open Fallout Equestria: Ground Zero [RP]

[Anneal 2,194]

@,

 

(Baryon) I smirked at Steady Hoof's description of Frizzen – it was definitely spot on. What stuck out was the last phrase. Steady mentioned that he was "formerly" a part of Stable 32, along with Frizzen being the "last to leave"; did something happen at Stable 32 that forced them to run away? Was the Stable's fate similar to Knight's Stable 15? I kept my mouth shut in hopes of not alarming Steady. 

 

Funnily enough, there was a bottle of Steady. And I meant the narcotic, not the pony. "Yeah, it's Steady," Anaphora agreed. "It's a combat drug snipers use to line up their perfect shots. It completely stops muscle movement that makes even the most incompetent shooter impossible to miss. Kind of the same as Med-X, though it has a nasty side effect of weakening your muscles after it wears off."

 

"Then there's Buck, Rage, and Stampede," Forage added. "A lot of wastelanders use these, though it's dangerous in some way. Sometimes they just lose their reasoning and go completely crazy."

 

I stopped again, looking at my E.F.S for a second time. Another marker...and this one was outside. I flew down the stairs and kicked the door open, seeing only a mere shadow of a pony move away. "Hey!" I shouted, quickly chasing the unknown pony in flight and using the E.F.S marker to track the pony down. I expected the pony not to go far, not when I had the advantage of speed (even if I wasn't an adept flyer). 

 

But strangely, the chase was prolonged. Somehow the pony was ahead of me, making turns to slow me down. Whoever it was, the pony was using the grounds to his or her advantage. Finally, when I reached the road, I looked around. The pony was gone, and the E.F.S marker disappeared from sight. How is this possible? I thought. This definitely wasn't a PipBuck bug – someone's been able to become invisible to the radar. 

 

I kicked a trash can in anger. Damn it, how is this pony able to stay ahead of me? There's got to be something. Not surprisingly, scraps of metal flew out of the can, until I found an unusual piece of material that stood out from the rest. It appeared to be recently used, still clean and in good condition. I hesitated for a while and picked it up. Did the pony leave this behind?

[Blacklight 118]

A less than gentle prodding in his side greeted Renatus as he heard a voice say, " Come on, time to wake up."  Recognized the voice as Healing's, he gave a loud groan as he opened his eyes saw a very impatient Healing staring back at him, annoyed. He exmained the rest of his body and to his relief, found himself still in his mare form. Opening his mouth, he was about to ask how long he had been out when she cut him off as she more or less shoved a healing potion in Renatus mouth, causing him to sputter and cough after he drank the tasteless liquid. Still coughing a bit as she pulled the empty bottle and placed it on the tray she had brought with her earlier, he asked, " W-Was that compe-etely necessary?" Healing only glanced at him as she finished rapping fresh bandages around his hoof and replied, " Yes, if I had given you it while you were unconscious, you would have most likey have choked on it and if I didn't give it to you now, the bleeding would have gotten worst." Renatus only rolled his eyes in annoyance as he saw the merit in her argument, She still could have asked...he thought, deciding to drop it. " Ok, your good to go. Just make sure to keep though bandages on for the rest of the day and try not to get them wet."Healing's words pulled Renatus out of his silent protests as he noticed she had finished wrapping the bandages. Getting back to his hooves and giving a quick stretch, Renatus began walking out as he turned to Healing, who was putting away the medical supplies she'd used, and said, " Thanks for patching me up." Healing didn't every look at Renatus as she replied, " Oh it's just part of the job. Now go back to your friend before he gets drunk in my lobby." Renatus frowned but said nothing as he magically pulled open the curtains and walked out. Quickly spotting Knight at the other end of the room, Renatus slowly trotted to him and said, with a hint of disapprovement in his tone, " Well I see you found a way to entertain yourself. Anyway we're good to go."

 

@@Guardian Braveheart, 

Edited April 17, 2014 by Blacklight01

[Guardian Braveheart 23]

@,

 

"Heh, You were taking long," I said, feeling a bit tipsy now. "What do you expect I can do in two hours of waiting? Anyways, at least your OK now. Let's head back to the hotel and wait for those two. After I get my new energy guns, we can do what you want, sounds good?"

 

I stood up, a little off balance at first, but I stood strong and opened the door for both of us. Since he's a mare, I'll try to put a facade that we're like a married couple. That will fool them. 

[Blacklight 118]

Renatus blinked in surprise as Knight opened the door for him, though his confusion soon turned into indignation as he walked out. Turning to confront Knight, he said in a hushed but forceful tone, " Look, I know your been nice to me and all..." he paused, noticing Knight's slight swaying,"...and now drunk, but you don't have to treat me like I'm some sort of defenseless foal. I am more than capable of taking care of myself." His eye gleamed dangerously to prove his point as he continued, " You can stop with all the special treatment now, alright?" Doubtful he had gotten his point across to the drunken Knight, Renatus sighed as he leaned against him as he said, "Now lets get you back to the hotel room until you somber up." He began cautiously leading Knight though the town in the direction of the hotel.

@@Guardian Braveheart,   

Edited April 18, 2014 by Blacklight01

[Guardian Braveheart 23]

"Fine by me," I said, trying to keep composure, though a bit of a challenge because of being under the influence of alcohol.

 

Buck, I just wanted my old life back... Just staying in the Stables... Have my love back in my hooves... IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK!!!

 

"And I don't see you as a defenseless foal," I continued. "If it's true that you're the last of your kind, you need to find a way to repopulate... grow in numbers. You can fight, yes... but having a companion in the Wastelands is much better, and safer."

 

@, 

Edited April 18, 2014 by Guardian Braveheart

[EcstaticWind 572]

@,

 

They call this place hell. Like you can't get by in this place without stepping on somepony's hooves or blasting their heads in with all the power you can muster. But if you're clever, you can get by on words. And me? I have something different A love-hate relationship with Lady Luck, but she did give me a blessing. A brain and the will to use it.

 

Noble Persona wandered through the town, muttering under his breath with a pained look on his face. He seemed to be wearing a dark coat of some sort. Despite the pained look, he wasn't injured. He was out of food and had been like that for a few days and it was starting to show. He heard a clanging sound and stopped his muttering, moving towards cover and checking the situation. Just a pony kicking over a trash can. 'A Pegasus, by the looks of it. Not one of those Enclave idiots, though. I could probably negotiate for food, maybe. Or just take it if it gets really sticky. Either way, better get my gun ready.'

 

He loosened his pistol in its holster and carefully approached the Pegasus, trying to appear harmless. "Hey, you there. Could you help me? I've been travelling for a few days now and I'm out of food. I'm not asking much. Just a meal -even a small one will do- and we can avoid the shooting and killing." Noble said, confident that even if things went sour, he'd be able to get the upper hoof. Then again, he wasn't exactly born lucky. All he hoped for was that this pony didn't decide to start shooting.

[Lil' Lovebug 1,041]

"I know about Steady, Buck, Hydra, and co. already. I never toiched any of them though. A few from the stable-." I was cut off by a shout from outside. I looked around to see that the pegasus was missing. I ran outside to see him flying away. I chased after him as best I could before running into a pony. What is with me and falling recently. I landed on the same side I had last night and winced in pain. I looked up to see Amber wide eyed and in shock. She was also carrying my armor. That was both ironicly amusing and horribly infuriating.

 

"Oh! I'm sorry Steady," came her smooth slightly southern voice. "I was just walking around to check out the area and hopefully find you when I was distracted by a pegasus flying by. Here." He held out a hoof and helped me up. She inspected my side and confirmed nothing new, but replaced my slightly torn bandages. I then took my armor and put it on, the black plates sliding into place and the leather fitting underneath them, hugging my hide. The coat slid on top and I pulled my hair back to put on the helm. Amber pecked my cheek before helping me fix up the staps to my armor. I expected the slaver and her companion to come down the alleyway and waited for them. "Be wary of the female," I warned Amber. "Her name's Anaphora and she's a slaver. I want to see what she's up to."

[Blacklight 118]

Renatus was taken aback when Knight had mentioned repopulating, a thought that hadn't even crossed his mind. I guess  I've been so preoccupied with getting my memories back and just surviving that I never thought that far ahead. He thought as he looked away, observing the townspeople of Defiance going about their daily life, too caught up in his own thoughts to notice Knight's brief mood swing, Would I even be capable of leading my species from extinction...or for that question even giving birth to them...And that was a train of thought Renatus rather not think about as he gave a sheepish grin and a few nervous chuckles, " Yea...lets not think too far ahead now. I still have to get my memories back and you need to find that doctor we met earlier.  Though as for what I said earlier...I'm not saying we can't be companions for the time being. I just want to be treated as an equal, thats all. I feel you think of me as something to be protected, nothing more." He replied, eager to shift the conversation away from its earlier topic. 

@@Guardian Braveheart,

[Guardian Braveheart 23]

@,

 

"I know," I told him. "That's why I gave you a better gun. Not the best condition, but it's good enough for the time being. You need to pull your own weight. Pistols are quick and efficient, but the bigger, the better."

 

As we walked back in the hotel room, Vincent was still there, sitting... doing nothing. The bottle still looked untouched. Better not, I'm wasted as it is.

 

"And don't worry, You'll get your memory back eventually. At least you can forget. I just wanted to forget everything." 

[Anneal 2,194]

@@Windbreaker, @,

 

Where's the pegasus off to now? Anaphora thought, bolting out the door and chasing Baryon. For all she knew, she didn't see anything; but the pegasus stallion probably did. "Hey, wait for me!" shouted Forage, following Anaphora and Baryon and leaving Steady behind. Both went their ways; Anaphora took a good guess and sped off to the road on the left. 

 

Anaphora ran into another alleyway, though strangely enough, she found no trace of Baryon. Forage came around the corner, asking, "Where's ?"

 

Anaphora shrugged. "Not here."

 

Forage looked back at Anaphora. "Should we go search the other road?" 

 

Before Anaphora can finish, she saw a group of ponies behind Forage, until one rose his rifle and dealt a strike to his head with the metal stock. Forage fell down with a sickening thud, though still semi-conscious. A hoof came out of the shadows and stepped on Forage's head, pinning it to the ground. "You're not going anywhere," a voice said. It was definitely a stallion, judging by the low tone.

 

The stallion came out of the shadow, and Anaphora noticed distinct traits. Black coat, Equestrian assault carbine...Stable 32 barding?  "The slaver with the bounty and the raider at Stable 15. How coincidental! Guess I'll just try to kill two birds with one stone..." 

 

--------------------

 

(Baryon) I turned around, only to see another stallion – a unicorn, apparently. At the time being, I was surprised by the unicorn, mistaking it for the pony I was trying to find, and drawing my pistol, though his friendly approach stopped me. I checked the safety and if I slid the pistol this time; if this pony was the one that was spying on us, I didn't want to be left off with no bullet to shoot.

 

"Err...I have some bottle caps," I answered. Bottle caps, as one of the Steel Rangers explained to me once, were currency. Funnily enough, virtually all of Equestria accept it as money, despite the lack of communication. But they were fiat and can be easily picked off of glass bottles or simply traded or taken off another pony. Well, I simply extracted a hoofful of those and gave them to the stallion. Surprising how these things don't have any weight at all, even when you're carrying a good few hundred or so of it. "How about twenty? Use it to buy some food."

 

He moved forward. "Sorry, I'm a bit busy going back to my friends. I shouldn't have rushed out like that...though, do you know what this is?" I showed him the white-colored machinery, which suddenly popped out a small satellite on top. On the satellite read in red: Robronco StealthBuck Model 3001. Created by the Ministry of Arcane Science. "Any ideas? I've never seen it before."

 

I looked up, seeing a group of ponies, probably six or seven of them, together in the alleyway. And one of them was...Frizzen? "Hey, Frizzen!" I shouted again. 

 

Frizzen turned around, having a shocked stare. "Bar...Baryon? What are you doing here?"

 

I smiled. "I found you! You weren't at the house, so I started searching. Is your hoof still all–" When I looked behind Frizzen and his group however, I saw them surrounding Anaphora and Forage. "Wait...what are you doing?"

 

Frizzen smirked. "I've caught our spies. Looks like they were nothing more than slavers and raiders. And better yet, both of them have a bounty. Don't trust these two."

 

"Don't believe him! We didn't do anything!" Anaphora returned.

 

"Ha! Typical of a slaver to say that. But later on, you won't be talking anymore!" 

 

I stopped in thought. How could a mare like Anaphora enslave ponies? Somehow it didn't feel right...yet Anaphora and Forage seemed rather oblivious to the case. I glanced at the StealthBuck. Perhaps that has to do with something?

[EcstaticWind 572]

@,

 

Noble accepted the caps, though he'd been expecting something he could eat. Still, at least he had a way to get food now. Assuming he could find a place to get it, that is. "I might have something on your gadget, sir. But first things first, who are all of you?" He asked, addressing everyone present.

 

Now standing in plain view, they could see his black mane and lavender color of his face. And under his dark coat, he wore leather armor that he'd modified to cover as much of his body as possible, evidenced by the collar of his armor stopping just under his chin.

 

This was unexpected. Actually, it's probably a stickier situation than I thought. If they're worried about spies...that could be bad news for me. Maybe if I try and get on their good side, I'll find some food, some more caps, and maybe a new weapon with ammo. Or at least repairs to my gun. But I have to approach this carefully if I want this to go smoothly.

Edited April 21, 2014 by Windbreaker

[Lil' Lovebug 1,041]

I heard a commotion happening just down the street. "Must have misjudged by a street or two." I ran down the steet, Amber following yet again, and came to a stop when I saw a quite familiar face. I looked at the two ponies he had on the ground and then it clicked. They must have been the two I had seen and ran after the night before. I sighed. Anaphora had to have been the one who had run past me crying too. Buck me.

 

"Frizzen, let them up. Or at least let up the Slaver. She has nothing to do with this." I pointed to Forage. "Him, on the other hoof, I have no clue about. Shoot him for all I care. Celestia knows you were a better judge of character than I. Just do it with my gun, if you dont mind." I took Silence off of Amber's back, Luna knows why I didn't take it from her earlier, and loaded a fresh clip into it. This clip was special though; it was loaded with blanks.

 

I went up to Frizzen and gave him the sniper, then I want to Anaphora to help her up. "Are you ok?" I lowered my voice to a whisper and said in her ear, "Don't worry about your friend. I loaded my gun with blanls. I want him to think about what he's doing. If it goes downhill, I'll jump in and take him. I'll lose, but you can get your friend out of here. He won't try to kill me... I hope."

[Anneal 2,194]

@, @@Windbreaker,

 

Anaphora merely stared at the beaten Forage. Her pistols were still in her backpack pockets, and noticing the sheer number of guns and energy weapons pointed at them, she didn't think she would manage to draw her pistols in time and survive. But what she was more shocked at was how Frizzen revealed Forage's identity? "You were a raider?" she questioned. 

 

"Hey, *cough cough* and you're a slaver. Doesn't make any difference, right?" he replied, wincing at her touch. "And that was two months ago. I've been trying to forget what happened at Stable 15."

 

Anaphora paused. "What about Stable 15?" she asked. But before Forage could answer, four ponies appeared behind Frizzen's group, three of them most noticeably Steady Hoof, Amber, and Baryon. She couldn't tell who the fourth pony was, though it appeared to be a unicorn stallion with a purplish coat. 

 

When Baryon called out to Frizzen, Frizzen turned back in surprise, though the next thing that happened would surprise them all. Steady Hoof ran toward the two, which surprised Frizzen even more. Anaphora could tell why; Steady Hoof and Frizzen were wearing the same Stable barding – Stable 32 barding. They must know each other. Steady Hoof gave Frizzen a sniper rifle, which made Anaphora step one hoof back. If he tries to backstab me right here, I am going to shoot him first before I get killed. 

 

Though Steady Hoof did something differently; he tried to defend her. Wait...why do I feel like I know him? Anaphora thought. She had some kind of feeling that she somehow met Steady Hoof before, though she couldn't really recall anything. Steady Hoof then assisted Anaphora, though she shot him an angered yet weakly glare. "I know he hasn't done anything. We were just here before sunrise and we didn't know this would happen."

 

"Stop!" Anaphora and the rest of the ponies turned to the source of the voice. Baryon was holding something; upon closer inspection, she saw it was a StealthBuck. What is he doing? "It can't be those two ponies!" 

 

Frizzen froze at the sight of the machine. At this time, Anaphora saw the obvious side effects of using Steady: shaky hooves and intolerance to light (from his compulsive blinking and squinting). Looks like Frizzen did have Steady addiction. "I was wondering all this time how my PipBuck E.F.S had 'flashing' markers...and why I suspected that a pony was spying on us while we were investigating. While this can't prove anything about the real culprit, it's possible that whoever the spy was, he or she may have used a StealthBuck. It would leave the user invisible, as I have tested recently, and would even fool E.F.S users like me.

 

"Also, Anaphora and Forage arrived at Regia during the morning. Even if they were lying, they wouldn't have known the directions around the town anyway at such a short time span. Whoever was the Technophile spy must have lived in Regia for quite some time...or used a PipBuck themselves, which can easily map the area. I also noticed that a section of Regia was left undamaged, and we found a Technophile body inside one of the buildings. Frizzen's shop was around that area. 

 

"When we observed the fake Steel Ranger armor, I also noticed some parts similar to the PipBuck – even an amateur would be able to figure it out. So it's another possibility that the Technophiles themselves may have used a StealthBuck or something similar to it; though this is just a guess. But if say, the pony spying on us was also the Technophile spy...then that means the spy must have a PipBuck himself or herself." Baryon looked up at Frizzen and the others. "Am I right?"

[Blacklight 118]

Renatus shook his head at Knight's statement, he personally preferred killing his enemies silently before they even knew he was there. Though he didn't argue the point enter, but what did anger him was how Knight dismissed his own memories as something that should be discarded and buried forever. Giving him a hard glare, Renatus said sharply, " Don't you ever say that. Even though I don't know about, be it painful or happy, trust me...for better or worst, memories are a part of you. They are a reflection of who you were, who you've become, and who you my be. Instead of discarding them for the pain some contained, cherish them for happiness and experience the rest gave you." As he finished, it was at that moment when he noticed the griffin in the room with them who had most likely had heard Renatus's rant. He thought nothing of it though as he Opened the door again with his magic, He looked at Knight and said, " Look, while you somber up, I'm going to go check on your 'employers', make sure they haven't left town."

 

@@Guardian Braveheart, 

[Guardian Braveheart 23]

@,

 

"BUT I JUST WANT TO FORGET EVERYTHING!!" I exclaimed. Ok, this was the Alcohol talking not me. Damn, I'm that wasted. It's like my emotions have overridden  my whole body. I can't stop, even if I wanted it to be.

 

"Do you know how much I have to endure these past two months in the wasteland? My my marefriend died early. My whole fucking stable is dead! And now, I'm a different pony than I was before. I never had bloodlust until now. And you tell me that... that..."

 

And then I blacked out. Damn, I can hear myself, I'm a loud mouth when I'm wasted.

[Blacklight 118]

@@Guardian Braveheart,

Renatus was taken aback Knight's revelation, while he had already concluded that the Wasteland was a brutal and merciless place, but he had never expected it had been...that bad for Knight. Even after Knight dropped unconscious, Renatus just stood there, processing everything Knight had told him. Though he quickly shook himself out of his stupor as he quietly shut the door and bent down, lifting the Knight with both his back and magic. He still grunted with the effort as he carried him to one of the nearby beds and somewhat gently placed him down. He then gently began removing everything off the unconscious Knight but his barding, leaving it in a small pile next to the bed. Well it at least explains the drinking problem. Renatus thought as he pondered about Knight's words as he removed the deposited the last thing next to the bed. Standing there for a moment, he studied Knight. Noticing for the first time many of the scratches, burns, and other damage that dotted Knight's barding along with his cutie mark.

A glass gear with a cross-hair in the middle...I wonder what that could mean. He thought, deciding to ask Knight about it when he awoke. Scraping his earlier plan of finding Knight's employers, Renatus sat down in one corner of the room as he turned his attention to his pip-buck, determined to figure out how the rest of it worked, mainly because he had only used the S.A.T. and status features. After several minutes of messing around with the device, he discovered the inventory system, the radio, and the mapping feature. All of it was quite interesting, but he stop when he reached the notes section, discovering an unplayed audio log. Putting on the pip-buck's ear blooms, which he found around the same time as the radio. Looking at the log again, he saw it titled A Favor as he pressed play.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Blacklight01

[EcstaticWind 572]

@,

@,

 

While his outward expression barely changed, one of Noble's plans had just fallen apart when they mentioned the device being a StealthBuck. Which meant he couldn't use his knowledge of those devices as a bargaining chip. After all, why trade anything for what you already know? On top of that, he had to keep himself from drawing his pistol and shooting the rifle out of the other pony's hooves. Not only would that be an open act of hostility, but also practically suicide, given how many guns there were, especially within reach of eager hooves.

 

I'm at a disadvantage of one... no, more like three moves here. Can't do anything with the limited information I have, my firepower is lacking, and there's no way to withstand their firepower with my armor and body structure. I guess I'll just have to be patient.

[Guardian Braveheart 23]

@,

 

A Favor

 

"Quick Study..."

"Hey, how are you doing back there in that new bunker?"

"Just fine... Look, this research is making me go bonkers. It's very complicated and all the researchers here can't understand what the hell we're doing."

"What is it?"

"Miss Rarity took in some changelings as test subjects for experimental research. She wanted us to know how they can change forms freely. I guess it was rooted back at the attack in Canterlot a few years back. She said that it will be a game-changer in the war, ending it quicker by sending in spies to the Zebras. I don't know, I think all the Ministry Mares has their heads on ending the war."

"Dude, just relax. I heard your facilities is at the bottom of a resort. Why not take the day of and calm your nerves."

"It's not like that Study. These... things... they're not what you think. They can be manipulative, sucking out the emotions of our researchers until they die... I have a favor to ask you."

"What is it this time?"

"Baltimare has a bigger research facility than us here. I'm sending in the document of our research to you. Try to do further research on it."

"But we don't have test subjects."

"We can send you some. I think one changeling will do the trick."

"Who?"

"I don't know. But the pod labeled him, 'Renatus'."

 

[End of recording]

[Lil' Lovebug 1,041]

I looked at Baryon when he spoke up, listening to his findings. I had to admit, they sounded like they could be spot on, but one thing bothered me (two if you count "Frizzen's shop" but I'd talk to him about that later. What bothered me was how quickly this was all coming together. What was forcing all of this into motion? It was as iff someone was placing all the pieces together. But what do you do with a puzzle when it's done? You either display the masterpiece for all to see or smash it apart and put it back in the box till you try again.

 

"A puzzle is easiest when the border is completed, built with the foundation in place. Same with any good plan," I'd started mumbling my thoughts. I started to pace. "Or any good invasion. Surround the enemy and you've set the foundation for invasion. The enemy can't leave and must fight from within. The pieces all move into place going inward. A plan to invade Regia, but to what end? Upon succes, the Technophiles will either try to impose upon the Rangers or hide it to try it again. Their leader must be a genius, but they must know that something is aloof. They're moving thing into place, but they must have someone inside. I'm sure of it. We were meant to find what we have."

 

I rubbed my collar and noticed something off. I took out a broken piece of glass and looked. The number 32 was stitched onto my collar. I looked at the rest of my armor and tears came to my eyes. Amber must have made my leather look like my stable barding. A few tears came down my cheeks before I composed myself. "They must have an inside pony. They could be swapping ponies every once in a while, but..." Swapping, guns, tech. I thought I had it. My horn suddenly ignited in magic as I tore Silence from the hooves of its current handler, hitting the stallion in the jaw. I aimed the gun at him, reloading from the blanks to a cartrige type I liked to call "joker's gamble", a random assortment of bullet types in one cartridge. It even had pictures of a joker card in crosshairs painted on the front and sides of the clip. I raised the gun staight at my friend's head and asked in a defeated tone, "Why...?"

[Blacklight 118]

@@Guardian Braveheart, 

Renatus only stood in shock as the recording ended, his mind abuzz as he fully processed what he just heard. Though after playing it for a second time, a single thought began to form, quietly at first, How dare they...Though it quickly gained momentum as he thought again, How DARE they! How dare they do this! Using me and countless others like lab rats for their idiotic war and what did it gain!? To them we were nothing more than wild animals! Those.. cruel, heartless, monsters...this, this was just wrong! Urgh! He thought as he growled in frustration, knowing full well that they were mostly likely either killed by the balefire bombs or the resulting magical radiation. It was better than what they deserved...bastards...he thought as he bucked the wall behind him in his righteous anger, causing several large cracks in the aged wood. Still fuming, he stomped away the room, looking for something to vent the rest of his anger, which could visibly radiating off him, when he heard a quiet beep on his pip-buck. Glancing at it, he observed a new location ,labeled Baltimare, on his map. It appeared to be a good distance away, maybe a week and a half trip on hoof.  Renatus paid it little attention however as he continued stomping back and forth, trying to vent his anger on the wood floor.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Blacklight01

[Guardian Braveheart 23]

@,

 

*stomp stomp stomp stomp*

 

Ugh... can't a stallion get some sleep for once.

 

*Crack*

 

"Ah!!!" I suddenly blurted. Damn it, I was having a nice sleep in this... old... rotten... mattress... Ewww. Grossness aside, I felt somewhat lighter, like a ton of weight was lifted from me. I looked around and saw my stuff, on a pile. How did that happen.

 

Ugh... hangovers are the worse. Sure having whiskey is the best thing since underground stables, but damn... that's one big setback. I kinda feel sober... somewhat.

 

I can't believe I said those... and in a drunken state. Sure, I wanted to forget it. But why shout it in the face of a friend who was trying to help. I just sat on the edge of the bed, trying to process this.

[Anneal 2,194]

@, @@Windbreaker,

 

I (Baryon) merely glanced at Frizzen. He was the prime suspect...and the cold look on his face was a giveaway tell. "If you agree with me, would you mind if we show each other our PipBucks and check our databases?" I said. "It's just a check. If we can confirm that both 'spies' were actually the same pony, it would explain a lot. And if, say, there was decisive information in any one of the PipBucks..."

 

And like what Steady said, things did go downhill, and so soon. But unusually, it was Steady himself that attacked first, hitting the stock of his sniper rifle right onto Frizzen's head, surprising him. Frizzen, however, quickly sprung back into a fighting position, drawing his assault carbine with haste and aiming it at Steady as well. "I'll admit it. I gave information to the Technophiles...but not without cause. It's too difficult for a young stallion like you to understand. You're too naive to realize that the Steel Rangers were in fault of the raider attack on 32. I even have solid proof, right here on my PipBuck.

 

"Yet you side with these two ponies against me. Corruptio optimi pessima, Steady Hoof. The corruption of the best is the worst of all," Frizzen then smirked. "I know you won't shoot me. You're acting like yourself again...covering up your weaknesses with your skill with weapons. Don't kid yourself – you can barely fight bare-hoofed. (Endurance 1)  I know you well. But it's not too late to do something about it."

 

"That's enough!" Right out of the blue, Forage landed a direct buck to Frizzen, staggering him. Obviously, Frizzen's reinforcements tried to fire at him... only they were stuck in a narrow passage, which caused several misfires. I simply flew into the door of an abandoned building as cover. If you can call it cover, that is; some bullets passed through the walls anyway. I had to crouch behind another table as a desperate defense, and swiftly loaded my pistol, A bullet ended up slipping from my hooves and fell to the ground, though in a time of need, I didn't care about it and moved back out.

 

There were one or two ponies collapsing from the gunfight, probably from injury, and Anaphora, Frizzen, and Forage were fighting...without any substantial cover. Either one could have easily gotten killed by being out in the open. Then I heard a barrage of shots, quick yet systematic; Anaphora had a sudden shock and fell to the ground. It felt familiar... was that S.A.T.S? Forage was hit as well, having a more gory result as blood began to seep out of his ear and head. 

 

This was where I decided to end it. Without any hesitation, I activated my own S.A.T.S, and the world stopped in time. I checked around for any targets, and chose the most obvious one – Frizzen. 63% to the right hoof...51% to the left hoof...70% to the torso...28% to the head. I felt a bit of sweat, despite even my body being frozen. Might as well. I placed two shots to Frizzen's right hoof, which was wielding the handle section of the rifle, and one extra shot to the left hoof.

 

I didn't have much experience with guns, but somehow it felt natural when the world yet again went into slow motion as I pulled the trigger – Bang. Bang. Bang. I felt a good deal of kick from the pistol...what I only hoped was that it hit its target.

[EcstaticWind 572]

@,

@,  

 

Once the shooting broke out, Noble was conflicted. On one hand, he could run and save his own skin. Run away and live to fight another day, after all. But he didn't imagine that he'd get very far before the others ran him down and killed him, too. So he really didn't have much of a choice at all. He ducked behind a nearby wall and drew his pistol. Two ponies that he could see had gone down, the Pegasus had gone for cover. Now Noble had a plan. He ducked into the building and tried to use the gunfire to cover up his less-than-impressive stealth. Still, best to quicken his pace, in case they did hear him.

 

He reached a window and peered out. He was in a good flanking position for now and a few of them had gone down already. He aimed his shot manually, gazing down the sights on his pistol as he lined up two heads and fired, at the same time hearing three shots fire from a higher position. He hoped the bullets struck their targets. He'd already decided to get the mare out of there at least, or both ponies if the other one was still alive.

[Blacklight 118]

 After giving the floor a particularly hard stomp, Renatus turned to see Knight was finally awake and seemingly deep in thought. " Oh, how was the alcohol induced nap." He asked, his voice still carrying much of his earlier anger. I know he isn't apart of this, but I still can't get over what those...ponies...no they weren't ponies...those monsters did...They deserved worse than what they got. However it mentioned about some documents being sent over as well and they were most likely about me and the experiment. If they're there, it might help me figure out what happened to me and who else was responsible for this...horrors. I just have to know. Turning away from Knight, he stood there, deep in thought about what to do. Finally after a few moments, he make decision,  I'm going to Baltimare, there are things there I just have to know, I just wouldn't be at peace with myself if I don't; but for now, I'll stay with Knight, at least until I repay my debt. I owe him that much.

@@Guardian Braveheart,

Edited April 25, 2014 by Blacklight01

[Guardian Braveheart 23]

@,

 

I can sense the anger in his voice... or her voice? Gender swapping is so weird. Anyways, why he like that? What happened? Did I anger him? I might have. Damn bucking alcohol!!!

 

"Look," I said. "I'm sorry for what I've said earlier. It was the alcohol talking, not me. I don't know what I was talking about. But if you want to leave me, I'd understand."

 

I looked at my Pipbuck again. Oddly, there's a marker for 'Baltimare', one of the cities that got hit in the war. I wonder why it's even there.