MLPU: The Incredible Flutterage

by TheInvincibleIronBrony

Numbing the Pain

Fluttershy stood in a an alley across the street from Stern Studies office. She stared longingly at the three story brick building, knowing she had never been closer to freedom in nearly a decade. Fluttershy had started thinking about what she would do after she was cured. I could look into becoming a vet, she thought, liking the idea of getting back to helping animals. Even now, after all she’d been through, helping wildlife was still a subject that helped her keep calm.

Before her thoughts could wander any further she spotted Boot Strap making his way across the street towards her. “Doesn’t look like there’s any military activity in the area,” he said as he neared Fluttershy.

Fluttershy cocked an eyebrow. “How strange,” she whispered. She’d almost expected to have to sneak through a blockade to get in.

A loud clanging noise alerted the pair to Rarity’s return. They turned around to find the unicorn climbing down a fire escape further down the alley. “There’s no sign of any snipers on the roofs. How does it look from the ground?” she asked joining Fluttershy and Boot.

“Nothing,” Boot informed, bemused. Rarity looked concerned as she looked across the street at the building Stern was supposed to be in.

“Either Hurricane is much better at hiding his men than before or they aren’t nearby. I’m not sure which would be more concerning,” Rarity deduced, eyeing the building across the street, eyes narrowed.

Fluttershy considered their options for a moment before making a decision. She took a deep breath and strode out of the alleyway, surprising both of her companions. “Wait, don’t-” Boot started as Fluttershy stopped at the edge of the sidewalk and looked up and down the street, making no effort to hide her face.

Several pedestrians walked by Fluttershy, too busy to bother taking a close look at her. After several minutes Fluttershy took another breath and turned to Rarity and Boot. “I, umm… think it’s safe,” she told them quietly.

Rarity stared at Fluttershy with an open mouth as she stepped out to join her on the sidewalk. “Yes I… suppose it seems that way,” she agreed, quickly followed by Boot. “Although perhaps a little warning next time,” Rarity suggested, recovering from her shock.

Fluttershy gave the agent a sheepish smile as they crossed the street and approached the front door of Stern Study’s building. Fluttershy took a deep breath before lightly knocking on the door. It wasn’t long before the sound of footsteps approached the door, Stern Study’s face appearing briefly in the window to the right.

The door finally opened and Stern stood in the doorway, sweating and looking about apprehensively. “How may I help you?” he asked in a strained, but polite tone. Fluttershy was about to answer when Rarity pushed past the stallion and into the building. “Excuse me, you can’t just barge in like that!” the stallion shouted as Rarity started checking the rooms of the lower level.

“All clear,” she stated, ignoring the angry stallion. “Do you know who she is?” Rarity asked, Stern, gesturing to Fluttershy.

Stern glanced back at Fluttershy for a moment, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he answered. “I… yes I do,” he admitted, stepping away from the door and motioning for Boot and Fluttershy to enter. “Hurricane said you might come to me,” he continued, closing the door after the pair and leading the group to the living room. “I suppose we have much to discuss.”

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Hurricane watched the monitor in front of him, smiling as Fluttershy and Boot finally entered the building. He, Winchester and two other ponies were sitting in an armored vehicle a few blocks from Stern’s office. The video feed was from an operative that had been ordered to do nothing but observe the building from a distance.

“All troops are ready to move at your command sir,” Winchester stated as Hurricane grabbed the mic for the radio.

“All units be advised, the target is in position. Be ready to move on my mark,” he ordered, receiving confirmations from the squad leaders, but noticing Heavyweight hadn’t responded. “Sergeant Heavyweight do you copy?” he asked calling the soldier out directly.

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Heavyweight watched Fluttershy and her companions talking with Stern in the stallion’s livingroom through the scope of a sniper rifle he’d been given for the job. “Come on, it’s obviously a trap. You gotta know it’s a trap. Bring out the monster,” he pleaded as he watched the mare explain something to Stern.

“Sergeant Heavyweight report in!” Hurricane’s voice shouted over the radio. Heavyweight had been watching Fluttershy so intently he hadn’t heard his radio.

“All good here sir. I have clear shot on all targets. Just waiting for Stern’s signal,” Heavyweight replied, struggling to keep the growl out of his voice.

“Good. Keep me informed. If any of them tries to leave, tranq them,” Hurricane ordered.

Heavyweight rolled his eyes as the general reminded him of his job. “I copy, sir,” he replied, keeping his tone level.

Heavyweight returned his attention to the ponies visible in his scope. “Come on now, give me a fight,” he whispered, centering his crosshairs on the back of Fluttershy’s head.

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Rarity stared out of the window facing the street in Stern’s living room leaning against. Fluttershy and Stern had spent most of the time discussing the specifics concerning her condition; radiation levels, the mixture for the formula she’d taken, the nature of Fluttershy’s research and, inevitably, Flutterage.

Stern sat across in a chair across from the couch that Fluttershy and Boot were seated on. “I’m starting to understand why you don’t trust Hurricane,” Stern commented after hearing Fluttershy out. “He isn’t the easiest to deal with and if half of what you’ve told me is true, we need to keep your monster away from him,” he said nodding.

Fluttershy smiled at Stern. “So you’ll help us,” she asked, more enthused than she had been in years.

“I’ll do what I can,” Stern replied. “I’m not sure exactly where to start, but Hurricane did give me the equipment and notes you left behind in Bassett Town. Perhaps we can make use of them,” he suggested.

Fluttershy shook her head. “None of those notes will help. The only experiment that got close was the Royal Bell and all that did was suppress one episode,” Fluttershy explained, hoping Stern may know a better way.

Stern’s face scrunched up in concentration for a moment. “Perhaps we need more than just the Royal Bell then,” he suggested, earning a puzzled look from Fluttershy. “Plant based treatments were among the first forms of treatment I studied when I first signed on with Hurricane. I still have several plants that may be able to add to the effects of Royal Bell,” Stern explained.

Rarity turned away from the window. “What sort of plants?” she asked, jumping into the conversation before Fluttershy could agree with Stern.

Stern seemed taken aback for a moment. “Uh… I have a few frost flowers. They’re nectar is commonly used to cleanse the body of impurities. Maybe if we use it i the mixture it can eliminate the radiation that the Royal Bell suppresses,” Stern rattled off, gulping as everyone in the room stared at him. Fluttershy seemed to be in thought, but Rarity kept her eyes on Stern.

“Would that work?” Boot asked looking at Fluttershy, a hopeful look in his eye.

“It might,” Fluttershy replied. “I never thought of using multiple plants in one formula. So long as we have the right mixture of both, it should work,” Fluttershy reasoned, looking to her companions for any input.

“How long will it take to figure out the right mix?” Rarity asked, her eyes still locked on Stern. “Hurricane undoubtedly already knows we’re here and will likely be here soon. How quickly can you get the mix right?” she repeated, an edge in her voice.

Stern gulped as he met Rarity’s eyes. “Maybe an hour or two. It shouldn’t take long,” Stern replied, his voice shaking.

“Then we should get started,” Boot commented. “Where are we working?” he asked.

“In my lab upstairs,” Stern answered standing up and leading the way.

Rarity gave the window one last suspicious glance before following the others.

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Heavyweight watched as the four ponies left the living room. “The target is moving to the lab,” he said into his radio, watching the small group until the left his line of sight.

“Copy Sergeant. All units move into position and wait for further orders,” Winchester said over the radio, the squad leaders confirming the order.

Heavyweight slung his rifle over his shoulder and left the room he’d been staying in. A few minutes later he was stepping out of the hotel’s back entrance and into the alley way at the same time as one of Hurricane’s teams arrived.

“Let’s be ready to move when the order is given and not a moment before,” Heavyweight told the team as one of them handed him a lightweight machine gun. He lead the team to the end of the alley, giving them a clear view to Stern’s front door further down the street. How much longer? Heavyweight asked himself, growing more frustrated the longer he had to wait for Fluttershy to transform.

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Fluttershy and Stern moved through the stallion’s lab, cutting up the required plants and measuring a few other medicines with them. “That should about do it,” Stern said as he held up the mixture in a glass beaker. “I’ll put this in the mixer for a minute and then we should be ready. Do you mind getting a syringe from the cabinet?” he asked Fluttershy, pointing at a cabinet on the other side of the room.

“Of course,” Fluttershy replied with a smile as she left Stern to mixing the prospective remedy.

“Is it ready yet?” Rarity asked, still staring out of the windows, watching the streets that were now lit by the street lights along the road.

“Almost. Dr. Study just needs to mix it and we’ll be ready,” Fluttershy said as she retrieved a syringe and checked the packaging to make sure it was the right size.

“Good. About time you had a win,” Boot said, smiling as Stern returned from the other end of the lab.

“Are we ready?” he asked, taking the syringe from Fluttershy and setting a small bottle of the mixture on the table. Fluttershy nodded and sat in a chair next to the workstation she’d been using and held out her arm for Stern. Stern wiped off her forearm with an antiseptic wipe and then grabbed the syringe and the mixture. Dr. Study filled the syringe with a pale yellow liquid and held Fluttershy’s arm steady, locating a vein and inserting the needle.

Fluttershy winced as Stern pushed the plunger and emptied the syringe. “Alright. All done then,” Stern said as he stood up. “Now you might feel a little tired, but don’t worry that’s normal,” he said as he walked over to a desk near a window and clicked the lamp on. “I have a bandage here somewhere for you,” he said opening a drawer and finding a box of band aids.

Fluttershy tried to stand up and almost collapsed, Boot catching her before she hit the ground. “Is this normal?” Boot asked, wondering what was happening. Fluttershy could feel herself fading out.

“Drugged,” she mumbled just loud enough to be heard as she slipped into unconsciousness.

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Heavyweight tensed as he saw the light in Stern’s lab come on. “Stern is giving the signal,” he said into his radio, informing Hurricane they were ready to move.

“All units move in,” Hurricane ordered.

“Move in. Keep it tight,” Heavyweight ordered his team as he led the way to Stern’s front door.

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Rarity grabbed Stern by the front of his shirt. “What did you give her?” she hissed, ready to throw the stallion across the room.

“Just a general anesthetic,” Stern said, cowering at the furious mare. “She’ll be out for at least an hour,” he informed.

Rarity growled as she shoved the scientist aside. “Boot, pick her up. We need to move now,” Rarity ordered Boot, who only nodded.

“How are we getting out of this?” Boot asked, picking Fluttershy up bridal style. “They probably have us surrounded.

“I don’t doubt that. We’ll just need to be quick,” Rarity said as she and Boot made their way down the stairs. They were about half way down when the front door was kicked in and Heavyweight and his team entered. Before either Rarity or Boot could move the soldiers opened fire, Tagging the pair with tranq darts. Boot slumped to the stairs, barely managing to keep his grip on Fluttershy and Rarity wasn’t awake much longer.

Author's Note:

Okay, so honestly I had intended this to be the Climactic chapter, but this felt like a good stopping point for now.

The final battle will be taking place next chapter. Ya know feels like I have less to say the longer this story goes on.

So...

Stay Tuned.

Comments

[Kriysix]

nice!

[VampDash]

Well.... shit.

[TheInvincibleIronBrony]

6864041 Your reaction is vague in nature. Is it bad or alright.

[VampDash]

6864783 I will respond with the utmost respect and dignity that I can muster....... YES.