At that moment, the door burst open and three more henchponies with machetes rushed in, making six in all. They were closing in on us from both sides, trapping us in the back of the warehouse. If I didn't figure out how to use this stupid magically and mechanically enhanced chestpiece thingy, we were doomed.
“The armor will prevent you from taking any hits. Trust me, it'll work.” Brass Cog whispered to me.
“Didn't you say that this is a prototype? As in not tested?” I whispered back.
The earless pony suddenly turned the corner and spotted me. “Nowhere to go, pig,” he sneered through the blade in his mouth, his eyes gleaming.
“Yipe,” I whispered, panic blocking out all thought.
He rushed at me and swung the machete at my neck. In response, I threw up a wing to deflect the strike away. But the blow never came.
The thug’s look of confusion mirrored mine. He swung the machete again. I didn't flinch this time as the blade was blocked by a barrier.
“Ahh... I see now. Cool.” I flapped my wings to get myself hovering, and I delivered a roundhouse kick to the thug’s jaw. He spun away and crashed to the floor, out cold.
The other thugs charged for me. Good thing the guard teaches hoof to hoof, and I just remembered that I was proficient. Using my own combination of hovering low over the ground and ground-based attacks, I prepared to fend off the thugs.
The first to reach me tried throwing the machete at me, but the prototype armor did its job and deflected it, causing it to become lodged in a nearby crate. I tumbled past him; he tried to spin to keep up, but as he turned, I socked him right in his left temple. Instant knockout. Hurt my hoof a bit though.
The next three thugs tried getting close, but I flew up and kicked one of them in the head, causing his skull to collide with the other two. All three of them fell to the ground, out cold. Earth pony skulls are dense apparently.
The last thug was backing away, looking mildly terrified of me. “Don't be dumb. Drop the weapon, and I'll just cuff you. Make it easy for us both."
He dropped the machete from his mouth and sat down on the ground next to some pipes.
“Good criminal. I'll go easy on the hoofcuffs,” I said in a playfully patronizing way, as I got my set of hoofcuffs out.
Brass Cog stepped up to me. “You want me to do that while you keep your eye on him?” he asked, offering to cuff the thug to the pipe.
“That would be best I think,” I said, giving the hoofcuffs to him.
I made sure the thug behaved while his target restrained him. “So what now?” Bras Cog asked.
“We go find the nearest on-duty City Guard. Come on.” I waved for him to follow me quickly.
“It sucks that I couldn't keep the chestpiece,” I sighed in disappointment.
“Well, it's not regulation. And was made by an unlicensed weaponsmith who worked for organized criminals,” Seera reminded me.
I was in Seera’s office and I had just finished my report on what happened. Brass Cog was set up in a safe room here on campus instead of a jail cell, secure under the eyes of two of my hoof-picked Guards. And we now had six new ponies to interrogate. It was going to be a busy day tomorrow. I couldn’t interrogate most of them until they wake up, so it's best I wait until tomorrow morning.
The only downer was that they made me turn in the chestpiece Brass Cog gave me. I was now once again wearing my boring, normal, not-awesome armor.
I sighed. “I know it wasn't regulation. But it was still really cool. Gary is probably halfway through tearing it apart by now.” I sighed and rubbed my face with my hooves, my jealousy of the griffon seething in my stomach. “Anyway, you got what you need from me?”
“Yup, I'll have all the paperwork needed for your interrogations tomorrow,” Seera replied, shuffling some papers on her desk. “Go get some rest.”
I nodded and took my leave, walking down the stairs to the ground floor and out the gates of the campus. I glanced at my watch and felt my stomach twist; I was well past the time I had told Grandma Galaxy I was going to pick Jett up. I spread my wings and took off. Flying over the city after dark, when most ponies were asleep, was peaceful in a way. I watched the mostly empty streets below me, lit by the gas lanterns. Somewhere down there Brass Cog’s daughter was being hidden. As much as I wanted to start searching door to door, I couldn’t.
So best focus on my own family right now. Landing outside my Grandparents home, I let myself in. “Hello?”
“Strider?” my grandmother called from farther in the house.
I trotted into the living room, where Jett and Grandma Galaxy were sitting on the couch reading.
“Dad!” Jett hopped over the coffee table using her wings to extend her jump. Once on the ground again she ran up and hugged me. “When you were late, I got scared.”
“Why?” I asked.
“I don't want to lose another daddy.” She hugged my armored leg tightly.
This filly is gonna break my heart if she keeps this up. “I'm not going anywhere, sweetie. Get your things so we can go home, Snow will likely be home by now.”
She let go of my leg and went over to get her things. Grandma Galaxy came over. “So what kept you?” she asked sternly.
“Witness recovery, and forceful apprehension of criminals.” Minimal details. I know how to give information to my family while keeping within regulations.
She looked at me disapprovingly. “Meaning you were in a fight. What were the odds?”
“Six to one,” I said honestly. Her response was the whack me upside the head with a hoof. “Ow!”
“You may be skilled, Flame Strider, but you have a daughter to think about now. You can't be putting yourself in danger like this,” she scolded me quietly. “Your grandfather reined in the dangerous acts when your mother was born. You need to do the same.”
Well, that is definitely something to think about. “I think, I understand,” I stammered.
“I'm ready!” Jett said coming up to me. I got low to the floor, allowing her to get up onto my back.
“See you Friday, darlings.” Grandma Galaxy kissed Jett on her forehead. Then she looked at me and kissed my cheek, and I returned it.
Stepping outside, we lifted off the ground and headed home.
I was in my bedroom, polishing the hoofguards of my armor, which got scuffed in the warehouse. Snow was on my bed behind me, reading like normal. Jett was in bed across the hall safe and sound asleep.
“Love?” Snow said softly.
“Yes?” I replied, not looking up.
“Can we talk about something?” she asked, closing her book.
I put my armor down and climbed onto the bed next to her. “What’s on your mind?”
“My NCO said that you cleaned up in a game of blackjack over lunch earlier, and there’s a steadily growing stash of large bit pieces in that false book you have in the living room,” she started. “Do you have a problem?”
“What? Like gambling addiction?” I asked. She nodded. I scoffed a little. “I don't think it's a problem. I just go to the games on Thursdays with the other NCOs. That game of blackjack during lunch today was a surprise.”
“But is it a problem? Are you gonna gamble away your savings if this continues?”
“It’s not a problem,” I replied, feeling a little testy. “I only use the bits in the false book on those Thursdays. I promise if it does become a problem I'll stop immediately.”
She seemed to shift uncomfortably and looked away from me for a moment. “Okay. I just don't want to see it consume you. I had a friend lose everything because he couldn’t help himself.”
“How about we go to sleep?” I offered, wanting to change the subject.
She sighed. “Alright. It's been a long day.”
“Hey,” I said, getting her to look at me again. “I love you.”
She smiled and kissed me. I responded in kind, holding her close. After a few moments, we parted and she set her head against my shoulder. “I love you, Flame Strider.”
We started getting settled into bed again, and just as we were getting comfortable a knock resonated from the apartment door.
Snow groaned. “What now?” she asked in irritation.
“I’ll get it.” I sat up, pushed the blankets off with a wing and got out of bed. Moving through the apartment I answered the door. An Equestrian Postal Service unicorn pony was standing on the other side. The nametag on his chest read “Stamp”.
“A little late to be delivering packages isn’t it?” I asked.
He yawned before replying. “Normally I’d agree but this package was marked for immediate delivery.” He levitated a clipboard and pen out of his saddlebags. “Sign here please.”
I signed the paper, and he levitated the package over and sat it beside me. It was no bigger than a cigar box and only had my address on it, no return address. “Have a good night sir,” he said as he turned to leave.
“You too,” I said, closing the door. I was about to shove the box aside and leave it until tomorrow morning, but then I noticed that the box was as cold as ice. Literally.
Snow came out of the bedroom. “Who was it, love?”
“Mail pony,” I said as I went to get a knife from the kitchen to cut the tape. I cut the tape holding the box closed and opened it. Inside sat a foam container with a note made in cut-out magazine letters spelling, “GIVE US BRASS COG!”
Snow had made her way over to me and the box. “What’s in there?” she asked with worry. I took the knife, slipped it beneath the lid, and lifted it up. Both of us gasped at the contents.
“Celestia have mercy,” Snow whispered, covering her mouth with a hoof.
Inside was the severed ear of a pony sitting on a layer of ice. From the size, I guessed it was the ear of Brass Cog’s daughter.
“I need my armor,” I declared. I closed the foam box, the packaging, and then hurried to my armor, moving quietly so I wouldn’t wake up Jett.
“I'll help you,” Snow hurried after me. “I’ll stay here and look after Jett.”
With the assistance of Snow’s magic, putting my armor on was a snap. Once my armor was on, I went back to the box and put into my armor’s pocket.
I was about to put my helmet on when Snow levitated it over to me. “Be careful,” she said and kissed my cheek, then put the helmet over my head. “Go bring that filly home.” I nodded and left the apartment.
Once down the stairs and out of the building I quickly flew to campus and went straight to SI. Looking around I saw that Ruff and Tuff were on night duty, filling out paperwork. I went up to them, and they stood to attention.
“I thought you went home, Sarge?” Tuff asked.
“I was home. Go get everypony on our team, Hadvar, the coroner, Seera. Anypony we may need to find somepony. I want them here five minutes ago. Move! Move!”
They ran out of SI in a hurry. I just hoped that we could work fast.
“This is definitely the shredding pattern seen when griffin talons rip through flesh,” the unicorn mare in front of me said, staring at the severed ear.
I was in the morgue with who apparently was the only coroner available at this hour. Hadvar was here too but he had a large cup of coffee in his claw and was none too happy to have been woken up at this hour.
“I'm sorry, what is your name again? You aren't the usual coroner I work with,” I stopped her.
“My name is Doctor Scapula. I'm a Forensic Alogopologist and have a certification in Forensic Pathology. But I've been here less than a week, so I wouldn't expect you to remember me,” she smiled.
“Well it's a pleasure to meet you, and while I'd like to get to know you better, we have the severed ear of a filly, who is probably near scared to death,” I said calling her attention back to the ear.
“Right,” She turned her attention back to the ear.
Hadvar was a little more awake now and looking closer at the ear. “She’s right, our claws leave these patterns when cutting soft tissue. But those pale flecks in the blood, what are those? Bone?” he asked.
Scapula levitated some tweezers and pulled the small white flecks out, squinting at them. “No, that's not bone. It doesn’t look like anything from a body.”
“Here, let me see that.” Hadvar took the flecks and put them under a microscope. “Hey, this is wood!” he said. “I'm gonna need time, but with the others there, I might be able to figure out where these came from. Additionally, if the griffon who cut the ear off left some cells behind we might get a suspect.”
“I'll take what I can get. But you are certain that the Griffon Mafia is involved?” I asked.
“Almost certain. We need more to confirm,” Scapula said.
“Alright then get those specks identified. I'll be with my team, going over the evidence we have.” I left them in the morgue.
Heading back to my office I saw that everypony was still waking up. “You had better have a good explanation for waking me up, Sarge,” Seera said in an irritated tone, adjusting her jewelry.
“We need information, and those thugs have what we need,” I started. “Ace, Stone, Seera. We need to start questioning them now. Ace you're lead interrogator on this. Go, please.” Seera merely nodded, Ace and Stone saluted before leaving.
“As for everyone else, we need everything all of the gangs have property wise, anywhere capable of detaining a filly and not being heard.” I started opening filing cabinets. My team did the same with the various cabinets I had around the room. It was definitely gonna be a long night.
I was alone in my office for the moment, still eliminating possible holding locations. I had sent out my team to check the more likely ones several times throughout the night, but no luck so far.
Every suspect that Ace, Stone, and Seera talked to had been uncooperative so far. All but one requested public defenders; the other one just wasn’t saying anything at all.
I put my head in my hooves and sighed deeply. Somewhere out there was a little filly, scared and alone, and I couldn’t do anything to help her. Would I be sitting here if it was Jett out there? I groaned. There had to be something here that I was missing! I had to think...think of something...
A knock resonated from my door, making me jump a little. I had begun to fall asleep. “Come in,” I called, standing up and straightening out my armor.
Kickback and Sharp Shot came through the door. “The steel mill on the south side of the city is clear, Sarge,” Kickback reported, wiping off his face.
“Sarge, If we aren't overstepping any lines here, we got you a large coffee and a muffin on our way back.” Sharp Shot levitated a coffee and a blueberry muffin onto my desk.
“There is probably some kind of rule about this but I don't care at the moment. As far as I care, you are supporting the team here,” I said taking a drink of the liquid gold they had put on my desk.
“Sarge!” I heard Hadvar call from outside my office. He came in with a map of the city with red circles drawn on it and post it notes stuck to the edges. “I know where they are holding her!” he shouted, slamming the map down onto my desk and knocking my coffee all over me. “The wood was common pine, but there was stain that was unique to a manufacturer of wagons that closed down about ten years ago. Now-”
“Hadvar! We don't have time for show and tell, cut to the chase.” I interrupted, grabbing some napkins and wiping my armor off.
“Right, sorry,” Hadvar apologized slowing down. “There is only one of their factories still standing, and it is right here outside the city.” He stabbed a claw down on a spot on the map.
“That's just outside the perimeter when we searched that section of road, it's a forest in there,” Kickback commented.
“That's our target. When the others get back, get set up for a SWAT insertion,” I ordered them.
“We'll get the gear ready,” Snap Shot said as he and Kickback left.
Hadvar left with them, leaving me to make sure my armor was in combat condition. Sword, check. Helmet, check. Supercool chestpiece that would be useful in this situation, unobtainable. Stupid regulations.
“Sarge?” Ace asked, opening my door.
“Ace?” I asked.
“We got the last thug to give us something. He works for the Canter Nostra but says the other three are Sinalope Cartel. And that the Canter Nostra, Sinalope Cartel, and the Griffon Mafia are all holding the filly until they get Brass Cog,” he reported.
“Okay, so three gangs in one location. Go get Stone, join the others for SWAT insertion.”
“Yes, Sarge.” Ace saluted and left.
I sighed and decided that when this was over, I’d bring in some more NCOs to help me run the unit. I can't be doing everything like Grandma Galaxy said. Working from a desk most of the time can't be that bad. Right?
The approach to the factory was seamless. Sort of. Before we even got into the factory, we had four tranquilized griffins tied up and waiting for transport. We had an ambulance on standby back on the nearest road, ready to come in on our signal: a green magic flare.
Ace and I had climbed up onto the roof and were peering through the skylight, looking for the filly. This place was about as run-down, abandoned, and isolated as you could get. The walls were being eaten away from termites, and the paint was so far gone, you couldn't even tell what color it was anymore. The inside of the structure fared no better. Broken tables, assembly lines, woodworking tools were strewn about the floor.
It looked like there were five more inside, three ponies, and two griffins. The three ponies never moved from one of the only intact tables in a corner of the assembly area, while the two griffins patrolled the upper walkways.
“She's probably with them,” Ace pointed to the three ponies.
I squinted to try and get a closer look at the table. I could see a small hoof underneath it. It was as good a confirmation as we were gonna get. “Ace, stay up here, and aim for the first one to try and grab her.”
“Got it, Sarge.” Ace unholstered his crossbow and tucked the stock into his shoulder, taking aim.
I flew down to the rest of the team, who were all waiting outside the factory doors. Stone would be leading the charge inside since he would be carrying the shield. He would be followed by Sharp Shot and Oda, who could fire around the shield. Ruff and Tuff stayed with our detainees outside. Once a path to the filly was clear, I would get her and exit as soon as possible. It's all standard SWAT Rescue protocol really. It would all go down textbook. Hopefully.
“Clear for breach. When you're ready,” I ordered.
Stone took a deep breath, bucked the door open, and immediately turned around, holding the shield up in front of him as he entered. Once Sharp Shot entered, he immediately fired off two shots to the right of the shield, as Oda did the same on the left. I could hear Ace’s shots from above us crashing through the glass window.
By the time I entered, the two griffons were down, and one out of three pony thugs remained. Everything happened nice and by the book. I couldn’t resist letting out a sigh of relief.
The remaining pony that stood near the filly lost his cool and turned to run, sprinting out of reach. “Ace, Sharp Shot, Pursue and detain! Oda, Stone, clear the building!” I barked.
Without response, they did as ordered. I hurried over to the table and looked underneath.
“No! Stay away!” she screamed and kicked.
Her blows didn't hurt but I needed her to calm down.“I'm here to take you to your father! Brass Cog. He's your dad right?”
She stopped kicking a moment and stared scared into my eyes. I don't know what convinced her, but she wrapped her forelegs around my neck and held on tight.
“Oda, pop flares!” I ordered as I carried the filly back to the road. Green light illuminated the forest as I ran through the woods back to the SWAT wagon, which was quickly answered by the wailing of the ambulance siren.
I was with Seera in the hospital, waiting for Brass Cog to arrive. His daughter, whose name was Copper Flower, was waiting for her father and for him to give the go on a routine surgery to reattach her ear. It was still very late at night. The hospital's night shift staff was in full swing.
A bell rang from the elevator, and Brass Cog stepped out with Ruff & Tuff. “Where is she?” he demanded, shaking with anticipation.
“Just down there, room two o’two.” I pointed a hoof toward the room.
He hurried past me and Seera and went into the room. I followed and looked through a little window set in the door. Brass Cog was embracing his daughter, tears running down his face. I can tell he never meant for all this to happen and was glad that it was over. Perhaps witness protection can give him a job in research and development for the Equestrian Militaries.
Brass Cog stopped hugging his daughter for a moment and came over to the door to the room. “I'll give my testimony, statement, whatever you need.”
“And I appreciate that. But that can wait until tomorrow morning. This is more important at the moment,” Seera said. “As for you, Sarge, I recommend you go home to that filly of yours.”
“Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow.” I started toward the elevators. “Stay here until the Marshals take over. Then go get some rest,” I instructed Ruff and Tuff as I passed.
As those mechanically controlled doors closed, I couldn't help but feel the weight of this case lifting off my shoulders. I didn't want to go home immediately. I still had a lot of energy from earlier, and I wanted to do something to help me take my mind off things and help me rest. I wondered if there was a game of poker going on in the barracks. So I headed back to campus to see.
Turns out there was a poker game that night, in a lounge made by the various NCOs over the years, underneath the optional NCO quarters in what used to be a storage basement. There was a little bar, a radio, and a card table. The space was dimly lit but bright enough to see the cards.
Four NCOs of various rankings sat around the table, with one empty seat calling my name. They all had their armor on still, save for their helmets.
“Hey Sergeant Strider, we thought you couldn't make it this evening.” Sergeant Flare said from her position as tonight's dealer.
“Late work day. Too much energy to go home. You understand.” I said, sitting down.
“All too well.” another Sergeant agreed.
“Deal you in?” Flare asked, shuffling the deck
“Please,” I confirmed.