Death has no Shadow [Ended]

"Counfound you Kes!!" Cross groaned at the griffon, he held his muzzle tightly but released his magical grip, letting the bird drop to the floor.

"Same thing everytime, with everypony! why do I even bother..." Cross took another look, it seemed Happy and Kes were getting along better sofar than he thought was possible.

Meaning Happy was still alive.

The bleeding continued and Cross tried to put more pressure and wrap the wound

(Roll to heal nose: Med 39)

The member 'Cross Roads' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 46

"Cross go to my saddle bag and you'll find some healing powder for your muzzle. Now Kes tell me something, you know anything about a sniper that's been hanging around these parts. That sniper shot my brahmin and chased me with gun fire all the way here." Trails walked up to the hatch, his skin was already starting to feel uncomfortably itchy as he started to realize just how small the cellar was. "Let's continue the rest of this conversation above ground over some radigator. Warm ourselves by the fire and all that."

Kes gave a low grunt of agreement but did not follow Trails. Instead he asked a single question to no one in particular.

"Where's my guns?"

Kes had immediately noticed a certain lack of weight on his back once he had gotten his instincts back under control, and he was not taking one step outside of this cellar without some kind of armament.

Why? Simple.

Taking into account that this sniper has been hunting Trails down, and that the fire presents a clear line of sight for a kill-shot...going outside unarmed was not exactly smart. In fact it was rather stupid; thus, Kes wasn't moving until he at least had his rifle back.

"Dere heard" Cross grumbled, and out the darkness, an assortment of weapons in a red sheathe floating over to Kes, stopping for only a moment and then falling to the floor, throwing up a wave of dust.

"I'll be topside if either of you a'need me"

Cross turned around and with a bright red flash, he saw the wastes...as cold as ever. The wind rang in his ears, but he had his focus on something else.

As quickly as he could on three hooves, he trotted over to Happy's bag and dug through the assorted crap he called wares.
' huh...i know I saw one yesterday....ah!...here it is. Cross pulled out the small bright red bottle and greedily drank it down, the pain and blood receding out of his muzzle, and finally he was able to relax.

So he sat back against a piece of debris, deciding to take a moment to enjoy this cloudy day.

The birds were chirping, and the sun was beginning to rise....It was peacful. Cross decided to help himself to a Sparkle Cola from Happy's sack. He leaned over and pulled out a long glass bottle, the caramel liquid glistening....He smiled, he was at peace and he had cola....

Cross bent over trying to get the cap off with his hoof even struggling a bit when *BAM*

The glass exploded.

"What the Luna Damned Fuck??!??!" Cross leaped up, *BAM* another shot hit where he had just been sitting, chipping off what might've been his heart. His pupils shrank. He heard a lever cranking far off.

"...Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap..."

(Roll to bring up shield, Magic 100)

The member 'Cross Roads' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 91

Kes had just finished strapping on his gear when the shots rang out. Immediately his head jerked up and he began to make his way towards the cellar's exit.

He stopped on a rubble pile right next to the exit, going prone and drawing his rifle. His weapon was soon seated in his shoulder and he began scanning the horizon. Kes was sure the being prone would help to minimize his profile, reducing the chances of getting shot, while maximizing his firing stability.

Course he would need to find a target first. Shouldn't be to hard...all Kes had to do was look for the flash, and hope the bullet coming out of the barrel didn't have his name on it.

Just another day in the life of Kes.

"Fuck this shit." Trails roared, taking up his shotgun. "I have had enough of this of this bitch dogging me." Trails jumped out of the cellarr and sprinted out of their rubble cave. He dove behind his brahmin for cover, letting the bullets ping off the rocks near him. Come what may he was done hiding in a hole and waiting for the big bad wolf to pass. It was his turn to be the monster dammit.

*BAM* *BAM* "Why I Do say you lee gitwit!!" *BAM* "Yee should proceed towards my person, that is to say...." *BAM* "...If yee have any gnarbles!!!" Cross threw himself behind a slab, gigglingly to himself. He had cover, he didn't like getting shot at, but nothing amused him more than a coward.

He shrunked down, reducing the area he could expose to the sniper.
"Hey Happy!, Kes!, would you kindly.....get your asses up her-" *BAM* "GIANTMETALSTICKSUPDISCORD'S ASS, WILL YOU STOP THAT!?!!?!"

He dug in, he couldn't tell where his opponent was, he was next to useless here, all he could do was wait out the rid- *BAM*

"FUCKYOURTREE!!!!"

Looking at the ol' bird on would think that Kes hadn't even noticed Cross or Trails; his golden orbs scanning the rubble without ever flickering to the other two.

Kes did notice them, just chose to ignore them right now.

Trails had been wise and took cover behind the slightly ripe corpse of his Brahmin and Cross had taken to hiding in the rubble while slinging colorful insults and vulgarities at the hunter down the way. However insults were NOT going to kill a sniper. That job would be left for the folks with the guns, like Trails or Kes.

Still scanning the horizon for the tale tell flash of a firearms discharge, Kes ducked down a bit more. No need to give the sniper an easy target. Where is this bastard, he should not be that hard to locate *BAM*, nothing.*BAM-CHING*, nothing again.

*BAM* *FLASH* Gotcha!

"End of th' road. Second Story, Third hole from th' left" Kestrel called out calmly, already placing his rifles sights over the area that he had seen the flash in. From this distance he could not really see the outline of the person he was shooting at. Only the flash and bang of rifle fire gave any clue that the assailant was there.

Rounds bounced of the rubble all around where Cross and Kes were at, others smacking wetly into the thick hide and muscle of the Brahmin that Trails was behind. Luckily none had managed to skirt over the cusp of any of their respective covers.

If Kes's aim was true, all that would not be a problem much longer. It was going to be a hell of a shot to make, what with the gryphon having only iron sights on his rifle. He had a lot of experience with iron's, but that didn't mean he was dead on with them.

If he missed his shot however the ricochet would hopefully have the effect of ceasing the Snipers assault so that the group could move forward a bit and try again; this time a bit closer.

Something was off though, this sniper was making a rookie mistake. A real sniper would not fire more than one time from the same position. If Kes had to guess this guy was NOT the sniper that was hunting Trails.

Didn't matter though...Kes was still going to kill this idiot. Following the same rules of marksmanship that he had used for years Kes began to breath deeply and placed his talon on the trigger, applying steady pressure as he took aim where the suspected the sniper was.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale...*BANG*

(Rolling to fire one round at the sniper. Guns 65. -15 for distance and using iron sights.)

The member 'Kestrel' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 94

"Celestia dammit." whined the young mercenery, gurggling as blood began to fill his lungs. Kes' shot had struck the young buck dead center in his chest, knocking him back on his flank. "They fucking got me Iron. The fucking caravaner got me."

An older stallion walked softly into the room. He was grizzled and scarred, the veteran of countless battles past. Iron dropp and stomped out his cigar, looking at the young buck with cold distain. "I told you to change positions after every shot. Warned you that this would happen."

"I fucked up man." The young buck spat out a mouthful of blood. "Shit, what are we gonna do?"

Iron stepped on the buck's throt in response. Staring off into the distance as the youngster flailed fruitlessly. He looked down at the buck's rifle, a modified repeater, an antique in every sense, and laughed to himself. Iron took out his own gun, a well worn bolt action rifle with a high powered scope, and sauntered over to the farthest window. He took aim at Trails' position and fired.

The member 'Game Warden' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 10

When another flash didn't come from the window for a good 10 seconds Kes began to move up. Darting from cover to cover before coming to a standing stop on another rubble pile a few meters further on up the road. He was about to turn around and signal the others to move up again when the signature crack of a rifle firing split the air.

Knew it. Kes thought, dropping immediately onto his stomach. Flattening himself out and much as he possibly could while still able to aim and fire. 'Now the game really begins.'

He started up the same routine he had used to kill the first sniper. Eyes watching the area in front of him, where the shot seemed to originate, looking for the signature flash of a shot, the glint of a scope; hell, anything would do. Just something to give the new sniper away.

That's all Kes needed.

"Fuck me." shouted Trails, watching his dead brahmin's tail fly away. "Why is it I'm the one the raider's try and shoot at more? I don't even hate the guys like most ponies." He hunched down lower and thought for a minute. "Oi Kes, if I distract him can you fly up and gut the fucker?"

Still scanning Kes held up a his left paw just enough to be seen, and giving a single thumbs up. He did not think that flying up and gutting the asshole that was shooting at them was a good idea. It was a much safer bet to shoot from the ground up. Kes was a slow flyer, if he got caught mid flight he was dead.

Still Trails didn't need to know that. Let him run as a distraction, Kes would happily put a bullet into the sniper while he did.

Trails smirked at the bird's mute response. It was raining just as always in the wasteland, he looked up into the jet black sky a whistled. "Cross when I jump over this brahmin put a shield spell over me. Not a fan of getting shot and all." Trails lit his last smoke, being careful not let the cherry get wet. "1...2...3!" A bolt of thunder clapped as he leaped over his family's old brahmin's corpse.

Cross heard Happy's order and nodded, he crawled along the wall until he was next to happy and his Brahmin,

"Alright Happy....ready....set.....GO!!!!" Cross's horn flared, sheild lighing up right in front of Happy, giving him a nice thick cover.

(Roll to place shield on Happy: Magic 100)

The member 'Cross Roads' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 54

The sound of Cross casting a spell had Kestrel start up his tactical breathing in force. Inhale...exhale. His eyes were still scanning the building for any signs of the mystery sniper, talon at the ready on the trigger.

A flash of light caught his eye for a second, making him lock his rifle sights into position over it. But it did not waver or twinkle in the least...a real scope would flicker a bit with movement.

'Where are you...'Kes questioned mentally, focusing his sights on a few of the windows towards the end of the building. Black shadowy maws that concealed all that was within. That's where Kes would set up if he was going to take a shot, there or near the middle of the building where the other sniper had been.

But if Kes had to guess this shooter was not that stupid, he would have moved by now.

All the gryphon could do now was wait until he revealed himself. Hopefully Trail's little distraction would help draw the shooter out.

Iron walked calmly up stairs, humming a somber tune that punctuated each step with a low buzz. He had been too eager with his last shot at Trails, hadn't taken the time to account for wind sheer. He remembered with a chuckle the look on the pony's face when he'd blown off the brahmin's heads. Such transparent fear. Not that Iron could blame him, there isn't much room for any other emotion when something like that happens.

Iron stopped humming as he approached the empty windowsill. He unslug and rested his sniper rifle in the lower right hand corner. He was surprised when he looked in his scope to see Trails charging at him, running blindly at the ruined building he had set up in. Must've only had one shot in his rifle. Made it count though, probably wont ever know that it was a hit. Shame it was a good shot. Damn sight better than what that rookie could've managed. Shame he couldn't have been on the right side. Iron thought all of this in the space of a second before he sighted in Trails' head. He took a breath, held it, and pulled the trigger gently.

(Minus five for distance additional minus five for weather conditions)

The member 'Game Warden' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 19

The low rumble of hooves as they smacked the ground had sent Kestrel into overdrive in his search for the sniper. Not that one could tell, on the exterior Kes was just as cold and stoic as ever and his eyes contained little more than a a few flickers of predatory instinct.

A flicker of movement in one of the windows caught his attention. Immediately his sights locked onto it, but he refrained from firing yet. He had to be sure before he made another shot.

His first clue that this was the sniper had been when the small greyish black tube of metal that snaked out of the shadows and rested along the sill of the widow he was looking at.

The sniper was using the window to support his barrel? Fool.

An expert sniper never did that, you would rest the rifle on something inside the room; a desk or table maybe. Anything, except putting your rifle on/out a window.

The next, and most confirming sign that it was the sniper was when the little grey tube flashed, cracked, and bucked backwards. That was all Kes needed to justify sending some nice hot lead flying towards the window. He aimed a bit to the right of the barrel, estimating where the body of the shooter was.

Unlike the sniper in the window, though Kes was unaware of this, the gryphon on the ground would fire at the bottom of his exhale; not hold his breath. That way his whole body was relaxed and ready for when he finally squeezed off a round.

Inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale...*CRACK*

(Firing one round downrange at the sniper. Guns 65. -10 for range and weather.)

The member 'Kestrel' has done the following action : Chance Roll

'Chance Roll' : 40

Iron swore loudly as the bullet from Kes' rifle wizzed by his head. He was more frustrated with himself than anything. Making a rookie mistake after assuming Trails was unarmed. He walked back down the staircase, ignoring the buck's corpse and stepping coldly over it. He set the rifle on a stack of lockers that had been knocked over and looted decades ago. Remembering the angle of the bullet he aimed at the logical place of Trail's sniper friend, and fired at Kes' position.


(Minus ten for distance and weather)