//------------------------------// // Caution: Speed bumps // Story: In The End We All Have To Fight // by BlastingCap //------------------------------// ‘When you know that you are going into a fight. Make sure you know what you have and how to use it. But, if you don’t. When in doubt… blow shit sky fucking high.’ The buildings of the ruined city of Baltimare rushed past us as we rode in the Humvees “Copper still inbound and looking.” The pony on the radio said. The pony riding shotgun picked up the radio and responded “Roger, X-Ray. We copy. This is Iron team, over and out.” When he was finished he placed the radio back on its hook. He turned to us and took off his mask. He was a young buck about my age. He had a light brown coat with an darker brown mane with blue eyes. “Alright, introductions are in order. I’m Silverback and this is my brother Razorback.” the driver grunted at his name. “He doesn’t talk much. But, our gunner here.” he pointed to the gunner on the BAG “Her name is Dust kicker.” she looked down and smiled at me while waving. I waved back. “So, why don’t you tell us who you are and why you were down there when the tunnel collapsed. Did you have something to do with that?” He asked. I hesitated for a moment then, I said pointing to myself “Well, I’m Jack Rabbit and this is Velvet.” Pointing to her with my hoof. “As with the tunnel, well you know that bombing run about three klicks from here?” I asked. He nodded in response. “Well, we just wandered into the metro station trying to find a way to find what’s left of the National guard or resistance fighters. We freed three mares that were tied up and sent them down the south tunnel before the station collapsed. We killed the guard that was guarding the mare. When we went to the boarding area entrance where about four Zebras were posted to keep guard but, they were playing poker.” Silverback looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “Yeah, I know. But, with the tunnel. We…I mean Velvet here mowed them down and they didn’t know what hit them. But, after mowing the lawn more Zebras came rushing in and we had a short firefight. During the fight I noticed that the pillar that I was hiding behind was starting to crack and crumble. Hell, during the fight a giant piece nearly crushed me. Which I was caught in the open when they were firing at Velvet. I decided ‘Fuck it.’ I charged them firing my rifle catching them by surprise. I killed them by pure luck as I just fired wildly. Then, we had a moment of silence. We heard the sounds of concrete hitting concrete. I decided to look up to see that the cracks were coming fast and the tunnels were starting to collapse on us. Velvet can fill you in on how the tunnel collapsed.” I said giving it to Velvet. She cleared her throat. “During the bombing run they were pretty much hitting the metro tunnels non-stop and they are not made to handle this kind of abuse. It was a matter of time before it went down. As for the outpost that was stationed there, well it was kind of half and half. We killed some of the soldiers stationed there but, the collapsed is what got rid of it. So, in short dumb luck.” She said with a shrug. Silver rubbed his chin as he thought about this. “Ok, but how was this your fault?” “Well, for one I killed a member of their spec ops team just trying to escape with my skin. That kind of pissed them off as they threw a grenade at me. For the tunnels we killed an ambush squad during the bombing run. We save three mares from being raped more and killed. Velvet killed about three or four Zebras that were playing poker. Then, we had to fight off a few waves of them before the collapse started and the collapse is what kind of destroyed the outpost. So, like Velvet said half and half.” I said tilting my hoof back and forth. He raised another eyebrow at my story then, looked at Velvet. “Ok, Velvet, right?” She nodded. He looked at me. “Jack Rabbit?” I nodded. He took a breath. “Alright, but I got one question for your story.” I raised an eyebrow. “What?” “How in the hell did you survive that without a single scratch?” that made me and Velvet laugh out loud. “What’s so funny you two?” he said sounding a little annoyed. “It’s just that… He is a fucking bullet magnet.” Velvet said gesturing toward me. “Sometimes or it is when he is underground. I don’t know how he is still alive but, he is. But, for us being unscathed it is that we did get shot up. We just took an experimental Healing potion. Rabbit, show him the bottle.” I smiled as I levitated the bottle into his view. “Well… I be damned. You were telling the truth. Now, we are going to take you to our FOB or Forward operations base. As I like to call it home away from home.” he said turning around sitting in his seat. “Hope, you lik…” “Hey, sorry to interrupt your little chat but, we’ve birds inbound and closing.” Dust kicker said turning around and charging the machinegun. “Shit!” Silver said getting on the radio. “Iron one, this is Iron three do you copy!?” he said. “This is Iron one, we copy.” it sounded like the pony that was threatening to shoot us “Sir, we’ve got enemy birds inbound and closing. Do we engage?” he said, sweat starting to go down his brow. After several painstaking seconds then, we heard the reply “Yes, you are clear to engage but, only engage if necessary. We don’t want the whole Zebra army after us. Do you copy, Iron Three?” Sliver sighed in relief. “Dust you heard him, if he starts firing or gets too close, blast him out of the fucking sky! Yes, we copy. Just get your ponies ready sir because I think that we are in for a fight. She smiled under her mask. “Yes, sir with pleasure.” She said getting ready. It was silent until the sounds of air being chopped filled the Humvee. Sweat was starting to go down the side of my head as I sat there. Helpless to do any thing to stop what was going after us. I then, looked down at my rifle and sighed. I realized that I grabbed the wrong one. Guess that explains the sudden increase in the weight of the rifle. I pressed the button next to what looked like a trigger and out came what looked like a giant cartridge with a blue bullet. Silver saw this and moved back pressing his back on the console . “Is that live?!” I shrugged and looked at him. “I think if it was live it would’ve killed us by now. But, what the hell is this?” I pointed at the thing under the barrel of my gun as I placed the cartridge back in and closed it shut. Silver took a deep breath of relief. He smiled when he saw what it was. “That, my friend is an Equestrian standard issue under barrel grenade launcher. And when it shoots.” he quickly spread his hoofs to make it look like a explosion. “Boom. I’d save that if I was you.” he said getting back in his seat. “CONTACT!” Dust yelled shooting off the machine gun. I looked back to see that there were two enemy choppers. One fired off a missile and it wound up hitting the humvee right in front of us, sending it straight into the air about ten feet. Right out of the gate. I thought as I saw the Humvee flying. The ponies inside of it, were dead the moment it went off. Poor bastards. I thought the moment I saw it hit the ground with a thud. That moment it wasn’t easy cruising as Razor gunned it to the max. We were now running for our lives…again. The choppers’ cannons started to go off hitting the ground right behind us and in front of us trying to take out both of the humvees. Silver looked at Razor. “DRIVE, DRIVE, DRIVE! DRIVE, DAMN IT!” he yelled Razor looked back at silver through his mask. “I’M DRIVING AS FAST AS I CAN! NOW, GET THE FUCK OFF MY BACK AND SHOOT THE DAMN BASTARDS! DUST GET THEM OFF MY BACK!” he yelled back taking a hard right turn, which almost made Dust fall out of the humvee. “Can do! Say hello to my little friend!” She yelled as she was firing her gun. With the combined effort of both of the humvees the first chopper was starting to puff out black smoke. A few of the cannon rounds started to come to the cabin of the humvee one grazing my ear. “FUCK!” I yelled feeling my ear and feeling the familiar warmth of blood on my hoof. Razor made a hard left turn sending me over Velvet into the window. She shoved me back into my seat and looked at me with worry in her eyes. She was scared, even more then when we were running from the collapse. I looked at Razor and he was so sweating so much he took off his mask. He was a dark red color with a black mane. He was wide eyed trying to shake the birds but, I knew it was only a matter of time. I looked back at the birds and just as one of them shot a missile. The missile found it way to in front of the head humvee. When the smoke cleared the head humvee was still driving but, barely. The cannon fire started again tearing up the street sigh. Baltimare national broadcast center 15 M. Shit. I thought as the sounds of the cannons started rolling through the air. Then, as we pasted the sign the second bird came below the first and fired on us sending more rounds threw the cabin. Then, time slowed to a crawl once again. I saw Dust kicker’s chest explode as three rounds from the cannon hit her directly. I could see the blood droplets through the air and her shocked expression. Time sped up as she fell into the cabin in two. Now, for the second time today I vomited all that was in my stomach. I opened one of the doors and threw all of the contents of my stomach out into the chaotic streets. Bullets from the side gunner started to hit the inside of the door and one grazed my scalp, I yelped as I closed the door. Silver looked back at me with concern. “Get on that gun while I can see if I can get any air support!” I nodded but, I didn’t move. I know if I go out there. I would be cut to pieces. I thought to myself as I looked at Velvet and she was thinking the same thought. She looked back as Silver then back at me and said. “If you go out there for too long you are going to be cut to pieces.” she pressed her hoofs against my cheeks softly. “If you go out there aim for the rotor system and hydraulics area that’s where the engine is. It is already smoking from damage from Dust kicker. Don’t make her death meaningless. Now, get on that fucking gun and send those striped bastards straight to hell!” Silver and Razor yelled in agreement. I took a deep breath before I jumped up and got on the gun and placed my hoofs on the fire controls. The wind pressing against my back sending my mane to the sides of my face. I took a deep breath as I pressed on the trigger pedal and the gun began to fire with a thump, thump, thump. I mean holy shit it kicked, if it was on a shoulder mounted platform; I don’t want to think about it. I continue to fire the machinegun making my hoofs sore from the recoil. I aimed the gun at the rotor as the cannon fire started come on hard now. Aimed straight at me as I started to make the tine grey smoke darker and darker until I couldn’t see through it. Then, the bird began to sway side to side trying to stay in the air. One more burst from the machinegun made it crash into a building killing the crew. “Alright, that is one but, we’ve got one more.” I yelled. But, as I said that, a round from the second bird hit the gun tearing it from the humvee, sending it down the street like a useless piece of metal. “FUCK!” I yelled as another burst from the cannon hit the humvee just as I dropped back into cabin making me yelp. “There goes the gun!” I yelled above the fire of the cannon then, I looked down grenade launcher. Velvet saw this and looked up at me. “No, you can’t. You will be torn to pieces! Last time your just out there for a few seconds. You only have one shot and you have to aim to do this; That takes time and skill to shoot a grenade launcher.” she said in that same motherly voice every time I’m shot or wounded. I looked at her straight in the eye. “I have to do this or we all we be torn to pieces. The only reason that we haven’t been blown straight into the air is that they need a hell of a lot of hits or kill us all. But, I won‘t let that happen.” I hugged her, leaving her shocked before I climbed back through the gunner’s port. I levitated the gun the cocked the grenade launcher. The pilot of the chopper saw this then, began to fire but, it stopped as he finally ran out of ammo for the cannon then, he began to bob and weave letting the side gunner take shots at me but, he still has one more missile. Just before I could get a straight shot, Razor made a hard turn left behind the head humvee making me slam against the side of the gunner‘s port. He straightened out again and I once again got my aim. But, so the pilot. Both me and the pilot fired our ordnance at each other at the same time. Then, the feeling of time slowing down hit again and I could see the missile and grenade pass each other. I saw the expression of the pilot of the chopper. He was smiling when my grenade hit but, his missile missed us but not the lead humvee. I turned around just to see the lead humvee was in the air and engulfed in flames. It hit the ground with a crash and I knew why he was smiling. I dropped down into my sit with my rifle at my side with a smoking grenade launcher. When I fully sat down, I felt something wet and cold in my seat. I looked down to see that I was sitting in Dusk’s blood. I felt sick to my stomach, but I didn’t throw up; all did was just sit there in the cold blood. Not sure if it was mine or hers but, it has been exhausting day. I just want to sleep. I looked at my watch, that has some how managed to survive to this point. It was around 4:38 pm. I sighed and looked out into the ruined city as we crossed a small bridge. It was almost winter so, the sun usually set earlier then usual. I looked down at Dust Kicker to see that her eyes were still open. With my hoof I softly closed them. “At ease soldier, you’re time in hell is over and may you rest in piece.” I said getting the attention of Silver and Velvet, while Razor kept driving to a unknown destination. Silverback sighed and turned around. “She was a good soldier. This was the way she wanted to go out. At least it was quick and painless. I think that was all she wanted, but you did good, Jack Rabbit. You deserve a rest, both of you.” he said looking at both me and Velvet. “For what you did, you did good. You could use some more training but, from what I can tell, experience is all you need. You do whatever it takes for you and those you care about to survive and fight again. For that I’m going to recommend you for the Luna’s rangers. I sighed and looked at him. “Who are they?” He smiled. “They do not exist…officially but, from what I’m allowed to tell you is that they go behind enemy lines, do sabotage, recon, hostage rescue, take downs, etc. Basically fucking shit up for the enemy and taking all that they can carry.” “I’ve heard of these rangers. They did a great deal of work during the Changeling conflict eight years ago after the royal wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. I heard that they even took down an entire nest of changelings. My cousin was drafted into the army and when he came back he always were a patch on his jackets.” Velvet said interrupting but, taking a pause to think of the patch. “It was a sword with wings at the hilt spreading out to a ribbon that said: Silent, Hidden, Deadly. There was also a snake wrapped around the entire length of the blade. Its head was a the tip of the blade. I think so but, I can’t remember that much. That is just a rough guess.” That made Silverback silent and opened mouthed. “I think that you hit the bulls eye on that one Velvet.” I said leaning toward her. She smirked. I looked at Velvet then, at Silverback. “Alright, I’ll go but, only if you allow Velvet to go with me. She deserves this as much as me.” I nodded toward Velvet. Silverback grinned. “Alright, she can come but, is there anything else that you need to know before we meet General Maple?” He looked at Velvet and she shook her head. He then, looked at me. I paused for a moment to think of a question and then my siblings went through my head. “I’ve got one more question.” He raised and eyebrow. “Shoot.” I took a deep breath before I said “What happened to the University of Baltimare?” He sighed, like his was thinking on what to say. “I’m sorry to say that the University…it was one of the first places that got hit for the most amount of kills.” I froze when those words met my ears. “I…is…there a chan…chance that there is anypony alive?” I said looking at him with tears starting to build up in my eyes. He smiled a shallow smile. “If you have family there then, yes there is a chance that they are alive but, the chances s…” Silver couldn’t finish his sentence as Razor interrupted him. “Enough, chit chat. We’re here.” he said as we pulled into what appeared to be a reinforced radio broadcast station. Reminds me of a video game of some kind but, I can’t remember. All I can remember about the game that it had a lot of radiation and mutant animals. I shook my head to look at the structure that we were driving in. We drove into a underground garage that was guarded with razor wire, sandbags, and machineguns. When the guard ponies saw that only one of the Humvees returned they shook their heads in disbelief. Some saluted as we drove by. When we entered the underground parking garage we saw nopony for about two floors. When we got on third floor some tents started to pop up then, I could see a med bay, a mess hall and several barracks with ponies in each. The ones that were outside the tents stared at us and all of the holes that filled the smoking Humvee. Razorback went to the spots dedicated to the Humvees. We parked next to five other humvees, which two looked like they have some small arms fire and the others look like they haven’t seen action yet. The one we had was the worst one with being blasted with a fucking cannon. To the left of us was a pile of parts around a frame that was black, I think that they used it for spare parts or something like that. We stopped right next to pile and got out. Razorback and me got out the driver’s side while Velvet and Silverback got the other side and we met behind the Humvee. It is amazing that it survived the onslaught of lead and cannon fire. I thought as I went around the Humvee. When we got behind the Humvee. We were about to discuss what we were going to do next but, Razorback and Silver both saluted in front of me. I raised and eyebrow until I turned around to see a pony in a general’s outfit with two soldiers behind him. He appeared to be about in mid-forties with a buzz cut and clean shave for a pony. “Lieutenant Silverback. Sergeant Razorback at ease. Where is the rest of your convoy?” Silverback came up and stood up as straight as possible. “Lieutenant Silverback reporting. Our convoy sir…” Silver hesitated looking for a way to tell about the two birds. “They were destroyed. Weren’t they?” He asked with some sadness I his voice. “Yes, sir. We lost Iron one and Iron two during an ambushed by two enemy A32 Vulture gunships. They used C61 High Explosives rockets and 20mm miniature Vulcan cannons. They used the rockets to kill and destroy Iron one and Iron two. Sadly, to say also that Corporal Dust Kicker was KIA en-route to base. She was hit in the chest with several 20mm rounds. She is still in the Humvee, Sir.” “Did they follow you?” He said with more concern in his voice. I stepped up. “No, they didn’t we made sure of that. Sir.” I said stepping toward him. “Who are you, civ?” the soldier to the general’s right said with a snarky tone. Like he thought he was over me. Oh hell no. I stared him right in the eye then, I looked at the General. “I’m sorry for what about to say. It’s for him and not at you sir.” he nodded and I looked at the soldier, who looked like he was about to draw a gun. “I’m the civ that took down the two birds that were about to cut the rest of Iron team to bits. I came here to rest. But, most of all after killing Zebras just to survive. I heard about you, so I had to make it down here so I can meet you asshole.” I said with a wide open smile, sticking out my hoof. “Why you little…” he was about to say some more but, the General put his leg in front of the soldier’s chest. “Calm down you two.” The General said looking at both of us. He looked at the soldier. “Sgt. Marble I want you to go to my office to cool down. We’ll talk later.” “Yes, sir.” Marble looked at me with rage. “This isn’t over civ.” he said as he walked off. The general looked at me and smiled. “Don’t worry about him. He is just on the edge right now.” I chuckled. “Aren’t we all.” I said. “Yeah, you’re right. What’s your name son?” he said sticking out his hoof. “Name’s Jack Rabbit. I didn‘t catch your‘s sir.” I said shaking his hoof. He smiled. “My name is General Maple Leaf.” He shook my hoof and then, looked at Velvet Now, who is this lovely young mare?” he said. She blushed. “I’m Velvet. It’s nice to meet you, sir.” “The same here.” He said turning to Silverback. “I want your mission report by 0600 tomorrow, Lieutenant. Dismissed.” “Yes, sir.” he said. Silverback saluted and took one back away and walked toward the barracks. Gen. Maple looked at us and said “You two look like you could use a bed and a meal. Velvet and me looked at each other and smiled. “Yes, we are very much, sir.” I said saluting. He smiled. “That can wait for tomorrow. I want to see you in my office in the main building on the third floor at 0530. Both of you. Now, go eat and rest up. You have a big day tomorrow. Dismissed.” he said turning around and walking away.” I smiled and looked at Velvet and she smiled too. “We made it.” Velvet said falling on the ground almost on the verge of tears. “Thank Celestia that we’ve made it.” . I leaned down and patted her on the back. “Hey, lets get some grub and then, we can fall on something that isn’t as dirty as the floor.” I said with a chuckle, reaching my hoof out. She looked up with a smile. “Sure, but I think that we need to discuss our agreement from earlier.” she said grabbing my hoof and I helped pull her up. “Eh?” I said getting her to her hoofs. She looked at me and began to move toward the mess hall across the medium size lot. “I want to make a change to our agreement from earlier today.” She stopped in front of the mess entrance. “What?” I said opening the flap for her with my magic. She went in first then, I entered. It was several folding tables and cut off section that served as the kitchen. “Thank you.” She said getting the tray of food. I got mine as we continued to a table. “But, this is what I want and I want to see if you agree.” She said as she sat down at an empty table. “Ok, what’s the change?” I said sitting down. “I want to extend it.” She said taking a bit of her food. “Ow, hot. But the reason is, when I first met you. I thought that your just a pussy that would chicken out and surrender at the first possible moment.” She said when I was taking a bit of food. “But, you didn’t. You fought along side me. You decided the save the mares when you looked around and saved their lives.” She said pointing at herself with her hoof. “I wouldn’t have seen them and I would’ve just have left them to die during the collapse.” she pointed at me while taking another bit of hot food. “Even when you didn’t want to kill another being, you still did and you didn’t change like some ponies do. When you charged those Zebras and I was mad at you. I was really clad on the inside. I was running low on ammo and you wound up killing the rest as they were ganging up against me. That table was about to give out from the constant hail of bullets.” I eat a piece of my food when she continued. “When the metro collapsed you were there with me the entire time. I would have ran away if you, fell. But, you looked like you were about catch me if I fell. Then, when the choppers came after us and they kill Dust. You got on the gun even, when you knew you would get hurt.” She paused as she thought about the event. “Hell, you took down one of those bastards then, with the only grenade you had you took down the last one that was about to fire on us.” “Yeah, I took down the choppers but, not before they kill the others of Iron team.” I said looking at my water before taking a drink. She sighed. “I know but, there was nothing we could do. Still even with the losses of the others you continued to fight. Then, I learned about your siblings.” She said looking up at me. I took a hard bite of food at the mention of my siblings. “That tells me that you have a goal. Something to lose. That means that you will fight for them with your life. I…I have family I’m fighting for.” She put her hoof against mine. “You’re not alone.” She said as I took a drink of water. “That’s why I’m joining the rangers. To save them.” I said poking to leftovers of my food with the fork. I looked her straight in the eye. “Even, if it costs me my life. I will save them. I won’t give up and I won’t give in. I will train as hard as possible, and then some.” I said placing my silverware on my tray and levitated the tray in the air. “But, yes I agree. I know that we trust each other now and that we make a good team.” I said with a chuckle. We went to the counter were there was dirty trays and we placed them there. “Alright, I think that our barrack is over here.” Velvet said pointing to the tent next to the Mess hall. We walked inside the barrack and it was crowded. We looked around to see if there was a free cot. I looked to my left about halfway into the barrack. I saw an empty one and looked at Velvet. “Hey, Velvet. I found one, hope you don’t mind sharing.” I said with a chuckle. She came up and looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “I really don’t give a shit right now. I’m just exhausted.” She said taking off her gear and placing it next to the cot. She laid down on the cot and began to sleep. I shrugged and took off my mine. I felt naked without it on. I only been wearing it for like maybe two days. I placed it on the other side of the cot. I looked down at my watch, it said 6:53 pm. I took a deep breath as I switch the alarm to five o’clock. I sighed as I laid with my back against Velvet’s back. I didn’t realize how exhausted I was until I fell asleep right there. Celestia, I’m so glad I get to rest now. __________________________ Chapter end. “Alright, you’ve just met what is left of the National guard and you’ve just been invited to join the ranks of their elite shock troops. You’re agreement with Velvet has been extended and now she trusts you more. You are starting to be known to some of the ponies due to your actions in helping the ponies in escaping the vultures. Velvet is now starting to be more open now but, there is something that she is hiding.” The pony in the suit said handing Rabbit a cup of water. “Alright, just calm down. I would have waited on the movie but, I can tell that you want the audio book.” Rabbit said with a smirk. The pony in the suit glared at him. “Alright, I’ll continue.” __________________________