//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - Out of Options // Story: The Knight Returns // by Gleaming //------------------------------// [/hr] Chapter 3 - Out of Options [/hr] The Crusaders started to open their eyes while they came back to their senses, looking around at the gas starting to fade away in the space around them in the dome. Gas in the dome completely vanished due to a slight malfunction for being active in a long amount of time. For a few hours now, they were betrayed by Bane in which he kept them out of the picture to ensure his hostile takeover of Maretropolis along with the Mane-iac. ''This has gone long enough, time to get out of here.'' Scootaloo had some trouble getting on her hooves, until she saw a batarang left behind in the dome. ''I wonder how this got here.'' A flashback started playing back and forth in her head, while she turned her head to her two friends still laying on the floor. She stretched her arm out to grab the batarang, struggling to reach a considerate distance, finally she was able to grab it. Staggering back on her hooves preparing to throw the batarang, she spun around in a circle keeping her eye on the locked door, throwing it with ease as the propelled gadget crashed into the control panel. Sparks flew from the control panel that controlled the locked door, as the door switched from ''locked'' to ''open.'' The door's turbines swung open with the door opening as well. ''We're free, now let's go help Batman!'' The Crusaders said, running out of the asylum heading towards the Maretropolis Shampoo Factory. [/hr] Batman and the Mare Do Well opened their eyes while they looked up at the ceiling. They tried to wiggle their arms and legs to free themselves, but to no avail with the tight grip of the ropes preventing them from getting free. While trying to collect themselves, Bane appeared in front of their eyes. ''Feeling comfortable, I hope not because you get a front row seat of your own destruction.'' Bane walked a few feet away from them, turning around back to them. ''This might even be your last night alive, but don't worry we'll take good care of this city for you.'' The expert strategist walked with his men outside to keep the factory secure and protected. ''Ms.Mare Do Well, I know that we might not survive this, but if I do die I want you to tell the Cutie Mark Crusaders that I didn't die in vain. Make sure to give Scootaloo my batsuit, if I die.'' A tear rolled down Batman's face, trying to keep his emotions in. ''Time for this city to pay for what they did to me!'' The Mane-iac shouted up to the sky, raising her arms along with her menacing laugh. ''And nothing will stop us, Muahahahahaha!'' The doomsday device pointed upwards to the satellite dish with the two villains rubbing their hooves menacingly. Their victory was getting closer as each minute went by, nothing could possibly go wrong. With just a slight moment of the device preparing to fire, three fillies crashed through the gaping hole that the police left behind and kept their eyes on the targets: Bane and the Mane-iac. Scootaloo rushed over to Batman and Mare Do Well's side, sliding gracefully under the chairs, and knocking down the chairs with her arms. Her camouflage pants and boots gave her good support to keep her balanced, she took out a knife and held it with her teeth, cutting the ropes delicately to release them. ''Cutie Mark Crusaders, let's get them.'' Scootaloo said, looking back at her crusader friends. She ran over to Bane without thinking of a strategy, throwing a punch that sent Bane flying through a vat of hair products. Batman emerged from the chair that held him captive, he lunged over at Bane at a very constant speed, and jumped up in the air with his arm around Bane's neck. He dropped Bane down on the top of his head, while the other two Crusaders came rushing out with their own attacks and kicked Bane in the spine. Mare Do Well dodged as Mane-iac threw out random attacks with her tentacles. Her attacks could not penetrate or connect at all, until Mane-iac took out her huge hairspray can which can render her attacks useless. She looked across at Mane-iac in shock and held up her arms to surrender, winking her eye over at Batman. A clever plan was brewing in her head to pretend that she would surrender, her adversary would be unaware of what happened next. The Caped Crusader of Gotham sneaked behind the insane mare undetected while she aimed her hairspray can at Mare Do Well. He came up behind her with his arms wrenched around her neck, she struggled for air along with her arms flailing for him to let go of his grasp around her. He kicked the back of her hind legs to keep the pressure on her neck. ''Give up?'' ''Not yet.'' Mane-iac answered. One of her tentacles grabbed Batman in a split second to keep the pressure off, and the rest of the tentacles followed soon after while they attacked the Cutie Mark Crusaders and kept Mare Do Well restrained to a wall. ''Pfft, I don't need Bane to takeover this pathetic city.'' she arrogantly stated. ''I can handle you insolent pests on my own, because you are nothing but the dirt beneath my hooves.'' ''I didn't think we would be defeated by an insane villain, brings back memories.'' Batman said, taking out his batarang for an attempt to cut off one of the tentacles. ''I never knew that this would happen at all today, did y'all?'' ''As a matter of fact, not at all.'' Sweetie answered back. ''If you ask me, I'm always open for an awesome adventure with you guys.'' Scootaloo cuddled with her two friends on the floor, brushing her muzzle against their coats. ''One more for old times sake, what do you say?'' The three fillies prepared to shout out the catchphrase that they have said ever since they first came together to hunt for cutie marks, the inevitable was about to happen but ruining the moment would be terrible. ''CUTIE MARK CRUSADER CRIME FIGHTERS, YAY!'' [/hr] The shampoo factory became a shamble of destruction with good and evil fighting it off in one last battle. Debris and the fragments from the wall were left in the lair of the Mane-iac, but now she was left alone without Bane by her side. A villain with a tragic past from being an owner of a hair product that was sold all over Equestria to one of the most notorious villains in Maretropolis, she felt that this was a step up in her life. It just wasn't the same... She thought to herself.