//------------------------------// // Shots Fired // Story: The Alien Warriors: Battle for Equestria // by Texas Style Brony //------------------------------// Forest Southeast of Unicorn Range "Goddamn..." Tyler woke up with his whole body feeling sore as he unbuckled his seatbelt. After redeploying his force away from Canterlot the night before, he and his men slept in their vehicles due to need for sleep and to prevent the bat ponies from finding them again. Looking out the windows, Tyler could see a large expanse of forest sweeping all around the convoy along with a mountain range north of them. Also, some of the men in his force were already cooking breakfast on propane stoves to start of the day. Tyler was contemplating his next move when he was jostled by a knock on the window. "Sir, we were wondering what our next move is..." The soldier outside told him. Tyler opened the door and got out. "Well, obviously we gotta get back to that city and get those boys." "But how? You and Tommy said that two of those horses can use bulletproof force fields and shoot lasers!" "I don't know... I'm working on that.." Tyler responded as he and the other soldier went to eat. As the commander was eating at a fold-out table a few minutes later, shots rang out and some of the men grabbed their weapons in panic. "I swear if it's those damn horses again, I'll-" Tyler was cut-off as a round shattered a coffee cup on the table in front of him. He then got up, grabbed a regulator from the car, and took off to the direction from where the shots were coming from. Once he got there, he saw shots bouncing off of the humvees while his men took cover or fired back. "What's going on here?!" He asked. "Sir, a couple of minutes ago, someone began shooting from the west tree-line! I think it's those guys we're after!" One of the agents responded. "Has anyone been hit?" "No sir, everyone's been laying low or suppressing the enemy." Tyler then walked over to the nearest humvee and pulled out a megaphone. He then started climbing on top of the humvee. "SIR?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" "Relax.. They aren't hitting us because they're crap shots." Tyler then turned on the megaphone. "OUT THERE! HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Almost immediately, the gunfire stopped. Tyler then scanned the foliage, trying to find the people who were shooting at him. They were probably either too well camouflaged or were hiding behind trees or rocks. "LISTEN UP. THIS IS CAPTAIN TYLER FINN OF THE F.B.I. WE'VE COME TO TAKE YOU GUYS HOME. COME OUT, PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPONS, AND WE'LL TALK THIS OUT.." Ramirez and his men held their breaths and stayed absolutely still as Tyler called out to them on the megaphone. Despite the temptation of being reunited with their families, the team had already resolved to stay and protect the ponies. "Do you hear me? We are agents of the United States Government. We don't want anyone else to get hurt. Come out now, put down your weapons, and we'll get you home." Finn announced again. Ramirez then moved slowly and called back. "IF YOU WANT OUR GUNS, COME AND TAKE THEM!" Tyler looked at the forest with both a look of surprise and amusement. These guys were serious about fighting a force at least eighteen times their size! "ALRIGHT, WE WILL!" Tyler responded before putting away the megaphone. "Everyone load up! Start up the Humvees and lets go!" Some of the men jumped into the Humvees they took cover behind and started the engines. "Come on people! Let's go!" Finn urged on. Ramirez was giggling as he looked down at Tyler trying to get his large force to move in after the team. "What is it Sarge?" Parker asked. "This is the point of our plan. They might have us outnumbered, but the more guys they have, the slower they move..." "But they have cars and we don't." McLaughn added. "And that's why we're taking our leave right now. Come on." The Rangers then quietly moved away from the camp and headed further west. Five days later, somewhere in the Smokey Mountains Ramirez's twenty-ninth log So far, our plan seems to be working. As long as we continue to shoot over their heads, these feds keep following us toward the Undiscovered West. Thank God nobody's been hurt so far. At the rate we're going, we should have these guys out of Equestria in two days. Signing out. "GODDAMMIT!!!!!!" Tyler flipped his camp desk in rage. "IT'S BEEN SIX FREAKIN DAYS AND WE STILL DON'T HAVE THEM!!" Tyler and two of his officers were in the command tent trying to figure out their next move to break out of the vicious daily cycle of shooting, breaking camp, driving, and resetting camp. "Sir, calm down!" One of his men tried to calm him down. "Sir, have you thought about the idea that they want us to keep following them?" the other trooper brought up. "Yes, it would seem like that's what's happening." "So... why don't we stop following them?" "Are you kidding me? You want to lose them and expose our rear to attack?!" the other soldier protested. "Wait, he has a point.." Tyler noted. "There's a village just southeast of here. If we go to a populated area and hold the horses hostage, that may be enough to draw these guys into the open...."