Author's Note

I'm gonna be honest, regardless of how it's perceived, Death Stranding has a very interesting story. I wanted to do something like this but at the same time not copy the source material so while it says crossover, this only borrows certain parts of Death Stranding. I hope at least it doesn't get as much of a mixed reaction.

Chapter 1

Once, there was an explosion, a bang that gave birth to time and space.
Once, there was an explosion, a bang that sent a planet spinning in space.
Once, there was an explosion, a bang that gave birth to all life as we know it.
And then, came the next explosion…one that I may have ultimately caused…

Once upon a time, the earth had been covered in roads and highways, used by cars day in and day out. Now, those roads were gone, lost to nature and reduced to mere dirt paths, only used by wildlife or, in rare cases, anyone trying to get to the next town. The sounds that had filled the air were also gone, replaced by the sound of birds, or the wind, or an occasional storm if it passed through.

The peaceful air was suddenly interrupted as the loud sound of a motorcycle roared through the valley. The rough terrain was no hindrance for the bike itself as it and its rider drove alongside a winding river. The driver itself was dressed in a small but durable rain jacket, gloves, and cargo pants while sporting a nice pair of sunglasses. Her hair was flowing in the back in the wind but she didn’t care.

As she approached a large hill, she took her foot off the gas and let the motorcycle idle before it came to a stop. She killed the engine and propped the bike before stepping off. She grabbed a bag that had been fastened down, strapping it on before grabbing the rifle that had been sitting next to it and sliding it onto her shoulder. Lastly, she checked the handgun that was holstered on her belt and checked the full clip, also making sure a round was properly loaded into the chamber before placing it back into its holster.

She made her way up the hill and upon reaching the top she laid down in the grass, grabbing a pair of binoculars. Below her, almost half a mile ahead, she could see a settlement. However, these weren’t civilians stuck out in the wilderness. These were bandits, thugs willing to pray on vulnerable communities.

After the Death Stranding, communications had been lost between the major cities and for every city that was still standing, they were out for themselves. Because of the sudden change and the sudden threats that came with it, everyone stayed in one place. At least, most people did. She was different, she was willing to brace the suddenly harsh environment if it meant being able to pay for food and a roof over her head.

Looking through the binoculars, the settlement was nothing to brag about, but judging by the number of shacks, she guessed there were at least two dozen of them. Going in guns blazing wasn’t an option considering her weaponry was limited. Fortunately, she only needed one of them.

The leader of this band of thugs was only known as Desperado and witnesses could only identify him by the scar across his right eye. Sure, it made him sound intimidating but she knew well enough like most bandits, he’d let his underlings take the fall before he gave himself up. As such, she knew the best way to smoke him out.

She noticed what looked like a munitions dump about fifty feet from the encampment. Right next to it was a truck, the back of it facing towards her. She pulled out her handgun and looked down through the iron sights. It would be a tough shot but she knew exactly where the gas tank was located on that model and all she had to do was angle her shot precisely.

She pulled the trigger and the shot rang out. She wasn’t used to taking shots like this but she left with few options. Fortunately, she was rewarded with the sight of the truck exploding and the resulting explosion was enough to light up some of the ammunition inside.

The sudden explosion and the sound of bullets firing off would make the bandits think they were being attacked by a large force and if her thoughts on bandits were true, they wouldn’t even think of trying to fight back. Of course, losing all your supplies would be enough to demoralize any force.

As she predicted, the bandits were caught with their pants down and while many were running around in a panic, others were hightailing it to anywhere that wasn’t there. She then saw one man step out into the middle of the encampment, trying to calm everyone down. Her target.

She had gotten out her rifle and was looking through the scope when he appeared. She could now see him clearly and the scar gave him away. He had been dumb enough to stand in an open area, making him an easy target. Lucky for him, she wasn’t aiming for his head.

She pulled the trigger but it wasn’t a bullet that fired out. A bolas fired out at high velocity and she got to witness the humorous scene of Desperado suddenly fall to the ground. She then got up and after shouldering her rifle, she calmly made her way down into the valley.

The bandits had been scared shitless and never considered going back for their leader. Still, she had her pistol drawn just to be safe. She could hear Desperado grunting and cursing as he tried to break out but the material around the two weights was strong enough to hold a horse down.

Eventually she caught his attention and he faltered slightly. “W-Who the hell are you?” he demanded.

“Oh Desperado, you’ve been causing the people in Canterlot a lot of trouble recently,” the woman said. She then looked around the camp. “Though I guess after today that won’t be the case.”

“Wait…oh fuck…” Desperado’s face suddenly paled. “You’re that woman…Sunset Shimmer? Listen, I got connections, I can get you more money than what they’re giving you, whoever they are.”

“Yeah?” Sunset asked, crossing her arms. “That right?”

“Yeah…you let me go, you have my word. I know better than to double-cross someone like you, I ain’t that stupid.”

“Hmm…funny you say that,” Sunset replied as she walked up to him. “I recall what you did just two days ago. You and your little band of goons were causing chaos but you failed to see there was a little girl in the middle of the road. By the time your driver noticed, he had already run her over. That little girl’s parents had to go out of their way to the nearest cremation furnace just to keep the entire city out of danger. So no, I’d have to disagree and say no, you are pretty stupid if you think I’m here for the money.”

“W-Wait, what are you going to do?” Desperado asked, his eyes widening.

“Me? Nothing really,” Sunset said as she pulled out a small device. She then stuck it onto his back. “You’re just gonna be asking plenty of questions back over in Canterlot.”

“Wait no-!” His words were cut off as he suddenly vanished. The device on his back was a beacon of sorts and once attached, it would send him all the way back to the police station in Canterlot. Certainly better than having to carry him all the way back.

Sunset looked back up as the sky was starting to darken. It was getting late and it looked as if a storm was coming in. If she hurried, she could make it back just in time before the timefall would hit. Taking one last look at the remains of the camp, she made her way back to her bike.