448 replies and 25 files omitted.
>>165000Do the stairs go up, or down?
>>165000Think we can continue the wolf story?
>>165003"Found stairs to next floor. We will not have to backtrack so far to advance further."
Silver notes the location of the stairs, of moves onto the next door.
>>165005Um…. Let me see where we are. I
think Spark was going to the village.
>>165006This located at the bed if the hall. There is a small hall beyond the stairs case that is symmetrical with the small hall near the entrance, though this one too has offices and…
Spectral Streak:
“Found bathrooms. No activity here.”
>>165007"Found more offices. How many offices does one television company need?"
Silver continues down this hall to check the offices it connects.
>>165007I think I was with Wellspring the rebel, who just got back from the last adventure.
>>165012Soon.
>>165009This hall is short, with only two smaller offices, one with a type writer, and the other with a big desk with what seems to be cut out photographs and glass, and then a conference room.
>>165018Silver checks these rooms for any potential devices or hostages. In particular he focuses on the conference room.
>>165019Silver sees no living creatures, and while he doesn't exactly know what any "device" looks like, nothing stands out as suspicious. Some folders of papers, a t-square and compass, and a wooden table that is clear underneath. The lights are, however, on in both offices.
>>165021Well, that *is* odd...Silver supposes that he should check out the offices.
>>165022No pony there, papers and all left behind.
>>165024"Hmm..."
With this floor (mostly) cleared, Silver gets his rifle ready and begins to climb the nearby staircase to the next floor.
>>165025Wooden staircase, smaller than the central stairwell and evidently only going up a single level. The walls are white, with a similar maroon colored carpet as in the exterior hallway. The stairs double back with a small landing midway. The one light is on.
The simple wooden door at the top of the stairs is closed.
>>165046Silver puts his ear to the door before doing anything else, trying to listen for anything that might be on the other side.
>>165047It’s louder up here than below, with the sounds of what must be distant voices, or else, radios playing.
Spectral Streak comes up next to Silver
>>165049Spectral Streak levels his rifle
>>165050Silver slowly, carefully, cracks the door open.
>>165053Well, how far does Silver open the door?
Silver can tell that the lock on the door has been damaged and is no longer functioning
>>165054At first only a little, so he can see if there are any traps rigged up to the door and set up to trigger if it opens far enough.
>>165055With the door only cracked open slightly, Silver can see no traps set. The lock is physically broken, but otherwise nothing seems odd.
>>165056Silver continues to open the door further.
>>165057>>165058Silver hears a roar of automatic gunfire, and splinters of wood come flying off of the door, as bullets hit and often penetrate through the wood.
>>165059Silver shuts the door, grabs onto Spec, and jumps back down the stairs.
>>165057>>165060Multiple bullets penetrate through the wooden door. Silver is grazed along his neck by a bullet, and another shot embeds itself in Silver’s flak jacket, almost breaking through.
Spectral Streak shoots back
Bang Bang Bang Bang, four shots semi-auto in quick succession, then jumps back
>>165061Silver, at a lower position down the stairs and out of the line of fire, holds a hoof over the now bleeding wound on his neck.
"Черт, это больно...you okay, Spec?"
>>165062“Yeah” he says, breathing heavily.
“About what I expected.”
>>165063>>165064Silver takes his hoof off of his neck, looking at the blood on it, then covering his wound again.
"It is just grazed."
Silver creeps back up the steps, takes out his gas mask, and waves it in front of the bullet holes in the door to see if the changelings can see through it.
>>165065At first, nothing. Then
Ching Ching. Two shots are fired at the door, presumably semi-auto from the same weapon as before.
>>165066Silver pulls the gas mask back. He gets an idea and looks at where the bullets have hit the wall behind him compared with the holes in the door.
>>165067It's a little hard to tell, as the door was cracked open when it was shot, and the force of the bullets hitting the door has opened it further. Silver can however see that with the exception of four small holes on the far left, presumably from Spectral Streak, the holes are concentrated on the right side of the door near the door handle and where the door opens. A trio of holes have met together, which creates one hole that is large enough to look through.
Looking at the wall behind him, Silver can see that the holes and damage on the wall are concentrated on the far right side (to the right of the door when Silver faces the door. When Silver turns around to look behind him, it is on his left).
[1d20+10 = (4+10) = 14][1d20+10 = (8+10) = 18]>>165068Grabbing his Jenny, he steps to the right side of the door while trying to stay out of sight, and double taps the trigger.
>>165070Silver ducks upon hearing the returning gunfire.
>>165071Hmmm…. Silver fluff may attempt a reflex saving throw to avoid the worst of the gunfire.
>>165073Silver ducks halfway through the reign of bullets, which is very much a good thing, because as Silver falls. a bullet tears into Silver’s flak jacket at an angle and is stopped, which would have penetrated had it hit squarely.
Silver falls to the ground, and Spectral Streak fires more shots
Bang Bang [1d20+10 = (11+10) = 21][1d20+10 = (11+10) = 21]>>165074Silver barely gets up from his position, just to squeeze off a couple more rounds.
>>165075Four more shots return, evidently in a single, automatic burst.
[1d20 = 13][1d20 = 6][1d20 = 18][1d20 = 18] >>165076Silver lays down flat to try to avoid the returning gunfire.
[1d20+10 = (9+10) = 19][1d20+10 = (7+10) = 17]>>165077Followed by firing another couple of shots.
>>165078Silver hears more automatic fire:
Cla Cla Cla Cla Cla Cla[1d20 = 16][1d20 = 18][1d20 = 8][1d20 = 2][1d20 = 6][1d20 = 19] >>165078>>165079Silver is nicked by a shot
[1d7 = 5] [1d20+10 = (13+10) = 23][1d20+10 = (19+10) = 29]>>165079>>165080Silver has to supress the urge to shout to avoid giving his position away. He answers back, not knowing if he is doing anything or not.
>>165081Silver makes two shots, and then there is a sound of
Cla Cla Cla Cla Cla Cla. What is different is that these shots veer much further off to the right.
[1d20+10 = (7+10) = 17][1d20+10 = (1+10) = 11]>>165082Following the sound of these new shots, Silver adjusts his aim, and double taps again.
>>165083It’s from the same source, just targeted differently. Silver gears no reply.
[1d20+10 = (9+10) = 19][1d20+10 = (1+10) = 11]>>165084Just in case it's a trick, Silver fires again.
>>165086 →From the top, Amber can look outside, glancing through the slats on the small window at the top. Amber can see, far over to her left and to the left of the building, the police are paying special attention to a sheet metal shed. They must have found something there.
>>165085Nothing for a few seconds. Then a metalic sound, and...
Cla Cla Cla Cla Cla Cla Cla[1d20 = 18][1d20 = 11][1d20 = 6][1d20 = 6][12d0 = 0][1d20 = 1][1d20 = 20] >>165085>>165382The last of the shots hits Silver directly.
[1d7 = 6] >>165382>>165383Silver stumbles backwards, further out of the line of fire.
"Черт возьми!"
>>165385Silver moves back down the stairs, and towards Spectral Streak and the Salmon Stallion.
"Did he get you?" Spectral Streak asks, looking over. He looks back at the door for a moment. "This isn't really working."
>>165386"Yes, he got me." He covers the new gunshot wound. "Unless you have any better ideas..."
>>165381Amber continues looking at the shed, wondering if any of her compatriots would be so foolish as to hide in so conspicuous and so small a place.
>>165390Amber can see them start to roll something out. It's the car, recognizable not only for its color and model, but for the clear dents along the front, being pushed out covered in straw out of the shed by two officers.
>>165430Spectral Streak remains down the staircase along with Silver. Silver hears a
Cla Cla, with two more shots hitting the door, and spraying splinters
>>165447Silver whispers to Spec, as to not be overheard.
"Keep them busy here, I'm going to see if I can flank them from main stairwell." >>165449He nods
"Oh I can do that." He looks over towards the Salmon stallion. "You want to take Pinkie here, or should I?"
>>165451"Your call. You think you will need him here?"
>>165453"He might be safer here. But are you sure you won't need... help? Or someone to cover your rear?"
>>165455"Hopefully most of them are too busy here to pay attention."
>>165456"Well, let's keep them busy"
>>165457Silver nods, and makes his way back to the main staircase to sneak up to the next floor.
>>165458Silver walks through the hallway, through the reception area, and down the main hallway. Silver walks past the drone from earlier, which perhaps disturbingly, lies down over a yard from where he last left it. Silver makes it to the staircase. The halls are illuminated by lights, and are mostly quiet.
>>165459Jenny at the ready, Silver makes his way up the stairs, trying to be quiet.
>>165462Silver will notice that this stairway goes up two more floors. The previous engagement was against enemies on the floor above them
>>165463Silver starts by just advancing up one floor.
>>165429>>165430At least it's not one of her friends, but now they know for
sure they're here. Amber goes over to the other window, looking to see if the path to the house is clear.
>>165478Amber looks over to the far left. She can only see the edge of the house. It's hard to say, really, if the whole way is clear. But she does not see anygriff that direction.
>>165466[1d20 = 10] >>165492Silver goes upstairs, to the wooden door that is half open, and past the railings that are chipped by bullets. And then
BANG[1d20+3 = (18+3) = 21] >>165493>>165492Silver takes a fairly direct hit across the side by what he can tell is a shotgun blast. The flak jacket makes a big difference - all of the difference in the world, it feels - but pellets break through
[1d6 = 1] >>165489Amber goes downstairs to the left door and looks around before approaching the house.
[1d20+10 = (12+10) = 22][1d20+10 = (9+10) = 19]>>165494Silver gasps as the air is knocked out of his lungs. He turns towards his attacker and double taps his Jenny.
>>165496Hit, and hit. Silver can see that it is a “pony” with a civilian model of shotgun, just inside of a hallway
>>165498"Gack!" The creature almost hacks, wincing in pain after being pieced not once but twice. He manages to, with a glowing green light, rack the slide "clack clack." He fires
BANG[1d20 = 18] >>165498>>165499Silver is hit, although only glancing
[1d6 = 4] [1d20+10 = (5+10) = 15][1d20+10 = (11+10) = 21]>>165499>>165500Silver is once again not doing so hot. He manages to squeeze off a couple more rounds at least.
>>165503The creature is consumed in green fire before even the second bullet hits. It falls over towards its left, and away from the wall. Silver can see that it is a black drone with a brown jacket. There is red blood splattered across the wall, but blue blood seeping out of the creature itself.
>>165504Red blood? They must have encountered somepony before them...
Silver looks down at himself, blood seeping through the holes in his flak jacket. With every battle he feels more and more like a block of aged, holey cheese. He pushes on, grabbing the drone's shotgun and any shells he has on him.
>>165505The shotgun (presumably) has 3 rounds inside of the tube and chamber, and a capacity of 5. The drone has another 5 shells. The shots seem to be birdshot. The hallway goes both left and right, with the drone on the left side. Near the door, a drone sits, leaning against the wall.
>>165506Can Silver see how ready the drone is to respond if threatened?
>>165507Yes. He’s right next to it, as it is by the door
>>165508Silver checks the ammo he's got for the Jenny before he does anything.
>>165509Removing the magazine, Silver counts one, two, three, four rounds.
>>165604Amber looks around at the now darkening trees and bushes, and the long shadows left by the home and barn. Silver sees that now, even the homeowner has gone to the shed, and there is nogriff looking
>>165606>Silver seesAmber quietly but quickly proceeds to the house and darts inside.
>>165607The house is unlocked. Amber goes through the side door, and past the room used for operations. There are several other rooms in the house to hide in, naturally, and windows that she may need to duck below
[1d20+6 = (17+6) = 23][1d20+6 = (16+6) = 22][1d20+6 = (19+6) = 25][1d20+6 = (13+6) = 19]>>165605It'll have to be good enough...
Silver reinserts the magazine, switches his Jenny to full auto, aims at the remaining changeling and empties the mag.
>>165609Technically there would have been three in the magazine, as one was in the chamber when Silver removed the magazine.
The changeling that is already dead? I guess he
can shoot at that one
>>165608It occurs to Amber that searching the house would take much more time than it would for the police to do so themselves, so she worriedly asks, "Helder? Erich? They know we're here, we need to figure out how to get out."
>>165611Roll die, wisdom modifier
>>165610I meant the changeling near the door, sitting down.
>>165614Yes. It seems to be dead
>>165613Amber does not hear a reply
>>165615Amber sighs and goes upstairs, looking into one of the rooms. "Erich, Helder?"
>>165616Nothing but Silence.
Until
"Shhh!"
Looking behind her, a cabinet creaks open. Amber can tell that it is Federkleid
>>165615...so there
isn't a live changeling left in/by the stairwell?
>>165617Amber is a bit jittery, her face wearing an expression between relief and panic. "Federkleid, they found the car. They know for sure we're here."
>>165620"I'm not surprised." She says, though she sounds slightly irritated.
"What are you doing out in the open?"
Amber has encountered her in a large cabinet in what appears to be a spare bedroom upstairs.
>>165621"I hid in the barn, they searched it but didn't find me. I don't think it can hide all of us. I just had to warn you, maybe we should run before they look through the house. They would definitely search the cabinets."
>>165619I just want to be absolutely, 100% certain:
>>165506 is refering to the same drone every time the word is mentioned?
>>165622She pauses for a moment to consider what Amber has said.
"If they aren't looking then let's go. We can't hide and I don't think we can fight them again."
>>165623No. Silver killed a drone that was in the hallway that had a shotgun. After entering the hallway, Silver found a second drone that was already dead, sitting up against the wall.
>>165624"We have to get Erich and Helder," Amber insists. "There's no time to waste."
>>165624Now that is interesting. How did this one die, he wonders to himself.
Going left or right, which direction heads towards where he left Spec and the salmon stallion?
>>165625"Yes. Erich! Get out!." Looking elsewhere in the room, a door opens, and Amber can see Helder with part of a sweater covering his face. Erich pulls out from under a bed.
Federkleid:
"You thought they wouldn't look under a bed"
Erich replies
"It's perfect. I could have jumped them if they found you, and you could have jumped them if they found me. They'd never think to watch their own backs once they found someone."
Federklied:
"Yeah right. They'd get all of us at once."
Helder:
"Shut up and let's leave."
Soon, the four are assembled together in the bedroom
>>165626Left, it seems
>>165627Amber leads the four downstairs and looks out the front entrance,
opposite where the car (and the officers) are.
>>165628Amber sees no movement, though naturally, it is the outside and they would be visible, though there is much vegetation, especially to the left.
>>165628Amber tells the rest, "Stay low and close to the bushes, but don't rustle them." She crouches low on all fours, just about crawling, and proceeds to the left, trying to stay behind the vegetation.
>>165627Silver opens the left-side door just a crack, and peaks through the opening.
>>165631Well, the hallway is open, taking a bend that turns right, and presumably straight.
>>165630Amber does have to pass through the open between the rear door of the house and the wooded area that has not been clear. To the side of this is barbed-wire fenced in field. From the sounds further away, it does sound like the police are spreading out, resuming their search.
Federkleid:
"If they found the car, they must know we are in the area."
>>165632Silver
very careful sneaks along the hallway to peak around the right-hoof corner.
>>165632"I said that," Amber whispers annoyedly as she creeps along, hoping the sunset shadows will help conceal them. How long is this open stretch until they reach denser vegetation?
>>165633Looking down the hallway, Silver can see two drones. They are indeed drones, with no disguise, though they wear civilian equestrian jackets. One is against the wall, and seems to be looking Silver's direction, holding a Changeling style submachine gun from the last war, and the other is looking to his right, holding a Changeling-style assault rifle, and clearly limping.
>>165634Maybe 50 feet. Not very far, considering the house can act as cover. However, as the vegetation consists of a few bushes and oak trees, it may be possible to be spotted in it unless they advance far and deep.
>>165635Silver quickly pulls back and sneaks back to where the dead changelings lie. He checks the weapon the already-dead changeling had to see what kind it is and what ammo he has for it.
>>165635It's the best chance they have. Unless….
Amber tells them, "Keep low until you get to the dense brush all the way over there. I have an idea."
Amber splits off, and also staying low, returns to the house.
>>165637Amber is back in the house
>>165636This changeling does not have a weapon on him, save for a utility knife. He does have an ammo-pouch, but the ammunition has been removed from it.
>>165638Silver checks the carbine he got from the grenaded changelings to see how much ammo it has.
>>165638>>165638Amber looks at the barn to see if the way back is clear and if she won't be seen if she runs back.
>>165642Amber sees that far off to the right, there are a pair of officers who are walking the open field. They are not looking in the direction towards the barn.
But they could.
>>165644That one was neither tied up nor went missing... but okaySomething like 15 rounds remain in the 30-round magazine.
>>165643She has to take this risk, and heads to the barn.
>>165645Silver decides that, with the Jenny being so low on ammo, he should switch over to using this one. He once again sneaks up to the right-hoof corner and peaks around to see if the changelings are still in the same positions.
>>165646Roll diehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNUs82nkMZk>>165647Yes. more or less. Silver will quickly be noticed by the submachine gun carrying drone, however
>>165649Amber moves into the barn, probably unnoticed. Probably. Unless she wants to stop moving long enough to find out
[1d20+4 = (13+4) = 17][1d20+4 = (12+4) = 16][1d20+4 = (4+4) = 8]>>165648Silver takes the carbine, sets it to full-auto if it isn't already, and fires around the corner towards the submachine gun-carrying changeling.
(1/2)
>>165653>>165654Pow Pow Pow Pow Pow PowTwo shots hit the wall, but four land on the drone
[8d6 = 30] >>165656>>165654>>165653The creature falls over, evidently dead.
Roll initiative >>165652She does not. She goes into a stall with animals and explains, "I am deeply grateful for you helping me hide when they searched, but I came back here because my friends are trying to escape and they need a distraction. In thirty seconds, could you please make a commotion? There won't be any danger, I won't be here."
>>165659Opposed
[1d20+1 = (3+1) = 4]>>165658The sheep looks up at Amber, and blinks
Amber should probably roll charisma
>>165659Silver is able to move before the drone holding the assault rifle is able to completely turn around
[1d20+4 = (11+4) = 15][1d20+4 = (9+4) = 13][1d20+4 = (15+4) = 19]>>165661Silver pops out from behind the corner and against fires a burst into the remaining changeling.
(1/2)
>>165662>>165662The sheep looks up at Amber with attentive eyes and raised ears.
>>165663>>165665One misses, and one pierces the jacket but not the chitin, but six bullets hit the drone
[8d6 = 30] >>165666>>165665The creature's legs collapse, and it falls down, dead
>>165664Amber clasps her claws gratefully and says, "Thank you." She goes out the barn and heads back to the house.
>>165668Amber does need to roll again to make it back to the house
>>165667Silver checks the assault rifle the changeling was carrying to see if its ammo and magazines are the same as in his carbine.
>>165670Not great...
There is loud baaaing from the Barn as Amber makes her way back, or tries to
>>165672It's not looking great for Amber, but at least it's much better for her friends. She thinks about following her friends immediately, but it's too risky now. She goes to the operating room and looks for a place to hide.
>>165673Amber can hear sounds from beyond.
On the plus side, the police have definitely not found her friends. On the negative... they might have found her.
The operating room has cabinets, tables, gowns and sheets.
>>165674Amber quickly clumps up gowns on the operating table and puts a sheet over it so it vaguely resembles the shape of a griffon. She looks for a scalpel.
>>165675Opening a cabinet... yes, there is a scalpel. Making a good griffin shape is a bit difficult because of the size required.
The sheep are very noisy.
>>165676She closes the cabinet and, if the hallway sounds clear, goes to the kitchen and crouches behind the kitchen counter.
>>165671No. The cartridge and the magazines are different, it's a different kind of weapon.
>>165677And she crouches
Roll hide, dexterity modifier >>165679Amber is... well, she's there. In the kitchen, behind the counter.
Amber can hear police excitedly enter. One is coming through the front door, another through the side door by the operating room. Amber is a little further away in the back, and does not have line of sight with anygriff
>>165678In that case, Silver exchanges the carbine for the assault rifle and takes all of the ammo he had on him.
>>165681Silver unfortunately finds only one full magazine, and around 12 rounds remaining in the magazine.
Spectral Streak calls out:
"Silver, is that you?"
>>165680This is not how she expected it to go. She stays put for the time being, and looks for a loose utensil or can of food.
>>165682Still more than what he had. Silver hears Spec but, just in case it's a trick, aims the changeling assault rifle forward while calling back,
"Name all of your immediate family members."
>>165683Amber finds a couple spoons, a fork, a knife, and a can of yams. No wait. False alarm, it's actually canned beets.
>>165684"So you can find them too? Jokes on you, they don't live around here. Silver Rain, and White Light.
>>165685Canned beets will do. She waits in place.
>>165685Silver sighs, and relaxes a little.
"You forgot your mother, but that will do. Yes, it is me."
Silver navigates his way towards his son, remaining vigilant in case any changelings lie in wait.
>>165686One officer, moving around, comes near the kitchen. Whether he intends to enter has not been determined yet.
>>165687He is silent, and looks up for a moment towards Silver from his position down on the stairway.
"I didn't forget her."
He starts to move up the stairs, and moves the door out of the way, which breaks and cracks in two, with only part remaining on the hinges.
>>165688"I found dead changeling that none of us have killed. I do not know what killed him, but now we can search and secure this floor."
>>165689He pauses again.
"I see. We have no time to waste. We must clear out this station."
>>165690Silver nods, and begins a methodical search of the floor, beginning with where they are and making his way back towards the stairwell.
>>165688Amber tosses the can of beets into the operating room behind the officer.
>>165692He turns around, and looks behind him to the can of beets.
>>165691Looking into a room on the side, Silver can see what seems to be a pair of dressing rooms, with mirrors, a couch, lights, and containers of make up.
But what is more, is a pair of ponies in one of the rooms, both stallions. One is tied up, while the other is simply limp. Both have left trails of blood going to where they are. The tied-up stallion is a lemon-yellow unicorn with closed eyes and a field green shirt, while the other is a beige earth pony in black. Neither seems to be conscious, or perhaps even alive.
>>165693Silver goes up to these stallions to check their pulses.
>>165694The beige stallion is dead, and the lemon stallion is.... also dead.
>>165695Silver sighs heavily and offers them both a quick prayer before standing back up.
"Couple of bodies for later collection."
He continues his sweep of the floor.
>>165696Silver sees the rooms in the middle are for storage. In this case, large equipment, like cameras.
>>165697Very interesting how these cameras have advanced compared to the older models he knows of. Is there anything else of interest in the rooms?
>>165693Amber waits for him to investigate the noise, if indeed he does.
>>165698They are very large, but all the same able to be moved.
But then Silver finds... a green pegasus, hiding among the
shelves. He bumps into a shelf, and knocks over a tripod as Silver approaches.
>>165699He turns to the can, and looks down to it.
>>165700Silver holds a hoof out to try to calm the pegasus.
"Hey, hey, hey, do not worry."
>>165700Amber now makes a break for the front door, hoping not to be seen.
>>165701The front door, or the rear door?
>>165703Is the way to the front door clear?
>>165704And how about the rear door?
>>165705That one is
presumably clear, as no officer has yet entered that way.
>>165706Amber goes to the back entrance and looks around before darting out around the house.
>>165707Amber can tell that officers are approaching to close the exit at the rear of the house. But waiting won't change that fact.
>>165708Amber proceeds with the plan anyway. Is there a part of the first floor that juts out farther than the second?
>>165709Sort of - a couple windows, and a small porch on the rear
>>165710Amber circles around to the porch–assuming the police don't see her–and flies to the roof, lying down so as not to be seen.