The frigid water of the northern Celestial Sea softly rolled in on soft waves on on the sandy coast as the water zenith at high tide. Subjugation stood on the shore as the waves peacefully rolled in. Off in the distance he could see the ship coming in; the ship that would solve his masked vigilante problem, though it was likely bringing him a headache of a different sort. His guards stood ready guns pointed as the small boat ran aground, and the cool night air was filled with a hyena like laugh. "So, I take it that you wanted to see me?" The eviscerated bodies of the crew were thrown down onto the sand. "You like my work?" A nirik asked from the bow of the ship looking down on them with a smile. Her flaming rippers floating up to her side. "I think this is a good demonstration of what you're getting."
"Unfortunately yes." He looked down at the crew. "Most of these were my slaves, from my personal stock. I don't like losing my property, Butcheress. Still this is the reason that I had you brought here by boat." She laughed a bit.
"Yeah, I might have gotten a little to into it, sorry. Not sorry." She looked around at them, her smile getting bigger as she spotted the city behind them. "Ohhhh. Big town you got there."
"Indeed, and one that is experiencing a little bit of an influx of goodie horse-shoes. A problem that I believe you are able to solve. Even if you being here will cause some complication." He gestured to the disembowel and desecrated bodies of the crew.
"I wasn't listening, I was looking at all those ponies over there, sorry, not sorry." She smiled. "So many souls so so little time. Do I kill all of them? Some of them and leave the others for later...So many choices."
"And this is why I brought you in by boat instead of the bridge." Subjugation looked down on her. "I want you to only kill a hoof full of ponies. I don't want an incident like what happened at Stable 240." She giggled a little at the mention of her previous job. "You are to kill the ponies I tell you, and those that get in your way, or else I'll throw you back to Trottingham, do I make myself clear."
"Crystal pony clear." She smiled. "So who is it I'm killing and can I have some pre job fun before then, just a couple of massacres, missing ponies, I'm sure in a town this big no one would notice a few missing ponies." He sighed rubbing his head.
"The pony I want you to kill is this one here, and his friends if they present the opportunity." He hoofed her a picture of the Disco Do-Gooder.
"Ohh, he looks cute. I can already imagine the screams coming from that face. It's a crime nopony's brutalized him yet."
"Indeed." He nodded. "But I don't want it quick I drawn out, something that will make ponies scared, something remember-able, something that will show them that it's better for prey to just remain prey, and something that will make wasteland hero wannabes learn not to interfere with this city."
"Right so, Blood Bath Sandwich, extra sadism, hold the mercy. That's my favorite, and my specialty." She smiled. "Anyway you have to lure Colt Wonder out?"
"There are plans until then stay out of the newspapers. I'll send you word when to strike and where. And for added security. I want you to wear this." He pulled out a small tail ring. It was made of oxidized copper and jade, with several rune and glyph marks. The Butcheress' eyes narrowed on the small ring, causing the large earth pony stallion to laugh a little at her suddenly serious and sour expression. "I see you recognize this little thing. A kirin artifact, older than the ministries, even the war."
"If you think that I'm join to put that thing on you fucking insane." She hissed. "I've got half a mind to rip and tear it, and your hoof for holding it." The guns aimed at her all gave audible clicks as safeties were turned off. "You called for my services, if you can't deal with the heat maybe you shouldn't have tried putting out the house fire with gasoline!" Subjugation chuckled a bit. "What's so fucking funny?"
"Only half a mind?"
"I'm interested in what you could possibly think would be enough to bring me here and tell me to wear that-that trash. What fucking large stainless steal balls you must fucking have!" She glared at him ignoring the guns and the bodyguards out right. "So, let's hear it buck, what do you think you can offer me that would even come close to justifying me staying, let alone wearing that!" His laugh mixed with the sound of the waves coming in making the nirik scowl. Her eye twitching a bit as her burning tail whipped at the sand.
"I think that this might interest you just a bit." He threw another photograph into the sand. A few slavers all of them earth ponies of moderate build, and varying sizes from normal to slightly smaller than one of the goddess' alicorns. She stiffened, at their hooves was a very abused, very scared looking kirin. "I have names, location, and a down payment waiting for you at my office. Now what do you think?"
She took a deep breath eyes fixated on the slavers in the picture. "When I put that thing on is when I start working for you right?" He nodded. "Which means right now I'm a free agent." He nodded again. "Good." Her two rippers thrust at max power and awash in nirik fire. Not a shot was fired amid the screams, within six seconds the bloodbath was finished. "Okay I'm good now, until we get to your down payment that is." She snatched the the tail ring from him and slid it on her tail. Her form reverting back into a kirin for the first time in years, her eyes just as frail and terrified as they had been when the picture was taken.
"I-I please don't make me do this. I don't want to do this." She said in a soft voice.
Subjugation burst out laughing. "I don't care what you want, I hired the Butcheress, and I am not disappointed. You're nothing more than the covenant sleep option I can turn on and off at will." He bucked her thirty yards into the sandy beach, "Now let's get to my office little mare so that I can seal the deal with your better half."
Fluid closed his eyes as the world around him slowly drifted away, time seemed to slow to a crawl as he floated in small green house pool. It was one of the rare days when he didn't have any jobs to do, no parties to plan, no politicians to talk to and work with, no asset managers to talk to, no hero work. In all everything was quiet, and after the shit show that had been last couple weeks that was something to be enjoyed. He floated on his back in the pool's water, warmed by both the water heating system, and the sunlight pouring in though the green house's windows. Fluid's ear twitched as he heard the green house's door open and somepony walking through along the cobble path of the green house's garden. "Hey, how's that hoof doing?" Light asked from the side of the pool.
"It's fine." Fluid answered not opening his eyes. "Jet's patched me up after far worse."
"Well that's good to hear." He could hear her walking away from the pool, but after a few steps she stopped and galloped back at it. "Super Secret Surprise Canon Ball Attack!"
"Wait what?" Fluid's eyes shot open as she splashed into the pool about three feet from him. The wave quickly and easily capsized him. He pushed his head up to see her laughing. "Very funny he splashed her in the face with water. I was trying to mediate."
"Whatever you were doing it looked boring." She chided. "Besides, water sparring would be so much funner and this pool is actually big enough for it." She splashed him right back. "Come on, Jet Lag doesn't spare, Ash is busy, and Rusty is in the middle of his broadcast proving that the alicorns have compromised Stable Tech water talismans."
"Why not spar with your brother, or with Disc."
"Disc, Dub, and Dream are all busy doing weird arcane stuff. Speaking of, this water is triple purified right?" She asked looking a little concerned. "I don't want the alicorns taking over my mind while I'm asleep." Fluid looked confused until she said the last part before he burst out laughing.
"If Rusty told me the sun was bright I might go blind staring at it just to make sure that he wasn't crazy. You can't believe half of what Rusty says on his radio, most ponies tune in to it because it's not DJ Pon-3, and he might be insane but he's also really entertaining."
"So if some of the pool water gets in to my mouth I won't become a mindless alicorn slave?"
"What no, you can't be serious. Look if I drink some will you stop believing everything that Rusty says?" Fluid asked managing to stifle the urge to facepalm.
"Yeah I guess." Fluid leaned down and took a mouth full of pool water before pulling back up and swallowing.
"Ehck, nasty but not going to turn me into an alicorn slave zombie." He said only to find Light laughing as she swam back to the edge of the pool. "What's so funny."
"I just bet Ash a hundred caps I could get you to drink pool water." Fluid's face went from white to bright red in the span of just a second. "Though I didn't think that it would be that easy." She pointed to a window outside of which flew a very disgruntled Ash in her pegasus disguise. She gave her adopted brother a look between bewilderment and annoyance. Fluid's face some how managed to get even redder. "You said that she was busy."
Light gave him an innocent and playful smirk. "Yeah, busy losing."
"I think I'm ready to spar with you." Fluid grumbled a little. At the mention of a fight Light's eyes began to sparkle. Fluid couldn't help but to forgive her.
"You're on Water Sparing Round One!" Light dived back into the pool charging at Fluid from just under the surface. Fluid took a deep breath before diving under the surface and charging at her. The two collided under water wrestling with each other until one pushed away popping up for breath before diving back down to continue the fight. After an hour of splashing, laughing, and "sparing" the two walked out of the green house dripping wet and nearly completely exhausted. "That was fun." Light shook her head as Fluid tossed her a towel that was waiting in a chair. "And more to the point a lot more exciting than just floating idley."
"Yeah I guess," Fluid looked up at the clear sky. The sun was still high in the sky. "I've got plans to go on a walk through the town, do you think that you could cover me Dub's been a bit over protective since she found out that Subjugation's sent another assassin out after us, and I need my space." He finished drying off his mane with a towel.
"Yeah sure I'll cover for you." She nodded. "I've noticed too. This Subjugation guy is one of those Big 13 guys right?" she asked.
"Yeah he's the top of the slavery industry, and one of the reasons that Red Eye is able to keep his slave empire in Fillydelphia up and running. He's one of the worse members of the 13." He sighed, all the same, we've fought his assassins before, and Royal Flush didn't seem like he was one of Subjugation's normal assassins. So, I doubt that we've got to be as far on edge as Dub is. Anyways thanks for covering for me." Fluid said heading to the gate.
"Yeah sure not a problem." She saluted and headed back to the mansion.
Fluid walked down the streets of the western part of town, further into the city than Lapis' apartment. The eight city blocks that he had been heading down had been turned into a large flee-market bazaar. Hundreds of booths had been set up and thousands of ponies, griffons, changelings, and even the odd yak or kirin were all moving through the impromptu shopping area. It seemed to take up twenty city blocks, and was one of the newer developments in this part of town, since the snatchers had been driven out of this area. The smell of varying kinds of foods filled the air, and the noise of conversation was all over the area. Fluid couldn't help but taking a lot of pride in his part of bring this about. He moved slowly through the crowd. The smell of a small dessert stand caught his attention, and he slowly made his way over to it weaving through the crowd. The small dessert vendor was selling berry crepes.
"Next." The vendor said as a small unicorn filly walked away. An orange kirin with red mane walked up to the vendor stall. She was wearing a traditional kirin dress, and had her tail completely covered. "What will you be having."
"I-I'd like a blue one please." She asked putting several strange token things on the counter. "This should cover the cost of it."
"What the heck are these things?" The unicorn stallion floated one of the tokens up to examine it more thoroughly.
"It's uhm-a stable token so that you can buy things."
"Sorry we only take caps here next!"
"I-I'm sorry."
"I'll take a raspberry for me and the blueberry for her." Fluid put sixty caps down on the vendors counter. Fluid smiled and nodded to the kirin. "Hi, I'm Fluid Moves, are you new to town?"
"You!?" she stepped back before pausing. "You didn't have to do that for me." She looked at him completely shocked. Fluid smiled.
"It's not a problem." He took the two crepes and offered her the blueberry crepe. "If you just got out of a stable I can understand your confusion, what Stable are you from?" He asked stepping to the side so the next pony could step up. She took a step back before hesitantly taking the offered blue berry dessert.
"I've been out of the Stable for a while." She bit her lower lip. "You shouldn't do nice things for strangers, and especially not me."
"Why not?" Fluid asked concerned.
"You just shouldn't." She pushed her way into the crowd disappearing in the mass of ponies.
"Guess Disc Jockey's just a lot better at making friends than I am." Fluid shrugged sitting down on a small bench eating the raspberry treat. After a couple minutes Fluid got back into the crowd moving between the ponies, It was about an hour before sun down when he finally got through all the crowds, though by that point many of them had already left, and there were just a few ponies or griffons left helping to move the stands back into the apartment buildings for the night. Fluid was heading back toward the northwest after he had finished his stroll. Even with the area safer the streets around the market area were already abandoned. He continued walking around the area, figuring a small early patrol would be nice before going back to the mansion. Even with Light covering for him he doubted that Dub Step and Disc Jockey wouldn't have noticed him missing by now.
"Hey!" Sapphire landed next to him. "I wasn't expecting to see you out and about."
"To be honest I'm not supposed to be out and about." Fluid answered. "That last pony was from the Big 13. So Dub and Disc are being a bit over cautious. I needed to get out and walk around for a little bit."
"Yeah I Disc visited me not to long after and told me everything." Sapphire nodded. "To be honest I figured it was only going to be a matter of time before we all got noticed by some of the more troublesome characters, but after we ran Royal Flush off things have been really quiet. I'm not sure if I like that or not. It's good things are quiet but I'm sure something is about to happen. Do you have your suit?"
"No it's back at my room why?"
"I don't know, but I have a nagging hunch that something big is going to happen tonight." She looked around. "Something just doesn't feel right." She looked around. "Do you feel it too?"
"No not really." Fluid shook his head. "But if you say so I'll let Disc and Dub know. I think it would be a good idea to help get the others out of the mansion too." Fluid looked around. "Do you want us to meet you on your roof?"
"Yeah that, could work." She nodded. Fluid nodded and headed back to the mansion at a brisk trot not soon after Sapphire took back into the sky. Fluid continued down the roads at his trot until he got back to the mansion just as the sun was setting behind it. He slipped back into the gates, and headed down the cobble stone pathway toward the mansion. The door to the mansion opened just as he reached out for it. His eyes shot open wide, and he stepped back. "Hey Dub." He smiled. "I was just taking a walk."
"Right, and you were just doing a walk around the grounds?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well something like that. I left the grounds to go on my trot but I stayed close." He gave a sheepish smile. Dub gave him a flat look that was clearly not amused. "I just got back from walking around and saw Lapis she said she wanted us all suited up and to meet her on her apartment roof. She says that she think something big is about to go down tonight."
"Fine, get inside and get your suit on." Dub stepped aside and let him in. Fluid walked past her heading to the stiars. "Also your grounded."
"But-"
"No buts you're grounded. You only get one Dash Canister a day. Period." She said shutting the door behind him.
"But I have a prescription."
"Your prescription is only for one dosage a day enough to help you with your depression, but not enough to get high off of, deal with it. Because it's going to be that way for two weeks." Fluid groaned his ears flopping down. "Don't give me that look now get up stairs and tell everybody you meet along the way that we're heading out."
"Yes ma'am." Fluid nodded running up the stairs. As Dub began searching the first floor for anypony on it. As Fluid ran past the first floor he called out to Disc and Dream who were in the middle of some kind of discussion. "We're heading out in uniform to Sapphire's roof." Disc nodded, and Fluid continued up the stairs. He knocked on Ash's and Jet Lag's doors as he passed them telling them that they were heading out if they were in there. He hurried into his room and got suited up.
After ten minutes everypony was geared up and at the front door, with the exception of Rusty who was in his and Dub's terminal room. He was in charge of intel gathering and coordination with sheriff Grey Feather, in an attempt to figure out what could be going on. He pulled out his pip buck and activated one of the post market features that he had added on. "I'm sorry Dub right now everything's quiet, there's a bit more snatcher activity in the southern part of town but the sheriff is working on it, and there isn't much extra that we can do there."
"Right, well we're heading out anyways Rusty." Dub said to looking at her pip pad. "I'm not sure if she's right or she just want's to have a midnight stroll with bro-bro, but far be it from me to interfere."
"Ha-ha-ha." Disc exaggerated his laughter. "Let's just get moving. Does anybody have any concerns before we head out." He looked around. Light raised her hoof, but started talking before anyone could respond.
"Yeah can we stop for snacks on the way back, if nothing happens?" Light asked.
"Sure, and other questions?" Light raised her hoof again. "Not related to snacks?" She put it back down. "Well since nothing we're heading out now." They moved quickly though the streets getting to the Lapis' apartment only half an hour after sun down. Jet and Ash flew up to the roof, the rest made their way up the fire escape as joining their three winged friends quickly.
"Hey, thank you for coming." Sapphire nodded once they all got onto the roof. "Sorry about calling you all out, but I've just got this sinking feeling that something bad is going to be happening tonight. But I know what. Has anything popped up on your radar or the police radar yet for tonight?"
"Nope unless the situation has changed." Dub pulled out her pip pad. "Rusty, we all good?"
"So far yes, the police and sheriff Grey took care of the snatchers that popped up over in the south part of town. Everywhere else is pretty-wait what the heck is that. Uhm Dub, not sure if this is a bad thing but uhm-yeah. Grey Feather just sent us a job. One of the snatchers they caught spilled the beans on a holding location. Just a holding location, but still that's a lot to work with, if we hurry we might be able to get there before any moles in the police inform the snatchers they need to move their prisoners."
"Right. Rusty send me and Disc the coordinates to our pip pads. We'll follow the way point on our EFS and hopefully get there before they even know that were on top of them." Dub looked to her brother. Disc nodded once his EFS had activated.
"Right our target is on this side of town but a good bit into the city. This could get bumpy as we get closer to the old down town area, but we should still be on just the outskirts. Stay to the roofs." He looked around. Ace of Flames, you're with Light and Disco, you three will be pushing straight down the middle. Sis you, Sapphire and Dream will run support and screening on the right. Jet and I will be staying a block behind your two groups and will be to the left."
"Everypony remember to keep an eye on the sky and be careful." Dub said. "Middle team you'll be setting pace for the rest of us so go how ever fast you need to." Disco nodded.
"Right then. Let's go," he said running for the edge of the roof before kicking off and landing on the apartment on cube on the other side. Light on his left and Ace to his right just above barely in the air. Just to their right the Sapphire flew across the gap Dub and Dream crossed the road over small aura disc's coming from Dub's horn. Disc used the same method when he and Jet Lag started following the others. As they headed deeper into the city.
End of the Line was a had five zones, to it, the center of the city in which stood the five great Cooperate Towers, the next zone was the ring, a series of large offices, industrial buildings, and government buildings. The Third zone further out still was Down Town an area two hundred city blocks all around, this area was in the unquestioned control of the cartels and other criminal interest including the snatchers. Beyond that were the several hundred blocks that comprised the Urban Sprawl, where many of the cultural enclaves and ponies lived and which provided a buffer between the criminal syndicates and the Law. Beyond that was the domain of the End of the Line Police force, the Out Skirts, which comprised everything else, and contained the bulk of the pony and griffon population of End of the Line. By half an hour they had arrived at the edge of the Out Skirts and began moving into the Urban Sprawl.
"Stay closer together." Dub looked around unsure.
"This is where problems start happening." Disc looked around unsure. "But we've got to head fairly deep into this zone of town to reach the warehouse that they're using to hold their victims. Rusty what kind of traffic are you picking up?"
"So far everything's quiet, not a lot happening, you should be fine." Rusty answered through the twins' pip pads. "You've got a straight shot to it."
"Don't you think that's kind of odd?" Jet asked. "Them just giving us a straight shot? And we've not encountered a single air patrol of snatchers yet. They normally have a least a couple dozen in the sky to relay possible targets."
"I think Fluid's aware, he's moving slower." Disc looked up at the sky. "Just to be safe though Jet slip off and grab us supplies." He tossed Jet Lag one of his pistols, "If anything happens you know how to fight your way out, don't travel heavy get the green stuff, potions, and the rad away too. And get back to us as soon as you can." Jet nodded and dove off the building blending into the shadows he disappeared into the shadows and started heading back to the mansion, and his medical supplies. Disc Jocky nodded with his horn glowing, as small magical whisper would inform the others but nothing else.
In the course of of half an hour they reached the location. Dub's horn lit up as she sent another message to the groups that they were there. Disco's group came to a stop, Dub, Sapphire, and Dream joined them. A second later Disc Jockey was with them as well. "That's the building?" Light asked, looking down on what had once been a ware house for a pre war shipping company.
"According to our EFS this is the place." Dub said. "And there are a lot of green bars in there, and quite a few red as well." Dub looked over to the others. "Right, this isn't going to be a cake walk. And getting them out of this part of town is likely to be just as hard, so I want everypony to be as careful as possible because getting the ponies out of the building is only the start of this operation." Everyone nodded.
"Right. Disco, Light, Ace, Sapphire you get to be the distraction, take out as many snatchers as you can. Dub, Dream, and I will work on getting as many ponies out as we can, we'll try to give you support, but don't count on our help." Disc Jockey looked over the four power pony costumed ponies.
"Sounds like a plan." Light beamed. "Now lets kick butt." She jumped off the roof landing on the ground she charged right in. The Disco Do-Gooder followed right behind them. Sapphire and the Ace of Flames. Took to the sky landing on the roof near one of the sky lights. "Bada-Boom!" She kicked the door into the warehouse open. The building had been converted into a large prison. Ponies lay packed in cramped cages. The difficult or trouble makers hung in cages attached to the ceiling by chains. The cages were barely large enough for a young colt. Often to small for the mares, stallions, and odd griffon that had the misfortune of being up there.
"What they hell?" The closest snatcher, a thin weasel built earth pony stallion, looked over to the door. An instant later he registered what was happening. "Everyone drop whatever the fuck you're doing! One of those hero wannabes just kicked in the door, This is going to be a big pay day!" He charged at Light before Disco darted into the room.
"Party Bash!" His displace hoof boomed as the thinly built weasel of a pony was launched across the building rolling head over tail as Disco and Light got on their hind hooves, each in their own fighting stance. One of the ponies in the cages took the chance to spit on the unconscious buck as he came to a stop right under her cage. It took the room a moment to register what had just happened before the snatchers dropped what they were doing and charged. Other ran to more defensible positions where heavier weaponry was already being loaded.
"Come and get me!" Light cheered charging into a group of snatchers her arnis bashing into forelegs, sides and heads as she ran into the group. Another group of ten snatchers moved in between her and Disco. They charged him forcing him to bob and weave his way further back as he dodged chains, mallets, and the odd gun shot coming from further back. He lashed out several times, but each time a snatcher fell back hurt another took their place. Light soon found herself having the same problem, no matter how many times she lashed out with her arnis there were always more snatchers moving in on her. One of them grabbed her from behind. "A little assistance Disco Do-Gooder, would be nice!"
"Ditto!" He called back as the snatchers finally got his back against a wall. The roof top sky light exploded in a shower of glass and green flames. Ace of Flames dived in her wings awash in green fire. Disco made use of the distraction provided by her entry switching his fighting stance in a flurry of kicks and spins three of the snatchers were on the ground and three others were stumbling back with broken noses and a few missing teeth. Light's hind hoof shot back behind her and the stallion holding her found something far more precious to as he cried out rolling on the ground.
"Thank you!" Light cheered before her eyes went wide and she dove for cover behind a couple of metal boxes, Disco mirroring her action behind a concrete barricade. The snatchers in the far back of the warehouse had gotten several in placed machine guns ready and began opening fire at least one gun aimed at each of the power ponies. The Ace of Flames began taking evasive maneuvers in the air, trying her hardest to insure that the caged ponies and griffons weren't ever in the line of fire. Many of the ponies started screaming, and a couple of the worse off ones broke down into sobs as every one aside from a few of the snatchers hit the deck. The boxes began falling around her as the stone barricade Disco was behind was being whittled down in hoof sized chunks.
"We need to get unpinned and deal with those guns!" Disco yelled over to Light. "I'm open for any ideas you can come up with!"
"Putting me a bit on the spot!" She rolled on her stomach and started looking though some of the boxes that fell. "Ah-ha." She rolled gabbed a mirror and a small laser pointer, a small egg timer, and other random bits and bobs. "Alright I'll try, be ready to move!" She yelled over the sound of gun fire. She angled the mirror and turned on the laser pointer. A second later the gun fire veered to the side as whoever was firing it fell back screaming she didn't wait doing aiming and firing her laser weapon at the other gunner teams. They faired just as well. "Go!"
"Right!" Disco didn't waste the opportunity provided to him. He bolted out of cover grabbing something as jumped the barricade. "Ace!" He called out. She dived bombed the snatchers that were trying to intercept him. He cleared three fourths of the warehouse floor.. "Grenade!" He yelled throwing what was in his hoof right into the face of one of the gunners that was struggling to get the gun aimed. Then he jumped into the near by slave pin. Ace of Flame fired two small green fire balls down on the snatchers before pulling back. To get away. The slave in the pin rushed away from the future ground zero. The snatchers jumped off of the elevated platform and ran from the machine gun position. Seconds passed. The Disco Do-Gooder jumped out tackling one of the snatcher and throwing them, a black unicorn mare into the cage wall of a few desperate ponies. Most recoiled two however grabbed her one by the neck the other by the waist, looking for the key.
"No boom?" Light asked, returning to the fight.
"It was just a rock." Disco answered, bucking two snatchers and spinning to avoid the ax of a third.
"That's not fair!" One of the snatchers screamed charging at him. Only to be blasted halfway across the warehouse and into the swing of Light's arnis.
"Deal with it," Ace smirked as second before all three machine guns opened fire again. Light barely managed to get behind some small piles of pony's belongings they had on them before being taken by the snatchers. Ace broke her charge on one of the snatchers pulling up hard. Disco bolted doing anything he could to stay ahead of the machine gun fire as the guns lifted out of their tripods by a white unicorn mare with a pitch black mane.
"That's not fair!" Light yelled at the Snatcher the others that were still up rallied behind their commander.
"Deal with it." The mare snarled. "The rest of you get them! And any slave that acts up you'r-" She screamed in pain. The machine guns fell out of her magical grip as an arrow in her knee came to life causing 24 volts to surge through her dropping her to the ground as she twitched. "GET THEM!" She screamed still spamming on the ground. The snatchers charged the power ponies. Three of them pointed riffles and hand guns up to return fire at Sapphire. Light engaged the snatchers that had charged her. Disco continued fighting and dancing around the warehouse floor keeping as many occupied with chasing him as he could. Ace flew around attacking as best she could while avoiding the half dozen pegasi that tailed her every move. Sapphire moved from skylight to sky light firing down on the ponies with guns and doing her best to help any of the others if they were in a tight spot.
The fight lasted half an hour before the snatchers realized that most of the once full warehouse was now empty, and many of the cages had been filled with their fallen comrades. A few of the newly freed captives joined in the fray and more and more the tide turned. Until all at once the Snatchers lost completely the last one being dog piled by a dozen colts and fillies wearing CMC capes, who despite their size quickly beat the snatcher into submission, and continued to do so even as Dub Step and Disc started pulling them off the unconscious pegasus mare.
"That, that was fun." Light smiled rubbing a bruised cheek from were one of her opponents had gotten a solid hit on her.
"Jet should be back soon." Disc nodded looking over the several hundred ponies they'd rescued. "Not bad you four. We did a good job and getting them out will be hard but at sunrise it'll be a lot safer, even in this part of town."
"Ha. You think you're getting out of here. You think you did anything good?" The white unicorn mare spat at Disc from her cage. "You idiots, you're not getting out of here none of you are!"
"And what's stopping us?" Dream asked. "Our hackers cut your communications and replaced them with all clear signals. The other Snatcher groups don't even know what's happened."
"You don't get it, in few short minutes I'll be out of this cage and you'll all either be dead or in chains." the warehouse echoed with a sadistic laugh. Everyone looked around unsure, a few of the ponies bolted for the door. Those that did screamed and soon fell quite as the sound of rippers cut through there screams just as easily as they cut through their bodies.
"She's half right." a nirik laughed walking between two rippers dripping with freshly spilled blood. The newly rescued ponies backed away those that had been in the small hanging cages grabbed weapons and stood between the nirik and the others, and the power ponies stepped up between them and her. "Though while I was ordered to just kill you," She pointed to the disco Do-Gooder. "I think with a little bit of creative interpretation, I can get away with killing the snatchers and the slaves too. Hello Super Zero, is this your team?" She waved playfully to Disco. "They look adorable. Think Light's head would look cute sewn to your body?"
"Uh no! I like my head on my body thank you very much, we're very attached."
"Won't know till we try." She laughed. Her horn lit up and a wall of fire blocked out the warehouse exits.
"She's looks familiar but I don't know where I know her from." Dub said her own horn lighting up.
"Oh you recognize me, it's probably from that time I visited Stable 240. It's how I got my most famous nick name yet."
"You're, crap, you're the Bloody Butcheress of Stable 240." Disc said softly, his heart felt like it sank in his stomach.
"You know me. That's good, so you probably know what's about to happen, next." Her voice got lower and a wicked grin spread over her face. She charged her horn lighting up as the rippers lashed out at her side seemingly with a mind of their own. "Time for the slaughter." Ace took to the air, Sapphire aimed her arrow and fired. Dub, Dream, and Disc's spells went of simultaneously. Disco and Light both began fending of the rippers bolted at them with murderous intent. The Butcheress fired her own spell fire and light engulfed the the area between the three unicorns and the nirik. A moment later she jumped though the flames and smoke another ripper roaring held in her grinning mouth. The arrow falling in several pieces around her hooves. When she landed her tail lashed warping tightly around Dream's throat. He gagged fighting with his hooves to loosen the tail's grip.
"Bro!" Light's charge was stunted as the ripper slashed at her she swung her arnis. For a second it looked like the Arnis would hold and the ripper would be parried away. The hope ended with the second, when the ripper was engulfed in nirik fire. It cut through the arnis like a hot knife through butter. Light leaned back as the ripper surged forward, limboing under it with less than an inch to spare.
The warehouse flashed several bright colors as beams of light fired from Dub and Disc Jockey's horns. Only to be absorbed by the nirik's shield. She laughed as Dream's struggles became more frantic. Disco charged the shield. "Party Bash!" She looked at him with soulless glowing eyes as she as she threw the third ripper like a knife the one behind him speeding up to catch him in the back as he jumped to hit the shield.
"Go bye." The butcheress waved good-bye with a smile so innocent it was sick. A second before the rippers dug into him he was blasted away by a blob of changeling ichor Slamming him into the floor. The Ace of Flames quickly followed it up by bathing the shield in all the fire she could conjure. The nirik's right eye twitched a little behind a cracked shield. "You ruin my kill, bitch!" The two rippers meant for the Disco Do-Gooder slammed into the changeling, revving and awash in nirik fire. Time slowed to a pain full crawl as the Ace of Flames spun head over tail backwards landing hard on her back screaming as the rippers tried to push deep. Before anything else could happen the warehouse was consumed in a blinding white light, and the air roared with an explosion fierce enough to shake the ground. A moment later the Bloody Butcheress was rolling on the ground her black burning body smoking. Dream lay a couple yards away gasping and coughing trying to refill his lungs.
Light ran her brother. Disco ran to Ace's side. Disc was already there gritting his teeth and holding back his own screams as he pulled the still burning knives out with his hooves. Ace's orange chitin began to glow in the light of the strongest healing spell he could muster. His twin sister marched toward the Butcheress with murderous intent in her eyes. The Butcheress matched Dub Step's death glare with one of her own. "Don't. Hurt. My. KIDS!" Each word was punctuated with the aura around her horn glowing brighter. "You stupid temperamental horse gecko!" She fired off her spell. The Butcheress returned fire with a spell of her own, powered seemingly by her own blood curtailing battle cry. The ground shook, and the air became electrified where the two spells met. The Disco Do-Gooder got up and attempted to charge her but his tail was bit by Disc Jocky, and he was pulled back. He was and watched as the spells began to burn a crater of molten concrete into the meters thick foundation of the warehouse.
The ball of energy quickly hit critical mass. The magical energies of the two spells exploded outward. The front wall of the warehouse was the closest to the explosion, and was blasted out into the street. The fires vanished as the Butcheress and Dub Step were thrown a dozen meters back. Disc Jockey's horn lit up and arches appeared in the remaining walls. "GET OUT!" He yelled. The recently freed ponies and griffons needed no further goading as they charged out in a half paniced stampede. "Rusty, Get down to the hospital room and get as many things as you can set up for Jet!" Disc Jockey screamed at the saddle bag holding his pip pad. A light in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He spun throwing Disco over Ace and casting a shield wall. It shattered moments later throwing him to the ground near his unconscious twin sister. He hadn't even registered that he'd hit the ground before the two of them were awash in nirik fire. It didn't singe their coats or burn their skin, but every nerve in their body flared up. The scream could have curdled water.
"Fuck you. Fuck You. FUCK YOU!" The Butcheress advanced on the twins. "Burn! BURNBURNBURNBURNBU-" Her head was a blur as the Disco Do-Gooder's displacement hoof went off. Lighting shooting into her from it's modification. She bounced back as she hit the concrete, and was hit again. She landed hard on he back with him jumping on top of her swing his hooves into her face and chest as hard as he could. Behind him Light was helping Dream get the Ace of Flames to safety, Lapis doing the same with Disc Jockey and Dub Step.
"Stop it!" Her hoof flared up Into the spit of his hip. He bit back his scream but still fell off of her. She struggled to her hooves seconds before he did. "Scream," she commanded her horn lighting up several times before the spell cast properly, nirik fire engulfed his body. He struggled back to his hooves grinding his teeth as tears started streaking down his face. "Scream I said. Scream and I'll make it quick." The fire burned higher. Disco fell back to the ground a long pained grunt coming though his clenched jaw. "Why don't you just scream and beg already?!" She started stomping on him.
"Why don't you?!" Sapphire's arrow exploded just as the Butcheress looked up. Blasting her back. As she smoke cleared Light Chaser was already bringing a small metal pipe she'd found down hard on to the Bloody Butcheress' horn. The nirik howled in pain. She swung catching the earth pony mare in the jaw, before, the metal pipe slammed into her own jaw. Light's eyes widened as the sound of rippers roared toward her. She leapt to the side as two of the rippers returned to their mistress. Before the Butcheress could make use of them another arrow exploded at her front hooves throwing her back Light charged threw the debris only to see the glow of the nirik fire on a building wall as the Butcheress fled.
Ash blinked several times as she slowly came too. The bright light and sterile white walls of the hospital room, which was under the cellar at Fluid's mansion, were hazy to her, as the drugs slowly worked though her system. She looked over to see Jet Lag asleep in his Ministry of Peace Doctor's uniform. Dub was asleep on another patent bed and fluid and Disc were asleep on benches against the wall. Fluid's head and chest wrapped with a few bandages. She started to move. Pain flared up in her side, and she hissed laying back down. "Owey, ow, ow, ow." She whined. Jet Lag's head shot up.
"Ash!" He screamed with unrestrained joy forgetting his bedside manners for a second and rushing to her side Fluid and Disc both jolted awake a the other young stallions joyful shout. "You're you're okay!" He held her. "I-I wasn't s-sure."
"Yeah I'm fine, well maybe I have two more holes but hey changelings are supposed to have holes right?" She asked patting Jet's back. The no touching rule being ignored seeing how he was currently hugging her. "Hugging is nice for me but my body still hurts." She said.
"Sorry." Jet pulled away.
"Did I say you could stop." She waved him back in with a pouting face. "Just gentler this time yeah?" Jet nodded going in for another hug. "Is Dub okay?"
"She'll be fine. Disc Jocky answered. "She just needs her rest. In a few weeks I'll be covering my ears with a pillow again trying to get some sleep because she thinks the doors to our shared bathroom are sound proof, mare my words." Disc gave her a smile.
"How are you sis?" Fluid asked wiping away a few stray tears. "You had us scared there for a bit."
"Eh with all the love in this room. I'm doing great a bit tender. But good." Ash smiled. Leaning back down and quickly falling back to sleep.