From The Past to Now - Duty Calls
A spider leapt in front of Wyatt and ripped off a few hundred rounds of twenty millimeter solid slug ammunition, tearing up a monster which had almost gotten the drop on him. Smoke filled the alleyway as he leaned against the side of a crystal house, thumping it once with a gloved fist to see if anyone came to the window. A frightened face peered out, seeing him and almost ducking away inside before he lifted his visor, pointing a finger and gesturing they could leave safely the way he came.
It took a moment of ‘look-see-do’ to convince the pony it was fine, the family unbolted the door and ran down the alleyway, covered by a squad of combat spiders which were climbing everywhere.
The sergeant looked at one who zeroed in on him with multiple lenses, giving it a two-finger salute for saving his bacon, when a leg whipped up, saluting him back before it tottered on down the road.
He laughed, slapping his visor down. Athena, you smart ass.
-----
“No.”
Violet eyes watched the human putting on the stuff they called armor. Snapping it into place and covering his entire body before Twilight gave an exasperated reply.
“We can help! It’s what we do!”
Wyatt ran a hand through his short-cropped hair, “No. You know nothing of small-unit tactics, nor of weapons except your magic and whatnot. This isn’t going to be a friendly fight. You stay here, and that’s final.”
The two Bolos sat quietly on either side of Sergeant Carpenter, waiting for him to get dressed and his loadout complete so they could get on with the mission. Spiders and tanks were holding the intruders at designated points, but there were still ponies trapped in houses that needed to be rescued.
That took a finesse that they were intimately aware of, had practiced many many times in wargames, but never attempted themselves. Leaving such things for Concordiat troops to do. They had the knowledge, but not the practical experience.
They kept their peace, knowing this disagreement was going to go one way. They were hesitant to say no to Twilight, or any of their friends, but in this case, trying to get a word in edgewise was proving a little tough.
“You hold on just a second.” Twilight had taken a stubborn stance, eyeing up at the armored bulk of the human, “I don’t have to take your orders and I know we can help!” She pointed a steady hoof upwards, poking him in the chest...or as close as she could get, him being taller in the armor now.
The equipping stopped as Wyatt raised both eyebrows at the determined pony, “Really now?” His voice had suddenly become very reasonable.
Athena glanced at Crusader, noticing he was already looking her way.
Both of them braced for a possible storm, knowing the old soldier as they did.
Wyatt set his powergun down, leaning it against a chair as he stood up tall in front of the Princess of Friendship. A deep breath as he closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts and not letting his temper overtake him. Things were happening outside and he did not have time for this.
When his eyes reopened, they had warmed a little, “Let me give you a clue Princess.” His voice was low as he pointed a finger towards the barred doors, “Those things out there are not in any way nice. Not something you can reason with, talk to, or even convince to please go away.”
He shot a glance towards a quiet Crusader, “How many out there right now?”
A hesitation, “Drones have accounted for twenty, we have three hundred and forty-four still alive and filtering through the streets.” The blue eyes focused on something far away, “They are trying to avoid the tanks, tech spiders are holding. Drones are observing only right now due to intermingling in civilian areas.”
Before Twilight could say anything more, a finger was pointed at her nose, “You do not need to be out there with a roaming pack of things looking to hunt you down, magic or not. Trust me, we’ll take care of them.”
The violet eyes widened, “How do you know you can?”
Wyatt put his helmet on, slapping the visor upwards to show his face, expression hard as he eyed the Alicorn, “Because we’re better killers than they are.” He hooked a thumb at Athena and Crusader who sat very quietly.
Shaking his head, he stopped for a moment, bending at the knees slightly to get eye to eye with the slightly frustrated Princess, “You need to stay here.” He jerked his head towards the two Bolo avatars, “They’ve told me your society tries to do its’ best to connect with others, talk it out. Please believe me, I’d rather do that. Since I met those things in that cave, they’ve convinced me there’s no talking. It’s just a world of hurt coming down.”
His voice softened along with his expression, “I’m an old soldier Princess, I’ve seen and done this for a long time. You don’t need to see what’s going to happen out there. It’s going to be dirty, and violent.”
“We’ve seen things before, we know the world isn’t exactly perfect.” Twilight was still being a bit hesitant, wanting to help, or try to at least do something.
“That is admirable, very much so.” He lifted up, slotting a battery pack in his armor, the mastoid receiver placed inside the helmet buzzed as it came alive.
“To end this, because I need to get going, I’m an old human Twilight, and those Bolos understand exactly what I mean when I say it’s better me than you.”
A look of confusion crossed the Alicorns’ face as she glanced from Wyatt to Crusader and Athena who were relieved it had not turned the way they thought it was going to.
“I don’t understand.”
Wyatt didn’t say anything, prompting Crusader to comment, “He is saying he is expendable, Twilight.”
“What?!”
Crusader‘s voice was even, not condescending, nor talking down to anyone, “He is a soldier. He has the innate ability we need to perform this operation. But he is also saying, out of all of us, he is expendable.”
“Wait a second, nopony is expendable!” Twilight was getting that stubborn look one more time.
An armored finger reached out towards her nose, giving it a touch, “And that, little Princess, is what makes us different.”
Violet eyes crossed, looking at the finger and blinking for a moment, “Don’t try to tell me..” The finger turned into a hand raised in front of her face, telling her to cease.
“Discussion is over Princess.”
“Wait..what..no!”
“Yep, gotta go.”
The rest of the ponies hadn’t got a word in edgewise, seeing Wyatt getting the best of the usually talkative Princess. He had come out on top because of pure stubbornness, not because she had let him.
They didn’t know what to say, this person from the past who was now putting himself in harm’s way for them, and telling them that he would sacrifice himself if it came to it. That that was his way, the way of the world back when he was in his own time.
That didn’t sit right. Especially with one of them.
“That, darling, is the most utterly ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” Rarity looked severely miffed, azure eyes peering out from behind everyone as she glared his way.
This stopped him dead as he had lifted a hand to put the visor down. Now he looked a little confused as the glamorous mare stepped forward with a definitely stubborn look that out-did Twilight on her best day.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You shall absolutely not get it.” One delicately made up eyebrow lifted, giving the tall human a look that would wither plants, “You seem to think it gallant to go out and do something to get yourself hurt. Well, I am here to tell you, Mister I-Am-A-Soldier, that if you do so I shall not forgive you!”
Wyatt opened his mouth to reply and was immediately cut off by the stern voiced Unicorn.
“You heard me! You shall do no such thing!” She stepped up beside Twilight, lifting a perfectly hooficured hoof and rapping it against the armor on his stomach, “You shall go out and defeat those..those... ne’er do wells and you will return. Understand?”
The helmet came off once more as the sergeant looked at Athena and Crusader, seeing them both giving a small shrug each and mumbling, "Thanks a lot.” to them in return.
Scratching the short hair on his head for a moment, he gave in.
Kneeling down in front of the Unicorn, he nodded, “Then I guess we wouldn’t want to upset you that much, do we?” He covered Twilight and the others in the same sweeping glance, letting them know he understood.
Rainbow of course, had to add in her two bits, “Yeah, don’t get her upset. I don’t think the Empire has enough ice cream.”
Rarity’s head swung like a turret on a Bolo, eyeing Rainbow hard enough to get her to gulp loudly and grin, “You just shush, Rainbow Dash!”
The pegasus swallowed once more and nodded slightly, giving another embarrassed smile as she squeaked, “Okay.”
Rarity turned once more towards the armored form which hadn’t moved in the exchange, “When you get back we shall talk about that dreadful uniform you always wear. It needs something special.”
A nod was given by the solemn-faced soldier, “Understood. I’ll do my best.”
“You will do more than your best, Sergeant Carpenter.”
“I certainly will, Miss Rarity.”
“Good. Now that is all said and done, go do your duty.” She gave him a haughty look, almost making him laugh before he caught himself and nodded again.
Not wanting to be bested, he reached down and took up her hoof, brushing his lips against it for just a second. A courtly kiss given by the knight to a lady favored, “I shall trounce the blighters Miss Rarity, count on it.” He stood back up as the Unicorn blushed so deeply you could see it through her pearly white coat.
“The rest of you,” He pointed a finger to each one, “Please be safe. We’ll send refugees your way, so be prepared.” With that he slapped the visor down, bowing once again to a now embarrassed Rarity, before turning and walking out the door, followed by two highly amused Bolo avatars.
His headset crackled with the opening of a comm channel.
“But you didn’t get a ribbon to wear on your armor, Sir Knight! Oh, what a travesty! You’re breaking the rules!” Athena’s voice held more than just a tinge of humor in it.
“You be quiet.”
“She does have a point Sergeant. According to the rules of chivalry it is required for you to carry the favors of those who offered them, as a show of your status and to promote your own courage in battle.” Crusader couldn’t resist chiming in on this one.
Wyatt stopped dead, wanting to slap his forehead in exasperation. He just took a deep breath, one of a number he’d been doing in the past few minutes.
“We are about to go into battle and you’re bugging me about chivalry? Seriously?”
Athena laughed, “Only trying to help!”
“I should have never left stasis, never.” He pivoted on one foot, heading back to the friends who looked a little confused, as the helmet was whisper quiet, no sounds heard outside it. Raising the visor and tugging off the outer coverings of his armored hands, he reached down and gently tugged a bright purple ribbon from Rarity’s mane. Her having done it up in a different style since they were in the Empire.
“Pardon me.” He wrapped it around his upper arm and tied it swiftly with nimble fingers, “I am reminded...” He glared at the two quiet avatars, “Of certain knightly behaviors, such as carrying favors into battle.”
He bowed once more, “Now, I..” He stopped, seeing a buttery colored hoof holding a bright yellow ribbon.
“Would you carry mine too?” Fluttershy was bashfully eyeing him.
Those big, pretty eyes made even the hardest heart like his melt into a puddle of goo as he took it, wrapping it right under Rarity’s. He was given four more in turn, Pinkie somehow coming up with colors to match all of them.
The bicep of the Concordiat Issued armor was definitely not standard looking. The ribbons flowing down behind his arm as he gave them a jaunty salute, whispering under his breath into the helmet mike.
“Does that, make it better?”
He saw Athena nod, trying to keep the grin off her face. He promised her doom with the look in his eyes as he grabbed up his rifle and strapped on the gear belt around a firm waist.
But, before he left..
He turned once more, pointing at all of them, just not resisting the impulse to add one..last...thing, “Remember! You sit your candy-colored asses right here until the all-clear is given!”
As he jogged out the door he heard an outraged voice, “HEY! That’s just rude....! And my backside is NOT candy-colored!”
He really did like Twilight, regardless.
He ran out the door, the nanites inside him providing extra power, though there would be a high cost later. He knew it, but he couldn’t resist this last chance for battle. He lived it, it made him who he was those many years ago now. He gripped the powergun tight, seeing the two ponies beside him keeping pace easily. The look on Crusader was one of grim determination, but Athena.. Her pretty face wore a smile that was so feral it made a chill travel up his spine.
They had told him, at the outset, they worked better with humans. Bolos always did. The capacity for battle was born and bred in them, but for some reason humans made it better. No one ever knew what it was, they meshed completely even without a neural connect. He could feel it, even see it as they mirrored his direction exactly. He was in charge, the firepower and might of two Bolos under his command, he could level this place if he wanted to.
How did they do it? Those commanding officers? That heady feeling of having so much at your fingertips, your beck and call. The power was overwhelming, the urge almost irresistible.
He shook his head, the HUD inside the helmet lighting up as the troops joined them, or what he thought of as the troops.
Combat spiders of Athena’s own design were moving swiftly along the streets and behind the houses. They were nothing but death, pure, unrelenting, durasteel machines that would have scared the heck out of anyone facing them.
Off to the side he could see the tanks moving, their secondaries searching for targets as they formed a line behind them. Crusader had told him they had changed, they were more ‘alive’ than just a simple AI. They craved battle and strained at the leash when they were let out. They were loyal, true to their name and swifter than before.
All this at his command, given to him because they trusted him. They wanted to fight alongside him. They believed in his ability to give the right commands and come out ahead.
It was all so..unreal.
A fluttering in the corner of his peripheral vision brought him back to reality. A purple ribbon slapped against the armored bicep, bringing him into focus.
Razor sharp his mind became, clearing suddenly with a thought, knowing he had fallen into that old trap of letting it all go to his head and not paying attention to the mission.
He grinned to himself, seeing the colored bands on his arm and feeling as if he were almost invincible. He stood taller, ran a little faster, leaning forward as if in a rush to come to grips with the enemy.
He wasn’t doing this for the Concordiat anymore, the sudden thought came crashing through. He wasn’t doing it because he wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.
No, no that wasn’t it anymore.
He looked at the two ponies beside him, seeing six more, a little dragon, and another Prince and Princess counting on him in his mind. Plus so many others that had dared to talk to a strange person from out of time.
Out of place, out of history itself, but accepted and given a warm welcome was more than anyone could have dared hope.
He glanced at the colorful ribbons on his arm and grinned to himself.
No, he was doing it for friends.
To be continued...
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Huzzah! More Legacy! Mildy dissapointed we dont have a 97k chapter this time!
Lol telling a princess what to do
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Pfft... snerk.... HA HA HA HA HA HA!
Old man kills some bugs