Chapter 18: Who Will Save You Now?

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It was now night time, And RED Sniper was still up, scanning the area with his Machina. A Fresh coat of snow had fallen shortly after most of the townsponies were asleep, But it didn't turn Sniper away from his self employed job. He simply put on the hoodie he had made for Halloween on over his regular clothing, pulling the hood up. He kept his rifle steady, not blinking for long periods of time as to make sure he didn't miss anything.

He then looked at his radio he had on a crate next to him, and heard the voice of RED Scout.

"Hey, anyone still up?" he asked. Sniper picked up the radio.

"Yeah, I still am." Sniper responded.

"Really? What's got you up at 3 AM?" Scout asked.

"I should ask you the same thing." Sniper answered.

"Heh, right deadshot. Say, since I couldn't really sleep, I was going to go scout out the fields, care to join?"

Sniper raised an eyebrow. "What's got the little bugga wanting to go out?" He pushed that thought back. "Sure, Be sure to get some winter clothing on, It's a bloody Tundra out here."

"Gotcha." Scout responded. Sniper got up and quietly crept to his room as to not wake up Twilight and BLU Spy, who was now staying with them. Sniper opened the crate he kept his weapons in and got out his huntsman and stocked up on arrows, putting the arrows in his quiver. He then put took off his hoodie, vest, and shirt. He got his painted Snow scooper and put it on.

Sniper smiled at the memory of how hard he worked to get a paint can to paint it with, simply because he didn't like the white on the shoulder pads and collar. He was pleased with himself when he got a black paint can, A Distinctive Lack of Hue, and repainted it. He had never really preferred it since he was use to hot weather, but he would always wear it during winter. He then got his Holy Hunter and Crocodile Smile, putting them on as well. After checking to make sure he had everything, he wrote a small note to let Twilight an BLU Spy know where he was when they found it, and silently left.

---

"Some hell of a new years present."

Scout was walking, his trusty Force-A-Nature in one hand, his Sandman in the other. He was wearing the Flapjack for his top and his Breakneck Baggies for pants, both their original colors. He saw Sniper standing on top of a snowy hill, looking over a field. Sniper turned, notifying Scout's presence.

"Sup Headshot." Scout said, punching Sniper's shoulder lightly to greet him. Sniper nodded, returning the punch.

"G'day Wanka." Sniper greeted with a chuckle. "So why do you want to scout the fields out, nothing much happens out here."

"Exactly," Scout started, "I figured that Shadow Stallion or whateva' would think we wouldn't expect an attack from this direction, so I figured we could get an idea of how to fight here."

Sniper was silent.

"Yo, anyone home?" Scout asked. Sniper looked at him.

"I'm trying to think of how you thought of that, because that was actually a good idea." Sniper said with a small smirk. Scout steamed a little, but he knew this was just Sniper's way of messing with him. The two walked together, observing the snow covered grassland.

"But all jokes aside, you could be right. If those bastards did attack from here, we would be at a disadvantage." Sniper said, stopping, Scout stopping as well.

"What makes you say that?" Scout asked.

Sniper pointed to a large hillside. "That hill overlooks the town, which is on a flatland. If an enemy were to attack, we would have to stop them from getting to the town, which means fighting on flatland with no cover and up the hill, which will wear us down faster." he explained.

"Guess we better let the others know then." Scout said.

"It's only 5, the sun won't rise until 6:30 or 7, let them rest" Sniper replied. For now, lets head back. We'll go get some real food that Soldier has stocked up, what do ya say mate?"

Scout smirked. "I wouldn't take you to be the stealin' kind." Sniper chuckled.

"You're talking to a bloke that spent most of his life surviving in the outback." The two turned to walk back to town, but the sound of a flash caught Sniper's attention.

"Oi, you hear that?" he asked.

"What?" Scout asked, looking at him. The two stared at each other for a moment, then back at the hill that overlooked the town. The two nodded and ran to the hill, going to the top. What they saw on the other side left them both in shock. Sniper took his sunglasses off to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. When he was sure he hadn't lost it, he put them back on, and put an arrow onto his huntsman, Scout loading his Force-A-Nature breaking the silence between him and Scout.

"Holy Dooley…"

---

"Master, I have an idea of how to destroy our enemies." Shadow Stallion said, walking beside the slow moving creature. Slenderman reared his faceless head toward Shadow Stallion.

"Tell me, Have you ever seen the dead rise?"

Slenderman cocked his head.

"You shall see soon enough. These mindless, flesh eating creatures will destroy them, and you shall be able to easily take all of the elements for your plan of eternal darkness." Shadow Stallion's red eyes glowed as he teleported.

Slenderman looked at the wall of the room they were in, and pointed his hand out. A small golden glow appeared on the wall and started etching words on it. When finished, Slenderman wrapped himself in his tentacles and disappeared.

The glow disappeared, and etched on the wall was a single, crudely written sentence.

"WhO wIlL sAvE yOu NoW?"

---

Rarity was just waking up, yawning. She walked into her personal wardrobe room and nearly jumped at the sight of her bedhead mane, quick to fix it with her magic. She then spruced herself up.

"Today is going to be a great day for you Rarity darling, you are extravagant!" She encouraged herself. She stepped out and downstairs to see RED Spy and BLU Demoman at a table, eating some pancakes.

"Oh, someone made breakfast?" Rarity asked.

"I did big sis!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, hopping around, a little Apron tied around her. Rarity raised an eyebrow.

"Aye, she be telling the truth. The wee little squirt can cook." BLU Demoman complimented, taking a bite out of his. He still had to get use to not being able to use his hands-ahem-hooves.

"Yes madam, why don't you sit with us?" RED Spy said, inviting her to join them. Rarity happily complied, going to the table. She saw a plate of pancakes set out just for her. They ate and talked some, getting to know each other better, until they were interrupted by a knock on their door.

"I'll get it." Sweetie belle said, opening it. "Oh, hi Mr. Engie!" she exclaimed, greeting RED Engineer. Engineer smiled, greeting Sweetie Belle as he walked in. He was wearing the dogfighter and Flared Frontiersman to keep warm in the winter cold.

"Aye laddie, what's the news?" BLU Demoman greeted.

"Well, I was wanting to know, anyone seen Sniper or Scout?" Engineer asked.

"BLU or RED?" Rarity asked in return. When Engineer said RED, they all shook their heads.

"Try Asking Twilight. Sniper was staying with her, correct?" Spy suggested.

"Right, thanks partner." Engineer said. He waved goodbye on his way out as he walked back into the snow. "Scout I can understand, But Sniper? He's a loner, but he wouldn't just run off." Engineer silently contemplated on the possibilities to answer his question as he walked to Twilight's.

When he got there, he knocked on the door, BLU Spy answering.

"Engineer." Spy simply said.

"Spy." Engineer returned, the two eying each other. Their trust hadn't completely been established yet. Luckily Twilight Was there.

"Come on in out of that cold Engie." Twilight said, inviting him in. Engineer walked in, sitting down. "What brings you here?"

"I'm looking for RED Sniper and Scout." Engineer said. Twilight had questionable look. "You haven't heard from him?"

"I figured he was still asleep in his room, He did stay up late to watch over the town after all." Twilight answered.

"But it was barely 30 degrees last night, how did he not freeze?" Spy asked.

"Don't think just because he's from the desert doesn't mean he's not able to adapt to survive." Engineer commented.

"I'll check on him." Twilight said, going up to his room. She soon came back down, carrying a note with her magic. She read it aloud to the other two.

"If you're wondering where I am, I'm helping Scout check out an area to the southeast of town. My radio is almost dead, so you'll just have to come out there if you need us.

Your Assassin, For hire,

RED Sniper"

"What is to the southeast?" Spy asked.

"Just an empty field with a hill that overlooks the town, nothin' special." Engineer replied.

"It would be like your team's Scout to get worried over nothing." BLU Spy commented. RED Engineer gritted his teeth but held his tongue.

"Um, let's get the others and check it out." Twilight said, noting and trying to ease the tension. They all nodded and went their separate ways, Engineer to get his RED team, Spy to get his BLUs, and Twilight to get the Mane six.

---

Blood spattered on the ground as another body fell. Scout, his once clean clothes covered in blood and snow, reloaded his Force-A-Nature, then began running again, barely dodging an attack from an enemy that honestly scared the hell out of him. He double jumped, firing at one of creatures under him, killing it. He then saw one of Sniper's arrows fly under him, hitting another in the head, killing it just as Scout landed. Sniper caught up to him.

"What the hell are these things?!" Scout exclaimed, keeping his fire up.

"I don't know mate, but we can't let them get into the town!" Sniper said, pulling his arrow out of the last corpse he killed. Earlier, when they first saw it, they couldn't believe it. Their was a giant purple warp hole open, and hundreds, if not thousands, of mutant creatures with claws for hands and what Scout thought looked similar to a crab for a head, coming out of it in masses, heading for towards them, and the town.

"Their like a bunch of zombies." Sniper said, firing another arrow with his huntsman, it killing one, going clean through, and killing another.

"We have to get the others!" Scout exclaimed.

"There's no time! Both our radios are froze over, and neither one of us would last out here by ourselves. I left a note at Twilight's, let's hope they find it. now come on!" Sniper replied. The two nodded and charged together at another horde, which was running right at them. Scout used his sandman to blast a few zombies, blood flying with each hit, and Sniper kept firing his huntsman, using his Bushwacka when some got too close.

The two mercenaries, now zombie fighters, got back to back, firing their weapons at the mass hordes.

"Duck!" Sniper exclaimed, both of them ducking to dodge a slashing claw from one. Sniper grabbed the zombie's arm, stuck his Bushwacka in it's chest, pulled it out and flipped him over to Scout's side, who fired at it's head with his Force-A-Nature. Scout then hit one with his Sandman and ducked as Sniper turned and fired over his head with his huntsman, the arrow knocking the zombie back and killing him.

"Don't let them get to that hill!" Sniper ordered.

"We gotta at least get back up it, we're surrounded down here!" Scout yelled. The two slowly backed together, covering each other, as they fought their way back to the hill.

"Talk about needing a savior..." Sniper muttered to himself as he put three arrows onto his huntsman, aiming, and firing, getting a head shot with each.