//------------------------------// // Sink Or Swim // Story: Tainted Silver // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// The next morning, Big Red was in town, picking up the local paper, when he encountered Marshall. "Morning, Red." Marshall said sullenly. "Howdy, Mar- whoa." Big Red gaped, noticing all the bruises on Marshall's face (souvenirs of his fight with Sterling). "What happened to you?" "I, ah..." Marshall stumbled. As much as he would have loved to provide Big Red with more proof of Sterling's true nature, his pride refused to let admit that Sterling had bested him. "We had trouble wrangling this crook in yesterday. Took me by surprise, and got in a few good licks.” "Ouch." Big Red frowned. "'Least ya got 'im the end, right?" "Sure did..." Marshall lied. "How are things with you? Sterling been causing more problems for you?" "Whattaya mean 'more'?" Big Red frowned. "Well, I was just saying-" Marshall started. "Well, please don't." Big Red interrupted. "Ah've already made up mah mind about Sterling, and no amount a' bad-mouthing him is gonna change it. Ya got me?" “Why must you be so stubborn?” Marshall growled, “You know what he did! You know what he’s capable of!” “Look, Ah know yer concerned, Marshall.” Big Red shook his head, “But Ah know what Ah’m doin’.” “And that’s supposed to me make feel better?” Marshall groaned, “...I’m only sayin’ this because I’m your friend… nothing good will come of keeping Sterling here. And I’m not talking about the Royal Guards, should they find out.” “...Ya referrin’ to the Fore-fellers, right?” Big Red asked. “Yes…” Marshall nodded grimly, “I’ve heard scary things about them. They've done a lot of horrible things. And if they were to find out that one of their own is here… well, who knows what they'll do to Dodge Junction to get him back.” “But Sterling said he ain’t one of them anymore.” Big Red challenged. “And you buy that?” Marshall scoffed, “It's probably another one of his lies.” “Maybe…” Big Red admitted, “But maybe he’s tellin’ the truth, and he wants to make amends.” "That's a big maybe, if you ask me." Marshall frowned. "Too big to risk your family, and this town..." "That's always bin yer problem, Marshall." Big Red sighed. "Ya got no faith in other ponies." "I have faith in other ponies." Marshall insisted. "Just not criminals." "Ah suppose ya can't be blamed fer that."Big Red shrugged. "Yer a lawstallion, jest like yer pa. Ya see the law, an' only the law. But there's a lot more tah ponies than followin' or not followin' the rules. An Ah know there's a lot more tah Sterling than the mistakes of his past. That's why why Ah got faith in him." "Same old Red." Sterling shook his head. "Once you set your mind to something, you just can't persuaded otherwise." "Darn tootin'." Big Red nodded proudly. "Well, I should be getting back to my rounds." Marshall sighed, dejectedly. "You take care, Red, ya hear?" “Yeah… see ya around.” Big Red nodded. Big Red returned to the homestead just in time for breakfast. His sons and Sterling were at the table, busy eating breakfast. "Just in time, dear." Cherry smiled. "I made your favorite... cherry waffles!" "Thanks, darlin." Big Red kissed her on the cheek. He sat down at the table, putting the newspaper to one side. "Ah ran inta Marshall earlier. Ya oughta have seen the bruises on him." Sterling paused, as he glanced at Big Red. "Bruises, you say?" He inquired knowingly, “Whatever from?” "Yep." Big Red nodded. "Apparently, some crook he took in got in sum good hits." "Poor dear." Cherry sighed. "...Then again, I suppose the risk of injury comes with the job." "Yeah, the job..." Sterling struggled to repress a chuckle. "Maybe ol' Marshall should think about retiring?" "I don't think he's quite there yet." Cherry scoffed. "Neither do Ah." Big Red agreed. "Marshall's still got a few good years left in 'im." "He is pretty tough." Eclipse admitted. "Remember what happened in the mines?" "Yeah, that was awesome." Huckleberry nodded. "Mines?" Sterling asked. "What's that about?" "Well..." Eclipse looked away awkwardly. "Let's just say this... bad Griffon came to town a little while back." Globe declared, referencing Eclipse's father, Lunard Cloudskipper. "Big Red and Marshall worked together to take him down. Marshall even saved Big Red from him." "You don't say?" Sterling mused. "That's the truth." Big Red nodded. "Ah wouldn't've made it outta there without 'im." "Well, how about that..." Sterling said, actually a bit impressed. "The Griffon had to be a real piece of work to give Red here a run for his money.” "He wuz." Big Red scowled. "But me an' Marshall took 'im down together. If that no-good vulture knows what's good fer him, he won't ever come back here..." "Sounds like he really did something to get under your skin." Sterling noted. "What was it?" "Well..." Huckleberry cringed. "That's a story for another day." Big Red declared. "Fer now, let's finish our breakfast, 'fore the waffles get cold." "An excellent idea." Cherry nodded. "I know nopony here's a fan of cold waffles..." As the family ate their breakfast, Sterling followed, noting the change in atmosphere. 'That must be some story...' He thought. After breakfast, Sterling headed into town to get a morning drink at the bar. As he enjoyed some cider, he thought about what he had just learned. 'So Marshall helped Big Red take down a hardened criminal.' He smirked. 'That wouldn't have been easy. And since I managed to pummel him so easily, that must mean I haven't lost any of my skill while I was... away. Guess ol' Marshmallow's good for something after all...' He was brought out of his musing when somepony came into the bar. It was a Changeling, namely one that hailed from the Chrysalis hive, symbolized by his black shell. He looked skinnier than the norm, with bags under his eyes. Everypony took note of him as he made his through, Sterling most of all. 'A Changeling, in these parts?' He thought. 'Strange...' Sterling had no strong feelings towards Changelings either way. But he still found it a little suspicious that one would turn up in town. And it seemed he wasn't alone. The other patrons were watching the Changeling's progress as walked up to the bar. "Good morning." The Changeling told Suds in a nasal tone. "Morning." Suds said flatly. "Can I get you something?" "Some water, please." The Changeling declared. "My throat's really dry." "Comin' right up." Suds nodded. As he worked, he made idle conversation. "What's your name, stranger?" "Scavenger." The Changeling answered. "And what brings you here, Scavenger?" Suds asked. "Not much." Scavenger shrugged. "Just passing through." "Here's your water." Suds handed him the glass. "Thank you." Scavenger took the glass and downed it in one. "Wow, you are thirsty." Suds mused. "Another?" "Yes, please." Scavenger nodded. As Suds got a new glass, Scavenger started coughing. "Hurhhh!" He wheezed. "Something wrong, pal?" A burly Earth Pony with a mud-brown coat, a red mane, violet eyes, and a Cutie Mark of a hard hat stood up. "Not really." Scavenger cleared his throat. "Just a tickle in my throat." "Really?" The Earth Pony mused. "Sounds to me like you're sick. Isn't that right, boys?" "Right, Hard Head." One of the ponies at his table nodded. "Maybe I am a little poorly." Scavenger admitted. "Just something minor, probably..." "Minor, yeah..." Hard Head sneered. "But surely you remember what happened the last time Changelings got sick?" ’Oh, no…’ Sterling realized, knowing full well what the stallion was hinting at. "Well, yes." Scavenger nodded. "I was there." "Yeah, you were." Hard Head nodded. "And now you're here... spreading your virus germs around like nopony's business." "What?!" Scavenger yelped. "No, I... I... achoo!" He sneezed, spraying a window with mucus. "Are you trying to infect us?" Hard Head snarled. "I... no..." Scavenger spluttered. "That's what it looks like to me." Hard Head scowled. "Right, guys?" "Yeah!" The stallions at his table cheered, joined by several other patrons. Sterling was unnerved by the sudden turn of events, but did nothing. 'It's not your problem, Sterling.' he told himself. 'Stay out of it...' "Admit it." Hard Head growled. "You've got that viral crud that was dropped on your hive. You're gonna infect all of us!" "No, It's not-" Scavenger started. Hard Head grabbed Scavenger by the neck, dragged him across the bar, and threw him out onto the street. Sterling winced, but still did nothing. "You see this?" Hard Head told the surprised townsponies. "This is one of those infected Changelings we've been hearing about!" "No, I'm- hurrh!" Scvenger coughed again. "You see?" Hard Head sneered. "He'll infect us all if we don't deal with him!" "Yeah!" One stallion agreed. "Get rid of him!" "Lock him up in quarantine!" Another added. "Put him out of his misery!" A third roared. "No, please..." Scavenger trembled as the crowd advanced on him. “Hey!” The crowd paused, and turned towards the bar, as Sterling marched out, unable to sit idly by anymore. “What?!” Hard Head growled. “Leave the Changeling alone!” Sterling ordered. “Leave him alone?!” Hard Head snarled, “What? So he could infect all of us with… whatever that thing was that infected them before?!” “Seriously? The only thing any pony is going to be catching from this poor bug is the common cold.” Sterling sneered. “How can you be sure?” Peach Cobbler asked, “What if it isn’t a cold? We can’t just overlook a possible epidemic!” "What epidemic?" Sterling growled. "You all read the papers, right? That virus was cured!” “Well, then they missed one!” Hard Head challenged. “Not likely.” Sterling scoffed, “If I recall, all the Changelings were quarantined, just to prevent such a thing from happening! I doubt the DCD would had let one Changeling slip through!” “Well, there’s a first time for everything!” Hard Head yelled, “He’s sick! And he’s going to doom us all!” “He’s not that kind of sick, and I’ll prove it!” Sterling yelled, as he turned to the downed Changeling, “What’s your name?” “S-Scavenger.” Scavenger murmured. “Now, Scavenger…” Sterling frowned, “Have you, since you first became ill, been coughing up blood?” “Um, no, just saliva and mucus.” Scavenger gave a stuffy nose sniffle. “How about spores? Any fungus growing about you?” “No, no, none of that.” Scavenger admitted. “And you haven’t felt a urge to kill anything on sight?” Sterling pressed. “No!” Scavenger declared, mortified by the question. “Well, there you have it, folks!” Sterling turned to the crowd, “He’s not infected. And even if he were, he would've gone savage by now! Think on that before you go and form another lynch mob for another poor Changeling!” The crowd quieted down as Sterling’s logic sunk in, some humbled by Sterling’s harsh rhetoric. "Oh, I get it." Hard Head scowled. "You think us small town hicks are all stupid, huh? Gullible enough to believe anything?" "No… though you do fit the archetype." Sterling smirked. "Well, I'm not lettin' myself get tricked by your fancy talk!" Hard Head yelled. "That bug's gotta go!" "Not if I can help it." Sterling declared. "You want him? You go through me." "Gladly!" Hard Head threw a punch. Sterling easily caught the punch, and flipped Hard Head onto his back. "Oof!" Hard Head growled. "Why, you-!" Sterling quickly pinned his hoof against Hard Head's neck. "Back off the bugs." He pushed down tightly. "Understand?" "Ye-yes..." Hard Head struggled to breathe. "Good." Sterling released him. "Now beat it." Hard Head got to his hooves and fled. "You okay?" Sterling asked Scavenger. "Yes." Scavenger nodded. "Thank you." "Don't thank me." Sterling sighed, as he walked away. "Really..." The crowd dispersed. "My, that was intense..." Peach declared. "Never seen Hard Head get taken down so quickly..." One stallion declared. Unbeknownst to Sterling, Cherry had observed the whole thing from inside the grocery store. 'He defended the Changeling?' She thought. 'I didn't think he'd have it in him to be that noble… maybe I was too quick to...' She shook her head. 'No, one good deed does not make up for all the damage he’s caused. After all… it was because of the ponies he worked for that the poor Changeling was almost mobbed.’ Cherry let out a huff. ’The sooner he's out of our lives, the better...' As Sterling made his way back to the homestead, he reflected on matters. 'Little risky there, pal.' He frowned. 'You really gotta stop stepping up every time some asshole makes a scene, especially when trying to keep a low profile.’ Sterling let out a sigh, ’Oh, who am I kiddin’? I couldn’t let them think the poor guy had that Last Bacterium crap. I've seen Gridlock and Harlhooves’ work before, after all...' Many years ago... The Ouroboros had once again gathered in the Coils. They were updating Father with the latest news of their projects. "My project is proceeding well, sir." Doc announced. "Our dear little subject is responding excellently to all our efforts." "Good." Father declared. "Keep up the fine work." "Hey, where's Harlhooves?" Sterling looked around. “He’s off on a ski trip to the Hoofalayas.” Loveless declared. “Really? I didn’t think we got vacation days.” Sterling frowned. “Well, unlike you and me, Sterling, Harlhooves as well as the others have lives outside of Infinity.” Loveless explained, “As it so happened, there was a summit over in Hoofalayas. Harlhooves was obligated as senator to attend.” "Well, let's hope he doesn't face a chilly reception." Sterling joked. "Indeed." Loveless chuckled. "Joking aside, he will be gone for some time." "But not too much time." Gridlock stepped in. "Him and me have got big plans, and it waits for no pony.” “How does it happen that you didn’t go, Gridlock?” Sterling asked, “Aren’t you like a secretary or something?” “Secretary of Defense.” Gridlock corrected, “And I simply called in ‘sick’. I don’t care for those summits, and I especially don’t care for skiing.” "Aren't you just a barrel of laughs?" Sterling rolled his eyes. "I keep my eyes on the prize." Gridlock retorted. "Still, I can't help but wonder why Harlhooves isn't back yet. He should be here by now..." "Keep me informed of your progress, Doc." Father declared. "I shall, sir." Doc bowed. "Now, who's-?" Father started, but was interrupted by a distinctive clanking sound. Both he and the Ouroboros turned in the direction of the entrance to see Harlhooves enter. His right front leg was in a cast, and he was walking on crutches. "Harlhooves?" Gridlock frowned. "What happened to you?" "I'm afraid my skiing trip had an... unfortunate end." Harlhooves winced. "I misjudged a jump, and ended up crashing into a tree, with this broken leg to show for my folly.” “Ooh, that’s a bummer, man.” Ricochet frowned sympathetically. “I hate to ask, but I fear I might require a little more time for my leave, at least until my leg heals.” Harlhooves cringed. “Of course. You only had to ask.” Father nodded, “I suggest you drop by the infirmary and have Doc take a look at you. They might help with your recovery.” "Thank you, sir." Harlhooves bowed on his good leg. "You've gotta be kiddin' me!" Gridlock groaned. "Ya just had to get yourself hurt now?" "Well, it wasn't exactly a choice..." Harlhooves frowned. "We were just about to put the finishing touches on our project!" Gridlock reminded him. "We've only got to get the byzantine trichlorinate and Project: Infestation version 1.5 would be a go! We supposed to meet our contact tonight to get it!” “Can’t you go get it by yourself?” Solomon scoffed. “And risk getting jumped by some thugs?” Gridlock growled, “Not that’s it a problem for me, but I rather not get caught off guard.” "That problem is easily remedied." Father declared. "I will simply assign another Ouroboros to assist you." "Really? Like who?" Gridlock frowned. "Loveless?" Father suggested. "A little too conspicuous for my tastes." Gridlock shrugged. "No offense, Loveless, but you stick out like a Jock in a Neo-Neighzi meeting." "None taken." Loveless admitted. "You do have a point there..." "Then perhaps Ricochet?" Father declared. “After what happened in Monte Cartlo?” Gridlock scoffed, “No way.” “Dude, it was one time!” Ricochet complained, “And you only broke all your legs!” “How about Doc, then?” Father asked. “Yes, because nothing screams intimidating more than a masked weirdo.” Gridlock sarcastically spat, “Besides, I need somepony who can break bones, not fix them.” "Charming..." Doc growled. "Solomon?" Father asked, silently growing irritable. “After the fiasco with the Sand Raiders?” Gridlock huffed, “We were lucky to get out of there with our lives!” "The feeling is mutual." Solomon snarled, “...Buckin’ asshole”. "Then how about Nal..." Father stopped, and shook his head. “On second thought, never mind.” “What? Why not me?!” Nalik asked. “It’s for your own good, Nalik.” Father declared, “If I left you alone with Gridlock, I fear your life would be at great risk.” “He ain’t wrong there.” Gridlock admitted. "No doubt." Doc nodded. "It's only logical." Loveless agreed. "No duh." Ricochet snickered. "In other news: the sky is blue." Sterling smirked. "Well, I never!" Nalik growled. “It seems that you are out of options at this point.” Father sighed, “The only other Ouroboros that remains is Sterling. Unless you'd rather go this mission alone?” “...Well, I guess you’re with me, kid.” Gridlock glanced at Sterling. "Me?!" Sterling frowned. "Him?!" Nalik snorted. “Well, there isn’t anypony else, is there?” Gridlock frowned, “Besides, you look like you've improved since that embarrassing display with the ambush all those years ago.” “You still remember that, huh?” Sterling cringed. “Don’t worry. I don’t hold grudges.” Gridlock smirked, “After all, you killed Jetstream, remember?” "Pretty hard to forget..." Sterling muttered. "Bottom line, you're the best of what's available." Gridlock declared. "So you'll probably do okay." "Excellent." Father nodded. "Take a few minutes to get Sterling up to speed, then head out." "Yes, sir." Gridlock nodded. "Good luck, Sterling." Loveless declared. "And you, Gridlock." Harlhooves smiled. “Thanks, Harlhooves.” Gridlock nodded, “No slacking off, you hear me?” "I wouldn't dream of it." Harlhooves nodded. "Very well then." Father declared. "Meeting adjourned." As the Ouroboros departed, Sterling and Gridlock left the Coils side by side. "So, where are we headed?" Sterling asked. "To this little town called Colton." Gridlock answered. "Small, quiet, out of the way... Just the place for a clandestine deal. If we make good time, we should be there right on schedule." "Then what are we waiting for?" Sterling declared. "Let's get moving." "Love the enthusiasm, kid." Gridlock smiled. "But enthusiasm only gets you so far. You'd better bring your 'A' game... Such as it is." "I'll see what I can do." Sterling rolled his eyes. They took an airship to Colton, arriving in the sleepy little village a little ahead of time. "So, are we just gonna go to the meeting place and wait?" Sterling asked. "Of course not." Gridlock scoffed. "We're gonna go get some drinks. ...You are old enough, right?" "Yes, I'm old enough." Sterling growled. "Good." Gridlock smiled. "I know a decent fake ID guy, but it'd take way too long for him to make you one." The two made their way to the local bar, both ordering ciders. They then sat down in a corner booth, with their drinks coming soon after. The two of them sat in silence, drinking. "So…" Sterling said awkwardly, trying to make small talk. "How's the whole 'Secretary of Defense' thing working out for you?" "Not bad." Gridlock shrugged. "It gives me an excellent cover, and access to all kind of info the Forefathers can use." "My mother was a politician." "Sterling declared. "Compared to her, you actually seem pretty... okay." "Thanks... I think." Gridlock said awkwardly. They sat in silence for a few more minutes, until Sterling spoke up again. "Also... what is this 'Project: Infestation' you and Harlhooves are working so hard on?" He asked. “I’m sorry, but I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” Gridlock scowled. “Come on, if I'm going to be working with you, I have to know what the goal is, right?" Sterling asked. "Look, kid, it's a big, complicated, messy thing." Gridlock declared. "You're better off knowing as little as possible." "Would you accept that?" Sterling asked. "You're the Secretary of Defense, right? You'd wanna know if there was some big weapon being made, wouldn't you? So I should know about this!" "I suppose it couldn’t hurt..." Gridlock shrugged. "Okay, kid, how much do you know about the Changelings?" “Well, the usual: bug ponies with the ability to transform into anything and anyone.” Sterling declared, before frowning, “And according to my mother: they're basically walking cockroaches, swarming all over the place. Crawling everywhere, infesting the dark places, until you don't know how many there even are.” “She isn’t exactly wrong. Those critters did come close to conquering Equestria a couple of times.” Gridlock pointed out. “But what do changelings have to do with this?” Sterling asked. “That would take a bit of explaining… you ever heard of the cordyceps?” Gridlock questioned. “No, can’t say I have.” Sterling frowned. “Ugh, this is going to be hard to explain…” Gridlock sighed, “You see, kid, Project: Infestation is a master plan that me and Harlhooves have been working on for many years, way before your time, even. The focus of the plan is to a create the world’s most powerful biological weapon, and fire it upon the world.” “A biological weapon? You mean like you want to spread the flu or something?” Sterling frowned. “Spread something, yes. The flu? Hell, no.” Gridlock grimaced, “You see, Harlhooves happens to be a world-renowned viriologist. He and I have been hard at work at developing a virus, genetically engineered from the cordyceps fungus.” “A fungus? You mean like a mushroom?” Sterling raised a brow. “...Yeah, let’s go with that.” Gridlock huffed, “To explain, the cordyceps, in it’s natural environment, is a parasite, latching onto insects, and eating away at their body till there’s nothing left.” “Holy crap, a mushroom can do that?!” Sterling gaped, a bit nervous. “Calm your britches, kid.” Gridlock glared, “The cordyceps fungi in it’s natural state can’t affect ponies. Don’t ask me why, it’s too complicated. But me and Harlhooves were able to create a virus strain, that amps up the effects of the cordyceps, strong enough to infect really large insects… like a changeling.” He gives a smirk, “That’s why the Changelings are needed. We’re going to infect them.” “...But why the Changelings?” Sterling frowned, “How does that help the Forefathers with their goal? I mean, from the sounds of it, all it would do is just kill them.” “That’s only the first step, Sterling.” Gridlock grinned, “According to Harlhooves, the Last Bacterium at this point, like the fungus, can only still affect insects. But you see, we made some improvements: rather than just slowly kill the host, we had designed the virus to immediately infect the brain of a changeling. One minute, you have a docile changeling…” Gridlock’s eyes took on a dark gleam. “The next, a fungus-covered savage, with a bloodlust unlike any other. Here, I have a picture...” Gridlock pulled out a photograph from his jacket, and showed it to Sterling. The picture depicted a black-shelled Changeling, his body covered in green fungus, releasing spores of the same color around him. His eyes were glazed over, his mouth open in a savage snarl. “Ugh, the Last Bacterium did that?” Sterling shuddered. “That? That was just a prototype.” Gridlock smirked, “The one we have right now is a lot more potent.” He took a napkin from the nearby dispenser, setting it down. “The plan is simple: infect the Changelings with the Last Bacterium.” He tilted his mug, letting the cider spill, as it began to pool on the table, “We then let it spread among their peers for a couple of days. All it would take is a bite, contact with bodily fluids, or breathing in the spores of the fungus growing on their body.” The cider soon began to make it way to the napkin. “...After the virus has festered and boiled, it will have mutated just enough to make the virus strong enough to break that glass ceiling and infect ponies.” Gridlock smiled, as the napkin soon became drenched in the cider, “The contagion will spread far and wide, and within weeks, maybe months, the world will be infected.” He picked up the wet napkin, and crushed it in his hoof, “And it will be ripe for the taking.” Sterling sat there in silence, a bit daunted by the scope of the plan. “...Well, what do you think?” Gridlock asked. “I gotta say… this plan sure is… something.” Sterling admitted, “But I can’t help but ask… why the cordyceps? I mean, if you’re trying to make a virus, wouldn’t it be easier to make one that can infect the ponies directly? You know, cut out the middle pony.” “First thing you gotta learn about making viruses, kid.” Gridlock growled, “You have to be original. Otherwise, ponies will know how to deal with it. Why you think the bubonic plague isn’t a thing anymore? Doctors and scientists have developed antibiotics, medicine, and cure-alls for almost any diseases or viruses out there, and for those they hadn’t, they are hard at work at making one.” “Hmm, that is a fair point, but-” Sterling shrugged. “But nothing.” Gridlock snapped, as he pulled out another napkin, “Our virus has been designed to be the ultimate contagion. The moment the virus hits the ground, it has to be able to strike fast and strike hard. Any less, and it will be wiped out!” To emphasize the point, Gridlock wiped up the the spilt cider with the napkin. “Thus failing the mission. Do you understand?” Gridlock asked. “...I think.” Sterling frowned, “You and Harlhooves put a lot of thought into this… didn’t you?” “Well…” Gridlock sighed, “It’s embarrassing to say, but this isn’t the first time we attempted this plan.” “...Oh, right…” Sterling realized, “Black Knight! He’s the one who ruined this project, right?” “Damn straight.” Gridlock snarled, “And trust me, the first plan was perfect! Ponies hated changelings, so it was more than easy to get some of them, put them together into a little town named Reinadh, make up some bogus peace act called Horsey-bug love-” “‘Horsey-bug love’?” Sterling grimaced. “Don’t ask.” Gridlock grunted, “We infected those changelings with a strain of the virus that was meticulously designed to not go off till the ponies we assigned there set off this magical signal. The act would've gone through, the changelings would had infiltrated the major cities… and boom! We would have an outbreak on our hoof… but then the RDL and Black got involved… and you know the rest.” “Then why are you doing it again? If it didn’t work the first time?” Sterling frowned. “Not ‘again’. That was Project: Infestation 1.0.” Gridlock corrected firmly, “This is Project: Infestation 1.5. Huge difference.” “...Um, how?” Sterling deadpanned. “For starters, we've done away with using magic signals, and decided to turn the virus into an airborne contagion. And since the black Changelings are now hunky dory with the ponies, we opted for an easier target… the Changedlings.” “...The changedlings? You mean the colorful bug ponies?” Sterling asked, “The ones lead by King Thorax?” “The very same.” Gridlock smirked, “Since they've become so complacent and ‘nice’, they'll be easy picking for the Last Bacterium.” “Huh… why didn’t you guys go after them the first time?” Sterling questioned, “I mean, wouldn’t it have been easier, since they were already friends with the ponies?” “...Yeah… to be honest, we kinda forgot they even existed at the time.” Gridlock cringed, “Don’t know why, exactly, but they seem to have been flying under our radar all these years. One could say it’s as if they didn’t exist till recently…” "Okay..." Sterling shrugged. "But even so... those bug ponies are one thing, but why would you want to infect ponies? I mean, you would be destroying the world, wouldn’t you?" “Well, that’s one way of looking at it.” Gridlock admitted, “But I would like to answer that question with another question… in this bar, how many mares do you think they are?” “What? What does mares have to-” Sterling started. “Just answer the question, Sterling.” Gridlock ordered. Sterling's eyes combed the bar for a second. "Maybe... twenty, twenty-one?" He guessed. "And how many stallions do you see?" Gridlock asked. Sterling made another quick visual sweep. "Not counting us... nine?" He shrugged. “Now, do you see?” Gridlock asked. “No, not really.” Sterling grimaced. “Of course you don’t, that’s the problem.” Gridlock sighed in frustration, “You see, Sterling, for centuries, things in Equestria have been a little… lopsided. For every one stallion, there are three mares. They outnumber us: at home, at our schools, at our jobs, everywhere!” “Where are you going with this?” Sterling questioned, confused. “The thing is, Sterling, we live in a matriarchal society.” Gridlock growled, “Everywhere we go, the mares have more power and influence than the common stallion. We have two mares as our rulers, mares for our mayors, mares for our senators, and pretty much every other high powered position in the government.” “Come on. Surely it’s not that bad.” Sterling snorted. “Really?” Gridlock sneered, “Name one stallion with political standing.” “Shining Armor? The Prince of the Crystal Empire?” Sterling suggested. “That poor sap?” Gridlock scoffed, “The guy got his ass kicked by a Changeling, that Sombra guy, and Tirek.” “King Thorax, the King of the Changedlings?” Sterling frowned. “Oh, please, you might as well call him King of the hippies.” Gridlock huffed. “That bug hasn’t a tough bone in his exoskeleton… and the color is not doing him any favor.” “Prince Blueblood-” “No. Just… no.” Gridlock held up a hoof in disgust. “What’s your point?” Sterling grunted, “So what if there’s more mares? What’s the issue?” “The issue is that they are driving this country to ruins.” Gridlock snarled, “They all profess the same rhetoric of ‘friendship is magic’, going on about how kindness, generosity, and singing silly songs will fix most if not all their problems. Like we're in some dumb kiddie show for little girls!” “Now that sounds ridiculous.” Sterling grimaced. “But it’s all true!” Gridlock snarled, “Because of all that horse-crap, our country is at a point where any pony, be they a would-be conqueror, or just some clown with more power than sanity, perhaps even both, can just waltz in and take over.” "Seriously?" Sterling snorted. "Think about it." Gridlock urged. "How many times have the Princesses gotten their rumps kicked? Sometimes the bad guys attack them right in their faces, and they barely do anything, despite all their power. They're supposed to be our highest authority, our great defenders, and they get beat all the time… what’s worse is that they have the habit of sending six young mares from, five of which are from a dumb little village, to do their job!” “Don’t you think you’re over-exaggerating?” Sterling cringed. “Let’s review.” Gridlock sneered, “Nightmare Moon, Celestia gets kidnapped. Chrysalis, Celestia gets overpowered and Luna is nowhere to be found. Tirek, all but one Princesses get stuck in Tartarus. Chrysalis again, they all got overpowered and replaced with doubles! And who can forget what happened at the ‘Friendship Festival’ a while back? Three Alicorns with god-like powers, couldn’t handle one mare. One mare, with a broken horn! What does that tell you about Equestria’s security?!” "I don't think things are that bad..." Sterling declared, “I mean, things turned out alright in the end, didn’t they?” “Yeah, because of some shark-jumping bullcrap.” Gridlock snarled, “If our country was worth anything, we wouldn’t have to rely on them every single time! This is the real world, Sterling! Not everything can’t be ‘loved and tolerated’!” “Okay… but how does that tie back to the project?” Sterling asked. “More than you know, kid.” Gridlock scoffed, as he glanced across the room, as he then pointed, “Hey, take a look.” Sterling glanced at where Gridlock was pointing, as across the room, was a lanky green Pegasus, who seem to be trying to talk to a light orange Pegasus mare. Key word being ‘trying’, as the Unicorn stallion was having trouble talking. "Ex-excuse me..." The stallion said weakly. "I was wondering if you maybe would like to..." "Beast it, shorty." A brawny brown Earth Pony stallion shoved the Unicorn aside. "The lady deserves a real stallion." "But I..." The Unicorn tried to protest, but was cowed by a glare from his rival. "...Okay, bye..." The Unicorn quickly departed. “Do you see that?” Gridlock turned to Sterling, “Now if Equestria was being run the right way, that little piece of crap would had stood his ground and take what was rightfully his… but nowadays, almost every stallion in this country is either a pansy, a homosexual, or just plain useless. Hardly a place for stallions like you and me to thrive. But that’s all going to change…” Sterling glanced at Gridlock oddly. “Project: Infestation started off as an simple idea for the Forefathers.” Gridlock declared, “Wipe out all that stood in our way… but leave the infrastructure. And it still is. But as the years passed by, I came to see the sorry place Equestria has become. With the Last Bacterium, Equestria will be presented with the greatest opposition, and no amount of ‘friendship’ will save them. Once ponies see that, it will beckon ponies, stallions especially, to rise up and fight for survival.” “...But a lot of ponies will die… won’t they?” Sterling asked, a bit perturbed. “‘Sink or swim’, Sterling.” Gridlock nodded, “We have become complacent. Once me and Harlhooves succeed with Infestation, the country will not have such luxuries as they do now. We will wipe the whole slate clean. Only the strongest will be able to pull through, leaving the weak to drown. While yes, a lot of ponies will die, but only the weak ones, like pacifists, bleeding hearts, and cowards. Sure, a few of the strong ones might get killed as well, but hey, that’s just bad luck on their part.” He gave a small chuckle. “...And you’re okay with all of that?” Sterling frowned. “Eggs to make omelets, kid.” Gridlock smirked darkly, “Once the outbreak begins and begins spreading everywhere, the government will be forced to take action. No doubt they will be more focused on preserving ponies they consider important, like say the Alicorns, and whatnot. This will cause great discord with the populace, turning the country into the powder keg… and we, the Forefathers, will be the one to set it off… you see where I’m going with this.” “...So, cause an apocalypse, piss off the ‘strong ponies’, the Forefathers swoop in… and take over the country?” Sterling surmised, “Right?” “Now ya gettin’ it.” Gridlock grinned, “Afterwards, it’s all a matter of cleaning the place up. The ponies will have a common enemy to focus their hate and anger on, and sooner or later, me and Harlhooves will ‘discover’ a cure, and disperse it all around. Once all is said and done, Equestria will come through, stronger than ever. No pony or creature would dare mess with this land again. Father will achieve his goal And me and Harlhooves will be hailed as heroes. It’s a win all around, pal!" "I guess, when you put it like that..." Sterling frowned. "But still, it seems like a pretty mess will be left behind." "Can't make a cake without breaking a few eggs." Gridlock shrugged. "And we're talkin' one big, honking cake... with a ton of frosting." He licked his lips. "I love frosting..." Sterling found himself conflicted as he sat there, thinking about what Gridlock had said. He could see the logic in Gridlock’s statement for the most part. The plan with the outbreak and the virus was beyond all reason crazy and asinine, to be honest… but Gridlock’s justification about using it to bring out the strong and do away with the weak seem to resonate a bit. A part of it could be contributed to the talk he had with Solomon a while back, the words he spoke still weighing heavily on his mind, and causing him to not consider the obvious moral dilemma the outbreak would cause. 'If it really is kill or be killed, then it only makes sense that the strong end up coming out on top.' He thought. 'And if the strong are in charge, then Equestria, no, the world, will be better off in the end… I think.' As Sterling sat there, thinking on what was said, Gridlock glanced at the nearby wall clock. “We better get goin’, kid.” Gridlock declared, “It’s almost time.” After finishing his cider, Sterling left the bar along with Gridlock, and together, they made their way to the meeting place: an empty Hoofball stadium. "Nice." Sterling whispered as they entered. "Very cliche..." "Shh!" Gridlock hissed. "Granola! I'm here!" "Hey, dude." A scruffy-looking pale purple Pegasus stallion with a dirty yellow mane, green eyes and a Cutie Mark of a few seeds of his namesake emerged from out of the shadows. He was wearing a torn-up wool jacket. "Glad you could make it." "Enough pleasantries, Granola. I’m not here to make nice" Gridlock scowled. "Do you have the byzantine trichlorinate?" "Uh, sure." Granola nodded, producing a jar of green liquid. "Just as I promised." “Good. Nice to know you hippies are good for something.” Gridlock smirked, “Now, about your payment…” As Sterling looked at the green fluid, he got the feeling something wasn't right. 'Wait a second...' He thought. Just before Gridlock could bring out the sack of Bits to pay Granola with, Sterling grabbed the jar. "Hey, not cool!" Granola yelled. "I'll show you 'not cool'!" Sterling opened the jar and raised it to his mouth. "Kid, no!" Gridlock yelled. "That stuff's lethal!" Paying Gridlock's warning no heed, Sterling drank half the jar's contents. As he lowered it and wiped his mouth, Gridlock and Granola stared at him, Gridlock with shock, Granola with horror. “Have you lost your buckin’ mind?!” Gridlock gaped, “Do you know what that stuff does to your organs?” “I don’t know, but I’m not worried.” Sterling huffed, “Because this isn’t byzantine trichlorinate or whatever you call it. It’s just water with some lime-flavor drink mix added to it…” He grimaced. “Not enough in my opinion.” “...What?” Gridlock gaped. “Don’t believe me? Try it yourself.” Sterling offered the jar. "Nah, don't do that." Granola tried to dissuade Gridlock. "This kid might just have some freaky immunity..." Gridlock gives Granola a suspicious glare as he took the jar. With a wary glance at Sterling, he took a tentative swig… "It is just water." Gridlock gasped... before turning on Granola, scowling. "You motherbucker… what kind of scam are you trying to pull here?!" “I-I’m not pulling any scams!” Granola yelped. "It was just... a mistake! Yeah, a mistake! I brought the wrong jar of green stuff! It happens!" "Only because your boss let it happen!" Gridlock grabbed Granola by the throat. "Where is your boss? Where is Catapult?!" "Whoa, easy there!" Sterling gasped. "Don't we need this guy alive if we want to get the goods?" "Where is he?!" Gridlock, ignoring Sterling, shook Granola hard. "I... I don't..." Granola wheezed. "Wrong answer!" Gridlock shook harder. “Where is he?! WHERE IS HE?! WHERE IS HEEEE?!" “Gridlock! What are you doing?!” Sterling snarled. “What does it look like I’m doing?! I’m trying to talk with our scumbag hippie over here!” Gridlock snapped. “No, the thing I’m doing right now? Here with my mouth?” Sterling glared, “This is talking. What you were doing is shaking and yelling at the guy like a vending machine that wouldn’t take your Bit!” “And? What’ the issue?” Gridlock seethed. “Well, for one thing, you just kill the ‘scumbag hippie’.” Sterling grunted. “What? He isn’t-” Gridlock denied, as he turned to face the pony in his grip... Only to see Granola hanging limp in his hooves, the shaking and tightening grip of Gridlock’s hooves having snapped his neck, leaving him dead. "...Aw, buck." Gridlock cringed. “Well, way to go, dumbass.” Sterling crossed his hooves, “You just killed possibly our only chance of finding his boss and the real goods.” “What did you just call me?” Gridlock asked, his eye twitching. “You heard me.” Sterling glared, “Seriously, you have a worse temper than Solomon, and that guy is certifiable!” "Are you kidding me?" Gridlock scowled."I don't have that big a temper!" "Please." Sterling scoffed. "I've seen volcanoes that don't blow their tops as badly as you just did." “...You win this round, Sterling.” Gridlock glared, as he then glanced at the dead body in his hooves, “Well, what do we do with hippie now?” "We've gotta get rid of the body somehow." Sterling declared, grimacing at Granola's corpse. "maybe dump him in a river, or bury him." "Either way works for me." Gridlock shrugged. "Let's just make it quick." As Gridlock started to walk away with the body, Sterling had an idea. “Wait.” Sterling stopped Gridlock. “What now?” Gridlock grumbled. “We should check him.” Sterling declared. “This guy might have something on him that might lead us to this Catapult guy.” “Well, go look then.” Gridlock shoved the body over to him. Letting out a huff, Sterling set the body down and searched the corpse. Eventually, he found something in one of the jacket’s pockets. “Look at this.” Sterling held up a piece of paper, with what looks like an address on it, “This might be where Catapult is.” “Or it could just be a place where he buys his stupid hippie drugs.” Gridlock crossed his hooves. “Hey, it’s worth a look.” Sterling growled, “And since you killed the guy, you can’t really afford to be dismissive.” “Ugh, you’re right.” Gridlock shook his head, “Let’s go, kid.” They followed the address on the paper, which turned out to be an abandoned warehouse. The door was open, enabling easy entry. "Stay sharp." Gridlock instructed, “There’s no telling what these yahoos are capable of.” "Will do." Sterling nodded. "Granola?" A voice called, as a pony emerged from the darkness. "You back already? Tell me those Forefather clowns bought our scam." Gridlock and Sterling shared a glare. “Oh, what I would give to see the look on that big blockhead warmonger’s face once he finds that we gave him-” The pony stopped in his taunt, realizing who he was faced with, “...Oh.” “Hello there.” Gridlock growled, “You must be Zoinks Catapult.” Catapult was a tall, lanky Earth Pony stallion with a yellow coat, messy teal mane styled into dreadlocks, green eyes, and a Cutie Mark of an actual catapult. “What the hell?” Catapult gulped, “What are you guys doin’ here? Where’s Granola?” “He’s dead. That tends to happen when you try to pass badly-made lime fruit juice off as byzantine trichlorinate.” Sterling pointed out. “How did you figure it out?!” Catapult snarled “It wasn’t green enough.” Sterling scoffed, “Seriously, if you're going to try and give us a fake chemical, do a better job mixing it!” “Aw, buck me!” Catapult groaned. “Okay, here how it is going to happen.” Gridlock snarled, “You better give us the goods that we agreed upon, or else you’re going to share a grave with your hippie friend!” “...No.” Catapult sneered. “Catapult, you really don’t want to mess with us.” Sterling warned. “But I do!” Catapult snarled, “I know what you plan to do with the chemicals, and to the Changedlings.” “And what might that be, pray tell?” Gridlock grunted. “Well, let’s say I know all about what went down over in Reinadh.” Catapult smirked, “How you lured those Changelings in with fake smiles and promises of a better life… only to turn them into plague rats, with plans to unleash them onto the world… if you think I’m going to let you harm those poor innocent creatures, you got another thing coming.” “Oh, Faust, out of all the drug dealers, we got stuck with a stupid activist!” Gridlock growled. “Say what you will of me, but I’m not going to let you do this.” Catapult glared, “I wish to protect the changelings, not kill them.” "And how are you gonna do that?" Sterling asked. “Oh, you’re not the only one with big plans.” Catapult chuckled darkly, “You see, I’m going to make this place a sanctuary for all changelings. A place that Reinadh should had been, had you not perverted it with your schemes!” “...Why?” Sterling frowned, “I mean back then, I can understand, but now, the Changelings and ponies get along better now! They already have good homes!” “Oh, please. You call those places the changelings live a home? It’s nothing but smelly swamplands and muddy plains. And the Changedlings’ place? Nothing but rocks and moss!” “You don’t hear them complaining.” Gridlock deadpanned. “Oh, they’re complaining all right. On the inside.” Catapult patted his chest, “That’s why I’m going to make this town their true home. Sure, I would have to release some pretty lethal chemicals to clear out everypony… but it’ll be worth it in the end.” "And what if the Changelings don't want this 'refuge'?" Sterling asked. "Then I'll just use my vast supply of sedatives to keep 'em nice and docile, so happy they'll never want to leave." Catapult shrugged, “Especially once I get a guy to lobotomize them all.” "Lauren Faust, man!" Sterling snorted. "Somepony's crazy..." “What do you expect?” Gridlock growled, “Any and all activists are nutjobs. Take a look at PETA! Nothing but oversensitive hypocrites!” “Yeah, they are pretty crazy.” Sterling agreed. “Oh, screw you guys, it’s gonna be beautiful!” Catapult pouted. "No, it won't." Gridlock glared. "Because if you won't give us what we want, the only pony who’s going anywhere is you… to wherever hippies end up when they die!" "You'll have to catch me first!" Catapult yelped, as he ran off. "After him!" Gridlock yelled. They followed Catapult into the worker's restroom, which contained many stalls. Sterling tackled him, knocking him down. "Gotcha!" He smirked. "Wrong!" Catapult punched him in the face, then ran into a stall. "That won't help you!" Gridlock opened the door... only to find the stall empty. "What the...?" "Over here!" Catapult jumped from the top of another stall, kicking Gridlock down. "Ugh!" Gridlock snarled. "You're gonna pay for that!" Sterling declared. "I don't think so!" Sterling yelled. "Oh, yeah?" Catapult ran into another stall. Sterling quickly opened it… only to find it empty, “What-?” Catapult jump kicked Sterling from another stall, knocking him aside "Arh!" Sterling yelped. "Guess now we know why they call him 'Catapult'..." "Catch me if you can!" Catapult charged into another stall. "Let's see you try that when we kick all the doors down!" Gridlock roared. "Not exactly inspired, but it could work." Sterling shrugged. Gridlock kicked one door opening, finding an empty stall. Sterling did the same. As Gridlock kicked another door open, Catapult jumped down and kicked him again. "Too slow, warmonger!" He chided. "You lousy..." Gridlock spat. "Wanna try your luck, kid?" Catapult sneered, as Sterling charged at him. "You're the one who's gonna need luck!" Sterling snarled. Catapult ran into another stall. Sterling kicked down both that door and the one next to it, but got no results. "Where are you...?" He scowled as he opened a third stall. "Don't look now!" Catapult tackled Sterling from above, knocking him across the floor. "You're as bad at this as the old man, kid!" "Who you calling old?" Gridlock roared, as Catapult leapt away again. After several times, the two Ouroboros were becoming tired and very annoyed. "Okay, now this is getting annoying." Gridlock snarled, getting up once more, “How the hell is this hippie giving us this much trouble?!” “He’s a crafty little crapstain, I’ll give him that!” Sterling huffed, as he glanced at Gridlock, “I think we are going at this all wrong. To beat this guy, we’ll have to out-think him… and I might know how… that is, if you’re willing to try a little smarts…” "Just tell me what you've got in mind." Gridlock scowled. After a quick, whispered discussion, Gridlock rounded on Catapult again. "This time, you're mine!" He snarled. "Wanna bet!" Catapult ran into a stall. The second the door closed, Sterling and Gridlock ran into stalls of their own. Catapult climbed atop a stall, only to see no sign of his foes. "What the-?" He jumped down. "Where are you?" "Over here!" Gridlock roared, tearing the door to his stall off the hinges and slamming into Catapult. "Hey!" Catapult yelped, as he fell to the floor. "No fai-!" As Catapult tried to get up, Sterling fired his crossbow from the gap under his stall door, nailing Catapult in the hoof. "Gah!" Catapult dropped to his knees. “Now, you’re mine!” Gridlock sneered, as he dragged the injured Catapult to another stall. He opened the door, and shoved Catapult’s head forward, as he began slamming the door against his head. “Ugh! Oof! Ahh!” Catapult yelped. "Who's the tough guy now, huh?" Gridlock smirked, striking him over and over. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" Catapult groaned. "You're a mess." Gridlock threw the door aside. "Time to clean you up..." Gridlock dragged Catapult into the stall. "No, no, no..." Catapult pleaded. "Enjoy your swim!" Gridlock dunked Catapult's head in the toilet, even flushing it for good measure. "Blrrrgh!" Catapult gurgled. Gridlock dragged Catapult back out, and slammed him to the ground. He then pinned the bruised stallion to the floor. “Ooh… my everything…” Catapult whined, coughing up a bit of toilet water. “Well, that’s what you get for trying to pull a fast one on a decorated army pony and a well-trained agent!” Gridlock sneered, as he pressed his hoof on his neck, “Now… you die-” “Gridlock…” Sterling glared. “Oh, right.” Gridlock frowned, raising his hoof, “Where’s the byzantine trichlorinate?” "In... in the basement..." Catapult wheezed. "Where, exactly?" Gridlock demanded. "South corner, just behind the mithril." Catapult declared. "Next to the essence of Poison Joke. You can't miss it." "Thank you." Gridlock said pleasantly... before slamming his hoof on his neck, breaking it instantly, “...And buck you!” Sterling flinched at the neck snap. He was unnerved by Gridlock’s readiness to kill, but he let it slide, knowing that the mission needed to be finished… and the guy was pretty crazy. "The basement, then?" He asked. "Yeah." Gridlock nodded. "The basement." The chemical was indeed in the basement, alongside many others, all of which were labelled. "Gotta give the guy credit." Sterling picked up the real bottle. "At least he's organized." "Yeah, yeah." Gridlock scowled. "Let's just get back to the blimp. We've wasted enough time here..." The two made their way back to the blimp. After placing the chemical in the secure holding bay, Sterling joined Gridlock on the observation deck. The blimp was being refueled, so they had to wait a little while before takeoff. "Good work back there, kid." Gridlock admitted, “I thought we’d never get the guy.” “Thanks.” Sterling nodded, “Seriously, where did that guy get off, thinking he could cheat the Forefathers?” “I expected no less from a hipster activist.” Gridlock huffed, “Hopefully, with Project: Infestation, they will all be wiped off the face of the world.” He glanced at Sterling, “Hell, I’ll finish them off if I have to.” “Yeah…” Sterling frowned, “...You know, Gridlock, I’ve been thinking about what you said back at the bar… about ‘sink or swim’, and all that?” “Oh, really?” Gridlock raised an eyebrow. “Yeah… and personally… I don’t agree with your view.” Sterling admitted. “Really? Why is that?” Gridlock questioned. “Look, I get where you are coming from.” Sterling explained, “You believe Equestria isn’t strong because the stallions are weak, mares rules everything, and that we need to wipe the slate clean. Sink or swim. And while yes, Equestria isn’t the most ideal place in the world… I don’t think it’s weak.” “How so?” Gridlock snorted. “Well, for starters, just because a pony isn’t physically strong doesn’t mean they should be written off as weak. Yes, they do struggle in that regard, but strength shouldn’t be our only defining characteristic. There are several ways a pony is ‘strong’. Spirit, courage, determination... and there’s intelligence. A pony with a brain is just as capable as a pony with brawn.” “Peh, that’s debatable.” Gridlock snorted. “Really? Look at Catapult. We were two strong stallions, up against a string bean like him, and yet he gave us a run for our money. It wasn’t 'till I thought of that strategy that we killed him… and let’s not forget that it was me who found the fake chemical and the address.” “So, it took a little smarts, big whoop.” Gridlock grunted. "And besides, I'd say the mares know what they're doing." "They more than capable of running the country by resorting to tactics such as peace and good will. That proves that strength isn’t everything, and it sure isn't the only way to make a country great. Sure, they’re not perfect, but the country is thriving as is." "For now, maybe." Gridlock scoffed. "But that won't last. Sooner or later, there'll be a threat that only strength can fend off. Strength is the one force guaranteed to get results." “You know, you say that… yet you work with Harlhooves.” Sterling continued, “I mean, the guy is no powerhouse, but you rely on his help in making the virus you need to create this ‘Equestria’ you want so bad. If you think strength is all you need, then why do you need Harlhooves?” "Well... because he has the science know-how necessary for the project." Gridlock admitted. "Of course he does." Sterling smirked. "Without him, your little project would be dead in the water." "Okay, I'll admit it, a little bit of smarts is needed sometimes." Gridlock gave in. "But in the end, strength is all that matters." Sterling looked away in annoyance, and spotted some familiar ponies on the ground below. "Hey, look who it is." He pointed. It was the mare from before, with the brawny stallion. They seemed to have taken a shortcut across the airfield. They would have crossed without drawing attention, but there was a flurry of activity. The brawny stallion was being uncomfortably physical with her, pawing at her flank. "No!" The mare yelled. "Stop that! Get off me!" "Don't you tell me what to do!" The stallion grabbed her roughly. “Um, Gridlock, should we do something?” Sterling frowned. “Oh, no, it’s not our place to get involved.” Gridlock shook his head, “I think it’s best that we head-” Suddenly, the weak stallion from before approached the stallion and mare. “Hey, isn’t that…” Sterling murmured. "Leave her alone!" He told his brutish rival. "Or what, wimp!" The brute snarled. "Ya gonna fight me? Yeah, right! You're nothing but a noodle-legged wimp! Now beat it, so the lady and me can have some private time..." The weak stallion suddenly lashed out, striking the brute in the face with a hoof. The brute, surprised by the sudden blow, toppled over, his head colliding with a steel barrel. "Urrrghh..." He groaned, before falling unconscious. The weak stallion turned to the mare. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Thanks to you." The mare blushed. "How can I ever thank you?" "How about a date?" The stallion offered. "It's a deal." The wrapped her hooves around the stallion and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Huh… imagine that.” Sterling smirked, as he turned to Gridlock, “You see that, Gridlock? The weak stallion stepped up and faced that big guy, even though he was out-sized. What does that say for the state Equestria is in?” "Okay, don't rub it in." Gridlock scowled. "You may have a point there, kid." "Thank you." Sterling nodded, “I know that must be hard, admitting someone else is right.” “Heh, shows that you’re not some dumb yes-pony.” Gridlock admitted, “I mean, when I first met ya, you were just a dumb punk that Loveless and that traitor broke out of juvie…” He then gives a wry smirk, “...There just might be hope for you, after all.” “And here I thought you were just a-” Sterling began, as he turned away for a moment. Suddenly, Gridlock sucker punched him in the guts. “Oh!” Sterling groaned, falling to the metal floor. “Don’t you ever call me a 'dumbass' again.” Gridlock glared, “Because I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I sure as hell know how to kill a pony if they piss me off. Ya hear me, kid?” "Yeah... got it." Sterling whispered, grunting in pain. "Good." Gridlock smiled again. "Nice to see we're both on the same page." The refueling was completed moments later, and they returned to the Infinity. Harlhooves and Loveless were there to greet them. "How did it go, Gridlock?" Harlhooves asked. "Eh, not so bad." Gridlock shrugged, holding up the jar. "We got the stuff, so we can move on to the next step." "Excellent." Harlhooves smiled. "Even with this cast, it shall be a simple matter to implement our crowning glory." "Then what are we waitin' for?" Gridlock grinned. "Just me, apparently." Harlhooves sighed. "These crutches aren't exactly built for speed." "I gotcha." Gridlock lifted Harlhooves up and carried him away. "How undignified..." Harlhooves sighed. "You're welcome." Gridlock smirked. Loveless wheeled over to Sterling. "So, how was your experience working with Gridlock?" He asked. "Informative." Sterling admitted, rubbing his stomach. "And painful..." "Just as I suspected." Loveless chuckled. "Good work, though. I hope Gridlock learned as much from you as you did from him." "Yeah, maybe." Sterling shrugged. "But for now, I really need to get some sleep. It's been a long night..." "Of course." Loveless nodded. "Get some rest. You've earned it." Sterling made his way to his quarters. After greeting the joyful Ward with a scratch behind his ears, Sterling washed up and dropped into bed, quickly falling asleep. A few days later, Sterling was walking along the corridors of the Infinity when he encountered Gridlock. "Hey, kid." Gridlock smiled. "I've been lookin' for you." "You have?" Sterling frowned. "Yep." Gridlock grinned. "Our big project is finally ready to go. And since you played a pretty important part in getting the last thing we needed, I'd like you to take part in our opening salvo." "Really?" Sterling asked, flattered. "Oh, yeah." Gridlock nodded. "We're heading out in ten. I heard you don't have any big missions today, so I figured 'why not'?" "Well, it would be good to know something I put so much effort into actually works... okay, I'm in." Sterling nodded. "Great." Gridlock smirked. "The airship's all ready to go. Harlhooves will meet us there." "No time like the present, huh?" Sterling smirked. "You better believe it." Gridlock nodded. As promised, Harlhooves was there to greet them. He was still on crutches, but the cast had been removed from his hoof, replaced by a special orthopedic boot. "Ah, Sterling." He smiled. "So glad to see you accepted Gridlock's invitation. He was most adamant about it. I'm starting to wonder if he'd just abandon the project if you refused." "Aw, really?" Sterling smirked. "I'm so touched you care." "Don't let it go to your head, kid." Gridlock snorted. "Just get on the ship before I change my mind." Sterling, deciding he'd had enough fun for the moment, boarded without another word. After an hour or so, the airship landed in a lush green valley. "Okay, time to get to work." Gridlock smiled. Gridlock extracted a large white capsule with a hazard symbol from the secure storage, and, with Sterling and Harlhooves, exited the airship. Harlhooves had Sterling bring out a cannon, since his bad hoof made it impossible for him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you only invited me out here to do the heavy lifting." Sterling joked "Never said it was gonna be a day off." Gridlock snorted. As they made their way toward the edge of a ridge, Sterling took note of their surroundings, noting the spire, comprised of gray stone, covered in plants and moss. “So, that’s Thorax’s hive, huh?” Sterling mused, “This salvo coming right for them?” "That's exactly right." Harlhooves nodded. "You are a smart one." "And you're just gonna fire this thing at Thorax’s hive?" Sterling asked, concerned. "Kind of a big step, don't you think?" "The biggest." Gridlock smirked. "I'm guessing there's a little more to the operation than shooting a big canister of poison at their home base, in broad daylight?" Sterling asked Harlhooves. “It’s simple, really. The Last Bacterium will be loaded into the cannon." Harlhooves declared. "Once the container is fired into the upper atmosphere, it will disintegrate, and the viral strain will be released, cascading down upon the hive in particles far too small to be noticed. The entire hive will be inundated within moments. And after that, the cordyceps within will overwhelm their immune systems, initiating the first stage of infection." "That's what I like to hear." Gridlock smirked. "And how will it take for the virus to take effect?" Sterling asked. "If all goes as planned, by morning, the whole hive should be infected." Harlhooves declared. “...Will it hurt?” Sterling said suddenly, “Being turned into those things Gridlock showed me the other night?” “Well, it depends on what your definition of the word ‘hurt’.” Harlhooves mused, “You could say it will be like falling to sleep… and everything afterwards being a very lucid dream.” "Hey, that’s enough talking.” Gridlock grunted, “Let’s get this thing going. I waited long enough!” Gridlock loaded the capsule into the cannon. The cannon was tilted upwards, and in the direction of the hive. "Trajectory is optimum." Harlhooves declared. "You may fire when ready." "Oh, I will." Gridlock smirked. Gridlock took a moment to savor the anticipation, then pulled the trigger. The capsule was launched into the air. "Watch closely." Gridlock declared, handing out binoculars. "It's gonna be a thing of beauty..." All three watched through binoculars as the capsule soared higher and higher. For a brief second, it disappeared from sight, replaced by a white cloud bursting into being. The vapor started descending, thinning out as it dropped down on the hive, to the top where it was all but invisible. "So that's it, huh?" Sterling lowered his binoculars. "Now what?" "Now we wait." Harlhooves declared. "We can bunker down in the airship for the night, then check out the results in the morning." Gridlock announced. "Not a fan of those bunks." Sterling sighed. "But I guess it can't be avoided..." Sterling found it difficult to sleep that night, and not just because of the bunk's lumpy mattress. He was once again suffering a nagging twinge of doubt. 'Is this really necessary?' He thought. 'Turning the Changelings into plague carriers, all so ponies in Equestria can become stronger? ...Come on, Sterling. This is happening. Accept it. And besides, if a smart guy like Harlhooves is a part of this, it has to be a good idea, right?' Sterling eventually fell into a troubled sleep. The next morning, they headed back out to the ridge. Gridlock was so excited, he insisted they save breakfast until after they had confirmation. "You sure we don't have time to eat?" Sterling groaned. "I mean, what if our rumbling stomachs alert the Changelings?" "I find that highly unfeasible." Harlhooves rolled his eyes. "Zip it, you two." Gridlock snarled. "We're here." As they stood upon the ridge, they once again feasted their eyes on the hive. Immediately, they could tell something was wrong. The various Changelings were flying and walking around the hive like nothing had happened. "What th-?" Gridlock took a closer look with his binoculars. "Why aren't they sick?" "I don't know." Harlhooves frowned. "The virus would have had more than enough time to permeate their cells. Perhaps there's some delayed reaction I hadn't accounted for..." "Well, there's one way to find out." Gridlock said firmly. "Sterling, come with me. We're gonna check this out." “Whoa, whoa, whoa, you want us to walk into a hive that is now full of possibly infected changelings?” Sterling gaped. “Hey, I’m not leaving till I’m sure.” Gridlock snarled, “Besides, if it is a delayed reaction, which it better be, the virus will still have a ways to go before it can affect a pony… besides, we can outrun them.” "Okay… if you say so." Sterling nodded. “Stay back and make sure the airship is ready to go.” Gridlock said to Harlhooves. “Will do. Do be careful though.” Harlhooves frowned. The two of them made their way to the hive entrance. They were greeted by the sight of King Thorax and his younger brother (and captain of the hive's guards), Pharnyx. They were overseeing a group of silver-armored guards as they performed their morning drills. "What's this?" Pharynx frowned. "I wasn't aware we were expecting visitors today..." "Can we help you, gentlestallions?" Thorax asked. "Uh... Hello, your majesty." Gridlock declared. "I'm Grenade Gridlock, Equestrian Secretary of Defense. Me and my… assistant here are just dropping by to see if everything's okay with our Changeling allies." "Of course everything's okay." Pharynx looked at Gridlock suspiciously. "Why wouldn't it be?" "No reason." Sterling said quickly. "We're just making sure there's nothing out of the ordinary going on. ...You haven't noticed anything... unusual lately, have you?" "Now that you mention it, does anyone else feel like there's something weird in the air this morning, or is it just me?" Thorax sniffed the air. “Well, there has been a lot of pollen in the air last night.” Pharynx shrugged, “Allergy season must be coming in early this year.” "Pollen?" Gridlock spluttered quietly, as he then asked, “You guys haven’t been feeling weird lately?” “Feeling weird how?” Thorax asked. “I don’t know… like say, blood in your coughs, fungus growing on your shell, expelling spores, an overwhelming urge to kill something?” Gridlock listed, “Any of that?” Thorax and Pharnyx glanced at Gridlock oddly. “...I can safely say that no Changeling has experienced any of that recently.” Pharnyx grimaced. “Why do you ask?” “Oh, we’re just making sure everypony here is in tip-top shape, you know?” Sterling smiled awkwardly, “Seeing that you are, I think we really must be going now…” He turned to Gridlock, “Right… sir?” "Yeah..." Gridlock said through gritted teeth. "Nice meeting you, fellas." "And you." Thorax smiled. "Thank you so much for your concerns. Feel free to drop by again sometime." "But try calling ahead next time." Pharynx added. "Rest assured, the next time we're here, you'll know about it." Sterling nodded. "Come along, sir." "Yes." Gridlock seethed. "No reason to stay here..." Gridlock and Sterling quickly departed. "Nice guys." Thorax smiled. "You think every pony who drops by here is 'nice'." Pharynx rolled his eyes. "And they usually are." Thorax beamed. "So far..." Pharynx corrected him. As Gridlock and Sterling made their way back to the airship, they came across a blue Changeling dozing in the sun, sleeping soundly on a nearby hill. "We'll get to the bottom of this." Gridlock declared, using his knife to scrape off a sliver of the Changeling's shell, making sure to not stir him. "Souvenir?" Sterling asked. "Something like that." Gridlock scowled. Gridlock was in a foul mood all the way back to the Infinity, staring off into the distance and scowling. The only interaction he had indulged him was giving the shell scraping to Harlhooves, who had silently acknowledged his intent. "I suppose I should get to work on examining this sample, and seeing what went wrong." Harlhooves said quietly as they disembarked from the airship, holding the shell scraping in a plastic pouch. "Yeah, you should." Gridlock said coldly. "As for me, I'm gonna go to my quarters and slam my head against the wall a few dozen times." Sterling and Harlhooves watched as Gridlock stomped away. "He's really taking this hard, isn't he?" Sterling frowned. "Gridlock has never been able to stomach failure." Harlhooves sighed. "It doesn't sit well with me either…" "I think everypony feels that way." Sterling said sagely. "True." Harlhooves nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Harlhooves made his way down the corridor. Sterling didn't know how to feel at the moment. Part of him was glad the infection had failed, while the other mourned their failure. 'I've got to make up this mind of mine...' He thought angrily. The next afternoon, Harlhooves invited both Sterling and Gridlock to his lab. "Okay, I've run every test I can." Harlhooves declared. "And I'm afraid I have some bad news." "Come on, out with it." Gridlock growled. “Well, to put simply, I tested a strain of our Last Bacterium against the Changeling sample you provided me." Harlhooves declared. "Done so about a dozen times… and every time, the Last Bacterium simply dissipates into nothingness.” “What?!” Sterling and Gridlock gasped. “So, what’s the problem?” Gridlock glared, “Do we need to tweak it again? Because we have more than enough chemicals to-” “I’m afraid it’s not the virus that's the problem.” Harlhooves sighed, “I don’t know how, but the so-called 'Changedling's' DNA seems to render the cordyceps in our Last Bacterium ineffectual. We could spend all our lives adjusting the virus, but it will always be useless against them…” The room went deadly silent… only for the silence to be pierced by Gridlock’s bellowing voice. “Are you BUCKIN’ kidding me?!” Gridlock roared, “You’re tellin’ me that after all these years of fixing our Faust-damn formula, so we can use it to infect those crayon-colored mosquitos, and make up for Reinadh, and now you’re teling me our virus does jack-crap against them?!” "I'm afraid so." Harlhooves nodded sadly. "RAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHH!!" Gridlock screamed. "MOTHERBU-!" Gridlock knocked over some lab equipment in a rage. "Gridlock, calm yourself!" Harlhooves yelled. "Calm myself?" Gridlock snarled. "Our big project that we worked our asses off for years failed not just once, but TWICE!!" "I know you're disappointed." Harlhooves declared. "So am I. But throwing tantrum won't solve anything." "Ah, what do you know?!" Gridlock spat. "You were the brains of this operation, so clearly, you did something wrong!" "Excuse me?" Harlhooves frowned. "You heard me!" Gridlock snarled. "You should've seen this coming! Planned for it!" "Like that makes sense..." Sterling rolled his eyes. "Now why don't you back off your partner? He did the best he could." "Well, his best wasn't good enough." Gridlock retorted. "Sink or swim, remember? And now the whole project is sunk… AGAIN!" "Gridlock..." Harlhooves started. “I’m going to the firing range, and I’m blowing CRAP UP!” Gridlock snarled. Gridlock stormed out of the lab, letting out small curses along the way. "What a jerk..." Sterling scowled. "Don't hold it against him." Harlhooves sighed. "Gridlock put his heart and soul into this project. It nearly broke him when Black destroyed Reinadh, and now, for the project to fail yet again? Not many ponies can take that well." "I guess you're right." Sterling nodded, “...So, what are you two going to do now?” “Well, for now, it’s back to the drawing board.” Harlhooves shook his head, “I’m sure once Gridlock cools down, we can get back to business. Hopefully, whatever venture we set out on next will be more successful… for now, we will just have to live with this failure.” He turned away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a mess to clean up. And I'd prefer to be alone while doing so." "Okay." Sterling nodded. As Sterling departed the lab, he reflected on Gridlock and Harlhooves's poor fortune. 'All those years of work, and it amounted to nothing.' He thought. 'Gotta feel sorry for 'em... still, would the project succeeding really have been the best outcome? Would infection on such a mass scale, all that death and destruction, really have been the right thing to do, even if it did lead to a stronger Equestria?' He shook his head, unable to answer his question. 'I don't even know anymore...'