Abnormal Norman 46: The Winter War (Part Two)

Abnormal Norman 46: The Winter War (Part Two)
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>All is silent.
>Bits of snow and dust falls to the ground.
>Winter has begun.
>Gilda couldn't believe it.
>Nolan couldn't accept it.
>Amy is dead. Shot down.
>You emerged from the smoky fog to see Nolan.
>Nolan holds his beloved in his arms.
>His tears pour down her lifeless body.
>Gilda managed to snap out of the shock and ordered the Saints to bring Nolan back to his mansion safely.
>"You four, get them back to the mansion. Make sure you're not followed."
>The grunts obliged, and escorted Nolan and Amy's corpse out of there.
"Gilda..."
>Gilda looked on as Nolan' slowly breaking.
>She knows Nolan will do something rash.
>"Norman..."
"A-Amy...is she...is she..."
>"She's gone. Shot to the heart, by the looks of it."

*KABOOM*

>The factory slowly detonates most of the bombs in it.
>Gunfire is still heard not too far from where you're standing.
>"Come on. We need to move."
"Yeah..." You say as you and Gilda moved out of the scene.
>You looked back at Nolan one last time.
>He's going down the sewers with the four Saint's Bro guards.
>Even from far away, you can see it in Nolan's eyes.
>The eyes that will bring forth the beginning of the end of this winter war.
>Snow falls from the sky. You let your hand out and caught a snowflake.
>In it, you see the beauty of the snowflake.
>As the snowflake melts on your glove, the little thing is imprinted on your mind.
>It looked like a heart. A heart that slowly faded away...

Be Lyra
School Campus

>Classes were suspended due to the amount of anarchy present in the city as of the moment.
>You and your classmates hurried outside to go home.
>Octavia looks on as the smoke and gunfire startles her.
>"Gott, what is this?"
"A gang war." You tell her.
>"We're not safe out here. Let's go home!"
>At that point, Principal Celestia comes out with Luna and Councillor Cadenza Armor
>You then hid by the tree to eavesdrop on what seems to be a very interesting conversation.
>"Tia, please tell me my husband's alright!"
>>"I can't be too sure. I called the precinct right now and it turns out every police officer Normal recruited for the raid of Cherry Industries have been listed M.I.A. for the moment *."
[spoiler] Principal Celestia's the commander of the Canterlot Police Division, see issue # 26 [/spoiler]

>"Oh no..."
>Cadenza's having a little panic attack.
>>>"Whoa, Cadence! Breath slowly!" Luna said, comforting the pregnant councillor.
>"W-What do you plan on doing?"
>>"First things first. Gather all the remaining troops and issue a rescue mission on this city. This place is a mess, and we need to protect the innocent above all else. I'm sorry, Cadence, but your husband will have to wait."
>So...Norman's dad's at Viri Scientia's facility now, huh?
>"Psst! Lyra! What are you doing?" Octavia asks.
"You go home. I have work to do."
>"Lyra, don't be silly! It's too dangerous to wander alone out here! The mayor's already thinking about declaring martial law!"
"OCTAVIA, please. I have somewhere to go. "
>"B-but..."
"I have a job to do, and I'm going to see it through."
>With that, you stopped time and disappeared in front of Octavia's eyes.
>Time reverting back to normal, she's shocked and confused as to what happened.
>The city is in ruins. This is the winter war Norman told you to prepare.
>Though you never would've guessed it would be THIS chaotic.
>You grabbed your jacket out of the bag and wore your bandana and hoodie.
>Taking out your lyre-bow, you hurried to the rooftops to get a clearer view.
"What the?"
>Something's not right.
>The whole place is grayer than usual.
>Looking at it, it seems to be in lockdown.
"Well shit...."

Be Brad
Airforce Plane

The turbulence of the plane slowly bumps you back to reality.
"Ugh..."
*BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT*
"AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGH!"
>You're chained up, naked and bear.
>At least your abs are still alright. Unf.
>>"Ahh, glad to see you're awake."
"Huah...ugh...General Igneous...?"
>>"Good."
>With a press of a button, Igneous sends volts of electricity howling through your body.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! L-LAUREN FAUST!"
>>"Now that I got your attention, I suppose you wouldn't think about escaping anymore, huh?"
"B-BUG OFF, YOU...WAR-CRAZY PRICK!"
>*click*
"BZZZTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
>>"I think you should reconsider what word you're going to use next, Sentry."
"G-GO TO HELL..."
>General Igneous grabs a monitor and shows it to you.
"W-What the..."
>>"That's what's inside you right now, boy. Nanobots..."
"W-What!?"
>>"Yes. I think that these babies were worth the large barrels of truth serums I traded with that scientist woman. *"
[spoiler] Some info available in Issue # 39 [/spoiler]
"S-Scientist?"
>>"Cherry Jubilee. I'll admit, we've had some tough trades throughout our lives. Some like that wyvern girl, Amaranthine, was sent to grab files to use against us. Although Cherry claims that Amaranthine is simply an off-course member, and not entirely liable for her wellbeing."
"T-Then...y-you 're working for...for..."
>>"Gangsters is the word you're probably looking for, but Viri Scientia's cause is a bit higher than the usual gang stuff. Fortune and control?No, they want the freedom to experiment without some cop or health inspector buzzing about in their facilities."
"W-Why!?"
>>"I don't share her views and her plans for the future, but she's one hell of a supplier on chemical warfare, and that's all that matters. Making sure our country is safe from invaders."
"B-By making deals with the devils?"
>>"We would've ignored them, but our idiot president's too much of a softie to approve lethal weapon manufacturing. So I had to make friends..."
"But what would this country even need protection from?"
>>"From the world. We have thousands of guns, but not even that's good enough these days. We needed something better. We needed weapons from the black market."
"You needed w-weapons to prepare for an invasion."
>>"My, that's a large accusation there."
"I wouldn't say it any other way."
>>"Well, if that's how small you think of the one thing that's protecting this country from possible invaders, so be it."
"You're dealing with gangsters, General. What do you think will happen in the future with all the raw materials you've been providing Cherry with, huh?"
>>"It's simple. I protect the country, she gets to do her dream job."
"You're missing the point. You can protect the country from invaders, you can even invade the countries yourself, but what's protecting the country from itself?"
>>"I don't get where you're going with this, and frankly, I don't care. MEN, SUIT HIM UP!"
"Suit me up? What's going BZZZZTTGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
>>"Quiet, monkey."
>The soldiers brings to you your costume, only replaced with a metallic finish, and some pants.
"What in the world..!?"
>>"I still remember our talk from earlier before. You know where Noir-Man is, and what his powers are. If only we delayed that truth serum shipment, we could've just tortured you for the information. The past few hours before were a waste of time. You weren't susceptible to torture, surprisingly. Instead, you're going to be our test pilot for this."
"T-T-TEST PILOT?"
>>"Yes. The suit been programmed to be controlled by us, and us alone. We can't trust you with Noir-Man, so we'll just have to take matters into our own hands. Simply put, you get in the suit, we control your body. Of course, you'll be dropped at your city for you to reach your friend at your own free will. Once you do, we take control of you, grab the kid and bring him back here."
"T-Then what if I just take the suit off?"
>>"These nanobots inside your body can deliver a lethal blow, Sentry. We can kill you and leave you to die in that city looking like a flamboyant acrobat, or you could simply...do as you're told."
"Ugh..."
>>"Yes, Sentry. Soldier! What much longer before we land?"
>>>"Hours, sir."
>>"Just about enough. By the way, Sentry. Did you know that the suit was made with VIRI tech?"
"And this concerns me, how?"
>>"Just some fun trivia, boy. The Viri scientists have been working all year long for a way to directly control the minds of men."
"Y-You mean like a brainwash devices?"
>>"Exactly. So far, fear's the only thing that can brainwash a person to do your bidding, but even they can plot against you. No, Viri wanted something that would make the people slaves to their control, for the good of mankind."
"What good is that going to do?"
>>"Peace and tranquility. At least, that's what they're telling me. Anyway, the projects were mostly failures. Most of the test subjects died, save for the beta parasite helmets, which simply short circuits, rather than killing the host."
"Why are you telling me this?"
>>"This suit is one of the nearest things to a mind-control device. In fact, this is the first suit we made, and we haven't even tested it yet."
"...and?"
>>"We might accidentally cause your body to bend...horribly..."
"...s-shit."
>"Still, the objective still stands. Noir-Man is the priority, and you'll bring him to me, whether you're alive or dead."
"And what would you guys have done if my body was mangled by that...thing in the desert?"
>"Thing? OOH, you mean little Tyrone?"
"Ty...what!?"
>"Oh yeah. That centipede thing * was one of our early experiments in cloning Viri Scientia's way of creating skin-plates. For battle."
[spoiler]See Issue # 43 [/spoiler]
"Jeez, you guys are really freaking close with the scientists."
>"All for the good of our citizens. Anyway, to answer your question, we would've probably just use other test subjects."
"..."
>"For the greater good, Sentry. For the greater good."

Be Norman
Rooftops with Gilda

>You arrive at the rooftops with Gilda.
>You and Nolan's favorite bodyguard look over the city.
>Smoke and fire scattered from what used to be the street to where Saints Bro's construction sites were placed.
>You hand Gilda's pistol back to her.
"H-Here."
>"Keep it. for now. The war's not over yet."
>You  put the pistol back to your bag.
"Gilda...what now?"
>"What do you mean what now?"
"Nolan's your...friend, right? Shouldn't you be with him at this time?"
>"I have to oversee our casualties. We lost too many men at this moment a-"
>Suddenly, a woman in green appears.
>>"Norman."
"Lyra!?"
>>"The whole city is in ruins. Hybrid monsters and Saint's Bro goons are tearing the city apart."
"I know...god...weren't they just attacking the construction sites?"
>>"I don't know. I just saw Nolan and Amy. Amy's dead, and with no one to lead the Saint's Bro, the fight's going on until Nolan calls his men down."
>"Where's Derpy? Is she safe?" Gilda asks, concerned due to the city's violent look.
>>"I don't know. She never went to school before the suspension of classes was announced."
>"WHAT?"
>>"There's something else. Something that concerns your dad."
>You then pull Lyra away from Gilda.
"L-Look, whatever you have about my dad, tell me now. Gilda has issues with my dad, and she doesn't know that he's my dad." you whisper to her
>>"That doesn't make any...alright, look."
>She moves away to talk in a safer manner.
>>"Norman, I have something you should know. I overheard the chief of police an hour ago, and I heard that every police office, well, almost every police officer, has been MIA for the past few hours."
"WHAT?"
>"W-Wait, Derpy hasn't returned home? Goddammit!" Gilda says, worried for her friend.
"What about the police! What did they say!?"
>>"I saw Cherry's... building. It's in full lockdown. No way in or out. My bet is that Cherry's holding your dad hostage, along with the other officers."
>"Wait, wait, wait. Your dad's a cop!?"
>>"Whoops."
>Goddammit, Lyra. This is the third time something slipped from your mouth *
[spoiler]See Issue # 16[/spoiler]
"It's a long story." You tell her, while giving Lyra the eye-language of 'please shut up about that'.
>>"I don't know about Derpy, either. Her phone's been off since last night."
>"SHIT, SHIT, SHIT! Cherry must've taken her, I just know it!"
"I need to go to Viri Scientia, now!"
>>"No." Lyra tells you.
>"What!?"
"What?"
>>"Norman, I need you to help with the Chief of Police to rescue the civilians away from the gangsters and the monsters."
"B-But my dad! I can punch through their lockdown!"
>>"You can't make a scene there! They might have your dad at gunpoint! Point is, you're the more known hero of this city. The people look up to you, and you need to lead them to saftey! Help the chief. I'll go find your dad."
"B-But..."
>"Norman. Lyra's right. You have anger issues, and if your cop dad gets killed, you'll go all out. You'll turn into a monster again. A raging, chaotic monster.*" Gilda says, not knowing who Norman's father really is.
[spoiler] See Issue # 41-42 [/spoiler]
"..."
>"Norman. I don't really care much for the city, but if Derpy's out there, she might get hurt by you if you turn into a monster. Follow your partner's plan and help the civilians out."
"...Fine. But how are you going to sneak in the facility?"
>"We'll think of a way. I promise."
>You nod and went on your way.
>Lyra on the other hand, can't believe what she just told you.
>Caring for the civillians, hatching a plan...
>>"Goddamn comic books. I'm getting too heroic for this shit." She uttered to herself.

Be Nolan
Mansion

>Amy's body has been put on your bed.
>You've been quiet for the past hour.
>Your guards and close workers gathered around with you.
>"B-Boss. I...I know it's a tough time..."
>>"Dude! Don't talk to the boss while he's mourning!"
>"Mourning's not going to get us anywhere!"
>>"But du-"
>"NOLAN!" A worker yells at you.
>You slowly turned around. Your eyes red from crying and all that.
>"Look, I'm sorry your girlfriend passed away, but you need to issue some orders! Viri Scientia's wiping out our men, and we're practically fucked if we don't act now!"
>You look at him with an angry face.
>You then walked slowly to the fireplace and pondered to yourself.
>Pondered about the past. The things that happened years ago.

>Your dad...died in a gunfight.
>He was a strong man. Brutal in his methods, yet respected by his peers.
{{ She ain't coming back she's dead dead dead }}
>When he died, you felt a strong urge of vengeance. Bloodlust if you will.
>But he left you a small letter.
>He told you in that piece of paper before he succumbed to his wounds in the hospital, that you shouldn't lose sight of what this gang has strived for.
>Order. The cause of giving this city a better life once you have control of it. That you shouldn't let your blind hatred get the best of you.
>When you read that, you cried. Not because of what's written in there, but the fact that that's the last thing your father gave you before death took his soul.
>In turn, you took what he wrote seriously. You never searched for the gunman who killed your father.
>You strived for your father's work to prosper, and you did so with ease.
{{Deader than a corpse, they laugh at her demise}}
>And it wouldn't have been possible, had it not been for Amy.
{{She's dead kill kill kill}}
>Revenge was still in your mind the day your father died. If it had not been for Amy's consistent advice against focusing on vengeance, you would've runned his life's work to the ground.
>Amy was there with you, all the time. She was the woman that kept you going.
>Everytime you stumble onto a blunder, everytime you fall into a spiral of depression, Amy had been there for you.
{{She's dead deceased lifeless gone die die}}
>She never left your side. She loved you. She was the one thing keeping you sane.

>Until today.

>Amy was innocent. They killed her.
>The rage from inside fights with your logical thinking and common sense.
>She was the woman you loved, and they took her away from you.
>She did nothing wrong. She was a saint. A true saint.
>They killed her

{{Killed her shot her shot her}}

>THEY KILLED HER.

{{She's dead. SHE'S DEAD.}}

>THEY KILLED THE WOMAN I LOVE.
>They will suffer.
"THEY WILL DIE!"

>You kicked the table down and tore off the painting the firewall.
>The workers and guards are startled.
"I...I WANT CHERRY'S HEAD, ON A PLATTER. BEFORE THIS DAY ENDS."
>"BUT NOLAN! Surely you're not serious! If we couldn't even beat them when things were peaceful, how do you expect to bring the Viri Scientia to the ground?"
"We'll burn it down. BURN IT ALL. YOU! Grab your phone and call all of our men. Tell them to burn everything related to Cherry's work. EVERYTHING. Pharmacies, package distribution, OFFICE BUILDINGS. TELL THEM THEY WILL NOT STOP UNTIL WE FIND CHERRY!"
>"But shouldn't we just go to Cherry Hills Industries?"
"Cherry's a smart girl. She knows how to counter our efforts. I need our men to conduct a little chaotic rampage across her business. Study the battlefield, before running towards the enemy."
>"But sir..."
"DO IT NOW!"


Be Cherry Jubilee
Test Chamber N0-R|77A1

>Deep within the confines of the facility, you work with your engineers to create mind-control parasites, because the last one failed.
>"Ms. Jubilee. We've made up a prototype of the new parasites. However, we ran some tests and..."
"And?"
>"It's too early to tell. Literally. It's been three hours, and we haven't even tested it on someone."
"That shouldn't be a problem."
>You went further down the chamber and opened another door.
>There, the officers and Derpy are strapped onto the wall.
>>"I...I don't feel too...*BLURGPH*" Derpy says.
"Quiet, girl."
>You order your scientists to release Derpy and to bring her into the center of the chamber.
>>"CHERRY! I ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE GUILTY OF SOMETHING." Officer Normal shouts.
"Well, I see you still fondly remember the first time we met years ago * "
[spoiler] See Issue # 28 [/spoiler]
>>"RELEASE THAT GIRL! SHE'S NOT A RAT FOR TESTING! "
"Oh hush, now. I could've gotten away with what happened three hours ago if it weren't for this little runt..."
>"OW, OW, OW!" Derpy says as you pinch her ear.
>You strap her in to the metal seat and immediately put on the parasite on her head.
>>"Why are you doing this, Cherry?"
"Don't be too negative, Officer Normal. Right now, I have use for you people, and not a single one of you shall die meaninglessly. Your conscious bodies will help with my future experiments."
>>"Why?"
"What exactly are you asking, Normal? Is it the reason as to why I use test subjects for illegal experiments? Is it why I'm forcing my men to perfect the parasite mechs at this very moment?"
>Officer Normal gives you an angry look.
"Well, since you won't be remembering anything after this day, suppose I'll tell you a story."
>"..."
"Once upon a time, a young aspiring college student was merely conducting experiments using unsafe chemicals and human test subjects. Obviously, they were against the law, but what is life without progress?"
>"Skip to the point, woman."
"Heh. Well, that college student had been testing out her experiments. Experiments that could've evolved into cures for the incurable diseases! Imagine a cure for cancer, a cure for HIV-AIDS, a cure for death ITSELF!"
>"Let the girl go!"
"Eventually, she was caught. It was a bitter experience to be kicked out of the school as well as gaining a police ink on my records. Despite that, she never stopped doing what she does best..."
*PLOP*
>"AH..."
>You plug the parasite on top of Derpy's head. It's still not activated.
"A few years later, that college student met a bunch of aspiring scientists from the Viri Scientia. As it was burdened by the past culture of the group *, which had turned from a search for truth into a religious cult of hedonists, she decided to take matters into her own...hands."
[spoiler] See Issues # 25, 26, 32 and 38.[/spoiler]
*CLICK*
>You activated the prototype parasite.
>"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
>Derpy screams as the helmet fries her brain, moreso than the last one.
>"N-NNOOOO...AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
>>"CHERRY! STOP IT!"
"It wasn't hard to gain a following of my own, but I managed to take out the rivalry inside Viri Scientia itself. I was respected. FEARED. I wanted an organization free from the law. Free to continue on with my studies and experiments without the government or the authorities barging in." You say in a psychotic tone."
>"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
>>"GODDAMMIT CHERRY. YOU'RE KILLING THE KID."
"It took me more than 10 years to build an empire out of the hedonist origins that it once had. Everything I did, I did for the good of my organization! I DID IT SO MANKIND CAN BENIFIT FROM IT."
>"HEEELP...AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
"EVERYTHING I STRIVED FOR. MY STUDIES. MY WORK. LOST, BECAUSE OF THOSE GORILLAS THAT CALL THEMSELVES THE SAINT'S BRO."
>"AAAAAAAAAHhh....Ahhh...."
>Your scientists type on their computers.
>Officer Normal couldn't even bare to look at the girl.
>The girl opens her eyes. They were lifeless.
>"Ma'm. The operation was a success, but the helmet have stuck themselves into the host's spinal nerve roots. If someone were to manually take them off, the host would fall into a coma!"
>Cherry smiles at the news."
>"Also adding, these things won't last longer than a day. You know, we could've used this for the kid back then *"
[spoiler] See Issue # 32 [/spoiler]
"I don't think I'd like my only Saint's Bro informant, well, EX-Saint's Bro informant to die from other prototypes. Besides, right now, with the nanobots in his body, he's still under my command."
>"Whatever you say, Mistress."
"I only need a day to wipeout the Saints Bro. With the police in my command, no witnesses, nor authorities coming my way, the city will be our temporary playground.. These men right here will be my army. Especially you, Mr. Normal."
>>"W-WHAT?"
"I don't know where your vigilante of a son has gone, but once I find him, I will make sure he'll never betray me again..."
>>"Vigilante!? What are you ta-"
"YOU! BRING THAT MAN TO THE CHAIR. HE'LL BE THE NEXT ONE TO FEEL THEIR FREE WILL BE TAKEN FROM HIM."
>>"CHERRY!" Officer Normal says as he's forcefully escorted to the chair.
"Nolan...Norman...they all destroyed my theorems...all my work...all my theories."
>>"CHERRY! HUMPH! LET ME GO!"
"I will have my vengeance. I WILL HAVE NOLAN'S CORPSE BE THROWN INTO A PILE OF ROTTING SHITE."
>"Ma'm. I might make note that while the brainwash parasites are more efficient than the last one, they might cause severe brain damage after the one day use.."
"I know about that. Once they short circuit again, bring their bodies back here and cook up another batch. That is, if their bodies are still healthy after today."
>"Today ma'm?"
"Nolan and his army of idiots will burn today. Why waste good men when you can use these scum as front line shields?"
>"Ahh, I see your point. They're the bulletvests."
"I expect a bloodshed today. I lost a lot today, and I will not let them live another day."
*PLOP*
>>"CHERRY!"
"Hope you're tougher without a train of thought, Normal. I know your son is."
*click*
>>"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
>The flashing blue light of the parasite mech brings a tear to your eye.
>It reminded you once more of the work you lost.
>Work that was too valuable to reproduce, yet nearly complete enough to start the testing phase.
>Work that had the plans for an instant bone reconstructor gel, a cure for asthma, self reproducing fruits...
>Work that could've helped benefit mankind with the cost of a few million dollars and 499 dead test subjects...
>All of it, gone...
>"Ms. Jubilee! We have some news."
"Lay it on me."
>"The Saint's Bro have continued to violently attack your business. Some of the stores around like the pharmacies are being burned down."
"Brutes. ALL OF THEM. Not to worry though."
>"How come, ma'm?"
"We know his real address. His hidden mansion. It's where he's probably in right now."
>"So what's the plan? Dry Wheat has already contacted your army of hybrids and they're probably going back here at this moment."
"Tell Dry Wheat to call their platoon leaders. There's a small entrance underground despite the lockdown. By the sewers. That's where they enter in."
>"What do you plan to do once they're here?"
"Resupply their weaponry, give a speech and my plan for the day. Death will come to the Saints, and they will fall down like the demons from heaven."

Be Norman
Outdoor Refugee Centre.

>The police are missing, there's fire everywhere.
>Faust, and you thought Black Friday sales were this bad.

"HURGH!"
>You dropped by from the roof of a store to the refugee cells to check up on everyone.
>"H-Hey look! It's Noir-Man!" A child shouts meekly on his stretcher."
>You went to a doctor and asked for the chief of police.
"Excuse me Ms...Redheart!?"
>"Oh my gosh, Noir-Man! Err...you're alot shorter than I imagined."
"I'll cut to the chase. I need to see the Chief. It's urgent."
>Redheart phones in the chief.
>Minutes later, she arrives in all her glory, bruised and battered.
"Faust...Principal Celestia!?!?"
>"Hey...how'd you know I was a principal? Also, how did you know my name?"
"Err..."
>"Know what, forget that. There are more important things to do here."
"That's why I'm here. I'm here to help rescue people. Point the way and I'll bring them here."
>"Huh. You sure you're not going to try and beat every gang member up?"
"No. Civilians are a priority one. I'll handle the gangs later."
>"Oh, well in that case..."
>Celestia leads you inside the large tent. The planning room as they call it.
>>"Who brought the vigilante in  here?  I bet it was his fault!" Yelled a politician.
>>>"Yeah! He probably did this to make a better name for himself!"
>"Look, everyone calm down. This wasn't his fault. It's an all out gangwar, and our men are nowhere to be found." Celestia says.
>>>"Competent bunch of cops you all are."
>Celestia shrugs the comment off and proceeds to give you a job.
>"Noir-Man. There's a shipment of medical supplies and weaponry, as well as fifty able-bodied police officers from the outskirts of Canada come here by boat. With all the flying monkeys in the city, I need you to protect the boat as they dock. They'll be at this part of the city."
"Alright. What about the citizens in need?"
>"There's a small police checkpoint near there inside the fast food place. Bring all you can."
"I'll try."
>You shook her hand and went on your way.

"HUAAH!"
>You jumped and landed on a building.
>The place  isn't too far away, but there's alot of gunfire coming from that direction.
*crickle*
>Cracking your knuckles, you prepared yourself to fight a bunch of humans and monsters near the docks.

Be Lyra
Rooftop

>"Look at the place. It looks like a fortress."
"Really? Looks more like a futuristic chrome-plated building to me."
>"So, Cherry's hiding here, huh?"
"Hence the company name 'Cherry Hill Industries', idiot."
>"Don't push me. I meant that Cherry may have more of those hidden bases like that other building we destroyed."
"Yeah well, those guys don't seem to think so."
>"Whoa."
>You and Gilda look at the ground.
>Hundreds of Viri Scientia monsters lined up , going through the alley.
"Faust, it's like a furry convention, but with no yiffing in sight."
>"The sight of this makes me sick."
>Gilda looks at you for a moment.
>Your face brings out the memories of when you had a thing for equine beings *
[spoiler] See Issue # 34 [/spoiler]
>"Dude...seriously?"
"I'M NOT A FURRY!" You say in a guilty manner.
>"..."
"Oh bug off. We're here to infiltrate the base, not to discuss whether or not I tried to jerk off a horse."
>"I wasn't sugge-"
"Shut up."
>You brought out your binoculars.
>Looking at the alley, you see the Viri Scientia guys jumping into a small dumpster.
"Hey, look." You say, handing the binoculars over to Gilda.
>Gilda looks ahead.
>"Hidden entrance huh?"
>You and Gilda waited until everyone went inside the dumpster.
"Coast is clear. Let's move."
>You shot a rope arrow across and slid down it with Gilda.
*ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP*
"Hurgh!"
>You landed safely onto the ground.
>"AAAAAAHH..."
*BOMPH*
>Gilda's on the other hand...
"You alright?"
>"I'm fine." She says as you help her up.
>You then went inside the dumpster.
"WHoa, WHOAAAA!"
>You slid along the hole.
>After 10 seconds, you land on a soft mattress.
"Nice. Hey Gilda, you can...GAK!"
>Gilda lands on your face as she pops out of the hole.
"MMPPPH!"
>"Oops." Gilda says as she lifts her butt off of Lyra's face.
"I swear, Derpy's clumsiness is spreading towards you."
>"Look, let's just get to the middle of it and see if Derpy's in here?"
"What's with you and Derpy? You guys dating?"
>"No. Derpy's...she's like my little sister."
"You've been living with her for like... a week."
>"Hey! I'm concerned for her well-being. If she went missing yesterday, then there's no doubt that the Viri punks kidnapped her because of her connection to me."
"Yeah well, sure. Long as you're here as my partner, I don't see why not."
>You and Gilda sneaked inside.
>Walking down the halls, you noticed some shadows on the ground.
"Psst! Up here!"
>You point up the vents. A perfect place to hide and sneak in.
"Give me a hand."
>You climb on Gilda and went inside the vent.
>You pulled Gilda up and the two of you crawled inside.
>Throughout the vent, you hear mumbling and whispering.
>Most of the hybrid animals gather at the ground floor. There, Cherry goes in front to deliver a speech while her scientists replenish their ammos and test tubes.

>"FELLOW SCIENTISTS AND FOLLOWERS. WE NOW STAND AT THE VERGE OF GETTING WIPED OUT BY THE ACCURSED SAINT'S BRO. NO MORE. TODAY, WE TAKE BACK THE CITY AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SAINT HERE WILL BURN FOR MESSING WITH US."
>>"HUUZAAAH!"
>"FEAR NOT, FOR WE HAVE THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION TO OUR PLAN. BEHOLD!"
>Cherry lets out a small chart holding a map.
>>"THIS IS WHERE NOLAN LIVES. STRIKE AT THE HEART OF THE MONSTER, AND ALL ITS ORGANS SHALL SHATTER. WE MARCH ONWARD TO NOLAN'S MANSION AND TEAR HIM APART AT HIS OWN HOME."
>"What the hell!? How did she know where Nolan lives?" Gilda asks
"Probably the same reason how your construction sites got attacked by the Viri Scientia."
>>>"MS. JUBILEE! WHAT ABOUT THE FACTORY? THE POLICE!?"
>"OH DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE POLICE. TODAY, THE CITY IS LAWLESS, FOR WE HAVE CAPTURED ALL OF THE BLUE MEN IN THIS VERY FACILITY!"
>She clicks her remote.
>An army of police officers steps forth. All 30 of them.
>>>"GASP!"
>"We managed to perfect our parasite mechs after only a short period of time. We would've had ten, and the others left imprisoned, but we're going to need some human armor if we are to penetrate Nolan's defenses on both his family's factory AND his mansion."
>>>"HEEEIL!"

"Oh my god. DERPY!"
>"WHAT!? WHERE?"
>You point at Derpy from the vent. Derpy limps from one place to another, serving Cherry barefooted.
>"She has a thing up her head!"
"That must be what's causing these police men to work for Cherry."
>"That bitch! Using an innocent girl like her to do the dirty work!"
"*cough*" you say, remembering that Norman also used her to do his work as well.
>"When I get down there, I'll tear that thing off and use it to beat that bitch up."

>"NOW GO ON, MY BRETHREN. GO AND WIN THIS GANGWAR. FOR US. FOR ME. FOR THE GLORY OF VIRI SCIENTIA!"
>>>"HUUUZAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"


Be Nolan
Mansion

>In your home, you monitor the streets with your IT team.
>The streets are on fire. Pharmacies and restaurants that benefited from Cherry Hill Industries are being burned to the ground, as per your request.
>You sat by quietly.
>Something's not right.

"TIMOTHY! REPORT! WHAT'S THE SITUATION?"
>"Sir, everything's going swell."
"That's what I'm afraid of. It's been half an hour. No police, no hybrid monsters..."
>"Maybe they left the city."
"..."
>"I'm joking, sir."
"Have you called Gilda yet?"
>"Yes sir. She said she's busy rescuing a 'family member'."
"Goddammit. Where the hell are they?"
>"She didn't tell."
>You waited. Waited for them to attack your crew.
>>"SIR REPORTING FROM THE FACTORY'S SURVEILANCE. THERE'S A SMALL GROUP ATTACKING THE FACTORY!"
"How is it, then?"
>>"S-Sir...the police are attacking the walls mindlessly."
"WHAT!?"
>You stood up and went to the monitor.
>The Viri Scientia's using the police as human meat shields from your fire. They're acting like zombies.
"My god. They're brainwashed. Cherry actually perfected the brainwash parasites."
>"Sir?"
"Look at their helmets."
>"Ah! You want me to relay the instructions to our men to target the helmets?"
"Rip them off if they can."
>You went back to your seat and watched the streets.
>...
"WHAT THE HELL?"
>"Sir? Wha...Where did they go!?"
"WHAT IS THAT WOMAN PLANNING?"

*BOOM*

"Was that...from under us?"
>"GATHER THE GUARDS! SECURE THE ENTRANCE!"
>You went out of the mansion. There's a small ticking noise nearby."
*tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic*
"Wait a minute..."
>You commanded two of your guards to check the manhole.
"You and you. Check it."
*tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic**tic*
>...
*KABOOOOOOOM!*
"ACK!"
>The ground explodes. There are monsters coming out of the sewers.
"SHIT!"
>Not only that, but the whole residential area's being overrun by mercenaries and hybrid abominations.
"FALL BACK, FALL BACK!"
>You ordered your men to fall back to the mansion.
>The mansion is now the fortress to your perspective.
"OPEN FIRE!"
*RATATATATATATATTATATTATATATATATATA*
>>"SQUAAAAAAAAAAAAK*"
>"There's too many of them, sir!"
"Activate the mansion's fortification!"
*beep*
>The mansion moves on its own.
>Then suddenly, it converts its walls.
>>"SQUAAK!?"
>The Viri Scientia are stunned. Titanium plating emerges from the ground.
>Mounted weapons appear from the floor.
>The mansion is now literally a last line of defence.
"GET THREE PEOPLE UP ON THOSE CANONS AND GUNS! FIRE IMMEDIATELY!

*BOOM!*
*RATATATATATATATATATAATATTATATATTAATAT*

>Dry Wheat, spectating from the distance, calls Cherry.
>>"MA'M! THE MANSION'S TOO STRONG TO PENETRATE! NOLAN'S CONVERTED IT SOMEHOW!"
>>>"Hmmm...I guess we have alot of our weapons to test now...hehehehehhe."
>Cherry yells indiscreetly in her side. Dry Wheat couldn't recognize the commands.
>Well, almost all the words. The last thing Dry Wheat hears from the phone were three words.
>>>"FIRE THE MISSILES!" *
[spoiler] See Issue # 44 [/spoiler]

>Back at your end, they're retreating from your perspective.
"HAH!"
>"Uhh...sir...?"
"What?"
>Timothy points outside.
"Mother of Faust."
>Two missiles launch from Cherry Hills Industries' ground. They're 8 feet tall.
>They're going towards your mansion.
"Call all the men here. Tell them to get to the basement quickly."
>"But what about the others?"
"No time. I can only save so few at this rate."
>You ran to the basement.
>Timothy calls the last few guys in the floor of the mansion to head to the basement.
>As he arrives at the basement, Timothy and the few men sees you putting on a vest, as well as locking your weapons on your belt.
>You then open up a small hidden exit inside the basement.
"Quickly. Hurry!"
>The eight gang members you have went inside as fast as they could.
>You went last and closed the door shut.
>In a matter of seconds, the missiles hits your mansion.

*KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

"URGH!" You say as you felt the ground shake."
>"Lauren Faust...to think that they'd use military grade weapons in a gangwar!"
"Those weren't just missiles. I know what they are."
>"What were they?"
"..."

>Back at the mansion, or whatever's left of the mansion, your abandoned gang members crawled out of the rubble.
>The mansion is destroyed, but that's not just what the missiles do.
>>>>"GRRRR....AAAAAAAARRGH!" Yelled a saint as his body slowly transforms into a disjointed cow.
>The missiles weren't simply normal. They were bio-weapons.
>>>>"GGRAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!"
>The saints left at the mansion transforms. Many of them dying due to the bone complications from transforming into a hybrid with Cherry's missiles.
>The rest of the Viri Scientia army is unaffected due to their transformed state.
>Dry Wheat calls Cherry.
>>"Ma'm? It's Dry Wheat. The missiles...eradicated the mansion. Faust, why didn't you just launch that thing in the first place? We lost men out here!"
>>>"Missiles don't grow on trees. Besides, they were prototypes for the army, but seeing as how Nolan was prepared for our attack, I thought to myself, why not test those prototype missiles?"
>>"That still doesn't answer why you didn't just use them in the first place."
>>>"And waste missiles on a mansion that could easily break? If it weren't for that fortification thing you told me, I would've just saved those missiles to when we invade the army."
>>"Fair enough."
>>>"Is Nolan dead?"
>>"We have yet to check."
>>>"Well do it then! Time's a wasting, and I want him here, dead or alive!"
>>"Roger, ma'm. What about his girlfriend's body?"
>>>"What?"
>>"His girlfriend, ma'm. Part of the bedroom's still intact, and the corpse is just there..."
>>>"Leave it there. Nolan's the priority for the moment."
>>"Yes ma'm."

Be Norman
Docks

"HAYAHH!"
>"SQUAAAK!"
>Beating up large vultures and platypus bears at the docks.
>>"PLEASE HELP US!"
"HANG ON!"
>You rushed to the people in the car.
>There, you tore off the door and got them outside.
>You then carried the woman and her child to the police checkpoint taking place inside a Burgerphile restaurant.
"Here! Take this one!"
>"God bless you, Noir-Man!"
>Going back to the battlefield, only a few more Viri nutjobs are left.
>The platypus bear quacks mightily as  he charges towards you.

>"QUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!"

>You took a nearby car, used it as a bat and swatted the bear towards the buildings.
"GO BACK TO REPUBLIC CITY, YOU MONEY-POOPING BASTARD!" You jokingly shouted.
>At that point, the boat finally docks.
>Celestia and her remaining officers arrive in a swat car.
>Coming out, her men greets the sailors on the boats carrying the items they requested.
>>"Good job out there, Noir-Man."
"Feels great to do a workout."
>*Kssshh*"C-ChIEF CELESTIA!"*
>Celestia checks her radio.
>"Hello? HELLO? TALK TO ME! WHAT'S GOING ON AT YOUR END?"
>*Ksssshh*Missiles*kssshh*North Factory*Ksssshhh*
"What did he say?"
>"Something about...oh my god..."
>You and Cherry look up at the sky.
"What the hell?"
>Two large missiles are headed towards an area.
"I need to get a closer look. HUURGK!"
>You jumped off the ground and landed on a building.
>There, you saw the missiles destroying a small part of a residential area.
"Faust..."
>You then jumped from building to building, trying to reach the area. See if there are civillians in need of your assistance.

>Back at Celestia's place, she calls for paramedics to reach the residential area.
>*Ksssh*North Factory*Kshhhh*Officers in da*bsshksh*
>"North Factory? That's one of my student's family business!"
>While you were distracted, a lone box on the ship moves on its own.
>>"Uhhh.."
>The sailors were frightened.
>The box was moving.
>Suddenly, the butt of a crowbar is stabbed from the inside to the outside.
>>"AHHH!"
>The box slowly opens up.
>>"Err..."
*BAGH*
>Someone kicks the box open from the inside.
[spoiler]>It's Amaranthine. Wearing Arabian clothing and carrying a shitload of Shawarma stored in a bag.[/spoiler]
[spoiler]>"THANK GOD. I WAS RUNNING OUT OF FOOD IN THIS THING!"
>She hid inside several ships in an attempt to reach the city illegally.
>Amaranthine runs away from the ship, yelling that she has a mission.
>To find Noir-Man and to tell him about Brad.
>...and to find some shoes.[/spoiler]


End of Chapter 46

Next Chapter: [spoiler] The body count intensifies [/spoiler]