Six wishes for six elements

by Malcolm Merlyn

Chapter 28

"Good job." Slade said sarcastically as he saw Armin go waist-up in swampwater. Grabbing him by the collar, he yanked him straight out of the water, his clothes dripping with the brackish water.

"Oh... that's... not good..." Sanya said almost inaudibly as she took a look at Armin's clothes.

"He'll live. We can't stop now though." Slade said as Armin's predicament began to attract attention. Agreeing grudgingly and silently, Steve nodded his head. Raynor had no comment on the matter. Everything here would be Armin's misfortune, he would have to go like that for probably the better parts of the day until...

"Did you hear that?" Sanya asked, again as her cat-like ears perked up and her tail went puffed up like a nervous cat.

"Hear wha..."

If the massive roar didn't practically broadcast to everyone what was going on, then the fact that there was a massive stone crocodile that leapt out of the water sure did. Fortunately for everyone, no one had actually been grabbed or that would have meant some really bad things.

"What the hell are these things?!" Raynor thought to himself out loud as he began to fire his rifle into the water wherever his suit's HUD detected movement. Whether or not they hit... no one could probably tell. The density of the water and it's darkness made it difficult even for Slade's tactical vision to go down very far, and that was a piece of equipment eons ahead of it's time period. All they could was...

"JESUS CHRIST!" Steve cried out as a crocodile or in this case (cragidile) practically flew out of the water in an attempt to get a chomp on him. All it really did was get fed a knuckle sandwich straight into the face, causing it to shatter and crack. The same of course happened to a Cap's hand, which he found to be a bloody mess later.

"DUCK!" Slade yelled over the sounds of heavy gunfire and random incomprehensible screaming. Seeing as the boy wasn't going to duck, or maybe just didn't hear him, he quickly went over and tackled Armin to the ground, the monster missing a chance at his throat by centimeters. "IDIOT... RUN RUN!"

In a scattered and most undignified fashion, the six people quickly sprinted their way out, weary of the large monsters that lurked within the pool, opting to devour them whole.

"Sweet mother of god..." Raynor commented as he looked at Captain's fist. "You got yourself knocked up pretty badly there."

"It'll be gone in an hour... I think." Captain America said dismissively as he put his gloves back on. Truth be told, his hand hurt like hell which was a good thing Medic was on it. "Or with the help of Medic, in just a few seconds... So... hear anything Sanya?"

"I think we're good for now..." Sanya replied as she checked the bottom of her boots for mud. Tons.

"Can... we... rest... here... now?" Armin asked as he came back from taking water from the stream.

Before Slade could say anything, Steve had already nodded his approval. "Just for the moment. We continue until 0900 hours."

"And that's... when?"

"In like about three hours. Alright people, take five minutes. Get a bite to eat, get a sip, do whatever, we get going then... understand?" Cap said as he took a break himself and opened a canteen of water and took a sip whilst Armin was bent over a stream and drinking in the whole thing.

Slade checked his smartphone again. To be fair "smart" would probably be the biggest understatement of the century since it was more like a super-computer than anything. Like how that guy in the batsuit had his detective vision rigged to some computers in his secret hideout, Slade had his tactical vision rigged to his smartphone. Of course, that was just the beginning, it could scan maps of the local area, tell him wind speeds and calculate bullet trajectories, all that good stuff. It also gave him a connection to many contractors who would have jobs for him... of course, as of now, it didn't have a connection to any of said contractors, though it did have all his opened mail. One of them caught his interest.

It was from Amanda Waller. He only scanned the letter the first time, never actually read it, just say at the end what the payment would be and was fairly disinterested. But now that he saw it again, he felt as though he should read it when he finally gets the chance. As of now, he turned back to everyone else and sat down with them. Be at a "campfire" something he hadn't done since Korea. That was about 60 years ago.

"Alright fellas. Listen up, from my estimate, I'd say we got a nice, leisurely walk up ahead. You see, once we get out of this forest, it's just grasslands and trees... don't forget the colorful horses too..."

"So... a little girl's coloring book?" Slade chuckled.

"Pretty much... right Sanya?"

"Huh?"

"Nothing. I am just messing with ya." Raynor chuckled as he stood up.

"You ready people?" Steve asked as he came back. Shield in hand. "Those crocodile things are getting rather unpleasant.

"Aye aye Cap'n. Let's go." Raynor replied.

"This... it's horrible!" Princess Celestia said as she read the paper. "Is it true?"

"Everything about it..." The messenger said as he lowered his head sadly. "Manehattan was decimated by dragons. Similar reports have come in from Fillyadelphia, Trottingham, Baltimare and Las Pegasus. Equestria is under attack. "Casualties are within the thousands."

"Then at this moment..." Luna began. "Equestria is at war."

"Not just Equestria my sister..." Celestia began. "Feynaltdrog would not discriminate. He threatens the entire world with his hunger for power. He must be stopped at all costs! Tell the royal guard to prepare, and send emissaries to every nearby land available. We must defeat the dragon king or the whole world will be at risk!"

Dismissing the messenger, the Princesses sat down a moment to think upon the situation. Feynaltdrog, the dragon king. Bane of the world had now just declared war upon it. Everyone and everything would have to be thrown at him. Even then, without the elements, they could only hope to keep him from conquering the world, it would be highly doubtful for them to actually defeat the dragon king without them.

"We must get the elements back then." Luna said as she and Celestia discussed this over.

"What do you propose then? We don't even know where Feynaltdrog is! We never even knew what hell he spawned out from... it'd be impossible to fight him when we don't even know anything about him! All we do know is that he can conquer the world and in a very short time if we do not react quickly!"

Meanwhile in the skies of ponyville, a lone black dragon flew high in the skies, its eyes were peeled gleefully for any prey that would happen to chance into it's eyesight. As of now, there were plenty, but nothing intrigued him more than the baby dragon that was down there, just a few miles away. He would have to raze the town later.

A few moments of flight, and he would find his dragon. The group of ponies had stopped at another town, which pleased Feynaltdrog. His wanting for some excitement would be savored at this point when the dragon went beserk. Opening his mouth, he readied his roar.

"Dovah! Hah! Kroved!"

"Why'd you stop kid?" Slade asked as he bumped into Sanya. Her ears once again stood up like an alert cat, she had heard something.

"I heard something..." Sanya said as she looked into the distance. It came from about over there...

"What is it this time?" Steve asked as he took out his gun and prepared for trouble.

"I think it was a dragon!"

"Then I think we should keep a low profile then... the last we need is to be caught..."

"No... there's... screaming! Someone's in trouble!" Sanya said as she listened deeper. "We need to do something! I think there's a dragon attacking a town or something!"

"We need to help..." Rogers said. "There's..."

"We can't do that!" Slade shot at him, not wanting the Captain to finish his sentence. "You want to become barbeque Captain? Because that is not a good plan."

"And what do you say we do? Huh? Hide and run like a bunch of frightened children? I say that we..."

"I hate to say this... but Slade might have a point..." Jim began. "I don't like leaving anyone behind one bit, but we are not equipped to deal with any giant fire breathing lizards. The most we can do is..."

"We have to do something! We can't just leave peo... ponies to die!" Armin began. "I am going..."

"HOLD O... idiot..." Slade grumbled as he saw Armin bolting off. He turned his head to see that the Captain had begun to follow. "To hell with it... let's go!"

Comments

[Quasar4000]

"Another day, another dollar" I suppose.

[Sgt GobSmacker]

How the hell do you UPDATE so quickly?! Did you write the story beforehand? Or do you write a chapter everyday?

[Malcolm Merlyn]

4730544
Kinda both. If I am unsatisfied when reading it again, I make a do-over.

[Sgt GobSmacker]

4730622 I'm wondering why you don't have writers block. It's a miracle you don't.

[Malcolm Merlyn]

4730633
I guess pre-planning really is the mother of all success. Though knock on wood with that statement.

[Sgt GobSmacker]

4730667 Organization! I commend you for that. I am not organized at all.

[LE_MALEM]

4730622

You make a Do-over or you do a Make-over?! I dunno because the 2 sentences seemed similar in sense!

[Malcolm Merlyn]

4731022

(Patrick Star Voice): What's the difference?

[LE_MALEM]

4731103

None whatsoever! I just pointed out something!

[DX-1118 C]

4730284 more like nickle.