Over the intercom, a feminine voice rang out.

“Now arriving at Primus Station, Starlight Mall Tram Station.”

“Alright, can we go? Or, uh, do you guys wanna keep talking? I’m, uh, fine either way.” CD said shakily, fearing for his reproduction capabilities in the future.

“So?” Victoria questioned, referring to her previous statement of Johan’s relationship with her, taking out the double medi-gel pack to patch up her wounded shoulder.

“Ah, what... what exactly did they say?” Johan’s voice was a little nervous sounding.

“That you were very careful about what rumors you spread about me,” the woman said in a flirtatious tone, rolling her shoulder once the gel healed her wound. She still had plenty of gel left for later on if they got into anymore trouble, something she knew would come in handy.

CD stared at the exit hatch, wondering if ignoring the humans and just leaving was in his best interest. On one hoof, things moved along, on the other, it might piss off Frost...

“I didn’t spread any rumors! Really!” Johan put up his hands for a moment, then dropped them to his own crotch. “Please don’t shoot me.”

Broker was looking at CD with the same thoughts. “Should we?” Broker asked in a quiet whisper.

“Maybe, I don’t know. I suppose it’s alright as long as we’re quiet.” CD replied, keeping his voice low.

“Come on, something tells me they are going to be talking for a long time.” Broker said inching towards the exit door.

“Same here. Let’s go.” CD said, following Broker. “What do you think they’re talking about? Eh, it doesn’t matter.”

Frost took out her gun and pointed it at the colts, her external speaker turned back on.

“Get out.” her stare was locked on Johan.

“Sure, okay.” CD said, quickly heading to the exit.

Broker followed behind CD quickly, not saying or looking at the humans out of fear. Sketch just stayed laying on the bench, apparently catching up on some much needed rest.

Frost groaned and got up from her seat, grabbing Sketch by the coat and tossing him out of the tram with a yelp, closing the doors behind her.

“Oh god, please don’t rape me.” Johan squeaked across the RIGlink, covering his groin protectively with his hands.

Frost put the gun to his groin, pushing it against his hands as she deactivated her helmet.

“Deactivate your helmet.” She commanded, pressing the gun harder against his groin.

Johan did so with a whimper, the metal and ceramic panels sliding into his RIG.

“Not the face?”

“So, we’re in front of an abandoned mall. Looting time? We do need food in any case.” CD said. “And if we do have to pay for some reason, I’ve got a good 1k Credits on me. You two got any cash?”

“I have a few thousand credits from my job along with scavenging through the medical wing. There is also the issue with our weapons. I have three shots in this pistol, and you two have nothing.” Broker sighs. “I’m going to have to lead aren’t I?”

“I know Sketch has some ammo for a plasma cutter, and I’ll take the ammo also. You know how to shoot this thing I have?” Broker said, pulling out his Divet

“Yeah, I have some plasma cartridges. Damnit, now I don’t have anything.”

“Nope, no idea. I did have to use the cutter to kill a few mutants, so a recharge would be awesome.” CD said, pulling out his cutter. “And don’t worry. Looting will get us more stuff. Hey, since you got the least amount of gear, you can be the all-important pack mule, Sketch!” CD said, grinning.

“Fine, just don’t go wandering off, that’s what gets you killed in horror movies, and it makes sense here.”

“No shit, Captain Obvious.” CD said, still grinning. “Now let’s go.”

Broker chuckled lightly before nodding towards CD. “You’re sort of funny CD. Now, let’s move it!” Broker declared.

They stood inside a large atrium, the entire place painted in pastel blues, purples, and whites, a theme of stars and space that would be more interesting if one couldn’t simply look up and see the real thing.

“Well, I know we should get food first. What can we do anyway, we need to get it from somewhere other than food courts, the stuff’s good, but not sustaining.” CD offered. “Let’s look for a ‘you-are-here’ map.”

Walking into the mall, the three ponies cautiously began to look around, it wasn’t all that bad, though there was still blood, bodies and gore all around. Several of the shops looked to have been looted, and a few security had been mangled, as if the monsters had smashed and sliced their ways into the stores. Judging from the bloody drag marks leading from the broken gates, that was likely the case.

“Well, that’s lovely.” CD said. “Anyway, not like we aren’t armed besides Sketch. Let’s find that map.”

“As I recall, they should be near the entrances. Unless it was torn down or perfectly hidden, we should have seen one by now.” Broker stated while looking around. Sure enough, a broken holopanel that should have held a map of the mall was knocked over a short distance away.

All three of them jumped as they heard the sound of weapon fire from inside the mall, short, sporadic bursts of shots spaced together.

“All in favor of hiding in the tram until this blows over: Say ‘I’.” CD said quickly. Raising his hoof.

“I would say yes, but we are probably locked out of the tram.” Broker said sighing. “Anyway, in favor of checking out the gunfire?”

“No, let’s just hide here until it all quiets down, then keep moving in another direction.” CD said, calming down and thinking clearer.

“That sounds like a plan. Where should we hide? We are out in the open after all.” Broker said, letting his eyes drift again for any sign of cover.

“How about one of those shops? Maybe there’s one that can give fairly decent cover.” CD suggested.

“And if you look to our fucking everywhere, you’ll see shops open and waiting to be looted.” Sketch pointed out.

“And if you look behind you, you’ll see a screaming idiot that might blow our cover and get us killed.” CD whispered harshly at Sketch.

“Yeah, and hiding in a corner with no escape route is a much better strategy, and I’m not yelling, I’m suggesting a better idea.”

“Fine, but all I’m saying is, if we are active, something might make a loud noise and attract very unwanted attention to us. And I wasn’t suggesting a corner, I just said to hide in a shop.” CD said, heading to a store that was open and hiding underneath the front counter. “And the door is right there if I need to escape. Any questions?”

“I like CD’s idea.” Broker said, following after CD with haste.

“Sketch, you’re allowed your own choice, make it carefully.” CD said “I’m not going to be angry if you want to help whoever’s being shot at, but remember you are absolutely defenseless.”

“It’s funny you think I’d help.” Sketch added.

“Personally, I would like to help, but knowing my past choices, that would likely get all of us killed, so I’m letting the insane person lead me.” Broker’s eyes looked a little surprised at what he said, “I know it’s not the best idea, but it works for me.”

“Yeah, oh and calling me crazy is perfectly fine. I’m actually kinda smart when I need to be, just not all the time.” CD said, making sure nobody thought he didn’t enjoy his slight madness.

“And it shows, now let’s hide and hope nothing comes our way.” Broker said, getting deeper into his hiding hole.

“Wait for me, I need my meatshields.” Sketch said following them.

“Yeah! Wait, what did you call us?” Broker said angrily.

Johan was pressed up against the back window, a terrified look on his face as Victoria held the muzzle of her Divet against his hands, which were, unfortunately over his groin.

“Now, tell me, what did you say to them exactly?” She put her lips to his ear and whispered. “Give me every. Little. Detail.”

“W-well I just m-mostly talked about how you a-always d-d-did your job and how I a-a-admired that in you! Really, I was just finding something to talk about!”

Victoria shook her head.

“You’re lying...” she sung. “I want the truth.”

“I’m telling the truth, seriously, Victoria! I mean it!” Johan never used her name, unless it was really important. Especially after she had kneed him in the nuts the first time he met her, and subsequently hit on her.

“Well then tell me what you really think of me then.” She clicked off the safety. “And don’t you dare to lie to me.”

Johan stared into her eyes, and bit his lip. Frost jammed the gun a little harder into his hands.

“I- I really like you, alright?! I- I respect you too much to just, you know, hit on you like the rest. I- Why did you need to bring this up now?!”

Frost‘s lips curled into a sinful grin before she grabbed the back of Johan’s head, bringing him in for a kiss, taking the guy by surprise. His eyes widened in surprise.

She kept them there for a moment before pulling back, her grin still wide and her gun still at his balls.

“Ah- buh- juuuh?”

Johan seemed entirely confused, and more than a little unsure of how to react. Victoria let out a huff of triumph and pulled her gun away, satisfied.

“Oh, wipe that stupid look off your face Johan,” the officer said, crossing her arms. “You look like an idiot.”

“Ah- wha- what just happened?”

She rolled her eyes.

“No, seriously, what just happened? I thought you didn’t like me that way!”

“Johan, you’re delusional.”

“Wha- I- I don’t get it! What was that for? All the- the gun pointing and the question asking and the- the- k- kissing? W-why?”

“Now you can die in peace.”

“W- w- what?!” Johan shouted the word like a primal god of disbelief, utter confusion laced into his expression and speech.

Her eyes then suddenly changed and she raised her gun at his head, pulling the trigger without hesitation...

The shell putting a hole in the window behind him and hitting a monster that was climbing down the tram’s window. The bullet knocked the thing down to the tram below as her helmet slots into place, and Johan dives for the floor.

As his helmet slides over his head, he rolls and grabs his Pulse Rifle.

“Holy shit, Frost! A little warning next time would’ve been nice! I thought you were going to shoot me!”

“Johan, don’t you know me by now?” She said, checking the ammo of her weapon. “I can’t kill you yet, you owe me money.”

“W-what?! That’s the reason you’re keeping me around? Well, fuck you too! And besides, yes, I do know you, Frost, and when you aim at something, you hit it. And it looked like you were aiming. For. My. Head!”

The officer lifted his weapon, and used a burst of rifle fire to knock the creature off of the tram as it tried crawling over the edge. With his booted foot, Johan shoves Jackie, Frost’s Seeker Rifle, to her.

“Fuck! We have to find those three and hole up somewhere!” Johan shouted over the growing noises of the creatures crawling to the tram.

“C’mon! They probably went to the food court to feed the fatass.”

“Hey! Only me and Sketch get to call him fat.”

“Just shut up and shoot!”

A loud gunshot retorts through the mall, from the tram station.

“Huh, either Frost got Johan to shoot her... Or they’re having sex.” Sketch comments idly.

“I’m pretty sure they’re getting attacked. By mutants. Anyone think they need help?” CD said, hoping the answer was no.

“Nope!” Sketch quickly adds.

“I say yes since Sketch is not smart when it comes to hearing gunshots coming from our friends’ tram! Come on you two!” Broker said getting out of hiding.

“Wait, they are better armed than we are, what could we do anyway?” CD asked.

“Really fatass? You’re going to run in there, tiny gun a blazing, only to die a meaningless death?”

“No, I’m going to run-”

“Yeah, you’re not going to do anything, just sit here and don’t die.” Sketch advises.

“I’m officially nuts, and I say running over there is really fucking stupid. That counts for something, right Sketch?”

“Right, seriously man, what are you going to do next? Check to see if your gun is working by looking down the barrel with the safety off?” Sketch says sarcastically.

Broker aimed towards a wall, checked the safety to see if it was off, aimed down the sight, and finally pull the trigger with his magic. The resulting action sent a bullet straight into the wall, leaving a small crater in the wall, the ammo counter on it ticking down to 8.

“Are you insane!?” CD said, slapping the idiot. “Now every single monster knows we’re here, dumbass!” CD grabbed for the gun, as something crashed down in the back of the store.

“Fuck, now look what you did. Why is your name Broker and not Broken?” CD berated the idiotic stallion, a mad glare on his face.

“Well, I’m no longer leader. What do we do Sketch!?” Broker said with anger.

“I propose we leave this idiot for dead and run, what do you say idiot, good idea?”

“I think he should agree. He’s more of an anchor than an asset, so there’s no point in keeping him around.” CD said, seriously considering leaving Broker for whatever the hell he woke up.

“Forget that, we need to get the fuck out of here!” Broker yelled while he peered over the desk.

“Stop shouting. You know what, screw this.” CD said, hitting Broker in the back of the head knocking him to the floor, stunned. “There, no more problem.”

“Damn it, he’s got a hard head.”

“Thick, too. Luckily that doesn’t add into it, now what?” CD replies. “I say we leave quickly and quietly.”

“Yeah, hopefully he won’t follow us, oh and let’s take his gun.” Sketch says, picking up the pistol awkwardly and tucked it into his pocket.

“Alright, so where do we go. We should get to looting, or the reason for coming here is pointless.” CD says.

“Yeah, if he lives he’s not getting this gun back for a while.”

“At least until he learns to be smart in this situation.” CD said “Let’s maybe check on the tram, at least Frost and Johan have weapons in case we need backup and my cutter won’t cut it.” CD smirked “Comedy is still working, not stressed anymore.”

“I would normally say no, but since he just basically advert-”

Another loud crash sounds out from the back of the store, accompanied by another one near the front of the store. Looking up in terror, the two conscious ponies see that there’s a pair of the human-monsters in the entrance of the shop.

“And great, CD, can you take out the one in front while we run from the one behind us?”

A hoarse bellow sounds from the main part of the mall, with a vaguely metallic tinge to the noise. CD’s eyes go to pinpoints as he recognizes the noise from near the AutoStore.

“What... was that..?” Sketch asked.

“You don’t wanna know.” CD said, very scared. “Just remember a few things: Groin shots don’t work, it’s covered in tentacles, and is always pissed. That helpful?”

“And it’s headed here. . . Great, can you take care of the ones surrounding us while I try to wake up the idiot?” Sketch asks, looking down at Broker.

Another echoing roar makes the two ponies quake with fear, and even Broker jerks awake from the sound.

“Great you’re up, if you promise to A, not waste ammo and give away our position, B, not shoot yourself, and C, ask Frost or Johan, whoever’s alive, for lessons, you can have it back.”

“I agree to these terms upon my life!” Broker said with panic clearly running through his body. “What are we facing?” Sketch gives him the pistol back.

A large, shambling monstrosity, like the sick fusion of a few ponies and a human, waddled towards the main entrance, shoving the smaller creatures out of the way.

Shapes like mutilated ponies form the main body, supporting the creature’s mass on seven pulpy legs, a human torso sticking out of where the two ponies’ heads fused to it, a mass of stringy tentacles pouring out from it’s shoulders, a twisted, broken looking human skull fused to the underside of a unicorn’s jaw, the whole thing frozen in a not-so silent scream.

From its deformed head, a twisting cage of brittle horn held a fluxing, glowing light. The glow pulsed and shifted from sickly greens to angry reds, an oily, shifting spectrum of infection and pestilence.

“Th-that.” Copy.Data said, pointing numbly.

Running out of both clips for their guns and patience for the waves of corpse-monsters assaulting them, Victoria and Johan had become backed up against the wall just a few feet from the entrance to the mall, though the press of creatures was coming from there too, albeit less vigorously.

A loud, metallic roar echoed through the atrium, but its source was unknown.

“What the hell was that!?” Victoria shouted over the din, checking her ammo. The Divet was running low, and these were far too close quarters for Jackie to work well in.

“God damn it! I knew coming to the mall was a bad idea!”

“It’s not like we had much elsewhere to go! And if we don’t have food of some kind, we can’t hold up anywhere! Shit, how many of these things are there?!”

A small opening in the mob of creatures opened up, and the two security personnel ducked through it, guns blazing.

“I don’t have much left! We have to find cover and reload! Fast!”

“There’s something distracting them over that way, near that store. I can hear a few gunshots and... and... holy shit, what the fuck is that!?” Johan, pointing at the monstrous creature in the center of the horde. The sound of small-arms fire echoes from the shop.

“Well whatever it is, it’s fucking ugly!”

“Shit, it sounds like there’s some poor bastards in there, at least Sketch wouldn’t let them get cornered like that.” Johan comments as they continue around the upper level of the mall.

“I don’t know, those friends of yours might be stupid enough to get themselves into that situation.”

“Oh, come on, Sketch is a coward, but he’s good at surviving. He’d never let himself get trapped in a shop with no back doors to leave through. Give him some credit...”

“Okay, Broker, please just aim for the legs and I hope I don’t get hit by any ricochets.” Sketch says.

“And if you can only hit walls, I have my plasma cutter,” CD said. “So we run to the back, kill the possible little thing, hit the big one in the legs to slow it down, circle around it, and haul ass out the door. Everyone ready?”

“Ready.” Broker said looking at the weapon in his magical aura.

“Alright, as much as I hate to say this, I don’t have a weapon so,” Sketch sighs, “I’ll distract it...”

“Seriously? Well, if you survive, I’ll totally owe you.” CD said. “But, are you sure? If you say yes, I’ll hold it to you. Ready?”

“Ready.” Broker said.

“I don’t want to die.” Sketch says, regretting his plan. “But ready...”

“READY, MUTHERFUCKERS!!” The voice from the back of the shop almost burst their eardrums, a hail of pulse rifle rounds flying over their heads. The massive abomination staggered visibly as the rounds tore into it.

Slowly advancing from the back was a unicorn in an engineering suit, stalking forward on its back legs, a pulse rifle in its grasp and four more hovering it its telekinetic grasp and firing in unison.

The four floating rifles clicked empty one by one, being discarded as they were, only stopping to reload its primary rifle, telekinetic grasp drawing a plasma cutter and firing it as the unicorn held position, screaming incoherently and loudly as it fired wildly at the creature in the doorway.

“FUCKERS GONNA FUCKIN’ BURN WITH MY RIGHTEOUS FURY!! FEEL THE FUCKIN’ WUB AND TOLERANCE!!!”

“Wub?” Sketch says, backing off from him, inching his way to the exit, only stopping when he realized that the hail of fire was more or less blocking the door just as effectively as the monsters, the bullets and searing blasts of plasma often going wide and almost singing/hitting Sketch.

“Who cares?” CD says, heading to the door, crawling low to avoid the attacks.

Broker crawled after CD, having no idea what to do about the current predicament.

“So... How much ammo do you have there guy?” Sketch asks, the wall of bullets not letting up in the slightest.

“I HAVE ALL THE AMMO I NEED TO FUCK THESE FUCKS TO FUCKIN TARTARUS!!”

“Okay, I say this guy’s nuts, let’s just avoid him, and leave quickly and quietly,” CD whispered.

“Right now he’s on our side and he’s killing those things, so better enjoy this while we can.” Sketch whispered back, watching the door for an opening.

“Do what you want, I’m leaving first chance I get.” CD replied, thinking hanging out with a pony an insane amount of weapon-fire and no sanity to his name was a bad idea.

“Oh, I know, I’m bolting as soon as he reloa...” Sketch whispers, but trails off as he watches the unicorn toss the Pulse Rifle and begin reloading it as he began shooting the plasma cutter using the mechanical fingers of the suit to pull the trigger.

“JUST FUCKING DIE YOU FUCKING FUCKERS!!”

“I think it’s dead already, you can stop shooting now!” CD yelled at the unicorn. The monster in the doorway just mumbled and groaned, slowly falling to pieces as layer after layer of its body was simply torn away by the relentless blast.

Johan and Victoria were sitting amiably on the other side of the mall, watching the light show and occasionally ducking as a bolt of plasma flies by. They had looted a small kiosk, snagging drinks and food to eat, the monsters ignoring them entirely in favor of the violently defended shoe store on the other side of the mall.

Frost had even taken to sniping the beasts, the high impact rounds tearing most of the creatures literally in half in the process.

“You know, this actually isn’t so bad,” the woman said sniping another creature. “It’s actually kinda fun. Drinks and a gun, now thats what I call a day!”

“For an incredible amount of vicious horrors being just a few hundred yards away, this is surprisingly relaxing. Hey, see if you can hit that bloated one on the right.”

“It’d be my pleasure,” she said, aiming the gun and pulling the trigger, a direct hit to the heart. The big thing splattered wildly, bits of suddenly animate flesh squirming in all directions.

“Nice shot. So, I kinda have to wonder, who the hell is in there? I mean, I can understand a love of fashion, but what warrants the desperate last stand defence of a shoe store?”

“I’m wondering the same thing, but either way, he’s kicking ass so I’m not complaining,” Frost said shooting another monster.

“Oh, look! The big one is going down!”

“The big one is going down!” CD said, happy that he didn’t have to fight it himself.

“But we still have one problem,” Broker said in a whisper, “we have a crazy pony with four assault rifles in the room.”

“EAT PLASMA FUCKERS!”

“As soon as the bullets stop, run.“

“Sounds like a plan, if he doesn’t take offense at us running from him.” CD replied.

“Hey guy, there’s one behind you!” Sketch shouts to the insane stallion.

Four of the guns continue to fire blindly forward as the unicorn swivels around looking swiftly around the store, pointing the pulse rifle in its hooves around.

“Where?!”

“Er, uh, it got scared off by you. You’re that great of a shot, maybe the rest of the monsters will leave us alone. So we can talk, or leave.” CD said.

“No fuckin’ way, I’m not taking that chance!”

“Well, uh, if you have some spare weapons or ammo for my Cutter, I could help you if you ever need someone to watch your back.” CD offered, trying to get on the crazy ponies’ good side if he had one.

“No need, I got this!” The unicorn continues to blow away the crowd outside.

“Okay, but if you need someone on your side, I’m ready to sign up any time.” CD replied. “If you ever need it that as.”

The unicorn doesn’t respond, until at last all five Pulse Rifles click empty. The hailstorm of bullet finally dies away, the unicorn holding the last weapon, a blue and lighter-blue Plasma Cutter in its forehooves, pointing the cutter all around. Finally lowering the weapon, the unicorn stands, heaving gasping breaths.

“Okay, it’s safe now, honey, I got ’em.” The voice is exhausted, and strained, and the smoking Pulse Rifles clatter to the ground, visibly warped by the continuous fire. From the back of the shop, a small bundle of clothes shuffles forward, a bright pink curtain of hair forming the pony’s mane.

The armored unicorn turns, sighs, and gestures to the timid pony.

“It’s alright, ‘Shy, they’re cool.” The unicorn’s helmet begins to split and separate, revealing a white-coated mare with a shaggy blue mane with lighter blue streaks in it. The butter-colored pony in the too-large sweater stepped cautiously forward. Suddenly moving faster, she raced forward to embrace the unicorn in the engineer suit, wings fluttering softly.

The two hugged a moment more, shared a kiss on the lips, and turned to the three colts staring at them. The white unicorn raises the plasma cutter and waved it at them.

“You got a problem with my marefriend, ya’ bunch of useless bucks?”

Author's Notes:

Thank you for reading Chapter Six! I hope you're all enjoying this, and, again, if you see any mistakes, please tell me so I can correct them!

Thanks to the following for contributing to the story so far:
Itsmyfuneral, starring as Sketch
Hunterz263, starring as Broker Wordsmith
Rosethorn, starring as Victoria Frost
SomeGuy, co-starring as Johan Allegro
The Pieman, as Copy.Data