Nothing but the Shirt on your Back.

Lightning couldn't help but wince as he felt the needle pierce his chest. "Yeah...easy..." he chuckled slightly. He waited for the drug to take effect. But personally, he wished he had chose not to use the drug. He still needed to keep a clear mind in order to get the others out safely. "Atriark...we have to get moving quick. Those raiders are still coming and we need to get everypony out of here."

Looking around, Lightning decided to call out to Sound and give him a job. "Sound! Can you please check if anypony else is injured and tell the rest to gather whatever they can and get ready to move?"

Atriark hummed the tune to 'Love Me Cheerilee' as he waited for the drug to take affect. When he finishedd the second verse, he tapped Lightning Flash's chest with a hoof. "Alright, time to take the bullet out." Atriark said and began fishing for the bullet. "Flash, I am rushing. If I hurry much more I could make a mistake. Oh hey, found it." Atriark bit down on the forceps and yanked the deformed bullet out. Placing the bullet and the forceps in his bag, Atriark said. "You should thank your armor, if you didn't have it, you'd be a dead pony."

Sunny took a band-aid and placed it on Sound's cut. "There, now you are good. Even a small cut can be fatial out here." Sunny picked up a bandage roll in her telekenetic grip and sat down next to Tesla. "I wasn't finished with you," Sunny smiled and lifted Tesla's injured hoof again. "I can't have a nice stallion like you get sick because of an infection. I wouldn't much like it." Sunny begain magically wrapping Tesla's hoof while holding it up with her own.

Arc was lying in the dust of the ground, panting. He got on his four and looked around the battlefield, now riddled with corpses of the raiders.

"Alright, four hooves? Checked. One horned head? Checked. The rest seems to be in place too. Guess i din't got killed or harmed, yay..."

Still, the ground was already starting to shake from the hooffalls of the main raider group. They still had to move out.

Arc returned to the bulk of the group in front of the cabin, all covered in dust and tired.

"Guys, could we get this wrapped up and move? I know we have wounded, but the rest of them are getting close, and this time we wont be able to shoot them all, there's just too many. By the way, Tesla, you still bother with collecting casings? There's plenty of them near the dead bodies. Actually... since we probably have a few minutes still, will anyone mind if i go chceck the corpses?"
(Perception 7,Luck 6: Checking the raider corpses)

Silver looked a bit flustered. I go through trouble to save their lives and right when I do, the raiders are dead. Might as well ask Tesla to take a look at my weapons. Silver walks up to Tesla. "Hey Tesla, can you take a look at my weapons please." Silver holds out his weapons.

"What am I the errand pony?" Stretching out his forehooves in a gesture of 'why am I doing all of this?' before quickly remembering his current occupation as a courier. "Never mind." he quickly muttered under his breath as he facehoofed. "I'll get right on it...." Getting up to his hooves, the Pegasus tilted his neck to one side, loud pops snapping into the air as he loosed his neck. Approaching the others, he quickly relayed his messages from both Lightning and Tesla. "Hey, try and get as many bullet casings as you can, Tesla needs them oh and give him your weapon if it ain't working right. Oh and Lightning says to get what you can cause we're not sticking around long."

Again and again he said this to the ponies he bumped into, Goddesses he felt like an advertisement.

Deciding to not even bother with arguing with Sunny, he sighed letting the mare continue with wrapping the gauze around his hoof, no matter how uncomfortable he was beginning to feel, {Don't worry Tesla she's just doing her thing as a medic nothing more nothing less} Hearing the humming coming from zebra, who Tesla believed Lightning had called him Atriark, it was a song he recognized...{Really Atriark...really? Okay of all songs that one is NOT helping} he thought, growing more nervous. {Life...what the fuck}

Before he could press on the matter of how it seemed as if life was conspiring against him, Tesla felt a relief of a change of subject as Silver came up, his two guns in tow.

"Hey Tesla, can you take a look at my weapons please."

"Sure Silver let me take a quick look." Taking ahold of the two guns, with his own levitation spell, the unicorn began going over a thorough inspection. The 9mm seemed fine, his original repairs still working, but the rifle...that was another story entirely. "Silver...what did you do to this rifle?! The firing pin is bent, the main spring is askew, and trigger is jammed, and thats just to name a few of the things wrong. If you want me to fix this, I'm gonna need another rifle, or at least something similar to it."

Silver blanches at the news. "What happened to the gun isn't important. Is there anything you can do to make look like it's fine, at least 'til we get back to the shop? Please?"

----------------------
HP: 190
DT: 5
AP: 7

Traits:

Good Natured: Increases Speech, Medicine, Repair, Science and Barter skills by 5, while reducing Energy Weapons, Explosives, Guns, Melee Weapons and Unarmed skills by 5.

Trigger Discipline: Your accuracy with guns is increased by +20 to roll but your weapon's penetration is 5DT less.

Weapons:

9mm Pistol (9mm)
DAM:16 AP Cost:1 ST Req:2
Ammo Cap.:13 Skill Req:0 Value:100 Crit Multiplier: x 1

Knife
DAM:8 AP Cost: 1 ST Req:1
Skill Req:0 Value:20 Crit Multiplier x 1

"Make it look like it works? Yeah I can do that no problem." Setting to work the Tesla quickly began unscrewing the various parts of the hunting rifle allowing him access to move around the innards of the mechanism. Shifting the Spring back into place wasn't hard, adding a little room so the pin wouldn't press against the metal casing around it, as well as loosing the wooden stock a little so the various broken parts wouldn't show. "There you go it looks like nothing has happened, but things in there will rattle around so whatever ploy your trying to pull, may be blown by that point alone. Oh...and don't mess with the trigger or it could all fall apart."

Lightning gritted his teeth as Atriark reached down his bullet wound and extracted the bullet. A sigh would escape his lips once he had pulled it out, chuckling a little at his comment. "Yeah, it was good thing Stableton gives guards armor. Otherwise, I would have to be paying my own caps for it."

Looking around at the others, he could see ponies giving Tesla guns to look over. He didn't pay any more attention than that as he began to pull himself up, "Thanks a bunch, Atriark. We have to get you and your friends back to Stableton as soon as possible. We may have to spend a night out here but nothing we can't handle, right?"

"Alirght, next part may get a bit weird." Atriark confessed. "A gauze pad needs to go under your armor, and cover the wound. Well, ageer I clean it. I can do it two ways, you lay down and I pour alcohol in it, or I try to splash alcohol in the wound. Either way, pain. But would you much rather rish infection and die slowly and painfully?"

----

Sunny watched Tesla work on the gun. She was quite impressed by what he could do. When he finished and handed the rifle back, Sunny placed a hoof on Tesla's withers. "That was quite impressive Tesla. You are very good with guns."

Lightning was just about to finish pulling himself up when Atriark told him that he needed to splash alcohol on him. Great...out of all the times he avoids alcohol, he now needed it to prevent him from dying from horrible infection. "Alright, fine. But this is the last thing we'll do for me. We can finish up everything else once we escape."

"That was quite impressive Tesla. You are very good with guns."

Handing off the guns back to Silver, the unicorn looked back to Sunny, "Um...thank you, very much, I've been working with them for most of my life. Guess it just comes natural to me." He smiled toward Sunny, it was nice to be complimented, it didn't happen often, most of the time ponies didn't appreciate the effort that went into making a gun, let alone fixing a broken one. Sunny certainly was a nice pony, and like she had said herself, those were certainly few and far between.

Looking back at Lightning, Ark, Silver, Sound, and all those outside...he had to count his blessings. These ponies were helping him, risking their lives because of a job he had asked them to do. After all of this was over, he had to do something for them.

Silver takes the gun. "Thanks Tesla." Better get out of here before Tesla and Sunny start making out. Don't wanna be hindrance. Silver heads out to where Arc is. "Hey Arc, mind if I loot the corpses to?"
(Perception 6,Luck 5: Checking the raider corpses)

Now he knew what a broken old phonograph feels. With a groan the Pegasus created a gentle breeze with his wings to cool himself off a little bit. Was it him or was this shack getting a tad bit hot...? Looking up, he noticed that he was standing right underneath a hole in the roof, the sun's scorching rays shining down on him. Oh...

"Guys I'm bored... and I'm worried that those raiders might come back. When are we leaving for Stableton?"

Atriark went into his medical bag and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. This bottle he never drank from, and only used it to clean his equipment and wounds. It would need to be replaced after this.

"Hope you're ready." Atriark said and unstoppered the whiskey. Not waiting for an answer, he bit the side of the bottle and splashed some whiskey in the wound and some on Lightning Flash's armor. Quickly, he stoppered the bottle, reached back into his medical bag, and came out with a large square gauze pad. The zebra pulled back Lightning's collar, and slid the pad in and over the wound.

---

Sunny watched the unicorn named Sliver Tongue thank Tesla and trot off with the hunting rifle. She wondered what the pony was trying to pull, but it was none of her business. Getting up she turned to Tesla.

"There," she said, smiling warmly. "I am all done. I advise not stepping on sharp rocks and/or getting shot in the hoof again. I thank you again for assisting us with Indigo." Sunny turned and trotted back towards the room. She paused and looked back at Tesla. "Oh and before I forget, I like your smile." With that, Sunny Smiles disappeared into the room.

Lightning winced quite a bit as he felt the alcohol hit his wound. Damn, this burned! He tried as hard as he could to hold back the urge to yell but instead, he began breathing through his teeth making a sort of hissing sound as he did so. "Ahh...damn...this burns like crazy..."

Once Atriark finished up with cleaning his wound and putting a gauze over the wound, Lightning just gave him a nod of his head. "Alright, let's go now. I don't want to be around when those raiders get here." He took a look toward Tesla, seeing if he was finished with his medical treatment. He also noticed Silver walking away from the unicorn. The pegasus didn't think much of it though. He would have to ask him later how did he liked shooting the rifle though. For some strange reason, when he thought back on what just occurred, there were only one set of hunting rifle shots going. Oh well. He'll figure that out later.

Tesla's eyes grew wide again, as the yellow unicorn finished up and walked away. "Y-you like my smile...*ahem* I..I mean thank you...for the injury I mean. I'll be sure to keep off it as best I can. Thank you again."

Getting up, from where he had been sitting, the unicorn limped toward Lightning who was also done being taken care of. "Well we know where the Raiders are coming from...but a group this big? There has to be something keeping them from killing themselves. I think we're ready to fall back, but at some point we have to head to where they are, take out whatever it is that has banded them together. I'll tell the rest that we're leaving." Turning back to Sunny and Atriark, "Let me first get everyone going, then I can help with moving your friend...Indigo I think you called him."

Emerging outside he called out to the rest of the group, "Come on guys, we know where these bastards are coming from, now lets get the fuck out of here, before those raiders arrive and in larger force."

Going back inside, Tesla hobbled back to Indigo, "Alright Atriark, lets get this guy up so we can get out of here."

Lightning perked his ears when Tesla walked up to him and began talking. Nodding, he would reply, "That is best. Let's get out of here. You help Atriark and his friend move the injured one. I'll get the others to cover you."

Finally pulling himself up to his hooves, he limped outside to the others, "Alright, ponies! Good job holding off the raiders. But right now, we have to get out of here. We have an injured pony in there that can't walk so we have to escort them out of here. I believe the best thing we can do is head back out the way we came in and just go as far as we can back to Stableton before night falls. Pegasi, just like before, eyes in the sky. Everypony else, form a line, some in front of injured pony we are transporting and some in the back. Somepony else is going to have to take point as I'm a little injured but I'll be behind them. Now, let's roll!"

"About time." Sound Wave gave a smile as he excitedly unfurled his large wings, the sooner they left the better! There was no telling when they will be back with how knows how many they will bring back with them! As soon as he heard the plan, he nodded in agreement as he trotted up to Tesla to ask if he'll need anyhelp moving around with his injured hoof. "You know if you'd like I could carry you." he offered, giving a light shrug as he gave a warm smile. "No need tow orry though, I've carried a LOT of heavy things and I'm sure a Pony won't be so much trouble!"

Giving an amused chuckle as he grinned, the Pegasus shook his head in an attempt to get his mane out of his eyes. It worked, but it also made him look a little wild now that his (somewhat) kept mane was now all over the place, although it DID give him a certain charm with his mane like that....

But before they could move, Sound Wave gave the unicorn a rather teasing look. "Crushing on the Yellow filly are we?" His eyebrow went up as he playfully nudged him in the side.

"Crushing on the Yellow filly are we?"

"Wha..um...no no I'm not." Tesla said as his cheeks began to grow plushed, {Oh GODDESSES DAMN IT!} the unicorn had to quickly change the subject, anything to get his mind off right now! "Uh...Sound as much as I think it would help, the group move faster, I think it might be better if you give the offer to our unconscious friend." Tesla said pointing to the body of Indigo. "I'll be alright my friend, I just want to see Indigo get to stable medical condition as quickly as possible."

"Wha..um...no no I'm not." Oh how he squirmed when he mentioned it, Sound Wave is pleased! "MMhmmm..." The Pegasus smirked, looking very unconvinced as he cocked an eyebrow at the Unicorn. "Right..." His smirk grew as he saw Tesla's cheeks brighten in a blush, Oh so he IS crushing on the filly! "And your blush says otherwise." Narrowing his eyes at the Unicorn, the Pegasus took a step closer towards him, his smirk growing wider and wider as his ever playful tone jabbed at the Unicorn's embarrassment. "Don't try to act like you weren't staring at her flank those seconds ago..."

"Uh...Sound as much as I think it would help, the group move faster, I think it might be better if you give the offer to our unconscious friend." As Tesla spoke in an obvious attempt to change the subject, the Pegasus could only stare at the unicorn for a moment before finally giving him a little breathing room. "Alright...." He replied, his tone soft but ever mocking as he turned around, the smirk refusing to leave his face as he shot a wink at the unicorn. "Whatever you say~"

Laughing a little as he left, his ears perked up as Tesla added, in what seems to be a last ditch attempt to get the Pegasus forget about the whole thing. "I'll be alright my friend, I just want to see Indigo get to stable medical condition as quickly as possible."


"Of course you do!" He called back, his smirk still there as he shot Tesla a look over his shoulder. "Don't think I'm just gonna drop this!" Unfurling his wings, the Pegasus generated a simple breeze as he walked over to Indigo and tried to find a way to get him on something that'll at least ease the burden of carrying dead weight.

"Don't think I'm just gonna drop this!"

Tesla's eye were wider than he even thought possible, as his left eye slowly twitched as his embarrassment rose yet again at what the pegasus said. "Sound, I swear by the Goddesses themselves if you push this any further I will fucking END you!" It was more than likely the embarrassment talking not himself, but right then and there the unicorn meant ever single word he said. The thing is, he wouldn't have to do it himself! A few twitches with either the pegasus' shotgun or pistol when he wasn't looking, and Hello critical failure of the mechanism!

Wait...no he couldn't do that, Sound was his friend, albeit one that was really testing his nerves right now, but even still it was just harmless fun...directed at him...and he sure as hell wasn't laughing...But still he was his friend that was not something anypony should throw away just because he was getting on his nerves. Then again he could clearly see how uncomfortable Tesla was, but still he pressed on the unicorns feelings...that doesn't sound like a friend...But...he just met Sound so maybe this was just how Sound always joked...okay compromise...if he keeps doing it make sure one of the guns breaks after two or three fires...deal.

Gunner couldn't believe his eyes. The zebra and it's... assistant maybe, took the time to give the first aids to the ponies who needed them the most, which was fine, even if raiders where getting closer and closer to their position. And now, after injuries being taken care of, half of the members of the group were making some chit-chat.

Pretty pissed about those ponies endangering all their lives, Gunner couldn't help to drop a snarky comment : "Guys, I would really be happy to have a picnic with you right now, but I'm afraid that we won't have enough pastries for the raiders who are inviting themselves !"

"Alright ponies!" Atriark said finishing packing up his medical bag. "Enough chatting! Whomever is the strongest will you please carry Indigo? I would, but incase you all haven't noticed, there are a few mares bigger than me." Atirark pickied up his bag and set it on his back. "Now if we can all stop mentally snickering, I'd like to not die here."

Sunny finished gathering a few things from the room and exited it, oblivious to Tesla's outburt. "I guess that Sound Wave pegasus will carry Indigo?" She said walking to retrieve the .308 ammuntiton that Atriark left by the window. As she passed Tesla, she brushed her tail along Tesla's side and flank.

Arc was quickly checking the dead bodies of the dead raiders. It seemed there was little of value to take, even the weapons were worth their weight in scrap and nothing more. What was more important was the wall of dust rising from the approching horde. They could clearly be heard now.

"This will be a close one... very close one."

Arc heard Atriark telling everyone to assemble for evacuation.

"Finnaly, for fucks sake, it took them long enough."

When he returned to the cabin, he heard them deciding who would carry the woulnded one. The dull thumps of the approaching horde could now not only be heard, but even felt in the ground.