Authors note: well, this is my first chapter that does not focus on the main cast, it is kinda a back-story/FYI sorta thing. Read and review.

Chapter 21: ascension

(in the cosmodrome…)

Dave opened his eyes, and rubbed his head; he remembered that he had crashed, and that he landed in a launch faculty, but that was it. He looked around, and saw a strange sight: a pony, batman, and "tank" Dempsey were holding off waves of zombies, and they were protecting him for some reason or another.

He slowly stood up, and unholstered his sidearm, a GDI General-purpose C.45 BWS pistol, and slid a clip into it. Tank looked over his shoulder as he reloaded his shotgun and said "it was about damn time you woke up, I was starting to get bored just standing here!"

Dave blasted a zombie in the head and said "well, it doesn't matter; we need to get out of this place! Lets head for the building and find a place to hold out for now." Tank turned back to the zombies, and replied "well, there is an area just above the launch platform we can hole up in, but we need to push through and find to power!"

Dave nodded as he placed a 45. Into the skull of a zombie; batman whistled and said "you sure got a great pistol stance…I just hose shit with an M-60." Pinkie agreed as she used her CZSH on a tight cluster of zombies. Dave knew that whoever, and whatever they were fighting for, they would win. He and the group started following the arrows on the wall to the power switch.

(several minutes later…)

Batman was tossing as many grenades down the stairs as he could; the zombies were charging up the stairs, and tank's MG42 had jammed and misfired. He looked on the wall and saw an Ithaca m.37 "stakeout" hanging from the wall, and grabbed it. He didn't question why or how an American shotgun ended up here, or why it was in perfect shape; he just knew that it killed zombies.

He felt déjà vu' as he blew a zombie's head off with the shotgun, but some tugging feeling in him told him that he had been here, at "ascension" before…his memory tended to slip when he teleported places, he would probably remember what was important later.

Batman ran up a second flight of stairs, and opened the door, which lead into a "booth" that overlooked the entire launch faculty. He signaled everyone in, then shut the door, and stuck a thermite grenade on the base of the door to melt it in place. He turned to tank and said "they aren't getting' in for quite some time."

Tank stopped to catch his breath, and look around. It was simply an observation booth, but 2 things set it apart: the power switch on one side, and the mystery box on the other. He walked to the box and opened it, waited a few seconds, and with his eyes shut, pulled the weapon out of the box.

He opened his eyes and saw an M-14 HBAR, a prototype LMG, in his hands. This was the only time tank ever had a gungasm. He slid the gun on his back as he turned to the other 3 with him and said "well, we got time to wait, so who are you guys?"

Batman put his doobie away and said "well, over here, we got pinkie pie, "the best pony" she says…I don't know who this guy is…and, I'm batman." Tank looked at him and said "why do you talk like a chain-smoker?" batman gave a blank look and said "why does everyone as me this? I said it once, but I'll say it again: IT…MAKES..ME….SOUND…BADASS."

Tank said "well, at least you DO sound badass….and you talk more than that douchebag Takeo." He turned to the pony and said "I think I met you when we were fixing up Mendez a while back, but I suck with names, what was it again?"

The pink pony said "I'm pinkie pie! I love having parties, and sweets, and….and…." tank interrupted "if you love parties and sweets n' stuff, why are you here, killing zombies…hell, why were you on the moon?" pinkie said "because Rictofen asked for my help after he was the guest of honor in one of my parties-"

"WHAT!" tank yelled, his pistol drawn "YOU KNEW AND HELPED RICTOFEN!" pinkie nodded, oblivious to tank's rage. Batman said "yeah…I sorta helped him because he gave me some good pot…I was a drug mercenary." Tank slammed his head on the wall as he turned to Dave and said "ok, to calm down, I just want to know who you are, JUST YOUR NAME, NOTHING ELSE, IT MAY LEAD TO RICTOFEN."

Dave simply said: "I am Dave Jordan…of the GDI interceptor wing." Tank stopped for a second and said "provided GDI has nothing to do with Nazi's, what is it?" Dave said "it was a "step up" from the UN after tiberiuem came to earth in the late 20th century. Now it is a military/ government/ business." Tank nodded and said "that's cool…oh, and I know you're a wicked shot with that pistol, but get a better gun from the box, even if it is a backup." Dave nodded as he walked to the box, and opened its lid.

Tank turned back to pinkie and batman, and asked "so, what was the nature of Rictofen's travels?" pinkie said "he wanted to do something for "group 935" and, he told me most of his plans when we had fun in "115a"…something about "controlling the zombies, and finding how to harness the magic this world has."

The color from tank's face went away as he heard this, and he asked "what were you doin on the moon? I didn't see Rictofen there, or I would have strangled him!" batman said "oh, he got into that weird looking pyramid, and started laughing about how he would control all the zombies or something…I lost count after that because I got high."

Tank got up and ran to the power switch, and turned it on. He listened with a grim look as the system powered on, then said "we need to get things ready, then go to the moon before some sap activates dr. maxis's counter to Rictofen's scheme!"

Dave, who was looking at the python the box gave him, said "what happens if dr. maxis's plan works?" tank looked at him with a grim expression and said "then we are all going to die!"

They watched as the first rocket got moved up to the platform, and the system prepared it for the launch. A slamming on the door got their attention, the zombies were growing bold. He turned to pinkie and batman and said "go to the box, and get something else to carry….let's load n' lock, and roll and rock!" a few seconds later, a zombies hand smashed through the door, and tank promptly sliced it off with his bowie knife, and watched it twitch on the ground a few seconds. He pointed his M-14 through the hole and fired off a whole clip to lower how many were on the other side of the door.

He turned and saw batman and pinkie holding something he had never seen before: in batman's hands, he had something that looked like a flamethrower mixed with a plasma cannon, and pinkie had a gun DESIGNED for ponies, that was an assault rifle with a chainsaw on it. He didn't have long to ponder it as the door broke off its hinges and everyone was firing into the massive crowds of undead.

He glanced to see blue streams of fuel coming from the "plasma thrower" batman had, and huge glowing flechettes coming from pinkie's rifle. Dave was duel-wielding his python and 45., aiming for the head. He lead the charge down the stairs to the courtyard, were they set up for a prolonged siege until the rocket no.2 was ready for them.

(on a ledge, near the loading zone for test rocket 1….)

Sheppard watched as those fools tried holding off the zombies, and he couldn't help but chuckle, they are fools to think of trying to win…he still had to give them credit, he couldn't get to the moon if it weren't for them turning on the power.

He had his "loose ends" to take care of, but with a bomb rigged at Kane's command temple, and a sonic bomb set in satin's anti-chamber, he could get those thorns out of his side, and finally become the god he deserved to be. He put his life-support suit on, and stepped into the rocket's payload bay, and decided to sleep until takeoff.

Authors note: well, how did I do? Do I get a "t" for trying?