A Couple Hours Ago...
Hayato Yoshi held a hand at his ear where his COM was located. It had been awhile since Onyx had left with Gojira Takeshi I to find his base and to give up the Ark. However, Onyx had recently just contacted him.
"I need you to keep quiet about this. We can't be too careful on who it is," said Onyx.
"If there's someone accessing classified information, then immediate action is necessary. I'll do what I can to find the source of the leak," said Hayato.
"Thank you, Lieutenant. Report after you have found it," said Onyx.
"Understood, sir," said Hayato. He removed his hand from the device in his ear and proceeded to move through the cold facility. Aiko Riku had reported that her location was somehow compromised and was invaded by Purists that seemed on intending to kill her and abduct her son. This was a grave concern considering that her mission was classified to everyone else aside from Sergeant Koizumi and Private Inoue, who were tasked at keeping watch over Gojira Takeshi II. Either one of them leaked the information, or the leak came from somewhere within one of MONARCH's facilities, though truth to be told, Hayato was reluctant to believe that Koizumi may have been a source of the leak.
"He may be driven by money, but he's not an idiot," said Hayato with a smirk. So, he began to make his way down the hall of the main facility just above the Vault. He had to find a computer console to hopefully find if whether or not the link came from one of MONARCH's facilities. He soon came across a door, where no window was present. He entered, finding a lone man to have been sitting at a computer console. Hayato's eyes widened as he slightly recoiled and almost retreated. He found the screen to have been covered in a couple of windows, where code of numbers appeared, and an image of an unfamiliar face was present. This room was supposed to be off limits, where authorized personnel were allowed. And the man that Hayato saw looked far from being authorized. Last time he checked, guards were not authorized to be in here. Not to mention that what he saw looked awfully suspicious on screen. Hayato reached for his side and drew a pistol. He burst through the door and aimed at the man's back.
"Freeze!" shouted Hayato. The guard stiffened as he remained seat, not moving one bit.
"Stand up slowly, and step away from the computer console," said Hayato as he aimed at the man. The guard slowly stood up with his hands behind his head and turned to face Hayato. The soldier caught the screen and found information of the person that was on the screen to have been present from social security, place of living, and even racial identification. This person was a Transmutant.
"What are doing?" demanded Hayato.
"Hey, I know this looks bad. But let me explain," said the guard in a calm tone. He suddenly turned to the screen and slammed his face onto the desk. Hayato jumped with a start, not expecting the action. He nearly shot the man in suspecting that he was about to attack. Instead, the guard raised his head opened his mouth and revealed a tooth to have been knocked in. The man gurgled as he dropped to his knees and began to foam at the mouth. Hayato rushed to the man's side as he fell to the ground, finding him to be convulsing as he foamed. The man then stopped moving as his eyes stared lifelessly at the ceiling. Hayato took the man's wrist and began to feel for a pulse. Nothing came.
"Shit," said Hayato. He then noticed that the man bore a tattoo that was hidden beneath the sleeve. It was a Purist tattoo.
"Oh no," said Hayato as he turned to the computer screen. He quickly got onto the console and began to look at the window.
"You bastard. You leaked a few dozen Transmutant identities with their addresses and information!" said Hayato in shock.
It was the early noon. Manda was currently walking about the Guardian's lair in silence. Around her, the remnants of their forces were either taking inventory, moving supplies around, the usual shtick. But today, her spirits were quite low, as they have been for the past couple of weeks. She came across a familiar dark jacket that was neatly folded in the corner of the cave. It lied on top of an empty mattress. Manda's expression saddened deeply as she stared at the jacket that was once worn by the man that she looked up to.
"Hey, Manda," said a familiar voice. The woman turned to find Kumonga to have been coming to her side as she wiped her dirty hands, as her face was covered in dark spots.
"Hey, Kumonga," greeted Manda in a small tone. Kumonga stood by Manda's side as she looked at the jacket.
"He's not dead, you know," said Kumonga.
"I know. I just left it here in case... He came back," said Manda as she rubbed her arm. Kumonga placed her hands in her pockets after tossing the wipe aside.
"Kinda ironic. He's the one that always told us to stay together and to avoid capture. And he does exactly the opposite of what he preached," said Kumonga as she gave a bitter chuckle. "Bastard. I ought to smack him."
"What are we supposed to do now? He had the plan and is the most experienced out of any of us." Manda deeply frowned as she lowered her head.
From the other side of the cave, Zip stared off to where Kumonga and Manda were present. Her expression was solemn as she stared.
"Zip, you're slacking," said Thorn as she opened her mouth wide and proceeded to spray webbing from the back of her throat. Zip sighed to herself as she turned and proceeded to excrete webbing as well. However, she immediately stopped. Zip stopped as well.
"Alright, what's up?" asked Thorn.
"I'm worried. Where do we go from here without Alpha?" asked Zip.
"Well, that's not up to us. It's up to those with seniority, like Manda, Baragon, and even Kumonga. We're not even fighters, we just help with income," said Thorn.
"But still, there is a lot to be worried about," said Zip.
Meanwhile, Baragon was currently sitting at the desk where the old radio sat. He held a head phone against his ear as he tuned through the channels as another Transmutant was by his side.
"I mean, we should be more concerned. They could force Alpha to give up the location of the lair," said the Transmutant. Baragon sighed in annoyance as he sat the head phone down, unable to avoid the conversation.
"And where would we go? If we were to fall back into other locations, what makes you think that we wouldn't be safe there if Alpha was being interrogated?" questioned Baragon. The Transmutant was silent.
"The best we can do is lay low for a while and hope they never find us. We can't risk a big exodus with the Ark here and the need to move around supplies. We should instead focus on keeping ourselves out of sight," said Baragon as he turned back to the radio.
"There's always another option, sir," said the Transmutant.
"Enlighten me," said Baragon in a sarcastic manner.
"There's the Revolutionaries," said the Transmutant. Baragon immediately dropped the headphone on the desk. He then turned to look at the Transmutant with a deadpanned stare.
"Are you out of your fucking mind?" asked Baragon.
"They're a big group and they are much more capable fighters than us. We should consider-" The Transmutant stopped as Baragon stood up and grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him close with a glare.
"Listen, punk. I don't give a goddamn about them being bigger or more capable! We're supposed to be different from those assholes! I am not about to kiss the ass of some sociopathic terrorist just for some protection! I rather be locked up in the Vault or even gunned down by a platoon of MONARCH's soldiers!" said Baragon in a harsh whisper. The Transmutant bore a nervous look.
"I swear to God, if you ever bring that shit up again, or even try to convince anyone to think that is some good idea, I will personally kick your ass and dump you in that castle dungeon, and no one would be any the wiser! Is that clear?" growled Baragon as he tightened his grip on the Transmutant's shoulder.
"Yes, sir," said the Transmutant in a nervous tone. Baragon shoved him back with a glare.
"I'm not gonna disgrace the boss by joining forces with Revolutionaries," said Baragon as he returned to his seat. This was not good. If this Transmutant was thinking of turning to the Revolutionaries for help, then that could possibly mean that there may have been others that may have shared that opinion. Never had he worried for the group as much as he did today.
Later that evening, Baragon was currently making his way over to Amber, who remained perched on a desk. He sighed as he rubbed the back of his head.
"So squirt, how are we gonna deal with the situation without the boss?" asked Baragon.
"I wish I could tell you, but that's up to you. The Ark needs Guardians to protect it from undesirable hands," said Amber. Baragon looked to the back of the cave where the Ark was hidden.
"That thing is nothing but trouble. Why even have it around?" asked Baragon.
"It is, but it is also something that comes with a great benefit. To neglect it would be disastrous, Baragon," said Amber. The Transmutant crossed his arms as he sighed.
"The group is getting uneasy, Amber. We might not even be able to stay hidden here for long. What if we were-"
"Attention! Rogue Transmutants!" called an unfamiliar voice. It was amplified and came from outside of the cave. All of the Transmutants in the cave stiffened as they stopped what they were doing and turned to where the cave was.
"This is Onyx, director of MONARCH!" called the voice.
"Oh shit! They're here!" said Baragon in shock. He couldn't fathom on how they had found them. He turned to the Transmutants.
"Arm up!" shouted Baragon as he was tossed a shot gun. The Transmutants began to arm themselves with weapons, unprepared for what was to come.
Present...
The crackling of fire filled the air from the wreckage of the chopper. The pilot and gunner were slumped over in the chopper dead and charred from the explosion, as the blood from some MONARCH soldiers was on the ground. The remaining soldiers below had their weapons drawn and aimed at the dozen of Purists that stood above the chasm, with their weapons on them. The Transmutant Guardians were still bounded by their cuffs and inhibitor collars, unable to defend themselves.
"We have you surrounded, Director Onyx and Gojira Takeshi," said Scar as he held a pistol at his side and spoke into a bullhorn. The soldiers below tensed as well did the Guardians.
"What's your status?" asked Onyx over the COM.
"We're surrounded by Purists, sir. They're packing fire power and some advanced equipment," said a soldier as he warily looked at the terrorists above. Back in the cave, Onyx cursed as he drew out a tablet and typed away at it. Senior bore a look of confusion as he found his face to be present on an image on the tablet.
"What are you doing?" asked Senior.
"I'm deactivating your inhibitor collar remotely," said Onyx. Senior's eyes widened in surprise while the soldiers present stared in shock.
"Wait, sir! What could possess you to do this?!" exclaimed one of the soldiers.
"We've lost our bird and I guarantee Delta squad is dead if the Purists are here. Right now, we must settle on surviving against this common foe," said Onyx in reluctance. While he wasn't comfortable with siding with Senior and the Guardians, he had to at least keep this 'Ark' out of the hands of the Purists, who were just as much as a threat.
"Men, deactivate the inhibitor collars remotely for the Rogues. We need as much support as we can get against the third party," said Onyx over the COM.
"Sir?" questioned a soldier in a whisper over the COM.
"Do as I ordered!" said Onyx as he was about to press on the deactivation icon on the tablet, but he heard a crackle over the COM.
"I would advise against that," said an unfamiliar feminine voice. Onyx held his finger in place. From outside of the cave and above the chasm, Adrian stared at the HUD of her helmet that displayed a voice pattern and the text 'COM connected'.
"You may be willing to risk your own lives to fight to the death against us, but I doubt you would be willing to do so with civilians," said Adrian as she looked down at the people below.
"What do you mean?" demanded Onyx. Scar turned to the side and nodded. Some Purists began to force a group of people from the back of a truck, moving them to the chasm edge. Their faces were covered by black sacks that were over their heads. They were forced onto their knees and the sacks were yanked off. Manda's eyes widened in horror at what she saw.
"No..." said Manda. The hostages were Junior and Miwa, along with the Main Seven, the Dazzlings, Luna, Celestia, and a third adult woman that was unfamiliar to her. Junior bore an inhibitor collar as he was bounded by the same cuffs as the Guardians were, and his face was bruised up from earlier.
"We have eleven children, and four women. Two of which I'm sure you are very familiar with, Gojira Takeshi," said Scar over the bull horn. Senior's eyes widened.
"This is how it's gonna go. In exchange for the hostages, your family, we want your unconditional surrender and this Ark that that you seem to be so possessive of," said Scar. Senior gritted his teeth as he clenched his fist. He didn't know how, but the Purists knew about the Ark. He was opposed to anyone else being in possession of it or even knowing of its existence, but he at least had confidence that MONARCH wouldn't use the Ark for dark purposes. The Purists on the other hand would be disastrous. However, not only were his allies in danger, but also his wife and son. He couldn't let them suffer for this, but he couldn't let the Purists get their hands on the Ark.
"We'll comply," said Onyx over the COM. The soldiers looked at him while Senior looked on in surprise.
"I won't endanger the lives of civilians over a crate. We're coming out," said Scar over the COM. He turned to Senior, who merely stared at him.
"Looks like we're both in a pickle," said Onyx as he removed his hand from the tablet.
"Don't bother. Remain where you are. We're coming down," said Scar.
Soon, most of the Purists had come down to where the soldiers and Guardians were, while the rest kept guard over the hostages. Scar came inside of the cave with Impact, Stinger, and several Purists. They arrived at to where Onyx, Senior and the few soldiers were inside. The Purists held them at gun point, while the soldiers and Onyx dropped their weapons onto the ground.
"Now, where is it?" questioned Scar. Senior pointed to the back of the cave, where the Ark was. Scar began to make his way over to the Ark alone.
"I would advise going near it," said Senior. Scar merely looked back at him.
"He's right," said a feminine voice. From around the cave, bright lights appeared. The soldiers and Purists all looked around in shock as the fairies appeared as colorful glowing lights.
"The Guardians may have failed their mission to guard this sacred artifact, but we hold no desire to fail," said Amber. Her voice began to echo ominously as she fluttered in the air.
"What the hell?" asked Impact. Suddenly, the fairies began to fly around as their antennae glowed. Beams of light shot from the fairies, striking at a few Purists. They cried out in agony as their bodies were dismembered by the beams.
"Shit!" cursed Impact as he rolled away to avoid the beams. He raised his rifle and began to shoot at the fairies, along with the rest of the Purists. In the chaos, the soldiers and Onyx immediately went for their weapons. Stinger whipped his head to the side in time to see the soldiers to be raising their guns. He immediately charged as they fired at him, the bullets bounced off his armor, while his allies shot at the fairies. Stinger swung the mechanical tail at the first soldier he saw, impaling him in the neck with the blade at the tip. He then rolled away as he drew the tail from the soldier and slashed the neck of the second one with the metal claws on his gloved hands. Onyx shot at the Purist, while Senior began to charge towards him.
Before Senior could make his way over to Stinger, Impact appeared at his side and slugged him in the jaw. Senior fell to the ground as a few teeth were knocked out, while Stinger swung the mechanical tail on his hindquarters at Onyx, knocking him back. The two Purists returned their focus on the fairies that were in the process of decimating them. Stinger turned to find a green colored fairy to be diving towards him as her antennae glowed. He quickly swung his tail at the fairy as the blade extended. The fairy was slashed in half as she gave an agonized cry as her thorax was separated from her abdomen.
Impact began to fire a rifle at a yellow fairy, which cried out as her wings and body were shredded by the bullets. The remaining Purists focused their fire randomly in the air at the fairies, which were shot down from the air as they tried to attack and dodge bullets at the same time. Soon, the ground was scattered with dead large moths that were mutilated from the bullets and Amber was the only one remaining. She quickly flew passed Purists, causing a couple to accidentally shoot each other dead. As Amber fired a beam at a Purist's head, her wing was torn by a bullet that was fired by Scar. She lost momentum of her flight and crashed onto the ground. She panted as Scar made his way over to the insect and raised his foot over her.
"Stop!" cried Senior. Scar turned his attention over to the Transmutant that struggled to stand. His face was bruised and bleeding.
"You can't kill her. She... She knows more about the Ark," said Senior with a pant. His eyes looked on in despair as he found the fairies that all lied dead on the ground, with their ruined bodies lied in a pool of their own yellowish-green blood. Scar looked down at Amber, who panted as her antennae twitched along with a couple of her legs. Scar roughly grabbed Amber, who cried out in pain as she was held by her wings. He tossed the bug into the air, while Stinger raised an arm and fired a net at the moth. Amber fell into Impact's arms, who then began to hold the net at the end as Amber struggled in the net.
"Release me! You don't know what forces you're toying with!" shouted Amber. Impact grimaced under his helmet.
"Yeesh. This shit is freaky," said Impact as he held the bug away from himself.
"I want the Ark moved into that castle above. I rather not be faced with any more surprises in this hell hole of a cave," said Scar as he stepped on a dead fairy, who gave a crunch and squishing sound. Senior snarled as he clenched his fists.
"Move the Transmutants and soldiers in there as well. The hostages will join them," said Scar as he made his way over to Onyx and Senior, who lied on the ground in pain.
"And get that armored prison truck ready from above," said Scar with a smirk under his mask.
Soon, Onyx and Senior were being escorted by a few Purists with their guns pointed against their backs. Senior bore a hard expression as he was forced to move.
"Bring him," said Onyx as he pointed to Junior. A soldier grabbed Junior by the shoulder and began to roughly move him away from his mother.
"No! Junior!" cried Miwa as she attempted to stand, but a Purist forced her back down. The rest watched fearfully for Junior's well-being as he was shoved.
"Get off! I can walk myself, asshole!" said Junior as he thrashed his shoulders with a glare. He began to walk alongside his father and Onyx, while Miwa cried out to him in despair. Fluttershy's eyes welled up with tears as she watched her friend being taken away by these men.
"What are you planning to do with them?!" demanded Celestia as she looked to Scar. He merely glanced at her.
"Poetic Justice is at hand," said Scar as he left the hostages. Manda gritted her teeth as she watched as her leader and his son were hauled away up the steps above the chasm. Miwa cried as she watched helplessly as her family was taken away from her, knowing full well and what could be in store for them.
Junior and Senior was shoved into two separate cells in the large armored truck, while Onyx was forced onto a seat that overlooked the cells, with his hands bounded in cuffs. Scar stood at the back outside of the truck staring at them coldly from behind his mask.
"Since you three have proved to be the biggest obstacles in our cause, we felt that it was necessary for you to be disposed of," said Scar. He then looked to one of the Purists that stood in the truck.
"Drive them out of town and to the ocean. Dump the entire truck there. I want their deaths to be slow," said Scar.
"Got it," said the Purist as he made his way to where the driver was. Scar grabbed the large door in the back and forced it close, knowing that it would be the last time that he would see the three. He then walked away as the truck's engine roared and the vehicle drove off.
From within the cave, Impact held Amber at his side, who stared at what remained of the fairies on the ground.
"It was stupid of bugs like you going against men with guns, freak," said Impact with a mocking chuckle.
"The body is merely a vessel," said Amber. Impact scoffed.
"Whatever you say. Hey! Get this thing up and out of here!" said Impact as he looked to some soldiers.
"You have to pick it up specifically from the poles. Do not actually touch it," said Amber.
"Why?" questioned Impact.
"The result will not be pretty," said Amber. Impact rolled his eyes.
"You heard her, boys. Poles only. You better not drop whatever is in there!" said Impact.
From within the Everfree forest, Mosura and Battra were running through the darkness. They moved passed trees that all looked the same, with hardly any points to go by to tell them that they were on track. Fortunately, the two were a little more familiar with where they needed to go given that Rodan was the one who led them previously. As the two ran, Battra couldn't help but mentally gripe at the fact that his sister was interrupted by an attack from the Purists, right when she was possibly going to tell him something important. He glanced at her, finding Mosura's panicked look through her pants as he ran alongside her. He wanted to bring up the subject to his sister, but ultimately thought against it. Now wasn't the time to worry about a question when someone's life was in danger. Soon, the two came across a clearing, where a familiar castle lied just beyond a chasm. The two peaked over the chasm, to where the entrance to the cave was.
"OK. We just need to get down there and tell them what happened. They'll help. They have to," said Mosura with a gulp. Battra began to look around the area as it was getting dark. His eyes then widened.
"I don't think that's possible," said Battra. Mosura looked at her brother incredulously.
"Why not?" asked Mosura. Battra pointed to the other side of the chasm. As he did, Mosura followed where he was pointing and gasped. On the other side where the castle was present, she caught sight of several Purists escorting the Guardians into the castle as its large doors were opened wide. She caught sight a few Transmutants that she recognized as the higher ranked of the group, along with a few individuals that made her blood run cold.
"Oh my God. They have his mother!" cried Mosura.
"No..." said Battra in shock. He then noticed that there were the Principal and Vice-Principal of Mosura's school along with some other woman. But he also noticed Sunset Shimmer, along with nine other girls.
"They have my friends too," said Mosura as she gritted her teeth. Battra hardened his expression as he watched as the Purists entered the castle with their hostages. While a mech stood guard outside of the castle along with two other Purists.
"It's hopeless. We can't do anything," said Mosura as she slumped her shoulders as she was about to break down.
"Not if I can help it," said Battra as he began to retreat to the forest.
"What?" Mosura turned to look at her brother in confusion.
"I started my crusade against the Purists, now I'm going to finish it," said Battra. Mosura rushed in his path as she held her arms out.
"Are you insane?! They have numbers, guns, and some kind of mech! You'll be killed!" said Mosura in dread. Battra looked to the sky as the sun was setting further, while the stars appeared.
"I was always outnumbered and outgunned before, sis. But I used the shadows to my advantage. This won't be any different," said Battra as he was about to walk passed Mosura. However, she stood in his path again.
"Then I'm going to come with you," said Mosura. Battra shook his head.
"No! Absolutely not!" said Battra. Mosura glared at him.
"Why not?!" demanded Mosura.
"Because I'm the older sibling! You do what I say!" said Battra. Mosura scoffed.
"Are you seriously gonna pull that one? I don't care. I'm going with you," retorted Mosura as she crossed her arms.
"I said no! I'm not going to risk losing my sister!" said Battra. Mosura's expression softened as she lowered her arms.
"And how do you think that makes me feel?" asked Mosura. "I've learned that my brother has been out in the streets late at night fighting Purists. Every time, I could have woken up one morning to find out that you died."
"Mosu..." Battra looked away.
"You suck, you know. You don't want to risk my life but you're sure as hell so eager to risk yours," said Mosura with a sniffle. Battra sighed heavily. Mosura then wrapped her arms around her brother tightly as her eyes watered.
"Don't leave me. I love you, Battra. I always will," said Mosura. Battra's eyes began to sting as he heard this. He brought a hand over her head and wrapped an arm around her back and held her close. His eyes ran with tears as he held in his sobs. He felt as though a weight was lifted off his shoulders.
"Never," said Battra. The two released each other as they wiped their own eyes. Battra cleared his throat.
"Come on, let's go around to get into the back," said Battra.
Meanwhile...
The hijacked MONARCH prison truck drove towards the town in the early evening. Its wheels left tracks in the dirt as the headlights lit up its path. From within the vehicle, Senior, Junior and Onyx remained in the back, restrained. The three were now on a journey that would surely end in their demise. Senior sighed heavily as he solemnly looked to his son's cell beside him.
"Junior. Son... I am sorry," said Senior.
"For what?" asked Junior.
"Everything. Because of me, we are in this mess. Because I was arrogant enough to believe that I could atone for my own sins, I abandoned you and your mother. I became a rogue, formed my own group of rogues, and provoked forces that have brought us where we are today. And for that, I am truly sorry," said Senior as he looked away from his son in shame.
"Perhaps it would have been best if I had stayed away," said Senior. Junior's expression softened.
"Dad, I would have rather you showed up than you never showing up. I just want... I want to be a full family again. That's what matters," said Junior. Senior's eyes were downcast.
"And you gotta stop living in the past," said Junior. Senior looked at his son with raised brows.
"You made mistakes, you did things that you regret. Maybe you can't absolve yourself with effort. But you own up to your mistakes and try to make up for them. That makes me proud to be your son," said Junior with a small smile. Senior softly smiled back. He then looked to Onyx, who merely bore a neutral expression. Senior sighed.
"Well, I guess I'll be paying for my crimes one way or another, Director. Sorry that you have to share our fate," said Senior.
"Hmph. The God of War, Gojira Takeshi I is giving up?" asked Onyx. Junior glanced at his father.
"That's a title for you?" asked Junior.
"I don't like the situation any more than you. We're both soldiers, Director. But we're just tired old men who want a moment's peace. If this is to be our end, let us at least have a moment to be civil and peaceful. Let's...just be human beings," said Senior. Onyx merely bore a neutral expression.
"For years I've been haunted by the battle of Solgell. I even spent years searching for you and Destoroyah," said Onyx.
"And you had me. I know what I did. I regret it every day. But I respect you," said Senior. Onyx looked at him in confusion.
"What?"
"Yes. You hold the burden of security of Equestria against threats like the Revolutionaries. You know what is important and are willing to act. You are a great leader," said Senior. Onyx scoffed as he looked away.
"Stop trying to flatter me on our immanent doom," said Onyx in embarrassment. Junior and Senior merely chuckled in response. The three suddenly felt the truck rock.
"The hell?" Junior flinched as the truck slightly swerved. From outside, the armored truck was being pursued by a van, being driven by Inoue while Koizumi planted himself on top as he wore blood red tactical armor. The van swerved as it bumped into the back of the truck.
"Keep her steady, kid!" said Onyx over his COM. Inoue bit her lip as she drove. What they were doing right now was insanity. Her eyes widened as she saw that from the roof of the front of the truck, a Purist peaked out from a hatch and fired a sub-machine gun. Inoue yelped as she swerved, while Koizumi grunted as he held onto the top of the van as he lied on his belly.
"I said 'steady'!" shouted Koizumi.
"I was trying to keep us from being shot!" Inoue shouted back.
"Get me in closer to the back!" said Koizumi. The van went back to tail the truck as the Purist shot at them. Koizumi raised a pistol and shot at the Purist, causing him to retreat. The mercenary then got up and hopped onto the back of the truck, while Inoue slowed down and hanged behind in their van.
Koizumi carefully stood up as the truck had driven into town. He began to move up quickly while also remaining close to the surface of the roof as the vehicle quaked from turns, bumps, etc. The shooter reappeared and fired at Koizumi, who slid onto his belly and fired his pistol, catching the Purist in the head. The Purist fell back down the hatch dead, while the two reaming Purists looked back.
"Shit, who are we dealing with?!" shouted the driver.
"Just try to shake em'! That asshole is on the roof!" said the passenger. The driver roughly turned on a street, causing the tires to screech as the vehicle rocked. From the back in the prisoner containment trailer, Onyx, Senior and Junior felt the rough rocking from the truck but were unable to discern any causes.
From on top of the truck, Koizumi was remaining on top as the rough turns occurred. He then moved up closer until he reached the hatch. He dropped in and raised his pistol, but his gun was kicked out of his hand by the passenger. The pistol was lost and Koizumi found himself exchanging punches in the vehicle on the seats as the driver drove. Koizumi began to slam the passenger's face onto the dash board, but found his face being briefly punched by the driver.
"You fuck!" said Koizumi as he raised his fist and punched the driver in the crotch. The drive cried out in agony as the truck swerved, slamming into mailboxes and startling pedestrians. Koizumi went back to fighting the passenger as the vehicle swerved and rammed into sidewalk items. Koizumi groaned as he was struck in the nose and was then slammed into the door on his right. His enemy then drew a pistol but Koizumi recovered quickly and grabbed the passenger's wrist. He held his hand up as the gun went off multiple times. Koizumi then yanked it from the passenger's hand and aimed at him. The gun clicked.
"Damn it!" said Koizumi as he swung the butt of the gun against the Purist's face. He then forced himself in between seats of the vehicle between the driver and passenger. He then kicked the passenger's head against the window, which only cracked. Koizumi then reached over and opened the door and kicked the passenger out of the vehicle, who cried out as he fell into the street.
"You're next!" shouted Koizumi as he grabbed the driver's wheel, causing the vehicle to swerve. The two delivered punches to each other as they fought over the steering wheel. The truck soon crashed through a shopping mall's entrance, shattering glass. Inoue followed inside with the van with a look of dread.
"What the hell?!" cried Inoue as the truck rammed into windows, benches and mannequins. Civilians screamed as they fled the area to avoid being hit. Chaos rang as the truck drove through a clothing store in the mall, destroying the merchandise and the checkout stations. From within the truck, Senior, Junior and Onyx felt the violent bumps.
"These Purists are insane drivers!" shouted Onyx.
"Oh God!" said Junior as he felt the vehicle make a sharp turn.
From the driver's seat, Koizumi was bruised up as well as the driver. The two were still fighting over the wheel, unknowingly causing a path of destruction in their wake. Soon the truck rammed out of store and proceeded to drive down the main grounds of the mall, where all the stores could be found.
"Gimme that wheel!" shouted Koizumi as he pulled the wheel. However, the steering wheel suddenly disconnected from its spot. Koizumi and the Purist merely stared at the wheel and looked to where it once was. They then looked to each other.
"I didn't mean like that, dumbass!" shouted Koizumi as he tossed the wheel out of the window and began to strangle the driver. The vehicle roared as it made its way to the food court. People screamed as they abandoned their food and tables, avoiding the truck as it rammed into everything. It then drove towards one of the food spots, where the employees screamed as they hopped over the counters or retreated to the back. The truck then crashed into the counter and took out half of the small kitchen in the back. The vehicle had finally stopped. The truck smoked as hot dogs and condiments littered the front of window. Koizumi groaned as he lied slumped at the dash board. He felt himself pulled back to his seat and found the Purist raising a fist at him with a pant. Before the driver could punch him, the airbag deployed and knocked him back into the driver seat. The Purist groaned as he lied pinned, losing what remained of energy to fight. Koizumi chuckled weakly.
"Safety first," said Koizumi as he left the passenger seat.
From within the prison container, Onyx, Junior and Senior groaned as they were dazed from all the rocking and crashing. Suddenly, the back door opened wide, exposing Koizumi as he ate a pretzel.
"I believe some thanks is an order. Maybe even a raise," said Koizumi. Onyx's eyes widened.
"Sergeant Kira Koizumi?!" exclaimed Onyx in shock. Koizumi shrugged as a van parked by the destruction.
"Who were you expecting? Indiana Jones?" asked Koizumi as he bit into the pretzel.
"Sergeant, what the fuck?!" exclaimed Inoue as she came rushing down to where the truck was. "You just caused havoc all the way down town!"
"Acceptable collateral damage, kid. It's not like anyone got hurt," said Koizumi.
"I can't feel my legs!" groaned a voice from the truck's driver's seat. Koizumi cleared his throat.
"Not anyone we give a shit about. Come on. Help me get the kid out and the Director," said Koizumi as he entered the back of the truck.
"His father too," said Onyx.
"I'm sorry?" asked Koizumi as he quickly looked to Onyx.
"Wait... I thought the whole point of the mission was to arrest him and his rogues," said Inoue as she pointed to Senior with an incredulous look.
"Plan's changed. The Purists have a hold of something that these Rogues have been protecting. They have hostages and both of our men. The best chance we have right now is to join forces," said Onyx. Koizumi bore a deadpanned look.
"Director, have you gone senile?" asked Koizumi.
"Sarge!" exclaimed Inoue in alarm.
"We might as well cut our losses. No way we can win with just us. I called in to Yoshi and requested back up an hour ago. We should wait then," said Koizumi.
"You forget, there is no time! Now you do as I say if you want to receive a dime for your job," said Onyx as he narrowed his eyes. Koizumi grumbled to himself as he pulled a handle on the wall that opened Junior's cell. Inoue began to make her way over to Onyx as she drew out a small torch.
"Wait, how did the two of you know where we were?" asked Junior in confusion as Koizumi turned him around while opening a panel, exposing wires.
"Oh yeah. Well, we caught word that you didn't have an inhibitor chip. So, our dear Director assigned myself and our star Private to keep an eye on," said Koizumi as he briefly pointed to Inoue.
"Wait, wait. You were the ones at my neighborhood on the day of the shooting!" said Junior as he recognized the young woman's face and the man's voice.
"Bingo. Truth be told, I was close to abandoning you today," said Koizumi as he cut a wire. The collar gave a low hummed and the lights shut off. Koizumi then yanked the collar from Junior as the needles embedded into the back of his neck retracted.
"Ah! Mother-" Junior gritted his teeth in agony.
"In fact, I had gotten an itchy trigger finger whenever you acted up," said Koizumi as he tossed the collar to the side. Senior merely growled at the man as he narrowed his eyes. Koizumi cleared his throat as he stepped further away from the Transmutant's cell.
"But, you can thank Inoue's bugging that I didn't," said Koizumi as he unlocked Junior's cuffs.
"Thanks..." said Junior as he cupped his hand over the back of his bleeding neck.
"Yes. Thank you," said Senior as he still glared at Koizumi. Inoue merely gave a forced smile as she cut through Onyx's cuffs. She was glad that she didn't have a big mouth like her superior officer.
"But you know, the real reason why she has been sticking up for you kid is because she has a huge crush on you," said Koizumi with a smirk. Inoue's eyes widened while Junior looked at him in confusion.
"Oh yeah. In fact, every time it was her shift to watch you, she'd have this dopey lovesick look on her face," said Koizumi. Inoue scoffed as she glared at Koizumi.
"I did not have a ‘dopey lovesick’ look! I was nodding off because we had to watch him 24/7!” said Inoue in annoyance. Koizumi nudged Junior’s shoulder.
“If you want, I can hook you up,” said Koizumi with a teasing smile. Junior scowled as Inoue growled.
“I’m good,” said Junior.
“Geez, leave him alone. Doesn’t he already get enough of that crap from his mom and friends?” asked Inoue.
“Ugh. Thank you!” said Junior in exasperation.
As Inoue and Koizumi began to argue, Senior merely looked to Onyx with a deadpanned stare, as the Director pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Where did you find these people?" asked Senior. The sound of sirens filled the air, catching everyone's attention.
"Uh oh," said Junior.
"Director, I think we wasted enough time," said Senior. Onyx nodded in agreement.
"Sergeant, release Takeshi. I will handle the police. Private, have the van ready," said Onyx as he stepped out of the truck. Koizumi grimaced as he glanced at Senior.
"Shit..." muttered Koizumi.
Onyx walked through the destroyed food court in silence as the police sirens stopped. From a glass door at the far side, there were several police cars parked outside, with a dozen cops rushing into the door. Taking the lead was Blaire as she had her gun drawn. Onyx held out a badge.
"Director Onyx of MONARCH. I have the situation under the control," said Onyx as Blaire halted the advances of the police.
"Director, would you mind explaining why there were reports of gun fire and one of your vehicles driving through town causing mayhem?!" demanded Blaire.
"The vehicle was compromised during a mission. Two of my soldiers were acting in a rescue mission for myself, a Rogue and civilian," answered Onyx.
"Well their 'rescue mission' just tore through a shopping mall! Wha-" Blaire stopped as she found Junior exited the back of the truck as he rubbed his bleeding neck.
"Oh my God!" said Blaire as she was about to rush over to the teen, but Onyx got in her path. He's fine. But I need you to explain what happened. We're dealing a team of dangerous Purists that have a hold on hostages. I need the police department to be vigilant," said Onyx as Junior followed Inoue into the van.
"Hey, where is he going?!" demanded Blaire. Her eyes then widened in shock as Senior stepped out from the truck. She merely stared with wide eyes as the Transmutant silently walked out of the truck with Koizumi, making their way over to the van. Inoue couldn't believe her eyes.
"Officer!" called Onyx. Blaire snapped out of her dazed state and returned her attention to Onyx.
"There are Purist terrorists close to town! Keep everyone away from the Everfree until further notice!" said Onyx as he began to follow Koizumi and Senior into the van. The vehicle roared as it drove off, heading back from where it came in. The police merely stood in the destroyed food court.
"The fuck just happened?" asked an officer. Blaire merely stood stunned as she remained in place.
The van drove towards the Everfree Forest as Onyx loaded up a rifle. Senior and Koizumi did the same with weapons of their own in the back of the van. Meanwhile, Inoue sat driving while Junior sat in the passenger seat next to her.
“Hey, don’t let what Koizumi said get to you,” said Inoue.
"Huh?" Junior looked to her with a raised brow.
“I was just doing my job. And you know, it gets tiring. The Sarge is just the kind of guy that likes to mess around,” said Inoue.
“A little too much,” said Junior with a sigh.
“Heh. Right? It’s like, ‘give it a rest! You’re screwing around too much and It’s getting annoying’,” said Inoue in exasperation. Junior groaned.
“I have a friend who’s like that. God, he can be a pain in the ass sometimes,” said Junior. Inoue nodded.
“The guy with the red hair, right? I’ve seen him with you,” said Inoue.
“So, you get me right? What a hassle,” said Junior. Inoue chuckled as she nodded in agreement.
“Yep,” said Inoue. Koizumi suddenly appeared in between the two from the back with an annoyed look.
“You do know that I’m right here,” said Koizumi. Inoue tittered nervously as she kept driving. Soon the van came across the chasm again, where the castle lied. The group began to exit the van.
"OK. We need to make our way inside. Hopefully by the time we reach the hostages, back will have arrived," said Onyx as he checked his rifle. Koizumi drew his dual pistols as Inoue held a sub-machine gun as a sniper rifle was on her back. Senior cocked a shot gun, while Junior stood by.
"Wait... Am I supposed to wait here and do nothing?" asked Junior incredulously. Everyone else looked to each other.
"You really wanna get a kid involved?" asked Koizumi as he looked to Onyx.
"Son, I know you want to help. But this will be dangerous," said Senior.
"Dad, mom, and my friends are in there! Besides, you'll need the help you can get!" said Junior.
"I agree," said Onyx. Everyone else looked at him in shock.
"Really?" asked Junior in surprise.
"Your son is strong and inherited your traits, Gojira. We should take advantage of that," said Onyx.
"He is in no condition to fight with one arm!" said Senior. Junior pulled his left sleeve back.
"Most of my forearm has regenerated!" said Junior.
"What are gonna do? Beat them with your stump?" asked Koizumi sarcastically.
"Then he can help Inoue find the hostages," said Onyx. Inoue bit her lip.
"Um... Sure. I guess that's better than leaving him out here alone, right?" asked Inoue as she looked to Senior. The older Transmutant bore a look of reluctance. He then sighed.
"Listen to what she says, Junior," said Senior.
"Yes, sir," said Junior with a nod and smile. He then noticed Inoue holding out a pistol to him.
"Here. You should have one of these. You can watch my back," said Inoue. Junior carefully took the gun into his hand. Inoue quickly moved his index finger to the side of the gun.
"Keep your finger away from the trigger when you don't intend to shoot," said Inoue.
"Does he even know how to use a gun?" asked Koizumi. Junior shrugged as he looked the pistol over.
"How hard can it be?" asked Junior.
"This isn't a video game! Knowing how to use a weapon will mean the difference between life and death!" said Koizumi as he bore an outraged look. Junior recoiled in response. Inoue quickly stepped in between the two.
"I'll teach him the basics along the way. Come on," said Inoue as she tugged at Junior's sleeve and led him away from the group. Koizumi sighed as he began to walk to the bridge.
"So, you guys wanna charge in head first or go around?" asked Koizumi.
"The front is guarded, you fool," said Senior with a deadpanned look.
"Yeah, and you turn into a fire breathing dinosaur," said Koizumi.
"No. We need to keep the element of surprise. That should be a last resort. Is there any faster way around over the chasm?" asked Onyx. Senior nodded.
"Follow me."
Scar remained silent as his men carefully lowered the Ark to the ground. They were currently still in the cave. They were originally going to bring the ark into the castle, but it proved to be rather tedious to carry up the steps. They feared of dropping whatever was inside. So instead, they brought the Ark to the center of the cave. As of now, the men were analyzing it. Scar turned to Stinger and Adrian, who both were looking over the ordnance that the Transmutants were in possession of.
"These guys carry a lot of fire power for being smaller than Revolutionaries," said Adrian.
"Heh. Well, their loss is now our gain," said Impact with a smirk. He then turned to Scar.
"So, what do you wanna do now? We should be hearing from our boys that the thorns in our side are sleeping with the fishes soon.
"I want to know what is so special about this Ark," said Scar. Impact nodded as pointed to the men.
"Open er' up!" ordered Impact. One of the Purists nodded as he reached for the top of the Ark.
"I advise against that," said Amber from the net she was caught in. Scar merely glanced at her with a raised brow. As one of the Purists touched the Ark, he gave a sharp gasp as he stiffened.
"Aaagh!!" the Purist gave a horrific cry as he shook in place. His body then burst into light. The others covered their eyes from the intense light. They lowered their hands and stared in shock at what they saw. The Purist that had touched the Ark was standing as a skeleton with its jaw hanging open. The bones smoked as it remained frozen in place. The skeleton then dispersed into dust, falling to the ground.
"Holy shit," said Adrian in shock. Impact growled as he grabbed Amber by her sides as she was bounded in the net. Amber cried out in pain as her body was squeezed.
"What the fuck was that?!" demanded Impact.
"That was the reason why I told you not to touch it! Agh! Touching the Ark will result in death!" said Amber in a pained grunt. Scar stepped over to Impact's side with a hard expression.
"How do we safely open the Ark?" questioned Scar. Amber was silent. Impact growled as he squeezed Amber.
"Ah! OK! I yield!" shouted Amber. She sighed heavily as her pain subsided.
"One of the girls that you had taken hostage can open the Ark. She will not suffer the same fate as he did," said Amber as she looked the pile of dust by the Ark. Scar turned to Adrian and Stinger.
"Go and fetch one of the girls," said Scar. The two Purists nodded as they took off from the cave.
Junior was following Inoue close behind as they navigated through the bushes. They stopped as they came across the back, where they found two guards standing by the doors to the castle. Inoue took a breath.
"OK. I can easily snipe one of them from here. But the issue is that one of them will notice that the other guy has died. I can probably take him out before he squeals, but I rather not risk it," said Inoue as she screwed on a silencer at the barrel of her rifle.
"We can try getting one of them to wander," said Junior as he picked up a rock from the ground. Inoue smirked in response.
From the back of the castle, the two guards stood by in silence.
"Hey," said one of the guards.
"Yeah?" asked the second guard.
"Do you ever wonder why-" the guard was interrupted as they heard something impact the ground as bushes rustled.
"What was that?" asked one of the guards.
"Maybe one of us should go check it out," said the second guard as he glanced at the first.
"No, that's a horrible idea. One of us could get lost or taken out while we're gone. That's what the enemy would be expecting," said the first guard.
"But who else knows we're here? And wouldn't the enemy be expecting us to know that they would expecting us to go check it out, and by that they would count on us staying here so they could sneak around?" asked the second Purist in confusion.
"Uh.... Huh?" the first Purist slumped his shoulders. Suddenly he grunted as a whiz filled the air. He dropped to the ground.
"Oh shi- Agh!" the second guard's head was struck by a rock that came flying out of nowhere. From the bushes came rushing Junior and Inoue to the back door.
"So much for my idea," said Junior as he drew out the pistol he was given. Inoue carefully opened the door and peaked inside.
"Come on," whispered Inoue as she took the lead. The two quietly navigated through the castle hall. The darkness helped kept them hidden. The two peeked over a corner, where a Purist was strolling down the hall alone in silence. As he passed by, Junior lunged from the shadows and pulled him back over the corner. The two pointed their guns at the Purist as he lied on his back with his hands raised.
"Where are you guys keeping everyone hostage?!" demanded Junior.
"I ain't talking!" said the Purist.
"Either start singing or I put a bullet in your crotch," said Junior as he aimed the pistol towards the Purist's nether region.
"Whoa! Seriously?!" asked Inoue with a shocked look.
"Hey, I have friends and family in danger. I'll fucking do it," said Junior as he pulled the hammer on his gun.
"The dungeon! We locked them up in the dungeon!" said the Purist frantically.
"Huh. That actually worked. I thought he was gonna call me out," said Junior. The Purist bore a look of confusion.
"Uh. Wait wha- agh!" the Purist was knocked out cold by Junior after he sat the gun down.
"Hmm. I never found any sort of dungeon the last time I was here. We better start looking," said Junior as took the gun and stood up. Inoue cleared her throat.
"You were bluffing, right?" asked Inoue with a nervous smile. Junior merely glanced at her. He then looked away.
"Yeah, sure."
"Why did you pause? At least look me in the eye when answering me!" said Inoue.
"We're wasting time," said Junior as he began to walk ahead. Inoue slumped her shoulders, wondering if it was wise of her to give this boy a gun.
From within the dark and damp hall of the old castle, water droplets could be heard. A steel grate was on the ground, where fingers gripped on. The grate was lifted, where Senior began to emerge. He stepped up from the hole while followed by Onyx and Koizumi. The three checked their surroundings, finding themselves to be alone.
"The sewer line led us just below the castle. However, the dungeon is likely to be heavily guarded," said Senior.
"Then what's the plan?" asked Onyx.
"The castle was built with traps. Some of them can be tripped by certain means. But there's an organ down on this level that can activate certain traps that can prove useful. One of us will have to activate them while the rest of us must go and save the hostages," said Senior. Koizumi popped his neck.
"Just tell me where to go and I'll take care of it. I always wanted to fuck around with medieval death devices," said Koizumi. Senior pointed ahead down the hall.
"Go down that hall and make a right. Take a left after that and keep going straight," said Senior. Koizumi nodded as he jogged down the hall, leaving Senior and Onyx. The two looked to each other.
"Lead the way, Takeshi," said Onyx. Senior nodded as he took point and began to lead Onyx down the hall.
The sounds of light sobbing filled the air. Rats scurried along the stone floor of the dungeon. Several cells were present, with only wooden doors that were reinforced with iron being visible. Prisoners were only able to make out what was in front of the barred slot on their doors. Purists were armed and stood guard by. The cold damp dungeon was a matching tone for the state that Miwa was in. She cried into her knees as Posey comforted her, while the Main Six sat in the cell with solemn looks. However, Rainbow was banging on the door.
"Let us out, dammit!" shouted Rainbow.
"They're not gonna let us out," deadpanned Aria from the cell next door. She was sitting on the ground, present with her sisters, Celestia, Luna, and Sunset Shimmer.
"Well we gotta do something! What are you doing? Mopping on the ground?" questioned Rainbow with a scoff. Aria grunted in annoyance.
"Ah shut up!" said Aria
"Why don't you shut up?" spat Rainbow.
"Come make me, skittles!" said Aria. The girls from both cells bore looks of annoyances as the two argued.
"At least I don't have a boring voice!" said Rainbow.
"Better than sounding like a screeching harpy!" retorted Aria.
"Shut the fuck up!" shouted a Purist. The two girls went silent as they huffed.
"Ugh. Thank you," muttered Applejack. She then deeply frowned as her attention was drawn back to Miwa, who continued to cry.
From in one of the other cells, Manda was present with some Guardians. Her eyes were puffy as she sat next to Baragon. Hearing Miwa's crying wrenched her heart, knowing that both a comrade and an innocent child were going to die because of the Purists. And they were all helpless to save them.
"I can't believe it's going to end like this, muttered Manda. Baragon sighed.
"Same. I thought I was gonna go out in a hail of bullets to a Totalitarian government or alcoholism," said Baragon. Manda couldn't help but crack a small smile as a giggle escaped her throat.
"It's good to know you can keep up that sarcastic humor of yours in a situation like this," said Manda as she wiped her eyes.
"Glad to know it made you laugh. I hate seeing you sad," said Baragon. Manda looked to her comrade in surprise as he looked off to the side. Manda shyly smiled as she looked off to the side. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps filled the air. Everyone tensed as the steps approached. Adrian and Stinger had entered the dungeon.
"Scar wants one of the girls," said Adrian. A Purist nodded as he unlocked the cell door, where Adrian and Stinger entered. They found the Main Six looking at then nervously as Posey and Miwa stood up. Adrian looked to Stinger.
"Your pick," said Adrian. Stinger turned and found Fluttershy to be trembling. His cold visor reflected her image. He then roughly grabbed the girl by the wrist and yanked her.
"Ah! No! What do you want?!" cried Fluttershy as she attempted to pull away.
"Fluttershy!" cried Posey in alarm. She rushed over to her daughter but Adrian raised a pistol.
"Back off, lady! We're just going to borrow her!" said Adrian as she stopped Posey in her tracks. She then pointed her gun at the other girls, who immediately backed off as the gun was waved their way.
"You bitch!" growled Rainbow as she was about to step forward. Rarity grabbed her arm and held her back.
"Stinger, let's move," said Adrian as the armored Purist began to walk out of the cell with Fluttershy in tow.
"No! Mom!" cried Fluttershy.
"No! Bring her back! Take me instead!" cried Posey as she banged on the now closed cell door. She gritted her teeth as her eyes ran with tears.
"No, Fluttershy," said Twilight in despair. First Junior was gone, now Fluttershy. She wondered how much more friends she was going to lose. Suddenly the sound of an organ filled the air. Everyone went silent and looked around as the organ echoed out into the halls. It was ominous as the sounds came from the walls, without a specific location.
"What the hell is that?" asked a Purist. Adrian turned to Stinger.
"Take the girl to Scar. I'll find the source of that sound," said Adrian as she took off. Stinger merely ushered Fluttershy out of the dungeon.
"We gotta get out of here," said Rainbow as she clenched her fists. She gritted her teeth. "I wish we can just... Break out," said Rainbow.
"Breakout. Breakout," Twilight shot her head up. She looked as though she had an epiphany. She gazed at Applejack, who solemnly sat in the corner, she then looked to Rarity, who comforted Posey and Miwa.
"That's it!" said Twilight to herself. She quickly pulled everyone in the cell with her into a circle.
"Listen, I have a plan that can get us out of here," whispered Twilight.
"Really?" asked Pinkie in surprise.
"Yeah... But it may be risky. In more ways than one," whispered Twilight.
"Well, spit it out!" said Rainbow.
"We use those abilities that we've been getting. Applejack can break down the door with her strength. But the guards are likely to come in with their guns blazing. So Rarity, we'll be relying on you." said Twilight.
"I thought you said that these powers were bad," said. Pinkie in confusion.
"I said that our powers were dangerous. That's different. But they may be our only hope of getting out of here," said Twilight.
"But I'm not sure if I can just spawn a diamond shield like I did last time. It was an accident," said Rarity with a nervous look.
"And that super strength kinda comes and goes for me," said AJ in reluctance.
"We gotta try, guys. Otherwise, we're all gonna die here," said Rainbow.
"Look, try to spawn one now, Rarity. When you get it up and feel like you have a control on it, AJ will get the door," said Twilight. Rarity bit her lip.
"We don't even know how strong it is. What if their bullets go through it?" Rarity was visibly trembling. She knew that one wrong move would be the end of them. But that wouldn't matter if her projection was weak. She feared risking everyone's life on this plan.
"Then it's a gamble," said Twilight. She then gasped with a start as the ominous sound of the organ began to play through the walls.
"Seriously, what the hell is that?" asked an unnerved Purist. The sound of a radio crackling filled the air. A Purist reached for his COM.
"You guys hear that? It sounds like an organ," said a Purist over the COM.
"Yeah, we hear it. Where the hell is it coming from?" asked the Purist as he held his COM.
"A couple of our guys just split off to go look. Wait.... Wha- What's wrong?" the Purist on the other side seemed to have been having a conversation with someone other than him. The first Purist bore a confused look as an indistinguishable conversation went on.
"Wait, he what?! Where?!" exclaimed the Purist on the COM.
"What's going on?" asked the first Purist.
"One of our guys got his fucking head sliced off by one of those knight statues!" said the Purist from the COM. As this was going on, Rarity was in the process of trying to get a diamond shield to spawn. She strained as she held her hands out and wiggled her finger as if to cast a spell, but to no avail. Rarity took a breath as all her friends were focused on her. She hardened her expression, knowing that she couldn't afford to let her friends down. Rarity closed her eyes as she began to focus on what she wanted; a shield that would protect her and her friends. As Rarity focused on its shape and size, her hands sparked. Everyone in their cell stared with wide eyes as in a flash, a sparkling shield in the shape of a diamond appeared in thin air. Rarity opened her eyes as she spotted the glimmering transparent object, much to her joy.
"You did it!" whispered Rainbow with a grin.
"Wha- how did you do this?!" asked Posey in shock. Miwa, although amazed, was not as shocked as her neighbor since she knew why Rarity was able to conjure up a shield. Her son and Amber saved her the reaction. Twilight turned to Applejack.
"You're up!" said Twilight. Applejack nodded. She took a breath as she rushed towards the door. She clenched her eyes shut as she braced for the possible shattering of bones in her hand. As she punched the door, it flew off the hinges and crashed to the floor. AJ stumbled out in surprise, having barely feeling a thing from punching the door.
"What the fuck?!" exclaimed the guards that were present. Applejack stiffened as she found the Purists aiming their guns at her.
"This kid was a Transmutant the whole time?!" exclaimed a Purist.
"Just shoot her!" shouted another guard. Applejack braced for the coming bullets, but Rarity quickly got in front of her with the diamond shield out. As the bullets came, they bounced off the shield and crashed into the ground, walls and nearly caught a couple Purists back. The weapons of the Purists clicked, signaling that they were out of ammo. Rarity had her eyes clenched shut as she awaited the bullets, but they never came. She opened her eyes and found the stunned looks of the Purists.
"What... The fuck?" asked a Purist, his tone dumbfounded. Rarity looked at her shield and back to the Purists.
"Hmm. I wonder if..." Rarity muttered to herself. She forced her hands forward like a push, causing the shield to shoot down towards the Purists, knocking them all back onto the ground. The Purists groaned in pain from the impact. Rarity bore a pleased look.
"Oh! It can be used that way too!" said Rarity. From the cell, the rest of the Main Six and the mothers emerged, finding the Purists that were getting up.
"You little-" a Purist groaned as Rarity pulled the shield back and smacked them all with it again.
"That's for our school!" said Rarity with a glare.
"Quick! Get the others out!" said Twilight. Applejack rushed towards the dungeon doors and proceeded to knock them down, startling everyone every time from within the cells. Soon, the Dazzlings, Sunset, Luna, Celestia, the Guardians and what was left of the MONARCH soldiers emerged from the cells in shock.
What the hell?" asked a soldier as Rarity continued to knock the Purists back against the wall.
"So that's what Amber meant when she said they were affected by the Ark," said Manda in awe. Suddenly, the door out of the dungeon was broken down, revealing Junior and Inoue with their weapons.
"Wait, what the fuck?" Junior and Inoue lowered their weapons in confusion.
"Gojira!" cried the teens in joy and relief. From the door, Senior and Onyx came rushing in.
"Oh, you already released them," said Onyx in an impressed tone.
"Boss! Ah you tough son of bitch!" laughed Baragon with a grin, while Manda bore a bright expression as she was relieved.
"Director!" cried one of the soldiers.
"Eh... That's a big negative sir. They were already out when we got here," said Inoue as Miwa rushed over to Junior and Senior, sobbing in joy.
"Oh, thank God! I thought I lost you both!" cried Miwa. Junior looked to Twilight in confusion.
"Wait, how did you all get out?" asked Junior.
"Remember when we told you we were getting abilities from the Ark? We used them to get out and to knock out the guards," said Twilight. Junior scowled.
"So, you already made a plan to escape and we just came here for nothing?" asked Junior. Inoue looked at him in confusion.
"Why the disappointment?" asked Inoue. Junior shook his head.
"Never mind," said Junior. While he was annoyed that they risked their lives for no reason when the Main Six already released everyone, he was also disappointed that he didn't get to shoot the gun he was given.
"Wait, where's Fluttershy?" asked Junior.
"They took her away! They wouldn't say why or where!" cried Posey in despair. Junior gritted his teeth as he heard this news.
"Alright. Everyone must evacuate from the castle immediately. Soldiers, uncuff the Transmutants and arm up. You'll be escorting the civilians out of here," said Onyx.
"But sir-" a soldier step forward.
"Follow my orders! Civilians take priority!" barked Onyx. A few soldiers made their way over to the Guardians and proceeded to tamper with their cuffs and inhibitor collars.
"What about my daughter?" asked Posey.
"It's likely they took her because they now know that they need one of the children to touch it. I fear for the result. Myself and Onyx will go and retrieve her," said Senior. A couple of soldiers stood at attention before Onyx.
"Sir, requesting permission to provide support," said the soldier. Onyx nodded.
"Granted," said Onyx. Junior stepped to his father.
"Wait, I wanna come too. She's my friend," said Junior.
"No. You're in no condition to fight, son. Right now, I need you with your mother and friends so you can get out of here," said Senior. Junior was about to protest but his mother pulled him aside.
"Your father is right. Come on, we gotta go," said Miwa as a few soldiers took the weapons of the downed Purists and took point out of the dungeon. As they came outside alongside the Guardian soldiers, they found more dead Purists that were standing guard. Their weapons were taken, and the armed forces began to surround the civilians, watching the front and rear. Twilight squeezed passed a couple of her friends and found Junior close to his mother and Posey. She tapped his shoulder and drew his attention.
"Hey, I'm glad that you're OK," said Twilight with a soft smile. Junior didn't respond as he turned his attention ahead with his best poker face. Disheartened, Twilight retreated back with the rest.