Chapter 8: A Band of Angels

It was early morning the sun was lighting up the desert sand. Turning it from a dark brown to reflecting a bright white Night Light and Trouble were already up and eating some canned food, talking while Dawn roused herself from her sleepy state.

“Wah kinda oppostion we looking at now that the desert rats are gone?” Dawn could tell by the sound of his voice he wasn’t expecting a happy answer.

Night Light spoke with her sweet voice in a stern tone “We got Purists in the area, Heavy’s the finest they can throw at us.”

Dawn was on her hooves now joining them Trouble rolled over a can of some tinned fruit 200 year old pears…Yay.

  On the front of the pears was a white and brown spotted stallion wearing an eye patch it read “Pip Squeak’s surprise, Scary but Filling!” Dawn had to wonder what that had to remotely do with canned pears.

“What are Purists?” she never heard of them but by the sound of the conversation not the chummiest of ponies.

Trouble answered “They call themselves Angels smug cunts.”

Night Light continued for him “They came from Germaney but when they found out the rangers left they decided to expand. Marizona being in close it seemed like easy pickings, there are a few settlements out here though and their putting up hell of a fight.”

Trouble finished his meal as did Dawn during this talk, it was disgusting but it fills you. Trouble rose onto his hooves and began to trot.

“We got miles yet two more days on the road oh and kid, keep an eye on your EFS.”

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They trudged on. The sun rising slowly into the sky it hadn’t disappeared behind the clouds yet. Many hills and sand dunes were still cast in shadow giving it an eerie feel.

Dawn trailed behind her two companions as they walked side by side they were quite intimidating. Trouble with his mane hanging down his back, his duster singed and ripped and Night Light with her spurred cowpony boots and hat plus that jacket looked pretty good too.

Trouble started conversation “Hey, Ranger what kinda armor you got under that jacket.” until now she had it tightly buttoned up.

“Dragon Scale alloy. Only the chest piece mind you. Yours is pretty damn tough too what is that? ”

“Manticore bone infused with weapons grade stubbornite.”

Night Light laughed, “That’s overkill it must have cost what fifty grand?.”

“It was a gift actually for my seventeenth I got it valued all in all at a hundred grand it’s a rare piece.” Night Light whistled in appreciation.

“Them Angels are totting around half an inch at its thickest of depleted energy crystal fibre armor, that’s even tougher than what the steel ranger’s are boasting.”

“You gotta hand it to the Germane’s though, 200 years on and they still got it.” Trouble admired they’re resolve, even though he called them cunts earlier.

“A lot of bad things going on there now.” Night Light said in a sorrowful tone. Trouble nodded in affirmation. Dawn kept quiet this whole time she never has any idea of any of the places they are talking about except New Pegas.

They walked on more and more. Minutes bleed into the road when Trouble stopped and threw out a hoof to beckon the others to stop “Ya hear that?”

“What?” Black inquired, “I don’t hear anything.” Nigh Light affirmated.

“Voices… wind is carryin em I fink.” After a 30 second pause Trouble lowered his hoof back to the desert floor.

“They’ve gone.” They resumed walking Trouble looking concerned and Night Light looking disgruntled.

Dawn was flabbergasted. What was that all about? Voices? Her EFS was showing nothing. But he wasn’t wrong about the Ghouls in Caturi she didn’t figure him to be wrong about this either.

They came to an old burned down linear settlement that lingered after the megaspells hit.

It was little more than some wood walls now but once it must have been 10 houses on either side of the road it was more of a residential abode then settlement really.

Dawn checked her Pip Buck tag “Oasis avenue.” Weird how it does that.

They continued down Oasis Avenue checking inside the houses it was mostly caved in roofs, stone and wood walls the most stable parts of the houses frame remained erect.

At the end of the road was the crest of a rather steep hill. The sun was barely reaching its summit when a dozen ponies twice the size of a regular pony appeared at the top of it.

Trouble and Night Light dove behind one of the walls of the houses they were about house 4 of 10 on the left side. It took Black nearly a full 3 seconds to copy them she was such a dunce.

Trouble looked through a missing wooden plank in the wall at them Dawn stood adjacent and did the same “Oh, Fuck.” Angrily swore Trouble.

The sun shone off the dozen ponies they were clad in glacier blue metal armor that almost doubled their girth. They were wearing battle saddles two belt fed machine guns on either side drawing ammo from their underbelly all 12 of them with the exact same.

 Dawn had to admit there was something biblically elegant and heroic about them they’re soft blue glowing visors on they’re helmets.

Trouble swung out The Red Queen and loaded her full of Blue ammo this was curious.

Dawn whispered over to Trouble “Psst, what does blue do?” he never explained what the others did but they were clearly colour coded.

“Range.” He shot back and fitted his mask over his face the visor lit up once fastened correctly.

Night Light unslung her Valkyrie and loading in some rather oddly shaped bullets tipped her hat down and went to the far left of the building and waited at the corner out of sight.

Trouble nodded and turned to face Dawn.

“Okay kid, here’s the plan don’t aim for the chests. Tha fuckin armor is way too strong aim for the visor with your rifle righ?” Dawn nodded briskly this was going to get bloody. The dozen ponies were unmoving completely stoic at the top of the hill still.

“When ah break from ‘cova you dash acroos the street get behind that wall there,” he gestured with one of the exoskeletons digits to a stone wall about 3 inches thick. “Got it?” Dawn nodded and shifted “One more tin, try to hide yourself, them machine guns will be ripping shit up.”

The ponies on the hill in unison formed a battle stance they’re legs arched heads ducked low Trouble looked to both of them and then nodded.

Night Light bolted around the bend up to the next house for cover Trouble stood up on his hind legs and unloaded as Black sprinted across the street.

On the hill sparks were seen flying off the Regulators armor merely causing their shoulders to fly back upon impact the Red Queen was proving ineffective at this range.

“Bull Shit! This is eight gauge High Fucking Velocity Slugs!” he ducked back down.

Dawn was in cover also. She darted a look at Trouble and spotted what most have been 2-dozen laser sights painted around him and his cover. “Oh shit.”

The hilltop erupted with multiple flashes as all 12 ponies unleashed the fury of their belt fed machine guns upon Trouble. He hid behind a chimney stack where the concrete was thickest all around him the bullets were sailing through the bricks kicking chunks of stone from the wall turning them into fine powder. Night Light’s head was still ducked low she was at the corner of house five of ten on the left hand side.

Dawn had to get their focus on her, give Trouble some space. She shimmied over to a breaking in the wood and cement and hovered out Bad News. She rested Bad News’s bipod on one of the planks and carefully took aim. The one on the far right was her target the pony’s soft blue visor; her bull’s-eye.

She squeezed, the pony’s visor exploded their head flew backwards smoke rose from the smash in the visor and blood flowed down the pale blue helmet.

The two closest to the fallen pony turned to face Dawn she jumped out of the way. “Stay hidden.” like Trouble told her. As soon as she moved the wood was vaporized splinter’s shooting everywhere. A pelting of lead slicing it’s way through everything around her.

She felt the warm gust that accompanied the bullets rub off on her, launching her into a panic.

She was shaking again just like the first time. How many bullets were in the haze they sent at us 2000 a minute? She couldn’t keep the field around Bad News so she let him fall to the ground next to her. She was breathing heavy her back against the chimney stack her hooves tucked in close she looked over at Trouble. Dawn’s plan worked they were giving him some breathing space. He swapped out the blue magazine for a yellow one. How many colours does this guy need?

Trouble peered towards Night Light and nodded and she readied herself for something.

Trouble stood up once more and fired but unlike usual, the Queen made the sound of a regular gun not the usual blast and nothing serious came out of the barrel just small projectiles.

Dawn looked through a hole. She was keen to see what effects these rounds had. They seemed entirely unamazing once fired. But when the struck home. Dawn seen through the bullet holes, it was amazing.  It struck a pony and exploded off them. Grenade ammo! The pony’s armor was compacted around his chest and hooves and one of his machine guns was blown off he fell over presumed crushed.

They were focused on Trouble again there waves of steel smashing against Trouble’s ropey cover. Night Light was hardly in sight house 7 of 10 now she was closing distance. For what Dawn had no idea.

Dawn had regained some nerve her concentration coming back. She levitated Bad News and crawled fla ton her belly to the corner of the house. Keeping out of their field of fire. So as he could look right down the road at her prey.

She slipped into S.A.T.S she was still pretty shaky so she needed some pre-war wonders.

Bad News found the skull of a pony. The round impacted hard with the pony’s helmet missed the visor by a hairs breath it shook the pony violently though, locking up it’s armor it fell over like a vase rocking. Rendering the angel useless.

The ponies tightened their ranks and began to pace slowly down the hill. They were slowly lifting their hooves and it took several seconds for the same hoof to touch the ground again.

Dawn figured it was the cost of so much armor.

Night Light managed one more house now. 8 out of 10. She was waiting at the side anticipating them. Night Light hovered out a bangle of hand grenades and rested them adjacent her hovering  Valkyrie. Ready to spill blood.

Trouble broke from his cover and sprinted across the road towards Dawn. The soft thump of the grenade ammo leaving the barrel at their low velocity. Bullets bouncing all around him snapping against the road and sand narrowly missing him. Some ripping holes in his blowing duster. He crashed hard into the ground next to Dawn swapping magazines yellow for more yellow.

He threw Dawn a syringe and signalled for Dawn to move behind to house no.3 on the right side. She did as directed instantly crouched over moving behind the house bullets whizzing around her. Trouble slung the Red Queen on his back. He took out from both sides of his inner duster two launchers. Dawn thought at first single shot grenade rifles with a rubberised tube underneath for grip and a composite stock with 10 inch barrels. She was surprised when he clipped the two together the rubber tubes beneath clipped as did the stocks. Printed on the stocks was “DK-MK3.”

He cornered to face the hail bearing down on them which was now focused on the street to try and stop any attempts of return fire. He held the weighty weapon at the hip spun round from his cover and fired both barrels.

“VWOOOOMH!!!”

The blast blew Trouble back a whole foot. The flash was immense the barrels glowing red. Dawn never heard a noise like it since the EverBright mills the blast wave formed a dust cloud around Trouble whihc he used to retreat back around cover.

The poor bastard on the receiving end had 2 bullets the length of a fore hoof cleave him in two. In ripped through the armor with a grinding shriek. Gore spattered all over the remaining 8 ponies his head and most of the ponies torso flew 4 feet into the air. Dawn could have sworn she heard one of the ponies scream through the helmet.

Dawn went prone and crawled they were about to pass Night Light. she crawled to the edge the ponies were congregating on Trouble forming a diagonal line to focus on him. When finally the chimney stack gave way he leapt to the ground and started to dart for new cover the ponies keeping track of him as he slithered.

Dawn took off the cap of the syringe and stabbed herself in the leg and injected the game changing agents into her blood stream. She let out an odd groan of pleasure as the enhancing effects of the drug kicked in. Stimulating her senses the fear dissipating from her body.

All the colours now sharpening and contrasting she rested Bad News at the apex of the building. They had Trouble encircled Night Light was about ready Dawn fearlessly strode out from her cover took aim and fired wildly. “Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom! Click.”

She downed three more in this wild spray but she needed a re-up. In her enlightened fearless state she felt no need for cover. Even though four of the ponies now had her in their sights their lasers painting her torso.

“RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT”  They unloaded into her. Dawn didn’t have time to duck. Her small frail body was pounded with machine gun fire. She collapsed into cover unwillingly. Blood was seeping through the punctures in her armor. It was a strange sensation. Lead in her blood stream. She couldn’t breath her, inhaling was little more than stifled gurgling.

Night Light threw 2 bangles of grenades into the crowd they were too slow to outstrip them.

“BAAAAAANNNNNNGGGGG!!!!!!”

the explosion blew 3 of them into mince meat. Smearing the white armor in thick pasty gore. The remaining 3 squirming on the ground like turtles turned on their back.

“KID!” Trouble called out Dawn rolled onto her stomach losing her remaining strength. She felt all her muscles turn lax. The Jet’s effects keeping her conscious without it she doubted she had the strength to inch her perforated body onto the road. Her body flopped onto the hard tarmac every inch of the black aspahlt weathered to a jagged point.

Trouble ran onto the road and blew the brains out of the remaining white clad ponies with 3 double shots to the head with his revolvers.

He flung himself over to Dawn frantically trying to take off his helmet, Night Light joined him a few seconds later. He reached into his duster and slid a small metal box adorned with several butterflies with a red cross in the centre onto the road. It opened softly and inside where various medical apparatus, healing brews and needles filled with weird chemicals.

Blood was trickling from her mouth but she ddin’t feel it as it crept up her trachea. She was losing consciousness her eyesight was darkening in the corners.

Trouble shoved a bottle into her mouth and tipped it in. It slid down Dawn’s neck without resistance it had a sort of minty taste to it but was spoiled due to the saltiness of the blood.

Trouble unfastened her armor’s straps. The plates fell off her chest showing 9 small holes littering her torso blood flooding from them.

His hooves slid up to his head and felt around the dome of his helmet in exasperation and panic. He quickly grabbed some bandages from the first aid box and began applying them.

Night Light just stood behind him a worried look on her face. Trouble was giving himself directions under his own breath. Dawn still had sharpened senses after all. He pulled the bandages tight and gave her another potion and once it was empty he flung it hard into a wall shattering it.

Her vision enhanced things were brightening up when he took a needle in his hooves another syringe of Jet “You may feel a little sick after this.” He addressed her as he jammed the point into her lower spine. She faintly grunted and smiled as she felt the tingling of the contents flowing into her body.

She inhaled slowly. With a jolt her eyesight was clear again. Everything seemed faster, yet slower. She felt amazing, thrilled to be alive. Everything was snappy she felt stronger she could hear Trouble’s steady breathing through his mask and Night Light sigh in relief. She felt a mixture of feelings one being anger the other amuseent and maybe a little sadness as well. Other than that it feels she just woke up fully recharged. No not fully recharged, OVER CHARGED.

 Besides a queasiness in her stomach she was in spectacular form. Her head snapped wildly from the two ponies as she got back onto her hooves.

“That was Fucking awesome!” Dawn exclaimed Trouble burst into laughter behind his mask Night Light shook her head and smiled.

“I’m glad ya found it so interessin, come on one of them bastards is still alive.”

Night Light galloped up next to Trouble “What are you planning on doing with em?”

Dawn was positively glowing. She found herself bouncing in circles around the two she never felt so damn happy in all her life.

“I intend to find out some information dear.” He wisely intoned.

“Oh…” she said.

Dawn was still being eccentric. Skipping around hopping and springing around Trouble and Night Light as they proceeded up the hill to the unconscious “Angel”

“Eh, Trouble what exactly did you give her?” Night Light was a little worried by Dawn’s behaviour.

“Life saving stuff.” He laughed he was enjoying Dawn’s behaviour it was quite odd considering not 5 minutes ago there were 9 holes in her chest and blood was trickling from her mouth.

Night Light merely nodded.

“Would that happen to entail Jet?”

“Well Jet is life saving under the right circumstances.” He persuasively threw in.

“Fuck it, Trouble she’s going to get addicted at this rate.” She was angry at his decision to dose her up again but she knew if he didn’t she wouldn’t be here right now.

They came to the top of the hill the downed pony had a large dent in his helmet the bullet jammed in the metallurgy just above the visor. This was the one Dawn took down.

Trouble grabbed his machine guns and ripped them from his being and flung them several feet away. He then clenched around the pony’s helmet and yanked it off revealing a white stallion with a golden mane and a pudgy face.

Trouble slapped him sharply across the face 5 times making the stallion come into consciousness. Dawn’s mood swung from bouncy into a growling battle stance her body chemistry was really messed up.

“Wha’s da crack Angel?” Trouble sneered and punched the stallion in the face his head snapping backwards before lolling forwards.

“Who are you filth? Where are my comrades? They’ll have your heads savages!” The angel said with an elitest accent.

“Big fucking posh voice on him.” Muttered Trouble.

Trouble laughed to himself. The pony’s armor was locked up without his helmet he was rendered useless. He was completely at Trouble’s mercy or lack of mercy.

The haughty Angel looked over to Night Light and eyed her up.

“I thought Starsky’s desert rats pulled out of the area you must be one of the cowardly ones they’re hunting down.” The stallion snidely remarked.

Night Light approached the Stallion and raised her hooves before Trouble threw out his to stop her.

He restrained her and said “I need him to be able to talk! I’ll handle this” she gave up her resistance and backed off with a dark scornful expression.

Dawn merely watched Trouble paced around the pony. His armor in lockdown his body frozen in an erect state.

“Now, boy your gonna sing like a wee fucken canary and I’m gonna tell ya when to stop, where are the rest of ya?”

“I know that accent, you’re on of those Coltic rats aren’t you? You whiskey drinking potato-eating scum. All your good for is drinking and fucking like the mongrel savages you are! With your filthy zebra war paint you wear those marks of shame like badges of honour. We made examples of your kind once you know. We nailed them to a bonfire and threw their  detestable lie filled books in that savage tongue in with them.” The stallion seethed hate through his teeth.

Trouble merely took out his flask filled to the brim with his own special brew and took a swig and after that he palmed a cigarette and lit it with the same golden zippo with the blue flame. He went eye level with the stallion and asked “Are ya ah drinkin pony mister?” The arrogant stallion spat mocus in his face. Trouble wiped the saliva off and returned to his hind hooves. The stallion with a smug smile on his face.

Dawn was growling like an animal ready to pounce. She was rather enticed by the bright blue flame that came from Trouble’s lighter in her current state it was one of the most radiant, beautiful thing in all of Equestria.

Trouble spoke “I’ll tell ya wah you and I are gonna play a drinkin game, if I win; you spill your guts to me and if you win; you walk.”

“You still didn’t answer my question. Are you deaf as well as dim-witted? Where are my comrades?” his demanding voice getting to Trouble.

Trouble marched up to him scowling and pointed a hoof down the hill.

“They’re lying in white metal coffins, swimming in pools of their own blood.”

The stallion’s face sank from that smug smile to a scared agape face Night Light smiled “What were you saying about me again?” the stallion shook his head terrified by this change in circumstance. “No, no please, please! I didn’t mean it I never wanted to come here!” pleading like the worm he was.

Dawn’s mood swung once more she felt schadenfreude. She was happy at the pony’s dire predicament as a broad grin snaked across her face Night Light glanced over to her. She was getting more and more bewildered at her sporadic behaviour.

“The only fuckin way your getting outta this mate is if we play the game.”

The stallion swallowed hard “What are the rules?”

Dawn seen the expression on Trouble’s face it read along the lines of “I thought you’d never ask.”

“It’s handy, the first one unable to continue loses. Last pony standin sort of thing.

lets start.” Trouble removed the cigarette from his lips and said “One fir me.” He took a swig of his brew and breathed out a sigh of refreshment “And one for you.”

He poured the brown liquid on the pony’s face “What are you doing?!?”

Trouble took a pull from his cigarette and rubbed it on the pony’s face his face erupted in a pure blue flame “YARRRGHHH!!!!!” the pony let out a heart-rending agonized scream.

Dawn mouthed “Oooo” in amazement at the pure flame her pupils dilated to pin pricks in her eyes. All the colours were much sweeter through her eyes with all this jet.

Night Light recoiled she jumped backwards hat nearly falling off her head. She wasn’t expecting Trouble to lit the pony’s face even if he was a smug asshole.

The flames lasted for 5 Mississippi, smoke rose from the pony’s scorched face his once blonde mane was scorched black and his white face was now red and blotchy in places.

“Ah reckon I can squeeze another 11 rounds each outta this. Then it really starts to get painful.” The stallion was crying. Black tears fell from his face causing steam to rise as the evaporated off the charred flesh.

“For the love of Celestia Trouble, that was a bit fucking much.” Night Light exclaimed she was angry just in shock.

Trouble turned to face her in a casual manner and shrugged “He shouldn’t have said shit about my homeland, it’s cunts like these who caused the great war ya’ know.”

Night Light merely put on a half hearted smile nodded and sat down next to Dawn who was now in a sad mood upon seeing Night Light in a bleak lookout.  It really didn’t suit such a beautiful serene looking mare.

Dawn sat her flank next to her and mournfully intoned blocking out the stallions pleas “What’s wrong?” Night Light sighed and spoke so soft only for the Jet boost she wouldn’t have heard her.

“I refused to leave with the rest of Starsky’s desert rats, because the desert rat’s or rangers as we prefer to be called belong in the Marizona desert. We’ve been here for four hundred years. I’m no coward for staying, hell the only reason Starsky even went was because the damn NCR put a gun against his head and said ‘or else’ yet I’m the fucking outlaw? Shit’s fucked up.”

Black got an idea “Talk to Trouble Bout it! He’s great at this kinda stuff.” Night Light looked over to him.

Trouble was busy playing with his new friend. He took another swig the pony was shaking his head “No, No I’ll TALK! Please!!!”

It didn’t stop Trouble though. He poured the brown liquid on the pony’s face once more the liquid splashing off his sensitive face made him scream tearless sobs.

Trouble took one last deep drag from his cigarette and flicked it against his face.

“YAAAARRRRGHHH!!! KILL ME!!!!” the pony shook his head violently desperately trying to fan the blue purging flames.

Tears formed in the corners of Night Light’s eyes the clear liquid visible under the caste shade of her hat against her face she quickly wiped them away.

“You know, I never thought I’d end up like this. On the run from bounty hunters. Trying to help pony’s who think I’m a rogue deserter who just look out for herself,” her voice cracked but she continued “Growing up, I was told of the legends, The pony with the harmonica, the demon, the banjo brothers, hell I even was told stories about Trouble I dunno what I was expecting, a little more honour maybe. But now I’m sitting here watching him burn off a pony’s face.”

The stallion’s face was melting off. It was turning into a red goo, oozing off his skull his lips were slinking past his chin his mane was completely burned off now. His scalp burned black what hair there was left was now smelted into his smouldering skull.

“Alright! Please, no more Please! Anything! Stop!” The pony could only manage hoarse hyperventilation his tear ducts had melted, his eyelids were embedded against his eyes he could no longer blink.

“How many are in Marizona, why are ya here, what divison you in, where are ya based and what plans have you got for Marizona?”

The pony let his head slouch forward steam raising from it. “They’re were sixty of us were down to about forty now. We are here because Gabriel wants to purify these lands also. We have a camp a few miles north of Marizona Springs, we intend to take the town and test their purity.” He hastily spat this out, his armor which now more to be honest his holding cell was rocking back and forth. When Dawn knocked him out with the headshot that dented his helmet his armor locked in an upright stance. There was something poetically ironic about this life saving suit being responsible for not only saving his life but condemning it.

“Ya didn’t say what division your in.” Trouble reminded him

The pony tried to look at Trouble begging but it was hard to convey his face was so displaced “Save yourself some face and jus tell mah.”

Dawn chuckled cruel, but funny.

“Gabriel’s Trumpet, heavy shock troopers.” He was reluctant to part with this information.

Trouble reached into his duster and took out his knife the inscription flashed against the light “Relentless” a grim reminder of what to expect.

“What Are you Doing? I Told you what you want! You Can’t Do this! You said If I Talk You’d Let me Live!”

“I said, if you won the game I’d let you live, you lost.” He swiftly punctured the side of the stallion’s head and drew it back out. Blood shot out and oozed down his scorched face.

Night Light spoke to Dawn once more who was calming down “I have a funny feeling we won’t be in New Pegas within two days.”

FootNote: Level Up!

New Perk: Mysterious Mare-Do-Well—your adventures in the wastes have gained the attention of your own personal guardian angel! Now in combat occasionally your guardian angel will appear with lethal efficency.