“Dear Celestia.” Aurora stared gobsmacked at the crater she’d once considered her workplace. Rescue ponies moved with steady purpose to treat or rescue the injured. About twenty ponies worked for Wrecking Ball’s company, and most were either seriously injured or dead. It had been a miracle Aurora hadn’t suffered more serious injuries. Her decision to get a quick breakfast at Supreme Shimmer’s cafe had saved her, though she suffered a shoulder wound from smacking it against the wall. It wasn’t as bad as it appeared, causing some wincing pain, but she could move her front leg without too much difficulty. The medical ponies gave her a quick look over before turning to more serious cases.

“Oh dear Celestia, I’m glad you’re safe!” A limping Brick Layer said.

“What the hay happened?” One minute she was turning a corner only a few hooves from her workplace, the next a massive explosion blew her off her hooves. A thick curtain of smoke covered the premises, making it difficult to breathe. Her eyes stung and she blinked tears to clear them.

“I don’t know!” Brick Layer broke into tears. “I saw Wrecking Ball opening the lock to his office with his keys and next an explosion struck everypony!”

“Wrecking Ball!” Aurora’s heart froze with terror.

Brick Layer gestured to a pony covered with a white sheet and shook his head. “Dead. He was the closest to the explosion.” Death was cheap in the wasteland, which came quickly and without warning. Yet, nopony was unphased by this shocking act of senseless destruction.

“How is it these things keep happening? First the break-in, now this!” The Cosas observing the rescue effort said. “It has to be the same pony!”

“Why here, though?” Bentgrass replied. “There’s nothing of value here for the serial killer.” Rescue ponies dragged somepony else from the wreckage and recognized it as Acrylic. He wasn’t breathing.

Acrylic had been on Aurora’s suspect list. The three remaining ponies on her list weren’t better off. One suffered serious burn injuries, barely clinging to life.

“What a disaster. Like my luck could get any worse. Oh, Wrecking Ball...” Topple’s voice trailed off, sounding both lost and confused. For ten years, she’d been with Wrecking Ball working on a myriad of projects. She’d suffered a steel beam falling on her. Despite her multiple broken ribs, the earth pony appeared better than most.

“We can get through this.” Brick Layer placed a concerned hoof on Topples’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, we can find work elsewhere!” He forced a smile, trying to make the best of a terrible situation.

“Sunny Days! No!” A mare forced herself through several Cosas, bending down towards a mare who had suffered serious burns from the explosion. The Cosas protested for several moments, leaving the mare alone.

“Dear Celestia. I wonder if she’ll even survive the night.” Brick Layer’s voice held no emotion, too stunned by the tragedy.

“Jerry Rigger.” Sunny Days grabbed the mare’s hoof holding it close. Ponies hauled her away towards the hospital, and Jerry Rigger held her wife’s hoof with every step.

The part of her mind not numb by the day’s events noted the mare had also been on Robin’s suspect list. Had the killer inflicted damage on themselves to deflect attention? Another horrible realization struck her. This would also provide the perfect excuse to skip town without anypony suspecting them. No company, no work. Heck, the killer might have got themselves stupidly killed by the explosion. Or Robin’s suspect list might have been plain wrong. She sagged, defeated. They had ruined her entire plan, leaving her lost and hopeless.

She wandered through the motions and found herself in the bar drinking whisky directly from the bottle. A portion of Aurora’s mind reminded her that Robin still remained captive in Wrecking Ball’s basement, but she ignored it. The pesky stallion could wait. What she’d even do with him, Aurora hadn’t a clue. She was no torturer.

“Were you close?” Brick Layer asked. The stallion winced as he moseyed into the chair next to her. He’d been luckier than most, also only getting knocked hard into a wall, but the healing potions hadn’t helped much with his injuries. It was a marvel he was still standing.

“Huh?” Her tipped bottle drained some of its contents on her lap, which she ignored, not caring if she smelled of booze.

“To the boss.” Brick Layer said, clarifying his question. “You hadn’t known him long. This is the wasteland. Ponies die all the time.”

Callous bastard. How can he remain so cheerful after everything that has happened? Jerry Rigger had survived, but the damage to her lungs was significant. She’d need a breathing apparatus for the remainder of her life. The stallion had been laughing with his friends before checking on Aurora.

“No, it’s just my life has turned into complete horse manure!” Aurora replied, not hiding her bitterness. “It’s made my job ten times more annoying and complicated.”

Only Wrecking Ball knew her Enclave contacts on the surface. Despite being in deep cover, this forced her to reestablish contact with her bosses and explain the debacle. They wouldn’t look too fondly on this bumble. Her current intel on the mysterious stand user group was pathetic. It was possible the serial killer had some connection with them, but that had only been an unproven theory. Yet, what choice did she have? Her knowledge of the surface world was pitiful.

She froze, catching the quizzical expression on Brick Layer’s face. The drink was interfering with her better judgment, almost spilling everything by a careless accident. Aurora groaned and slammed her head against the counter in frustration. She needed to get home to rethink her strategy. Her behavior was unseemly for an Enclave officer. She’d finish the bottle, then go to bed to sleep it off.

It wasn’t close to dark yet, but Aurora didn’t care. Robin could wait till morning. Brick Layer and her other bar friends wished her well and promised they’d help her find new work. Wrecking Ball’s company was in limbo with some confusion about who owned it. Control would likely transfer to Cosas themselves. Not that Aurora gave a toss.

It pained her that the killer had escaped her grasp. Her heroic efforts had been nothing but a waste. The Enclave was right about the wasteland being a lost cause impossible to fix. The sight of Cosas running around sickened her. The fact these criminals ran everything was an insult. She kicked a trash can over in frustration. What a foal she’d been thinking she had any capability of solving a murder. Aurora understood she was wallowing in self-pity, but couldn’t help herself.

Aurora glanced at the ruined work area on the outskirts of down. The explosion had scattered dust and debris everywhere, and ponies were still cleaning up after it. The killer had bested her efforts. The damage from a railgun would be indistinguishable from an explosion after healing potions. Pointless. Aurora froze as her slurred mind caught something. She’d overlooked something. Aurora’s intoxicated mind cleared itself as it whirled with the possibilities.

Hold on. Healing potions are potent healers, but they still have their limits. Consuming too many was dangerous, even lethal. They overworked the heart until the subject suffered a heart attack. If the explosion injured the killer, drinking more healing potions was a significant risk. It required several hours for the powerful healing liquid to clear the bloodstream.

Aurora slapped herself hard against the head. She knew the killer! The stallion had also been on Robin’s list. After the explosion, the medical ponies had passed him some healing potions, but she’d never seen them touch his lips.

I’m such an idiot! The killer is Brick Layer! I thought he seemed too injured for someone that had drunk some healing potions! The stallion knew where the company kept their explosives. For such a senior member of the company, setting up the accident wouldn’t have been difficult, Wait, why did he start killing ponies now? Was this connected to the strange alien skull?

Aurora darted through the streets for Brick Layer’s apartment. Any remaining intoxication had evaporated, becoming fiery determination. While reckless, she didn’t care, too pissed off to think rationally. Besides, his injuries would make him easy prey. After killing the murderous bastard, she’d figure out how to escape Zinnia unseen. Nopony walked the streets as she darted through town, ignoring the protest of her injured body. Most ponies had volunteered to help clear the explosion’s damage. Brick Layer lived in a more remote part of Zinnia, probably by design to make his dark clandestine activities easier. Her steps froze as a pony walked out of the shadows before her.

“Hello, Aurora.” Spring Rain said. “Mind if I have a few words?”

“What is it?” Aurora replied, annoyed. Why had this bothersome mare appeared now?”

“It’s only for a little experiment.” Spring Rain began circling her. “Only take a moment.”

“What are you?” Aurora jumped and summoned her stand as something flew towards her and blocked the attack. Pain burned through her hooves as her stand took the full brunt of the attack.

“What the?” Aurora wincing after putting weight on her legs after regaining her hoofing.

“Ah, so Robin was right.” Spring Rain’s eyes glittered with excitement. “You are a stand user.”

Behind the unicorn was a silvery figure. Its armor was ridiculously skimpy and flashy, nothing capable of protecting any pony’s vital parts. Its helmet covered its eyes, shaped like a heart. It posed behind the mare standing in a ludicrous and lurid pose.

Another stand user?! She cursed, realizing this must be the Knights of the Heaven’s contact in the city. Her eyes sparkled, realizing this must be her ticket inside the organization. If she’d known it’d be this easy, she would’ve revealed her stand power sooner. Aurora had to pick her next words carefully.

“Right, and what’s it to you?” Aurora said, pretending she didn’t already suspect the mare’s identity.

Spring Rain shrugged. “Oh, nothing. I’m just curious about what your deal is? Robin thinks you’re dangerous. Are you the killer who’s been terrorizing the city?”

Aurora snorted, insulted. “Of course not! I just arrived in town! Obviously!” She cursed, realizing she’d allowed her emotions to run out of control. Something about this mare irritated her, and Spring Rain knew it. The mare loved pushing the buttons of everypony around her.

“Robin doesn’t freak out over nothing.” Spring Rain continued to study Aurora, who shifted awkwardly, not liking the level of scrutiny. “Raider spy? No, you’re too straight-laced and dull. Steel Rangers? No, you aren’t self-righteous enough.”

“I’m not anypony,” Aurora replied, her voice tight in agitation.

“A rival gang, maybe? No, that doesn’t fit either.” Spring Rain’s eyes sparkled with an idea, after gazing upon Aurora's wings. “Enclave.”

Spring Rain forced herself not to react, but her eyes twitched for a moment. Somehow, this small confirmation was enough of the odd mare.

“I knew it! I sensed the military from you. Enclave is snooping around! It makes sense. They seclude themselves in the clouds, but having eyes on the ground never hurts.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Aurora said, her voice bland, but her mind raced.

“Why you though?” Spring Rain continued. “You really suck at your job. You aren’t hard-edged enough for the Wasteland and stick out like a broken horseshoe. Wrecking Ball, however, he actually fit. Even I never suspected he might be a spy. Why did the Enclave send an incompetent like you?”

Aurora had enough. Whatever this mare wanted, it didn’t matter. Spring Rain was dead, regardless. Without Wrecking Ball, getting information from a mare this nuts would be almost impossible. She wondered if the mare was behind those strange spontaneous combustion cases. Nevermind, Spring Rain’s things might contain something leading to her employers. Without warning, Aurora’s stand struck at blinding speed towards the mare’s stand.

Once Aurora disabled Spring Rain’s stand, the mare herself wouldn’t be an issue. Aurora already withdrew her combat knife. From a glance, it was obvious her opponent was no fighter. Aurora’s combat training made the fight a foregone conclusion. Whatever Spring Rain’s stand power was, it didn’t matter. She’d struck before her opponent activated it. Much to her shock, her stand slowed almost a crawl. Her own movements were sluggish, like she was moving through molasses.

Spring Rain, however, was unaffected and simply stepped aside. Aurora gasped as her body darted forwards tripping over itself at breakneck speed, crashing into a nearby trash can. Spring Rain clapped in amusement as Aurora found herself covered in trash.

Aurora gasped in pain as her opponent’s stand landed a blow into Aurora’s stand’s sternum. Aurora’s stand tried dodging, but her ghost slowed to a crawl, unable to dodge anything. She spluttered blood from her mouth and gasped, crawling away from her opponent. Wounds inflicted on stands transferred to their owner.

“Thing is Aurora,” Spring Rain purred, “my stand, Black Dog, has the power to control time.”

---

“Ray! Scavenger!” Break yelled through the rumble but received no reply, and she frowned. Somehow, she’d survived the tunnel collapse, but found herself completely engulfed by the fallen ceiling. Her stand was protecting her from getting crushed to death, but it left her in this dire state.

Her eyes saw nothing but darkness, fearing the worst. The explosion had caused so much damage. Were her friends even alive? It had been a frantic rush to protect herself from the fire explosion as everything collapsed around her. Had Ray dragged Scavenger to safety? What if they ran across some Steel Rangers? Aurora feared what she'd discover if she went searching.

Her breathing was ragged, feeling the earth’s crushing weight around her, Break’s stand the only thing protecting her from a sudden, painful death. Somehow, the tiny space contained enough breathable air. A small breeze blew from some rocks to her right. In her estimation, it was the best direction to start digging. It sounded cold-hearted, but her only recourse was to worry about saving her own neck for now. She’d uncover what happened to her friends later.

Break tapped a rock with her stand and froze, fearing what might happen if she disrupted the rock. What if there wasn’t any escape? And Steel Rangers still roamed about somewhere.

After Break strengthened her resolve, Good Times, Bad Times chipped away at the rock with one hoof while holding rock with the other. Her gravity powers created a small bubble that pushed the debris away, helping the effort. She stopped every few moments, checking the stability of the surrounding rock, terrified every moment was her last. The wind became stronger as she picked herself free.

With a grateful gasp, she poked her head from the collapsed rubble, using the light of her PipBuck to shine the path before her. Her Eyes Forward Sparkle detected some red dots ahead, but nothing was in the immediate vicinity. Were those red dots monsters or ponies? Her eyes picked out broken eggs, smashed by falling rocks and a green viscous liquid oozed from their shells. No pit vipers were in sight, no doubt scared away by the ceiling collapse. After checking the coast was clear, Break slunk out of the rock. Her thin frame pushed herself free and Break almost sobbed with relief.

A shining light struck her face, causing her to recoil in pain from the blinding light. Her heart sank as Steel Rangers rounded a corner from the end tunnel. Their metal armor gleaned from the light blazing from their helmets.

“Or for Celestia’s sake.” One Steel Ranger exclaimed. “You’re still alive?”

“Situation, Grape Juice?” Another Steel Ranger asked, and four more Steel Ranger popped into view.

Break realized the Rangers from earlier must have contacted their allies after the tunnel collapse. The soldiers stared at Break in momentary shock The moment of surprise ended as abruptly as it appeared, and ponies swore before aiming their guns towards Break’s head.

“Luck of a demon, but you won’t escape now.” The pony who Break presumed was the leader said. At this range with such quick and destructive weapons, Good Times Bad Time would provide little protection against these maniacs.

Yet, Break refused to die so easily. Before the captain ordered the other Steel Rangers to open fire, Good Times Bad Times jabbed into him with its full strength. Since the armored ponies couldn’t see stands, the unexpected attack, momentarily stunned them into inaction. Break used this opportunity to fly towards the narrow ceiling.

The Steel Rangers raised their weapons in retaliation, but Break realized she could take advantage of the close quarters and lack of room. She used her stand to push the Rangers into each other, messing up their line of shot. In moments she had them stumbling over themselves. Their powerful power armor protected them from even her stand’s blows, but it made them slow and bulky, unable to match her speed at this close range. They cursed as Break had already turned the corner as they regained their bearings.

“No, you idiot, don’t use that here.” The Captain yelled behind her. “You collapse the tunnel on top of us!”

Her satisfaction at fleeing her foes was short-lived, and another squad of the Ranger blocked the tunnel before her. Unlike their fellows, Break running along the ceiling didn’t surprise them and they raised their weapons, ready to tear her to shreds. They stood on top of a platform used for arriving and departing. Steel Rangers dashed down the staircase, getting into position for a killing blow. From a glance she noticed they held weapons with explosive rounds, making defecting them with Good Times Bad Times useless.

Break kept her movements erratic, using her stand to make herself a harder target. Her ears rang and heat blasted against her back as the rounds exploded on the ceiling behind her. She deflected any railgun rounds amongst the utter chaos of the fire. Break winced as pain stung an ear as she missed a round, and blood oozed down the side of her head. While she was keeping them at bay, she couldn’t stay here forever.

This gave her two options. Fly up the boarding platform past the Steel Ranger to outside, or continue down the tunnel further into the subway system. After a moment’s consideration, Break flew further down the tunnel, hoping she’d reunite with her friends. It was a small hope, but one she clung to with desperate urgency. She hoped the Ranger’s bulky armor would slow them enough to reunite with her allies. Besides, Break wasn’t sure how she’d defeat these jerks. Their power armor made them too difficult to hurt. Maybe Scavenger’s stand, Free Bird, might have the capacity to slice through that thick metal. She winced as a bullet scraped against a back leg, but disappeared into the darkness before the Steer Rangers could stop her.

---

“There she goes.” Paladin Bumper gave a deep sigh, watching as the Black Cat turned midair, disappearing down a nearby service shaft.

The Senior Paladin would have his head if they didn’t kill their target. Thankfully, he’d learn how useless the Black Cat’s mutant powers were against their armor. The power armor absorbed her blows without difficulty and the internal systems pumping healing potions and painkillers directly into their bloodstream made the threat of physical trauma null. Yet, Bumper couldn’t help but worry. This mare slaughtered hundreds of ponies against impossible odds. The Black Cat was a monster beyond anything they’d faced before. Thanked Celestia his dome-like helmet hid his worried face.

“That’s your plan, chase her around the tunnels?” An unfamiliar voice said. Bumper turned to discover a unicorn mare watching the scene with a bored and annoyed expression. “You’re playing into her every strength.”

Bumper didn’t appreciate the mare’s tone and wasn’t in the mood for distractions. “Move along, civilian. This doesn’t concern you.” Two of his Ranger moved towards the mare, ready to pressure the mare into finding her business elsewhere.

“You aren’t stand users. What use are you to somepony of the Black Cat’s powers?” The mare continued, ignoring the Ranger who grabbed a leg. “Only stand users can kill stand users.”

Everypony froze, stunned by the mare’s words. Bumper regained his composer and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Explain, what are these stand powers?” Dear Celestia, were there more mutant ponies like the Black Cat?

“Better I show you.” Everypony watched the mare in bafflement as she withdrew a piece of yellow wallpaper and presented it towards a guard accosting her. The Ranger staggered and screamed. Her head whipped around like invisible demons were attacking her from every direction, muttering incoherently. As sudden as the bizarre display started, his Ranger shook her head and regained her senses.

“What did you do to me?” His Ranger demanded and pointed her railgun towards the mysterious mare’s head, who watched with an unimpressed expression.

“That’s my stand power, So What.” A cruel smile formed on the mare’s face. “You can call me Lucky, and I’m your best damn chance against the Black Cat. I want her dead too. I can’t defeat her alone, but I think together we can win.”

Bumper’s mind raced, considering the implications. Another mutant? Deep with Lucky’s eyes, he sensed her genuine hatred for the Black Cat. She would be a worthy ally. Yet, protocol would never allow this. The correct call was shooting her head and presenting her body to the Scribes for analysis. Instead, he extended a hoof which the mare took much to the other Ranger’s surprise and alarm. He was breaking several rules of their orders, but Bumper’s instinct told him they’d need this mysterious mare to win. Besides, her knowledge of stand would be invaluable.

“Very well. I’ll enjoy working with you. The Steel Rangers could use a mare of your talents.”

“What the heck, I might actually join you guys. Got nowhere else to go.” Pain flashed in Lucky’s eyes, but it disappeared, turning into smothering anger. “Let’s go kill that whorse first.”