My vision blurred, and my ears rang, which meant I was alive, in a lot of pain, but alive. Turnip was right about the walls being thick, so we were able to avoid the worst of the blast. Sadly, the building collapsed soon after, it sounding like the roar of a beast, and spewing dust everywhere.

A liquid touched my lips, tasting of sickly sweet grapes, and making me feel better. “Kindly we give up now? Rather sleep, eat, dance. Not hide, shoot, hurt.”

Getting up on all fours, i looked at turnip. His disguise was torn to shreds, and his purple chitin was covered in scratches. He was covered in dust, which mixed with the rain turning into a muddy gray on him. “You know what, that’s probably a good idea. This is way above my pay grade.” Rufus limped over to me, one of his metal legs was messed up, and would need to see a professional to properly fix it. “Oh hey boy, good to see you in one peace. Me and Turnip were just talking, and what do you think about just going home and letting some other pony finish this.” Rufus whimpered, and nuzzled my leg. “I knew you’d agree.”

Without the building to shelter us, the storms full force was on us, the warm water soaking me to the bone. There was a little piece of the building still standing, offering a small amount of shelter from the rain. Trotting over, it was nice to not be pelted with the toxic rain drops, my pipbuck’s ticking dropping to more manageable level of radiation exposure. Rufus shook the water off his cot, a futile effort, but I knew how he felt right now. Turnip was unfazed by the rain, I doubted he was alright, but it didn’t look like he sustained any serious damage from the collapse.

Taking the opportunity, I checked our equipment. The two magical energy muskets were busted, though I could probably use one to fix the other. One raincoat survived mostly intact, so I threw it on to help keep the rain off of me. The rest of our gear was still good, so after sucking down a Rad-Away, I got geared up. The AG-6 went back on the battle saddle, and I put together Lelantos. I placed on my back, a thick strap holding it in place, ready for me to pull it out. With two reavers about, I was going to need the extra firepower.

Turnip had taken the digger gun, placing it on his saddlebag in a way so he can quickly grab it. At this point, the rain had washed away all the mud, and he took his torn up raincoat and wore it like a cape.

“Your friend looks dashing, for a monster I mean.” Theremin came into view, a badly hurt pony on his back. I pointed the AG-6 at him, but he didn’t flinch. He stepped into the small shelter we had, laying the equalist mare on the ground gently. Two pieces of rebar had pierced her chest and waist. “Now would you be so kind as to not aim that gun at me, we are civil ponies aren’t we?”

I complied, less to do with me really wanting to, and more knowing that he was just too close for me to hit him. Whatever cybernetics he had put him at an advantage, I also didn’t know what kind of talismans he had on him, which made him even more dangerous. I suspected magical armor, and possibly a spell to increase his strength and speed. Once more, I still had that tracer in my leg, so running and hiding was not going to happen unless I abandoned the leg, which would slow me down.

The mare Theremin rescued whimpered, gasping for air every few seconds. “You have some healing potions?” Theremin asked me, and I nodded, taking a potion from Turnip’s pack. “Thanks.” He positioned the mare so that she was on her stomach, and placed a piece of wood in her mouth. “This is going to hurt, probably the worst pain in your life, but I need you to be strong.” He spoke calmly to the mare. She nodded, tears in her eyes, and her breath fast and shallow. Taking one of the pieces of rebar in his mouth, Theremin pull it out like she was butter, and the mare gave a deep painful moan. He quickly moved onto the second bar, but this time the mare passed out.

I quickly administered the healing potion, tilting the mare's head up as I poured the potion down her throat. It was likely not enough to fix most of the damage done to her, but it did stop her bleeding, and closed up the wounds.

Theremin gave the mare a look over, checking for any other injuries, finding plenty of flesh wounds that the healing potion had already taken care of. The mare was going to come out of this scarred, but alive. Satisfied, he turned his attention to me. “Thanks. I’ve already lost too many of my own, I’m glad that I’m not going to lose one more.”

It was hard not to like him, all the strength and compassion, he was like a comic book hero. But the image of Kanteles broken face made it easy for me to hate him. Whoever this pony truly was, he was dangerous, and one wrong move, and the three of us were dead. “Turnip, take Rufus back to Club Three Dog, I’ll be right behind you.”

Turnip looked at me, at Rufus, and then back to me. “No!” He stepped between me and Theremin. “You not fight alone. You lose. So I help.”

I shook my head. “You're not fighter Turnip. Just head to safety.”

He looked away from me, and at Theremin. “Ready.” Theremin didn’t waste time, and met Turnip with a jumping hoof strike. Turnip countered with his own, their hooves colliding with a slap. Turnip slid back a few inches, but was able to hold his ground, and when Theremin struck with his other hoof, he countered it as well.

The two were locked hoof to hoof, and Theremin laughed. “I’ve not met another pony who could meet me in strength, so what the fuck are you?”

Turnip held firm. “I Lurker, known as Turnip by ponies, I serve my princess!” He began pushing Theremin back. Turnip never took me for a strong Lurker, but he was still a lurker, and even a weak lurker could overpower a strong pony. But I doubt Turnip could do more than this, the reaver was most likely meeting strength with strength like it was a game.

“A princess?” Theremin rolled his eyes. “I expect no less from monster taking pony form. Latching onto the worst aspect of pony society.” He sneered as he dug into the ground and pushed Turnip back an inch. “What makes this princess better then you, better than any of your kind.”

I took the opportunity to flank Theremin, jumping into the rain and aiming my AG-6 at his side.

Turnip snarled. “Know nothing! She is our heart, our light. Without the queen, without the princesses, we are no more than beasts. You say the worst of ponies, but I read history. If ponies had listened to their princess, this world would never be!”

Firing, the rain made it hard to properly aim, and I just grazed Theremin’s side. He glared at me and took a step back, as Turnip lurched forward, Theremin twisted his body and crouched. Turnip fell onto the reaver, who then used his strength to throw the lurker at me. My hooves slipped on the slick ground, preventing me from dodging.

Turnips body hit me hard enough to knock the wind out of me. If I didn’t have my gasmask on, I’d be drinking radioactive mud. We both got up, Theremin standing above us on the rubble.

“Are you done now?” His voice was a mix of annoyance, and concern. “My word can go a long way, so if you both surrender now, I’ll see to it that your cells are properly furnished.” Theremin paused for a moment and scratched his chin. “I’ll even make sure you can have legs during your stay.”

He was asking nicely, but all the niceties were gone now. I could surrender, but Turnip seemed adamant that we fight, which was making things worse. Not that he was wrong, I didn’t know what Theremin wanted to do with me, but I knew I was not going to like it. If I could at least drive him off, we might be able to escape.

I did have one trick up my sleeve. “Sorry, but not today.” I activated S.A.T.S. Selecting to retrieve the flashbang from my leg, and tossed it right at him. Time moved slowly as the grenade flew from my leg, and at the reaver. Theremin moved slowly, but much faster than the grenade. He lifted up one of his legs, and swatted the flashbang away from him, and up into the air. To my horror, my eyes stayed locked on the flashbang, S.A.T.S. not allowing me to look away, or even close my eyes. Like what my drill sergeant told me so many years ago, she lost her eyes because she mixed grenade’s and S.A.T.S. Something I never truly understood until right at this moment.

The flash blinded me, but luckily the storm muffled the bang. I could only hope Theremin had been blinded as well, so I blind fired my AG-6. The forceful puffs of my rifle were followed by the sound of steel hitting rocks and wood. A sign that I missed my target.

My vision recovered, and to my horror, Theremin stood face to face with me. “My eyes are cybernetic; flashbangs don’t work on me.” He struck the AG-6 with his hoof, ripping it off its straps. The battle saddles safety’s allowing the rifle to come off without dragging me with it. “As is most of me, now if you please simply surrender, then I won’t be forced to make you.” Turnip quickly turned around, but before he could do anything Theremin bucked him, sending the lurker sliding through the mud. “This is not a fight you can win. So stop trying.”

I just needed an opening, a clear shot, and this fight would turn to my advantage. Theremin hit me in chest, sending pain through my body, and sending me sliding back a few hoof steps. “Can’t you see, you lost!” he spat out at me. Luckily the hit didn’t feel like it did as much damage as he had before, probably do to me moving with the hit instead of resisting it. “So stop, stop before this gets any worse.”

Above Theremin on the rubble, Rufus positioned himself to attack. The cyber dog was about to give me the opportunity I needed, I just needed to keep Theremin’s focus on me. “And why can’t you just let us go?”

“Because we need ponies like you!” His voice seemed to plead to me.

“Why me, killing a Paradise Dragon can’t be that important?” I was legitimately curious about this. I understood the political connections with saving Harp, but the equalists were unlikely to care about that.

He laughed. Not a happy laugh, or a nervous laugh, but the kind of laugh you have when know something the other person does not know, like an inside joke. “Killing the dragon just put you on the top of the list.” His voice crackled, almost as though another voice was taking over.

Theremin stepped closer to me, and I stepped back. “What List?”

Before Theremin could answer, Rufus attacked, jumping onto his back and surprising the reaver. Hopping back, I entered S.A.T.S. again and used it to pull out the IF-152, and only that. I needed more control then the tactical spell gave me, so not to hit Rufus.

Predictably, Theremin threw Rufus off his back, and in that moment I fired. The stream of napalm set Theremin on fire, and I didn’t let go of the trigger until it’s fuel tank was spent. The heat from the fire threatened to burn my face, as I watched the Cyberpony burn. Oddly he didn’t make a move to defend himself, he only stood there, as I burned him alive.

The flames didn’t last long, as the rain doused them, leaving behind a charred black pony. Turnip and Rufus got up and joined me, the Lurker nudging me to leave. But I couldn’t take my eyes off of Theremin. And as though answering a worrisome thought, his eyes opened up.

“You know; I saw this coming” His mouth didn’t move, simply stayed open. His voice was that of a mare, though artificial and a bit high pitched. “Though I was hoping you’d use the revolver first, then I’d grab it from its levitation, and pistol whip you with it.” Theremin chuckled, though it sounded more like a mare’s gleeful giggle. “Or that strange rifle, so I could bend it right in your face.”

He stepped forward, some of his skin flaking off revealing the cybernetics underneath. He was more machine than pony, like in the horror movies about cybernetics gone wrong. Theremin took a step forward, and I took three back.

“What’s the matter little missy. scared, I know, perfection is a frightening thing, but it does not have to be.” He tilted his head, his voice still like a mare’s. “Just give up, and accept your fate.” Before I could react, Theremin launched himself at me, and sent me rolling with one hit. All I could do was cover my head with my legs, protecting my head and gasmask.

The pain was far worse this time, and I contemplated just laying on my back and giving up. The pained cries of Rufus brought me back from my daze, and I rushed onto my hooves. Turnip was right next to me, sporting a crack on his chitin. Rufus was unfortunately under the hoof of Theremin, who had an ear to ear grin on his face. If this continued, Rufus was going to die. “STOP IT! I SURRENDER, JUST LET HIM GO.”

Theremin slowly tilted his head to me, not blinking once. “You, my dear, must learn what happens when you disobey.” He reared up, and I knew what was going to happen next. Entering S.A.T.S. I selected my revolver, and prepared to fire. whis this I had more luck, and the maneuver went off smoothly, Lunar Eclipse hitting it mark on Theremins chest. But the Cyberpony didn’t flinch, or falter, his hooves coming down.

Everything seemed still, the rain pelted me, but it didn’t matter. The wind roared, but I didn’t care. All I could see was Rufus, his head limp, unnaturally dangling from his head. Kanteles fractured face. Sweet screaming in pain.

“YOU FUCKING PIECE OF HOG SHIT!” I fired my revolver at him, no control, all I needed was one bullet to connect with something vital. Everything became a blur as once more I found myself sliding in the mud.

Theremin was just too fast, too strong, and a far more skilled fighter than I was. Getting up, I saw Turnip staring at Theremin, placing himself between him and I. If I didn’t think fast, Turnip was going to die as well. I entered S.A.T.S. slowing down time for me, and allowing me to think of a proper plan.

Lunar Eclipse still floated next to me, but i needed to reload. Theremin would be expecting me to reload and fire, and Turnip would make a good shield from it. My rifle was still an unknown to him, but like before, he would be expecting me to it. I had a frag grenade on me, but he’d be fast enough to counter it.

Conventional tactics were not going to work, and with this bug somewhere in my leg, trying to slip away from him and get a surprise attack at range was not going to work. The other problem was keeping Turnip alive, which meant that I was going to have to close in just to support the Lurker. If only I had the element of surprise, this would have been easy. Surprise… Something unexpected… something not me…

From what Theremin was saying, it sounded like he, or who he works for has been keeping an eye on me. Professional was how I liked to portray myself, someone who my clients could rely on, which in essence meant predictable… Could that be what Theremins owners saw in me… what he saw in me… What everypony has seen in me…

What Rototom didn’t want me to be…

It was not like i didn’t like to be predictable, it meant I lived an easy life, a good life, and right now a short life. I wanted to live, and not as some pawn. Throwing safety out the window, I used S.A.T.S. to get the one frag grenade I had on me and placed it into my front right leg, pulling the pin and closing the hidden compartment with the safety lever still in place. It was reckless, but the leg was a liability to me, so why not turn it into a shrapnel bomb.

Time returned to normal, and I charged. My new back legs dug into the ground far better than any legs I had ever had before, launching me forward. Theremin kicked Turnip away, sending him rolling in the mud, which was good for me, as I didn’t want him to get hurt by what I was going to do. Close in now, I leaped at Theremin, and he dodged, which was fine by me, I had another target. His tail was still mostly intact, and with my fingers extended, I grabbed it.

“What do you think this will accomplish?” Theremin barked out in a creepy mare like voice.

I simply smiled as I hit the mud. “Just being reckless” I activated tactical S.A.T.S. once more, entering in for it to open the compartment on my leg, and detaching the leg itself. As time slowly returned, I then used my back legs to jump out of the blast range, but only managing to sip on the ground… this was going to hurt.

Turning to look at me, he still had the creepy smile “Well you fa..” Theremin was cut off with by an explosion. His back end was pelted with red hot shrapnel, shielding me from the deadlier part of the blast. But I was still hit by the shockwave, making my ears feeling like a spike had been driven through them.

Everything hurt all over, but not at bad as my ears, but it still hurt. It took me a few seconds to regain my balance, and look at my surrounding. Theremins back half had been blown open, revealing more cybernetics… no, it was only cybernetics. At this point I felt safe to assume that he was just a brain in a mechanical body. Such a thing was not unheard of, but ponies who lose even a part of themselves tend to suffer major psychological problems. Theremin was far too lively for the level of modification he had.

I trotted over to Rufus, the poor cyberdog just lying there. I didn’t know what to expect, maybe I could save him somehow, but with his neck broken his body was useless. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” My hoof reached out, and cradled the hound. He was hard to hold with one leg, so I just pressed him against my chest. “You were a good dog, a very good dog. If only I was faster… stronger… smarter.”

“You can be.” The voice was of a mare, garbled a bit in static. It came from Theremin who lay on the ground, motionless, with his mouth open. “We can make you all those things, and more. We can even save the dog.” His voice crackled and popped as he talked. “The brain could still be recovered, changing a cyber dogs brain or body is nothing new.”

I glared at the cyberpony. “At what cost.” I asked. his mangled body just laid there unmoving. But it felt that he could just get up at any moment, dashing any hope of victory.

“True equality…” he said. “Become one of us, and take part in the purest form of equality.” I didn’t know what he was hinting at, but it made my skin crawl. “You have seen what the Orphic kingdom did done here, such unnecessary violence, destroying a landmark, and for what? Fear that we may help their peasants throw off the shackles of their oppression, that in the end history will prove us right, and them the savages.”

Theremin was as mistaken as I had been about Graceful Gust. The actions of the pirates being seen as an attack by the orphic kingdom. If Old Song was seen here, they’d blamed this on Orthrus as well, I at least had an excuse of recovering the bug… “Where’s the bug!” I had almost forgotten about it.

He just laughed, it was an artificial sounding laugh, made all the creepier with him not moving. “Gave it to Waterphone, the pony is better with tech then I am. I’m sure he will make good use of it.”

The old stallion didn’t look like he would be as much of a challenge when I saw him, but he was likely to have a team of equalists guarding him, and then there were the two oversized drones. With me missing a leg, it was defiantly time to give up, and pass the job onto somepony who is better equipped. There was just one thing I could do, even if Theremin didn’t listen, I could say that I tried. “The pony that blew up the building, she was not from the Orphic Kingdom. She was an outsider, part of some fleet on the water. If the republic goes to war with the Orphic Kingdom, these outsiders, they will sweep in like vultures and destroy your equality. It’s why I was out here, why I need that bug.”

Theremin didn’t respond, I couldn’t tell if he was dead or simply thinking, but if he was alive, I hoped the little information I gave him was enough to keep a lid on any saber rattling. Not feeling like waiting around for a response, i placed Rufus on the ground. If he could really be saved, I didn’t see how, the cover to the cyberdogs brain case had been knocked off, and the liquid inside had become cloudy. I was no cyber doc, but even I knew that was bad. He deserved better, but we needed to move quickly, so we had to leave him behind.

Turnip came up right next to me, offering support as we walked away. My eyes stayed on Theremin as long as possible, until he was too far behind me for my head to turn. Even with him unable to come after us, my mind could not stop imagining him still doing that, dragging me away into the darkness.

We took a back road to avoid running into any Equalists that may have gotten away. I was going by the fact that I didn’t see the other Reaver, so I was sure they were out there. My map program guiding us thru the route, which was for the most part, gone. Unless any of them had a pipbuck, were not going to be found easily.

The tropical rain, partnered with the radiation, made it sickly warm. Whenever the tree line thinned out, the wind made the hateful drops of water pelt me sideways, and threatened to steal the tattered raincoat off of me. the only part of me that was saved from this maddening weather was my face, but the inside of the gasmask was starting to fog up, meaning that my filter was reaching its limit. This also meant that my warm breath had turned the inside of the mask into a little sauna. Overall I was miserably wet and warm, yet I felt cold. It was like my heart was cold, and that coldness spread through my bloodstream, reaching every part of me. Was it the guilt of not saving Rufus, I was sure it was. It could also be that I would have to tell Cabrette that her family heirloom was unlikely to return, I did dread telling her that. But I knew where this feeling of coldness truly came from, the knowledge that I had truly failed.

I had thrown everything I had at Theremin, and came out of it battered and beaten. I didn’t know how many more ribs were cracked, or if my ears would ever stop hurting. I had to sacrifice my own leg just to stop him, and before that Rufus. Luckily I still had Lunar Eclipse and Lelantos, the only consolation to this mess.

Turnip looked worse, as his chitin was cracked in a few places, and his blue blood stained his jumpsuit. It was strange to see, as the worst fracture’s glowed red from underneath, making him look like he was going to explode like a volcano.

“Do we still have any healing potions?” I asked. The pain was nearly unbearable, and with my adrenaline coming down, it was only getting worse.

The Lurker rummaged thru his bag, and then my case, pulling out one vial of healing potion, and a bunch of broken shards. “Just this, you drink.”

I tried to protest as he shoved it in my mouth, but missing a leg made it hard. Taking a gulp, I managed to keep myself from drinking all of the potion, leaving the other half for Turnip. When he pulled the vial away from my mouth, he looked at it, and then at me. “You drink the rest. We both need our strength.” He nodded, and finished off the potion. I felt a little better, and a few of the cracks on Turnip closed up. We were far from being healed, but it did bring some of the worst pain down to more manageable levels. I did wish we had some med-x with us, that and more healing potions. “Okay, let's…” Tunip shoved the last Rad-Away in my mouth, and I glared at him.

I slowly sucked on the Rad-Away as we continued down the back road. At this point It was simply me making waypoint markers, and hoping we didn’t fall into an exposed ancient sewer.

Faintly, as we moved, I could see a light in the distance, and the sound of somepony talking. We slowed to a crawl, not wanting to give away our position, and checked to see who it was. Turnip pulled out the digger gun, and I pulled out my revolver.

” I will not stayeth putteth 'r be quiet thou untrusw'rthy pony!” It came from a mare in a drenched dress. Her outfit looked like it was made from other dresses all stitched together, and covered her from head to hoof. A gas mask and hood hid her head, and some old boots sunk into the mud. Overall she was a strange sight to see. “I careth not f'r thy petty squabbles.”

There were other ponies in the small clearing. One layed on the ground hiding under a rain coat, another wore a camouflage raincoat, and held an AG-5 with an extended barrel. A fourth pony was also covered in a rain coat, but the same kind the equalists were using.

The pony in the equalist raincoat spoke up. “Lessen up nag, if you go out there now, you’re going to die. And when you do, you’ll bring that Cybernetic freak right to us.” The voice was that of an older stallion, the same voice of the one I met outside the radio tower.

Sighing, I stepped out into the open, both Old Song and the sniper aiming their guns at us. “Don’t shoot, I’m friendly.” Leaning on Turnip, I raised Minerva up for them to see.

Old Song checked his pipleg, and a few seconds later, waved at the sniper to lower their rifle. I could hear a groan come from him as he trotted up. “Tell me what the fuck just happened?!”

“Long or short?” I responded.

“Both, I need details, no fluff.” His head scanned the two us, his ears moving about. “But the shorter the better.”

“Right, well I entered the radio tower no problem, the equalists didn’t seem to be up to anything, just waiting around for a move order. I ran into another infiltrator there, made a mistake thinking the pony was orphic.”

“Bandit, or anti-equalist?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Pirate, a Pegasus Pirate to be exact.” I answered, and Old Song nodded. I quickly explained the rest of what happened, including our fight with Theremin, and he just listened. After the explanation was done, we were taken over to the rest in the group, who were all doing their best to keep the rain off of them, except for the mare in the dress.

“At least that’s one of the freaks down, but we still have the other two hunting us.” Old Song explained. “It seemed that half the equalists left the building to go after me and my partner.” The sniper nodded. “The one leading the hunt was the mare, Blaster Beam. The other just slowly followed her with his drones, had this creepy as fuck look on his face. Well seeing what was after us, we fell back. That’s when we came across these two.”

The mare on the ground just groaned, and the one in the dress ignored us, scooting closer to Turnip. Turnip looked a bit worried by the attention. Old Song continued. “We were able to avoid detection by hiding under a rusted bus, but that trick won’t work a second time. And that’s when you came stumbling in.”

I nodded. “So it’s safe to assume that the equalists are now all over the place, and probably doubling back.” I looked at the map on Minerva. “There is a substation not too far away from here, if we can get to it, we’ll be able to get back to the metro.”

Old Song sighed. “I’m sure you already know it’s not that easy.” I nodded again. “Likely they sent a few ponies to check it out, so we're probably going to have to fight our way back underground.” He pointed at my rifle. “Can you use that with one hoof?”

I thought about it for a moment. “Ya, but I doubt I’d be all that good without my other leg” The levitation talisman I had could hold it up, but without the targeting program calibrated for it, my accuracy was not going to be the best.

Old Song looked at his pipleg one more, tapping a button. “Prometheus, show me the last known locations of all hostiles, movement speed, and trajectory.” He tapped the pipleg a few more times before putting it down. “Right, we have a window opening up in a few minutes. The path won’t be free of equalists, but they should be thinned out enough to cut through them without alerting the rest of them.”

We had a plan, and now we just had to wait for Old Song to signal for us to move. This gave me time to get to know the others in the group, partially to just get to know them, but mostly to make sure I was not going to get surprised by another pirate infiltrator.

I skipped the mare bothering Turnip, she gave me a bad feeling, but in more of a creeper way. The sniper was not interested in talking, just motioning that I move along with a hoof. Last was a mare cowering under her raincoat. She had a bright green coat, and a dull red mane poking out of a green hood. I thought for a moment, and remembered, she’s probably the one Cabrette wanted me to keep an eye out for. “Excuse me miss, would you happen to be one of Cabrette’s contacts?”

She looked up at me for a moment before nodding her head. “Did Cerberus send you?”

“She wanted me to keep an eye out for you. She was, well, worried.”

The mare got up, and I could see why she hadn’t returned. There were two large holes in her leather barding, both clean and burnt. Under the holes was exposed skin, milady bunt, but healed over. She had been hit twice with a magical energy musket, probably lucky to be alive. “Ya, I need to apologize about that.” She held her fetlock in her mouth as she began suppressing a few coughs. When it was over, I could see a little blood on her leg as she put it down. “I kind of fucked up, and got too close.” She extended her other hoof to me. “Names Shawm, and you are.”

“Vibraphone.” We shook hooves. “Are you going to be okay?”

Shawm shook her head. “Radiation poisoning, I ran out of Rad-Away three hours ago, and the two Orthrus ponies only had enough to keep me out of the red.” She had to suppress another coughing fit before continuing. “Even if we get to safety, and I get the radiation out of me, I’m going to be bedridden for weeks.”

Her bloodshot eyes were all I need to see to get that she was telling the truth. Radiation poisoning was not a pretty sight to see. “Well at least I’ll have some good news to come back with. So just hold on, we’ll get back to the metro soon.” She nodded, and I trotted off back to Turnip. The strange mare was now shoulder to shoulder with him, and he didn’t look comfortable with it. I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from laughing. “What’s up with her?”

Turnip looked away. “Can’t say.”

I was about to pry, but Old Song whistled for our attention, and we gathered close. “Let’s move, just follow my partners lead. If you have a gun, keep it ready, but don’t shoot unless i say so, do you all understand?” We all nodded. “Good, let’s get moving.”

The stallion put Shawm onto his back, and I had Turnip help me along. Lelantos rested between Turnip and I, ready for me to use it if the need arises. The digger gun turnip had been using was now with the strange mare. I asked him about it, and Tunip told me he gave her it. When we were safe, I was going to have a few questions.

We ended up abandoning the trail, not that there was much trail to abandon. The equalists had been doubling back, and at one point nearly running into us by a hair's breath. The forest may be easy to get lost in, but it was also easy to keep hidden.

The storm was not letting up either, and was now joined by thunder and lighting. Everypony jumped at the sound when it first started, the thunder luckily muffling Shawm’s surprised scream. The rest of us managed to keep our cool, but by how everypony's head was on a swivel, the tension was thick.

The Sniper, who I got a better look at, was in all likelihood an Orthrus trooper. It was hard to tell under her thick camouflage raincoat, but I was able to get a glimpse of her combat barding. Actually, I was getting a few glances of her plot whenever she had to get through some brush, or over a log. She wore camouflage panties, and I was getting the feeling that she was silently flirting with me. If she was, it was going to be an awkward goodbye. But if worst comes to worse, and we have to bunker down in a dry spot until daylight, I’m not going to complain if she starts spooning me. It probably be no different from when Rototom and Sweet would do it to me. The cunts knew I didn’t like it, and did it anyways.

Our momentum was halted when a rad-boar crossed our path in a sprint. The beast was small, probably an adolescent, but would have still done any of us great harm if it had collided with any of us. From behind us, another rad-boar ran passed our group. I made eye contact with Old Song, and he immediately picked up the pace.

Pushing us from behind Old Song shouted. “GO GO GO!” Panic was in his voice, and I pushed forward, not needing him to tell me why. He threw Shawm from his back, and onto the stage mares. “I’ll try to keep them off of us, you get to the Metro!” Pulling out a shotgun, he fired it at an oncoming rad-boar, sending it sliding, and stopping right before colliding with us.

The sniper joined Old Song, firing their guns at more oncoming red-boars as we threw caution to the storm and ran for our lives. I’d seen herds of rad-boars before, but never this big. Were they would normally number in the tens, this was more like the hundreds. The only thing keeping us from being trampled by this stamped was the forest, which forced the massive herd to break up enough for us to find pockets where we could avoid being crushed beneath them.

it was an odd sound, the wind, rain, and thunder now mixed with the sound of hooves stomping, and loud squeals as the board ran passed. But there was one more sound, it was getting closer, and sounded familiar, like thunder but unending. After a few seconds it became abundantly clear what was making that noise when the sound of a minigun went off in the sky. The fucking pirates were back, and were chasing the stamped with a vertabuck.

Searchlights lit up large sections of the forest, as the minigun wildly shot through the forest. Keeping out of sight was easy enough, but now we had to worry about being hit by stray gunfire. As the Vertabuck flew overhead, a lightning bolt struck it, revealing three pegasi, and two griffins escorting it.

With the trees blocking most of the view to the sky, the vertabuck went in and out of our sight, but we could tell it was circling the area, the searchlight threatening to reveal us each time it came near. We pushed on, as we were no safer standing around then we were on the move, and if we could get to the metro we would be home free.

The trees both became what protected us, and blocked us from our goal. As closer we got to our goal, the more we had to detour around a grouping of trees, or branch that acted like a fence. If It would have helped us, I’d set the whole place on fire.

A loud squeal marked bad news, as a huge rat-boar meandered through a bush and into our path. The beast was covered in scars, and one of its tusks was chipped and rotten. With help from Minerva, I awkwardly held Lelantos in my left hoof, using Turnip to hold myself steady. The rad-boar squealed loudly again, and charged. I fired, and despite my less than stable aiming, I managed to hit the boar in the head. But, either do to the Lelantos not being fully pressurized, or the fact that the beasts have thick skulls, I only managed to cut the boar's face.

The rad-boar simply ignored me, going after the ponies closer to it, Shawm and the mare carrying her. I focused to charge more magic into myself, and into the rifle. Trusting that they could dodge the rad-boar long enough for me to get another, better shot on it.

They managed to get out of the way, but the rad-boar did rip the strange mares dress, revealing one of her legs. A purple leg with red glowing joints. Before I could say anything, Turnip ran over to the mares, leaving me to fall into the mud. The rad-boar turned around, stomping the ground and squealing loudly again. It charged, but this time Turnip intercepted it, hitting it low, and sending both of them tumbling.

Lelantos was now fully charged, and being prone on the ground kept my aim stable. As the rad-boar got up, I fired. The bolt went through the beast's neck, getting logged into a tree on the other side. Its squeal was more like a scream as blood shot out of its neck like a sack full of tomato juice, eventually dropping down to a trickle as the beast stumbled back and fell over.

Getting back up, I placed Lelantos back onto my back, and trotted to the others. I helped Shawm up, who had fallen off the female lurkers back, much of her was hard to recognized now, the mud now covering her all over. Looking at my own mechanical hoof, I probably didn’t look much better.

Turnip was tending to the female lurker, who was relatively unharmed, other than an exposed leg. “Running away from home, Mayall?”

The lurker mare looked at me, and removed her gasmask revealing her face. Shawm gasped apon seeing the Lurkers face, but was too weak to do any more. There was nothing I could pick out that would make her distinguishable from the other sparkle-lurkers I’ve seen, but her chitin did seem to have more of a shine to it then Turnips.

“Don't needeth to explaineth myself to thou!” Mayall spoke, her metaphorical nose up in the air. "I hast only cometh to claimeth what is mineth."

The pirate vertabuck flew overhead, it’s searchlight shining on the ground only a few yards away from us. “Fine, I don’t care, we just need to move.” Shawm helped me stand, and we weakly began to move.

"I don't taketh ord'rs from ponies!" She spoke, sounding insulted. Turnip began pushing her to follow us.

We made good time, the trees now being spread out enough that we didn’t have to take any detours. The rad-boars had also cleared out, making our path clear.

To our side, the sound of a shotgun went off, and we all stopped. Then a red beam shot above our heads, it making a loud twang sound as it bathed the area in red light.

Old Song jumped over a bush, and into our group. His raincoat was nothing more than a chard rag now, and his armor had three scorch marks on it. “GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, NOW!”

The two lurkers were already gone, and me and Shawm did our best to move faster, but neither of us were in any condition to run.

“Oh why don’t you stay” Blaster Beam’s synthetic voice hit my ears, daring me to look back. I failed to resist, and looked. She had come out from behind a bush, both her forelegs and the guns that replaced her wings had a deep red glow coming off of them. “The night is still long, and you murderers have not yet been punished.”

Shawm pushed forward, her teeth chattering, forcing me to return my attention on running. A red beam of magical energy hit the tree ahead of us, causing Shawm to freeze.

“Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, noooooooo. You don’t get to run. Unless I want you to. But I don’t” Blaster Beam laughed, her artificial voice making her sound like somepony had corrupted the sound file for laugher, and never bothered to fix it. The wing that had fired slowly regain its glow, going from pink to red. “First I’ll turn the stallion to ash, then you two, and THE BITCH THAT’S HIDING OUT THERE.” She screamed at the sky. “AND THEN I’LL SHOOT THOSE FUCKERS OUT OF THE SKY!” As she looked back at us, her left eye twitched. “Sorry, it’s been a long day.”

Old Song stepped between us, keeping his eyes on Blaster Beam. “You two get going, I’ll hold her off.”

I nodded and dug my back hooves into the ground. “Shawm, hold on to me.” She looked at me confused, as I positioned myself under her, and stood up on my two back legs. Gasping, Shawm slipped a little, but managed to hold onto my back. I galloped… ran off, not much faster than before, but still faster. A red beam shot passed us, only missing me by a hoof. I didn’t stop, stopping would be our death, if I could get to the metro, we will be safe.

My efforts paid off, as we entered a clearing, and across from that was the metro station. “You still with me, were almost out of here.”

Shawm grunted. “Thank goodness.” She said weakly. “I got a date tomorrow, don’t want to miss it.”

“Mare or stallion?” I asked.

“A bath.” She answered. “A long, warm bath.”

I chuckled. “Same here. I have a shower waiting for me.”

I pressed forward, the twang sound of a magical energy musket going off was not far behind us, and salvation before us. I trusted the specter to hold his own, and the sniper was still out there, so he had support.

We made it halfway to the station when everything lit up like it was daylight. “HEY THERE FRIEND!” I looked up to see Graceful Gust hovering above us. “Wow, you freaks do act like zebras sometimes. Probably should just shoot you now, save you the embarrassment.”

I let Shawm off of me. “Go on ahead, I’ll deal with them.”

“How?” she asked.

I shrugged. “I just will, so get going.”

Shawm slowly trotted to the metro station, as my eyes stayed locked onto Graceful. She landed on the ground in front of me, taking a glance at Shawm before looking back at me.

“ehh, we’ll let her go.” She smiled. “You’re a better prize. Like a week's’ worth of rations prize!” She began tapping her hooves together. “If I sell three days’ worth of rations, I can by some psycho and med-x. Then I can sell another day’s rations to get the chemists to make me some stampede.” The pegasus shivered with excitement. “And you just need to come with us.”

A griffin landed next to us, holding a dead piglet in one it’s talons. “I marked another big kill. We got a shit ton o' pork now. Not more fuckin' seaweed.”

“I know right, if we knew this place had pork, We'd have been over years ago.” She said excitedly.

The griffin flew up to the vertabuck, and I could hear a cheer come from the cockpit. Somehow, I was not surprised that these pirates enjoyed eating meat. They had the look of savages about them, and if it weren’t for the enclave, I’d think the outside world had gone insane.

“Why me, and how did you know?” I at least need that answer before making a run for it.

Graceful giggled. “Ultraviolet paint. Tagged you when you weren’t looking.” She pulled out a small spray bottle. “It’s a great way for marking targets for a night raid, or ponies who might be of interest to us.”

Talk about being marked, for once I’d like to be the one who has some other pony marked. “You do know I’m not going quietly, right?”

She laughed again. “I was hoping you wouldn’t, more fun this way. “

With a flap of her wings, she jumped into the air, circling around, and dive bombing at me. Without the fourth leg I didn’t have the agility, but Graceful made it easy to read her attack, and I rolled to the side, dodging her kick. She slid along the ground, all four hooves holding firm until she stopped. With a stomp of a hoof, she charged, and this time I attacked.

Entering S.A.T.S. I pulled out Lunar Eclipse and fired a shot at her leg. Blood and tissue flew off her leg as she tumbled to the ground. Her tumble became a roll, and the roll became a hoof strike to my face. I hit the mud, and got a close look at the leg I just shot. It had already stopped bleeding, and she stood on the leg like it was never shot in the first place.

I aimed my revolver again, but she kicked it out of Minerva's hold, sending it flying into the grass. “Not bad. Need more hoof to hoof training. But I bet you’d make an excellent member of the corpse brigade.” She scratched her chin. “ I bet it’s because you're good looking under that mask, and that Blakey Spotty can’t keep his dick in check. You know how annoying it is when there’s not enough stallions to go around. I wouldn’t be so bad if Spotty didn’t always have his dick in an earth pony, stupid unicorn.”

Great, I lost a fight, and now had to hear about stupid whore problems. I’d rather be shot.

She looked down on me, and smirked. “I bet you’re the kind that keeps saying no, but deep down in the far reaches of your mind, you're saying yes.”

I wanted to brain bleach that statement out of my mind. Shaking off that thought, I got back up on all three legs. “How about you shut the fuck up and get this over with.” I’d have to find a way out of this, but right now I was beat.

She removed her rebreather just to stick her tongue out at me, before putting it back on. “You’re not being any fun, you know.

“Well I’m not in a fun mood. Maybe if you let me go, and come back later, I’ll be in a better mood.”

Graceful trotted over to me, but suddenly stopped to look down at something. “Well fuck.”

With an ear splitting pop, everything went white, making me blind and deaf. Something hit me on the side, and lifted me off the ground, holding me up.

My vision slowly returned, along with my hearing, that was now filled with just a mild ringing. I found myself on the back of Mayall, with Turnip right next to her.

"Be grateful, I only doeth this because he ask'd me to. " Mayall said with a annoyed tone to her voice.

I waved at Turnip. “Thanks, I Owe you another one.”

“No counting, but you could take me back to dance club, with Mayall.” I nodded at Turnip in agreement.

The minigun from the vertabuck went off above us, sending a spray of bullets ahead of us, splattering mud everywhere. Mayall and Turnip slid to a stop right as Graceful landed in our way. “You fucking freaks, I will boil you and suck your meat out from your legs!”

*BAM*

Mayall fired the digger gun at Graceful’s face, sending the pegasus reeling back, screaming in pain. The Vertabuck moved in to intercept us, but Turnip threw another flashbang, letting it cook for a few seconds before throwing it in the air. The airship banked to its side when it went off, buying us precious time as we ran.

Graceful one again attacked, hitting Mayall with a kick, but it was not enough to knock her off her hooves. Sliding along the ground, Graceful rubbed the leg she kicked Mayall with. “What the fuck are you made out of!” Her face was covered in small holes, and one of her eyes was all red, the other bloodshot and bleeding.

The Lurker princess just huffed, and a screeching sound came from her. The pirate held her head and screamed, not stopping Mayall as she trotted over her.

The Vertabuck once more cut us off, but this time when Turnip threw a grenade, it backed off, avoiding the concussive blast. “Go, I distract it!” he ran off holding another grenade in his mouth, and the Vertabuck followed. He managed to dodge the fire from its minigun, the low flying airship not able to properly maneuver enough to hit him.

Mayall and I managed to get inside the Metro Station, Shawm just to the side of us struggling to catch her breath. The lurker turned her attention back to the outside, and so did I. Turnip had managed to dodge the vertabucks attack, and despite having a red glow coming off of him, was actually hard to see in the dark. With another toss of a grenade, he managed to hit it, forcing the thing to make a hard landing. The airship sliding along the ground, one of its propellers almost hitting the ground.

The sight of Turnip filled me with relief and he galloped over to us, the Lurker doing an amazing job. It would be the kind of story I could tell the others about, not that they believe me, a sparkle-lurker taking out a vertabuck with a grenade. but It would be a better story then taking one out with a megaspell gun or something. Everypony seemed to have a story like that, but somehow seemed to lose the gun.

Turnip got closer to us, and tripped, the next thing I knew he was lit up with a flare, and Graceful flew into the sky. He got up and looked at us, and at the flare stuck to him… and back at the vertabuck… He bolted away from us, and Mayall went after him. I looked at the vertabuck, which was still grounded, but managed to turn.

With a loud twang sound, the Vertabuck shot a beam of magical energy, bathing everything in a red light. Turnip was gone, just gone. A line of burning grass went from the vertabuck, to were Turnip was, quickly being doused by the rain.

I stumbled back onto my flank, feeling numb. The door slammed shut, Shawm placing a metal beam in the slots so to keep the door closed.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING, THERE STILL OUT THERE!”

She started coughing, deep painful coughs. “The others can find a way around, but we need to move.”

My anger was quickly overtaken by the numbness, and I just nodded. “Ya, they’re going to be just fine, we’ll meet up later.”

Shawm nodded, and slowly trotted to the underground. The way down was by escalator, though they had long stopped working, most of them falling in on themselves do to rust. Luckily this tunnel down still had some normal stone stairs. Shawm and I took the stone stairs down, she was already far ahead of me. my three legs making it hard to go down at any speed other than slow.

There were still a few wartime posters in here, faded, but intact. Pinkie Pie is watching you, and recruitment posters were the only ones left, pinkie's eyes still seemed like they were actually looking at me. There were a few others, one being an old Stable-Tec poster from after the war, The Overstallion with his two first generation mirage pony foals, and his pet Orthrus. They never knew how everypony was going to latch onto that image and rename us to that.

*Splat!*

Red droplets hit the glass of my gasmask. Looking down at my hoof, Shawm's body lay broken on the steps. Slowly I looked up, seeing Waterphone, two drones, and the two guards from the radio tower.

Waterphone pulled out a handkerchief and wiped a bit of blood off his suit. “Such dirty business, but now that the roach is dead, I’m going to have to ask you to come with me.”

My numbness left me, and I felt hot, angry, scared, impotent, useless. I stumbled to climb up the steps, but was cut off by the flying drone.

“I can’t have you leaving now, not after you killed our ponies. Good show with the explosives I have to say, but they were overall expendable.” Waterphone slowly trotted up to us. “Missing a leg, then you must me the one who fought Theremin right. Found pieces of your leg lodged in his flank, and the dog too.” The two guards trained their guns at me, and the older equalist leaned on the safety rail. “Sorry to say that the cyberdog is unsaveable, no cure for a broken brain.”

I was done, and let myself go limp. “His name was Rufus.” I choked, trying to hold back my tears. “Rufus.”

Waterphone sighed. “I know how you feel, had one as a foal, loved her more than the world itself, but like with all things, she got old, and eventually died.” He put a hoof on my shoulder. “But trust me, this will be for the best. Just come with us, we only want to ask you a few questions. You can start with telling me your name?”

I shook my head. I’d given up, but I didn’t want to give them anything.

“Is that so, a shame.” Waterphone said with a disappointed tone. “Well you won’t be the first spy I’ve captured, and far from the first I cracked.” The flying drone came closer, and two prongs poked out from its front. An electrical bolt shot from one prong, then the second. “I’ll just need you knock you out for a bit, and…”

And explosion rocked the stairway, and dust flooded the tunnel from the surface.

I felt a hoof hit me on the side of the head, knocking me over. “The bitch must have had more explosives!”

*BLAM* *PING*

Everything became still and quiet for a moment, Waterphone looking up the tunnel with an intense stare.

“KILL EM ALL BUT THE THREE LEGGED MARE!” Graceful Gust yelled, and the tunnel was filled with the sound of high caliber gunfire.

“RETURN FIRE, SHOW NO MERCY!” Waterphone retorted as the two drones and guards fired up the tunnel. The ballistic fire was now joined with bolts of magical energy, drowning out any and all noise with that of gunfire.

I didn’t know what to do, or where to go. I was trapped, and whoever won this fight would claim me as a prize. And I didn’t want to imagine what would happen to me. All I could do was futility attempt to cover my ears with one hoof, leaving the other to be doomed to go deaf.

Suddenly I felt something grab the back of my neck, piercing the raincoat, and finding a hold within my barding. “EAT LED YOU CHROME FREAKS” The pirate poured automatic fire down the tunnel, hitting one of the drones, forcing it to back off. With a powerful tug, I was dragged up the stairs, the pirate still firing his gun along the way.

The next thing I knew I was feeling the rain and wind on me again. “Good job mate, now let’s get out of here!” Graceful Gust spoke happily, and as soon as she flew up, she was nearly hit with a red beam.

Synthetic maniacal laughter could be heard, as more red beams fired off. Looking over, Blaster Beam was charging at us, with at least four equalists right behind her.

“Oh Luna, you must be testing us.” Graceful sighed. “Long Flight, take her and get to the ship, we’ll provide covering fire.”

The pirates opened fire, one was still holding the stairs, and Graceful and two more were firing at Blaster Beam. One of the pirates was hit, and turned to ash before my eyes.

With a great leap the griffin took me to the sky, the wind only getting stronger the higher we went. I got a good look at the battlefield from above. The vertabuck was slowly leaving, just hovering above the tree line. The Metro Stations front had been blown open, the front of the building was now just rubble. I could see no sight of Turnip or Mayall, but I held out hope to see a glint of glowing red.

The griffin left the battlefield, flying the tree line. I attempted to struggle, but found that I lacked the energy to try anything. I reached for my rifle, to only find it missing. The only thing I did have was my knife, which meant I had a plan. A plan that involved stabbing, but it worked before, so why not now.

“Don’t be stupid pony. If I drop you here, you will die.” The griffin spoke, looking me in the eyes as he flew. It surprised me so much that I froze. “Good, I rather not go ripping off your legs. Personally I find them cute.” Great I was being hit on by my….

Everything went white with a tremendous crackling roar.

Footnote:

Quest Completed

- No Goddesses, or Princesses, Only Mares.

- I like to lurk.

Quest perk gained.

- Sometimes we all need to be shown a little kindness - As it turns out, not all the sparkle-lurkers are all that bad, aside the ones who mutilated your best friend, you could actually call them good. +1 to charisma, and a new companion is now open to you.