Chapters I woke up with a splitting headache. My head was drooped down looking at my hooves. They where a bit bloody, probably from the rope that was tied around them rubbing on my fore hooves. The rope that shackled me was tied so that I couldn't go any faster than a trot. I knew this because the amount of rope between my fore-hooves was just enough to trot, and faster and I would have trippred over myself. I was just about to untie my self when I heard voices in front of me
"Why don't we just kill him now," one voice asked.
"Two reasons. One, the grave ain't done yet. Two, A good villain always shows his face to someone before he kills him," a second, much deeper voice replied. At that I heard a shovel off some where behind me.
"Oh please boss? Can't we just kill him? This fucker has caused us enough trouble as is, let's just 'put him out of his misery'" said the voice of a pony that that just sounded like he belonged in some kind of pre-war institution. The three stopped talking after that as if deep in though about killing me. I took it was my chance, because it sounded like I was flank deep in horseshit. I tried to untie myself but one of them noticed me.
"Well, well, well. Look who's up, boss," I looked up, the voice belong to an orange Earth pony with a dark purple mane, that looked almost black.
"Oh joy, we finally get to fucking kill this fucker," This voice belonged to a red Pegasus with this ugly green mane that stood up in spikes. His eyes told me he was unmistakably mentally insane. The stallion in the middle held up his hoof tell the Pegasus to back off and flick some ash of the cigarette he was smoking. He was also the only one with his back to me, his coat was a dark grey. As he turned around, I got a good look at his cutie mark, it was a poker chip. He wore this white, pre-war pinstriped suit. He was turning around slowly letting me drink the image in of him.
"So, currier," he said a bit condescendingly, "What are you doing here?"
"Well, Chip. Can I call you Chip? Or do you want me to call you Mr. Poker?" I asked hoping it bothered him on some emotional level, "I Just wanted to do some gambling and see the legendary New Pegasus,"
I smirked as his face showed that it Bothered him on so deep level. To clean it up and show that he couldn't be scared by me, he spit the cigarette, witch had burned down to the filter, out on the ground.
"Boss, how does he know your name?" asked the orange Pegasus frightfully
"I don't know, Basher. And frankly, I don't fucking care,"
"I don't Know, boss he is a unicorn maybe he's been in our minds,"
"Like a said I don't care Jack Knife,"
"I'm pretty sure we all know that you really do care. Am I right Basher? Jack Knife?" I laughed. Both Basher and Jack Knife seem scared and confused, forgetting that their names where just said in front of me. Chip, on the other hand just seem pissed.
"O.K. Enough games," Chip said Oddly calm, "Time for you to die,"
Chip pulled out a low caliber pistol and aimed it at my face. All I remember is a BANG, something that felt liked getting bucked in the face, and the world going completely black.
I woke up or at least I though I did. I couldn't tell, because it was completely dark not a single mark of a crack or a light. I'm not sure when it happened but I slipped back into some kind of a sleep state and when I woke up again I was rocking and bouncing up and down I was going pretty fast so every little bump made me jump high into the air. this continued for less than a couple minutes, because the cart must have hit a large pot hole throwing me into the air and when I came back down, I blacked out. I woke up one last time this time there was definite light. I was staring up at this slow turning fan. I tried to lift my head up to get a proper look around, but my head was stopped not even an inch from the pillow. I tried to left my fore hooves to remove the restraints, but those too where strapped down too.
"Oh, good your up," said a voice off to my left said a little surprised. I heard the clopping of hooves come over to me. Then i heard my restraints coming off, at least the ones around my fore hooves. I lifted my hooves and took off the restraints around my head i was too groggy to use my magic to remove it myself.
I rose slowly and looked around noting my surroundings. I was in a makeshift hospital, a place that probably double as someones home. Then I finally looked to my left and directly at my doctor. He was a drown earth pony with a mane the showed evidence of graying and balding. He had a cutie mark of a medical needle crossing over a half full syringe.
"There you go, nice and slow," said the earth pony. "Now what's your name,"
I strained as if remembering something as simple as this was harder than solving series of complex math problems that I didn't even know.
"I don't remember," I finally said looking down at my hooves. The brown buck next to me laughed.
"Well then, make one up or pick one you do remember.,"
I must have looked rather shocked at the suggestion, which only made the stallion laugh. I started going through my brain for a name to make up or a name I remembered. I got a bit distracted by an old poster on the wall of a Steal Ranger that reminded me of my all time favorite radio show hero and villain Blood Rain and Bullet-wall. I suddenly had the perfect name for myself
"I'm Bullet Storm. I'm a Currier," I paused. "Was a Currier. Now though, I'm the night terror of my enemies,"
"Hmm... Bullet Storm, not a name I would've picked, but it suits you. Anyways, I'm Doc," he said. I had started to undo the restraints on my legs as he spoke. "Now, I'm pretty sure you wont mine but had to do quite a bit of digging and round your grey matter to get all the lead outta ya. Now I'm pretty proud of my needle work and i have a just reason, 'cause it's my cutie mark. But would you mind telling me if i messed up any where?"
Doc passed me a prewar mirror as I removed the last of the restraints. I levitated it up so I could see my face within it's borders. I saw my white coat that seemed a bit brighter than normal. All the skin and fur on my face seemed fine, with the exception of a righteous looking scar over my left eye. It started two or three inches over the eye itself, and ended right around my cheekbone.
"Hey Doc, how'd i get this scar?" I asked
"Not a clue. I was kinda hoping that you could tell me 'cause it looks mighty menacing,"
"Did you try to get rid of it?"
"For a day or two but it wouldn't react to anything I put on it,"
"Is it too late to change my name to Scar-face?" I joked.
"Sorry but, I believe that it's currently taken,"
I laughed as I swung my hind legs off the medical bed. That action was met with a blinding light and a good amount of pain. Doc came over and put a hoof on my shoulder.
"Whoa, there can't have you dying on me. That would me 5 days work would have been for nothing,"
"I'll try not to," I said as i brought a hoof up to my own head. The light finally faded after a good minute, but the pain still remained in small amounts mostly in my head. I got my first good look around, Doc had actually a very large amount of supplies at least compared to what I've seen in Marejovian and New Pegasus hospitals.
"Not to sound like I'm kicking you out or nothing but I've got some patients coming in later for regular check-ups,"
"Oh, no it's fine i just have a couple questions," I replied
"Sure thing. Let's get your things first. I'm might sorry, but went through your things. i found a letter but it didn't have what i looking for, so I let it be and hadn't touched it since,":
Part of me wanted to scream at Doc for going through my stuff but I knew that he was looking for a next of kin or some to contact if I bit it. Doc lead me down a hallway leading to his front door.
"So what where some of the questions you had,"
"Oh, um, first do you know who it was that saved me?"
"sorry don't know the name of who it was that saved you, but I do know that i was an old security robot that made his home here. You can find him up at the old prewar post office,"
We made it to the door my Sattle bags right next to it. I levitated them on to my back and started strapping them on.
" Hey Doc can you tell me anything about the people who shot me?"
"Sorry not much. Just that they came here a few hours before the robot came flying in with you. They where looking for some medical supplies. Then, they headed into town probably to hit the bar before they headed where ever they were going. Why are you looking for them, just seemed like bad news,"
I looked Doc in the eyes ans I told him
"Two reasons. one to kill them, two to finish the job I was Hired to do,"
BANG! I shot an empty Sunset Sarsaparilla bottle, shattering the the glass bottle into uncountable sparkling pieces. It was the fifth bottle in a row the I shattered from whatever distance we where at.
"Damn," said the charcoal-coated unicorn mare next to me. "How far away are we, dude,"
I pulled the scope of the gun that mare gave me. I could barely make out the shape of the bottles half because of the sand and half because of the distance. I tried to do the math but I truly had no clue, still the math was easier to do than remembering my own name at times.
"I don't have the slightest clue," I finally said. I looked up to the mare who was with me, she looked truly beautiful, she could have easily been the post-apocalyptic version of the rarely seen mare for the Ministry of Image. No Bullet Storm you can't think about her like that. Remember the curse? But she's just so hot. Wait am I having an argument,with myself in my own head? The mares name was Sunfire, Doc sent me to look for her, after i got all my things.
"Hey i got a job if your up for it," Sunfire said pulling me out of some fantasies of how many ways and places that i could, OK, not thinking about that.
"Sure whats the job," I asked hoping that it wasn't having to do a lot of traveling. I had lost a lot of blood when I got shot in the face by Poker Chip. "I'll do it so long as I don't have to travel over 50 miles to finish it, I'd like to keep all my blood in me,
"No, it shouldn't be more than two or three miles, and we'll just be clearing geckos from some wells that brings water to Meadow Springs. It should be a walk in the park, We'll be back before supper,"
*** ***** ***
"FUCK, FUCK, FUCK. OH DEAR CELESTIA FUCK ME BRUTALLY IN THE ASS WITH YOUR HORN," I screamed as I fired the the varmint rifle blindly over my shoulder at the pack of Giant Geckos that gathered behind me.
"Just turn around and fight them, it's not that many Bullet Storm." Sunfire yelled at me as I rolled out of the way of a gecko that got in front of me.
"If it's so fucking easy you do," I yelled back using my rife as a club to bash a small geckos head in. "I don't have any melee weapons if you have noticed,"
Oh fuck it I though and turned to face the geckos chasing me. Apparently I took out a 5 of the original 9 following me. As I stopped the first gecko jumped out me. The over-sized lizard must have jumped over a yard and a half to get close to me. I ducked down and side stepped to avoid getting a face full of gecko and its poison. I hit the gecko in the back of the head with the butt if my rifle. I then pulled the rifle out of my magical field with my mouth by the barrel while spinning and hitting the next gecko out of the air and square in the temple. The next gecko landed on top of me knocking the rifle out of my mouth. I was on my back facing pushing the radiation monster out of my face with my fore hooves. I was desperate for someone to the get the creature off me, I did this Buck-up move the forced me into a sort of somersault knocking the gecko on the ground with my hind hooves smashing the gecko's head under me.
The last gecko then just looked at me as if sizing me up. It was a different color from the rest. I was a deep crimson red with black stripes running down its back and arms.
"Your move," I goaded, wrong move. The moment I said that the gecko opened its mouth and let forth a ball of fire. No fair I thought. The fire singed my mane a good amount.
"Hey Fucker, I was growing that out," I yelled at it. I was about to the charge the fire breathing gecko, when a loud BANG rang out and a bullet flew by my check. The bullet landed right in between the eyes of the fiery-mouthed gecko. I whipped my head head around to see Sunfire's gun levitating down from her eye.
"You lied. You said that this would be a walk in the park," I said jokingly as I picked up my rifle from where I dropped it.
"It was, wasn't it?"
"Sure if that park is a radioactive mega-spell crater"
"If you say so,"
"Can we just go back to town before something it gets dark and something decides that we look like a tasty dinner and dessert?" I asked. Having grown up alone in the post-war Marehove desert you learn to get somewhere either brightly light or structurally secure because of all the nocturnal hunters that where huge dangerous and hungry.
"Yeah we should probably hurry too night well be falling soon,"
We walked back to town in silence for a little while, it was about a mile walk form the well we just cleared out. I don't know what Sunfire was thinking about, but i was trying to figure out what hand guns to my knowledge could even fire scatter shot or if the bullet just broke when it went through my head. I then remembered that Doc said that a robot brought me into his house and asked he to help me. I wonder if anyone else heard the gunshot or saw the people who tried to kill me I thought to myself.
"Hey Sunfire, Did you hear anything or see anyone strange the night I was shot?" I asked finally breaking the silence.
"No, but I Salty Martini did have them in her bar for a bit, but that's all I know,"
"Okay, what about the robot that brought me to Doc's place, do you know where I can find him?"
"Post Office maybe, but I think he's almost always out,"
"Cool thanks," Just then a purple filly came running up to us. She was gasping for breath and looked scared out of her mind.
"Sunfire, it's Korn Kobb he's asking about the guy who was in the old gas station.
"O.K. Where is he now?"
"Salty's. He's threatening to burn down the whole town if we don't give him up!"
Sunfire flew into the saloon. She had taken off as soon as she heard that somepony named Korn Kobb was threatening the town. I didn't have a clue what was going on. I just keep trying to keep up with this blazing fast, pissed off mare in font of me. I finally made it to the saloon
"We've told you before, jackass, he is not fucking here. He headed out days ago, sometime during the night, not single person in this town knows where he went, okay? So, just leave and look else for him." I heard Sunfire's voice outside the small little tavern. This can't be good I thought as I walked in. I saw what must have been Korn Kobb, a scrawny looking green earth pony with saddle bags and rusty double barrel shotgun that he held out as though it where intimidating. He didn't have on any barding or armor, instead he wore some kind of uniform as though it had came for an NCR prison, and quite obviously he wasn't the on the side of the bars that protected it. Tucked away, but still bulging, in pocket was what looked like either dynamite or a grande.
"Fine. Fine," he said. "My boys and I will just come by tonight for some grub, and Cinder," he said arrogantly. Korn Kobb moved to leave and spotted me. "Oh you brought a little pussy here to try and intimidate me, didn't you Sunfire?"
He walked up to me and eyed me up, Korn Kobb was a good bit shorter than me. He wasn't very intimidating but he did try a good bit to be. The rusty shotgun looked as though it couldn't be open to reload, or fired for that matter. Good grief what's with this asshole? Is he really trying to scare me? Or his he trying to be tough to impress Sunfire?
"You listening to me bitch?"
"Huh? What?"
"Ha, you think you're pretty funny don't you? I said I ain't fucking scared of you"
"Oh okay maybe I should try then," I pulled out my varmint rifle and jab the barrel into his left eye and leaned in making sure that my scare distorted my face a bit to at least look creepy. "Look fuck-face, you see this scare? Hmm? I just got shot in the fucking face and lived, so I'm one tough pony. And you are threatening the kind people who helped me. So, that right there makes me your enemy, and you dont want me be your enemy. I have no trouble pulling this trigger and blowing your brains all over the walls but that wouldnt be fair to the bar tender, now would it? So, here is what's gonna happen, You are gonna leave, but before you will leave you saddle bags and the explosives in your pocket here. Then, you're gonna go back to the hole you climbed out of and tell you're buddies this Cinder guy hulled ass out of town. And finally, you will go to the nearest New Canterlot Republic base and turn yourself in,"
"And if I don't?" Korn Kobb said in a last ditch effort to be cocky. I wrapped my magic around the dynamite in his pocket and a cigarette lighter on the bar.
"Simple, these and three others get to go right up your ass, I light 'em, your ass gets blown to high hell, and when you're finally begging for death, shove a grenade in your mouth, pull the pin and punt what's left of you out of town. That's what, sound good?" Korn Kobb Gulped and began to take off his bags, his confidence clearly gone. As he left, Korn Kobb as clearly shaking worse than a prewar robot on it's last legs.
"Oh yeah Korn Kobb, one more thing," He turned around as I sat down in a bar stool his saddle bags next to me. "If I see you or your dumb ass crew, I'll slaughter all of them and personally hunt you down. Make sure you tell your bosses that, okay?"
He nodded and bolted out the door. I put my head down on the bar, my eyes feeling droopy and my legs feeling heavy. I clearly did not have all my blood back in me.
"Still suffering from blood loss 'ey," Salty Martini said as she walked back behind the bar and started cleaning cups.
"That and the sprint from a quarter mile out doesn't exactly help either,"
"No, I suppose it wouldn't,"
I looked at how the light tan earth pony in front of me was drying the cups using her hoofs. This little action had me mesmerized mostly because I was too tired from to do anything else but watch. Some where along the line I dozed off jumping between deep sleep and being just awake enough to catch small useless bits of conversation or bits of songs that came on the barely working radio.
Eventually, Salty woke me up I assumed it was either something about or something pertaining to me, and I secretly hoped it wasn't anything about Korn Kobb. The radio was on, but only now it wasn't playing music, instead some pony was relaying news about local and presumably national events.
"Good you're up I tried to wake you last time this part came on, but you weren't having it," She said with a strange tone to her voice.
"Huh," I said tired and sluggishly. "What are you talking about?"
"Just listen, you'll understand soon enough,"
The pony telling the news was going on about some new 'Stable-Dweller' that was out trying to save the world or something. It reminded me of the two originals that had been really big news once upon a time. The Stable Dweller and Security had both made headline news in the New Pegasus area, and a few other do-gooders had their shining moments. After Ms. New Pegasus and finished her praise of heros new and old she brought it back to the more local coverage area news.
"And in the town of Saddletin the currier pony that got shot in the face, is still alive and bucking. He had taken two rounds of scattershot right to the cranium and walked away. Someone get me the company that he works from cause he sound dedicated. "
My jaw was gapping open and I couldn't hear the rest of the broadcast. This can't be real. There is no way she could have know about me the head shots. Any of it, I though to myself,
"Welp I reckon that you ain't gonna get the drop that fella that shot you now, huh?" Salty said
I could only nodded in agreement as the next sang began to play, and people came in for their evening drinks.
