Corruption of Souls

Ch.98

“Ah, much better.” We sighed in relief after our desperate masturbation followed by a quite luxurious morning bath. Considering it was still 3 am, We still considered that massive jacuzzi tub luxurious. “Now then, let's get to business! The moment the Night Sentinels move, the UAC will be either fortified in place or ready to run again.” We were clad in nothing save a large towel and prepared to summon our-.

“Wiatr!” Runner suddenly burst into Luna’s royal bedchambers and We squeaked in surprise, dropping our towel in the process. For some reason, this triggered an Anime Nosebleed that launched Runner backwards so hard he hit the back of his head on the wall in the hallway.

“Dammit man!” Collateral facepalmed at what just happened, annoyed by Runner’s rashness. “Sorry Wiatr, he just got back today and heard everything that happened with the rise of the UAC.”

“Would you let us get dressed?” We huffed with an embarrassed and amused blush before William popped out with Daring’s old khaki short-shorts and pocketed crop top for us to wear.

“You want this, or one of the hundreds of frilly pink ball gowns?” William asked and We blushed at him revealing Svartr’s secret stash of dresses that she forgot was in her inventory even after all this time.

“Okay…” Collateral muttered before coughing into his hand. “Anyway, Wiatr, we got a situation.”

“Urta is in Manehattan and we need to find her?” We asked rhetorically while We accepted Daring’s old clothes and started to put them on.

“Along with more people being abducted. Even a couple of our own Scinoxes were taken by them, just so they could relay their position.” Wait, their own Scinoxes volunteered to be taken by the UAC as bait?!

“When did this happen?” We asked before William brought out Svartr’s Black Knight Greatsword! Why did We forget about this?! It’s been fully reinforced with Twinkling Titanite to the point it can cleave through a Taurus Demon in one swing! We need to dive through our shared inventory, make sure We haven’t forgotten about even more useful things!

“Two days ago. They disguised themselves as regular ponies looking for a job and the UAC pounced on the opportunity. They knew the risk of what would happen, but they did it anyway.” Collateral sighed as he looked sad. “Where did it all go wrong?”

“With King Hydrax.” Runner pointed out when he started to get back up, wiping his blood off of his clothes with what looked to be some form of Shamwow. “He’s currently kicking himself over this mess he’s caused.”

“Did you find out where they’ve been taken?” We asked while placing our blade on our back and William brought out our Infinity pistol which We holstered.

“There have been reports of missing people in the city with no clues of finding out what happened to them. Luckily our Scinoxes placed trackers on themselves and were taken to an abandoned trainyard. This is likely where Urta and the others are.” Collateral answered.

“Are troops getting ready?” We asked before summoning our draconic armor onto our body and left Luna’s room.

“We’re all set and ready. However, we’re not using our own transport or troops, a precaution since the UAC are bound to know our signals. Not to mention they’re all now upgraded with Urta’s Argent fuelling them. We can’t risk it.” Collateral stated.

“Luckily, though, we’ve asked our Equestrians back home to send over some UNSC Prowlers for us to use. Since the tech is high and advanced, plus cloaking, they won’t know until it’s too late.” Runner added to fill in how exactly we’ll be able to move in on the trainyard.

“So you modeled your stuff off of the Doom UAC and your Equestrians took after UNSC?” We asked while we left Castle Canterlot’s main doors and approached the portal/bonfire established in the courtyard’s fountain. When We set this portal up, there was quite the uproar among the prudish nobles~!

“With our help. I was the one getting the technology ready for them along with other Halo tech. We had made plans for bettering Equestria back then, should anything happen to us.” Runner replied while we walked up the steps of the fountain rim and passed through the portal to Unity, which was rapidly becoming known as a crossroads for long-distance travel thanks to the portal network.

“We have the facilities to manufacture not only our own armaments, but for just about everyone else. We took inspiration from Halo, Gears of War, Killzone, you name it. That’s for all of our allies back home.” Collateral continued with a fond tone. Considering his affectation for large weapons and their resultant destructiveness, his fondness for those games was quite expected.

“And why didn't we get this?” We asked with our tails writhing in our single-tail casing and making it twitch.

“Get what?” Collateral asked our question with another of his own.

“Us, getting help with tech?” We asked when we paused inside of Harmonia’s portal plaza.

“Because it was a joint effort with Urta becoming the center of it all. I mean, did you even see this coming? No pun intended. We got new weapons thanks to Todd that was found here, not to mention our forces hanging around here to protect you and the children. It was bound to have led to where we are now.” Runner pointed out the obviousness of it all.

“Oh right and now the UAC is taking it all.” We sighed, despondent at Greed hampering the progress of Commerce.

Greed always finds ways to ruin economies, lives, whole nations even. It’s why We preach to our followers that Greed can be good. Without Greed, people wouldn’t have the drive to get up in the morning to do anything for themselves. Even the ‘selfless’ do what they do because they desire the satisfaction of helping others. However, left unchecked, it was a sickness more than a boon.

“Companies and Corporations aren’t exactly known for their kindness all the time, just the products they produce so you spend money for it.” Collateral pointed out and We leered at him hotly for trying to preach to us, the flippin’ Goddess of Commerce about that.

“Basically greed. We are a Goddess of Commerce, We know what it can do.” We hotly reminded our mate, before having an errant thought of being able to just appear in front of the CEO or owner of a company, however, the head of the UAC didn’t seem to have a strong connection to us despite their position. “Enough, where is the staging area?”

“You’re looking at them.” When both brothers said that and pointed at the sky, We looked up through Harmonia’s beautiful branches to see ships hovering over the city before We gave them a flat look.

“We don’t have an airport in our town. They can’t land. Great, we need to move them to one of the farms, thank Sister they are VTOL craft.” We groaned before feeling a new group of worshipers that felt very far away. Hm, they only worship us for Commerce, pre-industrial, Volus. Oh by Sister the Volus worship is a Galaxy away! This means all sorts of possibilities in the distant future! No, wait, don’t get ahead of ourselves girls. Saving Urta and current issues first.

“We figured as much. We didn’t think they would be able to land in a city half the size of Manehattan cramped onto a plateau with a box canyon half the size of Central Park. If we can get Overgrowth to let us clear an airfield that’d be great, but until then we’ll have to make do.” Runner replied before his magic eye shimmered and the three of us were suddenly standing in a field of packed dirt.

Standing here in this large plot of land were a couple of UNSC Prowler stealth ships being prepped by people of all sorts of races in UNSC armor.

“Say hello to our Royal ODSTs, the Crystal Empire’s Elites and Chrysalis’s personal Elite Guard. They’ll be joining us on this one.” Runner explained when they all stood at attention.

“We can’t bring in our Night Sentinels out of fear that they’ll run away again. They seem to do that whenever we arrive. So we figure we’d mix things up a little to throw the UAC off balance.” Collateral added on and We can see their reason behind it. The UAC are using their technology so it would make sense to use something entirely different, something that isn’t based on tech the enemy now uses.

“Okay, well let’s hope this works.” We told them before We strolled up the boarding ramp.

“Alright everyone, get on board! We’re heading out!” At Collateral’s command, they all got onto their ships. The forces were mixed and even. Five ODSTs, five Elites and five Changelings. The ODSTs were the boys’ Equestrians, no doubt. Meanwhile the Crystal Elites were basically Crystal Ponies wearing armour heavily inspired by Covenant Elites. Same with the Changelings, but based on the Brutes from Halo Wars 2.

“Okay, so how are we going to do this?” We asked while eyeing the Pelican dropship firmly secured in the small launch bay of the small stealth frigate with a wary eye, hoping the plan didn’t involve getting into that signature deathtrap.

“First we scout out the area. We need to know where our entry points are along with hacking into their network. Once inside we find our Scinoxes, capture as many UAC scientists as we can and save Urta.” Collateral stated objectives of this mission were plain and simple.

“Sir, why would they be based in an abandoned trainyard?” One of the ODSTs asked.

“We don’t know for certain, but we can’t assume it’s just for convenience. There’s bound to be more about this location. Hence the reason why we’re hacking into their network to see what else they’re doing here Sergeant.” Collateral nodded his head to the Sergeant, only identifiable from his squad by the red stripe running vertical over his helmet from front to back.

“What if we’re engaged with enemy forces?” Another asked.

“Shoot to kill if you must, non-lethal takedowns if possible. They believe that what they’re doing is for the betterment of all, even if it’s all very unethical.” Collateral replied with a grumble. “Remember, the gear they’ve released to the Equestrian military is easily on par with the gear the Night Sentinels field if differing in design. Also, don’t assume their weapons are one-trick ponies either. The example Corporal Cool Jets of the Equestrian Guard gave Hunter and Berserker displayed their weapons can transform. Be wary.”

“They’ve abducted our wife and our unborn kids. We hope they have very good explanations before We shove them into our womb to repent.” We snarled in fury.

“Well, that settles it.” The Changeling huffed as he checked his gear, which involved a lot of explosives.

“Maybe we should just kill them all, just to make a point.” One of the Crystal Elites said, the others nodding their heads in agreement.

“No. They can still be useful, even if We really want them turned into babies to start all over.” We huffed in irritation at this truth. The fact the UAC took what the Night Sentinels considered salvage and turned it back around into high-impact military equipment is clear evidence on it’s own that they are worth keeping around after we have them regulated.

“With respect ma’am, that’s gross and weird.” The Sergeant said with a shudder, weirded out by our ability. The same could be said for everyone else, even if they didn’t want to show it.

“We’re a Goddess of Renewal shared with our abducted wife’s Fertility Aspect.” We informed them with a feeling of indignation. It felt so odd to have genuine adverse reactions to our abilities. The people of this world really are much more open about things like this.

“Still weird.” He retorted.

“Eh, to each their own. We have many Everlasting Dragon eggs that were former ponies.” We told him with a shrug while William rose up from our cleavage with another pistol, which We shook our head at since the Infinity was more than enough gun for average enemies.

“Whoa!” This freaked the soldiers out and they drew their weapons on William. “What in Tartarus’s name is that?!”

“That is William, who Willow formerly had been. He’s a separate entity stuck as a skull. He’s volunteered to organize our Inventory for now.” We explained to them calmly. “Just lower your weapons.”

For a moment they didn’t comply, but slowly they lowered their weapons and began to relax. “Sheesh, sir, you were right; this world has a lot of weird, fucked up shit in it.”

“Yes, but you get used to it.” Collateral replied with a disapproving tone just before the intercom came to life.

“Approaching Manehattan. We are undetected. Five minutes until we reach our destination.”

“Very good, keep her steady. Everyone, check your gear and be ready.” Collateral stated when the ship began to descend.

(<3)

We stood near the trainyard while We eyed the warehouse we would be storming. The plan was for the ODST’s to drop down through the roof to infiltrate while other squads took other entrances to divide them while incapacitating as many Civilians as possible. The only issue was the security which was wearing the new Standard issue armor: UAC Raven variant.

“How long until the ODSTs enter?” We questioned when We saw the security wander off after a new set of guards arrived to replace them.

“The initial plan was to drop in and ambush both the new rotation of guards and the ones rotating out, but they are just wandering around instead of heading on a single path. Either they’re unprofessional hired help, or they’re very professional and staggering patrol routes. The ODSTs will infiltrate now, but the Changelings have extra work in snagging the patrols.” Runner whispered from his place next to us inside of an unlocked shipping container we were hiding in.

“This is Change Three. Cat’s in the bag.”

“Change Five, Dog’s in the house.”

“Good work Change Three, Five. Get them sent home. That’s the patrols snagged, we don’t have long before-.” Runner was interrupted by a rusted-out old train nearby suddenly releasing a piercing echoing signature old-timey train whistle. “Shit! Helljumpers, what’s the situation?! That must’ve been their alarm!”

“We don’t know Lord Runner! We didn’t get spotted by any cameras according to Overwatch, but the base the warehouse is hiding is on full alert! This place must span the whole trainyard!”

“We knew it was an underground Bond-style villain base!” We declared with a seething hiss as We kicked open the doors of the shipping container. “Let’s go, stealth has failed, we’ve gotta grab as many of them as we can before they bug out again!”

We were stopped from rushing forth when another, shriller train whistle blew, drawing attention to the yard’s turntable which had the old train sitting on it. The turntable screeched as it turned, the train chugged and rolled off and then it began to open as a long white conical tower began to rise. “Oh fuck! Sovereign’s Savior, fire on the-!” Runner’s rushed order to one of the two Prowler Frigates was interrupted by the obvious rocket igniting, the rumbling shockwave knocking us both over and sending shipping containers toppling.

It didn’t take more than a few seconds for the massive rocket to shoot off into the sky, trailing white smoke left by it’s bright turquoise burning jets. “They...they made space-age rocket fuel from Urta’s Argent…” It was clearly not a weapon. That looked like a far more sophisticated Apollo rocket without extra solid-state rockets to get it out of the atmosphere and it was just going up.

“Ksshshshshskkhshshsk-And down! UAC Personnel. The Urta I is a success! Stand down! Surrender to our sovereign government. We’ve achieved our proof of concept!”

…

“They were seriously just extremist mavericks working to achieve new breakthroughs?” We muttered in absolute shellshock. Their motivations were entirely pure? They abducted our wife, a goddess, who is pregnant, to use her body’s product to make fucking fuel for a space rocket?

“Hm...Celestia did inform us one of the science programs requested for start-up capital due to Argent research was a space program. She denied it since there’s so many problems on this planet right now that focusing on the planet took priority. I guess we know who the ringleader is.” Runner commented with a bit of awe in his tone.

“Gah, We, dah?” We growled before We started to march towards the former turntable in anger.

Then Hell portals erupted from the earth around the trainyard and demons poured forth into the rusty locale with full intent to murder everyone and take the Argent for themselves.

Oh joy! Something to vent our fury on!