//------------------------------// // 16. The Breakthrough // Story: A Wilting Flower // by Terran34 //------------------------------// The smell of sweat and blood filled the empty second floor classroom where the surviving members of the group were holed up. It was silent in the room apart from the soft whimpering of the civilians and the haggard breathing of the soldiers. It was a miracle that any of them were alive to share in this situation and they all knew it. The multitude of desks that had once occupied the classroom had been cleared out and were now arranged into barricades on either side of the outside hallway. Kristoff was out there as a lookout, their weapons fully loaded and their eyes trained on the stairwells. Inside the classroom, Fabian was at the window, keeping an eye on the Oppressed milling out in the streets below, making sure none of them made a move to enter the school. As for Raul, the sergeant sat at the desk that once belonged to a teacher, but had since been cleared off and covered with maps and ammunition. He pored over the maps, no doubt trying to come up with a plan to escape the city. Aven, Avil, and Kent sat by the meager pile of weapons and ammunition that constituted their remaining stores, each of them attempting to learn from Travis how to load, maintain, and use them to their fullest extent. Yet they all knew that ammunition was running low; they could only save so much from the vehicles before the Oppressed overran them. William and Jennifer rested at one end of the room, where their wounds had been tended to and where they could rest. Jennifer was more or less in one piece, but William’s condition was very poor; his chest was heavily bandaged, but his clothes were stained with a great deal of blood, his face was pale, and his breathing was weak. Amaryllis knelt by his side, watching over him and tending to him as best she could. Raps was with her, the soldier’s lips set in a firm frown as he periodically checked William’s breathing and pulse. Along with the two of them, Mary, Jenna, and Emma were there as well, the former holding William’s hand gently and the latter two’s eyes glistening with tears not yet shed. There were a lot of soldiers missing from the room. More than half of their remaining number had been turned or slaughtered by the murderous Vanta and his Oppressed. Counting both the soldiers and the civilians, there were now twelve of them left. It was only due to Raul’s quick thinking and familiarity with the city that they’d made it this far. Even with Nascent Shade’s distraction, Vanta’s Oppressed were legion and there were plenty more in Manhattan itself, and if the sergeant hadn’t directed them to the city sewers, they would have been caught and killed. The journey through the sewers had been less than glamorous, as they’d been forced to navigate the damp, filthy tunnels and corridors for miles before they’d found a safe place to hole up; a high school located just off the highway by the Upper Bay. As the crow flew, it was five miles to Manhattan. In a city drowning in the undead, the distance seemed much larger than it actually was. Amaryllis held a slightly damp cloth to William’s forehead, attempting to keep him cool. She couldn’t think of anything else to do for him. She wasn’t sure when he’d been hurt; the last thing she remembered was seeing him charge into the fight to defend the women with her. She couldn’t help but nurse a small seed of respect for the man; for as long as she’d known him, William had never had much of a spine, caving into the demands of those more willful than him. Yet if it weren’t for him, Mary and Emma would be dead. “Will he be okay, Raps?” Amaryllis asked the soldier with a wavering voice, breaking the silence in the room. She knew the moment Raps’s expression changed that there was no hope. The soldier heaved a sigh, slowly shaking his head. “Maybe if we’d gotten him here sooner we could have done something, but… he’s lost too much blood,” Raps answered softly. Amaryllis closed her eyes tightly, feeling as though her emotions were crushing her heart in an iron vice. “He doesn’t have long. I’m just trying to make him comfortable.” Amaryllis bit her lip until blood flowed. She couldn’t help but tremble; this was too much. She’d felt more emotion in the past few days than she had in her entire life, and she just didn’t know how much more she could take. “Amaryllis?” a weak voice spoke to her. Her eyes shot open to see William gazing up at her, his eyes only just open. “Hey.” Amaryllis couldn’t think of anything else to say to him. She wanted to do something to comfort him, but she couldn’t think of anything. She was at a loss for words. “You’re awake.” “I…” William reaches up with his free hand, his fingers weakly closing around the wrist of the hand she held at his forehead. Amaryllis withdrew her hand, letting her fingers grasp him without caring how out of character this was for her. “Was… was I… brave?” “Yeah, you were a real badass,” Amaryllis responded haltingly, her voice catching in her throat. She indicated Mary, Emma, and Jennifer with her free hand. “You see these three? They’re here because of what you did. You saved them when I couldn’t. I… I’m sorry for doubting you. I’m so… so sorry.” “You had every… right to…” William started to say, but then he broke into a coughing fit, blood oozing from one corner of his mouth. “But I saw them… and thought of what you would do…” “Amaryllis.” His eyes widened in realization, as though he'd just remembered something important. His hand grasped hers all the tighter. “There’s something… I need to tell you.” “What do you mean?” Amaryllis asked. She realized how she sounded and quickly amended her words. “I mean… go ahead. I’ll listen.” “Heh… it’s okay. I know my… my time is short. But I wanted to answer your question… from years ago,” William said with a pained chuckle, forcing a smile onto his face. When he noticed Amaryllis’s confused expression, he explained. “You asked me once… why I cared. What I got out of helping you.” “It’s because you were always… an inspiration to me. You were distant, cold, and ruthless, but you were strong, willful, and you never let anyone take advantage of you. I wanted to be like you,” William revealed to her, every word clearly requiring a tremendous effort to pronounce. Amaryllis watched him in silence as he continued. “But you always looked sad when you were on your own. You talked tough but… I could see it. I always wanted to talk to you; to help you. But I never did; I didn’t have the guts to approach you.” “But Seth… he could do what I couldn’t. He could make you happy; he could bring a smile to your face when all I could do was look from afar,” William choked, tears forming in his eyes. “It hurt that I couldn’t help you… but as long as I didn’t have to see you so sad again, I was happy. That’s… that’s why I tried so hard to help you find him.” Amaryllis’s eyes widened, and she felt her eyes sting, a feeling with which she was unfamiliar. She wracked her brain, but she couldn’t remember seeing William all that often. Of course, he’d worked with them once or twice on group projects, and she’d always found it odd that he never ran from them. “But this is probably all gibberish to you,” William said, wearing a wan smile. “No, I… I had no idea. I didn’t think anyone could feel that way about me back then,” Amaryllis attempted to reassure him, all while cursing her past self repeatedly for never paying that much attention to the people around her. How stupid could she have been to think that Seth was the only person who was worth her time? “You just wanted to help me?” “That’s right. It’s stupid, but I felt that if you could be happy, then so could I. You and Seth… it was beautiful to watch your friendship bud. I wanted to preserve your happiness at any cost… I still do,” William expressed to her fervently. He suddenly broke into a coughing fit, his complexion growing even worse. “Can… can you do me one last favor?” “Name it. I’ll do anything,” Amaryllis returned, squeezing his hand tightly. William used his other hand, pulling it from Mary’s grip, to reach into his bloodied coat. When his hand re-emerged, a small photograph was clasped in his fingers. He passed it to her gingerly, making sure not to bend it. When she looked at it, she saw William standing in a sunny forest, accompanied by a youthful blonde woman standing beside him, as well as a young girl no more than three years of age clinging to his shoulders. All three of them were smiling brightly, the love for one another easily apparent in their expressions. “Is this…?” “It’s my family. If… if the city really is lost then… they’re probably gone. But if you find them, please give it to them. Tell them I love them and to be strong.” William’s voice was getting even weaker, his hands slowly going limp. “But if you don’t, then I want you to hold onto it. Keep it. Stay strong… and don’t… forget me…” William trailed off, the faint movements of his chest coming to a halt. Amaryllis realized when she saw his glazed-over eyes that he was gone. She slowly let his hand drop from her grasp, the photograph clutched in her shaking fingers. Without a word, she placed the photo in a secure pocket. She slowly stood up, with Raps and the girls watching her closely. She stared at the floor for several seconds, the girl remaining eerily silent. At first, she felt numb, devoid of all emotion. But then, it all came in a searing hot rush of rage that she just couldn’t restrain. “Goddammit!” Amaryllis suddenly roared, flipping over one of the few remaining desks in the room. The furniture fell to the floor with a crash, the guns and ammo that had rested atop of it clattering across the floor. It made enough noise to catch the attention of everyone in the room, including Raul. Despite that, she only felt worse. “Why is this happening!? Why do we deserve this!?” Amaryllis stormed across the room, heading towards something else that she could shatter. No one dared get in her way; everyone knew just how strong she was, and nobody was willing to risk getting in her way. Nobody except Mary. One moment Amaryllis was in full stride, and then suddenly Mary was in front of her, wrapping her arms around the devastated girl. Amaryllis struggled at first, but Mary was surprisingly persistent; she refused to loosen her grip for even a moment. “Hey. Come here. I understand.” Mary constantly whispered small reassuring words to her. “It’s okay. I’m here.” “Okay?! What about this is okay?!This is a goddamned nightmare! It doesn’t matter what I do; it doesn’t matter where I go; it’s all pointless! What does it matter how hard I try!? Is this really worth it!?” Amaryllis raged, her struggles slowly lessening as Mary persisted. “It’s like the world just keeps throwing things at me one after another after another to see if I'll break!“ “Shh, Amaryllis. It’s okay. You’re doing everything you can; everybody here knows this,” Mary attempted to reassure her. “Yeah!? And look where that’s got us: Jakob is dead; Grant is dead; Rachel is dead; Sawnee is dead;  Samuel is dead; and now even William!? I promised to save you. I promised to save all of you! But you just keep falling one after another… and I can’t save you! I just can’t!” Amaryllis’s vision swam and became blurry, an unfamiliar sensation for her. She realized a moment later that she was crying. “I can’t… I can’t do this anymore.” Mary didn’t try to argue. She only held Amaryllis tightly and reassured her in soft, gentle tones. Amaryllis’s rant eventually gave way to choking sobs, her body shaking in Mary’s grasp. She hated herself for falling apart like this, but she couldn’t help herself. All of these emotions that she’d kept bottled up inside were all coming out at once. “Amaryllis; nobody blames you. Even though you said you were just using us, we all know that’s not true. Nobody fights this hard for people they don’t care about. You’ve been trying your hardest to save us this whole time, and we can see that, even if you can’t,” Mary finally said, a determination Amaryllis had never heard before making its way into her voice. “That’s right! You’re a hero to us! You’re a hero to me!” Emma was the next to speak up, the younger girl walking up and hugging Amaryllis’s waist tightly. “Even… even if we don’t make it… I’ll be happy knowing I could go with you.” “Mary speaks for us all,” Kent was the next to speak up. The old conductor as well as the two twins stood nearby, looking at Amaryllis with gentle eyes. “We wouldn’t be alive at all if not for you. Please don't blame yourself for… those that didn't make it.” “You’re a hell of a girl, Amaryllis,” Aven agreed with a warm smile. “No kidding. If this is the end of days, I’m okay dying with you,” Avil added. “Of course, there’s no way I’m gonna give up. If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna make sure I'm proud of the way I do.” Amaryllis listened to their words with shock. This was more than just Samuel, Emma, and William. This was every single one of the survivors declaring their faith in her all at once. She didn’t know how to handle this; her entire life she’d never done what these people were doing for her now. Nothing about this made sense… unless Seth had been right about the human race after all. “But… all the people that have died…” Amaryllis attempted to protest, but then a heavy gloved hand fell on her shoulder. It was Raul. “Let them give you strength,” Raul asserted. When she looked at him in confusion, he met her gaze. “You’re not the only one who’s lost friends. You’re certainly not the only one to lose people under your command.” “But then… how do you deal with it?” Amaryllis asked weakly. “That answer is different for everyone. But for me, I remember each and every individual that I’ve lost,” Raul began. His eyes hardened. “Alex Bennett. Louis Ward. Lenny Bowman. Patrick Kauros. Bailey Harrison. Theo George. Odric Campbell. Max West. Tony Key. Elliot Coleman. Brandon Mckee. Taylor Spence. Noah Davidson. Joe Fox.  Robert Baker.” “These are the names of the men that I’ve lost today. I’ve memorized them all. Their deaths are on my head. But I will not regret the decisions I’ve made,” Raul asserted fiercely. “I will grieve, but I will not regret. To do so would be to spurn the sacrifices they’ve made so that we could stand here right now.” “Amaryllis. Make their deaths mean something.”  Raul’s grip tightened on her shoulder. “Imagine the spirits of those who have fallen. Not a single one of them wants you to fail. No matter what happens from here on out, they’ll stand behind you, encouraging you to be the woman that I know you can be. Now, are you going to let them down?” Amaryllis stared at him for a long minute, his words echoing through her mind. Something about what he said struck a chord in her mind, and her doubts slowly began to ebb. “...No. How can I face them if I give up here?” Amaryllis decided, her tears drying up. She extricated herself from Mary and wiped her eyes, suddenly feeling a strong sense of embarrassment. She blushed under everyone’s gazes. “God, this is pathetic. I’m pathetic. I’m supposed to be the strong one, yet this is what happens.” “Tough as you are, you’re still human,” Mary assured her with a smile. “That you hadn’t done this until now… well, that speaks to just how strong of a woman you are. I can’t help but admire you.” “I had my breakdown already, but I’m still here,” Jennifer pointed out, cracking her knuckles. “Everything I have that I can give you is yours, whether it's my friendship, my support, or even my life. All you have to do is ask for it.” “This means you’re just like the rest of us. Sorry, but you don’t get to sit on your pedestal now,” Avil pointed out with a grin. “If you’re pathetic, that makes my brother even less than that! Isn’t that right, bro?” “Hey!” Aven retorted, shoving his cackling sister. Amaryllis couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. She looked around at everyone, taking in their words and expressions. She had to admit to herself; Seth was right about humanity. Looking at them, she could feel it: Mary’s kindness, Avil’s laughter, Emma’s loyalty, Raul’s honesty, and Jennifer’s generosity. She didn’t understand how she never saw this before in anyone else. “Everyone,” Amaryllis spoke up in a louder voice, garnering attention to herself. “I want to reaffirm the promise I made before… but this time, I’m saying this not as the random girl you chose as your leader, but as your friend. I’m going to save you. Not because I feel like I have to… but because I want to. This I swear.” “That’s more like it!” Raul clapped her on the back, letting a rare smile come to his face. “Now, let’s get it in gear everyone! We’ve still got to come up with a plan of action. Amaryllis, you’re with me.” “Understood. Let’s get to work,” Amaryllis affirmed. With renewed vigor, the group set about preparing for their next incursion into the undead infested city. While Amaryllis and Raul pored over the map of the city, Mary and Jennifer took care of William, transporting him down to the grassy inner courtyard, where they could start to bury him. Everyone pitched in to make sure everyone was in fighting shape. Emma learned first aid from Travis and began practicing on some minor wounds, while Kent retrieved what limited medical supplies there were from the abandoned clinic. The twins scouted out the school kitchens and returned with an abundance of stored food and water; a huge relief to the starved and parched survivors. The food wasn’t great, as it was standard school fare, but just having their stomachs filled at all was a luxury they’d all been lacking since the attack began. Night fell before long, and the survivors took the time to get some rest. All the survivors had to take a turn as a sentry, as there were only five soldiers left from the original squad. Thankfully, despite the overabundance of Oppressed in the city outside, none of them seemed to be entering the school. Amaryllis sat atop the roof of the school, her legs hanging over the edge. The night air felt good on her skin, despite the chill of the wind. Down below, she could see the faint forms of the Oppressed moving through the streets. The street lights no longer worked; thus the only light came from the lanterns of the live ponies and the fire from the burning buildings. She heard someone walking up behind her. She turned her head to see Raul, who looked as though he’d just woken up. “Are you here to relieve me?” Amaryllis asked. When Raul nodded, she sighed in relief. She was feeling tired; even sleeping on the hard floor of the classroom sounded appealing. She got up and began to make her way back. “Before you go,” Raul stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “I’ve been curious about something for a while.” “What is it?” Amaryllis asked curiously. “It’s about that necklace you’re wearing. I’ve never seen you without it, and you’ve gone out of your way to keep from losing it. Is it important?” Raul inquired. He indicated the piece in question with a slight hand motion. Amaryllis looked down at the silver emerald necklace, nostalgia filling her as it always did when she beheld it. “Sorry, I know it’s a personal question, so you don’t have to answer if you’d rather not.” “Any other time I’d have told you to mind your own damn business,” Amaryllis retorted. She ran the chain of the necklace through her fingers, sighing. “But… there’s no real reason to keep it hidden. I guess I can share. Come to think of it, this is the first thing you’ve said to me that could be construed as small talk.” “Heh. I’m not too good at talking to people, really,” Raul admitted, much to Amaryllis’s surprise. “I can give a good pep talk, and I can talk professionally with the best of them, but it’s difficult sometimes to relate to people.” “I hear that,” Amaryllis said wryly, finding that she had that much in common with the experienced soldier. “So why so interested in me?” “I’d think that should be self-evident. You’re a civilian, yet you’re an excellent leader, you think fast on your feet, and your combat ability is top notch,” Raul reminded her. “It’s enough to make you interesting.” “Don’t get too interested. I’m off the market,” Amaryllis joked. Raul chuckled, but he said nothing as she continued. “To answer your question, this necklace was given to me nearly ten years ago by someone I treasured very deeply; more than I knew at the time.” “What was his name?” Raul asked softly. “It was Seth. He was male, sure, but he was a woman in all but body,” Amaryllis said with a chuckle. When Raul raised an eyebrow, she elaborated. “He was more emotional than I’ve ever been, and more awkward than a girl on her first date. But when he was with me, he was happy. He’d never admit it, but he needed me.” “You should have seen him when he gave this to me. He was blushing so hard; he couldn’t even get the right words out,” Amaryllis reminisced with a smile. She sighed again, feeling somewhat morose. “I wish I’d appreciated him more.” “He sounds like a wonderful person. I’m truly sorry for your loss,” Raul responded, glancing at her with sympathy. “Oh, he’s not dead. In fact, he’s probably having more fun than we are,” Amaryllis corrected him. Raul blinked, looking understandably confused. “You heard Vanta talking about my ‘boyfriend,’ right? Seth got in the way when Sombra was after me. As a result, he’s currently in the future with the rest of the ponies.” “I… I see. Forgive me if that’s a little hard to swallow,” Raul remarked. “You’re not the one who saw the pictures of those ponies on his damn phone,” Amaryllis returned wryly. “Supposedly not all ponies are bad. Just these ones.” “That’s good to hear, at least. Will you ever be able to see him again?” Raul asked. “I doubt it. But that’s okay; I’ve made my peace with that,” Amaryllis answered with a shrug. She began to walk back towards the roof access, yawning. “Well, I’m going to get some sleep. I’m dying here.” “Okay. Sleep well,” Raul replied. “And Amaryllis? Thanks for telling me about Seth. I can tell it’s not easy to talk about.” “Whatever. Don’t go getting sappy on me,” Amaryllis retorted. She gave him one last wave before dipping back into the building. “You’re welcome.” Amaryllis strode into the classroom and up to the desk the next morning, looking and feeling much better than she did yesterday. She threw away the remains of what had been a french toast stick and approached Raul. “What does it look like outside?” Raul asked without looking up from the map. He had a pencil in his hand, with which he seemed to be detailing possible paths out of the city. “About as bad as you’d think,” Amaryllis answered with a shake of her head. “Just like Staten, the city is burning or destroyed, and the Oppressed are all over the place. Getting out of here will be a challenge.” “I have an idea on how to tackle that particular issue,” Raul revealed to her, speaking low as to avoid letting the others hear. “I heard from Jennifer that you were able to control the Oppressed previously using the amulets some of the ponies wear.” “That’s right. It’s probably the only reason we made it to the church in the first place,” Amaryllis replied. “I don’t see how it’s much use to us now, though. We’ve no way of getting one.” “Not unless we get creative.” Raul produced a short and slender cylinder from one of the many pockets he possessed. Amaryllis recognized it as a silencer immediately. “I’m no stranger to situations requiring stealth. If we can take down even one of those non-unicorn ponies, we gain control of all of the undead under their supervision.” “And then we’d use them to create a diversion.” Amaryllis pondered deeply, one hand rubbing her temples. “But how would we even get to one of them, even if you did manage to snipe one?” “We’ll have to take some risks. Taking one out at range is a good plan, but only if we can retrieve our spoils after the hit,” Raul pointed out. “But this all academic until we can find out where to go once we’ve made our escape.” “What are the chances we could find a boat by the docks?” Amaryllis suggested. “I don’t think the undead can swim.” “I won’t say the odds are zero, but there’s a lot of variables in that equation; Vanta is a cunning tactician; if he and his forces know enough about our technology, he’ll likely have taken steps to eliminate every escape route,” Raul pointed out. “I can’t see the docks from here, so I’m not willing to take that chance without knowing for sure whether or not there’s boats left.” “Ugh, you’re right. But the next bridge isn’t for another five miles; and that’s ONLY if we cut through the city,” Amaryllis grumbled, indicating the shortest route on the map with a finger. “This time, we don’t have grenade launchers and heavy machine guns to clear a path.” “This is quite the conundrum indeed. But I believe that we can…” Raul began. In the middle of his sentence, a crackling of static came from his shortwave radio. He cut off immediately, looking at it in bemusement. “I’m picking up a signal. But that’s impossible; we lost the most of our radios on the bridge.” The static continued for several seconds before a heavily distorted voice came through, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. “...Wallace of the 10th Mountain Division. Any surviving members of the armed forces, please respond. Repeat, this is Major General Wallace of the 10th Mountain Division. Any surviving members of the armored forces, please respond.” The order was spoken in an official, yet hurried tone. Raul immediately ripped the radio from his vest and went to reply. “Major General, this is Sergeant First Class Raul Pearson, of the Navy Seals. Please tell me you’ve brought reinforcements,” Raul responded with a look of tentative relief on his face. As he spoke, the other survivors moved to stand beside him, eager to hear the first human contacts beyond themselves since this whole nightmare began. “Sergeant Pearson, what is the situation like in the city?” Wallace demanded after a short pause. “Apocalyptic, sir. Staten Island and Brooklyn have been confirmed fallen and are occupied by an enormous hostile enemy force,” Raul explained. “What’s left of my squad and I are pinned down in an abandoned high school by the Upper Bay with a small group of civilians and a VIP. Requesting immediate extraction.” “Easier said than done, soldier. We have a visual on the enemy force; they appear to be unlike anything we’ve ever seen, but they’re equipped with Russian military equipment. Our approach is blocked by a screen of anti-air emplacements. Getting close is a fool’s errand,” Wallace returned. Raul clutched the edge of the desk tightly with his free hand. “Our initial assessments peg the enemy as possible Russian bio-organic weapons. With your field experience, can you confirm or deny this assessment?” “I can deny that, sir. It’s far more complicated than that. The VIP I mentioned has important information concerning the attack; it’s vital that she get out of the city,” Raul answered, his tone getting more pointed. A scowl was forming on his face, an expression that Amaryllis soon mirrored. It didn’t seem like the general was all that interested in helping them. “We need your help, Major General. Without her intel, the US is in deep trouble. Is there anything you can do?” “Not as long as those anti-air emplacements are still active. As of right now, we’re circling the perimeter of the city, just out of range,” Wallace revealed. There was a short pause where they could hear indistinct conversations in the background. “We’ve just called for reinforcements. It’ll be some time before they can get here; how long can you last?” “Uncertain, sir. We’re surrounded by the enemy on all sides; it’s only a matter of time before one of them gets smart and searches the school,” Raul admitted. “We’re running low on ammunition, and we’re heavily outnumbered.” “Understood. Can you get to Brooklyn Bridge? With a little luck, we should be able to pick you up and make a quick escape,” Wallace proposed. Raul looked down at the map, noting the distance between their current position and the bridge. Like Amaryllis had stated before, the distance was about five miles as the crow flew. “It’s a stretch. You’re sure you can’t offer any further support?” Raul pressed. “Not until the reinforcements arrive. We’re a single transport copter with limited weaponry,” Wallace returned. Raul cursed quietly under his breath. “Understood. We’ll think of something. We’ll contact you when we’re within range,” Raul decided. “But before you go, there’s something you should know. If there’s any soldiers in the copter with you that have either previously come into contact with a victim of the HAED virus or have taken the vaccine...drop them off this instant. The vaccine was an enemy trap; with it, they can remotely control our troops.” “They can what?” was Wallace’s frankly understandable response. “I know how that sounds sir, but we’ve confirmed the proof with our own eyes. The enemy possesses unnatural abilities and cunning beyond measure,” Raul insisted. “I say once again; if you don’t want to be stabbed in the back...drop. Them. Off.” “...I see. We’ll take your word for it for now,” the general finally said after a short pause. “I expect a full report after extraction. Wallace out.” As the radio fell silent, Raul sighed and looked up at the survivors. He lifted his rifle and fixed the suppressor in place with a satisfying click. “Now then, are you all ready to get the hell out of this city?” Raul asked with a grin. “Like you wouldn’t believe,” Kristoff added. While the situation was too dire to warrant cheers, the relief that swept through the room was clearly palpable. Aven and Avil hugged one another, as did Mary and Emma. “Do you have a plan, Sergeant?” “We do. Amaryllis, are you ready?” Raul met Amaryllis’s gaze, who nodded with conviction. Then the sergeant looked back to Kristoff and the others. “Everyone, listen closely. I’m going to need every last one of you to help, or we won’t make it.” With that, Raul began to relate his plan to the survivors. The two earth ponies strode through the streets, clad in the dark steel armor unique to that of King Sombra’s armed forces. Ornate ruby necklaces hung about their neck, the gems pulsating with a soft magical glow. The Oppressed around them remained still, moving only on their command. As the two of them strode past the high school, the one closest to the building squinted in annoyance as a light shined directly into his eye. “What in the…” the soldier emitted, covering his eyes with a hoof. He turned to the school to see something shiny reflecting the sunlight in the first floor windows, though he couldn’t quite make out what it was. “Didn’t we clear that building already?” “That’s right. It was the first place we looked upon coming here. Why?” the other soldier replied. Ushering him over, the first soldier pointed towards the windows. Whatever had been shining wasn’t visible anymore, but he knew what he’d seen. “You don’t think we missed a human or two, do you?” The first soldier blanched. “I hope not, or the Governor General will have our hides!” he expressed with a shudder. “Let’s sweep it one more time, just in case.” “Good idea. The general is scary when he’s angry.” Together, the two soldiers gathered the Oppressed and made their way over to the entrance of the school. Before entering, however, they swiftly gave orders to the Oppressed they controlled. It wasn’t long before the undead surrounded the building, covering each and every exit with a wall of flesh. “Let’s move in. If we’re lucky, we can capture the humans alive. You know how the general likes that!” “Maybe we’d even get promoted!” the other exclaimed. With high hopes, the two soldiers entered the front entrance with Oppressed covering them on all sides. “Hey, humans! If you’re out there, show yourselves now and we promise you won’t be harmed...permanently!” “Idiot! Like that’s going to make them come out,” a soldier retorted, shoving the other with a hoof. “King Sombra demands your obedience! Prove your loyalty, and you may yet be spared!” “That’s not any better!” the two soldiers proceeded to bicker with one another for several moments, until they passed the front office and headed towards the first intersection in the hallway. “Alright, you head right and I’ll head left.” The two ponies turned the corners and immediately found themselves fenced in on both sides by humans. On the left were Raul, Travis, and Fabian, while Kristoff and Amaryllis were on the right. Each of them were equipped with silenced assault rifles. “There they…!” the ponies had no time to react before Raul gave the command. In a single volley, the two earth ponies were shot and killed instantly, the bullets easily penetrating their armor. “Target eliminated! Move to phase two!” Raul whispered harshly, motioning forward with a free hand. Amaryllis did as she was told and moved forward to the fallen ponies, ignoring the now motionless Oppressed that stood around them. She removed the necklace of one of them and donned it immediately. Just like before, she could feel the presence of the Oppressed connected to the amulet as burning pinpricks in her mind. She grunted, feeling much more than she had with the previous ponies. She felt about a hundred in her mind; double the amount she’d used before. Fabian grabbed the second amulet and put it on as well. He immediately doubled over, holding his head. “Gaah! It’s...what is this!?” the soldier grunted with pain, unused to the feeling. Amaryllis ran over to him and pressed a hand to his back. “It’s like fire...in my mind!” “Pull yourself together. You’re just feeling the Oppressed around you. Think of them as blips on a motion sensor or something. They’re yours to control now,” Amaryllis reassured him. “Just will them to do as you want, and they’ll do it.” Fabian closed his eyes and focused until his breathing calmed. It wasn’t long before the Oppressed close to him began moving at his command. “Okay, I think I’ve got the hang of it. What next, sergeant?” he asked, standing back up. “How many do we have at our disposal?” Raul queried as he directed the group forward. “I feel about a hundred,” Amaryllis answered. “Same for me. A hundred little fires in my mind. God, this is so weird,” Fabian returned. “Two hundred total. It’s not nearly enough to make a difference, but it’s at least enough for a distraction,” Raul reasoned. “Okay, we’ll stick to the plan. Head to the entrance and don’t have the Oppressed make any sudden movements.” The five of them headed to the front entrance at a swift pace, Raul snapping orders into his radio along the way. They exited the building and headed down the stairs to the landing. With the Oppressed in front of the school belonging to them now as well as the wings of the school encompassing them on both sides, they weren’t worried about being spotted. Suddenly, the sound of furious roaring erupted from the street to their right. Accompanying the terrifying sound was the sound of a rapidly approaching vehicle, which soon turned the corner, revealing itself to be a yellow school bus of the shorter variety. It rammed through any Oppressed that stood between it and the front of the school, a whooping Raps sitting behind the wheel. “They know we’re here now. Move our Oppressed to intercept!” Raul ordered. Amaryllis and Fabian immediately moved to do as they were told, willing the fires in their mind to block any enemy Oppressed from chasing after the bus. “Let’s get on that bus, everyone!” Raps drifted the bus into the courtyard, showering the area with dirt and bits of gravel. The bus came to a halt with the door already opening to admit them. Amaryllis sprinted forward and leapt aboard the vehicle, followed by Raul and the other soldiers. Inside the vehicle were the rest of the survivors, as well as a stockpile of weapons and supplies. Mary and Avil greeted Amaryllis enthusiastically as she approached, slapping her back and smiling with happiness and relief. Amaryllis allowed herself to smile, and then she sat down beside Avil in one of the back seats. Once everyone was on board, Raul tapped Raps on the shoulder. “Close the doors and let’s get this thing moving! Our Oppressed won’t last long; especially if Vanta gets wind of this!” he ordered. “Don’t have to tell me twice!” Raps yelled back with an enthusiastic grin on his face. He closed the door and slammed down on the gas, propelling them into motion and forcing everyone inside into their seats with the force. He forced the bus onto the streets and sped forward, pushing the engine to its limits. “Woohoo! Now this is how you make an escape!” “Open the windows! Let’s keep those bastards away from the wheels!” Raul commanded. Amaryllis did as she was told, yanking down the window and pointing the barrel of her rifle out. Even as she directed her Oppressed, she picked her targets and fired. She wasn’t used to using a rifle, so she missed more often than she hit, but her aim grew better with every shot. “They’re not stopping us now!” With that, the survivors began their latest attempt to escape the city. Their movements did not go unnoticed. The moment the undead began to battle one another in the streets, Vanta appeared on the roof of the high school. It didn’t take him long to spot the bright yellow school bus drifting its way through the streets. “How bold of you…but you cannot escape from me.” Vanta was no fool. It didn’t take him long to pinpoint from memory all of the possible escape routes from Brooklyn. He concentrated, splitting his personal horde of Oppressed into three. The first he sent to suppress the revolting undead that were covering the humans’ retreat. The second he sent to collapse the underwater highway tunnel that ran from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Together with the third, Vanta went to block off their only remaining escape route. Vanta narrowed his eyes, his eyes fixed on the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance. He closed his eyes, and then he disappeared in a burst of violet energy. “This game ends now.”