The Division-Rising In Harmony

Chapters

Prologue-The Map's Mission
Chapter 1-Last Hope
Chapter 2-Madison Square Garden
Chapter 3-Lincoln Tunnel Checkpoint
Chapter 4-Subway Morgue, Part One

Prologue-The Map's Mission

Ponyville, Equestria

Around Midday

Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria, could be described as very attentive to things. However, she was so focused on her annual report to Celestia, she didn't even noticed her Cutie Mark was glowing until it was noticeable in her peripheral vision.

"Spike!" she cried upon seeing the glowing light. "Get the girls!"

"They're already here!" the baby dragon replied. Twilight headed for the Cutie Map, and she smiled upon seeing her friends already sitting down.

"Where to?" Rainbow asked. "and who's going?"

"No clue as of yet." Twilight asked, activating the map. To everyone's surprise, the cutie marks of all six Elements were shown. The map moved in on Ponyville, into Twilight's Castle, and then…

It stopped on the Mirror Portal.

"Twilight…" Applejack asked. "The map's sending us through the portal?"

"I think so." Twilight said, still as shocked as could be. "That's never happened before. Lemme check with Sunset, see if she's okay."

Twilight brought out her Journal, and wrote.

"Sunset, everything alright in terms of Friendship problems over at the school?"

The reply took several minutes to appear.

"Yes, but I'm in class, Twilight, and I'm risking a detention. What's up?"

"Friendship Problem that's apparently through the portal", Twilight wrote. "Advice?"

"Can't say I have any." Sunset replied. "Got to go. Mrs. Lightwood is collecting papers."

Twilight put the journal away, and sighed.

"Guess we'll find out when we go through the portal." she sighed. "We all ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be." Fluttershy said.

"Let's go!" Rainbow cried. Twilight led them to the portal, and with a blast of magic, changed the destination to the location of the problem. The six of them entered, and they were gone in a flash of white light.

====
Brooklyn Airstrip
New York

SHD Agent Nick Sykes stood on the helipad, watching the sun rise on Manhattan in the distance. He heard footsteps, and he looked over his shoulder to see three other SHD agents walk up. He recognized them through their SHD Tags on their wrist and shoulder as the agents assigned to his team, designated Team Sierra-Kilo.

Logan Johnston, a Sniper. He was armed with a Hunting M40 Marksman rifle.

Harper Andrews, a Combat Medic. She was equipped with a Navy MP5N submachine gun.

And Kyle Ralston, a Support gunner. He carried a FN-MAG 50 machine gun. They all wore typical urban or suburban clothing, and from what Nick could see, they were activated around the same time as he was. Nick looked back at the weapon he carried, a Custom P416 assault rifle. Kyle approached and tapped him on the left shoulder, then he smiled.

"Morning." Kyle said. "You're Agent Nick Sykes?

"Yeah." Nick replied. "You and the others are teaming up with me, I suppose."

"You suppose right." Harper said. "Let's get to it, I guess."

"Let's, indeed."

The four agents turned to see Faye Lau, the Second Wave agent they all had met earlier, come up to stand next to them.

"Yeah, when we're all done here, I'll buy drinks." she smiled. "I know a place that serves the best Whiskey Sours in Manhattan. On me, if...when we take this city back."

The agents shuffled, knowing their work was cut out for them. The roar of engines turned their heads to the incoming V-22 Osprey Helicopter approaching the landing pad.

"The rest of us should be in this chopper." Lau said with excitement. "Can't believe it's finally happening."

The five of them approached, and the Division Commander lowered the door.

"Welcome Agent!..." was all they heard before the Helicopter exploded in a bright orange fireball. The four agents were knocked out, and Lau was blasted away, shrapnel tearing into her right leg.

====

Nick awoke to a hard smack to the back of the head. He sighed groggily as he opened his eyes, revealing the mid-morning Manhattan skyline..

"Wake up, I need you!" Lau said, injecting a Medkit into his chest. Nick turned to see he and his fellow agents were in a large-cap civilian helicopter. Nick could also see Lau's heavily bandaged face and leg.

"Look, you're all going to be okay." Lau said, groaning. "More okay than me, but...shit. That explosion took out the commander. And we still have a job to do here. And we're still going to do it!"

"That's for damn sure." Logan said, pumping the air. Lau sighed, and looked at Nick.

"Look, I found out more about the First Wave. They're all either dead, or MIA. So this is up to us, and we need to get it together. Right. Now."

As the pilots talked over the radio, Lau handed each Agent a Sidearm from an ammo crate.

"Usually you need time to know if you can count on someone, but we're out of time." she said. "My bet's on you four. I'm hoping to god I'm right about this."

The four mobile agents disembarked as the Helicopter landed. While Lau talked with the two JTF medics on site, Nick motioned for his team to head for the Camp Hudson gate. The JTF gave them a "Good luck!" before they set off.

====

They didn't get very far before ISAC spoke with an urgent message.

"Warning, detecting radiation and atmospheric electrical activity!"

"What's going on?" Nick asked.

"And what's that?" Harper asked, pointing to a glowing ovoid vortex that was growing in front of them. The Agents slowly advanced, with weapons ready and loaded. Then, there was a terrific blast, and the agents were thrown to the ground, their vision blinded. Nick groaned, and he could hear female voices speaking loud and clear..

"We made it!" said a bright and cheery voice. "I should throw a party!"

"A party?" Nick thought, still unsure of what happened just then.

"I think we've got bigger problems, everypony." said a more refined voice.

"Everypony?" Logan thought with disbelief. Their vision returned to normal as Logan and Harper helped Kyle and Nick to their feet. And what Nick saw shocked him flat. Six multicolored equine creatures, along with a smaller, lizard-like one were piled in a heap on the dock, and apart from their speaking understandable English, they were also getting their bearings and trying to stand up.

Then the JTF raised their weapons and advanced on them. One with a yellow coat and wings whimpered, another with wings and a rainbow-colored mane growled ferociously, and the various others had solid fear on their faces. The lizard clung ot the purple one like a scared child. The SHD Agents had seen enough by this time, and they walked towards them.

"JTF!" Nick said, drawing the attention of the soldiers. "Stand down. We got this."

The JTF Soldiers stepped back, though their various Police M4 and Super 90 shotguns didn't lower from their potential targets. Nick and his team walked towards them, and Nick did something, something that he had no idea how they'd respond to.

He extended his hand, offering to pull a lavender one with a horn and wings to her hooves.

"It's okay." he spoke in the kindest tone he could muster. "Nice of you to drop in."

====

Even though Twilight knew it was a bad attempt at humor, she chuckled and placed her hoof in the human's outstretched hand. She was pulled up, and she could see the other humans relax visibly.

"I guess we should introduce ourselves?" she asked the human, who nodded.

"Later." he said. "What are you?"

"I'm an Alicorn pony." she said.

"Well, I've never seen a pony who's purple." the human said.

"It's lavender." she said. "And it's a long story."

"Tell us, then." another human, a female, said as she approached. "We've got time for a story."

Twilight saw two other humans approach.

"Alright, but it'll be a while." she cautioned.

"We'll be alright." the leader said. "Soldier, where's somewhere private we can go?"

"The depot, I guess." the soldier replied. "Just...keep them away from the civilians. We don't want another outbreak of some alien sickness here."

"Roger that." Nick said. As the four of them escorted the six ponies and a noticeably nervous lizard away, with the pink one bouncing instead of walking, they didn't notice a small drone monitoring them through a camera. Marked with a Deer-skull logo, it buzzed off towards the southern part of Camp Hudson, away from the JTF.

Author's Note

Yep, this one's gonna be GREAT!

This story will follow the rudimentay mission order I have set up. It goes Rioters, then Cleaners, then Rikers, then LMB. Dark Zone will be towards the end, and Underground and Survival will come later.

Also, I will make a spreadsheet with Agent gear and skills to post here later.
EDIT-Here is the Roster

Do you like the start?

EDIT 2-Added in Spike.

Chapter 1-Last Hope

Nick and his team led the seven ponies to the Depot, neither side not really speaking to the other.

Except for Pinkie Pie. Her mouth never seemed to stop moving, constantly asking questions, speaking so fast that the agents didn't have time to respond to them.

"Alright, inside." Nick said. The ponies looked at a rather drab building marked with "Supply Depot".

"This it?" Rainbow asked.

"Sorry, we had first class suites at the Ritz, but those got booked." Ryan said. "To answer your question, miss, yes, this is it."

"Inside." Nick said. They entered, and while the agents dealt with the JTF, who were inside moving supplies, the ponies and Spike found seats on a pile of crates.

"Some welcome." Pinkie said. "Wonder what's going on? And why'd they bring us all the way here?"

"And here is certainly not pleasant." Rarity moaned. "My mane is absolutely filthy!"

The Agents walked over a few minutes later, carrying four folding chairs. They set them up, and sat down.

"So." Nick said. "Names?"

"I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, of Equestria."

"Rainbow Dash."

"Pinkamena Diane Pie!"

"F...Fluttershy."

"Rarity."

"Applejack."

The agents nodded.

"Nick Sykes." the leader said. "That's Logan, Harper, and Kyle."

"So, what happened here?" Twilight asked. "I figured the wall wasn't for show."

"It's not." Nick said. "Long story, but welcome to spectacular Manhattan, in New York City. Or at least...what's left of it."

"What's left of it?" Rarity asked, confused. "What could possibly…"

"We'll tell you." Nick said, pulling out a tablet. "Or better yet, show you."

Nick browsed for a few seconds, then hit PLAY on a video file.

"This is something I put together, to remind me and my team of what we're up against." he said. "Take a look."

Twilight saw a city horizon appear on the tablet, and all of the Equestrians realized it was Manhattan. Then, there was a male voice.

"You know that this Black Friday, you can sleep in…"

There was more garbled voices, then,

"Retailers are calling this their…"

There was images of people hurriedly buying merchandise in various stores…

"Millions of dollars in cash sales, changing hands…"

Suddenly, intercut with images of various people were images of what Twilight realized was bacteria or a virus.

"It appears to be a previously unknown variant of The Flu, catching many experts off guard…"

Images of contained panic started to appear, including hospital rooms and people wearing breath masks. Then out of the blue, sirens were heard and panic started to appear as text read "ARMY MOVES INTO MANHATTAN." Scenes of what the ponies and Spike assumed were soldiers trying to maintain order.

"Leading with unconfirmed reports of a Smallpox outbreak…"

"...a highly rehearsed scenario…"

"...and National Guard units converging on a Hospital in Central Manhattan…"

Then, Twilight and the others saw images of all means of transportation out of the city slowly being cut off.

"A very real danger…"

"More deaths than AIDS, more than Ebola…"

Then, a man on a podium spoke.

"Let me stop you there. This is not a panic situation!"

Then, in a store, Twilight and the others saw a man shoot another in the lower chest or leg over medicine, SWAT units in formation, and scenes mass chaos.

"...an ENTIRE American city, locked down!..."

Then, images of the dead being buried and fighter jets tearing through the sky flashed before them, along with a naval blockade of the city.

"...Known as Green Poison, Central Park has been converted to a mass Burial Ground…"

"...reports of gas line leaks, fires, power outages, the Government seems…"

More images of burning buildings and SWAT Units knocking their shields to intimidate rioters appeared...

"...We're expecting another night of widespread looting!..."

"The people of New York are begging…"

"Where were the cops?" an angry man yelled

"All of our first responders are either dead or…" as the images of a world pandemic appeared.

"With no resources available…" on an image of a document marked with "Directive 51".

There were more scenes of violence, police using Tear gas, the city descending into total, uncontrollable chaos, the Rikers Island Facility being overrun…

"We're being treated like animals!"

"It's not our job, we're not trained for this!" said a SWAT operative, and that was the final thing the ponies and Spike heard before Nick pressed PAUSE, and the video ended.

"What...happened?" Rarity asked, absolutely floored. Fluttershy was on the verge of crying. The others were just...shocked beyond words.

"That is the state of affairs, here in Manhattan." Nick said. "If you want to know the details, that'll take longer. But we don't have time."

"Ditto." Kyle said. "JTF radio channel just flared. Rioters are attacking the BoO at the Post Office."

"Ready up!" Nick said. "And you seven are coming with us."

"Into that...warzone?" Twilight said, not sure she heard correctly.

"Yep." Nick said. "Stay behind us, keep your head down, and stick to cover. Let's move."

Twilight glanced at her friends nervously, and they all nodded uneasily. Nick loaded a fresh magazine into his P416 assault rifle, and the eleven of them headed to the gate. After a quick decontamination, they entered the war-torn area of Pennsylvania Plaza.

====

Twilight and the others were told by Nick not to look around, but she couldn't help but disobey. The city, true to her thoughts, was in a state of total destruction. Burned-out stores and buildings, areas covered in yellow coverings marked with "QUARANTINE", and…

...Bodies. Dead humans hidden among the carnage.

"How'd they all die?" Fluttershy whimpered.

"Various causes. Mostly Green Poison, or they got shot." Harper said. "Everyone here in Manhattan shoots to kill. And Nick, we'd better hit the gas."

"Right, double-time!"

The agents took off sprinting, and the ponies, though able to keep pace, struggled slightly. Even Rainbow took to the air to keep up. As they entered the rudimentary perimeter of the Post Office, Nick and his team took cover behind a ruined Taxicab. Twilight and her friends could see several humans wearing urban apparel and masks firing guns at the green-clad JTF.

"JTF squad, identify." Nick said into his SHD shoulder tag.

"Who the hell is this?" said a voice.
"SHD Agent Nick Sykes." Nick replied. "On your right flank. We're engaging now. Give us cover."

"Roger that! Just do it soon! We're losing guys here!"

"Noted." Nick said. "Logan, stay here and pick them off. Guard our guests too. Rest of you, weapons free."

Nick, Kyle, and Harper advanced into the open, and Nick took his shot. Firing a burst at a Rioter armed with a Submachine gun, Nick furrowed as the man fell.

"Watch out!" the leader cried. "Get those fuckers!"

The other Rioters advanced on the agents. Nick swiftly identified them. Two riflemen, a grenadier, and a rifleman armed with a stolen RPK-74 Light machine gun.

"Move up! Focus the gunner!" Nick yelled. Logan affirmed over his SHD radio, and dropped the Grenadier with a shot to the head. Harper suppressed another rifleman, leaving him to be shot by one of the JTF soldiers on the ramparts. Kyle's machine gun downed the last rifleman, and the agents advanced to the barricade.

"Clear?" one JTF soldier asked with relief.

"Clear." Nick said.

"Thanks for the help." the soldier replied. "Dispatch, this is Bravo Squad. Situation under control. Division Agents saved our sorry asses. Head on in."

"What about those things?" a soldier said, pointing to the approaching ponies. Nick looked at the man, and pointed to them.

"They're with us." he said. "And you'd better not shoot them."

"Yessir." said the soldier. The ponies were shepherded inside, and Twilight had to sigh. For a Base of Operations, it certainly didn't seem like one. The inside was dirty and unkept, with a few civilians and JTF soldiers milling about.

"Agents!'"

The eleven of them turned to see Lau come in, supported by a soldier.

"I just got off with Division command." she said. "Seeing as Louis Chang is dead, I'm in charge here. And as for our guests...well, they thought it best for them to formally announce themselves, just to tell the people of Manhattan they're not a threat.."

Before they could reply, the radio in the corner spoke for them.

"Hello, Manhattan. This is Rick Valassi, and you sorry bitches are listening to Wouldn't You Know It, the Tri-state area's favorite pirate-radio podcast. And do I have a story for you. We aren't alone anymore, New York. I have confirmed reports of seven extraterrestrial contacts made at Camp Hudson. From what I could gather, they looked like horses you'd see in some kids cartoon or shit like that. And they didn't land in a UFO, they dropped out of the sky through some portal straight in front of the Camp Hub. Apparently they were taken into custody by the JTF, but what's that to us? We're fucking dying out here due to the Green Poison, and now we have ALIENS in Manhattan? You're probably loading your gun right now to go alien hunting, but in all honesty, It's going to be okay, at least to me. Why, you ask? Because we've got bigger shit to deal with than aliens. Once again, This is Rick Valassi, signing off. Good luck, and I welcome our new alien friends. At least, I hope they're friends."

The ponies looked at the civilians staring at them nervously. Twilight then looked at Nick.

"Cat's out of the bag now." he said simply. "Go ahead. Make history."

Twilight and her friends slowly walked forward, and introduced themselves.

====

After the initial panic was calmed by the JTF and the Division agents, Twilight found the civilians to be full of questions and not as scared as Twilight had thought they'd be. The various children were laughing their guts out at Pinkie Pie's antics, and Rarity was helping sew some clothing. Twilight, however, was dead tired.

"You alright?" Nick asked.

"Yeah." Twilight said. "What's next?"

"You're talking to the whole of Manhattan, that's what's up next." Nick said. "We managed to get a radio setup working, so you and your friends can make a broadcast on local radio. With some help from Mr. Valassi."

Twilight and her friends reluctantly headed to the tech wing, where Lau was speaking with a man who had to be Rick Valassi. He was weaselly-looking, with a sharp face.

"So, there they are." he said. "I'm Rick Valassi, nice to meet you all. Radio's hot, so go ahead. tell the whole of New York what's going on."

Twilight and her friends took the mic, and thus began a broadcast that would change the world.

"I suppose you've already heard about us, but let me and my friends introduce ourselves. I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle…"

Author's Note

Update!

Chapter 2-Madison Square Garden

"And so, that's everything. I know it may sound strange, or even absurd…" Twilight paused. "But it's the truth. We came here to help. And I pray that you'll let us. This is Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle, signing off."

Twilight handed the mic to Rick Valassi, who spoke further. She sighed, as their broadcast to Manhattan had taken two hours to complete.

"Yep, there you have it, Manhattan. They're friends. And since they're standing right next to me, I can vouch personally to their friendship. I just want to be the first to say...Princess Twilight and company, welcome to Manhattan. This is Rick Valassi, signing off for Wouldn't You Know It."

Valassi powered off the radio, and smiled.

"You need any facts on Manhattan, come to me." Rick said. "I'll be upstairs."

As Valassi left, Lau, plus Nick and his team walked in.

"We've got a problem on our hands." Lau said. "Here, at Madison Square Garden. CERA was using the site as a Field Hospital, but armed Rioters swarmed in and took over. They've got the Med Staff there as hostages, including Dr. Jessica Kandel, a virologist we need. We need them all back here to get our Medical wing functional. Agent Sykes's team is heading over there with a JTF squad, but they need backup."

"And you figured we'd be up to the task." Twilight said. "We're not soldiers, Miss Lau."

"We know that." Lau replied. "SHD Command says that if you can help in any way, they'd appreciate it greatly, but here's the catch. Squad Sierra-Kilo is now responsible for your safety. And since they have head over to Madison, you're going with them. There's Kevlar Vests downstairs. Put them on, and get going."

Twilight could understand there was no room for disagreement. Spike hopped up onto Twilight's back as they followed Nick and his team to the door. Finding six Ballistic Vests marked with "JTF", the ponies put them on. They were bulky and ill-fitting, but Twilight used her magic to adjust more to their equine body shape.

"Lock and load." Nick said, cocking his P416. "JTF, on me!"

====

It was a quick hike to Madison Square Garden, where two JTF soldiers were placing explosives on the doors. Nick motioned for the ponies to stay where they were, and the four agents were handed a detonator.

"Breach and clear!" Nick said as he hit the button.The doors blew open, and the squad entered the Garden, with the ponies not too far behind. They had barely reached the main concourse, which was filled with medical equipment and debris before two Rioters noticed them and opened fire.

"Engage!" Nick said, diving behind a Food Cart. Lyle forced the Rioters into cover with a burst from his MAG-50, while Harper and Logan moved on the flanks.

"Rushers, incoming!" Logan yelled. Twilight peeked her head up to see three hooded men wielding baseball bats begin to charge.

"Shock out!" Nick said, hurling a canister of some kind, which landed near the Rioters. It crackled to life, spewing three large bolts of lightning. It stopped the Rioters cold and caused them to spasm violently from shock.

"Focus!" Harper said as the JTF shot the stunned Rioters. "Move up!"

The agents moved up the unmoving escalator and eliminated three more Rioters, who had come to investigate the gunfire.

"Okay, Agent." Lau said as they all entered a room full of computer monitors. "Patch me into the security system. I'll see if I can locate Dr. Kandel."

Nick typed a command code into the keyboard, and the screens flickered blue before changing through the various camera feeds.

"Alright, it looks like Kandel and her staff are treating their wounded, at the upstairs Koby's restaurant. That's the only reason they're all still alive. Get moving, Agent."

"Roger." Nick said. "JTF, spread out into teams of three. Search the area. We'll handle getting the Med Staff."

"Yessir!" the JTF Sergeant said.

"And you seven are with us." Logan added. "Let's go!"

The squad, and the ponies, headed up a freight causeway towards a large medical wing in the middle of a Basketball court.

"There's a lot of hostile activity in there." Lau said. "But if you use cover, you can eliminate them quickly."

"Stack up." Nick said. The ponies hid behind a large container, and Nick's team advanced to cover. The Rioters, around ten of them, didn't notice.

"Engage!" Nick cried, firing and killing a Rioter Thug. The other agents opened fire, drawing the hostiles' attention. One wearing a backpack stuffed with firecrackers pulled something out and hurled it. Twilight, thinking the Agents most likely didn't want to be hit by whatever it was, used her magic to catch it and throw it back. The Molotov exploded in midair, setting a few Rioters on fire.

"Nice one!" Rarity cried, yanking a Rioter's baseball bat out of his hands, and proceeding to pummel him upside the head with it until he fled for cover.

"Keep pushing!" Kyle yelled. After a few more minutes of furious combat, the agents and ponies headed up towards an elevator.

"Restock and patch yourselves up." Nick said to his team, who began to check their ammo from a crate. "And you seven stay close."

Even though the ponies were smaller than the humans, it was quite cramped as the elevator went up. Rainbow even took flight to keep her personal space clear. Eventually, the Elevator stopped, and they exited. Twilight looked to her left, and saw a door marked with "QUARANTINE".

"To get to Koby's, you'll have to pass by contaminated areas." Lau said. "The people who were infected with the virus were treated there, at least until they got shot. So be careful."

"Roger that." Nick said, reloading his P416. "Let's go!"

The Agents headed into the upper concourse, where Twilight could see several of the medical staff hiding inside a kitchen.

"There they are." Harper said.

"Logan, you and I will draw their fire. Kyle, Harper, go for the med staff. The rest of you keep your heads down." Nick said. He and Logan moved towards a toppled piece of furniture, and the other two agents headed for the restaurant entrance.

"Go!" Nick whispered. Logan aimed and fired his M40, scoring a headshot. The Rioters immediately opened fire, leaving the med staff clear. The other agents moved up and bypassed the rioters, leaping into the kitchen.

"Move!" Nick yelled as he killed a Rusher. Twilight and the other ponies slowly moved through cover as the bullets flew all around them. Nick quickly dove to a second piece of cover and shot down a Rusher, who was charging wildly.

"We clear?" Nick yelled.

"Clear!" Logan replied. "Med staff are secure!"

Kyle helped move the staff towards the back of the restaurant, where the JTF could retrieve them. Nick slowly moved out of cover, towards the front.

"WARNING-ADDITIONAL HOSTILES DETECTED!" ISAC spoke. The Agents immediately shepherded the ponies to the back, and Kyle deployed his MAG-50's bipod.

"Keep your heads down!" Nick cautioned the medical staff and the ponies, just as the doors to another area burst open, and at least ten to thirteen rioters swarmed out, guns blazing.

"Take them out!" Kyle yelled, opening up. The agents boxed the rioters in, occasionally diving down to reload. After a few minutes, the last of the Rioters lay dead, and three JTF units appeared to escort the Medical staff.

"Agent, we've got a problem on the roof." Lau spoke. "They've got a machine gunner suppressing the JTF. Clear it out, or we won't be able to get the med staff safely across."

"Roger that." Nick said. "Move!"

As the eleven of them headed for the catwalk to the roof, Nick and his team were reloading when Twilight spotted an unopened container.

"What's that?" she asked Nick.

"Let's find out." he replied. Opening it, he found a loaded civilian-make R870 Shotgun.

"Catch!" he said to Twilight, who caught the weapon awkwardly.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"To protect you and your friends." Nick said. "Aim for the head."

The group of eleven climbed or flew up a ladder, and they found themselves on a rooftop balcony.

"JTF, report." Nick said.

"We're pinned down, Agent!" was the strained reply. "We won't make it across unless that gunner goes down!"

"Roger, get ready to move. Gunner will be down soon." Nick said, reloading his P416. As the ponies took up cover on the rear of the rooftop, Nick and his team advanced and opened fire. The Rioters engaged immediately, a few throwing Tear Gas Grenades or Molotov Cocktails.

"Grenadiers! Focus!" Logan said as he dropped a Thug.

"Roger!" Kyle replied, suppressing one just as he pulled the pin on a Tear Gas canister. The grenade detonated, spewing misty white gas onto the battlefield.

"Gunner's coming out!" Harper yelled as an armored Rioter, wielding a Classic RPK-74, stormed out and opened fire.

"Focus fire!" Nick said. The agents unloaded their weapons, and the Gunner scurried into cover. A few more Rioters approached and attacked, but a few bursts killed them. The Gunner hefted up his machine gun to suppress the Agents, but a well-timed headshot from Logan killed him.

"Move up!" Nick said, motioning towards the fleeing Rioters. As they fled, Nick confirmed the kill on the Gunner.

"JTF, report!" Logan said.

"We've got the medics across. Kandel and all staff accounted for, no casualties." said the reply. "We'll send scouts to mop up the remaining Rioters in the area."

"Roger that." Nick said. "Let's go, team. Hey, we're all clear!" he yelled, seeing as the ponies were still in cover. They approached, and Nick motioned to a window-washing cart on the side of the building.

"We'll zipline down." Nick said. "You take the cart."

Twilight grimaced, but the seven of them descended as Nick and his team fast-roped down. Two JTF soldiers greeted them as they landed.

"Nice work!" one said. "Kandel's already getting set up in the Medical Wing!"

"Roger that." Nick said. "Let's go, everyone."

Twilight and her friends followed the agents, however a robotic pair of eyes was watching them. A second drone, marked with the white deer-skull, surveyed them from a rooftop perch. After recording them, it buzzed off towards the Dark Zone Wall, and eastern Manhattan.

====

WARNING-INTERCEPTING PHONE TRANSMISSION.

"...So, they survived their first combat scenario. I'm impressed. These ponies seem rather resilient to the world around them."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Colonel. They're softies with no real experience, from what I heard on the radio. The only real problem ahead of us will be separating them from the Second Wave agents and taking them into custody."

"...I could send a few squads. They'd overwhelm their pathetic Base in a few minutes. We're geared light-years ahead of the JTF anywhere in Manhattan."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Bliss. That'll come later. For now, keep the drones up, and call if anything happens that's...concerning to my operations."

"If you insist. Cutting link."

====

Twilight and her friends headed into the now slightly-more organized Medical wing to see Doctor Kandel waiting for them.

"Hey, it's you guys!" she said with relief. "Thanks for getting me out of the Garden. I have been in some hostile work environments before, but Jesus...Of course, it's not like this place is getting anywhere, anytime soon. I mean, antique equipment, zero staff, countless patients, this is not going to cut it!"

"We understand, doctor." Lau said, coming in on crutches. "We're doing our best at the moment, and if you have any suggestions, I'm happy to hear them."

"I know, I know...beggars, choosers, all that crap…" Kandel sighed. "What matters is beating this, but I can't do that without knowing more about it."

"Well, here's a good place to start." Lau replied, drawing the ponies' attention. She dropped a folder marked with CERA onto the desk. "CERA's pretty sure a Doctor Gordon Amherst had something to do with the outbreak."

Twilight looked at the image of a rough-looking man with glasses with interest.

"Oh god, that asshole." Kandel swore.

"What's wrong with him?" Rarity asked.

"Well, I saw him present a paper at Columbia University. He nearly started a riot!' Kandel said. "If he's part of this, I'll need everything you can find. Notebooks, laptops, hard drives, anything you can get. And I'll need antibodies, live samples, yeah...you'll be busy."

"Where are you going?" Lau asked as Doctor Kandel headed into the lab.

"Fixing this, saving lives." Kandel replied through the door. "Now, I'll get to work. Excuse me…"

The ponies looked at Lau, who sighed.

"We should get to work as well." she said. "Head into the commons, see what needs done. I need to speak with my agents."

Twilight and the others headed into the main area as Nick and the others headed for the main table.

Author's Note

This took WAY TOO LONG to write.

Sorry about that.

Next time-Lincoln Tunnel Checkpoint and Subway Morgue.

Chapter 3-Lincoln Tunnel Checkpoint

As the Agents headed over to the SHD tactical map, Lau sat down and pointed at an area marked with a blue shield.

"Here. Lincoln Tunnel Checkpoint." she said. "This is the major supply line for basically anything from outside. Food, meds, and weapons. But we've got a team of Rioters with explosives trying to break quarantine. The JTF garrison is holding for now, but they're weakening. Thing is, if the Rioters blow the floodgates, the tunnel fills with water, the line's cut, and countless more people die. We know that Benitez is there, in the thick of it. Secure the Tunnel and recover Benitez. Get moving."

"Roger that." Nick said. "Team, let's go."

"One sec." Lau said. "We've managed to get a cache of SHD Tech dropped in."

She motioned to a brown crate emblazoned with the SHD logo.

"We've got everything from Pulse modules to Ballistic Shields." Lau said. "Take your pick."

The Agents claimed their respective Skills, and headed back into the Main area. To their surprise, it seemed much more hygenic and presentable. The ponies, as Nick and his team could see, were helping the civilians, cleaning up the base, or, in the case of Pinkie Pie, entertaining the children there.

"Should we get them?" Kyle asked.

"No, this one's on us." Nick said. "Let's get moving."

====

Twilight noticed something odd when she saw Lau speaking over the radio, and there was no sign of Nick or his team. She walked over to Lau's desk, and started to listen in.

"Captain Benitez, this is Faye Lau. We are Division Agents, and my team has eliminated the perimeter threat. I'm patching you into our comms, to direct support to where we're needed."

"That's good news!" said a rough, experienced voice. "But we still have plenty of bad! Some of those bastards made it through, and they're planting explosives on the Floodgates. They want out come hell or high water. Those bombs go off, you know which one we're getting!"

"Agents, get to it!" Lau said, sitting down. "Yes, Twilight?"

"Where's Nick and his team?" she asked.

"Lincoln Tunnel." Lau said. "They left about 35 minutes ago."

"And you didn't tell us?" Twilight asked.

"You were clearly occupied, and Lincoln Tunnel is currently under siege by rioters." Lau said. "It's too dangerous."

"You said we would have to help." Twilight said, slightly angry. "And yet you leave us here?"

"It was Agent Sykes's decision, not mine." Lau retorted. "Listen. I know where you come, it's goddamn near paradise. However, this isn't Equestria. This is not where you come from. I do NOT want you dead, for any reason. I especially don't want to send you home in body bags because you wanted in on a mission. So don't think I'm keeping you here for shits and a few laughs. I'm keeping you here because I was ordered to. So, what say you?"

Twilight flinched. Lau sighed.

"Sorry. Probably shouldn't have yelled."

"It's alright." Twilight said. "But, I respectfully ask permission that we be able to accompany Nick and his team, wherever they go. We're not soldiers, but we can defend ourselves. Do you trust us, Miss Lau?'

Lau smiled.

"You're pretty goddamn brave, Twilight." she said. "Permission granted. Anyway, there's something I need to talk to you about."

Twilight sat down, and Lau crossed her arms.

"We have a problem on our hands, and I think you might be able to help." Lau said. "As you know, the Virus spread quickly, and here's the thing. There's large areas in the city where viral contamination has made them inaccessible. We know from what you told us that your magic can do, well, some neat stuff. Can it scrub those areas clean of the virus?"

"Maybe." Twilight said. "We have Cleansing spells, used to disinfect wounds for first aid. However, those aren't as strong as what you need. I'll need time to develop a stronger spell like that. But, I'll do it as best I can, and possibly I can make it usable by humans."

"Thanks." Lau said. "Let's check on the Agents, shall we?"

She turned on the radio, and asked "Agents, you okay?"

"Yep!" Nick replied. "We've cleared the tunnel and eliminated the Rioter leader. Benitez is en route."

"Roger that." Lau said. "Let's give our guest a warm welcome."

====

About ten minutes later, Roy Benitez arrived with the agents and a squad of JTF.

"Hey, look who it is." he said. "I've heard on the radio about you."

He pulled out a cup of coffee, and sighed. The Ponies watched with interested as he drunk deeply.

"I passed by what's left of Kerman's." he said. "Alright, back to business. I don't have enough people to secure a block, much less maintain order and safety. So we have large hostile elements controlling most of the neighborhoods."

Lau pointed to quite a few colored markers.

"Rikers, Cleaners, street gangs." She said.

"And these bastards are running out of control, taking whatever they want, and killing whoever they want, because we got nobody to stop them."

"We need to take them out strategically." Lau said. "And we'll get this city back, whatever it takes."

"Right." Benitez said. "Hey, I knew some of your people in the first wave. Any chance we'll get backup anytime soon?"

"For now, we're it." Lau said. "And trust us, Captain, we'll make it through."

"And don't count us out!" Twilight added. Benitez nodded with a smile.

"You know, I'm feeling optimistic for the first time in a long while." he said. "Let's get to work, everybody. We've got a long way to go."

====

Twilight and the others decided to get some rest, as the sun was setting. Lau had set up their quarters next to the Agents', and though it wasn't much, it was at least what they could get.

"Wow, what a day." Rainbow said, collapsing. "I am so freaking exhausted."

"We did move crates the whole day." Applejack said. "Just like farm work to me."

"Let's just get some sleep." Twilight said. "We'll need it."

As the ponies and the Agents drifted off, a third drone hovered near the windows. It snapped a few pictures, then it flew away.

Author's Note

Another Update!

Chapter 4-Subway Morgue, Part One

As the ponies headed back to the Civilian area, Lau motioned the four Agents to the table.

"We've got a distress signal coming from the Subway Morgue." Lau said. "CERA was using the unfinished Passway project as a combined mass burial site and power station. Problem is, we sent a JTF team to man the site, led by Paul Rhodes, a former combat engineer we need."

Lau groaned before continuing.

"Our main problem is that the Cleaners are already there, en force." she continued. "They've dispatched teams to torch the site. We lose those Generators, we lose all practical methods of powering the base. Recover Rhodes, get the power online, and deal with the Cleaners."

"Roger that." Nick said. "Let's go, Agents."

"One more thing." Lau said. She tossed each agent a Viral Protection Mask.

"You'll need these." she said. "Get to it."

====

After retrieving the ponies from their posts, the Agents handed them their masks and body armor.

"I still don't know why this armor is so...drab." Rarity complained.

"That "drab" armor will save your life if you get hit." Kyle replied, cocking his MAG50. "Trust me. Now cut the chatter, and let's go."

The ponies followed the agents out into the streets outside the Base. Twilight could see the JTF seemed a little more prepared, judging by the roadblocks and guard positions on either side.

"Nick?" she asked.

"Where exactly are we heading?" she asked.

"Subway Morgue." Nick replied. "CERA used an unfinished subway project as a mass grave and power station. Problem is, Cleaners are already there. They destroy those Generators, we lose power to the base."

"Cleaners?" Rainbow asked. "Who are those guys?"

"From what we know…" Logan said, accessing the SHD Database through his watch. "...they're former sanitation and service workers, banded together on an oath to burn out the Green Poison, under any means necessary. They're all apparently armed with homemade flamethrowers or incendiary devices. They're organized and motivated, unlike the Rioters. So...let's just say they're more than dangerous."

"Hmm." Twilight said, murmuring with thought. "Then why are they going after a power station?"

"Because of the bodies." Harper said. "They burn anything and anyone that has or shows viral contagion. Bodies tend to fall in that category. I heard that before the all the gas in Manhattan ran out during the First Wave, they'd roam around on garbage trucks while patrolling."

Twilight and the others nodded. After a thirty minute walk, they arrived at the Morgue. The gate to the site had been forced open, and tanks of fuel lay scattered about. Logan activated a Recon Pulse, and the red shapes of around fifteen Cleaners were revealed.

"I'm seeing some riflemen, a couple of Grenadiers and Rushers, and a Engineer." Logan counted. "What's the plan?"

"We can't take them on all at once." Nick said. "That Engineer could be a problem. We don't know what he's equipped with, so take him out first. Then, focus the others."

"Roger that." Harper and the others said. The ponies took up positions behind Nick, who loaded his P416.

"Go!" he whispered over the radio. Logan lined up his scope with the Engineer's head, and fired. The Engineer fell, and the Cleaners immediately broke off to search for the sniper.

"Open fire!" Nick yelled as he bursted down a Rusher bearing an Axe and Riot Shield before he could react. The other Cleaners immediately opened fire, a few advancing and priming their Flamethrowers.

"Heads up, burning!" one cried as he started to hurl a stream of Napalm-B towards Nick, who took cover and hurled a turret. The Turret distracted the Cleaner long enough for Nick to slide into another piece of cover and kill the hostile. By this time, the other Cleaners had opened fire on Logan and Kyle, who were suppressed.

"Seeker out!" Logan yelled, hurling the small explosive. The seeker rolled towards a Grenadier, and detonated. The explosion would have been enough to kill the Cleaner alone, except it also detonated a nearby fuel drum.

The blazing explosion illuminated Twilight's fearful eyes, and she took cover, shaking with fright.

"Twi!" Rainbow cried out, dodging bullets to fly to her friend. "You alright?"

Twilight gave a murmur of fear as she shook violently. Rainbow huffed and smacked Twilight across the cheek, and she recoiled.

"Twi, focus!" Rainbow yelled. "You can't freeze up now! We've got this!"

Rainbow grabbed Twilight's shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"So stop shaking and get moving!" Rainbow yelled. Twilight took a deep breath and tried to focus her mind.

"Rainbow!" Nick yelled as he killed a Rusher. "Draw their fire at 10 o'Clock high!'

"Right!" Rainbow yelled as she flew into the air and blew a raspberry at the Cleaners, followed by a few rude gestures. A few recoiled, the rest opened fire. Nick seized his chance and opened fire himself, striking one Cleaner's fuel tank enough times to ignite the Napalm-B inside.

The detonation sent a few others sprawling, and the unfortunate Cleaner was killed. Nick moved up as Logan shot a Grenadier's pouch, scorching him through and through. Harper and Kyle shot the remaining hostiles, and as the agents moved up, ISAC spoke.

"NO HOSTILES DETECTED. AREA CLEAR TO ADVANCE."

"Roger that." Nick said as they descended into the main construction area, a few meters below ground. "Keep your eyes up."

Twilight sighed and looked at Rainbow, who seemed very confident in her drawing the Cleaners away from Nick, judging by her smirk.

"...I wish I was as brave as you, Rainbow." Twilight murmured. "I really do."

Author's Note

Yeah, Twilight's having some coping troubles.

Nex time-The Ponies and the Agents rescue Paul Rhodes, and the LMB makes their deision regarding the pones. Also, we see what's happening on the Equestrian side of things...