Danger Close [Invite Only]

"Wait what?!" Moon said in surprise as he noticed Xeshir and Double kissing each other, knowing that it was just a ploy to piss off pops. He sighed as he made sure that there were no anthills on the new spot of land that he put his mat on, getting ready to lay down again.

At least everyone else is occupied sufficently. Xesh is seducing Double. Rad is pissing of Pop. Ash is tending to Crackle. Annnd Loose is gawking at Xesh and double. Wonderful. He thought as he finally settled in to sleep for the night, keeping his new varmint rifle near him and ready to use at a moments notice.

[SPEECH SUCCESSFUL]
Double gave Xeshir a half-seductive look as she held her, blushing as her ear was nibbled. She closed her ears dreamingly before noticing Xeshir spoke.

"Ahh okay....um...mind if Loose joins us?" she turned towards the Stallion and gave him a wink before turning back to Xeshir. "Though I don't mind either way...." Double held out her arm as she stroked the zebra's cheek with the other.


Crackle meanwhile tried to get a better glimpse of Pop's rifle. The cog appeared to just be a rusty machine part although there was text on the rifle itself.

"Once more into the breach" was all it stated, although there seemed to a word above the phrase, although it seemed to scratched out to the point where it was would be hard to read without a close up examination in the light. Pop himself seemed to keep an angry light glaring outwards towards any spots that might leave them vulnerable. The rest of the party settled down for the night, leaving Xeshir and the other 2 ponies some privacy.

"Of course my dear..." Xeshir whispered, practically purring, to Double. "But if you will excuse me I have to get something ready first. Go ahead and tell him he's welcomed." She said as she began walking towards her bedroll where she left her saddlebags.

Xeshir's mind was racing by the time she got there. She opened the saddlebags and gave Rad a small kick, enough to wake him up. She began rummaging through them as she talked with a voice low enough for only Rad to hear. "I'm going to keep Double and Loose busy, wake the medic and the stable colt" She said pointing at Ash and Moon "And tell them to distract Soda, tell them to tell him they saw something ahead or something. Anything that will distract the old stallion." She whispered calmly as she took a small written note from the saddlebags and several small bags with what looked like herbs "Wake the griffon up too, tell him to make sure nobody is watching you, because you have the most important part." Her tone was still calm and serene while she mixed some of the herbs with water, occasionally checking the written note. "You're are going to see what's inside the wagon. When the griffon says you're clear open the top and see what's inside. You will tell the rest of us in the morning, hopefully it's nothing big but this whole job smells fishy to me..." She finished and began shaking the canteen as she finished putting several herbs on it, turning the water into a liquid that looked similar to tea. She put everything, including the "Tea", in the saddlebags once again as she gave an imploring look to Rad, hoping he would as told, and walked towards where Double and Loose where waiting.

Before Loose or Double could even talk to her she grabbed Loose and gave him a furious kiss. She pulled him away for a moment before turning to Double, a seductive smile on her lips, and saying "So, who's going to be on top tonight?"

Crackle hadn't quite dozed off by the time xeshir trotted over to rad. He couldn't quite make out what she was saying, but he could tell right away something was up. doing his best to feign sleep, he scanned the campsite with half-closed eyes. A few moments later, he was met with the sight of xesher familiarizing herself with Loose's tonsils. This time, he could here exactly what she said. His wings snapped open with an audiable 'WHOOMP!' Well, he thought, so much for faking sleep!

He got up and stretched, trying to pass his embarassing state off as a wing cramp, and started flapping. He took off and did a few low, slow circuts of the camp before landing by Rad and pretending to stretch more.

"Whats going on?" he hissed at rad from the corner of his beak. "What did Stripes say?"

Rad grumbled as he was woken by Xeshir, having only just got to sleep. He sat up and listened to Xeshir, wondering just what she was making. "Right... I hope this all works because me 'n' silence go together like fire 'n' water." Rad spoke quietly, he guessed that Xeshir had either been planning this for a while, or was good at making things up on the spot. After the zebra left Rad began to get up, when he was approched by Crackle. I'm gonna go get The other two to distract Pop, once that's done i'll need ya to keep a look out while I go take a look see what's in the cart.

Rad then proceeded to head first to Ash, nudging him to make sure he had the ponys attention, before once more talking quietly. "Hey, I need you and Moon to distract Pop away from that cart somehow, tell him ya saw somethin, just find a way to get him away. Our zebra friend is already... Distractin... Loose an Double, so once you get Pop away i'm gonna go see what's inside that thing. Got it?"

Rad then headed over to Moon and told him much the same thing, before heading back to his own bed, not without giving Pop a cheeky grin on the way past. Probably thinks i'm tryin to get in bed with em or somethin... Once back at his own bed Rad layed down and watched, waiting for all the neccessary things to happen before he made his move.

Just having fended off ants from his mat and laying down, moon was more that a bit disgruntled at having to get up again to distract a pony for an insane plot that he would have ratherd remained ignorant. "Fine, but if the shit hits the fan..." he paused, choosing his next words carefully "I do kinda want to know what's in there." He said as rad was walking away, gruntig as he got up again.

Walking towards Ash, moon was contemplating the possible outcomes, few of them good.

"Ash,"Moon whispered "I hope you have a better idea as how to distract Pops from the cart. I doubt ANYpony would like my idea."

The actions of the other ponies was starting to agitate Ash. Crazy lesbian zebras (okay this one wasn't so bad) a griffon that seemed to prefer getting shot than sticking with a group ponies waking him just as he had managed to finally fall asleep for a plan that was most likely going to fail... Was it a plan? Hell he couldn't tell ponies were milling about so he assumed something was going on. He agreed to go along with it regardless and now he was consulting Moon on distracting a pony. Nothing could go wrong

"Well i have an idea but i doubt it will work Moon let's save yours for plan b." Ash got up and trotted over to Soda coming up with the best thing he could think of to distract him "Pops come quick! There are gays gaying up the camp with their gay gayness! Hurry and stop them before the gayness spreads to other ponies... I suspect gayness is contagious?"

Okay really bad plan and a worse poker face but hell if Ash wasn't going to try it.

( Speech 21, Luck 5 )

Upon hearing the speech ash delivered to pop, Cracle proceeded to repeatedly beat his head against a nearby rock. why the BUCK did i agree to this??? he thought. At least the abuse got his mind off of other matters involving a certain zebra and mare, allowing his wings to return to normal. He glanced in Ash's direction and facetalon'd so hard that he almost gave himself a black eye.Crackle sighed. He might as well make himself useful and try to make this plan work. He took flight and began orbiting the camp, calling out to Pop as he flew overhead.

"I'll watch the camp and make sure that none of them get in, and that our own gay doesn't get contaminated further! You three go chase them off."

The group managed to get the two mercs away as Xeshir hastily led them away to get busy as they'd say.

"Pops come quick! There are gays gaying up the camp with their gay gayness! Hurry and stop them before the gayness spreads to other ponies... I suspect gayness is contagious?"

[SPEECH FAILED]
Pop eyed Ash with a very eager eye, he stood up and began to breath deeply as he leaned forward, the mass of rags only broken by the soul burning glare Pop was giving the buck in front of him. He looked up at Crackle and huffed as he watched for a few moments, waiting for Ash to look at Crackle as well.

Then came the cane to the face.

Pop began to beat Ash with the cane. "DAMN YOU DIRTY DONGLICKER" he stopped the thrashing for a moment as his nostrils flared in anger, he turned and eyed Crackle again.

"Actually....you know what....nevermind, let them have their fun." he gave Ash an eerie and uncomfortably content smile.

"We have a long day ahead of us, I'll be sleeping agaisnt the paddywagon so I suggest you all find some nice spots and get some sleep." He lifted up his rifle and pushed his ragged back agaisnt the paddywagon and landed with a clank as he seem to drift off with his body turned outward, gun ready to fire at a moments notice.

Ash was smiling he had just has his face handed to him with a cane by an old senile pony but he was smiling. Never in the history of anything was there a face that illustrated as much as his did the phrase "That was so worth it." He burst out laughing as pops curled up in his rags. He turned to Moon wiping a tear from his eye and said to him in a whisper "so what ya got for plan b Moon?" It couldn't have gotten any worse than what it already was right?

"Damnit. Do i REALLY have to do plan b?" Moon asked, a little dissapointed that plan C might not have to be used. All those cherry bombs for nothing. He sighed. "oh well. This can only end one of three ways." he snorted as he galloped up to pops.
Oh buck me with a spoon, I really DO have to do this. he thought hurriedly as he stopped in front of Pops, kissing him before pausing to see his reaction. This was the worst plan ever. Of all time.

[Damnit Xesh. If i die, its on you.]
[Luck 5.]

As soon as Moon's lips touched Pop's, the world slowed down. Pop's arms tightened around him and pulled him forward, their lips not breaking....

Moon felt a tongue slide through his mouth and press against his cheek, Pop's eyes still closed as he grabbed Moon's flank. Grumbling as he kissed and held him.

"Sherry.....I missed you so much..." This went on for a few seconds before Pop woke up.

And all hell broke loose.

Fury raging through Pop's eyes he pushed Moon back as he stood up. His full mass rising as he hobbled up, his nostrils flaring in hot fury as his eyes glared. Wide enough that Moon would be able to see a reflection of himself as Pop's iron hoof came swinging out from the mess of rags and slamming into his temple at full force. Throwing him several meters against some trees, knocking him unconscious as Pop stood there breathing heavily as he turned around and grabbed his rifle, heading towards Moon's unconscious battered form.

"Fuck this....Fucking gay ponies....fuck them" he kept a good grip on the rifle, cog dangling and glistening to the embers in the fire. The barrel seemingly intended for Moon.

Rad watched the goings on, seeing the two ponies first attempt to distract Pop fail, but then Moon just up and kissed the old pony, which left Rad both intruiged, and a little grossed out, he had no idea Moon was like that. Though what happened next threw Rads thoughts askew, he needed to get a look in the cart, but it seemed that Pop really might kill Moon. Rad acted quickly, not quite sure what he was doing, the plan forming in his mind as he moved. Rad flew over to Crackle as fast as possible. "Go look in the cart!" Before the gryphon could reply Rad flew off again, this time throwing himself between Pop and Moon, he looked at up at the old pony. "No ya don't! You wanna hurt him ya gotta go through me..."

Rad through his plans still forming in his mind, realised he wasn't wearing his battle saddle, which meant he didn't have his guns, infact all he had was his spiked shoes and leather armour. Though Rad was a fairly decent unarmed fighter, so he would hold his own if it came to it. But really, he didn't want anypony to get hurt, and hoped Pop would just decide it was all to much effort to fight him. Though it seemed unlikely.

[Luck 4 to see if Pop decides it's not worth it? Not really trying to talk him out of it at all.]

Crackle was lucky he landed after the apparent failure of the plan. He was just getting comfortable again when Moon pulled his little stunt. At first, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He normally didn't care who was attempting to ship who, but that was just wrong. Feeling rather perturbed, Crackle closed his eyes and shook his head, attempting to expell all memories of what just happened from his mind. When He opened them again, Pop, unsuprisingly, had his rifle pointed at moon. If that fool of a pony got himself shot, that was his own damn problem. He got himself into this mess, he could get himself out.

The sudden appearance of Rad gave Crackle a bit of a shock. Before he could get a word in edgewise, the pegasus was gone again. Crackle sighed. This job was already going to hell, and it wasn't even the second day. At times like this, he wished he hadn't getten kicked from the Talons. They may have been hard to get along with, but at least they were professional. He stood up. Well, he thougt, time to settle things down so i can get some luna-damned sleep! he stepped towards the confrontation, but stopped at a safe distance and took a deep breath.

He drew upon the superior lung capacity that griffins need to survive the thin atmosphere at high altitude and bellowed "everypony SHUT UP and SIT DOWN!" Crackle paused, giving a second for his words to sink in. "Moon, teasing is alright, but you crossed the line with that one. Rad, I give you credit for trying; that was very noble, but both of you need to step aside. Also, and this goes for you too Ash, If you are going to be a hired gun, you will have to escort mysterious packages like this one." He drew upon the store of knowledge from his time as a Talon merc, and continued. "Pop is paying us to escort him to a predetermined destination, NOT to invade his privacy. He, as our employer, has a right to whatever secrets he wants. What is in that wagon is none of our concern unless it starts to draw unnecessary attention. So far, the only problem has been from our route through ponyville, not from the cart. Therefore, unless Pop were to double-cross us, we have no right to go nosing through his property. Whatever is in there isn't our concern at the moment. All of you need to let this go. You're putting our jobs on the line here. I understand the curiosity, but if you want to make it as a gun-for-hire out here, you have to put aside personal desires like that. Until either Pop betrays us or that Celestia-damned wagon brings Tartarus down upon us, I have to side with pop on this one. He is the boss, so what he says goes. Please, all of you just be professional and go back to bed."

Crackle then turned to Pop. "I may not like you on a personal level, no offence, but you're the one with the caps. I'll stick to the contract until you give me a reason to break it. If you will forgive my companions transgressions, i think it would be for the better if we all forgot about this and went to bed."

He stopped and surveyed the group. "Anypony have anything to add? no? well get your flanks to bed. There has been enough trouble for tonight."


(luck 6, charisma 3, and speech 16 to convince everyone to calm the buck down and go the hell to sleep. Relying heavily on suprise and common sense to defuse the situation)

Pop glared at Crackle as the bird clarified the group's... position around their terms of agreement. Pop huffed as he glared at Rad.

"Get to sleep, everyone now. If you try to mess with me again, I'll kill you myself.

Pop went and sat agaisnt the wagon with his back on his rifle but otherwise content even with the fury beyond his eyes.

[prepare to sleep]

Crackle could not believe that had actually worked. Last time he tried something like that, he wound up with a bullet in his gut and a pair of plasma burns on his flank. It took a moment for the fact he wasn't getting shot at to register. His heart had been racing as he waited for pop to squeeze the trigger, but when the old pony unexpectedly lowered his old rifle and returned to his post, Crackle gave a massive sigh of relief. He looked down at the unconsious Moon Runner. As silly as he felt for yelling at a pony who had been knocked senseless, it seemed appropriate at the time. He proceeded to drag Moon across the camp site by his mane, not being at all gentle about it, and dropped him in a heap on his bedding. He's gonna be sore in the morning... Maybe that'll teach him what lines aren't ok to cross. the griffin thought, heading for his own bedroll. upon reaching it, he promptly settled in, but remained awake as a guard for a few more hours. He decided to wake Rad Boom when he got tired and have him take over the watch in a few hours.

Ash was too busy attending to his fresh cane bruises to pay much attention to Crackle's speech. What he did hear in between his laughing and attending to a bloody muzzle seemed to be well and within reason. After the speech was finished and the situation diffused Ash shrugged the whole situation off decided it better to just go to bed... after he finished stopping the blood. 'Hey nothing may have been found out,' he thought to himself as he reached his sleeping bag, 'but at least no one died from a badly pieced together plan right?' Ash closed his eyes and drifted into a dreamless sleep

The night passed, luckily it was uneventful aside from the natural ambiance of the wasteland, the occasional gunfire miles away and screams ringing throughout hollow Ponyville. The group was already at the end of the town already still as the group began to pack up their gear, there was an unusual air coming from the direction of the town, Pop ordered them all to get moving before anything decided they'd need some vistors.... For some reason, even after coming near killing Moon last night, he didn't leave him there, he placed him on top of the cart as it went bumping along the road.

Last night with Loose and Double, Xeshir found out they didn't know much about the wagon either but they had at least been employed by Pop a bit longer, still ever curious but would much rather just leave the old git behind than put up with him, they had a group of friends who would be east, not too far from where they would pass, they'd end up leaving right then most likely.

Anything was starting to become better than staying with Pop.

As soon soon as the group traveled a few miles, Loose and Double began to whisper again to the irritation of Pop. A group of ponies from a cliff far to the east began to wave. Double turned to Xeshir.

"Last chance, you should come with us" she winked and suddenly the convey came to a stop. Loose and Double unstrapped the harnesses and began to sprint towards the cliff, the two of them laughing.

Pop didn't seem too fazed until he began to look around through his stuff and then his fury began to heightened.

"GO GET THEM, THEY HAVE YOUR PAYCHECK!!!!" He began to struggle to bring his rifle up to bear as he stampered around angrily. At this point he wouldn't have the caps to pay the group unless they got the capbox back.
Double and Loose were quickly beginning to make leeway in reaching the group on the cliff.

Xeshir stood there a little stunned as Double and Loose simply ran away, but she quickly shook her head and began racing after them as she tried to piece together a plan in her mind. "Griffon and Pegasus! Fly up and stay there! If bullets start to fly your our support! Unicorn! With me! Soda! Don't fire your rifle! Let me talk to them!" She said, with a loud enough voice for the rest to hear but not enough for the group on the cliff.

Internally, Xeshir wasn't sure about what she was going to do. She understood Double and Loose motive, the old stallion certainly was a headache, but stealing his caps and leaving him alone on the road? That wasn't something she approved of. She just hoped she could talk them down...

(Speech 54. Trying to stop Soda Pop from shooting like the idiot he is.)

Crackle turned to the rest of the group, and agreed with Xeshirs assesment. "Lets see if we can restrain them and retrieve our caps without killing them, ok? I'd prefer not to get in a firefight with a group clearly better equipped than that batch of raiders." He quickly fell back into the tactical mindset instilled in him by the Talons. "Rad, with me. Ash, Keep your eyes on the big group and let us know if they start looking hostile. If we have to, lets try and cut Double and Loose off before they link up." He was about to address Pop and tell him not to shoot right away, but he saw xesh was already attempting that. He also agreed with her plan for combat, if it came to that. Overwatch was one of his preferred combat roles.

He then proceeded to take flight, Hoping rad was right on his tail. He drew his plasma pistol and quickly gained altitude. He wondered if Rad had any experience with formation-flying and combat. He rather doubted it, strategic aerial combat was generally more of a Talon thing.

(taking off and drawing plasma pistol)

Rad followed Crackle, he had an idea of formation flying, mainly from playing around with a few of his friends when he used to live in Friendship city, so it was safe to say that what he knew was in no way professional, but it was ebough that he was able to keep an aproppriate distance between him and Crackle while matching his speed, to the untrained eye it probably looked as though they had flown together before. But really Rad was just using what little he knew, and common sense.

"I can't believe they took the caps... If they had just wanted to ditch on us i'd be inclined to let em go, but no way am I puttin up with Pop for free!" He watched the events from the sky, his two carbines ready to fire, and if/when he ran out of ammo/jammed Ol' Unreliable, he had his spiked hooves and knife to fall back on. "I guess this is the 'plan' that Double mentioned to me in Ponyville." He said idly as he watched Xeshir run to try and catch them.

"Wait what fuck they are taking the caps??" Ash looked around everyone was in a frenzy. He heard two orders directed at him, or he assumed they were directed at him solely because he was the only "Unicorn" here. Well it was lucky that the two orders where something he could do simultaneously. "Okay follow the zebra and watch that group. Two Pegasi one stone right?" He followed as close as he could behind the Zebra falling slightly behind.

"This might not be the right time for introductions but the name is Ash Health. Not 'Unicorn'" He said in between huffs of breath. Ash looked up at the Big group on the cliff hoping his eyesight wasn't as bad as he assumed it was. "I hope I don't get shot at twice this week!"

(Perception 7 To ascertain whether or not the big group is hostile and how well armed)

Pop placed one hoof on his rifle as the stock rested on his shoulder, he took aim as Xeshir tried to talk him out of it. His response to that was angrily placing his hoof on the zebra and shoving her, strangely it threw her several feet back and knocked her down, for the old pony, it nearly seemed effortless.

As the group rushed to respond, a shot rang out. Loose cried out as he fell to the floor, Double screamed his name as she tried to run to a fallen cart to take cover. Their friends began to descend from the hill, about 4 of them, with 2 staying up there as guns began to point at the group. They released a few warning shots at Rad and Boom to keep back as Double and another carried Loose to cover.

Xeshir grunted as she was thrown. She actually hadn't expected the old pony to try and shove her out of the way, and the fact she was running didn't help. She was thinking several ways of breaking Sodas neck in the most possible way when she heard the very familiar sound of a gunshot and the scream of a pony.

Not good. Not good at all.

Xeshir got up and looked at Soda Pop. This had gone for long enough. The old bastard had almost gotten them killed and was probably going to do so several more times...But this wasn't the time. Xeshir got up, took out her new 9mm SMG and started firing at one of the ponies descending the hill. Her anger could wait.

(Getting up. 12 AP. Firing at closest pony descending from hill with 9mm SMG twice. 18 AP. Guns skill 57. +10 hit bonus with Merc Outfit and Trigger Discipline.)

Crackle yelled over his shoulder at Rad. "Break off and target the ones coming down the hill! I've got the ones up top!"

He then proceeded to fly up above the hilltop and, after a quick assesment, fire 3 shots with his at the pony who appeared to be the biggest threat

(flying to above the 2 ponies on the hill (4AP), using per 8 to identify the biggest threat, and shooting it with my plasma pistol (9AP x 3) at whichever pony seems more dangerous- energy wep. 54, +5 to hit from Trigger discipline)