//------------------------------// // Chapter 38: Complications // Story: Devil's Due // by All American //------------------------------// Author’s note: Sorry for the long wait for chapters. I have been really stressed lately. I don’t feel like whining so I’ll just let ya’ll read now. - Alex and Vinyl walked off towards the speakers and began to play with the various wires. I walked back towards the H2 and climbed on top of hood as the suspension squeaked under me. Dash flew over to me and landed next to me causing the metal of the hood to groan. I pressed my back against the windshield and set my rifle in my lap. Dash sat down next to me as I looked over the snowy area in front of me. The town hall had a nice layer of snow covering it. I turned my attention towards Alex and Vinyl and watched as Vinyl directed him. They spent maybe an hour or so hooking up the speakers before a familiar face appeared in the distance. “Alex!” I yelled out “Hide somewhere!” Alex shot up like a prairie dog and nodded at be before he dropped down to the ground behind a bunch of speakers. I sat on the hood as Twilight approached the H2 and stopped just short of the grill. Dash flew down next to her and offered a smile to her. “What’s up, Twi?” She said as I hopped off of the H2. “Hello Dash!” She said in a cheery voice “I didn’t expect to see you two here.” “Ryan was invited by Vinyl.” Dash pointed out. “Nice to see you’re making friends.” “Yeah, we’ll go with that.” I said with a coating of sarcasm “You stayin’ for the concert?” As if on cue, Vinyl stumbled over to us to cover Alex’s movement to another group of speakers. I watched as he bolted and dove behind another group of speakers. Twilight spun around like she had heard it which made my heart race for a moment. “Somethin’ up?” I asked in an attempt to cover up Alex’s tracks. “N-nothing. I thought I heard somepony.” Twilight explained before a scream came from Alex’s position. A speaker fell over and erupted in a shower of blue sparks as Alex stood up clutching his right hand. Twilight jumped back in shock as Alex stumbled forward. “What the fuck?! AGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!” Alex exclaimed as he fell to his knees and beat his fist against the ground. “Who is that?!” Twilight asked as she jumped behind me. Dash flew over to Twilight as I ran towards Alex and dropped to a knee next to him. I set my AR down as I placed a hand on Alex’s shoulder to hold him still. “What the hell is this?!” Alex asked as threw up his hands. “Keep calm, I think I know.” I explained as I grabbed his left hand. Alex shuddered in pain as I held the back of his hand in the light to get a better view. I could hear Dash attempting to explain Alex’s presence as I saw an image begin to appear on the back of Alex’s hand. Slowly, the image of a soldier’s silhouette appeared. Alex snaked his hand away and caught a sight of his new mark. “My mother always said she would kill me if I got a tattoo.” Alex grumbled in pain as he rubbed his hands. I grabbed my AR and spun around towards Twilight, Dash, and Vinyl. Vinyl ran over to Alex and helped him up as I used the stock of the rifle to get to my feet. Twilight’s expression was on of aggravation as she walked towards me with a scowl. “Why wasn’t I told?!” She shouted at me. “Why do we need to keep yelling?!” Dash shouted back. Twilight looked over her shoulder and her posture relaxed a bit. Twilight still had a look that could kill as she returned her gaze to me. “Well?” I had nowhere to go here. I could tell her that I was keeping her in the dark or I could shift the blame with a carefully placed lie. Choice two it is. “Royal orders.” I said coldly “Nothing personal.” Bullshit, but she took the bait. Twilight took a step back and looked at the ground like she was searching for something. Twilight didn’t say a word, but the hurt was obvious. She took a step back, sniffled, and ran off. “Smooth, Ryan.” Alex called from behind me. “You ok, dude?” Vinyl asked Alex. Alex nodded at her as she helped him up. Dash flew over to me and gave me a scowl not unlike Twilight’s but angrier. “How could you lie like that?” She asked “She probably feels betrayed now and is going to go cry in a book or something.” I took a defensive step back and said “What was I supposed to do? I’m damned if I do, damned if I don’t. I was surprised Celestia didn’t tell her in the first place.” Dash gave me an angry once over and flew over into a nearby tree. I’ve played this game before with previous ex-girlfriends. Alex stepped over to my side and placed a hand on my shoulder. “You just fffuuuuccckk-ed up.” He said as patted me on the back. Vinyl trotted in front of us and looked over at Alex. “I realized that there is some… emotion stuff going on, but could you help me with that speaker you knocked over?” Alex looked at me and I waved him off. He shrugged his shoulders and ran off with Vinyl, leaving me by my lonesome. I looked down at my rifle and back at the H2 for a fleeting moment before I looked over at the tree with Dash in it. She sat a top on of the various branches near the top with her tail hanging down. I turned around and walked towards the H2. I pulled the trunk open and looked over my various weapons and tools that were scattered across it. I set the AR down and leaned it up against backseat before grabbing the G36C off of the bottom of the trunk. It was significantly lighter than my previous weapon but was less versatile. I collapsed the weapon’s stock and tucked it into my suit coat, next to my 1911. A chilling wind blew through me as I closed the trunk of the H2 and turned around. Alex stood right behind me with a smirk on his face. I jumped back and nearly knocked his jaw off. “Is this that mark shit you were talking about?” He said as he jumped around without making a sound “I like it.” “Piss off.” I grumbled in irritation from various sources. “Someone’s got issues.” He said as he held his hands up and ran off back to a mountain of speakers that were beginning to take shape. “Nobody asked for your opinion, so take your happy ass to someone who cares.” I said as I beat my fist against the H2. The H2 came to life with a shout. I walked away from Alex and made my way toward the driver’s side door. I could see Alex from the corner of my eye as he jogged over to my side. “What the hell is your problem? You’re bitchier than the clientele of a Hot-Topic.” He said as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I stopped in my tracks and took a deep breath to calm my steadily agitated nerves. I clapped my hands together and turned to him with a false smile. “My problem is that no one follows orders, I get blamed for it, and the fact that I haven’t exactly had a good few weeks. Now if you don’t mind, I have to go and try to resolve another fucking issue. It is like a goddamn game of problem Whack-a-mole.” Alex took a step back and offered a smile before pointing his fingers at me and saying “Good luck with that one, champ.” I watched as Alex ran off before I opened the H2’s door and climbed inside. I pulled the door closed and turned on the heater in hopes that my blood might not freeze in my veins. I adjusted my rearview to find Alex creeping up on Vinyl as she tussled with one last speaker. Just as I suspected, Alex tackled her, laughing the entire way down. I guess it was good to be young at heart. “Fucking idiot.” I mumbled before shifting into drive and driving to Twilight’s at a slow and steady pace. - I drove down the main street for a few minutes before Twilight’s house came into view. I tapped the brake and drifted in the snow a few feet. Driving in the brutal winters of Ohio had given me plenty of training for this sort of driving. I was probably more at home in the snow than dry roads. I creeped up on the house, applying only the lightest amount of pressure to the gas. When I was about 25ft from the house, I came to a complete stop. The V8 gave a steady rumble as I squinted to gain a line of sight through a window on the side of Twilight’s house. The snow didn’t help my cause as it continued to fall. I slumped back into my seat before declaring the whole thing a stupid idea. I guess I was just going to have to man up and tell her the full story. I shifted into park and shut off the engine. An eerie silence filled the cabin, one that seemed to foretell trouble in the future. I shrugged off the notion and opened my door. The door opened with an audible squeak as I stepped out into the fresh, ankle-high snow. The snow crunched under my feet as my dress shoes found purchase. I inhaled the crisp winter air before cracking my knuckles and making my way towards Twilight’s. I kept a brisk pace as I listened for any sounds. Only the wind filled the air in a town that is usually full of life. I stopped in my tracks and looked around in a paranoid fit. No movement was in sight, not even in the direction I had come from. Suddenly, I could hear a flapping in the distance. It was soft at first but grew in intensity. It reminded me of Dash almost immediately. I looked towards the sky but was met with only grey skies. The smile that was on my scarred face was immediately bashed down. As I returned my eyes towards Twilight’s, three large figures appeared before me. They each wore black armor and carried pikes. They were griffon soldiers from the looks of it. “Uhh… Hello?” I stuttered out in confusion. “Are you the human?” the one to my right asked. I slowly lowered my hand towards my pistol as I responded with a question “Who is asking and why?” “We are members of the Griffon Empire’s finest. We are here in search of the human.” I wrapped my hand around the grip of the handgun as I spoke “I am General Laney of the Royal Guard.” “General Twelve-Gauge?” one asked as it raised an eyebrow at me. “Some call me that.” I said as I pulled my handgun out and flicked on the laser sight. The griffons raised their pikes towards me as the center one declared “You are here by placed under arrest by royal order.” “You and what army?” I said as I raised my 1911 and locked the sights on the center griffon’s helmet. The griffon chuckled for a moment before speaking “The entire Griffon Empire’s.” “I have the Royal Guard on mine, so unless it is a war you want, I suggest you back down you sorry excuse for a Popeye’s ad.” “WATCH YOUR TONGUE-“ The griffon shouted before his comrade kicked his side. “Fly off before I drop you where you stand.” I declared. The griffons whispered amongst themselves for a moment before the center one turned to me again “You have until Midnight tomorrow to stand down or face the might of the Griffon Empire.” “You bring your army. My trigger finger is mighty itchy.” “We’ll do that.” The griffon declared before him and his comrades opened their wings and took to the skies. I watched as they flew into the clouds and disappeared as soon as they arrived. I holstered my handgun and felt a hand land on my shoulder. “Friends of yours?” I heard Alex ask. “I assumed they were yours.” I replied with a grin. “Not really. More like acquaintances when you get down to it.” He said, matching my sarcasm step for step “We in for it?” “Like you wouldn’t believe.”