To Run Away...

Chapter 32

  A Chinook helicopter was speeding over the railway, heading towards the town. In it, was Vanessa Doofenshmirtz; who was tapping her foot non-stop.

"Ugh, are we there yet?" She asked impatiently.

"Not yet, Madame." The pilot replied. "But I'm going as fast as I could."

"Good." She stopped her tapping. "Damn Infiltrators are gonna get it."

  The five were now walking down the empty hallway, saying nothing to each other with every step they took... as usual. And as typical as they were, they would always have someone to break the silence. This time, it was Haystack's turn.

"Uh, Isabella?"

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Ah heard that this country wasn't lah'ke this before."

  She started to frown again. "Uh, yeah, and?"

"How was it lah'ke?"

  Ivan was curious as to what she'd say, so he remained quiet.

"Um... First off, how did you know that?"

"Uh, well, we went into this museum, and heard somethin' about that Heinz was the leader of a revol-"

  Hearing that, the woman interrupted. "Life was better at that time... *Sigh* Roger promised freedom and prosperity for everyone. And, unlike many politicians out there, he kept those promises in tact. We were free to be and confident in our futures."

  She looked at her shotgun, checking if there was any ammo inside. She knew it was full, but it was something that she'd do to make sure she didn't go off the edge.

"Hell, I even knew a friend who took advantage of his freedoms. He made a lot of things, and if you were alive to see that, you'd be amazed on what he was capable of creating."

"Huh, what did he make?"

  She didn't want those memories to grab her from the leg and pull her back into despair; but at the same time, she didn't want to disappoint the attentive pony. For that brief pause, her mind debated on whether to tell him or not. Unfortunately, it was to the point where her mind was debating on whether to shed some tears, wear a happy mask, or suppress the memory all together. However, a comrades pat on her shoulder would order the debate to stop. Turning to the hand's owner, Pierre, she looked at him with a look that was riddled with fear. But the blue spy gave her a shake of the head that told her to not say a word. Then, she knew, if it hurt to talk about it, then don't talk about it all; just give it time. She looked back at the pony and said. "Er... I'd rather not talk about it."

  Haystack, seeing the entire event unfold, accepted. "Alrah'ght."

  Funny, Ivan would think, Pierre told him that she didn't actually mind talking about it. Looks like there are a few catches in her little policy.

"Anyways..." She continued. "Life was great until the economy went down under. That's when Roger became such a prick, stripping our freedoms brick by brick. Just like the governments he wished his country would avoid becoming. That's when... you've heard of Lilian?"

"You mean that lady who looks old but really isn't?" said Ivan.

"Yeah... Roger thought that those products he sold would help keep the morale up... they worked, but at a much deeper price than just our money."

"Hmm, I see."

"Then... things just went even more down hill from there."

"Lah'ke what?"

"Heinz stepped in and formed his own Political party to rival that of Roger's. It worked, and soon he went on to run for office and take full control of the nation's government. He failed, but many have assumed that the election was rigged. In no time, they formed a rebellion; and soon, the country would fall into his rule."

"Well, that escalated quickly."

"All in the span of three years."

"Wow." said Haystack. "So what happened during his rule?'

"Lots of stuff, but I'd rather tell you later."

"Oh, okay." He said Politely. "So, when will we be meetin' the resistance leader?"

"We'll be meeting her first thing tomorrow."

"Good." Then something hit her. "You know, her name remah'nds me of the newly coronated Princess."

"Oh really, what's her name." she asked, Interested in what was going on in Equestria.

"Well, her name's not Candace, it's actually Cadance."

  Ivan rolled his eyes again, thinking. "Oh her."

"Oh, but it's close. I can see why her name reminds you of our leader."

  He nodded, agreeing to his little irony.

"So, who is Princess Cadance?"

"Oh, she's the new Princess that they crowned about five years ago..."

   From there, he would go on to explain the whole story of how the Cadance pony became the new Princess until the quintet had already reached the end of the long hallway, and into the resistance cell.

  The transport chopper, landed on the street where troops were waiting for her arrival. Vanessa was the first to come out, causing every soldier to salute at her before she could say. "At ease."

  Hearing that, every soldier returned to their duties.

"Ah, General Eckler." She greeted, saluting the old General and vice versa. "It's a pleasure to see you."

"It's a pleasure to see you too, Madame." His greetings then changed to his question. "So, how's your little commander doing?"

  She frowned at the mention, looking down at her black shoes before facing him. "He's doing alright. Just a few fragments in his chest and stomach, but he'll be okay."

"Well, that's good news to hear."

  She smiled a little, knowing that she shouldn't view the glass half-empty. "Thanks."

  She then looked past him to observe the pile of scrap left by the RED scoutbots. "Quite disappointing, is it not?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Looks like RED tried to stop them themselves." She then slapped her hand against her forehead. "When I clearly told him not to engage."

"You did?"

"Ugh, Dammit. I should've made myself a little more clear about what he can and can't do those bastards."

"I think you should've."

"Yeah." She released the hand from her forehead. "So, any further reports."

"All is mostly bad news, Madame." He said, darkening his tone as he read his clipboard.

"Ugh, tell me the little good news that's on that board first, please."

"As you wish, the good news is, we were able to prevent the civies from going into a ruckus."

"How?"

"Shooting into the air, of course; we managed to get those poor little mice back inside before things could get worse."

"I see, anything else."

"No Madame, that's it."

  She frowned at the report. Gulping, she prepared for the other half. "Oh... so... what's the bad news then.

"The bad news is, the infiltrators were able to steal a document from the mayor's office and get away..."

"Damn it." She muttered, as he continued to read the report.

"... while killing forty of our men, and wounding eighty. They were also able to destroy fifteen flyers, ten crawlers, two choppers-"

"Uh, that's enough, General."

"Alright Madame." He put the clipboard down, and placed it against his hip.

"Damn, for a teenage boy and teenage colt, they sure know how to wreak a lot of havoc."

"They sure do, Madame."

"And it also Saddens me that they were able to get past our security... again."

"Oh yes." He nodded. "Heard that they were able to attack the department of security and steal valuable intel."

"Hmmph, now the mission is to get it back. That's why I want them alive, so I can kill them right after retrieve that USB from them." She said angrily through her gritted teeth.

"So, you're going to talk to Redmond about that, right?" Eckler said worryingly.

"Of course, General." She sighed. "Ugh, before my father died, he told me that I shouldn't make deals with companies like them. I disobeyed the order, just so RED can backstab us at any moment."

  She looked at the full moon in the sky. "If I have to follow that order, then that will be the case."

"Agreed, Madame." The General nodded.

  She then began to look at the rooftops of the nearby buildings. "Hey, where's Perry?"

"Uh, he was here?"

"Yeah, he told me that he was visiting Palacio."

"Hmm, didn't see him while I was present."

"Huh, looks like he went back then."

"I guess he did."

  The two then walked down the street to discuss further issues.

  But in the distance, the Platypus cyborg was listening closely.

"*Growl!* Phew, good thing she never noticed."

  After that, the three were offered a place to sleep. It was a small room with a wooden bunk bed on the left, and an old mattress on the right. Blankets and pillows were already there, so there was no need to retrieve them. The first one to get into her bed was Maribelle, who took the top bunk in a snap. And as fast as she took that part of the bed, she fell asleep... without giving Haystack a goodnight. But, the pony didn't argue, or throw a tantrum, he understood. It was all about letting them be, foal and child alike. So, the pony took the mattress on the floor (Knowing that he could probably crush the bottom part with his weight.) and let Ivan take the bottom half of the bed.

  Now, the two laid awake, for all they could hear was the sound of Maribelle's snoring. Which made Haystack want to say 'D'aw.' out loud, even though he knew that he couldn't.  So, knowing that Ivan wasn't asleep yet, he chose to talk to him for awhile, "Hey Ah'van."

  The boy moaned at his call for attention, but complied. "Yeah?"

"How's it goin'?"

"Eh, It's... alright. How's it been for you?"

"But you said that ya hated this job."

"I do, buddy." He replied. "Just as much as you do."

  He had to admit it. "Yeah, but it's what we gotta do."

'Pfft, I hate when they say that."

"Whaddaya mean?"

"I hate when they tell you that it has to be done, but they don't know why it has to be done... or they tell you a false reason as to why."

"Let me guess, there are some issues with you humans that involve that."

"Of course. They tell you to take tests and courses, but they don't inform you on how it will help you in the future. All they do is say, take it because you need to graduate and stuff. Hell, my country invaded Iraq so they could find weapons of mass destruction, but there were none, and they stayed in that country for nearly a decade just killing civilians and 'spreading democracy'."

"Hmm, I want to tell you that you should stop thinking negative all the tah'me... but..." He remained silent.

"Yeah, you don't have to say it. We humans always had the issue of not being able resolve conflicts in an ethical manner, I know." He sighed. "I mean, we always do bad things just to say that it was for a good cause. Sometimes that's the case, but most of the time, it's all for nothing. I mean, my country went into two pointless wars-"

"Whaddaya mean pointless? We had to stop that bastard from slaughtering those innocent-"

"No, Haystack. Those other two wars in the fifties and sixties."

"Oh, those wars." He frowned at his implication.

"Yeah... they said that it was because 'we need to stop the spread of communism and protect our allies'.  Pfft, seriously, it was just power mongers protecting other power mongers. Presidents protecting dictators; and in the end we realized it was all for nothing. Especially when both communist countries would soon be under Soviet control. Plus, you can't really conclude that those dictators are for democracy if they're wearing white tuxedos."

"No ya can't." Haystack jumped in. "Back home, m'ah pa once told me that ponies wearin' that are mostly just wanna be rich pricks who think that they're wish is everypony's command."

"Hmm, never thought of it that way." He shrugged. "Anyways, we must always be skeptical when they tell us that any atrocity they did had to be done... or else."

"Or else what?"

"They could easily control you. Manipulate you into doing whatever they want you do... and boy, can they make you do some nasty stuff."

"Wow... you... sure know a lot about this stuff."

"You mean history?"

"No, I mean, that... the whole, 'Love isn't reciprocal', M'ah sister jumping over to acceptance to quickly..."

"Hmm, I guess I do."

"So, did your pastor taught you that?"

"Him? N'ah. Fundamentalist bigots always say that you're worthless without even knowing it. Nope, I just think a lot rather than talk a lot, that's all."

"Oh..."

"I don't think you'd do the same. You ponies are very fixed on the principles of Friendship and Love, unlike us. We're fixed on the principles of power and survival."

  While saying that, the pony was frowning again. "Um... Ah do the same... But, did you have at least a few friends?"

"Hmm, yeah, they were few, but they meant nothing to me. They just came and went, either by moving away, or by getting themselves killed, going missing, getting kidnapped, et cetera. What about you?"

"Um... Ah had none."

"None? Hmm, that's really unbecoming of you... well, no offense."

  He still had his smile upside down. "None taken... it's just, that ah hoped that ah wasn't the only one who was in that-"

"Say no more. I've been down that road, Haystack. But to me, it won't matter."

"Wh'ah do you say that?" The pony asked, worried about the boy. "Don't you want any friends?"

"Like I said, it won't matter any way. They'll just be gone in no time. So I just declare that friends come and go, and that's that. You on the other hand, needs some, mainly because you ponies don't have to worry about... well, this."

  He gestured his hands up skyward to signify that he meant the battered society they were currently marooned on.

"But..."

"Moving on." He proclaimed, not wanting him to scrutinize him anymore. "So, come on, did you at least have one friend?"

"Er... Well, the only friend ah did-"

"And what about that fillyfriend of yours?"

"But she's just a-"

"Don't say that. A fillyfriend is still a friend, just on a romantic level. And see? You have someone, or in this case somepony to value."

  He began to smile a little. "Ah guess y'er r'aght."

"Mmm Hmm, you're lucky that you have ponies back home to fight for... all I have is my family, and... I don't know if they'll be waiting for me or not." He then yawned. "But it won't matter. And, remember when I said that there are some atrocities that had to be done?"

"Yeah."

"Well, this is one of them. For you. You have a home to get back to Haystack, so what we're doing is somewhat worth it."

  The pony nodded, as he slowly began to close his eyes, the tiredness getting to him. "Yep."

"And another thing." He looked to where Haystack was lying and noticed that the colt was fast asleep. Disappointed that he couldn't say it to him, he chose to say it to himself with a little smirk on his face, not wanting to interrupt the pony. "You're already making friends, buddy. We won't be there for you for that long, but, it's nice to see that you're blessed with something I can never have... anyways, goodnight."

  He then lied on his left side and went to sleep as well.