Vasquez, who went through the woods to find food, wanders off in the forest alone, as he talks to himself while in the way as Stalker-3 checks for foods.
“Talking ponies, Giant snakes... What’s next?!” Vasquez, still tries to grasp reality. Thinking non-stop about the talking mare earlier.
“Man I have to stop drinking coffee in the middle of the night. It makes me see some weirdo’s.”
Vasquez tries to shake down that feeling on insanity creeping through his mind. As he walks through the woods he found of what it appears to be a back pack. Thinking that somebody just left it there, he approached it and examines the pack.
Its from a 6Th force recon Marine Lt. Michael Hudson, he was last seen going to the capitol, before they got separated while engaging the evacuation protocol of the Marine Ops.
“But why is it here? Is he nearby?” He asked himself. As he turned the corner he found a distinctive statue of a person... oddly enough it seems familiar.
“How did a statue ended up here?” He looks it in the face, but still doesn’t know how it got there in the first place, The statue was in a form of a soldier in their regiment. It even got a rifle and equipments in him; He also got a pair of dog tags which Vasquez reads the name engraved in the stone necklace... Lt. Hudson, Michael...
“What the fuck?!” He nearly falls down of what he just seen... Also he remembers what Fluttershy just said to them.
“Be careful out there if you do go out. Especially at a certain creature known as the cockatrice, which can basically turn you to stone!”
He went pale... All of the blood in his face went down, as he thinks of what could have done this to him.. He turns around and finds a snake like creature that looks like a chicken.
“This must be the cockatrice!” he said to himself, Vasquez backs away slowly, and to avoid going close to the creature. As he was about to run for it, he suddenly felt stiff... His leg is beginning to turn to stone!
“This is freaking not good!” He tries to crawl away but only made a couple of meters away..
Then he took the only option he got left... He took out his knife and waited for the snake to come close then sliced its head off... The snake fell dead on the ground, His leg slowly turns back to normal.. He stands up and saw that Michael isn't returning to his normal self... This wasn't good.
He already killed the creature and turned back to his normal state! So why Michael didn't turn back? There was nothing he could do so far.. And left him there, taking his backpack and went to return to the cave...
Vasquez, thinks about the training camp, Where he was first assigned at the 1st Marine infantry Division as a private.
“It was in Iraq, when we went to the 4Th division. Man those were the days. I hate to be those sorry ass bastards right now.. They probably had enough of crawling in mud, Training in the rain, running in the fucking hot sun... Heck maybe Dirk is still there for all I know” He tells him to himself while he jogged down the path towards the cave..
“Basically... It was a hell hole; Dirk was our commanding officer in the camp. He was the meanest and the most bad ass in our bunker, he was all like “DO THIS” and “DO THAT” shit, man.. If you had more guts and less pride like the other guy has... you might go out of the camp alive at the very least... Or could end up being shot for disobeying a direct order from a Superior.
I know shooting a soldier for that matter is unfair and unjust.. But hey.. Like he always says
‘This isn't kindergarten kid.. Were at war.. And we don't need a weak minded person in out army.’ is pretty much his motto at least.” He continues on walking as he remembers his past assignments from Dirk.
Stalker-3 used the Cockatrice's head and found a book which can transform anyone back to normal as he read it. When he read it already, he knows that he finds the perfect things he needed, when using it, he noticed Lieutenant Michael Hudson was back to normal and led him back to the place, resulting to give Hudson an AK-47.
“When he gives assignments, He takes it VERY seriously. One false move and it’s off to the “Box” With you. The same goes for the time, if he wants it in time, He really means it. Some say he’s a slave driver. But I don't know, He’s more like an Overseer to me.”
As he makes his way back, something else caught his eye. At a nearby clearing he noticed some movement in the tall grass... He investigated the noise, Gun drawn and ready to fire. He tracked the source of the noise in a small clearing in the forest... He hid under the tall grass, and watches for anyone who could be there...
Just then he notices what appears to be a large dog walking in two’s! With jewels as its collar, just then another came out, and so does another. They were a total of three dogs!
“Shit... What now?” Vasquez took out his pistol and prepares to shoot. But before he could fire at them, He remembers about a certain mare who told them that some of them are living there including other kinds of creatures not just the ponies. Vasquez puts his pistol in safety and came out to confirm if they’re friendly or hostile...
“Hey, there dogs!” Vasquez waves and smiles to the dog-like beings as he goes closer to them.
One of the dogs snarled and growled at Vasquez that ‘greeting’ obviously got them agitated as the dogs didn't like what he just said and looked like they’re ready to attack.
One of the dogs charged over Vasquez, and had no choice but to fire... He fires a couple of rounds to the attacking dog and hits its head killing it on the spot... Another attacked next and just like the other he was shot in the head, killing it instantly!
The third one was a bit larger than the others almost the size as him.. He sets his sights to kill the last dog; he pulls the trigger and fires at the last dog.
“Click”
The pistol gave the most horrifying sound for a marine soldier’s ear... The pistol is out of ammo!
The dog ran towards Vasquez, who frantically gets a clip to reload...But the dog caught him off guard and grabs him. Vasquez, struggles to break free of the dogs grip.. He refuses to go down without a fight!
He immediately pokes the eye of the dog, causing it to loosen its grip just enough for the Lieutenant to Slip out.. The dog got really angry and lets out a frustrated growl and came at the Marine once more... Losing his pistol renders him without a firearm to kill the beast... As the dog leaps to pounce at Vasquez, he took out the hunting knife that Jackson gave to him earlier and prepares to stab him. The dog collides at Vasquez and rolls down the hill to a nearby cliff...
Both of them rolls down the ravine below, with Vasquez only got a second to react before they fall the deep cliff... He tries to kick the dog out of its way, but the dog was too heavy for him. With no other options left, Vasquez utters a silent prayer and lets out a Battle cry before falling down the ravine.