//------------------------------// // Ghost Town Gun Fight // Story: Queen Of The Wasteland // by Jest //------------------------------// The trip out of town was a relatively simple one, with Twilight merely following behind Janey at a good distance down the road. This ensured the powder gangers didn't see the alicorn turned deathclaw, while Janey could still lead Twilight to where they needed to go. It also meant that the two could not converse, something Twilight desperately wished to do at that exact moment. Things were still too strange for the girl despite what she had heard about these gang members and their plans for the town. Twilight wondered if she had been a bit too trusting with her first companion, and that doubt only grew as she walked down the edge of the highway. Now that she thought about it, Twilight found the entire conversation she had heard rather forced, the man’s answers coming off coached. Was it all a show to convince me of the necessity of violence? Twilight thought, only to shake her head. No I should reserve judgement for later, after all, we will find out for sure soon enough. Spotting movement out of the corner of her eye, Twilight knelt down behind a burnt out truck and continued to watch closely as Janey strode across the intersection of three roads. With wide confident steps the human approached the small office building and walked through the mostly empty parking lot. A figure emerged from the second story of a burnt out building which stood next to what was supposedly the pre war skydiving school which was their destination. The individual themselves wore only a bandolier of dynamite over his chest, a pair of goggles on his head, and black shorts on his upper thighs. Twilight couldn't make out what he said, or any defining features of the man, but it was clear that he wasn't hostile. At least not yet anyway, as his weapon, which appeared to be a strange crossbow loaded with a syringe, was not pointed at the ex-courier. From her spot down the road Twilight could see that other members of this gang were in the area, and were watching Janey even now. A small group stood just out of sight of the ex-courier around the back of the small office, while two were looking on from a hill on the other side of the road. Each gang member was armed in some manner, and wore either a simple blue jacket, or a bullet proof vest as well as a pair of grey jeans. Though their armarents varied, they mostly featured the same kind of explosives the first guy had strapped to his chest. A few had rifles, but most wielded small calibre pistols or knives as their primary weapons, presumably reserving the dynamite for an emergency. Their hairstyles and overall appearances were also quite different, but they all seemed to be men that were at least in their twenties. Suddenly Twilight didn't feel quite so confident about her cover, and she considered trying to sneak away into the nearby ditch. That was until she remembered just how big her new body was, and the fact that it was early evening, meaning she was still very visible. Focusing simply on remaining motionless, Twilight observed as her companion had a brief, yet heated discussion with the lookout. After nearly a full minute, the man disappeared, and returned a moment later on the ground floor, right hand extended. Janey took the offered appendage, shook it, and proceeded towards the small office building which rested next to the road. The man then yelled something that got the attention of his semi hidden companions, causing them to begin to make their way into the structure as well. In total, eight men came out of hiding in order to join Janey inside, leading Twilight to wonder if it was time for her to get into position. After a moment of indecision the unicorn turned deathclaw decided to do just that, as she saw no one else in the area. Doing her best to move as quietly as possible, Twilight walked over to the entrance, her gaze flicking back and forth, searching for any stragglers. When none came, and she stood next to the double doors, Twilight looked left and right, searching for a window of some kind. The entire structure was short, and had clearly seen better days, as there was hardly any paint left on its walls. Numerous holes could also be seen peppering the exterior of the building, though none were large enough or pierced deep enough for Twilight to see the interior. There were a few windows, but they were all either boarded up or so covered in grime that they could no longer be seen through. Making her way back over to the entrance, Twilight leaned the side of her head against the door, trying her best not to accidentally put a horn through the barrier. Her efforts were rewarded with the distant buzz of a conversation, though she couldn't make out any of what was being said. What she could decipher was that things were relatively cordial, and no voices had been raised quite yet. It also seemed as though only two people were talking, one masculine, one feminine, with the occasional tertiary masculine voice butting in every once and awhile. Twilight wasn't sure if that was good, but at least no one was shouting, firing a gun, or setting off any explosives yet. Remaining low to the ground, Twilight tried her best to remain silent, a hand pressed against the entrance. Cursing her lack of magic, Twilight imagined how easy this would have been if she could turn invisible, or simply scry into the building. All she had were giant claws, horrifying dagger teeth and horns that were massive, but were completely incapable of casting anything at all. The deathclaw’s doar thoughts vanished when she heard a dull thump from inside followed by the bang of a gun. Twilight’s eyes snapped open, and the deathclaw quickly stood up before shouldering her way straight through the door. The metal entrance proved an inconsequential barrier to the deathclaw, who almost managed to tear it right off its hinges. The second she made her appearance, everything stopped, and Twilight had a split second to look around. To her right, near the door was Janey, who was bleeding from a wound on her shoulder, the human crouched behind a flipped table, revolver raised. Across from her were six powder gangers who were either attempting to flank the woman or had their guns raised and had been in the middle of trying to kill her. On the left stood four other men, one of whom was stepping out of the bathroom, while another two were midway out of the attached office. For a moment no one moved, a hush falling over the entire building as everyone collectively processed the fact that an enormous deathclaw had just barged in. Suddenly the former courier wasn't the toughest enemy in the room, and as one, the powder ganger’s aim shifted towards the enormous death lizard in their midst. Twilight raised her hands. “Wait, now just hold on a second. Lets not do anything hasty,” she growled. “What do we do boss?” One of the powder gangers asked a darker skinned powder ganger near the back of the room. “Well it ain't killing us, so maybe it will just wander off?” Replied the man in a low tone. “Cover me,” Janey whispered. “Wait hold on-” Twilight began, only to be cut off when the ex courier dashed behind her legs. “She's getting away!” The shirtless powder ganger yelled, releasing his syringe. Twilight felt two pinches and looked down to where a needle stuck out of her chest, the pointed tip having somehow made it through her leathery exterior. Though it stung, it didn't exactly feel fatal, and Twilight wondered what the purpose of such an attack even was. Then she saw the orange liquid disappear into her body, prompting a terrified cry from the deathclaw. Tearing out the offending needle, Twilight spun on her heel and tried to get away only to feel a sudden heat bloom from somewhere in her midsection. She wasn't certain if it was the needle, or the panic, but whatever was the cause, Twilight felt as though her blood was on fire. Not only that but the gnawing sensation of her new instincts suddenly became ten times as strong as they had been a moment earlier. Rage unlike anything the former alicorn had ever felt poured through her body, making her vision blur and her mind fall away. Her muscles bulged, her thoughts became distant, and all at once her aversion to violence vanished into the aether. No longer was she surrounded by thinking, sentient beings, but rather piles of walking meat destined to end up in her belly. Twilight threw her head back and let loose a roar so bone rattlingly powerful that even the walls which bore witness to such power trembled in terror. A second yell came from her human enemies, followed by a storm of gun fire, panicked screaming, and general chaos. Bullets slammed into Twilight’s back, her hide managing to deflect the worst of the damage, though it didn't stop the pain. Spinning around, Twilight leapt towards the nearest enemy, her claws extended and a mad look in her eye. The man’s bullet proof vest proved to be little help against a deathclaw, its razor sharp nails shearing through the weak defences with ease. Blood and organs splashed against the ground, their scent driving the great lizard into an even greater frenzy. Leaping over her fallen foe, the deathclaw drove her claws through the midsection of powder ganger who held a pistol in each hand. Blood now soaking her one arm and the beast threw her disemboweled foe at one of his former comrades, knocking the dynamite wielding man to the ground. A second later and the room was practically filled with gore when the explosive went off, killing both of the gang members and pulping their organs. Though most of the remaining enemies were dazed and clutching their ears, two of them had enough sense to continue shooting. Bullets impacted the deathclaw’s tough leathery hide, only to find themselves unable to pierce the beast’s exterior. Already blinded with rage, the monster tore its way across the reception area, throwing desks and terrified powder gangers out of the way. One unfortunate fool found himself in the enraged lizard’s path and had his torso crushed beneath a foot. By the time the monster reached the two men, they had emptied their weapons into it, and were now frantically attempting to reload. A sweep of her claws removed one man’s face as well as the top of his head, briefly exposing his brain before he toppled to the ground. His dark skinned ally fell back and drew a green orb from his pocket, pulled the pin and tossed it at the deathclaw bearing down at him. There existed some manner of intelligence deep within the beast, and it rose to the surface the second she laid eyes on the grenade. With a swat, the deathclaw knocked it across the room, directly into the lap of a powder ganger who had only now gotten his ears to stop ringing. More blood, more guts, another dead man, and the number of powder gangers had been halved since the beginning of the fight. The deathclaw had not forgotten its foe however, and it knocked aside the fallen table before reaching forward. Grabbing the man by his head, the beast hefted the flailing human into the air before squeezing down so hard that his brains erupted out of his ears in twin fountains of gore. A sudden pain in its back made the beast roar in agony before spinning towards a terrified man wielding a long kitchen knife. He managed to stab the beast in the chest before it back handed him so hard his neck snapped and his body bounced against the floor. The sudden slam of a door alerted the beast to the fact that two of her enemies had fled into the next room. The remaining two gang members were busy tugging on the handle to the exit and getting nowhere. Upon noticing that the deathclaw faced them once more, they turned and fired their weapons too terrified to even aim. Bullets flew in every direction as the death lizard thundered forward, a roar on its lips and hate in its eyes. One of the men managed to swing a rusty cleaver at the beast before he had his arm severed, followed closely by the entire lower half of his body. Ignoring the terrified and increasingly gurgled screams of the dying man, the deathclaw lunged forward, mouth open wide. Two hundred year old denim met the razor sharp teeth of a creature bred for war and were found wanting, easily being pierced by the dagger length pearly whites. A jerk tore the throat out of the male, and though the monster wanted to continue eating its prey, it spat out the ragged flesh. Turning towards the only bags of meat still standing, the deathclaw let out another roar before charging the door. Only for the barrier to not give an inch even after the beast threw itself against the entrance a second time. Peering through the square of broken glass halfway up, the monster noticed that nearly everything in the room was now piled against the entrance. Which amounted to several filing cabinets, a desk, a blocky computer and even the garbage bin that now stood in its way. A second flicker of intelligence made the beast’s attention turn to the two hundred plus year old wall next to the door. Taking a few steps back, the beast lowered its shoulder and charged, sprinting as fast as it could into the rotten wall. Drywall, wooden supports, and long dead wires gave way under the monster’s assault, hardly slowing it in the slightest. Emerging out into the otherside, the deathclaw bowled right into one of the scared humans, crushing him beneath it and the opposite wall. His comrade managed to fire three shots of his revolver before the deathclaw spun on him, raking the man across the chest with its claws. This time the human didn't go down in a single hit, his vest having somehow managed to take some of the blow. Pointing his revolver at the deathclaw’s face, he unleashed the last three rounds he had, his aim proving only partially true. One shot went wide, a second hit the beast’s right horn while the third pierced through the inside of her cheek and tore a chunk of flesh clean off. With agony pouring through the monster’s body, and confusion dulling its senses, the great lizard swung blindly. One swing sheared the desk in half, the second nicked the male’s left arm, and the last caught him in the neck. Now bleeding badly from a gaping wound in his neck and four across his chest, the dying man slumped to the ground, clutched bullets clattering across the floor. The deathclaw grunted angrily, wiping the blood out of its right eye and looking down to where her enemy was holding a lit stick of dynamite. The creature’s first instinct was to drive its claws through his chest and lift him triumphantly into the air, but that urge was driven down. Instead, Twilight reached forward, and snuffed out the explosive, using her bloodsoaked thumb and forefinger to do so. With his last chance at some kind of revenge gone, the powder spat a wad of blood into the creature’s face. Reacting on instinct, the deathclaw recoiled out of the way before driving its claws through his chest with enough force to go straight through not only him, but the computer behind him. Retrieving her blood soaked appendage, the beast took a step back and looked around, admiring its grim handiwork. Organs spilled out over the ground, floating in pools of blood which gathered at the lowest points in the floor. Body parts lay strewn in nearly every direction and a light dripping sound could be heard from the other room. Glancing through the deathclaw sized hole in the wall, the creature was surprised to find that the upper torso of a man was now stuck into the ceiling. It had not even noticed what had come of the poor bastard who had caught the grenade thrown by the darker human. With no danger in the immediate area, the deathclaw searched for a suitable place to begin its grim feast. Spying a limb it had hacked from one of the unfortunate gang members, the beast picked it up, quickly shedding the remnants of its shirt. With that out of the way, the creature opened its mouth wide, nostrils filling with the potent scent of fresh meat. Stomach rumbling, and mouth watering, the beast was ready to dive into a well earned meal when that remnant of intelligence returned. Without the presence of danger, and with its veins no longer burning, the beast felt the world begin to shift. Gritting its teeth, the creature let out a deep growl, trying to hold the voice at bay long enough for it to eat. Twilight wouldn't have that however, and with a shove, she pushed her way to the forefront of her mind once more. She emerged with all the grace of a drowning woman emerging from the surf which had dragged her under. Chest heaving, and eyes wide, the former alicorn took stock of her situation only to feel her mind almost immediately begin to recoil. There was just so much blood, it was everywhere, soaking the walls, floors and everything between in a bright red sheen. Twilight felt her lunch churn in her stomach, threatening to come back up at any moment, but some alien instinct kept it down. She wasn't sure where that feeling came from, but if it kept her from painting her feet with what little food she had, so Twilight was thankful for it. That didn't stop her from feeling the immense wave of revulsion bubble from deep within her chest. Panic, fear, and self loathing mixed into a potent cocktail dominated by regret and nearly all consuming horror that threatened to once more bring down the walls of her mind. Spinning towards the door, Twilight tried to turn the handle only to find that her blood slick claws couldn't find purchase on the knob. Putting her shoulder through the entrance turned out to be much more effective, and the deathclaw burst out of the charnel house. With eyes wide and filled with fear, the former alicorn desperately looked around for a place to hide. She couldn't let anyone find her like this, what would Janey, or worse, her friends say? Who would want to be associated with an animal like her? They would put her down, she could already see it now. Twilight hardly noticed the terrified face of her friend, or her frantic attempts to get Twilight to calm down. All the deathclaw could think about was getting as far away from this place as she possibly could. With that thought firmly in mind, her eyes latched onto the familiar shape of the hilly terrain east of Goodsprings. Though not quite a mountain, it had steep cliffs, a prominent ridge, and more importantly, plenty of deep holes. Holes that were so deep they could hide even a horrifying monster like herself. Turning in that direction, Twilight didn't even hear the continued yelling of her friend, as the former alicorn was already sprinting as fast as her new legs could manage. The landscape blurred around her, the sound of frenzied footsteps quickly fading into the background. Soon enough there was only her, the distant prodding of her new instincts, and the all consuming desire to bury her head in the dirt. Twilight leapt over destroyed cars, barrelled through ditches, and weaved her way through the low hills until she found exactly what she was looking for. A cave big enough to house the shame she now felt.