Little Gearing quickly runs through his cloud house as he goes from one room to another, grabbing any items he suddenly thinks of and depositing them on the kitchen table as his mother sits there watching him zip around the house faster than she’s ever seen him move.

She looks one way, then the other, as she tracks his movements through the cloud house by the soft ‘wumpfs’ of his hoof falls. “You’re in such a hurry! You don’t have to zip back out of here this instant, do you? You just got back!”

Gearing runs from the right room, past the table, dropping an unfinished model of some kind of EDF aircraft on the table as he does, and squeals in delight, “I can stay the night, but they said they wanted me back by morning!”

She follows him out with her gaze and frowns as she asks, “Well, why do you have to head off so quickly?”

Gearing comes back and sets down a few pouches of tiny screwdrivers and other tools next to the model as he says, “Normally I’d be still in the dorm, but since I don’t need to sleep, I figured I’d use the time productively and come grab a few things before heading back!”

She scowls and yells after him as he zips up the stairs. “You do too have to sleep! Don’t let them work you into the ground!”

Gearing shakes his head as he comes back and slaps a piece of paper on the table in front of her. “No. I’m not. They’re actually pretty lenient on my schedule… I’m using my spare time to learn as much as I can and take advantage of every edge I can find!”

His mother sighs as she looks down and quickly grabs the paper he’d given her as it tries to fly off with the gust of wind from his next zooming pass. “And what’s this?”

Gearing comes back and sets down a set of magnifying glasses and a hoofball helmet that he’s made a variety of modifications to which allow tools to be temporarily held against its sides. “That’s the number to the switchboard.” He looks up at her and grins as he shrugs. “I’m gonna be soooo busy, that I most likely won’t be able to answer the phone. They are going to be sending me allllll over the place and learning allllll kinds of things.” He taps on the paper with a wing as he trots off. “Just call the switchboard if you need me and they’ll get a message to me as quickly as they can.”

She looks at the paper and frowns as she says, “It just feels like you’re growing up too fast…” She looks sideways as she spots him walking through the adjoining room. “I don’t want them taking advantage of you… or… worse… you getting bullied while there.” She shakes her head. “Everything else aside, jealous ponies are especially bad to those younger than them.”

Gearing walks by and waves a hoof dismissively as he says, “Oh, that won’t be a problem. I already took care of that on the first day…”

His mother watches him walk by, then narrows her eyes as she points across the table in front of her and demands, “Gearing Green Wing… Get over here right this instant.”

Gearing rolls his eyes and turns around, walking dutifully to the position across from his mother indicated and looks up at her with a tilt of his head. “What is it, mom?”

She points one of her silvery wings in his face as she says, “Don’t give me that ‘what is it mom’ nonsense. I know that tone! I heard it.” She points at one of her ears before she looks back at him. “Exactly what did you do that has you so sure that they won’t be a problem anymore?” She slaps a hoof over her eyes and practically begs, “Please tell me you didn’t do something like wonder glue them to their seats or something? They’ll retaliate… you know this.”

Gearing shakes his head and grins. “Oh… No, I didn’t pull any pranks on them, mom.”

She pulls the hoof away from her eyes as she asks, “Then… what?” After a few moments she narrows her eyes as she says, “I see that smirk, Gearing.”

Gearing puffs up his chest and puts a hoof to it as he says, “I showed them that I was not somepony to mess with!” He waves over at his modified helmet as he says, “It’s all about respect. I just had to show them that I deserved it… and they wouldn’t bother me… you know?”

She stares at him for a moment before she says flatly, “No, Gearing, I don’t know… that’s why I’m asking…”

Gearing rolls his eyes and waves a wingtip at her. “Geeze, mom… It’s not hard…” He leans sideways and waves his right hoof around a bit. “So, when I first got there. There was one of those ridiculously big earth pony jocks… you know? Looks like he could gobble me up in, like, two bites? Well… He thought it was sooooo funny what my size is… and… well… you know what they say about earning respect on the schoolyard.”

She keeps her eyes on him as she says in the same flat tone, “Again, Gearing, no… I do not… what do they say?”

Gearing rolls his eyes again and waves a hoof around in a circle. “It’s no big deal… You just find the biggest, meanest, toughest looking pony in the yard… and you walk up, and pow!” He jumps in the air as he swings his right hoof. “And you sock them right in the face and show them you ain’t no chump!”

Her eyes fly open wider as she asks, “You did what?!”

Gearing puffs up his chest again as he closes his eyes and taps on the metal plates over his chest cavity. “Oh yeaaahh. I introduced him to old thunder and knocked him stupid!” He hops around on his hind legs and throws out his forehooves randomly in a bad illustration of shadow boxing. “I taught him that momma didn’t raise no punching bag, just like you told me to do back when I was in classes with Mrs. Peachums.”

Her eyes go to their absolute widest as she clangs her hooves to the sides of her own cheeks in horror. “You didn’t!”

He taps on his own jaw as he grins at her. “I sure did! Turns out baby had a glass jaw and stumbled all around before ending up on his back and unconscious!” He mimics the sideways walk with his tongue hanging out of his mouth before falling over and laying on his back with his legs straight up in the air.

She shakes her head slowly as she puts all of the pieces together and asks softly, “Why would you do that?!”

Gearing hops up onto his hooves with a snap and rolls his eyes. “I told you, mom… I had to make sure I earned their respect… and that’s what you have to do in the yard: deck the biggest, meanest, toughest looking pony to show the rest of them that you’re not scared!”

She shakes her head rapidly before she throws her hooves out at him. “Sweety! Noooo!!! That’s prison! A prison yard! Not a schoolyard! That’s what they say to do in a prison yard! And if you keep this up that’s exactly where you’re going to end up!”

Gearing snorts and waves a hoof at her dismissively as he nickers off to the side. “Naaah… There’s nothing to worry about there.”

His mother looks around as she asks, “Is that the real reason you’re back? Are they after you? Did he report you to the police? Or do you think he’ll show up at the door to pick a fight?”

Gearing raises an eyebrow as he asks, “Why would he do that?” He grins widely as he waves both of his forehooves around. “We’re like best friends now! No one’s knocked him out with one hoof before… He’s not mad, he was impressed!” He waves his hoof over towards the small tools as he says, “That’s why I need my tool kits. He’s even promised to help me out by showing me a few things he already knows.”

She stares at him for a few moments before she asks, “You knocked him on his ass… and now your best friends and study buddies?”

“Yup!” Gearing responds cheerfully.

After dealing with the nonsense at the front door of Megamart, Gearing wasn’t too enthused with going in at the time, at least not without getting some more information about what’s really going on around here. So, after resecuring all of his gear, by putting a few of the more obvious items in their proper places and the rest just got bound up in the cloth he’d laid down then shoved in a mostly empty saddle bag, he took his massive burden inside and passed it off to Handy and Swift. This freed him to go about trying to track down leads while Swift did all of the actual running around and bartering with the mass of salvage they’d cumulatively collected. This turn of events left Handy sitting alone in the corner, where Gearing had dumped his brahmin sized pack, to keep an eye on the now immobile mound of salvage. Which, like many things Gearing seems to enjoy doing, makes for one annoyed blue pony grumping at his surroundings and wondering why he came all this way to foal-sit a pile of trash.

Gearing takes his time approaching the group out front of Megamart as he ambles around seemingly aimlessly in his cloak. He keeps an eye on the comings and goings of the others, and matches the chaotic flow of hoof traffic as he slowly merges in with the mass of bodies. He starts walking around the crowd at first, on the periphery, circling, as he lets his ears twitch this way and that and slowly focus. Despite the ongoing jumble of conversations melding together into a chaotic din, he quickly realizes the group, the whole group, is here for the same thing.

The largest bounty ever.

He was pretty sure of the fact before actually swimming among them, given the events of the morning, but it’s always good to have confirmation instead of just running on assumptions. Which he’s been left to do so often, and uncomfortably so, these days.

Figuring this would be an excellent time to get more information, and always one for seizing an opportunity when it arises, Gearing starts moving from group to group to see what he can gleam from any of them. Any and all information is valuable in his opinion so he asks about things most would find innocuous. Or down right weird to even ask. Favorite things to eat. Drink. Any known vices. Any drugs of choice. All of it can help him locate his target. Any single, even minute, fragment of information could very well be the linchpin in securing a mark.

But most of those around look at him like he’s an idiot for being stuck on trivial matters when he asks, marking them as incompetent amateurs in Gearing’s book. Others though, asking similar questions, seem to actually know what they’re doing.

Through it all he gets far more information than what the would-be bounty hunters in Megamac could tell him. And, because of that, some of their recent problems actually start making sense.

She’s a white coated unicorn with a red and black mane and tail, and a miniscule horn. She was last seen in Megamart after she had a fight with the one that put the bounty on her, and is currently traveling with a blue earth pony and a pegasus mare. So the ones this morning were correct. But given that the pegasus mare in question is gray, with a purplish mane, and Swift is sky blue with a blue streaked red mane, they are either completely color blind, misinformed idiots, or both.

The little blue pegasus in Gearing’s head keeps rampantly waving a giant flag that says ‘Option C’ as he thinks it over.

From his snooping and eavesdropping he finds out that she used to be a stable pony, was security for the stable nonetheless, and it’s actually her PipBuck that they really want. They only want her so bad because she pissed someone off that, by all accounts, is not a pony to be messed with. Apparently she’s a drunken idiot that got into a tussle in the early am hours two days ago, and wrecked part of the shopping area in Megamart in the process.

Which, given it’s supposed to be neutral territory, explains the management’s decision to limit weapons inside until tempers cooled down.

And, despite the semi regular flow of new arrivals, every now and then groups, or individuals, break off from the throng of bodies to try their luck with one of the random directions the conflicting rumors say she’s gone. But, even with the combined knowledge of the group, each and every direction is a complete shot in the dark on if they are even heading the right way.

But, as Pile Driver can attest, sometimes idiots do get lucky with that.

Gearing continues walking through the crowds of masses as he twitches his ears this way or that. One never knows when you’ll pick up the most crucial information from simply listening as you’re passing by. It’s been a tactic that has served him well over the years. And now that he’s so out of the loop, by over two centuries, he really needs every iota of advantage he can get. Even if it’s not pertaining to this ridiculous bounty. But as he’s slowly walking he does what he can to be as non-invasive as possible. He practically glides through the mob as he keeps his head down, but remains fully aware of his surroundings as he takes one slow deliberate step after another. Making sure to minimize the noise he could be making with each step to mask his passing presence.

While going through a gap between two apparently separate groups of individuals, someone screams from the side and draws everyone's attention.

A ghoul in an old ratty desperado hat jumps out from the crowd and tackles Gearing while screaming a variety of obscenities, but the only thing that really is intelligible to most of them is ‘Zebra scum!’

Gearing rolls with his attacker, flipping them off of his back as he smoothly tumbles over and spins around to confront this unknown individual that decided to accost him. Gearing slowly peeks out from under his cowl, not allowing his face to be shown as he quickly watches the movements of those around him to see if anyone else is going to try something directly. Or if they were going to assist the ranting ghoul in general.

The ghoul rolled with the action of Gearing throwing him, and gets back up to his hooves as he jumps back and just outside of hoof range with Gearing. As he yells, the ratty few strands that are left of what must have been a long goatee or beard jumps around as he says, “I know yer tricks, dirty zebra infiltrators!” He waves a hoof at Gearing as he screams, “Ain't no zebra commando gettin’ the betta’ o’ ole Stink-Eye today! No Sirre!”

A mare in a peach duster slathered with road grime jumps out of the crowd as she says, “Hey! Stinky! You canna just go ‘round calling other people zebra. Most don’t take to kindly to that!”

Stink Eye waves his hoof at Gearing as he looks at her and screams, “But ah dun seent it! They’s slinkn’ ‘round like a ghost in the middle o’ the day. Mark mah words they just lookn’ ta put a knife in yer back!”

She shakes her head. “Stink Eye, the war’s over, I keep tellin’ you this. It’s been over for 200 years! Even if he was a zebra you can’t just go around attacking any you see, that ain’t right neither!”

“He ain’t just no zebra, I seent the way he’s walkin’. He’s up to no good, I tells ya! He’s one o’ them zebra commandos and he’ll kill all o’ us if’n we don’t do somethin’ ‘bout it!”

“So what if I am?” Gearing’s voice comes out slow and steady. Noticeably a bit deeper than he normally would try to communicate with someone.

They all turn to look at Gearing as a couple of them actually step back and away from him.

The old ghoul waves a hoof at him as he screams, “See! He’s dun admitted it! Ya can’t trust no dirty stripers!”

“You didn’t answer the question,” Gearing’s deeper than normal voice flows out of the cloak as he keeps his covered head staring right at the ghoul challenger.

The ghoul steps closer, actually within range, as he says, “Ya dun scare me none, ya striped bastard! I survived fightin’ scum like ya before ya were even an itch in yer great grand-daddy’s two-tone sheath!”

Gearing doesn’t move, not a millimeter, as he replies, “That would be false… for if you’d fought any like me, you wouldn’t be standing here to say so.”

The ghoul waves his hoof at Gearing again as he opens his mouth to scream out one offense or another, but freezes in his tracks as Gearing’s cloaked form barely flutters before he practically appears in front of the ghoul, face to face, but down under his muzzle and well inside of his guard, as he looks at the ghoul through the cloak. “I can demonstrate the point… if that is what it will take to finally convince you.”

The ghoul’s pale eyes dart around for a few moments before he stutters, “D- dun let tha zebra get ya… save yerselves!”

Gearing straightens up a bit and asks quietly, but with the same deep tones, “So, again, ‘so what if I am zebra?’”

“Ya won’t get away with this… once ya show yer true colors, the rest will see, they’ll know! Then yer stripped ass will be a real ghost!”

“My true colors?” Gearing asks in a whisper. He tilts his cloak, pulling the cowl back enough that the gold line across his face reflect and sparkle with the morning light for only the ghoul to see. “You don’t know who I am, you attack me, and for what? Because you say I’m a zebra? Fine… so I am… What are you going to do about it, filth?”

“Ah- ah’ll show you… go ahead, kill me, better wiped than striped!”

Gearing straightens up even more as he looks at the ghoul’s face, and slips the cowl off his head enough to reveal the right side of his profile, carefully keeping the golden bits of his face hidden under the cowl from everyone else. “I… really… hate bigots.”

He steps in, grabbing the ghoul by a foreleg, as he twists and spins his own body, slamming the ghoul, head first, into the ground and causing hairs and black ichor to spread about as he crumples the buck’s hat with his own weight. He spins around and starts walking around the splayed out ghoul as he says, “Ignorant bastards like you are what kept the fires burning. Instead of focusing on what we have in common, they focused on how we were different. Vilified each other for no other purpose than to try and make themselves feel superior…” He leans down and looks into the ghoul’s face. “Well... do you feel superior now?” Then he lets out a sigh as he says with a wispy tone, “Or do I need to finish this demonstration to convince you? . . . I’ll let you decide… but do so quickly, I have a busy day I need to get to.”

The ghoul blinks as he looks up at Gearing looming over him. “Oh… sorry. I don’t know what I was thinkin’. Yer obviously not a zebra… nope. My mistake.”

Gearing narrows his eyes at him then says, “That is not what I asked nor what I meant… but if that’s the path you wish to choose, in order to keep your foolish pride intact… then so be it.” He starts turning and walking away as he adds, “Do not let your bigotry get the better of you again, because the next time the one you accost might not be so forgiving of your attitude…”

The group backs up and Gearing goes back to slinking around the periphery. However, his ability to gather passing information is greatly diminished because of the outburst. Pretty much everyone is paying extra attention to him now. A few, rather insultingly, regularly check their bags as, or after, he’s passing. Like he’s a simple thief. And others outright halt their conversations when they notice him approaching, choosing to focus all of their attention on him than on whatever they were just talking about.

As Gearing is working his way through the slowly thinning crowds, he notices a group leave, and one of the ones that was with them staying behind and watching them leave.

He draws his eyes over her as he tries to size the unicorn up. Her cream colored pelt, what’s visible of it anyway, seems well cared for with no visible scars. Her nearly black mane, with it’s blue highlights, has been cut rather short and barely comes down to the collar of her massive white coat. And, as he’s walking around to look at her, he notices a large blue ribbon that’s been folded into a bow tie at the base of her neck and above her vest.

He walks up towards her as he asks, “You’re friends leave without you?” Both getting her attention and making sure she knows that he’s there, and that he’s fine with her knowing. As she turns she starts sizing up his cloak covered form, measuring him up in a similar way that he’s been doing to her. Her gray eyes have an intensity that is uncommon, beaming with an inner source of strength all their own. Though, in juxtaposition, her actual stature is a bit shorter than most unicorn mares he knows, let alone someone who’d have such steely eyes.

She looks at him sideways and smirks. “We’re not friends, we’d just met. They’re going on ahead to try and see if they can track her down. What they were really interested in was someone with a few more spell tricks than I have…” She looks in the direction they’d gone as she says softly, “No loss, I’m having second thoughts about this bounty anyway…”

Gearing tilts his head as he asks, “What, they didn’t think they could use your gun-s?"

She turns her head to look at him and raises an eyebrow as she tries to figure him out. Gearing points a hoof to his cloaked muzzle as he says, “I can smell the gun oil… quite the arsenal… or you spilled your cleaning kit on yourself…”

She giggles as she rolls her eyes. “I’m not that clumsy.”

Gearing looks around as he asks, “So, you’re feeling uneasy about it too, it seems… What’s your take on it?”

She shakes her head as she waves a hoof around aimlessly. “Going after bounties is no big deal. Just get the job, track them down, and bring back proof they’ve been dealt with. Usually it’s pretty straight forward… Someone’s done someone else wrong and they want it dealt with, but are too scared or unable to do anything about it themself.” She shrugs. “Decent caps if you have any skill at getting it done.”

Gearing tilts his head as he looks at her. “And you take just any job someone gives you?”

She looks over at him and frowns as she says, “No, not usually… I normally go after the higher bounties from reputable backers… towns, companies, rich folk, whatever. I’m not normally interested in a bounty just because it has a high number on it, too many problems that way.”

Gearing nods as he looks around. “Yeah, more likely to get a double cross instead of payment…”

She turns and points a hoof at him as she hangs her mouth open in shock. “That’s exactly what I was trying to tell those idiots that just left!” She looks around and smirks. “So, you seem to know what you’re doing… The business is kind of a small world and, since I don’t know you, I guess you’re not from around here, huh?”

Gearing shrugs. “Not really, no. First time through to trade at Megamart and thought I’d find out what I could about this bounty while I was here.”

“Soooo… what’s your take on it then?”

Gearing looks behind himself at the rest of the mob as he shakes his head slowly. “I haven’t decided yet. I’m just trying to figure out who this is all about at the moment… If it is on the up and up, the individual’s gotta be bad news and needs to be taken care of sooner than later. Otherwise a lot of ponies could get hurt in the process.”

She looks at him and grins. “So you think you’re up for the challenge to take them down?”

“No idea.” Gearing shrugs as he says, “Since I don’t even know who it is, let alone what they are capable of, I can’t say for sure one way or another… Regardless, you only know that for sure after you’ve actually put yourself to the test, and find out after it’s settled.”

She looks him over as she asks, “So, you looking for a partner for this bounty?”

Gearing shake his head. “Trying to figure out if I want any part of this mess at all. I don’t like it so far. I’ll tell ya that.”

“Well, you seem like you have more in your head than rocks and clouds… So if you decide to give it a go, and I’m still around, let me know and we’ll go stalking.” She waves a hoof at herself as she says, “Name’s Dandy.”

“Gearing.” He shrugs again as he waves his hoof at her, “Yeah, I might just-” He stops mid sentence as he looks over at the crowd to their right. “Uhmmm… sorry... I gotta go check on something… I’ll talk to you later, Dandy.”

She waves him off then starts walking in another direction as she says, “Sure. Good luck with whatever that is.”

Gearing turns and starts walking slowly towards a group of ponies that are walking across his path. But they aren’t who he is focusing on. The moment the group passes, he sees the griffon and pony he was looking at previously. He’d noticed the griffon first. Being that there's not another one in this group that he can see. And that oddity drew his attention to his apparent companion, the earth pony buck standing next to him. Which was the real reason for Gearing’s attention suddenly being entirely redirected and the conversation to being halted.

As Gearing heads towards the pair, he takes careful note of each one of them. His first observation is that the pair don’t seem to actually be with any of the others they are standing around. Given that no one else really pays them any attention as they sit and talk quietly between themselves and seem to be casually listening in to what is going on around them.

The griffon sticks out for a few reasons and not just for the fact that he’s the only one of his kind within the immediate area. Gearing’s sure that, with a bounty like this, at least a few griffon mercenaries would be here. Either on the orders of their contract holders or of their own volition. But this one stands out for being rather neatly and immaculately dressed. The specially tailored midnight blue business suit covers most of the charcoal gray feathers that cover the majority of his body. A look that seems more fitting for a company CEO walking into a board meeting, instead of some bounty hunter in the middle of the wastes of Hoofington. The white feathers that cover his head, and at least enough of his neck and chest to disappear under the breast of the suit he’s wearing, are of a rather short variety. Gearing’s not sure if the feathers upon his head are naturally that small, or if he keeps them groomed and trimmed such that he almost has a smooth bald appearance. And there upon the bridge of his orange beak, the crowning mark of absurdity, is a pair of dark sunglasses that entirely blocks anyone’s view of his eyes. Though, judging by the way he’s slowly looking around by turning his head like a defense turret, the dark glass isn’t impeding his vision much, even in this overcast hellscape called Hoofington.

But as well dressed and serious looking as the griffon is, his companion is practically the complete opposite.

The yellow coated earth pony buck looks like an absolute slob in his military uniform. It’s at least clean, mostly, but the way he has it on so lackluster, with most of the buttons not even clasped and the outer layer untucked and simply hanging from his body, would give any drill sergeant a joygasm at the unholy hell they’d bring down on him if he were in service. He looks more like he just got out of a two week bender and hadn’t bothered to look at himself before stepping out of the door this morning. His messy red mane has been separated into a forward set of bangs that seem to arc out front into spiky antenna like appendages of their own. Spikes which creep over a pair of dark goggles that he currently has raised up and resting over his forehead. The rest of his red mane is pulled back and kept neat, comparatively speaking to the rest of him, by being clasped together and clumped into a single long bunch via a hair tie at the base of his skull.

And then there’s the weird face tattoos.

A pair of them. One on each cheek, just under and to the side of each eye. If they were a bit lower, and black, it’d almost make sense to Gearing as a type of glare reduction to help eyesight. Maybe. But with their red sickle like shapes it’s more like he’s trying to give his eyes comma punctuation marks. While, simultaneously, giving him the perpetual look of having been slashed in the face, on both sides, recently.

But, their peculiar looks aren’t the reason why Gearing’s so focused on them. No, to each their own. Gearing’s not one to judge for what makes others comfortable with their own looks.

The logo emblazoned across the shoulder pads of the yellow buck’s military combat uniform, however, is another matter entirely.

As Gearing’s getting close, the griffon’s gaze turns in his direction, and starts turning to look back the other way, before jumping his focus back over to Gearing in a quick double take. And, as Gearing is stepping up to him, the griffon uses a claw and nudges his earthbound friend to draw his attention to the fact that they have company.

The yellow buck turns his head from looking over at a group not far away, to look at the griffon, then turns his head to see where his friend’s steely gaze seems to be directed. And he comes face to cloaked face with Gearing. The yellow buck looks him over before he says, “Ya? Wut you want, yo?”

Gearing nods towards him as he says, “Couldn’t help but notice the icon on your shoulder.”

The buck raises an eyebrow then looks at his shoulder as he asks, “Wut ‘bout it, yo?”

Gearing looks him over, while paying careful attention to the griffon with them. He knows, better than anyone, just because someone seems unarmed, doesn’t mean they are. And, if they seem so, in an environment like this, that’s even more reason for concern. “You two with the Gunners?”

The yellow buck rolls his eyes as he sits back and throws his forehooves around the back of his head lazily and looks off in an entirely different direction. “Look… I’m on vay-cay, yo… You wanna ‘tract. Go talk to someone who cares. Ain’t me, yo.”

Gearing looks him over as he asks, “Soooo… you’re not out here looking for a Suncat and her friends?”

The yellow buck rolls his eyes before he looks at Gearing and lets out a sigh. “Lookit, yo. I’m just on vay-cay… I needed a break after our last gig, yo. I’m only here ta see what this big score is supposed to be all about, yo. Nothin’ else.”

Gearing tilts his head as he asks, “So the entire org doesn’t take on a contract?”

The yellow buck sticks out a forehoof as he rocks it side to side. “Yeah… but nah, yo…” He relaxes to the side as he points to the griffon next to him. “Me and Rude here just finished our gig, yo. But if we screwed up, and the ‘tract’s still good, someone else could pick it up. But it’s not like the entire group goes after any one score, yo. That’d just be dumb. Nothin’ pays that good, yo.”

“So you won’t even go after another contract, even if you get info on it?” Gearing prods.

The yellow buck waves a hoof dismissively, “Poachn’ other people’s scores gets the crap kicked out of ya, yo… Ya could join up with’em for a piece of it, but ‘tracts get one group at a time so no one’s steppin’ on anyone else’s tail in the process, yo.”

“Anyway to get a contract canceled?”

The yellow buck raises an eyebrow as he looks Gearing over. “Oh… I get it, yo… the cat’s your friend, eh?” He raises both forehooves up and to the side as he shakes his head. “Hey, don’t get mad at us, yo. We’re just mercenaries. Hired hooves, yo. Nothin’ more…” He waves a hoof around at the mobs around them. “Just like all of these ponies… It’s not our fault, yo. Go get mad at the one who put the contract out, yo.” He shrugs as he says, “The ‘tracts followed to the letter, but if it’s not valid anymore for whatever reason, we’re not wastin’ time, yo.”

Gearing tilts his head, and blatantly ignores the question, as he asks, “And what if the contract is suddenly far more dangerous than they said, or they lied about it?”

The buck and the griffon look at each other for a moment before the yellow buck replies, “Well… we’d still be bound by the contract to get it done, but we really wouldn’t be happy about it, yo.” He waves a hoof dismissively at Gearing. “That’s how you get blacklisted, yo. ” He looks off to the side as he chuckles, and doesn’t hide from his expression how he’s obviously not happy about the thought of the situation and doesn’t actually agree with it himself. “We have a reputation to uphold, and everythin’, ya know, yo?”

The little blue pegasus in Gearing’s head rubs his forehooves together as he gives a massively oversized grin and asks, You thinking what I’m thinking?

Gearing smirks as he asks the yellow buck, “So if a contract ends up getting, say… over a dozen ponies of your group killed… You’re fine with that?”

The yellow buck’s eyes shoot wide and he shares sideways glances with the griffon, who visibly arcs an eyebrow from behind the dark sunglasses in Gearing’s direction, before he asks, “How’d that happen, yo? Who?”

“Does the name ‘Bradoak’ mean anything to you?” Gearing asks casually.

The yellow buck nods as he says, “Yeah. Was a bit of a tightwad, yo. Mainly did long term runs down south. Like way south, yo. But he’s been doin’ trips around the New Appleoosa to Manehatten area lately, yo… He was sent out a couple weeks ago to find and track down a group of raiders that were ‘tween New Appleoosa and Megamac.” He shrugs. “Took a bunch of newbies with him, yo. Mostly gangers that just joined up and needed some experience on how the chain of command works, yo. But, they had enough skill to be useful for takin’ out a raider nest.” He shrugs.

Gearing looks between the two as he says, “Well, apparently him and his group got wind of the location of the Suncat that you’re group has a contract on… And they decided to take advantage of it.”

The yellow buck’s eyes go wide as he says, “That would not go over well, yo!”

Gearing shrugs. “You’re right, it went under well… like six feet under.”

“They’re dead?” the griffon finally asks in a deep tone.

Gearing looks between them and nods.

“How?” the yellow buck asks as he leans back and crosses his forehooves behind his head. But the tone seems more curious than concerned or upset to Gearing.

Gearing looks over at him as he says, “She’s got some really crazy, and dangerous friends…” He looks between them as he eases out the rifle he’d gotten from Dolor casually from his cloak, as if he’s adjusting its placement, and lets the golden charm dangle down well within their view as he rests the rifle across his shoulder again, but outside of his cloak. “Including a Reaper…” He looks between them as he says, “They wiped out the whole group on a whim and fed what was left of them to the radroaches.” He shrugs. “It’s not even the cat you gotta worry about, it’s her friends.”

They look at each other as they apparently try to figure out what to say. “Well… for trying to poach a score that serves them right, yo. But damn…”

Gearing waves a hoof at them as he says, “I’m just saying, it’s a bad idea to try and mess with her. Cuz her friends are crazy. And crazy loyal. But if I can’t convince you to drop it… well…” He shrugs and tilts his head as he says, “They got in a dust up with some Halfhearts west of here… Last they were seen was going through Miramare and headed towards Black Pony Mountain.”

The yellow buck eyeballs the charm for a while as he asks, “You hopin’ to hire us to go after her, yo?”

Gearing starts laughing as he waves it off with a hoof. “Hey, I’m telling you it’s a bad idea, and you should tell your leaders to drop it. But, if you’re really looking to commit suicide, it’s not my place to stop you. Go for it.”

The yellow buck eyeballs Gearing before rolling his eyes and looking off in a decidedly different direction as he keeps his forehooves folded behind his head. “Yeah, no, not interested, yo. I’m not one of you suicidal Halfhearts. I actually like livin’, yo.” He waves a hoof dismissively towards Megamart as he continues with scorn, “It’s why I’m not touchin’ this fuckin’ contract neither, yo. I’m not stupid and this’ll likely lead to me getting’ killed!”

Gearing nods as he looks around. “I’ve been having concerns about it as well. Probably a double cross.”

The yellow buck spits off to the side in a nicker before he says dismissively, “Yeah, I’m not worried about that, yo… We could handle a double cross attempt… But Security would kill me. I’m not messin’ with that mare, yo.”

Gearing raises his head as he tilts it and looks at the yellow buck. “Why would Security kill you?”

The yellow buck and the griffon look at each other as he asks, “You don’t know? Really, yo?” He looks around as he says with a laugh. “I s’pose it does take a bit for that to get out… with the number o’ idiots tryin’ to keep it secret for a stupid edge on the competition.”

Gearing leans closer as he asks, “Don’t know what?”

The yellow buck grins at the griffon before leaning in and looking at Gearing. “The contract, yo? The bounty? The biggest bounty ever of all time, yo? You now who the mark is, yo?”

Gearing slowly shakes his head. “A white unicorn mare with a red and black mane, an alcohol problem, and a horn so small you’d think she was an earth pony?”

The yellow buck raises a hoof high in the air as he laughs. “Ding. Ding. Ding!” He brings it down and points it at Gearing. “And, given that you already know that, but still don’t know who it is, you’re obviously not from around here, yo!” He tilts his head and lets his tongue hang out a bit as he savors the sudden revelation. “That’s Security! The bounty is on the security mare!”

Gearing’s eyes go wide behind the cloak’s cowl as he stares at the yellow buck, who simply hangs his tongue out and laughs as he does so. The buck with the red slash tattoos under his eyes is blatantly enjoying Gearing’s reaction way too much for this to be a joke. The joke, quite obviously, is on Gearing for not already knowing.

The little blue pegasus in Gearing’s head sits down, rolls a newspaper into a giant cone, puts the oversized ‘dunce’ hat on, then starts bashing his forehead into a wall as he chants, Not a clever pony. Not a clever pony. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Gearing looks around, pulling back from the two, as he starts spinning around and looking at the others in the mob. “You… you can’t be serious!” He looks over at a group that’s standing right behind him that’s turned to look in his direction at the outburst. “The bounty is on Security?!”

There are a few murmurs from a couple of the individuals around, with a few of them swearing about how Gearing is being so loud about it, and a few others seemingly only just now realizing it as well. But, among it all, a few actually do do the unthinkable, and nod agreement.

Gearing slowly turns as he looks at the mass around him as he screams, “What the fuck is wrong with all of you?! You’d really kill someone who’s trying to improve this shithole of a world?!”

A few stare on, unphased by the statement, as a few others look away in either consideration or shame.

A mare nearby doesn’t look at him as she replies defensively, “It’s a lot of money!”

Gearing looks over at her and asks, “Do you really think whoever put this fucking bounty out is really going to pay you?!”

An old gray buck in a tattered jacket walks up with a large spiked bat across his back as he yells at Gearing. “Yeah, I do actually! It’s backed by Usury from Paradise! So that’s at least half of it taken care of, more than enough to make it worth it.” He shakes his head as he says with a grin, “Them slavers don’t take kindly to someone declaring war on slavers all over Equestria. Was a stupid move on her part, so she’s gonna get what’s coming to her!”

Gearing growls as he slowly turns towards the others around him, “And what about the rest of you? Have you even considered that after you collect, that you’ll be a giant ass target yourself? Huh?!” He slowly spins around as he says, “And how about what happens if she’s gone? The world needs more mares like Security, not less!” He looks over at a group that won’t even look in his direction as he barks at them, “How many of your friends or family have been taken by slaving fucks? For them to be used and abused until they finally die? Huh? You want that shit to continue?!”

He slowly turns around as he looks at the others and says, “I don’t fucking believe this…”

Dandy pushes through the crowd, hearing the outburst, and stops just inside of the circle as she looks at Gearing as he spins one direction to the other and tries to plead his case. “What the hays going on over here?”

Gearing’s head zips over to her as he asks, “Did you know?! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Dandy looks around as she tilts her head and studies those around them. “Tell you what?”

Gearing hops over to her and points over towards the buck with the ratty jacket. “That the bounty is on Security!”

Dandy’s eyes go wide as she looks around. “You’re shitting me!”

Gearing shakes his head and looks over at the old gray stallion, who simply grins back as he asks, “Yeah, it is, so what of it?”

Dandy looks around at the others, then at Gearing as she says, “Oh the hell with that, I’m not taking part in this shit…” She stares at Gearing for a few moments as she asks, “You’re not going to, are you?”

Gearing shakes his head quickly. “No! Fuck that noise! I’m not going to kill one of the few hopes Equestria has to fucking survive and get better!”

Dandy looks around at the others and says flatly, “I don’t know about the rest of you… but there’s better bounties out there… Might not pay as much, but at least I know I’ll be able to sleep at night and live with myself afterwards.”

The gray buck with the tattered jacket cackles as he says, “Good! That’s less competition!”

Dandy takes a step back as she scrunches up her nose in revulsion, “Un-fucking-believable… You disgust me.”

Gearing looks over at him as he asks, “So, despite everything, and knowing that you’d end up having to kill someone who was just trying to help, you’re going to do it anyway?”

The old buck grins as he shrugs. “I don’t care, it’s all money to me. No skin off my nose.”

Gearing looks around at the others, spinning in a circle for some kind of support to see if anyone else would actually consider giving this up. But, he’s not seeing nearly as much in the way of reactions as he’d hope. And he, quickly, loses his patience.

The little blue pegasus pulls a book off of a shelf along the walls of his head and licks a feather before it quickly starts flipping through the pages. He pulls out a feather quill, dips the end in some ink, and looks over the edge of a pair of glasses as it asks, Shall we update the RoE?

Gearing slowly turns as he snarls, “Well, if your own lives are all that you care about… and fuck the rest of the world… then so be it.” He turns and looks at the old stallion in the tattered jacket as he slowly walks closer. “Then add this into your calculations on self-preservation, and maybe it will finally convince you to abandon this.” He looks side to side as he screams, “You don’t like those that kill slavers? Well I’m one too!” He spins around and starts walking back in the direction of Dandy as he says, “Any of you know about a little settlement called Tower’s Towing?” He looks left and right as he asks, “An old towing and salvage yard that was converted into a slaver encampment?” He spins back around to look at the old buck in the jacket as he says, “Selling ponies off to Red Eye, knowing they’re going to be worked to death? Sound familiar?”

He slowly spins around as he puts a hoof to his chest and says, “Well I killed them! I killed every.” He stomps on the ground with the same hoof. “Last.” Again. “One!” He pounds the ground again kicking up a scattering of rocks in the process. He starts pacing around as he says, “Oh yeah I did. I took down the whole operation by myself, and I’ll do it again! In fact!” He spins around and sneers at the old buck, “I’m pretty sure I have an even higher body count than Security.” He looks to the right as he says, “Because where she’s apparently nice enough to let one go here and there… I am not one for leaving survivors!” He starts walking around in a circle, causing the mass to move back a bit as he looks at each one as he passes, “So factor that into your ‘no skin off my nose’ bullshit!”

He hops into the center and rears up as he screams, “Because if any of you fuckwits hurt Security, and claim that bounty, I will find you, and I will kill you!” He slams his forehooves down hard enough that a slate rock slab breaks into splinters and goes scattering. “So if you think you can both take out Security, and stay away from me afterwards, I got news for you!” He spins around as he looks at the group as a whole. “You better try taking me down first! Because I’m way worse than Security ever even thought about being!’ He stomps towards the old buck and looks to his right as he screams, “So leave the baby-horned alcoholic for later, and I’m standing right here!”

“Sounds good enough to me!” the old buck with the tattered jacket jumps at him as a large blade flips out from a device clamped onto his foreleg like some powerhoof that’s had a mechanical mantis claw attached to it.

Gearing turns and spins towards the incoming attacker, but actually glides to the side and allows the buck to start passing, with his outstretched forehoof with the weird device on it passing harmlessly though now unoccupied space, as Gearing guides the blade away from himself with a left forehoof of his own. Gearing’s cloak flares out as his right forehoof turns as if he’s going to prevent the tip from hitting himself by sacrificing his right foreleg. But, as the blade passes into the pit of his right foreleg he brings his left forehoof up, while simultaneously bringing his right forehoof down. Resulting in his forehooves performing a scissoring action right in front of himself with barely an inch of clearance between them.

Unfortunately for the old buck, the action is performed just as his leg attempts to occupy the exact same space Gearing’s forelegs decide to pass through while traveling in opposing directions.

The end result is the buck’s foreleg making an incredibly loud snapping sound, with the bone quickly breaking and the lower portion, where the weapon is attached, poking a bone up and out through the flesh as the hardened metal proves an unyielding pivot point for the foreleg to be leveraged against by Gearing’s other foreleg.

The old buck’s voice instantly changes from a challenging roar of victory, from presumably thinking he’d successfully launched a surprise attack against a bragging obstacle to his perceived fortune. Into a sharp shrill cry of pain as he suddenly develops a bloody new articulation point, mid cannon.

Gearing’s body swirls around with his forelegs, as he steps in with his hindlegs, and jumps inwards towards the old buck’s body. The old buck’s shrill scream gets cut off as he lets out interrupted choking gasps as his body jerks back and upwards. But, each time he jerks back and upwards, it’s even further back without returning forward again before the next blow lands. After the third time it’s quite obvious that Gearing is holding the old buck aloft with a combination of pressures focused around the buck’s middle and lower chest.

Gearing twists to his left, throwing the buck to the side, while still standing vertically on his hind legs and staring down at his challenger from behind his cowl.

And that’s when what had just transpired becomes entirely visible to everyone around. The last one to become aware of what is fully going on, is the old buck himself. He looks down and screams out with blood spraying out of his muzzle, “How’d he stab me with my own leg!?”

His right foreleg has been manipulated around, with the weapon still blood free, mostly. But, instead of getting stabbed with his own weapon, as fitting as that may seem to some given what he’d just tried to do, instead Gearing had broken his foreleg bad enough to cause a compound fracture, and then stabbed the buck with the cannon bone fragment jutting out just above his fetlock joint. Repeatedly and while it was still physically connected to the rest of him via skin and muscle. On top of the leg weirdly being practically stapled to his own abdomen, with a bone from his own leg, he has two other gaping holes where, apparently, the same bone had already been painfully introduced before moving on to skewer himself a third and final time.

Gearing lowers his forehooves to the ground as he looks at those around him and fully expects someone else to try and jump in, to at least avenge their comrade, if not take the opportunity to remove a very clear and imminent threat to their greed.

But no one makes a move as they seem to be trying to sort out what they should be doing at the moment themselves. The yellow buck with his griffon friend seems to be enjoying the turn of events, as he casually sits back with his forehooves resting behind his head. But, he’s obviously no fool, and has already drawn out an electrical stun rod that he’s holding in his left fetlock as he watches the turn of events with interest.

Gearing slowly spins around, carefully stepping over the downed old stallion, as he says, “Next?” He walks around in a slow circle, looking at as many as he can before he comes full circle and stands in the very center of the mob of spectators. “I’ve killed slavers… I’ve killed raiders… I’ve killed bandits and those trying to rob, steal, and murder, simply because they can. So… if someone declaring war on slavers pisses you off… then please… please spread the word. And remember me… Because if you think Security is bad… I’m far worse.” He reaches up and pulls off his cowl so they can all see his face clearly, and it draws more than a few murmurs and gasps as he stares at them. “Look at my face! Get every detail right, and tell them to come and find me! Remember me!” He slowly turns his gaze down to the older buck as he scowls. “And remember to tell them who and what they are dealing with.”

From the recent trials he’s been through the once near obsidian dark gunmetal color chemical treatment has warped and lightened. Certain areas of his head seem to have blotches where the lighter color of his true brassy skin is being partially revealed. And that’s to say nothing of the various other gouges, scrapes, and dings that are currently shining through with golden clarity. Especially the cracked spider web formation on the left side of his head, centered on the ear, that seems to have spread out even more to cover most of the left side of his head.

Gearing turns around and looks down at the old buck as he asks, “So… how about you? Have I convinced you yet?”

The old buck groans and coughs up blood as he looks up at Gearing with one eye, “Go fuck yourself, you freak.”

Gearing walks closer as he says, “That’s right. I’m a freak… Hate me.” He puts his forehoof on the stallion’s head, and slowly starts applying pressure as he says, “Maybe you’ll be useful for convincing others… and save more lives in the long run…?”

The old gray buck spits at him, and tries to lift his head, but then starts groaning, and screaming as Gearing’s forehoof slowly starts pushing the old buck’s head into the ground. And after the ground decides it will yield no further to the intrusion, the stallion’s head starts almost visibly deforming around Gearing’s forehoof. Gearing leans down and looks at him as he asks, “Well?”

“That’s enough, you’ve proven yer point!” a mare’s voice calls out as she jumps through the crowd and stares Gearing down with her eyes narrowed. “He’s no match fer ya, we get it! Leave him alone!”

Gearing slowly turns his head as he looks at her, and finds it’s the mare that had came to intercept the ghoul that had accosted him earlier. He looks her over for a few moments before he asks, “And just why should I?”

Her eyes go wide, as she wasn’t expecting to have such a cavalier attitude tossed at her in response. She points a hoof at the old stallion as she says, “He’s not a threat to ya anymore. Ya shouldn’t just kill’em fer no reason.”

“When and if I kill anyone, it’s only for a very good reason… and he’s already proven to be a threat to others… If I do nothing now, he may well decide to try again later, or go after someone weaker and defenseless like the coward he’s already showed himself to be… If I simply leave him here, what good could possibly become of it?” Gearing asks as he looks right at her.

She looks back and forth as she gives a rather sweet smile. “Because fer the wastelands ta get better… we have ta do better… An’ we can’t do that if all we do is be hateful and mean ta each other.” She looks down at the old gray buck then up at Gearing as she shrugs. “There’s ‘nough violence in the wasteland as it is. The world needs more heroes in it.”

Gearing nods at her as he looks around. “I fully agree.”

She shakes her head. “I can’t speak for anyone else, but Ah’m not gonna go after Security.” She waves a hoof at him. “Not even factorin’ you in, I respect her too much for that.”

Gearing gives a slight nod as he says, “As do I.”

She looks from his face, down to his hoof, that’s still applying ample pressure to the buck to keep him in place on the ground. “So?”

Gearing looks at those around as he asks, “So… where does that leave us? Well... Remember how I just got through saying that I’m far worse than Security?” He looks around and notices a few faint nods in response. He looks down at the buck under his hoof as he says, “Security would, possibly, forgive this jackass and go on her way…” He looks over at the mare that’d stepped out and spoken up. “Because she’s a hero.”

She smiles slightly and nods in agreement.

Gearing stares her in the eyes for a moment before directing his attention around at the group around them. “Well, I’m not a hero, I’m a gods’ damned executioner!” And with that he jerks his foreleg straight, forcing his strength through his foreleg, added by his weight that he more evenly distributes across all of his limbs instead of holding back, straight to the ground. Crushing the old gray stallion’s head in the process and suddenly silencing his groaning as he didn’t even have time to scream.

Her eyes go wide and she takes a step back in shock as she stammers, “W- why would you do that?! He was helpless!”

Gearing looks at her then around at the others as he steps away, leaving the smashed remains in full view for there to be no question whatsoever on what he’d just done. “Only because I made him that way.” He looks around at the others and points a hoof, the same bloody hoof he’d just crushed the buck’s head with, as he says, “If I let him go, you’d think I was some bleeding heart. That this was all a bunch of posturing and bluffing to get what I wanted…” He turns and looks at the other members of the crowd. After a few moments of silence he asks, “Are there any of you that still think I’m bluffing?” Gearing slowly turns around as he looks them all over, then says with a smug grin. “Good. Because I’m not… or at least you’re smart enough to not say so… Either way.” He points down at the corpse of the buck, then at his own face, with the same bloody hoof, as he says, “So remember the face, and let them know who the real threat is… and that I’ll be around.”

He approaches the crowd, towards Megamart, and the crowd parts for him, giving a respectable berth to the pony that’d just proven he could crush a pony’s skull with a single hoof. Though the yellow buck with the face tattoos gives him a friendly wave goodbye with his electric rod as he continues to lounge around.

Gearing gets a distance away from them, as most of the mob hangs back and seem grateful for the growing distance between them, before he gets called to a stop.

Dandy runs up to him as she flags him down. “Hey, yo!”

Gearing looks at her and narrows his eyes as he asks, “What? Want to give me a lecture on killing a ‘defenseless’ old buck too?”

She shakes her head as she slows down. “Are you kidding me? He just tried to kill you! That blade he has was a custom job and could have skewered a full momma radhog.”

He tilts his head then turns to look at her as he asks, “Then what?”

She tilts her head as she asks, “Well that was a pretty impressive performance back there… Buck next to me pissed himself when you splattered that guy’s head all over the ground…” She looks back at the mob and says quietly, “I think you’ve convinced quite a few of them to think things over. If not give it up entirely.”

Gearing grins as he says, “Good, then he wouldn’t have died for nothing.”

“That why you did it? To keep from having to kill others later?”

Gearing shrugs. “That’s over simplifying it, but not exactly wrong either. If nothing else, maybe I can draw some agro away from Security, while she sorts all of this out herself, by making myself a target...” He looks over at the mob and notices that some seem to be dispersing in various directions as he asks, “So, that gunner told me they operate by the contract, and if the contract’s no longer valid, then they don’t bother with it… You think if whoever put this contract out met an unfortunate end… that it’d be the end of it?”

She nods as she follows his gaze then returns back to looking at him. “Yeah, but it’d be a big mess to sort out that chain. Apparently it’s not just one, Usury is just the one who decided to double the reward after Security declared war on slavers.”

Gearing taps on his chin as he says, “Well… killing them is one way… or ruining them financially, so they can’t afford to pay such a high bounty anymore could do it…” He runs his hoof over the end of his muzzle as he mutters, “Or ruin their credibility...”

She giggles as she asks, “You suddenly thinking about doing some pro bono work?”

Gearing looks at her and grins as he says, “A wise friend of mine once told me, if you’re really good at something, to never do it for free.”

She nods and gives him a stern expression as she says in quiet reverence, “Yes. Very wise indeed. A sage even. Mmmhmm.” Then she smirks as she asks, “You up for some side gigs then? This area’s crawling with guilt-free bounties.”

Gearing points behind him towards Megamart as he says, “That entirely depends on how things go in here. I got a lot of other work to do… But if I run into something or think I’m free I’ll let ya know.”

As she goes off in a different direction on her own business, Gearing uses a puddle of water that makes his PipBuck lightly tick to rinse his hoof. After he makes sure he’s gotten his hoof clean, or clean enough, of the gory remnants of the stubborn earth pony buck, recently deceased, he flips the cowl of his cloak back on as he heads back into Megamart.

---

Footnote: Mass Augmentation thresholds set, please stand by. . .

Gravity Differential alignment at 25%

Gravity Differential alignment at 37%

Gravity Differential alignment at 50%

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