THREE WEEKS LATER
MOJAVE DESERT
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29TH, 2298
Operation: 'BLACK FRIDAY'

By dawn the Air Force had conducted heavy air raids on the occupied city of Las Vegas. B-21 Raiders landed the initial strikes on enemy AA fortifications to pave the way for B-52 and B-60 Strategic Bombers to lay waste to the besieged city. Once the dust had settled, allied forces were on the full offense. The first armoured divisions charged the TCA frontline, and thanks to the arrival of European Federation troops the assault was the largest joint operations to take place on US soil. The assaulting forces comprises of one hundred and forty thousand ANZUS and twelve thousand E.F troops, tanks, gunships, the entire U.S Air Force and the Railway Warfare Corps to Top it off.

At the rear of the "4-8-8-4", Captain Homer observes the unfolding battle through the the Holo-Sit-Rep projector via satellite feed since no one was going to use the War Room, he might as well make use of it as his own situation room. So far allied forces have met light resistance around the city limits but were easily overwhelmed as they push for the Vegas Strip. The "4-8-8-4"s objectives was to provide long range artillery support with her new 300mm Gauss rifles and restocked tomahawk cruise missiles and if necessary, the M65 Nuclear Howitzer. Thanks to the upgrades and improvements, the "4-8-8-4" was now an even more menacing weapon.

On the Wednesday and Thursday following the start of the refit period, Ryan underwent his operation that had his left arm which was nothing but bone and machine pieces replaced with a sophisticated cybernetic arm. The upper limb of his new arm was built from titanium steel and had a flexible design with a 20mm cylinder built into his upper limb, while his lower fore-arm was hollowed out to act as a hostler for a built-in M134D Minigun which swings out for within his forearm like a battering ram and can be controlled with his neural implants. His cybernetic hand was still the same one from his old arm but was remodeled with a solar reactor built into the palm of the hand, so Ryan didn't have to worry much about having various tubing systems to supply the blood and nerves to his hand.

Ryan was still yet to get used to his improved hand, he pulls his .500 Magnum from his left hostler to see how comfortable holding a gun will be. The grip, surprisingly, sits perfectly in his palm while it's Satin Nickle skin stood out from his titanium skinned hand with an Aura Aqua glow around the grip emitting from the small turbine like power cell in his palm. Satisfied, Ryan loops his revolver and slips it back into it's hostler and wraps his flak coat around his body covering both of his revolvers.

As Ryan gazes back at the virtual battlefield before him, a call comes in from the advancing front.

"Warhammer Actual to "4-8-8-4", were taking some A.T fire from the... Caesars Palace Casino. Think you can send a few rounds into that place?" Over A voice of an advancing American tank division Commander hails in over the radio.

"Copy that, Warhammer. Co-ordinates received, firing for effect". Ryan replied over the hand held radio.

"Main Batteries, ready!" Both Fire Control Officers announced at once.

"Weapons free, fire when ready." Ryan replied as he disengages the safety locks that prevent the artillery guns from having an accidental misfire.

In an instant, the hum of the nine particle acceleration generators increase rapidly before hearing the magnetic acceleration discharge of all nine Gauss rifles as their lethal projectiles accelerate at unimaginable speeds towards their target. Of the next five seconds that felt like thirty seconds, a menacing series of booms thundered across the Mojave as the lower half of Caesars Palace is obliterated by the magnetic projectiles, causing the upper half to give way and collapse in on itself, taking every TCA soldier with it before they even knew what hit them.

"A perfect artillery hit, Warhammer. Keep those co-ordinates comin!" Ryan contacted the battalion commander once more.

"Will do, thanks for the 4th of July display there, Warhammer out!" The tank commander replied with satisfaction of the destruction.

"Captain, General Evelyn here, my boys of the 7th Regulars are getting their asses kicked from some fortified TCA bastards within the Luxor Hotel, think you can send some MAC rounds through there?"

"That's a negative, General. The guns need another minute to cool down before we can safely fire them again. But I can drop a few tomahawks down there if you want?"

"That would have to do. I need three separate strikes at these co-ordinates I'm uploading to your Sit-rep display, that is all Captain. Degrant, out!" The young General sighed as the coordinates came through.

"Okay." Ryan spoke to himself. "coordinates locked, Sending to fire control." With a few swipes and taps on the holo-display, Ryan double checks the targets and finalises it for the VLS Operators to handle. With a sweeping motion of his biotic hand, the virtual battlefield pans along the Vegas Strip. He repeats the motion until the unmistakable pyramid shape of the Luxor hotel came into view. Around the base were three cross hairs, each indicating were to launch the tomahawks at.

"Holland, you there?" Captain Homer says through the intercom.

"Holland here, read you loud and clear, Captain.''

"General Degrant is requesting three tomahawk strikes at the Luxor Hotel, i'm sending you the co-ordinates now."

"Co-ordinates received Cap! Tomahawks are primed and ready to launch on your mark."

"Fire!"

Just before the missiles were launched Captain Ryan was suddenly blinded in a white flash that forced him to drop behind the holo-table as his skin instantly felt like it was being cooked at ten thousand degrees. As soon as the flash appeared, it had disappeared within an instant indicating for Ryan that it was safe to come up. As Ryan stared out of the right side blast proof window of the Observation car his body froze with horror as a towering mushroom cloud towered over what was Las Vegas.

"...Oh shit!" was all that left Ryan's speechless mouth.

"Code red! Code red! The TCA have nuked Vegas! I repeat, Vegas has been nuked!" The voice of General Evelyn announces over the radio, fear creeping into her voice.

"VEGAS WAS A FUCKING TRAP! AAAARRRGGG-"

Another blinding light obscured Ryan's vision as he was forced to take cover again, while at the same time the shockwave from the Vegas nuke reaches the "4-8-8-4" shaking the train violently. When the flash died down, Ryan peeks up again and faces the Holo Sit-Rep table, the screen flashing red as it locates the second nuclear detonation... Above Nellis AFB.

"Nellis AFB just went dark, General..." An unknown voice says over the radio

Before Ryan knew it, the comms channel was flooding with distress calls from all over Nevada.

"Mayday, Mayday, Kilo 267 to all units! We got hit by the shockwave, were going down!"

"TCA forces have launched a counter-attack on the dam, we need backup!"

"The enemy has launched another tactical nuke! All units, take cover!"

"FOB Nixon to any Allied forces, we've been infiltrated! Enemy commandos are trying to breach our command centre."

"Where's second platoon? We lost the left flank!"

'Whisky 343 to "4-8-8-4", are you receiving? Our bird got knocked out of the sky from the Vegas detonation. If you are receiving, we need Medical Assistance! Many casualties over!'

"Rodger Whisky 343, we read you loud and clear! We're about twelve minutes way from your position, we're on our way." Ryan replied, now out of his daze.

"Fire Control, secure all platforms. Medical teams, standby to take on casualties. Locomotive, get those wheels spinning! Shit's officially hit the fan people. As soon as we arrive at 343's crash site, I'm authorising the use of the Atomic Cannon in retaliation to the TCA's nuclear attacks!" Ryan relayed his orders through to the other cars.

"Yes, sir!" Several replies came through the intercom at the same time.

As the observation car was jolted forward, several series of mechanical sounds can be heard indicating the main guns returning to their idle position as the counter weights that stabilize the platforms are released and retracted into the lower portion of the batteries platforms. within seconds of departure, the "4-8-8-4" was now accelerating at 15kph and climbing fast. The engine has a maximum speed of 120kph and numerous improvements have altered the locomotive's acceleration and braking abilities by 5x from what it was before the recent retrofit.

"All stations secured, and we're en-route to Whisky 343's position. ETA; eleven min-*STATIC*

"Hollows? Hollows, come in!"

The room was filled in Erie static before a series of jolts rock the rear train as it is engulfed in an Aura Lavender glow.

"Oh boy, this doesn't look good..." was all that Ryan could say before blocking his eyes with his hands as the room was engulfed in a bright light as a loud humming noise overwhelmed his eardrums. On the outside, the "4-8-8-4" was completely consumed in the Aura Lavender glow before the War train bursted into a supernova light. As the eye piercing glow died down, the "4-8-8-4" Was gone...

'"4-8-8-4", we lost your signal. Were did you go? "4-8-8-4", please respond over!"

Whisky 343 will never hear from the "4-8-8-4" again as the 'Engine of Destruction' is already on it's way to a alternate world. A world where atomic fire hasn't scarred it's lands, but the threat of invasion will soon disturb the millennia of peace that it has enjoyed.

https://youtu.be/7P1eYjMdTk8

Canterlot Castle Gardens
1:34am.
Date unknown.

Excitement continues to build all over Equestria as the anniversary of Twilight's coronation draws near. Within the Equestrian capital, high in the Everfree mountains preparations are well and truly complete. It is only a matter of waiting and finalising the traditional celebrations and parade rehearsals being perfected. Princess Luna was up in her quarters where she observed the night sky through her telescope, re-familiarising herself with the constellations that had been discovered during her banishment. It has been a good couple of years since Luna's return but the world has gone through so many changes that it will still take the Luna Princess a few more years to fully understand the society she has come back to.

The thought paused her from her studies and left her questioning about her doubts of being included and accepted by equestrians after all that she has done to them. Her trail of thought was then interrupted when something caught her attention. A large being of non-Equestrian origin flew past Luna's balcony as it plummeted uncontrollably into the gardens. From Luna's brief glance of the being it looked like a Gryphon, She didn't have time to compensate what had happened but her instincts told her to tend to the aid as she teleports herself to the vicinity of where the Gryphon had crashed.

As quick as Luna had appeared so did some of her night guards that protect the castle during the after dark hours. One of which was already conducting first aid on the downed Gryphon. At a proper glance, this Gryphon was a female with an athletic build which was a common body type for the majority of the female population. Her attire matches to that of a known Gryphon militia that is loyal to the Gryphon monarchy. Luna doesn't know much about Gryphon history during her exile but she well knows for a fact that the neighbouring kingdom to the North is currently embroiled in a terrible civil war between the monarchy, the Autocratic Sturm-Gryphons and the savage Grand Khans who had gained overwhelming support over the last three years.

Luna's analysis of the gryphon was interrupted when the freedom fighter regained consciousness which prompted the princess of the night to approach the injured Gryphon.

"Hello? Are you okay?" Luna greeted the Gryphon.

The Gryphon only responded with uncontrollable coughing as blood begins to drip from her beak, revealing the grim extent of her injuries.

The night guard turns to Luna with urgency in his voice. "Your highness, this Gryphon has sustained severe internal injuries from her fall, we need to get her to the medical wing or she's going to die."

Luna nods in approval. "Then we have no time to waste, alert the nurses at once! Time is against this young lady, let us move with haste but with care to avoid further harm."

Luna and the guards gather around the injured Gryphon as she summons another teleportation spell to transport the group to the onsite medical wing where the Gryphon would be treated for her wounds but her story would have to wait until she has recovered from her internal injuries.