Slaving Away (Group 1) [Closed] [Finished]

It all happened too fast for Dash to react. One minute he was checking more of his equipment. Next, he heard shouting from Bakewell about how Kes was a violent, murdering bastard. Dash looked quickly up from his Battle Rifle to see Bakewell suddenly go on the attack against Kestrel. A buck that Dash thought Bake and Cuppa had been talking to was now dead with what was unmistakably a Hellsing bolt through his head. Dash hardly knew what it was that came over him for that instant, but he realized that he was now looking through the medium-range scope on his Marksmare Carbine, the chevron reticule in the middle centered on Kes' head.

His aim began shaking as conscious thought began vying for controls over his actions once again. A thousand reasons why he should fire angrily clamored over the few but very good reasons why he shouldn't. Dash dropped the weapon to the ground. He wanted to scream. Kestrel was becoming like a living nightmare to him. And no matter what he did, it would only get worse. He didn't want to die, or lose his friendship with Lightning, who he saw as a brother. What did his duty dictate? Should he just leave? It all silently, instantly and completely overwhelmed Dash and he just sat there and did nothing.

Lightning, before the huge hellsing bolt to the head incident, was happy to see that his words managed to calm his friend, Dash, down. However, that emotion went flying out the window as soon as the bolt went flying into the stallion's head. Caught completely off-guard, the blue pegasus had his pistol up and ready right when it happened but who was his target?

Lightning saw Bakewell screaming at Kestrel and even he knew that there was no reason for violence at this stallion. Kes wasn't being Kes today! What was going on?! The second Bakewell began to attack the griffon, his sights moved over to the beige earth pony but what was he going to do? Shoot her? Shoot his friend? His yellow eyes glanced over to Dash who was next to him with his Marksmare, probably feeling the same internal conflict he was.

Lightning growled to himself in frustration. He couldn't bring himself to engage. There was no way he was going to shoot Kestrel, the griffon who not only helped supply the pegasus with more powerful weaponry but also helped train him. No, he was not going to use the skill he learned against him. And then there was Bakewell. No, after what they had went through together, with her helping save his marefriend and together, they survived the horrors of Stable 113...twice...he was not going to put a bullet into her. In the corner of Lightning's eye, he saw Dash drop his rifle and with a sigh, the blue stallion holstered his pistol, "Come on...we better go stop them..."

Bakewell stood, continuing to press with her knife even as the griffon blocked it. Her over-large, emotional, teal eyes stared into Kestrel’ hardened, predatory orbs. Time caught up as the mare suddenly realized she was doing something so stupid that not even Cross Roads would attempt it. She had gotten Kestrel’s attention.


And then Cuppa instantly tried to take it away. Bakewell backed off as Kes did and moved to spit her knife back into its sheath before realizing that is was still caked in drying blood. The sheath was probably full of the stuff now as well. Ugh, cleaning was going to be a pain. She set about attempting to wipe off the blade as much as possible in the current environment as Kestrel worked to remove his bolt. She didn’t say a word until he was done. The silence was almost palpable.


“Kestrel. Stop. We’re not done.” She finally said when he started walking away. “And you know as much as I do that you won’t listen when your health stops relying on it.” She added more quietly, before turning to Cuppa.

“You.” She glared. “Cup of. Stay out of this. Kestrel rushed headfirst and expected us to follow on his own. Kestrel recklessly charged on his own. Kestrel pinned Dash to the wall and almost ripped his throat out on his own. Kestrel shot the buck on his own. You had nothing to do with it one way or the other. He went for violence because that’s all he ever damn well does. It’s all he understands. You had nothing to do with it.” She tried to explain, her voice strict and harsh. “You can have your turn with him, but you’ll wait until I’m done and not one Celestia-given moment sooner. You’re already digging yourself a hole by getting in the way and telling me you wish you hadn’t removed a bullet from my shoulder, so I suggest you sit your brown and red flank down and shut up before I do hit you.”

“Griffon.” She said, returning her attention to the griffon and trotting back up to him if he had gained distance. “You admit that you’ve messed up here. But you don’t understand. I can tell you don’t. I can tell that you’re not going to give anything just said another damn thought unless it’s related to how to kill me for daring to do anything but let you push me around.”

She gritted her teeth and continued, prodding the large predator with a hoof.

“You say you’re here for a dying griffon? Pardon my language, but bullshit. I don’t know this dying griffon, but I do know that if she’s anything beyond a random person that you don’t know at all and decided to give charity to, which is extremely unlikely, that she would much rather you be with her to make the rest of her life comfortable instead of leaving her in a shanty town bar by herself to stare her lonesome existence away at rotting walls while you’re out gallivanting around the wastes and murdering everything that looks at you wrong while tarnishing her name as an excuse. You can’t afford treatment? That’s your own fault. Look around you, Kestrel. Actually listen to me before deciding to rip my neck out. Take a good long look around and try thinking about what others are like, instead of what you’re like.”

Bakewell brought back her hoof and pointed it to herself.

“Hello, I’m Bakewell Tart! I sell food when I can be bothered to stay in Stableton, and work as a Mercenary when I can’t. I have a habit of screaming at things that could easily murder me and of allowing myself to be overcharged by every bucking trader in Stableton. I would have gladly loaned you as many caps as possible, even giving you a cut of any money I received, and wouldn’t have given you a deadline or charged you interest or any crappy thing like that. My husband, Scrap Parts, would likely have done something similar.”

She moved her hoof towards Flash, who was approaching from the distance and to Dash alongside him.

“Flash and Dash. I don’t really know much about Dash, but Flash is the sheriff of Stableton; if I get money for cooking food, I’m sure he gets caps for handling the town’s security. And you know what? I think he likes you. Celestia knows what he sees in you, but it’s something. I think he would have gladly loaned you as much as he could have afforded as well. Dash would have done the same if he was worth knowing, though now that you’ve almost killed him...” She trailed off before swapping her hoof to… somewhere.

“I have no idea where Kira went off to, I don’t think she would have given as much as me or Flash, but I bet she would have given something, had you asked. And come on, even if you somehow managed to miss all of that…”

The beige limb shifted to its last target, Cuppa.

“She’s a freaking medic! All of us hang around or live in a town of pushover Stable ponies who are used to kindness and happiness and helping friends in need”

“So don’t give me that ‘I’m here for a dying griffon’ garbage. You’re here because you’re too self-centered to consider asking for help. You value your ‘Reputation’-” She sat back on her haunches and gave air quotes with her forelimbs to show how worthless the word was. “- more than actually making this griffon happy. I hope for her sake that you either clean up your Celestia-damned act, she gets well soon, or if both of those are impossible I hope she’s dead within the week. Even death is better than being left tired, weak, and alone in a wooden cage to rot in by someone you consider close because they can’t do something as simple as set their pride aside for you. That’s a torture nobody deserves. Not even you.”

Everything that happened next rocked Cuppa like a boat would in stormy weather, all but capsizing her metaphorical ship as she was pushed back by Kestrel, who was taking as much blame as he physically could. Sure, it was how she'd known Kes to be, but apparently she was so terrible at things that she can't even be blamed right. So she just sat there and said nothing.

And then Bake continued ranting like a mare on a mission, she wasn't paying attention to what was being said about the others, but the moment Bake's speech was directed at her, Cuppa started listening.
Seeing and hearing Bake far clearer than anything before, Cuppa shrank back so much that she was almost curled up and cowering on the floor, the way she was speaking, the way she was acting.... What she was saying wasn't the worst, if was the former features that really hit Cuppa. It hit harder than a hoof in the face, cutting deeper than the now-faint scars littering her backside, it practically broke the mare as great fonts of tears were about ready to let themselves loose.

She didn't want to be treated like that again. But it was Bake, surely she was just stressed and didn't know what she was saying? Maybe she actually felt very sorry on the inside as she was raving her head off at everypony.

Yet it didn't look like she cared one bit, there was just rage revelling in Bake's pent-up aggression.

The second Bake's attention was off of the mare, the tears began. And all Cuppa could do was cry and start to beg for those who were gone. "A-Ah... Ah. W-want muh... Ma n' P-p-p-pa..." She was whimpering by the time Bake was pointing at her again, repeatedly blubbing for her parents. Once Bake was finished, Cuppa was still crying, more or less unresponsive to most attempts to help.

"Wh-why. Why'd anypony t-t-t-take 'em away..." She faintly whined, keeping herself as curled up as possible as if she could hide from everything that hurt.

Kestrel had been about half way towards the other building when Bakewell opened her mouth again. Her words, though they were wise to her, were nothing but coals and irons to Kes. Jabbing and burning, fueling the rage within his head.

With each passing syllable from the mare the griffon grew more and more enraged, a low growl in his throat forming, brewing, growing louder and louder as time went by. Then Bakewell made the ultimate mistake.

"I hope she’s dead within the week."

The sound that tore from the griffons throat was something out of a nightmare. A terrible mix of a lions roar and a eagle's piercing screech.

"Shut your FUCKING mouth!" Kestrel screamed, the seething rage pouring off him in droves as he spun around and lifted his rifle at her, taking aim on nothing but pure rage filled instinct.

"You don't know anything about me you spirits damned scrap of flesh. Nothing. First off the 'she' I'm here I'm here for is a 'he'. My Father to be specific, the last surviving member of my fucking family. The only one I was strong enough to save during the last 19 years." The griffon continued, shaking and seething as he barely held back the urge to pull the trigger.

"I have NO ONE, I have NOTHING. I gave it ALL all for him. Every CAP I've earned, every SCAR I have. All for him. And now, he's dying and the only thing I can do is give him meds to help stop the pain; just so I can sit and talk with him and pretend its all ok. But in the end, I still get to sit and watch as the only thing I have left in this world is stripped from my talons. All because ponies and griffons like the ones in this camp wanna earn a few quick caps for selling the life of another." Kes said his gun shaking as his emotions began to overflow.

It hurt...it hurt so fucking much thinking of how much he'd lost. Of thinking of that night in the rain where his mother died. The rape, the carnage, the pain. All of it slammed home as the mare before him kept accusing him of being selfish.

She didn't know, she didn't know a thing. She didn't know the hell that is Fillydelphia. She didn't know what it was like to be him. But Cuppa did at least somewhat seemed too. The tears, that gleam in her eye...Kes knew it well. She understood what it was like to be a slave.

Looking over at the mare on the ground Kestrel began to speak, tone still seething but softer this go round.

"Instead of accusing me, why don't you ask her what its like? To be a slave, to get raped, to be broken, to have all faith in others stripped from you as you desperately try and hold onto anything you can as it all comes crashing down. Maybe then you'll understand." With that Kestrel turned and began walking off again, finishing his speech with one final statement before plodding off to the building beyond.

"Till then, shut your mouth. You're not helping anyone."

“You think that changes anything that I said? You’re still doing nothing but ‘Me. My. I.’ Until you change you’re never going to regain anything you’ve lost. I’m not interested in helping you. Not after what you’ve done today. “

It was at that point that Bakewell heard Cuppa. What she was saying, what she was doing.

Suddenly, Kestrel just wasn’t worth it anymore.

“Shut up.” She said as soon as Cuppa started crying for her parents, before Kestrel even started trying to bring attention to the mare Bakewell was talking over the griffon. “I don’t care. You’re not worth shit. One day you’ll understand. Go away.”

And that was it. She was done paying attention to the griffon. Anything he said was just background noise.

Because unlike him, she was capable of feeling bad when her mistake hurt others.

Bakewell quietly trotted over to the curled up mare and sat awkwardly. What could she do? “I’m sorry for hurting you enough to make you cry for your parents like a foal, I’m just a big dumb idiot and you should shoot me”? No.

Instead she just sat there, hunched over the brown unicorn with her ears splayed. There wasn’t anything she could say, but at least she could be respectful enough to not leave.

Stupid Kestrel.

Dash drew in a long breath and let out a sigh and nodded. He wordlessly picked his Marksmare Carbine and placed it back onto his back. He then did the same with his Battle Rifle which he had left on the ground to service before his rush to draw his Carbine. All he wanted, at the core of his being, was his brother back and to live a happy, meaningful life.

As he and Lightning approached, the three continued arguing. Their presence actually being used to advanced the argument in one case by Bakewell. Dash growled slightly, "Can we please..." Dash began quietly, "...just all GO HOME!!??" he finished in a roar.

Kestrel had directed attention to Cuppa after an almost debilitating roar caused the mare to jump and shiver, distancing her from even considering recovery from her current state.

Bakewell sitting there hunched over Cuppa caused the mare to tense at just the spatial awareness of somepony being there, her body assuming somepony unsavoury. Her mind praying for somepony kind. Regardless she whimpered "Not again... Ah c-can't take no more."

And then Dash roared and Cuppa could only shiver more violently and whimper like a helpless foal who'd just been kicked down a flight of stairs.

On the inside, she was dwelling within her despair over the events years ago, almost too afraid to even do anything other than whimper on that spot. She'd not exactly realised how much she'd been broken until now, she could only imagine how pathetic she looked, laying there and crying. Of course, Kes saying what he had, having barely heard it, he at least understood the pain.

But it didn't feel like he fully understood just yet... Not like Cuppa back then.

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

It had happened quickly. Cuppa and her parents were happily walking in the direction of Friendship City, almost certain that the trip would have little issue that her Father couldn't prevent.

But they were all so wrong, as a singular bullet flew and dug into the dirt in front of Cuppa, making the little Bean squeal with shock and embrace her mother for protection.
Then more bullets, most missing the pair as her Father reared up and started rushing towards the ponies. Slavers, it seemed... Like there weren't enough of these things around....

With a sudden spray of red covering her face, Cuppa saw shock on the face of the mare she'd been holding onto for safety, collapsing as she tried to breathe, let alone talk with a throat that had been torn through by a stray round, blood streaming out and staining all it touched.

"MA!" Was all she could cry before the bullets stopped for a moment, drawing her attention to a severely wounded Runner Beans who was pounding in the torso and neck of a slaver, his teeth suddenly clamping around the pony's throat and wrenching it open and away from the body with a sick tear and a crunch, the head going with it.

Not a moment sooner did that very stallion that avenged his wife get perforated by a second swarm of bullets, causing him to fall in a bloody, hole-filled heap on the dirt. "...Pa?" She couldn't see him from the angle they were at, but she knew he wasn't okay, she just wanted to hear him say they'd be alright, like he always did.

His voice never came, and Cuppa was still clinging to her mother as she was still dying, eyes growing heavy. "Ma, dun go t' sleep! Pa needs help but ah can't see 'im! Ma, please stay awake!" She called, starting to shake her mother's dying form, the mare giving a weak smile and reaching to try and hug the small Bean to her chest.

But even that mercy was brutally torn away as a bullet rocked through her head and she fell limp in quick order, Cuppa still shaking her and calling for her.
A jagged set of teeth grabbed her painfully by the scruff of her neck and started dragging her, some voices saying things they'd do to her, not that she understood what those things were right now. She was too busy crying and futilely reaching out for her mother's body as she was pulled away from it.

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

Her body remembered everything following up from that point, and it really didn't want to. Though she muttered and said things similar to what she's said before, about not wanting any more and such.

More or less able to discern the beige pony above her as Cuppa attempted a look up, she laid her head back down and quietly spoke. "Everypony jus'... G-g-go. Home then..." She managed, voice quivering with sadness and withheld dear. "A-ah'll be.... Okay..." She added, still curled up and still not reacting to consoling, only loud words or noises are catching her attention more, if at all.

Lightning frowned as he approached with Dash and watched helplessly as Kestrel and Bakewell both argued, Cuppa, who apparently tried to step in, caught in the crossfire. Now, Cuppa was crying. Kestrel was angry. And Bakewell seemed to be in the middle of appology and anger. Then Dash stepped in and yelled extremely loud, causing Cuppa to flinch. Lightning was in a battle with himself to see if he was going to step in and yell at well or try and say some words in a calm and confident manner, hoping to at least defuse the situation or get the group to just back off from one another.

The stallion was definitely not a stranger to arguments. But he had never spoken back to Kestrel at all. He respected Kestrel and understood his work. And then Bakewell here was his friend from the Stable. It was a fine line to walk on if he dared speak up...but thankfully, he was a pegasus!

"Alright...listen...it is easily understandable that emotions are running high right now." Lightning took a glance at Kes when he said that. It wasn't easy to provoke him into a verbal argument so the pegasus knew that Bakewell must have hit a nerve. "...And some words had flown but there is nothing we can do about that now. We had set off on this mission together as a team and I can see here right now that this is not the case anymore. I believe the best thing we do RIGHT now is to walk away and we come back to this later. We should head back to Stableton and just cool off. But please, I beg you not to try and murder each other as soon as we arrive home. We are not raiders. We are not slavers. We are better than that. We will deal with our issues in a civil manner but not until everypony had time to think this through. Silver can wait. But until she is caught, I will take steps at Stableton to increase our defenses. In the meantime, it is pointless for us to keep running around hoping by some miracle that we will find her. I would recommend that we move together back home as for all we know, Silver could be waiting for us as we walk home. But, I will leave the choice to you. If you feel like walking home alone, I won't stop you. I am sorry that this had to end this way."

With that said, Lightning took in a sigh, took a look at Kestrel, Dash, Bakewell, and Cuppa once more then walked off from the group a little, staring out into the wasteland and waiting to either hear a response from any one of the ponies behind him or see if any of them would accompany him for the trip home.

Dash looked over at Lightning as he calmly explained how the situation should be playing out, "That's what I-!..." Dash cut himself off, taking a moment to re-listen to everything he had said. Everypony except for Lightning, was angry and/or scared right now. Dash finally got his intelligence to break fully through his emotions. The only thing that was important at this point was just getting back home. The mission was as complete as it was going to be today, and staying out here was doing nothing but decreasing their life expectancy.

Dash took in a deep breath and let it out, "Lightning's right." he said, "We can all just reconvene and talk about what happened here later, just... Lets all just get our tails back to Stableton. Cuppa, I'm. I'm sorry, alright?" At this point, Dash was just pretending Kestrel wasn't there. Thinking about him brought nothing good.

A beige ear flicked as the two pegasi talked.

“We were never a team.” Bakewell said calmly, glancing over her shoulder towards Flash. “That would require having each other’s best interests in mind. At least one person here hasn’t come close to that since we left. I don’t think you were watching, the bolt that pointlessly killed our friend here? It came so close I could feel it. If the local buzzard had twitched, or had me or Cuppa leaned ahead to stare into the dead buck’s eyes? It would have been one of us with the new head-hole. And I was never going to kill Kestrel, so you’d better not be accusing me. I take nothing back; every thing I said was true.”

“You guys can do whatever you want." She concluded as she turned her head to face back at Cuppa. "But I’m not leaving until Cee does, and I’m not going home with Kestrel; I don’t travel with raiders. Not even ones so over-glorified that they have a position in law, where they could kill anything they wanted under the guise of a made up crime. I wonder if Friendship City or New Appleloosa could use a cook…”

Before this argument had started Kira had moved off to the side of the rest trying to figure things out of what had happened here in this camp. So when the fight that had soon turned into the loud and angry arguments broke out she had no really idea what had started it or even what it was about, it had all happened so fast that she could not get her mind around it. Why could she not figure these things out faster and why could she not understand how do deal with it.

But now Kira could not just stay back and watch any longer as she saw each and every one of the group was breaking down in there own way. "Cu... Cuppa?" Kira said silently as she walked over to the unicorn. She was not really sure what more to say but she really hated what was going on even if she did not really know the catalyst for all that was happening, but she had to start somewhere and Cuppa looked like she needed it the most.

Kes quickly recovered his weapon and continued on his way towards the building. A couple of terrified slaves scuttling away and deeper into the building, but he was bothered no further; it was clear they had no interest in being the griffon’s next target.

As for the other slaves, they looked out of doorways and windows with nervous eyes. They didn’t know what the shooting was for, or why the beige pony and the black griffon had been fighting; all they could determine was that they seemed to have been rescued by a deranged group of raiders or something.

In the corner of his eye, Dash saw the light green mare stick her head out of a doorway. “Uh, can we leave without you?” she said quietly. “You don’t all seem completely... okay.”

Lightning simply remained quiet when Bakewell spoke, a light sigh coming from his mouth once it was over. There was nothing more he could do here. And now Bakewell was even considering leaving Stableton. There was nothing he could do about that. At least the two parties were seperated now. Kestrel was off on his own now and Bakewell wasn't going to go without Cuppa who was a mess now. Dash agreed with him as always. The best thing he decided to do right now is just turn and leave the scene, going back to Stableton. Better take Dash with him though, "Dash, wrap up what you need to here. We're going to fly back to Stableton. Better make sure Silver isn't there and increase security as soon as possible. We'll move when you're ready."

Cuppa was still curled up as Flash and Dash were coming to the decision of heading back to Stableton to bolster the security in case Silver showed up... That was something they needed to prevent, another event like this, some sort of freakish compliance from slaves who don't even believe they were slaves for the sustenance of a creature who fed from their adoration.

Maybe it would even prevent another failure like the coffee bean-flanked pony crying on the floor, if everypony was happy with how they lived, no pony would want to move elsewhere, and no pony would get hurt by the slavers and raiders that stalk the wastes.

But... Was Cuppa really that much of a failure? She most definitely couldn't last without help, but she could at least provide what little support she was capable of, right? She'd managed to come this far, and nopony was perfect... Even her Pa wasn't perfect, in her eyes, he was close to it, but not quite...

Then what were more or less wise words her Pa told her came to mind. No matter who y'are, no matter what ya've done, yer worthwhile. Nopony can ever take that from ya, you got that, muh Lil' Bean? Even if ya make mistakes, jus' remember yer ol' Pa loves ya fer everyfin' ya do.

...That's right, Pa never thought she did anything wrong, even if it was, he just took everything she did as if it were how she was intended to be from the beginning, bringing it upon himself to protect his dainty little bean from the bad ponies.
What she'd done was right, she was helping a friend just like she should, the griffon could have waited longer, but that was just how he was right now, impatient and in pain, Cuppa could understand that, she'd felt that sort of feeling for a long time.

Sniffling and sluggishly pulling herself to her hooves, Cuppa's eyes were tired, reddened and puffy. She was going to need a drink to relax later.

Granted that right now she was almost like a shambling corpse, Cuppa shook herself off and sniffled more, tentatively wiping her nose with a handkerchief. She definitely looked like as much of a mess as she felt, but she was suppressing everything, every tear, every sob, every emotion that would spark it all off again like a wildfire, currently using her Pa's words as cascades of water to douse the burning shame and terror inside her.

"Bake..." Her throat was dry from the crying, not to mention breathing in dirt and all sorts whilst she'd been on the floor, her voice displayed it correctly as she slowly floated a bottle of water from her saddlebags. "Ah'm gonna patch up Kestrel... An' then we can go. When ah became a doctor pony, ah swore ah'd treat anypony that needed it, an' ya know he needs treatment b'fore he goes anywhere. Ah really... Really dun wanna hear any objections. Ah said ah'd fix 'im up, so ah'll fix 'im up, end o' story." She took a few moments to clear her throat by gargling and spitting out some of the water, then drinking so to get the rest she couldn't gargle out dealt with.

Whatever Bake said, Cuppa would slowly walk off towards the building to see to Kes' wounds.

Pushing the door open, Cuppa would look around until she spotted Kestrel. Giving a small sniffle as her puffy, reddened eyes would eventually locate the griffon.

"Ah'll get right t' work. Jus' relax so ah can remove those bullets." She said as she dumped her saddlebags down and sat before him, getting ready to pry open each wound and remove the bullets, one by one so to be safe.

No matter how much the mare ached inside, she had to remain remotely calm until she'd finished fixing Kes, then it was time to go home and forget all about it.

Bakewell stared after Cuppa as she left.

Of course.

Of course Kestrel would get his way. He always got his way. Oh, hello griffon who half the town is scared of and doesn’t feel secure around. Want to be a security officer? I mean the town doesn’t need to trust you or anything for that, right? It doesn’t matter that you almost killed my deputy, right? Nope! I just need to have my griffon fetish fulfilled! The ponies who built this town with their blood and sweat don't all need an option on it, either. I'm going to make the call alone! Here, have a red carpet! Stupid bucking Flash. Stupid bucking Cuppa.

Bakewell knew she was right about the griffon. She knew he was doing nothing but using his reputation and size to force others to do what he wanted. She had said she wasn’t going to travel alongside Kestrel, and she meant it. But no, everyone cared about the stupid bird. Nobody gave a shit about her. Nevermind that she gave and gave and gave, nevermind that the griffon never even cared about them. Nevermind that she was positive the griffon would kill any of them without a second thought. Clearly he was somehow the one with their loyalties.

Bakewell waited until Cuppa was in the building and out of sight before galloping off towards home by herself, tears dripping from her eyes as she ran. By the time the unicorn got done, Bakewell would be long gone.

What good were friends if they did nothing but back those who came close to murdering you? Such a thing was closer to an enemy. No, it was worse. At least Silver wouldn’t betray her. At least Silver would just break her body, and not her heart as well.

Cuppa would find Kestrel sitting next to a wall, armor still half stripped off of himself, and his gaze locked tight on some distant point. The normally cold, predatory gleam in the sharp golden orbs was gone; replaced by a murky and pain filled smoke.

The beds next to him rendered apart into a dozen different pieces, the wall next to him full of dents and holes caused not by age but by fury.

Wings, scarred as they were, hung slightly by his side; their usual tension forgotten as their master pulled himself inside his head, safe behind the mental wall he'd built so long ago.

It was an old defense mechanism, one any psychologist from before the war would dread in their own way. But to Kes...to Kes it was relief. It was escape. From all the pain, and harsh words his so called selfishness, his PRIDE, always brought with it.

By no means had Bakewell been the first to insult him. But she'd been the first in a long while to wish death upon his father. The first to say his actions, his sacrifice, his scars, and all that he had done and was to do was in vain.

Kestrel was used to being called little more than a raider. He was used to being called a monster, a brute, and cold-hearted murderer. But to be told that he cared more for himself than he cared for the last good thing he had in this spirits-forsaken Wasteland?

That was new. It confused him, angered him, but most of all it HURT him. It was for this reason that Kestrel was now so withdrawn into himself.

What did she know though? What had she seen, what had she been through? Did she not see why he fought? Did she not see why, instead of doing what his heart wanted him to do and stay, he came out here to earn something? Did she not understand why he didn't ask for help? Of course not...no one ever did. No griffon, no pony, no zebra, no one ever did.

He was somewhat brought from his daze when Cuppa asked him to relax, the griffons cloudy gaze coming to study her for a moment before going off. He said nothing to her, just a nigh imperceptible nod to show he heard her then it was back behind the wall.

While back there, among all the pain and memories, the griffon had to wonder. What did Cuppa think of him? What was going through her head as she worked on him? What did she see in all the scars, what did she think of his sacrifices? Did she think him right? Did she think him wrong? Or did she, like Kestrel himself do on so many occasions, just not care at all? In his mind Kestrel fumbled over these things, to tired, to...afraid of the answers to actually open his beak in ask.

And so Kestrel did what he did best, and he sat there motionless, withdrawn, and silent.

Dash nodded and get set making sure his bags and weapons were securely fastened to him. He looked over to the now emancipated slave who asked him if they could go. He wasn't in the best of places in his mind, so he kept his response as simple as he could, "Do whatever you want... Try sticking near the ones in that building, through... Strength in numbers." He then looked over at Lightning, trying the best to push his emotions aside, "Or we could bring them with us... We'll move slower, but at least it won't cause any problems. Your call, Sheriff."

Dash justed wanted something positive to come out of this, at this point. Throwing the emancipated slaves to wind was definitely not the way to go about it. As much as Dash was tired, as much as he was anxious to just go home and sleep. He wanted to see to it that he at least did something meaningful.

Cuppa saw the trashed area around Kes, the ruined and broken beds showing Cuppa that he'd released some aggression whilst on his own.

It was rather surprising to Cuppa, considering her state when Kestrel just looked over her way, that clouded look in his eyes... That spoke enough for Cuppa to know he was really struggling with something internally.
When he relaxed and allowed her to start removing all the bullets from his torso, Cuppa half-hesitated before she actually got to work, carefully prying open the wound and reaching in with her magic to withdraw the first bullet.

Cuppa had questions that she was itching to ask, so she did, he seemed to be docile enough for now. "That griffon. What does he mean t' you? Ah was in a world o' muh own earlier, but ah dunno if ya said anythin' whilst ah was out." She began, ensuring she had removed the bullet before asking, and preparing to remove another.

Kestrel didn't even flinch as the bullet was removed, the pain far to easy to block now. How many times had he been in this position? Broken and bloody, having a bullet, blade, or bolt removed from his body? A dozen? A hundred? A thousand?

Again the griffon was stirred from his musing by the words of the mare in front of him. As he spoke, his tone was hushed, tired, sore. The gravelly nature of his tone only serving to further implant the idea that he was not really all there.

"He's my Father, he's everything to me."

That's who it was, the griffon was his father... Cuppa understood the loss of family at least. "Ya know, both muh Ma n' Pa died, ah' was an only child, so ah had no siblin's t' look after or be looked after by." She began, slowly removing another bullet so to not jerk it as she spoke. "Not that it mattered... They both died when we got attacked by some slavers, makin' a move t' Friendship city so we could get a nice, fresh start. Ah'm sure ya can guess what happened after that. Could see the same kinda thing in yer eyes jus' now." As she finished speaking again, Cuppa had removed the bullet and was already onto another.

"Five years, it wasn't even in Fillydelphia... Ah'm glad it wasn't, ah wouldn't have survived. But it's still jus' as bad. Only got free cause o' some ponies playin' hero." Still carefully removing bullets, Cuppa held back a few tears as she explained. "Ah dun do well wi' confrontation like that, ah'll either cry or start swingin'."

"But ah always end up rememberin' one thing muh Pa told me... It's summint ah try an' apply t' everypony. "No matter who y'are, no matter what ya've done, yer worthwhile. Nopony can ever take that from ya, you got that? Even if ya make mistakes, jus' remember that yer father don't care, yer father jus' wants ya t' be safe and do what ya believe is right." Nopony should be decidin' what you do, only you should be makin' that decision. Alright?" Cuppa had been removing the rest of the bullets this whole time as she spoke, soon clearing his torso of the rounds embedded in his flesh.

"But ah wanna try an' help ya wi' yer father. He ain't gettin' any better without constant treatment."

Kestrel was silent as Cuppa talked, the look in his eyes only growing cloudier and darker as she went on and on. A few muscles across his form twitched in remembered, a low growl rumbled through his large chest.

"Few make it through Filly, less escape it. Price is to high." He mumbled, looking down at his talons. Even with the thick layer of burnt gore and metal over them he could still feel the memories along their length. He could feel the resistance of flesh as the natural weapons killed yet another...the sticky heat of fresh blood. What did it mean when that didn't phase him any more?

What did that make him?

At the mention of helping his father the griffon locked eyes with Cuppa; the cloud parting way just long enough to show the gleaming, razor points of suspicion and distrust stabbing holes the size of needles throughout her body as they scanned her.

He wanted to yell at her, to tell her to fuck off and leave him be. But the fact was, despite his impulsiveness today...he wasn't stupid. The meds, for all their help, weren't working any more. And Cuppa was quite literally one of the only 'doctors' around he HADN'T asked to help yet. Despite every medicine, every herbal cure, and every out of the way method of comfort he could.

And even now all that was failing.

So...despite every thing he wanted to do...despite everything his mind was begging him to do...Kestrel asked one simple question.

"How much?"

Horn lighting as Kestrel asked his question, Cuppa would cast a healing spell on him so to patch everything up on the surface. How much? He expected to be paying her for helping. Well it was a typical thing for the wasteland, but it wasn't her thing, she tried to help without charging ponies for the service, that's how all doctors should do it if they were as compliant to help just about anyone as she was.

"Nuthin' at all." She bluntly stated before hefting her saddlebags on once more. "If yer father is in such a condition that nuthin's workin' no more, why should ah charge ya money t' try and help him get better? If it don't work, why waste the money on it?" She then added afterwards. "If ah charged ya for it an' it didn't work, ah'd be useless, if ah'm doin' it of muh own will, it's only me that's bein' inconvenienced by all o' it, moreso if it don't end up workin'."

Turning and slowly starting for the door, Cuppa glanced back at Kes for a moment. "'S up t' you. We all jus' need t' go t' Stableton an' try an' sort ourselves out.... Lemme know if ya come to a decision when ya get back t' Stableton, m'kay? Maybe a quiet walk'll help ya think it over. Ah need t' talk t' Bake when ah find 'er. She ain't outside no more..."

Finishing that thought, Cuppa would step out and start taking the lengthy walk back to Stableton, worried about plenty of things right now. Two of the foremost things being Bake and Silver. What if Bake worked with Silver just to get to Cuppa? No, she wouldn't do that, she's too nice. But if Cuppa had angered her enough, she might consider it...

Kestrels brow furrowed as Cuppa presented her deal, but again remained silent throughout. But one single question was eating him up as she went on.

Why?

Why would she offer to help without pay? Everyone Kestrel had ever met, ESPECIALLY the doctors, took in all the caps they could when working. Heck most just turned Kes away right off the bat when he detailed his Fathers condition.

Yet here was a mare, that Kes had almost gotten killed, offering to help him.

Watching her walk away Kestrel sat there for a few moments more before sliding up and onto his feet. His body was still sore as hell, no doubt it would be for some time. He could move easier now, and he felt worlds better...at least physically.

Rolling a shoulder and pulling his armor back up and over his form the griffon began walking out towards the others. He didn't say anything when he arrived, just nodding enough to show he was ready.

It was time to go home.

Lightning paused as Dash looked at him and asked about the slaves. One hoof, he would love to take them back to Stableton with them. However, on the other hoof, there was that whole brainwashing thing that happened earlier. Was it possible that it could happen again? The pegasus turned his gaze toward the slaves and sighed. This was not going to be fun..."We're not getting paid for this mission anyways. The least we can do is bring these slaves to safety within our walls with whatever security we can get. Perhaps over time, they can get back on their own four hooves and restart a new life. Either way, if they are willing to come along, Dash, they are welcomed to come. Night will come though and we better get moving if we don't want to get caught in the dark." Just at that moment, Kestrel and Cuppa came back out. He only acknowledged them with a gentle nod of his head and then turned his head toward the slaves and gave them a wave of his hoof as an invitation.