//------------------------------// // New Years and New Conspiracies...oh yes, THERE'S MORE. // Story: Haylo: Crimson // by Zarius9998 //------------------------------// The few days after Christmas which lead to the New Year's Party were...well, boring. Everyone and everypony was exhausted from the long night, and, along with their normal duties, they just couldn't bring the energy to do much. Of course, with the absence of Artemis, there was never the constant threat of mischievous tricks or playful jokes. Life at the base stationed beside New Mombasa was just like every other base since Christmas...and a few were starting to hate the normalcy of it! Once you get used to the fun of a bit of Chaos here and there...you just can't enjoy life without it. "Luna, I know this technically isn't your job, but...I mean, allota the soldiers here know you more than most because of the excessive time you spend here." It was the day of New Year's Eve, the actually party starting in only a few hours, and Aerowin spotted Luna exiting one of the computer rooms. He decided he just HAD to confront her about the general mood of every soldier stationed there. "Aero, listen...I'm somewhat busy..." Luna tried to explain, but she forgot how stubborn the Pilot was, "l really need to-" "Listen, listen, I know you're busy, I get that! But something seriously needs to happen to get everypony back into the mood of the night soon! Else the whole party will be a bust..." Luna scowled. He was right, she had to admit. Every last soldier had been a bit down and nothing eventful had happened since Christmas...at least, as far as she knew. One pony, fortunately, or more likely, unfortunately, knew that an event was taking place which would change a lot of things: The entire base, the party, the ENTIRE SYSTEM, but mostly...his own life. This pony, actually, was walking by Luna and Aero at that moment. "Pip! Hey! C'mere will ya?" Aero called the tired soldier over, waving him down. Pip, who had spent the last few nights doing NOTHING but keeping an eye on a certain, mysterious pony, looked over to his friend and Princess with dreary eyes. With a yawn, he slowly began to make his way over, head held low and eyes half open. "Pip, don't you agree Luna should do something special to help liven this place up?" Aero asked. Pip looked slowly between the two, his mind not fully functioning due to the sleep deprivation. So...he shrugged, then started to continue on his way. He was too tired to do anything and just wanted to make it back to his bed so he could sleep and apologize to Cross for almost blatantly ignoring her since Christmas. He hated his new job...the description wasn't difficult, it was the target. She was more elusive than Ghost! One moment she'd be sitting in the cafe, the next, she'd be in the next room. Pip just couldn't handle it...it was driving his mind up a wall! Worst part of it all. This pony constantly kept her face, mane, tail, and cutie-mark covered with blackĀ fabric. She claimed to be a Freelancer, but The Director's data and tests seemed to prove otherwise. Still, there was no way of proving anything with this mare, so Pip was pretty much told to discover the last digit of Pi without a calculator. "...what's eating at him?" Aero suddenly asked, "N-nevermind...so Luna, is there really nothing you can do bring a bit more...Chaos, to this base? You know, just some fun to get everypony out of their slump?" Luna sighed and was about to tell Aero she was sorry that she didn't have the time, but then a thought suddenly came to her... "Wait...chaos...? You mean, like...a bit of...Discord?" Aero shrugged, "Uh, yeah, I guess." Luna almost smacked herself for not thinking of...HIM. In fact, she didn't even know what befell the spirit of Disharmony since the glassing of Equis, but, if she knew the prankster as well as she thought she did, then she was sure he made it out. If she could somehow contact him, then he might actually be able to help out the situation! Yes, he enjoyed causing chaos and anarchy, but to him, it was all in good fun. The only reason it was a REAL problem on Equis was because the entirety of Equestria relied on Harmony to really work properly, but on Earth...the rules were different. It would be a risky move without the Elements, but Luna was sure she could find ways to keep the Jokester at least somewhat restrained...but, she had to find him first. "Uhm...Luna...you spaced-out on me." Aero muttered, waving a hoof. "Yes, yes I know, I do that often...Goddess of Night and Moon and all..." she answered, "Listen, you just don't worry about anything, I thought of a way to lighten the mood around here." Without even giving the green Pegasus a chance to respond, Luna turned and dove into the air, zipping away in a burst of feathers and wind using her superior wings. Aero just stared as she flew off, wondering what just happened. ------------- Pip entered his room to find Cross laughing as the pet they secretly kept squirmed around on her head. He smiled slightly, thanking the little creature for snaking it's way into his armor before they escaped the Factory. At least he had a living reminder of Artemis. "Pip!...listen..." Cross started to say, "I'm starting to get annoyed at your lack of communication with me." Cross said, suddenly becoming serious as she set the parasite down, "You've been ignoring me and it honestly hurts...I know you really don't talk much, but you used to talk to me, now, you just come back and look tired...what have you been doing?" Pip sighed. He wanted so bad to explain his new job to Cross, but he couldn't for fear of what Halsey might do to him...or her. Instead, he half-explained his job. "I...I know ah've been...an i'iot la'ley, but...I go' a job from Halsey that I can't 'ell a'ypony..." he started, "Else you migh' get hurt..." Cross cross her hooves and seemed to understand, "I see...but I don't like it...we need to spend more time together..." she looked down at Sluggy as it slithered it's way to Pip's hooves and started to snake up his body, "I swear...I think that thing is trying to tell us something, sometimes." Pip looked at the small worm, as it actually seemed to look back up at him. Maybe this creature WAS trying to tell them something...but what would it have to say? Pip, thinking of a good way to find out, held-out his right front hoof and Sluggy zipped onto it, wrapping itself around him and making itself look like a bracelet. "What...? How did you...?" Cross stared at Pip and Sluggy in confusion, her mouth slightly agape. "I 'ave and idea. Walk wi' me?" Pip opened the door and waited for his marefriend to join him. Cross grinned and hopped off the bed, "Of course!" ------------- Meanwhile, Halsey knew something was wrong with her files. The reason she knew, was that whenever she searched for any files related to Crimson team, except for the recent debrief which she just added, nothing appeared. Someone had hacked her files and erased them, effectively cleaning Crimson Team off the board. The three remaining members now had a clean slate...they were new people...and ponies. It was as if someone had planned this... "Or somepony." Halsey sneered, "This couldn't have been coincidence. This mission changed the personalities of every member, and at the same time, the files of every prior mission are gone...she HAD to have PLANNED this!" Halsey shook her head, "And this new, self proclaimed 'Freelancer,' Diana...it really can't be coincidence that they share a name, can it? I swear, if my theories prove true, then Artemis is more clever than I give her credit for, which was already a decent amount." Halsey kicked her chair and rolled backwards on it, spinning to come to another computer. This one had the security files of the Rainbow Factory. Her top hackers had managed to recover the entirety of the Factory's security footage before the explosion had decimated every bit of information left unscanned in there, and Halsey was determined to discover the true fate of her most interesting recent Project. Every moment of footage containing Artemis in that factory had been compiled and ordered chronologically, and in collaboration with the bits of somewhat damaged footage and audio from her helmet, Halsey had put together a computerized debrief of the events through Artemis' perspective. She had reviewed all of the information up until Ghost's act of bodily sacrifice so far and it all proved to match. Now she just had to watch the rest...see how she handled the biologically enhanced armada, see how she BEAT them, and see how, EXACTLY she went supposedly K.I.A., for, as far as Halsey was concerned, this particular Spartan was too different to be killed by an explosion. She had the luck of John, and the skill to go toe-to-hoof with the late Noble Six. If it had to be an energy Sword to the jugular of a broken Six to kill him, then surely his pony equivalent could survive that explosion. "Let's see how you did it, Artemis..." Halsey muttered, scanning the files again... ------------- //Beginning Simulation... Files merging... Patterns found... Activating...\\ Wha...? What the buck...? Wait...what am I doing back here! I thought I died!...why can't I move?...wait...why can't I even feel!? What's going o-HALSEY! I can see you...you created an AI of my personality, didn't you? Fucking...oh, oh, my bad, a TEMPORARY AI. Fine, fine, just...whatever...I'll get your fucking debrief done with so you can erase me faster...this is immoral, you know that? This doesn't make you any better than The Director. If the real Artemis were here, I know she wouldn't skip a moment before ripping you in two... Gah...anyway, since I really have no choice in the matter...I'll start...you wanna know how I-I mean, she...the real me, did it, huh? Well alright then. You'll finally get to see your sadistic little project pushed to it's limits. It's what you've always wanted! So right after separating from Ghost and Pip... ------------- Author's Blurb- Well well well! seems like the adventure of Artemis and her band of wackos has come to an end...all that remains is this little AI of hers, and secret parasite which seems to take a liking to Pip and Cross...not much, right? She HAS to be erased from existence now...RIGHT!?...but what of this..."Diana," character? What is she, really? More to come! Before all of that, though, let's get our last fill of action of little ole' Wolfie before Halsey erases the artificial Artemis. Bonus chapter of just that next! As well as a bit more of Luna's plan for finding Discord...I mean, haven't YOU been wondering where the crazy guy has been all this time?