private A new paradise (Private with The Cerbus)

[Catpone Cerberus 23,616]

Mask just floated there, not getting effected by the bolts in any way. 

 

Nameless and TC-308 nodded. "Why is it that every time I meet somepony new, I end up in situations like this?" "Bad luck I would guess." Grin was quietly laughing. "Your pets back soon she said, like Mask would be staying there, oh, she's mistaken about that, it doesn't work like that."

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

Jack smiled at that remark

"That is good, we are going to need every advantage we can get against that witch."

But suddenly he was interrupted by the unknown person that sat at the other side.

"You all rely on petty magic and artefacts, all it takes is a smart mind to outsmart the fools."

Jack looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"You are a Raukan aren't you?"

The stranger just snorted at that

"That would have been pretty obvious, but I would rather address that unique group you have going here, a cyborg and 2 other aliens clutched together with you? You must be pretty desperate if you are going to beg for help like that."

Jack frowned

"If you want to know what is going on, there is a high chance a massive an entire army of Valtrek's followers will be over running this planet."

The stranger just laughed at this

"And what got you so worried about? All you have to do is SLAUGHTER them, then another and another until the entire bunch is just a broken heap of bodies. Surely anybody could think of that strategy."

"That depends, how would you go against an army of 5 million or more? You are a fool if you think they are just going to stand there and let you kill them." Jack took no effort hiding his irritation.

"I wouldn't need an army to counter that, all I would need is a good plan, they may have big numbers, but they all share the same weakness." The stranger was obviously having fun with his conversation.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,616]

"Artifact? I would be offended if I could feel such emotions." "But I do like this slaughter strategy." Mask's voice was heard, but it was nowhere to be seen. Grin shook his head slowly. "Mask, could you shut up for a moment?" Nameless cleared his throat to stop Grin and the Mask from continuing. "So, could it be possible that you tell us this weakness?" TC-308 was quietly listening.

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

The stranger simply smirked.

"While they will also send out normal soldiers, chances are very likely they will send out the infected, mindless animals that once used to be like you and me."

"They all act under a single hive mind, during their attacks they have a stronger creature nearby wich directs their movements and makes them deadlier.

"But what happens when you kill that creature? They become feral, the only thing they will look for is something to murder, since they are driven by heart beats and the smell of blood. Wich is where lies their biggest weakness."

Jack looked at him

"On other words you mean, use the advantage of their lust for blood?"

The stranger smile grew wider.

"Precisely, or perhaps even take it a step further, if done right, it is possible to slip trough an entire horde of them without getting noticed. But it requires genetic modification and lots of practice, or in other words. You ACT like one of them, mislead their feral instincts into thinking you are one of them, and for the rest, all you would need is a modified version of their DNA injected into your blood, then you can succeed."

"I have heard this method before, my mentor used to do this when he would infiltrate a conversion center. Tough is going to be a problem as we don't have the right equipment to get that modified DNA here." Jack said

"We will see for ourselves, all we need now is to escape. Wich, i will teach you all how you get it done the Proper way."

The stranger started imitating a wild beast, making roaring sounds while moving in an absurd way.

But surprisingly enough a guard took the bait and disabled the shield, entering the room

"Show me your eyes savage!" it said with anger.

It drew its sword as it was about to give the killing blow.

The stranger made a quick movement with his feet, kicking the guard off balance.

He then jumped behind him and strangled him with his magical cuffs, when it seemed the guard was resisting he decided to end it quickly.

He put his foot on the guard's stomach as he gave an insane amount of force on the cuffs, snapping the guard's neck with brutality.

As he was done he went to the body picked up some sort of object, unlocking the cuffs itself.

He then threw the object before nameless hooves.

"That is how you escape," he said with a smirk.

Edited May 11, 2017 by Mickey Adaptus

[Catpone Cerberus 23,616]

Nameless freed himself and then the others, "I also can keep them busy, I have an army, that doesn't die." "Since there will be fighting anyways, because Princesses will fight back." "But that is worry for that time, first we need to get back there." The Mask became now visible, it looked at the dead guard, "How pitiful, Fallen because of the one weakness all creatures share, Life."

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

"That is the exact thing a demon would say before they would devour their prey, how ironic." The stranger remarked.

"But then again, I would rather be alive than having no life at all, the emptiness would be astonishing."

"You have no reason to complain." jack muttered.

As they moved, they started the following trough a tunnel that eventually let outside.

"This must be the place you ponies call *Ghastly Gorge*, what a name for this rock."

As they stood outside, jack was feeling rather uneasy.

"Shouldn't there be any guards patrolling? It seems too convenient like this." He said

"Of course it seems convenient, that is exactly what they want you to think, did you really think they would just leave and give us such an easy opportunity? Expect an ambush from them" the stranger remarked.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,616]

"Maybe I am demon, who knows." "And you say you rather live, when life is only thing you have experienced." Nameless interrupted Mask again, "Ghastly Gorge indeed it is, and it's really good place to ambush somepony".  TC-308's extra heads came out again and started scanning the area for any movement other than the group. 

Edited May 11, 2017 by The Cerberus

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

As TC was scanning the area, the ambush was indeed happening.

From a far distance, a group of snipers had their targets in their sights.

"TC, did you find anything?" Jack asked while searching around the area with his own eyes while listening to any sound with his ears.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,616]

"Group of them with those weird weapons." "I think we should go to cover." All three ponies then jumped to the side into small gaps in the stone walls, but The Mask stayed there, floating in its place.

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

"Snipers" hissed Jack, the other 2 also jumped behind the stone walls.

"We need to find a way to flank the fools, but at the same time stay out their line of fire. Does anyone know the layout of these tunnels?" Jack asked

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Far away, the Eldritch leader was meditating, she was levitating in the air.

"Warseer, they are pressing in, it is going as planned."

"Good, keep them occupied, but keep the battle going on as long as possible."

"With all due respect, we are losing forces to these-"

"It is the only way, if we wish to avoid the coming storm, we must trigger the ascension." She interrupted him

"Of course"

[Catpone Cerberus 23,616]

"No, and besides, most of them are dead-ends." Nameless said and the two others nodded as agreement. "Why not to go straight to them." In open floating mask suggested, "The metal leg can raise walls and shape anything physical, and I can make magical barrier yet to be broken by anything." Nameless looked surprised, "Whoa, never heard you being so nice." Grin looked slightly amused but then went back to rather serious, "I go with the Mask through middle, that way they concentrate on us and rest of you can do what ever you seem fit." without waiting for answers, he stepped back to the open.

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

"Good plan, tough you will have to make those defences at the right moments, their projectiles fire at a massive speed."

"I will give out signal's when we can advance each time because we will have to do this in well-timed movements," Jack said.

"Now you are speaking sense." Said the stranger.

He waited for a few seconds, then whispered to Nameless

"Try to create a wall a little further from out current position, and then do it again every time I make a small whistle, we will good cover this way without getting our heads blown off."

 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,616]

"It's constant." Grin said before he started walking towards the snipers' position. Nameless nodded, he then knocked his hoofs together and hit them to the wall behind him. Some distance away, from the wall started coming out big stone slab that blocked the sniper's view to them.

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

Jack gave a quick nod, giving a signal of the group to move behind the next wall.

He then whistled, the group kept working together, until at one point 3 warriors jumped from above, intending on murdering the group with melee weapons.

Jack acted in a quick reflex and a large amount of lighting from his hands, the melee attackers were electrocuted before they could even come any closer.

"Not today," Jack said with a cold tone.

As they got really close, Jack then said in a quiet whisper.

"Is any of you able to do an attack from the air? The snipers will shoot us before we will be able to attack with climbing, but an air attack from this close of a distance will give a good surprise attack."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,616]

Grin was with the group again. "I go". Without waiting for answers, he flew upwards and then turned towards the snipers, Mask constantly flying in front of him. One of his hoofs was  extended and what looked like red magic, started gathering in front of it. 

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

The snipers got in full alert as they suddenly saw one of the targets flying in the air towards him.

As they were going to engage in battle, Jack suddenly saw something from the corner of his eye.

On of the mountain ranges stood the green earth pony they had seen outside the cave before, staring at Jack.

'Come to me when the time is right, Jack Gonriel, I need to speak to you in person.'

Jack's eyes widened in horror at the voice he was hearing in his head, an unknown power was radiating from the earth pony.

But before Jack could respond the earth pony walked away, out of sight from the others.

Jack just stood there frozen, at a complete loss of words what he had just felt.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,616]

When Grin landed next the snipers, the magic gathering at his hoof, blasted to every direction, causing anyone caught to it getting slightly stunned. Simultaneously to Grin reaching the ground, TC-308 took out his wings and attacked towards the snipers, and Nameless raised pillar under himself, launching himself to the air. In the air, as Nameless flew towards one of the snipers, he hit his hooves together and shaped part of his hoof into a sharp blade, sinking it in his opponent as he landed.

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

As the snipers were fighting a losing battle, Jack and the other person stood there watching, until behind them a large force teleported.

There were around 20 warriors with swords, but there were also 2 big robots standing behind them, both holding massive swords and magical cannons attached to their shoulders.

It was hard to call them see them as robots as they had a unique design, being constructed from a special sort of metal that had magical properties, and the robots itself gave off lots of magic themselves.

"Ambush!" Jack shouted.

The stranger did not waste any time, he pushed Jack behind cover as he jumped off the mountain side and silently climbed his way towards the ambushers.

When the attackers advanced, Jack jumped out of cover and performed an entirely new trick.

He eyes started glowing as he shot a tremendous amount of magic from his hands, creating a field around the advancing force, slowing their movement to a moment where they were walking almost in slow motion.

As the stranger saw his chance, he placed some sort of explosive under the walkway that the enemies stood on.

He then climbed away and waited for a few seconds, until the explosive detonated, crushing the pathway as the entire attack force was pummeling to their deaths, the robots getting obliterated from the massive pressure.

But the victory as short lived as something behind him shot out of the ground.

To his horror, it was the same creature that he had seen in the caverns before!

It then shot out a tentacle from its mouth, gripping around its victim's throat, while grabbing Jacks left foot, dragging him underground.

To block out the hole, the monster fired some sort of blast, collapsing the entire tunnel he came from, closing off the entire way, making it pitch black underground.

"Did you really think you could escape me? I have grown tired of waiting, it is time.."

The monster said as he dragged Jack further and deeper underground.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,616]

When the backup arrived, the ponies muttered to themselves each, but were ready to defend them off, but then ground under them exploded and the ponies proceeded to go back to Jack.

Nameless looked at the collapsed tunnel, "So, do we want to follow them or..?" "I could easily clear the tunnel." "Or do we go and try to find rest of the army and destroy them?"

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

The stranger sighed.

"Just leave him, he is dead either way, there is no way whatever that thing was is just going to let him live like that, it is pretty much the same logic of every single predator out there."

He then walked off.

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It was very dark underground, luckily Jack could see in the dark.

But his current status was bad, to say the least.

The creature held a strong grip with its tentacle around his throat, dragging him along like some sort of dead pet.

Jack then was smacked on the ground, too exhausted to resist from his last magical attack, wich drained all his reserves.

"You remained strong with your little rebellion, but without them you are nothing. But even then they would use you as a meat shield the second their weaknesses would get exposed."

Jack was rarely scared, but in this moment he was trembling from fear, all his courage wich had been shown before was washed away like nothing.

"But with the help of a certain someone, I managed to lure you into this planet, it goes to show how easily your kind is to be manipulated. So far you have done nothing but fuel my

existence even further with your little skirmish. The very thing you tried so hard to prevent, yet did the total opposite... how pitiful is that?"

"But you don't to have worry, your pain will be over shortly, after all... Nobody on this pathetic world even risk their life for you..."

The monster suddenly trusted one of his pincers straight trough jack's left lung, creating a fatal wound in his organs.

Suffice to say, Jack was screaming out in pain as he never had before, trying to breathe, but it was all for nought.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,616]

"It's true that there is no point going in, but that doesn't mean we have to just leave him." Grin said as he nodded to the Mask and few red flashes could be seen in his eyes. Next to him appeared little bit of fog that turned into two light blue creatures, that after few nods walked through the collapsed tunnel, repeating only one word, "Jack, Jack, Jack...". TC and Nameless looked at each other uncertainly but then with Grin followed the Stranger.

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

Jack was on the verge of death, tears were streaming from his eyes as he couldn't handle the pain.

The monster was just staring at Jack with an emotionless expression.

It then was about to strike for the other lung in order to end it faster, until it felt something.

"Fools."

The monster suddenly got surrounded by a flow of energy, making him completely invisible to the eye, but also masked his entire life and energy signal, appearing like it was never there.

It became deadly silent save for the sounds Jack was making.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,616]

When the creatures arrived where Jack was, they looked trough Jack's body to find out the damage. At the group, Grin explained to the others what the creatures saw. The creatures then went to both sides of Jack and raised him from the ground. Small piece of one of the creatures turned into fog that started moving and the creatures, carrying Jack, followed it repeating again only one word, "Out, Out, Out...."

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

The demon dropped his camouflage and leapt at Jack's body.

But before he could reach him, something teleported in front of him.

The green earth pony from before stood before the monster.

"It is not his time yet, but yours will come soon. The devourer sends his regard."

The earth pony eyes started glowing with an ever-changing colour, creating the looks almost like an optical illusion.

The area around them started to change as purple energy started flowing from the earth pony's body like crazy.

Purple cracks started forming around the rocks, as the atmosphere almost seemed to freeze from the sudden change.

The cracks swirled at the demons form and starting encasing it entirely with it.

Eventually, the monster's body was compressed into nothing, leaving not a single shred of its temporary body behind.

The earth pony then vanished, leaving the tunnel the remains of the tunnel into a constant state of disorder, the cracks seemed to come to live like plants.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,616]

The creatures didn't react  in any way to what happened, they just kept moving forward, repeating the word 'out', again and again.At the group Grin stopped, he looked slightly confused, but then he started explaining to the other ponies and the Stranger what had just happened in the tunnels.