As if to grant me the reprieve I had been praying for, I thanked Celestia, seeing as Caltrop had been nearly silent in the hour since we got up. The sun was marching up the horizon at near the same pace as we were walking, making each brightening minute remind me that we were that much closer to Filly. When we got there, I planned to get in a long shower and a good sleep before heading to talk to Big Shot.

Our hoof steps echoed hauntingly between the walls of the small ravine the road cut through, making me feel way too damn uneasy. With the high hills to either side being such a tactical advantage, I had been ambushed in this spot far too many times to not be on edge. I do normally manage to slip through without alerting anypony, but I’ve never tried going through here in the dark.

Maybe they finally gave up after so many failed attempts? Keep out of this brain, you’re never right. A glint of light in the dirt ahead of me caught my eye. I held my hoof out and stopped Caltrop, who at least had the sense to keep his muzzle shut.

“Clever boys…” I whispered softly, staring at the partially uncovered orange light that lay poorly hidden under the dirt. I lowered myself and lay on the ground, looking at wavy mounds in the road ahead of us. “Finally learned to change your tactics.”

“What’s up, boss?” Caltrop leaned down, attempting to figure out what I was doing.

“Mines. A good number of them have been buried along the road.” I pushed myself up with a grunt. Now we’d have to find a fucking way around them and lose another hour, which is just goddess damn fantastic. This morning is shaping up to be just more of the same bullshit my week has been throwing at me.

“Boss, listen!” His voice was sharp, forcing my body to reflexively swivel my ears and dart my eyes about. I stopped when the crunching of wheels ahead of us grew louder, looking to our sides for a quick exit. Shit, the hills here are too large to get up quickly, and if we tried to run up them anyway, we’d get our flanks shot off if they opened fire.

I relaxed slightly as a traveling trader and her bodyguard were just coming around the bend. Seeing us, they both readied their weapons. Just my luck, the merchant mare was a unicorn, and in her levitation, she held a particularly fierce looking magical energy shotgun. Even in the dim lighting, I could clearly make out the gleaming gems along its barrel pulsing softly. The earth pony bodyguard had a battle saddle strapped to her sides, but unlike the other's glowing shotgun, I couldn't make out the guns on it.

"Stop where you are!" The bodyguard ordered, her voice shattering the stillness of the cold morning air.

"My name is Percussion Cap, I'm a bounty hunter returning to Fillydelphia. We don't want any trouble!" I replied, sitting down and raising my hooves slowly. I looked to Caltrop, watching as he did the same.

The two assholes exchanged glances, whispering between each other as both Caltrop and I remained frozen.

“Shouldn’t we tell them about the mines?” He whispered into my ears, his warm breath on them making them perk. God why do stallions always have to exist so close to me? I watched as they started to bicker in whispers, most likely debating on whether or not just to perforate us and continue on their merry way.

“No. It’s our only advantage. Just pray to Celestia they don’t just decide to come any closer. If they set one off, the whole field could go!” I couldn’t emphasize how bad it would be if they did that. I’ve seen what a single mine can do to a crowd, and here we were with an estimated 15 to 20 ready to cement the last 24 hours into the legendarily bad day category.

“You one a Buzzsaw’s gang?” The merchant asshole finally called out to us.

“Nah, you can find that asshole taking a dirt nap at the clinic half a day north.” My muzzle couldn’t help but form a smile at the thought that the asshole had died a very painful death. “The fucker and his group shot the place up, murdered the nice mare who worked there.”

“Fuck, they killed Novocain?” She lowered her shotgun as I could hear her scuff the dirt. I cringed. All it took was a single loose rock knocking into one of those things and we’d all regret it. On the plus side, now I knew who to report had died when I talked with Big Shot.

The bodyguard took her mouth off the bit, taking a step forward.

“NO… DON’T MOVE!” Caltrop screamed across to them.

“GET DOWN!” My own voice screamed as I dropped my hooves out from under me, moving them in front of my face as my ears picked up an entire chorus of loud chirps from the mines.

At some point during the thunderous symphony of explosions, my hearing had transformed into a dull whine. I could feel the wave of pressure from each blast, shortly before I felt the burning of hot debris and sharp piercing shrapnel peppering me. I tried to keep count how many had gone off, but was distracted when something heavy landed on top of my head.

What was most likely only a few passing moments of stillness felt like hours. Had they all gone off? Would falling debris set of more? Did Caltrop manage to make it through alright? Shut it brain, I’m sure he’s fine. I uncovered my head stiffly, the pain of several deep gashes lanced through my legs as I opened my eyes to notice a few jagged pieces of metal sticking out of them. As I lifted my head off the dirt, the object on my head rolled forward and splat onto the ground.

It was the severed leg of one of the two assholes across the way. I looked up, noting that in the dark, I could just barely make out what looked to be two meaty… piles where they had once stood. Maybe Caltrop was right, maybe you should have told them. Conscience, this is no time to be bringing up should haves and could haves. What’s done is done! Now, to check on the asshole in question.

Caltrop lay in the dirt behind me, shaking and looking up to me with tears streaming down his cheek. He suffered quite a few lacerations, but the biggest injury was the twisted barrel of a magical energy shotgun impaled through his neck. My heart nearly stopped as my body acted on it’s own, galloping over to him and biting down on the sharp steel barrel. My magic dug through his saddlebags, searching for the only thing that could save his life, finding it and drawing it out.

In one quick action, I jabbed the Hydra injector into his flank, tugging the shotguns barrel with all my strength. The metal burrs and sharp edges tore at my muzzle, ripping into my tongue, cheek and gums until It finally slipped free, flying from my mouth as I tumbled backwards. I groaned from the dirt grinding it’s way into my open wounds, breathing heavily as I could taste and smell nothing but copper.

I rolled over onto my belly again, panting heavily as Caltrop’s wounds closed. I was relieved for a moment, thinking that he was out of danger, but after few seconds, he didn’t move. He just sat there, his eyes half closed.

“I WILL NOT LET YOU DIE!” Was what I assumed I had screamed, finding the strength to get back to my hooves. Step by step, I made my way to him. “You still owe me, asshole!” I continued my deaf screams thrusting my forehoof against his chest hard, panting heavily as I pulled my hoof back again. “GET THE FUCK UP!” I slammed my hoof against his chest another time, fairly sure I felt a crack. Though, to be fair, I was in enough pain that I probably couldn't have told if it was my own leg. “YOU WASTED MY HYDRA!”

I reared up with both forehooves and hammered him in the side one final time, feeling as he arched his back and drew in what felt to be a deep breath. He was alive! I… I can’t believe I had saved his life! I instinctively brought my hoof up to wipe my cheek, seeing the glint of my own tears run down. When did I start crying?

See PC, you are capable of caring about others.

Caltrop had silently insisted that I use the magical bandages on my wounds, probably because besides his bruised chest, the hydra had fixed him up quite nicely. I grumbled as we both worked on getting me patched up, making me out to look more like the mummy monster costume from the nightmare nights in the old advertisements during the war. My left foreleg stung as I put pressure on it, but didn’t give out, so the snap I felt was probably nothing more than a hairline fracture.

My hearing was still gone, the single ringing note playing through my head was getting old fast, but all in all it was probably a good thing that my hearing had been the worst of my injuries. The thought of losing one of my senses never really crossed my mind much, but I have to say that now? I’m scared of never hearing again. I can’t do my job without it, let alone travel through the wastes.

On a related note, I wonder how Ditzy Doo copes with her disability. Grandma had told me of the horrors the pre-war ghoul had been through over the years, and that not even having her tongue removed had slowed her down. Though, ever since Mom took up running the shop, she’s despised the ghoul due to being a rival business mare.

The sunlight filtered down through the cloud cover above enough that I could see the extent of the damage to the road. It looks as if there were indeed 20 or so mines that went off, with most of them being centered around the smoldering remains of the two assholes who got us into this. The most troubling thing I could see was the still pale orange light of the original mine I had spotted. Who know’s how many more of these things are hidden around here, or where. The hillsides were looking a lot less promising now.

On a side note, it also troubled me deeply that the chunky remains of them splattered against the hillside actually made me hungry for Mom’s radigator stroganoff. I think I can probably just chalk that up to the fact that Caltrop ate my fucking beans last night and I was still hungry as hell.

“Come on, we have to find a different way around.” I attempted to speak, knowing I was butchering the words as badly as the the mines had done to the two mares. Was that really necessary? What, conscience? Too soon?

You should at least make an effort to be less of a horrible pony. Think of the last few days as a sign you need to change!

Why the hell was I even letting my conscience get to me? I’ve never had an issue with it before, not since I was just a filly anyway. I shrugged and tried to check on what Caltrop was doing, ending up pressing my muzzle against his as he pushed it against mine. I shoved him hard, sending him scrambling and trying not to fall onto his side, only to drop down onto the nub of his tail. Oh yeah, I cauterized it, so it didn’t grow back when I used the Hydra on him. Good thing I didn’t give in yesterday, or he’d be dead right now.

Admit it to yourself. With a reaction like that, you know you don’t mind having him as a friend. If you didn't, you would have just shot him instead.

No, shut up brain. He’s just an asshole like everypony else in the wastes. If he stays with me, he’s just a liability. He only stays until he repays his debt.

If that was true, you wouldn’t have saved him, you’d have called it good and kept the Hydra to sell. Hell PC, you just cried at the thought of losing the only friend you have. Think about it, you two are one and the same, two loners just looking for the comfort of a friend, just admit it to yourself.

He yelled at me angrily as he got back to his hooves, rubbing his ass with a hoof as I sat in the bliss of not hearing a word he spoke. I sighed out, trudging along the road, heading back the way we came with the annoyed realization that if I had decided to backtrack when we got here an hour ago, we would have already made up the time.

The ringing had waned off enough that if Caltrop yelled, I could kinda sorta make out what he was saying. The wind had picked up, pressing against my every step in what in my mind, amounted to a futile attempt to keep me from getting myself into any more trouble. Thankfully it had been another few hours of peacefully walking, and we were entering the scattered ruins of what remained of Equestria’s finest steel producing city.

The trade off for what little hearing I had, was having to deal with a pounding migraine, each throb of pain working it’s way from the base of my skull, straight up to the tip of my horn. Thankfully, it hadn’t been damaged by the mines, but that didn’t stop it from adding to my pains when I tried to use even something as simple as my telekinesis.

Wandering through the simple merchant stalls at the entrance to the northern district, I found one who had a half a healing potion for sale, quickly exchanging the packet of Rad Away and couple of Rad Safe pills we had for it. I was getting the bum end of the deal, but it was so worth it to fix my hearing.

“Feelin better boss?” Caltrop asked me at a normal volume.

“Yeah. Come on, my place isn’t too far from here.” I could hear my bed calling for me. A good night’s rest was all I needed. Then, I’d be good to talk to…

“Hey PC! Good to see you back in town!” Horus chimed as he strode out of an alleyway ahead of me. Knowing the asshole, he had probably been waiting there all day just to do that, knowing full well I hated when he showed up unannounced. “Big Shot has been waiting for you! He’s not going to wait much longer, so why don’t you go ahead and talk to him. In the meantime, I’ll get room 6 all nice and cozy for you.” He beat his wings before I could respond, shooting into the air and over the rooftops back towards the motel.

“Griffin friend a yours?” Caltrop asked in that irritating way that just makes me want to buck him hard enough to send him all the way back to Steel Junction.

“No, he’s just an asshole.” I replied, forcing myself to continue forward, even as my legs protested with every step. “We just have to make a small stop before hitting my home. I’ve got… Business to take care of.”

“He mentioned Big Shot. Ain’t that the guy who ya had ta ask for the ghoul chick from?” He pointed out in the way that only he could make the obvious painful to hear.

“Yes, now shut up and follow me.” I sighed, wishing I at least had some time to clean myself before the meeting. “Oh, and don’t go wandering off when I’m in there.”

Just to mock me for the day I’ve been having, a soft patter of rain now fell, turning the layers of dirt and dust on my trench coat into a muddy soup. The brown water dripped from the brim of my hat, the cold water seeping through all of my clothes and into my bandages. Maybe it was better that I saw Big Shot before getting cleaned up. This way, he’ll have a chance to see how fucked up the last few days have been.

The soft patter quickly picked up into a deluge as we walked, clearing the streets around us faster than a band of raiders ever could. I looked longingly to the motel as we passed it, my weary body feeling an almost magnetic pull towards my bed that I had to restrain myself from following. I’d have all the time in the world to sleep soon, but I just had to finish this. Plus, there is no way I’m going to sleep until I can figure a way to pay Big Shot back.

The streets of this foul city became it’s own sort of minefield in the rain. Foot deep troughs and potholes mixed with the ones only an inch or so deep, one misstep was all it took to break a leg or twist a fetlock. My aching left foreleg was a constant warning that even back here, I wasn’t out of the woods yet. Twisting and winding my way around the street like a paranoid foal afraid to step on a crack in the sidewalk, I was making slow progress toward the old bank at the end of the street.

The guard ponies had each shifted their positions to stand under the small awning above the door, pushing at one another for who got to stand in the rain. Maybe if they just agreed to take turns… No, no. Not now brain. They can be assholes if they want to, it’s none of my business. You should be working on how to fix the train wreck of a week I’ve had.

“Stay out here, Caltrop. I’ll only be a few minutes.” I said to him, the cuts along my muzzle burning as the muddy water dripped from my hat into them.

“But… can’t I look for somewhere dry ta wait?” He pined to me, the faintest hint of sadness coming through his voice that only added to the irritation I was feeling. If he hadn’t been perfectly fine after the hydra, there might have been a chance that I would have briefly considered his useless request. I’m not in the mood to care if he has to spend an extra few minutes in the rain. He can suck it up like the adult stallion he SHOULD already be acting like.

“No, you can wait here…” I felt my leg give out from under me, dropping me like a sack of moldy potatoes into a puddle. I resisted the urge to cry out as all my still fresh wounds were soaked in the dirty water, the foul liquid seeping in like a thousand knives intent on filleting me slowly. Thankfully, my leg had slipped from the mud instead of just snapping, laying forward under my head and protecting me from a muzzle full of the soupy mix.

“Ya alright there, boss?” He chimed in from across the street, standing under the crooked balcony of a ruined apartment building.

“Get back in the street. NOW.” I snapped as I pushed myself from my impromptu bath. “Did you suddenly FUCKING forget rule number three!?” I shook myself off, which was a bit pointless, seeing as I was covered in wet clothes in the middle of a rainstorm. Now I get to spend a good half hour drying my clothes with my fire spell before I can even think of taking a shower. Whatever, more time to think of ways to pay the boss back.

Caltrop whimpered and strode into the street, looking quite defeated. I glared bullets into his blue eyes, praying to Celestia that a bolt of lighting would just come down and smite him for breaking the rules he agreed to. As if by divine approval, a rumble of thunder came from the other side of the city, booming across the sky loudly enough that Caltrop jumped.

“Sit your flank in the mud, and don’t move until I get back. Got that?” I growled to him, spinning and continuing on my way up the street. The guard mare in the doorway who had ended up winning the queen of the dry hill competition, hurriedly stepped out of my way as I approached. I wasn’t sure if it was the universe finally giving me a break, or if Big Shot had wanted to see me that badly.

“Miss Percussion Cap!” The stallion of the hour called out, leaning his head around and looking out the doorway behind me as I walked up to his countertop. “I’ve been on the edge of my seat in anticipation of your return. Tell me, where is the target?”

“Dead.” I replied, using my magic to pull out the shredded remains of her cutie mark, setting it on the countertop in front of him.

“You know the contract specified alive, didn’t you?” Big Shot grit his teeth and twisted his neck to the side, popping a joint loudly as he kept his eyes on the cutie mark. “I thought I had made that perfectly clear.” Yeah, this was a new level of pissed. I’d never seeing him this angry at anypony before.

“There was another, an outsider. He must have known she had sensitive information, because he killed her before I had the chance to make a move.” I kept my eyes on him as I lied through my teeth. If I gave up the information that it was Caltrop who killed her, he’d just shoot him. There is no way I would have used something as rare as Hydra on the asshole if I wanted Big Shot to just kill him for me.

“I see. Well, that is… unfortunate.” He looked me over, trying to read my body language. Thankfully, I was freezing my flank off and wincing from the pain of my wounds so much that not even somepony like him would be able to get a good impression. He tapped his hooves on the desk as he sighed, looking over to one of the stallions leaning against the wall and nodding his head. “I’m assuming you spent the forwarded caps on supplies and can’t reimburse them?”

Nodding, I should have known that this would have been his reaction. I had just cost him a lot of caps AND whatever information the mare had been carrying. He would have to know I would never consent to being set up as a slave, so his next best option would be to have me… retired. I tried to think of something to stall for time, something that could maybe get his mind off how badly I screwed shit up.

“Also, I’m to inform you about a nurse who worked at a clinic up north, went by the name Novocain.” I spoke quickly, peaking his interest enough that he gave a wave of his muzzle to the stallion that was now standing next to me. I waited until he returned his eye contact to me, and for him to give me the implied ‘go on’ look. “The place got hit by raiders, I'm sorry to report the clinic is in ruin and that she’s dead.”

“So... on top of failing to bring back the contact alive and not being able to pay me back the advance I gave you. You're telling me that Novocain is dead.” A blank expression fell over his face as he put his hooves on the counter and leaned forward, his deep breaths struck me in the muzzle, warming my cold nose.

“Yes, that would be correct.” I cringed at his, if simple, all too accurate account of the last week. “I'm sorry Big Shot, there was nothing I could do to save her.”

His muzzle twitched before curling into a sadistic grin.

“Sorry? SORRY!?” He nearly jumped over the counter and dove at me. Instinctively my magic wiggled #1 out from between us and flew it around the back of his head, causing the other guards to raise their weapons to me. I stopped as I felt Big Shot press against me in a tight hug, laughing into my jacket. “If it weren't for the fact that you owed me so damn much already, I'd take you out for a drink! That fucking bitch had it coming!”

She what…? I couldn't do anything but stand and blink, unable to fit together how her death had been a good thing. Just who the fuck was Novocain to Big Shot? He pushed himself off me and slid back over the countertop, wiping a tear from his grinning muzzle.

“I'm sorry, you must be terribly confused. You see, Novocain is my ex wife.” He reoriented himself behind the counter, hoofing his mane back across his balding head before continuing. “All she ever wanted to do was open a clinic and 'help ponies in anyway she could'. I tried to tell her that there was no money in 'helping' and that it was better to get into the industry of... 'pony resourcing'.”

Is that what they're calling slaving these days? Everypony know’s of the slave trade, why do they even bother trying to soften what it is? I knocked a fore hoof on the side of my head softly. Quiet brain, you aren't helping.

“So, then there’s no reward for a friendly favor?” I only half joked, watching as that killed Big Shot’s jubilant mood faster than I would have liked.

“Look, Percussion. You're a good mare, and a damn fine bounty hunter if I may say so myself.” He leaned forward and pressed his hooves together on the counter. Please don’t tell me that he was trying to pad my ego before he murdered the hell out of me. I’d rather just be shot now. “It's just, there are procedures for these types of... failures.” Hoofing open one of the drawers behind the desk, taking out the nub of a cigar that looked to be one or two puffs away from being more ash than tobacco. I leaned forward as he did, painfully using my fire spell to light it for him.

“Normally the boss would just want me to shoot you as compensation, but seeing as you did a small favor to me, I'll grant you a small favor in return.” He sighed and took a quick draw from the old cigar. “I'll wipe your order of execution, but the city of Fillydelphia and associates of Red Eye no longer wish to employ your services. Until you pay back your debt to me, which I still expect, consider your status as a bounty hunter in this region revoked, and yourself banned from the city.”

“Fucking, WHAT?” I growled out, completely ignoring the fact that he had just chosen to spare my life in what was probably the kindest act he had ever performed for anypony. “You are the ONLY employer this far north that’s got anything for me, and I can’t fucking get by on the pay anypony else is offering!”

He sat wide eyed for a moment as he exhaled a ring of smoke, breaking into a fit of hysterical laughter. I wasn’t quite sure what I had just done, but I was now silently praying that he wasn’t insulted enough to change his mind on the whole ‘letting me live’ thing. His laughter paused for a moment as he glanced at me, laughing even harder as I shrugged to the guard who was still towering over my shoulder, getting a shrug in return. He slapped the counter with a hoof lightly before his laughter stopped abruptly, now just looking at me expectantly.

“You serious?” He leaned back and took a long draw from his cigar, finally putting it on the desk and rubbing it out. “You're not paying me while just standing there, go find a way to bring me my money.” He waved his hoof at me dismissively. “Get the fuck out of town, there’s the door.”

He was right, I had lost this fight and just needed to move on. I trod out the door and past the wet guards, approaching Caltrop as he sat inside his own, personal puddle.

“Ready ta get some rest, boss?” He forced a smile, doing his best to control his shivering body.

“No, we can’t stay here.” As much as I hated it, without being allowed to stay in Filly, it was the only option I had left. “Come on. We’re going to Baltimare. I need to go see my mother.”

Author's Notes:

Thanks to Kkat, Somber, Mimezinga, No_One, Stonershy, John Colt, Hetnu, Xjuan, Sawyer, Vocal, Tinker, and Bad Pun for their inspiration and support in the writing of this fic!

Shout out to Regolit, Deathpony, and Retl for their feedback! I really do love to hear what you all think!