Daring Do & The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well: Canterlot Crisis

by Canon Fodder


Chapter 1: The Exchange

Manehatten Industrial Park, 2:46 am, September 19th

Through the non-stop assault of the thunderstorm, the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well leaped from rooftop to rooftop across the water-drenched city of Manehatten. Never did she stop for rest except for a brief moment after she'd land on another building. But even then she knew time was of the essence and couldn't let down now. A fight with two stallions she had gotten herself into beforehoof had depleted much of her time and she still had many rooftops to cover. Although for a moment, Mare-Do-Well slowed herself to glance ahead and see her destination in the distance. Squinting her eyes she could just barely make out the words on the billboard through the heavy rain. Decisively, she fastened her violet, wide-brimmed hat on her head and leapt to the next rooftop. Steadily approaching the abandoned warehouse of a former hay-processing company.

Closer and closer, Mare-Do-Well could now plainly see the warehouse was much taller than the roofs she had just been over. She was baffled at the fact that she never noticed it before, but she concluded that the thunderstorm had interfered with her vision. She was now adjacent to the massive storage facility with one thought in mind. "How the hay do I get up there?"

She looked around the left face of the building but couldn't find anything to get her any higher. It was way too high for a mere unicorn to jump. Then suddenly lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the outside wall of the warehouse. To her surprise and relief it revealed a ladder scaling up the side of the brick structure. Quickly she capitalized on her luck and raced up the steps. But her excitement almost got the better of her as one of her hooves slipped on the last step. Mare-Do-Well clung onto the edge of the roof for dear life. With desperation she blindly maneuvered her back legs, looking for the steps of the slippery ladder.

Meanwhile the raindrops continued to sting her back like pin needles and roaring thunder momentarily deafened her every time it clapped. This made her search for the ladder steps a thousand times more difficult. She could feel herself slowly slipping from the edge. Mare-Do-Well winced, struggling to stay on the rooftop. Then with one last effort she felt the side of the ladder with her back leg and slid it around until she finally found a step. Carefully she leaped from the edge to the ladder and finished her dramatic ascent.

She reached over the edge then slowly pulled her back hooves over then rolled over on her side, panting and swallowing hard. But her greatly needed break was interrupted by the illumination of a nearby light. Mare-Do-Well turned her head and slid over on her belly to find a sky roof window overlooking a meeting of several ponies divided into two factions. One with stallions in business suits and the other wearing uniforms from an ocean vessel. The warehouse was nearly empty except for a few crates and supplies stacked in random piles amongst the massive room.

Mare-Do-Well quickly flicked her cape over the other side of her flank and rummaged through her saddlebag for a modified stethoscope. Suddenly her hat lifted from her head revealing her horn. She used her telekinesis to lay down her signature headpiece then placed the two ends of the listening device in her ears. She rubbed a spot on the window dry with her hoof then placed the circular base on it. Slowly she began cranking a knob on the back of it to adjust the sound, then listened in on the conversation.

The first to speak up was a blue earth pony who appeared to lead the group of navy ponies on account of his slightly larger physique than that of a normal stallion. He wore a white crew cut mane and spoke with a common Manehatten city accent. "Were you followed?" He asked firmly, twitching his ears.

The head of the suited group stepped ahead with a gray turtle neck sweater underneath his black tailored jacket, a rose in his lapel matching his red coat and golden mid-length mane. Mare-Do-Well took notice of his cocky composure and superiority, assisted by a smug grin and sly eyes as he held his horn up high. Finally he spoke and revealed a regal accent of those from Trottingham. "Rusty Anchor you know us better than that. Of course we did. There's nopony in sight. Better question is, do you have our package?"

Anchor turned his head and nodded to one his crew members then returned to the conversation as the addressed pony ran off. "I think you'll be pleased with your result. It took quite a lot to smuggle it into the kingdom. It's the best Moscowlt has to offer."

The regal stallion chuckled as his grin transformed into a smirk. "Let's get down to brass tax then shall we? I am prepared to offer you five million."

Almost on instant Rusty Anchor shook his head laughing as if a joke was told. "You've got to be out of your mind!" he shouted. Meanwhile the pony sent out had returned pushing a flatbed trolley carrying a large crate. Anchor slapped his hoof on it when it arrived. "twelve million."

"Six," his negotiator returned immediately. His smirk had disappeared.

"Twelve."

"Seven."

"Twelve."

"Seven point five."

"Listen," Rusty Anchor said waving his hoof dismissively. "I can't go any lower than what I want. Do you know how hard it is to haggle with those soviets? Not to mention the time and effort it took to get this thing here."

The business ponies' leader rubbed his fetlock down his face and sighed. "Bloody Yanks," he muttered under his breath. "Fine...I'll go as high as ten million bits. Cold hard cash."

Rusty was getting impatient. "C'mon Union Jack, you're killing me here! We're talking about a measly two million bit difference."

"Oh You're the one to talk!" Jack exclaimed. Suddenly a magical field glowed around his horn followed by the rising of a black briefcase behind him, also surrounded by the magic glow. He lowered it to the ground then released it from his telekinetic grip. "Why can't you simply come down to ten instead of me going up to twelve?"

Then Anchor rubbed his fetlock under his chin, pondering. He wanted twelve but Union only wanted to pay ten. "How about we go halfway and say eleven?" He proposed, extending out his hoof.

Union Jack stood staring at his hoof for a long twenty seconds before making up his mind. He looked at the crate, back at the briefcase, then again at the crate, and finally stopping at the briefcase. He looked Rusty Anchor in the eyes and the left side of his lips curved as he shook the offered hoof. "I've got you there, wise guy." He opened up the briefcase with his telekinesis and began counting the money after he pointed his hoof at the crate for his ponies to take over.

The satisfied Rusty stood beside him and counted the bits that Union had counted to assure there were no shortcomings. When they had reached the desired eleven million they shook hooves once more. "You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Anchor but I'm positive Number One will appreciate your hard wor--"

Suddenly the sky window broke followed by a small metal ball that exploded with smoke when it hit the warehouse floor, instantaneously blinding the seven ponies startled by the assault. Union Jack and Rusty Anchor hit the floor covering their heads with their hooves. They could hear the primal roars and groans follow the sounds of multiple kicks and smacks. Then one by one the two group leaders heard thuds slightly shutter the ground. They both had counted five thuds, and it all happened so quickly that they looked up to find much of the room still secluded in smoke. But among the gray thickness stood a silhouette with a shining blue crest of an 'M' glaring off it's chest.

As the gas cleared, the image became clearer and clearer to the criminals' eyes. They began to rise slowly and continued to stare into the glow of the creature's eyes. Union Jack stood behind Rusty as he growled in anger. "Show yourself!" he shouted, stomping his hoof. His eyes in a psychotic state.

At last the smoke began to vanish and the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well stepped forward with a proud smile. "Hope you don't mind me dropping in?"

The hot-tempered Anchor shot forward and tried to jump the persistent, masked pony but was cleverly avoided as she simply sidestepped his brutish jump. Mare-Do-Well jumped on his back and tried to choke the stallion out. But his strength showed itself as he bucked her off his back with ease and picked up a nearby lead pipe in his teeth as she fell. Mare-Do-Well tucked and rolled to safety, coming up only to have the enraged stallion swing at her with the pipe. She dodged three violent swings until she had the opening to counter with a swift uppercut.

Rusty coiled back against the wall and dropped the pipe. He used his fetlock to wipe away the blood from the corner of his lips then noticed Union Jack was escaping out the door, pushing the trolley with him. Then he was abruptly brought back into focus as the purple cloaked mare jumped him and began unloading jabs. One by one those hits rang true and Anchor felt himself fading. But with another sudden burst of energy he lifted the determined hero and propelled her back. Like a cat, she landed on her hooves and prepared for another assault. But Rusty Anchor only began to laugh through his blood and bruises. Mare-Do-Well raised a brow. "What's so funny?"

He began to circle her, slowly making his way to his eleven million. "Looks like you're too late. Union Jack's got away!"

The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well laughed back him when she saw that his money was gone. Anchor didn't catch on until he had circled his way around and discovered the briefcase was truly gone. "That damn con-artist! He's got my money!" he hollered loudly. He suddenly disregarded his first prey and set out to mark another one as he ran out of the warehouse distraught.

Mare-Do-Well followed him and they were soon out amidst the cold, windy shower of rain that handicapped their vision. But despite the cooperation of the elements, they both spotted Union Jack's stagecoach escaping in the distance. With some quick thinking, Anchor led his temporary ally to a nearby wagon. The stallion hurriedly placed the harness around himself while Mare-Do-Well climbed aboard. Then without a moment to lose, Rusty Anchor took off like a bat out of Tartarus. "You ain't getting away with my eleven million you shyster!"

Up ahead, Union Jack looked back and took notice of his two pursuer's gaining on him. With a crack of the ropes he roared down at his four stallions pulling not only him and the coach, but the heavy cargo as well. "If we get caught, it's your asses! Now move!" Jack demanded. Out of fear the stallions obeyed and pushed themselves to gallop harder.

However, their efforts were soon put to shame as Rusty Anchor sped up to meet them. This gave the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well a chance to jump. "Get me up a little further!" she shouted, positioning herself on the wagon.

"Will do!" the angry stallion replied. Then he pulled up side to side with the stagecoach and locked eyes with Union Jack. But that stare didn't last long as Mare-Do-Well leaped from the wagon and stretched out her forehooves to grab on to the edge of the carriage.

The evasive Jack growled and began scaling across the stagecoach through the violent thunderstorm, clenching his teeth through the rain as he inched closer and closer toward the struggling Mare-Do-Well. She was about to pull the rest of her body over the edge when she received a blow to the head, knocking her back down and hanging by only one hoof. She quickly shook the stars away and began her ascent once again.

Meanwhile, Union Jack could only stand there and snicker as he watched her foolish attempts to climb aboard the stagecoach a second time. When Mare-Do-Well was close to accomplishing her goal again, Union kicked her off for the second time. "I say! Would you get your bloody hooves off my stagecoach!"

Shaking her head once more, Mare-Do-Well carefully reached into her saddlebag with her free hoof and retrieved a small vial of liquid. Without delay she popped open the cork and held the substance in her mouth. Then again, she tried climbing the side of the runaway carrier, coming closer to exhaustion. Mare-Do-Well poked her head up over the edge a third time and attempted to fling her entire body over the side. That's when Union Jack made his approach and readied to knock her off again. But to his utter shock, Mare-Do-Well leaned up and blew the chemical into his eyes. With a painful scream he coiled back and fell into the open compartment of the coach where his massive package lay next to him.

At last the hooded mare pulled herself to safety and gave herself just a few seconds to breath before she jumped down into the stagecoach to meet her adversary. Jack slowly got to his hooves recovering from the pain, but surprisingly retaliated right away with a jab, clipping Mare-Do-Well in the jaw.

Like a wall she absorbed the shot, and grappled with the evasive stallion. The two tried to get their shots in amongst the crowded space, with the large crate taking most of it up. Then Union Jack managed to break free and jump up, grabbing the crate with a hoof and edge of the coach with the other. He propelled his back hooves forward, knocking Mare-Do-Well hard against the rear of the vehicle. This gave him enough time to look up, and his devious smile returned when he could see his airship faintly in the distance. He turned back around and found the mare laying motionless on the ground. He laughed maniacally and climbed back into his driver's seat satisfied with the result.

Mare-Do-Well was stunned. She moaned and rubbed her hoof over the new bump that had recently appeared on her head . It stung the high heavens but she couldn't let that stop now. Equestria was counting on her to prevent the menace from obtaining whatever was in that package. With another painful groan she pulled herself up and carefully crept towards the oblivious Union Jack who was simply concentrating on making it to the open field where his airship stood solemnly through the lightning flashes.

Suddenly the storm gave her an idea. She got ready to make a jump but waited silently for her signal. Then with the clap of the roaring thunder she leapt onto the crate, the sound of her hooves muted by the thundering of the storm. Union kept looking on, not taking his eyes off the road. They were almost there when Mare-Do-Well attacked him from behind, holding him in a choke hold. She flexed his body back, making him pull the reigns harder, causing the ponies up front to look back at the commotion.

Once they noticed their leader was in peril they began going left to right, swaying the coach all about trying to shake Mare-Do-Well off. But it wasn't enough. Finally Union Jack stretched his hooves back and tried to push her away. But her grip was locked in. He looked around the fray desperately for an escape. The sweat began to pour from his forehead and his face was showing strain. Mare-Do-Well smiled victoriously. Then suddenly an epiphany struck the villain as his eyes went wide and he curved another grin through the rain and perspiration.

A magical glow illuminated his horn and then another around the rose in his lapel. He levitated the flower in front of his attacker's face. The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well was puzzled with his attempts. But before she could contemplate the situation a strange gas shot from the anthers and went straight into the face of Mare-Do-Well. Sending the uncomfortable substance up through her nostrils, she immediately cringed away from Union Jack.

The red stallion took a breath of relief then jumped back on the crate and mounted the hooded mare, choking her back. Mare-Do-Well quickly gained her composure back and the two began rolling back and forth on the big package, each trying to get the advantage. When Mare-Do-Well was on top, she threw punches. When Jack was on top, he continued a downward choke. Again and again the two ponies fought tirelessly rolling back and forth. But the chain would be broken by a swift buck from Mare-Do-Well, giving her a sturdy hold on top of the struggling and dazed stallion. Then through the loud atmosphere of the storm, she made her words clear and shouted over the thunder. "Who are you working for and what is inside this crate!"

Union Jack winced from the pain and looked at her with cold eyes. He was about to respond when something caught his eyes up ahead. Then he looked back at Mare-Do-Well with a cocky smirk, soon turning into laughter. "I'm sorry my dear! But this is the turning point of your mission!"

A look of worry came about Mare-Do-Well when Union Jack said that. She never knew what it meant until she was jerked to the side from the stagecoach taking a sharp turn around a corner. She fell off the crate and onto the edge of the coach once again. She desperately tried to make it back up but Jack was already there waiting for her, showing off a smug stare down at his defeated enemy. "I don't know who you are or what you are trying to pull...But it is over." With that, Union Jack kicked the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well off the edge and sent her tumbling into the streets of Manehatten while he and his allies darted off for the airship just up ahead.

Mare-Do-Well rolled to a stop moments later, holding her left shoulder in agony. After the grueling sharp pain had passed she stood up and discovered her hat several meters away from where she had rolled to. Upon picking it up, she could notice something shining from the corner of her eye. She turned around and discovered some sort of cufflink that had fallen off of somepony. But taking a closer look at the item, Mare-Do-Well noticed that the cufflink had an image on it as well as initials below that image. It was something that Mare-Do-Well hadn't anticipated and looked back up at the fleeing stagecoach with a suspicious glare. "H.U.R.R.I.C.A.N.E..."

To be continued