//------------------------------// // Chapter 60: Victory Loves Preparation // Story: Bounty Hunters 3: Genesis // by Jasper77W //------------------------------// Present day... "Push through everypony! We've got these bastards running with their tails between their legs!" A science faction officer yelled, troops under his and several other commanding officers' command charging through the main gates of the Wall and pouring into Haven. "Damnit- well, we've held them long enough. RETREAT!" Terra yelled, waving Haven's infantry back as a tank busted a hole next to the gates, widening them so more science faction infantry could make it through. "Buck- they're everywhere! HOLD THIS LINE!!" Neon yelled, ducking down behind a trench wall. A pony firing a rifle next to her got shot in the chest, the exit wound taking a good chunk of flesh out of her back, shredded peices of her spine flying everywhere. "Watch it everypony! There's a sniper!" Terra warned, heard the crack of the rifle, then felt a bullet tear through his right shoulder plate and go through his arm. He fell down, blood splattering everywhere around him and staining the snow crimson. He grunted, but got back up almost immediately. "Where's that Magnum pony when you need her!?" "Her team probably isn't ready yet!" Neon warned. The sniper took a shot at her, but the bullet bounced right off her chest and landed on the ground as a metal pancake. Then the sniper and the area around him exploded in flameless shrapnel, bits and peices sliding out of sight. Babs Seed stormed onto the battlefield, mega-sized shotgun pumping out enlarged buckshot rounds. "Kappa nine! When are we set!?" Terra yelled into a mic, watching as the Apollo flew by. "Almost... Just wait a bit longer..." Came the reply. "SMOTHER THESE BASTARDS!! THEY'VE GOT NOWHERE TO HIDE!!" One of the science faction officers yelled, his forces charging out from cover and opening fire. The Haven forces really did have nowhere to run or hide. This trench was their last point of reliable defenses and cover, and the emergency camps have already been lost to the enemy and are being trampled upon. The science factions forces were already far more superior just by numbers, and this was becoming an increasingly difficult fight to put up for the Haven troops. Already large masses of soldiers have made it past the wall and are just about exiting the shadow... Suddenly explosions ripped out across the entire western sector of the Wall surrounding Haven, and suddenly the science faction forces that have amassed thousands in one place looked up in shock as over several hundred million tons of reinforced concrete and metal came crashing down onto them. At first the the Wall only tilted inwards a slight bit, but gradually picked up pace and smacked down on the troops below like a giant hand crushing a colony of ants below it. The science faction forces tried to run, even scrambling and trampling over their own in a near futile act to escape- but only a hoof-ful made it, and the Haven troops were waiting for survivors with vengeful grins on their faces. The Wall didn't make a rumble as it committed its final purpose.. It didn't make any sort of spectacular battle noise. Just the most deafening smack to be ever heard. Exactly what the science faction deserved. "Part A of the plan is a success!" Terra reported with a grin, somewhere on a rooftop a pegasus filly threw the detonation switch off the side of the skyscraper and carried her binoculars away with her as she moved positions for Part B of the plan, the silenced sniper rifle strapped to her back lightly clunking against her armor. * Two days ago... During a heated discussion the ponies at HQ got the report that Thyme had died in the dark-matter bomb explosion. They found Babs stuck in a disabled Exo-suit under some rubble. The suit protected her from major injuries, so she only got a few cuts and bruises. She didn't take the news that Applebloom passed away well- now she was the only Apple family member left. But the day carried on. All the ponies were at HQ, slowly running out of time as they worked to completely redesign the Tunnels' systems. Things went a lot better for Rainbow. Her friends all refused to see her as the fault behind the deaths, saying that she was used without her knowing. But now that they found out, they also knew how Val was getting all the extra info- and the info included the plans for the Tunnels. That's why it had to be tweaked- so Magic Faction forces would be the only ones who know their way around the underground fortress. "We won't be able to evacuate everypony underground before the first day, and that's minus the time it'll take us to set up all our traps." Daring Do noted. "Then we need ponies on the front line, or even inside Haven. Terra and Neon- you two be outside, hold off anyone with our forces until we give you the all clear." Rainbow said. "Oh, and by the way Terra- please don't use too much of your terraforming powers. Might send the Tunnels collapsing down on our heads." "Roger. Then we'll need time to retreat." Terra said, still tweaking the magic amplifiers on his front hooves. "Taken care of. I've already had the fillies scramble some explosives under supervision across main structural weak spots in the Wall in that area. Once the bastards make it in, blow the whole thing up- and if all goes to plan, the Wall will collapse inwards and take down anyone within reach. That should leave the rest of it intact, so they can't stage an immediate attack from a different side. Plus I bet you they'd be a lot more hesitant going under that thing after the first detonation. But extra explosives are in place just in case we need them." Rainbow grinned at the reactions coming from the ponies around her. "No efforts for preservation whatsoever it is then." Scootaloo nodded with raised eyebrows. "The more we lose, the more they lose." Rainbow nodded. "Next is Part B of the plan. Of course the Wall would take out a good chunk of the invading troops, but they'll most likely be immediately sending more forces to keep us pinned." "Without the Wall it'll be impossible to hold them at bay." Halcyon said, resting her chin on a hoof. "That's why we don't even try. Let them get into Haven, let them get past the first few rows of buildings..." A smile crept onto Rainbow's face. "This is the point where we actually start using the Tunnels for offense." * Present day... "Son of a parasprite!" General Bleak who was in charge of the science faction invasion cursed, leading his troops into Haven and over their fallen comrades. There really was no choice since the entire wave of troops sent in to bust through the Wall got annihilated. "These bucking SAVAGES! Reckless bastards- went ahead and blew up the whole bucking thing!" He led the charge onwards, deeper into Haven. The magic faction forces were still slowly retreating, but holding up a surprisingly good fight. This time he was cautious though, and sent soldiers to check the buildings either side, making sure there weren't any fancy explosives or other tricks stuck up in there. They found nothing- but Rainbow didn't blame them, considering the secret entrances to the Tunnels were very... Well, secret. Halfway through the push forward the general started getting reports of soldiers getting shot in the flanks near the back of the invasion force. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!!??" He spat at one of the wounded soldiers. "I-I-I-I don't know! I was just following everyone and I just felt this explosion in my back-" "I KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO GET BUCKING SHOT!! YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME THAT!!" Bleak yelled, turning away fuming. "SOMEONE FIND THESE BUCKERS AND BRING THEIR HEADS ON PLATTERS TO ME!!" "So you could eat them, fat arse?" A voice said. Bleak's face went redder than an apple. "WHO THE BUCK SAID THAT!!??" "I did." Zealo said, his voice traveling through speakers located on the building opposite from him. There was a quiet thud from his silenced rifle, and the bullet tore through Bleak's left hind leg, the general going down screaming and clutching his busted kneecap. "Geez, Magnum would most definitely not be proud." Zealo muttered, slung his rifle over his back and darted back into the shadows of the twenty first floor of a business block. A concrete pillar opened up, and he slipped right into it and down a slide. One of the Tunnels' secret entrances. "Squad six! Retreat from Block G- I think I pissed off the good general!" * Two days ago... "...You said that the Tunnels link to every single building in Haven, right?" Rainbow queried. "Yeah, but most of the secret entrances are narrow and aren't really fit for mass transporting of troops." Scootaloo replied. "No worries, a few at a time will do." Rainbow said. "We'll have four main gathering spots for our troops who are sneaking behind their lines. Zealo, lead a few squads and sneak into the buildings around the science faction's invasion route via the Tunnels- snipe anyone that gets too close to the gathering spots. Our forces must remain hidden until they have enough numbers for a quick ambush mission- so use silenced weapons." Rainbow nodded to Zealo, who nodded back in acknowledgement. "It's just a quick hit-and-run. Don't stay for too long." "Hey, what about me?" Magnum moaned. "Don't worry, everypony will get their turn." Rainbow assured her. * Present Day... General Bleak had his injured leg in an emergency cast, and instead of wearing uniform he went for full body armor this time. "SEARCH EVERY SINGLE BUCKING BUILDING!!! I WANT THESE ARSEHOLES CAUGHT!!" he screamed, the soldiers around him casting each other glum looks and moving off to secure the buildings- but they'll never find anything but bullet shells intentionally left there to tease them and piss them off. "Magic faction troops are retreating!" One of the soldiers reported, huffing and puffing as he sprinted back from the front line. Then they started hearing gunfire and screaming behind them. They looked away from the front lines and checked their backs- their jaws dropping to the floor in shock as a battalion of magic faction troops suddenly came charging out from the buildings they thought they had searched just a minute ago. Haven's forces had sandwiched the science faction troops right in the middle, smothering them in the crossfire. "Bloody hell-!" Bleak cursed, ducking down as a beam of magical energy shot past his head and struck a soldier in the chest. Bits of his armor flew in all directions, and he went flying across the street. There was a heck of a lot of screaming. Those of shot science faction soldiers, and the furious roar of Haven troops from both ends of the battle. "Reinforcements are on their way-!" An officer yelled, covering his head as an explosive went off nearby. "Take out those crappers at our back! Flank them with our reinforcements!" Bleak yelled, but almost as soon as he did the fighting near the back ceased a significant amount. The science faction tanks came rolling in, but by the time they reached the fight all the Haven troops that came up behind the science faction soldiers have already disappeared into nothing. That left the general and his soldiers looking around in bewilderment, expecting the Haven troops to pop back out like magic again. Once again they had taken heavy losses, a good quarter of their original infantry invasion wave gone while Haven seemed to have suffered next to no losses. All the general could do was throw his hat around in anger and frustration as the soldiers sent to search the buildings once again came up with nothing. * Two days ago... "...then we get the troops we gathered and stage a 'shoot and run' mission behind the science faction front lines." Rainbow finished. "But why don't we stay and finish them off?" Babs tilted her head to one side, having joined the conference. "Because if we stay for too long, their reinforcements will reach us and smother us. The objective is to get off more bullets than them." Rainbow explained. "Plus, afterwards they'll most likely send in something heavy to demolish the buildings. Because clearly that's where we're coming through, so we need someone to take out the heavies before they could remove a good chunk of our buildings." "Wait- I have my doubts about our evacuation time. What if we don't make it back to the Tunnels in time? The gathered battalion would be easily flanked." Zealo said. Rainbow bit her lower lip, considering it for a second. Then something brightly glowing in the corner of the tent caught her eye... "Neon! You reckon you could cast a mirage spell over an entire battalion while they escape? Probably only for a few minutes." "Won't be a problem." Neon said, nodding. "Great." Rainbow let out a held breath. So far the plan looked promising. "Back to where we were. We need the pony with the most firepower here to take out their tanks- assuming they send any..." * Present day.... "COULD SOMEPONY EXPLAIN TO ME-" General Bleak was screaming. "HOW THE BUCK DID THEY SNEAK UP ON US!!??" Naturally the answer was that they used the buildings around them. There must be something up, perhaps secret compartments or something. Time to take those down so they're out of the way. "Bring in the bucking mechs." Bleak muttered, and heard the familiar thumping footsteps of the bipedal war machines as they charged in, weapons blazing and taking out the buildings at the foundations. But they didn't get very far. A field of magic swept over the area as a mirage spell they hadn't noticed was there disappeared, and they looked up to see two Apollos hovering overhead. "Oh sh-" Bleak started, but immediately had to dive for cover as the ponies onboard the planes dropped grenades down on the mechs. But these weren't normal grenades. The grenades were falling down, red lights flashing on their sides. Then suddenly they all changed course, flying towards the closest piece of metal and sticking on firmly. Beeping rang throughout the battlefield as these grenades' timers went down, the Apollos already flying away and blasting off into the distance before any of the science faction troops could react. Then the grenades finally went off, small hoof nukes that did more damage than a full crate of C4. Mech parts were flying everywhere, shreds of indistinguishable metal tumbling across the cracked asphalt roads. "BUCKING- SHUCK-" Bleak covered his head, running blindly away from the explosions and already running out of curses to use. But the Haven troops weren't done retaliating just yet. The glass windows of a nearby parking tower suddenly exploded outwards, the shards glinting in the sunlight. Cars started streaming out from the different floors of the ten story high building, crashing down onto the street below and crushing a dozen science faction soldiers before driving on and rampaging through anyone who happened to be in the way. One of the cars hit a mech, then both it and the bipedal war machine went up in a fireball. The cars had remotely triggered explosives in them. Bleak tried to yell out orders, but nothing was working. Assault units were being run over, their limbs flying everywhere as cars hit them. Soldiers were screaming and scrambling away, but there were explosions everywhere as the cars found their targets and detonated. The situation had become beyond out of hoof in less than a minute, and still more cars were coming out of the parking structure. * Two days ago... "Those anti-tank hoof nukes should do the trick." Rainbow said. "Get a few Apollos to drop them on their heads. Neon, we'll have to rely on your mirage spell again." "No problem." Neon said again. "But that won't be enough would it? We don't have many Apollos to go around- and they'd be waiting for us if we return for a second run." Magnum noted. The holographic image of Haven spun and zoomed in on a particular building sitting firmly in the way of the projected path of invasion for the science faction troops. "This abandoned parking lot still has cars in it. We could use those." AL suggested, conjuring up a live feed of the parking building. There were indeed still a few functional cars left. "We could rig them with explosives." "But who's driving?" Octavia raised an eyebrow. "I know I'm a good driver, but this'll be too much. I ain't blowing myself up." "I'm not much of a good driver at all. EDI is of a higher level than me and even she can't drive properly yet." AL muttered. "But I will be able to control the cars if you plant homemade chips in the right places." "You don't have to drive well. Just run over EVERYTHING. And blow stuff up." Rainbow replied. "And these homemade chips...?" "Microchips. I can retrieve the blueprints from Haven's secure archives- I think we have all the materials needed, plus they are extremely easy to manufacture." AL said. "Wire them onto electronics and I'll be able to take control." "Trouble is, everypony is already busy with preparations- there's no one with time to make these things." Daring said, biting her lower lip in thought. Then Rainbow felt a tug at her coat, and she looked down at Dainty and Lily. "We could help!" Lily said, a hopeful look on her face. "We could get the other kids and start a... A production line! Or something..." Dainty added. Rainbow looked up and raised an eyebrow at the rest of the ponies at HQ. They nodded, seeing no other alternative. "Alright then. You two gather up anyone willing to help, and start making those microchips. AL- you got the blueprint?" Rainbow said, giving Dainty a quick pat on the head before she and Lily proceeded to the tent exit. "Got it. I'll be with them and monitor them- just in case they make a mistake with the wiring for the explosives." AL said. "Once they finish making the chips, leave a handful for later use just in case- but wire up the rest straight away. Not a second to lose." Rainbow said, cracking her knuckles loudly. "We need to use everything at our disposal. AL- is there anything else we could use?" "Applebloom has a few variations of EDI's car model stored in the underground hangars beneath the CMC tower. Not sure if they're intact, but if you wire me up to those we'd have a few more EDIs running around. I heard they were modified, but not sure in what way." AL noted. "But somepony will have to check if they're still functional first." "Noted." Rainbow nodded. "But then we still have the fillies to protect once they've done their job." "What're you thinking?" Scootaloo asked, a warning tone in her voice. "Keep them out back, on the surface. It'll be the last place the science faction looks once they discover the primary entrance to the Tunnels. But we'll keep protection with them just in case." Rainbow said. "Neon, I know you're playing quite a few roles in this battle already- but if you could stay with the fillies. Terra, you too- you both go straight to the East of Haven and away from the main battle. And Sweetie Belle- you can follow them too, since I doubt your rail guns are much use in enclosed spaces." She said, non-offensively. Sweetie only let out a mechanical snort. "Of course, with exits and entrances all across Haven- I doubt the next part of the plan is to stay put and hide it out, right?" Magnum felt a grin spreading across her face. "Not at all." Rainbow took her hat off, placing it down on the table. "That's where the rest of you will be coming into the plan- cause we're not only gonna hold them off till reinforcements reach us, but also annoy the absolute crap outta them while doing so."