Chapter One
“The stupidity of gossips is that they become frightened when they see your face, and a little word from your mouth makes them vibrate like an electrocuted criminal.”
~~~
It was late Tuesday night and I was heading to the lobby to grab our mail.
I was wearing a trench coat and a fedora to hide my identity. I had read the news article earlier that morning, and so I decided to start laying low, yet I still decided to get the mail. This would prove to be a major mistake.
As I walked down the stairs two MPD officers walked up them. As they passed me I stopped and watched. They walked up to my floor and headed down the hall.
I decided that my mail wasn't worth it right now and I followed suit. I was a good fifteen-to-twenty feet back, ducking behind potted plants and wall extrusions every time they looked behind themselves, until they came to my door.
The officer on the right knocked. “MPD, open up!” I heard some rushed trotting inside the apartment, followed by the clicking of a couple locks. The door opened.
Melody stepped out. “Is there a problem, officers?”
The officer on the right spoke again. “I’m Officer Hoover, and this is Officer Hower. We're here because we believe that a suspect of an unspeakable crime is abiding here.”
“I don't know whatever you mean.”
Hoover held up a newspaper. “We suspect a clone of Pinkie Pie has kidnapped her, and we’re here to investigate.” He followed that up by pulling a warrant out of Hower’s saddlebag.
Melody stepped aside and let the two officers in. She was about to close the door when she noticed me.
“Hello,” I said.
She was about to respond when a new voice, probably Hower, spoke up. “Having trouble closing that door, Miss Melody?” He started to walk towards the door when Melody slammed it shut.
Muffled speaking was then heard through the wall. I decided not to hang around in the hallway too long, otherwise I could get caught, so I went downstairs, grabbed the mail, put it in my trench coat pocket, and then went outside to the fire escape.
I stacked up a couple boxes so I could pull down the ladder and I climbed up. Once I reached outside our window I crouched down and peered over the windowsill. The window was open. Bingo.
“Now listen here, Melody,” Hoover began. “We know you're dating a dangerous criminal, and we need to find her and lock her up behind bars to protect good ponies like you from getting hurt, so we'd highly appreciate it if you told us the whereabouts of this rogue clone.”
“I don't know anything about this,” Melody said. “All I know is that Delta isn't here right now, and I highly doubt it could have been her who committed that horrible crime.” Tears welled up in her eyes.
As the interrogation continued, Melody would occasionally glance over at my direction.
Hoover turned around and I ducked quickly. “Search this area,” he said. “She must be here somewhere.”
I started to creep down the fire escape when a metal rung broke. As part of the rung fell and crashed to the ground, the loudest sound ever echoed throughout the alley, followed by a command from Hoover.
“She's on the fire escape, after her!”
I quickly pulled my leg up out of the hole and closed the shutters.
I started to descend the first of four ladders as the shutters burst open and two stallions scrambled out of the window.
Once I was on the third floor’s fire escape, Hoover illuminated his horn. “There she is”
The two officers pulled out their revolvers and started firing through the bars that made up the floors of the fire escape.
After dodging a couple bullets I jumped into the window, smashing through the cheap glass. Luckily, the inhabitants weren’t present.
I heard them quickly descending the fire escape as I ran to the front door, unlocking it. The door flew open and I bolted down the hallway and up the stairs.
As I made my way up I heard Hower say he’ll go downstairs and call for backup if Hoover went upstairs.
At this point I was jumping up steps to make my ascent faster. I wasn't ready to be stuck in a cell for life for a crime I didn't even commit, and I definitely wasn't going to get the death penalty.
“There you are!” Hoover yelled, followed by four gunshots, all of them missing.
As I reached the top of the next staircase, I saw somepony carrying a big suitcase.
I quickly grabbed the guy’s suitcase and threw it down the stairs. 'That should buy me some time.’
I then made it to the roof of the building, locking the door behind me by propping a board to the handle. I ran over to the edge of the roof and looked down. 'That’s a seven story drop, I won't be able to survive that,’ I thought to myself.
I looked about the streets below as Hoover began to bang on the door. Cops were everywhere. I continued to watch as cops entered and exited the building.
Then I heard gunshots.
I turned around to see that Officer Hoover standing in the doorframe next to a broken board. He aimed his gun at me.
“Now listen here, clone. I won't shoot you if you come with me peacefully.” He pulled out a pair of hoofcuffs. “However, if you make a run for it, I will shoot you.” He slowly walked closer.
“Alright, you win,” I said. As I walked towards him I held out a hoof, which was then wrapped by the cold metal of the cuffs. I looked up at him.
“Hand me your other hoof, Delta.” He said my name with a caustic manner.
Then I did what I was told. I gave him my hoof.
As soon as my hoof had connected with his jaw his magic stopped, dropping the other half of the cuff and his revolver.
I quickly jumped forwards and grabbed the gun and dropped it smoothly into my coat’s internal pocket.
And with that, I ran. I ran all the way to the other edge of the building. I turned around and saw Hoover getting back to his feet, and without any hesitation, I jumped. I jumped and I prayed.
I landed hard against the concrete roof of the building over, and I quickly got to my hooves and ran to the edge of the new building, where there was a plank making a make-shift bridge.
A few of the buildings over here had these planks. Originally set up by homeless ponies, they allowed passage across the roofs. I never thanked the Manehatten homeless community so hard in my entire life, if ever, and I balanced my way across the bridge.
I looked back, two buildings over, and saw the roof swarming with officers. I heard clicks and booms, faint but ever-present. A bullet dug its way into the roof. Not cool.
I decided not to linger anymore and crossed from building to building until I reached the end of the city block. I look down at the streets below, and I pray again. I jump again.