Fallout Equestria: lost Remembrance

Chapter 4: Shoot out at the Cotton Tavern.

My eyes shot open and I sat up in my bed soaked in sweat. I looked at my pip buck. 0800 on the dot. Again. I got out of bed and began to put on my armor again. I put the Thumper in the quick draw holster, the 10mm on my side. The ZA assault rifle at the ready, and All-Equestrian for a back up. I got the trench coat on and noticed my Riot helmet staring right at me on the dresser next to the window. I almost freaked out as I realized that I left my helmet in the overmare’s office. I picked up with my magic and placed it on my head. When I did something went into my vision. A vision of blood, screaming, gunfire and a green mare. When it stop the clocked on the wall went to 8:01. I shook my head but, all it did was giving me a headache. I walked outside to the corridor. When I did Fire came out with a teddy bear yawning and still in pajamas. The moment he saw me, he slowly back away into his room, keeping eye contact with me. I chuckled at this. When he came out he smiled sheepishly. I could see the impression of the teddy bear in his bag. Now, I got shit on him.

About fifteen minutes later we were at the door. Fire opened the door and we started down the tunnel. Light filtered into the tunnels through cracks and holes everywhere. When we got to a gate, I opened the gate the frosty air hit us like a sledgehammer. The pip buck HUD lit up and is said you have discovered E. Market Sq. Metro. I turned to Fire to see that he was looking up at the building up ahead. “What’s wrong, Fire?” I asked.

“Well, you know that bounty that’s on your head from the NCR?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Well, it is seems that our little red friends have placed one on you and me and it seems that they want you alive, but, they want me dead or alive.”

“Damn it.” I said looking at the poster. “Motherfucker, I hate these damn things sometimes.”

“What?” Fire asked.

I showed him the poster next to my face. “They can never get my nose right!”

He shook his head. “Whatever, lets go before I freeze to death.” he replied.

After about three hours of traversing the twists and turns we came up to the market square.

We entered the building and for a frozen wasteland there was some bustle and hustle in this place. Well, this is a town. I shrugged but, the moment that I walked in I started to get some looks. I was getting a bad feeling. As we came to the Cotton trail caravan company booth and ponies recognized Fire. “WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU DESERT FIRE!?” the ponies with a daisy suit on with a cigar his mouth.  “Were you off having a fucking holiday or something and where the hell is our shipment that is a week late!?”

I could tell that Fire was on the verge of a breakdown or meltdown. “Sir, I’m quitting.”

The Boss was about to say something else but, he turned from white to red with rage. “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THAT YOUR QUITTING! YOU ARE UNDER CONTRACT FOR TEN SHIPMENTS!” he yelled spitting out the cigar from his mouth.

“Say it, don’t spray it.” I said wiping the spit off my mask.

The boss looked at me. “And who the fuck are you, asshole?” he yelled.

I took off my helmet and glared at him. “If you ask me you are the asshole here. I’m the pony that got Fire out of that fucking arena alive and he has been with me ever since. And just to let you know my name is fucking Last shell.” I said slamming my bowie knife into the table, starling him.

“Wait, let not get rash here.” he said, pulling his collar.

Fire pushed me back as he stepped forward. “Let me take care of this. Go to some of the bars or something.”

“Alright, I’m going to get some whiskey and some other shit. I have the craving for Sparkle-cola and yes I’m going to get you one.” I said walking off into the watching crowd. After a bit at the bar and getting a little drunk, I wound up at an booth and on the floor some time later.

“Hello, sir what can I do for you today?” the mare said leaning over the table.

“Do you have anything interesting, besides your looks?” I said getting up. She blushing like a rose.

“I got some things that might interest you besides me.” she said. I could tell that she winked but, barely through the fuzzy vision. “I have an old wanted poster for a pony named Eagle shot.”

I whipped my head toward. “Who’s Eagle Shot?”  Why did this name interest me and why does it sound familiar?

“Ok, you must be new here or something as everypony in Stalliongrad knows Eagle Shot. He was a infamous sniper that stuck fear into the Zebras.  They placed a hundred thousand bit bounty in the first year. But, after about three years of service he disappeared. No pony knows what he looks like because he always wore riot armor.”

I looked her straight in the eye. “What else do you know about him?”

She just shrugged and showed me the poster. “Not much, just what is on the poster.” All it showed was a pony in riot armor with an sniper rifle with a winterized finish. All I could see was a little of the side of the helmet and it had a symbol on it. It appeared to have a set of wings with thundercloud with a lighting bolt come out of the cloud. The pony was in the middle of reloading his rifle, it had a solid stock which was kind of weird. But, if you looked closely it had twenty-five tally marks and counting. Damn. “But, I do remember that he had about a hundred and thirty-two kills before he disappeared. Just seven away from the most recorded sniper kills made by a single pony.” she said snapping me out of my concentration.

“uh, what? Wait, he made how many? Damn. But, I got one question what is this symbol on his helmet?” I said in one breath.

“I think that is the Ministry of-” She was interrupted by the sound of gunfire.

“Shit!” I knew where that was coming from. I floated the helmet on my head and pulled out Thumper. I looked at the mare. “Get Security and met me at the Cotton trails caravan booth!” I said running and stumbling toward the booth and Fire. I cocked Thumper. When I got to the booth, Fire was behind a overturned steel table that is getting pelted by bullets. The buck in the Daisy suit was rubbing his jaw and firing his pistol. Two of the body guards are firing their assault rifles at Fire, pinning him down. I jumped tackling one of the body guards. When the other one saw me he tried aim his rifle at me but, before he could I had my pistol against his head. “If you even move your fucking rifle even a little I will shoot you. Now, drop it.” when I said that the guard dropped his gun and it went quiet for a moment I could hear the moans of ponies caught in the crossfire. I heard a gun fire behind me but, I thought of the boss shooting me instead it was the mare from the booth with a smoking lever action rifle in her aurora. She had shot the gun out of the Boss’ mouth.  Behind her was two fully armored guards with sub-machineguns on their battle saddles.

“What’s going on here?” one of them said he had a scruffy voice like he need a drink of water.

“I was attacked by a-”

“He tried to fucking kill me, just trying to get the pay I’m owed!” Fire interrupted the dipshit in the daisy suit.

“Alright, but I want to get the input of the Company owner.” the other guard said.

“Thank you, sir. As I was saying before the buck over there interrupted me.” he pointed at Fire who was almost spewing flames out his ears. “He attacked me for no reason and I owe him nothing, he didn’t bring me any of the goods I ordered to sell here and that was in my agreement with him for ten shipments and he only brought nine so I don‘t owe him anything.”

The guards looked at Fire like they were about to shoot him on the spot. “My agreement with him is that if there are any casualties during travel, pony and nature alike that I would get compensation for survival  and loss. So you owe me two hundred-fifty caps. Fifty for each pony killed and a hundred if captured by raiders, also the last part I’ve done ten shipments already and this was my eleventh shipment. I’ve got my contract right here in black and white but, he won’t admit that this is his signature.” he said taking out the contract.

The guard that had a beard took it out of his mouth and inspected it for moment. “This is legit, you owe him the two hundred-fifty caps and all of the medical bills for everybody that was hurt in your little shoot out.  And if you don’t pay up we will personally kick you out of this place.” they looked at me with Thumper still in the body guard’s face. “Thank you sir for not shooting this pony and resolving this in a peaceful way. But, you can holster your pistol now or you will be charged with assault with a deadly weapon.” he then, turned to the mare. “Thank you for getting us when you heard the shooting and for shooting the gun from Mr. Cotton.” The guard looked at the crowd. “Alright, show’s over get going.”

I holstered Thumper and began to walk to Fire as Mr. Cotton threw the bag of caps over to him. “Now, get the fuck out of my face. You will never have a job in this caravan ever again and I hope that Celestia herself apple bucks you in the face.”

Fire looked at me as he picked up the caps and placed them in his bag. “Alright, we can get the fuck out of here and-” he was interrupted by the rumbling of his stomach. “And get something to eat I guess.”

“I know a place; so follow me.” the green mare said. Fire looked at me and I shrugged. “Are you coming?” she yelled. We began to follow her but, I could feel the heat for Mr. Cotton’s scowl.  We followed the green mare for bit and we wound out at a little bar and restaurant mainly bar. I sat down at the corner of the bar, looking over my shoulder. I got my ZA rifle ready to draw and fire. “Alright, I hope you guys like noodles.”

Fire looked at me and then, at the mare. “OK, first thank you for the noodles and two who are you?”

After she ate some the noodles, she looked up at me then, ate some more. “Only if he tells me his name.”

I looked at her as I took my helmet, my mane poking me in the eye a little. I blow the blue strand from my face. “My name’s Last shell and this is my friend Desert Fire but, I just call him burnbutt.” I said with a small chuckle with a gib smack to the back of my head as an answer. I looked back at the mare, her rifle on the table ready to be drawn if need be. Paranoia, it looks like I’m not the only one. “I didn’t catch your name.”

She swallowed  what food was in her mouth and looked in the eye. “Name’s Winchester nice to meet ya.” she said putting out a hoof. I shook it and began to eat my noodles.  “So, what you are guys thinking of doing after you leave here and I know that leaving this city is almost impossible because the Caravans of your friend barely makes it.”

“Well, we are just looking for more information about something.” Fire said drinking a Sparkle-cola. Of course.

She raised her eyebrow at that. “What are looking for?”

I put down my bowl as I drank the juice from the noodles. “We are looking for info on the NCU.”

“NCU? You mean those North Communists bastards?”

“Those are the ones?” Fire said.

“Well, shit.” Winchester said scratching her head. “What did you do to piss them?” she said sticking a cigarette in her mouth and lighting it.

Fire and me looked at each other and chuckled a little. “Well, we don’t exactly know but, what we do know is that we killed an entire capture squad of about five of their ponies.” Fire said causally with a shrug.

She dropped her cig in amazement. “You what?” She said in shock. “You killed five of their goons with just the two of you. You two much have been close to being killed.” She said taking out another cigarette.

I cracked a smile and chuckled. “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades.” I said looking at my empty bowl. My ears perked up as I heard something tumble on the floor to our left near the entrance of the bar. “Speaking of hand-grenades.” I said flipping the table with my magic just as the grenade exploded, peppering the table with shrapnel. Before anypony could get up the sound of machinegun fire and bullets started to come through the walls ripping anypony apart that got in the way of the bullets. I dove behind the table putting on my helmet and taking out Thumper and my 10mm pistol. I began to look around and saw that my ZA rifle was thrown across the room from the blast. I turned to my right to see that Winchester and Fire was behind the main bar with two other ponies taking cover. The firing stopped but the sounds of screaming and moaning continued. I checked both my pistols and they were both loaded with hollow points. I peaked around the table and saw that masked ponies in Combat Armor were coming in with machineguns and assault rifles. “Fuck.” I murmured to myself as they got closer.

They stopped. “Alright, kill any survivors the boss says that they went in here and to kill them without mercy and remember no witnesses within earshot. You can do what you please boys.”

I began to hear execution shots and I looked over at Fire and Winchester both were bleeding from shrapnel and bullets wounds covering their bodies. Fire was looking at me and he shook his head, mouthing “Don’t do it, they will kill you.”

The shot began to come closer and closer. “Hey, newbie check behind the table, while I get some action.”

“Fine.” the newbie said. I could hear the hoof steps as he got closer.

Just as he got to the top of the table; I jumped up, placing the 10mm under his chin. “Hello there.” I said with grin as I splattered the ceiling with his brains. The others looked at me in shock. I aimed Thumper at buck that was about to rape one the waitresses.

“What the fu-” was he was able to say as I shot him with Thumper. Damn, it deserves its name but, when it hit him it nearly blew him in half. I really need to read that note some more because I didn’t know that it could cause fucking him to obliterated. On the top of my HUD it said Critical hit on Murder.

I began to fire with both pistols as they tried to figure out what is happening. I fired Thumper again and it went click. They began to fire at me as they found out where the fire was coming from. I dropped it drawing my other .44. I fired again hitting them in the necks and heads killing all of them. It was done within thirty seconds when I started firing. I started to calm down, I fell to the ground. The pain was over-whelming as I laid there in a pool of my own blood. I coughed once and blood came out. I was spread out on my back, looking up at the ceiling. I couldn’t breath, talk or move. I could hear screaming, yelling, moaning and hoof steps running franticly. “Hey, somepony get help NOW!” I heard Fire yell as he came to me with Winchester at his side.  I blinked twice as Winchester tore off my helmet and began to give me CPR. I blinked twice my vision getting blurred with each blink. Is this how dying feels like? Am I going to die? I don’t know but, I’m starting to get tired. I thought.

I closed my eyes and let out the rest the air in my lungs. I could hear somepony slamming on the floor. “NO, don’t die on me you stubborn bastard. You can’t die like this.” that was all I heard before I blacked out.

********

No dreams, no blinding snow and no weird images. Just black. I opened my eyes to see that I was in a bed with medical equipment around me reading my pulse and other vitals. I could hear the beeps of the machine to my right. I looked to my left to see that Fire and Winchester were sleeping in chairs. I looked at my pipbuck that was hooked to the machine to my right. When I tried to sit up pain shot from different spots on my torso. “Fuck.” I barely muttered as a yellow nurse with a copper mane came in with a clip board.

When she saw that I was trying to get up she quickly came to my side and helped me up. “Don’t hurt yourself. You’re safe.”

It was hard to breath like I was hit in the chest by a Super sledge, which has happened before and it is not pleasant. “What happened?”

“You kicked ass is what you did, stubborn bastard.” said a voice to my left to see that it was Fire waking up from his nap.

“What else happened?” I said again rubbing my head.

“When we were talking, all of sudden you flipped the table then, boom. A grenade went off and gun fire was ripping apart everypony in the bar. If it wasn’t for our armor and your quick thinking, we would have died. Then, when we crawled behind the bar, you stayed. When they began to kill and rape the ponies, you began to fire using both pistols killing all of them. But, when you made that dramatic last stand, you several shots to the torso, legs, and a shot to the neck.”

“We thought you died on the spot but, as Fire said you a stubborn bastard.” Winchester said interrupting Fire.

I sighed a little, sending a sting of pain up my spine. “How long I’ve been out?” I asked.

“About two days.” the nurse said checking my pulse and I.V. “Also, when you are able to walk we want you to pay up front.

I sighed. “Alrightly but, I’m wondering how many ponies survived?” I asked the nurse.

She smiled a little. “There were about thirty-two ponies inside when the shooting started and twenty-four made it out alive but, three more have died while in the ER.”

I looked at Fire and Winchester which both of them were piling my gear on the table next to me. Most of it looked the same but, my armor and helmet looked like it was repaired and polished. “What did you guys do to my gear?”

Winchester was starting to blush and Fire smiled. “Our little friend here, apparently she know a why around a wrench and sewing kit.”

“Yeah, I can’t repay you for what you did for me.”

I shrugged even though it hurt. “Hey, I owed you for saving me from Mr. Cotton.”

“Ok, who is speaking of my good old friend?” said a buck as he entered the room. He was strongly built buck with a sheriff’s hat and regulator duster. He had a lever action rifle on his back maybe a .45-.70.

“I did.” I replied.

He looked at me with a smile. “So, you are talking about that son of a bitch that killed innocent ponies, injured more and nearly killed my daughter.” I raised my eyebrow at this but, my curiosity was answered when Winchester walked to him and hugged him.

“Hello, daddy. How are ya.”

He looked like he was stuck by lighting. “I should be asking you the same thing. But, I can see that you’re fine.” He looked at me and Fire then, back to me. “Is this the buck that saved all those ponies and you?” she nodded. He looked back at then, walked to me and stuck out his hoof.  I shook his hoof while he said “Thank you, just thank you.  I can’t repay you for saving my little girl.”

“Daaadddd.” I heard Winchester complain.

“I’m sorry but, I’m just so happy.  That you are alright. I heard that you stopped Cotton from killing a pony that was protecting his friend and I’m proud of you for that. But, you need to starting thinking before you act, just be glad that you are a quick shot.” he hugged her then, turned back to me. “What’s your name?”

“Last Shell, and you don’t have to thank me. I’m sure that you have done the same thing.”

He looked at Fire who was drinking a Sparkle-cola. Where he got one I don’t know. Then, back at me. “Still I want to thank you and so do some of the ponies that you saved. We want to pay your hospital bills and give a special present that I’ve been holding on for a long time.”

Winchester looked at her dad with concern. “Dad, are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. You’re growing up and I know that if I coop you up here in this town then, I would just wind up pushing you away.” he looked at me. “I want you to take my daughter with you on your travels.” I couldn’t find any words to say. “But, only one condition. Every time you come to the neighborhood, I want you come here and rest up.  And if I hear that anything has happened to her that you could’ve prevented, I will rip off your balls and feed them to the ghouls of Applejack Metro and then, let them rip you from limp to limp.” he said causally. Winchester faced hoofed.

“Uhhhh” was all I could say as I couldn’t think of anything else.

He punched me in the shoulder and laughed a hardy laugh. “Just kidding, if I wanted to hurt ya I would just beat you to an inch of your life and rip off your balls then, feed them to the dogs.” He said with a smile. I felt the color drain from my face. He laughed again and patted me on the back which made the Nurse nervous. “Don’t worry as long as you stay on my good side, you have nothing to worry about it.” he paused a moment and laughed again while Winchester faced hoofed again.  “I completely forgot, I didn’t tell you my name. Name’s Marlin. Now, rest up you hear because I got a special job for you.”

When he left the room, I noticed that my gear near the door with my helmet staring right at me. Creepy. I laid down and closed my eyes. “Hey, Fire wake me up in two hours. Then, we can see what Marlin wants.”

“But, you need to heal up before you can even move.”

I opened my eyes and looked at Fire then, smiled. “I’ve had worse but, still wake me up in two hours.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

_________________________________

Chapter end

Analysis…Complete!

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There we have it Chapter four. Also, if you are wondering; yes, I named Winchester and Marlin after the manufactures of famous lever action firearms. Hey, I think it was fitting.  Now for chapter Five. Changing Roles.