Shaking her head, Elissa looked away from Jack and up to the observation deck. She idly signed with ease, the skill having been picked up from the military and her ex-fiance. {How long have you been here?}

Turning his back on the pair, Jack treaded over to his spot and sank down to rest his haunches on the soft grass. Elissa and 3901 walked over, with the husky man taking a comfortable cross legged position, while Elissa remained standing. Jack signed back slowly as he followed her gaze up. {In this particular shithole? A day, maybe. In Equestria, maybe three to four months, I stopped counting.} Jack's hands faltered as several thoughts occurred to him at the exact same time. He didn't catch Elissa’s expression of disbelief and surprise. The thought that managed to escape first wasn't necessarily the most important to him, but it mattered deeply. {Did we win?} He looked up at the woman, and finally began noticing faint, soft lines etched into her fine face. She had a nasty little scar that marred her once beautiful face, going from her chin up to her nose. She looked older. So do I, I suppose.

Elissa paused, and gave him a soft, almost unusual smile. Jack became immediately suspicious of her motives. She hasn't smiled at me in years. She must want some kind of truce to get the hell out of here. When she found her words, they were delivered slowly and deliberately. {Yes. Thanks to you and the others.} She paused, and stared at him with soft blue eyes. The anger Jack held toward her felt almost blunted as he sat across from her, and the love he used to feel had the gall to poke its head up long enough to be squashed down savagely. She let out a quiet sigh and leaned against the tree. {How did you survive?}

The question caught him off guard, so his answer was equally confused. {What do you mean?}

{Judging from the crater in Detroit, you got two kilometers underground before detonation. How did you survive?} She watched him like a hawk, eager for answers.

Jack's mind ground to a screeching halt as he sank into his spot and thought back to what had led up to him ending up in Equestria. I didn't make it though… how… His thoughts all slammed together, churning out one, singular point that could not be ignored. It overrode all other thoughts and questions, bludgeoning its way to the top. I didn't make it….

I'm dead.

Elissa’s touch made him jump with a start, the feeling of her fingers almost a long forgotten joy in his mind. He swiftly squashed the feeling, forcing it into the back of his mind as he reinforced his walls toward her. Yanking his arm away from her, Jack fought to stay non-violent as he signed back with snappy fingers.

{I'm fine. I don't know what happened. No memory of it.} His eyes drifted down to the now stark black serial number tattooed on the underside of his forearm. {We need to figure a way out of here.} He sneered at the serial number.

3901 stood, and pointed to one of the upper access points; the one where the wrangling teams pulled people from. The door was opening, and a large tray of food was floating down. Jack frowned heavily as the equestrian humans clamoured and chirped excitedly in anticipation. 3901 approached as well, and beckoned to the other two terrans. Standing with a groan, Jack stretched his aching limbs and began to tread over to the food. When Elissa grabbed him gently by the wrist, he stopped dead in his tracks, his head refusing to turn to regard her. Elissa continued to hold onto him as she circled to where she could be seen. She gave him a soft, apologetic look, before releasing him and signing {I'm sorry.}

Jack grunted quietly at her, and turned back toward the food. His thoughts swam with indecision and confused emotions as he scooped up a T-bone steak and a number of small bits and pieces. Tearing the bone out of the steak, Jack stowed it away where no one could see. His eyes wandered up to the observation deck, and his thoughts turned decidedly bloody. He grinned with a sneer, and smiled as a plan formed in his head as he stuffed little shreds of cooked meat into his mouth.

I'm gonna teach all you smart ass motherfuckers why they called me Nasty Jack.

_________________________________________________________________

Something had gone very, very wrong. Striding through the forest with Field by her side, Flitter's mind raced as fast as possible while she churned through ideas and plans. Every failed mental plan caused her frown to deepen further into an enraged silent snarl. Field managed to keep pace with her, unable to build enough courage to interrupt her train of thought. The township loomed ahead, and was bustling with life with ponies roaming about and enjoying their days. Stopping just shy of the bridge, Flitter took a slow breath in. “Okay. We’ll check the noticeboard and see if there are any auctions coming in soon. Maybe they're holding him locally…”

Field nodded slowly, and swallowed thickly. “Okay Flitter, lead on.” He smiled, but didn't feel it. His lack of input annoyed Flitter to no end, but she couldn't entirely put him at fault.

Crossing the bridge into Ponyville, a very familiar, and highly unwanted voice called out to her. “Flitter! Hey!” Stopping in her tracks, Flitter threw a harsh glare over her shoulder at her very soon to be official ex. I don't have time for this shit. Goldie alighted behind Field and trotted past him. The stallion looked angry, but as a foal would when denied something. “Flitter, what. The. BUCK!?” He stormed up until he was almost muzzle to muzzle with her, the little vein in his temple throbbed like a fat target. “Why the buck have you been avoiding me!?”

Sighing with heavy annoyance, Flitter did her best to make it painfully obvious she wasn't in the mood for him. “Goldie.” She paused for a scant moment, her mind revving with excitement as she thought of how to get rid of him once and for all. Before she could get another word out, the stallion shoved her roughly to the ground, eliciting a cry of disapproval from Field.

Goldie sneered down at her. “So you're cheating on me, is that it? You're bucking some dirty Neck Biter? You disgusting slu-”

The end of his sentence died in a shrill scream of pain as Flitter rammed her calloused hoof into his foreleg, buckling it the wrong way. With an enraged snarl, she pounced, driving Goldie into the snowbank. Her body felt like it was energised with pure electric force as she began pounding Goldie's face with her hooves. Hoof fall after hoof fall struck his face, busting open and damaging his once pretty visage. Flitter grinned as she assaulted him, the feeling of real power finally flooding her system. When he was spitting up blood and teeth while sobbing, Flitter pulled back and pressed the blade of her knife against his throat and relished in the look of primal fear that crossed over his bloodied and broken face. Leaning in close, Flitter sneered at him and hissed. “I don't ever want to see you again you motherfucker, you hear me? If you ever touch me, or my sister again, I'll cut that limp excuse of a cock right off you and shove it down your fucking throat. You understand the words that I’m saying, bitch?” She trailed the edge of the knife down his belly and felt the fur on the back of her neck stand up as Goldie squealed in fear. “I'll kill you. I will end you. Nobody will ever even think it was me.” She pulled the knife away and gave him a hateful buck to the hind legs. “Now get your ugly ass out of my sight!”

Goldie took off as fast as his wings could carry him, his sobbing carried in the wind like sweet music. Flitter shivered, and shook her head. Is this what Jack feels whenever he gets angry? I don't think I can judge him at all anymore. Flitter turned away from the bloody thrashed snow to face Field. The stallion edged back a bit, his hackles raised in a primal attempt to scare away a predator. Flitter broke out into a well meaning smile. “I feel a lot better now!” She giggled weakly as Field's eyes remained huge and terrified.

“Y-you are a… a very scary mare Flitter…” He swallowed thickly and gestured shakily to her face. “You um… you have some… blood, on you…”

Flitter dabbed at her face with her hoof, and only seemed minorly surprised when it came away tacky and red. “Huh. I really kicked the shit out of him didn't I?” She smiled to herself as she gestured toward town. “Come on Fieldy, our humans aren't going to find themselves.”

Nodding in agreement, Field followed Flitter into town after she washed her face with a clump of snow. The morning was still young, so not too many ponies were out and about. The town hall was all but deserted, leaving the pair alone with the notice board. Flitter leafed through the thick fliers, praying for something, anything. Field squeaked, and gave her a shake. “I found one, three days from now!” The stallion tittered excitedly. “This has to be it, it's the only one!”

Hugging Field tight enough to elicit a groan as his muscles strained, Flitter grinned happily at him. “Fieldy, you beautiful bastard! Okay, okay, this is great!” Flitter tore the flier down from the board after releasing a thoroughly reddened batpony. Smacking the flier with a hoof, Flitter continued to smile. “This is perfect, it's even local. All we have to do is see if they're holding Jack, and we can bust him out.”

Field blinked, and frowned a bit toward the mare. “What about the tribe?”

Turning toward him, Flitter bumped his shoulder with her hoof. “We're busting them out too, but it'll be a ton easier if we have Jack helping us.”

With his frown increasing ever so slightly, Field did his best to look away from her. “I would prefer it if we could get them back without violence Flitter. I have some bits left, maybe-”

“Field, how much do you think somepony would sell Jack for?” Flitter stared at him levelly. “Let alone the tribe?” His increasingly heavy frown and downcast demeanour forced a quiet sigh out of Flitter as she rubbed her muzzle. “I'm sorry, I just don't see any other way at it yet….” The pregnant pause between them only grew, leaving the pair feeling awkward as they stood in the vacant town hall lobby. Letting out a breath, Flitter bumped Field's parka covered flank with her own toned hindquarters. “Come on, let's go get some coffee, and then head back to the camp. We'll tackle this later with level heads and a good plan.”

Sighing in defeat, Field nodded and forced a smile. “Yes, a drink would be very nice…” he glanced up at the mare curiously. “Are you sure you want to return to the camp and not your home? It’s going to be-”

“I’m not going home Field. Not until Jack’s safe.” Flitter turned toward the stallion. “Whatever it takes, I'm bringing him home.”

______________________________________________________________________

Dr. Maltenics steepled her hooves before her face as she stared down into the darkened enclosure. Somewhere in the dark was 4859, and the secrets he held so close to his chest. On her desk was an immaculately written letter from the Archmage himself; it disguised itself as a simple reminder of their agreement, while hiding deadly consequences. With everything that had happened in the capital as of late, Maltenics didn't have to strain her imagination as to how far the Archmage would go. Turning away from the enclosure, Maltenics sat back in her chair and popped the cork on her small wine bottle.

“A fine vintage.”

The familiar voice caused the mare to frown as she poured herself a small glass, not bothering to look toward her office door. “Did you need something Forge?”

The hippogriff at her door smiled without humour as he treaded in uninvited. The frown he received in return brought a hint of satisfaction into his mind as he made himself comfortable in the plush chair opposite the mare. “Is a simple check-in so terrible Lacy?” He arched his back, and let out a purr of satisfaction as it popped.

Showing her dislike for the other scientist, Maltenics steepled her hooves before her and rested her chin on them as she glared. “Don't you have an abomination to make? You wouldn't want to let down our mutual friend by being late again, now would you?”

Forge’s smirk slipped from his features as swiftly as it had appeared, and he set a small folder down on the table. “I've made excellent progress on my assignment. The sub-alpha made for a perfect frame.”

Rolling her eyes, Maltenics shooed at him to try and get the hippogriff to leave her office. “Save it for the full report. I have important work to do, and I can't afford to be interrupted-”

“I know you're not going to give the humans to the our friend, Lacy. So why don't you listen for a moment?” Maltenics’ blood ran cold as her heart fell into her stomach. Forge smiled once again without a hint of kindness as he extended a talon and slowly dragged the letter across the table towards himself. “Lacy, we both know what betraying our friend entails. I know why you've suddenly decided this, however, and I believe you're on to something.” He flipped open the folder he’d brought with him, revealing the images inside. Maltenics felt her stomach twist violently as Forge’s creation stared back with black, lifeless eyes. Forge maintained his smile. “I'm only a few days away from being able to test him. What I ask, in return for my silence on the matter, is that I be allowed to test it on your humans.”

Upturning her head in a harsh sneer, Maltenics glared vehemently at Forge. “That's idiotic. Why on Equis would I agree to that?”

“Because, whether 4859 lives or dies, you'll be able to study him. You can only learn so much until you bring out the scalpel. The others… well, what are a few broken eggs in the face of such a beautiful omelette? “ When the mare opened her mouth to shoot him down, the hippogriff launched across the desk and wrapped his talons around her throat. Maltenics let out a surprised, terror stricken gasp for air. Forge slowly softened his grip, but didn't remove his talons from her neck. “I… suggest you carefully consider your next words, Dr. Maltenics.”

Maltenics’ horn flared, and she removed his talons from her neck. “You’ll get your test, Dr. Forge. Now get the buck out of my office.” The other scientist smiled, and nodded as he took his manilla folder full of horrors with him. When the door clicked shut, Lacy deflated into her chair and rubbed at her eyes with her forehoof. She cast a glance over her desk; her knick knacks and papers strewn about and spattered with spilled wine. Letting out a soft sigh, she began cleaning up the mess. Shuffling some of the papers around, her hoof bumped into the grooved wooden grip of 4859’s weapon. A grim, violent thought traced seductively across her mind, before being brushed aside. Turning back to regard the enclosure, she searched once again for 4859. She found him soon enough, staring back at her through the dark. Maltenics set her mouth into a thin drawn line, and silently prayed that her humans could trump whatever abomination the Archmage was paying Forge to create.

________________________________________________________________

Jack’s eyes fluttered open as the enclosure lights slowly brightened, simulating daylight and waking him from his dreamless sleep. Through crud-sealed eyes, he scanned the room before rubbing at his eyes ineffectively. The Equestrian humans were slowly waking up, their chirps and mewls slowly growing to a quiet din. Pushing himself to his feet, Jack yawned tiredly as he stretched. The larger man, 3901, was already up, and busying himself with trying to repair his adidas track kilt. Elissa was slowly waking as well, her grubby locks of red hair bedraggled from sleeping on the grass. Jack’s eyes paused on her for a moment too long, and he gave his head a shake to clear his thoughts away like cobwebs. His attentions lingered on Akasha, who had split herself from the group shortly after her child had been ripped away by the ponies.

Would a kind gesture even be understood? Would it matter?

Slumping his shoulders in self-defeat, Jack plodded over to the woman who laid on her side, curled up into a ball. When he sat down next to her, the woman only momentarily glanced up from her arms towards him; her eyes glistening with tears.

It matters.

Without pause, Jack reached out and wrapped his arms carefully around the dirty, naked woman and pulled her halfway onto his lap. Cradling her head against his chest, Jack softly stroked her matted, greasy mane of hair in an attempt to console the grieving mother. Akasha didn’t bother fighting the embrace; her weak huffs and whining stuck like tacks inside Jack’s mind as she gripped at him and sobbed. Jack held her close and closed his eyes as his mood fouled darkly.

I’ll get him back.

The upper enclosure doors slowly began opening, revealing the recently awoken handlers. Jack sneered hard, and gave Akasha one final pet as he began getting up. Akasha pulled at him, chirping frantically at him. Pulling away from the woman, Jack leveled his smoldering gaze on the doors and the ponies that stood nearby. They were keenly fixated upon him, obviously there to take him to some other test. A plan hatched deep in Jack’s mind; his eyes falling on the pony with the fresh bandages over his recently broken nose. The mare with the pink mane was there as well, wearing her lab coat and carrying a clipboard. She smiled at Jack, but it faltered slightly when he smiled back like a vicious animal.

What about the shiv?

Save it. Recon.

Jack rolled his neck slowly, grunting in base pleasure as it popped loudly. The handlers approached slowly, and the noise of the enclosure increased. The other humans had finally noticed the ponies, and were making themselves heard. Jack’s eyes flicked down over the scientists coat; spying a name tag that read ‘Poppy Gallipoli’. Jack took a step forward, eliciting some nervous looks and readied cattle prods. The stallion with the broken nose got a little too close with his cattle prod, obviously wanting a bit of revenge for the pain. Without breaking step, Jack’s hand shot out like lightning, wrapping around the shaft of the prod to pull the pony towards him. Or, more specifically, his bootheel. The sound of soft tissue collapsing and pained, shrill screaming set an enthused grin on Jack’s face as he used the stolen cattle prod to earn himself a bit more breathing room. The handlers backed up considerably, and yelled for backup. Giving the prod a twirl in his hand, Jack made eye contact with Poppy.

The mare had stood her ground, and had passed her clipboard off to one of the handlers. She seemed unphased by the sudden violence as she took a step toward Jack. She smiled softly toward him, and spoke with the same tone one would use when coercing a dog forward. “Come on 4859, we’re not going to hurt you. I promise.”

Play along. Make them think you’re obedient.

Dropping the active prod onto the moaning handler, Jack cocked his head innocently and smiled at the mare as the handler screamed bloody murder as he was shocked. Seemingly uncaring toward the suffering handler, Poppy gently set a collar around Jack’s neck, and then a lead to it. “We don’t want you wandering off now.” She smiled sweetly, and motioned for him to follow. “Come on 4859, you get to go for a run today! Doesn’t that sound fun?” Poppy led him out of the enclosure, the large doors shutting behind him and the entourage of wranglers and handlers. The pink maned mare led him through the twisting white sanitized halls, until they reached a testing chamber. All manner of equipment was set up through the room, and several other scientists were present. Poppy led him through, and unclipped the lanyard as she joined the other scientists. Jack’s eyes flitted about, scanning the room. With the additional scientists in the room and not separated by a thick glass wall, the guards were on high alert. They all looked ready to pounce on him for doing so much as scratching his ass aggressively.

Breaking off from the group, Poppy led him over to the first machine, a treadmill. She motioned for him to get on it. “It’s okay, it’s not going to hurt you, we’re just going to run some tests.” Jack mentally rolled his eyes as he stepped onto the treadmill and felt it sag ever so slightly under his weight. The mare’s horn flashed, and the tread glowed under Jack’s boots. He arched a brow, before realizing it had no engine, and that she had to power it with her magic. The other scientists approached, and started attaching all sorts of probes to his body. Poppy started the rollers with her magic and smiled at him with encouragement. “Let’s see if you can beat the two kilometer record! There’ll be a reward if you can.”

Reward? For a 2k?

Jack fought back a laugh as he started off at a very slow walk.

This is going to be too easy.

Ten kilometers later, Jack was regretting having not stretched. He slowed, before letting the treadmill spit him off toward the ponies. A number of scientists were yammering back and forth, and the others approached him without a single care for their personal well being. They poked and prodded at his metal legs, while Jack wiped the sweat from his brow. Poppy smiled strangely toward him, sending an uncomfortable chill down Jack’s spine. “Good boy! You get to have a bath and a surprise!”

Jack’s pride deflated thoroughly as he shot a glare at the mare, who maintained her sunny disposition as if nothing were wrong. This bitch… okay, maybe a bath won’t be so bad. He tuned out the other scientists and their workings, allowing the rest of the tests to breeze by like nothing. Apparently they’d never had a soldier to test before; each test feeling like a dumbed down morning PT session. In the back of his mind, his thoughts went to the physical training that he’d done with Flitter. Without pause, he slapped the thoughts away and scowled as he was led out of the testing room.

Don’t you dare miss her. She sold you out. She did this. Flitter will get what’s coming to her. Her and that little prick Field. I’ll get them both back for this.

Jack forced his train of thought back onto the track of the present just as Poppy led him into what looked to be a washing area. The mare paused there for a long moment, as if considering something. Rolling his eyes, Jack began slipping out of his stiff cammies. She let out a quiet, hurried breath, before shaking her head. “Okay, time for your surprise.” She turned to the wrangles and nodded. “Bring her in please.”

Her?

The wranglers returned shortly, prodding along a very unhappy looking Elissa. Jack groaned inwardly as he sat at the edge of the large tub. Poppy glanced up at Elissa and frowned, before speaking. “You two, get clean. Cleeaaaan. Okay? Okay.” She cast her eyes back over to Jack for a long moment, before turning tail on the room and closing the door. Elissa huffed unhappily, before looking over toward Jack. Her eyes went from her half naked ex-fiance, to the tub of hot, soapy water. Making her decision right then and there, Elissa cast one last glance toward Jack, and began undressing. Jack’s eyes flicked over to the woman, taking in every curve that had once been his.

No. Nono. NO. Bad. It doesn’t matter how attractive she is. It doesn’t. It doesn’t matter how much you loved her.

Jack shook his head, and looked down at his metal legs. He sighed, and slipped off the last of his clothes, before lowering himself into the water. A quiet, almost impassioned groan escaped his lips as he sank in fully, drawing Elissa’s attentions. She laughed quietly, before shaking her head and joining him.

The pair sat across from each other, neither willing to move now that they’d sat down. Sinking into the water until only his eyes and the rest of his head were above water, Jack stared at Elissa. Said woman rolled her eyes, and rubbed her cheek, before signing. {Want me to get your back?}

Snorting out bubbles into the bath, Jack lifted himself up to shoot off a snippy reply. {What about Paul?}

Elissa seemed to have been expecting this, as she sighed, and smiled weakly. {Paul has been dead for almost ten years Jack. He died during the war.} Jack blinked slowly as he sat up in the tub. Elissa lowered her gaze to the soapy waters and shook her head. {It’s been ten years since you…} Her hands trailed off, as if she were building the courage to create the final word. {Died.} Jack sank into the waters again, his mind dumbstruck as she continued on. {I’ve had ten years to regret what happened. I always wanted to just… explain what happened. You have all the right to hate me Jack; I know I did for a long time.} Looking up at Elissa, Jack couldn’t bring himself to glare at her. He simply shrugged as a motion for her to continue. {When you went MIA, they pronounced you KIA. They found your legs, and presumed you dead. I grieved Jack. I grieved for months. I loved you, and you were just gone. Paul was a mistake, I’ll admit that openly.} She took a moment to collect her thoughts, before continuing. {When you suddenly came back into my life, I’d already moved on. I hated myself so much for not waiting, for not having faith in you, or us, I just… I lashed out, and I hurt you even more. For years, I regretted that every day that went by.} Elissa got up from her spot in the water, and moved closer to Jack, taking a seat at his side as she gently placed her hand over his own. She slowly mouthed ‘I’m sorry’.

Swallowing thickly, Jack curled his fingers around Elissa’s and closed his eyes. Breaking off for a moment, he looked over to her and signed back. {I’d like it if you got my back.} Elissa smiled softly, and nodded as she moved around behind him, and began washing his back. Her fingers stopped dead when she came close to his brand. She traced her hand around it, before wrapping her deceptively strong arms around his broad chest to hug him tightly. Resting his head against hers, Jack closed his eyes and let one of his hands sink down to rest of the wonderfully soft flesh of her thigh.

I’m getting you out of here too. We’re all getting out of here. I promise.

I promise.