Chapter 1: Comfortably Numb
"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!"
The assembled teenagers and young twenty something's cheered wildly at the woman in the middle of their circle. The faded Michigan State University hoody she wore loosely over her slender frame sported more than a few stains here and there. The cheering grew louder as she held the entire keg with both hands over her head, greedily downing its contents. Only the faintest trickle of liquid escaped her mouth running down her chin and adding yet another mark to the sweat shirt.
The cheering reached a fever pitch as she tipped it all the way back, signalling it was nearly empty. With two hands she crushed the metal keg against her own forehead much to the amusement of the crowd. With a grunt she dropped it to the ground stomping it flatter for good measure. The incredibly well worn Converse sneakers on her feet made short work turning the keg into something more akin to a manhole cover.
The woman received plenty of claps on the back and more than one who expressed curiosity at how she managed to drink so much and not succumb to alcohol poisoning. The show finished and the libations fully consumed the party began to disperse. Folks went back to the tents that filled the forest situated behind the small cabin. She watched it all with a bleary eye. Parents admonishing their youngsters for raising such a racket, or encouraging poor behavior. She got more than a couple disapproving looks.
Shrugging it away as she did everything of late, she turned and trudged back to the cabin. Swaying slightly under the effects of the massive amount of alcohol she'd consumed, she took the steps slowly and eased her way inside.
"Have fun?"
The gruff voice of her Uncle Derek drew her attention. Judging by the look in the grizzled huntsman's eye he was in fact not interested in how much fun she may or may not have had. In her drunken state this was considerably less obvious to Jennifer, who just smiled. "I did! A proper little party."
Her foot caught on the carpet and she staggered forward, flinging a hand out to catch herself. Her fist punched right through the wall and caught there, stopping her momentum and snapping her back to the ground drawing forth a quick burst of laughter from the drunken woman.
"Dammit Jenny! Get your shit together and get the hell outta my sight. I can't even look at you like that."
A frown formed on her face as she wrenched her fist out of the wall, taking a small chunk along with it. "So close yer eyes." Ignoring her uncle's withering glare, she nonetheless picked herself up and wobbled toward her room in the back of the cabin. Not even bothering to kick her shoes off she stumbled to the bed and flopped face first down onto the mattress.
Part of her knew her uncle hated when she drank so much. Part of HER hated when she drank so much. But that part was drowned out by the much louder part who screamed that when she drank, she didn't dream. In the past she'd used magic to sleep little to never to avoid the nightmares that plagued her. Now however she was tormented whether sleeping or awake. It wasn't until she'd consumed the bulk of her uncle's liquor cabinet that she'd finally found a way to chase her demons off.
Her uncle was angry she knew, but she also knew if she apologized he'd forgive her. He always did. He had to. They were the only family the other had left after all.
***
Derek sighed heavily as he got to his feet. The heavy boots he rarely removed clumped loudly across the floor as he moved to inspect the new hole in his wall. He knew his niece would repair it when she woke up in the morning. He also knew she'd likely knock another one in the walls within a day or two.
Not for the first time he'd considered laying down an ultimatum. Stop drinking or stop living there. He discarded the thought almost the second it popped into his head however. Putting aside she was the only family he had left, she was what kept all the people living there safe. The sound of approaching hooves forced him to remedy the thought. SHE was what kept the people safe.
The translucent image of a majestic unicorn walked calmly down the hall and seated herself on the floor regarding the man. "Good evening Derek."
It'd taken him quite some time to get used to the idea of a unicorn living in his house. A unicorn ghost no less. "Evening Heart. The uh... shield outside alright? Nothing wrong?"
The mare shook her head. "Nay, nothing is wrong with the shield. Mercy's power will not falter this night. Jennifer replenished her magic just yesterday. She will not need to return to Equestria for a week or so."
Retaking his seat, Derek nodded. "Good. Good. So... what's wrong then?"
"You know very well what is wrong. Jennifer cannot continue on as she has. While she is in no danger of genuinely harming herself with the poison she insists on guzzling thanks to her alicorn status, she cannot recover from her mental scars by drowning them in alcohol."
Derek wrung his large hands in concern looking down the hall toward his niece's room, where loud snores could be heard within. "I know dammit. But what the hell do you want me to do? I tell her no and she just ignores me. She knows there's not a damn thing I, or anyone here can do to stop her from doing anything she wants. If she leaves, you leave. And if you leave everyone here is in danger."
Bleeding Heart frowned at the man's words. There was more than a little truth to them. "Jennifer is a mare... a woman of action. This lack of activity is only deepening her depression. She needs motivation to act."
"The world going to hell isn't motivation enough?"
The spectral unicorn shook her head. "Clearly it is not, else she'd have done more by now. Consider that she has in fact ventured away numerous times, returning with more refugees each time. Jennifer has a pure and noble spirit, one dimmed by the life she was forced to take at the end of the war. She yearns to help others but is paralyzed with the fear that her actions will lead to more deaths at her hands."
"But people are constantly dying while she doesn't help. Isn't that worse?"
Heart inclined her head in agreement. "It is. But fear is rarely a rational thing. The true Jennifer shines through when she is out in the world helping others. I have seen it each time we venture forth. It is only when she is still, and allowed to stagnate in her own woes that her condition deteriorates. Her actions in the camp outside are likewise only toxic for her spirit. Like it or not she is a warrior and a leader of ponies... erm... of men. She may not like such aspects of herself but they are an intrinsic part of what makes her who she is. Refusing to accept such a large part of herself is a large part of the problem."
Derek blew out a heavy, frustrated breath. "Well I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do here. I'm a hunter not a psychologist."
"Nor am I alas. I only see what the problem is, I've little idea how to solve it save forcing her into action in the world outside this cabin and the camp." Bleeding Heart tilted an ear toward the door and smiled faintly. "Perhaps the answer has come to us."
The man was about to ask what the mare meant, when a sudden knock sounded at the door. Frowning, but curious he rose from his well worn armchair and tromped to the door opening it with only slight hesitation.
The woman on the front porch looked very little like the Agent Elizabeth Miller from a year ago. Her dark hair had grown out and she wore it in a long ponytail. The fine black suit was replaced with a faded black t-shirt, leather vest and blue jeans. A heavy hunting bow was slung over her shoulder. After the Master knocked out electricity across the globe, and rendered gunpowder inert people had to fall back on old forms of weaponry for protection. "Mr. Allen. Good to see you again."
"Agent Miller. C'mon in." He stepped aside admitting the woman.
"Just Miller now, or Elizabeth I guess. Lost the agent title when I walked away from the agency." She paused at the sight of the ghostly unicorn sitting calmly in the center of the room. "Bleeding Heart I presume?"
The knight inclined her head with a small smile. "You presume correctly Elizabeth Miller. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance at last. I would like to thank you for your kind treatment of Jennifer some years back while she was a... guest of your government."
Miller rolled her shoulder and shifted uncomfortably at the reminder. A few years ago during one of Jennifer's 'pop-ins' to visit her human family, she'd been abducted by the F.B.I. and brought to a holding facility for study. She'd have likely died if not for the arrival of Luna and some of her pony associates. "Well it was the least I could do given the circumstances."
Derek snorted. "You can say that again."
The former federal agent took a deep breath. "I'm not here to open that can of worms again. I need to see Jennifer. Is she awake?"
A sudden loud snore tearing from the back of the cabin answered her question for her. "She'll be out of it until the morning. Late morning."
The woman frowned shaking her head. "We don't have time for that. My team and I have found one of the Master's processing facilities. Primarily children."
Derek ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Well... I just don't know."
Bleeding Heart rose to her hooves. "I do know. Come Agent Miller, we shall rouse Jennifer to your cause and transport her there on my back if need be."
Jen's uncle looked like he wanted to protest, but he kept his thoughts to himself as the pair moved toward his niece's room. Miller's eyes widened as she found not a young human woman on the bed, but what looked like a green coated horse. Large wings sprawled over either edge of the bed, the feathers just as green but edged in pink. Her curly pink mane was matted and mussed, while her equally curly tail twitched and flicked back and forth. A few stubborn scraps of cloth clung here and there to her body, which had obviously grown into its Equestrian shape while she slept. The only thing to survive were her beloved shoes, which must have slipped off as her feet became hooves.
Adorning her left foreleg was a colorful shield, emblazoned with five images. A horn, hoof, wing, crystal, and slit pupil'd eye. Her right forehoof had a silver charm bracelet clinging tightly around the leg where a human's wrist would be.
Miller looked to the much smaller Equestrian unicorn at her side. "Why's she look like a horse with a horn and wings, and you look like a cartoon character?"
Bleeding Heart let the veiled insult slide. "I suspect it has to do with my spectral nature. I am a manifestation of the real Bleeding Heart's memory and emotion, not a true living being. When Jennifer lived in Equestria her appearance was much like mine. It is hard to describe I suppose."
Frowning at the full grown horse in the bed Miller shook her head. "Well how the hell are we going to move her?"
Heart's horn glowed with a brilliant pink aura that soon surrounded the slumbering mare. With a bright flash they both vanished from the room, an identical flash coming from the window overlooking the front yard.
Pausing only to grab a nearby pair of sweatpants and a baggy sweat shirt, Miller rushed out with a nod to Jen's uncle before joining Heart and the still snoring Jennifer. "Right, magic. Come on my ride's not too far."
"I hope not. I cannot manifest much longer. It is an intense drain on Jennifer's own magical reserves and if she is to engage in battle soon..." Glancing at the snoring mare she frowned. "...ish, it would be best if she had as much as able."
Miller raised an eyebrow lifting the mare's head and letting it fall heavily. "Jesus is she always such a heavy sleeper?"
"She is after consuming an entire 'keg' of beer. Yes."
"Wait she's DRUNK? Christ."
"At her current size she will burn through it within an hour or so. I hope that will suffice for your needs?"
Eyeing the heavily slumbering alicorn balefully Miller finally nodded. "That's fine. Is she going to be functional at all?"
"Will she be capable of assisting? Yes. Will she be willing? That is another matter. Once she learns foals are involved however she will come around. She has a soft spot for young of any species."
Miller grunted softly at that. With brisk strides she lead the pony spirit into the trees for a few minutes. Soon they came to a sizable clearing where a sleek black aircraft waited. "This is your transportation?"
"Yup. We liberated it, with Jennifer's help. Remember the aircraft carrier she saved all those people in?"
"The large boat?"
Miller stared at the pony for a moment. "...right. Well this was all we managed to recover after she got the people to safety. It's an experimental VTOL aircraft."
Bleeding Heart unceremoniously dumped Jennifer to the ground, drawing a soft grown from the mare. The pony slowly walked about the aircraft inspecting it closely. It looked similar to other airplanes she'd seen in books, but small propellers were inlaid int he wings. "It was my understanding your technology does not function any longer."
"Right. Normally. The engines on this run on the uh..." She seemed reluctant to say the next bit. "...magic in the air. It draws in ambient energy and uses that to function. They were trying to make a bunch of these but the Master attacked all the factories manufacturing them. This was the only one saved."
"I see. I am surprised your government allowed you to keep it then."
Miller rubbed the back of her neck. "Allowed is a bit generous. More like we ran off with it and they couldn't stop it."
"Aha. Is there room for Jennifer in her current form?"
"Sure sure. Just load her in the back we'll make do."
Miller stepped in ahead of Bleeding Heart. The pony could pick up several voices from inside. Most prominent was a loud, angry voice. "What the hell took so long? Is she comin' or what?"
"She's coming. It's ah, complicated. She's a little drunk."
The same voice responded. "Ha! That's awesome. Where is she?"
Bleeding Heart gingerly stepped onto the metal ramp leading up into the belly of the craft. She spotted two women standing with Miller. The closest, and one she suspected was the speaker was a slender asian woman. Colorful tattoos wound their way up and down her bare arms and shoulders. She wore a white tank top with the sleeves and mid-riff cut away, tight jeans and large black boots. Her hair was cut short and jagged, dyed a vivid purple. Her eyes widened only slightly at the sight of the ghostly pony carrying the winged, horned mare.
The other was considerably larger than both women. Sizable muscles stood out on her bared arms. A plain t-shirt beneath a denim vest, loose jeans and brown leather boots made up the bulk of her outfit. Vivid blonde hair was tied back in a bouncing ponytail, beneath a faded brown stetson. Unlike her companion, the larger woman didn't seem at all surprised by Jennifer's form. "That surely does look like a drunk horse."
Heart set Jennifer down with slightly more care. "I leave her in your care from here Miss Miller. Have a care when she wakes. She may panic when she does not recognize her surroundings. I suggest a friendly face be on hand."
Miller nodded. "Not to worry, we have just the face up in the cockpit with our pilot. Thank you for this Bleeding Heart."
"No thanks necessary, so long as your intentions are pure. Fare thee well for now." Heart's form grew more and more indistinct, before dissipating entirely and drifting toward the shield worn on the mare's foreleg before vanishing entirely.
The asian woman cocked a smile as she knelt by Jennifer's head. "I see the coolest shit runnin' with you guys."
***
Jennifer's head was throbbing as she slowly began to awaken. More than a little disoriented by the unfamiliar conditions. She was on a cold metal floor, and instantly her mind flashed back to a time when she woke on a similar cold metal table in a government facility. Wings flaring as her eyes snapped wide, she instantly wished they hadn't. The bright lighting coming from overhead was like needles being stabbed into her eyes. With a low groan she scrunched her eyes shut.
"Oh dear. Try to stay calm please... you're perfectly safe. No one wants to hurt you I promise."
The soft dulcet tones caused the mare to perk her ears. "...Aunt Fluttershy?"
"Oh um... no. Sorry. It's Melody? From the hospital a few months ago?"
Jen had to think hard to recall the event, and found herself unable to. "Can you turn down the lights?"
"Oh! Oh yes just a moment."
Seeing the lights dim a good deal from behind her eyes lids, Jen again peeked them open. A willowy young woman was smiling down at her softly, though there was just a hint of disapproval in her soulful brown eyes. Her mocha colored skin stood out in stark contrast to the bright white blouse she wore. A long brown skirt concealed most of her legs, and comfortable looking sandals adorned her feet. Most striking about her however was her hair. The thick dreadlocks fell down around her back and shoulders, but each one seemed to alternate between black and white.
"...nice hair."
The woman, Melody's eyes widened slightly and she fingered some of her locks. "Oh um, thank you? They just sort of grew like this after you... after you saved my life."
At the lack of recognition in Jennifer's huge blue eyes Melody sighed. "You... you don't remember?"
Jen shrugged, wings flaring open and closed as she did so. "Sorry. Been a busy year y'know?" She finally seemed to grasp she wasn't in her bed, but in the back of a truck or something. "Where am I?"
"Oh! Well you're on the um... the Pegasus." At the mare's raised eyebrows Meloday hastily continued. "It was Eva's idea after she saw you well... Like this. It left an impression on her. Bella too. Seeing you up close like this it's easy to see how."
More name's that didn't click in the mare's head. "Why am I here?"
"Well Elizabeth found one of the Master's processing plants. A very big one. We've been doing our best to help as many people as we can on our own but there are a lot of guards and..."
Jen cut her off. "Right. Lemme out. Land this thing before I blow a hole in the side of it and fly out."
Eyes wide the young woman turned on her heels racing up a small staircase to what Jen assumed was the front of the craft. Casting a baleful glare her sword's way she snorted. "I know you're behind this."
There are foals in danger Jennifer. You have ventured out to help others in the past. Would you truly have said no, knowing that your people's young are being slaughtered to fuel the Master's designs?
Jen's ears folded back at this news. Snorting softly she tapped the charm bracelet around her leg, assuming her humanoid shape. Flapping her wings as she got to her feet she sighed. "No. Still would've liked to have been asked."
You were unconcious in yet another drunken stupor at the time.
"Don't start with me Heart!" Spying some of her clothes balled up in the corner of the cargo bay she occupied Jen tugged on the baggy sweat pants and shirt. "Where are my shoes?"
Be glad Agent Miller opted to take any of your clothing for you Jennifer.
"Miller's involved? Of course she is." As if on cue the woman rushed down the stairs, a look of panic on her face. She was followed closely by Melody, an asian woman Jen didn't know, and a big woman dressed as a cowboy.
"You're not really going to blow a hole in the hull are you?"
Adjusting Mercy on her arm Jen shook her head. "No. Where are we heading?"
"Did Bleeding Heart tell you anything about what's going on?"
Choosing to ignore the snort of laughter from the small tattoo'd woman Jen nodded. "Processing plant, kids. Got it. Just point me at them and let me take care of it."
"It's not that simple. If you go in all... explosions and magic they might kill the prisoners. There're at least a hundred kids in there Jennifer. Would you risk their lives because you're impatient to get some more booze?"
Raising her hands defensively the young woman scowled. "I get it! Horseapples you don't need to jump down my throat like that."
The two behind Miller raised their eyebrows and shared a simultaneous look. It was the big cowgirl who spoke. "Horseapples?"
Crossing her arms with a defiant look Jennifer ignored the question. "So who are these people anyway? More feds?"
The question seemed to genuinely surprise the women. Miller looked back at them then to Jen. "You don't remember these women? At all?"
Jen squinted a bit looking from the asian, to the cowgirl, then to Melody. Miller, Melody, and the big woman all had some kind of weird glowing bracelet strapped to their wrists. Otherwise nothing much stood out. At length she shook her head. "Should I?"
The three had mixed reactions to the question. The asian woman snorted contemptuously and stalked back toward the cockpit. Melody just looked a little sad, while the large woman toyed with her hat. "You saved their lives Jennifer. Personally. Bella, Melody, and Eva you healed. You took their wounds onto yourself like you did my eyes. That leaves kind of a lasting impression on a person."
"Oh." She shrugged helplessly, looking genuinely sorry for a brief moment. "Sorry if I don't remember. I was probably uh, a little tipsy."
This brought a deep chuckle from the big woman, Jen assumed was Bella. "Shoot if y'did whatcha did back on m'family ranch drunk I can't wait t'see whatcha got when yer sober."
Flashing her a quick smile Jen looked back to Miller. "So then what IS the plan?"
The young woman didn't much care for the former agent's smile. "You get tazed."
***
"Look. See that? Told you the scanner picked something up."
The muffled voice from the armored man wearing what looked like a gas mask with glowing green eyes nudged his identically dressed partner. His fellow squinted through the deserted city streets toward a store front. The large window smashed in. He could indeed see movement inside.
"Animal? Or someone stupid enough to come into the city looking for food?"
The first speaker shrugged and adjusted the dial at his mask. With a mechanical whir the lenses extended for telescopic view. "Human. Looks like a girl too."
Now the second was interested. "How old?"
A dissatisfied grunt came from his partner. "Not old enough for any fun. Looks like she's headed for processing."
"Shit. You just know the Master keeps all the hotties locked away in the pleasure dome. Be nice if grunts like us could get in there now and then."
With swift practiced movements they ran to the roof's edge leaping to the next building over. Running faster than an ordinary person would be capable of they came to the roof directly across from the store in minutes. Soon the girl in question emerged looking nervously back and forth along the street, arms laden with numerous food stuffs and a half eaten candy bar in her mouth. Both Seeker's raised their eyebrows as she stepped barefoot out of the window, crunching the glass beneath her feet.
"Christ kid's tough. Maybe we could bring her in for conditioning instead of processing? Be a good seeker."
His partner shook his head. "You know the rules. Under age they go for processing. She looks old but not drinking age old."
Sighing the first leveled his rifle, charging a powerful electrical burst. "Damn shame. Could use a few more ladies in our outfit. We have plenty of folks getting turned into process paste." Squeezing the trigger of his weapon it kicked hard enough to throw a dull ache through his shoulder. The resulting electrical bolt struck the girl straight in the chest and she flopped backward without a sound.
Moving swiftly the pair dropped to the street. One tossed the girl over his shoulder while the shooter helped himself to some of the dropped candy. Reading his partner's look from behind the mask he shrugged. "What? I haven't had a Snickers in months."
Shaking his head the one carrying the girl trudged through the streets, completely unconcerned for what might be lurking in the shadows. All the freaks and monsters the Master's factories churned out knew not to bother a seeker. Their transport was parked a few blocks down the way. A large black van. Dumping the girl in the back, the first seeker climbed in after her while his fellow went ahead to the driver's seat.
"Let's see what we got." Methodically going about removing the bulky sweat shirt and pants he looked her over. "No jewelry, no nothing really. Caucasian female. Auburn hair." Forcing one of her eyes open he noted the color. "Green eyes. I'd say five foot ten or so. Maybe sixteen, seventeen years old." As he spoke he wrote the details down in a small notebook. The Master insisted on constant, detailed reports of everyone brought into a facility.
The facility for the north eastern U.S. came into view. A huge automotive factory that had been re-purposed for the Master's needs. A high fence surrounded the factory, topped with barbed wire and humming with electricity. Hastily constructed look out towers lined the perimeter here and there. The gate guard scanned their badges before admitting them into the fence. Parking around the back the driver hopped out. "Right, I'll see you in the mess."
"You're not coming with?" The other climbed out the back of the van, throwing the nude girl over his shoulder.
"You know how I feel about the holding rooms. I'm good staying as far away from there as I can."
"Pansy." Ignoring the return jibe from his partner the seeker hauled the girl through the factory doors. Other seeker pairs passed him now and again, even the occasional worker of the factory though they were quick to give the seekers a wide berth.
"Open pen C." The workers were quick to comply, swiping their key card through the slot a seemingly ordinary wall hissed open revealing a pitch black chamber. With a grunt he tossed the girl in, listening for a minute to the heavy thud of her hitting the floor some six feet down. Ignoring the pleas for food or water he stepped back letting the door hiss closed.
***
Jen peeked an eye open as she sat up. "Oh I do not like being tazed."
A collection of sharp gasps sounded all around her. She was in a pitch black room that stank like a lot of someone's lived inside that hadn't been showering in weeks. Holding her hand over her nose she stood up and stretched.
"You... you're up and walking already? Didn't they shoot you?"
Turning toward the young voice Jen did her best to zero in on the speaker. "I'm pretty tough. So what's going on? There cameras or a guard or something?"
"N-no. There's no way out. There're no doors or windows or anything... just the one wall that opens." The speaker was young, and female. Jennifer could sense plenty of other people in the room but given what Miller had told her she suspected they were all kids. This one was likely the oldest. "...why?"
The children recoiled, some with gasps others with frightened screams as bright green fire flickered into being around their newest cell mate. It worked its way up her feet illuminating their cell brightly. Some cowered in fear while others just looked awed as her pale skin gave way to a shiny black shell. As it worked over her stomach the black was joined with a dark green color. The flames licked over her shoulders leaving buzzing wings in their wake. As it covered her head her eyes seemed larger, a glowing green themselves in the darkness while her hair writhed about her head in a crimson mass, a long jagged horn stood tall from her forehead.
Tuning out the frightened cries for a minute Jennifer moved her hand to the now visible shield and drew Mercy, carefully laying the blade at her feet letting its warm pink light illuminated the cell when the changeling flames had died to nothing. Wings buzzing a little Jen looked about carefully. She found an older girl, maybe fourteen or so standing protectively in front of a group of maybe twenty or thirty children. Turning away from them she began to run a hand along the wall. "How many of you are there?"
The speaker flinched at the alien buzzing quality her voice had taken on. "Wh-what are you?"
"Right now? A changeling princess." Tapping along the wall she worked her way around the cell. Stopping when she reached the right wall and smiling to herself.
One of the bolder children, a little girl with a head of blonde curls perked up. "You're a Princess?"
"Sort of. Changeling's are like bees. They have a Queen who's in charge of the hive. Sometimes a drone that hatches isn't a normal drone, but a baby Queen or a Princess. I don't actually rule anything but I'm a Princess when I'm a changeling."
Looking back at the sea of faces Jen couldn't help but smirk at the knowing nods. Kids. They were smarter than adults gave them credit for, and so quick to accept an insane explanation like the one she'd given. "So! I'm Jennifer. I'll be rescuing you tonight."
Now the few frightened looks remaining were turning to optimistic. The eldest didn't look entirely convinced. "All by yourself?"
Jen shrugged slowly drawing a finger in a wide circle along the wall. "There're some others who say they'll help when the time is right but if need be yeah, all by myself. Do you know how many other cells there are?"
The girl nodded. "It goes up to H. This is C."
"Good. Alright. And you are?"
Blinking owlishly at the simple question the girl hesitated before answering. "Oh uh... Penelope. Pennie is fine though."
Jen's eyes widened and a look of painful nostalgia flashed across her face. "R-right. Pennie then. I'm going to need your help. I'm going to start making tunnels connecting all the cells. Your job is to gather everyone in here. It's going to be a tight fit I know but everybody has to be together if we're all getting out of here ok?"
Pennie nodded quickly. "Yes ma'am."
"Good." Jen walked briskly to the other side of the cell, the children following her movements with their eyes. Again she drew a circle along the wall. Her horn glowing brightly as she did so. Both circles began to match the color as the stone slowly dissolved to nothing revealing gaping holes, and a lot of curious faces peering in at the intimidating changeling woman.
"Alright Pennie. You're on." The children in cell B scrambled to get out of Jennifer's way as she crossed into their cell. Pennie followed close behind and started herding them into C. Drawing a circle along the wall she opened a new tunnel into cell A, before crossing back to C and heading into D.
I hope you have more of a plan than gathering them all together, erecting Mercy's shield and smashing your way out Jennifer. Recall the shield is still in effect about your Uncle's cabin and the refugee camp.
"I know that." She ignored the looks from the children as she talked to herself, making her way down the rows toward cell H. "I was thinking of using my own magic to make a shield if you must know."
I see. You are no doubt aware that every blow that falls upon the shield you will feel, and it will tax your magical reserves to their limit. You will need to return to Equestria far sooner than you like to restore yourself.
Jen shrugged as she opened the last wall, moving back to the now very full cell C while Pennie rounded up the last group. "I know that too. I'll live. These kids won't. Now are you going to create a big diversion up top while I do this or what?"
Heart sighed. Aye, of course I am. Signal when ready Jennifer.
With a nod Jen stepped toward the center of the room, frowning as most of the children cried out in fright. "Oh right, changeling's are scary huh?" Fingering her charm bracelet her carapace was replaced with smooth skin once again. Her horn straightened itself out as her wings became signifigantly larger and covered in her normal green and pink feathers. Her bouncy pink curls and bright blue eyes seemed to go a long way toward putting the children at ease.
"Alright kids here's the deal! My ghost pal is going to go up and start making a mess. I'm going to put us all in a big magic bubble and we're gonna walk out the back door. Sound like a plan?"
Eyes wide with awe the children collectively nodded mutely. The only one still not looking convinced was Pennie. "Good! Then let's get to it." Stooping down to retrieve her sword Jennifer called her armor up, shifting as it formed about her body. "You're on Heart."
If seeing the magic Jen was performing weren't enough the sudden appearance of an actual unicorn in their midst set the children alight with cries of excitement and delight. Bowing her head to the throng with a faint smile Bleeding Heart turned toward the wall they'd been dropped through and sprang upward, passing through smoothly.
Jen waited several minutes before the cries of alarm sounded from above. "Alrighty! Here we go!" Focusing some of her magical energy into her fist Jen thrust upward and released a blast of raw magic into the wall overhead. It impacted heavily with the stone and metal, buckling it outward before it burst open spilling light from the hallway into the cell. Agian she focused her magic first around her body, then forcing it to expand. The children exclaimed with delighted surprise as the twinkling green light passed over them, leaving tickling tingles in its wake.
Face scrunched into a frown of concentration Jennifer slowly levitated the sphere upward and out the hole forcing the kids to huddle together in a tight pack behind her as they squeezed out. "Alright everypony, nice and quick. Let's keep this ball rolling."
Which is precisely what they were doing. As she set a brisk pace the shield rolled along with her, crushing the walls and ceiling as it went. Of the children Pennie was the only one to notice the sweat running down Jen's face and neck. "Are you alright?"
"...a lot more magic than I'm used to doing at once. I'll be fine. You guys just keep going." The first guards not engaging Bleeding Heart arrived, wasting no time in firing their weird energy weapons into the shield. Jen grunted at each impact, they felt like someone was driving a nail into her forehead each time but she grit her teeth and kept moving forward.
The first real obstacle came when they had almost made it to safety. A massive steel door was sliding shut over the entrance. Eyes wide Jen picked up the pace. "C'mon time to run!" Even as the quick pace she could see they wouldn't make it. She could probably use her magic to stop the door but if she did the shield would definitely drop, or at least weaken enough for the guards to get through. Wracking her brain trying to come up with a solution, the problem soon resolved itself.
A pair of hands gripped the door just before it slid shut. The group in the bubble could hear a woman's voice grunting heavily as she strained on the other side. Slowly but surely however, it started to rise again. Jen's eyes were just as wide as the rest as Bella came into view, the muscular woman heaving the door back up, holding it open with both arms high over her head. "Reckon... yer on partner..."
"Yeah, yeah." The asian woman whose name Jen hadn't learned yet stepped around the straining Bella coolly. Raising both fists she pounded them together, drawing a loud metallic clang from the brass knuckles she wore. Jen recognized the flash of chaos magic as the abruptly grew to cover her fists, and all the way up to her elbows in massive, over sized metallic gauntlets.
Wearing a fierce grin she rushed by the shield and brought both arms up overhead slamming her fists into the ground producing a massive quack that shattered stone and sent cracks splintering throught he concrete in every direction. The guards caught in the ensuing mayhem were flung haphazardly through the air. Screaming with incoherent excitement the asian woman charged into the standing guards, her huge gauntleted fists making short work of them.
"Not t'rush ya or anything Miss Jennifer, but Vi's got thing's under control back there. Think y'all could scurry out here a mite quicker? This here door's gettin' heavy."
Snapping back to Bella who seemed to be only barely holding the door up now, Jen nodded and ushered the children through. With a mental summons she recalled Bleeding Heart just as Bella dropped the door shut again. "What about Vi?"
Bella shrugged. "She'll be fine, always is. She an Lizzy got somethin' t'take care of inside. Let's get you an these kids outta here though huh?"
Jen looked back at the factory, where the sounds of fighting were louder than ever. This was Miller's operation, she was in charge. These were her people. But the part of Jennifer that was still the Commander of the Order of Harmony didn't like the idea of leaving someone behind. "Heart you make sure Bella and the kids get out of here. I'll catch up."
As you wish. Be safe.
Bella looked like she wanted to protest as Jen turned to the door, but Bleeding Heart took over maintaining the shield and was already rolling. "Come along Miss Bella! I need you to guide me to safety."
With a grunt the large woman took off after the kids and unicorn. Jen turned to the door snorting softly, a few quick slashes of her enchanted blade created an opening for her to step through. Inside was a rather brutal scene. Dozens of bodies were smashed or pulped by Vi's huge gauntlets. Feeling a twinge in her heart for the dead Jennifer started to follow the sounds of mayhem.
"Oh I see you over there! You think you can shoot me and get away with it?!" Jen rounded a corner in time to see Vi vault across what looked like a mess hall, slamming her fist down atop a hapless guard who was firing his electricity weapon at her with seemingly no effect. Every time a bolt would impact her the energy was instantly siphoned into her gauntlets. The woman was gleefully pounding away at the guard who'd long since stopped moving. She didn't see the second one creeping up behind her. About to fling him aside with her magic Jennifer stopped short as an arrow whistled through the air from over her shoulder, taking the masked man in the face and dropping him.
Jen had passed numerous other bodies with arrows sticking out of them here and there. "You two are pretty okay with killing these guys."
Miller shrugged as she shouldered her bow. "They're already dead. The Master has them animated with weird chemicals and chaos energy. Corpses are easier to control than people. We fight back and all that." With a nod to the toothily grinning Vi, Miller set a quick pace out of the room.
Jen followed close behind. "Where are you going? I got the kids out."
"Good. But we're here for information too. This is the first processing plant we've managed to get into. With a little luck we can get the location of the others off their computers."
Shaking her head as Miller quickly explained, the woman pausing in her march only to fire an arrow into the face of a fleeing worker Jen shook her head. "But aren't all electronics dead?"
"Ours are. The Master lets his toy soldiers have plenty of working tech."
A trio of blasts ripped down the hall ahead right at the three women. Jennifer raised her shield but Vi stepped in front, lifting her gauntlets and absorbing the energy, before launching it back the way it came. Alarmed cries of pain greeted their ears. "Where did THOSE come from?"
Vi grinned up at the taller woman. "You like? We 'liberated' a chaos sliver from some chumps a few months back. While stick up her ass here tried to decide what to do with it, I broke it in half and stuck the two pieces in my brass knuckles. Itches like a bitch but they get the job done huh?"
Eyeing the gauntlets dubiously now, Jen had to nod in agreement. "I guess. Still that's dangerous."
The heavily tattoo'd woman smirked at that. "Says the girl with the biggest chaos sliver I've ever seen hanging off her sword."
Jen's eyes flicked to Discord's gem, dangling from the strap on her hilt. "Hmph. I don't use it unless I have to."
Shrugging at that, Vi rushed forward toward the rapidly reloading guards. "Where's the fun in that?!"
Miller was fidgeting with a keypad as Jen watched. "She's a lunatic."
"Sure but she's my lunatic. She stepped up when certain others who will remain nameless decided to jump to the bottom of a bottle and never look back didn't."
Scowling at the obvious insult Jen crossed her arms. "I'm here now aren't I?"
"Sure." The keypad pinged as the door hissed open. MIller looked up to meet Jen's eyes. "You staying?"
Unable to hold the woman's gaze long Jennifer looked away. "Thought not. So try not to judge us too harshly up there on your high horse until you're really ready to commit. Pun very much intended by the way."
Rolling her eyes at Miller's snark Jen moved down the hall toward a panting Vi. "You're missin' out on a lot of fun y'know?"
"You sure seem to be enjoying yourself." The pair stood before another set of heavily sealed doors. "What's in here?"
Vi shrugged. "Wanna find out?"
Jen couldn't help but smile back as she lifted Mercy, a quick swing cut the doors away admitting the two women into the room beyond. The smell immediately caused the pair to recoil and protect their noses. A huge one-sided mirror was set up to block anyone from the other, huge room beyond from seeing the people in what must have been a small observation deck. Strange control panels were lined up beneath the mirror blinking with various colored lights.
Curious the two women leaned out to look into the room beyond. Massive vats filled with some sort of creamy white paste were churned by huge mechanical arms. Not sure what they were seeing, Vi collapsed her gauntlets back to simple brass knuckles and started rapidly typing at one of the consoles. "Let's see if we can bring up the security footage huh?"
Nodding slowly Jen stood behind the smaller woman keeping an eye on the door in case more guards showed up. "Got it!" At Vi's call she shifted her attention back to the monitor. In the video she recognized people in suits like the one's who captured her earlier. Men in white coats with identical masks stood on catwalks over the vats. Some sort of energy field was present around the openings of the empty vats. With a mechanical clunk conveyor belts overhead began to move. Children ranging from newborns to late teens were pushed along the belts toward the waiting vats. When the first hit the energy field they were liquified to a thick white paste that splashed with a wet SPLAT into the vat.
Eyes wide in shock and outrage neither woman could look away as more and more were carelessly dumped to their deaths. "What... why are they doing this...?"
Vi punched the screen bare-handed, cutting her hand on the glass as it shattered. "That's 'processing'. The paste is what the Master uses to make his creepy crawlies. Easier to work with 'base genetic material' or something I heard Miller say once."
Moving slowly to the mirror again Jennifer looked out to the factory floor once more. There must have been half a dozen of the massive vats, each filled to the brim with the substance. Math wasn't her strong suit but hundreds of children must have been dumped into each one.
Vi stood slowly and started toward the door as a blazing green corona of energy sprang to life around Jennifer. Eyes widening as the magical field intensified she turned and ran full tilt toward the computer room. "Miiiiiiiillerrrrrrrr!"
***
"Now here. This is where it really gets interesting madame President."
The older woman frowned at the title. She'd been the Secretary of Education when this insanity had started. Now they were calling her 'madame President' for god's sake. "Just Amanda for you Agent Samson. And do you mean more interesting than the magical ghost horse leading a hundred or so children out of the factory?"
"Oh yeah." The burly agent Samson started laying down more photographs. The first showed a brilliant pillar of light punching its way through the center of the factory.
"What's this? And what's that little black speck in the center."
"That, would be Jennifer Denise Allen. Twenty-two today in fact. She was subject 1 at Project Wizard Works. You might be more familiar with the You tube video of her throwing down with the black horse a few years back?"
Nodding slowly in recognition she regarded the photo with more interest. "What's she doing?"
The next photograph was much closer up. Jennifer's eyes glowing a brilliant green, wings spread wide and sword raised above her head. A look of indescribable rage on her face.
The third picture showed a massive concentration of energy springing from her sword toward the factory.
The final picture was just of a smoking crater where the factory had stood.
The President stared at each of them for a very long time before speaking again. "I think it's time I had a word with Miss Allen, don't you agent? Let's see if we can't bring the so-called Pegasister's in for a chat as well."
Gathering up the pictures the veteran agent pocketed them smoothly. "Yes ma'am."