Battle frenzy

[zervziel]

One truth of the universe is that a lot can happen in a short amount of time and this holds even truer in the chaotic heat of battle.

Immediately after the wave of changelings bowled over her, Riptide found herself fighting with a ferocity that surprised even her. Her hooves lashed out, smashing into changelings, stomping them when they fell. Her wings bashed changelings careless enough to get too close. Her tail scythed through the air, the powerful limb leaving shattered limbs and bodies in it's wake. And her tentacles whipped the air around her in a veritable whirlwind of armor flesh and bony spikes. Those who weren't crushed by the tentacles were either lucky enough to catch a glancing blow that knocked them free or were simply flensed alive by the spines now lining the lashing tentacles.

And Riptide naturally made use of the default weaponry of every kelpe, snapping and biting at anything that came too close to her teeth. Anyling lucky enough to dodge above her teeth were often rewarded with impalement upon the kelpicorn's heavy blade-like horn.

Eventually, the changeling attack started to abate, allowing Riptide to disengage temporarily and take assessment of her situation. Despite her efforts, the changelings got several good blows in. The wing she had pulled earlier had gone from a minor pain to a severe pain each time she moved the limb. The sails had been lacerated several times on both wings and several of the thin bony supports felt as if they had been cracked if not out right.

While her heavy armor had protected her quite well, Riptide suspected she have some bruising as well. As the tattered remnants of the changeling squad closed on her again, Riptide prepared herself for the second round. The only difference this time was the smell of cooked changelings as electricity coursed over the first changeling as her tentacles closed around it's chest, crushing it before throwing it into the fray

Into the Fray

[multaekappae]

 "squad B, you keep the devourer busy, we'll pick off the softies. The hive recognizes your sacrifice." The lead Changeling chirped.
[Primary Threat identified, deactivating persona reboot.]

The Eohippus tensed her hooves, a low hum coming from her forehead as the psionic amplifier reformed. Rather than risk an unstable energy flux and resultant shutdown again, the device was set to kinetic force multiplication.

---

The white unicorn spared a curious glance at the strange cyborg, who seemed to have glowing sigils running down her legs now? There was little enough time to consider the matter before half a dozen 'lings had slammed into the ground near her teammates and herself, glowing green energy fields splashing small craters where they landed.

Three of the creatures tried taking on the form of Black Ops, their obvious leader. Silver Lining laid them down before they even had time to be surprised, and White had to restrain him from kicking the original as well.

Once she was sure he wouldn't take this perfect opportunity to strike a 'superior' officer, she began to ready the device-
-when Captain Harness came up, savagely ramming into a nearby changeling. Specialist Noise had one sickening moment where she thought he had impaled himself on the shifter's horn, but the pegasus stood up, shook his head, and seemed no worse for wear.

"Okay, you three... we have civilians here, I need you to get them out of here ASAP..." He frowned, "And be doubly sure that neither one has been replaced. This attack has been far better organized so far than previous incursions. I think they were trying to play us for fools."

---

"Watch out for the lone grey flier, number 17, it's marked you." The changeling Captain barked before turning back to take out the lavender pony who had simply stood still for most of the fight. He was surprised to find the mishapen creature not where it had been a moment ago, and dove to the side on pure instinct. The ground where he had stood shattered under the force of the pony's impact.

Captain 12's nictating membrane ficked twice. That was not an ability he had been briefed on the grasseaters having. His next thought was to marvel at how quickly the silver and purple creature closed ground, but the thought did not last long.

"Sleep now, wayward foal." The cyborg spoke, leaving 12 with no time at all to marvel at being addressed in his hive's secret tongue. All became darkness.

Primeval regarded the battle, perplexed by how little her companions had taken advantage of understading the Changelings' language.
[Hypothesis... perhaps they do not understand it?]
[Rejection: TARDIS provides universal psionic lingual translation]
[Assertion: TARDIS does not exist in this timespace.]
[Conclusion: More data is required, however the matter is too low priority to investigate further at this time]

The cyborg bucked a changeling that thought it had been getting the drop on her, launching it across the street like punctuation.
[Error: Metaphor has no correlation and provides no further illumination of either subject.]