My vision blurred, my ears ringing . I could make out a couple of voices as I lay there in the ash-covered crater. I felt the blood from my nose seep out of it and soak in the ground. My eyes were half open.
I’m tired. I want to sleep so badly. I slowly closed my eyes and prepared to drift into unconsciousness.
“Hey, wake up!” I felt a boot slam into my back and I seethed in pain, I recognized the voice as Golden Bullet and he kicked me over, pointing a pistol down at my head. Next to him were Black Lash, Tigress, and Brock standing behind them.
I looked at all of them, staring into their eyes; who sent them? I know many people want me dead but I can’t narrow it down. A noble? A drug lord? Or was it just a wanted poster that brought them here? Jetstream came after me specifically, he knew where I was, and not many people know where I am. Unless…
My eyes widened in realization, “Gunner sent you guys, didn’t he?” I coughed out, looking up at them.
“It took you that long to figure it out?” Tigress asked, glaring down at me.
“Well to be fair, we were beating him up, so that might hinder his thoughts,” Brock commented, swaying his tail side to side idly.
“Not that it’s gonna change anything if you know or not, you’re dying here.” Golden Bullet put his finger on the trigger and looked into my eyes.
“Wait…” I managed out as I caught my breath, “They… Gunner was… Gunner was going to tear down the Everfree Forest. To strip it of its resources and poach the animals there, there is a small town that lives next to the forest… Ponyville. I fought to prevent chaos from wreaking and the deaths of many. Know this, if Gunner enters the Everfree Forest and tears it down… It would spell doom to every stallion, mare, colt, filly, and foal in the town as well as the captivity of some endangered species…” I explained to them, “So, kill me, but promise that you’ll stop him… P-please…”
They all looked down at me with unreadable looks in their eyes. Golden Bullet still had his hand on the trigger and stared into my eyes. He sighed and put his finger off of it. “Well damn, I didn’t know that we were the bad ones.”
“Hm, if Gunner truly wants to strip the Everfree Forest of its resources then we must stop him.” Brock crossed his arms and took a step back from me as Lash stretched out a hand.
“Sorry for all of that, Hit.” I took his hand and he pulled me to his feet, “I now realize that behind all of that cold exterior is a kindhearted man inside.” Lash patted my shoulder, he then noticed that my jacket had several holes and tears in them so he lit his horn. I was surrounded by his magic, a dark blue and a pink color intertwined with each other. The holes and tears repaired themselves and I stood with my clothes healed. The same couldn’t be said about my injuries.
“Alright, we’ll spare you. At least I know that we can whoop your ass if you get out of line,” Tigress said, before turning to Brock. “Yo, where is Bullet Bill’s hideout? I want a word with him.”
I raised an eyebrow, “Bullet Bill?”
“Yes, Bullet Bill,” Brock nodded, “He is the father of Gunner, he owns one of the largest armory and weaponry industries in the world. He is a powerful man, and as for his location, I know where he is.”
“Alright, then take us there!” Tigress said, however, Golden Bullet raised a hand.
“Shouldn’t we heal Hit first? Assuming he comes with us, it might be troublesome for him to fight alongside us.” Golden Bullet said.
“Oh, that’s right!” Lash realized, “Sorry Hit, I guess you have to stay home.”
Vrooooom
Tigress raised an eyebrow, “What’s that noise?”
From above came a truck before it transformed into none other than Optimus. He raised his sword hand overhead and came down upon Brock. Brock, however, caught the sword between his palms.
“Go, Hit! I shall hold them off so that you may make your escape!” Optimus said, however, I interjected.
“No, Optimus! We’re allies now, we’ve realized that we’re not supposed to be fighting each other, but greed.” I said, Optimus looked back at me before he was shoved back by Brock.
Optimus stumbled back and looked at everyone then me, “I see,” he then kneeled down, “Alright, companions, would you fill me in on the situation?”
We filled him up on the situation and Optimus nodded, “I see,” he then turned to face me, “Hit, you are in no condition to fight. However, you gave me one of these beans in case of emergency.” Optimus’ chest opened up and he reached inside and pulled out a small green bean. My eyes widened as he kneeled down to me with the bean in his palm.
“What is a damn bean gonna do?” Tigress had her hands on her hips and tilted her head.
“I’ll show you,” I took the Senzu Bean and popped it into my mouth, it tasted like grape juice medicine but I powered through it and swallowed. All my wounds were immediately healed and I clenched my fists and ignited my aura. “That’s a Senzu Bean, it heals wounds quick.” I then turned to face everyone and put my hands inside my pockets.
“Where’s our target?”
Celestia paced back and forth, worried she had felt something was wrong. “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, what should I do? Should I go check on Hit?” She looked outside her window and out to the night sky, “Ooh… I don’t know! If I go check on Hit there might be a chance that everything is alright and I’ll look like a jackass. But if it’s actually what I think…”
Celestia captured a pillow with her magic and held it up to her face before screaming into it.
I was in the driver’s seat of Optimus - I wasn’t driving him, however - next to me were Black Lash, Tigress, and Golden Bullet. And in the back out in the open air was Brock, giving Optimus directions.
“So… No hard feelings about almost killing you?” Lash stuck out a hand to me. I glanced at his hand disgustedly, but reluctantly, I took it.
“I’m only shaking your hand because you healed my jacket,” I huffed and stared out of the window, we were currently passing by a multitude of rocks and trees.
“Y’know,” Lash mused, “I’ve always wanted to meet you. You have such a pristine background, you appeared out of nowhere and became a Legendary Assassin overnight!”
“Not true,” Tigress interrupted, she gave me a side-eye, “Hit enrolled into an Assassin Guild and trained under a Zebra called Meadow, there, he met my many great ancestor Roxxane. The two became training partners, and maybe even friends, but… Something happened. Didn’t it, Hit? What changed?”
I didn’t give her an answer, instead I kept looking out the window.
“Damn, he ignored ya,” Golden Bullet was currently loading his guns with a cigarette in his mouth, “Personally, I wouldn’t let that slide.
Tigress turned over to Golden Bullet with a glare, “Shut up, Goldilocks.”
Golden Bullet spun his pistols in his hands before gripping them tight, “Ya wanna repeat that?” he glared over at Tigress. Lash was in the middle of the chaos and looked left to right.
“Uh, could we not?” A bead of sweat rolled down Lash’s head.
“Yes, I would prefer if you ‘could not,’” Optimus spoke through the speakers, surprising all of us. My eyes went wide and I looked at the rest of my fellow assassins who held the same expression as me.
“Uh… Ahem, how long do we have until we arrive?” I asked the Autobot.
“We’re here.” I heard Brock’s voice boom, I raised my eyebrow and looked out the window. I saw a couple of ponies in black suits, standing in front of them in a black coated earth pony stallion. I narrowed my eyes and activated my timeskip, I simply opened the door then shut it behind me. I walked towards the one I assumed was Bullet Bill, in my frozen time I could just punch him, stop his heart and it would be over.
Although…
I sighed, taking two steps back and continued time. Almost instantly did Bullet Bill take out a gun, pointing it at my head.
“How the hell did you-” Bullet Bill stammered out before he huffed in amusement, “Huh, interestin’... No wonder why you never failed a contract, you could have killed me.”
“Yes, I could have.” I droned as I heard the doors open from Optimus, I heard the footsteps of my comrades as they joined me and took my side.
“You never told us that you were trying to ruin the Everfree Forest,” Brock glared down at Bill, he scoffed.
“I didn’t think I needed to, I pay you to do your damn job. It doesn’t matter what I’m paying you for, you do it.” Bill snarled, causing Brock to tense up with calm rage.
“Watch. Your. Tone. Boy.” Bullet put a hand on Brock’s shoulder.
“It ain’t worth it, it ain’t.” Bullet looked at Bill in his eyes, “Now, Bill, you understand that there are ponies, innocent ponies who live next to the forest?”
Bill mock gasped, “Oh dear me! I never knew that!” His face switched into one of annoyance, “Of course ah fuckin’ knew that you idiot!”
“You knew that there were innocent people there that could die because of your greed?” I repeated.
“Yeah, and I don’t give a damn, people die every day! What’s a couple thousand? Heck, might be hundreds, it’s a small ass town, so small that no one would care if they all d-”
He didn’t have a chance to finish as my fist was buried in his chest. His guards all raised their weapons, a growl from Brock made them halt. I pulled Bullet Bill close so I could whisper into his ear, “Hear me before you die, Bill. If your son goes near Ponyville or the Everfree Forest, I will kill him, then his mother, then your entire fucking family tree. Tell him that, he should be here before you bleed out.”
I ripped my fist out of his chest and watched him fall to his back. I ignited my fist in Ki, melting the blood off my fist. I scoffed and turned away from Bill and the assassins, my eyes narrowed as I walked towards Optimus.
God, it was good to be back.