On Earth, Tim was trained and accustomed to working as a team, as exerts of personal glory in his world were usually met with a horrendous death. Rainbow Dash saw this predicament as the opportunity to pit her own strength against Tim's in a show of skill. It is only inevitable that one pay dearly as a result...................................
The small opening appeared in front of the unlikely duo and both darted out of the safety of Celestia's shield and towards open ground. Rainbow Dash and Tim were side by side as they raced past the bulk of the pack. When they achieved a good distance away, they faced back towards the others.
"Okay, we got their attention, let's show these things what we're made of." said a very eager Rainbow Dash.
Tim sensed bravado in her tone, and bravado usually led to mistakes being made.
"Stick to the plan and stay separated, anything could happen and the last thing we need is someone getting hurt from somethin' we don't know about." Tim warned.
"Relax, worrywart, I know what to do."
"I mean it."
"Trust me, I shouldn't have a problem staying away from you!" Rainbow Dash retorted.
Tim was losing his patience arguing with her, but focused his attention on the pack. By now the Timberwolves noticed that two of their prey was within grasp. The pack diverted away from Celestia and others in favor of Tim and Dash. Tim gave a quick look behind his shoulder, no sign of the Timberwolves hiding in the foliage from earlier. On the up side, Tim now had a clear path to follow. The Timberwolves were getting closer by the second. It was when they had reached a halfway distance from where they were standing that Tim gave her the que.
"Okay, go left!" he yelled.
Rainbow Dash soared in the other direction, gaining the pack's attention. Tim simultaneously caught their attention when he screamed "Hey! Over here!". Just as Tim predicted, the pack split up, with half breaking off to the left to pursue Rainbow Dash while the remainder went after Tim. Tim's instincts kicked in immediately, running with a rifle in hand towards the right, straight past a small grove of trees and bushes.
Both were now out of sight. Those who had stayed behind the safety of Celestia's shield spell waited in anxiety. Twilight struggled to stay calm, she was worried more than ever. The thought of harm coming upon her friends was nerve racking. Now that they had actually gone through with this plan, it was up to fate to decide how events would play out.
Rainbow Dash raced passed branches and bushes at a speed, fast enough to keep out of the Timberwolves reach while just slow enough that they'd stay enticed on chasing her. Tim's plan seemed to have fit to her liking, but in reality, she was hoping that he'd fall short in wake of her skill. A petty idea to any outside observer, but Rainbow Dash was still skeptical of him. She couldn't pinpoint what about him unnerved her, but only that it did. She figured this would be the opportunity to see if he really was what he claimed to be.
We'll definitely see what your true colors are after this, human. she thought to herself.
The snapping of jaws pulled Rainbow Dash back into the heat of the moment.
Oh, right, you guys.
Rainbow turned her head slightly to get a look at her pursuers. They were hot on her tail, snarling in fury an keeping up as best as they could. It didn't vex Rainbow Dash, this wasn't the first time she did something this dangerous.
Let's see if they can handle this. she thought to herself.
She took a sharp turn left and vanished amongst the thickness of tress. The Timberwolves stopped in their tracks, as they lost sight of the Pegasus. It was then that Rainbow Dash reemerged at high velocity, ramming one of her hind legs straight into one of the Timberwolves, knocking it over. She maintained flight and elevated herself well out of their reach to brag about her bold move.
"What's the matter, all bark and no bite." Rainbow Dash taunted
All this did was enrage her attackers, as they growled at her in spite. Rainbow Dash soared back down and started to her way back to where the rest of the group was waiting to strike.
"Come and get me birch brains!" she taunted.
Rainbow Dash continued the chase. The Timberwolves roared in anger and bolted after her, ready to fall into the trap.
"I hope they're safe." Twilight whispered.
"Only fate will tell the outcome, young Twilight. Let us hope it is our favor." said Luna.
Twilight was beginning to have doubts whether Tim's strategy would go according to plan, expecting some unforeseen variable would cause the whole thing to collapse. Her friends dealt with Timberwolves in the past, but that didn't make the situation any less dangerous, Twilight's train of thought ended when her teacher requested her assistance.
"Twilight, my power is needed to maintain the shield, I'll need you and Luna to cast spells for when our friends return."
"Of course, Princess." she replied.
Getting into position, Luna and Twilight had their horns lit, prepared to cast a dismemberment spell on any Timberwolf that passed by effectively immobilizing them. Applejack walked up to Celestia.
"Uh, your majesty, is there a way we can be of any help?" Applejack asked.
"Yes, I suggest you and the others should keep a lookout for our companions. It's best we know where they are the exact moment they arrive." said Celestia.
"You got it!" Pinkie Pie shouted.
"Oh, goodness, I only hope their keeping calm through this ordeal, I know I sure wouldn't." said Fluttershy.
"Oh, I'm almost certain Rainbow Dash is having a blast, as for Tim, I couldn't say." said Rarity.
"Judging from the way he nailed their behavior down so quickly, I'd have to say he's on probably on top of things." said Applejack.
"But I'm not entirely sure how he handles situations like these." said Twilight.
"Please, Twilight, with the way Tim says his world is, I bet this is a walk in the park for him." said Pinkie Pie.
The chase had Tim's heart beating like no tomorrow. These Timberwolves were persistent, but they were nowhere near as savage as the mutants he encountered back home. This meant Tim had more time to carefully play his cards. Racing past tree after tree, occasionally dodging whenever the Timberwolves took a close snap at him. For the most part he was keeping a relatively good distance, but his stamina wouldn't last very long at this rate. At the moment, all he could do was run, as they were too close to for him to hide or turn around and fire his gun.
So Tim kept running, his heart beating, his breath panting from the exertion of energy it took to keep this chase going. He looked around, seeing if there was anything he could use or manipulate to slow down his pursuers. But before any action could be made, Tim eyed something running through the bushes and straight towards him. He prepared to dodge whatever was coming after him. The fourth Timberwolf lunged out of the shadows, attempting a pounce on him. Luckily for Tim, he managed to successfully evade it by rolling out of the way. While in the midst of his dodge, Tim noticed he had landed and a mound of loose dirt. He looked up to see that the other three Timberwolves were getting closer. With a second thought, Tim kicked the dirt into the air, creating a cloud of earthen dust to temporarily mask his position. The Timberwolves charged through it, which in turn blurred their vision. They slowed down to a prowl to regain their sight.
This was all the time Tim needed to get on his feet again and double time it to make up for lost speed and gain a further distance away from the pack. When the Timberwolves regained their clear sight, they noted that their prey had more than tripled his distance away from them, and they were soon back after him once more.
Need to hide. Let's see what I have to work with.
Utilizing his newly gained advantage, Tim scouted out his surroundings. He spotted a dense grove of wild plants and trees off to his left, which made it the ideal spot for him to hide. He carefully made his way through, attempting not to leave any visual traces in the process. Tim, now crouched amidst the thickness of flora, had a chance to catch his breath while still keeping an earshot for the Timberwolves. His camouflage would help him stay out of sight, so long as he didn't make too much noise.
Now just sit tight. Maybe they'll pass me by. Tim thought to himself.
Peering through a the leaves of a fern bush, Tim could now see that the pack was in sight, but began to slow down their rate of speed and eventually came to a complete halt. Looking in all directions, the Timberwolves wondered if their prey had gave them the slip. The pack then dispersed in multiple directions, slowly searching the nearby surroundings for a trace of his whereabouts. Tim lowered his stance even further to obscure himself from view and waited.
The Timberwolves had kept up this task for a solid five minutes, and the whole time Tim had been completely still. while he had managed to stay hidden, the Timberwolves and their patterns of searching prevented him an opportunity to run back to the others. The thought of taking them out with his AK crossed his mind a few times, but he wasn't sure if bullets would be enough to subdue them. Besides, to take that kind of action so far from the others meant that if a bullet didn't kill them, he'd most likely end up a dead man.
So he played it safe and simply observed as they inspected every rock, plant, and tree. Just like him, they were methodical, attempting to locate any signs, any indicators as to where he had gone to. Tim then noticed that they differed drastically from regular canines, as they lacked a nose or any sort of smell-sensing equivalent. Tim theorized that they probably made up for it in other senses, primarily sight. But with Tim sitting still and masked in the flora and his woodland camouflage, they had difficulty finding him. They gradually began to work their way up, covering the area ahead of where he was hiding. However, they smart enough to leave one tasked with guarding the only way Tim could escape. Tim was beginning to think he had an opening when the Timberwolf covering his exit was distracted by something on the ground. Tim managed to get a look at what he was investigating. It was nothing out of the ordinary, a small rock that had its flat side facing up. Tim probably kicked it up when he was running.
Tim didn't think anything of it until the Timberwolf looked back and straight towards Tim's hiding spot. He remained as silent and motionless as he could to remain unseen. The Timberwolf cocked his head sideways, squinting it's fluorescent eyes to focus in. It must have caught a glimpse of him, as it slowly began to approach the grove. Tim was about to make a run for it when a blood-curdling roar caught the attention of all. On the opposite side of the treeline the two unaccounted for Timberwolves emerged. The one preceding the two had been the one that roared, and it was then that everything had changed.
Holy shit. Tim thought as gazed upon it saw it.
The Timberwolf in question was a testament to feral savagery on looks alone. It stood a half foot taller than the others and was covered head to toe in scars, with two unclaimed arrows protruding from his back, the hilt of a sword sticking out of his head, and a hatchet slicing into his neck. Despite the numerous injuries this creature seemed completely unphased by any of them. He commanded a sense of dominance over the pack, as the other Timberwolves took steps back and seemed to lower their heads in fear upon his arrival. His teeth were longer and barbed, and each of its claws splintered off to form thorns like a rose branch, one swipe could do some serious internal damage. Even the growl that emitted from its maw was outright ferocious.
I'll take it that you're the alpha. he thought to himself.
Before this point, Tim saw the Timberwolves as a threat but nothing that he couldn't handle. But this new one made him cautious. This one had clearly had years of experience and had probably taken out its fair share of fighters judging the battle scars it obtained. While the pack's attention was focused on the presence of the alpha, Tim took this moment as an opportunity for him to escape. It was a mistake. He only managed to evade them for a few seconds before the alpha spotted something moving in the brush. It didn't hesitate nor investigate, it went straight for the attack. The beast immediately charged towards the grove in unbridled fury, Tim just barely had time to dodge out of the way before its jaws clenched down on the leaf, root, and earth.
The alpha thrashed its head, pulling up bits of dirt and foliage out from the ground and spitting it out in frustration. Noticing his prey escaped his grasp, the alpha roared to his pack to flank around as he began to give chase.. Tim managed to stumble back on his feet and ran for dear life back to his only chance for survival.
It had been a good ten minutes since Rainbow Dash and Tim left the safety of the shield. An overall mood of dread began to form in everypony present.
"You think something may have happened to them?" Fluttershy asked.
"I'm not sure, sugarcube. I hope they're both okay." said Applejack.
The sound of sheering wind and caught the group's attention.
"Hey! Over there! It's Rainbow Dash!" Spike yelled, pointing with his claw.
The group whirled around to see Rainbow Dash turn a corner. She soared past the group with the same three Timberwolves still giving chase. Each one looked more eager than the last to make her their lunch, and the fact that she had been able to so easily evade them made their behavior even more ravenous.
"Heads up, three Timberwolves waiting for a take-down!!" Rainbow yelled.
When the pack entered group's line of sight Celestia opened the shield. Luna fired two blasts of powerful magic and Twilight fired a burst of three spells. The spells managed to hit their mark, with Luna's obliterating the Timberwolf furthest behind. Twilight's burst spell hit the second Timberwolf directly and sent the last Timberwolf leading the chase flying straight into the trunk of an oak tree. Branches dispersed upon impact with the trunk. The oaken remains now littered the ground, as Rainbow Dash made her way back to her friends, smiling in satisfaction.
"Oh yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about! Good work with the magic by the way!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
Twilight and the rest of her friends were relieved to see that Rainbow Dash was unharmed, and unphased by the danger.
"Have to say, I was expecting more of a challenge! Guess these Timberwolves aren't all they're cracked up to be." Rainbow Dash gloated.
"Guess they didn't give ya' too much trouble?" Applejack asked.
"Please, they barely kept up. You guys should have seen me! I managed to knock one over before I lead them back to you guys."
"Rainbow, that wasn't part of the plan." Twilight noted.
"Relax Twi', I did as mister "soldier" said to do, and I got back first!"
"I don't think he made it out to be a contest, RD." said Applejack.
"Well, if it was, I just smoked him! Besides, if he actually is what he says he is, I'm sure he's walking all over them, you know, with him being a "survivoralist" and all!" Rainbow said with attitude.
"Survivalist, Rainbow." Twilight corrected.
"Speaking of which, where is Mister Berfield?" Luna asked.
At that moment Tim burst from the bushes rolling forwards and continuing to run towards them.
"Hey there he is!" stated Pinkie Pie.
"They're right fucking beh-!" he yelled, pulling his gun around to take fire.
But before he could even finish his sentence attempt to land a shot, the alpha leaped forward onto Tim, tackling him to the ground with its massive size and knocking the rifle right out of his hands.
"TIM!" the group screamed.
The alpha attempted to lung at his neck, but Tim had both of his hands on its jaws, keeping it at bay. The alpha was strong, but Tim was strong too. They were in a bitter stalemate, with the alpha fighting to kill his prey and Tim fighting to stay alive. Tim to kick the alpha off of him, but the beast's claws dug in and rooted themselves into the ground, aiding it in it's stability. Tim got a full whiff of its repulsive breath, but it was in Tim's best interest to ignore it and keep it at bay. Tim needed to let the group know out that the rest of the pack flanked around and was heading their way, but with his current situation it was hard to concentrate.
"Somepony cast a spell already!" Pinkie Pie screamed.
"There's a chance it might hit Tim!" said Twilight.
"Well we can't just stand here!" Applejack yelled.
"Fine, I'll save his sorry flank!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"Rainbow wait!" Twilight yelled.
But before she could get another word out Rainbow Dash was already on the move. With her ego at an all-time high, she swooped in an attempt to "save the day" once again.
"Hey Tim! Great work not letting them catch up!" Rainbow Dash remarked.
Tim noticed the annoying sarcasm and saw that Rainbow Dash approaching, infuriated by the fact that she was ignoring the one thing he said to do before they split up.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! " he screamed.
She had no idea that the remainder of the pack was heading straight this way.
"NO, WAIT! DON'T!" Tim warned.
"What?! You don't wanna be-"
But it was too late, she was in mid sentence when two more Timberwolves ambushed her from the treeline, with one pouncing on her and pinning her to the ground and three making a rush towards the shield.
"RAINBOW DASH!" the group yelled.
"YOU GOTTA BE SHITTIN' ME! WHAT PART OF STAY SEPARATED DID YOU NOT FUCKING GRASP!" Tim yelled at Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash was too busy struggling to get free to give a response. Celestia opened the shield for Twilight and Luna to fire off spells. Luna fired a single blast of magic, but they had been moving so fast that they managed to dodge it and Twilight fired two, but in her panic she missed her shots. They were getting too close for comfort, as Celestia had no other choice but to close the shield. Once again they were surrounded. Now, they could only watch in panic and terror as they would witness the demise of their friends. While the others were close to giving up hope, Tim was too pissed off to give up now. But he was struggling to find a way to get out of this alive, as all he could do was look straight into the rage filled eyes of the alpha.
Wait, the eyes!
Tim remembered how he had slowed the pack down earlier when he kicked dirt up in the air, blurring their vision. The eyes were vulnerable. Tim needed his knife, but it was still on his belt. If he were to take his hand away and make a grab for it now he'd get overpowered and mauled to death, he needed a distraction. He looked around, but luck seemed to run out this time, as nothing was within reach, not with the alpha putting everything it had on him. Desperate for anything, Tim looked at the alpha and then looked at his arm. Then he did so again, and yelled in frustration. He unfortunately had an idea.
God, I'm gonna regret this.
With all the remaining force Tim had left, he managed to shove the alpha's head slightly to the left and let go. The alpha bit down on the upper part of his arm with incredible force and a spasm of intense pain shot through his arm, chest, and shoulder.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!" Tim screamed in pain.
The others behind the shield either gasped or screamed, believing the alpha had just killed him. But rather than succumb to the intensity of bite, Tim was now filled to the brink with an unstoppable rage. With one arm free and no time to lose, Tim drew the knife from his belt. Raising it high, he yelled in fury.
"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!!!!"
The group's jaws dropped as they watched Tim plunge and twist the serrated blade into the alpha's left eye. Green sap-like blood spurted from the grisly wound he had just inflicted upon it. The alpha roared in pain and retracted its jaw. Tim grabbed the alpha in a head lock with his injured arm and with his free arm, pressed the blade into the eye, further and further until the hilt of the knife prevented it from going any deeper. Tim then lacked the strength to keep a grasp on the alpha and let go. The alpha jumped off of Tim with the knife still lodged in its eye, desperately trying to remove it. Tim picked up his AKM off the ground and looked to the others to see what their status was.
Twilight and the others looked right at him. Three Timberwolves surrounded them, but the shield was up and they were safe. He then turned to Rainbow Dash. She was trying desperately to free herself, but the superior weight of the Timberwolf on top of her prevented any chance of escape. The second Timberwolf prowled forward, about to strike at any second. Rainbow Dash doubled her efforts but it would seem that it might be the end. Terror entered her soul as she saw the teeth that about to lung forward. She closed her eyes as if that would make it any less painful. Seeing no other solutions present, there was only one thing could do. Tim took aim at the one closest to her.
BANG!
A noise reminiscent of thunder's triumphant crack burst into the air with all in vicinity taking flinching in surprise. Rainbow Dash felt a gust of wind as something thud in front of her. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the Timberwolf from before lying dead on the ground before her, intact, with a pool of green blood spewing from its chest. The other Timberwolves found its source when the same sound emitted a second time. After another crack in the air the Timberwolf pinning Rainbow to the ground suffered the same fate as the one before. Something went flying through its forehead and exited out the back end, leaving a spray of green mist and splintered wood upon it exit. She had lost her voice in wake of what she just saw and turned to see what freed her. It was Tim, who had just used his strange weapon. Smoke came out the end of one of its metal tubes.
Realizing that his gun could kill them, he wasted no time in finishing them off. Tim turned his attention to Timberwolves by Twilight and the others. They had tried to make a quick rush towards him. But not before he pulled the trigger.
The same sound from before boomed from his weapon, followed by a small burst of fire erupting from the end of the tube. The flame came forth and then simply extinguished itself in an instant. Simultaneously, a small brass colored object was ejected from the side, and when she looked to her friends behind the barrier, another Timberwolf fell.
The remaining two Timberwolves must have realized they were going to be next and instinctively ran off. Tim lined them up with the iron sights of gun. Tim fired off two shots and the two fell to their deaths. His nerves were racked once more when he herd the rustle of leaves behind him. Without a second to lose, Tim turned around to face the alpha that had tried to sneak up on him. But as the alpha leaped towards him, the only thing it received was the end of a rifle to it's teeth. The alpha was effectively thrown back by the blow, losing several teeth in the process.
Broken and injured, the alpha struggled to get back up. Tim approached the beast and pressed the alpha's muzzle hard into the ground with his foot. Angry, yet painful growls were muffled in the dirt as the weight of Tim's foot kept the alpha pinned to the ground. Tim reached down and withdrew his knife the had been plunged in the beast's eye socket. A thick buildup of blood formed and gushed as it was removed. Tim let up his foot and kicked the alpha back. The Timberwolf struggled as it got back up on its feet and started to regain its balance. Tim, still fired up with anger, took aim.
"WHAT, YOU WANT SOME OF WHAT YOUR PALS HAD!?" he yelled.
The alpha took a few steps back. Tim's anger subsided as he looked upon the pitiful sight. The creature almost seemed to be cowering in fear, but from the way it was growling it was just stubborn enough to still consider taking him on. Tim had every right mind to kill it, but venting the last bits of his rage on an animal was just as barbaric as this beast. Tim remembered what Celestia had brought up earlier. Mercy was something that his world had no use for, but standing here, watching this thing on it's last legs, he couldn't help but feel sympathy for this creature. Years of injuries and brutality, and now, it stood here, backed into a corner awaiting the end. Tim stood silent for a moment, and then fired a shot by the alpha's feet. The alpha sprung backwards and looked up.
"Get!" yelled Tim angrily, waving his gun at the alpha.
The alpha made a slow retreat backwards making sure Tim didn't follow. Once it was clear Tim wouldn't pursue, it then turned tail and ran. Tim watched as it slowly got further and further, until he lost sight of it in the thickness of the forest. Tim relaxed, loosened his muscles and took a long breath. But as soon as the testosterone and aggression left his body, the pain of where the alpha had bitten him was immediate.
"Fuck!" Tim grunted, clenching his teeth in pain.
Tim dropped the gun from his hand to ease his wound. The left arm was weak, Tim looked at his sleeve, it was already stained red and torn at the center of the bite. Tim heard hoofsteps behind him. No doubt that the others had all seen this unfold. He turned around and saw that they were all staring at him. Tim knew what was on their mind, but what he was uncertain of was whether his display of aggression would leave a good or bad impact.
However, anger returned upon seeing Rainbow Dash approach him. If she had just stayed back and let the princesses deal with the pack when it showed up none of this would have happened and he wouldn't have had to use an injury as his only chance to escape.
The group didn't know how to respond to what they just witnessed, how could they. The being they had been getting to know just killed five Timberwolves in the span of less than ten seconds and scared a battle-hardened alpha Timberwolf into submission. Rainbow Dash broke the silence
"You just......how did you........" Rainbow Dash murmured, until she saw the long stain of red stretching across his left arm. "Oh my gosh! You're bleeding!"
"No shit I'm bleeding!" he replied angrily. "I told you that anything could happen. If you had just stuck to the plan and stayed separated like I told you none of this would have happened! Instead, I got my arm fucked up! What the hell were you thinking! What you did almost got you and everyone else killed!"
The outburst caught everypony off guard and the events that had preceded it left the whole group in a state of disarray, as they were unsure of what to do. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie would have gone straight to attending to Tim's wound, Applejack and Rarity would have wanted to come into Rainbow Dash's defense, Twilight, Luna, and Celestia, would have found it appropriate to address a multitude of questions that had arisen from what they just saw. But all course of actions stopped when Rainbow held a leg out, signalling them to not do anything.
Tim and Rainbow Dash stood facing each other. In most cases, she probably would have met it with a glare of her own, but the fact was he had suffered severely for her mistake and still saved her anyway. If she had stayed back and followed the plan like Tim had asked they probably could have blast the Timberwolves as they came out of the treeline, instead, her ego caused her to get caught and almost killed, and put the lives of her friends at risk. Not to mention that Tim saved her life. He could have easily left her for dead, but the fact that he didn't, even after all the accusations and all the mistrust she gave him. But his true colors showed that he put their safety over his, even when it wasn't expected of him. Her ears drooped down as the wave of guilt hit her.
"I'm sorry." is all Rainbow Dash could say.
Tim's anger once again subsided, but he was in too much pain and had exhausted all his energy dealing with the alpha to think about what to make of her apology. He turned to the others. The looks he got were of too many complexities to define a specific emotion, and the pain inflicted made it hard to think. He no doubt knew they were curious, but certain things took priority over others. He took a deep breath and addressed the group.
"Patch me up. Then we can talk about what happened." he said in a deadpan tone.
Realizing that this this attack had left their guide in a serious state of injury, it would probably be best if they just made camp right now and pick up where they left off in the morning. Twilight set her things down.
"Fluttershy, do you have a first aid kit?" Twilight asked.
"Of course, I have it right here."
Fluttershy raced to pull the medical kit out of her saddlebag. Rarity and Luna levitated a nearby log over towards Tim for him to sit on. Applejack and Celestia approached Tim.
"Go ahead and take a seat, Tim. Let's take a look at it." said Celestia.
Tim sat down and began to ease up as Applejack approached. He, with the aid of Celestia's levitation, manage to set his gear aside as they began to take a closer look at the damage. Rainbow dash helped by compiling his things together in one spot.
"How bad does it hurt?" Applejack asked.
After she asked another painful jolt came through, clenching his teeth and holding back the urge to scream, he answered.
"Bad, he bit down pretty deep."
"Have to say, I don't think anypony has faced an alpha Timberwolf and lived to tell about it. Guess you got lucky, huh?."
"I sure as hell don't feel lucky."
"Well, sugarcube, guess we'll see how lucky ya got. Show us the wound."
Tim took off his jacket. Upon removal, the ponies either gasped, cringed at the sight of the wound, or in Rarity's case, fainted. The wound was deep like Tim predicted. Two large gaping gashes had been inflicted on upper arm and sunk deep into the deltoid near the shoulder. The teeth were the size of bottle caps and left a bite mark of an appropriate size. Muscle was exposed and swollen, but thankfully none of it seemed torn, so that was good. But the wound was still gushing with blood and bits of skin hung loose. Tim was beginning to think this might be one of his worst injuries to date and it would probably take at least a week or two to return back to normal function, maybe a month to heal completely.
"Whooh Lordie! That's gonna leave a few scars." Applejack noted.
Fluttershy approached carrying the medical kit in her mouth. Celestia used her magic to levitate it towards Tim, opening it up and withdrawing the appropriate medicinal supplies needed to treat it.
"I regret to inform you of this Tim, but this is going to hurt." said Celestia.
Tim sighed. Figures that healing would hurt just as bad, but he was eager to make the pain stop.
"Let's get it over with."
At 0700, Andrew was still sitting at the edge of a long range communications radio in the old control tower of Fort Bismarck. All night, he struggled to get into contact and transfer a second fireteam for the mission. Andrew managed to acquire the one team who's leader he had history with. They happened to have just finished their last assignment in Norway and were waiting for their next one when Andrew gave the team new orders to be reassigned to Berlin. However, acquiring another fireteam was a challenge that went unaccomplished.
There were only about two dozen First Recon Fireteams and all of them were unavailable, either due to being too far out in the field for them to be quickly reassigned or they were completely out of contact, which was normal for their line of work. Their training covered how to survive in the harshest of environments and scenarios without being too dependent on logistics, but that in turn meant they were often unreachable. At the moment, Andrew was speaking with the leader of Fireteam Wraith, who were currently scouting out a region somewhere in the Mojave Desert. Unfortunately, it was beginning to sound as if they too were unobtainable, and to make matters worse, they were the last fireteam he hadn't had contact with yet, meaning Patel's request for two teams would now go unfulfilled.
"Wraith 1, you realize this is a priority 1 request, if you're capable of making it to the nearest facility then you're obligated to comply with my orders." Andrew reminded.
"*With all due respect sir, we just can't do that. We're about 600 miles away from the nearest outpost, let alone base, it's gonna be at least a 4 weeks before we get any sort of extraction. Maybe more depending on weather and supplies." said Wraith Leader.
Andrew sighed in frustration, as he didn't have that kind of time, he needed to be back in New Damascus in at least 5 days.
"Copy that, Wraith 1." said Andrew.
"*Sorry to disappoint you, Sir.*"
"Well, you can at least tell me if you've found anything worthwhile out there."
"We're getting close to Vegas, at least 15-20 miles out. We're hoping to find supplies when we get there, but between the searing heat and the lack of water, we're having a tough time getting to it without dying.*
"Patrolling it make you wish for nuclear winter?" Andrew jested.
"*Doubt that'll make the situation any better for us, Sir, but we appreciate the sentiment.* he jested right back.
A smirk grew on Andrew's face.
"Copy that, take care son."
"*You too, sir, Wraith 1, out*"
With that Andrew hung up the transceiver and was left to decide what to do. However he wouldn't have time to think on it long when along came a knock on the door that garnered his attention.
"Come in." he said.
The door opened and Lieutenant Bakowski stepped in.
"Commander." he said saluting.
Andrew stood up and saluted back.
"Lieutenant, is there something you wanted to report?"
"Yes sir, Fireteam Wolfpack is estimated to arrive in half an hour."
The mention of that name brought a smile to Andrew's face. He was about to reunite with a very old friend.
"Well, let's not keep them waiting." said Andrew.
Andrew grabbed a folder of documents he and Bakowski walked out of the room. Once they were in hand, Andrew and the Lieutenant made their way down to the airstrip.
The trip down was short, taking only about fifteen minutes of Andrew's time. Bakowski had left Andrew to his lonesome to go get a vehicle so when the plane arrived and landed, they'd be able to drive over to it quickly. As Andrew stood waiting in the early morning dawn it occurred to him that he hadn't slept all night. That irritated him along with the decision of what he was going to do about the mission. In the back of his mind, Andrew had kept telling himself that something like this was going to happen. It was looking as if Sergeant Martinez would most likely get her way, but with all the unknown variables, he wasn't sure if a Sergeant and a few regulars had the experience to match up with first recon, and if the level of skill was drastically different, it could even hinder the mission's progress. Meaning someone with experience would need to lead them. A few ideas came into mind when he spotted something on the horizon. An C-130 flew into view, descending at a shallow angle to land. Andrew put his thinking process on temporary hold as he watched the plane set down on the landing strip. The roar of a car engine caught Andrew's attention. Bakowski had come around driving a Growler ITV. Andrew hopped into the passenger seat and they drove over to the plane, which had began to slow down at the edge of the landing strip.
Once over there, Bakowski parked the growler behind the right wing of the plane. The two stepped out of the vehicle as soon as the plane's cargo ramp dropped to the ground. The first thing Andrew heard was the startup of heavy duty horsepower. Out of the plane, came rolling an LAV-25 with bags of gear and supplies strapped to its sides. It was the standard A2 model, armed with a 25mm chain gun turret and two 7.62 coaxial machine guns, but also seemed to be modified with a collapsible PK turret, centered around the driver's hatch. On the side of the turret, in grey paint, was the head of a wolf, with crossed M4 rifles. On the left side of the vehicle were the words, "The Wolf Den" written in Russian.
What was funny was that Andrew knew this vehicle all to well, it was the same vehicle he had used during his days of first recon. Age had done it's toll to her with the newly added dents and scratches, but from the way it seamlessly drove out and stopped at a dime told Andrew that it had been taken well care of in his absence. With LAV out of the plane, a man jumped out of the driver's hatch and approached Andrew, followed by four more exiting from the plane. They all lined up in front of him and gave a salute. Each one of them were suited for heavy combat and reconnaissance, with tactical vests, ammo pouches, equipment bags, operator helmets, advanced weapons and enough ammo and supplies to sustain themselves for weeks. Andrew looked over them but found no familiarity among the faces. Then a sixth man walked out of the plane, and Andrew recognized him instantly. The man in question walked over to him. He wore Russian Partizan camo, with a heavy duty Bundeswehr Flecktarn flack vest, covered in pouches. He wore a K6-3 combat helmet and had a custom AS-Val slung over his shoulder. He stood at Andrew's height of 5'10', with a bushy dirty blonde beard and short face. He was expressionless when he stood in front Andrew and saluted.
"Commander Sawyer, Fireteam Wolfpack reporting for duty, sir." he said in a heavy Russian accent.
"Colonel Antonov, glad you could make it." Andrew replied.
A few seconds went by when Antonov looked closer at Andrew and cracked a smirk.
"Christ man, you got old." he said smiling.
The others' eyes were wide open, looking at the colonel as if he just spat in Andrew's face. But Andrew just smiled back.
"Old? Me? Well, I'm able to accept the fact that I'm old and on the verge of death. You on the other seem to be running from it. " Andrew accused.
"Ey, Chego vy probuyete skazat'?"
Andrew slapped at his flak vest.
"What I'm trying to say is that you seem to have turned into a walking set of body armor. You sure you can keep up with young folk dragging all this shit with you? Do even need all this shit, Vik, or you just afraid death is gonna take you early?"
"Hey, ever since that mission to Bosnia, which you fucked up by the way, I don't take the damn thing off!"
By this point the two were practically laughing like old war buddies and gave each other a bear hug which gave a clear message to Andrew that he hadn't changed a bit. Bakowski and the rest of Fireteam Wolfpack figured they must have had some pretty close history for this to even be happening. But it went further than that.
Viktor Antonov and Andrew Sawyer were once enemies 20 some years prior. Andrew was US Special Forces SOCOM and Viktor was Spetsnaz Vympel. Both had been taught and trained to kill each other from a very young age and both were sent to Damascus to control the region for their respected countries. When the fighting ended and the Survivors formed, Viktor and Andrew found themselves in the same squad. They hated each other at first, years of fighting created prejudice between everyone, but after five years of comradery, the two were practically inseparable. When The Survivors became more stabilized and first recon was first established, both of them found themselves assigned to Wolfpack, with Andrew leading the fireteam. For ten years, they went on mission after mission together, ranging from Asia to the American East coast. until seven years ago when the previous Commander-in-Chief died from cancer. Andrew was nominated for the position, as by that point he had become a pretty popular name among the people. He hadn't seen his friend in quite some time, so it was a long awaited reunion.
"Damn good to see you again, Vik." said Andrew.
"Same here, old friend."
The two let go and Viktor gestured to his fireteam to get in the LAV. Two other vehicles came around into view, a Humvee and a Pickup with a 50. Cal mounted in the back. Most likely the escort. The rest of Wolfpack mounted their armored vehicle, getting it prepped for departure while Andrew and Viktor walked into the passenger hold, taking a seat inside to catch up.
"So how long has it been, huh? five years?" Viktor asked.
"Six. Last time I saw you was when I asked you to be best man at the wedding." said Andrew.
"Chert! It's been six years? Time flies man. How's Jess doing by the way? She keeping you out of trouble?"
"She's been good, though she was a little frightened when I told her I was coming out here."
"Hey, who can blame her? Back in the day she was practically on verge of tears whenever you came home from assignment. I had to make sure you came back to her in one piece, eh, lest she suffer heart attack. Wasn't easy dragging your ass out of the fire, especially with you leading us headlong into the fray."
"I seem to recall saving your ass on occasion too, Vik." Andrew reminded.
"Yes, while that is true you always were eager for taking risks. I for one suggested safer routes. But no, you say, "No Vik, that'll take too long, my idea is much better." Viktor said, in the best American accent he could muster.
"That is the worst impression I think I've ever heard Vik, and what are you bitching about, we got out alive."
"Yes, but usually suffering from one injury or another."
The two were practically taking jabs at the other. The old days left lasting memories on them both. Had anyone else talked to Andrew like this he would have a right mind to knock their teeth in and shoot them for good measure. But not Vik.
"Well, then you should be glad those days are long over?" Andrew said.
"Indeed. So, "Commander", how's the last seven years of leading the militia been?" Viktor asked.
"One problem after another, and having to work with people that remind you of said problems to no end."
"Ooh, sounds like fun." Viktor said sarcastically.
"Keep joking, asshat, we'll see who's laughing when I rename Wolfpack Fireteam Princess."
Viktor laughed the lighthearted threat off.
"I see you haven't lost your sense of humor." said Viktor.
"And I see that you haven't lost yours."
Andrew looked to his side to see that things in the way of their departure to the site were just about wrapped up. The back ramp of the LAV began to rise and shut behind them. Andrew felt the heavy weight of the vehicle move forward, signalling they were en route to their location.
"Well, I guess I should explain why I dragged you all the way out here?" said Andrew.
"One more more thing I have to ask." said Viktor.
"What is it?" Andrew asked.
"I knew Jess said something about it to you. Did you two, you know, go through with it?" Viktor asked with an eager smile.
Andrew looked at Viktor confusedly until he realized what he was referring to. Andrew pulled a small notepad from one of his pockets, in it he pulled out a white slip and flipped it around. It was a small photo of his family, with Jake standing in the middle. Andrew handed the photo to Viktor to look at. Viktor heartily laughed.
"Ahah! It's a boy! Tell me, did you name him after me like you promised?"
"Hell no! Last thing I need is him all grown up asking why he got named after an old joke some grody ass Russian friend of mine thought was funny."
"Well, what name did you give him?"
"We named him after Jess' father, Jacob."
"Jacob, eh? Not bad, not bad."
"Alright, alright, enough reminiscing,we have things to discuss." said Andrew.
"Right, you're right." said Viktor, calming down. "But in all seriousness, congratulations man, you were the kind of guy who'd make a good dad."
"Thanks, I try my best."
Viktor handed it back to Andrew who put both the photo and the notepad back in his pocket.
"So, where are we going?" Viktor asked. "You wouldn't have me dragged out here just to bust my balls, for old times' sake."
"Fifty miles to the southwest lies a Western pre-war research facility. You're either gonna love or hate it when you see what we found." Andrew replied.
"What exactly will we be dealing with?" Viktor asked.
"No easy way to put this, but a portal. One that leads to another world."
Vik gave Andrew an odd look. Andrew looked around to see that the other members of Wolfpack who gave him a look as if he just asked them to scout out and collect rocks on the surface of the moon.
"You're not still fucking with me, are you?" Viktor asked.
"I'm not, and just to prove to you I'm not, here's the debriefing documents, had them compiled last night."
Andrew handed Viktor the folder. He looked over the numerous bits of information, previous expeditions by the West, the little information about Echo, what had happened with Private Berfield and the status of returning the device to working order. He whistled in astonishment once he finished.
"That's a lot of unsuccessful missions, Andrew. I have to say that I don't like the idea of going in blind through some contraption some scientists made 40 years ago. Especially with a track record like this." said Viktor.
"Wish I had more information, Vik. But this is too big to pass up. This thing might just solve our problems."
"Yeah, or it might start another, I also see that it was Patel that requested two fireteams. She usually doesn't interfere with first recon affairs."
"I supported her decision. We have no idea what's on the other side, so sending in two professional units to carry it out seemed like the best way of handling it." said Andrew.
Vik shrugged, stacking all the papers that had been spread out together and placing them back into the folder.
"Problem is, you were the only Fireteam available." said Andrew.
Viktor handed the folder back to Andrew.
"That's not surprising." Viktor said.
"Half of the teams I got in contact with were either too far out for a quick extraction or have gone radio silent. We'll have to think of something else."
"Why not just send in the regular militia in with us?" Viktor suggested.
"Not sure if that's such a good idea."
"Oh come on Andrew, every militiaman knows how to survive out here, whatever's on the other side can't be any worse."
"I guess you're right, though I had to assert to the Sergeant that the Council wanted two Fireteams."
"Well, it's not going to happen regardless. And besides, does it really matter, all they need is maybe more gear and to follow orders, it's not rocket science."
"It's more complicated then that, Vik."
"Isn't it always?"
"I've been trying to ease tensions with Patel, with shortages as they are we need to start working towards the same goals, now more than ever. And if that means complying with her request, then so be it."
"It's gotten that bad, huh?" Viktor asked.
"Like you wouldn't believe. And with Jake and Jess in the picture, I'm concerned."
"Hey, we'll find a solution, Andrew. We always do."
"I know. I just hope it comes before it's too late."
Viktor reflected on how his friend had to deal with the current crisis. He hadn't been to New Damascus in years, but every bit of news he heard was always about the shortage of vital resources and Andrew probably ad it brought up to him on a daily basis. Andrew's position required a lot of commitment and cooperation, something humanity embraced after the war. But the fact was that Patel's wishes were not going to be fulfilled, and sending Wolfpack in alone with no intel would be risky. Silence prolonged. Andrew took the time to look around the inside of the LAV. This place served as a mobile base for the Fireteam, with logistics equipment, weapons, extra gear, and supplies all packed into the racks and equipment holds of the vehicle. Andrew remembered one of the weapon racks, where he used to stow away his rifle. Then, an idea sprung into Andrew's head just when Viktor broke the silence.
"So, guess that means my team will be going in alone?" he asked.
"No, we'll need to assemble a squad from the company's best ranks stationed on site." said Andrew.
"So we'll be ignoring Patel's request?"
"Sort of."
"How so?"
"I'll talk with the Sergeant, have her select some of the best soldiers in the company. You'll have to part with some of your gear though."
Viktor got a basic idea of what he was trying to do, but was unsure of why he was acting so secretive about it.
"So your plan is to outfit regular militiamen in an attempt to have them look like First Recon? What if Patel finds out?"
"It was just a request, doesn't mean I have to follow through on it."
"But your attempting to make it look as if you did."
Viktor had a hard time believing what he was hearing. He knew his friend too well and for too long to think he would just do a complete 180 out of nowhere.
"What's the part you're not telling me, Andrew?" Viktor asked.
Andrew was hesitant to say it, but found it was just easier to get it over with.
"What if a First Recon Operator was leading the regulars?" Andrew said.
"I can't spare one of my men to lead them, Andrew, you know that. Fireteams need to carry out tasks, six members at a time."
"Not what I had in mind. I'll lead the team."
Viktor looked at his friend with disbelief when he heard that. A long period of silence brewed. Viktor took a deep breath and sighed. He look at his friend and blatantly said.
"Andrew......my friend...............are you out of your fucking mind?"