Chapter 3: DEFCON 1

So, this was Tenpony Tower. I have to say, I was expecting more sci-fi than gothic. But, it was a tower alright. A massive skyscraper hotel directly connected to the monorail. Flag said last time he was here that the only way into Tenpony was through the Celestia line above us. But, clearly, that had long since changed. We arrived early morning; a light cloud cover had the sun peeking through, giving Tenpony a weirdly sinister look. Like the villain’s castle in a fairy tale. At the skyscraper’s base, something akin to a shanty-town was erected. Walls built of scrap metal encompassed what once must have been a miniature park.

Troopers guarded the ramparts and towers erected at the corners. Several Caravans were in line waiting to be let in through the reinforced gate. “Welp, this here is where we part ways.” Rad hopped off the Caravan and came up to us. He sat before us and dropped a sack of caps at our hooves. “This aught at be enough to cover the trip.”

“Rad, we can’t accept this.” I pushed the sack back to him. “You saved my life, and I put your son in danger.” I sighed and looked to the happy family on the wagon.

“Horse apples!” Rad grabbed the sack and my hoof, placing it on it. “We know the risks of making a trip outside the I-15.” He quickly walked off, denying me an opportunity to return the money. “Now, don’t be a stranger ya hear? Oh, and keep the radio headset, a gift from the misses.” Rad returned to his family, and they got in line to wait to be let into Tenpony. “If yall ever in New Appleloosa! Look us up!” Rad hollered before taking the driver’s seat on the wagon. Bright Star, Buttercup, and even little Peppermint poked their heads out of the front of the wagon and waved goodbye at us all.

I sighed and stuffed the caps into my saddlebags. I gave Lemon a sidelong glance; she felt down since the previous night’s incident. “You sure you didn’t want to talk to Buttercup? Might be a while before we ever see them again.” I placed an encouraging hoof over her shoulder.

Lemon shook her head and placed her hoof over mine. “No, we have a mission to do. I can worry about myself afterward.” Lemon took a deep breath and gave me her best smile. It didn’t quite reach her eyes, but I didn’t press the issue.

“Alright, everypony, let’s see about talking to any Pony of rank.” We trotted to the front gate; there was a small booth with a much shorter line of Ponies waiting to be let in. We parked ourselves in line, watching the Caravans continue to pour in through I-15.

A bored voice drew my attention back to the line several minutes later. “Next,” I trotted up to the booth. Inside was an NCR trooper looking miserable.

“Hey, I need to speak to the commanding officer of the NCR forces here.” I fixed him a severe stare, “this is a matter of life or death.”

“Passports,” the Pony droned out.

“What?” I raised a brow.

“You need a passport to get in,” he pointed a hoof at all of us. “All of you need your individual passports.”

I frowned and lifted my Pipbuck, remembering the file stored in it. “Alright, here.” I showed him my Pipbuck, and he grabbed a plug wired to his terminal. He jacked into my Pipbuck’s port, and he tapped away at a few keys. “Alright, you’re clear to enter.”

“Great, but about your superior.” I unplugged myself from the terminal.

“Next,” The Pony promptly ignored me.

“But,” I raise da hoof in protest, but Flag put a hoof on my shoulder, stopping me.

“Forget it, kid, let’s get inside.” Flag moved on, and I followed everypony else inside. I have to say, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The path to Tenpony proper was lined by stalls and rickety houses. They were built with salvaged wagons and scrap. The little strip had everything from a place to grab food to scavengers peddling their wares. Near the entrance to Tenpony, there was a hotel crudely made out of two wagon buses stacked together.

Honestly, what really stood out the most, was the number of Ghoul Ponies doing business or just walking around the tower. “There’s a lot of Ghouls here,” Strider stated.

“Yeah, ain’t progress lovely?” Flag drawled and trotted ahead. I looked to Strider and Lemon, but they shrugged. Finally, I tilted my head to Flag, and we caught up to him.

“You okay, Flag?” I trotted up to his side.

“Yeah, I just don’t like this place,” Flag muttered.

“Why, is it the Ghouls?” I looked at one, a pegasus ghoul operating a stall labeled ‘absolutely everything!’ Ghouls living here made sense, close access to irradiated water. What with the lack of ambient radiation these days.

“No, you’ll see when we get to the entrance.” Flag muttered.

We trotted up to the entrance, and it was heavily guarded. The only difference was, these didn’t look like NCR troops. If I had to guess, they were Tenpony security. The gates themselves were undoubtedly made of glass with golden door handles and engravings at one point. Now they were scrap metal welded together into a practical choke point to defend. Hanging above the entrance was a menacing sign.

NO GHOULS ALLOWED EVER!

The fact the sign was painted in bloody red was terrible enough. The underlined word just felt like twisting the knife. I could see the guards also look down on the town below with barely hidden contempt. “Hold,” A guard stopped us. He was a unicorn clad in black combat armor and a dark blue jumpsuit below. His horn glowed and scanned every one of us. “No Illusion spells detected. You’re free to enter.”

“Illusion spells?” I gave the Unicorn a questioning look.

“We’ve had trouble with ghouls trying to sneak in the past using illusion spells.” The guard stepped aside and waved us in. We trotted inside, and it almost felt like we had stepped back in time. The inside of Tenpony was a sheer contrast to the outside wastes. The residents had clearly taken great care to preserve the tower as best they could to its original splendor. Marble columns with gilded metal bases and impressive chandeliers hanging above everypony. The main room we entered was clearly the hotel’s reception area. There was a great desk with dapper Ponies generally pointing the new arrivals where to go at the far end. Guess that was as good a place as any to start. I led us to the desk, and I got instantly greeted by an older unicorn mare. She had a grey coat and blue mane and tail with strands of silver, and her eyes were a warm, friendly amber. “Hey there, what can I do for you?”

“Hey, the name’s Valiant Knight; these are my friends.” I pointed a hoof at my companions. “Flag, Strider, and Lemon.” All three offered their own greetings.

“Nice meeting you guys; what can I do for you?” the mare leaned against the deks forelegs crossed.

“Well, we were wondering where we could find the NCR command post here.” I cleared my throat and looked out to make sure nopony was listening in on us. “It’s a serious matter, one of life and death, mam.”

The Pony sat back, hooves to her mouth, “oh no.”

“Yes, I know.” I nodded to her.

“I’m a mam!?” She sighed and sat back on her haunches.

“Huh?” I raised a brow.

“Just like the day I met you, my flank.” The mare muttered to herself while she floated a compact mirror up and looked herself over.

“Mam?” Was she more worried about her looks right now?

“Oh, sorry.” The mare put her compact away and took a deep breath. “Serious time, you were looking for the NCR garrison here, right?”

“Yes, It’s imperative we talk to them.” I set up fixing the mare with a frown.

“Well, you can find the Garrison commanders on the tenth floor.” She pointed to some gaudy golden elevators at the far right of the room.

“Thank you, mam,” I got up and started to trot away.

“Anytime, oh and please don’t call me mam.” The Unicorn rolled her eyes.

“Oh, sorry, what’s your name then?”

“Homage,” the Unicorn winked at me and turned around to help another pony.

***

If I thought the elevator was gaudy, I was unprepared for the ostentatious shopping mall we had just entered. It really did feel like we had just stepped into a bubble of the wold world. The only thing reminding me it wasn’t was the massive window facing the ruins of Manehattan. Various Ponies, all dressed like I assumed the elite of Equestria once dressed, went about their business. “Look at that, Ironshod firearms!” Strider pointed a hoof to a shop on the floor above us.

“Hey yeah, Lemon, Strider, you guys take our loot, see what you can get for it.” Flag and I removed our saddlebags, and Lemon floated them to her back. “Let’s meet,” I looked over the various shops. “There,” I pointed at an open restaurant.

THE TASTY TREAT

“Good luck,” Strider patted my back, and he and Lemon trotted off.

“Alright, let’s go see if we can get the NCR to listen to me.” I turned to Flag and only just noticed his frown. “Flag you alright?” I tapped his shoulder.

“No,” Flag sighed and looked away. “Kid, you think you really need me with you for this conversation?”

“I mean, I don’t know.” Okay, I don’t think I have ever seen Flag like this. He looked restless and overall annoyed at everypony in here. “Aren’t you supposed to be training me?”

“Yeah,” Flag sighed. “Come on, let’s go,” Flag trotted on, and I followed behind him.

The NCR garrison was at the far end of the shopping area. It doubled as NCR and Tenpony security garrison, though the division between both groups was quite evident. Tenpony guards sat apart at the left and NCR to the right. It looked like they actively avoided each other, and I could only imagine what that meant for unit cohesion in case of an attack. Shit, such as what was going to happen now. “Kid, I’m sorry, but I can’t stay here any longer.” Flag suddenly spoke up.

“Huh?” I looked at him as he snorted and glared at everypony around here.

“If you need me, I’ll be at the hotel outside this shitty tower.” Flag turned without further explanation and trotted back to the elevators.

And then there was one.

Well, looks like I had to do this all on my own. Okay, Valiant, time to put…none of that training I don’t have to use. Shit here goes nothing or everything at this point. I trotted into the NCR side to the front desk. Oh, you have got to be kidding me; what are the god damn chances. The mare I had argued with at the station was working the desk. Well, maybe she won’t remember me. “Excuse me, could I have a meeting with your superior officer?”

The mare shifted her gaze from her computer to me, then back. “Colonel Graystone is away on leave; if you have any concerns, please direct them to Tenpony security.” She gave me a clearly scripted response, then turned back to me. She eyed me up and down and narrowed her eyes. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”

Shit, “I don’t think we’ve met, but please, this is important whose the next ranking officer in charge?”

“Major White Fields,” recognition seemed to dawn on her. “Hold on, I think I remember you.”

Shit shit shit shit.

“Hey, yeah, I remember you now.” She got up and got real close to my face. Without her helmet and her full combat armor, I could get a better look at her. She was a bright yellow earth pony with a fiery orange mane and tail, and her eyes were a bright lightish red. “Yeah, come with me now.” She grabbed me by the poncho and dragged me to the door behind her desk. We entered a hallway, she took me down it until she turned left on a connecting hall. We stopped by a door, she opened it, and she shoved me inside. My back hit a wall, and she stepped in, closing the door behind. Instantly she pressed her body against mine and slammed her hooves behind me next to my Face. “I remember you alright, you dirty, dirty boy.”

What.

She leaned up to me, whispering next to my ear, making it twitch. “I thought I told you not to come when I’m on duty.” She whispered breathlessly, then she nipped at my ear!

“Wait,” she shoved her lips against mine, silencing me, and my mind went blank. I slacked against her, and my hooves instinctively went around her hips.

No! get a hold of yourself! I pushed her back, gasping for air. “Wait, no, you got the wrong,” she cut me off, covering my muzzle with her hoof. Then her other hoof trailed down my armor to my abdomen to my crotch. Sweet merciful Celestia, who I now agree is totally a god. No, stop! Hormones are just a chemical reaction in your body; it’s just baser instincts. I shut my eyes tightly, and I lifted my hooves up off her soft, curvy, no! I need to get out of this. I don’t have time for…whatever this was!

“I need to teach you a lesson, you naughty little pony.” She looked up at me and pinched the zipper used to relieve oneself by my crotch with her teeth.

Zip.

My eyes widened, and I shoved her hoof off my mouth, “I’m the Ranger you met back at Fetlock!” I blurted just as I felt her nose peek through my zipper. I could feel her hot breath against…it!

She got up quickly and reached up, pulling on a string right above us. The room lit up, and I squinted at the sudden light. The mare looked into my eyes for what felt an hour before she covered her face and sat on her haunches. “Y-you’re,” she stuttered.

“I tried to tell you you had the wrong stallion.” I reached down and zipped my suit back up.

She stood up quickly, trapping me again between the wall and her. “Why are you here?!” She hissed, earlier embarrassment forgotten.

“I told you, I need to talk to whoever is in.” I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the throbbing between my legs. “Look, there’s an unknown number of Raiders getting ready to attack Tenpony.”

“Yeah, right,” she backed off and turned to open the door. “Look, forget what happened here, now follow me. You need to leave.” She turned and put her hoof on the doorknob.

“No!” I grabbed her other hoof and pulled her back. I misjudged how small a space this closet was because she was again flushed against my body.

“W-what?!” She stuttered, weirdly nervous for someone who clearly had more experience than me doing this. But, no, wait, that came out wrong. This is most definitely not that!

“I, uh,” brain no good, words hard.

“…” She stared into my eyes, and her hooves rested against my shoulders. “Fine, let’s do this,” she huffed, and she pressed her lips against mine.

“Mmm!” I gently pushed her away. “Okay, that’s good, but not what we need to do.”

“You’re the one who grabbed me back!” She hissed, being weirdly bashful again.

“Because I’m serious about the attack, look, I’m not with the Rangers anymore, if that helps.” Wow, I just outright lied for the first time in my life. Or at least I just lied about something really serious.

“Really?” She pushed away from me and eyed me suspiciously.

“Yeah, got kicked out, so I’m freelance now.” I sighed and leaned against the wall.

“Why did they kick you out? You looked pretty Ranger-ry to me.” She narrowed her eyes and leaned against the door.

“I just got sick and tired of not being able to help Ponies outside Manehattan. So I tried standing up to the Elder, and she banished me and some of my friends for it.” I think I came up with that too quickly; lying was too easy. No wonder bad ponies did it often.

“Alright,” she rolled her eyes and lifted a hoof between us. “Let’s say I believe you; how did you find out about this attack?”

“My friends and I kind of stumbled into their operation. Have any of your patrols reported signal flares at night?”

Her ears perked up at that, “yeah, scouts say it’s just caravans using them to mark down routes.”

“It’s not; we managed to capture a Raider, and he spilled what he knew to us.” I sat down on my haunches and rested my forelegs on my thighs.

“What? How did you get him through security?!” She leaned forward, shaking me by the shoulders.

“Easy, we didn’t bring him here.” I coughed into my hoof awkwardly, “he kind of died the night before. He tried escaping, and my friend, well. She put a knife through the back of his head.”

“Oh,” she sat back down, leaving her hooves on my shoulders. “Okay, I think I’m crazy for doing this. But we can talk to the Major; he’s in charge until the Colonel returns.”

“That would be good, thank you.” I smiled at her and offered her my hoof. “So, what’s your name?”

“Huh?” She blinked, confused.

“I mean, given we practically rounded third base,” I laughed jokingly. “I think we should know each other’s names at least. I’m Valiant Knight, in case you didn’t remember it.”

“Pft,” she rolled her eyes, crossing her forelegs. “If I didn’t remember your face, of course, I wouldn’t remember your name.” She sighed and offered me her hoof, “my name is Hot Streak.”

I shook her hoof, giving her an encouraging smile. “Well, let’s go save everypony, shall we?”

“Ugh, I just hope trusting you is right.” Hot Streak turned from me and cracked the door open, peering outside. “Alright, the coast is clear. Let’s go.”

“Sure, by the way, who did you think I was?” I sat up and decided the chipped ceiling was fascinating. At least until Hot Streaks flank wasn’t right in front of my face.

“Why do you care?” Hot Streak exited the cramped room.

“Sorry just,” I blushed and coughed into my hoof. “I never had a mare come on to me.” Ugh, why did I say that? Stupid hormones messing with my head.

Hot Streak rolled her eyes and jabbed her hoof on my chest. “Look, don’t get the wrong idea. I thought you were someone else.” She huffed and trotted past me, “but you are kind of cute.”

I smiled at her, “thanks.”

“Shut up; you’re cuter when you don’t talk.” Hot Streak threw a smirk behind me.

She led me further down the hall, and we came up to a dull brown door. A plaque on it read ‘Major White Fields.’ “Stay here; I’ll let the Major know you’re here.” Hot Streak disappeared through the door.

Okay, we’re making progress. All I have to do now is convince the Major about the threat. After that, maybe he commits forces to attack Four stars, and my job here is done. Then, finally, we can leave Manehattan.

“Alright, the Major will see you now.” Hot Streak exited the office and trotted off where we came.

“Aren’t you staying?” I gestured to the open door.

“I’m still on duty,” Hot Streak waved her hoof at me. Then, she paused, looked back at me; I looked right back, and she turned back to me. She leaned up to my ear, and her warm breath sent a pleasant tingle down my spine. “If you wanna finish what we started in the supply closet, come see me after I get off.” Then, wordlessly, she turned and practically galloped away from me.

Here I thought she didn’t like me.

I entered the office and closed the door behind me. Okay, Deja Vu was one thing; now I just felt like somepony was outright making fun of me. Major White Fields was the same Pony I met at the station. The old Stallion broke into a chortle and waved me over to sit in a chair before his desk. “I suppose our meeting was one of the fates, eh lad?”

“Or a bad case of coincidences,” I smiled and took the offered seat.

“So, Lieutenant Hot Streak tells me you have intel on a Raider attack.” The Major put his hooves together and rested his chin on them.

“I do,” I rested a foreleg against the desk. I told the Major everything that happened up to our arrival at Tenpony. Though I left Hot Streaks mistaken identity debacle out of it.

“Interesting,” White Fields scratched his chin. “Tell me something, son, any reason you didn’t risk warning your former comrades first?”

“We aren’t welcome at Stable 29 anymore. As I’ve told you, we’ve been exiled.” I looked away glaring, hoping my acting was good enough.

“I see,” Major White Fields smiled and reclined on his chair. Despite his old age, the Major still looked like a proper warhorse. “Wanna hear something interesting about Tenpony Tower?” The Major fixed me with an amused smile.

“What’s that?” I raised my brow.

“Tenpony Tower has an interesting position within the NCR. They are not officially part of the NCR, so they are exempt from taxation of any kind. They are even allowed autonomy and are not obliged to instate NCR laws.” Major white Fields gestured with his hooves behind me. “They even maintain a private security force. Which they use extensively to enforce their rule. They make sure their laws are above NCR’s. For example, the law that keeps Ghouls from entering Tenpony Tower.”

“That explains the heavily armed jerks at the front door,” I muttered.

“Yep,” Major White Fields sighed, sinking into his chair. “NCR here is simply to ensure Tenpony does the one thing they hold above an entire country.” The Major lifted a hoof, pointing at the ceiling.

Oh shit, that’s right. “Power,” I looked to the light fixture in the office.

“That’s right,” The Major let his hoof flop down on his desk. “NCR agrees to every demand Tenpony has because they are responsible for providing well over eighty percent of Power to the entirety of the NCR.”

“Where are you going with this Major?” I didn’t like this sudden turn the conversation had taken.

The Major smirked, “before I tell you that, I got a question for you.” The Major hummed, then tapped the desk. “What do you feel goes well with Apple Pie?”

What? My mouth opened slightly, and my ears flattened against my head. “Zap-Apple Jam,” do I salute now? I didn’t expect to find another exile so early on.

The Major smirked, “good to see you again, Ranger, Paladin or well, ex-Paladin White Glare at your service.” He gave me a mock salute, and I sighed in relief.

“Oh, thank Celestia’s majestic flanks,” I slacked against my seat with a relieved smile plastered on my muzzle. “For a second there, I thought you weren’t gonna help everypony.”

“Well,” The Major, or Paladin? Whatever the hell I should address him at’s tone said otherwise.

“Oh, come on, you can’t be serious?” I banged my hooves on the desk.” Lives are at stake; what could possibly be getting in the way of that?

“Hold on now, son, it’s not that easy; I’m supposed to be an NCR officer. That means I can’t compromise my position in the organization.” The Major raised his hooves defensively. “Without the Colonel’s expressive order, I can’t mobilize more than the unit under my command.”

“Shouldn’t a Major have more than a Platoon under his command?” I groaned.

“I do,” the Major raised a brow, “how long do you think it will take to organize a battalion to attack Five stars? How long before the Raiders notice a battalion gathering at Tenpony?” The Major once again pointed out of his window. “Besides, even if I could mount a counteroffensive right here and now, I couldn’t.”

“Why not?” Okay, there was definitely more going on behind the scenes at Tenpony.

“You heard what I told you, right? NCR is here to ensure power keeps flowing; that’s it. Quite literally.” The Major threw his forelegs out exasperated. “Unless I can provide evidence without an absolute shadow of a doubt that this attack will threaten the flow of power, I am to hold my position and defend ourselves as necessary.” The Major glared and spat on the ground, “fucking politics.”

“So my squad and I are alone in stopping this?” I frowned.

“You have your orders, son. The fact you came and told me this is enough. You need to move on as soon as possible.” The Major pursed his lips in a thin line. “You did what you could, son. Time to let somepony else handle this.”

“No,” I shook my head.

“Son,” The Major glared.

“Major, I can’t just leave without seeing this through.” I stood up from my seat.

“I’ll get you your proof,” I turned to leave, but the Major stopped me.

“Now hold on,” the Major stood back up himself.

“Look, I got my own orders here from Elder Sharp Sides. I’m to sabotage NCR and Tenpony Relations as much as I can.” The Major rubbed his chin in thought. “Okay, I got an idea. I’ll contact the Stable, and you let me know when you have the evidence we need. The Rangers can come off the heroes if we play our cards right. This hopefully sours the relationship between Tenpony and the NCR.” The Major scratched and grunted. “I’m too old for this spy shit.”

“Alright, fine.” I rubbed my eyes; it’s too early in the day to be this tired. “My friends and I will conduct recon on Four Stars.”

“Friends?” The Major questioned.

“Oh, my squad.” Right, aside from Strider, we were just… squadmates.

“Do you have any way to contact me?” The Major grunted.

“Yeah, I think I do. Do you have a radio I can transmit to?” I trotted up to the door, putting my hoof on the handle.

“I have my own private channel, one four zero point fifteen.” The Major nodded and gestured to a Radio in his office.

“Alright, baring any radio contact, then I’ll have somepony send you a message. Just in case, don’t be freaked out if the messenger is a pegasus in power armor.” I turned the doorknob and promptly left the Majors office.

I exited the Garrison and saw Hot Streak sitting on a circular bench around a plastic plant. I trotted up to her and waved a hoof at her. “Hey, guess you’re off duty?” I took a seat next to her.

“Yeah…” She rubbed her foreleg with her other hoof. “So, what did the Major say?”

“We worked something out,” I shrugged. Jeez, I could feel my heart thump against my chest. Wait, why was I even here? Was I really about to take her up on her offer?

“Well, do you wanna go back to my place? I get my own quarters since I’m an officer.” She leaned over and placed her head on my shoulder.

“I…I don’t know,” I swallowed a lump in my throat, but I could not deny the warmth I felt.

“Why not?” Hot Streak reached up and gently stroked my cheek with her hoof.

“I mean, we don’t even know each other. What about that other Pony?” I looked into her eyes.

“Oh, him.” Hot Streak looked away. “He’s just a fling, besides, anypony willing to do what you’re doing? I think that’s a Stallion.” She reached under my poncho, feeling my armor and laser rifle. “Look at you, armed to the teeth. Blasting Raider scum, I’m surprised you didn’t have a marefriend when I met you.”

“Like I said, no mare really paid attention to me,” I chuckled and scratched the side of my face. Thankfully Hot Streak had the tact to stay above my waistline. Not that I didn’t feel my suit tighten around the crotch suddenly.

“Well, I’m paying attention to you,” Hot Streak, with half-lidded eyes, reached up to brush her lips against mine. “Besides, you not being a Ranger makes it hotter.” She muttered before my lips.

The world suddenly rushed back to me. Hormones were utterly forgotten, and the reality of the situation dawned on me. Manehattan was just a stop, I wasn’t freelance, and I didn’t even particularly like the NCR. So I backed away from the kiss and pushed Hot Streak away. “I’m sorry, I just can’t.” I stood up and trotted away as briskly as I could.

I met up with Lemon and Strider, and they followed me out of Tenpony. We found him drinking inside the hotel by the tower entrance. Lemon plopped his saddlebags on his table, and we took the chance to take stock. Lemon and Strider’s trading netted us a nifty one thousand caps, along with 5mm rounds for Strider and 20 gauge for Lemon’s shotgun. Magical energy cells were in short supply, but they managed to stock me up. Our medical supplies were thankfully still plentiful. So we saved the rest of our supplies for the road ahead. Flag was the only one who didn’t require surplus.

With our inventory stocked and sorted, I briefed everypony on our situation. “I got some…news.”

“What, no bad or good?” Strider chuckled.

“I guess it depends on your point of view,” I let out an exasperated breath. “NCR won’t act unless we give them definitive proof the flow of power is threatened.”

“That seems oddly specific,” Lemon shifted a brow.

“Because it is,” Flag grunted, “NCR only cares about keeping the power flowing to the rest of its settlements.”

“Yeah, but we got a sort of ace in our hole.” I leaned down on the table, “The NCR major is an outcast.”

Everypony’s brows shot up at that. Flag frowned and leaned in as well, “then what’s the plan?”

“Were gonna infiltrate Four Stars and gather the proof we need. Then I’ll contact the Major, and he’ll make sure we get Ranger reinforcements.” Not a detailed plan, but at this point, I was making everything up as I went.

“Alright, say we do this,” Strider tapped a hoof on the table. “Whats our exit route? We can’t get caught by the Rangers; we’ll be considered enemies.”

Strider had a point, worst-case scenario; we fought our way through our brothers and sisters in arms. “The Monorail, we run along the Celestia line back to Tenpony, or the first place we can get off.”

“Alright, when are we moving out?” Lemon crossed her forelegs over the table.

“We wait till sundown; everypony be ready for anything.” I fixed my comrades with a serious stare. “In the meantime, I’m gonna go back to Tenpony. I got an idea how to get in Four Stars.”

***

“Kid, you awake?”

I groaned, opening my eyes. The dark of Manehattan was starting to become a familiar sight. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and took Flag’s offered hoof to get back up. I trotted over to the edge of the building we picked overlooking Four Stars. More importantly, this place was connected to the Luna Line. I sat on my haunches and pulled out a range finder from my saddlebags.

“Whoa, where did you get that?” Lemon trotted up beside me.

“I got it from the mall at Tenpony, on hindsight, best three hundred caps I ever spent.” The range finder was a thing of Zebra technology beauty. It sported night vision, thermal vision, and a one-kilometer range. Only real complaint? It had no setting between metric and imperial systems.

Strider neighed behind me, “Three hundred!?”

“Yep,” I focused on the Luna line entering the Four Stars terminal. “I see four, no six, damn ten contacts.” I put down the Range Finder, looking at Flag. “Alright, is this a good enough spot for you, Flag?”

“Oh, I think I can manage,” Flag laid prone on the corner of the rooftop overlooking Four Stars. He propped his sniper rifle against the ledge, looking down his new night vision scope. “Good call on the scope, by the way.”

“Do I wanna ask how much that cost us?” Strider drawled, pulling up next to Lemon.

“Not as much as these,” I fished three stealth bucks from my Saddlebag.

“Being a hero is freaking expensive,” Strider sighed and grabbed one, as did Lemon though she only laughed at Strider’s grumpy look. I gave my friend an apologetic grin and put the Range Finder back in my bags. “Alright, the mission is simple. We sneak in, find evidence of an impending attack. Then, we get out of there.” I looked to Lemon and put a hoof to her shoulder. “Lemon, no killing, or even knocking them out. We need to avoid detection at all costs.”

Lemon’s lips thinned into a straight line, and she took a deep breath. “I understand; for the mission, I can keep from gutting the meat bags.” She snarled the last part, and I honestly didn’t feel all that convinced.

“If we get discovered?” Strider gave Lemon a sidelong glance, and she flinched from it.

I sighed, mission first, dealing with Strider and Lemon’s beef once we were safely away from here later. “Flag starts picking the bastards off, and we fight our way out of there.” I looked to Lemon pointedly, “but that’s the last resort. We just need that proof.”

“I won’t let you down again, Valiant,” Lemon puffed her chest out and gave me a salute.

“Alright, let’s move out,” we trotted down to the station below us. We hopped on the Luna line and trotted to Four Stars. We stopped halfway through, and I used the Range Finder. “Alright, once we activate the Stealthbucks, stick together.” I scanned the entrance again, watching their movements.

We got as close as possible and used the Stealthbucks. Finally, we climbed onto the platform and took cover by some crates. I peeked out, getting stock of our surroundings. The terminal was huge, like a barn with two massive entrances where the monorail passed. The Raiders had wasted no time in fortifying themselves. They erected barricades facing the stairs leading to the Four Stars offices. A nasty-looking minigun was facing the offices, along with several armed guards. At the far end of the terminal were several stacked boxes of munitions and explosives.

“Bingo,” I whispered and turned back to everypony.

“What?” Lemon’s hushed whisper came from my left.

“I got this for our escape, C-4 plastic explosive. I’m gonna go place it on the munitions cache; meet me at the office entrance.” I hurried along, careful to trot around the Raiders moving about. I planted the C-4 behind some boxes and turned to the offices. I saw a door open seemingly on its own, and I smirked. I started trotting up the stairs when I saw a pony come up on the floor above the station. He was a hulking beast of a pony. He had a dark green coat, and his mane was a spiky bright green glowing mohawk. He had an eyepatch over one eye, but his one visible eye was an unearthly green. Though what made my blood boil was his armor. It was scrapped Power Armor in our colors. Worse of all, he was such a colossal pony he was using the top half of a power armor helmet as a shoulder guard. Now that I thought about it, he looked way too big to be a regular pony. I also noticed the cape he wore. It was a leather cape, but I couldn’t make out of what animal. I think it was safe to say this was the aforementioned Leather Cape.

“Listen up!” The Pony’s voice crackled over the station’s speaker system. “Two of our hunter parties haven’t reported in! We also got a yellow flare, which means shits fucked up! So either those NCR tools or those tin head fucks are on to us!” Leather Cape raised a humongous armored hoof. “So it’s time to put them all out of their misery!”

“HRAAAHH!” All across the station, the Raiders hollered with savage glee. Lather Cape reached down and threw a green flare onto the station floor. “The attack starts now! Storm the highway, that outpost of the steel bastards, their little hole on the ground, everyone dies tonight!” Leather Cape barked a laugh as every Raider roared.

I snuck up the stairs as fast as I could; I entered where Lemon and Strider had gone and closed the door behind me. As soon as the door clicked shut, my Stealthbuck wore out. I looked to my left and saw Lemon and Strider’s had as well. “The situation’s changed,” I looked at them both, then I opened the door to peek through. The Raiders were in action mode, as more of them galloped out of the upper offices and then went down to reach the streets below.

“What do you mean?” hissed Strider; he clearly knew I was about to change things drastically.

“We move up, quietly, and when the coast is clear, we kill that son of a bitch.” This was a new feeling; was it vindication or something else? No, this was the right call, get rid of the commander, and they lose all of their organization. Easy pickings for NCR and Rangers.

“I don’t know about this Valiant, were smack dab in their base of operations.” Strider frowned.

“Don’t worry, if things go south, we got plan B.” I flashed him the detonator. “Besides, that sick bastard is wearing Ranger armor.” Shit, maybe I am vindictive. Either way, the situation’s changed; we knock out the leader and give our people a chance. “Come on,” I trotted ahead and led us up the offices. We trotted down several halls, ducking into rooms whenever he heard the rush of hooves coming our way. That Raider hadn’t been lying. They really did sneak a freaking army in here.

After sneaking through the station floor offices, we climbed to the second level. Finally, we quietly stalked out of the emergency stairway. Before us was a vast room with decrepit cubicles. I was surprised by how many of them still had working terminals. Each row of cubicles was separated into groups forming a square. This created a broad cross-section leading to double doors at the far end of the room. Fortunately, the room was empty, and we could trot to the doors. I raised a hoof and pointed to either side of the doors. Lemon and Strider nodded and took cover; I trotted over and cracked the door open, and peered inside. The room there lacked the cubicles and instead had three rows of desks in two groups. Six desks left, Six desks right. At the head was a big wooden desk. It reminded me of the one at Rich’s Barnyard Bargains.

Leather Cape stood facing away from the door, looking down at a terminal when he pressed a button on the desk. “Stern, we started the attack; some fucker must have found us out, had to start early.” Leather Cape growled.

“Shit, has the package been delivered?” Stern squawked angrily. I sucked in a breath of air and looked back to Strider.

He looked back at me and raised a brow, “what?”

“Nothing,” I muttered. “Stay here; wait for my signal.” I sneaked inside and walked around the far-right desks.

“Nah, about to call Ripbone to get a fucking move on, speaking off.” Leather Cape grabbed a radio on the desk and barked out orders. “It’s going down. Blow those fucking towers.”

“About god damn time!” The Pony on the other side of the Radio laughed.

I felt my jaw slack open; I could see out into the Manehattan skyline from here. A Psionic Tower exploded at the base, followed by another, and then another! More explosions I could not see but heard clearly echoed off into the night.

“signal just cleared up,” Stern’s remarked.

“Shit, there’s still one tower up,” Leather Cape grabbed his Radio again, “Hey, why the fuck is the Tower up still up?”

Gunfire crackled over the Radio, “fucking NCR is on to us! We need more hunters!”

“Argh, fine! I’ll send Razorhooves your way!” Leather Cape switched channels and relayed his orders.

“Leather Cape, report!” Stern squawked.

“One of the towers is still up. We’ll take care of it.” Leather Cape snarled, he barked at his Radio once more. “Ripbone, move the package in!”

The Radio once again crackled to life, “there’s ghouls fucking everywhere! Were gonna need time!”

“Fucking hurry or I’ll skullfuck you all to death!” Leather Cape roared and threw the Radio back on the desk.

“Make sure the package is delivered; the towers are just a distraction.”

“Yeah, I’ll go down there myself.” Leather Cape nodded at Stern.

“Good, we can’t let him use Tenpony or get the Rangers on his side.” Stern emphasized ‘him’ hard.

Shit, I needed to get a better look at the terminal. If it was a video transmission, I could help Strider put a face to the name. I crept closer, turning into the desks just to the right of Leather Cape. As I peeked around the desk, my Pipbuck did something it had never done. The built-in Giger Counter started ticking, My eyes widened, and I put my hoof over it.

“What the fuck?” Leather Cape turned and looked right at me.

“What is it?” Stern asked.

“Some little shit just sneaked in here.” Leather Cape glared down at me.

“Take care of it, then go help with the package; I’m going back to Fillydelphia,” Stern ordered, and the transmission ended with a click.

“I don’t got time for you, so hold still, and I’ll make it quick.” Leather Cape smirked and reached for something on the desk, his cape falling over his side. Wait, his cape, it wasn’t animal hide leather. I put my hoof to my mouth; it was made of Pony skin!

The disgusting cape swished, and the monster was on me in a second. Leather Cape swung down a giant ugly metal sword for my neck. “Shit!” I shouted and rolled over the desk behind me. The blade crashed down, cutting the desk I was hiding behind in two! The doors burst open, Lemon and Strider galloped in only to skid to a halt. They balked at the monstrous Pony before them, standing as tall as a ranger In power armor, and muscled like a hellhound.

“What the hell is that!?” Strider raised his carbine and fired. Lemon followed suit, floating her shotgun before her. The behemoth of a Pony staggered back, bullets and pellets impacting his armor and sword as he held it up over his face. He reached behind him with his free hoof and grabbed the huge desk.

“Holy shit!” Strider yelled, and dove as the monster lifted the desk like it weighed nothing and threw it at them. Lemon squeaked out as she dove in the opposite direction.

“You fucked with the wrong Pony today!” Leather Cape snarled and charged at me. I unslung my laser rifle and fired it twice before diving out of the way of his sword. The sword cut the desk in two and bit deep into the floor. I scrambled to my hooves; Leather Cape turned and delivered a vicious back hoof to my chest. I flew back, crashing against another desk. I groaned and felt a sharp pain on my left side. I sucked in air through gritted teeth. “I think he broke a rib!”

“Hold still, and I’ll stop the pain!” Leather Cape rushed me, I fired my laser rifle, but the Ranger armor dissipated the heat efficiently. I braced, ready to roll away at the last moment. But something exploded against Leather Cape’s side and knocked him off course into the desks next to me. They shattered into splinters before he rolled back to his hooves.

“Get away from him, meat bag!” Lemon stood atop a desk, grenade launcher pointed at Leather Cape. Strider used the lull in battle to rush to my side and help me back on my hooves.

“Hahaha,” Leather Cape rested his sword over his shoulder, cackling evilly. “That stung a little; got another one in you tiny?”

I narrowed my eyes, watching the burns and cuts heal over a matter of seconds. Did he take a healing potion in that short amount of time? On the other hoof, maybe he was hiding a medical injector behind the cape. “Lemon?” I flinched and held my side. “Go all out, don’t worry about us.”

Lemon said no words. She only smirked savagely and sprang into action. Lemon’s horn glowed, as did the desk she stood on. She flung herself and the desk at Leather Cape and jumped off at the last second. Leather Cape cut the incoming desk in two, then brought his sword up at the last second, catching a grenade meant for his face. The following explosion knocked him back closer to the office floor-length windows.

“Pour it on!” I fired laser bolt after bolt at Leather Cape.

“Don’t gotta tell me twice!” Strider fired his carbine.

Our combined firepower kept Leather Cape firmly in place. Good, “Lemon!” I shouted for her intervention. She responded by firing a grenade launcher again.

Leather Cape rolled to the left, and the grenade flew out of the window. “Catch!” Leather Cape smirked and threw his sword.

I felt air rush around me before my head slammed against the ground. I blinked the blackness creeping at the edges of my vision away. I tried sitting up, only to be met by an unimaginable pain in my abdomen. “Aahhh!” I fell back, my hooves twitching in place. I looked down to see the sword had impaled me against the ground.

“Valiant!” Strider shouted before firing his rifle.

I moved my head to the side to see Leather Cape barrel into Strider, tossing him aside like a ragdoll. Lemon rushed in, Leather Cape swung for her, and Lemon slid on her back under the blow. She flew her shotgun up to Leather Cape’s face and shot him at point-blank range.

“Raagh!” Leather Cape fell back, hooves covering his face as blood splattered against the ground.

“Cunt!” Leather Cape dropped back to all four hooves. If I didn’t feel like I might die at any moment, I might have enjoyed the gruesome state of his face. He was missing half the skin of the left side of his face. His eyepatch was gone revealing an empty eye socket. Never mind he wasn’t dead. How the hell was he able to talk?

“Die!” Lemon didn’t let up, firing a grenade pushing him back.

“Die!” she fired a second one, the explosion pushing Leather Cape to the edge.

“Just die!” Lemon fired, and Leather Cape rolled to the left. He got back to his hooves to see Lemon floating her grenade launcher at him. He looked right and saw Lemon had shot her shotgun, tricking him. “Die,” Lemon seethed and fired the grenade knocking him down to the floor below.

“Cuuuunnt!” I heard Leather Cape yell down, followed by a thump.

“Valiant, Strider!” Lemon turned on a dime, holstered her weapons, and rushed to my aid.

“Sorry, Lemon.” I grunted, “I got pinned here,” I smiled before I coughed, staining my poncho red with blood.

“Stop talking; I’ll take the sword out; you drink this potion as soon as is out, got it?” Lemon glared at the ugly metal sword pining me.

“Right,” I braced myself; this was going to hurt.

Lemon floated a potion out of her saddlebags and wrapped the sword pommel with her magic. “Okay… one!” Lemon instantly pulled the sword!

“Fuck!” I writhed on the ground, my hooves instantly wrapping themselves around my bleeding abdomen. The potion floated up to my face, and I drank it greedily. I could feel it take effect immediately as my body stitched itself together. “How the hell does it hurt more coming out and than in?” I ground my teeth together, gathering myself before standing up.

“Valiant!” Lemon rushed to the collapsed form of my friend. I slowly got to my hooves and galloped to her side.

“This is probably how being run over by a wagon must have felt like.” Strider groaned and took the healing potion Lemon was offering him. “Lemon, did you get him?” Strider sighed, wiping his lips with his foreleg

She looked to the edge wordlessly, and I trotted to the edge. Leather Cape’s body was in a pool of his own blood, half his face still missing. “He’s done for,” I spat on him for good measure.

“Come on, everyone dust off, and let’s get out of here.” I flinched, feeling a dull pain on my side. I looked at my Pipbuck, as it helpfully told me my ribs weren’t fully healed. I grabbed another potion and waited for Strider to get back on his hooves.

“He’s gone,” I frowned, looking at the pool of blood. I stepped closer to the pool of blood, and my Pipbuck clicked in protest. “His blood is eradiated.” I stepped around the pool and looked at the platform below us, leaning on the barricade. My ears instantly flattened against my head; Leather Cape was standing on his hind hooves on the Platform. He had ripped the minigun off its perch and aimed it right at me. Worst, okay maybe not worst, but still concerning, his face was fully healed except his still-missing eye.

“Should have made sure your bitch finished the job.” He squeezed the trigger, the six barrels started to spin as a low whirring started to build up.

Hot Streak’s first words to me suddenly came to me. “Heavy hitter, hit the deck!” I galloped just as bullets tore up the barricade behind me. Hell, even the metal floor wasn’t safe as the minigun left hoof size holes on it. We ran up against the before the minigun stopped spitting bullets at us. “It’s overheated, Lemon. I’ll distract him. You hit him with your grenades!”

“Valiant, I got one grenade left,” Lemon levitated the grenade in question and loaded directly into the ejection port, chambering it.

Shit, plan B it is, “then let’s hope this works, Lemon when I give you the word; shoot the bastard into the ammo cache.” I galloped out to the opposite stairs, unslung my laser rifle, and shot at Leather Cape. The hot beams struck armor, but one hit near his face, leaving scorched flesh. “Damn it, just die already!” I galloped as I heard the minigun spin up again. The minigun fired, and my ears twitched at the sound of metal being shredded like paper just behind me. I rushed behind the crates we first hid behind when entering. But I didn’t stop until I dove onto the Luna line.

The bullets followed along with the sound of the floor tiles exploding. I covered my head with my hooves and thank Celestia the concrete on the platform was thick enough to stop the bullets. The minigun stopped again, and I heard Strider’s rifle and Lemon’s shotgun go off.

“Fucking pests, I’ll skull fuck the lot of you!” Leather Cape raged, but I knew he had to wait for the minigun to finish cooling.

I pushed up to my hooves and galloped to the platform entrance waving my hooves at Flag frantically. “Come on, Flag!” I shouted as loud as my throat would allow.

I heard the minigun whirred to life, “move!” I heard Strider shout, followed by the sound of metal being torn to pieces. Leather Cape stopped firing and turned to me. The minigun whirred to life and, before I could move, a shot echoed in the night. Leather Capes minigun whined before sputtering dead. A clean shot was placed right through the motor.

Another shot cracked off, hitting him center mass throwing Leather Cape back. “Strider, give him everything you got!” I raised my rifle, slapped the battery cell out of its socket, and slapped in a new one. I took aim and squeezed the trigger for everything it was worth. Flag switched his carbine to full automatic and sprayed Leather Cape.

“Fuck!” Leather Cape lifted his hoof, covering his face, but he gave ground to the ammo cache behind him. Then, another sniper shot cracked off. The bullet pierced his foreleg and went right through his empty eye socket. The force of the shot forced Leather Cape on his back hooves. He was staggered. This was our chance. “Lemon!” I shouted.

Lemon floated out her grenade launcher and fired it at Leather Capes chest. The grenade exploded, and he flew back into the ammo cache. “Get back!” I dove behind the shot-up crates while Lemon and Strider ran for the offices. I pulled out the detonator and squeezed the trigger twice.

BOOM

The explosion was massive, blowing the top layer of crates out of the platform. There was also the sound of bullets being fired off, pinging various surfaces. Though that soon was drowned out by a piercing ring in my ears. I stayed curled up for a good five minutes, waiting for the ringing to die down to a low whine. Finally, I slowly got up and looked around; the destruction was palpable. But all that was left of the freak Pony was chunks.

“Grrgh,” I turned to the smoldering hole where the ammo cache once was. Something was moving, slithering its way to me.

“You can’t be serious,” I lifted my laser rifle. The smoke cleared, and Leather Cape remained. Well, some of him. He was just a torso, with one foreleg missing its hoof, scraping against the ground, dragging him forward. Half his head was missing, and I could see a heavily mutated brain peeking from his skull.

“Grrghh,” He was trying to say something, but I wasn’t here to listen. I trotted to him and got up, planting my hind hoof on him. He stopped; his one remaining eye looked at me. Unable to communicate, Leather Cape scraped his broken leg against me. I knelt and placed the barrel of my laser rifle against his empty eye socket.

“I’m finishing the job this time, asshole.” I squeezed the trigger. Burning his brain to ashes. The remains stopped. I stepped back up and fired again and again until he was just another scorch mark against the blackened station floor. I reloaded my laser rifle and spat on his ashes. “Burn in hell,” I slung my rifle and searched for my friends. Lemon and Strider climbed down the tattered metal stairs.

Lemon rushed and hugged me for all her worth. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” I smiled and hugged her back.

“What am I chopped Apples?” Strider rolled his eyes.

“I was with you; I know you’re okay.” Lemon turned her nose at him and waved her hoof at his words. Minutes later, Flag joined us as we sat down for a minute to rest.

“Somepony mind telling me what the hell was that thing?” He plopped down next to us, rifle slung in place.

“Your guess is as good as mine; all I know is he was in charge of the Raiders here.” I sighed and rubbed my eyes. “He also seemed to be mutated. What the hell happened to him to turn him into that?” Nopony said anything on the matter, probably because they all had the same frightening thought. How many more like him were they?

“So mission complete then?” Flag broke the silence, looking towards the burning wreckage of a nearby Psionic tower. With our own fight over and done with, I finally could hear the echo of gunfire across Manehattan.

“Sure doesn’t feel like it,” Lemon huffed.

“It isn’t; we need to find a Raider and question him fast.” I reached into my saddlebags and grabbed my canteen, and took a greedy gulp of water from it.

“Shit, what did you find out,” Flag sighed.

“I’m not entirely sure myself. Leather Cape was supposed to help with delivering a package to Tenpony, and I highly doubt it’s a box of cookies,” I rolled my eyes and looked to Strider, “also, I heard Leather Cape talking to somepony.”

“Who?” Lemon asked.

“It was a mare or at least a female creature. Leather Cape called her Stren.” I looked to Strider expectantly.

His eyes narrowed, and he gave me a nod that said we’d talk later. I looked to everypony, “stern was here in Manehattan, but she said she was returning to Fillydelphia right before we fought Leather Cape.”

“Shit, something tells me NCR is gonna be way too busy fighting Raiders and ravenous Bloodwings to do anything.” Flag scratched his head, frustrated. I informed him quickly that there was still a tower up. It would probably have to have its output tripled to cover half the range the towers used to cover. I hope they didn’t blow something.

“Huh?” I brought my Pipbuck up. It was flashing, alerting me of a new radio signal. I grabbed the headset Rad gifted me and put it on, and tuned in to the frequency.

“Valiant, please pick up; this is Buttercup!”

I sat up instantly and responded, “Buttercup, it’s me!”

“Oh, thank Celestia, we need your help, please are you near the I-15?” Buttercup sounded exhausted, and I could hear gunfire in the background, though faded.

“I don’t know; I’m at the Four Stars station!” I got back to my hooves, and my friends followed suit.

“Yes, I think I know where you are; hold on!” Then, I heard the sound of air rushing and the firing of magical laser guns. “Raddish, fire it now!” I listened to the air rush about again before Buttercup’s panting voice returned. “Do you see a red flare?”

“Yes!” I scanned the Manehattan skyline and saw a red flare burn against the darkness. “Hold on, we’re on our way!” My friends didn’t even voice any dissenting opinions. We loaded up and started for the Four Stars offices to reach the ground floor. But, before I reached the offices, I saw the remains of the Ranger helmet Leather Cape used as a shoulder pauldron. The piece had flown off in the explosion, charred it black, and cracked the visor. “Come on, let's see about getting you home, soldier.” I placed the helmet piece in my saddlebags. Maybe I could give it to White Glare; hopefully, he could take it home. Use it to identify the Ranger it belonged to.

***

Chaos, in its purest form, is a lack of order. I slammed my back against an overturned wagon, panting. The moment we got onto the highway, it was an utter mess. NCR and Caravan guards scattered in isolated clusters, fighting off Raiders from all sides. “Alright, we fight our way to Rad and secure the perimeter.” I looked to Lemon and Strider, and they nodded, guns cocked and ready. “Flag?” I looked up to see him on his belly rifle propped up.

“Get moving. There’s more of them than I got bullets for.” Flag said between shots, already taking out Raiders. Immediately I rushed out, rifle raised. The road ahead was littered with held-up wagons and ponies fighting in close quarters. Lemon promptly took the lead, her shotgun blasting Raiders as she jumped, slid, and galloped across the battlefield. She blasted a Raider with her shotgun and gutted another with her trench knife. I raised my rifle and fired, vaporizing a son of a bitch that tried flanking her. Strider shot his carbine in control bursts downing another two. The bastards had tried mounting themselves atop a Wagon. Though I couldn’t hear it, I saw Flag’s expert marksmanship yet again. He splattered the brains of a Raider, only for the bullet to lodge itself in the neck of the Raider right behind him.

I slid over a wagon kicking a Raider in the muzzle in the process. I raised my rifle, and she stopped looking at me, his eyes wide with fear. I froze; the Pony was my age, an earth mare with a mangy coat and balding mane. She blinked; her breathing was shaky, and her pupils dilated. Whatever she was on had already started taking its toll. I lowered my rifle slightly, and she grabbed her gun. I squeezed the trigger and lasered a hole clean through her heart. She flopped dead on the ground.

“Die!”

Shit, I turned my rifle before something smacked it out of my hooves. “Damn!” My right hoove stung something fierce. The Raider had struck me with a bat! The bastard swung again, but I ducked and tackled his midsection to the floor. I drew my combat knife from my hind leg and stabbed at him. He caught my foreleg with his bat and used it as a fulcrum to roll me off him. I scrambled to my hooves. The Raider swung the bat with one hoof and struck me across the face. I went down hard, sprawled on the ground. The bastard rang my bell, and everything was going fuzzy. I shook my head and spotted my knife before me. I reached for it, and the Raider stepped on my hoof.

He laughed like a mad hyena above me. I looked up as he raised his bat for a killing blow. I braced myself and moved forward at the last minute. The blow struck against my armored back, hurting significantly less. I bit the Raider’s hind leg over my foreleg, and he yelped, falling backward. Yeah, screw this hoof-to-hoof shit. I sat up and drew my laser pistol; the Raider scrambled up and froze before my barrel. I didn’t have the same qualms as before. I lasered him twice through the chest, and he fell back dead. I took a firing stance and took stock of my immediate surroundings. I was good, at least for now. I sat up against the wagon I had slid over and checked my Pipbuck.

My wrist was bruised but not broken, and no significant damage from the strike to the head. It was a good thing his swing was clunky with one hoof. I flinched and put my other hoof against my right side. My side was still bothering me. I reached into my saddlebags and popped a Med-X into my mouth, and after a few seconds, I felt the pain ebb away. I flinched when I heard hooves clank against the wagon above me. I dove forward, and rolled onto my back, and took aim.

“You okay?” Lemon panted, coated in blood.

“Yeah,” I got up, collecting my laser rifle along the way. “Bastard on the left there caught me off guard.” I groaned, picking up my combat knife and placing it back on my hind leg.

“I found Rad’s wagon,” Strider rushed and planted himself against the Wagon opposite of me. “He’s just ahead with some other caravans. They managed to form a protective diamond, but they’re being overrun.” Strider loaded a new magazine into his carbine before peeking from cover and firing.

“Let’s move!” I rushed past Strider, and they fell behind. True enough, ten meters ahead, three wagons formed a diamond around some ponies through wreckage and bodies. One of the Wagons was Rad’s, and I could see Buttercup coming down for repeated strafe runs on the Radiers surrounding them. “Alright, we got the element of surprise.” I pointed a hoof to the Raiders, “Lemon, I want you to cut loose on these bastards.”

“You got it!” Lemon rushed instantly into combat. She attacked a group of Raiders approaching the wagons on the right.

“Strider, you wound one of the bastards and kill the rest.” I reloaded my laser rifle, threw my poncho over my shoulders, and rushed the Raiders directly ahead of us. Jeez, ordering the death of Raiders was starting to feel too casual. Then again, they were actively attacking these innocent ponies. I raised my rifle and squeezed out two laser bolts. I Vaporized the Raider I shot on the second shot. His friends noticed; I advanced forward into cover, firing off three more laser bolts, killing two more. Bullets plinked against my wagon cover, and I gritted my teeth. The moment the gunfire stopped, I raised up and took aim. I saw a unicorn levitate a grenade. She pulled the pin, and I mentally activated my SATS.

I had never used the system before. It felt surreal. Like the world had crawled to a stop. But I know the magical field it generated simply bypassed all sensory delay by accelerating cognitive processing. So with the spell active, I squeezed the trigger. The Unicorn dropped, a hole burned through her head. The grenade clattered beside her. “Shit!” One of the Raiders scrambled, but the grenade went off. Three more Raiders dropped dead.

“Motherfucker!” A Raider raised a zebra rifle at me. The front of his face exploded outward, and he fell over. Behind him, the caravan ponies finally took notice of our efforts and counterattacked. I took advantage of the Raider’s shock and charged forward. I fired off my laser rifle three more times, killing one Raider and Vaporizing the other.

“Shit, shit!” A Radier backed up against the Caravan, freaking out. He turned left to a revolver. He opened his mouth, only to have his brains splattered against the wagon behind him. The owner of said Revolver popped his head out of cover. He locked eyes with me; Rad-Raddish gave me a pained grin and waved me over. I rushed to meet Rad, and I squeezed into the small gap of the wagons.

“Boy, am I glad to see you, son,” Rad groaned and sat against his wagon. His left foreleg was bandaged, but it was still bleeding. Several Ponies were laid out in the diamond center injured. An alarming number of them looked to be civilians.

“Crispe, that’s a lot of injured,” I muttered before turning to Rad.

“Ayep,” he groaned, holding his injured foreleg. “Buttercup is about the only reason these varmints ain’t done plugged us all full o-holes.” Rad chuckled, “well, they sure a heck been trying extra hard with me.”

“Here,” I drew a healing potion from my saddlebags.

“Ah, come on now,” Rad started.

“No buts, if you’re going to defend your family, you need to be at your best.” I shoved the potion into his uninjured foreleg. “Okay, we can’t stay here; something big is happening. So we’re gonna secure the perimeter and then divert the stragglers here. If we can turn this place into a strong point, NCR can handle the rest.” I heard steps; I grabbed my laser rifle and aimed between wagons where I entered. I fired off three lasers, killing two Raiders that tried rushing in. I immediately ducked back into cover as bullets pinged against the wagon. “I think I saw three more. How’s the foreleg looking?”

“Better,” Rad rotated his foreleg and nodded. He reached down to his belt and frowned. “Dang, I’m running low. Think you can grab me another belt from the wagon? I’ll cover you.” Rad got back up. “Get in through the front, don’t want em riddling you with holes.” Rad put himself on the Wagon opposite of me, and I galloped to the other side of his wagon. I climbed on, pushed the curtains covering the back aside, and.

BLAM

I felt the air rush out of my lungs. My body was thrown against the wagon in front of Rad’s Wagon. I hit the wagon corner and rolled to the side, landing (thankfully) inside the diamond. I wheezed for air, my hooves scraping against my armor in a vain attempt to remove it.

“Holy cow!” Rad rushed to my side. He flipped me on my back and instantly gave me mouth to mouth.

I coughed, rolling to my side, gasping for air. “Somepony made it inside your Wagon.” I gritted my teeth and looked down. Buckshot was embedded in my armor; thank Celestia, I wore metal armor. A young colt poked out of the wagon, scared of his mind. “Valiant, ahm so sorry! I was just scared!” Bright Star put his hoof to his heart.

“It’s fine,” I groaned, getting back to my hooves. The Med-x thankfully kept the pain at a minimum. “Though maybe work on that hair trigger.”

“Star, get back inside, hide with your brother,” Rad ordered.

“O-okay pa,” Star started to duck in before Rad stopped him.

“Ah, the shotgun son.” Rad climbed on the wagon, and Star gave his father the sawed-off shotgun. Rad hopped off and looked at me apologetically.

“Lookout! I pushed Rad aside, unslung my rifle, and fired at a Raider that almost passed into the diamond. “Let’s go!” I rushed back to our previous position and lasered two more Raiders that almost climbed into the back of the wagon.

“Fuck!” A Raider barked from cover. “It’s time; let’s fucking get out of here!”

What? I blinked and watched the Raiders start a general retreat. Things were looking up for them; why would they just retreat? I sighed; whatever it is, the package must either be in place or about to be.

“Let me go, you fucker!” I turned to see Strider drag a bleeding Raider into the diamond from the right. As if on cue, Lemon, covered in gore, strode in from the left. The caravan guards regarded her with caution as she trotted to me.

A few minutes later, Flag joined us. As he did, he was reloading his submachine gun. “Okay, something is definitely not right here.” He slung his weapon in place and wiped the Raider blood off his face.

“Yeah, we should -look out!” I looked up as I saw something falling from the sky. Everypony that could move to cover did so. The object landed with a sickening splat in a mess of blood and feathers. A griffon Raider. Second slater, Buttercup, in all her power-armored glory landed, before collapsing on her hind legs.

“I haven’t had a proper dogfight in ages.” Her voice sounded heavy behind the helmet. There was some blood on her armor, but she looked otherwise unharmed. She removed her helmet, her mane was sticking to her, and her coat was glossy with sweat. “this Talon should be ashamed of herself,” She wiped her brow. “Getting outmaneuvered by an old mare.”

Rad chuckled and sat before her and pressed his brow against hers. “Shucks, ah reckon the ol’ bitch got unlucky she had to go against Lieutenant Buttercup.”

“Are the kids okay?” She looked worriedly to the wagon.

“Ayep,” Rad threw a hoof in my direction, “Valiant and his friends saved our bacon.”

I smiled and tipped my hat in her direction. “Hey, couldn’t leave the first customers I ever escorted to hang now, could I?”

“Thank you Valiant, I wasn’t sure you were gonna make it in time.” Buttercup trotted up to me and gave me a hug.

Oh, okay, I wasn’t expecting this. “Hey, now.” I laughed and patter her back.

“I mean it; thank you for saving my family.” Buttercup smiled warmly, it reminded me of my mother, and a warm feeling spread across my chest.

“Hey, it’s what we Outcast do.” I blurted it out without thought.

“Outcasts?” Buttercup tilted her head curiously.

“Oh,” shit, recover, recover! “That’s the name of our mercenary band!” Yeah, nice safe Valiant!

“Well, you bet I’ll make sure everyone in New Appleloosa knows about yall!” Rad raised his hoof in the air, “ain’t that right, fellars?!”

“YEEHAW!” the Caravaners and guards hollered. Jeez, was every caravaner from the heartland?

“Well, you folk should be okay. We got a pony to talk to about a package.” I turned to Strider, who had muffled the Raider with a cloth.

“Do you need him to talk?” Buttercup trotted up to me.

“I do,” I nodded to her, “Raiders have a package of some sort to get to Tenpony. I need to know what we’re dealing with.”

Buttercup put her helmet on and flicked the scorpion-like tail on the armor. “I’ll get him to talk. I learned a few things about getting ponies to talk when I was in the Enclave.” Buttercup didn’t even wait for me to answer. She trotted up to the Raider. Strider looked at me, and I just nodded. He stepped aside, and Buttercup wrapped her armored tail around the Raiders neck and started dragging him behind her. “Let’s have a little talk in private.” Her distorted voice sounded in-pony. His eyes widened, and he wriggled in protest. They disappeared behind one of the wagons, and I was so glad Buttercup was on our side.

***

“Everypony ready?” I stood before the entrance of what once was a subway system. The entrance had been barred with wood and scrap metal. Warning signs were plastered all over the sealed-off subway system.

RADIATION PRESENT!

GHOULS!

DO NOT ENTER!

DON’T LET THEM OUT!

The warnings had gone unheeded by the Raiders. Instead, they had blown the barrier to pieces, and planks were laid down the stairs. That meant they were rolling something down there. I adjusted the gas mask on my face. Rad and the other Caravaners were grateful enough to give us these masks and filters. When they realized we were going underground, they practically threw supplies at us. I clicked on the flashlight I strapped to my neck and looked at my companions.

“Let’s do this, brother,” Strider nodded.

“Whenever you’re ready.” Lemon nodded.

“Time’s a-wasting; let’s go.” Flag trotted forward, and we entered the dark below.

BRIDLE STREET SUBWAY LINE

My Pipbuck flashed me a name as we made our way through the subway system. Raider and ghoul bodies littered the place. Boy, am I glad for these masks; they filtered both air and smell! My Pipbuck started clicking at me as we entered made our way deeper into the subway. “Look at this,” I flashed my light on a moldy map on a stand. Time had eaten away at the sides, but I could still make out the lines. A blue zigged and zagged from south to north manehattan. A red line circled outer manehattan, and an orange line crossed east to west. This line, in particular, went right beneath Tenpony Tower. Not to mention all the rail lines seemed to connect there. The name, unfortunately, had not survived the ravages of time. A hole had rotten where the title should have been.

“Alright, let's get down this line,” I squinted at the faded-out name. “Friendship Line,” well, that was ironic. We went further down the Bridle Line until we hopped down on the tracks, only for our hooves to make a splash. “What the hell?” I lifted my Pipbuck foreleg, and my Geiger counter clicked aggressively. “This water is seriously toxic. Everypony takes some RadSafe before we continue.” I raised my mask briefly to take a pill. We trotted onward only for the water to start rising higher.

“Is this all from the Celestial Sea?” Lemon’s muffled voice echoed behind me.

“Yeah,” Flag grunted. “Two hundred years with no maintenance, and the sea started retaking the tunnels.

“I’m sure the megaspell nuking the city didn’t help either.” Strider chimed in.

“No, that it did not,” I agreed, feeling the water reach my chest. We were forced to place our saddlebags over our shoulders and continue on our hind legs. Well, at least Strider, Flag, and I had to. Lemon just floated her saddlebags above her.

“Ah!” Strider yelped, pointing his rifle at the water. “Something just touched my leg!”

“Eep!” Lemon shrieked and floated her shotgun up as well. “Me too!”

Flag and I raised our weapons. “Calm down, just keep your eyes peeled.” Okay, good, make sure everypony stays calm. Even if I personally felt about ready to piss myself. This is what I get for watching scary holotapes with Strider as a kid. Logic quite clearly told me there was no such thing as ghosts. At most, my scientific mind figured aberrations due to magical radiation may at one point have manifested themselves. But there was no such magical radiation anymore on the top side, except down here in the scary dark tunnel. Oh, I’m killing every Raider for making me come down here. I raised my rifle to see something black floating towards me. “What the?”

“What is that?” Strider growled, aiming his gun as well.

“You know what, that’s exactly how the first pony dies in a scary holotape. So I’m vaporizing it!” I fired two laser bolts at it. The water hissed into steam, and the black blob floated ever closer.

“Is it dead?” Lemon squeaked. Seriously, how was she, of all Ponies, scared?

I reached out with my laser rifle as it drew near and stopped it. I squinted at the blob and saw the holes where I lasered it. But there was more; the blob wasn’t a blob. It was a jacket with faded decals, and it was still being worn. I swallowed a lump in my throat and reached into the water. I felt Pony alright; I turned the body over. “Holy shit,” half the flesh on the Pony’s face was missing. The torn flesh wasn’t a gun wound of any kind. It looked like somepony ripped chunks out of him. “Everypony, stay sharp. Whatever ate this poor bastard is down here somewhere.”

We trudged onward, keeping a safe distance from one another. This tunnel was really creepy; the lights had long since stopped working. Water dripped from the ceiling ranging from rivets to drops. The water also was a muddy brown, and we couldn’t see a damn thing through it. Worse, the further we got, the more bodies we could see. I had my suspicions on what ate that Raider, and I was proven right as Ghoul’s joined the floating bodies. “Hey!” A voice made us all snap our guns around. Unfortunately, the voice echoed in the dark tunnel, and we couldn’t pinpoint it.

“Here, right here!”

I traced the water until I saw a lone Raider hanging on a support beam. From what I could see, he was unarmed, and he looked scared out of his mind. “Who are you? Where are the others?” I glared.

“Me?” the Raider stuttered. “Who the fuck are you?”

A plan formed in my head, “Leather Cape sent us here, so tell me who you are before we float you down with the rest.” Lemon looked at me, her eyes murderous, but thankfully she kept herself from blasting the Raider. Progress Lemon, good on you.

“About fucking time,” the Raider sighed, resting his head against the pillar. “Is it clear?”

“What is?” Strider asked.

“The water! Any more zombie fucks on it?” The Raider barked, annoyed.

“Yeah, you're clear.” I really didn’t know.

“Okay, come on, I’ll take you further in. I don’t think the guys set up the package yet.” The Raider climbed down; he tripped and fell forward. He came up spitting out water. “Agh fuck, this tastes like shit!”

“Yeah, so listen.” I trudged a little closer, keeping my rifle ready in case things went south with him. “Leather Cape didn’t tell us. What's the package?”

“Oh, yeah, those Tenpony tools won’t see it coming! Shit, nopony will, for that matter!” The Raider cackled. “Anyway, huh?” The Raider looked down. “something caught my hoof. Shit, I’m stuck; give me a hoof.”

I reached over to grab his offered hoof. Then suddenly, the water behind the Raider erupted. A Ghoul Pony chomped on the back of his neck. “Aaagh!” the Raider tore at the Ghoul with both hooves. “Get it off!” three more Ghouls reputed from the water and chomped on the Radier before dragging him under screaming bloody murder.

“Fuck me!” I squeezed the trigger and lasered the spot the Raider was at. The water bubbled and hissed, slowly turning a shade of red. Strider fired, and the shots echoed something fierce in the dark tunnel.

RROOOAARRR!

It was horrible, ravenous, and beyond frightening. It echoed across the dark tunnel, and I felt like we had just kicked the hornet's nest. The water around us erupted as dormant Ghouls splashed clumsily, trying to reach us. “Move, come on!” I fired my laser rifle at the ghouls ahead.

“Clear a path, stick together, and don’t shoot unless you know it’s a kill shot!” Flag switched his submachinegun to burst fire and took the lead. We formed a spearhead, clearing ghouls directly ahead of us. It wasn’t long before my lungs started burning. Pushing through water and firing was taking its toll. “Flag, I feel my lungs burning.” I panted as I reloaded another cell into my rifle.

“Don’t stop moving, kid, or we're all dead!” Flag slapped down the cocking lever on his submachine gun after loading a fresh magazine in.

“Come on, you freaks!” Strider pushed forward, firing controlled bursts tearing ghouls apart. We pushed ahead, but it felt like ten more ghouls would appear for every inch we gained.

“Oh no, I’m out of shells!” Lemon yelled.

“Here!” I tossed her my laser pistol, and she caught it with her magic. “Make it,” I gasped for breath, “count.”

“Got it!” Lemon instantly started vaporizing ghouls left and right.

I turned, pushed ahead, firing my laser rifle, vaporizing two ghouls ahead of me. “Oh crap!” The tunnel was collapsed. But to our left, I spotted a narrow tunnel. The only problem was that the dozen or Ghouls jammed into it blocked the entrance. Wait, “Lemon, did the Caravaners give you any more grenades?”

“No!” Lemon yelled, firing lasers into the encroaching Ghoul horde.

“Kid, if you’re gonna do something, make it fast!” Flag roared, gunning down two ghouls. Shit, think, Valiant think! I fired at the jammed ghouls but only managed to vaporize a few. Not fast enough, I’d run out of ammo before making a dent. I opened my Pipbuck and looked through my assorted arsenal. Yes! I felt my muzzle crack into a desperate grin. “Everypony, get ready to dive into the water away from the ghoul wall!” I reached into my saddlebags and pulled out the last of the C-4 explosives. I tossed the block into the thick of the ghouls. One of the brain-dead monstrosities actually swallowed the block! Or it tried to; I could see the block stuck in its gullet. I pulled the detonator and Looked at the incoming horde. Due or die, hopefully, if it’s die, it’ll be quick from the C-4. “Dive now!” I gulped down air and submerged myself in the water. I gave everypony a few seconds before pulling the trigger on the detonator twice. I closed my eyes, feeling water fill the gasmask. I pulled it off, and I could feel the roaring inferno above. Worst I heard the plop of body parts shower us.

I went up for air and sucked the irradiated air. I instantly choked on it. I shook my mask, draining the water as best I could before replacing the gas mask on my face. “Shit!” I reached my hooves into my saddlebag, grabbing a syringe of Radway. I injected it into my foreleg before leaning on the collapsed tunnel rubble. “Everypony!” I looked around. The blast had taken a good portion of the Ghouls with it.

“I’m here,” Strider coughed up a storm donning his mask to my left. Lemon and Flag came up next. They didn’t suck in air like Strider and me. Instead, they slipped on their masks and simply nodded.

“I can hear more of them down the way we came.” Strider groaned, injecting himself with Radway.

“Then we push forward, come on, everypony!” I pushed off the rubble and made my way through the gore I had turned the tunnel into. I went in first, carefully stepping around the mess.

“Eek!” Lemon yelped.

“What?” I looked back at her.

“I stepped on an eyeball,” Lemon shivered, “so gross.” She shook out her left hindleg.

I sighed and shook my head. “You are a mystery to me, Lemon,” I squeezed down the tunnel until we reached the maintenance shaft. I think the Raiders must have caused the collapse themselves. But Raiders being what they are, they must have left some of their forces behind. These forces fought their way. Ghoul and Raider's bodies littered the maintenance shaft. We picked away through, looting the Raiders as we did. Flag was able to find more 10mm bullets, and Strider got 5mm bullets for his carbine and Lemon much-needed shotgun shells. As expected, I found zero magical cells. I was starting to low run. I was gonna need to start scavenging for another weapon.

“Fuck, no word from Leather Cape. What should we do?”

I froze and raised my hoof, stopping everyone behind me. Then, I put my hoof to my mask to signal silence. At the end of the maintenance shaft, metal stairs led to a raised walkway. We crept up the walkway, thankfully shielded by metal plates rather than simple railings. I looked to my Pipbuck. The Geiger Counter read low to no Radiation. I flashed everypony my Pipbuck, tapping the Gaiger Counter on the top right. We removed our masks, stashing them in our saddlebags. I instantly regretted that decision. Quite frankly, this place smelled like shit. I peeked over the barrier, watching the Raiders below. The room was vast and several rail lines connected here. The room itself was dome-shaped, and below, several old railcars were parked in a circle forming four rings. My Pipbuck flashed, and I shifted my gaze down at it, catching this place's name.

RAILCAR DECOMMISSION SITE

“I don’t fucking know; Stern isn’t picking up either.”

Strider Growled next to me. Meanwhile, down below, I saw a Raider wretch his guts out by a railcar.

“Ah see, we went through most of our fucking Radway supply getting down here! Then there's the fucking zombies. So how the hell are we getting out of here?” The Raider who said that was standing by the infamous package. It was massive, about the size of a railcar. It was atop its own flatbed wagon, its pullers in dirty, tattered rags rested by it though they were chained to it. The pullers were slaves, no doubt about it. The package itself was covered with a sheet.

“Yeah, we had to fucking use our supplies on the slaves?” A Raider kicked one for good measure. The slaves simply huddled together in fear.

“What, did you want to pull that heavy ass thing?” The apparent leader, who we had first heard, barked. If memory served right, this had to be Ripbone.

“Come on, Flag, you’re on support as usual,” I whispered, turning to Flag.

“Actually, no, I’m not.” Flag glared down at the Raiders below. “I’m out of .308 mm for my sniper.” He grabbed his submachine gun and loaded a fresh magazine. “Besides, I want to take those bastards on close and personal.”

Okay, questions for Flag later. Right now, I was more concerned with the package. To our far left were stairs leading down to the Railcars. We slunk low to the ground to the stairs and snuck down to the first Railcar we could find. “We hit them with everything we got; watch your fire around the slaves,” I whispered as we moved through the Railcars. I had counted ten Raiders. If we managed a smooth sneak attack, that’s four down in one go. There we snuck up to the Railcars final ring, taking up a position just a few meters from the package. The Raiders, on closer inspection, looked about ready to collapse. Most of them were probably suffering from Radiation sickness. Moving that massive thing, plus fighting off ghouls, definitely choked the life out of their supplies. “Pick your targets. I got the leader atop the flatbed.” I aimed my laser rifle.

“Check on the one kicking the slave,” Strider whispered.

“Check the one puking by the Railcar,” Lemon hissed.

“I got the bastard standing by the flatbed.” Flag hummed.

“Mark,” I squeezed the trigger, but as I did, Ripbone saw me.

“Shit!” Ripbone ducked as my laser burned past him. Though not before it caught the sheet over the package on fire.

“Aah!” The other three Raiders dropped dead or injured in Lemon’s case. Buckshot at this range wasn’t as lethal. The rest of the Raiders sprang into action, seeking cover. The Slaves yelled and huddled together in fear.

Strider fired again, but his new target took cover behind the flatbed.

“Oh shit! Hold your fire, everypony, hold your god damn fire!” Ripbone scrambled to his hooves and slapped the slowly spreading fire. “Whoever the fuck is attacking us, don’t shoot the package; you'll kill us all!” The fire was spreading, and Ripbone just grabbed the end of the sheet with his teeth and pulled it off.

Sweet fucking Celestia! “ Hold your fire!” I pointed a hoof specifically at Lemon. “Lemon! This goes especially for you!” The ‘package’ was a Mark 47 ‘Damocles’ Megaspell warhead! You know, the same ones tipped on ICBMs? The same ones that nearly ended the goddamn world?! Where the hell did the Raiders get that?! Better yet, how incompetent was the NCR that the Raiders snuck a god damn Megaspell past them?

Okay, deep breaths, Valiant, don’t cause a repeat of history here. “Is it armed?” I didn’t lower my laser rifle. I didn’t trust one of these bastards not to shoot us the second we let our guard down.

“No, but don’t fucking test me, or I will!” Ripbone glared at me.

“Look, you lost. Your guys are dead or dying, and Ghouls could find a way here at any minute.” I lowered my rifle but signaled my friends to keep their weapons trained.

“We got a whole army! Leather Cape,” Ripbone started.

“Is dead,” I reached into my saddlebags and tossed the charred Ranger helmet plate on the ground. Sorry, Ranger, I need your services one last time. “Your army is also retreating from Manehattan.”

“Holy shit, how did you even,” Ripbone groaned. “Fine, what do you want?”

“You and your comrades are free to go, but the Package and slaves stay with us.”

Ripbone gritted his teeth, he looked like he wanted to say no, but his own sense of self-preservation won out. “Fine, everyone, let's get the fuck out of here!” Ripbone hopped off the flatbed. His Raiders gathered the wounded Raider, leaving through a tunnel.

After I was sure the Raiders were out of earshot, I collapsed on my haunches and let out a sigh. “Shit on crackers!” I put a hoof to my chest, trying to calm my jackhammer of a heart right now. “We almost got vaporized!” I looked at the proverbial bomb, and I cracked a morbid smile. The Raiders had left a message on it.

GET FUCKED!

We almost all did, burned to ash in balefire. “Okay, now! Mission complete!” I laughed, hysterically I might add.

“Don’t worry, you’re going to be okay.” I heard Flag's voice.

I stood back up, watching him comfort the Slaves and offer them food. I have to say, I’ve never seen this side of Flag before. It was nice. He had a softer side to his usual carefree attitude. Strider climbed on top of the flatbed, and he gave the Megaspell a one over. “So, what do we do about this thing?”

I trotted up to it and found a small side panel on it. Carefully, I used my combat knife to feel around the edges of the lid. When I felt no resistance that might indicate a trap, I opened the panel. The mechanism inside analog, an intentional design. Low tech meant the warhead couldn’t be hacked to detonate early. Though it didn’t make it impossible, one could still transmit shutdown codes to the missile before the warhead detached. After the warhead separated, the deadpony’s switch activated. So should the warhead fail to detonate, it would blow if tampered with.

“Are you sure you should be messing with that?” Strider’s ears flattened against his head. He took a step back, which almost made me laugh.

“If the deadpony’s switch was armed, this thing would have blown the moment they tried moving it.” But, no, they had to have gotten this bad boy from a silo or something. The question, of course, is from where. This was an Equestrian ordinance; all military sites were a Zebra target during the great war. How this thing escaped the holocaust was beyond me. A more horrendous thought occurred to me, what if this wasn’t the only one?

I shook my head and checked the panel. The idiots had left the activation keys inside the panel. I tapped the analog clock on the panel, and I practically felt Strider twitch behind me. The timer was set to twelve hours, which I don’t think would have let the Raider forces leave in time. “Alright, the megaspell is disarmed.” I closed the panel’s lid, though not before stowing the activation keys in my saddlebags.

“So, what do we do about the Megaspell?” Lemon hopped on her hind legs and rested her hooves on the flatbed edges. “Do we leave it for the NCR?”

Hell no!

“No, NCR has enough ways to bully people.” I rolled my eyes. Still, we couldn’t just leave a Megaspell here. Even if I did have the activation keys. Someone suicidal enough could still trigger the spell instantly. After what I’d seen today, I wouldn’t put it past the Raiders to do that. Well, if anypony would know what to do, it would be my father or Elder Sharp Sides. I grabbed my headset and tapped on my Pipbuck. “Major, it’s me, Valiant.”

The radio crackled before coming to life, “Holy hell, son, I thought you were dead!”

“Not quite,” I chuckled and tapped the Warhead mockingly.

“Well, Raiders are on the backhoof on all fronts. I take it we have you to thank for that?”

“Yes, and no, but I can brief you later. More importantly, I need you to contact Star Paladin Heavy Arms and Elder sharp Sides. If you can manage, have them come on my transmission coordinates.” I whetted my lips and grinned. “I have a package for them.”

“Wait, transmission says you’re several meters below ground. Son, are you in the old subway system?”

“Affirmative, Raiders snuck in here with valuable cargo, can’t discuss over coms. Make sure the Elder and Star Paladin Heavy arms bring at least a platoon strength security force.” I looked at the outlaying tunnels. Celestia only knew when we might get swarmed again.

“Alright, hang tight.” Major White Field signed off, and we were left to our devices for the time being.

Two hours later, we heard the sound of hooves echoing down a tunnel. We readied ourselves for combat, but thankfully a platoon of Rangers marched in. Ahead of these Rangers was Elder Sharp Sides herself, she forwent a helmet, but she was still clad in power armor. When she spotted us, she gave us a cockeyed stare but said nothing else on the matter. The Elder hopped on the platform and stared at the Megaspell. She was quiet before she turned, and her lips turned upward in the barest hints of a smile. “Outstanding work, Rangers,” she signaled to the slaves now freed of collars and chains.

“Slaves, Raiders used them to pull the megaspell down here.” I gave them a sympathetic smile.

“We’ll take care of them,” Elder Sharp Sides nodded. She looked towards the megaspell before speaking again. “Do you have the activation keys?”

“Yes, mam,” I fished them from my Saddlebags and presented them to her. She nodded and took the keys into her saddlebags.

“Oh, one more thing, the Raider Leader was using this as armor.” I showed her the burnt Ranger faceplate.

“Good work Ranger,” The Elder took the faceplate. She caressed it gently before also packing it in her saddlebags. “I’ll make sure he gets back home, find if his family is still with us.”

“By the way, is my father with you?” I peeked around her, looking at the assembled Rangers.

“No, I have him pressing the Raider retreat.” Elder Sharp Sides explained. “Regardless, we will take it from here. “Racer,” Elder Sharp Sides looked to one of the Rangers.

“Mam!” He straightened to attention.

“Escort the Rangers top side, then return back.” The Elder nodded.

“Understood!” Racer saluted and trotted to us.

I sighed, “come on, everypony, let's get to Tenpony and get some rest. I think we earned this one.”

***

The return to Tenpony had been uneventful. At least until we stepped into the small shanty town outside the tower. Everypony seemed to be looking at us, or more precisely, at me. They muttered among themselves and smiled in my direction. As expected, Flag declined to stay in Tenpony proper. We got rooms at some fancy place called Goldentail’s Luxury suites. Well, I say we got the digs, that desk Pony Homage escorted us to the rooms. I don’t recall ever reserving a room or anything.

Still, I wasn’t one to look at a gift pony in the mouth. All of us took a much-needed shower, not to mention sanitizing our equipment. Hell, I personally didn’t sleep too well. Radaway and RadSafe gave me the runs like nobody's business. At least in the quantities, I ended up taking. So, nopony blamed me for staying a second day. Lemon especially, she had gone to the local spa and gotten pampered. I took our armor for repairs and ran into Hot Streak. She had smiled at me, waved a hoof, and gone on her mary way. Not as awkward as I had thought it would be.

I didn’t have many caps left, but everypony on the tower was weirdly reasonable with their prizes. Weird considering the two days before everypony turned their noses up at us. Before returning back to the room, I restocked on munitions. The Ironshod shop had few precious cells, but I took them all. I had thought of maybe grabbing another gun, but I could still use what I had.

As I walked to my suite, I found Hot Streak again. She was in uniform, waiting by my door. “Oh, hey again.” She smiled at me.

“Hey, what can I do for you?” I nodded in return.

“Uh, don’t you wanna unload first?” She leaned over to look at my loaded back.

“Oh right, here hold on,” I entered my suite and dumped our stuff on a nearby table. Then, I exited the suite again and kicked the door behind me close. “So, what's up?”

“I wanted to say sorry,” Hot Streak sighed.

“For?” I raised a brow.

“I kind of threw myself at you,” Hot Streak rubbed her foreleg with her other hoof. “I should have realized you were just being nice to me.” Hot Streak shrugged.

“Oh, hey, don’t worry about it.” I waved away her worries. But, really, it was nice to fantasize about. Having a marefriend and all.

“Are you sure?” Hot Streak looked unconvinced, “I mean, I didn’t know you had a marefriend. The unicorn mare, I don’t blame you. She’s gorgeous.”

Whoa, nelly!

“Wait, no, you got the wrong idea.” I instantly waved my hooves around frantically. “Lemon is just a friend!” I hope she was my friend. I really wish I could ask her, but I’d feel weird about it.

“Really?” Hot Streak raised a dubious brow.

“Yes, really,” I sighed and scratched the back of my head.

“Good,” Hot Streak trotted up to me and pecked me on the lips. “Than I’ll see you around, cowboy.”

I raised a hoof to say something to her, remind her I couldn’t. But, as I watched her swagger away, she definitely emphasized her hip swaying. I decided against it. Better to leave it as is. Besides, for the Pony that took my first kiss, my first of many things, really. She was better than I thought I’d ever do.

Morning crept up on us, refreshed and clean for a change. We all went to the Celestial Line terminal at Tenpony. Homage, under whoever orders, hooked us up with tickets for a train ride up north. Strider, Lemon, and Flag boarded the train. I stood before Homage and offered my hoof, “thank you for everything, Homage. Though I still don’t know why all the help.”

“Let's just say you got a special Pony looking out for you.” Homage winked at me and shook my hoof.

“All aboard! Next stop, Shatterhoof!” A train attendant Ponyhollered.

“Guess I better get going,” I gave Homage a mock salute and stepped into the train car. The train whistle screeched, and the door started sliding close.

“Good luck,” Homage smirked, “and thanks for doing that quest.”

The doors shut fully, and my eyes widened. Homage waved and turned, disappearing into a crowd of ponies. Was Homage the mysterious voice from before? Well, great, now I was left with more questions. Whatever doesn’t matter now, maybe I can return here again at one point. After we established base November perhaps. I trotted into the passenger car proper. Strider and Flag were on a seat to the right of me. Lemon sat left of them alone, staring out at the passing Manehattan landscape. I stood on my hind legs and stuffed my bags into the overhead bin.

Something slipped out and clattered on the floor. I looked down and saw it was a holotape. Oh, that’s right. I picked it up and sat down next to Lemon. My mother had left this for me as well. I grabbed my headset from my saddlebags above and played the holotape on my Pipbuck.

Is it on?

Yes, come on, honey.

Okay, ahem. Valiant, it's me, your father. I know we haven’t had much time to talk or do much lately. You took your training seriously, and my responsibilities kept me busy. But, I wanted to tell you something. That is, I wanted to tell you I’m proud of you. You have always pursued your goals and never given up. That’s an admirable quality. So I know you will fulfill your mission. Just wanted to let you know I’m proud. Uhm, is there anything else, Dew?

No, I think that’s good. We love you Valiant, please be safe.

“Valiant, you okay?” I looked to Lemon. Her brows were knitted together in worry.

“Yeah,” I blinked, and tears rolled down my cheek. I wiped at my eyes with my foreleg and smiled at Lemon. “I actually feel fantastic.”

“Alright,” Lemon patted my foreleg. “Whatever you say, Mister Fantastic.” She smiled playfully before staring back out the window.

Level Up: 3

Laser Unicorn: You’ve’ gotten really good with magical energy weapons. You’re all like, pew pew! And they’re like all “ahh, have mercy!” and you’re like “no” pew pew. You have a 15% extra chance to vaporize enemies. You gain 1% extra per point in magical energy weapons, Max 25%.

(Story Perk) Smooth Rambler: You could talk a Dragon out of its horde! No, seriously, you should try it! Speech checks require 5 points less than typically required.

Author's Note

Whoa, this chapter was something! By the way, a question to everyone reading this. I ended up deciding to use the word cowboy for Valiant. As I made it abundantly clear, Valiant is rolling with a cowboy science hybrid build. I thought about cowbuck, or cowpony, but I feel cowboy just sounds much cooler. I don't know, let me know how you feel about it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)