I had re-awoken to Anomaly pressing her hooves into my side in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Ow ow ow ow fuck ow. By looking around, I saw that I was moved. I don’t think she noticed I had woken up as she was busy holding a bandage to my wound. Next to her were several bloody bandages, presumably soaked with my blood.
"Hey, I can deal with it now." I groaned before coughing hard, and thick globs of blood splattered onto my hand. That’s not good, that’s not good at all.

"Y-you... h-how?" She asked, seemingly confused that I woke back up. I don’t know how I’m alive either, but thank you Jesus for ACE medical. Quickly, I started to wrap a bandage around the wound in my side, the blood flow soon stopping.

"No fucking clue, I just don’t question it. It just works." I respond before pulling off my helmet, glasses, and headset, then finally removing that damned balaclava thing. I shoved it it my bag and put the rest of the head gear back on. "I should be good..." cough cough "For now at least. I’m going to need something to fix my insides. Alright, how far did you drag me?"

"Just into the corner building, it was closest. That caravan had left as well."

"Well... that’s something. Lets get going... Ahhh!" White flashed in the edges of my vision and my side exploded in agony. Bullets hurt Blackjack, morphine is your friend here. I grabbed a red little autoinjector that contained that amazing drug called morphine, and stabbed it into my leg. The pain slowly faded along with the white flashing, and soon I could get up with out my side exploding.

Anomaly went silent again, then she gave me my rifle and launcher before we continued, though with added caution as there were confirmed contacts in the AO. Our pace had slowed considerably as we moved from cover to cover in bounds. I gave Anomaly that pistol with the mouth grip. She took it and turned off the safety, now ready to kill. We kept moving forward, watching out for signs of ambushes or mines underfoot.

We had come to a stop at an intersection and took cover behind some rubble. I quickly pulled back the slide on my rifle, and it was empty. Fuck, had I fired thirty rounds in that skirmish? Didn’t feel like a mag’s worth of rounds. Alright, so I brought two hundred forty total rounds for the Tar, a frag, two WPs, and twenty eight rounds for the 1911. Thirty rounds of 5.56 and a WP grenade expended, leaving two hundred ten rounds for the Tar, a frag, a WP, and twenty eight rounds for the 1911. Plus that LAW I found, so I have an okay ammunition supply.

I pulled out and discarded the empty mag, before slapping in a fresh one and racking the slide, chambering a fresh round. I was ready for the next fight. We advanced across the open quickly, and kept going for another block before darkness started to settle in. Quickly occupying and clearing the second floor of a shop, we decided to hold up there for the night. I kept watch while Anomaly got some rest, and I knew it would be a long night.

Time: 20:00
Location: Manehatten
Objective: Escort target to Tenpony

Much the same as earlier today, nothing had really happened. The only thing to note was the distance shrieks of animals and light gun fire echoing through the city. I really shouldn't push my luck when nothing's happening, it usually doesn't go well. The distant sounds began to die off, leaving only the soft sound of Anomaly's breathing to be heard. I got up and sat near where Anomaly was sitting just in case something happened, I could quickly move her to cover. Nothing was probably going to happen if I went to sleep, cause I mean, what's the chance that raiders come into this specific building? Can't be high.

Moring came around rather quickly it seemed, and we weren't dead, which was a definite plus. Looking to my right, I saw Anomaly was still sleeping. I re-slung my rifle, and picked up the sleeping form of Anomaly. Again, it'll be another day of walking for god knows how long before finding some somewhat safe place to rest and then rinse, repeat. Anomaly twisted a bit in my arms, but otherwise was still asleep. If I remember correctly, she told me that we had to find a way onto this "Celestia Line", which I’m assuming is some kind of train line. No clue how I would find it in this city, but I’ll find a way... hopefully.

After a while of walking, I laid eyes on what I assumed was Tenpony. The building intact, and significantly cleaner looking than the ruins around it. Connected to it was what was probably the Celestia Line, which stretched off to the right. It stayed off into the distance for a bit before being blocked from view by buildings, and with no clear entrance in sight, that meant more walking. Fun. Welp, best start walking before it becomes night again. I walked in the shadow of the rail line, which stretched on for seemingly ever. As I went on, the line started to decline until is was level with the street, and the only thing blocking me was a wall. Setting the sleeping mare on top of the wall, I then jump and pulled myself over the wall before grabbing her again to continue, now in the opposite direction along the line. Now towards Tenpony. It quickly leads into a tunnel, which is pitch black, making it essentially impossible to see. My footsteps echoed in the darkness as I moved along the line, taking extreme care with where I put my feet as to make sure I don’t trip on anything. I need light. Glad I found those chemlights, or as Hanz likes to call them, "Tactical glowsticks".

With one hand I grabbed one from my rig, snapped it, and then threw it down the tunnel. It landed, revealing nothing but track, and I kept going. Kicking the chemlight further down the tunnel to light up my path, before seeing the soft glow of a fire. Two ponies were silhouetted against the light, and next to them was a cage. I gently woke up Anomaly and told her to stay put and stay quiet. She nodded, and made herself as small as possible in the darkness. I unslung my rifle, and slowly approached, making sure to make as little noise as possible. I got close enough to barely overhear their conversation.

“So what are we going to do with this bitch? We gonna’ sell her or what?” The first one asked. Definitely male.

“We’re going to sell her.” The other one responded, this one also male. “Those brothels out west usually pay a good amount of caps for fresh merchandise.”

I’ve heard enough. I lined up a shot on the first one, then pulled the trigger. The muzzle flash revealed my position as the round went clean through the head of the first slaver. I snapped to the other one before he could react and put a round through his head as well. Targets eliminated. “Come on Anomaly, it’s clear.”

I stepped into the platform before looking into the cage. Inside the cage was an injured, maroon mare. Her chest was wrapped in blood soaked bandages, and her left eye was swollen shut. She was cowering in the corner of the cage. Anomaly had gotten up to the platform, and when she laid eyes on the maroon mare, she gasped. It seemed Anomaly recognized the mare.

“M-mom?” Anomaly asked with a slight stutter. The maroon mare lifts her head and looks at Anomaly. She gasps, and stands up from the corner. So that’s her mother. It’s good that Anomaly still has at least one parent left.

"Hate to break up the moment, but would you both kindly cover your ears? I’m shooting off the lock." I aimed at the lock with my handgun, squeezing the trigger and blowing off the lock. The cage door creaked open a bit on its own, and the maroon mare limped over to it and pushed it open with a hoof. That’s when I noticed the explosive collar around her neck. One of the bodies has to have the remote for it. The first body had some bottle caps, a syringe filled with some kind of drug, and a large combat knife. The other body had some more caps, some bullets for Anomaly’s pistol, and the controller I was looking for! There was two buttons on it, a large red one and a smaller green one. Red buttons always make thinks go boom, so I’m going to take a guess and say the green is it’s power. Here goes a life. I pushed it, and the collar beeped before falling from around her neck, hitting the concrete with a clink.

"Don’t run off like that again, that’s how you get picked off." Anomaly’s mother said to her. "Now, who’s that? Can you trust it?"

She glanced over at me, her eyes pleading for me to step in. So I did. "I’m Sgt. Blackjack of the RSDF, 2nd division, 28th Recon. I escorted your daughter from one end of the city to here, as well as I fixed her broken leg."

Her mother looked at her for confirmation, and she nodded. "Well, I thank you for keeping her safe. I’m afraid that I’m unable to pay you..."

"You don’t have to pay me anything, I’m just doing it cause it’s the right thing. Wouldn’t forgive myself if I let an innocent die when I could’ve prevented it. And you're welcome, Ms...?"

"You can call me Firefly."

"Then you’re welcome Ms. Firefly. Now if you would let me, I’d like to put some fresh bandages on you. You could simply refuse, and I’ll respect that decision."

Firefly shakes her head, and stands up again.

"Alright then. We should be close to Tenpony if I’ve estimated correctly, and then we’ll part ways."

So we continued on again, with me taking point, Anomaly in the middle, and Firefly taking up the rear.
“Is everybody ready?” Cried the sergeant looking up. Our hero meekly answered “yes” and then they stood him up. He jumped right out into the blast, his static line unhooked. And he ain’t gonna jump no more. Gory gory what a hell of a way to die.

Author's Note

This is last thing I’ll be releasing until the new year. Here’s hoping next year is better than this one.