"Oh by Celestia, Dragonfire, you're pregnant! Why in Equestria would you think this was a good idea?" Cherry asked as she stood beside me and Vertigo, fully armed and armored by the rear door of the old highway police station.

With the destruction of my previous arsenal, I'd had to replace my old favorites with new weapons bought with Cherry's caps. I still had plenty of spark cells, so in the end, I'd ended up with a magical energy shotgun and a new automatic magical plasma rifle, as well as a new knife. The lack of magic only complicated my issues further, however, and I found myself wearing a battle saddle for the first time in years. Cherry still had Responsibility and Zap-Zap while Vertigo levitated Sting at his side.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," I assured her, nodding back to my newly patched-up barding, the few metal plates I'd added to the underside in particular. "No way am I going to let anything happen to me."

It was a tough job and didn't look too appealing, where scales had cracked or fell off, they'd been replaced by metal too. But I'd been telling myself over and over to get some underside protection, and what better reason to do so than because I was carrying a foal? Cherry didn't look entirely convinced as she frowned. But after hearing that our only options were stopping Pear Puddin' or dealing with a whole lot more angry ponies, it was clear she knew which choice she'd made.

"I don't think you'll have to worry too much anyway, we'll be done with these fools soon enough. All we do is find the tough guy in charge, smash a few chem stations and they'll scatter like Radroaches," Vertigo elaborated, before shooting me a wry look. "Still, you best not be so keen to get in the line of fire this time."

Taken aback, I snorted. Who does he think he is? I can take care of myself and my foal perfectly fine! Lifting my head high I marched past him and over to the door.

"All the more reason to stick you where you can get shot instead, Captain Sarcastic," I sneered as I tried the door, only to walk into it face-first.

No magic, oh yeah. A deep frown crossed my muzzle and Vertigo snickered as my ears fell flat. Ignoring him, I tried the handle with a hoof only to find it was also locked.

"Cherry, the door, you're up," I instructed, nodding to the affronting slab of rotten wood.

Vertigo looked between me and my pink companion, dumbstruck. Cherry offered him a small smile as she stepped past and levitated out her tools, making swift work of the crude lock.

"You know, I could have gotten the key if I wanted to, right?" Vertigo stated, and I flicked his muzzle with my tail as I levitated on my helmet.

"Yeah, well you're not the only one who can get things done. But if you're still up for standing in front of me to be my meatshield, be my guest." I wiggled my midsection just a little before trotting into the station with Cherry.

"Good work," I offered and she gave an unsure smile as Vertigo appeared a moment later with his helmet on.

"For sure, good work," he added in a tone that sounded almost as if he was mocking me.

"Are you two going to be like this all the time?" Cherry deadpanned, eyebrow raised as she looked from me to him.

Both I and Vertigo exchanged glances before asking in union. "Like what?"

"Goddesses, it's like my sisters all over again," Cherry groaned, face and drooping mane pressed into her forehooves.

The inside of the police station was dank, dark, and humid, rotting plaster walls covered in flaking paint had become a haven for molds and other fungi. The floor was a stained-blue carpet, crossed by patches of sickly green and dark crimson. Looking at the walls, it wasn't hard to see from the old blood splatter that something had gone down here long ago. When we came upon our first improvised barricade, and the skeletons, it became even more obvious that the chem dealers did not use this part of the station.

"Must have been riots after the war, folks trying to find safety anywhere they could," Vertigo suggested, running a hoof over a turned-up desk before searching through the old ammo stockpiles behind it.

Cherry took one look at him and swiftly began to do the same, albeit far more squeamishly. As the pair set to work looting, I took a look around the surrounding hall, noticing many more bullet holes and blood stains, as well as another barricade. This one looked even more ramshackle than the last, made from an overturned locker, a door, and what was left of a terminal. Then my ears perked as I heard something over the sound of my companions scavenging.

Going ahead into the heart of danger, what a great idea considering your condition! My mind mused as I turned to see a door to my left.

I silenced my snide thoughts with a shake of my head and trotted over to the door. Just like the walls, it was old and rotten, a refuge for mold and stained with a streak of faded crimson. For some reason, I didn't think any of that accounted for the foul smell that hit me the moment I got in front of it, however. It was like something on the other side had died and instead of becoming bones, was still festering. The sound of scuffling movement and red marks on my E.F.S beyond the door suggested that whatever was on the other side was still very much alive, however. I looked up to see a cracked glass panel just above the door and, dragging a metal box that had once been part of the barricade over, I hopped up to peer inside.

The glass was covered in grime and yellowed by thick mold, yet beyond I could just make out a row of rusted bars. Three prison cells were arrayed against the left wall of the long room, and another set of decrepit bars marked the far side, sealed by a metal door. The opposite side of the door below me seemed to be chained shut, another defensive strategy on the part of the ponies barricaded in here before the war, I assumed. In each of the cells I could see the faint shadows of something inequine moving around, and on the wall opposite them, was a table covered in a whole assortment of chems and fresh meat.

What the fuck kind of chem den is this? I thought to myself, seconds before the real stench of the room hit me and I recoiled, almost falling off my perch.

"Dragonfire, my goodness what are you doing?" Cherry cried seconds before I staggered back.

Instead of my hooves dropping to the floor, however, my fall was slowed by an aura of lime-green magic.

Great, now I'm being treated as some useless invalid. I internally groaned, a small twinge in my gut reminding me why.
Cherry cut off the spell the moment she saw me look her way, and her eyes went to seek out everything that wasn't my face. Nevertheless, I merely offered my companion a nod. Behind my helmet, she couldn't see my smile, because, once again, her humility was stupidly adorable. That smile disintegrated the moment Vertigo appeared beside her. I could almost sense his grin, helmet or not.

"Not a word," I growled and he lifted a forehoof, stepping back.

"I'm not saying anything," he insisted before levitating over another box and clambering up to peer over the door himself.

I really tried to not think about how much his casual use of magic made my mane crawl.

"The door's chained, we'll have to find another way through," I told him, trotting on.

There was a flash from Vertigo's horn, and Cherry gasped as he vanished. I stopped mid-stride as there was another flash beyond the glass, then the sound of shifting chains before the door levitated open.

Stupid buck and his fancy magic! If I had my spells, this horn-measuring contest would have been over in a moment. I'd burn all the damn doors in this stupid place to ashes! I mentally spat as I turned back around.

"Looks like the only one who hasn't displayed she can get through locked doors is you then," Vertigo mused, the slack chains levitating in his magic as Cherry looked between where he was and where he'd been.

"I get my horn back and you'll find out just what things I can get into," I hissed as I stepped towards him.

Then he nudged my side with his rump. “I'm sure I would be plenty impressed with the things you can get into with your mouth.” He smirked before adding. "Should I look forward to it then?"

Once again I was thankful for my helmet as my cheeks went bright red and my folded ears burned.

It was then that the full smell of the room struck me, however, and not only me. Vertigo didn't seem too phased, Cherry on the other hoof, raised a hoof to her muzzle, recoiling and gagging as I turned up my nose at the odor. One look at the rows of meat and the buzzing flies that swarmed around them and it wasn't hard to see why it smelled so bad. One glance into the cells, and it became even more clear.

Vertigo whistled, leaning back from the bars a little as the bald, pink mole rat lunged at him, claws and huge teeth slashing and gnawing. Its feeble limbs reached through the bars, to no avail. After only a second of failure, the scrawny beast set to work chomping on the metal, rust flaking from the corroded bars.

"Goddesses, I think I'm going to be sick, " Cherry gagged, hoof to her muzzle as she recoiled back into the hall, retching.

I regarded the cages along with Vertigo. The sight of bones and hundreds of needles on the floor, along with the meat and chems on the table opposite, allowed me to swiftly put things together.

"They must be making all kinds of new drugs and testing them on these things." Vertigo stole the words from my mouth as he pointed a hoof at the cage.

I frowned, but for once, the stallion wasn't in search of a battle of wit as he trotted by and over to the table. Cherry reappeared at my side with a sniff, wiping her muzzle.

"How can they let something like this carry on here? I thought Crossroads was supposed to be a town. There are families here for Luna's sake!" the pink mare exclaimed, and I patted her shoulder.

"Ponies desperate for caps, control, or power. No town is free from folks like that," I told her.

Ready for your next wasteland lesson, Cherry Pin? Most ponies in the places you think are safe are nothing but greedy fiends after caps, drugs, or sex. Nopony really cares about civilization anymore. My mind elaborated.

Cherry just returned a solemn look as I trotted over to the table and tried to not gag at the festering meat. Thankfully, all of it seemed to have at least come from Brahmin. The decapitated pair of bovine heads at the far end made that pretty clear.

Well, at least it's not cannibalism. My mind remarked, much to my relief. You know how that usually ends up.

Even so, it was far from ideal. Looking over the chems arrayed on the table before me, it was clear they were testing combinations of drugs I'd never even heard of before. What in Equestria was Ultra-Dash, Prolong, and Buckaroo?

I looked over each bottle, syringe, and chalky pill, pausing only to loot a pair of healing potions that seemed relatively ordinary. Cherry trotted along the table beside me, levitating up some of the drugs and looking them over.

"There's some things we don't want to take with us, trust me," I warned, and she set the stuff down.

"Don't worry, Father may have done it, but I wouldn't be caught dead trying to sell anything like this. I can't believe ponies actually pay for this stuff," she responded.

"What, you never seen a Dash-Head before, or somepony hooked on Med-X? They don't exactly have a choice. You take the stuff or wind up a cripple in the street. Not that getting their fix really makes them any different," Vertigo interjected as he looked over one of the cage doors, taking care to avoid the aggressive rodents within.

"I know what a pony hooked on chems looks like, yes," Cherry retorted, turning sharply to the stallion. "Doesn't mean I have to like that it happens."

Goddesses, she gets more perfect every day! I thought, practically beaming behind my visor as Cherry's eyebrows knitted together.

"I say we just burn the whole place down, that should stop them making this shit," she stated with a stomp of her hoof.

Okay, maybe she isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Goddesses, what kind of influence am I having on her? The fact she looked at me as she said that didn't bode well for the idea, then she glanced at my horn and I frowned.

"As much as I agree with you, no magic, remember?" I admitted, flicking my horn only to recoil at the sting.

"Yeah, as much as you two seem great at coming up with great ideas, I'm afraid I already have a solution to this little operation," Vertigo stated as he looked back at us both.

I cocked my head as Cherry's face brightened with a little hope. Vertigo then nodded to the larger set of bars on the far side of the room from the door.

"Hey, Cherries, you think you could get that open?" he asked.

"It's Cherry," the mare stated bluntly, making both of us pause for a second. "But yes, I think I can. Only the locks are all on the other side," she told him.

Vertigo took a deep breath, going still for a second as he relaxed. His horn began to glow and I looked at him with confusion along with my pink companion. In a flash, both he and Cherry were gone, and a brief moment of utter panic flared in me before they reappeared on the other side of the cell block bars.

"Wow, not done that in a long time," Vertigo groaned, pressing a hoof to his forehead as Cherry swayed in a daze.

I bolted to the bars, skidding to a halt on the bloodstained floor. "Goddesses, are you okay!" I asked Cherry, reaching through to steady the mare as she fell back onto the bars.

"N–Never better..." She groaned, eyes spinning as I shot a furious glare at Vertigo, helmet or not.

"A little warning before you do that next time would be nice!" I snapped, but he shrugged.

"Yeah, but then you'd disagree, and then it would take longer to argue, and then they’d find us and I really just thought you wanted to get this all over with as fast as we can," he droned as Cherry shook her head.

"Did I just... teleport?" she asked, looking at him before she turned to face me on the other side of the bars. "Dragonfire, by Celestia, don't worry I'll have you out of there in a second!" she suddenly declared, starting to work on the trio of locks that held the door shut.

"Don't worry, there's no rush," I grumbled, looking right at Vertigo as he trotted over to a desk beside the bars.

"What? I can't be teleporting you too, who knows what it could do to a mare in your condition," he stated, and my scowl deepened tenfold.

I didn't know if it was the fact he may be right or the fact that it seemed he was leaving me as the only one with nothing to do on purpose. But I really, really wanted to buck his face in again. Goddesses, if this babying thing was going to become a regular occurrence then I didn't know if I could put up with it. I was pregnant, I wasn't a foal myself!

My ears pressed flat against my helmet as I scowled behind my visor. Then there was a click and a shudder of metal as Cherry opened the lock and slid the cage door aside. I trotted through, trying hard to ignore the urge to hit Vertigo as I passed by and looked at the desk.

There was a terminal, some scraps of paper, and a pot of moldy old pencils, as well as a whole bunch of empty syringes.

Looks like the mole rats aren't the only ones getting a fix back here. My thoughts observed as my eyes fell upon a set of scribbled notes and the rough sketch of an odd weapon.

'Hey, Half Pint, got sick and tired of those damn critters biting the hoofs off of every sucker who tries to test out some juice. Sure the boss suggested paying some dash-heads from the street to do it or something, but do you really think some high-as-a-kite pony's going to do any better?'

'No way am I paying for that. So somepony back at the warehouse designed this thing. Should be able to shoot the needles right into them through the bars. Somepony's going to send the stuff over to make it soon enough, and then I expect you to get off your fat plot and get it ready a.s.a.p., you got it?'

'- Overdose'

I read the note etched on the side of the scuffled parchment as I held it in the light of my Pipbuck. Just like that, the brilliant, little devise made a note of all the necessary information. I blinked, still not quite understanding how it knew. Then again, as far as its feats so far, this wasn't all that impressive. Vertigo was distracted by a set of wires under the desks, so I instead offered the plans to Cherry.

"Hey, think this will be worth something. I already saved a copy?" I asked, and the mare cocked her head as she levitated it to her eyes, my envy of her magic spiking.

"I guess. A design is still a potential product. I bet I could get something decent for this if I find the right pony," she elaborated, looking it over.

Sure would serve a better purpose with somepony other than these drug-crazy fiends. I surmised as Vertigo finally lifted his head from under the desk.

"Damn it, this thing's completely dead. Was hoping there'd be an automatic cage release or something," he grumbled, forehooves tapping on the desk as thoughts seemed to race behind his insectoid lenses.

"Open the cages, seriously? Why in Equestria would you want to let these things out?" Cherry asked, looking at the savage mutants.

Vertigo sighed, and I had to admit, even I could see where he was trying to go with this.

"Because do you have any idea how much chaos three angry mole rats will cause? Not to mention the effort it will save us. I bet those little guys are hungry for some payback," the buck explained as he trotted by and moved over to another barred-off section of the room to the right of the cage doors.

"Little guys? You sure your eyes are working properly?" I asked as I passed my stunned companion, clearly, this idea had not been at the top of her list of potential ways of dealing with this situation.

"Little, big, we can argue size semantics later if you really care about that crap that much." Vertigo shrugged as he passed through the second set of bars, these ones unlocked.

Inside the darkened corner of the room were three rows of lockers, most rusted through and lacking doors. At the far side was another door, and through a small window in it, I could see the faint light of a fire.

"Point is..." Vertigo continued. "All we need to do here is figure out who the boss is and then get them to tell us how to get into that warehouse, and I reckon the pony in charge will be the first to run when things go south." Vertigo reached the fire-lit door and rested a hoof on it. "Now, how about you go make yourself useful and check how many ponies are in that room."

My frown deepened as the stallion nodded to the second entrance to the room, the one in front of the terminal desk. That feeling of being babied only grew as I marched back over to the first door and peered through the glass above. Using my E.F.S, I made out a dozen or so hostile ponies mulling out in the room beyond.

Inside was a large space filled with a haze of smoke that congregated against the ceiling. The walls were moldy and covered by peeling wallpaper, and the whole room was lined by rows of long desks. A grimy chalkboard on one side of the room had a whole bunch of formulas scrawled on it. The vast amounts of glass vials, tubes, and bubbling pots sitting on the tables made it pretty clear this is where most of the products here were being manufactured.

By the looks of the scratch marks on the floor and the boarded-up set of double doors through which beams of faded light streamed in from outside, it appeared that this had once been the building's main entrance. The desks had seemingly been dragged half-heartedly inside. Other than the door I peered through, there were only two other ways in. One on the far side, and one to the right, both of which were covered by moldy doors.

The one opposite opened a few seconds later and a pair of ponies trotted in to mix with the half a dozen or so already in the room. The majority of them were wearing what looked like torn, orange radiation suits. Two guards were wearing a mixture of leather and metal barding, and the pair of ponies that had just entered consisted of a small, cherry-red mare and a large, barding wearing earth pony stallion.

Well, there's Vertigo's 'leader'. My mind established as I watched the pair trot along the row of desks, ponies shifting out of their way as they inspected the operations.

"Do you see how many there are?" Cherry asked from behind me, and I looked back to see her staring.

"Enough for us to deal with, easy. There's no need for his stupid plan," I spat, hopping back down onto all fours.

"Yeah, but at least if we do go through with his plan, we don't have to get shot at, right?" she responded, a weak smile adorning her muzzle.

My head drooped, ears folding flat. I knew I should not be getting into a firefight, but if it meant doing the right thing, I knew Cherry wasn't afraid of getting shot at herself.

"You mean, you don't want me to get shot at?" I asked and instantly her smile faded.

"Well... Yeah, can't we just let Vertigo deal with it? He seems to know what to do," she added and a low grumble escaped my throat.

Vertigo's antics I could deal with. But why did the fact she was trying to protect me make her so damn cute? I hate being treated like this so much! I stepped forward, placing a hoof on her shoulder.

"Cherry, look, I can take care of myself and the foal. I already promised you I would not let anything happen, and I don't intend on breaking that promise. But you were the one who said trying to protect somepony from everything wasn't the right way to go," I elaborated, and her one ear folded as her head sank.

She looked up at me a second later, opening her mouth. Before she could speak, however, there was a loud clatter, followed by a thud as the room's right door fell open and the body of a dark green buck hit the floor. Cherry jumped back with a shrill eep as the stallion slumped, groaning like he'd just woken up from too fun of a night. Behind him, Vertigo stepped out of the other room, the likes of which now looked to have been some sort of small office that had been converted into a den.

"What in Equestria are you doing? I thought you said you were going to set the rats loose on them all?" I hissed, trotting over to him as he frisked the half conscious stallion.

"Oh, I am, I think this was just the guy they had to watch the rats," Vertigo stated as the stallion called out weakly.

"The rats! The mole rats... they're escaping... Have to warn..." He was silenced by a hit on the head from the butt of Sting.

"Safe to say he's not doing the best job," the black armored buck added, finally levitating a set of keys from the stallion's belt.

"Oh, and you are, are you? You know, you seem to have this whole thing down yourself, so I don't even know why we bothered," I grumbled, pointing to myself then Cherry as Vertigo levitated his captive back into the fire lit room and shut the door.

"Well, sorry if I'm being a gentlecolt," he said with a flick of his tail as he strode by.

By the goddesses, I could shatter the smile I knew was under there like glass! Still, once again he had me in a situation in which it was far better to let him be himself rather than buck his sorry plot to the moon.

Even Cherry seemed to frown at his attitude as she glanced at me, she had the kind of look that asked whether I was really going to take that, plastered all over her face. Vertigo was already back at the desk by the time I finally shook out of my frustrated stupor, and in a flash, I was in front of him. A hoof slamming down on the set of keys.

"No. Now listen, if you want to be a team with us then we all have to work together," I declared and at the way he leaned back, my thoughts tripped over my words.

"Oh, so we're a team now are we? You, me, and Cherries? You know, one of those groups that's going to save the wasteland." His voice dripped with such smugness I could almost smell it.

Cherry looked at me as I lifted my hoof from the desk and sat back, taking a deep breath. The pack of weirdos trying to save the wasteland? Hardly a fitting title, and I certainly wasn't trying to save the whole damn world. Right now, it was all about saving Cherry and making the world safe enough for my foal.

"All I want to do is clear any ties I have with this damn place and get the crazy ponies off of my back. Until then, yeah, we're a team," I finally relented, and he patted my shoulder.

"Ha, for a moment there I thought you were going to say you didn't like me." He took a deep breath. "The taste of friendship, it's refreshing, right?"

I had a feeling that my confusion was not as invisible to him as I'd have liked, even behind my visor. Cherry's wearied outlook was even more obvious as she raised an eyebrow and looked at him like he was the oddest thing she'd seen. Which there was a high chance he probably was.

"So, what's the plan?" she asked, looking at me.

"Oh, the plan's still the same," Vertigo interrupted before I could even think, then he shrugged as he looked at me. "What, it's a good plan? But if you really want to be so hooves-on there is something you need to do."

Once again that confusion was evident in both myself and my pink companion as Vertigo elaborated the whole thing. It was as if it had been planned months ago.

"There's another way out of here through there." He nodded to the door he'd shut the guard behind. "Now, these chem-dealer types have escape plans after escape plans. You two go find out where they'll scurry to, and catch them. Simple."

Seriously, is he telling me all this as if I can't figure out how it's going to work? I'm not always some helpless pregnant mare! I'd done things like this before! I internally cried, still I was warming to where this was going.

"So what about you? I finally asked, and he levitated up the keys, jingling them in his magic. "Well, I've got a party to start."

Ambushes, I'd done my fair share, most often with Star Strike by my side or a bunch of other armed ponies. Right now, I was stuck in a gloomy terminal room with no magic and a weapon system strapped to my side which I hated. The thing was so uncomfortable, but at least I was with the cutest mare I knew. Cherry had her gaze fixed on the one door to the room, the conviction in her eyes absolute. She'd been given a part in a plan that would make things better for ponies, and right now that was all that mattered to her. At least after I'd told her to lay off about worrying about my foal.

It was pretty evident that my health was still nagging at her mind, yet she was at least far more focused than I was. Finding out I was pregnant had done nothing to settle the discomfort in my gut, and I had been thankful that one of the things we'd found while sneaking around was an empty trash can. I really hated my body right now!

I mean really, how does having a foal inside you make you wanna throw up so much? Still, in the face of my discomfort, I'd looked for a distraction, and when the moldy old posters and note board stuck to the walls had failed to offer any, I'd homed in on the only working terminal in the room like a moth to a flame.

It had been locked, yet that had not been an issue once my Pipbuck knew I was trying to get into it. What I'd found was mostly corrupted data and a list of some ponies arrested centuries ago. But hey, at least there were some pictures. Broadly slumping against the desk, I scrolled through.

Arrested for robotics tampering, kinda cool. Arrested for theft and arson? Wow, talk about self-destructive. My mind added it's little comets to each profile until one finally spiked my attention.

Arrested for potential espionage? Wow, this one even had a recording! I moved a hoof to activate the audio, right as there was a loud bang and a flash from behind the door.

My head shot up from the terminal, stomach lurching as I swiveled to face the door. Cherry rose with a jolt as there was another flash and the small window in the door lit up. Taking a step back, I nudged the firing bit on my battle saddle and the weapons readied to fire with an electrical buzz. Cherry levitated Responsibility forward, mounting the barrel upon a desk and taking aim at the door. I shuddered and tried to get comfortable with the weapons mounted to my side.

"Goddesses, there's a reason I never use these stupid things," I groaned, shaking my rear legs as the saddle's frame pinched.

Cherry didn't offer anything more than a reassuring smile, though it wasn't difficult to see that she was resisting the urge to remind me how careful I should be again.

Well, if you can't get your weapons working, then she may be right. My mind snickered as I shook.

There was another flash outside, then a thud against the door before the sound of jangling keys sounded from the lock. The door flew open right in front of us and a cherry coated mare bolted in, right at the moment my weapons accidentally fired.

The mare's eyes went wide the moment she saw me. She fell to the floor in a heap seconds before the green bolts of magical plasma whizzed over her head and struck a pursuing mole rat square in the face. The ratty creature's head exploded in a shower of crimson gore and green light as it fell back. The room beyond the door had become a haze of smoke and fumes, the sound of smashing glass, spilling liquids and gunshots only a few of the noises filling the chaos.

Then there was a stammered hiss and from the haze bounded the shadow of another pony. The large gray earth pony staggered back into the door, a mole rat thrashing in his grip as it tried to chew his face off. The mare on the floor lifted her head, just in time for the larger buck to staggered back into her prone form and fall backwards over her.

He sprawled on the floor, forehooves the only thing preventing the savage mutant from ripping his face to ribbons. I bit down on the bit of my saddle instinctively, lighting the whole place up with a ray of magical beams as the energy shotgun blasted the rat into pink ash, not to mention singeing a good portion of the buck's coat and mane.

The blasts from my plasma rifle scorched several black marks in the wall around the door, melting through the plaster in several places before I finally flicked the mechanism with my tongue and stopped the fire.

And this was why I preferred having my weapons in my magic! I mentally screamed as I pointed the barrels of my saddle down at the fallen buck.

He had his forehooves crossed over his ash-covered face, wiping his eyes to catch me glaring down at him. Cherry moved up next to me, the barrel of Responsibility trained on the door as another shadow bounded forwards. The fallen mare who had entered first scurried under the closest desk she could find as, from the smoke, fell another dead mole rat. A hole clean through its skull.

"Damn, I've not seen a show like that in a long time. Lasers and smoke, like crazy. Thought all the displays like that were canceled when the world ended," Vertigo cheered as he trotted in.

"Here, I think this belongs to you," he added, levitating the dead rat over to the cowering mare and dropping it at her hooves as she recoiled.

"You really know how to make an entrance," Cherry frowned as she drew back her golden rifle, I meanwhile, kept my weapons trained on the buck as he glared at me.

"So what about this one? We caught the leader, now what's the next step of your master plan?" I asked, removing the captive buck's stern look with a kick to the muzzle.

He pressed both forehooves to his nose, before answering in a frustrated tone.

"Me, in charge? Yeah, I wish." He pointed a hoof to the cherry red mare as she tentatively poked the dead mole rat. "She's the idiot in charge."

The mare looked at him with a frown, then at each of us as she chuckled weakly. "Pear Pudding's premium chem services, how can I help?"

"Seriously?" My ears fell flat as each one of us looked at the nervous mare with confusion.

"This isn't fair, Pear said I could be in charge!" Raspberry Cola, as I'd learned from her whining, complained as she was tied up and sat against one wall of the office. "Girder, do something about this, you were supposed to protect me!" She continued to blame her ‘bodyguard’, looking at her larger earth pony companion as he was also restrained and sat down next to her.

"I was supposed to be in charge. Stupid boss will give any mare with a fat rump the keys to anything they like!" he grumped, and she glared at him.

"You are all despicable, when Pear finds out about this he'll have your head. At least once I'm done telling him how mad I am right now," she declared, closing her eyes and sticking her chin in the air with a 'huff'.

"How about you both shut up or I'll tie your mouths shut too. At least, as soon as you tell me how to get to your boss," Vertigo stated, flicking Raspberry's horn. "Make sure she doesn't get a chance to use that." He added looking at Cherry.

"Ha, you really think she's smart enough for magic. She's just a pretty face," Girder snapped, struggling against the hoof cuffs that bound him.

I looked at him with a grin. "So, I suppose you are the one we have to ask then?" I looked at Vertigo. "Well, I guess you can do what you want with them to find out what we need," I instructed, wishing to add a little of my own flair to this plan of his.
Vertigo seemed to lighten at the idea. "Now you're thinking like me. You get..."

I cut him off with a raised hoof. "Oh, no. I don't have time to get frustrated with these guys. Besides, it's too dangerous for me, they could lash out or anything." I nudged his side with my rump as he grumbled.

"Cherry, you still have some wonder glue?" I asked, and the mare nodded as she levitated out the stuff from her bags.

I took it in a hoof and handed it to Vertigo. "Stick their butts to the floor when you're done, please," I instructed.

Despite everything, that idea at least made him smirk. Satisfied, I trotted back to the terminal, and levitated off my helmet, removing the battle saddle bit from where it had been fitted. I gave Cherry a wink as she looked back at me with uncertainty, however, it took no more than a twitch from Raspberry and the stoic mare's eyes were once again fixed on the captured mare's horn. Placing my butt down on a stool, I rubbed one hoof over my belly as I once again searched for the log that had caught my attention before. I found a good few others before I finally came across it again.

What did they say about curiosity again? Oh, well, I was bored and Vertigo seemed adamant that he could handle things before, so why not let him do all the work now? My mind stated.

"South-Equestrian highway, east station: interview zero nine." Began the tired voice of a buck, his words only slightly gargled by static.

"Officer: Sandy Road. Suspect: Blue Rose. Arrested for the illegal use of stealth technology in a public area. Apprehended on east Las Pegasus highway one after fleeing from Desert Springs Northern Plaza Park." The stallion, Sandy Road I presumed, droned before ending his opening statement with a sigh.

Then there was a notable blip in the recording, and with a buzz, the tone shifted.

"You can't be serious about this, really? I know my rights, and I know that I have a right to be free from ponies stalking me!" Sounded the agitated voice of a mare, and my ears perked as I sat up.

I recognized that voice, I'd heard it before. I lifted a hoof to my chin as I considered the recordings I listen to. Then I shuddered as a chilling realization hit me.

What had she been arrested for again? She couldn't be the mare from the garage station? Lucky Star's mother? Goddesses, was her family haunting me or something?

"Miss... Blue Rose, is it?" There was a shuffling of paper as the same weary buck's voice spoke up.

"Please calm down, we have found no evidence of the ponies you describe and quite frankly, that is the least of your issues right now. We have accounts of possible espionage and foul play around most cities in Equestria and I'm sorry to say finding you with a stealth buck in the middle of one of the country's most important centers of industry makes you a suspect for such crimes. Do you understand?"

Blue Rose gave a sharp laugh, hoof cuffs jingling as she seemed to slam her forehooves on the table. "You have got to be kidding me, are you stupid? I'm not some stripe’s spy, I hate them as much as anypony for this damn war!"

There was a creaking of wood as if Sandy leaned back in his chair, then coughed. "Sorry, but I don't think we can just take your word for it. There have been a high number of reports from the MoM of not only zebra infiltrators, but sympathizers too. So I'm sorry to say that you'll have to be handed over to a Ministry official as soon as possible."

"This is ridiculous," she responded, chains rattling as she moved again.

Sandy continued his monotone without pause. "They will assess you and get to the bottom of where you may have obtained such equipment." There was another shuffle as she shouted again.

"It was a gift from somepony I knew... Some pony, not some stupid stripe! She worked for the MoM you featherbrain, gave me a whole bunch of these things!" I heard a flare of magic, a huff, and a thud as I assumed she was forced back into her seat.

"Get your slimy hooves off me you creep. This is harassment! I have done nothing wrong, and if you're just going to hand me over to some suits from the Ministry then why even bother showing everypony up on record?"

"It's merely procedure, Miss. Now, would you please calm down. I don't think I need to remind you that you are on record and anything you say can and will be used against you," Sandy droned.

"Oh yeah? ... Well, I'll say this to your recorder, this whole place has gone to shit if you're going to let ponies stalk me around and then arrest me for using my own head to get away!" she spat, only to be forced back again.

Sandy took another audible breath, then there was a knock before he could continue. "Come in," he called.

"Erm, Chief, there's some ponies here for her... From the Ministry," a mare said in the distance.

"Wow, that was faster than usual. Okay, see them through, sooner she's out of my mane the better," he said, chair legs creaking as he stood up and the sound of his hooves could be heard on the floor. "Looks like our little game ends here, sweetheart."

"This won't be the last you hear of this, once I get back home I'm going to sue you for every penny for this... It's outrageous," Blue spat, and he chuckled.

"Well, I'm sorry to say you wouldn't get much even if you could do that. This job doesn't pay what it used to anymore," he assured her as the sound of more hooves and the creaking of a door sounded.

"I assume you are the ponies from the Ministry? You're looking a little more... well, sinister then before, I must say" Sandy asked, as I heard Blue Rose's chair shift.

"No... no, they're not, they're the ones that came to my house, they've been following me all this time!" she called, but no pony seemed to be paying attention to her.

"An upgrade in security, nothing more. We cannot allow our identities to be disclosed any longer with things as they are, we may put ponies at risk otherwise," A mare responded in a slightly distorted voice and for a moment I really wished I could see what these 'Ministry ponies' looked like as my mane crawled.

"Makes sense I suppose. Well, she's all yours, word of warning though, she's a bit of a hoof full," Sandy told the mare. "Running from the Ministry all alone, crazy."

"We have dealt with far worse, I'm sure. Thank you for your assistance, Chief," the mare responded.

"Just doing my duty to good ol' lady Equestria. But I'm off to get a drink, this was the ninth interview today," Sandy said before the sound of his hoofsteps signaled his retreat.

"Wait, come back you idiot, you can't leave me with these ponies. Put me in a cell, lock me up, send me to Luna damn Fort Sandstone! Just don't go!" Blue Rose called as the sound of two ponies trotting on tiles met my ears.

"Knock her out," the mare said coolly, and with a magical buzz, Blue's shouting stopped, a thud following as I assumed she hit the table. "Good, her whining was incessant. Now get her ready for transportation to Fort Sandstone, the carriage will come pick us up in five."

"Yes, ma'am," a buck responded, his voice distorted too. Then the sound of hoof steps drew right up to the recorder.

"By Luna, that lazy fool left on the recorder? Doesn't he know your supposed to pause these things for an interruption?" The mare groaned, and all I heard was the shifting of a hoof before the recording stopped.

I leaned my forehooves on the desk, staring at the terminal. So, Lucky Star really hadn't been the only one who had been abducted, so to say?

Still, as much as those ponies she'd been running from gave me the creeps, I could see why everypony had thought she'd been a spy. Pre-war Equestria had been the most paranoid thing I'd heard about, at least until the Oracle Building. Still, I had a feeling if the police ponies had not been so done with everything, they may have noticed that something was off because I certainly did. Nevertheless, it was still almost two centuries ago, and right now I had bigger issues.

"Oh, oh, oh, okay, okay, not me, please don't do that to me. I'll tell you everything, I promise, just please don't mess up my mane!" Raspberry shrieked as Vertigo levitated a sheet of glue covered paper before her.

I looked around to see the black armor-clad stallion grinning, and Cherry looking as if she were trying to gauge how cruel this really was. Her uncertain expression said that she didn't really think it was the best idea, yet it was at least better than killing them. One look at Girder and it was pretty clear that Vertigo had taken the term, 'glue their butts to the floor', a little further. His eyes were watering and his teeth still grit from the several blistering-red bald patches on his legs and neck, all in the perfect shape of the rectangular card. Clearly, the stallion had been right when he'd said we'd get nothing from him. His cowering pink companion on the other hoof, was starting to become far more cooperative.

"Oh, you'll talk, will you? You sure, maybe I could just take a little off the top?" Vertigo taunted, levitating the glue slicked card close to her mane.

"No, no, no, I'll tell you anything, anything you want to know!" she whined, tears falling from her eyes as she curled back up against the wall as tightly as she could.

"Okay, she said she'd tell you, that's enough with the teasing," Cherry interjected, stepping forward and swatting the card aside.

"Okay, fine. I guess it was getting kinda old anyway," Vertigo sulked as I trotted over.

"Having fun?" I asked, nudging his rump.

"Was until ‘miss sunshine and rainbows’ came back over here," he said with a smirk, and right then I really wished I could have levitated that card back over and plastered it to his dumb face.

"So what do you know, you going to tell us how to get into Pear's warehouse and everything we wanna know about the place?" I asked, trotting by Vertigo and kneeling down in front of Raspberry.

"Don't tell them anything you stupid mule!" Girder growled, eyes narrowing as he looked at her, yet after only a second, the stallion finally relented. "In fact, on second thought, just tell them everything why don't you? If Pear wants to think with his cock instead of his brain see what I care. I'm done with him and his stupid gang!"

"See what I mean, they'll fold as soon as they see how much of an idiot he is?" Vertigo said with a smirk.

I shoved him away, eyes passing between our two captives. "So which of you is going to open up first?" I pressed.

"All I know is that Pear keeps the terminal with all the good stuff on it in his room at all times. He showed me because I'm his favorite and all," Raspberry began, flicking her mane back a little.

I could almost hear Girder's eyes roll like gemstones in their sockets as the stallion huffed.

"She's right about that, and only he knows the password. You fail to get in, and the whole system will shut down, so don't even think you can hack it. That's if you can even get into his room in the first place, but you'll be seen a mile away packing heat like that," he elaborated, nodding to our weapons.

"That's not true, he told me the password once," Raspberry proclaimed, lifting her chin once again. "My smoochie Pear would tell me anything if I wanted him too, I'm his favorite."

Her proud look was suddenly diminished as all sets of eyes became fixed on her. The cherry red mare let out a small eep, then a weak, little chuckle.

"Of course, I've forgotten what it was, you'd still have to get into his room too," she stammered, and Vertigo's smirk only grew as his horn flickered.

At least until Cherry gave it a flick with a forehoof. "No more magic or tormenting her. We know where to go, so let's just figure out how to get there and how to get him to talk," she stated, and her nobility made my heart flutter.

"Yeah, Vertigo, if you're so good at all of this then surely you can think of a way to get in there, get Pick-Me-up the key to his robots, and take down this chem boss for good," I mused, backing up my friend as I trotted between the buck and our prisoners, flicking his muzzle with my tail.

He rubbed his nose, stepping back before seeming to consider that. Then my coy distraction didn't feel so distracting all of a sudden as Vertigo's signature smirk came back.

"Well, I think I know exactly what we need to do." He made a frame with his hoofs, looking through them at me, then at my butt like I was some kind of portrait.

I shifted my rear, and he cocked his head, squinting. "And I know I'm not nearly attractive enough to get into that room."

I felt myself go redder than ever and really, really wished I'd left my helmet on as everything fell into place.

"You are singlehoofidly the worse, most irritating pony in the wasteland," I growled, body drooping as Vertigo stripped me of my battle saddle and barding.

Or at least most of it, one sly tug of his magic and I was removing the rest of my gear with my hooves as he nursed a bloody nose.

We stood on a dry, rocky ridge, sand blowing by us as Cherry peered over the edge, using Responsibility's scope to keep an eye on the large warehouse below. From up here, however, the huge, gray building with worn sheet roof and rusting walls looked more like some kind of aircraft hanger than anything else. The long, asphalt strips, surrounding buildings, and rusted fence that ran around the whole area made it look more like some kind of old military base.

Well, I guess they didn't want anypony stealing what was here even before the war. I surmised as I finally shook off my barding and glanced back over the ridge.

There were, of course, a great many Wasteland additions to the old base. All of which I knew could never have been part of the old, pre-war aesthetic.

A row of old wagons had been erected into a small barrier before the large pair of hangar doors to the biggest structure, and the breaches in the chain fence had been bolted over with corrugated gray sheets. Ponies clad in various forms of cobbled barding trotted about with basic weapons, each of them only looking a cut slightly above the stereotypical raider. The lack of gory decor and spikes was at least a plus, however. Even if I had no doubt anypony who got to close would be shot anyway. That was to say me, most likely, given the plan Vertigo had pitched.

And you didn't buck him in the face twice for that? Wow, are you getting soft? My mind chirped as I folded my barding and stretched out.

My stomach still ached, yet the slight bulge in my abdomen did not quite ruin my slender figure just yet. Oh, yeah, but that is another thing you can say goodbye too over the next few months. I was reminded. Please, just shut up, brain!

"So, you see any simpler way in?" I asked Cherry as I trotted up beside her.

The pink mare lowered her rifle and looked at me with a disapproving glare. "There's a smaller gate at the western side, just below the ridge with only two guards." She motioned over the edge of the rocks with a nod. "But I still don't like the idea of you doing this. Taking care of yourself is one thing, but going in there alone..."

She didn't look sure whether to finish that sentence as she trailed off, and I placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"Believe me, if it was as simple as barging in there guns blazing we'd do it. Though, we'd probably still get shot at just as much. But we do that, and Pear will probably just run off out of the back," I reassured her.

"Yeah, but at least then I'd be there with you if anything happened," she said, head drooping as her ear folded back.

I frowned, her look making my heart ache, then Vertigo trotted up beside me. "Don't worry, she won't be alone. I'll be right behind her."

"Oh really, and how do you plan to do that smart flank? No offense, but I don't think you're his type," I retorted, nodding to his haunches as he levitated his helmet on.

Don't think about that too much, really, really don't and try not to look at his butt... Goddesses, curse him and his handsomeness! I looked away, right at the warehouse below, so to avoid the awkward feelings both of my companions summoned.

"I followed you through most of Crimson Springs and you had no idea. So don't worry, they'll only see me if I want them to," he assured me, then nudged my side. "What about you, how you going to get him to talk?"

Oh, wouldn't he like to know... Wait, why did it feel like he was smiling under that helmet again? My head drooped, ears folded as my weary eyes glanced at him and he gave a stammered laugh, pressing a hoof to his muzzle.

"Because I've seen Pear before, and trust me, you'll get as far as shaking your butt in his face before you want to puke, no pony in their right mind would get in bed with that guy," Vertigo added.

"Remind me again whose idea this was, the guy drives me crazy and you'll be the first pony I take it out on," I growled, and he chuckled some more.

"Oh, I'm sure. But I'm also pretty sure I'll have a front row seat to the whole thing, you're not exactly the hardest mare to stalk, Dragonfire," he responded, tapping a hoof on my shoulder before disappearing with a flash of his horn.

"I seriously hate him," I grumped as Cherry looked at me, her cheeks slightly red.

Ignoring my own blush, I looked at my friend and removed my Pipbuck. "Here, take care of this and if you see anything wrong, be careful, I don't want you getting hurt over this."

"I know the feeling," she mumbled as she levitated my Pipbuck into her bags, yet her sour tone did not seem to rob her of her common sense. "I'll be up here waiting for you to come out, as crazy as he is, I kinda trust Vertigo knows what he's doing."

"Well, I do too, you know." I pressed a hoof to my chest and she smirked.

Goddesses, was his grin infectious or something? I thought, shrinking back a little.

"Just be careful, okay?" she finally added, wrapping me in a hug that made my whole aching body buzz with warmness.

"Don't worry, it's like I said, it'll take a lot more than this to finish me off," I assured her, patting her on the back.

From the way the guards watched me as I trotted towards the small gate it was hard to figure out if they were being cautious or just gawking. From what I knew of this place, and the amount of mares Pear had just trotting up to see him, I had to assume it was the latter. At that, my face dropped into a sour expression.

Well, at least it's just you... I mean you wouldn't want to be in one of those flocks of prostitutes Vertigo told you about, right? My mind stated, seconds before the sound of hoofsteps on the dry, cracked earth caught my attention and I looked back.

"Hi there, I'm Mirage, are you here to see Pear too?" The face of the eager, cactus green mare with red and orange mane was pressed up against my muzzle faster than I could even think.

Her eyes trembled with excitement and her muzzle was parted by a wide smile. I took a step back, noting her horn and cutie mark of a distorted heart illuminated by a beam of sunlight.

"Erm, sure... And you are? " I questioned, waving a hoof in her direction. She beamed, practically jumping on the spot.

"I'm here to see him too, he was in Crossroads and swept me off my hooves so fast it was like a dream!" She exclaimed, before drawing in close to my ear and whispering with a shrill growl. "Don't ever let anypony tell you the chubby ones ain't killers in bed."

So he was chubby? Great, this was sounding like paradise already. My mind droned as I slowly pushed the hyperactive mare away.

"Don't I know it," I uttered a weak chuckle as she perpetuated that creepy smile. "But hey, you really seem to like him, so what do think about you getting first dibs when we get in there? This is kinda my first time." I really had to try not to trip over my words as I spat them out like vomit.

Mirage waved a hoof. "Ha, sure, I am his favorite after all. I remember my first time, by Luna, he was so dreamy." She trailed off, lost in thought for a second.

"So, you wanna show me how to get in then, you know, first time and all?" I added, trying to put on my best innocent mare who doesn't know a thing about the world act as I prodded the dusty ground with a hoof.

"Oh sure, just watch and learn you little misfit. I'll show you how we mares can get all the things we want in no time." Her eyes narrowed as she marched by and right up to the guards, swaying her hips and tail from side to side.

Even I had to admit, seeing her tight flanks shift and her butt wiggle was mesmerizing. Stay focused, Dragonfire! My mind snapped, backed up by a twinge in my gut.

Still, just a little bit of admiration where it was due was necessary as I trotted after her. The way she flicked her mane, dull sunlight catching in the beads of sweat that clung to it, making it shimmer, made the show all the more alluring.

Goddesses, are you here to get answers or for flank spank? Focus, Dragonfire. You can just let her do all the work anyway... I mean, watching ponies have sex is hot too, right? My mind worked like a train with no brakes as Mirage batted her eyes at the two stallions by the gate.

"Hey boys, me and my new friend are here to see the boss. He's called for some real mares this time." Before I knew it she had a forehoof wrapped around my shoulders and before I could even flinch I was drawn to her side.

The guards' eyes narrowed as they both peered at us, then the leftmost stallion raised a hoof to his chin. "Is that so, can't say ah recognize either of ya'. An' we know all the regulars, believe meh." He glanced at the other buck and the pair smirked.

This is seriously disgusting. Oh, well looks like I'd have to ramp up the heat a little bit. I surmised as I stepped away from Mirage, stretching out as I stared at them with lidded eyes.

The looks they gave me appeared more impressed than anything else. Not that I wasn't glad for the fact, but I was more in search of a look that suggested they were going to let us through. I batted my eyes, ignoring the squirming in my gut as I wiggled my flanks.

Come on, Dragonfire, you still got this. Just hope that Vertigo can't see you right now and you'll be fine. My mind started. Yeah, thanks for that idea, brain, it's not distracting at all!

I at least seemed to have their attention. "Say, you know if you two ladies just wanna stay out here with us, I know somewhere we can go that's far better than anything the boss has," the right buck said, chuckling as he looked at his companion.

I bowed my head, glancing up at him with lidded eyes. I guess this really is going to come down to just wiggling my butt in their faces. Goddesses, damn Vertigo and his logic!

Before I could delve to the very depths of desperation, however, Mirage took one step forward and wrapped a hoof around the left buck's shoulders, her tail coiling around to rub his chest.

"Oh, honey, I'm sure what you've got going on down there is simply divine," she purred, rubbing his shoulders. The buck shuddered, before relaxing into the embrace like melting butter.

The green mare's horn began to glow softly and the stallion moaned as I stared at them both with wide eyes. "But I'm not here for the small fry, so how about you let us in and then you don't have to explain to your boss why you stole his favorite mare, huh?"

I glanced at the second stallion, and him at me, as the pair of us watched the embraced guard nod, almost possessed by the green mare's allure.

"Sure thang, go right ahead," he said, before flicking a latch on the gate and pushing it open. "Let them in, boss ain't goin' ta want ta miss this one," he said to his rather jealous looking companion.

Mirage planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you kindly, honey," she said before slipping away and trotting inside, flicking the second buck's rump with her tail, making his jump. "Come on, hon, don't want to keep the boss waiting," she called, looking back over her shoulder at me.

I swallowed hard, before finally realizing my butt had hit the floor at some point while watching her. Okay, was it wrong that I felt far more jealous than either of the stallions looked? I thought as I stood up and trotted after her.

"By the goddesses, those guys are so insufferable," Mirage started as she trotted beside me and toward the door to the main warehouse. "I mean really, not recognizing me, are they serious? I'm here all the time! They just can't tell one flank from another," she added before finally winking at me. "Glad to see I had your attention though."

She flicked her tail with a giggle as we reached the door and my mouth worked silently as heat rushed to my cheeks. Seriously, who was this mare?

"Well, I guess you'll have all the attention in here for a while. So I can probably just leave you to it and take a break," I improvised, wiping sweat from my brow as I nodded to the door.

"Well, of course. Though, I must say, he sometimes likes all the mares at once." The smirk she gave as she telekinetically opened the door and trotted in made my stomach churn more than usual.

Goddesses, why couldn't the damn plan have been to just charge in and shoot everypony? I really wished it could have been so simple as I trotted in after the green mare.

Inside we were greeted by a pair of long, mangy old corridors. One lead to the right, and the other straight ahead. Like most places out here, the walls looked like they'd been exposed to both the wet and dry extremes of the desert far too often, and their cracked, flaking forms boasted mold in damp patches. There were emergency exit signs and notice boards sitting crooked on the chipped plaster as we trotted forward, hooves squelching on the damp carpet.

Mirage, at least seemed to know where to go, as I didn't really feel like many of the ponies we trotted by were willing to offer directions. Everypony was either in barding, lab coats or more of the odd radiation suits they'd been wearing at the police station. Most of them just shot us wary glances, some getting a little too close for my tastes. Mirage soaked up the sexual tension with her gleeful look as if the awkwardness in the air were some kind of fresh sparkle cola. I on the other hoof, really had to try to not buck half the stallions that bumped my rump in the face as I put on my best cute mare look and hurried along.

When I get out of here, I'm going to kill everypony who forced me to do this so hard! I internally growled, head bowed as my brow furrowed.

Then Mirage paused, and I almost collided with that succulent, curvy, plot. Stop looking at her butt, damn it! I recoiled, no matter how much I wanted to reach out and touch it.

"Well, here we are, and we're the only two," she practically jumped on the spot like a filly once again as she squeed. "Oh, this is going to be so fun, I've not felt as good as he makes me feel in too long." She clopped her forehooves together as I tried not to gag.

That was far too much information already, no matter how horny all this sex talk was making me. My rear end fidgeted, buzzing even as I let out a small chuckle.

"Haha, yeah, how about you go ahead, I'll be right behind you," I suggested, then winced.

Oh, wouldn't you really like to be right behind her? My mind mused and I fought not to face hoof.

Still, Mirage still seemed to know exactly where she was going and I noticed that to our right a set of stairs broke off from the corridor and lead up to a mangy wooden door. A faded golden plaque bearing the word 'Management' didn't really leave what was on the other side to the imagination.

"Hehe, sure, don't worry I'll make sure to leave plenty for you... because, you know, he'll obviously want me first anyway," she giggled, brushing a hoof over my cheek and making me shudder.

Goddesses, did any mare this guy spoke to think they were a princess or something? They're all obsessed. I wondered. You know, you get what flank you can out here, Dragonfire. My mind added as I offered my excitable companion a weak smile.

"I'll be sure to look forward to it," I forced as she turned and trotted up, flicking me with her tail again.

"Oh, I'm sure you will," she cooed, and once again I really had to stop looking at her rear.

Damn it, Dragonfire, you're knocked up, surely that should make you less horny and more grumpy, right? My thoughts offered, but I had no idea as I trudged up the stairs after her and cast my eyes to anything other than her rump.

She reached the door, tapping on it once before her magic enveloped it and she slipped in without any kind of response from the other side. I took a deep breath, the strong stench of alcohol and sweaty musk hitting my nose as I prepared for the worst and followed her inside. The room beyond bore a striking similarity to the office I'd confronted Mister Red in. It was long with a tacky, green wallpaper and faded red carpet. A large desk sat at its center, facing out over a wide, lacy curtain-covered window. On the far side was another door, and to my right, another set of curtains covered a smooth arch in the wall opposite the window.

A stallion's head appeared from behind it the moment we entered, his scraggy, sweat-laden, teal mane falling over his eyes. Judging by his height he was a small earth pony, yet what mass he lacked in his height he easily seemed to make up for in girth. Rolls of fat hung from his cheeks and neck, rippling under his swampy blue lime colored coat and horrible, scraggly beard. He wiped the strands of mane from his eyes with a forehoof and looked at us with utter glee. I glanced at Mirage as the mare practically jumped for joy.

"Well, well, fresh company. Haven't seen any gems as smooth as you two before," the stallion croaked, sniffling. I felt my teeth grind, his slimy voice rivaled Griddle's for inducing sheer irritation in me.

Mirage gave a snorting giggle, prancing on the spot and covering her muzzle. "Oh, Pear, you silly stallion. I was here last week, remember? We did such wonderful things," the mare exclaimed, waving a hoof at him.

His eyebrows moved in a wave, his pudgy flesh rippling like jelly. That made me cover my muzzle for a different reason as I fought not to gag.

Seriously, I wasn't picky when it came to who I'd have sex with, but even I had standards! Plus, I'd never really had droves of ponies telling me how disgusting a buck was for days before getting in bed with him before. Of course, that would have to be one of the few occasions I was sober enough to even consider how good looking somepony was. I did not know whether it was the fact I was going crazy, or that I was pregnant, yet right now he seemed purely revolting.

"Well, I'm not sure about that, but I can think of a lot of wonderful things I'd like you to do right now, babe," Pear responded before his words were lost to a fit of not too healthy sounding coughs.

Screw the fact he looked so disgusting, it sounded like he could drop dead any second. Maybe Mirage could just over exert him and then I'd not have to get my hooves dirty? The idea was certainly appealing, especially when his eyes moved to me and I shied away, head bowed and forelegs rubbing together as a part of my best cute look.

"My, my, you're a little diamond too, ain't you?" he observed, and I batted my eyes, reluctantly turning to display my side and wiggled my hips.

Damn, if there's still one thing I know how to do, it's get what I want. I really hoped getting knocked up hadn't robbed me of that at least. I mean how could it, pregnant mares were supposed to glow, right?

"Please, you give me a shot and I'll show you how much of a diamond I can be," I purred with a wink.

He seemed to consider that, a foreleg lifting to his chin. Then he started coughing again, hacking into his grimy hoof. The fat limb looked more like some kind of moss strewn branch than anything I may have been remotely into as it wobbled.

"Your coat is so pretty, like a precious white opal. You know, I think you'd look perfect in some of my more... Specialist outfits. I've got some in the closet over there." He nodded to the door on the far side of the office. "How about you check some out, then come see me?" He gave a wink that made my gut swim even more than normal.

"I guess you better get in here in the meantime, babe. Come show me what's so wonderful about you." He beckoned Mirage with a jiggling forehoof as he slipped back behind the curtain.

The mare's eyes went wide as she nudged me. "I'll save some for you, honey. Who knows, he may even want a three-way!" I went redder than ever as she bumped my butt with her own and trotted after Pear.

Hello, Equestria to Dragonfire, you're in the room alone, try and find something. I shook my head, freeing my thoughts from my stupor as I looked around.

My first port of call was a terminal sitting on the central desk. It was hard to manage with no Pipbuck and no magic, and in the end, it was just as Raspberry had told me. I was warned that the system would permanently lockout anypony that failed to crack it.

Okay, so now find a plan B. My mind encouraged, reminding me that I shouldn't have come in here expecting it to be so easy.

I stepped over to the curtain blocking the window as a very disturbing set of noises started to emanate from the one opposite. Parting the drapes with a hoof and peering through, I found a very dusty old window covered by a set of bars. Beyond, was a large storage floor with exactly what Pick-Me-Up was after. Row, after row of lifeless Gyrotrons sat neatly in the gloom, their guns silent, eyes dimmed and most covered by blue tarps. There must have been hundreds! Right then I wondered if letting anypony have them was really the best idea.

You've done worse for less before, Dragonfire. Just get this silly job over with and try to find out what Overseer and the Transcendent did to you. My mind told me, and I took a deep breath before reluctantly continuing my search of the room.

Just as Pear had suggested, I trotted over to the storage cupboard and opened it with a forehoof. The musky smell from within hit me like smelling wet skunk and unwashed exercise outfits.

Seriously, it was almost stale! Once again I really wished I had a working horn as I peered inside to find a pile of discarded linens, garters and tights. Goddesses, why would anypony wear this stuff, never mind find somepony else attractive in it?

From my experiences, the erotic sleepwear was nothing new. Yet it seemed Pear's taste in skimpy outfits was thoroughly lacking. I preferred black, it countered well with my coat. What I could see here was orange, green and some blue. They were lazy, and looked as if they'd have my hooves in a knot in seconds. Not only that, but the smell suggested these things may have never been washed. While I wasn't opposed to some hot fun, especially out here with the heat of the desert, even I liked to consider myself clean. Reaching out with a forehoof, I prised free a long blue, skimpy lingerie.

It reeked like an abandoned brothel, but it was the only colorer I'd be caught wearing out of the mess of things I could find. Slipping it onto my back I turned to trot away, only for a shimming amidst the pile of clothes to catch my eye. I reached out again, throwing aside a silky red dressing gown and pulled out a set of hoof cuffs and a crop.

Damn, this stallion certainly knows what he's into. I thought, as I found another three sets of cuffs and had another idea

I put them all on my back, along with the crop, before trotting back to the desk and spreading the junk out before me. Then I winced.

How in Equestria was I supposed to get stockings on without my magic? Never mind make this tight enough? I thought, yet sounds from behind the curtain quickly amped up the awkwardness.

"Butter my sides and call me a biscuit, you really... Oooo, are wonderful." My ears perked at the sound of the stallion's voice, only to start burning along with my cheeks as I realized what I was listening to.

My stomach gave an agitated churn as I slipped into the sleepwear's saddle as best as I could, then fought not to wretch as I held a stocking in my mouth and slipped it onto one of my forehooves. Around the time of the fourth, I was almost throwing up again.

Okay, all that's left now is my rear. No way am I letting him get a clear shot to my butt. I thought as I craned my neck and twisted to stretch the drape of tight linen and garters over my flanks.

"Oh, I've never been so full in my life... Hummmm, so much love, you're absolutely delicious." I had no idea whether hearing Mirage say that made me hornier or just plain crept out.

Why, thought you liked seeing ponies having sex just as much as you love it yourself? Remember all the orgies? Those were the days. My mind mused as my face burned bright red. Not helping, brain, not helping.

I gave a grunt as I found the bow holding my new attired together and gave it a tight pull. The thing was just as uncomfortable as I imagined, especially between my legs and around my slightly rounded belly.

Well, you better hope he's into that kinda thing. This really does make your butt look big. My thoughts snickered as I took one look at myself in a cracked wall mirror. The final part of the set was a black, blue-gem encrusted pair of reins.

I picked them up and threw them around my neck, no way was I wearing those for a stallion like this. Nevertheless, as the sound of unrivaled pleasure from the other side of the curtain stopped, I knew there was no putting things off any longer. I would have to get the password from him the only way I knew how to get things from a stallion, and right now, having sex with him was the last thing I intended to do. I placed the hoof cuffs and crop on my back, winching at the pinch of the tight fitting sleepwear. Regardless, I once again applied my best pretty mare look and slid through the curtain.

A wall of musky heat hit me almost as fast as the reek of two ponies that had just had a very rigorous time. The room was dim, but I saw the two of them laying side by side on the large, princess sized four poster bed in the middle of the otherwise simple square box of a room. There was a dresser to the right and an old drinks cabinet to the left, neither of which appeared like they'd been here when this place was still an office.

Not only that, but like the stallion who I assumed owned them, it appeared as if they could fall apart at any moment. There were some portraits on the wall, most smudges or depicting rolling green landscapes and seaside cliffs. I didn't know whether to feel sorry or suspicious of the rather stunning image of a white unicorn mare with a curled purple mane that posed upon a long, red lounger in one of them. Her posture and sultry look suggested that she was no less innocent then whatever Pear had mare's do in here.

Speaking of which. The pair looked up seconds after I trotted in, part of the damp blanket slung over Pear's mane. Now I could see him properly, I really found it hard not to envision some kind of mutated pony slug hybrid. It was hard to see where the dark green covers ended and his bulging body began.

And now you have to seduce him, good luck. My mind snickered as I threw all the doubt to the back of my mind and batted my eyes at him, rolling my hips and shoulders as I prowled to the end of the bed.

"Hi there, handsome, you got room for one more in there?" I purred, finding it hard to tell what were fatty folds in his face and what was a grin.

Mirage looked up a second later, then leaned against his side, rubbing his foreleg. The mare moaned, looking up at the overweight stallion like a pleading foal.

"Yeah, yeah, can we keep her, we have room," she begged, and I really had to resist the urge to tell her just how weird she was making things.

I mean, is she patronizing him, or is she serious? Some ponies have weird sex? I thought, fixing my coy smile and lidded eyes on Pear Puddin'.

"I don't know, there's something off about you." He waved a hoof at me as his grin widened, then he rotated it slightly. "How about you turn around for me?"

Behind my smile I grit my teeth and slowly turned, putting as much emphasis into my hips and I lifted my rear and swayed my tail. I felt my stomach lurch. Right now, this certainly didn't seem like the kind of position for me to be in if I wanted to keep my last meal down. Yet now was not the time to think about throwing up, no matter how ugly the pony I was showing off to was.

"How's this, handsome?" I asked, wriggling my raised rump and glancing around with my head held low.

Pear rubbed his chin, his irritating grin still present. Beside him, Mirage perked up, then started clapping her forehooves together. Even after all I'd heard the two of them doing, she still had so much energy?

"Good show indeed. Come on Pear, please, I need to keep this one," she pleaded some more, pulling at his forehoof.

She needed me? Wow, maybe this mare really was far more than I was ready to deal with. At least I wouldn't actually mind sleeping with her. Looking at her now, that wasn't hard to believe.

"Oh, we will, babe. But first, she's gotta see what she's done wrong." He nodded at me, then made a slow motion around his squat muzzle. "I go offering you my clothes and you don't even put the whole outfit on," he stated.

I took a long, deep breath. I'd have rather had Vertigo on the bed right now, at least he'd have been good to look at when I scorched his face off. I bowed my head submissively, letting the reigns clatter to the floor. I forged an innocent smile as I took the bit in my muzzle and threw the rest back over my head, wriggling the harness into position.

"Hey, babe, what kinda stallion would I be if I made ya' put that on all by your lonesome, hum?" Pear asked, then beckoned me over with a hoof. "Let me tighten it on for ya'"

Oh, I'm going to kill this guy so hard the moment he gives me that damn password! Creeping over to the bed like a submissive hound, I clambered up onto the cover and dumped the hoof cuffs and crop at my side.

Mirage noticed them first, a gleeful look spreading over her face before she winked at me. I did my best to ignore her as I got as close to Pear as I could stomach.

"You're such a gentlecolt," I cooed, sliding up next to him, realizing just how much like a slug his sweaty sides really were.

"I try my best," he growled in my ear, before trailing his tongue up my neck and pulling the reigns with his mouth.

My instinct betrayed me and I tensed, shuddering at his warm touch. But I'd been through enough encounters like this before, and I wasn't about to let him get ahead of himself. I turned around, meeting muzzle to muzzle with him, lidded eyes staring right into his. The look of shock on his face suggested that he wasn't used to mares that took things into their own hooves, and right now an urge to run him through with all I had nagged at my mind.

Dragonfire, focus on getting the password for now, humiliating this fool can come later. My mind prompted, and as much as I'd like to have this slug of a buck crying like a foal, I'd rather not spend any longer with him than I needed to.

In another graceful twist, I wrapped my rear hooves around his swollen barrel and rolled onto his front. Straddling him as I turned his head to face me with a forehoof, grinning. Mirage looked at me as if I was some kind of fascinating exhibit in a museum, not only that, but now she was really looking at me. I tried not to think how wet I was for the odd mare next to me because no matter how strange she seemed, she was the hottest flank I'd seen in weeks. Instead, I tapped my muzzle against Pear's, recoiling a little at the salty tang.

"What's the matter handsome, mare got your tongue?" I cooed, chewing on the bit of my reigns.

Goddesses, there was a reason I only wore these for Star! I thought as the metal rolled across my tongue and the straps bit into my cheeks.

"No, no, of course not," he stammered, yet the way he was looking up at me with wide eyes said otherwise. "You going to show me what kind of diamond you are then?"

My grin curled into an even expression. "Oh, I thought we'd start with a little roleplay, how do you feel about interrogation?" I purred, and he smiled nervously.

"I'd do anything to get answers out of you, babe," he responded, rubbing my flank.

I pressed his left foreleg up against the head of the bed, rubbing down his other side with my other hoof until I felt a hard ring of metal against my limb.

"Answers from me? Humm, tempting, but I was thinking of something more along the lines of you giving them to me," I suggested, and in the time it took him to realize what I was saying I took the hoof cuff in my right hoof and cuffed his left foreleg to the bed frame.

I half expected him to call out for help, and was prepared to ram the covers into his mouth to shut him up. Instead, he just looked at me like a colt who was just about to have real sex for the first time.

He gulped. "I guess. I mean... W–well ya' are so hot, I don't mind," he stammered.

"Oh, believe me, I can feel how much you don't mind," I retorted, wiggling my butt over his crotch under the covers.

At least I think that was his penis? It was hard to tell with all extra fat. He blushed, and at that look, it was as if he actually believed he'd get a chance to use the pathetic thing.

Still smiling, I hoof cuffed his right foreleg up, running my own forehooves down both his forelegs and onto his chest, fat rolling as he shuddered.

"Oh, let me do the back ones, this looks like it will be so fun!" Mirage exclaimed, and for a second I was amazed how I could forget she was even there.

Wow, you were into this fat slug that much? You sure he's not your type, Dragonfire? I ran a forehoof through my sweaty mane, before nodding to the energetic mare.

"Go right ahead, I'm sure he won't mind," I assured her, looking back at him as he shook his head.

"Not at all, anything for you ladies," he stammered, his toughs buck attitude diminished as I lifted a hoof to my chest, putting on a humbled look.

"Ladies? Awww, aren't you just the sweetest?" I purred, before rubbing a forehoof along the side of his face.

"All done, you're good and stuck now," Mirage chirped as Pear tugged on each of his restraints.

"Left all alone for us two pretty mares to do whatever we want to you," I purred, sliding up his chest with my body, my pudgy belly against his.

He grunted, chains chiming. "So how do you want to do this, you going to try and orgasm the answers out of me?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

I leaned back, placing a hoof on his lips. "No, no, I'm not really in the mood for sex, to be honest," I finally admitted, spitting out the reigns and ripping them off my head

He went from apprehensive, to confused in a second. "What? But, you did all this, I'm more turned on than ever... Why?" he stammered, and I pushed a hoof to his lips again, silencing him.

"Well, I just found out I'm three months pregnant, so there's one thing. Also, you're not really my type," I declared, before throwing my mane back away from my horn and adding. "Now, how about if you don't tell me what I want to know, I blast your pretty face off with my magic, hum?"

Just because I had no magic left in me right now, didn't mean he needed to know about it. He looked at my horn, then at me before he spat out my hoof and opened his mouth.

"One word out of line and you'll end up the same way. You really want to risk it, pretty boy?" I added, and his mouth slowly closed.

He looked right at Mirage, and in a flash, my eyes followed. Wow, forgot her again did you? The mare sat at the bedside, took one look at him, then at me.

Then she threw her hooves up in the air. "I'll do whatever you say, just please don't hurt my sweet Pear Puddin'."

Of course she would be that obsessed. I thought as I dragged a portion of the covers over Pear's eyes, blindfolding him as I took the crop in my forehooves. Goddesses, as committed as Mirage seemed to be, why did she look so excited?

"You'll have to do better than that to get answers out of me. You can't sit on me forever and I've lasted for hours getting spanked by that thing," Pear spat, wriggling under my straddling rear.

I flicked his butt with my tail, snapping his attention back to me and making him shudder.

"Oh, I'm sure you have, but on the flanks, I bet? It takes some getting used to, but it's good. I don't intend on making this good," I sneered as I flipped the crop round and held the narrow end in my muzzle.

Don't think about that taste Dragonfire, don't think about it! I drew back and smacked him across the face with the hard handle end of the crop.

"Ouch, Goddesses damn it!" I really hoped the squeals of pain he exerted would be dismissed as normal by any pony that may hear as I thwacked him twice more.

Mirage watched me with a crooked expression, not even making an attempt to flee and get help as she bit her lip. Was she seriously a damn masochist or something?

"Okay, okay, tell me what you want... I–I'll give it to you. Just stop hitting me!" Pear finally cried, his limbs pulling at the hoof cuffs.

I sat back, rubbing his side. "That's a good buck, now all I want is the password for the terminal outside," I finally asked, and I felt him go stiff as a board in another way.

"Oooo, that's a big one. Pearie is super sensitive about that," Mirage muttered, seeming to eat up the tension more than worry I'd hurt her precious buck friend.

"What? H–how do you know about that... What, makes you think I know what it is?" he asked, struggling even more.

"How in Equestria did a pony like you get to be in charge?" I asked, facehoofing. "I know you know the password, and I know that if I get it wrong it will crash the system, so how about you just tell me?" I pressed, jabbing him in the side with the end of the crop.

"Ha, you think if I knew then I wouldn't just activate all those robots myself?" he suggested, and I paused.

That did make sense, but Heatstroke had said that he wouldn't know what to do with them. Take over the town for himself or sell it over to the NCR? Come to think of it, none of this made sense, least of all why in goddesses' name this foal was in charge?

"Then who does know? You start talking or I'll really find out how much you can take." I poked between his chubby flanks with the end of the crop, pushing it ever so slightly.

The stallion gave a sharp jump, gasping. "Okay, okay... Goddesses, she's going to kill me," he groaned, deflating.

"Who's she?" Both I and Mirage asked in union. I looked at her, and she at me before she finally glared at him and her eyes narrowed.

"I thought I was the only ‘she’ who really mattered to you?" she spat, and I rolled my eyes.

"Seriously, tell me or I'll shove this thing so far up your rear you'll be choking on the other end!" I growled, prodding him again. At the defeated look on his face, I paused.

She would kill him? But he was in charge, he had an army of robots and... Dragonfire, who had told you that? My eyes twitched as I leaned back and stepped off him.

I buried my face in the bed sheets and let out a low groan. "Goddesses, how could I be such an idiot?" I called into the damp fabric.

"Ha, and you're the one telling me..." Pear's snide remark was cut off my a painful whinny as I smacked the crop handle square into his crotch.

"Ooooo, that's got to hurt," Mirage observed, wincing as I looked across the bed at her.

"You, what's the fastest way back to Crossroads? There's somepony there I need to have strong words with," I stated, but she just looked at me like I was an idiot.

"Fine, I'll find my own way back. I've had enough of being played by everypony," I stated trotting to the curtain, then the butt of a rifle hit me square in the face.

No helmet, oh yeah. I fell to the floor, forehooves clutching my bloody muzzle as a familiar mare stepped through the curtain.

"You know, you really are the epicenter of all my problems right now, Dragonfire," Heatstroke sighed, a rifle slung around her side.

My muzzle felt as if it was cracked in all the wrong places. My stomach twisted and my head throbbed. In my hazy vision, I saw the sandy mare look at the bed and frown.

"I really do have to do everything myself don't I, you useless slob?" she groaned, then looked back down at me, the same snide look on her face.

"Oh well, at least I can actually get a job done," she said before, with another smash of the rifle, I was abruptly sent into blackness.

Foot note: Level up

New Perk Added: Clever Prancer - Through agility and reflexes, you have become deft at striking where it hurts while preventing your enemies from doing the same. You gain an additional 5% chance to score a critical hit; your enemies suffer a 25% penalty to their chance to critically hit you. This perk is only effective when wearing light or no armor.

Updated artwork kindly provided by: Margony