Leap of Faith

by A bag of plums


Blurred Lines

“I’m bringing it up, Dewdrop,” Velvet Breeze alerted the older Assassin as she opened Frigid Night’s email.

Dewdrop walked over, tossing her blue coat over one shoulder as she bent down to look at the lines of text, along with a photograph of their next target.

“Citrus Drops,” Dewdrop read aloud. “The Templars’ media spokesperson… Daughter of deceased Templar, Cough Drops… We already know all this.”

“Well…” Velvet scrolled down, seeing all these notes about their target for the first time. “She’s got family in Canterlot, non-Templar affiliated.”

“Yeah, well, most Templars have outside family,” Dewdrop folded her arms with a snort. “Doesn’t stop us from killing them. They deserve it.”

Velvet went on. The dossier also said Frigid was the Assassin that killed her father and she took his place soon after. Her mother was divorced, living in Canterlot with her younger sister, whom Citrus was very close too.

Velvet was unsure. She didn’t want to take someone’s family member away from them. It didn’t sit right with her.

Dewdrop seemed to sense Velvet’s confusion and sat down beside her. “I know it sounds bad and everything, but these Templars picked their side long before. Remember that. They chose this life. They know their risks and so do we.”

“I guess you’re right, Dewdrop…” Velvet sighed and scratched her hair. “But when you think about it, it kinda gets to you.”

“That’s because you haven’t killed enough of them, Velvet. You haven’t become cold and jaded like us…” Dewdrop seemed to shrink beside the young girl.

“You’re not cold, Dewdrop,” Velvet patted her shoulder. “You have feelings. I’m sure High Noon would think the same if he was still here…”

“Yeah, he would…” Dewdrop sighed and looked away. “Hmm… I wish he was here right now, actually.”

“I miss him too,” Velvet pulled the end of her coat. “High Noon’s always there to cheer me up, even when I didn’t need it.”

“He was, wasn’t he?” Dewdrop smiled slightly, thinking back.

“And he was there for you too,” Velvet blushed, remembering walking in on the two Assassins a few times. “Umm… You know, with all the, umm… Stuff you two do.”

Dewdrop bent back with laughter, only stopping when her head began to hurt again. “Ouch… You’re right, Velvet. He was always there to make me feel better. Don’t you worry, though. We haven’t done anything past kissing. Welllll… there were some exceptions...” Dewdrop smirked. “But even then, we didn’t get very far.”

“Oh, umm… Th-that’s good… I think…”

“But yeah,” the older Assassin slouched forward and blew at her fringe. “I miss him. I wish we left off on better terms. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so critical of him. He was just looking out for me.”

Velvet Breeze didn’t know how to brighten up their conversation. She did indeed miss the cheerful Appleloosan Assassin. High Noon would always talk to her awkwardly, especially when Dewdrop was around, bringing a smile or laugh to the young girl’s face. She’d also noticed that Dewdrop would be nicer after spending time with the cowboy. Even Frigid Night seemed to have gotten worse with Noon’s absence. Without High Noon, Velvet didn’t know how long the Brotherhood was going to hold out for, but she hoped it was at least long enough until Sunset and her friends were safe once again.

“I-I need another drink…” Dewdrop broke the silence, heading over to the small kitchen. “Why don’t you pull up Frigid’s plans, Velvet? See where this Citrus Drops is going to be?”

Velvet nodded silently and pulled up the second email, clicking on Frigid’s name at the top. From what she could gather from his information, Citrus Drops was going to be out, needing to speak to the media about Talon’s demise, which was likely all over the news by now.

This was their chance to get her. To cut off the Templars’ ties with the media. Without Citrus, they’d have to act much more discreetly, unless they wanted to blow their cover.

Velvet sighed. Whether she liked it or not, Citrus Drops was going to have to die. She had family, but so did Sunset and her friends.


Velvet Breeze watched as Dewdrop slung her swords and a strange gun-like object over her back before pulling her grey hood low over her eyes, keeping most of her face in the shadows. The young Assassin did the same, tightening her slingbag across her back to make sure it wouldn’t flail around too much when they were traveling.

She pulled her hood over her head and nodded to Dewdrop. “All set.”

The sun had already began to set in the sky by the time the Assassins left the safehouse, immediately rushing across to the start of the city block before using the pipes and uneven bricks to climb up to the roof.

Snow had stopped falling from the sky for the time being, but Velvet didn’t expect the skies to be clear for very long.

From what Frigid had sent them, Citrus Drops had a room in the Board building where she gave her reports and news to the media. After Talon’s demise, that’s where she was going to be and that was where Velvet and Dewdrop were going to strike. The news reporters were definitely going to be gone before dark, which would leave a little window in between before Citrus herself were to leave the media room.

“Are you sure we’ll make it there at the right time?” Velvet asked as she hoisted herself over a condenser, flipping around and landing on the other side with barely a sound. “What if we miss it? What then?”

“We’ll make it,” was all Dewdrop said as she grabbed the side of a raised wall, climbing up to the top of it before looking back. “We always do.”

The two Assassins made their way over various obstacles, moving from roof to roof as they pushed closer towards the Board of Education’s main building. The email had mentioned Citrus’ office was at the highest floor, which made the Assassins’ job much easier.

“How’re you holding up, Velvet?” Dewdrop asked as she vaulted over to the next building, stopping with a roll, beckoning for Velvet to do the same.

The young Assassin gathered her strength and ran hard, leaping at the last second, sailing in the air for a while before landing on the other side in a short run. Her leg still hurt a little, but it wasn’t enough to stop her from doing what she needed to do.

“I’m handling it,” Velvet huffed as she straightened her hood. “What about you?”

“Nothing a little drink won’t cure after this is over,” the blue haired Assassin patted her friend on the head before continuing their run.

Just as the sun’s rays began sinking below the tallest buildings, Velvet Breeze and Dewdrop found themselves standing on a smaller building, just across the headquarters of the Board of Education.

“So, how do we get across now?” Velvet looked down at the busy streets.

The Board building was well placed, keeping away from any rooftops, situated in the center of surrounding buildings, just like a park in the city.

“Well…” Dewdrop coughed and unslung the gun she’d brought earlier. “I happened to find this in the safehouse. Figured it’d come in handy for reaching our destination over there.”

“What is it?” Velvet asked, inspecting the gun from top to bottom. It was black and long, sort of like a sniper rifle.

“It’s a grapple gun,” Dewdrop held it up in both hands and took aim at the Board building. “You remember Trueshot? I’m pretty sure this belonged to him. It basically has his name written all over it. Now, let’s see here…”

She angled the gun high and pulled the trigger, the grappling hook shooting over to the Board building, trailing a length of heavy-duty cable behind it and biting deep in the brickwork. Dewdrop gave it a few tugs to make sure it was secure before tying their end to a girder.

“Looks good,” Dewdrop smiled and turned to her young partner. “I’ll go first. You hang tight, Velvet.”

Attaching a harness to the cable, Dewdrop took a deep breath before sliding down towards the Board building. Velvet watched anxiously as Dewdrop whistled through the air before alighting on the roof of the Board building with a combat roll.

The blue haired Assassin turned around and waved for Velvet to come over. Stepping forward and taking a deep breath, the young Assassin hooked the harness to the cable, holding tightly to the handles.

Here goes nothing…

With a kick, Velvet left the safety of the roof she was on, holding her feet up like she was hovering over lava as she slid down towards Dewdrop, who was already waiting for her with her arms out.

As soon as she was close enough, Velvet unhooked herself and dropped the last few feet, stopping in Dewdrop’s arms. “All good, Velvet?”

“Yeah,” Velvet backed away and took a few steps to calm her shuddering legs. “Now what?”

Dewdrop smirked. “Now, we crack this joint.”

The two Assassins crept across the rooftop, keeping an eye out for any security cameras that might have been placed on the roof. Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any.

There was a fire escape at the far end of the roof, the red-painted door standing out in the dark. Dewdrop tried the handle, but it seemed that this door could only be opened from the inside. Dewdrop cursed under her breath and gave the door a kick.

“Okay,” she said quietly. “We’ll have to find another way in.”

There was a skylight not too far from their location, and Dewdrop wasted no time in checking out the square frame. There was a lock on the skylight’s edge, and Dewdrop smiled.

“Bingo.”

Producing her lockpicking kit, Dewdrop got to work on the skylight, defeating the lock in less than a minute.

Velvet watched Dewdrop stow the kit, giving her a quick clap on the back. “Good one.”

Hoisting the horizontal window up, Dewdrop grinned and pointed at the hole.

“And in we go.”

Following Dewdrop in, Velvet Breeze landed down on a soft blue carpeted floor of a narrow hallway, her training instantly kicking in, her eyes focusing her eagle vision to scan her surroundings for Templars or anyone else.

“Looks good. Most of the people should’ve already gone home.”

Standing from her crouch, Velvet whipped out her knife from her coat, ready to defend herself if the need arose.

“This way,” Dewdrop whispered, silently making her way down the hall. “She should still be here. Keep an eye out for cameras and people.”

The young Assassin followed her, ducking down under a row of office windows, where a set of late workers seemed to be rushing to get their job done so they can head home.

Just at the turning in the hallway, one of the doors pulled open, forcing Dewdrop and Velvet back into one of the other rooms, which thankfully, was open.

Dewdrop closed the door behind them just as a foot emerged from the next doorway, sighing with relief that they weren’t seen.

“Close one, huh?” she smiled and gave her blue fringe a flick.

Only then did both of them notice a woman seated behind a desk, staring dumbfoundedly at both Assassins. She dropped the pen she was holding and froze on the spot, her brown eyes locked on them.

“Um… Hi, there,” Dewdrop said without moving. “Don’t mind us, we’re just waiting for someone.”

The woman tried to get up, but the older Assassin was already on her, swooping over in a blink of an eye, grasping her head in a chokehold. The woman gasped and gagged, reaching behind her to try and dislodge the Assassin.

Velvet, unsure of what to do, simply waited by the door, watching as the woman’s actions began to slow, before her eyes rolled back and her legs gave way. Dewdrop relaxed her grip and placed the woman back in her chair, putting her arms and head down against her desk like she was taking a nap.

“There,” the blue haired woman dusted her hands. “Like we were never here.”

“Is she alright?” the young Assassin inspected the body, unable to find a Templar insignia on her coat. “She’s not a Templar, is she?”

“Well, I suppose that’s why she’s still alive,” Dewdrop shrugged, opening the door a little, peeking back outside. “Eagle vision, Velvet. Remember, it’s more useful than you might think.”

Turning her head left and right, Dewdrop made sure the coast was clear before calling Velvet out, heading around the corner, looking for the media room. They had to creep past another room with a man standing just by the door, checking something out on his phone. Fortunately, whatever it was he was looking at, it had all his attention.

“It should be around here,” Dewdrop whispered after they passed the occupied office, looking from door to door. “Keep your eyes peeled.”

Velvet concentrated again, turning everything around her dark as she searched for her target. There were plenty of white shapes in some of the rooms, but no sign of any red or gold. Velvet raised an eyebrow as she panned her head, unable to find a single hostile person in the immediate area.

“Dewdrop,” the young girl hissed ahead. “Why aren’t there any Templars here? They’re all highlighted grey.”

“I don’t know, but don’t trust it, Velvet. There’s bound to be some here, perhaps even already ready for us.”

There were voices coming from a few of the office rooms ahead. One was talking about putting food on their families and another was talking about how he was really rich, but the one that caught both Assassins’ attention was the one just up ahead at the end of the corridor.

“Thank you very much for the interview. I’m sorry for the loss of Talon. I hope the authorities find whoever was responsible for this… I think we better go. It’s getting dark and we still have to get back and edit all this.”

“Thank you, and please, don’t let me keep you.”

Velvet and Dewdrop looked at each other before ducking to the right into an empty office, quietly closing the door behind them.

“That’s got to be the one,” Velvet said. She turned to Dewdrop, but the older Assassin was busy looking out the window, her pretty face contorting into a frightening scowl. “D-Dewdrop? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Dewdrop replied quickly, her eyes never leaving the door to the media room.

Velvet kept her eagle vision activated, peeking her head up above the door, watching as the media room door opened, letting two people with a camera and notepad leave, probably the news anchors for some TV channel.

“Coast seems clear now,” the blue-skinned Assassin noted.

Before she could ask Dewdrop what they were going to do next, the pale-skinned Assassin was already moving, pushing their door open and crouching along the corridor without a word. Velvet quickened her pace, unable to go at full speed from her leg injury.

Dewdrop pushed the door open quickly, startling two people in the room with her sudden appearance. One was highlighted red, probably a guard, and the other was highlighted gold, letting out a startled yelp upon seeing the Assassin. She had on a pink fur coat of some sort and a beret atop her purple haired head.

Citrus Drops.

The bodyguard whipped out a pistol and a stun rod as Dewdrop sprinted into him, colliding with the guard and knocking the pistol out of his grip. The guard punched Dewdrop, but she ducked under it and did a leg sweep, sending the guard down onto one knee. The man grunted and swiped at Dewdrop with his stun rod, clipping her across the arm and sending thousands of volts through her system.

Velvet watched as Dewdrop spasmed for a moment, but remained in control enough to deliver a vicious kick to the guard’s chin, knocking him and his stun stick away.

Citrus Drops had retreated to a corner, fear written all over her face, both hands covering her mouth as Dewdrop wrestled with her bodyguard, punching him in the face several times. Velvet was about to rush in to help, but Dewdrop had already extended her hidden blade, bringing it down into the man’s chest multiple times, each time a gasp or gurgle emerging from his mouth along with some blood.

“You okay?” Velvet asked, walking into the room and then closing the door behind her, locking it.

“Better than him.” Dewdrop stood up and kicked the body once. “Now, as for this one…” She turned to the cowering Templar media spokesperson in the corner.

“P-Please…” Citrus shook, tears already streaming down the sides of her face. “Wh-why? Why are you doing all t-this?”

“Why?” Dewdrop sheathed her hidden blade and walked up to her, crouching down a few inches away. “Because you Templars deserve it.”

“Tem-Templar?” Citrus shrank back from the Assassin. “Wha-what Templar? I didn’t do anything!”

“Playing dumb isn’t going to help anyone here,” Dewdrop reached forward and grabbed the purple haired woman by her scarf. “Especially not you. Actually, nothing you say is going to help you. Velvet? Come over here.”

“Yes, Dewdrop?” the young Assassin anxiously stepped forward.

“I think it’s time you learn that these people have already made their choice.”

Velvet looked between Dewdrop and Citrus, nervously rubbing at her hands. “I don’t know, Dewdrop…”

“These people deserve to die. They ruined all our lives, Velvet. All they want is world domination, no matter who stands in their way.”

“No, we don’t want world domination,” Citrus sobbed pathetically. “We’re just the Board of Education. We can’t do any of that!”

“You think we’re going to believe you?” Dewdrop pulled harder on the Board member’s scarf, pulling her forward. “You Templars kill and take everyone and everything from us all. You expect us to believe you don’t do all that?”

“Please, I don’t know what you’re talking about! I’m-I’m just the Board’s media spokesperson! I don’t know anything about this Templar business you want!”

Velvet felt like she needed to do something about this. She had never seen Dewdrop like this before. “Dewdrop, maybe we should-”

“Don’t let her fool you, Velvet!” the older Assassin whipped a hand across Citrus Drops’ face. “She’s just lying to save her own skin.”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about!” Citrus wailed, feebly trying to extricate herself from Dewdrop’s iron grip. “Please- I have money; please don’t kill me!”

Velvet didn’t know why, but she believed the woman. Something about her seemed genuine, but then again, why would she work so hard to protect the Templars? The young Assassin just didn’t know what to do.

“Come on, Velvet,” Dewdrop called over with her other hand. “You can do this.”

The young girl looked at her hidden blade and then to the Templar. She looked so terrified, not anything like Wolfgang or Talon. They had made it easy to get into the mood of killing, but Citrus was completely defenceless.

“Please…” Citrus looked to Velvet. “I-I have a younger sister. Please don’t take me away from her! We’ve already lost our father to you killers. Don’t make her lose someone else, please…”

Dewdrop growled. “And how many of us have you Templars killed? Don’t try playing the pity card, you gutless wretch.”

“But I don’t know what you want!”

“That’s an easy one,” Dewdrop glared at her. “We want your end. An end to all you Templars.”

There was a knock at the door, followed by a voice. “Hello? Is someone in there?”

Dewdrop quickly shoved a hand over Citrus Drops’ mouth, while her other gestured for Velvet to remain silent, before grabbing the media spokesperson’s hands.

Velvet stood by the desk as still as a statue, slightly holding her breath as one eye watched the door, expecting it to rattle open at any moment.

Citrus squirmed and tried to yell under Dewdrop’s hand, but the older Assassin clamped harder on her mouth and she stopped, tears sliding down her cheek and onto Dewdrop’s hand.

“Come on, Fax, we should go if we want to be home for dinner,” a female voice outside said.

“Yeah. Must’ve been my imagination,” the first voice replied. Velvet heard footsteps leaving the door. “I thought Citrus was still in there with the newscast or something.”

“I’m pretty sure they’d already left. Come on, I’m starving. Let’s go,” the other voice said, fading away.

After a few more seconds of silence, with the exception of muffled whimpers from Citrus, Dewdrop looked to Velvet again, calling her forward with a head motion. “Time to finish here, Velvet.”

Sighing, the young Assassin stepped forward and extended her hidden blade, causing the media spokesperson to struggle more in Dewdrop’s grasp. Velvet Breeze looked into her eyes, raising the blade up, hovering close to her neck, ready to strike.

Even though Dewdrop had a hand over Citrus’ mouth, Velvet could almost imagine what she was saying from the look in her fearful eyes.

Please don’t do this…” It was almost as if Velvet could actually hear her in her mind. “I have family. Please let me go back to them.

Velvet knew what she had to do. If they were going to keep the world the way it was, the Templars had to go, but Citrus… Citrus didn’t feel like a Templar.

The young Assassin paused her arm, holding it back, then slowly lowering it as she sheathed her hidden blade. “I… I can’t do it, Dewdrop. She… She doesn’t deserve it.”

At this, Dewdrop seemed to bristle, her eyebrows coming together.

“She is a Templar. They took your sister away from me. Isn’t that enough of a reason to kill her?”

“B-but… I don’t think she is, Dewdrop,” Velvet looked at the cowering Citrus Drops. True, she did lose her sister to these people, but Citrus was no killer. “Just look at her. I don’t think she knows what’s really going on.”

Citrus shook her head in agreement. Dewdrop slowly removed her hand, wiping Citrus’ spit on her pant leg.

“We’re sorry about all this,” Velvet moved in to help the shaken woman. “But you work for very bad people, Citrus. They’re not just some random Board of Education. They want to control the world and they’ll stop at nothing to get what they want.”

“But… How? The chairman-”

“The chairman isn’t in charge.” Velvet used her eagle vision to make sure Citrus wasn’t hostile. Her gold aura had faded into a grey one, which was a good sign. “You’re all being controlled by someone called Sombra. He’s a terrible man, killing anyone standing in his way.”

“W-What?” Citrus seemed more confused about her own organization than the two Assassins.

“You can’t help him,” Velvet patted her shoulder. “You have to let the world see them for who they really are. If you stop covering for them, they won’t be able to act so openly.”

“Velvet, stop telling her everything,” Dewdrop scowled and folded her arms.

“She needs to know the truth about the people she works for,” Velvet explained, hoping the blue haired Assassin would understand. “The Templars are bad people. Citrus, if you leave this city and the Board, we’ll let you go as long as you stop helping them. Go be with your sister instead.”

Dewdrop frowned as Citrus looked from Assassin to Assassin.

“Y-You mean that? If I just leave town, you won’t kill me?”

“You can’t work for these Templars anymore,” Velvet tried to sound as convincing as you can. “Leave your job. Find a job close to your family, anything that will get you away from this fight.”

“O-Okay…” Citrus wiped at her eyes as the young Assassin helped her stand up. “I-I will. Thank you, thank you for this second chance. I-I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I’ll do just as you said.”

The Assassins stepped aside, allowing Citrus to leave. Velvet watched Dewdrop, afraid that she was going to get yelled at or something, but the other Assassin’s eyes weren’t fixed on her. They were still fixed on Citrus, a fierce scowl forming on her face.

“Dewdrop,” Velvet said softly. “It’s the right thing to do. She’s not really one of them. She’s not hostile.”

The older Assassin didn’t say anything. She simply shoved both hands into her coat pockets and continued to stare at Citrus as she made for the door.

Pulling the door open, Citrus Drops gave Velvet one last nod, one of gratitude, before exiting outside. She had barely left the media room when a loud gunshot blasted right next to Velvet’s ear, making her jump.

Then there were a few more shots as Citrus fell to her knees, cradling her chest; Velvet could see multiple wounds on her back, blood quickly spreading across her pink coat.

“Dewdrop, no!” Velvet yelled, watching the smoking barrel of the blue haired Assassin’s pistol fire three more shots before clicking empty, each bullet puncturing Citrus’ back.

And then the purple haired woman fell back, her glassy eyes staring straight back at Velvet, followed by the sound of footsteps from down the hallway.

“It’s Citrus!” she heard someone yell from outside the room. “She’s been shot! Get security!”

“We need to go. Now.” Dewdrop stowed her pistol and yanked Velvet by the arm, heading for one of the room’s windows.

“Dewdrop, you didn’t… You didn’t have to…” Velvet couldn’t take her eyes off Citrus’ body as she followed the older Assassin.

Dewdrop pulled Velvet along as the thundering footsteps of security guards made themselves known. “Yes, I did.”

Pushing open the window, Dewdrop held it up to let Velvet go first, keeping an eye on the door. The young Assassin crawled up on the windowsill before hopping up and grabbing a pipe, using it to haul herself up to the roof. Reaching the top, she turned around and helped Dewdrop up, the other Assassin just a few seconds behind her.

“Thanks,” she rubbed at her head where her cut was. “Now let’s get out of here, before the heat arrives.”

Deciding that she’d leave the conversation for later, Velvet broke into a jog, running closely behind Dewdrop as they rushed for the opposite side of the building. She didn’t know what happened back in the media room, but she had plenty of questions buzzing about her mind.

Dewdrop went off the building first, diving over at a flagpole where a flock of birds had gathered. Velvet Breeze did the same, feeling the wind blow against her body as she fell towards a dumpster.

She felt bad for giving Citrus hope where there was none, not to mention she was furious and confused by Dewdrop’s actions. When they returned to the safehouse, Velvet hoped she would get the answers she wanted.