Fallout Equestria: Desperados

Fallout Equestria: Desperados

Stable 24, Part 3

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"What was the best thing about a stable, I asked Harp, and she gladly answered. She said that the stables were made to have ponies to live in comfort as they waited for the world above to recover. They had everything that a pony could ever need, and some of what they wanted. When the stables would finally open up, the ponies could leave and find each other. Together they would rebuild Equestria.

It all sounded like a wonderful idea made from a terrible fate, so then I asked her why was Equestria still so broken and wild.

This made her go quiet for a while. After that, she simply told me that something must have gone wrong. I personally don’t think it’s that simple. Not with how cruel the old Equestria seemed to be. It’s possible that maybe the stables were never meant to succeed." ~ Azure Dice

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Aside from the frantic banging below us as the raiders attempted to break through the solid door, it was all quiet. Those two ponies deserved to be saved. Truly they did, but they were in no condition to be moved, and the raiders were closing in.

Yet, did I need to shoot them…?

Star placed a hoof on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. “I know that look, Harp, and no, you don’t have time to regret your decision. Right now all that matters is getting out of here. If ponies can't be saved from this place, at least save them from what this place will do to them. Last thing I want is for me, or any of my friends, is to become the playthings of raiders. Death is a mercy to what happened to them.”

I felt a nudge on my shoulder as Dead gave me an annoyed look. “She’s right, ya know. Raiders who are that far gone can’t even be considered ponies anymore. It’s why my kin hate dealing with me. Even if we can get some peace out of them for a time, they eventually go mad and attack everything around them. Too many old tales about how raider tribes that were left alone then became a huge problem.”

Dead looked away with a grimace on her face. “Anyways, you saw what was in that first room. As soon as those two were dead, they were going to get eaten. I wouldn’t put it past those mad bastards to not even wait for those ponies to die first.”

A bit of bile rose up in my mouth, thus forcing me to swallow it back down. They were right. No way around it. I had heard the horror stories about the metro bandits back home, but it never got this bad. Not cannibalism. Whatever these raiders were, they certainly can’t be seen as ponies. They were monsters, and should be treated as such.

Still, I wished there was a way to have saved those two ponies.

Looking over at Slowtrot, he had slumped himself against the wall. His gaze slowly looked up at me, making eye contact.

“Sorry.” I said, “But-”

“-I have no place to complain.” Slowtrot said with a sigh.

He took a deep breath and looked over at Star… no, at Star’s pipbuck. “At least you have a better explanation. I mean, the pipbuck even told me the likelihood of saving them was considerably low. I, on the other hoof, took a rash action because I was too stupid to think of a better way.”

Pointing at Stars pipbuck, he then sighed again. “The overmares pipbuck, I killed its owner. Shot her in the face.”

Slowtrot retreated into himself, hiding his face. “Maybe… what if… she was only possessed, so I could have saved Healing Herbs… I could have…”

I trotted over to him and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “My mother once told me this: Life is not fair and we will not be prepared for everything. At such times, we must simply act, for allowing fate to run its course is the worst action one can take.”

The words of my mother echoed through me. She was wise for her long life. She was hardened by a cruel fate and had a fairness that made the blood of all those who opposed her run cold. I never knew how much she truly cared about me. Was I simply a mistake? Or did she see me as her daughter?

All the same, she made sure I grew up like my siblings as members of a royal bloodline.

That’s right. I don’t have time for regrets. I must push forward and get the job done. Once it is all over, only then can I let myself become weak.

Taking my hoof off Slowtrot, I turned to the door’s opening switch. “If you want, we can talk about it later, but right now it’s a really bad time to keep up this heart to heart. We need to get out of here first and let the town know about this raider base.”

Slowtrot wiped his eyes and took a deep breath. “Ya, you’re right. They're only going to keep hurting ponies if we just keep sitting here.”

“Ya know.” Live Axle chimed in. “You can just leave it to us Desperado’s to take out the raiders. Once we get out of here, my sis and I can go tell the elders. I know they would love to get the clan to go stretch our legs and stomp some raiders.”

Placing my hoof on the switch, I let out a slight laugh. “As long as these monsters are exterminated, I don’t care who does it.”

Again, we repeated the same action as before with Star, and the two sisters, rushing out into the backup room to dispatch any raider inside. Fortunately, the room was empty. No hanging corpses or badly hurt ponies. Just a smaller generator and plenty of boxes.

This was clearly where the stable was still getting its power, what little it could provide. Also, oddly enough, the room here was relatively clean with some muddy hoofprints and a few drawings of dicks on the wall.

Closing the door behind us, we slowly trotted to the proper door where the entrance to the overmares office was.

“Oh, they got untouched shit here!” Dead spoke up as she showed her sister a poster.

“We don’t have time for scavenging you two… the fuck it that!” I said in confusion.

On the poster was a classic image of Luna… except Luna was a stallion. I watched as they pulled out more posters. Each one of a famous mare from the wartime, but all were stallions. Celestia, Twilight, Fluttershy, Sapphire Shores, and even a poster of Captain Andromeda. All stallions.

“Oh! Here's a mare.” Live said as she pulled out an image that was clearly the King of Rock, but as a hip-swinging mare.

The two sisters began putting the posters inside some tubes and attaching them to their saddlebags with mischievous looks on their face.

“Why are you taking them!?” I asked, still confused.

They grinned widely as the two mares looked at me. Dead pulled up a poster of Applejack. “Well, they're hot! Just look at this beefcake!”

Slowtrot opened a box where he found a few suits of security barding and placed it in his bag. Looking at the poster, he gave it a confused look. “I don’t know how to feel about this, but the King looks good as a mare. Whoever this is has the whole tomboy look going for her.”

I face hoofed. “Can we move on?”

“Just a moment!” Star said as she sat on top of several stacked boxes. She began pulling out several stable-tec retractable batons and shoved them in her saddlebag.

“WHY?” I shouted.

She tossed one to me with a smile. “Just a moment. I found something really good.” From the box, she pulled out a 10mm pistol. She tossed it to me before pulling out another. In this case it was a six magazine for the guns.

Jumping down, she passed the two Desperado mares each a baton and three magazines for the pistol to me. “Alright, now we can go.”

Loading the pistol, I then shoved it, and the baton, into my bag before trotting to the door. Checking the map, we only had one direction, with the overmare’s office on the left side of the hallway, and security across from it. “Order and I will shoot first if there's any raiders in the way. My guns aren’t as loud and don’t sound like bullets when fired.”

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and… no raiders. What was in our way was a crude barricade. Around the door were crude but clear signs of “Keep Out!” which included a dead pony on top of the main barricade, left to rot. Likely the raider boss wanted to keep the other raiders out in case they damaged the only power supplies in this stable.

Still, it was odd that none of the stuff in the boxes were taken.

Maybe the boss was smart enough to keep others out but too dumb to look around?

Leave that question to likely never be answered. We quietly totted to the over… Stallion’s door? Yes, above the door said Overstallion.

Shaking the oddness, I reached out to open the door.

The crackling of the speakers froze me in place. “How, how, HOW did you lose them again!? That's it! After I’m done riding those mares bloody, you all are next! That’s right! I will make you all taste my rainbow like the good little chem sluts you all are… But to the one who captured the intruders, I will let you join me in everypony's punishment. That's right! Capture them, and then you can fuck anypony you want!”

The speakers quieted down and soon after we could hear an uproar from further down the stable.

Opening the door, we all slowly stepped in. The raider boss was sitting in a chair watching while several screens, as he held a microphone in one hoof and a chain in the other. The chain was connected to a rather battered and pregnant mare who saw us with wide-open eyes, but said nothing.

“You shit sniffing chem sluts had better find those intruders if you're coming in here, unless you want to take your punishment early.” The raider boss said to us, not even turning around.

The overstallions desk was covered in chem bottles and inhalers, along with several lines of white powder. Knives stuck into the desk like decoration and one knife had a pony’s skull covered in brown dried blood hanging from it. The walls were no better, as several mutilated ponies and other creatures were hung up like grotesque trophies. There was also the standard trash all over, mainly empty bottles of booze.

Past Nocturn was the screen he was fixated on watching. All but two were broken, and three were heavily distorted, but it gave him a god-like view of the stable. I could see the Stable entrance, it was still filled with smoke. There was the auditorium which had a statue that depicted a stallion with a plunger in his mouth facing off a toilet as two meres clung onto him like the plummer was a hero. The auditorium also had a whole bunch of barricades which the raiders were likely going to shoot at us from. The orchard could be seen with much of the trees chopped down or dead. The raiders used the orchard as some sort of campsite. There were also a few hallways where raiders were frantically running down, looking for us.

I wanted to say something to Nocturn, give him a peace of my mind… but that was for ponies who could change their ways, but he could not be considered a pony.

Entering SATS, I, at first, focused on his head, but that was too good for him, so instead I focused on the hoof holding the microphone. I didn’t need him calling for backup.

One bolt flew through the air, finding it’s target. Impaling on his hoof, the old rusty microphone exploded into scrap. Nocturn looked over at his hoof, seemingly unfazed. He was more confused as to why there was a steel bolt logged in the hoof.

“Now what’s the big fucking deal?!” Noctem growled as he swiveled his chair around to look at us. The Unicorn Stallion was a bone white, peppered with scars and burn marks all over. His own mane was a long grimy black with several red streaks. His face was half burnt with metal piercings all over. “Ohhh, so you've come to me yourselves. Which one of you wants me to mount first?” He spoke with mad glee. One eye a pinprick and his tongue split like a snake.

“Girls, take him down, but don’t kill him yet. I have a question to ask.” I told my friends.

Star Charter charged in. I heard a loud boom as she collided with the raider boss and the twins soon followed. After a few heavy hoof strikes, they threw Nocturne's bloodied face into the overmare’s desk.

Trotting over, I saw that Star had been shot. A short double-barrel shotgun was next to her. Rushing over to her, she simply got up and pushed me back. “I’m fine. Just do what you want with that asshole first.”

I trusted her, so I returned my attention to the raider boss. “Who hired you to come after me?”

“Who knows? There are always some horny fuck that wants us to break in a mare for them.” I pulled out the baton that Star gave me and extended it. “Ohh! The slut gonna beat me? Better do it hard or I won’t get off!”

Swing my pipbuck to hold it, I slammed the weapon down onto his face. The raider smiled back with a mouth full of blood.

“Harder!” he demanded.

I hit him a few more times, getting my stress out on the monster, but he seemed utterly unfazed.

The raider laughed. “My mother beat me harder than you. Now why don’t you all give up and I’ll make you all my personal fuck mares? The stallion too, he would look good in a dress.”

Seeing as it was getting me nowhere, I put the baton away. “Throw this monster on the floor.”

With a kick, the two sisters knocked him over the desk as I stepped aside and I drew my revolver.

Nocturne looked at me with a devilish grin as he began to stand up. “Big mistake my little-”

*Bang!*

I sent a bullet into one of his kneecaps and he fell over as he groaned in pain. I may not have been the best shot, but with Order’s assistance, I could be dead accurate at this little distance.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

All four of his kneecaps were now shot. I emptied my revolver of the spent casings, then loaded four more.

I looked down at Nocturne, who was clearly in shock and in pain, then I demanded. “Sit and stay.”

Trotting away, and over to the Overmare terminal, he began shouting. “GET BACK HERE BITCH! I’M GOING TO MAKE YA TASTE MY DICK AND YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE-”

Star gave him a swift kick and began shoving trash into his mouth. “Shut the fuck up, cunt! Just shut up!”

Looking through the terminal, nothing about a secret passage was here, but I did find the Main door control. There was a locked part in the terminal’s options. I had a feeling that I was going to need Star again. So I opened the Stable door before calling her over.

Stepping back, I saw a worried Slowtrot come over to me with the pregnant mare behind him. “Don’t worry. We're going to take her with us.”

He shook his head. “No, we have another problem. There’s a few captured ponies in the security room, along with the raider foals.”

I looked at him. His eyes clearly pleaded for me to agree to help them. I was not cold-hearted. Maybe we can help.

“Alright, but only if they can actually be saved. We can't save those who are already too far gone.” I told him

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Dead chimed in. “The captives I get, but raider foals are raider foals. Some of those fuckers are likely going to call their parents right to us. Frankly, most ponies have a kill on sight for raiders, foals or not. They likely have just as bad of a life out of here as they do staying here.”

“We could bag 'em and take ‘em to camp,” Live suggested. “If they're young enough, I’m sure the elders can beat them into proper fighters for the clan.”

Star coughed a few times, hacking up a bit of blood before standing up straight. “I’m up for saving some foals from raiderhood.” She unplugged her pipbuck from the Terminal and the Overmare desk then lifted up to reveal the secret pathway.

We then hear a hiss as the door to the hallway opened, bringing a raider with a skull painted face on the other side. I shot at him immediately. The first missing and the second hitting him in the neck. The raider fell over, but was not dead. The raider managed to yell out, “THEY’RE HERE!” before Dead Axle unloaded her rifle into him.

“Well, let’s act fast!” I told the others and we all ran for the security room.

Slwotrot and the twins took a defensive position as we entered the security room. Inside was more of the same raider decorations of graffiti and garbage. The captives were easy to find. Two mares and one stallion were blindfolded and chained to the ground. One of the mares was also pregnant and having a very young foal nursing from her.

Star wasted no time cutting them free with her sword and getting them up. “We’re getting you all out of here. Now get trotting. There's a way out in the overmare’s office.”

“Oh thank you!” one mare said as she hugged Star, but then was pushed away, and pointed to the door. The mare didn’t say any more. She limped to the exit.

As for the foals, we were staring at seven of them, all without a cutie-mark, and most clearly abused in some way.

“You, you, you ain't one of us!” the oldest said, a little colt trying to puff up his chest. “I, I, I’m going to beat you up and get a cutie-mark. It’s gonna be real bloody, juz like boss Nocturn! Just you wait, ya are all-”

Star growled at the colt and looked him in the eyes. “Listen here, you little shit, you're going to shut up and follow us out of this shit hole of a stable. Am I loud and clear?!”

The colt clammed up, shaking in fear.

“Thought so,” Star said as she pointed to the exit.

Collecting the other foals was far easier as they obeyed Star’s stern commands. There were two who could only crawl, so they went into Star's saddlebag as the other five were then herded to the door. One of the captives was standing and shaking like a leaf.

The gunfight started. We were able to keep them from getting close, but the raiders were still able to fire back.

“We need them to stop shooting for a few seconds so we can get these ponies to the other side,” I told the other three.

Live growled. “Don’t ya think were-”

“Run when I say now!” Slowtrot said, cutting Live off as he unslung the trench gun. “NOW!”

He let out a blast from the trench gun. As soon as he racked the gun, it fired again.

Shoving the Mare through the doorway and the foals with her, Star pushed them to trot faster to the overmare’s office. The counterfire soon returned once Slowtrot stopped firing, but now the other ponies were out of the gun's range, allowing them to safely enter the office.

“FALL BACK!” I shouted again. The other three fired several more shots before backing up and running to the door.

Closing the door behind us, we all made our way to the hidden passageway. The foals were shocked to see the raider boss with all his kneecaps obliterated.

“Papa!” the oldest colt screamed as he ran to the monster, only for Star to bite onto the scruff of his neck and carry him to the passageway. All the while the coal started yelling every profanity he knew, coming up with a few creative ones as well.

I looked down at the raider boss. He clearly had some pony kicking him in the face after we left him there. Blood oozed from his mouth.

“I. Will. Fuck. You. Raw. For. This.” he gargled at me.

I shook my head. “No, no you will not.” Then with a gleeful tone, and looking down at him like the rotting trash he is, I said. “Enjoy being a crippled eunuch!” Using my pipbuck levitation spell, I dew my combat knife and cut off his dick and balls before shoving a healing potion in his mouth to ensure that he got to live with this pain a little longer. Drinking a healing potion with shattered kneecaps would leave them internally misshapen, needing a doctor to fix and the potion can not regrow lost body parts, only stop the bleeding.

He screamed. Oh, did Nocturne scream. The blood from his mouth flying, landing on my jacket and dress.

“Celestia fucking Luna!” Slowtrot shouted as he saw what I did. He rushed over to me and began shoving me to the hidden exit. “We need to go now. This place is already affecting you!”

Putting the knife away, I trotted into the passageway, but then stopped. “We need to make sure they can’t close the door on us. Order, fry all the electronics!”

My drone levitated up and began sparking with electricity. Several bullets whizzed by him. A raider appeared, looking down at me with serrated teeth. “I’m going to have so much-”

Order unleashed a wave of electric bolts, sending sparks everywhere as all the terminals exploded. The raider below him convulsed before falling into the passageway.

Floating down to me, Order began following me as I galloped down the passageway. He floated backwards, firing a bolt at the raiders who jumped down.

Rounding a corner, Slowtrot was waiting for me with his trench gun ready. Turning the corner, he unloaded his shotgun, slamming back then racking mechanism as fast as he was able into the raiders.

Catching up to the others, Star had just pulled the switch to open the door to the stable exit, the 10mm pistol in her mouth. One of the captives was holding the older colt tightly. Kicking open the door, there were a large group of raiders exchanging gunfire with the Desperado stallions and Longslide. Bodies were everywhere.

With the element of surprise on our side, Star, the two sisters, Order and I began firing into the raiders. They didn’t understand what was happening until it was too late. They were not quick enough at turning their guns on us, and those who attempted to maneuver out of our sights were then cut down by Longslide and the others.

Charging in with Little Devil in his claws, Longslide took out the last raider then began firing down the hallway they were coming in. “Thank Celestia you're alive! Now get the fuck out of here!” the hippogriff commanded.

The other Desperados joined him, firing their pipe guns down the hallway to hold the raiders back.

Helping the four captives and foals out, they quickly limped to the exit.

As the last of them excited, gunfire followed as Slowtrot barreled through and hit the ground hard, blood splattering out from under him. He had been shot several times and now struggled to get up as he bled from multiple holes.

Slamming the door shut, the twins joined their kin in firing at the raiders. Longslid backed up to grab Slowtrot, and began to help him walk. I quickly reloaded Order and had him stay in turret mode as I followed the others out of the stable.

The raiders didn’t let up. More of them burst out, firing wildly at us. The ones who charged in a maddened dash were cut down by either Order or Longslide.

Finally exiting the cave, we saw Star Charter in the gunner nest of the Smuggler, a big smile on her face as she aimed the rifle, Bozar. Trotting out of the way as fast as we could, she unloaded it into the raiders as soon as they charged out, they quickly regretted their decision.

Each raider was turned into a bloody mess as the Bozar blew buck ball-sized holes out of them. It sent body parts flying which painted the entrance to the cave red.

Live Axle galloped over to help Longslide drag Slowtrot to the Smuggler and force our last healing potion down his throat. Doing so stopped his bleeding. With Star providing us cover, we made sure everypony was loaded into the two vehicles. The Desperado’s motor wagon able to hold all the new ponies and foals.

After that, we drove off, quickly leaving stable 24 behind us. Once we felt we were far enough away, we made a quick stop to figure out what to do next.

Slowtrot was doing better now that his bleeding had stopped and could finally rest, but we still wanted to have Jali look him over just in case.

Tire Fire trotted up to the Smuggler, a lit cigarette in his mouth. “So, where the fuck are we taking those ponies? I know Live suggested we keep the foals, but she is an idiot. No pony right now wants to take care of a raider foal when we're preparing for war, and no fucking way we’re looking after the for ponies ya rescued.”

He had a point, and I had a solution. “Say Star, can the Followers look after the foals?”

Star scratched her chin for a moment and then nodded. “If we drop them off at the followers camp outside of town, they can hold onto them until they find a better place for them. I think they have set up several orphanages out east, and it’s not uncommon for them to take in raider foals. Something about giving them a chance.”

From the other vehicle, we could hear the faint scream of a colt, “FUCK YOU BITCHES!”

“I mean Prism gave me a shot and I turned out alright,” Star said with a smile.

Again the colt screamed. “YOU’RE ALL WHORES!”

Star turned her head to the other vehicle and yelled back. “IF YOU MAKE ME COME OVER THERE, I’LL BREAK YOU LIKE WE BROKE YOUR FATHER!’

We waited for a good solid moment and heard nothing.

I sighed. “Ya, let's go see the Followers. I know those four ponies, and Slowtrot, will need healing.”

“Good. Then lead the way, sweet flank.” Tire Fire said.

Glaring at him, I then said in a low and authoritarian voice, “I just cut the dick and balls off a raider boss, so watch your tongue!”

He backed up in clear shock. “Yes mam! Sorry, mam,” he said before trotting back to his vehicle at a quick pace.

Star chuckled. “Ya know what? I think you're going to do just fine out in the wasteland.”

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-Quest Update-

Quest, Stable 24: Competed! With the raider base located, many of their numbers dead, and the boss left a shadow of himself. New Appaloosa can breathe a sigh of relief as soon the Blood Moon raides will be wiped out.

-Reputation-

-Desperados-

To say they are impressed is an understatement. Fighting off a tribe of raiders inside their own base and the humiliation of a raider boss is an achievement few can say they have. But, more importantly, is that the two daughters of the Desperados also survived the ordeal. For this, Elder Big Papa wants to personally meet the three. They are now seen as friends of the Desperados.

-Followers of the Apocalypse-

The unexpected rescue of those captured by raiders, as well as the mercy of removing raider foals from their home has left the followers both busy and looking upon the three as ponies capable of great deeds of good. If they can spare it, the Followers are willing to donate medical supplies to the three.

-New Appaloosa Downtowners-

Word has gotten around that the three took the fight right to the raider’s doorstep, and two of their own have been rescued. They have nothing to give, but now and then they may receive a free drink.