Celestia's Finest: So Long and Thanks for all the Love

[userpay]

"Ah've got ah better idea than touchin books that might bite back." Brazen moves over to an unoccupied cubby hole or the bed, whichever provides the best hiding place, and sticks a block of C4 and a sleep grenade out of sight. The triggers tied into his suit. He puts another set in another hiding spot before deploying a few bug bots to watch the room. "Aaaand there. We'll know if she comes back and we still got our bargaining chip."

[Miltonian]

Literally every single book in this room is trapped in some very lethal way. The variety and imagination that must have gone into some of them is impressive, but very daunting. Brazen's idea, however, has much less risk to it.

==

Love's shots miss and Wrath keeps her head down this turn. On the bugbots, Love sees her drawing several more grenades and placing them out in front of her, ready for whatever she has in mind.

The changelings creep forward. Five turns until they reach a good flanking position.

[D.KnightSpider]

Subvocal Comm: "Setting up overwatch. Stay clear of my line of sight. Keg, any chance you can put a flash-bang behind that table?"

Longshot trains his sights on the table. His focus narrows as he watches for any sign of Magpie. If she or her grenades so much as twitch into his field of view, he'll hit the trigger.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Wait + Aim, declining the -2 friendly fire modifier.

[DigoDragon]

Brazen moves over to an unoccupied cubby hole or the bed, whichever provides the best hiding place, and sticks a block of C4 and a sleep grenade out of sight. The triggers tied into his suit. He puts another set in another hiding spot before deploying a few bug bots to watch the room. "Aaaand there. We'll know if she comes back and we still got our bargaining chip."

"Brazen, you mischievous little colt," Rose says with complete approval, "That's brilliant. These books are pretty much all trapped, so I'd have to burn off a bunch of Dispels to safely disarm them."

"Maybe we should go help the others with Magpie until Midnight comes back."

[Elbeyon]

Last Turn:
Love advances and puts her ten bolts through the table at Magpie's torso, ignoring cover.

This turn:
Scomm, "Roger, Longshot."

Scomm, "She is placing grenades on the ground in front of her behind the table." Love is going to try to punish her for that decision.

She says out loud, "I see you've got a new style. Did you design everything yourself?"

She charges closer to passing Magpie into a flanking position. The gap closes between Magpie and her as much as desired. Love keeps the distance on her HUD at a nice round ten yards. She raises her rifle and fires off two 40mm tangler rounds. One meant to splash on Magpie and glue all her grenades to the ground and the other to glue the table to the ground.

Spoiler: Roll

Show

Magpie
(3d6)[8] vs 17 = 12 (Skill) +4 (Targeting) +4 (Floor) +1 (All-Out Attack) -4 (10 Yards) +/- (Other(s))

Table
(3d6)[14] vs 16 = 12 (Skill) +4 (Targeting) +4 (Floor) -4 (10 Yards) +/- (Other(s))

[Miltonian]

Brazen spends a short time putting down explosives. It’s a simple matter of planting them in convenient spots. It will take a few rounds, but he’ll have three down by the end of his mine-laying session. If he wants to spend the time, that is.

In the meantime, the battle continues.

Love’s shots, being stun bolts, dissipate harmlessly across the table. If someone were wearing the table as armor, they would have worked. But since Magpie’s not really touching it, there’s no way for the table to conduct the stunning pulse to her.

However, the grenade strikes true and tangles her up. The table is also stuck to the ground, even though it doesn’t land exactly where Love wishes. Magpie grunts in annoyance, but the tangler immediately starts to dissolve. “Idiot!” she shouts, “Same tricks as last time, eh? You’ll never beat me like that!”

She sets off a smoke grenade, obscuring her from view. Electrically charged particles make it hard even for Hyperspectral vision to penetrate.

The changelings advance, Powder Keg ducks out and takes cover behind the first table, and Hornet Squad comes running up behind Longshot.

Two doors slide open on Love’s view. One, the one Magpie came through, opens to reveal a small platoon of skeletons, spilling out with their ancient arms and creating a firing line along the very back of the room.

The second door she sees over her network. The one that she got locked out of slides open and the familiar face of Question Mark appears. He holds a pistol in his mouth and moves forward cautiously. Beside him, a mare made of white-metal with a mane of blue wires clomps along, the very concept of stealth lost on her.

Spoiler

Show

New map!

[DigoDragon]

Rose comms both squads, "How are you holding up?"

She doesn't want to leave Brazen alone, so Rose keeps over-watch to protect him while he decides on his trap-laying plans.

[Elbeyon]

Scomms, "Rose. Brazen. Question Mark and a metal, material, pony have entered from the jammed door."

[D.KnightSpider]

"We're holding." Longshot answers Rose. "We'll leave QM to you. Could use your help sooner rather than later."

He refocuses on the immediate battle at hand.

"Hornet, the skeletons are magic. They'll go down if you shoot them but they'll resurrect unless you break their skulls. Sickle, you feel like helping with that? Ace, if we expose the Anti-Heart, can you encase it in ice? Any pony who can shut down that door gets a gold star.

"I'm moving forward and targeting the right side of the room."

Longshot charges forward and takes up residence at the corner of Love's table. He empties ten rounds into the skeletons on the right side of the room.

Spoiler: All Out Attack!

Show

15 Skill, +5 Weapon Mods, +1 All Out Attack, -6 distance = 15

Using AOA's half move to take cover behind the corner of Love's table. Utilizing spraying fire to target the skeletons on the right side of the map.

1) Attack
(3d6)[5][4][5](14) VS 15

Damage
(6d6)[3][1][4][5][5][5](23)
(6d6)[3][1][2][1][3][5](15)

2) 1) Attack
(3d6)[2][3][4](9) VS 15

Damage
(6d6)[3][1][3][2][1][4](14)
(6d6)[6][2][3][3][2][2](18)

3) Attack
(3d6)[3][1][5](9) VS 15

Damage
(6d6)[2][3][6][6][1][4](22)
(6d6)[4][3][4][6][4][6](27)

4) Attack
(3d6)[4][5][3](12) VS 15

Damage
(6d6)[2][2][3][4][3][3](17)
(6d6)[2][3][5][4][6][1](21)

5) Attack
(3d6)[5][3][1](9) VS 15

Damage
(6d6)[4][4][4][3][3][4](22)
(6d6)[1][1][1][4][6][4](17)

[Elbeyon]

"Magpie, in the words of Null. That's cheating! Hey, did Null make you that armor?"

Scomm, "Magpie and skeletons have an anti-tangler coating."

Same tricks, eh? Love grabs a grenade from a pouch and throws it between Magpie and the Skeletons (prioritizing Magpie). Something new, eh? The grenade is meant to explode into a blinding paint.

Love takes a step to the right and crouches down.

She sends a her Flying BugBots into the smoke cloud to land/mark Magpie so she isn't firing/throwing at the team from full concealment.

Spoiler: Throw

Show

Throw
9 (in the roll thread) vs 11 = 12 (Throwing) +4 (Floor) -5 (15 yards) +/- Other(s)

[Miltonian]

Longshot sprays down the skeletons and knocks over half of them. Powder Keg runs up and dives behind the table behind him and Love. Sickle begins skating right up the middle while Hornet Squad gathers themselves and prepares to advance. The remaining skeletons fire off a volley, but it strikes the table instead of anything or anyone important.

However, Love's bugs dive into the smoke to find...Magpie is no longer there.

"Peekaboo," Magpie says from right behind her before a bullet tears through Love's armor and strikes her in the shoulder. There is no chance to dodge, only pain.

Spoiler

Show

Love takes six damage.

Rose hears ponies advancing up the hall outside.

[DigoDragon]

Rose utilizes her cameras in her helmet and her carbine to peek around the hall both ways while keeping as much as she can of herself under cover of the doorway.

[Elbeyon]

Love grits her teeth, "Aaugh," as fire spreads through her shoulder.

She asks out loud, "Peekaboo?," as she whips around to face Magpie. Love chuckles with a pained voice. "You Magpie'd me! I was not expecting that!"

Love steps to a more advantageous position. Her weapon swings on her sling into her hoof and she unloads stun bolts toward Magpie.

Spoiler: Roll

Show

Attack
(3d6)[13] vs 16 = 13 (Rifle) +5 (Targeting) +2 (10 shots) -2 (Shock) -2 (Limb) +/- (Other(s))

Stun (3)
(6d6)[23]
(6d6)[25]
(6d6)[16]
(6d6)[23]
(6d6)[20]
(6d6)[23]
(6d6)[17]
(6d6)[18]
(6d6)[31]
(6d6)[17]

[D.KnightSpider]

Hearing Love cry out, Longshot risks a glance and blinks as he realizes Magpie has teleported. Right. Pinkie Pie clone.

He swings his line of sight, away from the skeletons and onto Magpie.

"Engaging Magpie!"

He fires at Wrath's gun and attempts to reduce it to slag.

Spoiler: All Out Attack!

Show

Attack
(3d6)[4][2][3](9) VS 14 (15 Skill, +5 Weapon Mods, +1 All Out Attack, -5 Break Weapon, -2 Distance)

Damage
(6d6)[4][6][2][3][4][4](23)
(6d6)[5][3][2][5][5][6](26)

[userpay]

Question Mark? That seems to good to be true. "Movin on Mark." Once everything is in place Brazen follows Rose.

[Miltonian]

Down the hall a bit, Rose sees Question Mark and the metal mare step out into the open and look around. Question Mark's eyes settle on Rose and he leaps back into cover. "Ms. Scratch, get down!" he shouts.

"Huh?" The metal mare whirls and spots Rose. "Aw ponyfeathers, a guard."

Brazen finishes his task and sets up behind Rose.

--

Magpie ducks under Love's gun and only gets hit by one of her shots, but that hardly seems to faze her. Longshot, however, reduces her gun to slag. Powder Keg joins in and pops up with her pistol, but it doesn't penetrate. The changelings pop up and shoot at her. Chrysalis wreaths herself in green flame, growing larger and more terrifying by the millisecond. Corby flies forward and stabs at Magpie with her combat knife while the rest of her team gets into position. But through it all, though she takes some hits, Magpie remains standing.

Her face contorts in rage. "You know what?" she says. Both her hooves fly to her sides and pull two grenades out. "Buck you! Buck you all! Buck this! And most importantly, BUCK YOU ALL AGAIN!"

Eloquent, isn't she?

She bounces back to the other table and makes an all out attack to toss two grenades. One lands right near Longshot, Love, Powder Keg, and Corby. The second lands among the changelings. It is time to make like Piccolo and dodge.

[DigoDragon]

Rose shouts down the hall. "Question Mark is that you? You lady-killing rat-bastard. Just like you to love and leave a mare to find another one!"

No, Rose isn't being serious with this.

"How did you get free?"

[D.KnightSpider]

"Grenade!" Longshot yells a warning to the others.

He's being helpful!

He vaults backward, throwing attempting to throw himself clear of the impending explosion.

Spoiler: Roger Dodger

Show

Aerobatic Dodge
(3d6)[1][5][1](7) VS 16

15 / 11 (9 Base, +3 Retreat, +1 Airborne retreat, +/- 2 Aerobatic Dodge)

[Elbeyon]

Love steps forward and unloads ten Stun shots toward Magpie.

Spoiler: Attack

Show

(3d6)[8] vs 17 = 13 (Rifle) +5 (Targeting) +2 (10 shots) -2 (Limb) -1 (3 Yards) +/- (Other(s))

Stun (3)
(6d6)[17]
(6d6)[23]
(6d6)[19]
(6d6)[20]
(6d6)[21]
(6d6)[21]
(6d6)[25]
(6d6)[21]
(6d6)[17]
(6d6)[17]

[Miltonian]

Question Mark brightens and lowers his. "False alarm, Ms. Scratch! Please don't dubstep her to death."

"Hey!" Vinyl pauses, "Wait, no, what am I thinking? That sounds awesome!"

Question Mark bows slightly to Rose. "As it turns out, our guards suddenly started fighting each other. They wandered too near the bars. A quick chop and down they went."

--

Sickle crashes through the remaining skeletons and starts cracking heads.

Love's barrage staggers Magpie and her eyes glaze over for a second, but she recovers and stands firm. She draws out two grenades and chucks it at the back where Card Ace and Green Pine are. Another on her belt goes off, covering her in more smoke.

Everyone else takes the opportunity to scramble away from the grenades.

[DigoDragon]

"As it turns out, our guards suddenly started fighting each other. They wandered too near the bars. A quick chop and down they went."

"Ah, I think I know why," Rose comments, assuming that occurred at the point Love disabled the chip network. "Well, just to make sure you are you, do you remember what I ate at our dinner date?"

[D.KnightSpider]

Longshot turns and flies toward the center of the room, although he remains to the left of center. He gains three meters of height in the process.

He scans the north side of the room in the process.

Spoiler: Magpie Doo, Where Are You?

Show

Perception
(3d6)[3][2][6](11) VS 16

[Elbeyon]

Love sends another Flying ButBot into the smoke to fox out the pie.

She scomms, "The grenades aren't detonating yet. We can use telekinesis to move them to more secluded areas. Use caution in case she can set them off prematurely."

She scomms, "Use TacNet to cover as many blindspots as possible. Do not depend on a robot's camera's to cover a blindspot."

Love keeps her eyes open while shouting, "Magpie! You've always had a way with expressing yourself. You're a very talented pony. The art on your chest and bombs show. You put a lot of time into your craft and skill."

Spoiler: Perception

Show

(3d6)[15] vs 16

[D.KnightSpider]

Longshot: "Copy, that."

He adjusts his rifle to 'Stun' and turns in place to cover the other pony's backs.

[Miltonian]

Sickle continues to stomp head. Card Ace snags the grenades closest to him and tosses them away. "Check your fire," Green Pine warns. Magpie's maneuver, even if it didn't pose immediate threat, scattered the EDF and its allies across the room. If they miss Magpie, they could hit an ally instead, if they aren't careful.

As for Magpie herself, Longshot and Love don't see her. Nopony does this round.

--

Question Mark shakes his head. "A lot of it, that's what." All jokes aside, the GM does not remember, but since this is the real Question Mark, he does. The agent rubs his mane. "I really need to stop being rescued by you lot."

[DigoDragon]

Question Mark shakes his head. "A lot of it, that's what." All jokes aside, the GM does not remember, but since this is the real Question Mark, he does. The agent rubs his mane. "I really need to stop being rescued by you lot."

Rose is perfectly okay accepting the narrator answer, it accomplished what she needed.

"Well I'll just tell the others we met up in a random hallway. Speaking of, They're fighting your former captor and could use our help. Brazen, you ready to rock n roll?"

[D.KnightSpider]

Longshot retreats to the right edge of the top left table-- the one behind Sickle. He turns about face to survey the bulk of the room and studies it for Magpie.

Spoiler: Don't Make Me Put Your Picture on Milk Cartons

Show

Perception
(3d6)[4][1][2](7) VS 16

[Elbeyon]

Love scomms, "Rose, keep an eye out. Magpie is missing."

Love calls out while, "Magpie! Where are you?", she moves closer to Magpie's original smoke cloud.

She scans the ceiling for the pony.

Spoiler: Perception

Show

(3d6)[5] vs 16 (Perception)

[Miltonian]

"Which one?" Vinyl asks, "The creepy Pinkie-Clone, the Twilight-Clone who's just as hot as the original, the mad scientist, the crazy singer, or the zebra necromancer? It's a bit of a list. Gotta narrow it down for me."

Question Mark chuckles, but it's not a happy one. "My friend here has a point. Let's walk and talk. Who're we dealing with? Because if it's just one of them, we have a chance. If they're all working together in, uh, harmony, we might be screwed."

--

Both Love and Longshot catch sight of Magpie right as she steps out of her original smoke cloud and levels another pistol, a different one from her signature magnum, at Sickle's back.

[DigoDragon]

"The Pinkie clone," Rose answers, doing a brisk trot-and-talk with them to reach the fight. "Brazen and I scared off the Twi-clone earlier, but I know she'll be back."

Suddenly Rose remembers. "Say, uh, Ms. Scratch? I think we have your significant other, Octavia if i'm guessing you're the right mare she sensed earlier."