Fallout: Equestria - Determination

Tesla Coil finished the last of our operation. He'd reset her jawline to be a bit slimmer. The lack of a strong jaw would help her avoid knockout blows. We didn't have any spare bones or growth hormones so we couldn't grow muscle or reshape much else. Especially since we didn't have any matching host hormones. Testosterone and estrogen only went so far. It required specific chemicals only made in similar bodies.

I took the anesthetic mask off of her, glad it was over.

"Are you sure about this, Glass? Won't she be angry you killed her boyfriend?" He grumbled, fixing his black-rimmed glasses.

"I'm sure she will. But I'm willing to bet she'll be happy to be alive."

That was the end of our discussion. Bruise would awaken at any minute. And I'd already taken the med-x to make sure my body stayed in one piece. Just to show respect, we didn't remove her hulking armor. But we did lock the broadsider in a supply trunk. Tesla Coil sat cozily atop the stairs to the hidden city. He'd told me it used to be 'Rockopolis.'

I didn't understand the name, but I marked it on my map with the original title.

As expected, she woke up gasping and tackled me against the cave wall.

"Morning sunshine." I grunted, avoiding her blow to my temple.

"Damn it! Where the fuck is Glancing Blow! What did you do to him...!?" She cursed, shattering one of my ribs.

"Hn... hnhn... Sorry, I don't mean to laugh. It just tickles." I bellowed, chuckling again as she struck my cheek.

"Listen, asshole... tell me where my brother is!" She cried, biting her lip and choking back a sob.

I felt the urge to comfort her. But instead of holding her, I gently undid her grip on my collar. The silence broke our hearts in two. And I trotted away to get her a drink. Lilium July, 1906. We couldn't really say anything, because there was nothing we could say to bring him back. The last few minutes of our reunion were her swallowing sobs. We sat beside each other, missing wishes and drinking Lily July on the rocks.

"Why...? If you killed him, why did you save me...?" She hissed, biting back sniffles.

"Because you really cared about him. You really cared about someone else. And you fought for it. Isn't that enough. Haven't you earned your right to live...?"

I didn't know why, but the tears fell in streams over her cheeks. They grew cherry red and raw, injured from the collapse of her heart. It didn't take long for her to answer, downing her cup.

"I... I've killed so many people. I've done horrible things. He was the one that cared for me. Not th-the other way around. He should be alive. Not... not me. I d-don't deserve it."

"You're selling yourself short... You've changed a lot more than you think. Just look at how much you miss him. Isn't that a good start?"

I watched her snap out of her grief. And, even though it'd take more than a few comforting words, she'd recover eventually. I stood up and stretched my hindlegs, cracking joints in my suit. The early morning rays poured in from the cave entrance and onto my muzzle. It was streaming and burning in my eyes.

"Bruise..." I murmured, lighting a smoke from Tesla's pack.

"Sure..." She stated, nodding softly and accepting my offer.

I kept away from her, hovering around the entrance in case she thought about leaving. I wouldn't let her leave if it meant suicide by wasteland. Sure she was a raider. Sure she might've come back to kill me. But that second chance, especially after showing how hard she fought for it, was just the right thing to do.

Tesla Coil met me there, fixing his shades and a new wig, it being a rainbow one. He leaned against the cave wall and took a low dose of jet, inhaling sharply as he went slack. The colt fixed his labcoat and armored it with spare leather.

"You're one crazy son of a bitch, Glass. You dragged a raider survivor in here and you convinced her to not rip your throat out. Just who the heck are you?"

I glanced over my shoulder, sitting on my haunches.

"I'm nothing special. Just a buck trying to survive the fallout."

"Ha, that's a laugh. You're more than that. Come on, spill some beans so we can trust each other. I don't know who you are, but you know who I am."

I answered loading some shells into my drum magazine.

"Stained Glass. First Sargeant, Alpha Company. Formally, anyway. I never was a good soldier. Just a cleaner." I stated, earning a wry smile.

Tesla Coil was a scrawny colt with a nondescript dress code. He wore a labcoat and black-rim glasses and that wig. That was all he wore. Never stood too tall or made any sudden movements. I had my money on him that he was a spy for the Grand Pegasus Enclave. Still had his wings, too.

"I knew it. You are military. But something's off about that. What's a cleaner...?" He inquired, tossing me another drum magazine.

"A cleaner is an assassin, basically. Just that I handle cleaning and no one handles my mess for me. Stressful job, really."

Before we could get to his history, Little Pip called us from an approaching eyebot. I didn't know why but I imagined a snail could move faster. The girl said I would be better off leaving Bruise to die somewhere. Literally, too. But I stood my ground about her and changed the subject. We had a long discussion about agreeing to wipe out raider settlements as we found them. Then came the real details.

"So, Pip," I started, taking a sip of sparkle cola on the rocks.

"Why did you send me to free Tesla Coil. Besides his life being in danger and all..."

Her answer thoroughly surprised me. All that nonsense about wasteland survival completely avoided her. Little Pip's mission was simple. And it couldn't get simpler than what she'd already established.

"You're right, I do have a reason. But that's because he's a good doctor. And a better asset to the new world. You see, Glass, Tesla Coil might have been born enclave, but he was raised equestrian. He understands the plight of the common pony. He charges medical fees lower than most and he's always willing to get his hooves dirty. I need him for all of my settlements."

"Settlements? Like the small group of shacks I found earlier?"

"Yes, exactly. But I make sure the settlements have three things: food, water and protection. These things are essential. And I make it so people avoid the areas like Canterlot and Maripony to make that possible. When I found you, I was one short of a doctor, a scout and a mercenary. I'm guessing you know what I need you for."

That was all I needed. And thankfully, I almost had the same job. Just no blackmail and no infiltration hopefully. Little Pip finished our conversation by telling me she'd found some records in the vault complex, presumably locked away in a desk I missed.

"You sound like you'd be more at home under a more... militaristic direction. Is that what you want?"

"Oh, definitely. But I don't mind whatever you give me. As long as it isn't an escort mission..."

We agreed on me being whatever combat role she needed. I'd recieved my orders to find Glyphmark, which wasn't more than half an hour away. And then, before that, I'd better deal with Bruise. The three hours prior had gone noticeably quiet. As soon as I did, leaving my combat shotgun pointed to the ground, I found her stumbling and giggling in the abandoned bar area.

"Oh, look! There's a new combatant in the house!" Bruise slurred, announcing my arrival.

"Bruise what are-"

"Introduciiiing Jaaaap boooy! Up against The Boston Bruiser-! The Barbed Basher, Bruise and Batter...!"

I nearly tumbled backwards when she tackled me at the waist. Before I could object, she sweeped me off my feet and pinned me to the floor. Stone wasn't a pleasant bedding. I gently kept her off with my hooves against her chest, drowning in dust and scent of skotch. The Lilium July kicked against my throat as I inhaled her harsh, caustic alcohol scents.

"Bruise, what are you doing...?!" I cursed, slipping halfway off, before she clung to my hips, ruffling my stomach fur with her muzzle.

"Come here, jap boy, you gotta help me feel better~" She giggled, never letting go no matter what I said.

No. This was wrong. I wouldn't take advantage of anyone. Especially not her. Especially not with what she'd gone through. Bruise had caught my eye before, but I never wanted her in such dishonest circumstances. Before she could do real damage to my loins, which was by rubbing my sheathe, I slipped out and restricted her.

I forced Bruise to sit in my lap and stop screwing around.

"Hey, you like it more in this position, huh~? Okay- it's been a while since I've done it in a colt's lap~"

I ignored her. I never let her move, or slip away or anything. I didn't even know how many pints or shots or fifths she'd had in my absence. The room was dimmer than I remembered. And it seemed the only light source we had were my eyes. She'd been alone all that time, stirring in nostalgia. The more she babbled and shifted against me, the more I felt my eyes water.

"H-hey... wha... why are you crying...?"

I shoved my sobs down and clenched my teeth together. I stopped breathing. I wouldn't make her feel worse than I already had.

"Hey... I... I'm sorry, did I do something wrong? Look- I-I'll help you feel better, promise-"

"No-! You c-can't do that!" I growled, trying not to shake.

"You can't do this because you're drunk, don't you understand! It's all- my fault...!"

I watched her face grow pale. She kept her eyes everywhere else, leaving my lap and taking her warmth away. Before she could think of exiting the room, she turned to face me, eyes red and bloated with pain. I saw the water spill down her cheeks, piling against her jawline till all the runoff descended her chin.

"I... I don't know what else to do." She whimpered, shaking as she came back and leaned against my chest.

"I don't know how to handle the pain... It's never like this. I have drugsss an-and alcohol and sex- I don't... I don't know how to deal with this. How do you deal with feeling nothing inside, huh...?"

We stayed quiet and I held her hooves in response, warming her fleshy limbs. I felt the same in my chest, and budging from the way she dozed off against me... she felt the same, too.