//------------------------------// // The Waking Of An Agent // Story: Syndicate // by Amethyst Sparkler //------------------------------// Chapter 2: The Waking Of An Agent Coltman Global. They were the ones I worked for. My first day, it wasn’t the best. I signed up for corporate agency. They gave me a strange weird look as I trotted over to the colt on the desk, recruiting the new agents. Only a few would get selected, as the rest were thrown to the trash by the colt who recruits us. I was up next, hoping I would not join those who were not selected. I gave him my resume, and was given back a stern look, as he browsed trough small paragraphs I made in the resume. He gave me another stern look, stamped something onto my resume, then gave it back. “Good for you, princess.” He told me, as I returned an unsure look for what he said. When I looked into my resume, I saw that the stamp gave me a sign of approval on my request. I have become an agent. I had pride in my heart, with a side of joy. I got into a relaxing, and quite good sleep. Sure, it sounded good. Wait 'til what happened next. I woke up, not in my comfy bed at home. Instead, I found myself strapped onto a interrogation chair, in the Downzone of Manehattan. I saw somepony there, with military-grade armor, and tape on his shoulder logo, shrouding his allegiance. Ealier, he was talking to somepony else with mic. He went to me, his helmet tight onto his head. He started punching me around. At first, I was able to withstand it. It soon got harder and harder until I can't take it anymore. I was punched on the face, getting a nosebleed. That was when I heard a voice In my head. "Chip systems online. Dart 6.1, initializing." The trooper stopped, and leaned down and looked at me. "Hey. You in there" he paused for a moment, seeing that nothing happened. The HUD from this "chip" said it was still initialising, so he started punching me around again. It took a few more moments of withstanding punches and hits across me, until the voice said it was finally initalised. He leaned down again, only for me to headbutt him and kicked him on his face with my hind leg, rendering him unconcious. I broke off the metal binds of the chair, with an unsure trust on this voice in my head... Little did I know they had others outside. I took the radio from the unconcious soldier, so I could know what they would do. They threw gas grenades into the room, due to their overwatch witnessing my escape. What got me to go when I heard their main order and objective against me. "LIGHT THE FUCKER UP!" They started to fire trough the windows as I go trough them to reach the door. The door needed a slight push, so I rammed trough it. I stumbled upon a broken plank upon breaching the door. I was able to get back up quickly, but one of the enemy dropships found me. "Ready to fire, sir!" I thought it was my end, until the "chip" prompted me to breach the turret. I did, and in my HUD, it started up and eventually, their turret didn't work, forcing them to go off my view. I am able to pass trough the balcony with a one-hundred percent chance of not getting fired upon. I’ve reached a damaged door, but was clearly able to hear the enemies that were behind the door. The voice in my head suggested me to charge trough the door. The voice earned my trust. I charged trough the door, and tackled two hostile troops down a whole staircase. When we landed on the ground , I was able to pick up a weapon from the dead troop. I ran off to the nearby exit, bringing me into the open. I saw many hungry, poor ponies in the Downzone, as I give a little sympathy, and pity. I went trough carefully, until that dropship I breached came back. It dropped in more troops, now armed with rifles that appeared to be Kusanagi ACR-10s. I went to the nearest cover, observing the poor display of gunfire from the hostiles, instead doing collateral damage and stray bullets from their rifles hurt the unarmed civilians, who quickly went into cover as well, wishing they would come out alive. The sound of clicks from their gun gave me a chance. I quickly rose from my cover, hopping over it, and fires at all the visible hostiles quickly without miss, killing them. I quickly moved into another building. I saw another of those armor-clad ponies again, looking just like the same one that punched me around when I woke up. I noticed they had a civilian with them. I observed them until I saw them aim a gun to her head. I quickly sprung into action, firing multiple rounds at the two soldiers, but I was too late to save the poor mare and she got shot by the enemy. I went up the nearby staircase, going trough small waves of hostiles. Unlike the soldiers earlier that was outside, they did less collateral damage, and took their shots carefully. Thank Celestia, when in DART OVERLAY, it lessens the pain tenfold. I quickly activated it, charging trough as their bullets deal bare pain, and I eliminated them. I saw a damaged exit when looking for it. Like the voice previously, the voice told me to charge trough it. I did what the voice told me to do. I charged trough the weak doors, breaking it to pieces when I went trough. I quickly went back up to my feet, due to a small fall when going trough. The voice, though, made a terrible mistake. When I went trough, the enemy drop ship came back, ready to fire. I improvised an escape by stomping heavily on the rooftop, breaking it. I went trough, only to be applauded by scientists that looked like they were from Coltman Global. "This was a test?" I said, grunting. The CEO, along with my to-be-mentor, Agent Cayman, came in. "Excellent work, Amethyst." the CEO, Silverstar, told me, along with a congratulatory hoof-shake with me. I, keeping my humility intact, replied with a normal thank you. They got me onto a chair, wirelessly connecting my chip to the computer, showing the scientists and CEO my point of view during the test. Unlike me, they didn't seem to care about the civilians that were hurt, let alone the mare that was executed by the armored colts. What kind of suprised me, aside from all of that being a test, was that ose armord colts were actually working for Coltman too, due to the exact same looks of the armor to the guards in the underground facility. They finished up, with the other scientists leaving, along with the CEO and agent Cayman following them, only to talk to them. I looked around, noticing about what has changed ever since Twilight Sparkle's final discovery about the magic of friendship. It was what brought peace to Equestria, but it didn't stop the corporate war that has yet to come during my first days. The CEO came back, with a clear expression on his face that I'm ready for something more than training. "Well then. Amethyst, we might as well have a good mission for you. First up, we'll Introduce you to your senior agent, Cayman." "Well, well, well. You got spunk, kid. For a mare, though." He said, in a gritty, veteran-ish attitude. I wanted to sock him for that last complement, but control over me due to the chip prevented me to do so. The CEO began to debrief us. "Well, you two, I need you to see this first," He opened a file on the computer, which then is displayed on the hologram screen. "Talon International, the number three on our list, made something similar to our's and Eurocorp's Dart-6. We need you to capture this colt's chip for study on their tech." He brings in a picture of a colt, wearing his labcoat, and seems to be unarmed. "His name is Le Maxxis. He's in lead of the scientific R&D research division. We need you to get his chip, because here's the main fact. He made the Talon chips." I accepted to go to this mission along with Cayman. Me and Cayman went in the elevator, him standing tall at his usual form, with his rifle slinged onto his back. "I got a Talon Int'l drop ship reserved for us, except Coltman's gonna have it controlled. You better be ready, kid." again, he said, with that same tone. The excitement of a new mission, and the amount of how much I'm focused for both the mission and not to die in it will be enough. I am a weapon. Command me.