Trinity
Getting a message to come to Trottingham always filled Rainbow Dash with apprehension. Not that she was scared of injury or attack, but considering who lived within the city and his obsessive desire to be left alone... If he actually wanted to speak to her, it must have been serious.
She hung over the city, scanning its rooftops for any sign of her contact. Even though he enjoyed to stick to the shadows, he always left some small way that his allies could identify him. Super Vision helped as well, with Rainbow able to see even the tiniest of motions among the darkened city. All she had to do now was wait for him to make an appearance.
Minutes ticked by, Rainbow shifting the speed at which she flapped her wings as a means to kill the boredom. The city was still quiet as ever, save from the odd pony heading home late from work or a rendezvous with friends. Then, just as the time began to wear on her, Rainbow spotted a familiar ripple of fabric atop one of the larger buildings, joined soon by a pair of glowing white eyes. There he is.
Rainbow dove down slowly, just enough to keep a reasonable speed without drawing attention to herself. The shape of her contact became more pronounced as she neared: a stocky, white furred unicorn in gray armor and a black cape, most of his face hidden behind a cowl topped with two bat ears. He still scowled at her as she closed, but Rainbow guessed that was merely his natural disposition rather than outright annoyance... probably.
“Let me guess, you saw me come in several minutes ago?” she asked once she landed.
“I had other matters to attend to,” Batpony replied, stepping a bit further out of the shadows. “Ponies say a lot about me, but I am not omnipotent.”
“You certainly act like it.” Rainbow countered, shuffling her hooves. “So, what is it you wanted to talk about?”
“In a moment. We’re still waiting for one more pony to arrive.” Rainbow cocked an eyebrow at this. Inviting her to Trottingham was surprising, but inviting another pony? The situation must have been far more serious than she realized.
“And who is this ‘other pony’?” she asked.
“Her.” Batpony said, glancing around Rainbow Dash. Rainbow turned just as an Earth Pony mare alighted onto the roof, skipping slightly before she came to a stop. She had a red coat, black mane, and piercing blue eyes, though she seemed just as confused as Rainbow did. She was dressed in a blue and gold leotard complimented by a pair of silver bracelets around her forelimbs. Her mane was held back by a golden tiara marked with a red star, and a glowing gold lasso hung from her hip.
“I did not know we would meet again in this matter,” the newcomer said, coming to a stop a fair distance away from Rainbow Dash.
“Neither did I,” Rainbow replied. “I thought you were sticking close to Vanhoover after what happened.”
“As pleasant as that was, I do not have the luxury of being able to stay in one place.” the mare countered. “And I am sure you realize that you alone cannot protect all of Equestria.”
“I’d like to think I’ve done a good job so far.”
“Ladies, please,” Batpony interjected, stepping away so the three formed a triangle. “I would suggest we table the discussion on ‘jurisdiction’ for later and get to the matter at hoof.” Rainbow paused, looking between the two others for a brief moment.
“... Sure,” she said, flapping her wings to get her cape back in alignment. “What did you want to tell us?”
“I have been monitoring several underground groups that have become active in Trottingham and beyond since the attacks on Cloudsdale and Manehattan.” the unicorn said, pulling a device from his pocket and opening it to reveal a digital notepad. “The most prominent is one styled as ‘Intergang’: gun-runners primarily, they’ve been active in several smuggling and black market rings in the Griffon Kingdoms and the badlands, assisting with some of the uprisings in those countries.
“Recently, though, I’ve intercepted several shipments passing through Trottingham, and most worryingly one on its way to Canterlot. It appeared more ornate and advanced compared to anything else I’ve seen, even from griffons.”
“You think these criminals intend to make an attack on the Princesses?” the Earth Pony asked.
“It’s possible,” Batpony replied. “I traced the funds, and they appear to have come from two sources. The first I traced to the private estates of one Jet Set, a noble with ties to the airship industry-”
“He could easily sneak anything in through one of those things,” Rainbow said. “I can start searching ships for anything suspicious.”
“And that wouldn’t be suspicious already, that Supermare suddenly had interests in the shipping industry?” Rainbow chewed her lip, but said nothing as Batpony continued. “At any rate, the funds are too small to support any more than a few small shipments, which drew me to the second source.”
“Which is?” the Earth Pony asked. There was a pause before Batpony spoke again.
“Unknown.” he put away the notepad before continuing. “I’ve done all I can at this point, but the second source is well hidden.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow again, but was unable to speak before the third pony spoke.
“I might have a lead on that source, if the information you say is correct,” she said. “The monster that attacked Vanhoover identified itself as Kalibak, an old enemy of the Amazons since before Equestria was founded. The forces at his master’s command would have every reason and quite a few resources to corrupt Equestria from within.”
“But you managed to defeat that guy, right?” Rainbow asked. “How dangerous can he be if you take care of him before anyone else needs to step in?” this drew a glare from the Amazon.
“One victory now means little when dealing with our enemy.” she said. “Had it been a full scale attack, I believe that not even you could stand against it.” Rainbow’s ears drooped as the mare turned to Batpony. “Do you have any samples of these weapons that are en-route to Canterlot?”
“A few, but there were... complications. Some of them were damaged in transit.” Batpony turned to her. “It might not even correlate with what you experienced, but I will see what I can do. In the meantime, do you know how to shut down the funding for Intergang before they act?”
“Your criminals are but a symptom.” the Amazon shook her head. “If you intend to find a true cure, you must prepare for war.”
“The War in Heaven,” Rainbow said, taking a step closer to the other mare. “That Kalibak guy mentioned something about its ‘final act’; what do you know about it?”
“If I may,” Batpony started. “The two events have tenuous links at best at this point; I’ll need more information before you can act further.”
“‘Us’?” the Amazon repeated. “What of you?”
“I will do what I can here to try and limit Intergang’s funding and spread.” Batpony’s eyes narrowed. “I can provide you with information to fight whatever might happen at Canterlot, but nothing more.”
“Don’t think you can pull that ‘I work alone’ stuff on us, Blueblood,” Rainbow said, turning towards the unicorn. “If this is really as bad as you two are making it out to be, then any one of us working alone might not be able to stop both threats, whatever they are. We need your help just as much as you’ll need ours.”
“I’ll manage. I’ve done it before.” Batpony’s eyes narrowed. “I will get you your information on Intergang, and perhaps there is come correlation between them and your ‘friend’.”
“... Very well,” the Amazon sighed and looked to Rainbow Dash. “Is it truly so difficult to actually work with anypony here?”
“I’m wondering that too.” Rainbow turned to face the other mare. “No offence, but you weren’t exactly as kind as ponies say you are when you turned down my offer to help.”
“I know,” the mare seemed to soften a bit. “And for that, I am sorry. But I do not take the forces of Apokolips lightly, and neither should either of-” she stopped, Rainbow Dash following her vision to find that their compatriot was gone.
“... He does that.” Rainbow said after a moment. “Don’t worry, he’ll come around in time.”
“For all our sakes, I hope so.” the Amazon moved towards the edge of the building. “I must return to Canterlot. If the Batpony is unable to procure a sample in time, I will have to take matters into my own hooves.”
“Okay.” Rainbow replied, pausing slightly as she watched the mare take off into the night. That left her, alone again, listening to the sounds of Trottingham.
The world seemed to have gotten a bit bigger... now the question remained as to whether she was ready for it.