Fallout Equestria: Black Cat

by Rixizu

Chapter 43

Aurora took in a deep breath, ready to put everything in this next move. Despite his previous claims, the raider eyed the surrounding soldier with fear in his eyes. He wasn’t ready to die yet. The soldiers raised their weapons. The raider took a step back realizing their intentions and his eyes darted searching for any way to escape. After realizing he had none, he tried dragging Break and her chair towards the cloud street, ready to take her with him.

The raider screamed as a laser blasted his hoof and he involuntarily released Break. In a last-ditch effort, he launched at her with his stand before the chair even reached the ground. Aurora wasted no time launching her own stand. The enemy’s stand froze when Aurora stuck it, unable to match her stand in a speed contest. The raider screamed as lasers pierced his body tearing it to pieces. The soldiers aimed nonlethally, but the damage took its toll. Aurora stopped any attempt to fight back with his stand. The soldier’s stopped when their guns started jamming. Aurora could only stop his stand moving, not its power. She held up a hoof content to let the raider bleed to death.

“Please! Don’t do this!” The raider had tears in his eyes. Already life faded from his eyes. He was dying, and nopony had any desire to save him.

“Talk. Why do you know Break is here?” Aurora asked. “What is this prophecy you keep blabbing about?”

“He only told me what we all saw!” The raider replied. “The Black Cat brings death and ruin everywhere she goes! She killed several hundred ponies only a few days ago, and she won’t stop there. Eventually, she’ll gain the power to destroy the world! That’s why she came after the skull to gain its terrible power and become unstoppable!”

The skull? Surely it only gave stands powers? On the other hoof, it was an alien creature beyond anything she’d ever seen before.

“One day soon, the world will burn by her hoof!” The raider’s agitation increased and Aurora didn’t even need to restrain him, too distracted by his diatribe. It increased the severity of his wounds, but he didn’t care. “The alien skeleton is the key! It will unlock…” The raiders became weaker, but he continued to force out the words, anyway. “Its evil lives on!” The raider passed out collapsing to the floor and everypony released a collective breath.

She spent a moment collecting herself and carefully walked over the raider’s body expecting a sneak attack. She checked its pulse and found him dead, his heat already leaving it.

“Get this one back in a cell.” Aurora pointed towards Break. “I’ll tell the higher-ups…” What would she tell them? She barely understood the raider’s insane rambles and hoped the other would be more coherent. Whatever the case, somepony needed to do something. Aurora’s gut told her she’d uncovered something bigger than herself, and she promised to learn its meaning.

---

“I understand your argument, Sergeant, but this is a tricky situation.” Commander Blackwing said trying to keep this meeting from getting out of control, again. Several bigwigs sat next to him, who eyed her with equal parts reverie and wariness.

Aurora forced herself to calm down. “I’m only saying, sir, that action is necessary before we get attacked again. Two different groups attacked us.” At least they’d learned the raiders were acting on their own. The still-living raider revealed as much. They had him restrained, ready for execution. It was a shame he didn’t know more, but they’d gotten prophet’s description at least.

“We realize this, but an expedition into the wasteland would be unwise.” General Capstone said. “The Enclave doesn’t involve itself with the surface world.”

“But we have real threats!” General Wind Dancer added. “Skyway and this organization shouldn’t go unpunished!”

“I understand your reasoning, but we don’t have the resources. Not after the attack.” Blackwing sighed. The raider’s attack had cost the lives of sixteen Enclave soldiers with four in critical care. It was a significant loss and didn’t count in the ones involved in Skyway’s attack.

The bigwigs argued amongst themselves and it was obvious they’d get nowhere. Despite Enclave’s unmatched power, politics and uncertain leadership clipped it. Aurora should have realized this truth sooner. After much deliberation, they decided nothing.

“What about the Mud-er Earth Pony Break Point?” Wind Dancer asked. “Has she been questioned yet?”

“Not yet,” Blackwing replied, “we’ve placed her in a new secure location and she’ll leave sedation soon. We will get some answers from her.”

“Good. We’ll soon get some answers.” Wind Dancer said. “What shall we do with her afterwards?”

“Will you execute her?” Aurora’s breath caught in her throat.

“She is an enemy of the state. We can’t afford leniency!” Capstone said with steel in his voice.

“Her kind doesn’t belong here.” Capstone’s lips formed a hard line. “We should eliminate her soon.”

“We already have a blood sample,” Blackwing added, “it would be a pity to kill such a unique specimen, but I agree about her ability to cause trouble.”

It’s for the best. She started this whole debacle and yet… Aurora still couldn’t find it in her heart to hate her, but orders were orders. The bigwigs agreed to have another meaning once they learned more about this mysterious organization that had betrayed Break. Afterward, they’d concluded her fate.

---

Break winced as a bright light struck her face. Where was she? What had happened? Her mind was hazy. She recalled a fight, but with whom it was impossible to recall.

“Break Point?” A hard voice said coming from everywhere, and nowhere. Break got better details of her surroundings and found herself clamped to a metal chair in an empty metal room.

“Yes.” Break replied weakly.

“I will ask you some questions.” The pony said. “Refuse or lie, and we will hit you with several hundred volts. Summon your stand, and the same will happen.”

“Stand?” A flash of memory hit Break. She’d been in a stand battle before losing consciousness. The hazy memories returned to her. Skyway had gone insane and betrayed her. Dear Celestia, he’d betrayed her and attacked the city, but why? It made no sense.

And now Green Mile thinks I’ve died a second time.

“Well!” A harsh voice said, making Break wince.

“Are you, the Enclave?” Break voice was weak but understandable.

“That is correct. You are in our custody, as is your fate.” The voice replied. “First question, who do you work for?”

Should I lie? She had no love for the Knights of Heaven. They’d betrayed her, or at least Skyway did. They were an insane and dangerous cult. Should she send the Enclave after them for the good of everypony? But, if she did that Green Mile and Scavenger would get hurt and she couldn’t bear that possibility. She realized they’d given no guarantees they’d let her live if she was truthful. Yet, she didn’t want to get tortured either. She winced as a sudden surge of electricity passed through her body. Her entire body screamed, burned by an intense fire. It left her entire body shaking and her stomach twisted.

“That’s only a taste, Break Point.” The voice said. “We expect your answers to be prompt. We will get our answers. Refusing to answer will only cause you more pain. Understand?”

Break nodded. Should she give up the answers? Did she have a choice? Someone had to stop the Knights of Heaven. Could Scavenger do it alone? No, Break couldn’t answer. As furious as she was at Skyway for betraying her, she refused to allow any danger to her cousin or her friend. She’d take the pain.

---

Aurora bit her lip. Why was this mare being so stubborn? What was she protecting? Otherwise, why take such punishment for someone who betrayed her? Break screamed again as the electricity surged through her body and Aurora’s stomach turned, imagining what it smelled like inside the room. She’d expected the earth pony to retaliate with her stand, anything. Instead, she stayed slumped against her restraints, refusing to speak a single word. After four hours, Aurora was at her limit. The torture session was worse than she’d ever imagined. Without realizing it, Aurora had exited the room.

“Stop the session for now.” Commander Blackwing said following her.

“I’m sorry, sir.” Aurora took in deep gulps of air. “I know this is necessary. I should be stronger.”

Blackwing gave her a weak smile. “I don’t blame you. I don’t find it any more palatable. I can’t believe the stubbornness of that dirt pony. I suppose it’s not surprising given her kind.”

“What will happen if she continues to refuse to talk?” Aurora asked. Commander Blackwing remained silent. “I see.” Break was dead regardless if she talked or not.

An idea flashed in her head. “Break knows me. Maybe I should ask the questions? She might give something up.”

Blackwing scratched his chin. “It’s worth a try, sergeant. She might reveal something, even unintentionally. I agree. We’ll begin the interrogation in three hours; let’s give the dirt pony time to stew.”

---

Break kept her eyes closed; resting from the beating these ponies had given her. They’d given her a brief respite, and she planned to take every advantage. Instead of worrying about her fate, she plotted her escape. The voice said they’d shock her if she attempted using her stand. She figured they had that Aurora mare watching her every move unless they had another stand user. So far, Break had resisted using Good Times Bad Times waiting for the right moment to strike. She found her chair fixed to the ground so her gravity powers were useless, but she figured the restraints holding weren’t strong enough to withstand her stand’s strength. They may have battered her body, but her will and mind remained resolute. Her eyes opened as somepony opened the door revealing the accidental stand user, Sergeant Aurora. Break said nothing, watching as Aurora entered with her own chair.

“Hello, are you comfortable?” Aurora asked after sitting down.

Moments passed, but Break didn’t reply. Undaunted, Aurora continued. “I want to have a chat. They have allowed me to grant leniency if you cooperate.” Again, Break didn’t respond.

“Fine, I see you want to make this difficult. Tell me, why did you save my life?”

“It’s what any decent pony would do.” Break’s voice was ragged but strong. She didn’t know why she replied, but something compelled her to.

“Thank you.” A smile formed on the sergeant’s lips. “Few will risk their lives for an enemy.”

A surge of frustration washed over Break. What was Skyway thinking?

“Is the town okay? Skyway did some serious damage to it.” Break asked, not hiding her anger.

“There were numerous casualties and some serious structural damage, but New Cloudsdale is recovering.”

“Good. That’s something.”

“Why? Why did he do it?” Aurora gave Break a pointed look, which made her wince.

Break sighed, unsure how to reply. “He just did it.”

“He just did it?”

Despite her desire to remain quiet, something compelled Break to offer some explanation. “I don’t know. He was a soldier unafraid to kill, but…”

“But…”

“Nothing showed he was capable of doing that.” Break clinched her mouth so hard it hurt. “It was a simple mission. In and out. What was he thinking?! It’s almost as if…” A strange thought struck Break.

“As if an enemy stand had affected his mind.” Break continued the strange theory. Was she just being paranoid? Stands made many crazy abilities. It made one jump at every shadow, and yet…

“An enemy stand?” Aurora’s mouth hung open, shocked.

“It’s a random thought. A fanciful theory. If you want to know why he turned on me, ask him yourself.”

“Don’t worry, we intend to.” Aurora’s expression turned hard. “But, we need his location. Almost eighty ponies died because of him.”

Break didn’t reply, pain visible on her face. She wanted justice for what happened, but she refused to put her cousin and Scavenger in danger no matter what.

“Did you hear me?”

Break flinched when Aurora slammed her hoof against the floor. “Then why are you protecting him?!”

“I don’t have a choice.” Break replied, her voice weak. She averted her gaze when the other mare glared at her.

She’s got me over a barrel. If she revealed her secrets, the Enclave would probably kill her allies in the Knights. If she stayed silent, Skyway and his organization would only hurt more ponies. Break wanted to scream. If only she could escape, warn Scavenger, anything!

A knock at the door interrupted Aurora’s next scathing remark, and another pegasus greeted her at the door. They conversed quietly to each other, but Aurora kept one eye on Break, believing the earth pony broke, but not helpless.

It gave her two options; choose between saving Green Mile or stopping Skyway. No, she wouldn’t allow it. The Enclave couldn’t hold her, and Skyway and the Knights wouldn’t get away from their crimes. Filled with an unexpected resolve, Break summoned Good Times Bad Times.

Before Aurora could even let out a cry of warning, Break’s stand punched the cable connecting her chair to whatever power source they used to electrode here. They thought they’d cleverly disguised it, but Break was a mechanic and saw through the flimsy grey tube hiding it. It was small and only a slight discolored from the rest of the chair, but she’d noticed it right away.

“Shock her!” Aurora cried out, but it was too late and the cord was severed. Break wasted no time attacking her restraints, her stand tearing them like they were wet tissue paper.

“Close the door!” The other pegasi said. “She can’t break out of the cell.” He moved to close the door, but Break used her gravity powers to throw herself outside. Aurora attacked her with her own stand, but Break had ducked under it with a sudden gravity shift.

Break heard guns being cocked and found herself surrounded by guards with laser guns. They weren’t so careless to leave her unguarded even with their specially made cell, but Break was already a blur of motion as their guns fired on her.

Shots flew past her as she threw herself towards the ceiling, and they flew harmlessly past her. The soldiers realized their mistake and raised their guns, some taking to the air, firing in random directions to catch her off guard and limiting her movement, but Break was already flying towards them. She winced as a bolt clipped her leg, but she was already flying past them.

“Come back here!” Aurora flew after her, but Break didn’t care about fighting, only running, something she excelled at. The soldier fired after her, but she already turned a corner and flew around it.

The soldiers chased after her and she didn’t doubt some would be strong enough fliers to catch her. She dove into the nearest room, closing the door. After searching for a second, she found a heavy-looking table using her stand to block the door with it. It wouldn’t hold for long, but she hoped it would buy her enough time. A startled pegasus mare gaped at her terrified, holding a cup of coffee.

“Excuse me.” Break found a wall hopefully leading outside and used her stand to break through it. Unlike the metal walls from her cell, its flimsy drywall shattered from her stand’s punches.

“What the hay was that?” A voice outside said.

“S-she’s in here!” A pegasus mare yelled back, but Break was already moving, jumping through the gap in the wall into another corridor. Already she heard ponies trying to break the door down she barricaded. Break flew down the hallway and found another room breaking through the closest wall. It led to another corridor, and she found a small window and sunlight filtered in.

Curses followed her as she broke through the small window, and she enjoyed the sunlight’s rays soaking in. To her, their brilliance helped heal the wounds inflicted by the Enclave. Luck was with her and she located a cloud floor nearby and flew over the fence blocking her path. An automated torrent fired on her, but they used bullets which she blocked them without difficulty. More yelling, but she ignored it, flying through the cloud cover to the surface below. They could fly after her, but she wouldn’t make following her easily and it would take time to ready a skyship to chase after her. She spotted a nearby rocky outcrop and flew towards it, hoping it would provide someplace she could hide and lie low.