Fallout: Equestria - A Policemare of New Oatleans

Breach

"It is said that Bitter Exchange is a grand patriot."

The sirens blared their warning. Forcing carriages that were moving on the street pull over to make way for the convoy of police carriages. The ponies saw the heavily armed and armored ponies inside. We were all equipped with riot combat armor, riot helmets, and stun grenades. Most of the cops were equipped with shotguns, except for me and the SWAT. I was equipped with breaching charges, a magnum and a riot shield. There was one SWAT pony in every carriage. And they were better equipped. Assault rifles, battle rifles, and even military grade shotguns. Not police issued, military grade. They said nothing, as was common to them. They were young, silent killers. And they don't like ruining the façade.

"Snipers are in position. Where are you guys?" The radio chirped.

"We are on twenty-third street. We are almost there. Keep an eye on them." Vulpes said. I was in the same carriage as him. Every carriage had four ponies inside. And there were twenty-five carriages in total. A big convoy and, while not exactly an army, it is close enough. A warband, you might say.

I took a deep breath as we turned a corner. I could see the target building not far from where we were. A few more minutes and we would be there, storming the building... I was nervous. As was everypony else. Everyone but Vulpes and those two NODPD officers were nervous. You could feel it in the air. It wasn't a grand feeling. A real hit to morale. But we all tried to remain confident. We most likely had them outnumbered and outgunned. But the thing I was nervous about was the fact that I was the Vanguard. I would be leading the charge into the house. Meaning I will get shot at. A lot.

We passed by the community theater, where my husband works. I didn't see him outside, thank Luna. Or else he would call wondering what's happening.

The sirens continued their screech, and their disco of blue and red did not end as the pony pulling our carriage raced down the street.

"This is Officer Rotgut. They know your coming! They can hear the sirens and we can see ponies running back forth in the windows! Expedite your arrival, now! Or we may miss our opportunity! Give the order to engage and we will take the shot if they try leaving!" The radio chirped.

"Do not engage. We won't miss our opportunity." Vulpes said. I looked out the carriage door to see the rapidly approaching target building."They have no where to go."

The carriage came to a screeching halt, the sirens unending in their screams. Behind us, carriages either stopped or raced ahead to blockade the street. I could hear ponies shouting orders and I could hear hooves scrambling off wood. I swung the carriage door open with one kick.

"Go go go!" I yelled. I grabbed my shield and heaved it up before jumping out of the carriage. I landed with a small thud and immediately shook off the shock I had before racing towards the main walkway. I could see cops running into the backyard, all of them NOUPD. We could tell who was who as the NOUPD, just like with their police barding, had riot barding colored black with blue accents. The same went for the Downtown division, who had the red accents. When I reached the pavement that led to the front door, I slammed my shield down on the ground and planted my free hooves firmly behind it. I held the shield up with my left hoof hooked into handle. The shield was made of a ballistic proof metal, and there was a slit for the eyes to see through.

Around me, officers took positions. The street was blockaded fast, and officers manned every checkpoint. Eight officers flanked me, a few of them being Officer Trotter, Glory, Redlight, and the two Downtown officers. The Chief approached the building with a megaphone.

"This is the police! We have the building surrounded, surrender! Exit through the front door and lay down on your belly on the grass! Now! Or we will storm the building and shoot to kill!" He said into the megaphone, sounding louder than he actually is. Minutes passed with no response.

"Backyard team, whats situation?" He asked over a walkie-talkie.

"No sign of the enemy, sir."

"Ten-four. Overwatch?"

"All quiet."

"Ten-four."

Minutes passed as we waited. Officers had their weapons trained on the front door, some on the windows. I kept my shield planted firmly on the concrete and kept my eyes trained through the slit and on the front door. The Chief stepped back, behind my shield. Eventually, satisfied that they will not comply, gave me the order.

"Blow the door." He said. I nodded, losing any worry or doubt I had on myself. In moments like these, you would have to calm your mind before the storm occurs. Otherwise you might need to pull the trigger and, if you have second thoughts, then you might not go home ever again. Did I still feel nervous? Of course. I had never participated in a raid before. But I managed to calm myself to the point where the feeling was not apparent. But you could never be fully rid of it.

I approached the door, slowly. Redlight was directly behind me, a hoof on my back. Why? Because that's our training. Whenever we have to breach, which we NEVER had to before, each pony with a riot shield was to have somepony backing them up. So, if your backing them up, you have to put one of your hooves onto the shield wielders back and keep it on them as you moved. It also kept you aligned properly and not only made the pony wielding the shield feel secure, but also helped in a firefight. As it kept the pony without the shield out of the danger zone. Glory, Vulpes, and the other officers followed. Every step I took, my heart pumped a little faster. I couldn't feel my nervousness, but it was still there. Tugging at my heart. Tugging at my gag reflex.

Was I scared? I didn't know.

I reached the steps leading to the front door and took a few steps before being parallel with the door. The officers coming with ran to the sides and stacked up behind each other. As soon as everypony was out of the danger zone, I magically levitated a breaching charge out of my pack. And slowly attached it to the door.

'OK, the door blows open, you sprint in. Yelling and screaming orders at the top of your lungs. Don't relent. Don't feel fear... You can do this.'

'Breath in. Out. In. Out...'

*Click, KABOOM*

As quickly as I armed the charge, it detonated. The ponies flanking the door lowered their heads as splintering wood and dust kicked up. I, on the other hoof, charged inside. Flanked by Officer Redlight.

"POLICE! ON THE GROUND, NOW!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I couldn't see through the wall of dust and smoke, but I pushed forward. When I busted through the it all, I was greeted by the sight of a maid. She was just staring at me in fear. The room the front door led into was quiet big. A once shining floor with marble pillars sprouting out of it enveloped my vision, but I knew that I didn't have time to gawk.

"Get on the ground, right now bitch!" I yelled, and the maid complied with swiftness. I could hear her whimpering from where I was. And, ever so softly, I could hear her pleading.

"Pleasedon'tshootmepleasedon'tshootmepleasedon'tshootme!" I could hear her whisper as she quivered on the ground.

"Redlight, hoofcuffs!" I ordered. Redlight broke from behind me, holstered his pistol, and went to cuff the mare, who kept her face down onto the floor. When the cuffs we applied, she asked exactly what was going on.

"Your under arrest for conspiracy to commit treason against the Crown!" Redlight yelled, helping her up. Forcefully. She began to protest, but Redlight ignored it. As did everypony else. She was here. She is a traitor.

"Treason? What are you talking about?!" One such protest was.

I looked back at Vulpes, who was approaching the maid. He holstered his pistol to allow himself to speak properly, as non-unicorns would have to hold their handguns with their mouths.

"I'm sorry you got caught up in this, Ms. Copper." He said.

"Vulpes?"

"You shall be taken back to the station, where I will question you. Just remain calm, and everything will be alright." He continued. She didn't reply, but rather started sobbing. "We will not hurt you. Just do not resist and everything will be fine... Now, before you are taken to the carriages, where is your employer? Where is Bitter Exchange?" He asked, calmly with more than equal tenderness. It seemed he knew this mare. As he talked to her as polite as any Zebra I've seen. She might've known him and considered him a friend while he infiltrated the sleeper cell. Or, she might've known him a little more....personally...during that time. Though that's less likely. I also didn't care.

"Bit-Bitter Exchange? He... is upstairs. With his friends... What do you ponies want with him?" She asked, a tear gliding down her cheek.

"He is wanted for conspiracy against the nation and against the sovereign ruler." He stated. "Take her to the carri-"

*Cachang*

Vulpes dove to the ground as the wall behind him exploded into a fury of dust and wood. What was left behind when it settled was holes, signifying a shotgun blast. More shots started to fly at us, causing the Officers and SWAT to dive for cover. I stood behind my shield, feeling some bullets ping off of it. I watched Redlight dive ontop of the maid, pinning her to the ground and using his body as a meat shield to protect her from the gunfire.

"Fuck! Return fire! Return fire!" Vulpes yelled, taking his pistol in his the grip of his teeth. Cops scrambled for the weapons they dropped as they ducked into whatever cover they could find. The SWAT members quickly got behind me, returning fire by biting down on their mouth pieces connected to their saddles. I looked through the eye hole of my shield to see who was attacking us, and I saw griffons wearing bowling hats and suits...

Bottleneck gangsters....

The griffons had these...claws. There weren't born with hooves. Meaning they didn't require a battle saddle to effectively use large weapons such as shotguns or submachine guns. They could hold them in their claws and fly with them. But in this case, they were firing at us from above and below. I levitated my pistol, which dropped when Vulpes was shot at, and took my aim at one of the bastard griffons. I was about to pull the trigger, but the griffon in my sights fell over, blood pooling from holes in his suit. His bowler slid off his head and rolling pathetically across the floor.

He was dead before he hit the ground. A large pool of blood forming in seconds.

I had no clue who shot him, as the sound barriers were dominated by gunfire. I didn't stop to think, either, as I quickly turned it on the the next gangster, who was firing from behind a wall leading into a hallway right off the front door. I fired a burst of three shots at him, but missed each shot. He dove behind the wall, unscathed. I heard a thump behind me but didn't turn to meet it, knowing that my flank was secured. More shots pinged off of my shield, and I could feel the force they hit with spread as a wave through the metal. But, unsurprisingly, the shield remained unscathed. So did I, in return.

The griffon presented himself again, this time aiming at a exposed Vulpes. Vulpes was too distracted by the griffon upstairs with a submachine gun to realize the danger he was in. I had to act fast, or else. I steadied my aim as fast as I could, and magically pulled the trigger. But this time only one shot flew from my magnum. And, like a dart shot to its mark, hit the gangster between the eyes. He fell over, dead.

Two rounds left...

I didn't want to kill him, but I also didn't want to be responsible for the injury, or death, of a Ministry of Morale agent. Incapacitation was out of the question, and it seemed that it was the same for the majority of the other ponies. The SWAT were shooting to kill, while the officers were either shooting to wound, or weren't even participating and kept their heads down. I quickly glanced around the room, noting that only three -excluding me, Vulpes, and Glory- of the eight inside were retaliating against the ambush. I saw out of the corner of my eye that there was a cop galloping behind me, his hoof extended to unseen individual.

"Officer Clink! You alright?!"

"I'm fine! I'm fine! Bastard got a lucky hit!"

I heard a strange sound come from Vulpes pistol, I didn't turn to look at it, but I saw not long after a green orb of some kind flying at the enemy upstairs. It ate through the wooden rail and struck the griffon in the shoulder. The orb ate right through his shoulder and came out the other side, dissipating as it hit roof above. The griffon dropped his weapon and clutched his shoulder in agony, screaming and cursing. Vulpes fired again at him but he missed as the griffon turned tail and ran. Two officers by a now partially shot up couch made a move to chase after but Vulpes stopped them.

"Shit. Secure the room! Is everypony alright?" Vulpes yelled. Officers ran past me

"Clinks' been hit!" An officer yelled, I turned to the source and realized the thump from earlier was that Officer. A SWAT more precisely. But he looked fine, no blood.

"Oh goddesses..." I heard, coming from Officer Redlight.

"Oh calm down, not like the bullet went thr-." I stated, turning my head to Officer Redlight. But I stopped my sentence short when I noticed a small puddle of blood encircling him. "Redlight! Are you hit?!" I yelled.

"No, no no no! I'm not hit! But she is!" He yelled, getting off of the maid and laying next to her. He had a hoof over her stomach. "Someone call the paramedics now!" He yelled.

"Its OK, you're gonna be alright!" He said, looking at the mare from behind his riot helmet. Glory ran outside, probably to order some paramedics and get some more officers in here. Finally, regaining my thoughts, I ran towards the wounded pony, deciding to be her shield in case they decided to make another run at them. I planted my shield firmly down on the floor, making sure the wounded mare behind me was behind me and that I was between her and the every way the hostiles could come. I could hear gurgling coming from behind.

"How did she get hit?! You were on top of her!" Vulpes yelled.

"She must've gotten hit when the bullets started flying, oh goddesses she is in bad shape already." Redlight said, putting pressure on her wound. "Just- just look at me. Look at me! Keep your eyes open and look at me. You're gonna be alright."

"Get her outside-" Vulpes started, but before he could finish, a loud gunshot caused him to freeze briefly. He looked up towards the origin point of the shot.

"Hostile eliminated. A griffon with a fucked up shoulder was trying to flee via windows. Continue with the raid." The radio sounded. The zebra, evidently satisfied with what cause of the shot was, turned towards the two Downtown officers. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could begin, Glory came trotting in.

"Paramedics are on the way." She reported.

"You two! Get her out of here and regroup with us when the paramedics arrive! Keep. Her. Alive!" He ordered. They wasted no time in carrying out their new orders. Taking her cuffed hooves, one bringing them around his neck, the other grabbing her hindlegs, they began carrying her out as fast as possible. More officers ran into the room, no doubt at Glorys request. Quickly reporting in to Vulpes and taking positions behind the couches and other furniture unlucky enough to be in this house today, getting their weapons ready as they moved.

"Sir, how many targets are there?" Redlight asked, the mares blood decorating his forehooves, though he seemed unbothered by this. Whether is was because he was simply ignoring or he accepted it, I had no clue. Vulpes looked upstairs.

"Six, as far as I know. But I only know of Bitter Exchange, Rock Biter, and as I stated in my briefing, Armistice Charge. There is a mare though. A runner, you could say. She is fast, so if see her then be sure to give a warning shot." He stated. "Now, everypony!" He yelled, captivating our attention. "There are very little places to hide in this house, and as far as I know, only Rock Biter is combat proficient. With his bodyguards dead, that leaves only one fighter left. Me and the SWAT will search downstairs. Rails, you take everypony else and clear upstairs. Check every room, and and watch your corners. You wouldn't want to be taken by surprise. Armor doesn't mean shit if your hit in an unprotected area."

"We do not leave until we have our target. Lets go, radio me if you find Bitter."

"Rails, you're the vanguard, so take point! I got your back!" Redlight said, getting up on his hooves. They were still bloody, and he had made no attempt to clean them. But, considering the circumstances, I didn't mind my armor getting a little bloody. Using my strength, I lifted the shield about an inch off the ground so I could move. Looking around, you could see evidence of the firefight. Despite its short length and less-than-significant severity, you could see the bullets holes and where the green orbs ate through the rails... And the blood and bodies. Sure, the maid was hit and so was one of the SWAT ponies, but other than the deaths of the gangsters, it wasn't that bad.

Being followed by a good score of cops and flanked by Officer Redlight, I proceeded up the stairs. My shield lifted to protect myself and those behind me from any oncoming fire from the top of the stairs. After a second or two, I reached the top. Immiediatly shouting to my comrades behind me.

"Stairs clear!"

We stepped up and trotted fast, passing an open doorway and stopping short on the other side. Redlight broke and ran into the room. I saw, in my peripheral, that Redlight had begun scanning the room with his gun at the ready in his mouth. After a quick scan...

"Dining Room clear!" He yelled, a small muffle, caused by the pistol clogging his mouth, finding its way into his voice. The officers trailing us proceeded up the stairs as Redlight returned to my rear. Once he gave my his signal that he was right behind me, I continued forward. The living room was a big area and had much decoration, but had very little places to where it branched off. Stairs leading up, a hallway leading to possibly the kitchen and backyard and other places, and a side door leading to the garage. Though, I doubted anyone was hiding there so as far as I know no officer was checking it. Besides, where would they go? We got every exit covered and we have snipers on overwatch. No pony is leaving unless they don our uniforms.

Our little home invasion force proceed through the upstairs hallway, clearing the rooms would come across.

Stop.

"Bathroom clear!"

Onward.

Stop.

"Bedroom clear!"

Onward.

Stop.

"Game room clear!"

Onward.

We cleared rooms left and right, no pony was inside the rooms. We could hear radio chatter, mostly officers conversing with one another. Vulpes, who I knew could damn well hear it, didn't seem to mind as he never popped on to tell them to shut up. We passed more pictures on the incredibly clean walls. Decorations such as hanging plants, small tables and picture frames, and bright yellow drapes over the windows that matched the yellow painted walls. The corridor wasn't wide enough to allow the officers to progress in more than one row. Which worked both in our favor, and to our detriment. My shield protected the row of officers so long as they remained at a defensive crouch. But should I get stopped, we won't be able to proceed, and if the officer in the back refuses to move, then we can't fall back...

"Connected hallway ahead. Last two officers check it." I passed to Redlight, who in turn passed it to the officer behind him. We passed the hallway, continuing to move and only intending to stop should we pass a room.

"Breaking off." I heard, signalling the last two officers in the row following the order.

Stop.

"Room clear!"

Onward.

Stop.

"Room clear!"

Onward. Corner ahead.

"Hallway clear!"

Minutes passed by, but they felt like seconds to me. I passed by a painting of the capital, Canterlot, and quickly wondered why Bitter Exchange would be willing to commit treason. But my thoughts always returned to the objective at hoof. I began to wonder if the two I sent down the hallway found anything and readied my radio, but Redlight immediately pressed down on my back, raising his head over my shield. His pistol ready.

"Freeze!" He yelled. I looked through the eye slit in my shield to see who he was yelling to, as I had taken my eyes away from it for a second to grab my radio. A pony was standing there, looking at us. I immediately planted my shield down hard on the floor to allow the other officers a line of sight. The pony before us was a stallion with a white coat and blue mane. His eyes a emerald green. He was grinning at us...

Bitter Exchange....

"Bitter Exchange! Get on your belly and submit to arrest!" I yelled.

"Oh ho, I dare say I will not do such a thing. My maid has yet to clean this hallway, sadly... You know, I must admit. I am a bit surprised. When I heard the sirens I didn't think it would take you this long to proceed through my home. In fact, I just got done eating breakfast when you started shooting up my friend's bodyguards." He said in a voice that conveyed his status. Condescending. His face was donned with a plastered smile and wide eyes.

"I must say I am not pleased with such a thing. The blood will take days to get out of the cracks of the tile... Ugh. Well, I am glad to have greeted my unexpected guests. But I also have business to attend to, so... Miss Quill? Mister Armistice? Push our unwelcome guest back into the living room, will you?" He said, motioning to unseen ponies. But said unseen became the seen, as they presented themselves. A red mare, unicorn, came sauntering out from a room with a rifle in her magical grip. Then, a blue Earth Pony stallion followed. A revolver in his mouth. They were both clad in kevlar barding. "And don't be afraid to spill blood, yes? I do not like to see it on my floor, but I can make an exception considering the circumstances." He said, turning away. He began to walk, but stopped. A thought must've occurred to him as turned back. "One last thing: Leave the mare with the shield alive, if possible. I would like to make an example. Plus, a captive might... persuade her friends to let us walk. Ehehehe." He finished, walking away and disappearing into another room... Or maybe its another hallway.

The fuck was with this house having so many goddessdamn hallways?!

Redlight growled, but kept off the trigger as he awaited my order. Of course, I didn't exactly know what to do now. Two ponies were ahead of us, with guns. We were in a single file line guarded only by my shield. Only Redlight, me, and any other unicorn (however few there are) behind me could even think of returning fire. I opened my mouth to say something to the duo, but a loud noise startled me. As did the blood that dripped onto my back. I quickly turned, knowing what had happened, to see that Redlight had been shot. He dropped his pistol, which thunked onto my helmet, before screaming. A bullet had pierced his armor and went through his shoulder.

"Aggggh!" He screamed, whether it was extreme pain or just regular pain, I had no idea. He quickly remembered he was out in the open and vunerable from the chest up, and he got off me, wrapping his arms around my waist and yelling for me to pull back.

"Go back! Go back!" He yelled. I quickly levitated my revolver out and fired it at the duo, not even stopping to aim. They, as a result, fell back out of sight. But they were still there, waiting.

"Fall back! Get back around the corner!" I yelled. One of the traitors hopped out and sent a bullet my way, but it pinged off my shield and ricocheted through a nearby window. As quickly as he appeared, he disappeared around the corner. "Fuck..." The officers behind me slowly pulled back, with Redlight screaming that he was hit the whole time. Eventually, after a few seconds, these seconds full of shots being directed at me, and my response being occasionally being to fire one back at them, we rounded the corner. Redlight was still hugging my waist, and I believed he was panicking, which I wouldn't hold against him. We are cops, not well trained SWAT. Remember the SWAT from earlier? He didn't panic when he got hit. But, then again, the bullet didn't pierce anything either. I backed out of the open, just in time to dodge another rifle round thrown at me. It hit wall, going straight through.

"Armor piercing rounds." I said to Glory, and she nodded in affirmation. I slammed the shield down into the floor, hoping to get it stuck in the floor so it would stay up. Luckily, I slammed down hard enough to do just that. I took my hoof off the handle, and it stood straight up, undeterred by gravity. An officer behind me pulled Redlight off and laid him up against the wall.

"Where are you hit?!" He asked. "Stop...fucking....stop! Stop!... Shit... Rails, Rails.." He said, after some struggle. "He was hit in the shoulder, bullet went straight through, but it looks like it missed the shoulder blade. He'll be fine, but he is in no condition to fight." He said, looking up at me. Glory sighed.

"And here I was hoping nobody would get wounded today."

"Alright, take Officer Trotter with you and-" I pulled the chamber on my revolver out, realizing I had emptied it on the retreat."-get Redlight outside. The paramedics should be there by now." I ordered, filling the chamber with three'o'seven rounds. Though, none of them would work against kevlar unless we had what they were packing. Trotter came up, with the officer in front of me nodding in understanding of the order, and hoisted the wounded officer over Trotters back. They then immediately made for the exit.

There were four remaining, Me, Officer Glory, and two others.

"What the hell do we do now?" Glory asked. I shrugged, peeking around the corner. I retracted my head, figuring it was a bad idea to push my luck. I floated my radio out, deciding to go ahead and alert the officers outside first of the incoming wounded.

“Officer down, repeat, Officer down. Immediate medical attention required! How copy?”

"Ten-four, We read you. Paramedics have already arrived and more are on route."

"Roger. Be prepared to receive more wounded, as a two-four-six is in progress. Over."

"Check."

My radio found its way back to my side. The two suspects remained in waiting, and the three officers with me remained at our corner. We could not advance, nor could we issue a withdrawal and risk losing the main conspirator in the maze of hallways. I looked to my fellow officers, studying them each for a moment. But my eyes settled on Glory, who looked visibly nervous. It was entirely understandable, of course. Given the current situation, I’m pretty sure we were all nervous, if not anxious or scared.

"Hey, Glory. Its fine, you ain't gonna get shot." I said, giving a calming smile. She could see it fully, due to the fact my mane wasn't draped over the side of my muzzle. I had it like that this morning, but situation demands I have it pulled back to fit in my helmet and not constrict my vision, how little it did. She gave me a nervous smile, but looked none the calmer.

"Thanks." Was all she had to say. I looked to my fellow Sergeant, Officer Magi. Despite his name, he is not a unicorn. Don't ask me why. "Magi, I just got an idea." A bad occurrence for me, as my ideas often lead to trouble or disaster. "Radio the overwatch team and ask them to assist us. As they get in position, ill charge them with my shield and attempt to knock the bitch with the fucking armor piercing rifle down. You guys take care of her asshole fuckbuddy. If you can't, then that's where the snipers come in." I said, with a a small hint of a commander in my voice. I was never good at leading officers --or for that matter, any pony-- into a shootout or tense altercation. But I felt a little confident, but for what reason I did not know.

Magi nodded, getting his radio out and speaking into it.

"Officer Rotgut, this is Officer Magi, we are pinned by hostiles on the second floor, manoeuvre and assist us please. Over."

"Roger, this is Officer Rotgut." The radio chirped, a very deep voice on the other end signifying Rotguts presence. "Give us a few minutes to relocate and be ready to point out targets. How copy?"

"Negative, negative. We have sight of the main target. We have to move now, or we will lose him and this operation will take a longer time to complete." There was silence at the other end for a couple moments, as if Rotgut was pondering on what to do. I, meanwhile, took hold of my shield and readied it for a charge.

"Roger that. Proceed with whatever plan you have. We will relocate to assist you, but don't expect us in the next few minutes. Over and out." The radio cut off, and Magi looked at me.

"Looks like we are fucked on sniper support." He said, putting his radio away and readying his pistol. "We'll follow your lead. Move when ready." He said. I nodded and looked to the other Officer and Glory. Glory was nervous, but she nodded to me, as did the other officer. I turned my head back and concentrated my eyes, keeping them locked with the slit in the shield.

I charged from around the corner, feeling a a shockwave of force moving through it as a bullet pinged off of it. I could see my attacker, the mare in kevlar. She looked a bit confused, but nonetheless determined. Firing again, this time, it hit much closer to the eye slit. I picked up my pace, galloping as fast as I could. I could feel the air rushing by me as went. It was slightly cold, but it didn't cool down the heat that I was feeling. I could feel nervousness racking my body, getting more intense with each step. Somehow, facing an armed and dangerous criminal always seemed like the first time. And this was no different.

*PING*

I glared down at the mare, who wasn't backing away, but rather taking her time to make more precise shots. Each one getting closer to the slit... As I approached, every second seemed to drag on.

*PING*

I could feel the heat from that one. The sparks flying up into my muzzle guard. As I got within legs length of her, I began to use all my strength to heave the shield left. And right then and there, time slowed for me. I could see the mares defiant, but confused expression. I could see her fuckbuddies panicked eyes. The officers behind me were running to intercept him, with Glory hanging back. All slowed to a snails pace. I opened my mouth to yell in both anger and force as, intending for a bash, I swung it as hard as I could at the mare in front of me. You could hear it slam into her. And she collapsed like an overworked student, blood pouring from her muzzle.

Had I broken her nose? I'm not that strong, though it was a shield...

I levitated my revolver out and had it pressed against her head. Cocked and ready to fire. Her eyes were closed. I looked to my comrades, whom had already had the fuckbuddy pinned. His weapon kicked away by Magi. I hadn't even noticed nor heard them scuffle with him in my adrenaline state... I smiled, no one had died, cop or criminal. But my smile faded as Magi yelled to me.

"Look out!" He yelled. With a surprised look, I turned back to the mare. She had a pistol, fully loaded and pointed right at me, a smug smirk was plastered across her face. But, what she neglected to remember was that I controlled her fate, and in my panic to save my own ass, I pulled the trigger. A loud bang resonating from it, and her blood splattering on the wall she was resting against was all the proof I needed to know her skull was now ventilated. I jerked back in fear as some of the blood splattered onto my faceplate, the danger to my life passed.

Cops don't like killing. Our job is to protect and serve. We were always trained to wound, not kill. In fact, we were told in training to kill only when you absolutely have to. Otherwise, make every shot a wound. I mean, in this instance, I was justified in killing this mare. But, it makes my after action report suffer, and I also would have to go through more paperwork. Now SWAT? That's a whole other story. They're trained to kill first and ask questions later. That's why we only call them in when situation demands it. This situation certainly demanded it.

I guess, whether I like it or not though, that I have to accept that I had killed today. Probably shouldn't make much of a big deal over it though, she wont be missed.

"Fuck..." I breathed out, exhaling heavily in a startled state and wiping the blood off of me with a shaky hoof. The officers were speechless, but I knew that they weren't against me. Her friend, though?

"No! Fuck! You motherfucking pig! Ill gut you for this!" He yelled towards me. I turned my eyes towards him, failing at giving him an indignant look. I was still scared. "You fucking piece of shit! Ill find out where you live! Ill-- gah!" He continued to rant, but a quick blow from Magi knocked him cold. His annoying voice no longer pricking the inside of my ears. He looked up at me, with a surprised chuckle.

"Guess they were fuckbuddies, eh?"

The other officer chuckled, but me and Glory didn't say, or do, anything. Glory was still visibly nervous, getting close to shaking. Of course, I had no idea why this was and I had actually felt a little worried. Maybe it was because of the blood? Fear? Morale? I mean, I could understand in that instance because Glory...well... She never really shot anypony before. She always hesitated if she was in a gunfight, and it would be another officer doing it for her. Or rather, in her defense.

She kept her eyes locked onto the body of the dead mare, her eyes wide with fear and her body betraying emotion with shakes. I moved towards her to comfort her, but Officer Magi stopped me.

"We'll slap some hoofcuffs on him and Ill drag him down to the carriages. You, Glory, and Tusk will have to forge on." He said, Tusk on the radio talking to a familiar zebra voice. "If i'm not mistaken, the bastard fled that way. Only one room, I see though. Better get going."

"Right. Glory you-" I started, but before I could finish, a loud bang sounded near my ears, making me scream in intense pain as I felt my hearing fade from my comprehension and replaced with ringing. A painful, sharp, ringing noise. I then felt a blunt force strike me in the back of the head and I fell muzzle first to the floor. I felt a pained gasp falling from my lips as I fell with a heavy thud, my helmet promptly slid off once I collapsed.

As fast as it happened, I soon found myself being dragged up, a knife to my throat. The officers were shouting warning and protests, but what they were saying I had no clue. I myself felt confused, I was being stood up on my hind legs, a familiar colored foreleg wrapped around my chest and knife pressed against my gullet. I looked at the officers in confusion, they had their weapons, Magi with his shotgun and battle saddle, and Tusk with his pistol. Magi was shouting, or at the very least, saying something. But the ringing...

What the fuck happened?! Agh! The ringing! Somepony stop..stop the ringing!

I began to panic as the reality of the situation settled in. It hit me hard like a bullet train, and I began to felt fear like I never felt it before.

I was being held hostage.

The ringing in my ears soon settled slightly, and slowly it began to clear. I could hear the officers voices, but not clearly make out what they were saying. In my panic, I tried to look at my assailant, but the knife dug in the more I moved. I could feel myself heaving and exhaling, another result of my panic. I felt my attacker moving backwards. As we moved, the ringing in my ears settled. And I could hear clearly again.

"Let her go, dammit!"

"Not a chance, swine!"

"Glory, I swear Ill shoot you! Let her go!

"Swine! If I die, she goes with me! If you know what's best you'd keep off the triggers!"

Glory....

Glory?!

I let out a slow exhale in an attempt to calm myself, all the while my mind raced. Glory... She held me hostage?! Why?!

"Glory..."

"Be quiet!"

"Glory..."

"I said shut it!" She yelled, shuffling backwards. "You fucking Equestrians.." She murmured. The officers kept their distance, not wanting to close the gap and risk losing me. Not only would it look good for them in the end, but it would also mean that... well... I'd be dead. The force never likes losing one of their own.

"Glory.. what the hell are you doing?" I stammered out, my breathing still unregulated. Glory, Magi, Tusk.. They all could see I was in a state of panic, but inside I was trying to calm myself. I had no doubt that, if a Downtown officer was in this situation, he or she would be calm. But not me. I had never been in this situation, ever. Training doesn't count, either.

"Why am I doing this? Heh, did you really ask that?" She asked, shuffling a little further back from the officers who kept their guns trained on us. If Glory attempted to gain distance, they'd close it right away. "You swines think you're all tough, but look at you... Spineless..." She said, an evil smirk working its way onto her face and adopting a personality entirely alien to me, as she had never acted like this before or spoke like this before.

We were friends...

"Glory.. we're friends.. what.. just why!" I asked.

"Perfect cover, don't you think? Befriending the enemy so as to never gain suspicion? Hehehe..."

"But.. I.... We... You were at my wedding! You were the one who brought the ring down the isle!" I yelled at her, the knife digging into my neck signalling that I should stop with that.

"Yeah, a sweet moment weddings are, no? Makes me wish I had married... But no, my duties belong elsewhere, I have no time to settle down." She remarked. "A pity that we are in this situation. I was sure I could've turned you. But no, a stubborn Equestrian you are, you remained loyal to this doomed nation. And so you remained a sworn enemy to the Caesar..." She continued shuffling back the way we came. With us both on our hind legs, we required each other for balance. It was kinda hard to move fast at all on our hind legs as well, which means the officers had no trouble keeping up.

"I will only say this once more, Glory. Release her, or you will die where you stand!"

"Bite me!"

I was shocked, to say the least. Glory and I... just... we go way back. I first met her in the physical test for the Police force. She was a quiet mare then and has always been as long as I've known her. We had also been very good friends and had even started drinking together. Which was, to me, a symbol of my own trust. Hell, I had considered her to be one of my closest friends, if not my best friend. So, naturally, I felt a mixture of emotions. Betrayal. Confusion. Fear. And surprise. But betrayal was greater.

I felt like that's all there was. Betrayal.

Shocked as I was, I did not struggle in my situation. Part of me knew it would bear no fruit, the other part just couldn't summon up any strength to do so. And if you ask me, that was a good thing. If I struggled, I risked having my throat cut. But even now I still risk it.

"You'll know I'll shoot! You have three seconds!"

I don't think they would shoot. Too dangerous. And if they miss or fuck up, then my life will be forfeit... I think Glory knew this, because she laughed at his choice of words.

"You swine will be spared no mercy when the Zebra military rolls through, all of you!" She barked. My breathing still uncalm. "You ponies... you underestimate the power of the Zebras." She said, her tone getting serious. As if a memory or thought dominated her mind with those choice of words.

"Glory, why... why would you do this?! Why?!" I asked, breaking the silence that prevailed over my vocal cords. Suddenly, I felt her mood drop. Her breathing became a little more calm as her thoughts began to race. I felt a small sigh. The blade easing a bit as memories of the past flowed through her mind, one eventually finding its way to her lips.

"Months ago, before this all even began, my mother. She... she died in a skirmish with the Zebras... W-when I asked the commander what happened, he simply stated that 'She didn't follow orders.'” She said, I could feel some despair resonating from her.

“I inquired further with her squad mates. They said she was ran through when defending a wounded subordinate, even when the order was to retreat." She continued, shuffling further back. I felt a wetness roll onto my shoulders. Tears. While tears were not flowing freely, they were there. The officers noticed this, but didn't give any quarter. They closed any gap that was made, and kept their weapons trained on her. Either not buying this story, or just not caring.

"So, you ask me "Why?". Well, look at this nation! Its leadership is uncaring. Evil. Its soldiers... its officers... All of them! Luna ordered us into a bloodbath even when she knew they outnumbered us! The commander ordered a retreat, and scolded my mother after death when all she did was do her duty... She wasn't even given an honorable funeral, but rather, they left her body to rot amongst the dead in the trenches. The let the Zebras claim her armor and weapons. They let the Zebras trample it." She cried, and I could feel more tears wetting my shoulder pads. She never told me this. "They let my mother down. They let me down.”

"I had no idea, I mean.. you never told me that so... I'm sorry to hear that but... Fuck.. So-so, you think this is the answer?! Committing treason?!" I shouted. "This isn't what she would've wanted! Seriously, think for one second! You are holding an officer of the law as a hostage with a knife to her throat. Don't forget she was your friend." I said, putting emphasis on the "was". If we both manage to survive this, our friendship is over. I felt the knife move away from my neck, only partially. "If you just let me go. We can talk about this. Friend to friend. The officers will stand down and we can talk. Just calm down." I said, and felt another sigh. Then I felt some of her muscles slump, as if she was feeling resignation.

I can't believe it! This is working!

"I will not let you sway me! Equestria must pay its sins!" She yelled, perking back up with a loud and defiant voice. The knife making a swift motion to one side of my throat. I felt the cold steel of the blade, and I felt a cut being made. I felt the pain beginning to surge, and soon, reality began to fade as a white light began to overtake my vision... I heard the officers beginning to shout, as if it was all in a slow motion movie. That's how it felt. The cut, the shouting. The blade releasing blood from my neck. All of it.

But it came as a surprise to hear a loud crack. Glass breaking. And a warm wetness covering the nape of my neck. Gravity, being the bastard it was, pulled me to the ground. I landed hard, giving a grunt of surprise as I landed. I could still only see white, but I felt a presence. A friendly presence. And I felt its hoof on my neck, not with anger, not with force. But with good intention. I could hear its owner's voice. No longer slowed.

"Goddessdammit, can you hear me?!" I heard. It was a stallions voice.

Footnote: Level up!

New Perk: Final Breath - When death is imminent, time comes to a snails pace. Only you notice it, however. Should you kill during this time, a smidgen of health will be restored and you will gain 10% more EXP for that kill only.