//------------------------------// // Round and Round // Story: S.M.I.L.E. Agent Aria Blaze // by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof //------------------------------// Once again, Aria Blaze stood naked in the lab's magic imaging whatever the full name was. She could see the lights and feel the tingling as they tried scanning her once more. Her hand clenched until her nails threatened to pierce the skin of her palm. Her jaw did the same until the muscles ached, and at least one molar threatened to crack under the pressure. There were no flashbacks this time. There was an electric click. "Now try using your powers," Moondancer's voice said from somewhere. "But I can't," Aria called out, voice echoing off the walls. "My power came from my gem, which was destroyed." "I'm aware," Moondancer replied. "Try anyways." A low growl escaped Aria as she glared up. She could not be sure that there was a camera to see her, much less that she was actually facing it, but she still held up both her middle fingers, just in case. She may have agreed to let herself be tested so they could learn what they could about sirens (or former sirens, basically), but it was never said that she had to like it or be happy about it. Once she was satisfied -- even if it had not actually been seen -- she let out a sigh, running a hand through the short hair she now sported. Even if she was not happy about it, it was part of the deal. Besides, sooner she did it, sooner she could get out of the stupid metal tube. Aria closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Out of force of habit, one hand reached up to her neck, fingertips pressing at the spot where her jewel once rested. There is a second of phantom sensation, as though she could feel the pressure on her neck, and the cool, smooth surface against her touch. Focusing, she picked the most basic notes that they used. "Ah-ah, ah-ah," she sang. Although "screeched" might have been a more accurate. She could hear the noise echoing off the walls of the little chamber, scratchy, cracking, and off-key. It was torture. Hearing every shattered, sour note sent pain through Aria's ears, deep into her skull, and down into her heart. When she felt something warm and wet run down her cheek, she stopped, deciding that was enough. Whatever it was, the wetness was quickly wiped away, making sure that no one would see it. As soon as the door unsealed, Aria shoved it open and stormed out, making her way to her clothes. Moondancer and Kerfuffle were over by some the console, putting them well away from her. That was fine with Aria. If either of them had been close, she might have accidentally punched them in the face. She had put on her bra and panties, and was working to button her shirt before she felt calmed enough to talk. "So, find anything interesting?" "It... will take time for us to study and interpret the results..." Kerfuffle replied. Aria paused in her buttoning, tilting her head enough to look toward the two. They were both staring very intently at the screen. Moondancer's eyes was hidden by her glasses, lenses reflecting images too small and distorted to make out. Kerfuffle's brow was furrowed as she looked at the screen, chewing on her lower lip. "We will have to do additional scans," Moondancer declared. "Also check the calibrations and test the MBRI to make sure it's working properly. Make sure this isn't an anomaly or system error." Now it had gotten Aria curious. "Is something wrong?" she asked. Her hand resumed buttoning her shirt as she walked towards them. "We don't know," Moondancer answered. Kerfuffle looked up at her. "The results... are rather odd," she said. "I don't understand it as well as Moondancer, but..." Her eyes glanced back to the screen as her brow furrowed. "... it looks like... there are two different magical energies in you." "And at extremely low levels," Moondancer added. She pointed at the screen. "If this is accurate, then what magic you do have is actually well below those of non-magic using humans." Her lips pressed tight as she gave a shake of her head. "Except that doesn't make sense." Turning from the screen, she looked up at Aria. "You have strength beyond what your muscle mass should allow, and enhanced healing capabilities. Those require large amounts of energy. Your dietary habits have already established it is not entirely metabolic, so it has to be thaumic!" She flopped back into her chair, letting out a huff. Aria went back to her clothes, finished getting dressed, and left. As she made her way back to her desk, her mind tried to process what she had been told. She understood what she had been told for the most part. Magic had been a part of their lives when they had been in the other dimension. Even if she had not needed to study portions of it, and she had, it was extremely difficult to spend time around it all and not pick up some of it. Especially once they were among ponies, and feeding off their negative emotions. The problem was, she did not know what it meant either. Because, quite honestly, magic had never been something she cared about beyond the most basics. She had no idea what her thaumic levels had ever been in her entire life, and honestly could not remember if it had never been taught, or if it had, but was a lesson she had either simply ignored, or wound up sleeping through. It had never mattered anyway. By the time it would have, it was the three of them. Then, no matter what their levels or how much magic they had, the answer was always "never enough." When they had attacked Equestria, they kept needing more and more, so they would have enough to command them all. Then here in the human world, it was always "just enough to survive." Just as she was in sight of her desk, Pharynx stepped in the way. "We have an assignment." "What kind?" Aria asked. Pharynx moved past her and walked off, making his way... somewhere. After a low growl, Aria followed after him. All the way back down tot he lab. "Kerfuffle!" Pharynx called out from the door. "Sir?" Kerfuffle replied, standing up straight and at attention. "Hiking boots. Two pairs. Myself and Agent Blaze." "On it!" Kerfuffle announced before rushing off. "Hiking boots?" Aria repeated, raising an eyebrow. Again, instead of answering, Pharynx resumed walking. The next stop was not one that Aria Blaze had seen before: The Armory. A wave of Pharynx's hand across the sensor panel got a beep, making the door open. As she followed him inside, the first thing she noticed was the extra shock guns. Five rows of them, each holding five of the square electric weapons. Next was the actual firearms. From handguns, to rifles and shotguns. There was even one that looked like some sort of submachine gun. Then there were weapons: swords, axes, morning stars... was that a chakram? Pharynx grabbed a rifle and slung it over his shoulder. He grabbed another, then moved to a different section, and grabbed a different one. With them, he returned to Aria. "Hunting rifle," Pharynx declared as she held it out to her. Aria took it. "Tranquilizer gun," he said, holding out the other. She took that as well. "Don't get them mixed up." He pointed at a locker. "Ammunition is over there." In all her years in the human world, Aria had never had much use for guns. She was aware of the basic concepts for them, decades around a culture that was obsessed with the technology would do that. It was just that she never had much reason to use them. After all, they fed off of negative emotions for their powers, and a dead person could not give those off. Plus, none had ever dared to try and point guns at them. One of the things that she had picked up over the years was that there were times where a person would run out of ammunition, and would resort to using their rifle as a club. As Pharynx turned his back to her, Aria considered testing how well it worked against the back of his head. Instead, she made her way over to the ammunition cabinet and opened the door. Which made her realize an issue about not being actually familiar with firearms. One that she had never really thought about before because she had never really cared about. Ammunition. The tranquilizer darts were easy enough. There was only one size for those. The shotgun shells were marked as such, even if different sizes, so she did not have worry about that. Still, the sheer amount of differing ammunition was overwhelming. Magnum, and standard. Numbers from forty-five to twenty-two, with nine millimeter, and numerous between and beyond. Most of them were equally split between pistol ammunition, and rifle ammunition. She had not even known there was a difference. "Hey, Fart Stinks!" Aria called out, turning to look away from the locker. "You never told me what caliber of ammunition I need." "Three seventy-five," Pharynx answered. He pulled something out of a separate locker and turned around. The weapon he held looked like something from a science fiction movie. The top portion was like someone had taken a large pipe and chromed it. Two smaller ones were attached to the underside. It turned out that the space between the two lower pipes was actually a slot. In the slot, Pharynx inserted a glass canister filled with a glowing green goo of some kind. A panel on the top lit up, showing green lights as well. It had a handle and trigger like a pistol, but there was also a portion at the back which looked like a shoulder rest. A black strap attached to it was slung over Pharynx's shoulder. "What is that?" Aria asked. Pharynx looked at her, eyes narrowed. "This," he said, giving the weapon a pat, 'is the SAP cannon. It is one of a kind." His eyes narrowed further. "And it is mine." Aria's eyes looked at the glowing green goo in the canister. "Sap?" she repeated. "Synthetic Adhesive Plas-gel," Kerfuffle announced. She stood in the doorway, two boxes nestled under one arm. "It releases a small ball of the gel in the container. On impact, the gel expands enough to engulf the average adult male, not only trapping them, but causing them to become stuck to any nearby surface." "Is he really the only one who gets to use it?" Aria asked. In her mind, she was picturing taking the weapon home and using it on Adagio and Sonata. The idea of catching them walking around in the middle of the night, covering them in green slime, and having them pinned against the wall was hilarious. Plus, the basement apartment was pretty much sound-proof. If one them screamed, only the other two would hear it. "He was the one who agreed to use the prototype," Kerfuffle answered. "We could reclaim it, but have no reason to. It would either be broken down and recycled, or put in storage. As far as we were concerned, he could keep it." "When are you making another?" Kerfuffle shook her head. "We aren't. Despite how much Agent Pharynx likes it, there were too many complications compared to the benefits. As such, we decided not to make another, although we are still trying to come up with alternate non-lethal capturing methods." She pulled the box out from under her arm. "Anywho, here are you hiking boots." Kerfuffle gave a smile. Aria took the box. "Good luck on your assignment," Kerfuffle said, giving her a pat. She then turned and walked off. "Blaze!" Pharynx called out. "Ammunition." Aria let out a huff, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she grumbled. Turning to the locker, she grabbed a box of the .375 rifle ammunition and box of tranquilizer darts, stuffing them into her jacket pockets.