Chapters Equestria, 10:00 PM.
Ponyville.
Twilight Sparkle looked up from her studies and looked to the snow falling outside. She sighed, knowing that it had been snowing on the day she was brought to New York. She turned and glanced at a black duffel bag, marked with the SHD Phoenix. Attached to the bag was her shoulder tag and SHD Watch. She walked over and brushed away the thin layer of dust that covered the Watch, and sighed. It had been dark for almost a month now, since she returned from Manhattan.
"I wonder how the squad's doing…" she asked herself, sighing at the photo attached to her mirror. Nick Sykes, Logan Johnston, Harper Andrews and Dimitri Rhodevski, along with Anubis and Kestrel, were sitting with Twilight at a table in the Post Office, sipping hot chocolate. Twilight smiled at the photograph, and looked over at her bed.
"I should get some sleep." she said, suppressing a yawn with her hoof. Climbing into bed, she was soon asleep.
================
The Griffon soldiers watched as the caravan of hay carts approached the gates. Their crossbows were ready and aimed at the travelers, who stopped at the gate.
"State your business." the Griffon Guard asked.
"Traveling." came the reply from the cloaked individual.
"To where?"
"The capital." was the response.
"What is your concern at the capital?"
"Trading and business."
The guard hesitated, then called out.
"Let them through!"
As the carts proceeded through the gate, the cloaked figure smiled underneath his hood.
"We're through, boss." came the voice of the figure sitting next to him.
"Good." came the voice of the first. "How long till we reach the capital?"
"An hour or so."
"Perfect. Make sure our...cargo...is secure."
"On it, boss."
The second figure brushed some hay aside, revealing six oblong crates marked with green skulls and the Biohazard symbol. The figure opened one, revealing a gas canister colored an acid green. The canister had text on the side.
VIRAL CONTAMINATED MATERIAL-MANHATTAN DARK ZONE 06
The figure nodded, sealed the crate again, and sat back down.
"The cargo is secure."
"Good." said the first. "I want them planted on a moment's notice when we arrive."
"Yessir."
===============
"It's showtime." he said, drawing an X over the whole map of the palace.
==============
As Keener and his escorts walked up to the palace gates, the guards told them to halt, which they did.
"What is your business in the palace?" A guard asked.
"Diplomatic." Keener said. "The Emperor is expecting us."
"I thought you would be here sooner."
"We got caught up at the border. Trust me, everything will go as planned." Keener replied.
"And what of the royal family?"
"Collateral damage is not my concern." Keener said. "I believe it was your intention to keep them from harm. If they get infected, it's your fault."
"You had better come through on this, Mr. Keener." the griffon said.
"I assure you that my agents will have everything set up perfectly." Keener replied. As they ascended a flight of stairs to a balcony above a ballroom, where a large crowd of griffons was gathered, Keener opened his radio.
"Is the cargo in position at each location?"
"Yessir. Barracks, Ballroom, Quarters, Assembly hall, Dining room, and armory have all been tagged."
"Good. Dispense on my signal." Keener said. As the Griffon noble watched the Emperor take the throne, he nodded to Keener.
"Showtime." Keener said, into the radio, and he and the griffon placed Viral Protection masks onto their faces. Then, the ballroom was suddenly covered in dark green gas. As the assembled griffons began to fall, dead from viral exposure, Keener and his six agents regrouped at the gate. Keener smiled at the green smoke beginning to rise into the sky.
"Let's how this world handles this." Keener said, as he and his group walked back to the warehouse, as the castle descended into chaos.
===================
As Twilight woke up, she saw Spike in front of her, waving a letter in her face.
"It's Celestia. She says it's URGENT."
Twilight took the letter, and began to read.
Dearest Twilight,
I need you and the Elements in Canterlot immediately. A mysterious disease has struck the Griffon lands, killing anyone who is exposed to it. Get here soon, Twilight.
Celestia.
Twilight growled.
"Spike. Get the girls."
Spike nodded and rushed out. Twilight walked over to her duffel bag and tapped her Watch, activating her agent status. She then scowled, and tapped her watch. She watched as her Agent status changed from OFFLINE to ACTIVE. Then, she opened a communications feed to the Post Office.
"Agent Twilight?" Came the voice of Faye Lau. "Is that you?'
"Lau, we've got a problem." Twilight said. "It's a Manhattan-level problem."
"Damn. Give me the details. I'll notify your squad."
"Roger that, commander."
Faye Lau turned off the comms on her SHD tech and sighed. Agent Twilight, after a month of inactive status, had issued a call for help. Apparently a mysterious disease had broken out in the "Griffon Lands", and Twilight had told Faye her suspicions, which was that the disease was Green Poison. Lau had told her that reinforcements would be coming soon, and for her to evaluate the threat before making the official call. She turned on the Post Office Intercom, and spoke.
"Squad Sierra Kilo, come to the Security Wing immediately for mission briefing. JTF squads Badger and Rhino, check in at main door for assignment."
Soon, Nick Sykes, Logan Johnston, Harper Andrews, Dmitri Rhodevski, Kestrel, and Anubis walked in, with apprehensive looks.
"Well, agents, our friendly Equestrian agent just made contact." Lau said. "Says there's been a disease outbreak in a neighboring nation, and she suspects it's Green Poison, judging from what she's told me. I need you to take JTF squads Badger and Rhino and wait for instructions. Grab whatever you need."
"Yes, ma'am." Nick said. As the squad walked out, Lau reluctantly got on the comms with Division command to alert them of the potential outbreak.
=============
As Twilight and her friends disembarked from the train, they were shocked to see Minotaurs, Dragons, Diamond Dogs, Zebras, Stags, and even Changelings running about.
"What's going on?" Twilight asked a passing Guard.
"You haven't heard?" the Guard replied. "They're all here to help with the outbreak. If you're looking for Princess Celestia, she's organizing the whole thing in the Castle Gardens. We're building a response force for the outbreak."
"Thank you." Twilight said, leading her group to the garden entrance. As they walked in, they saw Celestia, King Thorax, Shining and Cadance, a minotaur in gold robes, Dragon Lord Ember, a Zebra, and a Stag wearing pale blue robes standing around a map.
"Twilight!" Celestia said. "Glad you came."
"What's the situation?" Applejack asked.
"There's been an epidemic in the Griffon Lands." Celestia said. "Once word got out, nearly every nation on Equis sent aid to help. We're leading the Response."
"Has there been a quarantine?" Twilight asked, looking at the map.
"Yes. It was the first thing that went up when the news got out." Shining said. "Even so, we've got bad news. The entire Griffon royal family, save a few, plus their leading government members are all infected or dead. The capital has been completely sealed off from the outside."
"What are the symptoms?" Twilight asked.
"Take a look." Celestia said, handing her a photo of a Griffon, whose face and beak were covered in pimples, and blood was leaking out of his mouth.
"I knew it." Twilight said. Taking out her SHD watch, she opened a comm link to the Post Office.
"Agent, what's the call?" Lau's voice spoke.
"It's Green Poison. Identical symptoms." Twilight said. "I need reinforcements."
"You got it. I have Squad Sierra-Kilo and JTF squads Badger and Rhino ready to move in. Just get us a portal, and we'll be ready. We've also managed to get some excess supplies and weaponry, if you need it."
Twilight took out the Mirror Portal fragment and focused her magic. Soon, a white portal formed in the courtyard. Twilight then spoke into her SHD tech.
"Portal is open. Ready."
"You got it, agent. Sending help now."
As the Minotaur and the other non-Equestrians stood in shock, around twenty-seven bipedal beings walked out of the portal, carrying crates marked with "CERA" and "JTF". Most of them wore green and camouflage jackets, and carried long back objects. The others were dressed in various clothing, and two orange rings were present, on their shoulders and wrists. One of them stepped forward and walked towards Twilight.
"Agent. You called?" he asked.
"I did. Welcome to Canterlot, Nick." Twilight said. "You know the ponies, but I'm not sure about everyone else, though."
Twilight glanced at the Minotaur, Thorax, Zebra, Stag, Ember, and Diamond Dogs, who were all wearing looks of shock.
"Sorry for the entrance." Nick said. "We're here to help."
Thorax raised an eyebrow.
"What even are you?" he asked.
"We're human." Nick said. "Trust me, you'll need our help."
"Why is that?" Ember asked.
"Because the disease you're now fighting came from our world. And we know how to fight it effectively." Nick replied. "I can give you the details, if you want. But, let's make one thing clear. As long as what we say goes, we work effectively and stop this outbreak together."
"You speak as if from experience." The Minotaur said.
"We have plenty." Harper said. "This disease is not natural. It was made in a laboratory. We have reason to believe members of our race started this outbreak with intent of repeating what happened in our world when this disease hit our race. Suffice to say, we had to quarantine one of our largest cities, which is now a virus-ridden war-zone. We all don't want that happening here, and I'm pretty sure that you don't want that as well. So...do we have a deal?"
"We do." Ember said, stepping forward. "Dragon Lord Ember."
"Harper Andrews, Agent of the United States Strategic Homeland Division. The fellows behind me are Joint Task Force squads Badger and Rhino. We came because Agent Twilight called us."
"Well, let's get to work, then." Thorax said. "This epidemic won't stop itself."
"Show us what you have." Nick said. "And then, let's get to work."
As the train headed towards the Griffon border, Twilight looked over at Nick and Anubis, who were telling the various Equestrian leaders of the Manhattan Outbreak.
"So, this "Gordon Amherst"..." said Iron Wrath, the Minotaur leader. "created this virus as a population check?"
"Yes." Nick said. "His current whereabouts are unknown, but we've presumed him dead based on evidence we found in his lab. Right now, our main suspect for whoever started this outbreak here is a man named Aaron Keener. A former SHD agent, Keener betrayed The Division and went Rogue, with several other agents who sympathized with him. Now, we suspect he's in this world, and since we last checked, he had the materials and tools to make a new strain of the Green Poison."
"And is there no cure?" Ember asked.
Nick gave a hollow laugh.
"Cure? We're still making the goddamn vaccine. A cure is a far future development. We made it to 75 percent of the vaccine for the strain on our world, but seeing as this world lacks the tech needed to make a vaccine for this strain...we're still got a lot of work to do." Nick said.
"But...you said this Smallpox disease was eradicated." Thorax said. "How was it revived?"
"Easy. Amherst stole samples from a human laboratory in Russia. A virologist named Vitaly Tchernenko was working with him. Vitaly was kidnapped by Keener's agents, and we still have yet to locate him. Anyway, when we arrive, we'll need to see who's in charge, and coordinate a response. Judging from what happened in our world when the Green Poison hit, factions will rise up to take control of supplies, arms, and territory. We'll need to have every Response unit armed and ready for combat if needed. Plus, we'll need basic supplies such as food and water. We'll need anyone who's medically trained. People that can fight, too." Anubis said.
Nick nodded to his squadmate, just as the train whistle blew.
"We're here!" Twilight said, walking in. The agents grabbed their bags, and the leaders disembarked to a military-style base on the outskirts of Griffonstone. Several members of each species on Equis were doing their tasks at a frantic pace.
"Who's in charge here!?" Nick yelled at a passing dragon.
"If you're looking for General Razor, he's at the mayor's office, in town!" The dragon replied. "Not sure what you're doing here, though. Everything past the gate's already gone off the deep end!"
"We'll handle it." Nick said. As the agents headed into town, followed by the JTF soldiers, they approached the town hall, Nick saw several griffons carrying swords arguing with relief workers.
"On standby." Nick said. As agents approached, the conversation grew louder.
"I'm sorry, but we can't spare any more." the Changeling said. "We gave you your allotted amount for the day."
"We have kids! They need food!" the lead griffon said.
"We can't give any more!" The Changeling replied as the Griffons advanced. Nick fired a warning shot from his recently-acquired CM901 assault rifle, and the two groups froze.
"Head home." Nick said. "They said they couldn't give any more. We'll get more supplies soon, but for now, make do. That's an order."
The Griffons looked at the humans nervously before heading off. The Changeling sighed before walking.
"Thanks. Thought I was dead for sure." he said. "I'll take you to General Razor."
As the humans walked, they noticed several doors marked with yellow skulls.
"Bodies." the Changeling said. "We can't bury them en masse, since most of the Griffons are sick. We've had to burn them."
"Good thing. Burning the bodies stops the contamination from spreading." Nick said, thinking of the Cleaners. "We know."
"Alright. The General's in here." The changeling saluted, and walked off. The agents walked into the room, and were greeted by a large griffon with pale blue feathers, and a black face.
"Glad to meet you, whoever you are." he said. "Here to help?"
"In a sense." Kestrel said. "We're advisors from our world, as this virus originally came from our world."
Razor scoffed.
"I had a feeling it was that. What's your operational strength?"
"Twenty-seven total personnel, are combat and first-aid certified. They can't be assigned combat duties, however. We need them mainly as advisors."
"Done." Razor said. "The gate's been sealed for now."
Razor motioned to a large wall with an oaken gate, which had a magic shield on covering the top.
"That's the only entrance into the quarantine." he said. "We haven't sent any units in, because we don't know if they'll drop dead upon entry."
"We can fix that." Nick said, taking out a Mask filter. "SHD Virus Protection Filters, level 4. If you can synthesize these, and make masks for your units, you'll be protected."
"Good. I'll have my technicians get to work." Razor said. "Did you bring supplies?"
"Yeah, as much as we could spare." Logan said. "We're in a similar situation. Quarantines, rioting, destruction. Sound familiar?"
"Yes." Razor said. "Do what you can. See you around."
The agents saluted and walked back outside. Twilight was speaking with Celestia,Sunset Shimmer, and her friends, who had recently arrived. Nick walked over and sighed.
"The General's on board. We just need to start making protection gear, and we'll be able to start heading into the quarantine."
"Good…" Celestia said, when ISAC then spoke.
"WARNING. POTENTIAL HOSTILES INCOMING!"
Then, the sound of footsteps was heard, and a large crowd of armed Griffons approached, and they looked out for blood. As the team assumed combat positions, Nick walked forward apprehensively.
"Where's the food!" the leader roared.
Nick walked up to him, and slapped him.
"Get. your. shit. straight." Nick said. "Look around. What do you see?"
The griffon took a few looks around.
"Just the town." he said.
"I see something different." Nick said. "I see potential. Instead of focusing on what isn't happening, focus on what could happen, if you work to do it. We know what it's like. To be uncertain. The best thing to do, instead of riot and destroy...is work together. Work together to restore what you've lost. Now, head home. I'll see if I can find more food for you, alright?"
The griffons looked at him, nodded, lowered their swords, and walked off. Nick walked back to an astounded audience.
"Let's get to work." he said.
As the Agents headed back to the base, Lt. Bering walked up and saluted.
"Agents, we're distributing guns to those who can use 'em. They're saying the food and supplies we brought were godsends."
"I don't doubt it." Nick said. "Where's Twilight?"
"Right here." Twilight said, walking up in her combat gear from New York. Her Navy MP5N and W1200 Shotgun were polished and cleaned.
"Good. Filters?" Anubis asked.
"Right here." Twilight said. "I've had some mechanics work on reproducing them for the Response Forces."
"Alright." Nick said.
"Um, Nick, was it?" Ember said, walking up. "We've got a problem."
"What?" Nick asked.
"Follow me." Ember said. The agents followed her to the gun stockpile, where a red dragon was arguing with two Minotaurs, who were in charge of distributing weapons.
"Ah, Dragon Lord Ember. Care to explain to this here minotaur why I should be in command?" Garble asked.
"Um, no." Ember said. "The humans are in Command here, along with General Razor. If you have a problem with that, talk to them."
"I already spoke with the General." Garble said angrily. "He laughed me out of his office!"
"Yeah, with your attitude, I don't doubt it." Kestrel said, walking forward.
"Who are you?" Garble asked.
"Kestrel. First Wave SHD agent. And frankly, you need to get an attitude adjustment before you get a command."
"What!?" Garble snarled, fire coming out of his mouth.
Kestrel was unfazed and stood defiantly in front of him."
"Frankly, I would like to know why you should be in command." Kestrel said.
"Because I am the best!" he said.
"The best, eh?" Kestrel said. "I'll give you a command, IF you answer me this…"
"...What do you fight for?"
"Easy. Glory, honor, and valor!" Garble said haughtily.
Kestrel smacked him in the face with the stock of his KSG-12 shotgun.
"Wrong answer, buddy." Kestrel said. "You think war's all medals and glory? I'll tell you this. Dying is easy, living is harder, my friend. Frankly, I'll tell you why I fight. I fight for something greater than all of those flashy medals and shit. I fight because there are greater things worth fighting for. Your flag, your nation, the friends beside you that will always have your back when shit hits the fan. You want a command? You fucking EARN It."
"You...you…" Garble said.
"You figure out your priorities, then, find me. In the meantime…" Kestrel said. "Get out of here, and get your shit straight."
Garble snarled and stomped off.
"Glad you dealt with him." one of the minotaurs said. "He was being a real pain."
"Glad to help." Kestrel said. "Get back to work now."
"YESSIR!" they both said in unison. Kestrel nodded and walked back to the squad, and Twilight gave him a small round of applause. Kestrel gave a mock bow in response. As they walked off, a Changeling came up to them.
"Agents, you're needed in the command center."
"Roger that." Nick said. They said goodbye to Ember and headed into the tent-covered command center, where General Razor waited for them.
"Agents, I've received news. Apparently a caravan full of uninfected survivors was ambushed on the way to the Gate. The attackers stole their supplies, killed the survivors, and fled to an abandoned fort near here, thanks to aerial recon from the Equestrian Wonderbolts. Can you find the bastards that did this and bring them to justice?"
"Yessir. We'll need backup, though." Nick said.
"I have ten Response units, already armed and equipped with masks, ready to move in with you. They're former Griffon Military, and they're good swordsmen too."
"Roger that. We'll head out soon." Nick said. As they walked towards the gate, Twilight and the Agents strapped on their masks.
============
As the Agents stood in front of the gate, along with seven Griffons and three minotaurs, the bubble enveloped them and their method of transportation, a Griffon vehicle similar to a fan-boat, called a "Skimmer" by the Response units. As they boarded, a Griffon fired up the engine, and they lurched forward. Nick and the squad loaded their weapons as the Skimmer entered the forest where the caravan was attacked.
===========
Meanwhile, at the fort, several Griffons in armor fashioned from scrap metal carried a body along with them. Throwing the corpse into a pit, they growled.
"We'll find that courier eventually. That letter could save us all."
"Still, we don't know the Vault exists."
"If it does, we'll be the first to know."
As the Agents stopped the Skimmer, Nick said a quiet prayer. The wreckage of the survivor's caravan lay in front of them, the bloody bodies of the refugees strewn about. Nick walked over, and inspected a corpse, which was clad in a blue coat and black pants. He then saw a small bulge in the coat pocket. He opened it up, and raised his eyebrows.
"Found something." He said. Harper walked over, and crouched next to him.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Letter, by the looks of it." Nick said. Taking his combat knife, he cut open the wax seal and began to read. Though it was stained with blood, it was still legible.
To the Griffon Ambassador in Canterlot, Gorius
I hope this letter reaches you in time. If you haven't heard by now, a plague of unknown origins has struck our lands. The King, Queen, and several nobles were exposed immediately and are now dead. As for the Princess Giselle, she was outside the palace when the outbreak began, and was smuggled out in a civilian caravan where I am writing this from. As for the Vault, it has been sealed and its location concealed. The plague has killed many of our people, and last I heard Princess Celestia of Equestria has sent pleas for help to all nations of Equis.
I hope this reaches you…
The remainder of the letter was cut off, as if the writer had been interrupted. Not that it mattered, as the bottom was thoroughly soaked with blood.
"Seems we've got a missing Princess." Nick said, as he and Harper stood up.
"Maybe she was captured and brought to the fort?" Anubis asked. "A Princess makes for a god hostage."
"We'll check it out. The rest of you, remain here. If there's any trouble, use this."
Nick handed the Griffon leader a Flare Gun, loaded and ready.
"What's this?"
"Flare gun. Aim it upwards and pull the trigger. It'll signal us pretty clearly. You have one signal, so use if ONLY if you're about to be overrun."
"Yessir."
"Sierra-Kilo, let's move!" Nick said. As they followed a trail marked by Griffon claw-prints, they eventually stumbled upon a ruined fort. Nick and the team saw Griffons clad in hastily fashioned armor, probably made from scrap metal, patrolling the walls. They carried rudimentary axes and scythes as weapons.
"Looks like they took whatever they could and put it together as armor." Kestrel said.
"Whoever they are, they're dead." Nick said. "Logan, drop the guys on that wall. We can use Sticky bomb to blow the wall."
"And alert all of them that we're hostile, possibly dooming any survivors." Twilight pointed out.
"...Right." Nick said. "Twi, can you teleport us in?"
"The flash would give us away." Twilight said.
"Well, what are we supposed to do? Knock on the door?" Dmitri asked.
"Why not?" Kestrel said. "They don't know who we are. They might be stupid enough to believe us."
"If we get heat, go loud." Nick said as they approached the gate. Several of the sentries readied bows, and one Scrap armor-clad Griffon approached.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Allies." Nick said. "We deal with weapons."
The Griffon thought, and then motioned. The gate opened, and they were escorted in. Nick and the squad saw a rudimentary Blacksmith's forge, several weapon racks, and a firepit. Nick and the squad were escorted to a Keep, where they saw a great hall, or what remained of it, filled with crates and supplies. The shocking thing were the five or so Griffons lined up against the wall, bound. One was female, with a white coat and a tan face. She wore what remained of a gown, and she was gagged as well.
"Who's she?" Nick asked.
"The Princess. Tried to get us to stop. Peh, didn't work." Their escort said. "Wouldn't be quiet, so we made her be quiet."
Nick and the squad said nothing as they were escorted into an office, where a large, burly Griffon waited for them.
"So, allies, eh?" He said.
"Yeah." Nick said. "You a buyer?"
"What are you selling?"
"Weaponry. The good shit." Anubis said, nodding to Nick.
"Show me, and I'll consider it." He said. As they walked to a field, he laughed.
"Now, why should I be interested in you weapons?"
"This is good shit." Anubis said. "Here, lemme show you."
Nick took a BFB Sticky bomb and shot it at the wall of the fort. It exploded, causing the wall to partially cave in. The Griffon started to applaud.
"Well done. I'm interested." He said. "Name your price."
"What've you got that interests us?" Anubis said.
"I'll show you."
The Griffon walked over to a door, and opened it. Inside was a considerable stash of gold and precious materials, in oaken chests.
"Fresh from the Royal Treasury." He laughed. "Some nobles tried to smuggle it all out. Tried, and failed."
Anubis smiled.
"We'll see." He said, before shooting the Griffon in the head with a suppressed PF45 Sidearm. As the Griffon fell, Anubis nodded.
"Let's move, and get those hostages out of here." Nick said.
"Hey! Stop them!"
Nick and the agents turned to see several Griffons pointing lances as them. The squad nodded, drew their guns and opened fire.
As the Agents opened fire and cut down the assaulting Griffons, Nick moved forward and saw a runner see the scene and flee. Nick fired a few shots, killing the runner.
"Area Clear." Twilight said. "We shouldn't stay here. They'll have heard the shots."
"Roger that." Harper said.
"Squad, on me." Nick said. "Wait, armory. Let's see what they've got."
Nick opened the door, and was surprised. Inside were crates of human weapons, from Black Market to Custom Model. Nick sorted through them, and brushed off some dust on one crate.
"LMB." he said, noticing the logo. "I think I've got an idea as to how the virus got here."
"Rogues from the First Wave?" Logan asked.
"Or Keener." Kestrel said.
"We need backup to secure these weapons, keep them out of the claws of the hostiles." Nick said. "Twilight, see if you can communicate with the Base of Ops."
"Already on it." Twilight said.
"For now, let's move and get those hostages out of here." Nick said. As the squad advanced, Nick noticed a map in the back. Grabbing it, he stuffed it into his rucksack and followed. As the Agents advanced into the Great Hall, they were sickened to see a large, Scrap-armor clad Griffon slitting the throats of three hostages.
"Just tell me where the damn letter is, and we'll let you go!" he growled.
"We don't know what you're talking about!" A hostage cried. Giselle shuffled, as she couldn't speak due to her gag.
"Drop 'em!" Nick said. A flurry of gunfire erupted, and the Griffons were on the floor, dead. Kestrel and Anubis set to freeing the hostages, while Twilight sent up a message to the Base.
"We've got additional skimmers incoming." Twilight said. "Plus reinforcements to deal with these hostiles."
"Copy that." Nick said. "You all okay?"
The hostages nodded in fear.
"Good. You're safe now. We need to move, so get ready." Nick said. "Let's go. Stay behind us."
The Agents rushed out towards the courtyard, and to their shock, along with seven heavily armored Griffons, was a human clad in First Wave LMB gear.
"Nice try, JTF shitheads." the Agent said. "Kill them, boys."
As the Griffons drew war axes and charged, the hostages were ushered to cover by Twilight, while the other agents opened fire. Nick threw down a Turret, and as it began to fire, he shot an encroaching Griffon. Then, he heard the sound of Response Force Skimmers approaching. Taking his chance, he opened fire on the Agent, who dove to cover and responded with Shotgun fire. Nick took cover and drew a Sticky Bomb out. He fired it and stuck it to the Agent's chest, and hit the trigger. The BFB exploded, killing the agent. Nick rushed forward and hastily downloaded any available data from his SHD Watch and Tech.
"Agent is down!" Nick yelled.
"Copy that." Anubis said, opening fire with his First Wave Vector SMG. The Griffons decided to flee, and as Response force troops pursued, a friendly Griffon came up and saluted.
"We'll take it from here, Agents. Head on back on a Skimmer. We'll get the guns and hostages back to the base."
"Good soldier." Nick said. "Sierra-Kilo, let's move!"
As the Agent's Skimmer entered Griffonstone, the agents disembarked and Twilight used her magic to scrub them clean of any viral contamination. As they headed towards General Razor's office, they found the General surveying a map.
"Agents." Razor said. "What'd you find?"
"The first faction has been revealed." Twilight said. "They're Griffons, clad in scrap metal armor. Thing is, they had a Rogue Agent working with them, and a considerable arms cache that'll boost our stock by a good amount. They apparently had Princess Giselle hostage there as well."
"Giselle?" Razor said. "Glad you found her, then. These Scrappers are probably concentrated near the Ironback Mountains, where they can find metal to make armor and weapons with. GOod find. Anything else?"
"We found a letter mentioning a "Vault."" Nick said. "Any idea what that is?"
"Well, it's only rumors, but I heard that the Griffon King stockpiled a large amount of gold and supplies underneath the palace, in a hidden vault. With that stockpile, you could essentially take control of the Griffon Lands if you found it."
"And now, it's the Scrapper's next objective." Kestrel said. "Problem is, no one seems to know where it's at."
"We'll find it." Razor said. "Damn good work. Take a breather. I'll call when we need you."
The agents nodded and walked over to the main Response Force camp and headed to the command tent.
"Sitrep." Nick asked a Changeling.
"Nothing's happened as of now." the Changeling replied. "The skimmers with the guns you humans found and the refugees just arrived. We'll get them distributed."
"Roger that." Nick said. As they headed out, Twilight then noticed a comms notice on her SHD Shoulder Tag.
"Is this thing working?" Came the voice of Celestia.
"It is. What's the matter?" Twilight replied.
"I need a favor, Agents. I've heard that a Response team managed to find a small base in the Griffon capital. Can you investigate?"
"Sure." Twilight replied. "We'll get right on it."
Twilight ended the call and told the other agents of their new mission. Heading over to the Skimmer depot, they found that an airship was waiting for them.
"What's with the airship?" Twilight asked.
"The main road to the Capital, the only one that our skimmers can get to has been cut off!" a Griffon replied. "We'll need to insert you in by air."
"Sounds good." Nick said. "Let's get going!"
"Wait, I'm getting an unknown radio call!" Twilight called out, relaying it through her SHD tech.
"Agents, Agents, can you hear me?" said a accented voice. Nick recognized the accent. Russian.
"Identify yourself." Nick ordered.
"This is Vitaly Tchernenko." Vitaly replied. "I am being held hostage in this world, at a manor near the Griffon Capital. Keener forced me to build a new strain of the Green Poison, which was released here. I do not have much time, as the radio I am using is almost dead. Find and extract me back to the Griffonstone Base of Operations as soon as possible!"
"Vitaly!" Nick said as the line went dead. "Vitaly! Fuck, we're going after him!"
"Roger that." Kestrel said.
"Let's slit some throats and get our virologist back." Harper said. As they boarded the airship, meanwhile, at the manor, two LMB officers dragged Vitaly into a sealed room. Shutting the door, they then snapped to salute at their approached leader.
"How's he faring?" Lightning dust asked, an eyepatch present where Anubis's sniper shot had hit her. Keener's agents had recovered her and using Equestrian magic and human medical tech, she had survived, but her left eye socket was empty.
"He'll make it. We found him with a radio, though." a LMB officer replied.
"Is it destroyed?" Lightning asked.
"Yes."
"Good. Make sure he stays alive. We need him for later." Lightning said as she departed to report to Keener of their captive's state.
============
"Alright, listen up." Nick said. "We don't know if Vitaly's alive. Which means, we need to keep him alive if he is. We can presume based on Keener's alliance with the LMB that they'll have Rogue agents and possibly LMB infantry on site, possibly Griffons given basic firearms training. Shoot to kill, but watch your fire. We don't want a dead virologist. There might be other hostages as well, so check your aim if there are. We good?"
"Good." The other agents replied.
"Let's move. Pilot, set us down!" Nick barked. As the airship set the agents outside a military barricade, Nick and the agents snuck into the compound, and were greeted by several LMB riflemen giving Griffons instructions in how to shoot an AK47.
"Stonehaven, this is Sierra-Kilo. We have hostile humans on site. LMB. Requesting permission to engage."
"Permission granted." Came General Razor's voice.
"Roger that." Nick said as his team prepared to engage. There was a flurry of gunfire, and they fell. Nick moved up and covered the manor entrance, while the other agents headed inside. Nick closed the door, and then his eyes caught something interesting.
"ACTIVE ECHO BEACON DETECTED." ISAC spoke. Nick downloaded the ECHO, and was greeted by a startling sight. Lightning Dust, the LMB leader, presumed dead from Anubis's sniper shot, stood behind Vitaly Chernenko, and a makeshift radio.
"So, you tried to call for help? Don't you know that you work for Keener now?"
"I work for no one." Vitaly replied.
"So you say." Lightning said as two LMB Squad Leaders grabbed him and smashed his radio. Vitaly was dragged off, and the ECHO playback ended.
"Lightning's alive?" Twilight asked.
"She should be dead." Anubis said. "My shot hit her right in the eye. She should've bled out, or died instantly."
"Yet she didn't." Dimitri said. "Let's end her for good."
"Roger that." Nick said. "Spread out."
Nick took Kestrel to search for Vitaly while the other agents paired up and spread out to search the compound. Nick opened the door to an office, and he found something shocking. A map of the Griffon Palace, a red X covering the area. Nick took a photo and then noticed a SHD container on the far side. Opening it, he found a Military model Goblin PDR. Taking the rifle, he slung it over his pack.
"Let's move." Nick said to Kestrel. As they moved out, they noticed two LMB Riflemen standing near a door. Nick moved closer to hear their conversation.
"So, how's our guy?"
"Eh, not eating. Figures. Commander Dust gave him a real beating."
"Yeah, remind me not to piss her off."
"Heard one of those red-watch guys patched her up after she got sniped. I still don't think they're on our side. Didn't like, ten of them betray us? And didn't one get killed?"
"They did. Doesn't matter. As long as we're still in control here, we'll be fine."
Nick motioned to Kestrel, who drew his knife. The two agents silently killed them, and grabbed a keycard from one of the bodies. Opening the door, they found a man in a suit with the start of a beard look back at them.
"Vitaly Tchernenko?" Nick asked.
"Da." Vitaly replied.
"Nick Sykes. SHD." Nick said, pulling the man to his feet. "We're the ones that hit the Consulate to extract you, back in Manhattan."
"I expected so." Vitaly replied. "Keener is not here. He left around five hours ago. He took the materials of my research with him."
"Know where he's headed?" Kestrel said.
"Regrettably, no." Vitaly said. "However, I do know the LMB here aren't alone. Keener has sent his men to the so-called "Scrappers" and two other factions, to instruct and arm them with guns."
"What are the other two?" Nick asked.
"I don't know." Vitaly said. "Let us move."
Vitaly grabbed a ballistic vest and a Police M4 from one of the rifleman, and nodded.
"You can shoot?" Nick asked.
"Da. Father was ex-FSO. Taught me how to use any weapon." Vitaly replied.
"Good." Nick said. "Agents, we've recovered Vitaly. Move to extraction."
"Roger that." Twilight spoke. Nick and Kestrel nodded to Vitaly and they headed back to the foyer. Then, Nick saw through the window two LMB squads disembark from a pair of humvees. They stacked up on the door, ready to breach.
"Cover!" Nick yelled as the agents took to cover. Nick threw up a Pulse Turret, while Harper set a Support Station down. Logan threw down a Mobile Cover for Vitaly. As the agents leveled their weapons, the doors blew open, and the LMB entered, already shooting.
"Open fire!" Nick yelled as the doors blew open and the LMB Infantry swarmed in, consisting of a few Riflemen, three Rushers, and a Heavy. Nick dove into cover and cut down a Rusher that was advancing on Vitaly, who seemed to be holding his own.
"Incoming!" Harper cried as the Heavy set down his shield and opened fire with a M249 machine gun. The agents stopped shooting to dive back into cover as to avoid the flurry of shots.
"Seeker out!" Twilight yelled, sending a Seeker Mine towards the Heavy, who didn't react in time to notice the homing explosive. It detonated, and the heavy was thrown to the floor. Kestrel sent three 12-G Buckshot shells into his face, ending the Heavy. Then, Nick saw a welcoming sight. A squad of Changelings armed with Kalashnikov rifles from the Scrapper's fort arrive via airship and open fire. The LMB turned away from the Agents and started shooting at the airship.
"Agents, move up!" Nick yelled as he fired his CM901 at a Rifleman.
"Copy that!" Anubis said, as his AWP killed a Grenadier. Then, Nick turned and saw a Squad Leader armed with a SMAW Launcher take aim at the airship from the roof. Before he could react, the rocket fired. Twilight threw up a magic shield instantly, shielding the airship from the missile.
"Nice catch!" Logan yelled as his MK14 scored a kill.
"Thanks!" Twilight said as she fired her W1200 at a Rusher. As the airship landed and the Changelings opened cover fire, the agents and Vitaly made a mad dash for the airship. Once the virologist was secure, the airship took off, amid heavy small-arms fire from the remaining LMB.
"Good thing we found you guys in time!" The pilot yelled. "There's been something going on at Stonehaven.'
"What?" Logan asked.
"A squad of Griffons was sent out to secure a village. They didn't come back. We found their bodies later. Turns out they were attacked."
"By who?" Nick asked.
"We don't know." The pilot replied. "Here we are."
As the agents disembarked from the airship, they escorted Vitaly to the Field Hospital, and then headed to the Command Tent.
"What's the situation?" Nick asked Celestia.
"We found this on one of the bodies." Celestia said, handing Nick something he did not expect. It was an SHD Watch, only the screen was cracked. Nick interfaced with the Tech, and frowned.
"Agent Michael Gates. Second Wave, KIA, Not a Rogue." Nick said. "What's his watch doing here?"
"We don't know." Celestia said. "Will you head out to the village and investigate?"
"Sure." Nick said. As they headed to the Skimmer bay, Nick glanced at the Watch.
"What's going on here?" he thought. "It can't be...them…"
===================
As the Agent's skimmer arrived at the village, Nick found a blood trail leading to the village center, where, to the agent's surprise, an Active ECHO beacon was present. Nick activated the ECHO, and watched.
"So, what'd we got here?" Said a griffon.
"I don't know why Razor sent us here." said another. "But there's no supplies here."
"Wait, stay where you are!" a third cried, and then, the sounds of simulated gunfire erupted. Then, as one Griffon attempted to crawl away from his dead squadmates, a figure Nick never hoped to see again approached. It was clad in heavy black armor, and a black and yellow striped Hockey Mask disguised the human's face. A Military MK46 and a LVOA-C assault rifle were strapped to his back, along with a wicked Tomahawk. The most disturbing thing was the multiple SHD watches, strapped to a bandolier. Nick stood in horror as the Hunter executed the griffon with a Tomahawk to the head. Then, there was a final gunshot, and the Hunter collapsed. The ECHO ended, and Nick growled.
"Nick, what was that?" Twilight asked.
"There's something you should know, Twi." Nick said. "Around a month after you left, we located several experimental antivirals in the Dark Zone. We were sent into the Dark Zone, in the middle of a superstorm level blizzard, to retrieve them. Our helicopter crashed, and we survived for three hours, with no SHD tech or weapons, and we managed to retrieve the antivirals. Thing is, we weren't alone in the Dark Zone. Unknown hostiles ambushed us at the extraction. They had SHD weaponry and tech, heavy armor, and they wore masks. And on their bandoliers were SHD watches they had taken from dead agents. We called them "Hunters". We killed four of them as we extracted with the antivirals. We haven't been able to locate them since. The human who just killed those Griffons was a Hunter. That explains why we found a SHD watch on the bodies."
"Who are they?" Twilight asked.
"We don't know." Nick said. "We have no evidence as to who they are. Only, that they target SHD agents and kill them, without mercy…"
"Contact!" Anubis said as the squad saw a human approach, clutching his shoulder. As he approached, the agents saw the human was a Hunter. Nick slowly approached, keeping his finger on the trigger.
"Who are you?" Nick asked. The Hunter didn't respond. He then fell to his knees and collapsed. Nick grabbed him and dragged him over to the Skimmer as the Agents boarded. Nick removed his mask, revealing a man of about thirty, with a rough shaven beard and reddish brown hair. Nick took the Hunter's P416 and R700 and set them in the storage compartment of the Skimmer. As they headed back to Griffonstone, Nick watched the Hunter be treated by Logan and Twilight. He sighed and looked back towards the darkening sky.
=================
Nick walked into the room where the Hunter was being kept. His armor had been removed, and his SHD watches confiscated, along with his Tomahawk. Nick sat down on a chair next to him, and a few minutes later, he heard a groan. The Hunter sat up and looked right at Nick.
"Where am I?" the Hunter asked.
"Not important." Nick replied
"You're one of those SHD agents, aren't you?" he asked.
"Yes." Nick said. "You're one of the Hunters."
"That's what you call us, eh?" was the reply.
"Who are you?" Nick asked.
"Name's Traver. Riley Traver." Riley said.
"Alright Riley, how do you know about the SHD?" Nick asked. Riley sighed and looked away.
"During the Dark Zone pull-out, some guy gave me a phone call. He called himself "Vanguard." He claimed he knew about some secret sleeper organization, how they left us behind, all that jazz. Said that during a snowstorm, four of them would come into the Dark Zone and try to retrieve some antivirals. I was told to kill them. But, something about the whole thing just seemed...off. I didn't..couldn't...do it. Four others tried, I know that. I headed towards the DZ checkpoint at West 31st to turn myself in when I black out. Next thing I know, I'm here. I saw those bird things, and I panicked. Then, I get shot, and you guys find me." Riley said.
NIck sighed.
"You should know who Vanguard is. His name is Aaron Keener. He's a rogue member of the same organization he told you about. Everything you know about the SHD is a lie."
"Then what's the truth?" Riley spat. Nick told Riley about the First and Second Waves of SHD agents, and how they were trying to take back New York, not destroy it.
"Damn." Riley said. "I thought…"
"It's true." Nick said. "It's our job to protect what remains."
Riley sighed and looked away.
"How many more Hunters are there?" Nick asked.
"There was seven of us." Riley replied. "Four are dead. The other two, just...vanished. I'm the last one."
"What's your combat experience?" Nick asked.
"Delta Force, three years." Riley replied.
"Riley…" Nick said. "I'd like to recruit you."
"For what?" Riley replied.
"For my squad." Nick said. "I'd like to make you an acting SHD agent. We could use you and your experience."
Riley hesitated, then he smiled.
"If it means giving that sonofabitch Keener what he deserves, then I'm in."
"Welcome, then." Nick said, helping him up. "Let's get you situated and armed."
Riley and Nick walked into the sunlight, as Riley smiled.
"Watch out, Keener." he thought. "I'm coming for you."
As Riley grabbed and loaded his weapons, Nick walked into the command tent and noticed several Response Force leaders were present.
"What's going on?" Nick asked.
Iron Wrath sighed.
"Someone tried to poison our water supply. We didn't catch the culprit, but we know it's a dragon based on eyewitness accounts."
"So we have a turncoat in our midst." Riley said, walking up.
"We do indeed." Celestia said. "However, they were very careful to conceal their identity."
"We'll need to flush them out." Nick said. "They could give us away to The Scrappers, or worse, the LMB."
"We'll handle the turncoat." Thorax said. "Focus on your missions, agents."
"Roger that." Nick said, and he and Riley saluted. As they walked out, Riley took in the sights around him.
"The Post Office has nothing on this place." Riley said.
"I'm not sure about that." Nick said. "The Post Office has its benefits."
Then, the agents received a Comms Signal from Vitaly.
"Agents, I request your presence in the Medical Building immediately." Vitaly said.
"Roger that, on our way." Nick said. The agents walked into the hospital to find Vitaly working with several ponies in lab coats.
"Ah, agents. I have good news and bad news. The good news is, the material contamination from the Scrapper fort gave me a hint as to this strain's mutation rate. The bad news is, the rate is too rapid for me to calculate."
"Alright. Keep working at it, Vitaly." Nick said. They headed out to find the rest of the Agents standing by the Skimmer bay.
"What's up?" Riley asked.
"We've got trouble." Twilight said. "We got word of a small enclave of survivors holed up in a cavern complex. When some Forces headed there, they were ambushed immediately by LMB. No survivors."
"So, our turncoat not only attempted to poison our water, but leaked our intel?" Nick said.
"Yes. And they're clever." Twilight said. "We have no leads on their identity."
Then, the sky turned red as a massive explosion ripped through the sky, inside the Griffonstone Plaza.
"SHIT!" Nick cried as his squad rushed to the explosion site. There, they found several bodies and casualties strewn throughout the plaza.
"MEDICS!" Logan yelled. Then, gunshots echoed and the oaken gate blew open, and a platoon of LMB Riflemen rushed out, and upon seeing the agents, opened fire. Kestrel and Anubis deployed Ballistic Shields to buy the other agents time to get to cover.
"FUCK!" Nick yelled. "All Response units, get your asses to the gate immediately! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"
"Roger that." Razor replied. "Squads inbound."
"Hold the line!" Nick cried as more LMB swarmed through the gate, along with two Heavies and five Rushers. Kestrel and Anubis discarded their near-broken shields and took cover behind a fountain, opening fire. Nick cut down a Rifleman, and he saw Twilight throw around three LMB using her magic.
"Keep it up!" Logan cried. Then, as the last LMB were dispatched, the Response Squads arrived, opening fire. Then, a rocket was fired from a building, and though Twilight threw up a shield just in time, it still exploded.
"RPG!" Nick cried.
"On it!" Dmitri said. Peppering the two LMB Grenadiers with suppressive fire. Nick growled, his mind flashing back to the Secure Quarantine Center bombing, and the ensuing Riker attack. Focusing his mind, he continued to shoot, and deployed a Turret for good measure.
"Where are they coming from!?" Harper cired.
"Dunno! Just keep shooting!" Logan replied, Pulsing the assaulting LMB. Then, Nick saw, to his relief, several Unicorns slinging blasts of energy arrive and start to push back the LMB.
"Move up! Close the gap!" Nick cried. The agents moved up, Kestrel and Anubis drawing out two more Ballistic Shields to provide cover for Riley, who was advancing with the agents. The LMB then started to fall back, and Nick rushed to the gate, spraying fire.
"Nick! Ease up!" Twilight cried. Nick reluctantly lowered his weapon and turned away. The unicorns sealed the gate and reinforced it with magic, while other units tended to the wounded.
"That motherfucking turncoat sabotaged our defenses!" Nick spat. "Wait, what's this?"
Nick saw a gleaming red object on the body of a dead LMB rifleman. Taking out the object, he scowled.
"That's a dragon scale." Twilight said. "And I think I know which dragon it belongs to."
"We sure do." Kestrel said.
"All units, apprehend Garble immediately! He is now marked hostile! Capture him alive!" Nick yelled into the mic.
"Roger that, we'll search the camp." Razor said. "Get your asses over to the command center now."
Nick and the squad departed, and they found Razor and Celestia conversing.
"We've got bad news." Celestia said. "Someone managed to burn a portion of our food supply."
"It's Garble." Twilight said, holding up the scale. "Found this on one of the LMB soldiers."
"Razor, this is Checkpoint Four! We have Garble in custody! He was attempting to sneak out." A voice spoke.
"Hold him there." Nick said. "SHD inbound."
The agents walked to the Checkpoint, where a restrained and muzzled Garble struggled against three minotaurs.
"Well, Garble, working with the LMB, killing Response force troops, active sabotage, treason...well, that's quite a list." Kestrel said. "Why?"
Garble gave a hard glare, though he couldn't speak, Kestrel knew what he was saying.
"Get him to the lockup." Nick said. As Garble was dragged off, Twilight saw a portal open next to them. The agents raised weapons, only to lower them as Sunset Shimmer stepped through the portal.
"Twilight." She said.
"Sunset. What are you doing here?" Twilight asked.
"I came to help." Sunset said.
"First things first, Sunset Shimmer."
Sunset looked and saw Celestia walk up.
"We need to talk."
Chapter 9-Face your demons
As Sunset, Twilight, and Celestia walked into a secure conference room and sat down, opposite the other, Twilight felt rather apprehensive. She knew what had happened between them, and she could tell that neither wanted to be in front of the other. Sunset decided to break the ice.
"I guess I should explain why I'm here." She said. "I've been working with Paul Rhodes in the Post Office Tech Wing, and they sent me over when they heard about the LMB."
"And you decided to come and face your former teacher, face to face?" Celestia said.
"Yes." Sunset said. Then, there was silence before both Celestia and Sunset spoke at the same time.
"I'm sorry." They said to the other, then they realized what had just happened.
"I should never have let my jealousy get the better of me." Sunset said.
"And I should not have let that jealousy foster in the first place." Celestia replied. "Sunset, I know…"
"And I know it, too." Sunset admitted. "I…"
"It's alright." Celestia said. "I forgive you."
As the two of them hugged, Twilight watched for a bit, then cleared her throat.
"Sorry to kill the moment. We still have a job to do."
"Right." Sunset said. "Paul also sent me enough tech supplies to start a Tech Wing here, seeing as you lack one."
"Good." Twilight said. "I'll help get it set up."
"In the meantime…" Celestia added. "What's the plan for Garble?"
"The SHD will handle him." Twilight said. "We'll get some answers out of him, one way or another."
"Right." Sunset said. "Let's get moving."
As the three of them headed into a vacant building, Sunset teleported in several CERA crates loaded with Division Tech, tools, and electronics. As she and several Response units set to work, Twilight walked over to the lockup, and to her chagrin, Garble was cuffed to a table, with Dmitri sitting across from him.
"Anything?" Twilight ask
"Nothing." Nick replied. "He's a resilient one, that's for damn sure."
Both Nick and Twilight sighed as Dmitri and Garble faced the other.
"Well, Garble, maybe I can cut you a deal after all." Dmitri said. "You start giving me answers, I could get you some more lenient terms."
"Die." Garble snarled. "I will never break."
"We shall see." Dmitri said, before he stood up and walked around behind Garble. Grabbing the Dragon's head, he smashed it into the table. Garble grunted in pain, snarling at the SHD agent.
"Well, shit." Dmitri said. "I can do this all day, you know."
"Fuck off." Garble said. "You may have me, but you can't stop what I've started. The Dragons will rise, and take back what's ours."
"Enlighten me." Dmitri said. "What's yours to take back?"
"Equestria." Garble said. "We were once the terrors of the skies, feared by all. Now, because of that whore-lord Ember, our pride has been shattered. When I claim my rightful place as Dragon Lord, we will rise up once again."
"You won't." Dmitri said, pulling his PF45 Sidearm out and loading it. "You can't do a thing."
"Maybe." Garble replied. "I have a backup plan. Princess Twilight?"
"What?" Twilight spoke.
"How's that little runt, Spike?" He snarled.
"He's in Ponyville. Why?" Twilight said.
"I wouldn't count on that…" Garble said. "He'll be getting...visitors…"
"Shit." Twilight said under her breath. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"I sent some friends to show him my regards." Garble replied. "If you want to see him alive again, let me go and take me to Ponyville. The LMB there will agree to an exchange, if you will."
Twilight gagged, and growled. Nick tried to stop her, but she teleported away in a flash, along with Garble.
===========
Twilight reappeared inside the library, and she rushed to the entrance hall, with Garble in a magic bubble suspended above her. To her horror, Two LMB Squad Leaders had Spike unconscious and their Military M4 rifles pointed at his head.
"Sir?" A Squad Leader asked. "You okay?"
"Fine." Garble said. "If you will, Princess?"
Twilight reluctantly released Garble, and one of the Squad Leaders tossed her Spike. Twilight then saw what she had been thrown. She raised her W1200 shotgun and pointed it at Garble immediately.
"You tricked me." She scowled, throwing the dummy to the floor.
You really are stupid." Garble said. "Of course I wouldn't give up the dragon who ruined my life. He's pretty far away now, in LMB custody."
Twilight pumped her shotgun, aiming it at Garble. The two Squad Leaders raised their own rifles, pointing them at the agent. Then, Twilight's horn glowed, and the two LMB agents were picked up, and they were slammed against the wall. Before Garble knew it, he was pinned to the floor, with the barrel of Twilight's shotgun in his face.
"Where. Is. SPIKE!" Twilight roared. Garble laughed.
"He's gone." He cackled.
"Agent!"
Twilight looked up to see Kestrel and Anubis run up, their weapons raised.
"Don't shoot! We need him alive!" Kestrel cried.
"He's got Spike...he needs to die…" Twilight growled.
"You shoot him, you'll go Rogue for executing a person in SHD custody." Anubis said. "That's not taken lightly, nor something you can walk away from."
"He needs to DIE!" Twilight roared, her hoof itching to pull the trigger. Garble laughed, screaming "DO IT, KILL ME!"
"Twilight! Don't do it!" Kestrel cried. Twilight gave in, and pulled the trigger. As Garble's brains were spattered onto the sidewalk, ISAC spoke.
"WARNING. YOU HAVE DISAVOWED THE DIVISION. YOU ARE NOW MARKED AS ROGUE."
Kestrel and Anubis stepped forward, their weapons aimed at her.
"Agent, you are Rogue." Kestrel said. "Lower your weapon and stand down."
Twilight slumped, and dropped her shotgun. Kestrel restrained her, and Anubis radioed Nick.
"Nick?"
"Anubis, what happened? We heard a gunshot over the comms."
"Twilight killed Garble. She's gone Rogue."
"Fucking...Damn it. Get her back here. And get Lau on the line." Nick said. "Get her weapons, too."
As Twilight, Kestrel and Anubis teleported back to Griffonstone, meanwhile, in a subterrene LMB base, Keener watched as Spike slept in a prison cell.
"Nice work, Garble. We'll take it from here." he said as he walked out.
As Twilight sat in a chair, inside an interrogation room at the Griffonstone Base of Operations, she looked at her shoulder tag, which displayed a vibrant red skull. Celestia and Nick watched her be interrogated by Kestrel.
"Isn't there anything you can do?" Celestia asked.
"Not a thing." Nick said. "Unless Lau can convince Division Command to exonerate her, she's rogue for good."
The two of them sighed and looked back at Twilight, who was answering Kestrel's questions quickly and curtly.
"Alright, we're done." Kestrel replied. "Remain here."
Kestrel slipped into the viewing room and sighed.
"She's going by the protocols, but even with that, we can't lift her status. Executing a SHD asset...that's one of the worst ways to go Rogue. The only other one that's worse is killing another agent without provocation."
"Fuck." Nick said. "Get me on the line with Lau."
"Already on it." Logan said. After a few minutes, Lau spoke.
"I know what's happened, Nick. SHD command's deliberating her case from ISAC's evidence and Kestrel's testimony. We have to wait."
"We can't wait. The LMB still has a foothold here, and they have this "Spike" as a hostage." Nick growled.
"I know, Nick." Lau replied. "Just hang on. I'll see if I can sway their opinions towards lifting her status."
"Roger that." Nick said. Then, Riley walked in.
"We've cleaned up the LMB's mess at the gate." He reported. "Plus we've cleaned up the poison in the water."
"Good." Nick said. "Keep at it."
"Roger that."
Riley departed, and Nick turned back to a rather despondent looking Twilight. After ten more minutes, Lau spoke again.
"Put me on the line with Agent Twilight."
"Yes ma'am."
Twilight opened the comms channel and sighed.
"Lau."
"Agent, I have good news and bad news. Good news is your Rogue status is being lifted. The bad news is what you have to do."
"Go on."
"This Spike is now an SHD asset. You recover him, Division Command will lift your Rogue Status and reinstate you in the SHD. However, you don't get him out alive, we will have to...well, I think you know. Get this Spike back to safety, agent. We've located a subterrene LMB complex to the south. He's most likely there. Get moving."
"Yes, ma'am." Twilight replied. "We'll get going immediately."
"One more thing. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. You go Rogue again, and we will be forced to neutralize you, no matter the consequences. You've been warned." Lau said. "Good luck, agent."
"Roger that." Twilight said as the red skull on her shoulder turned into a orange phoenix.
======
Spike groaned and woke up to a dreary white cell. Then, he remembered the LMB squad leaders that kidnapped him. The dragon shivered and curled into a ball.
"Hey, you okay, son?"
Spike saw a human clad in rather worn clothing sitting across from him.
"Who are you?" Spike asked, in a fearful tone.
"Easy, son. I'm not going to hurt you. What's your name?"
"Spike. You?"
"Me? My name...is Amherst. Gordon Amherst." The man said, coming into the light. Spike saw a ruddy brown beard and glasses on a worn, ragged face.
"Amherst." Spike said. "Wait, didn't you…"
"Infect 95 percent of humanity with my Green Poison?" Amherst said. "Yes. Yes, I did. And frankly, now I see that we're both in the same situation. Keener wants me to further upgrade the Green Poison using this world's magic, which is to say...insane. Even I didn't have that scale planned out."
Spike was unsure, but he nodded.
"Well, Keener's went and gone power-mad with rebuilding the world with the virus as his main tool." Amherst said. "Lucky everyone think's i'm dead. Body doubles work wonders."
Spike nodded once more and lowered his head.
"Get here soon, Twilight." he murmured.
==============
The SHD Agents and Hunter walked into the command center alongside Twilight.
"We've located an LMB complex that we believe they're holding several SHD assets at." Nick reported to Razor Wind. "We need some skimmers to take us there."
"I'll get them ready." Razor said. "Also, we've found out the last faction's goals. They're former Griffon Army, now out for vengeance. We're calling them the Raiders."
"Roger that." Logan said.
"Before you go, Agents…" Lau spoke suddenly over the comms. "I've received a data packet from Division command. They believe that the LMB base is holding four First Wave Agents there."
"What's so special about them?" Nick asked.
"They were the ones that found the experimental antivirals first in the Dark Zone pullout." Lau said. "They're called Midnight Team. Callsigns are Virgo, Aquarius, Scorpio, and Libra. They're armed with First Wave SHD tech, and they went missing during the pullout."
"How do you know these agents are there?" Nick asked.
"Roger that." Twilight said. "Let's go."
As the Agents and Hunter departed, back at the LMB base, in a cell next to Amherst and Spike's, four humans, two males and one female, crouched against the wall.
"Virgo?" one asked.
"Yeah?" Virgo replied. "What's up, Libra?"
"I think we've got some friends." Libra replied, pulling a brick out of the wall, revealing Spike and Amherst. Spike heard the noise and looked at Virgo.
"Hey." Virgo said.
"Hey." Spike said. "Who are you?"
"Name's Virgo. And if you want out of here, we've got a plan."
"All ears." Amherst said.
"Roger that. Here's how it's going to go…" Virgo said as she drew Spike and Amherst into the conversation.
LMB Base, Detention Block
0700 Hours, Cell Wing Alpha
Spike woke up from a light sleep to see Amherst nodding at him.
"It's time." He said. Spike nodded affirmatively. He, Amherst, and Midnight Squad had gone over their escape plan and hopeful extraction. Spike gave a nervous thumbs-up, and Amherst tapped three times on the loose brick. Virgo knocked twice, and then, Virgo spoke loud enough that the guards would hear.
"Break it up, you two!" Virgo cried. "Come on!"
"You stole it! I know it!" Leo mock-yelled at Aquarius. "Where'd you put it!?"
"I don't know!" Aquarius yelled back. Three seconds later, two LMB riflemen entered Virgo's cell. Not long after, there was a scuffle, a muffled gunshot, and Midnight Squad walked out of their cell and unlocked Spike and Amherst's.
"Stick with us, and stay low." Aquarius said, she and Virgo grabbing the LMB's two ACR rifles and loading them, while Scorpio and Leo took their sidearms.
"Let's go." Virgo said. They advanced down the hall, and upon disabling two LMB Grenadiers, stole the access card to the armory.
"Let's get our tech back." Virgo said.
"How do you know it's there?" Spike asked.
"Trust us." Virgo replied. "Move!"
After five more minutes of sneaking through the tunnels, they arrived at an expansive armory, containing several turrets, countless caches of guns, and on a table were Midnight Team's SHD Tech, loadout, Tags, and Body armor. Spike kept lookout while the four First Wave agents equipped themselves properly, and filled their bags full of medkits and grenades.
"Here, catch." Virgo said, tossing Spike a Walther P99.
"A gun?" Spike asked. "I don't…"
"Aim for the head and pull the trigger." Virgo replied. Spike gulped and nodded. Virgo nodded, and as the squad departed, Scorpio managed to grab several folders and a laptop. As they left, a green light near the door turned red and began to blink.
At the same time, Squad Sierra-Kilo and Twilight's skimmer was nearing a grove that was opposite the base. Anubis took out a pair of binoculars, and scanned the area.
"They're a lot more prepared than the UN." He noted. "Two lines of three turrets, multiple choke points...they're expecting an attack."
"Where's the Turret Controls?" Nick replied.
"On the North side, behind both Turret walls." Anubis replied. "I see Combat Engineers, a few Heavies, two Field Medics. Along with a few squads of Riflemen and a couple of Grenadiers."
"So what's the plan?" Twilight asked.
"The Turrets can't be disabled by EMP, they're designed to work against it." Nick said. "Plus, there's too many infantry there. We need a good distraction to take out the Turrets and get inside."
"What we need…" Logan said, but as he spoke, a loud alarm began to blare, and the LMB proceeded to run inside."
"No distraction needed now." Kestrel quipped.
"Let's check the comms." Twilight said, patching into the LMB comms.
"...the prisoners from Cell bay Alpha have escaped and armed themselves heavily. They're moving towards the main gate. All LMB squads, pursue and cut them off…" a voice spoke.
"Alright, now's our chance." Nick said. Logan, get to the Turret controls and see if you can flip them over to shoot at the LMB instead. Rest of you, follow me."
"Roger that." Logan said. As the squad advanced, Logan pushed a few buttons and hit a switch, before plugging ISAC into the system. Soon, the LMB logo on the Turret Display switched to an orange Phoenix. Logan nodded and rejoined the squad, and as the squad advanced, they found themselves in the Central Hub. The Second Wave Agents took cover, and then Twilight peeked over a crate. She sighed in relief and shock at the same time. Five humans, four of which were Midnight Squad, were pinned down on a balcony by LMB infantry. Twilight then saw Spike peek out from behind cover, only to be pulled back to safety.
"Focus, Agent!" Nick yelled, as he fired his CM901 at a Rifleman. "Move up! Harper, see if you can get those Agents on our comms!"
"Roger that!" Harper replied. "Midnight squad, do you copy?"
"Who the hell is this?" Scorpio replied.
"This is Harper Andrews, Second Wave, SHD." She replied. "We're down low and across from you. If you can make it to us, we can cover you to the exit."
"You had better be right!" Scorpio replied. "Midnight Squad, prepare to move!"
Harper ended the connection and blind-fired her Navy MP5N, while the other agents kept firing. Then, the five humans and Spike made a break for it. Four of them dive-rolled into cover, the final one slid. Spike leaped into Twilight's arms, and she shed a few tears.
"No time for a reunion, Agent!" Anubis said. "Stay sharp!"
"Roger that!" Twilight said. "Seeker out!"
"Stay to cover!" Virgo cried. "Suppressing fire!"
"Roger that!" Nick replied. "Make a break for it on my mark!"
"Right!" Scorpio replied. After a few minutes, Nick seized the moment.
"Now!" He cried. The agents bolted for the exit, and Spike held onto Twilight's back for dear life. As they reached the doors, the LMB pursuing them were immediately engaged by the Turrets. The agents boarded the Skimmer, and soon the compound was in the distance.
"That was close." Aquarius sighed. "Real close."
"Good thing we made it out." Scorpio said. "By the way, I stole some schematics from the armory. Wanna hear 'em?'
"Why not?" Nick said.
"We have...a Pulse that disables electronics with an EMP when manually disabled...a Sticky bomb with an Airburst proximity fuse...and mobile cover on tracks that advances with you. Neat." Scorpio said.
"We'll get them to our tech wing." Twilight said, looking at Spike. "And you, Mr. Amherst, are going straight to New York. Dr. Kandel's probably going to strangle or thank me."
"I don't doubt it." Amherst replied. "I do have a creator's insight to the Green Poison. But here...Keener made this strain personally."
"Figures." Nick said. "He looted your lab."
"After he knocked me out and stuffed me into a helicopter." Amherst replied. "Not fun."
"We'll see who's having fun when we get back to base." Twilight said. As they approached the gate, Twilight opened a portal for Amherst, and Riley agreed to escort him back. As the two of them vanished, Twilight set out for the Command Center.
