Broken Worlds: Age of Ruin

“This is a lot more intense than it looked in training!” I called out as I took cover behind a terminal to reload, then quickly aimed my rifle and struck an advancing guard in the chest.

Drayke laughed. “I know; fun, isn’t it?” he called, using his sword to slice the barrel from his shotgun before firing two shells at a trio of soldiers, filling them with holes as they collapsed.

Out of all the people and ponies on our side, the one that surprised me the most was Wayne; he said he had been wandering through the desert for several months, yet he was clearly a skilled marksman. Obviously, he had taken time to hone his skills, knowing he would one day need to kill a man to defend himself.

He probably already has, I thought, seeing the cold, emotionless look in his face as he dispatched his enemies one by one from behind a desk. He was no longer wearing his sunglasses, but just that skull bandana that covered his mouth was enough to give me chills. I shook my head, refocusing my thoughts on the battle, and started shooting again.

“This is going on forever!” Wayne shouted, glancing around for an alternate exit. “How about we blow this joint?” he suggested suddenly, pulling a pin from a grenade and tossing it into the corner nearest him as he dove under the desk. The wall burst open, revealing the hallway that lay just beyond. “Let’s go!” he cried, rolling out of the room to avoid the constant gunfire. His earth pony companion, Gentle Blade, wasted no time in following him.

Drayke glanced back at the wall the strange boy had just destroyed. “It’s a shame he won’t be joining us,” he said sadly, blindly firing a round at the enemy soldiers as he rushed for the hole, “He’s pretty damn resourceful!” he added as he ran out into the hallway.

I sighed. “That, or insane,” I muttered. “Tess, Dash, let’s go!” I cried, and ducked as I ran for the destroyed wall. I waited as Tess and Dash followed suit, and provided some covering fire for the group as we all ran down the brightly-lit, white halls for the exit.

When we returned to the loading bay, we piled into the back of the truck and took off, all of us whooping victoriously as Cadence created a glowing orb that allowed us to see. Drayke was in front at the wheel, with Wayne in the passenger seat, as he had reached the truck first.

“We did it!” Dash whooped happily, throwing her forelegs over my shoulders and squeezing me tightly, before withdrawing with an embarrassed look on her face.

Tess held out her hand victoriously as we all traded excited high-fives. “The Resistance scores another point!” she yelled, and we all cheered in agreement.

For once, things were looking up for us.

~-~-~-~-~

“So, what exactly did we steal?” I inquired back at the base as Drayke took a look at the data he had stored on his flash drive.

“Well, it looks like some blueprints for an upgrade for BlackTech’s exoskeletons,” he said slowly. “If they kept these plans, they would have been able to install built-in weapons systems on the suits, freeing up the operator's hands to maneuver, operate vehicles, or whatever they wanted,” he explained. “We got them just in time, too; by the looks of things, they were just about to be sent to the manufacturing plants, where they would be mass-produced for all BlackTech soldiers to be equipped in just days.”

I nodded. “Is there any way we could use it?” I asked hopefully. I knew the chances were slim, since we didn’t have any sort of manufacturing equipment, and the resident unicorns’ magic was rather restricted on what they could generate.

Drayke looked thoughtful for a moment. “That actually isn’t a bad idea,” he said slowly, “But we would have to get ahold of some sort of 3-D printer in order to produce all the parts…”

Wayne cleared his throat. “So, is that all?” he asked impatiently, “because I should really be going now.”

I glanced at the masked boy. I didn’t trust this guy; he was too secretive and solitary. I never liked the lone-wolf types, and this guy could have been their spokesman.

Drayke nodded as he stood up. “Yeah, thanks for the help back there,” he replied. “You sure you don’t want to at least stay here for a little while?” he asked hopefully, “We can use all the help we can get around here.”

Wayne glanced around nervously. “No, I’m good,” he said simply. “I prefer to stay alone.”

The pony that had been traveling with Wayne, Gentle Blade, gave him a sad look. “You aren’t going to stay?” she asked, disappointed.

Wayne looked down at her, his sunglasses and mask hiding any signs of emotion. “I need to get to New Phoenix,” he said flatly. “You guys have a good operation going on here, don’t get me wrong, but it just isn’t my style.”

I took a step forward. “Can’t handle being part of a team?” I asked hotly. Drayke held up a calming hand, but Wayne stepped forward to meet me.

“No,” he said slowly, “I just prefer to plan things out on my own. You’re all taking it one step at a time, taking out minor BlackTech bases. I’m going to burn them to the ground as soon as I can.”

I laughed emptily. “You’re an idiot,” I shot back. “BlackTech has state-of-the-art security, high-tech weapons, and expertly-trained soldiers. You wouldn’t be able to get through the front door without getting killed a hundred times over.”

Wayne stared for a moment, seemingly unsure of how to respond. “I’m careful,” he said finally. “I’ve got know-how, finesse, and skill. What more is there to need?”

Drayke cleared his throat. “While I agree that those are some good traits to have,” he said slowly, “Joseph is right, Wayne; you can’t fight them alone. The reason we do these small missions isn’t just to pass time; we’re weakening BlackTech, one shot at a time. We’re making them nervous, and when they’re nervous, they make mistakes. When they make mistakes, THAT is when we make our big hit.” He walked over to Wayne, holding out a friendly hand. “So, what is it gonna be?” he asked slowly, “Will you help us take down BlackTech, or will you get killed trying to go it alone?”

The boy stood there, unmoving, before his shoulders sank slightly. “Alright,” he sighed, “I’ll join you guys. But, let me get this clear,” he added quickly, “I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to take down BlackTech, and once their organization is nothing but ashes, I walk. Are we clear?”

Drayke nodded. “Crystal,” he said, chuckling slightly. “Sorry, it’s an old joke,” he explained. “Come on, and we’ll show you how things are run around here,” he said, motioning for Wayne to follow him as he exited the office. Tess, Dash, Cadence, Gentle Blade, and I all followed Drayke and our new member as Drayke showed him the different rooms of the compound, explaining the purpose of each one.

Eventually, we reached the armory, where Wayne gazed around at the numerous weapons we had… “borrowed” from BlackTech storage bunkers.

“Quite a nice selection you’ve got here,” he said, chuckling as he ran a hand over a rocket launcher.

Drayke nodded. “Yep, we like to keep our options open,” he said proudly. “Better to have something and not need it, rather than need something, and not have it, right? Go ahead and pick something out,” he added casually. “We’ve got plenty to spare, as you can see.”

Wayne took an awkward look around. “Uh, thanks for the offer,” he said slowly, “But I’ve got a weapon of my own. It means a lot to me, and I’d rather stick with it, if you don’t mind,” he explained, gesturing to the rifle he carried on his back.

Drayke nodded understandingly. “Alright, then, but I’d insist you take this,” he said slowly, handing Wayne a silver revolver with a pearl-white grip. I recognized the model; Smith and Wesson 500. “Joseph and Tess will show you to the sleeping quarters, and you can settle in until training starts.”

I cleared my throat. “Uh, Drayke?” I asked hesitantly, “I actually wanted to talk to you about some things.”

Drayke shrugged. “Okay, Tess will show you to the sleeping quarters,” he corrected himself, and Wayne nodded as my sister led Wayne and his earth pony companion out of the room. Then, Drayke turned to me expectantly.

“What’s up, Joseph?” he asked seriously.

I sighed hoplessly. “You aren’t really considering letting this guy join us, are you?” I asked flatly.

Drayke nodded. “I am, actually,” he replied, standing up and walking over to a bookshelf that sat against an adjacent wall. “He could be a valuable member to have on our side, and we can use all the help we can get.”

I rolled my eyes. “With all due respect, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said, trying to convince him to see reason. “This guy has ‘lone wolf’ written all over him, and I can already tell he has a knack for causing a lot of collateral damage. This kid, Wayne, is going to be nothing but trouble for us.”

Drayke gave me an angry look. “And I suppose you know this for a fact? Because I can recall him getting us out of that base and back here safely. Nobody was harmed, and no mistakes were made,” he said simply. “If it would put your mind at ease, I’ll keep an eye on him for a while, but I don’t think I will be going back on my decision.”

I nodded stiffly. “I understand,” I muttered.

Drayke sighed. “Good. Now, I’ve got some work to take care of. I’ll check on you and your sister in training tomorrow. Perhaps you could let Wayne join you?” he suggested, his tone hinting that it was more of an order than a suggestion.

I nodded once again. “Yes, that would be a good idea,” I said with an unenthusiastic tone, and exited the room.

~-~-~-~-~

In the hallway, I punched the wall angrily, feeling the smooth concrete collide with my knuckle and send a shooting pain up my arm. I was too angry to acknowledge it, however, and I marched down the hall, not quite sure where I would go.

“That guy could have killed us,” I muttered, “Who the hell throws a live grenade so close to his allies?” I laughed emptily. “He’s going to be in training with us? That’s just fine,” I said with grim determination as a plan began to form in my mind, “I’ll give him a warm-up he’ll never forget.”