The night was still, except for the burning shipyards in the distance, giving a harsh light to the blinking city. Everypony who was out and awake was looking at the inferno at the shipyards. Nopony was looking up at the sky, where a silhouette flew on metal wings, high above the heavy cloud cover. After a few minutes of flight, he spotted his destination: a small, grimy street bar where Client 24 normally met with a corrupt, greedy politician.

The Night Terror landed on the roof of the building, folding up his metal wings as he landed with a thud. He quickly went to the back of an air conditioning vent on the top, where a trench coat, four leather gloves, a bandanna, a pair of sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat were stashed.

The Night Terror quickly slipped himself into the trench coat, put on the gloves, and tied the bandanna around his face. He put the sunglasses on and fit the hat on his head snugly. He would undoubtedly meet with Amadeus tonight.

The Night Terror sighed. He had let them get away! He would have finally had them if he wasn't interrupted. And by Princess Twilight, too? Unbelievable. When they had appeared, he had frozen up. He needed to talk with them soon about who he really was.

But first, he had a few criminals to talk to. He could see them right now, running at full gallop towards the bar. He opened up a hatch in the ceiling and disappeared.

Client 24, Count Privilege, Amadeus, and False Felony were all in the same room in the back of the regular bar. The meeting of villains in the rather small room was crowded. The fan above them spun slowly, hypnotizing whoever tried to keep track of one of the fan blades. Amadeus and False Felony were shaking.

"Why did you barge in on us like this?" Count Privilege demanded of them. "I was about to get one of the barmaids to stay with me for the night, but then you showed up."

Amadeus shivered. "Did you not hear the explosions? The Night Terror struck again two hours ago!"

Client 24 made a small growl. "Those were my weapons that got destroyed. Tell me why you weren't able to secure them."

"Ser," False Felony spat at him, "The bleedin' idiot jumped out of the boat the guns was on! We tried to fire yer rockets at 'im, but it did nothing to the pony! He attacked us-"

"I am aware of the facts," Client 24 cut him off coldly. "I'm waiting to hear why your failure wasn't your fault."

Amadeus said nothing at first, then sighed in resignation. "It probably was our fault for not stopping him," Amadeus grumbled, the vertical scar on his neck and head rippling. "But that doesn't mean he didn't have some surprises of his own!"

"I agree." Client 24 stood up. "This Night Terror has been far more troublesome than I thought. It's been difficult for us to gain any sort of leverage."

"Begging your pardon, ser," False Felony told him, "but I think we might have some sort of advantage already. When the Night Terror attacked us, we noticed some things about 'im that might be a little bit of a dead giveaway. The bloody nightmare had red eyes! As red as blood, I tell ya! And he had this real soft voice, too. Kinda like it was sayin' nice an' reassuring things to us. But- git this." False Felony leaned in closer, and Client 24 could see his dirty, ragged teeth. He recoiled slightly. "E's a phony!" he whispered.

The Night Terror lifted his eyebrows under the sunglasses obscuring his eyes. "Explain," he growled sinisterly.

"He had metal wings," Amadeus told him in his deep, powerful voice. "If there was any advantages he had, he needed to make them himself. He was too weak to face us without advantages he needed to create for himself." He laughed slightly.

The Night Terror made a slight movement- a retracting of his hoof into his coat, for just an instant. Then it passed without anyone noticing. "Was there anything else?" he snarled.

"We even have an idea of who the fool migh' be," False Felony grinned. "We though' about it long an' hard on the way 'ere."

The Night Terror laid one hoof in his lap, the perfect position for him to take the lightning sword off of his flank in an instant. "And just who do you think it could be?" he asked, moving his hoof towards his flank ever so slowly beneath the views of the corrupt Count and the two criminals.

The Night Terror's movement stopped, and he tilted his head to the side. "Case File?" Client 24 asked, slightly startled. "The head of Forensics? The pony actively working to catch the Night Terror?"

"That's exactly the cover he'd want to put up," Amadeus pointed out. "What better way to allay suspicion than to work to catch the monster, when you are the monster itself?"

I'd agree with that, Client 24 thought to himself. That's exactly what I'm doing to these poor souls right now.

"I mean, think about it," False Felony said. "Both 'ave got red eyes, don't they? And they both 'ate scum like us. Case File's killed criminals before, hadn' 'e?"

"I don't see what that has to do with anything," Count Privilege interrupted. "So he's killed ponies before. So what? I myself have sent police into spots where they were killed because they got me money for it. I have no problem with killing ponies that don't matter."

If we're playing by those rules, dear Senator, then I ought to have killed you a long time ago, Client 24 thought bitterly, and his hoof drifted towards his flank once more. Because I control you, whether you realize it or not. And I have the control over whether you live or die. I have the only power that really matters- the power to destroy and kill. I could kill you right here, right now. I could lash out, in an instant, and rip that head off your filthy shoulders. You are nothing to me. Right now the only thing keeping you alive is because I want to see you suffer. I want to see you hit rock bottom, I want to see your life totally destroyed. Your money, gone. Your influence, destroyed. Your public image, soiled. Your wife, divorced. And then, once all of that, is gone, once your life is ruined, when you come crawling to me, begging for help, then and only then will I kill you. But slowly, so slowly.

"But not everypony has that mindset," Amadeus pointed out. "For some reason, most of these ponies are overly peaceable. The Night Terror has to be somepony that has the willingness to commit murder and hates the bottom feeders like us. Case File fulfills both those requirements--and also the case of red eyes. How many ponies do you know that have red eyes? It's a rarity."

"Shouldn't you make sure Case File really is the Night Terror before you do anything?" Client 24 asked. "What if he's innocent?"

Client 24 looked at him with a stare of shock. "You don't care about if he's innocent or not?"

"Why should that matter?" False Felony asked again, keeping his sickening grin. "We're criminals, ain't we? We ain't breakin' any rules by killing innocents along with the guilty. It's just another pony dying."

The room seemed to drop a few degrees as the Night Terror stared at him under his sunglasses and scowled at him under his black bandanna.

"Think of it this way, Client," the Count said to him condescendingly. "If he's the Night Terror, your problems will be over. And if he's not, well..." He shrugged. "Case File won't be a problem in tracking normal crimes. Either way, we'll win."

Client 24 sat down again and circled his hoof on the table. "I don't like killing ponies of no worth to me. Case File... he hasn't done anything to warrant being killed."

"Are you turning soft on us, Client?" Count Privilege told him sweetly. "Are you suddenly squeamish when it comes to killing?"

Client 24 made a small growl. "Only when the killing's unnecessary. And if he is the Night Terror, what's to stop him from killing you when you try to take him out? He's killed much more ponies before. Who's to say he won't destroy you?"

"He's called the Night Terror for a reason," Amadeus told Client 24. "He only is a danger at night. If we attack Case File in broad daylight, he'll never see it coming. Tomorrow, he'll be at his job, examining the damage he left last night when he attacked us. We'll just take him out then."

"I'll go and round up some of your thugs," Count Privilege told Amadeus. "I'll make it known that there's a five thousand bit reward for the pony or griffon that kills Case File."

"Begging your pardon, Count," Amadeus told him with a drop of malice, "but the ponies I command are mine. I will tell them and assemble them."

"And I control you. You are forgetting who really has the power," Count Privilege told him. "I am the pony that allows you to continue in the ways you're doing now scot-free. Same goes for you, Client," he said, addressing the Night Terror in the seat. "I hold you in my hoof like a vise grip. I control your income. I control whether I sell you to the police or not. You are powerless to stop me."

"I think not," the Night Terror disagreed. "The only power that really matters is the power to hurt others, because then you control life and death. Not principles or money or other ponies. Life and death. The most powerful one here," he said, looking around the small room, "is the one with the most control to hurt others."

"Then that is me," the Count said to all of them. "I control all of you. With just a few words, I can send you all to prison, or the electric chair. And you have nothing to stop me with, and no desire to, because I also support you all. I can see you all are mad about that, but I don't really care. What are you going to do? I have the power to make all of your lives miserable, and you do not. But I promise you, that once I'm mayor of Manehatten, you will all be offered the highest protection I can offer and you can be free to rule the streets the way you want."

Amadeus laughed. "Well done, Senator," he said to him. "Spoken like a true politician."

"But I render unto Caesar what is Caesar's," Count Privilege said, standing up. "Talk to some of your ponies and make it clear that Case File is no longer necessary for the city to function properly. He will die, along with the Night Terror. He can't hide forever. We will find him, even if it takes us our entire lives."

Oh, Senator, the Night Terror thought. I hope you do find me. Because when you do, I will be ready for you. He grew a smile under his bandanna. When you do find me, I'm going to kill you.

The beautiful, calm day did not go well with the scenes of destruction on the docks. It was coated with wreckage and remnants of fire everywhere. Forensics teams were searching all over the place taking evidence and jotting down notes. Police teams were still holding the area secure and away from any passerby. Where journalists could interview ponies, they did so relentlessly.

The presence of Case File was intimidating and cold. His scarlet eyes sagged down with lack of sleep. His five-o-clock shadow stubble seemed ragged and unshaven. He barked orders to others in a cold, firm voice that was impossible to back down from. He looked irritable and mad, and wasn't comfortable for Twilight to talk to.

"He's got the resources," Case File responded softly. "The money to buy the weapons to wreak havoc on the city. Whoever this Night Terror is, he's rich. Very rich." He looked at his watch briefly, then put his head down tiredly.

Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked at each other upon hearing his voice. It reminded them of another, even more sinister voice they had heard the night before.

"Case File!" came the educated voice of Dr. Brainstem. The scientist came running up to him, mopping his head. "Sir, we found something of interest I think you should see."

Case File lifted an eyebrow. "It had better be important," he told him. "I need some good news right about now. The search has gone almost nowhere. He leaves no trace of who he is! No DNA samples or ripped clothes or hoofprints of any kind! I stayed up until four in the morning last night trying to sort through the wreckage he left!"

Twilight and Applejack exchanged wary glances at the news. Applejack looked doubtful.

"Well, sir, I have something I think you missed." Dr. Brainstem drew out something for the girls and Case File to see. It was a small piece of square metal with a few words carved on it. It was about as big as a sheet of paper, wrinkled and crumpled a little.

Case File leaned his head in closer. "What is- " he started, then bulged his eyes and snatched the metal out of Dr. Brainstem's light green magic aura. "Where did you get this?" he demanded, running his eyes up and down the piece of metal.

"Near one of the fallen cranes," Dr. Brainstem responded. "It looked discarded on purpose. The message it has reinforces that theory."

Twilight looked over Case File's shoulder, but Case File turned away. He seemed to be trembling, though whether it was in fear or rage, Twilight could not tell.

Case File thrust the offending piece of rubbish at Twilight. "Read it," he told her, his voice lower than anything she had ever heard out of him. "Read it and see for yourself what he's doing. He's taunting us!"

Twilight held the sheet of metal in her aura and read what it said. Immediately a chill ran through her.

I CANNOT DIE

I AM IMMORTAL

I AM IRONHEART

I WILL RISE

I WILL EXACT VENGEANCE

AND EVERY TRAITOROUS SOUL SHALL BOW IN MY SHADOW

Fluttershy let out a squeak and hid behind Pinkie Pie. Applejack slowly took her hat off of her head and held it to her chest, staring at the sheet of metal and the words inscribed there. Rainbow was silent, and so was Rarity, who slowly reached out and touched the metal, shivering at the touch. Twilight just whispered, "Ironheart..."

"The Night Terror's telling us who he is," Case File told them in rage. "He's mocking us."

"Ironheart?" Pinkie asked. "His heart must be reeeeeeaaaaly heavy. I wonder if he has a brother called Cakeheart? That'd be sweet!" She seemed undisturbed by the haunting message he had left.

"Ironheart's the Night Terror?" Spike asked. "Well, that's good news. We can just look in the census and find this Ironheart ourselves."

"Good idea, Spike," Case File told the dragon. "But he's not stupid enough to reveal his name to us while we're looking for him." He sighed and looked at the dragon. "You know superhero comics? The Power Ponies?"

"They need a superhero name to protect their secret identity. That, I think, is what this Ironheart is." Case File looked sure of himself.

"Hold up," Applejack said to him, coming closer. "You mean ta tell us that the Night Terror's some kinda superhero?"

"That may be how Ironheart perceives himself as," Case File explained. "Maybe he sees himself as a savior of the city. Think about it, Twilight. It's only been criminals that he's killed, criminals that he went after. According to you, when you showed up at the docks last night to confront him, he had every opportunity to shoot you. But instead, he tried to get away, and even when you restrained him, he didn't aim to kill you. He must therefore think you're innocent, and not worthy of being killed."

"How do you know so much about the Night Terror?" Rainbow Dash demanded of him, flapping in the air above everyone else.

"I only try to deduce his methods, his motives. That's all we can learn about him, because there isn't any other hard evidence to link us to the real killer."

" 'Twi?" Applejack whispered to Twilight. "Would ya mind comin' with us fer jus' a sec? We got sumthin' we need ta discuss."

Twilight coughed and gave Case File a toothy grin. "Would you mind excusing me for a minute?"

"That's fine, Twilight. Take all the time that you need," Case File told her. He looked once more at the message scratched into the crumpled sheet of dark grey metal, studying it intently.

Twilight backed away from Case File slowly, her friends guiding her around so she was turning around facing away from Case File. "Where are we going?" she whispered to Applejack.

Once they were some distance away from both Dr. Brainstem and Case File, Twilight said, "Okay, what is it you wanted to talk with me about?"

"It's about Case File," Rainbow told her. "Have you noticed anything... strange about him?"

"Yes," Twilight admitted. "And I really don't like to think about this, but there have been thoughts that maybe-- just maybe-- he might actually be the Night Terror." She looked at all her friends. "Is that what you wanted to talk with me about?"

"Yes, Twilight," Applejack told her. "We've had the same suspicions. Looking at Case File and the Night Terror, they share many similar characteristics." She started to pound the ground with a hoof, emphasizing each point. "They bear a similar taste for violence, they have either soft voices or harsh ones, and they both have red eyes."

"Just because somepony has red eyes, it doesn't mean they're the Night Terror," Fluttershy pointed out.

"Well, let's think over what we know about the Night Terror-- Ironheart," Twilight said in a scholarly tone. "The requirements he needs to meet. He needs to be somepony that doesn't want to hurt us, but only wants to hurt criminals. He needs to have access to metallic wings and guns. He needs to be somepony who knows the pony that stole Bright Mind's weapons."

Twilight swiveled her head to look at Pinkie. "You do know what you're suggesting, Pinkie? That Dr. Brainstem was the one that stole Bright Mind's weapons?"

"Ah wouldn't rule it out," Applejack put in. "Think 'bout it. Dr. Brainstem was mad at the ponies that stole the credit fer Bright Mind's invention. And he moved to Manehatten after the weapons were found stolen. Maybe he stole the remnants of Bright Mind's work so the other ponies wouldn't get their hooves on it and patent it as theirs when it was Bright Mind's."

Twilight hadn't thought about that. "You make a good point," she told her. "But if he was the one that stole the weapons... and if we assume Case File's the Night Terror... then that means Case File and Dr. Brainstem are working in cahoots!" She started to pace. "It makes sense," she murmured. "Dr. Brainstem could be the one supplying Case File with the weapons to crack down on criminals. If Case File hurts the criminal population, he looks good at his job. Both benefit!"

"I doubt it," Fluttershy said. "Dr. Brainstem doesn't look like the kind of pony that runs a black market."

"That's exactly the kind of cover somepony supplying weapons wants to look like!" Rainbow pointed out.

"Speculation!" Rarity tapped the scorched earth. "We can't rely on these kinds of theories on their own. We need proof!"

"There isn't any," Rainbow told her bluntly. "Proof is a luxury I don't think we can afford. We need to be prepared to act."

"Twilight, if those two-- " She indicated the scientist and the detective fifty feet away, " --really are the ponies causing terror in Manehatten, we gotta bring them in for questioning."

"Then they're free to go, after they tell us everything they know." There was a dangerous glint in Rainbow's eye. "I would totally do it now, even if the rest of you say no. Lives are at stake here, Twilight! We need to do what's right!"

"Arresting somepony just because of a doubt is right?" Rarity asked incredulously.

"It's better than risking the lives of thousands of others!" Rainbow retaliated. "Look at the city, Twilight. Look behind me. It's in trouble! I can't just scrabble around in these places where Ironheart's already attacked and-and do nothing! We need to take the next step here!"

"I know you're concerned, Rainbow. I want to take the next step too. But arresting them without any proof to back it up... it doesn't seem right." Twilight avoided looking at Rainbow while she spoke.

"Well, what would you do?" Rainbow told her indignantly. "If the safety of the city depended on taking Case File and Dr. Brainstem into custody, would you do it? Or would you doom the city for their sakes?"

Twilight looked at the ground. "I... don't know anymore. The line between right and wrong's just so blurred right now. I would do anything to save the lives of others, but if the law's in the way..." Her voice was distressed.

"Let's take a vote, Twilight. Case File, even if he's not Ironheart, is still highly suspect. I say we question him. Who's with me?"

Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy raised their hooves slowly, with Fluttershy mumbling, "As long as we don't hurt him..." as she slowly raised her hoof. After a moment of thought Rarity also raised her hoof.

Twilight looked at all of her friends. "Are you sure you are all willing to go through with this?"

"More than anythin', Twi," Applejack told her firmly. "We ain't progressing just staying where we are now. We gotta make absolutely sure that Case File and Dr. Brainstem ain't tryin' ta destroy the city behind our backs. How else we gon' do it?"

Twilight did not have an answer for her. She resignedly put her head down. "All right." She turned around determinedly. "Let's do it."

They walked back to the two suspects, doubt present in everyone's head. Once they were in front of them, Case File smiled brightly. "Well, did you figure anything out?" he asked them, scratching his stubble.

"A few things," Rainbow said, flapping in front of him. "We've learned that you can't be trusted anymore!"

"Don't 'excuse me' me!" she told him. She then blinked. "Wait, wait. 'Excuse me' me? Is that right?"

She cleared her throat. "Anyway, don't talk back!" she told him, returning to her stern ways. "Tell me, Ironheart," she said, putting heavy emphasis on the name, "Are you the terrorist?"

"What are you talking about?" Dr. Brainstem said, evidently confused. "Case File's not Ironheart."

"Don't think you're off free either, mister," Rainbow snarled at him. "You're highly suspect as well. We want some answers out of the both of you!"

"Calm down, Rainbow," Twilight told her hastily. "You're coming on too hard." She then came up next to Rainbow. "But Rainbow's right. The two of you..." She gulped. "can't be trusted."

Case File and Dr. Brainstem looked at each other fearfully. Dr. Brainstem looked back at Twilight first. "Tell me your suspicions, Twilight. Case File and I will answer them the best we can. I have nothing to hide. If you choose to question me, I will gladly allow you to. I have nothing I need to cover up."

Applejack looked at him for a second, looking into his emerald eyes with her own green eyes. After about five seconds she sighed and turned to Twilight. "Ah think he's tellin' the truth, Twi," she told her. "He ain't got nuthin' ta hide from us."

"And what about you, huh?" Rainbow asked belligerently, looking Case File in the face. "Tell us. Now. Are you the Night Terror, or are you not?"

Case File suddenly stumbled to the side, a wide-open hole in his side. He screamed and clutched the wound.

"Case File!" Twilight screamed, rushing to his side. All around them, ponies ceased their activities and either stared at the bleeding detective or ran away, screaming in fright.

Twilight cradled Case File, putting a hoof over the wound in his side to staunch the bleeding. Her friends gathered in a circle around him to watch what had happened.

Case File looked up at her, his wavering eyes as red as the blood pouring out of him. He raised a hoof up to Twilight's face. "Twilight..." he whispered.

"Case... look, we'll get you out of here alive. We'll get you to a hospital, okay? We'll- "

Another hole opened up in his forehead, and the light in his eyes died along with Case File.

Twilight screamed and dropped the body, her hooves stained with Case File's blood. They all looked around wildly. Entering the crime scene, whooping and yelling war cheers, were twenty sloppily dressed, tough-looking ponies. The cops guarding the scene were lying facedown in their own blood. One of them was a griffon holding a long metal pipe with a wooden butt and a cylindrical sight on it. He was pointing that weapon straight at Case File's inert corpse, but he lowered it upon seeing the Mane Six.

"Well, well," he snarled, licking his lips. "Looks like the Elements Of Harmony came to Manehatten."

"What do you think, boys?" he continued. "Should we kill 'em too? Or should we get ourselves some baggage?"

"You want a piece of this?" Rainbow asked, getting into a fighting position. "Come and get it!"

"You heard her!" he called to the ponies behind him. "Get them!" He fired a shot as the ponies charged.

Twilight immediately put up a shield of magic, and the bullet absorbed into the pink shield like it had shot into water. Rainbow flew at the sharpshooter, drawing back a hoof, ready to strike. As she got close, he swung the butt of his gun at Rainbow, and it connected with her forehead with a sharp crack. She was thrown back several feet and landed on her side. She did not move.

Twilight dropped the shield, letting out an anguished cry. And then she saw burlap as a bag was thrown over her head from behind. She struggled and kicked, but there came a sharp blow to the side of her head, and she went limp.

The same thing happened to the rest of Twilight's friends all around her. It took a bit more for some to subdue, but eventually, they were all unconscious and had burlap sacks over their heads.

"All right. Get 'em out of here and get 'em back to the sub-basements. Amadeus'll be happy to see them." The griffon licked his lips, smiling at his cargo.

The Pony Of Vengeance

by BradyBunch

Who Could It Be?