Trixie guessed her way around the dark and dingy Arachnos base, hoping she didn’t end up lost again despite it’s supposed small size. Avoiding the patrolling black armoured bi-peds, mechanical spiders and floating ‘things’ proved to be a continued hindrance as Trixie tried to squeeze up against a wall without knocking anything or falling over, which was a challenge in itself.
Eventually, she found her way back to where she had entered the base and looked up at what she now knew was a power generator. The lieutenants would still be in the store room to the side and would probably be fitter for this sort of task, so Trixie snuck over and carefully eased the door open.
As she rounded the door, she saw Epona and Aurora Gaze at the ready to strike down an enemy.
“Trixie?” Epona asked, having seen ‘nothing’ push the door open.
“It is.” She said, closing the door and becoming visible again. She saw two bi-peds in a pile at the far wall, likely unfortunate enough to have found the Lieutenants.
“Let me guess, you got lost.” Aurora asked, looking unamused.
“Actually no, I found them.” Trixie smiled, feeling superior after smashing their likely low expectations.
“Where are they?” Epona asked.
“In some sort of prison cell. The stallion the prince was with told me to turn off the power generator, which is in the next room.”
“So that’s what all those lights are about.” Epona mused, stepping past Trixie and carefully opening the door. He peered out to see that the coast was clear, adding; “Clear outside.”
The three ponies left the store room and looked at the strange device. It was still buzzing and whirring away, but the individuals working on it had left or were now unconscious in the store room.
“How do we turn this thing off, then?” Epona asked, turning to Trixie.
Trixie ran the instructions over in her mind again, looking around for what could pass for a control console before a flash of light caught her attention. Epona and Flash looked around as well to see Aurora had aimed her horn at the generator, which was now split in two and sewing sparks in all directions.
“I think that should do it.” She smiled innocently as an alarm wailed into life.
***
Shining Armour watched BW pace back and forth at the front of the cell, the pair of them waiting for their opportunity. He was under no delusion about how long this would likely take and was fully ready to pounce once the energy matrix baring the cell was down.
Two of the guards had recently left, replaced by two more small spider drones which should be quicker to deal with but had more firepower to utilise against them as each had two machine guns mounted on either side of the body. Still, they were fortunate Arachnos hadn’t assigned more advanced weapons to this area, such as the Crab Spider soldiers. The three guards, four spider drones and two floating drones called Arbiter drones wouldn’t take long to take down.
As BW turn around to pace back across the cell again the alarm went off and caused him to stop in place. While it could mean anything, there was little chance of it not having something to do with Trixie, Epona or Aurora Gaze, so they had to act.
“Now!” BW shouted at Shining Armour as he spun in front of the flickering door and aimed his flaming arm.
Shining Armour blasted the door with a bolt of magic from his horn at the same moment BW blasted the door with fire, the energy matrix instantly failing under the strain.
In the confusion of the alarms and sudden prison break the guards didn’t know where to look. Within seconds BW leapt out of the cell and started peppering them with fire bolts until all three fell.
While he was busy, Shining Armour grabbed the thin, pointy legs that hung under the nearest Arbiter drone and swung it against the wall, the block like head shattering on impact as the small spider drones turn and started to fire.
Shining Armour generated a barrier in front of himself that rippled as each bullet ricocheted off it. BW, however, was taking several hits as he ran up to the nearest spider drone and kicked it at the remaining Arbiter drone, the latter shattering as the former passed through, which then smashed to pieces against the wall.
BW, his armour having absorbed the hits, then immediately turned on the remaining spider drones and blasted them with intense heat, hot enough for Shining to feel through his shield as he watched the spiders melt.
Shining Armour dropped his shield as BW extinguished his flames before reaching down and snapping the gun off the side of one of the melted drones. As he did so Shining saw one of the downed soldiers get up and aim his gun. Immediately, Shining grabbed one of the shattered pieces of the floating drone and threw it at the soldier, striking him on the helmet and knocking him out.
“Nice shot, cheers! Use this.” BW shouted, wrenching the side of the drone off and casting it towards Shining Armour. “Use this.”
He caught the large spiral shaped piece, which was quite thick and looked capable of withstanding the attacks of the drones and soldiers. A rounded hook on the back where the gun had been mounted looked like a perfect handle, so Shining Armour decided to use it as a make shift shield, which BW seemingly intended.
“You hold this place down, I’ll go find the others.” BW instructed before running off down one of the corridors, grabbing his goggles and belt from a container by the door.
Shining Armour allowed himself to smirk, slightly amused at being given a point blank order after spending so long giving them. It was probably for the better as BW would likely be able to guess his way around the base faster.
He turned his attention to the room and saw all the cell doors had deactivated and the prisoners, seemingly all very shaken civilians, were now free. Their clothing was less visually flashy and looked more comfortable to wear then BW’s form fitting body armour. He assumed these ‘humans’ were more prudent then Ponies as they were all fully dressed.
“Matthew!” One of the civilians, a mare he presumed, shouted as she ran into the cell that had been next to his own. The man inside was stirring, finally regaining consciousness.
Shining went over to check on him, stepping around the melted slag that had once been a spider drone that had now become part of the floor.
“Thank god you’re alive!” The mare cried as she hugged the now conscious man. He didn’t seem to have much strength to say or do anything, but as Shining Armour kneeled down his face lit up.
“You, you’re a hero, right?” The man asked, seemingly desperate to inform someone of something he’d learnt.
“No,” Shining answered truthfully. “but Black WildFire’s here.”
“I have to find him, quickly.” The man said, trying to get to his feet but immediately falling in pain, the mare supporting him.
“Calm down. What’s wrong?”
“It’s Aaron Thiery. He’s the reason Arachnos are here in Atlas Park.”
***
Aurora Gaze projected a barrier across the corridor, inching it forwards as she advanced with Epona alongside her and Trixie hiding in the shadows somewhere. This Arachnos group had sent several soldiers when the alarms went off, most armed with small weapons while two of them in hulking body armour had some sort of back pack with additional, claw like arms arching over their heads.
All of them were firing their weapons upon Aurora’s barrier and she was struggling to keep it up. Their only real option was to get Epona in close and allow him to do what he does best. He’d found an armed himself with a mace like weapon they’d found in the store room to give him an extra edge.
“Ready?” Aurora asked as the barrier came within a meter of the Arachnos line, which was starting to shuffle away.
“Naturally.” Epona grinned, readying to charge.
“Go!” She instructed, pushing the barrier forwards to knock the front line off their feet as Epona charged.
The confusion was enough for him to get in, using the mace to life and hurl the nearest soldier into the closet claw armed soldier. He side stepped around the barrel of the weapon a cape wearing soldier had and swung the mace at his mid-riff, knocking him into the wall.
Meanwhile, Aurora dispelled the barrier and started firing magic from her horn, most of which caused huge flashes of light that disorientated the soldiers, though they did start firing wildly.
Still, even with the four to one disadvantage they had Aurora was surprised when Epona took the last soldier down. As the last one hit the floor, another bi-ped in black armour with flame red details, a cape and bright blonde hair ran around the corner at the end of the corridor and slid to a halt.
“Looks like you guys didn’t need my help.” He observed, lifting a pair of dark goggles up to reveal his blue eyes.
“Identify yourself!” Epona commanded, pointing the mace at the new comer.
“Whoa there, I’m a friend. I’m Black WildFire.”
“Ah, so you’re the Prince’s friend.” Aurora smiled as Epona lowered the mace, but didn’t take his eyes off him.
“Yeah. He’s around the corner keeping an eye on the civilians Arachnos rounded up for some reason. I came to find you.”
“Awesome, let’s go find him. I’m Aurora, by the way. Stoic here’s Epona.”
“Where’s Trixie?” BW asked, looking around as he pulled a small plastic box of some sort out of his belt. Aurora rolled her eyes.
“You can come out of your hidey hole now, Trix!” She shouted towards the power generator room. Trixie’s head popped around the corner almost immediately. “We’re going to join Shining Armour.” Aurora instructed.
“Are they all gone yet?” She asked as BW aimed the small box, large enough to fit in his hand with a small barrel sticking over the top at the downed soldiers and squeezed it. It made a loud snapping noise each time and fired a small plastic pellet with a pin on the end and stuck into the armour of the soldiers.
As he put the device, the pellets started to pulse with light and suddenly the soldiers disappeared in flash, leaving Aurora, Epona and Trixie perplexed.
“Not yet,” BW smiled as if nothing had happend. “But we have what’s left cornered. Base doesn’t seem very big and I took out a few on my way here, so there can’t be more than ten or so left.”
“Then Trixie shall aid you.” She said, walking down the corridor.
“That’ll be a first.” Aurora smiled as the group headed back the way BW came. “How did you do that, anyway?”
“I’ll explain later, but they’re not dead if you’re worried about that.” BW replied.
It took no time at all to return to the brig and the moment they appeared Shining Armour approached.
“BW, do you know an Aaron Thiery?” Shining Armour asked immediately, looking serious.
“Yeah. Why?” BW asked, taking the box from his belt and ‘tagging’ the soldiers he and Shining Armour had defeated earlier, who subsequently disappeared.
Shining Armour paused for a moment, looking at where the soldiers had been before turning to BW for an answer.
“I’ll explain later.”
“Ok. According to FBSA Agent Matthew Habashy here, Aaron Thiery is responsible for Arachnos being here.”
“What makes you say that?” BW asked, turning to Matthew as he was still supported by his wife.
“He was present during my interrogation, when the Arbiter wanted to know how I learnt of this place.”
BW turned away, thinking hard as he stroked his chin and taking a few paces.
“It’s strange,” Matthew continued. “Aaron has a hell of an employment record within SERAPH, he’s even one of their top scientists. Why would he be involved with Arachnos?”
“I don’t know, but we’re going to find out.” BW stated simply.