Metrot City Tale

Chap. 2a

The clock struck six, and as always, on the second chime, the familiar theme of the news rang from my television. “Belle Ri'Viere reporting here on Metrot City News at Six,” the lovely blonde mare spoke as another bird flew into my freshly-cleaned window with a dull thud. “New information regarding the shooting that took place at the Heart of Luna Medical Center four days ago has come to light.” I redirected my attention towards the newspony.“Witnesses state that, prior to the actual shooting, a brown unicorn in a white and pink hooded sweater requested the number of the room that high-value individual Raphael Martin was staying in as he recovered from augmentation surgery, and is believed to be involved in some way.”

“Shortly after the unicorn departed from the front desk, a group of ponies sporting rusted modifications approached the mare working there, and requested information regarding the patient in question.” As relevant as the news was to me, I found it difficult to remain focused on it, and returned to staring at my window as birds slammed into it. “Relevant security footage of the areas affected by gunfire is not available for examination, and Heart of Luna security states that it cannot be located. The footage in question is presumed stolen. In other news, avian creatures have been inexplicably flying into-” I sighed and turned the television off. Every single time. If they can’t find it, it was stolen.

As another bird impacted my window, my door opened. I spun my head around to see what had opened it as a gun fired off. The pony standing in the doorway stumbled to the side as his firearm fell. “Joey, please tell me you’re in ‘ere,” Reagan said before tripping into my apartment and dropping a rough red and white rag. Even from across the room, I could almost see straight through a hole in her foreleg.

I jumped off my sofa and hurried to my friend. “What happened, Rea-Rea? Why did you shoot that stallion?” I questioned as I helped her up.

“Not important. You just need t'know that we gotta get you outta ‘ere, Joey, else you’ll be in a right good position fer a cap in your arse,” Reagan responded. “Take that colt’s piece. You’ll need it more than ‘e will, all things considered. And leave the rag, it ain't gonna 'elp much in the - ugh -  state it's in.” I helped the wounded mare out the door and levitated the fallen gun into my shirt pocket. “Got a friend - Ah, careful! Got a friend downstairs keepin’ watch for any other threats. Think ye can ‘andle ‘aulin’ me around on your back? Make for a quicker escape than ‘elpin me walk.”

How heavy could she be? I thought as she hovered into the air. My legs nearly gave way when I placed her on my back. “Thank Celestia we’re only on the third floor, and thank Luna there’s an elevator,” I heard Reagan comment as I slowly made my way towards the lift.

________

Sirens blared through the streets as I dropped Reagan near the back of a heavily modified human truck. A mare with a dull red mane, and a dust-brown coat stepped out of the vehicle as the blue pony climbed in.“Awful heavy for such a small pony, isn’t she?” she asked, staring at our friend with a mocking smile. “I’m Aubrey. Safe to assume you’re this Quartz stallion she’s been telling me about?” I nodded, and the sirens grew louder. “Nice to meet you, but we can talk later. Hop in. Back seat’s free,” she said calmly. I swore I could see a hint of worry in her eyes.

I pulled the door open and immediately loved the mare. Four human-made rifles and an assortment of smaller human-made firearms sitting in one seat, and a large machine-gun mounted in front of another seat, turned to face the rear of the vehicle, barrel sticking through the window. “Woah...'Ahs...'ahs a lo'a blood,” Reagan said. As I climbed in and looked through the window to the bed of the truck, I saw the wounded unicorn laying in a large pool of blood staring back at me. “‘Ey...any chance we could ‘urry and...and get to a medic or some...somethin’?” she queried before passing out.

“Yeah, maybe we should, she’s looking pretty-” the truck sped off, and the door slammed into my rear, knocking me snout-first into a rifle.

The tires screeched as we made a sharp turn, and one of the windows shattered as a bullet flew through the glass. “Mount that MG and protect us, for Luna’s sake!” Aubrey snapped. Oh Celestia, why do you do this to me!? I thought as the fear-tears began rolling for the second time this week. I peered through the blurring sight of the gun and spotted a large truck chasing us, with modified ponies leaning out of the windows, firing at us. The roof of the truck’s bed blocked the driver from my sight, though. I magically held the trigger down as I began crying. "Don't hit any civvies!" she shouted.

________

The truck skidded to a stop inside of a warehouse. “Get somepony with medical experience out here RIGHT NOW!” Aubrey yelled as she left the truck. A pair of unicorns in white coats dashed to the rear of the vehicle to pull the barely-moving form of Reagan from the back. One of the ponies jabbed a syringe into the blue mare’s bloody foreleg as the other wrapped a thick cloth around it. “Hole’s been there for almost ten minutes now, the only thing we had to put pressure on it only lasted three, and as far as I know, that’s the only wound she has,” Aubrey explained to the medic-ponies as the four disappeared through a pair of doors.

“So, Reamun’s finally been taken down a notch, I see,” Raphael stated calmly from above, leaning on a safety-rail. "I hope the medics have an extra leg mod..."

I gave him a confused look. “Rea-Rea just took a bullet in the leg, I’m sure she’ll be fine,” I responded. “Not sure where you got that crazy thought in your head.”

Raphael vaulted over the railing and landed beside me. “You saw the damage that bullet caused, though. Decently sized, almost clean through...Best-case scenario, she needs a new foreleg. Worst case?” He turned to look at me. “The stuff those two injected her with doesn’t work, and we risk putting more lives at risk with a funeral,” he spoke in a solemn voice. “Look, we’re better off just hoping she comes out alright. Head through the doors those ponies took, take a right, try and find an open bed and get some rest. You’ll need it.”

What would happen if...whatever that stuff was didn't work? And how would a funeral put us at risk?

________

Steadying my rifle, I fired another round. “Four hits in a row, not bad...for a beginner.” Raphael and Aubrey had spent the week following Reagan's injury teaching me the proper ways to use various firearms, using Ponybots as targets. “Just remember to try and aim for the head.” Aubrey smiled at me. “To simulate how much harder it is to do when they’re firing back, take down all the bots without taking more than three hits. They’ll only be firing paintballs, so you don’t have to worry about dying,” she explained, using her magic to supply six robotic equestrians with paintball guns.

The horn used to signal the beginning of exercises blew, and I dove for cover as a barrage of tiny colored spheres flew past me. I peeked from behind my protection and fired three rounds off, only hitting a single bot. “How exactly did you convince me to do this, again?” I asked, diving behind a nearby pillar, narrowly avoiding another barrage of paint.

“'Learn or die', Joey,” Raphael spoke in a bored voice. “You’re opening yourself up for an ambush, so pay attention.”

Oh right, that, I thought, sliding out of cover and firing as I went, hitting another three. Two bots left. Excitement filling me, I outright abandoned my cover and took aim. Bang. Five down, one to go...Bang! The nearby double doors shot open, slamming into the walls, and scaring me enough to drop my rifle and take a dozen paintballs to the chest. “I’m back, everypony, and better than ever!” the bright-blue pony who entered the room announced, lifting a shining metal foreleg up. “Oi, Joey, y’know you’re not sapposed ta get ‘it, dontcha?”

Aubrey, Raphael and many other ponies flocked to Reagan, and I levitated the rifle in front of me. “Very funny, Reagan. Look, I’ll be over there in a sec, just want to...” Click. Click. So I would’ve failed even if Rea-Rea hadn’t come in. Stupid small magazine! I thought angrily, hurling the rifle at the last ponybot. I stood up and shook as much of the paint out of my fur as I could. Pat! “Yow!” A paintball struck my rump.

“Well, Rea-Rea, why don’t treat us all to some Dirty Dogs to celebrate your swift recovery?” Raphael suggested. Reagan and Aubrey beamed at the emerald pony’s mention of the famous tofu-veggiedogs. “Except you. No veggiedogs for you.” Raphael pointed at a blue pegasus reading a Playpony in the corner. He looks sad, now.

________

“I swear, I could almost hear the bits jingling in that pony’s head,” I said, downing half of my Dirty Dog in one bite.

“I blame Reagan,” Aubrey remarked. The bright-blue mare trotted along beside us, four bags of veggiedogs bouncing on her back with each step.

Devouring her third dog with a single bite, the blue mare moaned with pleasure. “Hegh, what can I say, I love me some double-dees,” she spoke through her full mouth.

Come on everypony, smile smile smi-ile! Fill my heart up with sun-shine sun-shine! Aubrey’s phone rang.  All I really need’s a - Click! “H-hello?” she said, red as a tomato. “The stuff's in? Okay, I can be back in...twenty.” Raphael, Reagan and I giggled like schoolfillies at the dusty mare’s chosen ringtone. “Hey, I don’t bust your chops over your crazy obsessions, so don’t bust mine for liking the old Element of Laughter’s singing!” she shouted, somehow turning more red.

As our sniggering calmed, I wiped a tear from my eye. “Please, Aubrey, everypony knows the Element of Magic had the best singing voice of the six.”

“You mean the Element of Loyalty, of course?” Raphael asked jokingly.

“Neigh, I think ‘e means the Element o’ Kindness...Don’t ya, Joey?”

“Let’s not start when we all know Twilight was the best singer, and all-around coolest Element.”

“R.D was the coolest! She could do a Sonic Rainboom, after all!”

“Flu’uhshy bea’ the shnot ouvva a bear for Luna’sh shake!” Reagan claimed, spitting chunks of her food with every word before finally swallowing. “‘At not cool ‘nough for you three?”

Aubrey groaned as she turned from our argument and trotted away. “I gotta go, important shipment came in. Meet me back at the warehouse in three hours,” she ordered.

Reagan, Raphael and I continued arguing. After her continuous attempts to talk through her food, I stuffed my hoof into the blue mare’s mouth. “You can eat, and you can talk, Rea-Rea, but you can’t eat and talk.”

________

Five shipping containers sat side-by-side in the massive warehouse, piquing my curiosity when I saw them. “Got ‘em all checked out for ya, Rexx: Four crates of sub-machineguns; three crates of ammo; and a half-dozen crates of body armor and H.U.D Goggles,” Aubrey said to a large, hunched dog standing on its rear legs as it adjusted its green silk vest and collar.

“Thank you, pony. Perhaps the Dirt Runners will use you for any future orders that may be needed,” Rexx replied, grabbing one of the dusty unicorn’s hooves and shaking it furiously before stepping to a nearby open ponyhole. “Brutus, Ripper, Sam, get up here,” the dog called into the hole. Two dogs the size of burly stallions climbed out, followed by one barely bigger than a foal.

“Knock yourselves out, boys. Container three’s all your stuff.” Aubrey trotted over to us. “There you are. Raphael, could you take Joey and go tell Shawn his gear’s in?” she asked. “You know both of them better than me or Reagan.”

The emerald pony shook his head. “No can do, cous’. Didn’t you hear? He got himself extradited back to Germaney,” he answered with a sigh. “Bonne Elass replaced him.” Raphael's mouth formed itself into a scowl as he said the name.

“Tell Bonne the stuff Shawn ordered is in, then. Let her know that she has until next Tuesday to pick it up before I just distribute it amongst whatever Diamondflanks haven’t been equipped yet.” Raphael shrugged and nodded, still scowling. “I can let Henry know about his stuff, Reagan, so I guess you can just...go play your video games or something, I don’t know.” The blue mare grinned and pumped her mechanical foreleg in the air, as if she'd just won a foal's game.

The pink and green pony gestured for me to follow him as Reagan hopped away cheerfully. “Come on, we’re going for a drive.” We left the warehouse and headed towards the beat-up Carbby that saved my life at the hospital.

“So what’s the deal with that Diamond Dog Aubrey was talking to?” I asked, jumping into the back of the vehicle. “And the ‘Dirt Runners’ and ‘Diamondflanks’?”

Raphael started the vehicle, and we slowly backed out onto an empty street. “You’ll see.” The vehicle turned and stopped before lurching forward.

________

Chap 2b

________

We had stopped in a poorly maintained district of Metrot City, and descended into the subway. After traveling through the tunnels, hoping no trains would pass through along the way, we arrived at an empty doorway, torn strips of yellow caution tape hanging from the frame. “Looks like the city finally decided to try closing this area off,” my emerald companion spoke. “Careful, Joey, the tape wasn’t just for decoration, the equipment here is actually pretty dangerous.” Raphael led me through multiple rooms full of old electrical generators, bare wires, leaking pipes, and rats. Lots of rats.

“Where exactly are we, Raphey?” I asked, sidestepping a small herd of rats.

“A tunnel.”

Very funny, smartflank. "You know what I meant." We turned another corner and stopped in front of a large vault door.

“Well, we are currently under the Eighth District Metal Refinery.” Raphael tapped a code into a keypad on the wall. The metal door slowly slid open, allowing us to climb the large stairwell on the other side. “With metals being as scarce as they are in Equestria, you’d think a refinery would be more difficult to take control of than this one was,” the emerald pony said, ascending the stairs.

“If metal’s such a rarity, then why use it all on guns, ammo and vehicles?”

“All that stuff’s imported from the Human planet. It gets modified by a poorly-funded group of Equestrians before getting sent here, so it's pretty low-quality stuff compared to when it's fresh. All of the metals found on this planet, on the other hoof, go towards stuff like buildings and repairs. Necessary stuff, you know?” Our conversation continued until we reached the ground floor of the refinery. “Joey...welcome to the E.D.M.R, better known as the Watcher Hideaway.”

Unicorns, Earth Ponies and Pegasi were scattered all around the inside of the building, conversing with each other, firing at cans or watching small computer screens. “Anyone see Bonne?” Raphael inquired loudly. “Anypony?”

“What is it, Raphael?” A naked yellow mare stumbled through a doorway, trying to pat her mane down. She let out a deep, lengthy yawn. Feeling a phantom winger coming on here.

The emerald pony’s expression said more than he ever could about the mare he stood before being in charge. “Aubrey says Shawn’s order’s in. You have until next Tuesday to pick it up,” he said, his voice lined with the kind of disappointment one would expect only from a parent whose teenage foal had disobeyed them...or a pony whose dog had just left a fresh 'present' on their floor. “And for the princess’ sakes, if you're gonna play leader to the Watchers, act like it.”

Bonne rolled her eyes and sighed. “Fine, fine, mother.” The sleepy golden mare turned her gaze to me. “Who’re you and what do you want?”

I can see why Raphael sounded the way he did, I silently thought, staring intently at the beautiful, shapely...

“He can talk, right?”

“This is Joey Quartz, Bonne. He wants to join us,” my emerald companion spoke.

“Well, in that case, I suppose you’re welcome here, as long as you can get a recommendation from four other members of the Society.” The golden mare yawned again. “They can be from any of the four central gangs that make up the Society, but I can’t accept any less than four different ponies,” she explained. “And if you try to tell anypony not in the Society about this base...I’ll know. And I’ll have that pretty mech eye of yours on my end-table within a day.”

“That’s your only warning. Now get cracking, so I can get back to my stallions.”