//------------------------------//
// Family And Feuds 
// Story: Tainted Silver 
// by Bluecatcinema 
//------------------------------//

In the skies over the country of Haygypt, an airship began to descent upon Cairode. The city was a spectacle of ancient architecture, truly built to last.

Among the ponies aboard the airship was Barbossa Wheatley, Equestrian Senator, and the head of Operation: Paradiso, a peace movement that he created to protect Nightcrawlers, beings with the ability to use dark magic stemming from their DNA, a group that he belonged to.

He was currently on the rear of the ship, speaking into a magic mirror.

“We’ll be touching down in Cairode in a few minutes.” Barbossa declared. “Once we land and make it through security, we should be at the Haygptian Senate building within the hour.”

“Excellent. I can’t thank you enough for doing this, senator.”

“Oh, Elite, you know I cannot pass up a chance to help out a friend.” Barbossa smiled. “Especially with a matter as sensitive as this.”

Indeed, the pony Barbossa was talking to was none other than Elite.

“Of course.” Elite nodded. “I’m afraid our search for Sterling hasn’t yielded much yet. One of our biggest problems is that we have little to no idea who Sterling actually is. If we can learn at least a little bit about his past, we might be able to deduce where Sterling is hiding, and what he intends to do next. That is where you come in.”

“I would assume so. You never really had much luck with politicians.” Barbossa chuckled. “It’s like putting cupcakes and omelettes together... no good for the palette at all.”

"I don't know... that combination actually sounds kind of tasty." Elite joked.

"I'm not surprised." Barbossa snorted. "I've seen what you like to eat..."

"Don't knock it 'til you've try it." Elite declared.

Both stallions chuckled at the joke.

“I just hope you'll be able to get something out of this guy.” Elite frowned, “Ponies like him usually are very tight-lipped when it comes to their personal lives.”

“That’s why you sent me, isn’t it?” Barbossa asked. “Trust me, I know my way around these kind of ponies. I’m sure if I ask nicely, he will gladly share the kind of information you and I are looking for.”

"Here's hoping." Elite nodded. "I’m not expecting much, but any information he shares will help. Let me know what you find out."

"Will do." Barbossa nodded. "Barbossa, out."

Barbossa put away the mirror, and walked to the observation deck.

Waiting for him was none other than Echo Alchemy, the renowned Thestral professor of dark magic, and fellow Nightcrawler. He had been invited by Barbossa to come along on the trip.

“Ah, Barbossa, there you are. Where did you get off to?” Echo asked.

“I just had to check in with Elite.” Barbossa shrugged, holding up the mirror. “Let him know that things were right on schedule.”

"Are you sure that's all?" Echo asked. "You seemed pretty friendly with each other. Maybe you got into an amiable chat?"

"Elite is a good friend, but I strive to keep my professional and social lives separate." Barbossa took a seat. “Now… I bet you're wondering why I had invited you to come with me to Cairode.”

“You said it had something to do with Sterling.” Echo frowned. “To say I was wondering would be an understatement.”

"Well, that much is correct." Barbossa nodded. "The Taskforce is attempting to locate Sterling after he vanished following the attack on Canterlot."

“I don’t understand what this has to do with me.” Echo frowned, “Why not ask Fury?”

“Fury is more useful with the RDL right now.” Barbossa declared. “Besides, as much as I appreciate his dedication as my bodyguard, he can be rather… intimidating.”

“Having seen him in action, I can agree with that.” Echo admitted, “But that doesn’t really answer my first question.”

“Well, there’s two reasons.” Barbossa declared. “First off, Fury was very insistent that I bring somepony along. He’s very protective like that. As for the second reason… well, I figure you might want to meet the pony whom we are meeting at the Senate.”

“Really, who?” Echo frowned, “And what does he have to do with Sterling?”

“Quite a lot actually.” Barbossa declared, “The pony whom we are going to meet is a senator that represents Haygypt. One that goes by the name of Crystal Cross.”

“Cross?” Echo’s eyes widened, “Why does he-”

“Because, Echo.” Barbossa cut him off, knowing what he was going to ask, “Crystal is none other than Sterling’s older  brother.”

Echo’s jaw dropped, his brilliant mind unable to process what he just heard. All that could be processed was the following words.

“What the-”

"Gentlestallions, we are about to land." The pilot's voice announced over the loudspeaker. "Please prepare to disembark."

After the airship landed in the Cairode airfield, Barbossa and Echo took a carriage to the Senate building. Echo was still dumbfounded by what he'd heard.

“Sterling has a brother… he has a brother.” Echo shook his head.

“I assume Sterling never told you, did he?” Barbossa frowned.

“No, he didn’t.” Echo huffed. “For Faust’s sake, I traveled all over the world with the stallion, and I never guessed that he had a brother.”

“Oh, right, you have been here before, haven’t you?” Barbossa realized.

“Twice.” Echo deadpanned. “And let me tell you, neither of those trips was a relaxing excursion.”

"Really, what happened?" Barbossa asked.

“I’ll have to tell you another time.” Echo shook his head solemnly, “Right now, I would like to focus on the matter at hoof…” He glanced at Barbossa, “Why are we talking to his brother, anyhow?”

“Well, as Elite put it, if we are to have any luck at finding Sterling, our best chance was to look into his past. And you know what they say, who else knows a pony better than family?” Barbossa explained.

“A sound and strategic way of going about it, yes.” Echo admitted. “...But do you really think it will help?”

“It’s not like we have many other alternatives.” Barbossa cringed. “As you said all those months ago, Sterling doesn’t want to be found. We need all the help that we can get.”

“Well, if it gets us closer to finding Sterling, then let’s do it.” Echo said firmly.

“You seems determined.” Barbossa noted, “Why is that?”

“Look, Sterling is a criminal, I know that much.” Echo shook his head. “He has to answer for his crimes.” However, his eyes took on a sympathetic look, “But… he was my friend, and these Forefathers are awful ponies. In spite of everything he did, the last thing I want is for him to get killed because of them.”

'His sense of righteousness is admirable.' Barbossa thought. 'Which begs the question of what he'll think if he ever finds out our true reasons for seeking out Sterling...'

“Right.” Barbossa sighed.

Elite had insisted to Barbossa when Barbossa brought up bringing Echo along that Echo was to not be told of their intentions to recruit Sterling rather than arresting him. This was mostly due to his history with Sterling, with Echo already being in the Forefathers’ crosshairs. It was felt that Echo should be allowed to presume they were planning to arrest Sterling, to ensure that Echo did not get dragged in another Forefathers’ plot.

The carriage soon came to a halt in front of the Haygptian senate, as the two disembarked.

"Ah, that Haypgyptian sun..." Echo mused.

"Not my favorite kind of weather, to be honest." Barbossa shrugged.

They entered the building, encountering a receptionist.

"Senator Barbossa Weatley and Doctor Echo Alchemy." Barbossa announced. "We have an appointment with Senator Cross."

The receptionist checked her records.

"Ah, yes." She nodded. "He's waiting for you. Third door on the left, gentlestallions."

"Thank you." Echo smiled.

They made their way to a door with the plaque "Senator C. Cross", and knocked.

"Enter!" A voice replied.

The two stallions entered the office. The room was immaculately tidy, with several security cameras lining the walls. Sitting at his desk, looking at papers, was none other than Crystal Cross. He looked similar to how he did in his youth, save for a well-tailored suit, and a short, well-groomed mane. He glanced up, and noticed the two ponies coming in.

“Ah, Wheatley.” Crystal declared with a grin, standing up and approaching them. “I was expecting you. How have you been?”

“Quite well, Cross.” Barbossa nodded, as he gestured to Echo, “I hope you don’t mind, but I brought a friend. You remember Echo Alchemy?”

“Oh, yes, the famous dark magic researcher from the Crystal Empire.” Crystal nodded, as he held out his hoof. “Pleased to meet you, Echo Alchemy.”

“Likewise, senator.” Echo shook his hoof.

“As good as it is to see you again, I’m afraid this isn’t a social visit.” Barbossa frowned. “Surely, you know why we are here, don’t you?”

“Yes… you told me over the mirror that you wished to ask me about Sterling.” Crystal said firmly.

“Look, I know you aren’t always the most open-” Barbossa began to explain.

“Oh no, it’s perfectly fine.” Crystal cut him off. “I knew this was coming for a while.” He gestured to the seats. “Please take a seat.”

Barbossa and Echo did as such, as Crystal returned to his seat behind his desk.

“...So, you’re Sterling’s older brother.” Echo frowned.

“Unfortunately, that is correct.” Crystal nodded sadly. “You seem a bit surprised.”

“Well, Sterling never told me he had family.” Echo admitted. “Let alone a brother in the Senate.”

"I'm not suprised." Crystal snorted. "Sterling was never one for family. Even less for friends."

"He certainly fooled me..." Echo frowned.

“I heard all about the globe-trekking you went and did with my brother." Crystal remarked. "You went to Chineigh, Rusiaddle, Zebrica, Minostan, Aerovis, Maretonia, Carris… hell, you were here of all places. That must've been fun.”

“If you call getting pursued by your brother that Sterling manipulated, nearly dying constantly at the hooves of corrupted ponies, and finding out that all of that was just to get me laid 'fun', then yeah, we had a ball.” Echo grimaced.

“I’m sorry that my brother dragged you into his nefarious schemes.” Crystal sighed.

“It isn’t your fault.” Echo shook his head. “I just underestimated how clever he was.” He gave a small chuckle. “I mean, as far as I knew, he was just this jock-like royal guard whose greatest achievement was running further than anypony else while carrying a hoofball… never had I thought he would be…” Echo couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought.

“Well, that certainly sounds like my brother.” Crystal muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Echo frowned.

"He's always had a knack for hiding his true intentions." Crystal sneered. "You wouldn't exactly be the first pony he deceived. Believe me, I know how my brother operates better than anypony..."

“That's actually why we're here.” Barbossa declared, “What exactly can you tell us about Sterling that we may not already know? What was life like for you two back then?”

Crystal’s face adopted a pained grimace as he shook his head.

“...I’m not going to lie… our childhood wasn’t so great.” Crystal admitted, “I mean, we came from an upper class background, had servants, the whole kaboodle… but that did nothing to change the stallion Sterling would become.”

“How do you mean?” Echo frowned.

“Well, our parents were never around.” Crystal sighed. “Our mother was always off on some diplomatic meeting, and our father would always be pulling shifts at the hospital. And when they were around…” Crystal trailed off, his face darkened. “Things weren’t easy for us.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Barbossa frowned sympathetically.

“If only that was the worst of it.” Crystal declared. “While things were difficult for us, no one took it harder than Sterling. My poor brother… he had problems… lots of it. He was bitter, cold and resentful. I tried my best to look after him all those years, but I could only do so much. It was much worse for Gold.”

“Gold?” Echo asked in confusion.

“Golden Cross.” Crystal clarified. “He was our youngest brother.”

“...Sterling had another brother?” Echo gaped.

“Oh yes.” Crystal nodded, “And if any of us had it worse than Sterling, it was Gold. He was mom’s favorite, and Sterling hated him for it. He would torment the poor little guy whenever he had the chance. I could never leave Sterling alone with him.”

“Was Sterling really like that?” Echo murmured.

“Indeed.” Crystal shook his head with dismay, “I remember every awful thing Sterling did to Gold. Breaking his trombone, killing his pet gerbil... One time, I found him standing over Gold, screwdriver in hoof. I can still hear Gold’s screams, and see the look in Sterling’s eyes when he was doing it. There was something… dark… behind those eyes. One second later, it was gone, and he was my little brother again… but I can never forget those eyes.”

Echo was barely able to comprehend what he was hearing.

'I can't believe it.' He thought. 'I knew Sterling was bad, but this? It's unconscionable...'

“To make matters worse, Sterling would tell our parents that I forced him to do it. Every single time.” Crystal sighed, “I tried my absolute hardest to look out for both Gold and Sterling. But Sterling… he only grew worse over time. He began acting out: breaking family heirlooms, messing with the servants... He even started to go after me. It got to a point where our parents had to send Sterling away to this military school over in Deerbai, hoping it would straighten him out.”

“...And did it?” Echo asked, even though he knew the answer.

“Faust, no.” Crystal grunted. “He only broke out, hitchhiked all the way back home, and burned our family’s home to the ground! Our parents were thankfully out of town… but I wasn’t so lucky. I was in there when he set the place aflame. I barely got out of there with my life.”

“No… Sterling wouldn’t have…” Echo murmured to himself.

“I assume this is when Sterling was incarcerated?” Barbossa asked.

“Yes. Our parents were at their wits’ ends with Sterling. And this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Crystal sighed, “Sterling was shipped off to juvie, and my parents were going to have him charged with attempted murder. I tried reasoning with them, but they were set in their ways. But then… Sterling just vanished.”

“Vanished?” Echo asked

“Yeah. Right out of juvie.” Crystal explained, “According to the warden there, a bunch of guys in body armor came in and took him. Ever since then, none of us had heard from him… until the incident with one Synchro Alchemy.”

“Right… Project: Maelstrom…” Echo frowned.

"Exactly." Crystal snarled. "I wish I could say I was surprised to hear Sterling was mixed up in all that, but I wasn't. My brother already disgraced our family name, but it seems that was just the opening act. he was a power-hungry piece of filth..."

Echo clenched his hooves under the table.

"...Never had a good thing to say about anypony..." Crystal continued.

"…You're one brave stallion, Alchemy." Echo recalled Sterling telling him once.

"...There were no lows he wouldn't stoop to in order to save his cowardly hide..." Crystal spat.

"Well, if you want to kill me, then do it. I won't blame you. It's what I deserve." Echo remembered Sterling saying those words as he had him at crystal spike-point.

"...He always got a kick out of hurting others, like he didn't even consider the outcome of his actions..." Crystal sneered.

"I took no joy in hurting all those ponies, but I did what I thought was necessary."

Echo's thoughts reflected on his meeting with Sterling after the truth came out. Echo didn't want to admit it at the time, but he now knew that Sterling was being sincere. Crystal's words were like bile in Echo's throat.

“Trust me, the only pony Sterling ever cared about, was himself-” Crystal scowled,

“Enough!” Echo suddenly barked.

“Echo!” Barbossa gasped in surprise.

“Mr. Alchemy, is everything alright?” Crystal frowned, a bit perturbed.

“No. No, it is not.” Echo muttered, “Senator. I know you must think the worst of your brother… but the pony you described to me… it’s not Sterling.”

“Excuse me?” Crystal glared, “Are you calling me a liar?”

“I spent several months with this stallion!” Echo growled. “In all that time, I never saw any of the traits you described to me in him. Nor has my wife.”

“So you’re saying you know Sterling better than me?” Crystal challenged.

“I’m saying that at a point, Sterling and I were friends.” Echo declared firmly, “I know he wouldn’t have done these things. I know it!”

Crystal stared at Echo, with an annoyed glare… before letting out a sigh.

“...Well, Echo, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.” Crystal said matter-of-factly… before frowning at the Thestral. “Answer me this, Professor. If you know Sterling so well… did you know he had two brothers? When you first met him?”

“...No.” Echo admitted.

“Did you know that he was a part of these Forefathers, before he revealed himself to you?” Crystal added.

“No, but that’s-” Echo started

"Did you know he had manipulated innocents into corrupting themselves with dark magic?" Crystal growled.

"No, I-" Echo spluttered.

"Did you know he was willing to sell out anypony near him to get ahead?" Crystal leaned forward, his face inches from Echo's. "Did you know he terrorized his own family? Tortured his own brother?"

“Crystal, please.” Barbossa urged.

“Did you know that Sterling would willingly and knowingly sacrifice your brother, just to fulfill his own goals?!” Crystal yelled.

Echo felt a lump in his throat, as he tried to come up with a rebuttal… but the memory of his brother, and the words Sterling had once said about ‘making sacrifices’ resurfaced within his mind. Defeated, he lowered his head.

“...No. No, I did not.” He murmured.

“You are welcome to not believe me, Mr. Alchemy.” Crystal sat down. “But trust me when I say that you need to rethink everything you might ‘know’ about Sterling. If there is one thing I know about my brother, underneath every lie he tells is another lie.”

Crystal leaned back in his seat, letting out a sigh.

“Faust knows how many lies of his I had unravel in my lifetime…”

Echo abruptly stood up.

"Excuse me." He said in a strangled tone.

Echo solemnly marched out of the room.

“I am really sorry about my friend, Cross.” Barbossa declared. “He did not mean any disrespect.”

“I know.” Crystal sighed, “Honestly, I can understand how Sterling could had fooled a intelligent pony such as Echo.”

“...Really?” Barbossa frowned.

“That’s the thing with Sterling. With all the lies he tell, he always find somepony to believe them. Echo is unfortunately one of them, and he played him like a fiddle.”

“Yes… still, I wish you hadn’t been so harsh just then.” Barbossa said firmly.

“I only did it for his own benefit.” Crystal defended. “How do you think it would look if the professor is defending an enemy of the state? It would be political suicide. The sooner he stops believing Sterling’s lies, the better off he’ll be.”

"I suppose you're right." Barbossa admitted.

"Of course I am." Crystal said smugly.

“Well, Crystal, you've given me and the RDL much to deliberate.” Barbossa stood up. “I’m sure this will help us in finding Sterling. Thank you for all your help.”

“All my help?” Crystal scoffed, “I’m planning to do a lot more than that.”

“What are you talking about?” Barbossa frowned.

“Come on, you don’t actually expect me to sit back while my brother is out there committing some kind of atrocity, do you?” Crystal asked, “Once we are done here, I will be contacting Equestria, and offer them mine and Haygypt’s full support in apprehending Sterling.”

“That is kind of you, Crystal, but it’s not necessary-” Barbossa tried to reason.

“Like Tartarus it isn’t.” Crystal scowled, “Sterling is my brother, yes. But he’s also a traitor, to both Equestria and Haygypt. I intend to bring Sterling back here and have him tried here.”

“But Crystal, we have the situation under control.” Barbossa declared, “We shouldn’t need any help finding one stallion.”

“If that was the case, Sterling wouldn’t had broken out of your custody.” Crystal sneered, “My brother needs to answer for his actions, and I will personally make sure that he never bring a pony to harm again.” He then glared intensely at Barbossa, “Unless you have a problem with that, Wheatley.”

Barbossa glanced at Crystal for a moment… only to let out a sigh.

“Well, in that case…” Barbossa sighed, as he pulled out a business card. “Let me at least give you the phone number for the RDL. There’s no need to get Celestia or any of the royals involved, right?”

“I agree.” Crystal gave a smirk. “Faust knows they're probably still reeling from that attack months ago. A giant metal spider… how absurd...”

“I know, right?” Barbossa nodded as he turned to leave. “Well, I gotta go and catch up with Echo. Thank you for meeting with us.”

“Anytime, Wheatley.” Crystal grinned. “...Anytime.”

After departing from Crystal's office, Barbossa found Echo standing in the corridor. He had taken off his glasses, and was looking at the floor, his eyes misty.

“Echo?” Barbossa asked tentatively.

Echo cast a sideways glance at Barbossa, as he rubbed his eyes, replacing his glasses.

“I’m sorry about that, Barbossa. I shouldn’t said anything.” Echo muttered.

“Look, Crystal shouldn’t had badgered you like that.” Barbossa frowned. “You were only trying to defend Sterling.”

“But he was right, Barbossa.” Echo stifled a growl. “I mean, I thought I knew Sterling. Sure, he betrayed me and Sunset, but he made it clear that he regretted it… but for all I know, that was just another one of his lies.”

“Echo, I know what Crystal said left a poor taste in your mouth.” Barbossa declared sympathetically. “But maybe there’s an explanation for all this.”

“Even if there is, how do I know what is true and what isn’t?” Echo scowled, “Before today, I knew Sterling was a liar, but at least I knew where he stood. But now… I don’t know who he is anymore. And chances are, I might never know.”

"Don't give up so easily." Barbossa told him. "We'll discover the truth eventually."

“Barbossa…” Echo began. “I need you to be completely honest with me… am I just fooling myself?”

“Whatever do you mean?” Barbossa questioned.

“In thinking that there is any good in Sterling?” Echo asked.

“Echo…” Barbossa murmured.

“You know, when Shining came to our house to tell me and Sunset that Sterling was a part of Project: Titanfall, Sunset wouldn’t believe it.” Echo sighed. “Out of the both of us, Sunset never stopped caring about Sterling, even in spite of all the awful things he did. She went as far as going to see him behind my back.”

“Well, your wife is friend to the Princess of Friendship. Believing there's good in everypony is not a bad trait to have.” Barbossa admitted.

“I know… and trust me, I've been trying to believe the same thing, for her sake.” Echo declared sadly. “I want to believe that the Sterling I came to know during our quest is still in there, and that he will see the error of his ways… but if what Crystal said is true…the Sterling I know may have never existed…”

"He would have to be quite an actor to pull that off." Barbossa mused.

“It’s a funny thing.” Echo gave a sad chuckle. “I want to hate him, for using me and Sunset, for using my brother, leading him to his death, and for associating himself with these Forefathers… but he is the reason Sunset and I got together, the reason we have a foal together, and that I was able to find my father. Heck, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now if it wasn’t for him.”

“Well, fate sure is a fickle thing, isn’t it?” Barbossa murmured.

“Yeah…” Echo sighed. “You know, I still think about what could have been if I'd only been to see him sooner in his cell, before he escaped. Maybe if I had, Sterling wouldn’t have returned to the Forefathers. Maybe he would still be here…”

Barbossa glanced at Echo for a moment.

“You want my opinion, Echo?” Barbossa began, as Echo turned to him. “I don't know what it is you had with Sterling or what kind of stallion Sterling truly is… but I believe that what you had with Sterling is worth believing in, worth fighting for. So there’s your answer.”

"You really think so?" Sterling asked, uncertainly.

"I know so." Barbossa nodded. "Don't give up on Sterling just yet. Discover the facts for yourself, and draw you own conclusions."

"...Maybe I shouldn't have even come out here..." Echo sighed.

“In that case, you should probably head back home to Equestria.” Barbossa stood up.

“What? But what about Sterling?” Echo gasped.

“Look, we are going to learn more about Sterling, and I can’t guarantee that you will like what we find.” Barbossa declared. “If you wish to hold on to that belief that Sterling is a good pony, then you should just sit back and let us worry about finding him.”

“What about you? Are you going to be okay by yourself?” Echo frowned.

“Don’t you worry about me, Echo.” Barbossa smiled. “My Tenebros gene active may not be yet, but I can handle myself just fine.”

"The experiences I've been through suggest otherwise." Echo frowned.

"I'll be fine." Barbossa assured him. "Trust me, we'll find Sterling and see to it that he’s... taken care of. You have my word."

"I suppose I can't ask for more than that." Echo smiled. "Well, off to home I go. Don't want to keep my family waiting..."

"Definitely not." Barbossa grinned.

Barbossa saw Echo off at the airfield. After the airship disappeared into the horizon, he pulled out his mirror and activated it, revealing Elite’s face.

“Ah, Barbossa, how did it go?” Elite smiled.

“...Well, it could had gone better.” Barbossa admitted.

“Why? Did Crystal have nothing to tell us?” Elite frowned.

“Oh, he had plenty to tell us.” Barbossa cringed. “Unfortunately, none of them good…”

Barbossa quickly relayed all that Crystal had told him and Echo about Sterling and his ‘past’.

“...Sheesh, I knew Sterling had some demons, but holy crap…” Elite shook his head in disappointment. “This will not go over well with the team. Most of them are really not for having him being a member of the project. And now, I’m not so sure...”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to write him out just yet.” Barbossa said firmly. “I feel there’s more to this than we realize.”

“What makes you say that?” Elite asked.

“Just call it a hunch.” Barbossa shrugged. “But I don’t think we should take Crystal’s words at face value.”

“You don’t believe him?” Elite frowned.

“Let’s just say that in my years as senator, I heard many rumors about Crystal Cross.” Barbossa said darkly. “Most of them very disconcerting. I can’t say for sure if they're true or not.”

“Well, that isn’t really new.” Elite deadpanned. “Political figures always have rumors about themselves. Hell, I still get asked if my dad was a Diamond Dog.”

“True, but that's why I had Echo come with me to meet him.” Barbossa declared. “To compare what he knows to Crystal.”

“And?” Elite urged.

“Echo refused to believe what Crystal said.” Barbossa frowned. “And between you and me, I believe Echo to be more trustworthy.”

“Well, I can’t really argue with that logic… but that doesn’t mean what Crystal said might not be true.” Elite shook his head. “I’m going to need more than a hunch.”

“That’s why I’m going to be staying here in Cairode for a while.” Barbossa smirked, as he pulled out a file. “I’m going to follow some leads here, and see if I can’t learn any more about Sterling.”

“And what about Echo?” Elite questioned.

“I sent him on his way home.” Barbossa sighed. “I felt bad enough bringing him here and lying to him. I don’t want him to lose any more faith in his old friend than he already has.”

“Barbossa, I know it’s rough, but you have to understand-”

“I know.” Barbossa shook his head, “Echo and Sunset are already on the Forefathers’ radar. For them to get further involved will surely lead to more attempts on their lives. I just wish we could tell Echo that we intend to save Sterling from that life.”

“Let’s just focus on the now.” Elite declared, “Are you going to need me to send Fury your way? You know how he is when you’re on your own.”

“Oh no, I can handle this myself. Besides, Fury is needed with you guys.” Barbossa nodded.

“...You know, since we are on the topic, there is something I have been meaning to ask you about Fury…” Elite frowned.

Meanwhile, back at RDL headquarters, down at the canteen, Black and Ballista had just returned from hours of searching the RDL field reports that had mention of Sterling, with their search bearing no fruit.

“Unbelievable. We must've searched a whole decade worth of field reports, and not one of them has anything that could help us find Sterling.” Black scowled.

"Guess we were expecting a little too much from outdated intel." Ballista frowned.

At that point, Pike entered the room.

"Hey, guys." He smiled.

"Hi." Black nodded.

"Hey." Ballista added.

Pike Redfield was a former member of the Forefathers, being the de facto leader of the Black Sheep, a low-ranked division within the organization filled to the brim with serial killers and criminals. Black and the Taskforce had their run in with several of them over the years, with Pike having been called upon personally to kill Black.

However, Pike, having seen himself and his deceased son in Black, he soon surrendered himself to the Taskforce and following the Crystal Sun incident and Black’s return to duty, he has become the team’s only informant on the Forefathers… and on a lighter note, the resident woodcarver.

“So, what is up with the both of you?” Pike asked. “I hear that you guys are actually looking for somepony from the Forefathers.”

“Well, you heard correctly.” Ballista nodded. “Perhaps you heard of him back in your days. Does the name 'Sterling Cross' ring any bells?”

“Sterling?” Pike lit up in recognition. “Shoot, I haven’t heard that name in years.”

“So you've met him before?” Black questioned.

“Not exactly.” Pike admitted, “When I was still hunting you, an old friend of mine told me about how he and his partner took a colt they broke out of juvie under their wings and were personally training him for a few months. I never actually met the colt 'till Gridlock took over and set up that ambush. That was the only time I ever actually met Sterling.”

“Really? What was he like?” Black frowned.

“Just as I described, a colt.” Pike sighed. “We didn’t talk much past that, but all I could say was that he was pissed off about something. That’s all I know.”

“Ugh, that’s no good.” Ballista frowned. “We hadn’t heard anything back from the others, so I can assume they hadn’t found anything yet either. We’re still no closer to finding him.”

“Yeah, and here I thought I was good at laying low…” Black muttered.

"Don't flatter yourself, mate..." Ballista snorted. “I still found you in Prairieville all those years ago.”

“Yeah, but only because Pike here left a bunch of agents there.” Black glanced at Pike.

“And if Six had only listened to me, the Forefathers could've gotten the drop on Black.” Pike sneered.

"I don't think so." Black smirked. "I'd have taken them easy."

"Sure ya would, mate." Ballista snorted.

“You know, the sad part is that this could end up being a lost cause.” Black frowned. “I mean, even when they had him behind bars, Sterling wouldn’t say a thing about the Forefathers. And here we are, trying to find him, so we can recruit him, or at least get info out of him that he wouldn’t part with before. I don’t doubt Elite, but I can’t help but see a few flaws with this plan.”

“I know it doesn’t look good, but stranger things have happened.” Ballista declared. “Like that whole thing with being possessed by King Sombra... only it turned out to not be Sombra, but your own dark side that Sombra’s horn gave sentience to."

"That was a totally different thing." Black frowned. "Sterling wasn’t being mind-controlled. Hell, he didn’t have a crossbow to his head. He did everything for the Forefathers willingly.”

"So did I, remember?" Pike pointed out.

"Yeah, but you were a killer for hire. And they came to you when..." Black cringed, not wanting to say it.

“Had my family tortured and murdered, spiralling into a deep depression that I appeased by murdering ponies?” Pike deadpanned.

“...Yeah.” Black drooped. “But while you were their killer for hire, Sterling was one of their best agents, or so I understand. And he willingly broke out of prison to go back to them.”

"It's still the same principle." Pike declared. "Nopony starts out bad. They're turned bad by some incident or other. I went down that dark path when I lost my family. And you went down it when you lost your brother… the point is, we both found our way back, and hopefully with help, Sterling can find his way.”

"That’s what me and Elite are hoping.” Ballista noted. "Elite has a good feeling about Sterling, and he's hardly ever wrong. I've learned that lesson the hard way."

“Well, let’s just hope that Sterling wants to find his way back.” Black muttered. “There’s no point in redemption if no pony wants it.”

"I'm not saying it'll be easy." Pike shrugged. "But to be fair, it’s not like Sterling is some insane jackass. I mean, look at Solomon Thunder.” He gave a small scowl. “I only knew that guy as long as Sterling, and I could tell he was a few tools short of a bench. In comparison, Sterling could be quite reasonable.”

“Well, let’s just hope that Sterling isn’t up to anything bad.” Black frowned. “Who knows what twisted thoughts could going through his head right now...”

Meanwhile, back in Dodge Junction...

Sterling had been feeling depressed since the incident with Marshall. He tried to hide it, but he had a sneaking suspicions that the family had picked up on it, particularly Big Red and Globe. They kept trying to pull him into activities such as playing catch and several board games. Each time, Sterling politely but firmly refused, but they simply kept asking, undeterred.

One afternoon, Sterling returned to the homestead from walking around the orchard, and found the family gathered around a book. He tried to sneak past them and go into the kitchen, but Big Red spotted him.

"Hey, Sterling." He smiled

'Buck.' Sterling thought. He smiled awkwardly. "Hey, guys. What's going on?"

"We're just looking through the family photo album." Cherry declared. "Would you like to join us?"

"Yeah, Sterling." Globe added. "Come on over!"

'Ugh, kid...' Sterling thought. 'Why do you have to look at me like that? Now I gotta...'

"Sure, why not?" Sterling reluctantly joined them.

"Oh, there's our wedding, Red." Cherry smiled. pointing to a photo of herself and Big Red in a gown and suit. "What a wonderful day..."

"Ya never looked more beautiful, darlin'." Big Red wrapped a hoof around her.

"There's the day we were officially adopted." Huckleberry pointed to a picture of the boys with Big Red and Cherry, Big Red holding an official certificate of adoption.

"And there's Globe's birthday party." Eclipse pointed to a picture of the family celebrating, Globe half-way through a slice of cake. "You were really packing away the cake, huh, Globe?"

"Could you blame me?" Globe chuckled. "It was soooo good!"

Despite his initial reluctance, Sterling came to enjoy their reminiscing. It was an activity his real family had never indulged.

'So many happy memories.' He thought. 'Not like my childhood...'

They looked at a photo of either Eclipse with Globe. Seeing them together stirred something in Sterling.

"You're the best, big bro." A voice said in Sterling's head.

'If only...' Sterling thought.

As Big Red turned a page, Sterling was greeted with a morbidly familiar sight: A red-coated stallion with a black mane.

'What the...? Is that…? No… no, it couldn’t be...' He frowned. "Uh... who's this?"

"Oh, that's jest... an old friend, from a long time ago." Big Red frowned. "His name was Black Knight Paladin."

Immediately, the name set off many alarms in Sterling’s head.

'What?!' Sterling screamed inside his head. As he spoke, he struggled to rein in his shock. "Oh, you were... close?"

"When we wuz kids." Big Red admitted.

"We all were." Cherry nodded.

"You knew him too?" Sterling gaped.

"Oh, yes." Cherry nodded. "Black, his brother White, Red, Marshall and myself were all very close when we young. Ah, whatever happened to those times?"

"Ah really shoulda taken that picture out." Big Red sighed. "But Ah jest don't have the heart ta..."

Sterling was practically frozen in shock.

"You okay, Sterling?" Globe frowned. "You look a little... weird."

"Like that's new." Eclipse sneered.

"I... think I need some air." Sterling said awkwardly.

"But you've just come back into the house." Huckleberry frowned.

"I can go out again if I want to, can't I?" Sterling shot back nervously. "I'm not a prisoner, after all!"

Sterling rushed out the front door.

"What just happened?" Globe frowned.

"I can't say." Cherry shrugged.

"Sumthin' musta shook him up good." Big Red mused.

Outside, Sterling rushed out into the orchard, breathing heavily. He leaned against a tree, trying to get a grip on himself.

'I don't believe this...' He thought, his mind racing. 'Out of all the buckin’ ponies to run into in a desert, you get picked up by the two childhood friends of him… Black Knight.’ He felt his body tremble. ’Now there’s another batch of memories I didn’t want to relive...'

Many years ago...

Sterling was in the infirmary of the Infinity, being treated for a hoof injury he had sustained on his last mission; a brutal battle against Russiaddlen mercenaries. He had suffered it in a most embarrassing way: He had tripped over the crossbow of an enemy combatant that he himself had disarmed, having forgotten where he had thrown it aside. When he made to leave, he ended up slipping on it. So there he was, having a sprained and bruised hoof tended to.

As he glanced around the infirmary, he saw a stallion lying in bed in a full body cast, the distinct smell of burning flesh emanating from him. And he wasn’t sure, but he could had sworn that he heard something along the lines of "Nap-pole-lean", coming from under the wraps.

'Yikes.' Sterling cringed. 'Don't even wanna know what happened to that guy...'

"So you took a hammer to the hoof, huh?" The physician attending him asked.

"Yup." Sterling nodded, sticking to his lie. "Hurt like crazy."

"Well, it should heal up soon enough." The physician declared. "Just don't push it."

"Yeah, sure." Sterling nodded. "No offense, but I've had worse injuries."

"And I've seen what happens to even minor injuries if you overwork them." The physician frowned. "Wait here. I need more bandages."

The physician left the room.

"You tell 'em, kid."

A stallion was sitting on a bed nearby, a bandage on his face. He was a unicorn with a electric yellow coat, spiky white hair, and piercing orange eyes, one of which was covered.

"These quacks are always trying to tell us how to deal with our injuries." The stallion snorted. "Making mountains out of molehills, am I right?"

"Oh, yeah." Sterling nodded. "So... don't think I've seen you round before."

“I’m new here.” The stallion smirked, “Just been recruited recently. The name’s Solomon Thunder.”

“Sterling Cross.” Sterling nodded, “So, what are you in for?”

“Oh, let’s just say I got reckless and I ended up getting something for my troubles.” Solomon scoffed, “You?”

“Hammer to the hoof.” Sterling repeated, continuing his lie.

“Ah, that must've hurt.” Solomon nodded. “So, how long have you been here?”

“A few months.” Sterling declared.

“And how were you brought here?” Solomon asked.

“One of the Ouroboros broke me out of juvie.” Sterling shrugged. “You may know him, he’s the one in the wheelchair?”

“Sorry, I had only arrived here a few days ago.” Solomon explained. “The only important guy I've seen so far is ‘Father’. Why do we call him that?”

“Trust me, I am still wondering about that myself.” Sterling shook his head. “But he’s the boss.”

“Clearly.” Solomon smirked. “I hear he's got this whole crusade thing going for him… ‘to bring order to Equestria’. What’s the deal with that?”

“I don’t know, to be honest.” Sterling admitted' “But everypony's been telling me that he just wants to make the world a better place.”

“Is that a fact?” Solomon raised a brow (the one that wasn’t covered). “And you believe that?”

“Well, yeah.” Sterling nodded, not bothering to bring up the doubts he been having lately. “I mean, look at this place. Father has to mean business if so many ponies are here.”

"Oh, he means business, alright." Solomon agreed. "He's got enough followers to make a small army out of..."

"Well, y'know, we have to make Father's vision a reality." Sterling smiled.

"It's a good vision, I'll admit." Solomon nodded. "But if you ask me, Father could do with expanding it a little."

"How d'ya mean?" Sterling narrowed his eyes.

“I mean, bringing order to Equestria is all well and good.” Solomon nodded. “But if we're going to bring order, we'd have to take care of ponies that stand in the way of that, right?”

“...Right…” Sterling frowned.

“Well, I can tell you right now that most of the world’s problems lies within the upper echelons.”

Sterling stared at him in confusion.

“The rich, Sterling. The rich.” Solomon rolled his eye.

“The rich? What do rich ponies have to do with our mission?” Sterling snorted.

"Well, think about it." Solomon growled. " Those lousy snobs act like they're better than everypony else. That having a lot of cash means they can get away with everything, woe betide anypony that tries to say otherwise. To them, everypony that doesn’t share their wealth or background is beneath them."

"Okay, you've got a point there." Sterling scowled, remembering his mother's own belief that their family had to stand above other ponies. "I've known a couple of ponies like that in my time..."

"So you see what I'm getting at." Solomon smirked. "All those so-called 'upper-class' ponies do is spit on those who don't have as much money as they do. They're nothing but a bunch of elitist slimeballs who lord it over everything. The world would be a lot better off without them."

"Things would be easier." Sterling mused. "And most of those rich folks are totally weak, so Father probably wouldn't complain about taking them down."

"'Weak' is the nicest way to describe them." Solomon snarled. "They're arrogant, tyrannical, treatin' everypony beneath them like garbage. They've all gotta pay."

Sterling was a tad perplexed by Solomon's choice of words, but they resonated with his childhood misery.

"They definitely need to be taken down a peg... or ten." Sterling agreed.

"I like the way you think, kid." Solomon smiled. "It's not often a stallion your age sees things so clearly. I have feeling you and me will get along just fine..."

"Thanks." Sterling smiled.

The physician returned to the room.

"Here we go." He held up some more bandages. "Just have to finish up..."

The physician completed his work.

"Okay, you're good to go." The physician announced. "Your hoof should be healed up in no time. As long as you go easy on it."

"Yeah, sure, doc." Sterling nodded.

"See ya around, kid." Solomon grinned.

"Not if I see you first." Sterling joked as he left the infirmary.

Over the following weeks, Sterling continued with his training, grudgingly going easy on his wounded hoof as the physician suggested. As he trained, he heard two other agents talking.

"Faust, that Black Knight Paladin has been a real pain in our flanks lately." The first guard spat. "Taking out Stable was just the beginning. He's been wrecking our operations left, right and center."

“Yeah, the Ouroboros has been busting the Black Sheep’s chops non-stop.” The second agent scowled, “Those idiots have been trying to kill Black for years, and they keep failing!”

“Black Sheep?” Sterling frowned.

“I hear that there's a problem with their leader.” The first agent declared. “That Pike Redfield was losing his touch.”

"Pike?" Sterling whispered.

"Well, I've heard that Black really is that good." The second agent frowned. "Think about it: If the Black Sheep can't stop him, who can?"

"I just hope I'm never called in to take Black on." The first agent cringed. "I wouldn't stand a chance."

Sterling had heard enough to pique his interest

'Black Knight… not only is he the reason Dysley is gone… now he’s causing more trouble.' Sterling mused. 'Who is this guy and why are the Ouroborus so keen on taking him out? Maybe I should ask Loveless about this...'

After finishing his training, Sterling made a beeline for Loveless's workshop, which was situated in the middle levels of the Coils. It was a wide, sprawling room, filled with tools, work benches, and partially-completed devices. Not only Loveless was there, but so was Jetstream.

“Ah, Sterling." Loveless smiled. "Good to see you."

“What brings you here?” Jetstream frowned. “We aren’t supposed to be training till later.”

“Well, there was something I have been to ask you guys.” Sterling declared. “You see, I was working out when I heard that there’s somepony messing with us… Black Knight Paladin.”

“So you heard about his latest hits.” Jetstream grunted. “It’s already bad enough that he broke Dysley beyond repair, but he has been getting worse by the month.”

“But who is he?” Sterling frowned. “Why is he fighting us?”

“I can answer that one for you.” Loveless declared. “You remember that mission we sent you on to get those agents from the RDL outpost?”

“Yeah…” Sterling growled, still sore about what had occurred there.

“Black Knight is a member of the RDL, or rather, a secret cell within the organization, known as Taskforce Omega." Loveless explained. The Taskforce was formed with the intent of combating those they perceive as a threat to Equestria… namely, us. We've been having several run-ins with them over the years, and when Black came along, things got worse.”

“That’s putting it lightly.” Jetstream scowled. “Black Knight is easily one of the most dangerous foes the Forefathers ever had. Thanks to him, many of our operations were destroyed, including one of our bigger projects. Many ponies have tried to take him down… and none have succeeded.”

"Sounds like bad news..." Sterling declared. "Maybe I could take a whack at him, huh?"

“Out of the question.” Loveless shook his head.

“But maybe I could-” Sterling tried to protest.

"Look kid, just forget you ever heard that name." Jetstream said firmly. "Trust me. This guy is way out of your league."

"Says who?" Sterling snorted.

"Says the string of dead and captured agents who already failed to stop him." Loveless declared. "You're not ready for a foe of that magnitude yet."

“And Black is not your average opponent.” Jetstream scowled. “He’s a demon. You know what Dysley did to him? He got him thrown off the side of a cliff. And you know what? He still survived. If gravity couldn’t kill the desgraçado, then you won’t last a second against a him.”

“Then why hadn’t you or any of the other Ouroboros take a shot at him?” Sterling glared, peeved at the implied insult.

“Believe me, a lot of us want to see that guy dead.” Jetstream snarled. “For what he did to Dysley, and for all our fallen comrades… Gridlock just wants payback for his stupid little project.”

“Gridlock? You mean that big guy that was at my initiation ceremony?” Sterling asked.

“Oh yes. Gridlock, to say the least, is still very sore about what Black has done to him personally.” Loveless cringed. “If he had it his way, he would have all of Infinity on a country-wide ponyhunt, burning all of Equestria, just to find him.”

“What’s stopping him?” Sterling asked, confused.

“Put simply, years before Black became the issue we have today, his assassination was delegated to another member within the organization. An old friend of ours actually.” Loveless explained. “For years, he and his colleagues have been trying to put an end to Black’s interferences, and despite their constant failures, he refused to give up. Father even ordered that we not interfere with him, unless deemed necessary.”

“Well, I hope it becomes necessary soon, for his sake.” Jetstream grumbled, his eyes showing concern, “That son of a puta is going to get himself killed at this rate.”

“Well, maybe I could help them-” Sterling started.

“Oh, hell no.” Jetstream snapped, “We don’t want you to get involved in that mess. Especially with those colleagues of our friend. They’re bad news.”

“So, what? There’s a guy out there who is out killing and capturing our guys, and I can’t do a thing to stop him?” Sterling asked, a bit peeved.

“Look, I know you’re frustrated, Sterling.” Loveless frowned sympathetically. “But believe us, it’s for your own good. You’re just not ready yet.”

"And when will I be?" Sterling asked.

"Later on." Jetstream declared firmly. "Just keep up your training, kid, and perhaps you might be ready to take on the big boys… eventually."

“But…” Sterling began to protest, but seeing the firmness in their gazes, he knew there was no budging them. “...Alright. I’ll just get back to my training.”

"Good fellow." Loveless smiled. "That's what I like to hear."

"You know me, I aim to please." Sterling nodded. His smile faded the instant he left the workshop.

Sterling returned to his training, working out harder than ever. One afternoon, Solomon entered the gym. His bandage had vanished, with a distinctive lightning bolt-shaped scar in its place.

"Hey, kid." Solomon smiled. "Long time, no see."

"Nice to see you again." Sterling nodded. “That’s some scar you got there.”

“Thank you.” Solomon smirked. “I’m actually quite pleased with how it turned out.”

"I'm not surprised." Sterling chuckled. "I'd love a cool scar like that..."

"You don't mind if I do a little work myself?" Solomon asked.

"Go right ahead." Sterling urged.

"With pleasure." Solomon marched over to a training dummy. He then placed his hooves firmly on the floor. As Sterling watched, bolts of electricity flowed out of them, incinerating the dummy.

"Whoa!" Sterling gaped. "That... that was... whoa! How did you-"

“Oh, that’s just a little gimmick of mine.” Solomon chuckled darkly, his horn crackling with electricity as he approached another dummy. “Not to say that I can’t handle the basics as well…”

Sterling gasped as Solomon pounced the dummy and began beating the poor object into the ground. He could see dust and electricity flying as Solomon’s hooves smashed the dummy, to the point where Sterling was relieved that he wasn’t beating up an actual pony.

By the time Solomon was done, the dummy was nothing more than dust.

“Wow… that is something else." Sterling gaped.

"I know my way around a fight." Solomon shrugged. "I could give you a few pointers. Maybe even some special training."

"I dunno..." Sterling mused. "I mean, I appreciate the offer, but I already getting personally trained by two Ouroboros, and their training served me well so far."

"Well, yeah." Solomon nodded. "But from what I've seed, that's run-of-the-mill stuff. The stuff every agent learns. From what I've heard, you're better than that."

"I am?" Sterling asked.

"Oh, yeah." Solomon nodded. "I took the time to ask around, and the others had a bit to say about you. How you seem to be quite a formidable agent yourself. With such strength and raw talent... you actually remind me of this other pony I used to know. All he needed was a nudge in the right direction, and he achieved great things. And you can do the same. If you ask me, you're ready for some more advanced stuff."

"My own teachers don't seem to agree." Sterling shrugged. “I mean, there’s this big problem the organization is having, and they won’t let me help, because they don’t think I’m ready.”

"Well, isn't that frustrating?" Solomon asked. “To have such potential, but not being allowed to show it off because some ponies say you’re not good enough?”

"Well, yeah, a little bit." Sterling admitted. "But they know what they're doing. I trust them with that."

"Suit yourself, kid." Solomon snorted. "But let me know if you change your mind. Because this offer won’t last forever.”

“Okay, I take that in mind.” Sterling nodded, as he returned to his training.

Sterling struck the dummy as hard as he could, but noted that it was still in one piece.

'Look at me.' He thought. 'Compared to Solomon, I'm a total wimp. Maybe I should take him up on his offer...'

Unable to focus on training any more, Sterling left the room.

'Maybe he's right.' he thought, as he walked down the corridors. 'I've been here for so long, yet I don’t feel like I'm any better than I was when I first got here. I mean, for Faust’s sake, I tripped on a bucking crossbow! A pony like Solomon would never do something like that. Maybe giving Solomon’s training a shot might not be…'

Sterling shook his head.

’No, I can’t do that to Loveless and Jetstream.’ Sterling grimaced, ’Not after what they've done for me. I mean, they never steered me wrong before, and besides, maybe I just need to give it a little bit longer…’

As Sterling passed Loveless's workshop, he heard the voices of his mentors.

“Loveless, we need to talk.” Jetstream declared.

'Talk?' Sterling frowned. 'About what?'

Overcome with curiosity, Sterling sneeked into the workshop. Loveless was looking at some blueprints, Jetstream standing before him.

“Can it wait? I’m busy trying to figure out how to fix the carriage those two yahoos wrecked in Las Pegasus.”

“No, it can’t.” Jetstream said firmly, “I need to ask you something about Sterling?”

“What…” Sterling frowned.

“What about him?” Loveless asked.

“Nothing important… just his dog, Buddy.” Jetstream shrugged.

Sterling stifled a gasp, as Loveless then proceeded to answer.

“What, you mean Ward?”

Sterling’s eyes darted to Loveless, stupefied. At the same time, Loveless realized what he'd just said.

“Ah, crap.” Loveless cursed.

“So it is true.” Jetstream growled. “That dog Sterling adopted and has been keeping in his room is the dog that we had him kill!”

“Now, Jetty, I can explain…” Loveless turned to face him.

“I don’t believe you!” Jetstream yelled, “You told me the dog was dead all those months ago! You lied to me!”

“I know I did.” Loveless admitted, “But I had my reasons-”

“Did you honestly think I wouldn’t had figured it out?” Jetstream spat. “Granted, it took me a lot longer than I would had liked, but I found out nonetheless!”

“Okay, so you know.” Loveless growled, “What is the issue?”

“The issue is that you’re coddling Sterling!” Jetstream accused.

“Coddling?” Sterling whispered.

“What?!” Loveless sputtered. “How am I coddling him?!”

“Don’t you find it weird that Sterling hadn’t been making much progress in his training lately?” Jetstream snarled. “I was trying to make heads and tails about it, when I noticed Sterling’s dog being taken for a walk. Then it all clicked! Sterling never killed the dog. That was a vital part of his training, and because of you, he never accomplished it!”

“How would killing Buddy make any difference?!” Loveless growled.

“You made Sterling weak!” Jetstream snapped. “You made him complacent! By letting Buddy live, you spared Sterling from the harsh realities of life. That sometimes, you have to sever attachments, before they weaken you!”

“You know what, Jetstream?” Loveless glared. “I stood by while you put Sterling through the grinder! Did I say anything when we left him in the woods for three months? Did I say anything when I watched you beat the crap out of him time after time? No! I trusted your methods to an extent, but having him kill his dog was where I drawed the line!”

“Like I said before, you’re coddling him!” Jetstream sneered.

“I was helping him!” Loveless defended, “Dammit, Jetstream, the boy already had a rough enough time as it is. So I let him keep the dog, big whoop! The boy needed ponies who care about his well-being!”

“Don’t go all ‘friendship is magic’ on me!” Jetstream snapped. “By interfering with my training with him, you’re keeping him from attaining his true potential!”

"His 'true potential'?" Loveless snarled. "More like you just want him to be a heartless killing machine!"

"Better that than some bleeding-heart wimp!" Jetstream spat. "Father wants us to change the world, remember? That takes guts, and the strength to do what needs to be done! And Sterling won't have either at this rate!"

"That's your opinion." Loveless retorted. "But I'd prefer Sterling not have the kind of 'strength' you're thinking of."

"Well, it looks like you'll have your wish granted!" Jetstream shot back. "Because your coddling has ruined the kid!"

"Don't be so sure." Loveless growled. "You might just make an attack dog out of him yet!"

Unwilling to listen to any more, Sterling walked away. As he walked down the corridors, his mind bubbled with resentment for his mentors.

'So much for never steering me wrong.' Sterling thought bitterly. 'One wants to hold me back, the other wants me to be some mindless psycho. The way things are going, I might never be strong enough with those two as my teachers...'

A few days later, Sterling was back in the gym, working out. But he had great difficulty concentrating, as his mind kept wandering back to what he heard from his mentors.

'Loveless thinks I need to be coddled, Jetstream wants me to be a thug...' He thought. 'I'm starting to wonder if there's even a point to all this anymore...'

“Hey, Sterling. Working hard or hardly working?” Solomon smirked, as he walked in.

“Oh, hey, Solomon.” Sterling shook his head of his doubts, “What’s up?”

“Well, I just heard some very interesting news today.” Solomon mused. “You know this Black Knight pony, right?’

“Uh, yeah, the guy who has been mucking up a lot of our operations, what about it?” Sterling frowned.

“As it turns out, Gridlock, one of the Ouroboros, has finally gone and taken over the Black Sheeps, and he is planning on taking down Black once and for all.” Solomon declared, “And you and I are going to be part of it.”

"We are?" Sterling’s eyes widened.

“Oh yeah.” Solomon nodded. “As much I'm fine with being a cog in the machine, I would much prefer to be of a much higher rank. And if you and I are there when Black goes down, we'll be hailed as heroes. We'll shoot right up the ladder, right into the Coils. What do you say? You in?”

“I... I don’t know.” Sterling admitted, “I mean, you heard about Black, right? He’s pretty tough… and he practically murdered one of the Ouroboros…”

“What? Are you scared?” Solomon scoffed.

"No!" Sterling shot back.

“Of course you are.” Solomon sneered. “Why else would you turn down my offer the other day?”

“Look, they say Black is too dangerous!” Sterling glared, “Jetstream and Loveless told me I wasn’t ready for somepony like him!”

“Really?” Solomon huffed, “What are you, a child who needs mommy and daddy to hold his hooves?”

“That’s not funny!” Sterling snarled.

“I’m just calling it as I see it!” Solomon crossed his hooves. “Here you are, a young stallion in his prime, being presented with the chance to prove to the Forefathers that he is strong, and should be respected, and instead of seizing it, you're wussing out, like a Faust damn pansy!”

“I’m just not ready!” Sterling growled in frustration.

“Then when will you be?” Solomon challenged. “You've been here longer than me, yet somehow, you just reek of weakness! You’re nothing but a joke!”

"I'm not a joke." Sterling seethed.

"You will be, as long as you keep doing what those two tell you." Solomon sneered. "They're holding you back, kid."

"You... you don't know what you're talking about." Sterling frowned.

"Oh, don't I?" Solomon sneered. “Look, you’re welcome to live the rest of your life in mediocrity, but Gridlock has this workout going down in the upper gyms later, and I’m going to offer him my help. With or without you. Your choice.”

Sterling stormed off. As he wandered down the corridors, his mind raced faster than hs hooves.

'He can't be right, can he?' He thought. 'Are Loveless and Jetstream really just holding me back? No, no. Maybe I should try asking them again. Make my position clearer...'

Sterling returned to the workshop. Loveless was adjusting a carriage engine.

"Hey, Loveless." He smiled weaky.

"Sterling, how are things?" Loveless asked.

"Not too bad." Sterling shrugged. "Training's going well."

"Good to hear." Loveless smiled.

"So... I hear Gridlock's putting together a mission to take down Black Knight." Sterling declared. “Guess the big guy had enough, huh?”

“More like Gridlock got tired of waiting.” Loveless growled. “Day in, day out, he would constantly badger me, asking ‘why isn't Black dead yet?’”

“Well, Gridlock might be able to do it.” Sterling murmured.

“Doubtful.” Loveless scoffed. “Gridlock and those thugs are unthinking animals, attacking without considering the consequences. Mark my words, this will all end in tears… or worse, blood. And my old friend is caught up in the middle of it… I really fear for his safety.”

“You really care about that guy, don’t you?” Sterling frowned.

“Let me put it this way… there are very few ponies I ever truly worry about losing in this organization.” Loveless revealed, “He and Jetstream are some of those few ponies.”

“I see…” Sterling frowned, feeling his courage to ask Loveless about going on this mission dwindling. “Have you tried telling him to back out?”

“Alas, no.” Loveless shook his head. “He's a prideful stallion. He would rather die than just give up.”

“...Well, if he’s not going to back out…” Sterling began, swallowing all the doubts he had. “Perhaps there's a way to assure he makes it out okay.”

“Not likely.” Loveless scowled. “I know all the ponies that are going, and I do not care one bit for any of them.”

“Maybe perhaps there’s another pony…” Sterling hinted.

Slowly, Loveless turned to face Sterling.

“What are you getting at, boy?” Loveless frowned in suspicion.

“Well, Solomon came to me earlier-” Sterling explained.

“Solomon? You mean the lightning bender we recruited recently?” Loveless crossed his hooves. “What did he come to you for?”

“Um… well…” Sterling rubbed his front hooves. “You see, Solomon told me about the whole ambush they’re planning for Black, and well, he is planning on joining the ambush with them. And he wanted me to join-”

“Absolutely not!” Loveless snarled.

“Now hear me out, Loveless-” Sterling tried to reason.

“I cannot believe we’re having this conversation again!” Loveless scowled. “You’re not going to get involved in this asinine quest for vengeance! Especially with Gridlock and the Black Sheep!”

“But you just said that your friend-” Sterling started.

“I’m not going to have you throw your life away, just so you could go and be some sort of hero.” Loveless declared firmly.

"I'm not going to throw my life away!" Sterling shot back. "I can handle whatever Black Knight has! I know it!"

"No, you can't." Loveless retorted. "You're not strong enough!"

“And I probably never will be, right?” Sterling glared.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Loveless frowned.

“I overheard you two arguing the other day!” Sterling growled. “Jetstream said that I'm going nowhere in my training, and that it's because of you letting me keep Ward that I'll never be good enough.”

“First off, eavesdropping, Sterling? For shame!” Loveless scowled. “Secondly, Jetstream was just mad that I broke one of his rules! The dog has nothing to do with your training!”

“But it’s true, isn’t it?” Sterling asked.

“We don’t know that! Look, someponies takes longer than others to grow!” Loveless grunted in frustration.

“Is that it? Or is it that your training method is not working!” Sterling growled.

“I beg your pardon?!” Loveless spat. “I’ll have you know, our training methods had forged many a great agent!”

“Really, like who?” Sterling challenged.

"Well, I..." Loveless stuttered, unable to provide a name.

“You see? Maybe it’s not me or the training.” Sterling said coldly, “Maybe you and Jetstream are just lousy teachers.”

“Wha...how… how can you say that, you miserable little…” Loveless sputtered. "The only reason you're not dead by now is because of our training!"

“Yeah, but how long will that last?” Sterling glared. “You told me when we first met that if I came with you, nopony would ever mess with me again!”

“That is true, I did say that.” Loveless admitted.

“Well, from what I've seen, I've been messed around with! If it’s not getting the crap kicked out of me by Jetstream, it’s you filling my head with empty promises!” Sterling roared.

"And you think Solomon's promises are tangible?" Loveless frowed. "Mark my words, that stallion is up to no good. You trust him, and you will regret it!"

"The only one I've regretted trusting is you." Sterling said coldly.

Loveless wheeled back a bit, his expression showing hurt… only for it to turn into a cold glare.

“You know what? Fine!” Loveless spat, “Let Black tear you apart! See if I care!”

“I will!” Sterling snarled, as he marched out, “Except I will be coming back! Bigger and better than ever!”

Loveless huffed as he returned to his work desk… then grabbed a nearby wrench.

“RAAARGH!” Loveless roared as he chucked the wrench as hard as he could.

“Whoa!” Jetstream sidestepped the throw, having emerged from the storage closet, having heard everything, “Geez, I haven’t seen you this mad since I spilled that bottle of soda over your wheels.”

“Jetstream, I’m not in the mood!” Loveless growled.

“Relax, Loveless.” Jetstream soothed. “I heard the whole thing. The kid’s pretty steamed, huh?”

“I don’t know where I went wrong!” Loveless snapped. “I thought he was different! I thought he would not be like all the others in this damn organization! But once again, I was wrong!”

“Come on, Loveless, you don’t think that.” Jetstream urged.

"Don't I?" Loveless scowled. "Just look at the evidence! He's willing to throw his life away, just to for some fleeting glory!"

"It's gonna be okay-" Jetstream tried to assure him.

“What do you care, Jetstream?!” Loveless glared. “Last I checked, you said Sterling was never going to reach his true potential! That’s what started this whole mess!”

“I care because you care!” Jetstream said firmly. “I'll admit, I didn't like you interfering with my training, but I understand why you did it.”

“Oh, and why is that?” Loveless grumbled.

“Come on, you’re the smarter one out of both of us, you of all ponies should know the answer.” Jetstream rolled his eyes.

Loveless paused for a moment… only for his anger to turn into sadness.

“...Oh, Jetstream." Loveless groaned, placing a hoof on his face. "What have I done? Sterling… he’s going on that ambush… I have to-”

“No, Loveless.” Jetstream urged. “This is something he has to learn for himself.”

“But he’ll die!” Loveless protested.

“Look, at this point, it’s sink or swim.” Jetstream declared firmly. “If Sterling dies, then that’s the end of it. If not, then it isn’t.”

"I just hope it'll be the latter..." Loveless sighed. 

Sterling angrily marched back to the gym, where Solomon was still working out.

"Hey, Solomon!" He yelled. "I'm in."

“Well, well, what changed your mind?” Solomon smirked.

“Does it matter?” Sterling growled. “I don’t need permission to go on a mission, and I don’t need those two to become a stronger stallion!”

“So does that mean you will be taking me up on my special training?” Solomon smiled.

“Maybe.” Sterling huffed, “Right now, I am itching to take Black down once and for all!”

“Now you’re speaking my language.” Solomon chuckled, “Come with me.”

Solomon and Sterling made their way up to the upper levels’ training grounds, whereas Solomon predicted, Gridlock was doing his morning exercises, namely push-ups.

“8,997, 8,998, 8,999, 9,000, 9,001…” Gridlock counted, between pushups, with one of his front hooves behind his back.

“Grenade Gridlock?” Solomon asked.

Gridlock paused, glancing up and then scowling as he saw the two stallions.

“Hey, what are you two maggots doing up here? This is for the higher ranked agents only!” Gridlock growled.

“We came because we heard about your plan to kill Black Knight.” Solomon smirked, “And we want in on it.”

"A pair of rookies like you?" Gridlock scoffed. "Yeah, right. What I need is power, and it doesn't look like either of you can measure up."

Solomon smirked, then unleashed a bolt of lightning that fried a nearby dummy.

“Is that enough power for you?” Solomon sneered.

“Hmm, okay, maybe you’re not as much a newbie as I thought.” Gridlock admitted, as he then glanced at Sterling. “What about you, kid? I don’t think Loveless and Jetstream would like their little ‘student’ to go on this ‘suicide mission’, as they call it.”

“I don’t need their permission!” Sterling said, incensed. “I’m here because I want to make Black pay for what he did to this organization, and what he did to Dysley.”

“Ah, so you’re out to avenge our fallen comrades, huh?” Gridlock sneered, “I could care less about Dysley, but you seem to be pretty sure of yourself.”

“Trust me, Gridlock, you're going to need all the help you can get." Solomon retorted. "I mean, these Black Sheep couldn’t kill Black before. You really think they can kill him now?”

“...That is a valid point.” Gridlock surmised. “But can you two handle yourself in a fight?”

“Please, I live for the fight.” Solomon sneered. “And Sterling here has survived several missions already. With our help, Black’s death will be ensured.”

“But what’s in it for you two?” Gridlock frowned. “I doubt you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart.”

“Quite a smart one, aren’t you, Gridlock?” Solomon smiled. “But yes, in return for our services, we simply want you to put in a good word for us. Get us promoted to the higher ranks.”

“Ah, a ladder climber, I see.” Gridlock chuckled, “Both of you want a taste of the good life, huh?”

“Well…” Sterling began.

“Yes.” Solomon cut him off. “Trust me, you would do good to have a pony like me in your corner.”

“One thing for sure, I like your tenacity.” Gridlock grinned. “If things go well with this ambush, I will see to it that you two be amply rewarded.”

"That's what I like to hear." Solomon smirked.

"Then let's get moving." Gridlock declared. "The meeting's about to start."

"Come on, kid." Solomon urged.

Sterling and Solomon followed Gridlock to the darker parts of Infinity, where the Black Sheep hung out. As they made their way into the darkness, Sterling's doubts started flaring up.

'Why do I get the feeling I may have just made a big mistake?' He fretted. 'No. Come on, Sterling. You made the right call. You know it...'

It wasn’t before long that they arrived at a dimly-lit meeting room. In the room already was a bunch of ponies sitting around a table: a white unicorn with a red mane, a short and stout brown Earth Pony that looked like a cowboy out of a cartoon, a well-suited teal Earth Pony, a pony wearing a hooded black jacket with a equally black mask. Leaning against a wall was another pony, one with a pale gray coat, white scraggly mane, tinged yellow glasses, and a look that screamed ‘psycho’.

"Who are these two?" The suited stallion asked.

"Some altruistic agents who've offered their services." Gridlock announced. "So play nice, DeRose."

"It's not me who you should be telling." DeRose turned to the cowboy. "Right, Sam?"

"Ah always play nice!" Sam Revolver growled. "Jest ask Talbolt!"

"Yeah, right." The white Unicorn snorted.

"Nice to meet ya, sunshine." Solomon told the masked pony.

"The name's 'Reaper'." The pony hissed.

"Ooh, scary." Solomon sneered.

"I am." Reaper snarled. "So don't cross me."

"You got me shaking in my horseshoes." Solomon taunted.

"And who's this?" The gray pony asked, gazing at Sterling.

"Sterling Cross." Sterling answered.

"Nice ta meet ya, kid." The pony smirked. "Name's Scalphunter. Always good to have some fresh blood around. Fresh, young, flowing blood..."

"Uhh... thanks." Sterling cringed, slowly backing away.

"Now, we just need Pike to show up, and we can get the show on the road." Talbolt declared.

"Pike?" Sterling asked.

"Pike Redfield." Gridlock smirked. "Former leader of this merry band... until I stepped in. But he'll still have his uses... Ah, here he comes now."

From out of the shadows, a stallion with a dirty beige coat, curly brown mane (with a bald spot), and a pair of small glasses emerged. This stallion was different from the others. His expression… it seemed… normal. Somehow, Sterling felt that this stallion was the stallion Loveless was talking about. He seemed to fit the part.

'So this is the guy, huh?' Sterling thought. 'The guy Loveless and Jetstream think so highly of? I look forward to seeing just how tough he is...'

After introductions, Gridlock told them of his plan. It was a rather simple one: they would send in an anonymous tip that the Forefathers were hanging around an abandoned military bunker. Black, according to Gridlock, would come alone. And when the time was right, they would jump him, and as Gridlock put it, "kick the ever-living crap out of him".

Renting an airship from one of Infinity’s hangars, the group made their way to the empty military bunker.

Sterling sat next to the window, glancing at the nightly sky, when he heard somepony take a seat next to him.

"Hey, kid." Pike joined him.

"Hey." Sterling nodded.

"You holding up okay?" Pike asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Sterling frowned.

"No reason." Pike shrugged. "It's just... pretty big mission for such a young agent. I'm guessing Loveless didn’t exactly give his blessings for you to go on this mission?"

"I don't need his blessings." Sterling scowled. "What I need is to become a stronger stallion. And part of that involves not letting myself be pushed around any more."

"You got some rage boilin' ya, don't ya, Sterling?" Pike mused. "That doesn't make you strong. Neither does holding on to the past."

“Look, Pike, you don’t know how bad I had it when I was a kid.” Sterling growled, “Maybe if you did, you'd understand.”

“Really?” Pike scoffed, “...My whole family was murdered.”

“...What?” Sterling frowned.

“That’s right. I lost my wife, my son, and my daughter, all in the course of one night.” Pike glared. “I may not know what happened, but believe me, I can surmise the crap you went through. And I know that you being a jackass to the only guy who gives two craps what happens to you is pretty stupid.”

"Oh... sorry." Sterling cringed, suddenly remorseful. "I didn't mean to-"

"Let's just forget it." Pike sighed. "I don't like to live in the past..."

"Lucky you." Sterling sighed. "Not all of us have a choice."

"Don't be so sure about that, kid." Pike smiled supportively. "It's better to look forward than back, y'know?"

'That sounds like something Loveless would say.' Sterling smiled. 'Guess Pike was a good student...'

As they stepped into the bunker, Gridlock spoke up.

“Okay, you all know the plan. We all wait in the shadows for Black to come in, and when the time is right…”

“We kick his ass?” Sam asked.

“Bingo.” Gridlock smirked. The smirk soon faded, as he saw Pike heading for the stairs. “And where do you think you’re going?”

“Being smart.” Pike grunted. “I will be waiting for Black on the rooftop. Who knows, maybe I might be able to beat him once he gets through all of you.”

“Oh, then you will be waiting a long time, because he’s gonna die tonight!” Gridlock sneered, as he turned to the other Black Sheeps. “Take your places, everypony! He will be here any minute!”

As everypony took their hiding positions, Solomon took Sterling aside and left them up to the upper walkways.

"This is where we'll lay our trap." Solomon smirked. "You and me will be up here."

"Us? Why?" Sterling asked.

"Black will be expecting the others, but not us." Solomon declared. "A sneak attack will boost our chances."

"Yeah." Sterling smirked. "He won't stand a chance."

"That's the spirit, kid." Solomon grinned. “Ouroboros, here we come…”

It wasn’t long before their target arrived. Sterling felt a little daunted as he saw the stallion for the first time. He was pretty big, about the same size as Gridlock, clad in some sort of armor. The only part of him that wasn’t covered was his snout.

“...So that’s Black Knight.” Sterling murmured. “...He’s a bit bigger than I thought.”

“SHHH!” Solomon shushed harshly.

The doors leading into the storage room slammed shut, as Gridlock and the other Black Sheep greeted Black Knight. Black returned the greeting with detached arrogance.

'Gotta give him credit.' Sterling admitted. 'If he's scared, he's not showing it...'

"Is that all of you? I just want to make sure nopony's being left out." Black said smugly.

"My, how courteous of you." Solomon sneered.

'That's our cue.' Sterling thought. He joined Solomon as they emerged from shadows, as Solomon smiled condescendingly at Black.

"And who exactly are you two?" Black frowned.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Solomon said coyly, as he then hopped over the rail of the walkway... and slamming his front hooves into the ground, causing electricity to spark up. "The name's Solomon Thunder. The name of the stallion who's going to kill you."

Sterling awkwardly climbed down, jumping off the walkway and stumbling as he landed.

'Typical.' He thought to himself. 'Way to not intimidate the enemy...'

"And I'm Sterling Cross." He announced, trying to regain some menace. "Scared yet?"

"Not really." Black sneered, unimpressed. "So, you've all come to try and waste me, huh?"

"That's right." Reaper nodded. "Not only have you been ruining the Forefathers' plans, you've been tarnishing the reputation of the Black Sheep."

"Neither can be tolerated any more." Talbolt added.

"That's why we lured you here." Scalphunter cackled. "The time has come for you to die!"

"Bring it." Black said defiantly.

"Gotta admire the varmint who goes to his own death with courage." Sam smirked.

"We'll see how long that courage lasts." Reaper sneered.

"He's no match for us all!" Talbolt declared.

"Seems a little unfair." Sterling frowned. "I mean, it's eight to one."

"That is what makes it so much fun, Sterling." Solomon chuckled. "At last, the infamous Black Knight will be put in his place."

"The only ones that'll be put in their place will be all of you!" Black snarled. "Either in a cell, or in the ground! I can take all of you! I already kicked some of your flanks, remember?"

"You've taken down enough of the Forefathers' agents." Gridlock spat. "That ends today, and so do you! Charge!"

The group attacked Black all at once, though he was able to fend off most of his attacks with ease.

'Whoa, he's good.' Sterling admitted grudgingly.

Solomon managed to surprise Black with some of his lightning, bringing him to his knees. Sterling took advantage of that by punching him in the face, cracking his visor.

"Didn't see that coming, did you?" Sterling taunted, shaking his sore hoof, which was unfortunately the same hoof he'd sprained. 'Buck, that hurt… shouldn’t have used that hoof...'

"Don't you get it, Black?" Gridlock boasted, as he then slugged Black with a punch, sending him to the ground, back onto his knees. "You were dead the moment you came in here."

"Not yet, I'm- Arrrh!" He yelped, as Solomon zapped him again. He fell to the ground in pain, as his enemies surrounded him.

"Let's finish this." Gridlock smirked. "The one who lands the killing blow gets a promotion."

"That'd be me." Scalphunter smirked.

"Not a chance." Talbolt scowled. "I've waited too long for this..."

"We all have." DeRose declared.

"But only one gets to kill him." Reaper snarled. "And that's going to be me."

"Oh, please." Solomon scoffed. "I did most of the work, so I should get to finish him!"

"In your dreams, newbie!" Scalphunter spat.

"I don't care who kills him, as long as you do it now!" Gridlock growled, annoyed.

"Enough of this hoo-hah!" Sam snarled, as he stepped on Black and aimed his crossbow at him. "I'mma killing this vermin, and that's fin-"

That was when things went crazy. Just they were about to kill Black, they were interrupted when Sam was hit with a cannonball, shot from what Sterling could assume was some sort of ‘anti-carriage rifle’, whatever that was, which was being used by a red-maned stallion in a lab coat, somepony that all the others recognized.

To make matters worse, more ponies burst onto the scene: a bald Earth Pony with a cockney accent, a midnight blue unicorn with a red mane, a pale purple Earth Pony, and to his surprise, a big brown Diamond Dog (which oddly reminded him of that one cartoon Great Dane). Sterling could only assume that this was the Taskforce, the group of ponies Black belonged to… and judging from their expressions, they weren’t happy.

’Oh buck…’ Sterling cursed inwardly. ’This is not how it was supposed to go.’

It wasn't long before another fight broke, one between Black's allies and the Black Sheep.

'This is my chance to look even better.' Sterling thought, as he made his way way through the battle. 'If I can take out one of these guys, I'll get even bigger points...'

Sterling went after the bald Earth Pony, identified as Ballista. He seemed to be the ringleader of Black's rescuers, and the perfect target.

"YAAAAH!" Sterling let out a battle cry, pulling out his knife and stabbing Ballista in the shoulder from behind.

"Ow!" Ballista cried. "You little-"

Ballista flung Sterling overhead, sending him to the ground.

"That. Really. Hurts." Ballista growled, as he pulled out the knife from his shoulder and dropped it on the ground.

"That isn't the only thing that's gonna hurt!" Sterling got back up on his hooves and lunged at Ballista. "I am taking you down!"

"Not today, kid." Ballista slugged him, knocking him back onto the ground.

"I'm not a kid!" Sterling growled, as he quickly rose up to his hooves again. "Take some of this!"

Unfortunately, Ballista simply clotheslined him, reintroducing him to the ground.

"Grrr..." Sterling groaned.

"Look, I don't have time for this." Ballista growled. "So why don't you run along to your dad and mum before you get hurt?"

"SHUT UP!" Sterling snarled, the mention of his parents angering him. "I don't need ANYPONY!"

Sterling lunged at Ballista once more, but was grabbed by the throat and slammed into the nearby wall. Sterling struggled to free himself, but couldn't.

'This is it.' He thought, closing his eyes. 'It's all over...'

"Big mistake, kid. Now I'm gonna-" Ballista began, then paused.

'Why are you dragging this out?' Sterling quivered. 'Just get it over with already...'

The next thing Sterling knew, Ballista had relaxed his grip.

"...Lauren Faust..." Ballista let out a sigh, as he let Sterling go. "You really are a kid, aren't you?"

"W-what?" Sterling hesitantly opened his eyes, and felt his neck, still shaking. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not going to kill a kid." Ballista declared firmly. "Even if that kid is you."

"Why?!" Sterling demanded, despite his quivering body. "Are you too scared?!"

"You're the one who's scared, kid." Ballista snorted. "In fact, you look like you don't want to be here any more than we do."

"That's bullcrap!" Sterling growled. "I am not afraid of you!"

"Maybe not me." Ballista frowned, "But you are afraid... it saddens me that you let yourself be dragged into this mess by these ponies."

"What do you know?!" Sterling challenged.

"I know that you're no killer." Ballista mused. "And that scares you. You're a little colt who got in way over his head."

"You're wrong!" Sterling snarled. "I'm not a 'little colt'! And I'm not in over my head! I chose this life, pal. No 'dragging' involved. I know exactly what I'm expected to do, and I will do it! You know why? Because I am a stallion! A strong, capable stallion! I am not weak, and I will not be pushed around ever again!"

Sterling let out a scream, charging at Ballista... only for Ballista to reply with a punch to the chest.

"Urk!" Sterling crumbled to the ground, coughing. "You son of a-"

"Look, Sterling." Ballista frowned, sympathy in his eyes, "I'm not your pops or anything, but I can tell you that your way of thinking is going to dig you a early grave. So do everypony a favor and quit while you're ahead..."

Ballista turned and walked away, intent on helping his comrades.

"I don't quit..." Sterling struggled to get up. "You lousy..." He collapsed on the floor. "Ugh... This can't be happening..."

Laying on the floor, Sterling found himself unable to see what was going on with the rest of the battle. By the time he managed to get up, things weren’t looking pretty.

Black was gone, and all the other Sheep were not doing so hot against their opponents. Things were looking pretty bleak… not that Gridlock seem to notice.

"Um, are you referring to us? Because it looks like they got us on the ropes!" Sterling frowned.

"The kid is right. We gotta fall back!" DeRose declared.

"Are you kiddin' me? I still got some fight left!" Solomon growled, his body all bruised up.

"This isn't a wood-measuring contest, man!" Scalphunter snarled. "These guys are playing for keeps! We have to make a run for it!"

"Never!" Gridlock yelled. "I won't run!"

"Would you prefer we get arrested or killed?" Reaper asked.

"I can care less what happened to you guys!" Gridlock snarled. "I want Black and this Taskforce dead! Every single one of them!"

"This damn blockhead's gonna get our gooses' cooked!" Sam protested.

"I got this." Talbolt sighed, as he pulled out a syringe and slammed it into Gridlock's neck.

Gridlock paused for a moment... as he then glared viciously at Talbolt.

"Did you just try to drug me?!" Gridlock roared.

"...No." Talbolt said nervously.

*DING!*

Gridlock fell to the ground, as Reaper had bashed the back of his head with a random pipe.

"That guy sure can take a tranquilizer." Reaper quipped.

"Guys, we all know the drill!" Scalphunter declared.

All the Black Sheep pulled out smoke bombs, and without a second thought, threw it down, enveloping the whole place in smoke.

“Let’s bounce!” Scalphunter cried.

The Black Sheep fled, leaving the unconscious Gridlock behind. Solomon tried to pick him up.

“Come on, Sterling, help me get him out of here!” Solomon ordered.

“Wait, we can’t leave without Pike!” Sterling fret. “He’s still up there!”

“Screw Pike!” Solomon snarled. “If we don’t get Gridlock out of here now, who do you think they’re going to blame?”

“But Pike’s Loveless’-” Sterling protested.

“Black probably already got him! He went up there minutes ago!” Solomon snarled, “He’s probably dead!”

“...No…” Sterling gasped.

The smoke was beginning to clear.

“Sterling!” Solomon growled.

With reluctance, Sterling quickly got under Gridlock’s right side. With haste, the two dragged the unconscious Gridlock out the back door of the bunker, as the storage room was finally clear of smoke.

Hours later, after assuring they weren’t followed, the group had managed to find a cave to hang out in till an airship would come back for them to take them home.

In the meantime, everypony were licking their wounds. Out of all of them, Sterling was surprised to find himself the least scathed, while all the others sported bruises and cuts. Sam was still charred from being hit with a cannonball from the pony they called ‘Armory’ and his cannon. Gridlock himself had finally came back in consciousness and was obviously pissed.

“I can’t believe it… I can’t believe it…” Gridlock muttered.

“You just had to bring him back, didn’t you?” Talbolt growled, glaring at him and Solomon.

“Buck off.” Solomon silently growled.

"I can believe you bludgeoned me with a pipe!" Gridlock glared at Reaper.

"We had to do something. You were going to get all of us killed!" Reaper glared.

"And given our track record with Black and the Taskforce, our chances of success was next to nothing to being with." DeRose sighed.

"I just don't understand this!" Gridlock growled, rubbing the bruise on his head. "We should

have beaten them! We had the stallionpower! We had the equipment!"

"And we still lost. Buck our worthless lives." Talbolt growled.

"What about Pike?" Sterling asked. "We left him back there!"

"Hate to break it to ya, kid, but he's probably dead by now." Scalphunter sneered.

"Ya really think so, Scalp?" Sam fretted.

"Considering Black almost killed him before, it's pretty much a certainty..." DeRose mused.

"Oh, who gives a damn about him? He was dead weight anyway!" Gridlock snarled. "We're better off without that loser."

"I sure won't miss him." Reaper agreed. "He was no longer the stallion we saw as a leader."

"And to think, he thought we would be the ones to go down." Solomon told Sterling, as he scoffed. "Still, so much for that promotion."

"Yeah..." Sterling nodded, albeit weakly, “But at least we got out of there with our lives... except... Pike. And are free to fight another day..."

But to be honest, the promotion was the last thing he cared about. Instead, all he could feel was appallment at what he was hearing.

’I can’t believe this… Pike was one of us…’ Sterling frowned. ’How could they hold such ill regard for their comrade? None of it makes any sense…’

Sterling was lost in his thought that he didn’t register the argument Gridlock had with the Black Sheep regarding their disbandment, only for Scalphunter to turn it back on him, and offering his ultimatum: control of the Black Sheep for the sake of Gridlock’s pride. To say the least, Scalphunter got what he wanted.

"...Fine." Gridlock spat. "You can have the damn Sheep! Just stay the buck out of my way from now on!"

"Pleasure doing business with you." Scalphunter sneered, holding up a hoof with the word 'Scalp' tattooed on it... then twisted it to show off a black ram tattoo."You know what they say: 'It rubs the lotion on its skin...'"

"'Or else it gets the hose again!'" The other Black Sheeps chanted.

’...Did they quote Bill the Buffalo?’ Sterling frowned.

Gridlock grunted as he turned away from the Sheep, unable to face those who had bested him.

"Wow... you let them walk all over you." Solomon growled.

"Shut it, Solomon." Gridlock growled, "When you're in a position of power like I am, you gotta learn to just grin and bear it."

"Trust me, when I do get to be an Ouroboros like you, I won't make the mistake you just made..." Solomon grumbled.

"That will be the day." Gridlock scoffed.

"Loveless really liked Pike though..." Sterling frowned. "He won't be happy to hear that he's gone..."

"Forget Loveless, Cross." Gridlock spat. "He coddled Pike for too long. And Faust hopes you don't end up like him. Wherever Pike is now, he's no longer an issue... for anypony."

'He's... he's dead?' Sterling thought, horrified. 'I don't want to end up like him... and I probably will, if today is anything to go by.'

Sterling painfully recalled his fight with Ballista.

’The damn Brit had my number.’ Sterling admonished himself. ’Here I was, thinking I could take on anything… but I only got one hit on Black… I couldn’t even handle one of his friends!' He then brought a hoof to his snout. ’The things I said to Loveless... I gotta make this right… the moment I get home.’

Several uncomfortable hours in the cave passed before the airship had arrived and taken them back to Infinity. Thankfully, Gridlock did not enact any sort of punishment for his and Solomon’s failure in the ambush… though he could tell that this would be the last time Gridlock accepted their help with anything.

After paying a quick visit to his quarters to check on Ward, Sterling made his way back to Loveless’s workshop, where Loveless was busy tinkering with one of his inventions.

"Loveless?" Sterling asked meekly.

Loveless paused. He glanced back… and then returned to his work.

“...Sterling.” Loveless murmured. “You’re still alive…”

“Yeah, I am…” Sterling murmured back.

The workshop grew silent for a moment… before Sterling spoke up again.

"Look, I... I..." Sterling stuttered. "I was cocky, arrogant, stupid..." He fell to his knees. "I was an idiot, okay?! A smug little egomaniac who got in over his head!"

"Easy, Sterling." Loveless comforted him. "What happened?"

"Well..." Sterling started.

The two sat there in the workshop, as Sterling relayed all that had happened in the ambush. By the time Sterling was done, his tears was replaced with a look of self-anguish.

“...I knew this mission was going to end badly… but I didn’t think it pan out like this…” Loveless murmured.

“I really am sorry, Loveless.” Sterling sniffed. “If I could, I would've helped Pike… but I couldn’t… I just wasn't strong enough.”

“Sterling, you did everything you could.” Loveless declared. “You’re lucky to have survived the ordeal.”

“But I should've listened to you.” Sterling grunted. “You and Jetstream both told me I wasn’t ready, but all I cared about was taking down Black.”

“Pike knew what he was getting into.” Loveless admitted. “I doubt you being there would have changed anything.”

"But still... I messed up." Sterling sighed. "I shouldn't have questioned your teachings. I should have trusted your judgment. "I just... wanted to prove I was strong. Because the thought of being weak... reminded me of when I was a kid."

"How do you mean?" Loveless asked.

“You see, Loveless…” Sterling murmured, lowering his head. “Back then... I was weak… I was a coward. Every time trouble showed, I just ran the other way. I spent all my life being weak and feeble… hell, burning down the house was pretty much the only bold thing I ever did, and it got me thrown in juvie… but when you came to me, telling me you could make me a better stallion… I thought it'd mean no longer being that same weak pony.”

“But Sterling… there is no shame in weakness.” Loveless frowned. “Every pony has it. Heck, I’m a stallion missing his lower body!”

“...But has your weakness ever cost you someone?” Sterling asked.

“...What?” Loveless gasped.

“Because that’s what happened to me.” Sterling admitted, sniffling a bit more. “Because I was this pathetic little coward… I lost somepony I cared deeply about.”

“Sterling…” Loveless whispered.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I am sorry.” Sterling apologized, “You and Jetstream were my teachers, and I should had trusted your training…”

“You know, you’re not the only one at fault here.” Loveless sighed. “I shouldn’t have exploded at you, and we shouldn’t have said that you were not strong enough. You were only trying to do right by the Forefathers and those whom we lost. You can’t be blamed for that.”

“But you were right though.” Sterling frowned, “I wasn’t strong enough.”

"But you are strong, Sterling." Loveless declared. "Strong where it counts. Strong in a way the likes of Solomon can never hope to be."

"You really think so?" Sterling gasped.

"I know so." Loveless smiled. "From the first moment we met."

"Thanks, Loveless." Sterling grinned. "And... I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted." Loveless smiled.

At that moment, Jetstream entered the workshop.

“Now, isn’t this sweet.” Jetstream declared, having been listening from the outside. "Good to see you two have made up."

"Thank you, Jetstream." Loveless smiled.

"So, Sterling, you up for some more training?" Jetstream asked.

"You know it." Sterling nodded.

“I’m really glad Loveless forgave me.” Sterling gave a small smile. “I really thought I screwed things up.”

“Well, Loveless is not the kind of pony to hold a grudge.” Jetstream smirked… before it disappeared. “I, on the other hoof…”

“Yeah…” Sterling chuckled… only to pause. “Wait, what was-”

Suddenly, Sterling found himself pinned to the wall, a katana was pressed against his throat, Jetstream glaring viciously at him.

“If you, under any circumstances, hurt Loveless like you did last night ever again…” Jetstream whispered venomously. “I will see to it that you suffer a fate worse than death, got it?”

“Uh, yeah?” Sterling cringed, unnerved by his rancour.

“You swear?!” Jetstream snarled.

“I promise!” Sterling yelled, “Just take it easy, please!”

“...Good.” Jetstream suddenly smirked, as he pulled his katana away, sheathing it. “I just want to know that you learned your lesson.”

“Sure did. A little hard to swallow, though...” Sterling rubbed his throat, before remembering something. “Jetstream… about Ward…”

“Forget about it.” Jetstream shrugged. “I’m not about to throw away all the work I put into you over a dog. I would never hear the end of it from everypony in this organization.”

“So, you won’t try to make me kill my dog again?” Sterling deadpanned.

“Naw… that just means I will just have to put more effort into training you.” Jetstream grinned, “Do you think you can take that, tough guy?”

“...Yeah… yeah I can.” Sterling nodded in determination.

“Glad to hear it.” Jetstream smirked, as he and Sterling continued walking to the training area. “...And between you and me… I’m glad you’re okay, too.”

“Thanks, Jetstream.” Sterling beamed.

“But tell anypony I said that, and I will kill you.” Jetstream quickly added.

“...Sure.” Sterling cringed.

"Good." Jetstream smiled.

A few days later, Sterling was continuing his mentors’ training, determined to stick to it. He had a few bruises on him from his bouts with Jetstream, but he did not let them impede him in his training. Right now, he was lifting dumbbells.

“Hey, Sterling!”

Sterling glanced over to see Solomon, who had a few bandages from the ambush.

“Solomon.” Sterling said politely.

“So, I see you’re still working this joke of a routine.” Solomon snorted. “I thought you said you'd consider giving my training a try.”

“I did consider.” Sterling said firmly. “But I elected to stick with my teachers’ training.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Solomon chuckled. “How do you expect to beat Black with a regiment like that?”

"Like yours was any better." Sterling scoffed. "Even with all your fancy moves, at the end of the day, you were beat like the rest of us.”

“What? You mean what happened back there?” Solomon asked. “That was just a minor setback. We would've won if those Taskforce cronies hadn't butt in when they did. That doesn't mean my training is inferior!”

“I don’t doubt that.” Sterling admitted. “Regardless, we weren’t ready. I’m not going to throw myself into another situation like that, until I am good and ready. I will not end up like Pike did.”

"What are you, scared?" Solomon sneered.

"More like 'sensible'." Sterling retorted. "I won't face Black again until I know I'm ready."

“Unbelievable…” Solomon scoffed, “I knew you were too soft. Just like that teacher of yours. That poor excuse of a stallion named-”

"Named what?" Loveless wheeled into the room.

"Oh, uh..." Solomon murmured.

“Go on, finish your statement. I’m interested in hearing what you have to say to my student.” Loveless smirked.

“Grr, I was just trying to tell your ‘student’ that he is making a big mistake not taking me up on my offer.” Solomon growled, regaining his poise, “That my training is far better than anything you can offer.”

“Is that so?” Loveless crossed his hooves. “I’ll have you know that Sterling is doing quite fine with our training. And I don’t appreciate you trying to sway him with whatever you think constitutes a valid training regiment.”

“Yeah, right.” Solomon scoffed. “What could a legless stallion offer him, that I, a powerful lightning wielder can’t?”

“Funny. I heard a story from Father about you.” Loveless smirked. “He told me how he found you, wallowing around in water, having gotten your butt kicked. That sounds nothing like a ‘powerful lightning wielder’.”

Solomon’s eye twitched.

“You pitiful son of a-”

Suddenly, a boxing glove darted out of Loveless’s wheelchair, slugging him in the chest.

"Ow!" Solomon yelped, kneeling.

“Heh, looks like you have some training of your own to do before you move up in the world.” Loveless chuckled.

"Why, you sawn-off..." Solomon seethed.

Angered, Solomon made to pounce... only for Jetstream's sword to bridge the gap between him and Loveless.

"You're new here, so you probably don't know this." Jetstream said nonchalantly. "But we have a strict ‘no attacking a superior’ policy. Doing so will almost certainly result in your expulsion from the Forefathers... if you get killed, that is."

Solomon growled viciously.

“Why don’t you leave Sterling to his own training, and you stick to yours, hmmkay?” Jetstream sneered.

Left with no choice but to swallow his rage, Solomon left the gym, throwing a hateful glance at Sterling.

"Thanks, guys." Sterling declared.

"Think nothing of it." Loveless smiled. "All good mentors look out for their students."

"Speaking of looking out, I don't think Solomon's done with you yet, kid." Jetstream declared. "I seen his eyes. You better keep on your hooves around him."

"He can bring it on." Sterling snarled. "Any time. As long as I have have the two of you in my corner, I know I can handle anything... in time."

"That's the spirit." Loveless chuckled.

As they departed the gym, Sterling reflected on Solomon's glare.

'You want a feud, Solomon?' He thought. 'You got one…'