Slavegear - Part 4

(Everyone)


Over the unsettling sounds of battle, Councilor Mercers voice suddenly rang in your earpiece:

"Attention all units, we have friendlies incoming from the north and south side. Three Union attack helicopters and a pegasi flight wing.

I'm seeing 4 hostiles attempting to flee the scene by air. Stop them if you can. If the conditions do not allow it, break off your pursuit and rondevu at the main structure.

The Union forces will mop up the fleeing stragglers.

I want you to focus on the main laboratory. Get in, sweep the area and report back any intel you find. We need to know more about the situation"


She briefly paused before going on: "If you find Marek, attempt an arrest. But don't risk your lives for it. I don't want one of you dying down there.
Remember, if the virus was released inside that building, the enemy only needs to puncture your suit to kill you.

Proceed with extreme caution.
Mercer out"

Moon sighed "Should I run inside and try and find Marek? I might be able to track him down with magic"

"Okay" Kaylee nodded to Moon: "I'll go with you"

Several moments later a squad of pegasi landed nearby, wearing the Union identification badges.
They approached the jeep and began methodically releasing its passengers and placing them into handcuffs.

A few more began collecting the canisters with the virus and carefully placing them inside some kind of a sealed box:

"We'll take it from here" one of them nodded to you: "Proceed to the main laboratory. We'll keep this area covered"



"Right" Kaylee nodded and waved to Moon, Wyvern and Johan: "Lets head for the main structure.

Moon, can you use a spell to find out how many people are inside?"

Silently thanking the robes underneath the suit for protection, she held her position on the ground for a moment, acting like she's prone. When he reaches close enough, she spins to point her index finger at his face.

"... Thank you."

With those words, a spike of ice appears on front of her fingers, centimeters away from the face of the assailant.

"Yes" she nodded as she neared the building "Would be best cast when we get inside though. I guess Johan is lucky. If he is exposed to the virus it won't affect him."

(Omega)
Omega charged at the bat pony falling on top of Tarmikos. Using the shield he bashed the already screaming terrorist in the face shattering the bones in his face and a large portion of his ribs sending him sprawling back.

(Tarmikos)
As soon as the now burning mess of broken bones was off of him Tarmikos attempted to start smothering the flames. He could feel his fur cooking, teeth gritted, tears welled in his eyes, as he focused on putting the flame out

(Radiance)
"Confirming target heading into a large area of forest," Radiance said over the radio then, a few seconds later, "breaking off pursuit and returning to rendezvous"

Radiance made a sharp turn and made his way back to the buidling.

Rain follows the soldier down before landing, she pulls an arrow from her quiver... This manbwasnt getting back up and flying... She was going to make sure... She pulls the arrow back and sicks it right where his left wing connects with his back, the broadheads blades cutting the nerves in his wing. Her boot connects with his head and she snatches the canister, stuffing it into her pocket... A bit of a tight fit but it worked. She draws an arrow back, placing her boot on the back of his neck, "you have a family son?" she asks simply.

(Twilight)

Propelled by momentum, the man couldn't stop fast enough and smashed head first into the spike.
A muffled scream briefly escaped him, before his lifeless form crashed on the ground.




(Moon Dusts)

"..I don't feel lucky" Johan quietly said. His face was grim, extremely pale.

"Come on" Kaylee quietly waved: "Lets link up with others"






(Omega, Tarmikos)

The remains of the man, fell on the ground a few meters away.

Harlequin visibly grimaced as she looked at what happened, then approached Tarmikos and helped pull him back up.





(Rain Runner)

"..Yes" the man hissed through gritted teeth: "..but you won't have a chance to harm them. Ever again. My brothers will make sure of that"
He released a grin, smiling through pain: "...our brothers worldwide have received their final instructions. Even if you kill Marek now, it won't change a thing. The gears have already been set in motions. You are too late.

The pain you inflicted upon us, the pain we carried all these years, will give us the resolve to complete our vision.

You reap what you've sown, Artemis puppet" the man released a raspy laugh, which quickly broke into a coughing fit:

"....finish it" he quietly said, looking at the bow in your hand: "...you'll join me in hell soon enough"

(Everyone)


A deafening racket slowly filled the air and drowned every other sound, as countless helicopters bearing the Union sign, slowly filled the sky and surrounded the area.

Dozens upon dozens of troops were dropped off around the bases perimeter and a pair of jet fighters flew overhead, their engines sending a heavy echo across the field.



As you look around, the last of the Vampire Unit operatives were effectively blocked off and apprehended with brutal efficiency. The Union seemed to have perfected the art of taking hostiles alive, as their troops sprayed the air with low electric charge spells and descended upon the enemy with a flurry of stun batons.


A specialized team of bio-hazard disposal was dropped off by a helicopter a few meters away. They began a hasty and efficient gathering of the Gene Virus canisters and started a count of how many they had.





Kaylee, Harlequin and Johan all piled up next to the buildings main entrance.

Harlequin placed a small explosive device on the door, then stood back and the main doors to the base were effectively blown off their hinges, revealing a dark hallway inside.


"Go go go!" Kaylee called over the radio as she rushed inside, her sword raised: "

"Sweep every floor of the building! Watch your corners and stay close! We have to capture this lab asap.

Moon, use the spell. Lets see how many are waiting for us inside"

Moon nodded and placed a hand on the wall before taking a deep breath. A pale glow of magic surrounded the area of her hand before spreading out across the walls and floor. The magic reached out, detecting any living creature.

Twilight stood up, looking at the man she just killed in cold blood. Many things were rushing through her head, but she shook it.

"That was dark, but helpful."

She looks around, trying to find where she is neccisary.

"I never planned to hurt your family..." she lowers her bow and steps off, "i promised to protect you batponys... Its sickining that i have to do this to you just to protect everybody else..." looks at him with a frown, "let your iniability to fly be a reminder of what you've done... Even if your successful..." she pulls back her arrow severing the rest of his already damaged wing, "now run off..." she opens her wings and flys off.

As Moons spell took effect, only a single living being could be detected in the building.

A single person, sitting at the heart of the facility.


Kaylee reached out to her earpiece and called over the radio:

"Everyone, meet up at the main building. We need help to sweep this place asap"

Rain gives a few flaps from her wings and glides to a stop at the building, "alright... Im here... What needs to be done... Waiting on your command kaylee..."

"There's just one person here......right in the middle" Moon mumbled "You think it's Marek?"

"Marek.." Kaylee quietly repeated: "Its hard to believe we finally cornered him. Why did he stay behind?"

She briefly paused, then looked at Rain:
"Rain, follow us. We'll need your help in case there's an ambush"

Before proceeding, Kaylee briefly touched her earpiece radio and called: "All units, proceed into the main facility, sweep and clear, we need to secure the area asap."



As you made your way through the poorly lit halls of the building, the featureless coridor finally ended up in a security check point.
There was a walkthrough metal detector here and a table. But no guards. The post seemed abandoned in a hurry, pieces of papers and tactical gear was carelessly scattered around the floor.

A few steps ahead, you suddenly noticed them, the bodies.
Over a dozen men in armor and tactical gear laid dead on the floor. Pegasi and unicorns. No visible signs of injury.

"Oh god.." Kaylee quietly whispered: "...they have Raiden markings on the uniform" she said as she crouched down on the floor:
"..no signs of injury... its possible they were exposed to the virus and just... left here.." she said quietly. Her expression hidden behind the gas mask.


"..we should go" Harlequin quietly called and slowly proceeded further inside.

As you continued to go forward, the corridor was eventually replaced by a set of very wide rooms, completely white and sterile by the looks of it. Every inch filled with complicated machinery and lab equipment.

Room after room, lab after lab, the further you advanced, the more the large scale of the building became apparent.
After a few minutes of walking, you finally reached what seemed to be a lounge area.

A few green plants by the walls served to create a soothing atmosphere. A few sofas randomly dispersed throughout the area, for people to sit back and relax.

At the long sofa in the middle, sat Marek.



He was alone, sitting slightly hunched over, wearing his trench coat. A simple wooden walking stick by his side.

He quietly sat there, looking at you and waiting. No weapons. No armor. He seemed completely unarmed.

Looking at him from a distance, he seemed like he could be somebodies grandfather, just quietly sitting on the sofa.

He seemed tired. Fatigue and dark circles have settled under his eyes.


As you entered the room, he only looked up at you and aknowledged your presence.
He seemed too tired to get up and remained sitting in place.

(Tarmikos)
"If it isn't the man who's going to potentially kill every single living thing on this planet," Tarmikos spoke in a cold tone "Care to explain yourself on that?"

"You all move in..." she says calmly standing behind the door with her mask on. Her bow lowered as she looks at mirek, shaking her head, "...i know hes a omnicidle maniac... But please... He's an old man... If he tries to escape cripple him..." she frowns, "please dont make me hurt you mirek... Ive already hurt one bat pony today... One too many..." she whispers.

Moon growled angrily, her hand reaching to her sword. As much as she wanted to run to him and tear him to pieces, she knew she shouldn't.

Twilight walked in, finally catching up. She didn't make too much haste getting here.

"Hold your fire, everyone. I want to have a word with him. If he tries anything, then be free to do whatever you please with him."

Marek released a tired smile: "...if you planned to enjoy yourself hurting me, I'm afraid you will be left disappointed. There's nothing else you can do to me, that wasn't done to me already, during the decades of slavery. Long lasting, chronic pain is a part of my life, just like breathing."


"Why did you stay behind?" Kaylee called out, frowning at him: "Why didn't you try to leave with the others?"



"I'm old" Marek sighed, releasing a tired smile: "My body is not what it used to be. The old scars have taken their toll. I can't keep up with the kids anymore. I didn't want to slow them down"
He slowly looked at Tarmikos:

"...to answer your question, I didn't start this war. I simply reacted to it. My actions are the inevitable consequence of the actions of others"

He sighed and looked at his walking stick:


"...here, let me ask you something. Do you think you changed anything, today? Or the day you freed Nyx from the forces of Artemis? Or when you stopped Slavegear?

Do you believe your actions in the field can truly shape this world?"



Marek paused, looking at you with a shadow of pity:

"Don't be naive.
The fate of the world is not decided on the battlefield. It is decided in the comfortable offices of people of power. The rich and influential. The powerful. Specifically, the Union Council"


He leaned forward on his sofa:

"It was the Gerran Councilor, who gave the order to construct Slavegear. And it was the Gerran Councilor who ordered the machines existence to be hidden, even from the Union Council.
She only revealed the robots existence, after it already leveled a city. By then, her information was redundant.

Tell me, why do you think she constructed that robot? To make it serve as a deterrent against terror?"




"What else would she build it for?" Kaylee asked with a frown.



Marek sighed: "..if you have to ask, then you're not ready to hear the answer. But I will tell you the same thing I told Drasko" Marek scowled, not at you, but to his own thoughts:

"I did not start this war. But I will finish it. The Gerran Councilor ran me into a corner. Really, she shouldn't be surprised that things ended up this way. We reap what we sow, after all"

He looked down and heavily sighed:


"...history will look down upon me as a monster, and rightfully so. But... I chose.. this path, on my own. I chose to bloody my hands, so others won't have to.
In the end, I've done all I could for my people. The only thing I could, to ensure their safety and liberty, indefinitely"

He looked at Kaylee, just as she suddenly jerked her hand to her earpiece and frowned.


"And by now, you will notice.." Marek quietly said: "...I won"




As the words left his lips, a radio transmission echoed inside your earpiece: "All units, this is bio-hazard disposal team. We have swept the whole area and located exactly 19 canisters, over"

"No" Kaylee exhaled: "There was supposed to be 20" she looked at Marek, just as he slightly smiled to her.


"Where's the last canister!" Kaylee screamed out.



"I haven't the faintest idea" Marek quietly said, a cautious smile over his lips.

"One got away...." she froze. Her hands trembled and she stormed towards Marek, grabbing him by the shirt and lifting him up, her face twisted with anger "WHERE IS THE LAST ONE?" She shouted.

"I'm sorry, Moon Dusts" Marek quietly said: "But even if I wanted to help you, I wouldn't be able to"


Another radio transmission echoed inside your radio, this time it was Mercer: "All units, we have just pulled the satellite footage over this area. It seems a single vehicle has left this lab, exactly two hours ago, long before we arrived.
A single person was driving it. A woman, by the looks of it... she slipped away, before we ever got here"


"Should you be surprised" Marek quietly said: "You took a very long time coming here.
I must admit, when I noticed that Tony was missing, I panicked. But you took your time negotiating with him. Enough time for me to adjust"


"Your agent! Where is she going!" Kaylee yelled, coming closer.




"I'm sorry. I simply don't know" Marek quietly shrugged: "I told her to pick a random target. And I forbade her to tell me where she was going.
Whats worse, I told her not to carry a cellphone. Or a radio.

This way, even if I had a change of heart, I simply have no means of contacting her. I don't even know where she'll go.

Its over.
I'm sorry but its over" Marek quietly said, looking at you. His expression, sad:


"...if nobody spooks her, I can only assume she will wait until tomorrow, before releasing the virus. Tomorrow is Unification Day, after all.." he looked away. His expression grim.

"But why like this?" Tarmikos asked "why try to end it all with a virus? Everyone time we spoke with one of the batponies working for you they all claimed that you would never risk hurting anyone of your kind. And yet you risk them with this virus and not to mention I had a front row seat of you knocking out Johan. That didn't seem very caring to me."

"Did none of the scientists you hired, forced, whatever, ever tell you that nothing is ever 100 percent certain? What if your liberation day virus backfired and killed the batponies you love so much? And what of the batponies that found love, families, with other races? You seriously think that they'd thank you for killing their spouses and children?"

"You act like you're seeing the bigger picture, but did you ever stop and look at then entire art gallery?"

Rain hears the banter and pulls the cansister she had in her pocket, looking at it wit a frown, "i dont believe this one is accounted for..."