Smile Squad 9

"Death isn't a question of when, it's a question of how."

It was scarily quiet, even considering the late hour. Stars Twinkled softly as we waited, watching over us like guardian angels. My suit felt slightly too tight and my mane too greasy, too full of hair-gel, to be called 'organic' at this point. The wall was covered in a collage of worn-down posters, muck and grime from the streets causing them all to take a hideous gray undertone. One poster had a picture of a wizard hat on it with the words "Do you have an ace up your sleeve? join the tricksters today!" written around it in bold text. Another poster had a picture of a red cross with what appeared to be the faded lettering of "Not all heroes are soldiers, join the peace core now!". Graffiti was scrawled across the walls of most housing, pavements and vehicles, all saying pro-war slogans like 'Down with tyranny!' and 'Canterlot will rise!'. If you didn't know better, you would say that the neighborhood was some sort of slum.

The mansion in front of me dwarfed all it's surroundings. Dim glows from neglected street lights gave the basic out-lines of the gardens surrounding the villa. "Ice Spike, darling, I really don't mean to rush you, but... We really need to start going." The words flowed like fine silk into the night. I turned to face my companion. She looked... Amazing to say the least. The unicorn mare had glistening hazelnut eyes which only highlighted her soft, pearl white coat and stunning chocolate brown mane, done up into a hair-do that would make the princesses themselves jealous. The dress she was wearing accentuated her eyes beautifully in the dim, artificial light.

I slid against the wall, ensuring no-pony saw me load my pistol. The design was similar to that of a large flare gun, a light pink and slightly metallic sheen dominated the design. Three balloons were spray painted on in a plain, flat, turquoise. In truth, it looked ridiculous for a weapon but the thing had pulled me out of sticky situations countless times. With a flick of my magic, it flopped open and a glass cartridge full to bursting with confetti, balloons and cardboard was shoved inside. Sliding the pistol back into my saddle-bags I finally replied to the unicorn. "Yeah, i think i'm ready now anyway... Your communicator up?"

"Most Certainly, I made sure of that while you were loading your... 'weapon'"

"Hey, it's probably better than any of the posh crap you bring."

"A proper, composed mare does not use 'posh crap' she uses works of art." Content that she had the final word, the unicorn stopped her usual walking pace and started to saunter, shaking her plot slightly with each step. Two particularly bored-looking guards at the front-gate started to stare as she waltzed over. Seductively, a hoof was placed under the chin of the biggest guard. "Hey there big boy, how about you and I-"

SHULK CRACK SHINK

The two guards lay motionless on the cold, unforgiving ground. The biggest guard had a cut all down his neck, and was now loosing a considerable amount of blood. Opposite him was the smaller guard who had been impaled onto some decorative spikes on the gate. Normally we would have been worried about the guards being spotted but everypony who was anypony was currently in that house, meaning the bodies wouldn't be found for quite some time, if at all. Furthermore, the two guards at the front probably had very little backup if any. Most probably they were paid just to stand there and intimidate trouble-makers into finding somewhere else to go. Nudging the gates with my hoof, I let them slide open with a small creak.

The gardens looked even bigger now the gates were open. Flowers of all shapes and sizes grew and blossomed, even in the dim moonlight. A gravel path twisted around the entire complex in a similar fashion to a snake. Water gushed from a central fountain. Trees were dotted around in no real pattern, some of them bearing fruit. The doors of the villa in front of us were about two meters tall and made of a dark wood. My horn glowed slightly, revealing small portions of my surroundings. My breath turned into a thin white mist as I continued over to the door.

When we reached the towering doors, I reached over to my ear and placed a small, black disk into it. A small 'click' slipped out of it as I pushed lightly down onto the device. A light fuzz filled my ear for a few seconds before going silent once again. A voice, soft but clear, slipped out from the disk. "Ugh... Ok, Ice Spike, your communicator is up and running. Asphalt has unlocked the third window to the right of the door, and is distracting the guards in the room. Your gonna have to look around for the location of the target though." I sighed briefly as the voice droned on. I hated the way we were told to use our communicators. It was literally just listing facts, and it made me feel like the pony on the other end could be replaced by a robot and I wouldn't be any the wiser. I didn't really like the idea of that. Sometimes knowing there is somepony on the other end is more important to you than efficiency.

The unicorn I was with tapped her communicator. "Oh darling, While we would love to listen to all the specifics we still do have a job to do." and with that remark, we started to climb up to the windowsill. It didn't really feel dignified in the slightest as I pulled myself over the dull, yellowish rock. My forelegs started ache as my weight started to rest on them. Not that I had to endure it for long because the unicorn I was with used their magic to open the window while I was climbing before giving me a slight nudge with her telekinesis, meaning I could just slip inside once I was up on the windowsill. The grimy wall pulled slightly at my suit, determined that I would not get inside the house without at least one tear in my apparel. Luckily, I managed to half-tumble inside without any major scratches or scuffs in my clothing. I brushed myself off and glanced around the room. It was about 40 foot by 60 foot, with a luxurious rug on the floor. The corners harbored giant granite pillars, each fixed at the top and bottom with beautiful brass fixtures. two tables were propped against the walls, each harboring more food than I normally ate in a year. Pieces of fine art complimented the classical music that was playing in the background wonderfully. I would have loved to just have sat and reveled in the atmosphere but... I had a job to do.

Slowly, I started to stroll over to a butler handing out champagne glasses. "Ah what a fine evening this night is. Tell me, would it possibly be able to take a glass for my dear wife?" I mentally winced after saying that, hoping I didn't come across as a posh asshole.

The butler turned his head slightly towards me, levitating a champagne glass over. "certainly sir, and have a wonderful night." Smiling, I strolled over to the window which my unicorn companion had just climbed through and passed her the champagne. "If anypony asks, we are a married couple celebrating our tenth anniversary at this wonderful party. got that?"

"Indeed. Now how about we go into the central ballroom before a guard notices that we're not invited?" she chirped sweetly, her elegant voice blending perfectly into the party

At the other side of the room, I spotted a pegasus, green with a black mane, juggling a conversation with three guards, all of which looked to be about twice the size of him. He shuffled nervously toward the door, signalling for us in the least direct way possible to get moving. Reluctantly, I wondered out the door and into the main ballroom.

I thought that rooms could not get more extravagant or expensive-looking than what I had just been in. Long story short, I was wrong.

Any words I could use to describe this room would not do it justice, not that I won't try to describe it. The room itself had gold embroidery everywhere. Marble and granite patterned pillars stood strong and noble. Fine art was arranged in such a way that even the most prestigious art galleries would be jealous. Ponies were scattered around the room, each trying to talk in such a way that made them look more important than everypony around them.

A purple pony with a yellow mane sauntered over to me and my unicorn companion, floating a glass beside her. "Oh, hello I almost didn't see you there." she turned around and called out to a light blue stallion with a grass green mane. "I am agate, and this..." she paused a moment as the stallion marched over. "Is my husband, Stratus. He's the commander of the Canterlot weather division you know."

The stallion swirled his wine, looking down at us as if we were gum on his shoe. "And who might you be?"

The white unicorn quickly answered before I could open my mouth "I am Blanc de blancs and this is my husband, Sham shield. He's a colonel in the seventh solar division, you know."

The stallion let out a bored yawn, sipping his drink "Oh, you don't say?"

I mentally added that stallion to my list of ponies who deserved to die.

"Excuse my husband it's just... we find common folk so terribly boring."

And his wife. His wife deserved to die too.

"Common folk!? I'll have you know my husband took out the outer lunar base!"

The communicator clicked once again. "the entire base? one pony? Laying the exaggeration on a bit, don't you think?"

The husband scoffed slightly at my companions' claim. "How quaint."

Agate nudged her husband slightly, trying to look as important as possible. "Let's waste no more time on these... Ruffians, honey."

The communicator made a familiar clicking sound "alright, mission update."

Dicer was the next voice to come through the communicator. "Checking for the target upstairs, been pretty much unnoticed so far... Oh, and don't open the kitchen cupboards."

"What!?"

"Just... trust me on this one."

Asphalt was the next to speak through the communicator. "Target's not in the lower-right wing of the building. Going to start to make my way towards the lower-left wing."

I felt a hoof tapping my side, and turned to see who it was.

Before me stood a stallion - not the biggest i've ever seen, but still pretty close - wearing a blue guard uniform and sunglasses. He probably thought that he was a god among ponies judging by the smug grin he wore.  "Excuse me sir, but you don't seem to be invited. Do you mind showing me your invite?"

I put on a casual smile despite the slightly worried chatter over the communicator. "Oh, certainly sir. Let me just get it out of my pocket..." reaching with my magic, I pulled out a golden piece of cardboard and handed it to him.  He snatched it with his hoof and gave a smile that he probably thought was menacing but in reality just made him look like an asshole. "I'm afraid your going to have to come with me sir."

"but of course."

I swiftly took up a brisk walking pace to keep up with the guard as he lead me through the colossal room. All the while he kept a careful eye on me in case of sudden movements as we trotted up the stairs at the end and through a corridor. The corridor consisted mostly of a similar decoration as the main room downstairs, but with evenly spaced out granite pillars every few meters or so. We continued on past several rooms, labeled with reflective brass plates showing charming names such as 'armory' and 'barracks'. Finally we reached a wood door with the words "detention" written on it's brass plate. I hurriedly glanced around, ensuring nopony else was looking.

The door slid open as the guard nudged it open. "Ok, get in there while we decide what to do with you."

I plodded forwards into the doorway. The room was nothing special: a concrete box lit by some ceiling lights which were bolted up. The furniture was a wooden chair, a table and another wooden chair.

Not that it mattered anyway.

Within a second I had kicked out with one of my back legs, smashing the guards' sunglasses, and had turned around to face him fully. Stumbling back, he tried to shout out but before he could I hurriedly used my telekinesis to slam his mouth shut.

"Now then, you are going to tell me what I need to know or I will have to get creative with my interrogation. Got it?"

The stallion nodded cautiously.

"Good. Now, first question: Do you have a radio?"

The guard nodded once again, pointing to a pocket in his uniform. After nudging it a bit with my magic, a black box with an antenna attached plopped to the floor.

The radio was swiftly levitated in front of me as I started to speak into it. "Hostiles spotted in the gardens. Two pink unicorns. Need backup."

"Affirmative. Units J, R and F are on their way."

My stare snapped back to the guard. "Now, there is a pony I am looking for who goes by the name of Fancy Pants. Where is he?"

No answer.

"Very well." My magic reached slyly into my suit and retrieved a mat-black hunting knife.

click. "Ice Spike, honey, where did you say the hostiles were again?"

I pushed down the black disk in my ear. "Garden."

The guard tried to stand up, but a menacing flick of my knife persuaded him to sit back down.

click. "Did we not just leave the bodies of two guards at the gates?"

Sirens throughout the building suddenly activated, filling the halls with a high-pitched wail.

well fu-

WHUMP

while I was distracted, the guard had tackled me to the ground and now was brandishing my knife. The pony no longer looked like the desperate victim he resembled ten seconds ago, now he glared with pure, unrefined hatred. His look was the sort of look you would only give a pony whose extremities you wanted to neatly arrange around your fireplace.

My horn started to glow as I smiled. "Hey man, let's think about this for a second: what will you really get out of turning me into wallpaper paste?"

The guard hurled the knife across the corridor. "I wouldn't push your luck here mate."

My horn glowed brighter, and a blue patch started to form on the door. "Yes, yes, very funny. Now get off me or your brains are going against the wall."

The guard reared up. "OH YOUR FUCKING DE-"

shlak.

A slender shard of ice was now protruding out from the now fading blue patch on the door and into the guard's neck. "Warned ya."

click. "Oh luna... that... fuck... Dicer, keep checking upstairs. Ice Spike, you check downstairs. Cyanide, your in-charge of getting civilians out."

A familiarly smooth, posh voice echoed through the communicator. "Honey, are you absolutely sure that's what command wants? It seems a tad... risky."

"Buck command! We can't go on a murdering spree just because they were at the wrong party tonight!"

I pushed down my communicator again, mumbling. "personally I think some of them deserve it."

Another click, and the smooth upper-class voice returned to us. "I'll see what I can do, but really darling, your asking for a lot here."

"th-thank you."

I fumbled around in my saddle-bags, looking for a mask. You'd think a saddle-bag with six items in would be easy to find things in but no. It was just as hard as any oth- found it! Almost triumphantly, I slipped the mask depicting a giant inequine smile onto my face and started to gallop towards the stairs.

The pillars rushed past me as I ran. The wind whipped at my mane. I almost slipped as I raced round the corner towards the- SWEET LUNA I JUST REMEMBERED HOW BIG 'DOWNSTAIRS' WAS!

Just as I came to terms with how much space I had to search for the target, I spotted my unicorn companion. She now brandished an assault rifle with an almost elegant looking silencer on the end. The barrel was not a grey but a silver with gold etchings on that flowed into the main body. "OK ALL OF YOU KISS THE BUCKING WALL! IF I SEE YOUR FACE YOUR DEAD!" The ponies around her started to comply, albeit rather slowly. She levitated the gun gracefully, as if it was nothing more than an accessory. It's silver and white gem-studded body glistened in the light as she smoothly turned it.

Oh, and if we lived through this I was totally going to nag her about how lady-like 'kiss the bucking wall' was.

BOOM

The communicator clicked again. "INCOMING!!!"

BOOM

That didn't sound good.

KABLAM

The room fell into silence as cracks danced across the front wall, tiny chunks of plaster chipping off in the process. For a second, it seemed as if nothing would happen. As if everything was going to be fine.

Then the wall collapsed, chunks of brick and wood showering down as windows smashed and pillars gave in. All the ponies who were being controlled by my unicorn companion now were screaming as chunks of metal skewered those unfortunate enough to get in it's way. A cloud of dust sprung up, obscuring my view of the chaos. I could only hope my unicorn companion was not one of the ponies unlucky enough to get skewered as I backed away from the collapsing wall.

click "Holy shit that was awesome!"

click "I-Is everypony okay?"

click "Sweetie, I think a few civilians are the least of our problems."

I shoved down my communicator. "Hey, excuse the dumb question but... what caused the wall to collapse?"

BOOM

The dust cloud was instantly blown away as a tank paraded into the ruined ballroom. It wasn't the biggest one i'd ever seen but it was... sizable. About three-quarters of a carriage, with a white and gold pattern covering it. Dust grayed out some of it's coloring as it whirred forward. The tank didn't have a cannon like most did back then, instead it had a mini-gun that was controlled with a robotic arm. various cameras and lights shone out from it as it trained it's gun on me.

I just had to open my big mouth...

Then another tank came out of the dust. And another one. Then three more. Then five more. Then, before I knew it, the ballroom had been populated with thirteen identical tanks.

I pushed down my communicator. "well, fuck."

BRATATATATAT

Bullets zipped past me as I ran. I peered back to what was once the front wall. Luckily, the other walls still held the majority of the house up but... All it would take was one more explosion in the right area now. My unicorn companion ducked and weaved in-between rubble as their guns whirred away. One unfortunate pony tried to lunge at her from between the tanks and got flipped onto his back. Soldiers thundered in, rushing into rooms and screaming orders.

Then something became painfully obvious: I had been still for way, way too long.

I heard a satisfying crack as I slammed, mask first, into the wall. A tea-brown pegasus in a dark blue uniform slammed a black, boxy pistol into my head making my head spin for a second. "STAND THE FUCK DOWN!"

I didn't break a sweat. I had been in this sort of situation before, all I had to do was conjure another ice shar- WHAM "WANNA TRY CASTING A SPELL AGAIN SMART ASS?"

The tanks' mini-guns continued to whir away, peppering the ground around my unicorn companion with bullet holes. The only reason she wasn't already dead was the enemy were trying not to destroy their own tanks but really... It was just a matter of time.

click. "The target tried to run out the house towards some back alley. He... He won't be going anywhere soon."

The tea-colored Pegasus continued to bear down on me, shoving her pistol against my head. "YOUR GUNS, GIVE ME YOUR FUCKING GUNS NOW!" Slowly, deliberately, I pushed myself slightly up off my side and started to pull out my gear: My party pistol came out first along with it's two spare shells; next came my knife and finally a pouch of green powder. "GET THE FUCK UP!"

Boy, didn't she have a favorite word? Reluctantly I pushed my hooves against the floor and managed to get my body sort of upright. Well, as upright as you can be after being slammed into a wall. The mare continued to bark orders. "WALK INTO THAT ROOM" she gestured with her wing to the room I entered at the beginning. "MAKE ANY MOVES AND YOUR FUCKING DEAD!"

I carefully plodded over to the room she had pointed to, shuffling around the tanks as if they were sleeping manticores.

click. "Ok, the target is in the van. Driver said he won't be moving anytime soon. Coming to help." Glancing up, I spotted the tea-colored Pegasus hovering above me, pistol still pointed at my face.

Then I saw my unicorn companion.

She wasn't hurt- the tanks were made to gun down huge groups and other tanks, not singular ponies- but she wasn't looking good either. she was visibly sweating as she ducked and weaved around tanks and soldiers. Bullets slamming the ground behind her warned her of the fate she would receive if she slowed.

THWACK "THIS ISN'T A PANTOMIME! GET MOVING!"

I hung my head and whispered to myself. "Look away for a second and i'll show you a fucking pantomime."

THUD The pegasus bucked me into a wall and glared into my eyes. "WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN SMART ASS?"

I didn't answer, instead grabbing her hoof with my own and pulling her forwards sharply. she immediately flapped her wings to get away as I pulled, twisted and turned until she was on the ground. WHUMP. I flinched slightly as her back-hoof managed to nick my leg, allowing her just enough time to give me a sharp buck to the chest. I fell to the floor, coughing and wheezing as she retrieved her gun and pushed it into my temple. "Any... Last... Words?"

I smiled a smile of pure malice as my eyes met hers. "Just one thing: you didn't happen to capture a buck earlier did you? Yellow coat, orange mane, fascination with the application of power tools to ponies' skulls?"

"What the hell are you on about..." she asked, unflinching.

"Oh, that's all I needed to know."

BOOM

The wall next to me exploded outwards as a blue coated, yellow maned pegasus mare smashed through it. She slammed ungracefully into a tank, her light blue digital-camouflaged body armor doing nothing to detract from the blow as a sickening crunch echoed from her skull. the tea colored pegasus was now flying much higher and dropping grenades towards the hole. then the smoke and dust started to clear, settling on the plaster and brick shards around me. At first all I could see of him was an unkempt, orange mane. Then a dust-covered yellow coat. Finally, a pair of gleaming green eyes fixed on me with pinpoint accuracy. As Dicer moved through the smoke, I saw a buzzsaw which he clutched by the mouth-guard, obscuring what was probably the largest grin in equestria.

Dicer wasted no time. As soon as the dust had cleared, he charged. Ducking and weaving in-between grenades, he soon managed to grab a tank's mini-gun-frame and climb atop it. After climbing onto the mini-gun, he put the buzz-saw to work. A hoof-full of sparks, a bit of ducking and a whole lot of ponies unfortunate enough to attempt stopping him later, and he had managed to take the gun completely off.

click. "Just a minute longer, and i'll be able to get you guys out of there."

I looked down at my dust-covered suit and attempted to shake it down a bit with my magic. Then I attempted to push myself up. My leg burned as a small 'snap' echoed from it. A singular enemy soldier - a green unicorn with a blue mane - started to approach me. I tried pushing myself up again but only managed to receive another 'snap' before collapsing back to floor, crying out from the pain. The unicorn continued to approach me. I looked into his purple eyes but no emotion came back to me. His white-and-gold camouflage glistened as he moved forward, for a second I wondered how he could wear such camouflage in the field before I noticed something absolutely terrifying: The buck had a three suns em-blazed onto a shield over where his cutie mark would regularly be. He was one of celestia's royal guards before the war.

Now, being "celestia's royal guard" may not sound like a big deal, as the guard is pictured to be mostly ceremonial. After all, both princesses could easily decimate any intruder. But, when you factored in the fact that you had to achieve the highest medal of honor within the equestrian military AND have served in the battlefield for at least ten years... This buck wore decorative camouflage because it didn't matter if he was seen: he would win any fight you could throw at him.

The buck continued to plod towards me, now only a few meters away. I fumbled with my saddlebags before realizing that I had emptied them for the tea-colored Pegasus earlier. I glanced hurriedly around for my companions, but they were all occupied: Asphalt was fighting about seven Pegasi at once and somehow winning; Dicer was pealing open the top of a tank with his buzz-saw while the crew desperately tried to mash the hole shut and the unicorn from earlier had now taken cover behind the pile of rubble Dicer made in his big entrance. In short: I was screwed.

click. "You guys better hope to buck this works..."

Wait... what works?

WHAM

Time slowed down for a second as a strawberry-colored van swerved in-between two tanks and started to be pelted with bullets.

The mare's voice seeped through the communicator. "Shadow, just out of curiosity... Did you even think once that this could" crunch "happen?"

A small amount of screaming was clearly heard over the fighting. A chunk of flesh was seen sailing through the air as more buzz-saw sounds echo around. The unicorn was now using dead bodies as emergency cover as soldiers advanced on her from all sides. The tank Dicer was in earlier lets out a bit of spluttering and banging before it's gun whips to the side and starts pelting some of the soldiers.

click. "Luna, forgive me for what I am about to do."

The van's diver-side door slammed open and out seeped a black cloud, which soon slipped into the shadows of the fighting ponies.

thud.

A Pegasus wearing heavy, flare-grade battle Armour (version two, with the steel wings) slammed down from the ceiling, it's neck twisted unnaturally.

I glanced up to see where the Pegasus came from and was greeted with the sight of Asphalt fighting multiple other pegasi.

A black cloud flowed out of one of the soldier's shadows and started to materialize, very rapidly, into a pony. First, a head which flowed down into a torso. A suit soon started to cover the gray fur and the black-and-dark-gray hair scruffily landed over one of the ponies' blue eyes. The front hoof was one of the last things to materialize, and I watched in awe as it slammed into the face of a soldier, and then was followed up by two rapid half-bucks before the pony simply puffed back into a cloud and disappeared into the shadows once again.

Shadow Path was officially in the fight.

I dove towards the tank that Dicer took control of as more bullets ricochet around me. I felt my legs buckle as I slam into the inside of the tank, grunting slightly from the dull ache. My legs once again cracked, and when I tried moving again my leg wouldn't do anything.

As I glanced to the right I saw a pony aiming at my face. I was barely able to pull up a telekinetic shield before he shot, screaming in pain as the shield shattered, sending my head into a broken mixture of pain and confusion. Everything hurt. Nothing was seen properly. In that moment, all I felt was pain, surging from my horn to my hooves and back.

Through the haze of pain and confusion, I see a shadowy-black cloud lift me up and place me gently into the van before disappearing back into the fray. My head throbbed as I watched another pegasi discover how gravity damns the other races.

To my right, I saw the target - the stallion who we were supposed to recover, preferably alive. He was sobbing slightly and tied up with a thick rope that encompassed all of his legs as well as kept his head in a constant downward stare. I stared at him for a bit, wondering why he didn't use his magic to escape. Soon enough though - my question was answered. His horn had been removed completely, a clean cut, and was now lightly bleeding. Not enough to be life-threatening but... it would need a bandage eventually if we wanted to keep him alive.

I watched the mare from earlier duck and weave her way towards the van, still shooting the occasional shot to cover her escape. The van's walls let out the occasional "thud" as a stray bullet hit the magically-reinforced steel, and made me wince as I think of all the unicorns that must be having to constantly provide the magic part while we get shot at. I didn't even what to think about what THAT would do to your horn...

Another pegasus slamsedinto the ground, leaving a small red smear on the floor. The mare swiftly glided around it and unloaded a bullet into the pegasi's head before slipping into the van.

WHAM Asphalt slamed a grass-colored pegasus into the ground, something soon accompanied by a soft crack. Asphalt grabed a grenade from the dead pegasi's belt and chucked it into the fray before darting into the truck with us. The target inched across the seat towards the door to the van but a quick glance from me quickly discarded that plan.

Outside of the van, I could see the tank Dicer took control of splutter and then hiss before stopping entirely. A few seconds later, the hatch opened and Dicer bolted out and into the van, leaving a trail of bullet holes behind him. Straight after Dicer got in, a black cloud sliped through and into the driver's seat. "Get the back-doors shut!"

I slammed the doors shut telekenetically and felt a bit queasy as the van started to race forwards, swerving around several soldiers and tanks in the process.

BOOM A massive explosion demolished a tree in the garden that we were lucky enough to swerve behind. Above us I heard the hum of a helicopter's blades and the endless firing of guns.

Beside me, Dicer was having bandages put on nasty look scratches on his legs. I heard Asphalt explain that he can't be re-bandaging him every time we go on a mission, but we all knew that Dicer wasn't going to listen to his advice. In front of me, I saw the mare channel magic into the truck - most probably some more magical protection.

BOOM Another explosion echoed through the air, and I got knocked into the target as the van swerved to avoid falling rubble. The target whimpered slightly, and shuffles away but is pushed back to me by another sudden swerve. In the front, I see Shadow Path pulling the steering wheel in all directions, trying desperately not to be killed. The windows on the doors to the van allowed me to see that we were starting to outrun the tanks, but the ever-present whir from the helicopter reminded me that we weren't not safe yet.

THUNK A bullet slammed into the window, and I saw the mare in front of me wince as her magic absorbed the impact. A sharp right took the van through an alleyway and into a construction site, and I saw a tank jam it's gun onto the side of the wall when trying to turn the corner. The van proceeded to ram the metal fence surrounding the site, knocking it over as if it were nothing. A sharp left took us back onto the road, and back on the run. The helicopter's fire ricocheted around as as we sped ahead, forcing shadow path to drive faster and faster through the winding roads.

I felt a bump go through my body as the van bounced. We raced around a corner, helicopter fire inches behind us, and continued towards a large underpass. More helicopters were closing in from the horizon, and I felt our chances getting slimmer and slimmer with every passing second. Asphalt tried desperately to tie the remaining bandages around Dicer's leg through all the motion. The mare in front of me was gritting her teeth through the pain of keeping the Armour enchantment up. I desperately wanted to help her but unfortunately I had never learnt the Armour spell and so any efforts I made would have be futile.

Shadow Path's voice echoed from the front of the can. "I have a plan. We should be fine if we get into the tunnel alive."

Bullets continued to hail down on us as we drove onward. Multiple helicopters were closing into the tunnel's entrances. Shadow Path swerved to avoid a civilian's car, unexpectedly jolting everypony. The Tunnel's entrance approached as we drove forward, and the target's whimpers quietened slightly as we entered the underpass.

Up ahead a lorry was driving forwards, with it's back door open. Multiple civilian's cars made it hard to simply get near the lorry but through allot of swerving we managed to slide up the ramp and into the lorry.

"Ok, Ice spike, shut the door and seal it."

I bit my lip and telekenetically pulled the doors open. In the corner of my eye I saw Asphalt grab the target. I tried to get up and move toward the floor, but my leg still wouldn't move. Eventually, I managed to get enough focus to get a simple telekinesis spell up. For a second, my magic sliped and the door clanged against the ground with a horrid screeching sound but luckily I managed to pull it back up before long. The door soon was slid into place and a quick ice-spell ensured it wouldn't loosen for a long time.

Another mission complete.