Fallout Equestria: Foreshadow

Toro slowly woke with her head down on the workbench, the gun in one piece. Did I finish it? She sat up rubbing her eyes, before standing up and walking into her connected bathroom. She turned on the water before staring at it.

The Overmare said she had other methods right? She turned the water off. She contemplated just how long she could live without taking another shower or using any water that isn't from the public fountain. She glanced in the mirror, her eyes seemed more bloodshot than usual. She didn't know if this was real, but she damn sure wasn't taking any risks. She fastened the goggles over her eyes and rushed back over to her terminal, she began erasing the evidence. She wanted no trace of the data and she was about to wipe it from her pipbuck when the office door opened.

"I'll be with you in a second," She growled turning around almost flinching as she saw Life Support smiling at her from the doorway, "Don't you knock? I coulda been in the middle of something, Doc."

His smile seemed so much more menacing now, "It's... Important. Have you finished with Mastiff's rifle? It looks intact."

She made no move to stop him as he grabbed the rifle, "Yeah, I made the modifications he asked for. Tell him to be more careful with it. I'm not his personal gunsmith."

"Don't worry your pretty little head about what our security does. Just do as you're told."

Toro balled her fists and forced herself to stay quiet as he walked out. She sat back down, trying to remember what Jumpstart was supposed to be doing today.

"Fixing the lights." She swore a voice whispered to her.

She shook her head. It sounded like her voice but... How tired am I?

Regardless, as far as she could recall she'd been complaining all week for him to fix them, she waited a few minutes before leaving the office and checking her pipbuck for the time. 10:25 am.

Toro entered the common area watching everything carefully as she walked up to Mastiff, "Hey you seen Jump? He's supposed to be replacing these lights."

The massive security guard glanced over his shoulder, "Oh yeah, last I saw he was working on the residential lights. Made sure to let everyone know to steer clear, I don't know what it is with you engiees' and being anti-social."

"Thanks." She walked off calmly but the moment she turned the corner she sprinted towards the residential suites.

Unlike the other dwellers, Toro didn't like the residential suites. It was too frilly and nice for her, nevermind the fact that there was nothing for her to do. Her mouth dropped as she realized there were at least four different floors he could be on. Damn you Mastiff. She bolted down the first flight of stairs onto the second level. She rounded a corner and collided with a familiar lavender pony, landing on top of her.

Toro panted heavily out of sudden anxiety and the fact that this was the most amount of cardio she's done in months, she stared into Magnolia's blue eyes. She mumbled an apology and took off leaving Magnolia to prop herself up on one arm as she watched the earth pony rush down the hall. She was just about to start down to the third floor when all the lights on the third floor blacked out for a moment before flickering slowly back to life.

"No," Toro rushed down the stairs and slowed her pace as she saw one of the doors open with no light inside, "No..."

She walked into the doorway and clicked on her pipbuck's light. She instantly regretted it as a charred form lay on the floor, what remained of Jumpstart's blonde mane was now dark yellow and singed almost beyond recognition. There was a strange low buzzing and the smell of burning flesh caused her to gag, she clamped her hand over her mouth and swallowed the bile rising in her throat.

Toro mindlessly rushed forward, "Jump- "

A strong pair of arms grabbed her and restrained her, "Toro are you out of your mind?!"

She fought against the stallion, "Let me go! I gotta help him- "

"You'll get yourself killed! Didn't you see all the power fail? Not only is it too late for him, but he's a live wire right now. I'm trying to help, I understand what you feel but he's gone already! If you don't calm down I'm gonna have to really restrain you and I don't want to do that to you, Toro."

She knew who her captor was now but she still fought against Shield's grip. She didn't care what he said.

I can still-

Her thoughts were cut short as she was slammed hard against the metal floor outside of the room. There was a bit of an audience forming now. Her vision blurred and her head pounded, her eyes stung as they began tearing up from the pain.

"Now, are you gonna listen to me?" His voice was level as he pulled her up to a sitting position as he put handcuffs on her before standing her up. He sounded apologetic. She weakly nodded, still dazed. "Good. You're lucky I like you, I coulda just used the stun baton and then I would have to carry you. Now walk, slowly and back to your office."

Toro's mind reeled as Shield marched her up the stairs. No no no! What do I do? I can't run away from him... Wait why does he want to go to my office? Detained dwellers are supposed to sit in the security office.

She walked in silence while her brain worked overtime to figure out a way out. Before she knew it, they stood in front of her door. She opened it and walked over to her bed, sitting down. Shield stood blocking the door as it closed behind him.

"I saw you sprinting down the hall and figured there was trouble. I'm sorry about Jumpstart, nopony should have to die like that." He stepped forwards until he stood in front of her, he sounded sincere.

She had an idea now. She thanked her lucky stars that he was dumb enough and infatuated enough with her that he'd break protocol. She began to feel slightly guilty and took a deep breath. Mag, forgive me for what I'm about to do. I don't wanna die. Not here, not by Overmare Flare's hands.

Thanking her lucky stars that she never took off the goggles she patted a spot on the bed next to her, watching him carefully as he sat down. She could see the handgun in his thigh holster as he sat down, "I just... He was one of the few ponies I could really talk to you know? He was my mentor."

"I didn't know you two were so close. Well I'm here if you- "

Toro lightly began to push Shield down on her bed, she wanted to gag. "Well... If you're really here for me..."

She could see the realization in his eyes as he willingly laid back and she straddled him.

"I'm... I'm new to this so could you close your eyes?"

He did exactly as she told him. She swore she could feel something guiding her hands as she continued.

"Get the gun- Shoot him- Kill-"

Toro's thoughts began to swarm as the small voices whispered to her, she slowly slid the pistol from the holster and felt herself pointing it at the stallion's head.

"Kill-"

With a shout she pulled back and pistol-whipped him, knocking the stallion unconscious. She panted as she hopped off of him, using a saw to cut the cuffs off.

What was that? That... Voice. I would never kill Shield.

Once the cuffs were off she grabbed his arm and began to access his pipbuck if she remembered correctly, all security was issued a specific code in their pipbuck whether they knew it or not. She'd discovered it long ago when tinkering with Mastiff's pipbuck, a phantom code that she figured might come in handy.

I'm sorry Mag. Sorry, Shield.

She found what she was looking for and stood up looking back at the unconscious stallion in her bed. Toro took the holster and strapped it onto her own leg, packing a bag and tightening the straps. The engineer tightened the strap on her goggles before stepping over to the control panel by the door, she was glad she insisted on converting this room into her bedroom. She slid the magazine out of the gun, it was full but she prayed that she wouldn't have to shoot anypony. She opened the panel and flicked one of the breaker switches, counting down as she heard the lights shutting off once the office went dark she opened the door and bolted down the pitch-black hallways lit with the emergency lights. She'd been running full pelt when the lights flashed back on.

"Vault security," Overmare Flare's voice called through the loudspeaker, "Be on the lookout for Junior Engineer Totoro, she must be detained if possible. She is armed and extremely dangerous. Put the safety of the vault first."

Now Toro had an official target on her, there was a deafening bang and she stumbled as a bullet whizzed over her shoulder. She took a hard left and made the second right, in her panicked state the Vault she was so familiar with was now a winding maze with trigger-happy armed guards after her. All she needed to do was make it to the vault door, it was easier said than done as she ducked around a corner just narrowly dodging the sight of another guard. She slowly drew the pistol and ran her fingers over it shakily before turning the safety off, she felt sick.

How could ponies I grew up with just be ready to kill one of their own at a moment's notice? We've known each other for years! Sure, we may not have been good friends but I'm still... I'm still a living breathing pony dammit!

Toro glanced down at her pipbuck, as far as she could see on the map she wasn't far. As long as I don't run into Mastiff I'll be fine. She exploded out of her cover again with the direction this time as she navigated the halls.

Toro stood before the vault door control, despite the situation she still felt some doubt. There's no going back, the Overmare made that clear. I'm a dead pony walking, they didn't even try to speak to me. Shoot on sight. She flipped the glass cover over the button on the control.

"That's far enough!" She flinched as a gruff voice startled her, "Turn around, slowly. I figured I'd find you here."

She complied facing Mastiff, there he stood roughly 10 feet away from her holding the rifle she had worked on. Out of all the things she could have been worried about, she was almost angry that the guard had already scratched the paint on it. She was about to be killed by her own creation. It was almost funny to her as she smiled, not out of joy but her body's response to the situation. "Come on Mastiff. You don't have to do this, you know I didn't do anything. You know me-"

"Oh, now you wanna play nice? I put up with your shit for years. All of us have, you always treated everyone like garbage. Magnolia would always come to tell us about how much of a fucking handful you are, you know I knew your shitty personality would get you in deep. And now you want me to throw away a golden opportunity to get rid of you? You're right. I do know you, I sure as hell won't miss you- "

He didn't get to finish the sentence as the moment he pulled the trigger the rifle he had pointed at Toro exploded in his hands, he dropped to the floor his hands, or really what remained of the bloody stumps, blackened from the sudden combustion. It was poetic justice. So I hadn't finished it! That would explain a lot. You deserved it, asshole. Thank Celestia for that. She fumbled with her pipbuck and plugged in before smashing the button, watching in awe as the massive door rolled open.

"Wow. Now that's a marvel of engineer-"

"She's opened the vault!" Toro's thoughts interrupted by shouting coming from the hall behind Mastiff.

She didn't wait for the door to finish opening as she got a running start and leapt the gap before the walkway extended, sprinting hard as she heard bullets ricochet off the metal door.

Her foot caught a loose rock and she fell forward, she squeezed her eyes closed as she tumbled downhill. She suddenly hit the ground hard landing flat on her back, the moment her head connected with the ground she was out cold.