The Vengeful Guardians: the mercs of justice

"Well well well." Red horn said chuckling to himself as all six mares stared at him cautiously. "I'm truly flattered for the welcome but I'm afraid I'll be leaving soon."

He looked towards Radiance and saw her harsh glare and smiled at the sight. "Ah Radiance, haven't learned your lesson I see."

Her glare intensified at his words.

"If you think I'll let a barbarian like you scare me away from my duty, you’re truly mad." He just laughed at her for, in his opinion, a cute act.

"Fine then, this time I'll pull the trigg-" he stopped short to dodge a lightning bolt sent for his hooves.

"That's enough out you." Zap said harshly as she held her now smoking medallion. Marvelous walked towards the merc her hopes high for preposition. She had dealt with mercenaries before and had found ways of dealing with them without having to use violence leading to endangering others. This Red horn should be no different.

"Listen here fella you're outnumbered and, from what Radiance told us, you don't have powers but we do so were willing to compromise here. Just tell us who hired ya and why?" Red horn just shrugged as he pulled the still bleeding two hooves closer to him.

"Sorry lady professional etiquette and all, besides you make it sound like you can beat me." Marevelous just glared at him for his attitude that was quickly getting on her nerves.

"How could one stallion be so arrogant, can't ya see you can't win it's six against one." He put his hoof to the side of his helmet as he chuckled lowly.

"Wow you are a country bumpkin like everypony says. You can't even count, it’s two against five."

*BANG*

A loud gunshot was was heard and a nearby window broke and before any of the six mares react a dart sank into the neck of Saddle Rager.

"Saddle!" Zap screamed in rage and surprise as she rushed and caught Saddle as she fell over her breathing becoming slower and eyes hazy. From the building next door Silent smiled as her shot made its mark.

"What did you do!?" Zap screamed aiming her glowing pendant at the mercenary in rage with the rest of the team glaring alongside her.

"I've done my homework on you all, no raging out for her if she can't get mad from being hopped up on sedatives and happy pills." He replied back mockingly as he took a fighting stance on his hind legs.

"Now with your trump card gone, I'll enjoy breaking you all!" Zap growled as he boasted.

"Why don't you say that to my face!"

"Glady!" Red horn disappeared in a red flash and quickly appeared in front Zapp holding his guns right at her eyes.

"Gah!" Zap shrieked as all she could see was the barrel of the guns starring down her eyes. She closed them as the gun flash went off as a purple shield appeared stopping the bullets as both Zap and Red horn dashed away from each other

"Don't worry i got you" Matterhorn assured psychically as they both nodded to each other. Marvelous wasted no time as she rushed Red horn with her lasso glowing and ready to hog tie the merc

Red Horn charged forward as Matterhorn attempted to blast the merc but each try was futile as he teleported and dodged each time a blast was shot. The next time Red Horn teleported she didn’t see him, instead she felt a hoof grip her shoulder and spin her around till she was looking in the mercenary’s eye.

“Boo.” He said as he thrust his hoof into the mares chest causing her to fall to her knees.

Red Horn extended his gauntlet blades and thrust it at the mare only for his blade to suddenly make contact with concrete. Looking over his shoulder he saw Matterhorn by Radiance and Filly Second who was catching her breath. The next instant Fili-Second was gone in a pink blur.

"Oh crap" He said before being knocked down by a pink blur. He continued to be knocked around a few more times making his head spin.

"~take that you mean-" Another large bang went off and a bullet came through the window making Fili-Second dodge the bullet laughing as she jumped into air.

"Missed me!" She cheerfully said before her face paled as Red horn teleported behind her grabbing her hind leg and rammed his blades into her left hind legs thigh making her scream.

"Get off her ya varmint!" Marvelous screamed as she telekinetically tied her lasso around his neck and pulled him away with a mighty tug she ripped him away from Fili-Second and to her hooves stomping on his chest, his chest piece taking most of the force but still knocking the wind out of him.

"Let me go hayseed!" Red Horn choked out as he pulled out and aimed his guns at her and pulled the triggers only for the shots to bounce off her.

"Crap i forgot about the iron skin thing" Another shot came from the windows again making Marvelous stagger off him from the impact and for Red horn to teleport out of her lasso to the now limping Filli second.

"Bolt take care of that sniper, he didn't come alone!" Matterhorn shouted over the mental link as she started firing off several beams at the their apparent shooters location.

"I'll distract them." Before Zapp could go any further the spectrum maned mare gaped as Red horn kicked down a limping Fili-Second and pressed a gun against her head. Red horn's breathing was slightly ragged as he grinded his teeth in anger “You bored me anyway."

"Not so fast!" Radiance conjured several garnished chains around Red horns forelegs pulling his weapons away from Fili-Second.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." Red Horn groaned as he looked toward Radiance. "Can't a guy just do his job?"

"Not when that job is hurting ponies. Now you're coming with us one way or another." Matterhorn said with ease making the mercenaries eyes roll.

As the Power Ponies approached him Zapp flew back to the group.

"The sniper's gone." Twilight was confused

"What do you mean gone? Where did he go?" Twilight asked before Radiance screamed as Zapp stabbed her in her side making her drop the chains releasing Red horn.

"She actually." The mare said as pink and red flames consumed her and left a petite mare in assassin's garb. "And I'm right here."

"And this is payback for Saddle!" Zapp screamed as she crashed through the window and launched a lightning bolt at the mare making her dodge with her wings silently buzzing as she flew back to stand next to Red horn.

"Who is that?" Radiance asked as she used a construct needle and lace to close her wound.

"Power ponies" Red horn called out as he reloaded his pistols.

"Say hello to my friend with benefits, Silent Rose" She glared at him while taking a fighting stance toward the power ponies.

"Did you really have to phrase it that way?” Silent Rose deadpanned.

"I can't read her mind either" Matterhorn said over her teams link.

Radiance glared at the petite changeling.

"Silent Rose you say, makes sense. A gaudy name with a gaudy costume."

"Pfftt, you're just saying that because I stabbed you." Silent Rose said dismissively using her amber magic to reload her rifle. Zapp stepped forward glaring at assassin alongside her friends.

"No she's saying that because your a gaudy short love sucker!" Zapp shouted making the changeling eyes widened under her mask. Not noticing the subtle glow from Radiance bands.

"What did you call me you speciest pig-" Red horn place a leg in front of his partner making her stop short.

"That's enough I'm already tired of you five." Red horn said sternly his voice echoing off the walls. He raised to his hindlegs as a red glow came to his horn.

"Now I fight-"

"Now!" Radiance shouted her bands glowing brightly causing the a pink square to shine underneath the two mercenaries, before they could react several pink chains shot up and wrapped the two before the square threw up walls and a ceiling forming a perfect cube prison silencing their screams of surprise.

"Phew." Radiance wiped away beads of sweat as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks for the intel Rares." Zapp said sarcastically making Rarity roll her eyes.

"First off darling count yourself lucky it's soundproof otherwise I'd have to forcefully shut your mouth for shouting my name!" Radiance took a deep breath calming herself from the short rant.

"And secondly it's been nearly two years since I faced that filthy mercenary." Fili-Second hopped over partially healed from her accelerated everything as she always put it.

"So no idea who the love bug was?" Fili-Second asked.

Radiance just shrugged.

"No idea-" they all stopped short as a screeching was heard from the construct box with a glowing red blade piercing through it.

With practiced ease a perfect circle was cut from it showing Red horn and Blood Steel glaring at the power ponies Red horn himself welding a thin katana made of glowing red magic before with a quick turn sliced through the box making it split and crack away to nothing.

"As i was saying power bimbos." He pointed his katana straight at them with his horn aglow

"Now we fight for real!" The small blade shifted into a claymore before their eyes while Silent Rose walked up beside him.

"We have tricks as well." Three slits slid open on her gloves and out came out three silver blades out of her hooves. "And I'm not referring to my claws!"

With a amber flash of her horn she threw a grenade from Red horn's jacket. With adrenaline racing through her Fili-Second jumped to and knocked it away to the wall rocking the foundations as another wall was blown away.

"Fool" Red horn said quietly before opening fire with Roses rifle on the mare, his bullets ripping through her stretched out foreleg

"PINKIE!" the power ponies screamed over the mental link.

"Pay attention!" Silent Rose taking flight her wings silently buzzing and kicking Radiance across the face her light dimming even more.

"Yes, it's no fun fighting weak opponent's." Red horn jumped and swung his sword at Matterhorn who barely dodged in time as the blade cut her goggles free.  "So please try a little harder."

He kicked her hard in the stomach knocking her back and the air out her lungs.

"You varmint-" Marvelous was silenced as something strong grabbed her tail. "What?"

"Hi." Silent Rose greeted before flinging Marvelous like rag doll through several of the buildings iron support beams. "You're my opponent now bumpkin"

Silent Rose ran at Marevelous slashing her costume but not even damaging her skin. "Your boyfriend already tried that. Now give us Two hooves and we'll talk out your stay in Arkhoof."

"How about this?" Silent  Rose flipped over but Marevelous instinctively kicked back and found her aim was true as Silent Rose was sent into a wall.

"That suits me just fine." Marevelous smirked as Silent Rose got up.

Marevelous threw one of her hoofarangs at Silent Rose but it bounced off Rose with an audible clang.

"Think you're the only one with Metal skin?" Blood Steel teased before running at her.

Zapp raised her pendant as Red Horn dodged a construct from Radiance. "Steer clear guys, I'm gonna make a tornado and try and take him out. If it doesn't pull him in it'll suck the air out of his lungs."

"Don't do it Rainbow, you'll risk collapsing the building on top of us, and Fluttershy can't cover us since she's knocked out." Matterhorn said to Zapp over their telepathic link as she shot a ice beam barely missing Red Horn's head.

"You have a better idea?" Zapp responded.

"Yes!"  Matterhorn's glowed white before firing an ice bolt at Red horn. "I'll freeze him that will-

Red horn's sword changed again this time a broad short sword that he used to quickly slice the ice bolt in half.

"-Not even slow him down." Matterhorn focused and her horn glowed brighter firing ice bolt after ice bolt at Red Horn who just sliced them away as he laughed out. "Where's the challenge!"

Matterhorn gritted her teeth as she charged a new beam. "Here's your challenge!"

She shot a beam of concentrated heat at Red Horn, it barely missed going through a support beam and melting it easily, as well as burn the side of Red Horn's costume smolting part of his coat and armor.

"Arrgghh" Red horn grunted in pain but kept charging on smiling under helmet. "Finally living up to the hype!?"

Radiance created a pink shield while jumping between Red horn and Matterhorn struggling against the mercenary’s strength.

"How is a unicorn this strong!" Radiance eyes widened as his sword started to slice through her shield. "Oh no"

"I'll save you Rarity" Zapp raised her pendant and fired lightning. Red horn smile widened as he kicked through Radiance's cracking shield and into her stomach. With a pulse from his horn he grabbed Radiance by her throat throwing her in front of the lightning as a shield.

"Thanks Zapp!" Red horn roared out until a pink blur pushed Radiance away. Red horn panicking quickly raised his sword taking the bolt full on trying block it with his sword even when dropping to his knees.

"Your welcome" Zapp said bitterly before looking over to the limping Fili-Second and a motion sick Radiance.

Zapp looked over to Marevelous who was hoof locked with Silent Rose and looked back to Red Horn seeing an unstable support beam behind him.

“Applejack throw her into Red Horn now!” Marevelous complied and threw Silent Rose into Red Horn to which Zapp kicked them both into the support beam breaking it.

“What now?” Marevelous asked over the link.

”We keep it up until we collapse that part of the ceiling on them.”

“Did Rainbow Dash just have an idea?, Never thought I'd see the day.” Radiance managed to say over their link.

”Oh ha ha.” Zapp responded sarcastically.

"Watch out!" Marvelous screamed as she was thrown over Zapp. "Get off him!"

Zapp was kicked to the the ground by something that felt like a 15 pound hammer. She looked up to see Silent Rose whose hind hoof was morphed into a hammer. "You gaudy little bit-gggrrraaahhh"

Zapp was crushed under Rose’s hammer hoof with enough force to make her cough blood. "Shut it thunder pri-"

In a blur Fili-Second tried to tackle her but was swatted away by the blunt end of Steels sniper rifle before she pointed the elongated barrel point blank at Fili’s head.

"Not so fast with two bad legs are you Fili?" Rose taunted retracting her claws and holding the gun steadily. "Too bad, your face is a bright pink target"

"Get off of her!" Matterhorn yelled before firing an ice beam at Blood Steel, who used Zapp as a shield freezing her instead.

"Nice shot." Silent Rose joked.

Marevelous wrapped her rope around Silent Rose’s leg when she wasn't looking and threw her into a support beam, breaking it and slamming her into another one. "No, that's a nice shot."

Silent Rose struggled to her hooves as Marvelous got closer.

"Now then. Would ya kindly just give up so we can put an end to this stupid fight."

A scream from zapp resounded as two throwing knives slashed across of her side. As Marvelous turned to try and help she was met by a sudden hoof to the face as Red Horn punched her hard enough to crack his gauntlet and making her stagger

"Now!” Rose grabbed Marvelous and swung her into Zapp with enough force to knock them through a wall.

“Mind playing outside?” Red horn asked brandishing a scimitar and she only nodded before jumping out the hole herself. “Have fun!”

Silent Rose landed in front of the steaming duo before growing her claws out.

“So what's your story, mommy didn't hug you enough.” Zapp joked cracking her neck and wielding her pendant like a dagger.

“Never had one” Rose shot back making the claws on her left hoof curved and serrated.

”Twi take some notes, she's a trans-what’s it with metal covered skin.”  Marvelous said over the link levitating several lassos ready to snatch the metal changeling. “So what is your story then?”

“Simple, made to kill ponies way stronger than you.” Rose made her hind hooves grow sickles that glistened in the moonlight.

“Really you don't act like it!” Zapp gripped her pendant like a dagger in her hoof.

“No you!” Silent rose retorted making Marevelous raise her brow. “You’re not good at banter, are ya”

Silent Rose scrunched up her nose embarrassed. “Shut up, it was the first thing to pop up”

“I see why Red Horn does all the-” Zapp immediately shut her mouth as several shurikens were flung by the assassins magic. With a wave of her pendant sent heavy winds blowing all her shurikens back at her.

“Let me show you why they call me, the changeling of steel” Rose said mockingly as the shurikens bounced of her harmlessly.

“You mean why Red-” with a buzz of her wings Rose dashed with a roundhouse kick slicing part of the dodging Zapps mane.

Marvelous tried to tackle her only to receive a clawed slap and sparks flying off her face before the metal changeling grabbed her face and headbutting her hard enough to send her to the ground with a bloody nose.

“So you can bleee-aaaaahhhhh!” the changeling screamed in pain as lightning struck her in the back. As she fell to her knees Marvelous stood up and bucked her in the face with both her back hooves. Rose glared back at them as she wiped a bit of her own blood from her nose and mouth.

“Looks like you can too.” Marvelous said with a smirk. To her surprise Rose started to laugh a little.

“Well you know every pony can bleed. You just have to find the best way to do it. Whether it’s by blade.” She said as Zapp was stabbed in her side one of Red Horns blades before he turned and started fighting Matterhorn again. As Marvelous turned to see what happened she was sent flying backward when Rose morphed her hoof into a hammer head and slammed her in the chest. “Or by brawn.” Rose finished with a smile.

Meanwhile Red Horn fought back Matterhorn and Radiance. Red Horn blocked a swipe from purple chains that Radiance created before his hooves were frozen by an ice beam from matterhorn.

“You really need to cool off.” Matterhorn mocked as she froze his other hoof.

“Really, a pun? And furthermore was that the best pun you could come up with?” Red Horn disappeared in a flash of red. Matterhorn quickly turned and fired a heat blast only to realize Red Horn wasn’t there.

“What the…” Matterhorn was silenced by Radiance’s screams as Red Horn shattered the ice on his left hoof with a punch to her chest.

Matterhorn fired another ice blast at Red Horn but he blocked it with his still frozen right hoof, causing the block of ice to grow. In an instant Red horn teleported to the left of Matter horn and punched her in the face with his frozen hoof hard enough to shatter the ice and break her jaw.

“I’d make a joke about ‘breaking the ice’ but I have more important things to do. Like getting paid”

“Good luck with that.” Someone called drawing Red Horn’s attention. Marvelous stood with Two Hooves tied up with her lasso.

“You need this Varmit to cash in. So without him you ain’t going nowhere.” The Power Ponies started to gather around Marvelous as they all watched Red Horn intently.

“Where’s the other one?” Matterhorn asked over their link. However Marevelous didn’t respond.

“Give it up merc. You ain’t gonna win this one. Just sit down and come with us so we can all head home.”

“Don’t listen to her ya’ll!” Everyone turned to see Marvelous leaned up against a wall. Her face slightly bloody from the fight.

“She’s the changeling.” The fake Marvelous smiled as she wiped Two Hooves around and threw him over to Red Horn. Before anyone could catch her she returned to her normal form and flew off as Red Horn retreated with Two Hooves in tow.

“Thanks for being so gullible ladies.” Rose said with a wink as she took off after Red Horn. Zapp quickly jumped into their air after the merc only to fall back to the ground in pain. Looking at her wing she realized when Red Horn stabber he damaged her wing so she couldn’t fly. Desperate and not thinking straight Matterhorn fired a random spell at Red horn.

“Nice try!” he lifted Two hooves and used him as a shield smirking triumphantly under his helmet.

“GGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” Two hooves screamed and wriggled like a snake set aflame before sending telekinetic punches everywhere knocking Red horn and Silent rose to the ground and Matterhorn to shield her team as as the psychotic stallion's attacks made the building foundations rock.

“Cut it out!” Red horn shielded Rose before aiming a throwing knive at Two hooves.

“No!” Matterhorn her rage at her peak released a shock wave from her horn while firing a purple energy beam straight at them, the two mercenaries nodded before Red horn pulled a magic sword and Silent rose grew her hoof into a long single blade. Summoning all their strength they delivered a chop and split the beam in half.

“HA!” before the two could celebrate the splitted beam took out the last two supporting wall making the building collapse on top of them all.

“Me and my hooves are piss-” Two hooves was knocked out again by a large pipe falling on his head. Before she could react Silent Rose was pushed out the nearest hole by Red horn using all his strength in magic. She rolled out into the street and before getting to her hooves in a flurry her eyes widening in fear.

“CRESCENT!”

The building collapsed with an explosion of dust and debris knocking the assassin off her feet

TO BE CONTINUED