Fallout: Equestria - Operation Killjoy
Chapter 1: Premonition
Load Full StoryNext Chapter“A good friend once said to me, ‘Fighting a war is like playing chess. Unless you have megaspells. Then it’s a game of who will flip the table first.’”
Midnight Gambit was pondering about the strange positions of the chess pieces on the board. It was not that he was losing, but rather the strange constellation of pieces on the board itself. It was almost like a game he played before the bombs fell. He had to take the black knight with his king, otherwise he would lose the next turn. All he could do was to hope that he was lucky enough and that his opponent made a mistake.
Unfortunately, chess didn’t work that way, likewise did the war between the ponies and the zebras. He didn’t know if the exchange of megaspells was planned or simply caused by an oversight. Twenty years ago, when Balefire burned Equestria, Midnight himself felt like a pawn in a game he couldn’t understand. He didn’t mind though, since his cutie mark was a pawn surrounded by stars. All he needed to do was to be a good pony and to be at the right time at the right place.
His opponent moved a black pawn forward and promoted it to a queen. It was a quick and snappy motion; a stark contrast to her stillness. Her hunt for his king was methodical and obsessive. Of course, Midnight wouldn't have any luck with such an opponent. Soon enough the game was coming to an end. He retreated his king to a safe field only for the queen to move and finally set him checkmate.
When Midnight looked up he saw a spark of victory in his opponent’s eyes. He didn’t resign so she could enjoy the triumph. After all, not many ponies were willing to spend time with ghouls such as him. Midnight died many years ago when his home, Stalliongrad, was destroyed by the balefire bombs. It marked the last time he would ever feel tired. The radiation made him slowly drift away. When he awoke an unknown number of days later, the land he once knew was sterilized. His world was gone alongside hunger and pain. He still remembered these feelings and he realized he was neither alive or dead.
Snapped back to the here and now he wondered what made that mare seek his company in the first place. She wore her clothes tightly as if she tried to protect herself from more than just the cold. Her vigilant green eyes were cautiously observing the inn both were visiting. It was part of a small settlement, built around a failing Stable.
“You play well,” Midnight said. “Where did you learn to play like that?”
Her attention fell back on Midnight. “My mother taught me. She was a teacher.” Her eyes lingered for a moment on Midnight’s gray and gaunt wings. “Aren’t you afraid of showing these?”
“My wings? Because of the cloud cover?”
She nodded.
“No,” Midnight said. “They don’t blame me for being a pegasus. They already blame me for being dead.”
“These guys here don’t seem to mind you, except maybe that one.” She nodded to one young and scruffy looking traveler. He was very talkative and looked at them quite often.
Midnight didn’t mind however. “There are a lot of ghouls in this region. They are in Tall Tale and many more in Stalliongrad. Well… since we are kinda speaking of it… Where do you come from?”
“I have no home. I'm a vagrant.”
“Just like me then.” Midnight smiled and looked at the chess board in front of him. “Uhm… The question may be a bit weird but… have you ever met somepony named Blue Sky? He is a half-pony half-zebra and has blue stripes.”
She shook her head. “No? Why do you ask?”
“Blue Sky won his first session against me like you did. Forcing me to take a knight and checkmate me with a queen.”
“No clue.” She was still observing the young pony who wandered around the inn and talking to strangers about things that were happening nearby.
“Say… Do you know if “The Mandate” is active around here?” The mare then asked.
“Certainly not in Priob, but I heard they got Whitehorse,” Midnight said. “Do you have problems with them?”
She shook her head. “I am not in the mood for problems or trouble with oppressive regimes. Where is this Priob though?”
“North of here, one day south of Stalliongrad. I came here from Manehattan and actually passed through Priob. What about you?”
“I was recently in Whitehorse. When the Mandate arrived they just gave up. I mean, heh, not much you can do against their firepower” she said.
“And the Hellhound!” The scruffy looking stallion suddenly added. He sat down next to them at the table and looked at the chessboard in confusion.
“Were you eavesdropping? Fuck off!” The mare hissed and moved her forelegs to reveal the handle of a knife.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping, I am just attentive! Big difference. I heard you were talking about The Mandate.”
“Attentive? If you were attentive you would have heard that I said ‘Fuck off.’” She slowly unsheathed the knife. “If you keep sniffing around like a rat, I’ll mince and eat you like one.”
“Okay, calm! Stupid bitch.” The young stallion went away.
“That was harsh,” Midnight commented.
“Harsh? Well, maybe.” She sighed and sheathed the knife. “I don’t like the young ponies. They hear one thing and behave as if they are kings and queens of the world. It’s like… they are better because they grew up after the bombs.”
“Well, you don’t look that old yourself.”
“Me? Am halfway to my fourtees. I was sixteen when the bombs fell.”
“I was thirty. How did you survive?” Midnight asked.
She looked around for a short moment, then replied in a more silent manner. “Let me say it like this. You are a ghoul and that’s why ponies don’t mind you being a pegasus, but obviously I am not a ghoul.”
“You are a pegasus too?” Midnight asked in surprise and looked for potential outlines of wings under her cape. “Why are you down here?”
She frowned. “I disagreed with the Grand Pegasus Enclave,” She said. “But they disagreed more with me and I had to flee. Things were… fine until The Mandate showed up. Now I have to flee again from such idiots.”
“Don’t worry.” Midnight reached for the rifle at his side. “Ponies like The Mandate are on my hitlist.”
“Hitlist?” She looked at his barding. It was cobbled together from pieces of the Manehattan and Stalliongrad police. “Are you some sort of bounty hunter?”
“I prefer security for hire. By the way, my name is Midnight Gambit, but everypony just calls me Midnight.”
She nodded and replied with a single word. “Fade.”
When the door to the inn swung open, the guests pulled their clothes tighter together to combat the cold autumn air rushing in. Fade cut a look at the newcomer and his appearance kept her attention. Another pegasus entered the inn.
“Oh great.” Fade grumbled silently to herself, tensing up as she looked around. “I haven't seen pegasi for weeks on end and now there are two.”
Fade was ready to leave in a hurry but noticed that this other pegasus was not alone. He was accompanied by a young unicorn. Both wore the blue and yellow jumpsuits issued by the local Stable. A small embroidery on the collar indicated the Stable’s number “Fifty-Four”. Each one of them wore a strange, small computer on their right forelegs, known as PipBucks. Every pony living in a Stable got one issued to them.
Fade knew that this specific pegasus was no danger. The Enclave however, was hostile to all ponies who lived in the wasteland. Yet she found his gray coat and black mane were clashing with the bright colors of the suit, making him appear fake and wrong.
“Good evening,” He said with a little smile. “My name is… Valiant. I’m the head of the Stable’s security and I welcome the newcomers to our village. Our Stable has some leftover food and we are willing to share it in exchange for work. We need ponies for a patrol outside to look for wild animals. We also need engineers to help maintain the walls. The first report to me, the latter to my daughter.”
The young unicorn was unable to hide her annoyance. Fade was glad that there was no need to deal with a teenage pony, but she was surprised when Midnight suddenly packed up his chess game.
“Are you leaving?” Fade asked.
“Nope, I’m getting a job.”
“What for? You don’t need food.”
“That’s correct. I also don't need sleep. Sitting around and doing nothing all night is extremely boring.”
Fade sighed and nodded. “See you later, I guess.”
None of the other ponies looked eager for a job, except for Midnight and the scruffy pony from earlier.
“Patrol or maintenance?” Valiant asked.
“Patrol.” Midnight answered confidently and the other pony noddedas well.
“Good. You two have to check the west—.” Valiant began to explain when the scruffy pony already interrupted him.
“I work alone.”
“No.” Valiant disagreed. “I don’t want to send you out alone. One of our lumberjacks found some strange footprints today. It could be something big and I won’t let out a single pony only to have them mauled to death by whatever is out there.”
“Can I do the maintenance job alone?” The other pony asked.
Valiant nodded. “Key? Can you show him?”
“Yeah… whatever.”
“Key? I thought you wanted a job.” Valiant said.
“I told you I wanted to do something relevant. This is not what I had in mind.”
“But what you are doing is relevant.”
“Unlocking Terminals because some idiot forgot their password and showing strangers around?”
“Key…”
“You know what… forget it.” Key scoffed and turned to the scruff pony. “I’ll show you around.” Then she left the inn.
Valiant sighed. “You know how teenagers are. If one thing stays the same then it’s their attitude. Anyway, you heard me: No solo sortie. If you find a pony who wants to go on patrol, you can have the job.”
“Well…” Midnight nodded to Fade. “Can she get my meal?”
“Certainly.”
Midnight waved to Fade, having her get up and slowly join them. “What is it?”
Valiant stepped forward. “This pony offers you his payment.”
“That’s… nice. But don’t you have any spare ponies for a patrol?” Fade asked.
“With the Mandate in the area, I would prefer my security ponies to stay in here. I know it's getting dark, but I would still like to have a report so I may plan the shifts for tomorrow.”
“Hm… For two meals, you say?”
“I could offer you a free quarter in the Stable for tonight.”
“Nah, but since you are offering… What about three meals? Dinner, breakfast and one to go.”
“Alright… and you?” Valiant turned to Midnight. “I can offer you some ammunition for your rifle.”
“That would be great.”
“Good. I’ll tell my daughter to fetch you some and meet you at the radio station on the hill. Dismissed.”
“Dismissed?” Fade inquired, slightly offended by his tone.
“Oh. Apologies. I was a soldier during the war and you’ll never get rid of this behavior.” Valiant said with a light smile, looking at Fade with his green eyes.
She noticed the gaze and raised an eyebrow at him. “Something wrong?”
He quickly shook his head. “No… Nothing. You just reminded me of some ponies I have lost… That's all.”
“We all have lost ponies. Let’s go Midnight.” She said and hurried to leave.
Midnight enjoyed the short stroll through the village. The center was surrounded by various buildings. It was a busy place, dozens of ponies were getting various things before trotting to the Stable under a nearby hill. The entrance itself looked like the passage to a gigantic underground morgue. When the bombs fell, ponies were evacuated deep into these underground bunkers, the so-called Stables. They were supposed to wait until a later generation could repopulate what was left of Equestria. At the end it was a decision if one died outside or confined in a Stable.
Fade was looking at the diverse selection of trade carts around the place, many carrying winter clothes and other equipment. Many traders took a rest stop at Stable Fifty-Four when traveling between Tall Tale and other towns further north. Fade already planned to continue her journey on one of these carts very soon.
“Hey. You are the ghoul and the earth pony, right?” Valiant’s daughter approached them.
“Yes, we are,” Fade said.
“Dad sent me a message on my PipBuck to bring you this.” Her horn began glowing in the same beige colors of her coat and levitated a few things out of her bag. The light emitted from her horn illuminated and showed her red mane, a color very welcome in contrast to the dull wasteland.
“Here’s your bullets. And some flashlights.”
“Here are your bullets,” Midnight corrected her.
Fade couldn't help but be amused by the annoyance reflecting in Key’s green eyes.
“As if anypony cares! Aren’t you old geezers not realizing that proper grammar is the last thing you need to survive in the wasteland?”
“But… You live in a Stable,” Midnight said.
“And now guess why the Stable is open.”
“A malfunction?”
“Exactly. That stupid thing is dying.” Key was clearly frustrated at this point.
“A Stable is still better than living out there. And I am not an old geezer, I was only thirty when I died and I haven't aged since then.”
Key just shrugged. “That makes you still fifty and I’m still sixteen. So you are old for me.”
“Your Dad looks older than me.” He added teasingly.
“That makes him even more stubborn. I tell him all the time he should teach me what he learned in the army. Like… shooting a rifle instead of just hauling ammo around.”
“Shooting is not a skill you should be proud of,” Midnight explained. “You know, my brother was a Steel Ranger and he never talked well about the war.”
“I am not talking about war. I am talking about survival. I’m simply fucked when the Stable breaks down!”
“Language.”
Fade rolled her eyes, having enough of those two. “Midnight, it’s fine. We have work to do alright?”
The walk through the sparse forest west of the village turned out rather boring for the two. Remnants of trees, rocks and old wooden constructions were lining the wasteland around them as they continued on.
Midnight eventually broke the silence. “So… Why did you come here?”
Fades ear twitched by his sudden voice. Her gaze shifted over to him, accidentally blinding him with the flashlight attached to the side of her head.
“Sorry, you are very talkative for a ghoul.”
“Why, thank you. A lot of ponies think I appear very alive for a ghoul actually. I am sure it’s because I still have most of my coat and even my mane didn’t lose much of its blue color. Maybe the necromantic magic in balefire radiation conserved my body very well. I’d recommend it, your coat looks a bit pale.”
Fade rolled her eyes. “My coat is not pale for your information, it's bright purple.” She looked back at him and continued. “You are also oddly cheerful for a ghoul.”
“And I know exactly why.” Midnight smiled, silently waiting for Fade to ask ‘why’.
She eventually sighed and gave him his desired questions. “Why?”
“Glad you ask - I was in Shattered Hoof you see. They showed me how to be a good pony and how to find inner peace and happiness with myself.”
Fade stopped for a moment and frowned. “Shattered Hoof? You mean you were in that… forced labor torture camp?”
“It wasn’t torture. It was… sleeping as long as you want. Cake and parties every day. It was to remind us that war was only temporary.”
“Nah. I don’t believe that. It was all about brainwashing in there.”
“No, it’s not brainwashing. It’s a Re-Education! They make you ‘re-member’ what it means to be a pony.”
“Yeah… right.” Fade focused on the dead conifers around them, spotting a huge, mutated insect quickly escaping their light. Fade found them ugly and they tasted equally bad.
“What about you? What’s your story, Fade?”
“I thought the pony in the inn was nosy as hell…”
“I’m not nosy, I’m trying to be fair here. I tell you a few things about me and you tell me some things about you.”
Fade glanced at him, he was still smiling but she easily noticed that it was just a facade. “I already told you. Troubles with the Enclave.”
“Huh… You did. So I guess it is my turn to answer, right?”
Fade was annoyed, but she would rather have Midnight talking right now instead of aimlessly wandering through the remains of the forest. Except for the bugs, there were no animals to make any noises.
“Okay. Uhm… Why did you end up in Shattered Hoof?” Fade asked.
“Oh, nothing bad. I was demonstrating for peace between the ponies and zebras. We even had zebras on our side, but the authorities in Stalliongrad didn’t like that and shipped me off to Shattered Hoof.”
“And then what?”
“Afterwards I continued my work as a Terminal technician… until the bombs made that obsolete,” he said.
“So… if you can repair Terminals, why did you become a bounty hunter?”
“Security for hire,” He corrected her. “I just found out that I am really talented with a rifle. I can even shoot it with hooves only.”
“With hooves?” Fade wondered about it. Usually ponies required a harness or magic to wield rifles of such size. “Isn’t that the way zebras fight?”
“Yes… Why?”
“Don’t you find it a bit strange that you were part of a zebra peace activity group and know how to hold a rifle in your hooves?”
Midnight thought about it for a moment. “Hmm… Guess I must be very talented then.”
Fade decided not to question him any further. The Ministry of Morale must have indoctrinated him very well, almost like the Enclave indoctrinates the younger generation. Fade looked around and noticed huge scratch marks high up in a dead tree. “Midnight? What is that up there?”
Midnight had to rear up to take a closer look. “That’s not a wolf that's for sure, it's way too big.”
Fade checked the ground and quickly noticed some footprints. They were bigger than the head of a pony. Much bigger. “Midnight… What did the nosey pony say about The Mandate?”
His eyes filled with worry when he realized what they had found. “A hellhound…”
They rushed back to the town, taking off into the dark sky as fast as they could. Midnight’s tattered wings slowed him down a good chunk. The town wasn’t too far away. Its lights shone peacefully in the dark of the night. It almost appeared tranquil.
All of the sudden, piercing muzzle flashes lit up from the walls and the darkness around the village. The sound of gunfire followed shortly after. They didn’t even have a chance to warn them.
Automatic gunfire was met with pistols and rifles. The walls gave the defenders hope until a watchtower began to creak, tilt and ultimately collapse. A dark cloud of dust was whirling up and in the chaos, a large explosion. The Stable stood no chance against The Mandate.
“It’s no use.” Fade stopped. She could only watch how the inn was set ablaze by a gigantic flame. The battle ended as quickly as it began, only the voices of the invaders, panicking ponies and the wounded remained. Occasional fights erupted every other moment, but were over quickly. Often, one single shot followed.
“Fade. Over there!” Midnight pointed out a single cone of light moving hastily away from the city. One pony got out somehow. An explosion drew their attention back to the village, smoke was rising from the entrance to the Stable.
Trying to concentrate on the survivors, they hurried to the pony that got away and landed nearby. Fade gave Midnight a sign and snuck up on the pony. She expected a trap until she recognized the pony, it was Valiant’s daughter.
“H- hey! It's us from the inn.” Fade slowly approached her. “Turn off the light.”
Key was out of breath, fighting both her tears and exhaustion from the hasty escape. “Mom and Dad are still in there!” Eventually tears ran down her cheeks, her voice began to waver and break.
“I know, but you must turn off the light.” Fade replied silently, eventually Midnight joined the two.
“Where exactly are they?” He asked.
Fade looked at him in disbelief. “You want to go in there?”
“What else should we do? Leave her alone and her parents in the town?”
“Of course not! But shouldn’t we get her to a safe place instead?”
“And then?”
“What do I know?” She paced up and down and was struggling with the familiarity of what Key may have to face if she doesn’t help. “What I mean is… How would we get them out?”
“The wall.” Key’s weak voice croaked. “I know where the hole is.”
Midnight sat down a few feet away, his gaze aimed at Key. “Okay. Listen Key. We need you to be a hero for a moment. Do you think you can go back and get us in?”
Key rubbed her eyes and nodded silently.
Fade was leading them through the darkness, always on the lookout for potential patrols. With Key’s help they quickly reached the hidden hatch in the wall. The smell of ash from inside the village was stinging inside their noses. “Your PipBuck. They have that thing… E.F.S. You know that?” Fade whispered to Key.
“Y-yes…”
“Good, you will turn it on, now. Then you follow my lead and warn me whenever you have a signal approaching us. Do you understand?”
“She should stay outside.” Midnight whispered. “ Why don't you just fly over the wall?”
“The village is very bright you idiot! Even if they don’t see me flying, they will see me landing. Any better ideas?”
“Anything that doesn’t require us to bring Key inside. She is only sixteen!” Midnight huffed.
“I was her age during the famine. Trust me Midnight, she’ll be fine.”
“And what if something happens?”
“Then you get her out and run away.” Fade whispered, then she turned to Key. “What does your mother even look like?”
“Pretty much like me… yellow fur and a red mane.”
With her new goal in mind, Fade pushed the hatch aside for them to slip into the narrow tunnel. It looked like a rat's nest, making her remember everything her mother once drilled into her head, simple tricks to survive the famine. She kept crawling through the tunnel and emerged on the other side. Fade gave Midnight a sign once it was clear of any threats.
On the other side of the wall they were still clad in deep darkness, making It pretty easy for them to traverse the town unseen. Fade stopped abruptly and turned her head towards the two, telling them to wait while she crouched closer to the main road. She observed the ponies wandering back and forth from the Stable and village center. A few were ponies from the Stable, dirty and injured from the fight, escorted by some sort of soldiers. Their equipment was composed of Bulletproof bardings with gray camouflage pattern, automatic rifles attached to combat harnesses, utility belts with grenades and knives. It was as if Equestria’s royal army completely forgot who the real foe was.
A quiet noise emerging from behind her caught Fade’s attention. Key crawled closer and pointed at her PipBuck. The dim, green light from its display showed a short message.
“Go to Edmareton. Meet Phones. See you there. - Mom”
There was hope…
“Ask where she is,” Fade whispered.
“I don’t have a broadcaster… I can only receive messages.”
“What about the tagging system?” Midnight joined, his rifle tightly held in his forelegs. “Can’t you detect her PipBuck?”
“Mom doesn’t have one, so she must be at the radio station.”
A sigh of relief escaped Fade, knowing she didn’t need to sneak deeper into the village or even the Stable itself. “Good. Let’s go there and hope she is alright.”
“Wait, your Dad has a PipBuck!” Midnight said. “Do you have his tag?”
Key gave a brief nod and checked the device around her foreleg. “He’s in the Stable.”
Fade nodded. “Key, bring Midnight to a spot where you can observe the Stable, okay? I will find your mother. What’s her name?”
“Shibboleth.”
Without any further words, Fade split from the group and disappeared into the darkness.
The radio tower was very close to the brightly lit Stable entrance, yet it was easy for her to stay within the shadows nearby. The uneven terrain of the hill next to it only allowed for a meager radio tower and a small shack around it. Only a small path led up to it however the area around it was wide open.
“Maverick!” A shout suddenly interrupted the silence. A pink and gaunt unicorn was trotting to the Stable. The color of his coat and mane was sickly looking and uneven. He wore an almost clean white suit, pristine even, as if he tried to hide the fact that he was long dead. His eyes were turned into two bright pink spheres void of any life or emotion.
“Maverick!” He called out again, his voice dry and scratchy.
After his attempt, the ponies near the entrance stopped and backed away. Only the unicorn remained calm when a colossal monster stepped out of the large entrance of the stable. Fade wasn’t nearby, but she still cowered away when she recognized the enormous hellhound. Even with its hunched over walk to squeeze out from the low ceiling of the tunnel, it easily reached twice the height of a pony. Its leathery skin was covered in soot and dirt, its massive claws were holding a flamethrower. Drool was dripping from its cleft lips. It turned its large head, revealing a blinded eye caused by a gross mutation on his forehead, merging it with a smaller eye growing right next to it.
“Maverick… are you injured?” The pink unicorn’s attention was quickly drawn to the creature’s bleeding leg. “Who did this?”
“Pegasus.” The creature replied in a deep growl.
The unicorn’s horn lit up, releasing an equally sick pink tone of magic, similar to the rest of his body, to take out a small, red potion from his suit. “Drink this.”
Maverick grabbed the small plastic bottle and squirted the liquid into its misshapen maw. The potion was working immediately and the wound at Maverick’s leg began to heal.
“Is the pegasus still alive, like I ordered?”
“Yes.” Maverick replied.
The unicorn drew a revolver and checked its chambers. “Wait here… You will get a meal soon.” He said and entered the Stable with some of his soldiers.
Fade crouched away slowly, scared that even the tiniest of noises could alert the hellhound to her presence. Until now she only knew them through rumors and stories, always imagining them as dumb and murderous beasts. However the glimpse of intelligence in Maverick’s functioning eye made her shake in fear.
The light of the small shack nearby was no longer just a beacon, but the way out of this situation. The faster she would reach Shibboleth, the faster she could escape Maverick. Getting closer she saw two ponies sitting next to the open door, flipping the pages of an old book, seemingly searching for pictures instead of actually reading it. The way they spoke gave away that they must have been born after the bombs fell. Threat or not, she still circled around them in a wide arch.
A subtle glim of magic revealed the presence of a pony near the backside of the hut. A unicorn was leaning against the dirty scrap metal wall. She peeked through the nearest window and once the unicorn was sure enough no one was watching, her magic began operating some of the radio equipment inside. The subtle glow of her magic revealed a red mane in the same shade as Key’s.
“This must be her…” Fade thought. She slowly approached the distracted unicorn from behind and began to whisper. “Shibboleth!”
The magic abruptly stopped and the mare ducked away. She drew her pistol at Fade using her magic, but couldn’t see here in the darkness.
“Key sent me here.” Fade continued silently.
“And who are you?” The unicorn replied hastily, trying to follow Fade’s voice.
“Look, Valiant hired us for a patrol, we were in the forest when the attack happened and—”
“He told me about you… Where is Key?”
“She is with the ghoul, Midnight. I’ll bring you to them, okay? Then we can see how we get Valiant out of here as well.”
Midnight and Key observed the Stable. They tried their best to remain in the darkness and as far away from the dangerous center as they possibly could. The hellhound was waiting patiently outside the Stable as ordered by its master. The sheer sight of the creature made Midnight remember the feeling of fear firmly grabbing a hold of his chest, making breathing near impossible.
“Dad is moving…” Key whispered, her eyes fixated on the pipbuck.
A few minutes later the pink unicorn reappeared from the Stable, and was studying a thick file in one of his hooves. He was soon followed by an earth pony who carried even more files on his back. While that one was much younger he made a way more sophisticated appearance than most ponies of his age and generation.
Finally, the last one to exit the underbelly of the city, was Valiant, held at gunpoint by three of The Mandate’s soldiers.
“Vigil.” The pale pink unicorn turned to the young pony with the remaining files. “Get me your broadcaster and connect it to the Stable’s PA system.”
Vigil configured a hoof sized device before giving it to the unicorn. “Anything else?”
“No. That’s all for now.” The ghoul directed his gaze to the behemoth next to him. “Maverick, please bring this pegasus to the village center… and be careful!”
The hellhound grabbed Valiant and lifted him with his enormous strength, but also with a disturbing precision and finesse not to injure him with its massive claws.
“What are they doing with Dad?” Key watched in fear until he disappeared out of sight.
“I don’t know… but I will stop them! I promise.” Shouldering his rifle and getting ready to go, he would turn to Key one more time with a warm smile. “You better return to the wall and wait for Fade.”
“But what about Dad?”
“I can take better care of him, when I know you are safe. That’s your job now. You understand? Its going to be alright.”
Key rubbed her nose, unable to hold back more of her tears. After a slow nod she returned to the wall. After she left Midnight leaped onto the next building, quickly yet carefully treading the sheet metal roofs not to draw the attention of the ponies inside the buildings. He had to wait painfully long and move increasingly slower the closer he got without being seen by the enemies. Finally he reached a good spot overlooking the village center. He readied his rifle and took aim at the pale unicorn in the white suit.
Fade quickly led Shibboleth to the secret entrance near the outer wall of the town when Key noticed them. She got up and ran to her mother and both tightly hugged each other. Fade smiled a little seeing the two, but she quickly noticed that somepony was missing from the group.
“Hang on, where is Midnight?”
“He tries to save Dad. The hellhound took him to the town center.”
“Fucking hell… alright look, you two leave the village, now. Midnight and I will take care of it and find you later.”
Fade rushed away, not allowing them any chance for discussion. Time was of the essence Key would only hold her back. She quickly traversed the dark paths between the buildings until she was only a single corner of the village’s warehouse away from the town plaza.
Peeking around she saw about a dozen of unarmed ponies sitting on the cold ground, all of them seemingly from the Stable. Most of them were injured, one badly enough that he couldn’t even sit upright. The veteran soldiers were watching them carefully, while the younger ones were more curious about Valiant who was sitting in front of the pink unicorn himself.
Maverick towered next to him, his paw probably mighty enough to simply crush his head should he try to flee. Fade needed a way to distract the beast long enough for Valiant to escape. She drew her knife and held it tightly in her muzzle, growling slightly, her gaze wandering hastily through the area to analyze her options, but she was unable to conjure a plan.
“The Overmare is willing to negotiate.” The unicorn began to speak in a loud and clear voice. ”But there is one more thing I would like to discuss first, particularly with you, pegasus. Now tell me… What is Operation Killjoy?”
Valian’s ears twitch, however he remained calm, not giving a single word in response.
“Oh… I understand.” The ghoul muttered under his breath. He cleared his throat and lifted his head. “Guards! Ready your weapons.”
Fade tensed up when the soldiers raised their weapons, aiming their guns at the captives in front of them.
Valiant glared at the pale ghoul. “I have no idea what you want from me…”
“I am sure you know very well… Shadowbolt.”
Valiant however shook his head. “I’m not a Shadowbolt.”
“Don’t fool me! I worked for the Ministry of Image and I wrote the fake death certificate to your family. You are a Shadowbolt.” He stepped closer, looking down and directly into Valiants eyes. “Look at this coat, look into my eyes… I survived Canterlot. I studied its secrets and I found very strong evidence that you were involved in Killjoy.”
Silence took hold of the situation, then finally, Valiant rose his head to meet the gaze of the pale ghoul. He began to stand up, groaning due to his own injuries. “Listen… I—” He was not for long as Maverick stomped his huge paw down onto Valiant’s back, pushing him back down into the dirt.
“Don’t move!” It growled.
“One wrong move and we will kill you. I know what you Shadowbolts are capable of,” The ghoul added. “What is it you want to say?”
“You may be right about… the Shadowbolt thing, but not about Killjoy. I never heard of that.” He groans in pain as the paw pressed down harder onto his back. Fade wanted to rush forward, but she couldn’t. It would just be suicide.
“You may not know about Killjoy, but the Ministry of Awesome Hubs and Shadowbolt Vaults still contain the information. Alas, the emergency protocols sealed them all. But I know for certain that Shadowbolts can still access them. Which leads us to another thing…”
The unicorn took the broadcaster from his suit pocket and turned it on.
“Here speaks Everlast.” His voice now amplified and played back over the speakers in the village. “Please… tell us your name.” He continued in a calm manner.
Valiant didn’t want to answer, but a slight glance from Everlast at the captured ponies made him eventually speak up.
“You have a daughter, her name is Key and funnily enough, she doesn’t look anything like you. Red mane, bright yellow coat… Thanks to the inheritance protocols, she has limited access to the Ministry of Awesome, too… Would you tell her to come out? Pretty please?” The smile would grow on his leathery face, however Valiant shook his head once more, much to the ghouls dismay
“Call her,” Everlast said calmly, his patience slowly running thinner.
Fade knew this soothing tone, she heard it way too often from the Enclave. Words filled with nothing but empty promises to starving pegasi, right before they killed them anyway. If it wouldn’t have been for Maverick, it would have been easy to save Valiant, however one wrong move and the hellhound would simply crush him and Fade as well.
“Call her!” Everlast shouted, making the ponies in the town flinch. “Or do I need to kill your friends first?”
“They have nothing to do with this!” Valiant shouted back with what strength he could bear.
“They have nothing to do with this? Well… If this is the case, we have to try something else.” Everlast drew his heavy revolver and held it at the broadcaster, the unmistakable click of the hammer being pulled back echoed through the loudspeakers. Slowly but surely, he lowered the cold muzzle of his gun downwards against Valiant’s head. For a moment time stood still.
The loud bang of a rifle tore through the silence of the night as Midnight decided to make his move, his bullet tearing through Everlast’s eye. Strands of the destroyed organ as well as thick pink ooze spread over his face. The impact sent his body into a short stumble, he quickly recovered from. Midnight used the opportunity to retreat immediately, but Fade stood and watched. Maverick rushed to the pale ghoul, shielding him with his large paw. The ghoul himself took a moment and sighed, running his hoof over his face to examine the damage as if it was just a minor nuisance.
“Hah… Find the shooter!” Everlast simply wiped the ooze off with his hoof. He aimed his gun back at Valiant’s head and fired without the slightest hesitation.
Fade’s eyes widened when she had to watch Valiants head sinking to the floor; bone, hair and blood scattered over Maverick’s paw and Everlast’s white suit.
Everlast looked around as if he was waiting for something. “Well… She isn’t here. How very unfortunate.”
“Damn it…” Fade gasped as she saw Everlast’s troops scatter to search the surrounding area for the shooter. She heard shouts and orders throughout the village, no doubt it was time to leave this instant. She hurried back to the tunnel as fast as she could and simply slid through using the momentum of her sprint. When she arrived, Midnight was already through the tunnel. Without wasting a single word they quickly fled the village. They ran as fast and far as they could, until they deemed it a safe enough distanceto take a breather.
“What… what happened?” Midnight asked. After a short while Fade finally spoke up.
“He killed Valiant,” She said eventually, her breath heavy.
Midnight’s eyes widened, his head snapped to Fade in disbelief. “What? But I shot him right in the head!”
“I know but… Look, we have to find Key and Shibboleth, okay? Just… let's go.” She had to find Key and Shiboleth and tell them… that she failed.