Chapter 9

The training simulation was proving to be very... theraputic. I'd nearly had a panic attack after robots started materializing from nothing, but after the fourth spider butler thingy that I split in two with a rear buck, I was simply enjoying myself.

I heard the whir of a minigun behind me and leapt backwards, flipping through the air and landing on the fresh sentry bot.

"Surprised me with that one Beta!" I laughed as I smashed its combat inhibitor with my forehoof. The thing started sparking and went nuts on the fresh batch of military grade floaters that had been added.

"It looked like you were getting comfortable."

I chuckled and wrenched my hooves around the sentry bot's head then heaved back with all my might, opening it like a hulking tin can and effectively terminating the big metal bastard.

My shields flared as a huge burst of plasma struck me in the side, I rolled just in time to duck another one, then quickly bounced back to my hooves and sprinted at the offending spider bot, slamming into it, dragging it to the ground, and crushing the body in just a few hard punches.

I'd been at this game for an hour or so, like a filly in a candy shop of robotic nightmares. I'd yet to feel tired, the armor was doing most of the heavy lifting, letting me put out Stripe levels of strength and speed, though, I'd never seen the big guy do a triple backflip onto a robot's back.

A sentry hit me in the side, pinning me to the wall. I slammed both forehooves into its arm and twisted my whole body, easily ripping it out of the shoulder, then focused with my magic and riddled its body with vicious magical arrows, a new offensive spell that Beta had taught me that I definitely couldn't pull off without the magic amplifiers.

I pushed the hunk of scrap forward, using it as a bullet shield against the few comrades Beta had spawned with it. I prepared to jump out from behind it, but promptly fell on my face when the VR room shut down and the sentries dissipated back into nothing.

"The fuck?" I whined as I stood back up, "I was having fun!"

"Apologies, the allotted power reserves were used up, the simulation room will remain inactive for twenty four hours while the coils recharge."

I huffed in annoyance and stepped back into the elevator to Eclipse's quarters. My helmet retracted back into the suit when I reached the top, the only thing remaining was a strange pair of ear pieces that fit snugly but comfortably.

I stepped out of the room, grabbing my saddlebags and weapons with my magic.

"Think I could check out these other rooms?"

"Of course."

The three other doors opened, I went into Thunder Crash's first. It was wrecked, utterly destroyed, splintered bits of furniture lying all over the place, broken glass from picture frames, and a section of wall in the back that looked like a grenade had hit it.

"What the hell happened in here?"

"Agent Thunder Crash had quite the reaction when the news of Cloudsdayle reached us, he vented his emotions on his quarters before a strange group of pegasi with oddly high levels of clearance came and collected him."

"Hmm, anything worthwhile in here?"

"Doubtful, he had only a few possessions in this facility, and those he took with him."

I nodded and trotted back out to the hallway, entering Chryses' room next.

It was completely bare, not even a bed, only some sort of pod with a lot of wires and jack cables.

"Agent Chryses' charging station," Beta said, somehow sensing my confusion, "the professors built it to avoid the hassle of keeping him supplied with fresh gems."

"So, cyberponies don't need sleep? I'm not seeing a bed here."

"Sleep is recommended, but Chryses was plagued with insomnia, along with several other mental illnesses."

"No possessions?"

"His swords, though he had those with him on his last mission and I believe he kept them when he was reassigned."

"Reassigned?"

"When it was reported that Canterlot had been wiped out and the Princesses eliminated, Agent Chryses was assigned as the personal bodyguard for a non-essential Alicorn on the island designed for the protection of the royal family in the event of Stable 1's failure. Considering his vitals still read alive and active, I assume these duties extended to her descendants."

"Non-essential Alicorn?"

"A distant niece of the royal sisters, with less claim to the throne than Princess Cadence, her name is not on any listed files, she was a very well kept secret."

"Interesting."

I hesitated before entering Dart's room, it seemed disrespectful, but I walked in anyways.

I smiled a bit, the room was covered in photos of the whole team and the twins, smiling and making goofy faces. On the desk were several framed pictures of Eclipse and Dart, before and during the war. I spotted a few of just Dart, blushing when I approached and noticed the point of them.

One of her mounting a fire hose, looking like she was rubbing it provocatively, a firepony's hat on her head, wearing a thong sporting an Equestrian Fire Watch emblem, smiling seductively with half-lidded eyes while the hose sprayed water over her.

Several of her in just a black thong, laying and stretching in suggestive poses, another right next to those of her naked, blushing back at the camera as a very nice section of her anatomy was highlighted.

"Agent Dart had aspirations of professional adult modelling."

"Damn shame she never got to live those out..." I muttered, staring intently at the slightly moistened folds of the gorgeous pegasus, viciously forcing myself to not keep the pictures.

"She did, for a time, then Thunder Crash recommended her for the Sleipnir program due to her skills as a flier and a few weeks later the professors brought her in."

"Interesting..." I said, only half listening, Dart's business end had a good 90% of my attention at the moment.

"I believe there are a few more of a similar nature in the desk drawer, your elevated heart rate and body temperature imply that you find them sexually intriguing."

I blushed and coughed awkwardly, "Uh, no, that's fine."

"Very well."

"Is her suit still here?"

"Yes, one moment."

I bounced slightly, excited to get one of these suits for Token. The thought was dashed when the armor case ascended from the floor.

It was just like mine, but with one key difference, a woven crown of wild flowers resting on the helmet. I refused to take the armor out, I'd decided that much already, but I did tentatively touch my hoof to the case.

I looked back to my saddlebags and took out Eclipse's journal, resting it at the base of the pod along with some pictures on the desk of the two as a couple.

"How long did they have together?" I asked at almost a whisper as I looked over the new additions to the impromptu shrine.

"Six months... They were very happy."

I nodded, wiping away the start of fresh tears, then turned and left the room, shutting the door behind me.

"So uh, how long were these guys active?" I asked, not really interested but trying my best to focus on something other than the 200 year old tragic ending to what I'm sure was a beautiful relationship.

"Roughly seven years, with over one hundred successful missions and countless confirmed kills."

"What was the point?"

"On the record, a small team of well equipped soldiers with elite warfare training, operating in the field as special operations agents and force multipliers, with armor and training that far out classed the Steel Rangers'."

"And off the record?"

"You would need to ask the professors."

"Guess that question isn't getting answered then..."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, they're dead, right?"

"Their vitals are listed alive but inactive, I would assume they are still in the stasis pods in their lab."

I stopped dead, "What?"

"They are in a state of suspended animation deeper in this facility, revival would be possible if you wish."

"...Okay, let's do it."

***

Token galloped up to me as I turned the corner, threw her forelegs around my neck and kissed me hard on the lips.

"Thank Celestia," she said as she pulled away, "you've been gone for an hour, we thought something might've happened!"

I smiled and kissed her nose, "Nonsense, I'm invincible. Beta, mind killing the security so this lot can move through with us?"

"Of course."

Token looked at me with confusion and concern, I just smirked as the surrounded spider bots deactivated.

"Um-" she started.

"Beta is the virtual intelligence unit in this suit." I said.

"Oh, good, thought you might be going crazy again..." she glanced behind me for a moment and whispered, "Did your butt get bigger?"

My ears laid back and I pouted, Token quickly shook her head, "No, dear, it still looks great it's just that it, I dunno, pops more, or something..."

I winked at her and smirked, "Just pulling your leg, I knew what you meant. I think the muscle enhancements thickened my haunches a bit."

"Maybe..." she muttered, looking me over, "It's a really nice suit..."

I laughed and brushed past her, bumping her flank with mine as I went, "You have no idea, wait 'til you see it in action."

"Where are we g-g-goin'?" Shaky asked as the rest stepped in behind me.

"Deeper into the facility to wake up a couple of professors."

"Why?"

I shrugged, "Dunno, just doesn't seem right to leave them in this place when they could be walking around, and I guess I have some questions."

Beta buzzed in my ear as we approached a large bulkhead covered in yellow and black caution paint.

"Warning, the security in the next section is still active and is above my clearance to shut down, proceed with caution."

I sighed, letting my helmet overtake my face and pulling out the still compact Luna's Whisper before passing my saddlebags back to Token, "Hold my things for me love. I'll take point, Rawr and Token watch my back, Hex and Shaky stay behind them."

Everyone nodded as I looked back, I unfolded Whisper and rested it on my right side, the armor overlapped it, integrating it into the suit in a sort of battle saddle.

"Open it."

"Confirmed."

Inside was a glorified clusterfuck of sentry bots. I used the visor's targeting system to sight one in and promptly went deaf when I fired.

Luna's Whisper was loud, really, really loud, and I'd just fired it in a closed space. The power definitely compensated, somehow the 5.56 round had completely pulverized the machine's top half, ripped the arms off the two to either side of it, left a massive crater in the bulkhead behind them, and hit with enough of a shockwave to disable the combat inhibitors of every other robot in the room, causing them to frenzy and turn on each other. The horde was wiped out in mere moments, leaving only one who, oddly enough, pointed its minigun at its own head and fired away until it too was dead.

The deafness and the faint trickle of ear blood receded as the suit's healing systems went to work. I turned back to my four comrades, all of them were sucking down healing potions, Shaky was crying and rubbing the blood from one of her ears.

"Sorry!" I shouted over the ringing in my ears.

"What?!" Token yelled back.

"SORRY!!!"

"SHUT UP PONIES!!!" Rawr bellowed as he covered his ears with his hands.

I nodded and trotted over to Shaky, caressing her head and prompting her to sip another potion.

"Sorry darling." I said quietly.

She nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes, "T-too fuckin' l-l-loud...

"To my credit, the thing's name is pretty misleading."

"My apologies, I neglected to mention that Eclipse's rifle has magnetic acceleration rails lining the barrel, the velocity and percussion are quite substantial."

"Needs a bigger fucking silencer..." Token muttered.

"Suppresser, love, needs a bigger suppresser..." I muttered as I folded the rifle back up and placed it in my saddlebags, I'd like my kid's ear drums to stay intact, "You alright Shaky?"

"Yeah." she said, rubbing her ears.

My helmet retracted, I picked her up and nuzzled her forehead, "I'm sorry."

"It's f-fine," she said, pushing away, "let's j-just go already."

"Right, any more security Beta?"

"Negative, the next room is clear."

"Open it."

"Not possible, even if I had the clearance, which I don't, the bulkhead sustained critical damage. I would recommend manual entry."

"Manual entry?"

Rawr brushed past me, cracking his knuckles and grumbling. He slammed his claws through the tiny gap in the bulkhead and groaned as he pried it apart. I galloped up next to him and helped pull on one side while he pulled the other.

The bulkhead sparked and squealed, but we got it open wide enough so we could all move through.

The room within had two large pods with one of the sleeping twins in each, along with several terminals that looked infinitely more advanced than any of the other terminals I'd seen in my travels.

"Alright," I muttered, looking over the complicated machinery, "how do we crack those cases?"

"Allow the suit to plug into the terminal between the pods, I will partition myself and dedicate one portion to reviving them. It should only take a few minutes or so."

I trotted over to the terminal and extended a hoof, the armor formed a tendril that wormed into the jack port, then disconnected and retracted back to the rest of the suit.

I sat down next to Token with a sigh. She grinned and nudged me.

"Looking downright sexy in that new gear babe." she said.

"Thanks, just wish I knew how to get out of the damn suit..."

"One moment."

I jumped as my armor crawled over my skin, folding neatly into a small backpack style pod on my shoulders with muscle like straps looping through the pits of my front legs.

"Interesting..." I muttered once again, looking over myself, I was a bit more toned, my muscles a little bit tighter, I looked good, really good... I'd go as far to say damn good in fact, and I wasn't the only one taking notice.

Token of course was enjoying the view thoroughly, a smug grin plastered on her face, but I was surprised when I glanced over to Hex and saw her staring at me intently, blushing when I winked at her.

"Sorry..." she muttered, throwing her hood up, then ducking her head to let her mane cover her face, her ears were poking through the hood but laying flat in embarrassment.

She peeked back up, still blushing, "Don't be ashamed dear," I said reassuringly, "it's perfectly natural to admire the equine body."

She squeaked inaudibly and fidgeted, I smiled and rested my head on Token's shoulder, sliding my goggles back over my eyes and yawning.

"You tired?" she asked.

"Nah, just really bored, the stupid VR chamber ran out of robots for me to kill."

"I don't mean to interrupt, but a comm line has just become available."

"Who's line?"

"A suit of pegasus powered armor, callsign Crimson Death."

"I think that's BB, can you hail her or patch her through or whatever the fuck they say?"

"One moment."

My ear pieces buzzed, instantly I registered the sounds of heavy gunfire.

"An' just who in the wide world of flying fuck is calling me?!" Blood Bolt shouted.

"It's me, how you holding up?"

"Specify who 'me' is fuckwad, these radios ain't exactly crystal clear ya know!"

"Oh, sorry, it's Bandage."

"Bandage? Shit, where in the hell did ya get mah radio frequency?"

"Long story, everything alright?"

"Does it sound alright ya fuckin' idjit?! We're crotch deep in ghouls out here an' things is gittin' worse a shite side faster than there gittin' better! We already lost Blood Nap an' her crew, an' Big Bird took an AM round to his fuckin' wing, we don't get backup soon Ah reckon we're fucked!"

"Okay, try and hold out a few minutes longer, we'll meet you as soon as we can."

"Copy, we'll do our best... Where the fuck did ya'll git off to anyway?"

"Like I said, long story, I'll fill you in later."

"Roger, seeya in a few Ah guess."

"Count on it."

"Ah am countin' on it dumbass!!!"

She hung up, I rubbed my temples and tried to think of something.

"Beta, how much longer?"

"Done." she said just as the two pods cracked open and let out a hiss.

The mares inside blinked tiredly in unison and stumbled out of the pods, Token and I galloped over to help them stand.

"Easy," I said, "you've been asleep for a long time."

"We know," the earth pony said as they both pushed us away, "we've been aware through all of it-"

"Running simulations in virtual reality." the unicorn finished.

"Never did find out how to make the perfect auto cart..."

"Had plenty of space-"

"Handled well-"

"Comfy interior-"

"Great safety features..."

They both blinked and smacked themselves on the forehead, "Cup holders!" they declared in unison.

"Put us back in Beta!" the earth pony shouted, moving to clamber back into her pod.

"Apologies ma'am, but I believe my new operator has more pressing issues to attend to than cup holders."

"Indeed..." the unicorn muttered, she'd somehow made it to a video terminal without me noticing and was watching the battle outside.

Her sister trotted up next to her, looking over the screen and nodding, "We could activate perimeter defenses to lend them a hoof-"

"But, the building is kinda..."

"Fucked?"

"Yes, fucked."

"Though that's an easily remedied problem."

"You lot may want to hop upstairs and help out-"

"We've got to shake the cobwebs off down here."

I nodded and galloped back to the teleporter, Token right behind me, my armor reencasing me as I ran.

I smashed the button with my hoof as Token entered and rapidly blinked away the blindness, then sprinted and leapt over the makeshift barricade Adze was hunkered down behind, onto the back of a Marked pegasus that was somehow still flying with no feathers.

It hissed and screamed at me as I wrenched its wings and aimed us at the ground. I pushed down on its head just before it hit the ground with a meaty splat, landing next to BB and the bodies of Blood Nap and her remaining crew, sending a geyser of rotten brain out 2 metres in front of me. She was on her back behind a crate, her head ducked low to avoid the ridiculous amount of led being sprayed at her.

"The fuck?!" she asked.

"Long story," I said through the armor's speaker, "why aren't you in the air?"

"Oh Ah don't know Bandage, perhaps it's because o' the huge fuckin' guns those skinless bastards are sporting?"

"I'm sensing some hostility in that statement, everything alright?"

"Fuck you Bandage!"

"Now seems like a bad time," I said casually as I picked up a couple of assault rifles and fixed them to my sides, "let me get us out of this tricky situation and run it by Token and I'll think about it."

"Huh?"

I prepared several magical arrows and looked down at her, my visor temporarily losing its shade so she could see the wink I gave her, then leapt over her and sprinted at the entrenched ghouls.

"Ya know that ain't what Ah meant!!" she shouted after me.

I jumped over a Marked One manning an LMG, grabbing its head and twisting it, firing the rifles wildly as we spun in a quick circle, managing to stagger the two with it.

I held the creature in a choke hold, though the choking part of the hold was moot considering ghouls didn't need to breathe, and blasted three magical arrows into the heads of the two at its sides. The think continued to hiss and squirm until I clenched hard and popped the head off, dropping the corpse in a messy heap.

Just like that it was over, I blinked, confused, and called out to BB, "Thought you said they had big guns?"

"Not them idjit!"

"Then wh-" my armor lurched, forcing me to duck, a missile wizzed past my head.

I turned to see 6 Marked Ones, 5 in pieced together riot gear, all armed with dual miniguns, led by a much larger ghoul in wrecked power armor that looked a size too small and had swollen chunks of red muscle bulging from the poorly maintained seams, armed with two grenade machineguns and a back mounted missile launcher.

I coughed nervously and waved, "Hi there! Don't suppose we could solve this nonviolently?"

No noise except for the distinct sliding sound of a fresh missile being chambered.

I sighed, "Didn't think so..."

The group fired, I side stepped a missile and sprinted at the big one, firing both rifles at its exposed knees, doing little more than knocking it off balanced, then hopped and bounded off its head, releasing both rifles and sprinting yet again to dodge minigun fire.

I ducked, serpentined and rolled, unfolding Whisper as I went, ignoring the 25mm grenade shrapnel deflecting against my shield and integrating the massive rifle into my armor. I stopped, turned and pivoted, ready to unload a powerful round and turn the big bastard into pulp! Then got hit in the face with a missile...

I yelped as my shields popped and the blast sent me flying, smacking hard against a canyon wall. I recovered and spun around, firing the instant the targeting system locked onto the leader.

It exploded, like, big, into thousands of tiny chunks, meat and shrapnel peppering its comrades, those that weren't knocked on their assess by the shockwave anyways.

I wasn't deaf this time, but my ears were still ringing badly, leaving me slightly disoriented while 5mm rounds sparked against the exoskeleton, the integrity meter on my E.F.S rapidly being chipped away.

I looked up, trying to shake off the dizziness before they tore through, something was rapidly descending on them, at first I thought it was BB, then I noticed the stripes...

A winged zebra in hide armor with dozens of potions hanging off her landed on a ghoul, her forehooves crushing it into the rock while her rear hooves bucked the head off another.

Another turned its guns on her, I snapped back to focus and sprinted forward, tackling it and rapidly crushing its skull with my right hoof, the slight sense of satisfaction made me realize why Stripe always fought close quarters.

I spun around and drilled two magical arrows into the eyes of another preparing to fire behind her. She tore the head off the one she had pinned, then spread her massive wings and leapt on me, pulling me down and sucking on a potion bottle around her neck, then spit, a stream of fire came billowing from her mouth and engulfed the last ghoul.

"Thanks for the assist." I said.

Her strange pink eyes glanced me over, she brought a hoof up to my face and tapped my visor.

"Got a face under there?" she asked in an odd accent, like the basic Trottingham one but more exotic.

My helmet retracted and I grinned stupidly at her, she snorted and cocked her head, her messy striped mane sweeping over her face.

"Like what you see?" I asked, winking at her.

She smirked, revealing a set of very sharp canine teeth.

A rifle cocked, "Get off her bitch." Token growled.

The zebra glanced behind her at Token, then shrugged and climbed off me, helping me to my hooves. I nodded at Token, she hesitated, warily looking over the strange mare, but nodded and slung her rifle through her bag loop.

"Sorry I didn't get here sooner," the mare said, "had to fly back to Hopeville and get permission to engage."

"The community at the end of this pass?"

"Yeah. Saw the commotion while I was out hunting for boar, wanted to lend a hoof but the Doc Morbid says to come ask him before we make contact with ponies, old man was pissing hot glass when the scouting party brought that guy in yesterday."

I extended a hoof, "Bandage."

She bumped it, "Kimba."

"So, what the hell are you?"

She chuckled, "One half zebra, one half pegasus, one hundred percent bad bitch."

I smirked, "That have a name specifically?"

She shrugged, "Morbid said we were normal zebras a long time ago, then we just started changing, eventually grew wings, says he didn't think of a new name because he just considers us to be zebras with extra hardware."

"Amazing!" the uniform voices of the Twins shouted. I glanced over, they were sprinting at us at break neck speed. Rawr was walking slowly and casually behind them, the girls on his shoulders watching the sisters.

"Lore!" the unicorn shouted, "Sample those corpses while I examine this magnificent creature!"

"On it Data!" her sister called, b-lining for the dead Marked Ones.

"Fascinating..." Data said when she reached us, scrutinizing Kimba, "Your not a hybrid, must be a biproduct of Project Chimera yes?"

Kimba growled and moved towards her threateningly, "I'm a 'biproduct' of my parents, and I'm a person, so quit looking me over like I'm some sort of lab rat."

"Stifle dear," Data said calmly, "I didn't mean to offend, merely making observations."

Kimba snorted and turned her back on us, sauntering over to a confused looking Blood Bolt.

Adze approached us next, bleeding severely from his injured wing, "Who the fuck are these two? Where'd you get the armor? And what's with the fucking zebra thing over there?"

"Watch your mouth bird!" Kimba shouted, "Otherwise I'll make a meal out of you!"

I rolled my eyes, "Long story to the first two, ask her to the third.

Adze sat down with a sigh, stretching his wounded wing, doctor mode switched on instantly.

I smacked him over the head with a hoof, "Don't stretch it stupid!" I yelled, gripping it gently with my magic and slowly mending the complicated wing tissue.

The griffon whimpered softly, "Shouldn't I be asleep for this or somethin'?"

"No time to apply anesthetic, this needs fixed right away, what happened exactly?"

"Big ass bullet hit me, good thing some rubble landed in front of me otherwise he woulda finished me off."

"Speaking of rubble..." Data muttered,fishing a tiny metallic sphere from her labcoat and nuzzling it, "Wake up dearest, Mummy needs you to rebuild her bunker."

The tiny sphere sprouted small wings and adorable eyes and looked at her expectingly, "Hungry dearest?"

The sphere seemed to nod, then flew at the building. In seconds half the rubble was gone, a huge swarm of robotic bugs replacing it, in mere minutes the building was restored to its former, and upright, glory, a newly cleared passage where it had laid moments before.

"Nanosprites," Lore explained, "Horse invented them-"

"But we perfected them." Data finished as the swarm consumed itself and returned to her coat pocket as a single sprite.

They both smacked hooves and trotted casually to their new building, "Keep in touch." one said.

"Stop by if you ever need the armor calibrated."

"I had questions!" I shouted after them.

"Tough shit!" they called back, laughing and hoof smacking again as they disappeared into the facility.

"They're joking," Beta said, "the professors have a very subtle inside humor, feel free to follow and make your inquiries."

"Okay, I'm going to head inside guys, let me know if anything happens."

"Got it babe." Token said, slouching on a crate and resting her rifle between her hind legs, still warily glancing at Kimba.

***

"Really hating that you have full clearance..." Lore muttered as I entered their lab.

"You're not even an agent." Data finished.

I snorted, then frowned slightly when the gesture reminded me of Stripe, "Considering no formal Equestrian government exists, I really don't think it matters."

"Valid point." the two cerise mares said in unison, tossing their lavender manes to the side.

"So-" Data started.

"Questions?" Lore finished.

"Yeah," I said, "just wondering exactly what the point of all this is?"

"We created Sleipnir when we were twenty, mostly as a way to one up that joke of an invention they call power armor."

"Thunder Crash was our first recruit and test pilot, showing that even with severe physical disabilities the Sleipnir modifications would make for a totally superior soldier, and even heal a cripple like Crash in ways that put him in better condition than before his accident."

"Naturally, the military got involved, and funding increased exponentially, allowing for the creation of three more suits and this base of operations."

"Crash went from test pilot to squad leader. He hoof picked his team, Eclipse, his sister's foalhood friend and a master sniper, and Dart, his little sister but also an excellent flier."

"And Silver Stripe 'volunteered' one of her maniacs from Project Steel Pony-"

"We jumped on that right away, the results of system on system integration was..."

"Intriguing, to say the least. She even had the decency to provide Crash with a new wing."

"Years went by, we created four AI custodians for the suits, each coupling and balancing their operator's personality-"

"Wait," I interrupted, "AI? Beta said she was a VI, is there a difference?"

The two smirked, "A VI is designed to mimic intelligence, an AI truly has intelligence," Data stepped up to me and seemed to scold the armor, "Beta you naughty girl, selling yourself short again?"

"Apologies Data, but your guidelines state that I lie and announce myself a VI for protection's sake."

Lore grumbled, "Fascists and their ridiculous bans on creating something that can think for itself..."

Data snorted, "Anyway, Beta isn't just a high tech computing system, she's a fully sentient being with her own emotions and the ability to learn, a very calculating personality to couple Eclipse's general... quirky, nature."

"Alpha is a hard ass like the old man, totally compatible match."

"Gamma was more outspoken and gun ho than Dart to counteract her partner's nervous tendencies and hesitation."

"And Delta is as sane and calm as we could possibly make him to keep Chryses' psycho ass in line."

"An army of eight minds rather than one of just four soldiers."

"Ten if you count us love." Lore said as her sister trotted back to her side.

"More like a hundred if you count us, we're bloody geniuses!"

Lore hugged around her neck, Data around Lore's midsection, "I love it when you use botched mathematics to show our obvious intellectual superiority, so sexy..."

She leaned forward, both of them closing their eyes, I recoiled and looked away in disgust, only looking back when the laughter started. The Twins were leaning on a desk grinning at me.

"Did you really think we would kiss?"

"That'd be bloody disgusting!"

"Trust us, we know."

"Worst, Hearths Warming, ever..."

"Agreed."

"Worst morning after Hearths Warming ever..."

"Stop talking Lore."

"We were in the same bed with Thunder Crash..."

"Lore..."

"We smelled like sex..."

"Lore, seriously, stop talking."

"So many condoms..."

"Lore!!!"

"You know, I think the worst part was not remembering it? He was utterly exhausted and I have a feeling he might've done a stand up job."

Data covered her ears and started shouting 'la la la la la!', Lore rolled her eyes and went back to her terminal.

"So dramatic..." she muttered.

"Excuse me for not wanting to discuss a forgotten three-way between my sister and our best friend!"

"Darling, it's literally ancient history, get over it."

Data pouted and slumped down against one of the pods, Lore rolled her eyes, trotted over and embraced her.

"You're such a baby."

"It's an unpleasant memory..."

Lore nodded thoughtfully and squeezed her sister tighter, "Is it weird that I've really missed being able to hold you?"

"A little, nice sentiment though."

Lore chuckled and tousled Data's mane before going back to her terminal.

"Bandage right?" she asked without looking away from the screen.

"Yeah."

"You should really kick your parents' ass for naming you that... Anyways, c'mere for a second, I have an upgrade to upload into your armor."

I trotted over and let the suit plug into the terminal, "What kind of upgrade?"

"More of an upgrade for you really, another gene altering chemical, allows for enhanced regenerative abilities."

"Enhanced regeneration?"

"Mmhmm, significantly boosts the rate of cell replication, you won't grow back limbs or anything but it'll let your body patch injuries much faster. Saves energy and protects you if you get hurt while out of your armor."

"White blood cell production is vastly increased as well, in the off chance you get sick again you'll get over it rather quickly."

"Not to mention your cells will be replaced at such a high rate that your lifespan will be virtually limitless."

"Wait," I said, "like immortality or something?"

Data nodded, "In a sense, you won't age but getting shot in the head would definitely knock the whole eternity train off the tracks."

"Is this one going to hurt like the others?"

"Probably not, no."

A surging wave of pain hit me and I dropped to the floor screaming, when it was finally over I rolled over and glared at the twins, who smiled down at me sheepishly.

"I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WOULDN'T HURT!?!?" I screamed.

"I said it probably wouldn't hurt."

"With genetic alteration you can never be sure."

"Fuck you both!" I yelled, "And stop finishing each other's sentence! It's annoying!"

The two glanced at each other and smirked.

"Finishing-"

"Each other's-"

"Sentences?"

"No idea what you're talking about." they said in unison, grinning down at me smugly.

I groaned and smacked my hooves to my ears.

***

We finally continued through the pass, following Kimba, she assured us it was safe so I was walking around with my armor in its backpack form. Rawr was grumbling about not getting paid the entire trip to Hopeville.

"No point to bitching Rawr." I said.

He snorted, "Easy for pony to get work, not so easy for dog."

Adze spoke up, "Blood Nap said we'd get paid by a contact of hers when we reached the southern end of the Divide, we don't need her to get our caps."

"Hear that Rawr? No point to bitching."

The Hellhound snorted again, "Can Rawr bitch about having to carry little ponies on his back the whole trip?"

I shrugged, "You could, but I never asked you to do that, you just kinda started doing it."

"Oh."

Shaky pressed her forehooves on his head, covering his eyes up with his hood, "Shut up R-rawr, you know y-you like us."

He grumbled and fixed his hood.

I chuckled and looked back ahead at Token and Kimba, who were chatting casually, I was mentally comparing their flanks as they went.

"Ah'd say Kimba's got the better ass," BB said quietly beside me, "what d'ya reckon?"

I shook my head, "Have to give it to Token."

"You sayin' 'at cuz she's yer mare or cuz Kimba's a zebra?"

"I'm saying that because it's what I think, don't get me wrong, Kimba has a fantastic flank and is definitely more toned than Token, not to mention the stripes really highlight her haunches, but I have to give it to Token for more mass and that fantastic hip sway she's got."

"Well hell, if we're factorin' hip sway in then yeah, Blue's got it in the bag, but Ah'm talkin' from a purely aesthetic standpoint."

"Okay then, look at the suppleness of it then, Token's has just the right amount of jiggle, Kimba's is really taught and muscular."

"I think Token's butt is better." Hex said, having somehow climbed onto my backpack without me noticing.

BB snorted, "An' in yer expert opinion, why is it better?"

"Well," she said a bit nervously, "it's bigger."

The pegasus chuckled, "Oh kiddo, you've got to factor in more than mass."

"We're talking from a totally opinionated standpoint, really it boils down to preference, and personally I think bigger butts look better."

"I can agree with that." I said.

My friend shrugged her wings, "Big is okay, personally Ah prefer a nice, muscular ass."

I nodded. It was good to see Hex come out of her shell for a bit, even if it was for the perverted business of talking about flanks.

"Overall though," Hex whispered, unsettlingly close to my ear, "I'd say yours is the best flank here."

I went bright red, Hex chuckled and ruffled my mane, "Looks like I got you back for embarrassing me back in the lab."

I laughed too, my blush fading, "Yeah, guess you did, nice work."

"Goggles as trophy!" Hex declared, though only barely louder than her normal quiet tone.

"Fine," I sighed, letting her pull them off me and put them on, "I want them back in an hour though."

Hex folded her forelegs on top of my head and peeked over to look at me upside-down with the goggles, her long mane tickling at my nose. I made a goofy face at her and she stuck out her tongue before hopping off my back. Rawr scooped her up and unto his shoulder as he walked by, as if by instinct.

"She makes a point though Bandage," BB said, staring intently at my flank, "ya've probably got the best ass here."

"Oh I know." I said confidently, swaying it more than usual as I picked up pace and walked past her, she bit my tail and gave it a soft tug, pulling me back next to her.

"Ya know," she said with a grin, "earlier ya said you'd think about throwin' some o' that ass my way."

I chuckled and shook my head, "I also said I'd run it by Token. Not to mention..." I muttered, my eyes locking on to Kimba's flank once again, "there's some new prey on the field I'm looking to pursue..."

"Mmm," she mumbled with some disappointment, "well, happy hunting Ah guess."

"Don't worry," I said, planting a kiss just under her ear, "if I can't pull it off you're my rebound ass."

"Thanks, Ah think..." she muttered as I walked past again.

I stepped in between the two, nuzzling Token's neck affectionately when I reached her. I may have been up there to hit on somepony else, but there was always time to give my marefriend some love.

"So." I said with a grin, turning on Kimba.

"Not interested." she said without even looking at me.

I pouted, "You don't even know what I was going to ask."

"Yes I do, I can smell you all over Token and her all over you. You're lesbians, that's cool and all, just not my thing."

"Why not?" I whined, hanging around her neck and being dragged along.

"How to put this, you're lacking the preferred piece of anatomy."

I wrapped a foreleg around Token's neck and dragged her over, "She's got toys, it's basically the same thing, better even!"

Kimba chuckled and pushed me away, "No thanks, I'm just not attracted to mares."

"I'm confused," I said, more jokingly now, "how can you not be attracted to mares?"

"Um, I'm straight?"

I recoiled in mock disgust, "Ewww, straight!"

Token tugged my ear with her magic and pulled around to her other side, "Behave." she scolded.

"Token," I whispered loudly, "she's straight! How's that even possible?!"

Token rolled her eyes, Kimba glanced at me with a smirk, "Your pegasus friend back there is straight."

I recoiled, "BB is not straight! She'll fuck anything regardless of gender, species or status as a living creature."

BB shouted after us, "Ah'd resent that, but, it's pretty much accurate."

"So," I said with a raised brow, "no sex?"

"No sex." Kimba said with a nod.

"No chance of sex at all?"

"Not a one."

"Not even if you were really really really drunk and I was wearing a certain something to simulate a certain something?"

She sighed, "Tell you what, get a lot more scars and get me positively smashed and wear that whatever you were talking about, and I'll think about it."

"For real!?" I asked, the excitement obvious in my voice.

"Yeah."

"It's a date." I said with a wink.

"It's a slim chance of you getting laid," Token said, "stifle yourself or I'm going to gag you."

I hung a foreleg around my mare's neck again and brought my face up to hers, blinking innocently, "You promise?"

She smiled, rolling her eyes, and pushed me off.

"Hey, my mane look okay?" Kimba asked, combing it with her hoof.

"Ravishing," I said with my newly mastered shit eating grin, "why do you ask?"

"This guy got brought in the other day, he's kinda sexy and I've been trying to get his attention."

"You don't need his attention darling, you've already got my attention."

"You don't give up easily do you?"

I shrugged, "One of my many flaws."

We reached the wall of Hopeville, met by some very well armed winged zebras.

"Who are these assholes Kimba?" the buck on the right asked, warily looking us over.

"The ones Doc told me to help out," she growled, forcefully shoving him out of the way, "so open the fucking gate and quit wasting my time."

"Yes ma'am." he said, giving a nervous salute and flying with his partner to the top of the gate to pull matching levers. The gate made up of two sky carriages welded together was lifted up by a set of pulleys, Kimba waved at the two and motioned for us to follow.

***

Hopeville was large and well populated, with hundreds of homes built into the natural rock wall surrounding it. No shops, to my dismay, the community worked as a whole unit and had no need for caps.

Kimba was leading us through the crowds of her kind that were coming to look at us, zebras (sorta) of all ages existed in Hopeville, surprisingly young and surprisingly old.

"Morbid spends most of his time in the nursery." Kimba explained, folding back a flap and tanned boar hide that acted as the door for a cave. We all moved to enter but she stopped us, "Just you Bandage, Doc doesn't care for visitors." I nodded and stepped in, expecting babies, instead the cave was filled with several hundred gigantic glowing mushrooms, leading down a path further into the cave.

Kimba tapped me on the shoulder and moved past me, I followed her through the winding passage until we reached a sort of spring at the bottom.

A zebra ghoul, who I assumed was Doc Morbid, was on the very dark far side of the room, applying a sort of balm to the badly wounded side of a very large pony that I could barely distinguish.

"Doctor?" Kimba said quietly.

The ghoul turned, "Eh? Heu, Kimba, libenter te fecit eam. Qui hoc?"

"Bandage, the leader of that group you had me assist."

The large figure on the table shifted, "Bandage?" a familiar voice said.

I teared up and sat hard on my haunches as Stripe stepped out of the shadows, smiling warmly with his newly scarred face.

"That's, that's not..." I muttered dumbly.

He limped over to me, sat down and pulled me into a hug. I returned the gesture, hesitantly, still not sure if it was really him. I pressed my face to his shoulder, picking up his distinct scent of cordite and tobacco. The tears flowed freely and I squeezed him back tightly.

"Good to see you too," he grunted, "can ya ease up a bit? I'm still pretty tender."

"Sorry," I gasped out in a half laugh half sob, pushing away and smiling at him, "how?"

"That big fucker broke my fall, gave me time to put my guts back in and suck down every healing potion I had along with a couple shots of Stampede, killed most of the others before I passed out. Woke up down here with that pretty thing next to you and the Doc lookin' me over."

He wiped my eyes and we smiled at each other, my eyes drifted down to his injuries, five massive wounds on his side and tummy that weren't quite healed all the way and a nasty indentation on his leg from the bite.

I glanced back up and gently ran a hoof along one of the three scars now spanning his face.

"Fuck up my face did they?" he asked with a slight frown.

I chuckled and shook my head, looking down to let fresh tears flow freely, "Nah, makes you look handsome."

He propped my head up and wiped the tears away again, "Ya best knock that off, 'wise yer gonna make me cry too, an' I won't be cryin' in front of pretty mares."

I nodded and hugged around his neck, pressing my face to his chest. He hugged me back and rested his head on my shoulder.

"We thought you were dead..." I whispered.

He snorted, "Takes more than a few overgrown scaly glowsticks to finish me off boss."

"C'mon," I said, helping him to his hooves, "I know a few people that are really going to want to see you."

He nodded but looked back at the ghoul, "Mister Morbid?"

The ghoul waved us off, "Go boy, your companion and I can speak later. Though, please stop trying to lift heavy things."

My friend chuckled, "No promises Doc."

The ghoul grumbled, "Servare oculo in eum Kimba."

"With pleasure." she said, winking at the injured zony, who winked right back.

***

Shaky turned into a sobbing mess when we stepped at of the cave, running at Stripe and leaping into his outstretched forelegs and hugging his neck tightly.

"Hey kiddo." he said softly.

"Hey D-d-dad," she said, nuzzling his cheek, then she pulled away and punched him in the chest softly, "I th-th-thought you were d-dead, you s-son of a b-b-b-bitch."

"Sorry." he muttered. She shook her head and hugged him one more time, then climbed down and crawled up my frame, hugging me and trembling.

Adze came up and grabbed the back of his head, pulling him forward and pressing their foreheads together. Neither said anything, just sat there with their eyes closed, ending with a silent pat on the shoulder before they separated.

Token actually smiled when she approached, hugging him and planting a friendly kiss on both his cheeks.

BB hugged him last, whispering something in his ear that actually made him blush.

***

I was in a bed with Stripe, chatting, filling in gaps.

"When did she start calling me dad?" he asked. I'd filled him in on everything that had happened in his absence, this was the only thing he had a question about.

"Just now, as far as I know."

He nodded thoughtfully and yawned, I smirked and rested my forehead on his.

"Tired so early?" I said mockingly, locking eyes with him.

He snorted, "Doc has me on some kinda pain killer, makes me groggy as fuck. Why, planning on funny business?"

I chuckled and shook my head, then snuggled close to him. "Night big guy."

"Night boss." he yawned

"...good to have you back."

No response, just light snoring. I smiled and pressed my face to his chest.

***

I was woken up early the next morning by Kimba, I tried to get Stripe up as well, even going so far as to shake him. Kimba chuckled and dragged me off the bed.

"Don't bother, he's usually knocked out cold until noon. C'mon, Morbid wants to speak with you."

I nodded and followed her outside, "Remind me to ask the Doc what he's got him on."

"Actually, I made it, I can find plants growing in the badlands and boil them down into a brew, much more potent than most pony medicine with no chance of addiction."

"Interesting, you may want to reduce dosage though."

She snorted, "He's on the minimum dosage I can give him that allows him to sleep comfortably."

I nodded, "How bad were his injuries?"

She paused, "Let me put it this way, he shouldn't be alive."

"Yeah, a doctor told me that after I got shot to bits a couple months ago."

"You guys don't get many brakes in the injuries department do you?"

"Well, let's see, Stripe and I have been torn up pretty bad, the girls have both been raped, BB took an AM round through the chest, and Token-" I blinked, "Actually, I don't think Token's been injured too badly our entire time out here, a few cuts and bruises but nothing too serious."

"Must be pretty lucky."

I chuckled, "You have no idea. In school she'd ace every test just by guessing half the questions, she won the rations lottery three times in a row, she always got matched with great guys. Really the only unlucky thing that's happened to her was being matched as my best friend..."

"Why's that?"

I frowned slightly, "If we weren't so close, she would've let me be exiled by myself, and she wouldn't be out here..."

"Seems like she likes being out here with you."

"And I like having her with me, I just don't like that she's constantly in harm's way."

"It's the wasteland honey, we're all in harm's way, all the time, ain't nothin' changing that."

I shrugged, Kimba walked into the nursery. My eyes immediately snapped to her flanks as she stepped in front of me, her potion bottle shaped glyph holding my attention for several seconds.

"Have a mentioned you have a fantastic ass?"

She snorted, "You really are persistent."

"Only when I see something I want." I said with my 'bedroom voice'.

She glanced back at me with a smirk, her sharpened teeth glinting in the dim light, "You know you're not getting any, right?"

"As I recall we made an arrangement in which I would indeed 'get some' given the completion of certain parameters."

"And the chances of completing said parameters are slim to none."

She stopped just before we entered Morbid's work space, "Go on in."

"You're not coming with?"

"I've got errands to run, don't be nervous, Morbid may be a cranky old fart but he's a sweetheart."

"Alright, kiss for good luck?"

She rolled her eyes and gave me a shove as she walked past.

"Pretty please? You might like it."

"I'm good, thanks."

I pouted and trudged sullenly into the dark dank of Morbid's lair. The ghoul was at a work bench, mixing potions.

"Bandage right?" he said in his exotic, gravely voice.

"Yeah."

"We've got some things to discuss."

"I'm all ears."

"Hopeville is filled with the descendants of my tribe, they're like a family to me and I am very protective of them. I need you to promise me that the existence of this community remains a secret."

"You have my word."

"Verbum veteres hostes tenet paulo meritn." he said in his native tongue.

"I'm sorry?"

"Apologies, I am not used to speaking your language on such a frequent basis. I mean to say that I don't readily trust ponies, old grudges and such."

"You have my word as a mare of healing that nopony will learn of this place through me or my friends."

He cocked his brow, "A doctor eh? Yes, I suppose our shared oath will suffice."

I shifted uncomfortably, my oath to do no harm had definitely been bent over a barrel the last few months. I cleared my throat and changed the subject, "Doctor Morbid, odd name for a zebra."

He chuckled, "Not my given name, a nickname my young assistant thought of to better capture my personality."

"Mind if I ask how your people got the way they are?"

He nodded, "Same reason I'm a walking corpse, the same reason Diamond Dogs became Hellhounds, the same reason bears and pigs and alligators and parasprites are twice the size and have twice the aggression, magical radiation and mutation."

"Living in this canyon just after the collapse was hazardous, the fungus growing in this cave actually saved us, eating it allowed for a radiation purge similar to Rad-Away. But, the intense radiation greatly increased the rate of mutation, and my people adapted to something better suited to life in the Divide. Basic evolution really, just with a more potent catalyst."

"Fascinating..." I muttered.

"Indeed. Unless there is anything more you wish to discuss, feel free to leave."

I nodded and turned to leave but stopped myself, "Actually, there's something we need from you."

"Go on."

"A few weeks worth of supplies and a competent guide to help us reach the southern coast through these canyons."

"A simple request, easy enough to satisfy, but, as they say, gratiam gratiam, a favor, for a favor."

I cocked an eyebrow, "What'd you have in mind?"

"A few days ago, a nomad sect of our community went out to investigate a newly opened tunnel as a possible location for a new settlement. Their orders were to send back a messenger if they decided to set up camp, they have not returned. I would ask you to look for them, and if my worst fears are confirmed, I'd like you to collapse that tunnel."

"I'll need to discuss it with my team."

"Speak to Kimba when you've decided."

Shaky and Hex met me when I stepped out of the cave. I trotted up and planted a kiss on both their foreheads. Shaky made a face and rubbed the spot, Hex blushed and started mumbling to herself.

I smiled and leaned down to her eye level, "Hex, the way you keep getting flustered, one might think you have a crush on me."

She blinked and shrunk away, going an even brighter red, my grin widened and I held out a hoof, "My goggles please, I do believe I've won this round of our little conquest."

She grinned, her blush fading, and took off the goggles, using her magic to rest them on my forehead.

I nodded my thanks. She glanced over at Shaky, smiling in an uncharacteristically mischievous manner and kissed her on the cheek.

Shaky blushed and just stared at the other filly nervously.

"Gotcha Shakes," Hex said quietly, "gimme a trophy."

"H-huh?"

I looked over Shaky and shook my head, "I don't really see anything of hers you could keep as as a trophy..."

"Hmmm," Hex mumbled, scratching her chin with a hoof, "oh! You could give me a kiss..." Shaky blushed brighter, "On the lips." Hex leaned in with the utterance of the last phrase, flaunting her newly acquired, and possibly already mastered shit eating grin while she pressed her nose to the nose of a neon bright red and wide eyed Shaky.

Shaky nodded and gulped, "'Kay, b-but close y-your eyes first."

Hex closed her eyes and puckered her lips, Shaky reached out with her teeth and tugged Hex's hood over her face before running away laughing.

Hex fixed her hood and limped after her as fast as she could, "No fair!!!"

I chuckled and ran after Hex, scooping her onto my back and then sprinting after Shaky, who glanced over her shoulder at us and screamed.

I got up next to her, Hex rolled off my shoulders and tackled Shaky to the ground, relentlessly nuzzling and kissing the top of her head. I fell into the pile next and tickled the crap outta both of them.

***

"I'm game," Token said, "we need the stuff and it doesn't sound too difficult."

It was noon, and after several hours of filly shenanigans I'd collected my group and given them the rundown of the plan.

"Ah'm in too."

Adze nodded, Rawr just grunted.

"I'll g-g-go."

"I should probably stay here," Hex said, "you may need to get out of there pretty quick and I'm not a very fast runner."

Stripe limped out of his room, a pained smirk on his face, "Ya know damn well I'm in."

I shook my head, "You're staying here, you're in no condition to be walking through caves and brawling with Tunnelers."

"Boss," he objected, "I can-"

I raised a hoof and shook my head again, "My mind's made up, you're not going."

He huffed and glared at me, I got up and pushed him back to his room, shutting the door behind me.

"Stripe, do you seriously think you're at a hundred percent?"

He glanced away, then looked back with a smirk, "Nah, hundred and ten percent."

I scowled, he sunk his head and sighed, "No ma'am."

I propped his head up and pecked him on the nose, "Then you're staying here, play a few rounds of chess with Hex and we'll be back before you know it."

He sighed and rested his forehead on mine, "When we got separated, I didn't know what happened to you guys, I don't think I can deal with that again..."

"After seeing you torn up like that, I thought you were dead, and I know I can't deal with that again. You don't need to worry, we're big kids and we can take care of ourselves."

He chuckled, but his eyes kept that worried look. I leaned up and gave him a long kiss, he hesitated, but kissed back and placed his hooves on my hips. I didn't know why I'd decided to do that, emotions was my first guess, it also could've been slight attraction, I didn't love Stripe in that way but I did love him, and oddly enough something about him struck me as sexy.

I broke away and smiled up at him, "Trust me, nothing bad is going to happen."

He smirked, then frowned slightly, I rolled my eyes and punched him in the chest softly, "What's wrong now?"

"Was that kiss just some in the moment stuff or-" I interrupted him with another kiss and smirked at him teasingly.

"Guess you'll have to wait 'til I get back to find out huh?"

He frowned more, "I'm bein' serious here. I like you Bandage, a lot more than any other mare I've met, you're smart an' funny an' sexy, and I want you, so if this is just a now thing I'd like to know before the thought gets lodged in my mind."

I hugged around his neck and smiled, "You're my best friend Stripe, and I love you, but I don't think it goes past a hug and a kiss."

He glanced away and nodded, "'Kay."

I kissed him again, "I wanna hear you say it back."

"Say what back?"

"That I'm you're best friend and you love me."

He smirked and squeezed me tighter pressing his nose to mine, "Bandage, you're my best friend, and I love you."

"Now kiss me you fool!" I said dramatically, going so far as to toss my head back and throw a foreleg over my eyes.

He grinned and kissed me hard, even leaning me back in a cliche romantic fashion.

I opened my eyes when he was done, blushing, "The things I would do to you if you were a mare..."

"Yeah," he sighed, "unfortunately the gods damned me with a masculine form and a huge penis."

I shook my head, "It's a cryin' shame."

He chuckled and kissed me again, "Go on an' get outta here, seeya when you get back."

I kissed him one last time and hugged his neck tightly, then smiled and trotted towards the door, stopping when he gave my tail a gentle tug with his teeth.

I looked back at him, he smiled sheepishly and kissed my flank, then glanced up questioningly. He'd been a sweetheart, and I certainly did find something about him attractive... I decided to indulge him, smiling and nodding.

His next kiss landed a little further to the right, I shuddered slightly with pleasure at the feeling of his strong lips on my nethers. My front knees buckled instinctively when his tongue ran over my folds.

He mounted me carefully and tenderly, kissing up my back as he moved over my frame. I stifled a moan when he entered, he was being gentle, which was good considering the amount of stallion he had to throw around.

He started pushing in and out, I groaned softly and bit my lip, he kissed my ear and whispered to me, "Need me to slow down?"

"Harder dammit." I said through gritted teeth.

He recoiled slightly in surprise, but nodded and quickened his pace, grunting and wincing from the discomfort all this activity was putting on his injuries.

I bit down hard on my foreleg to silence another moan, managing to draw some blood. He pulled out and looked at the tiny wound, giving it a gentle lick and glancing at me apologetically, I smiled and kissed him passionately, then rolled onto my back and nodded down at my crotch.

He nodded his understanding and kissed my lips, then down my neck and chest and tummy. He licked me again, I writhed slightly and bit my lip when his tongue ran over my exposed and stiffened button, I groaned loudly and clamped my thighs around his head when he started sucking on it.

He kissed back up my body and planted a hard one on my lips, I opened my mouth and allowed his tongue entry, tasting myself.

He pushed in again and I moaned down his throat, he started thrusting, harder and faster than before, his eyes watering from the pain.

We both groaned loudly as we climaxed, he slumped off to my side, sweaty and panting, wincing with each breath. I pressed against him and kissed his neck, he smiled tiredly and pulled me close with a foreleg.

"You alright big guy?" I asked, looking him over with concern.

"I'm fine boss, just a bit sore."

I nodded and leaned down, cleaning his member off with my tongue.

He coughed awkwardly, "Ya really don't have to do that..."

I looked up at him with a smirk, he gulped as my magic gripped it firmly and started tugging, "I'm not done with you just yet Stripe..."

***

Waking up in the strong embrace of a stallion was not something I was accustomed to. Sure I'd had sex with bucks before, I'd just never stayed the night or been tired enough to pass out, but Stripe had worn me out thoroughly.

He was good, not as good as any mare in my opinion, but still good, fantastic by stallion standards. I kissed his nose and wriggled out of his grasp, not worried about waking him up, he'd actually started crying from pain during out third go and I'd forced him to take his pain killer. He'd been a trooper, pushing through another five rounds before finally hitting the proverbial hay.

I rolled off the bed and groaned as I stretched, I looked down at my armor on the floor and whistled sharply, in an instant it crawled up my legs and rested on my back.

Everyone was staring right at me when I left the room, Token and BB grinning, Hex and Shaky blushing, Rawr and Adze snickering quietly, Kimba covering her mouth with a wing to stifle a laugh.

"What?"

"Um, Bandage," Kimba said, straining to hold in laughter, "the walls are kinda thick, but that reed door isn't exactly sound proof..."

I blushed and my ears laid back, the room erupted with laughter, with even Hex chuckling softly. Shaky was the only one in the room besides myself not dying from laughter, instead hiding her face in her forelegs with embarrassment.

Token wiped tears from her eyes and approached me, throwing a foreleg around my neck, "How was he babe? Cuz with all those times you called out his name, I'm figuring pretty damn good."

I sunk my head in chagrin, Beta did the most awesome thing ever, covering me in my armor so my face couldn't be seen.

"Thanks..." I muttered, blinking in confusion when the laughter stopped abruptly. I looked around the room, everyone was still going nuts, Rawr was even holding his ribs.

"I have activated the helmet's mute function." she explained.

"Cool..." I muttered, then blinked when I realized something, "Hey Beta, why haven't we been using this when I shoot Luna's whisper?"

The AI was silent for several moments, before answering in an uncharacteristically animated tone, "Uhh, my bad?"

"It'll be your bad when I go deaf you silly cyber bitch."

I trotted through the room, stepping around my asshole friends and scooping up Shaky before I walked outside into the faint moonlight.

My helmet retracted when I shut the door behind me, "Sorry if you were embarrassed kid."

"Me? Y-you're the one who cried out 'y-yes d-d-deeper! Sweet Celestia d-deeper!' Why the f-fuck would I b-be emb-barrassed?"

I shrugged her off my back and kept walking, "You're sleeping outside with the manticores tonight, no dinner."

"Oh c'mon," she chuckled, galloping up next to me, "I'm just t-teasing Mom."

I sat down and tousled her mane, she grinned up at me and fished a pack of cigarettes from her saddle bags, pulling one out with her teeth, then fumbled a lighter around in her hooves.

I sighed and took it with my magic, lighting her cigarette for her, she took a puff and exhaled the smoke with a long sigh.

"Thanks."

"I really wish you wouldn't smoke."

She shrugged, "Nicotine calms my nerves."

"There are other ways to calm your nerves."

"I've tried Steady b-before, it works a lot b-better, I don't even st-stutter when I'm on it, b-but it's kinda expensive."

"You really shouldn't use chems, especially not Steady, it can cause nerve damage that results in the shakes and jitters."

"So, b-basically the exact f-fucking opposite of what I use it for?"

"Yup."

She took another drag and sighed, "B-bummer."

I frowned and took the pack from her, "Savor that cigarette, it's your last."

"What?!" she whined, "B-but-"

"No buts. I'm weaning you off nicotine."

Shaky pouted, her lower lip trembling, her eyes begging, I scowled and shook my head.

"Y-you suck!" she shouted.

I shrugged, she hugged my leg tightly and looked up at me, her eyes starting to water, "P-please Mom, please."

I pulled away, "Your reaction is proof that you need to quit, you've got a severe nicotine addiction."

She slumped, then sucked down the rest of her cigarette and spit the filter out on the ground, grinding it with her hoof and trudging inside.

I sighed and rubbed my temples with my hooves, "Am I a bitch for doing that Beta?"

"Did you do it with the intent to aggravate her?"

"Of course not."

"Then no, you are not a 'bitch', you are a mare concerned about your child's health."

I nodded and waited until the laughter from inside died down before I trotted back in. I kept my head low and brushed past everyone, tossing my armor aside and flopping into bed next to Stripe when I reached my room.

The zony stirred, just long enough to pull me close to him and mumble tiredly before passing out again.

I smiled and kissed him softly, then pressed my face to his chest and fell asleep.

***

I was woken up by somepony nibbling my ear affectionately.

"Mmm," I mumbled quietly, "good morning..."

"Mornin'," Stripe said quietly, planting a kiss on my forehead, "time t' wake up, ya got shit to do t'day."

"Five more minutes." I grumbled, nestling closer to him.

He shook me a bit, "C'mon an' get up."

I shook my head and buried my face in the thick fur on his chest, "Nooo," I whined, "you're warm! And I'm tired!"

He pulled my head back and gave me a very hard kiss on the lips, I blinked my eyes open and blushed, "'Kay, I'm up."

I looked at him expectantly, he smirked and pushed me out of bed.

"Hey! Not cool!"

He leaned over the bed and smirked down at me, "Go gallivant through some tunnels, I'll see ya when you get back."

I sighed and got up, my armor encasing me, "Fine..." I muttered.

I trudged out of the room, Hex was in the next trying to play chess with a frustrated Shaky.

"Oh g-good," Shaky said, knocking all her pieces over, "we c-can leave and I won't have to p-play this stupid g-g-game anymore."

"You're getting better." Hex muttered, resetting the board while Shaky huffed and folded her forelegs. She glanced up at me and smiled, "Good luck today, be safe."

"Please," I scoffed, "since when are we not safe?"

She chuckled and shook her head, I fished my goggles from my bags and hung them on her horn by the strap.

"Keep an eye on those for me okay?"

"Sure." she said, putting them on and making goofy faces at me. She stopped and looked at Shaky, her mischievous smile on her face yet again. Hex grabbed the other filly by the sides of the head and pulled her in for a surprisingly long kiss, breaking away with a near silent "mwah."

Shaky was silent, staring blankly, not even blushing... Then she melted, smiling dumbly at Hex and blushing a brighter red than I'd ever seen.

Hex giggled and pecked her on the nose, "Bye Shaky."

Shaky said nothing, just continued to smile and stare, I rolled my eyes and dragged her out of the room, "C'mon lover girl."

"B-b-bye Hex." Shaky said when we had already left the hut and closed the door.

"She's inside love, she can't hear you."

"Oh... I knew th-that."

"How is she at kissing?"

"Really g-good." she said, still smiling and blushing.

"Hmmm, might have to try her out myself."

Shaky snapped back to attention and punched me in my armored knee, "B-back off! I've g-g-got dibs."

"Stifle dear, I'm just messing."

Kimba touched down in front of us, "You guys ready to go?"

"Yeah, where's everyone else?"

"At the entrance of the tunnel, it's not too far from town."

"Alright, let's go."

***

“So,” I said for the second time in my life, “anypony else get the feeling we’re all going to die?”

"It certainly appears that way..." Token muttered, looking over the pile of bones just inside the entrance.

"Requiem in pacem fratres..." Kimba muttered, "Let's get this done already."

"Got the explosive charges Adze?"

"Yes'm, got the detonator Rawr?"

The Hellhound grumbled and scratched his dead eye.

"Alright, BB, Kimba and I have point, Token behind us, Shaky stay with Token, Adze and Rawr, watch our backs. Got it?"

They all nodded, were entered cautiously, watching everywhere for glowing eyes and spines.

Kimba spotted something and trotted ahead of us, frowning at a pair of disemboweled zebras cradling each other.

"My cousin and her husband," she explained quietly, "I don't see their foal Shadis anywhere, I doubt he got away but-"

"There's a chance." I said, patting her on the shoulder.

She sighed and shook her head, "Come on, let's just get this done already."

We descended lower in to the cavern, finding more bodies and body parts as we went, still wary, still watching every shadow.

We all halted the instant we heard it, faint whimpering, coming from a heap of corpses.

"Smell anything Rawr?" I whispered.

"Death." he muttered quietly, shouldering his rifle and looking around.

"Right... Stay frosty, I'm moving up."

"Careful babe." Token said when I started carefully trotting forward.

I reached the pile and started shifting bodies away, the whimpering getting louder and louder.

A 2 month old baby zebra was lying at the bottom, curled in the fetal position and crying softly, he turned to look at me, his blue eyes wide and frightened, his right ear was cut in half, a nasty infected scab in its place.

"Kimba, I think I found your cousin's colt."

She stepped in next to me and smiled, scooping him up in her wing and nuzzling his nose, "Hello little one."

"Mind if Shaky takes him outta here? We need you down here with us."

She nodded and set the colt onto Shaky's back reluctantly.

Shaky smiled up at her reassuringly, "D-don't worry Miss Kimb-ba, I'll take c-care of him."

"Just, just be careful on your way out of here, okay?"

"Of course."

"You remember the way back to Hopeville?"

"Sure d-do."

Rawr tapped me and pointed up, there were glowing eyes looking down at us from the ceiling.

"Shaky, move, now."

She was already gone, her hoofsteps echoing from the entrance passage.

"Keep it tight guys, don't let anything past."

A Tunneler landed just in front of me, I reacted quickly, ducking a swipe and charging forward, knocking it on its back. I leapt up to its chest and started hammering on its head, the loud crack of bone sounding out with every blow until finally its skull popped, fluorescent green brain matter spilling out several feet and spraying all over me.

More were in the shadows, but were backing away. I reared up on my hind legs and pounded my chest.

"That's right motherfuckers! You, can't, fucking, han-" Suddenly I couldn't speak, the wind knocked out of me, a cough escaped, splattering the inside of my visor in blood. I looked down, long claws were protruding from my chest, blood spilling out of my armor.

They pulled out, the force spinning me around. I brought up my forelegs to try and block, the insanely sharp claws slicede through them both, even through my PipBuck, cutting each into bits. The longest claw cut through my armor and slit my throat, the index claw dragged across the bridge of my nose.

I fell backwards, gurgling as I tried to scream out in pain, blood spewing from my new stumps as I tried to move my front legs. I couldn't hear anything, probably in shock. I could barely make out the faint sound of what could've been Token screaming, and a light thumping that could've been her heavy zebra rifle.

The 12.7mm rounds slammed into the Tunneler's face, mulching its head in mere seconds, more bullets and energy beams swept over, the rest of the team engaging the rest of the Tunnelers.

My head was elevated, Token's face came into view, she was crying, her mouth was moving but I couldn't hear the words, and my vision was too blurry to read her lips.

I felt something, the sharp stab of needles all over.

"I am sedating you." Beta explained faintly, I nodded, my vision was going black, the blood was nearly to my nostrils inside my helmet.

I let out one last gurgling sigh, the precious remaining oxygen in my lungs uselessly bubbling in the ocean of dark red filling my helmet.

oooOOooo

I felt wrong, there were parts that shouldn't have been their, male genitalia was the first that I noticed, the one right wing was the other.

I was in moderate pain, my entire left side itchy and irritated, except for my eye and wing, which were missing.

I was Thunder Crash, or at least I was somehow living his memory, laying in a hospital bed, bandaged all over, a tube jammed down his throat pumping healing potion into him.

The Twins were at the foot of the bed, explaining something, he was nodding, almost absently though the stallion was trying his best to fight through his pain killers and listen to what they had to say.

"I'm in." he croaked out when they finished, his throat irritated from the tube.

---

"You'll do fine," one of the Twins said in his ear. Crash was armored now, no longer in pain, though shifting nervously, trying to comb his crimson mane over his eye patch, "just be your charming self and we'll get that extra funding."

"Ah dunno," he said in his drawling, raspy voice, "what if she don't support the project cuz Ah'm a, you know-"

A hoof turned his head to the left and a younger Lore came into view, "You're not a cripple, Crash, I've seen you tear a sentry bot in half, cripples don't do that." She ruffled his mane and smiled at him, "Now case up and let's go show you off to the princess."

He nodded, his helmet overtaking his face. The large doors in front of them opened and Data stepped out, a bat pony in armor at each of her sides.

"Shall we Lieutenant?"

Crash gulped and nodded, matching pace with Lore's easy stride and walking through, Data stepping in line with the two of them.

I would've gasped if I could, Luna, the godess of night, speaking to a bat pony guard. Data cleared her throat and the two glanced up, both of their eyes snapping to Thunder Crash, who's heart rate immediately jumped.

"So this is Sleipnir," Luna muttered, "it looks as impressive as its reputation sounds. This is your test pilot?"

"Yes ma'am," the stallion said, snapping into a salute, "former Lieutenant Thunder Crash, honorably discharged from the Shadowbolts for severely debilitating injuries sustained in the line of duty."

"I'm aware of your record Lieutenant," she said, stepping closer and circling the nervous pegasus, "An explosives malfunction correct?"

Crash chuckled, "If ya call mah grenade belt takin' a round from a stripe sniper an explosives malfunction then yeah."

The princess of the night grinned, I could feel the relief pour through the stallion, "Has this armor brought you back to fighting condition?"

"It's put me in better condition than Ah was in before Ah reckon, don't recall ever bein' able to rip robots apart with mah bare hooves before the accident."

"Interesting... How much would it cost you to create a team of soldiers equipped like this?"

"Several billion bits at least." Lore answered.

"Though a blank check would more than suffice." Data finished.

Luna smirked and nodded, "I'll have somepony fill out the necessary paperwork."

---

Thunder Crash stretched his new robotic wing, sitting across from Chryses in the hold of an armored sky carriage. The red buck smiled, "Adjusting well to the new hardware?"

"Not quite like the real thing, but better 'an nothin' Ah reckon."

"I wouldn't know, never had wings before, it's certainly interesting."

"So, what'd ya do before Steel Pony snatched ya up?"

"I was an actor, for a time, then I got a taste for war."

"An' how exactly does an actor get a taste for war?"

"The thrill of the hunt I suppose, going after a zebra that could easily end my life. Unfortunately, the old brain couldn't take it and I formed some rather nasty homicidal bipolar tendencies. They carted me off to High Tower to rot, a mare from the O.I.A offered me a job, I was modified, and here I sit, waiting to be put in a flashy suit of armor that's going to twist my genes like a kitten playing with a ball of yarn."

Crash chuckled, "It ain't so bad, just hurts in ways ya can't imagine for a few seconds an' it's over."

"Hmm, thankfully Steel Pony has gotten me used to pain..."

---

Full vision now, Crash was lying in bed, his bedside lamp on, staring at a picture of a little pink filly with bright blue eyes, smiling and playing in the sun, somepony shifted in bed next to him.

"Still looking at that picture love?" Lore asked, resting her head on his chest.

"Yeah, the light keepin' ya up darlin'?"

"No, my boyfriend looking at a photo like he's the one who pulled the plug in that poor girl is keeping me wide awake though."

He glanced away, she turned his head back and pecked him on the lips, "Crash, don't you think that filly would be happy to know her eye is helping a hero fight to win the war for Equestria?"

The pegasus sighed and stretched his wing, "Ah don't much feel like a hero these days Lore, just a well outfitted murderer that can hide behind a cause."

"Then why keep fighting?"

He chuckled and rested his head against the back board, "Cuz it's the only thing Ah do well darlin'."

The earth pony climbed on top of him, smiling seductively, "I know one other thing you're good at Crash..."

He smiled and kissed her, then frowned, "When can we tell everypony that we're, ya know, datin' an' shit."

She sighed and laid down on him, "I don't know darling, maybe when this stupid war is over, or when I think Data is ready to hear that kind of news."

"...'Kay."

"I'm not ashamed of you or anything Crash, it's just that she wouldn't take it very well is all."

"Ah know... It's just, Ah don't like sneakin' around like this, don't feel right."

"I know, just bare with it a little longer, alright?"

He nodded and smiled at her, "Ah love you Lore."

She smiled back and kissed his nose, "I love you too Thunder Crash."

---

Walking through a house, yelling from the next room, loud yelling, Crash kicked in the door, tearing the top hinge off and denting the door. An older pegasus was in the room, screaming at Dart who was screaming right back. Eclipse was on the bed, hiding behind a pillow.

Crash spun his father around and got up in his face, "Ya got no fuckin' business yellin' at her like that you old fucker!" he shouted, loudly and firmly.

"An' you got no fuckin' bidness raisin' yer voice to me in mah home ya fuckin' cripple!"

Crash picked him up and slammed him to the floor, denting the hardwood, "YOU DON'T FUCKING CALL ME THAT YOU WRINKLED SON OF A BITCH!!!"

"Crash," Dart said softly, putting a hoof on her brother's shoulder, "calm down please."

He nodded, letting his father up and shoving him out of the room, his mother following him out, and slamming the splintered door shut behind them.

"Ya'll okay?"

Dart smiled, "Yeah, thanks. Didn't think you approved."

"Ah can't necessarily say Ah do sis, but it ain't exactly mah business so Ah ain't gonna oppose it neither."

She approached and hugged him tight, "Thanks big brother."

---

"Crash?" Lore asked softly, he was at his desk, looking at a photo of Dart, a half empty bottle of Wild Pegasus whiskey next to it.

He sighed and turned, "Yeah sugar?"

"We just got word that- that Cloudsdayle was hit with a balefire missile..."

The pegasus nodded solemnly and turned back to his desk, he passed her the picture of Dart, "Ya may want t' leave the room."

"Of course."

The door closed, Crash sighed and chugged the rest of the whiskey, then threw it at the far wall.

He screamed out in anguish and slammed his forehooves on the desk, splitting it in half and chucking both pieces across the room, splintering them on the wall, then he destroyed everything else in the room, only stopping when he saw the small picture of the pink filly.

He sat hard, panting, crying, and picked up the picture, running a hoof carefully over the surface, he tucked it under a strap his armor had formed and walked out of his quarters.

"You alright sir?" the gruff synthetic voice of a buck said.

"No Alpha, Ah'm pretty fuckin' far from alright."

"Crash," Lore said as he turned the corner, several pegasi in black trench coats were waiting at the teleporter entrance, "this lot is here to speak with you."

"Lieutenant," one of the mares in front said, "the Pegasus Enclave has a proposition for you."

oooOOooo

I was in pain, immense pain, and I was drowning, a thick viscous fluid filling my lungs. I could see, just barely, the glass of the tube I was in was polarized, there were figures through the glass, watching me.

oooOOooo

The lack of testicles certainly made this next set of memories more comfortable, the wings were still there though, and judging from the camera in front of me and the white mane in my face, I was Dart.

"I dunno Crash," she said in her very soft voice, "I'm a photographer, and a model, what good would I do in a fancy suit of armor?"

"Yer a damn good flyer sis, need someone with those kinda skills."

"I'm sure you could find someone better suited."

"Ah also want somepony Ah can trust."

"Get one of your Shadowbolt buddies to help you out."

"...Eclipse is in the program too, Ah'm sure she wouldn't mind havin' you along."

Dart paused and scowled at him, "That's a dirty trick."

"Ah'm serious, took her in last month as our sniper, she's got the best marks of any sharpshooter the army's ever had."

She sighed and looked back to her camera, "Fine, I'm in."

---

"So," Dart said, slight anger evident in her voice, "me, your best friend since we were five, asks you for a date for years, and gets nothing, he, some asshole psycopath you just met last year asks you for sex, and you fuck him right away?"

"Dart, it's not like that, he's-"

"I don't care what he is..." she said quietly, trotting out of the room and into her quarters, locking the door and curling into a ball to cry.

"Hey sugar," a drawling synthetic mare said, Dart's armor crawling over and encasing her, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just that the mare I love is never going to return the sentiment..."

"Oh hush, there's still hope, just give her time, she'll come around."

"I don't know Gam, I've already waited so long..."

---

Kissing an ancestor was an odd sensation, but it was just a memory, and given the circumstance it was kind of cute to witness. Eclipse pulled away, blushing, Dart smiled at her lazily, her head swimming.

"I've waited way too long for that."

Eclipse chuckled and rested her forehead on Dart's, "Yeah, it wasn't so bad I guess, don't think you have me won just yet though miss Dart."

"Not won, but definitely a lot closer to my goal than I've ever been..."

---

Her face was flushed, she was shifting from side to side, Eclipse was smirking at her with an eyebrow cocked.

"Are you trying to ask me out on a date Dart?"

"Um, yes."

"Sure, why not."

Dart deflated, "Oh, okay then, I'll just-"

"Hey goofball, I said yes."

Dart brightened again, peeking eagerly through her bangs, "Really!?"

"Yes, really, pick me up at nineteen hundred hours, sharp."

"Yes ma'am!" Dart said, smiling and saluting.

---

Dart felt sick, drooping, tired, only a few strands of her mane were left to hang over her face, Eclipse was hugging her tight, crying, Dart was just smiling, trying to soothe her.

"You can't leave leave me," the unicorn sobbed, "I love you."

"I love you too," Dart said weakly, "and believe me, I don't want to go, but it's my time."

"How long?"

"A few weeks."

Eclipse nodded and pressed her face to the dying pegasus' chest, "I'll be there when you go, I promise."

oooOOooo

I was awake again, still in a lot of pain but now I could see a bit better, the glass no longer polarized, and the fluid flowing through my lungs felt more natural. I glanced down, my forelegs were being rebuilt, the muscle between the massive gashes knitting back together. My chest was open too, the flesh bulging out of the wounds and twisting back into shape.

Lore waved at me through the glass and mouthed out something, the only thing I recognized was "pain", I nodded, she smiled sympathetically and pressed a button.

oooOOooo

I felt natural, like I was in my own body, a unicorn mare, whipping golden mane out of her face. Eclipse. Crash was sitting across from her, sipping coffee.

"So," she said, in a voice only slightly different than mine, "this suit latches onto me, bonds with my nervous system, and then augments my muscle structure?"

"Basically, the Twins could probably give ya a better rundown than mah stupid ass."

She nodded, thinking while she sipped her latte, "Okay, I'm in."

---

In pain, lots of pain from below, my host was screaming, writhing, pushing with all her might, until finally something came loose. She slumped in exhaustion, but smiled when a foal started crying.

"It's a filly," Crash said, proudly passing a tiny, wrapped up Red Dawn to eclipse, "good work Momma."

"Thanks mate." she panted, affectionately brushing the new born's short wet mane away.

"What are you going to name her?" Dart asked next to her.

"Hmmm, well, I'm an astronomer, and she's red, how about... Red Dawn?"

"Why the hell not." Crash said with a chuckle.

"Sounds great." Dart said, patting Eclipse's lap.

---

Out in a field, standing above a blushing Dart, who was lying on her back. A crown of wild flowers sat on her head, and her mane was spread around her face, glowing like a halo when the sun hit it.

"I love you." Dart said quietly, Eclipse leaned down and kissed her very tenderly.

"I love you too."

---

Standing in the back of an armored sky carriage with the rest of the team, her suit sealed, a respirator breathing loudly. They were high, upper atmosphere high, looking down at a speck of a battlefield below.

"This is crazy!" she yelled.

"This is a HALO jump!" Crash shouted back, "I did these all the time in the Shadowbolts!"

"You had wings!"

"Oh, guess I did, oh well."

Eclipse screamed as somepony pushed her, flailing wildly while she fell, Crash latched onto her just before she hit the ground and glided them both 'safely' into a bunker full of zebras.

Crash charged ahead first, knocking enemies away left and right, crushing skulls with kicks.

Eclipse pulled two assault carbines from her back and rested them on her sides, spraying all over the room, dropping targets as more and more poured out of the the tunnels below.

The halted, Crash was shaking crushed bullets off his armor, Eclipse was letting her rifles cool down, steam pouring off the barrels.

"Easy peasy." she muttered, fresh mags loading into the carbines.

"Lemon squeezy." he finished, snapping the neck of a still breathing zebra.

---

Eclipse was holding Dart's hoof, crying, wincing every time the heart monitor beeped, Dart was smiling tiredly on her hospital bed.

"I love you, Eclipse." she said weakly.

"I love you too baby." Eclipse choked out.

Dart smiled one last time, her eyes brightening for just a moment, then she sighed and closed them, her hoof going limp as a loud tone rang out.

Eclipse hung her head and sobbed, Crash screamed and pulled the machine from the wall, then chucked it out the window.

"Goodbye Dart." she whispered quietly.

oooOOooo

Footnote: Level Up!
Challenge Perk: Tunneler anatomy: Turns out getting them in the head works pretty well! Headshots do +10% more damage to Tunnelers, regardless of weapon type used.