Assassinverse-Hunters and Huntedby Mkchief34ChaptersPrologue-Not in Kansas Anymore (Remastered)Chapter 1-Dead Metal (Remastered)Chapter 2-City of GoldChapter 3-Face to FaceChapter 4-Collision CourseChapter 5-Know Thy EnemyChapter 6 - Allies on the Other SideChapter 7 - The MeetingChapter 8 - Ambushed and New AlliesPrologue-Not in Kansas Anymore (Remastered)Ponyville 11:39 PM Outskirts, High Hill The crickets chirped almost in sync with the flickering stars. The animals of the Everfree were silent. The moon rested atop the High Hill, known to be a favorite observatory and picnic area. Nothing seemed daring enough to disturb the scene. Until something or someone did. Light footsteps could be heard, moving quickly and with purpose. They were not the heavy steps of the native ponies, but lighter and more pronounced. As the moon reached its apex and began to bear light, four figures appeared atop the hill. Each was clad in black, gray, and some white, and they were armored with Black Warfare gear. They carried SHD-Level weapons and Tech, and the only difference between the four of them was their respective masks and armor designs. The first bore white claw marks, like a wolf. The second had a red X, bold and sharp. The third had a crude blue skull. The fourth had a runic design in green. The four beings stood at the apex of the hill, eyeing the town below them. Finally, the third pulled up his mask, revealing a worn male face with pepper-gray hair and a clean-shaven chin. "Standish?" he asked the leader of the group. "Yeah, Paulson?" Standish, the first replied. "We're not in Kansas anymore, buddy." Thirty Minutes Earlier Manhattan, Dark Zone 03 Bryant Park Standish was cold, very cold. Even though his prototype armor kept his blood circulating and himself free from hypothermia, he still shivered every once in a while. The Mark-4 Black Warfare Kit was a genius creation of the Strategic Homeland Division, and rightfully so. It came standard-issue with Kevlar and Dragonskin mesh, capable of stopping nearly anything, from bullets to knives. Not only was it strong, it was also lightweight, feeling similar to a heavy winter coat armored with ballistic weave and plating. It also featured metamaterial-optical camouflage, perfect for stealth and concealed attacks. However, the camo had a downside of sending out a micro-EMP when it was deactivated, along with a tell-tale white puff of smoke. The armor was also modifiable and configurable, sporting attachment points for any style of combat. Finally, the armor carried a few necessary modules, such as a temperature gauge, thermal and night vision shielding, and a HUD build into the agent's mask. Standish shook his head and checked his tac-pad's clock. If the trap had been set properly, his teammates would be in position and waiting by 11:00 PM. As the hour hand clicked past on Standish's wristwatch that signalled the time was now 11:00, he noticed three friendly tags taking positions near him on his HUD. His team was in position, ready to strike at his command. "Paulson, sitrep." Standish murmured over their radio. "Our targets just exited the safehouse." Paulson replied, hefting his Military MK46 Machine Gun into a firing position. "They've got the Antiviral Samples with them." "What's their gear looking like?" Jacobs asked. "High-end, for the most part." Paulson replied. "They've managed to make a few pieces of SHD Tech for each of them. I saw at least one Support Station on the female, presumable combat medic." "Great to know." Lyle replied. "What else?" "They're in the dark as to our presence, so once we see the flare, we attack on schedule." Paulson replied. "As long as we keep the element of surprise, we'll be clear to engage." "Good to hear." Standish said. "Here they come!" As the Hunters took defensive positions and cloaked, three men and one woman in winter clothing and High-End armor sprinted into the park. They were armed with High-End weapons, and Standish could see the Antivirals attached to the squad leader's backpack. The men took defensive stances, and the woman hoisted their Extraction Flare Gun and fired. The bright orange flare rocketed upwards, illuminating the sky. The Agent then dove to cover, revealing her modified Navy MP5N as well as her combat experience. Standish frowned, realizing that these Agents might not be so easy to eliminate after all. "Engage!" Standish said over the radio as the Hunters deactivated their cloaks. The Agents were disrupted by the Micro-EMP and once they got their bearings, took cover and began to fire back. Lyle moved out of cover, priming his Ballistic Shield. The Agents stopped focusing their individual targets and shifted to Lyle, who was immediately suppressed. He sheltered down, bracing his shield in front of him. One of the Agents pulled out a grenade, and threw it towards him. Lyle didn't notice the explosive until it was too late. The Shock Grenade detonated, paralyzing him and short-circuiting his armor, exposing him to the Agents. The Second Wave Agents immediately opened fire. Lyle's armor was tough, but it didn't stand a chance against that many bullets at once. He fell dead, his Shield collapsing in a heap. Standish checked his HUD to see his friend was deceased. "Lyle's KIA!" Jacobs said as he suppressed the agents, before firing a Sticky Bomb. The agents rolled out of cover and advanced forward, focusing Jacobs. One agent stayed behind, keeping his Custom M44 Marksman Rifle ready and on target. As Jacobs attempted to go in close with his Survival Axe, one good shot was all the sniper needed. Jacobs collapsed, and the Agents decided to take the offensive now that they had numbers on their side. Paulson hurled an Explosive Seeker Mine and took cover, only he didn't see an Agent closing in with a Super 90 Shotgun on his right flank. After two shots to the leg, and one to the head, Paulson fell. Standish deployed a Turret and assessed his situation. As bullets pinned him down, he tightened his grip on his Custom P416G3. "My team is dead, I'm low on ammo, and in all cases I'm fucked." he thought. "If I'm going out here, I'm going out swinging." Standish dove out and advanced on one agent, moving into the open. The Agents promptly focused their fire on him, a sniper's shot hitting him in the leg. Standish swore under his breath, and limped to cover nearby. Only he didn't notice the Agent leader advancing with a full magazine ready and loaded. Standish heard the chatter of an ACR Assault Rifle, and he too fell dead. The last thing the Hunter saw was the Evacuation Helicopter landing and the Agents departing with the antivirals, before he slipped into darkness and silence. === Standish bolted upwards as he felt himself breathing. His eyes were open, but his eyelids felt like lead. "What?" he thought. "That Agent shot me, point blank. How am I alive?" He leaned upwards and looked around, his vision still blurry. From what he could tell, there were plenty of trees around him, and a large mass then blocked his vision. "Standish, get up!" said a familiar voice. "We need you moving!" There was a sharp jab to his neck, and Standish realized it was an SHD First Aid shot once the pain in his leg began to fade. He groaned in relief, and saw Lyle, Paulson, and Jacobs standing above him once his vision cleared. "Wake up, buttercup." Paulson said, helping his friend up. "You guys know where are we?" Standish asked. "No fucking clue." Lyle said. "We're not in Manhattan, that's for damn sure. Last I checked, we were in Bryant Park surrounded by Hazmat containers in the middle of a blizzard. Now, as you can see…" He gestured to hillside forest around them. "We're in a vegetated area, near a hill, in the spring." Lyle said. "And that brings me to my next point, which is how are we all alive?" "We're all supposed to be dead." Paulson groaned. "Those Agents took us all out." "So, we're in heaven?" Standish said. "I don't think so." Jacobs said, motioning to the top of the hill. "The stars, constellations, they're all misaligned and I don't recognize some of them. Furthermore, my Pulse tagged lifesigns, just over the hill. Not too far from our position" "Then let's go." Standish said. "We need to get moving. I, for one, want to find out where we are, and how we're all alive. Whatever these lifesigns are, they might be able to tell us. Who's with me?" There were no objections from anyone, so the four-man team ascended the hill. === As the Hunters looked at each other with anxiety and shock radiating off of them like body heat, Standish pulled out a pair of binoculars and scanned the area. The town in front of him seemed quaint or medieval in nature, mostly wood and thatch with some brick. A large, gleaming blue tree was at one end, near them. An orchard or farm lay across the town to the north, and the whole place was quiet as a graveyard. "Wait…contacts near the tree" Standish said, eyeing movement through the binoculars. Eight strange quadrupeds were walking towards the tree, each wearing a black cloak. Standish thought he could see a gleam of metal, albeit a very small one, through the lens of his binoculars. "You all seeing this?" Lyle said. his own binoculars focused on the beings. "We are." Standish said. "Let's move in." "Where to, might I ask?" Jacobs queried. "To that tree-thing." Standish said. "I have a feeling we'll get answers there. Cloak up." The Hunters tapped their wrist-pads, and they turned translucent, their bodies reflecting the nearby light and texture of the surrounding area. Standish motioned, and the Hunters descended the hill and into the town. === The Hunters reached the tree just as the eight beings closed the door behind them. Standish could now see the tree was actually a house of some kind, with windows and turrets like a castle. "Some tree house." Jacobs said. "Why's it made of crystal, though?" "We don't have time to find out." Standish said. "Let's go." They opened the door without a sound, and Jacobs activated his Pulse. To their surprise, the beings registered as armed hostiles. "They don't have guns." Lyle said. "So why are they hostile?" "No clue, but I don't care." Standish said. "Paulson, head back outside and scout around them. We'll track them from the inside." "Roger that." Paulson pried a window open with his axe, and slipped through it. The eight beings moved and walked up a flight of stairs towards a set of double doors, marked with a diamond and star-like crest. Now that the Hunters were in close proximity, the Pulse also revealed two lifesigns inside the room, both sleeping judging by their scanned vital signs. "What's going on here?" Standish murmured. "Paulson, you got eyes on?" "Affirmative." Paulson said. "On their left, entered through the back patio." "Scan them again." Standish said, drawing a First Wave X45 Pistol, with a suppressor, 3Dot Laser, and a mini reflex sight. Paulson obliged, and the scan revealed the eight beings held long-bladed knives close to them as they opened the door and surrounded the two sleeping beings. "Decloak and engage on my mark. Shoot the window and make some noise." Standish whispered. "What?" Lyle asked. "Why?" "Something's not right here and I don't like it." Standish replied. "Go in close, use your axes and hand to hand combat only." The Hunters nodded and approached behind the beings, their Survival Axes gleaming but unnoticed. Standish's eyes flared in fright as he saw the eight beings raise their blades over the sleeping form. "NOW!" he whispered over the radio "Take them down!" Paulson threw his Military MK46 into the room like a shot put, shattering the glass window. As the cloaked beings spun to face them in surprise, the one in bed gave a sudden yelp of surprise, now fully away. Standish barely had time to holster his pistol and prepare himself as one of the cloaked beings swung a dagger at his chest. Standish rolled behind him and drew his Survival Axe, and the remaining Hunters entered the room and decloaked. It wasn't long before all four were engaged in close-quarters combat. === Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Magic and Friendship, wasn't sure what in the name of Tartarus was going on in her bedroom. First, she had been woken up by her bedroom window breaking quite loudly. Then, there were four strange beings wielding hand axes fighting eight cloaked ponies with knives. Finally, she was scared out of her wits. She summoned her magic and formed a protective shield around her and Spike, who had also woken up in a flash. "Twilight, what's going on?" he said, panic clear in his voice. "Who are they?" "I don't know…" Twilight replied as she watched the melee in shock and fear. === Standish kicked one of the beings to the ground and punched it in the face, knocking it out cold. From what he could tell, his teammates were more than holding their own against...whatever these beings were. Standish rolled past a slash towards his chest, and kicked the knife away from its wielder. Then, he buried his axe in the being's chest, blood spraying out. SHD Survival Axes like the one Standish and his team used were made of carbon-enhanced steel, capable of shredding most ballistic body armor at close range as well as durable and sharp. That point was proven true when the axe sunk deep into the being's chest. Standish kicked the being away and hurled his axe into the shoulder of a second. The being swore loudly as he fell, and what surprised Standish most was that it was in English. "Damn it!" the being cursed, yanking the axe out with a screech of pain. Standish flinched, but he quickly followed up with a punch that knocked the being out after retrieving his Axe. As he drew back, he turned to see his teammates had the remaining beings on the ground. "Are we clear?" Standish asked. "Clear." Lyle said, pulling a knife away from one of the beings before binding it with rope. "What about that one?" "I'll deal with it." Standish said. As he approached the one in the bed, he got a better look at it. It was seemingly feminine and equine, only it had wings and a horn. And equines normally didn't have some kind of purple bubble surrounding it. Standish gently approached it, his hands up in a sign of passiveness. He didn't expect the being to fire a beam of purple light that sent him into the wall with a sickening crunch. "Standish!" Lyle cried, rushing over. "You alright?" "What do you think, dumbass?" Standish moaned. "That definitely hurt." "Let me patch you up." Paulson said, taking a First Aid Canister and injecting it into his side. Standish sighed in relief at feeling the pain dull significantly and his stamina being replenished. He stood up, clutching his side for a few moments before sighing. "Let's try that again." He said, approaching the being, who prepared to fire another blast. Before she could however, Standish gently set his axe down and raised his hands. "It's okay." he said. "I'm a friend, ma'am. You're safe now." === Twilight flinched visibly as the being spoke perfectly legible Equish before backing away to rejoin its allies. "Who are you?" she asked timidly. To her surprise, the beings lowered their axes in shock. "I could ask the same thing." one said, his face having three white marks. "We'll go first. I'm Standish, this is Lyle, Paulson, and Jacobs, my squadmates. What's your name?" "Twilight Sparkle." she replied. "Nice to meet you, Twilight." Standish said. "Team, masks off." "You sure about that?" one with a green runic mark replied, uncertain. "Dead sure." Standish said as he lifted his mask off. To Twilight's shock, underneath was the last face she expected to see again. It was a human face. It was clearly male, with a stubble beard of black. It set its mask on its belt, and pulled down a tactical hoodie, revealing messy black hair done in a rough crew cut. "You're a human!" Twilight said without thinking. "How's that possible?" "Wait, what?" Standish said. "How do you know that we're human?" The others started to move forward, only Standish held up his hand and stopped them. "You can explain how you know that later." he said. "First things first, though. What kind of being are you?" "I'm an alicorn pony." she said. "Alicorn." Standish said. "Okay, Twilight, we can do the whole first-contact thing later. We'll move to check the perimeter and get these bastards secured somewhere. Can you get law enforcement or whoever does that sort of thing here as soon as they can?" "I can do that." Twilight said. "Spike? Where are you?" "I'm under the bed." said a muffled voice that sounded like it belonged to a preteen. Twilight helped the dragon out from his hiding place, and as they wrote a hasty SOS to Celestia, Standish and his team set to binding the attackers with rope. Standish raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Spike sent the letter, the flame whistling out the window. He shook his head to focus himself and stood up. "Lyle, Jacobs, check them for injuries and if so, patch them up so that they'll survive, nothing more. Paulson, check the perimeter. I'll talk with Miss Twilight here." he ordered. "You got it." Lyle said. As he and Jacobs dragged the assailants out of the room, Paulson took a defensive position at the window, loading his now-retrieved Military MK46 Machine Gun. Twilight eyed the weapon with curiosity, before Standish cleared his throat, drawing her attention.. "So, miss Twilight, let's talk." Standish said, righting a chair and sitting down. "We can start with my most pressing question. Where are we?" Author's Note Yep, new story. Next time-The Hunters tell their story to Twilight, and Twilight tells her story to the Hnters. Then Celestia arrives with the Solar Guards... Remastered Author's Notes (7-15-19) Hopefully this chapter looks and reads better than the original. I made lots of continuity edits, improved the dialogue, and fixed a few typos. Enjoy. Chapter 1-Dead Metal (Remastered)Standish and Twilight sat down at the Map Table , the human raising an eyebrow as Twilight levitated a notepad and pencil over. He blinked a few times to make sure he saw what he did, before speaking up. "How'd you do that?" he asked. "Magic." Twilight replied. "I forgot humans don't use magic of the Equestrian kind…" "We don't, that's for sure." Standish said. "So, do you know these assholes?" "I think I know who they are." Twilight said. "Traditionalists." "What's that mean?" Standish asked. "They sound political." "They are." she sighed. "Ever since I became a Princess about a year ago, I've been trying to pass reforms that would better Equestria. The Traditionalists opposed them in every way, mostly because it'd cost them a lot of political influence and power. They're nobles, every one of them." "Bastards." Standish said. "So, they try to kill you in your sleep because of a bunch of laws you're trying to pass? Is that really it?" "It also helps that I wasn't born into royalty." Twilight said. "I earned my wings and my status. They resented and despised me because of it. They saw me as a threat to their agendas." "Well, that fucking figures." Standish sighed. "Is there anything else?" "They've been using all their political connections to stall the reforms or discredit them, but I'd never thought they'd try to kill me." Twilight said, sniffing. "Hey, it's okay now. You're safe." Standish said. "I guess it's our turn to explain things?" Before Standish could speak, there was a bright flash of light. Standish and his team immediately drew their axes or raised the nearest gun they could reach, but they lowered them in an instant once their vision cleared. An alabaster Alicorn, wearing golden Greek-style armor, stood with several other armored ponies. Her mane was rainbow-colored, and she immediately embraced Twilight protectively, her spear and shield falling away. "I'm so glad you're safe." she murmured. "When I got Spike's message…" "I'm okay." Twilight said. "All thanks to them." Celestia turned to see Standish and his team approach. "They saved my life." Twilight said. "Standish and company, this is Celestia, Princess of the Sun and a Ruler of Equestria." Celestia nodded, and Standish's team saluted. "You're soldiers, I presume?" she asked when their hands lowered. "Of a kind." Standish said, sitting down. "We were just in the neighborhood when we noticed those eight sneaking in. We followed them, and I guess instinct kicked in. I wasn't going to see someone else die on our watch." "Then, I thank you profoundly." Celestia said. "Corporal Glass?" One of the armored ponies came forward and bowed. "Check the eight assassins for wounds and treat them. I want to make sure they face justice." "There's no need for that, ma'am." Lyle said. "Three of them are already dead." "What?" Celestia asked with a tinge of anger, walking towards the Hunter. "You killed three of them in cold blood?" "They attacked us." Lyle said. "We responded accordingly. And it wasn't cold blood. They were going to die anyway from how we roughed them up." Celestia growled, and she further advanced on Lyle. "That is not how we deal with criminals." she said, scowling. "We take them alive to face justice according to their deeds." "With all due respect, Princess, fuck that." Lyle said. "Sometimes justice isn't blind at all." Celestia was about to retort when Standish stepped in. "Lyle, lock it down." he said. "Ma'am, I understand your anger. But they were going to kill her when she was defenseless and unprotected. That's more than enough reason to respond with deadly force in my book. Can you understand that?" Celestia heard the Hunter's words, and knew that he spoke in the right. "Fine, I understand." she said, sitting down. "Corporal, treat the wounded and move the dead away. I will stay here with Twilight and our guests." "Yes, Princess." Glass replied. "Move out!" As the Guards shackled the living assassins and picked up the three bodies on stretchers, Standish then remembered something. "The attackers had these with them." he said, producing a dagger from the stash they had procured. "I figured you'd want to see them." Celestia took the dagger, and growled as she looked it over in the pale light. "Shaped Orichalum." she said with fury clear in her voice. "The hell's that?" Paulson asked. "Orichalum is an exceedingly rare metal." she said. "The only one that when shaped, can kill alicorns." "So these bastards made these just to kill her?" Standish asked. "How does that even work?" "From what we know…" Celestia said, eyeing the blade with contempt. "It forms deep underground and only in high pressure, and when unrefined, acts similar to arsenic when exposed to flesh. However, when it is shaped, and that is a monumental task itself, it produces a new toxin so potent, it drains the life force of whatever it touches. Even the life force of an alicorn." "Then how'd they get their...hooves on it?" Lyle asked. "I take it that you can't get this metal very often. "I think I know, but I'm not sure about it." Twilight said. "The Bluebloods visited the rock exhibition hosted by Pinkie's family a few months ago. The Pies also found an orichalum deposit around the same time before that." "That's definitely not a coincidence." Standish said. "These guys must've gotten it there somehow. And no matter how, it doesn't look good to me." "Most likely." Celestia said. "Twilight, I think it is time you received Personal Guards of your own." "...You're right. I've put that off for too long." Twilight said. "Who are you thinking of?" "I'm looking right at them." Celestia said, staring at the Hunters. "What do you mean?" Standish asked. "I am asking you to protect Twilight Sparkle." Celestia said. "I received a ledger from my sister, Princess Luna. It was a list of known Traditionalists and those sympathetic to them. A large number of my Guard and my sister's Guard is...at risk. I cannot...will not...allow this to happen again. Standish, I am begging you and your team, for lack of a better word, to protect her until this is all sorted out. If you wish to confer with your friends about my offer, you may do so." "I'll take you up on that." Standish said. "One moment, please." The Hunters moved into an adjacent room, silent as could be. ==== "What do you think of this, guys?" Paulson said. "It'll be a way to support ourselves until we get back home." Standish said. "Plus, we play our cards right, me might gain a chance to get home." "But, you have to remember that we're aliens here." Lyle said. "Heavily armed and trained, and packing enough heat to take on a small battalion. How's that going to look to everyone else in this world?" "We'll worry about the pros and cons later." Jacobs said. "I'm in all the way, Standish." "Me too." Paulson said. "Lyle?" "Might as well. Never been a bodyguard before." Lyle said. "Alright, so we're doing this." Standish smiled. "However, no matter what, we're getting home in one piece. Am I clear?" "You got it." the other Hunters said with courage in their voices. ==== Celestia and Twilight turned to see Standish and the Hunters appear again, their masks off. "We accept your offer." Standish said. "We can work out the details later, but we're all in." "I thank you most dearly." Celestia said. "I would like to know where you are from, what those metal objects are, and how you came here." "Then we'll tell you. This won't be pleasant, though." Lyle said. ==== The Hunters then gave Celestia a rough history of their world and humanity, then telling of the Manhattan outbreak and the Strategic Homeland Division, or SHD. "How exactly do you know of this "SHD?" Celestia asked. "We used to work for it." Standish said. "Until one day, when we learned we were on the wrong side. During the Dark Zone evacuation about five months ago, we were posted at the DZ Checkpoint at Bryant Park. Our mission was to supervise civilian evacuations to Times Square and relative safety. Problem was, we'd received word earlier that the Rikers were moving in, en masse, towards our location." "Who are the Rikers?" Twilight asked. "They're state and federal prisoners." Lyle said. "Rikers Island, NY, was a Federal Prison that was overrun during the outbreak. The inmates rioted and took the place over. Then, they moved into Manhattan, ready for revenge and out for blood. They'd been pushing north, and we were right in their path. The Rikers had numbers and motivation, we had superior firepower and training, and a better position. However, we still lost the battle." "Why?" Celestia asked. "What advantage did these Rikers have that you did not?" "The Rikers brought more ammo." Standish said. "We were a civilian center, there were only ten JTF soldiers along with us. We barely had enough ammunition to take on a platoon, let alone the entire group of Rikers poised to strike. We had our SHD Tech and some defensive turrets, but that would only last so long." "What did you do?" Twilight asked. "We decided the JTF needed to get the Civilians out of there ASAP, while we held the line with whatever ammo we had." Paulson said. "We sent the trucks loaded with civies and the JTF on their way, before we dug in for the attack. And the Rikers came hard and fast." "These Rikers were motivated, and that's a good thing to have with you in battle." Lyle said. "Before long, we were nearly overrun and completely out of ammo. We radioed the Division commander, and guess what his orders were." "What were they?" Celestia asked. "His orders were to stay put and not to abandon the site. Simply put, we had to hold our ground" Standish spat. "That's insane!" Twilight said. "You were in trouble!" "You're telling us." Standish added. "We were nearly out of ammo, and overrun. So, we did the one thing that seemed right to us. We disobeyed orders and abandoned the site. That meant one thing in the eyes of the Division command...treason." "We were declared Rogue Agents." Lyle said. "Now we were marked for death by every Division Agent in Manhattan. We were on our own with no allies to speak of, and in hostile territory. "So we decided to hole up and wait for the storm to pass." Standish said. "We knew there was an unoccupied Division Command Bunker near Park Avenue in DZ North. There, we would wait for the moment to strike back." "Soon after, the JTF pulled out of the Manhattan DZ, and a Second Wave of Agents was deployed. These Second Wave agents got right to work, and they basically took back the city on their own. We figured that was the time." Lyle added. "A storm was coming in." Standish said. "A massive blizzard the size of Manhattan and Brooklyn combined. That was also the same time that experimental Antiviral samples were located in the DZ by the Second Wave Agents." "I take it you had something to do with that?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yep." Lyle said. "We tipped off the JTF to their location, and just as we planned, they sent four Agents into the storm to retrieve them. We set up positions around Bryant Park, and we waited. We thought those Agents were dead meat once their helicopter crashed. But those agents managed to survive the cold and the hostiles outside, arm themselves with SHD Tech, and get the protective gear they needed to enter the DZ. They survived and found the Antivirals." "Right on schedule, they finished their mission and attempted to extract them at Bryant Park." Standish said. "We engaged them shortly after that. We were killed by those four Agents, and they extracted via helicopter." "Did you just say you were killed?" Celestia asked, curious but also inquisitive. "Yes, ma'am. We were all KIA." Paulson said. "I got shot in the head by a sniper." "Gunned down at close range." Lyle said. "Same for Jacobs." "I was the last one. The agent's squad leader emptied his gun into my left side." Standish finished. "So yes, we're all supposed to be dead according to us." Celestia was silent for several moments, before she sighed. "I suppose I'll buy that for now." she said. "Let's get back to business. Those assassins and the Traditionalists must be dealt with with haste." "You're right." Standish said as they stood up. "What's the plan?" "We're going to Canterlot." Celestia said. "There, we will conduct further negotiations and deal with the prisoners." "Fine." Standish said, holstering his First Wave X45 and motioning for his team to ready up. "Lead the way, Princess. We'll be right behind you." Author's Note Yep, another update. Next time-The visit to Canterlot, and a new threat rises... Remastered notes - More details and more clarity. Chapter 2-City of GoldFor the most part, the Hunters didn't know what to expect when Celestia told them they were heading to Canterlot. They expected a train, maybe some kind of air transport. They were partially right. A Solar Guard Chariot awaited them, and as they boarded, Standish eyed it with unease. "Is something wrong?" Celestia asked. "You sure this is safe?' he asked. "What happens if we fall?" "That won't happen." Twilight said. "I've taken these plenty of times." "Not very reassuring…" Lyle said quietly. Standish elbowed his partner as they sat down, and the Chariot took off into the sky with the Guards following. ==== "I have one reason as to why I'm liking this." Lyle said. "What's that?" Standish asked. "Check out this view." the Hunter replied. True to Lyle's word, the view of the surrounding plains was astounding. The dawn was coming, judging by the sky turning pale blue from dark purple. Standish smiled, before he started browsing on his wristpad. Peeling back the kevlar cover, he attempted to access the GPS function. As he expected, there was no signal. Swearing under his breath, he set the cover back down and gave a moan of frustration. "What's up?" Twilight asked. "I was trying to access the GPS on my wristpad." Standish said, showing it to her. "As I thought, no signal." "What's GPS?" Twilight asked. "Global Positioning System." Standish said. "Back on Earth, we've got satellites in our planet's low orbit. GPS triangulates your location by using these satellites, and reflecting radio signals between them. Works as long as you have connection to the satellites themselves." "Fascinating." Twilight said. "What other technological marvels has humanity developed?" "Too many to count." Standish said. "Wireless radio, computers...god knows what else I can think of." "You seem rather knowledgeable about this." Twilight said. "Why's that?" "Before the Outbreak and the First Wave, I worked at a library." Standish said. "Reading was one of the main things I enjoyed doing to pass the time. Besides, when the Green Poison hit, a lot of public places closed for fear of spreading the infection." Twilight nodded, seeing the logic. "Did it work?" she asked. "Not really." Standish replied. "The Green Poison spread too quickly, giving us the Quarantine we have now." There was silence for the remainder of the ride, and as they landed, Celestia stood off to the side. "What's she doing?" Paulson said. "Raising the sun." Twilight said. "Bullshit." Lyle said. "Planets revolve around a sun, there's no possible way…" Celestia then bid the sun to rise, and it did, illuminating the sky. "Seems that's possible here." Standish said. "Celestia?" Lyle asked. "Make it do a figure eight. I want to be sure." Celestia obliged, and the sun did a figure eight. Lyle stood silent, and then he sighed. "Well, that's that." he said. "Goodbye, my understanding of the laws of physics." Celestia snorted with laughter. "Let's get moving." Standish said. "We don't have much time." Ass they entered the Palace, they were greeted by another Alicorn known as Princess Luna. "So you are the beings who saved Twilight Sparkle." she said. "I thank you." "Not a problem, ma'am." Standish said as they all began to walk towards a private area of the castle. "We were passing through, decided to investigate." Luna seemed unconvinced, but she didn't say anything. The Hunters, Twilight, Celestia, and Luna were brought to an office, and the Guards departed. "Nopony enters until we are finished." Celestia ordered them. The Guards nodded, and shut the doors, sealing them inside. "So, what's our plan?" Lyle asked. "These Traditionalists won't take care of themselves." "True." Celestia said. "However, we can't attack them directly. The common folk supports Twilight's reforms, however many of the nobles do not. We need allies on both sides." "Then who can we trust on the noble front?" Paulson asked. "Fancy Pants and his wife, among few others." Luna said. "However, they are only five in total." "Good enough for us." Standish said. "We'll handle protection, you handle the politics. As long as you can get those reforms passed, and we can keep Twilight safe, which we will, everything should be fine." "I hope so, Standish." Celestia said. "However, there is still the fact that many of our guards have Traditionalist sympathies." "I have a few ideas about that." Jacobs said. "Once I've thought them out, I'll get them to you ASAP." "Right." Celestia said. "One last thing will be introducing you to the public and the greater portion of the Equestrian populace." "Leave that to us." Standish said. "You set it up, we'll get it done." "Very well." Luna said. "I'll alert the press that we'll be having a summit in three hours." Celestia nodded, though she seemed nervous about the whole idea. As they exited the office, Standish activated his comms with the rest of his team. "How're you all holding up?" he asked. "Fine." Lyle said. "Does the mission still stand?" "Affirmative." Jacobs replied. "We're all stocked on ammo, and our Tech is ready." "Good." Standish said. "It's logical the Equestrians haven't developed gunpowder, let alone the necessary tools to repair firearms, so use them only if necessary. Stick to your SHD Tech and Axes for engagements." "Understood." Paulson said. "What about GPS?" "Still down." Standish replied. "There's no satellites, so no signal on our end. Once we get to a map, we'll figure out a plan for moving forward." "Yes, sir." the Hunters replied. Standish nodded as they entered a dining room, and they sat down. "I figured you must be hungry." Celestia said. "I had the cooks prepare a meal for us." "Thank you." Standish said. "I figure you should know that we eat meat. We're omnivorous." "I see." Celestia said. "Though it shouldn't be a problem. We do have a small stock of meat for our neighbors, the Minotaurs and Griffons. They have a similar diet to yours." "Good to hear." Standish smiled. "Masks off." The Hunters took off their masks and hooked them to their belts, and Celestia studied their faces intently. Standish was lean and sharp-looking, with a black crew cut and stubble beard. Paulson had more messy hair, with pepper gray flecks. Lyle was blonde, with dark eyes. Finally, Jacobs had rust-red, with a small scar on his cheek. "Why do you hide your faces behind masks?" Luna asked. "It's psychological warfare." Standish explained. "if your enemy doesn't know who they fight, they can't use their weaknesses against them. They are more than just masks, though. They're equipped with thermal and night-scope vision, plus a Heads-Up display. That particular feature shows our ammunition reserves, a small map and motion tracker, and the status of our SHD Tech." "You certainly are advanced." Luna said, fascinated. "Humans are the sole sapient species on Planet Earth, apart from countless species of animals." Standish said. "We've existed for millions of years, though the greater part of technological development on our current scale took place in the twentieth century, or the 1900s." "Incredible." Celestia said as the food was served. "Though the objects on your back, what are those?" "Firearms." Standish sighed. "Swords and lances were rendered nearly extinct due to their use in warfare. Think of them as miniature, rapid-firing cannons. The earliest models were slow to use and highly inaccurate. Now, specific kinds can shoot over a thousand yards with ease and still hit their targets. There's too many kinds to list, but we each have our own specific favorites." "Interesting." Celestia said. "However, I ask you only to use them in defense." "We've already planned for that." Lyle said. "Besides, ma'am, we don't have an infinite supply of ammunition for them, and guns do need repairs every so often. We're only going to use them if absolutely necessary." "Very well." Luna said. "Let's eat, shall we?" As they ate, Standish admired how the food tasted. Human food always had that tinge of flavor from processed ingredients. This food was pure, simple, and tasty, and Standish liked that. It wasn't long before everyone had eaten, and it was time for the Press Summit. ==== Author's Note Update! Chapter 3-Face to FaceAs the reporters and quite a few nobles filed into the Day Court Room, Celestia watched from the sidelines. "Everything alright?" She turned to see Standish and his team appear. Their masks were back on their faces, and their axes sheathed at their right leg or hip. "Yes, for now." Celestia said. "Is everything in place?" "Yes, ma'am." Jacobs said. "Twilight's in a safe location, and if anyone tries to make a move, we'll be there." "I hope so." Celestia said. As she entered the room, the press applauded and the nobles bowed. Celestia held up her hood, and asked for silence. "Greetings, citizens of Equestria." she said. "I wish to reveal news that will shock you. Last night, there was an assassination attempt on Princess Twilight Sparkle." Gasps, whispers, and murmurs of shock filled the room. Celestia again raised her hoof, and continued. "However, due to the actions of four brave beings, the attempt was unsuccessful. Princess Twilight and Spike the Dragon were unharmed during the attack, and three of the assassins lie dead." The crowd went silent as they waited for their ruler to speak. Celestia composed herself, and said. "I reveal these beings to you now. If you would?" There was silence. Then, four puffs of white smoke appeared in front of Celestia, and the crowd gasped at the figures of Standish and his team. They snapped to salute, but were silent and still. "They saved the life of Twilight Sparkle, and offered their own in her stead." Celestia said. "Standish, Lyle, Paulson, and Jacobs, Equestria and I owe you a debt that cannot be repaid. Do you have anything to say?" "A few things, Princess, if you don't mind." Standish said, surprising the crowd even further. Standish walked forward, and spoke. "Alright, let's get to it." Standish said. "I'm not one for fancy speeches, so I'm going to be rather straightforward with you. We're not here to make friends, we are here to hunt." Standish paused before continuing. "We've also been briefed on your current political status. We also know who is responsible for the attack on Princess Twilight Sparkle. I and my team will be investigating...and eliminating those who masterminded this despicable act." Standish scoffed loudly. "By now, I bet your minds are coming up with all sorts of questions. Let me be clear. We're not answering them. We have better things to do then play diplomats. I'll finish up with this." "Traditionalists, you had better watch your back. Step out of line on our watch, you'll pay the price. We are the Hunters. Whoever crosses us is prey. But rest assured, we're not going to skulk around and kill whoever we want. No, we have better things to do. Thank you for your time. We'll be starting our investigation immediately." Standish motioned to his team, and exited the room with Princess Luna, to an aghast crowd and a grave-looking Celestia. ==== Standish and his team walked through the halls, expecting a rebuke from the Lunar Princess. Surprisingly, she didn't criticize them, only ask "Was all that really necessary?" "Yes, ma'am." Lyle replied. "It helps to have fear on your side." "I see." Luna said, unconvinced. "I have prepared dossiers on all the prominent Traditionalists for you and your team to look over." "Good." Standish said. "Who leads this movement?" "Amadeus Blueblood." Luna said. "He's the father of Prince Blueblood, Celestia's honorary nephew. He is the worst of the worst, as he compared Twilight Sparkle publicly to Queen Chrysalis." "So she told us." Standish said. "We'd like to speak with him." "I don't think that will be quite necessary…" Luna said as they approached the library where Twilight Sparkle was hidden. Several ponies in suits were present, and one was furiously speaking to a Guard. "I'm sorry, sir." a Guard said. "We're under strict orders from Princesses Celestia and Luna not to let anypony in until they return." "My business cannot wait." Amadeus said. "Let me in immediately!" "I wouldn't be so hasty, sir." The Traditionalists turned to see Standish and his team approach. They turned around and sniffed with contempt. "And who might you be?" Amadeus asked, dripping with dislike. "Standish. Lyle, Paulson, Jacobs." Standish said. "We're investigating the assassination attempt at the request of Princess Celestia. Before you get any ideas, we are also Twilight Sparkle's new security staff." "So you support her reforms?" Amadeus practically snarled. "I'm not at liberty to discuss that." Standish said. "I haven't read them yet. I prefer to read things over before I make my decision. Something you might want to take into account." Amadeus and his group bristled. "Are you insulting me?" Amadeus growled. "That depends." Standish said. "I was just voicing my opinion. If you take that as an insult, that's fine with me. However, let me make one thing absolutely clear." Standish then drew his Axe and put the edge on Amadeus's throat. "I have no hesitations about dealing with problems face to face." Standish said. "I happen to prefer it that way. Next time you think about killing someone in their sleep, think again." "Are you accusing me of masterminding the attempt?" Amadeus roared. "Not yet." Standish replied. "Consider that a warning, sir. Now, I suggest you move along." Amadeus snorted with anger and left, followed by his group. Each of them shot Standish and his team some very nasty glares as they exited the hallway. "What a bunch of assholes." Lyle cursed once they were out of earshot. "I agree, but let's focus on the task at hand." Standish said. "Let's gather all the intel we can about these Traditionalists. Alright Hunters, let's get to work." "Roger that." As they followed Princess Luna into the library, Amadeus pulled Prince Blueblood aside. "Those beings must not interfere." he scowled. "They were lucky to have saved the false Princess's life." "I agree, but what can we do?" Prince Blueblood asked. "We wait and bide our time." Amadeus replied. "And when the moment is at hand, we strike her and her cursed reforms down." "Yes, father." Blueblood said as they headed out of the castle. "It will be done." Author's Note Update, and I am sorry this took so long. I've been playing a lot of Destiny 2, with almost no time for the Division. That'll change, hopefully soon. Chapter 4-Collision CourseAs Standish and his team entered the room, Twilight Sparkle and Spike looked up from a pair of books. "Hey." Standish said. "You alright?" "Yes, I'm fine." Twilight said. "How did the press conference go?" "Decent." Lyle said. "We said what we needed to say, and left." "Alright, let's get to business." Standish said. "You've got those dossiers?" "Right here." Spike said, hefting several heavy books onto the table. "Took us a while to find them." "Let's gather what intel we can from them." Paulson said, Standish nodding. "We'll need information on our side to take these bastards down." "Then let's stop chatting and get moving." Paulson smirked. As the Hunters sat down and opened the dossiers, the Hunters removed their masks to concentrate without their HUDs interfering. ==== "Lyle, whatcha got on Blueblood's mother?" Standish called out. "I've got medical records, and quite a few finance reports." Lyle replied. "Apparently, Pure Blueblood paid Canterlot General a visit about a few years ago. The maternity wing." "So, she's pregnant?" Twilight asked. "Was." Lyle said. "The delivery was a year ago. Problem is, there's no record as to anything about the baby. No gender, name, or anything like that." "Keep on it." Standish said. "Jacobs, where are you at?" "I've got records of a land purchase." Jacobs said. "In the forest south of Canterlot." "We thinking of a safehouse?" Paulson asked. "Maybe." Jacobs said. "They were clean to keep all paper records minimal and to the point." "What else?" Twilight asked. "I figured out how Blueblood got the Orichalum." Paulson said. "I've got receipts for Cordicin tablets in Blueblood's name, shortly before the Pie family's rock expo. What do those do?" "It's for birth control." Twilight said. "You're saying Blueblood slept with someone at the Pie's rock farm?" "Maybe." Standish said. "I think someone should go and verify what happened there." "I know just who to send." Twilight said. "One of the Pie family, Pinkie, is one of my best friends and the Element of Laughter. She'd be perfect." "Contact her." Standish said. "Anything else?" "I've got records at a Smithy here." Lyle said, the others crowding around. "For eight "specialized" daggers, custom-made." "I'd bet those are the same ones used in the assassination." Standish said, Twilight nodding. "What's the name of that smithy?" "Brass Bolt." Lyle said. "You want to pay him a visit?" "Yeah, I do." Standish said. "But we've got too much ground to cover if we go together." "So, we're splitting up?" Lyle asked. "Yes, each of us heads to their objective." Standish said. "Paulson, head to the ROck Farm with Pinkie and find out what happened. Lyle, head to the hospital and get whatever records you can get on that Blueblood kid. Jacobs, investigate that safehouse in the forest. I'll deal with interrogating the smithy." "Rules of engagement?" Lyle asked. "Firearms are a last resort." Standish replied. "Remain undetected, and use your cloak as much as possible. If engaged, get out of there ASAP and link up back here." "Roger that." the Hunters said. "Move out whenever you can." Standish said. "Twilight, stay here in the meantime. I have something here that should keep you safe in case of attack." Standish handed her an X45 Sidearm, which she studied. "What is this?" she asked. "Walther X45 Sidearm." Standish said. "It's one of those firearms we told you about. You have sixteen shots in the magazine, pull this trigger here to shoot. Try to aim for the head." Twilight looked uncertain, but nodded. As the Hunters departed for their respective missions, Spike looked at the Princess of Magic. "Twilight, will they be okay?" he asked. "I think so." Twilight said. "Come on, let's get back to work." ==== Blueblood Manor Safehouse At the same time "This complicates things." Pure Blueblood said. "These beings will ruin our plans, Amadeus." "I know." Amadeus Blueblood said. "We must dispose of them, just like the false princess. Once they are out of the way, our grand design will rise above Equestria." "Ah, yes. Unicornia will be reborn." Pure said, smiling. "Majesty Blueblood will rule, and all the filthy commoners will be set in their rightful place as our servants." "Indeed." Amadeus said. "How is my daughter?" "The acceleration spell worked perfectly." Majesty said. "She is now biologically seventeen years old, and just as adept in alicorn magic as the false princess." "Perfect." Amadeus cackled. "Soon, Equestria will belong to the Bluebloods, and nothing will stand in our way." As the two of them laughed, the alicorn Majesty Blueblood sat in her study analyzing spells and combat magic. She ran a hoof through her whitish blue mane and sighed. "I know my destiny…" she murmured. "But is it truly my only path that I can take?" As she turned to a copy of Twilight's planned reforms, she looked it over once again. To many Nobles, they were despicable and to some, unlawful. To Majesty, they didn't seem that bad once you thought about them. "I mean, griffons, minotaurs, ponies and every other species get married to others of their kind in their homelands." she said. "Why shouldn't they be able to marry ponies here?" She continued to look over the scripts, and let her mind flow at ease. "Also, we have enough money already, why shouldn't we support those who cannot aid themselves? A few bits won't make that much of a difference." she thought to herself. "I mean, father would say otherwise, but I'm not like him." ...not like him. Majesty thought hard about those words. She knew that the fate of Equestria, at least according to her father, rested on her shoulders. Once she took the throne, she would be the new ruler of Equestria. It was her destiny. "Is it?" she thought. "I can't act out yet, but...Princess Twilight, I am not my father." She gathered her books and reshelved them, before collapsing on her bed. Ever since being born, she had been subjected to an acceleration spell every day. An ancient spell that sped up her ageing and biological growth. She had only been born a few months ago, but she looked to be about Twilight's age. And a side-effect of that was she was always tired and fatigued at stressful times. She curled into bed, looking out the window at Canterlot. "Princess Twilight, I am not my father." she said, determination clear. She sighed, before speaking again. "Good luck, Princess Twilight." she said before falling asleep, exhausted. Author's Note Yeah, this came to me in a spark of inspiration. And yes, Majesty is based off my previous iteration of her in Assassinverse: The Sentinel. She is not power-mad nor an enemy of Twilight, but one who wants to make her own path and destiny. And yes again, she will be an ally of the Hunters. When has yet to be seen. Chapter 5-Know Thy EnemyCanterlot General Hospital 11:00 AM Lyle stood on a rooftop balcony, overlooking the massive complex that was Canterlot General Hospital. He had been the first to deploy on Standish's orders to determine the identity of the Blueblood's child, and the clock was ticking. "Here goes." Lyle said, rappelling down and landing through a window. As he activated his cloak and set out, his hand rested on his Survival Axe. ==== As Lyle stalked through the hospital, he noticed that the buzzing of patients had died down in this area of the building. "Pfft." Lyle scoffed. "More time for me, and less chance of detection." As he rolled into a corridor and deactivated his cloak to recharge, he looked up and nearly burst out laughing. "Records Area." he smiled. "Just my luck." As he opened the door with a Lockpick, he quickly searched for and found the maternity records, which were kept in a large filing cabinet. "So, you were named Majesty Blueblood…" Lyle said. "Born an alicorn, And you were taken as soon as you were born? Interesting...but what's an acceleration spell, and why is your species type marked out?" Seizing the files and sliding them into a go-bag, he retraced his steps towards his entry point. As he approached, he noticed a cleaning mare stop and stare at the broken glass on the floor from the shattered window. "Nope." Lyle said, knocking the mare out and setting her down, making it look like she passed out. "Can't have you blowing my cover." As he rappelled out the window and cloaked once more, a smile formed on his face. "Wait till Standish sees this." he chuckled. "Also, note to self: ask Twilight about an acceleration spell." ==== As Lyle returned to the palace and headed back to the library, Twilight and Spike greeted him. "Hey, Twilight?" Lyle asked. "I retrieved the birth records, but what's an acceleration spell? It kept coming up." Twilight paled. "I take it that's bad?" Standish asked. "Yes, that type of spell is illegal." Twilight said. "It, like its namesake, speeds up a pony's bodily systems by a thousandfold. It literally makes you age years in seconds. If the Bluebloods are using that on their child, it's bad, very bad." "You mean worse. Their kid's an alicorn." Lyle added. This time, Twilight cursed. "Damn it!" she cried. "How old are those files?" "Right here, it says...three months…" Lyle replied. "She could already be about seventeen years old, if that spell is constant." Twilight said. "And if she's an alicorn, that makes the spell even more potent." "Why is she an alicorn, though?" Lyle asked. "I thought you became one after you earned your wings." "I did, but there's an infinitesimally small chance you can be born one." Twilight said. "The Bluebloods must've rejoiced, since now they have a claim on the Throne." "That's a problem." Lyle said. "We need to find out where this Majesty is, and take her out of the equation." "You mean kill her?" Twilight asked. "No, get her to join us." Lyle said. "If she does, we'll have a spy on the inside who can supply us intelligence, and throw a big wrench in their plans. We just need to find her." "Right." Twilight said. "Give me those files. We've got work to do." ==== Blueblood Manor, Canterlot Forest Outskirts As Jacobs cloaked up and approached the colossal estate, he scoffed at the guards manning the gate, armed with spears. "Amateurs." he whispered. As he approached, he hurled a rock towards one of them. The stone flew true, and nailed one of the guards in the head. As he fell, the other guard advanced… Only for Jacobs to combat-roll behind him and knock him unconscious. As he opened the gate, he rolled his eyes. "Right, check the bodies." he said. He dragged the two unconscious guards into the foliage, then he then entered the estate grounds. From what he could see, it was reminiscent of a Versailles-Era palace, with dark oak wood and stone framing with tinted glass windows.. "Jesus Christ." Jacobs said. "Some do like it big." As he pried a window open with his Axe and slipped inside, he began his search. As he prowled through the corridors, he could eventually hear voices from the inside courtyard. "...Majesty's training goes well. Her prowess in magic surpasses the false Princess." said Prince Blueblood, from around the corner. "Good." said Amadeus Blueblood. "Have her ready by tomorrow night. If we are to succeed, we must eliminate both the false Princess and her new guards at the same time." "As you wish, father." As Jacobs ducked into a wardrobe, Amadeus and Prince Blueblood walked past, deep in conversation. Once they were out of earshot, Jacobs made his way to Amadeus Blueblood's office. "Now, here we go." Jacobs said, diving into the Blueblood patriarch's files, securing them in his go-bag. "Oh, jackpot!" As he looked over a set of files marked "Disposals", he opened the cover to see a list of names and locations written. "So Amadeus, you're going after the Elements of Harmony once Twilight's gone…" he said quietly. "And a copy of your own proposed laws for the Legislature...this'll help us and hurt you to lose these…" As Jacobs secured the remaining critical files, he then got a clever idea. As he attached a Seeker Mine to the floor below the file drawers and set it to the Airburst function, he smiled and moved to the window. "Let's see how you like watching your plans...go up in smoke." Chuckling, he made his exit after setting the Seeker Mine's remote fuse to three minutes. ==== As Jacobs made his getaway, Amadeus entered his office to find everything was as it was. Setting down at his desk and picking up a quill pen, he then heard a faint set of beeps from below him. Peering down, he saw a small orb, about the size of a three-pound weight, humming below his desk. "What are you?" Amadeus asked himself, only for the beeping to stop… And a fiery explosion to take its place, setting a multitude of objects on fire and blowing his desk apart into pieces of debris. As Amadeus extinguished the flames with his magic, he scowled and roared angrily. "Damn it!" he cursed, looking over his ruined desk and files. Then he saw a piece of paper on his windowsill. Unfurling it, he raised his eyebrows in fury at the message inscribed on it. It was a blast seeing your all your secrets, Amadeus. Your house is quite nice, by the way. If only you didn't live in it, you son of a bitch. Amadeus roared in fury and incinerated the note as Jacobs, laughing all the way, headed back to the Castle, captured intel in hand. Author's Note Update! Chapter 6 - Allies on the Other SideStandish hated daytime espionage with a passion for many reasons. As he sat on a rooftop above Brass Bolt's Smithy, his cloak flickered in the sunlight, which was one reason. The other was the fact that Standish wasn't really a day person, more of a night owl. Which suited him just fine. As he surveyed the street below, he saw his target approach the door below him, Standish jumped to the ground, using his axe as an anchor to slow his fall. As he snuck in the back entrance, he saw Brass Bolt collapse on the front desk when he had been standing moments earlier. Standish slowly took out his First Wave Vector ACP, and approached the blacksmith, scanning him with his ISAC Module. "No lifesigns detected. Subject deceased." ISAC said in reply. "Damnit!" Standish cursed, beginning to search the body, only to stop at the base of his neck, which was covered by an apron. Standish reached in and pulled out a small poison dart, which was loaded with a syringe injector. Standish raised an eyebrow underneath his mask. As he searched the smithy, he eventually found Bolt's business office. Taking whatever purchase orders he could find as well as his records, he then exited the building and cloaked for the return to Canterlot Castle. ==== "You get anything from Brass Bolt?" Twilight asked as Standish mantled over the windowsill and sat down. "No, he's dead." Standish said, tossing the dart onto the table. "Some fucker nailed him in the neck with that. Plus his purchase records are incomplete." "Damn." Lyle said. "Any world from Paulson?" "I just got off the radio with him." Jacobs said from the corner, where he was maintaining his MK46 with a weapon cleaning kit. "He and your friend Pinkie are returning soon. Marble said he bought the orichalum after they...well, I won't say it. She's pregnant, and no birth control pill is fixing that." "Fucking brilliant." Standish said. "What about the Blueblood kid?" "You mean Majesty?" Lyle replied. "She's camped out at the Blueblood family safehouse. I left her something that might help us." "What did you do?" Standish asked his fellow Hunter. "I may have left her a spare radio." Lyle said. "Tuned to my SHD tech. And before you get mad Standish, I took some precautions." "What kind of precautions?" Twilight asked. "I made sure she can't access our database or any other SHD Tech we have." Lyle said. "Took a bit of reprogramming, but seeing as we're still technically Rogue, it didn't take that long." "Well, fine." Standish said. "Where'd you leave it?" "That's up to Majesty." Lyle smirked. "I also rigged it with some C4 on a trigger linked to my SHD Tech. If we need to destroy it, I can do it remotely and without a trace." "Good thinking." Twilight said. "Anyway, once Paulson returns, we should figure out a plan of action for moving forward." "Agreed." Standish replied. "By the way Lyle, how exactly do you know that Majesty's going to find that radio?" "You'll see." Lyle replied cryptically. ==== Blueblood Family Estate Majesty's room As Majesty Blueblood sat down at her desk for another session of studying combat magic, she felt something bite into her flank. As she looked down, she saw a small device with an antenna sitting on her chair. Picking the device up, she could see the outline of a rising phoenix in orange painted on it, along with a set of buttons. As she pressed one, a blue light appeared on the side. After a few moments, she set it down, only for a voice to speak. "This thing on? Hey, Majesty, talk to me. Press the little blue button." She scrambled to pick up the device and spoke after following the voice's instructions. "Who is this?" she asked. "Name's Lyle. I'm one of Twilight Sparkle's new guards. Majesty, I'm glad you found my little present." "What do you mean by that?" she questioned. "I've wanted to talk to you, Majesty." Lyle said. "I figured from the way your dad spoke about you that you were his main method of taking over Equestria if Twilight died ?" "Quite so. It's supposed to be my destiny that I rule Equestria." she said. "My flank it is.." "I take it you're not happy about that?" Lyle sounded surprised. He didn't figure the daughter of Amadeus Blueblood to think or speak like that. "I couldn't care less about my father or his delusional fantasies of Equestria's future." she replied. "I'm not like my father in the slightest, I assure you. In fact, the only time he pays attention to me is when I'm studying magic or listening to his lectures. Other than that, he won't give me the time of day. And my mother and brother are even worse." "Geez, I take it that frustrates you?" Lyle asked. "It infuriates me!" Majesty replied bitterly. "I don't understand why father or mother won't even read Princess Twilight's reforms, let alone support them. I've read them, and they seem reasonable enough. And don't even mention my brother. He's a completely different problem in my side." "I'll take your word for it, then." Lyle said. "Majesty, I'd like to make a deal with you." "Oh?" she asked. "Do tell." "If you spy on your brother, mother, and father, plus all the other Traditionalists that you can and tell me what you find every so often, my teammates and I can guarantee your safety once they're brought to justice." Lyle said. "I'll also put in a good word about you with Princess Twilight. I think you might like her if you meet her sometime." "Well, here's hoping." Majesty said with a smile. "Alright, Lyle, I accept your offer." "Then welcome aboard." Lyle said proudly. "Whenever you find out something of interest, write it down or memorize it discretely and tell me as soon as possible. Keep that radio with you at all times, it's your only method of communicating with me or my teammates. Finally, allow me to speak freely about how I think of you." "Shoot." Majesty said. "I like how you think, Majesty. You seem like a good kid, unlike your batshit-crazy family." Lyle said. "You don't know the half of it." she said with a roll of the eyes. "What happens now?" "I'll be in touch soon. Lyle out. Hit the blue button to end the connection, by the way." As Majesty pushed the blue button again and the radio went silent, she moved to the brick wall above her bed. Cutting a brick loose and hollowing it out with her magic, she placed the radio inside before replacing the brick and resealing it. "It's time to make my own destiny, father." she smirked. "Whether you like it or not. And in this...I won't fail." ==== Back in Canterlot, the Hunters were putting away their research when Paulson returned from the Rock Farm. "So, Marble Pie is pregnant?" Twilight asked, though she figured that she already knew the answer. "Yeah, and she's nearly due by the looks of her." Paulson said. "Also, the birth control pills she got from Blueblood were just placebos." "What kind of fucker does something like that?" Jacobs said in disbelief. "Somepony like him." Twilight replied angrily. "Lyle, what are you doing with that?" The Hunters turned to see Lyle putting away his radio. "I just got off the line with Majesty Blueblood. Turns out she's not on the same page as her dad. Like, she's a completely different pony. We've got a spy on the inside of the Blueblood family, and she'll be sending us a stream of intel from now on." Lyle said proudly. "Is that good news or what?" "I say pretty damn good." Standish said. "I'm not sure we can trust her yet, but now that we've got a spy in Amadeus's inner circle, I think that gives us the advantage." "So what's the plan?" Twilight asked. "I think it's time we played our next hand." Standish said. "Twilight, can you tell Princess Celestia that we've got something to say in a couple of hours?" Twilight raised her eyebrows, but nodded as Standish and his team left the room to prepare for whatever it was they were doing. Twilight also noticed Standish had a smile on his face as he and his team walked out. Author's Note Update! Chapter 7 - The MeetingAs Standish and his team walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle, Twilight and Spike walking behind them, everypony that passed them stepped to the side out of fear or respect. Whatever it was, Standish didn't care. As they filed into the Day Court room, Standish crossed his arms in expectation. "What's the play, boss?" Lyle asked. "We tell 'em what we know, even if we need to stretch the truth." Standish replied. "Roger that." Lyle replied as the petitioners and reporters filed in, having been notified of the Hunters' impending announcement earlier. They took their seats and remained quiet with bated breath. Standish stepped up to the podium and spoke. "Listen up, I'm only saying this once." he said. "We have reached a point of significant progress in our investigation. We have several suspects identified due to the reports of our undercover contact in their little cadre. Who that might be is to remain classified." As the ponies looked at each other in shock, and whispered among themselves, Standish clutched the podium and cleared his throat. "So, that leads me to my final point. We'll be paying these Traditionalists a visit, very soon. And to Mr. Amadeus Blueblood...I'd keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Thank you for your time." As Standish and his team departed, the crowd dispersed back into the city of Canterlot to spread the news. ==== "You didn't tell them about Majesty? The Rock Farm? The death of Brass Bolt?" Twilight asked as the Hunters returned to their chambers. "Why?" "We have our reasons." Standish said. "Anyway, we'll be paying a visit to the Blueblood's estate personally, real soon. I think it's time that Amadeus learns who he's messing with." "Just be careful, Standish." Twilight replied. "What can I do in the meantime?" "Not sure." Jacobs said. "The assassins might have contacts in the city who have not been identified yet. I think it's time you get out of here." "And I think I know just where to go." Twilight said. "The Crystal Empire. My brother and sister-in-law are the rulers there, and they'll be able to help as well." "Get there ASAP." Paulson said. "We'll handle things back here. Here, catch." Paulson tossed Twilight a radio, and she nodded as she ensnared it with her magic. "You get trouble, contact us." Standish said. "Alright, let's go pay Amadeus a visit. Weapons low but ready. Lyle?" "Yeah?" the other Hunter replied. "Let's see if we can get to Majesty while we're there." Standish smiled. "Know what I mean?" Lyle nodded, seeing what Standish was getting at. As the four of them left for the train station, Twilight gathered up her things and Spike before teleporting to Celestia's office. ==== As the Hunters stepped off the train and approached the Blueblood Estate, Amadeus greeted them, alongside Pure and Majesty. "Welcome, Hunters." Amadeus said in forced civility. "I appreciate your making time to speak with us." Standish said. "Your daughter and wife, I presume?" "Indeed." Pure said. "Pure Blueblood, our daughter is Majesty." Majesty bowed, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Lyle covertly show her a radio. Her eyebrows raised slightly, but she nodded. Luckily, no one else had noticed. As they entered the estate, Majesty broke off towards her room, and Lyle shot her another nod, which she returned. "Where can we speak without being disturbed?" Paulson asked. "The garden. Follow me." Amadeus said. As the group entered an open-roofed glass greenhouse full of various species of plants, Standish and the other Hunters sat down alongside Amadeus and Pure. Soon, servants set down some platters of food, and Standish secretly scanned the dishes for poisons using his copy of ISAC. "No known Toxins detected." ISAC replied. "Raised levels of an unknown substance, potential for confirmed poison at 67 percent. Analyzing." As Standish silently ordered over the radio to not touch the food until it was certified clean, Amadeus sniffed and spoke. "What is it that you wish to talk about?" "We have suspicions that you were involved in the assassination attempt." Jacobs said. "And we want your response to those suspicions." "I see." Amadeus sniffed. "I had no direct influence on the conspirators, nor did I aid them in any way." "Then why did your son receive Orichalum from a rock farm, the same farm the assassins' weapons came from?" Paulson frowned. "That's pretty convincing evidence, if you ask me." "I have no oversight over my son's affairs." Amadeus replied. "His business is his own." "I see." Standish smiled. "Then riddle me this. The smith that forged the assassins' weapons was found dead this morning. His records showed you purchased eight daggers from him. What do you say to that?" "They were not daggers, but knives for the dining room." Pure replied. "Our current set had grown old." "Hmm." Standish said. "Then why did you poison the food you served us?" That made the two Blueblood hierarchs freeze. "I detected a chemical with a chemical structure identical to cyanide in everything on our side of the table." Standish said, slowly drawing his pistol. "And no sign of it on yours." Amadeus raised an eyebrow as the Hunters drew their firearms and levelled them at the Bluebloods. "Let me tell you one thing. It was a bad move." Standish smiled. "You're coming with us." "Like Tartarus we are." Amadeus scowled before he and Pure vanished in a flash of light. As Standish recoiled, he saw the Guards move to attack positions… Only for them to be disabled by single shots to the front legs. As the Hunters looked at each other, Standish growled. "Majesty, you still here?" he whispered over the radio. "Loud and clear." she replied. "They teleported us away from the estate, but I managed to snag the radio." "Good." Standish said. "Update us on your location every three hours. We'll handle things here." "You got it." As Majesty's connection ended, Standish motioned his team outside as Royal Guard chariots descended from the sky. ==== "So, the Traditionalist leaders and the Bluebloods were behind this." Celestia growled. "They will pay for this." "One thing at a time." Lyle said. "We've got a contact in their group. She's giving us locations every three hours. We'll find them and put them out of their misery." "As much as I want them to face trial…" Celestia replied. "If you must end their lives, do it only as an absolute last resort." "Copy." Standish replied. "Let's find our missing conspirators." Author's Note Update! Yep, the Bluebloods are on the run. Next time - The Crystal Empire and a dark deal. Chapter 8 - Ambushed and New AlliesAs Standish and his team escorted Twilight Sparkle and Spike out of Celestia's office, Standish turned to the Princess of Friendship and gave a sigh. "What's up?" Twilight asked. "I'm still not sure why you wanted us to come with you to this Crystal Empire." he replied. "We should be hunting down the Bluebloods, not taking a vacation. It's a bad move." "Well, I agree, but seeing as you're better equipped and know exactly what's going on here, unlike the Guards...I'd prefer to have you close by." Twilight said, raising a hoof to the back of her head sheepishly. "Alright...I suppose that's a good enough reason." Standish admitted. "How are we getting there?" "We'll take a train." Twilight affirmed as they proceeded through the throne room and towards the Palace gates in the courtyard. "It's already waiting for us at the Station." "At least we're not walking." Lyle chuckled. Paulson cuffed his friend's shoulder in a mixture of annoyance and good humor. The four Hunters, Twilight, and Spike soon reached the Canterlot train station, and boarded a 8-car steam engine which bore at least two platoons of Crystal Empire Guardsponies. As the six of them entered the lounge car and took their seats, the Guard leader, a pegasus with a tan-orange coat and a blue mane came forward. "Welcome aboard, Princess." he said. "I'm Lt. Flash Sentry, currently in command here.." "I remember you!" Twilight replied. "You were the Guard I met before the whole Mirror Portal incident! It's nice to see you again!" Flash gave a smile in return. "Happy to hear it." he replied, then turning to Standish. "From what Prince Shining Armor told me, you are the four "Hunters" in charge of the Princess's security?" "That would be us." Jacobs replied. "Well, we're at your command then for the time being." Flash replied. "You need anything, we'll be here and ready." "Good." Standish replied. "How are your teams organized?" "We have Guards stationed in every car, set in two-teams-per-car intervals." Flash replied as they sat down in the passenger car. "The engine has three teams stationed there." "Good." Paulson replied. "Keep us posted. Is there a way of direct communication?" "We have a magical voice relay set up for communication between teams in each car." Flash continued. "We shouldn't see any interference from the conspirators on our way to the Crystal Empire." "Don't be so certain." Standish replied. "I have a feeling we'll have company sooner or later. Have all teams placed on standby and made ready for close-quarters-combat." As the train took off for the Crystal Empire, a pegasus wearing chainmail and rogue's leathers, equipped with a telescope, watched them depart from atop a cloud. A unicorn next to him primed his magic and spoke. "They're on the move. Orders?" "Stay put and make yourselves scarce. The others will ambush the train when the opportunity is right." a voice replied. "Understood." ==== As the train proceeded along the tracks at a brisk speed, Standish and the Hunters watched as Spike, Flash, and Twilight played a round of cards. "Rear car, status?" Standish asked through the magic relay, which was similar to a glowing white orb that emitted smoke. "All clear." the Guards stationed at the caboose replied. "No sign of any hostiles." "Keep at it. Notify immediately if there's any change." Standish ordered. As he returned to his seat, he retrieved a SHD weapon repair kit from his rucksack and proceeded to field-clean his Custom P416G3. The other Hunters soon followed suit with maintaining their own gear and SHD Tech, along with sharpening their Survival Axes. Though their weapons hadn't seen much wear and tear since their arrival, they were starting to show signs of needing a repair session. As the Hunters scrubbed, wiped down, and polished their weapons, Twilight looked over at them. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Some field repairs." Lyle replied. "Just to pass the time. This gear doesn't maintain itself." "I see." Twilight replied. "It's so strange to me how your world developed so many incredible things without magic." "Well, seeing as our concept of magic was primarily stage tricks and show business…" Lyle nodded. "I suppose the concept of technology seemed more believable and manageable." "Our technology isn't always good, though." Standish added. "I mean, the nuclear bomb, poison gas, and hell, even the Green Poison virus were all developed by technological means." "Is there always a bad side to everything you make?" Spike asked. "Can't say for sure." Paulson mused. "I mean, I can't think of anything technological off the top of my head that can't be used in a bad way or can't cause harm." Then, Standish looked up on his Mask's HUD, and saw several red blips appear, their position indicated to be above them. Slowly standing up, he loaded his Custom P416 and approached the window. "Jacobs, Pulse the car." he ordered. Jacobs nodded and activated his Pulse, and the Hunters looked upwards in surprise. Several equine shapes were shown in red on the roof of the train car, and more were appearing as time passed. "Flash, did you position any guards on the roof?" Standish asked, though he already knew the answer. "No." Flash replied, drawing his sword and heading to the magic relay. As he did so, the windows shattered as mercenaries in Amadeus's hire leaped in, weapons ready. As Standish and his team opened fire with their guns, Flash dive-rolled past to protect Twilight and Spike, sword at the ready. As the relay began sounding the cries of the Guards and mercenaries, and the clashing of swords between them, Standish and his team ushered Twilight, Flash and Spike to the Engine. As the Guards stationed there took defensive positions. "Keep them here." Standish ordered. "We'll clear the train. Don't let anyone stop you." The Guards nodded and readied their weapons as Twilight and Spike took cover. However, as Standish and his team proceeded back to the cars occupied by the mercenaries, he didn't notice four friendly marks appear on his HUD's minimap, near the end of the train. ==== As the Mercenaries worked their way up towards the engine, fighting the Crystal Guards that stood in their path, neither side paid much attention to the interior of the caboose. Inside, as another team of Hunters got to their feet, they quickly loaded their weapons and made themselves combat ready at hearing the chaos outside. "Team, are we good?" asked the leader of the squad, named Roberts, to each of the Hunters. "Is everyone okay?" "We're good." said Travis, his second. "Seems we're in the middle of something." "We always are." Levy, the squad's heavy specialist, nodded in affirmation. "Anything on the radio or minimap, Hawke?" "I've got four marked friendlies at the front of the train." Hawke, the squad's scout, replied. "I advise we move to them and figure out what's going on here." "Check." Roberts replied. "Let's move!" As the Hunters exited the caboose and pushed forward, Hawke called out over the radio. "Friendly callsigns, can you hear me?" "Who the hell is this?" said a voice. "How are you on this channel? ID yourself?" "My name is Hawke, I'm a Hunter, assigned to Bravo Team." Hawke replied. "Who are you?" "This is Standish, designation Alpha Team." was the reply. "How'd you guys get here?" "That's a long story." Roberts replied over his own radio. "What's your status Standish?" "We're knee-deep in hostiles at the moment." Standish replied as gunfire sounded over the radio. "Do us a favor and push towards us at the front of the train, hostiles are the ones in mail and leather. Take 'em out as you go." "Check." Roberts replied. "Team, move!" As the two Hunter teams, steeled by the presence of the others, pushed forward to clear the train, the remaining Mercenaries found the advantage was no longer with them. The Guards, once they recovered from the surprise of the ambush, fought back ferociously, and though they were outnumbered by the mercs, they had better training and equipment, along with a very pissed off Twilight Sparkle. Twilight had joined the battle alongside Standish's team as they advanced, and even the Hunters had to admit that Twilight made for a good fighter when she was angry. As she sent merc after merc flying with precise blasts of magic, a shot to the head from one of the four Hunters would finish the job. As the train was cleared, and the remaining mercs fled to the skies, the once four, now eight Hunters gathered in the middle car. "Hey, Roberts." Standish nodded, taking off his mask and giving his friend a handshake. "You look like hammered shit." "Looks don't count for shit nowadays, man. IT's good to see you alive" Roberts replied, removing his own mask. Roberts was blonde, with a clean-shaven face and brown eyes. Hawke had auburn hair, with a rough beard. Levy had a white patch in his black hair near his right ear, an inherited birthmark, but otherwise was clean-shaven and pleasant. Travis had his pale brown hair done in a standard crew cut, but what set him apart was a white edged scar near his hairline. As the eight Hunters sat down and learned from each other what had happened and about where they were now, Standish asked Roberts what the situation was back home on Earth. "Tough question." Roberts replied. "It's been roughly six months since the initial outbreak, and a lot has changed. We were mostly pulled out of Manhattan by Command about two months after you guys were KIA." "We've only been here a week at most." Standish murmured. "That's a big time dilation. Anyway, why'd you get pulled out? I thought you guys were being deployed after us to Manhattan. What went wrong?" "These guys calling themselves Black Tusk sabotaging the SHD network is what went wrong. From what we could gather, all remaining SHD Agents are redeploying to Washington, DC to take back the capital. There's still a few of us in Manhattan performing recon and evaluation duties, but for the most part, we're on our own." Roberts continued. "We were en route to DC via a Blackhawk supplied by Command when we were shot down. We crashed outside Kenly College. None of us made it. Last thing I remember was taking a fireball to the face from the wreckage before blacking out and waking up here." "Funny." Lyle replied. "We ended up here too, after we died. We'll have to work that out later, though. What else can you tell us?" As the Hunters continued their conversation, Flash, Spike, and Twilight proceeded to a sleeper car. Not only was it now evening, Twilight was exhausted from combating the mercenaries. As the three of them headed to bed, later followed by the Hunters, the train chugged on to the Crystal Empire as the sun set over Equestria. ==== Blueblood Family Sanctuary, Western Mountains The Blueblood family, long before the assassination attempt, had built a large fortress into a valley between mountains to serve as a stronghold should the need arise for them to go into hiding. It lay on the border of both the Griffon and Dragon lands, and was known to no one outside the family. With three layers of reinforced walls, warded by a large amount of magical shielding and defenses, and guarded by highly-trained mercenaries under the pay of Amadeus, it was impenetrable by Equestrian and Amadeus's rigorous standards. As the Bluebloods made themselves at home, Majesty proceeded to her chambers without a word to her parents. After hiding the radio she had been given in a cabinet carved into the rock, she collapsed into bed, exhausted, but relieved that her actions had not been noticed by her family. As she strode to the window, she realized that her father was still outside with her mother and brother, and thus occupied for the moment. Mustering her strength and proceeding to her father's office, carrying a sidebag with her, she gave a small sigh, knowing she could not turn back from this. After packing a few bags of bits into her purse, she left her room. She opened the door to Amadeus's office and quickly sliced open the lock to her father's private safe with her magic. As she stared at some of her father's most closely guarded secrets that he had ever written down, she gave a nod and took them without a second though. Placing the stolen intelligence in her bag, Majesty also stole the schematics and needed counterspells for the Sanctuary's defenses and a copy of the Guards' daily rotation schedules. As she reattached the lock to the safe, she gave a smile. "I know what I have to do." she murmured as she prepared to teleport. "And how I plan to do it. With any luck I have...I can make it to the Crystal Empire. There, I'll be safe...and show my spirit." As she locked the door to her room behind her, she climbed out the window and flew to the northeast, towards the Crystal Empire. Author's Note Yep, Majesty is coming to the Crystal Empire. Also, for those who are wondering why I introduced four more Hunters, here's my reasoning. I needed to have a connection to The Division 2's story and canonical developments. More Hunters means more ass-kicking on their part. It'll serve a purpose I have yet to reveal... Anyway, the next chapter will start the beginning of the near-climax. I've still got plans for this story to continue on.
Prologue-Not in Kansas Anymore (Remastered)Ponyville 11:39 PM Outskirts, High Hill The crickets chirped almost in sync with the flickering stars. The animals of the Everfree were silent. The moon rested atop the High Hill, known to be a favorite observatory and picnic area. Nothing seemed daring enough to disturb the scene. Until something or someone did. Light footsteps could be heard, moving quickly and with purpose. They were not the heavy steps of the native ponies, but lighter and more pronounced. As the moon reached its apex and began to bear light, four figures appeared atop the hill. Each was clad in black, gray, and some white, and they were armored with Black Warfare gear. They carried SHD-Level weapons and Tech, and the only difference between the four of them was their respective masks and armor designs. The first bore white claw marks, like a wolf. The second had a red X, bold and sharp. The third had a crude blue skull. The fourth had a runic design in green. The four beings stood at the apex of the hill, eyeing the town below them. Finally, the third pulled up his mask, revealing a worn male face with pepper-gray hair and a clean-shaven chin. "Standish?" he asked the leader of the group. "Yeah, Paulson?" Standish, the first replied. "We're not in Kansas anymore, buddy." Thirty Minutes Earlier Manhattan, Dark Zone 03 Bryant Park Standish was cold, very cold. Even though his prototype armor kept his blood circulating and himself free from hypothermia, he still shivered every once in a while. The Mark-4 Black Warfare Kit was a genius creation of the Strategic Homeland Division, and rightfully so. It came standard-issue with Kevlar and Dragonskin mesh, capable of stopping nearly anything, from bullets to knives. Not only was it strong, it was also lightweight, feeling similar to a heavy winter coat armored with ballistic weave and plating. It also featured metamaterial-optical camouflage, perfect for stealth and concealed attacks. However, the camo had a downside of sending out a micro-EMP when it was deactivated, along with a tell-tale white puff of smoke. The armor was also modifiable and configurable, sporting attachment points for any style of combat. Finally, the armor carried a few necessary modules, such as a temperature gauge, thermal and night vision shielding, and a HUD build into the agent's mask. Standish shook his head and checked his tac-pad's clock. If the trap had been set properly, his teammates would be in position and waiting by 11:00 PM. As the hour hand clicked past on Standish's wristwatch that signalled the time was now 11:00, he noticed three friendly tags taking positions near him on his HUD. His team was in position, ready to strike at his command. "Paulson, sitrep." Standish murmured over their radio. "Our targets just exited the safehouse." Paulson replied, hefting his Military MK46 Machine Gun into a firing position. "They've got the Antiviral Samples with them." "What's their gear looking like?" Jacobs asked. "High-end, for the most part." Paulson replied. "They've managed to make a few pieces of SHD Tech for each of them. I saw at least one Support Station on the female, presumable combat medic." "Great to know." Lyle replied. "What else?" "They're in the dark as to our presence, so once we see the flare, we attack on schedule." Paulson replied. "As long as we keep the element of surprise, we'll be clear to engage." "Good to hear." Standish said. "Here they come!" As the Hunters took defensive positions and cloaked, three men and one woman in winter clothing and High-End armor sprinted into the park. They were armed with High-End weapons, and Standish could see the Antivirals attached to the squad leader's backpack. The men took defensive stances, and the woman hoisted their Extraction Flare Gun and fired. The bright orange flare rocketed upwards, illuminating the sky. The Agent then dove to cover, revealing her modified Navy MP5N as well as her combat experience. Standish frowned, realizing that these Agents might not be so easy to eliminate after all. "Engage!" Standish said over the radio as the Hunters deactivated their cloaks. The Agents were disrupted by the Micro-EMP and once they got their bearings, took cover and began to fire back. Lyle moved out of cover, priming his Ballistic Shield. The Agents stopped focusing their individual targets and shifted to Lyle, who was immediately suppressed. He sheltered down, bracing his shield in front of him. One of the Agents pulled out a grenade, and threw it towards him. Lyle didn't notice the explosive until it was too late. The Shock Grenade detonated, paralyzing him and short-circuiting his armor, exposing him to the Agents. The Second Wave Agents immediately opened fire. Lyle's armor was tough, but it didn't stand a chance against that many bullets at once. He fell dead, his Shield collapsing in a heap. Standish checked his HUD to see his friend was deceased. "Lyle's KIA!" Jacobs said as he suppressed the agents, before firing a Sticky Bomb. The agents rolled out of cover and advanced forward, focusing Jacobs. One agent stayed behind, keeping his Custom M44 Marksman Rifle ready and on target. As Jacobs attempted to go in close with his Survival Axe, one good shot was all the sniper needed. Jacobs collapsed, and the Agents decided to take the offensive now that they had numbers on their side. Paulson hurled an Explosive Seeker Mine and took cover, only he didn't see an Agent closing in with a Super 90 Shotgun on his right flank. After two shots to the leg, and one to the head, Paulson fell. Standish deployed a Turret and assessed his situation. As bullets pinned him down, he tightened his grip on his Custom P416G3. "My team is dead, I'm low on ammo, and in all cases I'm fucked." he thought. "If I'm going out here, I'm going out swinging." Standish dove out and advanced on one agent, moving into the open. The Agents promptly focused their fire on him, a sniper's shot hitting him in the leg. Standish swore under his breath, and limped to cover nearby. Only he didn't notice the Agent leader advancing with a full magazine ready and loaded. Standish heard the chatter of an ACR Assault Rifle, and he too fell dead. The last thing the Hunter saw was the Evacuation Helicopter landing and the Agents departing with the antivirals, before he slipped into darkness and silence. === Standish bolted upwards as he felt himself breathing. His eyes were open, but his eyelids felt like lead. "What?" he thought. "That Agent shot me, point blank. How am I alive?" He leaned upwards and looked around, his vision still blurry. From what he could tell, there were plenty of trees around him, and a large mass then blocked his vision. "Standish, get up!" said a familiar voice. "We need you moving!" There was a sharp jab to his neck, and Standish realized it was an SHD First Aid shot once the pain in his leg began to fade. He groaned in relief, and saw Lyle, Paulson, and Jacobs standing above him once his vision cleared. "Wake up, buttercup." Paulson said, helping his friend up. "You guys know where are we?" Standish asked. "No fucking clue." Lyle said. "We're not in Manhattan, that's for damn sure. Last I checked, we were in Bryant Park surrounded by Hazmat containers in the middle of a blizzard. Now, as you can see…" He gestured to hillside forest around them. "We're in a vegetated area, near a hill, in the spring." Lyle said. "And that brings me to my next point, which is how are we all alive?" "We're all supposed to be dead." Paulson groaned. "Those Agents took us all out." "So, we're in heaven?" Standish said. "I don't think so." Jacobs said, motioning to the top of the hill. "The stars, constellations, they're all misaligned and I don't recognize some of them. Furthermore, my Pulse tagged lifesigns, just over the hill. Not too far from our position" "Then let's go." Standish said. "We need to get moving. I, for one, want to find out where we are, and how we're all alive. Whatever these lifesigns are, they might be able to tell us. Who's with me?" There were no objections from anyone, so the four-man team ascended the hill. === As the Hunters looked at each other with anxiety and shock radiating off of them like body heat, Standish pulled out a pair of binoculars and scanned the area. The town in front of him seemed quaint or medieval in nature, mostly wood and thatch with some brick. A large, gleaming blue tree was at one end, near them. An orchard or farm lay across the town to the north, and the whole place was quiet as a graveyard. "Wait…contacts near the tree" Standish said, eyeing movement through the binoculars. Eight strange quadrupeds were walking towards the tree, each wearing a black cloak. Standish thought he could see a gleam of metal, albeit a very small one, through the lens of his binoculars. "You all seeing this?" Lyle said. his own binoculars focused on the beings. "We are." Standish said. "Let's move in." "Where to, might I ask?" Jacobs queried. "To that tree-thing." Standish said. "I have a feeling we'll get answers there. Cloak up." The Hunters tapped their wrist-pads, and they turned translucent, their bodies reflecting the nearby light and texture of the surrounding area. Standish motioned, and the Hunters descended the hill and into the town. === The Hunters reached the tree just as the eight beings closed the door behind them. Standish could now see the tree was actually a house of some kind, with windows and turrets like a castle. "Some tree house." Jacobs said. "Why's it made of crystal, though?" "We don't have time to find out." Standish said. "Let's go." They opened the door without a sound, and Jacobs activated his Pulse. To their surprise, the beings registered as armed hostiles. "They don't have guns." Lyle said. "So why are they hostile?" "No clue, but I don't care." Standish said. "Paulson, head back outside and scout around them. We'll track them from the inside." "Roger that." Paulson pried a window open with his axe, and slipped through it. The eight beings moved and walked up a flight of stairs towards a set of double doors, marked with a diamond and star-like crest. Now that the Hunters were in close proximity, the Pulse also revealed two lifesigns inside the room, both sleeping judging by their scanned vital signs. "What's going on here?" Standish murmured. "Paulson, you got eyes on?" "Affirmative." Paulson said. "On their left, entered through the back patio." "Scan them again." Standish said, drawing a First Wave X45 Pistol, with a suppressor, 3Dot Laser, and a mini reflex sight. Paulson obliged, and the scan revealed the eight beings held long-bladed knives close to them as they opened the door and surrounded the two sleeping beings. "Decloak and engage on my mark. Shoot the window and make some noise." Standish whispered. "What?" Lyle asked. "Why?" "Something's not right here and I don't like it." Standish replied. "Go in close, use your axes and hand to hand combat only." The Hunters nodded and approached behind the beings, their Survival Axes gleaming but unnoticed. Standish's eyes flared in fright as he saw the eight beings raise their blades over the sleeping form. "NOW!" he whispered over the radio "Take them down!" Paulson threw his Military MK46 into the room like a shot put, shattering the glass window. As the cloaked beings spun to face them in surprise, the one in bed gave a sudden yelp of surprise, now fully away. Standish barely had time to holster his pistol and prepare himself as one of the cloaked beings swung a dagger at his chest. Standish rolled behind him and drew his Survival Axe, and the remaining Hunters entered the room and decloaked. It wasn't long before all four were engaged in close-quarters combat. === Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Magic and Friendship, wasn't sure what in the name of Tartarus was going on in her bedroom. First, she had been woken up by her bedroom window breaking quite loudly. Then, there were four strange beings wielding hand axes fighting eight cloaked ponies with knives. Finally, she was scared out of her wits. She summoned her magic and formed a protective shield around her and Spike, who had also woken up in a flash. "Twilight, what's going on?" he said, panic clear in his voice. "Who are they?" "I don't know…" Twilight replied as she watched the melee in shock and fear. === Standish kicked one of the beings to the ground and punched it in the face, knocking it out cold. From what he could tell, his teammates were more than holding their own against...whatever these beings were. Standish rolled past a slash towards his chest, and kicked the knife away from its wielder. Then, he buried his axe in the being's chest, blood spraying out. SHD Survival Axes like the one Standish and his team used were made of carbon-enhanced steel, capable of shredding most ballistic body armor at close range as well as durable and sharp. That point was proven true when the axe sunk deep into the being's chest. Standish kicked the being away and hurled his axe into the shoulder of a second. The being swore loudly as he fell, and what surprised Standish most was that it was in English. "Damn it!" the being cursed, yanking the axe out with a screech of pain. Standish flinched, but he quickly followed up with a punch that knocked the being out after retrieving his Axe. As he drew back, he turned to see his teammates had the remaining beings on the ground. "Are we clear?" Standish asked. "Clear." Lyle said, pulling a knife away from one of the beings before binding it with rope. "What about that one?" "I'll deal with it." Standish said. As he approached the one in the bed, he got a better look at it. It was seemingly feminine and equine, only it had wings and a horn. And equines normally didn't have some kind of purple bubble surrounding it. Standish gently approached it, his hands up in a sign of passiveness. He didn't expect the being to fire a beam of purple light that sent him into the wall with a sickening crunch. "Standish!" Lyle cried, rushing over. "You alright?" "What do you think, dumbass?" Standish moaned. "That definitely hurt." "Let me patch you up." Paulson said, taking a First Aid Canister and injecting it into his side. Standish sighed in relief at feeling the pain dull significantly and his stamina being replenished. He stood up, clutching his side for a few moments before sighing. "Let's try that again." He said, approaching the being, who prepared to fire another blast. Before she could however, Standish gently set his axe down and raised his hands. "It's okay." he said. "I'm a friend, ma'am. You're safe now." === Twilight flinched visibly as the being spoke perfectly legible Equish before backing away to rejoin its allies. "Who are you?" she asked timidly. To her surprise, the beings lowered their axes in shock. "I could ask the same thing." one said, his face having three white marks. "We'll go first. I'm Standish, this is Lyle, Paulson, and Jacobs, my squadmates. What's your name?" "Twilight Sparkle." she replied. "Nice to meet you, Twilight." Standish said. "Team, masks off." "You sure about that?" one with a green runic mark replied, uncertain. "Dead sure." Standish said as he lifted his mask off. To Twilight's shock, underneath was the last face she expected to see again. It was a human face. It was clearly male, with a stubble beard of black. It set its mask on its belt, and pulled down a tactical hoodie, revealing messy black hair done in a rough crew cut. "You're a human!" Twilight said without thinking. "How's that possible?" "Wait, what?" Standish said. "How do you know that we're human?" The others started to move forward, only Standish held up his hand and stopped them. "You can explain how you know that later." he said. "First things first, though. What kind of being are you?" "I'm an alicorn pony." she said. "Alicorn." Standish said. "Okay, Twilight, we can do the whole first-contact thing later. We'll move to check the perimeter and get these bastards secured somewhere. Can you get law enforcement or whoever does that sort of thing here as soon as they can?" "I can do that." Twilight said. "Spike? Where are you?" "I'm under the bed." said a muffled voice that sounded like it belonged to a preteen. Twilight helped the dragon out from his hiding place, and as they wrote a hasty SOS to Celestia, Standish and his team set to binding the attackers with rope. Standish raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Spike sent the letter, the flame whistling out the window. He shook his head to focus himself and stood up. "Lyle, Jacobs, check them for injuries and if so, patch them up so that they'll survive, nothing more. Paulson, check the perimeter. I'll talk with Miss Twilight here." he ordered. "You got it." Lyle said. As he and Jacobs dragged the assailants out of the room, Paulson took a defensive position at the window, loading his now-retrieved Military MK46 Machine Gun. Twilight eyed the weapon with curiosity, before Standish cleared his throat, drawing her attention.. "So, miss Twilight, let's talk." Standish said, righting a chair and sitting down. "We can start with my most pressing question. Where are we?" Author's Note Yep, new story. Next time-The Hunters tell their story to Twilight, and Twilight tells her story to the Hnters. Then Celestia arrives with the Solar Guards... Remastered Author's Notes (7-15-19) Hopefully this chapter looks and reads better than the original. I made lots of continuity edits, improved the dialogue, and fixed a few typos. Enjoy.
Chapter 1-Dead Metal (Remastered)Standish and Twilight sat down at the Map Table , the human raising an eyebrow as Twilight levitated a notepad and pencil over. He blinked a few times to make sure he saw what he did, before speaking up. "How'd you do that?" he asked. "Magic." Twilight replied. "I forgot humans don't use magic of the Equestrian kind…" "We don't, that's for sure." Standish said. "So, do you know these assholes?" "I think I know who they are." Twilight said. "Traditionalists." "What's that mean?" Standish asked. "They sound political." "They are." she sighed. "Ever since I became a Princess about a year ago, I've been trying to pass reforms that would better Equestria. The Traditionalists opposed them in every way, mostly because it'd cost them a lot of political influence and power. They're nobles, every one of them." "Bastards." Standish said. "So, they try to kill you in your sleep because of a bunch of laws you're trying to pass? Is that really it?" "It also helps that I wasn't born into royalty." Twilight said. "I earned my wings and my status. They resented and despised me because of it. They saw me as a threat to their agendas." "Well, that fucking figures." Standish sighed. "Is there anything else?" "They've been using all their political connections to stall the reforms or discredit them, but I'd never thought they'd try to kill me." Twilight said, sniffing. "Hey, it's okay now. You're safe." Standish said. "I guess it's our turn to explain things?" Before Standish could speak, there was a bright flash of light. Standish and his team immediately drew their axes or raised the nearest gun they could reach, but they lowered them in an instant once their vision cleared. An alabaster Alicorn, wearing golden Greek-style armor, stood with several other armored ponies. Her mane was rainbow-colored, and she immediately embraced Twilight protectively, her spear and shield falling away. "I'm so glad you're safe." she murmured. "When I got Spike's message…" "I'm okay." Twilight said. "All thanks to them." Celestia turned to see Standish and his team approach. "They saved my life." Twilight said. "Standish and company, this is Celestia, Princess of the Sun and a Ruler of Equestria." Celestia nodded, and Standish's team saluted. "You're soldiers, I presume?" she asked when their hands lowered. "Of a kind." Standish said, sitting down. "We were just in the neighborhood when we noticed those eight sneaking in. We followed them, and I guess instinct kicked in. I wasn't going to see someone else die on our watch." "Then, I thank you profoundly." Celestia said. "Corporal Glass?" One of the armored ponies came forward and bowed. "Check the eight assassins for wounds and treat them. I want to make sure they face justice." "There's no need for that, ma'am." Lyle said. "Three of them are already dead." "What?" Celestia asked with a tinge of anger, walking towards the Hunter. "You killed three of them in cold blood?" "They attacked us." Lyle said. "We responded accordingly. And it wasn't cold blood. They were going to die anyway from how we roughed them up." Celestia growled, and she further advanced on Lyle. "That is not how we deal with criminals." she said, scowling. "We take them alive to face justice according to their deeds." "With all due respect, Princess, fuck that." Lyle said. "Sometimes justice isn't blind at all." Celestia was about to retort when Standish stepped in. "Lyle, lock it down." he said. "Ma'am, I understand your anger. But they were going to kill her when she was defenseless and unprotected. That's more than enough reason to respond with deadly force in my book. Can you understand that?" Celestia heard the Hunter's words, and knew that he spoke in the right. "Fine, I understand." she said, sitting down. "Corporal, treat the wounded and move the dead away. I will stay here with Twilight and our guests." "Yes, Princess." Glass replied. "Move out!" As the Guards shackled the living assassins and picked up the three bodies on stretchers, Standish then remembered something. "The attackers had these with them." he said, producing a dagger from the stash they had procured. "I figured you'd want to see them." Celestia took the dagger, and growled as she looked it over in the pale light. "Shaped Orichalum." she said with fury clear in her voice. "The hell's that?" Paulson asked. "Orichalum is an exceedingly rare metal." she said. "The only one that when shaped, can kill alicorns." "So these bastards made these just to kill her?" Standish asked. "How does that even work?" "From what we know…" Celestia said, eyeing the blade with contempt. "It forms deep underground and only in high pressure, and when unrefined, acts similar to arsenic when exposed to flesh. However, when it is shaped, and that is a monumental task itself, it produces a new toxin so potent, it drains the life force of whatever it touches. Even the life force of an alicorn." "Then how'd they get their...hooves on it?" Lyle asked. "I take it that you can't get this metal very often. "I think I know, but I'm not sure about it." Twilight said. "The Bluebloods visited the rock exhibition hosted by Pinkie's family a few months ago. The Pies also found an orichalum deposit around the same time before that." "That's definitely not a coincidence." Standish said. "These guys must've gotten it there somehow. And no matter how, it doesn't look good to me." "Most likely." Celestia said. "Twilight, I think it is time you received Personal Guards of your own." "...You're right. I've put that off for too long." Twilight said. "Who are you thinking of?" "I'm looking right at them." Celestia said, staring at the Hunters. "What do you mean?" Standish asked. "I am asking you to protect Twilight Sparkle." Celestia said. "I received a ledger from my sister, Princess Luna. It was a list of known Traditionalists and those sympathetic to them. A large number of my Guard and my sister's Guard is...at risk. I cannot...will not...allow this to happen again. Standish, I am begging you and your team, for lack of a better word, to protect her until this is all sorted out. If you wish to confer with your friends about my offer, you may do so." "I'll take you up on that." Standish said. "One moment, please." The Hunters moved into an adjacent room, silent as could be. ==== "What do you think of this, guys?" Paulson said. "It'll be a way to support ourselves until we get back home." Standish said. "Plus, we play our cards right, me might gain a chance to get home." "But, you have to remember that we're aliens here." Lyle said. "Heavily armed and trained, and packing enough heat to take on a small battalion. How's that going to look to everyone else in this world?" "We'll worry about the pros and cons later." Jacobs said. "I'm in all the way, Standish." "Me too." Paulson said. "Lyle?" "Might as well. Never been a bodyguard before." Lyle said. "Alright, so we're doing this." Standish smiled. "However, no matter what, we're getting home in one piece. Am I clear?" "You got it." the other Hunters said with courage in their voices. ==== Celestia and Twilight turned to see Standish and the Hunters appear again, their masks off. "We accept your offer." Standish said. "We can work out the details later, but we're all in." "I thank you most dearly." Celestia said. "I would like to know where you are from, what those metal objects are, and how you came here." "Then we'll tell you. This won't be pleasant, though." Lyle said. ==== The Hunters then gave Celestia a rough history of their world and humanity, then telling of the Manhattan outbreak and the Strategic Homeland Division, or SHD. "How exactly do you know of this "SHD?" Celestia asked. "We used to work for it." Standish said. "Until one day, when we learned we were on the wrong side. During the Dark Zone evacuation about five months ago, we were posted at the DZ Checkpoint at Bryant Park. Our mission was to supervise civilian evacuations to Times Square and relative safety. Problem was, we'd received word earlier that the Rikers were moving in, en masse, towards our location." "Who are the Rikers?" Twilight asked. "They're state and federal prisoners." Lyle said. "Rikers Island, NY, was a Federal Prison that was overrun during the outbreak. The inmates rioted and took the place over. Then, they moved into Manhattan, ready for revenge and out for blood. They'd been pushing north, and we were right in their path. The Rikers had numbers and motivation, we had superior firepower and training, and a better position. However, we still lost the battle." "Why?" Celestia asked. "What advantage did these Rikers have that you did not?" "The Rikers brought more ammo." Standish said. "We were a civilian center, there were only ten JTF soldiers along with us. We barely had enough ammunition to take on a platoon, let alone the entire group of Rikers poised to strike. We had our SHD Tech and some defensive turrets, but that would only last so long." "What did you do?" Twilight asked. "We decided the JTF needed to get the Civilians out of there ASAP, while we held the line with whatever ammo we had." Paulson said. "We sent the trucks loaded with civies and the JTF on their way, before we dug in for the attack. And the Rikers came hard and fast." "These Rikers were motivated, and that's a good thing to have with you in battle." Lyle said. "Before long, we were nearly overrun and completely out of ammo. We radioed the Division commander, and guess what his orders were." "What were they?" Celestia asked. "His orders were to stay put and not to abandon the site. Simply put, we had to hold our ground" Standish spat. "That's insane!" Twilight said. "You were in trouble!" "You're telling us." Standish added. "We were nearly out of ammo, and overrun. So, we did the one thing that seemed right to us. We disobeyed orders and abandoned the site. That meant one thing in the eyes of the Division command...treason." "We were declared Rogue Agents." Lyle said. "Now we were marked for death by every Division Agent in Manhattan. We were on our own with no allies to speak of, and in hostile territory. "So we decided to hole up and wait for the storm to pass." Standish said. "We knew there was an unoccupied Division Command Bunker near Park Avenue in DZ North. There, we would wait for the moment to strike back." "Soon after, the JTF pulled out of the Manhattan DZ, and a Second Wave of Agents was deployed. These Second Wave agents got right to work, and they basically took back the city on their own. We figured that was the time." Lyle added. "A storm was coming in." Standish said. "A massive blizzard the size of Manhattan and Brooklyn combined. That was also the same time that experimental Antiviral samples were located in the DZ by the Second Wave Agents." "I take it you had something to do with that?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yep." Lyle said. "We tipped off the JTF to their location, and just as we planned, they sent four Agents into the storm to retrieve them. We set up positions around Bryant Park, and we waited. We thought those Agents were dead meat once their helicopter crashed. But those agents managed to survive the cold and the hostiles outside, arm themselves with SHD Tech, and get the protective gear they needed to enter the DZ. They survived and found the Antivirals." "Right on schedule, they finished their mission and attempted to extract them at Bryant Park." Standish said. "We engaged them shortly after that. We were killed by those four Agents, and they extracted via helicopter." "Did you just say you were killed?" Celestia asked, curious but also inquisitive. "Yes, ma'am. We were all KIA." Paulson said. "I got shot in the head by a sniper." "Gunned down at close range." Lyle said. "Same for Jacobs." "I was the last one. The agent's squad leader emptied his gun into my left side." Standish finished. "So yes, we're all supposed to be dead according to us." Celestia was silent for several moments, before she sighed. "I suppose I'll buy that for now." she said. "Let's get back to business. Those assassins and the Traditionalists must be dealt with with haste." "You're right." Standish said as they stood up. "What's the plan?" "We're going to Canterlot." Celestia said. "There, we will conduct further negotiations and deal with the prisoners." "Fine." Standish said, holstering his First Wave X45 and motioning for his team to ready up. "Lead the way, Princess. We'll be right behind you." Author's Note Yep, another update. Next time-The visit to Canterlot, and a new threat rises... Remastered notes - More details and more clarity.
Chapter 2-City of GoldFor the most part, the Hunters didn't know what to expect when Celestia told them they were heading to Canterlot. They expected a train, maybe some kind of air transport. They were partially right. A Solar Guard Chariot awaited them, and as they boarded, Standish eyed it with unease. "Is something wrong?" Celestia asked. "You sure this is safe?' he asked. "What happens if we fall?" "That won't happen." Twilight said. "I've taken these plenty of times." "Not very reassuring…" Lyle said quietly. Standish elbowed his partner as they sat down, and the Chariot took off into the sky with the Guards following. ==== "I have one reason as to why I'm liking this." Lyle said. "What's that?" Standish asked. "Check out this view." the Hunter replied. True to Lyle's word, the view of the surrounding plains was astounding. The dawn was coming, judging by the sky turning pale blue from dark purple. Standish smiled, before he started browsing on his wristpad. Peeling back the kevlar cover, he attempted to access the GPS function. As he expected, there was no signal. Swearing under his breath, he set the cover back down and gave a moan of frustration. "What's up?" Twilight asked. "I was trying to access the GPS on my wristpad." Standish said, showing it to her. "As I thought, no signal." "What's GPS?" Twilight asked. "Global Positioning System." Standish said. "Back on Earth, we've got satellites in our planet's low orbit. GPS triangulates your location by using these satellites, and reflecting radio signals between them. Works as long as you have connection to the satellites themselves." "Fascinating." Twilight said. "What other technological marvels has humanity developed?" "Too many to count." Standish said. "Wireless radio, computers...god knows what else I can think of." "You seem rather knowledgeable about this." Twilight said. "Why's that?" "Before the Outbreak and the First Wave, I worked at a library." Standish said. "Reading was one of the main things I enjoyed doing to pass the time. Besides, when the Green Poison hit, a lot of public places closed for fear of spreading the infection." Twilight nodded, seeing the logic. "Did it work?" she asked. "Not really." Standish replied. "The Green Poison spread too quickly, giving us the Quarantine we have now." There was silence for the remainder of the ride, and as they landed, Celestia stood off to the side. "What's she doing?" Paulson said. "Raising the sun." Twilight said. "Bullshit." Lyle said. "Planets revolve around a sun, there's no possible way…" Celestia then bid the sun to rise, and it did, illuminating the sky. "Seems that's possible here." Standish said. "Celestia?" Lyle asked. "Make it do a figure eight. I want to be sure." Celestia obliged, and the sun did a figure eight. Lyle stood silent, and then he sighed. "Well, that's that." he said. "Goodbye, my understanding of the laws of physics." Celestia snorted with laughter. "Let's get moving." Standish said. "We don't have much time." Ass they entered the Palace, they were greeted by another Alicorn known as Princess Luna. "So you are the beings who saved Twilight Sparkle." she said. "I thank you." "Not a problem, ma'am." Standish said as they all began to walk towards a private area of the castle. "We were passing through, decided to investigate." Luna seemed unconvinced, but she didn't say anything. The Hunters, Twilight, Celestia, and Luna were brought to an office, and the Guards departed. "Nopony enters until we are finished." Celestia ordered them. The Guards nodded, and shut the doors, sealing them inside. "So, what's our plan?" Lyle asked. "These Traditionalists won't take care of themselves." "True." Celestia said. "However, we can't attack them directly. The common folk supports Twilight's reforms, however many of the nobles do not. We need allies on both sides." "Then who can we trust on the noble front?" Paulson asked. "Fancy Pants and his wife, among few others." Luna said. "However, they are only five in total." "Good enough for us." Standish said. "We'll handle protection, you handle the politics. As long as you can get those reforms passed, and we can keep Twilight safe, which we will, everything should be fine." "I hope so, Standish." Celestia said. "However, there is still the fact that many of our guards have Traditionalist sympathies." "I have a few ideas about that." Jacobs said. "Once I've thought them out, I'll get them to you ASAP." "Right." Celestia said. "One last thing will be introducing you to the public and the greater portion of the Equestrian populace." "Leave that to us." Standish said. "You set it up, we'll get it done." "Very well." Luna said. "I'll alert the press that we'll be having a summit in three hours." Celestia nodded, though she seemed nervous about the whole idea. As they exited the office, Standish activated his comms with the rest of his team. "How're you all holding up?" he asked. "Fine." Lyle said. "Does the mission still stand?" "Affirmative." Jacobs replied. "We're all stocked on ammo, and our Tech is ready." "Good." Standish said. "It's logical the Equestrians haven't developed gunpowder, let alone the necessary tools to repair firearms, so use them only if necessary. Stick to your SHD Tech and Axes for engagements." "Understood." Paulson said. "What about GPS?" "Still down." Standish replied. "There's no satellites, so no signal on our end. Once we get to a map, we'll figure out a plan for moving forward." "Yes, sir." the Hunters replied. Standish nodded as they entered a dining room, and they sat down. "I figured you must be hungry." Celestia said. "I had the cooks prepare a meal for us." "Thank you." Standish said. "I figure you should know that we eat meat. We're omnivorous." "I see." Celestia said. "Though it shouldn't be a problem. We do have a small stock of meat for our neighbors, the Minotaurs and Griffons. They have a similar diet to yours." "Good to hear." Standish smiled. "Masks off." The Hunters took off their masks and hooked them to their belts, and Celestia studied their faces intently. Standish was lean and sharp-looking, with a black crew cut and stubble beard. Paulson had more messy hair, with pepper gray flecks. Lyle was blonde, with dark eyes. Finally, Jacobs had rust-red, with a small scar on his cheek. "Why do you hide your faces behind masks?" Luna asked. "It's psychological warfare." Standish explained. "if your enemy doesn't know who they fight, they can't use their weaknesses against them. They are more than just masks, though. They're equipped with thermal and night-scope vision, plus a Heads-Up display. That particular feature shows our ammunition reserves, a small map and motion tracker, and the status of our SHD Tech." "You certainly are advanced." Luna said, fascinated. "Humans are the sole sapient species on Planet Earth, apart from countless species of animals." Standish said. "We've existed for millions of years, though the greater part of technological development on our current scale took place in the twentieth century, or the 1900s." "Incredible." Celestia said as the food was served. "Though the objects on your back, what are those?" "Firearms." Standish sighed. "Swords and lances were rendered nearly extinct due to their use in warfare. Think of them as miniature, rapid-firing cannons. The earliest models were slow to use and highly inaccurate. Now, specific kinds can shoot over a thousand yards with ease and still hit their targets. There's too many kinds to list, but we each have our own specific favorites." "Interesting." Celestia said. "However, I ask you only to use them in defense." "We've already planned for that." Lyle said. "Besides, ma'am, we don't have an infinite supply of ammunition for them, and guns do need repairs every so often. We're only going to use them if absolutely necessary." "Very well." Luna said. "Let's eat, shall we?" As they ate, Standish admired how the food tasted. Human food always had that tinge of flavor from processed ingredients. This food was pure, simple, and tasty, and Standish liked that. It wasn't long before everyone had eaten, and it was time for the Press Summit. ==== Author's Note Update!
Chapter 3-Face to FaceAs the reporters and quite a few nobles filed into the Day Court Room, Celestia watched from the sidelines. "Everything alright?" She turned to see Standish and his team appear. Their masks were back on their faces, and their axes sheathed at their right leg or hip. "Yes, for now." Celestia said. "Is everything in place?" "Yes, ma'am." Jacobs said. "Twilight's in a safe location, and if anyone tries to make a move, we'll be there." "I hope so." Celestia said. As she entered the room, the press applauded and the nobles bowed. Celestia held up her hood, and asked for silence. "Greetings, citizens of Equestria." she said. "I wish to reveal news that will shock you. Last night, there was an assassination attempt on Princess Twilight Sparkle." Gasps, whispers, and murmurs of shock filled the room. Celestia again raised her hoof, and continued. "However, due to the actions of four brave beings, the attempt was unsuccessful. Princess Twilight and Spike the Dragon were unharmed during the attack, and three of the assassins lie dead." The crowd went silent as they waited for their ruler to speak. Celestia composed herself, and said. "I reveal these beings to you now. If you would?" There was silence. Then, four puffs of white smoke appeared in front of Celestia, and the crowd gasped at the figures of Standish and his team. They snapped to salute, but were silent and still. "They saved the life of Twilight Sparkle, and offered their own in her stead." Celestia said. "Standish, Lyle, Paulson, and Jacobs, Equestria and I owe you a debt that cannot be repaid. Do you have anything to say?" "A few things, Princess, if you don't mind." Standish said, surprising the crowd even further. Standish walked forward, and spoke. "Alright, let's get to it." Standish said. "I'm not one for fancy speeches, so I'm going to be rather straightforward with you. We're not here to make friends, we are here to hunt." Standish paused before continuing. "We've also been briefed on your current political status. We also know who is responsible for the attack on Princess Twilight Sparkle. I and my team will be investigating...and eliminating those who masterminded this despicable act." Standish scoffed loudly. "By now, I bet your minds are coming up with all sorts of questions. Let me be clear. We're not answering them. We have better things to do then play diplomats. I'll finish up with this." "Traditionalists, you had better watch your back. Step out of line on our watch, you'll pay the price. We are the Hunters. Whoever crosses us is prey. But rest assured, we're not going to skulk around and kill whoever we want. No, we have better things to do. Thank you for your time. We'll be starting our investigation immediately." Standish motioned to his team, and exited the room with Princess Luna, to an aghast crowd and a grave-looking Celestia. ==== Standish and his team walked through the halls, expecting a rebuke from the Lunar Princess. Surprisingly, she didn't criticize them, only ask "Was all that really necessary?" "Yes, ma'am." Lyle replied. "It helps to have fear on your side." "I see." Luna said, unconvinced. "I have prepared dossiers on all the prominent Traditionalists for you and your team to look over." "Good." Standish said. "Who leads this movement?" "Amadeus Blueblood." Luna said. "He's the father of Prince Blueblood, Celestia's honorary nephew. He is the worst of the worst, as he compared Twilight Sparkle publicly to Queen Chrysalis." "So she told us." Standish said. "We'd like to speak with him." "I don't think that will be quite necessary…" Luna said as they approached the library where Twilight Sparkle was hidden. Several ponies in suits were present, and one was furiously speaking to a Guard. "I'm sorry, sir." a Guard said. "We're under strict orders from Princesses Celestia and Luna not to let anypony in until they return." "My business cannot wait." Amadeus said. "Let me in immediately!" "I wouldn't be so hasty, sir." The Traditionalists turned to see Standish and his team approach. They turned around and sniffed with contempt. "And who might you be?" Amadeus asked, dripping with dislike. "Standish. Lyle, Paulson, Jacobs." Standish said. "We're investigating the assassination attempt at the request of Princess Celestia. Before you get any ideas, we are also Twilight Sparkle's new security staff." "So you support her reforms?" Amadeus practically snarled. "I'm not at liberty to discuss that." Standish said. "I haven't read them yet. I prefer to read things over before I make my decision. Something you might want to take into account." Amadeus and his group bristled. "Are you insulting me?" Amadeus growled. "That depends." Standish said. "I was just voicing my opinion. If you take that as an insult, that's fine with me. However, let me make one thing absolutely clear." Standish then drew his Axe and put the edge on Amadeus's throat. "I have no hesitations about dealing with problems face to face." Standish said. "I happen to prefer it that way. Next time you think about killing someone in their sleep, think again." "Are you accusing me of masterminding the attempt?" Amadeus roared. "Not yet." Standish replied. "Consider that a warning, sir. Now, I suggest you move along." Amadeus snorted with anger and left, followed by his group. Each of them shot Standish and his team some very nasty glares as they exited the hallway. "What a bunch of assholes." Lyle cursed once they were out of earshot. "I agree, but let's focus on the task at hand." Standish said. "Let's gather all the intel we can about these Traditionalists. Alright Hunters, let's get to work." "Roger that." As they followed Princess Luna into the library, Amadeus pulled Prince Blueblood aside. "Those beings must not interfere." he scowled. "They were lucky to have saved the false Princess's life." "I agree, but what can we do?" Prince Blueblood asked. "We wait and bide our time." Amadeus replied. "And when the moment is at hand, we strike her and her cursed reforms down." "Yes, father." Blueblood said as they headed out of the castle. "It will be done." Author's Note Update, and I am sorry this took so long. I've been playing a lot of Destiny 2, with almost no time for the Division. That'll change, hopefully soon.
Chapter 4-Collision CourseAs Standish and his team entered the room, Twilight Sparkle and Spike looked up from a pair of books. "Hey." Standish said. "You alright?" "Yes, I'm fine." Twilight said. "How did the press conference go?" "Decent." Lyle said. "We said what we needed to say, and left." "Alright, let's get to business." Standish said. "You've got those dossiers?" "Right here." Spike said, hefting several heavy books onto the table. "Took us a while to find them." "Let's gather what intel we can from them." Paulson said, Standish nodding. "We'll need information on our side to take these bastards down." "Then let's stop chatting and get moving." Paulson smirked. As the Hunters sat down and opened the dossiers, the Hunters removed their masks to concentrate without their HUDs interfering. ==== "Lyle, whatcha got on Blueblood's mother?" Standish called out. "I've got medical records, and quite a few finance reports." Lyle replied. "Apparently, Pure Blueblood paid Canterlot General a visit about a few years ago. The maternity wing." "So, she's pregnant?" Twilight asked. "Was." Lyle said. "The delivery was a year ago. Problem is, there's no record as to anything about the baby. No gender, name, or anything like that." "Keep on it." Standish said. "Jacobs, where are you at?" "I've got records of a land purchase." Jacobs said. "In the forest south of Canterlot." "We thinking of a safehouse?" Paulson asked. "Maybe." Jacobs said. "They were clean to keep all paper records minimal and to the point." "What else?" Twilight asked. "I figured out how Blueblood got the Orichalum." Paulson said. "I've got receipts for Cordicin tablets in Blueblood's name, shortly before the Pie family's rock expo. What do those do?" "It's for birth control." Twilight said. "You're saying Blueblood slept with someone at the Pie's rock farm?" "Maybe." Standish said. "I think someone should go and verify what happened there." "I know just who to send." Twilight said. "One of the Pie family, Pinkie, is one of my best friends and the Element of Laughter. She'd be perfect." "Contact her." Standish said. "Anything else?" "I've got records at a Smithy here." Lyle said, the others crowding around. "For eight "specialized" daggers, custom-made." "I'd bet those are the same ones used in the assassination." Standish said, Twilight nodding. "What's the name of that smithy?" "Brass Bolt." Lyle said. "You want to pay him a visit?" "Yeah, I do." Standish said. "But we've got too much ground to cover if we go together." "So, we're splitting up?" Lyle asked. "Yes, each of us heads to their objective." Standish said. "Paulson, head to the ROck Farm with Pinkie and find out what happened. Lyle, head to the hospital and get whatever records you can get on that Blueblood kid. Jacobs, investigate that safehouse in the forest. I'll deal with interrogating the smithy." "Rules of engagement?" Lyle asked. "Firearms are a last resort." Standish replied. "Remain undetected, and use your cloak as much as possible. If engaged, get out of there ASAP and link up back here." "Roger that." the Hunters said. "Move out whenever you can." Standish said. "Twilight, stay here in the meantime. I have something here that should keep you safe in case of attack." Standish handed her an X45 Sidearm, which she studied. "What is this?" she asked. "Walther X45 Sidearm." Standish said. "It's one of those firearms we told you about. You have sixteen shots in the magazine, pull this trigger here to shoot. Try to aim for the head." Twilight looked uncertain, but nodded. As the Hunters departed for their respective missions, Spike looked at the Princess of Magic. "Twilight, will they be okay?" he asked. "I think so." Twilight said. "Come on, let's get back to work." ==== Blueblood Manor Safehouse At the same time "This complicates things." Pure Blueblood said. "These beings will ruin our plans, Amadeus." "I know." Amadeus Blueblood said. "We must dispose of them, just like the false princess. Once they are out of the way, our grand design will rise above Equestria." "Ah, yes. Unicornia will be reborn." Pure said, smiling. "Majesty Blueblood will rule, and all the filthy commoners will be set in their rightful place as our servants." "Indeed." Amadeus said. "How is my daughter?" "The acceleration spell worked perfectly." Majesty said. "She is now biologically seventeen years old, and just as adept in alicorn magic as the false princess." "Perfect." Amadeus cackled. "Soon, Equestria will belong to the Bluebloods, and nothing will stand in our way." As the two of them laughed, the alicorn Majesty Blueblood sat in her study analyzing spells and combat magic. She ran a hoof through her whitish blue mane and sighed. "I know my destiny…" she murmured. "But is it truly my only path that I can take?" As she turned to a copy of Twilight's planned reforms, she looked it over once again. To many Nobles, they were despicable and to some, unlawful. To Majesty, they didn't seem that bad once you thought about them. "I mean, griffons, minotaurs, ponies and every other species get married to others of their kind in their homelands." she said. "Why shouldn't they be able to marry ponies here?" She continued to look over the scripts, and let her mind flow at ease. "Also, we have enough money already, why shouldn't we support those who cannot aid themselves? A few bits won't make that much of a difference." she thought to herself. "I mean, father would say otherwise, but I'm not like him." ...not like him. Majesty thought hard about those words. She knew that the fate of Equestria, at least according to her father, rested on her shoulders. Once she took the throne, she would be the new ruler of Equestria. It was her destiny. "Is it?" she thought. "I can't act out yet, but...Princess Twilight, I am not my father." She gathered her books and reshelved them, before collapsing on her bed. Ever since being born, she had been subjected to an acceleration spell every day. An ancient spell that sped up her ageing and biological growth. She had only been born a few months ago, but she looked to be about Twilight's age. And a side-effect of that was she was always tired and fatigued at stressful times. She curled into bed, looking out the window at Canterlot. "Princess Twilight, I am not my father." she said, determination clear. She sighed, before speaking again. "Good luck, Princess Twilight." she said before falling asleep, exhausted. Author's Note Yeah, this came to me in a spark of inspiration. And yes, Majesty is based off my previous iteration of her in Assassinverse: The Sentinel. She is not power-mad nor an enemy of Twilight, but one who wants to make her own path and destiny. And yes again, she will be an ally of the Hunters. When has yet to be seen.
Chapter 5-Know Thy EnemyCanterlot General Hospital 11:00 AM Lyle stood on a rooftop balcony, overlooking the massive complex that was Canterlot General Hospital. He had been the first to deploy on Standish's orders to determine the identity of the Blueblood's child, and the clock was ticking. "Here goes." Lyle said, rappelling down and landing through a window. As he activated his cloak and set out, his hand rested on his Survival Axe. ==== As Lyle stalked through the hospital, he noticed that the buzzing of patients had died down in this area of the building. "Pfft." Lyle scoffed. "More time for me, and less chance of detection." As he rolled into a corridor and deactivated his cloak to recharge, he looked up and nearly burst out laughing. "Records Area." he smiled. "Just my luck." As he opened the door with a Lockpick, he quickly searched for and found the maternity records, which were kept in a large filing cabinet. "So, you were named Majesty Blueblood…" Lyle said. "Born an alicorn, And you were taken as soon as you were born? Interesting...but what's an acceleration spell, and why is your species type marked out?" Seizing the files and sliding them into a go-bag, he retraced his steps towards his entry point. As he approached, he noticed a cleaning mare stop and stare at the broken glass on the floor from the shattered window. "Nope." Lyle said, knocking the mare out and setting her down, making it look like she passed out. "Can't have you blowing my cover." As he rappelled out the window and cloaked once more, a smile formed on his face. "Wait till Standish sees this." he chuckled. "Also, note to self: ask Twilight about an acceleration spell." ==== As Lyle returned to the palace and headed back to the library, Twilight and Spike greeted him. "Hey, Twilight?" Lyle asked. "I retrieved the birth records, but what's an acceleration spell? It kept coming up." Twilight paled. "I take it that's bad?" Standish asked. "Yes, that type of spell is illegal." Twilight said. "It, like its namesake, speeds up a pony's bodily systems by a thousandfold. It literally makes you age years in seconds. If the Bluebloods are using that on their child, it's bad, very bad." "You mean worse. Their kid's an alicorn." Lyle added. This time, Twilight cursed. "Damn it!" she cried. "How old are those files?" "Right here, it says...three months…" Lyle replied. "She could already be about seventeen years old, if that spell is constant." Twilight said. "And if she's an alicorn, that makes the spell even more potent." "Why is she an alicorn, though?" Lyle asked. "I thought you became one after you earned your wings." "I did, but there's an infinitesimally small chance you can be born one." Twilight said. "The Bluebloods must've rejoiced, since now they have a claim on the Throne." "That's a problem." Lyle said. "We need to find out where this Majesty is, and take her out of the equation." "You mean kill her?" Twilight asked. "No, get her to join us." Lyle said. "If she does, we'll have a spy on the inside who can supply us intelligence, and throw a big wrench in their plans. We just need to find her." "Right." Twilight said. "Give me those files. We've got work to do." ==== Blueblood Manor, Canterlot Forest Outskirts As Jacobs cloaked up and approached the colossal estate, he scoffed at the guards manning the gate, armed with spears. "Amateurs." he whispered. As he approached, he hurled a rock towards one of them. The stone flew true, and nailed one of the guards in the head. As he fell, the other guard advanced… Only for Jacobs to combat-roll behind him and knock him unconscious. As he opened the gate, he rolled his eyes. "Right, check the bodies." he said. He dragged the two unconscious guards into the foliage, then he then entered the estate grounds. From what he could see, it was reminiscent of a Versailles-Era palace, with dark oak wood and stone framing with tinted glass windows.. "Jesus Christ." Jacobs said. "Some do like it big." As he pried a window open with his Axe and slipped inside, he began his search. As he prowled through the corridors, he could eventually hear voices from the inside courtyard. "...Majesty's training goes well. Her prowess in magic surpasses the false Princess." said Prince Blueblood, from around the corner. "Good." said Amadeus Blueblood. "Have her ready by tomorrow night. If we are to succeed, we must eliminate both the false Princess and her new guards at the same time." "As you wish, father." As Jacobs ducked into a wardrobe, Amadeus and Prince Blueblood walked past, deep in conversation. Once they were out of earshot, Jacobs made his way to Amadeus Blueblood's office. "Now, here we go." Jacobs said, diving into the Blueblood patriarch's files, securing them in his go-bag. "Oh, jackpot!" As he looked over a set of files marked "Disposals", he opened the cover to see a list of names and locations written. "So Amadeus, you're going after the Elements of Harmony once Twilight's gone…" he said quietly. "And a copy of your own proposed laws for the Legislature...this'll help us and hurt you to lose these…" As Jacobs secured the remaining critical files, he then got a clever idea. As he attached a Seeker Mine to the floor below the file drawers and set it to the Airburst function, he smiled and moved to the window. "Let's see how you like watching your plans...go up in smoke." Chuckling, he made his exit after setting the Seeker Mine's remote fuse to three minutes. ==== As Jacobs made his getaway, Amadeus entered his office to find everything was as it was. Setting down at his desk and picking up a quill pen, he then heard a faint set of beeps from below him. Peering down, he saw a small orb, about the size of a three-pound weight, humming below his desk. "What are you?" Amadeus asked himself, only for the beeping to stop… And a fiery explosion to take its place, setting a multitude of objects on fire and blowing his desk apart into pieces of debris. As Amadeus extinguished the flames with his magic, he scowled and roared angrily. "Damn it!" he cursed, looking over his ruined desk and files. Then he saw a piece of paper on his windowsill. Unfurling it, he raised his eyebrows in fury at the message inscribed on it. It was a blast seeing your all your secrets, Amadeus. Your house is quite nice, by the way. If only you didn't live in it, you son of a bitch. Amadeus roared in fury and incinerated the note as Jacobs, laughing all the way, headed back to the Castle, captured intel in hand. Author's Note Update!
Chapter 6 - Allies on the Other SideStandish hated daytime espionage with a passion for many reasons. As he sat on a rooftop above Brass Bolt's Smithy, his cloak flickered in the sunlight, which was one reason. The other was the fact that Standish wasn't really a day person, more of a night owl. Which suited him just fine. As he surveyed the street below, he saw his target approach the door below him, Standish jumped to the ground, using his axe as an anchor to slow his fall. As he snuck in the back entrance, he saw Brass Bolt collapse on the front desk when he had been standing moments earlier. Standish slowly took out his First Wave Vector ACP, and approached the blacksmith, scanning him with his ISAC Module. "No lifesigns detected. Subject deceased." ISAC said in reply. "Damnit!" Standish cursed, beginning to search the body, only to stop at the base of his neck, which was covered by an apron. Standish reached in and pulled out a small poison dart, which was loaded with a syringe injector. Standish raised an eyebrow underneath his mask. As he searched the smithy, he eventually found Bolt's business office. Taking whatever purchase orders he could find as well as his records, he then exited the building and cloaked for the return to Canterlot Castle. ==== "You get anything from Brass Bolt?" Twilight asked as Standish mantled over the windowsill and sat down. "No, he's dead." Standish said, tossing the dart onto the table. "Some fucker nailed him in the neck with that. Plus his purchase records are incomplete." "Damn." Lyle said. "Any world from Paulson?" "I just got off the radio with him." Jacobs said from the corner, where he was maintaining his MK46 with a weapon cleaning kit. "He and your friend Pinkie are returning soon. Marble said he bought the orichalum after they...well, I won't say it. She's pregnant, and no birth control pill is fixing that." "Fucking brilliant." Standish said. "What about the Blueblood kid?" "You mean Majesty?" Lyle replied. "She's camped out at the Blueblood family safehouse. I left her something that might help us." "What did you do?" Standish asked his fellow Hunter. "I may have left her a spare radio." Lyle said. "Tuned to my SHD tech. And before you get mad Standish, I took some precautions." "What kind of precautions?" Twilight asked. "I made sure she can't access our database or any other SHD Tech we have." Lyle said. "Took a bit of reprogramming, but seeing as we're still technically Rogue, it didn't take that long." "Well, fine." Standish said. "Where'd you leave it?" "That's up to Majesty." Lyle smirked. "I also rigged it with some C4 on a trigger linked to my SHD Tech. If we need to destroy it, I can do it remotely and without a trace." "Good thinking." Twilight said. "Anyway, once Paulson returns, we should figure out a plan of action for moving forward." "Agreed." Standish replied. "By the way Lyle, how exactly do you know that Majesty's going to find that radio?" "You'll see." Lyle replied cryptically. ==== Blueblood Family Estate Majesty's room As Majesty Blueblood sat down at her desk for another session of studying combat magic, she felt something bite into her flank. As she looked down, she saw a small device with an antenna sitting on her chair. Picking the device up, she could see the outline of a rising phoenix in orange painted on it, along with a set of buttons. As she pressed one, a blue light appeared on the side. After a few moments, she set it down, only for a voice to speak. "This thing on? Hey, Majesty, talk to me. Press the little blue button." She scrambled to pick up the device and spoke after following the voice's instructions. "Who is this?" she asked. "Name's Lyle. I'm one of Twilight Sparkle's new guards. Majesty, I'm glad you found my little present." "What do you mean by that?" she questioned. "I've wanted to talk to you, Majesty." Lyle said. "I figured from the way your dad spoke about you that you were his main method of taking over Equestria if Twilight died ?" "Quite so. It's supposed to be my destiny that I rule Equestria." she said. "My flank it is.." "I take it you're not happy about that?" Lyle sounded surprised. He didn't figure the daughter of Amadeus Blueblood to think or speak like that. "I couldn't care less about my father or his delusional fantasies of Equestria's future." she replied. "I'm not like my father in the slightest, I assure you. In fact, the only time he pays attention to me is when I'm studying magic or listening to his lectures. Other than that, he won't give me the time of day. And my mother and brother are even worse." "Geez, I take it that frustrates you?" Lyle asked. "It infuriates me!" Majesty replied bitterly. "I don't understand why father or mother won't even read Princess Twilight's reforms, let alone support them. I've read them, and they seem reasonable enough. And don't even mention my brother. He's a completely different problem in my side." "I'll take your word for it, then." Lyle said. "Majesty, I'd like to make a deal with you." "Oh?" she asked. "Do tell." "If you spy on your brother, mother, and father, plus all the other Traditionalists that you can and tell me what you find every so often, my teammates and I can guarantee your safety once they're brought to justice." Lyle said. "I'll also put in a good word about you with Princess Twilight. I think you might like her if you meet her sometime." "Well, here's hoping." Majesty said with a smile. "Alright, Lyle, I accept your offer." "Then welcome aboard." Lyle said proudly. "Whenever you find out something of interest, write it down or memorize it discretely and tell me as soon as possible. Keep that radio with you at all times, it's your only method of communicating with me or my teammates. Finally, allow me to speak freely about how I think of you." "Shoot." Majesty said. "I like how you think, Majesty. You seem like a good kid, unlike your batshit-crazy family." Lyle said. "You don't know the half of it." she said with a roll of the eyes. "What happens now?" "I'll be in touch soon. Lyle out. Hit the blue button to end the connection, by the way." As Majesty pushed the blue button again and the radio went silent, she moved to the brick wall above her bed. Cutting a brick loose and hollowing it out with her magic, she placed the radio inside before replacing the brick and resealing it. "It's time to make my own destiny, father." she smirked. "Whether you like it or not. And in this...I won't fail." ==== Back in Canterlot, the Hunters were putting away their research when Paulson returned from the Rock Farm. "So, Marble Pie is pregnant?" Twilight asked, though she figured that she already knew the answer. "Yeah, and she's nearly due by the looks of her." Paulson said. "Also, the birth control pills she got from Blueblood were just placebos." "What kind of fucker does something like that?" Jacobs said in disbelief. "Somepony like him." Twilight replied angrily. "Lyle, what are you doing with that?" The Hunters turned to see Lyle putting away his radio. "I just got off the line with Majesty Blueblood. Turns out she's not on the same page as her dad. Like, she's a completely different pony. We've got a spy on the inside of the Blueblood family, and she'll be sending us a stream of intel from now on." Lyle said proudly. "Is that good news or what?" "I say pretty damn good." Standish said. "I'm not sure we can trust her yet, but now that we've got a spy in Amadeus's inner circle, I think that gives us the advantage." "So what's the plan?" Twilight asked. "I think it's time we played our next hand." Standish said. "Twilight, can you tell Princess Celestia that we've got something to say in a couple of hours?" Twilight raised her eyebrows, but nodded as Standish and his team left the room to prepare for whatever it was they were doing. Twilight also noticed Standish had a smile on his face as he and his team walked out. Author's Note Update!
Chapter 7 - The MeetingAs Standish and his team walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle, Twilight and Spike walking behind them, everypony that passed them stepped to the side out of fear or respect. Whatever it was, Standish didn't care. As they filed into the Day Court room, Standish crossed his arms in expectation. "What's the play, boss?" Lyle asked. "We tell 'em what we know, even if we need to stretch the truth." Standish replied. "Roger that." Lyle replied as the petitioners and reporters filed in, having been notified of the Hunters' impending announcement earlier. They took their seats and remained quiet with bated breath. Standish stepped up to the podium and spoke. "Listen up, I'm only saying this once." he said. "We have reached a point of significant progress in our investigation. We have several suspects identified due to the reports of our undercover contact in their little cadre. Who that might be is to remain classified." As the ponies looked at each other in shock, and whispered among themselves, Standish clutched the podium and cleared his throat. "So, that leads me to my final point. We'll be paying these Traditionalists a visit, very soon. And to Mr. Amadeus Blueblood...I'd keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Thank you for your time." As Standish and his team departed, the crowd dispersed back into the city of Canterlot to spread the news. ==== "You didn't tell them about Majesty? The Rock Farm? The death of Brass Bolt?" Twilight asked as the Hunters returned to their chambers. "Why?" "We have our reasons." Standish said. "Anyway, we'll be paying a visit to the Blueblood's estate personally, real soon. I think it's time that Amadeus learns who he's messing with." "Just be careful, Standish." Twilight replied. "What can I do in the meantime?" "Not sure." Jacobs said. "The assassins might have contacts in the city who have not been identified yet. I think it's time you get out of here." "And I think I know just where to go." Twilight said. "The Crystal Empire. My brother and sister-in-law are the rulers there, and they'll be able to help as well." "Get there ASAP." Paulson said. "We'll handle things back here. Here, catch." Paulson tossed Twilight a radio, and she nodded as she ensnared it with her magic. "You get trouble, contact us." Standish said. "Alright, let's go pay Amadeus a visit. Weapons low but ready. Lyle?" "Yeah?" the other Hunter replied. "Let's see if we can get to Majesty while we're there." Standish smiled. "Know what I mean?" Lyle nodded, seeing what Standish was getting at. As the four of them left for the train station, Twilight gathered up her things and Spike before teleporting to Celestia's office. ==== As the Hunters stepped off the train and approached the Blueblood Estate, Amadeus greeted them, alongside Pure and Majesty. "Welcome, Hunters." Amadeus said in forced civility. "I appreciate your making time to speak with us." Standish said. "Your daughter and wife, I presume?" "Indeed." Pure said. "Pure Blueblood, our daughter is Majesty." Majesty bowed, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Lyle covertly show her a radio. Her eyebrows raised slightly, but she nodded. Luckily, no one else had noticed. As they entered the estate, Majesty broke off towards her room, and Lyle shot her another nod, which she returned. "Where can we speak without being disturbed?" Paulson asked. "The garden. Follow me." Amadeus said. As the group entered an open-roofed glass greenhouse full of various species of plants, Standish and the other Hunters sat down alongside Amadeus and Pure. Soon, servants set down some platters of food, and Standish secretly scanned the dishes for poisons using his copy of ISAC. "No known Toxins detected." ISAC replied. "Raised levels of an unknown substance, potential for confirmed poison at 67 percent. Analyzing." As Standish silently ordered over the radio to not touch the food until it was certified clean, Amadeus sniffed and spoke. "What is it that you wish to talk about?" "We have suspicions that you were involved in the assassination attempt." Jacobs said. "And we want your response to those suspicions." "I see." Amadeus sniffed. "I had no direct influence on the conspirators, nor did I aid them in any way." "Then why did your son receive Orichalum from a rock farm, the same farm the assassins' weapons came from?" Paulson frowned. "That's pretty convincing evidence, if you ask me." "I have no oversight over my son's affairs." Amadeus replied. "His business is his own." "I see." Standish smiled. "Then riddle me this. The smith that forged the assassins' weapons was found dead this morning. His records showed you purchased eight daggers from him. What do you say to that?" "They were not daggers, but knives for the dining room." Pure replied. "Our current set had grown old." "Hmm." Standish said. "Then why did you poison the food you served us?" That made the two Blueblood hierarchs freeze. "I detected a chemical with a chemical structure identical to cyanide in everything on our side of the table." Standish said, slowly drawing his pistol. "And no sign of it on yours." Amadeus raised an eyebrow as the Hunters drew their firearms and levelled them at the Bluebloods. "Let me tell you one thing. It was a bad move." Standish smiled. "You're coming with us." "Like Tartarus we are." Amadeus scowled before he and Pure vanished in a flash of light. As Standish recoiled, he saw the Guards move to attack positions… Only for them to be disabled by single shots to the front legs. As the Hunters looked at each other, Standish growled. "Majesty, you still here?" he whispered over the radio. "Loud and clear." she replied. "They teleported us away from the estate, but I managed to snag the radio." "Good." Standish said. "Update us on your location every three hours. We'll handle things here." "You got it." As Majesty's connection ended, Standish motioned his team outside as Royal Guard chariots descended from the sky. ==== "So, the Traditionalist leaders and the Bluebloods were behind this." Celestia growled. "They will pay for this." "One thing at a time." Lyle said. "We've got a contact in their group. She's giving us locations every three hours. We'll find them and put them out of their misery." "As much as I want them to face trial…" Celestia replied. "If you must end their lives, do it only as an absolute last resort." "Copy." Standish replied. "Let's find our missing conspirators." Author's Note Update! Yep, the Bluebloods are on the run. Next time - The Crystal Empire and a dark deal.
Chapter 8 - Ambushed and New AlliesAs Standish and his team escorted Twilight Sparkle and Spike out of Celestia's office, Standish turned to the Princess of Friendship and gave a sigh. "What's up?" Twilight asked. "I'm still not sure why you wanted us to come with you to this Crystal Empire." he replied. "We should be hunting down the Bluebloods, not taking a vacation. It's a bad move." "Well, I agree, but seeing as you're better equipped and know exactly what's going on here, unlike the Guards...I'd prefer to have you close by." Twilight said, raising a hoof to the back of her head sheepishly. "Alright...I suppose that's a good enough reason." Standish admitted. "How are we getting there?" "We'll take a train." Twilight affirmed as they proceeded through the throne room and towards the Palace gates in the courtyard. "It's already waiting for us at the Station." "At least we're not walking." Lyle chuckled. Paulson cuffed his friend's shoulder in a mixture of annoyance and good humor. The four Hunters, Twilight, and Spike soon reached the Canterlot train station, and boarded a 8-car steam engine which bore at least two platoons of Crystal Empire Guardsponies. As the six of them entered the lounge car and took their seats, the Guard leader, a pegasus with a tan-orange coat and a blue mane came forward. "Welcome aboard, Princess." he said. "I'm Lt. Flash Sentry, currently in command here.." "I remember you!" Twilight replied. "You were the Guard I met before the whole Mirror Portal incident! It's nice to see you again!" Flash gave a smile in return. "Happy to hear it." he replied, then turning to Standish. "From what Prince Shining Armor told me, you are the four "Hunters" in charge of the Princess's security?" "That would be us." Jacobs replied. "Well, we're at your command then for the time being." Flash replied. "You need anything, we'll be here and ready." "Good." Standish replied. "How are your teams organized?" "We have Guards stationed in every car, set in two-teams-per-car intervals." Flash replied as they sat down in the passenger car. "The engine has three teams stationed there." "Good." Paulson replied. "Keep us posted. Is there a way of direct communication?" "We have a magical voice relay set up for communication between teams in each car." Flash continued. "We shouldn't see any interference from the conspirators on our way to the Crystal Empire." "Don't be so certain." Standish replied. "I have a feeling we'll have company sooner or later. Have all teams placed on standby and made ready for close-quarters-combat." As the train took off for the Crystal Empire, a pegasus wearing chainmail and rogue's leathers, equipped with a telescope, watched them depart from atop a cloud. A unicorn next to him primed his magic and spoke. "They're on the move. Orders?" "Stay put and make yourselves scarce. The others will ambush the train when the opportunity is right." a voice replied. "Understood." ==== As the train proceeded along the tracks at a brisk speed, Standish and the Hunters watched as Spike, Flash, and Twilight played a round of cards. "Rear car, status?" Standish asked through the magic relay, which was similar to a glowing white orb that emitted smoke. "All clear." the Guards stationed at the caboose replied. "No sign of any hostiles." "Keep at it. Notify immediately if there's any change." Standish ordered. As he returned to his seat, he retrieved a SHD weapon repair kit from his rucksack and proceeded to field-clean his Custom P416G3. The other Hunters soon followed suit with maintaining their own gear and SHD Tech, along with sharpening their Survival Axes. Though their weapons hadn't seen much wear and tear since their arrival, they were starting to show signs of needing a repair session. As the Hunters scrubbed, wiped down, and polished their weapons, Twilight looked over at them. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Some field repairs." Lyle replied. "Just to pass the time. This gear doesn't maintain itself." "I see." Twilight replied. "It's so strange to me how your world developed so many incredible things without magic." "Well, seeing as our concept of magic was primarily stage tricks and show business…" Lyle nodded. "I suppose the concept of technology seemed more believable and manageable." "Our technology isn't always good, though." Standish added. "I mean, the nuclear bomb, poison gas, and hell, even the Green Poison virus were all developed by technological means." "Is there always a bad side to everything you make?" Spike asked. "Can't say for sure." Paulson mused. "I mean, I can't think of anything technological off the top of my head that can't be used in a bad way or can't cause harm." Then, Standish looked up on his Mask's HUD, and saw several red blips appear, their position indicated to be above them. Slowly standing up, he loaded his Custom P416 and approached the window. "Jacobs, Pulse the car." he ordered. Jacobs nodded and activated his Pulse, and the Hunters looked upwards in surprise. Several equine shapes were shown in red on the roof of the train car, and more were appearing as time passed. "Flash, did you position any guards on the roof?" Standish asked, though he already knew the answer. "No." Flash replied, drawing his sword and heading to the magic relay. As he did so, the windows shattered as mercenaries in Amadeus's hire leaped in, weapons ready. As Standish and his team opened fire with their guns, Flash dive-rolled past to protect Twilight and Spike, sword at the ready. As the relay began sounding the cries of the Guards and mercenaries, and the clashing of swords between them, Standish and his team ushered Twilight, Flash and Spike to the Engine. As the Guards stationed there took defensive positions. "Keep them here." Standish ordered. "We'll clear the train. Don't let anyone stop you." The Guards nodded and readied their weapons as Twilight and Spike took cover. However, as Standish and his team proceeded back to the cars occupied by the mercenaries, he didn't notice four friendly marks appear on his HUD's minimap, near the end of the train. ==== As the Mercenaries worked their way up towards the engine, fighting the Crystal Guards that stood in their path, neither side paid much attention to the interior of the caboose. Inside, as another team of Hunters got to their feet, they quickly loaded their weapons and made themselves combat ready at hearing the chaos outside. "Team, are we good?" asked the leader of the squad, named Roberts, to each of the Hunters. "Is everyone okay?" "We're good." said Travis, his second. "Seems we're in the middle of something." "We always are." Levy, the squad's heavy specialist, nodded in affirmation. "Anything on the radio or minimap, Hawke?" "I've got four marked friendlies at the front of the train." Hawke, the squad's scout, replied. "I advise we move to them and figure out what's going on here." "Check." Roberts replied. "Let's move!" As the Hunters exited the caboose and pushed forward, Hawke called out over the radio. "Friendly callsigns, can you hear me?" "Who the hell is this?" said a voice. "How are you on this channel? ID yourself?" "My name is Hawke, I'm a Hunter, assigned to Bravo Team." Hawke replied. "Who are you?" "This is Standish, designation Alpha Team." was the reply. "How'd you guys get here?" "That's a long story." Roberts replied over his own radio. "What's your status Standish?" "We're knee-deep in hostiles at the moment." Standish replied as gunfire sounded over the radio. "Do us a favor and push towards us at the front of the train, hostiles are the ones in mail and leather. Take 'em out as you go." "Check." Roberts replied. "Team, move!" As the two Hunter teams, steeled by the presence of the others, pushed forward to clear the train, the remaining Mercenaries found the advantage was no longer with them. The Guards, once they recovered from the surprise of the ambush, fought back ferociously, and though they were outnumbered by the mercs, they had better training and equipment, along with a very pissed off Twilight Sparkle. Twilight had joined the battle alongside Standish's team as they advanced, and even the Hunters had to admit that Twilight made for a good fighter when she was angry. As she sent merc after merc flying with precise blasts of magic, a shot to the head from one of the four Hunters would finish the job. As the train was cleared, and the remaining mercs fled to the skies, the once four, now eight Hunters gathered in the middle car. "Hey, Roberts." Standish nodded, taking off his mask and giving his friend a handshake. "You look like hammered shit." "Looks don't count for shit nowadays, man. IT's good to see you alive" Roberts replied, removing his own mask. Roberts was blonde, with a clean-shaven face and brown eyes. Hawke had auburn hair, with a rough beard. Levy had a white patch in his black hair near his right ear, an inherited birthmark, but otherwise was clean-shaven and pleasant. Travis had his pale brown hair done in a standard crew cut, but what set him apart was a white edged scar near his hairline. As the eight Hunters sat down and learned from each other what had happened and about where they were now, Standish asked Roberts what the situation was back home on Earth. "Tough question." Roberts replied. "It's been roughly six months since the initial outbreak, and a lot has changed. We were mostly pulled out of Manhattan by Command about two months after you guys were KIA." "We've only been here a week at most." Standish murmured. "That's a big time dilation. Anyway, why'd you get pulled out? I thought you guys were being deployed after us to Manhattan. What went wrong?" "These guys calling themselves Black Tusk sabotaging the SHD network is what went wrong. From what we could gather, all remaining SHD Agents are redeploying to Washington, DC to take back the capital. There's still a few of us in Manhattan performing recon and evaluation duties, but for the most part, we're on our own." Roberts continued. "We were en route to DC via a Blackhawk supplied by Command when we were shot down. We crashed outside Kenly College. None of us made it. Last thing I remember was taking a fireball to the face from the wreckage before blacking out and waking up here." "Funny." Lyle replied. "We ended up here too, after we died. We'll have to work that out later, though. What else can you tell us?" As the Hunters continued their conversation, Flash, Spike, and Twilight proceeded to a sleeper car. Not only was it now evening, Twilight was exhausted from combating the mercenaries. As the three of them headed to bed, later followed by the Hunters, the train chugged on to the Crystal Empire as the sun set over Equestria. ==== Blueblood Family Sanctuary, Western Mountains The Blueblood family, long before the assassination attempt, had built a large fortress into a valley between mountains to serve as a stronghold should the need arise for them to go into hiding. It lay on the border of both the Griffon and Dragon lands, and was known to no one outside the family. With three layers of reinforced walls, warded by a large amount of magical shielding and defenses, and guarded by highly-trained mercenaries under the pay of Amadeus, it was impenetrable by Equestrian and Amadeus's rigorous standards. As the Bluebloods made themselves at home, Majesty proceeded to her chambers without a word to her parents. After hiding the radio she had been given in a cabinet carved into the rock, she collapsed into bed, exhausted, but relieved that her actions had not been noticed by her family. As she strode to the window, she realized that her father was still outside with her mother and brother, and thus occupied for the moment. Mustering her strength and proceeding to her father's office, carrying a sidebag with her, she gave a small sigh, knowing she could not turn back from this. After packing a few bags of bits into her purse, she left her room. She opened the door to Amadeus's office and quickly sliced open the lock to her father's private safe with her magic. As she stared at some of her father's most closely guarded secrets that he had ever written down, she gave a nod and took them without a second though. Placing the stolen intelligence in her bag, Majesty also stole the schematics and needed counterspells for the Sanctuary's defenses and a copy of the Guards' daily rotation schedules. As she reattached the lock to the safe, she gave a smile. "I know what I have to do." she murmured as she prepared to teleport. "And how I plan to do it. With any luck I have...I can make it to the Crystal Empire. There, I'll be safe...and show my spirit." As she locked the door to her room behind her, she climbed out the window and flew to the northeast, towards the Crystal Empire. Author's Note Yep, Majesty is coming to the Crystal Empire. Also, for those who are wondering why I introduced four more Hunters, here's my reasoning. I needed to have a connection to The Division 2's story and canonical developments. More Hunters means more ass-kicking on their part. It'll serve a purpose I have yet to reveal... Anyway, the next chapter will start the beginning of the near-climax. I've still got plans for this story to continue on.
