Code 5: Maximum Has Fallen

Chapter 3: Another Day Another Horde

“Okay then, I’ve got your guns,” Buckshot told the two fillies. They were once again on the airfield, on the helipad, and standing inside the modifying-in-progress Super Stallion.

“Applebloom, your rifle was easy because it was in my storage locker along with a whole collection of guns,” he said, handing her the black semi-automatic rifle, “Also, for nighttime use, this switch here,” he tapped a small red switch on the side of the scope, “Is for infrared, zombies have body heat too.” He placed the gun in Applebloom’s hooves. He then turned to Scootaloo.

“And bump bada bump buh ba,” he mimicked the sound of those long horns used for royalty as he pulled the over-and-under shotgun out from behind him, “I present to you, your prized possession of two barreled sporting weaponry,” he said, handing the shotgun over to the filly. Scootaloo looked it over, there as something different about it.

“It looks brand new,” she said. As she turned the gun over in her hooves, she noticed something added to it. On the right side screwed into the wood under where the gun broke open was a small plaque. Engraved in it was her name written with the ends of the letters all curved and fancy looking.

“Yeah, I cleaned it,” said Buckshot, “And had that plaque put in there. Of my whole collection of shotguns, that one is the only one I’ve never fired.” He was then caught off guard as Scootaloo tackled him with a hug.

“Thank you so much,” she said happily.

“Anything for a friend and their firearm,” the blue pegasus replied, finally being released from the lung-crushing hug. “If you need some practice, the shooting range is on one of the fields, you can’t miss it.” He tipped his black western hat at the two, which he was wearing instead of the NWU uniform, and went back to his work on the helicopter. The two fillies walked off the airfield with their new firearms….

....though they would be putting them to the test in a few hours.

**************

“No worries, we’ll be there in no time!” said Buckshot before closing his phone. He and Sweetie Belle began running down along the walkway on the second floor of the barracks. As they passed Scootaloo and Applebloom’s room, Buckshot, having no intention to stop, threw a crowbar at their door. The metal object knocked against it before hitting the ground where the blue pegasus snatched it up and replaced it in his belt as he ran past.

The two said fillies exited their room having heard the knock.

“What in the world?” asked Applebloom as she saw Sweetie Belle and Buckshot run past her.

“Come on, we’re going on an adventure!” the shotgun referenced pegasus called behind him in a British accent. The two fillies followed behind them, also having their weapons strapped around them having seen their two friends armed as well.

They galloped onto the airfield and began heading towards a helipad. It wasn’t the large, octagonal, raised five feet off the ground helipad in which Buckshot keeps his CH53E helicopter on, but towards just a square one marked with red lines and blue lights at each corner. Lockheed was sitting in the side door of the helicopter next to an M2 machine gun. At the sight of the four ponies coming towards him, he stood up. Sweetie Belle and Buckshot were the first ones to get in, taking their seats in their usual spots in the pilot’s seats.

“Ready for your first supply hunt from Fort Helix,” Lockheed asked as he helped Scootaloo and Applebloom up into the helicopter. The two fillies nodded their heads as they sat down in the passenger seats. Lockheed flipped the safety of the M2 on and turned it to the right so it fit along the side of the helicopter. Then he slid the door closed, locking it in place. Buckshot flipped the switches and the rotors began spinning. Like before, he brought the helicopter a bit off the ground and maneuvered it to the side so he had a clear path.

“Here we go.” He pushed the joystick forward, and the light grey AW101 pitched forward at a high angle and began moving forward up to a tremendous amount of speed before quickly ascending into the air. Admittedly, this helicopter was more comfortable than Buckshot’s huge Super Stallion. But then again, this one had multiple configurations, one of them being luxury.

“Where are we going?” Scootaloo asked. Lockheed looked over to her from his seat.

“A radar plane detected an old hidden military base twenty miles west of Ponyville. The entire thing is deep in a forest, so trees hid it completely from view by just a pony’s eyes.”

“Since the area hasn’t been recorded as searched by Fort Helix, we’re being sent out for a supply hunt,” explained Sweetie Belle from the right pilot’s seat.

“You know what the stereotype is for a hidden military base in the apocalypse?” asked Buckshot, “For the undead apocalypse, the base is either a colony of survivors who have a significant amount of ammo, weapons, food, and medicine, or…”

“Or what?” asked Applebloom. He blue pegasus looked back at her with a smile.

“Or it’s a horde of zombie ponies about the size of an army,” he replied, turning back around in his seat, “If the possibilities play out the bad way, well, it’ll be interestin’.”

**************

Sweetie Belle looked down at the radar map in front of her on the control panel of the helicopter. In all of the colorful lines that came across the black background of the screen, she could definitely make out a more straightened shape that could only mean pony-made structures.

“We should be right above it,” she said, looking down through the windshield into the dense forest below, “Go in a little lower.” The AW101 lowered in altitude a bit, but the white unicorn still couldn’t see the base.

“I can definitely see that it wasn’t meant to be entered by air,” Buckshot remarked. He maneuvered the helicopter slightly lower towards the trees, close enough that the air movement created by the rotors was blowing the branches. Still, no structures could be seen.

“Are you sure there’s even something here?” Lockheed asked, looking through the side cargo door window into the dense forest.

“There is at least some type of structure here,” replied Sweetie Belle, looking at the radar again, “Either that or trees and rocks can naturally make that kind of shape.” Suddenly the helicopter gave a violent shake and the unforgiving sound of beeping resounded within the chopper’s cabin.

“Aw crap,” said Buckshot, looking down at the control panel to see a small red light blinking in synch with the beeping. “I’m gonna find us a place to land.” He maneuvered the AW101 forward and began looking around the area for a clear spot. Another violent shake came through the chopper.

“What the hell is going on?” Lockheed exclaimed, looking frantically out the windows. Once again, the helicopter shook violently, and this time the rotors began slowing. The aircraft then stalled and began falling.

“Hang on!” yelled Sweetie Belle as the chopper was then bombarded by branches. The sound of snapping and bending metal ensued as the trees ripped the blades of the helicopter off. The aircraft’s tail was then caught by the braches, ceasing its forward movement and jerking it back. The nose of the helicopter then pitched downwards, the sudden weight being put on the branches causing them to break and the chopper hit the ground in a metal heap.

The five ponies moaned in pain as they stood up inside the mangled cabin of the chopper.

“Everypony okay?” Lockheed asked, looking at the other four.

“Fine.”

“Okay.” It was painful all over their bodies, man that was gonna be sore later.

“Okay, everyone, grab your stuff and get out of the chopper quickly,” Lockheed commanded, “Who knows what other surprises could happen.” They all quickly retrieved their weapons and saddlebags and began looking for a way out of the helicopter. The tan pegasus tried the side cargo door, jammed.

“Hold on,” said Buckshot, drawing a crowbar out from behind him, (how long had he been carrying that?) He smashed it against the windshield of the helicopter, shattering the already cracked and weakened glass.

“Everypony watch how you get out, don’t want to cut yer-selves open,” the blue pegasus cautioned as he climbed out the windshield. He was followed by Lockheed, Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo soon after.

“What the buck was that anyway?” Applebloom asked, “Ah ain’t never seen a helicopter just suddenly blow itself out of the sky before.”

“I don’t know,” replied Lockheed, “But I definitely know for sure it didn’t do that on its own.” He pulled back the slide on his firearm, and damn it was one scary gun! The tan colt was armed with an AK-47 with a military scope and a dual-drum ammunition clip. (How he had been carrying something like that and she hadn’t noticed, the filly had no idea.)

“Maybe it came from that,” said Buckshot, pointing a hoof. In the direction in which his hoof was pointed was a huge concrete wall with guard towers on each end. In the middle was a large steel gate, closed of course. The vegetation of the forest had gotten to it, plants growing up along the wall.

“Well, looks like we found our supply hunt,” said Sweetie Belle. She paused as she remembered their recent predicament. “Wait a minute, we can’t get back!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll just go back to the helicopter and get….” Lockheed was cut off from his sentence as the five young ponies heard an explosion behind them. They turned around to see the helicopter, what was left of it, burning and debris raining down in the area around it.

“….the radio,” Lockheed finished with a dejected sigh.

“Huh, and my family said that only happened in the movies. The things we learn every day,” said Buckshot, seeming unfazed by the occurrence.

“So, stranded?” Sweetie Belle tried.

“Pretty much,” replied Lockheed.

**************

“Hmm,” said Sweetie Belle as she looked over the steel doors, “How’re we supposed to get in?”

“I gots dis’,” said Buckshot as he drew one of the two guns strapped around his back. The one he clutched in his front hooves was a SPAS-12 with a solid stock instead of the collapsible one, and still strapped behind him was a lever-action hunting rifle. There was probably also a revolver on him as well. The navy colored pegasus raised the shotgun and fired the buckshot at the steel door. Only to jump back and duck as the shot bounced off the gate and scattered around his hind hooves and above his head.

“Okay then,” he said as he dropped back to all four hooves. “Gimme a moment.” He drew a stack of something long and red out of his saddlebags that were strapped together.

“Is that dynamite?!?” exclaimed Lockheed.

“Yep,” replied Buckshot, putting a lighter to the fuse and tossing it at the door before anyone could say anything. “I’d take cover.” Having no time before the TNT blew, they all knelt down and cover their heads with their front hooves. When the dust settled, there was a large hole in the gate.

“Are you crazy or somethin’?” Lockheed said.

“Ah, Lockheed, would a crazed colt randomly throw dynamite at a door just because he’s too lazy to figure something else out?” asked Buckshot with a tsk tsk tone.

“Forget it,” the green and black manned colt said before trotting ahead into the base. He was followed by the others soon after. They found themselves standing in the middle of a large open area, buildings on three sides of the base, the fourth uncovered one being the wall they had just walked through. And, to their surprise, when you looked up, you could see the sky!

“How can we see the sky from down here when we couldn’t see the base from above?” asked Scootaloo.

“Must be some kind of cloaking device,” said Lockheed as he took notice of the multiple items of technological equipment on the roofs of buildings.

“So there must be survivors here!” said Scootaloo excitedly.

“No, can’t be. If there were, they would’ve come running guns blazing when Bucky tossed the TNT,” said Lockheed, giving a look towards said colt, “Must be some kind of generator, one run on unicorn magic that could last years without a refuel.”

“Okay then, if we’re done talking about magical generators for cloaking devices, I say we should start hunting,” Buckshot spoke up.

**************

The five had split up and had begun searching around the relatively average size military base.

“Hmm, whadda we have here?” Buckshot thought aloud as he opened a dusty white binder he had found on a desk in which he believed was the main command room.

“Barracks, watches, duties, HUUUUGH! Armory code!” The blue pegasus tore the page out of the binder and eagerly ran out of the room and in the direction of where the armory was located.

Lockheed stepped through a door into one of the larger buildings to see numerous tables and chairs scattered in the room. On the walls there were the torn remains of flags that held the symbols of branches of the Equestria Military. There were entryways that led to a room that had tiling all over and metal bars that appeared to be fences to keep lines in order.

“The kitchen, probably won’t find much here,” the tan pegasus still went through to the kitchen anyways, and began opening any doors that he could find. Every single one opened, except one metal cabinet near the back of the room. On the door was a large padlock, which wouldn’t open without a key, or a couple AK bullets. The lock fell to the ground with a clunk and Lockheed pulled the door open.

“Oh my Luna, who would’ve known they would have these,” he said in surprise, and began dumping the packs into his saddlebags.

Applebloom walked down a hallway that ran high above the ground between the upper floors of two buildings. It was one of those walkways that were very wide and had large windows running along the sides. All of the windows were shattered now, either large shards still sticking out from the paneling, or completely gone.

“Ah think this would be a good spot,” she said. The filly walked over to the left side of the hall and drew out her M14 sniper rifle. Standing up on her hind hooves and setting the rifle down on the windowsill, she looked through the scope. She tested the zoom to see how up close she could aim at something. Then remembering the red switch on the side of the scope, this was probably a good time to test the infrared. She flipped it on, and nearly screamed. Applebloom jumped away from the windowsill in fear. Calming herself, she picked the rifle back up and looked through the scope again. All around the base, only now revealed from the infrared, were numerous, probably an entire army, of figures with a disarray of color of heat temperature registered by the infrared. Which could only mean one thing…..

“Shit.” The filly suddenly felt a presence behind her. She slowly turned around, to stare right into the freaky looking eyes of an undead pony. Applebloom screamed.

***

“What the hell?” exclaimed Buckshot, having heard the scream. Dropping the shotgun he was looking at, which he would get later, he ran from the armory. Right into an entire group of the bastards.

***

Lockheed walked out the front door of the cafeteria into the large outdoor space of the base. It was completely empty, well, except for the all the motherbucking zombies that suddenly showed up! And Luna forbid, they were all staring right at him.

“Oh Celestia,” he said, drawing out his AK-47. “How da’ ya’ like it redneck style!?!” He opened fire on the ragged forms.

***

The undead pony lunged at Applebloom, its hooves barely missing the filly as she jumped to the side. The creature came at her again, this time tackling her and taking her to the ground.

“Oh no ya’ don’t,” said Applebloom as she rolled over on top of it. Drawing out a switchblade, she flipped it open and sunk it deep into the zombie’s neck. The figure stopped moving.

“Don’t mess with a country filly.” Applebloom turned back to the window and took aim at the zombies down below.

***

“I shove a shotgun in your face, and then I turn you into paste!” Buckshot sang childishly as he pumped the round he was named after into the bodies of the undead ponies. One jumped at him, only to face-plant into the wall when the blue pegasus jumped into the air and hovered in place.

“Cause, psych!” he called out, “Smoke bombs, away!” The hall instantly filled with dense smoke and he flew down it above all the snarling monsters. As he cleared the smoke, there was one zombie who had spotted him and broken away from the group to gallop after him. The pegasus colt closed his wings and began galloping down the hall again. He rounded a corner and temporarily went out of view of the zombie. The undead pony came around the corner to see the colt holding his crowbar.

“Surprise motherbucker,” he said in a fake deep voice. He swung the weapon around, smacking the zombie right in the side of the head. The creature went down. The colt then proceeded towards the door that led outside.

***

“Oh my Celestia, where did they all come from?” exclaimed Sweetie Belle, taking down yet another zombie with her telekinetically held trench gun.

“They must’ve come through that hole in the door, probably attracted by the explosion,” replied Lockheed, “Aw crap, the pegasi corpses are here.”

“I got em’,” said Scootaloo, taking her aim to the sky with the over-and-under shotgun. Her mastery of sport shooting was soon paying off as she took down zombie pegasi with every shot. They suddenly ducked as bullets flew right above their heads. The three looked to the source. Leave it to a zombie and its stupidity to get itself stuck behind an M2 machine gun.

Applebloom attempted to take aim on the zombie gunner, only to duck as fifty caliber bullets assaulted the wall. The creature had spotted her and had tried to come in her direction, only to be blocked by the gun and in turn, accidentally firing off the weapon.

“Oh, so their IQ of zero has finally paid off for them,” remarked Applebloom in irritation. She grabbed the rifle once again and began moving off the walkway towards one of the buildings, staying low to avoid the machine gun.

“Can things get any worse?!” said Lockheed as he was back to back with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. The zombies had surrounded them and were getting closer to them with each minute. Pretty soon, they would be on them. Aloud roar erupted from the cloudy sky, the large creature bursting through the clouds and down towards the base.

“I just had to ask,” said Lockheed.