Justin

Our trek to the train station had, by some miracle, been mostly uneventful. We hadn’t come across anything hostile as we made our way through the forest. The only thing of note to happen was that partway there, a deer had suddenly burst through some bushes and ran past us. It scared the shit out of me with how on edge I was, but I thankfully didn’t pull the trigger of my handgun out of panic. Eventually, we reached the large clearing in the trees where the train station was supposed to be. I told the two ponies to hang back and stay hidden as I approached the tree line, peering out from behind one of the trees.

The train station was made up of two buildings connected to each other, both sitting on the side of the train tracks opposite of the side I was on, with a wooden platform built about 3 feet off the ground in front of them. The building on the right was a two-story brick building lined with windows and topped with a pointed roof. In front was a pair of wooden double doors with a sign above them that read 'White Tail Woods Train Station'. Obviously, I concluded that this building was the actual train station.

The building on the left appeared to be some sort of motel. It was made out of pale yellow concrete, and like the building on the right, it had two floors. The lower floor had 4 doors in front of it, each with its own room number labeled on it. The second floor had a balcony with 4 more doors, making a total of 8 rooms. Another door was located on the right side of the balcony that connected it to the building on the right. Finally, there was a staircase on the far left of the motel building that allowed people to go up and down between the two floors. The base of the stairs started at the front before reaching a landing halfway up, then continued up in the opposite direction and reached the balcony.

So it’s a train station that doubles as a motel? Huh, fancy.

Surrounding the entire station platform was the transparent dome that I’d seen earlier. I wasn’t sure what it was, what it did, or what was the source of it, but as far as I could tell, it seemed to be harmless. However, I didn’t have any way of knowing that for sure just by looking at it. I decided I would ask the two ponies about it after I finish observing the area.

An old-fashioned steam locomotive sat motionless on the tracks next to the platform. What stood out about it was that there was some sort of transparent field surrounding the train similar to the dome surrounding the station. Again, I knew nothing about this transparent field, but I could immediately tell that the train would serve as good cover, and allow me to approach the station platform without immediately being spotted.

From where I was, I could see a few of Jack's men patrolling the station. I first spotted two on the platform, each armed with Walther P22 handguns, leaning against the wall next to the double doors. I imagine they were supposed to be keeping an eye out on the platform, but they seemed to be busy chatting with each other. Another one was standing on the staircase landing on the far left, leaning over the railing and smoking a cigarette. His weapon was most likely the AK-47 that was propped against the railing next to him. A fourth and final guard was patrolling in front of the doors on the motel balcony. Each of the doors on the second floor, excluding the one leading to the station building, had a plank of wood nailed in front of them, barring the doors shut.

I didn’t need to be a genius to figure out that’s probably where they were keeping the hostages.

I could see movement in the windows of the station building, so there were definitely more inside, though I couldn't tell how many. Probably at least one or two, if I had to guess. On the one hand, seeing how many guards there were and where they were located was helpful in coming up with a strategy to take them all down. On the other hand, it was a reminder that I was outnumbered and outgunned, which didn’t exactly do much for my morale. Either way, I was just gonna have to suck it up and deal with it.

At the very least, I knew I had one advantage: the element of surprise. They didn’t know I was here, which meant I could try and be stealthy about this. Quietly taking out the two by the front entrance would be difficult, if not impossible, since they were grouped up. I could probably get the one all alone on the staircase, take out the one on the balcony, then make my way inside the station building and figure it out from there.

Yeah, okay, that might work. But first…

I stepped away from the tree I was hiding behind and moved back towards where the two ponies were hiding. The pair were sitting behind a waist-height rock about 10 feet behind the tree line, looking incredibly anxious. "Hey, that dome around the train station; what is that? It isn't harmful, is it?"

Both of them gave me a questioning look, as if they were wondering if I was being serious. "You... don't know about Haven Fields?"

Oh crap. I think I'm making an implication about myself, just like I did with Amber when I asked about Legends...

"U-Uh, let's just say I'm new around these parts and I'm still learning how things work here. So, can you tell me about these 'Haven Fields'?"

The two of them shared a glance before turning back to me, the lady speaking up first. "O-Okay, um... I've never really needed to explain this before..." I waited patiently, letting the lady collect her thoughts. Honestly, I understood her perspective right now. I was getting the feeling that these 'Haven Fields' are supposed to be common knowledge, so having to explain it must feel weird. If someone came up to me and asked, 'What is food?', I'd need a second to think of a good explanation, too. It's such a common part of life for most people that you never have an explanation ready. You just kinda expect that anyone with a functioning brain would already understand it, or understand the basic idea of it at the very least.

"Alright, uh... Haven Fields are... well, they're basically magic force fields, only much more powerful than normal shield spells. They're practically indestructible."

"So... I can't get through it at all, then?" Well shit, that's one hell of a wrench to get thrown into my plans.

"N-No, you can. That's what makes Haven Fields special, actually. They only prevent things like monsters or infected from getting in, while people can pass through without any trouble." She clarified.

"Y-Yeah, that's why they're used around Havens and other public areas like the train station. It keeps them from getting overrun." The stallion chimed in. "It takes a lot of magical energy to create one. Only Alicorns, Legendary Magic Casters, and some incredibly powerful unicorns are capable of casting the spell to conjure one. Even then, it can be pretty draining for them depending on the size of the field."

"Huh... I see." I nodded in understanding. That would explain why there was one around the train as well. It wouldn't make for good transportation if it could get attacked by a horde of zombies at any time, would it?

After hearing the explanation, a couple other questions that had been lingering in my mind were getting cleared up. I assumed the 'Havens' that Amber had mentioned were towns and cities that were surrounded by Haven Fields. This would also explain what Discord meant by 'slightly' apocalyptic. Monsters and zombies had shown up in waves and were roaming around the outside world just like an apocalypse, but thanks to Haven Fields, society was able to keep functioning properly and not fall apart. People could even take the train and travel across the world no problem. Heck, the train might not even be the only mode of transportation protected by Haven Fields. For all I know, boats might be an option, too.

"...Alright, thanks for the explanation. Now wait here and stay hidden, got it?" They both nodded in response, and I made my way back to the tree I'd been behind earlier. I took one last look at the place to get an idea of where I should go before making my move. The caboose of the train was next to the left side of the platform, the same side the staircase with the smoking grunt was on, so I approached it and peeked out from behind it. Like I'd mentioned earlier, the platform was built on supports and stood about three feet off the ground. As long as I stayed crouched down, I could sneak around the side of it to avoid being spotted by the guards near the double doors. With that plan in mind, I approached the platform.

Moving through the Haven Field felt...weird. It was kind of like feeling a breeze pass by you, only not as chilly and somehow more... solid, I guess? I wasn't really sure how to describe it. Anyway, I moved slowly and quietly while staying low to the ground, using the side of the platform as cover. Once I reached the end of the platform where the base of the stairs was, I took a quick peek.

The two chatting guards seemed pretty preoccupied with their conversation. It seemed like they wouldn't notice me if I climbed onto the platform and up the stairs, as long as I didn't draw attention to myself. Staying low, I lifted myself up onto the platform and started creeping up the stairs. The smoking guard was still leaning on the railing, his back turned towards me. I made sure to move extra slowly, taking each step with great caution. I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead as I got closer. I held my breath as I summoned the makeshift knife from the inventory. It appeared in my left hand, and I gripped it tight.

Closer... Closer...

Finally, I made it to the landing and found myself standing inches away from the guard. He had no idea I was there, blowing a puff of smoke from his cigarette as he stood there none the wiser. At that moment, I felt less like the main character in a stealth game sneaking up on an enemy npc, and more like a serial killer stalking his prey. I ignored that unnerving thought and readied my knife.

Ok Justin, you've seen this done in plenty of movies and video games, you can do this no problem...

I wrapped one arm around the thug to hold him steady while simultaneously thrusting my knife into his neck. Before he could react, make a noise, or even fully process what was happening, the makeshift blade pierced his throat, causing him to gurgle and choke on blood. He struggled in my grip, but his strength faded away quickly before he stopped moving entirely, his body going limp.

+10 XP

I gently and quietly laid his body down on the ground, then released the breath I was holding. So far, so good. That's one down, and at least 4 or 5 more to go. While I had the chance, I decided to loot the dead guard for items. A holographic screen with the list of items appeared above his body, and I pressed 'Take all'.

• x15 Assault Rifle Ammo
  
• $400

Assault rifle ammo, huh?

My gaze shifted to the dead grunt's AK, which was still propped up against the railing. Being armed with an assault rifle on top of my handgun would give me a much better advantage over these guys. With a smirk, a reached out and grabbed the AK-47, intending on making good use of it.

My smirk disappeared when I received an electric shock the second I touched the weapon.

"OW, FUCK!" I was unable to bite back the reflexive yell of pain.

-1 HP

Overall HP: 99/100

"Hey, what the hell was that!?" I heard the guard on the balcony shout, quickly realizing my mistake. It seemed stealth was no longer an option, nor was taking the AK with me. As weird of an occurrence as it was, I'd have to wonder what the hell caused that electric shock later. Right now, I was about to be in for a fight.

Here we go...

[MUSIC START]
["We've Got Hostiles" - Black Mesa OST]

I brought out the Walther P22 from my inventory and aimed it at the top of the stairs, ready for when the guard rounded the corner. As soon as he did, immediately spotting me, I pulled the trigger before he could even lift his gun. The bullet hit him in the chest, causing him to stumble back, and I fired again. This time, I hit him in the head, and his lifeless body slumped to the ground.

+10 XP

[Walther P22 (Handgun)]
9 / 12

With the balcony guard now dead, I ran up the stairs and onto the balcony, quickly pressing the 'Take All' button on the list of items above his body.

• x6 Handgun Ammo
  
• $300

I peered over the balcony railing and saw the two that had been chatting by the door, now running over to the stairs after hearing the gunfire. Leaning over the balcony railing, I aimed and fired at one of them just as they reached the base of the stairs, hitting him in the head. His body fell forward mid-run and landed at the base of the steps, motionless.

+10 XP

[Walther P22 (Handgun)]
8 / 18

"SHIT!!!" The other grunt cursed as he sprinted up the stairs. He fired his handgun at me, the bullets whizzing by my head and hitting the concrete wall. I stayed in cover behind the corner, and just as the thug reached the landing, I peeked out and fired at him three times. All three bullets hit him in the torso, and he started coughing up blood before collapsing.

+10 XP

[Walther P22 (Handgun)]
5 / 18

Alright, that's everyone on the outside taken care of. Now to-

Before I could finish my thought, a gunshot rang out behind me, followed by a sharp pain in the back of my left shoulder, causing me to cry out in pain. "AGH!"

-21 HP

Overall HP: 78/100

Left Arm: 87%

I whipped my head around and saw that one of the guards that was inside had come through the door connecting the balcony to the station building and fired his handgun at me. I ducked out of the way from a couple more shots, running back down the stairs. The back of my shoulder felt like it was on fire, and I could feel the blood leaking from the wound, but the adrenaline helped me work through the pain. As much as I wanted to heal myself right now, I held off from doing so, choosing to wait until my health was lower so that I wouldn't waste it. As I made my way down the stairs, I made sure to hit the 'Take All' buttons by the corpses of the two thugs I'd killed as I ran past.

• x4 Handgun Ammo
  

• $300

• x5 Handgun Ammo

• $200

Thinking fast, I burst through the guest room door closest to the stairs before shutting it behind me. The room itself wasn't anything special, just an average motel guest room with a bed, some dressers, a chair in the corner, and a bathroom in the back. The decor wasn't my biggest concern at the moment, though. While I had a second to breathe before the remaining grunts came charging into the room, I hid next to the doorframe and reloaded my handgun.

[Walther P22 (Handgun)]
10 +1 / 21

Doing a lot better on ammo now than I was before.

I heard heavy footsteps approaching as the thug that shot me earlier got closer and closer to the door. If I were in his position, I would remember the wise advice of Captain Price, opening the door slowly while checking the corners. Unfortunately for the grunt, he was not as smart. Instead, he chose to kick in the door without hesitation and charge straight in, not even bothering to check if I was hiding behind the corner. As soon as he walked in, I fired and hit him in the side of the head. His body slumped against the door before falling to the ground.

+10 XP

I took a peek through the doorway, not making the same mistake as the guy I'd just killed, and saw another guard bursting through the double doors and out onto the platform before charging in my direction. He fired off a few rounds from his handgun as he approached, and I ducked back into the room. I had a feeling the same trick wasn't going to work twice, so I looked around the room for something I could use to my advantage. I got an idea when I spotted one of the pillows on the bed.

I ran over and grabbed it before running back to the doorway just as the thug stepped in. He had only managed to raise his gun halfway before I bum rushed him with the pillow, shoving him against the wall and pressing the pillow against his face. He managed to pull the trigger, but because the pillow attack had caught him off guard, it threw off his aim and he missed me. Before he could shove the pillow away and try to attack me again, I pressed the barrel of my handgun against the pillow and pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced through the pillow, the gunshot being muffled as a result, and hit the grunt in the head, his blood soaking up the pillow.

+10 XP

[MUSIC END]

When the background music came to an end, I took it as the cue that the fight was over. The tension and adrenaline I'd been feeling during the fight started to fade away. Unfortunately, that meant the pain from the bullet wound in my shoulder became incredibly noticeable again. I released the pillow, letting both it and the thug's body fall to the ground, before sauntering over to the bed, clutching my wound. I plopped myself down onto the bed, taking heavy breaths as I wiped away some of the sweat from my brow.

Christ almighty... that was intense...

I was jolted out of my exhausted reverie by a notification from the HUD.

LEVEL UP!!!
Current Level: 2
Maximum Health Increased
+1 Skill Point

Suddenly, the pain in the back of my shoulder disappeared. I felt at where the bullet hit, only to find that the wound had been completely healed. Even the hole in my shirt where the bullet had pierced through was completely restored, good as new.

What the hell? But... I didn't use a health stim...

Confused, I took a look at both my left arm durability and my overall HP. That's where I noticed something a bit different.

Overall HP: 110/110

Left Arm: 100%

I knew that in some video games, when the player's max health is increased from either leveling up or unlocking an upgrade, they would also fully restore the player's health as an extra bonus. It seemed that the same thing was happening here, which worked in my favor. It was also good to know that healing myself also meant my clothes would be restored. It would've sucked if I had to get a new shirt every single time I got shot.

On top of that, it appeared I had earned a Skill Point for leveling up. I'd have to be an idiot to not spend it, so I opened up the Skills menu.

Skills
Strength: 10/100
Endurance: 5/100
Reflexes: 14/100
Agility: 2/100
Stealth: 4/100
Guns: 3/100
Explosives: 2/100
Melee: 1/100
Unarmed: 1/100
Medicine: 2/100

So... which Skill am I going to spend it on?

I was leaning towards upgrading either Agility or Medicine. They weren't the lowest Skills at the moment, but they both seemed extremely important to my survival. Medicine would obviously let me heal my wounds better, while Agility would make me better at avoiding taking damage in the first place. I couldn't decide between the two, so I needed something that would tip the scale in one Skill's favor.

"...Hey HUD, do I get any Abilities from the Agility or Medicine Skills when they're at level 3?" I asked aloud.

"Affirmative."

"...Okay, which one?"

"Both."

Well that doesn't make my decision any easier.

I let out a sigh as I went back to wrestling with my brain over which Skill I should choose. Surprisingly though, I didn't have to wrestle with it for much longer. As if it understood my internal struggle, the HUD spoke up again. "If it helps, the Ability that is unlocked at Medicine 3 cannot be used by itself."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"The Ability that is unlocked at Medicine 3 allows User: Justin to craft Small Health Stims. However, User: Justin also requires the Small Health Stim Crafting Recipe in order to craft Small Health Stims."

I remembered seeing the recipe available for purchase in Disarria's shop. If I was remembering correctly, it was worth $5,000 bits. Even with all the money I collected off of all the thugs I killed, I didn't have nearly enough cash to buy it. As beneficial as it would be to have the ability to craft health stims, if only small ones, I decided it wasn't worth getting right this second. I'd rather have an ability I could use now instead of after I saved up $5,000 bits and then spending those bits on a crafting recipe. "That actually does help. Thanks, HUD."

"You are welcome."

I tapped on the Agility Skill to upgrade it.

"The Agility Skill is now at Level 3."

Once I got confirmation from the HUD that the Skill had been leveled up, I flipped over to the Abilities screen. Sure enough, I had a new Ability.

Ability: Basic Dodge (Agility 3 Required)
Instead of clumsily scrambling out of the way to avoid an attack, the User can perform a dodge roll and roll out of the way to avoid taking damage. This makes dodging easier and more effective.

Sweet! I'm not a big Dark Souls player, but I know rolling is an effective strategy in that game, so this'll come in handy!

I sat there for a few more seconds to catch my breath before standing back up. As much as I wanted to take a breather right now, I still needed to free the hostages. I doubt they wanted to stay trapped in those rooms any longer than necessary. As I exited the guest room, I looted the two dead enemies and reloaded my gun.

• x5 Handgun Ammo
  

• $200

• x4 Handgun Ammo

• $300

[Walther P22 (Handgun)]
10 +1 / 28

I started to make my way over to the double doors in front of the station building. I doubted I could remove those planks of wood blocking the balcony doors with my bare hands. I was gonna need something to either pry or break them off, so I figured I would search the station building for something that might work. Meanwhile, I was starting to feel a lot more confident in myself after my recent escapade. Not only did I defeat all those guards on my own despite the odds, but I managed to level up for the first time and I got a sweet new dodge roll as a bonus!

Y'know what? I think I handled that pretty well. Maybe Disarria's right; maybe I can do this!

It was then that I received a tutorial from the HUD that made my heart drop.

"Tutorial: Boss Fights"

"Boss Fights are battles against powerful foes that will put the User's Skills and Abilities to the test. At the beginning of a Boss Fight, the Boss' name and Legend Type (if applicable) will be shown to the User, and appropriate background music will be chosen using the music player. During the fight, the Boss' HP will be visible to the User, allowing them to gauge how much progress they have made in defeating the Boss."

Now, it was certainly helpful to know this information and all, but reading this tutorial prompt still left a pit in my stomach. Why, you ask? Well, it's the same reason you feel a sense of dread when a horror game gives you the tutorial on how to run, because it usually means you're about to get chased by a monster and need to run. There was only one reason I could think of why the HUD was giving me a tutorial on boss fights now of all times:

I was about to have a boss fight.

Suddenly feeling tense again, I readied my pistol as I approached the entrance to the station building. Slowly, I pushed open one of the double doors and peered inside. The interior was a wide-open space with numerous benches around the room for people waiting on their train to arrive. A bunch of luggage that I assumed belonged to the hostages was scattered about chaotically, probably from when Jack's men first showed up to hijack the place. Among the scattered luggage, I was surprised to see a few smartphones of all things. I guess on top of inventing guns, Equestria's technology advanced enough to make smartphones, too.

There was also a staircase in the corner leading up to the second floor, and a ticket booth in the center with a couple windows. One window was labeled 'Train Tickets' while the other was labeled 'Motel Rooms'. Finally, there was a pair of doors off to the side with a sign that said 'Restrooms' above them.

There didn't appear to be anything threatening at first glance, but for all I knew, the 'boss' could be hiding somewhere and waiting to get the jump on me. After a few seconds of mental debating, I decided to check out the ticket booth first. Looking through the windows, I didn't see anyone or anything inside, but I couldn't tell for certain. Cautiously, I approached the booth and slowly pushed the 'Employees Only' door open. It turned out there wasn't anything inside that was interested in killing me, thank God. Instead, I found a small compartment built into the wall near the ground. Inside were a few tools for emergencies such as a fire extinguisher, a few flares, a medkit, a heavy-duty flashlight, and the exact thing I needed right now: a crowbar.

This'll help get those boards off the guest room doors on the balcony.

I took the crowbar and left the rest inside. I was tempted to permanently keep the crowbar as a weapon and a tool since it would be incredibly useful, but just like the rest of the stuff in the compartment, the train station would need it in case of emergencies. The hijacking certainly qualified as an emergency, so holding onto it for now seemed fine. However, I reluctantly concluded that giving it back once everything was resolved and under control again would be the right thing to do.

My gamer instincts had also made me want to grab the medkit, but I decided against it for a few reasons. First, the train station would need it for emergencies, as previously stated. Second, I already have the health stims, which heal wounds better than any normal medical supplies. Third, I wouldn't know how to use any of the medical supplies anyway, since I have literally zero medical experience or know-how. Well, technically my Medicine Skill was currently at 2 instead of 1, but that didn't change the fact that I had no idea how to use the stuff. I closed the compartment and left the booth, scanning the area one more time.

I don't see anything that looks like a boss... maybe I was just overthinking thi-?

My thought was cut off when I heard the sound of a toilet flushing come from one of the restrooms. Shortly after, one of the restroom doors burst open, and a tall figure stepped out. He was a large man in black coveralls, clad in armor and standing over six feet tall. He wore a welder's helmet and some sort of metal backpack on his back. While I did say he was clad in armor, it didn't actually look like armor. It looked more like a bunch of scrap metal strapped to his body in order to act as some sort of makeshift armor. Even his backpack was covered in some of the metal plating.

[MUSIC START]
["The Best It's Gonna Get" - Celldweller]

The HUD started playing some familiar music. It started slow and quiet, but was beginning to build up towards something over time.

"Heh, so you're the asshole that's been shooting up the place, huh? Gotta be honest, I was expecting someone competent, not some random little shit." He addressed me, his voice rough like a heavy smoker's. "So, you think you're hot shit, eh? Think you can just come on up in here and take out all my guys? Trust me, you ain't even seen 'hot' yet... but I'd be happy to show you."

He reached behind him and grabbed something that had been attached to his backpack before bringing it out in front of him. It appeared to be some sort of two-handed gun with a nozzle on the end and a tube on the back that connected it to his backpack. It took me a second to realize the backpack on his back wasn't just a regular backpack, it was a fuel tank; and the gun in his hands wasn't just a regular gun...

It was a flamethrower.

"Hope you like barbeque..." He chuckled sadistically before aiming his flamethrower into the air and pulling the trigger, letting out a spurt of flames. The music reached the climax of its build up and the beat dropped just as the big guy yelled out, "CUZ I'M GONNA ROAST YOU ALIVE!!!"

FLAMETHROWER MAN
LEGEND TYPE: N/A

OH SHIT!!!

A geyser of flames erupted from the nozzle of his flamethrower, aimed right at me, and I sprinted out of the way in a panic, finding cover behind the ticket booth.

"YOU CAN RUN LITTLE PIG, BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE! I'LL BE MAKIN' BACON OUT YOU SOON ENOUGH! HA HA HA!!!" He cackled like a madman.

Fuck fuck fuck! Ok ok ok, just calm down, me. He's a big guy in armor, he's got a friggin' flamethrower, and he's most likely insane, but he's gotta have some sort of weakness, right? I just gotta find one!

I peeked out from behind cover, only to immediately duck back when another burst of flames came in my direction. I could here the big guy's heavy footsteps getting closer as he approached the ticket booth.

Damnit, I'm a sitting duck here! I can't take him on head-to-head, I've gotta be smart about this!

Seeing the stairs leading to the upper floor, I ran from cover and made a beeline for them. The flames from the armored man's flamethrower followed mere inches behind me, just barely out of reach. I ran up two steps at a time before reaching the top and saw that the second floor appeared to be some sort of small food court. Other than the several tables and chairs, there was a buffet towards the back with a cash register next to it. I also spotted the door that connected this building to the motel balcony.

I could hear the flamethrower guy's heavy footsteps behind me as he approached the staircase. Thinking quickly, I ran over to the buffet counter and hid behind it just as the big brute reached the top of the stairs. The heavy armor he wore, plus the fuel tank on his back, as well as his massive size in general, seemed to slow him down, so I at least had that working to my advantage. He glanced around the floor in search of me, not having seen where I ran to, and began stalking around the room. "Where'd you go, little pig? Heh heh heh!"

I subtly peeked out from behind the buffet counter to get a better look at him, trying to see if I could find any weaknesses. As I mentioned before, his 'armor' was basically a bunch of scrap metal strapped to his body. I could see small spaces between each sheet of metal that left an opening in his armor. My aim wasn't that great, so I doubt I could land a bullet in between those gaps from afar. However, If I got close enough, I could probably stab my knife through them. I would just need to be stealthy about it.

That's a good start, but it's probably going to take more than that to bring him down. There's gotta be something else...

As the big guy looked behind one of the tables, he turned his back to me, and my gaze landed on the fuel tank sitting on his back. I mentally face palmed, feeling like an idiot for not figuring this out sooner. He literally has a giant weak point right on his back! If I shot the fuel tank until it explodes, he'd be done for! Unfortunately, there was one problem: The fuel tank was also protected by metal plating. My bullets weren't going to get through that.

It looks pretty flimsy though... maybe I can pry it off with the crowbar? It's worth a shot, I guess.

With a plan in mind, I brought out the makeshift knife from my inventory and waited for the flamethrower man to turn his back again. "Damnit, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!?!" He growled, growing frustrated with his search. Eventually, he started making his way towards the door to the balcony, and I saw my chance. Staying crouched low, I quietly approached him with my knife at the ready. As I got closer, I could see one of the gaps in his armor was right around the back of his knee, the perfect place to strike for my plan of attack. Before he reached the door, I snuck up behind him and thrust the knife into the back of his knee, twisting it to do further damage. He let out a growl of pain as he staggered, collapsing to his hands and knees.

Boss HP: 97%

With the big bastard downed for the moment, I quickly and frantically brought out the crowbar from my inventory and wedged it between the fuel tank and the armor protecting it. I pulled with all my strength, prying off the metal sheet until it came loose. I even planted one foot onto the flamethrower guy's back for a foothold. Eventually, the plating gave way and snapped off, causing me to fall onto my back and nearly drop the crowbar in the process.

[Crowbar (99%)]

The big guy snarled in anger and finally recovered from my attack, getting back to his feet just as I scrambled to my own. "YOU LITTLE BASTARD!!!"

I didn't have time to shoot the tank, so I retreated and sprinted for the stairs. The brute ignited his flamethrower, and the fire that erupted from it just barely managed to catch the lower left part of my shirt, plus a bit of my left arm, as I bolted down the stairs. I felt the burn on my skin, and my eyes widened as soon as I noticed the flames. "Whoa WHOA WHOA!!! FUCK, HOT HOT HOT!!!" I cursed and frantically pat the fire out before it could spread anymore. A bit of the flesh on my arm showed clear signs of burn damage, and the hairs on my arm had been completely singed. As for my shirt, only the left part of the hem had been burned off while the rest was intact.

-4 HP

Overall HP: 106/110

Left Arm: 91%

It burned like hell, but I grit my teeth and pushed on. I burst out through the front doors and onto the platform, looking for a place to hide. While the fuel tank on the guy's back may have been exposed now, I wouldn't be able to shoot it unless I get behind him, and I couldn’t do that while he was chasing me. Thanks to his slow mobility, I had a little bit of time before he would catch up with me. Thinking fast, I partially opened one of the guest room doors before running to the side of the platform, hopping down onto the grass, and using the side as cover, just like I'd done when I first approached the train station.

The flamethrower-wielding brute came charging out from the station building entrance a second later, fuming with anger. He took a quick glance around to look for me before he saw the guest room door partially open. Thinking I had gone inside, he stomped towards it and kicked it open hard enough to break off one of the hinges, then poked his head inside. With my distraction having worked and the brute's back now turned to me, I climbed out from cover and back onto the platform before aiming my handgun at the tank on his back. I pulled the trigger twice, both shots connecting with the fuel tank.

[Walther P22 (Handgun)]
9 / 28

Before the flamethrower guy could turn around to face me, the gas in the tank ignited, and the tank itself exploded on his back. I raised my arms in front of my face to shield my eyes from the explosion as the big guy let out a loud scream of agony, becoming consumed by flames. Though the explosion hadn't been close enough to hurt or injure me, I could feel the force of it from where I was standing, enough to make me stumble a bit. For a second, I thought I'd done it and actually managed to defeat the big bastard.

...Then I realized the boss music was still playing.

The smoke from the explosion started to clear away, revealing what was left of the brute. Almost all of his armor had been blasted off in the explosion, and the top half of his coveralls had been completely burned off, revealing a bare upper body covered in ash and burn scars. Some small bits of his flesh still had tiny flames chewing threw them. His back had clearly taken the brunt of the damage, a large chunk of it missing and profusely bleeding, but the wound wasn't deep enough to expose any bone. His welding helmet had remained mostly intact, but the visor was completely smashed, allowing his rage-filled eyes to be fully visible. He slowly and shakily got to his feet before slowly turning to look at me.

Boss HP: 35%

The big sonuvabitch was still alive.

You're sure he isn't a Legend, right!?

"Affirmative."

The now-really-pissed-off big guy started stomping towards me, his shoulders heaving up and down as he sucked in angry breaths. I imagine I'd just skyrocketed to the top of his shit list. I started firing at him in a panic as he got closer and closer, stalking towards me like a Tyrant in a Resident Evil game. The bullets were hitting him and filling him up with bloody bullet holes, but they didn't dissuade him for even a second. After I fired 5 bullets into him, he reached me and threw a strong right hook, hitting me in the side of the head and knocking me to the side.

[Walther P22 (Handgun)]
4 / 28

-12 HP

Overall HP: 94/110

Head: 93%

Boss HP: 25%

He attempted to curb stomp me while I was still on the ground, but I managed to roll out of the way just in time. I quickly got back to my feet and took a few steps back, trying to put some distance between us again.

"Stay...STILL!" He yelled. He then reached into his pockets from what remained of his coveralls and pulled out two things. The first was a glass bottle filled with liquid and a piece of cloth stuffed inside it, and the second was a flip lighter. I realized what it was immediately and started running in the opposite direction as he lit the cloth using the lighter. He chucked the molotov cocktail in my direction and it hit the ground behind me, the bottle shattering and a splash of flames erupting from it. The fire just barely nicked at my heels as I ran back through the station building entrance, looking for a place to hide yet again.

Christ, does this guy do anything that isn't related to fire!?

I hid behind the ticket booth and reloaded my gun just as the beast kicked the entrance doors open.

[Walther P22 (Handgun)]
10 +1 / 21

As he searched for me, I tried to think of a new plan. Although they didn't exactly stop him in his tracks, my knife and bullets had been doing some damage. I couldn't take him head on before, but maybe I could now? His flamethrower had been my main threat, and that was out of the picture now. If he had more molotovs on him, they would be an issue, but not as much as the flamethrower had been. I could at least dodge his molotovs while still getting close.

Guess I'm just gonna have to wing it and hope for the best!

The big bastard started to approach one side of the ticket booth, so I hugged the wall and maneuvered myself in the opposite direction, circling around the booth and getting behind him. I brought out my knife, and instead of stabbing him in the leg again, I rammed and twisted the blade right into his side, hopefully hitting his kidney. He let out a cry of pain as he clutched the wound with one hand and threw a wild swing back at me with the other.

Boss HP: 22%

I narrowly avoided his swing by leaning away from it and simultaneously taking a few steps back. He turned to face me, pure rage evident in his glaring eyes. If looks could kill, I'd be dead a hundred times over. Not wanting to use up anymore ammo, I summoned the rusty pipe I got earlier and prepared myself to fight. I would've used the crowbar, since it's a more effective weapon, but I still needed it to free the hostages, so I didn't want to risk wearing down its durability.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!!" He screamed as he charged me. I rolled out of the way, avoiding his bum rush as he slammed into the wall of the ticket booth. Seeing an opportunity, I swung the pipe straight at the large injury on his back, emitting a loud howl of pain from him.

[Rusted Metal Pipe (95%)]

Boss HP: 19%

I was about to swing again, only for him to do a 180 and throw a fist right at my face, knocking me back.

-10 HP

Overall HP: 84/110

Head: 88%

He threw another hook, but I ducked and rolled towards his side. Once on my feet, I swung at his leg, specifically the area where I'd stabbed him earlier, causing him to buckle. I then raised the pipe above my head and swung downward onto his back twice.

[Rusted Metal Pipe (80%)]

Boss HP: 11%

He shoved me away before I could swing again and stood back up. I went to swing again, but he grabbed the pipe mid-swing, pulled both it and me towards him, then threw a gut punch to my stomach. The blow had completely knocked the wind out of me, and I collapsed to the floor, attempting to get air back into my lungs. The big guy tossed the pipe away before throwing another kick to my stomach.

-25 HP

Overall HP: 59/110

Torso: 74%

I started to crawl away, though I wasn't getting very far very quickly. Thankfully, the big guy didn't follow. Instead, he stood there and watched, enjoying my suffering. "Did you really think you could kill me? Huh!? Well I've got some news for ya, you little shit. I don't plan on going out that easy!"

I managed to crawl a few feet away from him and turned to see him pulling out another molotov. "No way am I dying some half-assed death at the hands of a little weasel like you! If I'm going out, it won't be today. And if I do go out one day..." He lit the cloth on the molotov and raised the bottle above his head, "I WON'T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN A BLAZE OF GLORY!!!"

Before he could throw the molotov at me, I instantly summoned my handgun from the inventory and fired a shot straight at the molotov. The bullet shattered the glass bottle, causing the flames to splash down onto the big guy. He started screaming as the flames spread across his whole body, lighting him up like a Christmas tree. I scrambled backwards and stayed as far away from him as possible as he flailed his arms around wildly, blood curdling screams of agony echoing throughout the room. Eventually, he collapsed to the floor, still writhing around for a bit as his screams started to die out before he stopped moving at all. The screams subsided, and the only noise left was the light crackling of the flames on his body.

Boss HP: 0%

[MUSIC END]

+100 XP

"That a good enough 'blaze' for you?" I quipped from my place on the floor, a smirk on my face. A smirk that quickly disappeared once the adrenaline wore off, and the pain from the beating I'd taken came at me in full force. I let myself gently fall backwards and laid on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. "Fucking ooooowwww..." I groaned. My HP wasn't close to zero yet, but it hurt so damn much that I couldn't help it. I gave in and used one of my only two full health stims on myself, the pain quickly subsiding as the burns and bruises faded away, and my clothes were restored to brand-new status. I then reloaded my gun, just to be on the safe side.

+51 HP

Overall HP: 110/110

Left Arm: 100%
Head: 100%
Torso: 100%

[Walther P22 (Handgun)]
10 +1 / 20

I then received another notification from the HUD.

"The Melee Skill has increased to 2, and the Guns Skill has increased to 4."

Yippee...

I tiredly and lazily pumped a fist into the air. After about a couple more minutes of lying there and resting, I reluctantly stood up, remembering that I still had work to do. First, I went over to where the big guy had chucked my rusty pipe and returned it to the inventory. Then, I went over to the big guy's dead body. It was completely charred, but the fire had died out by now. A screen with a list of items appeared above him, and I pressed 'Take All'.

• Molotov Cocktail Recipe
  
• 3 Molotov Cocktails
  
• 2 Cloth
  
• 2 Alcohol
  
• $3,000

Hell yeah! I just hit the jackpot! Good to know all that effort was worth it.

"So, I can craft molotovs with this recipe, right? How do I do that?" I asked the HUD.

"Tutorial: Crafting"

"To craft items, simply open the crafting menu and select a recipe you wish to craft. Then, select the amount you wish to have crafted. The HUD will automatically take the required ingredients from the inventory and craft them into the desired item(s), which will be placed in the inventory."

I did as the HUD said and was met with a new menu.

Crafting Menu:
- Molotov Cocktail (1 Cloth + 1 Alcohol)

Remembering I had just gotten 2 cloth and 2 alcohol, I selected the molotov recipe and chose to make two. Three seconds later, the menu said the crafting was completed, so I checked my inventory.

Inventory (All):
- Walther P22 (Handgun)
- Makeshift Knife
- Rusted Metal Pipe (80%)
- Crowbar (99%)
- Full Health Stims (1)
- Handgun Ammo (20)
- Molotov Cocktails (5)
- $5,005

My inventory's starting to get a little cluttered...

I shook the thought out of my head. I'd worry about it later; right now, I had some hostages to free. I brought the crowbar out of the inventory and made my way upstairs, headed towards the balcony. As I did, I did a mental recap of all the events that led up to this point:

I was given a cool video game power in the form of the HUD by Discord, he sent me to Equestria, I died 5 minutes after showing up, came back to life, ran into a literal anime girl who can kick ass and take names, we escaped Tartarus together, she ditched me, I got captured by another HUD User from Earth, escaped his camp, ran into a god, got my heart ripped out by him, was then saved by Disarria, climbed a tall radio tower, fought off some bad dudes and killed for the first time in my life, fought off more bad dudes, then defeated a giant crazy man with a flamethrower who was capable of surviving an explosion on is back, all in the span of... how long has it been now? I think it's been about 24 hours since I first showed up here, if I had to guess.

Some people would say that's way too much action for them to have in a single day. Some might even say it's too much for a single lifetime. As for me? Well, I'd be lying if I said going on an adventure is exactly like I dreamed it would be. It's honestly a lot harder and more painful than I imagined, and is by no means perfect... However, I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying myself. Despite the trials and tribulations I was going through, I still found the whole thing exhilarating, and I loved it!

Though, I would be lying yet again if I said I wasn't nervous about what's to come. It took a lot out of me just to fight a few guys and one big guy, and they were just normal enemies. None of them were infected or Legends, these guys were probably the weakest obstacle I would have to deal with. I'd already experienced firsthand what it was like trying to fight one of the gods, and it didn't end well. Clearly, things were only gonna get harder from here.

Thinking about the events that led up to now resulted in a certain blonde brawler entering my thoughts...

I wonder how Amber's doing right now?

Amber

I took another bite out of the burger, savoring the juicy flavor of the meat, then topped it off with a sip of my soda. "Mmph! Oh yeah, that's the good stuff."

I was currently enjoying a meal at a local pub in Hope Hollow, a small town not too far from where I split up with that guy, Justin. I'm not a local of the town myself; I only planned on staying for a little bit, since I was supposed to be meeting somepony here. I've heard that this town is known for being very neighborly, kinda like Ponyville but smaller. I've also heard they have some sort of annual 'Rainbow Festival' or something like that, but I didn't look into it much. Like I said, I didn't plan on staying long.

The pub I was in had a homey atmosphere, making anyone who entered feel welcome. Most of the pub was filled with tables and chairs for patrons, and on one side was the bar lined with bar stools. The walls were decorated with photos of the town's history, as well as a few rainbow-related decorations. The bars I'm used to visiting were usually a lot seedier than this one, so it felt a little odd seeing such a friendly looking bar at first. I quickly warmed up to it though; It made for a nice change of pace.

I was sitting at a table in the far corner, close to the rear exit. I wanted to be ready to bolt, if necessary, but I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. I kept an ear out for the front door of the pub as I enjoyed my food, occasionally paying glances to it. The pony I'm supposed to be meeting should be here by now, where the heck are they?

After a bit, I heard the front door open and paid another glance. The person that stepped in was a pony, a stallion to be specific. He had long, messy, neck-length, navy blue hair with a light blue streak in it, a thin stubble, light blue eyes, white pony ears, and a white unicorn horn. He wore an unzipped black leather biker jacket with the sleeves rolled up, as well as a wrinkled dark blue button-up shirt under that, the top couple buttons undone to show off a small bit of his chest. Below that, he wore a pair of blue jeans, black fingerless combat gloves, and black tactical combat boots. The thing that caught my eye though was the holster on the right side of his hip, a Glock 17 resting inside. He strolled inside and turned to the bar, revealing the second holster on the back of his hip, this one carrying a Desert Eagle.

Definitely not a civilian.

The stallion didn't bother taking a seat at one of the stools and got the bartender's attention. The stallion asked something that I was too far away to hear, and the bartender pointed in my direction. The stallion turned to where the bartender pointed and locked eyes with me, smirking. I was immediately on edge, my eyes shifting to the rear exit before locking back on to the stallion as I prepared myself for the worst case scenario. Remember how I said I was waiting for somepony? Well, I know that somepony personally, and would recognize them at first glance.

This guy was not that pony.

The stallion thanked the bartender before approaching my table. As he did, I came up with a quick plan of escape: If things go south, I throw the half-eaten burger at his face, then book it out the back door and figure it out from there. It wasn't a solid plan, but it was the best I could come up with on short notice.

"You Amber Aurora?" He asked once he reached my table.

"Who's asking?" I glared up at him.

"Shining Armor, member of the Canterlot Royal Guard. A friend of mine said she was supposed to meet you here, but she got caught up with something. Said she would be a little late." He introduced himself as he sat down in the seat across from me.

"Royal Guard, huh? You sure as hell don't look like one. What rank are you?" I didn't bother hiding my suspicion.

"Technically I don't have one anymore. I'm supposed to be retired, but I get called on to handle stuff often. If it makes you feel better, I used to be the captain." He explained, leaning back in his chair and kicking his legs up onto the table.

Retired? This guy looks like he's in his late twenties, early thirties at the oldest. How could he be retired already? And 'Captain'? Does he really expect me to believe the ex-captain of the royal guard came all this way just to meet up with me in my friend's place?

"Sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me." I called him out.

"Well, it's the truth. If you don't believe me, you can look up my name." He shrugged. "I was asked to keep you company until our mutual friend shows up. How'd you meet her, by the way?"

"I'm not saying anything until she gets here. To be frank, I don't trust you."

"...That's fair, considering the circumstances." He nodded before standing up. "I'm gonna go grab a drink while we wait, then."

I didn't respond, only watching him as he left the table and went over to the bar. I didn't take my eyes off of him until he was at the bar with his back turned. As soon as he was, I pulled out my phone and quickly searched the name 'Shining Armor'. I was actually surprised to find that the results lined up with what he was saying. I found a few old news articles about the Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor, officially retiring. The odd thing was that these articles were dated back about a hundred years ago. At first, I thought the guy at the bar might be using his name as a cover, but then I saw some pictures in the articles of the Royal Guard Captain, and it was a perfect match with the stallion. He looked a bit more well put together in the pictures, but there was no doubt they were the same pony. The article also mentioned that he had been serving the Royal Guard for a few centuries, so he was obviously older than the average pony.

I know a lot of the stronger Legends on Equus are functionally immortal... maybe this guy is one of them?

'Shining Armor' returned to the table, a beer bottle in his hand, and sat down. "So? What are the results?"

"...Ok, so your story checks out." I sighed as I pocketed my phone.

"See? What'd I tell you?" Shining took a swig of his drink. "So, you're here to ask for... witness protection? Was that it?"

"...Yeah, something like that." I answered him.

"Can't say I'm surprised one of the Storm God's own soldiers is trying to go AWOL. He's not exactly a saint."

"Tell me about it..." I grumbled. I wanted to get as far away from that asshole as possible. Unfortunately, they caught me trying to escape and threw me in Tartarus. I may not have expressed it much during our last conversation, but I was thankful to Justin for showing up when he did. It seemed a little too coincidental that he showed up not long after I got thrown in that cell, but he didn't seem to have any ulterior motives, as far as I could tell anyway.

A couple more minutes passed before the door to the pub burst open, a pegasus flying through. It wasn't often you see a pegasus flying indoors, but for her, it was normal. She had long messy hair, magenta eyes, two cyan-colored pony ears on her head, and a pair of cyan-colored wings on her back. What stood out most about her though, was that her hair had all the colors of the rainbow in it.

Rainbow Dash was currently wearing the uniform of the Wonderbolts: A blue jumpsuit with yellow lightning bolt decals and a pair of black, calf-high, lace-up boots. The hood of the jumpsuit was currently off, and a pair of flight goggles rested on her head above her eyes. She also had some black body armor on with lightning bolt decals that matched the jumpsuit, seemingly prepared for combat. "Yo, Amber! How's it hangin'?"

Rainbow flew over to our table and gave me a fist bump before taking a seat. "I've been better." I told her.

"You showed up faster than I thought you would." Shining commented, and Rainbow raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, of course I showed up fast. This is me we're talking about, remember? Fastest flyer in all of Equestria? Ring any bells?" She smirked.

Shining rolled his eyes with a smirk of his own. "What I meant was, you finished up with that situation faster than I thought. Didn't you say there was a train hijacking?"

"Train station hijacking, and yeah, there was." After I heard Rainbow say that, I felt a small pit in my stomach.

"A station hijacking? Which one?" I asked.

Please don't be the same one, please don't be-

"The one over by White Tail Woods. Y'know, that one that doubles as a motel?" She answered.

"...Oh fuck." The pit in my stomach grew larger as I realized that was the same train station I told Justin to go to.

"What? What is it?" RD immediately noticed my concern. I decided to tell them everything that happened; How I got caught trying to escape, how I met Justin, and then how we parted ways, with me telling him to go to that same train station.

After I'd finished filling them in, they seemed to understand my cause for concern. "I see… Well, if it makes you feel better, the whole situation’s been taken care of already." Rainbow tried to reassure me. "That's why I was able to get here sooner than I thought. I was on my way there to help, but halfway there I got a call on my radio from the royal guardsmen that showed up first. Apparently, a civilian managed to single-handedly take down all the hijackers and free the hostages before they arrived. There were a couple casualties in the forest from infected, but other than that, the rest of the hostages are alive and healthy."

"Well, that's a bit of a relief." I leaned back in my seat and took a sip of my drink. I just hoped one of those casualties wasn't Justin. We may not have parted on a good note, but it's not like I wished death on the guy. He just had some childish delusions about being a hero. His heart was in the right place, but a mindset like that was just gonna get him killed. Not only that, but he couldn't fight for shit. There was no way he stood a chance against-

"This 'civilian' got a name?" Shining asked.

"The name he gave them was 'Justin Baker'. Not a name I'm familiar wi-"

Upon hearing the name, I couldn't stop myself from doing a spit take, getting my soda all over the table. Rainbow and Shining both looked at me with wide eyes, a look I mirrored to Rainbow. "What was his name again!?"

"U-Uh, Justin. Justin Baker... Why?" Rainbow was still pretty confused by my reaction. Judging by the look on Shining's face though, I'd say he put two and two together.

"Wait... is this 'Justin' the same guy that let you out of Tartarus?" He asked.

"Yeah... Yeah, that's him." I nodded, still trying to process it. That guy managed to fight a whole group of hijackers? He didn't even seem like he knew what he was doing when I first met him! I shook the thought out of my head, deciding that I would dwell on it later. There was something more important to me that needed taking care of. "We're getting off track. We're meeting here for a reason, remember?"

"Right, sorry. Let's get down to business." Rainbow nodded. "We have a place you can stay in Ponyville, outside the Jurisdiction of all four Gods. Even if they somehow found out you're there, they won't be able to go near you. Sending any of their soldiers into Equestrian territory would be a breach of the peace treaty we made, and I doubt they would be willing to start another war over a single pony going AWOL."

"...Seriously?" I blinked in disbelief. Was this really happening? Was I finally gonna get away from the Gods? I wouldn't have anything to do with them anymore?

"Seriously." Rainbow gave me a smile and a nod.

"So, what are we getting in exchange for putting her into witness protection?" Shining butted in.

"Nothing." Rainbow answered for me. I saw the ex-Royal Guard Captain blink a few times in confusion, unsure if he heard that right.

"...Nothing?"

"Nothing. This is me repaying a favor I owe her." She explained before turning to look at me. "I owe her my life."

Shining raised an eyebrow. "She saved your life? When did this happen?"

"Remember that recon mission at Galloping Gorge I went on a couple weeks ago?"

"Yeah, you were missing for over four days. Twilight and the others were worried sick the whole time; Applejack especially, even though she didn't want to admit it. You said you got ambushed by some marauders, and they shot you down mid-flight, right?"

"Yeah, but I, uh... left out a few details, one of which being that Amber here came to my rescue." She gestured to me. "She didn't know a whole lot about first aid, but she was able to get some potions to help heal my wing. She gave me a place to rest until it was good enough for me to fly back to Canterlot, and we hit it off in the meantime. That's when she told me she was in the Storm King's army, and she wanted out, so I promised I'd do this to pay her back for saving me."

"I see... Well then, that's a good enough reason for me." Shining nodded in approval.

"Thanks Rainbow. This... this means a lot." I expressed my gratitude.

"No problem. I'm always loyal to my friends!" She beat a fist against her chest, a proud smile on her face. I had a smile on my face, too. It was finally happening...

I was finally going to be free.

Author's Note

General Status
User: Justin Baker
Current Level: 2
Current XP: 100/200
Money: $5,005
Overall HP: 110/110
Head: 100%
Torso: 100%
Left Arm: 100%
Right Arm: 100%
Left Leg: 100%
Right Leg: 100%

Skills
Strength: 10/100
Endurance: 5/100
Reflexes: 14/100
Agility: 3/100
Stealth: 4/100
Guns: 4/100
Explosives: 2/100
Melee: 2/100
Unarmed: 1/100
Medicine: 2/100

Got a bit of a long chapter here for you guys, and boy is there quite a bit to unpack here! Got some lore in the form of Haven Fields, smartphones existing, and the mention of a peace treaty between Equestria and the Gods! On top of that we get to see what it's like for Justin to level up and we saw a boss fight for the first time! Finally, we saw what Amber was up to and- oh!? What's this!? Shining Armor and Rainbow Dash are alive despite 500 years having passed!?! And it sounds like Applejack is around as well!!! What sorcery is this!?! How could they possibly still be alive after all this time!? Are there more familiar faces still around as well!? Welp, I guess you're just gonna have to keep reading to find out!

Hope you guys liked the boss fight, by the way! For the intro, I tried doing something similar to the dynamic intros you see in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series; I even tried to sync the music with it, though that's incredibly difficult to do with text. I also didn't just pick a random song to go with the fight. If you pay close attention to the lyrics, you'll see that they fit Justin's current situation pretty well. To top it all off, I ended the fight with a one-liner. Not my best one-liner material, but I think it did the trick well enough. I have plenty more planned for the future, don't you worry!

For now though, I'm gonna be swapping back to my other fic, Devil May Cry: Demons in Equestria. I wanna get another chapter out for that before coming back to this one, so it'll be a little bit before the next chapter.

That's all for now. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and stay tuned for more!