[Age of Heroes] unleashing Tartarus (open)

[Dusty]

(This is open, but before you jump it let me and the others in it know in the World of Equestria: The Age of Heroes OCC! And this is meant to be something for more low supervillains and heroes, so lets keep the big guns down and let some new kids on the block get a feel for things.)

 

Ember runs her hoof over the newest part of her plate armor. Weeks of forging and work in secret lays before as a full suite of platemail, custom made too look as intimidating and deadly as a beast from Tartarus. She was proud of her work even if it was all for show, some of the stronger heroes will have no troubles blasting past plate armor or just punching it to shreds. But that was not the point, much like the stupid underwear they love to use this was too hide her face and body. A task it did very well. “Well, looks like it’s finally time…” She says to herself with a smile.

 

Her Husband was out jamming with his band and will not get home too late in the night. She’d have all the time she needed to raise some tartarus and make it back home and cook dinner! Or pass out and say she wore herself out filling some big order. It was the perfect time to go shake off the rust and make a name for herself! With barely contained joy she started to strap her armor on, chest, legs, face hiding helmet, all felt good and snug on her. Testing the gas-mask and it’s built in speaker she felt out her range of movement and how the armor hindered her. Her strength was a true blessing as all the heavy plates of steel did nothing to hinder her movement more than wearing some shirt and pants. perfect. “Oh, today will be a fun day. Enjoy the peace as you can pones! For the Harbinger of Tartarus is coming! But where to start…”

 

A bank was too much and to soon. A train? No that’s too cheesy. A shop? Well it can’t be too small of a store or she will come off as a thug and not a supervillain worth fearing. After thinking on what to do Ember settled on busting up a few jewelry stores and stealing the gold and gems, she can use them in her crafts and buying gold, silver and gems is just not worth it. But stealing it? Now that’s how you get rich!

 

-----

 

Using her strength to leap rooftop to rooftop Ember makes her way around the downtown of Seaddle to her target. She needed to stick her landing, fire, yelling too make it clear she was in charge. That’s what Spitfire told her to do, no weakness and no hesitation. She was better than them and they WILL fear her like a sheep fears the wolf. “Well, now or nothing…” She whispered to herself as she jumps off the last rooftop and aims herself down at the front of the store. “Don’t miss the windows, don’t miss the windows!” She chanted with closed eyes. “don’t buck this up!”

Flames explode too life around Ember as she travels in the air like a flaming comet of judgment, hooves meet glass and her momentum pushes her on wards as the window shatters in a storm of fire and broken glass, sticking her landing she slides into the store. “RUN YOU WEAKLINGS RUN! THE HARBINGER OF TARTARUS COMES FOR YOUR SOULS!” She shouts as flames spin up around her like a hurricane of flame. If that did not make somepony wet their tail nothing will!

[moonshineTheleocat]

A lone pony that was a mix mash of machine and pony sat lazily atop a building in Seaddle. His legs were obviously mechanical in appearance. Their metallic chassy’s were formed perfectly to the shape of what his original legs might have looked like… if only a bit thicker. And each of them were hooked into the sockets that a typical flesh and bone limb would be. The rest of his body could be easily seen to be organic, even under the power armor he wore, which fit tightly to his form. On the suit's chest, is an insignia of a pony made out of cogs, and under it was the phrase "Bellator en Machina"

 

Finally, resting on his head was a helmet, with a tinted visor shielding his visage from the peering eye, and his eyes from the sunlight.

A book titled “Journey before Destination,” was resting in his mechanical hooves. Their talon like digits unfolded, and gently clutching the pages in place to prevent the winds from turning several of them.

His hind “legs” were glinting in the light while they kicked back and forth over the building’s edge.

“Sir, I’ve successfully triangulated the drones on the new contact. Calculating vector now.” Spoke a soft voice inside his helmet. It was from his suit’s onboard AI, known as A.R.I.D.

“That’s nice…” The stallion, a “hero” known by the name Machina, murmured. In truth he was only half paying attention.

“Sir… I believe it’s time to put the book away.”

“Mmm? And why’s that?”

The AI didn’t answer. It didn’t need to answer. The question was immediately answered by an all too brazen burglary attempt to a jewelry shop just across the street. Along with the pony being joined by his three personal and automated drones; Roy, Gee, Biv. All three of identical appearance. However, they were painted red, green, and blue… respectively.

“Ah… I see…” Machina hummed as he looked up only momentarily. His lips pursed in thought.

“Sir… there are no other heroes currently on location. Should we interviene?”

“Non-interference policy still in effect, Arid.” The stallion quickly retorted as he resumed his reading.

“But sir!”

“The policy is still in effect. We do not interfere until the collateral reaches a certain threshold, if no hero shows up and it’s the last minute, or if matters are made personal. Otherwise, we just observe and support.”

[PyroBlaze]

Tehengu hummed as he watched the armored figure running across the rooftops. A pony with one wing, probably a mare, though he wasn't sure on that. The griffon flew along, keeping his eye on the unfamiliar figure until they dive bombed a jewelry store. 

 

"What are you doing there..." He mused to himself, taking in every detail he could for his report later. 

 

He touched down at a vantage point, bringing out his bow and taking aim. Spotting the fire, he made the arrow into an ice one, firing it to land between the pony's front legs to freeze them to the ground and help put out the fire. 

[Dusty]

Ember looks around as ponies push, trip and jump over one another too too get away from her and the flames. “HAHAHA! RUN! RUN YOU WEAK PUPS!” She shouts with joyful zeal before moving over to the display stands and shatters than open with a smack of her hoof. This was so easy! Why did she fear normal ponies in the past? Bullies? Ha! If only she did this sooner in her life she’d have both her wings and been ahead in things. The pathetic ponies of this world need to learn they are sheep and she was the wolf! Toys for a foal! Food for a li- “BUCK ME THAT’S COLD!”

Ember rears up and takes a few steps back as she shakes the ice off her front hooves and looks at the arrow embedded in ice. Magic arrows? Good thing she has steel platemail after all, that will be nasty to be nailed by! Looking outside she spins the fires around her to act as a shield to block the sniper's view of her with flames and heat. “You foolish foal! You fire on the Harbinger of Tartarus? I will rip your very soul to shreds and feed it too my minions!” She shouts before backing up inside the shop, if that sniper is outside she will need go out the back door with her loot before backup shows up too flush her out. But before than she needs to get her gold! Now to get her bags… The bags were not fireproof. “Oh buck me… Stuped, stuped! How did I forgot to make fireproof bags!?” She looks back at the front of the shop as her fire spreads around store. “Well, if I can’t have this no pony will…”

[moonshineTheleocat]

“Machina, it appears that your assumption was correct, a hero has indeed responded to the scene.” The AI noted, it’s tone was rather melancholy. Perhaps the software’s expression of emotion was born from the stallion literally leaving it to chance… than logicistics. And came out on top once more.

“Of course there would be a hero on the scene,” The pony hummed as he flipped a page in his book. The drone, Roy, was already lowering itself closer to the ground to relay a live video feed back to the Machina’s visor. It’s thrusters emitting a soft hum as it panned around for a better view of the scene, and to avoid confrontation.

“The Ratio of Heroes to Villains is just enough that bored Heroes are bound to look for something to do. And given a villain that want’s to break some bad… they will show up,” he noted. His eyes occasionally danced back and forth between the screen and his book.

“Like you sir?”

The stallion frowned, and rolled his head back with a low sigh. Instead of gracing that jab with a response he just clasped the book shut, with one of his metal talons sandwiched between bundles of pages.

“Well looks like we have a fire user…” Machina mused.

“Yes… not a very intelligent one it seems.”

The stallion clicked his tongue for a moment. “ Hush, every pony makes mistakes. And while that might be true… it’s more likely…” He hummed softly to himself… studying the situation… “more likely…  he… she… just wants to flaunt it’s might. Sure is making quite a show out of this instead of just outright attacking.”

[PyroBlaze]

Tehengu sighed as the pony backed up further, and covered the view in flames. Well, he didn't expect this to be easy. Fighting the fire was probably out of his ability, so the pony was his priority. He fired an electricity arrow towards where she had been before taking to the air, finding a spot where he could see both exits and fired another ice arrow into the door to slow them down. 

[Dusty]

Ember looks around the shop, how to best take it down? Well fire will do the job but she’d need to do more than that! She’s far more than some petty arsonist! No, she’s a supervillain and needs to act like one. She’s taken on heroes before! Just never alone. “Ok, you got this. Not like they’d send the best they got for me. Let’s show him what I’m made of.” She whispers and hoofs at the floor before taking off like a racehorse and jumps out a window, landing on her hooves she pushes down hard and leaps into the air. “No time to slow down, got too keep moving too toss off his aim.” She speaks to herself as she tries to stay calm. Was she ready for this? Spitfire believed so but she’s never taken on a hero alone before. What if he has backup? Two on one? “It’s just one, don’t let fear win. You are one they fear, you are the wolf…” She lands on the roof and looks around, eyes darting every way to spot the sniper before she looks up. “Oh buck, he has wings? No fair…” She flaps her one wing and takes another leap. Can’t stop now or she’d get to be a block of ice! “How to get him down…” She bits her lip as she leaps from another rooftop. “No way he will just land and go hoof to hoof and if I stay up here he will land a shot sooner or later.” looking around at ponies running for their lives she gets her answer. “I need a hostage!”

[PyroBlaze]

Tehengu followed the pony's path from the air, watching them run along. He was aiming carefully, looking to lead his shot. He charged an earth arrow, looking to knock her out. After waiting for a while, he fired ahead of her, aiming to hit her in the back of the head as she got to that area. 

 

This foe was going down if he had anything to say about it. 

[Blueblood]

Among the customers of this little jewelry shop was one rather high-profile pony; none other than Prince Blueblood of Canterlot!  Not that he went with trumpets before him announcing his presence, though he totally would if that didn't cause the crowds to throw eggs at his parade.  Right now, though, he was keeping an even lower profile than dignity demanded.  His handsome chiseled features were concealed under a rather large and plebian-looking hooded sweater... which did not actually make him look any less conspicuous or suspicious, so close to the environs of a luxury-goods store.

 

Of course, he had a completely legitimate reason for being where he was, doing what he was doing!  He was going to meet the proprietor of the shop, to peruse the more... magical of his goods, stored away in the basement safes.  His Highness was a keen collector of powerful relics; they were practically a necessity, as far as he was concerned, given all these hero and villain chaps running about.  After all, it was the only way he could see to get some protection, and have any hope of imposing his own will in such a world.

 

Speak of the devil, though... the Prince jumped like everypony else to see the sudden entrance of a fiery armored pony, apparently Tartarus-bent on robbing the place!  By Faust, couldn't a stallion run even the simplest errand without some interruption like this happening!?  The initial fear and shock were soon replaced by a kind of patrician irritation, even as he was running for cover with all the rest of the bystanders.  Disturb his shopping trip, would they?  Well, he'd show them...

 

Ducking quickly out of sight behind some rubble in an alleyway (did they never clean the streets in this place?), Blueblood pulled out some necessary preparations from an inner pocket of his hoodie.  *Let's see... mask, check.  Cape, check.  Relics... double-check.*  Satisfied, he pulled out a hoof ring and pendant, the first set with a deeply-colored garnet, and the other a compass rose of aquamarine.  *Alright, time to show these Plebians just what Royalty thinks of them!*

 

~***~

 

No building in a modern city is complete without it's plumbing.  Even while burning, the shop stood to access amounts of water that would have stumped the mind of a pony in the middle ages.  Both Tehengu and Ember were, of course, far from caring about that at this point, even as rumblings in the pipes betrayed the fact that water was being called up from the city supplies.  The sinks in the bathroom suddenly burst their faucets, a shower of cold water dousing the flames around, creating a cloud of vapor and mist.

 

Then, suddenly, with a burst of golden light, there stepped out from a masked figure, with white coat (well, slightly grey from the ash and smoke) shining in the flames.  "I, ROYAL PLATINUM, will have no incursions of Tartarus in MY realm!"  The voice, clear as a crystal chime, preceded the vision of it's owner by but a second, and what a vision!  True to the magic of the Glamour Garnet, there stood before the fighters the shining example of female beauty, grace, and charm.  The flames and mist seemed only a fit-setting for the golden-maned jewel, as if the whole picture had been framed by an artist.

 

Which was a bit too bad, because that meant that Royal Platinum was paying just a bit more attention to how she looked than to the fight itself...

[DerpRavener]

“This isn't supposed to happen to ponies on vacation!” Detective Stalwart muttered to himself as he galloped toward the scene of the commotion, his trenchcoat flapping in the wind.  The whole family, the wife, both foals, the detective himself had come up to Seaddle for the weekend.  It had been too long, everypony had agreed, and they needed the bonding time.  At first it was going off without a hitch too.

 

Then there was a crash from down the street.  Stalwart looked to his family.  His wife gave him a stern, slightly threatening glance, while the children looked excited.  Each knew what he was about to do, though they had very different reactions of it.  As well as wanting to keep his family safe, he didn't want their vacation day to be associated with tragedy.  “Keep yourselves a safe distance away,” he'd said, cutting off any argument, then smiling and adding “and don't worry, I don't plan on fighting today.”

 

By the time he'd finished the thought Stalwart had arrived on the scene, to find that the fight had gotten properly underway.  What looked to be an armoured aerion shooting flames was currently being pursued by equally armored griffon with a bow.  And it seemed the detective was just in time for the next contestant to make an appearance, heralded by water erupting from the piping of the building, to reveal a masked mare who was...in truth quite attractive, but he wasn't distracted long.  A battle between a hero and a villain was generally messy all on its own.  While adding a second hero probably helped the forces of good in the long run, it tended to make the scene even more volatile.

 

A number of the civilians weren't quite so focused, Stalwart noted, even if the rest had the good sense to try and get away.  Grabbing a particularly alert looking mare as she fled the scene, quickly saying “get to the nearest guard station and tell them what's happening here!” before turning to the hapless ponies.  “It's not safe here, you have to move!”  That should be obvious, and yet here they were, dragging their hooves.  Stalwart hissed under his breath, before thinking quickly and trying again.  “If you don't start moving, you'll never get to see her again!”

 

That seemed to do the trick, even if they still weren't moving as fast as the detective would have liked, but it still left him free to deal with the next problem.  A few ponies had been injured in the chaos, and would need help to make it out of the area quickly.  Stalwart darted forward.

[Dusty]

Ember looked around at the running ponies, she needed a good one. Not too young, not too strong but looks well of and important… She grunted angrily as she looked at the shop as Royal Platinum shows up in a shower of mist and water that kills the flames around the shop. “Oh, COME ON! Two? Can’t a mare blow up a shop and not get hassled by heroes?” she yelled then gasped as she realized she forgot to turn off her speakers for that one. She hopes they did not hear that… but she needed a hostage now! Two on one was not something she was ready for.

Looking for a good hostage she picked out one brave pony running around helping hurt ponies. He’d be perfect! Leaping off a roof she cuts her flames off, not wishing to cook him alive. She needed him to get out of here and if she made him in too BBQ no way in buck she’d get out of this one easily. “YOUR SOUL IS M-” And like a fly being smacked from the air Tehengu’s magic arrow nailed Ember and sends her flying into the side of a building as parts of her armor fly off like shrapnel as Ember rolls down the side of the building before crashing on the sidewalk in front of Detective Stalwart. “Ow…”

[PyroBlaze]

Tehengu wasn't paying much attention to the ponies running to safety, aside from the fact that they actually were running to safety, but otherwise his focus was on his opponent. 

 

Even so, he couldn't miss the entrance of the next costume onto the scene. A mare with rather expensive fashion taste, if the gems were any indication. Royal Platinum, right. Well, at least she was on his side, and her appearance even got the armored pony to slip that she was a mare. That'd help narrow it down, a bat pony mare with one wing. 

 

In any case, his arrow had connected, apparently only stunning her and knocking her out of her jump to land near a detective. Just to be safe, he fired ice arrows to freeze the mare to the ground for now, landing nearby. 

 

"Careful Detective, seems she's got fire powers. Hopefully this ice will work fine." He said before glancing back towards Platinum. "Thanks for the distraction, and putting out the fire." He said, giving a nod before looking back to the other two. 

[Blueblood]

Aaannnd just as she shows up to save the day, the whole messy business is already over.  Well, that suited Royal Platinum just fine; all she needed to do was arrive in time to look good and do maybe a little something to affect the situation, and then spend the rest of the day talking up her part to the reporters.  "But of course!"  She beamed at the griffon, tossing back her mane just so to catch the reflected light from the still-burning flames.  "And thank you for your assistance, it was just in the nick of time!"

 

If remarks like that went unchallenged, it was easy enough to make the situation look like she had been in charge all along.  If not... well, no one ever held a little vanity against a pretty mare, right?  A pretty stallion was another story, of course, but the general unfairness of gender double-standards was a conversation for another day.  Right now, the mare was busy directing arcs of water from gushing pipes onto flames around the building.  With a bit of artistic flare, of course; just angled to catch the light, but still not glare out any cameras from passing journalists.  Looking good was an art form, and Royal Platinum was a master!  Or mistress?  Well, both technically worked...

[DerpRavener]

On 8/13/2016 at 4:18 PM, Dusty said:

“YOUR SOUL IS M-”

Stalwart was just starting to help an injured pony away when he heard the voice.  The villain had the detective in her sights, and was leaping towards him.  To late to reliably run away, Stalwart was instinctively reaching his hoof around to a hidden pouch concealed in his coat before he knew what he was doing.  Time seemed to slow.

 

And then an arrow collided with the armoured pony, and time started moving normal speed again.  Stalwart let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and put his hoof down.  Hopefully nopony would pay much attention to that, attention was the last thing he wanted right now.  Fortunately, there was a villain and two heroes for everypony to keep their eyes on.

 

The griffon warned Stalwart that the armored pony had fired powers, before turning to talk to Royal platinum, who for her part seemed to completely ignore the detective.  “Right,” Stalwart replied to the griffon, “but then, with you two here there shouldn't be any more danger, right?  I'm sure between you two you can keep this one contained.”  The villain seemed to be down for the moment, and with the danger seemingly passed Stalwart was already moving on to help the next injured pony who needed assistance, which would right now consist of moving them away from the combat area and making sure they were comfortable and no aggravating any injuries.

[moonshineTheleocat]

Machina frowned when he saw a familiar face get involved in the mix. And… perhaps in the worst position to be for a villain… or in this case… hero of her talents. Either status, the mare was a good friend, and one that the pony really would rather do without seeing in the hospital so early in her game.

So the pony sighed and stood up. “Alright ARID, looks like we’re getting involved.”

“Understood sir, instantiating all combat subroutines and setting them at the ready.”

“Thank you ARID,” The pony hummed as he hopped off of the building and dropped down onto the street with a metallic clang. All three of his drones receded away from the combat zone and took to the air out of harm’s way. But they remained close by, ready to dive in at the call.

“Alright… ARID,” he hummed as his eyes surveyed the damage. He quickly noticed some limping and coughing as they tried their best to scramble away. Possibly shell shocked by the whole ordeal… or injured. One of those two. “Take Gee, and Biv and initiate the Medical Protocols. Give some aid to the civilians and get them out of here. Leave Roy on overwatch for me.”

“Affirmative,” The voice rang in his ear. The two drones reacted, and soared off to go give gentle nudges, and medical aid to those whom needed it.

A few seconds later, the stallion neared Royal Platinum. He gave him a hard look… or what the visor probably alluded to. In reality, the stallion’s gaze behind the visor was more of a mixture of confusion and bewilderment. But eventually, he broke that stance, to give the mare a soft boop on the nose.

“I thought heroism wasn’t your thing, Platnum. What compelled you to…” He gestured to the once burning shop around him with a taloned limb. "At this rate... the poor..."

The pony leaned off to the side to confirm what gender the villain may be, ".... buck? Maybe a buck... doesn't have a chance in tartarus."

[Dusty]

Ember honestly did not know was was more embarrassing. Was it face planting into the sidewalk or was it being a ice cube? Has to be the ice cube. “C-cold.” she whimpered as she regained herself and shook off the daze that hit too the head gave her. Looking around with her good eye she tries to understand what was going on… Hold on were they talking? Ok THAT was the most embarrassing thing here. Did she suck so bad they felt fine just talking next to her? This was so shameful she may as well just give up and move too Hesperia and get as far away from this embarrassing mess as she can, this was humiliating and... “Buck?” She repeated the words she heard as if they dazed her more than the arrow.

“^#@%#@! I’M A MARE YOU #@$#@ BLIND ^%$# PIGS FLANK OF A HERO!” She screeched at the top of her lungs as the ice cracked, hissed then shattered in a blast of steam as her flames scream back to life with the burning heat of a blacksmith's forge around her. Rearing up Ember tossed a five ton punch, the strongest punch she can unleash, at Machina in retaliation for that remark. How dare they treat her like this. She was the Harbinger of Tartarus and these heroes are going to learn to respect her for the Supervillain she was! Even if she has no hope to beat this meany she was going down swinging and in the name of Tartarus she was going to make one of them feel this in the morning. 

[PyroBlaze]

Tehengu leveled a glare at the mare that spoke volumes of his disapproval of what she said. Seriously, she was trying to take all the credit for this? Fine, she could have it. He was just a mercenary when he wasn't at his other job, he didn't need this kind of publicity. 

 

"Probably, but better safe than sorry." He replied to the detective, looking over at her before another pony showed up, this one male, that immediately began talking to Royal. 

 

"She's a mare." He said simply as the pony got the gender wrong. The villain was, a bit rightfully, upset by this and broke through the ice to pounce the stallion. The combination of surprise, pieces of ice, and heat kept him from readying his next arrow before the punch would run its course. 

[Blueblood]

"Right you are!"  Royal Platinum beamed at the detective as he expressed confidence in her abilities.  "Won't be any trouble at all."  Especially as the villain was already frozen by the griffon.  Who looked a little miffed, if she was reading him right.  Was the work not professional enough for him?  Perhaps he was one of those heroes who shunned the limelight?  The mare could hardly ever hope to understand that mindset, but what the hay, more publicity for her!

 

Speaking of which... yet another admirer arrived!  Well, perhaps admirer was too strong a word.  Or too weak.  What was Machina to her?  Comrade?  Yes, let's go with that.  Of all the powered ponies in this city, he knew her the best.  Well enough, at any rate, to know that she didn't take well to boops.  Platinum hated the way her face scrunched when other ponies did that.  "Beh!  You and your alignments!  Villains, heroes... it doesn't matter on what side of an arbitrary line other ponies are, it's a matter of what they desire or abhor.  And this!"  She gestured sharply to the wreckage.  "Wanton destruction of beautiful things.  I abhor it."

 

Strong words, though apparently her own feelings were a small candle to the absolute incandescence that Ember was capable of upon being called the wrong gender.  As technically one couldn't say that Royal Platinum was a real mare (though she certainly looked it!), it was hard for her to sympathize.  If you want ponies to see you as a mare, play up your looks!  Don't hide them under a half-ton of metal!  Those thoughts, and the surprise, meant that she was ultimately caught flat-hooved by the readied punch, which wasn't necessarily headed towards the giver of the insult...

[moonshineTheleocat]

Defender of all that is beautiful? The stallion’s head slowly turned to look around the shop. Sure it was destroyed, but his suit was more than capable of augmenting what the stallion saw to a virtual world. And that being the jewelry shop before it was utterly burned to a crisp. He… really couldn’t call these rocks beautiful. Sure… they had impressive refraction indexes… but he couldn’t see the beauty in the twinkling lights. So… he’ll just take the mare’s word for it.

“Right…. I see…” he hummed. Before he could say anything else, the armored (apparently) mare from Tartarus’s furious voice roared over everything else.

The stallion’s head lifted up, and turned to face the mare whom had given him more than enough of a warning to react. The world seemed to slow down mentally for the pony. Even his own movements as his thoughts processed the current situation.

“… Well… she’s certainly infuriated… but it’s not my fault that I can’t tell if she’s a mare or not when that bulky armor covers 100 percent of her body.”

The mare was slowly charging towards him at this point. He could practically see the rage flowing off her body as she winded up into… no… yeah that was a punch coming his way. Probably super powered one if she didn’t use her flames. Yup.

He should really get out of the way… but truth of the matter was… she looked like she was having a really bad day. Judging by the number of rookie mistakes he saw, he’d wager that she’s just an up start criminal. Might as well give her something to talk about. First things first….

The world returned to normal speed, the stallion’s mind made up. The thruster on his back spark to life as he reared up on his hind legs, as the hooves began to change shape to match the new stance, the jet on his back quickly tilted and erupted with a small crown of violet fire. The stallion was quickly spun around in place with his legs kicking up a cloud of dust. One set of talons moved to quickly snag Platnum by the collar and chunk her off to the side with the aid of his angular momentum. The other mechanical leg expanded, and slid out a barrel pointed in the direction of…. Harbinger. There was a small mechanical slurping noise as the weapon visibly charged for only a moment, before firing a small spherical violet projectile. Though the shot went a bit wide, instead making an audible crack as it past the harbinger’s ears. The leg that had thrown the mare… had disconnected from its socket and fell into the dust cloud.

Next moment… there was a hoof in his face. Well not quite his face. It struck some magical shield an inch shy from the visor of the stallion’s helmet. The shield warped to the force of the blow, expunging arcane gasses as it gave out, and allowed a dampen blow to strike the buck’s visor. The lack of additional weight probably saved the pony from a gruesome decapitation, as instead of having his block knocked off… he went flying backwards After a spray of crimson.

His jet flared immediately slowing down his trajectory until his back lightly tapped against the wall. He remained standing for a moment, shivering as his body tried to recover from the impact. His visor showing the signs of the punch through a massive spider web like crack. Red fluid dripped off of the visor and down the stallion’s chin.

“Sir… I don’t recommend taking another direct blow like that…” His suit’s AI chimed in as it kicked on the emergency medical systems. “That depleted seven of your nine energy cells.”

Noted… the stallion thought dryly. His vision had suddenly gone black in one eye… signaling that it was likely destroyed by the impact… but the darkness eventually dissolved away along with the pain. Buck that HURT. Let’s hope this hurts her more…

“Well I sincerely apologize,” The stallion called out as he staggard forward. The spinning sensation of a concussion now starting to disappear. ”But I have some advice for you. Retreating is always an option.”

Out of the dust, came the disembodied mechanical limb. It’s talons opened up and charging after the mare like a scorpion from the darkness. It lounged into the air and attempted to latch onto the mare’s face. If it could… it’d jam it’s cannon’s barrel into her jaws.It began that slurping sound... thow it steadily grew into a higher pitch, threatening a very lethal blow. Though this was just a distraction to hopefully cause a bit of hesitation, the hero really did not have any intentions on ruining a mare's dreams! And out of a speaker on the leg… came a soft and mechanical feminine voice finishing the stallion’s sentence. It lacked emotion, but the modulation was enought show intent. Through careful punctuation, it whispered softly in malice, “Because the next few minutes will hurt like a motherbucker.”

The thruster on the stallion’s back sprarked to life once again, propelling Machina at a high speed towards the villain. Once there were mere meters between them the jet reangled it’s self for a mere second to throw off any counter the mare may have, and gave a violent blast of energy to rocket him the rest of the way.

And unlike HoT, Machina did not have super strength… no… he was a little more inventive. In this case… the side of his remaining leg opened up. A cylindrical device poked out from the opening, and quickly extended a long flat rod. The device immediately rotated to face towards the front of the leg. Then came a horrible screech of as electricity arced it’s way up the blade and cracked out into the air. The end of the stun lanced was forcefully jammed towards the villain’s metallic armor.

[Dusty]

Ember blinked as she watched Machina fly back from her punch and the spray of blood from his face. She did it! She hit one! She hurt one of them! This was not over just ye- oh he’s not down… And she was surrounded. “Uh.” She squinted with her good eye, watching Machina recover from the blow as she works out what to do now, the fire around her will only keep them off her for so long. One seems to control water, the other has ice arrows and whatever the buck knocked her out of the sky. Fire will not keep them back for too long.

 

On 8/22/2016 at 11:00 PM, moonshineTheleocat said:

”But I have some advice for you. Retreating is always an option.”

“Retreating? I am the horns of doom, the flames of death and the ash of destruction! I do not run! I will- OH BUCK!” She yelps and ducks under the flying limb, dogging it by the hair on her head. That was close! She gasped and looks up just to see Machina rocketing towards her her with some blade? A blade with electricity? “OH BUCK ME!” She yelps and backpedals away as fast as her legs allow. Sadly she has no super speed and the stunlance makes contact with her metal armor. Electricity arcs over Ember as she screeches every cuss word she knows in such a display of vulgar language that even a drunk sailor will tell her to wash that muzzle out.

Lucky for Ember her supernatural durability took most of blunt off that blow, but supernatural durability or not that was bloody painful and Machina’s words play in her head. Retreating sounds good! Forcing her body to move against the electricity pulsing around her body she smacks the stunlance away and stumbles back a few steps before turning tail running and like a mare on fire. Well she was on fire… So a mare being chased by timber wolves?  “BUCK THIS $#@%!” She yelps as she launches herself up too the roof tops with a powerful jump. She needed to keep the heroes off her tail... So gathering up all the fire around her body to a hoof she throws it like a supercharged fireball at an apartment building. With some luck that will keep the heroes busy for her to tuck her tail in and run away. 

[PyroBlaze]

Tehengu had another arrow notched by the time the mare was stunned by the machine stallion, and as such he wasn't expecting her to break out and run away. 

 

He turned towards where she was going, taking to the air and aiming. He fired another earth arrow just before she looses her fireball, and he cursed under his breath as the apartment went up in flames. The griffon flew towards the building after spotting a family through one of the windows. He crashed through the glass, gathering up the ponies and flying them to safety as quickly as he could. 

 

He knew enough about this mare, he could take her down another day. For now though, there were far too many innocents in danger. 

[Blueblood]

It had all been going so well a few minutes before!  The villain was down, the flames were mostly out, and there was little left to do save bask in the victory and chattily flirt with reporters, but no-o-o, this fiery mare had to go full berserk!  The upshot of it was, Royal Platinum found herself unceremoniously tossed aside into a heap of ashes as Machina sought to get her out of the way of the villain's punch.

By the time she emerged, coughing, and magically purging her coat of the last of black-grey smudges, Ember was long gone, leaving only the flaming apartment behind.  "Oh... Buck."  She was going to have to do more work, wasn't she?  It would just look too bad if she ignored the fire on a civilian building, at it wasn't as if she had any speed relics on her to catch Ember anyway.  But still.  Not glamorous.  Unless she rushed in to save a cat, but she didn't like cats.  Maybe a foal?  She brightened; perhaps this day could be salvaged after all!  Photo Ops ahoy!

 

"Ahah, nice try, but there won't be any tragedies today!"  Not the cleverest of lines, but you think of something better to say when making plumbing go haywire to put out a fire.  Unfortunately, it looked like the griffon was going for the better-looking method.  Breaking through windows and swooping out, how do you top that?  Royal Platinum was feeling some serious wing envy right now...

[DerpRavener]

Stalwart had just finished briefing the paramedics, who'd just arrived on scene, when it seemed like fighting was about to break out once again.  The villain through a punch, which caught a newly approached, power-armoured pony in the head.  Said pony promptly recoiled, before making a counter-attack in turn, which in turn caused the villain to make her escape.  This would have been a welcome turn of events, if she decided to flee under the cover of a apartment fire, caused by a fireball she launched at a nearby building.

 

Stalwart stood, considering for a moment.  Part of him felt the urge to rush inside the building, to help anypony that might be in there, but truth be told he wasn't sure that was the best plan.  In more desperate times, perhaps.  But for the moment, there were two heroes with ice and water based abilities respectively, and professional emergency response ponies were already on the scene.  Reckless heroics, especially from somepony who ostensibly had no powers, were as likely to make the situation more dangerous as they were to help.  Either that, or they'd force him to reveal a well hidden secret, and neither of those outcomes were ones he would consider acceptable.

 

Stalwart's instincts told him to follow the fleeing villain.  Details of the scheme struck the detective as noteworthy, particularly that this villain didn't go out of her way to harm anypony, and that she was so unprepared for an encounter with heroes in this day and age.  It made Stalwart wonder just what she'd been trying to accomplish, and more importantly, if she could be put onto a more noble or at least less destructive if someone could just take the time to talk things out.  He felt that even she might not want this, if she realized all the consequences of what she was doing.  With the heroes distracted, this would be the perfect opportunity to talk...assuming he could catch her.  The villain had of course been bounding away across the rooftops while Stalwart was having his internal debate, and while Stalwart considered himself well trained he was still just a cop.  He almost certainly wouldn't be able to catch her now.

 

Stalwart sighed, half from disappointment and half from relief that the situation was contained.  He'd look into that villain later, but for the time being there was nothing more he could do to help.  So he turned around, and started walking back to where his family was waiting.  After all, they did have a vacation to finish.