'Human' in Equestria: Maverick and Hunter

With Hatred, Comes Death (Part Two)

[Just a warning, this chapter does get a little violent at points]

Maverick made his way to the middle of the field between Ponyville and Everfree, a large group of ponies surrounding the defeated Giga unit.

“Excuse me, pardon me.” Maverick said as he made his way through the crowd, lightly pushing the ponies out of the way. He emerged from the crowd and arrived at the Giga unit, the metal pole still resting in its head.

“You might want to stand back!” Maverick yelled out loud and he drove his hoof into the Giga unit’s side, digging around the machinery and flesh a little and pulling a small device out a second later. It was in the shape of an X, a small, glowing red circle in the middle of the intersection. Maverick put the device in his mouth and started off towards Everfree, the crowd of ponies watching him with surprise and disgust at the same time.

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After wandering aimlessly through the Everfree forest, Maverick came to a clearing in the forest, various different Umbra mechanisms laying on the ground. Maverick walked to the middle of the clearing and set the inter-dimensional unit in his mouth on the dirt. Maverick stared at the small mechanism at his hooves, wondering how to activate it. He looked up from the ground and noticed some paper work laying next to a radio transmitter. Maverick walked over to the paperwork and picked it up, reading it aloud.

“Inter-dimensional unit X prototype is a success, voice activated to prevent accidental physical activation. Yeah, yeah, yeah...” Maverick said, flipping through the pages one by one.

“Here we go, voice activation code.” Maverick said to himself and he walked back over to the dimension unit. He set the papers down on the ground and read the activation code out loud.

“Activating inter-dimensional unit prototype X, transport machine ‘Umbra’ one. Interference shield, deploy.” Without warning, a bright white orb formed around the frightened Alpha unit within it, flowing around like a wild fire. Maverick looked around worriedly, beginning to wonder if this was supposed to happen. He looked back down at the sheet of paper and read the last line.

“...Engage inter-dimension transport.” The orb that had formed around Maverick turned white and burst with a flash, Maverick and the dimension unit disappearing from the forest.

Maverick opened his eyes slowly, hoping that it had worked. What met him, was a different outcome than he expected at the time. Maverick was seeming to float in mid air, the red air around him rushing at unimaginable speeds. He was in some sort of tunnel which seemed to go on forever, a pitch black hole off in the distance. Maverick was in awe at the sight. He had not seen the inter-dimension transition before when he was sent to Equestria, the sudden turn of events taking him and Hunter by surprise.

“This is what it is like between our world and theirs? A tunnel with each of our worlds on each side, so close yet so far away. And this is accessible by this thing?” Maverick said quietly to himself, reaching out to grab the dimension unit in front of him. But, to his surprise, he no longer had hooves. Instead, ten fingers wrapped around the dimension unit, the lower half of the X resting in his palms. Maverick looked around as the tunnel started to shake. He turned his head to the black dot in the distance as it grew closer, and eventually met the Alpha unit floating between worlds.

Maverick appeared in a small room with a loud pop and a flash, falling face first into the solid concrete floor.

“Ah, son of a-!” Maverick cut himself off as he put his hand up to his face, accidentally poking himself in the eye. Again, Maverick put a hand up to his face, remembering not to further injure himself this time. Maverick sat up and looked around the room he was in. It was the chamber that was supposed to be his and Hunter’s execution sight, the walls slightly burnt from the multiple dimension transfers. Maverick got up and brushed himself off as he walked towards the door. He opened it slowly, only leaving a sliver of space between the door and the wall. The coast seemed to be clear, the military base as quiet as a graveyard. Maverick pushed the door open fully and walked out into the hallway of the deserted military base. He started down the hall in front of him, the Beta and Alpha unit enhancement chamber down the hall to his left. The only sounds that filled the halls were the sounds of the wind blowing and Maverick’s footsteps echoing in the military base.

Maverick made his way to the end of the hall, a door leading to the link that connected the section of the base Maverick was in now to the rest of it. Maverick opened the door and started to walk through, only to have a metal pipe close line him, Maverick falling to the floor on his back, and a booming voice pierce the silence of the military base.

“Welcome back, Mr. Blackburn! Did you have fun betraying your own kind in pony-land!?” The general yelled, lifting the metal pipe up to swing at Maverick again. Maverick rolled out of the doorway and into the link, the metal pipe in the general’s hands destroying the concrete where Maverick was.

“I was not about to let the military take over another world and destroy everything just to keep us humans alive! I’m sure that there are plenty of other planets that you can take over, but I will not allow you to take Equestria!” Maverick yelled as he got up. The general charged at Maverick and swung the pipe at him, Maverick wrapping his fingers around it and pushing back as the general pushed as well.

“What makes you so protective of those ponies!?” The general yelled. Maverick kicked away the general and ripped the metal pipe out the general’s hands, the general sliding a little ways away from Maverick.

“Unlike my own kind, they saw that I was just another soul whose anger got out of control, but they saw past that and they took me in like one of theirs! They didn’t try to execute me because of the actions I was about to take!” Maverick yelled. Maverick snapped the metal pipe in his hands and brought it forward as the general ran at him, the sharp edges of the metal pipe sections implanting into the general’s arm as he raised it to block Maverick’s attack. The general brought his other arm forward and his fist collided with Maverick’s face, Maverick stumbling back a little.

“You are a human, Maverick, don’t forget that! Humanity’s violent nature will pull through and you will put them in danger along with yourself! Those ponies are just as worthless as the creatures here on Umbra, they do not deserve any special treatment!” The general yelled as he took the metal pipes out of his arm and he threw them to the ground. Maverick and the general ran at each other, Maverick jumping into the air and extending his foot out in front of him. The bottom of Maverick’s foot rammed into the general’s throat and the general fell on his back, raising his hands to try and lift Maverick’s foot from his neck.

“They have done nothing to deserve what you were trying to do to them! You do not have any right to take their world away from them for your own benefit!” Maverick yelled, pushing down harder with his foot.

“Look at yourself, Maverick! You have been fighting against the people that wanted Umbra to be free from the military’s grasp, why don’t you join them!?” The general shouted, lifting Maverick’s foot from his neck and throwing it aside and kicking Maverick away from him. Maverick picked up the sharp metal pipe section from the ground and lunged at the general, who lifted his hands and stopped the pointed end of the metal pipe from piercing his neck.

“You have killed numerous of the people that believe what you believe, what makes you have a sudden change of heart!?” The general yelled, trying his hardest to keep the metal pipe away from harming him.

“I have seen what it is like to have someone try and take my world from me and I will not allow it anymore!” Maverick pushed harder, the end of the metal pipe edging closer and closer to the general.

“What about Hunter!? Have you ever thought of what he wanted!?” The general yelled in an attempt to disrupt the Alpha unit trying to kill him. Maverick’s mind went blank for a second, thinking of what had happened because of his fear to tell Hunter was he was.

In that moment of hesitation, the general was able to pull the metal pipe from Maverick’s hands and ram the blunt end of the pipe into the Alpha unit’s head. Maverick’s head jerked backwards and felt a sharp pain in his stomach as he regained composure. The sharp end of the metal pipe was sticking into his abdomen, the general’s hand attached to the other end of it.

The general walked closer to Maverick and put his other hand on Maverick’s back, pulling the Alpha unit closer to him. The pipe drove further into Maverick, the pipe just barely sticking out of his back. Maverick spit out a bit of blood, dripping onto the general’s shoulder.

“You knew this was coming when you grabbed that sniper, Maverick, don’t tell me you didn’t. You knew the consequences if you tried to betray the military, and now those consequences have caught up with you. Once I’m done with you, Hunter is next.” The general said quietly. Maverick lifted his hand up to the metal pipe stuck in him and grabbed onto the portion the general’s hand wasn’t on.

“No... he’s not.” Maverick said briefly. Maverick yanked the metal pipe out of him and backed away, getting down on one knee and bringing his fist forward into the sharp end of the pipe. The blunt end of the pipe flew backwards and pierced through the general, a small spray of blood coming from the wound. The general let out a little grunt of pain and he fell to his knees, grabbing onto the pipe in him with both of his hands.

Despite his injuries, Maverick quickly got up and started running for the dimension transport unit back where he came from. Maverick yelled out loud, his voice traveling through the abandoned military base.

“Activating inter-dimensional unit prototype X, transport machine Umbra one. Interference shield, deploy!” The sound of a machine releasing a shield came from the down the hallway as Maverick pushed open the door from the link.

“Maverick! Get back here!” The general yelled as he got up, tearing the blunt end of the pipe out of himself and starting to run after the Alpha unit. Maverick kicked open the door to the dimension transport chamber as he reached the end of the hall, the general not too far behind him.

“Engage inter-dimension transport!” Maverick yelled as he stepped into the bubble that formed from the device on the floor, Maverick and the inter-dimension device disappearing from the military base.

The general came to a stop at the doorway of the inter-dimension chamber and he looked down the hallway to his right, starting to walk towards the Beta and Alpha unit enhancement chamber.

“UAMS, prepare the rapid enhancements to convert soldiers into enhanced Giga units immediately!” The general yelled as he opened the door of the enhancement chamber.

“General, the tests have already been taken when you were assigned your rank, you will not be able to undergo the change without consequences.” The Umbra Automated Military System said through the speakers in the chamber.

“I don’t care what the tests said, just do it!” The general yelled angrily.

“Yes sir, bringing out enhancements now.” UAMS unfolded a supply table from the wall, multiple syringes laying on the padded surface of the table. The general picked up one of the syringes and inspected the red liquid inside of it.

“General, are you sure you want to do this?” UAMS asked.

“Oh I’m sure...” The general said, his mouth curving into a smirk. The general took the syringe and slid the needle into his arm, pushing down on the end of the syringe a little bit later. Once all the liquid was depleted from the syringe, the general tossed it aside and took another needle, injecting the liquid inside of it into himself. The more syringes that had been used, the more the general started to feel empowered, a strength like no other coursing through his veins.

But, as he injected the last syringe, something inside of him activated, and the general let out a scream of pain. He could feel his bones shifting around in his body, feeling as if they would rip their way through his skin as they moved around. The general fell to the floor, jerking around violently and spitting blood. He began to laugh hysterically as he felt the enhancements beginning to activate within him. He continued to wriggle around on the floor, jerking his head left and right as more an more blood poured out of his mouth. In due time, bones started to emerge through his skin, the sharp jagged edges pushing their way out of his shoulders and limbs. The general could feel his limbs elongating, his arms reaching past his knees and the lower part of his legs pushing further away from him.

The general came to a stop and he laid on the floor of the Beta and Alpha unit enhancement chamber in a small pool of blood. He had been mutated beyond human recognition as he panted on the floor, lifting his arm to inspect the damage.

“General, you were not supposed to use all of the syringes, you have taken an overdose... yet you seem to be co-existing with the changes. The amount of the enhancements that you have given yourself have taken you beyond the Giga unit classification.” UAMS spoke. The general sat up and looked at his hands, multiple bones sticking out of his skin.

“UAMS... prepare the mechanical alterations for Giga units.”

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Maverick sat against one of the trees that lined the clearing of the dimension reception area from Umbra, covering the wound in his stomach with his hooves.

“Damn it...” Maverick said quietly as he uncovered the wound slightly. It had already healed slightly, but it was still bleeding as much as it was back on Umbra. He covered the wound again and looked back up at the clearing as a low rumble began to form.

Maverick put a hoof up to shield his eyes from the flash of light coming from the clearing, the sound of hooves setting down on the grass a second later. Maverick lowered his hoof, the general standing in the clearing, staring directly at him. He was in the shape of an alicorn, but he was somewhat disfigured, the skin ripping at some points and a few bones sticking out. His right foreleg was mechanical, a transformable laser rifle arm for specialized Giga units.

“Did you think you could get away just by returning to your ‘home’?” The general asked as he started to walk over to the Alpha unit sitting against the tree.

“I didn’t think you would be that desperate just to kill me and Hunter.” Maverick said, slowly getting up. Maverick felt a floating sensation and he looked down at his hooves. He had a glowing red aura around him and he was lifted into the air, turning his line of sight back to the general. The general’s horn was glowing with the same aura that surrounded Maverick, slowly bringing to Alpha unit closer to him.

“Oh, this isn’t just for you and Hunter. With this power, I will be able to take over this land myself and rule over these worthless beings. But first, I have to take care of you.” The general said as Maverick floated through the air, stopping a few feet away from him. Maverick felt a tugging sensation in his right fore leg, the general’s mouth curving into a slight smirk.

Maverick’s leg was ripped from him, the Alpha unit letting out a yell of pain. The general let go of the magical grasp on Maverick and he fell to the ground, landing on his side. The general lifted his right fore leg and pointed it at Maverick, the mechanism unfolding into the shape of a high power laser rifle.

“Hunter will be with you shortly.” The general said, and he fired the rifle. Maverick flinched and closed his eyes, waiting for the shot to pierce through him. But nothing happened. A little confused, Maverick opened his eyes and looked back at the general, but something was blocking his view.

A stallion was standing in front of Maverick, staring directly at the alicorn on the other side him. Maverick moved his head to the side to get a view of the general. The alicorn was standing in place, his leg still extended outwards and pointing at Maverick. He had a small hole in his head, the skin around the wound burnt from a laser shot. The general fell the ground, lifeless.

“What made you think that I would stay in the hospital if I knew you were going back to Umbra?” The stallion in front of Maverick said as he turned around.

“...Hunter? How did you know I was going back?” Maverick asked as he recognized the stallion, the red pendant around his neck swaying back and forth a little. It appeared to have a mark from a laser shot reflecting off of it, Maverick realizing what had happened.

“The six ponies that were there when I woke up told me that you were heading back to get revenge. I knew something like this would happen, I at least wanted to give you back your last memory of your family.” Hunter said, reaching out to help Maverick up. Maverick laughed a little and lifted his hoof to grab Hunter’s but something caught his eye. There was a small gleam in the air behind Hunter and Maverick’s heart sank as it dropped down into the Beta unit in front of him. Hunter lurched forward a little, stopping himself from falling onto Maverick, the tip of a sword barely sticking out between his front two legs.

“Hunter...?” Maverick said quietly as Hunter fell onto his side, staring blankly into the forest behind Maverick. A stallion materialized into the air, the sound of a cloaking unit turning off. Zulu stood behind Hunter, the magical glow from his horn and the sword disappearing.

“Beta unit Hunter McNamara terminated. Proceeding to-” Zulu was cut off by a laser shot piercing through his head, the stealth unit dropping to the ground a second later. The yellow glow from Zulu's eyes disappeared, the stealth unit at rest.

Maverick set down the laser rifle attached to the general and let out a sigh. Maverick pulled his way along the ground over to Hunter, the Beta unit still staring off into the forest. Maverick reached over his Beta unit and turned him over with his hoof, Hunter’s eyes meeting with Maverick’s.

“Hunter... you’re going to be alright... just, hang in there, okay? I’ll get you back to Ponyville, just stay with me.” Maverick hurriedly said as he tried to stand up.

“Maverick... your leg. You’re not going to be able to get me back in time.”

“Don’t say that! I can get you back there, just give me a chance!”

Hunter put a hoof up to his neck and grabbed onto the pendant hanging from the chain. He reached over and grabbed Maverick’s hoof as he fell down again.

“Maverick... take this, I won’t be needing it anymore.”

Hunter stretched Maverick’s hoof out and put the pendant in the Alpha unit's hoof, the ruby detaching from the chain and falling into Maverick’s hoof. Maverick looked up at Hunter, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

“Hunter... please, just stay with me for a little longer. I... I can...”

“I’m sorry Maverick... but I’m not going anywhere.”

Maverick sat up and put his hoof on Hunter, shaking him lightly as Hunter’s eyes started to close.

“Hunter! Don’t leave! I need you, don’t leave me here!”

The beaten Beta unit lifted his hoof up to Maverick’s and he lightly grabbed onto the the distressed Alpha unit’s hoof, tears swelling in his eyes as well.

“Goodbye... brother...”

Hunter’s hoof slowly let go of Maverick’s and the Alpha unit let his tears go, his head hanging down. Hunter’s eyes closed completely and Maverick put his hoof up to his face, tears still running down Maverick’s face.

“I’m sorry...” Maverick managed to mutter through his sobs.

The Alpha unit tilted his head to the night sky and let out a yell, both a scream of sadness as well as for help.

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Umbra, 2531

Maverick opened the door to the Beta unit growth chamber and looked at the vile in his hand, the vile containing a DNA sample from himself. Maverick sighed and walked over to the first Beta unit tube on the left side of the room. He got up on the stool next to it and held the vile upside down over the open top of the Beta unit growth tube, the DNA sample resting on the cork sealing the vile closed.

“I know you won’t know who I am or what you are once you’re fully developed... but this is for me...” Maverick cleared his throat, trying his best to stop the tears forming in his eyes. “You’ll be ready around a year from now... but don’t you worry, I’ll be at your side this entire time. Well, not the ENTIRE time, Ponyville wants to see me again for some information on our world. Can’t hurt, can it?” Maverick stared at the vile in his hand, half expecting an answer. He chuckled to himself a little and pinched the cork holding the DNA sample inside the vile.

“See you in a year, Hunter.” Maverick twisted the cork out of the vile and the DNA sample fell into the Beta unit growth tube. The automated system inside the Beta unit tube worked its way over to the DNA sample and plugged into it. Maverick got down from the stool and walked over to the table next to the entrance of the Beta unit growth chambers. He picked up the roll of tape on the table and ripped a strip off. Maverick walked back over to the test tube he had put his DNA sample in and gently pressed the strip of tape on the glass Beta unit tube. Maverick took out a marker from his pocket and raised it up to the strip of tape as the Beta unit growth tube lowered into the floor.

“Hunter McNamara.” Maverick wrote on the strip of tape. Maverick brought his hand back as the Beta unit growth tube lowered completely into the ground. He stood up and walked over to the computer operating the tube’s life support system. Maverick sighed with relief as he read that the Beta unit growth tube was accepting the DNA sample. He walked over to the table next to the entry way and sat down on top of it, scooting his way to sit up against the wall, his legs hanging off the edge of the table.

“You won’t believe what I managed to do, Hunter... here, watch this.” Maverick said out loud. Maverick had made himself a mechanical right arm in replace of his old one, but he made some adjustments of his own. Maverick aimed his mechanical arm at an empty vile on the computer desk and concentrated. His eyes started to glow with a red aura and the vile levitated its way over to his hand, the vile and his mechanical arm glowing with a red aura as well. Maverick let go of the levitation spell he had on the vile and he grabbed onto the vile as it fell, the metal of his arm clinking as it made contact with the glass vile.

“I couldn’t believe it for myself when I tried it... but, what do you know, magic can be done in this world. I took the general’s alicorn horn and combined it with the metal I used to create this arm, and this happened. It takes a lot of energy and concentration, but it sure gets the job done. Of course, there was the unexpected... side effect from combining the arm with my body...” Maverick said. Maverick’s pupil and irises had formed into a very odd shape when he attached the arm to his body, also turning them a bright red hue in the process.

“It’s been a month since then and I still have yet to understand how to fully operate the magic’s potential... maybe Twilight can help me out with that.” Maverick continued on. He stopped and looked up at the area the Beta unit growth tube he had put his DNA sample in. Maverick laughed to himself and put his palm up to his face.

“I’m going crazy... talking to a DNA sample...” Maverick thought to himself as he got up from the table. He walked over to the floor and knelt down, placing his palm down on the top of the Beta unit tube level with the floor.

“I’ll see you around, Hunter.” Maverick stood up and walked out of the Beta unit growth chamber, heading for the dimensional unit to bring him to Equestria.

End of 'Human' in Equestria: Maverick and Hunter [Part 1]

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Kind of ironically, I was listening to the new 'Smile smile smile' song while I was writing the scene in Everfree and the back in the Beta and Alpha unit chamber at the end.

(Also, I never really specified this, but Maverick and Hunter were wearing clothes during the story, so Maverick was not naked when he arrived back in Umbra. That would just be weird.)

But, on another note, WOO, part one done.

A big thank you for all of you that stuck through to the end, it really helped me continue through and finish part one.

A little preview in part two: It will kind of deviate from the military aspect and focus more on a few other soldiers that are sent to Equestria. The story will revolve around a female soldier, Heather Culpepper, and her visit to Equestria when something goes haywire with Maverick.

Big ups to the people that are still here, and I (hope) will see you in part two!