“Tragedy in life normally comes with betrayal and compromise, and trading on your integrity and not having dignity in life. That's really where failure comes.”

After our time in the yard had come to a close, both Cheap Shot and I entered our cell without a word. I’d been disappointed that there were no spritebots in range the whole time we were outside. Then again, it was always going to be a slim chance, and there was always tomorrow. Once everypony had settled in, the guards chose their victim for the day. A mangy red-maned mare was dragged off to the infirmary. As I stay in the back of the cell, I cringed at the thought about what would happen to her. At the very least, Cheap Shot helped by speaking up.

“Well, it wasn’t the most productive of days, but I managed ta get yah an audience for tomorrow.” He sighed as he leaned up against the wall. “Though, just my opinion here, but I wouldn’t trust a single one of them further than yah can throw them.”

“Well. As it stands, throwing them might be our best shot at getting out of here.” I grumbled. “The fences are too well guarded, we’d never make it more than a hundred yards.” I leaned my head back and tapped it against the cold concrete wall. “Without knowing where in the building’s layout is weakest, I’m not sure we can break out.”

“Fuck off.” Cheap Shot spat as he pushed himself off the wall and walked over to me. “I ain’t goin around makin friends, just so yah could fuckin call it quits.” He angrily slammed his hoof against the wall above me. “Do you hear me?” He put his hoof under my chin and forced my vision up. It was one step too far in my book.

In return, I hit him where it counted. It wasn’t more than a startled reflex, and I had no real want to hurt him, but it felt good all the same. As he crumpled to the floor with a whimper, I stood up and hung over him.

“I couldn’t give a single, solitary fuck what you think.” I gave him a swift kick in the side, receiving another whimper. “If, and that’s a big if, I find a way out, then I’m allowing you to come. You don’t have the right to come, and you only have the privilege so long as you’re usefull.” I stepped back and sat myself in the corner. “And if you touch me like that again, I won’t just hit you. I’ll make damn sure those mares whose rears you fancy, have something in common.”

“Sure…” Cheap Shot coughed out as he slowly pulled himself into the corner opposite mine. He looked to me, and even through his pain, he gave me his most devilish grin. “Whatever you say, boss.”

“And don’t call me that.” I grumbled. “Just make sure you’re ready for dinner. I don’t want another incident like last night.” As I finished, he put his hoof up and opened his muzzle to retort. I cut him off. “Not again. Is that clear?”

He nodded.

I sat back and closed my eyes, hopeful to get a nap in before we were ushered off again. Yesterday was still fresh in my mind, and I didn’t want to live through it again tonight. Still, the question of how we were going to get out weighed heavily on me. I meant what I said, I’m not sure we can even escape. The elements told me that I needed to remain hopeful for my friends, so I refused to give up.

“Vanilla.” Cheap Shot spoke up. He let out a grunt as he propped himself against the wall. “She was my deal.”

“What?” His question caught me off guard, but I put the subject together in my mind. “Oh, I see. Is she someone you care for?”

“She was.” He shook his head. *She was my best friend in the world. Sure, Jackhammer and Sledge were my friends as well, but Vanilla is the one I regret the most.” He paused and looked up to me. He let out a little chuckle and scratched at his mane. “Sorry, some context might help. Vanilla and I met a few years back when she fled her Steel Rangers contingent up north. She was lookin for work, and I was just lookin for fun.”

“So, we helped each other out. Ended up building ourselves the meanest little gang this side of Baltimare. We didn’t stay small for long. Recruited Jackhammer and his ponies next, quickly followed by Sledge. All in all, we had eighty ponies between us, and a nice protection contract with the outer settlements of Baltimare.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Then, he showed up with his army. It was almost overnight dat we were all taken by surprise. We tried ta fight, but in the end we just couldn’t win.”

I gave a small nod. “I understand. I watched Chasm fall, then the next day was Dodge.” The image of the young colt exploding flashed through my mind. I did what I could to push the thoughts and feelings away. “There wasn’t anything I could do.” I whispered.

“When Jack went down, Sledge offered our surrender. I tried ta get Vanilla ta agree, but she just kept fightin.” Cheap Shot continued his story. “What surprised us was when dat evil asshole gave us a choice. ‘One life will be spared among yah.’ was what he’d said.” Cheap Shot dropped his vision to the floor as a thousand yard stare consumed his eyes. “I don’t know what came over me. I simply cried out ‘I want ta live!’.” He paused. “Vanilla and Sledge didn’t even have time ta object before his ponies tore them ta pieces.” He sniffled as a tear ran down his cheek. “My reward was ta be locked away in here. This ain’t what they paid their lives for. This ain’t livin.”

“You sold them out to save yourself?” I snorted. “Pathetic.”

“Don’t yah think I know dat?” Cheap Shot snapped. “Every night I sleep, I see her lookin at me with her judgemental eyes before they tear her apart.” He wiped his cheek and looked up to me. “Dat’s why I have ta get out of here. I can’t take back what I’ve done, but at the very least I can try ta avenge her.”

“Well, trying to force me to find a way out faster isn’t going to fucking help.” I shot back at him. “I’ve lost ponies I care for as well, but I didn’t betray them.” I paused. Didn’t I though? I’d brought this down upon them. “You’ll just have to trust me. I’ll find a way.”

As the hours passed, I couldn’t get any sleep. Dinner went without incident, even though I could only keep half of my ‘meat’ down. The rest of the night between Cheap Shot and I was spent in silence. It wasn’t until halfway through the night that I’d been awoken by him whimpering in his sleep. The idea that he had to live through what happened again both filled me with anger and sorrow. He got what he deserved for abandoning his friends. The fact that he was plagued by it showed just how little Dodge had affected me.

As I laid back down to sleep, I hoped that even if it was horrible, I could watch what happened again. I needed to see Pallet die again. I wanted it to be the penance I paid for my actions. However, my mind wouldn’t relent, and I fell into a dreamless sleep.

The bell for Breakfast woke me up. Even though it was just a few hours, a good sleep did wonders for how much I hurt. I could walk on my own now without it hurting so bad I collapsed. Still, I knew I was a mess under these bandages, and it still hurt more than any normal injury I’ve ever had. Even the broken leg in Pai’s facility hurt less than this.

Today, I was able to finish the small slice of meat they had given me to eat. Cheap Shot on the other hoof, didn’t seem to be in the mood to eat. He’d spent the walk here and the entire time we had to eat just staring at the floor. Bringing up everything as he had yesterday, it must have really torn at him inside. I didn’t help with the comment’s I’d made either. Subtlety’s never been my thing, but at that point I should have held my tongue.

“Alright, ponies.” One of the Abominations shouted. “Mandatory outside time begins now.” The half mare, half minotaur cracked a whip and scanned her eyes across the room. “Form a line and march.” She snarled.

“Are you ready, Cheap Shot?” I asked. We both stood up, but he didn’t seem to register that I’d even said his name. “Look, I need you to snap out of it.” I whispered and put my hoof around his neck like I was still hurt. That seemed to pull him out of his thoughts. He looked over to me with a confused expression, but I was quick to correct that. “I need you to get anypony else you can to agree before our time outside is half over.” I walked and guided us into the slowly shifting line. “Can you do that?”

“Ye.. yeah.” He stuttered and came out of his daze. “Sure. I’ll, find yah some more.” He gave a weak smile and took up some of the work in helping me walk.

We made our way out into the yard, and once again I walked my way over to the spot in the fence I’d been at yesterday. Again, the guards eyed at me, but didn’t do anything other than watch. Once Cheap Shot left, and I took a few minutes to be sure I was out of the guards mind, I lifted my pipbuck to my muzzle.

“Pai? Are you there?” I whispered. As the pipbuck’s display shifted to pink, I didn’t even wait for her to pop up in my vision. “Please tell you’ve found a spritebot.”

“Nopey nopey!” She exclaimed in a voice too cheerful for that news. It had been a good idea to leave her volume down as well, or she definitely would have attracted attention. “I’ve been monitoring it every second since you told me too.” She paused and scrunched up her muzzle. “You might not like it, but…”

“Pai…” I cut her off. “I am not going back up to that room.” An electric jolt of fear ran along my spine as I thought about it. “There has to be another way. Can you find a way to boost the signal on the pipbuck?”

“The pipbuck can pick up a radio signal from a hundred miles away if the signal was strong enough.” Pai retorted in a fairly matter-o-factly way. “Spritebot networking was only designed to interact with terminals in towns and cities. Their radio components were never designed to broadcast more than a few hundred feet.”

“I see.” I’m not going to lie. It had been the one piece of news I was looking forward to. “Well, without those schematics, I’m not sure how I’ll find a way out. The plan so far kinda depends on what details are hidden from plain sight.” I let out a sigh. “Still, I can’t lose hope. There has to be another way…”

“Miss Hope?” A voice spoke up from behind me. I spun to find one of the Ash sisters approaching me. “Some of the others say it is crazy to work with you. Yet you sit alone talking to yourself.” She raised an eyebrow and sat down in front of me. “Maybe we are not the crazy ones.”

“It’s just... how I work out my plans.” I fumbled to form an answer. Then again, with everything that’s gone on, I’m not sure if I hadn’t become a bit crazy. “Is there something you need… miss?”

“My name is Rosina Ash.” She cleared her throat and held out a hoof to me. I merely stared at it until she lowered it. “My sister, Mora, is whom I am here to discuss.” She took a moment to straighten herself out before continuing. “She seems to have… taken an interest in you.”

For a moment, I wasn’t sure what she was referring to. Then the thought of her wink at me yesterday came to mind. I knew I was blushing, but I hadn’t even thought about something like that in a long while. When I did, Pai made my pipbuck’s display flicker before she placed some text on it. Storm and Mora, sitting in a tree…

“Is there an issue with that?” I replied quickly.

“I came to ask that you not encourage her.” She replied with almost a scoul. “My sister doesn’t need thoughts of mares running through her head, or the temptation to lay with them.” She spat on the dirt at my hooves. “I ask that you too keep your focus on the task before us.”

“Not a problem, I’ll be perfectly focused.” I replied. She relaxed a bit at that, but I wasn’t finished. “However, you have no right to tell me or her who they can be with. Yeah, I won’t make any advances, but how can you stand there and condemn her for her choice when she could be dead tomorrow.”

“Because it’s disgusting.” She snarled and got to her hooves. “If you so much as look at her that way again, I will personally tear your eyes from your skull.”

“You’ll be welcome to try.” I growled, standing up as straight as I could.

“I hope everything’s alright over here, ladies.” Cheap Shot called out as he walked over. Both Rosina and I stood still, just glaring at each other. I broke my glare first, turning to meet a whole group of ponies as he approached.

“Just fine.” I grumbled and ground my forehooves into the ground. “Is this everypony?” I looked about the group. Jack Knife, and the other stallion who I met yesterday stood off to Cheap Shot’s right. I couldn’t remember his name, but he was practically a skeleton with how gaunt he looked. My eyes drifted over to his other side, where I found Mora staring at me with a smile. I forced myself to ignore her and move on to the other pony I’d met.

Merry Days gave me her cutest little smile. It had been years since I’d seen her, but even after the killing joke trapped her as a filly, that murderous mare still pulled in as many contracts as I did. Beside her was a very proper looking ghoul unicorn. The mare’s ragged and dirty green prewar dress stood out against her dirty tan coat. She looked utterly bored with herself, floating a cigarette up and taking a drag before breathing out a light plume of pink cloud. I knew she was going to be trouble to keep in line.

Lastly, next to her stood a shivering, pitiful looking stallion. The way his pinprick eyes shifted about unnerved me, and the fact that he kept rubbing at his leg made me think he was a junkie. What Cheap Shot ever saw in him, I may never know. Too bad I needed every pony I could.

“Hope, this is Mrs. Whinneyston, of Canterlot.” Cheap Shot pointed to the ghoul, who then lifted her hoof and held it up to my muzzle expectantly. She didn’t even glance as she waited for me to do… something. Once again, I simply waited until she lowered it. “Mrs. Whinneyston, this is Hope.”

“Charmed, I’m sure.” She glance at me out of the corner of her eye, looking me over and sizing me up.

“And this stallion ta her left, is Wormtail.” Cheap Shot smiled and rubbed at his neck. “We… used ta know each other back in the day.”

“Yeah, and yah owe me fer dis!” Wormtail snapped and twisted himself around. In place of a tail, was just a hairless lump of flesh that jutted oddly from his rump. The scars of horrendus burns ringed out from the stump, completely obscuring where his cutie mark would be. “Yah damned right yah owe me.”

“Listen up.” I Snapped, drawing everypony’s attention. “I don’t care who you are, or who you were. You will do what I say if you want to get out of here.” Just about the only ponies who didn’t adopt a grimace, were Cheap Shot and Mora. “Is that clear?”

“What is this plan of yours anyway?” Jack Knife glared as he spoke. “And how can we trust that you won't sell us out?”

“Oh, you can trust I won’t sell you out.” I shot back at him. “Because I need you to play your damned part.” I looked over the ragtag group of criminals. “Your jobs are to get this prison riot ready. Once the riot starts, we’ll take the armory in the confusion and blast ourselves through the path I find us out.”

“Not to be a neighsayer, but how do you plan on achieving this?” Merry Days squeaked as she facehoofed. “Do you even know where the armory is? Don’t you think they built this place to withstand a riot?”

“I.. don’t yet know where it is, but I have somepony I trust who is retrieving the building’s schematics.” My response seemed to satisfy her. “And sure, they built this place to withstand countless riots when they were fully staffed. There’s what, at most twenty of those abominations, and two hundred prisoners?”

“How the hell are we even supposed to start a riot?” Jack Knife asked with a roll of his eyes. “It’s not like the prisoners will just start attacking those things the second we tell them to.”

“And why won’t they?” Cheap Shot surprised me by speaking up first. “You all consider yahselves some of the most powerful ponies in the south eastern wastes! Don’t tell me yah can’t sway some petty criminals or wasteland noponies.” He chuckled and turned his smile on Mrs. Whinnyston. “Or would yah rather keep yah hooves clean and have Hope doin all the talkin?”

“Watch your tongue.” Mrs. Whinnyston’s eyes’s flared pink over their normal blue for a moment. “Nopony here argues that we should be the ones to convince them.” She paused as she took a drag off of her cigarette, letting out another puff of pink cloud into the air above us. “The problem is, these aren’t like the slaves back home. We might actually have to… give them something in return.” She visibly shuddered as she spoke.

What a despicable group of ponies. I was going to hate every moment of working with them, but it was my best shot. If I had to grin and bear it, so be it. A little annoyance would all have been worth it whenever I finally get my hooves around that necromantic douchebag’s neck.

“Are you stupid?” I asked, taking a step up toward her. She blinked in surprise and watched as I nearly pressed up against her muzzle with a snarl. “If you want to fucking get out of here, you will promise them anything they damned well want.” I looked over to the others. “Even if it’s to bring back their loved ones, you fucking say yes.”

“You know, your reputation is very misleading.” Merry laughed as she turned around. “Maybe I misjudged you. My services are yours for the moment.” She said as she walked away.

The nameless pony joined by her side after giving me a nod, and the Ash twins simply gave a short bow and turned to go. Oddly, Mora didn’t glance at me again when she did. It was probably better for all of us that she didn’t anyway, not that I so much cared past a fleeting interest. Jack Knife stepped up to me without warning. I kept as still as I could and simply glared up at him.

“You’ve got your riot so long as you hold up your end.” He growled. “Remember what I said. The second we’re out of here.”

“That’s enough tension for one day, don’t yah think?” Cheap Shot said as he pressed himself between us. “Let’s just leave the little lady ta think, shall we?” He gave his devilish grin to Jack Knife, who then backed off. Both Mrs. Whinnyston and Wormtail turned and left as well.

“A fine bunch of asshole’s you’ve put together.” I sighed when I could finally convince myself to relax a bit. “You think they can do it?”

“Can you get us out of here?” He cocked an eyebrow and softened his smile to a genuine one. “Besides, I’m sure it won’t be long before we regret ever thinking this plan up.”

“Speak for yourself. I regret it already.” I grumbled and sat down.

“Well then look at that.” He chortled. “We’re already ahead of schedule then.”

The rest of the time outside was spent watching our new ‘associates’ making the rounds through the courtyard ponies. Telling the countless other prisoners they needed to riot was the riskiest part of the plan. To keep my mind off of it, when we were ushered back inside, I spent a good chunk of time seeing what I could learn about this place without the schematics.

From what I could tell, the foundations and walls were still in a near perfect state for being over a century and a half old. The bars to most of the cells were also mostly rust free, but there were a few that did seemed to show their age. From the soft hum I could hear when I put my ear to the floor, I learned a lot. This place most likely ran on some self contained spark reactor and boiler assembly that didn’t need much maintenance. No basement ment no tunnel out, which would have only been possible if nopony was down there to guard it anyway.

As I started to ponder about the other building, the shadow of an Abomination filled the cell. He had the lower body and head of a pony, but the chest and arms of a hellhound. At first I’d wondered why he’d shown up, but he answered that question fairly quickly.

“Out.” He rasped with a scratchy voice, gripping and pulling at the door. It slid open effortlessly for him, and he stepped aside. “You and your co-conspirators are late for a meeting with the Warden.”

I shared a worried look with Cheap Shot before lining up beside him. Together we were marched over to the door out of the block. We walked down the hallway until we reached the junction for the cafeteria. We were then directed to the stairwell that lead to the upper floors. With my heart beating faster, plenty of thoughts ran through my mind.

Fucking great. We had been careful in getting together, and only the ponies in the group knew the whole plan. When some random pony wants to break out the warden probably doesn't give two shits. But when ponies like Cheap Shot and I want to go? That probably changes things. I just wonder how he'd found out. Was it just what he thought was an inevitability? Or did somepony turn on us. If Jack Knife wanted to screw me, this would've fucking been the best way.

My legs felt like they were going to lock up as I rounded the stairwell onto the second floor. My eyes stared at the still drying blood of todays experiment as it coated the floor by the door. Before I could stare too long, the Abomination gave me a push, and I continued onward.

We climbed up another two floors, finally stopping at the fourth floor door. The walls and the floor, even the ceiling seemed to sparkle from it’s sheer lack of dust and grime. The door to the floor opened to reveal a plush looking brown-orange carpet. A small reception area sat at the end of the hall, and a dark wooden door closed off what must have been the Warden’s office.

As we were corralled down the hall, two things happened. The first was a notification that came up on my vision about how the pipbuck had connected to the nearby terminal. The second, was that the door opened and we could now see inside. To my dismay, each of the ponies that Cheap Shot had found had been brought up here. They sat in a line along the back wall, bound, gagged, and blindfolded. All, except one.

Wormtail stood in front of the large desk at the back of the room. The Warden sat in a plush looking desk chair with his rear hooves raised onto the desk. The large window behind him ringed around him in a way that it brought all attention to his perfectly clean coat and mane.

“Dat’s all of them!” Wormtail hissed through a grin, twitching as he gave a burning glare to Cheap Shot. Of all the ponies to screw it up, and for all the reasons, it had to be this. “Like I said! She’s got somepony on the outside!”

“Thank you for your service.” The warden simply remarked, raising a spotless hoof up toward the abomination. “Rex, Rolf… whatever your name is. Take him down to the second floor.” He smiled as he spoke the words.

“What?” Wormtail’s frown was the mirror opposite of the Warden’s as the abomination grabbed him. “But… yah said yah'd free me!”

“Yes, and I am! Just not in the way you thought you had asked.” The Warden laughed. “My good friend the doctor, he is simply there help free you of this troubled life.”

Wormtail whined and fought as the Abomination both used his claws to clamp his muzzle shut, and drag him off. The only other abomination in the room turned and shut the door as they left, leaving us all to an uneasy silence.

“I am so, so very disappointed in you, Storm.” The Warden shook his head softly. “I’ve done so much to keep you safe. To keep you alive.” He sighed and looked up at the ceiling in disinterest. “And here you want to go and seek out another sanctuary through some... pony I don’t even know.” He put his hoof on his chest and gasped. “I just can’t help but feel a little hurt about that.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” I frowned and kept my eyes glued to him. If he wanted to play this game, I’d play. So long as it gave Pai more time to get what I needed. “But it’s really time we both move on. If it helps, the pony I’ve got to get to will probably be hurt a bit more by what I have to do than you will be.”

“Oh, no no no. That isn’t what’s wrong here.” He let out a hearty laugh before getting up from his chair. Slowly, he started to walk toward me. “See, what’s wrong is that you have been planning to go behind my back about it all along. If you’d just asked, I would have gladly given you the freedom you desired.” He cocked an eyebrow from behind his sunglasses. “However, as you saw, maybe not asking was the right move after all.”

“So then.” I said slowly. “What happens now.”

“That, my dear, is up to you.” He reached up and pat me on the shoulder. When he pulled his hoof back, he looked at it and snarled. Vigorously, he started to wipe his hoof on the floor, grunting and stamping a few times before he stopped. “On second thought, I can’t have you dirtying up your own punishment, now can I?” He turned to the abomination. “Take the collaborators to the yard and flog them. Don’t permanently injure them though. I need them unbroken incase this happens again.”

Cheap Shot nodded with a look of acceptance as I looked to him. I wanted to speak up, to tell the Warden not to do it. I hesitated as I looked over the other ponies who had risked their freedom on me. Each one of them sat in silent acceptance. That was the only reason I’d kept my muzzle shut. As the door to the hallway opened, a group of Abominations waited. One by one, they got to their hooves and filed out, guided by the abomination beside me.

As Cheap Shot was lead out, I turned to follow. I was instead stopped by the abomination inside the room, who shut the door to keep me from leaving. In my confusion, I tried to turn myself around, but found a blurry crimson and brown line in my face. The wooden bat the doctor had used sent me sprawling to the floor.

“You know, it’s not often I take to being so crude with a prisoner.” The Warden spoke up as he walked closer. The bat swung down again and I cried out as it caught me on my shoulder. “But it’s just so much fun sometimes!” He swung again and caught me in the stomach. “Don’t you agree?”

I could only whimper as he continued to beat me senseless. By the time he’d finished, I was blacking out from all the trauma I’d endured. Out of the one eye that could still see, I saw the Warden’s pristine white jacked streaked with lines of my own blood. He dropped the bat to the floor with a grunt and turned back to his desk.

“Take her to solitary.” He spoke softly between his tired panting. “Make sure her friend’s get it twice as bad as she did. I will not have my prison become a place for this filth to grow.”