“No no no...” A unicorn groaned, trotting swiftly across a brightly-lit room full of supply shelves and chemical vats. Along the far end, a thick round door loomed, and next to it resided a tiny indentation laced with manafibers. “You shouldn't be using that many infernal shards!”
“But... but the conjuration spell—” stammered one of two earth ponies attempting to assemble a crystal-powered contraption atop a metal table in the center of the room.
“—is going to work!” The unicorn frowned. He wore a tight uniform stained from head to tail with manadust, and his mane had been long-frazzled from hours upon hours of mana-exposure. “We're using an age-old enchantment made by the wyverns long ago. It's never failed before and it'll never fail again!”
“But...” One of the earth ponies looked up, muzzle scrunching. “Aren't you afraid that the infernal shards won't house the manacharge swiftly enough for a full burst.”
“That's not going to be an issue. Trust me.”
“But... it's going to make for a slow burn!” The earth pony gestured. “And Boss Revan wants those apartments burnt to a crisp!”
“Heheheheh...” The unicorn shook his head. “You're new here. So I'm gonna make this explanation short and sweet.” He trotted over and placed a hoof on the earth pony's shoulder. “This is not about the apartments... but the ponies living with them.”
“But... I thought the point was to make an example for the others leeching off the Syndicate's property?”
“And you can't make an example without blood,” the unicorn said, his eyes flaring with a brief flash of wicked joy. “No more than five infernal shards per detonator. That ensures that the fire will be a slow burn.” He grinned. “And so will be the deaths of those in the blast radius.”
The two earth ponies exchanged glances, gulping.
“Gotta grow a pair to use a pair, fellas,” the unicorn said, trotting off. “Especially in this business. Boss Revan hired me a long... long time ago, and I've learned ever since that he doesn't employ no sissies.” He turned around, only to be stared down by a menacing griffon with coal-black eye lenses. “Eeeep! Mommy!”
Wildcard spat his toothpick into the unicorn's face.
Ping! The wooden thing ricocheted hard off the thug's horn, leaving a mark. “Augh!” The unicorn stumbled back, clutching his forehead. WHUMP! He took a violent metal punch to the gut.
The other two gasped, jumped up from behind their table, and reached for their crossbows—SCH-SCHIIINK!—until their crossbows were sliced in half by razor-sharp talons.
Within the next second, Wildcard headbutted one thug, tripped the other, gripped the second thug's falling body, then swung him like a club into the first. Both ponies' propelled into the unicorn's figure so that all three collapsed hard in the center of the room, reduced to a weak, groaning heap.
Wildcard, meanwhile, twirled to a stop. Gazing at the bodies, he reached his right talon blindly outward. Snatch! He grabbed his toothpick before it hit the floor and stuck it back into his beak.
Rainbow Dash, in the meantime, was still crawling out of the air vent. She plopped onto the floor, whistling at Wildcard's talon-work. “Y'know what? Scratch what I said earlier. A cool head's overrated.” She looked at the table and its surrounding assortment of crystal-powered electrical guts. “So... this is Tartarus' kitchen, eh? Yeesh... I'm starting to hate these guys more and more by the second.”
Wildcard pointed a sharp talon past Rainbow Dash.
She spun about, blinking.
Before them both stood the large round door to the Vault.
“So that's it, huh?” Rainbow Dash galloped up to the edge, pressing her ear to the door. “Hmmmmm...” She leaned back, breathing evenly. “So... what do you feel, Rares?” Silence. The mare's eyes lit up. “Wow... you certain? Cuz... like... that's more than Echo estimated. If that's so, then we might not have enough to carry.” More silence. “Yeah... you're right. I guess we will have to see for ourselves.” Rainbow turned and looked at the console surrounding an indentation. “Is that what I think it is, Twi?” A beat. “Well, unless Wildcard accidentally broke the unicorn's spine, I think we still... have...” Her words trailed off. Blinking, she turned and looked behind her.
Wildcard stood in place, leaning away from the pony with a look of total awkwardness.
Rainbow bit her lip. “Look, I have... uhhh... feminine intuition! Yeah!” She flinched at a space of air beside her, sneered, then returned to grinning at the griffon. “Oodles and oodles of feminine intuition!”
Wildcard merely raised an eyebrow.
“Pffft... whatever.” Rainbow Dash marched past him. “Now we gotta figure out a way to start the flood downstairs. How much time we have left?”
Wildcard pulled a pocketwatch out of his bandolier. He grimaced slightly, then held the thing out for Rainbow to see.
“Guhhhh...” Rainbow Dash made a face, tail flicking. “Not much longer until the Arrowfish shoves off. We gotta make some noise soon so that your buddy Bard will get the message and ditch this place at the same time we do.” She tapped her chin, looking towards the sealed entrance to the storage room. “Hmmmm... these walls are thicker than we thought, eh, Rare? Just what's gonna work...?” She looked at Wildcard. “How many explosives do you have left on ya?”
At that, Wildcard flinched back, clutching his bandolier with a suspicious glare.
“Look... feminine intuition, remember?” Rainbow sighed. “Even if I haven't got much of the 'femme'...” She looked around, gnashing her teeth. “Darn it... we need more explosions! Why does it always come down to that?”
A metal talon tapped a table loudly.
Rainbow spun to look.
Wildcard held up one of the many Syndicate bombs that the group was working on.
“... … ...” Rainbow Dash smiled wickedly, trotting over. “Ooooh... I like it... I like it!” She tapped the manacharges with a grin. “So bitterly ironic n'stuff! Like Flankspeare in the Park! Only with more balls of fire!”
Wildcard's beak curved.
“Okay... no more wasting time.” Rainbow Dash opened her saddlebag just wide enough to store two of the charges. “Best to let me make the trip downstairs.”
Wildcard cocked his head curious to the side.
“Cuz... dude...” She struggled to secure the explosives, then pulled the saddlebag tight. “I can figure my way down to the bottom two floors without getting seen. Trust me. You're better off staying here and... erm... figuring out how to open the vault.”
Wildcard glanced over at the stirring thugs. He turned back to Rainbow Dash and nodded.
“Okay. Look. Things are about to get super loud really soon.” She pointed at the griffon. “When I come back... it's when all Tartarus will have broken loose. Bolt the front entrance. I'll come in through the vent... although I... m-might have some floodwater following me.”
Wildcard simply nodded.
“Good thing nothing fazes you, bright eyes.” Then, with a deep breath, Rainbow snuck back out through the vent, gone in a blur.