>Your eyes crack open as your earpiece goes off waking you up with your favorite alarm sound, I wonder what it is
>The rancid smell of what you currently call your home for about half a week now assaults your nostrils, almost making you add to it
>Fortunately, you are able to stop your non-existent lunch from coming up and instead opt to roll out of your sleeping area
>Futon? Bar to hang off of? Hard floor? Bathtub?
>On your way out into the main area of your place you stumble across multiple cans of Nighttime Sunrise that your hologem doesn't hide
>"Makes you insane enough to just stay sane for a little longer", proclaims the colorful can with the symbol of the moon covering the sun
>Yeah, you feel like sanity has been a lost cause in this day and age
>Thankfully, as shit as the holo projection from the gem in the center of your room might be, it at least is better than the-
>Welp, there it goes flickering out again and your run down living space becomes apparent
>Torn wallpapers, stains on the carpet, some you don't even want to try and identify
>Well, not like you are known to stay in places for long anyways
>Not a great idea in your line of work
>Just like it isn't really a great idea to keep your looks the same when going outside
>Touching your bracelet you command it to open a holo mirror in front of you
>Starring long and hard at every minute detail of your undisguised body, you see...

>Well, the scrawny frame of a batpony stallion stares back at you
>Your fang pokes out of your mouth and you brush over it with one of your hooves
>"Bucktooth baby", they used to call you as a little foal while pushing you around
>Needless to say, you didn't have the best of childhoods, but who does nowadays?
"Growing up in an orphanage really sucks", you muse to yourself with a smirk
>Your eyes glance down on your ash grey mane, unkempt, unwashed, probably reeks worse than this dump of an apartment
>It reaches way past your shoulders, down your forelegs and starts brushing along the floor
>Not like you really have much credits to visit a barberbot and get this fixed
>Your coat is equally as neglected, looking as stained as the floor of this place with, once again, things you don't even want to think about what they might be
>Under all this grime you can't even see your natural coat color anymore, what was it again?
>Oh yeah, brown, you think
>With your smart contact lenses also currently offline, your true eye color that you usually try to hide... like most everything about you, is showing
>Seriously, have you never heard of a bath, stinky? Phew
>Not only that, but your eyes fall lower and your raging boner is at full mast
>You may be small and scrawny, but at least the goddesses of this forsaken place have given you SOMETHING to be proud of
>It is now that the smell of musk becomes more obvious and you scrunch your nose
>Trying to remember what you've done last night it slowly starts coming back to you
>Kicking one of the cans of energy drink you curse to yourself, this stuff really scrambles your brain
>Your last project.... yes you managed to hack into one of the Big Four's subsidiaries and started siphoning credits
>Not a big catch, but it'll keep you afloat for a while longer, at least
>It should be done by now, if your calculations from yesterday, which where done fully sleep deprived, are to be believed
>With a grumble your body also tells you that hey, dipshit, you need sustenance beyond cans of caffeine to survive
>Finally, your lenses begin booting up- and glitching out immediately. Bootlooping, great
>You've managed to extend their planned obsolescence by jailbreaking them, but after 3 years of usage you are seriously due for a new pair
>At last, the loading progress bar shows and your usual HUD becomes visible in your periphery
>You huff in annoyance as a countdown with 3 hours remaining comes up, telling you your program is far from done yet
>Welp, guess there is some time to kill, maybe you want to go out and do something
>There is a VR Cafe across the street, or you could look into food (with your almost completely drained bank account)
>Going out would definitely require a mane change though
>Blessed be your fiber-optic mane cybernetics you got when you were a young teen
>Any color, in an instant
>The nuns at the orphanage were pissed
>What will you do?

>Oh right, there is something you should DESPERATELY take care of
>A glance down to your stallionhood very much makes that an obvious necessity
>That and if you are almost about to release your lunch from your smell, you can't imagine how bad other ponies would have it in your vicinity
>Also, might be good not to give ponies any wrong ideas, bats already have somewhat of a bad name to them
>The fangs very much terrify some ponies out on the street, which can lead to some fun but also some real annoying encounters
>You head towards what some would call a bathroom but you just call it a broken piece of junk
>It's more like a closet than a room
>A cursory glance at the water allowance gauge tells you all you need to know
>This building has received another water rationing order, leaving you with barely anything left
>It always hits the poor districts, you bet your bat flank that up in the high-rise the elite doesn't have to deal with any of that shit
>Placing your hoof on the screen, the water... or what you hope is water with how brown the liquid coming out is, starts flowing
>At the same time your water allowance quickly begins to drop towards 0
>Jumping in you make the best out of it, trying to be as fast as possible
>Some of the water got in your mouth and you can taste a distinctive hint of iron
>And right as you are trying to wash out the soap, the screen controlling the shower glitches and you are suddenly left with an empty water bar
"Stupid, glitchy piece of shit", you start shouting at it, your entire body still soapy
>This is the second time this week
>Your computer bracelet lights up, giving you a status update on your hack that you launched last night
>This does give you an idea, as you look between your bracelet and the terminal on the wall
>Maybe.... just maybe...
>Or maybe you decide to do something else?
>One thing's for sure, this annoyance has made your fifth leg disappear

>You know what, screw this bullshit, you haven't honed your skills for years just to let some stupid terminal stop you
>A double tap on your bracelet brings up your more sensitive files as it verifies your DNA and unlocks the biometric seal
>Holding a hoof close to the terminal it flashes a couple times before glitching out, a smiling pony face bouncing up and down
>It is a simple hack but it gives you full access to the water system of this building
>Suddenly your HUD shows you the full information on all the water distribution
>And there is something that you find very, very wrong
>All of the water in this building has been redirected to a single apartment up on the highest floor
>Clearly the biggest apartment in the entire complex, too
>No wonder the water quality has gone down the proverbial drain, all the water filters have been moved to that one line going up
>A little bit of hacking magic here and the water starts flowing like a charm
>It's warm, even! This is what you would call true bliss
>And slowly your fur receives its brown color back
>Instinctively, your leathery wings flap and stretch on your sides as you rub away all the dirt and grime that has accumulated over the past couple.... you don't want to think about it
>You're once more a pony instead of a walking dumpster!
>And with that fresh smell, coming out of the shower just makes you really really aware of how stinky your apartment is
>What now?

>You may only be a small time hacker, but every pony worth their salt knows that the first thing to do is clear any trace of them being in a system
>This thing not being particularly high profile so just a log erase will do and nopony will be the wiser
>Although while you are at it.... a tap here, a double tap there and a hoof on the terminal and boom!
>With a smirk on your face you see how the entire water reserves of the building are now fairly being split up between all the residents
>This is what you live for, taking from the rich and giving to the poor!
>Something does interest you though and you go through the room registry, which is just a short privilege escalation away from the water reserves
>Hopefully you didn't mess with somepon- oh no, it's just the landmare
>You've never really liked here, everytime you've seen her for the past couple days you've lived here she has come off as a massive snob
>...She was retching every time she passed you, even though you definitely think you used at least deodorant that day
>Whatever, your stomach cuts your thoughts short and you log out of the system after making it look like a hard reset
>Nothing unusual in these run down buildings, really
>Food, food... you open the fridge and immediately have to hold your hoof in front of your mouth
>Whatever was in there previously (probably from the previous pony renting this place) has turned into what you can only assume previously alive, dead and came alive again
>Any kind of food chip that might have once been in there has become nothing but a party palace for growing fungi
>You slam the thing shut, rushing over to the toilet and making sure if anything is coming up it hits its target
>Thankfully, you manage to recover after a couple minutes

>Guess today is an eating out sort of day you feel as you cast a glance towards your fridge and your face contorts in disgust
>But first you check on your hacking progress, wouldn't want any unexpected difficulties, now would you?
>You swipe your bracelet, bringing your progress logs into view, pleased with what you see
>Apart from the fact that it takes longer than you had initially hoped for, everything seems to be progressing quite nicely
>That is also gonna be quite a bit of money you will have in hoof after all of this is said and done
>Ideas of what to do with it start flooding your mind and you can't help but grin
>Usually, the money from your hacks is mostly being split up and sent to multiple places like the few homeless shelters and orphanages around the city
>Only a small part lands in your own pocket for rent and the like
>While you're at it, you also check the national cyber crime database and begin scrolling through, somewhat anxiously
>This is a big one, cleaning out the account of one of the big four's subsidiaries
>A sigh of relief escapes you as all you can find is your alias that you go by during your online endeavors What IS your hacker name?
>Another short glance to the fridge
>You should.... clean that out lest you want that security deposit to go bye bye
>Thankfully there is an incinerator chute almost right next to it
>Quickly finding a (dirty) cloth you wrap it around your muzzle to hopefully protect yourself from that awful fragrance lurking in that cooling machinery
>Slowly open the door, you could swear the contents are smiling back at you
>By the stars, have the contents moved around since you opened it a couple minutes ago?!
>You reach in and try to take one of the fungal infested plates out, having your other hoof ready to slam the incinerator chute shut as soon as it goes in
>When you inadvertently end up touching the growth and a small jolt goes through your entire body
>For a split second, you feel part of something bigger
>Part of a massive network, spanning miles upon miles of this world
>You feel the humidity and warmth of what you assume to be a boiler room
>At the same time there is this cool breeze that you only ever experienced a few times when you were able to take a flight through the skies between the skyscrapers
>"Welcome, kind visitor", you can hear a voice in your head
>As quickly as the sensation appeared it passes and you jump backwards, shaking your hoof before looking at it and then the fungus, terrified
>Part of you tells you to burn this place down to the ground but the other is arguing with you to just leave whatever this is alone and go get some food
>Your belly is certainly one to agree to that latter idea

>What the absolute heck was that?!
>Screw the incinerator, you don't want to end up on the bad side of whatever that is
>Moreover, it called you kind visitor, there is clearly higher intelligence at play here
>You look at the what used to be food and your belly rumbles again
>It's decided, whatever this thing is, you'll bring it lunch, too
>After all you're a good (albeit stinky) roommate, even if it is fore merely a couple more days
>Your curiosity does get the better of you though and once again you reach in, slowly and shakily
>One more touch certainly couldn't hurt, right?
>...You feel disappointed as nothing happens apart from you touching a gross bit of rotten food
>Making your way to the sink immediately you make sure to clean your hoof because that stuff felt disgusting to the touch
>That brings up the question of lunch though
>A glance at your hud indicates that...
>A frown crosses your face, you barely have enough to get even the last scraps of food from the fast food place down the road

>For a moment you consider asking one of your pals for some money until you remember that you aren't really the social type
>Bleh, this is a pain in the flank, but you promise yourself a big meal once your job is through
>Welp, you already freshened up so why not make use of your new found cleanliness
>Heading towards your door you say goodbye to your shroomie roomie and hold your hoof to the terminal near the door
>The electric lock unlatches and grants you access into the hallway
>Your way to the elevator is swift, you certainly don't want to spend any more time than necessary out in these hallways
>This wouldn't be the first time where a pony gets stabbed from behind in front of their home by some kind of drug addict or thug
>The lift thankfully arrives quickly enough and you strap yourself into one of the seats before holding on tight
>As the metal cage goes into free fall down the next 52 floors your eyes move across the ponies sitting in the cabin with you
>A posh looking unicorn mare looks quite disgruntled, fuming even
>You recognize her as the landmare, owner of the complex and stealer of water
>There is one thing you can imagine makes her this angry and you have to do your best to hold in a snicker
>She glares at you, spots your wings poking out beneath your mane and scrunches up in disgust
>Thankfully the ride is short, free fall does that to you and you exit, heading for the front door at a brisk pace
>Looking outside, you let out a sigh
>It's raining again
>This is gonna sting, especially since you can't really purchase one of the disposable umbrellas
>But hey, there is enough ponies out on the street that you probably can weave from one umbrella to the next
>Eat that, acid rain!
>As you enact your plan, you give a longing glance at the umbrella dispenser in the lobby
>Short ways, you'll get through this you tell yourself while steeling your resolve and heading out
>Merging with the horde of ponies walking up and down the sidewalk only occasionally a raindrop hits your flank
>Still hurts every time
>You pass the burger court and head into an alley, knowing this is where their trash cans are
>Desperate times require desperate measures you say as you enter the (thankfully with a roof) trash area and open up one of the containers
>Something edible has ended up here, you can smell it
>Climbing in, you begin digging around, your belly eager to find that priced reward of maybe a few food chips that are still good
>What you didn't expect to find was the face of a mare under all that trash....

>You are taken aback by the sudden sight of fresh mea-
>The mare. You are taken aback by the sudden appearance of another pony
>Subconsciously you already started licking your fangs
>While batponies certainly CAN eat meat, the consumption has been generally frowned upon for generations
>That and you just noticed that she still seems to be breathing, actually
>It's faint but your batpony hearing (which usually just causes you sensory overload in a city this loud) can pick up the gentle rhythm of wind flowing in and out
>The mare doesn't seem to be moving at all though, other than that and she certainly hasn't been woken up by you rummaging around the trash
>You take a moment to examine what you can see of her (which is not much, since most of her except her neck and head is still buried under heaps of trash)
>Her coat seems to be a pristine white under all the dirt, almost like what you believe snow would look like, at least according to the history books
>A dark blue mane has been tied up into a ponytail, a bunch of garbage wrapped into it
>There seems to be something covered on her forehead by her mane, but it certainly is not a horn
>Something about her seems off, but you really cannot place it

>There is two primal urges that make themselves known to you at a sight like this
>And you honestly can't tell which one disturbs you more
>Well, she certainly is a beauty from what you see and you are just a stallion, so some reactions SHOULD be excused
>Even in a situation like this
>The second reaction very much is something you want to get out of your head as soon as it starts worming itself inside
>"J-just a little nibble couldn't hurt?"
>What the heck are you thinking?!
>This is why ponies are terrified at the mere sight of batponies, you're about to play right into the stereotype
>Vampires sucking the life out of the living, yikes
>Instead, you opt to do what a good pony would do and check her pulse with your very sensitive teeth
>It's there. Slow, but steady, which you with your limited knowledge interpret as a good sign
>Starting to dig around with your hooves and using your wings to assist, you gently begin freeing the pony from her stinky grave
>During your quite tedious excavation, you make a couple more discoveries
>First of all, the pony is wearing a black full body jumpsuit, a very sturdy one at that. Military grade?
>But that isn't the strangest part
>Two of her legs are missing
>Her front left and back right leg are just empty sleeves dangling around
>She still hasn't woken up and just lies there on her back, sprawled out in the trash

>Your thoughts are all over the place, especially places that you don't want your thoughts to be
>Thankfully, with the situation the way it is you are more than able to ignore them for now as curiosity gets the better of you
>Which is a terrible idea because quite frankly this is some really fucking shady shit and there is just all matters of alarms going off in your head
>Also shroomy is definitely waiting at home and you don't want to disappoint your new friend
>The mare at least doesn't seem to be in total need of medical attention, at least from what you can glance right now
>Still, you can't just leave here like this and begin to remove the jumpsuit, which turns out to be basically a perfect fit
>You tug and pull to no avail, until you accidentally hit some kind of button on the collar causing the suit to losen so you can easily pull it off
>It's hardly a hard task anymore as the clothing just slights off, revealing...
>The parts where the two legs should attach to the body are clearly cybernetic attachment points
>Her missing legs are meant to be prosthetics and judging from that interface advanced ones
>Pulling the suit over her back reveals two more attachment points where the wings of a pegasus would be
>Along her back you also find a reinforced spine, multiple lights blinking slowly, probably indicating some kind of status to her body
>Following it upwards, you see a small what seems to be a direct diagnostics port on the back of her neck
>Pushing away the mane another attachment port is visible on her skull
>Whoever she is, she clearly is heavily modified and...
>You didn't notice before in the stink, but there is a distinct smell of sedatives

>Such a nice jumpsuit would be a shame to just leave it here and have it go to waste
>You try it on and it immediately shrinks down to accommodate your definitely smaller than her frame
>It's quite comfortably, but definitely skin tight without impacting your movement too much
>At least your thoughts of having a quick snack have been thwarted by the idea of just how much metal must be in her
>You weren't honestly expecting to have to connect to a physical port when going out
>Which means to interface with her you actually need to get home and get one of your physical jacks
>But you also can't really leave her like this here out in the open... or the garbage
>The idea of finding her missing limbs sounds crazy but might also net you quite the price on the black market
>Unless you of course prefer to give it back
>But that is a question for later, for now you gotta take her to a safer place
>It won't hurt trying to scrounge through the trash again though, maybe one of her legs is there
>5 minutes later you didn't come up with any legs
>You DID however, find a half eaten veggie sandwich
>Score!
>Looking at the mare you imagine the best thing you can do is bring her home to your apartment
>You doubt ponies will care much, they are way too busy with their own thoughts to bother with anything else
>And so it shall be done, you tell yourself as you put the (really fucking heavy) mare across your back and attempt to trot home
>...only to realize that she is crushing you under her weight and you probably won't get far like this
>You need a better way to transport her, maybe something you can pull?
>This alley might have enough stuff to put something together, or you can try and go home to find something to move her or a cable to interface
>But leaving her alone like this also doesn't sit entirely right with you

>Well, you could try and steal a shopping cart if you had any grocery stores nearby
>For some reason it feels really cliché to rescue somepony you have just met
>That usually ends up with ponies getting wrapped up in the weirdest shit in sims
>But hey, so is robbing the unconscious maiden, so you already broke one of the rules
>You check the date and calender
>Garbage collection isn't until in two days so you should just be able to put...her...back...into...
>...the garbage pile you pulled her out from
>Gently closing the lid of the container you call that good enough for now
>Looking around the alley, you do find an old and broken scooter with a wheel missing
>Ain't looking good unless you find a way to repair that
>You do have a small cart at home that you use for getting groceries
>It's just so much simpler having to take one trip every month than multiple weekly trips
>She should definitely fit into it that easily
>Could also just go and fetch the cable, although you aren't sure that will be enough
>You sneak out of the alleyway and back towards your home when you hear sirens pass you by
>The wagons are clearly station compliance vehicles
>Turning your head after them, you are glad to see that they pass by the alley without slowing down
>The rest of your trip is mostly uneventful, you did take the veggie sandwich with you at least though
>Just gotta figure out how to best share that with Shroomy, if at all
>What will you do once you reach your place?

>With a satisfying click the lock unlatches as your room opens up and you hurry your batty ass inside
>Yeah, you clearly never had a mare over and anypony can smell it
>Quickly you rush over to the window and pull it wide open, the air rushing past you immediately
>And with it all the smog that is hanging in the city's air
>You cough a bunch of times as you fall backwards onto the floor, waving your wings to clear out the smoke from your place
>With mediocre success
>Thank the moon that your smoke alarm is busted ever since you got here, otherwise you might have caused the entire complex to evacuate
>Or be drenched by the emergency sprinklers, if they even work here
>Closing the window you take a sniff and confirm: Yes, the smoke smell is very much hiding your bat musk
>You open the fridge and greet your shroommate with a curt hello as you begin cutting the veggie sandwich
"60:40", you tell her before you stop abruptly and look into the fridge
"What? No! Look, you got to chill here in the fridge while I went out into the streets for this beauty, you can't just-"
"Hey, hey I know you've been living here for longer than I do but still that doesn't excu-"
"A bat has to eat!"
>You shake your head and frown
"55:45, final offer!", you firmly exclaim and wait for a moment
>With a smile you nod and finish cutting the sandwich, putting the smaller slice next to the plate
"I'll have a visitor over, so do me a favor and be on your best behavior, alright?"
>You could have sworn the mass of growth gave you a wink
>Is insanity beginning to set in?
>Quickly closing the door you take a panicked breath
>You head into your room and rummage around for your small cart
>Good enough to transport her, good enough for her to sleep in
>The bathtub is yours
>As you exit your bedroom you pass the holo mirror and look at yourself
>Should you change your mane and tail color? Your eye color? Both are possible thanks to your hardware
>Or just leave as you did previously?
>Anything else you are going to do before heading back to the alley?

>Looking around your room as a final check before you bring the mare here you decide that this is a pigsty
>You pick up one of the energy drink cans off of the floor and look at your cart before tossing it in
>There is so much trash here, this might actually very much work in your favor here
>Going through the apartment you take everything you can find that looks even remotely like garbage and chuck it in
>A couple minutes later you have what amounts to a decently sized mountain of garbage
>Scurrying around the place you also find an old stained bedsheet that you put over it and fasten it to the cart
>One last thing before you go, you stand in front of the mirror and tap your bracelet
>Your mane color quickly shifts from the usual grey to a muted purple and your contacts turn your eyes into something less bat-like
>A jacket over your back hides the wings easily enough, it's routine by now
>Satisfied with your work you hook the cart up to your back with the harness and leave, taking the elevator down
>Down in the lobby you pass by the reception and hear the tail end of a conversation from behind a locked door
>"-with MY water will rue the day they crossed me", the angry shouts of your landmare are heard, no doubt standing behind a quivering technician
>You hurry your step just ever so slightly as you make it out into the street
>The acid rain thankfully has stopped and things are as uneventful as they could be
>It doesn't take you more than a couple minutes to move back into the alley and you unload your trash into the container
>While nopony is looking you pull out the mare who thankfully has not disappeared into the cart and use the bedsheet to cover her back up
>It is at that moment where the sirens come back, getting louder and louder quickly
>They are still searching, but they might again pass the alley like earlier
>Or maybe you should try and make a run for it?

>Your head jumps between the now mare-filled cart, the dumpster and the entrance of the alley
>With your build you are very much not outrunning a one legged, emaciated foal so you only really have one option
>Doing what every pony in your situation clearly would have done you reenact your best homeless pony impression
>Diving into the container you pull out some of the trash and cover the pony in your cart with it
>Really, that shower earlier today comes biting you in the ass, you smell way too good for a hobo
>No matter, you doubt station compliance, which is the main police force under the Big Four, will sniff you to figure that out
>New Equestria is split up into smaller units of management, called a station, which a pony is stuck in unless they get a digital invitation to an adjacent station
>Great way for keeping your population neatly split between rich and poor and under control
>Covering up the trash pile in your cart that you really hoped you might finally be rid off you sigh
>Thankfully, ponies going through garbage looking for things to use and sell isn't unheard off, especially in a slum station like this one
>Another thing that comes to your mind is going ahead and checking what has gotten the security so up in arms
>Their task queue has been basically unsecured for years, it is an open book to anypony willing to dig just a little
>They know, but it makes for a nice intimidation tactic for anyone worried about the police being after them when they check
>Small robbery, corporate espionage, nothing really out of the usual that would warrant this much of a task force presence
>A voice rips you out of your thoughts
>"Hey you, hooves up NICE AND SLOW", it shouts into the alley and you immediately jump up
>You turn your head and a bright flashlight shines in your face
>The seconds are tense and the cone of light moves around the alley for what feels like minutes, yet your HUD tells you it was just a couple seconds
>"Just a street rat", the pony on the other end says into a radio before turning around and leaving
>Your heart is thumping and you are frozen in terror for a couple minutes
>Fuck this was close, you say as you glance back at the mare that got you into this situation
>Should you wait? Just get the hell back to your home? Try and get more info on what's going on?
>You take a deep breath to think about your next move here

>Absolutely no point dilly dallying any further, her life might be in danger
>You're not a doctor so you can't really tell, especially without your interface cable
>Who the heck still uses hardwired connections in the current day and age age?!
>Hooking up the cart to your back with its harness, you begin pulling
>Gosh darn she is HEAVY even with wheels under her
>What you wouldn't give for an antigrave carriage right about now
>Fortunately for you, nopony bats an eye as you pass the streets with a cart filled with trash
>Just another day in the life of new equestria
>The way to your apartment is a little strenuous but not eventful
>What you aren't quite so happy with is what you see as you pass through the door to your complex
>Just as you are entering the lobby, the door behind the reception opens and an angry landmare steps out
>She spots you, spots the trash heap in your cart and starts to go even redder
>"What is the MEANING of this?", she starts screaming at you
>"A trash rat in MY apartment? NOT ON MY WATCH", she turns around and calls back into the room she just came out of
>"Guards, someone call the guards and have this eye sore removed!", she demands before stepping towards you
>She really doesn't look happy, not that you've ever seen her look happy anyways
>Right now she is putting her hoof to her bracelet and your own contacts zoom in on her eyes, seeing a security HUD open up
>Full view lenses too, interesting

>Oh shit, oh fuck what do what do whatdowhatdowhatdo
>Blow up a pipe nearbie? Overwriting water pressure might work but could take too long
>Retreat? Where would you even be going?!
>In panic you fall back to natural instincts and screech like the bats of old
>A defense mechanism that has been known to be quite effective on cybernetics, especially auditory ones
>Something something your specific frequency of screeching interfering something something
>It's not something you ever put too much dedication into learning how it works, just that it does
>The landmare stops mid-movement and pins her ears to her head
>No earpiece but she looks a little stunned for the moment
>You quickly regain your composure though and begin to apologize
>She seems still a little out of it, which might be working in your favor
"This is... it is part of a modern art piece that I am working on, a comment on some aspects of current society, the potential future we might be barreling towards and the connections we lost"
>You try and sound as pretentious as possible
"This 'trash' signifies the lows that we go through", you begin to explain pulling something out of your ass
>The mare just stands there, flabbergasted for a couple seconds
>And then the unthinkable happens... she starts to smile
>"Oh my gosh, I didn't know we had such a refined artist living in this place! I assume you were heading up to your room? My sincerest apologies!",
>She gets kind of close and personal to you
>"Darling, you must tell me more about your work! Perhaps even a private showing? I would oh so adore seeing a master at their work!"
>This is getting weird, but she definitely ended up buying your lie
>You glance back at the trash pile in your cart hiding the mare

Full view lenses just allow the lense to project an image over your entire field of view. There is partial view lenses which are way less expensive but also only have a very small portion of your FoV usable as a screen. FV can also overlay colors and stuff like that over your entire eye like we've done to hide our batpony eyes, PV can't do that

>You shake your head and give her a frown
"Sorry, miss. No can do, I best work in private but I shall let you know where to see the piece once it is completed"
>You mull over your response, trying to add that little bit extra to not get kicked out of your apartment
"When one works on a piece like this, the mood needs to be just right, a certain bleakness being portrayed requires the same bleakness to be present during creation"
>Looking her up and down you nod
"Having your positive presence would unfortunately lead to a distraction from my goal that may taint this work, perhaps another time, when I work on a more positive project?"
>"Oh, oh yes, I absolutely understand", she says, eagerly nods and steps aside, offering you access to the elevator
>Pressing the button you wait a couple harrowing seconds before the elevator arrives with a ding
>The ponies inside unstrap themselves and head out, leaving you alone in the carriage and you quickly press the panel
>Outside the mare gives you a big smile and eager wave as the doors shut and you are once again alone and in peace
>With the sudden urge to blow up a pipe, now that you are out of immediate danger
>But why exactly would you do that and which pipe would you want to overload in the first place?
>The thoughts keep you occupied until you finally arrive on your floor, step out and make your way to your room with a brisk pace
>Nopony is around to see you enter and you shut the door with a sigh of relief
>First things first, you get rid of all the garbage that you've dumped on the poor mare, making sure she hasn't suffocated under there in the meantime
>Again, not a doctor but she is still breathing just as calmly as she did when you found her
>Next you open the fridge and greet shroomie, noting that while the sandwich you left in there is still in the same position, the fungal growth is covering most of it already
>Girl seems to very much be enjoying the treat you brought
"Got someone over, so be good, ok?", you give the mold a smile before once again closing the door to the fridge
>So...
>You now have a sleeping, half nugget mare in your still quite frankly very dirty apartment
>This is certainly not how you imagined your first time bringing a mare home would go...

>While you're currently in relative peace and safety you decide to check up on the progress of your hack
>The countdown gives you an estimated 72 minutes and 13 seconds remaining until completion
>After that you will have to start and set up a fake business, fake bank accounts and do all the re-routing shenanigans to make sure the money can't be traced
>That and you should also decide where you want to send it to in the end or what you want to do with it
>The longer a big sum of money is in your possession, the riskier it is and the higher the chance someone will find out
>Would suck if you were going to get caught because of such a rookie mistake
>For now, you have other things you gotta deal with
>Namely a mare that is currently unconscious and possibly (but you believe not) in life-threatening condition
>Hurrying into your bedroom you start going through a box of wires that you have gathered over the years
"No, no, not it, not that one either, too big, WAAAYY too big, this one might break her, broken...", you dig and dig
>Until you are at the bottom, a single cable remaining
>One of the oldest but most sturdy pieces of connector hardware that you have
>It's a simple one but you never had problems with that plug, it has fit into every socket so far
>You wonder how compatible that mare's socket would be with your other connectors
>Not that it really matters, you get back out and connect the one end of the wire to your hoofband and are about to insert yourself into her receptacle-
>What the heck are you doing, you're better than this
>Going back into your room you pull out a small dongle that you gently plop over the plug hanging off your computer
>There, protection. No hacker worth their salt should ever connect to an unknown port without one of these
>The HUD in your vision confirms the successful installation of a sandbox adapter
>Alright, here goes... gently, gently
>Why are your hooves shaking y-you have totally done this before many times!
>A click confirms that you have successfully made contact
>What happens next was unexpected as it was terrifying
>Lines of information and code cover your vision and you fall backwards, still tethered to the mare you weren't going far though
>Windows opening left and right, data being down- and uploaded, connections being secured, military encryption standards being installed
>Fuck, this looks terrible, it looks like your protection was torn wide open
>And just as suddenly as everything appeared, everything closes itself again and a single window remains

>Arcano-Harmonic Subcarrier Wave compatible device detected
>SymCom Network initialized.... Done
>Building subarcano link channel.... Done
>Securing with encryption level FROST.... Done
>Awaiting link confirmation from Mainframe.... Failed
>Alternative link device connected, establish C&C?
>Y/N

>The window can be moved aside and doesn't block you from doing anything, luckily

>You spent a moment trying to process what the heck just happened
>Compromised...
>That is the single word that keeps coming up in your mind and you can't help but to become pale
>This might have just cost you everything you've worked for
>Uploads and downloads, what the heck was that all about?
>Quickly you scramble through your files and logs trying to understand what happened
>Firewall reports one prevented attempt to contact a remote server which about coincides with the time of trying to contact that mainframe
>The attempted link bounces a lot and you probably would lose track of it fairly quickly unless you really sit down and try to trace the path it would have taken
>Regarding the data that has been transferred....
>A lot of that seems to be local synchronization with your bracelet, genetic imprint data, time resync, positional data
>There was also a download of recent news stories from multiple news feeds, nothing that would look suspicious to anypony
>Multiple files have been loaded from the mare to your bracelet too, puppeteer, sdiag, scomd, to name a few
>Curiously enough, none of these files have been run and your virus scanner returns clean results on all of them
>No new background processes either, although that doesn't mean much
>Something capable of overcoming the protection dongle might have very well messed way deep with your system files
>You glance down at your ol' reliable, you've had this baby for a long, long time
>Guess in addition to the new pair of lenses a new processor bracelet is in order
>With a tentative nod you confirm the Yes option on the prompt and your lenses... crash
>Your HUD disappears and the entire bracelet system re-initializes
>The boot prompt is concerningly different now
>A spinning snowflake, with the text Project FROST below it shows up in your peripheral vision
>Your earpiece comes to live: "Preparing C&C environment, requesting level of available security... biometric security container detected, installing..."
>A progress bar appears in front of you, "overwriting bio-secure..."
>If it was possible to become even paler, you might just have done that
>All your more sensitive work has been stored inside this biometrically secured partition
>"Completed. Project FROST C&C loaded. Puppeteer ready to engage", your earpiece tells you and a new HUD returns
>This one looks way more militaristic and simple
>And right in the corner you spot a small illustration of a pony, two of the legs marked as missing
>Multiple other warnings are also displayed
>A status above notifies you that routine PERMAFROST is currently engaged, giving you the option to cancel that task

>A closer glance at the warnings brings up multiple things of note
>Missing comm-link transceiver and arcano-focus is one alert that is visible next to the head
>Missing Aerial mobility thrusters above the diagram's back
>Seems like there is more than just her legs missing
>Of course, missing movement units front and back
>sdiag must be some kind of diagnostics tool you think, calling it with the help flag displays a LOT of options available to you
>As you expected, it serves as a deep dive into whatever processes are currently running and whatever the sensors are currently picking up
>A deep scan sounds like a good idea at first, you should make sure you know what you are getting into here
>The diagram on your HUD begins to update, more warnings popping up
>Movement unit front: PERF. DEGR.
>A broken bone is displayed in the upper part of her leg
>Arcanocore: PERF. DEGR.
>Neuro-Stimuli-Level: Low
>Neural activity: Lowered by external neuro-stimuli
>Metabolism: Lowered by external neuro-stimuli
>A list of processes can be called upon as well, most of them meant to run "mundane" tasks like interpret neurological signals to drive the many artificial muscles
>puppeteerd can also be found in the list, a quick info call on the process tells you
>"Surpression of neurological pathways and injection of external signaling"
>The description makes you shudder ever so slightly, even though you aren't sure what that is supposed to mean
>PERMAFROST controls multiple sub-processes, including a neuroinj process

>sdiag gives you access to her queue of commands she has been tasked to follow
>There is only a single one: ESCAPE
>Logs are harder to access... which is to say neigh impossible
>The system doesn't seem to have any conventional memory banks to store information on, which greatly surprises and confuses you
>Instead, trying to access any kind of system logs returns an error that just tells you SDTD, something you have no real clue what that means
>You have to do something about her leg, though
>If you just leave the break she might end up crippled for the rest of her life
>Or you might cripple her for the rest of her life but a splint should not be that difficult to apply, right?
>A quick search on the net give you an albeit simplified but hopefully sufficient guide
>Need something to keep her leg straight... and something to tie it all up nicely
>Maybe a couple of wires will do? No, no that isn't gonna stay tight enough
>There is your bedsheets that you can use, not like you have really made use of them otherwise since you came here
>Hard to hold on to a blanket while hanging down from a bar of metal
>As for something to keep the leg straight, you glance at your table and going at it, smash it to pieces, using two of the legs
>This proves difficult at first and you decide to just use a torch to heat up the legs and pull the molten plastic off
>Splint materials: Check
>You head over to the mare, and take a deep breath
>The next part is gonna suck, you think to yourself as you read the instructions
>Carefully you take her leg and begin jiggling it around until you feel the two pieces of bone fitting together
>It feels wrong and all, it's hard to not just drop her leg and run away
>But you absolutely can't take her to a hospital either, the feds would be all over here in minutes you're sure
>After securing the leg in the (hopefully) correct position, you gently put it back down
>You are about to deactivate PERMAFROST when you are reminded that she might be dangerous when she wakes up
>A dead-man's switch should do, triggered on hostile attack or immobilization
>Anything else you forgot to do before you wake her up? Or should you just bite the bullet
>Maybe you should write a goodbye letter to Shroomie....

>Even with two legs missing and one broken, she might still be able to kill you with... sawblade teeth? Laser eyes?
>You lift open her mouth just ever so slightly and it doesn't look like she has any kind of moving teeth that could cut you to pieces
>puppeteer seems to allow you to modify the task queue that you've seen earlier
>ESCAPE
>You mull it over and decide it might be best to cancel that objective, lest you want her jump out of the window or something
>For a second you consider adding a "DON'T KILL ME PLEASE" command to the list but maybe extending a hoof in friendship is the way to go
>Better not mess with the rest of it until you have a good idea of what the heck is going on
>Not like you can't go ahead and issue the command later
>If you are not dead by then
>Also you just remembered that shroomie probably can't read, what the hell were you thinking
>You walk up to the fridge door and open it for him? her? it? to see what's going on
"If I don't make it out of this alive, take good care of this place for me, a'right?"
>As you look at the fridge you chuckle
"You know, you'd make a really cool art project, all things considered"
"What? No of cooourrrseee I'm not delaying, what the heck a-"
"Oh my gosh, yes ok, I'll get it, I'll wake her up! Geeeezz, so impatient!"
>You slowly turn around and look at sleeping beauty still lying in the cart
>With a deep breath, you call upon puppeteer and disengage PERMAFROST with a shaky hoof to your bracelet
>"INITIALISING NEURO-STIMULI, INITIALISING MOBILITY DRIVERS"
>The warning from earlier about neural activity being subdued is replaced with "APPLYING COUNTER-MEASURES"
>Throughout her entire body you can hear the quiet sounds of motors beginning to whirr and she starts shaking
>Before after what felt like minutes she pops open her eyes with a gasp for air
>An involuntary spasm of her leg sends you flying into the couch with an "Oof" and your breath being forced out of your lungs
>Ouch, that'll be a bruise at least for sure
>She tries to wiggle around and get up, her expression panicked and her breathing nearing hyperventilation levels
>"What? Where?", her icy blue eyes dart around the room and fall on you
>Something deeply unnerving is how they focus on you, as if they were staring right into your soul
>Multiple warnings are flashing on the screen now, one of them saying "Mental Instability: PANIC. Apply countermeasures?"
>But the words that stand out the most to you are "PROJECT FROST: ONLINE"

"Hey, hey please calm down you're back in the world of the living"
>While trying to move your sides tell you a very decisive fuck you and you flinch
>But this is important so you decide to power through the pain
>She keeps trying to thrash about in the cart, making quite a ruckus
>For a second you think about making use of your natural powers of eeEEEEE, but she might pick that one up as a war cry
>....or a mating call, for all you know
>Trying to get closer while avoiding her limbs you decide to sit down next to her and carefully reach out with a hoof
>You put it on her side and gently try to radiate your own calmness in hopes it manages to make her feel safer
"While this place may look and smell like a dumpster, I can assure you it won't get you compacted like the real deal", you attempt to lighten the mood with a joke
>Her eyes are still glued on you but at least her panicked movements have stopped for now
"Your hindleg is broken, so you should do yourself the favor and not move it too much, at least not until it is healed a little at least"
>The mention of her broken appendage makes her glance down towards it and flinch as she moves it ever so slightly
"I brought you to my place, found you in a dumpster outside... don't ask why I was looking through the trash", you look away, scratching your neck
>The warning of Mental Instability has by now disappeared as she seemingly relaxes at least somewhat
>"A... dumpster?", she asks, her voice sounding smooth and gentle, a voice you feel like you could trust immediately
>It does have a certain... digital undertone to it though
>"Memory access available", your HUD notifies you as the SDTD status is lifted
>She looks around and puts her one good hoof to her chin. "Yes... I think I was... running"
>The mare seems rather confused at her current predicament
>Her gaze falls down onto your hoof and the wire snaking towards her neck
>Reaching up with a hoof her face contorts into terror
>"H-have I been captured? Who are you? Are you with them?! Oh by the stars please, l-let me leave I don't... I can't.."
>She breaks out in shivers again as she tries to push you away with her front hoof
>At least this time it is not a kick throwing you through the room
>She at least seems receptive to your words right now, so maybe questions are in order? Or perhaps an introduction?
>Or you could try something entirely different, your brain loves coming up with weird ideas and things to say recently

>Is getting high on mold a thing, could that be the cause for your sudden glints of genius?
>You take just a quick glance at your fridge and give it a short frown
>Certainly something you have to talk about later on, getting high off of your roommate sounds less than ideal
>Sure hope Shroomie isn't the addictive type
"Hey, hey easy there. You're not captured, even though I...", you look down at half of her limbs missing, "I doubt you'll get far on your own, the state you are currently in"
>The prospect of not actually being in captivity certainly helps her relax just ever so slightly, even though she still seems tense
"I jacked in so I could wake you up, you were out... well, cold. Here, let me just unplug this"
>Gently reaching to her neck a shiver jolts through her body as you put your hoof down on the plug, pulling it out carefully
>The HUD in your vision flickers and a lot of the diagnostics disappear, but the overview of her stays up
>"Hardlink lost. Wireless link via arcano-subcarrier established" flashes next to it a couple times before disappearing
>Putting the wire down you decide to help her up into a seating position, using a dirty bundle of clothes to support her from falling over
>"Let's start with introductions, alright? I'm 2dr4c00l4sk00l", you proudly proclaim
>She stares at you in disbelief at that name and a disappointed frown starts showing on her face
>It takes you every bit of willpower to not break out in laughter but eventually you can't help but start snickering
>"H-hey, are you making fun of me?", the mare asks, lowering her eyes at you with a scowl
"O-oh gosh no, I was just making a joke! I went by many names, Shutin, HyperS0ni3, Crookuter.... Recently BitRot as well"
>You hold out a hoof. "Nice making your acquaintance, who are you?", you give her a friendly grin, your teeth showing in the process
>Carefully she takes your hoof and starts shaking it
>"Fully Remotely Operated Subversion & Termination unit", she introduces herself formally, her voice taking on a slightly robotic undertone
>The name makes your blood freeze in your veins and the kind of hardware she is carrying is beginning to make just ever so slightly more sense
"Your uh... hardware and software sure is nuts. The wrong pony would love to strip you for parts for the blackmarket.... did you get your cyberware from... them? Who are they?"
>"The identity of the Investors is not known to this unit as security clearance has been revoked"
>"This unit's combat readiness is at.... calculating.... 37%. Missing hardware imposes penalty and must be corrected at earliest convenience"

>You cock your head at mare in front of you, her robotic demeanor seeming really fishy to you
"You aren't an android by any chance, are you?", she very much sounds like one
>She cocks her head at you before frowning at you, losing that robotic edge
>"A robot? Heaven's no, how could you say something like that! I'm a mare, through and through!"
>Looks like you struck a bit of a nerve there, nice going genius
"I am... sorry, I didn't mean that", you try to apologize and your ears droop as you look away
>"I.... I am a mare, right?", she sounds exceedingly unsure and you catch her staring at her one hoof
>There is a silence between the two of you, a crushing one that lasts for minutes before you try and speak up
>It's hard trying to find the right words in this situation, so you decide to scooch a little closer
>Putting a hoof to her shoulder in a comforting manner, she glances at you, tears have started welling up in her eyes
>Her hoof slowly moves to yours, holding it
>You can feel a her heart beating, it's enough to give her a satisfying answer
>A simple nod was all it took for her to give you a slight smile and she wipes her face
"When I first jacked in and started reading your diagnostics I found a single command in your task queue... Escape", you start slowly
"Can you tell me what happened? How did someone with this much tech in her brain end up in a dumpster, with missing legs?"
>She looks down at the two slots that are supposed to serve as attachment for her limbs and looks hopefully at you
"Didn't find them with you in the trash, unfortunately", shaking your head she deflates visibly
>"Escape....", she holds a hoof to her head and presses her eyes shut, "I remember... running...."
>"There is this lab, I remember them taking things from me, things that are me..."
>The poor pony talks about waking up from stasis, just like the one you woke her up from, feeling like she lost another piece of herself
>Then she woke up one final time, not to any schedule but to someone telling her to leave, to run...
>She couldn't stay here, she had to get out
>So she did what she was commanded to and she ran
>Her memory is spotty but she remembers being followed
>Flight, from a roof, gliding away
>Shots from below and behind, fire, excruciating simulated pain where her leg is meant to be
>Holding a hoof to her forehead she explains about data streaming into her head, someone desperately wrestling for control
>But she was told to escape and she always fulfills her mission
>And then she fell from the sky, like a rock as her thrusters were stripped from her
>A roof, the edge of a roof....
>Wind rushing past her ears
>A loud thud and the smell of rot
>This is where her memory seems to end
>The poor thing is just staring at her hoof, her entire body violently shuddering as her memory banks...
>Gosh, you just realized why you couldn't access her memory banks.... they used her brain to store the data, which is highly illegal...

>Someone as powerful as this probably doesn't have much regards for the law either
>Especially if they are associated with the big four, they can basically do anything
>Even having access to brain memory mapping is something highly dubious, there was a reason it was outlawed
>Not only does it require part of the brain to be made completely inaccessible by the pony for normal usage
>Which often means some functionality is impaired, many ponies who chose to get BMM tend to use their emotion processing part
>But it also is almost impossible to extract information and doing so forcefully is more than just torture to the poor pony having the information extracted
>That makes it very inconvenient for law enforcement to gather data of the ponies they are interrogating
>It is also really hard to detect in the first place, especially if you've never had contact with something like it before
>Certainly not an uncommon upgrade to get for data brokers vouching for the security of their secrets
>Much better than biometric storage, too, because that is just an encrypted data partition on a computer unlocked via DNA trace
"You know, you could have landed on the cold hard ground so... look on the bright side I'd say? You escaped!", you try and cheer her up
>She gives you a weak smile in response but seems appreciative of what you are trying to do
>Once again you apologize about mistaking her as an android, just the way she was talking about herself sounded very robotic in nature
>Going as far as giving us a unit designation instead of a name
>The mare gives a small chuckle and tells you most ponies have called her Frost up to this point
>You can't help but remark on how fitting that name feels
>Taking a good look at the sockets for the missing limbs, they seem to be... intact
>If you had to guess she automatically disconnected the broken limbs... and horn.... and wings
"Was there more like you?"
>She cocks her head at the question
"You know, more ponies like you at that facility? Did more of them break out with you?"
>Her head shakes, "I... more like me, yes, I think... I think I was the only one to run... but I might not be..."
>Looks like her memory is still spotty
"You always fulfill your mission you said, do you have an choice in that?"
>She tells you no, she has no choice in adding commands, but she has to obey them
>Commands always come from her linked C&C though
>Out of curiosity, you check the price on leg prosthetics
>And have to cringe at how expensive some of the higher level gear is
>If you find a shady blackmarket seller or doctor you might be able to get something for a couple hundred creds though
>Not that you really have the money, Frost's C&C system basically wiped your hacking partition clean
>A few viruses are safe in your backup but you need a new job, and soon

>At least you now have somewhat of an idea of what the error accessing her memory banks means
>But it also dawns upon you that any kind of programming requires her to be conscious, which is a terrifying thought
>You can't imagine that being a pleasant sensation in any sense of the word
>At least her emotional parts seem to still be present, which on one hoof kind of surprises you
>Or the fact that her C&C that has ended up on your terminal is able to confidently read her fear, reactions and interpret her physiological signals
>Could mean there must be a complete personalized map of her entire systems somewhere in there, but it is not something you ever dealt with
>No clue how to access that or what you would even do with that information once you have it
>Fiddling around with your bracelet you take a deep look at your hack and the lost data from your biomatrix
>Hacking in today's world usually requires you a complex chain of of exploits that are run by an assisting AI, an abort tends to set you back to zero
>That and you siphoning credits is happening in small amounts as to not trigger security systems
>One of the reasons why it takes such an absurd amount of time, really
>Most of the funds have been directed away from your target but unfortunately, you lost access to the offshore account they have been sent to
>Your last hope is running a data recovery process on the partition, can't hurt to try at least
"Frost?", you look up at her and she cocks her head, "say, how would your... investors react to an escaped cyborg assassin pony? Deal with it, if you know what I mean?"
>She lowers her eyes before whispering, "they'll sent teams out... usually including one of us, I think. Nopony ever escaped, but some had to be retrieved"
>"I have... never had to retrieve anyone", she lowers her ears and looks away, sounding nervous as her eyes scan the apartment
"Maybe we can jog your memory! Try and put you back to sleep and I can try to mess with- wait no, I have no idea how to work with actual grey matter...", you admit sheepishly
"Could it help if I tried and get some drone images of the skyline from above? Maybe that'll help you remember!", you suggest
>Her attention returns to you with a slight smile, "you would do that for me?", she asks with a bit of hesitation
>All you can do is nod with a grin... until you hear your stomach grumble
>Right, you had 55% of a half eaten sandwich, certainly not enough
>You require a job, badly
>Not only for food, which you need a lot more now considering you have a family of mouths and mycellium to feed!
>And a way to find legs for this currently immobile mare
>Part of you is playing with the idea of mugging a random pony for them, wouldn't be the first time that happens
>Dum idea, stupid shroom high brain
>As for jobs, you usually jack into the net and see what's posted and go from there

>Well, you already have a recovery program running over your partition, all you can do right now is wait and hope
>Maybe one of the access keys to some of your credstores will turn up, the chance is not too bad considering how "small" they are
>As they say, hope dies last
>With Frost being rather immobile right now, you consider if there might be a possibility for her to get to explore the area safely
>A drone might do, you know a couple ponies on the net that might be able to help you out getting access to one
>Some netizens still owe you a favor or two that you can try and make use of
>Looks like you definitely have to jack into the surrounding subnets and do a bit of digging if you want to bring something edible to the table tonight
>You don't like diving from the same place multiple times and you've already hopped online from this complex a few times
>Glancing at Frost, you try figuring out if she'd be ok on her own for a couple hours while you go and do your thing
"Frost? I'll be... gone for a little while. I gotta dive and look around a little, find something to do and all that"
>She gives an understanding nod and wishes you good luck before trying to stretch herself and falling over
>"Eeep!", she lands on the carpet on her back wiggling her two hoofsies helplessly
>You DEFINITELY have to do something about her mobility, you tell yourself as you help her back up in front of the cart, and trash
"You know, if you need something to do... could you try and use this trash to make some art? A sculpture of some kind?"
>A stare at you tells you all you need to know, you sound like you must have gone crazy
>Which honestly, probably isn't too far off the truth, but whatever
"I had to pull some crap out of my ass and pretended to use this trash I hid you in for an art project. Gotta need something to show now, at least"
>Another grin and she starts giggling, "you are a silly pony, Mr. BitRot"
>If she was stable enough, she would have certainly given you a silly pony boop for being so silly
>Alas, that has to wait for a while longer
>She starts trying to stack cans together, humming a small tune to herself as she does so and leaving you to your devices
>Pulling out your Link-Unit from your bedroom you catch a glimpse of her flank as you walk back out
>An icicle surrounded by what seems to be strong winds
>Sitting down next to her on the floor, you put the couple electrodes of the diving gear to your temple and side of your head and lie down
>Before you dive, you try to think of anything you've forgotten, and the kind of persona you want to take on in cyberspace today

>Well, with a certain mare's flanks on your mind you are feeling a little cheeky today
>Or should you say ch33ky as you imagine what your avatar is going to look like
>You snicker to yourself, way too easily amused over your own comedic talent
>Someday you could try and make money with standup, for sure
>Your new very artistic friend casts you a concerned glance at you giggling over nothing
>If only she knew, maybe someday she'll get to enjoy your humorous side
>For now, you like back down, and give the switch on your link box a flick
>In an instance, the world in front of you goes white, your limbs go numb and your body stops moving
>Your mind, on the other hoof, for now just a glowing orb, is being carried into the digital world
>Quickly a body begins to construct itself around you and you use the chance to burn one of your proxies before arriving
>Getting jerked away from your current data highway to the remote entry point you use the nanoseconds to finalize your form
>A blue-ish crystalline and slightly translucent stallion, spikey mane and cold to the touch
>C0ldch33ks is the name you are giving yourself, just as you are unceremoniously dumped into a rather gloomy sub-net
>You were almost gonna call yourself 5exua1Fr0s7r4ti0n but you don't wanna come off as too desperate
>The proxy you've chosen is a real trash heap, but it's a common entry point so it won't be too suspicious
>A couple more ponies step out around the various gates that serve as entrances into this part of the net next to you, but pay no attention to you
>And not just ponies, really
>Creatures of all shapes and sizes, in this place only one's imagination is the limit
>This place is modelled after an old train station from a long time ago, a fitting image for an entry point to the digital world
>Neon signs flood your vision, trying to sell you some shady crap that most certainly isn't entirely legal
>Places like this was where you picked up your first viruses
>Both to use and used on you
>Good times, you think to yourself with a smile
>Something else that is certainly catching your attention though is the visible overview HUD of a certain mare in your peripheral vision
>Well then, you got options now, almost limitless options, in fact
>Visit the job board? Try to scout random networks?
>Or hit up one of the many sellers? Look for drones or prosthetics?
>Scout out some of the people that still owe you something and make use of it?
>Your comm link is already showing you a couple of your acquaintances being logged into the Haven subnet, too
>They might have something interesting to say

>Well, you can't very well buy anything from the various merchants if you haven't got any dough
>And you can't get any creds by just talking to people
>Unless you start pickpocketing their net accounts
>Which is very much an option with a stealth worm program
>There is plenty of ponies who don't keep their firewalls and AVs up to snuff and are somewhat easy to be infected
>You could also try a bigger attack, every subnet usually has at least one controller system that serves the space and carries all the data
>Usually they are hidden or protected, but getting to one of those gives you direct access to whatever is stored on that network
>...or the chance to mess with the subnet as a whole
>You've seen plenty of defaced spaces in your time online, a couple your own doing
>Always a fun prank to pull on ponies
>For now though, job board, you have a family to take care of now!
>You step up to one of the platforms, entering the door of the waiting train
>Immediately your surroundings change and you enter a huge room with monitors scattered all around
>Apart from once again being flooded by neon signs of items "you should most certainly buy!" many of the screens show job offers of all kinds
>This place is also extremely crowded, ponies pushing each other from one place to the next
>There is many different tasks here, ranging from corporate espionage to physical world to ruining other ponies' lives
>The latter is especially popular to be posted by corporations trying to tie up loose ends
>Usually pays really well but comes with a heavy fee of morality
>Tech Hunting is also quite lucrative but somewhat dangerous
>A team of hunters assembles and tries to break into some old, abandoned places to get their hooves on pre-crash tech
>Always sounded to you like some kind of action sim thing and many collectors pay lots of money for old gear
>You'd lie if you didn't imagine being on a tech hunt with a crew someday and conquering vast underground dungeons in the search of treasure
>Kind of every nerdy kid's dream, really
>You keep looking around for more jobs
>Enter corporate network and extract information, create valid fake identities for someone the usual kind of stuff
>There is a couple jobs looking for a hacker to join a crew for a job of some kind
>Never really did much crew playing, but you also never had a mare over or talked to a fungus
>Lots of firsts lately
>Anything you are looking for specifically? Anything that catches your eye?
>Anypony you want to interact with? There is loads here of that, too

>You glance down at your virtual terminal that ponies here use to interact with all the job listing
>Nervously you type in Frost into the search bar and let it run for a couple seconds
>It comes up with a couple results but most of them seem entirely unrelated to a certain cybernetic mare
>A second search for cyborg and anything related also comes up empty
>Finally, you decide to just try and look for any mention of her design
>The one result that comes up makes your blood freeze as you open it and start to read
>"Extremely dangerous prisoner on the run, engagement not recommended"
>"Armed and ready to kill without remorse"
>"Any information that lead to capture highly rewarded"
>The sum of money listed on the job description would make any pony salivate, you have rarely seen this many 0s
>Information is supposed to be sent to an anonymous net-address but it was more or less common knowledge that the server belonged to one of the big four
>From the address you judge it might be dark space, although you can't be entirely sure about that
>Not that it really matters much, if one of them know, all of them do
>That and it wouldn't be the first time where one of the corps used another corp to avoid suspicion
>Quickly sending that mail to the trash you start looking again, a lot more cautious and worried
>At least you hope that nopony here is gonna pay much attention to the job
>Unless employed directly by one of the Big Four, a lot of your kind have a certain disdain for the megacorps in power
>For now you need to find something quick to do though, hopefully something simple
>You have to get food for 3 today
>Browsing through, one of the jobs, while not high paying, promises to be quick and easy
>Simple consulting on security, it's a gig that you've done a few times and usually barely pays anything but it will definitely be enough to feed you a couple days
>Pulling the job to your local datastore you move back into the proxy net
>Despite the traffic, the place looks like it's... missing something
>An idea comes to your head and you quickly hack something together with a model of a sad clown you had stored on your system for some reason
>Game of free shells, anypony passing by can play
>Might serve as a bit of passive income from some naive ponies
>Then you ring up the pony posting the job request
>A small warm orange unicorn mare picks up with a slight hint of confusion as she spots you
>Hiding one of her purple eyes behind her long, golden mane she looks at your ice persona closely
>"Uh... yes, h-how can I help you?", she stammers, very much nervous

"First of all, a small bit of free advice, if you post any kind of job offer use a burner address. Ponies can gather a lot from just knowing your comm info alone"
>The mare eeps and rubs her leg nervously as she thanks you
>Morning Dawn, as she has introduced herself, tells you that she would like to join ponies like you in becoming cyber-vigilantes!
>"There is so much good I see runners do and I want to do my part! Having ended up in the slums really gives a mare a new perspective!"
>Thankfully you were able to convince her to start small and not go for the big fish immediately
>That would probably get her killed real quick and that'd be a damn shame
>About an hour later, you are done giving her advice on opsec
>Before you go, she asks you if you'd be available if she needed help in the future, sending you her comm link contact
>After that, she hangs up with a grateful smile on her face and leaves you to your own devices
>Checking your creds account you notice something delightful:
>You might even be able to order takeout today!
>And a couple more days after that, too!
>None of that nasty, low quality street shit either, some real actual food
>Today feels like a good day
>Or you could try and spend some of it on the cybermarket
>It's been a while but you could stick around this place for a bit longer if you wanted to

>You are about to hit the logout button when you turn around to the train that takes you to the job board subnet
>Maybe you can find a clue before you're going home as to where Frost comes from
>Clearly she had help, somebody on the inside
>A technician? Scientist? You wouldn't really know
>But if they are on the run, which they must be if they aren't dead by now, then there is probably a job listing about them, too
>Stepping once more into the trashy looking train car to arrive at your previous sub-net
>Scouring the job board for another anonymous posting you look for anything that might be something to lead you in the right direction
>There is multiple bounties, but at first glance nothing that seems interesting
>Regardless, you download all of the files to your deck and decide to sift through it later today
>You consider checking for a drone to buy or hack before you leave though
>While it isn't super complicated to hack a drone, finding a good one that is hackable is another matter entirely
>You have a few ponies that owe you something and might already have one or two under their control which you could probably get one from the
>Why put in the work of having to find one if somebody already did the hard part?
>It is a fun thing to try and do, but you don't wanna leave Frost hanging, too long
>Oh my gosh, you forgot about the half nugget, you sure as heck hope she hasn't tipped over again and is wiggling like a turtle on its back
>Quickly pulling up your virtual menu, you logout and your cyber-body dissolves as your world goes white
>And all of a sudden your eyes snap open, barely able to see anything in your dingy apartment
>The smell assaulting you seems worse than when you left
>Maybe because you left the fridge open the entire time, at least shroomie probably kept good watch over you
>Also, while you can't SEE much, you can sure as heck feel something
>After a short moment of your eyes adjusting to the dark room, you see a mare that is using you as a pillow
>Her ear flicks gently while she calmly snores quietly, her chest rising and lowering in the same rhythm as yours
>In a sense, it is kind of adorable
>Hopefully shroomie isn't getting jealous over this
>Well, stuck under a mare like this is another first to check off from your bucket list
>Could order takeout or maybe wake her up
>Browse the web? Try and contact someone?
>There is a lot you can do, the world is yours for the taking tonight!

>Well, if you were to order food for delivery you would have to still get up and get it from the door
>And that would mean waking up sleeping beauty currently using you as a pillow
>Glancing over to your other roommate, you realize that keeping the door open like that will probably break the fridge
>Not that that thing was expensive in the first place, you guess, and the fact it even still worked was a miracle on its own
>Your stomach growls angrily at you for even considering skipping out on another meal
>Who knows, the clock says it's only 4PM, takeout won't close for quite a while
>Maybe Frost here just needed a quick nap and is gonna be up and ab- awake, at least, soon
>If all else fails, you promise your protesting belly that you'll be having the breakfast of your life tomorrow
>Gently putting a hoof to her ear absentmindedly you begin brushing her mane
>She shifts just ever so slightly but stays asleep, a small smile on her face as her head seems to lean into you
>Might wanna get started on finding a drone for her, you doubt you'll be able to afford high quality legs that soon
>Probably worth just jumping back into the net for that, you could also do some more exploration around
>Chat up ponies, and the like
>Your creds currently are... not the most riches you ever had but at least you aren't piss poor right now
>Gotta try and think of what kind of drone you want to be looking into as well
>Press the link box again? Just browse the net via your HUD and stay in real life?
>How are you planning to go about acquiring a drone? Talk to some of your business partners or fellow runners?
>Buy one? Try and find/hack one?
>Or, once again, just waking up Frost is an option if you want to get free

Thanks anon. It was as draining as ever, but I fixed a problem I was fighting with for fucking MONTHS
>Just pulling up your normal HUD for now you decide to skip out on a deep dive
>While the practise of diving isn't inherently dangerous, all your senses get disconnected completely from reality
>Or rather, get overwritten by the digital sensations, which amounts to about the same
>As fun as a direct mental uplinks are to experience, they also leave your body completely vulnerable
>That and you can't really feel what's happening outside always makes you a little nervous
>It wouldn't be the first time a pony died of hunger or thirst because they've stayed too long inside the net
>Some say when your body dies while connected to the otherworld your ghost will haunt the net for the rest of eternity
>The thought alone makes your neck hair stand up straight and wonder how many avatars you met might be actually dead
>More sophisticated link boxes tend to be able to recognize pain of the physical body and at least warn you inside the simulation
>But that is high end gear that can monitor vitals, like a diving pod and similar
>Frost... her cybernetics could probably become useful in the future, even more so if you actually do decide and get a crew to Tech Hunt with
>Especially if you end up finding some high grade cyberware, you can certainly check in with a local ripperdoc
>Never really considered getting yourself augmented so you don't know any personally, but your fixer can probably set you up
>Is your foal's dream actually on its way to become reality? It's hardly believable to you
>As you open up the catalogue for drones you decide to actually get food ordered for later, about 3 hours from now sounds ideal
>Chinese sounds nice, there is this supposedly real good and cheap china place around the corner
>Maybe you could try and hack your way into the place and get some food for free tonight, a simple worm should do and you'd keep your creds for important stuff
>The list of drones is vast and goes from ground only to burrowing to flying drones, some with weapons and some with cameras
>Others are rescue drones that you've seen deployed by emergency services before
>Crawly things that can get under and together are able to lift things a lot heavier than them
>A lot of them are way out of your price range, but there is a couple really trashy looking ones that might be affordable
>You glance to the wagon and see that Frost has tried and stacked up, crushed and smashed together a couple of the cans into what seems to be a small pony figure
>All in all, it looks way better than anything you could have done and is probably enough to satisfy anypony that is questioning your artistic genius!
>Maybe you could add a bit of shroomie as the figure's mane and tail?
>Make her an art piece too, that might even help you keep her from being forcefully removed by your landlady

>It finally occurs to you that there is a mare.
>Sleeping on your chest
>Your face starts becoming red like a tomato as you realize what that usually means
>Oh gosh, please don't get the wrong idea here, shroomie
>You look over at the fridge and put a hoof to your mouth, shushing your fungal friend
>A huff escapes you as feel like you are being mocked by the mycellium creature
>Looking around for something you pick up a can that Frost has left lying around and throw it at the fridge door, hoping to close it
>While you do end up hitting the door with it, which makes a pretty loud clang as it impacts, you fail to close the door
>Frost shifts and her eyes slowly and groggily open as she yawns
>She looks you straight in the eyes before nuzzling her face into your neck fluff
>At the same time, you receive a message from Morning Dawn, the header subject having SEVEN!!!!!!! exclamation marks
>"I found a fixer like you told me! And she already has a job for me this is so cool, thankssomuchagain!"
>You can almost hear the excitement coming from this message, and can only imagine how giddy she must be
>"Big Cash (that's my fixer!!!) told me it's an easy task, just right for someone starting out like me!"
>"But she still gave me the advice to go find a capable pony who has some experience to show me the ropes!"
>"Since I... don't really know anypony else yet, would you be alright with helping me?! I'LL PAY YOU OFC!"
>"Also, it would be cool if we had a team, right? Is that something we do in /the biz/?"
>"Love <3, Morning Dawn!"

>By the stars above, is mold spores all you needed to be a hit with the ladies?
>Why haven't you tried this a long time ago
>Actually you know exactly why, mold is a gosh darn health hazard and you'll probably have mold grow in your lungs or something
>Whatever it is, you sure as heck can't complain as you enjoy the sensation of another pony so close to you
>It's at this point where you notice how absolutely starved for physical contact you have become over the past couple years
>The mere fact that someone is enjoying your chest fluff like this is giving your entire body the tinglies
>And your fifth leg is starting to want to make an appearance
>Not today, old friend, not when having someone over for the first time in your life that is not a work relationship
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead", you smile at her as she pulls her face out of your neck and tries to sit up
>She succeeds with a little bit of your help and she gives you a grateful smile
>Your HUD pops up with a status update of the mare telling you that her emergency energy cells were able to recharge to 75%
"Real good job on that thing by the way", you gently pick up the small pony statue that Frost managed to somehow make with one hoof
>You didn't notice it before, but she used a torn up can to make tiny little bat wings attached to it
>It dawns upon you that this is supposed to be a figure of you
>All in all, it really does warm your heart to a degree that you aren't used to
>Something that definitely catches you by surprise though is how comfortable and relaxed she seems to be around you
>In her position you would be jumping at the slightest movement
>You wonder if she is so advanced that she can feel danger approaching even while asleep? Something to inquire about
>For now though, you finish up ordering food and get up to close the fridge, gotta keep shroomie cool and all that
>And like a good citizen you actually pay for your meal with your newfound "fortune", thanks to Morning Dawn
>Speaking of her, you should probably answer that mail of hers
"Be careful when it comes to finding your fixer, Dawn. There is a lot of ponies out there pretending to do the job but just getting you in trouble"
"Or worse, hoof you over to the first corpo that begins to ask questions"
"A good fixer is able to keep secrets, not ratting out anyone even if their life depends on it"
"That is a quality we runners share. We rather burn everything than to give out information"
"Find their reputation. What do other runners say about them? Scout as somepony unrelated to them in any way"
"Make sure you don't hit a copycat. It would be a shame for you to get screwed over before you even had the chance to start"
>Frost cocks her head as you dictate your words, not being used to having company

>"Who are you talking to? Fixer? Getting screwed over?", she curiously asks
"A mare I met earlier that is... well, she is excited to get into my world and become a runner"
"Seems like she has a job lined up and asked for my help. Should get me at least a bit more cash"
>The cyborg nods understandingly. "Well, let me know if I can be.. helpful", she trails off as she starts wiggling her one front leg and then frowns
>"Sorry, I guess I'm more dead weight than anything", she sounds a little dejected and her ears lower but you can see her trying to do her best to hide it
"You're a mare of combat, right?", you ask her to which she slowly nods
>You think for a moment before giving her a nod, "I'll look into getting you legs, and after that you can make it up to me, how about it? "
>This does cheer her up a little and she gives a slightly enthusiastic nod
>"Until then I'll... provide intel? Keep a lookout for trouble I suppose?", it is obvious it doesn't sit right with her that she is currently unable to really do anything in her state
>In the corner of your HUD a message flashes: "Remote SubArcanoComm session requested, allow? Y/N"
>Frost looks at you with a hopeful smile before asking you to tell you about the other members of your crew
>It is a little unfortunate to admit, but you don't really have one... except Morning Dawn who might make a decent fit if you ever wanted to go more... social
>As excited, novice and naive as she might be, she is clearly motivated to do the right thing and especially pick up the tools of the trade
>From the bit you managed to talk to her she is also quite clever, and picked up on most of the concepts you explained to her exceedingly quickly and able to extrapolate from there
>She told you she is a bit of a math head and really good with numbers and puzzles, which brought her into an accounting job of a big corp
>It didn't take her long to see how they kept screwing over ponies, especially the already poor ones and it made her sick
>So she decided to mess with reports to assist the firm's clients to not be screwed over, which ended up with her being relocated into the slums and subsequently fired
>Unfortunately, she isn't the best when it comes to technology, never really done a full dive either
>Nor has she ever fired a gun
>The kind of mare that usually ends up coming up with the plans the group follows, you'd say
>While you are at it, you also decide to do some recon on Big Cash yourself
>Information is a little spotty and she seems new on the scene, but she has been quite successful with recent newbies
>Has become known to take on the ponies who just started out and helped them get set up
>Some runners began calling her Big Momma, especially since her avatar in the net has always been a rather big earth pony mare
>Sounds good enough, but also perhaps too good to be true....

>From all the things you can find as of right now, it seems Big Cash seems the be a pretty good starting point
>Part of you kinda wished you had someone like this when you did your first run
>At first you consider pretending to be a newbie to see how good "Mom" really is, but judging from what you've heard, she'd figure that out
>She clearly has to have experience, you suspect she might be a former runner or something similar
>Corpo perhaps, if she has that many powerful connections that she can pull on already?
>Or simply very successful in her previous time
>A mystery that might be worth being uncovered, eventually
"Hey Frost, you can full dive, right?", you ask her as you consider your options on what to do here
>The mare perks up at your question and nods, somewhat hesitantly
>"I can, I think... not that I've ever tried or have been allowed to", she admits, "but I have a lot of data on how runners operate loaded into my head"
>"All theoretical, of course. I have only ever encountered runners in the real world and uh... well...", she trails off, getting somewhat quiet
"If you were to jack in with me, would you be willing to meet someone and help me check them out?"
>That seems to have piqued her interest and she gives a court nod, waving her hoof for you to continue
>She actually even seems somewhat excited at the prospect of getting to enter the virtual world for the first time
>That settles it, once you've given your unicorn protégé the good news the two of you are going to meet "Mom"
>For now you decide to coach Dawn probably be with her for her first Fixer meeting too
>You doubt she has done that yet, considering she hasn't told you any job details in the e-mail
>It's definitely what you would have expected a fledgling runner to do
>Many of them send clear emails with job details and get them busted early
>Or maybe she is pretending to be inept to lower your guard?
>You furrow your brow in thought as you consider the implication of a corporate spy
>But for now you give her the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up to her understanding of your lecture from earlier today

>It's time to hope and see
>The Comm you send back to her is concise: "Proxyport, 20 minutes from now"
>While you're getting ready for the dive with Frost, you trace the location of Big Cash
>Which turns out to be quite a lot harder than you have anticipated, she seems to be the kind of mare that doesn't want to be found
>She finds you instead, so it looks like you just have to hope that your friend is able to coax her out
>Or rely on Morning Dawn to lead the proverbial way
>Food is still a couple hours out, you should be able to handle this no problem
>Wait, is stuff with a lot of preservatives gonna be bad for shroomie? You don't want to hurt your shroommate
>Then you remember the kind of stuff that (judging from the packaging) was in the fridge previously and relax
>Also, chineighse doesn't have too much preservatives anyways, right?
>Someday you should pick up cooking classes and learn that shit
>Telling Frost to get ready you walk into your bedroom, which you should really just rename to storage room at this point and pull back out the ol' reliable
>While frost is still somewhat apprehensive of the idea of having something plugged in, she lets you do your thing
>As soon as the connection is made, her entire body shudders at the sensation
>You wonder if a connection to implanted cyberware feels that intimate or something
>Thankfully, your apartment has multiple network ports you can physically link up to, so you run the wire over to the socket and plug in
>Frost jolts up before dropping to ground with a soft thud, limp
>You stare in horror at your friend and rush over to her, trying to check for a pulse
"Frost? Frost, hey, wake up!", you try to shake her, starting to panic
>The HUD shows her vitality information operating at (for her) normal levels
>Nothing screams for her to be in any kind of danger or drugged state or anything
>PERMAFROST is also not active so your level of panic just doubles at not knowing what the hell is going on
>Time is running out as well, you're supposed to be at the proxy station in about 10 minutes
>A warning catches your attention on your HUD "unknown entity in local subnet"
>Fuck, this is just getting better and better, isn't it?
>You need a plan of action. Stat.

>Hold on a fucking second
>Did you just connect a mare with cyberware running who knows how much pieces of proprietary firmware to the web
>This is probably the most basic and dumbest mistake you have done in recent years and things like that is what cost runners their freedom or even lives
>Who knows how many servers she has broadcast her location to as soon as you plugged her in
>Trying to calm yourself slightly you tell yourself that she is a mare made for stealth
>Just phoning home as soon as she connects to a network is anything but stealthy and would probably get her and her employers busted immediately
>Not that that is important right now because getting your... friend? Salvage? Mare?... back is what you need to focus on right now
>Pulling up the diagnostic details that the C&C provides you with it tells you that her vitals are stable and so is all of the sub-processor chips' operation
>Wow, she has a LOT of coprocessors scattered over her body, most notably directly neural linked processors responsible for movement
>Something that her cranial cyberware does report though is an established deep uplink though
>It starts to dawn on you that she might have ended up on the other side as soon as you plugged her in
>This is the first time you deal with implanted cyberware used to make a connection
>But you do know that as soon as you turn on your link box you feel literally being dragged away into the otherworld
>Lying down next to her you put on the electrodes and close your eyes as you flip a switch hoping you are right with your assumption
>A flash, your senses going numb and you find yourself in... what looks to be your apartment
>Just a lot more clean and... yeah this is nothing but marketing propaganda for any potential buyers wanting to "visit" the place beforehoof
>It's bright, cozy, the furniture looks brand new and you have a sunshine view outside and flowers scattered around

>None of this is as intriguing as the glowing ball of light in the center of the room
>It is pretty obvious to you what this is, it's a consciousness that hasn't manifested an avatar yet
>You walk up close to it and you can absolutely feel her presence here
>A poke and the ball of light begins to swirl around, slowly materializing into the shape of a mare
>White coat, dark blue mane in a ponytail, wings as fluffy as you expect clouds to be
>As she opens her eyes, she looks at you with the coldest, ice blue eyes you have ever seen
>But that smile on her face is warm and comforting as the mare stands in front of you in full digital flesh, no cybernetics at all
>She takes a few careful slow steps around before falling into a canter around the room
>It takes you back when she stops right in front of you and gives you a quick hug
>"You can't believe how nice it feels being able to walk around", she exclaims and then ruffles her wings
>"Well then, I think we are a little pressed on time, right? I already advertised myself as a new runner looking for a fixer"
>She pulls up a virtual screen in front of you, "and look who's decided to bite"
>On the list you find the name "Big Cash" highlighted, a location listed next to her for meeting up, if Frost so desires
>That was... a lot easier than you thought it would be, some would say too easy
>Another message comes in telling you that Morning Dawn has arrived at your meeting point
>The message to Frost says that she only has a couple minutes to show up or Cash is going to dip out and she can kiss her chance at a fixer goodbye
>Looks like you have to make priorities here
>That and you should be prepared for any eventuality, especially if either Morning Dawn or Big Cash aren't who they seem to be
>Gotta make a plan here and it sucks because you didn't used to be the brain of the few groups you have run with before

>Fuck, looking at the mental personification of the mare in front of you, you can't help but notice how gorgeous she is
>In another life you could imagine her being a super mode or something the like
>Definitely high society who would take every stallion's (and probably a couple mares') heart in the blink of an eye
>And she is standing here, with you, a pony that has spent most of his life stuck in the dirty slums
>If this is currently a dream, you don't want to wake up
>And if this is the setup to a cruel joke then you know it will cut you deep
>Unfortunately, you don't have time for idle thoughts like that right now
"You really need to change", you tell the mare sternly, to which she replies with a sigh
>She looks down at herself and her colors begin shifting, her wings disappear in a small burst of light 
>Her mane and tail shrink to a short, somewhat spiky mane
>She now has a dark green mane, a leaf green coat but sticking to her blue eyes
>That should definitely keep her from being an obvious target by anyone who has read the bounties on the job board
>While you are hesitant at leaving Frost alone, you decide that you should definitely also go and pick up Dawn
>It would be rude to keep a lady waiting, or so you have been told
>Not really a surprise why you, so far, have not been a hit with the ladies
>Being Frost's C&C brings a couple of helpful tools you have realized
>One of those being a secured link to send and receive messages over, even messages of audiovisual nature
>At least you doubt you'll lose each other anytime soon
>"Hey, chin up. I'll be alright, ok?", she gives you a gentle smile

>Are your emotions that obvious?! Or...
>Wait, you haven't noticed before but you can... there seems to be the feeling of hope coming through the comm link
>This is a really weird feeling, but it is certainly there
>You can't help but smile in return and nod
>With that, Frost leaves the door and vanishes into the twisted web of sub-nets that make up this world
>The link you share weakens slightly, but you can still feel excitement coming through it
>Well, you have 5 more minutes until you are supposed to meet your potential brain
>One deep breath and you step through the fake apartment door, feeling yourself being dragged through the data highways at lightspeed
>Just to be unceremoniously dumped in a junction hub like the proxy train station
>From here it should just be a short jump to get to your destination
>As you walk through the groups of ponies that are around one of them bumps into you
>A jolt is sent down your spine as he glares at you and moves on with a huff
>What a weirdo, you think to yourself
>You move on, but something feels way off and you feel... heavier
>It is a strange sensation, but you are kind of in a hurry so you keep moving to get to your next gateway
>And just like that, you drop into the train station, exiting another one of the train cars
>The platform is almost empty, apart from a few random ponies milling about
>You glance around before you freeze up as you feel something being pressed against the back of your head
>"Are you the netrunner?", a distorted voice asks you from behind

>Of course you haven't forgotten anything about being a runner
>The first thing you did immediately after that bump in was verify that all your money was here
>And a full system scan, but so far that has come up empty
>Whatever that was, it doesn't seem to be any kind of worm or virus
>A piece of surveillance software that has been installed on you?
>There are no new running processes and your system logs also seem clean
>The system scan should be complete in approximately 15 minutes, you hope that that will shed some light on things
>But you certainly feel like there has been data added to you, which is not something you've previously heard of being possible
>Anyways, there is different matters to deal with right now
"I am /a/ netrunner", you say in a calm voice, not making any rash movements, "and if you have a job, you'd probably have an easier time posting on the job board"
>While dying in cyberspace ends up with you merely being forcefully locked out, it hurts
>It really, REALLY fucking hurts like a bitch and it is NOT a sensation you want to experience. Again.
>You also heard of cases of the pain being so strong that it knocked ponies out in the real world
>Which lead to their capture and probably termination, if you had to guess
>Corps don't exactly tend to take prisoners, and all that
>You slowly turn your head and find that there is not a gun in your face, but a piece of virtual metal pipe
>Having that be swung at your head would not kill you but would give you a massive headache for sure
>It is floating in the grasp of a small unicorn mare, her colors muted gray but you recognize the mane style
"Miss Dawn, I presume?", you take a guess
>The stoic face on the grey ponikin slowly disappears and is replaced by a wide grin
>"You must be C0ldCh33ks then!", she is clearly trying to not break out in laughter at your chosen alias
>Your cheeks are burning and you flap your ears, why the heck did you think THAT was a good name, holy shit
>What are you, 12?
"Uhm... yeaaaa", you admit to which the mare pulls you into a crushing hug that is way stronger than you would have given her any credit for from her looks alone
>"I am so glad you could come! Trust me I am super duper excited to actually do my first run ever! And I already have an idea what I wanna do with the money!"
>"Oh, oh, I've already been told where to meet Big Cash, it's only a couple sub-nets away!", Dawn sends you over the address of a subnet
>A look at the coordinates makes you frown, it is a busy section of the web, a (legal) market place that is known to have a lot of high society and corpos walk about
>The stuff you can buy there is bar none, top notch gear but it is also a common place for corperate netrunners to shop around
>More importantly, it is completely different from the address Frost headed off to
>You have a TERRIBLE feeling about all of this right now

>OK, yes you might just be 12, in a metaphorical sense
>Being a child isn't exactly something you get much opportunities for while living in an orphanage
>Anyways, Cash wasn't going to wait for Frost, you've known about that from the message Frost got
>While it is only logical for the fixer to move on to the next meeting place and not stick around forever
>But that doesn't soothe the unease you are getting
>You use your comms channel to shoot Frost a quick message, asking if everything is alright with her
>The link is strangely silent, but you can tell confidently that it is still there
>What you can tell us the emotion of nervousness on the other end
>Something must be going down where Frost is and you don't like it
>"No interference", is a court responds that comes back a couple seconds later
>Does big cash know you are connected to both of her new clients?
>Is one of them fake? Are both fake?
>The questions keep piling up and you turn to Morning as you narrow your eyes
"Alright, listen. I've done a little of recon myself and while Big Cash on the seems good, I sent a friend to check her out before meeting you"
"I am not sure how that has gone so far but I am nervous. Especially with Big Cash requesting a meeting space that is this... open and filled with runners"
>Morning Dawn cocks her head at you in curiosity, "What's this place like?"
"It's massive. Most ponies believe it is a cluster of multiple different corp servers linked together. Part of the profit sellers make going directly to them"
>Giving the mare a quick rundown, you tell her that the place is heavily crowded with a lot of ponies
>She needs to make sure to watch out, there is a lot of people using the opportunity to cause... bad things to happen to an unsuspecting netizen
>It isn't dangerous per se, she just needs to be careful of who she talks to and what she is saying
>Information in this world is more than powerful in a lot of ways, ways that surpass the digital and reach into the real
>The corpo netrunners are the worst, but in there you explain they are at least somewhat easy to spot
>Usually dark suits, often times with their company's logo clearly visible on it
>They carry themselves with pride, thinking they are hot shit
>Also the reason why it is so fun to mess with them, you pulled a couple of jokes on them in the past
>They are also the ones always buying top of the line gear on any market, easy to filter out
>After that, you go silent for a moment, browsing your file directory as you keep looking at Morning in thought
>Ah, there it is: "Ejector Seat", a small but useful tool that has saved your ass a couple times before
>While it is possible to hold somepony in cyberspace, which as illegal as it is, is a common tactic of runners trying to get intel,...
>...it is just as possible to eject a pony from the network with a different computer program

)
>You rig up a trigger container and set it to either activate on a specific voice command ("Mathematics") from you or your ejection from the network
>Payload: Ejector Seat
>As you tell Morning Dawn that things are gonna be alright as long as she stays vigilant, you give her a pat on the back
>She jumps from the small feeling of an electric jolt she has gotten
>"W-wow, I didn't know ESD was a thing in cyberspace!", she looked surprised but also in awe at figuring out something new
"Y-yeah, electric discharge", you agree with her, being glad that she probably has never felt a data injection
"Make sure to tell me if you end up getting shocked again sometime during our visit to the market, ok?"
>She eagerly nods, "well, Cash said to meet her in the subnet in.... about half an hour from now!", Dawn exclaims, "should we get a move on?"
>Confirming with a nod, you set off towards the train gateway taking you to your proper destination
>All the while you check on your system scan
>Something doesn't add up: The size of your cyber avatar has grown by about 34% and a quick look at it tells you why
>There is a bunch of encrypted data attached to it, piggy-backing off the end of it
>You turn towards your rear in curiosity and find that it has, in fact, not increased in size
>Whatever the additional data is though, it seems to be just that: Data
>Not marked as executable, nothing that looks even remotely like a virus
>Unfortunately you aren't the most experienced when it comes to crypto, you always either paid someone for decryption or relied on your crewmate to handle that
>Needless to say, you make a copy of the attached data and place it somewhere in a secure section of your rig's storage
>Have to deal with that later, eventually
>For now, you step through the train door and find yourself coming out of the outside of a train terminal in a bustling city marketplace
>Morning Dawn steps out next to you, in absolute awe at what she sees and her mouth hanging open
>Ponies looking at market stalls with digital price signs floating above, Neon ads for the newest tech and gear, both for common ponies as well as ponies like you
>A digital assistant comes over to you, "Welcome, Mister, Madam! May I offer you to check out our Royal Tech store? The best tech for the best homes, now conveniently located near you!"
"Can it, tincan", you push the AI aside and move past, with Dawn following you
>Unfortunately, the robot isn't willing to give up and keeps walking after you, telling you to please check out all the beautiful machinery!
>They have a sale on kitchen stuff! Refrigerators, ovens, and everything like that!
>Just ignore the damn thing, eventually it will have to let up, right?
>The robot gets ever and ever closer to you, until he is basically right next to your ear as he keeps talking up sales and things like that
>"I am not going to wait forever", the sales AI whispers into your ear before courtly turning around and leaving you alone

Apologies, I am but a simple ESL-kun. Thanks for the heads up though.
>Them talking about refrigerators makes you think shroomie has sent them, but that would be utterly ridicolous
>She's a mushroom, for gosh's sake, she can't dive into the net or send ema-
>...
>Moving on, what the heck was that about?!
>You turn around to look after the cyber salespony but they have already disappeared into the crowd
>Did some other pony mistake you for someone you are not?
>It dawns on you that this might have been some kind of clandestine meeting
>What store did they say they were part of? Royal Tech?
>Morning Dawn moves up to you as you stopped and looks at you with a curios expression
>"What's the matter? Something on your mind?", she asks as she looks after where the robot has disappeared in the crowd
>You glance around looking at the different store fronts and digital signs up and down
>A small looking store stands out to you, a golden crown floating above the doorframe with a fancy type reading Royal Tech: For all your monetary needs
>Strange slogan but who are you to judge, especially if this really just a front
>As you do so, you open up a secured comm channel with Morning Dawn, hearing her go "Huh?" both next to you as well as in your head
>"Shh, there is a reason I opened comms and am not directly talking to you. Think, not speak", you explain to her
>Her response is a quick nod as she seems to be listening to what you have to say

>"Earlier while getting here I have... gotten my hoof on some data. I'm far from a crypto specialist but figured your knack for numbers might be hoofy"
>If Morning isn't who she pretends to be, this might help you uncover who or what is playing games with you
>Because somepony is and that is without question
>Sending her part of the encrypted pieces of information you can hear her hum in thought
>"Well, it certainly is encrypted, I can tell you that much", she glances towards you and then frowns, "but I never really... had to crack an encryption before. I am not sure I can help you"
>The mare sounds dejected at having to admit this and you place a hoof on her back and give her a small, reassuring smile
>Giving Morning Dawn a nod, you make your way through the crowd and walk in through the antique looking door
>You have to manually push it open compared to the automatic sliding doors that have just become absolute common place, basically everywhere nowadays
>They weren't lying when they said monetary needs are covered here
>While the gear looks absolutely top notch, the prices are there to match
>But gosh, you know a lot of ponies that would absolutely salivate at the selection here
>They offer prosthetics (including some real high quality legs that a certain somepony could probably make use of!), cyber implants, software
>The section for hoof rigs is especially inviting and you wish you could stick around to browse more, this place is a treasure trove
>You walk up to the cashier and give him a good lookover
>He looks absolutely bored, playing around with a pen, not even casting you a glance
>Standing there what feels like a minute he finally decides to look up at you and with an annoyed grunt asks you if you need help with something
>Talk about good customer service, you huff to yourself
"Hi there, I'm... well, not Big on Cash, do you take credit?"
>His bored face shows a sign of a smirk as his entire demeanor shifts into a much more professional attitude
>"I believe there might be something in the back of the shop that could be of assistance, sir"
>He steps aside and shows you a door behind him, that opens into a hallway with a door at the end
>It's obvious to you that this is highly likely a gateway linked covertly to another subnet that is off the grid, a backdoor if you will
>Your unicorn companion looks at you and the cashier, her face that of worry

>The cashier certainly didn't behave or look like a scripted AI, you assume it was a real pony
>Probably the best idea if you are trying to hide a secret passage and everything
>Well, not much you can do other than take a leap of faith
>You stand to the side of the door, and give a wave to Morning, "Ladies first", you bow
>She snickers, "what a cavalier you are", she passes you by with a giggle, touches the door's handle and disintegrates
>Stealing your nerves, you follow the mare to wherever she has been taken to
>Touching the handle, you feel yourself being whisked away into the deeper reaches of the network
>You open your eyes back up and are surprised at the absolute magnificent décor that you are greeted with
>The walls are lined with golden inlays, the floors have golden carpets on the otherwise well polished wood floor
>Chandeliers hang from the ceiling and bath the hallway in warm, bright light
>It looks like a place fit for nobility almost
>The carpet leads to a big double door at the far end that you have the feeling is where you are expected
>Next to you, Morning Dawn "Oohs" and "Aahs", never having seen anything like this before
>She sticks close to you as you get a move towards the front, clearly intimidated by the display
"Don't worry. Stuff like that in the net is basically free and usually just means whoever designed this place potentially has too much of an inflated ego"
>She looks at you before relaxing a bit, moving away from you and snickering
>As you place your hoof on the handle, you try and push open the door which is quite a lot heavier than you thought it would be
>Or maybe you are just weak
>Thankfully, together with Morning, while still a tough task, is able to be accomplished and soon you stand in a throne room
>At the end of it, a black dark purple earth pony mare is sitting on a throne
>Her long blue mane flows like silk down her side and onto the floor as she watches you with a gleeful smile
>She is big. Real big
>"A pleasure making your acquaintance. Mrs. Morning Dawn?", she gives the unicorn a CURT nod and then turns to you

>"And you must be... her companion, or perhaps mentor? I believe we haven't been introduced, although I believe we have a mutual friend"
>Out behind the throne room a mare comes out, a leafgreen pony that looks at you with her icy blue eyes
>As she sees you, she comes running up to you and pulls you into a crushing hug
>"I'm sorry", she whispers into your ear as she gives you the chance to breath again
>"My name is Big Cash, and I heard somepone is in need of some money? Well, do I have the job for you!"
>Cash smirks as she waves a hoof and a screen pops up in front of you three
>"Let's call this a test run to see if our... mutual cooperation has any future, shall we?"
>On the screen you can see a building, it's a looking like a small office
>"CoreTechs. Small place, but rumors are they have made a breakthrough in AI-ware. One of my employers would love to have a little peak, if you know what I mean"
>Her smile is ever growing as she studies all three of your faces
>"Of course, you'll be rewarded appropriately. I don't foresee too much trouble, but I assume you know how it is", she speaks to you directly
>The office building doesn't seem too complex, a mostly standard building that, according to the map, is located near the gate of the adjacent station, new manehatten
>According to the information on the job, the R&D server is completely disconnected from the global net and only accessible locally
>Which means you'll need to somehow get through the border control, if you were to take on this job
>Security doesn't seem overly strong, though, which is always a plus on runs like this
>The reward is 6k creds in total, certainly not the highest you have ever seen but nothing to scoff at for a beginner group of runners
>"So, do we have a deal?", Big Cash is now leaning fowards, holding her head up with her hooves as she closely keeps an eye on you
>Morning Dawn is looking over on you, clearly unsure about this and hoping on your input on it
>"And if you need anything before the run, we can just... go ahead and deduct that from your payout. So just tell me, need anything, honey?", her voice is sweet as honey
>Now the question is, what do you need for the job? What do you have? Any questions you want to ask or do you just accept/refuse?
>Maybe talk it through with your two companions and perhaps consider expanding the crew?
>This is a run, so danger is sure to follow, which makes being prepared paramount

"If we could have a moment, Miss Cash? Outside?", you request and she waves with a hoof and nods
>Leaving the room with Frost and Dawn in tow, you close the door
"Ladies, I introduce you to each other: Morning Dawn, this is Frost. Frost, Morning Dawn"
>The two mares shake hooves, Morning taking well to Frost while the latter is somewhat apprehensive
>A message pops up on your HUD, saying "real name?"
>You reply back, mentally, "Crews are built on trust. Names are some of the most powerful sign of trust a runner can give"
>"I hope you know what you're doing", she replies after a few seconds of thought, "even if you haven't even told me your name yet"
>That last bit definitely stung a little and you hope it is something you can remedy later on back in meatspace
"Alright, Dawn. Remember the quick overview I gave you about crews?", you start out
>"Well, a lot of jobs are dangerous and ponies tend to have their own strengths, so sometimes runners come together to pull bigger jobs"
>You wave for her to continue
>"Each pony in a group has a specific role. Netrunner, techie, medtech, muscle, gunner... mastermind", she tries to recall everything you told her
"Right. And as much as it pains me to admit, I am not exactly the best when it comes to planning. Dawn, if you are really serious about putting together a crew, I think you might make for an ideal mastermind"
>Her eyes widen at your revelation to her and she begins to tremble
>"You'd be... really? You and Frost and me?", she starts tearing up ever so slightly at the idea of having a crew to be part of
>You just smile in return, glancing at Frost who decides to match your smile, for now
"You do know that comes with the responsibility of planning and directing us. So, what do we need, boss?"
>The mare puts a hoof to her face and hums in thought before looking at you
>"Well, if this really is a job that requires our physical presence... we need transportation. A way to get in and even more importantly we need to know where to go. Blueprints of the office will be invaluable"
"Not bad, not bad... what else?"
>"Access to their guard posts and rotation. Perhaps an insider we can bribe, so let's try and get our hooves on a an employee list to cross-reference"

>"Something to take out a guard if we were to be spotted would be nice too non-lethal and amnesia inducing, of course"
>She is really starting to get into it now, and keeps going to plan out
>"Weapons are probably harder to get in, but perhaps we can pick up some concealed carries. Do we have a muscle? We should absolutely have a muscle"
>Frost raises her hoof to which Dawn lets out a satisfied sigh, "that's one worry of my chest for sure"
"Well, actually, we're gonna have to... get some upgrades before Frost is able to help out"
>Dawn perks up at what you're saying and you shrug
>"Well, if this is a 6k for the job, that is 2k for each of us. You think that'll be enough?"
>Might be worth checking out the store in front for gear
>"I'd like to run simulations to train our path to the target", the small unicorn continues on with her plan
"A simulation should be pretty easy to set up once we have blueprints", you mention and she clops her hooves together gleefully
>"Wonderful! We'll use that to practise then. Say, anypony got an idea what we can use as a reason to be there? Or should we just... sneak in after hours?"
"Personally, I am more comfortable not having to deal with talking to anypony, but you're the boss, Dawn."
>"Well then, we might not even need the employee list, then. Although being able to copy somepony's access credentials would probably make a break-in much easier. So let's try to get our hooves on it"
>It is terrifying how confident she is with planning all of this out, as if it was second nature to her
>"Oh, oh yes we also need a way to cross the border. Fake passports? Do you runners have any underground tunnels that you use to smuggle things?"
>"Big Cash might know about that one, now that I think about it...", she puts a hoof to her chin
>"I believe us three should be enough for that job, all things considered. So if you guys are good with it, I'd say we accept Big Cash's job!"
>She looks at the two of you expectantly, "how did I do?", she asks gleefully and clip clops her hoofsies on the floor in excitement
>How would you go about it? Does Dawn's plan sound acceptable or is there anything she missed? Any more gear you think you might need?

>You are a little stunned at how quickly she has come up with things you need and how she started putting things together
"Well, I think you've missed a slight detail, we'd need someone able to break the encryption on the files we're stealing"
>A cryptographer might come in hoofy for you as well, you still want to know what that block of encrypted data attached to your avatar is
>She sighs but you stop her before she can say anything else
"But other than that, that is some spot on pre-planning. Clearly not a full plan or a backup plan, or a backup to that backup plan,"
>A glance behind you at the door and you furrow your brow
"That is usually how the first phase of a mission goes, initial contact with a fixer and prepwork to get real planning underway"
>She feels a little relieved at what you're saying as you step aside from the door
"Well then, mastermind, I think it's time for you to make the call here, go in there and show what you can do! And don't forget. Confidence.", you give her a hooves up
>She is shaking slightly but takes a couple deep breaths and holds her head up high walking towards the door and pushing it back open once more
>As she passes you, Frost casts you a glare and you feel annoyance, if not even anger coming from her end
>"Hoofing out personal information sign of trust? Yes. I don't trust this mare. No sign of trust from me, Mr. I-don't-share-my-name", she almost spits via your mental link
>She then walks past you, "next time, let me decide who I introduce myself to, and how. Subterfuge and Infiltration 101", she huffs
>You are a little stumped as you follow Frost inside, hearing Dawn beginning to speak
>"We'll take the job. But there is a couple things we need before we can get to it", she begins listing out the information you guys talked about
>Big Cash nods thoughtfully at each of them, "While there are smuggling tunnels, I believe they wouldn't fit a car. Meaning you'd certainly have to walk a fair bit"
>"Speaking of, that car will set you guys back a couple thousand, you I can assure you, you'll be pleased with what I can scrounge up. I believe... 3000 creds of your contract and I can pull something off"

>"For the blueprints, employees and guard rotation I'd charge another.... hmm, let's say 500 and we have a deal. Can't help you with the access credentials though, that'll be on you to figure out", she grins
>"Passports, that is usually a tough one. 500, from each of you, I think that should cut it for some temporary access passes to the other station"
>Steep price, but you know just how hard it can be to get your hooves on valid documents to facilitate inter-station-travel
>"When it comes to a cryptonut, for 100 creds I can certainly put an ad out, might get somepony to bite"
>That would certainly be an option, although you definitely should still have a couple of former encbreaker contacts that you might be able to pull on board, if just temporary
>"And prosthetics?", Frost speaks up for the first time, Big Cash giving her a grin
>She points to the door, "you know, I am feeling generous today, I'll get you a buy 2, pay 1 deal out in the shop. Just talk to Cash Register, he'll know"
>Frost nods in agreement
>"Well, if that is everything, I think you ponies can get to work? Whatever you need I'll have shipped to your hideout"
>Morning Dawn seems to be in thought and mumbles "only 300 credits each...", a little downtrodden from the sound of it
>"If we skip on the car we could.... and no access passes", she is running through calculations under her breath for a moment and then looks at you expectantly
>Anything you don't need? Anything else you want to ask? And you completely forgot about the hideout part, should you just ship it to your home for now?
>Maybe you have to run some recon around your neighborhood after logging out, you know a couple abandoned buildings and a couple easily accessible sewer access points and the like
>That and you gotta decide how to handle the encbreaker hiring
>Could just temporarily give them access while you are inside and only pay them for that time
>Lots of questions, but you gotta start somewhere, sometime

>You put a hoof to Dawn's side and tell her that for a first job big expenditures like this are absolutely normal
>For future missions you already have at least part of your gear already prep'd, meaning you're able to keep more for yourself
>While you would certainly wish for a higher pay yourself, the materials you get out of this aren't just gonna be thrown away
>As for the passports, those have a chance to be revoked if you are not careful or if you make use of them too often, but otherwise aren't a terrible investment either
>The feasibility of a car might be questionable, to a certain degree
>While the slums have an absolutely rotten transit system that is barely usable, you wouldn't doubt that higher class stations are much easier to get around
>With a perfect stealth run, you wouldn't even need to rely on a car to get your butt back out
>But all this hinges on things going like planned and you going in and out in a jiffy
>From experience, runs are never that nice and always end in trouble
>To get the data you definitely have to access the inner networks on-site
>The entire place is completely disconnected from the outside, there is no just breaking in remotely
>You could pass through the smuggling tunnels into other stations without the passports, but you wouldn't be able to fit a car through it
>The place are a narrow maze of hallways and sewer ducts, a vehicle simply won't have enough space
>Thinking about the ad, 100 creds is definitely robbery and not a deal you are willing to take
>Sadly, with the current pay you're making you won't be getting any self respecting cryptonut to help you out
>You've seen prices start at 500 and up, usually leaning to 2.5-3k for fast decryptions of sensitive data with a no questions asked policy
>That means you'll have to blackmail or rob employees for that
>Digging up some dirt on one shouldn't be too hard, you believe
>You'll definitely pick up the intel, the work wouldn't be worth it for the pay
>Weapons would be nice, but you'd want to get something decent that doesn't blow up in your face and you just don't have the kind of money for that right now
>A glance at your cybernetic companion makes you hope her physical prowess is gonna be enough
>Which, with the level of security the mission assumes, should not be an issue
>No guns, just batons and hoof-to-hoof combat
>Legs, though
>666 creds should make for a good pair of legs and keep a little bit left over for food for the next couple weeks
>As much as you would prefer buying from different vendors, a 2-for-1 is just really hard to beat
>Thankfully, none of the bounties have listed any missing limbs
>But you'll need to also repair her defective leg
>Well, no better time than now, you give Big Cash a list of the things you need and a nearby drop point that is reachable from your apartment
>It is often used by runners for occasions just like this

>That will also be where you'll have the legs delivered
>Better safe than sorry with ponies knowing where you (temporarily) live
>You give Morning Dawn a nod and she looks at Big Cash, "we accept. We'll skip out on the ad, though"
>Big Cash gives a hearty laugh, "as you wish", she smiles and you send her the drop point coords
>She gives your merry band a wave and you leave back the way you came from, Frost in tow back into the Royal Tech store
>"I hope you have found what you were looking for", the stallion now known as Cash Register gives you a bow as you step back out into the shop proper
"We did, thank you. Say, we've heard there is a sale on cybernetic legs? 2 for 1?"
>Cash beams before showing you towards the right section of the store
>While there is a lot that are way out of your league in terms of price (but which make Frost look at them in absolute awe) a couple much more basic, but sturdy ones are also on display
>A pair made out reinforced titanium and arcanium seem to be quite promising, one of them costing 200 creds
>They don't have many bells and whistles, but they are supposed to be very light and very durable
>A set of all 4 legs would bring you to 400 creds, which is a basically must buy level and you quickly authorize the transaction
>With a full set at once, Cash will also not know which legs are missing, that can only be good in the long run
>"We'll take care of payment for you, Mr. I'll have the legs sent to a ripperdoc of your convenience, you merely must provide me with the address", he says with a smile
>There is a couple ripperdocs around, one you've been to before, after one of your jobs went... a lot more south than you would have hoped
>It was a miracle he was able to stitch you back up into one piece again and the scars are still visible under your fur
>While he probably not remembers you he sure knows what he is doing and is probably your best bet
>Giving the address, the store clerk nods and walks away from you
>Morning Dawn looks around and then looks at you, "so, what now? Do we do anything or do we have to wait until we got our gear?"
>You could stick in cyberspace for a while longer, you still have about an hour until food for you and the nugget arrive
>Or you could log out, do some more prep work, maybe just relax a bit instead
>A message from an anonymous sender comes up, telling you that requisition will take approximately 4 days
>That is a lot of time, but not unheard of
>"Is there anything you would like to have me do while we wait, by the way?", Dawn starts before looking away and continuing to talk
>"And uh... when are we... you know..... going to meet in pony?", Dawn shuffles on her hooves a little nervous
>She then blushes and holds up her hoof waving it around, "N-not in that sense of course, you know what I meant justtostartworkingtogetherokimmagobye"
>Swiping up her hoof she presses a to you invisible UI in front of her and disappears in a blinding light

>With confusion on your face at the quick logout of your mastermind you turn to Frost
>She just shrugs, slides her hoof up and also disappears
>Standing alone in the shop you take one last look around and make the jump back into realspace
>Just in time to watch Frost trying to unplug the cable from her neck, failing more or less spectacularly as she flails about with her one hoof
>Removing the electrodes from your head, you smile as you sit next to her and pull the plug out
>As you sit next to her she leans into you and puts her head on your shoulder and closes her eyes
>"This is nice", she quietly whispers, more to herself than you, "thank you, for all of this", she addresses you more directly
>You're just glad you are able to help her out
>It's weird how attached you have grown to her already, part of you worrying that the installed C&C might have something to do with it
>But in a couple days you should be able to visit the local clinic and get her mobile again
>Gonna have to think of how to best get her there
>And a normal doc isn't good enough, that is very much true
>Which is why the doctor your crewmates have taken you to is a trustworthy ripperdoc
>There is a reason they chose this place, Bonesaw is not one to ask questions and very quick to forget
>Especially considering that he, just like a lot of doctors with a certain questionable side-profession, is using not digital but paper records
>Which often might just accidentally disappear
>While you haven't had to deal with him more than a hoofful of times, his reputation among runners is quite excellent
>If there is one doc you doubt is gonna mess try and sell Frost, it'd be him
"Hey Frost, mind if I ask you a couple things?", you start to which she just gives you a "mhm"
"Remember when you came out behind Cash? You said you were sorry about something, what did you mean by this?"
>Her ears go flat and she looks away before starting to speak
>"Big Cash... she was exceptionally suspicious of me when we met. Was about to immediately turn me away"
>She sighs, "I didn't want to disappoint you, so I asked her what she wanted to trust me"
>"The mare knew that you, me and Morning Dawn were connected. She had been keeping tabs on Morning ever since the unicorn made first contact"
>"I am sorry for berating you when you told Morning Dawn my name earlier, yet here I did basically the same thing"
>You nod, not mad at her or anything
"What about Dawn? What do you think of her?"
>Frost looks at you, furrowing her eyebrow and frowning
>"She is good at planning, smart. Scarily so. It's like she's done this before, many times. She understands how runners think, despite claiming to have never run"
>"Something like her is what you'd call a naturally born talent, and I don't believe in such things. That and my training has made clear to never trust anypony", she huffs
>Any other questions? A conversation you want to spin up? Something you want to do? Or timeskip?

>For a moment, you fall into deep thought at what Frost has told you
>It's impossible that she would have known, you've been together in cyberspace for what is mere minutes
>In a closed subnet to boot, well, as closed as an apartment net could be
>You pale at the idea of Big Cash already knowing exactly where you live, and that is not even the scariest implication
>Frantically tapping on your bracelet you begin to search through your files and connections
"Hey, Frost, can you do me a favor? I believe we might have a major information leak, do check your coprocessors and perhaps files for any abnormalities for me, ok?"
>She cocks her head, but nods and you see her eyes dull over as she becomes motionless
>Clean, clean... more clean files and no hidden services
>There hasn't been any heavy modification of your files since you've bumped into that other pony
>But you saw that that was only added data, nothing executed or anything
>Other than that the last time something could have gone wrong, which would also imply that Big Cash might be involved with....
>You navigate to the C&C partition and start skimming logs
>"Found previous Sub-Arcano Signature. Initiating SAS Imprinting... SAS Imprinting finished successfully, C&C Ownership Claim authorized on imprinted subject <<Frost>>"
>What the heck is a Sub-Arcano Signature, you've certainly heard that before somewhere
>A quick lookup on the web brings up a page explaining SAS are unique to each and every pony
>Something special about SAS is that, due to the nature of how a full dive makes use of SA-Harmonics it can be found on cyberspace avatars
>This is the way that transactions, ownership and authorizations work in the otherspace, it's like a hoofprint
>"Everything seems to be right on my end", Frost tells you as she snaps back awake from her diagnostics trance
"Hey, Frost? How exactly does this whole... C&C thing work? How are we this... well, connected I guess?"
>She puts her hoof to her chin and thinks, before giving you a shrug and a sad look, "sorry, I've never been told that part"
>If your assumptions are right, your "hoofprint" might be all over here in the digital world
>That also means that ponies are able to track your connection to Frost, as long they have contact with both of you to compare signatures
>You are not quite sure how to feel about that, if you are being honest, but that is something you don't know how to deal with right now
>For that you might have to look into someone specializing with that kind of stuff
>Your doorbell rings and a knock comes from the door: "Chineighse Express, your order!" a voice calls over from the door

>With a grumble of joy your stomach forces you to get up and walk over
>Help, belly has assumed DIRECT CONTROL
>Peaking through the little hole in your door you see a delivery mare holding a small plastic bag and you open the door
>She hooves it over and you give her a small tip which she graciously accepts and then turns around to quickly leave before she gets mugged in this building
>Sitting down next to Frost, you start unpacking and begin digging in
>The cyborg looks at you doing that and down at the food you set up in front of her
>She wiggles her hoof, trying to get a grip on the chopsticks but that is... not exactly happening in her current state of things
>You can't help bit giggle at her desperately trying to get her food before she flops over in defeat and just starts lying in front of the plate, munching on it
>She grumbles and frowns which makes you break out in full blown laughter
>At first she harrumphs before a smile creeps onto her face and she starts laughing with you
>Setting down your own plate, you help her back up, take the chopsticks and pick up some of the food on her plate, holding it out to her
>Hesitantly, she takes it and starts munching
>Nom nom nom, after a couple minutes you helped her clear her plate
>Finishing your own food, you decide that you should really properly introduce yourself
>That is, after all, paramount to any crew's trust!
>So, who are you?
And what are you gonna do after you're done with introductions? Cyborg cuddles, or perhaps even hoofholding?

>Quite frankly, that is a tricky question, all things considered
"While I'd love to give you what I know for sure is my real name, I don't really... have one"
>She looks at you, cocking her head and looks at you incredulously
>"Are you trying to pull my leg", she asks with a bit of a frown, clearly thinking you are trying to make fun of her or something
>Shaking her head you try to convince her as you start with your life story
"You see, I've grown up in an orphanage. I've never met my parents and I am not even sure they even gave me a name to begin with"
>Shrugging, you see Frost look at you with a sad looking smile, but she lets you continue talking
"At the orphanage, the people watching us kids there usually decided to just call me Buffy... for obvious reasons"
>Taking a short moment to ruffle your leathery wings at your side to prove your point
"That or Batty Mcbatface. Neither of which haven't given the other foals plenty of chances to make fun of me. 'Bucky', was quite a favorite of theirs"
>The memories make you shudder ever so slightly, foals are monsters and pure, distilled evil
>Pushing those thoughts out of your mind for now you keep talking
"I was out there as soon as I could. Became a hacker because I wanted to find out where I came from... not that I really had much time to ever look for my ancestry since I left"
>Another shrug as you finish your story
"Fact is, I got myself a... not entirely legal ID and just put Buffy Mcbatface on it. While sounding dumb, it's enough for most ponies to not question it"
>Frost seems.... confused at all of this and not ENTIRELY on board, but she seems to believe you for now
>Maybe you got something you want to talk with her about?
Had to cut the post short because of work, imma try and write and after I'm back

>"Buffy Mcbatface is a horrible name. That name stinks", she stares at you in disbelief
>Unfortunately, you definitely can't deny that, it IS a stupid name
>Not that many ponies actually know or care about it, you aren't exactly the most outgoing pony
>Quite frankly, you use your online aliases way more than your real name anyways
>Only times you have use for it is renting an apartment and shit like that
>She mulls something over as she rubs a hoof on her chin in thought
>"Echo... echo..", she mumbles to herself, "Lost Echo, Terminated Echo, Dropped Echo.... Echo Return?"
>During all this she deeply scrutinizes you
>"Hmm, maybe not echo.... Shell Shock?", she claps her hooves together in joy
>"How about that for a name? Shell Shock?", she smiles gleefully
>Certainly rolls off the tongue quite nicely, all things considered
"Hmm, maybe. Maybe...", she smiles warmly at you and you pull her into a quick hug
>She seems real surprised but uses her one hoof to hug you back regardless
>Letting go you continue on with talking about yourself
"While initially I wanted to find my family when I started hacking, I admittedly kinda... put that on the backburner"
"If the stories are to be believed, I was dumped in front of the orphanage unceremoniously by a deliver drone in a cardboard box", you snicker
"It turned more into messing with the nuns raising us and even more importantly helping other ponies around"
>You put your belly before frowning

"It was certainly helpful having a bit of an idea of how to access water pump controls, just occasionally", you trail off
>If there is one things the nuns have taught you, it's be kind to those around you, help others whenever you can
>And a good chunk of that involves fighting the system in place to ruin ponies like you and perhaps your family
>Another sad smile from Frost that you dispel by waving your hoof dismissively
"No need to feel bad, I'm alright, I'm over it", you assure her, "that being said, what about you? With you being free now, any plans with your future?"
>This question seems to catch her off guard as she seems to be having trouble coming up with an answer
>"I... don't know. I've remembered being in the lab for... forever. I stopped counting the days a long, long time ago", she retells and swallows
>"Wake up, train and study or be sent out on... certain kinds of missions.... return home and perhaps get 'upgraded'", the memories clearly weigh on her
>"I want to.... I want to see what the world is like, the world outside of the compound... And I also... I want to know who I really am...", she trails off
>Cheering up a little more, she tells you "and I want to meet ponies! All kinds of ponies!"
>I've been told everypony outside of the compound was a hostile, an enemy, but you have been nothing but nice to me... saved me, even..."
"Oh, that reminds me! I haven't introduced you to my roommate yet!", you get up quickly and head over to the fridge
"Geez, where are my manners", you open up the fridge and proudly display the fungal mess, "Frost, may I introduce you to Shroomie?"
>Her mouth drops open and she stares at you, "did you... hit your head? Really really hard?"
>She steps up to the fridge and sticks out her tongue in disgust
>"Shell, this is... I think this is a really really big hazard to your health and I really must insist on this being cleaned out... or us finding a..."
>She looks around and scrunches her nose, "...nicer place to live"
"Ssshh, she didn't mean it, Shroomie", you whisper to the fungal amalgamation
>Is there anything else you wanna talk about or do?

"You know, nice places are bad for hiding. That is a health hazard, too!", you harrumph
"Alright, alright listen, I know this sounds ABSOLUTELY insane, but please do hear me out!"
>The cyborg motions for you to go on, still not entirely sure if you haven't gone completely insane
"So, when I first opened the fridge, shroomie was already here. Of course, being rationally I tried to clean it out"
>You motion yourself reaching inside before jumping back
"When I touched it, entirely by accident by the way I think for just a split second I reached enlightenment. I was one with the universe!"
"There was this voice speaking to me in my head, it was terrifying, but it was also one of the most amazing sensations I ever had!"
>"You are trying to tell me... this thing is is sentient? And telepathic? And one with the universe?", her voice oozes with disbelief
>Eagerly nodding, you tell her that, while it is VERY MUCH A CHANCE that you are suffering some kind of hallucinogenic side effects from mold spores
>You really don't to risk the slim chance that there is of a nascent telepathic fungal sapience living in your fridge to be angered by anything you do
>Also, telling shroomie that Frost didn't mean the things she said, JUST IN CASE
>You close the fridge and Frost stares at you
>"Please get your head checked out when we get the chance to see a medical professional for my legs", she sounds worried
>Perhaps she's right, and you really have gone insane over hallucination spores
>Unfortunately, your time to think about that has been cut short
>Some of the cameras that you've hacked into around the complex have picked up something to worry about
>Alarms go off as on your HUD as a picture of the lobby is shown to you
>Multiple ponies in black jumpsuits are talking to the receptionist
>While you can't hear what they are saying, you can definitely see that the mare checking her computer looks nervous
>Terrified, even, with the ponies being pointed towards the elevator
>They very much do not look to be up to any good

>You freeze up at the prospect of unwelcome company and look around hastily
>"Something's the matter? You seem tense", Frost remarks, looking worried
"We've got company", you whisper as you bring up the camera feed from downstairs up on the vidscreen in your room
>At the sight, your friend tenses up just like you did, scrutinizing the jumpsuits the ponies are wearing
>"With how unmarked they are... corporate hired guns?", she concludes and you are inclined to agree
>Opening the fridge, you say a heartfelt goodbye to your trusty fungal friend, telling her you hope that you'll see her again
>Holding back tears you close down the fridge when as you tell Shroomie to hold the fort down
>And no snitching, you tell her, runners never sell their kind out
>It almost looks like the mass inside is frowning, but that can't be, right?
>Closing the fridge door, you pick up the small bat statue that Frost has made for you and put it into a small bag you picked up
>There isn't much you have, but what you can fit you put in
>Another glance at the monitor, it seems to be 5 ponies
>"That's looks like a retrieval unit", Frost growls as she watches the ponies getting ready to shuffle into the elevator
>"Two teams of two, with a team leader that is usually... very heavily capable of taking out targets on their own. Quietly and quickly"
>She points at herself, "I've led some of these before"
>Great, that doesn't exactly reassure you and you need to buy some more time
>Accessing the network port of your apartment, you link to the apartment's mainframe
>It controls everything here, including the elevators, which should allow you to...
>"Access granted", shows up on your HUD and you smirk as the elevator controls are available to you
>The fact that the ponies who have now gotten into the lift have selected your floor makes your blood freeze
>Once the metal box has gotten in motion you begin your plan to buy some time
>First, slow down the car by a little

>Override target floor, take control of the digital indicator and.... BAM.
>That should trick them to search the wrong floor and hopefully buy you at least a couple precious seconds
>Next you make sure to lock down the elevator after it arrives, getting it moving again will take additional time
>As you unplug, you look around for anything that might be missing
"Frost, on my back, quickly", you say as you pull her up and heave her up
>Holding on to you as tight as she can, the two of you walk over to the window of the apartment
>You turn around, ready to buck but Frost knowing what you are planning is first and smashes the glass with a well placed, hydraulic buck
>You look outside and down, jumping out of the window of the 68th floor will be painful
"Please, by the stars let my wings carry us", you pray to Luna's moon in the sky and jump
>Just to fall like a brick
>The ground is getting closer quickly and you hear screaming from one of the floors below yours as you pass it
>Gunshots too
>Thankfully, not at you
>Against the rushing wind, you do your best to unfurl your wings which is hard when they keep getting pressed against you
>A terrified screech escapes your mouth as you are mentally getting ready to become paste on the asphalt
>In the last second, your wings manage to open and catch an updraft, shaking you to the core
>While you can't fly, gliding seems to work with the mare on your back
>You move across the street in what feels like freefall right towards one of the windows of the opposing building
>If, by a miracle you survive this, the sewers would probably be the best option to hide
>A loud crash is all you hear as you smash right through the glass of the other side, into a couch on the far end of the room
>You hear movement from one of the rooms behind a closed door, which you assume to be the bedroom
>It was painful having the cyborg mare crush into you, but you both seem to at least be alive
>A gunshot rips through the air, hitting the wall in front of you

Sorry for the late start, having to take care of 3 big dogs tends to cost me 2 hours after work
>Part of you knows that you should just run and get the hell out of here
>But you doubt you'll be able to effectively carry Frost away, she is still quite heavy
>The door of the bedroom opens up and a stallion with a shakey gun in his magic stares at you
>A small filly hides behind him shuddering as she sees you and your cybermare
>"D-daddy, the-they're hurt", she peeks out behind him and looking down at yourself you have multiple cuts from the glass
>Judging from the pain in your side, at least one broken or at least bruised rip too
>It feels hard to breath and it worries you a little bit, unfortunately you don't have time to think about it
>A shot rips through the air, hitting the wall above you and you scramble to get out of the way of the window
>The filly screeches in panic and hides behind the her father once again
"You better stay back, things might get ugly", you warn the parent and he quickly picks up his daughter slamming the door shut
>Judging by what Frost said, the squad leader is probably at least as if not even more heavily augmented than she is
>Something you might just be able to use to your advantage as you reposition yourself next to the window
>Your sensitive bat ears are able to pick up the sound of gliding wings from the outside of the window, just as you would have expected
>The short moment that you wait for your assailant to come through the window you use to jack into a nearby network port
>Spiking the apartment network's mainframe you take control of the elevator network in this building too
>3 elevators, what luxury, but unfortunately, all of them are the super fast kind
>Locking out 2 of them, you call the third one to your floor, hoping to use it for a brisk exit strategy
>One thing you know for sure is that your McBatface's ID is completely burned
>You're lucky that your new name is gonna be Shell Shock, thank you Frost
>Just as the confirmation of the elevator going into motion appears, you hear another crash through the window onto the floor
>A small crater in the floor as a unicorn stallion with mechanic wings stands in the center of the room, glaring at Frost
>His body is a fiery red, with a yellow, short mane and tail

>"There you are, it's time to come home", he hisses at your robotic friend
>Her eyes look terrified as he steps closer to her, waves of heat coming off of him
>It's now or never you tell yourself as you take a deep breath and "eeeeEEEEEEEEEE" the loudest screech you have ever screeched
>The squad captain pins his ears to his head and shakes before a couple seconds later he goes stiff
>And drops to the floor with a thud, his cybernetic processors probably going haywire and trying to reboot
>In addition to being in pain, you are now also out of breath from eee'ing
>But you have to keep going, get out of here
>The elevator has arrived on your floor and is waiting, you just need to know where to go
>You could try and ride it all the way up but would there be a point to going to the roof?
>There is also the lobby, which is probably swarmed by guards at this point
>Maybe you can find a way out from the basement level?
>Or it might just be a dead end
>One thing that is clear is that you have to hurry, as the legs of the other cyborg are already starting to twitch again
>You need a plan, and you need it fast

this looks sick, anon
>You take a glance at the HUD that displays Frost's vitals to you and then back at the stallion
>Perhaps the C&C software you have running on your end could be used to keep this one of your back?
>That would require you to know or figure out how to actually link yourself to another cyborg
>And unfortunately you don't have the time for that and if the logs mean anything the C&C can only take control via imprinting
>His cybernetics do look mighty juicy though and if he comes from the same place that Frost came from, they might be compatible
>Sadly, you are not a ripperdoc and taking off his legs or wings probably isn't a timely task for you
>His systems are already rebooting so you need to get your ass in gear if you want to survive
>Maybe you can buy a bit more time via deception
>With a flick of your hoof, you set the elevators into a spastic up and down, making sure that the one on your floor stays right there for you
>Jacking out you pull Frost back on your back you make for a dash for the door
>The grumbling behind you makes you step it up a notch, very much aware what is going to happen to you were he to wake up
>Thankfully the hallway is currently clear of anypony and you have a clear way to your hopefully way out of this mess
>With the door of the elevator already open, you make for a slide into the cabin, mashing the buttons to go down
>Just as the door closes, you see that the cyborg has run out of the door, ready to make a sprint towards you
>The cabin, thankfully, is faster and you feel yourself going into freefall
>Gotta admire these speed transportation capsules, but you now know why you should be strapped in as you are basically floating
>Frost feels as light as a feather on your back right now for the couple seconds the ride takes
>The return of gravity is even harsher though as the mare on your back crushes you into the ground
>She gasps, terrified at the sensation and you can feel another broken rib for sure
>Your leg also doesn't feel as good as it used to
>But you still have the door open to the second floor and your adrenaline pumped body carries Frost out of the cabin
>Before you leave, you send the elevator straight back up to the top
>Right in time too, as you hear a loud crash on the ceiling of the elevator as you step out
>Frantically looking around you see one of the apartment doors next to you and turn around

>She uses her one good backhoof to kick the door, making it fly inwards and impacting against the opposite wall
>Thankfully, the place currently seems empty
>Judging from no confused screaming at least
>Dragging yourself into the place, you start looking around for any place to hide
>The bathroom door is open a dirty clothes chute looking really fucking inviting right now
>You breath in and make a run, or by now nothing but a slow slog towards it, dragging the mare on your back around
>Gosh, you really, REALLY need to get a hold of those legs
>"Shell, I am so sorry this is happening to you", Frost is shaking and it looks like she is tearing up in frustration over not being able to help
>Shushing her you apologize for what you are about to do you dump the whole mare down the mood
>In surprise she screams and tries to hold herself with her hooves but the metal on metal is very slippery and she soon disappears into the dark below
>The dark which you follow into as you hear an explosion from outside of the room
>It isn't a long trip down but the landing isn't any less rough for what it's worth
>The cyborg below you keeps her mouth shut but she glares at you
>You two found yourself in a dusty basement in a cart full of stinking jump suits that you quickly try to get out of
>But it gives you an idea, the cart having wheels might make it easier for you to get Frost around
>If you can manage to get that cart out of here, that is
>There seems to be a way out of this basement through some kind of loading bay that probably leads to the street
>But with how many pipes and stuff there is here you might also be able to find a maintenance access to the city's maintenance tunnels, or the sewers
>Down the chute you can hear screaming of orders that even with your bat hearing you can't really make out down here
>Maybe you can find something to disable anypony coming down here with?
>Crowbar to the head seems to work in movies, usually
>Or you can just try and hide out here, make them think you are gone
>Frost looks at you sympathetically
>And once you are out of here, what then anyways?
>Both your apartment and identity are burned
>Perhaps you can find an abandoned place a bit further out from the city, a hideout perhaps?
>You do know that there is a couple places that netrunners usually use as temporary bases and hideouts
>A map like this is part of every runner's emergency information, usually with a couple bits offshore that can be used to tide one over
>Or see if you can crash with one of your few contacts you have?
>Definitely need a plan here

>Well, while you have multiple ways of getting out of this place, you'd be basically sitting ducks
>The crowbar is a dumb idea, at least if it is you doing the crowbaring
>It might be a different matter if Frost was the one knocking out ponies, but alas that has to wait
>You know one thing, though, and that is that the streets are too open, you'd probably be outnumbered
>And carrying a pony is gonna slow you to a point where you get easily outgunned
>The sewers will be your best bet, even if the smell is probably gonna be unbearable
>Not like you haven't been through worse, all things considered
>But you need a distraction, a way to get them off your backs
>Scrambling towards a junction box you rip open the cover and look for a network port to link to
>Jacking in, you call for multiple taxis to the building, one to the roof, one to the loading bay and one to the front door
>And you call an ambulance, just for good measure, maybe you can make them think you're trying to steal it
>While you're connected you also scroll through your relatively tiny list of contacts
>There's Morning Dawn, being your most recent acquaintance
>Hardware Crash, one of the best techies you've ever had the chance to run with
>You know she lives mostly secluded at the far edge of the slums but not exactly where
>Coffee Cup, the owner of the local runner-caffee is also on there
>You know he lets runners use his connection no questions asked and isn't the kind of stallion to rat anyone out to the corps
>But would he be able to give you a place to rest?
>There is also this mare that you tried to have... well, not much happened but she seemed to like you
>Maybe you could try one of the many homeless shelters?
>Your ears swivel as you think you can hear hoofsteps in the staircase
>Gotta make this quick, fortunately you can also hear the sirens of what you assume to be the ambulance
>Scrambling you look around, discovering a manhole cover in the far back end of the room
>Pushing the cart with Frost in it next to it you sigh as you pull her out and in the process pull out a pair of scarlet panties
>Thank god her jumpsuit that you totally only borrowed has pockets
>She helps you get the cover open and while she climbs down you give her support from below
>Would be a nice view if you weren't in danger
>The manhole cover has been covered by the cart and you closed it as well as you could
>You hope nobody follows you as you hear heavy boots in the room above you
>Question is, where to now, or maybe you should stay and listen for if they try to search for you or take the bait?
>Gosh it is dark as all heck down here and it stinks even worse

Sorry for the late post, had a pretty shit day
>The two of you need to get your asses in gear if you wanna get out of here alive
>While you do worry a little that they have advanced cyborg hearing, the stream of sewage water should hide your sounds
>The reason you were able to hear them as clearly was because they are using heavy duty combat boots, not light clippy cloppy like you do
>It's very useful for intimidation purposes or so you've been told at least
>Sadly, you also have disconnected from a network so you don't exactly have the ability to start something to make noise to cover your tracks
>There seems to be no network ports accessible down here in immediate reach either that you could jack into
>So you are stuck to simple wireless comms and browsing the net right now
>Slowly trudging your way downwards, following the water stream, you have pulled up a map of the underground tunnels
>Neither you nor Frost dare say a word until you are confident you are out of hearing range of any of the military ponies
>Quite frankly, you are surprised that nopony has found the access to the sewers, maybe your ruse has really worked out?
>Whatever it is, you take the time to catch a much needed mental (and physical break) as you trudge along the disgusting brown water next to you
>If you fell into there, you'd probably be dead in minutes, either from being pulled underwater by the heavy currents or being poisoned with mares know what
>A couple of times you would have almost slipped and fell in but thankfully, Frost was always there to catch you and a stray pipe on the wall
>Being far away out from your previous point of entrance, you think on your next steps from here on
>However they found you, it is highly likely they will do so again, especially since they know what you look like now
>Any public space or hideout you go to will end up either burned or completely ruined
>Likewise, any netrunner will surely be careful in takin gin somepony with heat on their back
>Very bad for business, you add
>While you rather not, that leaves only...
>Ring, ring, you use a proxy to dial your crush's number, who ends up picking up after a couple seconds
>The video of a dark blue batpony mare with a white mane and freckles in her face that make her look like a starry night sky
>"Nightly Comet here, who is th-", she looks at her own screen more closely, "Buffy?", she raises an eyebrow
>"We haven't talked in months, what gives me the pleasure?", she asks sweetly, genuinely surprised and happy to hear from you again

>"...you need a place to lay low?", she completes your sentence, as if it was the most natural thing in the world
>You blink in surprise at her warm, and welcoming smile
"H-how?", you stammer, confused at how easily she figured that out
>She giggles, sticking out her tongue at you
>"You're a runner, any filly could have figured that out with the way you look and sound when talking about tech and networks"
>With a smile, she tells you that you are welcome to make your way over for a couple days
>This mare is a kind ray of sunshine in a dark and unloving world and if more ponies were like her the world would surely not be as bleak
>You can't thank her enough which she starts to blush about profusely before saying to just get your batflank over already and hanging up
>With a marker on your map you begin the long walk towards your destination
>You have to stop multiple times and take a breather, your entire body screaming in absolute agony by now
>How long will you be able to continue on?
>Thankfully, the map marker confirms your arrival after what your clock says were about 3 hours of subterranean marching
>Finding the closest access hatch out of here you are thankful it is an automatically activated one
>Listening to the outside there is the light sound of traffic, but you don't think the ponehole is in the middle of the street
>Activating the mechanism, gears start spinning and you see the orange light of the street lamps shining down
>Using the last bit of energy you have left in you, you help Frost up the ladder and follow suit before collapsing on the ground in a small alleyway
>You recognize the high rise that you landed up next to in an instant, it is one of the nicer places you ever had the chance to be invited into
>According to your clock it is... geez, 1AM
>But that just means more ponies being asleep and less commotion or prying eyes
>You just lie there, for a couple minutes, enjoying the comparably cool nighttime air
>Deciding you aren't able to move you send Comet a message, asking her if she has a cart that you could borrow
>Because quite frankly, you are definitely not able to carry Frost any further
>The mare looks apologetically at you, it seems to weigh on her that you had to go through all of this for her
>A couple minutes later, you hear the sound of wheels and hoofsteps approach the alley and a gasp before someone is rushing over

>"Oh my gosh, oh mY GOSH, what happened to you two?", a panicked bat mare screeches as she leans over you
"Please, make sure she is alright, first", you quietly whisper as every breath you take spikes a shock of pain through your body
>While Comet looks worried, she does as you ask and helps Frost onto the small grocery wagon she has brought
>"This is something I always liked about you, Buffy. You put others over yourself, at every step", she says as she helps you on your hooves
>While supporting you, you make your way into the building and up the elevator
>The place is a lot more clean than the dumps that you have been in for the past weeks
>With a click, the electric look opens and you fall face first on the carpeted floor
>Unfortunately, you don't have the time to enjoy it as you feel yourself being dragged away by your tail
>Right into the bathroom where you are unceremoniously dumped on the floor with a huff
>"First of all, you stink. Go take a bath, stinky. And then go ahead and tell me what's going on.... and what your plan is from here on out"
>She then glances back at Frost who is glancing at the two of you from the cart in the living room, clearly somewhat distrustful of the other batpony
>Comet turns around and leaves the bathroom before closing the door and leaving you to your devices
>Stepping into the shower, you turn on the hot water and let it flow over you
>It is, quite simply said, absolute bliss to your mind and body
>Even though you are still in pain basically everywhere the warmth relaxes your muscles
>It would be a good time to think of what to tell Comet and what your next plan is from here on out
>It is then when you break out into a cough and look down on your blood covered hoof as the red lifeblood is quickly washed away by the shower
>That doesn't seem good and all you can do is stare at it with a terrified expression as you keep having thoughts of everything run through your head

>It is then that you realize that you are on the brink of probably dying right here
>With the abuse you have taken you wouldn't be surprised if you had internal bleeding
>And that means that you are likely not surviving the night
>You ought to get to a doc, right fucking now
>Drying yourself with a towel that is hanging nearby you can smell the soft fragrance of lavender
>And you yourself have rarely smelled this nice, which is funny in a weird and fucked up way
>It might be your last day on earth and you've never looked and smelled better
>Once you are dry enough you step out, trying to keep a smile on your face
"Hey girls, I have to go out again, it's.. urgent. Don't wait for me and get some sleep", you tell them before heading to the door
>Both Frost and Comet look at each other, concern in their faces
>"What's going on, Buffy?", Comet asks and takes a step towards you, lifting her hoof trying to stop you
>But you just step away from her and look at Frost
"Do me a favor and tell her as much as you deem safe and worthy to tell her", you instruct Frost
>She looks after you, tries to get up and stop you but fails due to her partially limbless condition
>As you step out of the door, you hope the two of them will stay safe
>You shoot Frost a message: "Make sure to take care... while I'm gone. If I'm not back in time, ask Comet to help you pick up your new legs. And don't jack in. Might not be safe."
>Attaching the address of the pickup point you head towards downstairs and pull up a list of docs open at night
>Frost messages you back and you almost don't even want to open it: "Shell, what are you doing? You're worrying me"
>With a sigh you step out into the fresh night air a breeze catches your stiff feeling wings
>In the distance you can hear police sirens and you start to panic
>But they don't seem to be coming your direction right now, thankfully
>Getting into a slow canter as to not put too much strain on your body you move your butt towards the closest doctor's office
>You really hope that they won't question your lack of ID, or maybe you can use one of your couple fake IDs instead
>If not... maybe dig up some dirt and blackmail them?
>You definitely need to get out of Comet's apartment soon so it has to be a quick patch up
>....That might mean cybernetics
>You cough again, blood splattering on the asphalt in front of you and in bigger quantities than before
>And you need a longer lasting hideout
>And a new ID, Shell Shock sounds nice
>Changing your appearance is gonna be hard, unless again, you mess with more cybernetics or plastic surgery
>Turning your mane and eyes a different color is the best thing you can do for now
>You're not rich but you have a few backup reserves of money that you can tap into, unmarked accounts with emergency funds
>Every netrunner has those prep'd
>You stand in front of an unassuming clinic, the lights inside bright and glaring
>How should you proceed?

>A quick mane change is certainly in order
>Activating your fiberoptic mane you change both mane and tail to a light blue after confirming nopony is around to see you
>You take a deep breath and make your way into the clinic while stumbling around
>Partially to pretend you are confused or dazed, but but in big part because you really feel like you are about to keel over
>Having your vision start going black in front of you, you attempt to make your way over to the reception desk
>It is about halfway there where your body decides to give up, your vision goes black entirely and the last thing you hear is what sounds like panicked screaming
>"...D....Cross...-rry", a stallion seems to be shouting and you want to bat him away as you just want to rest
>But this is nice... maybe you can just lie here forever, your body certainly doesn't seem against the idea
>As your consciousness decides to finally slip away you think of Comet. Of Frost. Even Morning Dawn.
>Will they be alright with you?
>Probably, so far they've been fine without you, so why would that change now
>Morning is going to be a great Mastermind for a runner group, you're sure of that
>Comet... her unmatched sweetness and kindness really deserve better than you anyways
>And even though it hasn't been long you can't deny that you've grown fond of your cyborg friend
>Once she has her legs back you're sure she can handle herself without problem
>And with that, you simply... shut down
>..........
>A terrible pain in your chest makes you crack your eye open, only to be assaulted by a very bright light
>You hear a rhythmic beeping around yourself and the sound of what seems to be air pumps
>Something is strapped to your face and at the edge of your vision, you can see the silhouettes of what appears to be ponies
>There isn't much time to say anything as you can smell something and once more become sleepy
>Restless dreams, or rather nightmares, are your constant companion with the additional feeling of something being severely wrong
>..........
>The rays of sunlight tickle you awake as you scrunch up and pull the blanket over you again to avoid the unwanted intruder
>Certainly not the most comfortable bed you've ever had but it will do
>While the stinging pain in your chest is now gone, there is still a weird sort of feeling that you can't quite make out
>A noise outside makes you crack open an eye, noticing your contacts have decided to shut themselves down
>Trying to fiddle with your bracelet, you notice that it is missing
>Moreover, a needle is stuck in your right forehoof attached to an IV bag hanging next to you
>Hoofsteps outside of your door that your ears are picking up announce that you are about to have visitors
>It opens, a gray earthpony with glasses stepping in, carrying a tray with bread and water
>She notices you are awake, quickly sets down the plate and leaves again post-haste

>Your body is in pain but other than that you seem to be here, more or less, of your own volition
>No hoofcuffs, no ropes or cages to lock you in and no sign of any police force either
>You are cautiously optimistic about this and look yourself over
>The fact that the mare just quickly left the room without looking worried or panicked is a good sign too
>Looking yourself over you see your wings wrapped up in bandages, likewise most of your legs
>Your back leg has a splint keeping it straight and is surrounded by a cast
>To your horror, there is a massive scar going across your entire chest
>Every bit of moving or stretching it hurts, but it is the kind of pain that you can bear without feeling like you're dying
>Your breathing is... more clear then it was yesterday night, at least so that is a plus
>On your side something is really itchy and you start scratching before freezing up
>Right there, on your side, is a small port for a plug which only means one thing
>Celestia please don't let the thoughts that are coming to your head be the case
>Wishing you had your deck bracelet on you to at least be able to load the contacts you sigh
>Remote wiping is unfortunately not possible but considering that the C&C is locked behind DNA verification should be enough
>Nopony should be able to mess with her head except you... hopefully
>As on queue, the door opens up and an old, gray maned from age stallion enters
>He has a warm smile on his face and wears a white coat before sitting down next to you
>"You gave us quite the scare, young lad", he takes a peak at the clipboard before a small frown appears on his face
>"Whatever you've been through must have been quite the pain in the behind", he gives you a sympathetic look
"I'm... yeah I suppose so...", you try and to sit up but he quickly holds you down
>"Woah, woah take it easy lil guy. Ponies aren't meant to move around much after their lungs have been replaced", he says in a joking manner
>At his words, your face begins to pale and you check your chest again, and the port that you've noticed
>"I'm afraid so", the doctor frowns, "oh I am sorry. Oh where are my manners, I'm Precise Cut, but everyone just calls me Doctor Cut", he laughs a hearty, warm laugh
>The kind of laugh that you just know you can trust and rely on

"Where's my...", you point at your hoof and the doctor immediately lights up
>"Oh yes, of course. You young kids and your toys", he winks at you knowingly before calling for a nurse
>"Fetch this young man's gear, would you please?", to which she nods and hurries out
>"Now then... so far the emergency surgery seems to have gone... pretty alright. But I have to warn you: The lung we had is... not the best quality", he looks sad
>"We don't really tend to have the budget to keep high quality parts on hoof. We gave you the best treatment we could but..."
>He points at your chest, "if I were you, I'd try to get a hold of a high grade lung as soon as you can. This one might last you a couple weeks, months at best before you need to have it replaced"
>"Of course, we're willing to help you out getting that thing in there, once you have acquired something", he gives you a gentle nod
>The nurse opens the door again and brings you your bracelet, which you eagerly put on
>"I'll leave you to your own devices a bit, I am sure there are ponies you wish to tell that you're alright", he gets up and slowly makes his way to the front door
>Either he doesn't know about the price on your head or he doesn't care
>You really, REALLY hope it is the latter
>As soon as you put on your deck though, you begin the process of initializing your lenses
>To your dismay, one of them ended up cracked and doesn't seem to load anymore
>The other one is thankfully (after a couple of restarts) ready to go
>After log on to the network, you are bombarded with worried messages... messages spanning over 2 days
>You've been out of it, for almost 3 full days, with Frost having sent you worried comms almost constantly
>There is a couple from Morning Dawn in there as well, and two or three from Comet
>A delivery update tells you that Frost's legs are supposed to be delivered to the ripperdoc you specified the next morning
>What are you doing from here on out?

>You owe these three mares one HELL of an apology and you are gonna make good on that
>But first you would like to check how bad your... well, new lungs really are
>Fortunately, a nurse you called has given you a cable that you can slot in
>You also understand why Frost wasn't exactly a fan of you getting near her port
>Plugging something into your body has to be the most weird and most depressing thing you have ever felt
"Let's see.... come on, give me something good", you glance at the diagnostics that your new mod displays
>And quite frankly, they could have hardly given you anything worse
>This is not some kind of planned obsolescence without any future system updates and the like
>This thing is straight up not meant for long term usage
>"DTech™ TempLung 4020", according to the web this is meant for ponies waiting for a replacement lung
>You can underdrive it, which would definitely gimp you pretty hard, from what you'd guess
>Oxygene IS important, or so you've been told, you think to yourself sarcastically, thinking of how bad the air in the slums is
>Next though, you hope you get to ease some ponies' worries
>Dawn probably doesn't need to know too much, you'll just shoot her a quick message
"Hello Morning Dawn, just a short update: I have ended up under the blade and... there might be a slight delay in our plans. Not too long, I hope, I'll tell you more once I know more"
>That should do it for her at least, hopefully she is satisfied with that
>Next you swallow as you dread the call you are about to make
>You dial the number from your contacts and have it ring for a couple minutes
>She finally picks up with that sweet "Hello, Comet here, who's speaking?", you see her picture pop up on your one remaining lens
>To actually properly use it you have to hold your other eye shut, it is quite the annoyance
>The mare is wearing a cute little pink apron, "Kiss the mare" it says and she seems to be in her kitchen as you can hear something sizzle in the background
"Hey...", you more whimper than say as you are prepared for a shitstorm to break loose
>Instead, you see the mare tear up and in the background you hear Frost's voice asking if Comet is alright
>At least they seem to be getting along alright by now, you're glad Frost had someone to keep her company
>Comet looks past the virtual screen and nods at assumingly Frost
>Squealing wheels coming closer and you end up seeing her head poke into the screen
>She too, begins to have watery eyes, "Shell, where are you? You've just out and left, Frost was devastated", Comet sniffles
>To which Frost shoots her a glare that warms up into a small smile quickly and both mares begin to giggle together
>It warms your heart to see them get along

"I'm sorry, Frost. I had to see a doc and I had to do that really, really quickly", you use your camera to show the mares your chest
"Guess I am a little closer to you now as well, Frost", you smirk but you see both mares frown at you
>"Shell", Frost starts out and Comet takes over, "you worried both of us sick. Seeing you with... this is just making us more worried. Where are you? We'll come over there, immediately"
>"I'm working on tracing his location right now", Frost is saying from the side and you immediately terminate the call
>From outside you hear hooves rushing to your room and open up, a nurse standing there out of breath
>"Is everything ok? Your heart rate has gone up quite considerably, are you having a heart attack?", she asks and you wave a hoof
>She sighs in relief before leaving you to yourself again
>While you are alone again, you think of what to do next while you absent mindedly scroll through the news
>If you had drank something, you might have spit something out as you read about an entire apartment complex that has burned down... your complex
>Multiple casualties and many, many more hurt, allegations of Darkside Net being involved have been repeatedly shot down by the corp
>The doc comes by telling you that you're probably gonna be bed-bound for a week, which you really don't feel is possible
>Not that you'd be telling him
>As he leaves, he once again recommends you to look for a better lung, and fast
>He also told you that you do have quite the sum of money that you owe him now, but payment can be discussed later and he doesn't expect you to pay all of it at once
>For now, you are left to your own devices, in your bed, and have a lot of time to think of your next step the next couple days

>You wonder what happened to your old lungs, but judging from the way you felt they've probably more hole-y than cheese
>From what you know, damaged organs get incinerated immediately as to not pose a health risk
>A really disgusting idea plops in your head when you remember what one of the nun's at the orphanage kept telling you: "You are what you eat"
>Waving your hooves in front of your face you try to get rid of these thoughts immediately and are kinda disgusted at them in the first place
>For now you lean back into your pillow though, a little bit of rest will definitely do you well
>Even though you absolutely hate not being able to do anything, it is nagging at you like crazy
>Mindlessly playing around with your bracelet you take a glance at the thankfully still available diagnostics screen of Frost
>Her heartbeat is gentle and you imagine lying next to somepony and listening to it in absolute peace and silence
>It's a nice thought that you maybe someday will be able to realize
>You fail to keep a straight face and break out into laughter at the idea of you ever settling down someplace nice with a nice mare, not you
>The debt you have terrifies you though and easily pulls you away from your daydreams
>According to the doc it comes to around 15 grand which is... a considerable sum
>But he did tell you that you can pay it in small portions, clearly understanding that you aren't exactly a well off stallion
>The ponies in this clinic have been nothing but hospitable and you want to very much pay them back everything you owe them
>Perhaps this place is a good place to... help out monetarily from time to time, when a job goes well and all that
>A couple donations might do wonders when it comes to having emergency organ transplants required out of the blue
>Accessing your emergency funds, you have about 3500 credits to your name scattered around multiple smaller accounts
>While that sounds a lot, it is usually barely enough to recover from a full on burn... which you basically have to do as well
>You still have your deck, thankfully, but you lost your identity, deep diving gear, your home and anything you really had in terms of possession
>Darkside, these fuckers, but if they are on the screen you've really messed with one of the big four almost directly

>Nobody really knows what Darkside does, but many believe them to be the Big Four's dark ops branch, the ponies you sent to make problems disappear
>Rumors, but with what you've seen the past couple days you wouldn't be surprised if those were true
>Even worse, they've taken Shroomie... a fungal gone too soon, you mourn and hold a silent minute to remember this sacrifice
>Out of curiosity, you decide to look up what a lung would cost you
>And you almost spit out your drink again, if you had one, at the prices you are seeing
>For one of the most basic lungs out there one of the cheapest, non-subscription ones comes to around 2500 creds and that is a no bells and whistles thing, functional but probably planned obsolescence like your contacts
>Since you already have a chrome lung, you might want to consider making use of the chance
>Perhaps smoke filtering or increased lung capacity? Toxin-gas filter, whatever else you can think of while you upgrade
>It would probably set you back a couple thousand more, if you don't just manage to steal one or something, but it would probably get you set for a while
>Or you can buy a subscription based one and try and wipe your record off their company servers
>Maybe you could do that to everypony in the list? Free them from their usually extremely restrictive contracts
>As long as you don't fuck around with wirelessly connected cyberware (the WORST invention, organs don't need to be on the net!), the potential of some script foal stopping your lung from sending oxygen to your brain is basically non-existent
>It pains you that you've lost such a big part of your equinity but at least you are still... alive you suppose
>Still enough flesh and blood in this pony!
>All of a sudden you see the diagnostics screen of Frost spike in heart rate and seconds later your batty ears pick up a voice outside
>"...a batpony, long mane", that voice is very familiar to you before you hear hoofsteps and the sound of wheels
>The door opens up and you see a white mare step in, covered by a long trench coat which she throws off as she sees you
>Her mid section seems awkwardly balanced on a small plastic table with wheels
>She has tears in her eyes as she rushes up to you and swinging her front hoof around you, almost crushing you in a hug
>The mare is followed by a batpony mare who gently closes the door before heading up to you and giving you a quick nuzzle
>"You're a real stupid stallion, do you know that?", Comet frowns and looks between you and Frost, displeased

>You raise your hooves up in defense, trying to explain yourself here
"Not at all! I might have made a couple mistakes, here and there, but I am witty, handsome and at least 80% biodegradable!", you try and joke
>That explanation nets you a slap to the face by Comet, who also is tearing up now, "You could have died on the street, you dumbass"
"OK, OK, I'm really sorry about letting you girls worry like this, but I really didn't plan to collapse the moment I set hoof into the clinic"
>She looks at you sternly and turns away, walking over to the window and looking out of it while giving Frost and you a moment to yourself
"Is it safe for you to be here, Frost? Last time you plugged in we had black ops on our butts real fast"
>Frost still holds you and has her face buried in your (now damp) neck, but she shakes her head
>Her voice is muffled and you can hear an occasional sob while she talks
>"I don't have a... a wireless link. Not anymore", she points to her head, where the port for what you assume her horn would be is located
>So her horn does serve as a wireless transmitter, but otherwise she is hardline only, good to know for the future
>"Shell, I was really really worried", she whispers in your ear between sobs, "you're the first pony that has just been... kind to me and I would hate to lose that"
>"Please don't be stupid and get yourself killed", she sounds hurt as she pulls away from you and joins Comet by the window, looking outside
>Trying to change the topic you look around the room before cautiously approaching a different question
"Is there... well", you try and find your words before swallowing a lump in your throat, "do they know who I am? Is there a bounty on our heads?"
>Not looking at you, Comet shakes her head, "I've been keeping track of the bounty boards, thanks to Frost showing me the ropes. Your description hasn't appeared, not publicly at least"
>"When are you going to be able to get out of here?", Frost asks, her back being rubbed by Comet in comfort
"A week from now, if the doc is having his way. Which I hope he won't, I'd like to be out here by tomorrow, honestly", you sigh
>Frost glares sharply at you, "are you insane? You've passed out in front of the clinic, had emergency surgery and are thinking of going back out in the field TOMORROW?"
>She stands next to you in an instant and pushes you back down onto the bed, with painful amounts of force
>"I'll take care of things", she says and then passes by your bed, putting her trench coat back on and leaving with a huff
>Comet looks at you apologetically, before following the angry mare out
>Great. You really blew this one, didn't you.
>Gotta certainly be more careful when you talk to her next time... and find a way to make it up to her
>In the meantime, you need to think of how to make it up to both of them, they were really worried and all that
>Watcha gonna do?

I can tell you that the C&C connection isn't as simple as a normal network connection
>You're stuck in this place for the foreseeable future so you might as well listen to the pair of mares
>Lest you are in for another couple hooves to the face and upsetting more mares
>For now you do the usual necessities, logging into the local net and setting up warnings and defenses
>Don't want to get your ass caught and hauled off to some chamber to be questioned before your body is found in a ditch
>Escape routes and floor plans, of course
>Then you decide to dive into the offers of cyberware-as-a-service, looking for something particularly scummy
=============================================================================================
"Stupid colt getting himself almost killed, for me", you cuss to yourself while awkwardly walking with the mobility contraption Comet has helped you out with
>You're not the one who negotiated with Big Cash, but you decide to take over operations for now while Shell is recovering
>Thankfully you're training has you made a very capable negotiator and middlemare of business
>You message Big Cash and "request" an extension of the deadline, demanding a week more
>A reply doesn't take long, and sounds very much like a warning, "make sure to bring me something juicy"
>That went... better than you would have expected but that might just be cash going easy on novice runners
>Not that you'd consider Shell a novice by any means but Morning Dawn certainly is
>You still don't trust that pony, not until you get to see her in action
>And by then you will be able to protect Shell Shock, just like he made sure to keep you safe through all of this
>Shell Shock... the pony that proverbially and literally pulled you out of the dump when you've basically given up
>While you've known him for a day at best his kindness and willingness to risk himself for you has been proven over and over again
>For what it's worth, once the reclaimer group came knocking down his door he could have just hoofed you over
>But he didn't, he instead pulled one of the most idiotic stunts you've ever seen anypony do
>If this is how he used to do his runs you are honestly surprised, confused AND impressed at the same time that he is still alive
>The last pony you've felt this... close and almost intimate with was your... well, you are having a weirdly hard time remembering... her?
>Yes, definitely her. Earth mare? No, no... Pegasus... you think.
>If only you could remember her name, but anytime you try to think of her name or what she looks like a stinging pain in your head sets in
>You stop and hold your hoof to your head, growling quietly
>A hoof on your side makes you snap your head around, a concerned looking Comet by your side
>"...ok? Are you feeling sick", she asks and you quickly put down your hoof and shake your head

"No, thank you for asking, Comet. Let's just... I need to get things going for an upcoming...", you catch yourself, as your training kicks in
>Never tell bystanders anything under any circumstances, keep details of any mission to yourself and the ones involved
>Once again you start moving, ignoring Comet's please for you to wait up
>"Hey, you can talk to me, you know?", the batpony mare says as she frowns at you giving her the cold shoulder
"I need to see a certain doctor", you continue as you walk down the road on your makeshift mobility device
>Comet keeps up with you and thinks for a moment, "new legs?"
>You glance at her and just give her the must curt of nods you can muster
>The next thing she says surprises you greatly though: "I'll install them for you", she whispers, more than anything
>That stops you dead in your tracks and you look at her in absolute disbelief
>"Just because I live in a relatively nice place doesn't mean I don't have my share of history", she frowns at you
>"Most ponies in this station do. We're all made from something special, even if some of us are better at hiding that than others. Don't judge books by their covers"
>She passes you by and stops a couple meters away from you
>"You coming? We've got a pair of legs to fetch", she turns around and heads down the road
>It doesn't take long until you reach the place that Shell mentioned to the cyber clerk
>But Comet stops you before you walk into the front door and points into a side alley
>"Business like this never happens in the light"
>While you might have been trained to handle basic runner tactics to know how to best infiltrate and terminate, this goes way beyond what you've been told
>But the confidence your companion displays does give you a certain bit of trust in what she has to say
>Following her across the street, you two sit down at a conveniently located Caffè right across the street and she orders the two of you a herbal tea
>Occasionally she glances towards the alley next to the clinic and you spend about 20 minutes until a black van drives up
>The pony getting out is a gruff looking stallion, well defined muscles who looks around once or twice before opening the back of the van and pulling out a small container
>Electric locks make it clear that this is more heavy duty than just a simple delivery
>He walks over to a door on the opposite building of the clinic in the alley and places it down, knocking twice and then leaving
>Once a couple more minutes pass, the door opens and you see a pair of hooves pull it inside just as quickly
>"They're probably connected via underground tunnel, or perhaps you're being relocated into that building", Comet nods towards the door
>"Don't get up just yet", she whispers to you and takes another sip of her tea
>She then watches you closely before asking what your next plan is supposed to be, not just your legs but in general
>"And keep talking. It looks less conspicuous. Go ahead, ask any question you might have"

>You mull it over as you glance around the place for a quick second
"You and Shell-- err, I mean Buffy... you seem to really care about him, but he never really explained the nature of your relationship to me"
>She giggles and has that warm smile on her face that you've come to know rather well over the past couple days
>"We've met at night, maybe a little bit of a cliché considering...", she stretches one of her leathery wings and chuckles
>"He was hooked up to a network junction box, cursing to himself the entire time", she starts swearing like a sailor, trying to imitate Shell's voice
>"Now, an ordinary pony would probably not have taken notice, but being nocturnal isn't the only boon a batpony has", she tells you and her ears flick as she smiles a fang-y smile
>"I went to check it out, curious as I was and startled him to the point where he accidentally ripped his cable in half"
>"'Oh I am just doing... uhm.. s-system maintenance, yes!', he told me while blushing like I have rarely seen other ponies blush"
>She then winks at you before continuing her tale: "Told him I won't tell anypony if he'll take me out for a coffee the next day. We really just kind of... hit off at that point"
>"Buffy... or rather Shell as you seem to keep calling him, I guess his identity was burned?", she asks and you nod, telling her you decided to call him "Shell Shock" from now
>"Shell Shock, he is a very kind stallion. A great listener, willing to lend an open ear and just be there for the ponies he is close to."
>"Kind. Always putting others above himself, as you might have noticed. He isn't well off, but from what he told me he keeps giving most of the money he makes on 'jobs' to orphanages and homeless shelters, or other ponies in need"
>"Not stuck up or with a massive ego the size of an entire apartment complex"
>"Clever as well. On occasion at least, but can't be perfect all the time", she thinks for a moment, putting a hoof to her face
>"Good in bed, too, lots of stamina", she gives you another wink and you can't help but blush yourself
>"It's exceedingly rare to find a stallion like him in today's world", she finishes off, satisfied
>Quite frankly, a lot of what she said about Shell Shock you feel applies to her as well, judging from the past couple days she has been there for you
>Kept you company, helped you not to go crazy with worry over your mutual friend and has just been one of the most generous hosts imaginable
>An entire, soft bed, just for yourself, a warm meal every evening and company that doesn't yell at you every minute of the day
>The idea seemed so outlandish to you just a week ago and it is blissful to get to enjoy this
>Considering she seems to have a background in either cybernetics or medicine, you assume the clever part is just as covered

>Part of you feels kind of bad, not only are you just out here abusing her hospitality like that, now she also offers to attach (and probably recalibrate, which is important!) your new pair of legs
"You know, just interacting with Shell and me might net you some serious trouble, right? There has been... casualties before we came here", you look grimly at her
>She frowns and looks away, as you continue, "ponies burned alive, just for living in the same apartment complex as Shell", and it is all your fault
>"I know", she just simply says before smiling, "but if I wasn't helping you I don't think I could look Buff- Shell Shock in the eyes anymore. He does so much for ponies and it is... inspiring? I want to do more, help more!"
>Unbelievable, is this lack of basic self-preservation inherent to bat ponies or something?
>Nevertheless, you very much appreciate her offer of assistance
"Well, regarding plan, for now it's mostly sit back and lick my, and now also Shell's wounds. Try and recover some strength before we head out for a mission"
>You look down at yourself and frown, "sadly, my legs aren't the only missing part. The most crucial, sure, but there is a reason I have this and this", you point at your head and at your side
"Finding quality components is gonna be tough. Oh, we need a new place to stay, long term as well"
>Comet raises a hoof, "there is this abandoned block of housing a couple minutes down the road. Not much, but there tends to be a lot of homeless ponies in there and nopony bats an eye"
>You look at her and raise an eyebrow, and she rolls her eyes before continuing
>"It means you can go there, find an empty room and would probably fit in without any pony batting an eye. Lots of chromed up ponies, too. Be careful though, drug addiction runs rampant there"
>"Other than that... I suppose there is an a bit nicer couple flats nearby, not as nice as my place, but at least not run down. All automated too, which keeps costs manageable"
>She then leans in closer to you, "rumors have it a couple ponies like Shell have gottem themselves an easy permanent and free residence by getting access to the central control core"
"That would... be an interesting idea to bring up. We're admittedly just north of broke which isn't an ideal situation. Especially not with the medical bills that Shell has accumulated"
>Maybe you could try hacking in sometime this week, have a place ready for Shell to get home to?
>Perhaps checking out the more run down place could proof more fruitful though.
>"We've been here for long enough. If you want, we can leave now", Comet whispers, glancing around, "or if you feel like staying a bit longer and chatting, I am all ears!"
>She once again wiggles her little tuffed ears and smiles at you warmly as she sips from her coffee

This is pretty dope, thanks anon. Might just use that.
>You admittedly never really felt so happy before, just having the chance of sitting down and conversing with somepony
>Nothing work related, mission debriefing or being yelled at for not completing an assigned task or training to absolute satisfaction
>You're not a tool right now.
>You're a mare, for the first time in your life and it just hits you how much you've been starved for social interaction
>In this current moment, as you take a sip of your coffee and chit chat and laugh with this mare, you forget for one second where you came from
>Not that you have much in the line of experience on how to hold a non-work oriented conversation for the life of you, but Comet doesn't seem to mind
>The afternoon quickly passes by and the street lamps turn on, bathing the road into artificial orange light
>You've seen a couple more of those black trucks drop by every so often and deliver something to the same door
>This place must be pretty busy, you wonder how they haven't been caught yet
>Comet gets up after finishing a cup of tea she ordered a little bit ago and sends a couple creds to the place
>"Let's go, it is starting to get a little late and we don't wanna be here when it gets dark, trust me"
>She begins to get a move on and you get back on your table to follow her
>At a cross section, you decide to split from her telling her you'll be back at the apartment a bit later
>While she isn't entirely on board with the idea of you being out on your own, you tell her that you are very much able to handle yourself
>She doesn't exactly look convinced and glances at your half-nuggetness but you aren't going to let that stop you
>Really, you are just gonna check out the automated flat's building, not much trouble you are expecting there
>Comet reluctantly agrees and lets you go, telling you to give her a call if there you smell trouble
>You nod in agreement before making your way towards the building, which looks quite unassuming from the outside
>Staying a little bit away, next to an alley you can duck into if needed you watch the entrance for a little bit
>A couple ponies enter and leave and entering always seems to require a keycard from the looks of it
>Unless you can somehow override the door mechanism from the outside, getting your hooves on one of these is gonna have to be first order of business
>That means getting one from one of the residents, most likely or have one of them get you in at the very least
>Nothing a bit of pressure couldn't accomplish

>Although you might wanna go a more stealthy route and try to find the building's local network node
>Nopony should be able to trace you if you hardline into it and just stay in the building's local subnet
>You'll have to jack in eventually though, or find somepony able to do that for you, if you want to take on a more permanent residence here
>After sticking around for a while longer, you are satisfied with recon and consider taking a look at the abandoned building too
>But with the way you are currently limited in the hoof department you doubt that is gonna go well if there are really as many druggies as Comet suggested
>They'd probably try and scrap you for the next fix and while you are good, you are severely handicapped right now
>The other thing you have planned is finding out as much on Morning Dawn as you can
>You've been using Comet's terminal at her home to try and do some research and did find a couple juicy bits about the other pony of your possible crew
>She seemed to be part of a smaller subsidiary to one of the big four before she ended up in the sprawl, for some reason
>It makes you nervous having to deal with a corpo, and you definitely need to keep an eye on that mare... for Shell's safety's sake, of course
>"Hooves up, right where I can see 'em", a voice pulls you out of your thoughts from behind you
>What you assume to be a gun barrel of a small caliber is pressed to your head
>The voice is shaky and riled up and you can only imagine either how nervous or how drugged up they are
>And if it is the latter, you're in basically the exact position you've hoped to avoid
>But hey, this pony might just have given you a weapon on the house or something like that, you just gotta find a way out of this
>Even with only 2 legs, beating him to a pulp shouldn't be that hard for a trained operative like you
>Or maybe you can try and make use of him somehow?
>It pays to be creative and think outside the box during your missions, after all

>Getting yourself snuck up like this?
>Wow, you really are starting to slip when it comes to your training
>Calculating your best move forward, you take a deep breath before raising your front hoof in the air slowly
>And with an unmatched speed in part attributed to your cybernetic enhancements you spin around and sit on the chair you use to support you for ability
>A precise kick with your back legs knocks the stallion of his legs, in fact, you knock him straight into the opposite wall
>The kick's momentum pushes your wheeled walking assistance careening into the wall behind you
>Quite frankly, you expected there to be quite a bit more force than you figured as you crash into it
>Thank goodness for your reinforced spine and you are back on your (two) hooves in a matter of seconds
>The other stallion didn't fair as well as you did and is limply sitting on the floor
>He is still breathing, so at least you didn't immediately kill him but he is definitely knocked out for now, his small and crudely built pistol next to him on the floor
>It doesn't surprise you either that he was able to sneak up on you as you look at his hooves, they are strongly padded with soft fabric
>Common way to cheaply mask your step, at least in a slightly noisy environment
>His tattered trench coat has certainly seen better days and you can see the rings under his eyes from the lack of sleep
>Looks to be a clear case of crunch, that stuff is pretty common for ponies because it can keep you up for days on end
>It's officially supposed to be illegal but a lot of corps turn a blind eye towards it as it very much improves the output of their stressed workers
>At the detriment and quick expiration to their health as it turns out, ponies DO, in fact, need sleep to stay sane and most of all to stay alive
>Judging from the way this pony looks, he is right about at the limit of what he can take regarding no rest
>Luckily, you did sent him into a long nap for now, so unless he gets stabbed or something he should wake up a lot more reasonable
>Maybe you can dump him into a trash heap and hide him for a while, worked for you after all!
>At least while you focus on getting into the place
>Doing just that, you put a bunch of trash bags over him and move towards the door of the apartment building

>That is where waiting begins, either for somepony to come in or hopefully somepony to go out
>All the while you keep glancing towards the alley, seeing if your drugged up friend ends up waking
>Not that you expect that to happen anytime soon, crunch can make you sleep for days when you finally do fall asleep
>After about give or take an hour, you hear the door slide open and a pair of young mares trot out, happily chatting about their plans for the night
>Slipping in behind them, you manage to reach the lobby without them really taking any notice of you
>The cameras in the lobby, on the other hoof, began tracking your movement the moment you stepped into the simple, but tastefully decorated interior
>Near the far end of the room, right next to the elevators is a small desk with a terminal facing towards you
>Must be the controls for the residents here, if you'd have to guess and is probably connected to the rest of the network here
>Even has a link cable directly attached for ponies who prefer interfacing via implants
>A keycard locked door to your right (that doesn't look all too sturdy) has a large sign saying "MAINTENANCE" and a staircase sign on it
>Perhaps this will lead you down to the central mainframe, if you had to guess?
>Other than the slight whirr of the fans that seem to pump (judging from the smell) recycled air through the air vents this place is entirely quiet
>Speaking of air vents, it seems like those might be big enough for you to crawl through as well, given you'd find a way to get into them
>They have to be sizeable at least to push so much air through a building like this
>Your scheming is interrupted as you hear one of the elevators starting to move and see the floor number above it rapidly count down
>Gotta plan quickly here or perhaps just get the heck out and back to Comet, if you've seen enough

>You are definitely going to pick up that pistol once you get back out and make your way for Comet's place
>While you are definitely used to.... higher quality standards when it comes to your mission loadout, this pistol certainly just feels kind of fitting for you right now
>A crudely built pistol for a crudely built mare-table hybrid, the irony certainly is not lost on you
>Part of your mind drifts back to your training and how important tying up loose ends tends to be, so maybe...
>Holding your hoof to your face you realize how fucked up this thought is, yet something just keeps driving them into your mind
>It takes a lot of effort but you are able to push them away, back into the depths of your cybernetic mind
>For now, you quickly head over to the terminal, the wheels of your makeshift transportation squeaking in protest at the abuse they have taken earlier
>Starting to tap the interface you turn your head away from the elevator, just in time for it to arrive with a *ding*
>The doors open and you hear heavy hoofsteps walk out, perhaps reinforced leather boots
>Your trench coat certainly doesn't make for the most unassuming disguise so the pony stops for a moment and you can feel their eyes take your covered form in
>Seconds pass, but then the hoofsteps continue and you hear the door open and leave and you let out a breath that you didn't know you were holding
>The terminal itself only offers limited functionality, that being a map of the building with navigation to each room, granted you have a keycard, and the ability to pay
>It also offers a maintenance mode, but that is locked behind credentials that you quite frankly aren't equip to handle
>While in theory you could store cracking programs in your system you have no such thing at the moment
>Best you could do is try and find out who made this and brute force the password, or rather hope they use a default password
>And while bucking down the door seems exceedingly appealing, you can't really erase the camera's feed to hide that
>Instead, you make your way back out of the building, being happy with what you've seen so far
>If Shell Shock can take control of this system and get you two a spot here you'd probably be set for a while
>Walking outside you already miss the filtered and freshened air from the building

"I'll be back for you", you take a longing glance at the complex before returning to the alley
>The pony under the trash is snoring, fast asleep even though he has a bit of dried blood dripping stuck to his coat where he hit the wall
>And the pistol is exactly where you left it, next to the wall in the shadow of a trash can
>Picking it up you put it in one of your trench coat's pockets and make your uneventful way back towards Comet
>Half an hour through the city you finally arrive and ring the doorbell, the batpony mare letting you in
>And your mouth hangs open in surprise, confusion and awe
>The living room had its furniture pushed aside to the walls, instead a metallic operating table replaced the place where the couch has previously been
>Multiple tools are scattered around on various tables surrounding it, a lot of wrenches and screwdrivers, but also multiple scalpels and scissors and the like
>Out of the bathroom comes Comet, looking at you and then a smirk grows on her face, "welcome home, Frost. I decided to... redecorate a little in your absence"
>"Everything should be about ready for your new legs, we just have to pick them up earliest thing in the morning", she happily exclaims and her wings flutter in excitement
>"Personally, I recommend we might try and get the shipment before it arrives at the clinic, although that would require figuring out which ones contain your legs"
>"She sits down in the kitchen, pulling out some freshly roasted vegetables out of the oven and places it down on the table, with 2 plates already set up
>Sitting down, you find Comet look at you with a concerned face as she furrows her eyebrows
>"So, I've talked about my relationship to Buffy... what's your take on him? At least of the bit that you've gotten to know him so far", her tone becomes serious
>The next thing she says sounds somewhat distrustful, threatening even: "And are you going to protect him? Are you able to do that?"
>Thoughts of his apartment getting raided, and later burned down come to mind
>"And what's your plan, once we've got your legs back tomorrow, and attached? Your whole plans", she states

>You frown at her as you think the question over more closely
>It's true, you've known him for about a day, realistically, but it already feels like forever
>In this short amount of time, he has stuck out his neck for you more times than you would have ever be able to imagine
"I owe this pony my life... multiple times, in fact", you start out while taking a breather, "while I may be trained in combat, my current situation kind of leaves me a bit..."
>You wave your single front hoof and give the mare across a shrug, to which she nods understandingly
"At this point I really don't know if my companionship will make him more or less safe, but you can bet your hindquarters that I'll do what I can to keep him safe from here on out"
>Comet on the other hoof looks a little skeptic at your explanation, raising an eyebrow: "I am not entirely sure how much I can trust you, but keep going"
>It stings a little hearing her distrust you, but quite frankly you aren't ENTIRELY surprised
>Shell almost bit the bullet multiple times in just the past week because of you
>And Comet seems very much invested in his safety, just like you are
>AND you are presumably a killer operative of a shadow-y corp somewhere out there, you are certainly what some would consider a threat
>How come you've just started trusting him out of the blue?
>Was it really just him saving you?
>From your training you would have expected to know better than just outright trusting somepony with your life
>Case in point, you are still somewhat wary of the batpony mare in front of you, even though she has been nothing but kind and hospitable
>Trust is not a currency you can hoof out en masse
"He is... a kind stallion, as you mentioned he keeps putting others' wellbeings way ahead of his own, and far too often if I may add"
>Comet can't help bit giggle as she nods in agreement, "well said, Frost, now if only he'd decide to listen to a mare's advice for once"
>You feel a bit more relieved as her laughter seems to lessen the edge of the atmosphere a slight bit
"I do believe he is quite a capable, although certainly a bit rusty from what I've seen, netrunner. I unfortunately haven't gotten the chance to see him take on a real system"
"But he seems capable of adapting to circumstances on the fly... to a point where his ideas might not ALWAYS be the best ones to make. But so far they've worked."
"Then again, there are times where he just seems... absent minded. Klutzy even. I am still having trouble figuring out what to make of him"
>Then you glance around, even though you full well know it is only the two of you here right now, you lean in and whisper

"Did you know he tried to have me make friends with a mold infestation in his fridge? One he believed to be sentient? I fear for his mental well being and hope that is a temporary shroom-high or something"
>Gosh, you really hoped that he isn't actually mentally cracked of some kind, although in today's world you wouldn't be surprised
>The other mare looks horrified at your revelation before her face becomes worried
>"Oh dear, I think that is something you ought to keep an eye on. WE ought to keep an eye on that"
"All in all, I just hope I can be as good to him as you've been to me up to this point. It's...", you are trying to look for words
>Falling silent for a couple seconds you repeatedly attempt to open your mouth before closing it again
"I hope I get to meet more new ponies. Ponies like Shell and you, ones that are nice and selfless. Kind to others"
"It is not something I knew was really... how do I say that, a thing I guess? Not until I came across Shell. Probably another thing I owe him for", you chuckle
>Comet scrutinizes you, real closely for multiple seconds and you can feel her gaze bore into you and her ears keep twitching
>And then all of a sudden, her serious demeanor disappears entirely and she has a broad smile on her face
>"Either you are an EXCEPTIONALLY good liar or you are telling the truth. And I'd love to think it's the latter"
>For some reason she sounds extremely confident in her assessment of your ability to lie, it strikes you as odd 
>She seems satisfied and begins to get back to her food, which you quickly follow suit
>This is mouth wateringly good, and nothing like the grey, tasteless goop of nutrients that you've been given all your life
>It is the small things that almost bring you to tears, you think to yourself as you wipe your damp eyes
>With that discussion over, you both are quick to finish your meal and Comet apologizes as she heads towards her bedroom, yawning
>You too decide to head to bed and get some rest for tomorrow, excited at the prospect of finally being able to walk again normally
>And with that, you quickly close your eyes and feel your movement co-processors fall into standby, your body going limp and cybernetic muscles allowed to rest
>....

>As you open your eyes, you barely see anything but a massive bright light shining in your face
>Trying to move results in you noticing that your hooves have been strapped to the table you are lying on
>A really uncomfortable steel table, no padding, if you may add
>"Prepare detachment and replacement", a distorted voice of a stallion rings over some kind of intercom and glancing to the side you see what seems to be a big glass window
>Shadowy figures glance down at you with what you can only guess to be frowning faces, but it's hard to make out with the current light situation
>A multitude of hooves shuffle around you and your heartbeat starts to increase drastically
>Terror. Sheer terror is all that is currently pervading your entire mind
>One of the instruments, a sharp saw is starting to float towards your head in the glow of a magical aura
>They don't seem to have noticed that you've woken up yet, whoever they are
>And the leather straps securing you don't seem to be the most sturdy things out there
>Moreover, a weird sensation on your forehead and your sides can be felt
>Something familiar, yet also foreign

>This has to be a flashback or memory, or a dream, you try to reason to yourself
>But it feels way too real for your liking, it is a terrifying cold sensation of dread that is setting in
>What if this is real and you've been found while you were at Comet's place?
>Has she reported you to the authorities?
>How did you not notice getting caught?
>No, no this has to be just a dream, a nightmare you fail to wake up from despite your best efforts
>So for now, you do what any mare in your situation would do and you form a plan of escape
>There will be no violation of your body occurring today
>Especially since you haven't felt as complete as you have for a while
>A glance down reveals why: You have a full set of four legs stuck to the table
>Moreover, that sensation on your side are a mechanical set of wings that has been connected back to your body
>Unfortunately, they currently don't seem to be tied into your neurological control system so they are limply tied around your body with another leather strap
>You are not a cybernetic expert, but you assume they first have to integrated by a medtechie to properly function
>Not something you have the knowledge for yourself, sadly
>But the thing on your forehead, that is very clearly a WAND (Wireless Arcane Network Device) and even more importantly a WAND that has been connected to your arcano-neurological circuitry
>That means the thing on your forehead is fully ready and capable at casting at moment's notice
>You can't help but smirk just ever so slightly, trying not to have anypony notice before you put your plan into motion
>Glancing up once more you look between the lamp and the window and begin your escape
>The light is wrapped in your icy magic aura and directs itself to the window, in the process lighting up the side of the room where you see a couple of ponies in medical masks standing ready
>One of them is carrying a syringe, that might be the anesthesiologist
>The room quickly erupts in chaos as you hear the pony from the speaker screech and see them behind the window covering their eyes with a hoof
>Turning your attention to the saw hanging in the air it rotates, whacking the unicorn besides you right in the face
>He stumbles back as the bone saw clatters to the ground and other ponies around you also take two terrified steps back
>Only the pony with the syringe is walking closer, but you are quick to notice and as your eyes adjusted to the different lighting situation a lot of scalpels around you that might just be perfect
>One of them floats in your magical grip and precisely makes it's way at high speed at the approaching stallion
>While he tried to avoid it by jumping to the side, it imbeds itself straight into his leg, making him drop what you assume was the thing that would have put you back to sleep

>The saw next to you floats up and slams down onto your binds with precision, giving you a chance to rip apart the leather
>With your forehooves free, you manage to tear the shackles holding your back hooves in place open and jump off the table
>All of this happened in just a couple seconds but by now the observing ponies have recovered and are scrambling orders into the room
>Most of them some for of "subdue her", "stop her", "don't damage the goods"
>With a final glance around the room, you see a bunch of things on tables that you assume would have been added to you
>A mechanical set of ears, quite an assortment of what seems to be bio-mechanical computer chips that you couldn't even begin to comprehend the usage for as well
>Not on your watch
>An alarm starts blaring as you kick the door of the surgical room out of its hinges and step into a sterile looking hallway
>The fluorescent lamps glare down on you as you hear the sirens howl through the entire complex
>Red lights flash in regular intervals and you can hear boots thunder from one of the hallways that crosses with yours
>Assuming this is a military compound, you are probably about the be charged by plenty of armed ponies
>But that also means there might be an armory around here?
>Or maybe you should just try to hide somewhere, could always attempt to hide in a vent or some room nearby, the sleeping quarters or mess hall perhaps?
>You do feel like you have at least some idea of the layout of this complex so you are quite sure you should find most rooms and routes that you can remember
>Out of one of the doors next to you a pony with a small pistol steps out, a green pegasus mare with blue mane in a suit frowning at you as she aims
>"Subject, stand down or I will be forced to use lethal force on you!", she threatens, with a bit of shakiness to her voice

>You glance at her, not really threatened or anything by the pony as you try and intimidate her
"Well, you're a brave one, aren't you? Gotta hoof it to you, I wouldn't have expected anypony to stand in my way, especially as lightly armed as this"
>She flinches for a second before steeling her resolve and taking another step forward, "I repeat, stand down or I WILL be forced to use lethal force"
>She steadies her aim, pointing the barrel straight at your head with a frown
"Do you... even know how much I am worth?!", you cock your head in disbelief at that mare trying to end you right here, "The implants I was supposed to get today alone are worth more than you'll ever earn!"
>"And implants can and WILL be reclaimed, just like they have been many, many times", she snarks back and it dawns on you that your threat might not be as effective as you hoped
>Instead, you attempt to toggle the safety on her gun.... just to find that you can't exert any control over it
>Attempting to pull the gun away from her results in an equal amount of your magical energy just not finding any grip on the gun
>The mare glances down and locks eyes with you again, "nice try, but ponies way smarter than me thought of unicorn magic in gun fights"
>That throws a bit of a wrench into your gears, you didn't expect anti-magical guns to be hoofed out to ponies like this
>Weighing your options, there isn't much you can do but...
"Listen, I don't want to hurt anypony...", you start out, taking a step forward
>She aims the gun at the floor below you and shoots a warning shot before glaring at you and hissing: "Surrender"
>There seems to be no reasoning with her, so you really just have one more option now
>Hanging your head, you put your cybernetic legs into action, bringing in as much force as you can muster
>The floor underneath your hooves cracks as you thunder down the hallway at breakneck speed, slamming into her before she has any chance to react
>The momentum transfer flings her off her hooves, down the hallway as her gun goes flying even further
>She manages to stop herself thanks to her wings and hovers in the air at the end of the corridor, dazed from your charge
"I'm sorry, but this place has to blow and I'll make sure it will. Evacuate anypony that isn't willing to lose their life here", you threaten before rushing down the hallway to your right
>Now, if you were to really try and blow this place up you would probably head down to engineering, overload the reactor and have an arcane explosion that is gonna encompass this whole building in a matter of half an hour or so
>Which means you probably want to get upstairs, get away from here via the roof which... for some reason fills you with dread
>The sound of bullets whizzing by you, the pain in your cybertronic legs...

>You feel yourself lock up for a split second before you can convince your movement processors to set your legs back into motion
>You try to consider what you can do on your way out of here in terms of causing chaos
>Sadly, anything that has to do with the system or network is downstairs as well, near engineering
>You do know that you could make your way towards the crew quarters which are also somewhere near the holding cells
>Maybe you can figure out what happened to Comet?
>You wouldn't be able to forgive yourself if you let something happen to her
>But you'll probably be met with quite a lot of resistance on your way there, as the crew quarters is mostly likely where most ponies would have been at this moment in time
>Bullets coming from behind you make you instinctively dodge into a doorway as you look back and see 3 ponies with full barding and automatic rifles attached fire in your direction
>The sight you end up with terrifies you, to no end
>A glass tube about 2 ponies wide filled with green glowing liquid
>Inside you see a mare float, she's a zebra from what you can gather from the stripes on her face but there is hardly anything organic left visible of her
>Tubes and wires of multiple sizes snake their way into her back, attached to ports
>She seems to be peacefully asleep, her leg occasionally twitching
>A screen in front of the tube displays her vitals
>SUBJECT: Zarasia
>C&C: Crushing Heartbreak
>You can hear the unit outside thundering with their boots outside, getting closer

>Another glance at the tube makes you flinch once again
>NOT BECAUSE SHE WUZ CYBORGZ IS A ZEBRA THOUGH, OK?!
>Y-you're not racist! R-right?
>Stepping up to the terminal you attempt to activate it with a hoof, hopefully able to...
>The idea of using another pony like you makes you sick to the stomach
>But you HAVE to get out of here, at any cost... your mission demands it, you have to escape
>Unfortunately, the system doesn't respond to you, you assume it is biometrically locked to the C&C user
>Having somepony to take out the guards about to fuck you up would have been a welcoming bit of respite
>Alas, there is nothing you can really do for the mare currently stuck in her stasis-like state
>Using your quick thinking and realization that, quite frankly, you've got nowhere else to go, you head over towards a grate in the wall
>Holding on to it, you steady yourself and tug at it, screws being ripped out of the wall easily enough and the grate is in your hooves in a matter of seconds
>Slipping in you pull the grate shut behind you again, crawling deeper into the vents as quietly as you can
>You are surprised they haven't broken down the door yet, perhaps they are waiting on something?
>Whatever it is, it only works in your favor as you are freely able to make your move deeper into the compound
>The recycled air of the scrubbers below is a welcome feeling as it helps you cool your nerves ever so slightly
>Trying to recall the more exact details of this place you try and find your way through the labyrinth of metal tubes
>Unfortunately a lot of ways are locked off to you as the pipes become too narrow for you
>You're a large horse
>While trying to think of ways to cause mayhem here, the thought of disrupting command structure comes to mind
>Unfortunately, this is just a research complex to your knowledge, meaning any of the higher ups responsible for this fucked up bullshit likely aren't present
>All you could do is threaten or take out some of the scientists here, which you assume would be quickly filled again by other poor souls
>As you pass by multiple vents to look out of, you keep hearing ponies running past, in a hurry
>With the alarms blaring you are sure that those are combat units
>A voice is making your blood curl: "Find that defective piece of trouble. At any cost"

>A glance out of a nearby vent confirms your fears, a unicorn stallion with a cybernetic ear and eye combination is leading a group of mercinaries
>The cobalt blue fur stands in stark contrast to his sandy, buzz cut mane
>Captain Sandy Beaches, not a combat unit like you but certainly what you could describe as the template to the project that brought you
>His responsibility is security on the entire compound and he doesn't take his job lightly
>In fact, he is as ruthless as they come, ready to kill anypony that crosses him or his higher ups in the blink of an eye
>They say that his enhanced eye is actually capable of predicting the future, but you can only assume that to be bullshit to terrify ponies here to obey
>Anyways, he keeps moving while his squad splits up into groups of two and you are once again left alone
>Unfortunately for you, the vents ahead become way too small for you to quietly fit through, but you know that the holding cells are nearby
>You could try and double back, which would require turning around in here, or you could leave the vents behind entirely
>And with how many patrols are around by now, you aren't entirely sure how to proceed without being spotted
>Maybe if you can take the ponies out before they can call for reinforcements?
>You start to shake as you think of how scared Comet might be, if she is really here
>Or Shell Shock, you pray that he is alright
>A picture of another pegasus mare, golden coat with a brone mane comes to your mind
>She laughs with you, sitting across you from a table in what you assume to be a caffeteria
>You fail to hold on to the picture as it disappears from your mind's eye, leaving you confused
>Anyways, focus, Frost. Focus on the mission.

>At least they seem to have lost track of you for now, which quite frankly feels surprisingly incompetent to you
>Wouldn't the guards from earlier have eventually raided the room and found the broken grate?
>Perhaps they aren't allowed to enter and that is why they haven't raised alarm yet?
>Hopefully that is the reason and they aren't just trying to set up a trap somewhere out there
>For a moment, you mull over your current situation
>Groups of two at a time should be possible for you to take on, given the element of surprise
>But it sure as heck is gonna be risky beyond measure, especially since you know the ponies with Sandy tend to be the most capable and well trained guards here
>Two of those, or so you heard, could count for as much as a whole squad of 5, they are extremely capable and watch each other's back like hawks
>Without a weapon, you'd probably have a hard time taking on one of the pairs, or Sandy himself even
>Killing him would... certainly be something that would cause a LOT of confusion, he is a pillar of this compound, in a sense
>You definitely can't just get to his handler and use that as leverage, as he doesn't have one, considering he isn't really a part of this project
>Cyberware has become quite common in military applications and you assume that is how he got to it before he joined this place
>If you could somehow get control of the lift system or cut the wires if he steps into one, maybe have an elevator crush him?
>That would require either hacking skills or you getting into the elevator shaft with a way to cut the cables, but more importantly it would require Sandy to use one of the elevators

>Considering how strongly they are patrolling this place, you assume they still at least know that you are down on this floor
>He's probably roaming the halls alone though, looking for you to beat you into a stain on the floor, that sounds like him
>Easily angered, that stallion, and once he is you better duck and run for cover if you hold any merit for your bodily integrity
>No, you'll just get towards your destination and try and get out of here for now
>Since you are no longer able to get ahead in the air ducts, you silently unscrew the grate that is below you and push it aside
>The landing is a little less graceful as you might have liked, but the noise you made fortunately was minimal
>Quietly clippy-cloppying your way through the hallway you keep your ears perched for any other ponies coming down
>The feeling of being watched the entire time won't leave you alone and you start speeding up a little
>Thankfully, you manage to avoid most patrols or hide when you came across one as you made your way to the cell blocks
>They are quiet, the entire area is really quiet as you enter through the heavy steel door
>Slowly you pass by one empty cell after another, wondering where everypony has been taken to
>At least you expect more ponies to be here, but who knows, the cells look rather pristine
>So far, there is absolutely no sign of Comet, which on one hoof gets you a bit hopeful but on the other...
>You freeze as you look into one of them
>An untouched tray of food and water stands in front of a bed that is hung up on the wall with two metal bars
>On the really uncomfortable looking bed you see a pony turned to the wall and curled up
>Golden fur, bronze and disheveled mane with her wings bound tightly to her body
>Occasionally you can hear quiet sobs and hiccups coming from her shivering form
>She hasn't noticed you yet, at least, your stealth being your saving grace, once again

>The feeling of having eyes on you the entire time just doesn't want to leave you, but you choose to push that aside right now
>For now, you need to imagine this is real and serious, because if it is, you could very well end up dying here
>You pray to the stars that you are just having a terrible mix of lucid dream and nightmare because this place just drums up horrible emotions in you
>Glancing back between the bars you focus back on the mare with uncertainty, questioning why she seems so extremely familiar to you
>Making sure there is nopony around you head towards the small cell control room in the back, which is just as empty
>Sitting down in front of the computer you tap the terminal, bringing up the door lock section
>A couple taps later and you get asked to swipe your authorization to confirm the action of unlocking the doors
>Shit, guess that idea was a bust, but that won't be enough to stop you as you head back to the cell
>Putting a hoof to the cell's reinforced glass door you consider where to strike it most effectively
>The tap makes the ears of the mare inside perk up, but she doesn't seem to care too much
>Pulling back your hoof you accelerate it forwards, once again your cybernetics serving you well as the door shatters with a loud crash
>That makes the mare inside shoot up from her bed, her head whipping around at you as she stares at the mare that has come to her rescue
>The silence between you two is crushing and seems to last an eternity before you see her lip begin to tremble
>Her eyes begin to grow moist as she takes in your proud form standing in the doorway
>"F-frosty...", she whispers as she slowly takes careful but very shaky steps towards you, reaching out for you
>Something in you compels you to share the tears of this reunion as an exceptional amount of happiness and relief washes over you
>She means so much to you, so, so much, even though you still don't quite understand it
>All you know is that you are glad to have her back with you
>The words Golden Sunrise pop into your mind and just make the tears roll down your cheeks even more numerous
>"Frosty", she keeps advancing, a little faster by now
>But something feels off here, really really off and your gut feeling tells you to back off and run
>Why? Why are your alarm senses screaming at you? You've just got her back, why now?
>The conflicted feeling in you feels like it is tearing you apart, but you also have the nagging feeling that you are... forgetting something
>Everything is getting so confusing, what are you supposed to do?

>As much as your mind is screaming at you to embrace the mare stepping towards you, you take a decisive step back
>You are in control.
>It's a phrase you have to repeat in your head over and over again until you are finally able to tear your head away from the mare
>The clippy cloppy of her hooves stops immediately and her voice waivers, "F-frosty, what's the... m-matter?", she says
"I'm being hunted", you tell her as you move back into the hallway with the cells and start looking around more closely
>No guards, no alarm when you when the door got busted and no sounds of anypony coming for this place
"Stay back, they could make you hurt me at any moment", you tell the other mare cautiously
>"Frost... I-I'm not like.. like you, you know that!", she whimpers between sobs, "I'm.. we belong together, just you and me!"
>For now, you pay no mind to the mare's desperate sounding outcries as you focus on the task at hoof
>Hearing her like this feels like someone is tearing your heart out of your body and crushes it into a pulp
"Are there other prisoners here?", you glance around at all the other cells, not having seen anypony but her
"Any bat ponies in particular?", you ask while taking another look at the terminal, hoping to find a list of prisoners
>Sunrise has decided to follow you out into the hall, keeping her distance from you though
>Out of the corner of your eye, you can see her shake her head with a confused look
>"Batponies? No, not that I know of", she quizzically looks back at you
"And why are you in here?", you keep interrogating her, trying to keep your voice calm and collected, emotionless
>She frowns in return, "what would you think happens when I am trying to make one of their projects run away?"
>The pegasus sounds hurt, her sobbing has stopped but has been replaced with disdain
>You keep tapping at the console, when suddenly your hoof is stuck to it as an electric shock of unimaginable proportions shoots through you
>It keeps going and hurts painfully, you can only scream as the pain runs through your entire body
>From a bit away, you hear the other mare scream your name: "Frost! FROST, FROSTY! WAK- -P"
>Your vision is fading fast as are the rest of your senses
>You know you are still screaming, but you neither see nor hear as you collapse on the floor
>.......

>"E UP! FROST, BY CELESTIA PLEASE SNAP OUT OF IT!", you hear a familiar, screeching voice
>The electric shocks are still there but have ended up lessening in intensity and have come at regular intervals
>You try to scream but you find your mouth has been gagged
>The sensation of a heavy duty wire coming out of your backside is the next thing you notice
>Finally, you can tear open your eyes to stare into the concerned face of Comet
>She shows sights of relief as you look at her and runs over to a small piece of machinery, pressing a couple buttons
>The shocks subside and you notice you had been tied down to the bed with ropes
>Slipping out of them isn't too hard and you remove your gag from your mouth, catching a breath of fresh air
"C-comet, what's...", you can't even finish your sentence properly as she comes over to pull you into a tight embrace
>"Ssshh, i-it's alright now, y-you're back", she whispers comfortingly into your ear
>You don't quite understand but she starts explaining
>"You woke me up a couple hours ago, you were... screaming terribly", she tells you, sounding exhausted
>"Something was wrong, but I had to make sure you aren't causing a ruckus to get the neighbors or security to check on us, so I...", she throws a sock behind herself with a sorry smile
>She then helps you pull out your wire from your port and you shudder as you feel the instrument that was hooked up to you disconnect
>"I ran diagnostics. Your mental processing and memory circuitry went absolutely haywire, I've never seen anything like it.... all I could do was try and overload the chip to force a reboot"
>You glance at a clock on the wall, it was 9 in the morning and Comet has bags visible under her eyes
>Looks like she didn't get much sleep thanks to... that
>"A-are you feeling alright? Do you recall anything?", she helps you get up back on your hooves and on the table
>Her belly rumbles and she blushes, "w-we should probably talk about this while getting some food, and perhaps get ready to fetch your legs, too"
>She is clearly trying to offer you a change of subject, in case you don't want to talk to her about what just happened
>That being said, if you want to get your legs, you still need to figure out how to best approach that

>Out of body experience? Terrible memory or nightmare?
>You are pretty darn certain you don't have a second body that you are linked to, at least you hope you don't
>And copying a pony's mind is highly theoretical and lawfully forced to stay this way
>...not that you really think that would stop whoever is responsible for you would care that much for what the law says
>The thought of a second, or maybe even a third and fourth you in their clutches is absolutely terrifying
>An image of the laughing golden pegasus pushes itself in your mind again and you feel yourself tear up again
>Wheeling over to Comet, you stretch out your front hoof while she stands next to the oven, preparing something to eat
>Pulling her into a half hug, you bury your snout into her neck as you let your tears flow freely
>At first she freezes up but quickly returns the hug and nuzzles you in return, just being there for you right now
>"Hey, it's alright... everything will be alright, ok?", she whispers into your ear as she rubs your back like a mother would to her foal
>The small sobs take a little, but eventually they subside and you pull away, wiping your eyes dry with your hoof
"T-thanks", you shakily start, "I was... back there, you know?", you try and start out
>She perks up and looks at you curiously, willing to hear you out as she cocks her head
"Back at the... the lab. Where they did this to me", you point at your cybernetic parts
"They were... trying to upgrade me again, I think. They were gonna take away even more of me", you shudder
"But I fled, I broke out. There was one thing on my mind and it was trying to escape at all costs!"
>You remember that command given to you clearly, right before you ran
"And... and I saw her. I think I saw her", you try and explain, but the picture of the pony you are trying to recall quickly fading away
>Something in your head is pushing the image away now that you have come back to being awake
>Was she... a unicorn? You think she had golden fur, right?
>You grunt as trying to remember brings on a massive headache
>"Saw whom?", she raises an eyebrow quizzically

"I.. I don't... I can't remember", you finally give up, deflating a little as any attempt of recovering what you saw seemingly disappeared
>It is then that you notice a LOT of mail in your peripheric vision
>All of them come from Shell and you are sure you haven't been connected to any network recently
>You are certainly not on any network now but... you can still feel a connection, now that you think about it
>Something that goes beyond the spiderweb of connected nodes, something more direct, more... magical
>You've never thought about it, but you're sure there has to be magic at play here
>One of them says that your legs are scheduled to arrive at the ripperdoc at about 1pm
>The others are voice messages, really concerned sounding ones at that
>"Frost! Frost what's going on, are you ok? Your diagnostics are all over the place, alarm warnings everywhere! FROST!", the all more or less contain the same
>The first message started at around.... 12:30AM, you guys that might be when you slipped into your nightmare
>You initiate a message back, telling him you're fine, before wheeling yourself over to the table that has now had fresh steamed veggies sitting on it
>Digging into it ferociously, you didn't even realize how hungry you were before
>A message pops up again, "please stay safe, you nearly gave me a heart attack >:c"
>You giggle at the message before dismissing it with a hoof wave
"So, 1PM is the scheduled date for my leg drop off", you start conversing with the mare, hoping to break the silence for now
>It is now that you notice just how much she looks like she just crawled out of hell, the mare looks completely exhausted
"Do you think our fixer is gonna be offended if we just take them and get out?"
>Comet mulls it over real quick, hoof to her chin, "I mean, you paid for the legs, right? That's it for her, most likely", she shrugs
>Sure enough, it was Shell that said he'd like to use this ripperdoc, Cash didn't insist on it
>Unfortunately, you doubt the courier is just gonna hoof the goods over to you asking nicely
>Gameplan? It is currently around 9AM

>While a heist sounds very much like quite the fun time, you doubt that trying to steal something you've paid for is such a great idea
>Well, not you specifically, but those are STILL your legs, and you are gonna get them one way or another
>So why go and make things difficult when you can just walk in and have them hoof them over to you
>Probably should bring some way of confirming that it is you they belong to though, they might not give them to you otherwise
>For now though, you are polite and finish your food, like a civilized mare that you clearly are and not a machine of death and terror
>After you are done, you get up and look at the plates you left behind as a tired Comet picks them up and starts washing them
>You'd like to help but... one hoof isn't exactly ideal for that, and you don't have a WAND attached to your forehead either
>As you get ready to leave, putting on your "disguse" again, your batpony friend is standing in the doorway to the kitchen, looking quite terrible
>"Hey, Frost... If you don't uh mind....", she longingly glances towards the bedroom and you can clearly understand the message
"It's alright, Comet. I'm not out trying to cause trouble today, I promise! Just a quick there and back!", you smile at her to which she nods graciously
>And with that, you are out of the apartment and soon out of the building as well
>With squeaky wheels, which cause some ponies to give you a weird stare but no problems, you get your flank moving down the road in the crowded streets
>The sun is out in full force and you can't help but enjoy the feeling of warmth it brings you
>According to your clock it is currently around 10Am, still PLENTY of time to make your trip, so you decide to relax a bit and slow your pace
>A brisk trot turns into a leisurely stroll as you take a couple detours to go window shopping to pass the time
>Passing by a fancy cloth store you take a glance inside, your sight falling onto a beautiful white dress with teal highlights
>You give a wistful sigh as you imagine what you might look like in one of those

>Perhaps someday... someday you get the chance to don one of these and dance with somepony special to you under the pale moonlight
>Getting back towards your goal you come across something you didn't expect to find: A small park with real trees and grass, a somewhat unfitting sight considering the area surrounding this place
>Foals are playing while other ponies, usually adults, lie under the shade the trees give them and either watching what you assume to be their kids or having an early morning nap
>Something draws you towards that place and you step on the greenery with your hoof for the first time
>The feeling is... magical to say the least, this is your first ever time that you've touched grass
>Under your hoof it just feels... right in a sense
>And if you weren't bound to your shitty table, you would love to go further in, maybe join some of the ponies napping or playing
>Out of the corner of your eye, you spot something though
>Or rather, somepony
>The what you assume to be a stallion is wearing a full on jumpsuit, similar to yours... which Shell still has, actually
>You feel kinda naked without it, but that is currently besides the point
>Whoever that is, they are trying to hide behind a tree as they keep a close eye on you
>Their eyes are hidden behind shades and their mane covered by a big hat
>Now that you notice it... you believe they have been following you for quite a while now, you believe you've seen that hat
>...in the reflection of the fashion store, if you recall correctly
>It gives you really bad vibes and you try and glance around for another pony that might have been following you
>A little ways down, you see someone at the corner of a road, keeping their gaze in your direction
>You should probably play this cool and not make a ruckus, try and ignore it, right?
>Or perhaps engage, take out any threat before it can take you out?
>You still have the gun from last night in your jacket after all, although there are quite a lot of civilians around that might end up hurt
>Your mind tells you that your training taught you that casualties don't matter, as long as your job is fulfilled to satisfaction...

>The irony of Shell still using your jumpsuit isn't lost on you, as it's usually the filly keeping the colt's clothes
>You'd giggle at the thought, but unfortunately you have more pressing matters at hoof
>Especially if their training has been similar to yours in regards to civilians around you
>No hurting innocent ponies, Frost, neither you nor Shell, who is TECHNICALLY your master, not that he acts anything like it
>Did your previous handler?
>No, no you don't think she did... you two were... extremely close, at least that is what you think you remember
>Neither of them would want you to hurt anyone if it isn't necessary, that much you are sure of, and you would like to agree on that
>That requires you to get somewhere out of the open, especially since after glancing around you noticed that there is plenty of spots for a sniper
>Turning around your wheels get caught and you curse as you push it back into the crowd
>At least the ponies around you will give you SOME cover, you hope at least
>Once again if they share your training you are going to probably get quite a few ponies hurt or worse
>Fortunately, nopony is starting to shoot at you as you try and make a swift exit
>But you do see the two ponies beginning to move, merging with the crowd a little ways behind you
>Curse your obvious trench coat and your squeaky wheels
>Sorry, Comet, but this table really is a cheap fucking piece of trash, but you have to admit it DID help you so far
>You do kind of consider fighting them but you aren't entirely sure what your chances with only two hooves are
>Especially if these ponies are numerically superior and better equipped, which is a possibility of course
>Perhaps you could set up an ambush?
>An alley or maybe one of the apartment buildings might work out, a lobby should be a decently quiet place
>On the other hoof, with the way you are currently handicapped, maybe just trying to hide and wait for them to pass by could work
>Perhaps there is another way to get to the doctor unseen?
>You heard of netrunners sticking to back alleys and some even using rooftops to traverse the cities undetected using specifically built paths
>Although catching them by surprise might be enough for you to overpower them, you are somewhat confident in your ability, given you plan it out well
>How would you go about an ambush, or a direct fight somewhere?

>As much as you aren't a fan of the odds of taking on a couple mercs with two of your legs missing
>With the thing that keeps you upright right now hiding probably isn't much of an option either
>If they don't find you when you give them the slip now, you don't know if they don't already know about Comet's place
>And if they lose you, she might be in danger when they decide to wait for you there
>What does confuse you a little though, is certainly the fact that they work sloppily enough that you were able to notice them
>Sheer ineptitude? Unlikely
>Diversion? Perhaps
>You keep walking down the street in the crowd, occasionally stopping to look into a window of a shop and taking the chance to glance around the area
>Yes, they are still a little ways behind, walking in your direction
>Quick to think you notice what seems to be a small but otherwise mostly empty store, hard to look inside too with the dirty windows
>It seems to be a small grocery store, the shelves probably serve as a good visibility shield too
>A small smirk appears on your face as you make your way inside, the door sliding open for you until it gets stuck about halfway
>Thankfully, the gap is big enough to squeeze through
>A bored looking cashier mare who from the looks of it is in her mid teens is chewing on gum while reading a magazine about hooficures
>She doesn't even seem you to be worthy of a glance
>Another quick look around and you see a single camera pointing at the room, which seems broken though
>You squeak your wheels behind one of the shelves and begin to wait

>1 minute.... 3 minutes.... 5.....
>After around 10 minutes, you hear the door open once again
>It's 2 sets of hooves and they move quite carefully from what you can hear
>Turning around and getting in bucking position, you ready yourself to deliver a kick that can shatter thighs
>Well, it probably would were you in once piece, but your current strength should be enough to at least score a knockout
>The clippy cloppys are coming closer and closer, you brace yourself and take a peek behind you
>A pony's head rounds the corner, looking into your aisle
>And is greeted by a kick straight to the chest, that makes him fly and crash right into the counter with the now terrified cashier screaming and huddling down behind
>The momentum of your hooves once again carry your little table, but this time you are faster to react
>Spinning around you use your hoof to stop and instead begin barreling down the aisle back to where the second pony is now holding a gun up in his magic
>He looks absolutely terrified: "S-stop i-in the name of t-the law!", he commands, but you are too fast on your wheels
>Taking the desk and you head on, he skids across the floor with a wince and comes to a halt
>His weapon went flying and clattered somewhere out of sight
>Defensively, he immediately raises his hooves and starts shaking
>"P-please don't hurt me I d-don't want to die", he whimpers and looks away from your perhaps somewhat imposing looking form
>It's now that you notice a small badge on his jacket, LPPD, the lower ponyville police department
>One of the few, even though very small and basically powerless, police departments not under control of a big corp
>His eyes fall on his companion and he immediately shrinks together, even more terrified
>The mare behind the counter is still huddled up in a corner, keeping her eyes and ears covered
>Looks like you got one alive, at least, what are you gonna do now?

>You raise your eyebrow at the sight of the officer in front of you
>While it is common knowledge that the LPPD is both underfunded and undertrained you still feel a... disappointed
>This is quite frankly an absolutely pathetic display, but you shouldn't be surprised
>The force is only kept around to make it seem like there is still somepony running security that isn't tied to a corp
"You know, that's the exact reason why uniforms are a thing, they're not just there to make a pony look sexy", you glance away and quietly add: "not that you're my type of fuzz anyways"
"That being said, you were trailing me. I want to know what the fuzz wants with me? How many more are waiting outside? Answer, and fast, or you'll be eating from a tube for the next few months"
>The stallion shrinks together and his pinprick eyes stare at you in panic
"I'm waiting", you impatiently tap your hoof on the table
>"W-we were called a-about an assault case one that happened yesterday near t-the new autopartments block", he stammers, trying to scoot away from you
>His back is against the counter of the cashier though, so that is a bust and as he realizes there is no way out he looks away from what must look like a murder stare to him
>"Witnesses were talking about a suspicious mare, walking around in a trench coat", he continued on, "slinking around the place and then attacking a stallion, knocking him clean out"
>Ah.
>You guess someone ended up noticing
>"P-PLEASE DON'T HURT ME", he begs as he notices you glare at him again, "T-THERE IS JUST D-DONUT SLICK AND M-ME, NOPONY OUTSIDE"
>You are pretty sure he isn't lying to you right now, way too scar-
>A puddle forms below him and you can't help but make an "ewww" noise at it
>Taking a few steps back you consider your next option with the stallion on the floor, who by now has started crying and shaking
>Could just leave him here? Or ask a few more questions? Tell him to back off?
>It's doubtful that the ponies he belongs to really have any chance of taking you in anyways if you just decided to leave right now as well

Holy shit that is a lot of replies to wake up to. Thanks, I love to see that!
>You glance at the cashier in the corner and then back down at the stallion who just pissed himself in front of you
"Cleanup in aisle 3", you sigh as you step past the scared stallion, who has now gone from a light purple to a bright red face and hold a hoof to his knocked out partner's chest
>There's a heartbeat, and considering you can't really find steady footing thanks to your walking aid, the kick was way less powerful than they usually are supposed to be
>Donut just hit his head and got knocked out cold, you're sure he'll be find in a couple hours... hopefully
>Patting the police officer down, you find a holster on his leg that you quickly unstrap and take a good look at the gun inside
>Certainly way better than what you have, but clearly old hand me downs... reliable ones though
>The LPPD doesn't get much new gear, but the gear it has from when they actually stood for something has quality like hardly anything else nowadays
>Strapping the holster to your own back leg you smile, this'll certainly do
>Another pocket contains a few bullets, looks like they really are forced to conserve ammo judging from how little they are carrying
>While stowing everything you are attempting to engage in conversation with the stallion behind you, who hasn't moved an inch yet
"So, how's he doing?", you ask, as you walk past the colt looking for the other gun that has gone flying during your scuffle earlier
>"Huh?", he cocks his head and watches you warily as you pick up his gun and check the magazine
>3 bullets remaining, why wouldn't he have refilled it?
"The mugger that tried to rob me? Stallion was high as a kite on stimulants, so I... well, helped him sleep off his crunch. By the moon he really needed a nap, I can tell you that much"
>"M-mugging? Crunch?", the stallion with the weak bladder looks at you, confused as you stow his weapon in your pocket
>You pull out the gun you've taken from the drugged pony and take out the bullets before throwing it in front of the cop

"Tried to threaten me with this thing", it clatters on the floor, the small bit of force already denting the cheap piece of junk
>The stallion carefully takes the gun and inspects it, "h-he's in.. he's a little bruised and has a concussion, but he'll be alright according to what we know", he stammers as you pull out his gun on him
"Don't get any wrong ideas. Your bullets", you hiss before he has a chance of loading the jury rigged weapon and shooting you in the back
>He scrambles, going through his pockets before pulling out a SINGLE bullet and throwing it to your feet
>Wow, these guys are REALLY strapped on equipment
>Should you... really take their guns? That might get them in much more trouble than you can imagine
>Especially if their department is so strapped on gear
>You frown as you take a look at the gun in your hoof and you press the mag release, sliding it out and bagging it
>Throw the one weapon back to the awake cop you turn around before noticing a small clock hanging on the wall
>12:30PM, almost time for your leg pickup
>Looking over your shoulder you glare at the stallion
"I'll leave it at that. The fact that you're trying to help ponies to the degree you do is commendable and I hope there is more ponies like you, but..."
"Don't come after me again, Urine Trouble. Next time I won't be holding back like I did now", you give him the scariest look you can muster
>He shrinks together and scooches back towards his KO'd partner, letting you peacefully exit the store
>You aren't entirely feeling out of the clear yet, you should probably get away from here before they can call reinforcements on you
>...if they even have any to spare
>Go straight to the doc? Make a detour? ...go back and tie up loose ends?
>Part of you has the morbid thought of taking their legs for yourself and you are terrified at the depths of your mind
>Thankfully, nopony seemed to have noticed the commotion inside of the store so at least that probably won't bite you in the ass
>Perhaps you should give Comet a heads up that you might have been watched, although you have the feeling that the two of them worked alone

>absolutely harem
>No brain, not even one leg per pony, stop trying to follow that train of thought
>And you don't have to terminate any loose ends here either, you really don't think he'll foll-
>Biological legs won't even work with your current sockets, Frost just get your ass out of here
>Counter to what your head is telling you about having to make sure there is no witnesses, you really don't think they deserve that fate
>They were simply trying to do their job and helping a pony.... well, in a way at least
>...Although that horn on bladder bobby's head seemed mighty entici-
>STOP!
>You knock a hoof against your head in frustration, trying to deal with these intrusive thoughts that quite frankly, you can't make out the source of
>That does make you curious though, is there some way to actually use bioware, even (or rather especially) lab grown with your current limb connectors?
>And is there even a point to do that?
>You think you remember reading something about the more cyberware your body has, the less magical power you are able to utilize
>Admittedly though, you've never really looked deeper into this, not like you had a choice with your modifications.... or did you?
>Your memories are more than just fuzzy in that regard and quite frankly you really don't like it
>For now though, since you managed to get your head out of trying to mutilate other ponies and steal their limbs, you check the gun you've taken
>You have... 15 bullets that you've managed to take from the two cops and you put 10 into the mag before sliding it in
>Locked and loaded, that should at least be of some assistance, even though it will be a little unwieldy right now in an emergency situation with only one front hoof
>Stowing the pistol, you set out to fetch your actual limbs and the way towards the clinic is... much less exciting than you would have expected
>More or less making a straight beeline towards your destination and there is no gun to try and stop you
>In the meantime you give Shell a heads up that you're picking up your legs
>He replies with he can't wait to see the new look and you smile
>Arriving just in time to see one of the black trucks drive off behind a corner
>That may just have been the thing you've been waiting on, but the alley is empty already
>Walking up to the entrance, you are kinda glad that this is not gonna be the place that attaches your legs
>Rarely have you seen such a run down looking and scrappy building
>It's dirty, it's grimy, the doors have seen better days and the glass is stained with.. things you don't want to think about what they are
>Entering the place doesn't inspire any more confidence in you

>The dirty carpet has seen years of abuse from hooves, claws and other appendages and it feels like it sticks to your hooves and the wheels
>Around you, a couple of ponies are seated waiting to be called
>They look at you with empty eyes, a couple of them smoking, including the receptionist
>The stallion seated behind the front desk looks old and worn, barely having any mane left but yet also seems weirdly young
>It is a dissonance you can hardly make sense of but it certainly gives you the creeps
>The other ponies waiting glare at you, a griffon right next to the entrance spitting in front of your hooves and makes a disgusted squawk at you
>Some of the others around look like they are drugged up beyond repair, their fur often times splotchy and clearly visible needle insertion points visible on their legs
>One thing you are very certain of: This place absolutely fucking sucks and you hope you get out of here soon
>Thankfully, your trench coat is covering most of your body and especially your cyberware, otherwise you are worried some opportunistic patient would be ready to tear you apart right here
>....or the ripperdoc themselves
>Slowly walking up to the desk you keep a close eye on your surroundings
"Hi, I've come for a pickup? A package that should have been delivered just a few moments ago?", you say as confidently as you can
>"What the fuck do I look like, the post office?", he growls at you as he spits out his cigarette and rubs it on the table
>Judging from the burn marks, that isn't the first time he's doing this
>"Get lost, we don't have get mail here", he leans forward and glares menacingly at you
"I feel like you misunderstood me", you try and explain, but he cuts you off
>"I didn't misunderstand jack shit. Get out or I'll kick your butt outta here, we don't serve your kind here"
>"Go suck your fat corpo cock, bitch", he screams in your face and you have to take a step back at the spit flying towards you
"Listen, I've got something that has been sent here and I won't leave until I got it", you glare back, sounding threatening
>"Is that so, missy? What could a high and mighty corporate pet like you want here? And what would stop me from just blowing your brains out right here"
>From under the table, he pulls out a rusty looking sawed off, pointing it in your direction while keeping it relatively hidden to the rest of the ponies here

>Your eye twitches at her response, but you try and keep your composure
>Try being the keyword here
"You really think a corpo would come to this... dump just for a fucking package? Why the fuck would I have a fucking package sent here of all places?", you yell back
>The sawed off comes out beyond the table, now directly in your face, "say that again, corpo bitch?", he screams back at you
"Gosh, no wonder this is such a fucking run down dump if this is the service you provide to ponies. Fuck, I WISH I had an excuse to go all kill squad on your right now, fuck me with luna's horn"
"That being said, would a corporate pet do this?", you head up towards the catbird who leans back from you, his earlier courage all but vanished as you stand in front of him
>One glare later, you pull back your hoof and give the half cat half bird a hook into the beak that quickly causes the room to erupt in panicked screaming as the bird is knocked out of his chair, nursing his beak
>Turning back to the receptionist, you frown at her, "now where is my package?", you thump your hoof onto the desk
>Chaos around you as ponies try to get up and leave, knowing that there probably is hell about to rain down on this room as you have a standoff with the actually really scrawny looking receptionist
>Shortly after the entire place is empty and you still stare down the other pony, a back door slams open with a mare stumbling out
>"What IN THE FUCKING HINDQUARTERS OF THE PRINCESSES' NAME IS GOING ON HERE, CAN A MARE SLEEP IN PEACE FOR ONCE?!", she screams
>The short unicorn with a white lab coat stained with red splotches what you can only assume to be dried blood from the color
>She is wearing crooked glasses that have been fixed with tape at multiple points and a couple scalpels stick out of a chest pocket
>A stethoscope hangs around her neck, dragging on the floor behind her and her short mane is a mess
>She stares between you and the receptionist and facehooves
>"For fucks sake, cranky, can't you behave at least ONCE in your fUCKING LIFE?!", she yells at him and he dejectedly puts the shotgun back under the table
>"But this corpo bitch thinks she can just waltz in and-", the unicorn is next to him in an instance, speed that very much doesn't seem normal

>And puts a hoof to his mouth: "Shush. I don't wanna hear it", her voice has taken on a threatening tone
>Now that she stands a bit closer, you can see that the entire mare seems to be... vibrating
>Every so slightly but noticeably so
>Her eyes dart around quickly and every movement she makes is extremely quick, but accurate, supernaturally so
>"What can I help you, miss?", she is in front of you in the blink of an eye with a big smile on her face
>"Excuse my receptionist, we don't usually get ponies as.... clean and nice smelling as you", she leans in and takes a sniff before smiling and leaning back, "mmmhhh, lavender!"
"I uh... came here to pick up a package... containing a set of... legs, miss...?", you ask the strange mare
>Your hoof is held by hers in a split second and violently shaken, "Fast Incision, doctor and chemist, at your service!", she gleefully exclaims before disappearing in thin air
>A couple seconds later a box floats in her magic, a little bit wobbly but she doesn't seem to mind
>Up close you notice multiple injection points on her neck, small pin pricks and her dilated pupils
>"So, when can we get started, I'll have them on whoever asked for them in a spiffy", her smile grows to uncomfortably looking levels as her vibration seems to intensify

>Whatever the fuck she is having... you want some of that as well
>Quite frankly, you aren't quite sure the mare can even sleep like that, that seems like a miracle to you
"First of all... are you alright?", you cock your head slightly to which she blanks at you for a quick second
>"W-what?", she sputters confused, before her eyes light up in understanding
>"Oh, that!", she zips around the room a couple times before arriving back in front of you
>Then she waves a hoof, "oh absolutely! It's one of my most genius creations!", she proudly exclaims and disappears for a moment
>When she is back, she holds a syringe with a green-ish looking liquid in it that seems more toxic than anything
>"Bitta crunch, bitta dash, a hint of other stuff to stabilize and enhance the mixture", her eye twitches as she takes the syringe and stabs it into her neck in one swift motion
>It drains and you are greeted by an even more vibrate-y mare, her speech quickening considerably
>"IncreasesbrainpowerandmuscularsignalsaswellasalotofotherthingsandbasicallyitsamiracleandIhavebeenusingitforaweekstraightandtherehaveyettobeanysideeffectsIcouldnotice"
>You are having a LOT of trouble understanding her, so you just pick up your package
"You wouldn't have to have any hoof sanitizer around? I uh.. had to get my hooves dirty a bit to be taken seriously by your...", Cranky casts you a glare and you decide to stay civil
>Before you can even finish your sentence, Fast Incision has pushed a bottle in your hooves which you carefully apply
>You then pick up the package and thank the unicorn, telling her you have someone else who'll install them
>Turning around and making your way to the door, you are almost out when suddenly you hear a click and the unicorn stands in front of you with a big smile
>"Oh, but I", she emphasizes the next word quite clearly, with a very unnerving smile to boot, "insist!"

"I have... a couple more questions. While I don't doubt your skill or competence, clearly, just a question that you might be able to help me with!"
>She cocks her head at you but then shrugs, "hit me!"
"So I uh... got this pony I know... she can't connect to any network because certain coprocessors installed in her tell a couple of assholes her exact location once she does. What can she do about it?"
>The unicorn mulls your question over for a moment before narrowing her eyes: "Well... that really depends. How important are those coprocessors to her?", she raises an eyebrow
>You shrug in response, telling her "very?"
>"Well, in that case most of these things have a direct link to whatever that pony uses as external link. That is meant to facilitate the ability to do things like firmware upgrades, communicating with other processors and all that"
>"Kind of like a big spiderweb, you know? In THEORY, a skilled surgeon may be able to cut that link, which would force all information to be routed through the poor pony's brainstem... which can easily cause an overload"
>"Unless of course a new central point of connection, one not connected to the external interface would be introduced into the system.... quite frankly, this is one very interesting use case and I would... love to get my hooves on this pony you are describing"
>There's that unnerving smirk and eager stare in her eyes again as you swallow a lump in your throat
>You look around before your eyes are once again drawn to that injection spot on her neck
"You wouldn't... have some of that chem stuff around that I may try? It seems certainly quite useful", you then whisper more to yourself than her, "might help your secretary with his attitude problem, too"
>She either didn't hear it, or she doesn't really care
>Instead her eyes brighten for just a second before she disappears and is back in seconds, holding up a syringe to you
>"CDash! I am so glad somepony else is as excited about this invention asIamimaginehowrichI'dbecomewhenImanagetosellthis!"
>Once again, her speech goes into overdrive as the injector shakes in her outstretched hoof
>As you reach for it, she pulls it away: "4200 creds!", she smiles brightly
>Ouch, that is one hefty price tag, one you certainly can't afford

I am fucking retarded, bear with me
>She frowns at you before smirking again, "Mare, I wasn't asking", she takes a quick step up to you
"Hey, you have nopony else around right now, which means with me gone you can take that long deserved nap, r-right?", you step back slightly
>Her face is now... straight up in your face and she stares directly into your eyes
>"Now be a good mare and move over to my... office", she stretches a hoof invitingly towards the door she has come out of
>In your panic, you do the first thing your instinct tells you to do
>You wrap a hoof around her neck, pull her close and give her a deep french kiss, at first she squeaks and attempts to fight it
>But a little bit of force and your tongue finds its way into her mouth, beginning to wrestle with hers
>The passion you put into it overloads the mare and she melts into your kiss, her own tongue now prodding your lips
>A moment of true ecstasy washes over you as you embrace the other mare
>...And then her eyes roll backwards into her head and she goes limp in your hoof
>Fuck you with Luna's horn, what a RUSH!
>Pulling your head back, you hear her lightly... snore?
>She's snoring. Sleeping tightly as you keep a hold of her, still
>You slowly set her down on the floor and out of her hoof rolls the vial of CDash, is what she called it?
>Glancing back at the stallion on the desk, he just stares at you in disbelief

>That was certainly one very stimulating sensation, the sweet taste of Incision's lips still in your mouth
>Picking up the vial you give it a good look over, it seems undamaged at least
>You wouldn't want to know what it's like when this stuff spilled out or something, a concoction like that should be locked up
>Part of you just wants to take the vial, head out and get your legs installed already, being a half nugget really, really sucks
>Then you realize that burning ripperdocs is probably not a good idea, runners very much depend on ponies like the doc
>Especially considering that this seems to be one of the few "reliable" ones that Shell trusts, otherwise he wouldn't have sent the legs here
>And while you believe that your kisses do have a certain... potency to them you doubt they are worth 4200 creds
>Otherwise you'd probably be pretty easily able to cover a certain looming hospital bill quite quickly
>Definitely not the level a professional killer should step down to and you aren't planning to become a sex worker as your career
>Looking down at the snoring mare on the floor you sigh, lock the door and do your best to pull her up from the floor
>It doesn't work as well as you hoped and you turn around to Cranky
"Hey, do me a favor and help me out, let's get her to an actual bed", you motion to his boss
>He wordlessly looks between the two of you before shaking his head, looking tired as he makes his way over to you somewhat slowly
>As he turns the corner you notice why, his back left leg is a cheap prosthetic, just a piece of metal to keep him upright
>Nothing even remotely as advanced as your (future) legs will be
>Walking up next to you, he helps you heave the mare on your back, keeping her steady
>"There are a couple free beds for patients in the back. Should be good enough", he rolls his eyes as he takes another look at the sleeping mare
>Quietly he leads the way through the back door and you follow
>The run down reception gives way to a pristine looking hallway, no stains, bright and steady fluorescent light and the floor and walls covered in white, sterile looking tiles
>It is in stark contrast to what you've seen or would have ever expected from the front

>He leads you through a couple other hallways and unlocks a door at the far end
>A clean looking hospital room, reminiscent of the one you found Shell in greets you, a freshly made bed standing in the center
>He motions for you to put her down and you do as your told, putting the mare down who decides to curl up on the soft feeling mattress
>Gently he pulls the blanket over her and tucks her in like a father would do his foal
>"Nothing but trouble, this one, ain't she?", he sighs as he smiles a bit seeing her sleep, in a voice that is the complete opposite of what you've gotten to see of him before
>"Sorry 'bout that earlier, hun. Station Sec has gotten rowdy lately and I didn't wanna take any chances of 'em seein' her like this"
>He walks back out, his metal leg clicking on the floor tiles and he motions for you to follow him
"You should really give her a stern talk about experimenting on herself", you say as you shut the door behind you, "Who does that?!"
>The stallion gives you a hearty laugh, "lassie, can't tell ya how often ah've tried. She ain't the type to listen' fer long"
>"She'll be fine, probably. Couple hours'o'sleep and she'll be right as rain. Mare's got a knack for coming back from tha strangest things, ah tell ya"
>You reach the front of the place again and he locks the door behind him picking up the vial that the doc has left on the floor
>"Ah'll be takin' this, take care of yerself, lassie. Hope dem new legs gunna be werkin out fer ya", he gives you an encouraging smile
>"And if ya need some maintenance done, feel free ta get back here anytime. Doc may look a lil' crazy and she may just be, but lass knows what she's doin. Real talented, tell ya. Seen her fix ponies brought in in pieces"
>He starts cleaning up the room after the mess the other patients left, "I'll be closin up shop fer a couple hours, give her a chance ta get sum rest"
>You pick up the box with your appendages and consider what to do next, going over a couple questions in your head
>Anything left that you've got to do here or any questions?
>Is there another place that you want to go to before heading back to Comet?
>Anything on your bucket list that you have left to do?

>You take a glance at the heavy box with you, four legs which you only really need the front left and rear right
>Tearing open the packaging you find 4 factory sealed high durability legs, just as you would have expected
>Pulling out one of them, the box containing one of the legs you still have anyways, you put it down next to you
>During the entire thing, Cranky has been watching you with a raised eyebrow and cocked head
>"Not up to snuff?", he asks, sounding somewhat confused as you close the box again
"Don't need it", you shrug and push it over towards him with a hoof, "I think you can make more use out of this than I can"
>He stare at you and then the box with his mouth standing wide open and you nod towards the box
>"Ya serious, lassie? Ain't no leg ya pullin' of mine?", he fails to process what you are saying and you can't help but giggle at his dumbfounded expression
"I've got a... well, not perfectly functioning back leg", you remember the splint strapped around it, "but functional enough for my purposes. Really, take it. I'm sure the person who paid for this would agree"
>With that, you leave him to his own devices and head out of the clinic and start walking down the road you came from
>...before realizing that for someone being hunted by authorities you make a LOT of noise and you'll expect ponies to come sniffing about real damn soon
>Hopefully cranky can handle himself, but from what it seemed like he has experience running a front for the clinic
>For now you turn around, heading down the opposite way towards the apartment that you've been spending so much time in the past couple days
>You sure hope that the two cops who's ass you kicked are smart enough not to rat you out to any of the megacorps
>Going at a brisk pace with the flow of other pedestrians, you pass by the automatic apartment complex you've been at just a day ago
>It still seems quite a compelling place to stay, all things considered
>As you walk down the road, you look across the street and lock eyes with a familiar looking pony just exiting one of the buildings
>Your robber friend, a cast around his front leg, hobbles away at as high of a speed as his condition allows
>Narrowing your eyes, you hurry up trying to get away from here as you expect the cops to show up at any moment
>But let them come, more free guns, you muse to yourself with a smile
>Thankfully, everything stays silent... well, as silent as it can be in a crowd of other ponies
>And soon, you are multiple blocks away on your zig zag way through the streets to reach the apartment
>While taking routes not straight to Comet's place, you pass by a small corner shop that sells utility jumpsuits
>Could come in handy, especially if you want to hide your robotic legs

>Which is the reason why ponies with cybernetics are often found wearing full jumpsuits, in addition to just being less identifiable when you have your talent hidden
>The rest of your way is unspectacular, outright boring all things considered and soon you enter the elevator back up to comet
>Knocking at the door, you start to wait... and wait..... and wait even more
>There is no reply coming from the inside and you decide to knock again
>Once more the place stays gravely silent inside
>Fear and panic starts welling up inside you and you hammer at the door more incessantly
>From inside you can finally hear something, something that sounded like a thump on the floor and then quiet cursing before the place returns to silence once again
>A couple seconds later, you hear the door unlock and slide open, to see a horrifying sight:
>Comet with the most chaotic bed mane in existence and a glare that could kill ponies
>She glares at you, out of it before after a couple seconds her mind seems to catch up and she realizes who is standing in her doorway
>Her frown melts away in embarrassment as she quickly steps to the side and lets you in
>"I-I'm so sorry, I think I o-overslept", she stammers as you step past her
>Dropping the package in front of her, you grin at her
"Don't worry, no harm done. I'm just glad nothing happened to you, I had one heck of a morning!"
>She looks at you, seizing you up and down to look for any injuries as you take off your trench coat
>Started to get real stuffy under there and you're glad you're finally free of it again
>Oh how you miss your jumpsuit at times like this
>Quickly getting to the package, she opens it and you can confidently say you have never seen a happier batpony mare in your life
>Her eyes open wide at the shiny new hardware, her wings flutter in excitement and you can see her tippy tapping with her hooves while a quiet "eeeEEEeee" is building up in the air
>And before you can react, you are pushed over to the already prepared medical equipment and told to lie down
>She saunters over to the box again, pulling out the two missing legs before looking confused, "only three legs?"
"Long story", you chuckle, "let's say I made a small donation", you reply with a chuckle
>Comet shrugs as she carries over the gear towards you and places it down on a table she prepared
>"Alright so... usually this is done under anesthetics because... and you may or may not know this, attaching cyberware hurts. A lot", she frowns at you
>"Unfortunately for you, I don't have any, especially since I wasn't expecting to perform cybersurgery anytime soon"
>She then uses a bunch of straps to tie you down to the table, using them to align your body properly to a bunch of movable pieces attached to the table on rails
>Onto those, she straps the two legs that you'll be needing, eyeballing the fit before giving it a satisfied nod

>"Alright, go ahead and start telling me about your day, wouldya?", she says as she picks up a couple of wrenches, pincers and other gear you would consider to use when trying to repair heavy machinery
>"Sorry, this'll hurt you more than it will hurt me", she adds in a whisper, more to herself than to you
"Alright, so at first I was taking a bit of a stroll around the market district since I had a lot of time. Turns out I was- YEOOOOWWWWCH", you scream up
>You are interrupted by an extreme jolt of pain as Comet pushed one of the legs against the socket and you can feel the bio-technological nerves make a connection
>Sensory overload is an understatement as the rush of feeling reaches your brain, an unbearable pain akin as if your leg is put into a burning fire and at the same time being squashed by a hydraulic press
>Comet is quick to react and sticks a towel she had prepared in your mouth to muffle you
>This entire endeavor forces your eyes to tear up and you try and push yourself away, but the straps of the table hold you down way too tight
>The batpony is using her wrenches and screwdrivers to secure the limb to your socket before moving on to the next leg
>You stare at her in terror and she gives you an apologetic smile as she slams the second leg home
>Once again, it feels like you are being burned and crushed at the same time, the pain of two limbs making you force your eyes shut and almost pass out at the torture you are going through
>And once more you hear ratcheting as the mare ensures a proper fit of your legs while you bite down in the towel to grit your teeth
>If there is anypony divine out there, please please let this end soon, you pray in your mind being gagged for now
>The uneasy feeling of something sliding in your cyberware port can be felt through the immense amount of hurt and the tapping on a tablet next to you
>Seconds later, every bit of pain has disappeared, just like that, as if it was never there to begin with
>You carefully open your eyes and see Comet smile at you as she pulls out the plug and the towel from your mouth
>She gently opens the straps that tie you down and you are free to move again
>Making sure everything works, you start wiggling one leg after the other, surprised to find that you can move them without issues
>Carefully hopping down on the floor, you are still a little shaky but your coprocessors automatically correct your movements as you take a couple steps
>These legs don't really have any bells and whistles, and your HUD tells you so, but they definitely feel high quality and durable
>Comet smiles at her hoofiwork, seemingly satisfied with her job
>"So, hows it feel being mobile again? What are you gonna do with that newfound freedom?", she is giddy as can be

>You do a little tippy tappy dance of joy, noticing how you are perfectly balanced, as all mares should be
>Comet has her eyes closed and smiles at you, seeing how happy you are
>She'll never expect what comes next
>Thanks to your new legs, you are next to her in but a single leap
>The mechanical muscles and control you have over them is astounding, your movement processors must really be working overtime
>And with that, you rear up and scoop the mare into a tight cyberhug
>Part of you is surprised at the level of feeling you have coming from your legs
>These must have quite a lot of sensors, as you can perfectly feel the batpony mare's coat brush up against your mechanical leg, just like you can feel it against your biological leg
>You're overjoyed at finally being able to walk again, now all that would be missing is a WAND and a set of cybernetic wings, perhaps with thrusters?
>That would be really cool, you've seen the things thruster enhanced wings can do, nobody could catch you!
>Comet, in the meantime, wraps her own legs around you and you can feel her heartbeat as she calmly "eee"'s
>After a couple moments, you let off of her again and she sits down, clapping her hooves
>"Good! Looks like I still got it", she beams the widest smile at you
"Do these still need to be... calibrated?", you ask as you look down and do another little jig to test out your legs
>Comet shakes her head: "All done already. If there is one thing I am pretty good at it's making sure cyberware is attached properly!"
>This is wonderful, you've gotten the basics of your mobility back!
>That means you should basically be ready for the job that Big Cash has given you
>Which also reminds you, you might want to go and pick up the gear
>Or take a look at who Morning Dawn really is
>OR look for a new apartment to stay at, so you don't have to take advantage of Comet's hospitality much longer
>....and you definitely want to get a jump suit, your chrome legs are really, really obvious
>Is there anything else that slipped your mind? What should you do first?

>Your shiny metal legs are an absolute thing of beauty and the excitement of no longer needing your walking aid really is a level of freedom you didn't believe possible
>Four. Functioning. Legs!
>Well, 3 and a half you'd say, your biological back leg still has the splint keeping it straight
>But even with how much use you got out of it the past 2 days, the way Comet made sure to steady it a couple days ago working wonders
>A couple more days and everything should be right as rain again, but you should still be pretty capable of handling most situations thrown at you
>It takes you quite a lot of will power, but you're finally able to get your emotions under control, "Whew, filly, cool your jets", you say to yourself
>It reminds you, you walk up to Comet and bow your head before her, to which she looks at you somewhat confused
"Comet... I really have to thank you again, for everything", you start out, pulling the mare into another hug
"You've not only helped out Shell, you took me in, a complete stranger and saved my bacon more times than I can count. Your generosity knows hardly any bounds and your skills are some of the best I have seen"
"Even though they are a little painful", you chuckle to which you hear the mare in your hold chuckle
>"A friend of Shell is a friend of mine! You're welcome, Frost. I'm glad I could help you out a little after all that you must have gone through."
>"And it was nice having another mare around, it gets quite lonely on my own sometimes", she pulls away from you and winks, which leads you to, for some inexplicable reason, to blush furiously
>You can't help but notice that Comet has... some really nice hips and a really really cute smile

>Quickly doing your best you pull your thoughts away from how nice the batpony smells, a hint of sweet berries, your eyes fall on your legs again
>Which is good, because you notice that you definitely need to pick up a new jumpsuit, especially now that you have these nifty little metal kickers
>The pristine finish on them shine like what you could almost believe to be a star, a perfect mirror of your surroundings
>Hopefully, these things don't get too dirty too quickly, cleaning them might be a pain
>'nother reason for a jumpsuit, and you know just the place where to get it
>Until you realize that you are flat out broke and really don't have any resources to actually go and buy yourself anything
>You wince, gosh darnit, money sure is a cruel mistress keeping you under her hoof
>But if you WERE to acquire money, perhaps you could also go for a new mane and tail style?
>Perhaps a mane extension might look good on you, you start to fantasize
>Oh, and your jumpsuit should be simple, yet elegant!
>Should you ask Comet to lend you something for a while, you wonder?
>...once you have money, calm down, Frost
>You'll probably have to scour the job board again, you doubt Shell will be ready for another few days
>He still has your clothes, why spend money when you have a functional one already
>That and you should really check in on the poor stallion, you're almost sure he must be bored out of his mind
>Could visit him and demand back what's yours, at least until you can get something better
>Or try and find a way to get some cash
>Job board? You aren't exactly the greatest of hacker mares, but you could probably do some security work for a quick buck, or some manual labor
>Glancing over at the box containing the remaining leg, you realize you could potentially pawn that off too
>You'd say it'll probably get you 250-300 creds, give or take and Comet confirms there is a cyberware shop nearby that might buy it from you
>Lots you could do with your newfound freedom, just a matter of how you want to spend your time now

>As much as it pains you, you guess you're stuck with your trench coat just a while longer until you can find something better
>For now though, you look around the... absolute mess Comet has set up for you to help you out with your legs
>She has already started gathering together tools and various objects scattered around the room, dutifully putting them back into cases all around the apartment
>The tables and chair she works on next, starting to unscrew the pieces and also putting those away
>Walking over to her and picking up one of the screwdrivers you begin assisting her in the teardown, it's the least you can do
>She pauses for a second before giving you a warm smile and gets back to her own disassembly of the impromptu doctor's office
"Hey, Comet?", you start talking as you remove one of the screws of the operating table assembly, "I know you've done a lot for me already, but uh... can I ask one more favor?"
>She perks up and holds her progress for a second intently looking at you and cocking her head, "sure, what's on your mind?"
"You... wouldn't happen to have anything I can use to disguise myself a little? These things", you wave your front hoof, "aren't particularly stealthy"
>Asking her for even more help makes you wince but what terrifies you even more is the smile creeping up on her face
>"Mare... I think I've got something", you almost like to call the smile she is wearing devious as she gets up and rushes into her bedroom, slamming the door shut
>Pausing you listen closely as you hear multiple drawers being opened and assumingly searched through
>About 5 minutes later you hear the door click open and a hoof wave you inside the completely dark room
>Carefully, you follow her instructions and step inside, your eyes having no chance to adjust to the darkness before the door is shut behind you
>With no more outside lighting, you see... absolutely fucking nothing
>"Raise your leg", you hear a voice behind you command and you do as asked
>Without a second to spare, you feel something being put on your leg, something you would consider quite comfortable and soft
>"Next leg", Comet demands and just as efficiently, your second front leg is covered in a soft piece of fabric
>Next up, you feel something being draped over your back, a piece of clothing that snuggly fits your form
>But certainly isn't a jumpsuit of any kind, it is also way lighter and more breathable than a jumpsuit usually is
>It covers your backside and flows down above your tail the fabric feeling as light as clouds
>From under you the batpony mare pulls the other part of the outfit in question between your front legs and connects it to the part on your back
>The sound of a zipper signifies the connection being made and Comet turns you to the left a little bit
>She then bounces away and seconds later you are blinded by a flash of light

>As your eyes adjust to the sudden influx of visibility, you stare into the mirror that stands in front of you
>A velvety dress is covering your backside, flowing down your withers like wispy trails of mist surrounding your withers
>Every small movement makes the snow white dress flow and ripple softly in an invisible breeze
>Teal floral patterns are sown into the white, and the trims of the dress are accented with a teal hem
>The front covering your chest has a small teal bow as part of the design, ribbons flowing down from it
>Your legs are covered by white and light pink socks covering both your front legs to a point that the metallic leg is basically impossible to notice
>"Still gotta look into getting your mane fixed a little, but I feel like this thing fits you a lot better than it does me", Comet sheepishly grins
>Quite frankly, you don't know what to say and just decide to blush furiously
>On the other hoof, this feels wonderful to you, you feel like... a mare
>A normal mare that can put on a pretty dress, and look pretty
>It... will do as a disguise if things come down to it, but you also aren't sure if you even want to dare go out with this into the dirty streets
>Panhandling with an outfit like this is definitely not gonna fly, you chuckle to yourself
>You do imagine what Comet would look like in this dress and your blush just decides to deepen
>Stupid sexy batpony mares, you sit down and hide your face behind your hooves as your white face turns pink and then red
>Definitely can't rob a store with this outfit for a quick buck either, even if the irony of using a policepony's weapon for a robbery isn't lost on you and makes you chuckle
>Should probably look into some physical work for bits, get some use of your legs before diving back into cyberspace
>That and you've always been more of a fighter than a nerdy hacker type
>You'll pawn of the remaining leg later when you have to move out to wherever you are planning to go
"Comet, can you bring me your datapad?", you ask the mare as you marvel at how cute you can actually look
>Your friend hurries out and comes back a minute later, hoofing you the device which you use to begin browsing jobs
>Bouncer at a night club, 150 creds per night
>Protection services for some minor VIP pony, 450 creds
>Helping with moving of heavy objects, 50 creds per hour
>Nothing too unusual
>Scrolling through the bounty board you thankfully don't see your picture or name show up
>Which can change in moments, but for now you're fine. Probably
>One offer does catch your attention: 1500 for taking out a small gang's base, their leader having pissed off another gang from the looks of it
>The job is asking for as much mayhem and destruction as equinely possible, which could sound fun, but also sounds a little dangerous
>Good gosh, you can't stop thinking about the dress and your smile at this current moment is as wide as a mile!

>One and a half grand for cause a little bit of a lot of mayhem?
>In addition to all the other bits and bobs of loot you can find while inside
>Sending the employer a a message you put the tablet aside and turn your head to a frowning Comet
>She looks actually somewhat worried, "are you... really planning to do this? Alone?"
>Her voice is shaky as she asks the question and looks at you with concern
>You can feel how she doesn't consider this a good idea, at all
>And while under usual circumstances a single mare against a group of armed and potentially dangerous gang is more of a suicide mission
>It's not like you're an ordinary mare in any sense of the idea
>To prove a point to her you rear up on your hindlegs, your movement processors keeping you balanced as you punch an invisible foe in front of you with your hooves
"I'll be fine. This, quite honestly is...", you try to find the words, "it is a routine mission for me", you deadpan
>Yeah, that's not too far off, you've invaded military compounds before and came back out to live the tale
"I'll be fine, Comet", you assure the mare and your confidence seems to at least ease her mind a little bit and she gives you a slight smile
>"I just installed these legs, so if you come back with them broken, you'll get an earful, you hear me?", she sternly warns you before her face turns into a smile again
"I promise", you give her a nod before returning back to the datapad, reading the reply you have gotten
>The reply reads "Attached is location. Take picture of gang leader's detached head for payment"
>Opening the coordinates on the city map, you find it to be close by to an old and now abandoned building of a night club, a couple blocks from the decrepit building you were considering for a hideout
>Sources on the web that you thankfully still have a way into basically all but confirm your suspicion of this place being a drug den for the area
>Ain't a big loss to the city, if you are being honest
>While you don't have access of the building's blueprints, what you can garner from a quick bit of research there is the front entrance, a small back entrance on the opposite of the building
>There also seems to be a roof access that you might be able to reach, perhaps from an adjacent building?
>If only you had wings
>Judging from the fact of what it used to be, you assume that the place has a big central party area and probably a couple private VIP backrooms
>A basement too, where they used to store the booze
>Upstairs are probably rooms for... ponies who wanted to have a good night
>What's your gameplan? When and how to attack, and the like?
>A glance in the mirror reminds you that you are still wearing this gorgeous dress and while fighting in this dress would be wonderfully kill-mist-esque, you would not dare risking ruining this
>Guess your old trench coat will have to do, at least you don't have to deal with squeaky wheels anymore

>OK, to be fair it isn't exactly the most moral high ground destroying a gang at the behest of another one
>But the less drug cartels around the city there are, the better it is for anypony, even if you do that for what you assume to be a rival
>They'll probably get what they deserve eventually, it's usually how things like this go
>And you've... worked for a just a bit better funded gang for... you don't know how long, but a while for sure
>So where's the difference here, really?
>The statement made you wince, trying to justify this entire thing comes way harder than you hoped for
>Detached head, that should be doable you think, you're sure to find something around the place that can help you with that
>A meat cleaver might be a nice thing and you have half a mind asking Comet for one, but you think she has done enough to help you
>Gotta stand on your own four (eeee!!!!) hooves for once, you're a big mare after all, you snicker to yourself
>And the request for maximum mayhem has one very obvious answer in a place like this for you: Molotovs
>If you go and sell your leg, you can easily buy a couple bottles of booze and rags to burn the place to the ground
>Or you could hope for the place to have alcohol you can take advantage of, if you want to skip out on buying
>A silencer for your pistol would be nice would be nice and you are sure one would fit, but they tend to be expensive and you don't have one
>According to what your contact tells you, they are a small time gang, fledglings really, that decided to fight the wrong bull
>While they probably won't let just anypony in, courier ponies and fixers seem to have an easy time asking to distribute and being able to see the operation inside
>You should also bring a backpack of some kind, in case you find any nice loot for yourself to keep
>Once again checking the maps around you see that there is plenty of buildings around and reaching the roof while jumping from one of them (especially with your new legs) should be doable
>This place surely has a roof access, and if it doesn't you can probably make one to get into the upper floors and work your way down
>The basement might be an interesting approach vector, too, and you quickly pull up the public records you can find scattered on the net or left behind as trails for other runners
>The underground tunnels do run pretty close to the building's basement, but you don't see any connection points

>Part of the back corner of the room does come close enough to the basement to what you assume is sharing a wall with the room
>Breaking that down could make for either a good entrance or exit strategy
>Another way to leave would be out of the front door after you set the place ablaze using that as a distraction
>Which does sound fun, if you're being honest, you've never committed arson in your career before
>And if this really is a drug cartel, a fire would probably react nicely to all the volatile chemicals such a trade requires
>The beginning of your mission should be done stealthily though, as you want to catch your prime target before they can flee
>A place like this is open enough with multiple escape routes, for example the front doors, the staff entrances they usually have, windows on the upper floors
>If your mark slips, you'll probably won't get paid
>And that would suck, bigtime
>Before you undress to get ready, you use the socks and velvet dress to pull Comet into another hug
>She blushes at your closeness and then whispers into your ear: "Come back safely, alright?"
>Nodding at the mare, you begin to undress and neatly fold up the clothing, putting them back on the room's dresser
>Judging from the time, it is mid afternoon and you definitely want to wait until nightfall
>Which does still give you plenty of time to go and prepare things or buy stuff you might need for this mission
>Or you could just wait in the apartment until the darkness has filled the streets and go straight there, guns proverbially blazing
>Another glance of your mark's mugshot reveals it to be a fat and yellow unicorn stallion, a scraggly beard and tussled red mane hanging into his face
>Should be easy enough to find... you hope, and if not you can always "ask for directions"
>Pain always tends to be a good motivator
>And judging from the name of the gang, the "pinheads", you assume that most ponies you encounter are going to be unicorns

>First things first, gotta get rid of your leg to get a couple of bucks in
>The leg you don't need you would never give up being quadruped again
>Putting on your trench coat, you tell Comet goodbye and make your way out of the apartment and towards one of the few cyberware stores nearby
>If any place is going to buy your brand new hardware and in return sells you something good against unicorns, it's gonna be one of these
>Your navigational system leads you through the streets and even with the trench coat on, the squeaky wheels make you stick out much less than previously
>Ponies don't even pay you any mind anymore and you have a much easier time weaving through the crowd
>Which also means it doesn't take long until you stand in front of "Cyberports Cyberperium", with the windows displaying plenty of the newest cyberware
>From external to implants, you can see anything laid out neatly with exorbitant price tags attached to it
>You can't help but flinch at the amount of credits even the most basic bits and bobs of tech seems to cost you here
>Partial lenses for 750 creds is what any normal pony would consider an absolute ripoff
>The owner inside the window is staring at you with a predatory grin that makes your neck hair stand straight
>Earth pony stallion, looking quite young and rubbing his hooves together as he keeps a close eye on you
>Poking out of his ash grey mane you see a small metal horn, a WAND, strapped to his forehead
>With a sigh, you enter the place to which the store employee greets you with a "Welcome, WELCOME to the one, the only Cyberperium! The only place to buy high grade cyberware", he puts a "legally" inbetween with a cough, "in this place, guaranteed!"
>Stepping up to his counter, you dump the leg on the table for him to see, still pristine in its original packaging
"I want to sell this, how much can you offer me for it", you really aren't in the mood for entertaining him too long as you furrow your eyebrows and give him a deep glare
>If he is scared of you, he very clearly doesn't show it and his grin stays up, although you could have sworn his eye twitched at the mention of selling something
>"I'm sorry, miss, but we're not buying", he smirks, "but we would love to have you buy, our wares are out of this world and our selection is bar none the best!"
>You push the leg a little closer before glaring at him once again, holding your frown at him
>Seconds of silence pass between the two of you as your stare of annoyance intensifies
>"N-no can do", he replies, starting to get a little bit nervous at your insistent glare
"I'm selling this", you slam your metal hoof down on the counter in frustration, to which he jumps
>"M-maybe I can make an exception", he says as your glare stays on him and a droplet of sweat rolls down his temple
>Picking up the leg's box, he spins it around in his telekinesis and glances at the factory seal

>"75 creds", he replies with a more business-like demeanor as he places the lag back down, "take it or leave"
>Part of you feels like he is lowballing you massively here, but 75 creds is 75 creds, right?
>Maybe there is a way to up your offer a little bit more pressure
"I know when I am being taken for a fool", you frown at him before once again stomping on the floor and giving him your most terrifying frown
"150", you reply your voice devoid of emotion as you lean closer to him
>He glances between you and the leg, "100. I won't go higher than that", he firmly replies
>You consider that a deal and nod to which he holds out a credstick that he pulled from under the desk
"You got anything that works well against unicorns?", you ask the stallion after the transaction is completed
>At first, his eyes go wide as he leans back, but then he moves in closer to you and whispers: "You know, stuff like that is either mil or illegal. You're gonna be in biiiiig trouble if anypony finds out you got something like that, or even look for it"
>There is that predatory smirk again, "for 200 creds I might be able to help you out a little. Let's call it a friendly offer"
>Cheap fucking bastard
>"An arcane disruptor is known to work wonders when corps have to deal with unruly horned pests", he smirks what you can only call deviously at you
>200 creds you don't exactly have on you, but it might be worth looking into

>The pony puts a hoof to his face and thinks for a moment before eagerly nodding, "it's a deal, lady", he smirks
>And with that, you make your way out of this place faster than he can wish you a nice day and go straight up towards your target building
>Sticking to the other side of the road, you weave with the crowd, staying in motion as you take closer looks
>The front door has 3 unicorns in purple jumpsuits hanging around outside of it, all of them the symbol of a unicorn horn on their jumpsuit flanks
>There is a house right next to it that you might be able to use to get on the roof with, it has a fire escape
>Which sadly is clearly visible from the main entrance though
>Out of the windows above the decrepit night club formerly called "DeeJay's" you see multiple ponies with the same colored jumpsuits glare out of the window down on the road
>As you expected, the alley next to the place has a single guard stand in front, currently smoking a cigarette
>The door opens and two more come out, likewise lighting themselves a smoke
>Once the first pony is finished, they knock on the door in a certain pattern and a small slit opens up before it closes again
>Looking up higher, you find 2 ponies on the ceiling, one with binoculars and the other what you would assume to be a hunting rifle glancing down at the street
>All unicorns, of course
>A pony with a small messenger bag walks up to the front, clearly nervous
>He doesn't seem to be older than his late teens but keeps a tight grip on his cargo
>The guards look at him, each other and then shove him inside, causing the colt to trip and hit his snootle
>He seems like he is about to cry as he heads inside the dark interior

>3 knocks, 5 knocks, 1 knock, 1 knock, the pattern was easy enough to remember quite frankly
>It may come in hoofy later, you could use that as an entrance strategy as backup if your next idea doesn't work out
>As you make your way across the street a little further away from the Deejay a certain store clerk comes to mind
>And how you should just rip off this slimy asshole's dumb cyberhorn off his head and shove it up his ass
>That should wipe his smug grin off his face and you could probably get a couple more things from the store while you're there
>Waltz in, flip the sign to closed and tear it off, they're usually just strapped to the head anyways
>Not the most efficient way to channel magic, but good enough for basic TK and manipulation of simple devices
>You freeze in the middle of the road at your thoughts and are only ripped out of them by a car aggressively honking at you multiple times
>Hurrying across the driver uses his wing to flip you off as he drives off with a big frown
>Where the hell did that thought come from, you can't just go around hurting random ponies you don't like
>Even though they probably deserved it, you grumble to yourself in frustration
>The ideas coming into your head sometimes really just outright terrify you, are your emotions getting out of control?
"Frost, you are better than this", you quietly whisper to yourself as you try to banish the idea of walking out the Cyberperium with a bag of new toys and satisfaction
>These invasive thoughts are starting to get really out of hoof lately, to a point where you can't even be sure anymore if you aren't just a psychopath
>A murderhobo, if you will, or maybe a murdercouchsurfer?
>Not that you would like to carry either of those labels, not in a thousand years
>For now, you really gotta focus on your mission a misstep could mean the end of you
>That focus thankfully helps you push away the suggestion of getting more cyberware in a less than ideal way
>A couple minutes later, you arrive at the building next to the DeeJay and are surprised at how far you've wandered away from it

>Nopony here should be the wiser, that's for sure
>The adjacent building with the fireladder on the front won't help you out from the outside, but you should be able to get in, the door sliding open for every passerby
>As easy as stealing the lollipop of a young filly, you say as you go with the flow of the crowd just to dive into the building the next moment
>You see a couple bored teenage ponies loitering around the lobby of what you assume was a hotel at one point
>The walls are graffitied all over and the floor littered with trash
>One of the mares lazily looks at you before blowing a bubble gum bubble that pops and she begins chewing again
>She quickly stops giving a shit about you and turns back towards the wall instead
>There's a staircase in the back of the room, going both down and up
>Perhaps this connects to the underground to make use of
>Or you can try and follow the previous plan of making your way to the roof
>Stepping deeper into this place, a colt comes up to you, sliding right up and putting his hoof on your chin
>"Ey there, cutie, what's a pretty mare like you doin in a dangerous place like this, he smirks a very predatory grin
>A couple more young stallions come out behind two of the pillars next to the entrance, blocking your way back out
>One of them is carrying a baseball bat in his magic while the other seems to hold on to a knife with his mouth
>"Gonna be my birthday present? And it's not even my birthday!"

>You frown at the opportunistic youth trying to stand in your way here
>They clearly don't seem too experienced and don't take you for a fighter either, otherwise they probably wouldn't have engaged you
>The lead colt turns around and winks at one of the mares who gives him a disinterested glance before rolling her eyes
>"This is the third one this week, Hunt. Just scare her off like usual or something, not like you have the guts for more than that"
>Wow, that was downright savage and you see the colt first turn slight pink and then full blown red
>His head whips around and snaps back to you, giving you an angry glare, "You!", he shouts and takes a step towards you
"Really, I wouldn't do this if I were you, kiddo", you try to advise the foolish colt as he is trying to impress the mare
>"Shut uP!", he grows red from anger as he keeps advancing, hoofsteps behind you tell you that he is not alone at closing in
"Really, boys, one more chance", you tell them while grabbing a hold of your coat, pulling it a little tighter
>From behind you, the pony with the bat is going for a swing, as you would have expected, at the sign of the lead stallion
>Your trench coat flies off as you spin around, parrying the bat with your metallic front hoof in midair
>The unicorn in front of you just stares, his mouth hanging wide open in surprise at your swift movements
>You can't help it, but your face is forming into a smirk as you marvel at the durability and speed you have once more
>It doesn't take the other two long to recover from their stupor and the knife is beginning to wildly slash at you
>This pony has no idea of how to handle a weapon, your instructors back at the lab would be embarrassed at this sloppy display
>Dancing around him with your nimble motions, you keep smiling as he misses every slash he tries to make
>Occasionally, the bat tries and comes in for a swing but once again your metal hoof is ready to parry every strike
>The entire charade is mostly you just playing with the colts, much to the dismay of the leading colt who has yet to dare engage you
>On the other hoof, the mares in the back are laughing their flanks off at the display and even started cheering for you
>"Go, metalmare, give 'em hell!", they call to you as they now decided to intently watch your display
>The swinging knife is starting to get annoying, so you decide to take that colt out first
>Ducking under the next swing, you come in close, smiling at him from below before headbutting his chest and making him go fly
>"Were your parents Pegasi?", the bubble gum chewing mare hollered at the colt who has come crashing down on the floor a couple meters away from you

>Poor guy seems pretty dazed as he is trying to get to his hoof but keeps tipping over
>He cradles his head with his hoof, groaning
>His weapon has clattered to the floor and quite certainly would make a good stealth weapon for your actual job
>In the split second you were distracted, the bat comes down on your back, hard
>...and splinters into two pieces as your reinforced spine takes the brunt of it, easily dispersing the energy across your body
>While you are sure that is going to be bruised at least, you aren't particularly worried about any lingering damage
>The colt pulls the now halved bat back to himself with his magic, inspecting it as it dawns on him that he may or may not just be severely outclassed
>And with a clatter the wooden object falls to the ground and he turns tale, running up the stairs in panic and leaving you with the leader alone
>He takes a few terrified step back as your head snaps to him with a grin
"Happy birthday, pal", you say as you set into a leap, landing right in front of him
>Using the kinetic energy your quick hop has given you, you spin around on your forelegs and slam into him with all your biological and mechanical bodyweight
>He too, is sent flying and slides towards the now hollering mares
>Picking up the knife and your trench coat, you put the weapon into the clothing's pocket and walk up to the heavy breathing colt
"Trying to be the bad guy ain't a good look. Ain't what mares are into, you know?", you give the bubblegum mare a wink, "Don't wanna see you trying to mug anypony else, ever again, you hear me?"
"Otherwise I'll have to come back and geld you. With your own teeth", you threaten with an angry glare
>With a shiver in his voice he meekly replies "Yes", barely audible over his whisper
"I can't hear you", you shout at him to which he sits up straight (as he can)
>"Y-YES MADAM!", he replies, his eyes forced shut as his whole body shakes
>If these kids live here, they might know a way to get to the other building?
>Or you could just make your way through this place on your own
>The basement might still be a good idea to sneak into the area without being seen
>But you are pretty sure that the ceiling is a sure-fire entrance, given you manage to take out any guards up there
>Going up would definitely require you to take the staircase here though, who knows what you can expect on your way up there

>As you consider your next move your eyes glance down at the still terrified colt in front of you
>Looking down on him, he shrinks and gets ever smaller, as you seize him up, then look back at his friend who is still splayed out on the floor, groaning
>And up towards the stairs where you have seen the last colt of the group run up to, crying for mommy
>Rubbing your chin you start to formulate a plan in your head
>Considering you need to get in somehow and a distraction might be useful, you address the colt again
"You", you point at him with a hoof and he screams like a little filly while shrinking down and getting into fetal position
"You know the place next door? DeeJay's?", you ask, raising an eyebrow at him questioningly
>He dares not make a sound and instead only nods ever so slightly while staring at you, eyes wide in terror
"Are you good at making noise? Lots of very distracting noise?", you have the hint of a smile on your face
>The colt looks unsure and for the first time his eyes drift away from you, back on his fallen partner and the staircase
>Mr. Batty unicorn is peeking into the room from the staircase, quickly slipping back behind the door frame as he notices you looking
>Once more, he nods ever so slightly as his eyes return back to you and you give him a quick smirk
"Alright. Cause a ruckus, a distraction, anything. Maybe have him", you point towards the staircase, "try and lead the group. Might lower the chance of getting shot"
>The prospect of a bullet to his face makes the poor colt freeze up, his blood surely ice at this point
>It takes you a second to realize what you've just said and did and you quickly amend your sentence
"Not that they'll be having much time to shoot you, by that time I should already be in causing chaos myself. Should give you enough time to turn tail and get back here"
>While it doesn't do much to ease the colt's worried face, he still nods and waves the other colts over to him
>The reluctantly listen and head over to the two of you, as you decide to make your way upstairs in the meantime

>Catching the tail end of their conversation, you hear the leader's voice, sounding scared as heck, explain the plan to his friends
>You enter the staircase and look upwards, a massive frown forming on your muzzle as you see what feels to be an endless set of stairs
>Gosh what you wouldn't give for a pair of wings right about now
>Giving the colts a heads up to start their thing in approximately 20 minutes from now, you engage in your long, long track up the stairs
>Climbing, climbing, ever fucking climbing
>Goddesses, you hate stairs with such a burning passion, they need to burn to the ground
>An eternity later, you finally reach the top part of the staircase, a big metal door in your way that says "EMERGENCY EXIT"
>While at one point in time, this door would have been locked with an alarm, the decrepit state of the hotel has disabled that in its entirety
>The door's handle has broken off but it is also standing slightly ajar, a little bit of a push and it swings right open
>No warning sirens or anything like that going off, that is a good sign
>Carefully you sneak out onto the roof, trying to keep as low as you can
>At this point, the sun had already started to set, disappearing behind the horizon at a quick pace
>Night time is about to approach and you see lights begin to turn on, judging from the glow coming up from the streets
>Hiding behind an ac unit on the ceiling, you peek over to the other roof
>The gap between buildings is definitely something you can jump, that is something you aren't too worried about
>8 guards, you spot them all across the roof of the other building, all in pairs of two and covering one side of the complex
>Each pair consisting of a spotter and a sniper, as you've already noticed earlier during your lookout
>Most of them look really tired at this point, which you assume could mean that there might be a shift change happening soon-ish

>Tired guards? That'll make your job quite a lot easier, especially once the distraction team downstairs comes in
>Which judging from your feeling should really just be any moment right now, the sun has completely set and covered the roofs in darkness
>Putting down your trench coat to make sure you won't end up getting caught on anything, you check the holster that your pistol is in
>It's tightly strapped to your leg and the gun is snuggly secured inside
>Not that you plan to use it unless you absolutely have to, considering your first target is gonna be to take out the boss, quietly
>After that you can go in guns blazing, or molotovs blazing if you are able to put some together while you are inside
>The seconds drag along as you are waiting for something to happen, keeping a very close eye on the spotter closest to you
>He is busy scanning both the streets and skies for any potential thread, but from what you can glance he isn't particularly enthused about it anymore
>Putting down the binoculars he puts a hoof in front of his face in what you assume to be a yawn
>Then he starts talking to the other guard who looks equally as exhausted as he stops looking through the sniper's scope to converse with his partner
>You wish you could hear what they were saying, but your ears are the few pieces of you that haven't been augmented
>Shell would probably be able to listen in with his bat hearing and you feel just a little jealous
>Your ears flick as you hear yelling from down below on the streets
>"Oi, Twobits, pal, you know me!", you hear a voice carrying up, a really loud one
>The reply of the pony the colt is addressing you can't hear but by his reaction you imagine it was something along the lines of "Piss off"
>"Come on, Two, I've told my pals here about the stuff y'all selling, can't just leave em hanging, can I?", the colt whinnies
>Once more you can't hear the reply but the colt shouting seems to draw attention from the ponies occupying the roof
>You spot one of the two ponies get up on your side of the building, heading over to the side of the building with the main entrance with a scowl
>The sniper just slumps down on the roof's wall next to his gun, idling looking around the small alley that is between this building and your own
>Seizing your chance, you get to the edge of your own roof and take a running start towards the other one, your legs carrying you with grace as you kick off the ledge of the place you were just on
>An inner instinct tells you to extend your wings as the air is rushing past your face, naturally you are missing those which at the moment feels a kind of wrong, actually
>The freedom of semi-flight you are experiencing invigorates you
>Touching down, you get into a roll to take out the kinetic energy of your jump without breaking (another) leg

>Unfortunately, you weren't exactly used to the full strength of your new legs yet and your jump went on for.. just a little longer than you had hoped
>You get up a couple meters from two confused looking ponies staring at you as you've rolled right into the arms of another pair of guards
>They seem to be unable to comprehend what is going on and you use the small frame of time to dash forwards with incredible speed
>With your knife already at the ready, a clean slice of the spotters neck makes him tumble as you've taken his ability to scream out for help
>All he can do is hold his neck in vein as his blood is pumping out in spurts and he becomes more and he starts to stumble
>...right across the ledge of the building, falling down while flailing to his death
>You can only imagine the splat that had to make downstairs, not that you want to think about the stain on the street
>The other pony has recovered from the initial shock and pulled out a pistol using his magic, trying to take aim at you
"Not so fast, hun", you give him a smirk, trying to pull of your best femme fatale, which quite frankly didn't come out as sexy as you hoped
>You'd say comet would probably be much better suited in that role, if that mare ever decided to pick up the mantle of a runner, if she hasn't already
>Oh right, can't get distracted right now, you notice the floating gun still pointing at you
>Rushing up you use your knife to knock it away from being able to shoot you in the face, the unicorn decides to shoot
>The bullet (from a thankfully silenced gun) thankfully misses you by a wide margin and you practically flash step to the side of the guard
>Once again putting your momentum in a spin, you kick the pony into the side and make him sail through the sky
>Following his colleague down the side of the towering club building with a terrified scream
>It doesn't last long before he impacts on the ground below
>Well, you assume that definitely counts at least a little bit towards mayhem
>Unfortunately you also have alerted 3 more pairs of guards to your location
>In the darkness they can't really see you, thanks to your augmented eyes you have the advantage here
>But you can see them all closing in on you, little pistols drawn as they carefully head towards your exposed location
>Perhaps you could sneak your way past them using the pipes and air conditioning units on the ceiling as cover in the darkness of the night
>Thank luna for it being a new moon tonight
>It also doesn't look like they have called on reinforcements yet, although how long it'll take them to do so is anypony's guess
>Great job, Frost, so much for going in for stealth, your instructors would be really disappointed
>You really need to get used to those legs, or perhaps get their power turned down just a little when you get the chance
>For now though, you need a plan and to get further into the building too

>While ponies call it a silenced gun, that isn't an entirely accurate term, of course
>Most silenced guns are only quiet because of unicorn spell cast
>Either continuously cast by the unicorn holding the gun or via an attachment that has been enchanted and is usually ridiculously expensive
>Government black ops level of ridiculously expensive, that is
>Since these ponies are all unicorns, you would bet money on it being the former
>Which quite frankly sucks, you'll probably have to stick to the cheaper, shittier variant that everyone else is using if you ever wanted to get one
>Not that it matters much anyways, the gun's been flung over the edge together with your two adversaries
>Also, mission related, you assume to bloody splotches on the street floor do count at least as the beginning for some real mayhem
>...yay, murder instincts?
>If your training is one thing, it's reliable at giving you the ability to defend yourself... or go on a killing spree
>Well, may as well let your practice take over, this is what you've been made for, after all
"Oh murder, how I've missed thee", you sigh to yourself with a bit of a frown on your face, but it really can't be helped
>You are pretty sure the insides of the building is not yet privy to your antics up on the roof
>Otherwise they would be rolling up with backup for sure by now, you assume the commotion coming from the other side of the building served its purpose well enough
>Quite frankly, with how sloppy you've been so far you clearly have had luck on your side to fall back on
>The question is just how long that luck will last and when you have to go back to actually knowing what the heck you are doing
>For now, you know who you are and why you are here and that you know that you must kill
>Since they haven't spotted you yet and don't know what happened to their colleagues, if you can avoid them just long enough they might split up
>It's definitely your best chance at this, all things considered so you get low and start crawling along the ducts on the ceiling
>Tracing the ponies' movements closely from your location a little away from the former sniper nest, they all converge
>Seeing the abandoned post they look at each other before looking around and talking for a minute before nodding and each of them heading off into different directions

>While ponies call it a silenced gun, that isn't an entirely accurate term, of course
>Most silenced guns are only quiet because of unicorn spell cast
>Either continuously cast by the unicorn holding the gun or via an attachment that has been enchanted and is usually ridiculously expensive
>Government black ops level of ridiculously expensive, that is
>Since these ponies are all unicorns, you would bet money on it being the former
>Which quite frankly sucks, you'll probably have to stick to the cheaper, shittier variant that everyone else is using if you ever wanted to get one
>Not that it matters much anyways, the gun's been flung over the edge together with your two adversaries
>Also, mission related, you assume to bloody splotches on the street floor do count at least as the beginning for some real mayhem
>...yay, murder instincts?
>If your training is one thing, it's reliable at giving you the ability to defend yourself... or go on a killing spree
>Well, may as well let your practice take over, this is what you've been made for, after all
"Oh murder, how I've missed thee", you sigh to yourself with a bit of a frown on your face, but it really can't be helped
>You are pretty sure the insides of the building is not yet privy to your antics up on the roof
>Otherwise they would be rolling up with backup for sure by now, you assume the commotion coming from the other side of the building served its purpose well enough
>Quite frankly, with how sloppy you've been so far you clearly have had luck on your side to fall back on
>The question is just how long that luck will last and when you have to go back to actually knowing what the heck you are doing
>For now, you know who you are and why you are here and that you know that you must kill
>Since they haven't spotted you yet and don't know what happened to their colleagues, if you can avoid them just long enough they might split up
>It's definitely your best chance at this, all things considered so you get low and start crawling along the ducts on the ceiling
>Tracing the ponies' movements closely from your location a little away from the former sniper nest, they all converge
>Seeing the abandoned post they look at each other before looking around and talking for a minute before nodding and each of them heading off into different directions

>They seemingly are getting into position to comb the roof, each of them has drawn their weapon in their magic and is using their horns as a flashlight
>For second rate gangers they are surprisingly well organized, but nothing you can't handle
>You've hunted down unicorns before and while their magic may be a pain in the ass, especially with how easily they can keep you at range where they tend to have a clear advantage, you trust your abilities
>A WAND would be useful right now, but just like your wings you can't rely on that, so no point in thinking much further about it
>With them split up like this, you can easily pick off one after the other, for sure
>The idea of blinding one of them with your trench coat comes to mind, until you remember you took that off and left it on the other building's roof
>No matter, this is routine
>Making yourself as small as you can while hiding behind an AC unit on top of the roof you peek out and watch the group of ponies move up to your height in a coordinated line
>Effective search pattern, but they don't deviate from their path which means you should be able to get around them and stab them in the back. Literally.
>It doesn't take long until you hear hoofsteps starting to approach your location, the clippy cloppy on the concrete becoming like drums in your ears
>Your heartrate rises as you press yourself against the metal unit tightly, counting the seconds
>Clip. Clop. Clip. Clop. Clip. Clop....
>Now is the time, you open up your eyes and get into a very short sprint, your new legs giving you an extraordinary boost

>Which then culminates in you getting low and sliding under the surprised unicorn's legs with a screech of metal against concrete
>The knife in your mouth out in just the right way, you use it to slice into the stallion's front legs, making him buckle and faceplant into the ground
>Blood is squirting all over your face as his heart rate rapidly sends out spurts of red life force out of his cut open legs
>You managed to cut the tendons in his legs, which is going to make this guy immobile for probably the rest of his life
>The shock of blood loss and the surprise of the attack makes his magic falter, his gun clattering to the ground and his light extinguishing
>Over from your side you hear calls coming over, "Charcoal? Buddy, what happened?", one of the other guards is calling out
>The pony next to you is visibly panicking and starts going pale as a puddle of red is forming under him
>"H-help!", he calls out, much more weakly than you assume he would have wanted
>Enough for the two guards on his side to take notice though and you hear thundering hooves coming your way
>Dealing with this one quickly, you slice his throat so he can't speak anymore and pick up his gun
>Fully loaded, that's good
>Not silenced by physical means, not so good
>A bullet quiet whizzes past your face and you can feel the sting where it grazed your cheek
>Trickles of blood roll down your face and you put a hoof to your face
>Quickly reacting, you duck low and trace the remaining 5 lights on the roof
>4 of them are heading carefully towards your direction while the fifth seems to make a sprint for the roof's access door
>For now there is enough cover you can hide behind to not get immediately shot
>And you have a gun to shoot back, and a better idea where the other ponies are
>But your gun is also gonna make a lot of noise
>There is 3 coming from the front and 1 coming at you from behind, while 1 is running

>The runner is definitely has to be taken care of before he reaches the door
>Despite his small cone of light from his horn, he's slowed down by the darkness and trying to avoid tripping on pieces of ducts and the like on the roof
>An estimate guess gives you about a minute to reach him and you can't help but smirk
>More than enough time, all things considered, especially since you'll be able to take the long way around and deal with the rest
>Holding on to your knife with your mouth tightly, you judge the distance between the runner and you, taking a close look at the obstacles in front of you
>Getting a running start, you vault onto one of the AC units and use it as a jumping board stretching out your front hooves into what a pegasus flying would look like
>If only you could flap your wings right now, you wistfully sigh as the time around you seems to slow down to a crawl
>A couple bullets zip past you, going wide as the guards have issues taking aim at your quick and nimble form
>While your white coat is very obvious against the dark backdrop of the night sky, your trench coat would have likely just ended up getting you caught somewhere, or made you trip
>It was there to keep your legs hidden while out in the crowds, and unlike your jumpsuit it very much wasn't made to embrace your form
>Still, even with being quite obvious the ponies fail to even lock on to you with their probably somewhat low quality pistols
>You're not dealing with a high class mob here after all, according to your contractee
>Something that does surprise you a little bit is that they haven't dropped the silencer spell
>But the most likely explanation for that is that they don't want to catch the local's attention
>A loud shootout right in open space is bound to attract other gangs trying to take advantage of confusion or even the station security guards
>This would certainly not be the first case of something like that to happen, not even on one of your missions, you've seen it before
>Anyways, enough thinking, you are about to land... right on top of him
>With a sickening crunch, you slam your hoofs down on top of him and you are pretty sure you've ended up breaking a LOT of bones in his body
>Probably also squashing something vital inside from how forcefully you've came down onto him
>....are you fat? Gosh, mare, stop thinking like this, you just have... heavy bones. And metal. Especially metal
>He wheezes hard, barely able to get any air

>Injured lung, perhaps? Should keep him alive enough to interrogate later
>For now, you round the corner of the entrance down and sneak your way back around on the side with the single stallion
>And blending in, you jump from one piece of cover to the next, rapidly approaching the lonely pony who has his back turned to you
>He and his colleagues are trying to look for where you've disappeared to, having lost sight of you as they slowly make their way towards the already wounded guard
>Which means they aren't paying attention to each other right now
>A well timed sprint here, another well timed slide below one of the ducts and you are standing right next to the solo guard
>His eyes snap to you and open wide in surprise as you use the force of your slide to slam a hoof into his face
>He is knocked off his hoof and slides along the floor, his jaw seeming dislocated from your punch
>Can't call for help anymore, at least!
>To his credit though, he is getting back up on his hooves gun in his magic gripped trained on you
>You barely have any time to duck as 3 shots are fired and slam into the ground behind you
>The distance between you two is quickly closed though and the knife makes its way into his throat
>With a practiced slight down, you cut open his neck and part of his chest to which he quickly flops over on the ground in a pool of his own blood
>Points for style, you'd say at least
>5 down, 3 to go
>You'd like to think of yourself as able to take on 3 ponies at once, but you aren't entirely sure if that is gonna be the right call
>Reinforcements don't seem on their way at least, so that is a certain plus in your books
>Perhaps you should just bite the bullet and rush them down, from behind, they are pretty clustered up by now after they've seen you jump away
>They certainly aren't doing a good job at covering each others back, so much for the coordinated approach of searching from earlier
>The three gangsters are snapping their heads left and right in what you can make out to be absolute terror
>For some reason you can feel a a sort of sick and twisted enjoyment from all of this and you can't help but smirk, despite the feeling giving you shivers
>Tracking them as they make their way towards the fallen runner you follow them on quiet hooves, until you are confident in the distance
>Calculating the required trajectory, you take the handle of your knife and...
>...notice the metallic taste on your tongue and a glance down at you shows that your usually pristine white coat is splattered with red

>Moreover, as you put a hoof to your face it leaves equally as red
>Mare, you need a LOOOONG shower once you get back to Comet's apartment
>You look more used than a sanitary towel, hopefully none of these ponies has any kind of disease
>Back to the job at hoof though, you give your adversaries another glance before pulling back your neck and giving the knife a good throw
>With your aim being as true as ever, the knife soars through the inky blank night, occasionally shimmering in the reflections of the light from down below
>And strikes one of the stallions straight up in the back, his last sound being a surprised and afterwards painful whiny as he rears up on his hindlegs and falling over on the ground
>The other two stallions jump to the side as their companion attempts to lift his hoof at them for help before going limp
>Looks like you've hit something vital, probably one of his arteries if you had to guess from the distance
>Their shock gives you time to close in and your running speed is carried into a flying kick at one of the stallions
>A sickening crunch and the twist of his head announces to you very clearly that this pony is very very unlikely to get up again as the body slides away from its former position
>One clean snap of the neck tends to take a pony out of commission rather quickly and with your knife currently out of reach you'll have to deliver the same fate to the one remaining stallion
>A straight kick to your face tells you that he was much quicker at recovering from the shock than his friends were
>The next kick you are thankfully able to anticipate and able to block with your one flesh and blood hoof, before trying to counter
>Skillfully the unicorn dodges you and starts going into a low stance, attempting to get you from below
>You notice his body is enveloped in a soft glow of his horn, runes shimmering all over his coat
>And with terrifying speed, he is right in your face, delivering a hook from down below that knocks you into the air and makes you sail backwards
>Sliding on the concrete hurts, but thanks to your reinforced spine you're probably gonna be good... sans your scraped up and now bloody back
>Although you are pretty sure your wounds are superficial at best, they still sting like a motherbucker
>Barely having time to get back to your hooves and raise another hoof in defense, the unicorn is on you with his incredible speed and a sadistic smile on his face
>Rearing up, his hooves come down with strength much stronger than reasonable and cracking the floor, right where your head had been just a mere half a second ago

>You in turn, rear up and start delivering punches with your front hooves while at the same time trying to keep him from getting past your guard
>Slowly, he is gaining ground though and keeps forcing you further and further back, a glance behind you telling you what you feared: He is leading you right to the edge of the roof
>Step by step you are getting closer to the fall and you can't help but start feeling terrified
>This can't be the end of it, right? Falling down to your death from a building isn't how you expected your story to end
>Below you can still hear the colts arguing with the guards, at least those are occupied
>Not that that helps, you've reached your final destination as you are but a couple meters away from the ledge
>The assault from the other stallion is relentless and his overdriven movement makes you unable to keep up
>It is then, that you get the final idea that you can muster to maybe save yourself out of this, it'll be risky, for sure
>His attacks continue without mercy but a slight opening you have noticed lets you duck below one of his punches
>The punch goes wide, right over you and he loses balance, sailing over you
>Using your hindlegs, you give that much needed push to his barrel... and see him sail over the edge
>A scream is all you can hear before you hear a splash on the street below, that erupts into terrified yells, shouting and whinnies
>Peeking over the edge, you see that the stallion's body ended up squashing one of the guards down below, both of them having been turned into stains on the asphalt
>One of the remaining guards rushes into the building, outright screaming while you see the 3 colts you had help you run off back to their own apartment complex in horror
>Getting away from the ledge, you lie down on your back and breath heavily, already being sore all over from that rapid attack
>So much for being stealthy, you guess, gotta plan your next steps carefully
>You also still have that one stallion near the entrance that you've hopefully are still able to interrogate
>But what are you even going to ask him anyways? Maybe you should just make your way down into the building proper
>You've taken out 9 ponies, can't be more than 35-40 remaining, if you had to make an educated guess

>As you turn around to get back up and head over to your pancaked friend still heavily breathing next to the door where you left him, your eyes fall on the sniper riffle
>While not milspec, it should at least cause a little bit of confusion and chaos
>Heading over you pick the weapon up and while it is decently weighty you don't have a hard time maneuvering it and aiming
>Unfortunately, it is a gun built for unicorns and you are currently not exactly in possession of telekinesis
>Actuating the trigger proves a little harder than you would have hoped at first, but you are a creative mare and use the strap of the binoculars lying around from the spotter
>Attaching the leather strap to the trigger, you take the other end in your mouth to get ready to pull on it once you are lined up
>Probably not going to be the most precise, but you should at least get a couple shots down and have one or two hit
>Glancing through the scope, you line up onto the head of one of the guards down below, and you pull
>To your dismay, pulling on the strap moves your mark and makes the shot go wide, embedding itself into the road next to the stallion
>He jumps to the side and frantically starts looking around
>In the meantime, your ears are ringing from the volume of the gun, this thing DEFINITELY packs a punch
>The shot could probably be heard at least a block or two down, which means you are probably about to have a gang war coming
>Confusion from bottom to top while you can make your way down from top to bottom
>You definitely are not satisfied with your first shot though, so you try again
>Taking aim, you now see all the guards hiding but one of them is sticking his head out just a little to check if everything is clear
>Careful, careful..... aim and FIRE
>Once more your ears are ringing, but this time the bullet flies true, slamming into the stallion's head right between his ears and probably going clean through
>He flops on the floor, unmoving
>In response multiple guns float out from the other guard's hideout and start firing up towards you blindly
>That'll hopefully keep them busy for a little while you say as you return back to the final roof guard
>Still lying there, wheezing, you can see blood trickle out of his mouth, but he seems still alive
>Leaning down in front of him, you hold up his head to face you and smile

"So, I'd like you to tell me a bit about this place and maybe, just maybe I'll make this quick. Dying to internal injury is one painful way to go!"
>"Fuck.... you", he manages to say in between labored breathes and uses the last bit of energy to spit a glob of bloody spit right into your face
>You jump back as you wipe it off, just in time to see him attempt to cast some sort of spell
"No you fucking won't!", you say as you bring your metal hoof down hard on his horn, crushing it underneath and grinding for extra measure
>The screams of blood curdling pain reaches your ears but you don't let up
>With tears in his eyes, he starts begging for your mercy and after a couple seconds you are satisfied
"So then, where were we? Oh right, you were telling me about your little base of operations!", you give him the most sickly sweet smile you can muster
"Escape ways, armories, drug stashes, labs, anything that might even just remotely be interesting", you tell him as you get closer to him
>It looks like he doesn't even have the energy to lift his head anymore, in a way you actually feel a little pity for him and his suffering
>"Armory... 3 floors down... Vault in the basement", he croaks out more and more quietly with each word, "Lab... 2nd floor..."
"And your boss?", you raise an eyebrow at him
>"Offices, m-most likely. 2 floors down... heavily guarded...", the light fades from his eyes before you could ask another question
>His breathing stops and you do what you feel is right and shut his eyes with your hoof
>From a little ways away, you can hear gun shots coming closer and closer
>Sounds like the bait has been taken, which means everypony in this place is soon going to be sitting ducks, if all things go as planned
>If things go south, the mob boss probably has to make his way up to the roof, especially if his office is this high
>Or there could be a secret passage down and out, you could hardly know
>How nice it would be to have an op somewhere in contact with you that could hack into the security cams or blueprints to hoof to you
>But sadly you are on your own and you probably want to act fast, right now the mob bosses guards might still be scrambling to get protection set up
>Or you could way it out, have him come to you when the lower part is inevitably stormed by other gangs trying to take a piece of the pie
>Would that be mayhem enough, gangsters killing other gangsters? You ARE supposed to send a message here, after all.

>Well, one thing you can say for sure is that your interrogation is still as efficient as it ever was... and as brutal to boot
>The vault on the other hoof sounds like an exceptional place for you, especially if you can somehow break down the wall to the sewers
>Which with your metal hooves and a good buck really shouldn't be much of an issue, escape route got!
>One final glance down at the dead mobster you notice the horn dust under your hoof
>The disturbing thought comes up that ground up unicorn horn is supposedly used in magic enhancing drugs
>Some mobsters are even supposed to snort their victim's cut up and ground up horns
>Just thinking about it makes you shiver at the cruelty of having a poor pony have to watch their own body piece used as a stimulant
>You rather... not get into the drug ingredient dealing trade if you can help it
>One thing you are reminded of is that spotters usually carry some shorter range weapons to protect their snipers, so you make haste to check out the 4 sniper nests
>On your way you also pick up the knife that you left stuck in one of the ponies, you still need that for getting a certain pony's head
>Thankfully, your instinct was pretty spot on and you end up finding a carbine next to one of the sniper riffles
>Surprisingly it is only the one though, everypony else was carrying the pistol you already had the pleasure of making their acquaintance with
>Well, you should get going, as you can hear howling and screaming coming from down the road, you want to avoid getting caught in the crossfire
>That and you also start hearing what you assume to be cop car sirens in the distance, things are gonna get uncomfortable real damn soon
>Trotting over to the door quickly, one buck knocks the thing out of their hinges and crash it into the spiralling stairwell leading down
>Peeking over the railing you can see a horde of ponies, you'd assume at least 20-25 or so flood into the stairwell at the lowest floor
>Fuck, you forgot the trench coat on the other building, should you go back and grab it?
>That might lead somepony who finds it on to figure out that you are involved, or even worse, get on comet's trail
>Maybe you could try disguising yourself as one of the hench-ponies that you've killed up here?
>Wait no, they weren't really wearing any clothes and you doubt this group would be big enough for that to work anyways
>For now, you have to get into the armory, you'll have to look into the trench coat later
>With certainly not enough time to run down the stairs and a group of 8 ponies already halfway up the stairs in rushed panic you decide to do something dumb, Shell Shock style
>Mounting the railing, you glance at where you assume the floor of the armory is

>One deep breath, the count to 3.... and you can feel air rush past you as you've entered free fall
>First floor passes by at extreme speed but time around you seems to slow down ever so slightly as you concentrate on your target
>Spreading out your legs for more surface area, you use air resistance to slow down ever so slightly and steer yourself towards the staircase again
>Downstairs you can see ponies stop and stare up at you in what looks like awe and disbelief
>The next floor has passed and you only have microseconds to react
>Unfortunately, you misjudge the jump ever so slightly and miss the piece of metal you hoped you could hold on to
>Instead, you crash down onto solid ground a floor below, everything feeling sore as you groan in pain
>From above, you hear shouting of two guards and hoofstomps, coming towards you from the front
>"There's the intruder!", you hear a stallion shouting from three flights of stairs up
>Immediately followed by the sound of a fully automatic barraging your position with bullets
>Their trigger discipline is lacking as from the sound of it they just keep dumping bullets into the place where you are hiding behind the concrete part of the railing
>From your position, you can't really hit them without peeking out and risking getting shot if you look too long
>You do manage to sneak a quick look in, seeing an orange coated unicorn with a lime green mane who is very, very quick at switching mags and taking aim at you again
>And a second, smaller red unicorn mare with a pinkish mane who seems a little more hesitant at shooting you up, probably trying to calculate her chances you assume?
>Which is when another genius idea strikes you and you wait for your chance as patiently as somepone under heavy time pressure can
>As expected, bullets soon stop to fly and you can hear the telltale sign of a couple of mags clattering to the floor
>Quickly ducking out of cover, you use your back hoofs to kick yourself off the ground, onto the railing with your front hoof, having your back legs carry you over the edge
>Your calculations were spot on as you basically spin in mid-air, hooking your legs into the steel rail a floor above you
>The momentum of your jump carries your body upwards, rocketing your face right into one of the mobster's face
>This high velocity boop maneuver breaks this poor guy's snootle and he drops backwards, clutching his hooves to his blood covered face
>Next to you the unicorn mare clicks in the new mag and lowers the gun in your direction
>Too late for her, though, as you've already fluently moved below her and came back up in front of her, using your hooves to pick her up and push her body over the railing
>She drops the gun in panic and starts flailing as you hold her over the 14 story drop which almost gives even you vertigo
>Her terrified face is pleading to not drop her and you give her a smile

>While she doesn't seem to entirely believe you, she is willing to take hold of any potential lifeline she has
"This situation? What's the plan. You gotta keep your boss safe when shit goes south, right? Where is he going to hide, and how many guards will be with him"
>The cherry colored unicorn mare is visibly shaking and her voice is stuttery as she starts talking: "I-I don't.. I don't know!", she begins crying
>You raise an eyebrow and slide her a little further over the edge, which makes her squeak in terror
>She is starting to cry now, "P-please I really d-don't know!", she begs, keeping a tight hold on your hooves with her front hooves
>"I-I n-never wanted this", she sniffles as you push her even further over the edge
"Tell me what I want to know!", you demand of her to which she just forces her eyes shut, tears streaming down her face
"How do I get into the vault!", yelling at her you hope that she knows the answer to that at least
>"A-a keycard! G-granite has it, a-always!", she yipps in desperation, "h-he's the one to unlock it, s-says it's his stuff after all"
>This Granite pony is what you assume to be the big boss in this case
"Not so hard. Why are these ponies coming up here?!", you ask her and force her face to look down at the steadily advancing gansters
>Who, by now, have started training their weapons up to you as you notice
>Shortly after, shots start bursting out from below, threatening to tear you and the mare apart
>She shrieks when one of the shots goes straight through her shoulder, disabling her hold on your hooves
>You pull her back into cover while she clutches her shoulder with her face in a grimace
"Well, I'm waiting for an answer!", you stand in front of her and she looks at you with puffy eyes
>"I-I think to gear up... I-I was told to protect the armory", she takes her hoof off just for a split moment to point behind you before applying pressure to her wound again
>"A-and then to hide out in the offices above... th-they are reinforced, I think", she replies, her voice terrified
>Good, you should be able to gear up and maybe you are even able to pick off a few of them while they are stuck in the stairwell
>Have to be quick on your hooves though, you don't have much time
>Taking the two SMGs of the guards, you make your way to the steel door that is the entrance to the armory
>While the door itself seems solid, the part that anchors it to the wall not so much
>Not something that can really stop you and you easily break the door out of the hinges
>While not the best quality, you see all kinds of short and long range weapons
>Even a couple frags remaining in a box in the corner
>So, now it stands to reason what you should pack and how you should plan to go ahead with your mission
>Below in the stairwell, you can hear shouting and shooting, not in your direction but down
>Looks like the party has begun
>Before meekly hearing the pony from behind you whimper: "P-please don't leave me here!", she begs, in tears

>You afford a quick glance behind you as you rummage through the arsenal of weapons with a gleeful smile
>The mare looks at you, absolutely terrified as she is shaking in fright at the impending doom she is expecting
>Honestly, you can't help but feel just a little sorry for her, especially when you consider what would happen if the rival gang got a hold of her
>Your eyes pass over the grenades, and you get an idea that just perfectly seems to fit with one of your mission objectives
"So, the basement... any secret tunnels there? Or any secret tunnels out of the upper levels of the building?"
>The mare considers your question for a moment before shaking her head, "nope, the vault only has one entrance, for security", she replies
>Picking one of the round shaped objects up you toss it to her, which at first she fumbles with before she manages to catch it
>She looks at you and then back down at the explosive in her hooves before once again looking up at you and cocking her head in confusion
"Go on. Show me what you got", you nod towards the stairwell, "we don't have all day"
>She shakily gets up and glances over the railing before pulling the pin of the grenade with her magic
>Getting up to get a better look at her trajectory she slightly leans over the edge, the grenade floating next to her
>And at that moment, you give her a kick in the back, making her in addition to the grenade in her magic tumble over the steel pipe
>The horrified scream is followed shortly by an explosion at what you assume to have been close to the ground floor
>Followed by panicked shouts from a multitude of mobsters
"I never leave behind witnesses", you call after her with an ecstatic grin
>Picking up another grenade, you look at the body of the unicorn stallion that you've given a new muzzle shape
>While still clutching his snout in pain he looks at you, outright terrified at your maneuver you just pulled
>And once he sees you approach with another grenade, he tries to scramble away from you
"Not so fast, hun", you say as you step on his tail to hold him in position
>His hooves try to find purchase on the floor, to no avail

>The contrary even, as it gives you a perfect view of your intended target
>With a powerful shove, you take one of the more elongated stick grenades you have found in the armory and shove it up where the sun don't shine
>He howls in surprise, pain and perhaps a little bit of pleasure, you don't quite know but something about him gave you a bit of a gay vibe
>Pulling the pin, you heave the screaming and kicking stallion over your head and then dump him down after his colleague
>If only these ponies were pegasi, flight would probably be very helpful in a situation like this
>You instinctively ruffle your wings... until you realize you don't have any
>Once more diving into the armory you start digging through the many guns in the gang's position
>Quite frankly, you are both stunned and surprised at how plentiful this place is and as much as you'd love to raid it all, you definitely don't have the time or space to take too much
>Which is why your excitement just reaches new heights as you find an old machine gun buried in a crate
>It looks slightly rusted, but only really on the outside and a cursory glance gives you the affirmation that by all accounts this thing still works fine
>A maniac smile forms on your face as you are glad that your spine is reinforced because this thing would shred your back otherwise
>Picking up a couple more round frags you head back out of the room and turn around
>Hmm, you should probably try to rig up a trap for anypony dumb enough to go in there to try and fetch some weapons
>There certainly are still enough grenades left for a nice firework if done correctly
>Sadly, you aren't entirely sure how to trap this place, especially with the door kicked in and you don't have any string for a tripwire
>Something to think about while you give these ponies coming up heck
>Putting a belt into the feed of the gun, you put it down on the railing and tilt it before actuating the trigger
>The belt-fed monster gets to work and begins pulverizing stairs and walls with extreme prejudice

>More screaming from below as you hear commands of getting into cover shriek out over the noise of the what you decided to call the annihilator for now
>First things first, the 8 ponies that were about to reach you are taken care of and shredded to a bloody pulp as you shift the gun's muzzle into their general direction
>From below, the other mobsters on the stairwell attempt to shoot at you but your barrage forces them to stay in cover
>You feel your gun go dry shortly after and before they can react, you toss a 'nade down the shaft, having it cooked just the right amount
>It explodes, taking out a section of the staircase and 5 or 6 ponies with them
>Moreover, it cut off most of the horde from their boss and just about 7 other ponies serving as his personal guard now
>While they digest what just happened, you refill the gun's ammunition and begin shooting again, this time using the shots to lead the bosses' group up the stairwell towards you
>Gotta get to them eventually, after all, or rather, get them to you, you have a head to claim
>Further below, you see the ponies standing in front of the now broken stairwell as the rival gang starts engaging them from behind
>A brutal firefight breaks out, costing many lives on both ends and drenching the rest of the steps down with crimson color
>Once you notice that the 8 remaining ponies you have set your eye on are just a few floors below you, you stop your shooting to conserve some of the ammo and start thinking of a game plan on how to get his flank
>Him and his companions probably plan to stop by the armory which might serve as a nice chokepoint but is also most certainly going to be an issue when it comes to them being heavily armored
>And the stairwell isn't exactly the best place to cut off someone's head in piece and take a nice picture of it
>The offices upstairs were said to be their goal, maybe you can go and set up a trap there?
>With grenades perha- wait no, you might run the risk of blowing up your mark to smithereens, which would probably mean no pay
>Anyways, your position isn't going to stay too defensible for long, especially with multiple ponies in close quarters coming for you

>Boobytrapping you unfortunately don't have the time for, but that doesn't mean you are just gonna give them easy access to gearing up
>Before you take one of the 4 grenades you have remaining and toss it in, you notice that somewhere down the line you've dropped your carbine from earlier
>Well, plenty of chance to restock, even though time is of the essence
>Thankfully, while searching around you've had plenty of chances to take a look at the rest of the stuff inside
>Quickly producing a semi-automatic rifle from the pile of guns you strap that over your head and leave the room, readying up one of the grenade
>Before you pull the pin though, you realize that maybe with the kicked down door the blast could cause a lot more harm to the outside of the room (and you) in the process
>Thinking fast, you half-ass the door back up to at least block the main blast somewhat
>It has cost you a couple seconds and the gang is getting closer, but anything is better than blasting yourself into bits by accident
>Arming the grenade you toss it in through a small gap the door has left and you hear it bounce around inside while you leg it up the stairs
>Getting your ass out of the way was definitely the smartest idea you had all day, the explosion ringing from inside massive
>It propels the door right out of the doorway, through the wall on the opposite side as it rips a new window out to the outside world
>While it may be a nice escape route if you could fly, it currently doesn't really help you
>It is also followed by a blast of fire coming out of the former weapon storage and you are pretty confident that there isn't any more weapons left
>You begun rushing up the stairs but take a careful glance down the stairwell and to your astonishment, the rival gang seemed to have done a LOT of cleanup
>They are now attempting to cross the gap you've made while still filing in from below
>From the outside (probably through the hole you've made) you can also hear the faint approach of sirens
>That'll add to the chaos, you think to yourself with glee
>Rapidly ascending you make your way to the "office" part of the building, which quite frankly is just another set of what seem to be small 1-room flats
>Probably for the ponies that find somepony they want to spend the night with down on the dance floor in its hayday
>Most of them have their doors just been broken open but there is one that is oddly secured with a keycard reader blinking red
>The door seems reinforced in addition and you are quite sure that this might be the spot that they will be trying to defend
>Being at the end of the hallway, the corridor serves as a perfect chokepoint to pick ponies coming in off
>While you could probably break down the door to Granite's office, that would certainly give you away
>Could you try breaking through another room?
>Lay a trap somehow?
>Judging from the sounds of hoosteps, they are a minute or two away

>For now you need a place to hide so they won't get to shoot you as soon as they round the corner
>Your eyes dart around the hallway as you are assessing your chances, letting your training and mental conditioning
>The rooms are mostly barren but a couple of beds and desks do remain, which gives you an idea
>Pulling out one of the heavier pieces of furniture that you can fit through the door, you drag it over to the entrance of the locked door and prop it up
>That should at least buy you a little bit of time before they can get in
>A few more beds and desks are pulled out of the rooms to serve as potential barricades or hurdles for the mobsters to climb over to reach the door
>Finally, your eyes fall on the ceiling... specifically the fact that it is made up of multiple panels and it should not be too hard to hide up there
>One jump is all it takes for your powerful legs to carry you into the ceiling, pushing away one of the panels and landing you in a rather tight crawlspace
>It thankfully is big enough for you to be able to crawl through while down on all fours
>Pushing the panel into place, you move over closer towards the entrance of the stairwell of this hallway
>One of the panels you lightly raise and use a piece of metal you found to prop it up slightly so you can see down
>Returning back closer towards the middle of the hallway, you lay down and wait, keeping your ears trained on the downstairs area
>Finally, the tell tale noises of hooves reaches your ears and you hear them stop in what you assume to be the beginning of the hall
>You can only imagine the confused looks on their faces as their safe room is scattered with random bits of used plastic and wood
>"Wh't da fuck are yous waitin' for? Git a move on", you hear one pony bellow in anger and you have a good idea who that might be
>Ever so slightly lifting the panel in front of you, you glance down into the dinky corridor and at the end see a group of 9 ponies
>4 of them are currently climbing over your first obstacle at the behest of one stallion pointing his hoof, a grey unicorn with a black mane and black fedora
>With a fashion sense this tasteless, you assume that is the "big boss", of the operation
>The 4 unicorns being sent forwards carefully peek into each room they pass until they are about halfway through
>Satisfied, the boss begins climbing over the barricades as well while the 4 last ponies keep an eye on the way to the stairs behind
>Once Granite made his way to the first 4, they continue on moving and you finally take the chance you've been waiting for
>Lowering the panel, you pull the pin on one of your last grenades and with precise aim you roll it through the propped up ceiling panel to drop down onto the unsuspecting group below
>They hardly have any time to react as the explosion fills your ears, blowing away part of the ceiling panels ahead of you

>The hallway erupts into screeching as Granite desperately orders his 4 remaining guards to protect him
>Shots can be heard fired from their pistols and SMGs below you, but none of them seem to consider the ceiling for the source of the commotion
>This makes it easy for you to crawl right above the source of the noise unnoticed and with a push of your legs drop down on the unsuspecting crowd
>Two of the guards suffer heavy casualties as their heads are crushed under your hooves
>It's nice being heavy sometimes
>Shocked, Granite turns his head and is now face to face with your sadistic grin, something in your brain giving you gleeful enjoyment at the carnage you are causing
>The other two guards are able to quickly react to your new presence and begin their barrage of bullets in your general direction
>A couple of the shots grace you, some hitting your metal legs and deflecting all over the room
>One in particular deflects in such a nice way that it hits the boss in his leg, having him collapse onto the floor and groaning in pain
>He is cussing at the incompetence of his employees as he clutches his wound and screams bloody murder
>One of the guns you've picked up earlier comes out and with a couple well practiced moves they end up between the eyes of the two remaining guards
>On the floor, the stallion looks at you with anger in his eyes, "wazzit you want, bitch?", he spits, venomously
>"'s it money? Power? I canz give ya dat, if ya askin... if ya decide t' work fer me, ah can make ya dreams cum tru'!", he attempts to bargain his way out of this
>Any questions you got for him? Or should you just end it and get this job over with, you still have a picture to take and all that
>Could also try and get into his office and have a look around after, or you could make an exit through the roof again
>On the outside you can now clearly hear sirens and the intercom of the building begins to crackle: "This is StaSEC. We have you surrounded, come out and surrender or you WILL be seen as hostile"
>"You have 10 minutes to comply"
>Ah yes, the common Station Security threat of becoming a hostile target... which implies death at all kinds of advanced weaponry

>This guy has nothing left to offer you, especially with his entire gang being taken out of commission
>Really, what you are about to do is nothing but merciful, considering who is about to knock down the door on the outside
>You've only ever heard stories, but StaSEC isn't known for the most equinitarian of treatments of their prisoners
>The rumors of forced labor camps for the corps do come to mind for anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves in their clutches
>Come on, Frost, just finish this job so you can go home already, before breaching happens
>But then something comes to mind as you look down at the basically entirely helpless stallion now
>The knife you were about to use on him goes back between your leg and the one gun holster you have and you stretch out a hoof to him
>At first he glances between your hoof and your face but his grin widens into a wicked smile as he takes your hoof and you pull him up
>Keeping your grip and tightening it a little you glare at him before speaking in a low voice
"Let's... discuss our terms of partnership in your office, where we hopefully stay undisturbed for a while", you nod your head towards one of the speakers
>It takes a moment for him to catch on but he uses your hoof to pull himself up on the ground and you step aside for him to walk
>Keeping him in front of you you make sure to not let any of his movements and especially his horn out of sight, lest you wish to become potential swiss cheese
>He limps on his 3 good legs past you, giving you a cursory glance as he pulls out a keycard out of his pocket
>"Ah knu yas kind canz be reasonable coulda been bought fer da right price", he mentions with what you can only feel to be an absolutely smug aura of self satisfaction
>Hobbling over to the door, he pulls a small keycard out of his vest and slides it over the reader
>It beeps and a light turns to green, in addition to the click of the electronic lock disengaging
>The green light turns to red almost instantly again though, as it is covered in the former gang bosses' life force
>A gurgling comes from the body which is slowly sinking to its knees and desperately putting a hoof to his neck to try and stop the bleeding, to no avail
>The stallion tumbles over and falls flat in front of the now open door, keycard down on the ground for you to swipe

>Turning it over in your hooves, this seems to be some kind of master key, which probably means that is going to give you access to the vault as well as basically any other room here
>Stepping past the rapidly growing puddle of blood that comes from the still barely conscious pony you drag him inside and let the door close, clicking shut as the lock reengages
>"You's a... lying bitch", he wheezes out as the light begins to fade from his eyes, "you's gunna... git what yous deserve"
>And with that, his chest rises and falls one final time and he goes completely still
>Getting to work you use your small but trusty knife to cut off the monster's head, which proves to be a lot harder than you had hoped
>Nevertheless, your cybernetic strength allows you to sever your price from the rest of his body and you set it down on his table
>...just to glance behind it and see a machete hanging on the wall behind him
>You take a glance at the knife you are holding and grunt in annoyance as you position the "trophy" to be presentable
>Thanks to your augmented eyes, you are able to take a picture to send to your employer
>The message receives a reply rather quickly, offering you another 1000 credits for taking a video with you saying "Never be caught messing with the rock crushers or you will share his fate"
>While that would be a nice bit of money, something about this request seems... off
>You decide to think it through as you make your way through the office
>They weren't lying when they said that this place is reinforced, the walls being made out of solid steal and you'd say it's at least half a meter of that stuff on the walls
>Most of the office turns out empty though, a couple of documents that you assume to be forged for money laundering and fake shipping jobs in the desk
>A tablet is sitting on the desk that unfortunately is locked for now, but you are very sure you'd find the most juicy details on Granite's personal and secured tablet, basically a jackpot all things considered
>As you are about to get your move on to get back out, you notice a giant painting on the wall opposite of the desk
>Taking it off, you find a safe embedded into the wall and you smile with glee.... until you see it is locked with a number combination and not a keycard
>You aren't exactly the most skilled safe cracker and aren't sure how long it would take to get that thing open
>Quite frankly, you should probably consider leaving, the fuzz is gonna burst down the doors here any minute now
>And hopefully only the door downstairs, you would hate if they ended up trying to follow your plan of entry, you wouldn't be surprised
>But perhaps this room holds more secrets if you start searching more thoroughly?

>Something in the back of your head is screaming at you how many international laws you must have broken this last hour
>But the voice is quickly silenced by something else in your noggin, overriding any kind of protest or remorse that you could have had here
>For now you comply with the request of taking the video, giving it your most professional but threatening aura as you record yourself
>Not wanting to have your real voice leak out, you decide to store it for now and later try to somehow modulate or fake your voice
>Your employer will get his video eventually, that's gonna be an easy 1k more in your pockets when you get back home later tonight
>After you're finished your eyes fall on the mobsters fedora and you are quite sure that he won't need that thing anymore
>Could you perhaps try and get some more money for another rival gang out of this?
>Certainly won't hurt to try later when you send the video back and demand your money
>Bagging the tablet and keycard, you make your leave but stop in the doorway
>Quickly hopping over to the wall, you pull down the machete and the holster it was in and strap it over your barrel
>While the head of granite might make for a good club, it wouldn't be exactly great to carry around, even if it would be a nice price to keep
>Where would you even put the head when you get back, or how would you get that back to the apartment unnoticed in the first place?
>Passing by the corpse on the floor, you consider throwing it out of a window at StaSEC for a little bit of fun and confusion, but that probably would draw more unwanted attention to you than is worth
>Swiping the keycard you open the door and step through and with a final glance back to the head, you sigh

"I'll CUT you some slack though, it was me who you were dealing with after all, even though you certainly weren't the SHARPEST tool in the shed when trusting me."
>This was really bad but you have a hard time containing your laughter, in movies the protagonist always has some witty final remarks, right?
>Right now the way is clear and you carefully make your way to the staircase again, where the sounds of heavy gunfire can be heard way downstairs
>Some kind of big fight is still going down there and you assume that to be between StaSEC and the rival gang
>Peaking over the banister ever so carefully, you can see that most of the gang members have holed up in the staircase and use the entrance as a chokepoint they repeatedly fire down
>Looks like the corpos ain't getting in through there anytime soon and neither they nor the gang members should be coming after you anytime soon
>With a satisfied smile you make your way up the stairs towards what you expect to be an easy walk back out into freedom
>...until the sound of hoofsteps coming from above you stops you dead in your tracks
>Not only that, from the sound of the hooves they are made out of... metal, followed by more pairs of hooves and from the sound of it you assume it to be 3 ponies
>You recognize a typical strike team formation with an augmented soldier leading the charge
>The blood in your veins is freezing cold at the thought of potentially one of your former... colleagues being here and you do your best attempt to calm your nerves...
>...before a wave of calm hits you hard and you finally notice the little flashing message in the corner of your HUD
>Neurostimulation engaged, Neural Override active for 00:38:12. WARNING: Extended usage detected!
>From what it sounds like, they have just entered the building and are currently securing the top floor and are probably trying to back up the ponies outside from above
>So much for your quiet exit and you have to figure something out fast, before they see and are able to report or identify you

>Being stuck between a rock and a hard place isn't how you hoped this mission would end, but where would the fun be in an easy way out
>You feel a bout of panic coming on but that is washed away as your neurostimulator that you have now finally become aware of sends out a flood of neurotransmitters
>There isn't really much time to think about all of that though, as you weigh your options carefully
>Down? Leads to combat against at least 50-80 ponies, some well trained, the others probably less so, but still a tough nut to crack or sneak by by
>Up? 3 ponies, assumingly highly trained specialists in this field perhaps even matching your training
>You might be able to take them on if you can manage to surprise them on their way down here if you play your cards right
>The final option would be... you glance down the stairwell a little opposite of the former armory
>Still there is that hole in the wall that you've expertly managed to break through with your jury rigged, door shaped wrecking ball
>About 2 floors above you you can hear voices call out "all clear", followed by heavy boots descending the staircase and a door being kicked open
>The ponies above you hurry into what you assume to be the corridor right above you and you know you only have precious little time remaining
>Thanks to your augmented eyes you are at least able to look through the hole in the wall from your position
>And while you can't see down into the alley, you can spot windows facing this building on the opposite wall
>Three of the windows are smashed in from where you assume the door has hit the other apartment complex but it hasn't broken through
>If bad comes to worst, you could probably take a page out of Shell's book and take a leap of faith into the other building
>That should at least get you out of this two-front-assault

>For now though, you decide to attempt hiding, at least in the hopes of getting the drop on an unsuspecting member of the assault team
>Thinking fast you head back into the now ruined by a grenade hallway and quickly jump back up into the ceiling, where you crawl as far to the end of the little cavity that you can
>Reading one of your last two grenades you push yourself low against the ceiling and slow your breathing as much as you can
>Thanks to your augs, that doesn't end up too difficult and you listen closely to the carnage happening below
>Until the dreaded noises of hooves come thundering down the stairs that stop outside of the entrance to the stairwell
>"What in the princesses' name happened here?", a gruff voice of a stallion says, none that you recognize though
>A mare answers him in a low voice: "I don't know, but whatever it was must have had some real firepower"
>"Ewww, what the heck did I step in- are those guts?", the mare eeps in surprise and disgust
>"Shut up. Both of you", you hear the last of the trio, another stallion, but still not a voice that rings any bells to you
>"Follow me, and carefully", the same voice says and you hear metallic hoofsteps climbing over half assed barricades that you've put together
>Guns click as the other two presumably lock and load before following their leader
>You begin to hold a breath, almost starting to shake at how worried you are
>The three are getting closer and ever closer, probably checking every side room carefully
>Until you hear them come to a stop right below you, their guns clattering as they look around carefully
>One of the three seems to start fiddling with a bag and then you hear something being quietly attached to the door
>A few seconds later, you hear a small bang and the door being kicked down, with two of them storming inside the office
>The third is probably out guarding the door for nopony to come in

>From inside you hear a shocked gasp, "what in the everloving fuck is this?", the lead stallion asks quietly, sounding disturbed
>"I-I think I'm gonna-", you hear the mare reply, before you can hear her wretch, "what sick individual would... do something like this?"
>"A psychopath. Something we have to make sure won't cause us anymore trouble", the leader threatens
>It is then that something in front of you starts to move in the darkness, something small
>In the dim light you can barely make out it's form, a small rat that has crawled out of a nearby vent is now skittering across the ceiling panels
>Below you, you can hear a gun clatter as it moves and then fires a single bullet through the ceiling panel in front of you, much too close for comfort
>"Gale, what the fuck!", you hear screaming out of Granite's office and 8 hoofs rushing out
>"Think I heard something. In the ceiling!", the pony named Gale whispers, to which you hear more guns being aimed at what you assume to be you
>The seconds feel like tense hours that are interrupted by more shots, one hitting the terrified mouse and splattering her into red guts that decide to land right on your face
>You got some in your mouth and have to desperately suppress the instinct of spitting
>The panels in front of you crash down to the floor and multiple more seconds of silence pass before one of the ponies lets out a relaxed sigh
>"Just a rodent. You shoot up this place for a FUCKING rodent?", the lead stallion hisses in disbelief
>"Sorry, gear. Coulda been something, right?", the stallion replies, sheepishly
>He only gets a sigh in reply before the leader announces an "all clear" and begins to make his way back down the hallway
>The other two follow and once they seem far enough away, you let out the breath you were holding
>Just in time to hear their boots stop
>"Did you... hear that?", Gear is asking and you hear hoofsteps coming back again
>This shapes up to be so much more tense and difficult than the movies you sometimes watched while you had nothing to do on the old screen in your old breakroom

>A grenade will just catch you in the blast zone and you aren't exactly ready to lose two more legs
>How could this guy even hear you, especially with all the fighting going on downstairs?!
>The only reasonable explanation you can come up with at the top of your head right now is that he may not only have augmented legs but also ears
>For some reason the idea of augmented ears make you excessively squirmish and the feeling of your legs bound tightly suddenly comes to you and your legs don't move anymore
>Probably for the better as once again you hold your breath once more, not daring to move a muscle anyways
>In your HUD you count the seconds that pass with your eyes staring down at the ceiling panel that has been shot down in front of you
>After a minute of absolute silence (apart from the fighting coming from downstairs), the cyborg turns around, "'s was nothing, I guess" and gets back to moving
>This time, you don't make the same mistake and wait until you hear them trot down the stairs and away from you
>Feeling confident that you are alone, you gently drop down from your hiding spot and spit out the while former rodent that has made it's way into your mouth as you gag
>Still, rude of them to call you a psychopath, you're not..... are you?
>Worry creeps in as you carefully creep out of your corridor and peek around the corner of the entrance, down the staircase
>From a floor below you you can hear the same procedure that you heard coming from above, the assault team clearing out floor for floor
>You rather not stick around and decide to make your way upwards towards the roof, although the idea of throwing a grenade after the squad does come to mind and sounds... rather appealing
>Maybe the cyborg has some gear that you can make your own?
>Military grade augs are known to be able to take a beating and a half
>Or you could try making your escape as you don't really hear any more noise coming from the ceiling, you assume things are about as clear as they can get from here on out
>Any specific way you want to try and get your ass out of here, though?
>Perhaps tricks to avoid confrontation or the like, or just make a run for it?
>Or actually try and get some more hardware for yourself without exorbitant prices

>While the idea of potentially more loot is an interesting one, you aren't sure if you are willing to further exhaust yourself today
>That and the chance that you could end up discovered or hurt really isn't worth the risk...
>...especially not for augmentations, the idea of losing more of your equinity drives a cold terror into your heart and forces images to mind that you'd rather forget
>On silent clippy cloppy hooves you make your way over the barricades that you have set up and back out into the main stairway
>If the cyborg leader really has augmented hearing you need to do your best to play it stealthy... even though you are distinctly aware of how well that worked out for you so far
>Silently creeping towards the staircase you attempt to glance down and see the firefight below still in full force, multiple times one of the gangsters taking a bullet to the head and dropping like flies
>Looks like StaSEC has finally managed to at least gain the upper hoof ever so slightly, but they are still barely capable of making a push
>Below you, you hear another "all clear" and your targets starting to make their way down the next floor
>They got their backs turned to you which is making what comes next hopefully a lot easier as you turn tail and creep up the stairs, back to what hopefully is going to be an easy exit
>The way up the stairs is a harrowing one and you keep finding yourself looking over your shoulder, expecting a metallic hoof in your face any moment
>Thankfully, none of that comes true and you soon reach the final landing on the stairs, the door to the outside being busted wide open
>Outside you can see a few search lights from flying vehicles calmly pass over the roof, they should be easy to avoid if you stay careful and to the shadows
>Trotting out of the building you duck into the shadows and creep along the floor, avoiding the spotlights that probably mean you'd be screwed if they fell upon you
>Slowly making your way to the edge of this building you repeatedly come close to one of the security vehicles spotting you
>The one thing you are really glad about is that they didn't bother putting any actual ponies onto the roof, staying content with just keeping visuals on it
>They clearly expect nopony to actually get past the armed forces they sent in from the top

>Waiting for the next spotlight to pass by you take a short distance and make your jump, your hoof kicking you off the ground to send you flying
>Right in that moment, a spotlight moves to intercept you, but you send out a small thanks to the princesses as it misses you by a hair's breath and you duck and roll onto the other roof
>Quickly hurrying back to get your trench coat you left you put that on and start running from roof to roof in the dead of the night
>You at least wish to get a little away from here, lest you want to walk out right into the hooves of some really riled up station security
>With each jump, the chems that had been pumped into you through the entire ordeal lessen and lessen in potency...
>And what catches up with you isn't just physical exhaustion...
>Without the neurostim's influence, your mind returns to a clarity you didn't know you were missing and the weight of what you had just done comes back crushing in in full force
>Your conscience is going into overdrive as you mentally review the job, your cold brutality and efficiency at killing...
>Oh by the stars, you've pushed her over the railing without even a hint of remorse.... then
>Tears well up in your eyes as the realization dawns on you that you may really be a psychopath as the squad leader said
>Is this... you can't recall you've ever remembered what happened after a mission had been completed when you were still... on a leash
>Have those memories always been stripped from you or your mind been messed with?
>Just what did these ponies do to you?
>One one of the roofs that you have now gotten to, you just fall down to your hooves and feel the tears roll down your face
>Breathing heavily you lay on your side and bury your head in your hooves, trying to push the thoughts of what happened today out of your mind
>What will Comet think? What about Shell?
>Will they... they won't just leave you, will they?
>The thought of once again being on your own terrifies you, almost as much as the idea of losing more of yourself
>But maybe that is exactly what makes you so worried, the fact that you're losing not only your body but also your self... or those that through the short time you've known them but already mean so much to you
>The urge to return back to Comet's apartment has all but disappeared, the thought of engaging her after tonight unbearable
>On the other hoof, she may be worried about you.... right?
>Scenes of her screaming you out of her apartment after seeing you or hearing what you did drive themselves into your heart like sharp daggers
>What are you going to do? Can you somehow smooth this over? Should you just... leave them before they find out who you really are?
>So much are you in thought, that you don't notice the door to the roof opening a couple meters away and a figure coming out of it, freezing as they see you lying in a heap, a small pistol trained on you

>Heaving sobs escape your shivering form on the ground until your ears perk up at the sound of hooves coming closer to you
>The police, they are coming for you, clearly, is the first thing that jumps to your head and just as quickly you are on your hooves, drawing your own gun at the newcomer
>A couple meters away from you a mare stands, hooves up in the air with a bottle in her left as you keep your gun trained on her
>"W-woah, easy there sister", the tired looking figure says with the voice of a pony that smokes 2 packs a day
>You narrow your eyes at her to which she flinches and takes a step back carefully from you, her eyes going between your gun and your tear streaked face
>She gently puts her hooves down, before keeping her eyes on yours, "you alright, hun? Because you really don't look alright at all"
>Either she is very good at reading ponies or you look like that much of a mess, which you really just hope it is the former
>Carefully taking steps closer to you, she tries to act as none threateningly as possible but you keep your weapon trained on her
>She eyes it as she walks past you, sitting down near the edge of the roof and putting the bottle down on the wall
>The mare glances back to you, before patting the spot next to her with her hoof
>"What's the holdup, hun? Don't got all night now, do I?", she tells you in her scratchy voice, but something just seems right about following her request right now
>Carefully tucking away your gun, you slowly move over while keeping a scrutinizing gaze on the mare looking for any kind of trouble
>Sitting down as she asked she smiles a small, welcome smile at you before picking up her bottle and taking a swig straight from it
>She holds it out to you and at first you are a little hesitant but a couple more nudges on your arm with the bottle convinces you
>Putting the bottle to your lips you lean your head back, the liquid flowing down your, which you now just started realizing, completely dried out throat
>It burns all the way down and you fall into a coughing fit to which the mare next to you breaks out in roaring laughter
>She takes the bottle, another swig vanishing down her throat, "pretty good, that firewater, innit, sister?", she smugly smiles at you
>"Rumor has it that stuff's distilled by actual kirins, with how hot it is I'd almost like to believe it, eh?", she nudges you in the side as you recover from your coughing fit
>While it might burn, it at least numbs the voices in your head a little so you reach over to take another swig

>Being a bit more careful, you can hold it this time around and feel a comforting warmth spread through your body radiating from your core
>"Girl, you look like you've been through tartarus thrice", she says, looking out over the city from your vantage point as she lights up a cigarette
>She offers one to you and while you never did try before, to your knowledge at least, you graciously accept
>You've already been introduced to the magic of firewater, why not try a couple new things tonight while you're at it
>....you regret that as you realize that cigarettes actually taste like absolute shit, but you do decide to power through and start mirroring her
>Something you just now noticed is that she is using one wing to hold the smoke, the one facing away from you... the other one missing which is why you took her for an earth pony at first
>Inside you, something very much resonates with her loss and she seems to catch you staring
>"Accident in my younger years. Worked a butcher job, ended up getting butchered myself", she shrugs and returns to her smoke
>"What about you, mare? You look like you could use a hospital... the fact that you are walking around with how you look seems to be a miracle"
>Glancing down at yourself, you see just how splattered in blood and everything you are and you shrug, "most of it isn't mine"
>She chuckles at that and gives you a half assed shrug
"Killing isn't all that great, y'know", you tell the mare with a long drawn out sigh as another swig of firewater goes down your thirsty throat
"And looks like I've still got that pesky thing called morality with me remaining. So much for being a psychopath", you huff in annoyance and take another drag form your cigarette
>The world seems so grim, especially with the past couple hours behind you and the next few hours ahead
>Falling into silence, you just follow the mare's gaze and watch the lights of the city dance as the time goes by 
>Not... having to talk feels nice, even though there is so much you would just love to get off your chest
>More firewa- oh, the bottle's empty, you frown as you hold it up to your lips and try to lean back
>You have to chuckle at the world around you seemingly shaking, like on a boat, even though you've never been on a boat
>Getting up, you stumble around the roof before face planting and starting to giggle
>The half pegasus is quick to your side to prop you up

>"Ey there, easy, sister. You're alright there?"
>No.
>No you are anything but alright, but you want...
>You want to see Comet again.
>And Shell
>And maybe even Morning Dawn, that has yet to be determined
>You wonder what she smells like?
>Wait what, what the heck are these thoughts
>...what would comet taste l- FROST!
>You mentally knock your head against an imaginary wall
>Part of you can't help but giggle
>"First time drunk?", your new friend asks with a bit of a chuckle
>All you can do is nod with a goofy smile
>Guess you found out what kind of drunk you are
>"Come, you can.. stay on my couch today", the mare tries to pull you towards the entrance back down but you pull the other direction
>But you pull into the other direction, "n-no, I want to... I wanna get home to comet", you whine like a young foal
>Thinking about all the shit is for tomorrow frost to deal with... just like the hangover you've been promised by the mare next to you
>"Home... at this hour, in your condition?", the mare sighs
>"Hun, by the stars are you sure that is a good idea? Do you... want me to take you home?", she carefully asks
>Options, options
>Take her up on the offer to take you home? Or stay with her for the night?
>It might be nice having somepony to talk to, therapist style
>Or maybe you could just call Comet to pick you up, that would be nice
>Oh you could call Shell and tell him the good news!
>And the guy who hired you for the money, gotta debrief after all!
>So much to do, so little to time!

"Noooooo I can go alone!", you whine as you get up before looking around and having the sudden realization: Your trenchcoat, you gotta go back and grab your trench coat!
>Flexing one of your cyber hooves you show her how strong you are by flexing your chromium-coated cyborg muscles with a satisfied grin, "I'm really strong!", you slur out
>The pegasus just raises an eyebrow at you casting you a scrutinizing glance but doesn't say anything as she just looks at you confused
>You turn around and it is at this moment that you trip over your trench coat that you are wearing that you are already wearing, faceplanting once again
"Ouchie", is all you can get out as you sit back up and rub your snoot, the mare breaking out into bellowing laughter
>Great, now not only your nose is hurt but also your pride now, but her laughter is contagious as you soon join in and the pain has all but disappeared again
>While it doesn't do away with what you've done and the last couple hours haunting you, the laughter helps you driving the storm clouds away from you, for now
>....The alcohol doesn't exactly hurt either... not mentally at least you think as you rub your snoot, still
>Something that you do notice after you remove your hoof from your face you notice how much dried and crusted blood is sticking to it
>That sobers you up enough to regain some of your lucidity and you frown, the sudden shift in mood like a chilly blanket to the point that your new friend notices
>She puts a hoof to your side cautiously, looking at you in concern, "Hey, you alright there, girl?"
>Shaking your head you sigh before glancing at her and while still a bit slurry, "Do you mind if I use your shower? And... I think I'd like to stay the night, if you don't mind of course"
>Nodding instantly, she is to your side to lead you downstairs into the apartment building, "of course, hun, a nice hot shower always improves my mood too, so take as much time as you need"
>Leading you down through the dirty halls it kind of reminds you of the apartment building that Shell has brought you into... which subsequently got torn up
>Anger rises in you and you really hope you can pay back whoever caused this a hundredfold
>Also in the light you finally are able to catch the mare's looks properly, her coat a light purple and her mane like silk and white as snow
>On her cutiemark you see what looks like a steel pole and you can only imagine how she got that
>Unlocking the door with actual, physical keys, it opens up and you hear tiny hoofsteps rushing up to the front door
>Screams of two young ponies reach your ears as two almost identically looking fillies round the corner into the tiny apartment entrance and jump into the pegasus' arms, "Mommy, I finished all my assignments"

>She pats one of the fillies on her head, "Good work, Berry, what about about your sister?", she gives the other filly a warm smile who turns her face away, "assignments are dumb!"
>"Now, now, Fruity, you'll know your teacher gets mad when you don't do her tasks!", the mother gives the filly a frown but starts smiling again as she boops her daughter
>"But moooom... I... I really don't get them", the filly, Fruity, whines, "a-and Berry is so much better why should I even try", she once again looks away from her mom
>"Come on, honey, give it another try, for me?", she ruffles the filly's mane to which the young one desperately tries to push her mother's hoof away and replies "o-ok mom..."
>"Oh, and before I forget it, you two will have somepony to watch you tonight!", she steps aside, letting them see you for the first time
>"Girls, this is...", she looks at you, realizing that she hasn't even asked your name yet
>Thankfully, you catch on and give them a small smile: "Frost. You can call me Frost"
>"Now what do we say, girls?", their mother sternly reminds them to which the two little pegasus fillies reply: "Good afternoon, Miss Frost!"
>One of them, Berry, bounces up to you, "Miss, why is there Ketchup all over your face?", she asks with a curious look
>You are a bit taken back and quickly try to come up something reasonable to satisfy their curiosity, "I-I've been in... uh... a food fight! Yeah, that! The other ponies had mustard all over them!"
>Trying your best to giggle, her mom seems satisfied with your response, "now, now girls, go to your room and Berry? Please help your sister out with her homework, alright?"
>"Yeeeees mom!", they say in unison, a little bit protest-y before scampering off into a room again
>The mare smiles after them with a happiness that only the most important things in a pony's life can bring
>She then remembers something before quickly pulling you inside and closing the door behind her
>"Alright, bathroom is that door over there. It's not big but it should suffice. I have to get ready for work, if the small ones bother you too much, just tell them to go to their room... and to sleep", she looks at the clock
>Her movements become more erratic as she starts pulling clothes and shoes from various spots of the small flat, quickly and in from the looks of it practiced motion putting them on
>"I'm Dancer, by the way", she says as she puts on her shiny stockings and then her shows before heading to the door, "I'll be back by morning, sorry for pushing them on to you, but you can't believe how much I appreciate this"
>She then waves at you before hurrying out the door and leaving you alone

>Deciding to use the chance you head into the bathroom, locking it behind you and looking at yourself in the mirror
>You have bags under your eyes, your face is covered in red splotches and your hooves are shaking as you look into those empty eyes of yours
>Yet despite all that, you're smiling, if only ever so slightly
>Talking to Dancer has done you at least a little bit of good to the point where you are able to face at least Comet tonight... hopefully
>You dial her number, hoping that she is still available at this hour and willing to talk
>With how fast she picks up, you can only assume she was expecting this call all night
>"Oh thank the stars, you're alright, I was super worried, Frost!", the concerned voice and accompanying picture of the batmare pops up in front of you
>She stares long and hard at you as her eyes go wide and her mouth hangs open, "Frost! What happened to your face, are you ok?! Where are you?!"
"Most of it isn't mine", you wave a hoof at her trying to calm her down, "and I just... wanted to inform you that I'll be laying low for tonight. I'll get back to the apartment in the morning, alright?"
>"Frost, what's going on? Where are you? Do you need me to come get you?", her concern in her voice is obvious...
>You can only assume news haven't gone out yet and you let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding
>"I found a place to stay for the night and... I'm a little drunk so I'll stick here for now. Really I see you in the morning, I'll be safe until then!", you promise her
>She looks long and hard at you, worry written all over her face, but then she nods, "alright. I'll see you in the morning...."
>"Oh, and Shell called... he was worried, talked something about diagnostics going crazy... to the point where the nurses ended up sedating him mid-call"
>She can't help but chuckle, "poor guy is probably taking a long sleep until tomorrow, you might want to check in on him, ok? Have a good night, Frost"
"May Luna grant you sweet dreams", you reply, to which Comet flinches almost unnoticeably before ending the call
>For now, you take a long and drawn out shower, the hot water washing over you and the grime and blood and guts on you staining the shower drain red
>You use the time to try and think of what to do tonight and what you want to do tomorrow morning

>You finish up your shower and get out, drying yourself off with a towel hanging on the rack and stare into the mirror once more, collecting your thoughts
>Was your earlier mention of Luna... offensive in any way?
>She was the guardian of the night and dreams, using her name to invoke beautiful dreams is normal.... right?
>You sense there to be a bigger story behind Comet's reaction, perhaps you should press that tomorrow...
>Moreover, what the heck kind of mother would leave her children alone with someone who has just drawn a gun on them
>"That's right, you're a killer. A psychopathic, unstable murderer", a voice interrupts your thoughts and you stare into the mirror, your image grinning back at you
>"Yeah, you. Enjoyed bucking that mare of, didn'tcha?", your reflection asks with a smug grin and stares you down
>Mirror Frost puts a hoof to her chin and starts humming, "how many ponies do you think died because of you tonight, that's oughta be a new record, eh?"
>You can only stumble backwards and trip over your own hooves, sitting on the floor the reflection glaring down at you
>"A couple more tonight wouldn't be such a bad idea, would it?", the smile on her face grows to an unnatural size exactly the moment as you hear two fillies outside the door giggle
>Cold sweat starts forming as your other self pulls out the gun from her trench coat and aims it at you before aiming it at the door
>Looking over to it in terror, you still see it shut tight and when your eyes return back to the mirror, the reflection is gone
>Breathing heavily you take a couple seconds to compose yourself again before shakily getting up and walking to the door, the giggling outside still audible
>"Ssshhh, be quiet sis, or we might get busted!", one of the fillies says before you unlock the door and open it up to the two ponies trying to head towards their room with a cookie jar
>They freeze as they see you before glancing at each other and then at the cookie jar they are carrying before hiding it behind their backs and blushing furiously
>Hiding it behind their backs REALLY badly, you might add
>Deciding to play along, you do as if you hadn't noticed anything and smile at them
"Oh dear, what are you two girls doing out here? Didn't you have homework to do?", you crouch down on their level to which they look at each other
>"Yes, missus Frost", one of the two answers, you honestly can't really tell them apart with how similar they look and sound
>They try and sneak the cookie jar with them into their room and you look after them before following in
>It is a small and simple bedroom, a single, run down bed for what you assume both of them, a small desk with two chairs pulled up to it and multiple books scattered around
>One set of books has been closed already, the other still wide open with what you can see some algebra questions

>While one filly sits down in front and stares down at the book, the other one heads over to a small radio and puts in a music tape before turning it on
>(YouTube) - MG Shuffle - Turn the Page (Bob Seger Cover) starts playing and it takes you a moment but you recognize the voice clearly
>Dancer, if that is her real name is singing as Berry lies down on the bed, closes her eyes and slowly hums away to the music
>For now, you sit down next to Fruity on the empty chair and look at one of the notebooks she has scattered around her, filled with doodles of all kinds
>You let out a whistle, this kid has some real talent, multiple drawings of her mother, her sister and herself
>One of them hits you much harder than any of the others, the three of them flying through a blue sky looking like they don't have a care in the world, smiles as wide as a mile on all their faces
"Your mother has a wonderful singing voice", you say a little absent mindedly to which both fillies perk up and the one on the bed begins to speak
>"It makes us feel like less alone when she has to go to work", Berry starts explaining, "we remember when she sang to us like this every night", Fruity finishes her sister's explanation
>Both their faces falter and they look away as the song reaches its climax and you can see tears starting to glisten in their eyes
>You quickly pick up Fruity and carry the confused filly over to the bed where you lie her down next to her sister
>They both look at you questioningly as you decide to lie down with them and pull them closer to you, putting a wing over them... that you realize you don't have
"How about I tell you two a bedtime story? I can't sing like your mom, but I know some really nice stories!", you put a hoof to your chest and beam at them
>Their teary eyes dry up as the excitement of hearing stories gets through to them and they snuggle up close, listening intently
"Alright, so there was once 6 ponies, a long, long time ago..."
>...
>You wake up to keys jingling at the front door, the lock of the door unlocking
>...with two fillies tightly snuggled to you and sleeping like two little rocks, gently breathing in unison as if they were one pony
>Carefully extracting yourself out of the cuddle pile you rub the sleep from your eyes and sneak your way out into the hallway, closing the door ever so quietly
>In that moment, it opens and dancer steps inside, her coat dirty, mascara streaking down her face and bags under her eyes
>She sees you and gives you a weak smile before looking around and cocking her head as she seems to be looking for something
>You whisper to her "Ssshh", and point towards the bedroom
>Once more she flashes you a tired smile and a nod before heading into the bathroom and you can hear the shower turn on
>You notice small streaks of red on her flank and can only try to piece together what happened.... and you start to have an idea of why Berry was asking about Ketchup earlier

>Part of you starts contemplating and considering Dancer's butcher story to be just a little fishy
>As you stand here, you hear the door behind you open and two pairs of eyes glance through slightly ajar door up to you
>"Miss Frost, is something the matter?", one of them asks you with wide eyes
"I uh... just greeted your mother!", you tell them to which their eyes lighten up and you can almost see the stars in them
>They rush out, looking around the apartment for their mother, before you point towards the bathroom door
>Sitting down, they wait patiently until they hear the door unlock and open, jumping up to tackle hug their mother as their little wings flutter in excitement
>"Mommy, mommy!", they exclaim and nuzzle their parent's neck, to which the tired mare responds with a nuzzling of her own
>"Miss Frost told us a bedtime story! It was really nice... but I think I didn't catch the ending", one of them confesses and takes a guilty glance towards you
>"It was about the sun and the moon and friends and we really hope we can make some friends like that someday", the other one says before they finally let off and let their mother move
>She gives you a warm smile, "has she done that now? I guess I'll have to thank her for that, you two go run along, I'll prep us all breakfast, alright? Pancakes, your favorite!"
>With two YAY!s the two of them scamper off into the bedroom, doing what kids do when left to their own, you assume
>Dancer motions for you to follow her into the kitchen/living room and starts pulling out pans and ingredients
>"I knew I could trust you", she says between putting things into a bowl and starting to mix them with her one wing, "thanks for spending the night with the girls"
>She gives you that tired smile, "these two really are my whole world, my everything. I am glad they could have a night of... normalcy, I suppose"
"You're... welcome?", you start and cock your head at her
"Is Dancer a stagename?", you ask her carefully while she works to which she stops stirring for a moment, catching her breath and the continuing
>"More or less... more less than more, nowadays. Melodic Harmonies is what my name used to be", she sighs before starting to dump some of the mixture into a pan and flipping it occasionally
>"Could you put plates on the table?", she nods towards one of the cupboards and you comply, starting to set up the table for breakfast
>"I'm sure you have questions, so go ahead and ask...", she seems at the verge of tears as she says that
>Maybe you should... not? You could always try hit up Comet, Shell or your employer to report a job well done?
>Perhaps entertain her girls until food is ready?
>On the other hoof, she seems sincere about willing to answer your questions and she might be happy to have someone she can open up to