Octavia and Vinyl live different lives in Canterlot, but they will soon escape the White City to try and make new lives in Manehattan. But the lives they're gonna get are far from what they imagined.
Octavia has been working for eight years in a calm club in the upper parts of Canterlot, enduring the ever irritating harassment of the nobles. One day she is assaulted by one of the higher nobles, but is rescued by her former collegue Master Exploder. Together they decide to flee the White City in the hopes of making a name for herself in the Big Apple
Vinyl Scratch has been the DJ of a popular nightclub in Canterlot, but when she finds out that she's going to be replaced by a trendier and far cheaper guy with absolutely no experience, she decides to pull one last trick up her sleeve to write her name in the Hall of DJs before storming off. Frustrated at the loss of her job she is then forced to flee a noble offensive, being rescued by a masked vigilante. In panic she grabs the first train out of the city and headed for Manehattan, where the top DJs live.
They soon meet on the morning train to The Big Apple, each hoping to start their new lives. But the lives they dreamed of are far from what they can get. There are people everywhere who are offering them jobs, some are legit others... far less safe.
"When did I ever think it was a good idea to work here?" said Octavia as she tousled her silky raven hair and bumped her head to the flat end of her oak boudoir. The mirror showed a fair skinned woman wearing little make-up and a simple grey tank top.
"it was probably when they told you you could make an approximate of a hundred thousand bits a year with insurance and various other bonuses including a large discount in the Hot Rocks Spa." said a rasp voice from behind her. She turned to face her conversation partner and was surprised to see Master Exploder, his ripped body wearing the same black t-shirt and denim vest decorated with small pins from several bands from the world. And as always, his hand held his mug full of dark beer.
"Please don't remind me about that, my monthly income is barely five thousand bits. And I have yet to even see that discount on that cheap Spa. I went there once. Not the best service in town." she said as she walked over to the closet where all of her performance dresses were stored.
"I know the boss is a liar, but at least you can quit at any moment. I have a contract that expires next week, and I will have to sign it again because I have nowhere else to go. Guess I should have taken the job Stupid Rocks offered me when they came on tour two years ago. But there's more money in fixing this dump than in having an awesome time touring Equestria." he said as he took a gulp of beer from his pewter mug.
"I find it ironic that a self-proclaimed roadie doesn't travel." she said as she stared at the ridiculous selection of clothes waiting for her. "Master you pervert! What in the name of Symphony's Last Wish did you do to my clothes!"
He choked on his drink for a second before looking at the selection. "Oh crap, he did change your wardrobe too." he saw Octavia's eyes turn to stare at his soul. "Could you please stop that? I was going to tell you anyways. The boss thought it would be a good idea to listen to advise given by the patrons. Not content with either your musical talent or Melody's, they asked that you showed at least some more skin."
"Whoever thought that I should dress as a prostitute just for the entertainment of a pack of spoiled rats clearly does not realize why I was hired in the first place." Octavia grunted before slumping to her chair. "I need to rethink my life."
"Don't ask me, I'm just telling you why they are going cheap on the dresses."
"These rags cost more than my apartment." shot Octavia as she applied some blush on her cheeks, nothing too extravagant.
Master started browsing through the selection, most were outrageously skimpy, but only one managed to be classified as decent. It was a charcoal grey dress, split from the hip upward, and reunited at the back of the wearer's neck. "How about this piece? it looks decent enough, unless you plan on using this semi-transparent leotard." he said as he showed her the piece of clothing he described. It was a light pink leotard that emmited a pink light as the bulbs illuminated it.
"Is that the least worst dress available? Seriously? What happened to that beautiful black dress I had last week?"
"The boss sold it to some bitch who started dancing on the tables and had her clothes burned. I think the price was ten thousand bits." he said as he tried to hide a smile.
"How does one get their clothes burned in a chic lounge?"
"I think she set fire to her dress while doing what I think is singing but sounded more like the cries of a mountain goat trying to go to the bathroom after eating some of those greasy tacos from the Lower Wards."
"Perfect, just when I thought there was something good about my job." responded the raven-haired musician as she took out a pair of black high heels. "I never understood the appeal of these. What is it that men find so attractive about having women jam nails on her heels."
"Don't ask me, I don't have the same twisted fetishes as those brats. I prefer women who can do shit without caring about what spoiled piles of cartilage say." announced Master with pride.
"So you prefer women with an attitude? Good luck finding one in this cesspool." responded Octavia coldly as she grabbed the dress and pushed the aide out of the room. "Now to get paid so I can continue living this excuse of a life." She changed from her comfortable street clothes to the uncomfortably breezy dress that she was asked to wear. At least she didn't look as awful as Sapphire Shores during her latest tour, opting to wear a bedazzled bra with matching white pants.
She stepped out of her room, where the roadie was waiting for her. His hands were holding Arkadius, her cello. "Good luck with your show, make it count." was all he could say as she crossed to the stage.
Like most nights the place was crowded by young men and women who failed to realize the difference between a lounge and a nightclub. Some were drunk, making out with whoever was next to them or they were imagining they were meddling in deep conversation. The only table that unnerved her was one occupied by a local patron surrounded by at least five women. He was the only one in the entire building, besides her, who was sober. His eyes were fixed on her, ogling her body and trying to pierce her soul.
His body was well built, covered by an expensive black suit and a green silk tie. His eyes were a tone of white that nearly blended the lines between the pupil and the sclera. His face was well chiseled, and she dared go as far as to say that he looked very attractive. His left eyebrow had a small interruption, something she guessed was a scar. His hair was a light brown and well groomed. His handsome face felt somewhat deceiving behind his eyes.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I am Octavia and today I will be performing a selection of Master Symphony's: Flight of the Seraphs. Please enjoy your evening at the Maison du Jouir." she sat down on her stool and began playing, disregarding the various boos, wolf whistles and passionate kisses that resonated from the audience.
The session lasted roughly an hour, during which the audience went from worse to worst. Some of the couples were so drunk they lacked common modesty as men ripped dresses and fondled their companions. Others began fighting amongst themselves, trading slaps to the face before delivering full blows to the gonads. But to her surprise the man with the white eyes remained as sober and attentive as ever.
By the end of her shift Octavia was witnessing a full-blown battle between two nobles over what she believed was about whether a dog was of pedigree or a mutt. To the other side of the room Octavia could hear moans of pleasure as several tables shook for unknown reasons. She quickly picked up her instrument and walked away from the stage when one of the few drunk men cried. "Tits or I don't pay the bill!"
Filled with indignation as her boss motioned for her to open her dress. She guessed that the client must be worth some money for her boss to fully accept a musician to strip at a moment's notice.
Turning around and facing the man with the odd request she lifted the middle finger in her right hand and exclaimed: "Fuck off you pampered, lazy Son of a Bitch!" And she left before she could be told anything. Her boss was three seconds from shouting at her but she replied calmly: "I quit, I'll take this week's check and I'll leave this hideous dress behind if that is so important to you. My dignity is worth more than whatever was in that idiot's bill. It is stipulated in my contract."
The dumbfounded man looked at the contract and was about to reply when she interrupted him: "Page 3 article 24." A couple of minutes later Octavia emerged with her own clothes, adding a grey jacket with belt spats. Master Exploder was there, his hands holding a weird case.
The owner was standing at the back door, nudging a check worth five hundred bits toward her. The sound of thunder flooded the outside as the rain bombarded the porch. "Goodbye, may your future be as bright as the sun." he said with a forced smile.
"Don't worry, compared to this brothel, anywhere's good." shot Octavia as she stepped outside and opened her white umbrella.
"Bye Tavi." said Master as he shook her hand.
"Bye Master, take care."
"Take this in case you ever want to tour the world and want a friendly face." whispered Master as he handed her a small card that said:
Valid for one roadie. 595-371-173.
She pocketed the card. "Thanks Master, but I think I can take care of myself." she said. The May rain attacked her, seeking to soak her. But she braved the storm, travelling through the dark alleys to avoid seeing anyone.
But to her dismay, she was cut off from the main street that was going to take her home by a mysterious figure garbed in a black linen cloak. "I quite enjoyed your performance today miss Octavia." said a soft, sweet male voice from behind the cloak.
Octavia took a defensive step back, trying to put a name on the voice. She had heard it before, on the radio or television perhaps. "Who are you?"
"Forgive me..." answered the hooded man as he opened an umbrella and removed his hood. "I am Count Pearl Lance, Son of Duke Gold Lance of The East Coast. And I wanted to offer you a place in the Great Canterlot Symphonica." Then she recognized him, he was the sober man watching her.
His words took some time to fully process. He was offering Octavia her biggest dream with no price tag attached. She could say yes and it will all be done...
"I feel honored by the offer, but I would like to look for an opening somewhere else. Preferably away from this cesspool of a city." answered the cellist as she tried to push through the Count.
"I'm sorry to hear that, but maybe I could interest you in a position in Equestria's Nomad Orchestra?"
"Why are you insisting so much? And how can I be sure that you can even assure me a place in either musical group?"
"I am offended, I am Pearl Lance and I can get you the moon and stars if you so desire." he answered with a smile.
Octavia thought about it. Both groups had a lot of prestige and she knew that he could get her in them. He was by far the most influential Count in all of Equestria. But the lack of a price made her extremely uneasy, for she knew that when it came to nobles, nothing was free. They either call you for a favor or they take away a portion of your earnings. "What's in it for you Count?"
He chuckled as he neared her, sliding his soft hand over her cheek. "I love investing my money and power on people who show both musical talent and a backbone." he said as the cellist batted his hand away from her. "See? you do have a backbone, you can't deny it. And you did play one of the most difficult pieces of music in history. So what do you say, sweetheart?"
"No thank you, I don't believe in charity from Nobles. Specially from Counts." she said as she pushed once more.
"Look babe, it's a great opportunity. I'm sure there are hundreds of young, beautiful and talented girls that would give anything for this position and you have it so easy. All you have to do is say yes and your life will be set." he said softly as he put his right hand on her face.
Octavia responded with a swift slap to his cheek. "Don't you ever touch me you demon." she said.
The Count nourished his bruise, smiling while he snapped his fingers. "That's what I love about girls, their feisty attitude!" he said as five forms materialized from behind her. They were wearing black leather jackets, shaved heads and a white flak vest. There were three men and two women in the group, all armed with small pistols and with cattle prods. As Octavia looked around she noticed there were at least four more goons on the rooftops with muskets trained on her. "It's a real shame about what I have to do to you, but no one refuses my offers. Now, please, join me." he said with a smug grin as he raised his hand.
"No." was all Octavia said.
"No? Babe, I don't think you understand the gravity of your situation. you can't say no. You have no job, no money and you are alone in a city that is basically ruled by me. Join me and I will make you a star. Or you can end up as one of my slaves, sorry I meant servants in my castle. You choose, do you want to live in the lap of luxury or will you live in the gutters scraping every day in the hopes that you will live by another day." said the nobleman calmly as he let two men pass him.
"I would rather die than be a pawn in your stupid life!" she shouted as she went for a special bow on her cello, one she kept with her in case things got out of hand. As she pulled it out she felt a sting on her right hand, which sent her weapon flying into the distance.
Pearl clicked his tongue three times. "Nice try, but we both know that that's going to be impossible. Don't worry, next time you wake up just remember what you abandoned for supposed freedom." he patted one of his goons. "You know what to do."
All seven grunts began closing on her, activating their prods. The weapons crackled with thunder, causing any drops of water to evaporate immediately. Octavia dodged the first swing, delivering two punches to her aggressor. She did not expect to be interrupted by three shocking attacks hitting her right flank and both of her legs. As she tried to regain herself two more blows struck her body, and four more assaulted her limbs. The barrage of shocking attacks continued for a minute until a whistle ordered a stop.
"So how about my offer, are you willing to accept it?" said the noble with a smug look.
"I already gave you my answer." she replied as she summoned a mouthful of blood and spit it at him.
"I will enjoy breaking you." he said as he raised his fist. But he never managed to land the blow, for a really loud sound erupted from the rooftops, a sound as loud as thunder and as terrifying as an ursa's roar.
A musketeer fell from his position, hitting his head with a sickening crunch and spurting blood over the goons. On the roof stood a hooded figure with bat-like wings, his cloak floating with the storm and his left hand clutching a shining battleaxe. "Not if I can help it!" roared the figure as he settled the weapon with the end of the handle pointing to the sky in a guitar-like fashion. A couple of notes later and a couple of lightning bolts erupted from the clouds, shocking the musketeers and forcing them to dance comically as hundred of volts coursed through their bodies.
"What the hell?" questioned Pearl as he drew a sword and prepared for an attack.
"Catch Tavi!" roared the man as he threw a long, thin object. Octavia managed to grab it, using the theatrics from her mysterious stranger as a distractions. She noticed that it was a rapier, like the one she learned to use back when she was with her old teacher. she quickly unsheathed it and prepared her stance.
The man in the roof jumped, his hands still clutching the curious weapon. As he landed he played a chord, emitting a shockwave that caused everyone that wasn't Octavia or him. "Are you alright?"
The cellist looked at the man, and recognized the black mullet and the sideburns. "Master? What are you doing here?"
"Just saving your ass from these punks." he said as they saw their opponents get up.
"You are going to be sorry for what you did!" shouted the Count as he lunged at them.
Octavia managed to deflect the blow with her sword, and prepared for a counterattack. She thrusted her sword, aiming for his ribs, but one of the goons raised her head and protected the Count with her face. Pearl backed up, waiting for his grunts to do the dirty work.
One of them attacked, but Octavia slashed his ribs and followed with a vertical slash. Master protected her rear, pushing three goons back before electrocuting them with a set of chords. "Let me show you how we do it in my place?" he asked cockily as he prepared to play more notes. But rather than playing notes he began playing separate notes in a rapid succession, what is better known as a guitar solo. As he played the final notes he hopped and timed his fall with the last note.
The result was a lightning storm that assaulted those around them. Some of the goons didn't even survive, having their eyes explode like over-cooked eggs. Those that managed to survive began backing down, pulling their pistols and releasing a barrage of blue bullets toward them. Metal swung his axe, evaporating the bolts with ease. "C'mon we have to get outta here!"
"Let's go this way! My house is close by." she said as she took the lead, taking two pistols as she walked. They left the dark alley and came up on the brightly lit cobbled street of Canterlot. "It's this way, let's just hope they don't follow us."
They noticed a five-man patrol walking by, they were all wearing the white steel armor of the Lionsguard. But instead of wielding muskets they had professional assault rifles. "Get those two criminals, they murdered some innocents and mugged me!" cried Pearl as he stepped into the light. The guards immediately began opening fire, their shots barely missing the musicians.
Octavia quickly opened fire with one of the pistols, and out of the five shots she managed to hit a guard in the right shoulder. But what damage she could do was mitigated by the steel armor. The others responded by firing in synchronized blasts, oftenly hitting Master's axe. When they paused to reload the roadie unleashed another solo, one that appeared to turn the opponents' armor into lead as they fell to the floor unable to move.
"Let's go! The spell won't last long." said Master as he ran away. Octavia followed, but only after she had blasted Pearl Lance unconscious.
Ten minutes later they were out of the rain and inside Octavia's cramped apartment. It was about fifty square meters in area, with only enough walls to separate the bathroom.
"I know it's not much, but it's something." she said as she settled her things.
"So when are we leaving?" asked the roadie as he started looking around.
"Hey! Don't snoop around, the bathroom is that way." she pointed to the small room.
"I'm looking for your luggage, We really have to get out of here right now."
"So what, you can take me somewhere far away from here? I think you should start explaining yourself if you want me to trust you."
"Ouch, that hurts you know? I thought we knew each other."
"You know me, but I don't see you that often, you always disappear into the shadows and today I learned you can cast lightning bolts with what I believe is an axe-guitar hybrid!"
Master sighed, looking at her with disappointment. "Look, her name is Marcy and she was handed down to me by my father. Second, you don't have to trust me. But if you do it will make our lives easier. Before you say anything, we need you to pack your things right now and head for the first train out of here, preferably one that leads to Manehattan."
"Are you seriously suggesting we leave Canterlot to go to the one city that Pearl Lance controls? What's wrong with Vanhoover? I heard the Bloods are in control and it's extremly safe."
"I don't know anyone in Vanhoover who can get you a job. I have a friend, a very powerful friend, who can protect us and give you a job worthy of your talent. He's had me telling him about your skill, hell I've even recorded your music and he loves it." he said enthusiastically.
"And what's in it for you?" asked Octavia skeptically.
"The pride that I have helped a talented woman achieve her true potential. That and points with Black Heart for finding worthy talent."
"So you do have a monetary gain." she answered coldly.
"Nope, I meant that Black Heart will finally realize that I do have a good taste in music." he said with an honest smile.
The cellist began thinking, on one hand she could just abandon him and start from scratch in some city. But on the other, she knew she could trust Master and starting from an elevated position was a better option. But she still had her doubts about going to the one city that is ruled by the man that just tried to enslave her. "Are you sure this is a good idea? What if Pearl finds me?"
"Do you remember Golden Harp?" he said, waiting for her response. Golden Harp was a victim of the same circumstances, and she disappeared without a trace a year ago. She nodded her head. "He's that good."
"Then there's not much time to waste, my bags are in that wardrobe. I'll begin preparing everything."
"I'll call my friend, make sure everything goes smoothly." he said as he pulled out a blocky cellphone.
Author's note: For this Chapter I will provide links for some songs in order to provide some sort of ambiance. Clicking on the links is entirely optional and is on the experimental age, so I have no idea how its gonna work out.
Vinyl Scratch was looking for that one album she always saw whenever she didn't want it. It was a classic Stupid Rocks album called: Pony After All. She began searching through the browser, passing through various albums but failing to locate the one she wanted. She began cursing her messy digital library, and by some extent, herself. Most albums lacked the basic information required to properly appear on the screen, so she was forced to skim through the artwork in the hopes she could catch a glimpse of the cover.
Ten seconds and a thousand albums later she finally stopped at the target. With a name like file066635215 she thought she should start filling out the basic data. "Meh, I'll do it later. Right now I have a very important mission." she said as she tapped the album and pressed play on the screen. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dancers of all ages, you have been real awesome today, and I want to thank you for being so awesome by playing one of the best albums in house music history. All the way from the distant year of nine hundred ninety seven I give you: Projects by Stupid Rocks!"
She dismissed the long list of requested songs, these people knew nothing of dance music. They thought they wanted to hear Heartbreak or that little douche called Castrati, or at least that's what she remembered. As soon as she saw the first song began playing she heard the joyous roars of people as they started dancing uncontrollably.
"Oh yeah, just another good deed for these brats." exhaled Vinyl as she reclined on her chair and set her feet on the dashboard. Unlike most clubs, where the audience had direct contact with the DJ, this club had the disc jockey perched in a walled off balcony with one-way mirrors allowing her to see everyone. The noise was completely subdued by the multiple enchantments place by her so she couldn't hear the less savory sounds as the night progressed.
Half the album passed when she noticed that everyone was requesting the new Last Day of the Year by Skill-X. "What? why the fuck would they do that? I give them the good ol' classics and they tell me they want the new blender music." she began grumbling under her breath as she began scrolling through the list. Unlike the old songs, new songs were easy to find.
It took her a couple of minutes to think of a worthy playlist, mixing popular songs with less mainstream titles. When she unleashed the playlist she let out a sigh and headed for a small fridge under her work station. She grabbed a Crown beer and popped the cap with one of her records.
She refitted her jeans and white tank top, in the hopes of getting comfortable until the end of her shift. But her hopes were dashed when her boss walked into the room. "Hello there miss Vinyl." he said in his usual rough voice. "We need to talk."
"Sure thing man, grab a seat." she said as she sipped her beer. "Watcha wanna talk about?"
The suited man politely refused her offer. "It's about your job. People have been complaining that you haven't been respecting the Request List, and you know that in this club we value the customers' desires."
"You're complaining about that? I know that people want to hear their favorite songs, but you pay me to give them entertainment and to get them excited enough to stay here just long enough to buy another bottle. Did you hear them cheering fifteen minutes ago? That's because I sent that shitty playlist down the toilet and gave them some real dance music. That shitty playlist was just gonna entertain some, my playlist got all of them dancing."
"But yet people complained about not hearing their sings. And there's also the matter of last week, where you synchronize your music with several crates of rubber fish..."
"Sea Bass."
"Whatever. The point is that we can't have you climbing on the ceiling and setting up potential threats."
"Excuse me? It was thanks to those potential threats that this place made more than ten thousand bits in alcohol that day alone."
"And you endangered the lives of our clients. Do you have any idea of the money we would lose if one of your rubber fish..."
"Sea Bass." interrupted Vinyl as she threw the bottle toward the trashcan and managed to score. "Two points for me." she whispered.
"I don't care what species they are, I don't want to listen to accidents that occurred because one of your stupid things landed on a patron and it caused him to smash his bottle and trip on the glass. Or if your stunt caused a fight?"
"You're just throwing shit at me. I had that under perfect control. Those things were aimed specifically toward the dance floor, where, I remind you, bottles are strictly forbidden!" she exclaimed as she grabbed a can of beer, being careful not to explode the can. "If you've got to throw shit you might as well use good shit." she said as she slumped back to her chair, putting her right leg over the knee. "Or you want something else."
"I came to tell you that I'm done with you. You have been ignoring our standards for too long and have brought little in return." said her boss with a frown as he scratched his bald head. "As of tomorrow you will be placed with a better Dee Jay..."
Vinyl burst out laughing, spilling beer all over him. "Better? Don't you mean: more docile? You know that there isn't a better DJ than me in all of Canterlot. No one, and I really mean no one, could resurrect this fucking dump after someone got murdered here. I took this job 'cuz I wanted to teach fellow young people what real dance music is. If you want a fucking robot to do as you want the fine!" she yelled as she took her bag, Val laptop, and stash of beer.
"Sadly, you won't be leaving." said the bald man as two men blocked the entrance.
"So what are Gorilla and Rhino doing here? You plan on killing me?" she asked as she turned on the room speakers and programming a playlist for at least thirty minutes.
"Killing you? No, that would be too bad for business. These men are here to escort you to your new boss."
She scoffed: "New boss? I haven't even chosen a new job you shithead."
"You haven't but I have. Your new boss will be Count Gold Bar."
"Like hell he will!" she exclaimed as she grabbed her toy gun she kept close.
"I've already been paid, so you've got no choice. You will now serve him, whether you want to or not. Men, take her." he said as he pushed past the two burly men in leather jackets and white armor vests.
"Wuba dub dub motherfuckers!" she yelled as she put on her signature grey headphones and pressed play on the main screen. The speakers blasted dubstep, stunning the guards and allowing her to escape. She ran as fast as possible, smacking her former boss with the butt of her toy as she passed him. She was about to crash through the exit when she saw three thugs block her exit. They were pulling out pistols from inside their jackets.
She dropped to her knees, sliding past the various bolts of magic as they erupted from the guns. She reacted by firing a blast of magic from her stocky toy. The explosion caused the goons to freeze mid-air, shifting only to the rhythm of the song. After a couple of beats they fell down unconscious.
"You might want to call me a waitress..." she said cockily as she put on her purple tinted glasses and programmed her V-pod to the playlist. "cuz you just got served!"
As she stepped outside she was met with a storm, soaking her as soon as she stepped into the dark skies. She took out a white and blue umbrella from her bag and opened it, only to wish she hadn't. Standing in front of her were at least ten dudes armed with muskets and all had that we're gonna get you one way or the other cuz we've been paid look.
"Do you guys get hired by the bulk?" she asked before the used her weapon. The beam was weaker without the music, but her headphones provided enough punch to blast the first three dudes and stun-lock them for a couple of seconds. She followed with a smoke grenade she always carried for dramatic effect. The thugs reacted by unleashing a barrage of green bolts, none of which actually hit Vinyl. As soon as the smoke began spreading she vaulted over the steel rails and ran through the alley. "Suckers." she whispered as she calmed her pace and walked normally on the main street.
She walked home as if nothing had happened, but she still kept an open ear just in case anyone came after her. Occasionally she felt as if she were being followed, and the hoot of an owl was enough to discomfort her. Still, nothing attacked her by the time she could see her house. It was here where she just how obsessed the man that bought her must be. The apartment building was [infested with goons. There were probably twenty men on the courtyard, just standing around and smoking.
Most of them were grouped together, sharing cigarettes or stories as they soaked themselves in the rain while under the front patio's roof. There were three guys at the entrance stairs, completely missing the point of guard duty as they chatted as loud as possible.
"Well fuck you too asshole." she mumbled as she began sneaking through the entrance. The lobby was very spacious, having a common room and even a public kitchen where some of her friends would usually cook things to cure hangovers. She quietly took cover underneath the counter, hoping that no one would bother looking there.
"What do you mean with she's gone? I thought you said you were professionals!" shrieked the voice of a snobby young man. "I gave you everything: guns, weapons, armor, an identity and most important of all money. All I asked for in return was the girl."
"Listen you highness, why don't you go back to your tea parties and let us tough guys do our job?" she heard a more masculine voice say as the sound of patting was heard.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why are you taking so long?" said the young voice. Against common sense she moved slowly, hoping to put a face on the name and voice. The responsible for her current misery was a man barely older than herself dressed in clothes worth more than the building. It was of the finest silk one could imagine. His chromed golden hair was groomed by several products, and his face probably sported a thin layer of makeup.
The big merc was probably two meters tall, with a very well built body and the same uniform and equipment as the rest. A communicator was strapped to his right bicep, which started bleeping as soon as she saw it. "What is it?" he asked as he pushed the button.
"Sir, the interceptor party has been compromised. The Royal Guards caught them and took them to central, I managed to get away just in time to report." said the voice from the walkie.
"Have you heard anything from Pearl's Party?" asked the burly man.
"Yes sir, they took at least six casualties and the prey got away. Apparently there was a third party involved."
The man was overtaken by fear the instant the message ended. "Was it The Owl?"
"No sir, not unless the Owl can summon lightning with an electric guitar."
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"You heard me sir, I even heard the guitar solo myself. After he finished the area got bombarded with lightning"
"Great. Just what I needed. Another thorn in my side. So no sign of the Owl?"
"None so far sir. But I heard his hooting a while ago. He could be tracking our target."
"Fuck, okay guys. Pack it up!" The soldiers began grabbing their things and walking out.
"What? Where do you think you're going? You have a job to do!"
"Yeah, but no amount of money will get us to fight against Owl. That asshole has already trashed five clans. I won't let him take my men."
"So that's it? You said nothing would stop you! Not even the legendary Kaiju could stop you!" protested the nobleman. "You're a bunch of cowards."
"And you said that this was a simple snatch-and-grab operation. We both lied so let's get over it. I'm not sacrificing my men just because you don't want to pay a whore. It would have been cheaper than this excuse if a mission." ranted the leader as he grabbed the musket and turned to the door.
Vinyl sighed loudly as she realized that she was safe. Two milliseconds later she noticed that she no longer was. "There she is!" shouted the noble as he pointed his finger at the DJ staring at him.
"Fuck." she said under her breath. "Can't we settle this like men?" she asked as she tried to put her best innocent face possible.
"Of course we can!" said the boy. "Just come with me and enjoy your new life as my personal DJ. You can have whatever your little electronic heart desires."
"Yeah, my mom told me not to trust strangers. And my dad told me that there's nothin' free in this life, so fuck your shit!" she exclaimed as she pulled out her gun and pulled the trigger. The beam was fast enough to hit both opponents, paralyzing them in mid-air. "Taste my wubs bitches!" she yelled in excitement.
But her victory was very short-lived. The attack had pretty much alerted the whole block. Soon the walls were being perforated as green bullets pierced the walls and forced her to get down. She poked her head over the counter and saw three goons approaching her. "Dance to this!" she yelled as she fired her gun once more. Two mooks managed to roll out of the way, abandoning their comrade to the shock of dubstep. She continued firing blindly, hoping that she would get lucky at some point.
She only lucked out with one of them, giving her enough chance to run past him and up the stairs. She started running up and several bullets whizzed past her, chipping away the wooden handrail. One of the bastards managed to hit her left calf, paralyzing it completely. She held onto the handrail and limped toward her room. She thanked the Gods of Techno that she couldn't afford a penthouse and was forced to live on the next floor.
She tried barging into her room but was stopped by the lock. She rummaged through her bag, trying to find that key that always disappeared whenever she needed it. Finding the key inside one of her inside pockets she rushed to unlock the door. She tackled it as soon as she heard the bolt slide, forcing her to fall to the ground. She started hearing orders from the rest of the goons. Some of them had reported their inside, while the rest sounded like they were afraid of something.
After locking her door she tuned her speakers to a playlist. If they planned on taking her out, it was gonna cost them more than a Limited Edition Stupid Rocks Helmet autographed by both artists. As the music blasted her ears she expected the door to burst open. But after ten minutes she decided to look out the door and realize why no one was chasing her.
The courtyard was now the main attraction as a person dressed in what she considered to be a superhero cosplay. He/she was wearing light grey armor, a cowl with short eyebrows that struck out of the mask lightly. His cape was probably silk, but he seemed to have small wires inside that made it look as if the cape had feathers. The figure was walking menacingly, his/her eyes reading all of his/her opponents, looking for a chance to defend (him/her)self.
"The Owl is here..." whispered Vinyl as she went for her bag of popcorn and a towel and went to watch the show.
As Vinyl watched from her window she thought about all of the gossip around town concerning the masked vigilante. There was the rumor that The Owl was a guy, with a fearsome baritone voice and a heart of gold. He dedicated his nights to stand guard atop the Dark Tower, using his genetically augmented ears to spot trouble all over Canterlot. Some say that he works for Princess Luna, as he only works in the nights. What most rumors agreed on is that The Owl was a capable fighter with a lot of money to spend in cool gadgets.
The rain had settled and the fight was finally beginning. Three goons threw their muskets aside and prepared their fists. "My money is on rich boy." she said to herself as she browsed through her music library to find the appropriate song for this fight. She grabbed a hairbrush and pretended it was a microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen! Are you ready for tonight's entertainment? In one corner, weighing maybe eighty kilograms we have the one, the only: The. OWL!" she yelled as she raised her hands and pointed her index finger at the masked figure.
"And in this other corner, with a combined weight of I-don't-know-how-and-couldn't-give-a-shit-many-fucking-pounds we have: These. ASSHOLES! Tonight they are fighting for your lovely servant here, risking life and limb, in the hopes that I'll go out with one of these guys.Sadly for them, I'm not gonna go out with any of them. Now enough talk. Round one. FIGHT!"
And right on cue one of the goons took a step forward, his right hand gripping a rather refined mace. He pulled out a small pistol from his belt and fired a burst of bullets. Not one projectile came close to even grazing his target. Dropping the gun in frustration, he charged. In the blink of an eye The Owl had somehow managed to lodge the weapon on the thug's forehead. The vigilante seemed to have surrendered his peaceful look, as he clashed his fists together signaling a challenge. And if she could see well, his gauntlets were actually covered in a honey aura.
Two thugs roared and charged, hoping that their testosterone would protect them from harm. To their bones' dismay, it didn't. The Owl seemed to be able to gaze into the future, dodging swings and kicks and always countering in creative ways. The attacks made sickening cracks every time they came into contact with someone. As the two mooks fell down the rest pulled out weapons and opened fire, hoping that at least one of them would manage to score some sort of hit. But the Owl seemed to have been prepared for this. He immediately swished his cape and the bolts were deflected immediately.
With a testosterone-filled roar, one of them charged. He swung his cattle prod with his manly roar. But it was for naught. Just like his compatriots, the goon's attack was stopped and countered. The Owl grabbed his arm and cracked it, finishing him with a swift knee to the head. Two more decided to charge, jumping over the cloaked vigilante.
But the Owl was a step ahead, Rolling forward as it prepared the gauntlets. With a soft hum, the palms erupted a series of honey-colored beams. Although Vinyl was a story above the battle, she still squirmed at the sight of the two thugs that got blown away. The Owl then proceeded to blast anyone who dreamed of pulling a gun. After ten seconds of continuous bolts, the enemies were down for the count.
The Owl then walked toward the apartment, producing a sickening crack before slamming a body to a wall. Disregarding any common sense, Vinyl headed downstairs. The kitchen room was a mess, with broken plates and blood decorating the area. In the main island stood The Owl, holding the jerk that apparently had bought her. "Please don't hurt me! I swear I never thought they would dare go this far, I swear!" cried the young noble as he struggle to free the lapels of his shirt from the iron grip. She then hid under the serving counter, hoping her stealthy position could let her hear everything.
"Tell me who they are and I might just consider it." growled the vigilante as he shook his prey.
"I... I don't know! This was all Pearl's idea!" shrieked the noble. "He told me he needed to, to.... Escort! Yeah, He asked me to escort a young DJ that worked in the Last Resort and offered to lend me a couple of his personal guard to make sure nothing bad happened to her!" as he ended his statement he received a swift punch to the jaw.
"LIAR! I know you bought her from the club and you planned on keeping her as your slave!" growled The Owl. "Now tell me the truth before I destroy your only asset!"
"All right, all right! I'll talk, just don't hurt me!" shrieked the young man. The Owl appeared to have believed him, as he let go of the silk lapels. The victim fell to the floor, only getting up when he was sure his arms would protect his head. "It was all Pearl's idea, he told me that he was gonna get another girl for his pack and he offered me one of two girls. One was some cellist bitch the other was that punk upstairs. I chose the second one. So with this plan Pearl lent me some mercs he hired and told me to grab the girl no matter the cost. I thought it was overkill, but he promised I wouldn't pay a cent so I didn't complain!"
"You really expect me to believe that you were willing to enslave someone, the worst crime in Equestria, hire unregistered mercenaries and even commit murder because the Count told you you were gonna get free pussy?" asked an incredulous vigilante. "You risked your life just for one woman?!"
The noble began tearing up. "I WAS BORED ALL RIGHT!" he screamed. "Pearl told me that he's done these things before and that they never go wrong! I thought it would be cool to have my own pack of ladies clinging on my knees, I never thought it would be this fucking dangerous."
"And therein lie all of your problems." grumbled Owl. "You just earned yourself some jail time buddy. The Guard will be here any minute," he said as he slapped a pair of handcuffs on the noble's wrists "and when they find you they'll hold you responsible for this mess. If you're lucky your parents will bail you out in a month, if not... I hope you don't have butterfingers." he said as he stuck a hockey puck to the ground. He then pressed a button on his left wrist and the noble fell to the ground. "And as for you miss."
Vinyl's blood froze with those words. Was he talking to her or was he just stating where he was going? A second later she got her answer. The Owl was standing in front of her, his eyes covered by giant black lenses. And she could finally confirm that it was a he, since his chest wasn't that well developed to say otherwise.
"You need to get out of here, now." said the Owl in a clearly fake rough voice. "If the Guard takes you in for questioning you'll be taken in by Pearl, and I'm not going to let him win."
"What? No way! I ain't running away..." began Vinyl before she was dragged upstairs. "I don't sleep with guys, even if they were kind and bought me dinner."
"You're gonna pack your bags in five minutes or else you'll end up in Pearl's dungeon." Vinyl turned her head to face him, and seeing that his words were true. Once she was fully convinced that the masked vigilante with sci-fi gear was telling the truth she decided to walk on her own.
"Where am I supposed to go? I can't just pack up and get the first train outta here, where the fuck am I supposed to go?" she exclaimed as she opened the door.
"You'll grab the first train to Vanhoover, and you'll decide what to do once you get there." growled The Owl.
"Why Vanhover?".
"Because you'll be safe from Pearl's clutches there, and also because I'm sure the Legion could use someone of your" he said as he grabbed Vinyl's gun. "unique talents."
Both flattered and annoyed, Vinyl yanked the gun from his hands. "Sorry, but this jockey don't ride with the army."
"Why not? I saw you beating the crap out of those gorillas back in the club, I don't see why you shouldn't join them. They could assign you to a special ops group..."
"I'm not gonna become one of the army's dogs just cause some masked dude says so." replied Vinyl as she grabbed a large white duffle bag and began dumping whatever clothes she could find. "Not that I don't appreciate the help, though." as she finished filling the bag with what little clothes she had she turned to look at The Owl.
He just placed his armored hand over the bag and replied: "Why don't you realize that you're making a mistake? Vanhoover is the safest place you can be in right now, if you go anywhere else you'll have to run away from Pearl's goons for the rest of your life!"
"Then let those sons of bitches come at me. I've always wanted to move to Manehattan, and if that bastard thinks he can just take me to his castle then he's gonna be in it for a big surprise. That fucker will never take me alive!" she exclaimed as she whisked the arm away and slung her luggage over her back. "If you ever get to Manehattan make sure to give me a call, I promise we'll do something fun then. Thanks for everything O!" and so she strode out of her apartment, with her gun on her left hand.
As Vinyl kept to the shadows on her way to the train station she heard one of the mechanical carriages used by the Canterlot Guard. The dark blue vehicle sped past the street, almost as if there was a devil behind them. "Heh, they won't find the Owl anytime soon." she said to herself as she continued her way to become the ultimate DJ.
"We're three minutes from the site lieutenant, should we park now and walk the rest of the way?" asked the voice of the guard driving the carriage around town.
"Affirmative, once we get out wait for my signal. Don't come in unless I tell you to." responded a blue haired guardsman, his hands clutching his mana musket. "All right kids listen up! We got a tip from our good friend Anonymous that we would find Lord Gold Bar accompanied by various unregistered, and really well armed, guards. We are to take them in for attempted kidnapping and even on an account of intended enslavement." he said with a straight face. The soldiers chuckled, and why wouldn't they? Every other day they got a tip from an anonymous person that one of the nobles was committing a heinous crime.
For the most part they were lies, but this lieutenant knew that some tips had a unique signature that made it all the more believable. These tips always referred the Owl as an animal, not as a man. And so these tips have actually helped the Guard do something, like that time they caught a noble just as he was taking an innocent young girl to his apartment.
Fortunately for him, this was one of those tips. "Remember, we want these people alive, so set your guns to stun." As the carriage stopped and the doors swung open, letting ten soldiers pour out of it. As they marched upon the cobblestone streets, their midnight blue armor shaking with every step they take. "Gale, Thunderbuck, fly over that building and get ready to provide sniper cover." He ordered as two Seraphs spread their wings and jumped ten stories.
"Stout, Stonewall, Flint, Mortar, I want your barriers set up ASAP." and the soldiers drew their wands and began casting large shields over their armor. "All right everyone, let's end this so we can get back to our drinks." The soldiers cheered on as they got into position. Some seconds later the lieutenant ordered the advance, making sure that everyone had the titular barriers protecting them.
As they marched toward the apartment block they were surprised to see several unconscious bodies scattered across the floor. "Serpent, see to them immediately!" he ordered the team medic. The woman scurried over to the closest person and immediately placed two fingers over his neck. She then opened her canteen to remove a small blob of water, which she guided with magic toward the body. She moved her arms around, moving the water around the body as it produced a light glow.
"This one's still alive sir, he's just been knocked out." she replied as she guided the blob of water toward her left hand. She approached another body and began the examination. "Same thing with this one." She continued surveying the bodies, making sure to examine every single part before placing the water back in its container
"What made these guys drop?" asked the lieutenant as he spread his orange wings.
"I'm not sure sir, they all suffered a concussive blast to the chest which appears to have collapsed their bodies. The only thing I can say for certain is that this must be the place where the Owl fought." replied the medic as she grabbed her rifle, setting it over her shoulder. "This is the same pattern we've found in most sites."
"So does than mean that we're safe?" Asked Stout as he eased the grip on his rifle. "The Owl doesn't punch guards."
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean that these goons won't get reinforcements." said the lieutenant as he snapped his fingers. "Soldiers, prepare to enter the block, I want that pansy screaming for mommy as soon as possible." His squadron obeyed with a few chuckles, bringing their rifles to bear as they aimed at the door. The glass door that was wide open, its hinges broken off. "Gear, follow me. We're taking point." he commanded as he fitted a bayonet on his musket. "Knife up and get ready to stab. But make sure you don't stab necks, I don't want to deal with the reporters."
And so the lieutenant entered, behind him the grey-haired woman followed. The foyer had definitely seen combat, with several dents on the plaster and a broken vase. They made their way forward, allowing their comrades to enter the doorway.
"Clear!" yelled Gear as she faced an archway to her left.
"Gear, left. Stout, Hammer, go to the right. Flint, Mortar and Stonewall, wait outside. The rest wait here and get ready to shoot anything that looks at you funny."
"But sir, if I shoot you then you'll have me court marshaled!" replied Hammer as he chuckled.
The lieutenant chuckled for a second, then he drained his face of emotions and simply replied: "Hilarious." The squadron immediately slit up, making sure to keep their weapons ready in case of action.
The leader entered the kitchen, and to his surprise found two bodies. One was a mercenary clad in a black flak vest, the other was clearly Lord Gold Bar. The noble was clad in the most expensive casual suit money could buy, and his hands appeared to be glued to a small disk on the floor. His men soon sounded off the all clear signal, allowing the lieutenant a sign of relief. The kitchen counter was a little damaged, but what brought his attention was a small plastic brown owl standing with over a small piece of paper.
"All right kids, take these two back to the carriage. It looks like someone else did our jobs." he ordered as he began reading the note:
Lieutenant, this flash drive contains all the necessary to incriminate Gold Bar for all the crimes that he has been charged with this night. You will not find Vinyl Scratch though, I have already sent her far away from Canterlot in an attempt to lure out the more powerful forces controlling this poor idiot I have left in your care.
"Serpent, get me the comm link." he said as he pocketed the owl and note. The medic handed him the large black brick. After fiddling with the dials The blue-haired officer finally had the thing working. "This is Apple Lead, anyone copy?"
"Yes lieutenant, we copy."
"Could you please tell Shining Armor that his savior Flash Sentry is about to bring him a wedding present? We'll take it to the detention area so he can pick it up." He said with a grin as he turned the comm off. He sighed, thanking deities above that the day had gone without a single hitch. However, his opinion changed the second the windows exploded.
