Twilight Velvet's "Pseudo Facade"

by ZhaoZoharEX

Heart of Stained Glass ~ Chapter 5

The Lucky Lag. One of the only places in LP where one didn't have to pay a king’s ransom to live like one. He could not lie, Sleuth respected the effort the Bountys put into building and supporting their corporate empire.

“Hello, welcome to the Lucky Lag. What can I do for you?”

Speak of the devil. The unicorn inspector stepped into the lobby of the hotel wing with his small briefcase tucked into his saddlebags. “Hello Ms. Bounty,” Sleuth greeted the fair-coated mare behind the counter.

“Well good evening, Mr. Slewfoot Jr. I would’ve figured you’d be resting in bed with dear Soprano after what happened tonight,” Ante grinned. This statement brought a slight blush to Sleuth’s face, despite his best efforts.

“Heh, I want to be, trust me. I have to say, business is still quite booming even with that fiasco at the tower.”

“Time never stops, it just moves at various speeds. It’s never quiet around here. Anyway, how can I help you tonight?”

“I was actually hoping to talk to your son. Is he in right now?”

Ante stole a quick glance at the on-call on her desk before picking up the phone. “He should be resting in his home suite. I can call him, let him know you’re on your way.”

“I’d be much obliged, thank you.”

After dialing the home number to the family penthouse, Ante held the phone to her ear as she continued to write down on documents. However, it seemed her son wasn’t answering as several minutes went without a response. “Hm, let me try this one instead.” Once more, she dialed the phone, this time a different room and number. “Hello?.... Hi Kicker, is Bluff with you right now?... Oh good! Hey, I have a guest that would like to talk to him, is he up?...Cool, I’ll send him your way… Obviously not, or I wouldn’t be calling you right now…. Okay, watch yourself mister or I might just bite later, hehe…. Alright, you too… Mhm, bye.” Ante turned back to her guest. “Bluff is in room twenty-two twelve. I suggest taking that elevator over there, it will take you directly to the twenty-second floor.”

“Thank you, Ms. Bounty, I appreciate it.”

“No problem. You have a nice night.”

Sleuth nodded and entered the elevator, his briefcase jostling in his saddlebags as he began ascending. It took approximately two minutes before the doors opened once more and he disembarked. The corridor was noticeably luxurious, with polished black marble floor and walls. The mahogany doors were obviously made by experienced professionals, sanded and carved with various motifs that were befitting a casino resort. Even the keyholes and knobs were wonderfully ornate, lending further proof of the business’ comfort.

“And all this for just fifty bits a night? With prices like that, no wonder Miss Bounty generates so much revenue. Let’s see, room twenty-two twelve, twenty-two twelve…. Ah, here we go.”

His destination discovered, Sleuth tapped the door enough to be heard, almost too afraid he might damage the distinctly unique door bearing a carving that almost resembled the king of clubs card…

Before long, the door opened to reveal the zebra illusionist. “Inspector Slewfoot. Buenas Noches.”

“Evening, Kicker. Ms. Bounty said I could find Bluff here.”

Kicker nodded and gestured in his trademark magnificence. As he stepped inside, Sleuth noticed a strong presence of cinnamon, likely from the cone incense burner on the glass coffee table. In front of said table was the stallion of the hour laying on the sofa, apparently resting his eyes. Surprisingly - or perhaps not - his head rested on the lap of Soubrette, who seemed quite content with this.

“Hello, Mr. Bounty” Sleuth said, glancing at Soubrette, “I hope I’m not interrupting something, but I’d like a bit of your time.” This provoked a glance from the lounging dealer.

“Hm? Oh, hey Inspector” Bluff responded sleepily. He sat up and stretched his neck and back out. “Figured you’d be resting in bed with your fiancee.”

“Funny, your mother made the same remark. Like I said to her, that's where I'd rather be right now, but circumstances dictate otherwise. By the way, I hadn't realized you two were involved.”

“We’re married, actually. Bluff and I even have a daughter, she's on a trip with Uncle Call,” Soubrette answered while winking at Bluff, who grinned back.

"Interesting, back at the party, he said he didn't have a girlfriend."

"And I didn't lie," Bluff winked.

Sleuth nodded. “Ah. Well in any event... mind playing a game of chess with me?”

“Chess?” Bluff raised an eyebrow, “Sure, but... Kinda weird you'd pick this time of night to play me of all ponies.”

“I need to do some thinking, and I do some of my best thinking when I play chess.”

Bluff shrugged and started clearing off the center of the coffee table. Soubrette decided to vacate the sofa to get some coffee for her guest whilst Kicker took the unoccupied recliner. The inspector placed his briefcase onto the table and opened it to reveal a pristine chess set.

“I admit, I don’t play chess often,” spoke the alabaster casino prince, “but what kind of host would I be if I didn’t humor you?”

Igniting his horn and enveloping the chess pieces in a magical aura, Sleuth set up the board in a matter of seconds before setting the briefcase on the floor. “If you don’t mind, I prefer to play black.”

“You do know black goes second, right? Eh, each to their own I guess. I’ll play white then.”

The white stallion pondered for a moment before deciding his first move. Reaching over with his left hoof, he moved a pawn. Unbeknownst to him, Sleuth was watching this more closely than he could ever realize. Sleuth responded by moving a knight.

“Crazy night, tonight was. A lot of us were watching from the many TVs in the building.” Bluff stated as he moved one of his bishops. “We all got a little worried.”

“You're telling me. I thought my number was up tonight.,” Sleuth shuddered as he moved his other knight.

At that moment Soubrette returned with the coffee, placing a cup in front of Sleuth, “Well, I’m sure Soprano was overjoyed that you made it out alive, Mr. Slewfoot.”

Sleuth nodded. “You’ve got that right. I’m pretty happy about it as well.”

“Hey ‘Brette, it occurs to me that it’s getting kinda late.” Bluff said, “Don’t you have a show tomorrow?”

Soubrette shrugged, “I can afford to stay up a little. How long do you think you two will be?”

“Trust me ‘Brette, I have a feeling it’s gonna be a looong night if the inspector has anything to say about it.” Bluff grinned at her, “I'll be around later. Keep the bed warm for me.”

“I always do. See you next time, guys.” Soubrette smiled warmly at Bluff and Kicker before leisurely turning around and leaving the room.

Bluff’s focus returned to the chess game, and he considered his next move, “So where were we…? Ah yes, tonight’s events. Can't say I was expecting a bombing. I knew the PD was desperate to catch Facade, but that's a little overkill.”

Sleuth’s forehoof connected with his face, “Ugh, not you too. For the last time, the police did not set those bombs! It's sheer lunacy that anypony could even think that we did.”

“Oh I know. I just wanted to see your reaction.” Bluff replied mischievously as he moved one of his pieces, “To be honest, even with the rep the LPPD has, I couldn't imagine anyone being stupid enough to even consider that.”

Sleuth rolled his eyes. “Thank you for the support, smartass. Sadly enough, there are some jokers who actually believe it. It was on the news the very second that I got home.” His eyes scanned the board with care as he planned his next move. “Really, it's a miracle that nobody was killed, or even seriously hurt. Even my guy on the roof made it out in one piece.”

“Guy on the roof?”

Sleuth nodded. “Yeah, he's one of my best. Would've been terrible to lose him.” Repositioning a rook, Sleuth continued, “Anyway... what do you make of all this? Why did Facade set those bombs?”

“Facade?” Bluff’s eyebrow raised again, “Why would he set 'em?”

“Well it wasn't the police, so it must have been him.”

“Unlikely,” Kicker chimed in, “Facade is a criminal, but he's hardly a monster.”

Sleuth glanced back at Kicker, and then at Bluff. “Well, what other explanation could there be?”

“Really? You're asking us that?” Bluff asked incredulously, “Aside from maybe an outside party, I haven't the bucking slightest.”

“An outside party?” Sleuth pressed.

“Did the police set up the traps themselves entirely, or did you hire other guys?” Bluff explained, “If it's the latter, that opens up a lot of branches.”

Sleuth rubbed his temple slightly, “Before that though, why would somepony want to sabotage a Facade heist in the first place?”

Bluff lazily fiddled with one of his chess pieces, “Who wouldn't? He's a thief, he steals from all kinds of ponies, a lot of them rich. But as for who.... Eh, my mind's a blank.”

Sleuth shook his head, “I dunno, that doesn’t make sense. They’d have to hate him enough to not care about catching police officers in the collateral damage. That's the sort of thing that would get you put away forever. Who would take that kind of risk just to off one little thief?

“Well If we knew, we wouldn't be having this conversation, Inspector.”

Sleuth sighed heavily, “Fair enough. I guess I won't be finding any leads here.”

Surveying the chessboard once more, Sleuth placed a hoof on one of his knights, “Before I go, there’s one last thing I’m curious about.”

“I’m all ears, inspector.”

Sleuth moved his knight, capturing one of Bluff’s bishops.

“Bluff... how long have you been impersonating Officer Noncom?”

Bluff blinked, “What?”

Sleuth gave Bluff a piercing gaze, “In the aftermath of tonight's incident, one particular thing bugged the hay out of me. When Noncom reappeared and reported to me, he didn't mention Facade at all. Very strange, considering his posting would have almost certainly given him a visual on Facade and even not seeing him would have been worthy of report… Oh, and uh, check by the way.”

Realizing that it was his turn, Bluff quickly moved one of his rooks between his king and an attacking bishop. “Maybe he was more concerned with getting out of that chaos. I mean, the roof is arguably the most dangerous place to be in case of fire. That and the elevator.”

With a triumphant smirk, Sleuth moved his bishop and captured the rook that Bluff had just moved, putting him back into check.

“Mr. Bounty... I never said that Noncom was the officer stationed on the roof.”

Bluff inwardly grimaced behind his poker face, moving his king out of check, “...Played like a damn fiddle. I screwed up, didn't I?”

“Yep. The officer deployment plans in these operations are kept tightly under wraps. Only somepony on the force could have known about it.” Sleuth pressed on without mercy, “And after Noncom's rather glaring omission got my attention, I decided to stop by the station and do a little background check on him. The information in his dossier had several small but puzzling inconsistencies if you knew where to look for them. Dates that didn't quite match up, small bits of omitted info, that sort of thing.”

Bluff was at a loss for his next action, both in the conversation and in the game. He contemplated, admittedly in some desperation. Ultimately though, he simply found himself stopping the clock, indicating a resignation.

“When I dug a little further,” Sleuth continued with a small victorious grin, “I found that Mr. Noncom had been shipped off to the Haywaiian islands after being injured in the line of duty, and he's been living in happy retirement ever since. Apparently the funds for his rehab and relocation came from a very generous donation. From your family, as a matter of fact.”

Bluff stared silently, a blank expression replacing the previous confidence he started with. It wasn’t until Kicker broke the silence that he moved another facial muscle.

“We found him bleeding out one night, he'd been shot four times and had his equipment stolen, so he couldn't call for help.”

Sleuth nodded, “That's consistent with the report I read.”

Sleuth turned towards Bluff once more, placing a hoof to his chin.

“I gotta say, Bluff, you were good. Everypony else on the force knew ‘Noncom’ so well that they never even considered that he wasn't who he said he was. You impersonated him well…. Right down to the fact that you both share a left dominant hoof.”

Bluff chuckled softly, “Heh. I guess there's no use denying now. Yes, I was Noncom. And by extension.... Well, I'm sure you've put two and two together already.”

The inspector smirked, “Indeed. You're also pretty good at keeping your composure. I would have thought that you'd have more of a reaction to a cop figuring out who you are.”

Sleuth simply folded his hooves as he slouched forward.

“Checkmate, Facade.”

Sleuth stared unblinkingly at his quarry, with Bluff meeting his gaze. They simply stared for almost a minute before Bluff broke the silence.... grinning.

“Tell me, can a cop still make an arrest while off the clock, or am I spending the rest of the night in jail? Because either way, you and I both know I won't be staying there. Not with the pitiful amount of evidence on the table.”

Sleuth began to casually clean up the chess set, “Indeed, you're absolutely right that I don't have the evidence to put you behind bars for any significant length of time, not for being Facade anyway. At most, I'd only be able to put you away for impersonating an officer and even then, since I'm not authorized to wear a body cam right now, this little confession wouldn't hold up well in court. And with the pending investigation, I don't know if anything I say can be considered credible. But it's just as well, because I have no intention of arresting you for the moment.”

Bluff wasn’t sure that he had heard correctly, “Er… come again?”

“The police didn't set those bombs, and you didn't set them either. We both know that. Therefore, somepony else did. I want to know who and why, and I'd wager that you want to know as well.”

Bluff frowned, “That's an understatement. This is the first time something like this has happened to me personally.”

Sleuth nodded, “Indeed. So, since we both want to know who's behind this, I think our energy would be much better spent by calling a temporary truce and pooling our resources to that end.”

“I agree twofold.”

Satisfied, Sleuth considered Bluff for a moment, then continued, “That said, I'd be remiss if I didn't also say that arresting Bluff Bounty on suspicion of him being Facade would be a really anticlimactic end to our duel. I have more respect for you than that, I at least owe you that much for saving my life. If I unmask you, I want it to be during one of your heists after legitimately outmaneuvering you.”

Bluff’s frown quickly turned into a smirk, “Heh. You're even more of a glory hound than I thought. I think I'm going to enjoy this little friendship of ours.”

"’Friendship’, eh? We'll see. At any rate, I think we should waste no time in hunting down the bomber. But who would want to off Facade? Do any enemies come to mind?”

However, Kicker was the one who spoke up, “There is one: The Dynasty. Known in full as the Dynasty of Jade, they are the biggest organized crime group this side of Equestria and then some. The grand majority of criminals in this city answer to the Jade Kings in some form or another.”

Some recognition sparked in Sleuth’s eyes, “Ah. Come to think of it, they were mentioned when I was first briefed on Las Pegasus. But since I was brought here to specifically catch Facade, it was only a footnote. Bluff, what the hay did you do to piss off guys like them?”

Bluff didn’t need to think about it, “Facade is a frequent saboteur of their operations. It should go without saying they'd hate him.”

“Fair enough. And a group like them certainly wouldn't care if they got some cops killed in the process of offing you.”

Bluff nodded, “I wouldn't put it past them to send someone. As it stands right now, they have bigger influence than the law does.”

Sleuth sighed, “That's certainly a sorry state of affairs. Well, whoever made the attempt on your life is bound to realize that they missed the mark at some point. 'Til then, we may have a bit of time to collect information.”

“Information…” Bluff smirked, “Slewfoot, what say you stick around here for a while longer? I need to get ready to contact an old... um... partner.”

Sleuth raised an eyebrow, “An information broker, I take it?”

“And then some,” Kicker chimed in.

Bluff stood up from the couch and stretched.

“Alright” He said, walking towards another room, “make yourself comfortable while I make a few calls.”

Sleuth nodded as he finished packing up his chess set. Still thinking over the whole situation, he almost didn’t notice Kicker approaching him.

“Inspector. I have a question.”

Sleuth raised an eyebrow, “Yes? What is it?”

“How early did you suspect Bluff as Facade? I'm curious.”

Sleuth thought for a moment, “Well I’ve had a feeling about him for a while, ever since talking to him back at the show. The way he praised the phantom made me at least keep an eye on him. Though it really caught my attention when I noticed that both Facade and Bluff were left-hooved, just like Noncom. And with as much as he seemed to know, it seemed logical. What really sealed it for me was the fact Facade knew there was a decoy set up, even though I only switched it out last minute and told only one other person where the real one was moved to: Noncom. In hindsight, I realized Facade was providing a distraction while someone one the inside performed the actual theft. It didn't seem like his standard style from what I heard and read, so it stuck out to me.” switching gears, he continued, “By the way... that was you at the museum heist, wasn't it?”

Kicker’s eyebrows raised, “It was, as a matter of fact. What led you to think that?”

“The difference in dominant hooves for one. Bluff is a lefty, I've noticed him deal with his left hoof before in the times I've visited Lord Falsetto in the casino, and I began to notice it more once I started observing him as Noncom. You however are a righty, I've seen you use your right hoof when you do your shows and at the museum. That alone wouldn’t mean much, I realize, but now that I know that Bluff is Facade and that you're in on the act, it makes perfect sense. Your age matches the original profile I had built for Facade. You used the same trick during the heist that you used on stage during the magic show. And Noncom was accounted for when you first appeared. Once I figured out it was the same stage trick, it was a simple matter of turning my attention to Bluff since you two seemed well associated. I figure Bluff expected me to come at him from the Facade angle, so catching him off guard by outing him as Noncom was something I figured he wouldn't anticipate. From there, it was a matter of paying a visit."

Kicker smiled softly, “Remarkable. Perhaps there’s hope for you yet, Inspector Slewfoot.”

Sleuth nodded politely, and resumed waiting for Bluff to return. Hesitantly, he took sips of his coffee as Kicker did the same. He took this time to glance around the room that Kicker called his home, or at least that was the assumption he made given the magician’s paraphernalia. On a nearby table, he spotted something familiar: a top hat.

“Speaking of which, Mr. Kicker. I figured out the bowling ball trick. I analyzed that ball you used during the medallion heist. Fairly simple actually, all you’d need is two balloons and a way to create a rapid freezing mechanism. I don’t know exactly what freezing agent you used, but I assumed it was a magic treated version of liquid oxygen or liquid nitrogen.”

Kicker stopped mid sip of his drink and placed it on the table as his guest continued.

“You prepare the smaller balloon with about a cup of the freezing agent, then coat it with a magic that creates a solid seal between the inner balloon and the freezing agent. The seal keeps the cold from escaping it, protecting the handler and any substances, such as liquids, from freezing on contact. That balloon is then placed inside the second balloon, which is then filled with about a pint and a half of water. When the trick is ready to be performed, all the handler needs to do is strike it with enough force to break the inner seal. Dropping it on the ground or kicking it would be enough. Once the seal breaks, the inner balloon causes the outer liquid to flash freeze to subzero temperatures so quickly that it freezes solid almost instantly. It would look flawless on stage, but anyone who gets a closer look would be able to tell it’s not a real bowling ball.”

The illusionist smirked and laid his head on his hoof. “I’m impressed, Inspector.”

Sleuth took a larger sip of his coffee, narrowly avoiding burning his tongue in the process. “Of course, the real mystery is why you bothered to use that trick at the heist in the first place. You know I was in the audience during that performance a few nights ago. So why risk tying yourself to the crime?”

“I simply wanted to test your mettle. I had dealt with the same inspector for all my career, so when I heard there was a new one in town, I temporarily came out of retirement. Call it… A challenge on behalf of my protege.”

“And yet, it’s funny how a simple misdirection nearly foiled me in the end. Given how the Facade I saw the first time had a glowing horn, it made me look for a unicorn suspect. I never would have suspected it was a fake. Can I assume it was Bluff that was holding the control for the substation that caused the blackout?”

The first generation thief simply winked. “A good magician never reveals his tricks."

It was just a few seconds afterwards that the door opened again…. And in stepped an officer.

“...Really? You’re dressing as Noncom for this?”

“Uh, just roll with it. My partner is very meticulous about his ways.”

“How meticulous are we talking?”

“He prefers his risks be measured in negative numbers.”

Sleuth was a tad dumbfounded and struggled for a second to think of a follow up, but simply gave up. “Huh. Well, that’s something. I just hope he approved me accompanying you though…”

Adjusting his hat and uniform, the faux officer gestured for Sleuth to stand up. “As long as you keep your investigation off him, you should be fine. Now come my friend, we’re gonna get some drinks.”

“Yeah, two officers, one in uniform, meeting up in the a casino during the busiest hours for a few drinks. Yep, not conspicuous at all,” Sleuth said rolling his eyes.

“It’s so overt, it’s covert,” the dealer-turned-cop retorted. “Don’t worry about trekking through the public, I know a nifty shortcut.”

“What are you t-”

---

“-alking about?.....”

Sleuth suddenly found himself sitting at one of the bars in the Lucky Lag’s restaurant wing, in front of the counter with his new partner beside him. Not surprisingly, he adopted a very puzzled look on his face.

“Neat shortcut, huh?”

“....Such a strange sequence of events I’ve gotten myself into....”

The particular bar he found himself in wasn’t very packed; not quite empty either, but only populated by about a dozen patrons, some ponies, some not. The other side of the bar table was inhabited by a lone bourbon colored unicorn stallion, his suavely cut mane accented by a few piercings - particularly a lip stud that stuck out like a sore hoof - and clearly too much hair gel. Sleuth could not help but raise an eyebrow at the juxtaposition of the stallion’s face compared to his semi-formal white shirt and black vest.

“Evenin’ officers. Name’s Dyna, call me Dyna. What can I get for y’all?” The bartender said with a smirk.

Bluff…. Noncom rather, scratched his face beneath his left eye. “I’d like to know what’s on the secret menu,” he responded with a wink in his Noncom voice.

Dyna nodded and leaned into whisper distance. “We’ve got a special on bourbon, just three bits for a bottle,” he replied with a wink of his own.

“Sounds like a deal,” Sleuth hesitantly played along, only to be lightly elbowed.

“Oh shoot, I think I lost my wallet somewhere downstairs. Think you can help me find it, partner?”

Sleuth rolled his eyes and shrugged dismissively and stood when prompted to by the stallion beside him. Bluff discreetly led him out of the bar and to a flight of stairs that led to the basement floor. This area wasn’t really much, it was more an area for employees and maintenance than anything else, thus it was fairly empty compared to every place they had been prior. Before long, the tiled halls led them to a door bluntly labeled ‘LOSS PREVENTION’. A simple knock by the casino heir resulted in the door opening, a huge dark gray pegasus standing on the other side.

("Whoa, wouldn’t wanna mess with that guy…") Sleuth thought awkwardly, his inadequacy suddenly creeping up.

“Oh, hey officers,” the stallion said in a deep voice.

“Sorry to bother you, Bell. Just looking for a missing wallet,” Bluff/Noncom acknowledge with a wink.

The stallion nodded and stepped aside to let them in. The security office was well lit and fairly large, one wall made up almost entirely of monitors which certainly were connected to the many cameras that were spread throughout the casino resort. There were at least three ponies keeping tabs on these monitors with another three, dressed in security uniforms, playing cards on the table nearby. Once the original large pony walked away to his little office space in the corner, Bluff pulled Sleuth towards a back area with what appeared to be a janitor’s closet, though it was clearly not the case when it was opened and exposed a small staircase leading further underground.

“That guy was Belltower, he’s our head of security. He may look scary and tough as nails, but he’s a good guy. Just looking out to keep peace,” Bluff winked as he gestured for Sleuth to go down the steps. “Ladies first.”

Once Bluff recovered from the shove, he pulled out a headlamp from his belt and used it to illuminate the way forward. As it turns out, that hidden entrance lead into the sewer tunnel system, with a false wall separating the tunnels from the section leading to the office.

“You certainly weren’t kidding about how lost your wallet is….”

“I know right? Imagine losing it on a frequent basis. Now let’s see. B-3… B-3… B-3… I think that’s to the east….” Bluff had to pause and glance at a pocket map to affirm his thought. “Yep, east. Follow me.”

Sleuth nodded in acknowledgement and followed his guide through the dark, if somewhat smelly tunnels. The route they took was roughly thirteen minutes, along the way observing graffiti on the walls and the occasional trash and rats scattered on the floor.

“Man, I thought spacious sewers were only a thing in the movies…” Sleuth thought out loud as he fought to combat the unpleasant smells.

“Uh huh, sure thing. Now, little bit of warning,” Bluff, clearly not paying attention, suddenly spoke up, his voice echoing through the space. “This guy is…. Different. He may seem strange…. But that’s just because he is.”

“So long as he can clue us in on who set those bombs, he could be sitting in a giant jar of jelly for all I care.”

“Heck, I’m sure he’s actually done that at some point…. Wouldn’t be surprised.”

“...I said I wouldn’t care, so I’m not gonna ask.”

---

Seated amidst several other ponies, Cherub breathed a sigh of relief as the train left the platform and started picking up speed. In the confusion of the radio station bombing’s aftermath, he figured that it would take weeks of sifting through the rubble to determine whether or not Facade had really perished. It didn’t matter to him, though. The Dynasty had asked him to lay a trap, and that’s exactly what he had done.

Fatigue was starting to set in, and Cherub let himself sink back into his seat. One of the other ponies got up and exited the car, presumably going to the bathroom.

Cherub had paid his dues to the Dynasty to the best of his ability, and although he couldn’t positively guarantee Facade’s death, he doubted that the thief had survived. Even Cherub was rather impressed at the destruction that his handiwork had unleashed. The police were lucky that so many of them had escaped death. He felt rather sorry that the media had decided to scapegoat the police for a wrong he had inflicted upon them, but couldn’t deny that it would buy him some measure of time.

Another pony stood up and left. Perhaps a friend of theirs was in a different part of the train?

But again, it really didn’t matter. Whether it was the grip of the Dynasty or the law’s reprisal, Cherub was leaving it all behind. His task was complete and soon he would be very far from Las Pegasus, spending the rest of his life in peaceful seclusion. No shady debts, no hounding police officers, nothing but blissful retirement. It pained him that going into such a seclusion made it unlikely that he would see his sister again, but reasoned that she was a very resourceful mare. She could take care of herself just fine.

The sound of a door snapping shut startled Cherub out of his reverie. Another pony had left the train car. Looking around, Cherub discovered that the entire car was now empty save for himself. The minutes went by, and not one of the other ponies showed signs of returning. Cherub felt a prickling along his spine as anxiety began to set in. Something wasn’t right. As much as he tried to assure himself otherwise, the feeling of apprehension simply refused to be shaken.

Cherub gasped as the entire car went black, but was immediately relieved when he soon realized that it had simply entered a tunnel. However the mood was anything but bright when the tunnel had passed.

Not with the lone mare in black sitting across from him.

This mare… The glossy trenchcoat, the trilby hat, the gray coat, the charcoal mane immaculately brushed over one eye, the menacing glare that the other eye shot through him over the newspaper she was reading... Nothing about her gave any indication she was there to have a friendly chat.

“Did you really think we wouldn’t pursue you, Professor Cherub Mannequin?”

The menacing, yet somewhat calm contralto echoed through the train car. That sealed it. He was screwed.

“L-L-La Dama Negra….?”

The mare calmly folded her paper and set it aside before standing and walking over. The white scarf she was wearing over the lower half of her face only further pushed the fear of demise into his soul. Her cold purple eyes continued to shoot daggers into his heart as his life flashed before him.

“W-what do you w-w-want? I finished the job! I did everything they asked!”

“Finished the job? I don’t think so. A certain pigeon is still flying out there somewhere. You had one job, Professor. Think you can shirk your responsibility?”

“H-how do you know he’s out there?! How do you know he’s not dead?!”

At this point, the mare grabbed his shirt collar and lifted him out of the seat and several inches off the floor. “Do you take me for a fool?”

“N-no, never! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that! Please don’t hurt me, please!” the professor replied in an attempt to appease his inevitable assassin.

“We have eyes and ears all over the province. And many arms too. The target is alive. And you’ll be the one to eliminate him. But if you insist on abandoning the family in our time of need, I’m sure your little sister could work to pay off your debt.”

Cherub’s eyes shot open. Oh how he despised the Dynasty for playing the one dirty card in the deck.

“NO! I-I mean, no, please! I’ll do it, j-just…. Don’t hurt her. I beg of you!”

“Good.” The mare let go of his collar, dropping him back into his seat. “This train is scheduled to make a stop in the next station. You will be changing trains and returning to the city. If you decide to skimp out on that, well…. Let’s just say your sister is going to be getting a new ‘job’. Whether she likes to or not.”

He grimaced and nodded obediently, doing his best to choke back the mixture of fear and anger. He didn’t want to do this job… But he didn’t want leave his only remaining family in the mercy of… the devil’s child himself. For her sake, he must be strong.

“And as for you, Professor. If you fail this time or even think about trying to run further...”

She leaned in and glared right into his soul, yet again.

“You’ll be answering to Santa Muerte.”

Comments

[Greatazuredragon]

Very nice chapter, glad to see you updating again.

Only one problem with this:

Oh, and uh, check by the way.”
Realizing that it was his turn, Bluff quickly moved one of his rooks between his king and his opponent’s knight.

You don't play chess do you? Because you cannot block a knight by putting a piece between it and the king, the knight jumps over other pieces, so he would have to either take out the knight or move the king.

[ZhaoZoharEX]

7505230 Oh whoops, that was actually part of a first draft, a section that was supposed to be omitted. It was supposed to be the bishop, not knight, that was attacking the king, I missed that small detail in editing and it unfortunately made me look silly.

Thank you for catching that.

[Greatazuredragon]

7505873 No problem, keep up the good work.