The bedlam I ran into on the assembly floor was a lot harder to navigate down here, than simply looking at it from above. The smoke and haze drifting through the room concealed a variety of obstacles as flashes of Ponitron energy weapons, bright welding torches and circling alarm lights lit the choking air crazily. I jumped a smaller conveyor belt, barely spotting it in time and slipping in a puddle of blood on the other side.

Skidding on my hooves, a raider loomed ahead of me. The scorched stallion had a flash of recognition and rage, bringing his pipe pistol to bear as I continued sliding right at him. Just as I was frantically trying to stop my spinning, slippery progress enough to aim, realizing he had me dead to rights, a huge metal claw shot out from the smoke and crushed the pony's head with a wet crunch. It was like a giant Cogsworth saved me.

The assembly robot tossed the corpse away as I sprinted under it, disregarding me as a target. Ahead I could finally spot the shimmering blue magical shield inside the prison these raiders had made. I forced myself to call it a prison only, despite that furious Shroud voice in my head that kept trying to add 'pantry' instead. Seeing the grisly diner that fed these ponies, I didn't feel bad for the insanity I had let loose here.

Dashing past the open gate leading into the storage room turned jail, I flattened into Jade's shield protecting the innocent ponies beyond. I felt like a bug on a sky carriage windshield, a number of which I noticed were stacked in the room beyond, and knocked on the magic bubble. A hole opened in the shell around me and I was dragged in quickly by a field of blue-white magic, depositing me at the alicorn's hooves.

"Fast! Thank the mother! Are you alright, let me see!" the beautiful filly leaned down and was inspecting me carefully on the floor of the cell, a crowd of frightened, dirty ponies looked on around her.

Panting, I pushed myself up to a sitting position and looked up into sparkling azure eyes as they flicked all over me. She gave a little "tsk" at my minor injuries and squeezed me in a quick hug, "You told me what you were going to do but still... You made yourself an awful big target for a moment there, I was worried! The explanation was an understatement compared to the results too, you have made a scene Nightmare Moon would be proud of down here..."

She looked bothered at that. Even with the horrible things these raiders did, even with the miserable prisoners she was protecting bearing marks of their treatment under the raider's hooves, Jade felt bad it came to this. I wished I could live up to that kind of compassion, or that it had been an option. This was the best path I could see to save those that deserved it though. The kind alicorn really was a princess as far as I was concerned, this kind of thing was why she needed a knight to serve her though. I'd dirty my hooves to do what had to be done if it was for her, and this had to be done.

I gave her a bow of my head and looked up under my grey mane, "Sorry, I know it's bad but... it's them or us," I looked around at the watching prisoners and back to her, "I choose us, I'm.. I'm still in control of it though..don't worry," She followed my glance and sighed with a nod. She had helped save me from losing myself to the dark pony in my head, that I now pictured as the Shrouded Stallion in an effort to control it, I wanted her to be reassured I hadn't forgotten.

"O-Of course, I know. Everypony this is my Fast... m-my friend Fast! Who I told you about, he did all this and is here to help. We are going to get you out of this place," she spoke to the gathered ponies who stared at the two of us. I could make out fear, hope, confusion, anger and desperation warring on the faces of the gathered ponies.

Jade had passed out a number of purple healing potions and bandages, they were using them on those in the worst shape and I floated out most of my own as well. I had to hold back some, I wasn't done in this awful place yet, Mama Xara and Short Stack weren't here after all. But seeing the shape they were in hurt too much to do nothing. Satisfied I was ok, Jade trotted about administering medical care to those in the worst shape.

Flicking through my pip-buck inventory, I added all the food and water I had, most of them looked half starved. As I floated it around to teary eyed ponies I stopped, spotting a filly in the crowd. My eyes widened and I could feel myself shaking. A white coat, silver hair... glistening pink eyes...

I saw those eyes not long ago, staring at me from the chopping block of the evil cook that served the raiders here fresh pony stew. The filly I was looking at was his last victim before I had... done things... to him. I could feel my heartbeat pounding in my temples, a cold sweat spring out on my hide under the tattered, blackened cloak and armor I wore. I bolted across the cell towards her and grabbed her in my hooves, she was real! She wasn't a hallucination!

Her pink eyes widened and she flinched as I hugged her, squeezing tight, feeling a living little pony under me. "Y-Y-You're alive! You're ok! You're ok! You're..." a gentle touch on my shoulder stopped my yammering.

Jade looked over to me sadly from the elderly mare she was wrapping in bandages, her wingtip stretched over to touch me. "Fast... I am sorry... it is not her," she looked at the filly I had tackled with a tear rolling down her muzzle, "I thought the same thing..." she wimpered and turned back to her patient.

I pulled back, holding the filly up by her shoulders as she looked up at me, tears dribbling from her eyes. What was she talking about? This was the same filly! I didn't know how, but I didn't care, she wasn't... "M-m-my name's...Platinum G-Glitter Mr. Fast... My...my sister T-T-Twinkle... she's really d-dead, isn't she..." the crying little filly shook as she spoke. She knew the answer to what she was asking, she sounded like a pony that had cried herself nearly dry already.

I slumped to the ground and let her go, twins... the filly I saw in the kitchen was her twin... The look I wore was enough, her face screwed up in a twisted rictus of pure anguish and she grabbed me this time, sobbing and shaking into my chest. I stiffened in her grasp, slowly reaching out and stroking her mane, "I'm sorry... S-so... so sorry... I... I made him pay..." I knew that wasn't enough, it would never be enough.

I just sat there and let her go, looking around at the other prisoners shooting pained looks at us furtively. I stared past Jade's blue shield that separated us from the chaos winding down in the factory beyond. Eyes Forward Sparkle reported nearly all the red marks were gone, half a dozen green ones belonging to the Ponitrons I had set loose clattered out there still, forming up outside the prison. They were following the program I had patched together and waited to fulfill the escort duty I assigned them.

Spotting the green military bag I had given Jade to carry, I reached out with my magic and opened it, floating the weapons from the raider's armory out to the crowd of prisoners. "Alright everypony, you're leaving this place. Arm yourselves, I arranged some protection but you'll have to fight too. Jade here will lead you somewhere safe if you want or you can just run wherever home is, I'd suggest going with her though. It's close and there are others there to help you, you can go wherever you want from there," I called out to the gathered crowd, putting on a little of the Shroud's voice so I sounded less tired and scared, more dependable and brave.

Jade spun on me with a frown, she wasn't going to like this... "Excuse me? What do you mean I will lead them away? I am not leaving you and you will not leave without Mama Xara and Short, correct?" She loomed over me and huffed, no she wasn't happy at all.

I gave a little shrug around the filly soaking my ratty cloak under me, "Sorry Jade, the robots are keyed to your pip-buck already. V.I.P. escort program, they follow you and you're the best chance to get these ponies out of here. I'll keep the raiders that are left here busy so you can all get away. You have to save them."

A horribly conflicted expression crossed her face, she clearly didn't want to go, but couldn't leave the prisoners alone either. I felt bad cornering her like this when I hacked the Ponitrons waiting outside, but this was for the best and I knew what decision she'd make. Watching her working through it in frustration, I patted little Glitter's head and floated her over to the alicorn in my magic, placing the weeping foal gently on her back.

"T-that is not fair Fast!" she cried angrily at me as I stood up and walked to the edge of the shield.

"I know." I replied without looking back at her.

I heard her trot up behind me and whinny, stamping her hooves, "You- you are in big trouble later! You hear me! So.. so you have to come back safe to be punished!" she tried putting on her best goddess-y voice and sniffled, ruining the impression.

I managed to look back at her watery blue eyes glaring at me sadly and winked up to her, "As you command princess," I smiled at her and turned back to the shield, waiting.

It took awhile, but finally it parted letting me back out into the slaughterhouse I created.

I put the silenced pistol away and floated my new shotgun beside the unsilenced 10mm, approaching the door with 'Executive Offices' stenciled above it. The number of red marks on E.F.S. was down to such manageable levels now, I could afford to move quickly. The remaining raiders I ran into were panicked and didn't have the advantage of a little compass in their vision to let them know I was coming.

The guards that had been stationed at the doorway were nowhere to be found, most likely they were drawn into my trap by the PA system. I passed through the empty door and into a stairwell, leading to the uppermost floors of the Thundega Assembly Plant, as I approached the top I could hear voices matching half a dozen red marks. They were waiting.

Moving slowly, I crept forward, hopefully I'd at least have a moment of surprise even with an ambush waiting. As I was mentally preparing myself for facing what must be the elite guard of raiders, I stumbled on something... A thin wire across the stairs? Something hard hit me on the head and I caught the movement of a couple metal apples bouncing to the floor and down the stairs. Tripwire... metal apples... tripwires weren't good...

Abandoning stealth, I jumped forward to the top of the stairs and the doorway beyond as a roaring blast went off below and behind me, throwing me forward into the hall ahead and lighting my rear half in burning agony. As I sailed through the air towards four ponies waiting behind heavy desks turned on their sides in the hall, I desperately activated S.A.T.S.

The Stable-Tec Assisted Targeting System froze time around me, buying me a moment of relief from the pain with that strange feeling of disconnection from my body. The raiders waiting in ambush were loaded for bare, I had definitely made an impression downstairs anyway.

A shotgun, a 10mm SMG, a hunting rifle and a leader pony wearing a battle saddle with a combat shotgun and a heavy sniper rifle were all pointed at me. Looking closely I made out another grenade in the magical grip of a pale pink mare, the pin was pulled and it was ready to be thrown at me. The leader wore armor fashioned from metal scraps off the assembly line below, while the others had leather barding adorned with spikes and studs.

Looking behind the group, I spotted a fifth pony wearing crude combat armor, painted with swirls and markings in what looked like blood. The dark brown unicorn's mouth was open mid scream with rage in his teal eyes, his hoof jabbed out at me as I flew through the air. Scars lined his hide where it showed past the armor and his greasy black mane fell in his face. Floating in his grip was a large revolver and an absolutely huge hammer was strapped on his back, festooned with wires and electronics, a talisman glowed in the hilt.

Looking at his cutie mark, a bloody hammer that matched the one on his back roughly, I saw two more ponies in the room beyond him. An elderly zebra and a small foal were bound in a rather opulent office, propped against a large, ornate wooden desk. He stood in the doorway, taking cover and ordering his minions to deal with me, while the two ponies I was here for were frozen in time, shouting in fear at me. They were going to see me die...

I didn't want to of course, but the blazing red alerts from my pip-buck and the wall of death waiting for me made that pretty likely. The little cartoon of a unicorn showed Xs for eyes and a tongue sticking out, both hind legs crippled and massive damage to the torso, internal injuries were flashing urgently. Rolling my eye behind me, I could see the glare of the booby trap explosion past the flaming, tattered edge of the blackened tarp I wore on my shoulders. I could hang here frozen in the moment before it all ended, but getting out of it once I released the spell seemed impossible.

Still, Jade told me to come back, she was waiting on me. Mama Xara and little Short Stack were watching in horror, I didn't want the colt to see the Shrouded Stallion -as he thought of me- die. Everyone from Stable 111 was still out there somewhere waiting for me to find them too. I also really didn't want to die, like... a lot...

Suspended in time, I flipped away from the medic alerts blaring at me and started going through my inventory, looking for some way out of this. At least I could access my items like this, if I told the pip-buck to use them then it would, though the effects wouldn't take hold until S.A.T.S. ended. Ok... first things first then, I selected three of my four remaining potions and used them all. The screens in my vision reported where my health would be once time resumed and they took effect. If I didn't get shredded by the raiders in front of me, I'd probably live anyway.

I stared at the rest of my inventory, there was little of use; weapons, ammo, my stable barding, lots of junk and tools. The only things of use were filed under the 'Aid' tab with the potions. Well, having reservations about using some of this stuff was pointless if I was dead. I started clicking through the drugs and medicine I had collected or taken from Jade's clinic back in Sanctuary she was so proud of. I wished I was there now.

Hydra... I had used it on the alicorn once to heal her wing when I first saw her. It was still dangerous stuff, made with flux... taint she called it, risky... I used the single vial I had, that was going to hurt like hell but it would repair my legs and internal injuries, again if I lived more than a few seconds. Hydra on top of the catastrophic amount of pain already waiting for me made Med-X a good idea, so I selected a vial of it as well. The combat drugs further down the list wouldn't be worth much if I couldn't move, so I saved them for now.

I had my best weapons out already, except for the frighteningly sharp knife 'Best Served', but it too was useless in the current situation. The only other thing I had was my new stock of explosives, I could toss grenades via S.A.T.S., but they'd have to go to the targets and wait for the timers to detonate, seconds I didn't have.

A big ka-boom would be great otherwise, the clump of ponies in front of me would all take damage, barricades or not. My eyes hung on the single grenade one of the raiders held in their magic, right by their head and in the middle of the group... As I stared at it, S.A.T.S. gave me a 30% chance of hitting it, it was a viable target...

Well this was a plan, it was a way to go down swinging if nothing else. I selected the grenade as the target and used the entire spell charge on it with the pistol. I looked around as far as my vision allowed, offices lined the hallway. None as fancy as the one the pony with the hammer hid in, but none were a room for lots of cubicles either, these were the offices for executives after all. The nearest door was to my right and just ahead, another door lay between it and the barricade ahead.

I hung in midair a moment longer, thinking of all the ponies I cared about, my family, my old friends from the Stable and new ones outside of it, Jade... I heard your life flashed before your eyes before you died, but having S.A.T.S. to give you as long as you wanted to think was nice.

If I died at least I was able to do so thinking of every moment I had spent with her, every warm hug and nuzzle, every touch of her wing, every tear she wiped away. I brought up the memory of seeing her posing in front of the mirror in the steamy bathroom back in Sanctuary, unhappy with how she looked for some insane reason I could never understand. I hadn't meant to barge in on her, but it was a nice image to die on.

I accepted the sequence in S.A.T.S. and time resumed.

Pain, yes I had been expecting it, but there wasn't any way to be ready for this. It was an ocean of agony. I could barely notice as the first two shots from the pistol fired and missed. Good thing the pip-buck was taking care of that, I couldn't do anything but think really hard about moving towards the open door.

The third shot fired, another miss. The first raider to react was the second in command in the metal armor, the sniper rifle on his battle saddle punched through the tattered cloak flapping around me and drilled through my shoulder. At least the rag made my outline hard to make out, what was an in and out glancing shot could have went right through my chest.

The fourth shot from the pistol, another miss. Come on! Statistically one of the first three should have hit! The shotgun raider peppered my flank with buckshot, adding a few drops to the overflowing bucketload of pain. I just kept focusing on the open door, my flight was slowly leaning that way. The grenade I had been firing at fruitlessly was starting to move... Then the hydra started kicking in and what I thought was pain before was dwarfed.

The fifth shot... BOOM!

The explosion pushed me back and aided in my desperate struggle to angle toward the door. S.A.T.S. released its' grip on the pistol, its' mission accomplished with half the charge remaining, as I rolled through the door, landing in a heap. I think I was screaming, but I couldn't hear it.

I was quivering on the floor as the hydra was coursing through my battered body, setting my nerves on fire, twisting my broken legs back into shape and roiling through my guts, rebuilding them. The Med-X didn't touch this, I wished I was like Jade and it didn't hurt, she might not like it, but I saw no problems being an alicorn like her at this point.

I thrashed and rolled on the carpeted floor, at least that put the tattered cloak out, it smoldered on top of me. Absently, I heard shouts and movement in the hall. A bleeding raider limped through the door, the sub machine gun in his mouth seeking me out. I triggered S.A.T.S. again, now that there was something to target and I could think enough to manage it.

Sweet relief flooded through me, as long as I had a target, I could at least buy myself time to think and get away from the pain. It was waiting for me, but for the moment I was free. I queued up three shots with The Terrible Shotgun, what an uninspiring name for a weapon, why use it if it was terrible? I had kept it out of curiosity and because when my pip-buck decided to attach names to things they tended to be worthwhile. Fork's old knife had been labeled 'Best Served" when I picked it up in the Stable a lifetime ago and it worked out well.

I went through the pip-buck menus, reluctant to let time resume again by accepting the commands. The health readout was still very unhappy, the cartoon unicorn only looked half dead now though. It said my legs were restored, they hadn't felt like it before I went into the cool bliss of frozen time, but I had to believe it. I needed to move when things resumed.

Going through the inventory I selected another shot of Med-X, anything to numb some of that pain. I glanced down the list, no reason to hold back now... I selected one of the vials of Dash I had taken from Mr. Hawthorne's house next door back home, used it and let time resume again.

BLAM! BLAM!

Two blasts from the shotgun boomed out, the first tore a huge hole through the leather barding the raider wore, stopping him in his tracks, the second blew his head off in an explosion of gore. Then the drugs took hold, first the pain slacked off enough to function again with the second vial of Med-X. Then came the Dash, everything got brighter, more there and real, the lights in the ceiling sparkled and I felt... good? Great! I could take on the world!

I scrambled to my hooves, my hind legs tried to buckle and give up, but I just swung them furiously, pushing forward. I rose with a clatter, pushing against the desk behind me and charging toward the headless raider as he fell, very slowly... Pulling my knife out and holding it in my mouth, I marveled down at the corpse, it landed with a thump finally as I leapt over it and into the hall. This was like S.A.T.S., but instead of everything being frozen I could move through a world in slow motion.

Skidding into the hall, I saw the remaining two bleeding raiders swinging towards me, eyes widening slowly. The third was the one with the grenade and she was a smoking ruin splashed on the other two. They appeared to be looking just behind where I was. I dodged left as the metal armored pony's combat shotgun fired, I could practically count the pellets as they tore into the tiled floor behind me. I sprinted forward at an angle, firing the pistol at the raider with the hunting rifle in her mouth. Bullets tore into the green mare and the clip ran dry, as I hit the wall and pushed off it with all four hooves.

The dark cloak flapped around me as I blurred across the hall, another shot from the final raider's sniper rifle ripped a new hole in the tattered edge and buried itself in the wood paneled wall behind me. I was streaking toward him, watching his pupils shrink and laughing like a loon. Why hadn't I tried this Dash stuff before?!

The Terrible Shotgun barked out round after round, hammering into the raider lieutenant's metal armor, staggering him back one step after another until it clicked empty too. I jumped the turned over desk he took cover behind, he wasn't trying to fire any more, just backpedaling like mad. The long blade in my mouth flashed out and a deep line appeared across his throat, spraying blood in a fan to the ceiling and soaking me.

I stood panting on the other side of the barricade meant to kill me, surrounded by the remains of the guards. My heart was trip-hammering in my chest, my muscles burned and everything was jittery, the Dash was wearing off. Less than a minute had passed... 'Best Served' glimmered wetly in my mouth, held in a crooked grin, gore dripped down the ragged, black stained cloak that fluttered around my hooves. I looked down the long hallway, to the last red mark on E.F.S. while reloading my guns. The leader, Crankcase, stared back at me. The revolver held in his magic shook and his mouth hung open, his teal eyes held cold hatred and terror.

"Who the fuck are you!?!" he screeched.

"Shroud!" the little foal bound behind him yelped in joy.

"Let them go. Now. Or die," the dark Shrouded Stallion in my head growled down the hall at the leader of the Thundega raiders, racking The Terrible Shotgun.

The raider leader slammed the door to the office.

I charged down the hall, the office doorways blurring past. It looked like the top ponies in this gang got special rooms up here with the boss. Ahead of me, two green marks and one red moved on the compass at the bottom of my vision, he was running and taking Mama Xara and Short Stack. The Shrouded Stallion in my head raged, he was not getting away...

Without the Dash burning through me, pain was filling in the gap it left, getting past the two shots of Med-X I had taken. My entire back half felt like it was wound with barbed wire and stabbing pain radiated in my chest. I should be dead. I'm sure that fact along with the dance of death in the hall was what made Crankcase turn and run. He just watched a dead pony come back to life and tear through his guards like a Dash fueled scythe. Of course right now the cocktail of drugs and adrenaline was the only thing keeping me going, along with the sight of my friends still alive.

I spun and bucked the door, barely losing a step, it flew open and I trained my weapons on the office beyond. A large, dark wooden desk stood in the center of the room, on thick but moldy red carpet. Cracked and faded pictures of carriages and sky carriages hung on the walls, framed magazines with pictures of the same grey stallion stared down. A large mattress sat in the corner, festooned with pillows and fancy silk sheets, marred by splashes of blood I didn't want to think about. A door near the raider king's love nest hung open and rain blew into the room, that's where the marks on E.F.S. lead so I bolted after.

We were on the roof, rain slashed down and lightning flashed in the clouds overhead with a rumble. Crankcase was standing in the middle of the roof with Mama Xara and Short held back by the long handle of his strange hammer at their necks. His revolver floated out above them, shakily pointed at me. The crazed stallion was staring up towards the smokestacks above a small utility building to his right.

"Bloodtail! Get down here and kill that little fucker, now!" he screamed up into the sky. Shit... the griffon...

The lean, feathered predator swooped down from the smokestacks and landed on the utility building, staring down at us. Looking first to Crankcase, then to his captives, then to me. This was going to be bad...

Her shaggy head and sleek wings were a fiery red, over a muscular light red-orange body, a scar crossed a strange cutie mark like tattoo of numbers and dashes on her flank. White plumage was streaked on her head and at her wingtips, with lavender accents around her eyes. Her fierce purple eyes stared down passively and her long tail whipped back and forth, the fluff of red and white at the end flashing.

She wore thick light green combat armor, under her wings were two intimidating weapons pointing down at us. A belt fed machine gun with a case of the mumps was on one side, the shells for it were huge whatever they were. Opposite that thing was large magical energy weapon of some make I had never seen, it had three barrels and crackled with red magic. A bandolier crossed her chest, a holster held a huge pistol at her breast. This was a griffon that meant business....

I tensed, ready to be torn to pieces by those long charcoal claws that clenched the edge of the roof she perched on. Finally, she turned back to Crankcase and drawled with a lazy look on her face, "You ain't paid me."

The raider fumed and screeched at her, "I told you I have it! Shut up and kill him you stupid bitch!"

The griffon raised her foreleg to her face, looking down at her claws critically and holding them out in front of her. "You ain't paid me and ya wanna contract more work... that ain't how it works Crank."

Steam was practically coming out of the stallion's ears, he raged and stamped his hooves. Finally he turned back to me and pointed the gun at Short. "Y-You back off! Take the brat, but the zebra's mine! Take another step and I'll kill them both!"

My eyes blazed in my skull at the sight of the gun held to the colt's head, my pistol and the Terrible Shotgun were up and aiming at his in a flash. Before I could say a word however, the griffon interrupted the exchange laconically.

"Can't let ya do that Crank. I was contracted to deliver captives taken from that settlement. Until I get paid, the delivery's incomplete. Do what you want with 'em once I got caps in claw, till then they're my package. Kill my package and how can I complete delivery? Nope... sorry to say you pull that trigger, you get incinerated," the large barreled, belt fed gun clicked as she brought it to bear on the raider. This was getting interesting...

A vein pulsed on Crankcase's head under his greasy mane, his eyes darted back and forth looking for a way out. He obviously didn't have the... caps?... money to pay. I knew griffons had different views on money than most ponies and tried to dredge up every vague memory I had of mom's friends.

I looked up at the lithe griffon and shouted over the storm, "I want a contract! Help me! Help save my friends!"

She glanced over and cocked an eyebrow, "Do ya now? Yer the little pony from that Sanctuary place ain't ya? And what exactly do ya got ta offer in payment? I can tell ya now, it won't be cheap..."

Dammit, she was right. I didn't even realize ponies might use something different from bits for money up here, caps? Whatever they were, I knew I didn't have any, I only had a hoofful of golden prewar bits in my bags. I racked my brain desperately, some memory was niggling at me from deep down, something to say that was right...I frowned and hit my head with my hoof, trying to jar it loose. She started to turn away, closing her eyes and huffing to the sky, come on brain, work! NOW!

"I offer an open contract!" I screamed, finally it came.

The she-griffon paused and turned back slowly, narrowing her eyes. "You don't know what yer sayin' pony, if you ain't got the caps, stop wasting my..."

"I... I... I swear on the Idol of Boreas and good King Grover! I Fast Times offer an open contract freely to..." I dragged the words out from the dusty memory and stumbled, what had Crankcase called her?

Her eyebrows raised and those lidded lavender eyes widened ever so slightly, "Valkyrie... Val Bloodtail..." she murmured, barely audible over the rain. Crankcase watched the exchange with mounting panic, but her weapons never left his head.

"To Valkyrie Bloodtail! Equal share of all future profits! Partners! I offer myself! Save my friends!" I shouted at her.

She looked me over slowly, turning her head back an forth owlishly and narrowing her eyes again. "Hmmm... and what are ya worth pipsqueak? I dunno, where'd ya hear that anyway? No matter. Crankcase is an outstandin' debt, caps in claw, yer an unknown... Was a nifty little settlement you had there though. Hrrrmmm.... I suppose I can consider it... I know, easy way ta appraise yer value and clear up this business with Crank." she mused to herself and suddenly was a fiery blur streaking towards Crankcase.

Before either of us realized what happened, she had Xara and Short in her claws and flapped back to her perch, holding her pistol on them. Crankcase glared at her and jabbered in fury, as she looked down with a smirk, "There, the better value will take care of the bad deal. I hold on to my package till I gets paid. Yer worth anything, you can prove it."

Crankcase was still trying to comprehend what happened, while I was pounding across the roof at him. I didn't care about the griffon's weird ideas, she did what I needed, the hostages were removed from the equation. Rounds from the pistol in my grip started slamming into his combat barding as he realized I was coming for him.

That armor was going to be a problem, neither the 10mm rounds nor the shotgun shells were going to get through it and it protected him well. I was dashing in range to try to blast his unprotected head, unfortunately he had caught on and had the massive hammer floating in front of him, protecting his weak spot. His revolver started zeroing in on me, the third round bucking me in the side as I closed the distance.

The hammer shot out at me, the talisman in the hilt sparking with electricity as the huge head glowed and hissed in the rain. I dodged frantically, but the target wasn't me, The Terrible Shotgun clattered from my grip and across the roof. More rounds pinged off the hammer that returned to guard him quickly after the sharp thrust. One tore a bloody gash down his neck and a second vaporized his ear before the clip ran empty.

His last three rounds from the revolver went off, two misses, but one tore through my foreleg. Now we were down to melee weapons, his huge hammer versus my knife. The raider sneered and swung the heavy sledge at my head, believing me completely outclassed. 'Best Served' slashed up and to the right in my magic, while I dodged left, the stroke deflected his smashing blow and his sneer died when he noticed the deep groove left in the metal shaft of his weapon.

We circled each other slowly, I limped on my wounded leg, leaving a trail of blood in the puddles at our hooves. We both sent probing attacks at each other, he moved to deflect the flying knife away with the magically enhanced head of the hammer instead of block it. He had already learned not to try to stand against the wickedly sharp weapon directly. His own swings were dodged easily enough, but threw me off and were making me use up what little energy I had left.

The griffon watched from her perch with interest, pulling out a bottle of something and drinking like she was enjoying a good show. My friends were still bound, but she paid them little attention, holding the pistol on them as more of an afterthought. Mama Xara edged closer and shouted down to us, "Bring the thunder Fast!"

Ok, that was a strange cheer, I'd expect it out of Short Stack honestly. Crankcase scowled at the zebra mare and I slashed out at the opening, going for the throat to end this now while I could. The raider had been looking away, but he wasn't as stupid as he looked, he let me have that opening.

He reared back on his hind legs as the saturnite knife slashed through his chestplate and tore a spray of blood from him. In exchange for the gash on his chest, the massive hammer whistled through the rain in a flat arc and hit me like a freight train in the ribs, electricity sparking down the head and shooting through me.

I flew through the air and rolled across the roof, splashing through the puddles soaking it and sliding to a halt, twitching as the magic sparked over me. I heard Short Stack screaming and looked over to see him held back idly by his tail in the griffon's claws, Mama Xara leaned over him, repeating her weird cheer, "Bring the Thunder!"

Crankcase stomped up and stood over me, he floated the sledge high above him, preparing to smash my head into cider. "That zebra bitch, I've been after her a long time runt. Told me one of her visions when I was that brat's age, said I'd be a monster. King of the Thunder Castle she said, and here I am. You've been a hell of a setback, but it's over, got an inside track on the future now, be unstoppable... rule the Commonwealth, be a real king!"

I looked up at him, the roiling clouds above him flashed with lightning and rumbled, Mama Xara kept shouting "Thunder!" down at me. She saw the future... His sparking hammer floated above him in the storm, drifting higher before he brought it down once he was done rambling.

I never used this spell like this, I wasn't that strong with magic, just enough for repairs...

I clenched my eyes and poured everything I had left into my horn. Thin bolts of lightning arced up over the crazed stallion and up to the sparking hammer. He winced, twitching as the weak electricity streamed through him and gritting his teeth. I strained to put more into the weak spark spell, come on!

The thunder came.

I caught a glimpse of a white flash, a huge bolt seared on my eyes as it streaked down from the storm to the hammer and the chain my spell formed, leading to the raider holding it in his ragged yellow magic, and to me... Thunder crashed in my ears, the last image I caught was the raider frying like a blown fuse.

I was back home, playing on the plush carpet of our living room in front of the tv. Glancing up occasionally at mom and the silvery griffon on the couch as they laughed and drank their funny drinks that looked good but tasted bad. Really, how could you put a little umbrella in a glass if it wasn't for foals.

Forcing my brain to bring up the memory had apparently brought it to the forefront again and I watched it play out clearly. I probably wasn't dead right?

"Really Hilde, you should quit that job. Your boss sounds like a prick, not worth it at all," mom slurred waving her hooves around, sloshing her drink.

I stacked my blocks with shaky magic, building a tower for my Shrouded Stallion figure to perch on dramatically. I looked up at the pretty griffon as she drained her own and shoved mom playfully. "Oh sure, just quit. C'mon Bright you know I gotta keep the contract, maybe when it comes due I'll look around, but where else am I gonna work? S'hard findin' somebody worth makin a contract with, pay's good, so what if he's a jerk, jush hafta swallow it down."

Mom lounged back on the couch against the armrest and kicked at the griffon with her hind legs, "Bah! There's always somethin' better out there, hell I bet I can make Olden ask around at the school. Security there is pitiful... he'll do what I tells him ain't that right sweetie!" she tittered over the back of the couch.

Dad's voice drifted down the stairs from his office, "Yes dear... She is right though Brunhilde, I can ask around for you."

The griffon shook her grey head, plumage fluttering around her, "Babysit a bunch of eggheads and brats? C'mon, you say security but there's no action! Nah, I'll check around though, find somebody worth a damn to work for. Heard about that Stable-Tec place hirin' not long ago anyway," she huffed in annoyance thinking about it and poured another drink.

I had been watching the conversation from the floor, trying to figure out what the grownups were talking about. I did understand Auntie Broom was unhappy and wanted somepony good to work for. I jumped up and flopped on the couch between mom and the griffon lady. "You can work for me Auntie Broom!" I shouted and was pulled into a tickle hug from mom.

She guffawed at that and wore a smirk on her beak as she added a wing to the tickles, "Oh? and whatcha gonna pay with lil' Fast?"

I squirmed and gasped for air under the two pronged tickle attack, "P-p-pigg- piggybank! All-all my- birth-d-day bits!"

Auntie Broom smiled and let up, her yellow eyes looked up thoughtfully and she tapped a claw on her head. "Hmm... I dunno Fast, that's a lot alright buuut think I need a little more than that..."

I frowned as mom let go too and stood between them, thinking, "Um.. my toys? Well... most of them, not the Shroud though..." that should sweeten the pot nicely I thought. She sat looking up and scratching under her beak with her claws humming, was it still not enough? I gulped and floated my Shroud figure over to me, looking at it carefully. Auntie Broom was unhappy, I could tell that before they got all silly because of the funny drinks. I sighed and frowned in determination, the Shroud would understand... I held it up to her in my magic, "O-ok... All my toys!" I winced, looking away before she snatched the precious treasure up. Who could resist that offer?

I was yanked back in a crushing hug and mom started laying kisses down on my head, "What a sweet foal you are Fast! That's momma's little colt, you're gonna be such a sweetheart!" I gasped and wriggled in her hooves, trying to escape and looking to Auntie Broom. Surely she had taken my offer now.

She smiled widely, her eyes shining with merriment as she passed my toy back to me. "Now that is a tempting offer Fast, ALL your toys huh? Your mom's right kiddo, you are a gonna be a real gem... matter of fact I bet you're a worthwhile investment. How 'bout this, I can't take your toys as payment but I can give ya an open contract!"

Mom snorted and shoved the griffon with a friendly kick, "Hilde! Don't tell him that!"

Auntie Broom laughed and shoved back, nearly rolling her off the edge of armrest she was lounging on, "What! I'm serious, I think he's valuable!" She leaned over to me in a conspiratorial whisper, "You don't have the bits to pay for me kid, but you're worth enough I bet! I'll make a contract with ya for what I think you'll be worth eventually, we'll be partners, go on adventures, all that. Now you say 'I swear on the Idol of...'"

Mom nickered behind me and stretched out, hanging her head off the couch and spreading her hooves to the floor, "You're gonna get him in trouble Hilde..."

I woke up on a very soft bed, that nearly made up for the amazing amount of pain I was in. No more Med-X, no more adrenaline, no more rage and fear, nothing separated it from me anymore, I groaned and tried to move experimentally. That was a mistake...

My rear half was packed with ground glass, even trying to twitch my hind legs sent lances of fire up my spine. My guts felt like they squirming in my chest and gurgled angrily at me. A variety of other wounds covered by bandages shouted for their own attention. My head was pounding, looking up through my bedraggled mane, I saw my horn was blackened even more than my normal coloration, as I looked a small spark arced at the tip and drove a spike in my brain.

"Sssh... stay still little pony. I used what you had to heal you, hopefully more is coming..." Mama Xara sat at the edge of the bed and put a cool cloth on my forehead, that felt good. Moving probably wasn't a good idea, I rolled my eyes around the room. We were in Crankcase's fancy office, the red drapes hanging around the bed and the silk sheets I was on identified it.

Short Stack was beyond the zebra mare, rooting around a set of cabinets, on hearing Mama Xara he pulled his head from the drawer it was buried in and ran over, leaping on the bed and bouncing on his hooves near me. "You're ok! I knew it! I knew you'd come! That was awesome! You and that bad pony were all like blam! pow! shing! Then you got hit... but then KRAKATHOOM!! That bolt of lightning blasted the bad guy to a crispy critter! A-are you ok Shroud? umm Fast?"

My eyes were clenched shut at the boisterous colt's high volume recap. When he quieted with that worried tone, I opened them slowly and looked back to him, trying to smile. "F-fi-ne..." I croaked, even talking hurt...

I caught movement across the room and tried to lift my head, there was red over there, but not on my E.F.S.? Wait.. the unobtrusive little compass wasn't in my vision anymore, I looked down to my pip-buck in panic and stared at a dead screen. Great, the lightning must have crashed the spell matrix, I felt naked. More than I was already, my armor and ratty cloak were gone too. Looking past the dark pip-buck on my hoof, I tried to make out the red... thing... everything was pretty blurry that far away...

"I'll be damned, still alive huh? Welp, I guess you are worth somethin'! Here zebra, found a couple," the griffon smirked over me and tossed a couple of purple healing potions that thumped to the bed beside me. She then dumped a large sack beside the bed and flopped down at the foot of it, grinning, "The loot outta this place is a helluva haul, this arrangement is already workin' out well for me boss. Hell, I thought ya snuck up here with that ugly rag of yours, figured it had to be one of them zebra cloaks or somethin'. You should'a just said what ya did down there. That was some impressive killin', would'a raised yer value right off the bat. Drink that stuff down so we can get movin'."

Mama Xara opened one of the bottles and held it to my muzzle, helping me drink the healing potion down with a sputter. My vision cleared slightly and I felt slightly less like death warmed over, whining I hoofed at Xara's pip-buck. I wanted mine back, just in case the griffon on the bed decided to use those weapons of hers, though she was being quite friendly now for some reason. Xara looked down where I was reaching and held the device out, after opening the second potion and forcing me to drink it.

I reached out with my magic and was rewarded with another spark crackling down my horn, of course... "C-cable.. plug in..." I choked and coughed on the potion. Xara looked at both pip-bucks in confusion, not a technically minded zebra...

"Ah, yeah guess that would be fried. Here, move outta the way stripey, lemme see," the griffon, Valkyrie... that was her name, sat up and leaned over me. She quickly studied the device, her purple eyes narrowing, after a short examination she reached out a claw and pulled the patch cable from Xara and attached it to my own pip-buck. Looking over her work, she grabbed the zebra's hoof and stretched it out to me on the bed so I could reach it.

I looked up at her gratefully and turned to Xara's pip-buck, fumbling at the controls weakly, I managed to get to the reboot command and my vision filled with my own pip-buck returning to life. Phew... that felt better, my head thumped back down to the pillow and I looked over to Val as she smiled and pulled the connection. "Heard them things are handy, always wanted one myself boss, bet you could take care of that huh? Don't look like the zebra knows how ta use it, must be new. Get me one."

Well, I did owe her, she must expect payment and she did save my friends. Alright, she pulled them out of harms way and let me do it. Still, I offered her a contract on the promise of future payment, one of the many remaining pip-bucks back home was cheap. I nodded up at her weakly, "S-sure... yours... back in Sanctuary..." I answered her bright eyed, questioning look.

She hopped off the bed, stretching her wings with a grin, "Good, this'll work out just fine..." she grabbed her bag of loot along with my saddlebags and hooked a claw under me, lifting me off the bed and starting towards the door to the roof. "Let's get goin' boss, wanna make a few trips ta clear this place out!"

I hung like a sack of apples in her grip as we approached the drizzly night outside, Mama Xara trotted up with Short in tow, scowling in frustration. "He should not be moved! That is a very injured little pony, where are you going?"

Val glared down at Xara, "Back ta that Sanctuary place I took you two from, what ya whinin' about? Figure he's better off there right? Don't want any raiders makin' their way back up here do ya? I took out three just pokin around downstairs. Saw ya got a little doctors office back there even, 'less that medical box flag was a joke. Outta my way..." she gruffly pushed the mare aisde and continued out onto the roof, spreading her wings at the nearest edge.

Xara and Short were following frantically, "W-wait... can't leave... friends..." I struggled pitifully, trying to get back to them.

I felt her claws grip the scruff of my mane near my shoulders and she lifted me to her face with an exasperated look, "I can't carry all three of ya and our loot boss. They're fine, yer not. Jeez... fine, I'll compromise, I'll start bringin' em back next trip, there's lots of goodies ta haul outta here an' I planned on making a few trips anyhoo. I'll grab the foal next time along with the heavy stuff, the zebra can wait fer the third trip, or not.. her legs ain't broke. Happy?"

I wiggled in her grip, trying to get back down, though I was currently dangling over the edge of the roof so that probably wasn't smart. I hadn't gone through all that below to just leave them here alone. We should all leave together, at least she could take Short with me instead of her heavy bag of plunder. I was trying to flog my muddled brain into putting forth some kind of argument, when I heard the voice of a goddess.

"LET HIM GO!"

Val and I both looked over her shoulder at the resounding crash that shook the roof. Since I was facing that way in her grip anyway, I had seen the blue streak that cracked the surface with the impact. Jade was standing there, between us and our friends, her large wings spread to her sides.

Her horn was blazing with bright blue-white energy and her eyes had a strange, dragon-like appearance, the pupils furious slits. Ok, noooow I could see how the Book of the Lightbringer could describe alicorns in such terrifying terms... I had never seen Jade actually angry before. I made a mental note to never, ever piss her off.

The griffon holding me turned back with a smile, "Awww hells yeah! I was feelin' bored looking at the party downstairs. An alicorn! Itchin' for a good fight and one drops down outta the sky for me!" How anyone could look at the furious filly in front of us and speak with such glee was beyond me, Val was actually looking forward to fighting her... She grinned and dropped me to the roof with a soft thump, "Wait right there boss, might take a second here."

As soon as I was out of her grip, a bright field of telekinesis surrounded me and I was yanked across the roof, dragged behind Jade with the others. Her blue shield sprang up and she lowered her head, facing the griffon. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was going to hurt her, but Jade wouldn't hurt anyone... right?

Val glared down where she had set me and over to where I had been deposited, staring back at Jade and narrowing her purple eyes. "That's mine big blue..." she growled over to us. This was rapidly going south.

Xara and Short helped me sit up and I hoofed at Jade's legs weakly, "S-Stop... Griff-on helping... Val.. this is f-friend.." I wanted to start trying to explain frantically, but talking was hard, I felt myself twitch as another spark flickered down my horn. I had managed enough to make both ladies pause and look over to me anyway.

"She was dangling you over the edge..." Jade hissed.

"She's an alicorn! C'mon!" Val whined.

Mama Xara took up the slack thankfully, holding up her hooves for peace and speaking clearly. "Fast is telling the truth both of you! No one is enemies here, Jade, this is Valkyrie Bloodtail, Valkyrie this is Jade, we are all friends, yes? There has been enough fighting this night, besides, this solves our current dilemma. We may all return home together now, right Fast?"

I nodded slowly and tried to smile, nice and friendly, everybody get along. Val huffed in what I hoped wasn't disappointment, but relaxed and sat down, her weapons pointing away. Jade continued watching the griffon dubiously, but a better glance down at me made her eyes widen and return to normal. The arcane shield vanished and she knelt to the roof, wrapping me in the glow of her healing magic, oh that felt better...

With the threat of imminent violence gone, Short pranced around the alicorn and the griffon happily. Jade's eyes were gleaming wetly as she inspected the variety of injuries still evident on me, "Fast, what did you do! I-I told you to come back safe! How did you end up like this? Why is that griffon here? What happened!"

"Took 'em all out is what happened, look for yourself girly," Val looked bored and ready to leave, pointing over to the blackened, smoking remains of Crankcase still on the roof away from us. "Helluva show actually, even without bein' the main target, bringing down a lightning strike and livin' through it is impressive."

Jade gasped with a shiver, hey we had both been hit by lightning now, fun...

"You gots another flyer now, so guess the zebra's right boss. You win, we all get ta get outta here first trip. She looks like she can handle the other two, c'mon, let's go," the red and orange griffon stood and shook rain from her head, spreading her wings and walking over to grab me again.

At her approach, the blue alicorn filly grabbed me, folding her wings around me protectively and turning away from the griffon, glaring back at her. "You will not take him. He is hurt, carrying him around like luggage will not help. I am bringing him home and taking care of him," she glowered at the griffon and floated Short Stack off the ground and near her back. "If you wish to help you may take Mama Xara, if she allows it that is."

I didn't have the heart or breath to tell her the crushing alicorn hug, while wonderful, was probably not any better for me at the moment than being carried around like a sack. I tried not to whimper as my battered ribs were squeezed tightly.

Val rolled her eyes and peered around Jade's shoulder, picking out my head gasping up buried in blue feathers with a snort. "Guessin' that's fine with you boss? Alright stripes, let's go." With a gust of rain she lifted off the roof and snatched Mama Xara up in her claws without waiting for an answer from the elderly mare. She looped back and hooked her heavy bag of loot and my own saddlebags, before banking out into the night to the north, towards Sanctuary.

Jade watched her go silently before floating me up to hover near Short and standing. She put the foal on her back near her neck, then placed me behind him between her wings, she gave a little grunt of effort as she flapped her wings hard and we rose into the night sky. We flew along and I concentrated on keeping the little colt ahead of me still as he tried to peer all around at the world below, he could fall right off if he kept it up, or I could... I thought with a wave of dizziness.

I could make out Val and Xara far ahead of us just barely and was watching them through tired eyes, when the alicorn beneath me spoke up. "Fast who is that griffon and why is she calling you boss?" Disdain was clear in her voice.

That was a good question actually, "Umm, m-mercenary... working for raiders. We... have contract... I t-think? Helped save... Xara and Short.. sort of..."

"I do not like her..." she said, huffing and looking down her nose at the griffon ahead of us.

There was a buzz of activity and excitement when we returned, a great many of the prisoners were still in Sanctuary and surrounded us when we landed, giving cheers and thanks. Most of the guests were centered on Jade's clinic, those in the worst condition were taking the medical beds and being cared for by their fellows.

Preston was trying to manage the crowd, finding somewhere for everypony to rest for the night, while organizing a guard from those in the best shape and most familiar with the weapons I had supplied. Sturges was leading a small group around, pointing out ruined houses down the street away from the four we had been occupying. Cogsworth was looking much better too, chattering at a clump of Ponitrons that had completed the escort duty I assigned them, apparently he was convincing the fellow robots the escort implied protection.

Once we touched the ground, Short Stack jumped from Jade's neck and ran to his house to find his parents. Jade had explained on the way his mother was hurt, but had been stable enough to be moved to their own home when she returned and the bed in the clinic was needed. Mama Xara made her way to her home in the medical building and started tending to the wounded waiting there.

The griffon Valkyrie stood in the street waiting for us when we landed and fell in behind us as Jade trotted to my house, her bag of loot clattering on her back. It seemed I had some house guests, a hoofful of weary ponies were resting on the couch in my workshop and in the living room, huddled around the heaters. I craned my head as I was levitated through the room, the pale filly Glitter was curled in a tight little ball on the chair in the living room. Asleep or awake, I could see her breath hitching as she cried silently. She was safe and alive at least, though I desperately wished we had gotten there sooner and her twin slept with her now.

Val looked about with interest and moved ahead of us down the hall, looking back over her wing, "Which one's yer room boss?" she asked, poking her head into the bathroom. I nodded to the door in question wearily, my old Stable bed was back there calling me. At the gesture, the griffon hitched her heavy pack with my gear and walked inside, while Jade gave a 'hmmf!' and followed with me bobbing along behind her.

We entered the small bedroom to find Val peering around, before dumping her burden with a crash in the corner and flopping down on my bed. The frame creaked under her as she wiggled around, feeling for lumps. "Ahhh, yeah this'll do just fine," she smiled and sighed in contentment.

Hovering in the doorway, I watched Jade rear back and whinny, stamping her hooves, "That is Fast's bed! He needs his rest, get out of there!" she yelped at the griffon, who looked back unimpressed.

"So? Put him down already, I'm makin' a couple trips back ta clear that place out and get the rest of our loot in a minute. Just wanted to know where ta go when I was done. Don't worry, I'll keep him warm..." she smirked at the alicorn and fluttered her eyelashes.

Jade started sputtering incoherent noises of indignation and shaking her head, I dipped toward the floor in her magical grip as she lost focus for a moment. Y-y-you! This is- t-this is Fast's bed! You m-may not! You find somewhere else to go!"

The fiery she-griffon rolled over and leaned up, resting her head on her claw and shaking her tail, "Oh no, we gots a contract, right boss? Equal share and all? Seems a little crowded around here right now, boss' bed is my bed. I don't see what yer problem is blue, ya sweet on him or somthin'? Ya don't have a contract now, do ya?"

"C-contract?" Jade frowned at her, blushing brightly at the question of her feelings toward me that made my heart skip a beat.

"You two ain't married or nothin' right? No contract. I gots more say on who sleeps here than you do, an I'ma sleepin' here. Go on, he'll be fine, drop him off," Val jeered and patted the bed in front of her.

The floor zoomed up to meet me as the magic holding me became unstable, reasserting itself inches away from the carpet. Jade's blue eyes widened and she stammered, apoplectic, "W-w-what!?! Y-you! You... I- I... Oooh!!" she spun on the spot and dragged me along with her, slamming the door behind us and crossing the hall to her own room, fuming.

I was spun through the air and dropped to her large bed, made from two small Stable beds in a repaired frame from the neighborhood. Her face was flushed and one of her eyes was twitching as she stared at the wall, muttering to herself, "Pushy... crude... ill mannered... s-shameless... M-more say than I do! C-contract! Why that..."

"Oowwwww...." I groaned from the landing on even the soft bed.

Jade looked down, remembering I was there and gasping, "Fast! Oh I am sorry! Umm j-just... you just sleep in here! You need your rest! I- I have to go help Mama Xara care for our guests and get supplies to take care of you h-here, but I will be back!" She backpedaled to the door nervously as she spoke and ran down the hall once she was clear.

I would find this situation a lot more complicated if I could think straight, as it was another flickering spark ran down my horn and I buried my head under the pillows at the spike of pain it brought. I barely noticed they smelled like Jade before everything faded to black.

New Perk Added!----------------------------------

Moving Target--
--They can't hurt what they can't hit! You gain +25 damage and energy resistance while sprinting

Reputation Change!------------------

Thundega Raiders-- Destroyer
Less of a change and more of "this faction no longer exists" Those that survived will never forget and this may color interactions with other factions in the future.