Fallout Equestria Stories: Strike

Chapter 3: As the Dust Settles

As the sewage cover slid open I was able to get my first glimpse of Panamare City since the megaspell had dropped. What I saw filled my very soul with despair. The once beautiful city was now mere rubble, though some buildings still remained. The humongous beach-side hotels had crumbled, toppled, or had huge chunks missing from the side. The Wal-Mare I was behind was relatively intact, all of the doors and windows I could see where boarded up. Seeing the city in this condition hurt me, I used to come here as a young colt on vacations with family. I used to stay in some of the very hotels that now lay in shambles.

“Come on Strike man up you’ve prepared yourself for this you knew there would only be ruins.” I tried to reassure myself I’m fine, I knew what I was getting into, I knew what to expect.

T’chi...BANG!

“Gunshots I haven’t even been out here a few minutes and I already hear a bloody bullet filled exchange.” I slowly crept around the wall to see where the gunfire had come from without being spotted.

As I turned the corner I spotted about five ponies in blood covered spiked armor, two unicorns and three earth ponies. They all look completely terrified by whatever it was that they were fighting.

“What are they so scared of, they look pretty tough to me.”

Okay, I wasn’t prepared for what I saw next. As I was watching, one of the unicorns was suddenly stabbed through the stomach by a set of huge spikes. As I hear her screams of pain I very slowly look around the corner more to see where the spikes had come from. I expected some weird spiked club, but that would have to be a pretty big club to have spikes that massive. As I turn the corner I realize it wasn’t a weapon at all it was a claw to what looked like a horrid, bulky, armored diamond dog if it had taken all its stupid and annoying traits and traded them in for some terrifying and grotesque traits.

The ponies frantically shoot at the monstrosity to no avail. The bullets ricochet off of its armor-like skin, and the plasma shots the other unicorn was shooting merely seemed to tickle it.

The dog-creature-thing seemed to be enjoying itself as it lifted the still screaming mare into the air on its claws. It gave a disgusting grin as it gripped hard with his impaling claw, grabbing the mare’s bottom legs firmly. In one quick yank it pulled the poor mare in half, organs spilling out all over the ground. The devilish being slashed at one of the earth ponies using the dead unicorn as a weapon, cutting a deep slit right threw the stallion’s throat. The poor buck reached for his throat gasping for air, trying to get the blood to stop flowing, but this turned out to be a fruitless endeavor as he slowly choked to death on his own blood.

The hellspawn wasn’t finished yet. Dropping the unicorn corpse, it lunged at the mare and stallion earth ponies, catching one of the through the neck and severing the head of the other poor unfortunate soul.

The last remaining pony, a unicorn stallion, turned as quickly as it could and tried to hightail it away from the blood bath. Unfortunately for the little pony it was much faster as it sprinted towards him. The abomination reached out grabbing the crying screaming pony, dragging him back near the bodies of his now dead friends. The pony was screaming trying to get some traction with his hooves so that he can pull himself from the grip of the beast. The creature noticed this and with a grin put one foot down on the pony grabbing the buck’s two hind legs and forcefully removing them from his body. The thing acted like it was toying with him. The unicorn wasn’t giving up without a fight as he tried to crawl away while using his magic to lift an empty gun up to hit the demon in the face. The gun made contact with the creatures face busting open its eye.

Now the monster was pissed off. The creature swooped up the bloody unicorn in one of its big clawed paws. It pulled the tear and blood stained pony up until they were both eye level. The beast takes its free hand and wraps it around the unicorn’s horn tugging it multiple times until it finally ripped off to the sound of the unicorn’s ear piercing screams.

Then with a smug smile on its face, the monstrosity took the horn very slowly into the now hornless unicorn’s eye. I will never unhear the popping noise his eye made as the horn slowly pierced through. The unicorns screaming finally stopped as the beast gave one final thrust, sending the horn completely through the pony’s head. The body went limp in the horror’s claw. The demonic dog creature looked over its victims licking its lips in delight. The creature took the healthiest looking pony, wrapped its mouth around it crunching down on to its head crushing it in his mouth.

I hadn’t realized how absolutely petrified I had been. Bullets and plasma seemed to do nothing to this monster so I decided a stealthy retreat would be the best option. I very slowly crept backwards, away from the scene that had just unfolded. As I slowly backed away I didn’t check my footing and I slipped over a big rock, crashing onto the ground on my flank. I looked up to see if the beast saw me, as I looked I saw the thing starring directly at me.

“Oh SHIT!” I wasn’t going to wait for it to make the first move; I turned and burst into a gallop. This creature pursed behind me gaining with every passing second. I turned to see the creature almost on me.

“FUCK NO I’m not dying like, this I just have to do something.” I looked back to see how much more the creature needed to gain to be on me, and then I noticed something. “I am a fucking idiot.” With that thought I spread my wings and took to the sky. I guess I had been in that enclosed, cramped vault I had forgotten I could fly. Now safe, I took a sigh of relief, but that was short lived as bullets proceeded to shoot past my wing.

“Sweet burning ovaries of Celestia! The damn thing knows how to shoot a gun!”

Picking up the speed, I avoided the onslaught of bullets flying from the wild shots of the beast’s firearm. The loss of one of its eyes caused its shots to be more sporadic, allowing an easy painless escape.

The city didn’t look much different from the sky; rubble on top of rubble, completely devoid of life. I landed on top of one of one of the taller, still standing structures. From this safe height I scoped out the area in search of some form of hopefully friendly life. Looking over I spotted a pony shaped figure walking down the perimeter of the city. Hopefully this pony could give me directions to the closest living city in the area. I spread my wings and shot from the building with hope that this pony wasn’t hostile.

I swooped in; a few hoof steps ahead of the wandering pony and galloped towards him. He was a deep sky blue stallion with a dark brown, almost black, mane wearing and old black tattered cloak and a duel sniper rifle battle saddle.

“Excuse me sir could you please point me to the closest living town.” I tried to be as polite as possible hoping to not offend the stranger.

Tchic… BOOM! A bullet fired from one of his sniper rifles, whizzing by my ear barely missing.

“The first one’s a warning shot; the next one won’t miss.” I could tell that he meant business.

“Whoa there dead eye, I’m a friendly, no need for bullets.”

“Leave me be or the next round goes through your skull.”

“I’m just looking for direction for the nearest town and maybe some information to go along with it.” I hoped he didn’t take my invitation as an opportunity to open fire.

“Mexicolt City, 10 miles east of here; ask for a buck named Golden Gun. He should be able to help you with whatever you need.”

With that gave him my thanks and flew east toward the city. Before I got too far I turned back and saw his cutie mark, a single standing silver sniper round bullet.

*** *** ***

Fearing that if I fly over the city I may get shot down, I landed in front of the city gate. I was greeted by a bizarre pony shaped robot. It looked like a very bulky pony made of metal, but its face was just a weird looking screen.

“Welcome to Mexicolt City. Friendliest city around” The strangely southern spoken robot pony greeted me.

I said nothing I had become too busy staring at the scrap metal-wall surrounded city. The wall had a weird roundish curve to them, as if it was meant to be a dome but wasn’t finished. The robot continued to talk, assuming I was listening to him.

“Thirsty partner? Try Barrel Tapper’s. Coldest drinks in the Equestrian Wasteland.”

“I think I will.” Sounds like a better place than any to find somepony.

I approached what I assumed was the front gate and was greeted by a high pitch metallic screeching. Two massive slabs of metal spread apart to a small area with a moderate size gate. "That’s some security they got." I pushed through the gates to see a city that looked as if it was made of entirely scrap metal. House was hanging over other house by giant metal platforms. For a giant rustic mesh of dirt covered metal, it was quite breathtaking. The amount of work it must have taken to create this city must have been immense.

I made my way to the building with crudely written words on the door saying Barrel Tapper’s Bar. The inside looked kind of ratty, definitely what would have been called a slum back in the day. I sat at one of the bar stools and waited for the bar tender to serve me.

A grimy light orange unicorn came up to me saying the stereotypical bartender line: “Pick your poison.”

“I’m just lookin for somepony; if you tell me I’ll buy a drink.” I don’t have any money nor do I know what their currency is, but he doesn’t need to know that.

“Information costs around here.”

“Okay fine, I’ll just take my business elsewhere.” I turned to walk out the door.

“Oh fine! I’ll tell ya what ya wanna know.”

“I’m glad you see things my way. I’m looking for a pony named Golden Gun, does it ring any bells.”

“Golden Gun is our sheriff; ya should be able to find him at the jail. Now what drink do ya want?”

I slid out of my chair and went toward the door. “Thanks for the information, but I don’t drink alcohol, it numbs the brain.” I stopped when I heard the sound of a gun caulking from behind me.

“Nopony tricks me out of my money either buy or die.” I turned to see him pointing a pistol at me.

“Is this how you treat all new visitors? Do you really want to have to clean up blood off your floors?” I tried to distract him with conversation as I thought of my next move.

“No, I just don’t take to kindly to bein treated like a fool. Now either you sit down or I’ll have to put this pistol to good use.”

“Or you could sit the pistol down and both of us can walk away unscathed.”

“And why the hell would I do that?”

“Look to your left.”

The buck turned to see my gun, Arachnophobia, staring him straight in the face. What he had not seen was me using my artificial telekinesis to sneak my gun next to him.

“Ho…How did you… you’re a pegasus how can you…” Shaking, he placed his pistol onto the table.

“So anyway thanks for the info and I hope we can do business again sometime.” I left the building with my gun and trotted over to the jailhouse.

I entered the building to see a palatinate blue colt with a gray and brown mane sleeping with his back hooves propped up on his desk. He seemed to be sporting a duster, a cowboy hat, a golden pistol cutie mark, and a handlebar mustache. "Is there some policy that all sheriffs must look the same?" I tapped the sleeping stallion with my forehoove shaking him from his slumber.

“Excuse me sir, I need some help, do you mind.”

“Not at all ma’boy, I’d be happy to help.”

“I just need to know the safest way to get to the outskirts of the Everfree Forest; from there I’ll be able to find where I need to go. I would usually just go straight there but after what I saw in Panamare, I’d rather take it safe.” Stable 74 was hidden underneath a huge log cabin in the woods bordering the Everfree.

“Dear Celestia boy! Why would you be there, the damn place is crawling with hellhounds. You’re lucky to be alive comin out of there.”

“The name hellhound is very accurate to what I saw there. Anyway back to the topic at hand, how do I get to Everfree safely?”

“Safety and Everfree don’t belong in the same sentence. But if you’re lookin for a safe trip there then you should head southeast, following the road to a town called a Canterbury. You should stay at a motel room; trust me you don’t want to be traveling overnight. The thundors are more active at night.”

“Thundors?”

“Ya know… huge, mutated twittermites that shoot electricity from there stingers. What have you livin under a rock for fifty years?”

“Most basically.”

“Anyway, after you sleep through the night just follow the northeast curved road. You’ll eventually end up in New Appleloosa and they should be able to help you from there.”

I knew if I was going to stay at a motel I’d need the money to do it.

“So is there any work you need done, I’m a little short on cash.”

“Well I did need help with ridding a nearby encampment of super mutant ponies that had been givin us trouble. But I’ve already sent out my best mercenary on the job. So I don’t have anything for you, sorry.”

"That must have been the pony I came across on the way here. If I’ve figured out the irony in the pony naming system and the similarity in their colors, I may be able to sway this conversation to how I want. Or look like an idiot, but there’s always a chance."

I looked back to the pony with an idea. “So you’d send your son out alone against an entire encampment of super mutants. That sounds rather dangerous and risky.”

“You’re smarter then you look boy. I guess the resemblance is undeniable; though not only did he get my looks, but he also has my skill with a gun. He’ll be fine.”

"Now I have him where I want him." “Your son, from how I saw him, seemed to be more of a sniper than a close quarter’s combat pony. If the mutants were to get close to him he wouldn’t stand a chance.”

He seemed to be sweating now and worried. "Got him." He looked down at his fore hooves and then back up to me.

“I’m afraid to say your right. I care for my son and I want to see him make it home. Maybe I do have a job for you; go help my son in West Panamare City and I’ll give you a 100 caps.”

I smirked, “I’ve got to be prepared for whatever my journey throws at me. So make it 250 caps and we have a deal.”

“You drive a hard bargain boy, but you’ve got yourself a deal.”

“Thank you sir.” I started for the door, but before I walked out the door I turn to him, smirk still in place, saying, “Oh and by the way I’m not just some young buck, who’s only seen a few years; I’m actually rather old.”

“You could have fooled me.”

And with that I left the jailhouse and took to the sky.

*** *** ***

Within a few minutes I arrived at the outskirts of West Panamare City. I scanned the area in search of the silent sniper pony. I finally spotted him hidden in a patch of tall dead grass and dead trees. I swopped down a little ways behind him so that he would not shoot me down.  I tried to creep up to him so that I wouldn’t give away his position. As I was approaching, I did pay attention to where I was stepping.

Crack! I looked down to see that I had stepped onto a big stick cracking. "Fuck my clumsy ass!" I looked back up to see the barrel of a sniper pointed at my face.

“What did I tell you about leaving me alone?”

A pushed the sniper down slowly with my forehoove. “Well, Silver Bullet, if I recall it involved your bullet kissing the inside of my skull. This time, on the other hoof, I have orders from your father to come and assist you with your job.”

“How’d you figure out Golden Gun was my dad?”

“Really, Golden Gun and Silver Bullet, it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.”

“Alright then, if you’re here to help then what can you do to help?”

“Plenty, but first can you show me what were up against?”

He rolled his eyes, apparently annoyed by the question. “You’ve never seen super mutants before?” By the look on my face he knew the answer. “*sigh* Ok come over here quietly.” We walk over to the edge of the tall grass and he pointed toward what looked like an old school building. “Those are super mutants.”

I looked toward the building to see the huge creatures. They looked like normal ponies only giant, green, muscular, and covered in bruises and scars. Contrary to how they looked, they seemed to be rather intelligent. They carried battle saddles and wore make-shift armor.

“Can bullets hurt them?” I hoped these things weren’t going to be as tough as the hellhound.

“There about as thick skinned as the average pony so bullets do more than just hurt them.”

“Well that’s good to know just give me a minute to come up with a strategy.”

“Give me one good reason I should follow any plan you make.”

“Is the fact I got my cutie mark in military strategy a good enough reason?”

I heard him make a slight chuckle. “I’d say that’s a better reason than any.”

I looked over at our predicament to come up with some idea of what to do. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a group of boxes labeled: Warning Explosive. The box was guarded by one super mutant with a sniper quite a ways away from the others.

“I’ve got an idea.”

*** *** ***

I had just placed the last of the charged explosives on the unguarded side of the school. I had Silver Bullet take out the guard with his silenced sniper. He had told me of the more violent nature of these creatures, and that they'd be more likely to run at the area the attack is coming from than to flee from it. I rigged the last charge and quickly flew to cover. I looked and saw that Silver Bullet was in position to the far west of the soon-to-be battle zone. I held both of my guns up waiting for the oncoming carnage. Chaos starts in 3… 2… 1…

BOOM!!! The entire side of the building ruptured in a fiery explosion. Parts of the building collapsed and holes were blown into other parts. Then there was a pause of silence as if the entire world held its breath for a brief moment. The ground began to rumble as at least fifty super mutants flooded from around and out of the building. The mutants screamed there battle cry and charged toward me, some with machine guns firing and others charged with humongous hammers in their mouths. I had time before they got to me so I opened fire. Brontophobia shot a beam of electricity taking out a row of at least eight mutants while Arachnophobia fire machine gun rounds taking out several more.

Some of the faster mutants started getting a little too close only to be met by sniper rounds to the brain. Thirteen mutants dropped to the ground in seconds, one falling after the other. Some of the mutants looked around searching for the origin of the sniper shots making them easy targets for me. One of the hammer wielding mutants managed to get close enough to attack me. I barely dodge its attack, fired a shotgun round into its face, and took to the sky. The mutants continued their fire as I flew around firing rounds in some and disintegrating others.

Silver Bullet and I systematically took down each mutant like clockwork. After five more minutes of the firefight only three more mutants remained. I shot through two of the mutants then swung my guns around at the other. Before I could pull the trigger a sniper round pierced its way through the creature's head.

“Oh I'm sorry did I steal your last kill!” I heard Silver Bullet yell from his post.

“Not at all, I'm just glad my plan was successful.”

“Well we better head back to town and check in with my dad.”

I nodded in agreement and we started our way back.

*** *** ***

“Well ya'll got done quicker than I expected, good job.” The old sheriff had a gleam in his eye and pride on his face.

“I could have taken care of it myself, but the assistance made it get done much faster.” The young sniper smiled then turned to me. “Thank you, Strike.” And with that he left.

“Thank you for keepin my son safe, here’s the caps I promised you.” He pushed a bag full of caps over to me.

“Thank you, sir.” I took the bag and placed it into my saddle bag. “Oh and by the way, I don't think you need to worry about your son he seems to be able to hold his own.”

“Well I thank you for the compliment, but I’ll always worry about him. It’s all part of bein a parent, ya know.”

“Yah… I do.”

And with that I left and took to the sky following the road towards Canterbury.

*** *** ***

I didn’t have too much trouble getting to Canterbury, other than the occasional three to four thundors I had to deal with. I landed at a motel in the commons of Canterbury to see if there are any rooms for rent.

The inside of the motel office wasn’t anything special; just your average run-of-the-mill rundown motel office. A light green mare with a tied up cherry red mane stood behind the counter with a grin that reached ear to ear.

“Welcome to the Cloud 9 Motel, what may I assist you with today.”

“Umm… I was wondering if you had any rooms open.”

“Of course, and how long do you plan to be staying with us Mister…?”

“Strike, and I'll only be staying overnight ma'am. How much will that cost?”

“For one night only, 50 caps will be the amount.”

I handed her the money, then she turned around, grabbed a key off a wall of keys, and gave it to me.

“Thank you for choosing Cloud 9 Motel.”

I took the key and headed to the room it had written on it. The room didn't look like much; it was pretty much just a prime example of a two star motel. I really didn't care, I dropped my bags and lied down on the bed. I was asleep before my head made contact with the pillow.

*** *** ***

It was the dark of night when I was awoke by the noise of clattering hooves. It sounded as if there was someone in the room, but when I looked around I saw nopony. To be safe I got up to look into the other room, which was the restroom. I looked in and saw nopony; I assured myself it was just my imagination and decided to go back to bed. I turned back around only to be met with a sharp pain in my head and sudden unconsciousness. I was knocked out, not knowing who my attacker was or why it was that they attack.