"Audio recording, Personal log, seven hours ago"
"Alright i guess its my turn, this iiis Corporeal Cooper Connor, designation Reaper one-one, call-sign Reaper. I guess my story starts with when my career as a heavy gunner, an A.S.T84 Micro operator in the 56 armored infantry division with the US army Rangers, now my story isn't as fancy as Starnes's or Lamar's'. But anyway It was my partner and I's job to draw enemy fire so that the rest of our company could circle around and flank entrenched positions. When we activated the our A.S.T or Armored Support Transport would unfold itself from compartments hidden in our heavy plates of armor, That's why we were usually grenadiers or heavy weapons specialists. Our standard kit consisted of our grenade launchers which we mounted on our left shoulder, an extendable Hurricane HMG a larger version of the CELL Typhoon smg. Mounted to our right arm and a spiked high powered hydraulic piston mounted to our left forearm. It was bad ass, we were walking tanks on the battlefield once our CO's activated our 84's we could really bring the hurt. But like all good things it came to an end when my partner took a Tank round to the chest, a depleted uranium SABOT.
After that I joined Blackwatch, I was given a brand new Micro A.S.T Light or MAL and I was assigned to this two man death squad. And I have got to say it was good to see Lamar again after all these years, even tho he was my Boss now. But 'sigh' I heard what happened at Yonkers and I knew, that I had some pretty big shoes to fill and that i never would actually fill them. We all had heard of Zulu team they had one of the highest body counts of any death squad, but since the two of them had Nano suits i don't know why Rooks assigned me to them any way.
But any way Raptor put Colonel Grey in charge for know because, he and task force Wolfpack are on there way to Zelienopel the newest town to go dark just two hundred mikes from the capital bordering a rather large rain forest, That town went dark just two days after his coronation. Any way we have to make preparations for the Galla this afternoon. This is Cooper Connor, Reaper one-one, call-sign Reaper signing off."
"Hey Shaka if i don't make it give this to my ex-wife." one of the stallions said as Raptor checked his shoot getting the finger.
"That's all she gets." the stallion said as he hopped a bit fitting the harness and psyching himself up.
"I know that's right Stump." Lamar laughed as the two side doors opened up.
"GO,GO,GO!" A grey pegasus with a graying black beard, with a scar across his nose yelled as Mother, Preacher, Tick, Dingo, and Stump jumped out of the dropship.
"Just like old times ah Voodoo!" another stallion a tan unicorn said before jumping out of the door.
"well I guess..."
"Get the led out grandpa! this is your op!" a certain alicorn yelled as he jumped out of the ship with out a parachute.
"Kids." Voodoo commented with a smile before jumping out of the drop ship. Once they were all clear the VTOL took a sharp turn returning to the rendezvous point followed by the PMF-24.
"LZ secure." Tick a blue earthpony reported as the others started to land.
"Shaka, Rabbit Check that house." Voodoo ordered as he and the others advanced into the town.
"on the door." Rabbit an orange pagasi whispered as he leaned on the right door seal while Raptor was on the left. The two nodded to each other before Rabbit took out some tape stretched a section of it on the left side of door near the Handel before stepping back.
BOOM
The two raised there weapons and entered the room sweeping the entire building staying close and covering all firing solutions with out ever uttering a word. Two uttered 'Clear' on there radios before moving to another building. The sun began to dip over the horizon as they all saw Raptor motion to another building on the edge of the town. However just as they were about to reach the home they began to notice strange green and viscous fluid on the ground in some spots, and a sweet smelling yellowish fluid near the trees.
"Looks like we missed the party." Tick a cyan unicorn commented motioning to a few pockmarks on a tree.
'Warning. Nano-shell overload. Initiating shutdown' SECOND said as Raptor stepped in the green fluid and fell to his knees as his Naon-Suit struggled to analyse the Goo as it slowly shutdown, On top of that his vision was blurred by happy blue static.
"Hissssssss!!"
"Contact! Contact! Fire at will!" Voodoo yelled as he and the others heard the hiss and saw some of the shadows move, and Tick was almost dragged away before raptor rolled around and fired into the darkness behind his squad mate saving his life. They all watched as a beam of green magic struck Raptor knocking him into a tree Riffle still clutched tightly in his hand.
However as they moved into cover the distinct sound of a jet engine stopped all activity in the aria. And they watched as two C.E.L.L combat VTOL's and a group of five griffons screamed overhead in pursuit of Coffee.
"Tick, Preacher!" Voodoo yelled getting nods in return as the two flared here wings and activated there 'jackets' rocket packs before rocketing off to the PMF's (Partially Maned Fighter) aid.
"There Killem!" they heard as they saw CELL ground units leap over a building getting into cover and firing on there position. For some reason however Rabbit pointed out that the previous hostiles had diapered.
"'uugh' Guess their mad about the docks!" Raptor yelled after reloading his riffle.
"What happened at the docks!" Voodoo yelled as he shot a griffon in the eye before reloading. Raptor explained as Wolfpack fired on C.E.L.L waiting for his suit to reboot.
'Nanoshell reboot initiated.' SECOND stated before activating.
"On your right!" Raptor yelled as they watched him grab a CELL trooper by the thought and rip it out before blowing the stallions head off.
"Voodoo we have got to get out of here!" Rabbit yelled as he reloaded his SCAR.
"FRAG out! Rabbits right we need to get the fuck out of here!" Stump yelled as he was shot in the shoulder the meat of his shoulder blowing out but adrenalin kept him going.
"Ough Fuck!" he yelled as he shot a griffon point blank before leaning on the rock they were using as cover.
"Viper move in for extract popping smoke!" mother yelled before he too was shot in the leg.
"Fuck!" The middle aged stallion yelled as he got back into cover and packing the bullet wound with dirt to stop the bleeding.
'ting, ting' They all heard it as the world slowed down as they looked to see a white baseball sized object land in front of them, They all knew what is was and that they were in no condition or position to do anything about it.
"Grenade!" Raptor yelled before picking it up and throwing it above a crowd of three Griffons before it exploded showering them with lethal white hot shrapnel.
'tingh,..tingh,tingh' Raptor felt large caliber rounds strike at his chest where his heart is. Making him recoil and take step back to the left before leveling his weapon again and slowly advancing on the enemy.
"Voodoo i have a plan. But your not going to like it." he yelled over his radio. Before taking cover behind a tree reloading his riffle, last mag.
Raptor stayed quiet as he tagged the C.E.L.L operatives with his HUD before glancing at the status of his reboot, 45 percent.
"What is..." Voodoo started before he was shot in the left bicep.
"Get the fuck out of here.. 'ugh Fuck'" Lamar yelled as he was hit with a fucking crossbow bolt.
"Fuck you." He said as he unloaded a half of a pistol magazine into the last griffon who was advancing on Wolfpacks Flank.
"There you are!" he heard feeling a massive impact to his ribs before being thrown to on his back.
'Jesus fucking Christ that hurt!' Lamar thought as he spun around to see who had shot him.
"Ready to..." the Cell shot gunner got out before Lamar kicked the gun from his hand and emptied his pistol into him as his wound healed.
'click,click,click' Lamar heard before tossing the glock to the ground and rolling to his stomach he looked at Wolfpack they were in pretty bad shape all of them had at least one bullet wound and they were all low on ammunition.
"LAST mag!" Rabbit yelled before firing into the advancing CELL.
"Voodoo get your men out of here." Lamar said over the radio
"No sir!" Voodoo yelled as he watched Raptor pop and throw a red smoke grenade as he slowly got back to his feat for emptying his riffle into a CELL operative with a JAW Rocket launcher who was about to shoot there ride down and the other three troopers next to him. The two looked at one another as Lamar tossed his weapon to him, He checked the magazine...empty.
"Now. That's an order."
"... Stand by for Exfil!"
The aged Navy Seal looked at his younger Delta force compatriot with understanding as he watched as a flurry of tendrils descended from the top of his head to the bottom of his hooves before his Blackwatch armor was replaced with his Nano-Suit. After that he could almost feel the change in him as the glowing blue of the Blackwatch armors' goggles met the dull red glow of the Nano-suits Visor. Before he felt the blast of air from the Razorback as it hovered low enough for them to get on.
'Nano-suit Activated'
"I'll make my way home." he heard Lamar say before he stepped out of cover and the Razorback took off. Its side doors slid shut but not before he threw out three recon drones that quickly cloaked them selves as the VTOL flew off back towards Canterlot, followed closely by the damaged PMF, Tick, and Preacher. Unknown to them they had an unwanted follower.
Canterlot (1 hour Later)
The Galla had gotten off to a good start pony's were mingling, The princesses had just finished greeting the last of the guests, the members of the royal court and family were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Twilight was with Celestia as usual, Fluttershy was hanging around Reaper who was hanging around the animals because Fluttershy was hanging around him And with him was the mare he had met earlier in the week Carapace, Cass was talking with a group of mares from the Lunar and Celestial guard, Applejack was with Lewis selling shit, Rainbow Dash was talking to Spitfire, Pinkie pie was off doing whatever it is she does. Raider was speaking to one of the noble princesses Princess Chalice, and Rarity was off looking for Raptor who for some reason that nopony knew wasn't hear. Nopony had seen the Newly named Prince all night and some of the ponys who knew him were worried.
'This is so incredibly dull. Just like every other galla' Celestia thought with a sigh wishing something, Anything would make this night more exiting.
"What was.." One of the nobles started before everypony saw one of the Blackwatch airships fly in between two of the castle towers sideways before leveling off above them. They watched a hatch open on the bottom of the airship and a revolving cylinder with other attached spear shaped rods.
The spinning stopped as they watched the rear of a white rod erupt into flames before it was dropped streaking ahead of the Airship, passed them, and into a large cloud before a fireball lit up the night sky. They then watched the airship streak off before disappearing into the clouds, They had never noticed just how big those airships were until one was right above them. They were then ushered into the castle by the royal guard and just before the on duty wanderbolts could take off they saw the forms of Three airships emerging from the clouds. Even through the darkness of the night they could see the trail of smoke coming from the smooth beetle looking airship. The two sleeker airships paired into a group of two before flying off while the airship they hadn't seen before came closer to the courtyard where the Galla was being held. When it drew closer they could make out the distinct sight of two pegasi flying close as the pillars in the wings and tail angled themselves towards the ground as it landed.
Almost immediately a crowd of royal guard and knights were at craft with the party goers crowded behind them. However the two pegasi who were flying beside the craft earlier came to rest at the side hatch, before one of them shined a flashlight at the side of the door where they all saw the Blackwatch winged star before they all backed away as the door slid open.
"Tick! Medic!" a graying pointy bearded Stallion yelled as he fell to the ground struggling to stand. He was bleeding infant all of the stallions who practically fell out of the craft were bleeding from small or large holes in there bodies.
'one,two,three...' Tick paused his mental head count for a second before counting again.
"Voodoo, where is Shaka?" the one called Tick asked drawing the attention of the other Blackwatch troopers who had just arrived from the crowd to held there comrades. The crowd noticed the wounded guards move their gaze to the ground with solemn looks on there unmasked faces
"He... stayed behind." The leader answers as he sat on the ledge of the door way as the medical pony's arrived.
"We have never heard of this Shaka." Princess Luna 'stayed'
"Raptor. Raptor stayed behind." Voodoo said earning horrified gasps in response.
"WHAT! Are you Fucking retarded! Thats our job!" a new voice yelled and as the crowd turned they saw Raider followed by the other members of Raptors personal guard.
"He ordered us to do it! Here i'm bleeding out." Voodoo yelled before handing a video pad to Celestia as he was wheeled away on a gurney.
"what is this?" she asked as the strange airship flew away.
"Live feed from the drones i deployed as we were bugging out. i haven't got'n a chance to see it yet. i'm sorry." he said before laying his head back.
"Play it. i feel bad for these people." Connor said snatching the device from the solar princess and hitting the activation button and dropping it to the ground.
"Why?" Shining armor asked furious with these 'guards', how could they not care more that the prince was missing.
They all watched peaces of the device shift and click into place as blue and red lights flickered to life on the device as a grapefruit sized lens with a hexagonal grid pattern appeared in the middle as it flickered blue,green, then red before a cone of light erupted from the devise and in the middle of the light was a revolving Blackwatch star.
"What the..." Rainbow dash questioned
The image shifted to a town where many of the building were ether destroyed or on fire, the bodies of strangely armored ponys lay strewn about on the stone or dirt streets, carriages were overturned in fact one was inside of a building on top of a crushed pony. Horrified they noticed that all of the ponys that lay in the streets were stallions there were no females besides a few of the griffons, Equestria had an almost dangerously low percentage of males with only 35 percent of the entire population being male so any loss on this scale would be... the camera shook then went black.
The camera then shifted to another view and this one was even worse then the last because while there were less bodies many of the ones that remained were gruesomely dismembered or horribly mutilated. In fact more than one lay fully bisected in the dirt, and they actually had the gruesome treat of watching the top half of a stallion fall away from his lower half which lay on the roof of a building still connected by a line of entrails. And Like the last the had this camera shook violently before going black.
It shifted again to a body with a crushed head before the camera moved to show a pony walking down the street the pony had strange white armor on with the word C.E.L.L on the back of his vest, he was walking in a daze shell shocked before he was struck in the temple with an arrow with a glowing green knock. It shifted again following where the arrow came from to show a large stallion with strange armor holding a Very strange looking bow. When he stood from his crouch being illuminated by the fires behind him they saw the matte black Wings and the horn as he moved to retrieve the arrow.
"No matter what man tells it self, in his heart resides the spirit of the hunter. He can build cities, erect monuments to his greatness. But at his core, he can not escape his own nature." they heard him say as he dropped into a crouch as he removed the arrow placing it in the holder in the bow before knocking another.
"The Bow and arrow, Beautiful in its simplicity. Is it coincidence that every culture on earth developed it independent of one another? Or is it something else, something in our blood... something primal that allowed us to manifest it?" he continued as they watched him react to a sound before flying to a near by 'stable' roof top to see a lone stallion.
"Of course the trickiest part about hunting, is making sure your the hunter... and not the hunted." he says as they watched him fire an arrow into the stallions back before jumping down and retrieving the arrow.
"Are you the hunter? Or the hunted?" he asked himself before he spun around firing an arrow into the camera, it fell to the ground as he walked up standing over it bow in hand as he looked into the lens like he was looking at them.
"I know for Damn sure which one i am."