//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Revenge // Story: Splinter Cell // by The philosopher //------------------------------// She woke up with the taste of blood in her mouth. Scootaloo's eyes were bloodshot, and her vision was blurry. The first thing that came into her focus was the motionless corpse of Green Beret surrounded by a red pool. Wiping the blood off her face, the orange mare crawled out from the rubble of the cart towards the fallen soldier. She nudged him softly, even though she new he wouldn't wake up. His eyes were wide open, trapped in a gaze of eternal fear for a death that had already passed. The letters in his Kevlar vest were red and drenched with his own blood. She couldn't look any longer, she felt an agonizing sting looking at her brother like this, dead and mutilated. Not far from him was Storm Cloud's body, frozen in his expression of surprise, and crucified to the ground by the beam of wood lodged into his stomach. Scootaloo stared at his body from behind the veil of tears covering her eyes. How alive they seemed only a few minutes ago. And it was only a few minutes ago. She could still see some of the PCE members lingering at the end of the street, their mear presence fueling Scootaloo's burning rage. They killed her brothers, they took her sisters. The pegasus turned to face the silver spear of Storm Cloud lying on the ground as dead as it's owner. She snapped off the head, then turned to retrieve the bloody dog tags of her family. She looked out to the PCE soldiers once more with eyes bloodshot in rage. They will pay.... . . . She passed Storm Cloud's body, quietly crushing the ground beneath her, ignoring the rambling static from his radio. "Storm Cloud! Crusader two-one actual! This is Crusader one-one actual over! Does anypony copy?! Crusader two-one! Shit.." She slowly stalked them, cutting the distance between her and the ponies in half before ducking behind an overturned table. It was obvious the bomb that had set off by her squad wasn't the only one in the city, debris was scattered like seed on a field. Scootaloo quietly advanced towards the insurgents, holding back the feral rage that coursed through her veins. Instead she hid once more, crouching behind a carriage on the road. Scootaloo wasn't a brute, she was far worse. She was cold and calculating, the type of murderer who knows how to kill somepony with precision. And precision was Scootaloo's weapon. Her sword, her vorpal blade. She saw not just the ponies, but an order. A sequence to overwelm them that would ultimately lead to Scootaloo's own demise if not followed exactly as it should be. there were three of them. The closest to her had his back turn. Strike his back. Turn his body into armor. Scootaloo eyes, blazed with rancor, never moved away from the three unicorns as she slowly approached them. Throw the makeshift knife at the second pony for a quick, clean kill. As for the third and final pony, he will be the trickiest to take down. There is no doubt that he will be firing magic bolts, and with the knife gone there was no way to fight back. The sequence played smoothly like a movie as the gears in Scootaloo's head were spinning. Use the first unicorn as a shield. When the target is close enough, throw the first unicorn on the third to disorient him. Kill him while he's on the ground. The orange marine watched them silently, hiding behind the debris of a building. The first pony was mere inches away from her. The moment to strike was now. They were all marked, it was time to execute. She moved behind the first stallion and kicked his hind legs, causing him to fall backwards. As his head remained in the air the pegasus quickly wrapped her hooves around his neck. The other unicorns were shocked by the sudden attack, not even responding as Scootaloo used her mouth to throw her knife into the second pony's throat. The agonizing wail of the soldier brought the last unicorn to his senses. He released a barrage of magic, only to scorch the body of his comrade. He continued to fire as the mare and stallion began to approach him, ignoring his friend's pleas for mercy. Suddenly, the burnt unicorn was thrown onto him, violently knocking him to the ground. He felt the cold earth on his back, and seconds later, an even colder dagger on his chest. . . . She could see it, a school, ahead of her only a few meters away. At least a dozen guards Occupied the structure. It was suicide to fight them all, but Scootaloo hardly cared. Brutish rage had clouded her rationality. She moved from cover to cover closer to them, hidden from view. Date: 4/23/2028 Location: Emerald City, near the Sapphire Mountain range Objective: Maintain peace within the region KILL THEM ALL First guard, dead. Second guard,dead. Third guard, dead. She should've been smarter and tried to bypass the guards, or at least kill a selected few to remain undetected. She shousld have watched where she was going, maybe if she had she wouldn't have crushed a shattered plate on the ground as he stalked the fourth guard. "Shit..." she murmmered as the guard spun around. The guard was quick to react, firing a charged bolt at Scootaloo's chest. "Gah! B-uck...." she whimpered, as she felt her back collide with the ground. "Hey! We've gotta straggler here!" cried the unicorn. "Shit! We've got injured!" "Oh my Celestia! How the hell did she take out eight of us?!" Eight? The number frightened Scootaloo, who had killed the other five? "Search the area! She can't be alone!" Two guards remained in front of Scootaloo, disgusted by the sight of her. "A mule with wings I see..." he chuckled. "What are we supposed to do with her, Sergeant?" asked the second. "Finish her off." responded the first. "But what about our orders to capture-" "We already have enough prisoners." said the Sergeant. "All this mule will do is take up space and eat food like a pig. Just kill her," The second stallion peered into the pegasus' eyes. They pleaded for mercy, for compassion. He kicked her side, knocking the wind out of her. "Guess you're right," he said. "All she'll do is take up space-" He never finished his sentence. The unicorn laid on the ground, bleeding at his head. His sergeant's own incapacitated body rest right next to them. The marine gasped in shock, her mind failing to comprehend what she saw. The two soldiers were dead on the floor with a cavity that tunneled through the front and back of their skulls, the insurgents that fortified the perimeter around the building were now on the ground oozing dark red blood, and standing in the middle of the bloodbath was a familiar figure. . . . Date:4/23/28 Location: Emerald City, near the market, twenty kilometers from the Sapphire Mountain range Briefing: Three members of Crusader squad (fireteam two) are eligible candidates for the 3rd Echelon. Unfortunately, Crusader fireteam two was ambushed at ten hundred hours as they were exiting the market. Intel reports of two members that are KIA'd, and three member's MIA. At least one of the three is guaranteed to be one of the candidates. Objective: Rescue the candidate(s) and the candidate(s) alone, as the 3rd Echelon is not associated with Celestia's military branches, and the 3rd Echelon therefore cannot have any form of affiliation with them. Good luck. A lone pegasus with a satchel bag stood in a crater outside the market. A white pegasus, pierced by a large beam of wood could be seen from the corner of her vision as she gazed at the body of a marine unicorn with a green coat. "shame..." muttered the pegasus, "He was one of the canidates too." The pegasus flew to the roof of what was left of a small building. Setting down her sachel bag, she pulled out what seemed to be a pair of massive glasses. They consisted of three lenses, two at the bottom placed where a pony's eyes would e and a third placed at the top where it would rest on a ponies forehead. They resembled something that of binoculars than glasses. She rested the odd goggles on her head before pulling out another alien tool. It was an olive green, L-shaped instrument, that looked similar to the P228 weapon utilized by the 1st Echelon, albeit longer. A clicking noise could be heard as the top of the weapon was pulled back. From the top of the building she could see everything that had been scattered on the war-torn streets, including an old school that the intel from the 2nd Echelon suggested the prisoners were. She also noted the bodies of three unicorns. By their build and mediocre armor, the agent knew that these were the bodies of PCE members. She glided down to the soldiers. One had died by kinetic bolts. The second unicorn was killed by a wound in the chest. The final soldier, the Pegasus noticed, had a similar wound that suggested he had been stabbed in the neck. A spearhead, by the looks of it. A marine had been here. The school looked more like a prison, with the crystal classrooms had llost their luster and had been crumbling buildings for years now and a stone wall that had recently been fitted with barbwire trapped everypony within the campus. The agent rested behind the stone wall now, listening to the approaching hoofsteps. The guard had been told to search for anymore marines. The order made sense to him, they had found a marine trying to infiltrate the compound only a few minutes ago, and only an idiot would try such a feet alone. Passing through the entrance gate, the unicorn quietly scanned every millimeter of the street that faced him. Nothing. Not a single living thing could be seen. Suddenly an ice cold grip latched to his neck. The mare reached her forehoof around the guard's mouth, suffocating his scream. Wrapping her second forehoof around his neck, the mare squeezed the unicorn's neck. The gruard tried to cry for help, but found that he couldn't even whisper the words. "Aaaaaaaa....aaaaaagh......." The mare released her grip, placed her forehoof on the back of the guard's head, and slammed it against the wall. She grinned sadisticaly at the lifeless body, "I almost felt bad about that- Almost..." She pulled the goggles onto her head. In an instant, the walls turned into windows, revealing thirteen silhouettes. Twelve of them were patrolling the area, while the thirteenth... The thirteenth seemed to be stalking one of the guards. Then the thirteenth sillhoutte murdered the guard. There was no questioning it, that pony was the marine. The Pegasus' face was unreadable, trapped between the urge to grin or grind her teeth. The marine, who based on the shape was unquestionably a mare, was either the bravest soldier or biggest idiot the agent had ever seen, and it amused and frustrated her to see a pony act with such couragous stupidity. Perhaps that's why she decided to help the mare. Perching herself on the ledge of a schoolhouse, the Pegasus watched over everypony like a hawk. There were still eleven guards, not surprisingly, all unicorns. The marine on the other hand, was a Pegasus, with an orange coat and purple mane. The agent, hanging over the ledge of the roof, chuckled lightly. "The second candidate... Sure does explain alot." The agent could see five unicorns, one by an old vending wagon, another by a derelict cafecterIa, two in the middle of the school yard, and one that was right under her hooves. The pegasus pulled out her olive green weapon with a trigger-happy feeling lurking within her. Breathing steadily, she aligned the sights with the first unicorn's head. The weapon didn't erupt with the ear-splitting scream of the P228, instead only releasing a calm hiss. The first guard fell go the ground, as if struck by a plague. The second guard, dropped dead without warning as if his heart had simply decided to stop. The third and fourth were killed by the calm breeze. The last unicorn, with fear gripping his heart and freezing his spine, shifted his eyes in an erratic frenzy. He struggled to control his breathing, half-expecting death incarnate to personally take him. He frantically faced left, then anxiously turned right. But he never looked up. He could feel the force of two powerful hooves crush him, smashing his spine. He mouthed the word "help", but the only noise he heard was the snap of his backbone. "Hey! We've gotta straggler over here!" The Pegasus was petrified like a cold statue, frozen by the chilling voice of a distant guard. What had she missed? Who had seen her? Slowly she turned. The Pegasus marine was on the ground, surrounded by four guards. "Search the area! She can't be alone!" The agent could see the malice in the unicorns' eyes as one of them kicked the vulnerable, purple- maned pony. His voice stung the ears of the agent as his horn began to glow a sickly green, " Yeah, guess you're right, all she'll do is take up space-" pew The first unicorn collapsed on the ground, his head like a fountain of blood. Not even a second passed as the agent placed a round within the second guard's head. pew "What the!" "Hey!" pew pew The last two guards slumped down on the earth like ragdolls, slain by the death that had slaughtered their comrades and left them baffled in their final breath. The ornanfe Pegasus raised her head, almost terrified by the fact she was not dead yet. What she saw she couldn't comprehend. Bodies. Bodies everywhere. Her executioners were bleeding at her hoofs, the guards were scattered motionless like discarded rags, and a familiar figure stood above the bloodbath. . . . Scootaloo couldn't believe what she saw. Her eyes were betraying her, that must've been it! Before her eyes, there was a Pegasus dressed in a black suit with an extremely slim Kevlar vest and a bizarre, three-eyed pair of goggles. But that wasn't what Scootaloo saw, what she saw was a mare she knew, she saw... "...R...Rainbow Dash?" The sky blue Pegasus scolded her, "You nearly got yourself killed, Squirt. What were you thinking?" "What... Why?" Why was she here? "What are you doing here?" "They found you much too valuable to loose." "They? Who's 'They'?" "That's classified. Is Sweetie Belle here? I'm here for her too." "What about Applebloom?" asked Scootaloo. Time had stopped, and the air became uncomfortably chilly. "I can't get her." answered Rainbow Dash. Now Scootaloo was convinced that not just her eyes, but for certain her ears, must have been treacherous. When she didn't hear Applebloom's name, she assumed Rainbow Dash didn't know she was here. After Scootaloo had corrected her, everything would be alright, and the crusaders, the three sisters, would be one again. What did she mean, she couldn't help her? "What?" she looked at her idol like a naive child, "what do you mean? Of course we can get her! She's here! Probably not even that far from Sweetie Belle! We can get her! It'll be easy!" "They don't want me to get her." argued Rainbow Dash. "Well buck them! Whoever the hell 'they' are!" she cried. She didnt want to loose Applebloom, "I'm not leaving with out her! I can't leave without her!" She couldn't walk away from another sibling. The dog tags of Green Beret and Storm Cloud were already too heavy for her. Rainbow Dash stared in silence. She thought about her loyalties. She thought about how they rested with the princess, how they rested with Canterlot, with Equestria. Then she thought how they rested with her friends. She thought about her friend Applejack, how the colors of worry and fear mixed grossly with the apple farmer's orange coat that wouldn't leave until bleached by a letter from Applebloom, and the ugly thought of the somber colors of pain and loss that would defile her golden coat if she was ever told that her sister had been killed. It was a thought that sickened Rainbow Dash, twisting her stomache in self-disgust. Could she cope with such pain? Could she live with herself knowing so much pain that would be casted onto her friend, one of her closest ones, whom she loved like a sister, was her fault? To do nothing, to Rainbow Dash, was no different from killing Applebloom herself. How could she ever have the cold blood to kill her best friend's own sister? "I can't help her Scootaloo... I can't....." The sky blue pegasus spoke, sick from her own words. "You have to! Please! I'll do anything! I'm not going to lose a sister!" she begged. Rainbow Dash felt a cold piece of metal touch her chest. The sensation made her smile, happy that she found where her loyalties lied. "I can't save her.... But....but you can!" she grinned devilishly. "Wha....huh?" stammered the orange marine. Rainbow Dash pulled out a large, boxed-shape pistol with a long cylinder attached at the end of it. Scootaloo was terrified by the monstrous object. It was black like ash, and despite its size more intimidating then a dragon. But what shocked her the most was that it was in front of her, suspended in the air as if it was in the magical grip of a unicorn. "Take this." ordered Rainbow Dash. "You were the only pony I was supposed to retrieve that wasn't a unicorn. Figured you'd need this just in case escaping was going to get tough. It's a Mark twenty-three SOCOM pistol. You can't hold it with magic, so you're going to have to wield it the old fashion way." "You mean to tell me this thing has been around long enough that there is an old fashion way to handle it?!" Shrieked Scootaloo. The moment she saw the pistol, as Rainbow Dash called it, she new that she hated it, and with good reason. It was new, and unfamiliar. "Hold it in your mouth at the grip- that thing." she pointed at the part of the gun at the end pointed down. "You're gonna have to deal with the metallic taste. This has eighteen bullets, or rounds- think of them as small, lead spears- in a magazine, which is located inside the the grip. See that thing? In the trigger guard, the circle by the grip. Looks like a 'C'? That's the trigger. Pull that to fire one of the round. After eighteen rounds, the magazine will need to be replaced. Pull down that switch at the bottom of the trigger guard. That'll slide out the old magazine. All you need to do is put in a new magazine, and, if all eighteen rounds were used last time, pull the top on the side of the pistol back to chamber a new round. Got it?" "What? How am I supposed to remember all that?!" Screamed Scootaloo. "You're gonna have to, for Applebloom's sake." answered Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo retrieved her composure, "Alright. For Applebloom," . . . The two pegasie skulked through the school, praying that Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were close by now. They approached the first building, which would have been the science wing before the school fell into disarray. Stopping at the door, Rainbow Dash pulled out a small stone that was clear like water and placed it near the bottom of the door. "She's not in here, nor is Applebloom." She groaned, Just a few guards. Best to avoid them." "How can you tell?" asked Scootaloo. The blue pegasus waved the stone, "this tells me. You'll learn all about it in time. Trust me." The base seemed silent, but the quietness did not fool the pegasie. Both Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo could see the guards monitoring the entire base. They were quiet like watchdogs, with no noise emitting from them except their cold, malevolent breaths. They were professionals, their discipline could be seen in their eyes. "There's no getting around them," cursed Rainbow Dash. "We need to take them out in an orderly fashion. We don't need a firefight." A wagon had approached the guard as the two pegasie spoke, carrying a barrel of glowing red liquid. It was only when the pony carrying the load was inches in from two guards that guarded the gate to a playground that was connected to a large classroom did they awake from their open-eyed slumber. "Who goes there? State your purpose." "Shady Business," responded the pony. "I've got a delivery for your commanding officer." "Fine. Put it by the playground with the rest." ordered the guard. "And watch it! That shit's freakin unstable!" "Scootaloo, fire. Now!" ordered Rainbow Dash. The Pegasus rose from her cover, levitated the gun, and fired a single, silent round into the guard's head. Scootaloo was far more clumsy. Chewing on the grip of her gun, she shot the unicorn's chest armor, then the wagon, then the wall. One more bullet flew out the barrel as Scootaloo cleanched her jaws on the gun. This time, a deafening roar blasted through the sky. The bullet had pierced the barrel, causing it to bleed it's blazing fire, consuming the unicorn guard and the pony attached to the wagon. Then all Hell broke loose. Eight guards, all combat trained, looked at the pegasie with bloodlust splashed on their faces. Again Dash found herself behind cover, while Scootaloo felt the foreboding thought of death creep up her spine again. What had she gotten herself into? "Celestia Dammit! Hey Squirt! Try bucking shooting!" Shouted Dash, snapping Scootaloo back into reality. Scootaloo peeked outside her cover, and began to fire blindly. She didn't stop firing either. She didn't. Stop when she killed the first guard, injured end second, and incapacated the third. It was only when the top of the pistol suddenly punched backwards did Scootaloo finally halted her firing. Trying her best to remember what Dash had told her, she awkwardly replaced the empty magazine with a fully loaded one. The gun rattled her teeth a bit as the slide jolted forward. With a satisfying click, Scootaloo was ready to pick off the last of the soldiers with Rainbow Dash. "That was sloppy..." critisized Rainbow Dash as the last guard drew his last breath. They searched the silent hallways of the next building. Once more, Rainbow crouched at the base of the door, and the blue pegasus grinned as she gazed into the enchanted stone. "Scootaloo," She whispered, "She's here; Applebloom's here." "And Sweetie Belle?" Inquired Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash placed the crystal at the door on the opposite side of the hall. "In here," she smiled. "I've got her. You go help Applebloom, alright? Be careful. There are two PCE members in there too." Scootaloo felt her legs tremble as she approached the door. The soldiers inside didn't frighten her, but the black pistol that rested in her jaw. One poor shot, one stray bullet, what if it hit Applebloom? What if Applebloom died in front of her because of the very weapon she wielded? Scootaloo banished the thoughts with a shake of her head. She would just have to make every shot count. She bashed down the door. Two unicorns were facing Applebloom, who was tied to a chair. The first unicorn had been punching the earth pony mercilessly, stopping suddenly as she heard the sound of crashing wood. The second had been attacked by the sharp splinters that fled from the bursting door like startled bats. Scootaloo pointed the barrel of her pistol at him, squeezed the trigger, and fired. The hot bullet cut through his head like it was butter. The Pegasus turned to her right and fired a round at the first unicorn. Then another round. Then another round. The unicorn mare collapsed to the ground as the third bullet casing danced on the floor. "Applebloom! Are you alright?" the Pegasus ran to her best friend. Her cheek was bruised and her left eye was puffy, and her words were slurred. "Wuh.... Whadda 'ell happen'd?" the earth pony groaned, "Wha ard'day dead? Whadda 'ell did'ya do?" Scootaloo untied the ropes restraining her friend. "Relax Applebloom, try to keep calm. Are you okay?" she comforted. "Yeah....yeah.... Ah'm fine..." she slurred. She carried Applebloom out of the room. Rainbow Dash was waiting for her at the frame of the door with Sweetie Belle supported on her back. She was bruised worse than Applebloom. "Come on, Squirt," guided Rainbow Dash. "We're getting the hell outta here." Like ghosts the four ponies moved about the school without a sound. Reaching the exit, the two pegasie ran to an old cart outside the school, carrying the two marines on their backs. The cart was a simple supply wagon, but to the four Equestrians, it was a golden chariot sent by Celestia herself. Rainbow Dash helped Scootaloo load Sweetie Belle and Applebloom onto the wagon before harnessing herself in the front. She casted one final glance at the school, looking uneasily at the red, volatile barrels in the school yard, before she finally spread her wings. The evening breeze kissed the pegasie's mane as the twilight sky greeted them home. It releived Scootaloo to see Equestria welcome her back in open arms. "So where to?" she finally asked Rainbow Dash. "You've heard of the 2nd Echelon?" asked Rainbow Dash. "The intelligence agency?" Responded Scootaloo, "Yeah, I've heard of it, Why? Are they the ones who wanted you to rescue me and Sweetie Belle?" "Not exactly," Rainbow Dash said, "Somepony else wants you. Somepony alot more important then the 2nd Echelon." . . . Uploading_Data: 3rd_Echelon Field_Intelligence: Uploading_File: Mk. 23 SOCOM Pistol Maufacturer: Heckler & Koch Cartridge: .45 ACP Description: Built in secret, as Luna had requested, for the 3rd Echelon, a far more advanced pistol was required, despite the existence of a pistol in general would be considered "advanced". SIG Saur, the original inventor of the pistol, also known as the P228, had long since passed away. However, his descendants, the twin brothers Heckler and Koch were also advanced engineers. Given their ancestor's design, the brothers were told to create a noiseless sidearm pistol to replace the P228. Abandoning the original layout of the handgun, the twins created a larger, bulkier pistol and a larger calibre along with it. The brothers had abandened the 9x19 mm parabellum for the wider .45 ACP calibre. Most importantly, the Mk. 23 had a small part of the barrel protruding from the body, giving it enough room to have a thick cylinder twisted onto it that would silence the gun (Hence its name as a "silencer"). The Mk. 23 was used for the first twelve years as the standard sidearm of the 3rd Echelon. Uploading_File: FN Five-seveN Manufacturer: FN Herstal Cartridge: 5.7x28mm Description: Named after its unique calibre, the FN Five-seveN was constructed in response to the Crystal Civil War. The PCE had sometimes sported armor that outmatched the standard Equestrian armor, and in such cases the .45 ACP calibre had been reported to fail in penetraiting the crystal armor. Luna privately called the pony engineering wonder known as FN Herstal to produce a weapon capable of piercing body armor. His first prototype, the five-seven, utilized the 5.7x28mm armor-piercing rounds. His second prototype, the SC-57 pistol, could accept a silencer and had replaced the Mk. 23 in the 3rd Echelon. Its final variant, the FN Five-seveN, sports a unique, intigrated suppressor and is still in service with the 3rd Echelon today. Uploading_File: Ultra High-Frequency Sonar Goggles Manufacturer: 3rd Echelon Description: the 1st Echelon composed of sarosians, who had natural night vision. The 3rd Echelon, however, consists of earth ponies, pegasie, and unicorns. To allow these ponies to see in even the blackest of nights, the 3rd Echelon instilled multiple-vision goggles, which provided nocturnal, thermal, and EMF vision. For fifteen years this model was used by the 3rd Echelon until it was replaced by the Ultra High-Frequency Sonar Goggles, which utilizes all three vision modes in one lens (Although the design still oddly sports the appearance of a three lens goggle). the Sonar Googles can only be utilized by Earth ponies, or alicorns (including pseudo-alicorns). If the sonar goggles are being used by a pseudo-alicorn, then unless the original species of the pseudo-alicorn is that of an earth pony, the vision of the Sonar Vision is poor and polluted with static, especially when moving.