Chapter 20
BLACK FRIDAY
September 24
Southwest of Veghel
Driving up on Hell's Highway near the outskirt of Veghel, the Equestrian squad, plus it platoon, are all stuck in traffic in their jeeps under the pouring rain, wondering what going on.
In one of the jeeps, Friar, Marsh and LaRoach are sitting with Peter.
After the moment of silence, Marsh asked Peter who is sitting on the passenger seat, "How it going, Peter?"
"Now that funny coming from you!" Friar exclaimed from the driver seat, chuckling.
Behind him, LaRoach lend over and smack Friar in the back of the head.
"Ow! What the hell did you do that for?" Friar yelp as he turn to face LaRoach who then replies, "Doesn't feel like long ago, does it?"
"I don't really notice it much," said Peter as he touch the side of his head, feeling for his damaged ear that he lost back at Knight Wood, "To be honest, seems a mite selfish to get all worked up over losing half an ear."
"Had you got the remain of it?" Friar asks him.
"Well yeah," Peter exclaimed, "If I lost the damn thing, how else was I suppose to get it back together once this is all over?"
"You just staple it together." Marsh suggested, only getting smack by LaRoach.
A couple of jeeps up front are Red, Rarity, Jasper and Spike riding on Venda.
With Red as a driver, Rarity called out from the passenger seat next to him, "I want five minutes with General Taylor to voice how little I like driving in columns like this!"
"Rarity… what?" Red said next to her, confused.
Behind them, Spike said to Jasper next to him, "We're stuck in traffic. In a war."
Then Rarity complains again, "I'm just saying, five minutes and we don't get stalled out everything something get broken!"
After that, shots ring out at the column and the squads quickly jumps out of their jeeps and take cover.
Peter went over to Red and said to him, "Rendezvous at Checkpoint Eighteen! I think it a church. Meet me there and don't be late!" Then, went to gather his squad and begin to lead them into Veghel.
Red gathers his squad together and led them to the village plaza.
As they reach the plaza, they were taking fire from Moratins machine gun and small arms fires.
The squad took cover behind some wall or fences; they soon return fire at the enemy in front of them.
"Jasper!" Red yell at his bazooka man, "Take out that MG!" and pointed at the middle of the plaza where an emplacement is set up.
"On it!" Jasper yelled back as he fire at the emplacement, missing it but it enough to keep the Moratins heads down.
While the enemy is pinned down, Red ran to some supple trucks that are next to the emplacement and pour fire into it.
After clearing them out, another group of enemy soldiers arrive on the scene and soon counterattack them.
Red order Applejack MG to open up and sent his Fire Team to another wall to get into a better firing position.
"Rainbow! You and your team need to follow me!" Red yelled at his Assault Team and gallop through a destroyed shed to the rear of the enemy position.
While they were crossing, there were a lot of comments and encouragements like, "I got one!" or "I got to reload" or even, "Engaging rubber chicken!"
When Applejack needs to reload, she pats Pinkie in the head who then handed her a rubber chicken.
"No Pinkie! Stop giving me that!" Applejack said as she grabs an ammo box next to Pinkie.
"I couldn't help it!" Pinkie replied as she holds up Boneless, "He made so many progresses, see?" She show Applejack Boneless kill sheet.
Applejack was amazed by the chicken kills then shook her head and asks her, "Wait a minute, how in the hillbilly did a fake rubber chicken do that?"
"It easy, watch." Pinkie said then she got up and threw the rubber chicken at a Moratin not far from them as she yell, "Boneless, I choose you!"
Boneless sail through the air and right when he hit the Moratin in the shoulder, the Moratin exploded with a red mist in the air. Then, somehow Boneless survive the blast as he sail back into the air and landed by Pinkie who happily grab him and said to Applejack, "See? What did I tell ya?"
Applejack didn't say anything. She reload her gun and kept firing.
Meanwhile, Red and the Assault Team got into position and begin attacking. During the firefight, Red notice that most of the Moratins are taking cover in a building next to the door.
Seeing that this is his opportunity to take them out, Red took out his frag grenade and yell, "Watch out! I'm throwing a grenade!" then pull the pin and tosses it.
The grenade bounces into the window where the Moratins are at and exploded.
In slow-motion when the explosion occurred, blood and body parts are flying everywhere, even through the window as the Moratins die.
Now back to normal after the explosion, the remaining enemy forces were either killed or were retreating back into the village, allowing the squad to push deeper into enemy territory.
When they reaches the village square, they could all hear a motor rumbling up ahead behind a brick wall.
As soon as they realizes what it was, a Tiger tank crashes through the wall and begin to roll toward the squad with supporting infantry units on both side.
As they were moving toward them, Red order everyone in his squad to take cover and suppress fire on the infantry.
As they Moratins took cover, their tank is still roaming around the square, shooting everything in sight.
"Jasper!" Red yelled as he changed positions between walls.
"On it!" Jasper yelled back as he and Friar position themselves between the city hall and the blacktop road.
When the tank crosses into their field of fire, Friar patted Jasper in the head and Jasper yelled, "Go get 'em, Stelia!" and fire his bazooka.
The rocket let out with a roar as it fly out of the tube and hit the tank turret but it bounces off the armor without even exploding.
The tank stop right in front of them and turn it turret with it main gun facing toward them.
"Oh shit!" Friar said to Jasper when the tank stop, "We must've pissed them off!"
"You think?" Jasper shot back as Rarity yelled not far from them, "Oh for heaven sake, run for it!" but neither Jasper nor Friar could move a muscle as they froze in front of the tank like deer's in front of a headlight.
Before the tank could fire, an AP [armor piercing] round slam at the tank rear, setting it on fire.
While the tank crew is bailing out, Jasper and Friar regained their senses and begin to retreat back to the squad who is position fifteen feet's away from the burning Tiger.
On the road behind them, a Sherman Firefly appeared and started to engage on the Moratin infantry scattered all over the square.
The squad watches in awe then begin to fight back on the Moratins.
During the firefight, Red ran over to the Sherman as the hatch popped open and out came a stallion wearing a Canadian tanker uniform.
The stallion saw Red running over to him and exclaimed, "Oi! It must've been you Yankees showing off to the Moras these days. Lieutenant Richardson from the 4th Yorkshire Armored Brigade at your service."
"Thank for you help," Red nodded, "Is there anymore of you out there?"
The firefight ceased as Richardson replied with a shrug, "I'm not sure about that, mate. Me and my boys were the only one that made this far when those Moras came in with a large force when they were trying to cut the highway. I believed that the Brigade are going to come in from the northwest from here. We're going to go over there but I do need help from you chaps to take out as many anti-tanks gun and foot soldiers so it'll be safe for my boys to come in."
Red nodded again and said to him, "Sound like a plan. Let me go and get my squad then we'll start clearing out the area."
Red then rushes over to where his squad is and explain them the situation.
"Are we seriously to fight with a bunch of Canadians?" Friar said after the briefing with Pinkie exclaiming, "You can talk?"
"Yes we are," Marsh said as he look at him, "You got a problem with that?"
Friar replied back with a shrug, "I'm just saying."
As the squad went to the Sherman tank, Twilight said to Spike, "I wonder what's up with Friar."
"He probably doesn't like those tankers." Spike replied without even looking at her, "Must be a problem after all."
"We still need to get to Checkpoint Eighteen to link up with Peter's squad."
"Not that what I'm afraid of."
As the Sherman move forward out of the square, the squad, as well as other ponies they picked up who were separated from their units, make sure they stayed ahead of the tank to watch for mines or anti-tank guns as they fight their way toward the edge of the village.
Using the same tactic that the ponies learned back at Ponyville, Twilight and this time, Rainbow, are both on the back of the tank, relaying fire messages on the enemy positions in front of them,
While advancing, the Allied soldiers came across another plaza but it was heavily patrol by enemy armor and infantry.
Red signal Rainbow to stop the tank who then relay a message through her radio to the tankers.
When the Sherman stop and switch off it engine, the squad went ahead to recon the area.
After finding that the enemy have Three Panzer Mark IVs, a T-34, couple of armor carriers and a dozen of infantry, Red told the squad to hold position behind a fence and silently crawled back to the Sherman and report to Richardson, Twilight and Rainbow of what he seen.
Richardson nodded and ask what the plan.
"The plan is," Red begin, "We'll spilt up and hit them from the weak spots. Twilight, take your team, the MG team and the Assault and go around the plaza and hit them hard from behind. I'll take the bazooka team and the stragglers that we've picked up and flank the Moratins from the right. Richardson, make sure you and your crew got your weapons lock and loaded in case the enemy try to flank us. You should get a full view of the plaza from right here."
"Not a problem, mate." Richardson grinned.
"Rainbow, sniper support. Also, stay here and make sure the no enemy reinforcement are coming in. If they do, call in Puffy if you have to."
"Who's Puffy?" Rainbow asked, confused.
"The AC-130 that is up in the sky watching over is."
"We didn't we called it in earlier?" Twilight said to Red.
"I don't know. I don't have the radio. Now, we got to hit them hard and fast. Those tankers outside of the village are counting on us. Good luck."
The meeting broke up and Red and Twilight went back to the other.
When they got there, Red explain them the situation quietly and assigned each of them to their tasks when Red said to them, "Remember, use the Four F's. It'll be a lot easier than hitting them head-on, especially if they have tanks. Any questions?"
Pinkie raised her hoof and exclaimed, "OOOO! OOOO!"
"Yes Pinkie?"
"Can we have cupcakes?" she said, taking out a tray of cupcakes behind her.
"Wait, how did you-," Rarity was beginning to say but Pinkie interrupt her, "It was a couple minutes ago when I found a bakery and went inside and found these cupcakes so I-,"
"Fine," Red said without letting her finish, "We can have them after this.
"Yay!" Pinkie exclaimed quietly, so quietly that no words were coming out from her mouth, just like a rush of air.
After that, they all went into their positions. To get to their place, Twilight group has to move, carefully not to expose themselves, by moving through alleyways, houses, jumping behind walls, fences and burned out vehicles.
They got into positions as Red and his group got to the right side of the plaza.
After everyone is in place, Red waited for one of the tank and foot soldiers to pass by then whispered to Jasper next to him, "When they move to the other side, wait for my command and open fire on one of the tanks."
Jasper nodded and patted Friar to get ready while Red told the other ponies who is with him to suppress fire when Jasper let out his explosive.
When one of the Panzer tank make a turn, exposing it rear to Jasper, Red give Jasper the command to fire. The overanxious bazooka man got up, aim over a wall and fire. The rocket hit the tank from 30 yards away, sitting it aflame.
Right when this happened, Red yelled, "Suppressive fire!" and the ponies open fire.
While the Moratins take cover and fire back at them, the tank crew bail out from their burning tank but were pick of by Twilight group one-by-one.
During the assault, Red and a few other ponies ran to the side and flank the enemy position, taking it out.
When they were crossing a street, a T-34 saw them and open fire with it turret machine gun.
Bullets kicked up all around them when one of the ponies took it in the leg and fell in the middle of the road, screaming, "I'm hit!"
While the wounded soldiers screamed, the two other ponies from the group reaches him and tried to drag him out but were both shot down, leaving Red the only one left standing.
Red tried to get to the stallion but, with heavy fire from the tank, he ended up staying behind a wall and watch in horror as the tank advance up the road toward the stallion.
The stallion kept on screaming and crying for help as the tank thread is inches away from his head.
From the other side of the plaza, Twilight saw this and looked away, not wanting to see what happen next to that helpless stallion.
She turn to order her Fire Team to suppress on a Moratin sandbag emplacement and the MG Team on an enemy machine gun nest on one of the building.
When Twilight change positions, she felt the air of a tank round passed over her head and exploded at a building behind her, knocking her and the other ponies near her forward on the ground from the concussion.
When she got up, Twilight saw one of the Panzer tanks advancing and shooting at them.
When he saw the enemy tank attacking Twilight group, Richardson went inside her tank and said to his crew, "Alright lads! Those Yanks need our help. Cole, line your shot on the Moras tank. It about 50 yards northeast from here and do it fast!"
"Aye!" said Cole and work the tank turret and line it on the Panzer tank.
When he got the Panzer in his sight, Cole said to the loader, "Ed! I need an AP round now!"
The loader, Edward, quickly got an AP round from the round sack then jammed it into the gun breach, close it and yelled, "Ready!"
When he said this, Richardson yelled, "Fire!"
Cole took a deep breath and press the trigger.
Outside and on top of the tank, Rainbow felt the tank rocked and saw the Panzer tank in front of them exploded as the AP round went through the Panzer armor and hit it ammo depot, sending the tank into a great fireball.
After the explosion, Rainbow scanned through the scope of her sniper rifle when the tank hatch open and Richardson came out halfway and said to Rainbow there a large enemy convoy closing in from the east.
"We got to do something now!" Richardson said again, waiting for Rainbow to respond.
Rainbow stare at him then replied, "What do you think we should do?"
"What do you think? Call in that thing that lad said!"
"Oh, where's the enemy."
When she said this, six enemy tanks and a platoon of infantry showed up from the east, turning the tide of the battlefield to their favor.
In the middle of the plaza, Red saw the convoy and, since he couldn't fall back because of the T-34, went to the water fountain.
Before he could move, Red remember the bazooka team is on the other side behind him so he turn and yelled at Jasper to take out the tank.
While Jasper is attacking the tank, Applejack spotted the convoy and yelled, "We need to defilade and fall back!"
Twilight fall back to buildings behind them and soon fired at the newcomers.
While Richardson is firing his tank, Rainbow got on her radio and request for some air support from the AC-130 above them.
"Copy that." Said the receiver, "We could see you getting beaten up from here. Stand clear so we can engage."
Moment later, the enemy convoy was lit up by 105, 55 and 20mm rounds form Puffy above.
The six enemy tanks tried to get out of the firing area but were quickly knock out.
After the area cleared, the radioman from the AC-130 above spoke through the radio, "Targets destroyed. You are now clear to move through the city. Good luck."
Then the line went dead.
After the AC-130 lit up like hell on the Moratins, Red got up and saw Jasper finally took out the T-34. Then, Red waved his arm in the circle while shouting, "Recon, fall in!"
He gather everyone and together walked over to the Sherman, excited about their victory.
Then, Sherman and Abrams tanks showed up on the plaza from the north side.
"Look like we did it." LaRoach said to everyone around him, "We've just lick them through."
Richardson came out of his tank and exclaimed, "You Yanks did one hell of a fine job here!"
"We're not even American." Rarity said to him but Richardson replied back with a laugh, "It doesn't matter what you are. This is all I ever want to see them Moras get their little butts kicked."
Then, Cole came out of the tank holding a bottle of brandy while saying, "I'd saved this for special occasion. Do any of you luck fellows like a drink for a celebration?"
"Or a cupcakes!" said Pinkie, taking out a tray of cupcakes, "Can't have a party without cupcakes!"
The squad said goodbyes to Richardson and his crew and went over to the north of Veghel to an area where they're suppose to meet up with Peter unit.
When they approach to a church there, Peter and Corrion were sitting near the entrance, waiting.
Corrion spotted the squad and shout at them, "It about time you showed up. Where have you been?"
"You don't want to know." Red said to them and walk inside.
After they settled down on the pews with other soldiers, Rarity made a remarked to Marsh and LaRoach about how beautifully the church was made.
But Fluttershy cut in, saying, "I'm not trying to be rude or anything, Rarity, but how did we develop religious beliefs in Equestria?"
"That what I want to know." Says Rainbow, "When did we have any religious faith? Who even made this place?"
While they were arguing about the church, Spike said to Friar next to him, "Hey Friar, how come you don't like those tankers back there? Were you acting like you don't want alongside with them?"
"I wasn't acting," said Friar, "I just don't like the Canadians for a number of reasons."
"Boston Tea Party!" Jasper shouted as he sat down next to Spike.
"What? No! That the British. I just don't like the Canadians cause I don't"
Marsh heard them and walk over them and sat down next to Friar, saying, "You're saying you don't like me? Cause you're talking to a Canadian right here."
Marsh is going to punch Friar so Friar responded, "No offense on you, Marsh."
"None taken."
Jasper thought for a moment then added, "I like Canada."
"Have you been there?" Marsh said to him, surprised.
"No," Jasper said, shaking his head side to side, "I know they're the nicest people in the world."
"Then, what they whole point of you liking them?" said Friar, growing impatient. Then, he was smack in the back of the head by Marsh.
Back at the argument about faith, Pinkie ran up to them and shouted, "Guys, there is something that you should know!"
"What do you mean?" Rainbow asks Pinkie.
"First of all," Pinkie begin then she speak rapidly, "We are fictional characters created by Canadians and that this whole thing is all about!"
"Wow," Applejack said, amazed, "That just-,"
Then Red ran over and yelled, "Let go! The Moratins are attacking along the highway and we got to move! Stop eating those damn cupcakes and get the hell up!"
Everyone in the church stormed out of the building, jumps to their jeeps and race out of Veghel to take on the enemy.
While everyone is getting out, nobody seem to notice an GI helmet with a number 13 on it, a reading glasses and an American jacket neatly stacked on a crate next to the alter.
Being the last one out, Red notice the objects but never want to know who its belong to.
He knows about the glasses and the jacket but the helmet signified the lost of a fallen brother.
The squad, as well as those who are going to fight against the Moratins, might never know they'll be walking right into hell once they get to Hell's Highway.