Heart of Raven Black

by Vin Diesels Go-Kart

Chapter 28: The Reaper Has No Friends

Douglas Mann first held a gun when he was fifteen years old. It was a spring afternoon when several men broke into his home and beat his parents to death before attempting to rob the place of its valuables. Douglas, who had remained undiscovered by the burglars, went into his father's personal study and grabbed the loaded revolver that was kept there.

He didn't hesitate to kill all four of his parents' murderers, even managing a smile when the last one fell to his knees and begged for his life. He'd joined Comstock's regime when it was still in its infancy, when Columbia was still a work in progress.

Douglas wasn't a religious man, but he couldn't deny the strong influence the Prophet had over his followers. The way he united those he led was inspiring, and while Douglas didn't identify with the message Comstock carried, he was still ready and willing to carry it with him.

At present, Douglas had earned the rank of Field Commander in the regime. He led his men the same way his Prophet led him; with stern compassion.

As a result of his position, it didn't take long for Douglas to hear the news of the Prophet's passing. The briefing room was more silent than it had ever been before. Everyone held their tongues as the news was absorbed. Some men broke down and cried while others walked out of the room. Douglas had no more tears to shed after his parents' deaths, so he chose to sit in silence.

Now, he sat in silence once again, the only sound being the soft hiss of static emanating from a nearby radio. Blood had started to pool around the device, the source of which was a young soldier slumped nearby. Douglas had tried to save him, but the wound he'd received was far too severe for the Field Commander's limited medical experience. He and the corpse were alone, sitting inside of a mausoleum. Considering the circumstances, the venue couldn't have been more appropriate.

Douglas would have never believed the events that had taken place less than two hours ago if he had not witnessed the horrors with his own eyes. At first, the Comstock regime seemed to have been gaining the upper hand in the battle with the remaining Vox Populi members. He remembered being able to see Daisy Fitzroy's face, thinking that if she was present, it was truly the final showdown between the two opposing factions. Victory seemed to be in reach, until the tears started opening up all over the city.

After witnessing his parents being ripped apart, Douglas thought he was familiar with the monsters of the world. The creatures that stepped out of the gateways proved his theory wrong. The monstrosities that appeared were more hellish than anything he could have conceived in his wildest nightmares. The armored brutes with drills and guns, the humanoid spiders with hooks and daggers, and the masked figures with powers that matched even the most experienced Vigor users. If the Devil really did exist, they must have been products of his demonic insanity.

There might have been a fifteen-second interval between when the creatures emerged from the portals and when they began hacking through Douglas' men. It took less than ten minutes for most of the front line to be completely destroyed, and the regime's forces put on the defensive, trying to hold off the invaders. At first, they had thought it was a Vox counter-offensive, but this was proven wrong when the giants in armor began indiscriminately butchering both sides. The regime was pushed all the way back to Memorial Gardens, where the survivors were ordered to make a last stand while Comstock House was detached from the rest of the city. The men knew it was suicide, but they did as instructed, laying down their lives in a last ditch effort to save Fink's.

When Douglas got the order to stay and fight, he cursed Fink and ripped off his badge. The Field Commander never like Jeremiah. He was a con-man who cared only for himself. While the other men may have fought for Comstock's replacement without hesitation, Douglas wanted nothing to do with him.

Instead of trying to hold the Gardens, Douglas fought to protect the men around him. He fought for the men who he could call brothers, the ones who looked up to him, who trusted him. They were his family just as Comstock had been. He wouldn't die for Fink, but he would go to Hell for them. The boy across from him, the one who had bled out not long after the last gunshots died down, was his last tether to this world.

When the Gardens became overrun, Douglas dragged the boy into the empty mausoleum and made him as comfortable as possible. They didn't exchange words, just sat and listened to the radio chatter. Outside, the invaders pushed on to Comstock House, but none made it past the gate before it detached from the city and left it to die. After that, there was a single transmission from a superior, saying that all forces were being called back to Columbia in an attempt to retake the city. Douglas didn't know how long the static had gone uninterrupted afterward.

He sat on the floor with a gun in his hand; a revolver, like the one he had first taken a life with. Back then, he had thought about turning the gun on himself, but decided to ride it out just a bit longer. Not too long after that, he met Comstock. Douglas held no illusions that such a miracle would happen again. There was nothing left now, the empty eyes of the young soldier reminded him that.

As if he needed another reminder, he saw the room grow darker as a figure appeared in the doorway. It was one of the creatures, one with hooks that could walk on walls. Douglas had witnessed many of them kill his brothers.

The creature looked at him and the gun he was holding, then smiled, revealing a bloody mouth with perhaps five teeth.

"How many you got?" it asked, it's gurgling voice piercing the soft static.

Douglas smirked. The creature's arrival didn't change his plans. "Just one."

It giggled. "Well, then I guess it's up to you if you want it quick, or slow." It dragged a particularly dull, rusty hook along the stone wall that stood next to it.

Slowly, Douglas raised the gun and stuck it in his mouth. It was the second time in his life he'd ever done it, but this time, he knew, would be the last.

Before pulling the trigger, the Field Commander heard the radio buzz with activity once again.

"This is Cynthia Patterson, all remaining officers are to escort civilians out of the city. Load them onto life boats, gunships, anything that floats. The city is lost, but it's people don't need to be..."

Smiling with the barrel of the gun in his mouth wasn't exactly easy, but Douglas managed it fairly well. The city wasn't completely abandoned after all. He had never met this Cynthia before, but she had a lovely voice, and the message she brought was more than he needed.

The creature took a step forward and Douglas pulled the trigger, the shot echoing through the empty cemetery.

Laughing, the creature left the mausoleum with the two fallen brothers in its keep. As the gun fell from his hand, Douglas' bitter smile remained.

* * *

Twilight was shaking, badly. She hadn't thought about what she would do when she caught up to Daniel and his party. She knew she would have to stop him, but she didn't think it would be like this.

Standing in the doorway to the Castle, she looked at its occupants. Not too long ago, she'd witnessed the Boy of Silence, known as Jacob, let off another burst of energy, similar to what he'd done just before Columbia was brought into the world. She had no idea what other nightmare he'd just summoned. He was now knelt down on the ground, with Daniel beside him. Trixie and the Handyman, Jenkins, were both standing off to the side.

Twilight didn't know why Trixie was with them. Perhaps she had agreed to help them in exchange for immunity, or maybe she was just an inherently evil pony who took pleasure in Equestria's destruction, it really didn't matter.

All that mattered was stopping the monster who now stood across the room. The castle was old, and as a result, the ceiling was dotted with holes that allowed light to enter the main chamber. Twilight could easily see Daniel, so she knew she didn't need to get any closer. Even so, she quietly walked further into the ruins. A purple aura was enveloped around her horn as she used her magic to hold an item out in front of her, something she had taken from one of the dead humans on the ground.

As she got closer, her shaking only increased with anxious anticipation, but her magic held the machine gun perfectly still, pointed right at Daniel's back. She'd seen them shoot their weapons before. All she had to do was pull the trigger and account for the weapon jerking as a result. Even if she missed the first shot, she could just keep firing until she hit her mark. It would be too late for any of the others to stop her.

The princess didn't know if taking Daniel's life would stop the madness. It probably wouldn't, but she couldn't let him live after what he'd done. Cities were being razed all over the country, and he was solely responsible. After she dealt with the Zealot, and assuming the Handyman didn't kill her forthwith, perhaps she could convince Jacob to get rid of the city and its forces. He seemed like an impressionable person, and she might be able to get through to him. It was a long-shot, but it was the best she had. The Elements wouldn't stop this, and neither would any other power found in Equestria.

The only way this horrible ordeal would end was if she forced them to make it end, whether that was through reason or with the help of a weapon. She would use powers not found in her world, but those that were brought here by the Crow. The gun she now held was proof of that.

As she walked, her hoof stepped on a piece of broken glass. It crunched beneath her, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Daniel turned to her, his face shrouded.

Until that point, she didn't know if she'd be able to kill another living thing, but now that she saw the faceless monster, any reservations she had died away almost immediately. Using her magic, she kept the gun aimed at the Crow who now faced her.

"There's nothing to be afraid of." Pinkie Pie's voice echoed in her mind. She couldn't remember the context of the words, but at that moment, they made perfect sense. "It's just a hop, skip, and a jump!"

She pulled the trigger.

Comments

[Gazpacho]

The moment she pulls that trigger, the Crow will immediately appear behind her.

[Vin Diesels Go-Kart]

4808949 Yeah, definitely not the most thought out plan.

[Zecoro]

Grrr cliffhangers!!!!! About time there was another update though s:

[Vin Diesels Go-Kart]

4814972 Agreed. Wayyyyyyyyy too long of a break between chapters. I feel disgusted with myself.

[Vin Diesels Go-Kart]

4816441 Everything sounds cooler with science.

[Heinrich Schreiber]

The thing with cliffhangers, I'd bite my fingernails off just wondering what will happen next. Please let it be soon. ;-;

[Vin Diesels Go-Kart]

5415787 I'm hoping soon too. The chapter is almost done. Life just kind of slapped me in the face a while back and I'm still getting it together.

[Vin Diesels Go-Kart]

5670495 I'm glad you're enjoying the story! And I'm just going to apologize in advance at how horrible I've been at updating it.

[josue]

5672005 more now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NotShadowLotus488]

I'm actually crying at the lack of more chapters ;-;

[Cheese Legs]

Got me on the edge of my seat OP. any chance of revival or should i just grab my own pen?

[Alex80]

Update

[Alex80]

[Alex80]

Update