I Can Have a Dark Side IC (Closed)

Dash looked back to his friends in Cyber Star's group, "Alright. I guess that leaves scouting duty up to us. We gotta make sure nothing crawls out of the walls after us. Check your equipment and get yourselves ready for anything." He then went over to Cyber Star, "Could I ask how much experience you have with close quarters combat?" Dash asked, "My experience mostly stems from the training my father gave me. He's ex-Enclave Special Forces. I've also participated in some raider and slaver clearings as a part of Stableton's security force."

Xeshir took a few minutes to look at Cuppa undressing before her minded returned to the present and she quickly slipped out of her clothes and into the communal bath, the zebra letting out a big sight as she sumerged herself in the hot, steaming water. Maybe this stable wasn´t so bad after all...

It took every once of Xeshir´s willpower to not make an innuendo, a suggestion or even a lecherious look in Cuppa´s direction, though she couldn´t stop herself from giving glances at her. She dunked her head in the hot water to attempt to clear her mind, but all it gave her was a wet mare. At least it looked nice...

Bone stood silently, "Well this "dangerous" job just converted to a hotel visit." the griffin thought as the AI gave them free range to roam the stable. Of all the options available, a shower was the most appealing to the bird. Not only was he covered in layers of dirt and blood in need of removal but what's the worst that could happen by spending some time alone in a room with a bunch of females.

He entered the communal bath about a minute after the mares just in time to hear cuppa's comment on ami. "Call me crazy but I think that "AI" is actually a pony hidden somewhere in this stable, using lights and projections to communicate." Bone said as he took off his weapons and armor next to one of the showers and stepping into the rain like stream of water, the true grey of his feathers being revealed as the crimson and brown began to wash off.

Marcus frowned at Ami's explanation of her lack of knowledge on the deaths of the residents, but did not push further. It sounded like everything bad that happened took place in the sealed off areas, leaving little danger to everyone present (Well, excluding Ami. He didn't know what to make of her).

Still, there were plenty of areas here that would be available for exploration, and he would be sure to search as much out as he could. Turning back to his group, he said, "Well, the others look to be splitting up already. Should we do the same or stick together?" Turning his voice to a whisper, he continued, "There's a whole Stable to kuchunguza (explore) and I am uncomfortable with splitting up while the wa akili (old mind) watches us."

Rad watched, a little confused at Ami's reaction to being told everything was destroyed outside, before realising that it wasn't a common fact to her, like it was to himself. He didn't say any more as she gave them all free access to the Stable, even if it was unofficially, and figured he'd go see what Arc wanted to do, since he was part of the unicorns group. He briefly thought of going to wash, but assumed the water would be irradiated like most other places in the wastes and figured it could wait.

Rad trotted off after Arc, which was also the same direction as Bake, Scrap and Violet were going. He soon went past them though, realising just what Ami had meant by 'well preserved food.' Hoping he might get something that wasn't stale and horrible. The first thing he noticed upon arrival though was Arc messing with a knife, it was... Sticking? To the wall? Rad rushed over and watched. "Wow! How do you do that Arc? Is that some new spell? It just... Stays on the wall..."

Scrap started to protest when Ami asked Bakey to go to the kitchen with her alone, he wasn't gonna let Bakey go it alone anywhere in here, especially after he learned the stable's history. His protests were soon rendered pointless, as he felt himself being pulled along with her, and volunteered as well. Not that he particularly minded.

Once they got in there he gulped. Scraps could identify every part of just about anything that ran on electricity, but more then half of these utensils he had no clue about. Whispering to Bakey he said

"Urm Bakey...I don't know the first thing about baking cakes."

"Alright, you know what? Fuck it. I'll be in the showers too if anypony needs me for something."

Lucky followed after the group of mares and Bone into the showers, dropping his coat, hat, gun, and bags off where needed before actually entering the room.

Once inside, he stood for a minute to enjoy the feeling of the place. It had been a long time since he'd actually been able to clean himself, and he'd always loved the enclosed space of a stable shower room. He breathed deeply, and closed his eyes as a wave of nostalgia washed over him.

Bakewell gave an appreciative smile around Scrap’s tail towards Violet when the filly offered to come along as well.

Once in the kitchen, Bakewell did her best to ignore the presence of Arc as she looked around at the honest to goodness Stable kitchen, though she did stiffen noticeably when he fooled with the knife.

It had been so long since Bakewell had even seen some of these instruments that once upon a time her naive mind had taken for granted that the earth pony honestly wasn’t sure she could remember how to use everything. She certainly didn’t right off-hand remember where exactly everything was, and didn’t even know what kind of cake the AI was expecting her to make. It was probably bad tact to start before the large alicorn computer brain got there to help anyway.

“It’s easy, Scrap. Just follow my instructions and you’ll do fine. Probably.” She whispered back, If all else failed she could give Scrap simple jobs like stirring and mixing. Those were hard to mess up.

Nova nodded to Arc, making a mental note of the directions. Once the 'alicorn' had finished speakimg, Nova weighed her options. She watched the others for a hint of which way to go, and eventually noticed Xeshir leaving for the baths.

That settled it.

Nova began making her way over towards the directions that Arc gave her. She knew that it was a stupid idea to try and split up in this place, even if there appeared to be no danger. Nova just couldn't believe Rad again. Nova considered him a friend but what drove him to be so bluntly honest? It just doesn't help in most situations. Nova shook her head and set the thought aide as she found what and who she was looking for, smirking a little as she simply watched Arc messing around.

Glancing over at the griffon as he arrived in the bathrooms, Cuppa raised a brow whilst listening to his idea. "Uh.... Ah guess that could work. But it'd take one hell o' a bunch o' medical spells n' such t' even keep a pony's mind alive and sane fer so long. 's what makes Ghouls lose their minds when they realise they're dead."

Briefly explaining this as she scooped a load of water with her magic, Cuppa floated the water over her head and through her mane whilst spinning the ball of water around, sort of like a spin-wash for her mane, really.

Then letting the water splash back down, Cuppa gave a small smile at Xeshir through her now soaked mane, not really suspecting that the zebra mare was giving her any sort of look. "Ah jus' think Ami's summint ah can't explain, so ah ain't gonna try an' explain 'er."

Arc gasped and let go of the knife from the sudden Rad Boom at his side. He lost his concentration and the spell around the knife collapsed, and the cutlery quickly reattached itself to the magnetic strip on the wall.

"R-Rad Boom!" Arc stuttered out. "Didn't heard you come, you have startled me..." Arc was, for a moment, looking slightly paler than his normal brown, but he quickly calmed down. He cleared his throat, happy that he could lecture somepony.

"Right. So you see. The thin metal strip on the wall is magnetic. Simply said... it attracts certain types of metal." To demonstrate, Arc removed a large spatula from the magnetic hold and released it, watching it flip back to the wall. "Steel, iron and nickel, for example, are called ferromagnetic metals. They can be magnetized, and this is what is happening here. The strip is magnetizing the stainless steel the spatula is made from, and then pulls it back. That means the sheet is made from something magnetic." Arc finished his lecture.

His ears slightly flicked, hearing other voices and steps behind him. He turned around and noticed the room now also contained Nova, Scrap and Bakewell. "Hello?" he tried out.

Marcus' inquiry over exploring met with Radiant Waves as the Alicorn seemed to leave the group to go bake a cake. "That all depends on where you wish to go striata unum (striped one). There is an entire Stable down those stairs. But we first need a map so we can find a useful floor." She said as she started looking around, then walking off towards a certain thinly-built stallion and whispering to him. Only the more perceptive of ponies in the group would be able to hear what she said to him.

And then she quickly trotted back over to Cross and Marcus. "Okay, you two. Lets get a move on down those stairs, there might be something useful, Cyber Star is getting the maps and will send them to Cross' pipbuck." She chimed, waving a hoof to tell the two of them to follow her as she trotted off towards the stairs.

Upon descending to the next floor, anyone heading down there would see a sign saying "Level 2 - Infirmary."
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After listening to Radiant and giving a nod, Cyber looked to Dash whilst also listening to him as he asked about any close-quarters experience he'd had. "Normally I don't need to defend myself, cause I'd have one of the others with me. But I can at least shoot in such an enclosed space." He remarked before he seemed a bit more serious. "I guess it's time we get those maps for everypony. All we've got to do is go round a corner and bam, we're at the Administration block."

"Though ex-Enclave, eh? Your father must have some balls leaving the Enclave. Have they not tried killing him or your family yet?" Cyber asked with a casual tone, death and such was definitely not a rare thing for the group it seemed.

The group would quite simply be walking through a short hallway before they found a door with a sign above dictating it as the Administration block.

Inside Administration was a main desk near the door, and what seemed to be a large block of technology, quite safely locked away behind ballistic glass and steel. Judging by the protection around it, one could assume it was the resting place of every little piece of data available in this place, and that only specific ponies could get into that section.

At least there was a terminal at the desk, one that Cyber was already trying to get into as he tapped away at a few buttons and stopped to think for a moment.
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With his group quite simply split up, Clean Cut decided it would probably be a good idea to split off and go with Radiant. "I'd rather not be baking or bathing... not with anypony who is already there." He mumbled, seeming annoyed mostly. Regardless Radiant gave a nod. "That's fine."
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Bada Boom also was lacking anyone to wander around with, but after a short time of looking around and taking a few light steps, he decided to head for the bathrooms like others had done. He may be living in a fancy place, but when is a better time to have a bath than when you're locked in a place with a bunch of strangers?

So upon his arrival, he quite easily shrugged off his armour and unceremoniously fell into a one-pony bath, letting out a happy sigh at the feel of hot water surrounding his rather muscled body. He was mostly oblivious to the conversations around the baths, he was too busy relaxing.
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As for the shenanigans in the kitchen, whilst Bakewell, Scrap, Violet, Arc, Rad and Nova were attending to personal things. The form of the Stable's AI walked on in and smiled more as she saw that more than her little baking team were in here. "Huzzah! Three more volunteers for helping bake a cake!" She cheered, throwing her forehooves in the air. "Though I don't know if we'll need that many... There must be a phrase about there being a lot of cooks in a kitchen, I think it was a good thing!" She excitedly said whilst bringing a scroll out of nowhere and rolling it out.

"Okay! Here are the instructions... Oh, we also need the ingredients, could somepony go into the pantry to get them whilst I read them out?" She would begin, then listing off what they needed ingredient and utensil-wise.

Whilst astounded by Arc's discovery of the magnets, Rad and Arc would both notice something strange in the reflection of the knife the unicorn was removing from the wall and putting back. The happy, smiling pegasus known as Rad would, for but a moment seem to be grinning in a disturbing way as he would lock eyes with them. It would cause both bucks to double-take, if only due to the bizarreness of the reflection, in turn causing the reflection to return to normal.

Rad listened to Arc's lecture on magnets, listened, but understood very little. "So... Does that mean that I can stick a knife to any wall made of metal? Anywhere?" He was about to ask more questions, when he too realised that there were others in the room now, it also seemed that they had been roped into baking a cake. Rad had no idea how to bake a cake, not the slightest clue.

He looked back to the mysterious magnetic knife on the wall, before looking at Arc. Well he would have had he not noticed something about his reflection, it seemed... Wrong, though when he looked back it was back to normal. "Must've bin the light..." He muttered, and proceeded to finish the task of looking at Arc. "Are we bakin' now? 'Cause I dunno if that's a good idea... For me at least, I dunno what i'm doin'"

Bakewell winced when the AI grouped Arc into helping. She didn’t trust him and didn’t want his help. Even something as simple as taking something from him was risky, hadn’t he struck her last time under the guise of doing something as simple as hoofing her something? The mare had suffered nightmares about having somepony else gain control of her body and being forced watch as her body brutally murdered those she cared about for nights following the event. She wasn’t going to risk it. Not again.

“I’ll get them.” Bakewell said when the AI asked for somepony to fetch ingredients. If she didn’t do it, Arc Weld might. The mare quickly got to work. The mare was reasonably sure that she was one of the few ponies present who knew anything about cooking. Perhaps Nova Surge knew how, but all of the bucks who were currently present were probably less than talented at it.

Violet was oohing and aahing at all the shiny things in the kitchen when Ami walked in. Her ears perked when she heard her voice, the filly quickly spinning around to face the alicorn, or alicorn shaped blob of magic as she appeared to her.

Bakewell had immediately volunteered to get all the ingredients and, the filly having little else to do yet, Violet decided she could help.

“Oooh, I can help Bake if you want!” she said to the mare as she walked over. “Just point at what needs to be grabbed!” she said as her horn started to glow.

Dash listened to Cyber Star's comment and question about his father and his family. When Dash really thought about it, he wasn't exactly all that sure why the Enclave hadn't tried to kill him and them. He was certain that it was partly because they lived in Friendship City, "Not during my lifetime. At least, I don't think." Dash said, "They live in Friendship City. Which I'm sure dad didn't choose for the view."

Dash followed as Cyber Star entered Administration and looked about at the machines and computers that surrounded them. Dash knew a bit about computers, but only basic things, compared to the complex system hacks some ponies could perform. He also wasn't all that familiar with Stable systems, so messing with the Administrative computers likely wasn't a good idea.

Cross quickly looked at the hologram and spoke his name before Radiant tried to get his attention, he let out a sigh as some of the ponies seemed to be going to the showers....Those poor pathetic and stupid fools.

Cross smirked as Radiant seemed to be taking charge and had a plan ready, as he thought, he considered that he must've misjudged the young mare's ability to get organized, well regardless there was much ground to cover.Cross walked over to her and with the rest of their group as they prepared to hit the infirmary.

"Alright, Radia, you take the back and watch the group, zebra you take point" he gave his pipbuck a few taps as the map drew up. "As we travel, make sure to check the corners and watch the corridors as I call them out to you, and if I tell you to duck, ...for the love of damnable damsels you duck." Cross's rippers floated out to his belt for easy access, anything else he'd access quickly with his EFS.

Oh how glad he was to have this rag tag team of professionals, in the broadest sense of the term.

Bone head turned off the tap and stepped out of the shower, shaking the water from him and causing his feathers to puff out like a dust bunny. "I don't like it when something can't be explained." The griffin said as he grabbed a damp washcloth and sat down to begin cleaning his sledgehammer. "If you know what something is then it's easier to kill it." As he rubbed the blood of the head of Lil miss he glanced around the room at all the mares with wet manes and one thing came to mind. "How the fuck can you ponies fight with your hair in your faces like that. I can cut them off for you." He offered as he picked up one of his razor talon gauntlets.

Arc blinked at the reflection. Then he blinked again, and it was gone. No... just light, Arc. Must have been just light... Arc shook his head and returned the knife back on the wall.

Arc looked away from the wall, noticing that Bakewell has beat him to the pantry. He grumbled and looked around the kitchen. He had a good half of his team here...

"Okay... so... I suppose none of you have any idea where we have left Xeshir and Lucky? Since... Bake, Scrap here and Violet seem to be more than enough to bake cakes. I think?"

Nova laughs slightly as she stands up straight again. Nova stretches her wings slightly, already starting to feel cramped in this place as she looked up and found a low ceiling, making her frown a little again as she took a deep breath and smiled slightly again.

"Not sure about Lucky, but do you even have to ask where Xeshir is when the 'Alicorn' offered to bathe everyone?" Nova laughed a little further. "Just saying, after all."

Scrap nodded after Bakey told him that this should be fairly easy, which was a relief to him, mainly just cause he didn't want to end up making an utter fool of himself. Arc being in there with them wasn't ideal, but he could get over it.

Then the alicorn projection asked for help in grabbing the ingredients, and Arc said he'd head out and find the rest of the members of this group. That little bit made it a a bit better since they wouldn't have to deal with Arc, though he wasn't to excited about having to split up even the little bit. Violet volunteering to help Bakey madi him feel a little better though, since Bakey wouldn't be alone.

"I guess I'll stay here while they grab what we need."

Xeshir looked at water Cuppa had managed to levitate and did a slight frown. She remembered a few zebras who did tricks like that back in the Legion. She had once tried her hoof at it, but just looked li-

Then her train of thought collapsed as Cuppa let the water go and soak her mane.

Xeshir stared a Cuppa for an uncomfortable while before she realized she had spoken, and just responded with a "Uh huh." before dunking her head in the water again and letting out a silent scream. This was harder than expected.

Marcus blinked in surprise as Radiant spoke to him with a language from his home. It wasn't a dialect that he used, but it was still familiar to him. Smiling, Marcus said, By your lead, Lady Radiant." Feeling his smile grow a little, he continued, "I will look forward to speaking more with you. I do not often come across others that can speak our language; even less if the one speaking isn't a Zebra."

Marcus chuckled and turned to Cross as he started giving them orders. "You expect we will be attacked at a moments notice! Be calm rafiki (friend). We have only ourselves down here. The only enemies in here are who we bring."

The AI was still something that worried Marcus, but if she had as much vision over the Stable as she claimed, he didn't want her to think he was suspicious of her. For now, he kept his comments on her to himself.

Regardless of any of this, Marcus followed Cross's words and moved ahead of the group, nodding politely to Radiant as he passed her. It was a short walk to the stairs, and from there, the imfirmiry.

"Okay!" The Alicorn chimed happily as both Bakewell and Violet went to go retrieve ingredients. The pantry, upon entry despite the stiffness of the door's mechanism, seemed more surprisingly well stocked, all the shelves shiny and clean with neat storage spaces everywhere, all clearly labelled.

During the discussion in the kitchen, the Alicorn looked at Arc and Nova. "You mean your female zebra friend and that one with the alcohol? They are both in the washrooms, talking to a few others and cleaning themselves up. Your zebra friend seems to be at a loss for words and staring at the mare in there, is that common?" And then, without hesitation, Ami the alicorn began reading out ingredients they'd need, just enough or more than plenty of whatever they needed for every phase of the cake-making.
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Cyber gave a nod and hummed slightly upon hearing Dash's response to his questions. "Well I wouldn't blame him if it was for the view. Earth pony engineering on such a scale is something to be appreciated and preserved. Yet they insist on firing them and making all sorts of noise. Good machines need only the finest set of ears to appreciate the sound of their workings unlike those guns. But your father is still a clever buck for holing up in Friendship City." He complimented, but also lamented, probably over those guns actually being used.

Meanwhile he was tapping away and finally smiled as he was granted access, not taking a moment to download and then disperse the maps to all the pipbucks in range.

Everypony with a pipbuck now has a full map:

And immediately afterwards, Cyber Star was still tapping away, as if he had other things to do other than making everypony's lives easier in here.

Meanwhile, the white pegasus Dash knew as Shooting Spectrum, or more formally as Flash's marefriend, quietly leaned towards him. "I think he's trying to steal everything he can from the Stable's computer-stuff... Radiant told him to take what he could in case anything was useful.." She whispered to the grey buck.
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Radiant gave a smile at Marcus due to his friendly response before looking at Cross. "Do you really think we're going to even encounter anything that could be a threat down here? Clean Cut couldn't detect anything then and I'm sure we're the only life he could detect now, right Clean?" She asked, looking to the white buck as he gave a nod.

"Not saying your suspicions are wrong, Cross, but we can relax a little down here, nothing other than us is alive." He assured the yellow unicorn with a stern look before they started moving onwards.

And that's when everyone's vision was dulled by a rad haze, as if the hall was filled with a red mist.
WHat they saw, for only a second as they all saw blood-splattered walls and the extended limb of a desperate, yellow-coated pony peeking out from around a corner. Cross would have the freakish feeling that he was looking at his own hoof for a moment if he saw the yellow leg in time.

But the very moment they blinked or even moved, everything was back to how it was, a clean, pristine hospital area that even smelled mildly of menthol.

Radiant recoiled in shock and let out a horrified gasp whilst Clean Cut simply balked, frozen in place before it was suddenly gone, causing him to shake his head briskly and look around. "Umm... Did anypony else see that?"
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In the washrooms, Cuppa just caught the last moments of Xeshir's gawking and looked at her with surprise. Then she snickered a little. "Ah'm surprised, Xeshir. Last I knew, ya'd be sayin' all sorts by now." She simply stated as she disregarded Bone Head's comment, flicking her mane back to get it out of her eyes. "Tha's how we can do stuff wi' a wet mane. But dun worry 'bout Ami so much, she's jus' like anypony else in personality."

Scrap was just leaning up against one of the counters, waiting for Bakey and Violet to return with the stuff that Ami was listing off when his pipbuck dinged.

Startled a little he jumped a little bit before looking around, embarrassed, to see if anyone had seen. Hopefully since they were busy getting stuff, nopony had. Once that was done he decided to check why it had dinged.

Looking at the recent notifications he saw that the rest of the maps had downloaded. Checking through them lazily, he noted that everything looked normal, just the basics: infirmary, armoury, ect.

Then he saw the fourth floor and the one room he didn't even know what to call.All he knew was that he was most definitely not going anywhere near that, and neither was any member of his group for that matter.

"Umm...guys...can you check the maps for a second and tell me I'm not the onky one seeing that."