//------------------------------// // GOAL LINE // Story: Ten More Yards // by 5aszs //------------------------------// “Atomic, where are you?!” Tea Rose put the plate of food down on the dining table and went upstairs to check her son’s room. As she came back downstairs, there was a knock at the door. “Atomic, there you-” Pumpkin was at the door with Butterscotch in her pushchair. “Hey, I was gonna come back sooner but I went to the shops to get something.” “Did you see Atomic?” Pumpkin shook her head. “No, was I supposed to?” “It’s fine, he’s probably with Thunderhoof right now.” Pumpkin pushed the pushchair into the hallway and Tea Rose unbuckled her daughter, picking her up and taking her up to her bedroom. When her daughter had fallen into a peaceful slumber, Tea Rose went back downstairs and served Pumpkin with her dinner. “How’s Atomic doing at school?” Pumpkin asked in between mouthfuls of vegetable pie. “He’s doing fine,” Tea Rose replied, looking out of the window, expecting to see her son. The two chatted for half an hour, and Pumpkin took her plate to the kitchen sink just as the front door was unlocked. “I’m home!” Syracuse hung up his coat on the hanger next to the door. “Syracuse, have you seen Atomic?” Tea Rose asked, and Syracuse shook his head. “Okay, I’m gonna go and get him from Thunderhoof’s house, get your food from the kitchen,” Tea Rose said as she threw on a light pink scarf and closed the front door behind her. Nearly two minutes later, there was a loud knock at the door, and Syracuse opened it. “He’s not there, he isn't in their house, they haven’t seen him!” Tea Rose pushed past her husband and threw her scarf onto the floor. “Where is he?! He didn’t tell me he was going anywhere!” Syracuse hugged his panicking wife. “Don’t worry about it, he’ll come back.” “You guys should go out and ask the neighbours if they’ve seen him, I can stay here and look after Butter for you,” Pumpkin suggested, and the couple left the house to look for their son. “I swear, he is going to get the biggest grounding of his life when we find him.” Syracuse and Tea Rose had asked every house on their side of the street, and they were crossing the road to start asking the ponies living on the other side of the street. “What time was he supposed to be at home?” “Seven thirty, so nearly an hour and a half ago,” Tea Rose replied, reading the clock hanging on the door of the first house’s front porch they had approached. “I think we’re gonna have to call the police, Rose, it’s been too long.” A tearful Tea Rose was being comforted by her husband and her sister, and she looked up when Pumpkin suggested that the police should be involved, echoing the advice that most of the neighbours had given the worried parents.. “I just want him back!” “We all do Rose, and the police will find him,” Syracuse said, who was trying his best to keep it together for the sake of his wife. “Should I go and…..” “No, I’ll do it.” Tea Rose slowly got up off the sofa and left the living room with Syracuse, and Pumpkin headed upstairs to check on Butterscotch. The couple left the house and made their way down to the end of the street. At the end of every road in Fillydelphia, a special communication box had been installed, which allowed residents to call their local police department in an emergency. “You do it Syracuse, I can’t,” Tea Rose whispered, and Syracuse gave her a hug before opening the door and stepping inside the emergency box. He picked up the walkie talkie hanging from the metal chain and he pulled out the antenna, turning the walkie talkie on. A ringing tone erupted from the walkie talkie and a few moments later, he got through. “West Fillydelphia Police, what is your emergency?” “I need to report my son missing.” “Okay, what’s his name?” “Atomic Tangerine.” “Thunderhoof, your breakfast is ready!” “Coming, Mom!” Thunderhoof finished packing his saddlebag and threw it over his shoulder as he left his room to get his breakfast. “What lessons do you have at school today?” his mother asked as she gave her son his bowl of porridge. “Er, Maths, English, Science, Prench and PE.” “Finished all of your homework?” “Yes, Mom, I did it yesterday.” Five minutes later, Thunderhoof finished his breakfast and put his bowl back in the kitchen. “Has anypony seen my glasses?!” Thunderhoof’s father, who worked as a professor of the history of magic at University of Fillydelphia alongside his wife, burst into the living room, rifling through the bookshelves to look for his spectacles. “The last time I saw them, you were wearing them.” “You left them here, dear, in the cupboard.” Thunderhoof’s mother came into the living room and gave her husband his glasses back. She quickly went upstairs to her room to get her saddlebag, and the family were ready to leave the house. “The police are back again!” Thunderhoof watched as a police carriage park outside his best friend’s house, and Atomic’s parents, younger sister and aunt being led out of the house, and tears were streaming down Tea Rose’s face. Thunderhoof’s parents joined him at the window. “Is this about his mom asking if he was here yesterday?” “Not sure, Thunder. Let’s go and find out.” The family left their house and were met with other neighbours coming out of their house, and some residents were already comforting the Tangerine family. Thunderhoof’s mother quickly walked over to Atomic’s family. “Rose, is everything okay?” Tea Rose embraced Thunderhoof’s mother tightly as Thunderhoof’s father spoke to Syracuse, and the two ponies returned to their son with ashen faces. “What happened to Atomic?” “He never came home last night.” “Thunderhoof!” Thunderhoof lifted his head up to see that the whole class was staring at him. “Sorry Miss, I couldn’t hear you.” Ms Ivory shook her head before continuing with the register. When she had finished, she quickly scanned through the register, counting the number of absent pupils. “Has anypony seen Atomic Tangerine or Chestnut Oak?” she asked, directing her question mostly to Thunderhoof. Chestnut’s probably late, but I shouldn’t tell her about Atomic. They would’ve found him by now. “No, Ms Ivory.” Ms Ivory sent a student to take the register to the main reception, and for the rest of homeroom she led the class through updating their progress diaries. When the bell rang, Thunderhoof quickly left the classroom to find Banoffee Pie and Stormcaller, who were both in his Maths class. “Thunderhoof!” Chestnut burst into the school building and Thunderhoof turned around just as his friend caught up to him. “Did she mark me absent?” “Yeah, but I told her you were coming in today.” Chestnut sighed. “I’ll have to go to detention then. Hey, where’s Atomic?” “He’s…..he’s missing. But they’re gonna find him.” “He’s missing?!” Thunderhoof dragged Chestnut away from the several queues that had formed outside the ground floor classrooms, and he led him up the main stairs. “Yeah, the police came to his house this morning, he never went home last night.” The two colts reached the first floor and stopped in front of the stairs. “What if he’s just bunking school today?” Chestnut theorised, and Thunderhoof immediately shook his head. “He can’t be, if he wanted to do that he would’ve told me, and you.” “Excuse me, why aren’t you two in lessons?!” Two teachers were coming up the stairs when they noticed the colts standing at the top. “Sorry, we’re gonna go right now,” Thunderhoof apologised, before leading Chestnut away. “Meet me at break on the field, and tell everypony to come,” Thunderhoof instructed Chestnut as the two went their separate ways. “Do you think he’s alright?!” “What if somepony’s foalnapped him?!” Thunderhoof wordlessly listened to his friends debate where Atomic could be. Fortunately, all of his friends were able to join him on the field, and Chestnut had helped him break the bad news. “I don’t understand it though.” Everypony fell silent as Thunderhoof suddenly stood up. “We went home together yesterday, I saw him going to his house!” “Maybe somepony followed you guys home, waited until you went into your house before doing something,” Maverick said, and the others agreed. “I bet it was that wanted stallion that took him!” Starburst said, and Thunderhoof gasped. “We were there yesterday when the police tried to arrest him and some other guy! I remember one of them fell over my hoof, and he got arrested, whilst the other guy escaped!” The colts all gasped as Thunderhoof sat back down. “But why would they take Atomic?! If anything I should be the one they took!” Chestnut put a foreleg around Thunderhoof shoulders. “They’ll find him Thunderhoof, don’t worry.” “And I heard that the hoofball team tryouts are this Friday,” Blaze said. “Wait, how do you know that, Mr Cobalt hasn’t said anything yet,” Banoffee asked. “Pablo told me a few days ago that he heard Mr Cobalt tell another teacher say it, but knowing Pablo…..” “He was probably lying,” Mustang finished. “Wish I was there for the fight you guys had in your History lesson,” Pacific Sail said, and the colts laughed. Mustang smiled. “He had it coming anyway, the guy’s a massive jerk.” The colts’ banter managed to improve Thunderhoof’s mood and take his mind off off his best friend; but when break time was over and Thunderhoof was alone in Prench, he started to worry again. He had hoped that Atomic would’ve been found by now, and he was supposed to be in school, but it was nearly lunchtime and Atomic was still absent. What if something really bad happened to him?! What if he’s hurt and nopony can help him?! “Thunderhoof, quelle est la date aujourd'hui?” “Huh?” Thunderhoof’s Prench teacher, an elderly unicorn mare called Madame Pones, tutted and shook her head. “Thunderhoof, you’ve been in your own little world this entire time, having fun in there?” she admonished in a heavy Prench accent. Thunderhoof blushed and shook his head as his classmates sniggered. “Le date aujourd'hui est mercredi le 29 novembre.” “Très bien!” “Sir, when are the hoofball tryouts?!” Mr Cobalt waited for his students to calm down before giving them the answer that they had been waiting for. The entire lesson had been dominated by the return of the school’s hoofball team, and Mr Cobalt was equally as excited to be taking charge of the team. “This Friday at four thirty, we’re gonna start then. Make sure you’re on time.” Mr Cobalt opened the changing room door and let the colts in to get changed. “What if Atomic isn’t back by Friday?” Thunderhoof asked Chestnut as they changed out of their PE kits. “I don’t know, but we can always ask if the tryouts can be moved to next week,” Chestnut suggested, and Thunderhoof agreed with him. When they finished getting changed, Thunderhoof tapped Mr Cobalt’s shoulder as he was entering the storage cupboard whilst Chestnut waited for him outside. “Sir, can I ask you a question?” “Sure.” “Could you...move the tryouts to next week?” “Why?” “You see, Atomic is….” “Is what?” Thunderhoof lowered his voice to a whisper. “Missing.” “Missing?” “Yeah, the police came to his house this morning to search it, and his parents told my mom and dad.” Mr Cobalt fell silent and scratched his chin. “Thunderhoof, the U13 season has already started and the board in charge of it have said that I have to submit the school’s roster by Friday evening at the latest…..so I’m sorry, but the tryouts have to be on Friday.” “But Atomic is one of, if not, the best player in our grade and you know that! If we don’t have him on the team, how are we supposed to beat all of the other schools?!” Mr Cobalt shook his head. “Sorry Thunderhoof, but that’s how it has to be.” Thunderhoof stormed out of the changing rooms, barging past his classmates and ignoring their complaints as his made his way to the gate. “Hey, what the hay is wrong with you?!” Pablo exclaimed as Thunderhoof muscled past him. Since Blaze and Mustang had unceremoniously ditched him following their fight, Pablo had taken refuge with a few other colts in their grade. However, he was still furious that he had been embarrassed by his former friends, and he saw his chance to save his reputation. “Why don’t you just shut the hay up, Pablo?! I don’t have time to listen to you whining like a baby!” Thunderhoof turned away from Pablo and went over to Chestnut, wanting to leave school as quickly as he could. Pablo caught up to Thunderhoof and pulled him back by his saddlebag. “And what the buck are you gonna do if I keep talking, huh?! Just because Atomic isn't here doesn't mean that you can get brave with me!” he hissed. The next thing Thunderhoof knew, he was being dragged backwards by Chestnut and a few other colts, and he was stunned when he saw Pablo on the ground in a heap, crying as he held his lower back, blood dripping down from his nose. Did I do that to him?! “Thunder, let’s go,” Chestnut whispered, leading Thunderhoof away. Thunderhoof looked back one last time and saw that Pablo was being helped up by Mr Cobalt. The two colts entered back into the school, and found that their friends were already waiting for them. “We’re gonna look for Atomic ourselves,” Starburst said, and Moondust used his magic to hold up a stack of papers, displaying a picture of Atomic and that the police should be contacted if anypony had seen him. “But what about the police, it's their job to find him,” Chestnut argued. Thunderhoof shook his head. “But we know him better than anypony Chestnut, we have to try. If one of us was missing, Atomic would do all he could to find us, so let’s do that.” Thunderhoof led the group onto Mayfield Avenue, telling him that he was going to put his saddlebag away and ask Atomic’s parents if any progress had been in finding Atomic. Most of the adults living on the road were gathered outside his best friend’s house, and Thunderhoof spotted that most of his neighbours were carrying maps. “What’s going on? Have they found Atomic yet?” “No my dear, but we’re gonna go out and look for him,” one of Thunderhoof’s mother’s friends replied. “We’re gonna go as well,” Thunderhoof declared, gesturing to his friends behind him. They joined the ponies waiting behind. “Take this and search- Thunderhoof!” Pumpkin Spice had put herself in charge of organising a search party; the police in her opinion weren’t doing enough to find her nephew, and with Tea Rose at no state of mind for any organisation and the neighbours eager to help any way they could, Pumpkin set up a table outside the house and split ponies into groups of five, giving a map of the local area to each group. “Could you give us a map, please? My friends and I wanna help find Atomic.” “Um….” “They can’t help, they’re kids!” Two residents came up to the colts, and one of them took two maps from the table. “Not only are they just gonna cause chaos for everypony that's actually searching, but they could also find something that foals their age should never see!” “I haven’t even made a decision as to whether they can help!” Pumpkin exclaimed. “What do you mean there’s something we shouldn't see?” Thunderhoof asked, and Pumpkin shook her head. “You guys should go home, they’re right, let the police do their job and Atomic will be back.” “But-” “Come on, let’s go,” Spade Ace said, pulling Thunderhoof away. “Did anypony pick up a map?” Pacific Sail asked, and Moon Dust held one up. “Look!” Blaze sprinted over to a discarded local newspaper lying on the floor in front of a house, and he showed the front cover to his friends. FILLYDELPHIA FAMILY DESPERATE FOR MISSING SON’S RETURN West Fillydelphia Police are on the hunt for eleven year-old Atomic Tangerine, who did not come home last night from his hoofball team’s training session. Atomic was last seen inside his house by his mother, who claims that she was in the kitchen when she realised that Atomic was not in his room. With the 19-year old criminal Marble still wanted for drug possession and trafficking charges in the area, police fear that Atomic may been abducted. A neighbour who is very familiar with the Tangerine family spoke to us: ‘It's shocking that something like this has happened in our area; only a few days ago police were arresting drug dealers and now there’s a missing colt?! Tea Rose and Syracuse are brilliant parents and I am praying that Atomic comes home safe and sound.” If you have any information on Atomic’s whereabouts, please do not hesitate to contact West Fillydelphia Police Department immediately. A bucket of freezing cold water was unceremoniously dumped over the colt’s head, and he yelled as he shook his head. Standing in front of him, was a glaring stallion. Atomic blinked several times to get the water out of his eyes, and he realised that he was tied up on the ground. “Where am I?” “Don’t worry about that.” Atomic was currently being held in a large, dark room, which he assumed was a basement. The basement was mostly an open space, with the only furniture being a metal chair propped up against the opposite wall. The only window Atomic could see was a small, murky one which was mostly covered in dirt. He tugged on the ropes binding him and he realised that the ropes had been tied around a metal pipe that had been slightly detached from the brick wall behind him. The ropes had been tied in such a way that Atomic had been forced into a sitting position, his hind legs were tied together in front of him, and his forelegs were suspended above and behind his head. At the back of his head, Atomic could feel a bruise had formed from the knockout hit he had taken, and he discreetly tried to use one of his hooves to check how bad the bruise was. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?!” the stallion yelled, slamming Atomic’s head back against the pipe, causing the younger colt to cry out in pain. “You’re not going anywhere for a long time buddy, so don’t think you’re gonna get out of this!” Tears streamed down Atomic’s face, caused by a mixture of pain and terror. “Why am I here?!” “I warned you that if you snitched to the cops, something bad would happen. You brought this upon yourself.” “But I didn’t snitch on you, I swear!” Atomic cried, and his foalnapper growled. “You’re lucky we still need you, otherwise I’d be sending you back home in pieces.” The stallion threw a bottle of water with a straw sticking out of the top onto Atomic’s lap and grumbled as he walked away. “Where are you going?!” The sound of stairs being climbed followed by the door slamming was the only reply Atomic got, and the colt broke down crying. He’s gonna kill me and nopony will ever find me down here! I’m never gonna see my family or my friends again. I’m never gonna become a hoofball player. Atomic tried to use his knees to hold the bottle up, lifting them up as high as he could to bring the bottle closer to his face. After several tries, he finally succeeded and he sucked greedily from the straw until he had drank nearly half of the bottle’s contents. I should save the rest for later. Atomic lowered his knees and let the bottle sit in his lap. Soon, painful cramps ravaged his forelegs, and Atomic tried his best to alleviate the pain by shifting them into a different position, but they were stuck. “You’re not going anywhere, so if I were you, I wouldn’t bother trying.” The stallion closed the basement door behind him and pulled up a chair to sit in front of Atomic. He took out a small pitch of green powder and opened it with his mouth. “Can you at least move my forelegs, they’re killing me!” The stallion thought to himself for a few seconds before putting the bag and walking over to Atomic, holding a new set of ropes in his mouth. He took out a knife and began to cut through the ropes holding his hind legs together. “You better not try anything.” Atomic knew that his foalnapper wouldn’t hesitate to use the knife on him if necessary, and he decided to follow along for now. “I won’t, I promise.” The stallion sliced through the last threads holding Atomic’s hind legs together, and he tossed the ropes to one side, moving on to freeing Atomic’s forelegs. He pressed his hind legs down over Atomic’s hind legs to keep him still as he cut through the second set of ropes. “Finally!” Atomic pulled his forelegs down and rubbed them gently to ease his painful muscles. The stallion suddenly moved back from Atomic and grabbed his shoulders, turning him around to face the wall. “Hey, what are you doing?!” Atomic did not get a reply, and he continued protesting as the stallion re-fastened his hind legs and forelegs to the pipe, with his forelegs now in a more comfortable position crossed over in his laps. The stallion picked up the water bottle and jammed the straw into Atomic’s mouth. “I don’t wanna hear any more complaints from you, okay?” The stallion went back to his chair and took out a piece of rolling paper, and he used his hooves to sweep the green powder off the chair and onto the paper. He rolled up the paper into a thin tube and lit the end of it with a lighter. Soon, the smell of the burnt green powder clouded over the basement. “What is that, it smells disgusting!” Atomic cried, before descending into a coughing fit. The stallion ignored Atomic and continued smoking, throwing his joint onto the floor and stepping on it to put it out. “You know the police are looking for you, right?” Atomic blurted out, and the stallion shrugged his shoulders. “I know.” “They’re gonna put you in prison for the rest of your life when they get you. Just let me go.” “Can’t do that, buddy.” “I won’t tell anypony about you if you let me go, I promise!” The stallion ignored Atomic and walked over to him, sticking his face upside down in front of him. “How you doing?” Atomic jerked his head back in shock and the stallion laughed, grabbing Atomic’s head and moving it side to side. “Get..off...me!” The stallion chuckled again as he let go of Atomic’s head, and the sound of the basement door slamming left Atomic alone in the basement again. 89 bricks, 90 bricks, 91 bricks…… Atomic had been locked in the basement for nearly twenty-four hours by this point, but to him it felt like he had been in the basement for a lifetime. The smell of the smoked green powder still hung heavily in the basement and Atomic had been forced to press his face into his shoulder to avoid breathing in the pungent fumes. The stallion had given him a hay sandwich a few hours ago to tide him over, but he was still hungry. He stopped counting the number of bricks on the wall and tried to think of ways he could escape. These ropes are way too thick, so there’s no way I can bite through them. Maybe I could pretend to be ill, and then when he unties me, I can make a run for it. Nah, that won’t work. The door suddenly opened and Atomic lifted his head up. The stallion approached Atomic and unsheathed his knife, and the sound of metal scraping against leather as it was taken out sent Atomic into a frenzy. “No, please don’t hurt me, I didn’t do-!” Atomic stopped mid-scream when he felt the ropes holding him down loosen, and he stayed silent as the stallion continued cutting through the ropes. When he had finished, the stallion held out a hoof and helped Atomic get up. Is he letting me go?! Atomic stretched his legs, relieved that he had finally been freed. The stallion suddenly whipped out a pair of hoofcuffs and fastened them to one of Atomic’s forelegs and his own forelegs, binding them together. “What the-” “If you thought I was letting you go Atomic, then you’re even dumber than I thought you were. We’re going on a little trip.” The stallion pulled Atomic forward and led him up the stairs, pushing the basement door open and the two stepped out into the hallway. “Where are you taking me?!” Atomic got no reply as he was pulled forward towards the ajar front door, and waiting for them outside on the road was a carriage with four seats in the back. The street was quiet and there were no other ponies outside, so Atomic knew that he had no chance of getting somepony else to help him. There was only one street light that flickered dimly, barely illuminating the road and the road’s name that was written on a sign plastered against the brick wall on the first house on the other side. The sun had completely disappeared from the far west of the sky, and Atomic guessed that the time was probably between nine and ten o’clock. There were two unicorn stallions in black tracksuits and as one of them opened the door, the other glared and pointed at Atomic. “Why the buck isn't he wearing a blindfold?!” “Sorry, I’ll go and get it right now!” So they’re his bosses. Atomic was uncuffed from his abductor and the two stallions in black grabbed hold of Atomic and bundled him into the carriage, pushing him down into the seat opposite them. When the carriage door was opened again, Atomic’s foalnapper lifted up the black fabric and wrapped it around Atomic’s eyes, tying the blindfold tightly at the back of the colt’s head. The light blue colt instinctively closed his eyes when the blindfold was put on him, and his plan to look out of the window and try and figure out where he was being taken was now out of the question. “You’ve already messed up Marble, this better be the last mistake you make tonight.” Marble apologised as he entered the back of the carriage to take the last available seat next to Atomic, and the carriage set off towards an unknown destination. “Get out.” As the carriage finally came to a stop, Atomic felt his blindfold loosen before being pulled away from his face, and he opened his eyes, blinking to get used to the street lights that they had stopped next to. Marble grabbed him and pulled him out of the carriage, setting him down next to the cariage’s side door. The two stallions slowly got out of the carriage and as one waited next to Atomic and Marble, the other addressed the driver. “Be here in an hour’s time.” “Yes sir.” The driver set off, leaving the four ponies standing on the pavement. The carriage had dropped them off at the end of an empty high street with nearly all of its shops closed, except for a nightclub at the end of street that would be open until the early hours of the morning. The roads were completely empty of carriages and only the lampposts were the only source of light. Atomic quickly scanned the area, looking for any shops that he could recognise to give him a clue as to where he was. MD Sports! So we’re still in West Fillydelphia! Atomic was shocked that he had been taken to the high street nearest to his house, and as he was handcuffed to Marble by one of the suited stallions, he was frustrated with himself for not making a run for it. “Damn it, hide!” Atomic was suddenly pulled into an empty alleyway by Marble, and the two stallions pushed them further into the alleyway. A flashlight was suddenly shined into the alleyway and through the gaps of the dumpster that Atomic was hiding behind, he recognised the stallion’s police uniform. “HELP!” Marble immediately stuffed his free hoof into Atomic’s mouth, but it was already too late, and the police officer slowly walked down the alleyway. “Who’s there?” One of the suited stallions stepped out from behind the bins. “I stepped on a bottle and my hoof’s bleeding, should I go to hospital?” The officer looked at the stallion skeptically, who was holding up a limp hoof on his foreleg before approaching him slowly. “Which hoof did you injure?” “This one.” As the officer bent down to look at the hoof, a dark blue magical aura appeared over the suited stallion’s horn, and a flash of dark blue light knocked the police officer out, who dropped like a stone. Atomic was dragged out into the open and the stallion that had knocked out the police officer grabbed him by the throat. “You’re lucky we still need you, pull a stunt like that again and we'll dump your body somewhere nopony will ever be able to find you.” “I...got..it!” Atomic choked out, and he was lowered down to the ground. The suited stallions dragged the officer’s unconscious body away, hiding it behind the bins whilst Marble put the hoofcuffs back onto Atomic. “Let’s go.” The group went out of the alleyway and Marble stuck his head out to check that the streets were clear. The group continued walking down the street and Atomic saw that another carriage was waiting for them at the end of the street. One of the stallions in black paid the driver whilst the others got into the back. Atomic knew that he was lucky he had not been hurt too badly in the alleyway, and so he decided to keep his questions to himself. The group arrived at their destination, and Atomic was dragged out of the carriage with the blindfold put back on over his eyes and his foreleg still to Marble’s via the hoofcuffs. Marble walked forward and Atomic heard automatic doors slide open, feeling the rough carpet underneath his hooves. “The theatre is ready for him, we'll take him there now.” Atomic was freed from Marble and immediately grabbed by two new ponies, and they dragged him down the corridor to a room which had ’Operating Theatre’ written in black marker pen on the front. “What are you doing, let me go!” Atomic struggled against his much stronger captors, and he crashed against a door as he was pushed inside it. The door was slammed and Atomic’s shouts continued for a few more seconds before suddenly going quiet. Marble was still standing in the main lobby, and when he couldn't hear Atomic, he turned around and walked back to the carriage, getting into the back. “You’ve done better than I thought you would, Marble. We'll done.” “Thank you, sir…….does that mean I’m free to leave?” One of the suited stallions titled his head slightly. “Leave?” “.....you said that if I took Atomic and brought him here for you, then I could leave, and start a new life.” “I do remember making that agreement with you!” the stallions said with a smile, and Marble gulped nervously, not knowing what would happen next. “But you see Marble, you and your friend’s incompetence in guarding the safe house has brought us unwanted attention from the police. The fact that you decided to take Atomic from the front of his house has also led to the start of a manhunt for you right now.” Marble lowered his gaze. “Would it really be fair if you left us to deal with the chaos that you caused?” Marble looked up and slowly shook his head. “No, sir.” “You are going to be assigned to a new safe house with more experienced colleagues. Here is the address.” Marble took the piece of paper and read the address. “But that’s on the other side of Fillydelphia! When am I gonna get time to see my family?!” “You won’t Marble, you’ll be too busy making up for your mistakes. Understood?” “.........Yes, sir.” “Good. Driver, take us back to where you picked us up.” Marble squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears from falling down, cursing himself for getting into this mess in the first place. “Guys, we have to go back home,it's getting dark.” Atomic’s friends had spent the last few hours searching their nearby area, putting up missing poster as they desperately looked for their friends. They were currently in their local park with the colts that lived on the same road as Atomic and Thunderhoof, arguing over where they should search next. “We have to the high street and check all the alleyways in there!” “No, let’s go back and check 27 North Avenue, I bet whoever foalnapped him is keeping him there.” “What if he ran away?” “GUYS!” The colts stopped talking as Thunderhoof stomped his hoof on the ground. “We don’t have time to be arguing! We came here to help find Atomic, not fight about where we look next! We’re gonna go to the high street and ask a few shopkeepers-” “Look! Over there!” Starburst pointed a small green hat sticking out from underneath a nearby bush, and he galloped over to it, dragging it out. The hat was a Fillydelphia Dragons hat, but it had mud and bark all over it. “Isn't this Atomic’s?” Starburst gave the hat to Thunderhoof, who checked the inside of the hat, gasping in shock when he saw the initials ‘A.T’ written on the inside white label. “It's Atomic’s!” “Woah, there’s blood all over the back!” Starburst pointed out, feeling the dry blood at the back of the hat. The colts all gathered round and checked if Starburst was right. Thunderhoof was the last to check and when he saw the large, dark red stain and felt the dry wool, his heart sank. Atomic, where are you?!