Ponyville
11:39 PM
Outskirts, High Hill

The crickets chirped almost in sync with the flickering stars. The animals of the Everfree were silent. The moon rested atop the High Hill, known to be a favorite observatory and picnic area. Nothing seemed daring enough to disturb the scene.

Until something or someone did.

Light footsteps could be heard, moving quickly and with purpose. They were not the heavy steps of the native ponies, but lighter and more pronounced. As the moon reached its apex and began to bear light, four figures appeared atop the hill. Each was clad in black, gray, and some white, and they were armored with Black Warfare gear. They carried SHD-Level weapons and Tech, and the only difference between the four of them was their respective masks and armor designs.

The first bore white claw marks, like a wolf.

The second had a red X, bold and sharp.

The third had a crude blue skull.

The fourth had a runic design in green.

The four beings stood at the apex of the hill, eyeing the town below them. Finally, the third pulled up his mask, revealing a worn male face with pepper-gray hair and a clean-shaven chin.

"Standish?" he asked the leader of the group.

"Yeah, Paulson?" Standish, the first replied.

"We're not in Kansas anymore, buddy."

Thirty Minutes Earlier
Manhattan, Dark Zone 03
Bryant Park

Standish was cold, very cold. Even though his prototype armor kept his blood circulating and himself free from hypothermia, he still shivered every once in a while. The Mark-4 Black Warfare Kit was a genius creation of the Strategic Homeland Division, and rightfully so. It came standard-issue with Kevlar and Dragonskin mesh, capable of stopping nearly anything, from bullets to knives. Not only was it strong, it was also lightweight, feeling similar to a heavy winter coat armored with ballistic weave and plating.

It also featured metamaterial-optical camouflage, perfect for stealth and concealed attacks. However, the camo had a downside of sending out a micro-EMP when it was deactivated, along with a tell-tale white puff of smoke. The armor was also modifiable and configurable, sporting attachment points for any style of combat. Finally, the armor carried a few necessary modules, such as a temperature gauge, thermal and night vision shielding, and a HUD build into the agent's mask.

Standish shook his head and checked his tac-pad's clock. If the trap had been set properly, his teammates would be in position and waiting by 11:00 PM.

As the hour hand clicked past on Standish's wristwatch that signalled the time was now 11:00, he noticed three friendly tags taking positions near him on his HUD. His team was in position, ready to strike at his command.

"Paulson, sitrep." Standish murmured over their radio.

"Our targets just exited the safehouse." Paulson replied, hefting his Military MK46 Machine Gun into a firing position. "They've got the Antiviral Samples with them."

"What's their gear looking like?" Jacobs asked.

"High-end, for the most part." Paulson replied. "They've managed to make a few pieces of SHD Tech for each of them. I saw at least one Support Station on the female, presumable combat medic."

"Great to know." Lyle replied. "What else?"

"They're in the dark as to our presence, so once we see the flare, we attack on schedule." Paulson replied. "As long as we keep the element of surprise, we'll be clear to engage."

"Good to hear." Standish said. "Here they come!"

As the Hunters took defensive positions and cloaked, three men and one woman in winter clothing and High-End armor sprinted into the park. They were armed with High-End weapons, and Standish could see the Antivirals attached to the squad leader's backpack. The men took defensive stances, and the woman hoisted their Extraction Flare Gun and fired.

The bright orange flare rocketed upwards, illuminating the sky. The Agent then dove to cover, revealing her modified Navy MP5N as well as her combat experience. Standish frowned, realizing that these Agents might not be so easy to eliminate after all.

"Engage!" Standish said over the radio as the Hunters deactivated their cloaks. The Agents were disrupted by the Micro-EMP and once they got their bearings, took cover and began to fire back. Lyle moved out of cover, priming his Ballistic Shield.

The Agents stopped focusing their individual targets and shifted to Lyle, who was immediately suppressed. He sheltered down, bracing his shield in front of him. One of the Agents pulled out a grenade, and threw it towards him. Lyle didn't notice the explosive until it was too late.

The Shock Grenade detonated, paralyzing him and short-circuiting his armor, exposing him to the Agents. The Second Wave Agents immediately opened fire. Lyle's armor was tough, but it didn't stand a chance against that many bullets at once. He fell dead, his Shield collapsing in a heap. Standish checked his HUD to see his friend was deceased.

"Lyle's KIA!" Jacobs said as he suppressed the agents, before firing a Sticky Bomb. The agents rolled out of cover and advanced forward, focusing Jacobs. One agent stayed behind, keeping his Custom M44 Marksman Rifle ready and on target. As Jacobs attempted to go in close with his Survival Axe, one good shot was all the sniper needed.

Jacobs collapsed, and the Agents decided to take the offensive now that they had numbers on their side. Paulson hurled an Explosive Seeker Mine and took cover, only he didn't see an Agent closing in with a Super 90 Shotgun on his right flank.

After two shots to the leg, and one to the head, Paulson fell. Standish deployed a Turret and assessed his situation. As bullets pinned him down, he tightened his grip on his Custom P416G3.

"My team is dead, I'm low on ammo, and in all cases I'm fucked." he thought. "If I'm going out here, I'm going out swinging."

Standish dove out and advanced on one agent, moving into the open. The Agents promptly focused their fire on him, a sniper's shot hitting him in the leg. Standish swore under his breath, and limped to cover nearby.

Only he didn't notice the Agent leader advancing with a full magazine ready and loaded.

Standish heard the chatter of an ACR Assault Rifle, and he too fell dead. The last thing the Hunter saw was the Evacuation Helicopter landing and the Agents departing with the antivirals, before he slipped into darkness and silence.

===

Standish bolted upwards as he felt himself breathing. His eyes were open, but his eyelids felt like lead.

"What?" he thought. "That Agent shot me, point blank. How am I alive?"

He leaned upwards and looked around, his vision still blurry. From what he could tell, there were plenty of trees around him, and a large mass then blocked his vision.

"Standish, get up!" said a familiar voice. "We need you moving!"

There was a sharp jab to his neck, and Standish realized it was an SHD First Aid shot once the pain in his leg began to fade. He groaned in relief, and saw Lyle, Paulson, and Jacobs standing above him once his vision cleared.

"Wake up, buttercup." Paulson said, helping his friend up.

"You guys know where are we?" Standish asked.

"No fucking clue." Lyle said. "We're not in Manhattan, that's for damn sure. Last I checked, we were in Bryant Park surrounded by Hazmat containers in the middle of a blizzard. Now, as you can see…"

He gestured to hillside forest around them.

"We're in a vegetated area, near a hill, in the spring." Lyle said. "And that brings me to my next point, which is how are we all alive?"

"We're all supposed to be dead." Paulson groaned. "Those Agents took us all out."

"So, we're in heaven?" Standish said.

"I don't think so." Jacobs said, motioning to the top of the hill. "The stars, constellations, they're all misaligned and I don't recognize some of them. Furthermore, my Pulse tagged lifesigns, just over the hill. Not too far from our position"

"Then let's go." Standish said. "We need to get moving. I, for one, want to find out where we are, and how we're all alive. Whatever these lifesigns are, they might be able to tell us. Who's with me?"

There were no objections from anyone, so the four-man team ascended the hill.

===

As the Hunters looked at each other with anxiety and shock radiating off of them like body heat, Standish pulled out a pair of binoculars and scanned the area. The town in front of him seemed quaint or medieval in nature, mostly wood and thatch with some brick. A large, gleaming blue tree was at one end, near them. An orchard or farm lay across the town to the north, and the whole place was quiet as a graveyard.

"Wait…contacts near the tree" Standish said, eyeing movement through the binoculars. Eight strange quadrupeds were walking towards the tree, each wearing a black cloak. Standish thought he could see a gleam of metal, albeit a very small one, through the lens of his binoculars.

"You all seeing this?" Lyle said. his own binoculars focused on the beings.

"We are." Standish said. "Let's move in."

"Where to, might I ask?" Jacobs queried.

"To that tree-thing." Standish said. "I have a feeling we'll get answers there. Cloak up."

The Hunters tapped their wrist-pads, and they turned translucent, their bodies reflecting the nearby light and texture of the surrounding area. Standish motioned, and the Hunters descended the hill and into the town.

===

The Hunters reached the tree just as the eight beings closed the door behind them. Standish could now see the tree was actually a house of some kind, with windows and turrets like a castle.

"Some tree house." Jacobs said. "Why's it made of crystal, though?"

"We don't have time to find out." Standish said. "Let's go."

They opened the door without a sound, and Jacobs activated his Pulse. To their surprise, the beings registered as armed hostiles.

"They don't have guns." Lyle said. "So why are they hostile?"

"No clue, but I don't care." Standish said. "Paulson, head back outside and scout around them. We'll track them from the inside."

"Roger that."

Paulson pried a window open with his axe, and slipped through it. The eight beings moved and walked up a flight of stairs towards a set of double doors, marked with a diamond and star-like crest. Now that the Hunters were in close proximity, the Pulse also revealed two lifesigns inside the room, both sleeping judging by their scanned vital signs.

"What's going on here?" Standish murmured. "Paulson, you got eyes on?"

"Affirmative." Paulson said. "On their left, entered through the back patio."

"Scan them again." Standish said, drawing a First Wave X45 Pistol, with a suppressor, 3Dot Laser, and a mini reflex sight.

Paulson obliged, and the scan revealed the eight beings held long-bladed knives close to them as they opened the door and surrounded the two sleeping beings.

"Decloak and engage on my mark. Shoot the window and make some noise." Standish whispered.

"What?" Lyle asked. "Why?"

"Something's not right here and I don't like it." Standish replied. "Go in close, use your axes and hand to hand combat only."

The Hunters nodded and approached behind the beings, their Survival Axes gleaming but unnoticed. Standish's eyes flared in fright as he saw the eight beings raise their blades over the sleeping form.

"NOW!" he whispered over the radio "Take them down!"

Paulson threw his Military MK46 into the room like a shot put, shattering the glass window. As the cloaked beings spun to face them in surprise, the one in bed gave a sudden yelp of surprise, now fully away. Standish barely had time to holster his pistol and prepare himself as one of the cloaked beings swung a dagger at his chest.

Standish rolled behind him and drew his Survival Axe, and the remaining Hunters entered the room and decloaked. It wasn't long before all four were engaged in close-quarters combat.

===

Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Magic and Friendship, wasn't sure what in the name of Tartarus was going on in her bedroom. First, she had been woken up by her bedroom window breaking quite loudly. Then, there were four strange beings wielding hand axes fighting eight cloaked ponies with knives. Finally, she was scared out of her wits.

She summoned her magic and formed a protective shield around her and Spike, who had also woken up in a flash.

"Twilight, what's going on?" he said, panic clear in his voice. "Who are they?"

"I don't know…" Twilight replied as she watched the melee in shock and fear.

===

Standish kicked one of the beings to the ground and punched it in the face, knocking it out cold. From what he could tell, his teammates were more than holding their own against...whatever these beings were. Standish rolled past a slash towards his chest, and kicked the knife away from its wielder.

Then, he buried his axe in the being's chest, blood spraying out. SHD Survival Axes like the one Standish and his team used were made of carbon-enhanced steel, capable of shredding most ballistic body armor at close range as well as durable and sharp.

That point was proven true when the axe sunk deep into the being's chest. Standish kicked the being away and hurled his axe into the shoulder of a second. The being swore loudly as he fell, and what surprised Standish most was that it was in English.

"Damn it!" the being cursed, yanking the axe out with a screech of pain. Standish flinched, but he quickly followed up with a punch that knocked the being out after retrieving his Axe. As he drew back, he turned to see his teammates had the remaining beings on the ground.

"Are we clear?" Standish asked.

"Clear." Lyle said, pulling a knife away from one of the beings before binding it with rope. "What about that one?"

"I'll deal with it." Standish said. As he approached the one in the bed, he got a better look at it. It was seemingly feminine and equine, only it had wings and a horn.

And equines normally didn't have some kind of purple bubble surrounding it. Standish gently approached it, his hands up in a sign of passiveness.

He didn't expect the being to fire a beam of purple light that sent him into the wall with a sickening crunch.

"Standish!" Lyle cried, rushing over. "You alright?"

"What do you think, dumbass?" Standish moaned. "That definitely hurt."

"Let me patch you up." Paulson said, taking a First Aid Canister and injecting it into his side. Standish sighed in relief at feeling the pain dull significantly and his stamina being replenished. He stood up, clutching his side for a few moments before sighing.

"Let's try that again." He said, approaching the being, who prepared to fire another blast. Before she could however, Standish gently set his axe down and raised his hands.

"It's okay." he said. "I'm a friend, ma'am. You're safe now."

===

Twilight flinched visibly as the being spoke perfectly legible Equish before backing away to rejoin its allies.

"Who are you?" she asked timidly. To her surprise, the beings lowered their axes in shock.

"I could ask the same thing." one said, his face having three white marks. "We'll go first. I'm Standish, this is Lyle, Paulson, and Jacobs, my squadmates. What's your name?"

"Twilight Sparkle." she replied.

"Nice to meet you, Twilight." Standish said. "Team, masks off."

"You sure about that?" one with a green runic mark replied, uncertain.

"Dead sure." Standish said as he lifted his mask off. To Twilight's shock, underneath was the last face she expected to see again.

It was a human face. It was clearly male, with a stubble beard of black. It set its mask on its belt, and pulled down a tactical hoodie, revealing messy black hair done in a rough crew cut.

"You're a human!" Twilight said without thinking. "How's that possible?"

"Wait, what?" Standish said. "How do you know that we're human?"

The others started to move forward, only Standish held up his hand and stopped them.

"You can explain how you know that later." he said. "First things first, though. What kind of being are you?"

"I'm an alicorn pony." she said.

"Alicorn." Standish said. "Okay, Twilight, we can do the whole first-contact thing later. We'll move to check the perimeter and get these bastards secured somewhere. Can you get law enforcement or whoever does that sort of thing here as soon as they can?"

"I can do that." Twilight said. "Spike? Where are you?"

"I'm under the bed." said a muffled voice that sounded like it belonged to a preteen. Twilight helped the dragon out from his hiding place, and as they wrote a hasty SOS to Celestia, Standish and his team set to binding the attackers with rope.

Standish raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Spike sent the letter, the flame whistling out the window. He shook his head to focus himself and stood up.

"Lyle, Jacobs, check them for injuries and if so, patch them up so that they'll survive, nothing more. Paulson, check the perimeter. I'll talk with Miss Twilight here." he ordered.

"You got it." Lyle said. As he and Jacobs dragged the assailants out of the room, Paulson took a defensive position at the window, loading his now-retrieved Military MK46 Machine Gun. Twilight eyed the weapon with curiosity, before Standish cleared his throat, drawing her attention..

"So, miss Twilight, let's talk." Standish said, righting a chair and sitting down. "We can start with my most pressing question. Where are we?"

Author's Notes:

Yep, new story.

Next time-The Hunters tell their story to Twilight, and Twilight tells her story to the Hnters. Then Celestia arrives with the Solar Guards...

Remastered Author's Notes (7-15-19)

Hopefully this chapter looks and reads better than the original. I made lots of continuity edits, improved the dialogue, and fixed a few typos. Enjoy.