My eyes jolted open, and I met with that egg shell white ceiling once more. The same one i'd seen since I was a foal who could barely walk without tripping over a toy. I breathed deeply and found the strength to sit up.
"Looks like I din't die in my sleep, yet." I said rising up slowly off my bed and greeting the world with a yawn. I stretched, and trotted over to my mirror safely secured in the metal wall. I then came face to face with the same auburn mare that loved to live in said mirror. She had brown hair the color of of a leaf in Autumn, and eyes that looked as pretty as the rising sun. She was a bit of a bitch though, so I tried not to stare at her for too long. While contemplating on doing my mane or not I saw a small pink blob in the corner of the mirror. When I turned to look at it strait on though it dissipated into nothingness.
"This bullshit again." I said to myself putting my hoof on my forehead. I had been dealing with seeing these strange 'things' all my life. For as long as I can remember things that shouldn't normally happen would happen. Like shadows on the ground standing up, and singing showtunes or stick figures staring at me in the dark. Ya know your typical scary shit. The docs would have pulled me off the flight team if I wasn't such a good pilot as well as a great shot. I even won awards back in the day for shooting bottle caps off dumpsters from 500 meters away. I'd hit them every time. I chuckled at my warm memories as I heard loud click that came from my clock. It was 9:56.
"Shit." I said to myself. "I'm gonna be late for breakfast." At my recent revelation I said fuck my hair and just threw water on my face and wen't to my personal locker and put on my on base clothes. Which consisted off a black flight jacket and black slacks. It came with a hat, but I don't want to look like those flight captains who throw on the cap just to say: Fuck all you other guys, and whatever you care for I have a Hat! Ugh. I need to stop monologing.
After my clothes were on I left my room, and turned down the left hallways which conveniently led me strait to the Lunch Room.
-Leviathans Lunch Room 7:59-
Once I entered the cafeteria I could hear both subtle and loud conversations of cadets, sergeants, and officers alike. I barely came to breakfast for the food I mainly came to let the cafeteria lights wake me up. Inside my room the brightness of the lights is so low that you don't even have to turn them off at night. Though what caught my eye was my 'better half' actually eating breakfast for once. I walked over to my twin brother, and sat across from him. He didn't even notice me until I banged on the table which made him in turn jump from the sudden thud.
"Damn! Don't do that Sky Baron." He said sternly staring at me with those eyes so similar to mine.
"Don't get your panties in a bunch bro. You didn't even know I was here till I did that. Something on your mind?" I said reaching over and swiping his second milk.
"You already forgot? Really?" He said raising his eyebrow at me.
"It appears I have sir. Would you mind enlightening me?" I said in my best posh voice as I opened the milk and took a swig.
"The big mission for squad 87 is today and me and you are accompanying them on their trip to the city. Hell, your flying them." He said leaning back into the plastic chair.
I placed the milk back on the table, and then leaned back into my chair. "Oh yeah. That. That'll be easy bro don't sweat it. Its just an in and out trip we'll be back before dinner." I said. He then looked at me with the most serious look on his face.
"Sky." He began. "Bring your chair over to me, and i'll tell you why i'm acting like this."
I almost didn't want to as I felt like he was boubt to wop me one in my head, but how his eyes looked he was dead serious. I scooted my chair over to him and he got up close to my ear.
"Listen sis. What i'm about to tell you now you have to keep to yourself. Less we both catch a swift laser through our skull while we're sleeping." He had my full attention now. What could be so bad
"You know how I guard the outside of colonel Swift Wings quarters? Well he called me inside last night. He told me that his normal 'friend' wouldn't be able to converse with tonight, and that he couldn't go to bed without doing so." I cut him off.
"So the whole serious eyes business was just so you could tell me about the creep colonel." I said with confusion.
He retorted. "Shut the fuck up and listen." That shut me up. "We talked a bit about our history; the Ministries and bullshit, but real interesting shit happened after he fell asleep. Once he passed out his computer lit up, and well... I had to look to see what message he got. And what I saw made my heart drop strait into my gullet. It was a manpower report. A report on how many Vertibird squadrons were sent to Vanhoover the same Vanhoover we're going to today. Every squad, Zeta, Omega, Crimson, all of them the sergeants and recruits alike were shot down over Vanhoover. They told us that they were M.I.A. M.I.A my ass." He said anger building through his teeth. "And we're next."
I was shocked. All those squads gone. Like a fuckin Birmuda Triangle within a city. I gulped hard. We are next. "So what do we do?" I said feeling my mortality rate decreasing every second.
"We can't do anything. Now. We won't go against orders, and be court martialed. We'll just have to keep our eyes open for anything." He said with a huff.
"That's it!" I said with a quiet yell. "Just die?"
"No. We won't die, but we won't make a commotion either. We have a better chance of surviving out there during the mission than trying to escape here. And there's something different on this mission. When I was looking at the "M.I.A" squads they all had the same type and rank of soldier. I looked at our file, and it listed us as: 5 Recruits, 1 pilot, 1 assistant pilot 1, and 1 Captain. Every other squad was full of recruits one sergeant, and pilot. The fact that we have a captain with us must mean that he has a reason of being here with us. So what we'll do is do our assignment and keep a close eye on him."
"You don't mind if I interject do you?" A voice said making me almost jump out of my seat. I looked up, and saw a stallion I immediately recognized. Captain Ice Breath. His name was quite the opposite though as it smelt of cigarettes. He was an older stallion who had as many medals as one Captain could obtain. His main was jet black as was his coat. The brightest part of his body were his deep blue eyes. Those of which were staring deeply into me.
"I hope i'm not interrupting a family chat." He said "Though I must have a chat with your brother. And the time is 11:00 I believe you'll be late to wake the recruits and get them to the armory miss Baron." He said smiling revealing sharp yellow teeth.
"Y-yeah." I said trying to get away from him as he was still giving me that shark grin. "We'll talk later bro." I said as I began to walk back toward the dormitories. Before I left I turned and got one more glimpse of the Captain still giving me killer grin. He seemed to be smiling even wider now.
"I need to get the fuck outta here." I mumbled to myself as thoughts ran through my mind.
-Recruit dorm no 4 7:35-
I stood outside the the dorm room of squad 87, and knew that this may be both mine and their last day. I just hope they have no regrets. I entered the dorm and quickly switch on the lights and got my vocal cords ready.
"GET THE FUCK UP MAGGOTS." I yelled as 3/5 recruits flew strait outta their beds and winded up in the floor. "GET UP AND GET YOUR GEAR ON! Today is your lucky day. You get to go to the big city and learn how to survive out in the wilderness." I said knowing that we may not even be able to land to train them. Within seconds each recruit had gotten their Mk 3 combat armor on. Fitted with its on battle saddle which didn't hold any weapon at the moment.
"Alright soldiers. Line up outside, and march down to the armory." I said as they lined up and walked out to the armory. The hallway to the armory was long, and lit up with blue lights and your occasional "The Enclave needs you!" Poster. I wonder if they need us to die now. It wouldn't make sense for the brass to send so many squads to a city for the goal of just training recruits. There's nothing in the city anyways. Back when I first flew my Aerialbird into the city most of the building had been burned out and only a few skyscrapers were left standing. I miss those days. I was so deep into thought that I almost trotted strait into the armory door.
"We have arrived at the armory mam." A rough voice spoke. I looked to see who said it, but they all looked almost the same in their armor save for the colors of their wings. I turned back to the door, and opened it.
"Fall out, and get your rifles men." I said walking through to greet Gun Smoke with a nod. Once they got their rifles secured into their battle saddles they picked a range and began practicing. As they were firing I got a time to think on the situation of this mission. If I fly in taking the safest route possible, and should be fine. But even if I land what's on the ground? Those squads disappeared for a reason. Maybe they-
"Damn Snapshot your makin a killin on those dummies." A male voice said bringing me out of my train of thought.
"You know what I do Wind Breeze. Gotta stay true to my name." A female voice said followed by a laser shot that wen't strait through the dummies eye. Damn. She fires pretty accurately. She almost reminds me of myself. I trotted over to her impressed.
"Your one pretty accurate bastard you know that?" I said smirking at the green winged mare.
"Ha I try." She said firing at the dummies right eye, and center forehead in repeated succession.
"Well let's see how good you really are." I said reaching into my pockets looking for a bottlecap. I found one and showed it to her. "Vaporized the cap as I throw it into the lane."
"Hmph no sweat mam." She said getting into her aiming position. I threw it strait towards the dummy, and she shot right through it. Like it was nothing.
"Your going places Snap." I said patting her on the back. As I walked away I heard her mutter "I know." In a confident voice. Definitely reminds me of myself. I looked up at the clock seeing the time was 11:45. We had to be at the pad by 12:00.
"Alright colts and filies fall in. We have a mission to do." I said knowing that I was just a little closer to death.
-Aerial pad no 1- 8:10-
Once we made it to the Aerial Pad I ordered all the recruits to fall out into my Aerialbird. Once all of them were situated inside I wen't to my combat locker across from Aerial pad 2. I pulled my key out and unlocked the metallic locker. Inside I found my MK 3 Combat Armor. It was black as night, and on the chest was the symbol of the Grand Pegasus Enclave. I had a few notches placed into the side of my helmet. 6 in total. For the 6 Zebra's I managed to kill with my rifle when I was down there last. The zebra's were a real problem down in Vanhoover; their homeland wasn't too far away, and they barely strayed from it though when they did it was our job to make them regret coming into the big city. I threw on my body armor first though I didn't put my helmet on. It was a hell of a lot easier to fly with full vision. After my gear was on I walked back to my Aerial bird and saw my brother donned in his armor as was the Captain. Though something was different. They were accompanied by eight troopers clad in MK 4 Tesla Armor. He had shock troopers with him.
"What's up with all this Captain." I began. "My bird can't fit all these men in it including you and my brother."
"Don't you worry your pretty head about it Sky. If you look we have our own Aerialbird. Not that perceptive now is she?" He said looking towards my brother.
"No sir." He said almost robotically.
"Whatever. Let's get this thing going." I said boarding into my Aerialibird. My brother followed in behind me. Once I was sercured in the cockpit he sat next to me in the assistant seat.
"So what's the plan brother?" He got in close.
"Stay alive and follow the Captains Aerialbird. He'll be leading the front while were in the back. We just need to land in the town square, and get the training done then head back. Simple."
"Simple? An hour ago you were shitting yourself over this mission, and now you sound
"It doesn't matter sis. Let's just get this over with so we can be home in time for dinner. The more we talk about this the more worried you'll be, and the more worried you are the less perceptive you'll be. Let's focus on the mission at hang and talk about it when we land. Okay?" He said backing up from me. What the fuck did the Captain say to him?
"Fine. i won't think about it." I turned my head back to look at the recruits. Some of them were making sure their tails and rifles worked right a few other just looked into space. "Hey all of you listen up. I don't give a fuck if your in he back keep you damn eyes open for anything and everything. No one nod off I need eyes everywhere. Report any suspicious activity to me you got it?"
"Yes mam." They said in unison.
I turned back to my brother who had just put his helmet on. "Hold mine" I said giving him my helmet. He just grunted and placed it in his lap. Static came through the radio as a familiar voice spoke through.
"Alright let's get these birds in the sky." The hatches above the pad opened up, and I flipped on my switch and the rotors came to life. Grabbing the stick I pulled us up into the outside of the Thunderhead. I could see the Captains Aerialbird on my right and it began to take of east, and I followed suit. All I can hope now is that he goes down first.
-Skies over Vanhoover 8:53-
We took off from the carrier, my home, and for the first time in my life I feel alone. My brother is acting like everything will be fine, and I have these Stallions, and Mares life's on my hoofs. I can't, and won't let them die. Fuck our mission objective of training them. My new objective is getting them out alive. By any means possible.
"Say White Out? Ya got any extra ammo?" A voice from behind me.
"Why ain't ya bring yer own extra's?" A feminine voice spoke.
"Well ya know how ah am. My memory ain't all that good since what happened on first day of basic." He said almost sounding regretful.
"What happened on basic?" A familiar voice spoke, one belonging to Snapshot.
"I don't wanna talk about it... Say do you-"
"No Full Jacket." Snap said effectively cutting him off.
"Geez sorry for askin." I couldn't help but smile. Conversations like this always brought me back to the days when the Leviathan was stocked full of young bloods waiting to prove themselves, and I was one of them. One of the best. Didn't take long for me to show my worth to my superiors. Shit they put me in a Vertibird when I just hit 19, and I completed 21 successful flight missions that same year. They even called me prodigy at one point. The sound of static shook me from my reminiscing as Captain Ice spoke.
"We will be reaching Vanhoover in 5 minutes. Be ready."
"You heard that boys? Get your game faces on." My brother, Aerial Ace, said as he adjusted his helmet. I would ask him to help me put on mine, but I'm a little busy at the moment. As we passed through the clouds I was able to get a good look at Vanhoover. The city from above was a pale grey and brown city with skyscrapers situated in each corner of the city. Two scrapers were right in the town square where we were going to land. It's a and miracle that those scrapers are still standing after all these years.
"Don't see shit yet." Aerial said looking out the side door of the bird.
"Doesn't mean there isn't shit bro." I said steering right behind the Captains bird. "Any of you see anything back there?" I asked the recruits.
"You mean other than the brown blob under us? No mam." Snap said.
"Keep em open fellas." Aerial said as we began approaching the square. Static came over once more.
"Alright we're gonna steer right through those two scrapers and land right in the squa-" And loud beeping was heard over the radio. "We're locked on! Evasive!-" A rocket collided with the right rotor of his Aerialbird sending the airborne bird out of control. I only had a second to react before I started firing the main guns into the building the rocket came from. "Bailiout Bailout!" I heard Ice yell. "No! I can save her!" The pilot said as the sound of the bird colliding with the left scraper was heard.
Shit what do we do!" One of my recruits said panicking. "I don't know were toast!" I couldn't let this continue. "Aerial!" I shouted focusing on filling the bastards who shot at us full of laser. "On it!" Aerial said.
"All of you with me! We're taking the fight to these bastards." I heard the door in the back open. "Now lets get to it!"
"I don't think I can do this sir." A recruit said in a scared voice.
"When your with me you can do anything. If you don't help now we all die. NOW LETS GO. NOW!"
"YES SIR!" The only sound of their departure was wind hitting metal. Give em hell bro. I continued firing into the building and giving my brother, and the recruits a chance to stop this battle. Once there was nothing but rubble in the left building I stablized my bird to aim at the right.
Then I came face to face with a pony clad in steel aiming, no, shooting a rocket at me. Time slowed to a crawl as the rocket flew toward me. There was barely anything I could do now other than try to move the Aerialbird out of the rocket's shot. I steered hard right but the bird was too slow. The rocket connected with the left rotor of my bird which shattered the windshield which sent glass, and metal strait into my face. A metal bar must have hit me in my head as everything felt as though it were slipping away from me. Like I was falling to a dream. The last thing I saw was the ground below.
Ending Song
[youtube=https://youtu.be/W2bCN5ucEpw?list=PLPEpWM5t2Xhgeie2I5srEjv3hsmWroHR5]
Enclave Dossier file 3558
Mare: Sky Baron
Rank: Air Sergeant Third Class
Age: 27
Weight: 145
Blood type: O -
Special Stats
Strength: 4
Perception: 8
Endurance: 5
Charisma: 4
Intelligeance: 5
Agility: 6
Luck: 7
After notes: As Sky Barons physician I must say she is one exceptional mare with great eyesight and mind for battle, but something does concern me. She told me of her seeing sometimes the Mares from the [Redacted] from before the war. She may be [Redacted] and may need medication to combat this. As this can be [Redacted] to her [Redacted] survival. Especially if left alone in the field. Still. I would keep an eye on her. Just in case.
Signed Doctor Malpractice.
-The Dead and The Dying-
I could hear my own breathing now. Everything around me was pitch black; It was as if I were encased in a room with no light anywhere. It was quiet here. I feel as though I'm just floating in nothingness. This must be what death feels like. Alone with my own thoughts. Just being here. With the darkness as my ally. I should have known this would happen. Zeta, Crimson, Omega. And now me. We all go eventually, but I just wished mine would have been more heroic. Saving a hospital full of kittens seems about right. Or maybe- *Beep* *Beep*
What the hell? The sound of something beeping was racking my brain, and I think I'm starting to feel again. Everything fucking hurts. What the fuck is that beeping. Then it hit me. The Aerialbird! When one crashes it lets off a few beeps that go through all open radio broadcasts, including the ones in power armor. And if I can hear that, then I’m not dead! Relief spread throughout me as I tried to move my hoof. All I could feel was something sharp and metallic. Gotta see now. I opened my eyes, and was blinded by the sunlight.
"Fuck." I let out as my eyes adjusted to the light. I was looking out the windshield of my bird, and some of the metal was reflecting off the glass. Shit. If we crashed in Vanhoover, then I’m in some serious danger. I need to get out of here. I mustered my remaining strength I made the motions to open my door. It didn't budge, so I resorted to climbing out through the windshield. I fell out of the downed bird, and met the soft grass below. I stood up and got a good look of the area around me. It looked like I crashed into a grocer on the far side of town as the two towers were far from where I was. I could fly there, but I don't want to attract the attention of those assholes in steel.
"There's gotta be a faster way." I said as looked around my surroundings.
"There is a faster way good lookin." A voice said causing me to jump. I didn't even hear them come. There were 7 ponies, each more disgusting than the last. They were clad in patches of fabric with dried blood on them. They looked sickly. I aimed my rifle at the closest one, even though they already had theirs aimed at me.
“Ah ah ah you don't wanna go and do that little one. Me and my boys have our guns aimed right at your pretty head, so why don't you just drop the weapon and come along with us nicely." The leader of them spoke. Wasteland trash had me surrounded. I took one step back and heard a splash. I looked down and found a large puddle of fuel spreading around the area. The crashed bird was leaking it everywhere.
"Ah ah ah what the fuck did I say?" Take another step, and I fill you and your suit fulla holes.” He said as he lifted his rifle so he could look down the sight.
"Fuck it! Bedup, we should just kill the bitch and be done with it. I’m fuckin hungry." Another of the raiders covered in splotches of missing fur said. The leader turned to face him.
"Listen ya little shit if it wusn't fa me you'd be back home cleanin guns, so you shut your fucking mouth." Bedup said angrily.
"Or what, chickenshit?" Their arguing gave me a opportunity for escape. I aimed my Nova rifle at the oil on the ground and fired. I backed up as flames began to engulf the bird.
"Ey, what the fuck?" Bedup said as he noticed what I did. "Shoot that bitch!" I ran for cover as they opened fire. My armor deflected a few of the shots as I galloped as fast as I could into a nearby house. An ear ringing explosion erupted behind me as the gunfire stopped instantly. I didn’t take time to look out the windows of the house to see if the raiders were still living; I hurried through the house searching for the backdoor. I made a right down a corridor, and found the rotting door falling off its hinges. I bucked it open and entered the backyard. I breathed the cold air, and took a sigh of relief as I cheated death not once, but twice. “I'm one lucky sonuvabitch.” I thought to myself.
I looked back up to the tower in the distance. The tower was lit up with laser fire as both the Enclave pegasi and those steel fuckers fired upon each other. I wanted to get up and fly to them, but I knew I'd instantly be shot out of the sky. If I could see the fire on those tower, so could the raiders. They'd be taking to the streets, eager to capture the spoils of the battle. I won't be able to take the main streets. Not without being shot at.
I looked around the yard, hoping to find some way to make it to the tower without being seen. The backyard was fenced in, but there were several holes in the wooden fences that I would be able to squeeze through.
I suddenly became aware of the pain in my right foreleg. I looked down, and was surprised to find that the armor on my leg had been completely destroyed in the crash. The auburn fur of my leg had been completely stained in blood, and shrapnels of metal and glass had penetrated my leg and chest. How had I even been able to stand on that leg, much less walk? If some of those shards had pent rated just a few inches higher, they would have gotten me in the neck. Then, I might not have actually ever woken up.
I needed to fix that leg as soon as possible. “Shit.” I said aloud as I looked back in the direction of the now-destroyed Aerialbird. I left the medical bag on board.
Now that I was aware of the actual injury, I became aware of the limp that came along with it. Fuck, I needed to find some kind of medical kit or something.
I pitifully walked toward one of the fences. I was moving so damned slowly. Fucking Steels, shooting me out of the sky.
Eventually, I made it to one of the fences. But my leg was hurting. I leaned against the fence to rest my body. My weight shifted the fence just enough, and it fell over, taking me with it.
“Fuck. Ow.” I said in pain
I tried to to at least sit back up, but before I could, I felt what felt like the barrel of a gun be pressed against my temple.
I took took a deep breath and held it. Well fuck. At least the plane crash was epic. Right now, this would just be a pathetic way to die.
Whoever was holding the gun let out a sigh of relief, then removed the gun from my temple.
“Thank the gods, you're enclave.” said a mare’s voice.
I rolled over and stood up, and got a good look at the green pegasus. The same mare that was as good of a shot as I was. And she had the medical bag from the Aerialbird strapped to her side. Thank Celestia.
“You’re that recruit. The one that shot the bottle cap from midair.”
She nodded. “Snapshot, ma’am.”
“Yeah, yeah, sure.” I said as I waved a hoof from midair. “Welcome to ground combat training, day 1. Your first assignment will be emergency medical aid in the field.”
The mare looked down at my crippled foreleg, and then swallowed. “Umm… I don't have any kind of medical experience. Like, at all.”
“Well kid, now’s a good fucking time to learn.”
She swallowed again, but set the medical bag on the ground and opened it up. The first thing she pulled out were a pair of tweezers.
“Uh, recruit, what are you- Ow! Fuck!”
Out of nowhere, the mare gripped a shard of glass stuck in my leg with the tweezers, and jerked it out. She didn’t even try to be delicate, or careful. Nope, she just jerked it out. And she did the same thing with every single shard of glass and metal stuck in my leg. By the time she was finished, my leg felt worse than it started.
I glared down at her. “You better pray to Luna there is some kind of bandaging in that bag.”
She shrank down, trying to escape from my menacing glare. She pulled out a bundle of white bandages from the bag.
I just kept looking down at her.
She sighed, Was that a sigh of disgust? I'll have to teach her later not to do that to a superior, and started wrapping the bandages around my injured limb.
After she finished, she sighed again. “There. I did the best that I could.”
I put a hoof on her shoulder. “You did good… umm… um…”
“Snapshot.”
“Yeah. Yeah, that's your name. Right.”
"Now we just need to get outta here." She said gazing to the tower. "Say, weren't there sewer lines connecting all through Vanhoover? I'm sure we could avoid all the raiders if we travel through there." Not a bad plan.
"No time to waste then lets go." I said as we left the backyard and moved back to the streets.
Author's Note
It's been too long, and it'll probably be longer still considering i'm shit when it comes to updating stories. It takes me a while to update anything, and due to the fact that I haven't done much with this story for a while there may be mistakes. Hopefully there won't though.
