“Dr. Drum?” Twilight was blinking at a booth, three of the seats occupied. “Dr. Voodoo Drum? I thought that was you! It’s Twilight Sparkle, from Gifted Unicorns? How have you been?”
“Oh, you know.” The dreadlocked Wildebeest shrugged, rustling his cape and skulls. “Trying to keep busy. Have you met Whisper and Vision?”
“Not socially. Hello.” Twilight smiled as she took the couple’s hooves. The other mage’s felt perfectly normal even if her magic wasn’t, her Synthezoid’s felt kind of plasticky but not in a bad way. “My sister-in-law couldn’t stop talking about the ceremony. Congratulations to you both!”
“Thank you, Princess,” the Vision smiled, the edge of that V shaped ruby section which broke up his mint green face curling up pleasantly. Even the royal yellow of his cape and the fin that acted as his mane seemed to become a little brighter.
“We’ve been trying to think of a way to thank her,” the Scarlet Whisperer said, gently placing her hoof in the Vision’s. “Since you’re so close…?”
“She really like tiaras?” Twilight smiled apologetically. “Still, it’s a lovely thought. Helping you two find the magic of love together is reward enough for Cadence! Oh, do excuse me if I’m interrupting everypony. Are you waiting for somepony?”
“No, it’s fine,” Dr. Drum replied with a smile. It became a little more fixed as his head whipped to the other seat. “Just fine. It is. Yes, it is.”
“I’ll…leave you to it then!” Twilight grinned, backing up. She wondered if she should ask how the Vision drank, since the glass in front of him was empty, but Dr. Drum’s eyes were starting to glow white, so she picked up the pace.
***
“Of course, one never knows just what kind of poison you’ll find in a Manticore’s tail,” the long-coated heir to the Bloodstone monster hunter legacy was explaining to Fluttershy, showing her the contents of a case on her table. “Always pays to have a little bit of every antidote on hoof, y’know.”
“Oh yes, their poison manufacturing capabilities are very impressive, aren’t they?” Fluttershy said. “Gosh, that must be awfully expensive though.”
“It’s only money!” Erica waved a dismissive hoof. “Tastes like a Wonderbolt’s armpits in high summer, though. And you’re out a couple of gems on crossbow bolts keeping the blasted things at bay so you can inject yourself!” She took an aggressive swig of Stormspirit.
“Oh yes, establishing proper boundaries is so important,” Fluttershy agreed, nodding thoughtfully. “I find a firm but fair tap on the nose usually does the trick.”
Bloodstone blinked. “Without special gauntlets?”
“What would they need them for?” Fluttershy blinked back. “Well, they do have very sensitive paws. You know when Nightmare Moon came back, she just stuck a thorn right in one’s paw so it would get mad at us?”
“Nooo!” Erica put a hoof that had decked Living Vampires and Things from Planet X to her mouth in horror. “Oh, the poor thing! That’s as ghastly as my anti-toxins!”
“Have you tried adding cinnamon?”
“…hmmm.”
***
“Can you believe these drink names?” Rarity shook her head. “Ultimatum. Armor Wars. Fear Itself. Journey into Mystery. Alright, that one’s not bad…”
“What’s a ‘What If…’?” Spike asked.
“Probably a bad idea.” Johnny glanced over his shoulder as something Pinkie Pie said to Iron Hoof made Cage burst out laughing. “What’s wrong with the names?”
“Apart from feeling like I’m in a Planet Applewood?” Rarity returned his challenging smile.
“Good one!” Spike over-enthused.
“It’s part of a long, rich tradition of heroism,” Johnny said, purely to see what she’d do.
“So’s wearing open toed sandals.” Rarity turned to an approaching masked staffer. “Hello, could I have a Savage Sword to start. And some breadsticks?”
“Uh, one Monster Island Iced Tea, please,” Spike decided.
“And I’ll have the usual,” Johnny concluded.
“Twilight!” Rarity waved her over. “Having fun?”
“It’s an interesting place,” Twilight beamed, taking the seat next to Spike. “This is a slow night, is it?”
“Well, the Befrienders are kinda whatever right now but it’s not just superheroes in the business,” Johnny explained. “Saw you talking to Doc Drum! You should try and swing by for Waxing Gibbous, way more of a mystic crowd comes in to celebrate.”
“Don’t give her any ideas,” Spike warned, “she’ll try and start a coven. Again.”
“What?” Twilight protested. “I’m sociable now!”
“Twilight, you were considering asking Trixie.”
“Everypony at school moved and got real jobs! I was desperate!” Twilight stopped scowling indignantly to get a proper look at the menu. “Oooh, Journey into Mystery, that sounds fun. Does it come with lemon?”
***
It took a while for the rest of the group to make their way to the table and for everypony’s orders to come through. Most of the patrons seemed to at least know of each other and kept to themselves or similar cliques, but the odd hero occasionally came by to say hello to the relative newbies.
Applejack bumped into Captain Adventure coming out of the little filly’s room and spent some time chatting by the bar after the embarrassment and hero worship died down.
“Ponyville?” Evening Rose began flipping through the sketchbook she’d placed on the bar. “Hang on a sec, passed through there a time or two, think I’ve got…Yeah, here we go.”
“Gosh, that’s Dovetail park!” Applejack couldn’t stop grinning. “And my brother an‘ I used to play by that patch of trees after school, practically every day. These’re great! When’d ya make ‘em?”
“Oh, must’ve been a few years ago,” Eve smiled. “You girls would’ve been in the business by then, I figure. If I’d known it was your home turf I’d have tried to say hi, but you must’ve been off on the job and I like to keep a low profile when I’m on the road.”
“I can respect that. Pretty sure I’d remember a livin’ legend motorin’ into my lil’ ol’ town on one of them sweet bikes, though!”
“Names like that’re why I like to keep a low profile.” Eve looked a little abashed. There was some colour in the cheeks under that golden coat. “Put my Vibranium re-enforced chainmail vest on one leg at a time like anypony else, that kind of thing.”
“Your call,” Applejack hastily amended, feeling her own face flush a little at making a livin’…another person feel awkward. “Must be hard though. I mean, every history syllabus in the kingdom drops your real name at least once.”
“Mmm, think so?” A mischievous sparkle in those blue eyes.
“Well, no offence or nothin’ but even with the mask an’ all your cutie mark’s, y’know, right there.”
“Nopony aims for my cutie mark. Well, usually.”
“Never thought about a pair ‘a pants or somethin’? Even back in the day?”
Eve shrugged. “Weren’t as many photographs back when my identity was classified. Besides, between my mail and shield I have to push hard to move as fast as I need to. Leg protection would be nice, but it’d also probably be too constricting. Armouring my front’s worked so far and, y’know, big honking shield.”
“Right, right,” Applejack agreed, wondering why in Equestria she was still on this topic or arguing with one of the mares who could probably replace Celestia herself without anypony noticing. “But isn’t it a bit…y’know? Folks must notice all the time.”
“Alright,” Eve smirked and held her sketchbook in front of AJ‘s eyes. “Describe me from memory. Me, not Cap.”
“…right,” Applejack said slowly. She grinned as Eve lowered the obstruction. “Can’t think’a one without the other an’ the other’s got a lot goin’ on at the front an’ a big ol’ A on her head. Aww, that’s clever!”
“Simple,” Eve clarified. “Besides, a medal cutie mark? And a hopelessly out of date one at that. Who’s going to notice?”
“Don’t sell yourself short, old girl.” They turned as an elderly but still in good form Pegasus plodded into position behind the bar, the smirk of a much younger pony on her face. “We’ve talked about it. The humility. It’s insufferable.”
“You’re one to talk, Pluck,” Eve grinned fiercely and leaned over to hug her tenderly. The newcomer patted her friend’s shoulders with the metal prosthesis that had replaced her left leg.
Do not say anythin’, hissed the part of AJ’s brain that wasn’t rapid processing. What are ya, Rainbow Dash?
“—and that’s how (with Spike’s help) we saved the Crystal Empire,” the Rainboom maker was saying casually as she readied a pool shot. “Now, when Sombra’s twin from the anti-matter universe showed up to ask us for help liberatin’ Conquestria from the Elements of Tyranny, that was a trip!”
“Yeah, yeah, we’ve all got the evil universe story,” Arrowhead smirked, hawk eyes scrutinizing her line up. “Still haven’t beat my record yet.”
“Yet.” Dash closed one eye and stuck her tongue out, mostly to keep her cue straight because she was having so much fun she was totally wigging out and she could just explode right now!
“I’ll give you double the bet if you finally shut him up about that stupid 9-ball streak,” Mockingbird urged, grinning over her shoulder.
Dash winked at her. Arrow-boy claimed to have sunk nine perfect 9-ball shots in a row. 9x9=81-bits and instant style points with the hero community. C’mon baby, momma needs a whole new set of bragging rights...
The archer smiled at his partner. “Thanks, honey.”
Pinkie held up an arrow from the Avenging Archer’s quiver, placed by the wall as he leaned on his own cue. “What’s this one do?”
“Flashbang arrow,” Arrowhead said without taking his eyes off the table as Dash banked her fourth win.
“This one?”
“Bola arrow.”
“This one?”
“Regular arrow but there’s a little groove for Ant-Pony to hold onto.”
“And this one?”
“Glue arrow.”
Pinkie dropped it back in and held her hooves up as if trying to distance them from a war crime.
***
“So this is nice,” Fluttershy said.
She'd somehow found herself alone at the table with Spike and the lovers. Although Peter, um, Spider-Pony was doing that thing where he pretended to just be in Twilight’s space by coincidence. And where he hung from the ceiling.
“Isn’t it?” Twilight beamed, looking up from one of the magazines she’d borrowed from the lounge. “I think this is good for everypony, helps us get more used to the life a little, you know? And there’s so much history! Do you think Ms. Stars would mind if I asked her to fill in some blanks in the history books?”
“I mean, a lot of those missions are classified for a reason but probably not.” Spidey leaned back on his line a little to get her into better upside-down view. “You could probably also just talk to the princess sometime. If you guys don’t have clearance who does? Anypony need a refill?”
“Right here,” Spike said, despondently holding up his glass, watching Johnny show off, ahem, introduce Rarity to the Wisp. Totally not point scoring.
***
“Oh, oh, and not to gush, well not more, but your Palladium tribute line?!” Rarity wasn’t quite Pinkie bouncing but there were some Dash-esque vibrations in there. “Changed my life, Ms. Garnet. Changed. My. Life!”
“Then I’d hate to see what the rest did,” the grande dame of the Manehattan super scene chuckled, making herself bob on her miniature wings a little more. “You hear that, Hill? Somepony who appreciates me for my art!”
“Yes, well…” the helmeted scientist flustered, tail either growing and shrinking or lashing from being put on the spot. “I suppose I just…appreciate everything else about you, dear?”
“Nice, doc,” Johnny said, nodding sincerely. “Sorry to spring an Element of such and such on you like this, especially after what Misty did to Iron Hoof, but she mentioned she was a fan. Repeatedly.”
“Oh, play nice, Johnnycake!” Garnet Grande Dame chided sweetly, sprouting back to regular size as Rarity shot him a very Hulk like glare. “Coco Pommel’s told me good things about you too Ms. Belle, so don’t let him goad you like that.”
“Thank you!” Rarity gushed, trying not to dance in place. “My life!!! Sorry!”
“No, no, I’m sure it will be a very interesting one,” Garnet smiled kindly. “Both in the business and your actual job.”
“And who knows,” Hill Pine said, taking a flyer on socialising, “maybe you’ll actually make something of Johnny here!”
“Oh, we’re not together,” Rarity hurriedly clarified.
“…yeah!” Johnny forced a chirpy attitude to try and paper over the spontaneous chasm of regret. “Yeah. We are not.”
“Hey, nice wings. They suite you!” Rainbow Dash glided past the Wisp to hover in front of Rarity. “I need 81-bits. Like exactly.”
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “And you came to me?”
“I lost a bet!”
“Cliff Bastion!” the Wisp snapped at the gaming corner.
“Filly’s gotta learn somehow, Wispy!” Arrowhead called back, spinning his cue with his telekinesis before insufferably blowing the chalk off for full effect.
“You won’t learn anything if I do!” Rarity was hissing. “It’s the principle of the thing!”
“The principle is you’re the embodiment of generosity!”
“I got it.” Johnny’s smile melted in the furious flash of Rainbow’s expression. “I mean, if that’d be okay!”
“…can pay ya back next week,” Dash said distantly but firmly. Her teeth weren’t gritted but may as well have been.
“Spidey could fetch it,” Johnny tried diplomatically, head already psychosomatically ringing from what she’d have done to it if he’d chivalrously insisted she didn’t need to.
“Nah, it’s cool.”
Rarity smiled as Dash carefully kept her face neutral.
“How close did you come, dear?” the Wisp asked, shrinking down and flittering up to eye level to make sure she got Dash’s attention and alright, maybe she’d like the wing compliment.
Rainbow flinched slightly at the sudden tiny pony but was overwhelmed by defeat, and glumly held up eight feathers.
“Let me buy you a drink,” Ant-Pony and the Wisp said simultaneously.
***
Fluttershy stroked her chin thoughtfully. “So it’s not that nightingales can’t sing in Berkley Square…it’s that they choose not to?”
“Pretty much.” The Falcon took a sip of his drink. “They’re reticent like that.”
“I know, right?” Fluttershy beamed then realised how familiar she was being and went back to staring into her own glass. “Um, I like them all really, though. Birds, that is.”
“I’m sure they like you too,” Samaritan Willow smiled through his mask.
“Oh, I do hope so! But I don’t have your, um, y-you know, uh...”
“I like to think of it as a connection,” Falcon said, nodding understandingly, used to explaining. “We’re talking about my ability to communicate with birds, right?”
“Well yes, but it seemed a bit, you know, personal and everypony says I should be more, um, personable but also more, um, open, but like, at the same time, and that’s, um, w-well, it’s not that it’s wrong, o-or that they’re particularly pushy, but, um…”
Spider-Pony bailed her out, leaning in from his perch with his mask rolled up for his own drink. “Say, Falc, where’s Redwing? Thought Fluttershy might like to meet her!”
“We’re not speaking right now,” the (other) Hero of Haven said coldly, one of his strangely avian eyes twitching through his mask slits.
Spidey wouldn’t have been able to hide his smile even fully masked. “Leaving fresh kills on your bed again, huh?”
“It’s not funny! She knows it annoys me!”
“Oh dear, that’s a shame. Have you tried, um, connecting with her?”
“I’m in her head for work all the time,” Falcon pointed out, clearly trying to avoid sounding defensive.
“Well that’s good since you help so many ponies and birds…”
“When I can,” Sam admitted, looking abashed.
“Oh, I understand, I’m sure you do everything you can, but do you think, Redwing was it? Do you think it’s possible she may feel less like a partner and more like a, well, employee? What I mean is your bond is very admirable, but if you’re only using it for work isn’t that a bit like you’re in her head a lot and she maybe…well, I don’t know, wants to assert her independence? That’s usually what fresh, um, items are when they aren’t tokens. Hear me roar and all that. Screech. Am I making any sense?”
“Yeah, yeah!” the Falcon nodded assuringly, putting a wing to his chin. “You know, it has been a while since we just went for a flight. And somepony wasn’t shooting at us.”
“I couldn’t help but notice the, um, falconer quality of your, um, hoof glove…thingies,” Fluttershy mumbled. “Does she like to sit there? It looks very comfortable! But I mean, are there any parks or anything you both like to go to? Maybe make a day of it and just, you know, toddle around.”
Falcon smiled sentimentally. “She likes to ride on my shoulder most of the time.”
“Oh, that’s lovely! Does she grip your shoulder at all?”
“Costume sleeves have a little extra padding in case she forgets herself. Tip from Cap.”
“That’s very helpful of her!”
“Speaking of,” Spidey cut in, still a little dizzy from his head turning back and forth between them for that whole conversation, “is she doing okay? She and ol’ Plucky Stars usually only hug it out when…y’know.”
“This Befrienders thing.” Falcon nodded gravely. “Eve’s filled me in. She’s trying to handle it like she does an incoming artillery barrage. Stoically. Problem is she isn’t friends with an artillery barrage.”
“Fitting choice of words, way Arrowhead’s been talking.” Spidey looked over at the archer, being chewed out by the Wisp while a fuming Twilight and Applejack double teamed an equally fuming Rainbow Dash on the dangers of betting against one of the world’s greatest marks-mages because he couldn’t be that great, right?
“Arrowhead talks almost as much as you do, Webs.”
“But I’m prettier, right?” Spidey smirked then turned to Fluttershy. “Sorry, didn’t mean to make this all about work.”
“Oh, it’s alright!” Fluttershy assured hurriedly. “If it was my friends I’d be concerned too, whatever it was.”
“More…colleagues.” It was strange how even more expressive Spidey’s lenses were with his mouth visible. His awkwardness would have been entirely self-evident though. “Cap and Falc here’re two of the best friends in the business, though. Surprised you haven’t signed up with the team even if there’s not gonna be a big reshuffle, actually.”
“There’s been talk. I’m just trying to have my partner’s back.”
“Hear that,” Spidey said and toasted with his pitcher.
“Speaking of.” The Falcon’s bird eyes narrowed. “Here comes the artillery barrage.”
“Hmm?” Fluttershy followed his gaze to the archway and felt several stabs of panic at the sight of so much metal. “Oh my…”
The Invincible Iron Mage’s armour was a lot more intimidating in person. The impassive face plate. The unmoving eye slits. The way it was turning this way and that.
Not like a predator. No animal moved like that.
Fluttershy felt herself trying to sink further into her seat as those slits turned to their table. And began to softly click towards them.
To be Continued