Queen Abraxo Episode 9

>In the lair of the Whiskey Queen

“-This is a lawful use of deadly for-“ *KSHT*

“*PREPARE TO DIE, ZEBRA SCU*” *KSHT*

The cyberpony tore through robot after robot, ripping them to shreds with her powerful hoofclaws. Morning Glory observed with mirth from a shielded observation deck. Ever since her rebirth in Tenpony Tower, she had been shaping Blackjack into a cold, merciless killer. Her original cybernetic rig had been combat-oriented, of course. Now, in this terrifying new form, she was the ultimate killing machine. “Bring me MORE!” the cyborg screamed. Glory obliged, hitting a button and sending a new batch of training robots into the pit.

Suddenly, a messenger appeared next to her. “Miss Glory, I have a message from Intelligence,” he said, “Sparkle~Cola has surrendered to the Kingdom of Abraxo. It seems as if they…willingly joined forces with th-“ “That does not concern me, Soft-Step,” Glory interjected, “Did the Queen receive our message?” The messenger was taken aback, but continued. “…Yes. However, all of our agents in her kingdom have been compromised, and we expect they face execution. She’ll be coming for us next.” Glory smirked. “Good. We’ll see that she’s given the warmest of greetings.” She turned back to watching the Griever decimate the training droids. “All according to plan…” she giggled.

>In the Palace of the Abraxo Queen

“You can’t do this!” Sparkle~Cola berated me. I was in no mood to argue. Just last night, I had learnt that my favored mares had disappeared from the palace, and that hated Whiskey Queen was behind it all. I spent the rest of today rooting out her spies and executing them personally. Now, I was preparing to travel to her domain in Hoofington, unaccompanied and unarmed.

“I have no choice,” I said with resignation, “If I show up with anypony in my company, they will die. This is something I must do alone.” The glass pony stood in front of me, blocking me. I sighed, resting a hoof on her shoulder. “Look, I know it’s a trap, but I can’t risk leaving those two in that den of miscreants. I’ve got to save them.” She still refused to budge. “I swore that I would lay down my life for you, my Queen. If you insist on going to face them, I’m going with you.” “But if they should see you…” before I could finish, a thought struck me. “…I have a plan. Come with me.”

>Hoofington, at the Gates of the Whiskey Kingdom

“Ho there, gatekeepers!” I bellowed, “The Queen of the Abraxo Kingdom hath arrived! You shall let me pass or I shall tear the gate from its hinges!” A guard peered out from behind the gate. “Welcome, Queen Abraxo!” he said cheerfully, “We’ve been expecting you!” I found his enthusiasm quite off-putting. No matter. I strode in, eyeing him warily. As I cleared the gate, I took a moment to observe the squalid slum the Whiskey Queen called home.

The village was a mess of run down shacks, with equally dirty inhabitants looking on from their porches. I felt like giving them a good scrubbing before I went on to confront their leader. But I had more pressing matters to attend to. They watched me as I strode up the street, occasionally smiling and waving as I went. However, as I made my way to the palace, none of them noticed a second pair of tracks in the dirt behind me.

“This isn’t going to work.” Sparkle~Cola whispered to me, under the veil of a StealthBuck’s cloaking field. She wasn’t the stealthiest of ponies, but as long as she stuck close to me and kept quiet…”We’ll be fine,” I consoled her, “Just keep quiet and follow my lead.” We soon arrived at the palace gates. No one was there to greet us, and the doors had been left wide open. “Be on your guard, General.” I hissed. An ambush was definitely in the works here. I stepped inside, and then the doors swung back and closed with a slam. The lights went out, something slammed me in the head, and then all faded to black.

>Time Passes

I woke to find myself in chains, locked in a dank prison cell. Rage boiled inside me. I looked to the door and saw a small Pegasus mare watching me. “I am glad to see my welcoming committee did not damage you too badly, my dear Queen,” she said, her words dripping with poison. “I am Morning Glory, Steward of the Whiskey Kingdom. Doubtless you came here in search of your missing concubines.” She then motioned to two huddled figures next to her. My mares! “Mark my words, you little wretch. If you so much as lay a hoof on my…” She cut me off with a hoof-stomp. “You are in no position to make demands here, Queen,” she snapped. Then her expression softened. “But I digress. Since you made the effort to come out here to retrieve them, they are free to go.” I felt relief wash over me…and then I felt the floor drop from under me!

“But…You will die in their stead!”

I tumbled down a deep shaft, leading me to a great dark chamber. I could hardly see anything…but from the darkness, there peered two gleaming red eyes. Suddenly, the room was flooded in a dull red glow…and then I saw it.

“….Security!?”

My legs locked up with fear. What I beheld looked much like a pony, if it had clawed its way out from the depths of Robot Hell. Her body was covered in pale armor, which glowed blood red in the light. Her face was a grim reaper’s visage. And those hateful eyes burned like fire. She reared up and let loose a tortured cry, and then she leapt forth and pinned me beneath her powerful clawed hooves.

“It’s time you paid for your crimes, you wretch!” she growled at me. She slammed her front hooves onto my forelegs, my bones cracking under them. I screamed in agony. She then seized me and flung me against the wall. I tried to get on my hooves, but she was on me in seconds. “Goddess, what happened to her?!” I thought to myself. One of her forelegs split in two, reaching back to draw her sword. “I’ll end you as you ended Security!” she screamed.

Thinking fast, I grabbed her arm with telekinesis, fighting back with all my strength. A red flash came from her horn, and then I felt searing pain through my chest. It felt as if a rifle had unloaded three rounds into me at point blank. “Magic Bullets?! No fucking way!” I thought angrily. She grabbed me again and slammed me onto the floor. My blood painted the floor and wall red. “Fight back, dammit! Fight back!” I urged myself, but to no avail. She was just too strong…

“Finish her off, Blackjack!” Glory shouted from somewhere above, “Kill her and Equestria is ours!” I could feel myself blacking out, my vision started to blur. A metal claw clamped down on my head. “It’s over at last!” she rumbled, “Die, Abraxo! DIE!”

There was the loud crash of a gate flying open. Glass hoofsteps and a weapon being cocked.

“Get away from her you BITCH!”

With a shriek the cyberpony fell to the ground, convulsing in pain. I looked up and saw my rescuer. Sparkle~Cola! She dropped a sack of medicine next to me. “Patch yourself up! We have to get out of here!” she said briskly. I obliged, downing several healing potions. They couldn’t help the worst of injuries, much less my broken legs. However, with some braces and a shot of Med-X, I was ready to roll. “Squeaky-clean skank!” Glory roared over the intercom, “Kill the hostages!” I sprang to my hooves and broke into a rapid limp.

We ran through the corridors of the dungeon at a breakneck pace…Well, as fast as my lame legs would allow me. Guards and warriors fought fiercely to hold us back. Though Cola’s energy pistol was of limited use against living things, I was able to make short work of them with Security’s sword. “Say, where did you get that gun?” I asked. “I found it in one of the labs,” she replied, “Supposedly, it was made specifically for subduing or eliminating that cyborg.” Huh. How convenient. We stopped at an intersection in the hallways. “I’ll go find the hostages, you deal with that Pegasus!” Cola said, and then she darted off.

>Much bloody, and granted unnecessary, slaughter later

“Wake up! Wake up you bucket of bolts!” Glory shouted into the microphone. She was getting desperate. Her grandiose plan to end me was falling apart at the seams. Now it was time to finish it. “It’s too late, Glory.” I declared. I swear, she almost bolted through the ceiling at my remark. The devious Dashite whirled to face me with a battle saddle loaded with twin energy rifles. However, she was hesitant to pull the trigger. I smirked. “Maybe if you get down on your knees and begged for mercy, I might let you off the hook.” I taunted. The sound of heavy metal hoofsteps behind me made any confidence I had evaporate.

Security had finally caught up.

“It’s not over yet, Queen!” Glory retorted, “Griever! Turn them into mincemeat!” The cyberpony remained still. Glory was puzzled. “Destroy them! That’s an order!” She shrieked. She refused to move. Glory grew frustrated, pulling out a small remote. “Very well, Blackjack! Now I shall take matters into my own hooves!” She slammed a red button on the remote. Nothing happened. She started to panic. “Oh no. No no no no no NO! The control probe…It must have shorted out!”

As if to prove her point, the cyberpony leapt into action, sailing over me and grabbing hold of the little pegasus in her powerful claws. “No! Blackjack, please! I saved you! I-I’m sorry! Don’t hurt me! Please!” Glory begged and pleaded, terrified that her ultimate weapon had turned against her. The Griever stared at her, face to mask. Then, she slammed Glory to the floor, knocking her out. She then looked back at me with her flaming red eyes.

“So….This is the part where you kill me?” I asked. No response. She walked over to me and looked into my eyes. “You’ve done enough damage here, Queen Abraxo,” She rasped, “Go. Take your hostages and never return.” She turned away from me. “That’s it? You’re not going to break my spine or anything?” The cyborg cast an eye at me. “Enough blood has been shed today. I am granting mercy for you and your friends. Leave. Now.” I stared at her for a moment, taken aback by her gesture. I then waved farewell and slipped out of the room.

>On the outskirts of the Whiskey Kingdom

The sun set on the wasteland as me and my companions made the long trek back to my kingdom. Thankfully, we were able to rescue my beloved Nurse and DJ safely, though my wounds made our progress slow. We decided to rest up and recover and then continue in the morning. As we made our camp, my thoughts returned to Blackjack. “Something troubling you, my Queen?” Sparkle~Cola asked. I sighed. “It’s that damn Security. Even after all we’ve done, she still let us go off scot free…” The General stood firmly. “Even if she spared us, you know the danger she represents. In time, we will have to destroy her.”

She was right, of course. Blackjack was like a runaway train, unstoppable and dangerous. Now with that traitorous pegasus out of the way, she posed a serious threat to my kingdom. I would have to be on my guard, in case she ever tries to invade my lands again. But for now, I laid my mind at ease. The battle had been won, and the evil vanquished. Nothing left to do but rest.

And enjoy the company of my ever-sexy entourage.