//------------------------------//
// when science fails 
// Story: Great, another OctaScratch fic 
// by The Batmane of equestria 
//------------------------------//

The group stood in a semi-circle in one of the rooms in Dregoborovic's complex. They were all murmuring but their general focus was on Vinyl.

"Tell me again," The Doctor asked. "How exactly did you get your powers back?" He had asked 5 times already and it was starting to annoy Vinyl.

"Like I said," she said, venom dripping from her words. "I just did what I would do if I was in unicorn state and it just happened. Okay?" The Doctor only nodded before producing a notepad and a pen from nowhere. He sat on the floor and started taking notes. That was when Dregoborovic entered.

"G'day mates." he said, purposefully following the stereotype. "I hear you had some trouble today, something about Vinyl using 'magic'?" The five women nodded. "Well now you've piqued my interests. Care to give a demonstration?"

Vinyl nodded. She stretched out her hands and they were enveloped in a blue aura. Then, the sidearm beneath Dregoborvic's arm flew out of its holster and flew around the room, before returning. "Happy?"

"Quite, but did you have to use my gun?"

"There was nothing else in the room." Vinyl countered.

"So, how do explain it?" 

"Science we don't understand yet? Actual magic? Who knows?"

Dregoborovic shrugged. "Okay then. Well, you should pr-" he was cut off as The Doctor shouted "Eureka", turning all attention in the room towards him.

"I think I've figured out how she does it!" The six others in the room leaned in intently. "Well, when we arrived at this universe, we were turned into this form, but we weren't altered on a deeper molecular and chemical level. We still kept our own brains with our own thoughts so the level it works at didn't change. This allows me to deduce that Vinyl's powers came from her brain, it being the only thing that hasn't changed. Her current form left her bereft of a horn, so it had to find another way of releasing the magical/science-we-don't-yet-understand energies, henceforth, the energy being released from her hands. This theory also proves that there is a link between the unicorn brain and the magical energies its host body can release. Lyra should be able to do the same though I don't think she's figured it out yet. Further analysis on a biometric scale would help me to figure out if this is true." He gasped for air. The 5 women and one man stared at him incredulously. "What?"

After a few seconds, Vinyl spoke. "Am I the only one who understood that?" 

Her friends replies were cut short by a large explosion rocking the building.

"No time for that!" Dregoborovic shouted. "We need to get you six into the bunker. You should be safe there." He jogged around the corner, clearly a sign that the others should follow.

The seven of them ran down to the bunker amidst shouts of pain and several weapons discharging. They rounded a corner to where the bunker should be, only only to be knocked back by a large explosion. The bunker was destroyed.

Octavia's head was blurry from the impact. Smoke clouded her vision. She crawled away from where she though the initial explosion had happened. Suddenly, the sound of boot steps on concrete came from nearby. She looked up to see an average sized man in black full-body armour and a gas mask that covered his entire head approach. She reached out a hand to see if he would help, only to have her hand knocked to the side. He kicked her in the gut and she almost passed out. To weak to struggle she could only look as he raised a boot, clearly intending to kick her in the face. She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable. 

Then, a shout of "hey!" was heard. Being unable to move her head, she simply stared at the man, who had snapped his head to his left to see where the noise came from. A split-second later, a large desk coated in a blue aura slammed into his head, sending him crashing into the far wall, where the only signs of life he showed was steady breathing. Finally gaining some strength, she looked down to see Vinyl leaning against the wall, a blue aura dying down on one outstretched hand while the other clutched a wound on her stomach which was clearly bleeding. 

Seconds later, another man dressed in similar armour ran around the corner. Before Vinyl could react, he hit her in the temple, knocking her out. He fumbled for a sidearm. Then, everything went in slow motion. She spotted a once concealed weapon lying in front of her, supposedly from the first attacker. She leapt forward and grabbed the weapon in her hand. She spun around. Everything was still in slow motion. The man almost had the gun pointed at Vinyl's head. She aimed the gun and fired two shots. The first one just about missed his head. The second caught him in the back, paralysing him instantly. He crumpled to the ground. Then, everything went back to normal speed.

Octavia stood up, gun still i hand. she had every mind to shoot both of the attackers for almost killing her and Vinyl. But she simply dropped the gun, head held low. She looked to her right, where the other five were just getting up.

"Quickly, one of you, help me seal up Vinyl's wound. She's unconscious and losing a lot of blood." she said, her voice stern in a way she had never spoke before. There was no room for questioning. It wasn't a request. 

The Doctor immediately stepped forward and crouched near Vinyl's body. He tore off a segment of her torn vest and used it as a bandage, tying it around her side away from the wound. "There, that should stem the bleeding. Drego, mind helping me carry her?"

Dregoborovic stepped forwards and grabbed Vinyl by one of her arms, slinging it over his shoulder while The Doctor did the same. 

"Where to now?" Lyra asked.

"I have a bullet proof SUV in the garage. We can use that to escape."

"And who are these people who are attacking?"

"Those are Leoni's men." 

They half ran to the garage, no-one saying a word. They avoided where they heard the most gun shots coming from and eventually made it to the garage where Vinyl started to regain consciousness.

"Are you ok to walk?" Octavia asked. Vinyl simply nodded. "Okay, then. Let's go!"

"Going somewhere?" came an Italian voice with a slight tinge of American from behind them. They turned around to see a tall man with combed back jet black hair, a black suit and tie and a gun in his hand. Behind him were four of the gas mask clad men with machine guns.

"Leoni." Dregoborovic spat.