Rainbow In The Wastes

The lead raider smirked a cocky smirk, his left hand reaching for the side of his pants and toward a leather holster hanging at his hip. This didn't go unnoticed by the shotgun-wielding old man, who quickly shifted his crosshairs on the raider.

His voice was weak from blood loss.

"Don't you... fuck- fucking think about it... you sick fuck," turning his head, he worriedly asked, "Rainbow, are you okay?"

The mare, her face mixed into one of trauma and fright, could only give a light nod.

The raider's hand stayed, the .32 pistol sitting idly in his pocket and waiting for the right moment to strike.

The lead raider gave a short laugh, "Ha! You think one of my men won't just shoot you where you stand?! If anybody, it's you who shouldn't 'think about it', you washed up old-"

"Hey now," Carter interrupted, giving a chuckle in return, before thrusting the shotgun slightly forward and spitting, "let's not bring age into this, huh?"

"Boss, I could take his head off right now if you want me to," said a Psycho-tic next to him, a combat shotgun grasped firmly in his hands.

Looking over, the leader replied, "Stow it."

Turning back toward the armored coot, he added, "I like his armor."

The Lone Wanderer stood undaunted, the seven raiders currently staring him down doing nothing to weaken his resolve.

"And I like your gun, you fifty-caliber asshole."

The wind blew.

Dust flew through the standoff, the two parties as still as statues, only seven feet apart.

The only sound was the fallen mare's hitched breathing in the dry, cracked, Kansas asphalt.

One wounded old man, armed with only a camouflaged hunting shotgun and a set of armored riot gear.

Seven raiders, armed with combat shotguns, .32 pistols, and enough armor to last a lifetime of theft and murder.

Rainbow's heart beat once.

Twice.

Three times.

A shot emerged from a hunting shotgun, scoring a hit on a Psycho-tic, launching him a few feet away and onto the concrete.

The remaining six raiders screamed in fury, weapons raised.

And then, Carter did something that caused Rainbow to stare in awe.

Anticipating the raiders' moves, Carter ducked underneath the blast of a combat shotgun, throwing his left shoulder into the firearm's owner and launching the Blastmaster into the ground, slamming the butt of his hunting shotgun behind him, slamming into the gut of a Sadist, who keeled over and fell to Earth in a heap.

As a Badlander prepared to fire his .32 into him, Carter took the opportunity to aim his shotgun and fire into the raider's kneecaps, crippling him and causing him to scream in pain. Turning to the left, he sidestepped the swipe of a surprise Chinese sword, listening as a low chk sound signified its thorough stabbing of the worn road by their feet. Ceasing this as an opportunity, Carter stamped his boot onto the ground, threw it underneath the sword's blade, and lifted his foot into the air, the sword flying with it and sailing into the air.

As the Sadist stumbled forward in retaliation, Carter tossed his shotgun into the air, catching it by the barrel. The Sadist tripped.

Carter swung.

The air was filled with the sounds of a man squealing in agony, clutching his crotch as he flew an inch into the air from the makeshift bat, falling onto his back and writhing in pain, before a Chinese sword, flipping end over end, flew cleanly into his head and ended his life.

Smirking, Carter turned around, only to fall to the ground as the butt of a large sniper rifle met his face. His shotgun clattering loudly onto the ground next to him, Carter spat onto the road and turned onto his back, just in time to land a hit on the raider's left knee.

A loud crack emanated through the area, the savage falling face first onto the geezer lying underneath him.

A hand stopped him from landing.

A look of confusion on his face, the sniper looked down, finding a smirking Lone Wanderer staring right at him.

"Told you not to think about it."

Carter withdrew the raider's pistol from his side, stuffing the barrel into his stomach and pulling the trigger.

Throwing the savage off of him, he got up and wiped his mouth, letting the .32 fall from his hand.

As his opponent seethed on the ground, Carter walked up to him, a cocky grin on his face.

Something suddenly tackled Carter, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to collapse onto the floor. Rolling over, Carter threw a fist into the Blastmaster straddling him, knocking the un-masked highwayman onto the floor. The cold steel of a blade slashed Carter's right arm, a deep gash bleeding like a fountain now etched into his previously clothed bicep.

Kicking the lowered Chinese sword's blade and dropping it to the floor, Carter reached toward his hip, brandishing the cow-hide canteen and flinging it at the Sadist's face, knocking him to the ground in a cold mess.

Carter only had enough time to turn when he felt a bullet rip through his leg, tearing a hole through his femoris and making the man fall to Earth, holding his wounds with trembling hands and growling in agony.

Looking up with a glare, Carter saw the lead raider slowly stalk up, a large, desert-camouflaged sniper rifle clutched in his hands. Stopping, he brought it up and aimed it at the old man, finalizing his actions with a few select words.

"Goodbye, you washed-up old fuck-up."

A war cry sounded.

Not daring to look over, Carter could only watch as a blue and brown blur slipped through the air, passing by in the blink of Carter's green eyes.

The sound of a struggle sounded out, the Lone Wanderer beginning to fade in and out of consciousness from his wounds as he listened intently. A torrent of punches followed, ones he made out as Rainbow's, before he heard the sound of a voice speaking.

"Do you know what my people used to do to Earth Ponies back in the war?"

A loud whimper was mumbled.

Carter could barely hear the next words spoken, but he could still tell.

"I'll show you."

He heard the fluttering of wings and the cries of a distressed raider, which eventually waned within half a dozen seconds before it disappeared altogether.

Carter, not being able to turn his head without risking consciousness, raised a brow in confusion.

His heart beat twice.

And the body of the raider appeared in front of him in a flash, his skull being reduced to a bloody mess as he landed head-first, the remnants of his body tipping over until his stomach collapsed onto the road, before settling and remaining still.

Carter breathed heavily, not a single sound meeting his ears.

Something landed next to him, the sound of hooves clopping against concrete.

Rainbow appeared in front of him, her mane unkempt and sticking out every which way, and her face beaten and blue.

Blood dripped from a wound in her left foreleg, but the mare didn't seem to notice as her mouth moved frantically, no words coming out.

Tears streaked down the mare's face.

And Carter blacked out.