Fluttershy slowly blinked the sleep from her eyes as she sat up in bed. She slowly became aware of her surroundings and was confused to find herself in a motel room. She could tell by the peeling wallpaper and the faded painting over the bed that it was a rather cheap motel as well. Fluttershy slowly stood up and looked around the room. Before she got far the bathroom door opened and Rarity stepped out looking frustrated.
“Why don’t they just call ahead and let the General know when we’ll be there,” Rarity muttered to herself in a mocking tone as she turned and noticed Fluttershy. “Oh, you’re up,” she said, surprised. “I honestly thought you were going to sleep the day away.”
Fluttershy and Rarity held an awkward silence for a moment before Fluttershy responded. “Did… Did I… hurt anypony?” she asked, just loud enough for Rarity to hear. The last thing Fluttershy remembered was that soldier holding her by the neck and hitting Boot. It didn’t take her long to figure out what had happened,
Rarity thought for a moment. “Well, truthfully, yes,” she said,” but you didn’t kill anypony,” Rarity added before Fluttershy could panic. Fluttershy still looked ashamed for hurting the soldiers in the tanks.
Fluttershy pushed her shame to the back of her mind. “Where’s Boot?” she asked hoping her friend hadn’t simply left.
“He’s making a supply run, if you can call it that on the budget we’re on,” Rarity answered, sounding displeased.
“Our Budget?” Fluttershy asked, more because she was curious how they were going to pay for anything. Fluttershy herself didn’t have any money she could get to and what she did have was in a bank in Canistan under a false name.
Rarity rubbed her temples to remain calm. “Well we can’t use credit cards or buy anything that requires identification, being on the run and what not,” Rarity replied, her frustrated tone from earlier returning. “Something we wouldn’t have to worry about if we’d have left before all this started,” she complained.
Fluttershy looked away in shame. “I’m sorry nothing went as planned,” she said softly. “But before I go anywhere I need to stop Stern from making the same mistake I did,” Fluttershy explained.
Rarity glanced at Fluttershy. “If that’s all there is to it, S.H.I.E.L.D. could have handled it,” she countered.
Fluttershy looked away. Rarity was right and Fluttershy contemplated telling her the other reason she wanted to meet Stern. “I… I think Dr. Study may be able…” Fluttershy trailed off nervously. Rarity stared at her with interest. Fluttershy took a deep breath before continuing. “I think he may be able to cure me,” she stated. Rarity gave Fluttershy a sympathetic look.
“I see,” Rarity said. “It’s as much about getting your life back as it is stopping a tragedy,” Rarity replied. The way Rarity worded it made Fluttershy feel selfish. “I understand,” Rarity told her. Fluttershy looked at the mare with surprise. “I’d give anything for a fresh start myself,” she said with a sad look in her eye. Fluttershy was curious what Rarity meant, but decided not to push the agent. “Well, you’ve convinced me. I’ll help you, but if this doesn’t work out you’re going to need a backup plan.”
Fluttershy thought for a moment. “You want me to go with S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Fluttershy said.
Rarity sighed. “I know you’re having a hard time trusting me and I can’t blame you, but to be honest if things in Manehattan don’t go your way, what’s next if you don’t accept my help. More running?” she asked.
Fluttershy knew she wouldn’t be able to stay sane much longer if she had to keep looking over her shoulder the rest of her life. “Okay,” she conceded, making Rarity perk up in surprise. “If my plan doesn’t work, I’ll go with you,” she promised, earning a nod and a smile from Rarity.
“I promise, we won’t, make you do anything you don’t want to,” Rarity said, holding a hand out to Fluttershy. Fluttershy shook the hand, knowing she, and the world, would be safer if she were able to keep herself in check.
/////////////////////////////////////////////
General Hurricane sat at his desk, somehow feeling worse than he ever had before after a loss to the monster. He could only guess that he felt so angry, because he had had so much faith in Heavyweight and now the Sergeant was barely clinging to life in a hospital bed on the base.
The door opened, distracting Hurricane from his thoughts as Winchester entered. “Sir, the Commander is ready to speak with you,” she said, unable to meet Hurricane’s eyes. Winchester had been apart of the hunt for Fluttershy, longer than anyone besides Hurricane. In that time Hurricane could tell she held him in high regard and hated to see him punished for doing what he believed in. “I’ll be outside sir,” she said quietly as she left the room.
Hurricane took a moment to compose himself before pressing a button on his desk. A screen slid out of the ceiling and turned on, the Commander of the Equestrian military being the only visible thing on screen.
“What happened General?” the Commander spoke calmly, his voice not giving away even the slightest trace of emotion.
Hurricane looked at the stallion on the screen, knowing the Commander was almost fifteen years younger than himself. Hurricane couldn’t stand this stallion reprimanding him. This stallion was a colt compared to him. “I attempted to capture a dangerous fugitive. She fought back,” Hurricane began.
“Yes I saw the footage all over the internet this morning,” the Commander interrupted. “No more secrets General. I want to know exactly what you’re doing. I’d also like to know what that… thing was,” the Commander ordered, sounding concerned when he mentioned Fluttershy’s monster.
Hurricane couldn’t help but notice the lack of anger the Commander showed. “That thing, was Fluttershy, a geneticist. Several years ago she had been working on a super soldier serum for us,” Hurricane explained, pausing as he decided how to explain the rest. The Commander waited for Hurricane to continue, surprising the General. “She hadn’t been told what she was working on, hell she thought she was saving rabbits. However, when it came to test the serum she tested it on herself. The monster you saw was the result of that test,” Hurricane explained.
The Commander looked bewildered. “Are you saying that thing was a pony?” he asked, a note of shock in his voice.
“Yes sir. I have spent the last several years trying capture her. I believe the power she holds could be an invaluable resource for our military,” Hurricane concluded, curious what the Commander would do with this information.
The Commander was silent for a moment. “If this Fluttershy were to be allowed to roam unchecked, what do you think would happen?” the Commander asked.
Hurricane quirked an eyebrow at the question. “Unchecked, she could destroy entire cities. However if we were to capture her, we could extract-” Hurricane started.
“Absolutely not General. If she’s as dangerous as you say, the threat needs to be neutralized as quickly as possible,” the Commander stated.
Hurricane’s eyes went wide. “Sir I’m not sure that’s the best idea,” he started. “I’ve seen what she can do with my own eyes. It would be a waste not to-”
“Enough General!” the Commander shouted. “What you’re talking about is a weapon of mass destruction and I assure you there are plenty in the world already. We don’t need more weapons. We need more security. We need citizens that feel safe in their homes,” the Commander said, earning a glare from Hurricane. “Now, I understand you know more about Fluttershy than anypony else, so I still want you at the front of this, but you don’t do anything without my say so, understood?” the Commander asked, not really leaving any room for argument.
Hurricane took a breath before he spoke, being sure he was calm. “Understood Commander. When we find her you’ll be the first to know,” Hurricane said earning a nod from his superior.
“Good. We’ll have a briefing at that time,” the Commander said, the screen going blank a moment later.
Hurricane sat in his chair for a moment. “Upstart bastard!” he shouted, knocking the lamp off of his desk.
//////////////////////////////////////////////
Fluttershy was helping Rarity sort out what supplies they had when Boot Strap returned with a few bags of what looked like mostly canned food. “Is that all you got?” Rarity asked as she counted the ammunition she had left, 3 magazines and two more of her miniature EMPs.
“This was what was in our price range,” Boot replied. “I’m trying to make sure we still have enough money to pay cab and bus fares if we need to. Speaking of which, any chance we can catch a ride from your people?” he asked, not sounding hopeful.
Rarity shook her head. “By now we’re off the grid. S.H.I.E.L.D. will have stopped tracking us to prevent anymore information leaks. We’re on our own from here to Manehattan,” she said, sounding less than pleased with their predicament. “In any case we should get moving soon. I’m sure Hurricane is still keeping an ear to the ground and it seems there are still a few ponies in Equestria that remember your wanted posters,” Rarity told Fluttershy.
Fluttershy looked at the ground, wondering why Rarity and Boot were going through this much trouble for her. Boot seemed to think he owed her, but Rarity’s - or was it S.H.I.E.L.D.’s - exact motives were a mystery. Rarity had been nothing but helpful, however Fluttershy had a hard time believing any organization would help her without wanting something in return.
“Ummm… So what’s next then?” Fluttershy asked, her companions staring at her with raised eyebrows. “I… uh… How are going to get to Manehattan?” Fluttershy asked.
“We can’t just take a bus?” he asked, scratching his head,
Rarity seemed to catch on quicker. “We can’t risk Fluttershy being recognized again,” she said to Boot.
“Well… actually they may also be looking for the both you,” Fluttershy told them, expecting an adverse reaction to the news. Rarity looked deep in thought and Boot didn’t look happy, but they took the news well.
“I’ll have to steal a car,” Rarity concluded, earning blank stares from Boot and Fluttershy.
“And how does that keep us from being noticed?” Boot asked, his voice raising an octave. Fluttershy was a little shocked by Rarity’s solution as well, but remembered taking things that weren’t hers several times in the past. Fluttershy decided to trust Rarity.
“I think we should give her a chance,” Fluttershy said quickly before Rarity and Boot could start arguing. Fluttershy shrank a little as all eyes fell on her. “We… uh… We can’t use public transportation, so… umm… I think we should trust Rarity,” she finished. Rarity gave Boot a smug smile and Boot rolled his eyes.
“Fine, but nothing flashy,” Boot conceded.
Rarity chuckled as she walked to the door. “Darling I know what I’m doing. We’ll blend right in on the road,” she told them, opening the door and leaving.
////////////////////////////////////////////
Winchester found herself spacing out as she listened to the doctor explaining Heavyweights condition. “It’s honestly a wonder he’s even still got a pulse,” the surgeon finished, looking at a chart that explained what in Heavyweight was damaged, which was mostly the organs in his chest and his rib cage.
Winchester looked at the stallion lying in the bed, his torso covered in bandages to stop the bleeding from the array of bullet holes, the white mare had left him with. “Is there any chance he’ll be getting up soon.
The doctor seemed lost for words. “I don’t know. Normally I’d say he’s on his last rope, but every time it looks like he’s gonna slip away, he pulls himself out of it. All we can do at this point is stop him from bleeding anymore than he has,” the doctor explained.
Winchester sighed as she turned towards the door. “Just do what you can for him,” she told the doctor, taking one more glance at the bedridden soldier and wondering if his hands had been in fists the whole time.