Fallout: Equestria - A Song of Angels

Chapter One: Regulator

“And out in the Wasteland, there’s only one brand of justice: the gun.”

“Greetings Equestria, I hope you’re having a wonderful day. It is I, your hostess: Crystina, and you’re listening to Empire Records Radio, the best radio station this side of the Crystal Dominion. Now everypony, before I get started, we have a special guest on the show. You all know him as the Wasteland DJ, the master of music, and the stallion with a toaster problem, DJPon3!”

The voice of a stallion came on the radio, replacing the soft, calm voice that belonged to Crystina.

“Hello, fillies and colts of the Crystal Dominion! DJPon3 here, live and on the air. Thank you for having me, Crystina.”

“It’s a pleasure, I have to admit, I was thrilled when you agreed to a collaboration. Now, to those who are tuning in and are confused on how this is possible, I’d just like to clarify, DJ and I are talking over a unique audio and visual feed. We can hear him, but I can’t see him.”

“Though appearances should be kept up, I feel secure just being heard. Besides, only two ponies have ever seen me. My wonderful assistant, Homage, and the toaster repairpony. A little fun fact, children, I can see her and that lovely white coat of hers, mmh mhh.”

Crystina giggled, followed by DJ’s own chuckle.

“Oh, DJ you scoundrel. Now that you are all aware of how we are able to communicate from both of our respective studios, and channels, our show can begin. DJ, would you care to start us off?”

DJPon3 cleared his throat. “Why don’t you start us off, Ms. Crystina? It is your show after all.”

“Oh you are most too kind, very well,” Crystina spoke with a posh voice, and with a Trottingham accent to accommodate, much like the late Octavia Melody, but younger, not quite mature.

Crystina cleared her throat and started speaking again. “Relationships between the Dominion and NCR have been improving since the territory wars of last year.”

“The Territory Wars, was the result of the NCR’s attempted conquest of Dominion territory, while the Dominion was in the process of re-establishing itself as a super power,” DJPon3 added.

Crystina spoke again, “After five months of fighting, NCR founder and president, Gawdyna Grimfeathers, agreed to meet with the Crystal Queen, Sabrina, on neutral ground to discuss an end to the short-lived war.”

“The terms of the treaty laid down by Queen Sabrina, decreed that the Crystal Dominion would continue to hold all of its pre-war territory.”

“In addition to that, Queen Sabrina has allowed NCR members to enter Dominion territory, to recruit wastelanders into the still blossoming nation. However, this term only applies to ponies without Dominion citizenship. If an NCR recruiter was caught extending the offer to citizens within the walls, they are to be imprisoned until an appeal for release is heard.”

“That’s harsh, don’t you think, Crystina?” asked DJPon3

“I agree, DJ, though this law was put in place to remind the NCR of the treaty, and to deter anypony bold enough to try.”

“And I don’t doubt that the law does its job well. I have reports that many of the recruiters won’t go near the walls, under the pretense that they would be arrested. Now, changing the subject here so our viewers don’t get too bored of this political drama. I’ve heard from a reliable source that there’s signs of Raider activity down in the old Canterhorn trainyard. Do you have any comment on that, Crystina?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. The Canterhorn trainyard is based just south east of the Dominion, closer to Manehatten and the settlement of Brighter Days Valley. The Raider group, calling themselves the "Players", have been attacking and killing caravaneers moving to, and from Hoofington, Wintertrot, the Vanhoover ruins, Manehatten and Junction Town.”

“Stay clear of them kiddies, don’t go waving the white flag,you know what they’d do,” DJ Pon3's sentence had a familiarity to it. Not that I’d care to elaborate.

“Now, in other news, the part of the west coast around Vanhoover and the Great Celestia Sea in the east is still shrouded in endless cloud cover. DJPon3, would you care to elaborate? I’m afraid the Dominion is still in the dark about it.”

“Of course, Crystina. After that mess up in Neighvarro, the cloud cover had been dispersed, bringing in all that warm sunshine. But for some reason, the clouds over by the east and west coasts continue to shroud the seas with its darky darkness. When questioned, Enclave soldiers, scientists and members of their senate failed to say what was up there. President Gawdyna has started to suspect that the former Enclave members are intentionally withholding information.”

“That sounds mighty terrifying, DJ. Thank you for sharing that with us. Now everypony, don’t touch that dial; we’ll be right back in a few moments. And now some—”

Crystina’s voice was cut off as I turned the radio to silence. I let out a deep breath, smoke flowing out of my mouth and into the air. I levitated my cigarette close by, picked up my pocket radio and placed it into the inner compartments of my duster.

I sighed, I looked out towards the horizon; the sun was already quite high, and I had barely even made a start. I took one last puff of my cigarette, then pressed the lit end onto the surface of a giant shell, attached to the bones of a mutant tortoise.

I threw the butt away and stood up, the wind blowing my coat about, picking up the dust and carrying with it a scent.

Growl

I looked down to my dog, a blue heeler. He had a blue colored coat, with few patches of black fur, blue eyes and a dirtied red ascot tie.

“Smell something, Dogmeat?”

Dogmeat looked back to me, licked his lips, then looked south once more.

I adjusted my hat, tilting it up a little before hopping down from the skeleton’s domed back. I walked around to Dogmeat’s side and stared out in the same direction, I sniffed the air (doesn’t do much really), then the wind picked up and I could smell blood.

The land stretched out before us was as empty as it would be elsewhere. Dead, rotten trees were sparse; there were a few rocky areas, perfect hiding places for any lowlife looking to grease some unlucky bastard. The roads nearby had holes and small craters, and were deteriorating. Gravel all over the place.

I squinted, Dogmeat started growling even louder. Usually when he growled I’d be alert, my gun(s) drawn and ready. But the way that cloud moved in the distance wasn’t new to me. You see dust storms like that on occasion, except this was no dust storm.

My horn glowed a bright green under my hat, and a pair of binoculars floated out from my saddlebags. I looked through them at the dust storm. Red dots appeared on the built-in Eyes Forward Sparkle. I could barely make out the shapes of a pair of stingers attached to a giant creature sporting one hundred legs and a mile long body, it was a Horror-pede.

It was still too far away to be any problem to me. Though sad to say, it was a problem for the caravan it had just torn through. Horror-pedes don’t kill you as quick as a Tank might, they constrict you, vomit on you, then eat your head. Just about everypony knew that (unless they happened to be retarded).

I put the binoculars down and back into my saddlebags; then placed a hoof on Dogmeat’s head, patting him for a moment and looking down at him.

“Don’t worry about it, boy, it ain’t going to hurt us,” I assured him. “Come on, we have a contract waiting for us.”

I turned away from Dogmeat and walked around the Tank’s skeleton, barely any flesh remained on the mutated tortoise. It’s neck had been snapped, I could tell as the vertebrae had been twisted right around. Hiding on the other side was a unique little toy of mine. It looked like a pre-war chariot. A podium stood at the front, two metal handlebars jutting out from either side in the shape of hooves.

Two pairs of transparent wings jutted out from the sides, the front ones were at least three meters long, while the back ones were just inches smaller, blue magical energy glowed and moved around the wings veins like blood.

I walk around to the back and stepped onto its center, held up by its landing gear in the shape of insect-like legs. I looked around for Dogmeat, and whistled when he had not followed.

“Come on boy, I’m riding with or without you,” I said sarcastically, but I wasn’t joking.

Dogmeat barked and came quickly to me, jumping over the Tank skeleton and climbing onto the chariot. He sat beside me and panted.

“Good dog.” A smile formed at the corner of my mouth and I gave him another pat, followed by a scratch behind the ears.

I looked at the podium in front of me, a terminal screen laid slanted on its surface, deactivated for the moment. I slipped my front hooves onto the metal handles, fit like a glove. I revved it, the engine roaring and turning on with a sparkling roar of magic. The screen flashed on and a voice played.

“Luna voice interface online. Welcome back, Gattle Gun. What is your command?”

“Thank you, Luna. Now then, gate close!”

Two metal cage doors slid out from the chariot’s sides, pulled by a clockwork mechanism that allowed them to slide and close up the back part of the chariot, preventing either Dogmeat or myself from falling out.

“Gate closed and locked,” Luna responded.

I put on a set of goggles and replaced my black akubra with a pre-war pegasus flight cap. “Engage flight.” With a smirk on my face, I twisted the disks back and forth.

A bright blue glow came from beneath the chariot, and the wings started to flap with startling speed, buzzing like a thousand hornets. With my back hoof I stepped on a peddle, then with a loud whoosh, the chariot flew.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

With the Sky-Rider I managed to cover more ground and make great time. I kept an eye on the terminal screen, the Eyes Forward Sparkle display kept me alert of anything that might come from ahead. A small box on the top right corner of the screen displayed map data which would update as I continued to travel over unexplored land.

Occasionally I would look around, scanning my surroundings for anything just off of the E.F.S’s radar. Thankfully, there was nothing, nothing but dirt, dead trees and barely any grass.

Sky-Riders were fast, they aren’t exactly pre-war, only the pieces required to make them. The Spark battery was the hardest to come by. A trip to Vanhoover for one of those damn things isn’t worth it.

Dogmeat came alert every now and again, usually at the sight of a Sprite-bot playing some of DJ Pon3’s tunes, nothing too out of the ordinary. But I had started to feel on edge, nothing was happening. It wasn't quiet, not in the slightest. The wings buzzed with each rapid flap that made it hard to hear. If somepony shot at me with a rocket launcher, I was screwed.

We flew low along that dusty road, coming up on the small settlement the map data named ‘Red Ruby Creek.’

“We’re in luck, boy,” I said to Dogmeat, “If we’re lucky, our target’s taken residence here. Luna, tell me what you can about Red Ruby Creek.”

“Red Ruby Creek, started out as a small settlement before the rule of the late Discord. Over the years leading up to the great war, the small village went through drastic change into a large town with plans on expansion. By the great war, it had become one of the lesser, and least known Hubs of the Ministry of Image, devolving into more of a sub-archive of information.

“By the final days of the war, the Ministry of Morale and the Ministry of Wartime Technology had begun to suspect the Red Ruby, Ministry of Image branch was leaking information to the Zebras and began to conduct investigations. The Ministry of Morale was far more subtle then the Ministry of Wartime Technology.”

Once she had finished, Luna’s feminine voice turned off and she was silent again until called upon. The information she gave me was irrelevant to the operation at hoof. While interesting, the information was practically useless.

“Luna, I need to know what faction holds this town. I know the region, I know what lives in this region, but I’ve never been to this town before, I need modern info, not pre-war information. Recent inhabitant, faction in control, capish?”

It took a moment, but Luna was able to gather the information she needed to give to me.

“Red Ruby Creek, over the years following the war, has been host to a variety of groups. Most notably, Raiders, Slavers, and Hellhounds. However, the town has been abandoned since its liberation seventy five years ago, and in recent months has become become the interest of a possible settlement. Faction in control: Crystal Dominion”

Once again, at the conclusion of sharing what information she could find, Luna went silent. At that moment I remembered hearing something about this town. I looked up at the highest tower, bearing the decaying emblem of an eye with a diamond. With eyebrows furrowed, I pressed onward, continuing on the four hour journey to Red Ruby Creek.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

I started to slow the Sky-Rider’s advance. It decelerated, the wing’s flapping growing soft and gentle. As I neared the entrance of the village, I hit a switch on the side of the right handle disk, stopping and bringing my ride to a slow descent back firmly on the ground.

The gates slid open and Dogmeat was the first to hop off, I followed suit. I stepped away from the Sky-Rider, and stood in the center of the long road that ran right through the center of this town.

My eyes shifted to Dogmeat, sniffing around the entrance curiously. It was too quiet, I had heard from Crystina that this settlement had fallen quiet in recent months (predictable if you ask me). I floated out my gun, a chrome magnum, slightly rusted with age. I called it: Chrome (I lack the initiative and creativity to name it anything more then its color).

I floated Chrome close beside me, barrel pointed skyward. Dogmeat stepped into the town. I looked around, and everywhere I saw remnants of an attempt to establish a community. Piles of wood, razor wire, scrap metal, tools and nails had been left randomly scattered about.

“Where is everypony?” I mumbled to myself.

Dogmeat ahead of me sniffed out something by one of the many ruined buildings. “Dogmeat? You got something, boy?” I approached; he lifted his head and stared down the long stretch of road, corridored by buildings on either side.

He took off down a street, running like somepony had thrown some Brahmin steak, fresh off the roast.

“Dogmeat!” I growled and ran after him (loyal as he was, he bugged me sometimes with his lack of obedience).

Deeper and deeper into the town we went, passing by streets and buildings, many of them collapsed and falling apart. Before long, I had caught up with Dogmeat.

I slowed down, taking only a few large steps before stopping. I took a moment to catch my breath, then glared at the animal. “You’re not supposed to just run off… what the hell got into you?!”

Dogmeat whimpered, he looked at me then into the darkness that filled the building's foyer. I walked to him, stopped by his side and peered into the decaying old building. I saw and heard nothing, then I saw the blood trail. Dry and old, somepony had died here and was taken inside.

I wasn’t eager to see what was inside, and turned away. “Dogmeat, come on, ignore it. Let’s just see where the rest of the ponies are.”

Dogmeat woofed at me, confused and scared.

“I want to avoid charging in and angering whatever’s taken up residence. Remember the Yao Guai a while back?” I occasionally brought that particular moment whenever Dogmeat argued with me about disturbing sleeping creatures. Surprisingly, it was effective (sometimes).

Dogmeat growled in shame. “I thought so. No, I think we’re both to blame for that. Still, I killed it.”

Dogmeat chomped his jaws and bared his teeth. I looked at him in a slightly nervous fashion when he started to show his teeth toward me. “We killed it, I meant we killed it,” I chuckled.

Dogmeat wagged his tail and panted happily at my correction. I rolled my eyes and continued to walk. We left the vicinity of that creepy ass building and moved toward the river, from which this town was named.

I looked toward the east, the night sky had started to show itself, though there was a little light. This worried me, I knew this region only somewhat as territory for a nasty piece of work that hunts in packs, Viper-wolves, Night-stalkers nor Coyotes had anything on these bipedal beasts.

As I rounded a corner, exiting one of the many streets and stepping into view of the river, there was a loud bang. A bullet whizzed past my ear and kept on going. Dogmeat growled while I stopped in my tracks and held still.

“If you’re friend or foe, I don’t know. And nor do I care for that matter.” The pony’s voice came from a loudspeaker, atop a large watch tower close to the river.

“Now, you put down that there gun all nice and slow-like, then maybe we can talk.”

I looked over to where the pony’s voice had resonated from, I saw him standing in a watchtower-like construct, rifle drawn and ready to shoot. We looked each other in the eye, I saw the conviction in his eyes, he would shoot me and likely my dog if I made a wrong move (smart).

He was an innocent, if he was a hostile he’d have shot me by now. He’s protecting something, there’s a makeshift wall where his watchtower is, made out of barrels and old sky wagons which had long outlived their use. long wooden spikes stuck out of the ground with bodies of zombie ponies attached, spiked and rotting.

My lips curled into a small smirk, I had sort of smug expression on my face. I put the safety on and slowly lowered Chrome, dropping it just inches from the ground, followed by a loud metallic thump.

The pony let up, he holstered his rifle to his side and turned away from the edge. “Stay where you are!” boomed his gruff rural voice.

A set of wooden gates opened, and on the other side I could see where the real settlement had been established. I was surprised that the whole town hadn’t been converted into a full fledged community, but then again, this region wasn't the best to be living in.

My silence was hell, that’s the worst part about travelling with a dog, they are terrible conversationalists. That guard pony came into view, I watched him, and clearly he was watching me.

As he drew closer he took notice of my duster, it was ripped, had a few bullet holes here and there, and it was red in random places. He glossed over me and picked up my gun in his hoof. I glossed over him in turn.

He was an earth pony, murky greyish green coat, orange eyes which bordered on red, and a large scruff on his chin accompanied by a five o’clock. He looked like he hadn’t gotten any sleep either. Her wore this torn up, dark navy blue vest over a black undershirt; he had a red handkerchief tied to his left foreleg, a shaved mane, short tail, a leg brace on one of his back legs, and a large holster on his flank with the rifle.

I snorted and opened my mouth, “Something wrong, sir?” I cocked an eyebrow. This pony clearly knew what I was, and didn’t look fazed at all.

“I want to know what some pussyboots like you is doing this close to the edge of Dominion territory,” said the pony. “You do realize that it’s all neutral terrain from here until beyond Canterlot, right?”

“I’m hunting somepony, I have reason to believe they fled toward the border. Perhaps you could help me.” I waited to hear his reply while I poked the inside of my cheek with my tongue, watching him with caution.

If he tried to pull on me, floating my gun and shooting him would be child's play, it’s too easy (and I seriously doubt he knew that). Or perhaps Dogmeat will bite out his throat. It’s all random chance, really.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline, son. I have a town to defend, besides, we’re not safe being out here, especially after dark.” He looked up at the starlit sky.

I hadn’t noticed that the time had flown by so quick. I let out a slightly irritated groan and closed my eyes. The pony held up his hoof, Chrome resting in the center. I reopened my eyes, wrapped the weapon in a sheet of my magical aura, (its light magnified by the night) and floated it over to me.

The pony turned away. He made his way back toward the gates of the walled settlement while I watched him for a few moments. I noticed his cutie mark was a chess piece, the rook if I wasn't mistaken. I thought then that he might’ve come all the way from New Pegas, but I dismissed the thought.

I holstered my magnum and began to take my leave. “Come on, Dogmeat, let’s get moving.”

As I went to take a step, my ears quickly caught the sounds of distant hissing and rasping. Hundreds of hooves, voices and sounds echoed all over the town, this wasn't what I had expected to find in this region. “Zombie Ponies…”

Dogmeat’s teeth were bared. He backed up toward the settlement, his growls turning into fearful whimpers. To be fair, I couldn’t help but feel as he did about those sounds. I backed up myself, one step at a time.

“Hey Duster, in here, quick, before they see you!” The guard pony beckoned as quietly as possible.

Hearing him and seeing no other alternative (other then fight), I turned and ran toward the gates with much haste. Dogmeat barked and kept pace with me, and when we were through the gates, they closed, and all the torches went out.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

I lit my cigarette by a fire close to the river. Many of the townsfolk were gathered around and chatting.

During that time I quickly noticed that a few of the mares looked distressed, as did their children. As I puffed on my past time, curiosity got to me and I stood up. Dogmeat, who had been lying nearby, lifted his head and watched me walk over over to the guard tower on the other side of the safe-zone.

Torches were lit lowly along the paths, these ponies were effectively avoiding the attention they could get from the occasional raider, or slaver, or even worse, a horde of zombies. Now I’m no bigot, I respect ghouls no different than I would another pony (contracts were a whole other story).

That same guard was watching out into the town, one eye closed, the other looking through the scope of his rifle. He had a zombie in his sights, though he didn’t pull the trigger. My approach behind him wasn't so silent. He heard my hooves as they moved along the wooden steps up to the main platform; he was expecting me.

“You know, sometimes I wonder why I even set up here. Put all these good folk in danger,” he mused to himself, at the same time talking to me as well.

I crossed my forelegs over the wooden fence that formed a type of railing, which allowed the pony to rest his gun on when taking shots.

“This region isn’t known for the zombies, mind you,” I started to inform him, “those are just the poor ponies trapped inside them larger buildings when the bombs fell. I bet there’s a pool of taint in the sewers emptying out into the waste reservoir…

“I’m Gattle Gun by the way.”

“You haven’t earned the right to know my name, tatters.” I could only assume he meant my duster.

“Fair enough,” I replied. “Though a name would be nice to remember you by incase you get yourself killed by the native abominations.”

“And just what’s supposed to live way out here?” the old horse inquired.

I smiled in amusement, like I had just been asked to hide daddy’s smokes when mommy got tired of his habit. I felt myself about to chuckle, but I held it back long enough to open my mouth, that’s when—

Wawawa wrarrrawarra!!!

I snickered and let out a deep breath. “That.”

““That”?” he repeated.

“Oh yeah, “that”.” I let out a puff of smoke, my cigarette floating only inches away. “I doubt you have any idea what “that” was. Trust me, not a lot of ponies have seen them.

“They come out at night, love warm climates. I’m surprised the Steel Rangers down near New Pegas haven’t kept track of them. They’ve grown vastly in number over the past seventy four years.”

“Well stop stalling and tell me, boy, what is it? What are they?” I could hear he was agitated, understandable, but I do so love to draw out big reveals.

“Wanamingo.” My smile reached ear to ear.

That earth pony was confused, I knew for a fact that he hadn’t seen one, he’d be dead otherwise.

“Wanamingos are technically extinct everywhere but here and the Appleloosan desert. The great Koots of the Lowlands figured they could tame them, and when they had the chance, caught a few and brought them up to the Dominion. They breed fast, kill faster.

“And the fucked up part is, I don’t have the proper means to kill them. In fact, I hope to never see another one again.”

“And why’s that?” He cocked an eyebrow, his full attention on me.

“Imagine a giant mouth on legs, no eyes and two large tentacles either side of them in place of arms. They make hellhounds look like a fucking pastry.”

I finished my cigarette and threw it into the moat below, breathing out deeply. Then came another call, this one sounded extremely close. I chuckled, I couldn’t contain my utter joy at the thought of finding one despite my desire to avoid them.

“You need to deal with your zombie problem, sir, and get this town fortified fast. That Wanamingo sounded close, yeah?”

The pony nodded. “Well I can tell you now, that Wanamingo is over a hundred miles away, south east from here.”

“We hear them at night, I usually dismissed them as Night-stalkers.”

“Then you’re a foal. You’re lucky the Wanamingos haven’t found this place yet. They will break down those pissweak walls and kill all of you. They hunt in packs of twenty five, sometimes whole nests if there’s no young to care for.

“And they happen to be very greedy. One might be chewing on your skull, while the other fifteen are tearing out your spine, legs, liver, whatever they can get. The ones up here are far worse then the ones down south. I’d be careful.”

I took a long deep breath after that and sighed. The pony beside me stared, nervous and uncomfortable at how I acted.

I won’t lie, the Wanamingo has my highest respect among any abomination (thus far). They are effective killers, better then the hellhounds sometimes, and even they have a fifty-fifty chance at killing one without fire.

“I’m sorry about that. I’ve seen some things out there that’d make even a veteran wastelander terrified to set hoof outside,” I sighed once more, my mind calming after that little episode.

I remembered why I came over here, I turned my head around to look toward the fire on the other side of the settlement, those same mares’ fillies and colts sitting around the fire, Dogmeat trying to offer them comfort for something neither he nor I were aware of.

“So, no-name. What’s the story with those families? I noticed a bunch of worried and grim expressions, two with anxiety, one on the verge of tears. Something's up. I also noticed a distinct lack of stallions, I only noticed five of what I assume is a statistic of eleven.

“You’re a small community, but you are very large at that. This has something to do with the sudden loss of communication, doesn’t it?”

The earth pony had readjusted his rifle, pointing it into the town once more, his head leaning into the scope to look through; only his eyes were fixed on me.

“You’re not wrong there,” the earth pony spoke up.

I looked at him, my interest piqued. “Really? Well, I’m all ears. What’s going on around here?”

The earth pony scoffed. “It ain’t like you can do anything to help. They’re probably dead already. Chewed up by them zombies out there.”

“I’m not so sure. How long have they been out there?” My face became stern, my eyes narrowed as I looked out into the dark night.

The earth pony laughed as if what I was implying was a mere jest, he was wrong, and he realized that soon as I looked at him.

“... Y-you’re not serious are you? You want to go out there?”

“Yep,” I replied.

“With the zombies?”

“Uh-huh,” I affirmed.

“Alone..?”

“You have no idea just how much the thrill of low survival turns me on. Yes, I want to go out there alone, it'll be easier to find your missing stallions that way.”

I couldn’t be any more sure then that, I was going to go out there, without my usual equipment, with only a magnum to save six stallions. Originally I was going to do it alone, but Dogmeat made it difficult.

The earth pony sighed and holstered his rifle. “If you’re going to do that then you might as well know my name anyway. It’s Rooker, but everypony else calls me Rook.”

I looked out toward the town again, its large office buildings silhouetted by the night sky. As Rook and I stood silently, the sounds of the not so dead undead were heard as clear as day. Groaning, growling, hissing and roaring, I just had to know how many were out there.

One again, I whipped out my binoculars and peered through them, and wasn't the E.F.S just dominated by the largest red I had ever seen on the damn thing (it took up almost half of the sights), it hurt my eyes and forced me to pull out.

“What? Strain your eyes on somethin out there? You ain’t going to see much in the dark..” Rook scoffed.

I smirked, eyes wide with crazed delight and looked at him. “Oh that’s not why I took a peek. You familiar with the Eyes Forward Sparkle?”

“That Stable-Tec shit? Vaguely, why?” Rook looked at me, questioningly.

I floated over the binoculars and encouraged him to take a look. What he saw would give him second thoughts about letting me go, at least not without backup. Jokes on him, I intend to fuck shit up.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Rook and I sat around the fire, and told the mares and foals what I was planning to do. I had no plan, no strategy, just the typical wastelander’s ideal way of going about things (which consisted of looking around, and shooting what happens to charge at you with intent to eat your face).

“Before I get started, here’s what I need: Time, I need to know just how long they’ve been missing. This will ultimately depend on the success of the mission. Any longer then two days then you might as well consider them dead.

“Where: I need to know where they were so I have a place to start. And I’ll need a map of said area if you have one.

“These two things contribute to help finding those stallions and getting them back alive.”

I could see the mares looking at each other, as if the odds of getting their loved ones back seemed even more bleak than the future of a toddler left out in the dust to fend for itself.

Taking their grim looks into account, as well as the hopelessness in their eyes, I could assume that their loved ones had been lost for more then eight weeks at best (and I wasn't too far off there).

“Eleven weeks,” Rook spoke up, “Eleven weeks, that’s how long they’ve been gone for. It was a scavenge run, to get supplies from the small market place closer to the town center.

“We found that’s where the zombies love to congregate the most.” Rook lowered his head as if guilty of sending them to their graves.

I only looked up at him. “You sent them out eleven weeks ago and not once sent for help?” I sighed “Then I won’t have to search for very long, don’t get me wrong, you wasteland ponies are resilient, but are hopeless survivors. If they live, I’ll find them.” I stood up and stretched my legs and neck.

“Now, I’m going to need a map of the town, is there one on hoof?”

“Fraid not. We’ve only explored half the town, and not once have we found a map,” said a desert green-coloured stallion.

I sighed louder and with exasperation, I hovered out Chrome and checked my ammunition, making sure I had spares on hoof should the need arise. Five magazines of ammo, and a gun that fires only six shots, I felt prepared, though probably not nearly so, as we would soon discover.

“T-there’s one more thing, m-mister…” a young colt spoke up.

I got down to his height, sitting on my haunches and lowering myself onto my stomach so we saw each other eye to eye. “What’s up, kid?”

“When… when the adults left… they took some of our friends…”

“Thimble…” the colts mother spoke his name in an attempt to silence him.

“Your friends..? Wait… they didn’t—” I quickly stood up and turned to Rook.

Rook took one look into my eyes and bowed his head, ashamed and guilt ridden. I approached him, gritting my teeth almost and glaring. “You let six stallions go out scavenging with foals, fully aware that this town had a feral problem?!”

“Listen kid, ain’t nothing bad like this happened before now. Foals used to always go out on scavenge runs if they wanted to! I do, however, bear the full weight of not stopping this while I still could…” Rook’s argument was utter bullshit, but at the very least he regret his decisions.

I sighed and shook my head. “I can’t guarantee the foals are even alive anymore, that long out there is far too dangerous for a foal to be lost, even with an adult nearby.”

I proceeded toward the gates, only to be stopped after a few steps with a question.

“How much?” Rook asked.

My ears swiveled round to hear him properly. “Hm? Do you mean to say you’re paying me?”

“I’ll give you at least eight hundred caps for the return of the foals, and two hundred for the stallions. Believe me son, the young ones are the future, and the future is worth more then the lives of us older ponies.”

I looked to the ground, pondering his words, which seemed philosophical. Foals are the future of ponykind, especially in this world.

“Keep your caps. There’s only one thing that I want, and that is information.” I turned my head around to look at Rook, who seemed confused by my choice.

“You’re a mercenary, aren’t you? You’d do anything for caps. What would somepony like you need with information?”

I chuckled, “You said it yourself, I’m a mercenary. But you see, the Dominion and the NCR are paying tenfold what you’re offering to anypony who can find a particular pony; one who has committed crimes within both faction territories.”

“And just what is the name of this asshole?” Rook asked.

I smirked. “Sorry, but I can only divulge information about my targets to those who earn it. I’ll give you the information, when I return with the missing ponies.”

I turned around and started walking once again, past the houses and over to the front gates. Rook had accompanied me all the way just to open the gates for me. He glanced over to me then walked over to a lever rigged to open both gates.

As I waited, I felt the wet nose of Dogmeat nudge my back leg. Rolling my eyes, I turned around to see him sitting on his haunches, looking up at me as if begging to come with me.

“Sorry boy, too dangerous; you’ll have to stay here.”

Dogmeat whimpered and woofed at me in disapproval. He stood up, approached and bit my hoof to make his point (it wasn't hard, but it hurt).

I hissed; he let go and I shook my hoof. “Ssss… there’s no convincing you, is there?”

“Arf!!” he barked.

I snickered and rubbed the top of his head. “Fine, you win.”

“Shall I open the gate now, or did you need to take a shit first?” Rook was being impatiently sarcastic (can’t say I blame him).

I nodded to him then turned to face the gates, Dogmeat at my side. Rook pulled the lever, some cogs and gears moved and a rope was pulled. Only the left gate had opened, the other lever remaining unpulled kept the gate on that side closed.

“Gattle.”

I turned to look at Rook. He held in his mouth his sniper rifle, which he hurled toward me, passing his weapon which I caught in the glow of my magic. I looked along this fine weapon’s barrel, its scope and body, then turned my sight at Rook, giving a nod of gratitude.

I holstered it on my back, pulled out my magnum, and stepped out from the settlement. Dogmeat panted loudly and growled as he sensed the zombies. I looked around at the darkness and started my little side-quest.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Stealth.

I wanted to avoid attracting the attention of a zombie pony as best I could, one shot from a magnum would be enough to draw the cesspool in ontop of me.

Dogmeat alerted me frequently to an approaching zombie pony, I could hear the clopping of its hooves as it took step after slow step in a mindless shuffle. It’s always shuffles before that guttural hiss, then the sounds of running.

Wishing to avoid it, I looked toward higher ground and approached one of the many alleyways nearest a ladder. I entered the long dark corridor, the walls covered in ancient Ministry of Image propaganda posters. Dogmeat growled louder and louder, his teeth bared as I unknowingly neared one of the horrors.

I passed it, the poor soul was so quiet up until the moment I stepped within biting distance.

With a guttural roar, I was beset by the zombie. It charged out from behind and tackled me to the concrete ground. My hat came free from my head and fell into a pool of radiation just inches from my horn.

The feral ghoul chomped, snapped and hissed in a blood rage. It pushed down on me and I struggled to hold it back. Foul droplets of yellow, pus like mucus dripped from its rotting skin, frothy saliva sprayed onto my face.

The stench curled my nose. I tried to float out my gun but I was too focused on one thing to be on the other (fuck!!)

As the beast drew close to my muzzle, teeth ready to bite into my skin, the ghoul reared up off of me as Dogmeat had bitten into its back, having jumped from the nearby trash bins.

The ghoul roared and roared, calling more of its kind to the ally. Dogmeat quickly let go, allowing me a moment to dispatch it, point blank with my ancient magnum. The clarity of the gunshot caused a sudden tremendous roar which filled the night sky.

“Shit…” I could then hear the zombies stampeding to my location. Dogmeat’s ears fell backwards, he whimpered and started taking steps back (double dog shit!!)

Quickly, I grabbed him with my magical glow and levitated him onto the roof of what was once a cafe. He struggled and whined; he hated being lifted, but given the circumstance, he didn’t have a choice.

I glanced down both ends of the alley, sweat sliding down my forehead as both sides had quickly filled with charging, ravenous rotters.

Whump! Vump! Crack!

The cafe’s back door splintered slightly, an opening in its center revealed another lot of ghouls attempting to come at me. Unwilling to wait for them to reach me (what idiot would?), I holstered Chrome, jumped up and grabbed the third rung of the ladder. I climbed as fast as my legs would allow.

The door finally broke, and like Radroaches, the zombie ponies poured out, some crushing the others to death and making a pile of corpses from which the other two groups clambered over to get to me. Luckily I was too high up for them to reach, climbing the ladder was futile.

I fell back on my haunches, panting and clutching my chest from that ordeal. “We’re safe now… we’re safe boy.”

“Arf!” replied Dogmeat.

I laid back for a moment and closed my eyes, relaxed and content to be in the safety of an old rooftop with possibly rotting supports (because that’s totally safe).

A cool breeze blowed into my auburn mane, it was nice of course, brought me a sense of peace. Which begged the question: why am I feeling it?!

I half opened my eyes, blinked for a moment, then reached up to feel my hat. Only it wasn't there. I opened my eyes fully and shot up quickly. My jaw dropped as I patted my mane and felt the shaft of my horn.

I couldn’t believe it, I left my hat on the ground, my good hat! I face hoofed with a smack, leaving a red mark beneath my horn. My moment of feeling stupid was interrupted when Dogmeat started to bark furiously.

“Don’t tell me…” I bolted up and ran to the corner of the cafe’s rooftop, then peered down to see that the zombies had started to pile up on each other like ants.

“Dammit!!” I cursed and removed my saddlebags, slamming them down and kicking up dust.

I opened them and searched feverishly for something burnable, luckily I had a bottle of Stalliongrad vodka on hoof and a strip of cloth that had once been a part of some bandages I had.

Dogmeat’s barking grew panicked and desperate, a zombie pony put its hoof on the side, only for it to be bitten and pulled back with a terrifying roar. Dogmeat spat the torn flesh and backed away from the wall.

“Dogmeat! Get back!” I lit the rag after having poured some of the alcohol on it and tying it to the bottle. Dogmeat, having seen me use one of these before, darted away to the opposite side of the building.

I ran toward the horde and threw the bottle as hard as I could. It smashed on a group of zombie ponies, dousing them in the beverage and setting them alight, all of them. They easily burned, as one after the other passed the flames along, creating a massive blaze.

They writhed, howled and shrieked, and it gave us an opportunity to escape. But before I looked for a way to get away, I quickly searched for my hat, scanning the horde until the radioactive pool had been cleared. My hat laid there in the rad infested water, quickly, before another few zombie ponies got in the way, I pulled it up to me and floated it beside me, unwilling to wear it while it was wet and irradiated.

I tossed my saddlebags back and quickly looked around for a way down. “Right… now what do I do.”

“Ruff!” Dogmeat replied.

“Maybe, I could try to levitate us?”

Dogmeat growled at the very idea. “Oh shush, boy, I’m a lot better then I was last time. I didn’t drop you this time, did I?”

Dogmeat whined and lowered his head. “So stop complaining. There’s no nasties on this side so we aren’t going to die.”

I cocked my head in the direction of some old scaffolding which looked supportive despite its age. “Then again, high ground would provide ample opportunities to map the city myself, as well as check for the missing ponies. Maybe even fire some good shots with Rooks’ rifle.”

I weighed my options. “We could walk on the ground where we risk being jumped by another feral ghoul, or we could risk the rooftops, safe from the nasties below, but that would make us easy pickings for a Bloodwing. What do you think, Dogmeat?”

Dogmeat sniffed the air, the scent of burnt, rotten flesh irritated his senses and forced him to sneeze. I sighed and started levitating the mutt up to the next building, myself following soon after.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

“To anypony receiving this distress message, we are trapped inside the Ministry of Image office building with no way down, it has been several hours since our entrapment. Garter is dead, they tore him to pieces right in front of us!

“There’s nine of us now, five stallions and four foals. Please, if anypony hears this, please help us!”

The recording replayed on a loop once it had ended. I took out my ear bud and turned off my pocket radio, lowering its antenna and putting them away. I peered through the scope of the rifle toward the Ministry of Image building, it didn’t make much sense for it to exist here.

But one must consider the isolation. Tactically having a Ministry building far from the cities made it obscure, and a useful backup archive in the likelihood that the main hub was compromised.

I spied a few shufflers by the entrance, easily handled, but then I noticed the gigantic billboard conveniently placed as a bridge between (what I assumed to be) an old antique shop.

“See that, boy?” I pointed a hoof to the billboard. “That’s our way in.”

Dogmeat, panting and rolling around on the rooftop, stopped to look at me before getting back up on all fours. He came over to see what I was talking about and barked.

“Not so loud, buddy. We don’t want to be mobbed again,” I sighed and placed my hat on the top of my head, having doused it in RadAway half an hour ago (I don’t think it works quite the same as it would when consumed).

I holstered the rifle and started to move across the building tops. Occasionally hopping over gaps that would otherwise lead to a gruesome death, or an instant death. As I crossed a plank over a divide I peered over the side into the dark alley and saw merely glimpses of the mutants below.

“Steady boy, don’t charge ahead, got it?”

Dogmeat grunted in reply and stepped slowly on the narrow stretch of wood. It stretched quite far, and was supported by centuries-old scaffolding which seemed barely able to take both our weight.

“If this breaks away, I’ll have to levitate us across…” I thought to myself, trying my best not to lose my balance.

Dogmeat growled (every time…), Bloodwings had started to take flight, and I was out in the open. Lucky they hadn't spotted Dogmeat or myself yet.

“Keep moving, slowly and quietly,” I whispered to my pet and continued to move along.

Dogmeat’s ears fell back on his head, he lowered his head and followed closely behind, his breath on my back legs.

The planks came to an end, by the scaffolding with no way down. It seemed impossible to lower myself down, though levitation was an option, it wouldn’t lead us to anywhere but the ground. I spied a nearby window, broken, dark inside.

It wasn't hard to jump to it, though Dogmeat required some assistance mid-jump. As both he and I were about to step into the dark, the scaffolding creaked and swayed, its supports finally failing after so many years and it collapsed.

I looked behind us to see its fall, and whistled as I thought about just how lucky we were.

“We now have but one choice, we must face the dark of this ancient building,” I sighed and brought out Chrome, my horn offered much needed illumination into the room. Its emerald glow revealed signs of Radroach excrement on the floor, nearby was a skeleton of an earth pony, a holo-tape by its side.

I wasn't expecting to find much in these buildings (but then my expectations might’ve been low, out of my general disinterest for anything but my quarry). I approached the skeleton, its clothes tattered and ripped, dirtied from age and Radroach waste.

I lifted the tape and shook it, dust came off of it like sand. I’d have viewed it at that moment had I not been on edge out of concern for the bloodwings and feral ghouls. We kept moving; the building had collapsed staircases and blocked off hallways, while above and below I heard the shuffling of those flesh-eating assholes.

The age-induced weakness of the walls allowed them to be destroyed with ease, but if I needed to, I had to be quiet. I came to a room, large, double bed in the center against the wall in addition to drawers, footlockers and a first aid kit.

Dogmeat whimpered and looked up to me, and I looked down to him, sighing and nodding. “I know boy, but we can’t waste any more time. Those ponies need us.”

I stepped into the room, approaching the first aid box, whose lock was weak enough to force. It came open with ease, three health potions, some bandages and four bottles of purified water.

Dogmeat nipped my hind leg inquisitively. I jumped slightly and looked at him. “What? The lock was easy enough and besides, they’re going to need these if they’re alive.”

I stored the chems in my saddlebags, unwilling to place them in my coat where they could get broken. After that, we approached a massive hole in the side of the building. A large sheet of metal formed a bridge down to the antique shop.

“Just one more hurdle now.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

The billboard held up pretty well as we crossed it. Now we sat in the massive debris-filled hole in the side of the building, right where the billboard had slammed down years ago. Dogmeat licked himself while I looked out into the city through my binoculars.

This wasn't to check for what I already knew was an infestation below, but to check for the missing ponies should they have moved. As I saw nothing, I put them away and let out a sigh.

“Alright, Dogmeat. Let's go take a look inside, shall we?”

“Ruff!” he replied.

I kicked down the door and barrel rolled in, pointing Chrome down the hall one way, then the other. Danger was neither here nor there, I stood up and cleared my throat. “All clear, boy.”

Dogmeat passed me and started to sniff about, the thick, dank smell of mildew built up over the years made it harder for him to smell, but I knew better than to ignore a dog who might have a lead on the missing ponies. The building was quiet, ancient skeletons lined the halls and offices, and many posters from ages past adorned the walls.

Unsurprisingly all the terminals I found had been damaged, though I found some caps and ammo in the desks which made up for that.

The suspense made me feel as if something was just waiting to pounce. The zombie ponies above and below were either quiet or out of range. The dripping of water from the ceiling echoed through the halls, making me nervous about being in there.

The walls had mould growing on it, a nasty fungus in some rooms and corridors. Walls ripped and crumbled, bearing rusted pipes and snapped wires.

We passed through the office through another door. Dogmeat continued to lead on until he stopped in the hall just outside. I entered the same hall and saw our way blocked by a wall of debris.

“We should find an elevator shaft; that way we can descend, or ascend with ease.”

Dogmeat groaned and panted. “Oh right, you can’t climb.”

Dogmeat growled and snapped his jaws assertively.

“Okay, okay. No more levitating,” I sighed.

“Well there has to be a staircase around—Oh!” I exclaimed surprised as I spotted a door.

I quickly trotted over to it, and with a slight nudge; it opened. The lock had been forced, and nearby laid the remains of a group of what had once been Zombie Ponies. The room was large and housed a flight of stairs going to floors above and below, and in this room I could just barely make out the sound of breathing.

“Hey Dogmeat, looks like the scavenge group's been through—” Dogmeat barged past me, and started sniffing around the room.

In the meantime I looked around the room a little, the glow of a terminal casted itself on the wall in the corner on a desk and tugged at my interest. I set Chrome down and sat in the seat. The terminal was password locked, and conveniently had a tape player hooked up to it.

“Dogmeat, take a look around and keep guard, I’m going to see what’s on this tape.”

Dogmeat tilted his head and left without a sound, going down the stairs, stepping over the bodies of multiple zombies.

I got to work on the terminal (and hacking it was a bitch), it took multiple tries, each time I backed in and out before it locked up. After thirty tries, the terminal bore the fruit of my work.

There were only three files, two of which looked like personal logs. I clicked one and it opened.

“Why the hell are we even working here? This Hub is barely worth Rarity’s time and the information we obtain is almost assured to be passed on to the main hub, with no credit given to us whatsoever!

“It’s a slap to the face, and that white bitch doesn’t give two shakes of that fat ass of hers. Not to mention the pay is fucking pathetic…

“I shouldn’t be typing this, not on a ministry-owned terminal. The real question is: why is this hub based in a five story building if it’s the least important hub?! I swear, Scrapper needs to sort this out with Ms. Rarity, or I’m done.”

I moved on to the next file, however, this one was deleted. I wasn't going to stand for this. If this hub was indeed selling out Equestria to the Zebra’s, then I wanted to find that file. Unfortunately my skill in computers was so much less… (retrieving the file would be impossible).

Finally, I came to the last file, a program which ran the tape reader. I clicked it and a tray came out of the box beside the terminal. I levitated the holo-tape out, glossed over it for a moment before putting it in and playing it.

It took a moment to start, then with a loud crackle, the tape played. The sound of rumbling was in the background, like construction.

“Evangelyn, this is mommy. I’m leaving this tape for you to hear incase I can’t tell you myself. I want you to go to the empire, you’ll find your sister there. Daddy and I have to stay here, otherwise Wiser Wood is going to chuck a fit.

“Daddy and I just found out the Zebra’s have been seen mobilizing their megaspell arsenal… we’re afraid that something big will happen… and we just want you safe. You and your sister are all we have left after your brother…

“In the empire you’ll be safe, if what I think is coming turns out to be real, then I’d want you where you will be cared for. I love you, sweetheart… so much…”

The recording ended.

“Evangelyn…” I couldn’t help but think of how she felt when her parents sent her away, if she even got home in time to hear the message.

Unbeknownst to me, Dogmeat was sniffing around a floor below. The hall at the end had been caved in and the walls were broken and busted (a Radroach nest at best).

Dogmeat sniffed along the ground before coming to an opened door, a bloodied leg kept it open. Dogmeats ears perked and he turned the way he came, then barked loudly to gain my attention, and he had succeeded.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Five stallions and four colts... had just become three stallions and three colts… (damn it…)

Dogmeat and I looked down at the partially devoured corpses of a stallion, his body shielding the not so different corpse of a foal. And as I look up and down the stairs on either side of this fire escape, I saw blood trails, a torn sack and zombie corpses.

It was at this point that I realized that the distress broadcast was weeks old, having no mention of these additional deaths.

“Crap… Well… this is upsetting…” I took off my hat and held it to my chest in silence.

Whispers, loud and clumsy; echoed down the moss and mildew filled fire escape some floors up. Green slime slid down the walls and made its once whiter surface a disgusting lime. I stepped over the two bodies and approached the flight up, listening out to the voices of what sounded like a stallion. Then again, they could be a Mimic, I still had to check.

I brought out Chrome and loaded it up. Then Dogmeat charged past me and up the stairs, barking.

“Dogmeat!!” I followed him, taking the safety off of Chrome in the likelihood whoever was floor above had heard me.

Dogmeat came to a stop at the second floor above us, the way to the third was cut off as the stairway had fallen.

I kicked the door behind me open, denting it slightly and causing it to splinter down the middle, and like a bee drawn to pollen, he ran into the hall without a thought as to what dangers lay ahead. I followed, trying my hardest to keep pace.

A sickening rotting smell filled the room and brought Dogmeat to a stop, myself included. I took a few more whiffs of air and recoiled, more zombies.

“Damn it…” I hissed under my breath and pulled back on the barrel of the magnum, cocking and preparing it. “So they were up here too.”

Dogmeat whimpered at me, but not in a cowardly way. I went lopsided on one side of my head and sighed, bemused.

“It’s not like I wasn't expecting it.” I passed Dogmeat, who followed along, but as we neared the first zombie, I crouched down and silently got close to the monster.

But stealth was not my ally and the zombie pony turned on me, screeching and growling. Dogmeat charged it, biting into its throat and tearing it out.

The creature fell to the ground, yellow plasma leaking out of the tear and onto the floor. It writhed, rattled and gurgled until ceasing in death.

I sighed and looked at Dogmeat who looked back at me. “I should get a knife, shouldn’t I?”

Dogmeat barked in agreement.

I nodded with a sigh. “As soon as we get back, we’re going to the blacksmith, maybe he could set us up with a dagger.”

Dogmeat panted and walked in the direction that I was heading. We moved down the hall, stopping on occasion to check the rooms for ammo, caps and meds, all three of which I found in different places.

But my scavenging would be cut short, Dogmeat alerted me to a massive congregation of zombie ponies.

We quietly came to a large room full of rotters of all races and decay. I let out a sigh and touched a large metal boxlike object hidden beneath my duster, affixed to my side.

No… while that would be practical, I wasn't ready to use those just yet. Besides, the other parts are back on the Sky-Rider.

I rubbed my chin, I knew precisely what to do. I urged Dogmeat to go into one of the office rooms, while I prepped a noise-maker. I floated the device out from my duster and turned a small knob on its side with my hooves.

I peered around the corner and looked at the group, then at the large window nearby. And finally, a desk for which I can use to remove all (if not half) of them with ease.

I pressed a large blue button on the device, and threw it close as I could to the window, drawing the attention of one zombie pony; before the device blared and alerted the group.

They clambered around the makeshift device, allowing me a chance to get behind them. I laid low so that I would go unnoticed.

I rolled behind the desk, and wrapped the whole thing in my aura. I lifted it, sweat running down my face as I strained. I lined it up with the zombies, pulled it back, then with a loud crash, the breaking of glass and the jarring thud of the table, half of the zombies were crushed or were presently falling.

I dispatched the last two with Chrome. The head of one exploded into chunks of gore, blood spurting upward like a fountain, while the second’s leg came off and its head caved in with a shot between the eyes, the back of its head exploded over the floor and wall behind it.

The corpse fell to my hooves. I regained my straight stance and cracked my neck with a wince.

“I wish you all peace,” I said with melancholy.

I turned to the hall and whistled, “Dogmeat, all is clear.”

Dogmeat came out of his hiding place and passed me by, then scratched at a silver door by the elevator, whimpering and looking to me. I opened the door telekinetically and stepped into yet another flight of stairs (this time it wasn’t a fire escape).

On the floor on random stairs there were shell casings, slugs and bullets. “They were here.”

Dogmeat barked and ran up the stairs quickly, rounding the corner and charging through an already broken door. I followed along as best I could. I entered the hall and grabbed Dogmeat in my magic.

“Alright, that’s enough out of you!”

Dogmeat came to an instant stop, yelping and falling back as he floated over to me. I put him down beside me and sighed.

“Bad dog! We’re going to do this properly, and quietly. The last thing we want is those ponies assuming we’re unfriendly.” My voice was stern and irritated.

Dogmeat looked to his paws, sitting on his haunches and took my scolding. I started to sneak my way down the hall, Dogmeat looking up at me and following along just as quietly.

I was tempted to bring out my binoculars just to look at the Eyes Forward Sparkle, to see what was ahead, and to see if there were friendlies at all.

Without warning, the silhouette of a foal darted out of one room in front of me, and into the other, the door shutting behind him in an effort to keep me out.

“Hey, wait!” I dashed after the child and burst through same door and into an office with a single desk and torn banner, a terminal rested on the table, its monitor letting off a green light.

But my observations were cut off as a lone stallion tackled me and pinned me to the wall.

“Start talkin, buddy!” the stallion said with an accent all too similar to an Appleloosan.

The pony then cried out in pain as Dogmeat locked his jaws around the his hoof. The pony looked back at Dogmeat, and saw that the animal was waiting for a command.

“If you want to keep your hoof, I suggest you back off!!” I growled and shouted, frightening the two colts nearby.

The stallion weighed his options, sweat sliding down his forehead. He relented and let go of me, and Dogmeat let him go in turn.

The stallion limped over to the only two colts in the room and stood between them and I. I stood back up and brushed myself off, sighing and glancing at him. I examined all three closely, they were unclean, injured with wounds consisting of scratches and infected bite marks.

“I understand your reason to be cautious, but I mean you no harm,” I spoke calmly.

“What’s yer name?” the stallion asked.

“Gattle Gun. I came here to find you on behalf of Rook.”

“Name’s Collateral… Somewhat fittin’ now that Ah got four o’ us killed…” the blazing blue pegasus lowered his head.

I was initially shocked that he was a pegasus, I thought he might’ve been a former Enclave member. “I saw two of them on the way up.”

“Letter Change and his son, Orange Pear. They were both devoured alive, and Ah let it happen.” Collateral’s voice trembled with the cadence of regret.

“Then there should be two more of you and one more colt, where are they?” I glanced over to the colts then around the room in confusion.

“Dirt Racer tried to fix the elevator, but he fell…”

I looked out of the room and down the hall toward the elevator, its panel open and many wires removed in an attempt to restart it.

“Uppercut and mah son Chewy were taken…” Collateral looked to the ground, almost on the verge of tears.

“Who took them? Can you describe the culprit to me?” I had an unshakable feeling I knew who this kidnapper was, and my body tingled at the possibility I’d be right.

“He had a mottled grey coat, grey blue mane. A skinny fellow, had a tail curled into a rat-like one colored pink.”

I smirked and chuckled, “That’s my target,” I thought to myself. “I’ll get you three out of here and back to the settlement. After that, I’ll go after the others.”

Dogmeat approached the foals whilst I was distracted. The two colts petted him when he sat down and waited for the attention. He panted and whimpered happily.

Collateral and I looked over at Dogmeat and stared for a moment. The colts looked at us and shrugged, smiling cheekily. They felt happy for the first time in weeks.

“So, how did you survive the past few weeks?” I inquired.

Collateral looked back at me. “Ration packs found in the basement. There’s a locked door down there that allows access to a series of tunnels under the town.”

“And how did you find this out?” I cocked an eyebrow.

“When we first got here, we found a way into the underground through a cellar door in the basement of a house. Metal corridors, Radroaches, nothing too dangerous.

“The terminal to that steel door was unprotected so we used it frequently to get items from around the city. The M.I door is protected, however.”

“I’m not good with terminals, but I could try my hoof at the hacking side of things,” I offered.

“We also used to risk scavenging, leaving the safety of this building to try and scrounge something out of the nearest mini-mart, but the last trip ended horribly.” Collateral’s ears fell back and he lowered his head. “Letter Change and Orange didn’t have to die…”

I sighed, tired already of this depressing mood. “Then don’t let their deaths be for nothing.”

I set down my saddlebags and floated out the medical supplies I had scavenged earlier that night. I placed them on the floor in front of the pegasus and colts, sitting down on my haunches.

“You three need these; those lacerations and bites aren’t going to heal, nor will those infections die down.”

Collateral got to work on the colts with the three health potions I had offered, the anti-infectant and the bandages were used on the infections and wounds. In addition to those supplies, I gave each pony some RadAway (for good measure).

“Now, I’m going to deal with that elevator, and that down stairs terminal. Dogmeat will stay with you three, and for extra security...” I levitated Rook’s rifle out from its holster and passed it to Collateral.

“Should you ever have to use it. Though I doubt any zombie pony is going to make its way up here in such a short span of time.” I donned my saddle bags and walked over to the desk and terminal.

Collateral nodded, “Either way, it’s reassuring to have a weapon again.”

I gave him a rather agreeable smile, before standing in front of the terminal and turning it on.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

“Why didn’t I think of this before? The zebra’s are paying us more then what that prissy propaganda bitch would for the information they send our way. This is risky, but perfect all the same. I won’t lie, I was once a patriot, but considering that it’s going to be everypony for himself by the end of all this, one can’t be too choosy, especially when family is high on the priority list. I need the bits, and so do the rest of us.

“I’m going to have to let some ponies go. It’ll be harsh, but I’m the administrator of the Ministry of Image, Red Ruby Creek Branch, I’m the authority here and what I say goes.”

I was working at the elevator control panel as I remembered that document. I had high doubts that the Crystal Empire would tolerate such insubordination back in the day, then again, is the Dominion at all the same as it once was so long ago?

I knew not the answers to that, nor did I care to know at all. I wanted to get this over with, I had wasted enough time just searching for my quarry, Rat Catcher. There was a thick panic in my heart. I had looked out the window whilst in the office room with the missing ponies, and I saw almost a thousand if not more feral ghouls making their way here. But if I could get the tunnel unlocked, I could get us all out without any trouble.

“Any thoughts on that crowd, mister?” asked one of the colts, a grey-colored unicorn with an orange mane and tail, a small ponytail in his mane, eyes of auburn and a blank flank.

I looked at him from the corner of my eye as I attempted to reconnect wires and plug in cords. “The zombies?”

The colt nodded, his face rife with worry, his eyes full of fear.

“I think my noise maker drew them. It’s not supposed to draw a crowd that big,” I sighed, “maybe they can smell us. I made a lot of noise killing the group a floor below.”

I touched the edge of a wire, and a jolt of electricity shot through me, forcing me to pull my hoof back as my body tingled.

“Arrgh! Damn it!! If Dirt Racer hadn’t screwed this up he wouldn’t have died!” I growled and spoke loudly with contempt.

The colt’s ears hung low and so did his head. “Don’t talk about Dirt Racer that way, he helped us get up here, without him we wouldn’t have gotten away from the horde.”

I was silent for a moment. “What’s your name, kid?”

“S-Sour Twist, sir,” the colt stammered in response.

“Tell me about Dirt Racer.” I looked at Sour Twist and sat back on my haunches, donning rubber gloves at the same time.

Sour Twist closed his eyes and shuddered. “H-he was... my brother... He cared for everypony and when Collateral was unable to get us to safety, he did… But now he’s down there…” the colt gestured to the elevator shaft.

I sighed and started working again. “As long as you cherish the moments you spent with him, he will live on.”

Sour looked at me once again, teardrops welling up in his eyes. “Believe me kid, cherishing the moments you spent with them is better then forgetting.” I glanced at him, winked, and smiled.

I touched a switch inside the panel, and with a loud rumble and a ring, the elevator started working again.

I looked into the black abyss, laughing at my success and expecting the elevator to rise. I didn’t take into account the possibility that it might’ve been on the top-most floor (the roof).

I heard the screeching of the elevator and looked up to see it descending quite fast. I pulled my head back into the hall and fell back, the elevator passing me and coming to a stop two floors down.

“Are you okay, mister?” asked Sour.

I cocked my head in the colt’s direction, hoof over my heart. “Yeah, I’m feeling great, kiddo.” I got back up onto my hooves and stared toward the elevator shaft as its doors closed.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Leaving the three ponies with Dogmeat, I made the slow journey down to archives in the elevator. I passed down floor after floor, sometimes I’d hear the groans of zombies as the elevator went by one of its many stops (guess I didn’t clear them all out).

I felt whoozy as I made my way down, I had no idea what the archives would be like and without Dogmeat I was blind. I’ve explored military bases before without Dogmeat, this was no different. Though the lack of company made things all the more unsettling.

The elevator came to a stop with a thud and a ding. I stumbled back and hit the wall, my hat fell from my head only to be caught in my bright magical aura. “Not. Again,” I said in a slow and bemused tone.

I rested the black and aged akubra on my head, covering my horn in the process. I turned my head dramatically to look into the pitch black halls, pulling Chrome out of my duster in the process.

“Alright, here’s the drill: find the door, get everypony out, look for two missing ponies, then find my target,” I said to myself quietly.

I stepped out of the lift and into the darkness, only the sounds of my hooves audible through the thick silence. I expected the archives to be as large as a city block at least, plenty of hiding places for a zombie pony.

I slid open a hatch on the barrel of Chrome, allowing a cylinder to slide out of a compartment. I reloaded the weapon, adding three bullets to replace the three shot earlier, then closed it back up.

The elevator doors closed behind me, and the elevator returned to its point of origin, leaving me down here with no quick way out.

“It’s too dark…” I muttered and focused my magical power into the top of my horn, where a green glowing orb lit up a small area about two feet in all directions.

The shining of the light revealed massive columns either side of me which rose to the ceiling, large protective cabinets in rows of corridors, containing holo-tapes and other manner of pre-war propaganda (I suspected them to be in short supply in this hub, however).

The light also revealed an identification pad, with a long since deactivated scanner (it looked like it was suited for I.D passes, indicating that workers here had certain ranks to ensure this area remained available only to the administrator, their assistant, and Rarity).

At my hooves in the water was a mass of blood, I lowered Chrome slightly and looked to where the blood had come from. Laying crushed in the elevator space, was the remains of hundreds of zombie ponies, but at the top of the pile was the crushed and splayed remains of Dirt Racer.

“Oh... fuck…” I sighed and stared at the remains and the blood in the water until my moment of silence had ended and I turned away.

I walked through the corridors of cabinets and columns, the air was rife with the foul odor of rotting flesh, stale blood and gunpowder, while the floor was waterlogged hoof deep with a pool of radioactive water.

Through the blackness and the unending silence, I heard the sounds of two ponies, one older than the other, muffled, weak and faint. A voice then rang out through the dense dark, loud, screeching and old. It was a stallion's voice (and by Luna I wanted to silence him).

I dimmed the glow of my horn so just barely any light shone, but just enough to see where I was going. Even so it was not enough, and I resorted to allowing my eyes to adjust to the dark (It wasn't very smart).

Once they did I pressed on, making out only vague shapes in the dark. As I neared a corner, the voice of the pony – my target, Rat Catcher – grew louder, and with it my rage. I peered around a cabinet and saw the gaunt-faced earth pony pacing back and forth in front of a colt, Chewy and his fellow captive, Uppercut.

I glared directly at Rat Catcher. I primed Chrome, readying the magnum to kill when the time came. Rat Catcher looked panicked, the lamp he kept nearby had started to dim and was desperately trying to remain alight.

My ear twitched, I heard movement behind me, a low tapping, slow, coming every two seconds. That would be enough to set even me on edge. “Could it be there’s Zombie Ponies down here too? Wait, of course there would be… this place is perfect for ghoulification.”

“You two have been absolutely useless to me! I expected you to get the door open, Uppercut, but alas you concern yourself over the sickling beside you, as oppose to your own bastard life. But take pride in the knowledge that you two will fetch quite a few caps from the right ponies. I might take my time with you little one, before you’re sold to some lucky stallion with a colt fetish.”

I didn’t want to hear that fucker speak another word. I lunged around the corner and fired a few good shots at Rat Catcher, startling him and wounding him in his leg and shoulder. Blood poured from the bullet hole in his shoulder and the graze from his cheek; his leg shook from the shot and looked broken.

He screamed and fell back, the sight of me made him cower and flee. He stood and ran as fast as he could, vanishing around the corner as I fired the last two shots from Chrome.

“Get back here you fuck!!! Do you think you can keep on running?! I will hunt you, I will keep hunting you until your legs give up and you’re begging for mercy at my hooves!!! I will find you!!!!! Do you hear me?! You fuck up!!!!!” I shouted as loud as I could, gritting my teeth and breathing deeply with a growl.

I turned to the captives and approached, I put Chrome away and proceeded to untie them.

“I’m here to help you two, I was sent by Rook,” I said in a much calmer tone.

“Rook sent you? It's been weeks and now that bastard decides to send somepony to help us?” Uppercut said bitterly and weakly.

“You’re both bruised, you’re suffering a broken leg, Chewy there is suffering from advanced radiation poisoning from the water and dehydration. How long have you both been down here?” I cut the rope around their hooves then moved on to Chewy, releasing him and giving him some RadAway.

“A week... I think… He gave us no food or water...” Uppercut replied.

“That asshole was Rat Catcher, he’s a criminal wanted by the NCR and the Crystal Dominion. Both sides want him for the same reasons, but want him brought in two different ways,” I explained.

“Care to elaborate?” Uppercut asked as he lifted Chewy onto his back.

I nudged my hat upward, showing more of my face and the base of my horn. “The New Canterlot Republic wants him alive and will pay fifty thousand caps for his capture.”

“That’s a lot of caps, I didn’t think they could even amass that much,” Uppercut said in awe.

I chuckled and scoffed, “That’s nothing compared to the price the Dominion has on him, seventy two million pre-war crystal bits, the equivalent of seventy two million caps, for his execution. If you want my personal opinion, he’s better off dead, I’d hunt the cock fuck for free for his crimes.”

“What were his crimes?” Uppercut lifted an eyebrow, curious.

“I’m quite sure he just hinted it.” I turned away from Uppercut and looked in the direction of Rat Catcher’s escape. “He’s a paedophile, a slaver and an incestuous, miserable fuck.”

I grit my teeth, a slight growl emerging from the back of my throat. “He hasn't done anything to me personally, but I do not take the rape and abuse of innocents so lightly, nor do I tolerate venomous scum like him to exist! I promise you now, when I catch him, he’ll beg for mercy, just like all my targets before the end.”

Uppercut was intimidated, he looked down at the irradiated water and lifted his broken hoof. “We should probably get out of this water, It’s not safe down here.”

At that moment, screeching and guttural growling and hissing ensued from the darkness. It was far, possibly twenty seven hooves away.

“No, it isn’t. Those ghouls will be heading in this direction after those shots. Inquisitive chumps aren’t they?”

“There has to be a way out,” Uppercut said in a panicked voice.

“Only one safe way back up.” I turned and looked at Uppercut. “Elevator.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

With Chewy and Uppercut safe on the fifth floor, and Chrome reloaded, I ventured back into the dark of the archives. The irradiated water rippled as I slowly wandered through the halls, making barely a sound. I saw glowing over the tops of the the cabinet made walls, the glow moved about, low growling coming from its source (I don’t have enough Radaway for this shit).

I sighed and crept around the corner and hid behind one of the lockers, I peered down the row and could see plain as day a glowing Zombie Pony. It hissed, twitched, and cocked its head with quick and sudden movements.

It sniffed, it croaked and gargled, the stench of rot emanating from its decaying, tattered, sickly green glowing flesh. My nose curled (second time tonight) at its scent. Unwilling to make a noise, I settled on approaching it quietly.

Once again, the ghoul caught wind of me and turned to attack. It charged at me, hissing, its tainted glow brightening in preparation for radiation dispersal. But the creature did not live to unleash its degrading attack. I grabbed onto its head between my forehooves and with a quick but powerful twist, I broke its neck.

It fell dead at my hooves, it twitched, the water rippled calmly as though barely disturbed by the corpse that so loudly hit the waterlogged floor just now.

I looked up to the top of a row of cabinets and crouched. the bottom part of my cloak got even more wet than it had been before. I leapt, I grabbed onto the edge with my hooves, I slid, unable to get a proper firm hold to lift myself until I reached toward a raised edge of a dent on the somewhat flat surface.

“Urrgh,” I grunted as I lifted myself up onto the top, gritting my teeth and moving another hoof forward, bringing my body up fully.

I whipped out my binoculars once I got to my hooves. I approached the edge of the last cabinet, three across from the one I climbed and looked into them. “Where are you, Rat Catcher?” I muttered to myself in quiet whispers.

The Eyes Forward Sparkle picked up random, scattered dots, red and moving at the pace of a snail. Though regrettably, these were only at a distance, the Eyes Forward Sparkle I built into these register foes from afar, not point blank or nearby.

“Damn it… come on,” I growled lightly until finally the E.F.S picked up a dot moving faster then the others. My eyes went bloodshot at the sight, Rat Catcher was the smallest dot on the damn thing, he’d gotten through the wall somehow (I saw the wall long before looking at the E.F.S).

I turned off the E.F.S and lowered the scopes, grinding my teeth and puckering my lips to contain a scream.

“It’s fine!” I muttered to myself with a growl, “I will find him, but these ponies matter more. The moment I get them back to the settlement, the sooner I can track down that asshole.”

I glanced down to the floor below and quickly crouched, shrinking back as a Zombie Pony stepped just beneath me. Its skin let off bouts of radiation and glow from within, and I could feel the heat.

Raising an eyebrow and pouting in thought, I slinked back and disappeared in the shadows. The Zombie Pony sniffed and growled. It bared its decaying, broken teeth and dripped froffing saliva from the corners of its mouth.

With a loud echoing splash and the cracking of bones, following a sudden yelp, I had dropped myself on top of the now splayed and mangled Zombie Pony, and now stood in its green radioactive blood and entrails.

I blew a puff of smoke then floated a cigarette into my mouth, freshly lit and calming the nerves. “Now, where is that door?” I thought to myself.

How did Rat Catcher get out? Was there a hole in the walls that we didn’t know about? It would explain excess water which had flooded that place, I doubt the piping alone could’ve caused such a flood. Even so, it was puzzling, Rat Catcher shouldn't have have gotten away so easily. It was aggravating to think that he did.

I snapped out from that moment of thought as the sounds of hissing and rasping screams filled my ears, the glowing ones were active and the splashing of water to the hastened trot of their hooves indicated they were coming for me, but why?

The darkness that filled the corridor grew brighter from behind me, a large group was approaching. I backed up, the effects of prolonged exposure to the radioactive water starting to take hold. Sweat appeared on my forehead, I felt like I was going to keel over.

I pulled Chrome out of his holster, turned tail and ran, just as the glowing ones rounded the corner and gave chase. I occasionally paused in my running to look back at my pursuers, firing at them and greasing a few each time before reloading.

After a few minutes I floated that cigarette from my mouth and tossed it aside, setting alight one of the shit heads that stepped on it. After rounding a corner, I wrapped my aura around a cabinet and pulled it down, crushing one of the glowers and blocking the remainder, which I easily picked off with Chrome.

When all was said and done, I sat back on my haunches, out of the water and took deep breaths (by this point I was ready to leave).

Over the tops of the many archives I saw other glowing lights which moved on their own, they were hunting. I snorted, holstered Chrome and took some RadAway (that stuff tastes like scat!)

I shuddered and let it work its magic, in the meantime I looked down the rest of the corridor and followed it, using the tops of the drawers to get to the end. The opposite row to me came to an end against the wall. Lowering myself to look at the wall, I noticed some thick black cables running along the wall just below the meeting of the wall to the ceiling.

“Now why would they be moving along the wall, instead of up, unless…” I clicked to a sudden realisation, I had a hunch and I followed it.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

My hunch paid off, my eyes widened and a massive grin formed on my face, like I had found a chest of caps laid out for me like Spearer fish gutted and served in bite sized pieces. Within my sights was the glowing of a terminal, attached to the wall raised off the ground close to the ceiling, and beside it, a door.

I checked the path below for more glowing ones and saw to my relief that none were near, not even their glow was shining at all nearby. I felt the last of the radiation accumulated earlier dissipate, I jumped from the safety of the cabinet and back into the radioactive water. The hard work that RadAway put into cleansing my body was now for nothing.

Steel, Stable-Tec issued doors which folded open on spinning wheels; stood embedded in the wall. The sheets of metal were flat, but thick and hard to break, bullets bounced right off them. I rubbed my chin and glanced up at the terminal.

I let out a sigh, as I might have mentioned, hacking was not my specialty, but I did an okay job of backing out and trying again when I was one mistake away from being locked out (only this process would go on for an hour).

In time I managed to finally get in (the password was Dress… fuck me).

Two different commands appeared on the screen, disengage lock and emergency lock. “That could come in handy,” I said as a smirk formed on my face.

A red bulb protruded from the wall on my left, beside the top left corner of the door. A double-sided light bulb on a device that I assumed spins. It was an alarm light, that set off some flags.

“If that’s up there, then the doors are rigged to alert the building when opened,” I pondered, “That’s going to be a problem when I get the others out. The glowers are going to come to the source like the zombies they are and tear apart the unlucky pony that happens to be near.

“That said, I should go and get the others and come back here.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Dogmeat paced in the hallway by the elevator, he growled and whimpered with worry while Sour Twist and his friend watched on. The elevator passed by the ghoul-infested floors once more on my way up, the whirring of the wires as the pulley system pulled the elevator up and alerted the ponies of my coming.

Collateral’s ears perked up at the sound of the lift and he came out to greet me as the doors opened. I stepped out and was pounced on by Dogmeat, who licked my face happily.

“Ugh! Gah! Dogmeat!” I cried out as I was rendered helpless to his onslaught of doggy kisses.

Collateral watched from beside Sour Twist, eyebrows raised in surprise and relief. “Did ya find the door?”

Dogmeat let up and allowed me to speak. I looked up at Collateral and wiped my face with the corner of my duster. “Yeah, I found it. I trust Uppercut informed you on what exactly is down there.”

“He’s told me it’s a waterlogged maze down there, radiation abound,” replied Collateral.

“That’s true, now add to that the mob of glowing zeds that have taken to soaking up the local flavour of the water,” I said with slight amusement.

“Though this is hardly an issue, they are spread out in the maze of archives, easily pointed out by their glow. I could lead us through without encountering one.” I shifted my eyes to look at the elevator, removing my akubra.

“The cabinets that make up the maze can be used as a way to traverse the massive underground safely.” I looked back at Collateral. “That would allow us to avoid the radiation, and preserve my remaining RadAway.”

“Ruff!” Dogmeat agreed.

I smiled at the mut and gently stroked his fur with the back of my hoof. Collateral watched and adjusted the rifle which stood out diagonal from his side, he straightened it and sat on his haunches.

Collateral broke the brief silence with calm and clear words. “Thank you… fer findin’ Uppercut and mah son. Ah am indebted t’you, Gattle Gun, if you are ever n’ need of me, please call and Ah’ll be here t’fight by yer side.”

“Shut it pal, you ain’t indebted to nopony. I’m doing this to save good ponies, ponies who have family who worry about them. To tell them that three of you and a colt are dead is going to break their hearts.” I sighed and put my akubra back on.

With panic and confusion, Uppercut hobbled out from the office and toward Collateral, Dogmeat and I.

“Outside, the ghouls are congregating in the square!” Uppercut was panting, sweating with worry.

I didn’t blame him, a horde as big as the one outside is a less than desirable fight. But I had a plan. I scoffed at his worry and stood to approach him. “You have nothing to worry about, Uppercut. I have a plan. As soon as you’re all ready, I’ll set the building to explode.”

Dogmeat’s ears perked up at the word explode. Collateral and Uppercut shot some curious looks at me.

“You’re going to blow up the Ministry of Image building?” asked Uppercut.

I smirked and cracked my shoulders. “You all came here with Rook, or found your way here to re-establish a settlement here in Red Ruby Creek. These creatures are stopping that from happening, so I’m going to grease them, all of them.”

“Then we better get goin’,” said Collateral, “Ah’ll carry Chewy, Ah’ll fly while we follow you, keep him and I out of the water.”

Uppercut groaned, “That’s fair, you fly while Sour, Twist, Leaf and I walk, or trudge…”

“Or in your case, hobble,” I jabbed with a smirk. But the time for joking was not to last.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Once they had gathered up all they were taking, I ushered them into the elevator and asked them to wait, Dogmeat included.

I rushed down the hall and into the office room. The floor was littered with empty RadAway, health potion bottles, disinfectant bottles and whatever was left of the bandages. I stepped over the mess, pausing for a moment to look down at the congregation of ghouls through the window.

I felt sorry for the mass of former ponies down there, the damage to their minds irreversible. They are no more worse then a legion of giant ants. It tickled me to think that even a pony with a strong mind could turn into a feral ghoul, I chuckled at the thought.

Alas, I didn’t ponder long, I looked away from the window, slowly turning my head toward the desk and approaching it. I jumped over the table and sat perfectly in the chair, spinning in it before hunching over the terminal.

I booted up the system, and immediately I was greeted by a series of options, one of these options being labeled advanced. The file I read about the administrator selling info to the Zebras was top of the list, the rest of the files were corrupt.

I clicked on the advanced option, after a brief buzz and a disturbance of static on the screen, three options came.

“Siren, purge and protocol Spike?” I looked at that last option and wondered what it was for, if purge wasn't meant to blow up the building, then it would've likely been for wiping the propaganda and intelligence this hub held, if any.

The siren option, I had an idea what that was for. On my way in, I noticed, scattered around the town were loud speakers affixed to buildings and poles in the streets, likely intended to broadcast announcements or bombing warnings. I had to hope the ghouls came to the building once the siren started to blair.

I hit the option and like a hundred trumpets, the siren resonated loudly for miles from the town center. The congregation went from a calm mob to an angry and roaring riot of flesh eaters.

“Well that worked, now, let's redirect the sound inside the building” I typed on the keyboard and just like that, all the sound started to come from within the building.

The whole structure shook as a hundred of the ghouls hissed and screeched, I grinned wide at this and began the self destruct, protocol Spike. I clicked the program and on the screen popped a ten minute timer.

“Ten minutes is all I need!” I exclaimed and jumped from the chair to run to the elevator.

As I went to run I stopped, the sound of twinkling and faint laughter emanated from the desk’s bottom drawer. A yellow glow came through the crack as I turned to see what it could be.

I was curious, I raised an eyebrow and walked over to the desk again despite being aware of the time I had left. My horn alight, I pulled the drawer which rolled out easily. Resting inside, beneath a bundle of pre-war bits and some papers, was a glowing yellow orb with mist coming off of it like carbon dioxide from dry ice.

“A memory orb..?” I levitated it close to my face for a better look. “No… what… what is this?”

Dogmeat started to bark frantically, calling for me as feral ghouls had made their way up to this floor and were shambling down the hall. I poked my head out the door and looked to my right to see the oncoming herd.

The one at the front saw me and hissed, half of his rib cage had been ripped open, split from the sternum revealing a yellow pus-filled heart. The ghoul’s right leg had been missing, replaced with a long sharp blade that seemed to protrude out of its elbow.

“Gattle Gun, get in here quickly!!” shouted Collateral in a panic.

I put the yellow orb into one of the inner pockets of my duster and dashed down the hall and into the elevator, the blade-armed ghoul behind me.

Collateral and Uppercut stood aside and allowed me into the elevator, Collateral hit the button for the basement floor and the elevator doors closed. It was then that the ghoul wedged its leg in the door, cutting my leg and coat.

I winced, I glared at the monster and shoved Chrome’s barrel through the crack between the doors.

Bang!!

With one shot, the ghoul’s brains were splattered against the wall opposite the elevator (art at its finest), its blade leg fell limp in the door. The groaning of the ghouls drew near and quickly I pushed the dead one’s leg out of the way.

The doors closed and with a low rumble we made our way down.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Outside.

The tunnels had been an empty, cold series of corridors, full of dead ends and Rad-Roaches. Dark and damp, mildew and moss abound. Getting to the door took only a few minutes, we’d barely encountered a single glowing one.

The moment we opened the door, an alarm rang out and the glowing herd came for us (ring, ring, ring, dinners ready). I pressed to seal the door only for there to be a thirty second delay. We ran, the door closed and we were left dispatching three of the nuclear neon pains in the plot.

Collateral led us out, and now we stand on the rooftop of an old bakery in perfect view of the Ministry of image building.

There was a bright flash and a tremendous bang, which sent Dogmeat yelping and whimpering, he shook his head as his ears rang. I got down beside him and patted the creature's back and covered his ears.

The explosive sound echoed for miles, right up to the Crystal Dominion only seven hundred and twelve miles away. What followed that sound was the building's top floors going up in smoke and collapsing in on itself.

The lower portions cracked and gave way, the building literally sunk within itself, taking with it all of its secrets including the possibility of finding out what this yellow memory orb-like thing was. But that didn’t bother me, the sounds of a million screaming ghouls was comforting.

Another explosion followed this time out toward the square, killing what I assumed to be the rest, if not half the herd. The bridge Dogmeat and I entered from collapsed with metallic screeching, followed by a metallic bang as it hit the concrete ground.

“What did I tell ya, I’ll grease them, all of them,” I said with a smirk, proud of my achievement (and unbelievably turned on at that).

The town was lit up like a beacon, the remained of the tower burned brightly. I’d wager the settlement was looking at my handiwork in absolute horror and Rat Catcher, I bet he was running for his damned life, ‘cause in a few hours time, I was coming for him.

I lowered the front rim of my hat over my eyes, turned around and passed the survivors on my way to the stairs, pulling out another cigarette and lighting it. I took a quick puff of it and sighed.

“We should get moving. Rook is probably expecting us.” I was calm, though inside I was fighting the urge to burst into laughter (that night was one of many to be thrilling).

Without another word nor whisper, no sound or wind, we departed for the settlement. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the survivors were mourning their four friends who lost their lives thanks to Collateral’s leadership, I suppose he had good judgement until dusk. I could see in him right then as I looked from the corner of my eye, his eyes were guilty, he was asking himself what went wrong. How could he face Rook? I said nothing, I didn’t encourage him nor comfort him, this was his responsibility.

We walked up the street from that baker’s shop, and right ahead was the Settlement, its searchlights turned on and searching for us from the guard towers. As we neared, Rook’s light turned on us and the gates opened.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

“It’s mah fault, Rook… they’re dead because of me, Ah was incompetent, Ah panicked once the night fell. We dropped the haul and fled for the apartment complex and the Ministry of Image hub,” Collateral’s voice was heavy with regret, he kept his gaze low and struggled to hold back tears.

His ears laid flat against his scalp as he grit his teeth and shook like a coward. I watched as he trembled and groveled (this one didn’t earn any respect nor admiration out of me, only pity).

I sneered and shook my head, my cigarette providing me with no more relief from stress. I put out the butt-length stick and threw it aside. Dogmeat laid nearby and watched, his patience running as thin as mine.

“The longer we stay listening to this shit is time given to Rat Catcher to run,” I said in anger at the waiting (I had no doubt he had made it onto neutral ground by now).

I shifted my view to the grieving mares who lost family or family members as a result of this, but I also looked at the one who still had family, or whatever was left.

“I’m the one ultimately responsible for sending ya’ll out there. The other trips weren’t as bad, only a few scrapes and bruises, but this time… this time we lost a foal. Nopony that young should’ve died, neither did the others. Your leadership was poor, but so was mine. The full weight of the fault mine.”

Rook was calm, he was sad and with remorse. I glanced up at him, we were silent, until my sigh.

“I don’t mean to be the asshole here, but I’d like to speak with you for a moment, Rook.” I stood, I cracked my neck and adjusted my hat, my attitude was rushing, impatient.

Collateral stood and walked away from Rook’s house toward the gate. The earth pony and I looked at one another; he saw the eagerness to get moving, my desire to hunt and kill my quarry in my eyes and smiled.

“You’re itchin to go out there and find that target of yours, aren’t’cha?” Rook cocked an eyebrow, a small smile on his face that was nonchalant.

I glanced down at my hooves and closed my eyes. “Rat Catcher must be stopped, if he escapes into NCR territory, which I highly doubt he would, he’ll be untouchable. But on neutral ground anything goes.”

“This Rat Catcher, what’s he done that’s earned the scorn of both the Dominion and NCR?”

I shot my sternest look to Rook, my horn glowed and out of a pocket inside of my duster came two scrolls, one from the New Canterlot Republic and another from the Crystal Dominion.

“Read those, they’ll tell you what you need to know about his crimes.”

Rook did just that, he opened one scroll then another and the list of crimes made even his blood boil. “I can see why you want to waste him so bad.”

“He has two children, a son and a daughter. Both of them were raped and abused by him. He was caught in the act and fled before the guards could catch him.”

“Those poor souls…” I noted Rook’s sympathy toward the foals, the entire Dominion was talking about it when I left. Guess that’s what Sabrina gets for letting wastelanders in.

“In the NCR he is known as a rapist and a slaver, he was caught attempting to sell pegasus mares to the Slavers Union. Though it took months before anypony found out.” I sighed.

“Told ya I’d tell you about him once I brought the missing ponies back. I have to find him, Rook, he has to die for his crimes, I’ll turn him into dog shit.”

There was a loud cocking sound. Rook had loaded up a large hunting rifle (I’d wager it was once used to hunt larger prey), looked at me, and with a thoughtful smile he tossed the weapon toward me and I caught it.

“You can have this. Scope works perfectly, I’ve killed Yao-Guai with it over ninety yards away. This will take the cock hole out cleanly, if you prefer.”

I smirked and looked up and down the length of the weapon, I was ecstatic, excited even to see it, to hold it firmly in my magical glow.

“Thank you, Rook. Unfortunately I prefer my victims to know who’s ending their life before I finally cave their skull in.”

Dogmeat chomped loudly and barked viciously to drive the point across. “I’m afraid Dogmeat gets a little pissed off if he can’t sink his teeth into a fool who's on my hit list.”

Rook chuckled and grinned. “Then let's not waste another moment, you have a pony to hunt.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

“Luna voice interface: Online! Welcome back, Gattle Gun.” Luna’s voice came in clear on the Sky-Rider’s console.

Dogmeat laid in his usual place on the chariot as I prepped the machine for flight. Rook, Collateral, and Uppercut watched as I twisted the handle disks and initiated the wings flapping.

“I’m certain I took out half of the eaters when the Ministry of Image building went down,” I said whilst adjusting my hoof gloves, “There’ll be stragglers enough for you to cull on your own.”

“And for that, you have my thanks,” replied Rook.

“Make no mistake, Rook, that light show I pulled last night is going to attract a lot of attention. Raiders or Slavers will be making their way here, possibly as we speak. Remember the Wanamingos? You’ll want to set up the wall as soon as you can. When this has become a ripe settlement, give the dead a proper burial.”

“You don’t have to tell me, tatters, I know what to do,” scoffed Rook.

“You better. I don’t want to come back and find you all raped and strung up mutilated on meat hooks.”

I looked down at Dogmeat and he looked up at me. “Ready to go boy?”

“Ruff!!” Dogmeat barked in reply.

I grinned as I twisted the disks and the Sky-Rider hovered, its wings beat faster and its legs folded up. I put my Akubra away, and donned the pre-war flight cap and goggles once more. As I prepared to fly forward, Collateral spoke up, loud enough to be heard through the flapping of the wings. I pulled the handles back. The Sky Rider backed up, and with a forward push, I took off down the road and toward my prey. Rat Catcher, was now mine.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

“Did you think you could hide from me in there? You are a fool, Rat Catcher. No better than scum, the lowest form of life in a world already wrapped in a blanket of cruelty with barely a rip in the fabric to allow hope!”

It was late afternoon by the time I had found him. Rat Catcher was holding out in a makeshift house close to a large cliff. I could see him through the scope of Rook’s hunting rifle, I could’ve shot him then, only I didn’t, there’d be no satisfaction.

I lowered the gun and turned away, Dogmeat watching my every move. I took off my saddlebags and placed them on the floor of the Sky-Rider. I then levitated only a few medical supplies I could carry and an extra six shots for Chrome if catching him was impossible.

I cracked my neck, stomped on the ground, and glanced down at Dogmeat. “Ready to go, Dogmeat?”

Dogmeat growled, eyes wild, teeth bared like a Timberwolf’s. I smiled at that, teeth bared in my own joyous grin.

“Let's go kill us a rat,” I said with my voice shaking and full of excitement.

I left my saddlebags and ammo belts in the Sky-Rider, the metal boxes beneath my duster were stored away in the shaft of the control pedestal. I now wore nothing but my duster, hoof gloves and akubra.

We left the machine hidden on a ridge, out of view of the house. I slid down the hill, stones and pebbles rolling down as I did, dust kicked up as the dirt was disturbed. A ruined stone wall provided a place to hide. As soon as I touched flat ground, I rolled behind the wall and poked my head around the corner. The door of the house opened and out stepped three ponies, each of them wearing an open vest with different customizations.

“Slavers…” I whispered.

I sneered and looked at Dogmeat. I tapped my hoof lightly in front of him, and motioned for him to wait by the now closed door. He growled and carefully approached the door, those other three slavers had long since disappeared around the back of the hut.

As Dogmeat waited, I stepped away from the wall and went around to a windowless side of the house. I looked up to the roof and with my horn aglow, I levitated up to it. There laid my entrance, a skylight roof window.

I moved along the roof as silently as my hooves would allow (didn’t help that it was a metal roof which made it harder to be stealthy). The Slavers looked too preoccupied with their game of poker to notice me.

As I peeked in, I saw no sign of Rat Catcher, odd because I saw the fuck enter this building minutes earlier. Did he figure out he was being followed? Still, regardless of whether or not he was there, this was a slaver cell, and I wasn't going to let them have a foothold in the Dominion.

I stood straight and let out a sigh. With an indifferent and lazy smile, I jumped onto the window and fell into the house. With an ear-splitting crack, the table broke in half, ruining their game and getting me some surprised and pissed off looks.

“Sup mutherfucks!” I exclaimed. The Slavers; after a moment of shock, sprang into action, pulling out their guns and knives while I whipped out Chrome and turned the guy next to me into art.

His head exploded backward as one bullet from Chrome passed through the middle of his face, crushing it and painting the window he stood before red.

Kra~krung!

A shotgun was fired, hitting me in the shoulder and grazing my neck. I recoiled and retaliated with three shots from Chrome, two to the chest and one through the throat (beautiful). I stood on the table, a large, crazed grin forming and pupils shrinking as the thrill started to hit me like a shot of Jet.

Another slaver charged at me, a pegasus, his wings tipped with blades (easy). He swung them at me, no technique. I ducked, I slid back while my duster dragged under me. I quickly jumped back up and grabbed onto his head with my aura, and with the tilt of my head…

Crrr~ack!

...I snapped his neck. What followed was madness, I was in utter pain, my shoulder bled from the shotgun wound and I was outnumbered seven to one.

“Time to put my plan into motion.” I thought to myself.

I threw open my cloak, revealing three dummy grenades which fooled the Slavers. I pulled their pins and threw them on the floor. Like Radroaches they scattered. The Slavers ran for the door, trampling over one another and even crushing their youngest member (whose head turned to paste beneath my hooves, silencing his pleas of mercy).

Outside, the Slavers were met with further assault, Dogmeat charged for the first one to exit, he jumped up and bit into the unicorn slaver’s neck. She thrashed in panic, her screams nothing more than quick squeals as her entire throat section was torn away, covering my pet's face in her gore.

Dogmeat ate the flesh like a hungry predator and growled with feral instinct.

“Kill them, Dogmeat! Kill them all!” I ordered and laughed.

Dogmeat barked with ferocity, he ran after another slaver whilst I fired the last two shots from Chrome into the skull of Slaver wielding a flail. Quickly, I reloaded Chrome and turned to face an oncoming Slaver, only to be struck across the back by one of the trio from earlier.

Chrome fell from my aura and I fell onto my side with a pained whinnie. My akubra fell from my head not too far from Chrome.

“You shit stain, you killed half of our cell!” the main one with the spiked, raider-like shoulder armor exclaimed with an angry growl.

I laughed and looked up at him. “Can’t help it if you schmucks make greasing ya easy.”

The slaver kicked me in the stomach and stepped on my horn. I hacked up some saliva in a gasp of pain. I could see the two other slavers that were with him, the pink female slaver whose mane was messier than it was when I first saw her, and the one that struck me, a shit brown stallion with a sledgehammer in his teeth.

I growled and grit my teeth. The slaver looked to his partner and nodded toward him, and with his head motioned him to move toward me.

“You know what to do, Smasher,” the slaver said and looked back at me.

I glanced over to Chrome lying nearby, I could easily levitate the gun and kill at least one of these had the big guys hoof been anywhere but. that was when I noticed the bloodied muzzle of Dogmeat hiding in a bush, waiting to pounce.

The slaver, Smasher, moved around me until he was within range to smash my head with that hammer of his, which dragged behind him like a burden. I looked up at the poor excuse for a pony and chuckled lightly.

“Slavers with raider names? Quite peculiar if you ask me,” I said mockingly.

“Doesn’t matter what we got, mate. You’re dead, no doubt about it now!” Smasher said with a gleeful sneer. He gripped onto his hammer tighter and lifted it over his back.

He stumbled, that hammer appeared to be way too heavy for this stallion to lift. I looked over at Dogmeat and winked. The animal growled and took a few steps back. My attention turned back to the slaver, when he shouted and swung the hammer over only for it to fall and land inches from my head as Dogmeat charged and rammed into the Slaver, taking a chunk out of his jaw at the same time.

Smasher shook his head, blood splattering onto the ground, staining the dirt. He held a hoof to where his bottom jaw was once connected to his cranium. he screamed and once again, Dogmeat leapt up and bit onto his neck, bringing him to the ground where he squeezed, crushing his throat and windpipe.

The slaver holding me down let up a bit as he and his remaining partner watched in startled terror as my dog silenced their friend. I looked to Chrome, my expression resembling twisted rage. I levitated the weapon and pressed it against the bastard’s chin, then with a loud bang I shot him, and the bullet destroyed his skull.

He dropped lifelessly to the ground and I stood quickly, turning to the mare who had only now just started running. I sighed. Where’s the fun in greasing a fleeing target? Then again, a moving target could be fun.

I stood up on my hind legs and floated Rook’s rifle out and held it in my front hooves. I stared down the scope, I got in a good view of the bitch. She panted and wheezed and continued running for her miserable life, that was until a spiraling bullet whizzed its way out of her mouth, breaking her teeth as the bullet passed through the back of her head.

“Goodnight.” I smiled and pointed the rifle skyward. Dogmeat sniffed around the house nearby while I returned to all fours and turned to look at the sunset.

My ears stood straight and swiveled around to the back of my head. Dogmeat was growling, and those growls turned to barking as Rat Catcher made a run for the cliff edge. Quickly I turned to see the coward run (for the last time).

“Rat Catcher!!” I shouted with fury. I floated the rifle beside me and gave chase, Dogmeat running beside me. This time Rat Catcher was slow, his speed had lessened since his escape back in the Ministry of Image building.

He was easier to catch up to. After only a moment my run had turned into a power walk. Rat Catcher’s back legs glowed with my horn, I twisted my neck and Rat Catcher let out a shrill, agonised scream as his legs twisted and contorted into a mangled pretzel-like shape.

“Arrgh! No! No, no no... Oh Celestia help me!” Rat Catcher pleaded while he crawled, he dared not look back, he was too afraid to try.

I passed Smasher’s sledgehammer as I approached my target, I floated it out to my side in a wide swinging arc and when I was close enough, swung it. The hammer made contact with Rat Catcher's face, knocking him into a rock and breaking a few of his teeth. He was paralyzed by the impact, it gave me an opening to approach and slam the hammer down on his twisted hooves. He woke up and screamed loudly, whimpering like a dog and quickening his breath.

“Hurts doesn’t it? It’s going to for a while.” I chuckled in amusement and watched as his crushed hooves bled; much to my surprise. “I’m surprised you can still bleed out of those legs after what I just did to them.”

“W-why… w-who are you?” Rat Catcher shook violently and spoke in a strained, struggling voice.

“Why? I don’t think you get it, you’re wanted in both the Dominion and New Canterlot Republic for the crimes of incestuous acts on a filly and colt, attempted enslavement of NCR citizens, attempt to establish a slaver cell, crimes against the Dominion, sexual abuse, foal abuse and murder of a Dominion citizen.

“You’ve got quite a sizable bounty on you because of that, and here’s a bonus; the New Canterlot Republic wants you alive, they want to imprison you for your crimes.”

“T-then w-wha-what are you waiting for asshole?” he spat out five of his teeth, blood spilling out of his mouth in small amounts of saliva. “Go ahead, t-take me in already…”

I laughed slightly, but it soon turned into an almost maniacal cackle. Did this rat honestly believe I’m going to let him go? That he’s going to live another day? He’s mental, he’s insane!

Rat Catcher watched me, confused and terrified, I ceased my laughter and moved my face close to his, my green eyes staring intently into his brown eyes, a wide smirk on my face

“But we’re not in NCR territory, are we? We’re on the tiniest little edge of the Dominion territory, and they want you dead.”

Fear became dominant on Rat Catcher's face; he shivered far more violently. I turned to Dogmeat and whispered a command to him. He barked, turned, and ran into the house.

“W-w-what is h-he doing?”

After only a moment, Dogmeat came back out with the shotgun that had done damage to my shoulder earlier. He dropped it at my hooves and sat back on his haunches, with the back of my hoof I patted and praised him. “Good boy.”

I wrapped the shotgun in my emerald aura, and took a nice long look at it. “You know, I have different views on ponies out here, do you want to know what they are? Oh yes, you don’t have much of a choice. You see, the way I see it, ponies are the type to follow the rules, leave peacefully and strive everyday to survive without once doing a thing to hurt another. But you… you don’t even fit the criteria, to me you’re not a pony at all!”

I pressed the shotgun against his twisted right leg and fired the gun, which blew the leg clean off. He screamed once more and I stood back, “You’re dog shit!”

Dogmeat barked ravenously and with intolerable aggression. He charged at Rat Catcher and tore him to pieces. He screamed, he thrashed and writhed in agony as his flesh was torn and ripped, his bones broken and crushed, every part of him was ripped to gory chunks while I watched with sadistic glee and grinned.

Footnote: Level Up.
New Perk: Lawbringer-- Once you have the Lawbringer perk, anypony you kill who has done wrong will have a hoof on their corpse. This hoof can be sold to a certain pony for caps and positive karma.