The cafeteria was, as usual, uncomfortably warm. This wasn’t even the public cafeteria, this was the one reserved for students in the Section Three classes, yet the smallness combined with the number of ponies here made it hot and stuffy. I had my head resting on one of the many tables, trying to get as much sleep as I possibly could, when I heard somepony call my name.

“Zeed! There you are!” Ashes said as she happily trotted over to my table, giving me a kiss on the muzzle. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.

With a yawn I sat up, and propped my head up on a forehoof as I quirked an eyebrow at my marefriend. “What’s got you so excited?”

She blinked at me. “You don’t know what day it is?”

I shook my head.

She grinned, and gave me a kiss. “It’s your birthday. So much for your eidetic memory.”

I rolled my eyes, ignoring her last comment. “Okay, so why are you so happy?”

She reached in her saddlebag. “’Cuz I got you this!”

My jaw dropped as she pulled out a small bouquet of fennel flowers, which was my absolute top favorite flower, and inconveniently, the most difficult one to get in the Prison. “How… how did you…”

She kissed me again, and smirked. “I figured you’d like ‘em. Happy fifteenth, Zeed.”

I smiled as I popped one of the flowers into my mouth and savored the sweet and slightly salty flavor. “Oh, sweet Luna, these are amazing. Seriously Ashes, how did you get these?”

She smiled at me. “A buck down in Section Seven owed me a favor.”

Popping another flower into my mouth, I hugged her tightly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you."

“Glad you like ‘em.”

“Want any?”

She gave me a sultry grin. “No, but I think I could probably taste them on your lips, anyway.”

I blushed brightly as I swallowed.

“Well, Ah did not need tae hear that.”

I turned to see Knives trotting up with a small bag levitating beside her. “Uh… Hi Knives. Aheh…”

She levitated the bag over to me, grinning widely. I opened it, and squee’d when I saw a copy of Doctor Whooves Versus the Space Pirates.

I took the two ponies next to me and hugged them both. “Thanks you guys! You’re the best!”

~~~~

I awoke feeling refreshed and clear-headed, which was odd, considering that I’d gone to sleep on a pile of rubble. Looking around as I stretched out my legs and adjusted my lab coat and shades, I saw Knives sleeping in a corner, while Raid was standing guard just outside the building we were in, carefully scanning the city ruins with his eyes.

Slowly, and with the kind of mischievous grin that always seemed to make Knives nervous, I snuck up behind him.

He didn’t notice as I carefully and silently moved my head just behind his ear, holding my breath.

He did, however, notice when I shouted ‘Boo’ at him. He noticed so well, in fact, that he jumped several feet in the air.

This caused me to fall over laughing.

“Goddesses, Zeed, you trying to give me a heart attack?” He chuckled.

“Nah. I just wanted to see what you’d do.” I grinned. Searching through one of my pockets, I pulled out a cig and lit it. He returned to his watch-pony duty with a smirk. “Anything interesting?”

“Well… I did see a couple of giant mushrooms tap-dancing.” He said as-a-matter-of-factly. “Oh! And the building on the other side of the street was talking to me. Apparently it wants my soul.”

“So… not much?”

“Nada.” He shook his head. “And I am fucking glad for that.”

“What do you mean?” I puffed out some smoke.

“Well… considering that the sewer had a gorgon in it, it’s changed over the years. Thusly, this part of the city has changed over the years.” He sighed. “So, there’s probably something dangerous lurking in the shadows, just waiting for me to turn my back.”

“Isn’t that how it always works?” I quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Eeyup.”

I sighed, and made another smoke ring.

“So… what are we doing today?”

Raid took a look at his pipbuck. “We still got a ways to go. ‘Bout another half a day, I think?”

“Hmmm… what if we don’t find my dad? Should we just ask around?”

“Probably, but I doubt that a traveling zebra is easy to miss.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because most tend to stay in one place. Even after nearly two centuries, everypony still seems to think ‘the zebras are plotting to kill us all!’” He sighed. “So they just end up staying in one town where ponies know them.”

We were both silent for a moment.

“Go get some rest,” I said cheerfully. “I’ll take watch.”

“You’ve only been asleep for five hours…”

I smiled at him. “True, but I’m already awake, so there’s no point trying to go back to sleep right now. I’ll be fine, just get some rest.”

With a shrug, he retreated back into the building.

I just sat and admired the cloudy night sky.

…

It was immensely boring.

Even that vague feeling of vertigo that I thought had passed days ago wasn’t enough to make it interesting.

With a frown and a sigh, I proceeded to repeatedly and deliberately bonk my head on the nearest door jamb.

I’d been doing this for several minutes when I heard something moving outside.

Drawing my laser, I slowly moved past the door to check.

I didn’t see anything, but the sound came again, further away this time.

Reminding myself of the many ways in which I was being stupid, but desperate to kill the boredom, I followed the sound.

Is that… a foal?

The sound was coming from the other side of a pile of rubble. Cautiously, and as sneakily as I could manage, I climbed to the top of the pile and peered over it.

A baby carriage was just… sitting there… in the middle of the empty city, its occupant crying out for its parents.

Of course, that’s what it looked like. I could only assume that it was some kind of lure for a trap, considering that… well… who would just leave a foal in the middle of nowhere?

I considered for a moment. Should I check and see if it was actually a foal in need of help, or should I tell Knives and Raid about it?

Just as I decided to go back and alert my two friends, I heard the click of a revolver behind me.

“Alright now misseh, don’t you go movin’ on me. Ah’ve got this here gun aimed right at the back o’ yer pretty little head, in case ya didn’t notice,” said a female voice with a heavy drawl. “So unless you want yer brain splattered across the ground, yer gonna stay nice and quiet-like.”

“Awww, you think I’m pretty.” I smirked nervously, trying to hide my terror. “Sorry, but I make it a point to not date ponies who’ve pointed guns at me.”

I could almost hear the mare behind me blush. “What in tar- Ah ain’t hittin’ on you, ya striped numbskull, Ah’m robbin’ ya!”

“Why? I don’t have anything on me.”

She growled in frustration. “Just hoof over yer dang caps, ya idjit!”

“I repeat: None. On. Me.” I thought for a moment. “I got smokes… Want one?”

“No Ah don’t want yer damn smokes! What in tarnation is wrong wit’ ya?”

“Well… I’m a chronic insomniac and I’m emotionally unstable for starters…”

“Whu- What are you talking…” She sighed. “Will you at least shut yer damn foal up?”

I frowned. “It’s not my foal. I thought it was yours?”

“Mah foal is back at home.”

We were silent for a moment.

“Ya really don’t got nothin’, do ya…”

“’Fraid not.”

Another moment of silence.

The gun clicked again, and the mare stepped in front of me. “Sorry ‘bout that. Ah’m just… Well… Ah’m kinda at mah wit’s end. Ah’m completely broke.

She smiled nervously and held out a hoof. “Name’s Bonnet.”

I took her hoof and shook. “Zeed.”

“So… Uh… What’re ya doin’ ‘round these parts?”

“Looking for my dad in bladesville.” I frowned. “Shouldm’t we do something about the foal?”

“Like what? Ah already got another mouth ta feed.”

“Fine. I’ll get my friends and we’ll deal with it.” I moved over to the carriage. “This is just wrong.”

“Well, excuse me. Ah’m sorry Ah don’t gotcher sense o’ morals.”

“Well maybe you should get some.”

I made my way to the front of the carriage and stared down into it. “Well hello there, who are… Oh fu-“

The carriage, which was apparently filled with mines as opposed to foals, exploded, launching me back into a pile of rubble. I felt my head crack on something, and my vision was filled with stars, while the rest of my body just became a dull ache, the pain overpowered by a surge of adrenaline.

“Oh sweet Celestia!” Bonnet cried out, running over to me. “Ya alright?”

That ringing in my ears was annoying.

There was the sound of a stallion laughing behind me. “That’s fucking hilarious! It took forever, bUt I can’t believe somepony Actually fell for that again! It just gets fuNnier every single time!”

“Who the buck ‘r you?” Bonnet shouted.

“D0esn’t matter. Shut up and let me have my fun.” There was a gunshot, and Bonnet fell, clutching at her gut. The stallion laughed again.

As I slowly regained my senses, I heard him trotting up, humming an eerie tune as he did.

I made an attempt to stand, but my legs wouldn’t seem to cooperate with me.

The buck’s face appeared in my vision. An off-white unicorn with a grey mane, blue eyes flecked with reds specks. The most disturbing thing, however, was the cutie mark of a pair of hoofcuffs.

“Ooo0h, this is interEsting.” He grinned. “It’s been a while sInce I’ve caught a zEbra.”

I managed to get my hooves under enough control that I could drive them into his skull, sending him reeling backwards as I tried to stand. I only managed to stumble a bit further away.

“FUck1ng cunt! I’ll gut you like the worthless pig y0u are!” He snarled.

I desperately began to search for my gun, scrambling to get away from the psychopath.

He stomped after me, his eyes filled with rage.

There! Only a few steps away.

I started to make a dash towards the weapon, but only felt a yank on my tail as he grabbed it with his magic. “YoU’re not going anYwhere!”

“Like hell I’m not!” I grunted as my hooves were dragged across the asphalt.

I just needed to get loose…

“C’mere!” His lips curled into a smile.

Think, think, think… How can I get him off me? An idea popped into my head. That might work…

I let his magic drag me to him, rolling onto my back as I did.

With a wide grin, he reared up over me, preparing to slam his hooves down onto my head.

I took the opportunity to drive my back hooves into his gut. It didn’t knock the wind out of him like I’d hoped, but he lost his balance and fell to the side.

I scrambled back to my hooves and practically threw myself at the laser.

Successfully grabbing it with my mouth, I leveled it at him, panting heavily.

Grunting, he stood up, one hoof hovering over his stomach. “Huh, m0m was right. I really shouldn’T play with my fo0d.”

Before I could even react, his gun floated out, enveloped in his crimson glow.

He smirked. “You don’t wanna Fuck with me, you piece of shit. I’m faster than you, and that little flashlight of yours won’t do enough to kill me.”

There was a disturbing glint in his eyes.

“S0, think you wanna risk it?”

I considered carefully what I would do next.

I really didn’t want to kill him. I couldn’t stand injuring other ponies, I’m a medic, I’m not supposed to do that. I mean, I'll hit them, but I don't like doing any real damage. Sadly, I didn’t have much choice at the moment, so I really only had two choices.

On one hoof, I could shoot at his horn, hope that the pain made him drop the gun, and then fire away at him until he stops, or I could just fire away at him until he gives up, and hope that he misses when he shoots, though I could probably deal with any wounds that don’t kill me.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to make that decision myself, as a shot rang out, and the madpony was peppered with shotgun pellets. As he screamed in pain, his magic imploded, and the gun went flying into the rubble.

Then Knives tackled him. The two wrestled in a flurry of hooves and electric shocks as Knives repeatedly slammed her baton into him as he let out bursts of psychotic laughter.

“Zeed!” I heard Raid call. “You alright?”

“Scared shitless. Think I might have a concussion.” I shrugged. “Other than that, I’m fine.”

“Good. When this is over, Knives and I are going to berate you about the many things you’ve done wrong.” He said with a smirk.

“Stay down ye buckin’ piece ay shit!” Knives screamed. “How many times dae Ah have tae hit ye before ye stay unconscious?”

He just laughed, trying to bite her as a last resort.

She drove the baton into his skull, again and again, until there was a snapping sound.

Her currently mismatched eyes wide with surprise, she pulled the baton away to see that the end had broken off, leaving little more than a sparking nub. The now heavily beaten buck went limp.

“Aw…” She whined. “Ah was startin’ tae like this thing.”

The danger over, I rushed over to Bonnet, who had curled up where she fell, sobbing gently.

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, you’ll be fine. It’s just a gut wound.”

“Whaddaya mean ‘Ah’ll be fine’? Ah just got shot, dammit! Ah’m gonna die!” She sobbed. “Oh dear Celstia, what’ll happen ta Cricket?”

“I took three bullets to that area once, and I’m was just fine.” I said with a deadpan expression. “It’ll only kill you if you’re stupid enough to just let it bleed, or get infected. Knives, can you get my stuff please?”

As Knives ran off to get my medical kit, Bonnet’s eyes widened as she stared at me with a combination of confusion and fear. “Wha-what are ya gonna do?”

“Treat the wound. Duh.” I snorted.

“But… Ah don’t got any potions on me… or any bits ta buy-“

I gave her a light smack on the head. “Trust me.”

Knives plopped the kit, a small brown bag of tools, smirking as she did so. This caused Bonnet’s eyes to widen even further.

Before she could start saying anything, I jabbed her with a shot of med-x, making her yelp in surprise. Once I was sure that it had taken effect, I pulled out a pair of mouth-held tweezers, and dug into the wound, yanking out the bullet, fortunately in a single piece. Finally, I took one of the many potions I’d put into syringes and jabbed that into the flesh near the wound, and watched as the magic took hold, the wound stitching itself together before our eyes.

She gave me a grateful smile.

“Good,” I said, a smile growing on my own face as well. “Now that that’s done…”

I drove my hoof into her muzzle. “What the fuck are you trying to rob me for?”

Knives’ nostrils flared. “She tried tae rob ye? Och, well now Ah regret savin’ her.”

Bonnet shuffled away, still on her back and now holding a bloody nose. Raid, who was standing on top of the rubble pile, watching us with interest and keeping an eye on the other stallion, raised his eyebrow curiously.

“Ah’m sorry!” She cried. “The Boss is demandin’ more money from us, and mah husband just can’t make enough! Please don’t kill me, Ah have a foal!”

I blinked, trying to figure out what the hell was going on in her head. “Do you really think I’m gonna kill you? I just healed you!”

“Then…” She sniffed. “Then why did you hit me…”

I shrugged. “I was in a perfectly good mood before you came along. Granted, I was bored out of my mind, but a good mood is a good mood, and you ruined it.”

“But… well.. he’s…” she pointed behind me. “He looks like he’s about to… uh…”

“Raid just fought the nutcase, what are you…” I quirked an eyebrow at her, then I realized that she was pointing at Knives, whose slitted eye was twitching with irritation. “Oh. She’s just easily pissed off, especially when you call her a colt. So… don’t do that.”

Bonnet whimpered, and tried to avoid the mare’s mismatched gaze.

Raid chuckled as he stepped down from the rubble pile. “Heh. I didn’t think you’d just let her live. Most ponies would just kill her out of spite.”

“Yes, well… I’m not most ponies.” I grinned. “I’m a zebra, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“Speaking of…” I put a hoof to my chin in thought. “Hey, Bonnet… I don’t suppose you’ve met a zebra named Nezan, have you?”

“Y-yeah. He comes up every so often, trading all kinds o’ things.” She stammered. “Ah know his wife. They’re pretty nice pon… eh… people… but he’s a bit… odd. Keept talkin’ about Luna a lot.”

“Yup. That’s my dad.” I grinned, trying to ignore that irritating word she just used. “Know where he is?”

“He came into Bladesville yesterday, but… the Bone Eaters attacked shortly after. We still don’t know who was taken…” She cringed.

My eye twitched.

My dad came to the town… and it was attacked… and he might not be there anymore.

I ran through the possibilities in my mind.

Killed? Maybe. It might be one of those raiders that Raid was talking about.

Somepony in the town might have taken advantage of the attack and just killed him for being a zebra. They might have killed his wife and… my… I guess half-sister as well.

What if he was dead? I had just found out he was alive! If he died before I even found him it would… It would be losing him all over again.

Oh dear Luna, what if something happened to Ashes, too?

“Bu-but Ah think that… that Misty Air is still aroun’ though, ‘cuz Ah saw Kara runnin’ ‘round this mornin’.”

Suddenly, I was hit by a spray of water from Raid’s direction, accompanied by the sound of an empty water bottle hitting the ground. Slowly, I turned to glare at him, as he gave me a slightly embarrassed grin and a nervous laugh. “You know, I’ve always wanted to see an actual spit-take… I’ve just never wanted to be the one spat at…”

“Aheh… Sorry.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, Misty Air? Black mane, white coat?”

“Yup. That’s the one. Don’t know where she might be, though. Ya might wanna try an’ search around fer her.”

Raid grinned. “Wow. I thought she kicked it years ago.”

Seeing our collective looks of confusion, he waved a hoof dismissively. “I’ll explain later.”

“Who’re th’ Bone Eaters?” Asked Knives. “It sounds familiar.”

“Old story,” I said. “They were a bunch of demons who ‘take naughty foals to work in the mines of’… well… wherever the parents felt like saying, really.”

Raid gave a humorless laugh and added, “Now they’re just slavers who basically do the same thing.”

My eye twitched again, a whole new set of horrific possibilities running through my head. “Slavers?”

He nodded solemnly. “If we’re lucky, they might have just captured him.”

A bit of hope now restored, I gritted my teeth. “Well, then… Let’s see if we can find them.”

With that, and a few nervous glances between Knives and Raid, we began walking once more.

~~~~~~

The trip was shorter than Raid had estimated. Only about five hours, as opposed to half a day, or anywhere near that.

Bladesville wasn’t much to look at, really. It was simply a refurbished pre-war city, now more of a town. For some reason, I’d envisioned it as being a lot bigger. Of course, I didn’t actually notice this at the moment, as I was too busy being angry and storming towards the city gates while Raid and Knives tried to talk some sense into me. Bonnet simply followed along, apparently having nothing better to do.

“Zeed, ye can’t go and attack a bunch ay well-armed ponies like that,” Knives pleaded. “Yer goin’ tae get yerself killed.”

“I’m going to get my dad.” I said with an air of finality.

“Come on, at least let us come up with a plan?” Raid offered. “We don’t have enough caps to get more weapons anyway, and Knives doesn’t even have that baton anymore.”

I growled in frustration. “I haven’t even seen him in eleven years! I just found out that he might be alive, do you really think I’m not going to do everything I can for him?”

“Neither of us have said that!” Knives groaned. “We just need tae plan first! Fer Celestia’s sake, Ah’d dae th’ same thing if Ah knew mah father was in this situation, but just stormin’ in like that will just cause problems.”

I took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. “This just makes me so angry.”

“Aye, Ah know, but ye need tae calm down.”

I quirked an eyebrow at her.

“Yes, this is comin’ from me.” She smirked. “So, ye want tae come up wi’ a plan first?”

“Fine,” I sighed in a defeated manner. “What do you guys think we should do?”

Raid thought for a moment. “First thing is that we should ask around town. If we’re lucky, we might find out that he’s still here. If not, we find out which way the slavers went and what they’re armed with.”

I nodded. “And when we find that out?”

“Then we see if they have a base set up, most likely sneak in, and find your dad. If he’s there, we see what we can do to get him out and free whatever other slaves we can. If not… well, we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Knives smirked at him. “Ah thought ye said ye were an idiot.”

“I am.” He shrugged. “I’ve done this before.”

Both of us stared at him.

He grinned. “I’m not fond of slavers.

“Right. Bonnet, where can we find some information around here?” I sighed.

“What the hell kinda question is that? Just get yer flank over to the bar an’ ask the bartender.” She frowned. “What’re ya, canned goods?”

I frowned and Knives deadpanned, while Raid let out a quiet chuckle.

Bonnet looked taken aback. “Oh… Uh… Sorry, didn’t mean nothin’ by it.”

“Well, what are we going to do about weapons?” I asked. “Since, according to you, Raid, we don’t have enough.”

“Well, if we got some low-quality crap,” Knives tapped her chin with a forehoof. “Ah might be able tae fix it. We’d just need some… Ah dunnae, junk parts.”

Before I could ask about anything else, Knives held up a hoof. “Zeed, before ye go and start plannin’ all kinds ay revenge or what-have-ye, Ah think ye need tae see yer stepmother.”

“What? Why?”

“Because she might know where yer father went.”

I thought for a moment. “No… I don’t… I don’t think I can do that just yet. I kinda want to see dad first…”

I sighed. “Look, just… It just wouldn’t feel right without him. It would be too weird. She probably wouldn’t even believe me. I don’t even know if she knows about me. If she doesn’t like me… No, I don’t want to… Ruin dad’s life like that.”

“If she’s who I think she is, I doubt that she’d hate you. For any reason.” Raid chimed in.

“What are ye talkin’ about?”

“I might possibly know her. I’m not sure.” He looked to me. “If you want, I could find her for you.”

“No. I don’t want to deal with this right now.” I shook my head. “Let’s just find dad, and deal with it then.”

He shrugged. “Your call.”

“Wait… Are y’all sayin’ that she’s Nezan’s daughter?” Bonnet was wide-eyed.

I nodded.

“Ah won’t say nothin’. It ain’t mah business ta pry into.” She sighed. “But… Ah’ll be honest here, Ah think Ah might be able ta help ya.”

Raid bit his lip. “Sorry to say Bonnet, but I don’t think that’s the best idea.”

She shook her head. “Ah’m not comin’ with ya. Ah got a foal ta take care of, and Ah don’t think mah daughter’d like growin’ up without a momma. But…”

She put a hoof up to her chin. “Mah husband owes Nezan a favor, Ah think. Might have somethin’ for ya.”

“Well…” I said. “I guess we can use whatever we can get.”

“Alright!” Raid clapped his hooves together. “So, Knives, you can go and deal with weapons, buying and fixing and what-not. Zeed, you pick up any supplies we might need. I will go and get whatever information I can. Sound like a plan?”

~~~~~

Bark smiled as he stumbled along the road, dragging a crying young green pegasus filly simply named ‘Green’ along by a rope tied around her neck.

He held the rope in his teeth while his pistol floated unsteadily around his head. Occasionally, he would drop the rope and step on it, freeing his mouth to take a long swig of one of the many bottles of vodka he kept in his saddlebags.

It was during one of these swigs that he noticed a silhouette in the distance, mostly concealed by the orange mists of Canterbury. With a smile, he stumbled towards his, waving his gun around in what he thought was a menacing way, as Green trudged along behind him.

“Hey! Fuckwit! Yeah, you!” he shouted, his words slurring together. “Hold the fuck shtill! I’ll shoot ya if you move.”

The figure stopped. He smiled. Clearly the pony was scared of him. He wished all slaves were this easy to pick up.

Approaching the figure, he was glad to see a fairly attractive unicorn mare, pink coat, black mane, blue eyes and a curvy figure. “Sho, pretty mare… What’sh yer name, eh?”

She smiled at him. “My name is Wretch.”

Bark chuckled. An apt name for a new slave. “Well, ‘Wretch’, my name is Bark, and I’m your new mashter.”

Wretch giggled. “And who’s this filly here?”

“Hey!” he shouted. “You talk when I tell you to talk! I have a gun, got it?”

Wretch furrowed her eyebrows, thinking.

She stayed silent for a moment, as if processing the situation.

Eventually, she nodded. “That is a very small caliber gun, .22LR, I believe. I doubt it will do much.”

Both Bark and Green stared open-mouthed at the pink-and-black mare. Bark was spluttering. Never before had somepony so blatantly blew off his threats like that, it made him angry enough that he actually started to sober up a bit. He hated being sober. “What… What the fuck did you just say to me?”

Instead of answering, her horn glowed, unstrapping something from her back.

“This,” she said, holding the shotgun up for him to see. “Is a real gun. Modified 12 gauge riot shotgun. Fully automatic, and currently loaded with alternating magnum and slug shells.”

Bark just stared at her. “Okay, so you have a fancier gun than me. I can still shoot faster than you, and when you’re dead I’ll just take it from you.”

Wretch just giggled again. “Maybe.”

She took another look at the filly, who was very much frightened right now. “Why are you so scared?”

“Shut up!” Bark barked. “I am the master and you are the slave! I have a gun pointed at your head, and you will do as I say.”

Wretch stopped. She stood still as a statue, not even breathing. Bark gave a smug smile. He knew he had the mare now.

“Then she is your slave as well?”

“Damn right. You’re both going to-“ He never finished his sentence. His jaw was torn apart by one of the magnum shells.

Green stared in horror, as Wretch calmly removed the rope from her neck, smiling as though nothing had just happened. Tears began to flow down her face as she begged, expecting to be killed herself. “Please… no…”

There was no second shot. Wretch just hugged the young pegasus, whispering calming words in her ear. Slowly, Green relaxed, and her tears of fear changed to ones of relief.

Wretch pulled away, smiling. “My name is Wretch. What’s yours?”

The pegasus sniffled. Her voice was hoarse, due to lack of use. The sound surprised her. “G-Green.”

Still smiling, Wretch swiftly looted the body of the failed slaver, and floated all his possessions over to the filly.

“Here.” She said. “You might need these.”

Confused, Green took the saddlebags and quickly put them on, followed by Bark’s leg holster and the pistol. She stretched her wings a few times, hoping they weren’t damaged.

Looking up, she saw that Wretch was already walking away.

“W-wait!” Cried Green.

Wretch turned, a look of surprise on her face.

“Can… can I… Can I come with you?”

With a wide smile, Wretch nodded.

--------

Footnote 1: Diamond Knives
Level up! (8)
Melee Weapons: 75
Repair: 81

Perks:
Brutal Beatdown: Your melee and unarmed attacks have a 25% chance of knocking down a target. Charge attacks have a 75% chance

~~~~~~

Footnote 2: Zeed Kazdri
Level up! (7)
Energy Weapons: 60
Medicine: 75

Perks:
Determined: Whenever you are reduced to 50% or less health, you gain take 25% damage resistance.

~~~~~~

Footnote 3: Raid (???)
Level up! (8)
Guns: 70
Speech: 54

Perks:
Walker of the Wastes (Rank 1/3): You and your team move 20% faster out of combat. In combat, your own walk speed is increased by 10%

`

Quests:

Active Quest:
O’ Father, Where Art Thou?: Infiltrate or assault the Bone Eaters’ base near Bladesville.

Other quests:
Sifting through the dust:
1)
Find information on the location of Ashes.
2)
Find information on the location of Obsidian Knives
3)
–Find information on the location of Nezan Kazdri

-------

(Author’s Notes)

*taps fingers together, in stereotypical bad-guy fashion*

Good evening, readers.

I understand that some of you don’t like chapters such as this…

SO I MADE MORE!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAH! *cue lighting* MUAHAHAHAHAH!

Kidding, of course. I do have a reason for this, I think… *wink*

No… I don’t know what that means…

Things should hopefully pick up a bit more from here.

Thanks to Kkat for Fallout Equestria, and Somber for Project Horizon. Thanks to whoever reads this, and again, critiques are very much welcome.