With their trip to the spa finished and paid for; Flitter and Cloud Chaser made the decision to continue to brave the weather in hopes that Sugar Cube Corner was still open. The pair trudged through the snow, hopes held high and wings tucked tightly against their bodies. Flitter shifted her wings inside the toasty hoodie, and found herself growing even more fond of the garment as Cloudy shivered like a wet cat.

"T-that thing you're wearing looks dumb..." Cloudy shot at Flitter as she shivered; her scowl only increased as Flitter smiled winningly at her.

"You're just jealous of Jack's gift.” As Cloud Chaser scoffed and eyed needles in Flitters direction, Flitter couldn’t help but grin smarmily and fluff the old hoodie. “Cold sis?"

"I hate you so much right now."

Flitter giggled happily as she pulled the hood closer. Even after so long, it still smelled like Jack did. While a bit stale, it still managed to put her mind at ease. A few quiet minutes passed as the pair trotted through the snow, before the artistic exterior of SCC rose triumphantly at the end of the street. Cloud Chaser shivered heavily again and picked up the pace. "This is the last time I buy fashionable winter wear from Rarity. S-saddles don't look good as anything other than lingerie!" The older mare practically barrelled through the front door of the bakery; the tires old bell gave a hearty jingle as Flitter followed through shortly after. The bakery was surprisingly empty, save for an older grey unicorn stallion with a dulling red and orange mane sipping coffee over by one of the bay windows. He glanced up for a moment, and nodded to the pair, before going back to his ruminations.

Approaching the unmanned counter, Flitter glanced toward the kitchen and rang the bell. Mr. Cake called out, and after a moment he popped out from the kitchen and propped up a smile. "Good afternoon girls, what brings you out in this weather?"

Before Flitter could answer, Cloudy budged in front of her and chattered "s-something hot, r-right now!" Flitter had to bite her hoof to keep from laughing at the miserable state her sister was in. The gangly carrot topped stallion smiled down at the shivering pegasus as he started pouring her a hot cup of coffee.

"And for you Miss Flitter?" He asked kindly, but stress was prevalent in the lines on his features.

Gazing over the glass case, Flitter found herself torn between choosing something wonderfully sweet, or something that wouldn't make all of the work she was doing with Jack worthless. "I can't really decide... Maybe some tea and a hot scone?" Mr. Cake nodded in affirmation and set about making the order.

By the time Flitter had placed her order, Cloud Chaser had taken her coffee and planted her flank right over the bakery's wall heater. She shivered heavily, before snorting at Flitter's order. "You can't put birthday candles in a scone, you dork! Mr. Cake, its her birthday, get her fat!"

The kindly husband sighed and the lines in his muzzle deepened. "I would offer you a slice of triple chocolate mullah cake, but Pinky apparently ate it in her sleep last night." Flitter became painfully aware of the triple chocolate mullah cake that was digesting in her stomach from the night before.

Coughing politely, Flitter set the bits on the counter and smiled at the stallion. "A warm scone is fine, and don't be too hard on her."

Mr. Cake rolled his eyes. "Right, right." He turned away from the counter and started toward the kitchen. He started muttering under his breath, allowing Flitter to only catch a snippet. "first my wife, now my business..."

Wincing in understanding, Flitter sat down in her favourite booth and waited for Cloudy to reluctantly tear her ass away from the oil heater. It was a long time coming, by the time that her sister had even started to move, Mr. Cake had already brought her order out and retreated again. Sitting down with a weak groan, Cloud Chaser curled herself around the cup of hot coffee as if it were a life jacket floating in a turbulent sea. Precious quiet minutes passed by as Flitter slowly ate her lovely scone and sipped at her tea. Naturally, Cloudy broke the silence with bad news.

"So um... Mom's coming in to town in a couple of weeks. You know how she is, can't show up for both of our birthdays, so she shows up in the middle." Cloud Chaser chuckled weakly, and found it falling flat as Flitter scowled hotly.

"Maybe she should just stay up in Cloudsdale. She only cares about her stupid career, so she may as well stop lying out of her ass that she cares about us." Flitter stuck her hooves inside the hoody's pouch, and felt the handle of her knife. She withdrew her hooves ever so slightly.

Cloud Chaser smiled weakly in response and slugged back the last of her coffee. "Well, she is a politician, so talking out of her ass comes with the territory."

The pair smiled at each other, and finished their small snack in relative silence. When a heated argument broke out upstairs, they took that as their cue to leave. The doorbell jingled merrily as they folded their ears and wings down tight and strode out to brave the weather once again. Upon reaching the plot of land the cloudhome occupied, Flitter turned and hugged her sister fiercely.

"I'm gonna head out and let Jack know about tonight. Will you be alright until I come back?" Flitter nuzzled at her, despite the biting cold.

Her sister sputtered and shook her head in disbelief. "Am I gonna be alright? What about you, heading off to see Tall, Dark, and Mysterious in the middle of a damn snow storm?" Cloudy shook her head again and pushed at Flitter. "Go on, get out of here you scamp. And don't come home pregnant!"

Giggling lightly at the mere idea, Flitter waved goodbye to her sister, and made a beeline for Jack's bolthole. As she galloped, the storm seemed to grow even worse. Sight dropped to almost nothing, and even with the hoodie to keep her protected, she could feel her wings freezing up. So when she reached the rockwall, and the camouflage tarp that covered the cave entrance, she shivered out her thanks to whomever was watching over her, and slipped into the wondrous heat of the cave.

"Jack? Are you here?" Flitter trotted in a ways, before shaking the excess snow from her fur and hoodie. The cave was all but empty, and most strikingly, his armour was gone. The rest of his belongings remained however, meaning that whatever he was doing, he probably wouldn't take long. At least, that's what Flitter thought to herself as she stoked the fire with a fresh log and hopped up onto his small bed. "I'm sure he won't be long..." Her voice echoed around the cave, and a slight chilly wind made it through the tarping. Her wings shook madly from the cold, and she found herself curling up with all of Jack's covers to keep warm despite the fire. "Jack doesn't even have fur, how does he put up with this?"

An hour ticked by, with no sign of her human. Flitter began to worry heavily as she laid on the small cot, curled up tightly before the crackling fire. Another two hours passed, and it sounded as if the storm was finally beginning to abate outside. Still with no Jack in sight, Flitter considered calling it a bust and heading out without him. Just as she was beginning to extricate herself from the coil of covers, the tarping crackled, and Jack's massively armoured form strode through. From the flickering light cast by the fire, Flitter could see blood violently spattered upon his armour. He jerked when he spotted her, and a surprisingly new, gruff electronic voice came to meet her.

"Shitfire woman, if I'd known you were waiting I would have hurried my happy ass up." Jack crossed over the cave and set a stolen pot down by the crackling fire. It looked as if it had been used heavily, and quite recently.

Sitting up with surprise, Flitter almost fell as her legs found themselves tangled in the covers. "Jack!"

"Me!" He tromped over and carefully lifted her up and out of the entanglement.

Flitter flailed her front hooves at his helmet's faceplate as she stared at him with wide eyes. "You can talk!"

Setting her down gently, Jack patted her head with one of his huge armoured gauntlets. "Kinda sorta yes no." He walked over to the spot where his armour usually stood and lifted his arms up. A rapid cacophony of clicks, chitters and chatters filled the cave until he pulled himself free. The first thing he did was scratch rapidly at the back of his head as he stuck out his tongue; he looked thoroughly disgusted.

Having to wait until Jack retrieved his PDA from his armours arm, Flitter could only shake her head and smile. "You are such a goof. Seriously though, how could you talk in there? Why haven't you done it before?" He waved a hand at her as he plopped down on the bed, the pulling canvas popping her up and against him. Flitter flushed hotly as she found herself nearly on his lap. To make things even worse, Jack grinned in good humor and pulled her over so her hooves were poking up and curled up against herself. He scratched at her belly, forcing Flitter to squeak loudly, and break down into hiccuping laughter. "S-s-st-stop!! A-aah! Hahaheheh-nono-Nooo!!" Flitter flailed and squirmed, all to no avail as Jack held her down and mercilessly attacked her belly with his calloused, dexterous fingers. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of torture, he stopped tickling her and settled for calmly rubbing her ears and petting her mane as she stayed curled up in a tight ball to protect her soft underbelly. "Y-you... Are such a jerk...." She groaned weakly as she stretched out and leaned up into his hands. "Seems like you're in a really good mood today though..."

Jack grinned openly and nodded, before giving her barrel a well meaning rub to straighten her tussled fur. It took him a moment to retrieve his PDA and tap out his message back. "Yeah. Spent a couple hours with Field and the tribe. Did some hunting, and got them sorted with some crude fur cloaks. I gotta try and do some doctoring on two of them soon though."

Rolling onto her belly, Flitter head-butted his rock hard gut, causing the human to grunt lightly. "I came over to ask a favour of you." Despite what she'd normally do in such a situation, Flitter remained on his lap, and pressed against the furnace-like Terran. She didn't see the flicking emotions cross his face when she said the word 'favour.'

"Alright." His answer was short and painfully curt. He ceased his rubbing, and simply rested his abused hands on her barrel.

A feeling of anxiety crept up on Flitter without warning, leaving her momentarily lost for words. "I um... My sister, Cloudy- you, you remember her, right?" He nodded slowly, and eyed her curiously. "Well... She um... She owes some money to some rough ponies-" Flitter's words caught on her tongue as Jack's curious look turned mean in a second. He snorted hotly and looked away as he sneered. Trying to salvage what she could, Flitter barrelled forward. "I'm giving her enough money for this payment, but she's really scared, so I'm going with her tonight."

Jack's razor sharp gaze turned on Flitter, and all she felt was cold. A cold, vice-like feeling settling over her heart. Did I make him angry somehow? No... He's... Holding me tightly, protectively? Is he worried? Flitter swallowed nervously and smiled confidently to Jack. "I just wanted you to tag along, and bail us out if they're too much for me to handle. I don't think it'll be too bad." He stared down hard at her, as if searching her features for something.

After what seemed like eternity, Jack nodded slowly and broke a smile as he scratched her ears. "I can do that for you. Simple stuff."

Flitter let out a quiet sigh of relief as she nuzzled his taut gut. "I appreciate it." They remained like that for a few minutes more; Jack unwilling to move his hands, and Flitter unlikely to move away from his warmth. Taking advantage of the silence, Flitter nuzzled him and popped the question that was on her mind. "So you never answered my question from earlier. Can you talk in your armour?"

"I answered. Kinda sorta yes no." He sank into the bed, a quiet groan murmuring passed his lips as he dragged Flitter with him.

"That's not an answer Jack." Flitter nudged his chin as she tried to find a more comfortable position on top of him. Her statement caused him to grumble quietly and tap rapidly at his PDA.

"Don't know the science behind it, but basically when my armour is hooked up with my PDA and a certain option is selected, it jams a probe into the back of my skull and into the language center of my brain, or something like that. I engage a dimple button with my chin when I want to 'talk', and it takes my thoughts and translates them. I hate it. Hate being in that damn coffin any longer than I have to be." He shifted, and scratched at the plug near the base of his skull.

Wincing in sympathy from his description of the process, Flitter once again found herself wishing that she hadn't pried. "That sounds really, really unpleasant..."

"One way to describe it."

She smiled up at him as she rolled, and rested her barrel against his muscled chest. "Why don't you like being in your armour? I'd never take something like that off if I had it." The thought of being in control of something so monstrously powerful sent a pleasant chill down her spine as the mental image formed.

"It's not as great as you think. It squeezes you. To close for my liking, plus I haven't had a chance to clean the filters in on it, so it’s starting to smell like a jockstrap." The was an uncomfortable pause as his finger hovered over the screen, as if he were debating sending what he had written. In the end, he tapped the screen once. "They were and are death sentences for a lot of folk. First prototypes were powered jackets that had a tendency to burn out spinal gyros, which when they went, the poor slobs wearing it got turned into a twist top." He put both his fists together side by side and turned each in opposite directions as he blew a high pitched raspberry. "The mark two's were even worse, being a full body casing. Heat sinks were garbage, so more often than not they'd blow up and cook the user alive on his own suit. Mark three's were a step in the right direction, but they shared all of the same problems. The problems the mark five-". He patted his armour. "Mostly solved. I mean, it's completely possible for my heat sinks to overload and cook me over easy, rocket rack to fail to extend and blow me to bits, the fusion reactor to go critical and rock me back to Hiroshima, or the filters to clog and suffocate me to death with my own stank. I'm a fan of that last one for sure. Oh, and as a wonderful side note. That probe that let's me talk, if that fucks up by even a millimetre, I'll be turned into a gibbering potato before you can blink." He grinned down at the now mortified Flitter. "There's a reason Longbow's are a full volunteer force. We're all loco."

Flitter swallowed thickly as she looked over the armour; standing sentinel over the cave. She was beginning to see it as a tombstone, just as its operator did. "I um... I think we should go meet Cloudy now... I mean, I really like being like this-" she wiggled her flanks a bit as she rested on top of him and smiled. "-but I don't want to keep her waiting too terribly long."

"What do you mean 'we'? I thought I was your overwatch?" Jack's features twisted and hardened as he sat up and looked down hard at the mare now deposited in his lap. "You didn't tell her about me, did you?"

Waving a frantic hoof to placate him, Flitter rapidly shook her head. "It's nothing like that, she got too curious about what I was doing, so I fed her a lie! She doesn't know the truth, I swear!" She felt immensely relieved when he nodded in understanding, and returned to stroking her fur. His finger occasionally brushed by the base of the wings, which sent a desirable shiver through her body. Oh Jack... She rested her head against his chest and listened to his heart beat away steadily like a deep, booming war drum.

They stayed like that for quite awhile, and Flitter secretly wished that she didn't have to get up for anything. When Jack shifted and sat up, she wanted to cry out in protest, to beg him to join her in ignoring Cloudy's plight, just so they could have a few extra minutes. But she didn't, and he levered himself up with a groan as his legs whirred. Flitter closed her eyes and sighed to herself, before slowly following after him. Jack stretched out his sore limbs, before casting a slow, wary glance at the waiting armour. Without a second thought, he pulled himself into the suit and closed it. Flitter winced as he grunted in pain when the probe entered his mind.

"Let's go. I'll be right behind you." He slung the laser rifle over his broad armoured shoulder and nodded to her.

He's following my lead... I won't let him down. I'll show him how tough I am. Flitter smiled as she turned and trotted out of the cave. A plan was forming in her head; one that would win the gruff human's respect.

________________________________________________

When Flitter broke the edge of the forest, she became increasingly aware that Jack had dropped back a large distance. She knew he was there, within striking distance; she just couldn't see him. Turning her mind back to her mission, Flitter picked up the pace and closed the distance between her and her home. The intervening kilometres disappeared all too quickly, and Flitter soon found herself standing just below her door step.

Having followed Flitter at a safe distance, Jack watched as she cast a long look over her shoulder in his general direction, before vaulting into the air. That's still really weird, and awesome... I wonder how sensitive the wings are... Jack pondered the idea for a short time, before throwing his mind back on track. Something shifted in the corner of his vision, teasing him, testing him. Come on Jackie boy, ignore it. It's not really there. Don't waste ammo, don't give away your position chasing ghosts. He forced his mind away from the niggling feeling that gnawed on his brain like a hungry little bug. Inhale, count to four. Exhale, count to four. He repeated the mantra in his head as he slowed his breathing and focused on only it and the floating cloud that was shaped like a house. A sharp twinge struck behind his left eye as the silence carried on. God how I wish I still had meds... I don't want to go back. I just want to sleep... He screwed his eyes shut and fell to his haunches on the soft ground. His armoured hand met his face plate, as if the action of holding his face would make the pain leave him be. Inhale, count to four. Exhale, count to four. The sudden appearance of Flitter and her sister was fortunate, as almost immediately his chiselling headache ebbed away to a mere throb in the back of his mind. Flitter's sister said something as she looked around the pitch black area, only to be pulled onwards by Flitter. Forcing himself to rise, Jack followed after them; sticking to the shadows. He made too little noise for such a Goliath.

When Cloud Chaser led Flitter beyond Ponyville, towards some of the old warehouses, Flitter found her worry increasing tenfold. "Uh, Cloudy? Why are we coming down here?"

"Because this is where their hideout is, duh." Cloud Chaser said it like it was the most obvious, basic thing in the world. It all just didn't sit right inside Flitter's mind, and when her sister spoke again, it cemented the wrongness down pat. "I mean, normally I just meet Flak in one of the alleys, but because I could only pay half last time they wanted me to come down here." The mare sounded oblivious to the possible dangers.

Up ahead, a small, derelict warehouse rose up inside the shadows, and gave Flitter an instant reminder of why she never ever came down this way. The industrial buildings stood out so blatantly inside Ponyville that they felt wrong. Not to mention the crimes that were often commited in the area. A human fighting ring had been broken up a couple months back to boot. Were these gangers apart of that?

"This is it." Cloudy's voice broke Flitter away from her thoughts, and brought her attentions to a bland iron door cast into the side of a blank wall.

"How charming..." She muttered as she trotted up beside Cloud Chaser and stared at the oppressively bland building. Before Flitter could ask a single question, Cloudy trotted up to the door and knocked three times. A moment went by where nothing but the echoing silence greeted them, before a metal slat opened on the door and a pair of dull purple eyes stared out at them.

"Cloud Chaser?" The stallion sounded gruff and gravely, and he was looking down on them from the view slit. Flitter became keenly aware of a faint buzzing that tickled that back of her ear.

Her sister nodded, and held up the bag of bits. "Yep! I-"

"Who the buck is that with you?" The stallion cut her off and sounded slightly pissed off. Apparently Flitter hadn't been part of the plan.

Cloud Chaser shifted nervously from hoof to hoof. "It's my sister, she came with me since you guys decided to do a different spot this time around. Come on Vass, I've got the money, so let me in." Flitter suppressed a smirk. Even in the face of danger, Cloudy felt like she had to boss everyone around. Apparently, it worked. The so called Vass grumbled angrily as he closed the view slit. The sound of a box being moved penetrated the door, and after what felt like forever, there was the loud clack of a iron bar being removed, and the door swung open. Weak light streamed through the open door as a vastly shorter stallion stood before them. He glared at the pair, before making room for them to pass.

"Hurry it up sugar flanks, the boss wants a word with you." Cloud Chaser's mouth worked soundlessly for half a second, before audibly clicking shut. She apparently hadn't been expecting that. The pair were herded in, and through a small hallway; the hallway spat out into a large, open area full of tall wooden shelves piled high with boxes. Flitter's first guess was that the warehouse's contents weren't exactly legal in the broadest of terms. A couple of rough looking stallions watched over them as they were led through the twisting maze of shelves and crates.

Eventually, they were passed off to a pair of stallions wearing iron breast plates, before being led through a heavy door. They were shoved into a small office that stank of cigars and sweat. There was another, underlying smell that curled the hairs on the back of Flitter's neck, one she just couldn't place. At the back of the office was a chubby stallion who wore an obviously expensive black suit, and a very disturbing smirk. He looked over the two mares as they were prodded before his desk.

"And what do we have here?" He rasped; betraying his apparent love for cigars. "A payment jumper and her sister, come to pay Boss Haul a visit. So very kind of you." He slowly cut a stogie with his magic, before running a hoof through his slicked back silvering mane.

Cloudy smiled despite the situation and set the bag of bits down on the table. "And there's what I owe, plus what I missed last payment. Are we all good Mr. Haul?"

The stallion tipped over the bag, spilling shiny golden bits across his desk. "You forgot the late fee, little birdy."

The smile and all of the colour in Cloud Chaser's face drained within seconds. "T-the late fee? I... I didn't know.. How much-"

Boss Haul smiled thinly as he counted the bits. "Twenty percent. Now." The armoured stallions were getting a little bit closer, and Flitter could feel her heart beating faster inside her chest. Panic hadn't set in yet, and she thanked her training for that. Knowing that Jack was just outside, listening to every word spoken helped set Flitter at ease as well.

Her sister on the other hoof, looked as if she was about to burst. Her pupils had contracted, and one could almost smell the fear emanating from her nearly shaking body. "I-i don't have that much... Maybe-"

Again, she was cut off; the gangster was swiftly taking full control of the situation. "So you're stiffing us, is that it?" He set his freshly cut cigar down on the desk and stared at Cloud Chaser as she denied the accusation and shook her head vehemently. "Don't worry little birdy, we've got other ways for you to pay. Flak, Nova, grab them." Flitter felt her heart do one massive panicked flop as the stallions obeyed the order; the large earth pony by Cloudy pounced on her, pinning her to the ground with contemptuous ease. Flitter’s brain clicked in that she had maybe a single second, with her slightly smaller pegasi attacker right behind her. Her instinct said to kick him in the face with both hooves, but at the very last moment, her training cut through and her left hind leg bolted back like a shot and connected with the radius of the stallions foreleg. There was a muted crack, and he let out a shrill shriek of pain. On complete muscle memory, Flitter’s wing snagged the handle of her mono-edged combat knife, and let it spring from its sheath. The terran blade passed through the light iron armour like it was wet paper; the fleshy shoulder muscles and bone beneath that were cut through like hot butter. The USMC pattern handle jutted proudly from the now wailing stallion’s shoulder as he crashed to the floor and writhed in pain.

Tightening her grip on the handle, Flitter tensed to tug it free, but never got the chance. Magic curled around her head, and drove her skull into the concrete floor hard enough to turn the world a brilliant fizzling white and to replace all sounds with a keening whistle that echoed through her head. She became keenly aware that she was being lifted by her head again; the sensation parted in place of pain when Boss Haul slammed her muzzle against his desk repeatedly as he circled it in a fuming rage. “You little bitch!” He jabbed a hoof at the struggling and screaming Cloud Chaser. “Flak, shut her the buck up, but don’t damage her! I’m gonna get my bucking money's worth out of that turkey!” He slammed Flitter’s face into the thick wood desk once again before wrapping his forehoof around her throat. The mare made a weak gasp for air as she bled profusely all over the fine maple and his expensive suit. Leaning in close, Boss Haul sneered with white hot fury. “You’re gonna pay for that, Narc. The guard send you? Well they’re gonna get you back in pieces.” He cast a dispassionate glance over at the squirming pegasi that was supposed to have held her down. “Nova, you worthless birdbrain! Don’t you dare bleed out in my office!”

The stallion nodded shakily as the colour slowly bled from his features. “Y-y-yes b-boss…” His ears flicked as something hit the floor outside the office door. It sounded like something was going on out there, but he could barely hear it through the iron door and over all the noise in the office. Before Boss Haul had even turned his attentions back to the trouble maker, the noises outside had all but ceased, and Nova went back to focusing on not passing out in front of his boss.

Tightening his hold on the small mare’s throat, Boss Haul cupped his hips behind hers and gave her a meaningful prod as her breaths came in raspy and wet. “You shouldn’t have bucked up my boy, Narc. Now-” Someone knocked loudly on the office door three times, interrupting his moment. Cursing under his breath, Haul slammed her face into the desk once more for good measure; ignoring her sister's cries of horror and open sobbing as he turned to the door. “This better be good, I’m-” As the gangster approached the door, Flitter flopped off the desk and onto the floor; at the same time, the center of the door buckled inwards in a distinctly boot shaped pattern. The door exploded backwards off its hinges, plowing into Boss Haul and sending him straight back into his desk. A massive bipedal figure strode in through coiling grey smoke and ripped the blade from Nova’s shoulder; the monomolecular blade cleaved through his chest, sending a crimson gout of equine blood arcing across the office. Before Cloud Chaser had a chance to scream, or her assailant a moment to react; the figure span on his toes and pistoned the knife forward, into Flak’s throat. The figure’s free hand shot forward, and pulled the stallion to the ground at his armoured feet. A second stab was entirely unneeded; the blade practically cleaved Flak’s pounding heart in two, while the armoured gauntlet driving it forward shattered his ribcage like matchsticks. As Boss Haul struggled and yelled under the buckled iron door, the figure took two massive strides forward and wrenched the door off of the stallion like it was made of balsa wood. He grabbed the gangster by the horn and drove his face into the desk. Wood splintered and flesh split as the goliath drew close and growled at the bleeding stallion.

“YOU SHOULDN’TA DONE THAT.”

Cloud Chaser watched with wide, terrified eyes as the goliath snapped Boss Haul’s horn off at the base with a flick of the wrist. The bony, sharp horn twirled in its hand until its point was down; without pause the figure drove the horn deep into Haul’s right eye socket. The stallion wailed at a pitch she’d previously thought unreachable by stallions as he thrashed on the desk. The wailing didn’t last long, as the goliath pulled its balled up fist back and rammed it into Hauls skull, driving the horn deep into his brain and turning his skull violently concave. It was at that moment, when the gangsters grey matter was leaking from his nose, and blood was pouring from his ears and mouth, that Cloud Chaser’s brain decided that it had seen enough, and promptly shut her off. The mare flopped to the floor in a heap, just as Jack incinerated Nova’s head with his rifle. He swiftly kneeled down beside Flitter’s crumpled body once all targets were neutralized and slid his hands under her unresponsive body.

Gently scooping her up in his burly armoured hands, Jack cradled the mare and started scanning her. “Flitter, can you hear me?” The electronic voice did little to relay the intense worry and tingling fear that was present in his mind as he looked down at the bloodied little mare in his hands. “Come on Sparky, come on back to me.” He gently brushed her matted mane out of her eyes, just as her left eye fluttered open.

“wh...d-did i win?” Her right eye was a purple, swollen mess, and blood was running freely from her obviously broken nose. Her fine fur coat was marred and matted by blood; her’s and others. Jack chuckled as he gently stroked her abused head as gently as humanly possible.

“That ya did darlin. Come on, let’s get you and your sister back to base. I’ll get you fixed up right, I promise.” He set her down gently, and looked over to her unconscious sister. The other mare looked as if she hadn’t taken a scratch, besides the mental trauma she was going to have to face, very, very soon. The smell of burning wood, hair, and meat wafted into the office, amongst thick black smoke. “I got a little caught up, didn’t want anyone coming up behind us.”

Flitter tried to push herself up into a sitting position as Jack reached out and scooped something off of Boss Haul’s desk. “sokay… i-” She began to fall over, the vertigo taking her without warning. Before she could touch the floor again, Jack’s hand shot out and held her in place. Stuffing his prize into a dump pouch, he scooped Flitter up in his arms, before tossing Cloudy over one of his huge armoured shoulders. He began walking out of the burning warehouse, passing the bludgeoned and boiled corpses that he’d left in his wake headed towards the office. The front door had a gaping, still melting hole where the view slit had been, and the door pony was missing his head. Most of it, at least. What remained wasn’t worth mention. By the time that Jack had reached the safety of the tree line, the warehouse was completely consumed in flames, and Flitter had fallen into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.

___________________________________________________________________

Cloud Chaser’s mind was a shattered mess. The gruesome nightmare that had unfolded before her very eyes felt like a far away dream, something intangible, something straight out of fantasy. Swimming through the blackness of unconsciousness, the first thing she smelled was Boss Haul’s cigars. An unstoppable bolt of terror lanced through her mind, jolting her awake. Oh Celestia, I’m still in his office, they’re gonna hurt me! They’re gonna kill Flitter! Oh Luna… this is all my fault… She didn’t dare crack open her eyes as she listened to her baby sister whimper in pain and mewl softly in protest. The worst immediately came to Cloud Chasers mind, along with a sudden, horrible realizations. Those animals are taking her first, then they’re probably gonna kill her! Oh flitter… why did you have to fight? it wouldn’t have been so bad if you hadn’t… They’re gonna finish with you, and then I’m next! Why did you have to do this to me Flitter!?

“Hold still, Never fixed a pony nose before.” There was a muted click, which was immediately followed up by Flitter’s pained wail. Somebody shushed her softly, and her wail simmered down to a snuffling whimper. Curiosity took root in Cloud Chaser’s mind as she realized that she wasn’t laying on the cold concrete floor of Boss Hauls office; rather she was in some kind of canvas cot. Slowly cracking open one of her eyes, she peeked out over the olive drab edge; her eyes widened in shock at what she saw.

Jack shook his head and set the smoldering cigar down on the rocks, before dabbing at Flitters bloody muzzle with a cold, wet cloth. Internally he berated himself over and over again for taking so long, for not moving through the warehouse faster. Could have just waltzed through the place, but no, had to be fucking thorough. She paid for that. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid dumb motherfucker. Jack ran a hand down his cheek as he looked down at the beaten head resting in his lap. The last of his bandages had been used patching up where the soft skin had split against the wood and stone. He’d managed to get the swelling to go down considerably, but Flitter still looked like a bloody mess. Her one good eye drifted slowly up to him, and he knew she was in pain. just a little bit of morphine, not even for me… just something to take the pain away… Jack took in a long breath and held it as he stroked her mane softly. To his surprise, Flitter’s muzzle split open into a painful, bloody toothed smirk.

“sure showed them…” She nuzzled gently against him, and was readily accepted by the chuckling human. He didn’t dare touch his PDA, for fear of removing a single finger from her. Pulling her closer, he made sure that she was as comfortable as possible, before wrestling the cover over her using only his feet and teeth. As Flitter closed her eyes and let out a weak murmur of contentment, Jack’s eyes drifted over to his bed, where her sister lay comatose. When he found a pair of wide pink eyes staring back at him, his own eyes widened in surprise. A single word floated up, amongst all the others that vied for use in his mind.

Oh.