Of course, in spite of a large victory streak, EqU has suffered defeats as well once RED and BLU have gotten more and more accustomed to their strategies. The fact that they didn't have the ÜberCharge didn't help matters.
They had lost an Attack/Defend fight in Well against BLU, and were suffering Humiliation. Their weapons had disappeared, not from something by Thenam but something in the base itself, which he suspected was planted by the Administrator. After getting tearful and fearful complaints from the Equestria natives, he got to work on an invulnerability system that would work during Humiliation (and can't work on any other period due to that something interfering).
It has yet to be set up however, so the EqU team was forced to run around as BLU chased them down. Rainbow Dash was the first to be sent away, as she wasn't the type to flee despite the odds.
Chronicle was frustrated from this defeat as he short-range teleported about to escape notice. Of course, he made sure he wasn't seen and his magic helped him pinpoint if there were invisible Spies. Pinkie Pie made liberal use of her strange abilities to evade the BLUs slapstick-style, like turning a corner only to be gone when they do too, running along the ceiling, and other stuff. Twilight Sparkle found a hiding place in the form of a roof, discreetly teleporting there, but was shortly spotted by the rocket-jumping Soldier. Fluttershy managed to find a cranny in the area where the intelligence would be if they were doing Capture the Flag. As for the rest, they were either already sent away or being chased by the BLUs.
For some reason, he decided a quick dip in the water was as good as any. He liked swimming, and unfortunately his time in Equestria has given very little opportunities for that, and as such he rendered precious every chance of it he had. What he was about to see would change his mind though. The second he opened the hatch leading down to the waterway, something emerged from it.
It was an octopus tentacle. And before he could react, it wrapped around his left foreleg and pulled him in. As he hit the water, more tendrils wrapped themselves around the rest of his legs, some of them binding the mech-arms as well, then a fifth went for his horn and constricted it, preventing him from using magic. Naturally, he flailed desperately, wondering what had got him and how it knew how to neutralize him.
He saw that it was the BLU Spy, except he had octopus tentacles in place of his legs. What the ████?! The Spy seemed to notice his eyes widen as the unicorn was turned around and relieved of his Minigun, which sank into the depths. "I hope you'll be more fun than the RED Sniper, little pony," he said, somehow able to breathe underwater. As he was pulled closer, the Spy released the tentacles binding his forelegs, wrapping both of them behind his back. He did the same with his hind legs, bringing a tentacle around his thighs.
Chronicle knew it was useless to call for help and thus did not flail, but he was not going to give the Spy the satisfaction of breaking him. The Spy gave a frown as he bore down on him, the heavy bulk of his body now smothering most of the blue unicorn, who gave him a glare of utter defiance. The Spy frowned deeper at this. This wouldn't do.
The Spy bent down, hands somehow clawed tracing a scar across the unicorn's face, then gave a sadistic smile. He then took the bulkiest of his tentacles and wrapped it around Chronicle's body, starting at where his cutie mark was. The tentacle dragged across it, slipping under his uniform, suckers tracing the smooth fur coat. The Spy smiled as he made his way upwards, following the EqU Heavy's ribcage and tearing the shirt due to the pressure from the tentacle. He was tempted to take off his glove and feel the pony's coat with his hand as well, but resisted it for another time as his tentacle reached the pony's neck and hooking around his horn, the other tentacle around that letting go.
Chronicle was completely helpless, and he hated that feeling. He didn't bother attempting to bite, electing to hold his breath for as long as he can. This brought a wicked grin to the BLU Spy's face as he gave a squeeze. The EqU Heavy balked, but didn't let out the air in his mouth. The Spy constricted him again, but he still resisted. He then pressed himself into the blue unicorn and continued tightening his grip. Finally, he managed to go just tight enough to crack a bone.
This got Chronicle to cry out in silent pain, letting out the air from his lungs, blood trailing out of his mouth. His now-broken bottom ribs had punctured something, but it wasn't the lungs. It still hurt of course. And it continued to hurt as the BLU Spy continued breaking more pairs of ribs, forcing the unicorn to cough out more blood. He then tilted the pony's head, taking a very good look at his horn. Finding himself allured to it, he wound a tentacle around it, and began to pull, seeing what would happen if it were to break. At this, Chronicle began to truly panic, at which the Spy licked his chops. He began to constrict further, exerting more effort and eliciting a stronger scream from the unicorn, whose lungs began to fill with water. Just before the Spy could feel like he was about to make a crack at it, the EqU Heavy disappeared in a flash of light; he had been sent away.
"Well, this was a disappointment," the BLU Spy said to himself. "I should've settled for biting his neck. I wonder what pony blood tastes like?"
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As the EqU trailer fled from Well, everybody (save Tasic, who was on the wheel) watched Jothicu attempt to get Chronicle to respond, but with little success. The stallion's eyes stared blankly, his breathing was slow, and was generally motionless as he sat on his haunches on a medical bed.
"Will he be alright, Jothicu?" Fluttershy asked with concern.
"Until we get him to respond, there's no way of telling," said the medical researcher as he waved a white stick-shaped 'scanner' around the patient's head. He was also wearing special goggles that were connected to the 'scanner' by a cord.
"What could possibly traumatize him?" wondered Applejack.
"Yeah," agreed Rainbow. "I mean, apart from myself and the Wonderbolts, he's the most awesomest pony I know."
"Not to mention keeping a somewhat cool head as he kicked Discord's butt when he fought with one-hundred percent seriousness," added Pinkie.
"It must've been something back at Well," guessed Twilight. "But I wonder, what did the BLU team do, assuming this is their doing? Or was it something else?"
Suddenly, their shocked friend drew a deep breath as he returned to his senses.
Jothicu put away his 'scanner' and ushered the others back. "Give him space, give him space." He then pulled down his goggles and turned back to the EqU Heavy, who was now hyperventilating.
"Are you okay?" asked Spike as he gave him a paper bag.
Chronicle didn't take it as he soon calmed down. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "That BLU Spy!" He turned to Thenam. "He had tentacles! Octopus tentacles! And he can breathe underwater!"
Despite seeing a lot of strangeness in their lives, Spike and the ponies were skeptical "Uh? What?" asked Derpy Hooves.
"The BLU Spy somehow obtained a way to get octopus tentacles and the ability to breathe underwater. He snagged me just as I went into the water, pulling me down, and constricting me everywhere, including the horn." Everypony gasped, some of them putting their front hooves into their mouths, and Rarity shrieked before fainting. "He was about to snap it too after breaking some of my ribs before my card thankfully sent me away." He then looked up at Thenam again. "Does the Spy's Disguise Kit have a secret feature?"
"He can't have," the tech expert put a finger to his chin. "The Spytron 3000 Disguise Kits use hard light technology that activate when the masks they provide are applied. These masks by the way have a nanotech mesh covering them, allowing the wearer to see through them when activated. For the BLU Spy to have acquired octopus tentacles would mean it actually transformed his body."
"But if that were the case, how was he able to walk well enough for a pony whenever he pretends to be one of us?" asked Applejack.
"He probably practiced after RED and BLU acquired your templates and other 'bio-data' left behind from our battles. …Now that I think of it, there was an older version of the Disguise Kit, the Spytron 2000 that transforms the body via special cigarettes containing blood samples of the subject. But from what little I discovered, the Spy from one team complained from maintaining his balance due to his center of balance constantly changing. You know how every living being has different centers of balance, right? Oh wait, wrong m—"
"Actually, I do understand."
"…What?"
"Just because I'm a farmer doesn't mean I'm completely clueless in anything unrelated to the subject. As a matter of fact, I took part in the Equestria Rodeo Competition some time ago and got medals in all events."
"None of them first place, though," added Chronicle.
"We're getting off-topic here," warned Jothicu as he helped Rarity up, who has already recovered.
"What's our topic, anyway?" asked Pinkie.
"It's— ugh, forget it," grumbled Thenam. "Anyway, assuming what Chronicle said is true—"
"Are you implying that I would lie about something like this?" the unicorn stallion retorted.
"We all know you're not above lying on anything, Chronicle. Assuming what you said is true, it means that the BLU Spy is using an older version of the Disguise Kit. Its advantage is that it doesn't 'drop' upon committing aggressive actions, which is the flaw of the hard light Disguise Kit, which I used as a base for Rarity's, but the disadvantage is…well…"
"What will this mean for us?" asked Twilight.
"Thankfully, from what I know about octopi, or was it octopuses?" Jothicu was a bit confused on what is the correct plural term for 'octopus'. "Anyway, whatever half the Spy has in that disguise of his, it can't operate well above water, and there are very few places in here that can accommodate his…Tentaspy form that has any practical application in the battlefield."
"Thank Celestia for that," said Rarity. "If that's what the BLU Spy would do to him, I don't even want to think of what he'll do to any of us." All the mares shuddered in varying degrees from the thought, even Rainbow. Spike was scared of the possibilities as well.
"At present, from what memories I could scan from Chronicle's mind and from what we know about the Spy, I can tell that the Tentaspy persona adds animal instincts to the Spy's mind, though I'm not sure if it's that of an octopus. I'll need more information. But until then, nothing in our mission has changed. This is just one instance of weirdness of many."
"I wonder if the RED Spy can also turn into a 'Tentaspy', as you called it?" Pinkie wondered.
"Probably not. The RED Spy was the one who complained of the old Disguise Kit."
"Oh."
"We've arrived at Hightower," Tasic suddenly called through the trailer's PA system. "RED's present. It's time you tried the Payload Race."
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nightelf37: I got my idea of a Tentaspy ████ from Demonfox38's "Brisbane Roll". No, I won't be doing a "Payload Race" chapter. Also, I'd like to apologize a bit for slapping this chapter in the middle. See ya on Third!