(Story extract)
 
“Yanno, I don’t think we ever got mornings like this back in Mooscow.” Static let off a small sigh, looking across the sky, and the purplish haze just past the far mountains. Now I think of it, mornings back home were usually always cloudy one way or another, and more bitter cold than it usually is during the day. Huh, there’s food for thought, this is the first time since we’ve been down here that I haven’t felt hot while wearing this big jacket… The lake rustled slightly, a small, chill breeze picking up. Whoo, good morning wasteland.
 
“If my memory from the pre-war maps we had to study serves, the villiage of Clearwater is just up ahead, should be a good scavenging spot. Last time we were through here, nopony was around.” Crash Dive glanced about the area, the barrel of her harpoon cannon moving slightly with her head. A completely abandoned pre-war town? Well, if it were smacked in the everything by a near miss, I guess I can understand that. Still, you’d think that after the lightbringer did her reclamation-thingy people would try and settle it sooner or later. Crash Dive shrugged in her armor - I think - as we reached a small bridge over a creek.
 
The old wood creaked under our combined weight - mostly Crash Dive and her armor, though - the water of the lake to our left reflecting both the moonlight and the first hints of day, stirred only slightly by the breeze. Uck, Clearwater, yeah, this place must be pre-war, because I’m pretty sure that clear water does NOT smell like rotting fish. Maybe. In this warmer place, who knows, maybe it’s always stunk like that and I just never smelled it back home because cold water can’t hold stink, or something… Oh, I’m glad that I drink Sparkle-Cola. No tainting my essence with stinky water.
 
Crash Dive suddenly came to a stop halfway across the old bridge, standing still at the top of the small arch. Um, okay, going to explain why you’re doing that, or… A definitely not-a-pony hissing sound came up from behind us, and again, wish that we were wearing diapers. That did’t sound like anything I’ve heard before, so, Thumper, please be at the ready to give whatever that is a faceful of flaming flechettes. Another hiss sounded from the other side of the bridge, Crash Dive staring intently forwards as Static pulled himself closer to me, his own umbrella pulled out. Oh right, hah, for a second there I forgot that we lived in a world that had more menacing stuff than huge bugs and radiation, how silly of me…
 
“Three, two on your side and one on mine. Be ready to fire on my mark.” The power armored pegasus backed herself up beside me, turning herself to cover our flanks from… whatever these things were. Should’ve drank more RAD, being able to see in the dark would be really useful right now. Static’s umbrella let off a small high-pitched whine as it powered up, the creatures hissing at us again. Fuck… “NOW!”
 
Crash Dive’s rebar cannon choomed as the pressurized air sent the solid hunk of metal out of the barrel and into whatever that thing was, the bridge illuminating on mine and Static’s side as Thumper sprayed a cone of bright orange flame at those things. Their skin glistened faintly in the glow, the old wood of the bridge smouldering from where some of the flechettes bounced off of their skin harmlessly… WHAT. The rebar gun fired off twice more, the things letting off another hiss as they pulled back, the smell of burning fish left behind. The creek below splashed, dark forms wading out into the lake, vanishing beneath the moonlit surface as we all peered over the side of the bridge.
 
Okay wasteland, giant bugs are one thing, but mutant fish-things, really!?