[Canterlot Castle: Just outside]
“Explain to me again why we’re doing this?” Rogers asked as he readied his shield and crouched behind the many boxes within the dark alley way.
“Because I heard one of those overgrown child toys talk about how they had... more... like us.” Slade replied as he took a peek around. Good. There was no one here. Whomever was in charge of security around here must have had the tactical ingenious of a potato.
“And your point is?”
“I suspect that they must have some use for him or her...”
“Do you think it’s that boy we met?”
“Him? I think he’s dead.” Slade said as he continued taking a look at all possible ways the infiltration could go. “Can you tell me anyone who might survive that fall?”
“Me? You?”
“Someone that isn’t enhanced. Besides, you even said yourself that the current of the water would have been too great. If he didn’t break his neck on impact, then he probably drowned.”
“Poor guy.” Rogers said as he remembered the kid. Blond, longish hair for a guy. Smart eyes and a few other things.
“Are you going to start again? Cause we have a guy to help.”
“I still think this is a bad idea. Besides, this isn’t even our...”
“And so what? I need information. Because this isn’t our home, I want to know what the hell is going on and why I am in a little girl’s coloring book.” Slade said as he took out his bo staff which had a hidden rifle.
“Don’t tell me you already plan on dropping bodies.” Captain Rogers said as he took his binoculars for another look.
“I am not. These are tranquilizer rounds. They’ll wake up with nothing but a headache.” Slade said as he fired his shots.
“Clear?”
“Clear.”
“Hey, Barn, I would like some help with these... mff... boxes.” The royal guard said as he pushed the boxes across the floor with no hidden difficulty. They must have weighed a ton!
No answer.
“Really Barn? You gonna help or what?”
Still no answer.
“Okay. If you’re not going to help, I am going to have to tell the Captain you’ve been napping again on your dut....”
A hand was clasped over his mouth as the guard was lifted off his feet. In no time at all, a muzzle was placed around his mouth and his hooves were bound together so he couldn’t move. A wooden creak and he was thrown in. Right next to at least four other guards.
“That should hold you.” Slade said as Steve closed the lid, making sure to leave a small opening so they can breath.
“Clear.”
“I am not in the army anymore, you don’t have to say clear every time.” Slade said rolling his eyes. “Did you check the dungeons?”
“Nobody in there. Entire place is empty if you’d believe it.”
“Our guy must be really badass if they don’t hold him in the regular place.” Slade thought aloud as he thought for a while. “Should we try top floor?”
“Top floor it is.” Rogers replied as he grabbed his shield. “By the way Slade. You really think this is a good idea?”
“Anything that has anything to do with me is considered bad by you. So you know what? No.”
[A few minutes later. Canterlot guest chambers.]
“I have to say, this place actually looks really cozy.” Steve muttered to himself as he took a look at the rooms. Despite the fact that your average inhabitant was slightly shorter than five feet the rooms looked like they could accommodate one of his size. Come to think of it again, the entire place looked REALLY inviting. Almost gave someone the sense of wanting to just lie down instantly. Only thing was, he disliked soft beds.
“Yeah. You think the poor fellow is getting this form of treatment?” Slade asked again. “These things are pretty vicious. One of them tried to attack me.”
“Getting beaten up by stuffed animals are we now?”
“No.” Slade grumbled moodily as he recalled sending a zebra thing into a really good sleep. “Stop.”
“Who said you were in charge?”
“I am a colonel. You’re a captain.” Slade chuckled. “Well. At least was. But I hear someone... the door!”
It was easy to vanish out of sight. That door was like a few hundred feet away. But even then, the only thing to hide behind was around the corner which the two would peek from.
The knob of the door slowly opened... and then someone stepped out. Mind you. Someone. Not something.
It was a young girl.
Now hold on.
She was calling someone’s name. No, something’s name. Some “Twilight Sparkle.”
Ummm.... what?
“Wait... so... they’re not...”
“Shhh!” Slade hushed as he listened to the conversation.
“Thanks again... it’s really nice...”
“No problemo! You know, I never knew you could use magic without a horn! Well... I mean... it’s not as good without the... and frankly, I never knew I could make one! Why don’t you give it a test?”
A small nod and...
Imagine an young girl with silver white hair all of a sudden make magical... antenna things appear straight right on top of her head. To say the least, Steve’s jaw almost hit the ground whilst Slade’s one good eye almost popped out of it’s socket.
“What the...”
“Is someone there?” The girl asked as she turned into their direction causing both to men to hide back behind the corner.
Silence.
“Is something wrong Sanya?” Twilight asked as she looked in the general direction Sanya had been peeking in.
“Nothing I thought I heard...”
The trotting sounds of armored hooves drowned out her voice as a squad of royal guards showed up.
“Shining? What’s going on?”
“Listen. There’s an intruder in the castle! We have to get you and your friend to safety!”
“What? No time to explain! For all we know there might be an assassin right around the corner!”
“But...”
“I don’t know much either. We don’t even know why they’re in here but I suspect it might have to do with her.” Shining Armor turned to the girl. “Hey. We’re going to place you under custody of the royal guard. Okay? It’s not safe and I suspect the assassin or whatever might be after you.”
“On the contrary. I am not an assassin this time...” Slade’s voice rang down the hall.
“What the... stay back! Whatever you are!” Shining Armor said as he looked at the intruder. It looked metallic in whatever it’s skin was... or was that armor? He couldn’t tell. But in it’s hands was a long metal stick.
“Give me the girl, and no gets hurt.” Slade said as he approached the group.
“You’re not coming near her! She’s under the custody of the royal guard as of this moment!”
“Says you and what army?” Slade taunted. He got his expected response with seven rushing guards, six of which he all incapacitated.
In one blow.
“Who taught you all to fight? Your grandmothers?” Slade asked rhetorically as six ponies fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. Silently, he admired their leader to a small extent as he managed to jump back in time.
Shining Armor’s mind raced. What the hell was he?
It didn’t matter. It was a damn good fighter and that was the only thing he knew for sure at the current given moment. Charging up his horn, he prepared to fire a spell.
Slade observed the unicorn’s horn begin to light up. He was curious to what it would do.
The horn fired and a bright purple beam struck him in the chest.
He almost felt that one.
Twack!
Another unconscious pony on the ground, his eyes doing barrel rolls.
“Shining Armor!” Twilight cried out in horror. Her shock turned into rage as she glared at her brother’s assailant and lit up her own horn. Instead, she was nudged backwards by Sanya.
“Let me.” Sanya whispered at an almost inaudible volume as she turned to face the one that many referred to as “Deathstroke”.
“What are you do...”
“Get help.” She whispered as she took a look at her new gloves once again.
“Okay kid. Come with me if you want to get out of here.” Slade said as he gripped his staff tightly at the ready. There could be more of them any moment and this hallway would be a bad place to be caught in if a few hundred of them showed up.
No answer.
“Kid?”
“You hurt Shining Armor.”
“Who the hell is that? Or better yet, what the hell is that?”
She raised one of her fists.
Slade was amused. Some skinny girl wanted to fight him? Now that was a...
The sound of a metallic chest plate shattering and the cracking of a rib echoed throughout the entire hallway as Slade hit the wall painfully.
Whatever slight sense of amiability he had towards the members of his own kind that may have been held in this castle deserted him in ten seconds flat.
“Okay. You just asked for it.” Slade said as he grabbed his bo staff and swung savagely at Sanya’s head, instead of hitting home, the staff hit a few bright blue rings. A shield.
“What... are... you?” Slade asked with much surprise as he pretended to let his guard down. He got exactly what he wanted.
Sanya swung her fists again at him. This time, he was prepared, like greased lightning, his hand shot out and grabbed her fist.
To Steve, it was totally brutal. He thought he heard a few cracks of bones, but that was probably his imagination, all he saw was perhaps one of the most vicious beatings in his life. This would be a lot when all things considered, he had been beat up countless times and had been doing the beating up in the case of anyone who wore a Wehrmacht, SS or HYDRA uniform.
“You done yet?” Steve asked with disgust as he watched Deathstroke pick up the unconscious girl.
“I didn’t hurt her too badly.” Slade replied. Despite the seemingly viciousness of the beating, he had made sure that it wouldn’t do any permanent damage despite his current mood. “Now then.. why don’t you carry her?”
“Sorry.” Captain America apologized to Sanya for all that was worth as he held her gently whilst a single eye flicked open. He swung his shield over his back and followed Slade.
Instead. The room gave way. Or rather, the floor did. In fact, it seemed as though the floor opened up for a minute and they fell in down a slide.
Straight into a cell within the dungeon.
And outside, was a purple unicorn who was panting heavily though she had a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes.
But that wasn’t the important thing. What was two winged-unicorns. A tall darkish blue one who wore a scowl of fury while a taller white one who had a slight flicker of sympathy.
“You have a lot of explaining to do.” Princess Luna said as she glared at Slade and Steve.
“Sanya... are you okay?”
She was given her reply through a pained life of the hand. Yes.
“Listen. I understand that everyone may be very confused and all an...”
“Sister! These two... things snuck into the castle and injured several members of the royal guard! And now they hurt Sanya whose...”
“Listen. I didn’t mean any harm.” Steve said as he laid Sanya down gently whilst approaching the bars. To his surprise, he hit something solid before he even got there. A magical barrier from the looks of it.
Man. They must be in maximum security or something.
“Thou lies!”
“Oh he’s not. He just followed me here.” Slade said as he got up. “But you there... sunbutt...”
“That’s Princess Celestia you’re talking to!” Twilight cried out indignantly.
“Whatever.” Slade replied as he rolled his one good eye. “Can you fill us in?’
“Pardon?”
“Fill us in. You told us that you knew we are all very confused.”
“Oh right. First off though... there are more of your kind here... and...”
“Can you also let us out of here?” Slade asked.
“Sure and...”
“WHAT?! PRINCESS?!” Twilight exclaimed. “He just took out like...”
“I know Twilight. But I know deep down he has good intentions despite his... behavior.”
Yeah right.
“Now, would you like to meet everyone else?”
(About half an hour later)
There was a round table made for them just for the occasion. In this round table, sat six humans. Most of them eyed one another, a few relieved that there were other things that walked on two legs and had hair on the top of it’s head while some could only glare at others, eyes deep with mistrust.
“So kid... you managed to survive.” Slade said as he saw Armin glare daggers of hatred at him.
“No thanks to you.” Armin glared at Slade.
“So... everything aside...” Celestia said as she watched the uneasy glances and glares that were shot across the table, how about we do introductions? You... Mr. Raynor was it?”
“It is Ma’am.”
“May you begin with your story?”
“Alright then.” James said as he sat back and began.