Chapter 3: Talons of the Mercenary

“Horrific as it may sound, there are two of them now.”

Samus’ log: Date: Celestial Year 1212, June 12.

Companionship.

Throughout my travels, I have always been alone. Sure, I’ve had help during my missions, but still, I’m usually all alone, and isolated in a hostile environment. I’ve had friends, but I’ve always prefered to work alone.

However, I think in this case, in this world, I may need a little companionship,other than a small child.

Samus sat on a rock, and looked over the distance to see the destroyed city. In front of the city where bits and pieces of destroyed carriages and shacks laid around the area. She looked over her shoulder to see Puppysmiles reading a comic book. Samus jumped down from the rock,”What are you reading?”

Puppy looked up and showed Samus the cover,”Space Queen and the Head Leeches! It’s awesome! It’s where this evil supercomputer controls a whole bunch of leeches that suck ponies’ energy out, and Space Queen has to stop it!”

Samus’ eyes opened wide in surprise. On the cover was a unicorn in orange and red armor firing on a few transparent parasites with fangs, and a brain with a single eye in the background,”What the fuck?” was all that she could mouth out. She shook her head as the little filly continued to read her comic. Samus picked up Puppysmiles and placed her on her back so she could walk while Puppy reads.

Samus walked down the road, until she felt a bullet hit the ground in front of her. She heard a female voice shout,”Come on, ya slaver fuckers!”

Samus leaped behind a rock,”Slaver?! Look, I’m not a slaver, did I look like one!?”

“Well... I suppose not. But you could be hiding it!” the female shouted.

“Don’t you think if I were an enemy I’d be shooting at you instead of talking?” Samus shouted back.

“I suppose that’s true. Why don’t we talk up front?” The voice said.

“How do I know you won’t shoot me the moment I do that!?” Samus asked.

“Fine, I’ll throw my guns out there, and you throw yours. And then we both come out.” To emphasize this, Samus could hear a few metallic clangs of metal.

Samus took out the Flash Sparkle and threw it out. She then walked out to see a griffon do the same. She noticed the white feathers with a few red tips.on the back of her head. She looked down at the end of her brown coated lion-half. She growled at she remembered her childhood...

Little Samus sat in her desk as the bird creature began to talk.

“And so did the last of the griffons die out. Any questions?” He saw Samus raise her hand,”Yes, Samus?”

“Can I become a griffon?” Samus asked.

“No.”

“Aw...” Samus laid her head down and pouted.

‘Darn it, why couldn’t I be turned into a griffon in this universe.’ Samus frowned as she looked the griffon up and down. The griffon did the same.

“Yeah, you definitely don’t look like a slaver. Unless the Enclave remnants decided to take another job.” The griffon picked up three guns and holstered them. Samus noticed that two holsters were on her front-side alongside two sheaths containing daggers. On her back leg was another holster for her third gun.

Samus picked the Flash Sparkle back up,”Actually, I’m not a part of the Enclave. I’m not even a pegasus.”

The griffon blinked,”What, you just found that thing just lying around?” She shook her head,”Whatever. Why don’t you come inside with me, it’s a lot safer-”

“Hello Pretty Chicken!” Puppysmiles appeared right in the griffon’s face,”I’m Puppysmiles, have you seen my mom?”.

“For this little thing.” The griffon frowned,”and I’m not a chicken.” She said with a bark. She turned and used her tail to beckon the two inside.

Samus followed the griffon,”So, you have a lot of problems with slavers, miss...”

“Grimfeathers. Regina Grimfeathers.” The griffon said as she opened the door,”You can call me Reggie.” She growled as she took off a bandolier of ammo and placed it on a table,”Yeah. Those idiots think that just because I’m a griffon that they can just pay me to do whatever they want!” She placed her weapons down.

Samus looked at Reggie,”My name is Samus Aran. Griffons are mercs over here?”

Reggie gave Samus a weird look,”What, you just come out of a Stable or something?”

“No, she’s an alium!” Puppy shouted, then covered her helmet,”oops, I wasn’t supposed to say that, was I.” She looked down with a frown.

Samus’ eyes opened wide,”Uh, kids these days...” She gave a chuckle.

Reggie turned and shook her head,”Whatever. I’d believe you if you were an alien. I saw a weird deer-thing pop out of nowhere in a shimmer of light and saw it kick a raider’s ass. Right now? I’d believe anything.” She knolt down to a fridge and opened it. She pulled out three bottles and threw two to Samus,”Yeah, griffons usually are mercenaries. I was actually part of the best group: Gawd’s Talons!” She said with a grin as she opened the bottle with .

Samus gave one bottle to Puppy as she looked at hers. ‘Sparkle Cola’ the label read. She popped open the bottle with her teeth and spat out the cap.”Talons, huh? Wonder why you guys were called that?” She smiled.

Reggie chuckled,”My Mom’s never been accused of being original.” She shook her head.

“Your mom?” Samus asked.

“Yeah, Gawdyna Grimfeathers.” She looked down at one of her guns. Samus did the same, and noticed names were carved on each one of them.

“Gawd, Kage, and Henri?” Samus asked.

“Kage is my twin brother.” Reggie said in a solemn tone.

“So that makes you...?” Samus blinked a bit.

“Yep! Children of Gawd!” Reggie waved her bottle with a laugh. She picked up the gun marked Gawd and gave it a sad look,”I’m the last of her Talons.” She looked at Samus,”When those new alicorns appeared, they attacked our home, Junction R-7. We tried to fight them off, but they were too much. Mom,” Reggie frowned,”Mom told us to get out while she ‘handles those fuckers’” She growled,”Idiot, why couldn’t she come with us?” She said, tears coming to her eyes.”Me and Kage were forced to leave, and hid until the alicorns left. We came back, and buried what was left of Mom’s corpse.” She picked up the gun marked Kage,”After I took Mom’s gun and marked it, Kage said that we should move on with our lives, now that we were no longer mercenaries. He and I pretty muched walked the wasteland after that, fighting raiders, slavers, or whatever the wasteland threw at us.” She sighed,”Then one day, Kage and I came across a Steel Ranger. The asshole had killed a poor stable dweller for her pipbuck. Kage, who always tried to do the right thing, got mad and attacked him with his knives. I barely had time to react when I heard a shot. Although he had gotten a knife into the ranger, the ranger had shot him in the heart. Before the ranger could do anything, I pulled out my guns, which had armor piercing in them, and shot him in the head. I... ended up burying the stable dweller, because that’s what Kage would have wanted me to do. Then I took Kage’s body back to our home for burial. I carry his knives and put his name on one of my guns in his memory.”

“And what about Henri?” Samus asked, throwing the empty bottle away.

Reggie gave a smile,”Henrietta Firebright. I met her after Kage’s death. At first, we were at odds,” she shook her head,”Mom kinda wanted her and her dad dead. After we exchanged bullets for a bit, I managed to finally convince her that my mom’s Talons were dead, and I wasn’t after her. We decided that, because of our similar predicaments-her dad was dead, my family was dead- we’d travel together. And so for about a year we began to walk the wasteland, doing whatever felt right at the time, although Henri would question me on a few decisions to help others.” She looked at Kage’s gun as she held Henri’s,”After Kage’s death, I pretty much swore to uphold his ideals. He was always nicer than I was.” She shook her head,”After a while, however, Henri just up and left. She left me her gun with her name on it and a note:’Follow the clues- H.’ I didn’t know what she meant, all I knew was that I was alone again.” she shook her head,”And that’s kind of why I’m hanging around here: I don’t have anyone to follow.”

Samus looked down to see Puppysmiles attempting to open the bottle, and then promptly putting it into her suit,”All that because of those alicorns?” She smiled as she looked around the shack,”Well, it’s a good thing I’m planning on stopping them.”

Reggie spat out the last of her Sparkle Cola,”What!? Why!? What’s in it for you!?”

Samus shrugged,”I came here, saw that the people here were oppressed by a bunch of assholes, and decided that needed to stop.”

Reggie’s eyes went wide,”So... you are going to stop several god-like creatures, just because they’re jerks? So, you’re doing this, because it’s the right thing to do.” she looked back at Kage’s gun, and began to laugh,”Wow, finally, a pony with guts! Most people in the wasteland are just out for themselves! It’s nice to see someone who does things because it’s the right thing to do.” She shook her head,”In that way, you are either the craziest pony I’ve ever met, or the most awesome.” Reggie gave a grin as she placed her guns in their holster,”I’m coming with you!”

Samus blinked,”Really?”

“Of course!” She sheathed her knives,”I’m tired of doing pretty much nothing, and quite frankly, you look like a pony who’d actually kick a lot of ass!” She looked around,”And I don’t plan on just standing here waiting for something to happen, that would be just ridiculous!”

Samus looked down on the ground and shrugged,”Alright, come on then.” she turned towards the door.

Puppy ran up and gave Reggie a big hug,”Yay, we have a new friend!”

Reggie chuckled a bit as she held Puppy up,”So, where are we heading?”

“A place called Friendship City.” Samus said, going through the door.

“Oh, that place! It’s a little crowded but it has good people.” Reggie said as she and Puppysmiles followed Samus.

The trio walked through the destroyed Manehattan buildings, stepping through bits and pieces of rusted metal. Samus frowned as she moved a piece of debris in their path. She looked around and noticed pieces of aged billboards and destroyed neon signs. She looked at her left, and jumped in surprise when she saw a picture of a pink pony with a greying mane and the words,”Pinkie Pie is watching you, forever!” on a sign.

“Yeah, that gives me the creeps too. Sometimes, it feels like her eyes follow you...”Reggie said with her eyes widening as she walked.

“Ooh, scary!” Puppy said, staring at the sign.

Samus shook her head,’That’s just silly.’ She then walked along, looking back and making sure that Pinkie’s eyes weren’t following her.’Wait, weren’t her pupils in a different spot before?’ She shook her head and continued to walk until she bumped into Reggie,”Hey, what’s-” She stopped when she looked in front of her.

Strung across the ground were seven pony bodies. Blood was smeared across the once grey road. Near the bodies was a carriage, where a soft whimpering was heard.”Must have been raiders.” Reggie snarled.

Samus walked to two of the bodies, and noticed their body armor, and their bullet ridden corpses,”Bodyguards, only it looks like.” She walked to the other five. One stallion and one mare were shot in the head, while two others, also a mare and a stallion, had their necks slit, and white fluid from their backsides. Samus growled as she noticed the similar hairstyles and coat colors,”This was a defenseless family.” she looked up at the carriage, and walked to it.She opened the door to reveal a tiny filly.

The filly screamed as she backed away. Samus took off her helmet and turned to Puppysmiles,”Hey, Puppy? Why don’t you help tell this little filly that we’re not bad ponies?”

Puppy poked a pony, and then looked up,”Okay!” She said, and hopped into the carriage,”Hi!”

The filly screamed,”Stay away!”

Reggie turned and pointed towards a building with ponies on pikes,”That’s probably where they came from.” She turned to Samus,”You thinking what I’m thinking?”

Samus nodded as she put her helmet back on and took out the Flash Sparkle.

“Don’t worry! My big sister is a really cool bounty hunter!” Puppy said, then she cocked her head,”You really are scared, aren’t you?”

The filly began to sob.

Puppysmiles trotted over and smiled,”Whenever I’m scared, Mommy always sang me a little song to make me feel better. Mister Voice? Could you play a nice song for my new friend?”

“Searching stations...” Mister Voice said, and a little song came on.

“Man, this is boring...” Slit-throat groaned as he watched the entrance. He inhaled his bit of Dash and frowned,”I wish something would...” He was interrupted as he was shot in the neck. He coughed up blood as three more shots promptly went into him. The last thing he saw was a bird creature and a black demon breaking down the entrance.

“... And that’s how Space Queen defeated Mother Computer!” Puppy squealed.

The filly had calmed down, and began to giggle a little,”T-That’s pretty cool...”

Four raiders came into the front lobby of the hotel after hearing the noise,”What the hell was that!?” One mare exclaimed.

“S-Slit-throat?” A stallion gasped as they saw the raider in question lying on the wall with the words,”Never Again,” written on it in blood.

“Shit! What the hell’s going on!” Another stallion yelled.

The first stallion looked around,”Hey, weren’t there four of us?” He said, noting that there was one stallion out of the group. Then they felt blood. They looked up to see that a griffon had stabbed the stallion and held him up in the air. She glared down at them.

“Shoot her!” The mare exclaimed, only to be met with silence. She turned and noticed a scorpion tail impaling the first stallion, who just happen to be holding the only other gun in the group. The stallion was thrown off, and the wielder of the tail promptly shot the second stallion in the head before he could attack. The mare backed up, only to bump into the griffon. She turned and screamed before her throat was slashed by the griffon’s talons.

“I don’t know about the pretty chicken lady, but she has three guns, so she’s probably really cool!” Puppy said, hopping up and down.

“Hey, who’s there?” A female voice shouted.

“What was that noise?” The mare said as she lay on the bed.

“Don’t know, don’t care.” The stallion said, grinning as he lay on top of her,”We’re having fun!”

“Oh, yes!” The mare moaned and closed her eyes, only to feel a drop of liquid hit her nose. She opened her eyes to see a knife plunge into her face.

“Oh no, they’re back!” The filly said as the carriage door opened up to reveal a white unicorn mare with a black and red mane, wearing security barding.

A group of three raiders laughed as one of them poked a filly in a cage with a spear. One of them turned to the door with a serious look,”Hey, aren’t we going to investigate that noise?” That was when he heard a scream. He turned and saw a set of pony legs being dragged out of the room. He ran after the screaming raider, only to face a gun.

A shot was heard, leaving a single stallion staring at the hallway. He gasped as a black form came into view. He fired wildly, watching in horror as the bullets hit the thing, but it still came. He screamed as he was tackled by the thing.

The thing broke the raider’s neck and turned to the cage with the filly. The filly whimpered,”Miss?”

The thing walked towards the cage,”Yes?” it said.

“Are you the spirit of vengeance? Mommy told me stories about you.”

“If you wish.” The thing said. It broke the cage door open,”Run.” It said, as a griffon landed next to it. They turned and walked out.

“Hey, I found survivors!” The mare shouted before turning and leaning her head in,”It’s alright, the good guys are here.”

Puppysmiles turned to the filly and smiled,”The pretty police lady found us!” She said, and hopped out of the carriage. The filly looked up at the mare’s smiling face. The filly reluctantly walked into the mare’s forehooves.

Bullet Ridden laughed in his chair, and began to inject more Med-X within himself,”Man, it’s good to be the king, huh, ladies?” He smiled at two raider mares on both sides of him. He slapped one on the flank, causing her to slap him,”Ouch, now you’re turning me on~” He said. He leaned in for a kiss when he heard a scream. He turned to see one mare with a bullet in her head. He gulped as he heard another gunshot and saw that his other mare was dead. He blinked.”Everypony!?” He shouted, but got no answer.

“You’re alone.” A creature from his deepest nightmares came from the doorway, followed by a bird-creature of horror.

“W-What!?” Bullet said, backing away.

The bird-creature spoke next,”We got rid of your lackeys. We made them pay.”

“I... I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Bullet said. He used his hoof to feel around for his gun, only to find that the bird-thing had flown up to his face and kicked him aside from his beloved protection. The creature in black took the gun up and broke it in half.

The creature then walked up to him,”That face... is that the face that family had?”

“W-what!? Please, I didn’t do anything!” The stallion screamed. Then he was shot in the shoulder.

“Don’t lie to me.” The thing said.

“Wait, I’ll do anything. I’ve got drugs, weapons, mares, just don’t kill me!” Bullet shouted.

“How many people have said that to you!?” The thing began to pump bullets into his abdomen, causing him to scream. Then the bird-creature did the same. He weakly looked up and then felt a blade run him through.

Samus threw him out the window,”I doubt that’ll do anything, but hopefully some will take that as a message.”

The mare sat the filly down on the ground. She looked up at a pegasus mare in similar barding,”I think that’s all of them.”

The pegasus nodded,”Good, let’s take-”

“Wait, my sister needs to come back!” Puppysmiles said, looking back at the building.

The unicorn looked down,”Sister?”

“Yeah, she’s gone off to take care of the bad guys with our new friend!” She pointed to the building.

The mare frowned,”What kind of crazy pony would go off to kill a bunch of raiders just because?”

“Somepony like you?” The pegasus said with a chuckle.

“... You’re right.” The unicorn said as she pulled out a shotgun and pumped it.”Wish me luck, honey!” She drank her bottle of whiskey out of her saddle-bags. She was stopped however as a little filly ran out of the building and towards her.

“The Spirit of Vengeance has come!” the filly screamed.

The mare blinked, and watched as a stallion was thrown out a window,”I... think I’m going to sit this one out.” She frowned as she put away her shotgun. A few moments later, two figures left the building,”An Enclave pegasus and a griffon?” She looked at her pegasus partner.

“Don’t look at me.” The pegasus said.

The unicorn looked down at Puppy,”That must be your sister.” She said as the Enclave figure walked up.

Samus took off her helmet,”I suppose you’re friendly.” She smiled,”We took care of the raider problem.”

“I wanted to do that...” The unicorn muttered. She smiled up at the mare,”Thanks, I didn’t expect Enclave to care that much to do that. And I really didn’t think a griffon would do that.” She looked at Reggie.

“Yeah, I’d like to think I’m different from the other mercs.” Reggie said.

“And I’m not really Enclave, I just happen to find this armor, and I kinda need it.” Samus said.

The unicorn nodded,”Well, thanks again. You’ve just saved the filly of a merchant family. And,” She looked down, “You’ve saved somepony who was lost to us.”

“Us?” Reggie asked.

“Friendship City. I and my friend here are members of the security team there. We were sent here when we noticed that this family was late in its return.” The mare explained.

“Friendship City?” Samus looked at the pegasus,”Your name wouldn’t happen to be Sunny Smiles, would it?”

The pegasus shook her head,”No, sorry. But I do know a Sunny back in Friendship City. If you would like, we could get you guys there so you could look for her.”

“That’d be perfect.” Samus said with a nod.

“Good, the more the merrier.” The unicorn said as she turned to lead the group.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk: Intimidating Presence: The very sight of you makes foes tremble with fear, the Enclave armor doesn’t help with that. Anytime you fight an enemy, there is a 20% chance of them running away from you.

Companion Perk Added: Bird’s Eye View: You can see a lot farther, allowing you more accuracy when Reggie is with you.

Author's Note

The last scene was not in the original RP. I put it in to show a bit of Puppy's character, and to give a cameo. Yes, I don't think I need to tell you who the unicorn is, only that I didn't read the story she came from, so the bits of her character I merely gleamed from the wiki and TV Tropes.

The scene at the end was indeed inspired by horror films. I figured it would be nice to see the heroes through the eyes of raiders. I don't think that's ever been done before in a Fallout fic.

Thanks to my co-author, Alchemystudent.

Again, feel free to point out the flaws in this chapter, I do want to improve.

Here's the song that played on the radio.