Chapters The Equestrian Badlands
The waste of the badlands lasted as far the eye could see, they say that the badlands was once an thriving empire of ageless beings with magic that went far beyond the magical arts of the modern era.......now it the home of the unwanted elements of Equestria society Changelings...... Dragons.......the wandering buffalo tribes but for some their only and last resort..
''That's the job.....take it or leave it'' said an very pristine sounding pony in a cloak '' if you too chicken to do the job well the badlands is crawling with scum looking for an big pay off
I scratched my chin in though before looking the massive wall of muscle that was my little brother and partner Roadhog......despite his face being hidden behind an mask I could tell the he wanted to do the job yet at the same time he hatred the job. The job this pony was offering would either place us in prison or worse dead but the payoff was high the job was simple kidnap Little Strongheart the princess of the Thunderhoof buffalo tribe and hand her off to the the Naga Empire at the southern reaches of the badlands for 89 billion bits enough to buy passage into any country but enough to live like kings. The down sides are the road will take us into the borders of the Changeling Domain and the Caribou Kingdoms an place where even Alicorns were afraid to go. I let out an small growl we were the best team the badlands had to offer ''no job too big, no score too small'' we had an reputation to up hold if the others found out that we pass this up the biggest job since the failed Changeling invasion of Canterlot.......we'll be better off dead
''What happens after the Buffalo princess is giving to the Naga? I asked while picking up my gun under the table pointing it the cloaked pony out of the pony line of sight.........that is one of the greatness weakness of the pony race.....terrible eyesight even the nearly all powerful Alicorn suffers the same weakness. It might explains why their coats are so odd for the lack of an better word you almost never see an dark colored pony outside of few here and there, most of the time their always a bright color.
''That Mr. Junkrat is none of your concern'' said the pony with an whinny as he crossed his fore-hooves '' my clients are paying you to not ask questions but for results, now can't you do the job or not''
''Yeah we CAN do the job pony but you should know that the operation that me and my brother are running is an clean one we don't partake in dirty dealings and in this.......I smell a lot of dirt'' said Roadhog his massive hand creaking the chuckles threateningly at the pony, ever since it happen Roadhog rarely speaks anymore due to shame and guilt plus an ever increasing case of shyness........he knows that I don't blame him for what happen but I doubt he could ever forgive himself. Yet I was pleasantly surprised that he had spoken up and I not surprised by much anymore ......years in this world had seen to that.
''As I said it's none of your concern'' repeated the pony '' either way the job will be done but I doubt any other team would keep her as fresh as you would........it's seems you rather let her to be hoofed over to the likes of The Brotherhood of Stone''
My eye cut of the mention at those words.......The Brotherhood of Stone, an rabid clan of Diamond Dog marauders famed throughout the waste lands for their blood-lust. There wasn't an place in the world were the brotherhood were welcome, even in the Caribou Kingdoms they are outlawed the Caribou themselves are famed for their blood-lust for the caribou to outlaw the likes of brotherhood that out here in the badlands spoke volumes.......it was an truly frightening though that if they gotten their paws on that 89 billion. '' Alright Mr. Apple tell Prince Blueblood that he has an deal''
''Splendid, Mr. Junkrat and Mr. Roadhog my clients would be overjoyed to hear that.'' Said the pony lowering his hood revealing his red Unicornian furred face. Applejack J. Apple Senior a.k.a The Gambler was renown in the badlands for his talent for making deals and to bargain with him......well let's just say that you better pray to Lady Luck that you didn't owe him money even worse mention his foals back in Equestria. It had been said that he made the devil's bargain with The King and lost everything.....banished by his own mother from the Apple Clan till the day that he died since then everyone in the badlands called him The Gambler. '' I trust that you know how this works?''
''Yes'' I said placing my gun back into my robotic leg ''half now, the other half when the job is complete''
'' Good now gentleponies if you excuse me I'll collect what is owed '' said the red unicorn before disappearing in an flash of magic
'' James'' said my brother using my original name, we rarely use our original names anymore cause we not the same people as we were when we first came to this world. For Roadhog to use my name meant that he was upset with me '' I don't like this......there's no much that could go wrong with this job and all the dirt it has on it''
'' I know Cody but what else could we do? If we don't The Brotherhood will make that girl suffer the least we could do spare her from that fate and we need that money if we ever to walk in Equestria again.'' I said logical but that didn't mean I didn't felt some remorse. We were going to rip an girl from her family and give her away to questionable folk anything could happen to her but we need the money.
''James please, she wouldn't want you to do this '' said my brother placing an massive hand on me as carefully as he could ''how will you be able explain why you did this to her face.''
'' Cody leave Twilight out of this'' I snapped ''what done is done and there ain't no magic gonna change that.........I must explain why to her then I would do it then ''
Chapter 2 Red Sands part 1 unedited
A couple days later
I sighed heavily before taking an glimpse at the main Buffalo camp though my sniper rife, the target Little Strong heart was hard at work making medicine for the tribes' elders. In the badlands medicine is a very rare commodity you either made it with the little resources you could find in these lands or steal it but those can make the meds were always big targets. Roadhog was at my side in desert cameo armed with only his hook which was heavily moded by yours truly to cut though dragon scales and an small handful of homemade nail bombs of my own design, the mission relied on stealth and quick thinking, an style outside of our usual methods but doable. I myself was lightly armed with the aforementioned sniper rife, dueling pistols and trench knife lastly back up shot gun and scrap gun.........years in this world taught me one thing.....always bring back up guns, never know when an stone dragon wants ya for lunch. stone dragons the premiere predator in the badlands was unlike their Equestrian hell even the ones in Dragon lands counterparts didn't feed on gems and other treasures but on flesh, fresh flesh. They were just one of the many dangers you find out in the Badlands but you could avoid them very easily just led them to some other group struggling to survive in our harsh world.
''James are you sure that we need to do this?'' Roadhog grunted in an questioning tone, years of him growing more silent and shy made every word he said all the more precious to me
''We had already discussed this Roadhog.........'' I said tighten the butt of the rife against my shoulder'' we need the money.'' In the badlands you survive by any means necessary or were rich enough to buy protection but even then you'll be hard press to find a descent group of chaps most would just kill ya then take the money.
''I know but you could always have an change of heart'' said my little brother drawing his oversized hook. At least he is talking that is one thing to be happy about I guess... out here having an conciseness will get you killed if you want to live then get rid of it real quick.
''My heart is dead just as the target will be if the brotherhood claims her '' I said marking off different buffalo to wound in order to draw the warriors attention away from the camp. My heart died on the day we were banished out here by the Equestrian Princesses themselves but it's no use to get pinned up by the past once we have the money then Celestia and the other wouldn't be able to touch us ever again. '' Road get in position the fire fight starts in t-minus five seconds''
'' This is a mistake you know it James'' warned the giant leaving my side readying his part of the plan.
''Then let it be my
Bang
The Buffalo instantly scattered when the first one when down which followed another and another from my place on the hill I could smell their fear, they didn't know of the arts of firearms just like most of this world. i just it's kinda poetic in a way the Buffalo looked and act much like the Native American Indians it was only fitting for them to be cut down by bullets. Racist? perhaps but history has a laughable way of repeating itself and I mean not the Discord kind of funny....nice guy really perhaps one of my favorite beings in this world Celestia and her crew does no justice for his image. Their first reaction was that they were under attack by spirits and magic. it wasn't longer before the warriors bulldozed out of their tents rushing to their people's aid.... making them prefect targets. My mad smile threaten to break my face as I bought down Buffalo warriors each weighing about several tons each there was just something empowering about guns, Celestia could never understand the bond between a man and his gun. Guns are love, guns are life.
..bang...
....Bang.....
....BANG......
Sometime later
I set the rife down nearly all the mags brought with me spent, there was a lot and I mean ''are you shiting me '' more Buffalo in the camp then what the Intel that Gambler gave us but no matter the job was done. Just a few hundred more for good old Hades hope he won't sent us the bill. Bastard always sending me the bills I am an soldier of fortune killing is my job why send me the bills? I ain't stop till every rule death has is broken or at least all bent outta of shape. Hen that sounds like what the real Junkrat and Roadhog would do I wonder what ever happen to those guys? I mean we have their bodies and abilities but the hell happen to their minds or rather what was left of them i mean. Roadhog's massive body shadowed me in cool shade with the target over his shoulder knocked out '' how was your part?'' I asked
'' She put up quite a fight but nothing that I'm not use to....yours? said Roadhog putting his hook away, Strongheart moaned at the feeling of her ride's muscles more out from her. Humph it's amazing that so much killing was done over such a small thing hell I seen shit piles bigger then her, why the Naga Empire wanted her was something I couldn't see the overgorwn snakes must have some sort of reasoning behind this job but these kinds of jobs don't pay ya to ask questions they expect it done the right way and quickly.
'' Made sure that the thuderhooves couldn't follow us, put a lot of them six feet under.'' I said leaning back on the man mountain that was my little brother.... Twilight don't your worry I'm coming for ya and I'm coming fast.
''Yeah I think we killed a entire tribe this time round'' said Roadhog guffawing '' I never saw my hook so wet''
''but is was fun'' I chuckled
'' I'll drink to that'' I think Roadhog was winking under that mask of his tough to tell.
''speaking of drinking do you by chance have any water on ya?''
Chapter 2 Red Sands part 2 unedited
''James! how could you!!'' shirked Twilight her eyes red with tears, standing in the doorway with her friends behind her. Looking down to the gun in my blood covered hands and to the formerly white unicorn stallion on the ground, his electric blue mane painted red by the pool of his own blood.
''Twi!! wait it isn't it looks likes!!! I didn't-''
''YOU PROMISED ME THAT YOU WOULDN'T'' she shouts before galloping out the door sobbing while her so called friends glared at me ,dropping the gun I reached out to stop her but I was throw to the ground by Equestrian Royal Guards who placed me in handcuffs before dragging me outside of the house where I found my brother in chains..
Opening my eyes and leaning a bit up from the sack I called a bed, the somewhat familiar sight of the camp greeted me like an old friend. Roadhog was snoring away just like the deep rumbles of a sleeping... well a hog for the lack of an better term, and the tied from of Little Strong heart was right where we left her tie to a boulder which itself was tied to a even bigger boulder. In the years I spent out here there were just things that you didn't question like how such a little shit could run like an Olympic gold medalist while having their legs hog tied.
I still haven't figure out how that earth pony manage to do that, not even Roadhog was able to recreate it and he weighted several tons at least! Put that aside, the camp while being perhaps the most secured place in the whole Badlands wasn't much to look at. Just a cobbled together tents and my work station while having a outer premier of trip wire which led to land mines I had scraped together form what I could find inculding human hair from mine and Roadhog's backs, that was pretty much to it. Laying back down in my poor excuse for a bed, my madman of a mind recalled the dream I was having..
That day was the start of all of this, ever since that day my life in this world had felled apart to what it's now. Looking back at the little buffalo I felt a smile grace my face, once the Naga have her then I could return to Equestria and neither the Princesses wouldn't be able to touch me if I wanted to they would have no choice but to make me king and Twilight would.. she would.. she would hate me.
I sighed sadly, it been what ten? fifteen years? since Twilight broke my heart and our banishment, she probably had already found somebody new by now. There was eighty seven percent chance that she did and ten percent that she have sown off romance then about three percent chance thay she was waiting for me or least by my reckoning. Besides what would we even do if and when we return to Equestria? Mayhem? I'm sure that we had quiche that thirst out here years ago. Become likes of The Gambler? or The King? Junkrat and Roadhog is already an household name in these parts. Grow fat off our coming riches? Sounds nice but that kind of thing is just isn't something the real Junkrat and Roadhog would do then again there isn't any of those bots in this world... boring.
An loud groan escaped from the young buffalo gal catches my attentions.
"mm wh- oh my head" went the little buffalo while creaking her eyes open slightly.
"Awake are you now lassie?" I said in leveled tone despite my earlier bad thinking, perhaps Roadhog was right maybe I should put my life with Twilight behind me, plenty fish out in the sea as they say. Yet... I still loved her even after what happen I loved the mare.. must be an side effect of being an madman with a dark secret or at least that is the the way the real Junkrat was first designed.
"I-...I know you...your Junkrat the legendary mercenary and murderer" she says fearfully, her light brown coat taking an whiter shade as she realizes the situation she was in. I am one of the terrors of the wastelands after all. There are several legendarily terrors out the Badlands, the worse of the worse you could come across out here The King; The Gambler; Myself; Stone-Paws the leader of the brotherhood; Flying Ace; Iron-hide and the worse of all seven of us Silence. We were all banish out here for an reason yet Silence was the oldest of us with The King being a close second. According to the stories out here, Silence was banish here by Discord himself sixteen hundred years ago hopefully that is just one those stories, the kind that doesn't come true because if it isn't then we're fucked.
"Ah so my reputation precedes me, but don't forgot Roadhog now lassie... he's maybe quiet but he hates being overlooked despite being three times my size." Despite the impossibility of that actually happening with my brother being taller than a full grown Minotaur it does happen from time to time, don't know why exactly that's the case but I like to just chalk it up to magic since that is the usual excuse to tell shite.
"Are..'' she gulps before speaking in a small voice "are you going to kill me?"
"nope not part of the job" I said with putting my hands behind my head, the words visibly comforting the buffalo with the hope she was going to get out this alive, such foolishness "unless my client says so, though where you going you may wished you were. Then again death is a boring mate."
