ran past the door Scavenger had just exited. He tensed as Ray pointed a gun towards him, but the large stallion pulled his gun back, giving Scavenger a relieved smile.
“Scavenger?” Break appeared shocked at his sudden appearance, but she gave him a tight hug.
“You’re returned, I see.” Scavenger studied Break. She appeared unharmed, wearing a weary, almost panicked expression as usual. Ray, however, moved with difficulty. Free Bird smelled blood coming from the Cosas soldier's reopened wounds.
Break gave a pained smile. “No time for small talk, the Steel Rangers are after my blood.”
Scavenger nodded, gratified his theory had proven correct. “This way, I don’t have a perfect layout of the subway, but I know plenty of places we can hide.”
His two companions nodded and they led his friends through several winding passageways, before stopping before a doorway. “I must warn you, the creatures in this tunnel are dangerous. There’s a reason other salvagers have avoided this area.” He winced when Free Bird detected Steel Rangers coming their way. They must have some type of tracking equipment, probably detecting their heat signatures.
“We need to hurry.” Break said. “Those Steel Rangers aren’t messing around. They've shot explosive rounds on sight before.”
Dear Celestia, what had Break done to make them so angry? Scavenger planned to ask once they’d gotten clear. They traveled through a water-filled corridor whose water rose almost to their hooves. Break’s nervousness was palpable. No doubt remembering the leg she had lost due to a nasty infection caused by contaminated water. She gave Ray a worried glance, terrified he’d suffer a similar fate. Her worry had been for naught. Scavenger had already considered this, turning left, which revealed a path where the water receded. Everypony sighed in relief but froze after catching sight of something moving in the water. Along the walls were strange eggs, almost the size of a pony’s head. They’d entered the nest of some strange creature.
While he wasn’t sure where the path ahead led exactly but knew it would connect with another corridor he was more familiar with. A strange hissing sound stopped them in their tracks. They glanced around nervously, searching for its origin. In a moment, Scavenger recalled where he’d heard that sound before.
“Duck!” Thankfully, his allies were quick to obey as instructed and the creatures that sprung out with the fangs extended missed. The black oily creatures hissed, annoyed at missing their prey. They appeared like snakes, only these creatures’ fangs protruded from their mouth’s grotesquely too large for their heads.
“Pit vipers!” These creatures enjoyed the damp darkness of these tunnels and usually fed on mutated rats, but they weren’t averse to snacking on ponies. Unlike normal snakes who swallow their prey whole, these monsters’ fang tore the flesh of their victims. They weren’t poisonous, but the vicious buggers didn’t need to be. They ripped ponies to shreds until only bare bones remained. More poked their heads out, ready to strike.
Another pit viper struck out at Scavenger, finding him the weaker target, but its head separated from its body. Its writhing corpse flopped to the ground. Free Bird laughed in glee at its fallen foe. The creatures hissed in fury at the loss of their comrade, lost in bloodlust, and everyone pointed their head towards Scavenger. He cursed, remembering the vindictiveness of these little monsters. Before they could pounce, several enormous figures wielding Power Armor lumbered into the corridor.
This only distracted the pit vipers for a moment, and they ducked, ready to strike, to tear Scavenger to pieces. Break looked between him and the Steel Rangers, racked with indecision.
“Found you, little bitch!” The Steel Ranger said. Scavenger tensed as they pulled out a missile launcher. Instead of pointing it towards Break, they directed it towards the ceiling instead. His friend’s eyes widened in momentary shock.
“Hold on, we need her intact!” The other Steel Ranger said in protest.
“We will, it will only require moving some rumble!” The first replied. Ray wasted no time shooting at the steel Rangers, but their armor made this weapon infective.
“Damn it!” Break joined in the attack, leaping into battle with her stand ready to strike. She hoped that Scavenger could hold his own while she fought off these two crazed soldiers, but the rocket was already firing. Scavenger had an obstructed view of the rocket’s trajectory making it hard to tell where exactly it was coming from. The projectile struck the ceiling right above Break’s head, exploding in a fiery torrent of death.