Kelsey clenched his hands into fists, his arms rigid and trembling slightly as he fought the urge to bolt. As a slow clop of hooves came around his left side again, he tried to keep his expression neutral, his eyes falling on Princess Luna's face. Her own expression was one of intense scrutiny, her horn glowing as she traced a slow circle around him for what had to be the third time. He finally broke his silence, but only for an instant. "Is this going to take much--?"
"Quiet," Luna said in an urgent tone. "This is a delicate spell. I need all my concentration. And you need to relax."
Kelsey tried to tell himself that he had nothing to fear. He couldn't even feel the spell operating on him. As Luna passed, his gaze fell on Twilight, who looked on with both sympathy and interest. Next to her, her diminutive dragon companion fidgeted as he glanced between Twilight and Luna.
Finally, Luna came to a stop. She stepped before him again, her horn now quiescent. "I am done."
"And?" Kelsey prompted in a voice tinged with desperation as much as impatience.
"Realize that I do not know your mind enough to be absolutely sure," said Luna.
"Just tell me what you found."
"It is possible your mental and emotional state has indeed been compromised."
Twilight gasped.
Kelsey felt briefly nauseous. "But you said you can't be sure?"
"It is a far greater possibility than not that you have been subjected to mind magic."
"Luna, if you're right, this is just more evidence against Fuller," said Twilight. "Kelsey even admitted that Fuller's been using Ryan to make others loyal to him."
Luna glared at Kelsey. "And you did nothing while this was happening."
"I believed what he was doing was necessary," said Kelsey.
"And Kelsey may even have been made to believe that as well," Twilight said.
"Nevertheless, such mind magic works best when one is willing to be persuaded," said Luna. "The magic Ryan wields needs to start somewhere. It needs something on which to build."
"I'm willing to help now," Kelsey said.
"Only when you have learned that Fuller's weapon was turned against you. I still have utter contempt for your lack of ethics."
"Luna, stop, please," said Twilight.
"Furthermore, had this been Equestria, you would answer to me, and I would not be inclined to be very merciful."
"Luna!"
Luna's voice rose. "Corruption of the mind and emotions with magic is the worst possible crime that can be committed against a sapient being. Would you care to hear what I have done to such perpetrators in Equestria's past?"
Twilight stepped between Luna and Kelsey. "That's enough! Kelsey is not on trial here. If he is guilty of something, it will be for American courts to decide."
"Princess Luna, your words don't frighten me," said Kelsey. "You don't understand what it's like to have a foreign power come into your world and utterly usurp and undermine your culture."
"A process, I understand, that early America excelled at," said Luna coldly.
"Luna!" Twilight cried. "Stop it! You're not helping!"
Luna took a deep breath. "My apologies. I cannot help it. The sense of Ryan's presence has only grown more prevalent. He is building up to something."
"Can you detect if he does start to use his power?"
"I can indeed, which is why I have absolutely no intention of leaving this facility until he is in custody and has been pacified by--" She glanced at Kelsey for a moment. "--others."
"I am aware of the Dreamwardens, Princess," said Kelsey.
Luna narrowed her eyes. "Then you are aware of the justice they seek against beings like Ryan."
"You're citing yet another reason I chose to work with Mr. Fuller. It's more pony magic being given little to no oversight."
"I could argue that the Dreamwardens represent a magic that was already present in this universe long before Sunset had breached the dimensional divide, but it will be lost on you."
"This is not the time or the place to debate such things," said Twilight. She looked up at Kelsey. "You got what you wanted. We've confirmed that Fuller used Ryan on you. Will you commit to helping us now?"
Kelsey already felt his loyalties tugged back into Fuller's camp. He now had a treasure trove of new intelligence. He could reveal how the Equestrian Diarchy was interfering directly with American affairs, bypassing MIDROC security in a clear violation of the treaty. For all of Twilight's talk about wanting to abide by it, she certainly saw fit to do a creative interpretation.
What it ultimately came down to, as selfish as it seemed, was his own future.
No matter what happened, he would stand before a judge and be held accountable for his actions. If he was still working with Matthew when everything came crashing down, he would see harsher justice than he would if it could be shown he was trying to help the opposition.
"As much as I despise selling out a man who I still believe has the right idea, yes, I will help you," said Kelsey. "What do you need me to do?"
"First, the same that Tonya will be doing," Twilight said. "Looking the other way while my friends try to sort out this matter."
"I can keep Mr. Fuller in the dark only for so long. He is not a stupid man."
"But he trusts you. If you tell him everything is all right or that you're handling an issue, I'm sure that will buy us enough time."
"What is it you're trying to gain besides the safety of the prisoners?"
"Evidence," said Luna.
"The text I received while we were waiting for Luna was from Anthony Heller," said Twilight. "He's building a case against Fuller. Heller's office has taken the unicorn who recorded the agents going after Heller into protective custody."
"You need to keep that sort of communication to a minimum, Princess," said Kelsey. "Everything is monitored. You're fortunate that you have a UN-issued cell phone. We don't have the decryption ciphers for that."
"I've arranged for other means to allow the others to communicate with one another. We've set up--"
Luna stretched out a fore-leg. "Should you tell him this?"
"We have to trust him, Luna, we don't have any choice," said Twilight. "He's likely the first person whom anyone goes to concerning security matters. We need him to prevent any of that from going to Fuller." Twilight turned her gaze back to Kelsey. "We've set up three privacy shields, enhanced like this one to block detection of teleportation. It will allow us to talk without anyone taking notice that we're gathering in one spot."
"In the meantime, however, Heller may be getting messages from his office," said Kelsey. "I need to head to the comms center at once. If they decrypt something of interest, and I don't respond to their notification, they'll go to Fuller directly."
Twilight nodded. "I'll text the others to stop communicating by phone if they can avoid it. You better get going."
"Wait," said Luna. She stepped up to Kelsey and looked him in the eye. "You have been Fuller's loyal servant for the past three months. Surely you have access to the evidence that Mr. Heller craves."
Kelsey tried to maintain his composure under that sharp gaze but found himself either unable or unwilling. He thought back to the very files that had cast doubt on his own mental state.
"I do," said Kelsey in a flat voice. "Confidential files only Mr. Fuller and I know about. They detail Mr. Fuller's activity concerning Ryan." After a short pause he added, "For the most part."
"We need those files," said Twilight.
"I'll see if I can get a copy of them without being discovered," said Kelsey. "Even though I have full access, Mr. Fuller still has many security protocols in place."
"Do the best you can," said Twilight. "If it's too risky, hold off on it for now."
Kelsey nodded and headed out. He still hated himself for doing this, but Fuller had brought this on himself. Loyalty could not be instilled, it had to be earned. Until then, Kelsey thought Fuller had done that. Instead, Kelsey was just another tool to be used and discarded.
Tonya exited the van as Danton and Anthony brought Jenny and Eileen out. Her heart lurched when she saw Jenny was almost limp, her head hanging down as it had the whole trip. She worried the poor girl was in a state of shock. She had not detected anything from Jenny other than her ambient magical aura, and even that seemed a bit weaker now.
Tonya tried to tell herself she had done the right thing. Her reasons for shutting down Jenny had nothing to do with wanting to further Fuller's agenda; she had seen a potential threat to public safety and had to stop it.
Sun and Verdant emerged from one of the other vans carrying the incarcerated ponies as well as Bev. Tonya caught a sparkle among the MIDROC personnel and raised an eyebrow when she saw not the two crystal ponies she had on her original staff, but four.
They marched towards her, almost in perfect step, one of the newcomers in the lead. The purple-furred, deep blue-haired stallion brought the group to a halt. His officious gaze flicked over Tonya and her cohorts before he said, "Who is in charge here?"
"I am," said Tonya. "And you are?"
"Edward Kenworth," the stallion said. "Current FCPA rank: Lieutenant."
"My rank is Captain."
"Of course, ma'am," said Edward in only a slightly less imperious tone. "And now that you're back, you are naturally in nominal charge of MIDROC security. I will take charge of the prisoners and arrange for their safe incarceration."
"I had every intention of arranging that myself." Tonya indicated her cohorts. "I had planned to make these two temporary members of the security staff and put them in charge of the prisoners."
From the look on Sun and Verdant's faces, this was a surprise to them. Tonya had hoped to have time to brief them and bring them more into her confidence, but that was before Mr. Self Important decided to get in her face.
Edward glanced dismissively at Sun and Verdant before turning his gaze to Tonya. "With all due respect, ma'am, I believe it is better we settle into roles that are best for our skill sets. I have had extensive experience in guarding and supervising magical beings. Your experience is more policing and general security."
"The last I heard, I was still in charge of security at MIDROC," Tonya countered.
"Yes, ma'am, and I imagine I will be reporting to you with daily briefings. You can be confident that I will handle the matter professionally."
Tonya could see the game being played now. Fuller likely suspected he could no longer trust her loyalty and had brought in additional crystal ponies he could better keep in his pocket.
"Mr. Fuller has always deferred to me in all security matters," Tonya said.
"I'm sure he has," said Edward. "But with all due respect, ma'am, he is in charge of this facility, not us. He has made it clear that he wishes a division of labor. Otherwise, I suspect, he fears you will be overtaxed in attempting to both maintain security at the facility and watch over the prisoners. If you wish, you are free to look over my record. I am sure you will find it exemplary."
Tonya had no doubt about that, but she likely would also find that he had an unquestioned devotion to authority. It would be the only reason Fuller would bring in another team.
Danton stepped over to them and said in an irritated voice, "This is not the time or place to debate this."
"It sounds to me like Ms. Jarris has a valid concern," said Anthony. "Mr. Fuller is making decisions without consulting her."
"But it's as Mr. Kenworth stated, that Mr. Fuller is ultimately in charge." Danton turned towards Tonya. "Ms. Jarris, Mr. Fuller wants the prisoners processed immediately. I strongly suggest you go with the arrangements as Mr. Fuller wants and take it up with him later. Now is not the time to change procedures."
Tonya frowned at the irony of his statement. Already procedures had been completely upended or outright ignored. She glanced at Sun and Verdant before turning back towards Edward. "I will meet you halfway. You can be in charge of the prisoners for the moment so long as I can add these two to my general security staff on a temporary basis."
Edward sighed. "Ma'am, with all due respect--"
"Every time you say that, what comes out of your mouth next is anything but respect," Tonya snapped. "I'm not asking your permission. I have the authority to take on new staff if I need it, and that's what I'm doing now. You can take that up with Mr. Fuller if you want."
Edward glanced at Sun and Verdant again before nodding once. "Very well." He turned to the other crystal ponies under his command. "Keep in formation around the prisoners. Allow no magic, not even levitation. Immediately call for backup if Miss Tanner uses her ability."
Tonya stepped back to give Edward and the agents room to shepherd the prisoners into the facility. She gestured for Sun and Verdant to come over to her. "That had not gone at all as I had hoped," Tonya murmured in a low voice.
"To be perfectly honest, ma'am," Sun began in a somber voice. "From the way Verdie and I were struggling earlier, perhaps Mr. Kenworth and his cohorts are the better choice."
"I had wanted someone I could trust to report back to me on what was happening with them," said Tonya. "Now I've lost that."
"Also, we don't have a lot of experience with facility security," said Verdant, "We've had instruction on it, but little actual hooves-on work."
"And I imagine once Fuller realizes that, he'll assign some of this new contingent to my direct security staff." Tonya looked towards the door that the prisoners were being led through. "But until then, we can take advantage of the situation as it is now. We can coordinate with allies as much as possible and figure out how to keep the prisoners safe and blow the lid off of Fuller's little secret kingdom."
"Ma'am, I have to admit, I didn't quite sign on for this," said Sun. "This is bigger than anything I've ever dealt with."
"Join the club." Tonya turned more fully towards them. "And you're right, this is well beyond your responsibility. I can't force either of you to continue helping me. If you want to back out of this, say the word. I will still put glowing recommendations on your records, as your work so far has been superb."
Sun and Verdant exchanged a look, and Verdant nodded once. Sun turned back to Tonya. "We were talking this over while you were speaking with Mr. Kenworth. We can't in good conscience turn away. We witnessed inexcusable brutality by a law enforcement officer. I can't get that out of my head."
"If you do stick with me, I might tell you to do things that go against FCPA rules," said Tonya.
"Even our instructors told us that we should use our heads and not just quote procedure. While they likely meant it more in the context of our main talent for absorbing magic, I think we can apply it a little more loosely here."
"We'll do whatever you ask of us, ma'am," said Verdant. "Especially if it means we don't have a repeat of what we saw earlier today."
Tonya smiled. "Thank you. That means a lot to me. Now, let's get inside and see what we can learn."
One agent dead, the other in critical condition. Had a mental breakdown right in front of the GVPD and GV mayor. One pony dead. Another pony injured but stable. Christ on a pogo stick, what a goddamn mess.
Anthony read the latest text from the Broomfield office as he leisurely walked down the hall towards Fuller's office, much to Danton's growing impatience. Anthony had known Fuller would summon him the moment he stepped into the facility, but he had no reason to rush. What about the news media? Anthony texted back.
A complete circus. It's making national news now.
Keep a lid on the details for the time being, Anthony texted.
We can't sit on this forever, came the reply. Didn't work for Fuller and won't work for us.
We want this to break in an orderly manner. We need to show that the Bureau is serious about keeping its own house clean.
While he was typing, the phone vibrated briefly to indicate another text had come in. He completed the one he was working on and sent it before opening the new one from Twilight: IMPORTANT! No texts or calls outside the facility! Everything monitored! Kelsey working for us and will try to intercept. Go to conference room 302 when able.
Anthony frowned, wishing that had come in before he started his conversation with his office. At least they did indeed have Kelsey working for them now. Anthony would have to make formal note of it so that they went lighter on Kelsey in court.
He relayed a brief message to his office that he was going temporarily incommunicado as he stood just outside Fuller's office.
"You might want to finish your conversation later, Heller," said Danton. "I'm sure Mr. Fuller doesn't want to be kept waiting."
While Anthony was already indeed finished, he nevertheless kept his phone out as he looked at Danton. "I have a question for you."
"What is it?"
"When did you start working for Fuller?"
Danton raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?"
"Humor me, please," said Anthony.
"Not until I know why it's so important to you."
Anthony smiled. "You all pulled off such a well-coordinated operation that I imagine you must have all trained together."
"We did," Danton said. "Mr. Fuller took a personal interest in ensuring that we knew how he wanted us to operate."
"And how long ago was that?" Anthony asked.
"He first brought us all together about two months ago and discussed his long term goals with us. It made us feel like part of a well-knit team."
"I'm sure it did. I'm sure he also emphasized what a danger unregulated pony magic could be."
"Of course."
"That you should all fear a world in which pony magic is allowed to run rampant."
Danton hesitated, but nodded. "What's your point?"
"Fear can be an interesting motivator," said Anthony. "It can make people do or believe things that they wouldn't normally."
"I don't understand," Danton said.
"You probably do, but don't quite realize it yet." Anthony put his phone away. "Let's go see Mr. Fuller. As you said, we shouldn't keep him waiting."
Anthony stepped into the reception area, though Kelsey's chair was uncharacteristically empty. He stepped past the desk and knocked softly on the door.
"Enter," said Matthew's voice from inside.
Anthony let himself in, and Danton followed. Matthew smiled broadly and extended his hand towards Anthony. "Good to see you again, Heller, even if it is unexpected."
Anthony returned the smile and shook the man's hand. "I hope you don't mind me barging in like this, but Kelsey was not at his desk."
"I had sent him to speak with the Princess to inquire about her schedule. I suppose he had to wait for her to conclude some other business first." Matthew looked over to Danton and extended a hand towards him. "And a pleasure to see you again. Good work on executing the Denver operation."
"Thank you, sir," said Danton as he accepted the handshake.
"I won't keep you long, as I'm sure you both have other business to attend to," said Matthew. "Especially you, Heller. I know this trip took you out of your way. It's always good to see such dedication, even if your assistance was not specifically needed this time around."
"As much as I respect my fellow agent, sir," Danton began. "I do feel like Mr. Heller imposed himself when it was not needed. He questioned procedures that had been drawn up without his engagement."
"I questioned only one," said Anthony. "I saw evidence that undue force had been used upon one of the incarcerated. I corroborated this with several witnesses, as it had taken place before I arrived."
Matthew was already nodding. "Agent Handel, I know. I will be handling the matter personally. He will be disciplined for his actions."
"He was not in a clear state of mind. He was overly fearful and aggressive. These are things that should have been caught before he was ever assigned to such an operation."
Anthony was not about to pull any punches; he needed to know exactly how far this really went. Twilight had already relayed to him what Kelsey had told her about Matthew's mass-brainwashing campaign.
He also wanted to see if he could make some of those altered agents -- like Danton -- realize what had been done to them.
"Just what are you suggesting, Heller?" Matthew asked. "You do realize it is I who make those decisions. Are you accusing me of assigning someone who was not up to the task?"
"No, sir," said Anthony. "But we already know that Ryan Halter had been at large for several months before he was arrested. We've already seen how he can affect people's minds without them realizing it. Handel could very well have been exposed to that."
Anthony was not about to let on that he knew Ryan was at MIDROC, nor anything else he had gleaned about Fuller's machinations. Better that Fuller remain in the dark and perhaps even overconfident that he had managed to fool everyone.
"I don't see how that's possible, Heller," said Danton. "It sounds far-fetched to me."
Anthony turned towards him. "You made note of the fact earlier that I had taken exception to procedures laid down without my knowledge. Why did I not know of them?"
"I don't understand."
"The Bureau doesn't change basic procedures except under extreme circumstances, and even then a memo is sent to all agents so they are aware of the changes should the same situation come up." Anthony turned towards Matthew. "I should note that while Agent Danton indeed led a successful operation, I found the methods used to be very unorthodox. I am concerned that the mental states of all the agents present may be called into question."
Danton frowned. "Are you saying you believe all of us to be crazy?"
"Not in the strict definition of the word," said Anthony. "And certainly not of your own fault. But I feel we need to consider the possibility."
"Why?"
"Because if the arrest was made where the arresting agents were mentally compromised, the arrest itself can be found to be invalid."
"These people committed crimes, Heller."
"No, they are alleged to have committed crimes," Anthony said. "It's up to a court to decide if they really have committed them. Not us. What you just said is not something I would expect to hear from a fellow agent."
Danton looked about to respond, but paused as if having to search for the right words.
Matthew relieved him of the burden. "Enough, gentlemen." He turned to Anthony. "We've had differing opinions before, Heller, but I've always respected your position. I'm struggling to do so here."
"All I can do is voice my concerns," said Anthony. "It's up to you to act on them."
As Anthony was finishing his statement, the door opened and Kelsey stepped in. "Apologies for my absence, sir," he said, sounding a bit winded.
"Is everything all right?" Matthew asked.
"Yes, sir."
Matthew nodded, though his gaze lingered on Kelsey for a moment. "Is there anything else, Heller?"
Anthony thought about mentioning how he had been chased by two agents, but he suspected Matthew was expecting him to mention it. He decided to keep the man guessing. "No, sir."
"You're quite sure?"
"Definitely."
"Very well," said Matthew. "Danton, please file a complete briefing about the operation before you leave the facility."
"At once, sir."
Matthew turned to Anthony as Danton was about to leave. "I'm sure you'll want to start back to Denver as soon as possible."
"Not right away," said Anthony,
Danton stopped at the door and frowned at Anthony.
"I beg your pardon?" Matthew asked.
"It's getting late enough that I don't want to make the long drive back just yet or try to get a last-minute flight," said Anthony. "I'll stay here the night. I need to catch up on some work anyway."
Matthew nodded. "Very well, but we don't have any spare office space."
"I'll find a conference room somewhere," Anthony said as he headed out.
Danton followed him, glaring. "What the hell was that all about back there?"
"Exactly what I said it was," said Anthony.
"You really think we're compromised? Myself as well?"
"If not, explain to me why the procedures that were followed in that operation were so starkly different from standard?"
"Special circumstances, Heller," said Danton.
Anthony stopped and faced him. "Is that what Fuller told you?"
"What if he did?"
"Did he tell all of you this?"
"Well, yes."
"Just think for a moment," Anthony said. "Have you ever let a superior radically change what is considered SOP in the Bureau? Name one before Fuller."
Danton was silent for a long moment. "What difference does that make? We've never had a situation like this before."
"Nor had we ever had anything like 9-11. I was a junior agent during that time, Danton. We did everything by the book despite not knowing whether yet another hijacked plane was going to crash." He stepped closer to Danton. "Even during ETS -- and I was in charge of that -- we still stuck to procedure. Adapted, perhaps, considering we were partnering with magical equines from another universe, but not the radical departure I witnessed earlier today."
Danton let out an exasperated sigh. Anthony needed Danton thinking critically about his actions over the past few months. Starlight Glimmer had told him that some mind magic could be combated with willpower and reasoning, but only if the person was aware of being controlled.
"My only concern is that everyone involved is treated fairly by the law," Anthony said. "You cannot tell me that Handel's actions were even remotely acceptable."
"I had told him stand down several times," Danton admitted.
"Several times?"
"Yes."
"And why didn't you relieve him of duty right on the spot when he struck that girl?"
Danton frowned. "We had a job to do, Heller, and I'm not his supervisor. Mr. Fuller is."
"That's irrelevant, and you know it," said Anthony. "Or you would know that normally. You're still senior to him. You were -- by your own words -- in nominal control of that operation. It is your right and your duty to ensure that--"
"All right, enough!" Danton exclaimed. "I get it."
"I hope you do," said Anthony. "I hope you reflect on all the actions you've taken for the last few months."
"Are you serious about us being under some sort of mental influence?" Danton asked.
Anthony noted that Danton's tone was far less combative. Was he actually starting to get through to the man? "I feel the possibility is sufficient to warrant further investigation."
"And just how would you go about such an investigation?" asked Danton. "All you have is a theory and nothing to back it up except your own account of a single FBI operation."
"It's not just one operation," said Anthony. "It's systemic. I can trace back actions taken by Fuller's office that could have been carried out only if the agents executing those orders disregarded most standard procedures and even basic civil rights."
"Without solid evidence, it's just your word against Mr. Fuller's."
"I admit that evidence can be difficult to come by where magic is concerned," said Anthony.
"Would you even be able to prove someone was mentally compromised?" asked Danton.
"The DOJ considers Starlight Glimmer an authority on the subject," said Anthony. "And she's on Earth at the moment. I'm sure she would be willing to assist."
Danton let out a quick sigh. "I'm not saying I'm buying into this, as it still sounds like crazy conspiracy theory to me, but I'd be willing to submit to an examination just to satisfy you."
Anthony was not sure how feasible that would be in the short time they had to stop Fuller, but it was a sign that he had managed to cast some doubt among at least one of Fuller's people. "I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, keep thinking over what you've been doing for the last few months."
"I'm not the only one who's been operating like this, Heller," said Danton. "That's what I have trouble with: you're implying we all got mass-brainwashed. That would take a hell of a lot of coordination and planning."
"Yes, it would," Anthony said as he started to turn away. "Maybe think on that as well."
Tonya headed down the hallway with Sun and Verdant, the latter two turning their heads to take in the unfamiliar surroundings, temporary MIDROC security badges hanging from their necks. Sun finally said, "Mind if I make an observation, ma'am?"
"Of course not," said Tonya. "You're my security staff for the foreseeable future."
"Then I need to report three magic blooms in the facility."
"Princess Twilight is fond of using various shields to protect the privacy of sensitive conversations."
"Yes, ma'am, and I do recognize the signature of the spell, but three?" Sun looked on ahead. "And we're approaching one now."
"Duly noted," Tonya said.
"Should this be a concern, ma'am?"
Verdant nudged him and whispered in his ear.
Sun blinked. "Oh. Yes, of course."
"I can guess what Verdant said to you," said Tonya. "But you're correct to play it by the book so you can claim innocence later. In fact, I'm heading to one of those anomalies specifically to check it out."
"Ah, yes, of course."
She had the conference room in sight that Twilight had texted her about when she heard an officious voice behind her that she could have done without. "Ms. Jarris, a moment, please!"
Tonya rolled her eyes before turning around. "What is it, Kenworth?"
Edward stepped up to her. "I have completed arrangements for the prisoners, ma'am, so I thought I would take the time to see if you needed any other assistance."
"Noted, and I don't," said Tonya.
"Are you quite sure?" said Edward. "My cohorts and I can clearly sense three magic blooms in--"
"Of which I am well aware and investigating now. Or had you not noticed I was heading towards one?"
"Would you like me to investigate the others for you, ma'am?"
"What I want is for you to stick to your job," said Tonya. "Which you heavily implied earlier you were well-suited for."
Edward glanced at Sun and Verdant. "My concern is that you have inexperienced ponies on your staff. If I may suggest--"
"You may not. I want you to return to your duty in guarding the prisoners. Given the nature of Miss Tanner's power, it's critical that you have all the crystal ponies you can get, including you."
Edward's jaw tightened. "Very well, Ms. Jarris. Would you care to relay your findings to me so that I may assuage my staff?"
"Certainly," said Tonya. "You may go now."
Edward looked almost shocked at this dismissal, but he nodded and spun around before heading away.
"The sooner I can get that ass off my staff, the better," Tonya muttered before turning to her cohorts. "Stand outside the room when I go inside. While I know you've both thrown your lot in with me, I want to minimize your exposure."
"Understood, ma'am," said Sun. "But don't hesitate to call on us if you need us."
Tonya nodded and headed up to the door. She knocked gently, but when she heard nothing, she grasped the knob between her fore-hooves and let herself inside.
The conference room was empty save for a shimmering privacy shield which enveloped most of the space at one end. A large, sparkling gem sat on the floor in the center, which her magical senses told her was the source of the spell. She stepped through the shield, careful not to disturb it by absorbing any of its magic.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Twilight: Move two feet to your right.
Tonya raised an eyebrow, but did as she was instructed. Seconds later, a flash lit up the room, and Twilight Sparkle was simply there.
"Whoa!" Tonya said, nearly stumbling back outside the shield in her surprise.
"I need to take you to where the others are meeting," said Twilight.
"Um, okay."
Twilight placed a hoof on Tonya's shoulder. "This may feel a little weird. Teleporting in three, two, one."
Twilight's horn flashed, and Tonya immediately felt colder than Antarctica in the middle of its six-month night. The sensation was gone in an instant, a wave of nausea passing over her as she found herself in another conference room with a much larger group of beings.
Twilight appeared in her view, a concerned look on her face. "Are you okay?"
Tonya lay a fore-hoof on her belly. "I think I left my stomach back in the other room, but I'll be all right."
"I have an anti-nausea potion if you need it."
"No, I'll be okay, it's already feeling better." Tonya looked past Twilight and saw Anthony standing near Sunny and Goldy. She started to sweep her gaze to the side. "Gang's all here, it looks li -- Jesus!"
"May I assume you are Tonya Jarris?" asked Princess Luna.
Tonya just stared for another long moment before she finally said, "Uh, yeah, that's me."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Sunny gave Tonya a sullen look. "Even if she did stop my sister from using her power to protect herself."
"Sunny, I was thinking only of the public safety," said Tonya. "And I was unaware of the complete extent of the corruption in the Bureau."
"Placing blame is counterproductive," said Luna. "We should instead focus on our next steps on how to bring this miscreant Fuller to justice."
"I've managed to place a seed of doubt in Agent Danton's mind," said Anthony. "He's willing to be examined by Starlight to see if his mind has been affected."
"Unfortunately, Starlight is still in Oregon and doesn't have the ability to teleport that far in one go," said Twilight. "Luna was able to detect mind magic in Kelsey, though, which is what convinced him to help us."
"While that's well and good, Starlight is legally recognized as an expert in mind magic," said Anthony. "Her word would carry much more weight in court."
"Mr. Heller raises a valid point," said Luna. "I do have the necessary range and teleportation power to reach Starlight. If she could provide the needed visual reference, I could go to her and teleport her here."
"This is a huge risk," said Twilight. "The more people we have here, the more likely we'll slip up and be discovered by Fuller."
"Well worth the risk if we can furnish enough proof to allow Fuller to be arrested."
Tonya raised an eyebrow and turned towards Anthony. "Can you actually pull it off that quickly?"
"I sincerely doubt it," said Anthony. "At best, I could get a warrant in two days."
"Even considering what you relayed to us about the mentally compromised agent?" said Luna. "Did he not admit Fuller's scheme in front of several police officers and the mayor?"
"Whoa, what?!" Tonya cried.
"I'll fill you in later," said Anthony. "Short story: two of Fuller's agents went rogue and incurred a brief hostage situation at a pony school."
"Good God."
"And, Princess, his mentally compromised state is precisely why his testimony would be useless to us," Anthony said. "The goal is to get enough hard evidence to present to the FBI Director and have him suspend Fuller from duty pending either criminal charges or a formal inquiry."
"And what happens if the Director is one of those Fuller used Ryan on?" asked Tonya.
"I considered that, but after seeing how Danton could be turned around with enough evidence, I'm hoping that--" Anthony stopped and took out his cell phone. "It's the Broomfield office. I need to take this, since they're not supposed to contact me again except in an emergency. Hopefully Kelsey can have any monitoring intercepted."
Tonya looked at the others. "You should know that your little multi-privacy shield trick has already been detected."
"We knew it would be," said Twilight. "Which is why we timed it to just as you arrived back at the facility. We're assuming you're still in charge of security."
"At the moment."
"We're hoping you and Kelsey can keep this from getting back to Fuller."
"I'll do my best," said Tonya. "Unfortunately, Fuller brought in more crystal ponies while I was gone, and their supervisor is much more by-the-book. I'm technically his superior, but I don't know how close he is with Fuller."
"We keep talking about getting Fuller arrested," said Sunny in a distressed voice. "What about my sister? What's going to be done to prevent her from being hurt?"
Goldy stepped forward. "Our concern is that Fuller will use Ryan's abilities upon Jenny. The fact that there is evidence he has done this before to those he wished to have working for him only exacerbates this worry."
"I will not allow it," Luna said. "The moment he starts using his ability, I will sense it and be able to pinpoint his location."
Twilight turned to her. "What have I said about interfering with--"
Luna frowned. "This is non-negotiable. I will not allow such blatant abuse of mind magic if I am here to stop it. If you prefer, have Starlight stop him instead, but I will be needed to identify him. Now kindly contact Starlight and have her provide me a visual reference."
Tonya could see that Anthony had been right to be concerned about Equestrian interference. Luna did not strike her as someone who would listen to reason if her mind was set on a course of action. "With all due respect to Princess Luna, I'd like to see some semblance of procedure followed. We're already taking a risk skulking about like this."
To Tonya's surprise, Luna turned towards her. "Then what procedures might you employ to delay Fuller's access to Jenny?"
"I'm not sure at the moment," Tonya replied.
"Surely Fuller realizes that he cannot use Ryan's ability flagrantly or even your own staff would pick up on it."
"I was thinking about that myself, but then I recalled how Jason explained to me that his own talent really worked well only one-on-one. Maybe it's the same with Ryan, that when he has one person to focus on, he can do it with less chance of detection."
Luna narrowed her eyes. "It is unlikely he will be able to hide it from me."
"Which means he'll want to get Jenny alone," Tonya continued. "Probably under the pretext of questioning or interrogation. I can at least order that all requests to do so go though me for approval. I can cite security concerns and hopefully make it stick."
"Please do so, at least until we know--"
Luna was interrupted when Anthony stepped into their midst, the phone still held to his ear. "I've just been informed that the mental state of the agent in the hospital is still deteriorating. He's almost completely incoherent now."
"I don't get it," Tonya said. "Was that really caused by Ryan's ability?"
"It seems to be the only common denominator among those acting outside normal bounds of protocol," said Luna.
"Yeah, but why? Mind magic is not supposed to do that."
"I may know," said Twilight. "But I'll need Starlight to confirm it."
"This has got to be hitting the media big time," said Tonya.
"It is," said Anthony.
"Then it's only a matter of time before Fuller finds out."
"We're keeping some of the details confidential for the time being."
"Fuller is someone who can put two and two together," said Tonya. "Unless Kelsey is filtering what news he gets, he's sure to figure it out."
"Perhaps it will convince him that it is useless for him to continue his plans," said Luna. She turned her head as Twilight levitated her phone before her face, a picture of a rainy hill in Oregon displayed upon it. "Thank you. I will return shortly."
As Luna vanished in a flash of light, Tonya stepped up to Twilight. "Just what is it you think is going on with the agent in the hospital, Princess?"
"Same as what happened to the man who assaulted Jenny," said Twilight. "That Ryan's magic may have had the unintended side-effect of causing increasing mental instability. He may not be in his right mind."
"A question comes immediately to mind in the wake of my enlightening conversation with Agent Heller," said Matthew as he sat behind his desk. "Why did he make no mention of the agents who pursued him?"
"Unknown, sir," said Kelsey. "Though Agent Heller has a tendency to keep his cards close to his chest."
"True, but I'm sure he considered that incident a rather egregious breach of protocol."
Kelsey could have pointed out that such a comment vastly understated the situation, but felt that would be lost on Matthew. "He's been known to be selective in what he reveals to keep a potential adversary guessing."
"And you believe Heller considers me an adversary at this point?"
Kelsey struggled with wanting to bring an end to this folly as quickly as possible and remaining loyal to his superior, at least on the surface. "It's a possibility we need to consider, sir, especially given how he imposed himself upon the operation."
Matthew leaned back in his seat. "I would like the two agents who participated in the pursuit briefed as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir."
"Have you heard anything about the status of the pony who took the video?"
"Nothing yet, sir."
Matthew folded his hands in his lap. "I'm a little concerned with how slowly that matter is coming along."
Kelsey decided to inject some truth into the lie. "I just came from the comms center, sir. Nothing resembling the video has appeared on social media, nor has there been any talk about it over police channels in Greenwood Village."
Matthew considered for a long moment, and Kelsey had the feeling he was being scrutinized. "Still, it's a rather large loose end that needs to be tied up."
"Agreed."
Matthew tilted his head slightly. "You have something else to say, Kelsey?"
Until then, Kelsey had not realized just how unnerving was his superior's penchant for guessing what he was thinking or feeling. "With all due respect, it's another indication to me that perhaps we need to back off and reassess."
"And you can say this even though we now have the acquisitions in proper custody?"
The question had been asked in a tone of genuine curiosity rather than one of admonishment or derision. Kelsey wondered if Matthew had finally come to his senses and was willing to listen to reason. "Yes, sir. I'm thinking more in the long term rather than the short term. Even though Agent Heller made no note of the incident concerning the pursuit, he is not about to keep quiet about it."
"Which is why we need to have those agents briefed so we can come up with a reasonable story about what they were doing at the time," said Matthew. "Another reason it is imperative we detain the pony who took the video."
"Heller can still cause a lot of trouble for you without it, sir."
"His time in the limelight will be coming to an end," Matthew declared. "Washington will see that my agenda is the one to pursue. It's the only one which makes sense. I should not have to tell you this. We discussed all this on day one, when I first interviewed you."
Kelsey stiffened slightly. "I know," he said in a low voice.
"But I suppose it bears repeating if your faith in this operation is being tested. Pony magic will ultimately threaten the survival of humanity. While it's inherent power is the most immediate threat, it's not the ultimate danger. Even if tomorrow a unicorn was discovered to have perfectly replicated the transformation spell, I would still not consider that the true danger. The danger is what it means to humanity as a people and a culture. It's the death of a what makes us human."
Kelsey felt a chill. The words had not changed all that much. He still wanted to believe in them. They still represented his own beliefs, or at least what he thought his beliefs were.
"Humans evolved in an environment of scarcity and conflict," Matthew continued. "It has made us what we are. It made us strong. It made us intelligent and resourceful. Yes, technology has eased those burdens and gives us more plenty than our distant ancestors could barely dream of. But it took will and labor to create that technology. It takes work to maintain it. It keeps us limber, both physically and mentally."
It made sense to Kelsey. It had then and it still did now. Yet he couldn't help but feel the words were tainted somehow.
"And what does pony magic offer us?" Matthew said. "Equestria is said to be post-scarcity. Ponies tell us we can be that way, too. That will make us soft, Kelsey. Soft and useless."
"Could not human magic do the same, sir?" Kelsey asked.
Matthew gave him a look of mild surprise. "It all depends on how it is applied. It is also clearly taking on a far different form than pony magic, one more suited to us as a species. It will augment our abilities, not supplant them."
Kelsey wanted to see the wisdom in those words. He still wanted to see humanity remain on top in any potential competition between them and ponies. Perhaps Equestria was telling the truth when they stated that most beings regardless of species get along well on their side of the portal, but they evolved under completely different conditions. He shouldn't need to keep having to convince himself after months of holding to these convictions.
Matthew stood and said in a softer voice, "I realize these past few days have been rather stressful. If you want to put in for some vacation time, I'll understand."
Kelsey shook his head. "No, sir, that won't be necessary."
"Are you sure? Everything is pretty much wrapped up by now."
"I would much rather see this through to the end," said Kelsey. "At least until the remaining loose ends are tied up."
"Agent Handel is still at MIDROC compiling his briefing," said Matthew. "He's had some administrative experience. He could fill in for you for a few days. I'm going to need to have Ryan do something about his over-aggressiveness anyway, so having him stay a few more days would be ideal."
It would also expose Matthew to more scrutiny from Heller. That he was willing to risk it could mean that he suspected Kelsey's loyalties were in question.
He was tempted to take the offer. Perhaps if he was away from here when Matthew's plans imploded, there would be less impact on him. He could already claim that he had offered to help, and it would not be his fault if Matthew had decided to relieve him of duty.
But Matthew would have to take that step. Kelsey could not do it voluntarily.
"Sir, I would much prefer to stay in my position until your goals have been realized," said Kelsey. "I indeed had some questions and some doubt, but you've reassured me. Regardless, I never intended to do anything but my duty."
Matthew appeared to consider, then nodded and slowly smiled. "Very good to hear, Kelsey. I was hoping you would say that. I consider you invaluable, but I have to think of your well-being. I will still insist you take some time off when this phase of the operation is over."
"I intend to, sir," said Kelsey in a neutral voice. "Thank you."
Starlight wished she had some of that potion she used to whip up for herself back when she was first learning how to teleport properly. Despite not having need of it for her own teleports, being carried along by another's teleportation spell -- especially such a long distance -- caused her guts to quiver dangerously for a few moments after she reappeared inside the conference room at MIDROC with Twilight standing nearby.
"You all right?" Twilight asked.
"I'll be fine in another minute or so," said Starlight.
"You look a little pale."
"I'm fine." Starlight looked around. "So what am I here to do again?"
Before Twilight could respond, the door opened, and a familiar face appeared. Starlight smiled and was about to greet Anthony with a wave when she noticed another human with him, one who looked at the assembled ponies and balked, nearly retreating a step.
"What the hell is going on here?" the man said.
"You said you were willing to be scanned by Starlight, Danton," said Anthony.
"But I didn't expect it would be this soon!" said Danton. "And is that ... is that Princess L--"
"Discretion, please," Anthony said as he shut the door behind them. "Step into the privacy shield."
"And yes, I am Princess Luna," said Luna after Danton and Anthony had entered the shield.
Danton frowned and turned to face Anthony. "Is Mr. Fuller aware she's here?"
"No, and we'd prefer to keep it that way," said Anthony.
"You're operating behind his back and violating security procedures."
"No worse than you and your cohorts violated FBI procedures. At least in my case, I'm doing it to prevent an even larger miscarriage of justice."
"Will someone kindly tell me what's going on here?" Starlight said. "All I know is that Luna popped in, said quote 'we are in dire need of your talents' unquote, and then I wound up here."
Twilight turned to her. "We've learned that Fuller has been using Ryan to mass-brainwash those he wants to remain loyal to him."
Starlight stared in shock at her friend.
Danton glared at Anthony. "That's just Heller's pet theory. An insane theory, if you ask me."
"And yet I had convinced you enough to want to have your mind checked for tampering," said Anthony.
"That was mostly to get you off my back."
"Just how many people did Ryan affect??" Starlight asked, aghast.
"Likely every agent Fuller has working for him directly," said Twilight. "Starlight, one of those agents actually assaulted Jenny!"
Starlight had no idea the situation had become so dire. "Is she all right?"
"Physically, it's minor. Emotionally, we don't know yet. Tonya said she was acting very withdrawn. She might be in shock."
"Handel was always a bit of a loose cannon," said Danton in a lower voice.
"I've known people like that, Danton," Anthony said. "They may occasionally rough up suspects who are resisting arrest, but they don't come completely unglued and strike unarmed teenage girls who have already surrendered into custody. Something made him snap. Or are you conveniently forgetting that two agents actually pursued me and shot at me and a pegasus who was assisting me?"
Danton's eyes widened. "They did what?"
"You were unaware of this?"
"I had no idea!"
"So you didn't authorize that?"
"I authorized the use of force, not lethal force!" Danton cried. "And how the hell do I know you're not making this up just to get me to do what you want?"
"My office has a unicorn in protective custody who has a video of them," said Anthony. "I also had Ms. Jarris relay to me what she had seen while Miss Tanner was using her ability. It appears Handel actually opened fire on the others on his own when there was no clear threat. Granted, some of his actions may have been orchestrated by Miss Tanner's power, but my understanding is that it just builds on what is already present."
"It's hard to know exactly what happened," Danton said in a low voice.
"But there's no mistaking what happened after those two agents had been stopped in their pursuit of me."
"What are you talking about now?"
Anthony stepped closer to Danton. "They became completely unhinged. They tried to hold ponies hostage in a school."
Danton gave him a shocked look. "You ... you have to be making that up!"
"I wish I was. One of those agents is dead."
Danton paled.
Starlight gasped. "Is that what that news report I heard just before coming here was about? They said one of the pony faculty was killed as well!"
Danton swallowed hard. "A-all right. Let's say I submit to this. How do we know that Miss Glimmer won't be picking up on something that got left behind by that girl's ability?"
Starlight stepped forward. "Because if I'm interpreting what Twilight told me about it, it's an immediate-effect spell," she explained. "The effects stop the moment she's no longer applying her will. What Ryan does is more like a long-term enchantment. The effects are meant to linger."
"You said you didn't authorize lethal force," said Anthony. "Why would you have authorized any sort of force against a fellow agent? Stop and think about that for a moment. If you had done that under my watch, I would have your badge pulled on the spot. Any supervisor other than Fuller would have done that."
Danton let out a long sigh as he turned his eyes towards Starlight. "All right, fine, let's get this over with."
Starlight nodded. "I need to inform you that I will clearly see your emotional state, and while I won't be able to pick up individual thoughts, I may learn more details about--"
"Is this spiel really necessary?" Danton said in an exasperated voice.
"Yes," said Anthony. "While the DOJ had decreed that Starlight is a reliable expert on the subject of mind-magic, it came with lots of legal stipulations, not the least of which was informed consent."
"As I was saying," Starlight said. "I may learn more details about your personality than you would normally be willing to divulge. I may be able to see such aspects of your mind as -- but not limited to -- desires, aspirations, hopes, and fears. I will keep any such information not directly tied to the original line of inquiry strictly confidential. Do you give consent?"
"Yes, I give consent," said Danton. "Just do it."
"I need two witnesses to concur that consent was clearly given."
"I concur," said Anthony.
"So do I," said Twilight.
Starlight stepped up to Danton, her horn glowing as she prepared the spell. "Close your eyes and try to relax."
Danton complied with the first request, but Starlight could already tell the second was a long shot. Anxiety sloughed off him in waves, and it felt like trying to walk through heavy wet snow up to her barrel.
She concentrated harder, closing her own eyes to minimize distraction. Slowly, a pattern formed in her mind that was a deconstruction of Danton's psyche. Emotions whirled about like angry fireflies. It was not just random imagery. A living mind could not be broken down into mathematical equations. It could only be expressed in abstract concepts and metaphor.
In this case, the fireflies were the key.
They were angered because they had been upset by something. Something had herded them where they had not wanted to go, and now some fought to return to where they wanted to be. Yet some did not want to resist, and the two groups routinely smacked into one another, only agitating them further. What should have been glowing dots of living energy flowing in smooth concert was breaking down into chaos.
She probed a little further, but she already had her answer; she simply needed to be sure before she announced the result so it could stand up in court if needed.
Starlight powered down her spell and opened her eyes. "I regret to inform you that you've been mentally compromised."
Danton stared at her. "You can't be serious."
"And you need to have that tampering reversed as soon as possible."
"Is it what I suspected, Starlight?" Twilight asked. "Is it MIPMENDS?"
"Yes, I believe so."
"What the hell is MIPMENDS?" Danton asked.
Starlight turned to face him. "Magic-Induced Progressive Mental Deficiency Syndrome. The name has been only recently settled on by the AMA. It refers to cases where mind magic causes an instability in someone's psyche that gets progressively worse over time."
"I admit this is a new one for me as well," said Anthony. "I don't believe I've ever heard of a case of mind-magic causing this."
"It can be caused by mind-magic capable ponies who don't have good control of their power, or whose ability is haphazard," Starlight explained. "Though it's admittedly rare, as pony-based mind-magic tends to be balanced enough. All bets are off concerning Ryan's ability, as I don't understand how his magic works yet."
"Is all human magic going to have unintended side-effects like this?"
"Not in the long term," said Twilight. "When pony magic was in its infancy, it, too, was unstable. This could be just a 'growing pain' so to speak."
"Can we get back to me, please?" Danton said in an anxious voice. "Are you saying that you think I have some sort of mental imbalance?"
"Yes, you do," said Starlight. "And it will only get worse unless we sweep your mind clear of any outside magic."
"But that's ridiculous! I'm not crazy!"
"I didn't say you were. True psychosis is ultimately the end result, but it progresses at different rates. Your reasoning and decision-making skills are affected first."
"Which explains why Agent Handel assaulted Miss Tanner," said Anthony. "He let his fear of being mind-controlled get the better of him. Ironic considering his actions were caused by a mental compromise to begin with."
Danton turned towards Anthony. "You're going to believe her word over mine?"
"I don't have to," said Anthony. "You've given me ample evidence she's right."
"You can't really believe that I can be changed into a different person just from being exposed to Ryan's abilities."
"Perhaps not, but your previous record speaks for itself. You were always one to be a little unorthodox in your approach, but you generally stayed within bounds."
"That makes sense," said Starlight. "One of the hallmarks of MIPMENDS is making increasingly risky decisions. If you already had a propensity for that, then 'risky' becomes 'reckless', and later 'reckless' becomes 'dangerous'. It gets easier to focus only on achieving a goal and not on how you get there. Not only that, but the more risk incurred by your decisions, the faster the condition progresses."
"Which explains why those two agents went from firing on me to attacking a school in such a short period of time," said Anthony. "I wonder if Fuller knew that was happening to those he was trying to control."
"Perhaps not," said Luna. "He could have seen it as his would-be minions reflecting the same approach as himself, which is to achieve the end goal regardless of the cost."
"The implications of this are staggering!" Twilight cried. "Not only are all the personnel that Fuller brainwashed in danger, but we don't know to what extent officials in Washington have been affected!"
"Wait, I don't get this," Danton said in an increasingly desperate voice. "Are you saying Fuller used Ryan on people in the federal government?"
"Do you understand how serious this is now?" Anthony said. "This has gone beyond just tampering with people's thoughts. If people in key positions of power in Washington are becoming mentally unstable, this is a matter of national security. The President has already been known to have had several rather loud verbal altercations with his cabinet and advisors. What if one of them snaps and attacks the President?"
Danton's eyes glistened. After a moment, he said in a lower voice, "There's got to be some sort of proof. You can't just make accusations like that and expect them to stick."
"Kelsey told me earlier he has access to secret files detailing some of Fuller's activities," said Twilight. "If he could at least give us a list of people affected, we could pass that to the President's Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security."
"I'll speak with him," said Anthony. "Danton, you're either with us or against us. Which will it be?"
Danton let out a slow sigh through his nose and frowned slightly. "Maybe I shouldn't be making any decisions right now if there's a possibility I'm not in my right mind."
Starlight heard the nervous quaver in his voice. She hated having to tell anyone that they couldn't trust their own mind anymore.
"So I guess I have to be with you for now," Danton said. "Though by all rights, I should be put on leave."
"We don't have that luxury right now, and it would just raise suspicion," said Anthony. "If you can't actively help us, then just don't stand in our way."
Danton nodded, hesitated, then stepped up to Starlight. "Miss Glimmer, would you be able to remove this tampering from my head?"
"With the proper preparation, yes," said Starlight. "I can't really do that now. It's not a simple matter of casting a spell and we're done. The magic has to be carefully crafted to the individual. I'm sorry, I know that's not what you wanted to hear."
"But it can be reversed, right?"
"Yes, it can."
Danton nodded. "Thank you."
Starlight heard the relief in the man's voice. If as many people were affected by this as Twilight had suggested, she was going to have a huge task ahead of her.