Derpibra rushed into the declining building, and found himself in the lobby. Blood stained the walls, and injured or even dead ponies littered the once-sparkling tile floors. Bulletholes decorated the walls, and fires burned away at the structure. “Celestia… how much damage can one mare do?” He muttered.
“Help… me…”
“Hm?” He looked down to see a mare caught under some rubble and burning wood. “Hold on, i’ll get you out!”
“Please! I’m being crushed…”
He ran to her side, spotting a large wooden beam and tiles piled onto her. Since the beam was the closest to the top, he lifted that off and continued down to the rubble. After the tiles and sediments were removed, he propped her over his shoulder. “Can you walk?”
“My legs are sore, but I’m alright.”
“What happened in here? Did anyone else survive?”
“No, she gunned them all down, all the agents. The innocents in here were spared, but was hurt from the aftermath. Most of us made it out, but who knows what’s going on now.”
“Where did she go? Did you see her?”
The mare coughed violently from the smoke. “She went upstairs… that’s all I know.”
“Thanks. I’ll put an end to this. Just get out of here before this place crumbles.”
“What about you?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make it out.”
“Celestia bless you!” The mare trotted out from the door.
Upstairs… alright. Let’s go.
He made his way down the sultry hallway until he reached an elevator shaft, with it’s doors wide open. He poked his head through and looked upwards, seeing that the final floor wasn’t too far above. Right when he was ready to take flight, he heard a terrible metallic screech, signalling that an elevator was flying straight down. He yanked his head back, and only the afterimage of the contraption came to before a deafening crash was heard from below. That was too close.
He flared his magic then soared through the shaft before reaching the highest floor. He landed in a private office on level seven that had a clear overlook of Trottingham. The office seemed to bear a former look of luxury before Optix found her way to it.
The mare in question held a stallion by an enchanted hoof, and he struggled helplessly. She held her bloodstained pistol to his chest. “P-p-please! Mercy! I have a family! Don’t kill me… my children won’t have a father to come home to if you do…!”
“And you didn’t think of that when you murdered my parents!? You took what was left of my family from me, Senator Delegron? Now, the hunter knows how it feels to be hunted. But hey, at least your kids still has their mother, right?” She pulled the trigger several times, pouring lead into him before she tossed him from a nearby window. “How dare him, giving me that bullshit excuse. Like I care.”
“Optix!” Derpibra shouted.
She frowned. “So, you followed me here, even when I told you not to…” She aimed her weapon for his forehead. “Why!? Why not let me carry out my mission!?”
“I had no choice! This will solve nothing, you just going on a bloody rampage! If anything, you’ll just have yourself become an even bigger target to other branches of this company!”
“Good! Hahahhahaha! Let them come for me! I will kill them all!!”
“I can’t let you throw yourself into danger so carelessly Optix. You’ll be fighting a whole army on your own!”
She snickered. “So? Don’t you get it pea-brain? My real home is on the battlefield, surrounded by destruction, death, and the ability to decide someone else’s fate, with one pull of the trigger! The power, the dominance! The smell of the blood of my prey… it’s exhilarating! When everyone bends to my power, my hoof, it’s fucking delicious!”
“You’ve gone mad Optix! Can’t you see what you’ve done? You making yourself a bigger target is doing the same to your sister too! You made a promise to your parents to protect her didn’t you? Stick to it!”
“That is what I’m doing! I’m getting rid of the threat… once and for all!”
The sound of somepony clapping sounded from the corner of the room. “Impressive show. And here I thought you wouldn’t amount to anything.”
“I-Ice Breaker?” Derpibra gasped.
“Optix, your ability to kill is reassuring. You aren’t weak like I thought you were, though perhaps you aren’t so much formidable as me.”
“You better shut up, you twit. Who’s to say I won’t use my impressive ability to kill on you!?”
Ice Breaker chuckled. “Tsk tsk, that’s no way to treat a friend, right?”
She snarled at him.
“Derpibra, this mare has lost her composure. I’d say she’s at no point of return.”
“H-how did you- weren’t you outside with the others?”
“Irrelevant. Just know that she may not be all that she’s cracked up to be. She may be able to kill, but she is still a mare, and deserves to die like one.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I dare you to kill me!” She shrieked. “You know nothing of struggle you asshole! I’ve been in hiding, lived like trash, and without family! Those were the longest two years of my life! Living in constant fear, always looking over my shoulder! I couldn’t even feel comfortable in my own house! Not here, not Ponyville, not anywhere!”
“Oh, spare us your sob story.” Ice Breaker said bluntly. “What we see now is a killer, a psychopathic maniac. What you try to portray on the outside is but an optical illusion now. Regardless of what you did, you will likely face execution because of how many murders you committed. For what amount of forgiveness do you expect of such a heinous crime?”
She merely growled.
“My point exactly. And, honestly, now you’ll really have to say goodbye. Not that I’m depressed about it.”
“Ice Breaker, shut up already!” Derpibra snapped. “You antagonizing her isn’t going to help anything. I’ll deal with you myself if you don’t stay quiet!”
“Then what do you propose we do stallion? You don’t seriously expect to help this criminal? You’d be labelled an accomplice to murder if you do. At least be smart about it for Celestia’s sake.”
“I don’t care.” He turned to face Optix. “Listen, I know why you did this, we all do, but now you’re on Equestria’s Most Wanted list. I’ll make sure you disappear. Take your truck and your plane and get out of here. Go to another country next to Equestria or farther maybe.”
“But what about Bullet?”
“Don’t worry about her. We will keep her safe. We will keep your promise to your parents true.”
The stained mare headed for the door, but she looked back. “Will me meet again?”
He looked down briefly. “If we’re lucky.”
Before she stepped out, she tossed her Colt 57 towards him for him to catch. “Keep it. My first pistol I made since I started my service in the army years ago. I don’t need it anymore. Use it to remember me.” After that, she disappeared down the hall.
Derpibra observed the pistol, noting that it had a bulky design and covered with dried bloodstains. Her name was engraved into the grip, and was built with an extended magazine that stretched from it’s bottom, but strangely it had no ammunition. He figured she was using magical bullets to fire it.
“Well?”
“Oh, right. Let’s get out of here.” The duo dove from the building into a stack of leaves to break their fall. They then made their way down the road to spot Twilight and the others gathering up civilians. “Is everyone alright?”
“Eeyup.” Applejack replied. “Should be everyone here. Where’s Optix?”
“She’s far from us now. I don’t know where she went after she left, but we’ll find her again. But for now, let’s get out here. I’ll explain more on the way back. We’ll need to catch a train since she took the truck and the plane.”
“Sounds like a good plan Derpi. Alright everypony, let’s saddle up.”