“I already said I’m sorry, what more do ya want!” Caltrop whined and rubbed at the back of his head. He’d probably have a bruise there tomorrow after how many times I’ve hit him in the last 30 minutes, but I really couldn’t care, not today. What I did care about was the constant ebbing pain in my leg. I really just wish that I could fix it, but I don’t have the caps to spend on a hydra just to heal the bone.

“Some peace and quiet.” I growled, turning my gaze back to him as we slowly made our way back through the marketplace. I had managed to sell off the few things I took from mom and ended up getting 10 more 12.7 rounds, a couple of 20 gauge shells, and a single healing bandage. I’ve only got a single mag left for #2, and I should probably get a few more rounds for it, but I should be fine. With so many of us having taken the contract, I’m sure there won’t be time for stealth.

“So… this Ash guy. What’s up with him?” With as much as Caltrop’s been talking, I’m sure being quiet is out of the question regardless. He winced reflexively as I stopped walking, but I don’t think hitting him again was going to accomplish anything.

“If you’re going to insist on talking, the least you could have done is kept that asshole out of the conversation.” I sighed, shaking my head as we turned the corner and headed into the main bazaar. My stomach grumbled as the scent of fresh Brahmin meat filled my nose.

“Well, I wanna know what I’m up against… for ya… for us, I mean.” Caltrop stuttered as he spoke, making my ears perk as I registered the most disgusting thought in my brain.

“Are… are you kidding me?” I spun around and let out a laugh. “First off, please, PLEASE don’t tell me you are getting jealous over the thought that I might actually succumb to his charms.” I waved my hoof around my body, watching as he followed with a blush. “Second, you know you and I will never be anything. IF, and that’s a big if, in the event that we become ‘friends’, then it stops there. I’m not looking, so you’re not asking. Got that?”

He nodded sadly as he looked at the dirt, hoofing at it softly. For a moment, I thought he was going to start tearing up again, but he just stood there looking dejected. That is, until his stomach gurgled loud enough to cut over the hustle and bustle of the market behind me.

“If ya don’t mind… maybe we could get somethin ta eat?” He looked back up with a nervous grin. My ear perked as the sound of fluttering cloth preceded Caltrop being knocked to the dirt by a blue blur.

“Didn’t you just hear her? She’s not interested.” Bluejay gave him a light kick while he was down, the automated winch system to her battle harness retracted the hook and line she used to suspend herself with, the whole setup giving a slight hiss as it locked back in place.

Did I already mention how much I hated her ridiculous gadgets and shit?

“I appreciate the thought, Blue, but he’s actually just hungry.” I shook my head and kept my eyes locked on her. She had run off so quickly before, and she knows we have the same contract, so what would she still be doing here? Wait… she wouldn’t be dumb enough to ask to split a contract again, would she? I would have thought she’d have learned after I left her high and dry last time. “Besides, I can handle myself against a stupid stallion or two.”

“You know, it’s like you’ve changed since last I saw you. You’re defending a stallion like him? I knew he’s just hungry, I mean, half the market had to have heard the sound that came from him.” She smiled like the asshole she was, not even looking as Caltrop took a lazy swing at her, but still artfully dodging it, and redirecting his momentum to toss him back to the ground at my hooves. “But I’m not so sure you can handle yourself. You remember last winter? That Orange fellow we had to go after outside of Friendship city? I remember him having beaten you quite literally half to death before I showed up.”

“Yeah, and I remember the other five who I took down to get to him.” She was right, I had gotten it pretty bad, and sure, had she not showed I might have died. “The thing is, I seem to recall having to save your ass not a few months back from that manticore who snuck up on you. Or what about the time just after we first met out in the badlands when that giant robo-scorpion thing chased you for four days straight?”

My words turned her smirk into a scowl for only a moment, her muzzle spreading to a smile as she laughed. “Yeah, you’ve got me there, but this contract is mine.” There was a loud beep from her Pipbuck that caught all of our attentions. “Ah, my rides here.” She looked down to Caltrop and fluttered her eyelashes, blowing him a kiss before her magic activated the pneumatic hook system on her back, the high speed winch pulling the rope taught as it latched onto one of the ruined buildings down the street. “When I get back, drinks are on you!” She flew back as she worked her system, cackling loudly as she disappeared from sight.

“Geez Boss, is everyone ya know so fuckin obnoxious?” Caltrop got to his hooves, dusting himself off as my stomach churned again.

“The correct term, is asshole.” I laughed back to him, listening as he snorted and tried to clear the dust from his face. “Now come on, I’m getting hungry as well, and those Brahmin steaks smell too damn good.”

“Ya know, I knew a Brahmin once, nice pair of folk from Manehatten.” He strode up beside me as we entered the crowds of the market, my eye catching as his hoof slipped into the jacket pocket of a well dressed pony that was staring intently at some overpriced, sickly looking fruit. He produced a small bag of caps which he immediately placed into his saddlebags, not even breaking his stride or his speech. Well, looks like I know who’s paying for lunch. “Still, I kinda feel bad for ponies always eatin’ them.”

“Then they shouldn’t smell or taste so damn good when cooked.” As we approached the food wagon, the cook behind the grill looked to us with a smile and pointed at both Caltrop and I. I nodded and took a seat in front of the small window, listening as the sizzling of two fresh cuts filled my ears. “Besides, what other meat would you rather eat? Pony?” My words made him shudder at the thought, which for some reason made me laugh.

Maybe Bluejay was right, maybe I have changed. Grandma always told me about how the simple act of making a friend changed her life for the better, and Caltrop has been more civil than anypony else I’ve ever known. Yeah he’s completely screwed up my life, but that’s something Grandma’s first friend supposedly did as well. Maybe it’s some sort of friendship rite of passage to have them ruin everything you’ve got going for yourself.

The Brahmin steaks were set in front of us, looking like slices of heaven on a plate. I looked to Caltrop, finding that he had already counted out the caps from the bag he stole and was hoofing them over. I didn’t even have to ask him to pay. Is that something friends do? Then again, I don’t know what a friend is like because mom didn’t have any. Before she hated her as the merchant competition, back when she was a bounty hunter, she referred to Ditsy as her only friend due to the fact she could bum rides around the wasteland off her.

Wait… that little stable bitch!

“No time to eat, Caltrop!” I hooked my foreleg around him and pulled him away from the cart, the two of us immediately breaking into a gallop. I wanted to mirror Caltrop’s look of longing for his steak, but we don’t have the time to care. “We’ve got to get back to my Grandma!”

Even something as simple as this put him on the verge of tears. “But…can’t we take ‘em with us?” I was sorry as well, but the more time we stood around, the higher the chance Bluejay would be gone already. Getting back home was going to be our best shot at gaining an advantage toward the others.

The few minutes it took to gallop back here, and the loss of our lunch, were the least of my worries as I burst through the door to my mothers shop, nearly bowling over one of the customers inside as I galloped up to Grandma. She had her forehooves crossed under each other as she lay back in a rocking chair, looking quite bored. Let’s see if I can change that.

“Grandma, I just heard that Ditzy’s in town.” I watched her perk right up as I had hoped. “I need you to talk to her for me.”

“Ditzy?” She put a forehoof to her chin and nodded. “It's been ages since I've seen her, and catching up would be nice,” She frowned a bit as she paused. “...though I still owe her a muffin and want to avoid making an excuse for why even though I have the supplies, I haven't baked it yet.” She leaned back in her chair, rocking softly as she took far too much time to think. “Hmmm, dilemma…”

“You done going off to La-la land?” I used my forehoof to stop her rocking, drawing her annoyed gaze. “I need you to convince her to take me out to Dodge.” And at that, she looked genuinely surprised.

“Oh, is that why you came to me? So you can rest your hooves a bit while somepony does all the work for you?” She laughed to herself. Here it comes, the same thing that’s happened every time I’ve come back home. Storm gets to lecture me on the finer points of how bad of a hunter I am, and I get to leave in a huff. “If how I found you in Filly was any indication, you've already gone soft enough out there.”

“Really? You’re going to pull this shit again?” I felt like smashing my face into a wall would have saved me the frustration of actually thinking she would help me for once. “You know that I am ten times better qualified than the others on this contract. And I am asking you out of respect, that I could really use the head start on the others.”

“Yes, I am going to pull this shit again. And every time you come to me for something like this.” She chuckled to herself as she knocked my hoof away and started rocking again. “If you are that much better, then my saying no levels the playing field. You've been unchallenged for so long that you've forgotten just how to play this game. Beat them now, and you will have proven yourself to them.”

“Grandma, I don’t need their respect. All I really need is the caps that come from the contract, nothing else.” I turned and looked for mother, knowing that as a sensible business mare, she’d know that caps are always what it’s all about. I found her sitting behind the counter, her muzzle buried in the pages of a Daring Doo novel, one of the old world adventure books I had read as a young filly. “Mom, care to help me out on this?”

“Listen to your grandmother dear, she know's more about this sort of thing than anypony else alive.” She spoke without even looking up from the old book, licking her hoof and turning the page as if none of us were even here. How no pony robs her blind is a complete mystery to me.

“Besides, walking from here to Dodge isn’t so bad. Builds character.” Storm’s logic was just infuriating to me. She’s never had to make a trip like that before under time and money constraints like these. I looked over at her with a blank expression as she smirked with the same devilishness that Ashley always did. “I suggest you use the extra time to get to know your friend out there more.” She shrugged and went back to her rocking with a disinterested sigh. “You may not be so used to it now, but I'm sure you'll find having a pony with you to be an asset you'll wonder how you ever got along without.”

Time for plan B.

“Look, either help me out, or I tell Ditzy you don’t intend to pay her back.” I shook my head with my own grin, watching as Storm stopped rocking, clenching her jaw as the anger inside her rose. Her burning gaze looked up to me slowly, the silence that filled the room made me wonder where everypony went, before quickly remember that along with being a well known hero of Baltimare, the other thing she was known for was her temper.

“You two, please don’t make a scene in my shop.” Mom had spoken up finally, probably only for the fact that our argument had just potentially lost her money. “Well, any more than you already have.”

“You don't get to try to blackmail me, young lady. Especially after you stole a few good caps worth of items from your mother earlier.” Storm prodded me with her hoof. “Now go, before I shoot you with another couple of rubber bullets to make sure my points today have really sunken in.”

“Storm, I’ve asked you to stop hurting PC before, don’t make me ask you again.” Great, now Mom was furious. She would never raise her voice, or lash out, but you could just hear it in her voice, that if you continued to piss her off, you would pay. The great thing was Storm could never bring herself to even yell at mom, so she was always the one to end arguments. “PC, take your stallion friend and go, but I expect you to reimburse me for what you stole once your other debts are settled.”

“Fine.” I grunted and looked back to the door, watching as Caltrop smiled to me. Friendship with him or not, this was going to be a long, and most likely pointless trip out to the middle of nowhere.

The walk out of town hadn’t been unbearable, but the pain in my leg had been there the whole time, wearing my mind down slowly like a fine grit sandpaper. Caltrop had mostly been quiet due to the fact that every time he opened his muzzle, his stomach would rumble before he could say anything. I have to admit, I’m regretting the decision to leave those steaks behind, but such is life.

“Ya know Boss, ya never did answer my question.” He finally found the courage to break the silence. “About dat asshole ya know.”

“If it will get you to shut up, then fine, I’ll tell you.” I grumbled, climbing the still soggy, rolling hills that trailed out toward the westward mountains. While still a day or so off, the mountains were going to be a problem. While it would save us time to cut straight over towards dodge rather than go around, we would save more time going through one of the old railway tunnels. Granted nothing says all of them haven't collapsed by now, and there could be a whole host of unfriendly things inside, but I think it’s worth the risk.

Wait, wasn’t Caltrop talking?

“Ya even listenin ta me Boss?” I would like to say that I felt bad for zoning out, but I honestly don’t. I just turned and stared at him until he repeat the question with a sigh. “I was askin how long he’s been around.”

“Four, five years?” That was actually a pretty good question. “Far as I can recall, he just showed up one day and acted like he was the next greatest thing since sliced bread. I don’t know a damn thing about him past the fact that he’s the biggest Asshole I’ve ever met. Never cared to.” As soon as he had stopped talking, a scream in the far off distance was punctuated with several gunshots, forcing both Caltrop and I to the dirt.

“Shit. What the fuck is going on up there?” I tweaked my ears, listening as more screams and shouting were heard between shots. Raiders? No, too many gunshots for it to be an attack. Slavers? No, not ENOUGH gunshots for that.

“Sounds like a gunfight ta me.” Master of the obvious over there spoke in his normal tones of wisdom. “Maybe we should go check it out?” Okay, more so not as full of wisdom today.

“Of course it’s a gunfight, it was a rhetorical question.” I grumbled and pulled #5 from it’s holster, levitating it close to my side. “And of course we’re not going to check it out. Being as they are still shooting, I’d say it would be a bad idea to get involved.”

“But what if they are innocent ponies? Wouldn’t ya wanna help them?” Why did he have to sound so genuinely stupid today? “We could be hero’s or somethin!”

“No. You know what the definition of a hero is? Somepony who gets other ponies killed.” I could feel the urge to shoot him rising as I remembered something he had said when I had barely been listening. “Didn’t you say you grew up a raider? Doesn’t that mean you should want to kill them all?”

“Ganger. It’s different.” He snorted and stamped off past me. “An if ya ain’t gonna help, I’ll do it myself.” He held his hoof out to me, wincing slightly with every gunshot in the distance. “Give me one a ya guns.”

“No, find you’re own.” Yeah, trust anything of mine to him when it’s not necessary? Fuck that. If you are going to seriously try to be his friend, where’s the harm? See, this is where you’re wrong brain. If he goes and gets himself killed, I lose both him and my gun. A week ago, you wouldn’t have cared about more than your gun, which means you do care about him. Just… shut up brain. I let out a sigh as my ear tweaked, hearing Caltrops hoofbeats running off in front of me. “Might as well back him up I guess.” I went to levitate #5 around from my side, just now realizing that I didn’t have it anymore. “Oh, you’re just asking for me to shoot you!” I screamed and took off after him.

My aching foreleg burned as I raced after him, the weight of my harness and coat feeling like a ton of bricks weighing down on it. I grit my teeth and pushed through the annoyance as the gunshots started to seem less frantic, and more precise. With #5 out of the picture, it was either #3 or #4 to use in it’s place, but I’d have to see what we were fighting to know. As I crested the next hill, I nearly slammed into Caltrop as he galloped towards me. The deep roar of a full grown manticore, who until our intrusion had been happy with clawing at a large armored cart, was now barreling towards me at full speed.

Fuck 3 or 4, the answer is both!

I whipped the guns out in my levitation, firing as I spun and galloped back down the hill. I don’t know if I had hit it at all, but I do know that no one shot was going to bring it down. This is exactly the reason I avoid running toward the sounds of fighting! I pushed myself to get up the other hill, looking back just as the huge beast crested the top of the last one. It was bleeding from several holes in it’s hide, the trails of blood too thin and spattered to be from my guns.

With another deafening roar, it leapt towards me, nearly making it from the peak of that hill to mine. As it slammed into the dirt, and braced itself from the impact, I took that time to unload into it with the two guns, ripping into it’s skull and shredding it’s head to ribbons. It gave one final groan before it collapsed, it’s scorpion tail dropping into the dirt with a thick whump.

“Not so tough after all, I guess.” I remarked to myself, using my magic to pull the magazines from #3 and #4, loading in fresh ones. Caltrop trotted up to my side, #5 sitting firmly in his muzzle for only a second before my magic tugged it, spun it, and hit him square in the forehead with the grip. “You moron! Don’t you EVER do that again.”

“Alright! Geeze, not like ya needed it or nothin.” He walked forward and kicked at the corpse with his hoof. “Odd though. Don’t normally find em alone.” Now that he mentions it, that is true. They normally travel in mated pairs. “But if this was the male, I’d hate ta meet what ever took the female down.” There was a piercing roar from further ahead, back up where the armored wagon was, making Caltrop jump and shiver.

“You just HAD to say it, didn’t you?” I shook my head and added #6 to the weapons I had floating around me. “Just, stay here and don’t get yourself killed.” I prodded at his chest, looking at him dead in the eyes to make sure he knew I was serious. He nodded and took a step back. The gunfire that had been silent started up again, though, it sounded like some sort of magical energy weapon this time. If the pony using it could hold out enough, one of those shots might just do the trick and turn the whole thing to ash. Guess that’s where I come in. I galloped forward, heading back across the hills toward the sounds.

What stood before me when I got on top of the hill was the largest damn Manticore that I had ever laid eyes on, towering nearly twice as tall as the first one. It had the cage pinned between it’s enormous paws while it’s tail hammered at the side of steel box, each hit denting it in more and more. There was a single slit window on the crumpleing wall, horribly inaccurate red beams were emit from it between every slam, not even getting close to hitting anything at all. There was a sickening screech as the side of the box sheared with one of the slams, the manticore peeling the metal back with little effort.

“Fuck me.” I used my hoof to tip up my hat, taking a deep breath before lifting #5 to my eye, and pulling the trigger. I used the recoil of the shot to help nudge it out of my vision, levitating it back into place as the Manticore let out a roar, the oozing wound where one of it’s eyes had been clear as day even without the scope. I didn’t waste any more time, focusing on firing everything but #6 at the beast.

It lept up and darted to the side with agility and speed I had never expected from something its size, darting through the dirt and along a hill to the left of me, slowly curving it’s way towards me as I fired. #5 ran dry, so I dropped it, keeping my fire on it as it barreled towards me. #3 and #4 went dry, so I dropped them as well, waiting until just the last moment before I could use #6.

The report from the sawed off shotgun unfortunately happened to be the most impressive effect of using it, the shot punching into it’s flesh, but having no real effect whatsoever. I rolled to the side, using my smaller sized agility to outmaneuver the charging beast. I had fought a few Minotaurs in the past on contract runs, so when something charged, I generally knew the drill.

Unfortunately for me, Manticores are not Minotaurs and have huge tails.

The sheer power of the log sized appendage hitting me knocked the air from my lungs as it sent me flying down from the crest of the hill. I slammed down into the dirt with barely enough time to yelp before the huge beast was on top of me, pinning me down with it’s large, powerful paw. It raised it’s tail high to strike, letting out an ear shattering roar before it froze. A brightening pink glow came from inside of it, slowly consuming it before the ashy remains of it dropped down and coated me. I was forced to breath deep as my lungs screamed for air, sucking in a large amount of the beasts ashes before I began to choke on them.

“Whoa there! Don’t yah go dyin on me now, yah hear?” The voice was that of a mare, coming from up on the hillside I had just been on. I presume she was the one who had just vaporized that thing and saved my flank. I turned over, gasping and moaning as the side that had been hit screamed in pain. I used my magic to lift my coat, finding that my entire right side had been recolored black and purple. “Now that's a mighty large bruise if yah go askin me! Why don’t yah make yah way over ta tha cart and Ah’ll repay yah by helpin to get yer hurtin ta stop.”

Well, at least she didn’t shoot me. Maybe… maybe not everypony in the wasteland is an asshole after all?