MLPU: The Incredible Flutterage

by TheInvincibleIronBrony


Trust

Fluttershy and Boot Strap stared at each other in shock for several minutes before Fluttershy's brain started working again. The yellow mare jumped off of the ground and started walking away as fast as she could. As much as she wanted to get away, she still didn't want to attract too much attention.

Boot shook off his surprise and chased after Fluttershy. "No, wait!" he called after her. "Fluttershy, I'm sorry!" he shouted. Fluttershy stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her former friend.

She wore a look of hurt that pierced Boot, making him feel guiltier than he ever had before. "You used me," she stated.

Boot Strap's gaze fell. "I know," he admitted. "I was a soldier then. Orders were all that mattered to me," he told her. "I didn't know what kind of stallion Hurricane was until it was too late," he told her, anger briefly flashing across his face. Boot strap quickly glanced around the park. "It's not safe for you to be here," he told her as he took a step closer.

"I know," Fluttershy replied. "I was just leaving," she said turning away from the stallion.

"Where are you gonna go?" Boot asked, concern in his tone.

Fluttershy stopped. "I don't know. Anywhere he won't find me," she answered, turning back to Boot.

"He's found you every time. He's going to keep finding you until he has what he wants," Boot told her. "You need to get it out of you," he finished.

Fluttershy sighed and shook her head. "I've been trying. I've tried everything and nothing worked," she said, defeated. "Unless I can get the data from the accident, it's hopeless," she said, looking up to see Boot smiling.

"I have your data," he said, taking another step towards Fluttershy. Fluttershy looked at him confused.

"How did you get it?" she asked suspiciously. She still wasn't sure she could trust him.

"I deleted all of the digital copies except one. Hurricane still had me around then. I kept telling him he should leave you alone though and he gave me an honorable discharge from the army," he told her. "It's at my apartment now. Why don't we go there and plan our next move?" Boot suggested.

Fluttershy looked at him confused. "Our next move?" she asked.

Boot looked away from her. "Everything that's happened to you is at least partly my fault. I owe you this and more," he said with resolve, turning his gaze back to Fluttershy. "Please let me help you," he pleaded.

Fluttershy thought about her options for a moment. "I'll look at the data. Then we can go from there," she agreed, earning a smile from the stallion.

/////////////////////////

Fluttershy had been surprised when she saw how small Boot's apartment was. It looked barely small enough for just him and Fluttershy could tell by the decoration, or lack there of, that very few mares had been here and none for very long. The living room and kitchen were part of the same room, making the apartment seem smaller. Two doors were fixed into the back wall, one leading to the only bedroom and the other to the bathroom.

Boot had left her in the main living area while he fetched his laptop. "Got it," Boot said as he entered from the bedroom. "Got buried under clothes," he mumbled, embarrassed. Boot set the laptop up on the coffee table in front of Fluttershy and opened it. It only took a minute to boot it up and soon Fluttershy was scrolling through all the data she had thought was beyond her reach just an hour ago.

A small smile started to spread across Fluttershy's lips as she was given new hope. "This is everything," she commented quietly. "Not just the data from my experiment, but all the information we compiled from day one," she said, noticing color coded notes she didn't recognize. Most of them involved recent discoveries in radiology.

"Have you been looking for a cure?" she asked looking to Boot curiously.

Boot scratched the back of his head in uncertainty. "I really didn't know what I was looking for. I told you I felt guilty. This," he gestured at the notes," helped me... deal with it," he said after a short pause.

Fluttershy looked back to the data impressed with Boot's progress. She'd already been through all the methods his notes suggested, but it was the thought that counted.

"So," Boot spoke up, interrupting Fluttershy's thoughts. "What are we gonna do now?" he asked, looking to Fluttershy to make the plan.

Fluttershy looked up as she answered. "Well, there's a gamma specialist in Manehattan. He's been working on curing high levels of radiation from the bombs in the Minotaur War," Fluttershy explained.

Boot looked confused for a second. "Wait, do you mean Dr. Study?" he asked, earning a meek nod from Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, he's working with Hurricane," Boot pointed out. "Whatever he's doing, he's not making any miracle cures."

"That's the point," Fluttershy said quietly, unsure if the next part would seem crazy or not. Boot gave her a confused look. "They're trying to recreate our experiment. I can't let that happen," Fluttershy said. "I promised myself years ago, I wouldn't let this monster fall into the wrong hands," she finished looking at the floor.

Boot nodded in agreement. "You're right," he agreed. "But Hurricane is gonna have Dr. Study under tight surveillance. How are we even gonna get close enough to make a difference?" he asked, hoping there was more to the plan.

Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted.

//////////////////////

Heavyweight sat on a bench outside of a lab in Bluecorp tower, sighing in agitation as he checked his watch for the third time. "Come on, we could've started by now," he complained, rubbing his forehead tiredly. The flight to Manehattan had been long, the cab ride to Bluecorp had been long and just when Heavyweight was sick of waiting, he was told to wait here almost half an hour ago.

Heavyweight was thinking about breaking the door door down when it opened and an older grey stallion in a white lab coat stepped out. "Sgt. Heavyweight?" he asked, earning a nod from the Sargent. "Right this way please," the stallion told him, leading the way back into the lab.

"Bout damn time," Heavyweight said, clearly annoyed.

The stallion ignored Heavyweight as they entered a room with a large glass chamber inside, several other scientists scurrying about the room to make sure everything was ready to go. "Now, Sargent, the procedure we're about to perform has not yet been tested on an intelligent being. You'll be the first," the stallion informed. "We'll need your informed consent before we proceed," he continued handing a pen and a document to Heavyweight to be signed.

Heavyweight scribbled his signature on the paper without a second thought and handed it back to the scientist. "How long is this going to take?" he asked, praying it would be a short procedure.

"No more than an hour or so. Once you're in the chamber, we'll start pumping the serum inside in a gaseous state. Just remember to breath deeply," the scientist informed him.

Heavyweight froze. "An hour?! I've been waiting most of the day to get this done. Isn't there a faster way?" he asked, hoping he could catch a break.

The scientist seemed troubled for a moment. "We could try the injection, but that involves several highly concentrated doses injected straight into the muscle tissue," he explained. "It would be extremely painful."

Heavyweight smirked. "Pain is just weakness leaving the body," he replied as he stepped closer to the older stallion. "Now, let's get started," he said as the older stallion sighed and gestured for his assistants to get the shots ready.

///////////////////////

"We appreciate your assistance, as always, Mr. Blood. I just hope the performance enhancer gives my soldier the boost we need," General Hurricane told Blueblood, founder and CEO of Bluecorp. The two had met in Blueblood's office near the top of his tower. It was mostly barren save for the desk and the computer on it. There were chairs on either side of the desk, but Hurricane preferred standing.

Blueblood gave the General an annoyed look. "Yes well, it would have made things go much more smoothly with the board if you'd have told us more about this operation of yours," Blueblood replied, hoping to get something out of the General.

Hurricane turned to the much younger stallion. "There are exactly three individuals who know what this is for. All are military employees. I apologize if I'm putting you in a tight spot, but anything that gives us an edge is appreciated," Hurricane responded, not sounding grateful at all.

"I don't suppose those weapon systems you ordered have anything to do with this?" Blueblood asked, taking a seat at his desk.

Hurricane glared at Blueblood. "The only reason I chose your company as the military's primary weapons contractor after Dash Industries cancelled our contract is because I was told you were efficient and discreet. I could easily turn somewhere else if that's no longer the case," Hurricane threatened, earning a glare from Blueblood. "I hear Hammer is still willing to help."

"I don't intend to leak your secrets General, but if my weapons are seen in the hands of your men on an operation the public sees as unsavory, it makes me look bad. I need to know I won't have to deal with your fallout should you fail," Blueblood clarified.

Hurricane smiled at the stallion. "Trust me Mr. Blood. The people will look at you like a hero when I'm done," Hurricane said as his phone rang. He checked the message he'd gotten and smiled. "Looks like they're done downstairs. Thank you for your time," Hurricane said as he turned to leave.

/////////////////////////

Boot paced back and forth across his living room. The sun had long since set and he had insisted Fluttershy take his bed for the night. They hadn't come any closer to figuring out how to speak with Stern Study and it was only a matter of time before Fluttershy was discovered. Boot looked at the phone on the table next to his couch.

"Think about this. You make that call she'll never trust you again," Boot told himself quietly as he picked up the phone. "But, Dear Celestia, seeing her again... it's not difficult to see the toll this has had on her. She's at the end of her rope," he continued, keeping his voice down so he didn't wake his guest.

"This is for her," he said, letting out a heavy sigh as he dialed a familiar number.

When he finally got an answer he spoke. "This is Boot Strap. I was told to contact you if she ever came back," he said, hoping Fluttershy would understand.