“Red it’s dead”

Well, this was familiar to Chrome, darkness as he slowly swam back towards conciseness though this time instead of pain all over his body waking him it was a pounding headache.

Chrome slowly opened his eyes; his head feeling like it had been used as a drum during a heavy metal concert. As his vision slowly focused he found himself laying on his side facing a small campfire in a cluster of rock. He slowly lifted his head and looked around but didn’t see anypony else beside himself at the fire. Slowly he started to get to his hooves wincing at the slight twinge of pain is his back leg and looked back. Someone had bandaged his leg.

Chrome looked back towards the fire and came face to face with large glowing red eyes inched from his muzzle. “FUCK!” He cried out as he threw himself back, his injured leg not able to keep up so while his front legs kicked off, his back legs remained where they were and he crashed down onto his back with a grunt of pain.

“Well, I see you feel better.” Said a modulated voice that had no sound of emotion or gender in it what so ever. Scrambling to his feet Chrome started at the….pony that had been inched away from him when he turned back towards the camp.

They were a couple inched shorter then Chrome but that was about all he could tell. They had some sort of mask on, the eyes glowing softly red and the rest was dark grey and covered their entire face and partly down there neck, on top of their head was a tan color helmet that seemed to be part of the mask, painted on the front of the helmet in lighter than pain was the words NO MERCY. Their body had a long tan coat that coved their forelegs down to their hoofs and their back and flanks. On their chest Chrome could see they wore some sort of barding under the coat that coved their body. The only part fully exposed was the tail which was dark blue and silver.

“Uh…Hi?” Chrome said hesitantly. The pony reached up and tapped the right side of their mask and the eyes stopped glowing.

“You say that to everyone you meet in the wasteland don’t you?” Said the emotionless voice from the pony, it sounded like it was coming from speakers in the mask. “I have to give you some credit, sitting there greeting a gang of raiders about to murder you or worse.” They said as they turned back towards the fire and Chrome notice a bundle of wood held in mage slightly behind them that was set down next to the fire.

“You’re…You’re a unicorn?” Chrome asked.

“Last time I checked.” Came the reply. The lack of anything in the voice was unnerving.

“Sorry…didn’t mean to offend.”

The unicorn looked back at chrome and tilted their head to the side. “Offend? Oh! Oh you’ve got to be bucking me, you are fresh out of a stable aren’t you?” They asked and Chrome nodded. “Oh Celestia, I thought you were just wearing that barding cause of the extra pockets. I should have guessed when you greeted the raiders. I take back what I said about giving you credit Stable-Pony. “They said shaking their head and a flat chuckling sound came from them as they turned back to the fire and levitated a couple of sticks into it. Chrome shivered as he’d never heard a laugh sound so…emotionless.

“My names not Stable-Pony.” Chrome said a bit annoyed. “It’s Chrome Fragrance.”

“Don’t care; you probably won’t last the week out here, hell you almost died just a couple hours ago. If I hadn’t been getting into position to take out those raiders already you would have. Thanks for the distraction by the way, you were excellent bait.” They said looking back at him again for the last part.

Chrome blinks his jaw working. “Wait that was you that killed them?” The pony nodded before turning back towards the fire. “So…that means that was your gun shoved in my face!” Another nod. “What the hell, why did you save me just to knock me out?!” Chrome yelled angrily.

“First off, keep your voice down, I don’t want to attract anything to use if I can avoid it, and secondly, because I had no idea who you were and rather than risk you going for a gun and shooting me, I knocked you out and revoked the weapons and ammo and dragged you here so I wouldn’t have to kill you.” They replied simply as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Chrome jaw worked as he tried to find words. “By the way what kind of a name is Melody for a 12mm pistol? And why did you only have one magazine for it and no food or….well anything but tools.”

Chrome blinked and that was when he noticed his saddle bags and all his stuff was laid out by the fire as if it had just been dumbed there. “You went through my bags?” HE said looking at the pony blinking.

They sighed. “Well duh, as I said I don’t know who you are so I had to check you for weapons and such before you woke up. Unlike you Stable-Pony I actually want to live.” Came the emotionless reply, though Chrome got the distinct impression they were rolling their eyes behind the mask.

Chrome sighed and walked over and sat down by the fire, he had to admit that made a lot of sense. “What’s your name anyways?” The pony looked at him and reached up and tapped the side of their helmet with a hoof. “Your….name is No Mercy?” He asked blinking and was reworded with a nod. “What kind of a name is that?”

“It’s my name, that’s the kind it is. “No Mercy replied, once more even though the words sounded emotionless through the speakers Chrome got the feeling they No Mercy was staring at him with a flat look.

“Fine, fine, sorry didn’t mean anything by it…it’s just an odd name for a pony is all.” Chrome said and Mercy just shrugged and went back to staring at the fire.

The rest of the night past in silence from there on out only broken occasionally by Mercy walking the perimeter of the camp looking into the darkness for any movement. Chrome watched silently trying to figure out if his companion was a mare or stallion, the armor made it impossible to tell anything beside that it was a pony and the emotionless speakers didn’t help. When it had started to get late Mercy suggested they he gets some sleep and that they’d keep watch. When Chrome had suggested he could take a watch Mercy merely relied that they wouldn’t trust a stable pony to watch their back and also pointing out that once again they didn’t trust Chrome. And with that Chrome had no choice but to sleep.

oooOOOooo

Chrome ran through the halls of Stable 173, the smell of smoke and the screams of the other ponies filled the air as he heard the roar of an unnatural monster behind him. He ran into the Atrium and slammed the door locking the roaring monster out.

“Why did you do this to us?”

Chrome spun around and his eye widened at all the ponies in the room, the other stable residents. “WH-what? Do what?” He asked and suddenly they were all on fire, their skin blackening.

“Why did you repair the door, why did you open it” They said as they started to walk towards him, the metal around them warping from the heat. Chrome backed up till his rump hit the locked door. “It’s all your fault. You opened the door. You’re the reason we died. Why didn’t you die with us? Why did you live when it’s your fault?” the voices were becoming a roar as they got closer and closer.

“It’s not my fault; I was just doing my job! I didn’t know that would happen!” He said pressing against the door more and more trying to get away from the burning ponies.

“Lier! Your fault all your fault!” They said as one and in unison they surge forward and Chrome screamed as the fire swept over him.

oooOOOooo

Chrome eyes shot open with a gasp to the red eye of Mercy only inched from his. “GAH!!!” He cried flailing his for legs and Mercy jumped back, dodging easily.

“Well good morning to you too. “Mercy said flatly. “You are very loud when you wake up you know that?” They said looking at him as he rolls to his hooves head down panting. “You ok? You were twitching and mumbling in your sleep.”

“I’m…..I’m fine…just a nightmare is all. “He said getting his breathing under control. “And sorry for getting scared by somepony being in my face when I wake up.”

He looked up at Mercy whose head was tilted to the side watching him, they shrugged. “Fair enough.” They started to pick up the various items on the ground and pack. “Anyways we should get moving towards Rally Point.”

“Rally Point?” Chrome asked tilting his head a bit as he went over to his things and started to pack.

“It’s the nearest town from here, one of the oldest settlements in the area.” Mercy replied shaking their head. “Do I need to explain everything to you?” They looked over at Chromes blank look. “Right, Stable Pony. “They sighed. “It was probably the first town founded in this area after the bombs fell. According to the towns people a squad of Equestrian Military soldier lost contact with their superiors and, running blind, tried to meet up with their unit at a pre-set up location. When they arrived they found their commanders gunning down civilians and hording supplies, and so, they killed them all and started to distribute the food and medical supplies to the refugees and protect them as best as they could. And well…the towns been there ever since.” Mercy finished.

Chrome nodded as he finished packing. “Can I ask a question? Might be kind of personal. “He looked at Mercy who looked back at him. “Um….well….uh…what are you?” He said a bit nervously.

“What?” Mercy tilted their head to the side. “The hell you mean what am I?”

Chrome stammered out. “Ah...uh…I mean are you a mare or stallion….the armor…makes it hard to tell…”He finished weakly.

Mercy just stared at him for the longest time before they burst out laughing. “Oh Goddesses that has to be the most hilarious question anypony’s ever asked. “They said laughing, their whole body shaking with it, Chrome ears went back against his skull. After a long while Mercy slowly stopped laughing. “I’m a Stallion.” He said chuckling still shaking his head and tossed Melody on the ground in front of Chrome as they turned and started walking still chuckling
.

Chrome watched before snapping out of his embarrassment when Melody hit the ground and he looked at it before scooping it up and galloped after Mercy. “I thought you didn’t trust me with a gun?” He asked as he caught up.

“That’s a 12mm IU-32, it won’t punch through my barding at all, and if you tried anything I already know I could kill you in my sleep, No offence but you aren’t exactly the highest thing on my list of threats, your actually at the bottom Stable-Pony” Mercy chuckles shaking his head. “And if somehow, by some random toss of the dice you did score a kill shot, well then I’ll be dead so it won’t matter to me anymore. “He shrugged. “We all have to go some time. Way I see it you can be mad as a feral ghoul, you can swear and curse the Goddesses themselves, but in the end, you just have to let go when its time.” He said as they trotted down the road. “But that don’t mean I’m just going to lay down and let death take me easily mind you.”

Chrome stared at the armored Stallion as they trotted. Based on what little he knew about Mercy he hadn’t expected something so…philosophical. Chrome found himself in the company of a very strange companion.

oooOOOooo

As they trotted Chrome noticed something he hadn’t noticed last night or this morning, His HUD was missing. He stopped and lifted his right foreleg and looked at his Pip-Buck and the blank screen. “The hell? “He hit the ON button and nothing happened. He shook it and hit the button again, nothing. Even the old maintenance ponies fall back of hitting it didn’t do anything.

“Something wrong?” Mercy asked inched from Chrome making him jump and cry out again. Mercy looked at him on the ground. “Do you honestly have to do that every time I talk to you?”

Getting back to his hooves Chrome ignored the question. “What did you do to my Pip-Buck?” he asked glaring at Mercy.

“I didn’t touch the thing. Why? Something wrong with it?” Mercy eyed his right foreleg.

Chrome looked at him, as best as he could tell considering the speakers keep the all emotion from Mercy’s voice he didn’t know what was wrong. “Yeah it’s not turning on.” HE said looking down at it. It’s not like he really used it that much, but it was the idea of the fact it’s his and was broken.

Chrome was distracted from his thoughts by a bullet striking the road inched from his left hoof making him jump and look up the road at three earth ponies standing in the middle of the road. Looking back behind him he saw another two and a unicorn behind him and Mercy.

“Now now, no sudden movements and we all get to walk away from this alive. “Said the cream colored mare with a dark brown mane in the middle of the three in front of Chrome and Mercy. “Just empty you saddle bags on the ground and lay your weapons on the ground and we will be out of your mane as quickly as possible.” She said sweetly.

Chrome looked around; unlike the raiders yesterday this group looked better equipped with decent barding and only slightly worn looking guns. Chrome looked to mercy who was in the process of levitating his saddle bags off and dumping the contents onto the ground. “DO as they say Stable-Pony, there’s no use fighting them as they got the drop on us.” Chrome nodded slowly and saw the Cream colored mare smile as Chrome started to remove his saddle bags.

Within a couple of minutes everything they owned was on the ground and they had backed a few steps away from it. “Good. Clef sees what they got.” The yellow earth pony to the mare left nodded and started too walked towards Mercy and Chromes things, keeping his carbine equipped battle saddle aimed on the two of them. He started to hoof through the pile of items.

“Oh wait I forget something.” Mercy said and the yellow earth pony looked up and faster the Chrome could react Mercy lunged forward, drawing a long knife that was hidden from on the inside of his left foreleg with his magic and slammed the blade straight up through the bottom of the earth ponies jaw and kept pushing till he was forced up onto his hind legs. In the same moment Mercy levitated the same revolver that he had used to knock Chrome out from the ground and aimed it as he spun, keeping the impaled earth ponies body between him and the leader and other earth pony.

The revolver kicked as Mercy sent the shot straight through the left eye of the unicorn behind them. The two ponies in front of them reacted and started shooting, their round striking their dead ally Mercy was using as a shield. “GET DOWN CHROME!” Mercy yelled and chrome dropped as the rear ponies opened fire with the shotgun and carbines as Mercy threw the dead earth pony into the front two ponies knocking them off their hooves as he dove to his right and rolled. He came up and fired another two shots taking the left earth ponies in the chest and he crumpled like a sack of oats.

The carbine wielding pony shots trailed after Mercy as he danced to his left, firing shots as he went striking the carbine pony in the knee and shoulder, making him spin and drop. Spinning to face the front ponies who were untangling themselves from the corpse of their comrade. Opening the cylinder of the revolver Mercy dumped the spent shell casing at the same time he levitated six more and slammed them in before clicking the cylinder back into place and galloping towards the last two, slamming into the mare at full gallop, tearing his knife from the dead stallion. The still standing earth pony took aim and then the freed knife found his eye and plunged all the way to the hilt and he dropped.

The mare’s riffles started to spray but Mercy rolled away and brought up the revolver and fired. The mare collapsed in a spreading pool of blood seeping from the two holes in her forehead.

Chrome blinked getting to his feet snakingly at what he had just witnessed. “Ah…uh….” HE heard a groan of pain behind him and looked back to see the earth pony who had just been shot in the leg and shoulder laying in a pool of his own blood. He watched as Mercy trotted past chrome and up to the injured pony and looked down at him. Mercy shrugged and turned back towards Chrome as his revover aimed back and fired and ended the injured pony.

Chrome’s jaw worked wordlessly. “You….you killed him…” He said as Mercy walked back to his saddle bags and began to collect his things.

“Yes, your point?” He asked not looking up from what he was doing.

“Why?” Chrome asked unbelievably

Mercy stopped what he was doing and looked at Chrome and tapped the side of his helped next to the words painted on the front, NO MERCY.

Author's Note

LEVEL UP

New Perk Added: quick hooves: All this time of getting shot at has made you able to move faster while taking fire. +1 agility while in combat.

New Companion: No Mercy
Perk: Experienced Wastlander: No Mercy ahs been living in the wasteland for who know how long, as such they are very experienced, increasing your chances of survival by 50%
Equipment: Customized Riot Police barding and advanced scout combat helmet
1: .357 Iron Guard revolver
1: Menil bolt action rifle.

No Mercy Stats
Strength:6
Perception:7
Endurance:8
Charisma:4
Intelligence:6
Agility:7
Luck:6