//------------------------------// // Cops and Robbers. // Story: Smooth Criminal // by dudenotactive //------------------------------// It was early in the morning, the guards only just started investigating the nightclub after a whole night of searching for the criminal, sadly they couldn't find any trace of him. As for Sweet Cherry, she cried into her hooves, losing the last gift she received from her mother before she died had destroyed her. She couldn’t even keep a promise. The guards questioned her for more details, which she had nothing more to say. The club guards gave their own testimony as well as some civilians who was in the same place. Feather Storm, a pegasus royal guard who was also sent to Cloudsdale from a false source was head of the investigation, began checking the damages of the club. “Are you sure that this pony is a pegasus? Then how would he make these big holes then?” He doubted the reports. “Sir,” A single guard spoke. “the witnesses explained that he had a magical staff disguised as a cane and it could reduce things to rubble.” He explained to his superior as they both exited the building, greeted by new arrivals of guards to help them. “Then we got ourselves a real problem!” The fact that the culprit was slippery as an eel was tough enough, now Feather Storm had to deal with a criminal that has magic! He started to bark orders to his unit giving them seperate jobs to do. As for Feather Storm, he needed more clues. Unbeknownst to the royal guards, a certain bowler hat wearing pegasus was silently watching them work. He had snuck amongst the crowd to spy on the ponies in charge of taking him in, and for no apparent reason, he was some how completely invisible. He chuckled to himself and was about to leave until a familliar group of ponies just arrived. The heroes themselves, if Roman could laugh he would but that would attract attention to himself and blow his cover, alerting the law. “She healed up fast.” Roman commented on Rainbow Dash's wing he swore he shattered as she and her friends began aproaching the guard. "Excuse me sir," The purple one, Twilight Sparkle he recalls, spoke to the pegasus in charge. "I'm Twilight Sp-" "Twilight Sparkle, I know." The guard cuts her off quick. "What do you need, can't you see that I'm busy here?" Twilight was lightly taken back by his tone and she didn't need to look behind her to see Applejack holding back Rainbow Dash. "Well sir, we are here to help the guards in search for Roman Torchwick, I promise that we won't leave no stone unturned." “Just because you saved Equestria, don’t think that I would let you in on this case!” Roman heard Feather Storm told the main six. “But we almost caught him! That's closer than how far you’ve gone!” Dash argued with him. He taps a hoof on her. “Then why did you let him escape!?” “We didn’t let him escape, he got away! Big difference.” She countered. Applejack cuts in just in case it got messy. “Easy now, we don’t want no ruckus now do we?” It barely help at all but Twilight quickly stood between her friend and the guard. "Listen sir..." "Feather Storm." "Sir Storm, we may not have the same training as you but we are still capable of catching somepony like Torchwick, if you don't let us help at all then we can do it on our own." The stallion liked that idea, as long as it keeps them somewhere else but she didn't stop there. "Or~" "Or?" He mimicked with only a hint of fear. "Or I could send a letter to the princess Celestial." He nearly trips on nothing at the mention of his and everyone else's leader. Feather Storm straightened himself. “Alright fine, you all are on the case. Don’t buck up.” He began to leave, grumbling to himself about having Celestia on speed dial, Feather Storm didn't really want them to be involved. “Alright girls, find some clues and meet back here after. We wont let him get away with this.” Said Twilight Sparkle before they all went inside. Roman shook his head smiling at himself. “I already did.” He told no one but himself as he leaves the crowd to do something else. Feeling hungry again, he returned to the pizza parlor that he robbed last time, he couldn't really blame anyone for coming back, the pizza was better than the one's he had back home. Entering the building, it rung the bell by the door and the clerk noticed him immediately. He cowered behind the counter and shouted. “Help! Somepony help!” Even though no one else was there. “Easy there, I’m not here to rob or hurt ya’, just here to buy some pizza.” Roman made his motive clear. "A-as if I'd even take your order! Now g-get out before I call the guards!" Roman rolled his eyes on the pony's threat. "Alright, I know when I'm not wanted, but maybe this will change your mind." Roman drops a hoof full of bits, at least half amount of what he stole last time. "This is just a tip, for great service." The sound of bouncing bits made the stallion peeks over the counter. “W-what will it be?” He asked the criminal for his order. Roman looked up at the choices and decided a very delicious option. “I’ll have three plates of spaghetti, four pizza fries, and two boxes of cheese and garlic pizza.” The pony nodded fearfully and was about to run into the kitchen, but was held still by Roman’s cane around his neck. “Do you need something else sir?” He asked him, praying to Celestia that he would be spared. “Listen,” Torchwick began. “I know what I did to you was wrong, and I would have leave and forget you ever existed. But, I liked that pizza of yours.” He felt the pony in his cane relaxed a bit, honestly, these ponies are too friendly. “You already know my name, Roman Torchwick! Care to introduce yourself?” He took away the cane and held a hoof over to the stallion. Straightening himself and hesitantly took his hoof to shake it, he introduced himself. “Brie Ch-cheese sir. Ahem. And the cheese here is from my families farm sir, that’s why it taste like the best pizza you ever had.” Brie completely forgot that the stallion he was speaking to was a crinimal. “You are right, and I will come back here when I want some pasta or pizza. Just promise me this.” “Anything mister Torchwick.” Brie said as he nodded his head. “Don’t backstab me.” Roman warned the stallion, a scowl on his face and a hint of murder in his eyes. Brie gulps down a lump in his throat. “I promised by my name sir.” Roman became cheerful as he began to walk out. “Bring my order to Scarlet’s Paradise, the nightclub west from here!” “Will do!” Brie answered back before rushing into the kitchen to prepare the order. Roman leaves the pizza parlor, and began to look for future victims. He spotted a bank nearby, but that he crossed it out. Another was a jewelry shop, sadly, it was a small business. Then he got to an art museum, it was perfect. Though he needed to strike at night, satisfied with the plan for his next work, he decided to make his way back to the nightclub. He didn’t know that an hour has already passed when he got back. Inside he found Jolly and Cheese chatting along with Scarlet of course. He walked over and pick up a slice, not before wiping his hooves clean. “Well if it isn’t the trouble maker! What were ye up to lad?” Jolly Hammer asked him with a big smile. “Just scouting for possible jobs, and maybe a quick one.” He said before handing Brie a pouch of bits paying for his order and taking a bite of the pizza. “More bits eh? Then count me interested!" Roman swallowed his food before speaking. “Of course you are." “Are you sure you should discuss this with me?” Brie Cheese spoke up. “Yeah, why is this bloke here anyways?” Scarlet questioned as she eats her spaghetti. “More friends in this mess might be great!” Jolly added his opinion. Roman only shook his head. “I trust him guys, so don’t worry.” He said as he had just finished another slice. “I promise, not to tell.” Brie added. “See?” Roman begins to leave towards his room with a box piece of pizza fries. “I’m going to hit an art museum in a few days, so phone up some buyers Scarlet!” "What makes you think I know ponies?" Scarlet questions but Roman's answer was taking a bite out of his pizza fry. With that, Torchwick exited, leaving his buddies be. “You know, you are the biggest unicorn I have ever seen.” Brie told Jolly. “Why thank ye.” Pinkie Pie was cheerfully bouncing away from the crime scene as she followed a trail she believed it belonged to Torchwick. After a few minutes of tracking, she comes accross a discarded cigar that was tossed carelessly onto the ground. She frowned as she threw it right into the garbage can, Pinkie will have a nice long talk with who ever owned that. Smiling to herself, she looked around and found that she was in front of an art museum. Thinking nothing of it, she started to bounce back to her friends. Pinkie Pie arrives a minute later to find that her friend Rainbow Dash was arguing loudly with the royal guard, again. “Pinkie, where have you been?” Her friend Twilight asked her as she was standing next to Fluttershy and the others. “Looking for clues!” She gleefully told the unicorn. "Did you find anything?" "Nope!" The unicorn facehoof from her friend's answer. "Anyways, why is Rainbow Dash arguing with the guard?" "Dash found something then tried to show it to Feather Storm asking if it was anything important, but he quickly told her it wasn't and what started as an ordinary argument turned into a really long shouting competition about who is the better pony to catch Torchwick." Twilight said, informing the earth mare. "Rainbow Dash is the fastest pony..." Rarity tried to join the conversation, but couldn't really say anything else as she was too focused with her friend and the guard. "S-should we stop them?" The timid pony of the group spoke right next of Twilight. "Let's see where this is going." Applejack answered. All five of them continue to watch their friend arguing, it would have lasted longer, but Rainbow Dash decided to let her hooves speak for her. The mares cringes back as a loud clang filled the air and the stallion's helmet flew right off as he fell down onto the ground. "This is going to be a really long week." Twilight mumbled to herself before the cyan Pegasus was tackled to the ground by a group of guards.