Metro: Canterlot Line

Vinyl looked around the ‘base’ as the grunts had called it which was a basic wall constructed from scrap metal with a large spotlight attached to the top of it piercing through the darkness of the tunnels. As well of this there were a few gas canisters attached to the wall to provide the ability to fire the wall-mounted flamethrowers near the spotlight, ideal for fighting off the rodents. Shots led Vinyl to the centre of the base which was a large courtyard poorly lit by lanterns suspended above the pathway and decorated with a few dead shrubs.

“You will be living here alongside the other captives” Stated Shots “You will act as a nurse to our injured, a friend to our downtrodden and a trainer to the recruits”

“But... I can’t do any of that...” Replied Vinyl nervously

“You will do that or be killed” Resumed Shots “From now on you are not allowed to speak or communicate with any other captives unless asked a question by a bandit. And your name from now on will be ‘28’ which means you’re the 28th captive to be brought here. If and when you die your number will be passed along to another living captive, this is your life now. Appease us and you will have the chance of joining us, disappoint us and you will be given no other reward than death.” Vinyl said nothing, her mind on Sprocket and what he was doing right now. So much for going to Canterlot Gardens to find her friend now she was without anypony she knew and was not allowed to speak

“You begin duties tomorrow, you may sit in your quarters until then” finished Shots pointing a hoof at a poorly constructed workers shed built into the back wall of the base, the furthest point from the entrance. She simply nodded and trotted into the hut where she sat and stared at the wall entering a state of denial and depression wishing for her freedom again. And slowly she could feel it, her individuality being drained from her slowly as with the grunts.

She was a number now, nothing more.

The bullet flew straight into the mutant’s eye and all the way through it killing it almost instantly although it did spew a peculiar cloud of gas which Sprocket breathed in as he gasped for air, as Sprocket fell rolling onto the ground halting the mutants movement to a halt with eye closed slowly fading into the darkness of the metro. Unlike normal pony deaths mutants tended to fade into the darkness of the metro and as rumour has it they became born again elsewhere. Ahead he could see something, the figure of a pony. Was it another hallucination? No... it couldn’t be, it seemed to real to be a hallucination, taking this time to cock his weapon Sprocket advanced towards the figure.

“Hello there!” Exclaimed the figure rushing towards Sprocket “Lost in these parts of the tunnel are we?! No matter! I’ll guide you to the Lower Estate! Follow me!” and with that the figure rushed off in a direction.

What in Equestria had just happened? He decided to follow the figure, as foolish as it seemed, maybe he could give him some guidance to the bandits encampment or he could even find a market at this Lower Estate station. He set off after the figure as it dashed through the metro until eventually the entire tunnel was filled with the light of a station’s spotlight. The door was rusted and covered in blood and bullet holes, it creaked open as the figure began talking

“I’M BACK! AND I’VE BROUGHT A FRIEND!” The figure bellowed there were two armoured guards pointing guns at Sprocket, placing his rifle back on his rucksack they beckoned him inside the station

“Welcome to the Lower Estate” Greeted the guard “We’ve got the best Vodka in the entire metro” Sprockets eyes widened with glee at the uttering of this, removing his gas mask Sprocket was lead into the main body of the station. Immediately the sight of market stalls scattered all around was a welcoming sight to Sprocket, the traders were bartering and advertising stock while others were too busy to even talk whilst handing out the large wooden mugs of vodka. Could this day get any better?

Sprocket wandered up to the stalls and began to buy the items he needed: Ammo, food, filters and first aid kits.

The bustling crowd came as quite a surprise to Sprocket as the tunnel outside seemed lifeless and empty. A sudden burst of pain went through Sprocket’s head and the area around him changed for a split second back to the gloomy and destroyed metro stations he was used to. He began to cough violently and slowly he began to cough out blood

“You’ve been poisoned” Remarked a familiar voice, the voice of the one who led him here “I knew you would have been after fighting a mutant like that, allow me to help you” there was a slight stinging pain in his shoulder as a needle was jabbed into it and an antidote was introduced into his body. The surroundings turned from bright and happy to dark, gloomy and empty. The stalls were turned over and dead bodies littered the station.

“You’ve been hallucinating” Stated the voice simply “This station has been dead ever since the bandits down the tunnel attacked us a few weeks ago”

“Bandits?” Inquired Sprocket “That’s what I’m looking for...”

“You’re in no state to hunt bandits, you just effectively killed a mutant that has more power than an army of rodents” Remarked the voice “But now I should really introduce myself, I seem to have lost all of my manners in the time my friends and family were ruthlessly slaughtered. The name’s Shattered Cog” he offered a hoof to Sprocket

“Corroded Sprocket” Replied Sprocket simply shaking hooves with Cog who sat down next to Sprocket

“I may regret asking this question after, but why in the metro would you want to look for bandits?” Inquired Cog nonchalantly

“A friend of mine” Began Sprocket “She was captured, I need to get her back”

“Well that’s the bravest pile of manure I’ve ever heard” began Cog “Taking on a base full of bandits isn’t the greatest idea all alone, you’ll need help. And for that matter, you’ll need somepony to attend to the attention from all the mutants you’ll attract by pulling the trigger of that noisy pile of scrap you’ve got” looking at his rifle in an offended manner Sprocket looked at Cog

“Is that an offer?” Sprocket finally said

“It’s an offer that you’ll likely decline” Replied Cog all knowingly

“You’re too smart for your own good”

“I’m told that often”

“Do you meet many ponies often?”

“Used to”

“How many have been killed?”

“Too many”

“And you want revenge?”

“Not at all, though it would be nice to settle the score a little”

“Why are you bothering to help me?”

“You seem good willed”

“And?”

“And you’re the only pony I’ve met who could take down a mutant of that size and power with as little effort as you put in”

The conversation halted there, both ponies thinking about what had been said, picking up his rifle and cocking it Sprocket boldly walked towards the stations exit to resume his rescue mission

“I’d wait a moment” Resumed Cog “There’s good ammo and filters to be had from the bodies” hesitantly Sprocket wandered over to the corpse of a pony which appeared to have once run the general supply stall for the station. The two ponies spent around 10 minutes searching dead bodies in the station, small snippets of conversation occurring at some points between the two as they slowly discovered more about one another

“So you come from the bordering station? Long way to be travelling, and a dangerous route as well” Chattered Cog as he searched the body of the deceased guard hanging over the sandbag wall near the stations barricaded door

“I’ve been invited to join the royal guard at Canterlot Gardens” Stated Sprocket as he stood up from searching the body of a traveller “So what exactly happened here? And I’d prefer detail rather than a brief explanation”

“As I mentioned bandits attacked, that’s all there is to it” Replied Cog avoiding the subject

“There has to be more, like a reason or something” Argued Sprocket opening a safe built into the wall

“Some of the bandits just felt like they needed a sort of recognition, so they attacked a barely known station for fame” Elaborated Cog “They then took the survivors as captives and left the injured to bleed out and grieve over their dead families...”

“And you?” Inquired Sprocket

“I was one of the few they left to bleed out, but unlike the others I had a slight knowledge of first aid and managed to patch the wound while I searched for medical supplies. To no avail of course, the bandits had taken everything that wasn’t on the bodies with them, and that is why we’re searching the bodies” Resumed Cog “I had to shoot my own father to save him the pain of slowly bleeding to death in a disease ridden metro station because they took the medical supplies” Sprocket felt sympathy for Cog but continued the searching

“I’m sorry for your loss... it must have been hard doing that” Stated Sprocket “Maybe you could join me and my friend on the way to Canterlot Gardens, you never know you could meet some new friends over there”

“I might do” Hesitantly replied Cog “And perhaps I’ll join you if you succeed in the suicide mission of assaulting the bandits main base”

“Is that all the bodies checked?” asked Sprocket as he stood up from searching the last of the bodies

“That’s all of them” Replied Cog simply “The bandits set up a few meters down the tunnel and then down a side tunnel”

“Then what are we waiting for” Smiled Sprocket cocking his rifle with the newly attached broken scope atop it “We’ve got some bandits to get even with”