Will you just die already! (Patreon)

 Broken Razor hissed in pain as she slipped and fell onto rain-slick the cobblestone pavers in my Equestria dreamscape. 

  Everything seemed to be moving slow motion for her as she raised sawed-off double barrel shotgun. In a fleeting instant she had that damn unicorn mare in her sights as she materialized on top of the bridge railing. Without thinking she mashed down on the trigger bars. Fire, thunder, and smoke filled the pegasus's world, but she was aware of at least one of the barrels scoring a direct hit on her target. Under dim light of the gas lamps she saw the mare's body violently convulse as the load double 00 found its mark. The distance was less than 4yds away; at that range the shot was still moving as one tight mass of .30 caliber projectiles. The swarm of lead punched a hoof-size hole in the mare. Then her body toppled over the side of the bridge.

   
  The other thing Broken Razor was only vaguely aware was herself screaming at the top of her lungs. 

  
  "WILL YOU JUST DIE ALREADY!!"

 
  Even with the ringing in her ears she was able barely make out the distant splashing sound of the mare's body hitting the water under the bridge. 

  
  Broken Razor dropped the shotgun and just laid there panting on the rain slick cobblestone for a moment. Then wincing and cursing at the pain from her injuries she got to her hoofs. She looked at useless left wing that dangled limply along the barrel of her chest. She swore again at that damn mare for the injury, then slowly she began hobbling along the bridge. 

  This evening was suppose to be a routine, but secret, inspection by her of one of the Association's many warehouses it used to move goods in and out of Manehattan. The Association counted on Broken Razor to make certain that the ponies moving the goods carried out their job quickly, discreetly, and didn't try to skim off anything for her own profit. Her reputation for meticulous bookkeeping, and ruthlessly dealing with anypony who did try to make a profit for themselves or failed to exactly carry out their instructions had moved her up into the upper echelon of the Association. 

  
  She'd gone into that warehouse with 8 guard ponies and there had been 12 more ponies working the evening shift when the gates of Tartarus had been thrown up and that damn mare came busting in. Broken Razor knew she'd been the mare's primary target and the mare had risked great injury to make certain she'd rendered her incapable of flying away.      

       But then again the mare had shown a complete disregard for her own well-being as she tore through her staff. She'd been an expert at teleportation, close quarter combat, and her willingness to employ explosives at close range had been terrifying to behold. But even with all that skill the mare had been shot no less than a dozen times. She'd also received numerous spell attacks along with many blunt, puncture, slashing cuts. Still she'd pressed home her attack; ruthlessly cutting down anypony in her way. Laughing in glee and screaming at top of her lungs, the mare with her strange goggles and scar-covered body looked like something out of a nightmare. 

  
  She must've been loaded up on potions and spells to have remained on her hoofs after all the damage she'd received. Thought the mare as she made her way to a safe house she owned nearby. This was a property she'd taken to great care to acquire. Not even her superiors knew of its existence. It was held through numerous shell and holding companies that were not directly connected to her in anyway. 

  Still who had she been working for? Wondered the mare as she dropped into the shadows of an alleyway and scanned the area around her safe house. Broken Razor resisted the urge to get to the house as quickly as possible. She'd been ambushed once already this evening and barely escaped. If it happened again she wouldn't survive. 

  
  Still the question remained, who had that mare been working for? She'd heard rumors over the last couple of weeks of various operators in the underworld disappearing or going silent. Yeah sure there was always some turnover in this community but this was abnormal in nature.

 
  Enough so that some in the Associations were speculating that there was a silent, discreet turf war going on. Of course the elders of the Associations were assuring the ponies under them that this wasn't happening, but these disappearances didn't feel like the work of the police. Besides Broken Razor had heard word that City Hall and the Police were now in the Associations back pocket. 

  After a couple minutes of scanning the area the mare felt comfortable that the house was not being watched. Using the shadows for cover as much as possible she slipped through a gate into the walled backyard/garden area of the safe house. Quickly she made for the lean-to that served as the wood shed for the house. Up under the roof of the lean-to she found the key for the back door. Moving to the back door she took a moment to examine the door. It appeared that one had past through it in the last few weeks. Broken Razor unlocked the door and slipped inside. 

  It was only after she'd closed and locked the door that she realized that she'd been holding her breath the whole time. Also she was beginning to shake as the adrenaline she'd been riding wore off. She made for the pantry and retrieved a packet of biscuits and bottle of beer. Then she headed upstairs to the master bedroom. She didn't dare light any candles of lamps for fear of alerting anyone outside that the house was occupied. However this meant she had gingerly navigate up the stairs of the unlit house that she only rarely visited, and every time her dangling left wing bumped against something she hissed in pain. 

  
  Upon entering the bedroom she decided she'd need some kind of illumination to examine herself and see what medical attention she could give herself and what she'd need help with. Only after double checking that the shutters were properly closed and the curtains drawn did she risk lighting an oil lamp. Moving the lamp to nearby full length mirror she began examining herself. The numerous minor cuts and abrasions she could deal with, but her broken left wing would require proper medical attention.

 
  She knew a doctor nearby who didn't ask questions which is why her Association used them for cases like this, but that would have to wait until morning. In the meantime there were painkillers in the bathroom. She washed a half-dozen down with the bottle beer she'd brought from the pantry.      

       She returned to the mirror and starting cleaning what minor wounds she could reach easily. Unfortunately her broken wing greatly restricted her movement. The house and immediate neighborhood was quiet. All she could hear was the hiss of the oil lamp, the ticking of the clock in the hall, and the sound of dripping water.

    
  At first Broken Razor assumed the dripping sound was coming from the sink in the bathroom, but then she realized the sound was behind her. She could hear the water splattering on the wooden floorboards. Then she felt a silence bubble envelope the room she was in. Looking up into the mirror her heart stopped. Standing behind her was the mare she'd blown a hoof-sized hole into and toppled 50ft into the water beneath the bridge. Broken Razor could see the numerous gunshot, blade, shrapnel, wounds, along with the magically singe marks on her body. Water was slowly dripping from her lanky mane and tail. The unicorn had lifted the strange goggles she'd worn over her eyes and was staring at her. Her eyes were the color of frozen meat.

   
  Phoenix smiled at the mare then took a step toward her. 

  
 To be continued.