//------------------------------// // No one was coming out of this clean... // Story: Payne-full Realization // by Ezbok58a //------------------------------// Max Payne and all related materials belonging to it are property of Rockstar Games My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic belongs to Hasbro, I in no way make any profit from this story. This is a story of my own strange mind that I wish to share with the rest of you. A special thanks to ATung231 for his awesome proof-reading for this chapter, which is now 20% cooler and more readable! Payne-full Realization By Ezbok58a Chapter 6: No one was coming out of this clean… The princesses, the six ponies, and I waited for the griffin delegation to arrive. The room we were waiting in could put five star hotels to shame. Then again, five star hotels didn’t come with pony guards, princesses, or bloodstained crates of weapons. The girls were across the room from me where all the pillows were piled on the floor. I was sitting at the table on the other side with my back to them. I wasn’t as surprised as I should’ve been that there were both, albeit fancy, a normal table and normal chairs in the room. I figured that other creatures came to visit so they’d need something to accommodate them but right now, where the table and chairs came from wasn’t my concern. The girls and their gossip wasn’t part of it either, although from their hushed whispers, I figured they had to be talking about me. Here I was sitting at a table with the contents of the folder the Princesses gave me spread out for my scrutiny while I held a glass of scotch in my right hand and a lit cigarette in the other. They haven’t seen me smoke and drink at the same time. Hopefully, they won’t see my more violent way of multitasking. Fifteen minutes down, forty-five minutes to go before the Griffin Ambassadors arrived. The cynic in me thought they were going to cover up their own military’s atrocities, like any politician would. I wasn’t looking forward to their arrival. For not knowing what was going on, the Princesses’ guards sure knew how to document evidence. I was having flashbacks to my NYPD days, only the ponies’ writing was more legible. How a group of ponies can manage to have better penmanship than half the NYPD takes some talent. The reports and the pictures they provided painted an ugly picture. Over a month ago, there were reports of something big happening in the wooded area around a place known as “Smoky Mountain”, due south of a place called “Tall Tale”. I swear these names were unintentional puns… Besides the ridiculous names, the residents of Tall Tale said a freak lightning storm appeared around Smoky Mountain two weeks prior to the griffin squadron arriving. Two weeks would be plenty of time for that mysterious benefactor to turn an entire squadron rogue, train them in advanced weaponry, and start their reign of terror. The details of the storm were sparse, but what we did know is that these weapon crates showed up around the same time the locals first saw the storm. From the storm’s arrival up until the griffins showed up, there were reports of loud cracks in the woods with the occasional explosion. Most of the noises were passed off as the wind playing tricks with them, but from what I read, I knew it was gunfire. Nobody investigated until a few days before the squadron was scheduled for their drill, which was when the first crate was found in a clearing, along with something else the Princess didn’t mention: three animal carcasses. The report says they were mutilated and killed by some magical means they couldn’t identify, but they didn’t have me here at the time. The animals weren’t mutilated. They were gutted and cleaned. And it wasn’t magic that killed them, but a bullet to their heads. Whatever or whoever came through with these crates knew how to survive in the wild and knew how to operate a gun. A dangerous combination, especially in a land where I found out not everything is as cute and cuddly as these ponies. Eight crates were found altogether, although only five were at the castle. Their contents ranged from assault rifles to bulletproof vests, and everything in between. I even found several bottles of Interfectum, the painkillers I take. The irony was lost on my company. I pilfered a couple of bottles and put them in my pockets. The crates themselves didn’t answer any questions. One crate full of guns was just like every other crate full of guns. Things didn’t become really interesting until after the squadron showed up for their drills. Before being allowed in Equestria, the Princesses requested some background on what this squadron was actually going to be doing, and who will be there. The numbers weren’t good at all. Counting the three commanders, there were one hundred and sixty-five rogue griffins in the woods under the command of someone who was highly intelligent and clearly out of their mind. Just like Nicole Horne. After their arrival, it was two more weeks before contact with the squadron was lost. Shortly thereafter, the griffin nation requested the Princesses look into their squad’s disappearance. That was when two more crates were found, along with the squad leader’s body. That’s also when the first gunfight started. The reports from the guards indicated that whoever attacked stayed within the woods and, at the time, they thought they were under siege by a magical barrage, based off the flashes they saw in the woods. The unicorn guards with them put up a magical barrier, but were shocked when it did nothing to stop whatever was coming at them. No guards were lost, but a few were wounded in the attack. The hits they received were mostly superficial: nothing worse than scratches. I knew they were under fire, and it told me whoever fired on them couldn’t operate a firearm to save their life, most likely the griffins. I found out later that the squad leader’s body was brought back to Canterlot, along with the crates. Reports indicate he had fought with whoever was training the griffins. I thought the pictures were bad enough, but to see the actual body in an adjoining room makes it worse. Come to think of it, I’m rather glad the girls weren’t near me now. Who knows how they’d react to looking at this poor bastard’s body, let alone pictures of him? The room was guarded by two pony guards on high alert. I asked to see the body, and I was let in. Like in the pictures before, his body was covered in shallow cuts and had a single bullet wound to the head, but what I would see next would showcase the killer’s true depravity. One of his wings was actually ripped off his body, his other wing was broken in three places, and there were the bullet wounds in what I’d assume were its rear knee caps, something the pictures didn’t show. Whatever he went against wanted to make an example of him, possibly in front of the squad. The guards in the coming two weeks made 4 more incursions into the area. The last incursion was six days ago, and that was the bloodiest. It appeared the griffins were getting better with their guns. The last 3 times, all the guards got away with minor injuries. Not this time. Out of the sixteen guards sent to investigate, three guards were dead and five were seriously injured. Two of the five seriously wounded were in comas and the rest were still in the nearby hospital inside Canterlot. The ones who were able to talk said they saw their attackers as they were carrying their wounded and dead out of the killing field. They didn’t even have a chance to address them. They were just cut down by automatic gunfire and shouting from someone they couldn’t see. No one was able to hear clearly what was being said, but the consensus from the ponies within earshot was that it was laughter. Yeah, laughter, because killing ponies checking out what’s going on is fucking hilarious. Laughing in the face of slaughter…I’ve run into far too many people who’d do that. I was nearing the end of the file, but didn’t see any reports of the griffins in the squadron. My guess is because the griffin delegation was bringing them to Canterlot to further themselves from the mess they created. The last part of the file I didn’t read was the information on the dead pony guards, and I wasn’t going to burden myself with finding out what families they left behind. I had my own crosses to bear on that front. I was too busy trying to put the pieces of the puzzle I had to hear, let alone notice that the girls stopped their idle conversation across the room and came up to join me. “Has that file been any help, Max?” Twilight asked as she came up to the table. She started looking at the open file closely. I saw her eyes settle on the pictures of the guards and the commander. She stared at them only a second before she closed her eyes and turned away. “Partly, but I still don’t understand some things.” I took a drag off my cigarette and flicked some ash onto a small plate as I contemplated what to do next. “There’s nothing we can do to help you, is there?” Rarity asked as she came up to the left of Twilight. She too noticed the pictures and averted her gaze to me. I grabbed the offending pictures and flipped them over so the rest of the group forming a semicircle around me wouldn’t see them. “Not unless you happen to know who, how, and why for these events. The file itself doesn’t give me anything but an outline as to what happened. It doesn’t tell me why it’s happening.” “You mean the griffins, right?” Applejack asked. I nodded my head. “With what I’ve seen here and what I’ve gathered from this file, there’s no ill will between your land and the griffins, so there should be no reason for them to show hostility toward the guards.” “But something made them change, right?” Pinkie Pie asked as she bounced in place. “Right, but what was it that made them change? No one changes sides at the drop of the hat, even if shown extreme violence.” I took another sip of scotch, and then Twilight spoke. “Their leader…you mean watching what happened to him doesn’t make someone change right away?” Twilight asked. “In my world? Not that easily. Maybe a handful, but the whole group won’t turn a 180 that quickly, unless there’s something else at play.” “You think there was something wrong with this here lot from the start of this?” Applejack asked as she adjusted her hat. “You know, for a country girl, you’re a lot smarter than you look.” “Uh, thanks…I think.” I could already hear a few snickers coming from the other five girls. “AJ’s got the right idea. Something’s definitely wrong with these griffins. It’s the only explanation!” Rainbow said as she took flight around the room. Her speaking up reminded me of the conversation they had when Celestia gave me the scotch. Somehow, I think Rainbow’s former friend Gilda might’ve had a hand in this, but I didn’t have any evidence supporting my theory, so I kept it to myself. “Rainbow, you said this griffin commander is the father of a friend of yours?” She stopped flying and quickly landed with a concerned look on her face. I could tell by her expression she was a little apprehensive on the topic, but I needed answers. “Yeah…it’s a bit complicated. I was telling the girls that earlier.” “Never mind that. What can you tell me about the commander?” “Oh him? Well he’s not the most pleasant griffin to deal with. He’s very strict and doesn’t like any backtalk.” “Would you say he sometimes becomes so focused on something that he forgets what’s right in front of him?” “Oh yeah, totally. Half the time me and Gilda hung out, she snuck away from her dad to get away from his overbearing attitude.” The answer was what I was looking for. The mysterious benefactor is someone who’s focused on a goal and nothing else, like Gilda’s dad, who would be focused on something so intently, he’d forget his own daughter was there. I’d need full files on those members of the squad to further confirm my theory but right now, I had an idea on who was leading the rogue squad. “Max thinks that the rogue commander overlooked the issues with the squadron as a whole, which somehow relates to them turning so quickly. Am I right, Max?” Twilight figured out my train of thought. Couldn’t say I was surprised by that. The unicorn has shown me her great understanding and ability to figure out problems in such a short time that I was actually surprised she didn’t think of it before I did, and this was coming from a guy with investigative experience in the NYPD, DEA, and the private sector. “He’s hiding, or better yet, ignoring something that’s key to the entire squadron turning at the drop of a hat. So yeah, you’re right.” The unicorn beamed with pride, much like a child does when they get something difficult right. I’d call it cute if the situation wasn’t so dire. “Um…what about them…?” said Fluttershy, barely audible as usual. I turned back to the table and sure enough, there she was. In her hooves were the pictures of the guards I turned over earlier. How she was able to hold those in her hooves was another one of those “what the fuck” moments I’ve been experiencing all too often in Equestria, but I’d eventually get over that feeling. “Do...do they have anypony?” Her voice was quiet and calm, considering the gravity of what she was asking. “I wouldn’t know.” “Oh, I see…that’s OK. Um…do you mind if I…?” I could see what she was getting at. If she was willing to go through with it, then she’s a lot tougher than I thought. “Go ahead.” A small smile appeared briefly on her face before she nodded and moved to the other end of the table to look over the guards’ files. “So how do you think this meeting’s going to go? I’m sure they’re not going to come right out and tell us the whole story. Actually, I don’t know how you’ll be received by the griffin delegation, Max.” Twilight said. I snubbed out my cigarette and downed the last of the scotch. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine, but if the griffins are lying, they won’t be.” The rest of the time was spent going over little details with the girls, as well as filling the rest of them in on my past, ironically on Fluttershy’s insistence. The shy Pegasus worked in a completely opposite way that Rainbow Dash did. She still held the information on the dead guards in her front hooves, as if she had gotten comfortable with it, but it’s never that easy. Deep down, I knew she was horrified and yet, she kept a brave face. Fluttershy’s a lot tougher than her demeanor suggests. My plan wasn’t going to be easy. There was a very good chance it’d just blow up in my face and make me a scapegoat to the whole debacle, but if it worked, I could get the truth out of them. I wasn’t sure how the politics of this world worked, but if it reflects mine, then the opportunity to knock some lying bastard to the ground was too much to pass up. And it wasn’t just the scotch and pills talking. The only other person who thought I should go through with this idea was Princess Luna. Celestia was apprehensive to the idea simply because it might put Equestria itself in hot water. I assured her that Equestria would be fine after this, but I was lying right to her face. No one was coming out of this clean if I was right, and Celestia knew it. The rest of the girls thought just as highly of my plan as Celestia did, although they were a little relieved to hear I was going to be outside the room while the meeting began. Something about putting all of our eggs in one basket, I think. Even though I’d be outside the room, I’d still hear the conversation going on inside, and the file was still in my hand. If these griffins really were going to pass the buck, I had everything I needed to bring them back to reality…well, their reality anyway. “Max, are you sure about this…I mean are you really, really sure about this? You don’t want to reconsider?” Twilight was panicking, as evident by a few strands of her hair sticking out of place, her darting eyes, and the pacing in place she was doing. This was the sixth time in the past two minutes she asked me. “You need to loosen up a bit Twilight. You’re too high strung.” “I AM NOT HIGH STRUNG!!!” Myself and her other friends took an inadvertent step back at her outburst. She slowly opened her eyes and realized just what she did. “OK. Maybe a little…” “Seriously, Twi’, Princess Luna’s all right with his idea. Why can’t you be as well?” Rainbow asked her. “I don’t know. All I can see is the probability of this going wrong and Max ending up in a dungeon and the Griffins at war with us!” “Dear, aren’t you being a teensy bit extreme?” Rarity asked. “Maybe, but there’s something that’s worrying me…” Twilight trailed off as she looked down the hall. I had to admit I was playing Russian roulette with Equestria. If I’m wrong, then everything would come crashing down on me, the obvious scapegoat. And whatever the hell is going on in the woods out there would go unchecked until it also comes crashing down. I’ve seen enough bodies already. What little good left in me didn’t want to see any more in a world so innocent and cheerful. “Besides, he may not even need to go in to argue with this griffin fellow. Honesty’s always the best policy.” Applejack said reassuringly. “That’s because your lies are terrible!” Rainbow added with a chuckle. Applejack glared at Rainbow, but Rainbow wasn’t paying attention. The element of honesty being a terrible liar seemed logical: you wouldn’t want someone who’s so honest to tell good lies. Then again, she was very simple in her ways. We walked from the room the Princesses provided us down to the main hall where we had our meeting earlier. The Ambassador from the Griffin Kingdom and the Commander of their guards were currently outside the castle and would be headed here. We’d be in a room attached to the main hall to keep our presence from the griffin delegation a secret. With the help of the Unicorn guards’ magic, we’d be able to see and hear what the Ambassadors and the Princesses would be talking about so when we were called in, we wouldn’t be walking in blind. Both Princesses knew when they were going to call us in, which led me to believe these griffins weren’t going to be as reasonable as I thought. Everything about this supposed training exercise they were on stunk to high heaven. It’s too convenient in my mind, something a few of the girls agreed with, but they didn’t think it was planned. Ever the cynic, I kept a great deal of mistrust towards the griffins. “Why exactly is this Griffin Commander coming along with the Ambassador again? This seems like something the Ambassador should handle alone.” Rarity asked as she bounced the curled part of her mane in her front hoof. “Probably because it’s his griffins that are out there going crazy.” Rainbow said. “Going crazy? Is that what you call it?” Applejack asked. “There are three dead guards, a dead leader, and who knows what else they destroyed during their three weeks away from the griffin kingdom. So yeah, crazy…” “The unicorn guards’ report mentioned they sent the messages to Smoky Mountain, but nobody responded back. That means if the griffins say that their squadron never received any messages, they’re lying.” Applejack reasoned. “There has to be more to it than that. The griffins have something to hide if they’re ignoring correspondence from their own kingdom.” I added. “Well, what could they be hiding?” Pinkie Pie interjected. “More than likely, nothing good. You never hide anything that’d be good.” “Well Max, looks like we’re going to find out.” Twilight said with a nervous gulp. Sure enough, the side door to the main conference room opened up and in came both Princesses with the two griffins. The one I think was the Ambassador was wearing what I could only describe as a tuxedo shirt…or something that looked like it. I’d imagine a full tuxedo wouldn’t exactly work on creatures with four legs, so half a tuxedo would have to do. Next to the Ambassador was another griffin wearing a bright blue vest with various medals pinned to it in typical military fashion. He also wore a blue and red accented brimmed hat on top of his head. If ever there was a Griffin version of the old Luftwaffe leader Hermann Goering, this was it here. The way he carried himself gave off an air of contempt for being here in the first place. I spotted a file tucked under his left wing. Assuming that was the file on the actual squadron, they were definitely here to deny everything and divert blame elsewhere. Things were certainly going to be interesting in the next few minutes. Waiting in the room for the two princesses and griffins was Captain Shining Armor. He was really there as a conduit of the unicorn guards’ magic, ensuring that we’d be able to see and hear everything inside the room. “Captain Shining Armor, this is Ambassador Chaplin of the Griffin kingdom and Commander Gunter of the griffin guards.” Celestia said. The names seemed to come right out of a kid’s storybook, and just like a kid’s story, I was thinking that Chaplin and Gunter’s personalities would be exact opposites. “It’s a pleasure.” Shining said with a slight bow of the head. “I wish it was under better circumstances.” Chaplin said as he returned his bow. Gunter just huffed. “Well, at least I know where Gilda got her attitude from.” Rainbow said. “Is something bothering you about this meeting, Commander Gunter?” Luna asked as she walked in front of the two griffins and took a seat next to her sister. Gunter eyed the princesses warily as a scornful expression appeared on his face. “Looks like we’ll be coming in sooner than I expected.” I said as I turned to Fluttershy. “Oh…my, he looks quite…mad…” Fluttershy said before she realized I was facing her. “Sorry Fluttershy, but I’m going to need the file on the dead pony guards for this. Unless of course you want to spring those photos on him…” “No, that’s all right…you could probably do it better than I would…” A small smile appeared on her face as she handed over the file of the dead pony guards. I wasn’t originally going to use the pony guards as leverage, figuring that as we pressed further Fluttershy would show the two griffins the files and her demeanor would persuade them to tell us everything. Gunter’s attitude quickly rendered that plan moot. The only way to get to Gunter was not by sweet talk and persuasion, but to actually show him the terror and death at the hands of his squadron via the photos. I didn’t know if this would work, but when have countless years’ of experience in the NYPD and DEA, you have an idea of how to get somebody to talk. And right now, hard hitting facts were going to be the key. “Princess, I must apologize for Commander Gunter’s behavior. Not only did he insist on coming along, but he is also very protective of his squadron…” Chaplin said, eyeing his counterpart warily. Mistrust already. Feels like home. “I don’t appreciate my men being called traitors…” Gunter growled. A silence hung over the room threatening to smother us as the gravity of Gunter’s statement sunk in. “I never suggested anything of the sort!” Celestia retorted sharply. “Well, that escalated quickly…” Applejack said, sharing a worried look with her friends. “Commander Gunter, with all due respect, three of my own guards are dead.” Shining Armor said the faintest sign of a scowl on his face. “And I don’t see how my own guards are responsible for your own guards’ carelessness! Clearly you should train them better!” Gunter said with disdain. “Oh no…this is bad…” Twilight said. “Bad? We’re way past bad!” Rainbow said as gestured towards Gunter. “Ladies, I suspect we’ll be going in soon.” I said. Judging by Gunter’s utter disdain for the slain pony guards, we were either going to go in and show him the light, or we’d be cleaning his remains off the floor. If things didn’t change quickly, no one was coming out of this clean. “Commander! Watch your tone!” Chaplin hissed at his companion, looking very nervous. “I will not! I knew you’d try to lay the blame onto my squadron which is why I insisted I come along! My squad is not a bunch of traitors!” The expression on the princesses remained neutral as Luna turned her head slightly towards her sister. “Sister, shall I bring our guests in?” “Not yet, Luna. First we have to make some points very clear to Commander Gunter here.” Gunter huffed indignantly at the Princesses’ statement, something I gathered he’d soon regret. “Ambassador Chaplin, when we told you about the incidents that have occurred as a result of me sending several members of my guard to investigate, was the word “traitor” anywhere in that message?” Celestia asked. “Absolutely not, your highness…” “Was there ever any mention of their actions reflecting those of the Griffin nation as a whole?” “…of course not, your highness…” “So tell me Ambassador, is your Commander here hard of hearing?” A grin appeared on my face as I heard a few of the girls snicker. The Princesses ability to remain neutral, even when insulting Commander Gunter, was something to behold. “Um…apparently so, your highness.” “CHAPLIN! HOW DARE YOU…“ “Commander Gunter, I strongly advise you to keep your outbursts to yourself! You were not part of the initial message and as such you will not voice your concerns until we ask. You are in my land as my guest. You do not interrupt me or anyone else here! Is that understood?” Gunter looked between the two Princesses and then back at the Ambassador before reluctantly nodding his head in agreement. “Good. Now because you’re here, we’ll cover anything you don’t understand, Commander, and you’ll understand why we did what we did.” Celestia continued. “Prior to your squadron’s request to do training exercises in the woods outside of Tall Tale, we heard reports of something different arriving in the woods. Something the townsfolk dismissed as the woodland creatures being “overactive”. We now know that wasn’t the case. Whatever actually was there we now believe is the same thing that took your squadron and turned it against not only your own nation, but ours as well.” Gunter remained silent. When Princess Celestia paused, the ambassador spoke. “I remember our correspondence, and the reason I’m here - and probably the reason Commander Gunter is here as well - is regarding why you believe that our own squadron would turn like that.” “Exactly, Ambassador. We sent guards into the woods to investigate after you lost contact with your squadron. It was during our investigations when our guards were attacked. “And you’re positive it wasn’t the natural forest predators that were responsible for these attacks?” Celestia nodded. “Several of the guards have seen griffins carrying some kind of weapon that went through our Unicorn guard’s shields, killing three of our own.” “No one in the squad has anything like what you describe. In fact, I don't think anybody in the world would have something like that, either. “Those weapons came from another world, Ambassador, the same world where whoever turned your squadron came from.” Luna interjected as her horn glowed with her magic. I heard the door locks release on our door. It’s show time. The girls took the lead as Twilight pushed the doors open. I could tell by the looks on their faces that they didn’t know what to make of me. While Chaplin watched me in amazement, Gunter looked on with wary eyes, much like a new watch commander eyeing new recruits. Only Gunter didn’t know what I was fully capable of. “Chaplin and Gunter, these six ponies are the Elements of Harmony. And if you’re wondering, this is what we call a human being. Specifically, his name is Max Payne. The reason he’s here with us in our world is because he’s also linked to the weapons we’ve been discussing, and he may very well be linked to whoever is now in charge of the squad.” Celestia said. Gunter never took his eyes off of me, and I didn’t take my eyes off him as we stared into each other as if trying to see into each other’s souls to find whatever secrets we were after. “Ha! You mean to tell us that my squadron is under the leadership of a…human being? My squadron isn’t stupid enough to go against my commanders to follow a creature as ghastly as this!” Gunter said, his eyes narrowing at me as he continued his rant. “Does your squadron respond to someone being made an example of right in front of them?” I asked. Gunter raised an eyebrow as he huffed. “I ask because one of your squad leaders was made an example of by the human who’s now in control.” I started flipping through the files to get to the images I wanted as Gunter composed his response. “What kind of example?” Gunter asked. “The kind where he was brutally tortured and killed in front of your entire squad.” I dropped the photos Celestia’s guards took of the commander at the scene. Chaplin recoiled immediately and Gunter had a shocked look on his face as he saw what was there. “You mean that a human did this to Commander Caine?” Chaplin asked. “Absolutely. By the way Commander Caine was tortured mercilessly, there’s no other explanation.” I watched the two griffins carefully. Gunter seemed to be on autopilot as he stared at the photos of Commander Caine’s lifeless body. “My world isn’t like yours. We’re not about love, peace, and harmony. Most of the time, we’re in conflict with one another. We’re much more likely to solve our problems violently, sometimes killing each other to achieve our goals. Killing our own with tools like these…” I reached into my coat and drew my Beretta for the griffins to see. As I expected, Gunter didn’t seem impressed. “A tool? That’s used to end lives? It looks like a child’s toy!” “Have you ever heard the saying “It’s not the size that matters, but how you use it?”” I asked. The euphemism apparently meant the same thing here as it did back home as I heard some snickering coming from the girls. Clearly, my Beretta wasn’t going to make my point. Time for the big guns. I flipped the safety back on the gun and turned to the Princesses. “Princess, could you hold this for a minute?” “Of course, Max…” The gun was enveloped in a blue glow and lifted out of my hand as I walked over to one of the crates I opened earlier. I grabbed the AK-47 and yanked the magazine out of it to ensure it was empty before a slid it back into the rifle. I held it from the top, purposefully not putting my hands on the grips as I walked back over to the group with it. “One thing my kind knows how to do is how to efficiently kill one another. What I just showed you is a handgun. This is a rifle, and it’s designed to kill at a much farther distance than the handgun.” I could see the look on Gunter’s face. He may be a different species than me, but I’ve seen that same expression countless times. Now to show him my point. “Here Commander, hold this…” I shove the rifle right in his face, watching his reaction go from doubt to surprise. I don’t even give him a chance to refuse as I let go of the rifle. One of two things was going to happen: it was going to drop to the ground, or he was going to grab it. I stepped back after I dropped it to see which was going to happen. Gunter wasn’t pleased… “Mr. Payne, what are you trying to prove with this? That these silly instruments of yours are being used by my griffins to…kill ponies?” “Well Commander, you’ve already proved part of that right now.” The anger on the commander’s face changed to one of confusion as he raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about, Mr. Payne?” “You’re holding it exactly the way you’re supposed to…” The commander looked down at the weapon I put in his claws. His left claw wrapped around the hand guard, and his right claw was wrapped around the grip with the trigger: exactly the way you’re supposed to. “When I grabbed that AK, I made sure not to hold it the way I was supposed to for this reason. You instinctively wielded it correctly, so that further proves that you griffins could operate these rifles.” The stunned look that Chaplin had slowly made its appearance on the commander’s face. As the realization was sinking in, I went back to my still floating Beretta and grabbed it out of Luna’s magic. “Thank you, princess. Now it’s time for the demonstration.” “Oh terrific! I’ll go get it!” Twilight said before she ran off towards the door. Her enthusiasm broke the tension in the room, making the griffins a little confused about what was now in store for them. “Now a gun doesn’t kill by itself. It’s what it fires that does the killing.” I grabbed an extra magazine for my Beretta off my belt and thumbed a round out to show them. The girls and the griffins gathered around to take a look. I can already see the skepticism in Gunter’s face as he looked over the bullet. “This little thing is going to show you how grave this situation really is.” Before they could respond, Twilight came back into the room with a nearly lifelike pony figure. She was practically beaming with happiness. It made me question if she really knew what would happen next. The detail on the figure itself made Fluttershy and Rainbow nervous, since they’ve seen what I had to do last night. Now it was going to happen on something that if I didn’t know any better was a real life pony. “Um Twilight…are you sure about this?” I heard Applejack whisper. “Of course, Applejack. This is a one hundred percent accurate and lifelike figure of pony, down to the anatomy and my magic powered simulated circulatory system.” Twilight answered with a smile. “Uh, but Twi…never mind.” Fluttershy said, knowing the demonstration was about to begin. The procedure for something like this is treat it like a band-aid, quick and fast, and deal with the pain immediately instead of dragging it out. I haven’t reloaded my Beretta since last night so I know I have three rounds left in my magazine, and all three are going to find a home in this analog dummy. “Now watch what those little bullets do to this pony dummy.” I cocked the hammer back as I took aim at the dummy across the room. I felt time slow down as that familiar white dot appeared where I wanted my shots to go. I only had three bullets, so I had to make them count. I positioned that dot right at the chest area and pulled the trigger. The gun kicked in my hand as a ball of fire erupted out the end of the barrel and the bullet sped towards its intended target, the shell casing flying off in a slow tumble to my right as the slide clicked back into chamber the next round. I moved the dot up to the dummy’s neck before the first bullet even made contact and pulled the trigger a second time. My focus went to the dummy as the gun sent the second round downrange to its target, the first round striking where I guessed the heart was. Judging by the damage the bullets were doing, I knew my point would come across emphatically. The flesh tore and deformed around the impact zone at the same time the substitute blood started coming out of the wound. The whole figure shuddered from the hit, threatening to topple over, but held its footing long enough for the second round to tear into its’ neck. More blood spurted from the new hole in the neck as the analog shook again with the impact. A large splatter of red painted the wall nearby as chunks of material flew off and hit the floor with a wet slap. And I was saving the best for last. I put the little white dot on the head of the analog and fired the last round in the magazine. The slide went back and locked in the open position as the casing arched out in another slow twirl out of my line of sight. This was most likely going to be the goriest wound of the trio, and the one to really cement to these griffins that these “toys” to them were handheld death. The last round impacted the side of the head and sure enough, the wound sprayed bits of analog and what I’d imagine was Twilight’s simulated brain matter against the wall in a red and grey mess. That last shot finally proved to be too much for the analog and it fell over on its left side, its magic powered heart still pumping its fake blood out of the open wounds I put in it. The entire room was bathed in silence. I turned back to face the group and was greeted by several surprised faces. Rarity wasn’t even standing anymore and Fluttershy was trying to get her to wake up. The griffins were equally stunned by what they witnessed. The Princesses tried their best to keep a neutral face, but I could tell Luna was fighting off the impending shock of the demonstration a little more than her sister was. Perhaps violence isn’t something new in this land. Maybe it’s been dormant for millennia. Who knows? “Twilight?” I heard Rainbow whisper. “Yes, Rainbow Dash?” “WHAT IN THE HAY IS WRONG WITH YOU!?!?” she screamed at her. Rainbow’s outburst made those around her take an involuntary step away from the screaming Pegasus. “DIDN’T YOU KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THAT DUMMY?!?!” “I wanted it to be realistic! Max said that an accurate depiction was crucial!” “A MAGIC POWERED HEART?!?” “OK, I may have gotten a little carried away…” “A LITTLE?!?!” all the girls asked at once. “Girls, now’s not the time for this…” I interrupted. “I have to agree with Max. While the demonstration was a little more…graphic than I expected, arguing isn’t going to change the result. Besides, I think you’ve gotten the point across, didn’t you Max?” Luna asked. The two griffins were still shocked from what they witnessed. Gunter was now eyeing that shell casing and the dummy like his life depended on it, but ironically, it was Chaplin who spoke first. “But, why…” “Why did I go through all of this to show you two?” Chaplin slowly nodded. I figured now was when the explanation would wrap all this up in a neat little bow, complete with an analog dummy bleeding out against the wall. “Because where I’m from, you don’t send two guys to admit to all the crimes their group is being accused of. You were sent here to deny that they went rogue and have no ties to your nation anymore. Am I right so far?” Chaplin looked at Gunter, whose head still hung low before he turned back to me and nodded sadly. “So I had to show you that this wasn’t a game, that this wasn’t something you can pass off as an isolated incident and expect it to all go smoothly. Three ponies are dead. You’ve seen firsthand what a handgun can do. Imagine the power of that AK. These weapons are deadly, and now your entire squadron has them and they’re listening to a complete madman. And I want to know why.” I paused so I could put my now empty Beretta back in its holster. Since I emptied it into the analog, I’d been holding it and waving it around like it was part of my hand. “That’s not to say all of your men have turned against you. It’s rare that an entire group would turn their backs and follow a complete stranger. But the fate of those who didn’t turn is also in the balance. If they killed three guards and one of their own commanders, then who knows what has or will happen to them.” Chaplin nodded slowly before he turned to Gunter, who was still in his daze. A light elbow to his side stirred the commander out of his thoughts as he looked at Chaplin. “For the record, I didn’t think this would happen…” Gunter said as he pulled the folder from the crook of his wing. He extended it out to me. I took it carefully from him before Chaplin started talking. “The commander of this expedition was Caine, one of our best leaders. However, this squadron was made up of soldiers with disciplinary issues…” I flipped the folder open and sure enough, there was a laundry list of violations on the page. I flipped to the next page and saw an even longer list. Each one of the 165 griffins in the squad had a lengthy rap sheet, longer than what the DEA made for me so I could infiltrate the Punchinello crime family. “Caine insisted we make this squadron of all of our troublemakers and delinquents. He believed he could straighten them out. Those around him didn’t think it was possible.” Chaplin continued. “Caine’s Mutineers was the name I heard other commanders calling it.” Gunter chimed in. Once again, a tie in to my world’s cinema: The Caine Mutiny…I couldn’t make this shit up… “It was his idea to take them out into a neighboring land and “survive” for a month together, taking a page out of Princess Celestia’s policies and hoping the friendship and harmony prevalent in Equestria would make them bond together, forget their criminal ways, and become the squadron they were supposed to be.” Chaplin continued. “But you didn’t believe him?” I asked. “I was skeptical, but hopeful he could pull it off. After all, my daughter’s in that squadron…” Gunter said. “Wait, Gilda is there with these lunatics?” Rainbow interrupted. “Unfortunately, yes. The falling out between you two was just the tip of the iceberg. But I was hoping that she would be able to give us updates on how Caine was progressing. But none of our couriers ever came back after the second week.” “Commander, what do you mean none of your couriers?” Celestia asked. “You only made us aware of two, unless… ” “Two was the official number we sent.” Gunter said in an uneasy voice. “And unofficially?” “Ten…” “You sent ten couriers?” Luna asked. “And I haven’t heard back from a single one. I know now that they’re most likely dead just because I was too stubborn to ask for help. Now I find out I could’ve gotten my own daughter in this crazy scheme to kill for this crazy individual…” Gunter’s voice trailed off as he looked out a window. “Princess, Max, you have the Griffon kingdom’s full support in stopping these rogue members should it come down to…well.” Chaplin didn’t want to finish his sentence, but I knew what he was getting at. One hundred and sixty-five rogue members of a squadron, heavily armed in the woods, under the control of a madman…you do the math. “With me here, it may not come to that.” I answered, lying through my teeth. Gunter turned to look at me. I could see the sorrow in his eyes. A sorrow I knew all too well from my own past. “I can get to the bottom of this, but it’s not going to be pretty. As you’ve just witnessed with that demonstration, this person came from my world with the intent to terrorize and cause panic in this world. In my world, we deal with terrorism with swift, decisive violence. Gunter turned to look at the analog dummy against the wall, then at the photos of commander Caine that was still on the floor by him and Chaplin. He took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh as he looked at Chaplin. Chaplin gave him a nod and then they both turned to me. “Mr. Payne, you have our blessing to do what you have to do to stop this squad.” Gunter chimed in after Chaplin walked away. “Max, I know what you have to do, but please, don’t hurt my daughter. Please.” Gunter pleaded. There was no joy in his voice. There was no joy in any of this because they just signed the death warrants of their own kind. The only way for this to end was in bullets and bloodshed.