Max looked back at him with concern; she hoped that outburst didn't mean what she feared it might mean... "Jay?" She called, walking after her, but giving her room. "Are you okay?"
Jay sniffled then turned to max and hugged her tightly as tear ran down her face "Yes....you've freed me from the evil pony"
"I-it's okay," Max said, holding her close and trying to comfort her. "You're safe now. You don't have to but if someday you want to talk about it; I'll always be here for you," She added, quietly, before kissing her lightly on the cheek.
Max's eyes went wide at that. Mom!? She was still in her twenties! Moms were old! Still, she knew Jay was fragile right now, so she didn't say anything. "It's alright Jay. Do you want to keep going? We could just send Ace if you want..." She offered, still hugging her.
"Let's keep going" she said smiling She then turned around and walked down the hall some more before turning into a room Ace walked up to max with a small smile "Dose this mean I'm dad?" He asked
Jay came out holding a small blanket some clothes and a few nik naks "ready" she said putting them into her saddle bag
"Okay, Ace's going to need some metal to make out armour," Max explained, "Do you have any idea where we might find something like that?"
Just before they left, Max gathered any weapons she could see; they were mostly in terrible condition, but at least they'd be able to use some of the ammo, and may be Ace would be able to fix some of them... They followed Jay to the construction site, but as they got close, Max saw a small group of ponies off in the distance, only they seemed... wrong, somehow... Pulling out her rifle, to look at them through her scope, she gasped; they looked like walking corpses! "What in Tartarus..." She breathed, not able to understand what she was seeing.
Jay pulled out her binoculars "What have you never seen ghouls before" Ace nodded "were both new to this wasteland of equestria" "Oh....well some ponies that didn't get away from the radiation fast enough turned into those things" she then went on about other thing most ponies knew about the creatures
"You're sure there's nothing we can do to save them?" Max asked, sadly, as she watched them shuffle about.
"Not unless you have a spell that reverses time" she said knowing there wasn't one "So what do we do?" Ace asked "Kill them...they will kill us if we don't" she awnsered
"Ace..." Max said, hoping he'd know what she meant. She knew he'd kill them with one shot. They wouldn't suffer.
Ace sighed "Ya I got it" he said laying down and setting his sniper stands "Might want to cover your ears" he said Max now having the luxury unlike the other day and ace not knowing if jay should hear such a powerful gun this close Jay coves her ears as a cold breeze swept thru the area Ace then couculated for the conditions as he aimed
Max covered her ears too, and looked away, not really wanting to watch walking cadavers blown apart by high-velocity ammunition.
It took only four minuets to clear them out He then got up and poked maxes shoulders to tell her that he was done
Max looked at him when he tapped on her shoulder, and then nodded, forcing a little smile. She knew there was nothing else they could have done, but it still made her sad... "Okay, well I guess we'd better get this metal and then get back," She said, trying to sound cheery. "We don't want to be sitting ducks until we are at least armoured sitting ducks,"
Jay gave max a comforting smile "They were suffering max....just remember that" she told her as they approached the now truely rotting corpses "Ya now we are" ace said plugging his nose at the smell "Ya feral ghouls aren't know forthe pleasant smell" jay said
