Heroes Of The Wasteland

May 3, 2062
09:30 hours

The colt awoke with a sharp gasp. Breathing heavily, he waited for his vision to clear. The colt rubbed his eyes and looked around. He was in some kind of room, no bigger than the first floor of the Ponyville library. There was an operating table in the center of the room which the colt was currently laying on. An EKG monitor was set up next to the table, connected to the colt's left foreleg. An IV was on the right, the needle deep in the colt's right foreleg. He let out a groan as he sat up. His whole body ached from some unknown incident. He checked his body but found no wounds or cuts. He then grabbed hold of the IV line and began pulling it out. A grunt of pain escaped his lips as he finally pulled out the five-inch-long needle. Throwing it aside, he ripped of the EKG Velcro cuff and threw it aside. The colt then turned to the side and dropped to the floor. He lost his balance and collapsed. For some reason, his legs seemed to be asleep. He tried to move them but they wouldn't budge. After a few more tries, he looked around the room, finally spotting a door. Letting out a series of grunts, he crawled his way out of the room and into a hallway.

It was long and dark, lights flickering... well... the ones that weren't broken. Tables were overturned and glass lay in various spots. The colt could see a staircase at the far end of the hall. He looked in the other direction and saw only darkness, the faint flickering of a light in the distance. He returned his gaze to the staircase and began crawling towards it. His mind was racing with thoughts. How he got here. What happened? Where did everypony go? Why weren't his legs working? He passed by a broken door. Upon looking inside, he could see what appeared to be a lab. Chemicals were spilled all over the floors and tables. More broken glass lay everywhere. He continued crawling, finally making it to the stairs. The colt began to slowly crawl up, the feeling in his legs slowly returning.

When he got to the top of the stairs, his legs seemed to be working. They still hurt a bit, though. He limped his way into a large, domed room.The glass dome ceiling was shattered and lay all about the floor. Computer monitors were laying all over the floor and tables overturned. Some were even broken. Burnt paper lay strewn everywhere. The colt limped through the mess, looking around. Walls of the room had broken into chunks which now lay on the floor and most of the top part of the room had been destroyed. The colt let out a slight whimper and limped faster towards the exit. The sky was clearly visible but it was an ominous red color. The colt opened the door and stepped outside. He let out a yell and fell backwards. Everything was destroyed. The buildings that surrounded the domed building now lay in ruin. All that was once green was now brown and the ground was barren.

"H-Hello!" he called.

The only answer he got was the whistling of the wind as it blew passed. He slowly began moving forward, looking around. Everything was destroyed. Not a single sign of life. The colt made his way down what used to be the road, looking at all the destruction.

"HELLO!" he yelled louder.

He stopped when he saw a figure in the distance. It appeared to be a mare. He began limping faster.

"HELLO!"

The mare didn't move a bit. The colt moved faster, almost reaching her. He stopped a foot away.

"Excuse me?" he asked. "I'm so glad I found another--"

The mare whipped her head around, causing the colt to scream. The sides of her mouth went all the way up passed her cheeks. Her tongue was a good foot out of her mouth, slithering through the air like a snake. Drool dripped from the mare's mouth . Her eyes were filled with blood and she had cuts and open gashes all over her body.

"WHAT THE--" yelled the colt, falling backwards.

The mare growled and hissed in an unnatural way, her bloody eyes glaring at the colt. She opened her mouth and her tongue shot forward another foot or two. The colt rolled to the side as the mare's tonue struck the ground.

"SHIT!" yelled the colt, scrambling to his hooves.

He turned and stumbled away. The mare fired her tongue and it wrapped around the colt's back right leg. He fell with a thud and looked back. The mare was reeling her tongue back in, dragging him across the ground. The colt reached around for something that could be used to fight back. His hoof rested on a shard of glass. He picked it up and stabbed the mare's tongue. The mare let go of his leg and let out a shriek. The colt got back up and limped away. The mare let out another screech as her tongue slid back into her mouth. The colt ran away and dove into a ruined building.

"What's going on?" he wondered aloud.

He pressed himself against the inside of the building next to the doorway, peering out. The mutated mare dashed into view and the colt retreated his head. The mare looked around, jerking her head from side to side. She sniffed the ground and began making her way towards the building the colt was hiding in. He began hyperventilating. As the mare slowly made her way towards the building, the colt began backing away. A hoof suddenly came from behind and covered his mouth. the colt mumbled in fear.

"Shhh..." said a male's voice. "Quiet."

A shotgun came into view in the colt's right peripheral vision, aiming towards the doorway. The mare stepped into the doorway and growled. The shotgun fired, blowing a section of the door frame off. The mare retreated back outside. The colt was spun around and found himself face to face with a brown colt in a black suit. It had pockets for ammo and a holster for his gun.

"You okay, kid?" he asked.

"I-I'm okay." the colt answered.

"Stay here."

The other colt darted to the doorway and raised his gun. The mare was gone. He looked around, seeing if he could make anything out in the distance. After seeing nothing, he turned back to the colt.

"Come on, kid." he said. "It's safe."

The colt began making his way to the doorway to join his savior. Just then, there was the sound of a low screech. The rescuer slowly looked up and saw the mare. She was clinging to the side of the building above the doorway.

"OH, SHI--" yelled the rescuer, getting cut off as the mare's tongue shot out and entered his throat.

Blood oozed from the colt's mouth as the mare dropped down on top of him. She leaned in, opened her mouth, and began eating him. The other colt backed away.

"Damn." he whispered.

The mare looked up at him and growled. Just then her head burst and her body collapsed to the floor. The colt watched the doorway as a figure appeared. It was a mare. She was red with a light red mane. She had a black suit just like the other colt's. There was a scar across her right eye and was missing the tip of her left ear. On her hoof was a medium-sized cannon-type gun.

"You okay?" she asked sternly.

"I... I..." The mare let out a sigh and left the doorway, heading back outside. "W-Wait!" yelled the colt, running after her. "Hold up!"

He stumbled out of the building, tripping over the dead body on the way out and falling down. The mare stopped and turned around, holstering her cannon. The colt stood up and looked at her. The mare approached him.

"Can I come with you?" he asked.

The mare's eyes narrowed. "No. You'll only slow me down."

She turned to leave again.

"Wait!" yelled the colt, placing a hoof on her back.

She whipped around, knocking the colt over. She pulled out her cannon and aimed it at the colt. He raised his hooves in surrender.

"S-S-Sorry." he said softly.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I-I... I don't know."

The mare lowered her cannon. "You don't know?"

"No. I-I woke up in some kind of operating room with no memory. I can't remember anything before I woke up."

"Operating room?"

"Yeah." said the colt, pointing to the building down the street. "In there."

The mare looked over and gasped. "The labs."

"Labs?"

She quickly looked back at him. "You an experiment?"

"What?" asked the colt, shocked. "I-I honestly wouldn't know."

"How do you feel now?"

"S-Scared shitless."

"Physically." said the mare impatiently.

"I feel pretty normal. My leg still hurts. Why?"

"Most experiments died shortly after being created. The few that did had regeneration abilities."

"So..." said the colt hesitantly.

"You're not an experiment." said the mare, holstering her cannon again. The colt still let out a sigh. "But you're still not coming with me."

"B-But..."

"You're too weak and pathetic to do me any good." the mare explained. "And in the absence of good... all you got is bad."

"P-Please." pleaded the colt. "I can learn. Really."

"Can you?"

"Yes."

The mare turned away from the colt and began trotting away. "If you slow me down... I'll kill you myself."

The colt scrambled to his hooves and trotted after her. After catching up, he slowed his pace to match hers. He eyed her up and down, finding a strange sort of attraction. She looked over at him.

"What?"

"Uhh..." said the colt. "Nothing."

"Don't get any sexual ideas." she said. "I know how you colts think."

"Sex-- What?!" asked the colt. "No no no. I was just, uh..."

"Shutting up?"

"Y-Yeah." said the colt quietly. "That."

They left what was left of the city and began trotting through the open barren wasteland.

"So... what's your name?" asked the colt.

The mare eyed him. "You really want to know?"

"Only if you don't mind me knowing." said the colt timidly.

The mare sighed. "It's Viper."

"Viper, huh? That's a nice name."

"Shut the fuck up."

"O... kay."

"Now..." said Viper. "What're we gonna call you?" The colt eyed her but kept his mouth shut. "How about... Twitch?"

"Twitch?" asked the colt.

"Yeah. 'Cause you're so... well... scared."

"Scared, huh?"

"Yeah." said Viper. "You're a pussy."

"Well, this all too sudden for me. I woke up and... this."

"Uh-huh... I'm pretty sure it was sudden for mostly everypony. Consider yourself lucky."

"Yeah, I... I do. Believe me." He let out a sigh. "So, who was--"

A loud screech cut him off as Viper knocked him to the ground. A big black bird shot over his head.

"Raven." said Viper, readying her gun.

She slid the barrel forward, revealing a hole in which to put ammo clips. She pulled out a brown colored clip and slipped it into one of her pockets. She then pulled out a purple colored one and slid it into the slot. Then she closed the barrel and aimed the gun at the Raven. The bird circled around and began it's approach. Viper fired her gun, striking the bird in the head. Blood squirted from the wound as the bird fell to the ground, dead. Twitch stood up.

"Wh-What was that?" he asked.

Viper put her gun away. "Raven. One alone is a minor annoyance but can cause some damage. Just be careful when they travel in packs."

"Good to know." said Twitch.

Viper began walking again. Twitch took one last look at the dead Raven and then ran after Viper. They continued walking in silence until they arrived at a small village.

"Finally." said Viper, approaching a small cottage.

"We're here?" asked Twitch. "Wherever it is we were going?"

"Yes." said Viper, opening the door and walking in.

Twitch followed. It was about as big as Fluttershy's cottage. Guns hung on all the walls and two workbenches were set up, each had gun parts laying on top of them in piles. There was a file cabinet set up next to one of them. Viper headed over to the workbench near the cabinets and sat down in the chair. She pulled out her gun and set it on the table. Twitch looked all around the cottage. The inside section of the ceiling and walls was lined with metal plates. There was a trap door in the floor. Who knows where it led? Viper opened the barrel of the gun and pulled out the clip. She set it aside and began cleaning the weapon. Twitch walked along the wall, looking at the various souvenirs that were hung up. One was a large tooth. Another was a tail with a spiked club at the end. Another was a disgusting, mutated eye with boils. Twitch covered his mouth and turned away. Viper looked over at him and grinned.

"The eye of a Banshee." she said.

"A Banshee?" asked Twitch.

"Banshees are blind due to their boil-covered eyes. They use loud, screeching noises to detect obstacles and victims."

"What did you save me from?"

"That was a Licker. Very aggressive."

Twitch sat down at the second workbench on the other side of the cottage. Gun parts lay on the top. Viper returned to her gun.

"Who was that colt?" asked Twitch.

"Colt?"

"The one that was killed by the Licker. Who was he?"

Viper paused what she was doing but then resumed. "Just some colt."

"He wasn't your friend?"

"No." said Viper, sounding irritated.

"Everypony needs a friend, Viper."

The mare quickly got up from her chair and trotted up in front of Twitch, leaning in close.

"Listen here, you little shit. I don't have the luxury of friends, got it. They slow me down and all they do is die."

"So... What am I to you?" asked Twitch, afraid of the answer.

"You're nothing but a little shit stain who's only purpose is to royally piss me off." Twitch sank back in his chair, holding back tears. Viper scoffed. "Fucking pussy."

She turned away and headed back to her workbench. Twitch turned around to face the workbench he was sitting at, letting the tears flow but making sure not to make any noise.

A figure busted down a door to a run-down house. It stepped in and looked around. Hearing a faint whimper, it headed into the kitchen.

"Come out, come out wherever you are." a male's voice sang.

He trotted over to the closet and yanked it open. Inside was a cowering mare.

"There you are." he said.

"Please." pleaded the mare. "Just go."

"Uh..." said the figure, pulling out a gun. "No."

He shot the mare between the eyes, blood splattering the wall of the closet. He then sat down at the kitchen table. He took his hat off and set it down on the table, letting out a sigh.

"All too easy."

Viper lit a cigarette and began smoking while she worked. Twitch had his head rested on the workbench. The mare looked over at him.

"Hey." Twitch didn't answer. "HEY!"

Twitch sat up quickly. "What? What?"

"You're tired. Get some sleep."

"I was."

Viper pointed to the trap door. "In a real bed."

Twitch got up from the chair and groggily made his way to the trap door. Upon opening it, he saw a staircase. The colt made his way down the stairs and found himself in an underground room, a bit bigger than the cottage. The stairs were on the right side. The back of the room had a shelf of drinks ranging from soda to alcohol. The front of the room had two beds. There was a coat hanger next to the bed on the right. In the center was a couch and an arm chair. Twitch made his way to the bed on the left and collapsed on it, yawning. He heard the trap door close and saw Viper coming down the stairs.

"You, too?" he asked.

"I've had a much busier day than you, Twitch." she said as she made her way to the bed on the right.

She took off her outfit and hung it up on the hanger before getting into bed. She looked over at Twitch, who had been watching her undress.

"What?" she asked.

"N-Nothing." he said nervously. "Absolutely nothing."

"Did... Did you enjoy watching me undress?" Viper asked, sounding disgusted.

"No." he said quickly.

Viper let out an annoyed groan. "Fuck. I'm stuck with a pervert. Couldn't have been a serial killer or a cross dresser or a little foal. No... Had to be a pervert."

"I'm not a... pervert." he finished softly.

He sank further under the covers, feeling embarrassed because he knew deep down that it was true. Viper hit a switch and the lights turned off.

"H-How do you have power?" asked Twitch.

"I got a damn generator." said Viper. "Now go to bed before I put you to sleep myself."

Twitch rolled over, facing away from Viper. Viper did the same. Twitch let out a sigh and closed his eyes, thinking about the recent events... and about Viper. He thought she looked cute but knew she would never like him back. He also thought about the creatures he encountered. First was the Licker that killed the colt and almost got him. Then, there was the Raven that almost got him as well. Right then and there, he made it a personal quest to learn about the creatures and mutations and also how to fire a gun. Then a thought entered his mind that relaxed him. The thought of being safe. Even though there were creatures out in the Wasteland, he felt safe around Viper and had no intention of leaving her side. After a few more thoughts he finally managed to fall asleep.