Author's Note

Good music for this chapter

Bring da rucks

Protect your neck

Playing Blackjack with a Rampaging Alicorn

When I plan my attack, I doubt that you're ready

The cool winds blew across the brownish land of the Equestrian wasteland, the dead trees and grass blowing along with it. Pools of rainbow-colored liquid filled the area with skeletons of various creatures flooding along the poisonous water. The ruins of many buildings scatter the landscape, the scars of a long-dead civilization.

Tail Whip lowered the scope of his sniper rifle from it and sighed, looking over the wasteland below from the view of his watchtower, the yellow stallion scanned the trail leading down a mountainside and ending at a cave. The Stallion mustered the sniper rifle onto his back then looked around his humble aboard. A few packs of ammo and Sugar apples sat on a table behind him, an ashtray with the remains of cigars lay on the floor, the smoke still coming from a recent light.

“Why do I have to get guard duty?” he brought his left forehoof to his muzzle, looking over a metal device that enclosed around his hoof with a screen, buttons, and dial on top. Pressing a button with his right hoof he smiled in relief as the sound of music began to play. “At least the radio signal is good out here.” Tail Whip began to relax when the music stop to be replaced by the voice of an ecstatic stallion.

“Hello, Wasteland! DJ Pon-3 to bring you the news.” Tail Whip’s face went from a smile to an annoyed frown as his only escape from the burden was taken away, replaced by his most hated pony. DJ-Pon3 was the radio stallion of the entire wasteland, playing songs from before the war and telling wastelanders of the various events around the country. To many, the stallion was a voice of hope as he told the truth no matter how bad it hurt, but for Tail Whip the pony was the bane of his existence. His self-righteous and annoying glee getting on the yellow buck’s nerves.

“Just wait for it to end Tail Whip.” He grumbled under his breath. “Let him talk for a few minutes and it’s back to the music.” The buck went back to looking over the wasteland ignoring the voice of the DJ. Minutes passed as the DJ went through news from around the wasteland, rejoicing in the deeds of some while condemning crimes of others, Tail Whip finally breathe a sigh of relief as the DJ shut up and the beautiful voice of a mare played over the radio. “All good things come to those who wait.” He smiled just for a sec as his head exploded into pieces.

His body went limp and fell over into a bloody mess, the sounds of the mare’s wonderful voice still being heard from his forehoof. In the night three shadows descended from the sky landing softly in a blue field of energy, they made their way inside the cave only to be stopped in their tracks by the sight of a large metal door built into the cave walls. One of the shadows knocked on the metal wall, a few seconds passed until a small hole in the door slid open.

“What’s the password?” A deep voice asked as green eyes appeared in the hole, his question was met with a bullet. A thud could be heard from the other side of the door as one of the shadows attached a small metal device to the door, then pressed a series of keys on the metal box. The device began to beep as a red light turned off and on.

Ponies dressed in combat armor with guns either held in their mouth or a saddle-like harness that held two large firearms ran toward the door and took up firing positions from behind wood crates and cave walls. After a minute the only thing that could be heard was a faint beeping sound, minute by minute, second by second, all guns were pointed at the metal door. And then suddenly chaos.

The door exploded inward sending pieces of metal everywhere, one golden colored unicorn mare was hit in the leg dropping her gun from her magical grip. A second passed then streams of bullets filled the air tearing several crates and killing ponies hiding behind them. Ponies hiding behind cave walls returned fire blindly into the smoke, only to be met with perfect aimed shots to the head. Soon fire filled the hall as small apple-shaped objects floated into the small space and exploded. Within a minute the fighting stopped leaving a hallway of smoke and bodies.

As the dust clouds disappeared the form of three figures walked over the scene unphased and quiet. The one leading the group stood up on two legs like a Minotaur, her limps were a smooth black metal with white cracks between the joints. She carried two pistols, one a 12.7mm and the other a 45 caliber revolver in talons that extended from her forehooves. Dark blue barding covered most of her body with a black riot helmet completely hiding the cyborg’s facial features. The number 99 was printed on her with a little white filly symbol printed under it.

Behind her walked a strange pony in dense-looking armor that covered most of her torso, spikes ran along the back of the armor with dry blood on them. Her hooves were covered by hoof claws that looked like it could tear anything apart with enough force. A metal helmet adored her head with spikes done into a trident-shaped ornament on top, a metal mask blocking out her muzzle leaving only pink eyes as the only thing that could be seen.

And the last one a dark blue unicorn mare with a long flowing blue mane that seemed to weave on its own followed behind her, she wore a black dress with a bow tie around the neck and a black funeral hat to top off the look. The most unusual thing about her appearance was the sight of wings on the unicorn that sported from the black dress. Her horn lit up with a blue glow as three large weapons floated above her, a minigun to her left, a grenade launcher to her right and a very large gun that looked more like a small cannon floated right behind her.

The trio trotted quietly through the hall with the lead cyber pony shooting with an unnatural speed at any pony that came across them. Throughout the cave tunnels, ponies were rushing back and forth, grabbing weapons, setting up chokepoints, traps, and walls to stop the three invaders. As they approached a barricade made of old sandbags, from behind the poor defense ponies fired at the trio only for their bullets to bounce off a light blue sphere that surrounded the mares. One unicorn floated a rocket launcher over her side, waiting until they were in range she bit the device handle, and with a loud whoosh, the rocket fired.

As the rocket approached the mares they kept trotting as if nothing was happening, then as the rocket was about to hit them it froze in midair. Enveloped in the same blue aura that surrounded the trio it hovered for a second before turning around and flying back toward its user. The ponies had a second to react before the rocket slammed into their defense blowing them apart, in a beautiful sight of carnage and fire bodies were sent flying.

As the trio move down the hall, the lead cyber pony stopped short at an entrance leading off from their path. Rising her right leg and pointing the .45 at it, she did a slashing motion and the armored pony behind her nodded. Quickly running in front of the cyber brog and into the entryway, the armored pony was met with high caliber round slamming into her. The impact caused her to stumble back a bit, the round denting the armor but not piercing. The armored pony after regaining her composure darted down the pathway, from behind stacks of crates a griffon with a green eyepiece that flashed numbers held a large long barrel gun, an anti-material rifle. Flanked by two unicorns holding automatic rifles in their magical grips, they pepper the charging armored pony while the griffon lined up another shot, their bullets bounced harmlessly off the armor as she stampeded towards them.

The griffon finally lined up a perfect shot, firing the bullet it hit the charging pony right in the open visor blowing out an eye, but instead of falling or even stumbling, she kept charging as nothing happened. The attacker quickly tried to retreat but the armored mare jumped at them, landing on the griffon and crushing her with a sickening sound. She then proceeded to stab a claw into the pony on her right and tear out their head, then bashed it into the pony on the left.

After a minute the armored mare rejoined the group, her pink eye completely restored. The trio moved on, the only sound being the metal steps as they moved.

As the trio walked through the hall bullets flew at them from all directions only to bounce harmlessly off a blue bubble around the trio. The larger blue mare floated her strange cannon into a doorway on the right. With a loud thunderous roar, the weapon fired and the sounds of explosions followed. In front of them, the path broke into two sections going east and west. The cyber mare stopping for a moment then looking each path over.

The jet-black visor that hid her face flashed bright red for a moment then returned to its normal darkness. She turned her companions then and pointed her 12.7mm pistol at the right path, moving her metal limb in a circular and formation.

The two larger mares nodded in unison then made their way down the west hallway, the cyber mare followed suit running at an unnatural pace in another direction.

From behind an overturned desk, a cream-colored unicorn stallion held a shaw-off shotgun in his magical grip, a purple aura surrounding the weapon. Looking around what was his former office he made sure his ponies were in position, two mares flank the doorway with battle saddles mounted with assault rifles while a zebra holding a sniper rifle in her hooves pointed directly at the door from behind him.

Silence and a general sense of fear followed for minutes but that changed when the sounds of gunfire started blaring up, at first they were far away then they increase in frequency by the minute. Then the gunshots stopped and gave way to an eerie silence, all everyone in the room holding on to their guns tightly waiting for the attacker to make their move.

The door exploded outward, sending pieces everywhere, the two mares flanking the door were sent back as scrap tore into their barding. Before anyone could recover an apple-shaped device was thrown into the room, a blinding light consumed it a second later. The cream-colored stallion tried to get a bearing on the situation but the sounds of gunfire filled the room causing him to duck under his desk. Bodies hitting the floor could be heard all around him then as quickly as the chaos started it stop, the only thing he could hear was the ringing in his ears.

As he lifted his head from his desk to look around he was met with the horror of his ponies laying dead around him, the two mares laying at separate ends of the room bullet holes in their heads. The Zebra mare’s body hung from the desk. But most frightening of all was that the attacker was nowhere to be seen.

He got to his hooves, ignoring the pain in his legs, and thought of making a mad dash for the door. That thought died as the feel of metal fingers wrapped around his throat and brought him face to face with the jet black visor of the cyber mare.

“Please, I could pay you a fortune. Howse 1000 caps sound?” His begging was only met with cold silence. The visor turned a bright red as the cyber mare looked at him. “I won't do my business here anymore, if you let me go I will leave the hoof and you will never hear from me.” Still, nothing as she brought her right hoof up, and extended talons came out. “Your security right? you don’t kill defenseless ponies if they surrender. Spare me! Please!”

“That mare left a long time ago.” Her voice sent chills down his spine. Her red eyes began to glow, using other talons she pressed on his right eye, she pushed his eye into the socket. The sounds of screams were the only thing that could be heard throughout the halls of the tunnels, and then silence.

With a loud explosion, a mare was torn in two, her body falling to the floor as the hooves of other ponies tramped and fell over her. Three more met her fate as the fleeing crowd ran from their attackers. Behind them large light blue unicorn walked calmly alongside her armored friend, firing the strange cannon-like weapon, picking off more ponies as they strolled. The fleeing herd ran toward their only hope, a large set of metal doors that led to a huge open interior filled with cages. As the herd ran the double doors began to close forcing ponies to gallop faster, five made through before the metal doors closed too tight leaving ten behind to their fate.

The ponies looked between each other, some beating on the doors screaming for help. Their pleas stop when a rough-sounding voice spoke from behind. “Well, this your bad day mate.” They all turned to see the armored mare staring at them, while her face was hidden the faint sight of a smile could be seen. The sight of her sinister pink glowing eyes cause three of the ponies to cower in fear, the close’s pony, a purple mare stood frozen at the monster in front of her.

With the swing of her forelegs, her hoof claws tore into the purple mare’s muzzle and with a yank, the whole mouth was torn off. The purple pony fell limp to the ground. The ones close to the door began beating on it again while the others went for weapons in their hosters.

Before they could attack the armored mare launched forward, putting her hooves around a golden buck’s neck as he reached for his gun. With a hard headbutt, she drove the spike on her helmet into the pony’s eye socket, a second later he stopped moving. Before she could drop his body the other ponies pulled their guns into their mouths and began firing, most bounce off her armor but the ones aimed at her legs found their mark, tearing away flesh and then bone. One unicorn mare to her side blew out the armored mare’s left hind leg with a shotgun.

But she did not fall, yell in pain, or whimper instead, a quiet giggle turned into a hard laugh that stopped the ponies from shooting, they looked at her in confusion than in horror as her wound healed. The bone restoring itself then the skin and fur, until the white coat with red stripes returned. “Ya are rich, you thought you could kill me.” her glowing eyes narrowed. “Now which of you, fools want to be chop chop first?” Her pink eyes dotted to the unicorn with the shotgun. “How about you mate?”

Before the mare could even move the armored mare launched herself at the unicorn. Stampeding into the mare with a sickening crunch the strange mare pushed the unicorn mare into another pony as her charge continue. With a loud crash, the two ponies lie limp against the cave wall. The strange mare turned to the remaining five ponies, all who wore expresses of dread and spoke coldly. “ I’m not done yet, mate.”

She charged them, in seconds she ripped and tore through them rearing the entire cave tunnel with blood and corpses. Looking on at the whole display the large unicorn mare simply sighed, waiting until the carnage was done her horn lift up and a saddlebag on her flank opened, floating a white flower out, she brought it to her mouth and ate it. When her sack was done she simply spoke condescendingly.

“Rampage are you done yet?” while quite they got the strip pony’s attention, Rampage gave her a ‘what?’ look that made the large unicorn huff in annoyance. “Rampage I know you find these types of jobs fun, but do remember our main objective. Your slaughter comes second to that remember?”

“Oh right sorry Lacunae, got carried away.” Rampage tried to hide her embarrassment, this hadn’t been the first time she’d got carried away on a job. Nearly cost them once, boss chewed her out for that. “Hold on have that door down in a second.” Rampage trotted up to the metal doors, and with a quick spin, she bucked the doors with her hind legs.

With tremendous force, the doors bent after each buck, until with the last kick the doors gave way. Falling backward with a loud cling as it hit the floor, dust filled the air. Rampage’s greeting was met with a hell storm of bullets, the barrage of fire simply annoying the mare. From inside the room, eighteen ponies kept firing endlessly hoping the mare would just die! But as the sound of guns clicking empty started happening one after another, a sense of dread filled the ponies as the dust settled. But as things became cleared the doorway was completely empty say for their fallen brethren.

“You should pay attention to your opponent instead of just randomly shooting.” a soft but cold voice spoke from behind them before any pony could turn around all of them were encased in a bluish glow and lifted into the air. The sound of cracking and popping of necks followed as the bodies hit the floor the form of a large unicorn mare stood watching the carnage she had created. “They might just sneak up on you.”

Trotting up from behind her the striped armored mare huff at her in an annoyed tone. “I could have handled that you know.” She stared up at the larger mare with a smirk as pinkish light began closing bullet holes on the mare's face.

“You were taking too long, we need to rush this job along, remember?” The larger mare gave the striped a stern but friendly look “Besides your armor was getting damaged a bit, you want to explain to the boss why you need another set?”

The smaller mare made an annoyed huff at the idea, the amount of yelling she expected for just a few dents made her groan deeply as the thought of another verbal tear down ran through her. “Yeah yeah, Celestia knows we don’t need the boss chewing us out.” The striped mare turned to face their real objective, behind them sat cages stacked into piles on top of each other. Inside was a sight that spoke to the cruelty of the Wasteland, slaves. Some were dirty and unkempt, others looked badly injured with scars on their bodies, all wore metal collars attached to bars of the cage to keep mobility limited.

The striped mare grunted angrily at the sight, while she had seen it all before it was enough to get her blood boiling. “Didn’t we stop this?” she thought to herself as they trotted to a cage.

The ponies inside tried to move away as the two mares approached, fearing painted on all their faces. This made the two mares stop in their tracks giving each other a worried look before the larger mare trotted to the cage. It was only when the cheerful shouts of a young filly chained up in the corner at the sight of the mares

“It’s them! It’s them, Mama! It’s the Heroes!” At first, an older light pink mare tried to hush her child but as the filly kept shouting all the ponies in the cage looked at the mares with a sense of hope they thought they never would have again

With a kind smile and smooth sounding voice Lacunae spoke. “You need not worry, we are here to release you.” The ponies in the cage's eyes lit up with surprise.

“We are the Demon Mares.”