Psycho
Chapter Twenty Four
Carapace waited outside the club for his companions, or rather companion. Octavia had retreated back into the club to retrieve her friend Vinyl from the stage. He stood in the streets admiring the view of the tower. His thoughts hanging lightly on what exactly was going to happen. Caine had said to get out of there when he planted the device, what was it going to do? It couldn't be good. He feared that whatever it was, it would reveal his identity in the city. He was growing fond of some of the ponies. His thoughts became distracted for a while yet until...
"Hey you!" A sweet voice shouted from down the street. Carapace turned his head towards the voice. It came from a familiar red maned mare with a gleaming crystal coat. She was trotting towards him with a smile, "I've been looking for you!"
"Oh, hey there!" Carapace feigned a weak smile, cursing himself inside for standing in the open. "I hope you are feeling better!"
"A little, it still hurts..." the mare frowned. "I never got your name, I'm Crissy Quartz!"
"Hello Miss Quartz, I'm..." Carapace had to think, he already lost his false name.
"Hey C.C!" Carapace sighed in relief as the white unicorn exited the club. "Ready to head out?"
"Yeah Vinyl! Just give me a second!" Carapace inwardly frowned.
"Oh, you know her?" Quartz's smile fell a little, but lifted shortly after hearing C.C's response.
"She is a new friend I just met, Crissy this is Vinyl and her friend Octavia."
"Hey! Don't forget about me!" A high pitched voice screeched from behind Vinyl.
Claptrap rolled out from behind the unicorn mare, still dancing a little groove. Carapace had to admit, the strange thing seemed so lively.
"Ummm, what is that?" Crissy asked with a baffle look on her face.
"I'm Claptrap! A pleasure to meet you! And might I say you are looking HAWT!" Crissy stepped back at the bots compliment, and just nodded as she smiled.
"A pleasure Claptrap, if you all will excuse me for a second though" Crisy turned to Carapace, who smiled the best he could to cover his concern. "C.C, is that short for something?"
"Uhhh....." Carapace had to think, just as it was about to leave him he remebered. "Carey, Carey Case. C.C sounds a little cooler though." Carapace smiled again.
"Well, Carey... You have been really kind to me... and I... well... Do you want to go out for some lunch sometime?" Crissy smiled and blushed.
Carapace did his best to fake surprise and embarrassment, trying to seem like he was not expecting this. It worked apparently as Vinyl and Octavia smiled as the stepped over.
"Go for it man, we can wait a bit. Besides, I'm gettin starved myself!" Vinyl smacked Carapace on the back.
"Well..." Carapace sighed, he wasn't getting out of this... "Sure Crissy, I'm game."
The group of fifteen humans and ponies met at the train station, awaiting their private ride to the Crystal Empire. The group sat in the shade, protected from the sun for several minutes before Gaige and Twilight finally sighted the train in the distance. The train was a little early, the lot of them expected to be waiting another hour. The ponies thought not much of it, but the vault hunters seemed wary all the more.
The train slowed to a stop before them and the doors opened themselves, allowing the large group of passengers to step in. The bearers of harmony all stepped to a rear car while the vault hunters settled between two closer cars. The human sirens and Gaige all retreated to one car while the men remained in a closer car to the front of the train.
The six mares had easily stowed their belongings away in storage, with exception to Rarity who had six bags herself. The other five mares talked her down from fifteen. They all remained in their car and passed stories and opinions around about the recent turn of events.
"So uh... The Crystal Empire eh?" Applejack started. "Why would this Jack fella wanna attack there?"
"I don't know, I have been thinking about that myself as well. Although I'm more concerned about my new... features..." Twilight added, still studying her new tattoos. "Not sure how I feel about these though..."
"How should you feel about them darling? They are simply marvelous! I almost wish I could have a set of them myself, but then again I doubt it comes in my color." Rarity smiled as she thought to herself.
"Yeah Twilight! I think they make you look super duper cool!" Pinkie bounced through the room, finally landing right beside Twilight.
"Hey Pinkie... hold still..." Twilight stated as the pink pony nodded in agreement with a smile. "I want to try something..."
"Ok! Will it be fun? Will it be cool!? Are you going to try and feed me!? OH I KNOW! YOU ARE ..." Pinkie went completely silent as Twilight stared at her, eyes glowing purple and staring into her mind. The spell only lasted a few seconds, Twilight's face grimaced as she pulled her new powers away from Pinkies mind.
"Oh... Celestia... I'm going to be... URK!"
In the next two cars down, the vault hunters gathered in the men's car for a meeting. They already established the ponies as friends, and now were contemplating what to expect. None of them knew what was coming, and frankly it did put a few of them on the edge of their seats.
"If we get there and it's under Hyperion control... don't stop me guys, I'm gonna WRECK THE PLACE!" Brick shouted in anger as he threw a fist in the air.
"Don't worry about it Brick, the princess said it was only a few deaths by a sniper. Hyperion is baiting the city, there is something there they want." Mordecai leaned back on his bunk as he shut his eyes. "Besides, them ponies can put up a decent fight. I'm sure they can hold out long enough..."
Maya looked at Lilith with a scowl towards Mordecai's suggestion, but Lilith just shot a 'I know what you mean' glance at her. Maya was about to open her mouth when a strange little ball floated in the window. The vault hunters watched curiously at the strange floating thing before them. The ball opened up into a floating screen, revealing a face of an old enemy.
"Hey guys, just checkin up on ya. Makin sure you bandits aren't destroying this planet too ya know, looks like you are doing alright, maybe a little too good at it. Come on guys, I need some action! Oh... wait... I can get that... where is it... ummm... there!" The vault hunters watched as Jack flipped a switch, and in a moment the small ball exploded into bits. The hunters heard screeching in the distance...
{Music}
The car's ceiling exploded as a war loader crashed into the car, followed by smaller loaders crashing down behind it. They all raised their weapons, ready to fire at will. The vault hunters mobilized in a flash as Axton took charge. His dual turrets shredding bots in lead, Maya and Lilith behind him unleashed dual volleys of smg fire in killing several bots before leaping into the fray. Both of their phoenix like wings unleashed, burning any bots too close.
The six mares lept at the sign of trouble, explosions and gunfire erupting only a few cars away. Applejack and Rainbow Dash immediately rushed to the door and took stances to fight. Twilight stood behind them, horn charged for a blast. They watched as the door knocked inward, the ponies prepared for the worst. The door finally broke through as a buzzsaw ripped through the weak wooden frame. Krieg stood before the six of them and motioned for them to move back several cars. Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie complied, but as Applejack Rainbow and Twilight started to make their way Krieg was launched into the other side of the car by a Bull Loader ramming into the Psycho.
Krieg stood up in a daze, snapping back to attention as he watched the Bull Loader raise a fist to smash the ponies. It droped it's fist, only to be blown out the side of the car. Krieg blinked as it happened, only seeing Twilight glowing with siren power and her horn radiating magic energy. The amazement lasted only a second as a Hot Loader came following in, cloaking the car in flames. Krieg lept in the way as Twilight protected her friends with her magic. The three ponies looked up to see Krieg standing before them, his back arching as his arms spread wide to block the blow himself. His face hung low, Twilight tried to speak but Krieg was first.
"BURN BABY! BURN!" The flaming psycho screamed as he turned around to the Hot loader. Krieg opened his mouth and the bot was consumed in flames.
More loaders burst through the wall, firing at the flaming psycho. Every bullet that hit was returned with a ball of fire launched towards the machines, igniting them in the hell fire that came from the enraged psycho.
"Over here, my sweet meats, your prince of justice and genocide has something to say: Gone are the days of the tentacle and the age of the gods and mercy is far away... We are the fighters of the middle, the second act in the three-part MEAT play, AND I WILL WIN BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR!" The psycho screamed as he charged the bots axe in hand.
On top of the flaming car, Zero and Salvador watched as combat engineers descended from Hyperion fliers above. Salvador looked up to the ninja with a grin, Zero replied with a glow in his faceplate as he vanished into the air, leaving his double standing on the car. Salvador lept on the rear car as the engineers lept to attack the clone, only to have their attacks fail as the gunzerker unleashed hell beneath their feet. The roof of the car exploded into flames as the engineers fell into the inferno. Zero reappeared behind, pointing downward. Salvador looked down and saw three of their pony friends cowering in the heat. One of them was heaped onto six or more suitcases when another Hot loader burst in and sprayed the suitcases in flames.
Upon watching her belongings burn, Rarity felt a spark in her that she rarely had the opportunity to release. The machine in front of her just destroyed every dress she had planned to show to the crystal ponies. She glared at the bot with anger in her eyes as she stated. "It. Is. ON!" Salvador watched in amusement as the bot was blown to smithereens by the unicorns anger charged magic.
Gaige and her Deathtrap stood in the entrance of the car ahead of the inferno, Krieg behind her murdering all who stepped into his 'fun'. The mechromancer watched as Twilight protected her two friends with her magic, trying to make it to the car ahead. Two bots landed behind them and attempted to grab the three of them up. Gaige released her half full clip and put in a fresh one as swiftly as she could, her gears running as her sight was clouded with numbers. A flick of the trigger and both bots weak optic's exploded in acid. Deathtrap then rushed in to pick up the three mares and loaded them off on the safe car.
The vault hunters each cleared the invasion force of the train, then unlatched the burning car and the ones behind it. Rarity was in tears at her belongings, still willing to seek vengeance on Jack.
After the battle, it seemed Jack let off on the bombardment of bots. He was obviously playing with them, everyone and pony gathered in the front most car, were the men originally resided. Everyone watched in disappointment when Mordecai rose from his bed, a small bit of drool hanging from his lip.
"Mordecai! Did you sleep through all that!? Lilith shouted.
"Huh? Sleep through what?"
Everyone covered their faces with either palm or hoof, now not surprised at all with the hunter.