Raid Town [closed]

The early sun rose and somewhere in the distance, a Rad-Rooster crowed its horribly annoying screech across the Wasteland's landscape. Several ponies and the griffon Kira laid about sleeping on the dirty floor around a smoldering camp fire. Zuberi was already dressed. His packs loaded down with supplies and his maps and journals, his 10mm pistol loaded and holstered. He had preplanned the rest of the trip from that point on. The most of the trip was over, and the group was only a few miles from the edge of Raider territory. Just like Raid Town was. His marked location was just over the ridge, and nothing stood before him but sunshine.

“Alright, my little ponies. Morning time! Get up, get breakfast, and let's get going. We're almost there, then its pay-day,” Zuberi announced as he trotted through the camp past the burned out fire.

Brucey woke up when Zuberi had called them all. He clawed his way out of the hole he had dug himself to sleep in, shking dirt all over the place as he did so "Did someone say breakfast? Bonza im starving!" He cast a hungry look over the ponies sleeping around him and felt a familiar feeling but suppressed it without much effort, Stretching out his limbs Brucey lazily made his way over to Zuberi and said with a toothy yawn "So Zuberi whats the plan for today? more endless walking or are we gonna get a bit of fun?". Whilst Brucey didnt enjoy killing as much as he used to he knew that he needed to keep up practice or as with anytthing his skill would degrade. Eager to eat, Brucey slumped to the dround his stomache growling and waited to hear what the day held in store for him.

Rad Boom had been sleeping happily, but he was woken by Zuberi, he had decided to help out the Zebra after he had helped save him and some other ponies from slavers... Rad had figured that if he stuck with Zuberi, the zebra wouldn't go and get himself enslaved again. As much as he liked the zebra, he liked sleep more, sleep was second only to flying... And Zuberi had disturbed his sleep. "Ugh... Wha? Now? Come on! I need to sleep at least another hour or two... Dontcha know what it's like to fly all day?"

Rad then remembered who he was talking to as he got up. "Well... Maybe ya don't... But it's tirin! An you go an wake me up at... Whatever time it is now... Well... Don't expect me to like it..." Rad sat down and began checking over his weapon, the thought of food not even in his mind yet.

Lightning just glanced over at Zuberi when he began to wake all the others up. His new sniper rifle was in his hooves and for most of the entire night, he stayed up to keep guard. The pegasus lifted the weapon up and peered down it's scope as he scanned the terrain once more before holstering the weapon and walking over to the others. "Good morning, everypony. Everything looks clear from here on out, there shouldn't be any trouble now."

Blast snaps awake from his dream and shakes off the feeling of being tired still, he checks that his 9mm and knife were still in thier holsters. He looks around at everyone then lights up a cigarillo. he strecthes out and cracks his neck before rolling onto his whooves. Blast walks over to the others "lets hope we get some action today all this walkings made me bored out of my mind." Seeing Zuberi with his full bags Blast decides to walks over to him while adjusting his beret, "So whats on the menu for breakfast today boss," his stomach growling from hunger "im just a bit famished."

Zuberi was spoken to by the diamond dog, and he had an easy answer. He turned and pointed a hoof to the ridge. "We're walking over that hill," he said plainly, then put his hoof down and stared with a serious face. Then he smiled. "I'm kidding, our destination is just beyond it, so, not much farther. I'm actually hoping we don't see any hostility. Raider territory is over there, so we'd be lucky if we could avoid having to shoot something."

Zuberi turned to Rad. "Early to bed, early to rise makes a pony healthy, wealthy, and wise," was all he had to say to the pegasus with the green and black mane.

Then he turned to answer Blast Cap's question. He looked back at his own packs, and then back to Blast. Zuberi wasn't supplying the food, Zuberi had only brought enough supplies for himself... which wasn't too much. He only had a few snacks. "Eh- um... well, whatever you brought," he answered with hesitation.

"Wake up? We were meant to be sleeping? Damnit..." A white unicorn idly said to the zebra in response as he went about looking at the others in this little group of ponies, who all decided to go along with the zebra, Zuberi, for monetary gain. Money meant better weapons to hit people with, which was a good thing in Blitz' books.... Apart from the prospect of getting to be as amazingly heroic as he believed himself to be. They were bound to find at least one pony in peril during this entire endeavor, if they didn't, Blitz was at least still getting money out of this, so he could be better at saving ponies in need.

Somepony was complaining about being woken up too early, which drew Blitz' attention. "Oh come on, you big girl! Quit your whining and get up, or am I gonna have to drag your lazy ass all the way there?" He said after Zuberi gave a sensible answer to Rad Boom's complaints. "Raiders are that way?" He then said as the zebra mentioned them. "We could take 'em, I bet!"

Yawning softly as she awoke like the others, Cuppa Beans kicked her legs slightly as she clambered up to her hooves, stretching out and sighing as she shook herself off slightly as well. "Ah see that we's good t' go?" She said as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes, yawning again and looking to the others as she fished some food from her saddlebags and took a small bite to eat for the time being.

"Ah'm good t' go anytime, Zubi." She said with a smile on her face.

Zuberi turned to Blitz. He had never met this pony before he joined up in the little group before the trip began. "Well you're antsy to spill some blood, aren't you?" he asked with a chuckle. "I'm sure we could take them, doesn't mean we should go after them. If we see any, have at them, though."

Zuberi looked to Cuppa when she started talking to him. Zuberi's face lit up suddenly. He trotted over and sat next to her. "Yes! All packed up and ready!" he peeped graciously. "I did all my research and all my mapping, whenever we're ready to move we can go straight to the destination."

Kira was quick to wake when Zuberi woke the group, maybe it was after weeks if not months of travelling the wasteland that had made her in to a light sleeper and removed from the comforts of life in the villages. She stretched out her claws and tired her wings some, not that much pain in her left one this morning that was a good sign. Or maybe it was part of becoming more of a travelling mercenary life that she just had grown in to, still it was good to finally do something ells the walking.

"I still not get why any one would pay have this area mapped." She said as she put her saddle bags on her back and put her grenade belt around her, she let out a small laugh. "But who am I to say as I take the caps for such a job." She gave a quick scan over that other in her group, it seemed that all but Lightning and her self was that hardened by the wastes yet but that could change quickly as she knew for her self. "Ready when ever you are."

After a quick breakfast, and everypony had become ready, Zuberi lead the group over the hill. Within thirty minutes, the group could see the settlement in the distance across the flat, open landscape. High walls were the first things the group saw. As they got closer, other details appeared. Details such as a ditch surrounding the entire settlement, completely filled with sticks, tender, sighs, old cars- basically anything that would burn or go boom. The walls were made of old tree trunks. The field was open because all the ponies within had cut down the dead stalks and built a wall out of them. And, there was a wooden bridge across the ditch to the front entrance of the settlement.

Zubi and the group approached the mouth of the gate, standing about fifty feet away, and stared up at the walls. It almost seemed deserted. It was evident that there had been all manner of battle, but no signs of life within. Bullet casings littered the ground all around the group's hooves/paws/claws. Old, faded blood stains went deep into the soil, and there were numerous craters from explosives, as well as a few battlements. Barricades and sorts set up to provide cover. Zuberi looked up again at the wall, and slowly started forward.

As he did, a large explosion went off at the end of the bridge. Zubi was launched back onto his back, the white stripes on his face turned back with soot. He rolled back over, as he was unarmed- but damn! They shot at him!

"Damn it, Spots! You missed him! You suck at this!" hollered a voice from on top of the wall somewhere.

Another voice began to argue back. "Oh shut up, Clover! You're the most incompetent shot I've ever seen, you don't get to criticize me!"

"Well they're still alive! Shoot again!" hollered the other voice back, this 'Clover' pony on top of the wall with 'Spots'.

"Wait," Spots said calmly, "those aren't raiders!..."

Silence. "Say something, then!" Clover ordered.

"No, you say something!"

"Fuck you, say something, pansy pony!"

"Fine!" Spots shouted in frustration, giving up. The head of a gray mare covered in black spots with a white mane appeared on top of the wall, armed with a rocket launcher. "Hey, you!... What do you want?!"

Zuberi moaned a bit as he rubbed his head, not quite sure how to answer- but then, he couldn't think straight about anything after the blast.

Blitz gave a casual shrug to what Zuberi had said. "I'm only killing them so they don't kill anypony else. Ya know?" He then grinned.

Following a short distance behind Zuberi as they made their way towards the town's supposed location. Blitz kept an eye out for absolutely anything, upon arriving, Blitz' eyes scanned the ground, littered with casings and blood stains. He was on edge for the moment before an explosion sounded out, knocking their charge, Zuberi, onto his back.

Leaping forwards and taking a lowered combat stance, Blitz gritted his teeth and waited for a second attack to be made, just for the ones who fired on them to suddenly realize they weren't raiders.

"Wait, what!? You thought we were raiders!! Come on, seriously? We're the cleanest looking lot around here that ain't in your damn town! I have half a mi-" Blitz stopped, raising one hoof to his mouth as he had to stop himself from yelling expletives at them.

"Good good, the sooner the better!" Cuppa replied with a smile before following the others in a leisurely trot.

Arriving at the bridge and feeling pretty confident in how things would work out, Cuppa let out a cry of shock as something exploded and Zuberi was thrown onto his back. She galloped over to make sure he was okay, worriedly looking him over. "Ya'll okay, Zubi?"

There was a brief distraction as the two guards on the wall came to the realisation that they weren't raiders. Much to the anger of a white unicorn who took offence before shutting himself up.

"Umm... S'cuse me, sirs. But would ya'll kindly not try an' shoot us again? Me an' mah friends here, we're jus' here t' see what this town is, an' why yer so close t' raiders and such. An' we're here fer tradin'!" Cuppa called out to the two on the wall. "Spots an' Clover, right? Mah name's Cuppa Beans. Lovely t' meet'cha!"

The head of a green pony with a green mane appeared next to Spots. "Fuck off!" Clover hollered down before being shoved back by Spots.

"Clover, stop! What's wrong with you!" Spots turned back and looked down at the ponies. "Uh- first of all, I'm not a sir... I'm a miss. Second, we're not here to be all sunshine and happiness, we're here to blow up ponies who try to get in who ain't welcome! And y'all ain't welcome!"

"Wait!" Zuberi called as the two worlds he was watching spin began to come together to form one again. "My- my name is Zuberi!" he called, stepping forward. "I'm an explorer, and a mapper- we've traveled all the way here to add you to our map so traders can make trade routs. All we need is some medicine and ammo, and we'll be on our way!"

Clover appeared again, and the two ponies on the walls looked at each other with consideration. "One moment," Spots called back down before the two ponies vanished. A volley of hushed whispers and suppressed shouts spilled over the edge of the wall. Then, they appeared once more.

"Okay, my brother and I have put some consideration to it," Spots began.

"And we've decided you may come in and trade. For a little bit," Clover said, continuing for Spots.

"But if you cause any trouble, I'll blow your ass up with this big thing I have on my battle saddle!" Spots finished, holding up her rocket launcher. Then, the two ponies disappeared behind the wall, and a moment later, the gates slowly started to open.

At the bottom, Spots and Clover stood next to the gates and held it open. Zuberi lead the group across the bridge and through the gates. After they were in, the two gate ponies closed the gate and placed a large board on it it to lock it shut.

Inside was something Zuberi would never have expected. There were ponies wandering around the streets, wounded, dirty, hungry, and suffering. The houses were half burned down, the ones that weren't were boarded up, and full of bullet holes. The town looked like it hadn't had any connection to anything to get food, medicine, water, ammo, building supplies- or anything it needed, for that matter, in a month!

Zuberi stopped, amazed by the sight. He turned back and addressed the two gate ponies who had followed after them. "What happened here? Why is everypony so..." Zubi started, but was cut off by Clover.

"Dying?" he asked, finishing Zubi's sentence. Zubi nodded.

"Its been weeks since a trader has came by..." Spots confessed. "They've been too afraid to come by ever since-"

"Ever since the raiders started to attack..." Clover finished again.

Spots nodded. "We were worried about letting you guys in, but you seemed okay, and we could really use the trade. We didn't mean to offend anypony..."

Clover said nothing, until Spots shoved him with her elbow. He turned his head away. "Yeah... sorry, I guess... Whatever," he said like a small kid who didn't want to apologize.

Whisper Chime wakes up, later than most, always being the one to oversleep, she slowly wakes up and rubs her eyes "Morning already?" she stretches out, joints popping loudly, she gets up and tries to look as awake as she possibly can, she gathers her things and stands up, "Did I miss anything?" She looks around, noticing that everypony is gone, and begins panicing, she begins looking for where everypony is "Hello? Where is everypony?" She notices some prints and follows them into town, the then exhales in relief as she finds her friends "What happend while I was gone? Why didnt you guys just wait up for me?"

Scrap had woken up when Zuberi had started to wake up ponies (and a griffin), but had kept quiet as the other members of the group spoke amongst themselves-he wasn't a morning pony.

He moved out quietly at the rear of the group when Zubi lead them forward, keeping his eyes scanning for possible threats. As they approached their destination and he noticed the blood and bullet casings, the little pessimistic voice in Scrap's head kicked in and was soon kicked into overdrive when the rocket impacted by them disorienting Zubi.

As per what was quickly becoming the usual for Scrap he kept his words to himself as the two at the gate spoke, though the condition of the town finally did get him to speak.

"Judging by the damage to your town, Id say you were justified in your response to a strange group." Scrap said to Spots and Clover.

Rad, after getting an answer from Zuberi, had gotten a less friendly answer from a white unicorn he had never seen before, he bit back the urge to retalliate, merely grumbling as he readied himself. After eating something the group had set out, and Rad had floated along with them on his wings, he kept only a few feet from the ground so he didn't stick out, but he still refused to walk unless he absolutely had to.

The next thing Rad knew there was an explosion, Zuberi on the floor and some shouting, then after a quick back and forth exchange between the ponies on the gates and Zuberi they had been allowed inside the town. Rad didn't like what he saw, the whole town seemed to be dying. "This place'll be a ghost town before long Zubi... I sure hope we can get some more traders here with ya mapping, hell these poor souls need it".

"I figured I'd wait and get you to the others once you woke up." Sound Wave shrugged as he looked down on her from atop the large boulder he sat on. With a gentle flap of his wings he descended from the rock and landed onto the ground, light as a feather. His saddlebags were stuffed, but not to the point were it was bulging nor overflowing, apparently he's already packed his things as none of his belongings were to be seen anywhere around the campsite. In his Hooves was an opened can of Baked Beans, freshly cooked judging by the steam that rose from within it's contents.

"Here," he said, offering the can towards the Unicorn as he gave her a grin. "Better eat some breakfast before he catch up with the others." Pulling out a small container of Purified water from his Saddle Bags, he set it down to the ground in front of her before giving a reassuring smile. "But no worries, they're not too far." Then for emphasis there was a loud KA-BOOM! not too far off in the distance.

"See? Told you they weren't far off!" He chuckled, beaming at the Unicorn as she ate her beans.

Blast smiled at the sight of the explosion, this told him that they had explosives that he was lacking at the moment. Luckily he brought some caps to get some better equipment, and since the ponies in here needed supplies and this bieng all he had they would probably give up a better weapon in exchange for food or medicine, but noticing how bad off these ponies were he will try his best to improve thier situation before thinking about himself. Blast looks at the group and notices several missing ponies. he calls out to Zuberi "Hey Boss we seemed to have lost some ponies im going back to round them up."

Whisper smiles as she takes the baked beans, and begins eating them semi-hurriedly, she looks around, looking for if there were any threats or salvage around, nope, nothing. She then returns to her eating, after a minute or so she finishes, and thanks the stallion "Thank you, I was starting to get hungry, my name is Whisper Chime, I didnt quite catch your name" the stands there awaiting direction from the stallion

"Thank you, I was starting to get hungry, my name is Whisper Chime, I didnt quite catch your name"

She finished her food rather quickly no? Flashing her a smile, he gave a bit of a bow as he extended his wings in a rather elegant manner. "It's a pleasure to meet you, miss Chime. My name is Sound Wave but you can call me Sound if you'd like." As introductions were shared, the Pegasus looked off into the distance where the explosion came from and made a bit of a face. "Alright, we've spent enough time and now we have to catch up else we'll be missing all the fun!"

Extending a hoof towards Whisper, his wings spread out wide, ready to catch the air as he turned to Whisper and gave her a most mischievous grin. "Grab my hoof and get on my back!"

Whisper thinks for a bit, feeling a bit puzzled, she then notices what he wanted her to do and blushes a little, she then grabs his hoof and gets onto Sounds back as he had asked, she begins wondering why she couldnt just be led there, but then she thinks this might be saving time, still blushing, she says "Do you know what that explosion was all about?" the was still a little shaken, not expecting to hear an explosion right after she woke up.

Upon being corrected, Cuppa blinked in surprise. "Oh, ah'm sorry, didn't mean t' offend or nuthin'." She said before they were eventually let into the town, walking slowly across the bridge before entering the.... rather ruined town, filled with ponies dying of all manner of things. It made her want to kick somepony.

"Them raiders caused this?" She asked as she looked around, aghast at what she was seeing before she looked at Zuberi and the others. "Ya'll know we should help, these ponies ain't gonna last much longer if nopony deals with them raiders." She said as she frowned, obviously not happy with the state of the townsfolk. "Ah'd say somepony has t' stay here and help these sick and hurt folks, right?" As Cuppa spoke, she looked to the others with hope that a few would decide to stay back, she was intending to so she could try her best to help these poor souls.

As soon as Whisper was up on his back, he held back a chuckle at her rather flustered reaction but nevertheless she was on him now. Crouching down low, his wings gave one powerful beat and they rushed up into the air. "YEEEEEE-HAAAAWWWW!" He let out a whoop of joy as he took to the skies, THIS was one of the many things about flying he NEVER gets tired off! Making sure that Whisper was held fast between his wings, the Pegasus soon steadied himself as he glided through the skies, the ground many many miles below him and Whisper as the cool breeze ran through his mane and feathers.

"You okay back there?" He yelled over the his shoulder as he kept steady. "Do you know what that explosion was all about?" He gave a mild shrug of his shoulders. "Dunno! Maybe they ran into something with a rocket launcher! I don't recall ever seeing the others with one!" Scanning the ground below as he soared, the Pegasus gave a wide smile as he pointed downwards. "THERE!"

Below were a group of ponies entering a town, one particular zebra in the group he recognized. "Hang on! Bringing us down!" With a slow change of angle, the Pegasus began to dive, the air rushing past him as it roared at his ears, his passenger most likely screaming as the ground was rapidly approaching!

At the last minute, his wings extended and caught a gush of air, sending the dive into an abrupt halt as he was gently set onto the ground. "We're here!" He announced rather happily as he appeared beside the Zebra and some of their companions. "You can get off now Whisper." He turned to the Unicorn on his back. "Uhmm... Whisper?"

Lightning followed Zuberi and most of the group to the town. Once they got inside, the pegasus took a look around the...rather beat up town. "We traveled for this?" he muttered lowly to himself. Turning to the two ponies that let them in, he would say, "Well...I guess you all have to be careful, especially when..." Lightning was going to say, '...when your town looks like this...' but he quickly decided against it. As if on cue, it appeared as Sound Wave found the missing member in their group and came in for a dive. Simply bowing his head to him, he chuckled, "Nice of you to join us."