"Vat... how did you get in here?" Medic asked rhetorically as looked at the specimen within the jar of liquid. A certain bread-like organism with plenty of sharp teeth and tendrils...
The angry little self-aware beauty mark only hissed and attempted to chew it's way out of the glass containment jar, it absolutely HATED it's current handler.
"Alright you little fing... I am putting you on zis table and..."
Coo*
"Archimedes!" Medic cried out in surprise as the little bird began to peck at the glass jar, causing the bread organism to hiss angrily at the white dove, who in return, continued to pecked at the jar, as though wanting to eat the rather disgusting and very appetite-destroying creature within. This of course... the German doctor paid almost no mind to as he sat down to look at the book on the living beings that existed within Equestria. What he was looking for? Any creatures or plants with medicinal value. Taking out his pocket book, he carefully wrote down every last specimen, intent on not losing it AGAIN.
Elsewhere in Canterlot, the entire royal guard was on high alert for rather obvious reasons. Everywhere, the guardsponies patrolled vigilantly, ready for trouble. However... what no one truly knew was that their unknown enemy wasn't really interested in Canterlot. Rather... they would be interested in a tree down by the Everfree forest (which prudently, the royal sisters had also placed a guard detachment upon it, a DAMN big one as one could expect). As of now, they could only wait.
Nothing seemed out of place... until a strange flying machine began to hover across the skies. This would be spotted by no one however... until it would be too late.
To most of the royal guard and civilians within the main hall, it was just a normal day... that lasted for until there was a loud crashing noise that sent debris and rock everywhere, injuring several, killing a few. It was as though a dragon had once again burst it's way into Canterlot castle. Only this time, what had came barging straight in wasn't exactly a dragon, but was just as dangerous as several two-legged creatures jumped out of the wreckage of their flying machine. Humans, as some of the ponies would remember.
The gunfire and laser-fire that erupted from the mainhall would attract much attention as HYDRA's assault team came in, any pony that wasn't quick enough to leave at the first sign of trouble would either be filled with lead or vaporized.
"Like an army of children's toys!" Reaper or Eric Williams commented as his blade found it's way at a pony's throat, cleaving it's head straight off.
"Not a challenge whatsoever." Crossbones or as he was known, Brock Rumlow agreed as he fired his assault rifle straight at the largest crowd of ponies, the bodies dropping to the ground for every round he fired. A lone guardspony attempted to charge the man with a blade that was held with it's magic, only to be hit upside the head with a rifle-butt, sending him flying a couple feet. Another pony tried to do something similar, only instead, this one had wings and a Wonderbolts uniform instead of a horn, and rushed straight at him. Hooves at the ready to deliver a crushing blow. Crossbones would send this one.... SOARING!
There was the sound of an angry buzz and a strangled, gurgle of a scream.
Rumlow looked up as did Williams to see the HYDRA soldier, an arrow lodged right in his throat as a thick red liquid bubbled to his mouth. He fell down upon the ground, slowly, and painfully did he bleed to death as he choked upon his blood. Another soldier fell over, screaming in agony as another arrow... only it wasn't an arrow rather a huge oversized syringe lodged itself into his knee.
"What the hell.... OH SHI..."
Like an angry swish, the massive syringe that shot forwards was merely inches from taking his head off. Had it not been for some quick reaction times and perhaps, a hint of luck, Rumlow may have had his head taken off as the syringe imbedded itself in their crashed chopper, burying itself in the metal a good few inches.
"Get him!" Crossbones ordered as vaporizer shots and bullets began to fly into Medic's general direction. Reaper however, was already making his way up, moving at speeds that seemed almost impossible man of his age. Every arrow that Medic sent at him would seem to make it's mark, until at the last moment, the assassin just managed to get out of the way, closing the gap between him and the doctor, his blade-like arm raised over his head, ready to swing down upon the German doctor. It was barely just blocked by Medic's amputator as the doctor retreated, his foe, though older enhanced by bionics would make him far stronger and faster. Out of the corner of Medic's eye, he saw the HYDRA soldiers, planting charges at various places within the room. They intended to bring this place down.
Normally, being paid to stop them, he would have made every effort to put a saw through their spinal cords, only this time, he was occupied by this... thing.
Luckily for him, he wouldn't be occupied for two long. Reaper gave a small grunt, before almost comically, flying back. Slade's grappling gun had latched unto him. And now, there was the sound of metal hitting something, or rather someone, before Reaper came flying back and hitting the wall painfully. It was remarkable to how quickly he recovered though.
"Cap?! Remember me?!" Rumlow asked as he took off his mask, revealing his scarred and burnt face.
"Oh I sure as hell do." Steve growled as he fired a shot from his pistol. Though none of his shots would make their mark, it didn't matter as he rushed at the treacherous STRIKE agent, throwing a swing at him that would have shattered his skull had he not moved out of the way. Throwing a vicious punch at the Captain's gut, the man hardly seemed fazed as he aimed a kick at Rumlow, sending him sprawling several feet before he got up, blood trickling from his mouth.
"Didn't know how you managed to get him back! But it's not going to... ugh... matter!" Rumlow grinded with every syllable and every grunt of a blow landing on Cap and a blow landing on himself.
"He's my friend. And he's back on the right side now." Steve said as he hit Rumlow again, sending him staggering backwards.
"That hurt..." Rumlow taunted as he grabbed a broken piece of a metal pole, swinging it at the Captain who jumped back, evading every swipe.
"There's another one... look!" Erica pointed out towards the hole that the first chopper had made into the wall. "There's more actually!"
"We got company then." Barkhorn grumbled as she grabbed one of the MG42s, the MG spewing out a stream of bullets as it effortlessly shattered one of the chopper's into scrap metal, though the arrival of two more would give HYDRA another mob of reinforcements. She barely had time to raise her shield as a brilliant blue bolt came straight at her, the powers of the tesseract shattering the disk of ether she had erected and sending her right on her back. Groaning in pain, she heard a small humming sound, before having possibly the best feeling ever wash over her. Looking up, she saw the man dressed like a doctor, he was... healing her with some kind of arcane device.
"Thanks." Barkhorn said as she got up.
"Ja." The man replied, his accent far heavier than her's. "I am fully charged!"
"What does that mean?" Barkhorn asked. She wouldn't get a verbal answer as she soon saw her gun begin to glow. The moment she fired them however...
Imagine a machine gun that fired bullets with such power that it was like being hit by a grenade launcher. Now imagine something at three times that power. Anyone as much as caught near an impact would be killed outright through sheer blunt trauma. FROM A BULLET THAT DIDN'T EVEN HIT THEM.
"We got more of them!" Erica said again as she tossed the other MG42 to Barkhorn before grabbing her MP40.
"Thanks for saying!" Bucky called out sarcastically as he grabbed a HYDRA soldier, throwing him several meters with his bionic arm before sending out two bullets into the chest of another. Damn krauts...
"We're getting totally wiped here!" Rumlow called over the coms as he saw Reaper take a fist right to the face. Prudently, the bionic assassin retreated to where Crossbones was.
"Then let's get out of here." The man replied as he jumped out of the hole in the wall, landing straight on top of another waiting chopper. Rumlow followed. Grinning wickedly, the scarred man grabbed his detonator. And pressed the trigger.
"What's that?" Erica asked as she heard the beeping noise.
"Holy shi... CLEAR OUT!" Slade yelled at the top of his lungs as the room was consumed in a ball of fire.
Crossbones looked back at the castle. Looked just like something straight out of a fairy tale... save for the fact now it was in quite bad shape thanks to few well-placed charges. Grinning wickedly, he went on the radio.
"Crossbones to Red Skull... mission accomplished."
"Good job." Schmidt replied. Though... the question persisted.
Why did they attack this place again?
