A Black Sun Rises

by Bronycommander

Chapter 17 Experiment

Chapter 17: Experiment

Fletcher breathed heavily, his eyes twitching. “Is that...the best...you can do?!” He exclaimed and ran after the truck, driven by anger, determined the get the kids back.

The adrenaline it easy to catch up and the soldiers opened fire on him but he cast a shield spell to protect himself and managed to jump onto the back, holding on.

In response, the driver steered hard left and right, trying to knock him off, but the stallion had a tight grip.

He pulled himself up seeing how the soldiers inside were terrified to see his strength. He used his strength to get him, seeing how the soldiers backed up, except one, who had a determined expression and got hit right into the face the man’s rifle butt and lost his balance, falling off.

He tumbled over a few times before coming to a stop, lying on the ground.

Instead of anger, sadness overcame him. “I’m sorry…so very sorry, children…”

In defeat, he sat down on the roadside, his head lowered.

After a while, he heard a voice. “Look!” And he stood up, seeing a group of Allied soldiers approaching him, his MP40 ready.

“Fletcher?” One of the soldiers asked and another pointed out,

“He’s armed!”

“It's okay, hold your fire.” The first soldier ordered, apparently an officer.

“I don't understand. What's he doing?” Another soldier wondered.

“Look at his eyes... something's not right” A fellow comrade pointed out as the stallion’s eyes looked…empty, no emotion or anything.

The officer slowly approached Fletcher, holding out his hand as squad encircled the unicorn, preparing to kill him if he would show hostilities towards them. “Fletcher, we are here to help. But first, I need you to lay down your weapon.”

“He's not complying.” Another man remarked but the officer stayed calm.

“He's shell shocked. Give him a second. Just hand me your weapon, Fletcher.”

"Can he even hear you?"

"Quiet."

The officer then took Fletcher’s MP40 and he stallion sighed as he recognized the officer. It was William, relieved to see them. “That’s some nasty injuries, let’s get you patched up.” He and his men helped the stallion into a truck.

“I failed…They got the children…” Fletcher mumbled with a depressed tone bit William laid on a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, we will find them, just as we did last time.”

“I…I just hope it won’t be too late…” Fletcher said with fear.

“It's worth a shot,” Hill said in an attempt to comfort him and the Knight gave him a weak smile.

“Right…”

After the truck arrived at the Forward Base, Fletcher got his injuries patched up by a medic and William, together with Ford and Duffy, walked up to him. “Please tell me…”

Hill held up a hand. “We believe so, Intel from the Resistance and prisoners have informed us about a train carrying enemy ammunition not fear from here. It is very likely the kids are on-board this train. Our orders are to stop this train.”

“Then let’s do this, there is no time to waste,” Fletcher said determined, grabbing his weapons.

“Righto, Fletch.” Duffy cocked his rifle.

Together with a Sherman tank, they all moved out towards the city where the train was located and William gave the briefing. “We’ve been tasked with destroying a train hauling enemy munitions. But the resistance fighters who had provided Intel were captured by the enemy so we have to free them first.” Suddenly they heard cries of help and saw two Resistance members coming towards them, one was limping, assisted by the other and fell down, but William helped them up.

“Go! Go! Go!”

The soldiers and tank moved down the road, only to be greeted by MG fire from an upper window, forcing them to cover. Fletcher took aim with his K98 and fired, taking the gunner out just as the tank had aimed at the window.

“Suppressing fire!” Jackson yelled and the BAR gunners did as told, firing at the building to keep the enemy in cover, so the others could advance.

Fletcher, together with Hill and Dufy moved to the building on the left, the stallion placed planted TNT on the wall of the building setting the timer to 5 seconds.

After the explosion, both Brits cleared the room and opened the cell door, freeing the prisoner. Ford and Jackson did the same in the building on the right.

“The Resistance fighters are free. Good job! We must destroy all radio equipment so they can’t call in reinforcements.” Hill then informed as they advanced to the town square. He also took notice how Fletcher trembled with a slightly scared expression. He could tell the stallion was desperate to avoid losing the children.

“Enemy flamethrower, get to cover!” Duffy yelled as a hostile came out of the rubble at the town square, firing it into the air and Fletcher took aim at the head.

As he was about to the trigger, a bullet grazed his foreleg and he flinched, misfiring but the bullet still found its way. It hit the fuel tank. A small jet of flame came out of the container. Then the trooper screamed it pain, as he was engulfed flames. The container exploded in a massive fireball, killing every soldier that was near him. Not a pleasant death, Fletcher knew that.

Despite this, another MG42 in one of the windows kept the Allies in cover and both sides fired at each other with little success. The Tank started to aim for the MG but before it could fire, a Panzerfaust was fired out of the rubble and destroyed it.

Fletcher reloaded hastily, knowing that every second would count to stop the train from leaving and emerged from cover, taking aim at the enemy positions but…

They were empty. “What?” He wondered before he saw the ghostly guard again, standing on a roof, pointing ahead and a train whistle sounded. “The train!”

They all rushed forward and saw in horror how the Axis soldiers jumped onto the train as it left. “No!” Fletcher yelled and tried to run after it before planes bombed the town.

He attempted to dodge them but it was in vain as one explosion knocked him down and everything went black.

“Ugh…” The stallion mumbled as he came to in a field hospital. Still, it took him only second to remember everything and he just stared, wishing it was not true. “This can’t be happening…” He lowered his head.

Just moments after, his four friends walked in, having neutral expressions. They looked at each other, unsure what to say. “Fletcher,” Hill started, “I know that looks bad but…there is still hope.”

“H-how?” The stallion looked up.

“Well, some of our fighters managed to intercept the train and we examined the train. Apparently, it made a layover at a harbor and Recon saw a U-boat leaving shortly afterwards. As we reported that to High command, they send us a message that one of our special services might know where the children are. You shall get to London as soon as you can.”

While it surprised Fletcher a bit, he said, “Okay, do you have anything that helps me to pinpoint the location?”

“I only know it’s called Office of Secret Actions, located in London. I live here and brought my watch if it helps.”

“It does, thank you,” The Green Knight replied as he scanned it with his horn and prepared the spell, the soldiers saluted him.

“Good luck!” They said before he vanished in a white flash and as it was done, he found himself in front of a big building, the flags of Britain and the USA on flagpoles, the logo of the agency was on a wall. An eagle, the name of the agency around it.

He wasted no time to enter the building and came to a man in a blue suit, wearing glasses. “I was told you were awaiting my arrival.”

The man wasn’t surprised at all and replied, “Yes, follow me.” He led the stallion into an office where an elderly man with greying hair and also glasses was sitting behind a desk. “Sir, Fletcher Fray, also known as the Green Knight.”

“Thank you, Jack.” The elderly man replied and looked at Fletcher. "I am the director of the OSA.”

“You said you had information for me?” Fletcher went straight to the point.

“Yes. The U-boat we tracked left for a German base in Norway. To be exact, it’s a German lab we discovered just recently, led by a scientist named Wilhelm Strasse also known as Deathshead.” As the director said this, Fletcher remembered the letter he found in Africa back then and started to fear the worst. “We were just about to send one of our best operatives here, you will join him. The hospital is alerted and on standby to take the children in.”

“Thank you, sir.”

As the director turned around the director added, “One more thing, Mr. Fray. According to our sources, word has been passed around the Heer, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe of your deeds at El Alamein and Italy. Rommel himself vouches for you and you are considered something of a neutral party to the German Armed Forces, not to be crossed without provocation. Said deeds also have the SS and Gestapo fearing to speak your name and Himmler has ordered utmost caution at any sign of your presence. In summary, any Nazi that crosses you from here on out is either a Deathshead affiliate or catastrophically stupid. Either way, eliminating them benefits society as a whole so lethal force is fully authorized.”

“Thanks for the info, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Fray walked outside and got greeted by a large, muscular man with strawberry-blonde hair, chiseled square jaw and blue eyes. “You’re Fletcher Fray? I am William J. Blazkowicz, I was ordered to infiltrate Norway with you.”

“Okay, let’s go!” The stallion acknowledged and they both went to an airfield, boarding a plane. During the ride, Fletcher hoped it wouldn’t be too late, fearing what Deathshead would do to Dinky, Katja and Blau Streifen.

Eventually, the plane reached its destination and both jumped out with parachutes, landing in a snowy wood area and sneaked towards a small pier where a U-boat was. They went to cover behind crates as they heard mechanical noises of stuttering, seeing a soldier trying to fix a generator.

“Gah! This worthless pile of junk still won't start!”

“Are you still trying to start that generator?” A fellow soldier asked.

His comrade sighed. “No, I'm working on my upper body strength, one arm at a time.”

“I'll bet it's because of the cold.”

“Tell me, do you often make such shrewd observations? You should seriously consider officer's training.” The first German replied slightly annoyed.

“I think you need to crank it harder.”

“Look, are you acting stupid just to annoy me?! Do you not see me here, practically tearing my own arm off?! The gottverdammt thing won't start because the gottverdammt thing is frozen solid!!!”

“Hey! Relax, will you? I was just trying to be helpful.”

“You want to be helpful? Well, go look for some anti-freeze then! Don't just stand here making idiotic comments!” The repairman yelled.

Fletcher charged a flaming, explosive shot and fired at the generator.

It was blowing blown into the pieces, sending shrapnel everywhere. The repairman and his comrade got blasted away, the bodies covered in shrapnel and blood.

“Well...Don't need to worry about the frozen crank anymore...Wherever it flew off to.” He mumbled before hearing a clanking sound and turned into its direction, seeing the ghostly guard on a hill, lying on the ground as the crank had landed it but held up a hoof as if to say ‘I’m good!’ Then pointed forward.

The two then moved own, coming towards a house, seeing three Fallschirmjäger guarding it, chatting. “So how's Eric getting along?”

“Still sick as a dog, I hear.”

“That's too bad.

“It’s nothing serious. The medics say it was bad water.”

“Heh. Lucky for me, I never touch the stuff.” The other said before having to cough, not noticing the two intruders at all.

Fletcher and William entered a workshop, two mechanics had their back to them, standing at a workbench. “I have had it! I've absolutely had it with this place! Another day like today and I'll be ready for the insane asylum!” One of them complained.

“What is it this time?” His fellow worker asked.

“It's that stinking rocket-plane again!”

“Och Gott...”

“Remember the cracked gear rings on the reverse thrusters? You know, the ones we've known about since last August?! The same ones the Lieutenant never gave a damn about?!”

“Ja, ja.”

“Well, now I have to go out in this filthy weather and change both sets because someone in their infinite wisdom decided to go to full standby in two hours!”

“I'll bet that was Deathshead himself. He came storming in here a while ago looking none too pleased.”

“Oh...” The first mechanic sounded slightly worried. “I didn't even know he was back.” He then checked the toolkit. “What the...I don't believe it, I do not believe it!”

“Now what?

“Where in bloody hell is my spline torque wrench?!”

“Don't look at me, these are my tools.”

Just as Fletcher and William reached the door on the other end, it opened and a soldier with Panzerfaust stood in front of them, a surprised expression. Fletcher quickly shot an arrow into his head to avoid alerting anyone. “Bad move, buddy.” He whispered as they sneaked out.

It was cold, but that, didn’t bother Fletcher in the slightest, as the way led to a closed gate. “There must be a switch somewhere.” The American suspected and entered the hut next to it, killing a lone guard with his silenced Sten and found said switch, using it

As the gate slowly opened, an Alarm went off. “What the? Someone must have been found the bodies!” William yelled and switched his Sten for an MP40. As the gate opened, Fletcher spotted a sniper on a railing and shot him with his rifle before he could react and they ran through and shot two soldiers in a tunnel, coming to another workshop.

Inside, they spotted two soldiers, wearing heavy coats and gas masks, armed with what looked like multi-barreled machine guns. They forced Fletcher and William to take cover behind to doorway as they fired their guns rapidly.

But that didn’t stop them for long. The unicorn peeked slowly out of cover and fired two arrows, going right through the gas masks, killing the gunners.

“I’ve seen this kind of weapon before on my last mission. It’s called the Venom gun. It will come in handy.” the operative explained as he picked one up, Fletcher nodded and did the same.

They then walked to a door that appeared to be the entrance to the lab, but it was locked as Fletcher tried to open it. “Darn it!”

“There’s always a way in.” His Ally said as he spotted a storage room with explosive barrels in it and fired at them. The explosion created a hole in the wall, opening a way into the labs.

“Good thinking, Blazkowicz!”

Determined Fletcher entered first. I’m coming, children!

---

Ugh… Dinky came to with an aching head, trying to remember what happened. She looked around and found herself in a cell, the hallway outside looked similar to a lab and she gulped.

There was a clanging of metal behind her and a beasty growl. The little filly spun round in surprise, suddenly aware she was not alone.

Screaming, she backed up against the wall, desperately trying to put as much distance between herself and what she saw.

A ruined husk of what might have once been a human being leered at her from the opposite cell. A bulbous, hairless head and a humongous pair of arms and shoulders pressed itself against the bars, slavering like some fever-gripped wolf.

Dinky stared, horrified.

The creature, no longer able to call itself a human, was covered entirely in cracked and shredded scar tissue. It's skin more resembled saddle fabric than anything else. One side of its chest appeared stretched across its body, showing off half its ribcage. The same could be said for the face. Sunken, scarred and permanently locked in an expression of tightened, bared-teeth fury.

Armor around its shoulders and wrists added to its intimidating form but, as Dinky glanced down, she realized the creature had no lower half. A pelvic encasement surrounded by small, crackling electric generators kept it upon the ground. As it was, its arms did all the movement, clambering about the cell like a gorilla, giant, clawed hands reaching for the unicorn.

The creature stank, most likely due to its exposed elbow joints around its wrist and opened belly above the pelvic armor where stitches across his body had broken loose, showing off its fetid intestines in a manner that would put likely Dinky off spaghetti dinner for many weeks.

The creature growled and grunted as its hands flailed. Dinky was uncertain what exactly it had in mind for her once it caught her but one thing she did know was that she didn't fancy finding out.

Crouching in the corner of a cell, she huddled in a ball, watched the beast intently and prayed the cell wall would hold.

Suddenly there was a shot and the growl stopped abruptly. “A shame…” She heard an emotionless voice and saw a man walking in front of her cell. He was bald, wearing a monocle on his right eye, his face sunken, appearing to be very old.

“Who…are you?” The filly managed to ask, but the man just looked at her with an interested expression.

“I never saw such a species before. With you, I could do great things. Young, unspoiled flesh, tender samples. Fatty tissues intact. In fact, you're the perfect test subject to be the pinnacle of all my research. My greatest project. You should feel honored.”

Dinky’s eyes went small at those words, not wanting to end up like that creature. “P-please...don't hurt me…”

“In work like this it is easy to be tempered. To sense compassion. We must learn that this is pointless instinct. Not fit for the master race.” The man said cold and her heart froze.

“No, please, don't!”

“You and her friends will be of great use for the Reich.” He replied coldly before walking out of sight.

The colt awake with a groan, rubbing his head. That hurt. Where am I?

He looked around, finding himself in a cell, he room around the cell looked like some kind of lab. Blau Streifen gulped upon realizing what could happen to him. "Katja? Sis? Dinky? Where are you?" He called out but got no reply.

The sound of a mechanical noise ringed in his ears at it came closer. What he saw filled him with awe and fear. An 8 foot or in meters converted 2 meters tall creature, covered in armor passed by. The young colt could see that this was once a human as his arms, hands and heads could still be seen. But his legs were replaced by cybernetics, giving him that tall appearance. He held a double barrel gun in his right hand, ready to fire at anything that might not belong here. His head had some kind of hat, the still visible flash was charred and rotten. The former human stopped, giving the terrified foal a look. The human's face showed no emotion, just a blank stare. It was that this moment Blau noticed that the human had what appeared to be an oxygen mask covering his mouth. From behind the mask, a noise like heavy breathing sifting through metal mesh sound sounded loudly from where his mouth would have been, like someone was working a bellows. His emotionless eyes contrasted with this sign of barely-contained rage and bloodlust.

Before the young pony could proceed this, the creature started to move on.

Then a man walked in front of his cell, looking curiously at him. “Right then...I'm told you gave your name as Blau Streifen. I am also told you chose to be quite belligerent during your capture. But it seems the strength has left you. That is a pity. Though I can't say it does not serve my purpose. I can't afford difficulties, not now of all times. Now let me make myself clear. You will behave if you want to your sister unharmed...” Blau trembled, slowly nodding, not wanting his sister to be hurt because of him and the man slowly smiled. “Good, you understood that, didn't you? I assure you she is quite safe while you cooperate. You all will be instrumental in my research.” Then he walked away and Blau whimpered.

Please, Fletcher…hurry!

Oh... my head...Where... am I? Katja’s head ached.

As her vision cleared, she saw she was in a cell, alone, her little brother and her friend nowhere to be found. Where am I? "Brother? Dinky?" She called out, but there was nothing but her voice as an echo.

"How could that Thing escape out of its cell?!" a Voice echoed through the lab hall as she saw two men running past her cell. The one who yelled about that creature was wearing a white top, and a black cap, an MP40 in his hand, the other one a grey coat, she assumed it was a Scientist.

"I don't know, shoot!" he yelled.

The soldier fired his MP40 at something that was out of her sight, but a quick lighting of electricity shocked him, he fell twitching to the ground. "Help me!" The Scientist yelled, firing wildly his Luger as he tried to flee. But he didn't get far. What the young girl saw next was the most terrifying thing she ever saw in her life.

A corpse-like giant without a waist or legs, scrambling about on massive hands, its face locked in bloodthirsty rage. It lunged at the unlucky Scientist, and now Katja realized where the lighting of electricity came from. The creature had its lower body parts replaced with some kind of small, crackling electric generator, which killed the scientist as it released electricity. As the Scientist fell dead to the ground, the monster glared at her and she covered her head out of reflex as it lunged towards her.

Good for her, the cell door held but then, there was loud noise. Slowly opening her eyes, the monster was now lying dead on the ground, a much larger creature stood next to it, covered in armor, a double barrel gun held by it's right hand.

She breathed heavily as she heard footsteps and saw another scientist walking into her view.

“Hello.” He spoke with a cold voice. “Katja, is it? I must say this is a most enlightening experience. Until now, I was not aware at how many of your kind there were. And how diverse...I might need to do something about that. Did those imbeciles regard you as little more than a curiosity in wartime? You see, young Madam. I intend to unlock the secrets of this world you live in, this world of magic and monsters. And you, Miss Katja, are going to help me. The reward shall be a swift end to your suffering. The punishment for refusing...well, let's just say that until now, you have not known suffering.” She trembled, unable to say something as he added. “Also…your father...is a human...Your mother...is an equine. The methods by which you were conceived were either brilliant...or revolting. Isn't it strange at how often those two things can work in, what's the word...ah...harmony...heheheheheh...”

“Sir!” A soldier ran up to him.

“This better be important.” The scientist turned to him,

“Yes, sir. The American agent has infiltrated the x-lab facility!”

“What? Will this fool follow me to the ends of the earth?” The Scientist asked surprised.

“What are your orders, Herr Oberführer?”

“Dispatch the remaining security force immediately.”

“And if the American gets past the security force?”

“Then I will deal with him.”

As if on cue, the room was filled with a metallic humming that bared through all nearby eardrums. The Oberführer winced, then turned to his men with an unamused expression. "Who's the fool meddling with the speakers?!" he growled.

As the guards and scientists looked to each other awkwardly, there came a voice from the loudspeakers in every corner of the lab, filling every room and flooding down every corridor.

In the cells, Dinky's little ear pricked as she, Katja and Blau Streifen listened intently.

"Attention all personnel of X-Labs," the speaker began in a calm but serious tone "This is Fletcher Fray of the Eternal Knights, Royal Bodyguard to her Highness, Princess Luna of Equestria and her Moon."

The Oberführer paused, raised one eyebrow and asked, "How did he get into the intercom system?" he asked sternly "I will know who is responsible when this is over."

"I am on a mission from the Allied Paranormal Division to bring down this base of operations. Your actions and the suffering they cause will no longer be tolerated," Fletcher continued "I am also on a mission from her Highness, Princess Luna, to find and rescue three citizens of Equestria and return safely to their friends and family"

He's come back. He made it. Dinky thought, her moist, amber eyes gleaming with hope. I knew he would. I knew it.

"I will say this once. If anyone attempts to prevent me from carrying out either of my missions...I will kill them, without mercy or hesitation. If you do not want to die, stay the buck out of my way. What I've seen this organization do turns my stomach and fractures my faith in the human race and I'm not letting continue a day longer."

They heard him take a breath.

"As for you, Deathshead" he added, his voice growing darker and more menacing "Night is coming for you...And it will last forever"

Then it ended and everyone looked around but the man as Deathshead took a deep breath. “Begin the procedures on the specimens. All three of them. Alert all security personnel. Activate every machine. Rouse every creature. I want that interfering fairy-tale anachronism brought down NOW!”

---

Fletcher and his American ally walked through the next door and were greeted by two guards and a scientist. They all looked in fear at Fletcher. “You heard my warning, get out of my way, or die.” He warned.

Before any of them could react, something broke through the window on their left. A corpse-like giant without a waist or legs, scrambling about on massive hands, its face locked in bloodthirsty rage, its lower body parts replaced with some kind of small, crackling electric generator.

Fletcher and Blazkowicz stepped back as it released electricity and the three Germans twitched, falling dead to the ground. Fletcher reacted quickly and opened fire with the Venom gun, tearing the creature to shreds, then winced. “What I wouldn't do for a pair of earplugs right now.”

“I saw those things before; they are called Loper, a failed experiment of Deathshead,” William explained.

“Okay.” Fletcher replied and moved through the next door, only to meet another surprise. It looked like a human at first, standing at the end of the corridor. What little of human flesh it still possessed was charred and rotten through the monstrous experiments they undertook and the clunky great rusty metal armor was emblazoned with the Swastika, the SS. With such components appearing to wear them as opposed to being worn, the human more resembled great bipedal dung beetles than anything else, befitting given the sight and stink of the decaying flesh. It aimed a large a double barrel gun at the stallion and fired a Panzerfaust. Fletcher quickly ducked behind the door to avoid then.

In response, the unicorn fired a concentrated charged shot that ripped a hole in the man’s chest-plate. Fletcher glanced round the corner as the proto-soldier swayed on its feet.

Taking three more ungainly steps, its mechanical whirring like a dying gasp, it keeled forward and slammed its full mass upon the floor, laying still. “Nice shot!” William complimented him. “As far as I know from a recovered blueprint, this guy is a Proto-soldier, prototypes to his ultimate creation. Aside from helping you, I shall find out more about it.”

Fletcher nodded, yet it sent down a shiver of his spine. Robotic and biological engineering, Deathshead’s goal was to create the ultimate killing machine. And with the children, he had the ideal specimen for this, something he couldn’t let happen.

Walking down the corridor, they came to a bigger room and Fletcher gasped at what he saw “Children!”

Dinky was in a cell but horrible altered. Her body was covered a metal shell held up with wiring. Her face was unemotional, nothing but a blank stare. One of her eyes was replaced by an eyepiece, the other eye was still normal but tears leaved it without stopping. The siblings’ limps and chests were covered in the same armor as the Proto-soldier, having also an eyepiece over one eye. “Oh my... children, can your hear me? None of them did respond or moved, he tried it with a telepathic spell. “Dinky?”

“I can't feel my legs...my hooves...my horn...I can barely see you...hear you...It hurts....it hurts so much...” Her voice was in pain, serve pain.

“Please…Help…” The siblings said in unison.

“Don't worry, I get you out of here.”

He then felt how Blazkowicz tipped him on the shoulder and pointed to a clipboard on a table, so he took a look.

Test Subject 02051412
Species: Human (Human Father/Earth Pony Mother)
Age: Approx. 14 yrs
Build: Slender
Characteristics: Caucasian skin-type. Bright vibrant hair, seemingly possessing two separate strains of pigment (Saffron Yellow/Peach Red)
Description: Subject 02051412 is a young human girl, being the daughter of a human father and Earth pony mother. Is the sibling of a younger colt. Test Subject 0251412 will be outfitted with latest ultra-light, carbon resin plates to be serving as new Type II Über Soldat. This Über soldat will be armed with a Venom Gun and a Tesla Gun

Test Subject 02051410
Species: Earth Pony (Human Father and Earth Pony Mother)
Age: Approx. 14 yrs.
Build: Stout
Characteristics: Smoky-Brown coat, dark-red mane
Description: Subject 0251410 is a young colt, being son of a human father and Earth pony mother. Is the sibling of subject 0251412. Test subject will also be outfitted the latest ultra-light, carbon resin plates to be serving as new Type II Über Soldat. Due the subject's build, the gun will be mounted on the back, able to turn 360 degrees and will be armed with a Venom Gun and a Panzerfaust

Test Subject 101016
Species: Unicorn (Pegasus Mother and Earth Pony Father)
Age: Approx. 8 yrs
Build: Average
Characteristics: Periwinkle-grey coat, blonde mane.
Description: Subject 101016 is a young unicorn filly, able to use magic. Is the youngest of all three test subjects. Subject 101016 will be outfitting with a special type of the ultra-light, carbon resin plates to be project Sleipnir, a modification of the Über soldat. As weapons, a Venom Gun, Tesla gun and Panzerfaust are intended. The Panzerfaust and Venom gun are in a turret on the back, like with Subject 0251410, while the Tesla gun will be in a scorpion-like tail.

What Fletcher just read made his blood boil as he spotted a scientist held up by William. “You! Open the cell doors!"

“I can't” The German replied scared!

“Do it!” William yelled, aiming at his head.

“I can't open it, only the Oberführer can open it, he knows the code!”

“Why? How can you do something terrible to children?!” Fletcher wanted to know.

“None of us wanted to do it or liked to do it! The Oberführer himself did the procedures! The Lopers and proto soldiers are either seriously injured soldier, or volunteers for the Super Soldier project! We forced nobody to do this!” The scientist tried to explain and Fletcher raised an eyebrow.

“Oh really?

“I swear to you. No-one else was even allowed to enter. He wanted all the pleasure of doing it himself. Three Proto-Soldiers strapped them to the operating systems and stood guard and Deathshead did all the rest. I promise. We'd never done this before. Never wanted to. Not with...children...” The man sounded disgusted and horrified.

“Where's the Oberführer? Tell me and I'll consider believing you.”

“The primary test labs. Biggest room in the compound, follow the main corridor.”

“Fine. Now get out of here before I change my mind.” The stallion said and the German did as told before the speaker system activated.

“I must admit, I find myself quite thankful for your efforts. Were you not on our radar, we would never have found these two excellent specimens. I would have given a great deal to have one of their kind to study, now I have two. I feel spoiled. And to show you how much I appreciate your help I shall mend your worries. As you see, your treasured young wards will no fears from now on. As you see...Nothing will ever be able to harm them again.” Deathshead taunted him. “Are you angry?”

“I think you'd know if I was.” The stallion replied

“Oh-ho Meister Fray. You really are a complex foe. I feel most accomplished. I have broken your childish façade of rogue debonair and make you understand. Your rage, your hatred, these are what truly drives the warrior you claim to be.”

Fletcher sighed and placed a hoof at the walls of Dinky's cell. “Dinky...I meant what I said...I'm going to help you and your friends get better...and I'm going to get you home...I promise.”

“Why this maudlin nonsense? What purpose did it hold? Accept it. Release it. Acknowledge the truth in Deathshead's creed. Only through hatred can victory be achieved.” The Oberführer taunted unimpressed.

“Once again, Strauss, you misunderstand. I am an Eternal Knight and we have been trained since initiation to, rather than deny the existence of our wilder instincts, instead channel them for when it is most proper, most acceptable. Right now, as you see, even when faced with what I believe to be one of the worst atrocities I've ever seen, I remain calm and patient, planning ahead and taking things as they come. But you are right in some ways. I do feel rage...and perhaps some hatred. But we don't waste it on tantrums or tirades or anything like that, instead we wait. I'm going to control it, hold onto it, save it up...and then when I have you on the ground, at my mercy, with your foundations reduced to rubble and the children safely healed and protected...then and only then will you know my fury.” Fray replied with determination. “You think I fear death?”

“I think you fear failure. And that is exactly what you'll receive if you are unable to return these children home. Is that so?”

Fletcher gritted his teeth, “We’ll see about that.”

William nodded and they moved on to a small hallway but the door was locked. “Looks like we have to swim.” The soldier pointed to a water supply system, build like a sewer tunnel and Fletcher nodded.

It was cold, but both weren’t bothered by it as they had to dive, holding their breath, swimming through the corridors until they came to a ladder, leading to a small storage room.

“Don’t kill me!” A scientist on the other side pleaded as he was cornered by a Loper and killed, with the creature staring at Fletcher through the armored glass before it was killed by an explosion. A Proto-soldier came from the corridor and spotted him, blowing the door to the storage open with its Panzerfaust.

The Knight fired a celestial bronze arrow into the floor between the soldier and it attracted the electricity from a nearby electrified door, directing it at the cyborg and shocked it too death. “There's always something bigger. And I'm always the one who has to kill it.”

Then they moved on.

A squad of soldiers was guarding the entrance to the main labs, everything was quiet bore they overheard a conversation. “:..Yeah, I agree. Terrible.” One soldier said with sympathy.

“Those screams, that horrible screams. Did you hear them? I can hear them still. I don't think I will ever stop hearing them.” The other one replied horrified.

“Yeah, me too. Poor children. I know the Oberführer sees this project as his life’s work but has no morality to use children for his experiments?”

“I hope whatever he does to them, it won't end like those...Loper things.” The other said with fear and the group looked at each other, slowly processing what they had just heard.

Then, they heard screams and crackling of electricity, followed by loud gunfire. “It's gonna feel extremely satisfying when all you buckers are gone for good. Seriously, if those things are failures, we does he keep them?” They recognized the voice and a green unicorn was coming into sight, surprised to see them. “Konrad? What are you and your friends doing here?”

“Long story. Is it true that…” Escher couldn’t finish as Fletcher nodded.

“Sadly, yes. But the sooner Deathshead is stopped, the better. Where are the main labs?”

“Just through this big door.” Karl pointed to it and used a switch, causing the door to open slowly with an alert going off.

Fletcher took notice of a pair of mechanical feet as the door rose, realized it were two Proto-soldiers behind it and threw a few grenades under it. “NIGHT TIME, BOYS!”

It worked as he hoped, killing the cyborgs as the door was fully open, lying dead on the ground. “Let’s move!” He said and all his allies followed him through the door, coming to a corridor which led to an opened door

It led to a large room with catwalks above and an observation room as the entered.

“Well Agent Blazkowicz and Fletcher Fray, Isn't it? You are most impressive specimens. It would be my pleasure to dissect you piece by piece.” They all saw Deathshead in the observation room, speaking over speakers. “Let me introduce you to someone. Do not confuse it with the mere prototypes you've encountered. They are the pinnacle of all my research. Das Über-Soldat. The Super Soldier. It will be my pleasure to watch them destroy you.”

As the door on the other side opened, they all stared in shock.

Metal. Were a bright periwinkle coat, a plump, healthy build and small but nimble legs made up the body of the innocent little foal, Dinky Doo...there was now metal. A shell, a prison, only the filly's head remained uncontained and not even that had been spared. A jutting eyepiece shone an electric blue, wiring and fluid tubes trailing from it as well as her nostril, ears, the corners of her lips and small incisions around her neck. Parts of her mane had been scraped off her scalp to make way for plugs and bulbs that conducted energy from the power stations and around her horn was a containment ring built like the conduits, crackling electric charge.

Dinky stared blankly at them with one single dead-looking eye, nearly devoid of its bright amber.

The body itself was held aloft by a set of nine great, spindly legs to which the energy conductors across her head and body connected, surrounding them with a deadly electric field. Like a monstrous arachnid from Tartarus, the mechanical horror crawled out of its cell and clambered round the walls, its ninth leg at the back curling upwards and over it like the tale of a scorpion, humming with charge set to fire in lethal blasts.

Behind her were the siblings, both were completely covered in the armor of the Proto-soldier, helmets covering their entire faces, wearing metal boots, making it impossible to tell if they had their legs replaced as the proto-soldiers had. Katja was carrying a double barrel gun in her right hand with little trouble. Their hair was crackling with electricity.

“Children… I’m sorry I wasn't there before but I promise...I'm here now and I'm going to get you out of there. We're going to get you back to normal and then we're going to get you back home. But you need to fight it. Remember who you are, you are not weapons. You are not this!” Fletcher exclaimed in shock.

“Thus we will see the superiority of the machine over flesh and blood!” Deathshead exclaimed and Dinky aimed her scorpion tail at Fletcher.

It fired arcs of electricity at him and he hissed in pain as he ran to a pillar for cover, barely avoiding the Venom gunfire from both siblings.

Blazkowicz did the same before seeing how Blau aimed the gun mounted on his back at him. It fired a Panzerfaust, forcing the man to run as the explosion damaged the pillar, avoiding Venom fire by Dinky.

Fletcher then saw how the filly aimed its turret at his cover and also fired a Panzerfaust, he dove out of the way, only to hiss again as this time, Katja fired arcs of electricity at him.

“Quite a scientific little toy isn't it? They may be smaller than the prototypes but are still more deadly. Even children can be a weapon.” The Obersturmführer commented at the show.

The German squad could just watch in shock. They knew they had to help somehow but they couldn’t risk hurting their young friends, just likr Fletcher and his Alley.

William tried to fire at Katja’s legs with his MP40, hoping he could incapacitate her that way but the bullets just bounced off. “The new armor makes all the difference, don't you agree?” Deathshead taunted as his attempt.

Fletcher then dashed to another pillar as cover, bullets from Dinky’s Venom gun missed him by inches before she fired anther Panzerfaust and he got thrown to the ground by the explosion as he barely got away in time.

As he tried to get up, the filly dropped from the ceiling and onto him, pinning him down, a leg raised, ready to impale him. “Dinky! Don’t!” He pleaded, unable to free himself.

Blazkowicz by the hectic dodging got backed into a corner by the siblings. The German soldiers wanted to help, but their bodies wouldn’t respond, unable to aim at the children.

Yet, none of the children did the killing blow, just staring.

“What are you waiting for? Finish him...Kill him...I said KILL HIM!” The scientist yelled at Dinky but she didn’t respond, nor did her two friends. “You stupid creature, move!”

The ring on the horn blinked and an electric current went through Dinky via her horn as she screamed and her head and neck writhed, the siblings did the same but none of moved.

“What is wrong with you?! I created you, programmed you, perfected you for this purpose?! You dare disobey me?! Do you not know who that stallion is?! He is the one who abandoned you, who betrayed you, he is the cause of your suffering! Your enemy! The object of your rage and hatred! Show him! Show him your hatred! I command it!” Deathshead yelled but again, nothing happened after the kids got shocked.

“How...how can this be possible...Why don't you hurt him? Why...” He sounded slightly sad. “Why don't you hate?”

“The horn...ring...Take...the horn...ring.” Dinky managed to say in a quiet voice, but Fletcher had doubts.

“D-Dinky...It'll hurt...It could kill you.”

“Please...just...do it!” She pleaded and Fletcher hesitated for a moment but then grabbed the ring. He resisted the electric shock, and broke it in two. The little filly screamed in pain again, then fell lifeless to the ground.

William noticed a small antenna on the helmets of the siblings, so he drew a pistol and fired at it. It had the same result as with Dinky, both screamed in pain before also falling over in the same manner as the Proto-soldier.

“What? It's not possible! We will meet again another day!” Deathshead yelled in disbelief and fled out of the room.

“We chase him, you take care of them!” William said and ran with the Germans through the door the kids had entered.

Fletcher wasted no time to check for a pulse. “Please don’t be dead!” He prayed.

A very weak pulse was in all of them and he let out a sigh of relief.

Then suddenly, the door shot and he heard a hissing noise. Gas!

The stallion reacted quickly casting a shield spell around himself but the eyes of the kids snapped open, coughing and thrashing wildly. Yet he managed to teleport them to the coordinates of the hospital he had been provided with.

“I need help, quick!” He yelled at the staffas he arrived. The doctors looked briefly surprised at him yet didn’t hesitate to get the children to the emergency room.

---

Katja regained consciousness, her entire body started to ache greatly but she couldn’t see anything, feeling numb. Faintly, she could hear the sound of an ECG and a muffled clashing of metal. She couldn’t scream, only endure this agonizing level of pain, her heartbeats getting faster, panicking, trying to move but she had no feeling at all.

A weak light came into her vision and she found herself strapped in a table. She saw how Deathshead injected Dinky with a syringe, the filly screamed in pain, then did the same with Blau and her, they also screamed at the serve pain.

Then all three tables moved on a conveyor belt, coming to several armor plates, held by robotic arms. They mounted the armor on the bodies of her, her brother and Dinky, screaming again as the pain was serve, almost burning before the tables moved again.

It came to a smaller lab, the scientist was already waiting. A small claw forced Dinky’s right to stay open and the man inserted a needle, it was connected to a round device, causing her to scream. He did the same the colt and girl, both screamed and Katja’s entire body cramped as if something got injected into her again.

Faintly, there was a voice yelling to stop, before everything slowly started to fade.

---

Fetcher waited worried outside the Emergency room, it seemed like hours until a doctor came out. “How are they?” He used the man with hope, yet feared the worst.

“We managed to stabilize them. Thanks to your quick actions, the effects of the Poison gas have already dissipated. But…” The doctor’s expression became one of regret. “This, the drugs and chemicals in their blood has weakened them much and caused serve damage to their muscles and most other inner body parts. Also; I am afraid to say…” The man couldn’t finish and pointed to the door.

With wobbling legs, Fletcher slowly walked in, his heart beating frantically at what would expect him.

The moment he entered the room, he almost collapsed.

Dinky and her friends were on life-support, EKGs kept track of their heartrates, the beeping sounds filled the room together with the constant pumps and rhythms and hiss of steam of the CPBs, oxygen masks over their mouths.

“I’m sorry to say that they are in a coma, the shock of everything was too much. Also, we may have to amputate and the need a blood transfusion, due to the drugs and chemicals.” The doctor told with regret.

Fletcher stared, having to think of what happened to Dinky’s counterpart in that other Equestria.

It all had become true.

He took a deep breath. “I can help. They donated their blood for me once, so you don’t need to look for a suiting one.”

“I was just about to ask, given you’re from Equestria as they are. I will prepare everything.” The doctor replied and as he walked out, he saw out of the corner of his eyes how the stallion cast a healing spell on the children, groaning slightly.

A Fletcher saw the doctor returning with the equipment, he used a spell on himself to keep his nanomites contained. If they would go out and enter the bodies of the kids, it could be fatal.

Donating his blood was the least he could do to repay them for their saving action back in Africa. He hissed as the doctor injected him with the peripheral lines.

Faintly, he could see the guard in the other end of the hallway, its head slightly lowered, a hoof to the chest as if the guard wanted to express it was hard to see the condition of the kids for it too.

With a sigh, Fletcher looked at his three friends.

Dinky, Katja, Blau...I don’t know if you can hear me...but if you can, please listen...You need to come back. You can do it, I know you can. You gotta tell yourself over and over, ‘I wanna wake up.’ I know it’s tough. But you gotta fight to make it happen. For your families. For your friends. Your life. And your life is everything. Not just to yourselves but to everyone who loves you. Please. Don't give up. Not after all this.”

Unfortunately, they all had to play the waiting game. They couldn’t do nothing…but wait and pray.