Chapters Rise of Equestria: Battle for Canterlot
AY-lmao's in Little Canterlot P1
if you haven't read Rise of Equestria make sure to before starting this one
MEME WHILE IN CANTERLOT
Dr. Tygan covered his head as the whole lab shook. Alarms went off, and the emergency lights came on meaning they lost central power. One of the assistants tried the Comm console.
"Whats going on!" The young curly brown-haired man asked. A security chief answered.
"The base has been hit,... No, No that can't be possible not here!" The last thing heard before horrified screams was a sound that was unmistakable a Chryssalid screech. Tygan's blood went cold. Old enemies could only mean the Elders were near. There was a telltale skittering that shook him from his fear.
"Lockdown the doors hurry!" He pointed, and the Lab Tech bolted and slammed the emergency button. Solid steel doors slammed shut; the tech looked at the doctor who nodded his approval. Dr. Tygan heard a whimpering from underneath the table next to him. He crouched down to look at the little yellow unicorn hiding with her hooves over her eyes shaking badly.
"OH, Celestia it's the changings all over again. I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" She wailed
"Miss Tess, panicking isn't going to help anyone. Please remain calm X-Com is very familiar with these creatures." The doctor spoke calmly, and Tess Tube relaxed seeing his composure. There was a rumble in the vents, and Tygan felt his words turn back on him. One of the vents burst open with the dark purple and orange chitinous armor of a Chryssalid, the quadrupedal insect the size of a full grown man barrelled towards them with a haunting screech. Tygan threw himself to cover the pony squeezing his eyes tight.
He felt something fly past him and turned to see a table was thrown knocking the alien back. Followed by bright flashes of orange and the sound of plasma rounds. With each shot, a limb flew off. When the creature fell, a man raced over and brought his bronze boot down hard enough to make the floor shake. He kept stomping the dead alien as if it owed him money (or Ammo) Finally the man in armor made of bronze strips of copper stood up straight breathing heavily his helmet cast three stripes of blue light.
Tygan scanned the room seeing the tech under a vent. "Brent get, away from the ven-"Too late another monstrous Chryssalid burst down and took the man to the ground. The bronze man aimed his small pistol like tool with three laser dots shining where they had fallen behind a lab table. The screams ended in a gurgle then silence. The man edged closer keeping his cutter trained on the table. His patience paid off when the creature popped screeching. Its head flew off with a discharge of orange plasma. Everyone heard the rest of the body fall with a boneless thump.
Nobody breathed when an almost human groan came out of the now standing tech. Before Tygan would warn of the undead Tech the man was already firing an arm went flying, and the rest of it rushed over the table in a crazed dash. Another shot and it's leg came off in a spray of blood sending the undead tech to the floor. The man rushed in and stomped sending blood splattering. Causing Tygan to cover his eyes from the carnage. The man started cursing violently and hysterically. Tess began to sob hiding her face from the scene.
When the corpse was little more than bloody mush, the man finally calmed down. His shoulders heaved, and the helmet retracted from his face revealing a middle-aged man with a five o'clock shadow. He ran a gloved hand through his short brown hair.
"Are you ok Mr. Clarke?" Tygan asked shaking the blood from his hand.
"Ya." Clarke swallowed and nodded his head "Ya I'm good." His Helmet unfolded back over his face, and he turned to look at the Doctor.
"I will say, Mr. Clarke, I had forgotten you were in here for maintenance. Thankfully you were, this encounter would have been slightly more unpleasant without you." Tygan said calm as always.
Isaac Clarke snorted shaking his head at the Doctors deminer.
Tygan furrowed his brow. But Isaac moved his hand, and a blue energy field shimmered around it and reached out to pick up another table. "Short answer Doc." He let out bluntly, and Tygan huffed. He floated the table to the ceiling over the busted vent and pulled out a different tool and began bolting it to the roof. As Tygan begun to explain,
"In short insectoid creatures that poison and lay eggs in their victims. Causing reanimation before a new full-sized creature burst out." Clarke finished and moved to the next,
"Giant bugs that reproduce through zombies got it." Clarke summed up grimly and inspected his work. He put away the tool and begun to check over several other tools while muttering to himself. "Ok, Clarke you've dealt with worse things. What your Oh for Four on eldrich horrors in my life?" He shook his head. "Ok here's what your gonna do. Your going to open these door then shut them till I come back stay quiet. I'm going to look for other survivors."
Tygan grimaced "X-Com personal are well trained and experienced with these aliens Mr. Clarke." Clarke looked at him
"That's what Earth Gov said." Isaac moved to the door, Tygan rushed over to the override button clearly against this idea, But unable to convince him otherwise.
"Be careful Mr. Clarke There are guaranteed to be more intelligent and armed units wondering the halls," Tygan warned, and Isaac nodded before the door opened and he stepped out. Their eyes met before the Doctor closed the blast doors again.
Isaac swept the hall with his trusty plasma cutter. He heard a familiar song creep into his ear like someone was whispering it into his right ear. A familiar tingle in the back of his skull like a hand brushing his hair. He ignored it because if he acknowledged it, it would only make her worse. He focused on the noise around him trying to ground himself in the fucked up reality that was his life.
"Come to the pony world they said... Join X-Com they need Engineers they said. Protect the cute candy colored ponies from bad guys..." He paused and tilted his head "Ok at least that ones true." He admitted Their was a loud explosion from down the hall and blaster fire. He altered his course and started towards the sound. "Oh ya and the small legion of perfect clone soldiers with plasma weapons more advanced then anything I've seen. God who knew you could shock point to another universe.." He finished muttering as he rounded a corner to see three aliens with green armor dead while blue bolts kept hitting the wall.
He could hear a female yelling angrily. He recognized that kind of yell, someone desperate to survive. The blue bolts stopped hitting the wall, and he approached slowly. He could hear the clicking of an empty gun. The yelling stopped, and he poked his head into the entryway only to meet eyes with an Orange mare with hay colored hair and green eyes.
He watched her eyes flick to a dead clone with a hole burned through him. She rushed it reaching out for a round thing in the corpse's hand. He tried to yell wait, but she didn't hear. Throwing his hand out with a blast of stasis that bathed the mare in a cold blue and slowed her to a crawl. Isaac breathed a sigh of relief and approached her. Her eyes moved to him slowly fear clear as day on her face. He crouched and pulled out the little I.D card X-Com had given him. Slowly she read the I.D and panic left her face as the stasis ended. He caught her before she could plow headfirst into the dead clone.
"Woah nelly." She let out disoriented by the sudden shift to normal speed. Her accent was thick and southern.
"You ok?" He asked, and she nodded shaking off the stasis effects.
"Sorry for almost chucking a det at your face." She apologized, and Isaac looked back at the pile of aliens, and the exploded doorway.
"Judging by the hall, I'd say you'd be forgiven for kneejerking." He assured before standing up again. "Got a barricaded room a hall down you'll be safe there." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, and she nodded.
"Alright, Tinman just let me grab something." She said warily before approaching the Clone he heard her say something like "Sorry Twenty-five" Before working the belt off the clone as gingerly as she could. He offered a hand when she looked like she was having trouble getting the belt around her waist. She hastily declined, flopping on her back to clip the belt around her barrel. She retrieved the Clones rifle and slung it over her back adjusting the strap till it didn't drag anymore. She looked back at the clone one last time
"I'll plant the biggest tree for ya Twenty-Five." She looked back at Isaac with determined but wet eyes. "Let's get going then." Isaac nodded, and they left the scene.
Author's Note
Sorry 25
Look familiar that because most of this has been moved over from another story. So if your familiar with my Rise of Equestria story most of this is going to be a retread.
Rise of Equestria: Battle for Canterlot
AY-lmao's in Little Canterlot P2
Applejack opened her eyes with a pained grunt. The whole room shook jerking her fully awake. The throbbing in her skull reminded her of what had happened. The roof had exploded, and the blast knocked the farm mare out cold. When she got her eyes to focus she saw a white lump of armor laying against the central long-range comms console, the console had repeatedly been shot leaving large burned holes. Bigger than any holes Clone blasters left.
"Twenty-Five?" She asked getting her hooves under her. "Wake up partner..." She pleaded with dread in her gut like an icy fist. Gingerly shaking her head she saw the black scorch on his chest was more of a hole and her stomach flopped. She swayed on her hooves the smell of charred meat and hair touched her noise, and she retched having to turn her head. "Oh god Twenty-five" she choked out feeling the sob catch in her throat. The clone started out prickler then a pear, but the last day they'd gotten along fine as he taught her how to use the Comms. She looked back at the Dead clone realizing something.
This attack wasn't by one of the other races. Energy bolts like the Clones were the only thing that could do this much damage. Something new had joined their little war. War she paused at the word. Oh, gods, this was a war now. Today this attack ended trying to preventing one. She swallowed the sour taste in her mouth and took a breath. For some reason, that realization calmed her. People, Ponies died in wars that's normal. She couldn't hold on to that calm for long as the tears came back.
"But damn it why did it have to be normal!" She shouted bitterly. Something like a roar and chatter she couldn't understand silenced her. Her eyes fell on Twenty-Fives DC-15m. Part of her ordinance training jokingly requested by Fixer. But damn if she didn't take it to heart. She'd used her spare time to study the basics of the Clone arsenal. She had to chuckle dryly she'd even put in for range time with Fifty-Seven. "Celestia do I wish it was noon tomorrow right now." She whispered to herself as she gently nudged the sling off Twenty-Fives shoulder. "Then I might have a bucking idea how to shoot this thing." She grunted as her hoof touched the Clones hand to slide the rifle out of his stiff hands. Picking the gun up in her mouth to sling the strap over her neck.
She heard heavy footsteps too heavy to be Clone or X-Com. She jumped when three hunchbacked aliens with green armor and pinkish skin looked into her room. They looked at each other and one leveled a weird fin looking gun. Applejack dove for cover behind a chunk of concrete. She fiddled like mad with the rifle trying to find the safety. She pushed something, and the charge pack fell out. She fumbled to put it back in. She peeked over her wall seeing the Aliens weren't shooting at her. Maybe she had miss judged.
One threw a beeping green cone her way. "Nope completely hit the nail on the head!" she thought as she used the long rifle as a bat to knock it back at them. The grenade went off in a green cloud of plasma that shook the room. The shockwave knocked the air out of her chest. Nothing immediately shot back, so she slid her back against the wall and pushed the pack back in. She flipped the only other switch she saw, and all the lights on the gun blinked out.
"Oh pears!" she cursed. When a line of green plasma whizzed over her head, she undid her mistake and propped the business end of the rifle on the wall seeing the three trying to get back up from the grenade. She tried to pull the trigger, but Clone weapons were not built for hooves. She dived back behind the cover "Buck ME!" she loudly cursed as she spun the rifle and with one swift kick broke the trigger guard off. She heard running feet, and she fell on her back as one of the creatures tried to swipe at her with the saw blade on its gun. Using both front legs, she aimed and shot it in the face.
Seeing it was still standing, she growled and shot it again till it fell to the floor. She heard a growl from the other two and rolled till she laid on her side with a view of the other aliens. She held the Trigger and Blue fire spewed from the end almost randomly hitting walls and floor. Her eyes unfocused as tears fell down her cheeks. When the blaster clicked empty, she flinched. Finally seeing everything was dead and she'd been hitting the wall for a while now. Her throat hurt, and she realized she'd been yelling. She slumped breathing heavy letting the rifle dip and touch its smoking barrel to the floor. She looked at the smoking corpse of whatever it was that she'd killed. It's yellow eyes still glowed like it was merely sleeping. She had to grimace at the thought.
She heard more footsteps coming to her door, and she bolted up propping the blaster on the concrete chunk. Something wearing Bronze strips as armor with three blue lines for eyes stepped into view, and they looked at each other. Applejack's heart thumped in her ears, and she pulled the trigger. The Bronze man flinched at the click of the empty gun. Fear filled her system, and she let her eyes flick to the Det in Twenty-Fives hand. She dove for it not hearing the man shout "Wait!" over the pumping of blood in her ears. Suddenly the whole world went blue, and a cold sensation washed over her. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. The Det was mere inches from her hoof yet felt like miles away. She squeezed her eyes shut even that felt slow. A few tears fell down her cheek when she opened her eyes and saw she was only a few centimeters closer to where she was before. Something was wrong.
She saw motion out of the corner of her eye. She realized the man was walking normal speed and she was, in fact, going super slow. He crouched in front of her. "This is where I die" went through her head when the blue lines shifted, and the front part of what she now realized was a fancy helmet slid back to reveal a greying middle-aged human. He held out an X-Com ID badge, Isaac Clarke, Engineering. She relaxed feeling the cold fading around her. He put out a hand to stop her from plowing head first into her friend's corpse.
When time returned to normal, she fell into his arm. Feeling queasy from the sudden shift. "Woah nelly" She tried to shake off the feeling in head.
"You ok?" he asked sounding reasonable enough, and she nodded.
"Sorry for almost chucking a Det at your face." She apologized, Isaac looked back at the exploded hallway littered with dead aliens.
"Judging by the hall, I say you'd be forgiven for knee jerking." He assured as he stood back up he hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "Got a barricaded room a hall down you'll be safe there." He offered, and she nodded.
"Alright, Tinman just let me grab something." She said before turning back towards Twenty-Five. She had to swallow as she eyed his belt and felt guilty. Isaac stood guard "survive now, Mourn later." She whispered to herself as she undid his utility belt and the Holster with his pistol still in it. It had two charge packs for the rifle and another thermal Det hanging on the left side. She looked ridiculous as she laid on her back trying to close it around her barrel with her hooves. Isaac offered a hand, but she shot him down and got it clasped. It slid to rest on her haunches as she rolled over to stand. The last step was adjusting the sling on the rifle so it didn't drag and AJ was ready to move forward. Turning to look into the T-shaped visor one last time she nodded. "Thank you Twenty-Five I'll plant the biggest tree for ya." Approaching Issac, they left the scene behind.
Rise of Equestria: Battle for Canterlot
Gunfire echoed through the halls making Applejack twitch and jump as she and Issac walked through the building back towards the safe room Issac talked about. Issac swept the hall with his cutter as they walked making Applejack feel a bit useless. She couldn't walk and shoot with Twenty-Five's blaster. So she did her best to keep an eye out checking behind them regularly. A door opened as they walked past and Applejack jumped trying to aim the blaster. Issac and her pointed their weapons as someone fell out of the doorway face first onto the ground. It was a man in Red armor with tubes on his torso. Parts of him glowed an ominous purple. He was dark skinned with a beanie on his head.
"Um is he dead?" Aj turned to Issac and asked. Before the engineer could answer a roar came from down the hall and plasma started flying. Aj leaped into the room the man fell out of and then hit the deck as Issac jumped over her. Using the Door frame to prop herself up she aimed down the hallway at more of those hunchbacked aliens. Issac leaned out to shoot. His cutter hit one, but it only flinched at the singe on its armor.
"son of a-" He never finished his curse as he narrowly avoids a shot aimed at his head.
"Oh ya nasty buggers Mutons be." The sudden Scottish accent made them both jump. Sitting cross-legged on the floor was the man he was looking at them out of his one eye the other had a black eyepatch on it. He didn't even seem to notice the plasma fire that whizzed past him.
"What?" was all Applejack could say at the man sitting casually in the middle of a firefight. One of the "Mutons" steadied his weird rifle as it charged to aim at the sitting man. Either in dumb luck or a moment of precognition, the man jumped to his feet and held his arms out channeling raw energy in front of him in a diamond shaped purple shield. The beam hit the guard, and the man barely grunted before moving his hands away. He touched the floor and raised a purple spire giving him cover from the plasma fire. Applejack watched in amazement as this strange and powerful man did things she thought only a unicorn could achieve.
Then he plopped back down on the floor cross-legged behind the spire. Applejack felt her high hopes plummet to below sea level when he reached into his pouch and pulled what she knew for a fact was the cheapest strongest scotch in canterlot and put it right to his lips. And he drank like a normal man would breathe. Aj's eye twitched, and she let out a growl before leaning back and shooting out her frustration. She hit most of the pink hunch-backs at least once.
"Good shot lassy." He praised and celebrated with another guzzle. Applejack had already been at her wits end losing Twenty-Five, Being ambushed twice by these creatures. At this point, she lost her temper.
"Get off your drunk ass and help us dammit!" She shouted. Her words rung a familiar bell in the drunks head. Similar words from a similar accent and he hoped to his feet with a smooth motion that shouldn't have been possible after what he was drinking. He let out a ripe burp and wiped his mouth. Putting his hands together purple energy flowed through him till he was glowing with it. Taking a deep breath, he sprinted at the Mutons.
Aj facehoofed cursing the drunk idiot. She heard a happy holler and looked up to see him effortlessly dodging plasma as he jumped right in the middle of the three, confused Mutons. Using his left hand, he pulled and dragged at the purple energy till it formed a two-foot-long purple energy blade that he thrust towards the ceiling. What looked like storm clouds formed above him and the aliens raining down purple lightning. Striking his enemies till nothing was left but smoking corpses. Pulling his arm down and striking a threatening pose as the purple energy coursed all around him. His one eye a solid glowing purple whisp.
Seeing the man like this made Applejack wonder if the drunk act was merely that. Until like a switch was thrown the purple energy was gone and he stumbled giggling like a school girl. He pointed a wavering finger in Applejacks general direction. "Now imagine if I hadn't been drunk!" He fell into hard laughter at his own joke. He stumbled a step back. "Woo, I need a drink." Aj's eye twitched, and she banged her head on the door frame. With a frustrated snort, she finally raised her head from the dented doorframe.
"Partner if we survive this I'll buy you a whole barrel of Applejack Daniels!" She offered not even a second before the words had left her lips there was a bright purple flash and Issac was suddenly down the hallway and the man was standing over her with a stern face. She yelped taking a step back when he leaned forward and turned till his good eye was right on her.
His eyebrow raised slowly "Is it good stuff?" he asked suspiciously. Applejack despite being caught off guard tried her best to smirk and tap a hoof to his chest.
"Top shelf partner." She watched in amazement as the drunk man did the closest thing she'd ever seen to a Pinkie pie smile on any other creature that wasn't the pink mare herself. As the unnaturally big smile crossed the black Scottish man's face, she could swear even the stars were in his one eye. Before she could react, he scooped her up in a hug as he cheered with delight.
"I love ya lass! If I weren't the man I was, I'd kiss ya on ya little pony lips!" He lifted her eye to one eye, and she put a hoof on his grinning face and pushed him away.
"I reckon ya don't partner." She warned. Issac walked up rubbing his helmet.
"What just happened?" he asked, and Applejack sighed still being carried by the man.
"I think I made a friend." She huffed, and Issac chuckled
"Huh, I guess friendship really is-"
"Don't." She hissed pointing a threatening hoof for she was not in the mood. Issac raised his hands in mock surrender but couldn't stop the chuckle at the end. She pushed the hoof further and glared at him before wiggling out of the drunks grip. She set her jaw and straightened her hat it was going to be a long day. "Let's go already."
Readjusting Twenty-Fives rifle on her back, she started walking with Issac and the Drunk walking on either side of her.
"What's your names lads? Mines Travis Degroot but call me Demo." Demo slurred the question.
"Issac Clarke."
"Applejack."
Demo stopped cocking his head at the orange mare. "You're named after a drink?"
Aj pulled her hat over her eyes hiding the frustration and blush on her face. "It's a long story, and I don't want to tell it."
"Aye fair enough lass. Demo shrugged still grinning he pointed a bobbing finger at her "But I knew there was a reason I liked you."
Aj looked back at him "I thought it was because I offered you booze?"
"Aye, that too. But I feel this is the beginning to a beautiful friend-" Demo never got to finish his corny line before the wall in front of them exploded with two tons of red fury in the shape of the hulk mixed with a Muton, with the face of Predator without the dreads.
All three stared wide-eyed at the behemoth before them. It stood a couple feet taller than a minotaur. It smashed it's fist into rubble growling angrily then it roared loud and fierce enough to shake the wall.
"Oh Fuck," Issac stated plainly, and the thing must have heard because it looked at them roaring again. Both Demo and Aj turned their heads to glare at the engineer. The thing charged at them as Issac scrambled to a run.
"Oh FUCK!" The engineer shouted much more panicked this time as they ran from the angry beast.
Author's Note
If you never played X-Com War of The Chosen and don't know what their version of a Templar is Watch this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyAQdUn46Sk
the creature at the end
Rise of Equestria: Battle for Canterlot
Issac bolted down the hallway using all of his well-tuned instincts to know that thing was big and angry and after them. Applejack caught up in two gallops eye's full and face set to shit, Shit, SHIT! Naturally being a quadruped, she passed him quickly. Issac had to double take when Demo came sprinting up pumping his arms like crazy.
"Oh come on!" Issac shouted as the drunk Scottish cyclops passed him to. Throwing his arm back he fired at the Red Beast who was slowly gaining on the trio. The tiny plasma bolts barely left a singe on the red armored hide. It made an angry snarl and ran even faster after them.
The Demo looked back at the engineer. "You're just pissin her off lad!" He shouted making Issac stumble a step windmilling his arms to keep his balance.
"HER?" Issac asked in shock. The drunk Scottish man started running backward further rubbing the Engineer's slowness in his face.
"Ya all berserkers are female Tinny." He explained and Issac chuckled between his pants for air.
"Is that why they're so angry?" Clarke tried to joke, but Applejack slowed down enough to keep pace with him.
"If we weren't running for our lives I'd buck you!" The mare growled, and Demo shook his head.
"You've brought shame to your people Tinman." The drunk berated.
"Oh shut up and tell us how to kill this thing!" Issac spat.
"We just need to shoot the thing enough! Our problems being-"
"We stop we die got it." Clarke finished Demo's thought.
Applejack saw the hallway split two directions ahead and she sped ahead.
"Trust me!" She shouted before turning right. She heard them approaching fast and dug out the last thermal det she had and waited. Demo and Issac rounded the corner and passed on either side of her. The Berserker tried to make the sharp turn, but it's bulk made it slide into the wall. The Farm mare tossed the round Det like a horseshoe. Her skill at the game rung true when she clanked it on the skull, before exploding.
The creature stumbled "Woohoo it's a ringer!" Aj cheered, and Demo and Issac watched the beast start to lean. Only for it shake it's burned face and swipe at the smoke from the Det. It roared arms out, and all good feelings died on the spot. "Oh Come ON!" Applejack shouted, and Travis grabbed her by the barrel and started running again. So they hopefully didn't follow in the footsteps of the happy thoughts. Applejack glared at the Man carrying her like a hoof bag, She was facing towards the quickly catching up behemoth. "Not wasting a clear line of fire." was the line she thought Seventy-Eight had said at one point, She pulled Twenty-Five's Rifle and tried to shoulder it as everything swayed from the running Scot.
Finally getting the thing shouldered she pulled the trigger only for the drunk to readjust his grip on her causing the bolt to hit the floor.
"Shoot! Travis!" She cursed.
"Aye?" He responded to hearing his real name.
"Sling me over your shoulder so I can shot straight!" She ordered, with a grunt, he complied tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She offed and put a hoof on her hat before bringing the rifle up again. She opened fire every other shot may have missed but the ones that hit left smoking holes and slowed the beast down. Still, it barreled after them. Travis suddenly pulled her off his shoulder.
"What the Hay Demo?" She glared at the Scot who was cradling her in his arms like a foul. He kept looking down between her, and whatever was in front of him.
"We got Advent in front lad and Lass. Prepare to catch some air pony!" The Drunk warned, but Aj couldn't even utter a what before he tossed her up and over three human-shaped soldiers in blocky armor with lots of angles. One wore red, the others wore a dull standard grey and black. Demo pulled out his Psi-Blades one on each arm and spun slashing the Red captain and one of the standard troopers. He sprinted through and recaught Aj before she hit the floor. Issac punched the last soldier with his Plasma Cutter. There was a satisfying crack, and the trooper hit the floor.
Aj's heart was thumping in her chest as she was carried like a hoof ball. She looked behind them to see the Red one get up running a hand over the slash on his armor. It turned to shout at the Berserker, but it barely paused for a second before smashing the Captain's head on a wall leaving an orange smear Aj grimaced. Demo rounded a corner then skitted to a halt dropping Applejack on the floor with a pained grunt. She glared at the Scot who had his hands up, then looked down the hall to see Twenty ponies all lined up in silver plate mail armor. Each had the Blue plumes of the Royal Guard. Each had a stone arrow three feet long drawn back behind a magic circle over their right shoulder, and they were aimed at them.
"Don't shoot! we're X-COM!" Issac shouted waving his hands when the Berserker came around the corner snorting in rage. The Trio turned to where the beast had slid in, and Issac shouted again. "That! That shoot the hell out of!"
"Get down!" One of the silver guards ordered and Issac and Demo hit the ground near AJ. The first arrow that passed through the magic circle to be accelerated made a Sub-Sonic Boom. It flew over them and sunk deep into the muscle of the Berserker. The hit to the beast's bicep made it recoil back holding its arm for a second before roaring.
Inside the Berserker's mind was something like this
The creatures thoughts were interrupted by a stone Arrow piercing her skull with enough force to drive it deep enough to matter. A second arrow pushed the beast to fall back not forward onto the trio. Demo uncovered his head and looked bewildered between the dead berserker and the Silver unicorns that had taken it down.
"Bloody Hell." He let out impressed.
Issac got up dusting himself off. "Jesus that thing was angry."
"Are all of you alright?" The lead unicorn asked in a posh canterlot accent.
"Rigs green I'm good" Issac stated even though no one here knew about his rig.
"Could use a drink." Demo let out as he got up and Applejack shook her head as she got to her hooves
"Partner I got the feeling you always could use a drink." She spat as she gave herself a shake. "Thanks for the save fellas."
"Sargent Stripe Solstice of the Silver Arrows 3rd company Ma'am. It's an honor to save an Element of Harmony Ma'am." The Lead Unicorn saluted.
"Put your Arm down and tell me what going on Sargent." Applejack ordered and the Stallion nodded and pulled out a Republic Holo-disk. When it flickered to life it showed a map of the castle and the Avenger, Then zoomed into where they were.
"Were the Silver Archers heavy support unit. We and our sister units are tasked with guarding the deeper systems of the Avenger. The shield protecting Canterlot is holding but were still evacuating Civilians. Ground forces have been trying to force there way in through these major choke points we've set up. So far nothing has gotten through." Sargent Stripe explained.
Demo nodded "Ay sounds good lads." Issac shuffled nervously looking around.
Aj looked at him eyebrow raised "You good Tin-man?"
"Ya, ya sounds like a good plan. what happens when it goes to shit?" He asked harshly, and the Sargent grimaced.
"Then we fall back till our flanks hit a wall and fight to the last soldier." The Sargent explained, and Issac nodded. Something big made a thud and Demo's face fell turning around to look at the Berserker once more.
"I know I'm drunk, but these bastards usually come in-" Another thud interrupted his thinking out loud "Pairs, AW CRAP!" he shouted bringing his hands together to form an energy ball between his hands. "Get ready lads!" The Sargent jumped retaking his position at the center of the archers.
"Archers at the ready!" he shouted, and they each drew back a stone arrow. The whole hall shook when a familiar roar echoed from down the hall as thundering footsteps came charging closer. Another Berserker came tearing around the bend into sight. Demo throw out the ball of purple energy knocking the behemoth back and stunning it for a moment.
"FIRE!" Demo shouted pointing at the stunned creature. The Sargent looked at his Men.
"You heard the Drunk Fire!" With the proper order given Stone arrows flew at Super-sonic speeds piercing the armored hide. When the first volley of arrows was done, the thing resembled a stumbling pin-cushion. Sagent Stripe raised his hoof to order a second volley.
"I'll finish this one Lads." The scot boasted and drew his Psi-Blades. He didn't even have to touch the thing the wave of energy that came off his swing knocked the berserker dead. He put his fist in his hand and took a deep breath gaining more focus from the kill.
Aj whistled "Nice job partner."
"Aye Thanks, mate." Demo throw her a thumbs up, and she shook her head.
"Ya you to, but I was talking to the archers." She corrected, and the Demo waved her off. The sound of marching boots and alien chatter echoed from down the hall the Berserker came made them all tense and the Sarge hissed through his teeth. Then stood straight
"Archers! Retrieve what you can. Get ready for foot soldiers!"
Aj sighed "this was going to be a long day wasn't it."
Author's Note
Fill in your own chase music and leave it in the comments i want to hear what you guys think fits best. I'll even add a link to my favorite
Rise of Equestria: Battle for Canterlot
Each Archer fired up their horns and reached out to gather their arrows. Issac reached out with his TK and helped fill the archer next to him. The Archer, a mare with soft blue eyes, looked impressed and thankful as her barrel was restocked faster. A grenade came flying around the corner. Issac caught the small explosive and Tk'd it back at them. With several Alien grunts and a fiery boom that sent several low-level Advent flying from out of cover.
Issac cocked his head back with a smug grin that you could feel through his helmet. That had the mare rolling her eyes before she recast the magic circles over her shoulder. Demo came running to get out of the line of fire as Advent regrouped.
"Stand behind me." Sargent Stripe ordered, and Issac toed back behind the Archers. With a blue spark, a Blue wall popped up in front of the Archers It stretched all the way to the ceiling and blocked the whole hallway. Five Advent troopers walked in a line towards the blue shield. The Red commander stood in the middle looking smug. The regular soldiers dropped to one knee in a firing position. The Captain pointed yelling what was probably fire in their language.
The Sargent smirked as the mag rounds impacted on the shield harmlessly. He heard Demo whistle impressed.
"Aye, that's a fancy trick." He commented, and Issac walked up to the barrier.
"One-way barrier?" the Engineer asked, but the Sargent decided to show instead of telling.
"Archers! return fire!" He ordered and with a simultaneous Boom like thunder a wave of arrows fly down range. The Arrows passed through the shield and Struck the troopers. Most flying back to be pinned to the wall like insects in a school lab. Thanks to the better armor the Captain wore the arrow had stopped halfway through his chest. Standing with orange blood dripping from the side of his mouth he started to raise a hand to order another attack when Applejack popped him in the face with her DC.
He hit the floor dead, and the rest of the Advent forces stepped forward taking the now deads spot firing into the blue shield testing it for any weaknesses. Issac reached behind him and seemed to pull out a new gun from thin air. It was a red starfish looking gun. But it functioned like a grenade launcher as he test fired the first silver cartridge. When it passed through the barrier and landed in the row of Advent grunts, it exploded sending them flying into walls. Satisfied he wouldn't accidentally blow themselves up, he started launching left and right.
"Fire at will but choose your targets we can't afford to waste ammo." The Sargent ordered, and Stone arrows flew. The hall was so dense with Advent you could swing a dead cat and still hit something. The room shook with each explosion from Issac's mine thrower as he threw one where ever there was a large group forming. Missing a direct shot a mine latched onto the wall and deployed three laser trip wires. Unfortunately for the trooper who was head height with the directed explosive charge. The mine went off with a beep, and his head disappeared in a chunky orange mist that had Aj close her eyes and look away trying to scrub that visual from her mind.
At least her's only left a scorch mark she thought as she picked off any stragglers. Demo pulled his Auto beam pistol that fired multi-tiny plasma beams. Whatever didn't go down first shot was moped up by the Archers. Issac switched weapons to a wider version of the plasma cutter. He fired the line gun at the first trooper who stopped to touch the burn on his armor. The second shot cut him in half sending the upper half to knock over another. This was a bit too much for one of the Archers. Who finally spoke up,
"What the fuck are shooting?" he shouted in a Manehatten accent.
"Let's just say!" He fired again "This isn't" A troopers legs were cut from under him sending the grunt to the floor. "My first encounter with hostile aliens!" He finished. The Archer saw the legless trooper reach for his rifle and put him down. The battle raged on as advent filled the hall firing mindlessly at the blue shield that protected the Archers. Issac was on grenade duty tossing any back into the mass of Advent.
Applejack looked at the red bar on the DC-15m that served at its ammo meter. She didn't like the half empty that stared back at her on her last mag. Looking behind her at the cart a quarter full of wooden barrels full of stone arrows. An Archer grabbed another and continued firing. She swung the rifle onto her back. "Sargent!"
"Yes, Ma'am?" Sargent Stripe responded but unable to look her way.
"Anyway were getting resupplied?"
"We sent two clones twenty minutes ago for supplies nothing yet." He reported, and Aj looked back at the cart.
"I'll go I know a shortcut. what all do we need." She asked when an Archer looked her way with a grin.
"Hayburger with fries. If you're going Ma'am" He said in a manehatten accent.
"I'll take an Oatshake Ma'am!" The mare Archer next to Issac added to the joke,
"OH, that sounds good Ma'am can I change my order?"
"Arrow!, Swan! Focus!" The Sargent snapped at the two who went back to firing. Aj chuckled and shook her head.
"I'll be back lickety-split I'll bring whatever I can find." She turned to the double doors and hit the open button before hopping in and closing them behind her. She took off in a full gallop down the hall. The evening sky poured in from a hole in the ceiling, and Aj stopped to look. Through the blue shield covering Canterlot, she could see the sky. The sun hadn't moved in a while, and a bowling ball of worry hit her system. She saw black aircrafts flying through the shield they looked similar to the LA-AT the clones used, but the Advent symbols on the front told her they weren't friendly.
Coming in from the left was Five Smoke trails that meant the Wonderbolts. But the one Rainbow trail that flew to the side made Aj perk up. Each trail broke off flying into a different aircraft. A second later and the transports exploded, and the smoke and rainbow trails regrouped. AJ let out a holler "Get em Dash!" Another of the Aircrafts came up behind the group and fired on them. They split up, but the Advent carrier stayed on the tail of one who veered right. After a couple shots the smoke trail ended and the pony fell out of the sky. Aj felt her gut twist, but she tried to be grateful it wasn't Dash. "This time" her mind twisted that knife pretty hard. The ground shook under her feet, and she looked back up as an AT-TE republic walker tank stomped into view and blew the Advent carrier out of the sky with a loud THUMP!
"Get um boys!" Aj Cheered then turned to gallop back towards her job. Filled with determination to make it through whatever happens
Rise of Equestria: Battle for Canterlot
"Right then left at the doughnut. Right then left at the doughnut." Applejack repeated to herself as she ran. Repeating it over and over, so she didn't forget. Not wanting to waste any time getting lost. She turned the corner and nearly ran face first into the green armored back of a Muton. Skidding to a stop but the alien turned its head and roared alerting the other Muton in front. Applejack wasted no time in turning around and bucking the creature in the gut.
When it hunched over holding it's stomach she jumped on it's back and ran down the hall. Weaving left and right hoping to be a hard target to hit. Her plan worked as green streaks flew past her. But they were getting closer. She gave up the weaving in favor of pure speed as she galloped full force towards the armory. She heard heavy boot steps as they chased after her. She recognized the armory as she tore past it cursing. Trying to map out the route she'd need to run back. But Mutons were agiler then she thought as she swore they were slowly catching up.
"OH-Four get down!" A Clone yelled, and Aj dropped like a sack nearly getting tripped over by the chasing Mutons. An electric whine filled the air, and both Mutons turned their head before multiple blaster shots in quick succession flew from behind. Each blast had a thump to it that was beefier than the standard DC. Aj turned over and saw the most beautiful thing she'd laid eyes on yet. It was regulation black with a rotating barrel so large the clone firing it had to hold it with two hands. A rotating cannon of blue death that ripped into the Mutons. Aj felt a tear come to her eye as the thing wound down with smoke pouring out of its multiple barrels.
She stood and approached the masterpiece of a blaster,
"Oh-Four you ok-" The clone started to check on her only for her to shush him promptly.
"Don't ruin the moment." She put a hoof on the cooling gun, eyes like dinner plates as she oogled it. The clone shuffled awkwardly.
"Oh-Four?" He asked tilting his helmet to the right.
"It's beautiful." Applejack commented, and the clone lowered the gun letting it hang on his shoulder. Her hoof followed it for a second then shook her head putting a hoof to it. She felt dizzy,
"Oh-Four are you ok." The clone asked more forceful kneeling to be eye level.
"I'm fine just a little dizzy that's all HEY!" She shouted averting her eyes when the clone suddenly shined a penlight into her eyes.
"Hold still look at me as long as you can." The clone ordered and Aj did till he turned it off and she blinked rapidly to get rid of the spots.
"Don't know about pony standards but by mine, you have a concussion Oh-Four." The Clone put away the penlight in his belt and rubbed the back of his head. Once the light was out of her eyes, she noticed the orange armor and her ears perked up.
"Oh, Seventy-Eight. I didn't realize it was you partner." She pointed a hoof feeling guilty. The orange clone chuckled, his orange armor was actually the reason they started talking.
"It's fine Oh-Four I think you were a little preoccupied with the Z-6." The Clone joked, and Aj blushed. "I think you hit your head on the floor when you dropped." He guessed.
"Or the ceiling that collapsed on me," Aj admitted, and the Clone nodded.
"Ya, that'll do it. Be glad you came down my hall and not Surprise's." Seventy-Eight pointed with his head down the other hall, and Aj looked at him confused.
"Why ya say that?" She asked.
"Well-" The clone didn't finish when a series of explosions went off down the hall he pointed at, and a grey smoking clone came sliding on his back with his arms in the air like an excited child.
"YA! THREE POINTS!" he shouted excitedly, and Aj winced as the pressure wave made her head throb.
"Nevermind I think I see your point." She let out lamely, and Seventy-Eight chuckled again.
"Ya, a bit more than a concussion. Come on you can rest with us while we finish getting supplies." Seventy-Eight hooked a thumb over his shoulder, and Aj shook her head trying to clear the ringing.
"Wait your the clones sent on the supply run for the Archers on West?" She asked, and the nodded.
"Yes, Ma'am." He confirmed, and Aj's face got angry.
"Your late and I'm here to see whats taking so long to get your tail in gear!" She pointed a more threatening hoof this time, and the Clone looked at her.
"It's these blasted Advent." Another Clone peaked out of the armory with green stripes on his helmet.
"Smalls." Aj greeted him simply
"Applejack" He greeted back just as simply which was the tradition the two had started. Smalls was exactly one inch shorter than the rest of his brothers due to a leak in his tube. A fact that bothered the detail-oriented Clone to no end.
"Now what do you mean. How did Advent get in here?" She asked starting to sound more like a Commanding Officer.
"Air defense is doing a good job. We've encountered small pockets of Advent that survived the crash, but it seems only the big ones survive Ma'am." Seventy-Eight explained, and Aj nodded.
"Hey, Seventy-Eight got any more motion Dets?" Surprise came up basically bouncing in place. The orange laid back Clone hooked his thumb back towards the armory and Surprise let out a gitty giggle as he rushed in to restock. Aj eyed them both then focused on Seventy-Eight.
"You know he's going to blow himself to bits right?"
"The Jedi were ninety-percent of our impulse control." Seventy-Eight didn't even miss a beat before saying that and Aj had a startling realization. They were the CMC with energy weapons and ordinance. Celestia help them all! Shaking away that terrifying thought. When Seventy-Eight put a hand on her head earning a grunt from the farm mare. "Stop that. Your only going to make it worse Oh-Four."
"Right thanks. OK let's get a move on partners, and someone point out the DC-15 packs!" She shouted walking into the Armory.
"Oh-Four you need to rest for a moment," Seventy-Eight said sternly, and her head popped back to deliver a profound
"Nope." She gave a little nod and pulled back into the room. The orange Clone gave an exasperated sigh.
"Oh-"
"No! I have a job to do, and I'm going to do it." She shouted from inside, and Smalls walked in to see her stocking her belt with DC ammo.
"Archer Arrows are over there." He pointed. She turned her head seeing the barrels of stone arrows. She started to walk towards them when Smalls put an arm out.
"Smalls what are you-"
"Sit and rest." The Clone said sternly and pointed at a crate. "We got this just tell us what we need." Aj looked angry but did what she was told and hopped onto the crate laying on her side. She went down the list, and the Clones added what they needed as Smalls and Seventy-Eight got to work.
Rise of Equestria: Battle for Canterlot
"Archers recall!" The Sgt ordered, but Advent had gotten wise to their tactic and had started shooting the stone arrows before they could recall them. Each recall brought less ammunition than the last. Things weren't looking good, Issac thought as he rechecked his pulse rifle for the third time. The ammo counter flashed red just like it did every other time. He cursed and eyed a fallen Advent rifle, firing his TK and reaching out for it.
"Tinny I've told you! Advent rifles lockdown after the owner dies." Demo warned warily from where he leaned on the wall having run out of charge on his Beam Auto-Pistol sometime ago. Issac pulled the Rifle through ignoring the Scot. He pushed, pulled, and shook the rifle trying to get it to work.
"Dammit!" Issac shouted letting his frustration get the best of him
"Ah told you."
"Shut up." Issac shook his head and prepared to chuck the rifle. When an Idea struck him, setting the gun down, pulling out his plasma cutter and started moving things around.
"Now what are you tinkering with?" Demo asked his interest peaked.
"I'm an engineer tinkering's kinda what I do." Issac shifted the splitter lens and changed the output settings. Then aimed the modified cutter at the gun. Instead of three quick shots of plasma, a solid beam hit the rifle and began cutting the alien alloy slowly. Slowly he traced the seams of the rifle trying to cut a piece off to look at the insides. Demo shielded his good eye from the flash.
"Oops... Oh shit." He heard Issac curse and the flash ended with Issac picking the gun up and TKing it. Right into the face of an Advent trooper who popped out at just the wrong time. That's when the smoking gun exploded raining shrapnel into several other troopers. Demo and Issac looked at each other and Issac rubbed the back of his neck. "Must have hit the main battery."
Demo straightened up and looked at Issac slowly. "So that wasn't what you were trying to do?" Demo asked almost disappointed. Issac raised his hand's palms up at a lost.
"No, but it is now," Issac admitted and grabbed another rifle. Demo grinned pumping his fist excitedly.
"That's the spirit lad!"
On the Advent side of things, a trooper in all white armor strolled to the front line. His large helmet bore the symbol of the Elders. A purple glow pulsed and faded around him. All standard troopers that saw him stopped and stood straight banging a fist on their chest in salute. The Advent priest put them at ease with a hand. He looked at the line of ponies with disgust. How dare such simple creatures appose the Elders will. Pulling his Psionic Amplifier, he used it to throw his mind out at them searching for the weakest mind to control.
The Templar's mind was shielded from his attack, but not the Archer know as Swan. The priest grinned as his will seeped into the mare. Overpowering her own she was his puppet now, and he had only one order.
Kill Sgt Solstice.
Issac felt a pain in his right eye that made him pause in horror. Something was wrong. He noticed Swan stop Mid shot and put a hoof to her head. Her eyes had a purple tint to them, and she moved slowly like she wasn't sure about her hooves anymore. Issac got a cold chill when she turned her arrow towards the Sgt.
"Swan NO!" Issac's shout made Demo look up to see the purple aura around the unicorn's mind. Before the Arrow left the magic circle, Issac pushed his hand out and froze Swan in stasis. But the slowed arrow hit the spell and fired. The archer next to swan dived in front of the arrow. The Arrow slowly ripped through his armor making its way into the brave corporal's side. The Corporal screamed when it broke a rib and slowly drilled towards his guts.
Issac Tk'd the Arrow and shot it into an Advent soldier that was running up. With the arrow out the Corporal squirmed and trashed on the floor baring his teeth trying not to scream again. Swan started moving again, and another Archer stepped out of line and fired a stun spell that knocked Swan out. She hit the floor with a clatter of metal.
"Somebody tell me what the fuck just happened!" Sgt Solstice shouted unable to look at them and keep the shield up.
"Corporal Swan just shot Corporal Buck Sir." The Female Archer reported shaking a bit.
"WHAT! Swan would ne-"
"Your right but it's that bloody Priest Advent got back there." Demo interrupted pointing towards Advent while clenching his right hand in a fist. "The Holy Basterds can control minds." Demo explained looking at all of them. The Archers around him looked terrified. The purple aura faded from swan and Issac fell to his knees clenching his head. His helmet retracted, and he tossed his head back and forth like he was trying to rip it off as he screamed. The purple aura flickered as he fought it. Blood started to drip from his right eye as he started talking.
"NO TWINKLE LITTLE STAR! NOT AGAIN!" He shouted like a madman and the Archer lit her horn. Demo stepped between them putting his hand out. She looked at him unsure, but he nodded. He put his right hand on Issac's shoulder.
"Fight em Tinman, Fight em, Issac!" He urged. The psionic aura changed color from purple to blood red. "That's not suppose to happen." Demo marveled Before Issac screamed at the top of his lungs bending backward throwing his hands to the side.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" The red aura exploded outward in a wave of archaic symbols. It sounded like a foghorn with a women's haunting screams as it blasts throughout the corridor. Advent who were hit by the wave fell to their knees screaming and shouting in pain. They threw off their helmets and scratched at their faces like mad leaving deep orange scratches as they tried to escape the horror of what they were seeing. One looked around frantically shouting something over and over before firing at his brothers. Another as it died pulled a grenade and blew himself and the others around him up in a quick firey explosion.
The priest sat on the floor crying bloody orange tears at what he saw and didn't hear. The Elders were silent! Blocked out by the horrific screaming of the damned. Everywhere he looked, there were giant stone spirals with two tips that glowed with symbols that were alien even to the Elders. But each monstrous Marker was built with the bodies of his kind. The wave ended, and the Priest returned to reality. But he feared he'd never be whole again. Looking around only a handful survived the madness. Even fewer were sane enough to fight. The ones that were looked to him for guidance he stood. He had one goal, to wipe the mind that stood and spit in the face of his gods from this world.
Travis "Demo" Degroot stared in awe at what he just witnessed. He was the only one left standing after the wave rolled through the room. He touched the Mind Shield thanking Shen. Issac groaned and sat up looking unwell. Sweat dripped from his pale face Demo put a hand on his shoulder.
"Issac? You ok lad?" He asked worried, and Issac nodded.
"Ya...ya I'm ok." The man replied slowly, and Demo offered his Scotch bottle feeling the man needed a drink more then he did at this point. Issac laughed seeing the yellow bottle before taking a swig that was so strong it brought him back to reality. Shaking his head, he looked at the destroyed room, "Did I do that?" He asked not sure to be horrified or impressed.
"Whatever that was you flooded the network running these troopers. Basterds didn't know whether to shit or go bowling from the looks of it." Demo chuckled trying to lighten the mood.
"Yay me." Issac groaned. Corporal Buck moved and cried in pain, and the rest of the Archers got to their hooves.
"Holy yak shit." The Sgt cursed as he looked at Issac with fear in his eyes. "What the fuck was that! What on Celestia's green fucking earth was that!" He hid his fear under anger as he shouted.
"Let's just say the break up with my girlfriend ended nastily." Issac shrugged, and the Sgt's eye twitched.
"WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN!" He shouted panicked and would have continued to yell like that if a Mag round hadn't just sent an Archer sliding across the floor dead. He turned and reput up the barrier but his horn was sparking, and his head felt like it was on fire.
"Sarg whats going on with ya horn?" Demo asked because the Sgt's horn looked like the lit fuse on a stick of dynamite.
"I'm at my limit..." He screwed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth to keep the shield up.
"Sargent?" One of the Archers asked with an unsteady voice.
"I know Spring. Archers!" He called, and everypony looked at him. "Take whats left of the ammo, Swan, and Buck, behind the blast doors. I'll hold this up as long as I can."
"Wait, Sarg you can't-" Another Archer stepped forward, but Sgt Solstice snapped at him.
"That is a direct order Archers MOVE!" The Archer jumped then saluted, and everypony started to move out. Demo grimaced. Looking at the advancing wave of Advent marching forward firing non-stop. He wondered how many he could take out with his psi-blades before going down. Not enough he realized, never enough.
Rise of Equestria: Battle for Canterlot
Author's Note
This Chapter gives us some backstory on X-COM Enemy Within and X-COM 2 if your unfamiliar with the games.
Heavy Memories
Once all the Archers had retreated only Demo, and Sargent Solstice remained. Solstice took a deep breath.
"What are you planning?" Demo asked stone cold sober. It made Sgt Solstice jump.
"I'm about to suffer magical backlash, and with all this energy from these bastards shooting well... I'm going to take out as many as I can." Solstice grimaced under the Advent fire. The sparks his horn were throwing off started to singe his helmet. The Sargent rushed forward, but Demo wrapped his arms around him.
"Let go you, drunken idiot! I'm literally about to blow up!" Solstice shouted and trashed in the Scots grip.
Demo cuffed his ear "That's Colonel Drunk! I outrank you, you horn-headed martyr!" The Sargent stopped as the words hit his brain. "And as pretty a magic pipebomb you'd make I have a better plan." Demo smiled readjusting his grip to lift the armored unicorn. "The way ay see it Advent fed ya the energy lets just give it back to em." Demo proposed eagerly with a mad glint in his eye that the Sargent could feel more than see. But understanding what the Scot was cooking up, he groaned.
"Multi-Shot or Beam?" He asked, and Demo smiled.
That day Advent predicted a lot of things that could have happened. Except for a Black Scottish Cyclops to hop on a pile of corpses firing a Unicorn like a mini-gun as he laughed maniacally while mowing Advent down with magic.
****
Elsewhere in what remained of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.
A man felt like someone was thinking of him as he laid on the floor. This man remembered many things.
He remembered Russia, his beautiful homeland. He remembered serving her well. He remembered being recruited by X-Com to fight aliens. He remembered laughing until he saw the paycheck. He could take good care of family with that much money. He remembered his first real fight. No one was laughing he was only one left of entire team. That is where he gained the name "Heavy."
Then Doctors discover new technology called it meld. Heavy remember volunteering. Heavy was already strongest there was. But new metal arms even stronger. Doctors made "Heavy" a heavy weapon. Put Heavy on new team full of misfits and lunatics. They became like family.
A Spy, a Sniper, a Scout, a Medic, a pyromaniac, a crazed Soldier, an Engineer, and a Demoman. Team Fortress did many, many missions together. When suddenly we've lost. Earth has given up no-longer wants X-Com.
Heavy remembers returning home as Aliens destroy everything. Moves family to Siberia for safety. Hides metal body. Then Advent rises from ashes of government. Heavy remembers dark times. Dark times that felt like they'd never end. Then X-Com is back an Heavy fight again. Finds a part of old team still alive, Still crazy, still fighting after all this time. This time humanity wins.
Heavy hears a child's scream, and suddenly Heavy remembers tiny ponies. Heavy also remembers Muton who smacked Heavy through wall. The green armored alien is much different than old war. But Heavy will crush it just like back then. The fallen Mec-Trooper gets to his metal feet. His chassis is scored and burned with the memories of battle. But "Sasha" holds up as the hydraulics whine and push under his command.
A group of young fillies and colts are cowering behind a cream-colored mare in a purple hoodie. The mare tries to look strong on wobbly legs as she glares at the Muton through her thick black rimmed glasses. The Muton chuckles as he looks over the group of easy prey. The fear in the tiny ponies eyes reminds Heavy of his family. "I will squash that fear," Heavy thinks as he walks forward. The explosions outside mask his thunderous mechanical steps as he rears back the massive Kinetic Punch module. Only when the jets on the side of the giant fist kicked on did the Muton look back.
"Do you remember me?" Heavy asked, and the look of terror on its face brought warmth to Heavy's mechanical heart. Heavy could not feel much but imaging the scaley flesh as his giant fist met it was satisfying. But when the second part of fist shot out, is when the Muton went through the wall. Heavy dusted off his hands with a metal clank and looked back at the group of children with a grin. The oldest approach heavy with her jaw hanging open.
"Holy- ah I mean thank you." She censors herself for the little ones. Heavy shakes head
"It is no big-" But muton moves cutting Heavy off. Little ponies scatter, and Heavy is more than ready for round three when black boot kicks the muton in the face before an Assault rifle splatters orange all over the floor.
"The hurting is always more rewarding than the healing." The German medic laughs to himself. Heavy can only shake his head with amusement. The Doctor is still crazy as ever. The laughing ends as quickly as it began and Doctor looks at me with an evil smile. But that is just how Doctor is.
"Oh hello Heavy." He greets, and Heavy nods
"Doctor." His eyes flick back to whatever he was working on, and Heavy can feel a scheme coming on.
"Since your here would you mind coming over here and holding your ribcage open for me?" Doctor asks this as if it is the most normal request. All joy at seeing friend fades.
"Heavy still remembers last time."
"PSSH you were only dead for a moment now get over here." Doctor waves him off. Heavy shakes head before climbing through the hole. The Doctor already has two cables in hand before Heavy is in the room. "Do you remember when I put that spare battery in you?"
Heavy remembers it is one of the reasons he survived the fall of X-Com. "Heavy said he remembers last time Doctor."
The Doctor pauses for a moment then chuckles "Oh right hehe anyways I need to tap into it to jumpstart ze generator." Heavy rolls eyes and kneels opening panel Doctor made long ago. Exposing the silver power cell Doctor wastes no time in attaching the jumper cables to it. Giggling madly to himself as he prances over to the power switch.
"Doctor are you sure this will work?" Heavy asked the question he always asked since meeting the Doctor.
"Yes." The Doctors prompt answer takes Heavy by surprise.
"Really?
"Ah ha no." He casually chuckles as he throws the switch.
"YAAAAAAADAAAAAAAA!" Heavy's Scream echos through out the school.
****
Applejack jerked up at the Russian sounding scream she thought she heard. Looking around for it until Smalls noticed and stopped with the crate in his hands to look at her.
"You alright Oh-Four?" The clone asked, and Aj started to give her head a shake when Seventy-Eight glared at her through his helmet.
"Ya just thought I heard something that all." She reasoned, and Seventy-Eight checked a Holo-Map when it dinged.
"Looks like generator C is back online, one less stop for us." Aj nodded and looked over the cart of supplies.
"Good we ready to head out partners?" She asked as she jumped into the back of the hover cart. Surprise started the hoverbike with an electric whine. Smalls sat next to the Orange clone across from Aj.
"We'll have to take the main route so take it slow," Smalls explained, but Surprise reeved the engine and took off so fast Aj nearly lost her hat before catching it in her teeth plopping it back on her head in a huff.
"Woah partner! you know he said slow right!" Aj shouted over the engine, but Smalls shook his head.
"This is slow for him Oh-Four." Smalls groaned, and Surprise laughed as they sped down the hall.
Rise of Equestria: Battle for Canterlot
Things were looking bad for Colonel Degroot and Sgt Stripe. As another Trooper fell under a torrent of magical bullets Demo ducked behind a mound of Advent corpses. He looked at the unicorn turned living weapon as they panted out of steam. The marching boots got closer, like giant ants but both men sat on the ground leaning against the mound. Sgt Solstice Stripe laid across his lap to tired to move himself to a more dignified position.
"So this is how it ends huh Colonel Drunk?" The unicorn asked with a smirk, and Demo nodded.
"Aye Sgt Martyr looks that way." He chuckled as the Boots were coming around the corner.
"Got any more of that scotch?" Sgt stripe asked, and Demo reached behind him pulling the bottle out and giving it a disapproving shake.
"Aye, a wee bit." The Scottish man put the bottle to the Sgt's lips and let him take a swig before Travis Degroot took the last solitary swig as Advent slowly formed a firing line in front of them. "I'll see every one of ya in hell." Demo taunted before hurling the bottle at the clone soldiers. The Trooper moved his head slightly to dodge the crude projectile.
The Officer in the middle barked, and order and they readied their rifles. Demo chuckled thinking how he'd die with a unicorn in his lap and out of skrumpy. They shouted the "Aim" part, and Sgt Solstice Stripe tried to stand on his hooves. Wanting to at least die on his hooves, Demo nodded respectfully. Demo raised a hand into the air and shouted his last words before the last order.
"GUTS AND GLORY!"
At least those were going to be his final words before a Sniper Rifle barked, and a Trooper hit the floor with orange blood pouring from his neck. A very familiar rifle to the Scottish Templar.
"CROKET!" A very American accent shouted, and part of the ceiling exploded. Right as the firing squad turned in surprise, a grappling hook came shooting out of the smoke ripping through a trooper. He looked at the steel cable that now ran through his chest before being violently pulled towards the smoke with a cry of shock and pain. The Trooper went silent with a slashing sound. Every Trooper aimed at the smoke when the American voice shouted again. "YOUR ELDERS DID NOT PREPARE YOU FOR THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE YOU'D FACE ON MY BATTLEFIELD!"
Advent opened fire, and a single man dived out of the smoke into a perfect roll. His armor was eerily similar to Advents but looked more ragtag and pieced together. Dropping to one knee, he gleefully returned fire chuckling to himself with every kill. Doing an unnecessary roll, he started running towards Demo and Solstice. Only Advent was between the determined man and his destination. Hoping to his right to avoid fire he drew back his arm with a glowing blue claw he slashed a Troopers throat in one swing then grabbed him by the wound using him as a meat shield.
The man kept charging forward using the Troopers shoulder to rest his Bullpup rifle as he dropped another. His gun clicked empty, and he threw the now dead shield at another reloaded and shot a completely different target in the face. He stormed over to Demo and thrust his claw out menacingly. Then turned it over offering the hand to the Scottish Templar. Demo took it and stood before giving it a firm shake.
"You don't have permission to die, son." He spoke loudly but friendly. The Trooper behind him pushed off his dead brother's corpse and raised his rifle at the newcomers back when a sniper bullet made sweet hot love to his brain stem.
A distant "Pinker" was heard from a man crouched in the maintenance shaft he wore a Republic helmet and a red fur-lined coat as he drew back the bolt on his rifle. Rescoping he found the white armored priest and took a breath, right as he pulled the trigger a Bullpup shot missed the Priest causing Sniper to miss when the Priest ducked. "You sneaky ratbag!" the man cursed before Advent fire started to fire at him cursing further he retreated into the duct. Putting a hand to his helmet "Oye stop standing around like a bunch of no helpers!" He shouted into the comms.
Soldier popped his head out of cover and spotted the Priest he'd missed.
"Aye Soldier right behind you." He confirmed, and Soldier chuckled then jumped cover with a warcry.
"Screaming Eagles!" He fired sporadically. Sgt Solstice watched the strange man in awe for a moment.
"Who the hell is this guy?" Demo gave him a wide-eye look and leaned down to whisper.
"That's Jane he's a Skirmisher, former Advent who somehow ripped out their control chips. Except he doesn't know that! Lad thinks he's an American." The Skirmisher peeked around the corner and Demo froze.
"What did you say Demo?" Jane asked genuinely concerned he missed something.
"Ah just talking about how we all love being American lad." Demo lied through his teeth then stared panicked at Solstice with his one eye full again. How looked between the two then got the hint.
"Oh right yes I love whatever American is." He smiled real wide, and Jane sniffed and lifted his helmet to wipe a tear from his huge eyes.
"Your GOD DAMN RIGHT it is you magnificent bastard." He said affectionately as he gave a quick salute. When a blast of purple energy hit Jane in the face making him stumble. Demo frowned furiously,
"Soldier where is your bloody mind shield?" Demo shouted, but Jane held up a "wait a minute" finger.
"One moment Demo this Priest would like to have a word with me. In which I will simply offer one word in reply." He paused for a moment before letting out a simple but stern "No."
The purple energy faded and the Priest looked at his Psi Amp with a confused look even gave it a little shake before a grappling hook latched onto his chest plate. The Troopers around him stared in shock.
"Come here cupcake." The Priest let out a long drawn out "FUUUUUUUUCK" before landing in the Skirmishers hands holding him up by the collar. To hear such profanity from a Priest burned the ears of the simple troopers around him. Jane knocked off his helmet and stared at the Priest eye to eye.
"Listen here Blasmo Baggins It's going to be really hard controlling minds with my American boot up your ass!" He shouted like a classic D.I. "Cause the only voices in this marines head are those of the founding fathers!" He reared his plasma Ripclaw back when a sniper bullet ripped the Priest from Jane's hand. To his credit, he only looked mildly inconvenienced. "Sniper that was my kill!" he growled looking at the sniper's shadowy spot.
"That what you get for making me miss you twitchy mongrel!" The pissed Aussie shouted back.
"This is not a camping ground Sheila!"
"Piss off chiphead!" Sniper ended their shouting match.
The remaining Advent stood watching the exchange without the Priest or any other Commanders they were lost. Jane looked at the nearest Trooper and pointed. The Trooper jumped,
"DO NOT look at me I did not ask you a question!" He shouted, and the Trooper looked away quickly. "I am about to ask you a question you may look at me." The soldier said a little softer. The Trooper looked at him, "You don't hear those Commie Elders anymore do you son?" The Trooper looked unsure for a moment but nodded realizing what the Skirmisher said was true and nodded. Jane chuckled,
Rise of Equestria: Battle for Canterlot
Luna watched the battle from her balcony. She looked at the sky seeing it still lit with Celestia's golden sun, an hour past when it should have set. The joint forces were fighting well against the seemingly endless Advent forces. She felt her captain of the lunar guard getting restless behind her.
"My Princess is it not time?" the gruff bat-pony asked his eagerness to join the battle dripped off of him.
"The sun still shines captain." She responded without looking away. The captain paused choosing his words carefully.
"Can you not simply set it?" Not carefully enough judging by the waves of rage that rolled off the Princess suddenly at his words.
"That would mean my sister is dead! Is that what thou want me to assume Captain?" She asked angrily. The captain bowed low begging for forgiveness.
"NO! of course not my Princess." He corrected himself.
Luna felt a familiar presence and looked up at the sky. "Captain it pays to have faith." The captain raised his head to see the sun setting rapidly.
"Mon Dieu." A man gasped from the corner making the Night Guard Captain jump to see a man in a stylish red vest with a white undershirt with the sleeves rolled up. He was smoking a cigarette out of his masked face. His blue eyes were locked on the darkening skies.
"My sister's work is beautiful isn't it Colonel." Luna addressed the X-Com spy. "What have you found?"
"Advent has several Psi-Gates at the foot of the mountain, and that is here these tacky heathens are pouring in from." The French man spoke with disdain. He took the sweet-smelling cig from his lips and blew a beautiful plume of smoke. The pulled out a decorative envelope and laid it on the desk next to him. "Coordinates and photos of all enemy defenses as you requested princesse des ténèbres I know a team that would love to turn it into a burning pile of rubble for you."
"Oh?" Luna asked turning to the man.
"I'd need to gather them, some may be engaged with the enemy, but I feel you and your guard have a plan to how you say free up their time." Spy chuckled, and Luna grinned.
"Go take what you need." She ordered and raised the Crimson moon and when its blood-red rays bathed the area in it's light Captain Night Fang grinned like a School filly practically bouncing in place. The man had disappeared if not for the faint smell of fancy smokes and the envelope one would question he'd ever been there.
Luna approached a wardrobe that was tinted void black and threw it open with her magic while putting a needle down on a record that she had hooked up to broadcast on all channels. She pulled the Blue armor out of the wardrobe and felt the change to her body begin. Captain Fang watched in awe as his Queen formed before him again. The human song sang about a Bad Moon, but before him, a Nightmare stood ready once again.
"Gather the Guard Captain we hunt tonight!" She ordered with a flick of a black hoof. Shadows overtook him, and he disappeared.
Bad Moon Rising blared out of every speaker in the capital singing a haunting tune. Bradford groaned in the Avengers central command.
"Who the hell showed the Princess CCR!" He demanded and one tech off to the side ducked low out of site. One of the monitors went black. then another one "What the hell?" Bradford walked closer as the screens went black one after another. "Interference?" he asked as the tech's checked frantically.
"No Central it's not on our end its like the whole place is being swallowed by darkness. Switching to night vision." A male tech flipped a switch, and all the screens turned lime green. Still showing nothing Bradford set his jaw to the side.
"Try infrared." The Tech nodded, and the screen finally gave them an answer. Several ponies were flying through the dark sweeping the area clear of any Advent forces. A significantly bigger pony caught Bradford's attention. "Luna?"
"Cental! The shadow is moving towards our location." A female earth pony reported. When the lights in the command center dimmed Bradford whipped out a pistol turning smoothly into a practiced stance to be face to face with Nightmare Moon.
She grinned "Good to see your not rusty in your age Central." Luna chuckled, and Bradford relaxed only slightly. "Gather Fire Team Fortress. We have a mission for them." Luna commanded
"Ma'am several members of that team are currently engaged all around the city." The earth pony reported.
"I've been informed of a high priority target near the base of the mountain and been giving a sparkling recommendation of this teams ability to deal with it in appropriate ways." Nightmare Moon smiled and approached the wall of screens. Her guard swept through the halls leaving nothing but corpses and carnage in their wake. Bradford scratched his head wondering who the hell gave a recommendation for those lunatics.
****
Like a bullet, a young man sprinted full speed down a hallway. His red sports jacket rustled softly. The lone Advent grunt turned to late.
"To slow!" Scout bashed him just under the jawline with a metal bat sending the grunt to the floor. For an added double tap he smashed the bat into the grunts skull. "Yo is anyone keeping track of my heads batted in 'cause I bet I'm batting a thousand!" he boasted to no one or at least he thought it no one was there when Spy decloaked.
"Loud and obnoxious as usual Scout." The Frenchman sneered
The young man narrowed his eyes and pointed "Go to hell Spy, What are you even doing here?"
Spy barely opened his mouth to speak before being interrupted again.
"Oh wait I know hiding from the actual fighting like a frikken coward!" The Brooklyn man taunted, and Spy pondered just like he did everytime Scout opened his mouth how satisfying it would be to just slide his knife into the annoying men's back and leave him there.
"We have a mission." The Frenchmen stated plainly as if he wasn't pondering the murder of the young man with each breath.
"I'm already on a mission its called being awesome!" Scout boasted resting his bat on his shoulder. Spy felt his eye twitch,
"Mon Dieu just shut up and follow me." Spy started walking, and Scout followed.
***
Heavy's minigun fired in a burst of fire and lead as he suppressed Advents line for the children to escape. Medic cackled happily as he gunned down a lancer. A loud "whoo hoo" drew their attention as Scout ran forward shooting his Shotgun diving behind cover and jumping out to get closer.
"Move it up, Move it up!" He urged blasting a grunt in the face. The sound of Spy decloaking was the only alert Heavy got before the Frenchmen spoke.
"Hello again, holding the line nicely I see." He spoke casually
"Spy." Heavy greeted plainly
Author's Note
It's been a while.
