The Beginning of the End [Closed]

Techno looked up at the newcomers. They seemed to be the ones that had taken them in the first place, but there was no way to be sure. He made a cautious greeting. "Howdy. I suspect you're the ones that captured us?"

"Woah here there....." Cross stumbled trying to keep his balance with Starry on his back, but one thing Cross was never a master of.

*CRASH* .....was walking backwards. Usually he just teleported anywhere


The two ponies landed in a heap again and so the pattern began again where Cross pulled himself and tried to spin Starry around his body so she was back on top. Normally Cross would be fanning the fire, and forcing these assholes to give him what he wanted to know. But they were smart, they somehow got the jump on him and his teleportation didn't work. Plus the fact there was a mare strapped to him didn't help his intimidation factor bar none.

Cross decided to play this oneeeeeeee........*tippinggggg*....almost.....anyway he decided to play this one quiet and let Kes figure it out. He's known Kes long enough that the bird would get them through this, Cross chose to play down his power.....for now....., but he'd be watching, as long as Starry didn't swing over his face....

Kestrel's eyes immediately began flicking between the two newcomers, scanning them, making note of possible weak points and target areas.

The green one, who Kes guessed was the one named Malichite, frozen as he was, would have been the easiest to kill. 3 seconds to seat the rifle, 1 to aim and fire. The bullet would enter through the eye, liquify the brains, and exit out the back of the skull with a blast of gore. He would have been dead before he even heard the shot.

Lucky for Malichite, Kes chose not to attack and instead chose to listen.

The robed pony, upon speaking, became the primary object of his focus. The gryphons cold, predatory eyes boring right through the ponies own; scanning for even one hint of weakness or purpose. Kes did not like what he had heard thus far, nor did he like that the robed unicorn was as calm as he was.

Only a few kinds of folk have that sort of look. Kes had seen it plenty of times when he glanced in a mirror. This pony had a goal, and he was most definitely dedicated to accomplishing it by any means necessary. Kes knew his kind, he was much the same when he got his mind set on something.

Only question the bird had right now was what was that goal, and how did he and the others play into it? The gryphon decided to voice his question for once, his voice just as gravely and cold as ever; even more so than the unicorn at the head of the room.

"Who're you n' what do ya want?"

Scrap's mind raced as the newcomers started talking to them. The younger one seemed rather suprised by Cross and Starry's sudden appearance in his face. Unfortunately before Scrap could speak up both Kes and Cross beat him to the punch.

Unfortunately a small portion of Scrap's brain was still in panic mode and he bombarded the new ponies with questions.

"Whoareyou?Whydidyoubringushere?Whyme?"

Shutter would have been busy getting himself changed for the most part, having collected his Stable jumpsuit and weapon from the chest.

He had been having trouble getting the suit on with his wooziness, and his mind only felt like it was fully clearing by the time he got the article of clothing on...however, he turned around to a VERY different scene then he had left, with Starry now out cold and Cross strapping her to his back!

"What in Tartarus' name do you think you're doing?! Put her down!"

However, before Shutter could actually DO anything to make Cross put his friend down, the doors opened, and his attention was pulled by the two new guests in the room.

"...The hay?"

Kestrel’s stare was met by an equally hard one from the unicorn, who evaluated him briefly, and deciding to answer him specifically. He nodded to Malachite, who moved out of the way, before stepping into the room himself.

“I am Gray Mane. I have brought you here because I believe you all will be of some use to me.” he answered simply. “And before any of you get any ideas, know that those collars you are wearing contain small plasma charges, and they are all linked to the pipbuck on my wrist. If it gets damaged, or if my heart stops, your collars will detonate. Do anything I don’t like, or anything I don’t tell you to do, and I’ll detonate them personally. Is that clear?”

Malachite glanced at Gray Mane as the elder pony spoke. From the look on the young unicorn's face, it was clear he wasn’t comfortable with this.

Kes made note of Malachite's behavior, adding it into his mental file on the colt right after the detail of where best to stick his talons should he panic. He would think more about that later, for now Grey Mane needed an answer.

"Crystal."

Finding a soothing tincture in her saddlebags, she addressed her pounding head. She looked up when from the closed door she could hear voices and made a surprised noise when two ponies, the older of whom introduced himself as Gray Mane came in.

Her first thought was to charge the two captors and savagely beat them until they removed the collars, or it was, until Gray Mane warned them about possible repercussions, like detonating the collars.

Instead she tried to point an as-hate-filled glare at the two as possible.

"Of use to you in what way?" She spat.

One of Scrap's eyes started to twitch again when he heard Grey Mane explain the specifics of the collar wrapped around his neck. The prospect of purposfulky detonating his bomb collar seemed to grow more appealing to him by the second.

"Hahahahahahah" Scrap emitted a small laugh that should have never came out of a sane pony before the small, little sane Scrap in his head brought him back to reality and in the voice of a pony just holding back a total mental collapse he asked "What exactly do you want us to do? And will you let us go after we finish what you want done?"

Cross kinda shifted to the back of the room, it was crazy, they were probably not even going anywhere for awhile, why didn't he just put Starry on the bed, but as he tried to lay her down, the knot wouldn't budge.

Cross didn't know jack about knots other than how to make them tight....

Cross cursed and fumble and tried to get Starry off but in the end he ended up only falling with her.

"Dammit!....Starry are you up yet?"

The armor clicked on as Sky had strapped it, the situation at hand. Everypony was up and around, all seemed to be staring at either the two ponies at the door or at cross carrying starry. And from the little display, this so called grey mane showed. He wasn't kidding, a pipbuck connected to every collar. This day just got crazy, or was it night. Doesn't matter, they are all still stuck in a room.

"this day just got a whole lot better, wonder what else we are going to do." Sky muttered to herself.

Shutter didn't know what to say, parts of him were yelling at him to try all kinds of things, pull this collar off (or at least try), demand to know why, ask why he didn't just ask for help...but he just couldn't bring himself to say anything, the panic overwhelming him with a fear of getting this collar detonated for even saying the wrong thing.

Instead, he looked around, and saw Cross trying to get Starry off his back.
With a growl, he walked over to the two.

"Here, let me do it...It's easier to undo when you're not tied up in them, I'd imagine..."

Shutter muttered, as he tried to help undo the knots with his hooves, and a few yanks with his mouth...he was no rope expert, but he was going to give it his all, even if he had to gnaw through them.

"...I'm just doing this for her, okay? She don't deserve to have to wake up stuck to someone like you..."

Gray Mane regarded the zebra who questioned him carefully, intelligent eyes staring at the mare. He then spoke.

“We are currently inside a small bunker complex that was once used by the Ministry of Arcane Sciences as a hidden research facility. In the primary testing chamber, on the other end of this facility, is a device that I wish to possess. However, while this facility was primarily used to test that device, it also had a secondary testing facility that experimented with advanced robotics. At some point late in the war, the robots went rogue and killed the everypony in the facility. They’re still here today, and they’re standing between me and the device.” he explained in a gruff, yet calm voice. “I have no intention of risking myself or Malachite in an attempt to fight our way through the robots, so you eight will do it for me.” He nodded at his assistant as he mentioned his name.

He turned to Scrap. “And yes, if you do what I want you to do, and survive, you will be let go.”

Starry awoke from the memory orb in a groggy haze. "Cross," she muttered, "Despite it all, you're still a jerk. Wait... why am I tied to you?" Starry's eyes went wide with the realization that she was, in fact, tied to Cross.

"Augh! I can't believe you! And in front of all these ponies?! Shutter! Shutter!!!" She called for him. "Oh, there you are, oh! You read my mind. Thanks for helping me get away from this creep. Who's this old fart?" Starry pointed a hoof at Gray Mane. "Hey, I like your labcoat, you look very sharp," she said to Malachite.

Kes gave a grunt and flexed one of his shoulders, the powerful muscles bunching and flexing beneath his skin and fur before relaxing. He was still a little sore from waking up it would seem.

On another note Kes was not exactly enthused about being kidnapped and forced to do this 'job'; however, he wasn't stupid either. Grey Mane had shown some serious skill in planning all of this out, and for now the deck was stacked in his favor. There was no benefit to fighting or arguing with the stallion; thus, Kes wasn't going to.

No, Kes was just going to play along for now. He was just going to sit down, keep his beak shut, and obey his orders. Just like he did back in Fillydelphia when he was young.

And just like back then he would be looking for a way to beat the system and escape; even if he had to swim out on a river of blood to do so.

Starry's little inquiry about the groups 'employer' earned a response from Kes.

"Our Boss."

So Cross was still a jerk....everything he did, EVERY pony he saved... it didn't matter. Everypony hated him now and he had no where to turn, where was the sum of his effort? Had he helped the militia, the Surgeon never would've exposed himself Stableton would've simply suffer his return. Cross felt bad but like always but even when he posed as aid to Surgeon he saved alot of militia pony. Still Starry didn't believe it was enough, he was left with no choice he just had believe in himself. He would find a way to make it work, alone if thats what it took.

The others were too busy chattering with the boring grey pony, Cross sat in the back, he didn't feel too well. Felt like some kind of sickness was catching up with him. But he didn't dare dwell on that, they would need to work together to survive but that shred of doubt burned through his skull.

Everything had gone according to plan,...except for the last step on his list.....

Be forgiven....


'...dammit......' Cross shook the thought away, but could feel its shadow, still he needed to get his head together, he couldn't lose himself now.

"Why doesn't....my teleportation work? can you fix it? It'll really help with whatever the hell you need us to get"

Shutter, after much fumbling, and frustration, would not be able to undo these Ropes.

"Luna damn it! From these things, I'm wondering if you had any intention of ever putting Starry back down..."

He muttered, before pulling part of the rope to the side a bit, and gnawing on it, in an attempt to break the cord, and free Starry, but also avoid biting anyone. However, this quickly proved fruitless as well, as he looked back to the crowd.

"Hey, Anypony have a knife I can borrow?"

Zestari continued to eye their captors with something resembling hate. "And what exactly is the device from two hundred years ago that you want?" she raised an eyebrow, "And how many robots are there?"

She sighed in relief when Starry awoke, thankful that she wasn't in the orb for too long, and hadn't suffered too badly from the sounds of it. She then followed it up with another audible smacking sound as Zestari facehoofed again after Shutter called out for a knife to free Starry from Cross.

When Starry awoke and made her comments, Gray Mane simply turned to her, giving her a hard stare but not saying anything, Kestrel’s comment was sufficient for him. Malachite, on the other hoof, blinked as Starry complemented his attire. “Um...thanks?....Why exactly are you tied to that unicorn’s back anyway?”

It should be noted at this point that if anyone took a closer look at Malachite, they’d see that he was wearing a suit of combat barding under his lab coat. Whether or not Gray Mane had something similar was unknown, as his robe obscured anything that he might have under it.

Gray Mane simply glanced at his assistant when he asked his question, before turning back to the group. Upon Shutter’s request for a knife his horn flashed and with a crack the rope securing Starry to Cross was sliced, the binding falling to the ground shortly before Starry. He then turned to Cross. “Your teleportation doesn’t work because I designed the collars to interfere with any teleportation spell. A unicorn capable of it would escape otherwise.”

He turned to Zestari again. “That is irrelevant. You don’t need to know what the device is, simply know that it’s on the other side of the facility. And if the files I’ve read are correct, approximately 25. Most plated with enhanced armor and equipped with other modifications.”

He then turned away from the others, walking back towards the door. “Now that the blue unicorn is awake you’ll begin immediately. Gather your gear and follow me into the main entranceway.”

Techno sighed as he started walking towards the door. Enhanced armor and 'other modifications' most likely meant magical energy weapons which were like tartarus to take care of and scarred permanently. This was not going to be his idea of a good day. "So, what can we expect to be fighting? Sentry bots?" he asked, inquiring as to what exactly the adversaries were and how much work he'd have to do over the next few hours.

"Whoa! Oof!" Starry was leaning against the ropes when Gray Mane cut them, which sent Starry tumbling to the floor. She quickly got back on her hooves. "Hey, thanks for the assist, grandpa," Starry told Gray Mane, "And wait a minute, are we fighting robots? Aw yeah, that is awesome! I've read all about robots! Hey, did you know that I was ambushed by a robot before I woke up here? I bet that's one of the same ones we're gonna be fighting! I can't wait to show em' a piece of my mind!"

Starry started rummaging through Cross's saddlebags, taking out all of her things, and then moved to the hooflocker to retrieve the rest of her things. She got two missiles, three frag grenades, and six firebombs. She also got her metal helmet, her blood-drenched, bullet-ridden stable barding, her missile launcher, and her Sword Mare sword, in addition to her glasses.

She turned around to follow Gray Mane and Malachite, "Hey, do you think I can keep the scraps from the robots we destroy? I would love to try assembling a new robot from the remains!"

Upon being told to stand Kes did not move, he waited for the others to start shuffling away behind the older stallion before he joined them; taking a place at the back of the line. It was an old habit, an instinct even. Kes preferred to utilize stealth and distance to his advantage. It would have been rather hard to do that if he was in front of the group.

In addition to that the distance would allow Kes time to study each of the members a bit further. The way they walked, what they said, how they interacted. It was seemingly pointless, but Kes knew that if he knew his enemy and his 'allies' he would have a far better chance at getting out of this place alive.

Sky looked at Grey mane, as she began to follow the rest out of the room. Killer robots, she needs to get better equipment if she has to fight those things. Perhaps she could take some stuff, while they going out and about around here. Ow well it doesn't matter, probably her companions would have some equipment to deal with them.

Scrap fell into line behind most of others after Gray Mane and Malachite told them to move. Focusing on the objective at hand to avoid regression into his previous state he steeled himself for the inevitable fighting that was to come. After checking his equipment one last time Scrap was ready.

Or as ready as a psychologicaly battered, weakling about to embark on a quest very likely to get him killed could be.

As the group began walking into a short hallway out of the room, Malachite turned to answer Techno’s question, Gray Mane being silent and ignoring Starry’s comments about robots.

“Um, we believe there’s a possibility. If there are any, they’d probably be in the primary testing chamber.” He then turned to Starry, her cheery demeanor confusing him a bit, before he remembered that she probably didn’t hear anything about the explosive collars. “Um...sure, I guess....”

Gray Mane opened the door at the end of the hallway, revealing a large, yet bare, entrance room. The only distinguishing features were the broken Mr. Gutsy model robots laying on the ground. Gray Mane lead the group to a large door on the right, before stopping and turning to them.

“Malachite will be accompanying you through the complex, his own pipbuck has a map of the facility and he has spare medical supplies. Do note that if he dies I will know, and then all of you will die. I hope I’ve made myself clear.” Without waiting for any sort of reply, he turned to Malachite and muttered something into his ear that vaguely sounded like ‘Be Careful’ before walking away from the group, entering another room connected to the entrance room.

Malachite shifted around uneasily for a bit as everyone turned their attention to him. “Um...well...lets be off then, the facility isn’t large, but there’s going to be a lot of robots between us and the primary testing chamber.”

Malachite opened up the door, revealing a long hallway decorated with the shattered frames of more robots, scattered across the floor. The unicorn ignored them as he lead the group through the hall.

“Um, ok, this first area up ahead is the facility’s cafeteria. We managed to clear it out with the last of our assault robots awhile ago, so it should be safe.” They reached the end of the hallway, Malachite pressing a button to open the door ahead, continuing to talk as he did so. “The medbay and armory are also connected to here, but neither of us are good at picking locks so we couldn’t get in them, but maybe one of you’ll have bett-GAH!!!”

He ducked as a green bolt flew overhead, thankfully missing everypony and hitting the door on the other side of the hallway.

“STOP RIGHT THERE CRIMINAL SCUM!”

Despite Malachite’s previous assurances, the room ahead was filled with robots, three four-legged Protectron models and two hovering Mr. Gutsys. Already they were opening fire on the group, firing plasma and prism blasts at them. Before anyone could be vaporized though, Malachite grabbed a nearby table telekinetically and yanked it over, jamming it into the doorway and blocking the initial barrage.

“...Um, ok, scratch that bit about it being clear.” the unicorn said sheepishly.

A NOTE FROM YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD GAME WARDEN

I'll be handling all the rolling, so no need to worry about that.