Scarlet Arrow enjoyed her work, but not her customers, especially if they get too drunk. If the mare could get a bit for every time a stallion would try to flirt with her in gibberish, she could afford some extra hooves around, but sadly her debts are not even fully paid so that wouldn't do anything at all. Heck, just a few days ago her competitor who is just down the street, had the nerve to try and buy her nightclub.
"You'll crash and burn before this place could rake in any bits!" The voice of her opponent echoed in her head as she stocks up her drinks, she then proceed to insult his mother and throw slurs at him, he was appalled by her choice of words and Scarlet agrees that she was kinda acting foalish. But the mare wouldn't admit it.
After they left Scarlet in a sour mood, that was the moment when a certain pegasus to come around, her train of thought was cut off as the nightclub was engulfed in complete darkness. Giving out an annoyed groan she made her way to the stairs that led to the roof, this has been such a recurrence that she could map out her nightclub in the dark.
As she emerges out to the rooftop under the night sky she grumpily marches to the fuse box, using her magic to pull the panel open with a little bit too much force. Doing what she countlessly do, she fixes the problem by replacing a blown fuse with an old one, Scarlet once again reminded herself to hire someone who can fix this.
Satisfied, she went for the door but stops in her tracks after catching a certain pegasus sitting on the edge staring at the sky, she could faintly smell tobacco from him. The mare silently approaches, curious of what the pegasus's intentions.
"Hey," Scarlet reels back with surprised that the stallion noticed her, just inches away. "you ever wonder why we're here?"
"Huh?" Was all she could say.
Roman chuckles at the confused mare. "Sorry, that was a strange thing to say." He turns to smile at her, a lit cigar in his lips, before returning to gaze into the sky. "You look tired, why don't you take a break?" He said while patting the spot next to him with his left hoof.
"No thanks, I rather not fall towards my death." Scarlet said, sitting on the spot right behind him. "I can't really rest now, the club is about to open."
"I don't really see anyone waiting, do you?"
"It's still early, they'll come around."
"Then you got time to rest, especially talk." Though Roman wasn't facing her, Scarlet knows that the stallion was smirking.
The two sat in silence only for a minute, before Scarlet speaks again. "You want to talk Roman? Then let's start with 'why'." The stallion looks back with a single brow raised. "I just want to know, why did you bring Brie Cheese into this?"
Roman turns back to gaze at the sky, a smirk returning on his face. "Oh Scarlet, here I thought you had an idea of what I was planning."
"What does that suppose to mean?" She said, frowning at him.
"You see Scar," Torchwick started to explain his master plan. "I can't always walk around in broad daylight, that's why I needed someone to be my eyes and ears on the streets. So I chose Brie Cheese because of the same reason I chose you."
She was too afraid to ask, but the words 'And that is?' just slips out.
"You both need money." Four simple words was all it took to take Scarlet by surprise again, she couldn't even have a word in as he continued. "The first day we met, you mentioned about a guy trying to buy this place, that was clue number one. Next was when you mentioned the imported whiskey, after seeing and tasted it myself, I can tell you the exact price for a single bottle, it was really easy to piece together actually. Heck, even Brie might have noticed you're situation if he knows all the clues."
Scarlet grits her teeth, her temper slowly rising. "Then what about Brie, huh? How did you find out?" She said with a growl, but it didn't bother Roman.
"The thing you two have in common is location." Torchwick exhaled out a puff of smoke before speaking again, his back still facing towards Scarlet. "His place of business is located between two different but bigger pizza franchises, this puts him in a tight spot as the competition tries to one up each other which is destroying Brie's business very slowly. The first time we met, I robbed him a few slices of pizza and 72 bits, guess I'm also to blame."
"How is my nightclub's location relates to his problem? I only hav-"
"One rival, you could barely even call him that, and that's your biggest problem beside your debt. You see Scar, unlike Brie, your enemy has only one eye on someone and that. Is. You."
Scarlet wasn't really surprised by this, but the thought still angered her. She always knew that the reason as to why she barely get any ponies in her nightclub for the past weeks was because of him, she felt her anger rising even higher and an urge to smash something was filling her mind. She would have did, but Scarlet began counting up to ten in an attempt to calm herself, it was slightly working.
"Is that all you know about me?" She asked, glaring at the back of Roman's head.
The pegasus only nodded not giving her an answer, still gazing into the night sky.
Scarlet stood up nonchalantly and attempts to leave, she had enough from him. The unicorn is already getting a headache because of him, plus her loyal customers are gonna give her even more headaches.
"But that's why I'm here," She pauses half way and looks back at the stallion with a single brow raised, forgetting her headache just for a second. "to help you both succeed. With your share of my earnings and me paying Brie for his work, well if he accepts joining us, you both will hold your heads high in defiance of defeat. Your debt is paid, extra hands helping around the place, better drinks than imported whiskey, and best of all, your competitor will be given a run for his money if he sees you still standing. Even the fact that he tried to buy this place shows that he's afraid."
The mare followed his gaze which led towards the moon shining brightly to those under it's light, his words still in her head. He was right, that was the reason she decided to house the criminal, the promise of money and the chance to fight back her rival.
Scarlet glares at the moon and mentally vows that she will reach for the stars, no matter the trial. With a new objective in mind, she marches back towards the door, ready for what comes next. Just as her magic took hold of the door, she glances back to the pony on the edge.
"Have pleasant evening Scar."
She was surprised once more but quickly recovers, of course he would wish her a good night. "Enjoy yours too Roman." With their conversation over, they both return to what they were doing before.
"This blows!" A certain rainbow maned pony exclaimed. The mane six were currently in one of the castle's many guest rooms, courtesy of the princess herself, as for why the element of loyalty is displeased, it is because her friend Twilight was checking all the reports from the guard and also the witnesses.
Why would she be displease by that? Well, it is because there were hundreds of them, and Twilight wants everything reviewed.
"I know how you feel Rainbow Dash, but these could help us by giving clues that could lead to Torchwick." Twilight said, picking up another report.
The cyan pegasus falls onto the floor, groaning loudly. "Twilight, some of these don't even make sense!" She picks one up and reads it. "I mean look at this one, 'So there I was on the dancefloor with my friends, we were all enjoying our time until this handsome stallion' -Oh barf!- 'descended from the heavens, his pumpkin colored mane and tail flutters in the wind as his hooves delicately touches the ground. The ponies were silenced by his sudden appearance, and his eyes met-"
"Alright sugar cube, we get it." Applejack would rather not listen to anymore of that. "Almost sounds exactly like Rarity as a matter of fact."
"I resent that comment." Rarity said to the southern speaking pony.
"The thing is Twilight, these things are useless, we should be out there looking for him!" Said Dash, flailing her hooves in the air in frustration.
Twilight shook her head no. "We can't just go around the city at night Dash, he could be anywhere. So gathering from eye witnesses reports, we can narrow down a location. Though you are kinda right, some of these are extremely exaggerating."
"Maybe-eep!-" Just when Fluttershy started speaking, all eyes snaps at her direction, startling the pegasus mare.
"Its okay Fluttershy, you can tell us." Said Twilight, ushering for the butter colored mare to give out her suggestion.
"Its just that, m-maybe we should let Rainbow Dash to stretch out her legs w-while we work, I mean, if that's okay to everypony."
The others turns to each other then nodded, before turning to Rainbow Dash. "Ah think she's right sugar cube, we can handle this without you." Said the farm pony.
"Nah, what kind of friend I'll be if I just let everypony else do the work?" Rainbow Dash asked everyone. "I mean, I can get some snacks first from the vending machine I saw down the hall earlier, but I would just never leave you guys just because I'm bored."
"Aww!" Said Pinkie, quickly embracing Rainbow Dash in a hug.
Dash chuckles lightly, breaking away from the bubbly mare. "So what do you guys want anyway? I can make a quick run right now."
"Wait a second Dash," Twilight called for the speedster's attention. "Before I could forget, what was that thing you found, you know, the one back at the nightclub?"
"Oh, this?" Rainbow Dash took out the object, it was red thin cylinder the size of a finger, one side had a round end, while the other side had the imprint that read 'J. Hammer'. To the ponies of the room, it was just a strange piece of metal, but to all of us, it was a bullet.
"I found it on the ground up on the second floor." Dash explains herself. "Do you know what it is Twilight?"
The unicorn shook her head. "I'm afraid not Rainbow Dash, but maybe the castle's library has something. I'll look for it first thing tomorrow."
Meanwhile, back in Ponyville, Time Turner was in his living room, tinkering with a wall clock, his mug of coffee which is still warm was on the table in front of him. His attention focused solely on the object I'm his hooves, the clocks on his walls of the room was the only ones making a sound.
Tick tock, tick tock, it goes.
His mind started to drift somewhere else, while his hooves worked and thanks to years of practice, he had gained a muscle memory for his occupation.
He started to think about Equestria's newest addition, Roman's sudden appearance wasn't really strange, the world itself was an anomaly. But him to be here was going to make tons of problem, Time Turner was already busy as he is.
Roman already robbed two places, and Time Turner doubted that the criminal would stop there, though he wishes he did. He unconsciously stops working to reach out for his mug of coffee and takes a sip, before returning to the task at hand.
His eye brows furrowed trying to link up as to why the thief was even here, but try as he might, Time Turner could not think of an answer at all.
-Ding dong!-
The stallion looks away from his work after hearing his door bell ring. "Strange, who could that be in the middle of the night?" Before he could get up, a red envelope slips out from the mail slot of his door and slowly falls towards the floor.