//------------------------------// // Hydrogen Fury // Story: Time Soldier // by Havelock //------------------------------// Michael climbed out of the machine after Gabe. "This was a bad Idea," he said, "Celestia may have killed him," Hoping to find just Gabe up there, he was shocked to see the Sun Princess up there with him. "Ah," said Celestia, "these are your comrades?" Gabe nodded. "Do you speak? It seems this one can understand but cannot respond," said Celestia. "Oh, uh... yeah, that's Gabe, my cousin," Michael stuttered. In years before, Michael would've loved to meet the Princess of Equestria, but now, with the circumstances, he wishes he could hide from her. "Is there a reason he cannot speak?" asked Celestia. "Wha? Oh, oh, Gabe, Uh... well... he, uh... he does speak, jus-just not in English, uh... I don't know why he won't speak English..." Tevin and Jack had poked their heads up out of the cockpit, getting a glimpse of what was unfolding. Jack had tried to cram a huge rifle with him to get a shot at the princess when needed. "Jack, what the hell? Put the goddamn gun down," Tevin whispered to him severely. Michael had heard what was going on behind him, and hoped the princess had no idea what a gun was. They sat in an awkward silence for some time. "Some very impressive technology you have," Celestia suddenly said, "could we perhaps organize a meeting, within my walls where it is more comfortable, we could use more of your help," Gabe nodded, blindly agreeing to her offer. "Gabe trusts her?" Jack asked Tevin. "Oh yeah," replied Tevin. "Well, we're screwed," Jack muttered. *** They were led into a small room with a long dining table in the center. Spread out across it was a large banquet of various vegan entrees. "Great, we're eating like grass-eaters," Jack said. His remark made the whole human crew smile, Gabe included who wasn't quite looking forward to a meal without meat. They sat down to eat the surprisingly delicious food on the table, as Celestia pushed aside her food and began to speak. "Without your help with the changelings today, Canterlot may have been weakened quite a bit. Our forces could have fended them off, but at a cost," she said, "I would be grateful if you could perform another task, for the betterment of our society," Tevin leaned forward, "Well, Tia? That your nickname? Tia, well, anyway, I'll have to ask what and why you want us to do whatever you're going to ask us," "Your leader Gabriel seems to be excited for this service," Celestia said, gesturing to Gabe who was, quite literally, bouncing in his seat. "Tia," began Tevin, "Gabe ain't the leadin' officer, I am, my word is law, and my priority is keeping these knuckle-heads alive, so, what's the job? What's the danger? What's the benefit?" Celestia raised an eyebrow, then said, "I would like for you to go into the Everfree Forest, there have been rumors of dark magic there," "Why would we risk our lives for some damn rumor? Might as well send some guards or mercenaries," said Tevin. "I did," said Celestia, "they never returned, in one piece, that is," "Then why would we be interested? I've read Cupcakes y'know, and don't want that shit finding my team," Celestia gave a questioning look at the mention of cupcakes. Little did she know that it was a dark and very disturbing story. She brushed the comment off, then said, "The human troops that have been hostile to us have been able to take down scores of us before we can eliminate them," "Really?" Tevin said sarcastically, "not interested, we're not geared for whatever the hell this place plans to throw," "Actually," Michael interjected, "Gabe... might have the tech and skill," Tevin rose from his seat, nearly shouting, "That shit is highly experimental! Gabe is more likely to blow up than to better survive on the field!" "We don't exactly know that, Tevin, we never tested it when we were supposed to," Celestia cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the arguing group. "What is it that is so experimental and dangerous?" she asked. Tevin turned to Gabe, gesturing him to get up, "Come on, Gabe, they won't learn anything to replicate it even if I showed them the schematics," Reluctantly, Gabe rose and began to strip himself of his coat and military gear, including his camouflage, revealing a pearly white, armor suit beneath it all. "The ARX Immortal Power Suit, closest we can get to an iron man suit," said Tevin. Celestia leaned in, noting every strange protrusion and listening to the human's every word. "Unlike the military standard, this thing is made from carbon nanotubes, so it's next to indestructible," continued Tevin, "the suit is sealed, so Gabe can literally go into space with that thing. It also boasts improved shock absorption, and at least four hours worth of bottled oxygen. In the helmet there's some sensors for brain wave activity, with them, it determines the condition of the soldier, allowing intervention when needed," Jack also leaned in, saying "There is also a cloaking mechanism, provided by an EM emitter. Finally, the main feature is plasma engines strategically placed all around it. The wearer can use these engines to make them run faster, punch harder, jump higher, y'know superhuman stuff," Celestia was leaning very far forward now, her chest nearly dipping into the food in front of her. She tried to remember every feature mentioned in the suit, though most of it, she didn't know about. "So, tell me, Tia, can this kind of hardware survive your world?" asked Tevin. "Are there other details on this suit?" asked Celestia. "The suit improves combat survivability by around sixty-eight percent, and that's all we're willing to share, now, my first question," "Hm? Oh, yes, this armor will very easily be able to stand up against the threats within the Everfree," said Celestia. "What's in it for us?" asked Jack. Gabe looked at them with a dark glare, reminding them of their goal in Equestria. "Nevermind," said Jack, avoiding eye contact with Gabe, "we'll leave as soon as we're supplied," *** "We've been sittin' here for hours, man, give the goddamn order already!" shouted Jack, slumping in a padded chair built into a metallic wall. All around their war machine's living area sat the four, Michael was mixing himself a drink, while Gabe and Tevin played a game of chess. Michael poured a glass for himself, then grabbed a nearby bottle of scotch for his cousin. "I remember when he told me how he fell in love with scotch, sad story really," said Michael. Tevin moved his knight to abolish Gabe's rook from the game. "We all heard it, we all know he needs it... why we all need it really," said Tevin, accepting Gabe's offer of a glass. Gabe moved his bishop across the board, knocking over Tevin's king in the process. Jack took notice of this and said, "You can never win a game against Gabe, bro, guy was a freakin' prodigy in everything he did," Gabe shrugged and drank deeply from the bottle he was given. He savored the slow burn on his throat, as the liquor slid down and boiled in his belly. He smacked his lips appreciatively, clearly enjoying what the bottle had to offer. "Alright, enough pissin' in the wind, let's get to work," said Tevin. "Finally!" exclaimed Jack, rising from his seat and heading in the direction of the platform's controls. "Gabe, up front, I wanna give a quick brief before you charge into hell," Gabe stood at attention before Tevin, anxious to start his service for Celestia. "I want to go over your suit a little more before you go out there," said Tevin, "alright, those sensors are gonna tell us whether or not your heart is still going, and how much physical and mental stress your going through. Push that stress too far, the suit will automatically inject you with endorphins, adrenaline, norepinephrine, dopamine, and finally some aggression enhancers, so be sure to use those to your advantage. Now, there is no external backpack for the hydrogen in your suit, it's all condensed inside the nanotubes of your armor. That means, that if the suit takes enough damage, it'll explode, and nothing will be left to bury, so watch your ass, Gabe," He nodded vigorously, ready to be sent out. "Dismissed soldier," Tevin finally said. Gabe located a hatch that led to the top of the platform. Exiting from there, he was consumed in utter blackness. He lit a flashlight on his gun, then closed the hatch behind him. "There should be a ladder off to the side of the platform, it runs right next to the cockpit," said Michael through a comm. Gabe followed his instructions and climbed down the ladder, reaching the forest floor safely. "Gabe, we're pretty far deep into the forest, nobody, or nopony, as Tia put it, has gone this far and come back. Watch yourself, things here could range from bandits to rampant ursa majors," Michael warned. Gabe made a mental note of those things, having seen an ursa major in the show. He shuddered at the thought of having to fight one, then continued on. He eventually stopped and checked his gun, he fingered the trigger of his masterkey, then the laser sight on the side. He finally checked the sight on his weapon, a simple reflex sight, useless in the dark he was in. He stashed the rifle and pulled out his Luna pistol, which would prove more useful in close range. "Gabe, we're getting movement on the sensors, infrared shows multiple hostiles, they look like griffins. They're packin' huge bows and javelins for arrows, keep low," Gabe spoke rapid, panicked Korean to his cousin. "No, the cloaking is a fail, doesn't quite agree with the nanotubes, sorry," Gabe went prone, staying out of sight behind overgrown roots and shrubs. He turned off his flashlight and closed his eyes. "Gabe, they're circling around you, what the hell...?" Several torches on sconces lit up, unveiling half a score of griffins circled around the human. "Look, another one!" shouted one of them. "Its head is mine, I've already claimed it!" shouted another. "Uh, Gabe, this is a good time to try out those hydrogen thrusters," said Michael, panic evident. "Shit man! Go wild! Kick ass! Kick ass!" shouted Tevin through the comm. Gabe leaped up, replacing his fear with a burning rage. "It's awake, get it!" Gabe began to sprint head first towards the griffin in front of him, thrusters on his legs propelling him faster. He leaped upward, bringing both legs together for a decimating kick aided by the thrusters on his legs. A sickening crack was heard from the griffin's skull, as its body slammed into the ground, limp and still. Another bandit flanked Gabe, holding a javelin in its eagle claws. Gabe blocked a downward swing with his left arm, then readied his right for an uppercut. Small hydrogen fueled thrusters poked out of the forearm of the suit, accelerating Gabe's punch dramatically. "HHHIIIIYYYYEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Gabe's uppercut beheaded the griffin, creating a minor fountain of blood from the body. The head plopped down in the moist grass, a bloodied spine snaking out behind it, split and pouring nerves like angel hair pasta. The other griffins stared in horrified awe of Gabe's ferocity. Gabe inhaled deeply, "HHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" he screamed mindlessly, scattering the remaining griffins. He lowered his arms from his fighting stance, then sat down in a relaxed position on the soft dirt. "That, my friends, is why we don't piss off Gabe," said Tevin through the comm. "Y'know, if it's at all possible, Gabe, do you think you could keep yourself and that billion dollar suit out of the heat? If you get injected with those aggression enhancers, you'll get delusional and really hot headed cause Tevin hasn't adjusted the chemical dosages yet. Just keep a cool head and don't get shot, alright?" said Michael. Gabe smiled at his cousin's scolding, then rose from his dirt seat. He found a path worn into the ground, the tracks certainly not belonging to a pony nor human. Gabe followed the tracks, hoping to be led to the rumors he heard. Though, at the same time, he hoped they would just be rumors. He reached an opening to the confined spaces of the forest, finding a path running a long way down into a large basin. The entire basin was illuminated with Luna's light, casting a haunting, luminous glow across the tall grass and trees. Gabe followed the narrow path, reaching the moonlight veiled bottom within tens of minutes. "Gabe, Tevin is letting me release some limiters on the ARX, you should be able to get a lot more thrust from those engines now, hydraulics and skeletal actuators are coming online, so you should also be stronger and able to move more freely now too. And, if you happen to get killed, there's a defibrillator to get you outta la-la pony heaven, and back into the fight, but remember, that also means you'll get injected with the enhancers, so... just don't die on us," Michael informed. Gabe face-palmed at Michael's antics, sure he was older and was only looking out for him, but Gabe was a full grown adult with better accuracy in the field than Michael. Ignoring this, he carelessly ambled through the field of shrouded gloom. Within moments of being exposed to this, Gabe felt the place resonate the same feeling of nostalgia as the pool of water in the cave. "Hey, uh... Gabe, do you see any uh, strange activity in your area? I'm seeing the trees moving here, but uh, scanners say there's nothing in them, and there is no wind tonight," Gabe spewed agitated Korean at his relative. "Bro, you're not the only one kinda freaked out here, it's been a rough day for all of us, just do us all a favor, will ya? Check your surroundings, make sure that there really is nothing to worry about," Gabe rolled his eyes at the thought of staying still while a hunter is loose and after him. Regardless, Gabe pulled out his Luna pistol and lit the flashlight on the bottom of the gun's rail. He swept the light across the trees, finding nothing. A bush rustled near him, and Gabe shined his light on the source of the sound. Nothing. Rustle, Rustle, Rustle... Gabe was sweeping his light over the trees again and again, seeing nothing hidden among its branches. He checked the bushes around him, still nothing. Rustle, Rustle... Crack! Gabe jumped at the sharp sound. He turned to check its source, an entire tree ripped down. Rustle, Gabe stood dead still, slowly peeking over his shoulder. The same creature as was in the cave, staring like a maddened beast at Gabe. He slung his pistol around, shining light on it when it vanished. "Gabe, am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" Tevin asked. Gabe brusquely told him to shut up in Korean as he searched for the missing monster. He stopped and looked over his shoulder again, seeing the same demon, closer this time, in the moonlight. Gabe slowly switched his flashlight to off, cutting off the beam of light, then pointed his weapon at the creature. It continued staring at Gabe, its mouth agape and slowly widening. Slowly wider and wider, then, an ear-piercing shriek. Gabe knew there was going to be an attack soon, and loosed a bullet at its head, splattering its brain all over the grass. Suddenly, popping from the trees were the same demons, all with prying orbs and knife limbs. "All limiters released! Go man! Go!" shouted Michael. Gabe stashed his pistol and ran for the nearest creature, performing the same devastating kick to the head, only this time, shattering the entire skull. They all swarmed Gabe, who was a whirlwind of lethally hard and precise strikes of material harder than even diamond. Gabe easily beheaded some, others simply smothered by crushing blows. He cleared them out with surprising force. He turned to confront one behind him, but was knocked several meters back by a single, larger beast. Gabe struggled to his feet, having the wind knocked out of him from the strike. He looked up at the larger beast, bearing witness to its blade arms heralding down on him. He leaped out of the way, aided by the hydrogen thrusters. He dashed forward, performing a thruster aided back flip kick to the creature's chest, sending into the air. He then leaped with it, spinning in the air then dealing a colossal kick to its torso. The force of Gabe's kick was truly decimating, forcing the intestines out of the demon's mouth, splintering the spine, and splitting the creature by the area of impact in two! Gabriel, and the two pieces of the monster dropped heavily to the ground, landing on a grass overflowing with black blood. "Jesus Christ! Jumping spinning 1080 round-house kick, aided by hydrogen thrusters! God damn, Gabe! You wiped the floor with those bastards!" shouted Michael in disbelief. Gabe was shrugging his shoulders after the fight. He was exhausted, spending all he had in the fight, when he suddenly heard a soothing voice calling out to him. "Here... here..." Gabe turned to the sound, seeing a dark shape in the distance, standing over the shallow end of a lake down with the basin. Gingerly, he approached the shadow, eventually making out the figure of a woman. "Come... here..." With more confidence now, Gabe quickened his pace to the figure, curiosity driving him closer. "Gabe... Gabe! Stay away from that thing, we don't know what it is, Gabe listen to me!" shouted Tevin. Gabe cut Tevin off, causing them to go totally blind. Now, it was only Gabe and the strange shadow that had appeared. Upon getting closer, the image of a woman faded, and a single, large dark orb floated in the center. Gabe stood toe to toe with it, inching his hand forward gently. He has almost touched it, he was that much closer to revealing its secrets. He rested his fingers on the orb, suddenly being grabbed by dark boneless limbs, that coiled around him. Gabe struggled against his bonds, turning to run, and grabbing wet soil beneath the water as he was pulled down and towards it. The restraining tentacles had a firm, foolproof grip on Gabe, lifting him up and pulling him into the orb. Gabe could only let out one cry into the moonlit forest, "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" he shouted being pulled into oblivion. The orb vanished into the night, leaving none to witness to what had happened to the soldier in the deepest Everfree.