//------------------------------//
// Chapter Two: The Wastelands Sense of Humor 
// Story: Fallout Equestria: Broken Hourglass 
// by EquestrianAlchemist 
//------------------------------//


~ Chapter Two ~
The Wasteland’s Sense of Humor




A week into my life as a raider wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, I guess you could say I took to it like duck to water. The first few days I was stuck at the compound building, things like guard duty and cage cleaning during the day and at night Dragon Tongue had me for herself. 
Guard duty was about as boring as it sounded, no pony came anywhere near us. A side of me wished they would stay away, the other side of me wanted something to shoot at. 
If we were lucky we got a stray Brahmin, Bighorner or even a dog in our sights it gave me something to practice on. 
One day while I was on ground level patrol, I had grazed one of the Bighorners that wandered out into view. The very next thing it did was run straight for me,  its head lowered and if I wasn’t fast enough I would be crushed between him and the wall behind me. I had acted as fast as I could but took my time lining up my shot and firing, it was almost like time gave me an hour to line that shot up, it was close but I took it out. 
We all ate good that night.
There was a Hellhound once... we didn’t shoot at it, even for raiders we weren't that stupid too piss off a Hellhound.

Without my magic I wasn’t entirely useless, out of the ponies I guarded with, being Animal, Buckshot and Rehab, I was the only one of them that wasn’t constantly high. 
In fact out of the Twelve raiders that lived at the compound; Doc, Butterscotch Rum, Dragon Tongue and I are the ones who I believe don’t abuse a substance. I’m not entirely sure though, Doc and Butterscotch Rum could enjoy apple whiskey every now and then, and Dragon Tongue had that rage on the day of my initiation who knows what other drugs she may have.

I honestly don’t like Buckshot or Animal, turns out both of them were there the day I lost Golden Glow and both of them exchanged looks when I began my guard duty on my second day of living in the compound. 

Rehab wasn’t so bad though he had his ups and downs sometimes a coherent conversation or something like this.
“you got anything I could use?” 

or my personal favorite.

“ever hold a beating pony heart in your hoof?”
Sometimes we would talk about the wasteland, how he looked at it was interesting
“I never truly could understand the wasteland, when my family left the Stable out near Underpass they couldn’t cope with the life knowing everything that they believed while inside was all cooked up by the ponies who are long dead now. They became raiders, and died raiders a few years ago, that's when I joined up with Butterscotch here. I was promised a life I could understand, but honestly.... I still don’t.”
It was interesting to see someone like Rehab from a different light, but moments like that came so seldom and so far between each other I think he chooses not to think about it and just gets high. 
A shame it has to be that way, some of them are real murderous wolves in pony skins, others can be scorned souls just trying to forget.

Dragon Tongue is different, it seems she was also born out of the raider scene and fell into it like I had. 
It doesn’t help that I have a feeling she may be bipolar or she chooses to put up the facade of tough raider mare around everyone else but me. It makes me wonder just why she cares for me, I still haven’t gotten the full story of Golden Glows Caravan Raid. I did know now just why we were hit.
We were sent out on a special job, the kind job a Courier would do! Seriously just down the street from the Caravan Hub was the Northern Equestrian Express.
The item in question wasn’t named, I don’t know what it is and even when we were moving it I didn’t know. It was just in a large metal case with black rubber strips along the bottom, top, and side.

But my first party finally goes out later and she won't be joining me, I knew we wouldn't always be paired together, during the day she would occasionally pop out to see me during my patrol or sniper watch. 
I always did enjoy her company.
I wasn’t sure how she was going to handle being away from me, honestly I don’t think she would have even noticed if I left for more than a few hours hopefully it won't last a day.

The party included Buckshot, Animal, myself and Rehab (Just. My. Luck). I will be honest I wasn’t looking forward to being with these few, from what I knew of their standards as Raiders this wasn’t going to be pleasant on the ears.



*-*

“You know I don’t hold that kind of power! What they do out there isn’t up to me, they are raiders none the less. What I want is the return of the party and the supplies in tail”. 
I was in Butterscotch Rums room again, I needed a word before I left I still had some time but I thought it would be better to get it over with. 
“While a raider now myself, I still have standards I don’t want to see any Fillies and Colts in the fray and at best no mares either! It isn’t that hard to instill some discipline, they follow your orders anyways!” I stomped my fore hoof against the floor, I wanted Butterscotch to support me on this! No fillies! No colts! No mares! I wasn’t ready to be responsible for killing someponies family just because of some drugs.

The Ex-Steel Ranger just gave me her stern look, “kid you're a raider and so are they, there is no changing something like this. What they do is what they will do no matter how many times I might tell them its wrong or not. I learned this the hard way, I had one party go out near some goddesses forsaken suburban ruins. I told them to only get what we needed and get out, long story short when they came back I had the leader of the party debrief me of what happened.
She shifted in her armor, looking a bit uneasy.

“They had found a settlement of pony families and killed them all during the night. He went into cruel detail... I will save you from that detail. 
Point is raiders are raiders no matter how much you may wish they could change”.

She was right though, as painful as it may be to see innocents die I couldn’t change those raiders down stairs I wanted too, but it was futile despite my best efforts. 
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, I couldn’t stay angry I would only piss Butterscotch off. “How about this, you make me leader of the party and I will instill a few rules while we are out.

I smiled like an idiot thinking that was going to work, I had usually been good with words.

That doesn’t sound so bad right”? 
Again she wouldn’t have it though. “No, your new and have never been out there in a raid party to begin with. I need someone with more experience then that, Animal is leader and that is final.
Maybe when you gotten more used to being a raider I will get you be leader until then you're just going to have to do what Animal says”.
I tried didn’t I?

I slumped, felt like my knees just gave out from the weight of my own body, having the death of a filly or colt on my hooves would be too much for me to bear when worst comes to worst.
I hoped and prayed that wouldn't be the case, because once was enough I didn’t need another.

“I understand Ma’am, thank you though I will be going now”. I took to my leave before Butterscotch got up from behind her desk and followed after me she’s surprisingly fast for being in that bulky looking armor.

“Hold on kid...  listen these things will be hard getting use to. But please don’t loose yourself in this mess. 
I can tell your better then them in ways they don’t understand, but for now we need you as a member of this dysfunctional family.

I honestly couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth or not, but she bore in on me the whole time, she didn’t look away once. One thing I had learned from my father is that when a pony lies they usually try and avoid eye contact.

“Once you're ready you can leave no one is making you stay, cept maybe Dragon Tongue but that's a different story”. I understood better than I did before I came in here demanding something we both couldn’t control, I couldn’t help but feel like she was mothering me. Then again her comment my first day meeting her would make for an awkward situation.
She closed the door behind me when I left, I wasn’t as satisfied as I hoped I would have been. I know now that I could only help what I do not anyone else.
I needed a little rest was all



*-*

I had a good three hours before I was off on my own, and I choose to rest. 
Laying on the musty old mattress Dragon Tongue and I shared every night, I stared blankly at the opposing wall, I just couldn’t close my eyes. Too much thinking, and all the things I just couldn’t make sense of.

The room had no windows, the remains of a small office room that could have housed maybe ten workers at their little desks doing their little jobs up until the megaspell disasters. I shifted in bed, nuzzling my face against the dirty mattress it was the best comfort other than Dragon herself.
I began thinking about what would happen out in the wasteland, would it be like it was with the caravan, would I get shot, or would everyone in the party come back alive, this and that.

I let my mind play out every possible scenario, like a dragon coming down and killing everypony at the site. Another one where I got my brains blown out by a double cross from my raider party members (note to self stay alert no matter what). 

The latest one I found interesting was where I was knocked out, taken to a hospital where I wake up thinking I am a zebra, try and return to my home land, on my way there get caught up in a tribal land dispute. Solve it diplomatically, and become a hero to both the tribes before I die of old age in a mansion along with a Harem of Mares... yeah I liked that one maybe I should write it down, course I was never a strong writer to begin with.

My mind shifted away from the mission and on to my past, as much as I fought it, as much as I ignored it, my past would come back up to me in bursts. I remember my father in his police uniform.

“Good luck, be safe daddy!” 
I felt myself mouth the words I would say every night before he left. He always choose the Graveyard shifts so he could spend more time with mom and I, of course he was available whenever they needed him during the day. 
Most problems around New Trottingham consisted of a raider attack here, and an infestation of rats, radroaches all the manner of beastie and radiation enhanced pest there.

I closed my eyes and tried to picture my father's face, I concentrated focused in on the dark swirling void before my eyes,  I could see a silhouette a silhouette of the face.. then nothing, it disappeared and became apart of the void. 
I opened my eyes to find the void spilling into the room from the dark corners and edges. The room was just so dark, but cool and comforting as I felt my eyes grow hot and blurred. 
I wiped my face feeling the wet salty tears streak against my fore-hoof, “13 years.. and I have forgotten my own father's face. To think I would remember better... after all it was my fault”.

The door on the other side of the wall opened slowly, it was Dragon Tongue carrying a tray of food in her mouth. I curled up trying to try hide my weakened position, that moment when you need to  sniff hard without it sounding like a sniffle. I tried mouth breathing and hated it, too loud. In voluntarily I sniffled and hoped she didn’t hear.

No I don’t think she heard, but it got better, she came around to face me with the tray in her mouth I could see her smiling at me the ends of her mouth coming slightly up above the tray. 
I tried not to look at her, as she put the tray down in front of me. 
Fried squirrel, gecko bits and what looked like leaves, I really, really, really, disliked leaves.

“Eat up!, I didn’t drag this up here so you could stare at it while it got cold”. 
I looked up at her, I tried so very hard to not show the pain on my face. 
Again it didn’t work and I was like an open book to this mare.
Her face changed from her normal demeanor to her sudden concerned demeanor, a complete shift I was almost positive she was bi-polar.
She looked down at me with soft eyes, her red pupils were like the bolt of an energy rifle.
“Hey, you alright? I didn’t mean it, what's wrong?” she looked at me intently prying as gently as she could.

I breathed easy and turned away from her, “nothing, been sleeping and dust settles easy in this room is all.” 
Pushing her away was the best I could do for now, I mean she was a raider none the less like the rest of us. Raiders weren’t exactly the kinds of ponies I would pour my life out to, Dragon Tongue is a special case but it had only been a week so far, and our relationship was confined mostly to this room.

I heard her softly sigh as she stepped over the tray and laid down behind me, I could feel the warmth of her side press against my back. She reached a hoof around me and held me close.
This kind of surprised me, it wasn’t something she had done on a regular basis.
Other then the minutes after having sex she would spoon me, this.. was different. I felt myself flinch at her touch, as if afraid she would stick me with a knife, or another drug. 
But no, she rested her head against mine and breathed so calmly. Her rhythmic inhales and exhales where like a soft metronome against my body, almost relaxing.

“Love, I don’t expect you to tell me anything about you. Just don’t think I’m stupid, I can tell when someone is hurting, specially the pony I have been intimate with”.

Love? 
That was completely left field for me, she had never called me this before and I never saw her as the sentimental type, more of the “I could kill you or fuck you if you give me the chance”.
You learn new things all the time, I guess it was time to see the big picture in it all.

But now it was just different, I felt relaxed, resting I wanted it to stay this way, I didn’t want to move or even think about the raid, I just wanted that rhythmic breathing, her sweet scent, and her warm body pulled close against mine.

“Dragon Tongue, I guess I will just miss you is all... I may be gone for a while I’m not sure how long.” The fuck did I just say?! 
A bull faced lie if I ever heard one, Dragon wouldn’t believe that even if it was the truth.
I felt her hoof smack the back side of my head, the weird thing about the smack was it didn’t hurt for another couple of second... then it hurt like hell!
I flinched and rubbed the back of my head, I didn’t have to ask why, it was obvious.
“I’m not that bad of a liar am I?”

“No,” she breathed into my ear in a irritated tone
I felt her muzzle against my neck, “I just know you better”.

I looked over at her, “no offense but... its only been a week, we hardly know each other. By that fact! I hardly know you! You’re constantly bi-polar and you never seem like the raider type. 
What gives and why did you stick your neck out for me in the beginning”! 

I tried not to raise my voice, I didn’t want to put her off I really enjoyed this close moment. Despite my cruel comments, she had reasons to pull away from me if she wanted to.
I felt her chest move as she took a deep breath in then gently exhale, her breath tickled my ear.

She spoke softly, her voice once again different, soft and mature. 

“Well I guess you’re inclined to know a little more about me.
I was the child of a raider and a tribal out near the settlement that is now Friendship City. 
Our family life was nice until.. an incident tore my parents away from me. 
After that I was an orphan, luckily a friend of my mothers; a raider pony took me in and protected me and showed me the ropes to being a raider. It was a hard life honestly, fending for myself treating my own wounds and missing the love and care my parents once gave me and the warmth of their bodies as I squeezed between them in bed. Without their warmth I began craving it, the warmth of another”.

I felt her shudder, I guess heat was kinda like her drug, another reason she uses those flamers and Pyromancers in battle.

“So I left him and found this little family and here I have been with for a few years”. 

I guessed right, no pony like Dragon just decided to be a raider. I felt her fore-leg squeeze me gently, I could tell these memories were painful for her. I completely understood where she was coming from, while I hadn’t gone through the same thing I wasn’t insensitive to her feelings. She had it worse then me, I had no excuse to be sad about my past life.

She breathed again I could feel the shudder that crept along her coat from her body from holding back tears.
Dragon continued talking, almost whispering straight into my ear.
“When it comes to you though, I remember what I saw the day we attacked. 
You got shot while trying to save your mare friend from the Caravan. 
I took that to heart as something you just don’t see very often, I tried healing you the best I could. 

I got you stabilized, but the others still wanted you in the cage like the rest of our slaves. I was sticking my neck out way too far so you didn’t end up another wall decoration”. 

I felt her squeeze me again, I was enjoying the feeling of her body against me in more ways then one.

“I just felt some connection is all! I really just didn’t want to see you hurt, and with you leaving today I don’t know if you will come back... come back for me...” I felt a wet hot tear drip down and trickle from the base skull down my neck. She was just so weird, and I liked it, if not I loved it.

I could feel deep down, just how complicated this was going to get.
I ignored the feeling. Out of all the raider mares I got the most sentimental, clingy, bipolar, and beautiful one.

I turned to face her, kissing Dragon Tongue gently I felt myself explore slightly as she held me close.
I stopped, looking at her gently “we only have so long before I go, we going to make it count or what?”

I shifted on top of the mare as her face changed to a sexy smile of hers I got right before she took advantage of me every night. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed it but, I was hoping I would be on top this time. 
After all I may not come back.



*-*

I was off, with the same three ponies from my guard duty, and it was either going to be very bad or go just as planned.
Honestly I was hoping for a different scene of ponies then these three, I wasn’t asking to be with Dragon Tongue or anything just somepony else. 
Every day it was the same conversation with these criminally insane raiders. It was killing, best way to kill somepony, rape, blood and drugs, all things I don’t take pleasure in talking about even as a raider now myself.

So we walked, all four of us in silence before the building that housed our fellow raiders was out of sight beyond a hill. I looked out along the empty landscape, rotted trees, dead grass, dust blowing up and around, the hollowness of the wasteland could be felt in deep down in one’s soul.

Animal was up front, beside him was Buckshot and Rehab and I were directly behind them. 
We were told to remain in the files until we reached our D.Z whatever that means, I wasn’t taught much about warfare talk. I did know though why we were in files. 
It was supposedly an old illusion technique used to hide numbers against the enemy. I don’t see how this worked, but then again I wasn’t born back then in the first place.

Most raiders were all separated, and moved around to what pleased them the most, however the raiders from the office building with a Steel Ranger for a leader where much better at being a little less of raiders and more of a small tribal militia. 
But then again they were all still raiders, so I dashed the idea of possibly becoming freelance and took interest in the hard cold broken ground before my hooves.

No pony spoke, they would go on and on during the guard duty. Why aren't they talking!
It was almost nerve wracking NOT hearing the constant ramble of some insane pony. I began thinking maybe it was me who was insane.

Finally, Animal spoke up. 
“Boss never gave me specifics on what we are expecting at this caravan. All she told me was that the caravan should be coming down the highway near an old Four Star Station. 
It should take us another hour to get there, stay alert till we get to the ideal spot for the ambush. Which will be the Four Stars itself.
This place while not real hazardous, is still lazy with creatures such as Radroaches, and fire ants, just keep alert and alive.”

I gaped at how organized these ponies were, first time out and from the stigma of how I thought most raiders were slightly melted... until.

Buckshot whooped loudly, “good! ah can’t wait to stick my shotgun down that stupid caravaners mouth and pump that ponies insides with lead.”

That didn’t take long, soon the air waves were flooded with irrelevant, disgusting, and downright horrible banter.

“Hey, buckshot remember that mare we had in the cages a little while ago? .. well I got to her the other night and...”

“No, but how about the time I shot that one colts hooves off right in front of his parents hahaha their looks were priceless.”

“Haha yeah! They were all like ‘you’re all monsters!’ I just blew her head off for thinking it was smart to talkback.”


Ugh! 
I regret thinking any of these ponies were sophisticated! I mean sweet merciful Luna why couldn’t they talk about anything other than killing!
I prayed that I would never ever end up like them in the end.
I thought that could work, praying.

I felt Rehab hit my shoulder as we walked, that one actually kinda hurt.
I turned to him and his stupid smile, missing teeth and yellow like everyone else’s.
I ran my tongue over my own teeth, and gagged slightly from the feeling I didn’t enjoy.

“You look nervous new meat, here have some apple whiskey! It will calm your nerves”
The pony pulled from a saddle bag of his; a bottle of Apple Whiskey, its old label slightly peeling, I could hear the slightly irradiated liquor swish around in the glass bottle as he held it before me in his mouth.
I was hesitant, for two good reasons!
One his mouth was on it
Two I’m not a fan of liquor, because liquor was never a fan of me.

“Ibts nawt pfoisoned ibf bhats whaut you sink”
His words were mixed around as if his tongue had been cut in half. I could hear teeth cling against the glass as he talked, his slickly brown colored saliva dripped over the bottle.

Once again, I gagged harder and failed to cover it up this time.

I surrounded the whiskey bottle in my magic and took it from the raider pony’s mouth, quickly wiping it against the front of my saddle bag and began inspecting the bottle and its contents.
I looked at it closely, seeing little bits floating around inside. Such an odd thing to survive the war among most things that still exist to this day, I wouldn’t have expected an alcoholic drink let alone old snack foods. 
Nearly 100 year old Whiskey was exactly drinkable in my book in the first place.... so I unscrewed it and took a swig.

Well... it was wet for one and lukewarm never really liked anything lukewarm, I swallowed suddenly as the whiskey rushed down my throat it burned! Sweet Celestia's beard! it burned! But it was that good burn as the heat rushed through my body and ended at the tips of my hooves. It was different, I had never been able to get a taste of whiskey let alone alcohol during school or whatever the kids drank. Now I’m twenty and things are different.

I took another swig letting the whiskey slip down my throat once again, I tasted the hard cider apples, and the sterile alcohol taste it left behind. I used to just stick to Sparkle-Cola or Sunset Sarsaparilla at least those didn’t impair my judgements or thought process.
Rehab watched me in a silent snicker. 

“Good huh?! Don’t worry the more you drink the less it burns”, Rehab chuckled and reached for the bottle, I yanked it away from his grasp.
Taking a few more sips of the whiskey, I began feeling the effects of alcohol. My vision focused in and out my coat felt like it had been jolted with electricity, the sudden feeling of having a new substance in one’s body. 
Same thing happened to me when I first was introduced to caffeine at age of 8.

I felt my magic being ripped away as Rehab took the bottle away with his hoof. 
“Whoa! Hold on there ya Lush, can’t have you drunk now can we? We need your magic we don’t know what may or may not need lifting, after the jobs done you can have as much as you wish fresh meat.” He gave me a stern look,
“After. The. Jobs. Done.”

I whimpered as he corked the  bottle and threw it again in his saddle bag, I heard it swish again and clink against another bottle.

He was right though, I wish he wasn’t. I had no idea just how uncommon unicorns where in Butterscotch’s Gang... honestly I had seen at least six back at the office building.

Maybe Unicorns had a more sense for not being criminally insane across the wasteland. I still wasn’t real sure just why I was important, being seventh of all the Unicorns in Butterscotch’s gang. I just wasn’t sure why I was selected for this one, maybe it was another way to test my skills to Butterscotch.

It was windy, more windy than normal, the cool air would sap any pony’s body heat if they weren’t protected properly. 
I looked up as we walked, the vast sky abruptly ended by the cloud cover, the swirling cavalcade of gray, white and sometimes black moved slightly just enough to make it look less and less like a painting. 

Once again while we walked I wondered just what I knew
we had been moving for a while and now where in site of the highway, the Four Stars station logo in the distance looming over the old station.

I knew very little about the Pegasus ponies who closed up the sky in fear of the world below years before I was born. 
I had never seen the sun physically only in pictures, for the moon was the same thing. We were allowed access to Stable 601’s library, from there I learned on my own.
I had seen one Pegasus before but she was dead. A storm cloud branded over her cutie mark, I honestly didn’t know what to think about what I had seen of her. The one thing I noticed however was how peaceful she looked while she slept forever on that dirty cot in the Caravan hub infirmary. 
A lot of words were thrown around that day, like Cloud Walker, Winged Devil and Dashite. The last one sounded more of a cultist name. Through asking questions I figured out vaguely just who she was.
Turns out she had been a doctor, wandering the wastes helping ponies who needed it. She had come to the Caravan Hub sick with a fever, but had come to offer her services as a medical pony rather then seeking medical attention.
They forced her to a bed and over the night her sickness took her.
From what I then knew of pegasi was that they were unpredictable, some were good but the majority were given a bad reputation due to the tales of the cloud cover.

History wasn’t a big subject at school, I never paid attention and it was more about the vault then anything. 
They never explained the war, or the cloud cover if anything I had a feeling they were shielding us the best they could against the world outside the walls of New Trottingham. 
Now that I am older I don't understand the sheltered Utopian society they were hoping for when raiders and Alicorns attacked on a monthly schedule, they must have understood they could censor only so much.
The rest we had to find out on our own and I did, I learn a few things while out, a lot of survival techniques a mentor from the Caravan Hub showed me, and how to handle myself during a raid. Against most raiders it worked, their unorganized ways had become predictable.
Out of everything I remember from my days at the Caravan Hub I remember that Mare and how peaceful she looked after she had died.



*-*

A half an hour later we crossed the broken highway to the Four Stars Station, as far as I could see we were a few hours away from any civilization in all directions, a perfect vantage point for an ambush.
Westward where a few buildings just far enough from an old off-ramp. 
I looked through the scope of my sniper rifle and noticed most of them looked abandoned, no signs of pieced together shelters, or lights.
The largest building out of the few was what looked like a factory, I panned my scope around the surrounding area of the factory. I could make out a vague fence surrounding the area but still no movement.

“Hey fresh meat! where’d you go?
We need you up front so you can use that fancy scope of yours to look out towards the highway, we need eyes on the caravan”. 

Animal yelled around the corner looking for me, I followed after the raider and came around the garage. 
I watched my companions prepare their weapons for the raid that would soon follow. I felt my coat prick something awkward as the moment drew near of us having to fight to survive.
I lifted my rifle up as I came around the font of the station in view of the highway that stretched opposite of where we had come from. Old abandoned cars destroyed, broken concrete like any street in the wasteland, dust and a tumble weed... no caravan yet. 
I shifted a little moving the scope around to scan a wider base area and then there it was.

A large wooden wheeled, brahmin pulled wagon with a cover was coming down the highway at a slow snail pace. 
One pony was walking next to his brahmin, I took my eye off the scope and began to relish in the that that this could go off without a hitch. I turned back to Animal,
“hey the caravan is on its way down now, it doesn’t seem like it has any guards. Should take them around 10 or 15 minutes to get here.”

I turned back on my scope to watch the caravan slowly pull its way across the broken highway.
That’s when I saw what we all didn’t want to deal with. 

A griffin,
but not just any griffin I had seen very few and all of them were Talon Guard, unluckily this one was in fact Talon Guard as well.
Her black leather armor, the white painted talon on her chest, no mistaking that.

My face dropped, I craved apple whiskey... and a lot of it.
I turned back to the other members of the raider party, “Um... Butterscotch didn’t mention any guards did she?”

Animal looked up at me from his knives lifting his brow in the same fashion as Butterscotch would. “... no she didn’t mention guards... why does the caravan have a guard, nothing we can’t handle right?”

I sighed, “if you think Talon Guard are low rate mercs.”

Everything stopped, they all just stopped. No sounds, no wind, nothing just six eyes staring holes into me.

“How many?” Rehab said, his voice trembled at his asking.

I turned back and looked again, One brahmin... check, One pony check... and one Talon Guard.. check. I scanned for any slight movement, anything that could be suspicious and found nothing out of the ordinary. Other than the fact Butterscotch failed to tell us why in Celestia's name! A Talon Guard would be needed for this shipment.

“Just one guard, the caravan pony doesn’t look real tough though. We could do this... I think, lets just focus on the griffin the best we could do is take out her wings, the one advantage she has.”

Animal nodded and waved a hoof to the others Buckshot and Rehab, they moved quickly to their positions. 
I could tell they weren’t too worried about a grounded Griffin if we got her down in the first place.
Butterscotch had told me how the Steel Rangers worked in a Shock and Awe Factor during the war and even now after, the only real way to get anything done she would say.
If these low lives learned anything from her it would be debilitating suppressing fire.

I felt better about taking out the griffin, they were trained to ambush, trained better than any other raiders out their.
If we all focused on that griffin we won't have a problem, I took a deep breath and relaxed heading off to my post.

I hid behind a trash can near the garage of the stations little quick-stop mart, I was ready as I ever would be, but I felt my stomach turn inside out and a strange taste made my mouth extremely dry, as if my nervousness excreted into my saliva.
I licked the roof of my mouth trying to get the horrible taste of fear out of my mouth as Rehab snuck his way over to me.

“So .. you only saw one right?! I mean that's what I thought you said and I don’t want to be wrong.. cause if I’m wrong about what you said I could just … I don’t know... shit myself!!”
He was shaking, I guessed a withdrawal but he was afraid really afraid.

I looked at him, “don’t do that, none of us would want anything to do with you if you pussed out and shit yourself”. 
I was doing a horrible job of making him feel better but a job none the less, “and yes I only saw one griffin so please go back to your position and stay calm. 
We will all get through this alive as long as we keep our cool. 
Keep your cool Rehab and we will get through this”. I put a hoof on his shoulder trying to help make him feel better, I was never good at it before.

Rehab smiled slightly and stopped shaking, “thanks.... I guess that helps … tha-”
His voice was drowned out by harsh gurgling

The air shattered and sliced by the sound of a bullet 

The bullet ripped through Rehabs skull and brain like a hot knife through butter, I felt bits of his flayed flesh hit my face, sweet wet blood coated the breast of my armor as the raider pony’s body hit the ground in a wet thud.

I screamed and back pedaled from the body, his skull cracked so far open any remnants of his scrambled brain oozed out of his skull cavity and onto the concrete.

I crashed against the trash cans behind me, its contents spilling out onto me.
“Fuck! Animal! Buckshot! get.... oh shit”, I strained looking up finding the shooter.

Its wings flapped keeping him in the air, his brown fur, that eagles head, those claws, and that rifle pointed straight at me!

It was a Talon Griffin and we were fucked, caught completely off by surprise. 
Never expect less from highly trained mercs.

The griffin smiled and pulled his rifle up towards me, “Pathetic position for an ambush” he breathed.

His next shot missed just barely as I sat in a stupor staring at the beast, the ricochet sound of the bullet against the ground caught me out of the trance as I ducked for the open garage.

I heard gunfire from the other side garage door, Buckshot and Animal had heard my shout and set off on the griffin, no point in asking questions. 
I quickly got to my feet, catching my breath and pulled out my pistols.

The griffin blind sided me completely, was it the same one from the caravan I saw less than a few minutes ago? My scope couldn’t have let our position go, there was no sun, no way for it to reflect in the first place.
I guessed the obvious that there were two of them, I’m positive no Talon Guard would go alone in a situation.
It just bugged me as to why they were here.

I jumped from cover of the garage floating my revolvers before me, watching for the griffin. I didn’t see him, “guys where did he go!”

Animal pointed his gun at the roof of the garage, “after Buckshot and I came around and started firing it flew over to the roof”
“Come on out bird brain! You can’t hide forever” Animal jeered at the beast while he reloaded his submachine gun.
Buckshot gave out a loud laugh as they both circled the building waiting for the griffin to come out, it would only be a matter of time.

I backed out onto the street keeping a weather eye on roof for the griffin I couldn’t see just where he was hiding.
I took a second and looked out to the highway
The caravan was much closer now, and I could still see three figures at the front.
It got harder as my worst fears for the situation came true, there was two of them now and we didn’t stand a chance in hell.

I turned back to the station and ran up to my companions.
“There are two of them! We should go now! This should not be worth dealing with Talon Guard for.”

I had never myself dealt with a Talon Guard, but they were known as the hardest to hire, the best in the business and never failed twice, because they rarely failed once.
It had gone from bad to worse with two griffins watching each others backs as well as the caravan if we ever got close to it if we decided an ambush
Animal and Buckshot paid attention, they knew just how screwed over we were if it continued this way.

Six feet under and neck deep in horse apples.

The griffin from the roof took the cease fire as an opportunity to flee and took to the air, flying up and towards the highway. I knew if he got away he would tell his associate and then the real fight begins. 
I needed a plan and fast, taking out the male griffin was a way to keep the other griffin from getting in our way.

We would never be that lucky

I took the chance and pulled up my sniper rifle bringing the scope up to my eye as the Griffin turned back towards us.
Why would he do that, was he so confident that he could get us on his own?
I could prove him wrong
“Kid come on! You said it yourself let's go it’s not worth it!”

I looked through my scope and focused in on the griffin barreling straight at me, he had his rifle in claws, shooting as fast as he could manage as he flew at me. 
Bullets hit the ground and ricocheted off concrete around me, even at his speed he couldn’t seem to hit me. 
I took a deep breath and held the rifle before my muzzle, even with my magic it would still sway. 

I could see the griffins face, every little movement as time slowed down for me.
He looked a little pissed off, maybe because he hadn’t hit me yet I felt my flank sear in slight pain as I squeezed the trigger.

The air was ripped again as time sped back up, the sound of Animal yelling at me coming back. The distant echo of the bullet’s departure, then the sound of it hitting skull.

Thwack!

The griffin went limp in the air, his body smacked the ground in a sickening wet splash of blood.
It tumbled as the corpse clipped a car and finally stopped skidding across the concrete.

Nothing left of the guard but a bloody mess of feathers and muscle.
I felt myself take a deep breath, Animal had stopped yelling at me.

“Sweet mother of Celestia, that was awesome!” he congratulated me.
I felt a little better, thinking I had some pent up rage about Rehab being killed.
I hardly knew the stallion, if anything his blight on the wasteland was over.
One less raider right?

I looked back towards the wreck of the dead griffin, only this time I saw the second had taken flight and was zooming towards the scene.

No way to keep that kind of kill under wraps, I turned back towards the two remaining raiders.
“We should go, I have a feeling this is personal now”.
They both looked back to the Griffin’s wrecked body, the second one had reached him quickly and was now looking our way.


I took off, we didn’t have time to discuss anything at the moment.
Just run and that's what I did. 
I knew where I was going and Animal and Buckshot followed after me.

I galloped from the station, heading away from the highway and towards the factory in the distance.
The griffin soon gave chase, she would be much faster if she meant to kill us quickly.

Buckshot and Animal followed closely behind me, skipping no beats and keeping up the best they could.

I could hear the reeving of a mini-gun behind us as bullet after bullet struck themselves into the ground behind us, reaching up forwards trailing our hooves and nipping at our tails.

“Head for the factory! Try and lose her and don’t get killed!” I yelled straining my voice over the mini-gun firing. We all weaved back and forth trying to keep the griffin from sending a stream of bullets through our bodies. 
Bad news for me was that she knew which one would be the one who had killed her Talon guard friend. 

I could feel my lungs strain as my heart beat and beat against my ribs, my throat felt like it was on fire. 
The dry, cold air continued to sap my body heat as I ran. The griffin focused on me the most, the stream of bullets nipping at my heels. 
Oh goddesses I didn’t want to die this way!

So much closer now! 
We had ducked back and forth between the street and highway. Ranging from the valley between the Four Stars that was supposedly filled with giant ants during the day, must be the weather today.
With all of that behind us now, the griffin began rationing herself with the ammo of her minigun. She hadn’t hit us for a while now, either she wasn’t very good with a heavy weapon like that or she was toying with us. I kept moving, weaving back and forth hoping a bullet hose didn’t rip me to shreds but hoping it would all just get over with.

Buckshot and Animal still weaved along with me, they had tried shooting back at the griffin as well. 
The only problem was stop and be killed, move wrong and be killed, get her attention better than the others and be killed. 
Currently I was failing one of those little rules, thanks to the last griffin.
I needed time and the only way to get that was ground the Griffin or else we are screwed.
I thought for a moment through all this hell. 
Our only chance was rushing her, and I wasn’t best suited for that job, it would be like a chainsaw ripping through butter.

Buckshot rounded back near me after I had thought of an idea, before he could pass me up I yelled to him. 
“Take her out now! We can’t deal with this anymore!”.
Buckshot nodded and rounded back towards her, still jumping out of the way of her bullet stream.

She focused all her fire power at him as Animal and I both stopped while Buckshot juked her minigun fire, I honestly had no idea how this pony was doing what he was doing at all.
She had the upper hand, all she had to do was point and shoot.
Then, the sound of a sputtering minigun that had just run out of ammo. So much for trying to ration it.
“Son-of-a-Whore!!”, the griffin’s curse reached my ears.

Buckshot leaped at her with his shotgun in mouth, he wasn’t about to let her be an injured enemy over a dead corpse. 
The griffin cringed dropping the useless mingun and strafed herself in the air.

Boom!

The shotgun blasted her wing apart, I saw blood and feathers explode from point of impact as both him and the Griffin fell to the ground.

I could hear the griffin scream in pain rolling on the ground for some time before she had gotten back up glaring daggers in our direction.
She tore Buckshots shotgun from her hooves, and swiped her massive claws at his throat.
I could see why these Talon Guards are so highly revered.
Buckshot ducked her claw and leaped for his shotgun before taking off like a bolt.

Animal and I continued running towards the facility after Buckshot took the lead.

We just passed the fence that lead us into the robo-factory, its front gate looked like it had been crashed down from the inside. The lot was abandoned of cars where one or two should have been as if cleared out by something or someone.
The griffin had tried her best to keep up, I remembered why we didn’t just stop to take her out.
Halfway between the valley and the gate she pulled out an extra smg she had kept hidden under her feathers. 
I didn’t see any pockets on that armor!
Despite having a horribly injured wing and no way to treat it until she has us wrapped around a pole with barbed wire she kept up with us as best as she could.

We three sustained a few minor injuries, and Animal nearly got taken out as a bullet grazed his left hind-leg.
I could feel my body scream in pain, telling me to stop and just rest. I knew I couldn’t stop until we were safe.
“Lets get inside!” Buckshot motioned to Animal and I as he opened the front doors of the robo-factory.

The griffin turned into the lot just as we were closing doors to the robot factory, the last I saw of her before the door closed was her face. 
No matter how far away I was I could tell, it was radiating with hate and that hate was directed towards me, not my collages, they were only victims of this circumstance. She hated me for killing her Talon guard who ever he may have been to her, a lover, brother, son, father, nephew anything! 
I was her target from now until either of us were dead.

I began feeling spiteful towards this griffin, she knew exactly what would happen! He should have known when to quit, just because he was a griffin didn’t mean someone had a way to even the odds or even tip the scale from their favor. 
Pathetic! 
This is the Wasteland, people die all the time, what made her fellow Talon guards death any different! I could feel my skin crawl as she stared at me. 

If looks could kill, her revenge would have been complete.

The doors slammed shut letting out a loud echoing boom, we all quickly found objects to block the door the best we could. 
Being the only Unicorn I found a large piece of debris from the roof above to add to the pile that blocked the door. 

When I felt we were secure, I collapsed. 
Every inch of mean screamed in pain, my legs felt so stiff as I lay on the cold hard ground. 
I breathed deeply trying to stabilize myself, I could feel my heart at the back of my throat beating like it was about to give out. Animal and Buckshot had also sat down on the ground catching their breaths the same as me. 
My eyesight drifted in and out as I laid there, I had never strained my body this much for years and probably never except for now.

Animal spoke up in between breaths, “Well...that…was...easy” he chuckled and rubbed the sides of his head with his hooves.
It was a miracle we got through that but we shouldn’t count our chickens before they hatch so goes the saying.


“Life forms detected! Preparing insurrection protocol 6-ZED10. Please vacate the premises before I end your pathetic lives!”

A robot? Well fuck me I should have known the robot factory would still have some pre-war robots in them after all. I guess that would explain the gate being knocked over from the inside, and how empty the front lot was.

Suddenly there was a loud rap against the door, I could hear the Griffin cursing behind it slamming her body against the door trying to break her way in.
I stood back up, I knew as long as we left now she couldn’t get us. I’m sure a merc would just blow the door down.
“Lets go we need to go now!”

The robot was coming in through the west corridor of the building where it split into three individual hallways leading to a lunch area, commons, and then first floor offices. 
The west Corridor was to the offices and I could make out the robots floating orb shadow against the wall on the other wall as it began coming around the threshold between the offices and the front room. 

We three ducked into the cafeteria area and began making our way through it. 
The robot hot on our heels, and a griffin who won't stop till I’m dead, it couldn’t get any better.



*~*

We were doing surprisingly well sneaking around in this place, it was mostly abandoned and the robot that was following us trailed too far behind and must of lost our signature on its built in E.F.S. 
Most robots had their own E.F.S but after 200 years or so of mechanical degradation it must have lost its touch on how far out its range is and what it can pick up as a life form.

It was also very convenient that the robots that patrolled talked to themselves in pre-programmed sentences, so sneaking was a matter of listening for the robots rotor as it flew by or a loud screamed sentence to a water jug or trashcan.
We moved onto the second floor, here the majority of the desks and office cubicles stood around in little clustered groups. 
From room to room, and cubicle to cubicle looking for a way out or something useful. But from what I could see we weren't getting anywhere, rooms where like mazes, pre-war mazes filled with pre-war desks and pre-war terminals.
Our window of opportunity wasn’t closing in as it was rather getting farther away.

As we three moved slowly through the rooms of the second floor, watching and listening for a robot here and there. 
Hiding behind desks or under them until they had left, this however has only happened once since we had gone upstairs and I hoped it would stay that way until we were out.
We huddled in a cubicle together keeping an eye out for any bots.
I spoke up, “we need to get out of here and I don’t know of any other way out then through the factory floor”. 
I searched their faces as I talked, Buckshot wasn’t convinced.
“No offense kid, but so far anything you have done has gotten us from bad to worse..”

“So not killing the Griffin guard would mean we would be alive right now? Get a grip it's only bad luck its been this way so far! If we move quickly and silently we can get to the factory floor” 
I kept my voice at a low growl, emphasizing that killing the guard was a good idea. But I began regretting coming here to the buildings, we were here now and there was no way to make the past any different.

Animal spoke up, “well once we get out we still have an angry griffin waiting outside. If! thats IF we make it to the Factory Floor, I hope you got a plan for her kid.”

I opened my mouth but was silenced by a loud explosion down stairs shaking the whole of the building down to its foundation. 
I jolted up to my feet, I could hear gunfire and the faint sounds of the robot down stairs. “I don’t think we will have to worry about the griffin being outside anymore”

“Wh.... why?” My companions said in unison. 

“Cause shes already inside, and probably looking for us”
I looked to the raiders and bolted for the door, they followed no point in arguing, it was trained griffin or slightly dysfunctional robots. 
The latter I could handle, however in retrospect I wanted neither.

We moved through the corridors of the second floor, fast but as quiet as I could manage, we didn’t need any more attention than we already had. 
With everything that has happened so far, I couldn’t help but maybe this was my fault.. a little. 

I shot the griffin, I decided to come here into this death trap factory, and it was me leading these two raiders through the office building in order to find the factory floor.
Everything was riding me for once, and I had no idea where I was going.

I was lost, I looked around for any sign any arrow pointing  where we needed to go. Nope nothing, everypony who worked here I guess was expected to know exactly where everything was!
I needed time, time to stop and think, again I was never that lucky.

I was near the corner of a hallway that split off in a T intersection as one of those maintenance robots came floating around the corner.

I had just enough time to think and react as I floated out my revolver and jumped at the robot, landing on the floating orb as it tried grasping me with its metallic tendrils.

Buckshot and Animal helped me wrestle the robot, our combined weight forced it to the ground as I quickly began fiddling with its circuitry

“By Celestia! If I had hands I’d strangle you!” the robot screamed at us.

Before it could struggle anymore I pulled it’s battery core out and the robot fell in place, the blue light from its eyestalk went out.
I got off the dismantled scrap heap and continued moving.

“Y'know it would have been easier just shooting the damn thing!” I heard Buckshot spit at me

“Nope, that was completely necessary”, I was floating the battery core in front of me.
I had a plan, like a baby plan that needs more thinking in order for it to get acted on. 
Yes I had a plan.

I heard another explosion down stairs, the Griffin had been attracting more of the robots to her location. 
That was making it easier on us to move through the building, I placed the battery core in my saddle bag and continued moving.


*~*

Finally after four Maintenance bots and one Security bot (the later much more harder to take down, and leaving Animal with a burned forehoof from the robots flamer, good news was we had some healing potions) I had found stairs, which were much closer then I thought they were.

Going around in circles on the second floor while a griffin slowly but surely made her way after us with guns blazing.
had found out just where these stairs went and they even had signs! Sweet Celestia direction for once.

As we moved down from the first floor level to Factory floor Animal stopped short, out of breath and shaking.

Withdrawal... Has it been that long, one could lose track of time in these buildings.

“Hey guys..... any.. any of you got a fix on you? I could use some dash, or hell a PTM would do fine”. His voice was shaky, sounded like the way his body looked, I had no idea the things Animal voluntarily put into his body.

But I could guess, I had gone through something similar that one night. Thanks to Doc though I didn’t deal with it for too long.
I had nothing, in fact the only thing I would have had would be that apple whiskey. 

I remembered it was still somewhere on Rehabs decapitated body. I really wished I had looted his body before I left, who knows if he had more bottles.

“Here, I got a med-x, but its my last one. This should keep you from going through one of your ‘flashbacks’ or slipping into some kind of coma on us until we get back to the Caravan”. Buckshot began digging inside of his saddlebags for his Med-x 
Of course he still wanted to nab the Caravan before we left for Butterscotch’s compound, one pony and no guard it would be the easiest of pickings. I just hoped that pony was still there otherwise it mean bad times for Animal before we even got close to the gate.

Believe me when I say this, he smells like something rolled around in brahmin manure, then died, got wet and was rotting right next to you.
Try carrying that stench with the weight of another pony on your back, I wasn’t looking forward to a possible comatose Animal. 

Buckshot offered the syringe and Animal snatched it with his teeth like some rabid dog who hadn’t eaten in days, Buckshot looked down at his hoof to make sure it was still attached to his leg. Watching that pony stab the syringe into his fore-leg, his body stopped shaking with time and he relaxed against the cold stone wall of the stair well. 
He was back on his high, and I had no idea just how bad it would be for him once it was over.

We moved on, Animal trailed behind me and Buckshot kept his head on a swivel for any other movement. 
It seemed our floating robot friends didn’t use the stairwell, which meant finding the Factory Floor door went without a single confrontation.

Something bugged me from what Buckshot said earlier, I slowed down and as I trot a steady pace next to him going down the steps.

“Hey when you said ‘one of your flashbacks’ to Animal what did you mean?” I kept my voice low.
Buckshot sighed and glanced my way before continuing his his frivolous search.

“We found Animal in an abandoned subway station, he had attacked us like.. well a rabid animal, even killed one of our last unicorns by bucking him off a high rise walkway over the subway cars.”

I listened intently, “so one of your party members wanted him on board and you subdued him with drugs. Why not take him to Doc and have him evaluated?” I raised my voice past my intent, I wasn’t sure of our drugged out stallion could hear us, he was too busy stumbling around behind us.

“We tried, honestly we only planned on having him drugged for the first night then rehabilitate him. Sadly we didn’t have the time nor the supplies to keep him from going ape on us. Doc suggested we go looking for a hospital and some medication. Long story short, we found what we needed, only problem was it only helped slightly. It was used on Diamond Dogs before the war, to subdue a natural instinct in them.

He brought his eyes forward as he stepped over a surprisingly large crack in the stairs and looked at me intently. 

“It worked, but only half way. Animal repressed memories of his former life through the drugs he uses, when he runs out which only happens once or twice a month he usually goes off on some poor soul.”

I glared at the pony, “here I thought you weren’t educated. How did you come to know so much?”
It was just odd, not every raider actually tends to care about others besides themselves. So hearing Buckshot talk about Animal like he was a long time friends was a bit … unnerving.

Buckshot took a sharp breath,”not everyone is a mindless killer all the time. Even some of the most psychotic raiders can be calculating, sometimes better than us... not always though.
Fact of the matter is, you have gotten so used to the idea of a raider being nothing but evil. You forget we are ponies too, we all have families. I don't condone what I have done or will do, I just know one day my uppance will come.”

I didn’t expect that, and I never really thought of it that way. Yeah I as well as the whole of the Equestrian Wasteland see raiders no better than any other creature. Killing with painful laughter was all I knew of them as well. Never calculating or sentimental, I had a feeling Buckshot was the one who wanted Animal alive for one reason or another.
His statement floored me, I never expected such sophistication.

“Come on fresh meat, only a few more steps.”


*-*

I finally found the door leading out to the Factory Floor. I turned back to my companions as they trailed behind, Buckshot had gone back a little to help Animal move effectively.

“Alright, lets get through here as fast as we can no need to catch more attention to ourselves”

They both nodded as I opened the door, or rather forced it open. Its rusted hinges squeaked and moaned, echoing through the stairwell and bounding its way through the factory. 

Dimly lit by hanging bulbs over the conveyor belts and the yellowed fluorescent lights from the overhead walkway, the room stretched out before me, the workstations littered with half built robots. They lay like dead bodies on the conveyor belts they dangled from, a radroach scurried from one corner to the other past groups of barrels turned over, its contents spilled years ago and coated the concrete in an oily slick. 

While all these things were interesting, I stood there feeling my coat once again get hot my insides felt queasy

“Luna have mercy...” I breathed

Before me floated what looked like ten Security robots in a state of sleep, all together in straight lines ready to be given orders or packed up, placed in trucks and shipped out across equestria to fight the good fight.
The day never came when they could fight, the day never came when they could help defeat an enemy they only understood as a target.
So they sleep here before me in an abandoned Robot Factory.

I continued through the factory floor examining the robots, in the sleep state there seemed to be no way of them to hear or see just what was going on.
However ON they were, no sign of them being activated solely from interactions.
Poking and prodding at the robots I tried to figure a way to turn them on.

“This isn’t smart knock it off” I heard a little voice in my head say, I wasn’t sure if getting at the robots battery cores would be smart. Maybe tampering with one’s circuits would actually activate it instead when they were in this kind of sleep mode.

But I had an idea, and I needed Animal for this one.

My remaining raider companions had already begun examine the large cargo doors that separated us from the outside and it’s safety from a pissed off griffin and a bunch of dysfunctional robots.

Buckshot was continually pressing the open button for the cargo, practically slamming his hoof against it in anger.
“Stupid button!!.. work!.. Fucking work!” he kicked the device one more time before walking off fuming to himself.

“Nearly 200 years since it was used, repaired or even looked at. I doubt its going to work that way, let alone at all.” I explained as I looked over the door, I panned around the building.

If we were going to get out we needed this door opened and my idea becomes reality.

“We need to blow it up” I said floating out the battery cores I had collected (six in all)

Animal was finally coming around from the med-x high and was acting like a sensible raider.

“Blow it up?! We will have a whole building of robots after us, not to mention those ones there. I’m no expert but they would likely re-active if some kind of threatening presence shows up like, I don’t know an explosion 10 hooves away! But being that I have never seen you use an explosive and may just blow your own face off, lets hear how you plan on doing this”.

He had a point, but I wasn’t done yet.
I cleared my throat, “well yes I have never used an explosive before, which is why I need you and Buckshot to rig up a few of those robots to explode with any of the following contents in this factory room. 
There’s bound to be some kind of explosive material here, and those idle bots would make for fine additions to it as fuel.
What we don’t need is too big of an explosion, so once its done we need to get out as fast as possible before the remainder robots wake.

I walked up to the door and knocked my hoof against it, a fine tint of rust covered the bottom of my hoof as I pulled it away. 
“These doors are old and could give way to less than what I plan on using, what we need to be is fast once it blows.”

Buckshot came back from his anger walk and stood next to Animal looking at me, “I’m all for it, but Animal is right every single robot and our Griffin friend will be on their way here.”

I thought of that, “between the time it takes to have this blown open, and the time they can get here we will be out. 
I promise it won't that that long, we will be out of here before you know it.”

I gave them a large grin, nothing could go wrong.

Right after we got to work quickly, moving a few robots one by one over towards the door, moving them didn’t activate them which was a blessing, luck was on my side again. 

Animal and Buckshot where the ones pushing the robots to the door, I was fitted for the heavy lifting and moving of the barrels.
I wasn’t sure just what was in these things, I just knew two earth ponies couldn’t move them on their own without one spilling.

We almost had everything set, most of the wiring was done and the battery cores were strapped individually to six different barrels, when across the room the door leading back to the first floor rooms was thrown open.

Her feathers and fur ruffled in areas, bandages wrapped around the wing buckshot had blown a hole through. She had crusted blood around other areas of her body from where she fought off the robots who were after her.
She was breathing hard as she blocked the door behind her by throwing a rack of robot parts against the door, it’s crash echoed across the factory.

I could tell she was tired and ready to just pass out from exhaustion. Then she turned around to face us, a slight hint of relief on her unsuspecting face. 
She saw us, or more so ... me

What was I to do it was all like before when the doors between certain death and escape closed.

I had said to myself if looks could kill, well that's still present here except now she could kill me if she only twitched and pulled out her gun.

I was expecting Animal or Buckshot to begin shoot but they were just as paralyzed as me. I felt myself want to scream to them to shoot, hell even I still had my weapons I could fight her, she's injured. I just couldn’t move, this griffin wanted me dead so why wasn’t I dead already?


She gave out a loud exhale and walked towards me, her front claws scraping against the concrete floor. 
“I finally caught up with you kid. You Move pretty fast, but really you shouldn’t have run.”
No point in a monologue rant at me she was a trained professional, and only delaying the inevitable was pointless.

The griffin sprang from her walking pace, and jumped at me, her claws outright and ready to dig into my flesh.
I still couldn’t move why couldn’t I move!

Then before I close my eyes, Buckshot had gone and done what I didn’t expect,
he ran up beside me and as the griffin lunged he sent a slug into her chest, pushing her back in the air like a ragdoll and hit the ground hard a pool of blood forming around her body.

“Next time if you decide to stand around like some brain dead mule I will let them kill you.”

I stood there, as I watched Buckshot’s mouth move and an incessant ringing in my left ear drowned out all other sound.
“WHAT?!” I rubbed my ear with a hoof making sure it wasn’t bleeding on me.

Buckshot rolled his eyes and went back to the barrels, “we should get going now no point in waiting around”.

The ringing was slowly subsiding as I looked down at the griffin who lunged at me, “well that was rather anticlimactic.”

Buckshot was still moving a few things around as the Animal and I went for cover, “give me a second I should have this done in a second”. I peaked out from the cover to watch Buckshot work, he moved around the clump of robots and barrels trying to find something I wasn’t sure what, all we had to do was shoot the barrels and everything would explode.

I didn’t hear the griffin begin moving, or her rasping cough. Nor did Animal, he was holding his ears for some reason and ducked behind our poor cover.

I noticed her movement in my peripheral vision just in time to catch her holding up one of her pistols. 
“Buckshot move!!”

Too Late


I remember the bright red explosion feet from me, I was thrown back against the wall. My body cut and sliced into by the shrapnel of the explosion. The sheer push of the explosion sucked the air from my lungs, I felt like my ribs cracked under the pressure.
I gasped for air as I hit the ground, my ears still ringing worse then before. My head spinned along with my blurred vision.
Animal was moving around and yelling something to me, I just couldn’t make any of it out anymore, I wanted to just lay there until I felt better.

But that wasn’t going to happen

“Initial revival complete! Mr. Gusty #2450291 ready for combat sir!”

Animal had begun screaming to me about the robots that were starting to revive from the explosion.
I still couldn’t hear him though as I struggled to my feet.

“Unknown entities detected! Please identify yourselves or be prepared to be exterminated!”

I felt Animal tug me at the neck and begin trying to drag me down and out. As my vision began coming back I saw the robots, I knew this would happen and currently I needed to get my act straight.
I forced myself up, I fought against my body telling me to stop and ran.

The lasers from the robots across the room fired off at us, hitting the ground zapping at my coat and mane as I ran to the gaping hole between me and freedom.

Animal had already been through and was halfway across the lot, once I was out the robots began following us as best as they could.
The fire separated us for some good length of time as we continued on from the nightmare factory.


*~*

“No! I don’t have any drugs, why didn’t you just pack extra if this was going to happen?!”
I ran the bottom of my hoof against my muzzle, a fine streak of dust on my temple.

“Well, I thought we would have had the caravan in our hooves by now. But noooooo we had to take a DETOUR thanks to you!” 
Animal spat his words once again in my face.

I was healed finally, as healed as I could get. My cracked rib was slightly fixed, I could still feel the bandages working their magic. I had more healing potions but only enough for me, I needed it more then Animal did at the time, with me blind and deaf and him a junkie with no drugs we would have been bound for ruin.

It was getting dark, you could see the blazing orange glow of the sun behind the clouds as it began its trek down to wherever the hell the sun went when night comes. We had spent a lot of time in that stupid factory and getting back to Butterscotch’s raider compound was a little more distant then I had hoped for. We might have to stop for the night at the Four Stars Station.

I was so tired of this pony, tired of his constant nagging over how we should have handled things. It was handled to our best effort no point in pouring salt into an open wound!

Rehab got his brains blown out there was nothing I could do about that but kill his murderer which I did.
Buckshot got blown into a thousand little pony chunks, again nothing I could do about that either, I tried to warn him and I was still badly injured I had a better reaction time than Animal thats for sure.

Animal was walking a little ahead of me, I could see his body shaking again. 
His withdrawal had been going on since we began back down the highway. That was when he decided it would be a good idea to poke at my ethics back at the factory.

So I spat back the best way I could.
“You sound like that's my fault! For one it was a kill or be killed situation, would you have rather I just let the griffins kill us?
Running away was the best I could do, and hell I think out of the Four of us Buckshot did the most work, he grounded the Griffin outside and even took her out... of course she came back and killed him, but that's besides the point. 
In fact I would rather HIM be here then you! Fucking junkie!” He stayed quiet, I think bringing up Buckshot was a sore spot for him. I was almost positive he would have rather had him here then me.

As we continued down the highway, I took some time away from the world around me and contemplated today’s endeavor.

It was like my whole body was set on Autopilot as my hooves carried me past pothole and broken down car.

First Butterscotch had never told us Talon Guard would be with the caravan. I felt like that Mare sent us out to die, like she was getting rid of us over some petty grudge or something. I wondered if it was because I never called her Boss, I had heard so much about how she hated being called by her real name and yet I consistently called her just that. 
But Butterscotch is a professional! 
It wouldn’t be smart to be killing off one of your only Unicorns, and out of all of them I am probably the only pony in her little band of bandits to actually stick around if things get hairy at her compound.

I jumped over a small gap in the asphalt, Animal kept his pace ahead of me still shaking like a leaf in his coat.


But, then maybe she didn’t know honestly. 
It was possible she only knew about the Caravan in transit not about those who guarded it. Even then its not like she would have known just who or what was with this one caravan.

From what I gathered Butterscotch has some kind of connection to the Caravan Hub in this corner of Equestria whether it’s someone on the inside or some kind of wire tap.

I kicked a bent tin can across the highway as it clinked and clanged; rolling off to Celestia knows where. Animal had begun looking around in a paranoid fashion. 
His pace slowed


But, then again she would have to have somepony to set up the wiretap and keep it active if she had one so that meant then she would need a pony on the inside AND a wire tap!

Animal began dodging around, afraid of something I couldn’t see. I continued walking forward, oblivious.

Yeah, an inside job seems more understandable... but that just raises more questions! Why didn’t the inside pony let Butterscotch know about the Talon Guard?
Then again, maybe the Talon Guard met up with the caravan after it left the hub so the inside pony had no way of knowing. Ugh! It isn’t my problem!
Jobs almost over anyways no point in worrying but what if..


Animal stopped in the middle of the road, his body still shaking, whispering things as  his shakes become more violent.

I didn’t stop my body was still in autopilot.

I just wouldn’t stop thinking! I wracked my brain for what felt like hours as I slowly and ignorantly walked up to Animal
Somehow my gross overuse of the simplest thing we do on a daily basis allowed connections leading back to before the war, something to do with a bear I know but I can’t seem to recall properly now.
I was a good four steps too close to the shaking pony before I pulled myself from my stupor and slammed awkwardly into Animals backside.

I felt things I shouldn’t have felt... no that’s it, I don’t like thinking about it.


I backpedaled to a degree where I lost my footing and fell back against the concrete, Animal had toppled over himself thanks to the slight “bump”.
I groaned and rubbed a forehoof against the back of my head.
“Ow! Dammit why don’t you watch where you’re going”, oh no cause I wasn’t the one in a walking trance, it was instantly his fault.

Animal got up fast, from the time it took me to bring my hoof up to my head he had scrambled to his feet in a twitch of a blur. He had turned to face my way but avoided eye contact with me, looking around frightened.
I had finally gotten a good look at my companion since we left the Robo-Factory
His matted burgundy coat covered in streaks of black singed hair where he had been shot at and burnt. I could see crusted blood on him and little bites of flesh, juicy pony flesh I guessed little tiny bits of Buckshot.
I mean they both were always close, maybe if Animal was a sober pony he would actually feel something since Buckshot had saved his life when they had first met.
His lips curled twitching around his yellow and black teeth.

I kept my eyes on the raider pony as I slowly got up, it was like the simplest thing could set him off. He cowered, whimpered and whispered to himself as his eyes continued to dart around. He looked like.. well an animal, an animal fresh from years of captivity and then suddenly plopped down in a hostile environment.
I knew this would happen if we couldn’t get him any drugs in time, I just wished it wouldn’t have taken longer. I wrapped my magic around my .357 but let it remain in it’s holster. I cocked back the hammer.
“click”
Animal twitched again and darted his eyes straight at me, still holding that fearful quiver in his pupil.

“Animal? Come on stay with me... The caravan is down the road, we can get your fix. Just stay calm don’t..”

He growled at me, literally! It rumbled in his throat, I honestly would have believed it came from a  dog.
I took a step back.
He took one towards me.

Animal still had the fearful look in his eyes, like he was acting on instinct.

“Animal come on, this isn’t funny! It shouldn’t have been this fast for you to have a break down.. I could kill you!”

Animal circled me growling like some rabid creature of the wasteland, I watched him trying to keep the pony in my sights.
No normal day here in the Equestrian Wasteland

I pulled out the revolver and pointed it at Animal, “I will shoot you, this isn’t a fucking game!”
I wasn’t ready to shoot him, but the raider made his own choice and leaped at me, his mouth frothing with saliva wanting the taste of my exposed throat.

I closed my eyes
“BLAM”
I felt a hot spray hit my face then a wet hard something hit the ground.

I didn’t want to open my eyes, I knew he was dead I knew what I had done but I opened them anyways.
His body sprawled out on the concrete, a deep red oozing hole where his right eye used to be. 
His left was staring at me, the last thing that had gone through his mind before the bullet blew it out against the highway must have been horrifying, cause his face resinated a fear I couldn’t understand.
I raised a hoof to my face, I could see myself shaking. The ordeal left me against with my coat searing in heat and my whole body in shakes. I tried wiping the blood off as best as I could, but all it did was smear against my hoof and face.

I looked back down at the one-eyed pony still staring at me
I averted my eyes anger swelling up inside me, “that was stupid you know! I told you I would shoot you if you don’t stop”

That one eye staring at me in fear

“You just couldn’t behave! We were minutes away and you FREAKED OUT!” I was yelling at somepony who no longer existed. 
Suddenly I was the insane one.

“Why didn’t you just bring more fucking drugs!”
I glared back at him.
All he did was stare back at me.

“Stop it!”
Staring in fear
“I said knock it off!”
Staring in doubt
“Stop looking at me that way!”
Staring in anger

Then, I saw the face of my mother in that dead eye, sweet Celestia! why did I see her. I saw her disapproval, her hate, and all the things she drowned her pain in.
I grew furious

I reared up my forehooves and brought them down on the corpse’s face, smashing bone and sinew. I could feel the squishy flesh and hard bone against my hooves and my legs get splashed.

“It wasn’t my fault dammit”!

I picked up the broken bleeding body with my magic and threw it across the highway, it tumbled and broke before landing at the side of the road, limp as ever.
I felt the heat escape my body, my hooves burned. The words escaped me as I let out a loud scream of anguish.

“It .. was .. my fault.. I never meant for it to happen... I just.. don’t know what went wrong..”

I fell to the floor and curled around myself, I felt hot tears stream down my face leaving streaks in the blood and dust that coated my face. 
I didn’t understand why, why now of all this time outside of my home did I finally break down.
The wasteland’s sense of humor was sick and twisted, to let me move around as I have without a problem then throw me down a few pegs leaving me feelings this way.
I couldn’t help myself, the sudden realization of just where I was in the world hurt more then I could imagine.
“I can’t go .. home... I lost my caravan... oh Celestia.. don’t take what I have left... please”

I thought of Dragon Tongue, and her words of embrace.
Oh how I didn’t want to lose her.


*~*

“Are ya sure you're alright kid?”

My head hurt, it felt like my brain swelled itself against my skull pushing down making my eyelids feel heavy.
“Yeah just... *sniff* been thinking is all, thank you”.

“Hold on there, why don’t you stay a while, might be nice having company cept for ol’ Dell Conagher here”

The Brahmin let out a soft groan from both heads and continued chewing its cud.

I had finally got myself back to the Four Stars station, from there I was planning on just heading back to the compound. Yet when I came around to the front, I heard shuffling and the sounds of a pony talking. 
The Caravan had stayed, if anything waiting for his guard to come back. 

The Caravan pony was cordial and had immediately let me close with out even a gun point.

“Pleasure to meet you young’n, the name is Prairie Tune, I have been trading and traveling these parts for a good three years now.”

It was almost sad just how nice he was, almost heartbreaking really. 
I was fed and even given some fresh supplies free of charge. I insisted on paying but he wouldn’t have it.
Strange that he hadn’t seen me earlier I didn’t hide myself or was even out of view. It could be a few things, either he knew and was waiting for the right time, or he genuinely didn’t know I had come here initially to kill him and his guards.

I still felt horrible, covered in blood and dirt, dirty streaks across my cheeks from where my tears had slid through.
That break down I had seriously gave me something to think about, about my life here in the wasteland and where it was heading. Sure enough it wasn’t going to be hard in the future, but it was about time I had a break down, if not sooner then later at a worse time. 
Now I could cope as best as I could for future events right?


The caravan pony went on and on about his life back home.
“I got two colts and a little filly on the way just waiten for me back home. 
This job I’m on now was the stepping stone on going up in this wasteland. But I’m stuck here until my guards get back, I’m sure they are resting up and by morning they will be back. 
I tell you about my wife?..”

Just on, and on, I was starting to get irritated as if I missed the psychotic rambling of a raider pony so high off his rocker he couldn’t even tell how to use his legs properly.

I perked up at the talk of his current job, “just where are you going”?
We were sitting around a small campfire for the night in the middle of the parking lot at the Four Stars.
He lifted his head from a bowl of greens he had been eating, “some important job... I wasn’t told the specifics just that there was a large sum of caps in it for me if it got to its destination without a scratch”.
Before he said anymore he looked at me odd, “they also told me not to tell anyone... but I guess you're okay, you don’t seem the killing type!”

Oh no, cause I didn’t have blood nearly all over me. I didn’t look like I had just withstood a small explosion of robots and barrels of flammable liquids.
Why did people let me in so easily, maybe being a raider was the job for me.

I looked up and around, it was so very dark. Distant lights so very far away, and yet here I was with a caravan once again watching the clouds swirl into angry shapes above, as if threatening to rain until I was soaked to the bone.

I guess it was time to move on now.

I stood up, feeling the aching in my legs and joints. “I think its time for us to say good bye, I thank you for your hospitality.. really its was greatly appreciated”. I smiled my coat around my mouth felt like leather, aching and stressing to move as my lips formed  to make that face.

Prairie Tune gave a healthy laugh, “the pleasure was all mine kid, if you're ever out by Friendship City ask for me I would certainly be glad to treat you to more good ol’ hospitality”. 
He smiled back, so genuine so real a smile I hadn’t seen since maybe Golden Glow or even back before that. 
It was like this pony had never been hurt, as if his whole life was perfect. I made me angry, but at the same time I was happy for him, happy for what he had.

I chuckled looking straight at the pony.
I don’t know how or why he never saw the pale green sheath glowing around my horn.

click
BLAM!!

The caravan brahmin gave out a loud moo and shifted in its harness attached to the wagon itself. 
Prairie Tune’s body slumped against the side of the wagon, blood splattered up and out of the hole in his head. 
That same look of shock and horror across his face along with blood dripping down into his eyes and pelting off his tongue dangling from his lips.

I looked down at him, I didn’t feel anything this time though as much as I may has stressed to try and feel something, say something about the friendly pony I just killed, I couldn’t or just didn’t want to.

I thought about it I thought long and hard about what I was going to do when meeting this pony. 
To leave and make something up to Butterscotch and just move on, or join up with this Caravan and move on that way by telling him the truth. Or kill him and take what I came for, out of all them I acted on impulse.

I reloaded the shot from my revolver and continued looking down at the body. 
“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry”, I lifted the limp pony with my magic and moved him out of the way.
“Now lets see whats in here”

Crates
A group of crates filled with water, apple whiskey, drugs and healing potions. Sacks filled with the old junk food of the past. As I moved to the back I began thinking Butterscotch had sent me to die and this whole raid was nothing but horse apples.

I pushed past crate and sack until I found a large metal container, I kneeled down beside it and noticed the lock was already broken into. 
The metal container held a scratched nearly off insignia on the top, it was weathered like it was trapped out in the open for years maybe even sometime before the war, then someone came by and opened maybe took its contents along time ago but the people searching for this never knew what was in it.

I opened the lid, what I found surprised me.
A smaller metal box wrapped in plastic, and what looked like a rocket launcher in several pieces. 
I looked at the weapon wondering if I could repair it properly, but then realized I was horrible at repair I was lucky to be able to repair my own pistol.
So I took my focus to the small box and floated it up to my eye’s view.

It wasn’t too small just big enough to fit a pip-buck, I ripped at the plastic with my teeth and opened the metal casing surrounding something supported in Styrofoam. 
To my surprise it was exactly what it was supposed to fit.
A Pip-Buck and it looked new, even new for hundred of years of sitting in a box. I looked at the pip-buck and thought maybe it was about time I had my own.
“Might as well, these things always come in handy out here”.

I began pushing it up my right fore-leg, but then realized how awkward it felt. Something about my right legs I never felt comfortable with them. Hoof print pictures I used to draw usually where with my left hoof so I guess I was just more comfortable with it, so I switched to my left fore-leg.
It was an interesting piece of old technology, it sat on my fore-leg perfectly and even strut around on the ground watching my legs move and how the pip-buck looked on them.
But it wasn’t on yet.

I brought the Pip-Buck up to my face and looked for a start button, anything that would even seem like one at least. There was a turn dial so I turned it back and forth the clicking sound resonated. I messed with the wheel near the dial a few times and even pressed the three bottom buttons and nothing worked.
I was beginning to think I couldn’t get it working, I continued looking around on the pipbuck and found a small red button on the back. I had to use a bobby pin I had found to press the damn thing.
I heard what sounded like a small motor then stop as the screen lit gently with the trademark green terminal as text began typing out.

Pip-buck starting up.... taking tissue sample...

I gave the little device a weird look as it displayed the text
“Tissue sample? when did they... aughhh!!”
I felt a sharp prick under my pip-buck, I wiggled my leg around trying to shake off the stupid thing!
I looked like a buffoon dancing around outside trying to break the stupid thing off. Pip-Bucks were made to withstand the apocalypse what made me think a fresh-out-of-the-box one would be any less durable.
“God dammit! get it off! get it off! when did … fucking pip-bucks take tissue samples!!!”

Processing....... processing complete please follow the instructions as they appear on the screen.

I looked back down at the pip-buck, “this is going to take all night”!
I groaned and slipped into the wagon and opened the crate filled with apple whiskey.
“Long... sweet.. night” 
I took a swig of the whiskey and began pushing buttons, and watched the small green screen buzz in front of my muzzle.

What a way to end such a horrible day.


Footnote: Level Unknown
Pip-buck connected.... re-establishing S.P.E.C.I.A.L.S connection...... connected