Ponyshock: "Guardian" Squad

“Doesn’t really matter now!” Bakewell interjected. She really didn’t want Lucky and Sawdust to start arguing here. In the middle of a flaming garden. Against a group of fire wielding maniacs.

“Just try not to get injured; for some reason we don't seem to really get along with healing potions!"

The mare adjusted her stance. Kira was going to throw a grenade at a bunch of teleporting ponies. They would doubtlessly teleport to get away, but where would they go? Well, if Bakewell had super teleporty-nyah-nyah-can’t-shoot-me powers, she would use them to appear behind the targets, so keeping an eye on their back was probably a good idea. Maybe one would end up close enough for her to hit without having to worry about being shot and blown up repeatedly in the face.

Gentle Breeze didn't know what to do. She had stayed rather quiet, and was trying to figure out exactly how to fight. She wasn't sure she could buck the crazed ponies, but she could damn well try.

With a gulp, she galloped toward the crazed ponies, dodging any fire thrown at her, to go and try to hit them. If all else failed, she had a fully functional 9mm and pretty good aim.

(speed 30, agility 5, run to a crazed pony and dodge fire; Unarmed 30, buck a crazed pony in the face)

Cross gritted as the splicer disappeared from in front of him. He didn't feel any better for getting rid of him, only angrier that the laughter had yet to stop. With a growl, he turned to the rest of the splicers that had appeared past the group ....apparently teleporting....

......teleporting.....

Going into a black rage, Cross ripped his grenade rifle from his pack and let loose. loading a round into the chamber, slamming it shut, and closing an eye to bring the barrel to bare.... Roaring as loudly through the mask as he could.

(Explosives 50 on the center of the group of 3)

Flicking the metal pin from the apple-shaped grenade, Kira flung it towards the group in the forest. Almost immediately, one of the three looked right at her before vanishing in a meaty squelch and a cloud of red mist. The grenade landed at the feet of another, who paused to look down at it like a confused puppy just as it detonated; he turned also into a red mist, but didn’t reappear. The third started to move just in time, but nonetheless caught several flying metal shards across the legs and barrel, letting out a bark of pain that morphed into a giggle.

As the mist and smoke from the grenade cleared and the remaining visible foe was halted by the shrapnel, Sawdust quickly lined up a shot and fired. Once again her bullets hit home, causing the target to shudder from the impact. Its body sagged; it was looking very unwell, despite the rictus grin.

The grin faded as the masked pony saw a charging Breeze mere feet from its face. It was unable to react in time and received a well aimed hoof to the jaw, and with a crack, its head snapped back and it was silenced.

With Breeze standing there and the foes all dead or missing, Cross held off on his grenade attack, instead turning it to and fro, almost daring an enemy to show itself. And one obliged. He heard the fleshy sound of rematerialisation, but a quick scan left and right didn’t reveal it. He was about to turn around when he heard a crazed yell from... above? Suddenly, something heavy dropped onto his back; his legs buckled, and he hit the ground to the sound of mad cackling. “Giddy up, little pony!” shouted the thing on his back, wrapping its forelimbs around Cross’ neck.

The last heretofore missing enemy teleported amidst the group and lifted a hoof to ignite it, but was promptly smacked in the face by the vigilant Bakewell. The creature was sent staggering from the blow. Lucky had spent a moment to get a feel for how these things worked, and his patient observation finally paid off as the freak stumbled into his sights. He fired his gun. Perhaps it was just the luck he’d been blessed with, or a really keen aim, but the centre of the pony-thing’s neck exploded in a shower of red.

Breeze stood there, panting over the broken body of the thing she’d bucked in the face of and killed. With only the slightest warning from the rumbling ground, vines and roots erupted from underneath her. Unprepared for the attack, she was unable to move away before they quickly wrapped around her, entangling her legs and wrapping around her torso, constricting her and lifting her off the ground. A few barbs and thorns cut at her flesh as she dangled helplessly in the air.

A voice echoed out from the forest. “I see you’ve found my friends.” A plant-like... pony thing shambled out from amidst the trees. “You seem to be free of Arcana. New to the city, perhaps?” His voice was soft, almost melodic, but had a tinge of the same madness that inflicted the other creatures that were attacking the group. He paused and let out a long sigh, his face splitting into a thin smile. “You no doubt have questions. I tell you what: win the game and I’ll answer three questions of my choosing.”

He stepped forward, vines beginning to lash around him as he joined the fracas.

Cross turned to the newcomer and put his rifle away. Jamming back his pack ...he'd prefer to just destroy this new threat but that wouldn't be smart. Answers were what would keep them alive. And he needed to stay alive to discover the truth....

*FLASH* Cross stood a good distance from the splicer but the vines were beginning to creep forward. The only remedy at this point would to be to cure them with fire. So with fury he dug in his hooves into the aged soil and took a deep breath..... unleashing another wave of hellfire

(Charging foward, flamer attack x3)

Breeze struggled hopelessly, entangled in the vines, thorns cutting into her flesh. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she began to panic. But quickly, she realized that it would do her no good and began working on calming herself down. She closed her eyes and began tracing a drawing in her head, slowing her breathing and stopping her adrenaline rush.

She opened her eyes again after but a moment. A pony made of plants was there, and she listened to what it had to say.

Oh,dear, she thought, gritting her teeth. I hope I'm not a key part in this 'game'.....

//Sorry for now posting at all! I am just really busy all summer with all the family obligations and random events that I have to attend to!//

Athanix had been meandering about the field as his friends had were being attacked. In reality he was just day dreaming about some random thoughts that he always had just running around in his mind. He did see however some random creature laughing like somepony just pulled a particularly stupid pun joke. Seeing though as he didn't really have anything else to do, he went ahead and began to try his hoof at combat.

Getting into a ready position on his hind legs he prepared for anything random that may come his way seeing as that was always what happened to him.

"Great, we're gonna get molested by a fucking tree. Because that was next on the list of shit I didn't ever want to happen to me. What's next, someone burns all the alcohol left in the wasteland?" Lucky said moodily, his mood clearly getting worse with each encounter.

He opened another bottle of whiskey, and used the respite from immediate action to fill his flask, is eye twitching as he glanced over the large dent in the side. As Lucky poured the amber liquid into the container, he addressed the latest threat.

"I hope you feel like answering questions soon then, Greeny. As for right now, you should probably let the filly go and stop trying to touch the rest of us, or Cross here's gonna have a field day lightin' you up."

As he finished the last sentence Cross teleported and sent fire in the direction of the plant-thing. Lucky finished his task, drank the last swig in the bottle, and screwed the cap back on his container. He replaced the metal flask in his pocket and the empty bottle in his bags before saying, "See what I mean?"

Bakewell was going to congratulate Lucky on the two’s amazing teamwork, but got distracted by the small fact of a monstrous plant grabbing one of her teammates.

The earth pony’s eyes stuck onto the vined Gentle Breeze. Bakewell didn’t care about answers, especially considering the way Chlorophyll over here was wording things. A game? Three questions of its choosing? No thank you. Drop my friend so we can beat you up and escape this crazy deathtrap of a city, thanks.

There was something about a fire that Kira just felt uncomfortable by it. The memories of months back, of the burning of Stableton, of what she had done back then. The fires that Cross spew over this tree-thing was to much for Kira she thought she had managed to get over the events from the battle but it seamed she would never really over come the scarring it had done to her psyche.

The gryphoness moved quick up to the burning tree-thing and pounce it with her talons aiming for what could be called a throat to quickly end what ever this thing was while pinning it to the ground.

[Unarmed 30, Strength 7, Claw the throat and pin on the ground.]

Sawdust was now short of enemies to shoot, there seemed to be only one or two left, and they were quite well blocked off by other ponies and a griffon trying to tackle, pounce and burn. She saw quite clearly that there was no place for her gun to get a shot in edgewise. So, instead she reloaded, tossing the mostly spent magazine into a pocket meant for spent ones, she'd consolidate the remaining rounds later.

Unfortunately, this still left her with little to do, the teleporting monsters seemed to be mostly piles of flesh and dead, while the plant monster was blocked by ostensibly allied bodies. Saw may not be the best at making and keeping friends, but she didn't need Mrs. Sparkle to tell her that shooting them would not be helpful toward making them into true friends. As such she looked about, searching for her own unattended target, if none presented themselves, she'd start looting, after all, why not, there was nothing else to do while the rest of the party was busy being pony shields for a monster.

[reload, watch out for teleporters. Shoot any that appear.]

Athanix watched the unfolding scrap that the group was currently embroiled in, fortunate that so far none of the creatures had singled him out for attack. Not keen to press the issue, he merely prepared for the possibility that he would be attacked, and continued to watch from afar.

Sawdust’s eyes darted around as she reloaded her weapon, scanning the area for any enemies that might suddenly materialise, but nothing made itself known. She lowered her weapon and began searching the fallen instead. Aside from a couple of scorched wooden masks and a ruptured gizzard, she found four slightly squashed bottle caps stuck to the underside of a couple of a dead freak’s horseshoes. If these masked ponies had anything valuable, they clearly weren’t carrying it with them.

Lucky’s threatening rant seemed to go mostly ignored by the plant pony thing, although he did raise an eyebrow and give a slight chuckle.

Cross gave a smirk at the splicer trying to keep him down with its hooves firmly gripped around his neck. Propping himself up slightly, he focused the magic in his horn and teleported. Rematerialising a short distance away and now on his hooves, he still felt the rough forelimbs of the teleporting freak around his neck. Must’ve accidentally brought it with him. He ignored it for now. Hoping to get the jump on the plant-like pony, he drew a deep breath and spewed fire.

A jet of flame buffeted the plant pony’s body, leaving much of its front charred and blackened, several embers still smouldering here and there. He turned towards Cross, the cold rage in his eyes almost a match for the heat of the attack. Several vines rocketed up from the ground and blunted the second flame jet, but failed to stop it entirely; several tongues of fire reached through the verdant barrier and scorched him further. Attention diverted as it was by the whole mess of fire, he flinched as Kira dove towards him with talons outstretched, but the charge was badly telegraphed; a couple of vines diverted from the anti-fire barrier to swat her out of the air.

“Minion,” the now blackened plant pony growled in Cross’ direction. “Kill the hooded one first.”

The masked pony – which was somehow still clinging to Cross’ back post-teleport – cackled in acknowledgement. Cross turned in response and ducked his head to one side just in time to dodge a fire-engulfed hoof.

“As for you,” the plant pony said, the sides of his mouth turning up in a wicked grin as he looked at Lucky, “I’ll touch you as much as I like.” The barrier of vines dispersed and lashed towards Lucky, who dove sideways as they cracked into the ground or grasped the air where he once stood.

As Lucky deftly rolled back onto his hooves, the viny monster frowned. He turned tail and began to flee into the forest, passing the aloft Breeze from vine to vine and away from the party. Despite the torching of his vines, he seemed unfazed as he drifted back into the gardens with Breeze. "Seeing as you aren't struggling, my little pony,” he whispered hoarsely in her direction, “I won't damage your lovely hide any further." He began to hum a quiet tune as slowly retreated into the forest.

♪ What is this place filled with so many wonders,
Casting its spell tha-at I am now under? ♪

The grass between him and the intrepid squad grew longer and more... aggressive as he walked over it, thrashing amidst itself as if a hurricane were blowing through. If they were to pursue, they would need to somehow overcome the grasping vegetation.

“The game continues, ponies! Catch me if you can!”

Breeze was focusing on keeping calm, as to not agitate the creature into harming her. I suppose not struggling was a smart move, then, she thought to herself. Seeing as she was still stuck, she continued not to struggle.

Trying to figure out what to do, she closed her eyes and relaxed, just thinking. She found herself repeating the tune that the viny pony had sung. It was fairly pretty, and relaxing....

//I don't know if Breeze is stuck WITH the viny pony or just in some vines away from the group now.//

Cross roared once more as the creature designated his head for most popular target, the target on his back had teleported with him as well. He lowered his head and ducked as he tried swinging his baton over his neck. He wanted to slam the figure to the floor and spin and glare into its eyes.... he wanted that thing to choke and die. He wanted to punish and torture it because it was disgusting.... and thus he unleashed his fury...


(Melee 50 to swing baton at the splicer on back, Fire attack x2 pointblank if successful (Luck 9))

He was kidnapping her?!? Bakewell’s head whipped between the escaping vine monster and Cross. One member was being drug off by a vine monster, and the other had a fire monstrosity on his back. If she helped one, would she be able to help both? Her mind and instinct begged her to pursue Gentle Breeze. But would anypony else follow her? How much good could she do alone? She didn’t even have a gun.

Arrggh. Thinking was hard. Cross was closer and, as much as she hated to admit it, was the closest thing the group currently had to a leader. She would help him and then beat the tar out of him if he suggested not going after Breeze.

(75 Unarmed to assist Cross in knocking the splicer from his back 8 Str. 6 Luck.)

Dawn smiled, his luck was actually changing, he raised his gun and aimed at the tree..... Pony........ Thing,"what that's not fair!" he yelled out, the growing thicker as the..... Thing continued to move away, Gentle Breeze still in his grasp. Dawn grit his teeth if he wanted to do any sort of damage he was going to have to get closer, shifting and getting ready to take flight, that and stealth didn't always mix but he would have to make do with what he had.

Taking a last glance back at the group he saw that they could handle whatever came to them, all he knew was that he had to get Breeze back, prepping his wings he set off as best he could in the tight spacing, the last thing he could hear was the creepy humming of the plant monster....

[Perception:9, Luck:5, Flight:25, Sneak:47, following the two and trying to get as close as possible]

Sawdust pocketed the caps, caps were caps were caps and nopony passed up free caps. She had wanted something better, a healing potions some ammo, hell even some chems would have been nice. Ah well. As she turned back the party seemed to be in disarray, Bakewell and Cross were struggling with a Spilcer while the pegasus just flew off for no good reason!

Goddess damned feather brains! ... "Huh?" Her eyes drew down quickly, lighting upon the strange vine monster that everypony had kindly blocked her shot of while it was near. Now it was running away and it still had what's-her-name! Something lit inside the little yellow mare, her face starting to go a little red as she started charging forward, she wasn't any sort of 'hero' in her mind, but nopony would be dragged off to die horribly by some tentacle monster while she lived!

Of course one bit of oversight in the plan was the grass. She had to skid to a halt there. Her eyes looked left and right, was there a path she was missing? Some way to bypass the grass without flying like What's-His-Name, or burning it with her non-existant flamethrower? She looked back at Cross who was pretty much a living Flame Thrower. Maybe now she had a better angle? If she did, if for a moment it looked like she could blast the splicer without also blasting Bakewell or Cross, she'd take the shot. Of course, this would be moot if there was a Path, if there was, Sawdust was taking it, Nowish.

Kira was not one to give up the chase that easy with her just being swat aside like she was nothing more then a bug, no that vine-pony-thing was not going to get away especially with one of their group. She where about to run of after the vine-thing when she notice the figure that where attacking Cross, if she where to run off after that thing they would split up the group and if they did that it was even less chance of finding and helping Breeze. They could not get split up they needed to stay together.

Kira changed direction and moved over to where Cross was thinking of what the vine-pony had said he was the main target of these crazy pony thing and he was the best bet they had with his flame-thrower mask to fight of any plants that was around unless she had to blow up the entire area they where in.

Sawdust couldn’t get a good shot at the Splicer on Cross’ back, so she turned back to the grass issue at hoof. Looking a bit closer, the grass seemed to be razor sharp and jagged. She wasn’t sure what sort of magic or plant-communication he was using but it was clearly dangerous. It was hard to notice at first because of the dim light, but there were areas where there was no grass that she could jump to as she made pursuit. Realising this, she slowly hopped from piece of bare ground to piece of bare ground after the vine pony, who seemed to be ignoring what was happening with the group.

His face set in an expression of hatred, Cross swung his baton at the giggling psycho on his back as Bakewell ran towards him to assist. He succeeded in connecting with the blow and with a satisfying clunk, the creature's grip faltered, but it didn't fall. Before he could attempt to buck the thing loose, Bakewell leapt over his back, grabbing the splicer and suplexing it to the ground. With a double-hoofed stomp, she quickly dispatched the freak, who gave a weak spasm and gasp of laughter as it died.

Having rid themselves of that distraction, Kira, Cross, and Bakewell were now free to pursue the plant pony. Gouts of flame from Cross’ mask burnt away great swathes of grass and lashing vines as they pursued him and his entrapped passenger, Gentle Breeze.

The plant pony continued to slowly flee deeper into the garden, still humming contentedly to himself. “Perhaps you could become a flower in my garden,” he whispered aside to his captive, continuing to carry her upon a bed of writhing vines and plants. He didn’t notice the nearby hovering Dawn Blaze, or pay much mind to the angry pursuit behind him; he was just pleased that finally something was breaking the tedium around here.

"Excellent, looks like we've got some hunting to do," Lucky said in an excited tone. The tan buck wasn't fazed in the slightest by the plant-pony's actions, and was quickly trying to figure out how to get past the deadly mutant grass. He saw that Cross and the rest of the group were making progress towards the thing, and decided to follow after them.

He trampled the burning foliage as he raced to catch up with Bakewell, Kira, and Cross, watching either side of himself for more of the teleporting wackjobs. If there was one thing Lucky hated, it was getting jumped.

"Am I now but a tool of your game?" Breeze asked the Vine Pony, opening her eyes and speaking calmly, without any bitterness in her tone. She didn't want to provoke the thing to harm her, or any of her teammates simply to spite her. "And what exactly would becoming a flower in your garden mean for me? I have a feeling that it means my death, or something along those lines..."

Kira made a quick look over the dead bodies of the splicer that they had killed for anything she could use before she had moved on with the rest of the group doing her best to track wherever the plant pony was taking Gentle Breeze.

The gryphoness had not ever been the best tracker but she had really good eyes and in the speed they were moving she would not have had much time to track the plant pony thing, so instead she used her eyes to spot for anything that would show them the way. Still she could not shake the feeling that they were just running in to a trap and what ever this game was it was clearly not something good.

“You’re welcome.” Bakewell told Cross as she ended the last enemy fire maniac’s life. She hadn’t waited for thanks. There were more important things at hoof and Cross probably wouldn’t have thanked her anyway.

“After him! Go!” She commanded. The vined equine was getting away, carrying with him Bakewell's faint hope of getting everypony out of here alive. Pursuit wasn’t an option, it was a necessity.

Sawdust put her natural agility to work, hopping from rock to rock. Something about the activity drained a mote of her concentration and made her forget exactly why she was jumping around, sort of playing on rocks. Then she reacquired sight on the Vine Monster, her mind still refused to call anything that looked like that, a pony, that title was reserved for things that had more than just the form factor.

Anyway, that thought aside she continued, a little more focused on the task. From her perch on one rock she tried to plot a path that would get her to the Vine Monster, or at the very least keep her headed in the right direction.

[Agility 9, Perception 7]

As Dawn began to close in on the tree pony, he began to scan for a good landing spot to line up his shot, knowinv that shooting while flying put Breeze at a higher risk of geeting hurt, doing a fly by was a difficult task, and the situation didn't leave room for any sort of injury especialy if it was freindly fire.

He spotted the tall grass behind him and noticed it was tall enough to cover him, if he was lucky it could give him a clear shot, opting it out emediatly, seeing as he had more of a chance of becoming a victim of freindly fire himeself if he were to land in front of his comrades ( who weren't the sneakiest bunch of ponies). He noticed that the trees offered an optimal sniping position........ Which would require both a rifle and knowledge on how to land in a tree.

Settling for just a clear patch of land that offered many shadows to hide in, Dawn began to angle himself downwards, bracing himself for the inevitably difficult fight up ahead. If anypony can hear this........ Please keep us safe.

[Perception:9, Agility:8, Luck:5, Guns:45, Sneak:47, rolling for a good landing, and a shot at the tree pony's head]