Echo shivered, her leg kicking slightly as she quickly awoke. She could see her breath, fumes of vapor leaving her mouth in plumes. She shuddered and tried to warm herself, crossing her forelegs and rubbing herself to try and keep warm.

She took notice that the fire was a mere smoldering pile of ash now, and that the deer from the night before were nowhere to be seen. She craned her neck, a little stiff due to the awkward way she had slept the night before.

She heard the ruffling of a bag just before audible crunching. Looking to the origin, she spotted Derreck, dressed in his black duster that draped over his tight fiber weave uniform. She took a closer look and saw he was eating some potato chips of sorts.

She stood up and staggered slightly, still very stiff from sleeping on the cold ground, and the frigid temperatures didn't help in the slightest. “Celestia... it's cold,” Echo shuddered out her complaint but Derreck just shrugged.

She walked up beside him, looking to his heavily scarred face that made her wonder how exactly he got such grievous injuries. His bad eye was also covered for the time being. Aside from eating the occasional chip, he hardly moved. “What are you doing?” Echo asked, the man's answer being blunt and to the point.

“Watching,” he stated. She blinked and followed his stare, but only saw the emptiness of the barren meadows. She leaned forwards and squinted her eyes, figuring perhaps he was watching something in the far out distance.

“Watching what?” she asked.

“For enemies, assassins, hitponies. You said yourself, and I saw for myself, that pony we're after sent ponies after you, and if they're smart, they'll hit while we're sleeping. So I stayed up to keep watch,” Derreck replied. Echo looked around, a shiver going down her back at how easily she had let her guard down. Before long, she thought about something else.

“Where's Evan?” she asked, noticing the second man was no longer present.

“He's around, somewhere. Doesn't matter, we gotta move. He'll catch up with us later,” Derreck replied just as a gust of harsh wind blustered past, Echo's body shivering involuntarily.

“Sweet Celestia... aren't you cold?” Echo gasped, seeing the man stand so calmly. He shook his head.

“Nah. This suit is made of a fantastic weave of fabrics and fiber than fit tightly to my body, though not in a restricting way. It insulates body heat and regulates my temperature to the perfect levels, keeping me comfortable on the battlefield and letting me focus on more pressing issues rather than be bothered by climate temperatures. The fabric weave is also woven together in a way that it can keep pressure on wounds, reducing blood loss from injuries and also keeping pressure on injuries such as broken bones.” Derreck turned to her and pulled aside the flaps of his duster coat, revealing the torso of the suit.

“There's also a special blend of quality fabric that is resistant to kinetic force, such as being stabbed by a knife or shot with an arrow. It doesn't however, protect me from slashing wounds or magical attacks... tough luck,” he informed her. She blinked, baffled in amazement by the suit he wore, having never seen or even heard of such a fantastic creation.

“Where... how... who gave this to you? It must have cost a pretty bit,” she mentioned but Derreck just chuckled.

“Nah... it didn't cost me much, just an afternoon...”

Several weeks earlier...

There was a knock at the door, casual and not very hasty. “Just one moment darling,” came the mare's eccentric voice. The white mare finished sewing together the seam of her dress before fluffing her mane to the side and making for the door.

“Coming darling, coming,” Rarity called out. Swinging open the door, her wonderful smile turned to a shocked expression as she was astounded by the sight of the scarred man before her. “Ev... Evan,” she gasped, quickly taking a look out the door. “Y-you shouldn't be here,” she whispered, as though it was a great secret.

“Why not?” Derreck asked as he slipped through the doorway. “It says 'Come in, we're open',” he mentioned. Rarity bit her lip as she hesitantly closed the door behind herself, flipping the sign so that it read 'Sorry, We're closed'.

“What... what are you doing here?” Rarity asked in a hushed tone. “If Twilight or the others were to... I should throw you out after what you did to Twi,” she mentioned but Derreck just shrugged.

“But you won't, and besides... nopony knows I'm in town. I snuck here without anypony the wiser,” he mentioned.

“H-how?” she asked back and Derreck pointed out the window, to which Rarity took a brief look, only see a cardboard box. “I don't understand. How'd you get here without anypony seeing you?” she asked but Derreck just shrugged off the question, getting to the task at hand.

He tossed a rather hefty bag of bits onto the table. “I need you to make me something... a uniform. Celestia... needs me to help her with a certain criminal situation and to do that I need a uniform... and she said you were the best dress maker in Equestria... ever. Her words,” he stated, a blush coming across her cheeks.

“Well... that might be exaggerating it slightly-” she began, forgetting about the situation between the man and her best friend.

“Well I agree with her. So what do you say?” he asked, tossing a note on top of the bits regarding all the special needs the suit required.

“Well I... I suppose I should-” she cut herself off as, from the corner of her eye, she spotted Pinkie Pie trotting along outside. In great haste, the white mare quickly and most frantically pulled down the drapes over all the windows with her magic.

“Shoo, go on, you can't be here. After what you did to Twilight I should be ashamed of myself for even considering to help you,” she snapped, feeling a sense of self guilt.

“Hey, relax. Nopony is gonna figure out unless you tell them. All I need is a yes or no answer. Will you build me this suit or not? After that, I'll leave... if you want me too,” he stated in a most perverse voice.

“Of course I would... I mean... no!...” she trailed off and looked to the bag of bits. Opening it up, she took note that every single bit was a Celestia bit, worth one thousand regular ones...

“Over twenty large... and I'll throw in whatever extra cash you might need, or whatever else you want. Anything... you could ever desire,” he mentioned.

“I... yes. I'll make your suit. Just go on,” she said in haste, starting to get a little flustered.

“Well then... in that case...” Derreck stood up, removing his shirt.

“Wh-what are you doing. Go on, get out of here,” she told him, getting a little flustered as she dared a peak at his masculine form. His body was so rigid and stern. His body looked smooth but firm with definition. His muscles looked to be expertly chiseled from stone.

She staggered back, her legs shaking and threatening to give out from underneath her as the man spoke. “Don't you need to measure me? Figure out how big I am?” he asked, hinting to a lewd innuendo.

“I... no! No, I already measured you once. I don't... I have you size written down already...” she said, heat traveling to her loins as the man stepped forwards, a thick musk hitting her like a fright train.

“I'm... a little different than you remember, both in body and mind...” he trailed off, stopping as he was just a few feet away from her. “Oh yes... I remember how you'd throw all those advances at Evan, so obvious yet so futile,” the man stated, Rarity blushing a deep hue of red as she recalled all those fantasies she'd had of the man, how she used to lust over him in the past.

“You know... I held Evan's leash, kept him in line. I only let him see what I wanted him to see. Hear what I wanted him to hear. I kept him naive, dense and innocent as I saw fit... it was humorous to me you know, watching you and Twilight nearly fall over your front hooves trying to get his attention, only to fall over in front of him from his dumbfoundedness,” Derreck mused to himself, reminiscing in all the memories he'd had of keeping Evan straight as an arrow, completely unaffected by the most basic desires and completely unresponsive towards sexual advances.

Derreck let out a grunt as he stretched out, posing his massive muscular form before her. “So... speaking of which... do you have anything else you want besides money? Maybe a bonus? Anything at all?” he asked, Rarity biting her lip as she tried to back up, but found herself against the wall.

“W-well... I-I-I su-suppose there's one or... something...” she trailed off, her eyes wandering across the man's body but quickly snapping out of her desires. The man stepped forwards, closing the distance between them. Just before she lost herself, Rarity hopped to her hindlegs, leaning up against the wall and pushing the man back with feeble strength.

“No. I shouldn't, for Twilight's sake. You should go. I'll build the damn suit!” she yelled out, battling with her inner urges. The man leaned close, his masculine musk hitting her hard.

“Then 'tell' me to leave,” he whispered in her ear, her body shuddering. It was the last straw, she could take it no longer. She looked up into his good eye, the second covered by the patch. Her lips parted slightly, feeling his heavy breath upon her cheeks.

She went to resist, to tell him to leave, but it got lost in the back of her mind that was now clouded with arousal. “Tell me what you want,” Derreck whispered. “Tell me what to do,” his voice was cool and steely.

Slowly, their lips connected. It was like a fiery eruption to Rarity, all that built up tension, finally released. It was mind blowing. She pulled back from the kiss with a gasp, a string of saliva still connecting their lips. It felt so wrong but... so right. Every inhibition she had, every sense of guilt over it, was completely thrown out the window.

The man held her by the hips, holding her close to his much larger body. She could feel the bulge in his pants. It was like everything from her wildest fantasies. With her magic, she dimmed out the lights and the man slowly led them over to the couch, laying her flat on her back while her magic went to work on his belt.

Their lips pressed together once more, tongues dancing together in fiery passion as his pants were unzipped. He didn't bother taking them off and simply pulled out his cock, bringing it to bear. Rarity forced her tongue down his throat, moans of lust dampened by their connected lips. Pulling away from the kiss, Rarity let out a gasp as she looked south.

The white mare bit her lip as she looked down at his package, her lower lips quivering in anticipation. The big man held her down, hiking her rear end closer to his groin. Pressing his tip to her entrance, he began to rub her slit, lubricating his thick shaft with her juices.

Moans began to leave Rarity's mouth as she was deprived her desires for the time being, the teasing alone nearly enough to topple her over the edge. “Please...” Rarity whispered, the man perking a brow.

“What?” he asked, prodding her a little with the tip and making her squeal, her inner most muscles clenching tightly.

“Please, rut me. Make me you mare. Claim me,” she whined like a slutty mare in heat. The man smiled, she was his, completely and utterly dominated.

With a powerful thrust he hammered himself into her waiting snatch, spreading her wide and hilting himself with one precise thrust, emitting a yelp from the mare as her legs instinctively wrapped around his hips and held him tight.

The man jerked his hips, sliding back and forth inside of her tight little cunny, holding her tight at the hips and not letting her move much. A huff of hot breath left his mouth as he relished in the feel of his thick member encased by her nethers, fit snuggly inside. 'It fits like a glove,' he thought to himself.

Rarity whined out in ecstasy, moaning lewdly but her moans being drowned out by the sloppy noise of their sex. Feeling the all too familiar build up of orgasm rising in her lower region, she cried out to the man.

“Oh sweet Celestia... Burdy I'm... I can feel it...” she let out a wail as her one front hoof rose to her forehead as though in panic. Her inner muscles clenched tightly, grasping his intruding member and trying to milk him.

The man ground himself into her hips while she bit down on his shoulder, riding out the orgasm she had longed for over the past few months-

“Okay, enough... I... ugh, I don't need to know about you having sex,” Echo said, shuddering slightly as she envisioned it happening.

“Well you asked,” Derreck responded rather bluntly.

“I asked how you got the suit,” she replied back.

“And I answered that question,” Derreck told her honestly.

Echo just held up a hoof. “You could've just said you... nevermind, can we just go. We're wasting time here,” she ordered and Derreck merely laughed.

“Okay, if you insist,” Derreck laughed, chuckling to himself. Echo shivered, wondering what it'd feel like to be held down by the man like that... claimed by-

She quickly forced the thoughts from her head, wondering why in all Equestria she'd even envision herself like that... beneath his massive body, held down and completely under his control. His big hands holding her front hooves against the bed as he lay atop of her, claiming her-

She forced the perverse thoughts from her head, making sure they stayed dead. The duo hopped into the classic muscle car, Derreck quickly keying the ignition.

Not even a moment after Echo had shut her door, the big man hammered the accelerator to the floor, moving fast on the manual transmission.

The engine roared as black smut fumed out the side exhaust pipes. The tires spun, spitting up dirt before quickly grabbing traction. The front end was hiked up, the front tires a few feet off the ground.

Echo was held back in her seat from the raw power of the vehicle, hastily grabbing the dash and trying to hold herself against the seat as the man sped off like a madman. “Sweet Celestia! ARE YOU INSANE?!” Echo gasped just as the front end came crashing back to the ground, the man fast on the transmission shift.

“Of course... it's why you hired me, right?” he asked back rhetorically.

“Yeah, well I didn't think you'd try to get use killed in the process,” she snapped, her heart thumping wildly. He just laughed, shifting one final time as they reached a high cruising speed. “Geeze... can you just let up every now and then? Live life at a slower pace?” she asked but the man shook his head.

“See, now you sound like Evan. If you always live life high octane, pedal to the floor, nopony will ever be able to catch you, hold you down. You'll only stop once you hit a wall and go out in a blaze of glory,” he stated, the mare huffing.

“Just don't take me with you, okay?” she responded, leaning her chin on the window space of the door as she began to relax.

“So?” Derreck asked. Echo turned and looked to the man whom wasn't directly looking back.

“So what?” she asked back.

“Were you close?” he asked and she cocked her head back, thrown off by the question.

“What kind of question is that? Close to what?” she snapped at him and he just shrugged.

"Close to him? The stallion you've hired me to kill," Derreck made mention.

"Why do you want to know?" she inquired and the big man shrugged calmly, not really seeming to be bothered if she answered or not.

“Just a question. I hardly feel that some random pony scientist would become this fixated over stopping another random pony in her field of knowledge just because... figured there's more to it than that," the man replied.

“No! We were not close. I already told you, I was helping him with the project so I feel obligated to stop him before it's too late,” she scoffed and Derreck just sighed.

“Whatever you say.” The man continued to drive in silence but before long slipped a disk into the radio, humming along to the tune and tapping his hands against the steering wheel to the beat.

“What are you doing?” Echo asked, in slight annoyment that the man wasn't staying serious like she figured he would.

“Bad Company... till the day I die... mmm, till the day I die..,” he hummed to her and she just rolled her eyes, tossing her hooves in the air.

“I chose a gun, and threw away the sun!” Derreck sung to her. As he continued to sing, she huffed.

“Did anypony ever tell you to give up your dreams as a singer?” she said in a snippy tone. He shook his head then shrugged.

“Nope, guess you're my first,” he chuckled, continuing to sing along to the song. “Hey-hey-hey... BAD company, and I can't deny...”

She rolled her eyes but even so, eventually found her hoof tapping to beat. “I can't believe this... here we are, on the verge of the apocalypse and you're... jamming out to some music I've never even heard before,” she muttered and Derreck chuckled.

“Eeyup. Sounds about right. This is the classics man, gotta love 'em,” he told her. She rolled her eyes again and laid down, the heat from the vents finally making the temperature comfortable. Exhaustion from sleeping in the cold started to come over her and soon enough she was letting out more than a few yawns.

Looking up and through the window, she watched as the tops of the trees passed by, one after the other. As they passed, so did the time, and with it her eyes slowly fluttered shut...

Echo stumbled along, a pony behind her guiding her way. “Come on, it's just this way,” said the voice behind her that she loved so much. The blindfold over her eyes made traversing a nightmare but she trusted the stallion to guide her.

“Wait, hold on,” Echo giggled as she tried to feel ahead of herself before continuing.

“I got you. Don't you trust me?” asked the stallion's voice. She giggled again, a blush coming across her cheeks.

“Of course, always,” she smiled just before his lips planted a kiss against her cheek.

“Okay, then don't worry about anything... I've got a surprise for you, just remember... I always think everything through,” he stated. She heard a mechanical door whoosh open and could tell they just walked into a dark room.

The door shut again and with it, she could almost feel the lights come on. The stallion pulled the blindfold from her face...

Echo jolted awake with a gasp as she felt the car come to a hault. “Where, what?!” she gasped in panic, sitting straight up.

“Don't worry, nothing to be alarmed about. Just stopping for a beer,” Derreck commented, Echo looking to the light pannels across the face of the building before them. It was a tavern of sorts with the sign reading 'Bethy's Bar' in illuminated letters.

“Derreck! We have-” she was cut off as he turned off the car and exited. With a huff, she followed him, having nothing else to do. Walking through the bar doors, a whistle echoed the moment the two stepped through the front doors.

A hand waved at them and Derreck nodded, casually making his way over to the table. Echo looked and was shocked to see a similar being to Derreck sitting with two other ponies, one in a wheelchair, and the other a rather large brutish stallion. Lastly there was a ninja clad figure.

She followed Derreck over to the table where he was already shaking hooves with the others. Echo spoke up in an annoyed voice. “Derreck, what are we doing? We don't have time to be socializing,” Echo told him in the sternest voice she could muster, much to the woman's amusement.

“You were right. She is a little prissy thing isn't she?” Kianna laughed. Echo shot the woman an annoyed look. “Oh relax powder puff, it's not what you think. He-Man over here isn't coming for the occasional drink and chat.”

Echo blinked. “Powder puff? He-Man?” she asked and Kianna just sighed with a groan.

“I'm not explaining it. Just take a seat,” she offered before calling out. “Waiter, a round of whiskey!” she shouted.

Echo stood idle, both hesitant and impatient. Derreck just shrugged her off and spoke to the others. “Mind her, she's a little... hasty,” Derreck chuckled, the big one of the woman's group laughing as well. Echo looked to the group, of whom she presumed to be Derreck's friends, with a rather annoyed look on her face. Before she could see what was coming, a hoof tugged on her shoulder, taking her attention to the ninja.

“The name's Senka... nice to meet you Miss...” she trailed off, her hoof extended to greet Echo. She was hesitant at first but figured in the end it couldn't hurt.

“Jewel, Echo Jewel,” she gave a nod as she shook the ninja's hoof.

“Well Ms. Jewel... since you seem so very irritated, let me relieve you. Your... accomplice, shall we say, isn't here just for fun. We're here to provide you with information for your... party, we'll call it,” she stated and Echo blinked.

The big one of the group grunted. “Aww come on Senka, you're supposed to get her all worked up until she's about to blow a blood vessel,” the brute commented with a laugh.

The waitress came by with all the glasses of whiskey, handing them out to the group. Kianna looked to Echo with a smirk. “Well I guess seeing as how Senka of all pon... zebras, greeted you, my name's Kianna,” the woman greeted herself.

“The dumb lug there is Brick. About as smart as a stuttering bull, but as strong as one too,” she mused, the stallion putting on a stupid facial expression as he clapped like an imbecile.

“Durhahaha, strong as bull,” he said in a stupidified voice.

“Yeah... okay, anyway, the cripple here is Dwayne, but don't let his handicap throw you off, he'd still kick your ass,” she commented and the wheelchair bound stallion gave her a wave. “Hey, no funny ideas you,” Kianna snapped, the stallion gasping as he turned to face her.

“But I didn't-” he was cut off as she pressed her lips to his in a fiery display of passion.

Pulling away from the kiss, she gave him a wink. “I didn't say you did, I'm just warning you. Anywho, and the ninja here is Senka. You'd never know but she's blind, yet she can duel the fiercest swordsponies in all Equestria and win... with one hoof tied behind her back,” she mused. “Oh and there used to be one more, Lug Nut... but uhh, as of a few months ago, he's no longer with us, so let's raise a glass to the guy,” Kianna proposed, the entire group along with Derreck rising their whiskey glasses before downing them in one go.

“BLECH, that stuff tastes worse every time. Where's the Vodka?” Derreck coughed. Echo looked to the group.

“Well... if you don't mind me asking,” she began as she took a seat. “What happened to him?” she asked, a little curious.

Kianna pointed to Derreck. “Your buddy there blew him away... and all they ever found were pieces,” she mentioned and Echo felt her stomach sink.

“W-w-wait... so if he was your squad mate and Derreck killed him...” Echo mentioned in rising panic.

“Relax kid, we're not here to fight. We're here to help you,” Kianna assured her.

“But why? Didn't you just say Derreck killed one of your team members?” she asked in confusion.

“That he did, but you know the old saying... today's enemies are tomorrow's allies and vice-versa. War changes with the winds of times. You never know, tomorrow morning I could be hunting you down for this Liquid fellow,” she told the mare who gulped from hearing the last part.

Derreck nudged Echo. “We're assets kid, expendable assets,” he joked in a thick accent.

“It comes with the job," Kianna joked back. "Anyway...” Kianna tossed across a folder. “Sunset Hollows... wonderful place to take the step-family for a vacation when you want them to just... disappear,” she joked as Derreck took the folder and started sifting through the files. “That Liquid guy... once a top mind in the scientist community, later expelled from Hoofington Science Academy for a certain experiment that left three dead and several more injured... exiled himself to this shit-hole... lotta bad asses there,” she mentioned as Derreck sifted through the files.

Kianna shouted out for another round of whiskey while Derreck looked at the files, Echo looking over his shoulder. She thought a moment before looking back to Kianna. “So you don't care at all that Derreck killed your friend?” she asked, much to Kianna's chargin.

“He wasn't my friend and believe me when I say it was complicated. Now, Derreck didn't just kill Lug for the fun of it... he was doing his job. Now Lug on the other hand became shortsighted. We had this deal set up with a crooked cop to frame Evan for a string of murders but the whole deal didn't go through as we planned and Lug worked solo on the op but... it went sour and he was shot dead... now, had Evan begun hunting us down, I would be resentful towards him, but he was just doing his job as much as we were doing ours. Like I said, war changes and with it, our allies. If he was however...” she trailed off and kissed Dwayne on the cheek. “To kill Dwayney here, I'd have to hunt down and slaughter his entire family. Like I said kid, life of a mercenary isn't for the light of heart.”

Echo could barely believe what she was hearing. Derreck interrupted her thoughts with a photo file. “Who's this?” he asked, Dwayne speaking up.

“That is Belle, Liquid's former right-hoof mare,” the stallion informed him. “She was very refined in swordplay but excelled in torture... so I hear,” he stated. Derreck rose a brow.

“Whatever happened to her?” he asked but Dwayne shrugged.

“Dunno. She left Liquid's side and is living on the outskirts these days. Word is they had a dispute over something and it's left their relationship rather rocky... her name apparently means beauty,” he commented, Derreck laughing at the last part as he handed the photo to Echo.

“Who would've guessed?” he asked aloud, Echo cringing at the photo of the hideous mare. She had deep, twisted scars across her face, looking as if somepony had Frankensteined her together. She was also missing her right eye.

Derreck pulled out another file. “And this dweeb? He wears a one piece, spandex leotard? ” he asked, pointing to a picture of a pony dressed in a rainbow colored outfit.

“He calls himself 'The Face of Death'. Nopony knows his real name, where he came from, or even what he looks like under that mask. Started taking hits for Liquid and is extremely good at what he does,” Dwayne stated just as the next round of whiskey hit the table.

“Thanks toots,” Derreck mused while making it seem like he was looking to the file, but secretly examined her every curve as she trotted away. “So... how's this guy any good? Crossbow?” Derreck asked.

“He uhh... he can kinda heal up like you. Heard he was once completely disintegrated but came back from some saliva he left on a chimichanga. Some kinda dark magic keeping his soul alive no matter what... or something like that. Can't be stopped. Word is... he's after you, and not gonna stop until you're both dead,” Dwayne mentioned, Derreck chuckling as he swirled around his glass of whiskey.

“Well... I guess we'll just have to see when we finally meet. Until then, here's to Echo, for bringing us all together like this,” Derreck offered, much to Echo's shock.

“Wha-what, I never... I mean...” she trailed off with a gulp as they all looked to her, glasses risen. “I mean... I guess but-” Senka cut her short.

“Just raise the glass,” she said, her thick Zebrafrican accent made ever noticeable. Echo decided not to say anything and just raised the glass to the toast. Clanging their glasses together, the group pounded back the whiskey and Echo followed suit, gagging afterwards from the burn.

“Blech... what is this? It tastes horrible,” she gasped, much to everypony else's amusement.

“Alcohol, it's not supposed to be overly delicious... not unless your an alcoholic,” Derreck laughed.

The group began to chitchat about old times, catching up on recent events as well. Kianna turned to Echo. “You know, you really picked the right guy for this. One time, as the legend goes, the punks from the Gravelli family decided to... foalnap this mail-pony right. Now she's not Derreck's squeeze or anything like that, she's just a good friend. Doesn't the bastard go and wipe out the entire Gravelli mob family... in one night.”

Echo blinked, looking to Derreck, then to Kianna, wondering if she was serious about that. She didn't know much about mob families or the underground criminal organizations but she figured that a mob family must be a decent size.

Derreck just laughed. “Yeah... then they hold me to trial about it, but after I prove my innocence Celestia turns around and hires me to take out the other families,” Derreck mused, much to Kianna's join in.

“Yeah. That was a wild two weeks. It's to bad we couldn't go all Rambo on them. Who was that Italian bastard and his group we left alive?” she asked, the conversation starting to puzzle Echo as she got lost in the story.

“Antonio Leone, and the Liotta family. Celestia doesn't know we left him alive but someone has to run things behind the scenes or Manehatten would fall apart,” he finished.

Echo cut in. “Wait, what are you talking about?” Echo asked, wondering what they were going on about.

Derreck turned to her. “Let's just say it's safe to walk Manehatten at night now kid,” he told her, much to her further confusion.

“Why wouldn't it be?” she asked, having never really gotten out to see the sights much. The others in the group all laughed as though it was the funniest thing they had ever heard. “What?” she asked but never got an answer as Derreck looked to Kianna.

“So... Kianna, you our backup?” he asked but the woman just laughed.

“Not a chance in hell. After we leave this bar, you're on you own ol' buddy,” she commented, Derreck rolling his eyes with a smirk.

“Dis gets better by dah minute,” he quipped in a thick Austrian accent before looking out to the crowd. “Now if you'll excuse me, I need to use the powder room,” he told the group before taking off.

“Powder room? Who says that?” Echo mentioned.

Senka spoke up. “He is not going to the washroom for what you think. He is going to relieve himself, but in a much different way. That waitress mare is heavily aroused,” the blind zebra stated.

Echo looked to the waitress as Derreck went up to speak with her. Nothing in her actions betrayed the proposed arousal Senka spoke of.

“What makes you think tha-” she was cut off as Derreck walked to the washroom, the mare following suit soon after in a rather inconspicuous way.

Kianna spoke up to break Echo's thoughts. “Senka's blind but she doesn't let that handicap her. Anything she can pick up with her other senses she does. A bead of sweat from fear, change in tone of your voice from anger, the smell of... well, you know... I guess Derreck picked up on it too. That man is probably the single most dangerous thing in all Equestria. You really hired the right guy,” Kianna mentioned.

“Yeah... if only he'd stop getting sidetracked,” she scoffed, much to Kianna's amusement.

“Well I'll tell you something kid. I'm not nearly on the same level as Derreck... at least in terms of smell, but you seriously need to have a shower if you're thinking about heading into Sunny Hollows. You stink,” she mentioned, Echo quickly sniffing herself.

“No I don't, I just put on perfum-” Kianna butted in before she could finish.

“Exactly. You smell like fancy, high-class, hoity-toity-ness. You go into a place like Sunset Hollows, the locals will sniff you out like hounds... then they'll rape you... or rape you then kill you... or kill you then rape you,” she mentioned, Echo shuddering. “So do Derreck a favor and make his job easier. Take a shower and don't put anymore perfume on... in fact, after you take a shower, don't bathe again until it's over. Maybe roll around in the trash a bit.”

Echo blinked as the group took another round of drinks before going to leave. “And uhh... whatever you do, don't ever stab him in the back or give him reason to mistrust you or he'll...” she trailed off and never finished.

“How do I know we can trust you? What if this is a setup?” Echo asked back. Kianna smirked.

“Because I don't do jobs for rapists like Liquid. Stallions like that make my stomach twist,” she replied before making her leave, leaving Echo by herself. She looked around, a shiver going down her back as she realized that any pony in this bar could be a possible assassin sent by Liquid.

Taking Kianna's advice, she decided on a shower then wondered where one could be found. Flagging down a waitress she asked her mind. “Out the front door and head left down the street some. It's a little dirty there but there's public showers hun,” the waitress informed her to which she nodded and made her leave.

Heading out the front doors, Echo shivered from the cool wind before looking both ways and once more into the bar to make sure nopony was following before heading to the public showers. It was a small brick building with two doors, one for stallions and one for mares.

Echo headed into the mare's section and quickly discarded the cloak and her belt containing her knife and bit pouch. Heading into one of the stalls, she flipped on the shower nozzle but jolted in shock, leaping back as the shower spat out icy water. Soon enough it quickly turned to a more favorable temperature once the water ran for a few moments.

She stepped into the stream, exhaling in relief. It had been a few days since she had taken a good shower, let alone washed herself. Feeling the water stream down her fur, washing away all the dirt and grime...

She began to scrub herself down, washing her mane and using the soap bar as much she could-

“Mind saucing over that soap when you're done?” asked a thick voice, much to her shock.

“GWAHH! DERRECK!” She screamed in fright. She covered herself with her hooves as the man peeked around the corner with his hand held out.

“What?” he asked blankly.

“What do you mean 'What'? You know full well what! This is the mare's room!” she shouted and Derreck just shrugged.

“Yeah, so? The stallion's room is dirty. There's condoms all over the floor, scribbling all over the walls, gloryholes... kinda gross. It's way nicer in here but you got the only good bar of soap...” he trailed off. She scoffed, rolling her eyes and going to hand over the soap but at the last moment it slipped from her hoof, skidding across the shower floor.

“Got it,” Derreck called out, chasing after the soap bar. Echo quickly slapped her hoof over her face, shielding her eyes from the sight of the nude man chasing the bar of soap across the floor. The big man went to pick it up but the bar slipped from his grasp, shooting back towards Echo whom was unaware of the event.

He went to chase after it again but slipped on the slick tile floor and came crashing down with an audible 'THUMP!' and a groan.

Echo jolted from the sound and dared a look. “Guh! Why are you... put some clothes on already!” she shouted, the man's naked body laying before her.

“Why? It's a shower,” he commented back before reaching towards her.

“Hey whatta you think you're...” she trailed off as he grabbed the soap that rested between her front hooves.

“Gotcha! Little bastard... I'm not dropping you this time,” he mused to himself before heading off to the other stall. Echo grunted to herself, flustered by the man's actions. He was such a bumbling oaf.

“He's such a wank...” she muttered to herself as she began to wash herself once more. Most of the time Derreck was straight to the point, but other times he was so childish, outlandish... then there was Evan.

He was gentle, caring, loving... how he could walk side by side with Derreck was beyond her but at least she wouldn't have to do it for long. She nodded to herself with contentment. After the mission she'd just pay him and leave, and that would be that. She had no interest in being his friend. To her, he was just a mercenary, a hired gun...

'But he is lovable...' she thought to herself, her mind wandering. He was knowledgeable, both in darker ways of life and the better, more loving ways. He could be tough as nails, unbreakable... or he could be as gentle as a butterfly. A rock solid fighter, or a caring nature going peace walker... his absurd personality changes tangled her mind up in a mess.

He seemed to be everything a pony needed him to be at that exact moment... most of the time anyway. She blushed to herself. 'The perfect guy,' she thought, a little bashful about her thoughts of him.

Truth be told, over the past few days she had grown a little fond of the man, Evan anyways. Derreck... only a little. He wasn't so much a hired gun as he was a tutor, a mentor of sorts. He didn't just take it as another hit, he stayed by her side, ensured her safety...

She recalled when Evan had used his duster coat to keep her warm on that frigid night, such a selfless act and asked nothing in return. A faint smile crested on her lips as she recalled the deer from the night before.

Her thoughts were broken as the man in the stall next to her began to whistle and hum to a tune, making Echo groan aloud, enough so that she knew Derreck could hear her. “Do you really have to do that now? It was so peaceful and perfect,” she commented and Derreck just laughed.

“I can hear them say... BAD COMPANY... and I won't deny...” Echo just buried her face into her hoof.

A short time passed before Derreck stepped out of the shower, drying himself with a towel. “I have a second one if you want.” He offered a dry towel to the mare, Echo looking to him, before quickly looking away again as the man was still essentially nude.

“Ugh... yeah, just get some clothes on already,” she told him. Derreck stifled a chuckle as he dried himself off before starting to slip into his black suit. Interest perked the mare as she looked to the suit and watched him slip it on. It seemed to fit him in a comfortably snug way, which also sported his perfect curves for all to see.

His body was immaculate, the definition of perfection. Not overly bulky but large enough to invoke fear into his enemies. The only thing off from his body's seeming perfection was his battered face. It was scarred. The ones that ran up and down his face weren't too deep but where fairly noticeable, even from a distance. The one on his cheek however was brutal. It ran deep and the scar tissue was tucked in, unlike the others.

“See something you like?” Derreck asked, breaking Echo's train of thought and making her jump.

“GWAH! What?! No the... uhh... thing,” she stated and Derreck rose a brow, having caught her stare. She quickly cobbled together some words and put together a sentence. “Liquid. We have to stop Liquid now!”

Derreck just laughed and motioned to the door. “Well in that case... shall we proceed?” he laughed, the duo exiting the public shower and heading for the car, Echo rather flustered. Echo stepped into the passenger seat and watched as Derreck slowly walked around the front of the vehicle, stroking his hand along the fenders and the hood.

There was a smile on his face as he walked along, admiring the car. Sitting into the passenger seat, he smiled. “You know... I always wanted one of these cars when I was younger, but with a 460 Interceptor in it. But...” he trailed off and keyed the ignition, the diesel engine rumbling to life. “A diesel engine sounds pretty cool too.”

He pinned the accelerator and raced out of the small town, a rooster tail of dust kicked up behind them as they reached speeds exceeding 100mp/h. Echo began to examine the cars features, watching how the man drove it.

Everything began to slowly piece itself together as she watched him. She then took notice of the little belts beside each seat. “What are these things? Some kinda secret weapon?” she asked, only to Derreck's cackling amusement.

“Hahahaha... no, no not really... they're seatbelts... you put it across your chest and buckle yourself in...” he trailed off and pointed to the buckle piece. “There... it keeps you restrained in case of a crash. It's a safety thing,” he mentioned.

Echo gasped. “Geeze, why didn't you tell me earlier, what with how you drive,” she commented, strapping the belt across her chest. Derreck just laughed.

“Yah, whatever you say,” he joked. Echo watched as trees sped by, or rather, as they sped by the trees.

“You know... you should probably wear yours,” she mentioned and he pointed to her.

“Now listen kid, I don't need advice on life-” he was cut off as the wheels all burst and the car began to spin out of control before promptly flipping, rolling over several times and finally ejecting the big man.

The car eventually lost momentum and came to a grinding stop, Derreck's body sliding a few feet past it. Echo groaned as she sat there, thankful the car landed upright. As she got her bearings together, she watched in shock and horror as Derreck stood up, his forehead gashed open but slowly sealing shut.

“Hey kid... you okay?” he asked, worry in his voice.

“What the hell are you trying to do?! Kill us?!” Echo shouted before trying to frantically get her seat belt undone. As much as she tried, she found that the latch holding her buckle in was warped and mangled. She swore silently as she jerked the buckle, trying to get it undone.

Derreck slowly walked forwards, examining the tires and spotting several spiked caltrops jutting out of the rubber...

Disregarding it for the time being, he walked over to Echo's aid. “Heh... looks like you were the smart one for buckling up,” he joked.

She smacked him hard in the shoulder. “Just what did you think you're doing? We could've been killed!” she snapped and he sighed.

“I don't... it wasn't... somepony set up a trap on the road. They knew we were coming this wa-” he trailed off, stepping back from her with a sniff of the air, a strange look on his face.

“What? What's wrong?!” she asked frantically as she struggled with the seatbelt.

“Nothing... just... sssh...” Derreck hushed her, his nostrils twitching. In a blaze of motion he spun around and clapped his hands together. Just a fraction of a second later, a sizzling electric buzz echoed out and the transparent camouflage covering the sword and it's wielder slowly fizzled away.

“You wear to much cologne bud!” Derreck snarled as he held the blade of the assassin's sword between his palms. The pony struggled to regain control of the sword but Derreck merely took a step forwards, forcing the pony back.

The big man inhaled deeply, his whole body tensing up before he exhaled, putting mass force onto the blade. The entire sword, handle, blade and all, shattered into tiny shards with the cloaked pony staggering back in shock.

“Woah... this aughta be fun!” he retorted in a childish manner.

“Yeah, once I've snapped your neck!” Derreck snarled. The pony just laughed, his facial features hidden behind a barbaric helmet.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say old timer. Got lots more where that came from,” the stallion rushed forwards, pulling a second sword from it's sheath and leaping wildly at the big man and swinging with precision.

However, despite his accurate blade work, Derreck moved like lightning, his body tilting side to side and leaning back, dodging every single strike the stallion could swing. Swinging high, the stallion put all his might behind a gruesome strike.

Derreck stood motionless and at the very last possible moment stuck his index finger out. His finger stopped the blade, the blade itself getting lodged into his fingernail but not cutting to deep. A droplet of blood dripped down and Derreck looked as it fell.

“Damn... yah drew my blood... guess I'm gonna 'ave tah kill yah now,” he said just before sticking out his left index finger. “Bang!” he shouted, his finger lighting up with a dark blue aura that blasted a magical shot right through the pony's chest.

The stallion gasped, a spew of blood leaving his mouth but only just before Derreck snapped the assassin's neck with quick and utter performance. The body fell before the big man, crumpled in a lifeless heap. “The Face of Death huh?” Derreck laughed, spitting on the corpse's helmet before making his way over to Echo who still fidgeted with the seat belt.

“Maybe now you see why I hate these things,” Derreck mused as he reached down to cut her loose.

“DERRECK!” Echo screamed just as a knife stabbed into the side of the big man's neck.

“GWAUGH!” Derreck boomed, slamming back an elbow into his attacker's head and knocking him several feet back with brutal force. Whirling around and yanking the knife from his neck, he snarled as he watched The Face of Death stand up, shaking off the disorientation of being struck so hard.

“Oh hey, this'll be fun. Just so you know, some witch encased my soul with some kinda crazy dark magic stuff... said it was my curse or something. To be forever immortal... I mean, seriously, how's that a curse?” he laughed manically. “You know, just thought you should know, in case... you know, you're all down in the dumps in disappointment when you, you know, can't kill me,” he laughed.

Derreck clenched his fists, his Shadow Steel blades sliding out from between his knuckles. “Oooh, shiney. I'll definitely enjoy this!” the stallion amused himself before charging forwards with a twin set of knives.

With a wild set of swings he began his assault but couldn't match the blinding speed of the big man, who quickly twisted the stallion's forelegs and stabbed both knives through his throat before hammering his bladed fist into his opponent's face.

The stallion staggered back, pulling the knives in his throat free and the wounds slowly sealing up. “Awe man, that really hurt. Do you have to be so mean?” the stallion asked in a whimpering tone. “Bwahahahaha, who am I kidding?! This is soooo awesome!” he squealed in joy before charging forwards for another assault.

Derreck grumbled angrily. “Goddess! DO YOU EVER SHUT UP?!” The man boomed, charging forwards as well.

The stallion, though still charging forwards, thought to himself before answering. “Nah... not really. I even talk in my sleep,” he giggled.

“SHUT!” Derreck yelled just before beheaded the stallion with his shiny metallic claws. The head rolled away while the body kept moving.

“Wait! Just wait, hold on, time out,” the head spoke while the body made a T with its front hooves. “Hold on... over here... come on, right here... yeah this way. No, no, to the left a little... oh come on, do you know how hard it is to do this?” he asked aloud but only just before Derreck crushed the head under his cowboy boots, driving the crimson into the ground.

“UP!” Derreck finished his statement from before before letting out a relieved sigh.

“GAHHH!” Derreck yelped as a knife was jabbed into his neck. He quickly twirled around, only to be astonished as he saw a little head slowly growing atop the stump of the stallion's neck.

He pulled the blade free and the stallion giggled. “Oh come on dude, can-not-die... remember. Dark magic, witch craft stuff... curse or whatever,” he laughed. Derreck grumbled, clenching his fists so tightly it drew blood.

“I'm gonna shut you up... one way or another,” Derreck snarled as the two clashed together, stabbing at one another but it was only moments before the stallion began rambling again.

“Oh hey, that's some cool fabric weave, it totally stops my knives from stabbing you...” Derreck paid no mind and kept hacking the stallion's body, taking out chunks upon chunks of the stallion.

It was only a few seconds more before The Face of Death began slashing, quickly cutting apart the smooth fabric weave of the battle dress. “Ooooh, found your weakness. Guess this fight is coming to an end sooner than I would've hoped!”

Derreck cocked back his fist and hammered hard, a metallic 'CLINK' echoing as his steely knuckles bashed against the stallion's deathly helmet, knocking him back a few paces.

“No chance,” Derreck mused in an thick Austrian accent before stripping out of the suit.

“Oh, strip dance huh? Make it rain,” the stallion laughed, tossing out bits from literally nowhere. With a furious roar, Derreck charged forwards, topless and wearing nothing more than his boxer briefs.

Leaping like an enraged beast, he slammed down hard on the stallion, tackling him to the ground before impaling him dozens upon dozens of times with his shiny blades.

“Oh, you're not very nice!” the stallion quipped, yanking out a hoof bow and shooting Derreck in the face.

The big man stood up in sudden pain, giving the stallion the opportunity to land a low strike right between Derreck's legs. Then man nearly collapsed, gasping for air as his testicles were brutalized.

“Tell me, do those heal as well?” the stallion giggled in pure laughter. Derreck took a wide stance, quickly pulling the crossbow bolt from his cheek and snarling wildly. “Oh don't give me that look, you love me,” the stallion continued to annoy the big man to no end.

The man's whole body tensed, veins bulging from beneath his skin. His muscles expanded to their maximum size, his claws retracting for the time being. A fiery whirlwind of reddish sparkling dust covered the area around the duo, gusting like a tornado.

The stallion looked around and scratched the back of his head. “Geeze, no need to overreact dude. You weren't the first pony who couldn't kill me. I've been doing this for centuries you know. That's why I am THE Face of Death. You don't get that name just by being a... hey are you even listening?!” the stallion snapped as the man kept roaring, getting louder and louder as the whirlwind picked up power.

The stallion sighed. “It's not a dick dude, don't be so butthurt about it.” Even so the man kept snarling, the red whirlwind of dust now completely surrounding them with no view to the outside world. “Fine, if that's how you really feel I'll kill you quickly,” the stallion sighed, figuring the big man had stopped listening to his annoying rants some time ago. Just before he went to offensive the stallion stopped. Looking to the barrier of the whirlwind, he brushed his hands through the sparkling red dust. Other than the unnatural color, there wasn't much too it.

The stallion charged forwards with blinding speed, figuring he knew he had the man matched. Just before he could leap however, the man appeared directly in front of him. The stallion was taken aback by the shockingly fast speed the man could move at, so fast that even he didn't see the man move.

Grabbing the stallion by the shoulders of his uniform, Derreck jacked him up into the air, the whirlwinds closing in on the duo. “I'm going to burn you to ash... and throw you into the wind!” Derreck growled.

The stallion at first just laughed and cackled but soon felt the hellish whirlwinds start to slowly disintegrate his body, his very fabric of being slowly parting, blowing away into the whirlwind like grains of sand. “WOAH DUDE! Hey, relax! No need to be so serious right?!” the stallion gasped as his body was slowly dissolved into but mere bits of the whirlwind. “Come on man, I didn't mean nothing by it right-” he was cut short as the big man's eye patch was torn off in the winds and that's when he realized it. The big man wasn't falling apart like he was.

He looked into the man's damaged eye, now tainted a deep demonic red and seeming to penetrate deep into his soul. “Oh come on dude, I was just joking!” but it was his last words as his entire body erupted into a fume of dust, being caught into the whirlwind and blown away.

Slowly, the man's body relaxed and with it the whirlwind storm ceased. He stood there, short of breath and chest feeling rather constricted. “Ugh... fuck... you...” he whispered to the finally deceased stallion. Trying to take a deep breath made his condition worsen quicker.

The man staggered over to the car where Echo watched in baffled shock. “Wh-what just... just happened?” she asked and Derreck stumbled over to her side, prying open the door.

“He's... guh... he's fucking... dead...” he gasped, his chest tightening quickly.

“Celestia, Derreck are you alright?!” Echo gasped and the big man nodded.

“Yeah... just need a smoke... or a drink... it's taxes my body pretty hard to do that... but it always wor-” he was cut off as a pair of blades stabbed into his back in rapid succession. The man yelped out in agonizing pain as the stallion, having rematerialized, began to brutally stab the man in the back.

“I-CAN'T-DIE!” The stallion laughed insanely.

A fourth, and final, voice entered the mix. “DERRECK!” Boomed a voice that was usually rather reserved. The other man yanked his friend aside and hit the stallion hard in the chest with the base of his boot, kicking him back a few feet and staggering him.

The man reached to his thigh holster and grabbed hold of the pearlized grips, the holy cross glowing brightly. He drew the gun up high, the shine of the night moon sending a streak of light down the barrel of the gun that ended at the tip of the barrel just as Evan lined up the sights with his target.

The golden letters down the side flashed brilliantly.

In quick and rapid succession Evan tapped on the trigger twice. The massive handcannon erupted a brilliant flash of light out the end of the barrel, the slide rocking back and forth, ejecting smoking brass casings and loading fresh ones. Massive 300g shells hammered the stallion in both sides of his chest with immense force, enough so that he was taken off his hooves and knocked onto his back.

Evan stumbled forwards, clutching at his chest which stung with immerse pain yet he pulled through and staggered up to the stallion that lay in a growing pool of his own blood, coughing up more.

“What a... a waste of... of ammo,” the stallion sneered just as Burdy knelt down beside him.

“Only if you consider yer life a waste,” he quipped in his favorite Arnie accent.

The stallion spat a glob of blood into the man's face. “In a few moments... my wounds will seal shut... and I'm gonna... gonna... ack, kack... what?” he gasped as he began to feel his life slipping away, his lungs completely destroyed, his body losing both blood and fresh oxygen at an alarming rate.

“You said...” Evan huffed. “It was a dark magic curse... attached to your very soul... that forbade you from dying...” he huffed, his chest pains growing. He brought the broadside of the handle to bear. “Does this... mean anything... to you?” he asked, motioning to the symbolic holy cross engraved into the pearl grips.

With sudden realization, the stallion swore at the man. “Fuck you... and fuck your... stupid reli... religion... guhh...” he let out a final huff, unable to properly speak anymore.

Evan held the handcannon tight. “It's my job to send you to him, but it's my lord that will set you free,” Burdy spoke as he pressed the cannon's barrel to the stallion's head and squeezed the trigger one final time, ending the fight.

The man stood up solemnly, staggering a bit before gasping and falling to the ground. Echo watched in horror as the man lay motionless. “Derreck! Evan... whoever the hell you are!” she screamed out, jerking on the belt and swearing to herself as it wouldn't come undone. Looking around, she spotted her utility belt in the backseat, her knife still sheathed.

She reached back and struggled as it was just out of reach. “Oh goddess... come one!” she yelled then nearly smacked herself in stupidity. “What the hay am I doing?!” she asked, the panic having nearly nullified any sensible thoughts.

Calming herself slightly, her horn glowed to life and with it her belt levitated over. She pulled out her knife and cut herself loose, quickly rushing over to Burdy's body. “Come on... come on say something quippy. Say that it's only a flesh wound, do that stupid voice imitation you love so much... COME ON!” she said, slapping his face to try and get the man to wake up.

She leaned her head down and listened to his breathing. He was alive, if barely. “Oh... goddess dammit!” She turned and looked to the town they had come from, now in the far out distance. She tried to heft him up but nearly gasped from the unexpected weight. “Sweet Celestia... whatta you eat? Cement?” she gasped, trying again to lift the man but to no avail.

Her horn lit up and hefted the man into the air but at a serious strain to her magical ability. “MAN... YOU WEIGH A TON!” She yelled out in straining effort just before dropping his body just a few feet away from where she had first lifted him. “There's no way... no way I can lift you all the way there... COME ON! Get up!” she yelled, collapsing over top his nearly motionless body.

Tears began to dribble out of her eyes. “Please... just...” she wept, biting her lip so hard it drew blood. She looked to the far out town, so far away. 'No way... it's too far...' her thoughts trailed off in defeat. Lightly hitting the man with rather feeble strikes, she begged for him to just... stand up, brush himself off... do what he usually did. She rested the side of her head against his chest and continued to weep.

“This is all my fault. I shouldn't have dragged you into this. I should've told the guards... I should've told the police... I should've told somepony... I just wanted to see justice done right... I just wanted to see him dead after he...” she trailed off, her eyes now looking past the man and to the car.

As damaged as it seemed...

She nearly jumped up as she scrambled over to the driver side and sat in the driver seat. “Okay... how'd you do this old man?” she thought back on all the times he started the car. Her one hindleg pressed down on the clutch while her front hoof reached for the keys and tried to turn over the car.

It clicked and chugged a few times but to no avail. “No, no, no, come on start!” she shouted, trying again. The car puttered and spat but still failed to rumble to life. “Come on, just start!” she yelled at the machine.

Keying the ignition again it refused to even crank. “JUST FUCKING START YOU BITCH!” She roared in fading hope. Keying the ignition again the car just clicked. Her heart nearly sank. “No... no! Nononononono! GODDESS DAMMIT NO!” She hit her head against the steering wheel, tears dripping off her face as she screamed out in defeat. 'This can't be it... it just can't be...' she thought in deep sorrow.

“No... please... please just...” she wept. The car pinged a beep several times and she looked up to the instrument panel. On the dash read a little message 'Wait to start' that blinked several times in red. “Wh-what?” she asked, the pinging continuing as the message blinked in deep red. After a few moments the message went away along with the pinging.

She cranked the ignition and the car clunked and chugged but alas rumbled to life, albeit with a racketing ticking emitted from the engine bay. “Oh thank goddess... thankyouthankyouthankyou...” Echo quickly jumped out of the car and used her magic to drag the man over and into the passenger seat.

Blinking, she quickly tied together the cut seat belt across the man's chest, strapping him in. “I'm gonna get you to a hospital... I promise!” she cried, the man not even responding...

Evan's perspective...

I lay on the cold floor, face down. My chest thumped painfully, feeling tight and constricted. I grunted and groaned, restlessly struggling on the ground. “Are you ready yet?” asked a cold voice that sent shivers down my back.

I managed to roll over to my back and look to the voice's owner. A cloaked pony, surrounded by a dark smog of smoke. “For... what?!” I gasped painfully.

“To face you destiny... what every mortal is destined to face at some point or another,” he stated. I gasped as the pony stepped forwards and as his smog touched my body I began to feel numb.

The pony stepped over top of me, reaching down with his bony hoof. His cloaked hoof came back a little and I saw into his deathly eyes as he reached for me. “Time for it all to end,” Death spoke in a haunting voice.

My eyes were fixed on his as his hoof neared my skin. I felt... nothing... my body began to feel empty and I felt as though my soul itself was being pulled down, out of my body. Like a pair of bony hands were grasping at my soul and dragging me down to the pits of hell. Just as I felt it slipping away, I felt it all come back in a burning, fiery desire.

I let out a deafening roar of power, my eyes glowing with the fury and hatred that burned inside my soul, filling me once more. My hands grabbed his front hooves as I pushed myself upwards, reversing our roles, myself now atop of Death.

I crushed his bony hooves in my immense grip, his bones shattering apart. He gasped in shock looking to me with a petrified look. I grabbed him by the back of his neck, at his spine, and began to shake him violently.

“LEAVE ME BE!” I boomed, shaking him violently and trying to strangle his skeletal body. “JUST LET ME LIVE IN PEACE YOU FUCKER!” I screamed wildly, tears dripping from my eyes.

The smog dissipated and with it I felt a lack of resistance from Death. I stopped and realized I had killed him off... I had killed... Death... but just like so many times before with Derreck, there will be another sent after me until the day I finally and truly succumb to him... and when I do, I hope he chokes on it.

I stood up but felt blood dripping from my face. A set of dim lights nearby flickered to life, just barely enough to illuminate the sink they hung above. I slowly walked over, turning on the sink. Murky water spat out and nearly made me gag from the stench but soon enough it turned clear and I used it to wash myself clean.

Feeling a bit cleaner I looked to the mirror and perked a brow, noticing how it was covered in blood. Using the palm of my hand, I wiped away the blood to get a better look at myself. A light seemed to flash from the mirror and I was petrified from my reflection.

Deep scars were dug into my face and chest. My body was riddled with gaping bullet holes and stab wounds that bled profusely. My left eye was uncovered, glowing a hellish red with a slanted demonic pupil. A piece of slag jutted out from my forehead like a horn, twisted and mangled.

“Must be hard to look at your reflection...” he said to me.

“You're not... I'm not you,” I said back to myself and he just laughed.

“Sure your not... I'm just your reflection, a mirrored image of yourself. And here you are talking to your reflection like the maniac you truly are. Try as you might, those you love have finally saw you for what you truly are. But when, might I ask, will you stop believing the lies you've buried yourself under and come to realize yourself what you truly are?” he asked. My fists clenched.

“I'm not... what you are...” I growled.

“No? Oh... I'm sorry, I thought I was your mirrored reflection... you know, your exact reproduction? I guess it's just hard for you to accept it, being a ruthless murderer and all, killing for the sheer joy of it. Tell me... how good did it feel to slaughter those Gravelli thugs? Shoot them down with those railguns? Splatter them with Belladonna? A lot of them had families... foals... children who-” my fists clenched and I hammered a punch into the mirror, shattering it apart. My fist stayed connected with the broken mirror as my head dipped low, tears dripping from my eye, the second one covered by my eye patch.

Blood dripped from my knuckles that were sliced open from the broken shards of glass. “Hey,” came a voice from behind me. I looked up through a broken shard of mirror. I spotted Derreck behind me, standing in a doorway. “Come on, we got things to do, ponies to kill,” he told me with a faint and rather friendly smile.

I looked to my own reflection, bloodied and demonic as it was. A faint smile started to creep across my lips...

I awoke to the feel of warm sunshine basking in through a window and across my bare arms and chest. There was a light sheet placed over my lower body. My eye slowly opened and started to blur into focus. The first thing that started to come into focus was... grey... and blonde...

My eye finally came into focus and I looked in baffled expression to the sight before me. Derpy was passed out in a chair, her head tucked atop her hooves that rested on the nightstand beside my bed.

“Der... Derpy...” I whispered. I must've spoken a little loudly because her ears flickered and she jolted awake.

“Evan? EVAN!” She cheered, jumping onto the bed and hugging me tightly.

“Ugh... Derpy... uhh...” I groaned, a little bit sore but happy for the embrace regardless.

“They said you were really hurt bad. That your heart wasn't working but... is it really broken? You're not going to die are you?!” she gasped but I laughed and shook my head.

“No... no, I'm quite alive and planning on staying like that,” I assured the mare.

“Tail Twist Swear?” she asked.

I chuckled. “Well... I'm feeling a little bedridden for the time being but... maybe for now we'll just shake on it, whatta yah say?” I offered, and she quickly shook my hand.

“You better keep this promise, and keep living for a very, very, very, very-” she was cut off by another voice.

“Hey, you're up,” said the other voice. I looked over to see the red unicorn mare standing in the doorway, leaning a little on the door frame.

“Who's she?” Derpy asked. I went to speak but Echo cut in.

“I've told you a dozen times. My name is Echo. I'm not here to hurt him,” she insisted and I was a little confused at this point. Last I checked... Echo was with me last and...

“Hey Derpy... how'd you get here?” I asked, wondering how exactly she ended up tied into this.

“I saw your thingy-majig racing towards this town but when it stopped she pulled you out of the car and began to drag you across the ground!” Derpy said in a somewhat panicked voice.

“I told you, and I'll tell you again for the like... six hundrenth... thousandth... millionth, frickin' time. He's too heavy for me to levitate and it was all I could do but drag him here!” Echo snapped back.

“Wait! Okay... hold on... what's happening?!” I gasped in confusion.

Another voice entered the mix. “You almost died,” said a pony in white dress.

“And who the hell is this guy?” I asked, thrown into a world of confusion as we all looked to the stallion.

“I'm Doctor Hoofberry... but you can just call me Doc Hoof... most ponies around here do. You're very lucky Mr. uhh... Parker or Burdick?...” he said, looking to his clipboard of notes with a bit of confusion.

“Parker or Burdick?” I asked and he nodded scratching his head.

“It's uhh... what the notes say. It also said you had a heart attack and... could have very well died out there had Ms. Jewel here not rushed you to the hospital,” the doctor said and began checking off notes. “Well... in any case, you seem rather healthy and fit. Just take it easy for the next few days or you'll probably end up dropping dead. There's not much more we can do for you here and Ms. Jewel says your not much one to be kept down.” And with that the doctor left.

“Well... now that that's settled-” Echo went to enter the room but Derpy flew in front of her, wings splayed wide and not letting her past. “Hey! Would you knock it off?! I'm not here to hurt him!” Echo snapped impatiently.

“Derpy?... H-hey, what gives?” I asked, a little confused as to why Derpy was not only being so protective, but being protective against Echo of all ponies. Sure I may not know her very well but she didn't seem like a bad guy.

“I don't trust her. Who is she?” Derpy asked. I nearly laughed. To say she didn't trust her without even knowing her seemed a little... well, out of character really, but I rolled with it just as Echo began to speak.

“My name is-” I cut Echo short.

“She's my friend,” I said plainly, much to both of their shock. “It's okay Derpy. If she wanted me dead, she could've just left me to die out there. She's okay, you can let her in,” I told her.

Echo pushed past Derpy who seemed a little less than impressed but listened to me none the less. “Alright,” Echo began as she tossed me some clothes. “Ready to head out?” she asked and I rose a brow.

“Geeze man I just got up... I just had a heart attack... can't I least have a glass of orange juice or something?” I chuckled. Echo looked to me with an unimpressed look but Derpy cut in.

“She's been trying to wake you up for the past few days, but I told her you needed your rest!” Derpy said sternly and I blinked.

“Wait... Last few days? Jeeze, how long have I been out?” I asked, Echo speaking first.

“Too long-” Derpy cut her short.

“Three days. You needed your rest. Your heart was attacked!” Derpy stated, a little dopeishly but still adorably.

“Ahahahaha... okay, well... alright. Derpy I... thank you, for letting me sleep, but Echo is kind of right. We have urgent business to do and we can't be late but...” I stroked her cheek. “Thank you, for protecting me.”

She nuzzled her cheek into my hand as I rubbed her. “But Echo... it'll have to wait for now,” I stated, much to her sudden distress. “Derpy and I gotta play a board game... it's kinda like... tradition, that we do that when one of us is in the hospital,” I told her and she scoffed with a 'Humph'.

“They don't have Chest here but... they have this game,” Derpy said, bringing up a game labelled 'Scrabble'. I smiled. For a seemingly dopey mare, she always picked the more challenging games and would no doubt burn me in this one too.

“Oh come on!” Echo scowled. “That game could take hours,” she interjected but irregardless I cleared a spot on the nightstand for Derpy and I to play.

“Echo... relax... say we had the most important job in the world to do... what's the point of always rushing around to stay alive if... you never truly live? If you keep rushing through life it'll just... sssssip!” I flashed my index finger passed my face. “Flash right before your eyes, and if that happens... did you really live?” I asked and she blinked. “It's the little things like... playing Scrabble with you best friend that makes life worth living... the taste of... hey could you get us some orange juice?”

Echo just rolled her eyes and moseyed out of the hospital room. I looked to Derpy who looked back to me with those big, cute, dopey eyes of hers. I chuckled for no apparent reason. “You go first Derpy...”

Hours later...

Echo watched as we played our twentieth something game. Derpy twitched her lip, looking to the board. She looked to the dictionary, then to the board... to the dictionary... to the board... to the dictionary...

Rubbing her chin, she began to build a word off of the 'O' on my 'Hello'.

She slowly spelled out the sword before pronouncing it. “F-E-L-L-A-T-I-O... Fell-lay-shio,” Derpy said in her innocent derpy voice, making me stifle a laugh, Echo's face going pale.

Derpy looked to the two of us. “What?” she asked, dumbfounded about what was so funny.

“Derpy... do you... what?” I asked and she pointed out the word in the dictionary.

“It's right there. Fellatio...” she trailed off and began to read the inscription. “To perform-” I cut her off, yanking the dictionary from her. Thank goddess she didn't know what the term meant.

“Ahahahaha... okay Derpy... okay, you win,” I said, her over-joyous face brightening up like it had the last two dozen times she'd won. I finished off the last bits of my salad I had gotten along with the apple juice before sighing. “Well Derpy... hate to say it but Echo and I have a job to do,” I informed the grey mare before giving her mane a tuffle.

She gave me a frowny face, shaking her head and reverting her hair back to the way it was before. Standing up, I slipped on the clothes Echo had brought me and with one final hug to Derpy, Echo and I made our leave.

As we made our way to the exit, Echo looked to me. “What's with that mare anyway?” she asked and I just shrugged.

“She's innocent,” I stated but she rolled her eyes.

“No, I meant with me. She saw me bring you to the hospital but... she acted all freakish, saying I couldn't be trusted... what's with that?” she asked and I just shrugged.

“She's my best friend... and also my first ever friend... perhaps one of the last real friends I have... she's just a little protective and if she doesn't like somepony, who can really tell her not to. She just doesn't want to see me hurt... and vice-versa. Truth be told... hay, I just had a heart attack, I could use some rest,” I laughed but groaned as we got outside and I saw the condition of the car. It was pretty trashed. The tires were shredded and deflated, the fenders and roof were pretty smashed, exhaust was hanging low and it looked like it was leaking fluid.

“Oh boy...” I trailed off.

“What?” Echo asked back.

“It's going to be a long walk...”

Author's Notes:

Yeah, I meant to get this out last week, like always I ended up procrastinating cause... I'm a terrible person. But anyway, cheers to you all, EH! //

Derreck leveled the gun towards Echo. "Give me one reason I shouldn't cap this snaky bitch right here and now, ESPECIALLY after what she just did to you?!" Derreck boomed.

My hand rested atop the barrel of his H&K MK.23. "Because..." I trailed off, not having very good ground. Tears trickled down my face as I stifled back the sorrows of bitter betrayal. "Just..." Slowly, Derreck began to lower the handgun. His eye squinted, a bitter look, one of resenting hatred, fiercely shot towards Echo.

"When we're done here... I'm gonna cut you up into little pieces and feed you to the wolves you stupid bitch!"