Guardians Saga: Guardians of Teufortby Darkfire ShadowsChaptersPrologue - VanishThe Guardians ArriveFirst Battle (AKA Meet the DJ)Granary Battle (AKA Meet the Guardian)Side Chapter 1: Unique Items (Descriptions and Weapon Stats)Prologue - VanishA young man wearing a black jacket and a blue teenage pegasus with tap shoes on her hooves sat in the attic of the Ponyville Library's attic, doing an MST of a bad fanfiction. The young man was Darkfire Shadows, and he could create and manipulate darkness. The pegasus was his adopted daughter, Aqua Dancer. Aqua frowned. “Blueblood needs to get therapy for his... everything,” she muttered in annoyance. She looked up at the television screen. “How much more of this filth do we have to riff, Pinkie Pie?” she asked, the chapter over. Pinkie, who was on the television screen, looked at something on a piece of paper. "Well... it looks like you have 3 more chapters before the end of the fic, as well as an epilogue!" she stated cheerfully. Darkfire got to his feet. “I’m sorry, honey, but I can’t take any more of this crap that calls itself fanfiction without being wasted.” He walked out of her sight, over to his stash of hard cider. As he opened the refrigerator, a faint green glow surrounded his entire body. “Wait, what-“ was all he was able to say before there was a brilliant flash of light. Seeing the flash, Aqua trotted over, only to find an open fridge. “Dad?” she called, to no avail. Her father was gone, leaving an open mini fridge. The lights were dim as two unicorns and a pegasus stepped onto the stage. “Thanks for coming, everypony!” the pegasus called out to the crowd. “It’s always amazing to see all you amazing ponies cheering us on whenever we come out on stage!” As the crowd cheered, music started to play and the lights rose, revealing the three’s features. Synch Ronize was an electric blue pegasus with a silver and black mane. He wore a headset and a pair of dark sunglasses. His cutie mark was a boom mike and an amplifier. His brother, Neon Lights, was a navy blue unicorn, with a mane that was a slightly darker shade of blue. He wore high tech goggles and a black faux-leather jacket. He was smiling confidently. His cutie mark was a constellation. Finally, his marefriend, Vinyl Scratch, was a white unicorn with a silver and electric blue mane. She wore a pair of stereo headphones with her cutie mark adorned on the sides, and a pair of custom sunglasses. She had her leg on what appeared to be a giant speaker, but was in reality her bass cannon. Her cutie mark was a music note. Synch grinned. “Good night, everypony!” he called as the trio moved backstage. Vinyl did a hoof pump. “We rocked this town!” she exclaimed. “Mark Fillydelphia off the map; next we’re going to Appleoosa!” she said as she high-hooved Neon with a cheer. Synch nodded. “Yeah. At this rate, we’ll be finished with our tour in no time!” Synch’s face fell as he thought about his home. “I really miss Ponyville,” he mumbled. A hoof nudged him, and he turned to see his best friend, the grey Earth Pony named Octavia Melody. After she was kicked out of her orchestra due to her being corrupted by Slendermane, she became the trio’s manager, scheduling their concerts and covering all financial aspects of the music business. Currently, she gave Synch a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Synch. We've only got three more concerts to perform before we can go back and reunite with our friends,” she said. Synch smiled. “That’s good.” Suddenly, a green glow surrounded each one of them, and before a word could be said, they disappeared. William Powers held onto a railing as the TARDIS shook and spun. “What’s going on?” he yelled to a gray pegasus, Derpy Hooves. “I don’t know! The Doctor’s time machine is always bumpy, but not this much!” Derpy shouted back as she watched a caramel Earth Pony run around the center control console, trying to stabilize the vehicle. He wore a Stetson and what appeared to be the pony version of sneakers. He had a dark brown mane, and his cutie mark was an hourglass. Will was a young human wearing a white lab coat with a dagger sticking out of a pocket, and a magnum pistol hidden in a secret inside pouch. He also wore a pair of safety goggles like a scientist experimenting would. He had blond hair and tan skin, and his eyes were a deep blue. Derpy also had blonde hair. However, she had a wall-eyed gaze, and her eyes were sun-golden. She had a gray coat and her cutie mark was seven differently sized bubbles. She wore a mailpony’s cap and a mailbag that was half empty. They had just escaped from the year 473, where a strange monster was hunting them. However, as soon as they had flicked the switch to travel, the TARDIS started shaking and spinning uncontrollably. “Where are we heading?” Will shouted to the Doctor as he clawed his way towards the console. The Doctor looked at their destination, then frowned, a confused expression evident on his face. “Uh... Even with my many years of traveling, I've never heard of this place, though I have heard of this time...” he trailed off, staring at the destination screen. Will frowned. “What are you talking about?” he asked, pulling himself to the screen. Upon looking at it, he had a thoughtful expression. “I've heard of this place, but I can’t remember where...” Finally, with a final lurch, the TARDIS stopped moving. “We’re here,” the Doctor said. “Wherever here is...” Will and the Doctor moved to exit as Derpy got to her feet. As Derpy passed the destination screen, she looked at it long enough to read where they were. Where or what is Teufort? The Guardians ArriveDarkfire opened his eyes to see William kneeling over him. “Doctor, Derpy, Darkfire’s waking up!” Will called out. Both of the ponies he named trotted over. With Will supporting him, Darkfire sat up, rubbing his slightly aching head. “What a hangover... I got too drunk again, didn't I?” he asked, then noticed their surroundings. “Wait; where in Tartarus are we?” he wondered. The Doctor shrugged. “We appear to be in a locker room. As for your other questions, we have no idea. We just arrived to find you and the others passed out on the floor, then the TARDIS left without us...” Others? Darkfire thought, looking around. Sure enough, four familiar ponies were passed out on the tile floor. “Surprise, surprise,” Darkfire chuckled as he got to his feet. “The musical masters are here too.” Darkfire froze. “I just remembered what happened!” he told the others. “I was with Aqua Dancer, riffing a really bad and really long story. I gave up on riffing it sober, so I went to my fridge to get some cider. However, as soon as I opened it, I began to glow green. Then, I woke up here,” he explained. “Oh, dear. What was that glow?” Octavia said, coming to and noticing the four conscious beings. “Doctor? Darkfire? Derpy? William? What’s going on here?” she asked. Derpy shrugged. “No idea, Octavia. We’re as clueless as you.” Just then, Synch groaned, holding a hoof to his forehead. “Shut up, all of you! I've got a massive hangover!” he shouted, then flinched at his own voice’s volume. Neon and Vinyl, who also had just awakened, helped Synch to his hooves. Darkfire cleared his throat, getting everyone’s attention. “Alright. The way I see it, we’re stuck here, in an unknown place.” He began to walk to the door. “We might as well get our bearings and learn the lay of the land, see if we can find some local ponies or transportation,” he explained. Just then, the shutter door opened, revealing three humans. The oldest one was wearing a green camouflage bodysuit, as well as having a spear strapped to his back. His eyes were a neon yellow, and the air around him crackled with electricity. He had short, silver hair, and he carried a green briefcase in his right hand. The youngest newcomer wore a forest green light jacket, as well as khaki jeans. Two tomahawks were attached to his waist in a position so that they could be easily pulled out, and his brown eyes were partly hidden by a pair of aviators. His brown hair reached down to his neck. The final human was a short Asian man wearing a high tech headset, a light green vest, and a satchel filled with scrap metal hanging at his waist. He had ginger hair, and sky blue eyes. Out of the three, Darkfire recognized the the Asian and the oldest man, and Will instantly recognized the youngest one. William gasped. “Zip? Brother, is it really you?” Will asked in shock, then gasped a second time. “Wait! That’s where I’d heard of this place before! We’re in the Mann Co. universe, aren’t we?” he asked the three newcomers. The youngest one nodded. “You’re as smart as ever, brother. Nice to see you kept your cunning in your time living in Equestria!” he exclaimed. Darkfire walked over to the trio, giving the bowman and the other guy handshakes. “Nice to see you, Lightning Zap. You too, Hi-Tek,” he said calmly. The Doctor held up a hoof. “Okay, for once in my long life, I have no clue what is going on,” he said, confused. Zap, the bowman, turned to the ponies. “Let me explain the situation. My name is Lightning Zap, and these are my colleagues, Zip Powers and Hi-Tek. We needed help and were going to summon just Darkfire and Will, then realized we needed help from nine people, or ponies. So we called upon all of you, since you are all known associates of these two. However, a certain ‘Spiral Trance’ is missing...” he noticed. Will groaned. “You need a team to combat Reliable Excavations and Demolitions and Builder’s League United, don’t you?” he asked, facepalming. Hi-Tek nodded, prompting a question from Octavia. “Why do we need to combat them? What are they, for that matter?” she asked. Lightning Zap set down the briefcase, opening it and taking out an orb of energy. Darkfire and Will recognized it as one of the ones the Master Heroes used to gather and hold information. “Zephaniah Mann, a famous man from the 1800s, died traveling to the newly-discovered land of America and split his properties between his two sons, Redmond and Blutarch. They despised each other, and so the two have hired teams of mercenaries to take over each other's land,” Lightning explained, as two ancient men in wheelchairs appeared as holograms. "Thanks to one of the current mercenaries' father, they have a greatly extended lifespan. “The war has reached a high point, and we must take action to stop them from ruining this world. The current teams of their mercenaries look exactly the same, and are a special bunch.” Nine mercenaries appeared, replacing the old men. “We only have information on the RED ones, but that should be enough.” Eight of the nine mercenaries disappeared, leaving a young, lanky man wearing a baseball cap. He had a duffel bag over his shoulder, and carried a baseball bat. “This is the Scout, a young, 20-year-old man from Boston, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of seven brothers raised by a single mom. Usually, fights ended before he could get a hit in. Thus, he learned to be fast, running everywhere and even learning the Double Jump, which can break the laws of physics themselves. “He can capture points and push the payload faster than any of the others.” The image of the Scout was replaced by three weapons. “He carries into battle a Scattergun, a Pistol, and a Baseball Bat,” Zap finished. Neon chuckled. “And I thought one brother was hard enough!” he teased, j The weapons faded, replaced with a man in a military tunic. He wore a helmet that covered his eyes, and a bandolier with grenades hooked to it. He held a Rocket Launcher. “The next warrior is the Soldier. He was rejected from the army during World War 2, so he made his way to Europe to participate on his own. He trained himself to use several weapons and went on a Nazi killing spree until two years after the war. “Afterwards, he somehow found his way under the employment of Mann Co. He wields a Rocket Launcher, a Shotgun, and an entrenching tool(a Shovel).” Just like the Scout, the Soldier was replaced by his weapons. Darkfire nodded. “Cool, A true fighter.” The next mercenary wore a protective fire suit and gas mask. He held a Flamethrower. “The Pyro is a mystery. It is not even known if they are a boy or girl. They love fire, and seem to be friendly with another one of the mercenaries, the Engineer. They use a Flamethrower, a Shotgun, and a Fire Ax to strike fear into their enemies.” Derpy frowned. “Sounds like a monster…” Zap nodded. "She is." The fourth mercenary was a dark-skinned man wearing an eye patch and a winter cap. He held a Grenade Launcher. “The Demoman was born in Scotland, and quickly found a fascination with bombs. After an encounter with a wizard named Merasmus, he lost his eye. He is almost always drunk, even in battle. He uses a Grenade Launcher, a Stickybomb Launcher, and a Bottle of Scrumpy to defeat his foes.” Synch chuckled. “Always drunk? Sounds like my kind of guy!” He slipped a canteen out of Hammerspace, and popped it open, taking a gulp of his scotch. The next human was a true giant, with a bald head and a bullet bandolier, eating a sandwich. “The Heavy Weapons Guy, or Heavy for short, is the strongest member of the team. He loves ‘sandviches’ and his Minigun, which he has named ‘Sasha’. His arsenal consists of that Minigun, a Shotgun, and his bare fists.” Vinyl shrugged. “Sounds tough. I’d love to fight him sometime.” The next hologram was a short man wearing a hard hat, builders’ goggles, and a single work glove. He stood next to a Sentry Gun and a rectangle device with a screen, knobs, and a bin with several kinds of ammo in it. “The Engineer is a man from the state of Texas. He has 11 PhDs, and has built a variety of machines to help him in battle, including the Sentry Gun, the Dispenser, and the two-piece Teleporter. Other than those, he has a PDA to access his blueprints, a Wrench to build and repair his machines, a Pistol, and a Shotgun.” The Doctor chuckled. “11 PhDs? He’s a pretty smart human…” After the Engineer was a man wearing a doctor’s coat. He was holding a strange weapon, and a dove was perched on his shoulder. “This is the Medic. Despite his name and role of healing others on the field, he does not like healing. Instead, he prefers pain over health, and sees healing itself as a way to cause more pain later. He wields a Syringe Gun, a Medigun that he uses to heal others, and a Bonesaw.” Will gasped. “That’s awful! What kind of healer is he?” he asked, blatantly shocked. “I have no idea,” Zap admitted. The Medic was replaced by a tall, lanky man wearing a bush hat and aviators. He was waving at something out of view, and held a Sniper Rifle. “The Sniper is an assassin from down under, in the land of Australia. He is an expert marksman, and his motto is: ‘be polite, be efficient, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.’ His weapons are a Sniper Rifle, an SMG, and a Kukri knife.” The Sniper was replaced by a man wearing a suit and a balaclava. He was holding a Revolver and smoking a cigarette. “The final class is the Spy. He is a complete mystery, and all we know are his tactics. He is a master of disguise and stealth. He wields a Revolver, a Knife to stab people in the back, a Sapper to destroy the Engineer’s machines, and a Disguise Kit.” Octavia smiled. “At least one of them has some class,” she stated in relief as she looked over the mercenary. Finally, the hologram shut off, and Zap took out nine card-like items. “We want each of you to pick a class for the battles.” Each card had a symbol that stood for each class. Darkfire shrugged. “Why not let us use our own abilities?” he asked in confusion. Zap shook his head. “Our Respawn system is not the same as theirs. These cards are the only way to connect to it. You’ll get the abilities, weapons, and outfits of the mercenary you choose.” Zip nodded. “I’ll show them.” He walked over to the Sniper card and picked it up. There was a flash of light, and when it faded, Zip was wearing the Sniper’s outfit and holding a Sniper Rifle. “Nice, huh?” he asked. For some reason Zap seemed worried, but got over it quickly. “Alright,” Zap said. “Zip, Hi-Tek, and I need to talk. You guys pick from the remaining eight classes. We’ll be back in a second.” He led the two outside, leaving the eight heroes. Synch immediately trotted up to the Demoman card and snatched it up, causing another flash. Synch reached for the Bottle, and quickly gulped a drink from it. “Ah, just like Berry’s finest!” he praised. Chuckling, his brother Neon trotted over, grabbing the Scout card. Holding the Scattergun in his magic, he examined it a bit closer, deep in thought. “Amazing… it appears to be modified for better use in the Scout’s fights…” Vinyl moved over to her associates, grabbing the Heavy card. “I definitely want to have the big guns!” she said, smirking. Will grabbed the Medic card quickly. “I don’t want to be a major fighter. I’m more of a mage when I play RPGs anyways,” he explained. “Plus, I don’t want to use guns bigger than my magnum,” he quietly mumbled. The Doctor trotted over to the Engineer card. “I may not be a big fan of guns, but I guess if I have to use one so Will doesn't, I might as well not directly shoot them, just enable the weapon,” he surrendered. Derpy took the Pyro card. “I can use the Flamethrower to make muffins easier!” she exclaimed, eating said baked good with an expression that showed the muffin was extremely delicious. The Doctor chuckled. "Derpy, you do know, that's not what- You know what, never mind." That left Octavia and Darkfire to pick from Soldier and Spy. “You can choose, Octavia,” Darkfire said with a kind smile. “I can fill in for either one.” “Very well then,” Octavia replied, taking the Spy card. She quickly pulled off her balaclava with a frown. “I’m not gonna use this on the battlefield…" She slipped the mask into her suit pocket. "However, I’ll keep it with me, for just in case.” “Alright, looks like I’m the Soldier!” Darkfire announced, picking up the final card. “Looks like we’re all ready.” Before long, the trio of heroes returned. Hi-Tek was holding a strange device. “We’ve arranged for transport. Follow us.” The eight Guardians followed the heroes to a wall in the room across the hallway outside the room. There, a portal was open, showing a storage facility with what appeared to be a firing range. “After you,” Zap said, letting the Guardians enter the portal. First Battle (AKA Meet the DJ)Master Heroes Outpost... Vinyl trotted up to a table and set down her sound-based minigun, which she called the V-Repeater. "My name is Vinyl Scratch, and I'm a member of the new team in the Badlands- Hold up right there," she said with a frown. Zip lowered the camera. "What's wrong, Vinyl?" he asked. The two of them were filming an interview; Zap and Darkfire had decided to show the inhabitants of the Badlands that the new group wasn't filled with bloodthirsty killers. Vinyl was chosen to be interviewed first, due to her charisma. Vinyl shook her head. "It's the script! I don't talk like that at all, y'know? Do you really expect me to say this in my first public video? I wanna make a good impression on my fans!" she complained. Zip sighed as he set down the camera. "Alright, fine. Give me a bit, and I'll rewrite the script and we'll retry this in a few hours." Vinyl sighed, tapping her card and causing her costume to disappear as she returned her V-Repeater to her personal Hammerspace. According to Hi-Tek, certain items each of the newcomers (and Zip) had with them had bugged the card system, causing their weapons to replace parts of their class' arsenal, and their class uniforms to work around their accessories. Hers happened to be her shades, her V-Repeater, and her V-Blaster(a sound-based shotgun). She grinned at that small, comforting thought as she remembered their first true battle with the BLU Team the day before. Dustbowl, One Day Ago… Vinyl panted as she ducked into cover alongside Will and Darkfire, narrowly dodging a rocket. They had been partaking in a training match at Dustbowl with clones created by the 'Copyspawn' system, created by Hi-Tek in order to allow the team to face something resembling the RED and BLU teams, as well as to create alternately-colored clones of the nine of them to assist in battle. Then the BLU team showed up and disabled the Copyspawn, then pushed the nine of them to the last point. If the BLUs were at all shocked at the six ponies in the team they were facing, they shrugged it off pretty quickly. "Alright, I have a plan," Darkfire stated as a grenade flew over their heads. Before he could continue, however, a bullet drilled a hole clean through his head. Or at least it would have, if he hadn't disappeared in a small flash of light. When the Doctor had inquired as to why this was, Zap explained that their Respawn system was different from the ones RED and BLU used. While the ones the mercenaries used completely recreated them upon their death, the ones the ponies used would, once their cards registered enough damage taken, bring them to a 'Limbo room' where the same energy the Medigun emits would heal all wounds they had received. This was because Zap wasn't wanting to get their original bodies completely destroyed. Will watched as Neon ran up to the very Sniper that killed Darkfire and beat him to submission with his V-Basher, a club made of solidified sound in the same manner as Synch's V-Blade. "Vinyl, when I give you the signal, step out of cover and unload on them," the psychic told his teammate. She nodded, readying her weapon in her magic. Will pulled out a Medigun that he, Hi-Tek, and the Doctor had modified after a mishap during an earlier training session, and casted its healing energy on her. "Now!" He shouted, and she swung out of cover, firing her heavy weaponry and screaming her head off. With the help of Synch and Derpy, Vinyl and Will gradually pushed back the BLU team, blasting through the enemy forces. Vinyl walked up to the table for a second time. "Hey, wassup? You may or may not know me as Vinyl Scratch, master of wubs and bass! I'm here to announce that I'm gonna be working as the Heavy Weapons Filly of the new team that's gonna be fightin' those RED and BLU jerks!" she exclaimed cockily. She laid a hoof on the weapon in front of her. "This is my own creation, the V-Repeater. I'm not gonna go into specifics; all you need to know is that it turns sound into a deadly weapon." On the other side of the camera, Zip nodded. "What about you is different from your RED and BLU counterparts?" He asked. Vinyl grinned. "Well, I might not be as strong as they are, but I'm faster and definitely smarter than those two overweight motherbuckers," she gloated. “Plus, I’m a bit of a musician myself.” At that, wubstep music began playing, and Vinyl nodded, a smirk plastered to her muzzle. "Cut!" Zip shouted, turning off the camera. "Great work, Scratch!" She laughed in response. "Thanks, buddy," she replied, storing away her V-Repeater and deactivating the card that allowed her to be the Heavy Weapons Filly. Zip turned around, looking at a wall of televisions, all playing footage from the first battle. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to decide what battle scenes will be cut into the interview..." The six ponies and three humans had pushed the BLUs back to the first point, where the BLU Sniper, Spy, Engineer, and Demoman were keeping a tight defense. Vinyl, Will, and Derpy were watching as the Spy stealthily uncloaked behind Zip and quickly backstabbed him. "Will, you know how you fixed the Medigun?" Derpy asked. During a training match, they had learned that the Ubercharge would not work on them, being absolutely fatal when used on a clone of one of them, and 'sending away' any of the originals. Thus, the team geniuses took it upon themselves to give it a new secondary usage. Will's 'Modified Medigun' would give mini-crits to his target and an impenetrable shield in front and behind them, though not above or to the sides. "Yeah," Will replied. "Why?" Derpy grinned. "Now looks like a good time to use it." Will grinned ferally. "Wonderful idea, Derpy!" He turned to Vinyl. "You ready?" he asked. She nodded, and they charged. Derpy reflected a stray rocket with her airblast, somehow directly striking the Spy, who was about to backstab Will. "Oops, my bad!" she called out as the trio ran into the barn housing the Control Point. Will flipped a switch on his healing machine, and the shield popped into existence blocking fire from the Sentry Gun as Vinyl tore it and its creator to pieces. The Demoman and Sniper followed shortly after, the former to Derpy’s Mail Launcher and the latter to Vinyl’s V-Repeater. Within a few seconds, the barn was captured, and the BLU Respawn device was disabled. The remaining seven mercenaries were quickly found and killed, and the heroes were finally able to relax. Granary Battle (AKA Meet the Guardian)Master Heroes Outpost... "My name is Darkfire Shadows," Darkfire stated, sitting on a bench on a film set resembling the Respawn Room of 2Fort. He wore his hooded jacket and his chestplate, as well as the Soldier's helmet, boots, and slacks. His blade, Nadir, was strapped to his belt. His Shotgun was holstered, and his Rocket Launcher laid at his side. "I am the Soldier and team leader of the new team fighting the RED and BLU teams in the Badlands, known as the Guardians." He chuckled. "I’ve led this group since long before we joined this war…” he explained. Zip, who was holding the camera, nodded. “So, why did you choose to be the Soldier? For that matter, what do you have that your RED and BLU counterparts don’t?” he asked. Darkfire rubbed his chin. “Well, I’m a lot more agile than them… I use my obsidian sword, Nadir, instead of a shovel… I’m not as insane as them… Oh! I can also control shadows!” To demonstrate, he gathered an orb of pure darkness in his palm. He let it dissipate, chuckling. Somewhere in Granary... Darkfire screamed out a battle cry, charging forward. He fired his Shotgun, taking out a RED Scout. As he charged towards the sounds of battle, he heard Synch shout over the communications system, “Darkfire, Medic to your left!” Darkfire, spun to see the RED Medic fire syringes at him. He growled, firing a rocket and gibbing the German. He charged out into an open area, joined by Vinyl, Derpy, and Zip. “Move up! Move up!” the Guardians Sniper shouted. Back on set… “Why are you battling RED and BLU?” Zip asked. Darkfire thought for a moment. “Well, we saw how the war was basically at a stalemate, so we decided we would take the areas the RED and BLU teams were fighting at from them, thus ending the neverending war,” he explained. Zip nodded. “How do you feel about fighting trained killers alongside a bunch of ponies?” he asked with a frown. Darkfire was shocked, to say the least. “Well, first of all, that ‘bunch of ponies’ are my close friends! And as for fighting trained killers… The world I lived in alongside the ponies was filled with magic and things that are only myths on Earth! Heck, I fought a faceless entity of pure evil once with them at my side! A bunch of guys with guns don’t scare me!” he scoffed. Back in Granary… Darkfire charged past Neon, who was ducking behind cover alongside the Doctor and Octavia. “Hey, Shadows!” Neon called out. “There’s a Sentry Gun up there!” Darkfire nodded, ducking into cover with them. As soon as the Sentry Gun stopped firing, he spun out of cover. He ran up to the Engineer and his Sentry, jumping into the air, he fired a rocket down at the inventor and his machine, killing him, destroying his Sentry, and boosting Darkfire up onto a pipe. He ran down the pipe, leaping down and gibbing the RED Heavy and Pyro, who were standing on the last control point. However, as he stood there, he realized the point wasn’t being captured. Sensing movement behind him, he spun, decapitating the enemy Spy with Nadir. Six seconds later, there was the sound of a bell ringing, and the point changed from blue to green, the Guardians team color. Zip lowered the camera. “I think we’ve got enough footage, Darkfire.” He walked towards the exit, Darkfire following behind him. However, as the duo left, Zip stopped his ally. “Hey, Darkfire, thanks for helping us out.” Darkfire grinned. “Of course, Zip. I was once a MAster Hero, so I’m forever a Master Hero.” He walked past Zip, leaving the young hero to think over Darkfire’s words. Side Chapter 1: Unique Items (Descriptions and Weapon Stats)Neon Lights Weapons V-Revolver Secondary Clip: 6 Reserve: 24 Point Blank: 30-33 Medium: 15-22 Long: 12-14 Minicrits: 30-45 Critical: 60 Penetrates -20% firing speed Description: A high-tech revolver that fires sound energy. V-Basher Melee Swing Speed: 0.7 seconds Base Damage: 40 Minicrits: 46-55 Critical: 120 On hit, heals for 25% of damage dealt Description: A blue glowing club made of solidified sound Cosmetics V-Goggles Equip: Eyes A pair of high-tech goggles, with a blue tint and silver frames Musical Vest Equip: Torso A black, faux-leather sleeveless vest Darkfire Shadows Weapons Guardian's Horn Secondary Damage Needed for Full Rage Meter: 500 Gives all allies in a small radius a 10% speed boost Description: A silver bugle and gray backpack with gold lining Nadir Melee Swing Speed: 0.6 Base Damage: 50 Minicrits: 60-86 Critical: 150 On hit, causes bleed Description: An obsidian sword with a black handle Cosmetics Dark Hoodie Equip: Torso A black, weathered hoodie Spirit Plate Equip: Chest An iron chestplate with a sword and shield insignia Derpy Hooves Weapons Mail Launcher Secondary Reserve: 16 Base Damage: 35-41 Minicrits: 49 Critical: 105 Projectiles don't arc Projectiles explode Projectiles don't ignite enemies Description: A modified Flare Gun that fires explosive envelopes Cosmetics Muffin Maker's Mailbag Equip: Bag A brown mailbag with a muffin pin Mail Carrier Cap Equip: Hat A blue Equestrian Postal Service cap Synch Ronize Weapons V-Barrier Secondary Recharge Time: 9 Damage: 42 20% Damage resistance Description: A watch-like device that, when activated, creates a small, round energy barrier V-Blade Melee Swing Speed: 0.65 Damage: 55 Minicrits: 65-90 Critical: 165 25% faster turning rate during charge Description: A blue glowing sword made of solidified sound. Cosmetics Courage Goggles Equip: Eyes Stylish, red-tinted goggles with black frames Rap Bombs Equip: Grenades Six boom mics replacing the Demoman's grenades Vinyl Scratch Weapons V-Repeater Primary Reserve: 250 Point Blank: 46-50 Medium: 3-26 Long: 3-8 Minicrits: 48-70 Critical: 23 per bullet Description: A high V-Blaster Secondary Clip: 6 Reserve: Unlimited Point Blank: 80-84 Medium: 18-61 Long: 2-20 Minicrits: 75-115 Critical: 168 Cosmetics Shades of Awesome Equip: Eyes Vinyl's signature eyewear Portable Turntables Equip: Back Small turntables strapped to Vinyl's back The Doctor Weapons Sonic Screwdriver Secondary Damage: 6-10 Repairs and restocks hit buildings by 20% of maximum health/ammunition Cosmetics Stetson of Space Equip: Hat A dusty brown cowboy hat Bowtie of Time Equip: Neck A purple bowtie William Powers Weapons Magnum Shot Primary Same Stats as Spy's Revolver Modified Medigun Secondary Ubercharge: Energy Shield in front of and behind heal target, minicrits Cosmetics Wise Specs Equip: Eyes Will's reading glasses Genius' Lab Coat Equip: Torso A white lab coat with the picture of a brain etched on the pocket Zip Powers Weapons Dual Tomahawks Melee Swing Speed: 0.4 seconds Damage: 45 Critical: 135 Alt. Fire throws projectile for 2x base damage. Slows swing speed by 0.4 seconds for 12 seconds. Recharge time is 13 seconds. Cosmetics Winged Boots Equip: Feet Brown work boots with two white wings attached to each Hero's Badge Equip: Badge Zip's Master Heroes membership badge Octavia Melody Weapons Sophisticated Shiv Melee Swing Speed: 0.9 seconds Damage: 50 Critical: 150 Does 100% more damage when disguised(100 damage) Cosmetics Classical Bowtie Equip: Neck Octavia's Bowtie and collar Cello Carrier Equip: Back A cello case carried on Octavia's back
Prologue - VanishA young man wearing a black jacket and a blue teenage pegasus with tap shoes on her hooves sat in the attic of the Ponyville Library's attic, doing an MST of a bad fanfiction. The young man was Darkfire Shadows, and he could create and manipulate darkness. The pegasus was his adopted daughter, Aqua Dancer. Aqua frowned. “Blueblood needs to get therapy for his... everything,” she muttered in annoyance. She looked up at the television screen. “How much more of this filth do we have to riff, Pinkie Pie?” she asked, the chapter over. Pinkie, who was on the television screen, looked at something on a piece of paper. "Well... it looks like you have 3 more chapters before the end of the fic, as well as an epilogue!" she stated cheerfully. Darkfire got to his feet. “I’m sorry, honey, but I can’t take any more of this crap that calls itself fanfiction without being wasted.” He walked out of her sight, over to his stash of hard cider. As he opened the refrigerator, a faint green glow surrounded his entire body. “Wait, what-“ was all he was able to say before there was a brilliant flash of light. Seeing the flash, Aqua trotted over, only to find an open fridge. “Dad?” she called, to no avail. Her father was gone, leaving an open mini fridge. The lights were dim as two unicorns and a pegasus stepped onto the stage. “Thanks for coming, everypony!” the pegasus called out to the crowd. “It’s always amazing to see all you amazing ponies cheering us on whenever we come out on stage!” As the crowd cheered, music started to play and the lights rose, revealing the three’s features. Synch Ronize was an electric blue pegasus with a silver and black mane. He wore a headset and a pair of dark sunglasses. His cutie mark was a boom mike and an amplifier. His brother, Neon Lights, was a navy blue unicorn, with a mane that was a slightly darker shade of blue. He wore high tech goggles and a black faux-leather jacket. He was smiling confidently. His cutie mark was a constellation. Finally, his marefriend, Vinyl Scratch, was a white unicorn with a silver and electric blue mane. She wore a pair of stereo headphones with her cutie mark adorned on the sides, and a pair of custom sunglasses. She had her leg on what appeared to be a giant speaker, but was in reality her bass cannon. Her cutie mark was a music note. Synch grinned. “Good night, everypony!” he called as the trio moved backstage. Vinyl did a hoof pump. “We rocked this town!” she exclaimed. “Mark Fillydelphia off the map; next we’re going to Appleoosa!” she said as she high-hooved Neon with a cheer. Synch nodded. “Yeah. At this rate, we’ll be finished with our tour in no time!” Synch’s face fell as he thought about his home. “I really miss Ponyville,” he mumbled. A hoof nudged him, and he turned to see his best friend, the grey Earth Pony named Octavia Melody. After she was kicked out of her orchestra due to her being corrupted by Slendermane, she became the trio’s manager, scheduling their concerts and covering all financial aspects of the music business. Currently, she gave Synch a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Synch. We've only got three more concerts to perform before we can go back and reunite with our friends,” she said. Synch smiled. “That’s good.” Suddenly, a green glow surrounded each one of them, and before a word could be said, they disappeared. William Powers held onto a railing as the TARDIS shook and spun. “What’s going on?” he yelled to a gray pegasus, Derpy Hooves. “I don’t know! The Doctor’s time machine is always bumpy, but not this much!” Derpy shouted back as she watched a caramel Earth Pony run around the center control console, trying to stabilize the vehicle. He wore a Stetson and what appeared to be the pony version of sneakers. He had a dark brown mane, and his cutie mark was an hourglass. Will was a young human wearing a white lab coat with a dagger sticking out of a pocket, and a magnum pistol hidden in a secret inside pouch. He also wore a pair of safety goggles like a scientist experimenting would. He had blond hair and tan skin, and his eyes were a deep blue. Derpy also had blonde hair. However, she had a wall-eyed gaze, and her eyes were sun-golden. She had a gray coat and her cutie mark was seven differently sized bubbles. She wore a mailpony’s cap and a mailbag that was half empty. They had just escaped from the year 473, where a strange monster was hunting them. However, as soon as they had flicked the switch to travel, the TARDIS started shaking and spinning uncontrollably. “Where are we heading?” Will shouted to the Doctor as he clawed his way towards the console. The Doctor looked at their destination, then frowned, a confused expression evident on his face. “Uh... Even with my many years of traveling, I've never heard of this place, though I have heard of this time...” he trailed off, staring at the destination screen. Will frowned. “What are you talking about?” he asked, pulling himself to the screen. Upon looking at it, he had a thoughtful expression. “I've heard of this place, but I can’t remember where...” Finally, with a final lurch, the TARDIS stopped moving. “We’re here,” the Doctor said. “Wherever here is...” Will and the Doctor moved to exit as Derpy got to her feet. As Derpy passed the destination screen, she looked at it long enough to read where they were. Where or what is Teufort?
The Guardians ArriveDarkfire opened his eyes to see William kneeling over him. “Doctor, Derpy, Darkfire’s waking up!” Will called out. Both of the ponies he named trotted over. With Will supporting him, Darkfire sat up, rubbing his slightly aching head. “What a hangover... I got too drunk again, didn't I?” he asked, then noticed their surroundings. “Wait; where in Tartarus are we?” he wondered. The Doctor shrugged. “We appear to be in a locker room. As for your other questions, we have no idea. We just arrived to find you and the others passed out on the floor, then the TARDIS left without us...” Others? Darkfire thought, looking around. Sure enough, four familiar ponies were passed out on the tile floor. “Surprise, surprise,” Darkfire chuckled as he got to his feet. “The musical masters are here too.” Darkfire froze. “I just remembered what happened!” he told the others. “I was with Aqua Dancer, riffing a really bad and really long story. I gave up on riffing it sober, so I went to my fridge to get some cider. However, as soon as I opened it, I began to glow green. Then, I woke up here,” he explained. “Oh, dear. What was that glow?” Octavia said, coming to and noticing the four conscious beings. “Doctor? Darkfire? Derpy? William? What’s going on here?” she asked. Derpy shrugged. “No idea, Octavia. We’re as clueless as you.” Just then, Synch groaned, holding a hoof to his forehead. “Shut up, all of you! I've got a massive hangover!” he shouted, then flinched at his own voice’s volume. Neon and Vinyl, who also had just awakened, helped Synch to his hooves. Darkfire cleared his throat, getting everyone’s attention. “Alright. The way I see it, we’re stuck here, in an unknown place.” He began to walk to the door. “We might as well get our bearings and learn the lay of the land, see if we can find some local ponies or transportation,” he explained. Just then, the shutter door opened, revealing three humans. The oldest one was wearing a green camouflage bodysuit, as well as having a spear strapped to his back. His eyes were a neon yellow, and the air around him crackled with electricity. He had short, silver hair, and he carried a green briefcase in his right hand. The youngest newcomer wore a forest green light jacket, as well as khaki jeans. Two tomahawks were attached to his waist in a position so that they could be easily pulled out, and his brown eyes were partly hidden by a pair of aviators. His brown hair reached down to his neck. The final human was a short Asian man wearing a high tech headset, a light green vest, and a satchel filled with scrap metal hanging at his waist. He had ginger hair, and sky blue eyes. Out of the three, Darkfire recognized the the Asian and the oldest man, and Will instantly recognized the youngest one. William gasped. “Zip? Brother, is it really you?” Will asked in shock, then gasped a second time. “Wait! That’s where I’d heard of this place before! We’re in the Mann Co. universe, aren’t we?” he asked the three newcomers. The youngest one nodded. “You’re as smart as ever, brother. Nice to see you kept your cunning in your time living in Equestria!” he exclaimed. Darkfire walked over to the trio, giving the bowman and the other guy handshakes. “Nice to see you, Lightning Zap. You too, Hi-Tek,” he said calmly. The Doctor held up a hoof. “Okay, for once in my long life, I have no clue what is going on,” he said, confused. Zap, the bowman, turned to the ponies. “Let me explain the situation. My name is Lightning Zap, and these are my colleagues, Zip Powers and Hi-Tek. We needed help and were going to summon just Darkfire and Will, then realized we needed help from nine people, or ponies. So we called upon all of you, since you are all known associates of these two. However, a certain ‘Spiral Trance’ is missing...” he noticed. Will groaned. “You need a team to combat Reliable Excavations and Demolitions and Builder’s League United, don’t you?” he asked, facepalming. Hi-Tek nodded, prompting a question from Octavia. “Why do we need to combat them? What are they, for that matter?” she asked. Lightning Zap set down the briefcase, opening it and taking out an orb of energy. Darkfire and Will recognized it as one of the ones the Master Heroes used to gather and hold information. “Zephaniah Mann, a famous man from the 1800s, died traveling to the newly-discovered land of America and split his properties between his two sons, Redmond and Blutarch. They despised each other, and so the two have hired teams of mercenaries to take over each other's land,” Lightning explained, as two ancient men in wheelchairs appeared as holograms. "Thanks to one of the current mercenaries' father, they have a greatly extended lifespan. “The war has reached a high point, and we must take action to stop them from ruining this world. The current teams of their mercenaries look exactly the same, and are a special bunch.” Nine mercenaries appeared, replacing the old men. “We only have information on the RED ones, but that should be enough.” Eight of the nine mercenaries disappeared, leaving a young, lanky man wearing a baseball cap. He had a duffel bag over his shoulder, and carried a baseball bat. “This is the Scout, a young, 20-year-old man from Boston, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of seven brothers raised by a single mom. Usually, fights ended before he could get a hit in. Thus, he learned to be fast, running everywhere and even learning the Double Jump, which can break the laws of physics themselves. “He can capture points and push the payload faster than any of the others.” The image of the Scout was replaced by three weapons. “He carries into battle a Scattergun, a Pistol, and a Baseball Bat,” Zap finished. Neon chuckled. “And I thought one brother was hard enough!” he teased, j The weapons faded, replaced with a man in a military tunic. He wore a helmet that covered his eyes, and a bandolier with grenades hooked to it. He held a Rocket Launcher. “The next warrior is the Soldier. He was rejected from the army during World War 2, so he made his way to Europe to participate on his own. He trained himself to use several weapons and went on a Nazi killing spree until two years after the war. “Afterwards, he somehow found his way under the employment of Mann Co. He wields a Rocket Launcher, a Shotgun, and an entrenching tool(a Shovel).” Just like the Scout, the Soldier was replaced by his weapons. Darkfire nodded. “Cool, A true fighter.” The next mercenary wore a protective fire suit and gas mask. He held a Flamethrower. “The Pyro is a mystery. It is not even known if they are a boy or girl. They love fire, and seem to be friendly with another one of the mercenaries, the Engineer. They use a Flamethrower, a Shotgun, and a Fire Ax to strike fear into their enemies.” Derpy frowned. “Sounds like a monster…” Zap nodded. "She is." The fourth mercenary was a dark-skinned man wearing an eye patch and a winter cap. He held a Grenade Launcher. “The Demoman was born in Scotland, and quickly found a fascination with bombs. After an encounter with a wizard named Merasmus, he lost his eye. He is almost always drunk, even in battle. He uses a Grenade Launcher, a Stickybomb Launcher, and a Bottle of Scrumpy to defeat his foes.” Synch chuckled. “Always drunk? Sounds like my kind of guy!” He slipped a canteen out of Hammerspace, and popped it open, taking a gulp of his scotch. The next human was a true giant, with a bald head and a bullet bandolier, eating a sandwich. “The Heavy Weapons Guy, or Heavy for short, is the strongest member of the team. He loves ‘sandviches’ and his Minigun, which he has named ‘Sasha’. His arsenal consists of that Minigun, a Shotgun, and his bare fists.” Vinyl shrugged. “Sounds tough. I’d love to fight him sometime.” The next hologram was a short man wearing a hard hat, builders’ goggles, and a single work glove. He stood next to a Sentry Gun and a rectangle device with a screen, knobs, and a bin with several kinds of ammo in it. “The Engineer is a man from the state of Texas. He has 11 PhDs, and has built a variety of machines to help him in battle, including the Sentry Gun, the Dispenser, and the two-piece Teleporter. Other than those, he has a PDA to access his blueprints, a Wrench to build and repair his machines, a Pistol, and a Shotgun.” The Doctor chuckled. “11 PhDs? He’s a pretty smart human…” After the Engineer was a man wearing a doctor’s coat. He was holding a strange weapon, and a dove was perched on his shoulder. “This is the Medic. Despite his name and role of healing others on the field, he does not like healing. Instead, he prefers pain over health, and sees healing itself as a way to cause more pain later. He wields a Syringe Gun, a Medigun that he uses to heal others, and a Bonesaw.” Will gasped. “That’s awful! What kind of healer is he?” he asked, blatantly shocked. “I have no idea,” Zap admitted. The Medic was replaced by a tall, lanky man wearing a bush hat and aviators. He was waving at something out of view, and held a Sniper Rifle. “The Sniper is an assassin from down under, in the land of Australia. He is an expert marksman, and his motto is: ‘be polite, be efficient, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.’ His weapons are a Sniper Rifle, an SMG, and a Kukri knife.” The Sniper was replaced by a man wearing a suit and a balaclava. He was holding a Revolver and smoking a cigarette. “The final class is the Spy. He is a complete mystery, and all we know are his tactics. He is a master of disguise and stealth. He wields a Revolver, a Knife to stab people in the back, a Sapper to destroy the Engineer’s machines, and a Disguise Kit.” Octavia smiled. “At least one of them has some class,” she stated in relief as she looked over the mercenary. Finally, the hologram shut off, and Zap took out nine card-like items. “We want each of you to pick a class for the battles.” Each card had a symbol that stood for each class. Darkfire shrugged. “Why not let us use our own abilities?” he asked in confusion. Zap shook his head. “Our Respawn system is not the same as theirs. These cards are the only way to connect to it. You’ll get the abilities, weapons, and outfits of the mercenary you choose.” Zip nodded. “I’ll show them.” He walked over to the Sniper card and picked it up. There was a flash of light, and when it faded, Zip was wearing the Sniper’s outfit and holding a Sniper Rifle. “Nice, huh?” he asked. For some reason Zap seemed worried, but got over it quickly. “Alright,” Zap said. “Zip, Hi-Tek, and I need to talk. You guys pick from the remaining eight classes. We’ll be back in a second.” He led the two outside, leaving the eight heroes. Synch immediately trotted up to the Demoman card and snatched it up, causing another flash. Synch reached for the Bottle, and quickly gulped a drink from it. “Ah, just like Berry’s finest!” he praised. Chuckling, his brother Neon trotted over, grabbing the Scout card. Holding the Scattergun in his magic, he examined it a bit closer, deep in thought. “Amazing… it appears to be modified for better use in the Scout’s fights…” Vinyl moved over to her associates, grabbing the Heavy card. “I definitely want to have the big guns!” she said, smirking. Will grabbed the Medic card quickly. “I don’t want to be a major fighter. I’m more of a mage when I play RPGs anyways,” he explained. “Plus, I don’t want to use guns bigger than my magnum,” he quietly mumbled. The Doctor trotted over to the Engineer card. “I may not be a big fan of guns, but I guess if I have to use one so Will doesn't, I might as well not directly shoot them, just enable the weapon,” he surrendered. Derpy took the Pyro card. “I can use the Flamethrower to make muffins easier!” she exclaimed, eating said baked good with an expression that showed the muffin was extremely delicious. The Doctor chuckled. "Derpy, you do know, that's not what- You know what, never mind." That left Octavia and Darkfire to pick from Soldier and Spy. “You can choose, Octavia,” Darkfire said with a kind smile. “I can fill in for either one.” “Very well then,” Octavia replied, taking the Spy card. She quickly pulled off her balaclava with a frown. “I’m not gonna use this on the battlefield…" She slipped the mask into her suit pocket. "However, I’ll keep it with me, for just in case.” “Alright, looks like I’m the Soldier!” Darkfire announced, picking up the final card. “Looks like we’re all ready.” Before long, the trio of heroes returned. Hi-Tek was holding a strange device. “We’ve arranged for transport. Follow us.” The eight Guardians followed the heroes to a wall in the room across the hallway outside the room. There, a portal was open, showing a storage facility with what appeared to be a firing range. “After you,” Zap said, letting the Guardians enter the portal.
First Battle (AKA Meet the DJ)Master Heroes Outpost... Vinyl trotted up to a table and set down her sound-based minigun, which she called the V-Repeater. "My name is Vinyl Scratch, and I'm a member of the new team in the Badlands- Hold up right there," she said with a frown. Zip lowered the camera. "What's wrong, Vinyl?" he asked. The two of them were filming an interview; Zap and Darkfire had decided to show the inhabitants of the Badlands that the new group wasn't filled with bloodthirsty killers. Vinyl was chosen to be interviewed first, due to her charisma. Vinyl shook her head. "It's the script! I don't talk like that at all, y'know? Do you really expect me to say this in my first public video? I wanna make a good impression on my fans!" she complained. Zip sighed as he set down the camera. "Alright, fine. Give me a bit, and I'll rewrite the script and we'll retry this in a few hours." Vinyl sighed, tapping her card and causing her costume to disappear as she returned her V-Repeater to her personal Hammerspace. According to Hi-Tek, certain items each of the newcomers (and Zip) had with them had bugged the card system, causing their weapons to replace parts of their class' arsenal, and their class uniforms to work around their accessories. Hers happened to be her shades, her V-Repeater, and her V-Blaster(a sound-based shotgun). She grinned at that small, comforting thought as she remembered their first true battle with the BLU Team the day before. Dustbowl, One Day Ago… Vinyl panted as she ducked into cover alongside Will and Darkfire, narrowly dodging a rocket. They had been partaking in a training match at Dustbowl with clones created by the 'Copyspawn' system, created by Hi-Tek in order to allow the team to face something resembling the RED and BLU teams, as well as to create alternately-colored clones of the nine of them to assist in battle. Then the BLU team showed up and disabled the Copyspawn, then pushed the nine of them to the last point. If the BLUs were at all shocked at the six ponies in the team they were facing, they shrugged it off pretty quickly. "Alright, I have a plan," Darkfire stated as a grenade flew over their heads. Before he could continue, however, a bullet drilled a hole clean through his head. Or at least it would have, if he hadn't disappeared in a small flash of light. When the Doctor had inquired as to why this was, Zap explained that their Respawn system was different from the ones RED and BLU used. While the ones the mercenaries used completely recreated them upon their death, the ones the ponies used would, once their cards registered enough damage taken, bring them to a 'Limbo room' where the same energy the Medigun emits would heal all wounds they had received. This was because Zap wasn't wanting to get their original bodies completely destroyed. Will watched as Neon ran up to the very Sniper that killed Darkfire and beat him to submission with his V-Basher, a club made of solidified sound in the same manner as Synch's V-Blade. "Vinyl, when I give you the signal, step out of cover and unload on them," the psychic told his teammate. She nodded, readying her weapon in her magic. Will pulled out a Medigun that he, Hi-Tek, and the Doctor had modified after a mishap during an earlier training session, and casted its healing energy on her. "Now!" He shouted, and she swung out of cover, firing her heavy weaponry and screaming her head off. With the help of Synch and Derpy, Vinyl and Will gradually pushed back the BLU team, blasting through the enemy forces. Vinyl walked up to the table for a second time. "Hey, wassup? You may or may not know me as Vinyl Scratch, master of wubs and bass! I'm here to announce that I'm gonna be working as the Heavy Weapons Filly of the new team that's gonna be fightin' those RED and BLU jerks!" she exclaimed cockily. She laid a hoof on the weapon in front of her. "This is my own creation, the V-Repeater. I'm not gonna go into specifics; all you need to know is that it turns sound into a deadly weapon." On the other side of the camera, Zip nodded. "What about you is different from your RED and BLU counterparts?" He asked. Vinyl grinned. "Well, I might not be as strong as they are, but I'm faster and definitely smarter than those two overweight motherbuckers," she gloated. “Plus, I’m a bit of a musician myself.” At that, wubstep music began playing, and Vinyl nodded, a smirk plastered to her muzzle. "Cut!" Zip shouted, turning off the camera. "Great work, Scratch!" She laughed in response. "Thanks, buddy," she replied, storing away her V-Repeater and deactivating the card that allowed her to be the Heavy Weapons Filly. Zip turned around, looking at a wall of televisions, all playing footage from the first battle. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to decide what battle scenes will be cut into the interview..." The six ponies and three humans had pushed the BLUs back to the first point, where the BLU Sniper, Spy, Engineer, and Demoman were keeping a tight defense. Vinyl, Will, and Derpy were watching as the Spy stealthily uncloaked behind Zip and quickly backstabbed him. "Will, you know how you fixed the Medigun?" Derpy asked. During a training match, they had learned that the Ubercharge would not work on them, being absolutely fatal when used on a clone of one of them, and 'sending away' any of the originals. Thus, the team geniuses took it upon themselves to give it a new secondary usage. Will's 'Modified Medigun' would give mini-crits to his target and an impenetrable shield in front and behind them, though not above or to the sides. "Yeah," Will replied. "Why?" Derpy grinned. "Now looks like a good time to use it." Will grinned ferally. "Wonderful idea, Derpy!" He turned to Vinyl. "You ready?" he asked. She nodded, and they charged. Derpy reflected a stray rocket with her airblast, somehow directly striking the Spy, who was about to backstab Will. "Oops, my bad!" she called out as the trio ran into the barn housing the Control Point. Will flipped a switch on his healing machine, and the shield popped into existence blocking fire from the Sentry Gun as Vinyl tore it and its creator to pieces. The Demoman and Sniper followed shortly after, the former to Derpy’s Mail Launcher and the latter to Vinyl’s V-Repeater. Within a few seconds, the barn was captured, and the BLU Respawn device was disabled. The remaining seven mercenaries were quickly found and killed, and the heroes were finally able to relax.
Granary Battle (AKA Meet the Guardian)Master Heroes Outpost... "My name is Darkfire Shadows," Darkfire stated, sitting on a bench on a film set resembling the Respawn Room of 2Fort. He wore his hooded jacket and his chestplate, as well as the Soldier's helmet, boots, and slacks. His blade, Nadir, was strapped to his belt. His Shotgun was holstered, and his Rocket Launcher laid at his side. "I am the Soldier and team leader of the new team fighting the RED and BLU teams in the Badlands, known as the Guardians." He chuckled. "I’ve led this group since long before we joined this war…” he explained. Zip, who was holding the camera, nodded. “So, why did you choose to be the Soldier? For that matter, what do you have that your RED and BLU counterparts don’t?” he asked. Darkfire rubbed his chin. “Well, I’m a lot more agile than them… I use my obsidian sword, Nadir, instead of a shovel… I’m not as insane as them… Oh! I can also control shadows!” To demonstrate, he gathered an orb of pure darkness in his palm. He let it dissipate, chuckling. Somewhere in Granary... Darkfire screamed out a battle cry, charging forward. He fired his Shotgun, taking out a RED Scout. As he charged towards the sounds of battle, he heard Synch shout over the communications system, “Darkfire, Medic to your left!” Darkfire, spun to see the RED Medic fire syringes at him. He growled, firing a rocket and gibbing the German. He charged out into an open area, joined by Vinyl, Derpy, and Zip. “Move up! Move up!” the Guardians Sniper shouted. Back on set… “Why are you battling RED and BLU?” Zip asked. Darkfire thought for a moment. “Well, we saw how the war was basically at a stalemate, so we decided we would take the areas the RED and BLU teams were fighting at from them, thus ending the neverending war,” he explained. Zip nodded. “How do you feel about fighting trained killers alongside a bunch of ponies?” he asked with a frown. Darkfire was shocked, to say the least. “Well, first of all, that ‘bunch of ponies’ are my close friends! And as for fighting trained killers… The world I lived in alongside the ponies was filled with magic and things that are only myths on Earth! Heck, I fought a faceless entity of pure evil once with them at my side! A bunch of guys with guns don’t scare me!” he scoffed. Back in Granary… Darkfire charged past Neon, who was ducking behind cover alongside the Doctor and Octavia. “Hey, Shadows!” Neon called out. “There’s a Sentry Gun up there!” Darkfire nodded, ducking into cover with them. As soon as the Sentry Gun stopped firing, he spun out of cover. He ran up to the Engineer and his Sentry, jumping into the air, he fired a rocket down at the inventor and his machine, killing him, destroying his Sentry, and boosting Darkfire up onto a pipe. He ran down the pipe, leaping down and gibbing the RED Heavy and Pyro, who were standing on the last control point. However, as he stood there, he realized the point wasn’t being captured. Sensing movement behind him, he spun, decapitating the enemy Spy with Nadir. Six seconds later, there was the sound of a bell ringing, and the point changed from blue to green, the Guardians team color. Zip lowered the camera. “I think we’ve got enough footage, Darkfire.” He walked towards the exit, Darkfire following behind him. However, as the duo left, Zip stopped his ally. “Hey, Darkfire, thanks for helping us out.” Darkfire grinned. “Of course, Zip. I was once a MAster Hero, so I’m forever a Master Hero.” He walked past Zip, leaving the young hero to think over Darkfire’s words.
Side Chapter 1: Unique Items (Descriptions and Weapon Stats)Neon Lights Weapons V-Revolver Secondary Clip: 6 Reserve: 24 Point Blank: 30-33 Medium: 15-22 Long: 12-14 Minicrits: 30-45 Critical: 60 Penetrates -20% firing speed Description: A high-tech revolver that fires sound energy. V-Basher Melee Swing Speed: 0.7 seconds Base Damage: 40 Minicrits: 46-55 Critical: 120 On hit, heals for 25% of damage dealt Description: A blue glowing club made of solidified sound Cosmetics V-Goggles Equip: Eyes A pair of high-tech goggles, with a blue tint and silver frames Musical Vest Equip: Torso A black, faux-leather sleeveless vest Darkfire Shadows Weapons Guardian's Horn Secondary Damage Needed for Full Rage Meter: 500 Gives all allies in a small radius a 10% speed boost Description: A silver bugle and gray backpack with gold lining Nadir Melee Swing Speed: 0.6 Base Damage: 50 Minicrits: 60-86 Critical: 150 On hit, causes bleed Description: An obsidian sword with a black handle Cosmetics Dark Hoodie Equip: Torso A black, weathered hoodie Spirit Plate Equip: Chest An iron chestplate with a sword and shield insignia Derpy Hooves Weapons Mail Launcher Secondary Reserve: 16 Base Damage: 35-41 Minicrits: 49 Critical: 105 Projectiles don't arc Projectiles explode Projectiles don't ignite enemies Description: A modified Flare Gun that fires explosive envelopes Cosmetics Muffin Maker's Mailbag Equip: Bag A brown mailbag with a muffin pin Mail Carrier Cap Equip: Hat A blue Equestrian Postal Service cap Synch Ronize Weapons V-Barrier Secondary Recharge Time: 9 Damage: 42 20% Damage resistance Description: A watch-like device that, when activated, creates a small, round energy barrier V-Blade Melee Swing Speed: 0.65 Damage: 55 Minicrits: 65-90 Critical: 165 25% faster turning rate during charge Description: A blue glowing sword made of solidified sound. Cosmetics Courage Goggles Equip: Eyes Stylish, red-tinted goggles with black frames Rap Bombs Equip: Grenades Six boom mics replacing the Demoman's grenades Vinyl Scratch Weapons V-Repeater Primary Reserve: 250 Point Blank: 46-50 Medium: 3-26 Long: 3-8 Minicrits: 48-70 Critical: 23 per bullet Description: A high V-Blaster Secondary Clip: 6 Reserve: Unlimited Point Blank: 80-84 Medium: 18-61 Long: 2-20 Minicrits: 75-115 Critical: 168 Cosmetics Shades of Awesome Equip: Eyes Vinyl's signature eyewear Portable Turntables Equip: Back Small turntables strapped to Vinyl's back The Doctor Weapons Sonic Screwdriver Secondary Damage: 6-10 Repairs and restocks hit buildings by 20% of maximum health/ammunition Cosmetics Stetson of Space Equip: Hat A dusty brown cowboy hat Bowtie of Time Equip: Neck A purple bowtie William Powers Weapons Magnum Shot Primary Same Stats as Spy's Revolver Modified Medigun Secondary Ubercharge: Energy Shield in front of and behind heal target, minicrits Cosmetics Wise Specs Equip: Eyes Will's reading glasses Genius' Lab Coat Equip: Torso A white lab coat with the picture of a brain etched on the pocket Zip Powers Weapons Dual Tomahawks Melee Swing Speed: 0.4 seconds Damage: 45 Critical: 135 Alt. Fire throws projectile for 2x base damage. Slows swing speed by 0.4 seconds for 12 seconds. Recharge time is 13 seconds. Cosmetics Winged Boots Equip: Feet Brown work boots with two white wings attached to each Hero's Badge Equip: Badge Zip's Master Heroes membership badge Octavia Melody Weapons Sophisticated Shiv Melee Swing Speed: 0.9 seconds Damage: 50 Critical: 150 Does 100% more damage when disguised(100 damage) Cosmetics Classical Bowtie Equip: Neck Octavia's Bowtie and collar Cello Carrier Equip: Back A cello case carried on Octavia's back
