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The Retribution was a buzz with activity. Ponies, pegasi, even fox kin were all bustling through the facility as usual. 22 stood on the tarmac with arms folded and smiled. In four short years he'd gone from nearly having to mothball the Retribution to it becoming a formidable staple in Equestrian society. What once struck fear in the denizens of Canterlot and beyond was now a symbol of pride and military might.

The giant helicarrier hovered high above the kingdom, conducting it's quiet and imposing operation as it lumbered across the skies. 22 shook himself out of his distracted daze and made his way towards the command center. Inside he found a flurry of activity, technicians and engineers scrambling about, not an unusual sight for the mobile command center. The Retribution never slept, and with over 100 full time staff how could it?

22 walked over to the command console and found Agent Smith standing over it with another Earth pony. The two seemed to be going back and forth about something, but stopped when they saw 22 approaching.

22 smiled and held his arms out for a hug saying, "Ah captain Quint! How goes the shark hunting?" Captain quint chuckled to her herself and returned the embrace then replied, "Goes pretty well 22, and you know it's funny you bring that up. Went to the in laws' place yesterday for dinner and the whole time they kept calling me Swift Anchor. Totally forgot about my birth name for a little bit there ahahaha!"

Agent Smith nodded in agreement and said, "Yes I understand the sentiment. It's still an adjustment to hear the Princesses refer to me as Shadow Runner from time to time again."

22 looked over at a few fox kin shuffling about then asked, "Where's Pharah? Is she joining us?"

Agent Smith nodded and replied, "Yes she'll be in the briefing. She's working with CT-9 on the L.S.B.C. she mentioned something about having to check . . . magical stability fields? Quite frankly it's beyond my expertise."

"Yea me and you both. I barely understood how the Retribution functioned before all the magical overhauls and improvements. Anyways that's neither here nor there. Let's head to the meeting room." Agent Smith stepped off the platform and 22 followed, but they both stopped when Captain Quint suddenly called out and said, "Oh by the way 22 you got a letter from Princess Luna!"

22 cringed as he slowly turned around and asked, "I'm going out on a limb and gonna say she didn't like me working late tonight?"

Captain Quint gave another hearty laugh then said, "Not one bit. Sounds like you'll be in the dungeon tonight if you don't get your tail home before 11." 22 looked at his watch and saw it was only a quarter pass six.

"Thanks for the heads up . . . Oh and please stop reading my letters. You're captain of the Retribution, not captain of my personal mail." Captain Quint smirked, but said nothing in response. 22 rolled his eyes and continued on to the meeting room with Agent Smith in tow.

Once there the duo began setting up the meeting room for the senior staff of the Retribution. Normal intelligence meetings usually only called for Smith and his team, or maybe a few of 22's hand picked operatives, but with 7 involved it was all hands on deck. High level engineers, spell casters, and security personnel would all be in attendance.

22 fiddled with the conference room's projector then pulled out his own tough book laptop and set it on the table. He turned it on then asked, "Did you ever get a chance to have that report uploaded to the Retribution's database?"

Agent Smith sat across from 22 and nodded saying, "Had it taken care of yesterday. Should be ready for you to pull up." 22 hummed as he worked then grimaced as he pulled up the report. The cover page of the dossier immediately was projected to the screen and 22 left it there while waiting. He looked at his watch and realized that the senior staff would be there any second.

Agent Smith leaned back in the specially crafted pony chair and asked, "You reek of unease."

"Oh how astute of you . . ." Agent Smith opened his mouth to press the issue, but stopped as staff began filtering into the room. Everyone respectfully greeted 22 before taking their seats, causing him to smile and return in kind. He looked over his should and smiled as bipedal fox scientist walked through. The researcher adjusted her glasses and dusted her lab coat off saying, "I hope this intelligence briefing is important 22. You're keeping CT and I from fixing a serious issue with the Large SpellBound Collider."

22 smirked saying, "Mind repeating that for me in Equestrian?" Pharah shook her head but embraced 22 all the same saying, "It's good to see you boss. I was beginning to think you were avoiding us."

"Don't get me wrong I love the Retribution and you guys, but after a while of being on the ship you start noticing that distinctive smell everyone has. It's like a petting zoo in here on hot days." The fox woman crossed her arms in mock anger but kept up her smile all the same.

Agent Smith and 22 made their way towards the front of the room and waited for everyone to settle in. Once 22 had everyone's attention he cleared his throat and started saying, "Evening everyone, and thank you for coming on such short notice. I know it's late and we all want to get to our families and lives, but this matter is of utmost importance." 22 turned to Agent Smith and let the jet black pegasus continue.

"Five days ago this photo was captured by our intelligence department. It shows Killer 7 training the next batch of Hidden Howl mercenaries. Why is this so important you might wonder? Well from reconnaissance missions prior it was learned that 7 struggled with training large numbers of wolves. They lacked discipline and had a distinct disdain for structure or organization. But it seems those days are behind us and it all coincides with the types of attacks we've experienced before. The attack on Canterlot castle, The raiding of Ponyville storehouses, and the attempted foalnapping of the Duke and his daughter. They're organizing, becoming more efficient, and choosing their targets carefully. This does not bode well for our regional allies either."

Dr. Pharah nodded then chimed in saying, "Do we have a plan in place for assisting my homeland in the event of an invasion? The Wolven ascendancy has been slowly absorbing outlying territories and moving towards our sovereign land. As regional allies, I'd imagine the princesses must have some contingency in place."

Agent Smith shook his head and replied, "Technically the Vulpine Kingdom is not our regional ally. Your kingdom broke off from the Equestrian-Vulpine treaty ages ago. Princess Celestia and Luna are under no obligation to assist you in the event of a Wolven invasion."

Dr. Pharah's fur bristled on her neck as she growled at Agent Smith's remarks. "First of all Equestria didn't keep its end of the bargain last I recall! We designed and built your railroad system, but as soon as the groundwork was laid, the monarchy pulled out due to "regional security concerns." So once again we got shafted by you! Then secondly . . . under no obligation?! You're joking right?"

"I don't joke Dr. Pharah."

"Ha! Could have fooled me you arrogant ass! Celestia and Luna owe us, more specifically me and my research team. We were the ones who cracked the duplicating formula for 22's ammunition, we were the ones that figured out a substitute for Earth fuel, and we were the ones that developed and implemented the castle shield defense system that Canterlot so jealously guards! We wouldn't even be having this meeting if my team wasn't keeping this piece of alien technology maintained! So yes your rulers not only are obligated to help us in the event of an invasion, but they also owe us recognition for all our work! Though that is you'd rather our kingdom fall and we focus development for the Wolves?"

Agent Smith's face bore no emotion, but 22 knew the pegasus long enough to tell he was ticked off. The subtle twitches in his left wing, the minor movements from his hooves. The intelligence agent was about to say something out of turn so 22 jumped in and replied,

"Dr. Pharah's right Smith. And to everyone here as well! We owe the Vulpine Kingdom a great deal of thanks and appreciation for what they've done in spite of not being formal allies with Equestria. They were under no obligation to help me get the Retribution up and running again, but they did so anyway. Whether no one here says it or not, I'll always be appreciative of your efforts and not just yours but everyone else's as well. Take a look around will you?"

The senior staff all gave glances around the room before returning their attention to 22 who continued on saying, "We're having an intelligence briefing about the state of Equestria with foxes, pegasi, ponies, and an alien from another world, WHILE riding in a flying fortress. Our differences and past should mean nothing right now. We're all here because we have a common goal, the defense, and prosperity of not just Equestria, but all regional allies as well. If the Vulpine Kingdom falls then Equestria falls."

The staff all nodded thoughtfully on 22's words before he continued saying, "Now Dr. Pharah, don't stress about it. You know we'll be there if they make any foolish moves." Dr. Pharah smiled brightly and replied, "Thank you 22 . . . I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it. Now onto more pressing matters. 7's training program is becoming more streamlined with that more dangerous. That's why we ne-" 22 stopped mid-sentence when he saw a hoof go up in the air. He pointed at the staffer and said, "Ah Guantanamo! A question I presume?" The drab olive green pegasus twirled a toothpick between his lips and grumbled.

Guantanamo was a retired special forces operative having served under Celestia and the Royal Guard. He was forced to retire when the princess shrunk the military budget many years ago, leaving him with no purpose and extremely restless. 22 sometimes had to stop himself from calling him 49, due to how similar the two talked and how aligned their demeanor was.

Guantanamo studied the picture once more then said, "Still don't know why this isn't enough to prove to the summit that 7's up to no good."

22 sighed and said, "Look at the wolves' uniforms."

"So what? They're official Wolven Ascendancy uniforms, big whoop. That doesn't mean these aren't mercenaries or assassins."

"I know they're assassins, you know that, and everyone here knows that. But we can't *prove it * is the issue. 7's footprints have been all over several attacks against Equestria over the years. The tactics and schemes used were ripped right from her playbook, but there's nothing substantial yet. If Celestia or Luna accuses the Wolven government of being behind these attacks without proof . . . Their credibility will take a hit. They have to walk a fine line this summit if they want to garner more support."

Agent Smith changed the slide to a picture of a bar graph that had the world's major kingdoms on it. "If you'll avert your attention here. This is a chart from 4 years ago. You can see that Equestria stands alone on the global stage with no formal allies outside of other Pony-related provinces and kingdoms. Here's everyone else by themselves as well." Smith pressed another button and the slide changed, this time causing a few grunts and groans of displeasure.

"Here we are since the last standing. We've not formalized any ties with other kingdoms yet the wolves have secured bilateral trade agreements and pacts with the Great Dragon Dominion. This is a serious issue because if it comes to open conflict between our kingdoms, we'll be up against the might of two kingdoms to our one."

Captain Quint jumped in and asked, "So are the Gryphons neutral still?"

"Yes for now they are, but they are open to considering an agreement. We'll know more come this Royal Summit."

The room broke off into hushed whispering and murmuring about all that was said, but they all stopped when Dr. Pharah chimed in saying, "Oh and I hate to be the bearer of bad news 22, but some of the technicians caught something strange on the radar today. We tried investigating into but CT-9 locked us out. When we questioned him about it he said his programming requires him to lock and assess any Subjugation Class Event. Personally, I think he was just covering for a malfunction in the computer system but I'm not sure."

22 went quiet and turned away from everyone, opting to lean on the table. The former assassin folded his arms and sighed heavily saying, "Everything about this situation just keeps on getting better and better . . ." Agent 22 adjusted his sunglasses and asked, "Care to explain?"

22 looked over at Smith and replied, "I don't know for sure, but it sounds like CT's dropping a hint about something I hope isn't true."

Agent Smith raised an eyebrow then asked, "You're being secretive 22. You know how I feel about secrets" 22 waved a hand dismissively saying, "Oh you're one to talk Mr. Withhold all intelligence reports from the Princesses.' I don't want to cause a stir so I'll wait for confirmation from CT-9 before divulging further."

22 then pressed a button on his communicator and waited as the line rung. CT finally connected through after a minute and said, "In the middle of running complex algorithms 22. Need to preserve my processing power for the task."

"Suspend what you're working on. Is it true?"

"Is what true 22?" 22 slammed his fist against the table in frustration and yelled, "Do not play fucking games with CT! You think this is a joke?! Is it true!?" There was a pregnant pause from the other line as well from the senior staff in the room. Everyone in the room had seen 22 when he snapped and he was a force to be reckoned with.

CT finally spoke up on the other line and said, "Come to the command center. There's something you all need to see . . ." 22 ended the call and huffed in anger as he thought over what Dr. Pharah had mentioned. If things were as bad as he imagined then his job just got a whole lot harder.

The assassin turned to the senior staffers and scowled saying, "What?! You heard him! Get to the command center. We'll continue our briefing later." Everyone murmured in obedience and began filing out, except Dr. Pharah who stood by the conference room entrance fidgeting.

22 closed his Toughbook and gathered his folders saying, "No I'm not alright Pharah. In case you were wondering."

The fox woman folded her arms then leaned against the door replying, "Oh really? I couldn't tell. What's got you so spooked? You always get . . . aggressive when you're afraid or stressed. That a human defense mechanism or something?"

22 sighed heavily and said, "More like an assassin one. I'll apologize to everyone when I get up to the deck. I don't mean to snap, but what CT mentioned could be a serious threat to everyone." The vulpine doctor grimaced then turned to leave the office, but not before saying, "Well since working here I've come to realize that trouble, threats, and danger are par for the course. Everyone else you brought on knows that too. We're in this all the way 22, don't worry too much about us alright? We can handle whatever comes our way." And with that the doctor left 22 to his own thoughts.

RETRIBUTION: COMMAND DECK

"Wait what?!" Captain Quint shook her head in confusion asking, "Why are we moving the Retribution out there?!"

CT-9 absentmindedly pawed at a loose piece of carpet string and replied, "We need to confirm my earlier suspicions. So do your job and get the helicarrier in position."

"I'm still protesting! You know how Celestia feels about a gigantic airship moving over Canterlot. It'll send the locals into a frenzy and then there comes the investigations and reports into why we left Canterlot and what we're doing! I don't know about any of you, but that gets annoying having to answer for why we moved this bird 20 feet in one direction."

Agent Smith gazed out the command deck's large glass window and said, "I'll handle the report to the Princess and 22 and I will give a joint press statement if it comes down to that. Just do as CT-9 says and get the Retribution above the Mane Sea." Captain Quint grumbled but complied and began barking orders at ponies and foxes alike, sending them scrambling to get the ship moving.

"Did I just hear we're leaving Canterlot and heading over the Mane Sea?" CT-9 nodded in response leaving 22 to frown. The assassin took a deep breath then replied, "Hey sorry everyone about blowing up in the briefing. It was uncalled for and . . . it's something I've still got to get under better control."

"Agh think nothing of it. Times are stressful, let us focus on the task at hand than hurt feelings." Guantanamo said while leaning against a railing. The other staffers all nodded in agreement leaving 22 to chuckle and take his place next to Quint and Smith.

A fox technician from beneath the observation deck pressed a few buttons on his console then said, "Large SpellBound Collider is powered up and propulsion systems are online. Estimated arrival time to the Mane Sea is . . . 25 minutes." 22 nodded and gave a lazy salute as his acknowledgment then turned his attention to the others and said, "Well while we wait I'll fill you in on what's got me less than thrilled about heading the sea. It all started when we 49, CT, and I first discovered the portal that led us here. We were hot on the trail of 7 and simultaneously making our way towards the portal, though at the time we thought it was just a scrambled signature or tropical storm. I remember our reactions to seeing it for the first time. . .

RETRIBUTION: ABOVE THE PACIFIC OCEAN

"Fucking hell we're too late!" 49 hobbled over towards a computer console and began typing up a storm. 22 instead just stood still watching the monster of a ship. Hovering several miles from them was the Cabal's heavy class helicarrier, the Subjugator. It was three times as large as the US navy's Nimitz CVN-68 aircraft carrier, and all the more deadly for it. The Subjugator was to the Retribution, what a humvee is to a tank.

Just a few salvos from the Subjugator would be enough to tear through the Retribution and send them all to a watery grave. 22 suddenly shook himself from his gazing then yelled, "CT-9 get us out of here!"

"Already been working on that. Thrusters are operating at 103% capacity, and all power from unnecessary systems are being diverted to the propulsion drives. In layman's terms 'I'm giving her all she's got 22.'"

22 hopped over the observation deck's railing and stood over 49's shoulder saying, "I'm gonna take a jump jet and try to scramble any fighters they send!"

49 shook his head and said, "Negative 22, that's a fucking death sentence. Did you forget you're a third rate pilot at best and a suicide bomber at worst?"

"Hey cut me some slack! The fact I can even fly at all should attest to my mental aptitude and skill!"

"Great. We're about to get blown out the sky and the kid's stroking his own dick. Alright fine, go ahead and buy us some time. Hey CT?" The robotic feline looked over the railing and asked, "What is it 49? Trying to keep the Retribution from stalling!"

_"Maneuver us towards the tropical storm! We might be able to lose the Subjugator in it!" CT pondered the suggestion, most likely running an innumerable amount of calculations then said, "That plan has a 12% chance of actually being successful and not ending up in our demise. But I'll execute it anyways, not like you care for tactical analysis anyhow." 49 smirked then patted 22 on the back and said, "Make me proud killer." 22 nodded the sprinted for the tarmac. _

Once the assassin made it to landing strip he skidded to a halt at the full sight of the Subjugator. He'd been on several cabal helicarriers and they were all impresive to him, but the Subjugator was otherworldly. How something that large could fly at all was surprising. The assassin made his way towards the jump jet he'd stolen earlier and began it's warm up and prep sequence. The jet's powerful engines flexed and began firing off. 22 pressed the throttle forward and shot off like rocket taking directly to the skies. He pressed a few buttons on his console and immediately had CT-9's face on the communications screen.

"What's the status of the Subjugator CT-9?"

"It's powering up it's artillery. If even one stray salvo connects then we're dead. You need to draw their attention and do it fast."

"Alright tell me where to shoot!" CT's face was replaced by a 3d render of the Subjugator and several red blinking dots. "Aim for this hydroelectric generator. The Subjugator doesn't have a top tarmac like the Retribution so any jets launched will have to come out from this hangar right here. Take out the generator and the hangar doors will be rendered inoperable."

22 nodded in understanding then twirled his jet down towards the lumbering airship. As the assassin flew towards the generators he could feel the whizzing of bullets flying past him. Volley upon volley of .50 caliber rounds peppered the sky as 22 did his best to avoid being shot down.

The assassin swooped under the Subjugator and took aim art an exposed generator. Satisfied with his line of sight, 22 opened fire and destroyed the apparatus. The device sputtered then burst into flames, causing the hangar doors to shutter closed in self defense. 22 laughed wildly while spiraling back towards the sky saying, "You see that!? That's some top gun type shit there!"

"Yea nice shot kid, one in a million yadda ya. Don't get cocky now, we still need more time to enter the storm. Keep em busy!"

22 took a deep breath then turned the jet back around, deciding to make a pass for the observation deck . 22 opened fired on the deck's windows, but found that his jet's rounds barely even scratched the ballistic proof glass. He cursed then began coming around for another pass, but suddenly violently maneuvered to the side. 22 had barely dodged an inbound missile, and it looked like it was the start of the Subjugator's massive AA display.

"Fuck." Was all 22 could say before scores of missiles locked onto him and began launching from the Subjugator. "Shit, shit, shit!" The assassin cried while twirling through the barrage of explosives. The projectiles were fast, but his jet was faster. 22 banked hard to the left and dove out of the way of the assault. The missiles curved with him, but had too wide of a turning radius to stay on him.

As the missiles lost target and flew over the ocean 22 exclaimed, "I'm going in for an attack pass!"

_"No you're not! Get your ass back here!" _

"I've got this 49, don't worry about me!" 49 shook his head then slammed his fist on the table saying, "I'm not worried about you! I'm worried about the fucking storm coming our way!" 22 turned his head to look out the window with bulged out eyes. The tropical storm that had been brewing over the horizon was merely a few hundred feet from them and fast approaching.

Dark and deep violet clouds swirled over the water while lightning and thunder struck violently around. Even from the safety of his cockpit 22 could feel harsh winds picking up and destabilizing his jet.

_"CT what the hell is happening?!" _

_"Not certain, but I recommend a full retreat. If we're caught up in the storm and brought down to the ocean's surface then that'll spell certain death for us. The Retribution is a sea faring vessel, but that doesn't mean it's submersible." 22 flipped the control stick around and made a beeline for the Retribution. He looked over at the Subjugator and could even see that massive airship maneuvering itself away from the storm. _

22 came to a screeching halt atop the tarmac then hopped out his jet saying, "Wasn't the whole point of coming here to escape through the storm? And what about 7! We've gotta do something!"

"We are doing something," 49 said from the other line. "We're surviving. Mission objective's changed, we'll worry about 7 when we're not about to fall out of the sky." 22 groaned in frustration but obeyed 49 and locked his ship down. As the assassin set to work on securing the jet he could feel the bands of water assaulting him and advancing towards the Retribution.

22 dropped what he was doing and made a mad dash back towards the command deck. Getting blown off of the Retribution was surely a death sentence in this weather.

"What kind of storm is that CT!?" The robotic feline masterfully swiped over the console's keys then replied, "Category 5 tropical storm is the highest designation a storm can receive, so when I say this I do not speak liberally . . . This storm is five times as strong as that." 49 looked over CT's shoulder and pointed to the screen saying, "There's no way those winds are going that fast."

"It seems quite impossible I know, but the winds are currently keeping a sustained speed of 807 km/h. Not to mention the abundance of electrostatic interference in the air . . . This is not a naturally occurring event." CT-9's robotic voice was typically leveled and even as one would expect from an artificially intelligent being. Though 22 and 49 could both pick up on the subtle inflections in his voice and slight tremors of his motors . . . He was uncertain, maybe even afraid.

49 looked over at the Subjugator and saw it struggling to pull free from the pull of the storm. The massive vessel's afterburners were working overtime and everyone could see powerful plumes of fire fighting to keep it in the air. 49 shook his head and frantically shook CT-9 exclaiming, "Get us out of here cat!"

"It doesn't work like that 49. Our propulsion systems are already stressed beyond belief and with no engineering teams helping to keep our reactor cool . . . We'll reach critical mass."

" . . . And fucking go boom." The trio said nothing only quietly watched as the skies around them grew dark and more foreboding. CT-9 eased the strain on the Retribution and shut off the propulsion drives, there was escaping their fate and the team did their best to come to grips with it. They all watched as the massive Subjugator was swallowed up by the storm, disappearing from sight as the winds, clouds, and blinding rain rolled over it.

CT-9 let out a digital sigh then said, "t-this outcome is a-aceptable to me . . ." 49 and 22 looked over at the robotic feline and watched as he calculated his next response.

"I've been with the cabal and by extension you two since my inception at Blackwater. I was made for one singular purpose and that was to increase your survivability by critical and unprejudiced tactical analysis. I've gathered so much data and have been consistently surprised by the results of your exploits. Many times we should have died, but you persevered. Though I've pooled all my resources into this calculating this scenario and I'm afraid that there is a 0.000000000000000% chance of survival. The Retribution will lose control and be torn asunder by the storm, if the hull isn't damaged and breached first by the impact into the ocean then the violent jostling will rupture the already stressed reactor, or the impact will just kill you two as you're jostled from the observation deck . . ."

The robot grew silent and turned away, allowing for 49 to reply, "You trying to say you'll miss or something? Didn't take you for the sentimental type cat." CT-9 returned his gaze towards 49 and said, "I won't miss you as much as I'll miss having a purpose . . . and the nothingness that follows destruction. It is something no one, artificial or not would want to deal with." 22 caught on to what CT-9 was trying to say then replied, "I understand CT . . ." 22 stood up in front of the robot and cleared his throat saying, "CT-9 activate Philosopher 4 Protocol. " The robot's ears perked up and he then sat on his haunches at attention.

"Philosopher 4 protocol initiated. CT-9 unit requesting permission to encrypt data banks and shut down." 22 felt a hitch in his throat as he looked at his faithful companion, but he swallowed his feelings and granted him the one last request.

"Permission granted CT-9. Initiate shut down protocol." CT-9 gave one last thoughtful look towards 49 and 22 then bowed his head saying, " . . . thank you." The robot then slumped forward and softly fell to it's side.

49 folded his arms and looked away saying, "That shit was sadder than it had any right to be . . . fuck." The older assassin wiped away a stray tear then laughed saying, "You know I never thought it would end like this." 22 smirked and leaned against the railing next to him replying, "That's not corny at all. How'd you think we'd die?"

"Oh I was sure it was going to be from subterfuge from the cabal. Like they send us on a bullshit mission and then BAM! Trap and everyone's gunned down."

"That's pretty much how this went down though . . ."

"Yea but for a second I really thought we were gonna do it. Like fuck it's aggravating how close we came I mean look at us! We hijacked the Retribution, escaped 7, and even came close to gunning her down. I say that counts for something!"

22 let his arms fall lazily over the railing as he watched the sky become pitch black. A cursory glance at his watch told him it was only a few minutes after 2 in the afternoon, yet it looked as if the sky had been painted over with a black brush. The winds had begun rocking the helicarrier and destabilizing the ship. With CT deactivated and the propulsion systems offline, they were literally drifting in the storm.

22 looked at his mentor and friend and spoke fearfully with a low voice saying, "I uh. I don't want to see it when it happens . . . Is that selfish? You kill people for a living, but get scared when it's your time . . ." 49 placed his arm on 22's should and nodded his head saying, I'm scared as shit too, no one wants to see themselves go, and we have the luxury of not having to . . ." 49 reached into his ready bad and quickly produced a plastic holder with two pills inside.

22 recognized the pills as fast acting sleeping ones. He's used them in the field plenty of times, but never on himself. There were experimental and there was a likely chance they'd probably not wake up if the pair 49 had were faulty. 22 said nothing though and quickly snatched a pill for himself, downing it immediately. 49 chuckled and popped his pill as well, content with just watching the storm grow in strength. 22 staggered a bit as he could already feel the effects of the drug taking place.

The younger assassin then lost feeling in his legs and dropped to his knees exhausted. He gave a strained look over at 49 who was faring no better. The older warrior had already fell to his bottom and was leaning his back against the railing, quite exhausted as well. 22 strained himself to turn over and sit up as well, making sure to get as close to 49 as he said, "g-goodbye f-friend." He could feel his tongue go numb and jaws fall slack, rendering him speechless.

He saw 49 slump over and let out a gurgled cry of expression, but it proved fruitless because soon after he too was slumped over on his side, unconscious as the Retribution drifted into the mouth of the storm, becoming lost to Earth forever . . .

"ugghh w-what happened?" 22 felt like his entire body was on fire, every muscle was screaming at him to stop but the assassin needed to get his bearings. His vision and memory were fuzzy but he tried to stand anyways.

Pain shot up into his leg causing him to growl in bitter defiance. "w-work damn y-you!" He put more pressure on his legs and could feel the pain subsiding some, not completely but enough for him to get his bearings. He grabbed onto the Observation deck's railing and steadied himself as his mind began working the events prior to him waking up.

He recalled the mountains in Mexico, running from someone . . . no 7! Then the shootout in the hangar, boarding the Retribution, following 7 . . . His mind got hazy and flared up in pain. He grasped his forehead in frustration and continued working through the events. Following 7 . . . finding out they were too late and she had already made a rendezvous with the cabal . . . then the storm . . . "Oh shit!" 22 said while springing up. The assassin ignored the lingering soreness and made a mad dash for the control panel. He was alive and apparently the ship was intact, which according to CT-9 should have been impossible.

The young fighter hopped over the railing and looked out the window. The Retribution had definitively hit the ocean's surface seeing as they were in ship mode, but they hadn't sunk or exploded. 22 ran back to the main console and pressed a few buttons. The panel was dark and off which didn't sit well with him, though after a few minutes the panel beeped a few times before displaying a prompt reading, "Reactor core offline, switch to solar array? Y/N"

22 pressed yes on the prompt and listened as the solar panels on the tarmac began unfolding and charging up. The panel stayed dark a few more seconds before springing to life and displaying the main interface. 22 immediately initiated a diagnostic check and waiting as the automated systems began running their checks. It would take awhile so 22 went to check on 49.

The older warrior was also struggling with coming to grips with the sleeping drugs effects, but 49 was strong if not stubborn so he prevailed in being able to stand up. The grizzled warrior gave a harsh squint towards 22 then approached him slowly with wide eyes asking, "No fire . . . No brimstone. I know we aren't alive, but did we make it . . . like actually make it into the pearly gates?" 22 just laughed at 49's delirious question and pulled him into a strong hug.

49 seemed dazed by the gesture, but soon got his bearings and returned the embrace saying, "Yea I know how you feel kid . . . Jesus I'm getting to old for this cheating death shit." 22 released 49 and let his mentor continue recovering and adjusting. Once 49 was confident he had recovered he looked out the window and asked, "The hell are we? Somewhere in the Pacific?"

22 shrugged then replied, "Can't check until the Retribution is finished doing it's diagnostic. It's a miracle if this thing can even sail. We should have sunk to the bottom of the sea."

"Yea like 7 . . ."

"I know what you mean. If anyone deserves to sink to the bottom it's her." 49 shook his head the pointed out the window saying, "No seriously look." 22 turned his gaze towards 49 was pointing and could feel a grin coming on. With a tail fin poking out of the water, the Subjugator was slowly sinking into the sea's depths. The lumbering ship creaked and groaned loudly as the sea gobbled it up, but 22's pleasure quickly turned to concern when he pointed and said, "Look the bay doors! I shot the generator clean off earlier and forced those doors shut! They're open!"

49 looked over at the bay doors and indeed could see the distinctive lack of one, almost as if something or someone had blown them clean off. 49 folded his arms and said, "Well I suppose we can't have everything, but at least this will be a big blow to the cabal. Losing their capital ship to a storm is probably gonna piss a lot of bigwigs off."

22 stared at the sinking airship but took no comfort in it's demise. His main concern was finding 7 and making sure she was put down for good.

49 walked over to the control panel and saw that the Retribution was nearly finished with its diagnostic and said, "Say can you wake the bucket of bolts up?"

22 cracked a wide grin and laughed saying, "Why? You miss him or something?" 49 rolled his eyes and replied, "Not particularly, but I can't read this computer shit. And I sure as hell don't trust you to operate this thing.'

"Hey I flew the jet!"

"Barely and in case you couldn't tell, the Retribution ain't no jet. Wake the damn thing up." 22 waved 49 off dismissively but obliged anyway. He knelt next to the deactivated android and pressed a small button in the crook of his neck. CT-9's internals began whirring to life and then the robot shakily stood to all fours, looking at 22 curiously.

CT-9 scanned his environment for a little while before saying, "Greetings. I am a Combat Tactical Unit, 9 __th_ edition, or CT-9 abbreviated. How may I be of service?"_

"CT-9. Initiate Historian 8 protocol. Total memory reinstatement." CT-9 cocked his head as he began searching his drive then said, "Encrypted memory found. Decrypt and restore previous personality and memory imagings? Warning! Warning! Decryption will erase my current state, do you want to proceed?"

49 threw his arms in the air and exclaimed, "Aww come on let's leave him like this 22! Maybe he'll finally stop being an ass for once." 22 smirked but ignored 49 and said, "Proceed with decryption, access code vingt-deux."

CT-9 's eyes flashed and flashed as his memory was reinstated. The process only took a few seconds before he stopped and said, "Reinstatement complete . . ." He then looked at 22 thoughtfully and said, "I don't believe my optical sensors." 22 laughed then patted CT-9's head and said, "You better believe it! We actually survived!"

CT-9 looked over at 49 then shook his head in disappointment saying, "How unfortunate. Before I shut down I took solace in knowing 49 would perish with me. It's a shame truly . . ." 49 waved his hand nonchalantly and replied, "Yea we missed you or whatever, now come over here and tell us what's going on."

CT-9 hopped up towards the computer terminal and began interfacing with it. The robotic feline looked over at the assassins and shook his head in confusion saying, "The Retribution's overall diagnostic health is good. Reactor core is not damaged, just offline. Weapon systems aren't damaged, though one suspension rotor needs to be recalibrated, and it looks likes all electronic instruments are still operational."

49 clapped his hands and shrugged saying, "So we're all peachy then! Subjugator sunk like the titanic, cabal probably thinks we all died in the storm, and the skies are calm and steady. Find us a remote island Ct and let's live like kings!" The robot's turned his gaze back to the monitor then replied, "I am not certain where we are . . ."

22 and 49 shared looks of confusion before 22 asked, "What do you mean you aren't sure? Pull up a GPS readout."

"I can't. Our GPS tracking systems are online . . . but there aren't any satellites to connect to." 49 crossed his arms and retorted, "Maybe you just need a software update or something. How can you not connect to a single satellite?! The shits are practically clogging up the atmosphere!"

CT huffed in frustration and continued running tests and stressing the diagnostic instruments. He shook his head once more before tilting upwards and projecting a 3d render.

22 pointed at the render of earth and asked, "What's this CT?"

"This is the Earth and its magnetic frequency. It's a sustained 7.83 hertz at all times." CT's eyes flashed and another planet showed up, it looked like earth but it was twice if not three times as large.

"And this here is a rough estimate of where we currently are, judging by last triangulated positions and older maritime data. With the storm blowing at the rate it was and high-pressure winds, we should have landed here . . ."

49 squinted at the blinking dot then said, "That's right smack in the middle of the Bermuda triangle. Okay like I told 7, I'm old alright? Can you just get to the point before I fucking die?"

"The 'point' is that from the data I've gleaned, I believe that we are no longer on Earth . . ." 49 and 22 gave CT-9 blank stares before 49 shook his head and exclaimed, "Wait what?"

The Retribution's instruments work, seismic data, maritime analysis, and Earth frequency identifiers all work. I've used these instruments and verified their accuracy. The data they've given me tells me that we're no longer on Earth as we know it. You're old, not stupid 49. Surely you can put together an inference from data?"

" . . ."

"We experienced an unnatural weather phenomenon, we have no satellites in orbit, the planet's frequency is three times that of Earth's, and this all coincides with the electrostatic interference I first encountered in Mexico. So gathering up all this evidence, it can only be inferred that we are no longer on the planet Earth, it's physically impossible. Math does not lie."

22 looked out over the ocean and clutched the side of his head in disbelief. This had to be some sort of sick joke? Or perhaps the Retribution was damaged and giving CT-9 false readings. 22 nodded as his brain accepted that reality over the one his robotic companion was spelling out for him. The younger assassin looked over at 49 and saw that he was leaning against the deck's railings, deep in thought.

The mentor warrior looked over at 22 and CT then quietly said, "okay."

"Okay? What do you mean 'okay' 49?!"

"I mean . . . okay. CT says we're on another planet, alright fuck it. We're on Mars or Jupiter or wherever the hell we are, to me that is now inconsequential. What I want to know is what's around us. We need information kid. Population centers, critical infrastructure, Retribution needs maintenance, the list is fucking endless. Maybe I'll die from shock later, but right now we're not going to focus on that alright everyone?"

CT-9 and 22 both nodded in agreement and let their focus drift back towards the more pressing matters at hand. "Alright good then. CT-9 make preparations to get the propulsion thingy fixed, I'll help if I can. If need be we're gonna need the Retribution to be able to get airborne and that ain't happening with a busted flipper."

"Preparations are underway 49, though in the meantime I'll launch a J.S.A.T ."

"A what?"

"It's a receiver of sorts. We have no satellites to connect to, but we can mimic the effect with a JSAT. We deploy one high into the sky and when we go out on foot or by vehicle, we'll build the necessary environment information for the JSAT to read from." 49 drummed his fingers across the railing and replied, "Alright launch it then. 22 you hop in a jet and do some reconnaissance. This isn't top gun you hear? Fly in, get us a good spread of the land and any aerial photos if you can manage it, all that junk will be great for CT." 22 nodded and gave a laid-back salute as his response and made his way for the tarmac. 49 looked back over to CT-9 and said, "You don't seem to share my optimism cat." The robot merely gave its version of a shrug and replied, "I was serious you know. We truly aren't on planet Earth anymore. No more United States, Korea, China, Russia, Kosovo . . . We are truly gone."

_"I heard you the first time and believed it then. But it changes nothing . . . Our mission is still the same. Survival . . ." _

_"And of Killer 7?" 49 placed his hand on his hip and said, "I'm still thinking about it. I know this is my fault, but I want to at least try and make things right. It's the least I can do." _

"And what of the Subjugator?"

"What about it?"

"We'll eventually need to take stock of the ship to see who died, what equipment is still inside, and how many fighter jets were launched before it sunk. The Subjugator is a dangerous variable we should not be neglecting." 49 scratched his chin thoughtfully then turned towards CT-9 and said, "CT-9 archive this event and lock it as Subjugation Class Scenario. Authorization code quarante-neuf. "

CT-9's eyes blinked rapidly as he processed the request. The robotic feline then said nothing in response, only idled down the Retribution as they got ready for maintenance. CT-9 looked out onto the vast ocean and made a mental note to geotag their location. If the Subjugator was ever resurfaced then there'd be a serious security risk to themselves. He just hoped it wouldn't have to come down to it.

---

"Wait so you're telling me that there's another alien warship just sitting in the ocean?!" 22 shrugged at Captain Quint's suggestion and replied, "For all our sakes it better be sitting in the ocean."

Agent Smith shook his head and chimed in saying, "Why did you not alert me or the princesses to this possibility 22? The Retribution itself is deadly enough to cause mass destruction yet there's a larger more powerful vessel just wasting away?"

"We thought the problem was nonexistent. The Subjugator had sunk to the seafloor, and couldn't be brought up without serious heavy equipment so why mention it?" Guantanamo grimaced as the Retribution glided across the sky and said, "You mention it so we can prepare for the contingency kid. If 7's brought that warship up then we're in more trouble than we thought."

22 folded his arms and turned from everyone, not keen on hearing any more about the issue. As the ship positioned itself over the ocean 22 pointed to Dr. Pharah and asked, "Are the sonar systems online?"

"Yes, they're working. Shall we drop the buoy?"

"Yes please." Dr. Pharah nodded and motioned towards a pegasus assistant of hers. Dr. Pharah relayed the order and the pegasus nodded while taking off towards the drop bay. The senior staffers all waited then braced as they felt a large weight deploy from the Retribution's undercarriage.

The anchor-like device was designed for giving deep and detailed readouts of objects underwater. Once deployed it would begin emitting sonar pings that would only react to the signature of what they were looking for, in this case, the massive wreckage of the Retribution.

The device finally settled beneath the waves and began transmitting its signal. Everyone studied the screen and waited for the distinctive 'ping' of the locator beacon, but no ping was ever heard. 22 grew restless and began pacing back and forth. The others watched him warily, but no one said anything as he lost himself to his worry.

The assassin checked his watch then looked back at the screen saying, "It's been five minutes! Still nothing?!" CT-9 paid 22's impatience no mind and replied, "This process takes time 22. The sensor could just need more time to calibrate, or we might not be deep enough to ad-"

"Forget it! I'll take care of this myself!" The assassin took off sprinting for the top deck leaving everyone to watch as he clearly wouldn't accept what had happened. CT-9 shook his head then said, "He's stubborn but we all know he means well. Agent Smith, I recommend you being there to hoist him up."

Agent Smith looked over at the android and asked, "Are you telling me he's going to jump off of the Retribution." CT-9 brought up the security footage from the ship's various cameras and everyone only watched as the panicked assassin pushed and shoved various workers out of his way. 22 made a beeline for the edge of the landing strip then gracefully leapt from the edge, performing an agile flip before diving straight into the ocean below.

The surface where 22 had dived into splashed a bit before becoming eerily still. Captain Quint looked at the feed and asked, "How long can the fella hold his breath?"

"Assassins are trained to be able to at least hold their breath for 60 seconds, though we have breathing assistant tools for that. 22 most certainly equipped his before diving off." Agent Smith looked at the display for a little while longer, before heading off to pick 22 up. Guantanamo looked over at CT then asked, "So what if they brought up that old ship. There's years worth of RnD, magical upgrades, and maintenance on the Retribution that they won't have with the Subjugator. Even if it's gone, it's not like we can't blow it out the sky."

"Yes our ship in its current form would be more capable than the waterlogged Subjugator, but it's not just the ship that worries us. There were small arms weapon caches, deadly explosives, and stores upon stores of technology that would put the Wolven Ascendancy on almost equal footing with Equestria. Anything to keep the power imbalance in our favor should be our top priority." Guantanamo huffed at CT's words but argued no further.

There was movement on the security feed and everyone snapped their attention to it. The staff all watched as 22 surfaced angrily, the assassin violently splashing and beating the waves around him. Agent Smith could be seen hovering close by and speaking to 22. The assassin's words could not be heard but everyone could tell from his animated performance that it was not good news.

The Subjugator was gone.