Silver stopped and started at the rude pony, one of several trainees from the Guard Academy. Without a word, he stepped forward, reared up, and brought a hoof down on the young stallion's neck. The pony crumpled to the floor, unconscious but still breathing. Silver addressed the remaining trainees. "Lesson one: respect your commanding officer." A nurse came in and dragged the injured stallion out, and Silver started the briefing. "Three days ago, we received intel from an anonymous informant that the Asinus cartel had set up shop in Canterlot's warehouse district. Surveillance confirmed a large drug manufacturing operation-- methamphetamine and MDMA. It seems that the donkeys are trying to get a hoofhold in Equestria, and we cannot allow that to happen. Especially not in our capital." He pulled out a file with a map and photos of the warehouse. Dozens of workers, and almost as many armed guards. Mostly donkeys, but there were a few zebras and an earth pony among the workers. "The princesses would like to avoid worker casualties. Many of them are being exploited by the cartel. Slaves, really. That mercy does not extend to the cartel guards, or to the lieutenant inside. We are going to go in hard and fast and neutralize the guards before they can take the workers as hostages. You lot will secure the workers, a second squad will be right behind us to secure the grounds, and Midnight Shadow will go with me to deal with the boss. Any questions so far?" ********************************************************************************************** A pair of very large dogs charged at Navaja, snarling. "Loki! Zeus! Heel!" Rose commanded, and the dogs instantly stopped. "Of course I'm with the Sisterhood. Who else would take in somepony like me?"
Midnight rolled her eyes and snorted at the plan. It was ok if you actually wanted there leader to escape. She frowned at Silver "Question, while we question if we should show mercy or not, whats stopping one of those workers from putting a cap in our flank?" she said scornfully. She had run similar operations and had disguised herself as a simple civilian to stop herself getting into trouble. "I say, storm the place, tranquilize everyone you see, and then interrogate them at a later date. Stops one of the disguised leaders from sneaking out as a worker in the confusion" she remarked. "Or set up a fake drug buy, and bust them all in the act" she added.
Silver shook his head. This wasn't his first rodeo. "We have good intel, and I have dealt with the Asinus cartel before. They are nothing if not predictable. The workers will be unarmed, and likely near starvation. In most cases, they will have been abused by their overseers. Our biggest problem in dealing with them is that they may attempt to 'help' us fight the guards. We cannot allow this to happen, as they would stand no chance." He grabbed a stack of photos and start pinning them to the wall, then continued. "We have identified every cartel member involved in the operation. Twenty-three in all. All donkeys, and all with rap sheets a mile long. Most are lifelong drug addicts with high tolerances, so tranq weapons will not work. This is kill or be killed when it comes to the guards." *************************************************************************** Rose scoffed. "Two hundred years ago? They're good kids, but I was a little before their time."
Midnight blinked, she let out a yawn "think they would stand more of a chance with me on there side perhaps. Though it is agreed, those workers should not interfere in any potential magical duels. They would only interfere" she remarked. She blinked, she had read the plans and the potential danger to herself. "Should we do a practice round, or are we going straight in?" she asked
Silver looked at the filly. He knew she was powerful, but she was also overconfident. Maybe she did need a bit of practice. He turned to one of the recruits, a unicorn mare who looked to be just out of her teenage years. "What is your name, soldier?" The mare saluted. "Dionaea Snare, sir." He nodded. "Dionaea, I want you to fight Midnight. Just a simple exhibition match, of course, in the ring. I need to see what she is capable of." The introduction was just a show for Midnight's benefit. Silver had read Dionaea's file. He knew that the young mare's magical ability was easily a match for Midnight's... but Dionaea had Guard training that Midnight did not. It was time to see if the filly was really as skilled as she claimed to be. **************************************************************** Rose shrugged, but didn't respond. A moment later, Quick Fix walked in and informed them that the supplies were loaded and they were about to cast off.
Midnight nodded and trotted into the ring, she glanced at Silver "any pesky rules saying what I can and can't do?" she asked. Obviously she couldn't flip out on the mare so she went home in a shoe box, that was obviously out of the question, though it would be funny. She snorted at the image of the mare in a shoebox, how absurd. She glanced at the mare, who was much larger then herself, she blinked at the mare's horn, "So can you write with hoof or magic?" she asked her, she didn't want to do any permanent damage anyway. She glanced at Silver, waiting for instructions.
"Fight to knockout or submission. No holds barred, but try not to destroy the barracks." He led them to the sparring ring in the training room, and Dionaea entered, waiting for Midnight.
"It would seem your two clubs don't get along," Azrael commented. "No *squee!*," Navaja coughed. "¡Han matado a tantos de nosotros! By their own hooves!"
Midnight sat in the arena and blinked at her contestant. She began drinking a bottle of milk while looking at Dionaea. "Don't stop whatever your going to attempt by my account, Please continue" she remarked. She stood up and nudged the bottle of milk to the edge of the ring. "you've still not told me what hoof you write with" she added to Dionaea
"And how many of my sisters have you killed?!" Rose snapped. "Don't forget that your friends started this!" ****************************************************************** Dionaea watched the filly closely, waiting for Silver to start the match. "I use magic, of course, like every unicorn." She wasn't sure what to expect from the small filly. Midnight was wearing the armor and cloak that Silver had given her, so it was hard to gauge her physical ability at a glance. Dionaea had a similar advantage in her Guard armor. Silver rang the bell. "Begin!"
"Your lies disgust me," Navaja hissed. "'Stay your blade from the blood of the innocent.' Had you done nothing to begin with..."
"Innocence is life's greatest illusion," Rose replied. "All life exists at the expense of other life." She sighed, "Besides, an innocent pony wouldn't be so hated that another would pay for their death."
Midnight did begin, she glanced at the plate in-front of her, she began to tuck into her starter. Shrimps within breadcrumbs baked to perfection. She dipped it into some tartar sauce and began nibbling in on it. She glanced up at Silver and Dionaea. "Not exactly a fair contest, shes twice my size" she remarked. Midnight's horn glowed and Dionaea turned into a filly. Midnight smiled, she could bypass shields since she didn't use harmful intent. Or directly effect Dionaea in any way. Midnight contiued to nibble on her main course. Next was the pudding.
Thonymas: (Walking along the road to the bar he had visited in the past, before the incident and sighing, before walking from the daylight into a shadow bigger than most clouds and looking up to see Arch's new ship.)
"I've never met an innocent businesspony," Rose replied. ******************************************************** (@MidnightShadow - RP 101: Auto-hitting [declaring an attack successful without input from the other player] is generally frowned on in RPs.) Silver frowned. The filly wasn't taking this seriously. He had seen such overconfidence prove fatal many times. "Combat is rarely fair, Midnight. A skilled warrior can take down an opponent many times their size." Dionaea cursed inwardly. She could dispel Midnight's age spell easily-- Dispel Magic was a required spell at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. The problem was, her armor hadn't shrunk with her body, and she wouldn't be able to regrow herself properly while stuck inside the heavy plates. She quickly freed herself and dispelled the magic, returning to her original size. A split second later, she unleashed a volley of fireballs to burn away Midnight's cloak.
(A attack that did no damage whatsoever isn't op. Me doing a op attack would be turning you into a ant and then stepping on you. that would be a game over move ^^. Also the way that she did that attack wouldn't have been possible to counter since, it didn't harm you so any defenses you have activated against any harmful attacks wouldn't have been triggered. Any defenses you had to shield you against any possible attack would have also failed for the same logic, it wasn't a attack. She was just simply manipulation time to fight a earlier version of yourself) Midnight's shadow pendant glowed and the fireballs froze before they even got nearby. They hovered in the middle of the ring before turning into balls of ice. "Still think this exercise is pointless" she remarked. She sat down on a shadow portal and blinked, sipping on a cup of tea. "Next" she sighed extending the portal another meter from her diameter.
(It turned her into a filly in order to weaken her. That is known as a status effect, i.e. a change in the character's status due to an attack or buff. She was given no opportunity to counter, and you took control of her in order to make a drastic change that I neither asked for or approved of.) "As you wish," Dionaea said quietly. She had spotted the glow from the shadow pendant. A magic catalyst, perhaps? She grabbed the pendant with her telekinesis and pulled.
