Fallout Equestria: Ballad of a Rogue Ranger

Chapter twenty-eight: Wakeup call

It was almost as if S.A.T.S. clicked on as the time slowed down. The round hit wide, only managing to shatter half one shack into pieces. For those poor souls inside it was at least a quick death… then the next one landed. The music stopped as I watched the blast tear that jukebox in half before doing the same to the pony that once fixed it.

Amongst those of the crowd two more landed and sent a spray of dirt, debris, and pony parts scattering. Folks took off running which way and that, while all I could do was throw my visor around hoping for something to pop up on the E.F.S. No dice, artillery was too far out of range, and my screen was clear.

One figure stood through the soot, and as I rushed up Deacon was hauling what I hoped was a still breathing settler over his shoulder. I grabbed one side of the fallen stallion with my horn, and threw him over the suit. The gryphon didn’t so much as say a word before he was already back amongst those hit. Now where was… I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Tumble helping a mare who lost her leg.

No time to dally, there was only one place to go.

Four more clunks rang out in the distance, and minding the pony on my back I stuck close to the shacks out of the open. The next volley of shells scattered on towards the buildings these ponies built up over a life time, some now reduced down to scrap wood.

Alimite and Winter peeled past me, the mother with her weapon drawn as they both ran towards the shop. They had their own priorities during whatever this was, as did I. My hooves carried me on in to Lusters, and as I already figured there were a few others who made it here from the first hit. Missing limbs, shattered legs, and puncture wounds painted the floor boards crimson while the doc ran between them.

“Lay him here!” she yelled while pushing old furniture clear for the colt across my back. Immediately her doctor bag opened and she started jabbing at him with every needle in there it seemed.

The door swung back open, and Deacon fumbled in with the same mare split between himself and Tumble. Almost literally, some sort of shrapnel managed to tear the belly of the mare clean open. Out past that open door something started to become clear, those weren’t all screams of pain I was hearing.

Some of them sounded like they were enjoying this…

One colt far different from the ones I’d seen in town burst on past the door. The machete in his teeth meant business, and with his pupils dialed in on the closet target. Half a dozen slashes from the dull edge still drew blood on my friend hind forcing him to drop the mare. ADAC and Shotty were useless at this range, but a burst from Tumbles’ carbine dropped the colt where he stood. Combat armor, pony skull emblem, well fed, and by the sounds of it from outside… organized.

Lock wasn’t waiting around for me to break that favor; the Gunners had found this place.

My barrels stayed trained on that door for any more unwanted guests, as Tumble went to his side. “Relax… just a flesh wound,” Deacon smirked back at her through a grunt, but I know a deep cut when I see it.

Never the less before either myself or Tumble could stop him. The gryphon patched himself up almost as fast as the colt made the cuts, shot a Med-X, and jumped into action alongside Luster. Both the mare and I just looked at one another, and I’m not sure who was more impressed by his dedication. Maybe somewhere with the princesses Fluttershy was looking down with approval.

More shouting and gunshots started to permeate past the door, and muffled behind the walls of the structure I heard that same clunking from before. Pushing past the frame I peered down the dirt paths that carved through town, and amongst the steady purr of turrets out in the distance, other firearms joined in on the choir. Far more than I’d seen in this town. However, some of the newer residents didn’t need a gun.

I wasn’t more than two feet out the door when a Gunner was slung me, but before I could even get a bead on him. His lifeless body slumped to my hooves, and I saw the one responsible coming in to view. Riff licked the ends of her paws clean, while over one shoulder was both her 40mm, and a pony to boot. Looked like one gunner tried to get a bit too close judging from his torn abdomen.

She made her way on to the shack, and movement behind the hellhound grabbed my attention. One leap put me past her, and in the face of another of Locks troops rounding a building. The mare clenched the bit, and from this close I still felt a dozen .308s rattle my cage. Yet, that was all she was going to get out of it. A thrust from my horn sent her just far enough away for a single shell to do all the work needed.

And then their own shells hit, again.

Armor integrity: 92%

Warning: Concussion detected!

I can’t stress this enough, but fuck this artillery was getting good quick! If I had to guess… you know from the throbbing in my skull, these were high explosive shells, not anti-personnel so less shrapnel. They were looking for an armored target to rattle and toss about to pieces. I could only but wonder who that might be. Luckily the first of the salvo blew me out of range from the other three, but that shit still hurt…

Something clenched my tail as my noggin rattled on the ground, and Riff was already dragging me in to the shack once more as she rested the other settler down. “Only see few get into town,” she filled us in, “new guns giving run for money.”

I tried processing that as the suit trickled in meds of my own, and I got to watch my vision straightened out once more, “Good, so let’s try to keep it that way.”

“I hate to break it too ya chief,” Deacon talked over checking out the new patient Riff brought in, still limping himself, “but that won’t mean a thing if the town is leveled by morning…”

More clunks off in the distance answered that enough, and these ones were getting closer to the shack itself. Wood against high explosives was never a good combination. All it would take is one lucky hit, there goes one Ranger, and a boat load of others as collateral.

Riff hoisted the 40mm off her shoulder, and with a quick check of her gun took a stand at the door. “Dog watch over healing pony, and turkey,” I don’t think he’ll ever get used to being called that, “Wild go find and break big gun.”

You know, I almost felt sorry for whoever tried to break this door down and attack those inside… almost. I readied myself at the door, as Tumble tagged alongside. If Riff was gonna stick around and help guard, then there was no need for her to watch over them. Besides, I could use somepony watching my back. Out the door we burst, and almost immediately there was a small whistle from above.

After bouncing like a pinball my suit and its passenger came to a stop, with only half my ass lodge in a porch. Tumble held her hooves my side for a second longer. Until she saw the fading glimmer around us of the shield… it was nice to know I’d work against an indirect hit. “I’ll need to get Mercy,” she shook herself off of me, and looked off past some collapsed shacks towards the shop, “if their guns are far off, we’ll need something with range.”

And I didn’t doubt that AMR could reach out and touch it, or at the very least see it.

Across my side I started to hear and feel the pinging of rounds as they dented into the armor, and less accurate shots tear into the planks of wood around us. Maybe more than a few made it past those defenses, or the turrets were down for the count. I kept Tumble covered while they had me in their sights, up until she jumped through the open window of a vendor as I took the more direct approach of barreling into the door.

From the holes I was seeing in the storefront, it looks like they brought every caliber to this party! Though if we were in the market, that meant the shop was only across that bridge, and through these guys. Yeah, nothing I couldn’t- a scream pierced through my helmet, and immediately I shot up looking through the stores window.

Those rounds towards us turned their attention to the source, and now in their sights was another store front as they closed the gap. Well, their loss for not paying attention. ADAC armed and I brought the bit ready to chomp. ‘Stop!’ I yelled to myself, and past them noted one colt I’d just barely met. Brail was cowering behind the shops front counter, and while the gunners may not see him, I certainly did.

Shotty too far, ADAC might blow them and the store to pieces… “Tumble, cover me.”

The mare didn’t get the chance to say a thing before I was already out the window stomping towards those thugs. That’s was one way to draw their attention! By the third step their guns were already back on me and dumping shots, so long as they weren’t going towards the other store, I could live with that.

Armor integrity: 79%

One gunner dropped before I could even reach them from the 5.56 behind me. Although somepony picked a bad time to reload… IF-86 dropped his mag as I got within muzzle length of him and didn’t stop. My snout kissed the end of his own, before trampling over him towards the next target. IF-9 pumped three slugs off in to the suit before I knocked her against the wall of the shop.

Armor integrity: 71%

Shotgun wasn’t dead yet, and my hoof went in for the- bang! Okay, now she was? The gunner slumped to one side with nearly a look of surprise across her face, and a little 10mm hole in her temple. There past the counter wasn’t just Brail from earlier, but the entire pack… along with their guardian holding an IF-21 in her mouth.

Spade wasn’t trembling, and had probably shot a gun before now… but her face still just stared blankly ahead of my own. Shot a gun, sure, but had to use it…? “Is everypony alright?” I asked giving her a gentle rest of my hoof to her shoulder.

That seemed to do the trick, as she shook her head clear. “Yeah, were good…” she didn’t sound like it, but this wasn’t the time and place to-

Clunk.

Oh shit! My inventory flipped over and… shield not ready yet. Instinctively I slammed my whole side against the opening of the counter trying to make up for the gap, and moments later the shockwave hit from the shells landing beside us. This storefront might need a full remodeling, but damn did the pony who built it know their construction! That counter held me firm and just acted as a brace for the concussion when it hit.

Armor integrity: 63%

Warning: Internal bleeding detected!

The first thing I saw was Tumble trying to drag my ass inside the store, but Spade giving me a quick smack with her gun was a close second. Her blank expression from before was now one of worry, and she was more than vocal about that.

“You ain’t allowed to die here mister!” her head started pushing against my back, and at the same time more potions started to inject.

Nothing like the motivation of a filly threatening you, “I’m… fine,” that was a lie. About 63% a lie at least. Though with my insides starting to mend themselves together from that shockwave passing through, I did manage to find my footing.

Together Tumble and I poked our heads over the counter and past the lighting that stretched to the bridge, and on through the darkened fields before the shop. It was a lot of open ground, fair game for whoever was spotting this artillery. I didn’t want to make that trip, she didn’t want to either, but if we wanted to be able to reach out and touch the gunners. She’d need that gun of hers. While there wasn’t any fire coming our way, now was a good time as any.

“You all stay here, get somewhere safer if you can,” I told to Spade, knowing very well the others would fall into line if she went anywhere. All the filly gave me was a nod, and I went back to the mare, “ready to go?”

Limbered up, Tumble brought her hooves on to the counter top alongside me, “as I’ll ever be…”

Together both of us bound over the top, and hit the ground running. If there was somepony spotting for their artillery I wasn’t about to make it any easier for them, and sit still for too long. Almost as if by cue four separate clunks resonated out in the distance, for the first time I was able to figure out a direction as my visor turned east. Closer up to the mountains, probably giving them the extra elevation for-

One shell right at my tail forced my hooves a bit faster, and I thoroughly kicked my flank in to high gear. The next three landed not far off from the initial mark. Whoever was spotting for them was good, but thankfully not that good.

Tumble started to creep past me as her hooves far out matched mine, but she also wasn’t hauling around several hundred pounds of metal and weaponry. Those upgrades to the plating certainly didn’t help all that much.

A few more feet put us over the bridge and on towards the fields. Some crops might get trampled, but I’d rather hear about it later from Winter than end up blown too bits. Maybe in the fields we’d lose them, or they’d level the whole damned place. For a split second my ear flickered inside the helmet, waiting to hear that familiar tune answer my jinx.

Yet, their guns remained silent… as did the shop in front of us. Besides the few bodies outside the door, it didn’t look any different from when I left it not all that long ago. ‘Sorry about this Winter,’ I thought for a moment, before turning to the tried-and-true battering ram that was my shoulder.

Door broke open, I rolled in, and my hooves caught the floor finally bringing me to a stop. With a .357 staring right at me, “That’s liable to get ya shot,” Winter put her pistol away nearly as fast as it was drawn, and I got back up to my hooves in case any others followed us here.

“Trying to avoid mortar shells… stopping to knock isn’t exactly an option,” any moment now I expected one of those shells to come through the roof, and ram itself down my throat.

Hmm… nope, still nothing. Maybe all these jinxes were just building up to get back at me later. “Well, you’re here now, so go on in the back and make yourself useful,” Winter waved me off as she stood guard once more, “Next to my daughter, you probably know turrets just as well, and by the sound of things outside they’re taking a beating.”

From the back of the shop, I already could hear the clanging of tools and other parts against each other. Somepony was busy, and as I pushed open the door a bit more cautiously. Alimite ran by an inch from my muzzle. Bandana up in a knot, tools laden across her belt, and a big enough bag of parts to rebuild over half the M.W.T. The mare looked frantic, but at the same time calm and ready for anything.

Tumble didn’t wait for anything, and while I watched one mare run around like her own personal madhouse. The other went to retrieve what she came here for, that left me- Excuse you! Alimite grabbed hold the suit with her aura and pulled me in towards the pile of parts.

“Good you’re in one piece,” for a split second she smiled, and I knew she meant it, “I need those servos,” and a split second later I found the parts across by back, now I knew how Riff felt, “holding up alright?”

Compared to the other shit I’ve carried, this might as well have been literal featherweights, “Oh, I think I’ll manage.”

A little readjustment found the bag better situated, and when I had to start galloping again, I wouldn’t leave it in the dust. Alimite went back too it, somehow finding more places on her belt to put tools. While I reached out for whatever scrap I could find and shoved it in my hopper. That last salvo of shells almost nipped me in the ass, and I’d much rather not get torn to shreds with her spare parts in the crosshairs as well.

Smaller dents and misallied plates nudged themselves back in to place with the talisman getting fresh food. No, no take your time. It’s not like there isn’t a fight going on outside! You’d think we would have made these things with a bigger hopper, but nope… somepony thought just a hoof full of scrap would be enough to win a war. Yes, I partially blame myself for that blunder.

Alimite whipped out her pump-action, and after racking back a shell lead me back to the others, “All set mom?”

Winter looked… worried, to say the least. The mare peered through one of the windows, and past her face I could see those flashes glinting off it. Arty out there was laying down the pain still, and both of us had to silently wonder what’d be left in the end. It’s a wonder he hadn’t followed us to the building, and blow it out from around us.

All her mom gave us was a nod, and with Tumble coming out carting Mercy over her shoulder, the four of us left the shop with myself on point several lengths ahead. The darkened expanse of the fields didn’t hide any bars, at least according to my E.F.S. and we trotted through the rows of food towards the bulk of the town. Our mechanics had places to go, and it didn’t take long for me once in the light to find my bearings. I mean, if all else just follow the shooting.

On through the streets we went, and along the once only semi-dirty path every so often we passed by the body of settler and Gunner alike. Defense turrets weren’t perfect, not by a long shot, but if we hadn’t made better ones. I had a gut feeling we’d be seeing a lot more Settlers across the ground.

And then the storefront next to me exploded… lucky shot bastard.

Armor integrity: 62%

Warning: Ruptured ear drum! Abnormal heart rhythm!

Huh? So that’s what happens when you get forcible CPR with compression waves… though drug spamming probably didn’t help either. Any percentage I went up in Winters’ was wiped clean. Whatever the hell Mabel had behind that counter of hers, I’d have to see if she had anything left after this.

Winter shouted words to me as my visor stared up at the lighting above, but all I saw were her lips moving. I wanted to get up, yet anytime I moved past a rocking chair my head went spinning. Voices weren’t coming through, but some mares’ 12-gauge was ringing loud and clear as she held some unseen gunners off.

At least the towns lighting over top was… oh… you’re really stupid!

A shot of my own potion supplemented whatever the suit was trickling in for those injuries, and I was really hoping healing potions worked for heart rate correction. Something to learn for later, right now I had an epiphany. The shield kicked on as I finally found my footing, and past its shimmer stood some very confused looking gunners.

From behind the shield combat shotty rang true, turning a few in to the pancake batter I’d come to know. .357 joined in, and with Winter beside doing work that left little for her daughter or even Tumble to mop up. One got in a tad too close for my liking, but before he could break through the shield or the other two to answer him. A haymaker answered his chin, knocking the stallion to the ground, and a single .357 scattering his skull across the dirt. Nope! She hadn’t lost that touch after all these years.

Now just to test this theory, and stay put for just a bit-

Clunk… There it was!

Before the salvo even finished, I already found my way between some of the buildings, followed quickly by the girls. Visor stayed on where I once stood, and there wasn’t a long pause between the artillery, and the ensuing blast of the shells. From this close dirt and other debris rained over top us, but in the end my little theory paid out.

“The lights,” I mumbled at first, but was only answered by the blank stares of the three, “They’re targeting me, and they’re using the lighting of the town to do it.”

Especially with the Enclave cloud cover, they’d need any light available to call in shots from a distance at this time of night. Regular shelling was alright to try and soften the town up when I was indoors, but the gunners had a real throbber for me. Once I was in the open, that rang the dinner bell.

Winter was the first to move after that, she checked her revolver, and put herself between myself and the opening of the alley. “I can kill the lights, give you a clear path without them having you in their sights,” she looked around the corner, before turning to face me, “You just keep them in your own.”

Winter tore down one street, and I had to admit. Having no armor really did make a mare faster, no wonder where Alimite got it from. Half my visor leaned out the alley watching her go, ensuring nothing bit her in the ass. Till I heard more clunks off in the distance, and I broke from the alley with my friends and ran down the opposite way. Ya know, moments like this makes me realize just how ironic this was in the grand scheme of things.

Most of the tech and weaponry in the wastes, spawned from the brainchild of the M.W.T. or M.A.S., I had a hoof in developing. To a much smaller degree, I had a hoof in testing as well at the range. At some point or another a design had probably crossed my desk, or I’d taken one home to look over while eating dinner. After all that time in the office, and shop trying to hone Equestrias tech to be the deadliest on the battlefield.

Here I was, on the receiving end of it all… Just like that!

The small group of gunners wasn’t a surprise to me, I mean… who was attacking us after all? What did ignite my oh shit meter was the Missile pony ahead as he took aim, and I held my breath with a click of S.A.T.S. The flash leapt from behind him as the warhead came towards me. Too bad they weren’t guided and pretty damned slow even without the spell, a split second and side step later and- his round was turning towards me?! That’s when I caught the box with wires and shit sticking out the side of the barrel, targeting computer, of course it was.

Target pony? No, wouldn’t kill the round. Shoot round? Might still damage the… oh fuck it. One shell locked on the munition, and in midair I got to watch pellets meet warhead. Subsequently, I watched the still glowing hot shrapnel from it speed on through, right in my path.

S.A.T.S. started to die out, and time sped up again. Just as the shrapnel slammed into my chest, and face. The visor cracked, and parts along the center shattered, forcing my eyes to clench shut. Now I was blind, and I didn’t dare open my eyes while there might still be glass flakes around the helmet. Instead, I settled for a squint, and all I got in return was blurred images of flash warnings along my HUD. I’d take that over glass literally in my eye any day.

Around me I heard the cycling of 5.56, as well as 12-gauge. I may not be able to aim worth a damn right now, but I felt those mares use the suit for what it did best. Be a bullet sponge, though I wasn’t completely useless in this state.

“Point me!” I shouted, and for a second neither of them did a thing, till I felt their hooves work in tandem to nudge me the right way. A moment later, I felt a jerk to the cannon.

I wasn’t sure what weapon would be best suited for it, but there really isn’t a such thing as situational only weapon when you consider what I was packing… at least for the ADAC. 14.4mm raddled off to who knows where, and to my own self I hoped I didn’t cause more destruction than the Gunners did.

Then I heard it once more, another salvo, and my horn grabbed hold of those next to me as best I could and started dragging them on towards whoever was shooting me. Whichever one was tapping the ADAC encouraging me to fire wasn’t complaining, and like they wished I kept it pouring in. Until there was but one jerk to the shotty, and as if called upon I let the shells fly free.

Something squishy was under my hooves now, and parts of me wanted to imagine it was grapes for wine… but I knew better. The ground beneath me shook while those shells found their old mark, and I was thankful they didn’t have something a little more direct. Nothing was hitting me for a moment, so in that time I let the visor pop up and watched as those glass flakes fell free from my muzzle.

Armor integrity: 55%

With that headache avoided, I looked to one side and Tumble clenched on to the cannons rear. As the opposite held Alimite in a similar position. The trail behind me looked like many others I’ve made in the time since 100. Pony bits scattered about, minced flesh here and there, along with the blood of more gunners spilling the streets. Then I noticed, past her head something else. Those lights strung around town started to do much the same as the rest of the wasteland, they flicked as if fighting to stay on.

A fight they lost.

After one more spark the lights went out, and around the three of us those streets were nearly pitch black. Besides the occasional beam of energy shooting up from the front of town, it was hard to see anything through this tinted visor.

“You two okay?” the mares had let go, but I still felt them next to me.

“Breathing, so that’s a plus,” Alimite answered, and I watched her blur in the night.

“I hate to say it,” I heard Tumble follow up after her, “but you make a wonderful shield.”

Yeah, don’t make a habit of that, “and a big target,” wait… who the hell were-

Something hit me, something heavy at that, and the suit crunched against the side of one shack as the parts bag flew off. I tried to look where the hit had come from, but all I could make out was three different shapes in the night. One larger than the others I noted, and I saw the flickering of a red bar to my E.F.S. Shadow pony tossed the other two blurs to the side, giving me only the return of both mares grunting from the impact. Big mistake on his part, as with them out of the way shotty started laying down the shells.

One, and I saw from the muzzle flash a pony dodging.

Two, and that pony inched closer avoiding the shell.

Three, and I watched the smirk of the stallion inches from me.

The fourth shell just escaped the barrel when concrete filled my vison, and once again sent me sprawling. Wood paneling didn’t stand a chance, as I found my way through the shack and in to a living room of some kind. Here there was still light, and I kept my barrels facing towards the second door I’d made.

A concrete crusted pole smashed against my chest with a resounding clang, knocking what little breath I had left from my chest. Before it slid to the ground, this stallion was already clenching it in his teeth and delivering another swing. My hooves held up to try and stop it, but with all its heft I felt something inside give way.

Armor integrity: 47%

Warning: Right foreleg fractured!

My front half crumpled, and a buck to the jaw sent a number of little Celestias dancing in my eyes. For a second past the tiny princesses, I watched the stout colt trudge with that same grin under a combat helmet. His crude Warhammer of concrete and rebar dragging behind him.

5.56 ripped through the door frame, and I knew my own calvary arrived. Tumble leapt on through the actual door while my vision tried to right itself, only to be met with a table to the face knocking her back outside. That she’d walk away from, taking his tenderizer to the chest would likely cave it in. Dizzy still or not, I shot up against the colt. Slamming my own shoulder into his, I heard a crack through the helmet and I had to wonder if it was his joint popping or mine.

Our limbs remained locked with one another, but so long as he couldn’t get ahold of that hammer, I’d be happy. Both our heads cocked back, and met in the midd- oh damn it! The Med-X trickled in before the full pain even registered, but what the hell were they feeding this guy?! My hooves dropped, just as I felt his wrap up underneath the suit lifting me free from the ground. Huh, so this is what it’s like to be colthandled?

My back smashed against the floorboards, and underneath it felt like I dropped down a few good inches into the foundation. Above, the stallion got hold of his hammer yet again, and throughout this that smile never left his face.

A face that now shook…

Out the side of his neck I saw the hole, and watched the stallion shutter from the impact as he stood there trying to process what happened in his eyes. Then another shot rang out, and a similar hole punctured its way through his temple blasting out the side. The weight of his hammer dropped from his mouth on my chest, soon followed by the stallion to my side. Melee weapons might not need to be reloaded, but he still brought a hammer to a gun fight.

A hammer that wiped the floor with me for a few minutes there, “You ain’t getting outta this fight that easy,” some filly told me something similar not too long ago, now overhead stood a different grin from a very different pony.

Walker lent me a hoof a helped hoist the suit up to all fours, while past him both Alimite with her parts bag and Tumble got into the shack. The latter’s muzzle had seen better days, that’s for sure, but nothing our resident doc couldn’t fix up.

The old stallion tossed our mare a handkerchief, and as the mare wrapped a cloth to cover the bleeding, I let the suit tack on a few percentages. Now that I wasn’t getting my head smashed in, those mortar shots were coming in a lot less often now that I think of it. My gamble, and Winters knowledge, paid off.

Walker kept an eye peeled out the window, as he loaded a few more .45s into the tube. “I’d been cleaning up what got through before the guns took note, and this fella looked to be the last of em,” besides the dozen or so we’d run into, the colt was probably the reason our trek through town had gone fairly smoothly, “so unless you want to help me get the light back on, we should head to the-”

“No lights,” Alimite stepped up, and that seemed to catch him off a little, “those mortars need em to spot for, otherwise they’ll just fire blind.” She left out the part where they needed them to spot me, but regardless of that fact the colt looked content with the news.

“Alrighty so that makes our next move a whole hell of a lot simpler,” lever action found its way back against his shoulder, with the bit at his muzzle, “… let’s get your firepower at the front where it’s needed.”

Those guns needed to go down as well… but if they couldn’t see me, then I’d happily help here where the support would be appreciated for a bit. Walker was the first out the door, with the three of us following closely behind. The colt had to know this place like the back of his hoof by how he moved around the streets this dark. Then again, as I took my eyes off the road and pointed them skyward. The fight wasn’t all that hard to make out.

The bullets might have gone largely unnoticed, besides the occasional tracer. Although beyond the roofing I could see the tracing of energy beams cutting through the sky from every missed shot. Even over the gunfire, the occasional salvo peeked its head out in the distance. Whoever was on those mortars might not have a clear target, but judging by the flashes coming from the front of town. They’d decided to turn their sights on the firefight ahead.

One round whizzed by my head, and I had to do a double take to make sure neither of the mares’ behind me took a fall. Walker however, strode on like this was just another day in the office. If it was any other part of the wastes, I’d imagine it would be. I wonder what he did before this? Not many are likely to live up to his age after all.

Upped defenses or not, there was little wood and sheets of metal could do against well-armed attackers. My vision was starting to adjust to the darkness around me, just in time to catch the spark of shots punching through the towns newly erected walls. A few figures on our side dropped, and were almost immediately carted past us by others. One turret sent a shower of sparks down as it took one too many hits, and before I could even look at her. Alimite was already rushing off to tend to her mechanical child.

Tumble… at least, I think? Yeah, that was her, stuck close to me as I ran up towards one of the guard towers. I wasn’t about to figure out if it could support my weight, but it gave her the height advantage she craved. My armored ass found itself right at home along one of the walls, apparently from the time I’d last seen em, somepony had enough sense to install stairs leading up to make a catwalk.

Which gave me a perfect place to- oh shit…

The terrain coming up towards town might have been largely flat on itself, minus the occasional boulder that probably fell down the mountains ages ago. Yet, every nook and cranny that was offered, those gunners took up like it was free estate. However many gunners there were in Equestria, this had to be a decent chunk of them.

Armor integrity: 40%

The first dozen shots I didn’t even register before the damage was already done. Concrete sledge from earlier was right, I am a big target! Almost immediately I let my hooves out from under me, and hit the deck. This wasn’t the time nor place to get shot full of holes and have the talisman break… again.

I knew the rounds above weren’t going to stop, not while they knew where I was. So I played my trump card. The shields’ wall fell around myself, and even one of the ponies next to me I’d just noticed. To myself the timer already started counting down.

Ten… my teeth chomped on the bit, and 14.4mm started flying. Slower firing or not, I was really hoping Mabel would was alright so I could restock later. It was hard enough seeing in the dark, and every shot I gave the muzzle flash blinded me a bit more before returning back to the night void around.

Six… yes, I was out of order with that, but trying to count and shoot at the same time is a whole lot harder than you think! Smaller sparks started ricocheting off the shield, while larger ones glanced against the suit, and kept the press on anything past these walls that moved.

Shit, what number was I-?

Armor integrity: 36%

Another dozen shots smacked me in the chest before I could even blink. Okay a cooler head needs to prevail now; my one colt army approach was quickly tearing chunks off my suit. Ten seconds of impunity had turned to passing potshots over the section of wall. A soft purr of a minigun awoke, and I watched the same turret that was destroyed when we got here spring back to life.

Only to be matched by another cascade of sparks further down the wall from a turret, and I swear I could see the mare leaping towards it. For a few moments I sprung back up, dropped a couple shells, and went back behind the wall. I couldn’t tell how many of them I might have hit with each burst, but I had to be doing something to them. More shots pinged off the top wall, leaving me waiting a few more moments before returning the favor.

A.P.E.C.R. was a beautiful thing, and certainly helped to light up the night sky. Then I saw it, some of those craters made by the mortars they’d decided to turn in to trenches. I might not be able to dig straight through the ground to get to them, but the other side of the indent…

A burst of 14.4mm railed into the crater, and I got to watch a frame by frame of those few gunners get shot out of their own hole. With no cover left for them any that were evicted found their end by the weapons by my side, and I once again played a dangerous game of peek-a-boo with the gunners. Might not be the fastest thing in Equestria, but at least they couldn’t score more than one or two shots on me when I was exposed.

Between breathers, the suit was able to put a few points into its integrity. Only to have it knocked back down to where it started moments later. A dangerous game indeed- why the fuck was I flying?! Nothing was under my hooves, and what looked like the night cloud cover was just…

Slam!

… above. Huh? This time I was getting little Lunas. Something was throbbing in my, well, everything. As I got back to my forehooves I was pleasantly aware my vision was adapting quite well to the dark. Enough to notice that ten-foot gap in the wall where I once stood, as well as the others that didn’t fare so well from the impact of the shell. As three more rained down off the original.

What have we here? A few figures started coming towards the hole, but I knew that could only be one thing. Shotty clicked to the space and sent a trifecta of shells their way. One of them fell where he once stood, another retreated back to their hole, and the third dove to the edge of the wall. I could make out his weapon poking past the cover, and all I could do was wait for him to make a- move?

A smaller burst of red from overhead struck behind where I couldn’t see, and that pony slumped into the opening before disappearing in what looked like ash. Let’s see, following trail and-d-d-d there ya are. Wow, my eyes were really getting used to this, I could even make out details. Butter Crisp clenched her rifle in an aura for a moment more, before another hoof pulled her back into cover, and I finally snapped too.

Whelp, Tumble had company up there, and I had company here! Those first bunch weren’t the only ones to notice the clear break in our defense, and past the wall I noted several more starting to swarm towards it. I might be in their line of sight, but if they wanted to get a shot at me. Then they’d have to be in mine as well. As my hooves crept forward, I let one 12-gauge shell go with nearly every other step to keep em down on the other side.

ADAC would be a bit too much, and all it would take would be one miss step for the cannons shell to destroy another part of the wall. Some of those caught by the mortar shell started to stir to their own hooves, and carry whoever else they could away from the fight. Some in likely better shape than others… I was thankful now Winter cut the lights.

More gun fire started to join my own from the ramparts repelling them, and with only half my visor tilting up I noticed not only the turret taking charge, but the mare fixing it up with her horn. Subtle or not, even through the dark I could see the strain across her face, that bandana was going to need a whole lot more than washing after this.

Armor integrity: 25%

Oh shit pay attention! I pushed myself up against the interior of the wall and gave not only my guns, but the suit itself a rest. With Alimites’ turret taking up some of the flack, I figured I could afford to gain a few percentage points.

Something stuck past the hole in the wall mere inches from my muzzle, and all I hope was it wasn’t another brick shit house of a pony. Neither of mine would due at this range, and with a grab of my hooves I launched not only their weapon but the whole pony itself further inside. That gunner slammed into ground, but they recovered a lot faster than I did!

Wait a sec, I knew that spinning… 5mm darted into the plating, and almost immediately I met him with the 12-gauge. Buckshot flew, only sparking over the pony ahead giving me another familiar sight. Atop their head I could see that horn glowing, and around them the pellets weren’t only caught, but detonating against the shield. This pony was sturdier than that mare from before, they weren’t so much as flinching against- huh?

Where their horn once was, I saw the fizzle and crack of something shattering the appendage. Just as fast, the gunner fell to the ground in a heap. Now who could have done that one… even in the dim setting with muzzle flash being the only true source of light. A white coat was still the worst camouflage out here. Winter broke through the shroud, walked right up the gunner, and put another .357 round in him.

From the hole beside me more shots started to break through, and I all too happily stuck only the shotty out past the corner raking shells amongst whoever was- oh, that’s not fair. With one eye peeking past, the gunners seemed to have brought out support. More shimmers in the night sparked, spraying every caliber in the catalog our way through their shields.

That white blotch popped right alongside me, and she looked all too satisfied with her kill. Those others were getting pretty close now, and even with the settlers along the wall doing their part. These shield users weren’t throwing themselves at us like the rest of the gunners. Each of their movements were controlled, and calculated.

Fire some, move to new location and let horn recharge, then move in some more. 14.4mm could do the trick, but by now they were too close without some settler losing an eye… “What the fuck are you doing?!” Winter jumped past me to the other side of the gap, and I watched a few contrails wiz by her form.

I knew she couldn’t hear me, or she outright ignored my call. Though her back was planted to the wall, from here I could see that same anger when she first saw me trot in town with Alimite. Two more were getting near, and I let another few shells give them something to consider as they tried to close the gap. Out the corner of my eye Winter leaned, paused, and that magnum of a round left her barrel.

Well… I’ll be.

One unicorn staggered from the impact, soon getting a second that finished the job. With everything going on around us, the mares’ side arm drew that unwanted attention as the other gunners behind their aura started focusing on her.

She needed a window, and that was something I could deliver. More 12-guage belched out, peppering across those shields. It wasn’t doing much, but any unshielded form nearby to them dropped as fast as I hoped the unicorns would do. More importantly, it gave her an opening, and from my side I watched the muzzle flash erupt dropping another of them.

Now it was starting to make more sense, you could get AP rounds for just about anything. Magic shield or not, you put that kind of penetrating power behind a charge that big and you were bound to break someponies hopes and dreams. I distracted, and she dropped em, pretty good teamwork if I do say so myself.

Warning: Armor integrity: 20%... Teamwork that was getting me shot to pieces…

Note to self, increase size of hop- another blast nearby shattered that train of thought! Dark or not, I was able to see the guard tower across from me teetering on its last literal legs, before it fell back towards town.

Winny was holding those shields at bay pretty well on her own, and as I saw the last gunner unicorn hunker down. My legs darted to the top of the tower resting now against the ground. Motion? Moaning? Anything?... a hoof wrapped around the edge of the plating, and I grabbed hold of it with my horn.

Butter felt a bit daze from the fall as she fell into my shoulder, but after a mortar shell I think that was forgivable. Tumble without a word however, bounced right up across my side, leveling her barrel over my back. Facing the same direction, I saw the new gap those shells had made where the tower once stood. As well as the new guests taking advantage of it. Crisp I moved behind me as both the carbine toting mare and my shotty locked their sights on the darkened masses.

Even with the new entrance, they took the hint pretty quickly digging themselves in to the dirt. Pellets were far less accurate than 5.56, but it was enough to keep their heads down for the time being. Through the night I saw her rifle shots spark over some targets armor, and I knew full well if these guys were that armored it’d take some of Winters to- turn em to ash?

Sure enough, the blob of a pony I once looked at faded away to nil, and the barrel of the other mare jumped past my vision. That wasn’t an automatic barrel, I knew what those looked like, yet Butter still fanned that trigger like she was born for it. Armor was good, but eventually enough rays would melt it and the pony away.

Now where was… there ya are! Shield pony on their team waltzed his way to the opening. Immediately my shells turned in his path, from this distance it might have just tickled, but his fire turned my way mighty quick. All I had to do was keep him busy long enough for Winter to do her thing.

Something concussed my left ear, and I was getting really damned tired of these shells! Wait… if it was that close, I’d be in pieces. Out the corner of my visor I looked down and saw the real culprit. Mercy was enough to go through my suit alone, the only saving grace I had was an unintentional turn. So, to a normal pony… well, I turned my visor up to where shield guy was, and all I saw in his place was maybe a hoof.

Overkill much, but then again, the gunners were literally using artillery to try and kill one- … wait a second. My 12-gauge stopped as I unclenched the bit from my mouth and tried to run the math. Up to this point they’d been firing in volleys of threes, and if one was all it took to bring the tower down…

My eyes snapped every which way, scanning around the empty space, before turning to where I thought I’d heard them before. Mortars needed a charge to be launched just like any self-propelled munition, but unlike regular artillery these contained their own explosives to propel them. Ones that burned even after they left the barrel, leaving behind a trail of smoke and fire.

There in the distance out east, without the towns’ building to block my view, three more embers rocketed off in the sky. One hoof grabbed hold of Tumble, the other reached and wrapped itself around Butter, and together I tossed them in the guards’ nest. It was armored, and they weren’t. Then my eyes caught it, and time slowed down like after the first shell of the night.

Winter was slumped against the wall clenching her gut, likely from a round that went through the wall. Her head was facing the injury, and not the skies above. My hooves kicked in to high gear, and started towards her. My own shield was enough to protect the suit, and already I’ve had bouts where I’ve had to cover another pony… what was one more?

I just had to get to her.

Rounds bounced off the suit, some even going as far as to lodge themselves between the plating. My integrity was shit as it was, but I had bigger priorities than a damned talisman! Repairs could be made later, and I didn’t even want to look up.

The only thing I had in my eyes was Winter, and for a moment she looked up to see me coming towards her. That pale coat of hers showed more features than any other out here in the night. She looked serene, almost at peace, without any clue as to what was coming…

In that moment, it reminded me of the same expression I’d get any time she saw me for the first time in the day. Like when I had to go pick her up from school because of a fight, or when I’d walk through the door of Lilacs’ and Winter would be bounding down the stairs to meet me, and like the many times she’d hurt herself… I’d be right there with a bandage. Even through everything going on around her, even if she couldn’t see the worry plastered across my own face, she gave me that same expression…

She smiled.

A smile I only saw in full because of a flash.

As my horn reached out to grab her, both of us were caught in the shockwave. The steel surrounding me cratered another towers’ legs from its weight, lighting off more warnings in my visor. Warnings I ignored as I shot what Med-X I could, blissfully catapulting the integrity out the window as I looked around for the snowy mare… and there I found her.

Winter rested to the tower leg across from me, and as I shot over to her side, she didn’t respond with anything more than a grunt. Grunting required air in your lungs… I could take that, but I couldn’t take care of her here. I was a target, the only reason this spot probably took more fire was likely because one of them saw me here, and called in more artillery. If any from the gunners saw me leave, the shells would follow.

Somepony ran up to myside, and through the night I recognized that lever action. Walker looked like the gruff sort, yet I could see the concern on him. “Give ‘er here, I’ll take her,” he about threw the mare over his back, “you kill those damned guns.”

Oh… I fucking intend to, “TUMBLE!” I shouted through the suits’ speakers. Half a second later, the mare was there with me, Mercy in tow… good, we’d need that, “We’re going hunting…”

Warning: Armor integrity: 12%

Whatever scrap from the shredded wall I ripped apart and shoved in the hopper, before turning my E.F.S. eastward. There was still a fight going on here, one that was more a stalemate than anything. Our turrets were keeping them back, and with them purring along other sections of the town the line would be held. Maybe if those mortars were gone, they’d leave as well.

I could only imagine the dust behind me getting kicked up as I went.

My own hoof steps were drowned out from the thundering in my chest. Even without any chems in my system, I still might manage to keel over. Tumble matched my speed easily once again, but I had fury and brimstone in my blood right now. The mare took up one side of me, and to the opposite along the walls the town erected, the fighting continued. To get to this artillery we’d have to go through some of it, and just ahead was one patch of wall that looked relatively cleared out.

Those turrets along the top wouldn’t mind the extra firepower coming their way, and with that ADAC took off chewing through the plating. The gunners might have managed to punch holes in the barrier, but mine straight up knocked sections down.

With a jerk of my head Tumble froze for a second wondering what I meant, then with the shield kicking on she got the idea. Her hooves wrapped around the armor as she rode along my back, and through what remained of the wall we went. Some very surprised gunners on the other side were caught off guard, only to meet explosive buckshot, as we left them in the dust as well.

We were clear, and that hillside along the base of the mountains was getting closer with every step. “What's the plan!” she yelled in my ear.

Right… about that, “I’m working on it!” they’re blindly shelling where they can hope to hit me, and me alone. Makes me wish I’d killed that gunner after meeting her a bit faster, though if cat and mouse is what they wanted I could deliver, “put some distance between you and me!” she looked confused, and rightfully so, “They’re looking for a target!”

And it was time to give them one.

My headlamp flicked on, and she knew what I was doing now… I just hoped I knew what I was doing. Without a second thought Tumble rolled off my back with that massive rifle across her own and slithered away into the night. Those gunners behind us were taking only occasional shots our way, so that just left me, her, and arty in the distance.

Speaking of which… I saw the first burst of propellant go off, soon followed by three more of its friends. This guy was taking the bait, hook line and sinker. Bait that just happen to be my own ass! One shell went off behind me, and the subsequent trio seconds after.

Far enough to keep me safe as my suit did its thing, but more than close enough to kick my heels in to high gear. I kept my course until I saw the next salvo break from their barrels, then with a jerk I pivoted against the ground. Armor wasn’t nimble, not by a long shot, but I could still serpent my own way out of this mess. One sad thing about mortars, they couldn’t be used all that close. Hell, neither could my own gear.

Warning: Armor integrity: 18%

Oh, by all means take your sweet ass time! Another salvo broke free, and I changed from a zig to a zag just as quickly. The blasts behind me weren’t getting any closer at least, and I could just imagine the frustration on the spotters’ face.

A third salvo launched, and I was starting to hear this better without all the gunfire around me. Now all I had to- those four shells blew only yards ahead in my path. My hooves ground to a halt there for a moment, before looking further out to where they were coming from.

Okay, I’ll give it to em, the spotter was getting mighty better. With my feet once again beating against the ground, I pushed through the gravel like terrain. All I could do at this point was wait for the next grouping to come my way, their little holdup was getting closer, and it wouldn’t be long till they were no longer effective.

One shell fired off as I neared the site, but the other three never came. Instead of a blast, I got a burst of light from overhead. The flare blanketed the surrounding area in its light, there wasn’t anything else out here but broken boulders and maybe the occasional ancient wagon. No… wait, there was something else.

Less than a hundred yards away I could see it, and the trio was waiting for my own arrival. Those were sentry bots; I’d know them from anywhere… even with extra plates welded to their exterior, they’re hard to mistake, especially with the mortars across their shoulders. Yet, between them stood one colt. No more than thirty yards now I slowed to a walk, and took in what I was up against.

The combat armor he wore looked modified by one that’d been at this a long while, heavier plates gave more than enough coverage. Plus, all the more places to put those grenades on his bandoleer. Still, he wasn’t shooting me just yet with that grenade launcher. Oh no, he just stared me down… which didn’t feel any better than a 40mm to the chest.

“Ahh… took ya long enough to get my, invitation,” the colt sneered to me, “I was stockpiling those shells for such an occasion, but you still had me worried you’d never show.”

I’ve heard this attitude somewhere else, one mare that I’d killed, and another that came close to doing me in. Must run in the family, “Stock I presume?”

Even with that visor covering most of his face, I could see those lips turning into a grin, “Sis said you were easier than she thought, it took your friends to bail you out…” he gave me a small shrug, “I’m pretty embarrassed it took me this many shells to get your attention.”

My blood was boiling, and although I doubted he could tell, my teeth were well on their way to stumps at this point. Extra armor wouldn’t do him much good from this range against 14.4mm. Those bots would be my only concern, and their AER-15’s would be a very big concern. No, I needed to wait for somepony else to get in place.

“You came close a few times now, I’ll give ya that… using the lights to figure me out?” he looked a bit taken back from that statement, probably imagining it was a smart move on his part. To be fair, it was, but he didn’t need to know that, “for what it’s worth, Barrel did that to herself.”

She mis stepped her mark, and gravity did the rest. Not the most poetic way to go, but all I did was nudge her off the edge with a 12-gauge. “Barrel was always the cocky one of the bunch,” he started to shake his head at that fact. Really? It sounded like it was the lot of you, “wanted to play with that rifle of hers as much as she could, instead of finishing off her target.” You mean, kinda like you’re doing now? “Do you have any idea how many times I had to play the big brother and save her ass with the boys here?”

His hoof gestured to the two bots flanking him, and it almost sounded like he treated them as pets. Though if they were camping out here in the foothills… “Should I be expecting Lock any time soon?”

Another snicker on his part answered me, “Oh she decided to let me have a turn at ya… wanted me to take you alive, if possible,” alive… and she sent the pony with artillery on their side to do it? “That said, at the end of the day, I think she’ll forgive me for this…”

His mouth brought the launcher up chomping at the bit in one go, and just as he did S.A.T.S. kicked on. Still, I wasn’t fast enough to tag him with a round before his own already was well on its way. That flare overhead barely illuminated the grenade, but it was enough for me to que some buckshot along its surface. One shell of mine laid flack down, but the 40mm passed right through. The second shell welcomed much the same result. Only the third round did anything, managing to fracture the grenade a few yards from me.

My spell died out as the small concussion reached, but none of the shrapnel seem to have… why the hell was it so cold? Across my frame I saw the frost starting to build up while my joins waned in protest to move. It almost felt as if I was in the cryo- son of a bitch! The gunners were some of the most well-armed members in the wastes, it’d make sense they could get their hooves on cryo grenades.

His visor met mine, and I knew he was enjoying this already. His prey was frozen in place, all the better for the bots by his side. ADAC belched alongside me right in line with one of the sentries as 14.4mm chewed against the ground making its way towards it. With a final puff I didn’t get to watch his guard dog take the hit, the flare above finally petered out. From those sparks though a few of mine did make contact, just like their beams did to my suit.

The frost of his grenade was quickly melted after that first beam to the chest, letting my legs loose to try and avoid the incoming fire. High level Equestrian engineering or not, sentries still needed a clear line of sight to shoot you, and a clear target for that matter. With the flare above gone, I killed my lamp and ran to the first blotch along my visor.

Rock would stop energy rounds at least, and I threw my back against the boulder. They needed to see me to do any real damage, and everything I had would be one hell of a beacon for them to foll- I felt a tap against my head, before whatever it was fell to the ground below…

Thrusters kicked on like second nature, and I watched the blast take off from where I once sat, as I rocketed into the sky. He probably wasn’t expecting this… A few feet from me something joined me up here, before going off itself. I was waiting to eat my own words, in return the flare nearly blinded me on the spot.

Now I was falling, while right below were two very trigger-happy sentries that filled the sky around me with crimson. Maybe the flare was blinding them as well, but that wouldn’t last for long. I kicked the thrusters again to try and lessen the impact, instead I got a choke and a burp that did nothing for the fall. The sentry I landed in front of looked almost surprised, just before turning its barrels to meet me…

And getting half its side ripped off in a burst of flame.

I didn’t give Stock time to think that one through, I recognized Armor Piercing Incendiary when I saw it. The colt huddled himself beside the other sentry only a few dozen yards away, and with every stomp I took towards him both my guns matched me for the beat. The first dozen belched free from the barrels, lighting up our little corner of the world.

Try dodging this… what the hell? With one swipe, the bot beside him swatted the gunner behind its bulk. Its extra plating was doing just as designed, and soaking up all the damage it could. Plating sparked, 14.4mm dug into it, and explosive shells caused much of the smaller plates to break off. It might need a hefty amount of repair work, but the damn thing was taking the beating in stride.

A pet loyal to its owner indeed.

Never the less, something decided to give way. Underneath all that metal one of its legs gave out and the treads below came to a halt. I was already too close to use either one of my guns by now, I just had to- not get smacked in the chest! Even with the damage, a swing from these things was not to be trifled with. I didn’t get so much airborne as I did become a kickball, as I skipped across the ground.

Warning: Armor integrity: 13%

Right into the path of the first sentry. Both of its arms swung down trying to collide with the suit, and cave my chest in. With a kick of my hoof I pushed myself further under it and out the other side. A burst of my 12-gauge left it jerking from the impact, but it still stood. Huh? I didn’t realize a robot could even looked pissed off… sure enough, this thing looked ready to tear me in half like it was!

My hooves scampered against the dirt while those beams ripped into the ground behind me. Its brother joined in all the same, their combine fire starting to leave my backside a bit more charred than I’d hoped for. All as I patiently waited for Tumble to take her time and line up another-

Warning: Armor integrity: 10%

“Fucking shoot them already!” I yelled out through the speaker.

Much like the first one, I saw the effects before the shot even registered in my ears, and one of the bots lost a bit more of its plating from the near miss. This time however, I noticed her muzzle flash off in the distance. No wonder it took so long to get a shot off. I probably couldn’t even reach out to her with the ADAC if I tried.

“Halt!” I heard the colt yell out, and sure enough both his bots stopped their onslaught. As for myself, I didn’t stop till I was well behind another rock. I only watched as his hoof waved around, and in moments those bots were either rolling, or walking their way out in the night. I mustn’t have been the only one that saw that flash then, “I knew there was something you had up your sleeve…” well, not really my sleeve perse, “… Barrel used to practice against my bots’ with her rifle, I know it’s signature rounds all too well…” in the silence of the night, I heard a sigh from under that helmet. “Closest thing to brother, sister bonding time the wastes have.”

The flare from above was flickering on its last leg, but I could still see him clearly as day on his own in the open. I wasn’t about to lay into him now, not with his toys so close still. No, I needed them good and far away before I thought of it. Stock even without his guards didn’t seem to care he was facing real power armor, even after seeing what I’d managed to do against the sentries plating. He had to have known his wouldn’t last very long.

Yet, he still crept closer to my cover, “You don’t get it… do you?” I watched his hoof start rifling through some pack along his side, and out came a few syringes… oh boy. “It was more than just another in our ranks you snuffed out! It was more than just a comrade that we can’t share a laugh with now over a fire…” he snapped out at first towards me while shooting a few of those chems. Yet, even with that mix of drugs, his voice softened, “you didn’t simply kill off another head to our chain of command…”

That… was almost a whimper?

More syringes, and even bottles were pulled out from his bags, before immediately going in his veins or gullet. Deacon could probably tell me what they were, but from here all I knew was they were bad news. Alright enough is enough! Out I slid from the cover, locked the ADAC to him… then the light above went out, as did the red bar in front of me on my E.F.S. in a puff of smoke from where he once stood.

“…You took our little sister from us,” the red bar to my left said.

Okay so flying, and skipping once again! It might have been the armor denting after the hit, but there should have been some damage on his- damn it. I hadn’t even gotten to my hooves before another grenade from his launcher went off, and I got that icy chill all over again. The servos in my legs even had a harder time scraping against the ice, but my neck was still working well enough to see the next kick.

My jaw rattled, and I knew for certain I heard bones breaking. Not of my own, but outside the armor. It wasn’t a lot of damage to be done bare hooved to armor plating, but hell he didn’t let up! The little princesses dancing around my eyes hadn’t even gotten settled before the next hit came, and the next one, and the next one… and…

Warning: Armor integrity: 6%

One hoof of mine broke free from the frozen ground, matching his power without the help of chems. Stock doubled back from the hit as I heard another crack, and with the flare gone I flipped my headlamp back on just to see the dent I’d put in his own plating.

Ahh, ponies shouldn’t have foam coming from their mouths…

Hidden under the visor of his helmet the white droplets picked up, and beneath them I might have heard a snarl. His shoulder check against mine knocked the rest of the armor free, breaking the ice away. Though that wasn’t the only thing I heard breaking, Stock was quite literally tearing himself apart while trying to beat me down.

My lamp shined on him just in time to see the next flurry of punches, each one making his limb bend out of place just a bit more. A buck from me was enough to push him off, and I got to see those misshapen limbs twist and turn back into place… if there was anything that could do that for a pony, that I experienced, it was Hydra.

Nope… not chancing it. S.A.T.S. kicked on and I toggled over to his center of mass with the ADA- why the hell was he moving so damned fast?! The colt didn’t care if the spell was still activated, he plowed straight into me like a runaway sled knocking me to my back. My only perk was watching each of his swings come in slow motion while they collided with my head. Luckily for me, he changed tactics. Bare hoof boxing was out, and Stock turned his armored forelegs into clubs.

Warning: Armor integrity: 4%

Very. Effective. Clubs… finally one hit the top of my head, and my little light started to flicker before basking both of us in darkness. I pushed against from what I could tell were his hooves, yet even with the power of the M.W.T. on my side pure pissed-off-ness left us deadlocked. Okay, I was gonna feel dirty for this one… with a hike of my hind hoof I managed to find one place that wasn’t totally armored.

An audible yelp escaped through the foam, and I pushed him off before putting some distance between the two of us. He wouldn’t be happy about that one, and it was nice to know no matter how many chems you took. Some places on a colt where still ten- several dull thuds landed around me, and like clockwork I toggled the shield on. A dozen or so grenades were enough to bounce me back and forth between their individual shockwaves, and on the ground I laid battered like a kickball as the shield flickered.

Then I heard the locking of a barrel, and the immediate thump as the cryo round hit home. Whatever left the shield had it gave, and died around me. A mixture of frost and arcane shards fell to my hooves, as it took the brunt of the blast.

Something bright smacked me in the face, and began spinning around in the air in front of me before following suit with three more hits. My eyes were already having a seizure trying to adjust to the darkness then back to light in a moments notice, but that third hit from the flare managed to crack my visor. It also, put somepony within grasp.

My hooves wrapped around the stallion, and even through his plating I could feel him start to squirm. His helmet started meeting mine in a signature headbutt, though mine was still harder. Blood was probably mixing with the foam from his mouth, but the stallion didn’t care. With both our hooves a little occupied, my aura tried instead to reach out for something… anything to win this over. Maybe if I used one of those cryo grenades on him, I could get him to sit still enough to-

Click.

The first of half a dozen I heard, and both of us looked down in unison. All the while, my headlamp decided to work again. I might have been hoping for a cryo grenade, but I’d take a few frags as well. I kicked my heels into the ground, clenched tight to his chest, and let the thruster rip as it carried both of us up in to the sky. The landing wasn’t going to be pleasant, but I wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

Still the colt struggled against my chest, his own hooves giving smaller jabs to my ribs. Then after a split second, our visors met, and his swings stopped. “Humph… well played…” I’d like to think there was a nod of his head before I let go.

The thrusters put several more meters between us as he fell to ground, and I got the muffled blast against his plating. At that distance you’d be lucky to survive one, maybe two direct impacts… but a whole belt? I didn’t listen for the thud of his body against the ground, I was going to be seeing it myself here shortly anyway.

Through the air I fell, and this time it wasn’t exactly going to be on my hooves. Still, whatever I had left for the thrusters I used to try and slow the fall. It wasn’t enough to save my pride, as I smacked against the ground and immediately buckled under the weight of the suit catching up with me.

Warning: Armor integrity: 2%

My head barely lifted up as the lamp flickered, and I got to see the mangled remains of the colt there only a few yards away. That satisfied me enough, “… Not bad…” the back of my head slumped against the dirt once more.

I might have thought it was the warnings going off at first, but sure enough I heard sound of hoof steps getting closer. In the flickering light of my headlamp, Tumble popped up in my vision. The mare looked about as beaten and battered as I felt, but we were both better for ware than Stock, and if she was still breathing. Then those bots weren’t an issue anymore.

“Stupid question, but you alright?” she asked, trying her best to help me back to my hooves.

Reluctantly the limbs began to respond, and I found myself facing the town once more as we steadily headed back home. Whatever might have been left in my hopper was trying its best to repair the damage, and I already got back one whole percent! Moving up in the world here…

“I’ll manage…” the suit was groaning around me, probably begging just to be put out of its misery already. Rogue had treated it so well, and it had been thrust in the hooves of somepony as reckless as I was. A few hours of work and I’d have it right as rain, all I had to do was get back to the- oh fuck… “Winter…”

We both froze there like her namesake, before galloping back to town.