private Fallout: End of the Road

[nx9100 1,013]

Watching Star move away, Quick Strike dropped the now empty bottle he had been drinking from.  "Yeah, I got an idea," he said, turning to Mister Re, "Me and Star get up to the snipers real quiet-like.  Then-" he pulled out the blade borrowed from Star "-we un-alive 'em!  Hoof ta hoof, up close and personal!"  With a wicked smirk, he moved the blade past his neck, imitating a slashing motion.  "Then we can drop down an do the same with the guards!"  He flicked the knife back into his pack.  "Course, be simpler to just shoot them from a distance, but," he pointed a hoof at Malt, "he thinks that'll make too much noise.  So I gets ta do it the hard way..."
 

[Stone Cold Applejack 381]

I moved up and noticed the thing ahead was just a few dead radscorpins. "Just some dead scorpions ain't nothin to fear." I looked at Strike and spoke. "Strike we'll be outnumbered so with that being said we need to go in quietly." As I began to walk I noticed 4 figures up ahead. I quickly shut the radio off. "Shit guys there's some ponies headin towards us. Uhhh get in the ditch. Now." I whispered to the group. I jumped into the roadside ditch.

Edited October 12, 2014 by Red Sage

[nx9100 1,013]

"Look out now!" Strike called, jumping into the ditch behind Star.  He rolled next to the other pony, looked around confused, then grabbed his hat from where it fell.  "That was close," he said, fixing his hat.  He turned to Star, and pointed at the figures in the distance.  "Ya wanna take 'em when they get close, or wait?"

[Stone Cold Applejack 381]

"When they get close we'll dispatch em quietly. Don't wanna alert the Golds around this area." I stayed frozen. Can this week get any damn worse? I thought. "Everyone wait till they get close then drag em into the ditch and take care of em OK." I pulled out the lead pipe I had scavenged in the basement early

[MisterRe 21]

"Guess I'm using my weapons as a smacking stick again..." Re  whisped and smirked disappointingly at the barbaric act. "Why must we settle things like cave mares." Mister Re took out the bullets in his rifle and held it like a club from the metal part. If it were bent in that place, it would become broken beyond use.

[Suitaloo 743]

Malt dove in to the pit, pressing himself down as low as possible. "Tap your hoof three times when it's time to jump on them. Pin them down and go for the neck, putting enough pressure on their wind-pipe will generally be enough to kill them quietly. If all else fails, shove your hoof in their mouth, that'll at least keep them quiet, although they may bite, so try to keep from screaming yourself."

[Stone Cold Applejack 381]

The ponies were now in hearing range. I could hear one talking. He had an Australian accent and was carrying a rifle. "Fuckin piss. When are we gonna get there?" the pony with the accent said. "Hopefully by night fall." another one said. The group was right above us. "Now." I whispered. I jumped up and grabbed one and pulled him into the ditch. I lifted the pipe and raised it above my head. I was about to hit him when the moonlight revealed a pendant he was wearing. "Stop!" I yelled to the group. I looked at the pendant. "Zuluian." I looked back up at the pony only to see he wasn't a pony...but a fellow zebra.

[deletedaccount2 203]

Soprano jumped into the ditch, and tried not to scream from pure panic. "Shit, what do we do? How does one of them have an Australian accent?" he said. Soprano had an Australian accent, as well. He wanted to relax and dictate, but now really wasn't the time for that.

[Suitaloo 743]

Malt jumped out a bit late due to Star using a different signal, and saw him stop. "So, I take it these aren't bandits then? So who are they? Wastelanders? Caravaneers? Prospectors? What?" He asked, curious. "The fact that we haven't started killing each other is probably a sign towards us being allied in some way. What's the hold-up?"

[Stone Cold Applejack 381]

"This." I ripped the necklace off the zebra and raised it up. "It's a Zuluian pendant. The zebra is one of me." I said to Malt. "Give me that." The zebra grabbed the pendant and put it in her bags. The moonlight revealed more of the zebra. It turned out to be a mare with black stripes, gold eyes, and a moon and stars mark. I stared at her before saying "Get em up. We'll find out their story." I picked the zebra mare up and carried her back up to the road. "Come on bring em up here."

Edited October 12, 2014 by Red Sage

[MisterRe 21]

Mister Re had quickly pinned down a zebra and had almost as quickly jammed a butt into their face socket but Star's orders were just in the nick of time. Sort of... The recoil of force didn't stop contact between cartilage  and wood. It left a slight bruise in the nose area and the zebra holding his nose in the slightest of agony. It looked like he'd experienced a very hard boop to the face.

 

"Boop..." Re, downtrodden by his mistake. "Sorry..."

[deletedaccount2 203]

Soprano continued to hide, not trusting their orders. He didn't want to risk an attack or confrontation; he had no weapon, aside from a pen and stenographer's notepad. Unless he can hurt them with a notepad and pen, his chances of surviving confrontation were... dismal.

[nx9100 1,013]

Quick Strike released the Zebra he was holding down, Star's knife at its throat.  "Well now," he said, moving off his intended victim, "lookie what we got here!  More Stripes!"  He moved back, but didn't put the knife away, still wary about the newcomers.  "Star," he said, "Y'all know these critters?"

[Stone Cold Applejack 381]

"No. But if they actually are Zuluian they shouldn't hurt us." A pointed at a zebra stallion and said "Wat is dit?" I showed him the tattoo on my neck. "Tribial symbol for hope." he answered. "Good. No what's this mean?" I pointed to the pendant on the mare zebra. It was a symbol no one outside knew. "A cracked heart means strength." I looked at him. "They're friendly." I said. "Lay off of em."

 

(TRANSLATION: What's this)

Edited October 12, 2014 by Red Sage

[MisterRe 21]

Re took the zebra by his hoof and pulled him upright, then he patted him on the back. "Sorry about that. Orders were orders." Mister Re unequipped his weapon and equipped his social skills. "Its a pleasure to meet you all, Zu-lulians..." He smiled awkwardly, hoping the hostilities between him and the zebra he 'booped' in the face subsided.

[Stone Cold Applejack 381]

"Fuck you." the zebra said to Re. It turned to me and said. "So you a Zuluian to?" I nodded. "Yeah I was guardian for em." he looked amazed. "Awww a guardian." the pony with an Australian accent walked forward to reveal he wasn't a zebra but a pony. An orange coated pony with a red mane and brown eyes. "Names Switch. And as you can see I'm not a zebra I'm a pony. Or a unicorn to be exact." He offered his hoof and I shook it. "Names Star Gaze. Why are you with em then?" he looked at em. "They saved my life. Been with them ever since." He turned to the mare. "Her names Catalina." He moved to the zebra stallion Re hit. "His names Bonzo." he moved to the last zebra. A brown stripped like me. "And his names Kilroy." I turned to the group. "They seem friendly. You think we should ask em to help us?"

Edited October 12, 2014 by Red Sage

[nx9100 1,013]

"I dunno," Quick Strike said, eyeing the newcomers.  "They just pop outta nowhere like this, and ya want to trust them just like that?"  He pulled out his 357 and started spinning it around his hoof.  "How's bout they start by telling us what they're doing out here, eh?"

[Stone Cold Applejack 381]

"Alright." I turned my attention back to the group. "What were you all doin out here?" Switch pointed towards the way we came. "We were heading up to Neighton see if anypony needed help. What were you all doing?" "We were headin to the Gold Star Cavern. Exact some revenge on em." Catalina looked up. "4 ponies against a cave of raiders. How was that supposed to work out?" she asked. "We were gonna sneak in." I turned back to the group. "Like I said they're friendly."

[Suitaloo 743]

"Well, any extra assistance is always welcome." Malt said. "I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Malt Mix. A former resident of Neighton, before those bastards destroyed it. I managed to get out and now I've been surviving off the land, as best as possible, until a couple nights ago when I found the group with Star fighting some giant Radscorpions, and Star was stung pretty bad. I managed to whip up some anti-venom however, with some help by Strike and Re helping me kill some Nightstalkers to get their blood." He noted. "Anyway, if you are from the same tribe as Star, and you don't mind, if you could help us take on the Gold Stars, that'd be a huge help."

[Stone Cold Applejack 381]

"Yeah we could do that." said the zebra named Kilroy. "Good." I said to them. "Now if you could what do you specialize in? In terms of guns, medicine, and stuff." Switch got up. "I'm pretty good at a gun." "Good you'll be with me and Quick Strike." I pointed to Strike. "That's Quick Strike." I looked at Bonzo. "I'm pretty strong." I thought for a moment. "You'll help carry the load of supplies. How good are you with a gun?" "I moderate when it comes to it." I nodded then looked at Kilroy. "Explosives." he said pulling open his saddle bags to reveal all sorts of bombs. "Alright set explosives in the cave and when we leave you blow it." I smiled and nodded in agreement. I lastly turned to Catalina. "I specialize in medical treatment." "Good you'll be with Malt and Sopr- where's Soprano?"

Edited October 13, 2014 by Red Sage

[deletedaccount2 203]

Soprano was still lying in the ditch. He had been there the whole ruddy time, thinking this was a ploy to get him to get up. He eventually got out his notepad, and started to encrypt a couple of messages with his Vigenere / Transposition hybrid cipher.

[Suitaloo 743]

"Is Soprano still in that ditch?" Malt asked. He picked up a pebble with magic and tossed it at the yellow pony's head. "Oy!" He said as he clopped his hooves together. "Put away those precious notes of yours and get up here, if they were actually enemies and it was a trap, they wouldn't be letting me throw pebbles at you, would they?"

[MisterRe 21]

"I know it seemed cute before but Sporano's cowardice is starting to get on my nerves. Geeze..." Mister Re "I know running and hiding is a technique to survive. It not going to work if your going in a group." Re put a hoof up to hand the yellow pony a hoof. "Come on, Meet these new ponies or should say zebra."

[Stone Cold Applejack 381]

"Soprano get out of the ditch." I ordered to Soprano. "There friendly. They will not hurt us. They are from the same tribe as me." Kilroy walked up to me. "Is he always like this?" he asked. "Most of the time yes." I walked over to the ditch. "Come on Soprano. Take Re's hoof and get out of there. We got places to be."

[deletedaccount2 203]

Soprano was still cautious when he stood up. He knew that they were potentially hostile; he wasn't going to take any chances. He stood up. "Fine. What do we do then?" he asked, hoping that it wasn't something to do with an attack, aggressive event, or hostility.