Chapter 5

“Again?!” Chrysalis yelled, banging her fist on the armrest of her throne. Her drones were cowering at the ferocity in her eyes as she glared down at her subjects.

“Twice! Twice, parts of my territory have been taken! Twice, I could feel my drones fall! And twice you all have failed me!” Chrysalis hissed. “There should be nopony left on this planet strong enough to rebel! How is this happening?!”

“R-Reports came back describing the one responsible. It is a strange being with an armored shell, strong enough to even withstand our magic bolts and strong enough to crush a skull in one hand.” A commanding officer explained.

“P-Please forgive us!” One drone said, one of the few survivors of the armored demon’s wrath.

Chrysalis responded by powering up her horn and blasting the drone with a beam of magic. The beam shot through the drone’s skull, killing him instantly and fell.

“You don’t deserve my forgiveness! OUT! ALL OF YOU!” Chrysalis snarled angrily.

The drones bowed and dragged their dead comrade out of the room. Chrysalis grit her teeth and contemplated how to deal with this interloper and regain authority of her taken territory.

“My loyal assassin…” Chrysalis said in a low tone. “Come forth.”

As if having just appeared out of thin air, a Changeling draped in a black cloak appeared, bowing on one knee as it spoke.

“My Queen.” His voice was raspy and deep, like sandpaper rubbing against stone. The changeling seemed to stand at 5’11 feet tall, but due to the cloak it was hard to tell his build.

“There is a foolish rebel who thinks he can take what is mine,” Chrysalis said. “Deal with him, and bring me back his skull.”

“As you wish, my Queen.” The assassin bowed once more before vanishing. Chrysalis leaned back on her throne and laughed.

“All heroes are the same. They think just because they can fight means they can win. But every hero has a heart. And that is their downfall. Quite ironic.” She cackled as she was already thinking of using Nate's skull as cup or just hanging it on her wall.

Nate sat in the town hall of the western-like town he had just liberated. The freed slaves were still in the middle of clearing the town of corpses and repairing any damages. The armored man sat on a large chair that was able to support his weight and was examining his metallic hand. The sickly yellow glow emanated from his hand as new potential experiments swirled in his mind. He already knew how to mutate animals and other creatures for his growing army, but he theorized what would happen if he used his new and evolving power on sentient creatures.

“Kellogg,” Nate said reluctantly.

“You rang?” The automated voice of Kellogg said in his helmet.

“What do you know about the FEV virus?” Nate asked.

“Oh? And what is it you want to know?” Kellogg asked.

“Just tell me,” Nate said irritably.

“Fine. I don’t know a lot about it, but it’s what created the Super Mutants. It was meant to force evolution, or some super soldier serum. I’m not sure which,” Kellogg explained.

“I thought as much,” Nate said with a disappointed sigh. “I once asked Elder Maxson about it during my service in the Brotherhood. He told me that the former Elder, a man by the name of Elder Lyons, told Maxson the tale of how someone stopped the spread when he was a squire. Old Brotherhood records indicated that the source was an old military base way over somewhere in Southern California. All that was ever recorded about the events were something about a mad scientist, and someone managing to stop him from spreading the virus at an alarming rate. After that, there wasn’t much else to go on record since the events happened years before I was unthawed.”

“Well, the Institute HQ was stationed in Boston. But that wasn’t the only base,” Kellogg said. If he had a face, he would be smirking right now.

“The hell are you talking about?” Nate asked.

“Did you really think that that was the only base for the Institute? Hell no. The Institute had other bases, they were small, but they were there,” Kellogg said.

“What are you implying? That they may still exist after over three million years?“ Nate scoffed. “They’re long gone, Kellogg, I personally ensured that when I detonated that bomb and destroyed everything that made them what they were.”

“Ah, but you see, the Institute actually had one small team do more research on the FEV,” Kellogg said. “It was a bit earlier before you thawed out, but the former director, before the old man, had one team stationed at another base. It was unorthodox, but it was for further research. At least, that’s what I recall her saying. Besides, you’re still here. So can you really say they’re gone when you, yourself, have cheated death twice?” Kellogg chuckled coldly.

Nate was silent after hearing Kellogg’s premonition. The Institute was very technologically advanced, that much was true considering what he saw in their underground base, but he had high doubts that they would have lasted this long.

“Doesn’t matter,” Nate said as he stood up. “At the end of the day, they’re all gone. Lost in the past and I’m the only one alive who remembers them.”

“No need to be so dramatic about it, Mr. Sole Survivor,” Kellogg teased.

“Do not call me that,” Nate hissed as he tapped his helmet and manually switched off the voice.

Nate walked out of the town hall and many passerby’s flinched when they saw him exit the building. Nate’s wolves stood around, keeping an eye out for any troublemakers. He noticed a group of wooly-looking people with short curved horns. They went talking to two ponies, one of them being the mare he found chained up from before. The stallion wore a torn up stetson and he and the mare flinched when Nate approached them.

“Who’re these guys?” Nate demanded.

“T-This is Chief Thunderhooves, leader of the Buffalo tribe that wanders the valley. They were the only ones here that actually fought, or at least held off, the Diamond Dogs and other changelings,” the Stallion explained to Nate

“You are the armored savior?” Thunderhooves asked, walking up to Nate. He stood about two heads taller than him.

“I wouldn’t call me that,” Nate said.

“What?” Thunderhooves asked.

“A savior, because I’m not one,” Nate said darkly. “You don’t look like you’ve been under the regime of these bugs. Were you hiding out in the desert or something?”

“You dare call us cowards?” One of the other buffalos stomped towards Nate until Thunderhooves stopped him.

“We weren’t hiding. We were able to hold them back, due to us knowing the lands far better than them and having more combat experience,” Thunderhooves explained.

“Before, the Changelings weren’t exactly known for their military strategy. But after Queen Chrysalis and the other tyrants teamed up, they became a force of nature,” the mare said.

“We were lucky it was mostly the dogs they sent,” the stallion said.

“And who are you? I didn’t catch your names,” Nate where the mare next to the stallion.

“A-Ah’m Applejack. Ah am…Ah was the element of honesty and was once a protector for Equestria. But…well, you can see for yerself.” Applejack looked down in shame at how she let things happen.

“Ah’m Braeburn. Applejack’s cousin. This is my home, and thanks to you it belongs to us now.” Bareburn smiled at Nate

Nate glared at Braeburn and stepped closer towards him so that he towered over the stallion, menacingly.

“Us?” Nate hissed. “Since when is there an us?”

“B-But…th-this our home…” Braeburn tried to say.

“I don’t know who or what you think I am, but I can assure you that I’m anything but. This town is under my control. You work, you eat, you have a home, and you live. But if I catch you, any of you, slacking off, I’ll use your corpse as a warning for any other smart-mouth that tries crossing me.” Nate glared down at Braeburn while making the stallion and the others all step back and quiver in fear.

“Hey, that’s enough,” a buffalo tried to say. “You may have saved these ponies, but they have a right to keep their homes.”

“Hmph, so long as they know their place,” Nate scoffed. “There’s something that I’ve been curious about. You called those dog people Diamond Dogs. Who and what are they? Where did they come from?”

“Diamonds Dogs are, well, anthropomorphic dogs who normally live underground and eat gems. They have a homeland, so to speak, they’re mostly just tribes scattered all over Equestria,” Applejack explained.

“Tribes, you say?” Nate pondered the information. “By tribes, you mean packs. And if there’s a pack, then there’s an alpha.” Nate turned to Thunderhooves. “You think the dogs I have in custody would know where their real hideout is?”

“How did you know this wasn’t all of the Dogs in the town?” Thunderhooves asked.

“Call it a hunch, but would they?” Nate asked again.

“N-Not the lower rank ones, they’re mostly just used as cannon fodders and muscle. The higher rank ones would probably know, of anypony of high rank is left of them,” Braeburn said.

“Bring one of them to me, I’d like to ask them some questions,” Nate ordered.

Braeburn nodded and scurried off with a few other ponies. As they waited, Thunderhooves stared at Nate as if trying to get a read on him.

“If you’re staring, it means you got something to say,” Nate scoffed.

“Why is your spirit so troubled, metal one?” Thunderhooves asked.

“The hell you say?” Nate deadpanned behind his helmet.

“The way you speak, the way you fight, all of it feels as if you are putting on a façade. That this isn’t you, but rather something you feel you must be. What pain do you carry, metal stranger?” Thunderhooves asked curiously.

“Pain?” Nate growled and glared at Thunderhooves. “You don’t know the meaning of the word. And it shouldn’t concern you why I do what I do, it’s just a new me I’m beginning to accept. I tried playing the long game, but it didn’t do shit for me. What could you possibly know about any of that?”

“Look around you, I was forced to watch my friends and my fellow buffalo become slaves to these…genocidal monsters! Our women forced to be raped in the streets! Baring their bastards as their families are forced to watch or are killed! Our homes burned to ash, our blood staining the land, our minds broken!” Thunderhooves stepped up to Nate and stared him right in his eyes. “I know pain, but I do not let it change me, I use it to remind me why I am fighting. Can you say the same?”

“Have you ever been ripped from your home and end up in a world unlike anything you knew?” Nate asked, his voice filled with malice. “Did you ever fight so hard for something, to try and salvage a broken world, only to be ripped away from it all again?” Nate got real quiet and clenched his metal fist. “Did you ever suffer from helplessly watching your wife getting murdered and your infant child getting taken away?”

Thunderhooves tried to speak but he was at a loss for words as Nate vaguely described parts of his life. Though he didn’t say he had experienced these things, the old buffalo-man was old and wise enough to know that Nate was not a being to just make up these things out of the blue. Thunderhooves sighed softly and looked down, unable to speak.

“That’s what I thought,” Nate scoffed.

Braeburn soon returned with a chained Diamond Dog. The Diamond Dog was female and had the appearance of a doberman dog as she growled at every pony she passed by. Her attire looked like a mishmash of junk strung together with pieces of metal held up with metal wiring. Her demeanor soon changed dramatically when she saw Nate and his helmet's cold eyes staring back at her.

“So, this is who you decided to bring, Braeburn?” Nate asked.

“S-She was the only one with a high enough ranking who was still…well, alive,” he said nervously as he handed Nate the leash to her collar.

The Diamond Dog stared at Nate and every last bit of her instincts told her to run as fast and far away from him, yet her legs couldn’t move. She turned her body away from him as her muscles in her legs tensed up. It felt like the Dog didn’t care about the collar tied around her neck and the leash attached to it. She would run as fast as she could away from the towering metal demon who dominantly glared down at her.

“Hey,” Nate said, making the Diamond Dog flinch and making her ears pin to her head. “I have questions, you have information. You give me what I want, you keep sucking air. Do we understand each other?”

The Diamond Dog gulped but tried to stay strong, not wanting to be seen as weak.

“W-Why should I? Aren’t I dead even If I did tell you?” The Diamond Dog tried to sound brave.

Nate yanked on the chain and lifted it up in the air so the Dog was hanging by her neck. She gasped and choked as she tried to catch her breath and began flailing around.

“You’ll be dead sooner than later if you don’t cooperate,” Nate said in a dark tone.

The Diamond Dog whimpered as her ears pinned down in an act of submission

“O-Okay! Okay! Fine! I’ll talk! What do you wanna know?!” She said as she gasped, trying to claw at her collar for air.

Nate smirked under his helmet before loosening his grip. The Diamond Dog fell to the ground and took deep breaths so she could breathe normally.

“My associate here tells me you Dogs are always in packs,” Nate said, gesturing to Braeburn. “I killed the one in charge of this town, but it’s come to my attention that he wasn’t the actual leader, am I right?”

The Diamond Dog whimpered and went into a bowing position as a way to show she fully given up on being hostile towards him

“N-No! I-I mean yes! Yes, we do travel in packs, but he wasn’t the Alpha. Our true leader of our pack is a Diamond Dog named Gnasher. H-He was entrusted with this part of the region and was the main supplier of the minerals and resources collected on this side of Equestria,” the female Dog explained.

“That right?” Nate said, folding his metal arms. “And just out of curiosity, why did you sign up with the bugs?”

“W-We aren’t exactly a united force. Sure, we’re all Diamond Dogs but each of us form our own packs and clans but we don’t necessarily have one big pack like the ponies do,” the Dog explained. “We have an Alpha, who proved to be the strongest and smartest so he was entrusted with managing this region, and all other clans bowed to him so that they could have some margin of freelancing. It was either join together or die,” the Dog said.

“I see,” Nate nodded in understanding. “And how exactly does your chain of command work? Are there others who work under him that are also high-ranking Dogs?”

“Y-Yes. Gnasher is, in simple terms, one of the four Betas of the Diamond Dogs, so to speak. The other Betas of the clans and packs are the Alpha’s council, they just follow his orders and keep the other clans in check to prevent any sort of riots or to keep some Diamond Dogs from doing something stupid. Scar, he is in charge of gathering slaves. They mostly send warbands and launch attacks to different settlements and hideouts of ponies. Second, there’s Gorgon, he is in charge of manufacturing armor and weapons for the changelings, that’s where about half of the resources end up. Lastly there is Pike, he is in charge of planning out strategies and the brains of the outfit,” the Dog said.

How unexpected that these creatures are somewhat organized, despite their appearance and battle tactics, Nate thought. “Which of the four Betas are closest to us?”

“U-Um…I-I-I’d say Gnasher. His clan is down southeast, just on the borders of the badlands,” the Dog replied.

Nate looked towards the southeast and activated his helmet’s map. The map panned towards the direction where the Dog described and he noticed a mountain range.

“There’s mountains in that direction,” Nate said aloud. “What am I to expect in those mountains? How many Dogs are hiding out there?”

“I-I-I’m not sure…” she said quietly, practically shrinking in fear before him.

Nate leaned forward towards the Dog. He used a bit of his magic to make his eyes glow sickening yellow.

“Are you withholding intel from me?” Nate sneered.

The Dog whimpered and fell back, looking up at him with fear

“I-I swear, I-I don’t know! I was just a member of a warband to a small clan! All I know is all of them have heavily fortified strongholds and have entire battalions, armies inside each stronghold!” She pleaded.

Nate stared at the cowering Dog for several minutes before leaning back and stood up straight.

“They say when someone fears death and feels as though their life is about to end, they confess all they can in order to be pardoned for all their sins,” Nate said aloud. Nate then raised his hand and waved it forward while using his magic. Four of the wolves he brought with him, including his alpha, walked up beside him and bowed their heads obediently.

“Braeburn!” Nate said.

“Y-Yes?” Braeburn flinched.

“Throw this one back in her cell,” Nate ordered as he turned to leave.

“Where are you going?” Thunderhooves asked.

“The match has already been lit,” Nate said as his wolves followed him. “I’m going to officially ignite the fuse.”

Nate’s trek southeast lasted for about a few hours. The surrounding area became more deserted like a desert with small mountains in the distance. His sights were set on the mountain range the Dog told him about and was committed to put the Dog in charge of this part of this part of the region. He would need to take it all piece by piece and make more mutant animals if he was going to stand a chance against this bug Queen. There was a part of him that wanted to just rush in their home base without any tactical thinking, but his better judgment told him it would be ill-advised to do something so reckless. The best he could do at the moment was start from the bottom and work his way up. After another hour of marching across the desert-like terrain, Nate spotted a much larger set of mountains. He put on his map and saw that it was the mountain range he was looking for.

“Initiate HUD motion detector module,” Nate said, activating his helmet’s internal computer. “Scan the designated area for any life forms and estimate how many there are.”

The HUD was picking up around forty life forms inside, some of them scattered throughout the interior of the mountain while most of the rest were huddled more in the center.

“Huh, you’re actually using your brain. Last time you wanted someone dead you stormed through a damn army and security defenses,” Kellog coldly chuckled. “Tell me, what’s so different this time? Is it because you don’t have your boy anymore?” Kellog taunted him.

“If you weren’t just a voice in my helmet, I’d kill you again, Kellogg,” Nate growled. “Looks like it would be as easy, since they’ve got the home advantage. Flushing them out would take too long, and I don’t feel like dragging this out.” Nate furrowed his brows and reached into his suit’s compartment, pulling out a few syringes.

“Oh? What’ve you got there, Vault Dweller?” Kellog asked while chuckling. “Funny, didn’t think you’d use chems. What kind of example are you making for your son? Oh, whoops.”

Nate would’ve snapped at Kellogg, but he figured it would be a waste of breath. He looked down at the chems in his hand and contemplated their effectiveness. Nate had never used chems in his life, not even after he taught himself how to make chems from the dealers and junkies in Goodneigbor. He only kept them on hand because they were good trading material for supplies. He looked at his wolves as he held up the syringe in his hand.

“Sniff them out,” Nate said, his tone of voice turning dark. “Leave no quarter, ignore your pain, and rip them to shreds.”

One by one, Nate jammed a syringe of Psycobuff into each wolf.

All in perfect synchrony, the wolves let out a blood chilling howl as they were foaming at the mouth and their muscles grew bigger. They began seeing red as they all charged forward, leaping, climbing, or even bursting through the wooden and stone barriers at the base of the mountain and through the cave openings that led inside. The Diamond Dogs all screamed out in shock and terror, unable to get organized properly from how quickly the attack happened. Many tried fighting back, using spears and bows to try and keep the wolves at bay but it was futile as they brushed off these attacks and tore the dogs to shreds.

Nate was more than satisfied at how quickly the chems affected the wolves and kept their potency. Nate then began his slow walk towards the mountain. He could hear the carnage from inside one of the caves as he reached back and slowly pulled out his sword. The Dogs’ screams echoed within the caves along with the bloodcurdling roars of the wolves.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE THESE WOLVES?!”

“THEY BROKE THROUGH THE GATES!”

“THEY’RE MONSTERS!”

“IT’S EATING MY GUTS! HELP-AAARRRGGHHH!!”

Many of the Diamond Dogs tried to escape by digging through the ground while the wolves tore them apart. Three wolves caught a Dog in their jaws and started pulling, two at his arms and one at his legs. The Dog screamed in pain as he felt his muscles and limbs being ripped apart before his arms and lower half were completely torn apart. By some cruel act of a joke, he was still alive, crying out for his mama as the dogs then tore into his flesh, eating him alive.

Nate continued his slow walk, stepping over the mangled corpses in his wake. Blood streamed over the stone floors and glanced down at the bodies of the dogs that his wolves were still in the midst of devouring. Some of the dead Dogs had half their bodies ripped in half, and most of their organs crushed or eaten by the mutated predators. Nate caught sight of a Dog still alive. He was barely holding on to his life by a thread as he barely managed to look up at Nate with his one good eye. The rest of his head was bitten off, exposing what was left of his brain.

“K…Ki…ill…m…e…” the Dog croaked weakly.

“Huh, there’s a putting down a dog joke in there somewhere,” Kellog said as he laughed within Nate’s helmet. “Well? What’re you going to do, Vault Dweller? You gonna be merciful and give him a quick death, prove that you’re still the ‘better man’? Or are you gonna to leave this Dog to a slow and painful fate?” Kellog asked. If he had a face he’d be smirking right now.

Nate stared down at the dying Dog with a cold, unfazed stare. The Dog’s breathing was laboring and kept weakly begging Nate to end his life. Nate was no stranger to taking lives, especially when it came to giving his enemies a swift death when it mattered. However, that was when Nate had a sense of duty back in the Commonwealth. Back then, Nate was a soldier, a friend, a leader, and an example that there was still good in the world. But that was then, and this is now.

Without uttering a word, Nate turned away from the Dog and walked past him and continued down the cave. The Dog whimpered weakly as he watched Nate walk away with his one good bloody eye.

“…de…vil.” The dog managed to say at Nate.

All Nate could hear now was the desperate pleads for mercy, the screaming of horror, and the sounds of flesh being torn apart as he marched ahead through the tunnels of the mine. A Diamond Dog crawled to him and grabbed his legs.

“Please!” The Dog looked up and gasped as he stared into the eyes of Nate.

Nate reached down and grabbed the Dog’s head with his hand and crushed his skull. Blood and grime oozed from between his metallic fingers as he then tossed the twitching corpse aside like a piece of trash.

Some survivors who were able to avoid the wolves ran into Nate as he approached through the tunnels. Either it was a last act of bravery or perhaps some delusional sense of survival, the Dogs attacked Nate. Nate made no sound as he raised his sword and brought it down with a fierce slash. The blade sliced one Dog down the middle and his two halves split apart, dousing Nate in blood as it sprayed everywhere. He then stabbed another Dog through the chest and twisted it before yanking it out. Another Dog jumped on his back and tried stabbing his neck, but Nate grabbed his arm, crushed it in his grip, and pulled the Dog down to the ground with a heavy thud against the stone floor. Before the dog could recuperate, Nate raised his large metal foot and stomped on the Dog’s skull with a sickening crunch.

Nate took a moment to stop his walk and stood in the middle of the tunnel.

“Hmm…might be better if I actually knew where I was going,” Nate said to himself. “Activate Laser Tunnel Mapping System. Set the radius level to about five kilometers wide.”

Nate’s helmet reacted to his words and the HUD beeped a few times. Nate then watched the display scan the mountain. Once the scan was complete, the display showed a complex-looking tunnel system that stretched a good few miles deep within the mountain. There were dozens of pocket areas that were connected to several tunnels like a labyrinth. The tunnels weren’t as intricate as he had hoped, but at least they all looked like they all led to a bigger area located in the center of the mountain. Nate’s eyes panned around his new map until he managed to locate the entrance he walked through and pinpointed his exact location. After taking a moment to carefully plan out a route that would lead him to the center chamber.

Along the way, Nate took note of the environment while his wolves continued to run rampant throughout the tunnels of the mountain. On the floor, there was a set of minecart tracks that ran through the tunnel he marched. There were mining tools such as pickaxes and helmets that looked like they were tossed aside by the users in order to escape from the rampaging wolves. Nate spotted a mining cart left on the tracks. When he peered inside, there was a trove of different mineral ores and gems such as iron, some silver, a few golds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and even some small diamond deposits.

“Hmph, these Dogs seem to have a single purpose to just mine precious metals,” Nate scoffed. “This mountain probably has more to offer than just gems and gold.”

Nate’s slow and brutal trek through the tunnels led him to a more open chamber of the cave system.

There were signs of an operational mine with carts, pickaxes, and even crude-looking scaffolding along the walls. The size of the center chamber was almost on par with Diamond City, back in his time. There were dozens upon dozens of dug out holes all over the walls that led to the tunnel network. Nate then noticed that some of the holes in the stone walls weren’t part of the tunnel network. He saw that there were more ponies inside the holes with thick metal bars that acted like some sort of cage. The ponies were all chained up and wore ragged and bloody clothing. Nate passed by one of the wall cages and peered inside. The ponies within all cowered away from the bars and huddled in the corner. The ponies looked quite malnourished, as if they hadn’t had a proper meal in days, perhaps weeks. If Nate had to estimate how many imprisoned ponies there were in this center chamber, he’d estimate at least over a thousand of them were being held captive.

“Well, they’ve sure have been busy,” Nate said to himself.

In the center of the mine, Nate saw his wolves surrounding the remaining Dogs. There were hundreds of mutilated bodies that littered the chamber wherever Nate looked. Parts of the scaffolding were partially destroyed due to the wolves rampaging wherever they had gone. The surviving Dogs were pinned against each other, desperately trying to keep the hulking wolves at bay as the monsters slowly stalked towards them. The wolves were completely covered in blood and gore. Their eyes were still bloody red and thick drool mixed with blood oozed from their muzzles. By the looks of it, there were only a little over a hundred Dogs remaining from the merciless slaughter.

Nate let out a loud whistle that echoed in the chamber. The wolves’ ears perked up as they turned around to see their master walk towards them. The wolves obediently met him halfway and stood beside him when Nate was only a few meters from the surviving Dogs. Most of the survivors were completely broken with fear as they huddled together while others still glared at Nate defiantly. Nate stood silent as he looked around the chamber to see torn up corpses and bloody messes wherever he saw. If he had his helmet off, he would no doubt be able to smell the stench of death in the chamber.

“You Dogs seem to have quite the operation going on here,” Nate said and looked up. “Isn’t that right, Mr. Gnasher?”

From atop a higher scaffolding area that overlooked the entire chamber, Nate caught sight of another Dog. The Dog was a much larger Diamond Dog as his armor could barely contain his physique. He had a round belly that could’ve made him look pudgy, but Nate wasn’t an idiot. He could see that there wasn’t an ounce of fat on him, just pure muscle. The Dog was sitting on a stone throne while his feet rested on top of a young Diamond Dog girl, who couldn’t be any older than fifteen at best. She was covered in bruises and slash marks and wore tattered rags. The Dog stood up and kicked the girl away as she gasped for air on the ground, holding her stomach. The Beta Dog named Gnasher stood at 7’1 foot tall and wore metal armor with buffalo horns on his helmet.

“Who dares enter my domain and kill my warband?!” The large Diamond Dog snarled.

“So, the big bad dog finally emerges from his throne?” Nate mocked as he looked up at Gnasher.

With a low growl, Gnasher jumped down from the ledge and landed just a few meters away from Nate. With him was a large hammer he held in his hand that had a sharp spike on the top. Nate’s wolves snarled at Gnasher, but Nate held his hand up to get them to back off.

“This mine is wasted on the likes of you filthy mutts,” Nate said. “So, I’ll be making better use of it than you ever have.”

“The only way you’re getting out of here is in a million tiny pieces, metal demon!” Gnasher growled as he charged forward and smashed his hammer against Nate, making Nate fly back and crash hard to the ground. Nate laid there on the ground; a tad surprised that even he was sent flying even with his Power Armor. Nate slowly got back up and raised his hand to order his wolves to stand down before they could make a move. He glared at Gnasher and smirked behind his helmet as he took out his sword.

“Oh, this is gonna be fun,” Nate said as he charged at Gnasher.

Gnasher and Nate clashed against each other. The spectators were almost knocked back from the shockwave of their clash as they pushed against each other. Nate’s Power Armor waned a little from the Dog’s brute strength as Nate held onto the hammer’s head.

“You’re pretty strong,” Nate said as he grits his teeth. “Unlucky for you…I’ve fought monsters twice your size!”

Nate pushed against Gnasher and managed to move the Dog back a foot, shocking the survivors and any prisoners witnessing the events. Nate held on to the hammer more tightly as he took another step, forcing Gnasher backwards.

Gnasher gritted his fangs as he tried to stand his ground but all he managed was continuing to skid across the ground. He glanced back to see the wall getting closer. He growled in anger and quickly moved to the side to use Nate’s momentum against him.

“Seems this mutt was more than just brawn,” Nate heard Kellogg say.

Nate turned to Gnasher but was met with his hammer slamming into his chest armor again. Nate stumbled back and grunted loudly, but he managed to keep steady. Gnasher barked angrily at Nate as he went for another swing of his hammer, but Nate managed to jump out of the way. Reeling back his sword, Nate swung as hard as he could and slashed a deep cut right across Gnasher’s chest. He followed up with a heavy haymaker with his left fist and stomped on Gnasher’s right paw.

Gnasher yelped in pain before growling in anger again and lunged forward and bit down on Nate’s arm. To Nate’s surprise, Gnasher’s fangs didn’t break on impact as he thought they would as Gnasher growled and punched Nate’s helmet.

Nate gritted his teeth and began punching Gnasher’s side repeatedly. Gnasher began coughing blood as he felt his ribs crack and break from each punch to his side but kept biting down on Nate.

“GET! THE! FUCK! OFF!” Nate yelled.

He reeled back his fist and punched Gnasher’s side as hard as he could. The sounds of his rib cage shattering could be heard from the bystanders as Gnasher finally let go and stumbled backwards. The Dog coughed up more blood and struggled to breathe, but Nate didn’t give him time to recuperate. Tossing his sword away for a moment, Nate clamped his hand around Gnasher’s muzzle and pushed the Dog against the wall again. Nate slammed Gnasher’s head in the wall, dazing the Dog, and started beating him relentlessly with an assault of heavy punches. Rage began to blind him as all he started to see was red.

“Die, fucker! FUCKING DIE!” Nate roared with each punch.

His strikes were so heavy that it cracked the wall he was pushing Gnasher into. Gnasher was helpless and howled with great pain as his bones and organs were being smashed into powder. The bystanders were helpless as they watched the lead Dog get beaten without remorse.

Nate eventually stopped punching Gnasher into the wall and took a step back. His fists were steaming a little and were dripping with blood. Gnasher’s chest looked like something heavy had hit him and caved in his entire torso. Bones protruded out of his skin and the wall around him was splattered with his blood. The barely conscious Dog slowly leaned forward and fell down on the ground. Nate panted heavily as he stared down at the Dog. In the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Gnasher’s hammer on the ground. The Dog must’ve dropped it when Nate slammed him into the wall again.

Nate slowly turned his head to the now terrified survivors. His eyes were glowing sickly yellow, and he let out a low laugh.

“You wanna see who’s in charge now?” Nate said as he walked over to the hammer and picked it up.

Nate raised the hammer up over his head as Gnasher looked up at him in fear, tears in his eyes, as he tried to raise his hands in a feeble attempt at defending himself.

“Me…cahy…me…chey…” He tried to speak but his jaw was too badly broken as he whimpered.

“A slaver begging for his life. I wonder just how many others acted the same way as you did. Tell me, did you show them mercy?” Nate asked before letting out a roar and bringing the hammer down. The impact on Gnasher’s skull sounded like a watermelon bursting. The Dog’s blood sprayed all over the ground and walls. His eyes bulged out and were sent flying through the air as chunks of his brain and skull flew all over. Nate panted slightly as he looked around, seeing all the other dogs whimpering with their tails between their legs, backing away in an attempt to get away from Nate.

“Bravo, killer, bravo. You really do got some demons in you, huh?” Kellog laughed. “Tell me, did that burn off some steam? Or do you wanna kill again? Maybe slaughter them all, leave none of them alive? That’ll show a clear message to others.” He suggested like a devil on his shoulder.

Nate narrowed his eyes at Kellogg’s words but ignored him as he turned his attention towards the other Dogs. It wasn’t just the Dogs who gazed at Nate and felt utter fear, the imprisoned ponies were unable to process what they had just witnessed. They had been in a state of oppression by arguably the most ruthless Diamond Dog who forced them to mine minerals without rest. Yet, this monster of metal seemingly showed up out of nowhere with his monstrous wolves and completely annihilated most of the pack and brutalized the Beta.

“Anyone else care to challenge me?” Nate said to the survivors, seeing them whimper and shake in fear.

Suddenly Nate felt something hit against the neck guard of his armor and turned around to see who it was. The culprit was draped in black armor and a black cloak. He noticed a pair of light blue eyes peering through a helmet. Nate could see a pair of insect-like wings poking out from behind his back, which Nate then deduced that this stranger was another Changeling. The Changeling then raised his hands and began to slowly clap, as if he was giving Nate a mock applause.

“Bravo, you’re more dangerous and bloodthirsty than I thought, but you are no threat. At least after I kill you,” the cloaked stranger said.

“And you are?” Nate asked.

“Your executioner,” The Changeling said in a calm yet menacing tone. “You have been making quite a mess of her majesty’s territory.”

“It soon will be my territory,” Nate said. “All of it. And your precious queen’s days are numbered.”

“Big talk for somepony who barely was able to dispatch a mere Beta Diamond Dog,” the Changeling mocked.

“A minor setback, nothing more,” Nate dismissed. “I always have a contingency for these sorts of things.”

“Perhaps, but unfortunately your medaling ends here,” the Changeling hissed. “By order of my queen, I shall slay you where you stand, metal demon.”

Before Nate could react, the stranger made his body shine a light blue color before his form changed completely. He now had the body of a lion, the wings of a bat, and the tail of a scorpion. Nate didn’t know how this stranger did what he did, but he had little time to dwell on it. The monster roared at Nate and tackled him to the ground. He scraped at Nate’s armor a few times before Nate grabbed his attacker and threw him off. Nate grunted and quickly got back to his feet. He looked down and saw large claw marks across his chest plate.

“Fucker…you’re gonna regret that," Nate said in a low tone.

The mysterious attacker roared at him and flapped his wings, blowing dust towards Nate to obstruct his vision. He lunged towards Nate, but the armored wanderer grabbed their claws and threw him overhead, crashing against the wall.

“I faced radroaches more frightening than you!” Nate declared as he picked up his blade again.

The beast was too fast for Nate as it flew away Nate and slashed him with his claws. Nate gritted his teeth and waited for the beast to make another pass with his sword at the ready. The beast flew up in the air and went for a dive bomb. Nate stood firm as he swung his sword but missed just as the beast landed on him. Nate grunted loudly again when he felt the beast’s fangs bite down on his Power Armor’s shoulder guard. Nate punched the beast’s side with his free arm, forcing the beast off of him. Nate wouldn’t give the beast time to recover as he quickly grabbed its scorpion tail, swung it over Nate’s head, and slammed the beast on the ground.

Nate didn’t let up his assault as he tightened his hold on the tail and lifted him up again. He kept slamming him down on the ground, forming cracks with each time he swung his opponent.

“Puny, ugly cat!” He shouted.

Suddenly, the Changeling changed forms once more and became even larger than before. The new form looked to be some sort of mix between a snake and bull, with the lower half of a snake and upper body of a bull with massive horns. The beast then wrapped its tail around Nate’s arms and flung him across the room, crashing into the wall. It let out a roar before slithering towards Nate and ramming him in the chest with its hooves.

During the assault from the Changeling’s new form, Nate had to act quickly as he held his arms up to block the onslaught. He sharpened his senses and for a brief moment, the world around him slowed down. Nate used the perceptiveness of his mind to try and find a way to get the upper hand on the changeling. The snake-ox’s hooves were ponding on his chest armor, but it wasn’t using its horns. When the monster reared back for another slam, Nate swung his sword up and managed to chop off both horns with pinpoint accuracy.

The snake-ox roared in pain as it reeled away, holding its head in as it felt the newfound stubs where its horns once were. It growled and slithered at him, whipping its tail at Nate. It felt like getting hit by a super mutant, but Nate was used to the pain. He waited for the opportune time and right as the tail was about to snap around his neck, he slashed at it. The blade got stuck in the tail and pierced right through the bone and flesh, making the snake-ox roar painfully. The monster thrashed about but Nate grabbed onto him while gripping the handle to his sword.

“Not so tough now, are ya!” Nate started craving the blade down and soon sliced the snake-ox’s tail off.

The beast roared defiantly and began to change again. Its size grew once more, and Nate was looking up at what could only simply be described as a real-life dragon. The dragon stood easily five feet taller than Nate. Even though the tail and horns were cut off, the insect-like dragon growled at Nate until it roared a deafening roar.

Before Nate could prepare for what was to come, the dragon swiped at Nate’s armor. Nate stumbled back when the claws actually managed to pierce the metallic frame. The HUD in Nate’s helmet beeped and showed his armor’s hull integrity was compromised. One more slash like that, and it could very well damage the circuitry and pierce the outer shell down to the exoskeleton.

The dragon went for another slash, but Nate managed to dodge out the way. Only he was met by a hard kick from the dragon which sent him hurdling right into the far side of the chamber and crashed into the wall. Now there were multiple warning beeps going off in Nate’s helmet and his armor was beginning to look severely damaged. Nate’s grip on his sword weakened as it dropped to the floor from his hand, and he collapsed to his knees. A trickle of blood dripped from the side of Nate’s head within his helmet and the world around him was spinning.

As the warning beeps continued to blare in his helmet, the dragon trudged over to the downed metal man and then transformed back into his changeling form.

“I’m not arrogant enough to deny that you are far more trouble than I originally thought, metal demon. But you were still no match for me. Your head will be a fine trophy for my queen and a message for these pathetic ponies. A message that there are no more heroes,” the Changeling boasted.

Nate’s opponent smirked before drawing his sword and raising it high over his head. Nate looked up at him as he panted heavily, the beeping ringing in his ears as his vision became blurry. He thought back to his life in the Commonwealth, all the death, all the monsters he faced, but also all the people met. His friends, allies, even loved ones. He fought even after losing his world and he still kept on fighting. He groaned as he tried getting up, fighting off his body’s urge to stay down but the damage to both his armor and his head kept him from doing so.

I can’t…die here! Nate thought as his consciousness was fading. I’m not done with taking what I’m owed!

“You know, from where you’re kneeling, you may think your good fortune has come to an end,” the Changeling said. “But the truth is, you were destined to fail before you even began.”

Just when the Changeling swung his sword down to slice off Nate’s head, the blade suddenly stopped in midair just inches above the thin gap between Nate’s helmet and armor where the sword could’ve cut. There was confusion and mild shock in the Changeling’s eyes until he noticed the blade was glowing a dim magical aura. The aura had a sickly yellow glow that shined brighter and brighter with each passing second. The Changeling tried to pull his sword away, but the blade wouldn’t move an inch. Just then, a low and menacing chuckle escaped from Nate’s mouth. The Changeling arched a brow at the sudden and unexpected laugh from the armored man until he glanced down to see one of Nate’s hands was glowing the same magical aura.

“I cannot allow this to pass…my foolish successor.” A voice that didn’t sound anything like Nate’s came from Nate himself.

With a flick of Nate’s wrist, the sword that was covered in the magical aura flew from the Changeling’s grasp and stuck itself into the stone wall. The Changeling then felt a cold chill run down his spine as he turned his head back to Nate and watched him slowly stand back up on his feet. The sickly-yellow magical glow now coated both his hands and started to envelop his arms. Nate started to chuckle to himself again which made the Changeling instinctively tense up. The magical glow then appeared on top of Nate’s head as two large, curved horns manifested as a magical apparition. When Nate raised his head to look at the Changeling, his eyes glowed a menacingly dark yellow glow. It was as if Nate was a completely different person altogether.

“Wh…What is this?” The Changeling said.

“Something a mere insect like you could not possibly comprehend,” Nate said. He looked at his hands and opened and closed his fingers. “I must confess, I did not anticipate the prowess and influence from a mere drone of that queen of yours. It would appear I admittedly underestimated her simply because of what she is.”

“You dare insult my queen?!” The Changeling hissed, only to freeze in place when Nate merely narrowed his eyes behind his helmet at the Changeling.

“I do, bug,” Nate mocked in a dark tone of voice.

“Who…who are you?!” The Changeling demanded.

“Me?” Nate asked. “I believe my successor called himself Apex.” Nate took a step forward as the glow in his hands, eyes, and the apparition horns shined brighter. “But you, my unfortunate little pest, only for this moment, may you address me as Grogar.”

The Changeling’s eyes went wide before he dropped to his knees. “Lord Grogar… I beg you. Spare me. Spare me and I will serve you.”

“Oho?” Grogar said with an amused tone. “Despite it being over several millennium since my reign, you know my name?”

“Only in stories that the ponies write of you. But they paint you in an unfortunate light and celebrate your defeat.” The Changeling groveled.

“Hmph, you can thank that insufferable mare, Gusty the Great,” Grogar scoffed. “And you can spare me with the theatrics, bug, your crocodile tears may fool the weak-minded, but you shan’t sway me.” The changeling paused and his expression changed back to his neutral cold stare. “However, if you wish to live as you have pathetically begged me to spare your life, I might do so if you swear your loyalty to me.”

“I will never abandon my queen,” The Changeling said out of respect. “Shall I tell you my name, or will Bug suffice?”

“I suppose even a bug deserves recognition,” Grogar said.

The Changeling nodded. “My queen and the hive know me as Thatcher, my lord.”

“Good. Now they have something to write on your tombstone,” Grogar said as he readied himself to attack.

Thatcher looked up to see a massive iron boot hurling towards his face. His eyes widened in fear as he rolled back, narrowly missing the boot by a hair as he used his wings to fly back. Thatcher managed to gain some distance between them. Grogar laughed as he saw this and took a deep breath.

“I just love the scent of fear.” Grogar grinned as he walked over to Thatcher’s sword still stuck in the wall. Grogar ripped it out from the wall and then threw it at the Changeling, stabbing the ground right in front of Thatcher’s hooves.

“Pick it up.” Grogar demanded as he held up his own sword. “Pick. It. Up.”

Thatcher hesitated at Grogar’s offer, but he knew better than to pass up the opportunity. He picked up the sword and took a stance.

“If I recall, you changelings are all mentally connected through your queen,” Grogar said as he circled his opponent. “Which means your queen must know what is transpiring at this moment.” Thatcher said nothing as he gripped his sword tightly and kept his eyes dead on Grogar. “I hope she is watching, truly I do.” Grogar stopped circling Thatcher and turned his body to face him completely. “This will only be a taste of what is to come. So, I hope you tell my vessel everything that has transpired once he comes to, voice from beyond.”

Thatcher stared at Grogar with confusion as he heard this last line. Thatcher thought it was a threat but in reality Grogar wasn’t talking to him. Instead, Grogar was talking to Kellogg. If Kellogg had a face it would be one of complete shock.

“How the hell did you-” Kellogg was about to say but was interrupted.

“Goodbye,” Grogar said before rushing at Thatcher.

Despite his new hulking appearance, Grogar moved with great speed as he seemed like a speeding train to Thatcher. Their blades locked together but Grogar was far stronger as he pushed Thatcher back and started trading blows, forcing Thatcher into the defensive.

Thatcher attempted to change his shape to a beast, but Grogar wouldn’t give Thatcher a chance. Unlike Nate, Grogar seemed to be more seasoned with the art of the blade as he was able to overpower Thatcher with ease. The former emperor faked Thatcher out with a thrust and swung his sword upward to force Thatcher’s sword out of the way. Once he had an opening, Grogar swung his sword again and cut Thatcher’s arm clean off.

“AAAAH!!” Thatcher screamed out in agony as he stumbled and fell back, clutching his amputated arm. Blood poured out of the wound as he looked up at Grogar.

“You…you…bastard!” Thatcher yelled defiantly.

He changed his form into a mixed hybrid with the body of a tiger, a snake tail, and threw heads, a goat, a tiger, and a snake, although he was still missing an arm. The snake head let out a gust of green, poisonous gas at Grogar while charging at him.

“Aha! The Chimera!” Grogar said as the beast flapped its wings to fly into the air. “A formidable creature indeed! One of my personal favorite creations! However!”

Grogar raised hand and it glowed a magical aura. The manticore’s body was immediately enveloped in the aura and stopped in midair. As soon as Grogar swung his arm downward, Thatcher was sent hurtling down as well and crashed into the ground. Thatcher groaned and shook both his goat and lion head but wasn’t able to collect himself in time. Grogar was already charging forward and drove his left fist right into Thatcher’s body. The impact of Grogar’s fist managed to pierce right through Thatcher’s flesh, causing the Chimera to roar out in agony and cough out blood. With a triumphant laugh, Grogar threw Thatcher off his fist and sent him crashing across the stone floor. Severely wounded and wheezing weakly, Thatcher could not maintain his form and reverted back to normal. His eyes were blurry, and his battered body wouldn’t respond properly.

“It appears your last attempt has come and gone, Thatcher the High-Changeling,” Grogar said as approached the downed Changeling. “A pity you have to die so soon and not be able to watch my successor take all that this world has to offer.”

Thatcher panted heavily and coughed up blood, glancing up at Grogar. He then chuckled slightly while spitting out a fang.

“To be…killed…by you…? I can see no better way to die,” Thatcher said. Grogar stepped towards him and raised his sword up high.

“It has been countless moons since I last fought a worthy adversary with honor. I will grant you a warrior's death,” Grogar said with acknowledgement. Thatcher smiled as he closed his eyes and lowered his head.

“…thank you,” Thatcher whispered. In a flash, Grogar swung his sword down and sliced Thatcher’s head clean off. The head was gone from his shoulders as his headless corpse fell limp and to the stone floor.

“Thank you for giving this old ram one last good fight,” Grogar said to himself.

There was a silence that hung in the air as Grogar gazed down at the headless corpse of the changeling assassin. It was a moment of triumph for the late emperor as he looked over to the remaining stunned Diamond Dogs. His gaze then landed on the obedient wolves that stood by, and then the pony prisoners who watched his battle unfold with fearful silence. No one could describe just what exactly they had witnessed, yet at the same time they didn’t really want to understand.

“Much has changed in the realm,” Grogar said as the apparition horns began to disappear. “My hope is that you will be more prepared from this day onward, my vessel. Until the day, when you finally take control of this world, this shall be the only and last time I will be of aid…”

As the horns disappeared completely, the glow in the helmet’s eyes dimmed until there was no more glow. The power armor slouched over a bit and the head looked down to the ground. Everyone thought he would fall over, but he remained standing like a statue. Word of what has happened today would soon spread throughout the land. The legend of Apex, the Sole Conqueror, has begun to etch itself in history.

Author's Note

Only for a moment, do we catch a glimpse of the late merciless Emperor’s return. Nate’s conquest has only just begun.

Side Note:
So sorry this took so damn long. Life and constant procrastinations are a bitch and a half! Hopefully, this chapter and more posts from my other stories will make up for it. Especially this story, since it’s the one we had the most blocks with. Special thanks to Jest for his helpful insight!

Hope you enjoyed!

~WurkyWilk has left the building…