//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Matt's Vendetta // Story: The Conversion Bureau: New Tactics Part III // by no sh*t sherlock //------------------------------// Chapter 10: Matt's Vendetta Matt and Jacob had waded across the river once more so that they were now on the correct side. They were filled with energy from seeing the Russian ships. In the last hour their morale had risen from a few events. For one they were able to avoid the forest completely and they now walked through a hilly grassland. From here nothing could sneak up on them. It also gave them a view of the vertical plume of smoke that rose a few miles away. They both assumed it was coming from Ponyville, but debated on whether or not it was caused by the Russians or Hudd and the others. However as they continued the grass became lower and patchy. Eventually it stopped completely and the soil became more sandy with rocks and boulders embedded in it. Jacob ran and climbed on top of one and pointed ahead. "I see Ponyville! Only about two miles away, we're almost there!" Matt didn't respond. He stared over at something to his left. "Matt, did you hear me?" Jacob asked as he jumped down. "Yeah." Matt said, not looking at him. He started moving over to the field, his pace quickened with every step. When got to the middle, he stopped. Jacob soon arrived next to him. "Whoa." He said as they both peered down into a small hole straight down in the earth. "Wouldn't want to fall down there!" He joked and stepped away. "Actually, thats just what I was considering." Matt said seriously "What are talking about?" Jacob said. "You know whats down there?" "Yes. I know where leads. I can't explain, but I have to go down there." Matt his feet in the pit and sat on the edge. "Wait, wait, wait!" Jacob said getting frustrated. " Ponyville is right there! Everyone else is only like 20 minutes away. What is this this all of the sudden. " "I told you I can't explain now, but it's something from my days in Equestria. I'm not asking you to help me, you can head to Ponyville now, but I've got to do something first." Jacob wanted to leave, to aid his friends in Ponyville. But he also cared what happened to Matt. This was something that he obviously felt strongly about. He couldn't leave him here alone. "Wait." He sighed. " I want to come with you." *************** Hudd took the lead entering Ponyville. His hands were gripped tightly to his assault rifle. His pace was slow and cautious as he walked past the burned out buildings, aiming his rifle up at empty windows whenever he heard a noise. "Come on." He called back. There were a few who stayed with him, but the vast majority clumped as one giant mass of people and moved together. As Hudd moved further down the stone path he had to step around large, dismantled, wooden piece of equipment that had been positioned in the middle of the road. Behind it were four dead unicorns. The ponies were covered in silvery armor. Hudd picked up the helmet from one of them and held it up. Sunlight funneled through a small, bloody hole in the back. "Interesting." He said to himself. He turned and showed the helmet. "Look like they knew we were coming." He said before he threw it back with the other bodies and continued on. He started passing more and more pony bodies. They were positioned in lines on either side of the street. Some were burned from the fires while others were partially buried from sections of walls that collapsed. A quarter mile later, the road ended up at a spacious circular grass plaza with one building, like a city hall, in the center. The top of the building would have ended in a spire, but it had been blown off and was now stuck in the earth. Hudd walked the perimeter of the circle and saw the seven main main roads the connected to it, three of which crossed a very small creek. "We'll set up here." He said when he had completed his loop. Everyone nodded and began to set up. Everyone was happy to be free of their equipment. The heavier weapons, the M134, mortars and the heavy MGs, were set down in an orderly fashion. Another group began unpacking and setting up the generators. However, most partook in simply finding a place to sit and rest. "Get that radio working." Rebecca said as she walked with Hudd past one group. "See if we can't get in contact with our bureau." Next they moved to a few guys who were sprawled in the grass. "You, you, you, you and you." Hudd said pointing to each of them. "Get some weapons and see if you can find a pony alive so we can figure out what happened here. If you get one, bring back here and come find me." The tiredly agreed and got up. Once Rebbeca assured him she would be alright, he left with them. ************* Hudd stood in front of a destroyed building. It was one of many on the eastern side of town. After only a few minutes it was clear that Ponyville's destruction had come from humans. Bullet casings littered the ground as well as empty magazines and spent shotgun shells. Near some of the ongoing structure fires were empty red gas cans. Whoever had been here had to have been well supplied to waste gas this. He thought. But his most interesting find was on the outskirts of the city. There were deep continuous tracks in the ground that led to Ponyville then turned and left in the same direction "Christ, a tank?!" He said suddenly feeling like he was lacking in the hardware department. "Hudd!" A voice came from behind him and turned to see one of the guys he'd to search the town. "There you are! We found a pony... alive." Hudd ran back to the center of the city where two men were dragged screaming pony to the center of a forming crowd. He yelled in pain as his injured leg scrapped on the ground, leaving a fresh trail of blood "Pick him up!" Hudd shouted, fearing that he would pass out. "Set him down here." he pointed to a spot in the grass where the crying pony was gently placed. "Can you speak?" Hudd asked. "Yes." The pony said through labored breaths. "Good. Because there are things some things I'd like to know." *************** Matt, you have to tell me where this ends up." Jacob said. Matt had led him down a tunnel and had only told him to be on his guard. He was fine with helping Matt accomplish whatever it was he wanted, but he didn't want to kept completely in the dark. Matt remained silent. He steered the way through the tunnel with Jacob's flashlight. Matt's whole demeanor had changed. He seemed darker, more serious in nature. Back at the bureau Jacob had heard stories from some of the converts. They were tales of horror. Some converts were made to work for up to 18 hours a day in fields, orchards, clothing sweats and, worst of all, the dreaded rock farms. If they didn't fulfill their obligations, they would be exiled from Equestria and forced to live in the decaying human lands.The way Matt acted, Jacob became certain that he too had gone through some similar treatment. That in mind he decided not to push anymore. He followed silently behind him until the tunnel split. It had led them to a chamber with seven paths all with different angles. Matt had stopped in front of him. He looked across from tunnel to tunnel, trying to remember which one. "This way." He said pulling his pistol out. He moved slowly to the darkest tunnel on his very left. "Are you ready?" he asked Jacob checked his own gun, his clip was full. "Yeah... What're you doing?" Matt had his pistol pointed at the ceiling. "Better to have them come to us and get it over quickly." He pulled the trigger and the shot reverberated through the corridor and raced through the tunnels Moments later a series of howls came from the entrances around them. Jacob took an uneasy step back. "What is that, wolves?" He asked. Seconds later he got his answer. He heard snarling in the tunnel above him. He looked up as a large, furry brown creature in iron armor pouncing. He fired up and got two shots through his armor. "Jesus!" He exclaimed jumping back as it fell in front of him. It resembled a bull dog, but with one or two, very odd human qualities. "No not wolves." Matt said he killed one that tried to charge him. "Diamond Dogs!" He began to move cautiously forward into the tunnel dropping two more as he went. Jacob followed, watching behind them. "That one looks familiar." A scratchy, high voice suddenly echoed through the tunnel. "Yess! It's himm again." A similar sounding, but different voice said. Matt looked around and checked the ceiling. Something was watching them. "Where is she?!" Matt shouted. "Whyy would he want to see her again?" One hidden voice asked. "Could he be holding a grudge?" The other answered. There was a pause before both of them started snickering. This enraged Matt who charged forward, leaving Jacob in the dust. "Matt wait a second!" Jacob shouted. He dodged a spear and shot back at another guard. Ahead of him, he heard a few more shots. Jacob started running through the winding path to catch up with Matt. He feared that it would split like it had before. Moments later he began to understand what Matt had gone through. Huge lights fell from the ceiling and illuminated a cavern big enough to hold at least a dozen helicopters. Huge columns rose from the ground every 100 feet or so to support the massive ceiling. Tracks with carts criscrossed the ground. In them were precious stones, the likes of which he had never seen. No gold or sliver, but transparent, flawlessly cut gems of various colors. It was a huge operation, but at the moment there was no one around except Matt a few yards in front of him. He kicked a dead diamond dog over until it laid next to another one. Both had vests of different colors on. "I got em." He said when Jacob joined him. "Good,uh, can we leave now?" Jacob said. "Not yet." Matt said coldly as he moved on. Minutes Later... "This is it." Matt said. He stood in front of huge circular door on the opposite end of the mine. "She should be behind here." He said as he pushed against it, completely ineffective. Jacob unzipped his the bag that had been on his back. "Hold on, I've got something." "Lets hope the whole mine doesn't come down." Matt said. He was now taking cover behind a column with Jacob, who had placed a few of the charges from his backpack o the door. "It wont." Jacob said, though he was not completely sure himself. He squeezed the trigger on a detonator and door blew to pieces, throwing shrapnel all around the cave. Matt moved quickly. As soon the dust settled he was gone from the column and moving through the now open doorway, weapon drawn. Jacob went after him, but Matt had frozen before the pony in front of him. Her body was light pink with a purple mane and tale with a white stripe going down the middle of each. A beautiful ornately crafted, pure diamond crown sat upon her head. She sat on a throne of sorts made from solid gold with the multicolored gem stones from the mine. "Diamond Tiara." Matt said. There was a sound of relief in his voice, like he'd finally found the one thing he'd been looking for. "You're dead you fucking bitch. I'll end you quickly." He held his gun pointed at her head. "Matt?" She replied. There was clear distaste in her voice as she looked him over. "Yeah Its you. Back again already?" "For the last time." Matt said. "I'll never be down here again." "If I remember right, you said that to me a few months ago and three days later, you were back here digging up more gems. All the things we did, all the things to keep you in line, and you and you still came back." She smiled and laughed coldly at him. "You made me a fortune, Matt, more money than my father or anyone could have imagined. I paid you nearly nothing and it was enough to keep you around. Was it that you liked working for me or did you just need me?" "Shut this bitch up, Matt.", Jacob thought to himself as he watched. They had just got in here, but he had let her talk for too long. Matt shook his head, he smiled as his eyes welled up. "Not anymore." He pulled the trigger and unloaded his magazine into her head. Before her face was unidentifiable, her expression was that of surprise, like she couldn't believe he had actually shot her. Her crown had flown off her head and landed in front of her body. Jacob had to pull Matt from stomping on the corpse, which wasn't an easy task. When he finally had him step out of her chamber. He wasn't sure how to take it. More had happened to Matt down here than being forced to mine gems. Though now, Jacob was sure that he was not going to ask. He no longer wanted to know.