Soldier of Magic
Chapter 30: Chapter 20: Escalation
Previous Chapter Next ChapterWhite Rabbit Personal Log
Begin LogYou know some of the other operatives have asked why I keep personal logs when it can be dangerous in our line of work and I always answer them the same way, it’s only dangerous if you leave dangerous information on them. Personally I find it very relaxing to take time out of my work to just voice my thoughts. It’s far better than dealing with the morons I am usually surrounded with at my posting, but I digress.
It’s been some time since I had my men release the little massager at the edge of the city, I wonder how the commander reacted to the message, though based on the information I have on her I can imagine.
Had to deal with another request from the moron Frisk again a couple days ago asking for any information on his preciouses Subject P438-29T, honestly it disgusts me how obsessed he is with her. It seems every week he puts in a request for information on her or for us to look for her claiming it is the utmost important to science that she be found.
Personally I wish they’d let me feed him to a pack of rabid dogs for what he did to her and how he acts like she is an object to be owned, makes me sick. I know it sounds hypocritical since I employ torture in my line of work but the difference there is a goal to what I do, and I don’t act like the subject is my property. He does that to a living creature for his own selfish gain and it sickens me to no end.
Anyways I should go, my lunch break is nearly over and I need to be back in my post so as to avoid drawing attention to myself.
End Log
<<<O>>>
Twilight sat hunched over a cybernetic leg carefully applying the armor to the limb, she had already built the legs and was just needing to put the finishing touched on them as right now they were skeletal in natures and would do no good in that state in the field. It had been a simple matter shaping the high grade steel to what she needed with her magic, when she had easily melted the metal down and then cooled it into the shape she wanted she had paused as that should have been more difficult than it was.
It had caused her to actually think about her magic and she realized that her head no longer hurt when she stopped bullets with her shields, no matter how many she was stopping. And that had led her to remember her encounter with the Fed Tank during the raid on the base outside of town, while it did hurt and her shield had shattered each time she still did stop a tank shell with only a stumble and was able to stop three shells total then perform a teleport before her burn out.
As she thought about it had led her to only one conclusion, her magic power had increased, weather do to how often she burned it out or how much she was getting field training with it she didn’t know but one way or the other her magical ability had improved drastically since she had first arrived here. She idly wondered how powerful she would get before she returned home.
After her musings on the subject she had returned to the matter at hand and now was just putting the last set of armor on her upgrades. The legs had been the easiest part of her work, though she did have some issues with one addition in the forelegs making it where she couldn’t bend them but she had managed to think around that by having the blade be in her storage locker and enchanting the deployment mechanism to be able to draw them out. She had made sure to test each one a hundred times to make sure they worked every time and worked out any bugs she found before she ran more tests as bugs in her upgrades would not be good.
She had to admit she was feeling excited about the idea of upgrading herself, She paused for a moment and blinked at what she thought before she shrugged and got back to work only to be interrupted by a knock at her door. Sighing at the interruption she pushed herself away from the workbench. “Come.” She called as she got to her hooves. She was surprised at who walked in. “Oh, Dr. Anderson, what can I help you with?” She asked, she had been expecting a messenger or something.
“Nothing commander, I was just stopping by to see how your work was progressing.” He said as he eyed her work station and all the items scattered around it. “What is all this?” He asked as he picked one of the industrial grade servos.
Twilight quickly pulled it out of his hand with her magic and placed it on the table before covering it all in a tarp. “Just things I am experimenting concerning cybernetics.” She said. “But it’s not finished so I’d like it if no one saw them till they are complete.” She aid smiling at him.
Dr. Anderson looked at her. “Ah pardon me.”
“It’s fine.” Twilight said waving a hoof. “I just want them to be completed before anyone sees them is all.”
Dr. Anderson nodded. “Yes, I’ve met many scientists like that before.” He looked around the room. “Though I suppose you don’t want any assistance then.”
Twilight shook her head. “No sorry, but thanks for the offer.” She said with a smile. “I appreciate it.”
Before Dr. Anderson could reply there was another knock on the door. “Come.” Twilight called once more and Privet stepped in and saluted. “Ma’am intelligence reports a squad has received a lead on White Rabbits location.” He said and Twilight eyes widened.
“I need to go now Dr. Anderson was nice talking with you.” She said before pushing pas the private and heading to the intelligence section. She nearly galloped down the tunnels till she burst into the intelligence section.
“Ah ma’am I thought you’d want to join us for this.” The Lieutenant said before gesturing to one of the solder who typed on his computer and the large screen on the far wall light up with camera feed from what looked like a store’s camera across the street from some houses. “One of our squads who were meeting with one of our informants received intel on a house on the west side of the city that White Rabbit uses. They reported it and then made their way there per kill orders.” The officer said. “We were just waiting for you as I thought you’d want to oversee the operation.”
Twilight nodded. “Thank you, proceed. “ She said as she watched the screen.
“Vector Squad, mission is a go, I say again mission is a go.” The lieutenant said into her radio.
“Roger command, proceeding.” Came the reply from Vector’s Sergeant over the screens speaks. Twilight watched as Vector came into view of the camera moving silently. Two breaking off and heading for the backyard while three other’s formed up on the front door. The only sound in the room was from the squads radios as the camera feed was silent. “In position, making entry in three….two…one!” She watched as one of Vectors soldier kicked in the front door and they swarmed inside.
Twilight held her breath waiting for the sound of gun fire or something, not silence, she didn’t like silence on missions like this.
“Kitchen Clear!”
“Entry Clear!”
“Hallway Clear!”
“Dining Room Clear!”
“Bedroom Clear!”
“Bathroom Clear!”
“Livingroom Clear!”
Came the voices of the members of Vector as they swept the house. “All rooms are clear of target, command.”
“Confirm Vector, sweep again.” The lieutenant said.
“Roger command, moving…hold up.” The sergeant said.
“What is it Vector?”
“The TV just turned on Command.” The Sergeant replied and then every fiber of her being tenses as a new voice was picked up by Vectors radios.
“HeLlo C0mM3ndeR, WHilE y0u m4Y noT b3 h3r3 perSOnaLlY I Kn0w you aRe lisTENinG.” White Rabbit’s distorted voice said over the radio.
“Oh shit! Everyone out now!” Vectors Sergeant yelled a few moments before the security cameras feed was filled with the image of a house being engulfed in a massive fireball and everyone in the room save Twilight had to cover their ears as the speaks spat out feedback as Vector’s radios were violently destroyed while still broadcasting.
Twilight stared at the screen as the fireball slowly receded to show a raging inferno where a house had once stood. Twilight grit her teeth so hard they threated to break as the others slowly recovered from the feedback. “Cut the feed.” The lieutenant said and a moment later the screen and went dead. “Damnit, find me that informant, I want to know where they got their information from.” She said.
“Don’t bother, they are probably dead already, White Rabbit wouldn’t leave a loose end.” Twilight said as she turned for the door. “I’ll be in my quarters.” She said not bothering to wait for a response, her drive to finish armoring her upgrades had just been doubled.
<<<O>>>
Commander Twilight Sparkle walked into the surgical bay, it was one of the rare operations she walked around without armor but the armor would just get in the way so she left it in her quarters. Beside the surgical table was another tables with her upgraded cybernetics laid out, it had taken her almost a week to make them but they were finally complete and ready to be installed.
Standing beside the tables and already in surgical scrubs stood Dr. Anderson and Dr. Grey. “Are you sure you want to do this Twilight? I mean, the implants you designed are far more intricate then any I’ve seen me or Dr. Anderson have seen. “Dr. Grey said looking at Twilight over her mask. “Your motor cortex will be more implant then grey matter as will you frontal lobe and I can’t even begin to know what most of these will do.”
Twilight nodded to her. “I know, I have made my decision Doctor and I know the risks.” She said calmly. She knew very well the risks of installing that many implants but every one of them was needed to run her cybernetics. “And I know unlike normal ones there won’t be any way to safely remove them after a few months due to their positions, I’ve already gone over all of it but that was an unavoidable side effect.”
Dr. Grey looked at Twilight still clearly concerned. Twilight smiled at her. “Relax Doctor, remember? I’m unkillable, I mean if dropping a ten story building on me didn’t do the job then there’s no way I’ll die from this.” She said with confidence, she knew those two things were complete different and the surgery was far more dangerous than anything she had faced in the field but she needed Dr. Grey to be forced and not worrying about things.
Dr. Grey sighed. “If you say so Twilight. “The doctor said, though she didn’t sound like she believed it her shoulders did relax somewhat.
Twilight nodded and climbed onto the table. “Hey when I wake up drinks are on me ok? I hear there is a good bar on the corner of 8th street and Henson Avenue.” Twilight said. “I’m sure they won’t mind serving a magical talking unicorn.” Twilight joked, managing to get a small laugh from both the doctors; good they loosened up a bit.
Dr. Anderson placed the mask over her muzzle, Twilight was happy that this was the first time she’d ever have to wear this mask or be in the room as despite everything it still made her skin crawl and fill her with a desire to run as fast as she could away, truth be told it took every ounce of her self-control not to lash out at the two doctors that stood over her. “Ok now count backwards from one-hundred” Dr. Anderson said.
“One-hundred….ninety-nine…..ninety-eight…..ninety-seven……..ninety-six…………ninety-five…………………ninety-fourrrr…………”
Twilight blinked and woke up in total darkness unable to move. It took a moment for the disorientation and mild panic to of waking from the gas to wear so Twilight’s internal panic ceased. She would not miss any part of these surgeries that was for sure.
She laid in total darkness for a couple of minutes before the fact she was awake was finally noticed and a tap on the shoulder signaled her to lift her head. She felt the new implant at the base of her skull was moved and after a few moments there was the click and more pain then Twilight ever thought she’d feel coursed through her body and she couldn’t help crying out as her custom cybernetics came online. She couldn’t even tell where the pain was coming from, it was just everywhere and she couldn’t even begin to describe it.
Then ever so slowly the pain began to fade slowly and she became aware of more than just pain, like the face she had managed to dump her cot over to send to spilling on to the floor and the two squads of soldiers in the room, several of them picking themselves up off the floor across the room.
She blinked away the spots in her vision and took several deep breaths as the worst of the pain faded, there was still twinges and a constant burning sensation were her cybernetics met living tissue but nothing like the pain from before.
“wha……..what happened?” She croaked out, her throat hurt a lot.
The soldier stood a little ways back eyeing her carefully; some of them had their hands resting on their sidearms. “Simple. “Dr. Anderson said from across the room where he held and ice back to his cheek. “We turned on your cybernetics and you started screaming and thrashing around as if you were having a small seizer, well I think you were at one point but I don’t really know, all the monitors started going crazy as your vitals were all over the place.”
Twilight nodded and looked at the soldiers. “They heard the screaming and rushed in. they tried to restrain you so you didn’t hurt yourself and you….”Dr. Anderson trailed off.
“And I what?” Twilight said as she looked at him from the floor.
“You threw them across the room like they were sacks of flour in your thrashing. If not for their armor I think you’d have accidently killed them, as is I think several of them probably suffered broken ribs or other bones. “He said as she eyes the soldier her either had arms hanging loosely at their sides or were clearing in pain as they breathed.
Twilight blinked several time, well it seems she had a good idea of her knew strength if she threw fully armored soldiers across the room. Slowly she rolled over onto her stomach and got her hooves under her. Breathing through the pain she slowly rose to standing as the soldier back peddled to a safe distance.
Twilight rolled her shoulder and cracked her neck before she took a careful step forward, then another. She could feel all eyes in the room on her as the soldiers back away and closed in behind her like water, ready to spring into action to restrain her if need be. Twilight ad to give them credit as most of them had broken bone if her scan was working correction and yet they were still ready to fight her if need be.
She walked around the room ignoring the pain she was in and after she circled the room several times she stopped and took a deep breath, time to test one of the other systems she now had. She yeah through the mental commands through the interface on and in her frontal lobe and switched her cybernetics to their secondary mode.
Carefully she pushed off with her forelegs and stood on her hind legs, swaying a bit till she found her balance and once she had it her fingers extended from her front hooves. She looked around the room and saw both Dr. Grey and Dr. Anderson were staring in shock and surprise while the soldier only looked more weary of her new stature as she had effectively doubled her height.
With a lot more care then before she took a small step forward and then another, the entire time the soldier followed her movements like hawks. Slowly she took more normal sized steps, which caused her to stumble. She waved off Dr. Grey as she moved to help Twilight back up and stood up on her own. Walking around the room once more she stumbled a couple more times till she adjusted to being bipedal.
Still she made sure she did thirty loops of the room before she was satisfied she had walking down, she’d try running later.
She looked at the group of humans in the room and saw the soldiers tense as blue icons appeared over their heads and yellow ones appeared above Dr. Grey and Dr. Anderson as she switched into combat mode. She’d need to test to see if the IFF tags her squad had registered properly but so far it labeled friendly forces with the blue icons and civilians with yellow as it was supposed to. Later she’d test the hostile indicator when she got the chance.
She looked around the room to make sure it wasn’t indication anything else as something it was not but only the humans were labeled. She didn’t worry about the soldier tensing as when combat mode activated her eyes turned yet and did glow slightly, at least the eyes had during her tests so she assumed they were doing so now.
She switched back to normal mode and the soldier relaxed. She then lifted her hooved and aimed them towards the ceiling. Time to test the enchantment she had to create. With a thought her two titanium blades shot out almost instantly to their full twelve inch length.
Her ears swiveled as she heard the sound of several guns cocking and when she looked half the soldiers had drawn their sidearms and they were all aimed at Twilight. She blinked then looked between the soldier and her blades and back. “Um…suppose I should have warned you before doing that huh?” She said a tiny bit sheepishly, the now armed soldiers all nodded slowly and she smiled much more sheepishly as she retracted her blades, there was a few other features she needed to test but they would take somethings before she could do so.
“You can relax, I’m fine now.” She said. The soldier did the absolutely no such relaxing and Twilight sighed. “I am ok, I’m not going to flip out and attack anyone, and I’m just testing my new cybernetics so go on, shoo.” She said waving them away. Slowly they lowered their guns and holstered them. They stood for a few moments before making their way over to Dr. Grey to get much needed medical attention.
“Seeing as you two are going to be busy I’m going to head out and walk around the base a bit. “Twilight told the doctors.
“Be careful Twilight, if you feel anything odd come right back here let us know. “Dr. Anderson said and Twilight had to suppress a laugh. Weird, right, I’m just a quadruped that can now walk like a biped and my brain is full of computer chips and she was now strong enough to throw soldier across room with just her barehooves and am in constant pain, nothing feels odd at all. She thought as she walked out the door.
<<<O>>>
Twilight walked into the bases armor and saw the familiar sight of Dupo standing inside his cage. “Well, well, look who took a growth spurt. “He said as he saw her and she frowned, she had hoped to catch him off guard like the other soldier she had past who all had taken double takes or outright stared at her as she walked on two legs down the tunnels.
Guess that was too much to hope for from the armory officer. “Yeah, yeah Old Man. I’m no here to chit-chat I’m here to test my firearms control.”
“I seem to recall you are already certified as a marksmen Kid.” Dupo said.
“Yes with my magic, no these. “She said as she lifted her forehooves and wiggled her fingers.
Dupo looked at them and shrugged. “Very well. “He said as he started to grab various gun from the shelves before walking out with them. He laid them out on the tables as Twilight walked over.
She picked up the assault rifle and tried to hold it correctly but it was awkward and she wasn’t able to hold it properly. “Damnit.” She hissed in annoyance after a few minutes of trying to position the rifle so she could use it and failing.
“I think you need something smaller kid. “Dupo said as he picked up a SMG and handed it to her. With a sigh Twilight took it after setting the rifle down. She placed the stock against her shoulder and couldn’t help noticing the SMG looked like a rifle in her grip do to her size. “There you go, try firing it. “Dupo said handing her a full mag.
She easily loaded it as even with finger it was still the same motion as her magic if felt different and approached the firing line. Taking aim at the target she pulled the trigger, the recoil was harder to control while actually holding the gun but after a bit she was able to compensate enough to get almost the same accuracy as her magic.
Once she was satisfied she turned around to find Dupo smoking as usual. “So looks like I’ll need an SMG that I can use when bipedal.” She told him as she walked over to him.
He gestured to the gun in her grasp. “That one should do.” He told her and she looked at him before she moved it into her storage locker. She looked over the table for other guns she could use but everything but the pistols were to big much to her annoyance. “I think I have something you can use.” Dupo said reading her expression before going back into his cage and pulling something out from under the counter. He brought it out and Twilight blinked.
It was a style of shotgun hadn’t seen before, it had a shorter barrel then the ones on the table and was missing its stock. “It’s called a Mossberg 500, it’s an old pump-action riot-gun, hasn’t been manufactured for years now but I managed to get my hands on one before the rebellion.” Dupo told her as he handed it to her. It doesn’t hold much ammo, only five shells plus one chambered but it gets the job done.”
Twilight blinked at the antique and looked at the armory officer. “And you are letting me use this? This thing has to be a collector’s item and it looks brand new.” She said in disbelieve he was handing her something like this.
He merely shrugged. “Not like I’m going to use it Kid, it just sits around collecting dust. You’ll put it to much better use then I will.”
Carefully Twilight took the riot-gun and pumped it; it made a very audible click and sounded like it had just come off the assembly line. Dupo must have taken extremely good care of it the entire time he had it. She looked up as he held out a box of shells. With care she started to load the shotgun before pumping a shell into the chamber and approaching the firing line. She took aim and squeezed the trigger, the gun kicked hard but she was read for it and kept it under control as she pumped another shell. She quickly emptied all the shells and looked at the gun. It worked like a dream.
She walked back to Dupo who watched her. “Thank you, this means a lot.” She told him still in shock he’d give her something like this.
He looked at her. “Kid, this is an armory, my job as armory officer is to make sure everyone gets the guns they need and you needed a shotgun you can actually use while playing human.” Dupo said.
Twilight rolled her eyes as he blew smoke at her like he usual did. “Yeah you’re right Old Man, whatever was I thinking you gave me this out of the kindness of your heart?” She said flatly.
“Damn right.” He said and looked at her. “Now that you have what you need, kindly—“
“Get the hell out of your armory.” She said. “I’m going I’m going. “She said as she headed for the door, putting the riot-gun in her storage locker as she walked through the door. She had somewhere else she needed to go anyways.
<<<O>>>
Twilight walked into the Training area of the rebel base and just as she thought Mendez was putting recruits through hell, she smiled as she saw his back was to the door. Without a sound she slowly approached him. “You know the day a big eyed freak like you sneaks up on me is the day the sky falls, you know that right?” He said suddenly when Twilight was just a few feet away from him causing her to jump.
“How the fuck? I didn’t make any sound!” She said.
Mendez just looked at her flatly. “And as is aid, the day you sneak up on me is the day the fucking sky falls.”
She huffed. “Whatever. I’m here for so help adjusting to my new bipedal stature, and I figured you’d be the one person who could help.” She told him crossing her forelegs.
He stared at her and shrugged. “Suppose I can help out the girly horse play human.” He turned back and yelled at the recruits. “That enough running, on the line now you sons of bitches!” he yell and the recruits ran over as best they could clearly winded and Twilight joined them on the line smirking as their eye’s bugged out at seeing an honest to Celestia alien.
“Now see here, out good Commander has saw fit to join you pukes and show you a thing or two about what a soldier actually is” Mendez said as he eyed all of them. “So breaks over, start running!” He barked and Twilight immediately turned and started running, reacting faster than the human recruits who were not used to Mendez’s brand of training yet. Twilight had a couple of issues with running but with “motivation” from Mendez she quickly overcame the issues.
The obstacle course really helped her learn to control her new limbs and she was happy to move onto hand to hand training. After getting a quick explanation of how to fight as a biped she was paired with a recruit that she easily took down, and then she did the next. It seems Mendez was using her as a training dummy for the recruits as he watched and graded.
Then he decided to show them how to fight properly as he stepped into the ring with Twilight who couldn’t help smiling, she was faster and stronger then she used to be with her new cybernetics, their spar would go a lot more different then in the past.
She was right of course, she lasted twice as long before Mendez floored her. She quickly healed and they went at it again. In the end it was twenty wins and zero losses Mendez, how the fuck couldn’t she beat an unaugmented human when she could throw fully armed soldier around like toys!
When Mendez called an end to the training for the day six hours after Twilight had joined them she left grumbling about how it was scientifically impossible for him to beat her and she told him such.
“Commander, the day I lose to you is the day I become a pretty princess in that magical land you come from.” Was all he said in response.
<<<O>>>
Sergeant Dupo sat in his weapons cage reading the latest issue of Future Weapons when he heard the door to the armory open, looking up from his reading material he saw one of the squads walking in carrying creates. “Hey there Sergeant, just got in after hitting a Fed convoy and picked you up something nice while we were out. “The sergeant said as the rest of her squad started to place the crates against the wall next to the Cage.
Dupo marked his page and unlocked the door before stepping out and relocking it. “And what sort of present did you get an old man?” He asked as he walked over.
The sergeant rolled her eyes. “You and I both know you ain’t old.”
Dupo meanly shrugged before taking out a cigarette. “Says you.” He said around it before lighting it.
“Says the fact you can build an entire weapons cage by yourself in under an hour.” The sergeant replied.
“Yeah yeah.” Dupo said as the last of the crates were brought in and he took the squads rifles and extra ammo, setting the said for inspection. “If there is nothing, kindly get the hell out of my armory.” He told them and the Sergeant just rolled her eye and shook her head before following her men out.
Once they were gone Dupo made his way to the first crate and undid the latched keeping the lid closed. Lifting it he looked over the brand new assault rifled that laid in neat rows with in. He was looking forward to cataloging each and every one of them and testing them for flaws.
Closing the crate he moved it to the front of the cage before opening the next one. “heh, too bad the Kid isn’t here, she’d make that strange Squee noise she does when she laid her eyes on this. “He said as he looked down at the brand new LMGs that would force him to rearrange his cage to make space for them and it was the one gun he didn’t have. He closed the crate and moved it over by the other one before going to the next. Maybe he could get the Kid to help him sort the new invato---
Next Chapter: Interlude: Breakfast with the Princess Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 14 MinutesAuthor's Notes:
Well, the Commander now had her Custom Cybernetics as well as two more of the guns she brought to Equestria with her.
Got to hear more about Frisk through White Rabbit.
also this is what the shotgun Dupo gave Twilight looks like.