Pain woke Jack up, like it had every day he’d managed to fall asleep. It wasn't sharp or piercing like a lot of pain he’d felt before; it was more akin to a murmur that grew into a dull roar that steadily dragged him back to the land of the waking. He was on his back, staring up at the ceiling and watching the fan slowly spin above him. Earth’s sun shone brightly through the curtains, causing him to lift a scarred arm to shield his eye from its judging glare. He could hear the others moving around in the barracks, getting together to make something to eat and check out the firebase properly. They’d arrived some time early in the morning, when the world was pitch black, and hadn't gotten a chance to do much more than secure the perimeter and set down their heavy bags.

There was a lot of work that needed to be done if the old outpost was going to be much use to JSOG, but that wasn't exactly his job anymore, was it? He was supposed to just keep them from ending up in prison, a government lab, or addicted to meth. Something he’d just about failed to do upon arrival, seeing as how he himself had been mere inches away from being arrested.

Knuckles quietly rapped off his wood door, earning a grunt from him as he squeezed his eye shut. “Jack? We’re making breakfast.” Taven’s voice beckoned. At Jack’s responding groan, he carefully opened the door and peered in. “You sleep alright?” He questioned as he slipped in and closed the door behind him.

“No.” Sitting up with a pained groan, Jack scowled at nothing in particular as he felt for his cigarettes. Finding the crumbled package still empty, he let out a disgruntled grunt.

“How are you feeling?” Taven carefully sat down on the foot of the bed, and idly fidgeted with his new fingers.

Jack simply opened his eye, and fixed his dark skinned friend with a stare that said everything. At Taven’s weak chuckle, Jack slumped his shoulders and rubbed at his intact cheek. “What kind of breakfast?”

“Pancakes, some fruit, and get this, real bacon!” The batpony turned human grinned from ear to ear, flashing his aggressive canines. “I've never had real bacon!”

“I’m up, I’m up… fuck.” Jack muttered as he rolled out of bed with all the grace of a dead cow. As he’d flopped into the small twin sized bed with all of his clothes on, he didn’t need to get dressed.

With a near giddy prance in his step, Taven led the still groggy Jack to the mess hall. The mess hall was attached to the barracks, so thankfully he wasn't forced to step out into the blazing sun just yet. The hall itself was rather large, meant to hold around a hundred and fifty marines at any given time. The smell of pancakes and sizzling bacon filled the room as the rangers all sat about the central tables and chatted. Walter was behind the line, flipping flapjacks as he listened to some sort of catchy pop song.

Spotting the pair enter, Flitter lifted a hand and waved to them. Taven waved back, while Jack simply lifted his head slightly. Looking over his shoulder, Walter grinned at the sight. “Morning, Jack! Sleep well?”

“Like a baby.” Jack muttered as he grabbed a plate and scooped up some breakfast. “woke up every fifteen minutes to scream and cry.”

“Uuhhhhh…”

“I’m joking, Walter.” Jack piled a small portion of food onto his plate, before grabbing a big cup of coffee and ambling slowly to Flitter’s table. Finishing up on the line, Walter swiftly joined them.

Looking up from her flapjacks and fruit, Flitter gave Jack a well meaning smile. “Morning, Jack. You’re as much of a morning person as I remember.”

“Morn’ Sparky.” He sat down with a groan, before stabbing into his food. “S’good pancakes.”

Looking like a happy fat kid, Walter squirmed in his seat as he positively beamed with glee. “Thank you! I just make them how my Dad used to; grease the pan with bacon grease and add some blueberries to the batter!” The quiet conversations in the mess hall ground to a halt immediately, causing the big man to slow his chewing and look around. “...What?”

“You… cooked them in meat grease?” Minerva asked as she slowly turned a peculiar shade of green. More than a few of the rangers traded nervous glances between each other and their pancakes.

“Oh dammit! You’re all vegetarians! You should have told me, Grudd on a greenie! I’m so sorry, I’ll-”

“It’s fine!” Flitter exclaimed as she set down her fork and looked to everyone else. “We’re biologically human now, people. Meat is a part of the human diet, so it won’t kill you.”

Taven grinned as he finished his plate. “Anyone who still doesn't want theirs, I'll take them!”

Pushing her plate away, Minerva shook her head as she stood. “I’ll be… bathroom…”

A pale green aura surrounded the discarded plate, and slid it toward Taven. The batpony Ee’d happily before tucking in once again. Baron gave him a little grin and a nod as she sat back, and sipped at her coffee. The peace didn’t last long, as Walter let out a little scream. “W-WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?! How!? WHAT!?!”

Groaning quietly, Jack thumped his head into the table. “Inside voice, you gigantic bastard…”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, just… how did you-”

Slowly quirking a brow at the display, the realization struck flitter like a ton of bricks. “You’ve never seen magic before, have you Mr. Barnes?”

“Magic?” Walter’s face slowly screwed up in confusion and disbelief. “That’s not… possible?”

“Neither is me being alive.” Jack muttered around the piece of bacon pinned between his lips.

“Ah… point…”

Smiling, Flitter leaned forward and crossed her arms on the table. “Would you like a demonstration?”

Despite his trepidation, the big man nodded quickly and happily. “Please! An explanation would be great.”

“It's all pretty simple. Where we’re from, our species has three separate trees. Those like myself and Taven have wings, and can fly. Minerva’s people are deeply connected to the earth, and are very strong. Then, there’s people like Mythic, who can control magic outright. All of us have it in our bodies, but only the specific branch can use it fully.”

As Walter nodded and looked about, he pointed at Baron. “She’s a magic user?”

“I’m a changeling.” Baron spoke with a hint of pride, earning a little smile of approval from Mythic.

“And that means…?” Walter’s eyes went wide as he pulled away from Baron as she was engulfed in green flame. He froze mid-horrified scream when he found himself staring at a carbon copy of himself. Walter-Baron smirked and waved.

“Magic use, flight, and infiltration specialties.” Walter blinked owlishly as Walter-Baron spoke with his voice.

Pulling himself away from his food, Taven stopped eating long enough to toss in a quip. “They also feed off emotions.”

“I thought you didn’t like my food…” Walter murmured nervously as he stood well away from his carbon copy. “Could you… change? Please?” He let out a sigh of relief when she nodded, and shifted back to her usual form.

“My people and the Captain’s have… had some issues. Recently. I’m one of the good guys, so don’t worry. Here, let me show you some magic!”

As Walter moved back forward, Jack pulled out of his seat and set his tray to the side. “I’m going to town to get smokes. Don’t burn the house down.”

“Oh! I can drive you to town, Jack.” Walter said as he moved to stand back up. “I need to drive back anyways, I’ve got work later today.”

“I need some fresh air.” Jack said mildly as he ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair.

Despite his best attempts, Walter looked disappointed. “Alright. I understand. How are the omnilinks working?” He asked, redirecting his attentions to those around him.

“They’re working fine, as far as I can tell.” Flitter answered as she brought up her hardlight display and fiddled with it. “I think Aurora is still hiding in the barracks with hers. Jack, if you’re going that way, could you get her to come and eat something?” At his wave as he walked out the door, Flitter sighed. “Alright… where were we?”

“Magic!” Walter grinned happily.

“Right.” Flitter smiled back at him as she set her tray aside. “Magic.”

Slowly limping back through the barracks, Jack allowed his shoulders to slump and his eye to close momentarily as he trudged along.

So, what’s the point of pretending you’re not utterly fucked? I’m curious.

“Go away. Please.” Jack murmured as he pushed open his door and grabbed his jacket. His long neglected wallet followed, along with two of the ten cred sticks.

We both know that’s not going to happen, after you threw away our best chance at ending the war.

“You don’t give a fuck about the war.” Securing his ballcap on his head, Jack started for the door. “I don’t know what you were planning. I don’t really care either.”

Then why stop me?

“Imma level with you. Pure spite. Well, okay, not pure spite. Ninety five percent spite, five percent wanting Celestia to live long enough for me to punch her fuckin’ face off.”

Eheh...hehhehh...hahahHAHAHAHHHHHAAAHH! The cackling inside his head was beginning to give him a headache, but despite that, Jack smirked. That’s good! You’re a human after my own heart, Jack!

“Uh huh.” Continuing down the hall, Jack came to a slow halt as he peered inside one of the barracks rooms. Inside, Aurora was hanging upside down from the rafters, her eyes glued to the glowing screen in front of her. To top off the scene, she’d apparently forgotten that humans normally wore clothes. Despite his best intentions, his eye lingered and drifted for a long moment before he forced it to the ground.

Goodness, Jack! Taking advantage of your charges like that! Shaaaame.

Clearing his throat loudly enough to get the bat-girl’s attention, Jack kept his attentions secured on the floor. “You’re going to miss breakfast.”

“I’ll be alright without it…” She mumbled as she rapidly flicked through and read whatever she had on her screen. “I don't have time to stop… so much to learn…”

“Walter made real bacon.”

The tech specialist crashed to the floor with a bat-squeak, and launched herself toward the door, only to be caught around the waist by Jack.

“Clothes, ‘Rora. You can’t be prancing around naked.”

Pulling herself away from his arm, Aurora nodded and scratched at her neck. “Right! Yeah, yeah I knew that! Totally! Yeah, I knew that…” Quickly backpedalling into her room, she stooped over to collect her clothes.

Jack fought very hard to avert his eye, but in the end he found he was still human. Ooh lala! Jackie boy, naughty naughty! He grunted quietly and let his shoulders slump as he looked off to the side. “You finding that thing alright?” He gestured toward her omnilink as she bounced up and down to squeeze into her uniform.

“It’s amazing! The implications alone in communication are staggering! Did you know, that the humans launch devices known as ‘satellites’ into their planet’s orbit to bounce signals off of? It’s ingenious! And don’t even get me started on their old rocketry programs!”

Despite everything going through his head, Jack managed a sincere smile as Aurora finally pulled on her shirt. “I’m glad you’re liking things so far. Don’t burn yourself out though, we’ve got plenty of time.”

“Yes yes, of course… Jack, where do I put my bits into it? I want to buy something but by all the stars I just can’t figure it out! The google box doesn't know either, and it knows everything!”

Caught between suspicion and humor, Jack let his mouth fall open slightly as he scratched his cheek and fought back a chuckle. “Let uh… let me see. What are you trying to buy?” He glanced at the screen as she tilted it his way, and his humor immediately died. “Jack Junior VI? Aurora…”

“Please Jack! He’s such an adorable little creature, and he could really help with my research!” Aurora clasped her hands in front of her chest, pleading.

Rolling his eye, Jack nodded in defeat. “Fine, fine… but on some conditions!” He held up a finger for emphasis.

“Of course! Anything!” The woman was grinning wide, her fangs shining in the morning light.

“You limit yourself to eleven hours a day with two half hour breaks. You get enough sleep, and you eat right.”

“Deal!”

“If you start neglecting yourself, I’ll delete the little bastard.” Jack warned as he pulled out his credit stick and looked at the device. His mind drew a blank as to how he was supposed to use it. No information was present on the stick. Not a name, not a string of numbers, nothing. “uhhhh…” He pushed the stick into the interface of the device, and was rewarded with a ping, and a bright green checkmark popping up on the screen. “There, done! I'm an expert with human shit.” He thumbed his nose lightly, before smiling flatly as Aurora glued herself to the screen again. “Food, ‘Rora.”

“Almoooost… EeeeeeeeeEE! It’s finished!” She hopped from foot to foot as a little chime played, and Jack’s bastardized voice sounded from it.

“Hiya! I’m Jack Jr, your new virtual assistant!”

“Hello again JJ!”

Shaking his head, Jack continued toward the door. “Lord help me.”

The sun outside was shining brilliantly, blinding him the moment he made the mistake of setting foot outside. Wincing in pain, he lifted an arm to shield himself as he adjusted his ballcap. The barracks faced the two large hangars, which were attached directly to the short runway. The hangars had seen better days, as tarps hung from sections of roof to keep the Cascadian rains out. Rust clung to most surfaces, and the runway itself was a patchwork of cracked concrete and growing weeds. Long empty aviation fuel tanks squatted next to the hangars, and a drooping chain link fence surrounded the dilapidated compound. It wasn’t all bad though. The barracks was renovated, had power, hot water, and a passable internet connection. There was a small amount of food stored in the kitchen, and a lot of beer.

The laundry list of things that had to be done was longer than the runway, but right then, Jack only had one thing on his mind.

“I need a fuckin’ smoke…”

I thought you wanted fresh air?”

“I want some peace and quiet more. And a fucking dart. Maybe a hand job.” He shrugged lightly, before plugging in his headphones. “Drowning you out now.”

So rude.

As he flicked through his music selection, Jack noticed a long shadow approaching him, belonging to a short man with a slightly rounded face. Simoh’s eyes flicked about nervously as he approached. “Captain Kessle?”

Pulling out his earbuds, Jack grunted back. “I’m not ranked anymore Simoh. Something wrong?”

“Have you been inside Hangar Two yet?” The griffon turned man pulled at his collar before wiping sweat away from his brow.

“Nope. Simoh, it’s twenty degrees out, you can’t possibly be sweating.”

“This place is very warm!” Simoh complained, before looking over toward the hangar he’d mentioned. “There’s a vehicle in the hangar. A big one. I thought you might want to see it.”

Nodding lightly, Jack stowed his earbuds and began to follow Simoh. The side door to hangar two was newer than the hangar itself, and wasn’t covered in rust. Another replacement. It opened on quiet hinges, and Jack soon found himself inside the dark, cool hangar. “Pretty nice in here.” He muttered as his skin goosed against the change in temperature. “So, where-” He stopped mid sentence when he spotted the vehicle Simoh had mentioned. “That… is a tank.” Specifically, it was an Invasion Era Leopard 4B3 fast attack tank, a model he’d fought alongside against the Corvellans. The 120mm smoothbore atomic cannon was warped at the end and the secondary coaxial turret was half melted, likely from a Corvellan plasma lance by the looks of the bubbled metal and fused plates. The forest camouflage paint was chipped and deeply faded, he could see the composite armour underneath in more than one spot. A large overhead crane sat above the vehicle, likely waiting for the restoration project.

Slowly approaching the slumbering beast, Jack raised a hand and ran it along the length of the damaged barrel.

“Could we use it?” Simoh asked quietly as he watched Jack mount the vehicle.

“Maybe…” Jack sat down on the turret, his hand not leaving the metal. “She’s an old girl. It’d take a lot of work. He grinned softly upon seeing words stenciled across the segmented armour.

“Pride, huh?” Jack patted the armour as he started to clamber down. “I’ll ask Walter about it when I get the chance. If we had the KtHE’s these were usually kitted with, you could swat Imperial ships right out the air if you had the right trajectory. I wonder… does she got the booty?” He wheeled around to the back of the tank, where the vent cowlings were marked with faded trefoil warning markers. Popping open the maintenance hatch, he found himself grinning a lot more. “She dooooo…”

Walking over with stilted, short little steps, Simoh stood on his tiptoes to see into the compartment. “What is it?”

“It still has the original nuclear fusion engine.” Jack said with a grin. “The reactor in my armour is like a double A battery compared to this beast. Lets see the spec sheet…” Squinting at the grime covered panel, his eyes flicked over the technical specifications. “Argus 5450 Light Fusion reactor, ambient operational temperature of three hundred and ten degrees, critical failure ceiling of five hundred… output of one hundred and thirty megawatts… yeah, looks about right.” Jack looked over the vehicle in appreciation. “It’s no kit-car, but it’s the next best thing.”

“I have not the faintest clue of what you’re talking about.” Simoh admitted as he looked over the metal beast.

“It’s a sixty eight tonne cart that can move at ninety five kilometers an hour without anybody pulling it. It’s a force multiplier, especially when the other guys don’t have anything to counter it. Besides naval guns, but that’s where the speed comes into play.”

“These are all good things?”

Jack nodded. “Christ sake, you don’t even need the guns. That powerplant puts out enough foot pounds of torque and horsepower, you could win the war just by running everybody the fuck over.”

Simoh nodded, as if he understood the strings of technical jargon Jack was idly throwing around. “Ah, yes. The foot pounds of torque. Of course.”

Sighing quietly, Jack closed the maintenance panel and wiped his hand on his pant leg. “I’m headed to town. Don’t get eaten by a bear or something.” Opening the door, Jack walked back into the sunlight, only to find that his day was about to get a whole lot worse.

The gunmetal grey shuttle swooped low over the mountain, it’s vectoring thrusters firing rapidly to control its descent as it came in for a landing on the pads by the hangar. Jack narrowed his eye at the shuttle as it passed by overhead, he figured it to be roughly 12 meters long, with stubby wings and four large thrusters sitting on the back in addition to the smaller vectoring thrusters. During his brief look over it, his eye immediately widen in panic when he caught sight of the insignia stenciled on the tail.

The same insignia that had been stenciled on his old chestplate. The insignia belonging to Hades International Security.

“SIMOH!” Jack barked, earning a surprised squawk. “Get inside and tell the others to put a lid on the magic shit, now!” Without a peep, the sniper took off across the tarmac at an awkward sprint. He’d just gotten inside when the shuttle touched down, and the side door hissed open. “What fucking now…” Jack muttered as he approached. As he slowly moved closer to the vessel, two very large men clambered out and secured their heavy looking carbines. Each one looked to be bigger than Walter, easily standing at seven feet tall and clearly rippling with thick muscle. They stared at him from behind oakley sunglasses, and wore well tailored business suits. As Jack opened his mouth to speak, a third man stepped out, and Jack’s heart dropped into his stomach.

Dr. Blackburn smiled brightly at Jack as he adjusted his tie. “Good morning Jack! You’re looking well for a dead hero!”

“And you’re looking pretty spry for somebody older than dirt.” Jack retorted sharply as he came to a stop a few meters away from the doctor. The doctor was a good fifteen years older than Jack, yet he looked no older than his late thirties. He looked better than Jack, and held himself with far more confidence.

Ernest Blackburn chuckled as he looked over his shoulder at his guards. “He was always a cheeky boy, don’t mind him.” The doctor laced his hands behind his back as he looked back to Jack. “Now, imagine my surprise, when your bio-tag popped back up after eighty five years of being dead! I would have passed it off as a system glitch, but with Delta King still strapped to you, and your… eeehhh, shall we say, lack of subtlety, I couldn’t come up with any tangible excuse, so I just decided to come see you for myself!”

“Well.”Jack lifted his arms slightly, before letting them fall back to his sides. “You’ve had your look.”

“That I have.”

A long, painful silence fell upon the pair as Jack scowled and Ernest smiled amiably. “What do you want, Blackburn?”

With his fingers laced behind his back, the older man began to pace down the tarmac, his eyes going to the barracks. “I’ve come to say hello, see you with my own eyes. It’s been quite awhile, after all.”

“Bullshit.” Jack spat the word out with venom, causing Ernest’s smile to fade slightly.

“Jack, your prickly personality certainly hasn't improved with age. I’m extending a kindness and not calling in a retrieval team for you and the nuclear weapon in your possession, so let’s keep this civil, shall we?” Blackburn turned to face him again. “After all, you are still Pantheon property. If you want to make this unpleasant for everybody, including your new friends, stay your course. My two friends here are more than willing, and capable, to make sure my interests are seen to.”

Blackburn’s amber eyes slowly burrowed into Jack’s head, leaving him with a deep chill down his spine, and a lump of ice in his stomach. “And what are your interests now? Still in the business of making super soldiers?” Jack did his best to fight his bitter tone and keep his eye solely on the doctor.

“Of course.” Blackburn’s smile returned twofold. “And let me tell you, my boy. Business is good.”

“So… Pantheon, huh? I guess the greek deity shtick has stuck a little.”

“You could say that. The company’s reach has grown a lot further while you’ve been gone. You’d be hard pressed to find a terran habitat without us on it in some way. Media, security, administration, you name it.” The older man adjusted his tie as he squared up to Jack. “Let’s skip the small talk, shall we? You were always awful at it.”

“Alright.” Jack maintained his icy composure as he sized up the two body guards.

“May I come inside?” Ernest gestured toward the barracks. “We have a lot to talk about.”

Shaking his head, Jack stood his ground. “No sir. It’s under renovation. And no, I don't think we do. I know what you want.”

Sighing lightly, Blackburn set his hands on his hips. “You’d be partially correct no matter what you say. We’d love to have you back, Jack. We have plenty to offer you. Forthcoming, a new face. Maybe a fix for that rather nasty limp you’ve developed. But, I think you’d just brush off those offers. So, keeping with what I said earlier, I’ve just come to exchange pleasantries, and a gift. Take them, and I’ll be out of your hair. For now.” As Jack’s intact brow raised in suspicion, Blackburn pulled a data-drive from his suit pocket. “Information about your family, and other info I feel you’d be deeply interested in.” In his other hand, he drew out a thin black case. “And this is a little taste of what you could have if you come back to the fold.” He offered both to Jack, who cautiously took both items. “My contact information is on the drive. Give me a call if you decide that you’re ready to stop hiding in the woods, and help humanity again. The people need a hero.”

Flashing Jack with a smile, Blackburn turned on his heels, and started for the shuttle again. As he ascended the ramp, he turned his head ever so slightly. “Oh, before I forget. Welcome home, Jack.”

The trio of men loaded back up into the shuttle, and as swiftly as they’d come, Doctor Blackburn and his guards were gone. Only when the shuttle disappeared into the cloud layer did Jack let out the ragged breath he’d been holding. “Fuck.” His eye drifted down to the two items he held, and again he cursed.

The barracks door clattered, drawing his attention to the platoon as they left the building and made a beeline toward him. “Jack!” Flitter was in the lead, her features contorted in concern and worry. “What’s going on? Who was that guy?”

His answer was a long time coming as his eye lingered on data drive, while he stealthily slipped the black case into his back pocket. “That guy....” Sighing quietly, Jack stowed the data drive in his pocket. “Is the biggest threat this expedition will ever know. The biggest one your whole damn planet might know if he pushes the right way.”

“What?” Flitter asked as she reached his side. “What do you mean? If he’s such a threat, why-”

“Because he’s willing to pretend he’s not a ruthless cunt.” Jack ran a hand through his hair. “He wants me back. Wants answers.”

Walter looked up toward where the shuttle had disappeared. “You said he was a threat… what...”

“He is.” Jack made a fist. “He can’t know about any of you. Not where you’re from, not what you are, not what you can do.”

“He didn't look that tough.” Minerva crossed her arms under her bust. “So what if he had some big humans with him? We’re armed to the teeth.”

Jack simply shook his head. “Because he made me what I am. He makes super men. Those boys are current gen, is my guess.” He stood there for a moment, trying to put everything together as everyone stared at him awaiting more details. “If he ever found out about magic, or god forbid, what Forge is doing?”Jack shuddered at the thought. “God have mercy on everybody that isn't human… because he sure as hell won’t.” He shook his head as he began to walk back to the barracks.

“Jack, wait! How the hell did he even know you? It’s been years!” Flitter followed after Jack, and a good portion of the group followed her in turn.

“He must be sampling his own supply.” Jack said out loud. “His name is Doctor Ernest Blackburn, he’s the creator and leading mind behind the Longbow program. He’s a true blue human patriot, Einstein level IQ, and a vicious bastard through and through.” Jack looked over his shoulder at her, his eye conveying fear he didn’t want her to see. “If he finds out about JSOG, what Forge, and Carolus did to me will look like a sunday playdate compared to what he’ll do to you.”

Caught badly off guard by the look in his eye, Flitter waved off the others as she followed Jack back to his room. “So what do we do?”

He paused upon entering his room; his hand twitching idly as he racked his brain. “...I don’t know. Play along. Hope he doesn’t get wise. Pray he doesn’t get bored playing nice.” Jack’s shoulders slumped deep as he exhaled. “Fuck.”

Flitter couldn't help but mirror his curse. “Alright… Well, not much we can do about it right now. What did he give you?”

Again, his answer took some time to form as he slowly pulled the data-drive from his pocket. “Information about my family. It’s nothing I couldn't have figured out on my own, but…” He held it between his fingers as he stared. “Can I be honest with you?” He spoke softly.

“Of course, Jack.” Flitter reached for his hand, before hesitating, and letting her own fall back to her side.

“I’m scared of what I’m gonna find.” He sighed softly before reaching up and rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I know what I’m going to find, I just… I need some time alone. I need to... think, process all of this shit.”

Slowly closing her eyes to hide the pain that lay bare, Flitter nodded, even though he couldn’t see it. “Okay. I’ll get everyone to give you some space. Just… don’t forget, you aren’t alone, Jack. If you need anything, anything at all, I’m just down the hall.”

“Thanks… that…” He swallowed thickly as he pinched the bridge of his nose harder. “That really means alot to me.”

Once Flitter left the room, Jack slowly eased himself down onto his bunk with a deep exhale. He sat there for a long moment, before drawing out the two items Blackburn had gifted him. He set aside the thumb drive, before regarding the slim black case. Out of curiosity, he popped the lid.

Inside sat a thin autoinjector, and a vial of viscous grey fluid that shone with metallic essence. The vial was without any markings, save for a bold ‘1’.

The first taste of what he could have if he came back. An upgraded formula. Something more, maybe. Jack’s eye lingered on it for a long moment, before he shook his head and closed the case. Setting it aside in the night table, he grabbed his new laptop and stuck in the thumb drive. After a moment, the computer recognized the drive, and spat up some options at him. Selecting the primary folder, he found himself slightly taken aback by the contents. He’d expected the folder labeled ‘Kessle’, but what he wasn’t expecting, were the two other folders labeled ‘Chevelle’, and ‘History’. A single file stood aside the others likely containing the good doctor’s contact details.

His cursor hovered over the folder labelled Kessle for a long moment, before his final act of hesitation kicked in, and he clicked Chevelle. Popping up before him, was all of the information about his ex-fiance he could have ever asked for. Curious, he began to read.

Most of it fit with what she’d told him in the labs, that Paul had died and she’d stayed with the company. She’d neglected to mention the foundation, but he decided that he was glad she’d let it slip. She’d spent nearly eight years building the foundation, gathering the backing and securing the resources both human and material. Eight long years, trying to atone for what had taken a minute to do. As he read, Jack began to idly massage his left ring finger. She’d done a good job, if what Walter had to say about it was any measure to it. However, near the end of the brief history lesson, he found himself pausing. She’d been reported dead, ten years after he’d been ‘killed’. She’d suffered a stroke in her office, and had fallen over backwards, striking the back of her head on her desk. She’d died shortly after due to the resulting hemorrhage.

Sitting back, Jack blinked in confusion as he stared at the morgue report. That wasn’t right, and he knew it. She’d been dragged to Equestria, tested on, and shot to death with his gun.

It’s a little mystery, isn’t it? Makes you wonder~

Morbid curiosity slowly overtook Jack as he opened up his search engine and typed in a name.

Corporal Ada Forth.

It took him a few minutes, but eventually he found what he was looking for. Reading the article, he found himself mumbling the contents out loud. “Collapsed during a routine training exercise, later declared dead on the scene?” His brow shot up into his fringe. “Brain aneurysm? What the… fuuuuck?” His morbid curiosity only continued to grow as he punched in another name.

Petyr Morozov.

“Heart attack!?”

Slowly lifting a hand to cover his mouth, Jack plugged in one more name. “Max.... slipped on… HAH!” The laugh wasn’t one of humor, rather one of pained shock. “Slipped on a stray burger patty at his workplace and suffered a skull fracture… oh god… Mark… you didn’t…”

Didn’t do what? The voice in his head sounded impossibly smug; the sound drove a spike through his heart.

“Did you kill everybody?” Jack growled harshly as he stared at the combined windows.

Not entirely. I merely ripped you all away at the right moment, just before you died. I’ll admit, with your lovely ex, I may have… eheh, coerced events a little. But that being said, I never killed anybody, honest!

Clamping down on his wrist as his hand started to shake, Jack sneered at the floor. “You son of a bitch… And those people who got sent back, what happened to them?”

That one, you can blame on Celestia. She purged them of my shards. If she hadn’t, they might have survived the trip. Maybe not the landing, but the trip.

“So what would have happened to me without your shard?”

Oh I’m not so certain… Likely your head would have popped like a rotten egg and your body would follow suite. What a horrible sight for your friends that would have been, huh? Hehehehahahahaaaah!

Staring at the floor, Jack slowly shook his head as he ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair. “I need a smoke.”

It was going to be a long nine months.

Day three on earth. Flitter let out a controlled breath as she finished another lap across the tarmac. The second day of Jack being locked away and hiding from everybody else. She’d hardly seen him at all, and when she did, it was only in passing. With each time she caught a temporary glance at him, he managed to look even more heartbroken. Growling, she pushed herself for another lap, her new human legs burning from lactic acid build up, and her shoulder aching badly from the constant bouncing weight of her prosthetic. She had to keep pushing, keep digging deep and forging forward. Everybody was counting on her.

Not just her platoon, not just the princesses, but the entire world. It was an awful weight to have thrown onto her shoulders, but she bore it like the others. Besides, she had all the time in the world to find a way to turn the tide of the most brutal war her world had ever seen.

“No pressure.” She grunted quietly as she finished strong and stretched out. She’d been glad to swap out the coarse maid’s cloth for the human uniform, but by the third day, it was growing a little stiff and smelly. Clothes were among the top priority for the unit. They stuck out badly enough as it was, they didn’t need to look like tactical maids as well.

She’d have to rely on Walter in that aspect. After their initial bumpy meeting, the big man had been all too happy to help out where he could. She was grateful to be sure, but it didn’t sit well with her either.

Casting a long look over the forest, Flitter sighed as the chilly wind caught her sweaty clothes and stuck them to her tough skin. It was supposed to be getting colder. Good training weather.

Looking to hangar one, Flitter’s mind churned into action. The second hangar was a machine shop, so she couldn’t use it for anything. However, the first hangar was empty, and very large. A good place to set up a mock ship interior, and train for CQC. She had a lot to do. Too much. She didn’t have any room for distractions.

Despite that, a distraction seemed intent on working it’s way into her day, in the shape of an older pewter coloured sedan skidding to a stop just outside the gate. Pushing open the door, the driver climbed out and marched to the gate in a huff; Flitter found herself utterly frozen by the sight. From the distance she was at, the woman looked like Ada.

The brown haired woman pulled open the gate and quickly clambered back into her car to drive it into the compound. Flitter rubbed her eyes, before squinting at her as she parked her car and climbed out. The woman began storming toward the barracks; she turned her head momentarily, catching Flitter’s eye. The pair shared a short stare, before the shorter woman pulled open the barracks door and entered.

Flitter’d just broken out of her stunned trance and began to jog toward the barracks when she heard a woman’s angry yell.

“WALTEEEER!!”

“EEEIIIAAAHHHHH!!”

Breaking into a run, Flitter’s mind went to the pistol strapped to her hip as she shouldered her way through the door.

“YOU GIGANTIC JACKASS!!”

“I’M SOOORRRYYYYY!!!”

Jogging down the hall, Flitter passed by a number of confused rangers as she entered the mess hall. She found herself pausing as she watched the huge ex-legionnaire fleeing from the angry short woman who was currently chasing him around the tables with a spatula.

“YOU’LL BE SORRY WHEN I CATCH YOU!” The woman screamed as she jumped a table, causing Walter to cry in terror. With a leap, he left the ground, and clasped the thick truss supporting the roof. There he clung for his life, as the burly girl hopped up and down, taking swipes at his backside with the cooking implement. Each time the spatula made contact, Walter let out a very uncharacteristic girly squeal of terror.

With the crowd of operatives growing, Flitter found herself torn between the need to break the two up, and the want to watch and see how it played out. She was hardly surprised when she heard Jack come to a stop by her side.

“What the fuck?” was all he managed to mutter as he joined in watching the unfolding drama.

“THREE DAYS!” The squat little woman yelled as she circled Walter. “You haven’t even called! And now I find your big dumb ass out here, playing hooky with your buddies!”

“I can explain!” Walter yelled back as he clung to the beam for dear life. He yelped as he was smacked again.

“Explain how the hell we’re gonna have money for rent when you’re taking time off work to come out here!”

Walter reached out toward Jack. “Martyr! Help me!”

“Not even Grudd can save you now!”

Striding forward, Jack pushed headlong into the conflict. “That’s enough.” He reached forward, and plucked the spatula out of the woman’s grasp. “Walter, come down before you pull the roof in with you.”

“Hey!” The woman turned on her heels and pulled at the spatula, onto to find it unbudging under Jack’s exo-grip. “Let go! I need to beat the crap out of my asshole brother!” She looked up to glare at him, but upon seeing each other’s faces, the pair flinched back from the other. “Grudd, you’re an ugly bastard!”

“And you look like a dead brit.”

“JESSICA!” Walter screeched in horror as he fell from the rafter and landed on the table, nearly collapsing it under his weight. “That’s the Martyr! You can’t just say that he’s ugly!”

“That’s not the Martyr, you idiot! The Martyr is dead and he’s supposed to be handsome. Wait, no… don’t tell me this guy is the reason you’ve disappeared!”

“I can explain! And they're paying me! It’s going to be fine, better than fine!”

The stout woman scowled hard, before driving a prodding finger into Walter’s chest. “It better be a good explanation, mister!” She then turned on her heel, and pointed at everybody present. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about the lot of you! Go on! Frigg off!”

“Walter.” Jack spoke clearly, earning the bigger man’s attention immediately. “You got this under control?”

As Jessica opened her mouth to bark an answer into his face, Walter clamped a meaty hand over her mouth and smiled brightly through his fear. “Jack, sir! This… this is my sister, Jessica Barnes! Please don’t mind her, she’s-YEOW!” Quickly removing his hand from his sister’s face, Walter shook his hand in pain. “No biting!”

“I’ll bite you until you explain who the hell all these people are, and why they’re squatting on our property!” The woman took one more glance at Jack, before groaning. “The Martyr… Walter, you spaz!” Separating from the two men, Jessica paced away as she rubbed at her cheeks. “This is just like that time in Carolina!”

“This is nothing like Carolina!” Walter squawked back indignantly. “It’s really him! Jessica! He paid me! He knows things! He’s got the armour, and everything!”

“Honestly the whole ‘I am the real Jack Kessle’ shit got old the first time.” Jack muttered as he pulled a cigarette out of his new package, this package sporting a coffin insignia, and the name ‘Coffin Nails’. Lighting it, he pointed the burning end at the siblings. “Both of you shut the fuck up for a moment.” As the pair went thankfully silent, Jack sat down and took a long drag. “God these taste like Newports… fuck my life.” While he glared at the foul smoke in question, the two siblings took a seat at his table, and Flitter took it upon herself to join the meeting as she waved off the others. With Jessica glaring at both Jack and Flitter, Jack took it upon himself to talk her down. “Look, Miss Barnes. I’m not taking advantage of Walter. He’s helping us out, and I’m paying him very well for it. Whether you want to believe that I’m Jack Kessle or not, is up to you. I honestly don’t give a feathered fuck, so long as you chill out and stop yelling. It’s too early in the morning for that shit.”

“Hrmph.” Jessica sat back, crossing her arms over her chest. “The Martyr Tenants state that you should always rise early and be ready for the day.”

“I don’t know what those are but they piss me off already.”

Smiling weakly, Flitter sat forward and drew the siblings attentions to her as she clasped her hands together. “I’m Knight Captain Falenas, leader of the Joint Special Operations Group. Your brother has been gracious enough to let us live on base for the duration of our stay, but seeing as how this is a property owned by the both of you, I’d like to extend the same courtesies to you as well. We can offer payment in gold or precious gems, and we’ve already begun preparations to help renovate the base for our own training purposes.”

“W-wait, gold and gems?”

Nodding, Flitter continued, keeping Jessica on the backfoot with her manners. “Yes, all we ask is that we’re allowed to stay here, and that you refrain from telling anybody about us.”

As she stared in disbelief, Jessica’s eyes flicked from Flitter, to Jack, and then to Walter. She glanced at Flitter once more, before smiling with exaggerated kindness. “Could you excuse us for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Grabbing Walter by the collar, Jessica promptly dragged him off into the corner. There, Jack and Flitter watched as the two siblings argued in stage whispers and gestured wildly at each other, and the pair at the table.

Snubbing his smoke, Jack slumped against the table. “What would I do without you…”

“It’s getting old, huh?” Flitter reached over, and rubbed the small of his back. “Maybe we should get pamphlets made up.”

“Heh… yeah, maybe. How… how have you been? Settling in alright?” He idly scratched at his neck as Flitter smiled and let her hand rest on the small of his back.

“Well enough… It’s the body that’s taken the most to get used to. How you do it all so easily is beyond me. What about you? You’ve been… hiding.” At his pained expression, Flitter patted his back and looked back to the siblings as they argued. “That bad?”

“I…” He started off quietly, before pausing and drumming his fingers on the table. “I think earth is almost as alien to me as it is to you.”

“Jack-”

“Alright!” The table thumped as Jessica sat down, and Walter joined her. The big man looked relieved, but only just. “So, we’ve decided to let you all stay!” Jessica grinned brightly for a moment before leaning forward. “On one condition. You explain exactly why you’re here, and what you plan to do. I am NOT going to let would be earth conquerors stay without a peep. I mean, for all I know, you're some kind of freaky geeked up xeno under that skin.”

Nodding, Flitter clasped her hands together on the table. “That’s fair. Ok, so it all started with Crown Prince Carolus.”

Author's Notes:

I'm not particularly a fan of this chapter, but it'll do. Originally I'd planned for Earth to only last a few chapters, but with everything that needs to happen, it's going to take more than a few. Oh well!

The new phone is slightly different for typing on, I've been forced to turn off its autocorrect, so in a lot of places there may be grammatical errors and the like. We're doing our best to find them and deal with them.

On a separate note, Aurora was originally written as a unicorn (Something I discovered while skimming my notes). Due to it being so long since she had a meaningful position in the story, I'd completely forgotten. In character concept, she started off as a batpony, but for some reason I decided to change things around. I don't remember why and it's too much work to fix the current chapters to fit her being a uni, so now she's a batpony. I'll skim the early chapters eventually and see if it's possible to fix on that end.