Fallout Equestria: Brass Sentinel

by Chemtest

Raiding the Raiders

I grimace from the smell of a desecrated caravan on the road. Broken boxes, blood, no bodies left around. Yep, definitely a raider attack. Jokes on them, I can use this to track them. Big groups leave big trails. Raiders shamble around a lot, so their prints are easier to track than most.

I start to follow the prints, until I notice something. A set of prints that are steady and normal. That means that they kept one of their prisoners alive, or somepony else is hunting them. Call me pessimistic, but I believe it’s probably the former option.

I steadily plod on towards the raider’s outpost.

———

Turns out following a trail like that isn’t that hard. Wasn’t that far away either. Seems like a smallish encampment, only ten in there.

The building they’re in, Hoof and Nail, seems to be pretty easy to sneak up on. Very few windows, many entrances. Easy, even for somepony like me.

So, I sneak to the back enternce of the nearly repaired building. Ducking under windows, and keeping low to the ground. Simple in concept, not really hard when those your sneaking up to are busy making noise. Raiders, so stupid it makes me wonder how they managed to get so dangerous.

I reach the side of the building, and peek around to the back. Two stand there, looking in the opposite direction and eating noisy chips. It’s almost unfair to them, even if two on one.

I sneak up right behind them. I prepare a telekinetic fist towards the one on the left, and raise up to beat the one on the right, “Creators forgive these ponies.”

My spell manages to decapitate one before they can comprehend my words. The other one, however, shouts one word, “Wrong!”

I punch in the back of their head, and punch once more. His skull was apparently so weak, his head caves in instantly. Not like it matters, the other raiders all come running out.

Two of them open fire on me with poorly constructed guns. I take at least five of their shots into me, and at least two penetrate. I managed to grab a dead body and put it between myself and the gunfire. They fire until they’re out.

I move to smash their heads in, and I see one that looks different. His eyes normal, not the piss yellow of raiders. His grin not born of insanity. His guns, polished and shiny. His walk, normal instead of shuffling.

I don’t think about this as I smash in the heads of the two raiders who fired at me. Somehow they both die from that, Creators must be blessing me today.

And when I look for another target, I see the normal pony smile at me, and slip out his revolver. He uses some weird mechanism he has attached to his hoof to move and fire it. The bullet pierces a raiders head instantly, and he aims at another.

I smile as I realize I’ve spotted the steady walker from earlier. I rush towards the nearest raider, and tackle them. Sitting on top of them, I bring down my two front hooves on his face, only adding to the force are my two dusters. Right, left, right, left, right, left, both.

Blow upon blow lands upon the helmeted head of the raider. Dents are left wherever I hit, but this raider apparently drank his milk. It requires me to hop off of him, and jump on top of his head to finnaly squish it.

I look around for my next target, only to see the nineth and final raider’s head blown off.

I look forward at the normal looking pony as he spins his revolver away, “Now then, I killed most of them, I get the bigger cut. Split loot 80-20 my direction, okay?”

I glare at him, “Split the loot?”

He spins out his revolver and points it at me, “If you’re implying you are going to rob me of my rightful loot, then I will kill you before you can reach me. I disguised myself as one of them, I killed most of them, you’re the one who ruined my plan. I get 80.”

I shake my head, “You’re going to loot these ponies?”

He snorts, “What do you think I was going to do, burn the loot? Sorry, I’m afraid my name isn’t Sentinel, I actually make use of the loot.”

I frown, “I know you aren’t Sentinel, that would be me.”

He snarks out, “Oh, look out, we got a badass here! Oh no, Sentinel, I’m shaking in my horseshoes! Should I get down on my knees and beg for forgiveness for having a profitable job?”

I slam my hoof into my face, “What type of a pony are you as to where looting the dead is a job?”

He starts to search a corpse, “I’m good at killing, I hate raiders, raiders have good loot. Killing then looting dead raiders seems like a pretty good conclusion from that. You seem to do the same, except the whole looting part.”

I dodge out of the way as he absentmindedly throws a empty bottle over his shoulder, “And what do you spend the money on?”

He continues looting, “Upgrades and keeping myself alive. The better equipment, the more raiders dead, the better for everypony.”

I think for a bit, “So, you kill raiders to get money to kill more raiders?”

He nods, and walks over to me, “Look, Sentinel, it’s clear you’re new to the business. But, you and me together could make a good team. What do you say, we both kill raiders, and I loot and sell them?”

I think it over, “Well, you did shoot pretty good.”

He smiles, “Well, you fought good, your equipment just needs to be better. This place sold civilian grade unarmed weapons, nothing too crazy but still pretty good. Raiders never got into it. Now, if we work together, I can get you better weapons, and we can work together to cleanse Vanhoover of raider’s. Hell, maybe even the skeleponies if we get good enough equipment.”

I hold out my hoof, “I can see this working out.”

And he shakes, “Pleasure to do future business with you, Sentinel. Call me Hunter.”

I nod, “So, you said there are unarmed weapons in here?”

He smiles and nods, “Follow me, and you can get first choice.”

———

Footnote: Level Up.

New Perk Added: Force and Finesse— As you travel with a gun totin companion, you get +10 Unarmed and Melee, and they get +10 Guns and +1 Perception.