Chapter 4- The Burning of Tall Tale
The military base was simplistic in design and as such in function. There were only six main parts to the base as a whole, one of which being the Defense Tower that sat toward the very edge of the grounds. Behind the tower to its right was a large house shaped structure that served as the mess hall and briefing room. On the left, was an open training field. Behind the Main building, in a rectangular grid, was the barracks. Further beyond, a long solid building made of stone and iron. This building was the armory.
Sniper's job usually gave him the best seat in the house, and this was no exception. He sat on the highest study branch of a great redwood tree. An anomaly in this forest, but a plaque at the base of the trunk tells the reader that the tree was planted in tribute to Redwood Heart, a famous stallion of authority in ancient times who defended northern Equestrians from Griffin forces and made his greatest stand in this town. It was from this tree that Sniper had done his prior scouting after some eventful climbing.
[Hi readers! If you're having trouble visualizing this, or you're just too lazy to do so, then let Mann Co. Illustrations enhance your experience!] [Not to scale, some details missing]
A small piece of trivia: Redwood's body was used to fertilize the tree when it was first planted, a popular theory to the tree's healthy state and long life.
Sniper quietly scanned the tower window. Through the window a large cannon could be seen pointed towards the coast through a thin long opening just big enough for the barrel. As old fashioned as a cannon may seem, one still would prefer not to be in its sights when it might go off. To its right, a wooden contraption that resembled an oversized crossbow, again a menacing contraption. Three stallions were relaxing on a small group of chairs around and small table, their words could not be heard from this distance.
A feature of Sniper’s rifle is a small Mann. Co patented magnetic generator that lies within the stock of the rifle. This is the power source for all the features of Sniper’s rifle. The bushman hovered his cross hairs on the group. Under normal circumstances the rifle would emit a laser sight light for night combat and accuracy. It is activated by a sensor on the scope for when it detects Sniper’s head zooming in, however if one looked for it, you would see the red dot of death hovering around on who ever was targeted as prey. Another quality part is also a Mann. Co patented device with a classified mechanism known only as the Bullet Charger. This nifty device uses energy from the generator to “power the shot” before firing. At any time between the start of the charge to the point of capacity, the penetrating power of the bullet will increase and thus forth its damage. Of course the more power released the louder the suppressed rifle gets until it can no longer be classified as “suppressed” at max capacity. These functions are big giveaways for stealth.
Therefore the generator, and thus the devices, were turned off. This mattered little to Sniper for he refused to allow doubt of any kind to enter his mind. If he does, the brain is then clouded with subconscious worry and fear, and the shots he would fire might miss. Very unprofessional. He believes he is the best. Because that's how you stay the best.
A trap door on the floor of the room in the tower opened. Out came a mare with a smooth gold mane with a pink highlight and corresponding tail. Naturally the three stallions immediately gave her all their attention. She seemed not to care, and started talking casually to them. She then said something that caused the stallions to look out the window toward the ocean, and away from her.
Spy then made his move, as did Sniper. The mare, quick and swift, lifted her hoof and drew a blade into the spine of the stallion closest to her while cutting of screams of pain by covering his mouth. The very millisecond his eyes and brain saw this, Sniper but a bullet through the throat and neck of the stallion sitting furthest from Spy who had lost the disguise and moved on to the last pony in a single step. The victim had no time to react as he was killed in the same fashion as the first pony fallen.
Spy looked directly at his teammate through the other window and gave a silent nod of thanks before going back down the tower.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Heavy, Soldier, Rifleman, and Scout worked about in putting part two of the plan in place. Voices were in whispers, as they worked outside the barracks where hundreds slept. One by one, Heavy passed a barrel of powder from the armory to Scout of Soldier who laboriously worked to get 1-2 barrels placed by a sleeping barrack with a trail of powder linking them together. Two ponies had already stepped out to take a piss before being immediately taken down by Sniper, who could now focus all attention on the team below. Rifleman stood guard and heard something through his in-ear mic.
“Mate, you got three ponies patrolling the perimeter of the base with an oil lamp, far right behind the armory. Must’ve slipped by the edge of the forest. I can only get one before the others have time to react.”
Rifle was already moving, he put his hand to his ear for a gentle push-to-reply. “Gotcha, how close are they?”
“Close, fifteen seconds.”
“Shit.” Rifleman picked up his silent pace.
“Triangle formation, one on the left and one on the right, both in front of one.”
Rifleman could hear them as he got closer, two mares gossiping and the third was then a disgruntled, silent stallion probably lagging behind out of boredom. “I can get two around the corner.”
“Perfect mate, show me what ya got. On my word.”
His back was pressed against the edge of the bottom right angle of the rectangle building. His mind quickly preparing the body, it seemed to chant a subconscious protocol. Soft breaths, focus, plan your attack, wait and listen...
"I heard that Copper Hoof came back because he was kicked out of human territory!"
“Oh you don't say! Well I-call-dibs!”
Ready the weapon...
“No. I already asked him. Hooves off.”
“Shoot. Well I have some tricks up my sleeve, I steal him away, like-before you know it girl.”
Almost there…
“Oh, you're on sister!”
“Now mate!” KILL!
Time slowed as Sniper pulled the trigger on the mare to the left. At the signal, Rifleman put his right foot in a pivot position and threw his body around the corner for momentum as the mare fell, her friend barely starting to react to what at first glance appeared as a stumble. Her eyes hadn't seen the blood spray from her neck yet.
The black machete, made of high quality steel and alloys and sharpened to a microscopic point, was driven down at an angle into the throat of mare number two, cutting of any sound. In one large step with his right foot, his hand grabbed the throat of the stallion who was caught off guard and in doing so dropped the lamp. Rifleman brought his left foot forward to complete his center of balance and in the process twisted the long blade from the breathless corpse, mangling the neck in an unsettling way as the blade had embedded itself in the upper spine. He stood for one whole second with a struggling stallion hanging in the air within his death drip. The stallion’s eyes showed unrelenting fear. The human eyes displayed serious thrill. A terrifying contrast. Dropping the machete, a quick and cruel neck snap finished the job.
“...Good work. Quick and silent.” Sniper wasn't surprised, just impressed.
Rifleman answered back with a relaxed voice, like one fresh out of a hot shower. “Moving back to position.”
-Meanwhile-
“No.”
“Nein.”
“Bagh!"
“Oh! Here it is. Ze medical textbooks, records, and medical documents!” In a multi purpose medical storage room Medic made his way through what was available for items of potential importance, Spy fondled with a half spent cigarette, and Demoman was drinking scrumpy and medical alcohol. Spy looked to Demo and his unhealthy habit, not like his constant smoking was any better. “Are the bombs in place?” Demo answered with no sign of alcohol poisoning. “Of course, once Medic is done we can go.” Spy glared a forewarning toward the doctor, “We’ve spent far too long here. It won't be long before someone sees the sign and the dead receptionist. And I'm starting to feel the side effects of your smoke bombs in my stomach.” Medic looked impatiently at his comrades, “Fine dunkophs, help me find zomething unique or medically significant and ve can go. Besides, I varned you about ze effects! How else vould ve have gotten za patrolling guards.”
They searched in boxes and cabinets and, much to their chagrin, crates. Items collected include but are not limited two: Preserved organs, small gems, amputated parts, medicine, herbs and plants, a daisy sandwich, more medical alcohol, nurse hats, medical equipment/tools, a chemistry set, numerous medical books and records, and in the same filing cabinet where the paperwork was discovered a secret hidden picture of the now dead receptionist with Justin Beaver.
“I’m no medical expert but-wait!” Spy tuned his ears and listened to the tile he was walking on in the room. The pitch his shoes made was more sharp and not nearly as dull as surrounding sections of tile. “This part of the floor is hollow,” he stepped on it a few more times, “Something is under here!” Demo wasted no time or collateral care as he planted a sticky bomb at Spys feet and detonated it just as the frightened french man leaped away.
“You bomb chucking delinquent! I’ll-” Spy cut himself off when his eyes saw what was beneath the floor. There was a small cushion of dirt where the tile was laid on top of then a small chasm opened up to reveal a glowing object placed on a small alter. Demo jumped in after a moment of all three humans recovered from surprise.
“Hey, do ye fellas think this is a wee bit important?” A rhetorical question, as Demo presented a large important looking gem of an orange-red hue and soft pulsing glow placed inside a steel and glass case found within a safe spy unlocked. Large, glowing, and stored in a secure case buried underground. A good sign of importance, “Oh, zat looks good. But zat blast vill attract attention.” Demo put his finger to his ear. “Mates, were go to go! We might have attracted attention so we need to go ASAP!”
-Meanwhile-
“(Gasp!) Last one..(Gasp) is in…(Pant) place. Whew! The symbol.. is ready as well. I'm winded! That’s hard work.” Scout took a moment to catch his breathe
“Shut it Scout, if its ready then we retreat to Engie and Pyro.” Soldier appeared to not have broken a sweat and lead the group to Redwood’s redwood where Engie and Pyro sat in wait at the trunk of the tree. Pyro saw the group coming, and began skipping and hopping to the armory in a playful manner, passing the retreaters and “murphing” a happy tune to itself. Engineer said to his team, “Ok, boys. On my count we all teleport. Get ready. Sniper, is Demo ready?”
“Yeah. Hit it Demo!-Pyro just lit the fuse!” Pyro continued to skip and hop but did so backwards so that it may see the explosions. “Murph murr MURPH!”
And see it they all did. BO-O-OM-M!! The ground violently shook as a simultaneous explosion, as well as good fuse timing done by Pyro, sent the majority of the Military District in destructive motion. The tower before them was instantly torn to fine shreds of rock and stone, and in the distance while they could barely be seen, the other two towers had thrown themselves high in the air in the form of red hot rouble. The barracks lit up like a village attacked by a rampaging dragon. Fire and explosions erupted from a chain reaction from the barrels and trails of powder, and from the top of the tree where Sniper sat, he saw the hospital go alight with the sound of Demo’s sadistic laughter ringing in everyone’s mic. “Burn. In. Hell! HA HA HA!”
Engineer decided it was time to go before flaming falling rocks pelted them. “Now!” He touched a button on a metal bracelet fastened to his right wrist and in a flash, he along with the whole team who had done the same, disappeared… before reappearing in the cave on Smoky mountain.
It was a grand improvement to the teleportation system. Engie designed bracelets that are basically personal teleporter entrances, thus their nickname: PTEs. The exits had been fitted with technology first introduced in the Robot wars between Mann. Co and Grey Mann. The blue teleporter could transport groups of items at once, and therefore could be used here, to teleport the whole team back to base without multiple exits.
The next thirty minutes was spent celebrating a flawless victory with one another. Its not very often that a plan succeeds without a hitch. “Hey soldier!” Solly called Rifleman over. “You still have a long way to go but I see the potential for you to be a good part of the team! Just like how Scout had the potential to be the world’s most annoying ass back when he joined!”
“I HEARD THAT!”
“Thanks Soldier, I really think that I will find someway to fit in. I just need to find out how.” Soldier put his hand on Rifle’s shoulder, “All in due time.” Rifleman felt a soft sense of happiness that night, even though he knew real happiness was on the battlefield waiting for him.
-Morning-
Derpy flew in with a pep in her step, as if she well expected her fighters to have returned by now, odd being how she couldn't possibly know when they could have returned. “I suspected that you guys would be back! The early morning train found the whole town in a mass panic!”
Well that answers that.
Heavy responded whilst serving himself a cup of coffee, “They found ruins of our work then.” Derpy noded rapidly and pulled out the newspaper. Rather than handing the main headline to Engineer, she chose to read it to the party aloud. “Disaster at Tall Tale!, This symbol in the picture above was found scorched into the military training field of Tall Tale and drawn on the only intact wall of the destroyed hospital after the town was attack the previous night.” Derpy quickly turned the paper so the mercs could see, it was a outline of a human hand with a horseshoe in the palm.
The symbol was the one found in the field. The picture was black and white. The mailmare turned the paper back over, “Beneath the symbol found in the hospital the following was inscribed: ‘Celestia has betrayed us, humanity is our sanctum, we are the PHR, Pony to Human Revolutionists.’ ” Derpy looked up from the paper with a confused face and tossed the whole newspaper to Scout, who easily caught it. “What's that all about?”
Sniper replied to her with a proud smile, “Well it was no biggy, a little something we made up to put the public on the wrong track. Looks like it worked.” Derpy noded and spoke toward Scout who now was in possession of the Equestria Daily. “There’s a quote from Celestia in there. You fooled her too.” Scout scanned the main page for the quote, “Eh..ah, ‘I am truly heart broken that our own kind has betrayed us, however this must not go uncharged. If these ponies wish to live like the humans do, then they will suffer Capital Punishment the same way.’ You gota be kindin me. One town blows up and miss goody-four-hooves throws a fit about it. Princess Pansy.”
“Can I ask a question?” Derpy asked, asking questions didn't fly too high the last time so she thought about asking first.
The team glanced at one another with a few mumbles before unanimously shrugging in a greement.
“Was demolishing the hospital really necessary?”
“Zat it vas! I have collected plenty of samples and tools for experimental research!” The way Medic said “research” was slightly unsettling. “I have zomething to do in my zpare time.” Instead of eating, Medic was already setting up his lab apparatus. He did however, have a cup of coffee nearby.
Scout had distributed the paper during this little conversation, and Soldier found a similar article in his “war effort” section. “ ‘Evidence suggests that explosive powder was used to burn the soldiers in their sleep. While many survived either unhurt to injured, one third of those who slept last night burned before they could escape.’ Now those are my kind of statistics men!”
“Oh! Before I forget to tell you, there are no new orders so you guys are just to stay hidden here.” Derpy announced. “I can have somepony deliver some books if you want.”
Rifleman called out from laying ontop of his sleeping bag, “Can you bring muffins too?”
“Well, maybe..but-”
“Please?”
..(Sigh) “Alright, because you asked nicely.” Derpy smiled and rolled her eyes. “What flavor do you want?”
“Chocolate.”
“Na, Scout. Cramberry.”
“Heavy wants blueberry again.”
“Orange berry!”
“APPLE FLAVOR MAGGOTS!”
“Gentlemen Please! Something we can agree on.”
“Murph murr hud.” The only response the suggestion received was collective nodding.
“What did it say exactly?” Derpy was baffled of how they understood it. Spy turned to the poor mare. “Can you make them coffee cake flavored?”
“Sure! Its one of my favorite flavors. On batch of coffee cake muffins coming right up!”
Medic had finished assembling his little chemistry lab, “Soldier, can you assist me? I vill need you to share everyzing you know about magic and to help me with correzponding experiments.”
“I will help, but you must refer to me as the Soldier of Oz, UNDERSTOOD?”
"Nein, don't be silly."
"Then I wont help you." Soldier pouted. He never pouts.
“Ugh,.. fine."
"Then say it.."
"..."
"S-aa-aa-aa-y it!"
(Sigh)"Please help me, great Soldier of Oz..."
"Yay!"
"Lets just get started.” Medic slowly began to smile and chuckle to himself after shaking off the annoying term he must comply with, as the realization came over him, that he was about to embark on some of the first magical science he has ever attempted. Medic snatched a lighter from his pocket, “Let the experimentation,” he lit a bunsen burner, “begin.”
Meanwhile, at the ruins of the Tall Tale hospital, a pony with a coat of reddish-brown and a mane of chocolate stood before the inscribed wall. He wore a brown hat. The pony looked closely at the graffiti and snarled in disbelief. He turned to a mare adjacent to him. “I want samples of the material on this wall given a detailed analysis.” His voice was authoritative but luke warm “I also want to see construction plans of the towers.”
“Sir, a royal guard has requested that you report your findings.”
“Already? T-tell him I’m busy!” On the ground at his hooves, a surgeon's glove was found, out of curiosity he picked it up and found a single black dot on it. The smudge looked similar in color as the writing in front of him. “Hmm, I don't think these were ponies, examine this as well. It may be our biggest clue.” As the mare trotted off, the investigator observed the steaming ashes of the hospital around him, and the streams emitted from the tower remains. “I’ll find the ponies or..nay, the people that did this. Under Celestia’s blazing sun I will.”