Redeem, Revive, Revolt

by Stillmatic

Humans have vanished. Their cities are gone, and their empires have crumbled into oblivion. But a spark persists deep underground, ready to emerge to the surface again. Against all odds, the return of a lost species will spark a revolution like no other.

11. Chapter 11

Redeem, Revive, Revolt

By: Lucius Seneca and Stillmatic

Chapter Ten: Convergence

The facility thrummed with unseen energy, sending a strange type of pulsation through the rusting girders, collapsed dry wall, and caved in ceilings. It was entirely obvious that this section, this lower floor, had suffered greatly from time's harshness, slowly chipped away bit by bit, inch by inch. Flakes of rust and clumped together debris trickled from the holes in the ceiling and landed softly on the surfaces below, coating the floors and desks in a semi-fine dust which jumped with excitement as the pulsations continued. Power surges, some large and others small, had been regularly sweeping through the lowermost floors of the facility and occasional the ones above, courtesy of the insane A.I. and a weakened reactor.

This section of the facility was home to several labs, all varying in purposes and equipment. Some focused on weapons manufacturing, others aimed their purpose towards the nurturing of flora. It was a diverse mix to be sure and although the plants which had died so long ago hung limply from their planters, the machines designed to ensure their safety continued to work, spraying each dead husk with water, nutrients, and other chemicals meant to ironically prolong the life of nature. If one were to journey farther down the hallways, they would have seen a smaller lab, equipped with lockers and other mundane storage units.

Although, as a rat scurried forth, intending to enter the open room, it was promptly split into several razor thin slices. Unbeknownst to the rodent, the doorway harbored a lethal security measure. Unseen lasers, no wider than the width of a hair, decorated the entryway with a vast yet invisible web of energy meant to ensure death to any intruder who entered. As for the contents of the room, nothing seemed worthy of notice. No pedestal suggested some piece of incredible technology. In fact, the room seemed to be the blandest of the others. Stained tile floors, molding ceiling tiles, and dilapidated lockers were all contained within the room no bigger than a small classroom.

The lights flickered on with a tired sigh and the lasers, still unseen by the naked eye, deactivated and hummed with relief. A small orb, centered on the ceiling, looked downwards at the still form of a man dressed in combat gear. He seemed locked within the cone of wavy red light. His gloved hands connected to a body clad in black clothing, topped off with balaclava. There was a series of clicks and the red light vanished, allowing the man to tumble to the floor in a heap. Silence followed the sudden collapse, but was quickly broken by a harsh intake of breath and the brief twitching of the weakened prisoner.

His eyes fluttered open, further revealing black irises upon slightly tanned skin. He struggled to his feet, shaky hands grasping at the nearby table. A voice came over the speakers, demanding in its accent.

"Well, what do we have here? A *bzzt* FILTHY COMMUNIST *bzzt* or..." There was a pause as the intercom fell silent "Or a helping hand?"

The man looked about in confusion and backed towards the door, unsure of what to do. His stomach howled for food and his legs quivered with weakness. Fragments of pictures, broken sentences, and unheard whispers attack his mind, forcing the man into a confused state and threatened to rob him of precise reflexes and professional training. He turned and ran from the room.

[SCENE BREAK]

The cameras, coated in thick grime and sludge, turned slowly and watched as the man ran down the hallways, athletic body stretching and moving as he dodged past fallen rubble and the occasional collapsed catwalk underfoot. His mind seemed sluggish, but not lethargic enough to restrict him from his own name, although his last escaped him.

His identity slipped past his chapped lips "Ezekiel..."

The words came out with a thick accent, most likely European as it sounded Russian to the common ear. Lights flickered overhead, bulbs occasionally bursting after such a prompt call to duty, sending bits of glass and filament down upon Ezekiel. He shook off the stray debris and hooked a left, spinning into a large room. He slammed the metal door behind him, shoving the lock into place before sliding down into a panting heap.

His stomach growled fiercely and a dryness fit to match the Mojave laced his mouth and throat. Quietly muttering curses under his breath, Ezekiel climbed to his feet once more, hands feeling around for a light switch or flashlight. The former was quickly located and fluorescent bulbs, tubed in shape, lit up dimly, tired after their long sleep. A wooden desk backed up onto a collapsed wall and a lab bench stood nearby, filthy beakers and yellowed papers atop the surface.

Ezekiel stumbled forward, searching several nearby lockers in desperation. Several large bottles of water gleamed in the yellow light and the man greedily downed one, tossing the empty plastic bottle over his shoulder as he started on his second. Why was he so thirsty? Surely his mission could not have taken such a long time.

His mission. Flashes of pictures, documents, and a man's ascetic face appeared in rapid succession in Ezekiel's mind's eye. He gripped at his temple, ripping the mask from his face in the process, and revealing features similar to many Europeans. Dark eyes, lightly tanned skin, clean shaven and black hair cut short.

Indeed, Ezekiel would have looked normal if not for the equipment which covered him. He looked over the strange attire. It seemed fit for sneaking around, open combat, and even spying. The thought of the last word brought another flurry of images to mind. Guards, a choking sound, several silenced gunshots, panting, and suddenly everything vanished like a cold wind had wiped it from existence.

Ezekiel, now finished with the water, felt the need to urinate. Doing so proved easy, as the entire facility seemed abandoned and in ruin. Perhaps the intelligence Ezekiel had gone on was incorrect. Nothing was as it seemed. In fact, everything seemed wrong. Before the confused human had time to think on his situation further, there was a flash of light beyond the collapsed drywall and a flurry of sparks from a control panel, suggesting another surge of electricity.

Climbing through the large hole in the wall was easy enough, but Ezekiel moved carefully, stepping past debris and loose wiring which spat angry sparks at him. He soon found himself looking over a large area, one which caused his eyes to widen briefly, hidden slightly by the balaclava he had pulled back on.

A large laboratory greeted the lone man and he let his black irises travel over the stained tile floor, occasionally populated by a warped ceiling tile or a broken beaker. But what was most interesting, was the trio of strange glass tubes which ran from the ceiling to the floor. They appeared to be centered in the middle of the room, surrounded by long benches and shelving units which covered the walls.

Green liquid bubbled within the tubes and faint silhouettes could be seen past the murky substance. Ezekiel approached slowly, hands running atop benches and desks as he made his way closer to the odd apparatus. The figures seemed distorted, twisted in ways which made them difficult to compare to human anatomy. Something was most definitely wrong.

A voice came over the hidden intercoms "I see you've found the Genetics Laboratory! Quite the sight isn't it?"

Ezekiel recognized the American accent and the tone of the unseen speaker. It was the same one from earlier, spurring a sudden recollection of who the nagging voice emanated from. It had been a long time since Ezekiel had heard, or even cared about President Nixon. He had little love for such a country, but he knew enough about it to identify the famous voice.

Nixon continued with his speech, apparently much more calm than before "You know, I had hundreds of scientists all in this room back before everything went to hell. They were the geniuses of their generation, completely ready to move into branches of science unheard of." There was a brief stop and the intercom buzzed before coming back to life "Unfortunately, these poor souls have remained trapped in isolation for many years now, unrevealed to a world which could hardly have cared about such scientific miracles."

Ezekiel listened intently, no longer worried about capture or attack. If no one had come already, they never would, but that didn't stop him from searching for a weapon. His eyes eventually came upon a set of small test tubes, no larger than a miniature bottle of vodka or something of the like. A roll of electrical tape lay nearby and Ezekiel put the two objects together in his mind.

He approached the table, hands moving as Nixon rambled on "Oh, what a waste. These specimens may very well be the next step in evolution, but they are quiet as of now, voice unheard in the rabble above."

This was not the Nixon Ezekiel had read about in the history books. He seemed polite, but somehow sad, and it was unnerving to say the least. There was a loud crack as the test tubes were broken against the side of the table. The handiwork was somewhat impressive and Ezekiel looked over the makeshift weapon.

The test tubes, each stuck between the fingers on his right hand, had been taped onto the hand itself and, now broken, served as a deadly set of knuckledusters. Happy with the defensive weapon, Ezekiel returned his attention to the large, cryogenic-like containers as the voice above droned on.

"Well, you aren't here for fun. I do believe it is time to test you."

There was aloud hiss as a container slid open. steam gushing from under the slowly reclining glass door. Within seconds, the green water was pouring over the floor, stinking and putrid. Ezekiel stepped backwards, uneasiness now gripping him. A leathery being came into sight, sagging down from several wires and tubes which linked to the top of the tube container.

The very sight of such a thing made Ezekiel want to run, but he stayed put, eyes fixed on a nightmare. Long, gangly arms and legs, all colored purplish black connected to a twisted torso where the skin was thin enough to allow the creature's ribcage to be seen, all of it encased by a layer of cancerous lesions and sores.

It twitched briefly, bloodshot eyes opening with a high pitched shriek loud enough to burst an eardrum in the right conditions. It screamed again and Ezekiel winced, backing away from the horror in fear. It scrambled to its mutated feet, ripping at the wires and tubing which held it back. It's fingers, elongated and bent with sharpened nails, cut through the materials easily enough and soon it was hunched over in front of Ezekiel, it's breathing raspy yet bubbly with blood and unseen fluids.

Ezekiel continued his silent retreat, but, unbeknownst to him, the broken glass from his knuckledusters, lay only millimeters away. His heel, encased in a heavy boot, slowly descended on the glass, and cracks rang through the laboratory. Ezekiel froze, eyes now wide with fear, and watched as the creature slowly stood up, head rising to face the opposing man.

Teeth, gnarled yet white, extended from lips which seemed relatable to swiss cheese. Several tumors covered the thing's head and another few protruded from it's shoulders. It threw it's head back with a scream fit to cause a heart attack and sprinted at Ezekiel, eyes filled with bloodlust.

Ezekiel sound found himself flying through the air, courtesy of his new opponent, and he landed with a loud thud on the floor. He scrambled to his feet, grabbed a chair, and swung as the beast closed in. It yelled in anger as the metal chair connected with it's face. Ezekiel pulled back for another swing, but a kick to his torso stopped such a thing from happening and he slid backwards on the floor.

Within seconds, the creature was on him him again, but this time he was ready, and Ezekiel threw himself at his enemy, sending his armed fist into it's throat over and over again. Blood, black and oily, spewed outwards and pieces of glass became lodged in the creature's neck. It howled in pain and tried to toss the attacking human away, but Ezekiel was already ahead of it, ducking under flailing arms, and grabbing the chair once more.

The beast's spine made an audible crack as the weapon connected with it several times, killing it nearly instantly. It moaned briefly and collapsed, blood pooling from a lacerated throat. Ezekiel fell backwards in exhaustion, letting the bloodied chair fall from his hands in the process. He fought the urge to rip the mask from his face, but he knew he was being watched and couldn't risk his identity being revealed, although he thought back to the small office in which he had taken the balaclava off, but shrugged it off. He hadn't seen any cameras anyway.

The fight had been taxing and far more frightening than a firefight, but Ezekiel had seen far worse. Using a nearby table to help him to his feet, Ezekiel regained his footing for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past thirty minutes. Nothing was fitting together in his mind. His memory was tattered at best, but parts still remained intact, albeit not enough to piece together the mysterious puzzle around him.

Overhead, an artificial clapping resonated through the room "Well done, my communist friend! A fine example of training indeed! There aren't many that can survive such an attack, and although it saddens me to see the death of another one of my children, you have my respect and for that, I shall offer you a deal."

Ezekiel looked around, accent coloring his words "Deal?"

"A deal! And here it is: A floor below you is an experimental manufacturing room. I won't bore you with the details, but there is a piece of machinery down there that I want you to acquire and use. You'll know it when you see it, and once you have it, proceed to the surface and if you survive what you encounter there, you're free to go, although you may find yourself without help for quite sometime."

There was a moment of silence before Ezekiel repeated himself, "Deal."

Nixon laughed happily, further changing Ezekiel's look on the unseen man, "Excellent! Now, off with you, and remember: no funny business!"

Leaving the lab behind was comfort enough, and Ezekiel let out a sigh of relief as he exited, glancing over his shoulder at the two specimens which remained behind glass. God only knew how much tougher they might have been to kill. Putting such thoughts behind him, Ezekiel continued down the immediate hallway, squinting against the darkness.

The electrical system must have been on a separate circuit or something similar as the lights in the hallway were off, allowing inky blackness to seep in. The grate floors creaked as Ezekiel made his way forward. He glanced down, spying pipes and thick collections of wiring running underneath the thin metal surface.

Not truly knowing where to go, Ezekiel tried a door to his right and pulled on the rusted handle, grunting with the work. When the door failed to open, the frustrated man stomped his foot on the grates below and promptly fell through and onto the piping several feet below. The sudden drop scared him, but minor scratches were the only injuries he received.

Cursing once again, Ezekiel went to stand up, but the large pipe he was situated upon let out a loud groan and dipped forward, creating a slight incline which caused Ezekiel to slip and land hard on the rusted steel. There was another rusted shriek and the pipe toppled forward, ripping from its cleats, and falling through the air below, bringing Ezekiel with it.

He yelled out in surprise as he fell, but a girder appeared below him and he slammed into it, gripping weakly with his hands as he did so. Wind knocked out of him and curses slewing from his mouth, Ezekiel looked down at the drop. It was enough to break his legs without question and as he attempted to tighten his grip, the rusted ceiling girder snapped from the ceiling above, swung to the side, and slammed into a wall, and toppled to the ground.

A large plume of dust rose up and Ezekiel crawled away from the huge girder mere seconds before it tipped sideways and crushed the spot he had been laying in only seconds ago. On his feet once again, the now dusty and scowling man examined his immediate surroundings. He was in a firing range and as he glanced upwards, he realized why the drop had been so high. Several air ducts, equipped with fans meant to filter out gun smoke were built into the ceiling.

Shrugging off the near death experience, Ezekiel focused on the task at hand. If he had any chance of figuring out what the hell was going on, he'd need to get out of the dark pit he was currently in. Soon he had exited the firing range, finding only the rusted carcasses of weapons and nothing usable. The darkness seemed to be even thicker down here and Ezekiel wondered how many floors there were. It was a diverse facility to be sure. Labs, firing ranges, hallways which seemed to stretch on forever, and it made Ezekiel nervous to say the least.

Finding the lab was easy enough as the doors to it were huge, spanning nearly a wall, and were directly across from the firing range. They were obviously thick steel and interlocked in the middle, huge teeth sliding together to keep unwanted visitors out. Ezekiel glanced around and located a keypad, but a cracked screen and frayed wires suggested that it would be no use. There was another burst of electricity and the floor shook.

Reminded of his past experiences with such floors, Ezekiel flattened himself against the doors and jerked his head back in fright when they slid apart, large gears grinding as they pulled the heavy steel away from each other. The movement stopped abruptly, but there was enough room for Ezekiel to slip through.

He ducked his head and entered the space, his nostrils flaring from the musty air. It had been a long time since anyone had been in the room and Ezekiel glanced about. It was empty apart from several weapons lockers and a large, tarp-covered object in the far back. Obviously the space had been cleaned out quickly at some point, and Ezekiel opened one the lockers, finding several automatic rifles within. He pulled one out with a slight smile and looked it over expertly.

It was a DSA SA58 OSW carbine, and it was quite the weapon, both oddly stylish yet still capable of doing its job without problem. A skeleton stock lay folded and was flush with the side of the gun and a M68 Aimpoint red dot scope stood on the mounting rail, allowing for better accuracy and shot placement. Ezekiel grabbed several magazines and loaded the weapon, surprised at the length of them.

He slung the carbine over his shoulder and approached the tarp and the machine underneath. The tarp fell of easily enough, bringing a small cloud of dust with it. Waving away the irritating particles, Ezekiel looked on in wonderment at the piece of equipment.

It was a mechanical suit of sorts, grayish black in color. It appeared to cover the user's full body and was undoubtedly thick, lined with some type of metal most likely titanium or some other element. A harness design covered the torso of the suit and the shoulder pauldrons stuck out overtop of the wearer's actual shoulders. A helmet, resembling that of a futuristic design, covered the head of the user, and hiding his or her face behind a black visor.

It was a piece of amazing technology to be sure, but Ezekiel approached hesitantly, hand slowly depressing a large button on the center of the suit's chest. It jumped to life instantly, torso splitting opening vertically. It folded open quickly and Ezekiel, now rather excited, entered the machine, finding that it shut behind him.

Finding it to be fairly comfortable, he looked out the visor and pulled his head back in surprise as several readings came over the screen. It seemed to be scanning the room, diagrams flashing up in front of Ezekiel's eyes. Despite his lack of english skills, he knew the majority of what was being placed before him and he began to experiment a little.

He raised his arm and the suit moved with it, following the human within without a problem. It was truly a marvel of human engineering. Ezekiel shifted slightly within, feeling the padded interior and the carbine which was pressed tightly to his side. As far as he knew, there were no exterior weapons attached to the machine, but it seemed capable of destruction without them. A voice, artificial and thought out, played through a built in set of headphones.

"Welcome, user! You are currently in use of an industrial exosuit! Please remember to exercise caution while operating this machine! Improper use will result in death or serious injury."

There was a beep and Nixon's voice jumped over the previous one "Well done, my friend! You have but one part left to accomplish. Proceed to the top floor and kill everyone up there, would you? They have been a thorn in my side since they first set up camp!" There was a hearty if somewhat sadistic laugh "Behind you, there is a cargo lift. Take it."

Ezekiel turned carefully, finding the suit responding to his every command perfectly. He took his first few steps carefully and watched as two large metal doors, not unlike the ones Ezekiel had just entered through, slide open jerkily and reveal the lighted interior of a large cargo lift. Crates and boxes lay stacked against one side and two skeletons sat lazily against them, skulls wobbling as Ezekiel entered.

He noticed the two bodies and, now realizing that the facility was not at all like what he had expected, cursed the men who had sent him here, despite the fact that he couldn't remember any of their names. The doors shut quietly and the whir of the elevator traveling upwards made a small sweat break out upon Ezekiel's forehead. Despite his training, fights still made him anxious and he set about to find something to distract him from such a thought, knowing that it would take a few minutes to travel from his current level to the top.

His visored eyes spotted the crates to his left and he easily ripped the thick wooden lid off, revealing black combat gear and several stacked carbines, the exact same one which was currently digging into his ribcage annoyingly. He pulled out some of the armor, looking over it curiously. It was obviously meant for intense combat as a thick kevlar breastplate covered the abdomen area along with elbow pads, shinguards, and several other protective pieces of material.

It was certainly professional material, but Ezekiel was ripped from his examination as a beep resounded within the elevator, signifying his arrival. He let out a long breath and watched as the doors opened, revealing two large, upright dogs conversing casually. They looked over in awe and began to chatter excitedly, not knowing that the exosuit was inhabited.

"Damn! Those power surges might not be bad after all! Look at that!"

It's partner, a strange mix of golden retriever and bulldog, nodded in agreement "Imagine if we show Ulysses this! Promotions for sure!"

It was at that moment that Ezekiel stepped forward, eliciting two surprised yells from the dogs. He shook his head in amazement. Surely he must be hallucinating. Talking dogs? It seemed impossible, but such thoughts were cut short as one dog ran to the opposite wall, grabbed an M16 assault rifle, and opened fire.

Despite the fact that the bullets were striking the suit, they merely pinged off the heavy duty material and flew away with high pitched whistles. Ezekiel, now emboldened by near invincibility and adrenaline, charged forward and sent the attacker flying through the office behind him. A simple backhand made sure that the second dog was also dispatched and the body bounced off a wall before collapsing in a bloody heap.

Ezekiel began to ran, plan beginning to formulate in his mind, and swept aside two large birds as he turned a corner. Unsurprisingly, alarms began to ring through the area, but Ezekiel paid the screaming sound no mind, and, following an image of his current location on the suit's visor, began to move towards the exit, yells and bullets following him.

[SCENE BREAK]

"As we uncover more of the facility, we are progressively discovering things which may interest you."

Jacque pointed at a collection of guns "Take these for example. If the records we recovered are to be believed, this are all confiscated weapons. Not used by the security, of course."

Ulysses nodded and ran a hand through his recently washed hair. He looked far healthier than he had only hours ago, although his skin was still quite pale. His old clothing had been reduced to irreparable states and they had quickly found themselves in the trash, but Ulysses' new attire seemed far more fitting. In fact, the outfit looked similar to what the recent escapee had been wearing, apart from the fact that Ulysses' wore a security officer's uniform, holster and all.

The clothes fit him nicely and he tapped his combat boot-clad foot as he examined the collection of AK-47's, MAC 10's, and plenty of other contraband weapons which had been discovered in a recently uncovered armory which, by all accounts, was dedicated to the storage of recovered and surplus weapons; perfect for the lower ranks of the dogs and griffons. Ulysses nodded slowly, regaining Jacque's attention once more.

"Very good, my friend. Although, I was somewhat disappointed that your followers were not able to locate our recent fugitive."

Ulysses' tone had taken on a complimentary yet strict tone and Jacque was quick to reply "My apologies, Ulysses. My only excuse is that the dispatched dogs were not professional trackers, but rather runts. I have only the best searching the forest as we speak."

"Well, you have my trust and faith in the matter, Jacque. I wonder if the griffons are doing their part as well. After all, they are a necessary part of this operation."

Another voice appeared from behind Ulysses and Jacque "We are and we understand the importance." Ulysses and his canine friend turned to face the griffon as he finished his statement "The cretin will be found before daybreak tomorrow, I assure you."

Jericho Williams was the griffon in charge of all field operations exclusive to his race. Whether they be potential or set in stone, Jericho made sure all went according to plan. and despite the fact that he had not personally met Ulysses, the two knew of each other quite well.

Holding out his hand, Ulysses spoke "A pleasure. I have full confidence in your soldiers."

There was a firm shake as Jericho seized Ulysses' outstretched hand "Thank you for the confidence. My soldiers speak of you with great reverence and I have come to think of you as a fine tactician and...combatant."

Jacque bowed deeply and took his leave, having already been acquainted with Jericho. Ulysses smiled politely, but a before the human could reply, alarms began to blare loudly and Ulysses glanced outside the small storage closet. A distant thumping could be heard and it grew progressively louder, causing Ulysses to pull his pistol out instinctively. He was certainly surprised when the lobby doors exploded outwards, striking a nearby griffon and sending him flying backwards and over a crate.

Ezekiel ran past Ulysses and Jericho, lumbering in the huge exosuit, and disappeared into the sunlight. Ulysses raised an eyebrow and looked over at the muscular griffon who appeared confused, simply shrugging his shoulders. A swarm of dogs and griffons followed the rampaging Ezekiel, looking more like a lynch mob than an organized squad of fighters. Sighing slightly, Ulysses ducked back inside the storage closet, and grabbed a weapon from the overpacked crates.

His hands grasped an AN-94 assault rifle. It was heavy and Ulysses was pleasantly surprised at the make of the Russian weapon. It's black metal furniture added to the weight and as Ulysses turned it over, inserting a magazine into it, he smiled sadistically at the GP-30 40mm grenade launcher which clutched tightly to the underside of the barrel. Jericho grabbed the same weapon and loaded it calmly, his military training coming into play. As to where the weapon had been found before falling into the hands of Ulysses and his companion, it was anyones guess.

Jericho and Ulysses looked at each other, checked their weapons one more time, and entered the sunlight.

[SCENE BREAK]

As Ezekiel ran through the bushes and trees, his mind thought back to Nixon's deal. He was meant to kill EVERYTHING, but obviously he had avoided doing so, more concerned with his own wellbeing and escape than a complete massacre. And now, as he tore through the landscape around him he noticed the presence of something even more strange.

Off to his right, a good thirty or so small horses were watching him, clad in golden armor, spears and swords at the ready. Ezekiel stopped and looked over the fear stricken group. They looked back with eyes wide with horror and amazement. The large exosuit turned fully and looked over the collection of soldiers which would have seemed more at home in a fantasy story.

Ezekiel feigned an attack and the ponies tucked tail, running in the opposite direction, and straight towards where Ezekiel had just come from. He watched them go with a strange sense of humor growing within him. Shaking his head in disbelief, he continued in his loud jogging, sending macaws and other tropical birds into the air as the suit destroyed ferns, shrubbery, and dead trees as it rushed past.

A full minute passed, filled with loud thumps and long strides, before Ezekiel stopped and promptly exited the suit, deciding to go on without it. He would need to stay under the radar now, not destroy the radar itself. Besides, he looked around, this was unfamiliar territory and if he was to slip away, he'd have to be careful.

Stomach growling for nutrients, Ezekiel removed his balaclava, tucked it away, and unslung his carbine. He took a deep breath and began to run, heading towards a town which knew humans well enough already.

[SCENE BREAK]

Ulysses watched as the mob slowed and cursed as an entire entity, not willing to get separated in the thick mass of vines and mangrove trees. They retreated back towards Ulysses who seemed to be peering over their shoulders, seeing flashes of golden light just beyond the treeline.

Jericho muttered to the man next to him "What the hell is that? More surprises?"

Ulysses shrugged "Let's wait and see."

Soon the two companions were surrounded by the large group of fighters and, noticing the squinting eyes of their leaders, turned to look at the distant trees. Mumbling and grunts came from the collected audience, but soon curses filled the air as a sentry called out from a watchtower.

"Commandant Ulysses! Movement on the perimeter!"

What had caused the disturbance was easily seen. More than thirty equestrians, all dressed in golden armor and helmets, ran from the trees and towards the compound. It was a varied group to be sure, but Ulysses ignored the feathered wings and horns of his new opponents.

Ulysses began walking, with Jericho falling into step beside him. The pale man took notice and spoke quietly "I want prisoners, Jericho."

Jericho nodded, a smile gracing his beak "And the others?"

Rifle raised, Ulysses replied "Kill them."

The roar of gunfire ripped into the air, sending birds skyward along with small puffs of acidic smoke. Bullets, flying forward, ripped into the bodies of the equestrians and several toppled instantly, with a few kicking feebly in the process. It was entirely obvious that they had been unprepared for such technology and soon realized that their spears and crossbows would do nothing to help them.

Of the thirty or so that had emerged proudly from the forest, only fifteen still stood, eyes wide with fear as Ulysses, joined by Jericho and the full force of the avians and canines, opened fire relentlessly. Jericho smiled tightly as the rifle kicked against his muscled shoulder and his target, a young stallion of black, collapsed as several bullets peppered his chest, slicing through the armor.

Ulysses lowered his weapon slightly and angled it appropriately before pulling the trigger on his grenade launcher. There was a loud pop, followed by a low whistle as the explosive sailed forward, landing mere feet from three stallions who were attempting to flee. Unsurprisingly, there was a fairly large explosion mixed with cheering, screams, and more gunshots.

Jericho and with Ulysses lowered their weapons and watched as the smoke cleared, revealing the absence of two of the stallions which had stood in that very spot only seconds ago, although the several body parts which littered the grass were an easy indication of their fates. One lay nearby, presumably faring better than his comrades. The last of the soldiers had thrown down their arms, placing their hooves over their heads and tossing their helmets down in surrender.

After a quick head count, Ulysses ascertained that only eight had survived and he watched as several Diamond Dogs surrounded the new prisoners and forced them onto the ground. There were several loud screams as the unicorns of the group had their horns stomped on, breaking the piece of magical bone and effectively destroying any chance of retaliation.

Jericho began to yell orders, leaving Ulysses to watch the body of a unicorn several feet away. Charred flesh and exposed bone indicated that the equestrian was dead, but as Ulysses turned to go, the body twitched slightly. A raised eyebrow revealed Ulysses' interest and he crossed the bloodstained grass, dodging the griffons which were dragging bodies off with help from the dogs.

The unicorn began to kick feebly, shifting on the grassy terrain. The armor, perforated and blackened though it was, had absorbed the explosion just enough to allow the unicorn to survive. Ulysses knelt down silently, letting his rifle lay across his thighs. The equestrian looked up fearfully at the human who stared back with eyes as bright as the finest emeralds yet colder than ice.

A mediocre shade of grey colored the unicorn's coat, contrasting with the golden armor and stray helmet nearby. Ulysses, sudden smile snaking across his face, leaned closer.

"What would you give for the pain to stop?"

The unicorn looked up with glassy eyes, barely capable of speech "An-an-anything..."

"How far would you be willing to go for relief? For ultimate freedom?" Ulysses asked.

"A-as far as I-I needed to g-go."

Standing up, the human waved Jericho over, and Jericho, having already seen the strange interaction, approached readily, rifle prepared to end another life.

"Is he to die?" Jericho asked calmly.

Ulysses shook his head briefly "Not this one. Take him to the medical wing. I want him alive."

Jericho, despite the surprise registering on his face, agreed nonetheless "Very well." there was a pause "Why?"

Silence greeted the question for a moment, eventually broken by Ulysses "There is no greater weapon than to turn an enemy to your cause. To use their knowledge against themselves is something unmatched in power." he looked at Jericho "Assemble the leaders. They will answer for this."

Jericho nodded slowly, perhaps not understanding. Ulysses turned and walked away, the smoke of burning bodies curling up behind him.

[SCENE BREAK]

Ulysses slammed his hand down on the table "This is the second time that you've allowed a person to escape! Do I have to do everything myself?"

The collected audience remained quiet apart from the shuffling of feet and clicking of talons. Ulysses, taking a deep breath, continued on, voice dripping with venom "Because Westin is no longer with us, I leave the majority of all security measures up to you…" He pointed towards Gerard Richardson, the griffon ambassador, and Adjule, leader of the Diamond Dogs, "And now you've failed for a second time. How can you expect me to put faith in your abilities any longer? Especially in light of recent events?"

Adjule cleared his through nervously "I have no excuse. We failed, and as hard as that is to admit, I can ensure you that it will never happen again."

"Indeed, never again." Gerard chimed in distantly.

Taking a seat tiredly, Ulysses let out a sigh, speaking once more "I understand that we cannot control every nook and cranny, but it is your responsibility to try!" He paused "Bring me a prisoner."

Adjule nodded towards a nearby dog and the mangy canine took off, sprinting in order to fulfill the command. Ulysses, breathing heavily, looked at the room around him. It was undoubtedly for the purpose of meetings, although in older times it would have been for discussion of far lighter topics, but no longer. A long table was centered above a recently replaced hardwood floor and apart from a large glass window next to the door, the walls were exclusively high quality plaster; most likely soundproofed.

Minutes passed and a clock ticked slowly, further adding to Ulysses' anger. Adjule looked about as if attempting to memorize every detail of room which surrounded his nervous body. Sir Gerard Richardson seemed intent on examining his ivory cane and he adjusted his monocle with a twitchy talon. Two dogs, both tall and muscular, guarded the door and M16's were slung over their shoulders, leading up to expressionless faces. Ulysses stood up as the door was opened and watched with cold eyes as the prisoner was pushed inwards by a dog.

It was entirely obvious from the welts and broken nose that the young brown stallion had been tortured and beaten, and Ulysses, looking over the gag and blindfold, grabbed the prisoner by the mane and dragged him around the table, oblivious of the muffled cries and yells. He shoved the bleeding stallion against the wall and raised his pistol.

There was a crack as the bullet discharged and drove its way into the prisoner's brain, causing a stream of blood to shoot outwards from the gaping hole in the back of his skull. Bits of brain, coagulated blood, and shards of bone decorated the wall and the body fell sideways, leaving a smear on the already stained plaster. Utter silence followed the gunshot and Ulysses stared down at the pooling blood before turning his attention to the ashen-faced audience.

"You will devote your time and effort to finding that piece of machinery and returning it here. You will find out which level it came from and find any documents relating to prisoners or civilians on that same level and give them to me. Do you understand?"

Adjule and Gerard nodded hurriedly and left, their guards and other aides following them. Ulysses looked down at the mess he had left and looked at his own personal bodyguard, a griffon named Michael.

"Find someone to clean that up and check out what condition that unicorn is in."

Michael nodded and left, leaving Ulysses alone in the room. The man wiped a small fleck of blood from his cheek. He hadn't changed at all.

[SCENE BREAK]

Pain. Waves of it, nauseating and dizzying swept through the blackness. The stallion let out a dry, raspy gasp as the world returned to him, sending his eyelids fluttering open like a butterfly breaking its way out of a cocoon. Bile dripped from the young stallion's lips and he coughed painfully. His sight, although askew and blurry, helped to identify his immediate surroundings.

White ceilings, white floors, white walls, white sheets, and an uncomfortably bright light which seemed to burrow into the recesses of his skull. Footsteps, which came across as loud and ringing, informed the stallion that somebody had entered the room, but the sweeping pain came again and he found himself unable to turn his head. The sound stopped and the stallion, struggling to keep conscious, found himself staring into a pair of shocking green eyes.

"What is your name?"

It was more of a demand than a question and the stallion choked out a reply "I-I..."

The voice trailed off and the green oceans narrowed "Your name is Alec. Do you understand?"

"Yes." the stallion's voice seemed to grow stronger.

"Good. You've been injured badly, but you're stable now." there was a pause "Let's get you on your feet."

The world spun like a top and Alec, clutching feebly to Ulysses, lurched off the hospital cot and onto the freezing tile floor. Ulysses let the unicorn down slowly and watched as he attempted to regain his bearings, still unaware of what he had undergone. Metal bands, shining like stars in the harsh light wrapped around Alec's left side, molded into the flesh by magical means, and where the metal met the skin, swelling had occurred, coloring the skin a dark red.

The same type prosthesis decorated the top of Alec's left shoulder and stretched down, crossing over his spine and ran down his back right leg, further connecting to a set of steel claws which seemed to have been melted into the unicorn's hoof. Ulysses helped the young soldier to his hooves and aided him out of the room, further escorting him down the hall.

"S-somethings really, really wrong. I don't feel right...I-I don't feel..."

Ulysses repeated his previous statement "You've been injured. What you're feeling are the side effects of the surgery."

Alec shook his head in an attempt to clear his rapidly failing vision. Colors flew past him on either side and mixed into a vibrant mosaic which threatened to disorient him even further. Ulysses, struggling to keep the stallion upright, smiled slightly. The amount of opportunities that would come from Alec were immeasurable. The smile remained on Ulysses' face even after the young equine had collapsed back into unconsciousness.

He had survived a firefight, a grenade, and was nearly ready to stand mere hours after a critical surgery. There was untapped potential in Alec, and Ulysses, calling nonchalantly for a doctor, smiled once again at his new apprentice.

[SCENE BREAK]

The sun had begun to reach it's highest point in the sky and Ulysses watched as it shone down upon the encampment. He approved of the progress being made outside, but it was a strange contrast when compared to the technological facility only meters away. It was a comforting location for Ulysses; locked between rural and industrial seemed perfect for him.

Eyes no longer on the sun, Ulysses turned his attention back to himself. He was dressed in a new uniform now, one which would be more appropriate for the mission he was about to embark on. Ezekiel's sudden arrival had been a stroke of good luck, apart from the three fatalities, but with the cargo lift now operational and accessible, new floors of the facility were open.

It would appear that the power surges had worked for the better this time and even as Ulysses tightened his new attire, dogs were beginning repairs below him. The facility was being uncovered bit by bit. No longer concerned with such things, Ulysses looked himself over in the dull reflection of a nearby office window.

Once again, he had to thank the rampaging exosuit. The military gear Ezekiel had uncovered in the lift had been secured and distributed to high ranking officers. Ulysses patted the kevlar plate which covered his vital organs and made sure that the shinguards were tightly in place. The black fabric, most likely a mixture between nylon and cotton, fit snugly over Ulysses' body and he made sure that the other kevlar plate on his back was also secured before moving onto his next piece of clothing.

He pulled a balaclava over his face, opting for a more intimidating appearance instead of leaving his face revealed. Ulysses let out a long breath and picked up the duffle bag at his feet. It was heavy, but not terribly so and he took a moment to remember what he had packed for his mission.

A SIG SG 550 assault rifle, equipped with a silencer and scope, lay inside the bag next to several extra magazines and Ulysses' trusty USP .45 pistol. There were also basic provisions, such as water and saltine crackers, but Ulysses knew that he wouldn't be gone for more than a day at most.

Ponyville wasn't that far and he knew that was where the recent troublemakers had fled to. There was no other settlement near Catskills Research and Development Institute. Whether the escapees were under lock and key or roaming freely about in town mattered little to Ulysses. He was going to kill them either way. He chuckled, he'd even settle for one, but the message would remain the same: you didn't abandon your fellow humans.

Ulysses' brow furrowed as he remembered the final item in the duffle bag. It was a file, detailing the man who was most likely the recent escapee. The information had been restricted for the most part, but Ulysses knew enough about this 'Ezekiel' to know that he might prove troublesome. There had been mention of the SVR being related to the man and his unauthorized presence in the facility, but Ulysses would make sure he was dead before the next sunrise regardless.

There was a small second of silence as Ulysses took his first step out the main doors and towards Ponyville. He was going out to murder another person, something which he had not truly done in a long time, and it brought a smile to his face. Still, there would be another factor to be added to his mission, and an unexpected one at that.

[SCENE BREAK]

Aaron felt his throat dry up for the few minutes he'd already been in Ponyville. Most ponies cowered at him walking through their once peaceful village, some shot angry glares, and just a very minute fraction gave him approving looks. Still, it was disheartening to know he was already being heavily distrusted for something he had no part of. The Princess walking beside him seemed to radiate a sense of comfort towards him however, and he remained by her side as if his life depended on it, which it most likely did.

"As you can see, the town is populated by mostly ponies."

He looked at the Princess, who was giving him a funny look, "I was paying attention, Your Highness. I apologize if it seems like I wasn't."

The Sun Goddess gave a bright smile, "Something's bothering you, correct?"

"No," Aaron purposely lied. "I'm fine for now."

She stopped and gave him a motherly look, crumbling nearly all confidence he had, "Really? It doesn't seem that way."

The human rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Well... It's just that no one here seems to actually like me, let alone approve of me being here. Did I do something wrong already? Like some kind of cultural thing I may have accidentally done that may have gotten me on everyone's bad side?"

"Everypony," Celestia corrected, nuzzling him, which garnered the attention of a few passerby's, "And worry not, you've done nothing wrong."

"Then why is it that everyon- er... Everypony seems to avoid me? Is it the way I look or something?"

"Of course not, you've simply been preceded by a duo of other humans that didn't exactly give the best first impressions, if you recall me mentioning that earlier."

He nodded, "I do. Hope they learn to look past that and you know... not hate me."

The Princess continued, "In time, they'll learn that you present no threat. Who knows, maybe you'll even win them over well enough for them to treat you one and the same as them."

Aaron sagged slightly, "I doubt that, Your Majesty. I don't exactly fit in with hors- uh, ponies. If this place is anything like where I'm from, looks mean everything and anything as precedent."

Celestia continued towards the library, "You'll come to notice that looks aren't all that important to ponies." She glanced back with another smile, "It's the heart that does."

As corny as that was to hear for him, he felt it was true, despite previously thinking otherwise. For whatever reason, Aaron felt as though she was right. Always right. No matter what. He wasn't sure why, but the large, white horse next to him gave off an aura that just made her seem completely trustable, as if she were capable of knowing all and never misleading him. He resisted to believe such things without even knowing her for half an hour, but somewhere within, he felt that resistance beginning to give way.

"We're here," she mentioned in her always beautiful voice.

Aaron looked around, seeing nothing that looked like a library. The human turned to his left, then his right, then all the way around as if it were behind him the whole time. She pointed a hoof towards the tree nearby and kept herself from grinning at his confusion. Aaron looked at the tree and soon realized that there were doors and windows decorating the outside of it.

"How did I even miss that..?"

"I won't tell anyone. Now, let's head inside, shall w-"

The Princess stopped as a scroll appeared in a puff of smoke before her. She used her magic to lift it up, much to Aaron's amazement.

"Whoa..."

She quickly read the missive and rolled it back up before setting it on fire. The Princess stole a look at Aaron as his eyes just faintly reflected back the flames creeping upwards. His jaw, much like it had been when she first met him, was slack once again. She wondered why he had such fascination with something as prevalent as magic, but saved the question for another time.

"It appears," the Princess began, "that I have business back in Canterlot to take care of for the time being."

Aaron blinked and seemed to instantly become nervous, "Y-You're leaving? Me? Here? A-Alone?"

The Sun Goddess placed a hoof on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes, calming him down significantly, "I'll try to come back as soon as possible, but for now, I trust that you can handle yourself accordingly until I get back. Knock at the door and my student will help you get situated for tonight until we can figure out what to do with you." She noticed his frightened look and face-hoofed, "I worded that incorrectly... What I mean is that I'm sure you're going to want to start a new life somewhere, and it doesn't hurt to make contacts amongst different ponies. My student should help you with that until a later time." She nuzzled him one last time, "Now, is there anything you'd like to ask before I leave?" The human shook his head, "Enjoy yourself then, and make sure to stay out of trouble. Oh, and my student will be eager to ask you questions."

The Princess stood back and lit her horn, casting a teleportation spell back to the Canterlot Castle. Right as she was about to leave, she recalled something. She hadn't told Twilight about the new human. Surely nothing could go wrong, right? Oh, how she hoped so.

[SCENE BREAK]

Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's prized pupil, opened an old tome and began reading aloud, "'Humans were a type of land creature that stood on two legs, and if the situation called for it, could become predators capable of destruction that could end worlds with only an utterance of a word. They cradled the Earth in their hands and ruled it with an iron fist, casting down all other species to servitude. They lacked magic, but knew of secrets that bent the universe to their will.'" She frowned, "How were they able to do that without knowing magic?"

The unicorn continued reading, "'Their technology outrivaled anything anypony could think possible, and the stories of the excursions where this technology was used is still remembered today in the books of children, minus the destruction and violence of course. But these creatures lacked the proper foresight to see what was coming to them, an apocalypse like no other. Disasters all around the globe crippled the humans, cutting their numbers down quickly. It still isn't know what it was that caused the mass disappearance of humans, but some scholars believe that their technology reached to a point where they were either able to leave this dimension or universe for better prospects, or that they escaped through the sky and into the heavens.' Well, obviously not," she quipped, "They're roaming around right now, attacking everypony."

"'Proof of either has yet to have been found. As humanity was experiencing its last days, the creatures they had pushed down had risen up, ready to take over the planet for themselves. These same creatures are the very ones that populate Earth today, such as Griffons or Equestrians. The humans, the living gods that controlled the world, fell to the forces of the combined armies, but not before decimating large numbers themselves. Still, in the end, all remnants of humanity were wiped off the planet mysteriously.'"

"'They've become the things of old tales and myths, the urban legends of times long passed. Some races such as the Diamond Dogs insist that prophecies state that these bi-pedal mysteries will return one day to claim vengeance, but all has been dismissed as simple superstition. Of course, The Mare in The Moon Tale also was thought to be superstition, and it seems that even the greatest of myths resurface sometimes. Should it ever occur that these tragic gods revive from the ashes of an ancient and broken world, there would be such an intensity to their actions that all nations themselves may lose vigor in confronting them. Celestia help us all, should such a thing occur.'"

Twilight shut the book, concentrating on what she had just read. What exactly were these humans capable of? The tome spoke of them as if they were gods who suffered from an untold apocalypse or other disaster. Yet, nothing in any other of her books gave reference to such a thing occurring in the known history of Earth.

"Then again, these are only books from Equestria…"

She made a mental note to order more from neighboring nations regarding folklore and human mythos as soon as possible. Every little detail could help shed more light on the humans and their intriguing ways. Deadly and unnecessary, but oddly fascinating as well. But that one human... the darker one... Why wasn't her magical telekinesis able to get a grip on it? It made no sense, yet a simple stun spell brought it down easy. In fact, she could have ju-

A knock on the door broke her out of her thoughts. That in itself was a surprise for her, but she focused on the pony on the other end of the door more than how much of a bookworm she was. Twilight stood up from her studying desk and headed to the door, not ready for what she was going to see.

[SCENE BREAK]

Aaron's palms were sweating and he looked around quickly. Several ponies were walking around, all staring at him. It was so incredibly nerve-wracking, and the situation he was currently in was no more helpful. Knowing that your entire world had been extinguished and replaced by a bunch of small horses was the thing that kind of killed your good mood on most days. Regardless, he forced himself closer to the door and knocked twice.

His heart raced as the clip-clopping of hooves became louder and louder. Then, the door opened to reveal a shorter unicorn staring at his mid-section, as if it were a pony.

"Hello, what can I..."

The female voice trailed off as her eyes looked upwards. His own darted from side to side and he let out a nervous chuckle to ease the situation. Aaron looked back at her and quickly took in her looks. Purplish, shorter than him, darker purple mane with a magenta streak, a horn atop her head, and big, innocent eyes that just simply looked at him.

He did the first thing that came to mind and held a hand, "Hi, I'm Aar-"

Unfortunately for him, the unicorn flung some kind of pulse of magic at his chest, sending him two meters back and onto the ground. Aaron gasped out in pain as his eyes opened in pure shock. What had he done wrong? Was it an insult to offer a handshake to ponies? He didn't know. He didn't even have that much time before he rolled out of the way, barely dodging another bolt of energy. He stood upwards and tried dashing away, only to trip and hit his head on the stone pathway.

Stunned for a brief moment, Aaron sat up with blurred vision. He could barely make out the smudge of purple shining again brightly. The human held out his hands and waved them slowly, as if to dispel the fight and any aggressiveness. The magical energy connected with his head, and he fell back once again, this time fully unconscious.

[SCENE BREAK]

Princess Celestia trotted down the dank hallway, flanked by two of her guards. They kept in step with her as was taught and kept their eyes forward. The trio stopped by an iron cell door, with a viewing window blocked by several bars close to her eye level. A peculiar smell wafted out, but the Princess paid it no mind. She glanced at the human within for a moment before turning her head to the guards for a mere second. When she looked back, the human was gone.

"W-What? How could- He was just here a moment ago!"

One of the guards unlocked the cell door quickly, followed by all three rushing inside. The dark human popped out from beneath the metal table and started yelling some obscene form of song. Celestia's heart dropped near instantly. It was a little known fact, but Equestrians contained a gland that forced them to engage in song if one started singing, with the Equestrians going along in every case.

"WE DON'T GIVE A WHAT WHAT!"

One of her guards blurted out, "GET IT ON THE FLOOR!"

"WHAT!" She screamed.

The other guard yelled, "YOU DON'T WANNA PARTY THEN YOUR ASS GOTTA GO!"

"NOW YOU CAN RIDE TO THIS MOTHERFUCKER!" The human began.

Celestia attempted to hold in her voice to no avail, "BOUNCE TO THIS MOTHERFUCKER!"

"FREAK TO THIS MOTHERFUCKER!" a guard yelled a moment later.

The human grinned from behind the table, "Once again, it's the darker nigga! Hit or spark a nigga, break apart a nigga!"

A deep scowl cut across the second guard's face, "But the dog is bigger, under stress! So unless you're wanting to bless to the chest!"

"These slugs from his liver rest, REST! Or the pump'll put a hurt on a nigga!" Celestia continued, extremely confused by what she was singing.

"DUMB SEX, motherfucker feeding dirt on a nigga! My hands stay dirty, cause I play dirty the mob way!" The human began some sort of dance, forcing the ponies to join in as well.

Celestia nearly screamed out in agony at the situation she was in. It was beyond horrific and she knew she wouldn't last much longer at this rate. Still, she had to remain strong, for all of Equestria's sake.

ONE MINUTE LATER

At this point, Princess Celestia was on the verge of tears. It wasn't normal at all for such a thing to happen to a Princess, but this one scene was pushing all of her limits. Thankfully, it seemed to be almost over as the human finished up the last lines.

"All my motherfucking life I been the Devil's advocate! Now niggas never even knew the devil had a kid! But he does and when you hear the buzz of the chainsaw, you'll know what I'll split your motherfucking brains for!"

It ended there and the equines breathed a combined sigh of relief. Suddenly, the human flipped the table and gave a hard smack to Celesia's flank.

"YO, YO, C'MON!"

The Princess, much to her own surprise, neighed and reeled back before quickly exiting the room alongside her guards, who were sweating. They all exchanged looks while panting. Celestia quickly caught her breath and locked the door.

She looked at her guards, "None of this ever happened. Understood?" They nodded, eager to put what had just happened behind them, "Good. We'll visit him again later when he's calmed down." She shuddered, "Such a horrific excuse for a song..."

[SCENE BREAK]

Ezekiel looked over the town with a sigh of relief. The sun was now staining the sky a deep amber, signifying early evening. The man had been jogging on and off for roughly two hours and now he had finally reached his goal, despite having no idea that he had been heading towards the town in front of him. Wiping the sweat off his face, Ezekiel began to walk towards the only sign of civilization he had seen since the facility miles behind him.

It had taken some trudging through swamps, a fair bit of bushwacking, and a generally advanced sense of direction, but it had paid off and Ezekiel was looking forward to spending a night in a warm, comfortable bed, preferably with a hearty dinner beforehand. He ignored the carbine which swung from its strap. It might come in handy as a bargaining tool later.

Soon Ezekiel was standing in the shadows of an alleyway and began to jog once again, not truly bothering to scout out the town beforehand. He was hungry, exhausted, thirsty, and in a bad mood. The brash man turned a corner and found himself in the middle of a wide street, surrounded by the miniature horses which he had seen earlier. He let out a tired gasp in response to the sudden appearance of pastel-colored equines, bringing attention to himself.

There were several screams and yells, but before Ezekiel could do or say anything, he found himself flung to the ground by an invisible force. Struggling was useless as each of his limbs seemed immobilized, prohibiting the man from even giving a feeble kick or a tiny thrash. His eyes, however, still managed to work and he looked over the strange encasement of waving air, a pale yellow in color, which seemed to have him confined to the ground.

Princess Celestia held onto Ezekiel tightly with her magic. It had been an amazing stroke of luck for her to run across the new human. In fact, she had only returned from Canterlot seconds ago, indeed surprised to see a new human running around the streets of Ponyville. But it mattered little now, as the twitching man was pinned and incapable of moving.

Ezekiel was now the third human in Ponyville and was less than happy about it judging by the slew of curses coming from his mouth. Princess Celestia, unfamiliar with the language, added another simple spell to the mix, one which allowed her to understand what any creature was saying, human or otherwise. She shuddered at the uncouth words, ones which were similar to the things she had heard come out of the other human who remained locked up in Canterlot.

Shaking her head slightly, Princess Celestia approached the captured Ezekiel, "My, my! Another human! What a pleasant surprise!"

Ezekiel shook his head as much as he could. Talking horses now? Surely he was hallucinating beyond measure. He looked up angrily at Celestia, cussing at her as much as he could, but there was little he could do in his state. He was locked down in some type of forcefield and he hadn't been that strong to begin with.

Celestia carried on happily "If you stop with such language, i'm sure we could work something out." She looked down at Ezekiel's haggard state "Maybe a meal? A bed, perhaps?"

The unrefined language stopped and Ezekiel looked up, the side of his face pushed into the dirt street. Celestia ignored the crowd of ponies which had gathered "I will release you, but you must understand that I mean you no harm. You merely surprised me."

There was a forced nod and Ezekiel found the force which had been holding him down vanish. He got to his feet slowly, picked up his weapon, and pulled the strap back over his shoulder, showing that violence was last on his list of priorities. The princess smiled beautifully.

"Thank you. You can keep whatever that is." A nod of the alicorn's horn indicated the firearm "Please, come with me. I'm sure you would feel more at home with another of your kind."

Ezekiel shrugged, despite being severely confused. The entire situation was unbelievable, and not in a good way either, but his only chance to figure things out was to see if this other human knew what was going on. Princess Celestia began to walk, waving away citizens and the occasional guard as they approached Twilight's library. It was an impressive architectural feat, but Ezekiel took little notice of it and stood by Celestia's side as she knocked on the door and looked over at him.

"You'll find it quite nice here. They treat their guests quite well!"

SCENE BREAK

All six Elements of Harmony carefully stared at the unconscious human tied to a chair in front of them with shared curiosity. Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash in specific seemed to be glaring instead, probably still a little angry with what had happened earlier. Luckily for them, however, Princess Celestia stopped by and fixed them up in an instant, no pain included. For the pegasus, it was good to finally be able to stretch her wings and go through the sky once more. For the Earth pony, it was even better now that she was away from the smell of antiseptic and now able to enjoy the ones of apples and her farm. They did still hold a grudge though.

The Earth pony in question gave a light slap to Twilight's back in pride, "Well, Ah'll be Twi'! That's the second one ya'll managed to wrastle down! The Princess sure is gonna be mighty proud to call ya'll her student."

Twilight Sparkle smiled at the compliment and forced herself not to cringe at the sting the slap caused, "Thanks, Applejack. Hopefully we'll be able to talk to this one before the Princess gets here."

"Whatever happened to that other one, darling?" Rarity asked. "Surely it's in custody of the Royal Guard and not running rampant?"

"Of course, Rarity. There's no way he could ever get away from the Guard with the condition he was in."

Rainbow Dash flew up to the chest of the light-brown haired human sitting in the chair and jabbed him with her hoof, eliciting a stir, "Say... what's the big idea about this one? He doesn't look like the other ones."

Rarity looked the human up and down, "Whatever do you mean? They're nearly the same..." She shuddered, "... and the clothes on them..."

"I-I think what Dash means i-" Fluttershy began.

"What I mean is that there's something different about this one!" The cyan pegasus squinted her eyes at the human and flew in extra close, "I can feel it! Whoa!"

Applejack yanked her friend back by her tail, "Now why would ya'll go and do that? Did ya see the biters on that thing?"

"But-"

"But nothin'! That thing could take yer muzzle clean off!"

Twilight cut in, "Girls, it's going to be out for a while, so I don't think there's going to be anything to worry about."

Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out at Applejack, "But that doesn't mean you should antagonize it. Who knows what it could do."

Rarity gave a small smile, "Well, frankly, I'm a bit surprised Pinkie Pie hasn't suggested throwing it a party yet."

The pink pony in question gasped loudly and grabbed Rarity by the cheeks, pressing them together and staring into her eyes, "That's a great idea, Rarity! It'll be super-duper-extra-mega-duper fun!"

"Y-You said duper twice..." Fluttershy added, hiding behind Twilight.

A groaning from nearby broke everyone their conversation, forcing their eyes towards the source of the sounds. Slowly, the head limply went upwards and stood there for a mere moment. His dazed, blue eyes glanced around before his head fell back down again. More moans escaped his lips before he shook his head wildly, clearing the stupor from his brain. As he opened his eyes, they were met with those of Rainbow Dash, who was glaring icily at him. Shocked, Aaron attempted to jump away, only to realize he was strapped tidily to a chair. Still, the startling sight made the chair lose it's balance, and he soon fell back, hitting the back of his head against the floor.

"Ow..."

He spotted a hoof slamming down next to his face, "Now, ya'll are gonna start answerin' some questions, ya hear? And don'tcha even think of lying ta me, cause ah'll know."

Aaron swallowed and looked up, meeting the deadly gaze of some pony he didn't know, "A-Alright, alright!"

Applejack's brow furrowed, "Well that was easy."

"Listen, I don't want any trouble! Can't you just let me g-"

Rainbow Dash kicked a hoof at his kidney, "That's for messing me and Applejack up earlier, you jerk!"

It was, without a doubt, extremely surprising that such a smaller creature was capable of inflicting that large a pain onto him. Unlike a punch, this jabbed at him hard enough that it would definitely bruise badly later. In fact, he was fairly certain that bloody urine or internal bleeding was going to be a problem as well. He let out a labored gasp and winced, feeling his eyes tear up from the blow. For a brief amount of time, his ears rang and the nausea kicked in, preventing his senses from understanding his current situation other than that he was currently being hurt.

"... Rainb..." Words faded in and out, "...Can't bel-... did that! ... was cooperating!"

While his head lay against the floor, he made out the image of a purple set of hooves push away the cyan ones, who were dangerously close to himself. Despite his thoughts being clouded, Aaron knew he was just a bit safer, letting him breathe a sigh of relief. The purple set of hooves jumped back in surprise as the breath hit it. It turned quiet once again, yet he was still tied to the chair, preventing him from even getting up. A purple aura covered him momentarily and propped the chair upwards again. His vision faded in and out without serious focus, letting him see doubles of the Equestrian directly in front of him.

"... sorry... gets like... -imes wi-... thinking. Ar-... alright?"

Aaron slumped slightly but forced his head up to meet hers, "N... no... That... really hurt..."

Even through his wavy eyesight, he was able to notice the concerned look the pony had for him. The blow to his head (which felt like it was throbbing uncontrollably) seemed to make him lose some of his fear of being tortured or experimented on.

Aaron craned his head out and scooted forward from his seat, letting the legs scrape against the hardwood floor. Some of the ponies' ears lowered at the sharp sound, but the purple one didn't seem to really take notice as he kept his eyes on her. Given what he was doing, he assumed that his boldness was achieved possibly by the effects of the concussion he had just received. Nonetheless, he finally reached his desired spot in front of the purple equine and found himself staring into her equally purple eyes.

The rest of the world seemed to fade away with the exception of those two irises, and his deep breaths hit her, making the shorter being shiver ever so slightly. Aaron was lost within her eyes and found some sort of spark he had never seen before. It was odd, but so very interesting. Without a semblance of hesitation, the human broke the ice.

"How are you?"

Twilight didn't respond for a few moments, continuing to meet his gaze, "... I-I'm good..."

"Good," he responded, smiling.

Just then, before things could go any further, there was a knock at the door and the two were forced to break away from each other's eyes. Aaron blinked a few times, feeling suddenly funny for whatever reason. Twilight quickly trotted to the door and opened it, revealing the visitors.

SCENE BREAK

The guard let out a loud yawn, eyes bleary from a prolonged shift. He absently pawed at the pebbles below his feet and, being obviously bored, glanced over Ponyville which sat below him. Sweet Apple Acres lay off to his left and he briefly considered sneaking away with an evening snack, but a mere glimpse of the nearby Everefree forest made him reconsider. He had to be vigilant.

There was no telling when those humans might return to wreak more havoc. The guard shuddered at the thought of the walking creatures. They were dangerous, far more dangerous than any other creature he had fought. Fueled by anger and amazing technology, they had force enough to rip through Equestria, and the guard wondered why they hadn't already. He shrugged the thought off and hunkered down next to his small fire.

He was situated on a rocky outcropping between the Apple's orchard and the Everfree. A fire burned within a circle of small rocks and a bedroll lay nearby, helmet and spear placed atop it. The guard began a short, whistling song, more focused on the flickering flames in front of him. They were oddly mesmerizing and he watched them intently. There would be no attack he was sure of it.

He began to mutter gruffly "This post...of all the plac-"

There was a series of strange whip-like sounds, and the guard fell sideways, a line of bullets cutting a diagonal line from his lower back and across his spine. There was a feeble twitch before the light faded from the stallion's eyes and he slumped down comfortably, dead within seconds.

Ulysses walked past nonchalantly, sniper rifle in hand and duffle bag in the other. He glanced down at the corpse for a few seconds before setting his eyes on the quaint town of Ponyville. It had been fortified in several places. A wooden barricade had been erected around several main areas, but there were still alleyways left open. Ulysses took in the sights of armed patrols and several tents on the outskirts of the town, suggesting a temporary increase in security.

It was hardly surprising. The jailhouse had been completely demolished, apparently being rebuilt. Setting his duffle bag down, Ulysses dragged the nearby body to the edge and casually rolled it off the outcropping, watching it bounce and tumble down the steep incline below. If the guard had been faking death, he surely wasn't now. Ulysses checked his watch, a digital model he had been forced to use after his original had expired after three thousand years.

The time was exactly 7:13 AM. Ulysses set down his duffle bag and unzipped it, removing a picture of Ezekiel from the file within. He scanned it for a few moments before clipping it to his sleeve with a small paperclip. Next up came the rifle and Ulysses set it down, unfolding the built in bipod, and took a breath before going prone, letting his one open eye look down the scope.

He scanned the town, crossing over streets, small stores, and the occasional pony. Surely it couldn't be that difficult to find a human in a town full of four and five foot ponies. Ulysses pondered the small creatures for a moment, letting his crosshairs drift over one who seemed to have a set of lazy eyes. He chuckled slightly at the sight, but as soon as he caught sight of the small, similar foal by the pony's side, he let his rifle barrel drift away from them.

Ulysses paused in his scanning and checked the silencer which was screwed tightly onto the modified barrel which had been customized to accept the sound suppressor. The man put his cheek back onto the stock and aimed once again. He liked the rifle. Something about it made him giddy with excitement. Ulysses pondered that word. 'Giddy' he wasn't a man to say such a thing, but he ignored it.

Crosshairs now over a large tree of sorts, the murderer clicked his tongue in appreciation at the architecture of the home, but as his crosshairs drifted downwards, he caught sight of a human leg just as it disappeared into the abode, door shutting behind it. Ulysses let a slight frown cross his visage. He'd have another chance, he was sure of it.

He loaded the weapon and waited.

SCENE BREAK

Princess Celestia smiled as the door opened, revealing her favorite pony, "My faithful student Twilight Sparkle, how are..."

She looked past the smiling student and spotted Aaron restrained to a chair, not even bothering to break free from the tight ropes that confined him. Celestia looked back down at Twilight, then back at Aaron. Her happy mood dropped and she soon found herself with an uncharacteristic frown.

"Twilight..."

"Yes, Princess?" the purple mare chirped.

"Why is our esteemed guest tied up and looking as though he's on the verge of falling unconscious?"

Twilight blinked and looked back at Aaron, whose head was lolling around in a circular fashion, "Uh... esteemed guest?" She managed out, cringing at the turn of events.

Celestia looked down upon her student, unamused, "Yes, Twilight, why do you think I sent him here of all places? I assumed that you'd treat him as well as anypony else."

"But-"

"No buts, Twilight. I'd like you to-"

Rainbow Dash quickly cut in and fibbed, "Princess, he attacked her first!"

From far back, Aaron chipped in, "Yeah... I was afraid and attacked her when I saw that horn pointed at me..." He thought for an appropriate lie, "It brought back bad memories..."

Princess Celestia looked between her student and the human. Twilight stared at Aaron in disbelief at the fact he played along despite that he did absolutely nothing wrong and was willing to take the blame. The other five ponies shifted around uneasily at the tenseness of the situation while Ezekiel simply stood at the doorway. The Princess made her way to Aaron and lit her horn, whispering in his ear while doing so.

"You didn't need to cover for her. The only punishment I had in mind was having her write a friendship letter on why what she did was wrong, you know. Here, let me fix those wounds for you for being such a gentlecolt."

Aaron nodded his head as the ropes came off and hit the floor. A pale-yellow glow formed around him and all of his pain was suddenly nonexistent. His head stopped throbbing altogether while his abdomen felt perfectly fine. He sighed in relief and gave a small bow to Celestia.

"Thank you."

"Think nothing of it, you are our guest after all. Now," she turned to the ponies, "I'd like all of you to meet another visitor, Eze- Er... I apologize; I don't quite recall how you pronounced it."

"Ezekiel." The reply came quick and to the point, although the accent made it somewhat difficult to understand.

"Ah yes, Ezekiel." She turned back to the Elements, "As you can see, he too is a human who has decided to peacefully become a member of Equestrian society, much like Aaron."

Aaron smiled with relief and went for a handshake "Hey, I'm Aaron."

Ezekiel simply looked at the outstretched hand, his eyes traveling from the appendage up to Aaron's face. Aaron lowered his hand awkwardly and Ezekiel snorted somewhat contemptuously.

Princess Celestia smiled regardless, "I'm sure you'll all become very good friends with each other. Is there anything you'd like to mention about yourselves?"

"Uh..." Aaron began, "I'm from Phoenix..."

"You came... from a Phoenix?" The Sun Goddess asked in confusion.

He cleared his throat, "No, Phoenix, Arizona actually. In the United States."

"Fascinating; what was it you did in Phoenix?"

Aaron stuttered as all the ponies watching him in anticipation, "I-I was a mechanic at an autobody shop."

"Autobody?"

"Cars."

She gave him a curious look before moving on, "You'll have to tell me more about all of that at a later time. Now, Ezekiel, is there anything you want to tell us about yourself?"

Ezekiel looked over the ponies and human "No."

"That was quick. Are you absolutely sure?" Princess Celestia asked, showing a confused look.

There was a simple nod, indicating that Ezekiel was completely sure of his answer. The regal princess shrugged somewhat uncaringly.

"As you wish."

A scroll popped up in front of Celestia, surprising both of the humans. She quickly opened and read it, scrutinizing every little detail. The Princess incinerated it a moment later and smiled at her subjects.

"It appears Luna needs help back at the castle. I'll arrive again tomorrow around noon to discuss more with our guests, who I hope you'll all help get settled in Ponyville. Oh, and you two colts better not get into any trouble, understand me? I'd rather not have to come back and have to deal out a punishment for any unruliness. Have a nice night!"

She disappeared in a flash, gone from Ponyville. There was now an awkward silence within the library.

SCENE BREAK

The sergeant of Ponyville Royal Guard was lounging absently near his designated checkpoint, more concerned with the pipe of cherry flavored tabac which hung from the corner of his mouth. He had been guarding Ponyville for over fifteen years, and in the whole time he'd been there, nothing as exciting as the humans and their attack had ever happened. Finally, some action.

The sergeant's name was Grey Spear, but he was usually called 'Sergeant Spear' or 'Sergeant Grey'. He was indifferent to either name and as he let out another puff of cherry smoke, a young soldier, fresh and untarnished from years of thankless work, approached him, seemingly nervous.

Spear spoke first "Something amiss, lad?

The stallion, obviously inexperienced and new to the job, nodded worriedly "Shift three hasn't returned from his watch. He's twelve minutes overdue."

Putting out the glowing embers of tabac, Spear stored the pipe away "Well, lead the way, laddy. Likely he got liquored up and feel asleep. He'll be in for a whippin' if thats the case."

The soldier nodded and the pair set off down the streets, ignoring the concerned looks of citizens and other soldiers alike. It was probably nothing but a case of laziness. The outcropping was a boring post to say the least and it was strange to think that the guard assigned to it wouldn't have returned by now. Usually any guard was quick to vacate the lonely spot and head down to the tavern.

Shrugging off the oddness, Spear and his young companion broke past the outskirts of town, following a dirt road to the post which was several stories up. A path had been cut into the hillside, leading upwards to a place which, in happier times, would have overlooked a beautiful town. Something caught Spear's eye as he reached the base of the rocky hill. It was hard to see in the faint light of the evening, but the object was most definitely some type of metal.

Spear spoke to the nearby unicorn guard "Shed some light, will ya?"

There was quick compliance and soon pale light spread from the guard's horn, illuminating the area. At the base of the path, twisted and broken, lay the body of a guard, perforated armor clearly seen. Spear felt his heart catch in his throat and he sprinted up the path, followed closely by his young companion. The stallion struggled to keep pace and he felt his mouth dry up. He was after a criminal for the first time and he wished he was still sleeping in his bunk.

Still chasing his superior, the guard unslung the spear from his back.

SCENE BREAK

Ulysses watched as Aaron and Ezekiel stepped out on the balcony. Neither seemed comfortable with each other, but it was obvious they preferred human company to equine at the moment. Aaron chose one corner of the balcony and Ezekiel stood at the other, carbine hanging from his shoulder. Ulysses was quietly surprised by that. He had assumed that any weapons would have been confiscated. He raised his head away from the scope and looked at the picture clipped to his sleeve. There was no mistaking Ezekiel.

Over two hundred meters away, more than seven stories up, Ulysses took aim with his weapon. He held the rifle with steady hands and his eye squinted down the precise scope. He could see Ezekiel's features, the small scar across his forehead, a slight sheen of sweat, a loose hair. He saw a finger come up and rub a soft temple. Slowly, carefully, Ulysses squeezed the trigger...

Seconds later he was staring down the telescopic scope in disbelief. Just as the primer had been struck, sending the bullet flying, Ezekiel had crouched down. The bullet flew overhead and vanished into the bottom of a planter, burrowing into soil with a soft 'vip'. Later, Ulysses discerned that the SVR agent had actually been picking up a bit from the balcony floor, and that the bullet had missed his skull by mere millimeters, close enough to part Ezekiel's hair.

Ulysses shook his head in amazement. Never before had he missed a stationary target in his life, and behind the rifle, he began to swear quietly, vehemently. But there was still time. Aiming once again, Ulysses calmed himself and curled his finger around the trigger. Ezekiel was none the wiser, still having not realized death had, quite literally, brushed past him. The crosshairs were leveled once again and as Ulysses prepared to squeeze the trigger, he took a deep breath

The ringing of hooves on bare rocks and heavy panting slammed into Ulysses' ears and he knew that he had been found out. The younger guard was first onto the outcropping, staring in disbelief at the sight of a human rising out of a prone position. He could see the strange anatomy, armor, and the arms grasping technology unknown to him.

Ulysses turned with a single, fluid motion and fired from his hip, still in a half crouch. The slug ripped into the guard's exposed throat and exploded, sending bits of minuscule shrapnel ripping through precious veins and arteries. The guard stumbled backwards in surprise, struggling to comprehend what had just happened.

He could see his mother baking him a pie in the kitchen. She was seeing him off. He was going somewhere, somewhere important, he felt it. Then there was blackness. Ulysses watched as the stallion crumpled to the ground, and his eyes locked onto Spear who had arrived just as the bullet had been fired. The two looked at each other with cold eyes, one hidden behind a mask, and the other staring from the shadows of a helmet.

Ulysses leveled the rifle at Spear and fired a silenced burst of bullets, sending the older guard tumbling over a collection of rocks, deposited in a heap somewhere down the unseen pathway. Hands working quickly, Ulysses turned and looked through the scope once again, but Aaron and Ezekiel were gone, vanished into the library. He let out another string of curses, surprising even himself at the profanity he knew.

The SG 550 was tossed unceremoniously into the duffle bag and Ulysses zipped it shut, slinging it over his shoulder as he knelt down next to the younger guard. Blood was beginning to pool and Ulysses, angry at himself, ripped the picture from his sleeve and inserted it behind the young stallion's helmet. He turned and ran from the scene.

Ulysses would be back. He would have his revenge.