“More like five.” I said as I looked over the Royal Guard who had taken positions behind any piece of cover they could.
Josh snapped back to the scope for a second as a Guard stood up and bolted towards the door. He reached full stride and about the halfway mark between where he started and the door to the hospital before Josh fired once. The Guard dropped, skidding to a stop as Josh looked back at me.
“Ten points.” He declared.
“No,” Dallas started “That was a unicorn.”
“Let me have my fun.” Josh retorted as I took a seat next to him and looked out over the town.
I placed a hand over my stomach as it growled, sending a sharp pain through my system. I must not have eaten in days from the way I felt. I set a hand on Josh’s back and looked down to him.
“Thanks.” I said as I set my hand over the bandage that covered my bad eye “I was going to die there. Atlanta…” I mumbled as I set my hand down on the ground and looked away.
It was just like Alex. There wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop his death. I was just forced to watch. It was like fate was fucking with me. Why wasn’t I allowed to be happy? Did I piss some god off? That is all I could attribute it to. At this pace, I’d walk the earth alone before too long.
“Hey!” Dallas called out, looking over to me “He died fighting with us. I don’t think he wanted to go any other way.”
Josh set the rifle on its side and looked up at me “Look, I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“Where were you?” I asked out of mere curiosity.
“Picking flowers.” He sarcastically retorted as Dallas pulled his knife out and carved Josh’s higher point into the ground.
“I would have guessed.” I said as I looked out over town “I can guess what happened until now, but have you seen Field? I’m not going to just let her wander out there.”
Josh rolled his eyes and picked Alex’s rifle back up, scanning over the entrenched guards before us “She’s down in the building below us. She hid in the truck.”
“Smart girl.” I said as I stood up and a breeze blew through my open coat “If you see a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane, let her through. You’ll know her when you see her.” I turned to Dallas “You keep an eye out for Shining Armor and Celestia. You see then, order Josh here to send a round through their skulls.” I said with anger that wasn’t directed at him “I have something special in mind for Gilda though.”
“Yes sir.” He said with a nod as he held his binoculars back up and scanned the crowd “Center left, hundred yards.” He offered to Josh like I had trained him.
“Got it.” Josh said as he adjusted and I walked off back into the stairwell.
I started down the stairs as Josh fired and the gun sent a report that thundered through the surrounding area. At least we were making our presence known.
-
After a good hour of going room to room, I pushed open the door to what looked like the lunchroom of the hospital. It was a blank white with a few tables scattered about. The window where food would normally be served from was locked up with a steel shutter. Field was sitting over on the other side of the room with a few books she had apparently found. A few were open and scattered about like Twilight used to have. I took a few steps forward and stopped, waving over at her.
“Hey… I’m up.” I said, catching her attention.
Field perked up, tossing the book she was reading aside. A smile grew on her face as she ran over to me and latched onto one of my legs. I smiled as I patted the back of her head with my right hand. I wasn’t even aware she cared this much about me. I thought she tagged along to get away from her father or something like that. Maybe just two lost souls meeting or something poetic like that. I’m not that kind of guy. I bent down and hugged Field, selfishly wishing she was Dash for a moment before I let go.
“I’m not dying yet.” I said as she took on a scared expression and raised a hoof to my face, tracing one of the horizontal scars “Yeah, it’s bad, I know.” She pointed over to the white bandage that still covered what was left of my right eye “It’s gone, but I only need one.” I played off as I patted her cheek a few times with a false smile “Why don’t you go sit with Dallas and Josh? I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
Field nodded to me with a smile before running off out of the room energetically. As she left, I looked over to the books she was reading and checked out the covers. Many of the books discussed the anatomy of odd creatures and primates. I guess I could see where she was going with this one. I set the books on the table in a pile as I stumbled off to the kitchen to find something.
-
I had found a few apples but it was nothing compared to griffon meat. You do what you have to when it comes down to starving or not. Least they weren’t human. Surprisingly, griffon didn’t taste like chicken as you would think. More like turkey.
With the apples in my pockets, I walked back to the truck and grabbed my AR-15 before starting off towards the stairwell again. I could hear Josh fire another round as I started up the stairs and slung the AR over my shoulder. I cracked my neck as I reached for the guardrail and actually caught it the first time. At least I was getting a bit better with depth perception. At least it didn’t take both eyes to look down rifle sights.
I stepped out onto the roof and walked over to where Josh, Dallas, and Field sat. I dropped down prone next to Josh and nestled the rifle into a comfortable position before looking down the scope. I felt Field set her head down on my back as I looked around at what was going on. I could see that some pegasi were preparing to fly overhead. I could only see a few from where I was watching, seeing as how they were behind the Sugarcube Corner. It was a good 200 to 300-yard shot as well.
“See any of my targets?” I asked Josh and Dallas without taking my eyes off the scope.
“Shining is in the library with Twilight. It looks as though they’re fighting.” Dallas said with the binoculars still glued to his eyes.
“Good…” I said as I turned my rifle towards the library and looked through the windows.
I couldn’t see anyone through them at the moment. Either Shining was lucky or learned from the griffons not to stand next to a window when I am in the area. It was cute to see how the guard thought they had cornered us. All it would take would be to ram the Hummer back through the front door of the hospital and maybe smash through a rank of guards before bolting towards Zebra territory. Then we could wait till the whole thing blew over, then come at them again. Makes sense to me.
“Hey.” Josh started as he tapped my shoulder and pointed over to the Sugarcube Corner “Seems your girl is running interference.”
Dash looked to be harassing the sergeant of the particular group, yelling and hitting him. She acted more as an annoyance to him than anything. At least she was still trying to help. I’m not going to leave her here this time either. I’m going to at least talk with her and give her the option. I owe her more but that is all I can afford.
“Still don’t get how you can-“ Josh started before I elbowed him.
“Stop while you’re ahead.” I warned as I kept watching the library windows.
“Dude, that is nasty.” He added as Dallas hit him for me “Hey!”
“You deserved it.” I cut in as I caught sight of a shadow in the library window “I got something here.”
The figured looked bulky, giving me the idea that it was probably Shining. He moved erratically through the room as another figured of a pony followed him. Had to be Twilight but the details from here were fuzzy at best. I couldn’t just take a potshot from here and hope I hit the right one. I would just have to wait.
Josh fired another round and another guard dropped. The guard had peeked over a bench and now had a clean hole through his helmet and forehead. I didn’t take pleasure in killing guards. They were once on my side. It was Celestia and Shining I wanted. Griffons could all burn for all I cared. I seriously wondered how long the guards were going to keep this up. It was like a one sided Waco standoff.
“We have incoming.” Dallas said as he turned his binoculars to the sky “Looks like a royal chariot.”
“On it.” I said as I looked over to where the chariot was coming down from the sky “Keep an eye on the library for me, Dallas. Josh, keep on the kill-zone.”
“Got it, boss-man.” Josh said as he turned away from the chariot’s direction and fired another few rounds down at the guards to keep them pinned.
“If those pegasi make a move, we have to bolt.” I said as the chariot landed behind a building with the direction of a guard that was one the ground.
“We’re never going to get another chance like this.” Dallas pointed out as I kept waiting to see if the princess would step around the building, my heart rate increasing.
“I’m not letting my revenge get you two killed. I already lost Atlanta.” I said, making my word final.
A few minutes passed as I continued to stare at the building, never blinking. My eye started to burn as I watched before I saw Luna peek her head around at the building and pull back around. I inched forward, waiting to see if Celestia had come to. She’d have to be stupid to be in the same place.
“Luna is on the scene. No sign of Celestia yet.” I said as I kept watching “Do not fire on Luna. She isn’t the one who made the call… and someone is going to have to keep everyone calm after I take the shot on Celestia.”
“You put way too much thought into this.” Josh said as he fired again, most likely hitting someone.
“I’ve had way too much time.” I said as Luna stepped out from behind the building but there was no sign of Celestia “No-go on the princess. Returning to the library. Dallas, keep on Luna. She speaks, I talk.”
Luna walked out into no man’s land, looking up at us as she looked back to the library for a second. She was either way too confident or stupid to do this. A minute passed before Twilight and Shining stepped out of the library and started over towards Luna.
“I have a bead on Shining.” Josh said “Take the shot?”
“Wait. I’ll do it. You keep the guards pinned.” I ordered as I looked down at Luna through the scope.
I still had no idea how much longer I could stay on this roof before either the griffons or the pegasi flushed us out. I flicked my scope over to Dash as the guard knocked her away and had a few guards escort her back inside the Sugarcube Corner. I turned back to Shining and Twilight as they each took a side of Luna and looked up.
“Ryan,” Luna started, calling out to us “We request you come down and talk.
I laughed to myself before speaking “Last time I talked to any of you, I was tortured by the griffons.”
Keep calm… don’t take the shot. Not yet. Have to send a message.
Twilight spoke up “That was a mistake!”
“Ever lose an eye?” I challenged “It hurts like hell.”
Twilight looked over at Shining with an expression of disgust. Shining just stood tall as he stepped forward.
“You are an enemy of the state and-“He started before I cut him off.
“Yeah, yeah, I got the same garbage from the griffons, shitstain.” I growled.
Don’t take the shot… I just have to stay my trigger finger. I turned the scope to Shining and placed it over his head as Josh turned his to Luna.
“Ryan, we never meant for this!” Luna called out.
“That doesn’t matter.” I explained “Things can never go back to the way they were. Too much blood has been shed and the griffons will never stop. Plus Gilda owes me a damn eye. I want that damn eye.”
Luna took a step back, probably thinking I was a monster they had created. I don’t blame them. It was time. I looked to Josh.
“Cover fire as soon as I take the shot. Only guards. We head down to the lobby and get into the Hummer. We run and grab Dash and bolt to the Zebra border.” I explained the plan as Dallas and Josh nodded “Josh, you drive and I’ll shoot. Just head due east, right through Canterlot. Celestia is a target of opportunity.”
“Yes sir.” Dallas said with smile and nodded “Let’s do this.”
“We’re still not friends.” Josh smirked as he got up to a crouch and prepared to move.
I looked back down and Dash had started over towards Luna, Shining, and Twilight. I assumed they were thinking of using her on me again. Assholes. Never again. I placed my sights over Shining, resting the crosshair on his right eye. It wouldn’t be too difficult a shot from here.
“Come down and you will be given a fair-“ Shining started before I squeezed the trigger.
The suppressor gave a soft thump and the empty case rocketed across the roof as Shining’s head snapped back, giving red mist before he fell to the ground. I shot to my feet as Twilight ran over to him, cradling his body as Dash stopped in her tracks. Luna looked over at Shining in shock and surprise as Josh and I opened fired on the guards wildly. Dallas, Josh, and I charged through the door and marched down the stairs towards the lobby. We have to move quickly before we were cornered. I just kept running, my calves cramping up since I had been bedridden.
We stepped into the lobby and Field stood next to the H2. I had almost forgotten about her. At least she was smart enough to take care of herself. I grabbed Alex’s SVD from Josh before ushering him into the driver’s seat and walked around to the trunk. I pulled it open and tossed the AR and SVD in before grabbing the G36c and slamming the door closed. Dallas helped Field into the backseat before getting in himself and closing the door. I charged around and jumped into the passenger seat, unfolding the stock to the rifle.
“Ready for this one?” Josh asked with a grin like he was enjoying himself.
“Always.” I said as I opened up the sunroof.
“Can we just move?!” Dallas yelled at is as he held Field to comfort her from the chaos.
Josh dropped the H2 into reverse and slammed on the gas without warning. The SUV reverse before smashing into the barrier he had made to keep the guard out. The furniture burst into splinters as the sun now poured down through the sunroof. Josh spun the truck around, coming to a stop as about fifty guards looked back at us. Luna had taken Twilight and Shining’s body back to a safe distance as I pushed my door open and waved at Dash.
“Come on! We have to move!” I shouted as her as she came out of her trance and flew over.
She flew in through the door and dropped into the backseat with Dallas and Field. I slammed the door shut as Josh stomped on the gas again. The truck charged towards the rank of guards as I stood up out of the sunroof and fired a volley of shot at them. The guards all took cover as I laughed and raised a middle finger at them.
“Where are we going?!” Dash shouted over the ringing in her ears from the gunshots.
“East!” Dallas yelled back as I fired another volley at the guards.
The casings rolled off the roof as Josh kept driving towards Canterlot. The guards stopped at the edge of town as I dropped down into my seat, taking a moment to rest. I set the rifle across my lap as Dash looked into the front seat and took notice of Josh.
“So you are the other human?” She asked as she looked him over.
“It seems that way.” Josh answered quickly as he kept his foot to the floor.
“When you see Canterlot, head down the middle.” I said before turning back to see Dash who recoiled.
“What did they do to you?!” Dash exclaimed as she looked me over.
I just looked away and prepped the rifle again. That right there hurt me more than losing my eye did. I felt my chest tighten up but I buried it deep down with a strong face as Canterlot came up in the distance. I felt a hoof on my shoulder before I just brushed it off and stood back up out of the sunroof to get away. I set the stock of the G36c down on the roof and looked around for any incoming griffons or RG.
Her reaction still hurt me as I tried not to look phased. I had to be the leader here. The road was clear all the way towards Canterlot and the sun was shining overhead. With Shining down, I only had two more targets.