Fight As One

by Bluecatcinema

Assembled We Are Strong

One week later…

The air was tense back in the headquarters of the RDL, as within the training arena, both the team of Project: Freedom and Taskforce Omega stood in the arena, moments before beginning the bell exercise, the bell in question hanging behind the Taskforce.

The former wished to attempt the exercise once more, strongly believing that they could pull it off this time, and now, were currently huddled up, forming a plan together.

“Okay, guys, moment of truth.” Black declared firmly, “After the week we had on that island, I know we can ring that stupid bell. All we need is the right plan of attack…” He glanced left and right, “Any ideas?

“I say we hit ‘em hard.” Fury said fiercely, “A little payback for the last two times.”

“That would be cathartic.” Sterling chuckled.

“Cathartic, but rash.” Fletcher declared, “The Taskforce is well-trained, and can adapt to any tactics we muster up. That being said, I say we take advantage of that adaptiveness.”

“What do you have in mind?” Sterling questioned.

“I say we cluster together and charge forth in a stampede formation.” Fletcher suggested, “This will no doubt prompt them to respond in kind. However, at the last moment, we break formation and spread out, flanking them. This will force them to change their strategy on the fly and scrambling to defend…”

“And then we just keep on the pressure and not let up.” Black finished, catching on, “Good thinking, Fletch.”

"Yeah, not bad." Sterling agreed.

"As long as it means we finally grab a win, I'm all for it." Fury smiled.

"That's the spirit!" Caboose chuckled. "Go, team!"

"Then we're agreed." Black said firmly. "All together now..."

Standing as closely together as possible, the team started moving toward the bell. The Taskforce members stood ready to meet them. From the sidelines, Consul and Elite were observing.

"Looks like Black's team is about to make their move." Elite noted. "Perhaps this time, they will finally prevail."

“Well, we’ll see.” Consul said with uncertainty, “They have certainly improved thanks to the survival training, but we’ve yet to see if it made a difference.”

"I doubt we'll have to wait much longer..." Elite smiled confidently.

The Taskforce took a moment to study their opponents’ movements...

"Hmm, it looks like they're employing some kind of bulldozer maneuver." Master Mind observed.

“Really?” Incognito scoffed, “They’re seriously gonna try to just push through us? Doesn’t look like they learned much if they’re going with such an unoriginal plan.”

“Well, looks can be deceiving.” Ballista admonished, “Unoriginal or not, we best not let our guards down…”

"You ready, big guy?" Armory asked Titan.

"Rrf!" Titan barked.

"Me too." Armory smiled.

As the team charged forward, the Taskforce also huddled together, set on standing their ground.

"Bring it!" Incognito said boldly.

"And... now!" Fletcher yelled.

The team split up, suddenly attacking the Taskforce from all directions.

"What the-?" Armory gaped, before being tackled by Caboose.

"Tag!" Caboose grinned.

"Very clever." Ballista smirked, as he quickly moved to counter Black. "But a decent strategy's only half the battle. Let's see if you guys can go all the way."

"Yeah, let's." Black nodded.

"Ready for this?" Sterling taunted Incognito.

"You have no idea..." Incognito scowled.

"Here we go, big fella." Fury stared down Titan.

"Grr..." Titan growled.

"Let's see what you've got." Fletcher told Master Mind.

"After you." Master Mind smirked.

The two groups charged at each other. A lot had happened since their first clash. The Project: Freedom team had been through so much, they were practically different creatures, as their opponents were about to learn...

Five days ago...

It was about two days after the team of Project: Freedom had come home after having foiled the Forefathers’ plot on the island.

After taking an extended joyride in the the battle carriage (ending in them crashing it into the side of a mountain), and a campout (one slightly more pleasant than the previous ones, due to the use of supplies salvaged from the Forefather base), they had been picked up by their comrades.

Caboose and Fletcher headed back home to Canterlot to recuperate and spend time with their loved ones, and Furywent back to Barbossa (but not before getting the binds off his wings), leaving only Black (who wanted to get back to the Taskforce headquarters and get some desperate shut-eye) and Sterling.

Elite was in his office, going through some documents, when he heard a knocking on his door.

“It’s open!” Elite declared.

The door opened as Sterling came in, his shoulder bandaged up. Elite glanced up and gave a small smile.

“Ah, Sterling. What a surprise.” Elite chuckled, “Wasn’t expecting to see you up and at them for at least a couple more days.”

“Eh, couldn’t sleep.” Sterling admitted, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I really needed to talk to you.”

“Oh, not at all. I’m between appointments at the moment.” Elite shrugged, gesturing Sterling to take a seat. The stallion does so, “What’s on your mind?”

“...I wanted to say that I’m sorry.” Sterling bowed his head ruefully, “For what I said to you over the mirror before that whole debacle with Broker. I was completely out of line.”

“Not entirely. You were well in your right to be upset.” Elite said fairly, “I should have been more forthright with you regarding Loveless’ inventions. It was a terrible mistake on my part, and for that, I apologize.”

“But I still had no right to talk to you like that.” Sterling insisted, “I mean, you of all ponies gave me a second chance, knowing who I am and who I was. You had no reason to, but you did… and I just acted like a putz, all because… because...”

“...Because what?” Elite asked, curious.

“...Because I was scared.” Sterling admitted, lowering his head, “I mean, a month ago, I was on the run, from you, from the Forefathers, from everyone. I wasn’t sure what was going to become of me. But now? I’m a part of the RDL, protecting Equestria. For real, this time. I didn’t think I would ever end up here after I got sent to juvie. I should had been happy, overjoyed even… but instead…”

“You felt it was too good to be true?” Elite finished knowingly.

“Yeah.” Sterling nodded, “I mean, I had no reason to doubt you, but when you took me in and even promised to help Loveless… I couldn’t stop thinking that maybe that this was all means to an end, that you only wanted me around so you could bring down the Forefathers, and once you got what you wanted, you would do away with me.”

"You really thought that?" Elite frowned, a bit surprised.

“I know…” Sterling shook his head, “But I couldn’t help it. When I learned about the research you were doing on Loveless’s inventions, it only made that fear worse…” He glanced at Elite, “I want to be a part of this team. After everything you’ve done for a guy like me, I owe you no less… but I also don’t want to lose Loveless… I know it sounds selfish but-”

"I understand." Elite said fairly. "I know how important trust is."

"You and Caboose both." Sterling chuckled.

“But since we’re on the topic.” Elite began, “You should know that we had no intentions of repurposing Loveless’s inventions.”

“...You didn’t?” Sterling lit up.

“Of course not.” Elite nodded, “The focus of the research wasn’t so much as to how to use them, but rather how they work, so that we know how to handle them in the future.”

“Handle them?” Sterling repeated.

“That’s right.” Elite nodded, “You wouldn’t believe the challenges that your friend had given us over the years. I’m sure Black or Armory might have told you about that stallion in the iron mech suit they fought a while back, correct?”

“There was a stallion in a iron mech suit?” Sterling raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, yeah, like out of a movie.” Elite gave a small chuckle, which soon faded, “But that was only a part of the troubles that Mr. Irons have given us. Electrified crossbow bolts, remote control carriages with built-in flamethrowers, and who could forget the giant metal spider from Titanfall?”

“Huh… I had no idea.” Sterling frowned, “I mean, Loveless had made a lot of stuff over the years but…”

“Indeed, he had.” Elite said grimly, “And almost every time, the Taskforce and the RDL have been caught unaware and by surprise. It is my hope that by having Armory study his inventions, we might be able to develop countermeasures for anything else he throws at us.”

“Hmm, I guess when you put it like that, it makes perfect sense.” Sterling admitted, grimacing, “And here I thought you were going to do something bad with them…”

“I do want to stop the Forefathers, Sterling. That will never change.” Elite declared, “But I refuse to stoop down to their level. If we’re going to defeat them, we’ll do it our way.”

"That's good to know." Sterling nodded. "But still, I can't worrying about Loveless..."

“Sterling, do you know why I agreed to your terms regarding Loveless?” Elite asked.

“Well, I only assumed because you wanted me on the team, and I made it clear I wouldn’t take no for an answer.” Sterling shrugged, “To be honest, I half expected that you would say no.”

“You would be right to think that.” Elite agreed, glancing upward, “...But the truth is, when you made that demand… I was shocked. Pretty much every defector, traitor, and sympathizer I’ve met in my lifetime had severed ties with their past, paying no mind to those they left behind, be they blood, friend, or comrade…”

He turned to Sterling.

“But you, despite having left the Forefathers, demanded, not asked, that in return for your service, that I helped another Forefather agent. An influential one at that. And as I just told you, had caused us grievances in the past. Yet you were willing to risk your chance at a new life for him...”

“I understand that.” Sterling frowned, “But…” He let out a grunt, “It’s hard to explain. Loveless-”

“Relax, Sterling. I understand completely.” Elite gave a warm smile, “...You care deeply for him. And coming from a stallion like yourself, it was clear to me that maybe there was something more to him that I or anypony else realized. Enough to take a confused, wayward youth under his wing, and teach him to be more upstanding and noble than most of the Forefathers' underlings. That’s why I promised to help him. And when I make a promise, I keep it.”

“...Thank you, Elite.” Sterling murmured, humbled, “You have no-”

“However…” Elite’s smile faded, “...I neglected to mention that this might be one promise I can’t keep.”

“What?” Sterling gaped, “But you just say…”

“I know. But there is this to consider.” Elite explained, “You are standing here today because you chose to left the Forefathers, because you wanted to change your ways and become a better stallion. Correct?”

“...Yes.” Sterling nodded.

“And for that, I’ve offered you my hoof of friendship and you accepted it.” Elite declared, “And I will more than gladly extend Loveless the same hoof…” He then sighed, “But… who’s to say that Loveless will do the same as you? That he will want to change his ways, just like you?”

"I'm sure he will." Sterling insisted. "He definitely will."

“And I believe you.” Elite soothed him, “...But you are not Loveless. Do you believe without a doubt that he would leave the Forefathers? Or that he would even want to?” He pressed forward, “What do you suppose will happen if he says no?”

Sterling began to formulate a response… only to fall silent, remembering Loveless's last words to him about forgetting about him…

Elite knew Sterling’s silence was answer enough.

“I want nothing more than to keep my word to you, Sterling. And I wish I can say without a doubt that I can keep it.” Elite said glumly, “...But in the end, it will be up to Loveless to decide his own fate. And when he does… you and he will have to live with it. Do you understand?”

“...I understand.” Sterling nodded solemnly, “...I don’t like it… but I understand.”

“Thank you.” Elite began, “...I know it hasn’t been easy, Sterling. To turn your back on everypony you knew, so you could help us. And I know I did little to alleviate any of that mistrust you have for us. But I'm hoping from this point on, I'll be able to make up for that, and truly earn your trust.”

“You know when I was out there, having helped stopped Broker and his goons…” Sterling began, a smile creeping on his face, “I felt… fulfilled. Like I was doing something good for the first time in my life. Something I never got in the twenty years I’ve been a Forefather. I don’t know if it was because I was fighting for a different cause, or it was the ponies I was fighting alongside with… but it felt good. And I don’t want to ever lose that feeling…”

Sterling faced Elite, determination in his eyes.

“Whatever happens, Elite… I won’t abandon this team.”

Elite returned with a warm smile of his own.

“And we, Sterling, won’t abandon you. That is a promise I can keep.”

"Thanks, Elite." Sterling turned to depart. "Guess I made the right choice after all."

"It would appear so." Elite nodded.

"After all, this job must be the right call if Caboose said 'yes'." Sterling declared. "Guy's got good taste... especially in movies."

"Indeed." Elite chuckled.

Sterling departed from Elite's office. Outside, he was approached by Armory.

“Oh, hey, Sterling. Did you just talk with Elite?” Armory asked.

“Yeah. Me and Elite were clearing the air over some misunderstandings. But I think we’re good now.” Sterling nodded.

“Oh, that’s nice.” Armory began… as he then rubbed his head awkwardly, “Does that mean we’re okay?”

“What do you mean?” Sterling raised a brow.

“Well, I was the one doing the research into Loveless’s tech.” Armory admitted, “I mean, I didn’t enjoy doing it behind your back, but Elite told me it was important-”

“Relax, Armory.” Sterling soothed, “We’re definitely okay. I was the one who overreacted. Elite made some valid points: Loveless may be special to me, but he’s also still part of the enemies. You guys want to be prepared.”

“That’s right.” Armory agreed, “Still, I know I wouldn’t have liked it if somepony was looking into my inventions. You were just trying to protect your friend.”

"Yeah." Sterling nodded. "I just hope when the time comes, things still turn out okay for Loveless..."

“Well, I can’t say for sure myself, not knowing him and all.” Armory admitted, “But what I do know are inventions and gadgets. Loveless’ works, I dare admit, are some of the best I’ve ever seen, from your sword to the iron stallion suit to that giant spider mech…”

Armory turned to Sterling.

“If Loveless is half as brilliant of a stallion as I think he is, he should know deep down how important you are to him, and vice versa. And if it ever came down to it, he will leave the Forefathers, just like you have it. I just know it.”

"Thanks, Armory." Sterling smiled, his worries eased for the time being.

"That's what friends are for, pal." Armory grinned. "And I'm still yours, no matter what."

"I know, buddy." Sterling beamed. He then had a thought. "Mind if I take a look at some of your new inventions? I don't have much to do today since the others are gone. Need something to stave off the boredom.

"Happy to oblige." Armory grinned. "Right this way."

The two walked toward Armory's workshop together, closer than ever.

Four days ago...

It wasn’t long before Caboose and Fletcher had come back to Quanticolt, and things had began to return to normalcy.

Fletcher was at the target range, practicing his archery skills. While the self-doubt that had been tormenting him over the past month had faded away, he still felt it was important to keep his skills sharp.

He had just hit his third bullseye when he found himself being approached by Elite and Black.

"Hey, Fletcher." Black smiled. "Figured we'd find you here."

"And right you were." Fletcher nodded. He glanced at Elite, “Good afternoon, sir. What brings you out here?"

“Well, me and Black wanted to speak to you in pony.” Elite declared, “Black had completed debriefing me on all the events that has transpired on the island. Needless to say, I found some of the details interesting… specifically, you performance.”

“Look, if this is about my breakdown, I was under a lot of stress and I-” Fletcher started.

"It's not about that." Elite cut him off.

"I actually downplayed that part." Black said sheepishly.

"...Oh." Fletcher cringed.

“What I was referring to, Fletcher, were the bouts of leadership you displayed during the missile crisis." Elite announced.

"Really?" Fletcher gaped. "I didn't think I did that much..."

"Don't sell yourself short." Black smiled. "You did great. Of course, being Captain of the Royal Guard didn't hurt..."

“Yes, and that is why I decided it was time for a change.” Elite smirked.

“Change?” Fletcher repeated.

“Black and I had discussed the matter at length.” Elite smiled, “And we both agreed that perhaps the responsibility of leader shouldn’t fall on just Black himself. If it is alright with you, Fletcher, I believe both you and Black should co-lead Project: Freedom.”

“Wait… are you… are you serious?” Fletcher gaped.

“He is.” Black nodded, “Ask anypony, and they’ll tell you that I don't always make the best decisions. Especially under pressure. I need somecreature to help keep this team on the right path when I can’t, and I can’t think of anypony better than you.

"..." Fletcher gaped, speechless. "...I... I... of course! ...I mean, I accept."

“Excellent.” Elite smirked, “I’ll go and update the official records. I just know you will do us proud, Fletcher.”

As Elite departed, Black held up a crossbow.

“So… mind if I join you?” He asked Fletcher.

The two stood before a new set of targets, and showed off their markscreatureship for the rest of the afternoon.

One day ago...

The team were gathered in the mess hall, eating lunch. Fletcher, Caboose and Sterling were at one table, while Black and Fury sat at the neighboring table.

"Never thought I'd miss this slop." Sterling joked. "Almost as bad as the stuff they served at juvie..."

"Honestly, this food always reminded me of the culinary fare over at the academy." Fletcher admitted.

"You know me, I'll eat anything." Caboose chuckled.

"Really?" Sterling grinned. "What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?"

"Hmm..." Caboose pondered the question. "It would have to be that weird gooey plant I ran into in the Whitetail Woods. Boy, that thing would not go down."

"I was there." Fletcher declared. "I told him not to eat it, but Caboose when he's hungry cannot be reasoned with."

"Yeah, well, I paid for it later." Caboose grimaced. "Got the runs something bad. The end result was like a mini-swamp."

"And to think: they say organic, all-natural food is better for you." Sterling joked.

The three of them laughed heartily.

"Good one!" Caboose guffawed.

"It really was." Fletcher smiled. "You're quite the comedian, Sterling. Faust knows we could all use some more levity these days. And I'd be grateful if you could provide it."

"Anytime, pal." Sterling smiled warmly.

Black and Fury were watching events unfold.

"Good to see those three are getting along nicely." Black smiled. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Fury was silent for a moment, choosing his next words carefully.

“...You know, this isn't easy for me to say, but I think I owe you an apology." He declared.

“What for?” Black asked.

“For the way I acted when we first met.” Fury clarified, “I was a total flappin' featherbrain."

“Come on, Fury, you weren’t that bad.” Black declared… only for Fury to give a deadpan glare, “...Okay, maybe you were...”

“Yeah.” Fury grimaced, “Have no one but myself to blame for that.”

“True… but that’s in the past.” Black said sagely, “I like to think we've both grown since then. So why don't we just let bygones be bygones?"

“Hmph, just like that?” Fury raised a brow.

“Why not? In spite of everything, Fury, this team probably wouldn’t had gotten this far without you. And I can imagine we will get a lot further with you still with us. So, what do you say?” He held up a hoof, “Wanna stick around these bunch of ‘idiots’?”

Fury paused… and returned with a smirk of his own.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Fury took Black’s hoof in his talons, “Besides, someone gotta bail you out in case Caboose does something stupid.”

“Well, you might not be wrong.” Black gave a small chuckle, as he took a cup of cider and raised it, “To new beginnings.”

“Amen to that.” Fury raised his own mug.

At the same time, Sterling, Caboose and Fletcher were laughing over another of Sterling's jokes.

"Ha, ha, ha!" Caboose chuckled.

"Where do you come up with these?" Fletcher asked.

"Just got a knack for it, I guess." Sterling shrugged.

“Well, I guess Caboose was right after all.” Fletcher admitted, “You really aren’t that bad after all. Guess I was the fool.”

“Well, that’s nothing to be sad about.” Caboose smirked, “That’s one for you to my nine and his five.” He gestured to Sterling.

"Yeah... hey, wait a minute!" Sterling snorted. "Real funny, feathers. Maybe you're the one who should be a comedian. Then again, you'd probably need those feathers to get your audience laughing." He retorted playfully.

The whole group, Fury included, laughed merrily.

Across the mess hall, Elite was watching the team enjoy each others' company, silently proud of their newfound camaraderie.

The present...

The clash was still ongoing.

"You’re good, Black." Ballista said as he grappled with Black. "But the question is: are you good enough?"

"Let's find out." Black suddenly slipped out of the grapple, then used Ballista's sudden loss to balance to flip him to the ground and pin him in a hold he knew the old warhorse wasn't limber enough to break. "What do you think?"

"Not... bad..." Ballista smiled, still struggling to break free regardless.

"Thanks." Black smirked. "I thought so too."

Meanwhile, Master Mind and Fletcher were circling each other, awaiting the right moment to attack.

"You're a smart one, Fletcher." Master Mind declared. "But I'm smarter!"

"We'll see about that..." Fletcher smirked.

Seconds later, Master Mind pounced. Fletcher responded by doing the unexpected: ducking.

"Oof!" Master Mind grunted as he tumbled to the floor. Fletcher then pinned him.

"Sometimes, the simplest solution is best." Fletcher grinned.

"Well played." Master Mind admitted.

At the same time, Sterling was locked in combat with Incognito.

"So, be honest." Sterling urged, dodging Incognito's attack. "You were worried about us. When Broker had captured us.”

"I was more worried that Equestria could be in peril." Incognito said flippantly.

"More worried?" Sterling smirked. "So you were worried, even a little."

“Look, am I glad that you guys didn’t die? Yeah. Am I glad that you saved the world? Definitely.” Incognito grunted, “But speaking honestly, I still think you’re not to be trusted, and I won’t hesitate to bust your ass if you try and badmouth Elite and us again!”

“...Fair enough.” Sterling let out a sigh, “But no matter what, I’m here to stay. And right now, I’m the one who is going to be busting ass around here!”

As Sterling threw another punch, Incognito caught it, then pulled him to the ground, wrapping all his hooves around it in a leg-lock.

"Wanna bet?" Incognito grinned.

"Grr!" Sterling growled. He struggled to free himself, but was unable.

Not too far away, Fury was clashing with Titan, each throwing punches.

"I got ya this time, Rover." Fury boasted. "Finally gonna get payback for you falling on me the first time..."

"Grrrf!" Titan barked in response.

“Ooh!” Fury crooned darkly, “Scathing!”

His smirk faded when he noticed that Sterling was having trouble, struggling to break free from Incognito’s grip.

”Dammit, gotta end this fast.’ Fury thought.

Fury lunged at Titan. Titan tried to grab him like he did before, only for Fury to scamper up him and on top of him, and before Titan could react, Fury started pawing at one of Titan’s ears with his back paw, scratching it.

“Rooo…” Titan drooped, as he had before when Caboose done it, panting contently.

“That’s it, go to sleep, ya silly mutt.” Fury chuckled.

“Oh for the love of Faust, Titan!” Ballista groaned from under Black.

"Nice one, Fury!" Fletcher cheered.

"I've got you now." Incognito smirked at Sterling, “Now, to get ya back for Shad-”

Suddenly, he felt something grabbed him around the abdomen.

“Huh?” Incognito was suddenly lifted into the air, “Agh! Put me down!”

“Need a talon, Sterling?” Fury offered.

“Much obliged, Fury.” Sterling got up.

“Wait, when the hell did you two became best buddies?” Incognito scowled, as he struggled to break free.

“Heh, we kinda shared a cell together for a few hours. We’ve made a lot of progress, surprisingly.” Fury shrugged.

"But not enough." Incognito retorted.

"Wanna bet?" Fury sneered, performing a aerial back-flip and body slamming Incognito to the ground.

“Oh…” Incognito groaned.

“Eesh, and here I thought getting quashed by Titan sounded bad.” Sterling cringed.

Meanwhile, Caboose was evading Armory's latest invention: a device that fired miniature snares.

"Whoop!" He sidestepped one. "Almost!" He leapt over another. "So close!" He evaded a third.

"You're gonna run out of space sooner or later!" Armory smirked, enjoying the game.

"Wanna bet?" Caboose spun in place as the next snare was launched, catching it with his hooves, then throwing it right back at Armory.

"Whoa!" Armory yelped, dropping to the ground, mobile.

"Now that's how you aim!" Caboose smirked.

"Brought down by my own weapon." Armory said good-naturally. "How poetic."

"That's right." Caboose nodded. "And since the net is doing all the pinning..." He glanced at Titan, making sure he was still asleep, “And there’s no boulder…” He wandered over to the bell and rang it. "We’re winners!"

"We did it!" Sterling cheered.

"Together." Fury added, “About time…”

"Superlative!" Fletcher beamed.

"Nice job, team." Black smiled.

"Excellent work, to all of you!" Elite announced as he approached them.

"Nice work, rookies." Ballista added.

"You were all great!" Armory added.

"Rrrf!" Titan yapped.

"Very well executed, all of you." Master Mind smiled.

"Yeah, right..." Incognito scowled, still a bit sore.

There was another clapping, as Consul joined them. Black and the others glanced at him with a rather cold stare.

“Way to go, you guys.” Consul smiled, “Your performance today have exceeded all my expectations.”

“Really? Were you expecting us to die to the Taskforce as well?” Fury crossed his talons angrily.

“Okay…” Consul grimaced, “I deserve that.”

“Oh, that doesn’t even scratch the surface.” Sterling scowled.

“We know about the underhoofed tactic you and your ‘boss’ employed to get us on that island in the first place. And how we were the ‘test run’ for your sting operation.” Fletcher grunted.

"Not cool, dude." Caboose scolded him, “You could had at least bought us dinner first. I like to be wined and dined before being bucked.”

“Yes, yes, I know.” Consul sighed, “It was wrong of us to use you all like that. I’m sorry…”

“Look, Consul.” Black said firmly, but with no anger in his voice, “We’ve all joined this team because we wanted to protect Equestria. You could have just told us about the mission upfront. Regardless of how we felt about each other, we would have gladly taken care of Broker and his men.”

“Yeah. Would have saved us the week of wandering in the Faust-damn wilderness.” Fury added.

“You can say that again.” Fletcher nodded.

“I’ll admit, I did have my doubt about you guys.” Consul admitted, “Even if I didn’t agree with Wall’s methods, I was worried that you five wouldn’t cut it as a team…” But he gave a small smile, “But know I am glad to be proven wrong. You do have what it takes, and you proved it out there. And I hope you continue to strive to be the best team you can be. Well that, and that you can forgive me for doubting you."

"We're the good guys, aren't we?" Caboose shrugged.

"Well put." Fletcher admitted.

“Just no more of this ‘survival training’ bullcrap.” Black warned.

"Or else." Fury added with a glare.

"Seriously, you don't want to get us mad at you." Sterling declared.

"I suppose that's the best I can hope for." Consul shrugged. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must report my findings to Wall and my other superiors."

As Consul departed the gym, he found himself followed by Elite and Ballista.

"A word before you leave, Consul?" Elite requested.

"You don't have to say anything, guys." Consul sighed.

"We don't?" Ballista frowned.

"No." Consul shook his head. "I tricked you, manipulated you, and I probably ruined my friendship with both of you, all because I couldn't refuse Wall's orders. I understand if you don't want anything more to do with me. That's what you were gonna say, right?"

“Actually…” Elite smiled, much to Consul’s surprise, “I was going to say, next time we see each other, we should get a drink. I’ll buy.”

“...Wait, really?” Consul smirked.

"Yes." Elite nodded.

"Oh... thanks." Consul declared. "Though you may end up regretting that offer..."

"I'll take my chances." Elite chuckled. "But for now, let us call it a day."

"You heard the boss." Ballista grinned. "Don't let us keep you any longer. We all know Wall can be."

Nodding happily, Consul departed, a definite spring in his step. At the same time, Elite and Ballista entered Elite's office.

"I gotta give you credit, Elite." Ballista smiled. "After the stunt he pulled, I figured you want to throw him through a couple walls.”

“Give me some credit, Cutter.” Elite scoffed, “I won’t lie. I’m still a little nettled about the whole thing.” He then shook his head, “But then again, he was just following orders. You and I both know how vicious Wall can get, especially if things don’t go her way.”

"i know." Ballista nodded. "But as ruthless as she can be, she's still on our side at the end of the day, you know."

"That may be." Elite acknowledged ruefully. "But when everything's said and done, I'd prefer if we have to deal with her again, it wouldn't be any time soon."

As if on cue, Elite received a call on his orb communicator.

“Uh?” Elite frowned, as he pulled up his orb, tapping it and holding it to his mouth, “Hello?”

“Hello, Everest…” A stern female voice said flatly.

Elite and Ballista lit up in shock.

“Wall?” Elite replied, a bit perturbed.

“No, it’s Princess Celestia. Who do you think it is?” The undeniable voice of Z. Brickette Wall snapped.

"Okay, how did you get a connection to my private orb?" Elite asked, a bit perturbed, “Only the Taskforce’s mirrors could connect to this!”

“I have my ways. But that’s not important right now.” Wall brushed off Elite’s very good question, “I was just calling to personally congratulate you and your new ‘team’ on eradicating Broker and his men, and stopping the launch of the obsidian missiles.”

"No thanks necessary." Elite said tensely. "My team were just doing their job."

"And a good job it was." Wall replied, her expression impassive. "As of now, the EBI is sweeping the island. Bodies are being cleaned up, weapons and equipments are being seized, and the missiles will be dismantled and the orbs disposed of."

"Not all of them, I'm guessing." Elite frowned.

“...What are you insinuating?” Wall questioned, a edge to her voice.

“Oh, please. That island was an Alpacian outpost, filled to the brim with untouched weapons, including the missiles themselves. It would be such a waste if they were all ‘destroyed’.” Elite sneered.

“What? Do you think that I may have appropriated some of the weapons for myself?” Wall accused.

"Perish the thought." Elite said sarcastically.

“Easy, Elite…” Ballista admonished.

“...I don’t know if I care for your attitude, Everest.” Wall scowled, “I thought you would be happy that your new team actually managed to save Equestria.”

“I am happy…” Elite began, “Happy that they survived after being used and manipulated.” He added with a snarl, “You used my team as pawns to do your dirty work. Even worse, you didn’t have the decency to tell them what it was you were throwing them into! They could have died out there!”

“Well, I’m sure Consul already told you by now, but it was ‘trial by fire’.” Wall said coldly, “I don’t know if you realized this, Everest, but we’re at war here. The Forefathers are growing bolder and bolder by the day. I had to be certain that we weren’t wasting our time on your ragtag group of misfits. And to their credit, it seems we’re not.”

"We may be at war, but that doesn't mean we have to stoop as low as our enemies." Elite declared.

"Sometimes, that's the only way to win." Wall retorted. "What's the point in playing nice if it gets you nowhere?"

“Let me make myself clear, Wall.” Elite seethed. “If you ever, ever, use my team like that again, I’ll make it my sole mission to take you down. Not even being senator, or secretary of defense will protect you from me!”

“Oh, please, you're not the first to make such a threat, Everest." Wall said, undeterred. "And yet, I'm still here."

"For now." Elite said bluntly.

"Well, while we're throwing out threats, here's one of my own." Wall sneered. "Your team may have proven themselves for a moment, but I'll be keeping an eye on them. I still say that their existence is a frivolous one, and if they don’t live up to my expectations, even once, I will have them disbanded quicker than you can say ‘Wonderbolt’. Do I make myself clear?”

“...Yes, ma’am.” Elite said flatly.

"Good." Wall smirked. "Nice to know we're on the same page... for now. We’ll be keeping in touch… and don’t think about getting rid of your little orb. One way or another, I will find a way to reach you. Keep that in mind.”

With that, Wall hung up, the orb going silent.

“Faust-damn mare.” Elite scowled.

"She's certainly going to be trouble in the future." Ballista sighed. "We're going to have to be very careful going forward."

"Unfortunately, yes." Elite agreed. "But I will not allow that mare's machinations to stop us from helping the world."

"Good call." Ballista nodded. "Wall, under all that power and arrogance, is just a bully, and we all got into this business to stand up to bullies."

"And in order for her to make good on that threat, our new team would have to make a fairly monumental mistake." Elite declared. "Something I'm certain will not occur, now that they have learned to truly come together, and fight as one. And nothing would make me happier than to see her denied the satisfaction."

"Me too, boss." Ballista grinned. "Me too."

Meanwhile, the Project Freedom team were heading to the lounge, discussing what they were going to do with their well-defined downtime.

"Any thoughts, team?" Black asked.

"Ooh, how about we watch a movie?" Caboose suggested.

"I feel like reading." Fletcher declared. "I have a novel that was left unfinished by our surprise trip."

"Maybe something we can all play." Sterling suggested. "Pool, or something."

"How about you, Fury?" Caboose asked.

"I... er, I'm gonna have to pass." Fury announced.

"Come on, feathers." Sterling urged. "We're supposed to be a team, remember?"

"I know." Fury nodded. "I just... Have something I gotta do, something I need a little time off to handle."

"What's the rush?" Black inquired.

"No rush." Fury shrugged. "But it's something I put off long enough. Way past time I dealt with it."

"I suppose if it's that important, then by all means, you should be permitted to attend to it." Fletcher said fairly.

"Agreed." Black nodded.

"Thanks, guys." Fury smiled. "And don't worry, I'll catch ya on the next round."

"Have a good trip!" Caboose waved as Fury departed.

"Guess that puts us one player short." Sterling declared, as the four remaining team members continued on their way to the lounge. "Wonder what kind of business feathers has to deal with?"

"Maybe a beak polish?" Caboose suggested. "Or a feather fluffing?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say it looked like he had family business of some kind." Fletcher mused. "Of course, that's just my theory."

"Whatever it, it's Fury's business." Black declared. "We may be a team now, but some things should still stay private and personal."

"Yeah, I guess." Sterling shrugged.

The four made their way into the lounge... only to find it still in shambles from their previous fight. Pike was there, sawing some wood.

"Hey, guys." Pike smiled. "You're just in time to help me fix up the place. Boy, you really did a number here, didn't ya?"

"Oh, right." Sterling groaned. "Kinda forgot about that..."

"I suppose this means our time off is delayed." Fletcher sighed.

"Come on, guys." Caboose smiled, ever optimistic. "The sooner we start, the sooner we finish, and the sooner we can have fun!" He grabbed a hammer and set about helping Pike.

"The stallion has a point." Black noted.

Reluctantly, the three followed suit.

"That's the spirit." Pike smiled. "As they say, many hooves make light work."

"You think Fury knew about this?" Sterling pondered. "And that's why he left?"

"I hope not..." Black shook his head. "Because I would be very upset otherwise..."

The team continued assisting Pike with the repairs, silently rueing the fact that their downtime would have to wait.

...Meanwhile, in Dodge Junction…

It was the dead of night, and Big Red’s homestead was quiet and peaceful. Big Red and Cherry Jubilee were sleeping peacefully, as were Eclipse's, Huckleberry and Globe in the other bedroom (Gobe's pet dog Bolero nuzzled up next to him).

Suddenly, there was a tapping on the window, which was near Eclipse's spot.

"...Huh, what?" Eclipse awoke, groggy and confused. "What's going on?"

"Eclipse." A familiar voice whispered. "Over here."

Cautiously, Eclipse approached and opened the window. He glanced around, seeing nothing but the night sky and the quiet plains…

“...Above you, kid.”

Eclipse perked, and glanced up, seeing Fury glancing down at him from the roof. The younger griffon was about to yelp in surprise.

“Please don’t.” Fury cringed, “I don’t wanna wake your folks.”

“What the-” Eclipse grunted, “Fury? What are you doing here, in the middle of the night, on our roof?”

“I want to talk to you.” Fury said simply, “Could you come up here?”

"What for?" Eclipse frowned.

"Just do it." Fury insisted. "Please."

With a sigh, Eclipse silently climbed up and flew up to the roof, Fury stepping aside for him to land next to him.

“So…” Fury began, rubbing his head, “...You’re looking well.”

“Did you really came back here and wake me up just for that?” Eclipse glared.

“No, of course not.” Fury shook his head, “I came here because… I didn’t feel right with the way we left things a month ago.”

“You didn’t… feel right?” Eclipse frowned deeply, “A month ago, you said you wanted no part of my life. Yet you are here… forgive me, but I’m getting all sorts of mixed signals here.”

“I know, I know.” Fury grimaced, “But a lot happen this last month. I can’t go into it much, but I almost died.”

“And what does that have to do with me?” Eclipse challenged.

"Let's just say that... a lot has happened in the past month." Fury said awkwardly. "Stuff that made me realize that I was wrong to cut you out of my life like that..."

“So, what? You’re saying you’ve changed your mind?” Eclipse asked.

“Well, that’s one way of putting it, yeah.” Fury admitted.

“...Are you kidding me right now?” Eclipse seethed, “You come into my life, only to leave me, and suddenly you come back again, saying ‘never mind?’.”

“Look, it’s not like-” Fury tried to defend.

“No, let me finish, Fury!” Eclipse held up a talon. “Look, before Big Red and Cherry, I had no one in my life. My dad was a scumbag that was at best apathetic, and at worst a psycho. I thought my mom had abandoned me, only to find out that said dad killed her because he didn’t want me. After he went to prison, I thought that was it. I love my brothers, and I love ma and pa… but it stung a little, believing that I had no actual family left…”

Eclipse glanced at Fury. There was anger in his eyes… but also bits of sadness.

“But then you came along.” Eclipse declared, “An uncle I didn’t know I had. I mean, I was mad that you took this long to come around, but I was also happy… happy that I might actually have someone that wasn’t a monster, or was dead…” He then drooped his head, “Then you just left.”

“Eclipse…” Fury whispered.

“Look, I don’t know what brought this change of heart about.” Eclipse glared at Fury, “But you not wanting anything to do with me hurt. It really hurt. It’s not something you can just take back. I mean, how do I know you won’t just change your mind again?”

"I won't." Fury told him.

"Will you?" Eclipse said skeptically.

"Yes." Fury nodded.

"I won't hold my breath." Eclipse sneered.

“...I understand.” Fury nodded solemnly, “The truth of the matter is, Eclipse… I was scared.”

“Scared? Of what?” Eclipse asked.

“...Everything.” Fury revealed, his eyes growing misty, “...I’ve lost so many creatures in my life, and suffered this pain, this… heartbreak, every single time, but no more than when I lost your mother. I pushed everyone away because I just knew deep down that the moment I let my guard down, they would die, or get hurt, and the pain would come back.”

He bowed his head.

“The same fear applied to you, Eclipse.” Fury admitted, “But it was worse. Because I knew that if something horrible happened to you… I wouldn’t be able to live with myself… But most of all...”

Eclipse’s anger started to fade, seeing the familiar pain in the older griffon’s eyes.

“...I didn’t want you to hate me.” Fury whispered.

“Wha… why would I hate you?” Eclipse murmured.

“...Because I do.” Fury clenched his talons, “I hated myself everyday for not being able to save my sister. For leaving you with your mother’s killer… I didn’t want to be in your life because I dreaded the thought of you looking at me the same way I’ve looked at myself in the mirror for the past several years…”

"...You did?" Eclipse frowned, his resolve slipping.

"Yeah." Fury said sadly. "It was selfish of me to think that. Deep down, I knew that I was hurting you more than I was himself."

"...Yeah, you were." Eclipse said sullenly.

“...I don’t expect things to be all sunshine and rainbows, Eclipse.” Fury declared firmly, “...But believe me when I say that I want to be in your life. Whatever happens, I’ll take it. For your mother, I can do no less… all I want is a chance.”

"I... I want to give you that chance." Eclipse admitted. "I'll try to give you that chance."

"That's all I need to hear." Fury smiled. "I gotta back to Quanticolt, but I'll be back as soon as I can. Until then, whattay a say we keep in touch?"

"Sure." Eclipse nodded. "I should be getting back to bed anyway..."

"Night, kiddo." Fury said warmly.

"Night." Eclipse returned the sentiment.

Eclipse quietly headed back inside the bedroom. Immediately after, Fury jumped down to the ground and began to walk away mentally exhausted but very happy. Then...

“Ahem.”

Fury paused, when he glanced behind him, seeing the unmistakable big frame of Big Red, standing on the porch, leading against the doorframe.

“Oh… um, hello, Mr. Barrel-Roll.” Fury greeted awkwardly, “...I was just in the neigh-”

“No need. Ah heard everything.” Big Red held up a hoof, giving a small smile, “The roof isn’t that thick.”

“Oh.” Fury uttered, “...And you’re not-”

“Mad? Why would Ah be mad?” Big Red smirked, “Ah’m glad yer stepping up… although maybe ya oughta try and come when it’s light outs next time. Can’t have my boys tired with these nightly visits.”

“I’ll be sure to remember that.” Fury returned a smile, “...Well, I gotta get going.”

"Ah won't hear of it." Big Red stopped him. "Ain't no friend a' this family's gonna go flyin' in the middle a' the night."

"It's okay." Fury shrugged. "I've flown through worse."

"C'mon." Big Red urged. "Stay fer a drink or two."

"I shouldn't." Fury declined. "I have work to do, and a team to get back to."

"All the more reason tah live it up tonight." Big Red grinned, undeterred. "Whattaya say?"

"...Eh, why not?" Fury finally caved in. "The guys'll probably be fine without me for one night."

"That's the spirit." Big Red smiled. "Ah got some great cherry wine Ah've bin serving for a special occasion."

"Sounds good to me." Fury smiled, following Big Red back into the house.

...Meanwhile, in a undisclosed location…

All was silent within the private quarters of Father, the leader of the Forefathers.

The tall, white-robed figure sat on his chair, his mind dwelling on recent events that has come to pass…

Only for his silent ruminations to be interrupted by another figure, who emerged from seemingly nowhere. It was Epoch, the enigmatic ‘Great Alicorn’ who was one of Father’s closest friends...

"Hello, old friend." Epoch declared.

"Now is not the best time, Epoch." Father frowned. "I have... Much to consider."

“So I’ve... ‘heard’.” Epoch noted, “The whole debacle that occured on that island near Mount Aris. Tis a shame for such an elaborate operation to go south after ten years of planning…”

“I’m more bothered that none of it was brought to my attention.” Father admitted, “I’m omnipotent, but I have completely forgotten about sending Broker and a group of men to mine for resources there. Never I have thought they had discovered some forgotten Alpacian weaponry.”

“Yeah, I believe that one is my bad.” Epoch shrugged, “I did murder that Stature fellow.”

“It isn’t your fault.” Father shook his head, “Still, it’s upsetting that such a complex and expensive stratagem would end up dismantled like that, especially when it was so close to succeeding."

"Fate can be cruel, can't it?" Epoch asked.

"True." Father sighed. "But at least I can take solace in the fact that there were no major losses... well, aside from all but one agent perishing in the conflict."

“Yes… it is rather odd how that came to be.” Epoch mused, “Did the sole survivor mention who was responsible for the mission’s failure?”

“Well, aside from pinning all the blame on Broker, he did mention five creatures…” Father began, his voice growing cold, “...One of them was Sterling.”

“Sterling?” Epoch mused, though not surprised, “He was there?”

“And not just him. From Carrion’s description of them, there were four others that are familiar.” Father began, “One of them was a ‘Napoleon’, the one that murdered Killsquad. Another was that griffon who worked with Scalphunter. Then there was that archer who gave Ricochet some trouble during Titanfall. And lastly…” He turned to Epoch, “Do you believe in ghosts?”

“Ghosts?” Epoch raised a brow.

“Yes… because from what our harpy friend told me… the last one was a big red stallion with golden eyes… much like that of the late Black Knight.” Father revealed, “Not so ‘late’, if you were to ask me.”

“My… the director of the RDL has been very busy.” Epoch gave a small smirk, “He seems to be building a team, it seems.”

“Yes, and a surprisingly effective one at that.” Father grimaced, “And this new team could easily prove to be yet another annoyance for us to contend with.”

“I would not worry.” Epoch assured him, “The Forefathers had weathered worse before. And I know you and your followers have plenty of plans up your collective sleeve.”

"Oh, we certainly do." Father smirked. "Team or no team, it matters not. Nor the setbacks we suffer. Our ultimate goal will be achieved, sooner or later. In the meantime, let the director and his lackeys play ‘hero’. Their little ‘games’ won’t get in the way of our hard work. Of that much, I’m certain"

"That's the spirit." Epoch grinned. "And I'm sure your loyal servants feel the same way."

"As do I." Father nodded. "Broker aside, I am certain that our sole survivor will be determined to avenge his fallen comrades..."

Meanwhile, Turbine stormed into the workshops. He was looking a bit worse for wear, having made an arduous trek back to civilization and back to Infinity, enduring troublesome weather and bunion-inducing walks.

"Excuse me." He spoke up, trying to get everypony’s attention.

Nopony reacted.

"Excuse me." Turbine repeated, a tad more forcefully.

Still, he was ignored.

The peeved harpy glanced around and shouted.

“HEY!”

Everypony flinched.

“I’m looking for Loveless Irons!” Turbine demanded, “Where is he? I need to see him, now!”

“Well, then you’re out of luck, pal.”

Turbine glared at a young stallion in a hoodie, having the initials NOS on it. He was Cloak Hazard, a rather anti-social stallion that Ricochet recruited during their ill-fated trip to Neigh Orleans.

“And why is that, punk?” Turbine challenged.

“Well, he ain’t here.” Cloak sneered, “Mr. Irons decided to take a sabbatical.”

“Sabbatical?” Turbine repeated.

“Yeah, was surprised myself.” Cloak admitted, “I heard he’s been in a mopey mood since some guy left.”

“Some guy-” Turbine immediately knew who Cloak meant, and it only made his bad mood worse, “...Son of a WHORE!”

“Hey, don’t shoot the messenger.” Cloak held up his hooves defensively, “If you want something from him, you can just leave a note on top of all his backlog-”

“Hell no!” Turbine roared, “I’ve already been stuck on a lousy island for ten years! I’m not going to wait any longer because he’s depressed!”

“Well, too bad, birdie.” Cloak huffed, “Now if you excuse me, I got stuff to do…”

Turbine glared at Cloak for a moment… then immediately grabbed him by the sweatshirt.

“Hey, what gives?!” Cloak growled.

“I just had a thought.” Turbine declared, “You’re a inventor, right?”

“Well, yeah, duh.” Cloak scoffed, “Why else would I be here?”

“And how good would you say you are with complex machinery?” Turbine challenged.

“Dude, I’m the best.” Cloak bragged, despite Turbine’s grip on him, “No offense to Mr. Irons… but between you and me, I think I’m number one.”

“Is that right?” Turbine snarked darkly, “Well, in that case, maybe you can make something for me…”

"And what is that 'something', might I ask?" Cloak asked.

Turbine suddenly tossed Cloak to the ground. The young stallion let out a grunt, when suddenly, a journal is slapped down in front of him. It was open, revealing a sketch of a large backpack, from which protruded a set of wide, metallic wings.

Cloak glanced at the journal, and up at Turbine, looking at him with twisted glee.

"You're going to give me wings." Turbine announced.

...The following day…

The team reported for duty at the meeting room, Fury being the last out of all of them.

"Jeez, am I sore." Sterling cringed.

"Me too." Black groaned.

"I ache in places I didn't know I had... like the swim bladder." Caboose declared.

"Indeed, it did take a lot of effort to rebuild the lounge." Fletcher agreed. "For those of us who were there..." He glared at Fury.

"Yeah, Fury, where were you?" Sterling frowned.

"Sorry, guys." Fury shrugged. "I had something important to do."

"You did?" Caboose asked. "Eh, good enough for me."

"If it was important, that's okay." Black declared.

"Even if it was at the worst time possible." Sterling pouted.

"My thoughts exactly." Fletcher declared.

At that point, Elite entered the room.

"Okay, team, I have a new mission for you." He announced. "We've heard rumors of suspicious activity in the north, and we need you to investigate."

"We're on it." Black nodded. "...Just one thing first?"

"What is it?" Elite asked, confused.

"We've been talking, and we agreed we need a new name for the team." Sterling announced.

"Project: Freedom just doesn’t roll off the tongue." Fletcher admitted.

"It's lame, you mean." Fury added.

"Oh, really?" Elite mused. "Then what do you suggest for a replacement?"

"Top Force." Black offered.

"The Secret Defenders." Sterling stated.

"The Nightraiders." Fury suggested.

"Elite Squad Five." Fletcher suggested.

"How about ‘Alpha Super Squad’?" Caboose suggested.

"No way." Fury frowned.

"Why not?" Caboose pouted.

"Because the acronym is… unseemly." Fletcher stated.

"And a little bit funny." Sterling smirked.

"Hold on, guys." Black spoke up. "I think Caboose may be onto something."

"Thank you." Caboose smirked.

"Seriously?" Sterling frowned.

"With a little tweak..." Black declared. "How about we call ourselves the ‘Alpha Force Squad’?"

"That works." Sterling nodded.

"Sounds cool." Fury agreed.

"Rolls right off the tongue." Fletcher nodded.

"Even better than mine, actually." Caboose smiled.

"Very well then." Elite nodded. "From this point on, you are the Alpha Force Squad."

"Great." Black grinned. "Now, let's go save the world."

The entire team cheered as they departed the room. Elite looked on, smiling proudly.

"That's it, my friends." He declared. "Show the whole world what you're made of..."

The End.

Comments

[Turbo the Brony]

This is definitely a whole new beginning on things!! Plus I got the title of the chapter as well as the story based from this:

Looking forward for what's to come for the new team of heroes!! Excelsior!!

[Grekoy]

Hooray for Fury's development.

[bcmorgan96]

I just hope this job doesn't keep Fletcher and Caboose from seeing their families. Especially since Fletcher is about to be a father.

[bcmorgan96]

9540215
Good old Stan Lee.

[Ebony Stallion]

9544110
Fletcher. Fletcher is to be a father.

[bcmorgan96]

9546203
Thanks for that.

[LunaJack]

In which story does Fury take on Lunard?

[Bluecatcinema]

10559603
Tainted Silver.