//------------------------------//
// Lost in Uncharted territory 
// Story: The Demon of Canterlot City 
// by Amadeus cancer 
//------------------------------//

"The Warren? Man, that place was nightmare central even before the blast. hate to see what it looks like now."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“What do you mean, ‘we can’t see her’?!”

Noise clouded the waiting room like a thunderstorm on steroids. Doctors and nurses in pearl white gowns flew from the entry into the staff door, shouting out demands to their fellow employees as they dragged broken and battered patients on gurneys behind them. Dozens of civilians filled the waiting room chairs; some were even forced to sit on the floor due to lack of space. 

Almost all of the people wore bandages or held white cloths over gaping wounds that covered large portions of their bodies. Family, friends and what few nurses were left sat by their sides comforting them and tending to their injuries in any way they could. Some people were struggling not to pass out from excruciating bloody injuries, as they were forced to wait for the more critically injured people in the overcrowded emergency room so they could be attended to. Furious and scared visitors rambled back and forth with whatever hospital staff they could find, frustrated and confused as to why the doctors had yet to see them or their injured partner(s) at the moment.

The lobby was basically the definition of sheer panic. The amount of shouting, crying, groaning and pained yelps that echoed across the walls was enough to give even the most patient of saints a year-long migraine. 

In the far back of the room straight ahead of the front doors lay the front desk, surprisingly uncrowded for the most part. Not much earlier, the employees had just finished registering a massive crowd after they had been swarmed for almost three hours straight, with the people trying to push past one other through a very tight space in order to get signed in. Now the staff behind the desk were able to complete their work as phone calls and fax machines continued to buzz and ring off the hook. Well, again, for the most part. 

Behind one of the few windows, stood two young figures: One of them, a 19-year old boy wearing a school staff uniform that appeared ragged and scuffed up due to stress, had his shaky, curled up fists pressed firmly onto the marble counter on his side of the window, a blend of annoyance and fear marring across his face. His blue eyes practically burned into the nervous receptionist’s soul, who was trying his best not to cower in fear. 

Behind the glaring man was a violet skinned, teenage girl with glasses, who was gripping firmly onto her partner’s shoulder, sternness in her eyes.  

“Shining, please, calm down.” she spoke over the loudness of the room.

The boy, Shining Armor, ignored the younger’s protest and continued to glower at the employee, letting out short, stressed out breaths every second.

His victim shifted anxiously in his seat as he cleared his throat and spoke in a professional, if not reassuring, voice.

“L-like I said Sir, Mrs. Cadenza is currently being examined and questioned by our doctors as well as the police, something I rest assure you, she wholeheartedly agreed to. Unfortunately, the officers specifically required no outside visitors, family or otherwise, could accompany them.”

Both arms tensed as Shining’s eyes narrowed into slits. “That’s. Stupid. What in the world would the police need to talk to her about after what she just went through? Why would she even agree to this, doesn’t she know we’re worried sick about her?”

Shining Armor’s shoulders rose as he fought back tears. Faust, he was so stressed out right now. After hearing about the attack on the news, he nearly dove into his car's window and attempted to speed off into the city; And he would have gotten away with it too, if his ex-principle Cinch, (who was packing her things at the moment), hadn’t physically and mentally held him back. While the older woman’s previous actions had caused a massive strain in their relationship, Shining could always count on Cinch’s cold, yet logical reasoning to settle any kind of person back down to Equestria.

He knew Cadence had gone into Canterlot to turn in her photo ID, so already there were some problems. The city wasn’t necessarily a haven for crime, but it did have its fair share of it. Obvious terrorist attacks aside; some of the citizens could be complete wild cards, one minute they’re pointing you into the direction of the nearest ice cream shop, then they do a 180 and start jabbing a materializing pocket knife towards your abdomen. He himself hadn’t experienced any of those instances, but one never knew. That was why he often spoke out against Twilight and her friends going out into Canterlot for their hangouts.

Then there were the kidnappings, those terrified him the most. From innocent little children to full grown adults, the random disappearances never faltered, regardless of the police’s searching. Thankfully, they only appeared to happen at night, a time Twilight nor even he was allowed by their parents to go out into the city. A restriction neither of them had qualms with. Unfortunately, the police mainly had their hands full with the Changlers, so the kidnappings were often forced to the back burner for quite a time, making the presence of danger as high as could be. That left a lot of room for paranoia. What if the kidnapper decided to attack in broad daylight? Though that was yet to be seen, it was still a possibility, one he added to his list while he peppered Cadence with his “twenty reasons not to go.” 

Alas, the young woman’s stubbornness and dedication easily overcame his worries; her reassuring promise of returning safely still echoing in his ears. Cadence truly loved her job with all her heart, so it really should have been no surprise to him that she had refused to allow the, in her words, “evil and selfish” to hold her under their control and force her to be afraid to do her job just for the sake of their possible appearance.   

So, after pulling his hair out for hours, he finally got a call from the woman herself. While listening quietly as she had shakenly told him of the events that had transpired and informed him on where she was headed. He force himself to hold back every urge to say “I told you so”, after hearing her usually confident voice struggling not to break on the other end of the line, he knew she was in need of comfort. 

So now here he was, accompanied by his younger sister Twilight Sparkle, whom he had dragged out of the middle of her class in CHS, both of them practically chewing their bottom lips off in worry while Cadence yakked away with the police. Unlike Shining however, Twilight had somehow gained an inner strength from within, causing her to be calm and collected, although with a fragile poker face. It honestly surprised him; Throughout their lives, heck, maybe even their entire history, Shining's family have always had a knack for major anxiety and freak-outs. No joke, it was like a passed down gene. When something went wrong, a tidal wave of panic and OCD surprise attacks the mind, almost completely drowning it in a matter of seconds. It didn't help that Cadence was pretty much family to them. If his parents got word of what happened, he had no doubt they'd abandon their business meeting from across the country and take the fastest route home. 

Now, Shining Armor liked to think of himself as a relatively calm guy. Sure, he had his moments of freak-outs, but he had managed to keep it under control on many occasions. Today however, is not one of those days. So, the older sibling had to sit back and keep quiet as his sister (who was truthfully more prone to freak-outs then he was) did the talking for him. 

For that, the older sibling was both grateful- and a little frustrated. A painful amount of worry had started to boil through his heart all day and it didn't seem to stop growing with every second that ticked by. For the sake of Twilight and Cadence, he had been able to hold himself back and control his emotions for the majority of the day; But the worry and panic just spiked higher and higher whenever a person so much as opened their mouth. 

He would have nearly succeeded in what he considered the most stressful chore of his life, had the receptionist not informed him of quite possibly the most ridiculous thing in the world. By that time, his patience had already reached it's breaking point. As soon as he heard Cadence was too busy to see them, the wave submerged the last two brain cells he had left. Although one would think yelling at an operator didn't really seem like a smart way to vent manifesting anger, it did feel a little good. But only a little.

He was scared. Anxious. Helpless. Betrayed.

Cadence called him, knowing full well he would freak out like this, yet had the audacity to consider chatting with the police first instead of waiting for them-

"Shining STOP." 

The boy was yanked from his thoughts at the sound of his name, the growl in the voice causing him to tense up. The grip on his shoulder turned steely as he felt his body forcefully pulled back to bring him face-to-face with an annoyed Twilight Sparkle.  

With his attention now shifted towards her, his angry scowl was quickly replaced with a frustrated, scared, almost pleading look. The disappointed glare on Twilight's face however, did not falter in the slightest; Instead, she merely kept hold of his shoulder, refusing him to move away. 

"She probably didn't know what time we would get here." The teen growled, "From what we know, she didn't call the police herself, they just showed up and ASKED if she wanted to talk. So, either she thought there was enough time to finish speaking with them before we got here, or, she has a lot more to tell them than she initially thought. Now please, control yourself. Bringing you're aggression out on other people isn't going to help anyone and CERTAINLY not Cadence!" 

Noticing his expression starting to deteriorate, Twilight took this as an opening and spoke with a more softer voice, her grip on his shoulder loosening. 

"It's going to be alright, I know you're worried about her. Believe me, I know. I am too. The only reason I'm not flipping out is because I need to be sane enough to make sure you don't physically attack someone." Twilight chuckled lightly at the last bit, earning a small smile to form on her brother's face. Shifting to an empathetic look, she gently grasped his shaking wrists. 

"I knew this would happen, I knew it. I tried to tell her but..." he muttered. Twilight nodded her head in acknowledgement, finishing his sentence for him. 

"But she wouldn't listen. Yep, that sounds like Cadence alright.'' She gripped onto his wrists more tightly, a supportive pressure to aid his stress.

His crestfallen expression morphed into a disgusted, angry frown, his words bitter and cold. "This is my fault. I'm the one who couldn't, no, didn't stop her, and look what happened. She's caught in the middle of a terrorist invasion that wipes out a fourth of the city, nearly gets mowed down by a machine gun, all the while trying to find a place to hide from those, those, B-"

"Shining."

"Right, sorry." Running a hand through his dark blue hair, he glared at his feet. "It should have been me Twilight. I should be the one in there, not her."

Narrowing her eyes, Twilight spoke in a firm voice. "Please don't say that, You know that's not true. There was no way to stop her, regardless of what you or me could have said. If you went in her place, we'd be no better off. " 

Shining still refused to look his sister in the eye, his attention solely focused on the floor and his frown ever still present. The edges of his eyes began to burn as small trickles of water blurred his vision. "But I still should have been better. I could have done something different, I could've saved her."

Letting go of his wrists, she gently clasped her palms onto his shoulders, causing him to finally shift his gaze towards her.

"It's not your fault Shining, none of it. It's not her fault either. She was just doing what she needed to do, despite the risks. No matter who went to get her ID checked, in the end, going into Canterlot was just... inevitable. If anyone's to blame, it's them. Not us."  

Clenching his fists, Shining Armor growled under his breath as he continued to hold back his emotions. A wall of fire was burning though his entire body. Why? Why did the Changlers insist on hurting them? They were just everyday citizens for crying out loud! Last time he checked, they didn't do anything to warrant this kind of aggression. Or did they? No one could ever truly get an answer. It seemed that only the Changlers knew. Perhaps they were in the way of something the terrorist's wanted. Maybe they were just target practice for them. Maybe they did do something to insult them, causing an up-rise. Or perhaps, it was none of those, maybe they were just the wrong people, at the wrong place, at the wrong time.  

The fire began to simmer as the seconds ticked by, neither one of them saying a word. Twilight still kept up a small, reassuring look, silently allowing the boy to let off steam. As much as she wanted to continue offering him encouraging words, she knew it'd be best to simply let him cool off on his own, only giving him a comforting hold. He needed this.

She herself was struggling to keep a straight face. After all, hearing your past baby-sitter/good friend get attacked so viciously by horrible people such as the Changlers wasn't exactly candy to her ears. The only thing holding her emotions back was, like she said, keeping her brother from hurting someone and making things worse. She wasn't as collective as he was, so this ordeal honestly scared her more than anything. What she wouldn't give to have her parents or even one of her friends here right now, so she could thankfully have a turn at melting into a puddle of anxiety.

Soon the fire in the older brother died down completely, and Twilight found him fully collapse into her. A surprised "Eep!" just barely escaped her lips as he engulfed her into a bear hug, burying his face into her shoulder. Because of his taller height, his "hug" looked more like he was just putting all of his weight over her smaller form, which in turn, forced her to bend over in an uncomfortable angle and keep them from toppling over. 

It was quite awkward to say the least. All sense of fight and stamina had completely drained from Shining's body and mind, now leaving nothing but a tired husk of a boy. His expression unreadable as he continued to bury his face in Twilight's shoulder even more. For Twilight, she grunted and stressed as she did her best to hold him up, letting a huff of mild annoyance. Since when did he get so heavy?! It felt like her back was going to snap in two at any given minute. Thankfully, their situation hadn't attracted a crowd, the rest of the other visitors far to caught up in their own panicked world to pay the two siblings any mind. 

For a while, nothing else happened, the both of them simply standing stock-still in front of the receptionist's desk, with the occasional supportive pat on Shining's back, courtesy of Twilight.

Suddenly, the double doors to the far left of the front desk opened up, as two uniformed officers, both male, walked out with stone-like expressions. One of them scanned the room of crowded people, almost in a mechanical way, and stopping immediately when his shaded glasses found Twilight and Shining.

He flicked a wrist onto his partner's shoulder to grab his attention, motioning towards the two with a quick jerk of his head. His partner shifted his head slightly to catch a glimpse to the siblings before looking back and nodding, the both of them starting to walk towards their targets.

As for Twilight, the young girl was too preoccupied in comforting her glum older brother for her to notice the officers making they're way towards them. 

"Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor?" 

Widening her eyes in surprise from the unexpected voice, the younger quickly drew her hands from Shining's back to his chest, shoving him off her. This caused him to fly backwards with a yelp and crash land onto the floor. Flinging a hand behind her back, she turned around and donned a massive salesman smile on her face while adjusting her glasses, a light blush of embarrassment tainting her cheeks.

"Y-yes!? Yep, that's me, US! us, I mean. Hi, what can I do for you?!"

Her brother growled as he hoisted his topside off the ground, rubbing his back in pain while glaring up at his sister. "Supportive sibling" his rear.

The officer who spoke didn't even raise a brow at the display, as he patiently waited for the two to get their bearings. As the older brother stood up, he spoke in a calm and straightforward voice.

"Thank you for you're patience, we are done with Mrs. Cadenza. She's in room 225, straight down the hallway to the left."

Twilight let out a sigh of relief at the officer's words, opening her mouth to thank him.

"Oh, now you decide to acknowledge our existence. How thoughtful of you."   

The teenage girl grit her teeth to the point of cracking when she heard the annoyed statement from behind her. Shining had fully risen from the ground and switched his glare from Twilight to the two cops. The words not going unnoticed by the detective, a small sigh escaped the man's lips, his features morphing to a regretful look. Hands on his hips, he spoke in a calming tone.

"I'm guessing your upset because of our unexpected visit. While it seems like we could have come at a different time, our schedule just got too twisted around to make an appointment with anyone, anywhere close to the next few weeks. We needed to speak to some of the victims for a few minutes, at their decision of course, to get their side of the story on the attack today and see if they had any information we can benefit from. According to one of the victims here, Mrs. Cadenza had herself a conversation with a Changler member and was beyond fortunate enough to survive. We wanted to see if he told her anything we needed to hear, such as locations, names, any evidence at all about their plans."

Shining Armor continued to glare at the both of them, arms crossed. Cadence had told him she had a run-in with one of the terrorists, so this news didn't surprise him; But it certainly didn't settle his nerves. "Well maybe next time you should think about the people your interrogating, as well as their loved ones. She was probably scared out of her mind, what gave you the right to so much as ask her for information?"

The officer's partner to the right piped up with a sympathetic yet stern voice.  

"Like my partner said, we're pressed for time here, so we wanted to at least get some of the victim's stories, and if not, at least their names. Rest assured, we gave Mrs. Amora a choice: Allow us to ask a few questions, or not, simple. You should feel proud, because of her, we were able to gain information on some of the Changler's motives. Turns out, they're just as sick and unredeemable as we thought."

The officer growled the last sentence, causing Shining Armor to raise an eyebrow and Twilight to silently gulp. The elder sibling opened his mouth to ask another question, when a crackle of static sounded off on the left officer's belt. Without missing a beat, he reached behind his back and unhooked his radio, the channels shrieking and clipping at multiple pitches all at once. Bringing the device up to his face, the officer uttered an apology to the children before turning his back on them and pressing the button on the radio's side.  

The three remaining people silently watched the detective as he conversed with the line on the other side. Though he was whispering, Twilight strained her ears so she could faintly hear what the man was saying. 

"Detective Hard Case here, who's speaking? Chief? What can I do for you? Yeah, we're almost done here. I'm sorry, you need us to what?"

Though difficult to catch, Twilight noticed a change in the detective's demeanor, as he began shuffling his feet more anxiously and spoke in a quieter tone. Occasionally, he would look in different directions, even hers,  as if he was worried someone might over hear him.

Feeling bad for her spying, (a concept she had grown to dislike), she then turned her attention to the other two people amongst her. Looking to her left, Shining still had his arms crossed, silently glaring ruefully at the other detective in front of her, who in question, had his shaded glasses glued to his partner, face stock still and without emotion. The purple teen found herself personally likening the officer on the phone more than his partner, his sympathetic personality as well as his tone rubbed off on her, giving her a feeling of reassurance, she felt her worries simmer when he spoke about Cadence. His partner however, in just the few minutes she's known him, seemed to completely contrast the latter's personality, his voice, perspective, heck, she might as well include his aura, gave off a sense of bitterness. His words were more straightforward, and though she was a stickler for cold, hard facts, as evidence by her nickname 'Spreadsheet girl', (courtesy of RD), she felt no comfort from his perspective on they're predicament. 

Just how bad were things getting between Canterlot City and the Changlers?

Another tired sigh was ejected as her brother spoke in a much calmer, yet by no means friendly, voice.

"How is she?"

The detective in front of them turned his attention towards Shining Armor, immediately answering without hesitation.

"When we first got in there, she was still experiencing some shock, but luckily she had almost fully recovered. So, we only had to wait a few minutes for her to collect herself before we could speak. After that, she was able to converse with us a great deal despite her predicament, although some of her words were a little slandered. She's at about 50% conscious of herself, so it wasn't the most stout conversation we've had, but hey, what can you do?"   

Gulping slightly, Twilight brought her eyes  to her feet, nervousness and worry building up from her toes to the tip of her hair. She truly hoped Cadence was okay. What had those monsters done to her old baby-sitter?

"When? Right now? of course Sir, we'll be there as soon as we can."

Setting down the radio, the other officer turned on a dime and headed straight for his ally, a frown creasing his lips. Face solely focused on the detective they had just been talking to, he placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned in towards the other's ear. Face obscured from twilight's view as he hid behind the silent detective's face, now she couldn't hear a single word they were saying. Or, more accurately, what the kind detective was saying. His partner only seemed to converse in body language, as evidence by his head nodding slowly and his brow furrowing deeply every half minute. 

Once whatever it was they were talking about was said and done, the both of them looked each other in the eye and nodded simultaneously, before turning to the two other people. 

"Apologies, but we've just been informed of something that requires our immediate attention. Like I said earlier, Mrs. Cadenza is in room 225, straight down the hallway to the left. Have a good day."

Without another word, the two officers nearly bolted away from the children before they could say anything, sidestepping the millions of people in their way as they headed towards the door. Soon the two were seemingly swallowed up by the crowd, as if they were never there.

Twilight stood there, mouth slightly ajar as she tried to comprehend what just happened. Suddenly, she felt a hand grip onto her shoulder. Looking up, she found her older brother staring straight into her eyes. 

"Come on Twily, lets go." 

Still staring up at him, she slowly closed her jaw before looking back at where the two officers had run off to. Exhaling through her nose, she silently turned around as Shining let go off her shoulder and followed him towards the double doors that held Cadence.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Somewhere in Canterlot City

"AAAH! HELP! PERVERT!"

Cole growled as he felt the piecing, shrill wail harshly jam into his ears. This had always been an inevitable situation he prayed never came to light. He needed to get on higher ground to further survey this 'Canterlot City' so he could figure out a destination. Running across the rooftops, as far from prying eyes as he could get, he saw a decent sized motel approach his vision, it's height dwarfing the building he was currently on. 

Without thinking twice, he hopped over the ledge and latched onto the concrete bottom of a railed balcony, before pulling a hand up, gripping one of the metal bars. Huffing in annoyance when the cheap railing shifted due to his weight, he brought his arm down and shimmied to the edge of the balcony, then flung his body at the closest window pane.    

The tips of his soles landed on the foot-sized, brick ledge, as he squished his chest into the window with his arms and hands flatly placed on the wall. This position, though silly looking, better helped him stay as close to the building as possible so he could make do with what little the tiny ledge he was on had to offer. Buckling his knees as best he could, Cole hopped upward and instinctively grabbed onto a moderately bigger ledge, this one wide enough to distant his hands from each other, but only just a little. Shifting his hands to the right edge, he hoisted his leg up and placed his rubber shoe half way on the brick ledge, giving him a firmer grasp on the brick. 

Unfortunately, he had failed to notice that the blinds on the inside of the window were open, giving him full view of a maroon/cinnamon colored woman in a gym outfit, running on her treadmill adjacent from the window. If he was being brutally honest, she wasn't all that bad looking, she actually looked kind of pretty, probably a 6/10 in his book. The expression on her face when she laid eyes on him however, did not.

So here he was, the Savoir of New Marais, climbing straight up a twenty story building at breakneck speed as he was being screamed at by a pastel colored lady throwing household appliances at him. He had to grit his teeth when her metal water jug bashed into his left kidney, before gravity took hold of it.

"Dammit lady, it was an accident, I'm sorry! Jesus Christ!" He called down to her, only to be ignored as she continued to bust her lungs at the retreating man. So much for first impressions.

Reaching the edge of the rooftop just in time for a bottle of Gatorade to fly past his head, the electric superhero pulled himself up and quickly scurried as far away from the edge as possible. Jogging over to the rooftop's air conditioner, he placed a hand on the metal box, using it to hold himself up as he caught his breath and took a break. Not from tiredness though, he just needed a moment for his thoughts to calm down.

He had been exploring the strange new city for almost two and a half hours now. It seemed as though the longer he stayed, the more confusing the place got. Everywhere he looked, bright, beautiful colors stared back at him. But he found that it wasn't blindingly so, oh no, quite the opposite actually; The brightness that seeped into the world felt warm and welcoming. The city kind of resembled a cartoonish appearance, one he oddly found comforting.     

The buildings, the people, the air itself, it all gave off a type of vibe the man just couldn't place his finger on. It was a feeling of bliss and, (cheesy enough), purity, it honestly made him feel at peace, something he hadn't felt in a long time. At first he was skeptical, after all any place with those kinds of vibes would be marked as suspicious in his book, even New Marais didn't give off such a feeling. Then again, New Marias was a place ruled by drunk people and fascist hicks, so it wasn't all perfect. No matter how unnerved he wanted to be, he just couldn't shake off whatever warm feeling the city was pumping into his body and mind. As he continued on, he noticed that something was different about the strange vibes he was getting, they didn't have a sliver of force or fakeness to them. Almost like the vibes were, dare he say, trying to welcome him in the most comforting way possible.  

He also noticed that his conduit senses were beginning to stir inside his body, like something in the city was exciting them. His first instinct was to try and pinpoint the source, to try and find a pattern in the seemingly decoded message, but the pulses and jolts he felt would neither increase nor decrease whichever way he went. They were all over the place, like the source was scattered randomly throughout the city. Or perhaps, it was cleverly hidden. Whatever it was, it he knew it was extremely powerful, although very faint, like there was just a small portion of it. It buzzed in his brain, like an irritable itch he was unsure if he needed to love or hate. What could it be? It didn't feel like a conduit's power, no, this had a more stronger taste to it. An older, different power than any conduit that he had ever seen could give off.

It interested him to no end, just what was this place? 

He tensed when the sound of sirens howled on his left. No doubt police coming to investigate the sightings of a madman climbing buildings and "damaging private propriety", as quoted from many passerby's who watched him. He wanted to avoid the authorities as much as possible, but he couldn't run on ground level. Climbing on top of buildings gave him a wide view of the location he was traveling in, and helped him better navigate where to go. 

Plus, he didn't want to be pulled over by the police because of his Amp, due to it being an "unlicensed weapon" and all that crap, a problem he had to deal with quite a few times back in New Marias. And he had no idea what would happen if he pulled over by this city's cops, so it was best to not draw their attention.

Looking over the edge, he noticed that the next building over had quite a large gap in-between. Lifting his right hand, Cole shot forth a long stream of electricity that snagged onto the rooftop of the targeted building, before hopping off the building he was on as the stream pulled him in a straight line, over the street below. He was pretty high up, so there wasn't much chance many people would see him, and even if they did, it'd be over so fast they probably wouldn't believe it. 

As soon as he was within five inches from the tether's anchor, the electric rope seemingly gave in and dissipated into nothing, causing Cole to thrust his arms up and grab the edge of the roof shingles. Hoisting his body over the ledge with ease, he scurried over to the next building, a mechanic shop, and jumped off the current canopy. Because the mechanic shop was much more smaller than the building he was on, the conduit found himself falling quite a far ways down, and landed on the roof with a heavy thud.

Crouched in a standard 'hero landing', he lifted his head up and noticed that the vertical line of buildings he was running across curved to the right at the mechanic shop, leaving a large stretch of busy road blocking his path to the other buildings across. He couldn't see how far the line of buildings to his right went, therefore giving him no clue as to how long it would take him to reach the end. He didn't really feel like going left, he wanted to see what lied straight ahead.

Again, He wanted to attract as little attention as possible right now, so jumping off a rooftop and onto the pavement below in front of hundreds of people wasn't the most stealthiest plan of action. Instead, Cole looked to the building on his right and saw that there was a decent sized alleyway between said building and the mechanic shop. Quickly hightailing over to the adjacent alleyway, he peeked over the edge to scan his surroundings for any possible audiences, seeing none, he jumped off the back left corner of the building and slammed into the concrete floor. Buckling his knees on impact, Cole placed his palms on the floor and twisted his head from side-to-side, before bolting through the alley's entrance. 

Many yelps and "what the-"s cried out into the air when he burst from the alleyway, brushing past people as they gawked at him in shock. Some of them had to jump back, either to get out of his way or in surprise, dropping their belongings (drinks, groceries, phones, babies) along the way. He paid them no mind. Within seconds he found himself running across a decently busy road, causing many cars to screech to a halt just inches from the man's running form as he made his way to the side of oncoming traffic.

On said side of traffic, one car wasn't fast enough to see the conduit and stopped in a position that forced the hood to block Cole's path. Instead of slowing down, the man kept his pace, thrusting his right hand towards the car and grabbed the groove in-between the window and the metal hood. Using the small space as leverage, the man hoisted his body up and slid his hips across the hood, almost propelling him forward, giving him an added boost to his already fast speed.

As soon as he planted his feet on the sidewalk, the hero immediately took off towards an thicker alley to his left, ignoring the shouts of protest from the car's owner and a couple of citizens. When he made it to the entrance of the alley, he increased his speed in hopes of escaping the angry and confused people. He really didn't have the time or patience to talk right now. These people dumbfounded Cole, hadn't they literally just experienced a terrorist attack on the other side of the city, killing god knows how many with property damages through the roof. He thought they would at least be hiding somewhere secure, in case the terrorists moved through this street. But instead, he found that many of the people a safe distance from the events that had transpired hours ago were continuing their daily lives like nothing happened. Like they were almost too used to this sort of thing.

It got him worried. Just how long have these people been dealing with those terrorists? 

Bolting down the much brighter alleyway for no longer than 5 minutes, Cole noticed that the path continued on in a straight, narrow line, giving him zero information on when and where it forked/ended. Deciding to choose the higher ground over floor level, Cole looked to his left to see a metal, wall ladder hanging from the roof of one of the buildings, but it only reached halfway down the brick wall. Narrowing his eyes, he ran towards the building holding the ladder and gripped onto a steady hole where a brick piece was missing, placing his feet on the slick wall while looking straight up. He still had a ways to go before he could reach said ladder, not that it was a problem.

Fortunately, he noticed a thick, metal downspout to his right, which conveniently ran next to the ladder, though it didn't reach all the way to the roof. It wasn't close enough for him to just reach out and grab, so he was forced to kick his feet off the wall in a vertical angle, all the while keeping a close distance to the brick. When he reached the downspout, the metal gutter rattled and shook due to his weight, causing his grip to slip and making him slide down the spout a few inches. grunting in annoyance, Cole steadied himself, placing his feet firmly on the exterior of the gutter with his hands latching around the sides. The drain wasn't perfect, he shook himself from side to side, rattling it even more. While it did make a lot of noise indicating a less than stable climbing tool, the thin metal tube didn't break or crease in the slightest, meaning it was just sturdy enough to hold him. Looking straight up, Cole shimmied up the gutter, making his way to the ladder while trying to stay clear of a few windows this time.    

Once in arms reach, he grabbed the bottom bar of the ladder and released his hold on the downspout, as he steadily climbed up the ladder with quick speed. Reaching the roof in no time, Cole stood up and took in his surroundings. An ocean of buildings tall and small expanded to the horizon, until he could faintly see what appeared to be forest far off in the distance. 

Placing his hands on his hips, the conduit exhaled as he stared at the beautiful sight. He needed to make and find himself a checkpoint, something to search for, because waltzing around the city wasn't working. Walking to the edge of the roof, he began to plan his desired destination. He needed someplace that could help him define where he was, somewhere with a map or a history book. His phone was completely destroyed, probably due to the RFI, so he couldn't call Zeke or anyone else that he knew. He didn't have his wallet with him either, so buying a new phone was out of the picture completely. So all he could really rely on now was some kind of information, whatever he could find to give him answers.

Maybe a library, a city map, a civilian. 

Cole's brain froze when he laid his eyes on a welcome, yet surprising sight. Or a visitor center. 

Coincidentally enough, right in front of the very building he stood on, was a massive, three story visitor center. It looked almost like a cartoonish gazebo in appearance, with an exterior that was made entirely of wood as well as glass and a length that easily matched the New Marias clock tower.

"Huh. well, that'll work." Cole muttered as he looked down at the street, preparing to drop. The streets weren't too busy with people, only a couple cars and fewer civilians on this side, so that was a plus. There wasn't any alleyways on the sides of the building he could jump down in, and the alley he was just in ran a straight line for quite a while. He could go back and check to see if there were any back doors in the alley, but they were all probably locked, besides, there wasn't a lot of witnesses to see him, and for the few that could, he'd try to make it as inconspicuous as possible. He noticed a street lamp below, one he could use to play off as some random parkour junkie. Turning around, he bend down and grabbed the ledge of the roof before dropping his body off the edge, leaving him hanging on he building.

Looking over his shoulder, he laid his eyes on the lamp, calculating his next move. Letting go of the edge, Cole spread his legs mid air and landed perfectly on the thin, curved metal of the light pole. Wire walking to the side that dipped down, he jumped off the street lamp and landed on the concrete street. 

Badass as always. Cole smirked.

For the few people that witnessed his parkour stunt, several hoops and hollers came his way as clapping filled the air. The hero smiled at the ordeal, he had to admit, the parkouring he did was accomplished by years of hard work and unbearable focus, so it always made him feel proud when people recognized his talent and cheered for him. One guy even tossed twenty bucks his way as the small crowd continued their clapping. Standing up, Cole smiled and waved at the people as he walked towards his destination. There weren't any cars coming his way, so running across the street had been a much easier chore this time. 

When he reached the other side, Cole finally realized how stupidly huge the visitor center really was, each floor was roughly about 30 feet in length with enough sturdiness that could put a skyscraper to shame. Walking up the steps, he noticed that the outer walls of the gazebo like building were all stained, yellow and pink glass, giving it an Easter look. Giant, thick wooden beams held the second story balcony up, which both circled around the buildings perimeter in a wide range. The third story was basically the roof, yet obviously had the room for a massive crowd of people.

When he reached the double doors, which were also all pink glass, Cole grabbed the handle and pushed it open. As he did so, he felt the window's heaviness push back on him with a good amount of force. So the windows were double panned, interesting.  Walking inside the bright building, Cole noticed that he was in fact the only one there. No staff nor any customers, which he would have guessed because of the Changlers, but then why were there people outside?

Dammit, this place is more confusing than Zeke's conspiracy theories. Cole lidded his eyes at the thought. His friend always managed to give the conduit the biggest headaches. 

The place was just as big on the inside as it was on the outside, though did have it's far share of objects filling the room. Next to the windows were lengthy, plush sofas with wooden tables suited for people to work at. Up in the far left corner, a large portion of the building housed a gift shop full of varies bull. Then to his right, large plaques and banners filled the area, probably full of stories and information on the history of Canterlot. Since no one was manning the service station in the middle of the room, Cole headed over to the history session, unsure what to feel at the moment.

Walking to the first banner he saw, Cole checked the title to see if the banner he chose was the right starting point. Up top, the heading wrote History of Canterlot City. Good, he was at the right place. Cole exhaled silently as he began to read. 

"In the year 1770, early settlers from outer Equestria once used the area known today as Canterlot for hunting and scavenging, using the nutrient rich and mountain protected environment as their safe haven from the harsh environments of the outside world. As the early humans evolved over time, (learning how to craft fire, cook food and make houses) many of the wild species that lived in the environment, such as zebras, mountain lions, and gorillas were either pushed out or soon eradicated from over hunting, leaving the mountain valley an uninhabitable place for the settlers to gain protein. Thus causing them to leave Canterlot to find another home."

Below the information, pictures of cavemen and women were sitting down next to a fire in a lush, darkened forest, eating zebra pieces like they were roasted marshmallows. Cole blinked as his brain tried to process the information. 

There was that name again, Equestria. The country both the park jogger and Copper Bronze had informed him about, maybe when he was done learning about Canterlot, he could take the time to learn about this strange "country" he found himself in. And 1770 with cavemen? Did these people seriously not know their history? Moving away from the banner, Cole noticed a second one behind him and began reading it.

Return to Canterlot.
"After almost 5 and a half centuries, in 2320, more advanced people from up north in the cities of Manehatten and Saddle Arabia started to take notice of Canterlot, putting it in human attention once more. Though instead of food and nutrients, they found an interest in the ever present growing amount of gold and oil resting below the surface of the ground. This caused an economic advance as more and more people started swarming into the large crater shaped valley, building small homes and farms to make a living in the new peaceful world. For the next century, Equin, the town's name before it became Canterlot, was a massive haven for trade, as countries from all around the world would come and converse with the people of Equestria. Gold and oil traded for exotic food and clothes, metals for finer metals as such."

"After a hundred years of good economy and prosperity, the town soon began to notice that the gold was decreasing in and around Equin and worried that trade would follow suite, thus the Gold Crisis began."

Cole was getting confused, he had NEVER heard anything so weird before. The years were all screwed up and the city names were misspelled. Manehatten? Saddle Arabia? Yeah, that checked out in his books as familiar, but they were obviously misinterpreted. Was someone playing a trick on these people? That would suck. Then again, It was probably their fault for being misinformed. Or did they just not know how to spell names? And what was with all the horse play-ons? He was starting to notice a lot of those lately.

Economic Gold Crisis

"As the gold in Equin started to decrease, the people soon tried to find other ways of trading items to other countries, as a means of saving future trade investments. Soon they began trading hand crafted tools, décor, and their own food, hoping to appease the other traders. Unfortunately, the country of Drungar had found it's own gold rush, turning the attention of traders and leaving Equin alone in the dust. This left the city in shambles, as the farmers and office owners needed the gold for their to families live, pay workers and feed live stock."

Cole turned to the next banner, this one interesting him.

A new Idea.

"As Equin slowly fell apart, the leaders of Equestria heard rumors that the Government of Drungar did not only need gold to make great trade. Interested in the rumors, the current 16th president, Rosedust, journeyed to Drungar herself to understand the growth in the other country's profit. When she arrived, she was treated kindly by the leaders there, showing no signs of harshness or bitterness despite the trade rivalry. When she asked about the peoples growing economy, they responded with information about substantial amounts of gold in certain parts of the country, yet they refused to specify exactly where. 

"During her stay, Rosedust had stumbled into a closed room and accidentally witnessed the true reason behind Drungar's high sales. Each day, the government of Drungar would take the poor off the streets, keep them in a holed up room and sell them as slaves to other darker corners of the country, unbeknownst to the other governments. Disgusted at the sight, the president quickly made her way back to Equestria, full of hate and anger at Drungar's trickery. Once informing her government of the transpired events, who quickly shared her vision of the ordeal, they planned to tell the other world leaders of the horrible turn of events."

"However, before anyone could do so, a government man by the name of Grogar lll proposed an idea. If the people of Drungar could sell slaves to earn a living, why not Equestria?"

Cole snorted at the information. So this place wasn't all candy and rainbows at its core.

"Grogar listed the names of cities they could use to sell slaves from, Equin being one of them, and how the after effects would greatly improve the trade business. As the government officials listened to his ideas, the Mayor of Equin reportingly jumped up from her seat, refusing Equin to have any part in Grogar's plan. That if Equestria decided to join in on selling innocent captives, Equin "Would rather perish in peace rather than thrive in other's torture." Gaining respect from the officials and an approving nod from Rosedust, Grogar's plan was shut down and the word of Drungar's plots were later revealed, sparking the start of war against the nations. Grogar was later fired for high treason by betraying his allies out of humiliation, caught trying to help Dungar during the war."

Below were two pictures side-by-side. One of them, a picture of a navy-dark, blue skinned man arguing with an elderly woman who was jamming a finger in his chest at a council table and the other of a chaotic battlefield, probably demonstrating the war. "Tough luck pal." Cole muttered, looking at the next history banner.

Canterlot grows in respect, as new ideas for profit rise.

"After the war, Equin was left with high respect from government officials, yet still no gold to trade. That was until the town's mayor started noticing how dependent the world was on gas and fossil fuels. Gold became valuable, but less worthy of attention. Because Equin still had a decent amount of fuels and oil, the city decided it was time to take a different approach. Expanding business to the outside world once again, the mayor began authorizing more and more tools as well as land to store/find oil, making sure they got some before others. It was a competitive and harsh ordeal for the those who battled over the oil, but it was a fair and just way to earn a living."

"As the town gained more oil, the interest of needy traders shifted their gazes to Equin once again, earning more visitors as before. Traders weren't the only people interested in Equin either, After hearing word of the mayor's fight against Grogar's slave idea, the people around Equestria took notice of the small town and began frequent visits, thus causing the Mayor to make the many well known attractions of Canterlot for the welcome guests, such as Scropan park, Canterlot theater, Equestria Museum of Nature and Science and The Starsawirl astronomy museum." 

The next and final banner was stuck to the wall, right beside a statue of the Mayor standing next to what Cole assumed to be the President herself. The banner read as followed.

Building a city for the people

"Visitors continued to flood Equin alongside the traders, buying the hand crafted items and tools the traders refused years ago, allowing the farmers and civilians to make a living in a more safer environment than the dangerous mining caves that housed the gold. As economy boomed, so did the people. The town began to fill to the brim of visitors, traders and civilians, so much so that the company owners decided there needed to be more work-based buildings available for the people rather than the small little houses currently stationed in the valley. Seeing this, the mayor proposed they build a city in the middle of equin, to help with the increased activity. Combining their current income with a generous salary from the president, the construction for the new word in Equin began." 

"Starting square in the middle of the valley, the city expanded around a fourth of the area, it's size and sturdiness made specifically for weather and other hardships the world would bring upon it. As construction came to a close, an idea came to the mayor's attention: Because Equin had grown into such independence and popularity, maybe it was time for them to add a few more things to their society, make changes that allowed them to stand out from the rest of Equestria. Soon, the town of Equin was renamed into what we now know today as "Canterlot City." Shortly after, the mayor rebuilt her office, placing a visitor center right underneath her for all of Equestria to learn about her town's rich history."

As the banner ended it's statement, a plaque was plastered on the lower rail guard of the statue, reading in bold letters for all to see.

16th President Rosedust and Mayor Megan. Faust bless Canterlot City, loyal forever to Equestria, The Land of Harmony. 

Folding his arms, Cole observed the statue, taking it all in. He was a stickler for history, so the story had intrigued him as well as given him some good info more on where he was. The visitor center was also the mayors office? Quirking an eyebrow, he shifted his head around, observing the insides of the building once more. Now that he thought about it, it certainly did look like it was more than just a visitor center. 

Suddenly, the sound of a door closing could be heard as panting and huffing filled the air. Shifting his head around, Cole say what looked to be a classic, cliché nerd looking man just about his age with four or five books in his hands hobble over to the main desk, grumbling along the way.

"Gosh darn Changlers, destroying the city at a time like this! Don't they knew that some of us have papers to fill?!"

Quirking an eyebrow at the display, Cole scurried over to the smaller person, quickly grabbing two books that fell from the staff member's pile and holding them for him.

"Thank you sir." The smaller male smiled gratefully at the conduit, who merely hummed in response. The young man was chocolate brown in both skin and color, had an bow-tied olive green, plaid button-up vest and top buck teeth that shone a bright pearly white. What was most eye catching about the man however, were his glasses.

Instead of plain, see-though glasses like Cole suspected, they were milky white. almost to the point were even a person with super sight wouldn't be able to see through. Plus they were gigantic, almost half the size of the man's face, (How he managed to keep them on at all was beyond Cole's knowledge.), and had honest-to-god swirls smack in the middle of them. No joke, it looked like someone had gotten a permanent marker and went to town on the poor guy's glasses.

"So. What brings you here stranger?" The grumbling in the smaller man's voice evaporated completely as he sat his books down and flew to his side of the desk.

Momentarily in shock at the quick display, Cole shook his head with a sigh. Were should he even start?

If he was going to stay here, he needed to know he entire surroundings first. After all, that was the reason he had been able to master controlling the cities of Empire and New Marias from enemies. Maybe a map of the entire city, something with information about roads, hospitals, restaurants, etc. Second, he needed a place to stay. The man didn't have any money, so he'd be sleeping outside and in wildly uncomfortable places, probably using a trash bag as a blanket. Heh, like he said earlier: Not my first rodeo. The map would most likely help him with that specific problem, but maybe the staff clerk knew of some quiet, less publicly crowded areas he could find and stay in. Then there came the prospect of food and water. He didn't really have time for a job, as the prospect of John rising from the ground and the Changlers attacking again were too great. But he needed some way of getting nutrients, and electricity alone could only keep him going for so long. He needed money to buy food, and money requires a job. Maybe he could put job searching on his list when he was sure problems wouldn't arise for a while.

"Yeah, uh, I'm just visiting for a while."

All of the sudden, the clerk brightened up like a lightbulb. "OH! I knew you were a visitor. I've never seen you before in Canterlot. My name is Tadwell, and I'm happy to be of service!"

Cole smiled. Finally, some help at last.

"Do you have a map I can borrow? I'd like one that shows the ins and outs of the city."

The clerk hummed at this.

"Ah, a map. Would you prefer a class B.1 map or a class G.6 map?"

Cole's smile almost faltered a little. He knew there were different types of maps, but he'd remember any that were organized in that way.

"Um, a class B.1?"

"A class B.1 okay! And which would you like in that department, they range from B.1.23 - B.1.1098? However, you cannot choose the B.1.1076 and the B.1.314, as they are incorrect and we are currently getting them up to date!"

Cole's smile faded. Were these supposed to be categories? How could anyone even keep up with two?    
Wincing, he asked. "What's the difference between the 1.23rd and the 1.1098?"

"The B.1.23 introduces most of the sewer mains throughout Canterlot, the reds, the blues, the purples, adagios, Huffleflaps, Turches, Skillies, Mauds. As well as which are in construction and which are overrun by an over populace of salamanders. While the B.1.1098 indicates all the spots in the city both in and out that have had a major chicken outbreak. Which are colorized in various waypoints, such as pink, red, Hialand-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there man." Cole signaled his hand as a sign to stop as he gathered his words to form a more easier to understand question. "Look, to you have a map or even a couple of separate maps that just indicates were the sewers are, were the local parks are located at or what and where the most visited locations around the city are? If not, what about a map that just indicates which buildings are which? No chickens, no salamanders, just names and locations of important stuff."

"So you require a class B.1.38 map or a class B.1.45 map, because those two are currently unavailable from the time being due to a pair of shoes running off with them just 1.453 hours ago. However, I can introduce you to maps class B.1.270 - B.1.569. For starters, the B.1.270 indicates which roads have been spray painted, the B.1.271 indicates-"

Tuning the younger man out, Cole rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was becoming harder than it needed to be. These people made supernatural powers pale in comparison on the weird scale.

"Aright then forget the map! What about locations, what places do people visit the most here? Theaters, office buildings, parks? What places are the most quiet?"

Keeping his bright smile, Tadwell's glasses bobbed as his eyes widened.

"Locations, well, Canterlot theater never fails to interest crowds from all throughout Equestria, or city housing on of the biggest screens and best movies in the country! Scorpan and Megan park are real beauties both day and night! Although portions of the parks have been known for having too many chickens in trees. Some people can be really passive with their jobs sometimes."

The clerk tusked at the last sentence, looking down and shaking his head in disappointment. Meanwhile Cole was debating whether he should have smacked Tadwell over the head earlier with the books he helped pick up or just save himself the headache and do it right now.

"As for quiet places to view, why the one of the only places I can think of is Larson square. That's on the far left edge of Canterlot, and is mostly used for stargazing. However, the weather can cause quite the pickle for people, as rapid umbrellas are frequent. Other than that, the edges of Everfree forest can be very nice and secluded, however the deer's aren't too keen on sharing their honey on any odd-numberth day of the month."

Odd numberth day of the month? Good god, could this guy hear himself talk? Or was that it, did he just like talking?

"Everfree forest. Got it. Thanks."

Screw asking him about restaurants and job opportunities, Cole would just figure out that problem himself.

"Anything else I can help you with sir?" Tadwell smiled innocently like everything he said made absolute sense. It made Cole want to singe his hair off.

"No thanks." Cole growled at the oblivious clerk. Suddenly, a beeping sound screeched in the air, nearly deafening Cole as Tadwell calmly turned his head to the side. The internal speaker concealed underneath Tadwell's countertop shrieked as a crackly voice spoke through.

"TaDwElL, It'S HuBbLe, WoOlY aNd RuN-aRoUnD aRe-ggkgkhjhy"

Pressing a finger on the answer button, Tadwell spoke through the static.

"What was that Hubble? A thousand tables are messing up the mail room again? How could that be? It's not the hours of 10:30-15:13 yet.''

"hdwqgiury4iewl- WoOlY aNd RuN-aRoUnD aRe FiGhTiNg OvEr ThE PaPeR cLiPs AgAiN."

Chuckling, Tadwell fixated his tie.

"Oh, those two. Are you sure there's nothing else you need sir?" Tadwell looked at the flustered man in front of him, who just shook his head in response.

"Well then, have a good day and enjoy our fair city!"

Without warning, Tadwell zoomed off into the staff room, nearly capsizing it along the way and leaving Cole standing square in the middle of the quiet room, his mouth hanging slightly open. "Ah, man. I need a drink." His mood completely drowned, Cole turned on a dime and trudged towards the exit. But as he got closer to the exit, he noticed that right next to the front door, there was a large tube of colorful maps. 

Gritting his teeth, the conduit walked over and plucked a random map from it's container. Unrolling the glossed paper, Cole took in the map's container. 

On the front page, the entire city was mapped, thousands of streets were listed leading in, out and around the city. Buildings such as the Canterlot theater, Fancy pants tower, Canterlot city museum and even a high school called 'Crystal Prep" were marked and labeled for him, as well as other important places. He also noticed that the map showed him where all the train yards, belt lines and tracks were located, which he knew would definitely come in handy later. 

Turning the map over, he saw an expanded sight of the entire valley of Canterlot. Near the top, north border of the map, Canterlot City covered a good portion of it. It's body like a giant circle, with the sizes of the building decreasing the further it got. At the very top of the map however, he saw a wide building placed on a hill, "The Canterlot Astronomy Museum" he presumed. Below the city, dozens of neighborhoods and parks filled the place, with their streets equally labeled. Several ponds, forests, even a lake were positioned in a couple places around the surrounding area, Scorpan park seeping out from the mountains and connecting on the left of Canterlot. The biggest Forest laid on the far right border of the map, were the lake was also shown to be. "Everfree Forest."Tadwell had mentioned it earlier, maybe it'd be a place to check out later. 

To the far, bottom left corner of the map, secluded from the rest of the neighborhoods,  parks and even a chip shaped theater stage, was a big barn. "Sweet apple acres" it read. While it did seem like a safe place to stay around, Cole felt uncomfortable with the prospect, so he continued searching. He did notice another large high school positioned next to the neighborhoods, yet far enough from the city. "Canterlot High School." He noticed that several construction sights were also listed both in and out of the city, the map had pretty much every thing.

As he flipped it back to the front, he noticed the category number printed on the top, far right corner of the map. B.1.271.

Twitching an eye, Cole folded the paper and unzipped his bag. Scanning for the electrical buzz of cameras, he found none and stuffed the map inside his bag, zipping it back up. He had gained a massive headache from Tadwell's mile a minute nonsense, this would be just a little payback.

As he headed out the door, his eyes laid on something intriguing. A nice stack of folded newspapers sat on a table right next to the tube of maps, for all to see. What caught his attention was the bold heading on the newspaper. Picking it up, he read the title aloud.

"Strange occurrences grow as scientists struggle to identify source."

Below the heading, was a black and white picture of what appeared to be a multicolored blur zipping by shock faced civilians on a busy street, kicking up loose trash around the area. The blur itself looked strange, almost unnatural. No way it was a car, it seemed too thin. Just looking at the picture made his supernatural conduit senses go off, like it was telling him that whatever was making the blur was extremely special. He had felt this type of feeling before, but it was only back in New Marias. 

It was a sense given to him by John himself: A sense that helped him identify another Conduit. 

Were there really other conduits in this city? There was only one way to find out. Keeping hold of the news article, Cole pushed out the door and into the street outside. 

____

Squinting at the blare of the sun, Cole walked down the stairs, news in his left hand. As he reached the steps, he grabbed the back of his bag and flung it to his stomach, all the while struggling to keep his heavy Amp from falling out of place. Opening an outer, second zipper, he weaved his finger around the Amp and placed the article in the front pocket, before re positioning his bag again. Looking out at the street, he watched the people mingle and loiter around, oblivious to him. It was nice, peaceful, and he still couldn't shake that strange, calm yet immensely powerful vibe he'd been feeling. 

Now, where to first? Cole brought a hand to his chin and struck a thoughtful pose. Exploring his surroundings sounded nice, and along the way he could find a place to stay. As evidenced by the map, the Everfree forest was quite a large and secluded place, so maybe he'd find a place to stay for the time being over there. Though, waking up with a tree trunk for a pillow and a cockroach up his nostril wasn't a five star stay. But hey, you take what you can get right? Then there was the prospect of food. How was he going to get food here? No doubt that apple farm at the corner of Canterlot had some goodies, but he'd have to steal on a regular basis, something he felt both uncomfortable with and knew the people who lived there might get suspicious of him at some point. What kind of jobs could he even get? He had no background ID with him at the moment, so that shot down most of his opportunities. What about the hospitals and doctor's offices? Surely he could help out with the people there, what with his powers and all. Though again, he didn't need unwanted attention from authoritative figures. 

But it's what Trish would do. Cole clenched his fists as he fought the the stinging beginnings of tears formed in his eyes. It was a painful memory, but he trusted his girlfriend's judgment above all else. Wiping his eyes with an arm and with a plan in mind, he turned left and prepared for his journey to find the nearest medical facility.

"Yep, that's him."

Cole paused for a moment when he heard voices behind him. They sounded a little ways away, so he couldn't be sure, were they talking about him? Nevertheless, he started his walk again.

"Remember, take it slow, we don't know if he's armed or not."

That got his attention. Yeah, they were definitely talking about him. He continued walking just to test their reactions.

"Excuse me sir."

He felt his whole body freeze. Now that he could hear them clearly, He instantly recognized who they were. He'd heard that tone before, and over the course of his life, he would have preferred not to hear it too often. Exhaling through his nose, Cole turned slowly, bracing himself for anything. 

Right behind him, were about three to five uniformed cops, almost all practically glaring into his soul. The leader, which was also the one who spoke earlier, pulled out a wallet showcasing his badge and spoke in a rough voice.

"Hello, my name is Detective Hard Case. I'd like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."

Cole resisted the urge to snort at the man's name. He just couldn't help but find it a little ridiculous. "Uh, sure man. What do ya need?"

Cole noticed that some of the cops fidgeted a little as the detective spoke without hesitation. "Well, as you can probably tell, things have been getting pretty hectic today, both for us and for you citizens. No doubt you've heard of the Changler attack from earlier this morning, from which we had to close down a fourth of the city."

Shaking his head, Cole gained a look of empathy. "Yes. Yes I have. I heard that you guys were able to apprehend some of those freaks, right?"

Nodding his head in agreement, the cop looked Cole square in the eyes. "That we did, thankfully. They took a lot of lives today, and for those who weren't taken, they're minds aren't necessarily in the best of shape." The cop huffed as if he was struggling to believe his next choice of words.

"It's crazy what people can experience in near-death situations, the brain can come up with, vastly interesting things when a person's life flashes before their eyes. Me and my partners were given some, intriguing, stories from several survivors we examined, it got hard at times to get a clear understanding on what they truly saw. You understand?"

"Yeah, I understand."

"Good. Well, out of all the many people we interviewed, all the stories and information we were given, there was always one one prominent element in their description."

The Detective never took his eyes off Cole as the other officers eyed him. He knew exactly were this was going.

"You."

Aaaaand there it is.

Raising an eyebrow, Cole's mind raced to think of a response. He needed to be careful with his next choice of words, didn't want to screw this up.

"Me?" 

"Yes, you. Crazy I know. But believe it or not, every time we interviewed someone, they always mentioned a man in a white shirt with what appeared to be some sort of weapon on his back." The detective motioned towards the Amp as he spoke the last sentence. 

"They said you were there, during the attack. That you helped the civilians. Got the wounded back to their feet, shoved others to safety..." Hard Case adjusted his police hat. "...Many even said you fought and beat some of the Changler men. At first, one would find it hard to believe, that they clearly experienced a delusion. But with the amount of people claiming to have seen the same thing, that begins to sound less like a farce."

Cole stared back at the man, "And if I did?"

Jerking his head to the ground, the Detective spoke in a cold voice. "Sir, while I'd wholeheartedly condone such an heroic deed, at the same time, I want to know if you realize the dangers and complications of such a situation?"

Not speaking a word, Cole stared back at the man, as if silently messaging him to continue. Taking the imaginary sign, the detective spoke once more.

"Well, for one: Changler soldiers have a knack for being extremely skilled, extremely violent, and very tactful. These are highly trained fighters who've killed countless police officers and military men. Please don't take offense, but do you know the amount of intense, military class training it takes to overwhelm such fierce mercenaries. if I was told that you apprehended, let's say, two-three soldiers, I would accept that. It'd be hard to believe at first, but not impossible. I can accept that a civilian with a possible small or heavy arms background holding himself off against others." 

Peering his eyes up at the white clad hero, the detective gave him a chilling stare. "But a civilian who, as I'm told by almost every victim, as well as a couple of fellow officers I know personally, was solely responsible for the downfall of a military turret surrounded by a hundred terrorists guarding it? Now, that sounds very intriguing, and also concerning. It marks you as a person of extreme interest. You aren't a member of any law enforcement in Canterlot, and there is absolutely zero evidence nor data of you in the being in the military at any point and time. Which wouldn't raise too many red flags, if it weren't for the fact that we've yet to find any evidence of you at all, 'Cole Macgrath."

The Conduit suppressed a wince. He shouldn't have told Copper Bronze his name. Guy probably didn't think repeating his name to the other cops would land him in trouble. Looks like it was deceiving time.

"Yeah, I'm, from outta town. I was just, exploring until those terrorists busted into the streets. I knocked out a Changler soldier, took some of his weapons, and did my best to help those that I could. I was always good with guns and survival, I grew up in a rather...harsh, environment." Cole forged a look of pain as he rubbed his neck, as if he was remembering a fake, traumatic past.

"But taking down practically an army and a turret by myself, come on man, sounds a little over the top don't you think. Maybe those people just viewed me as some kinda super hero as I helped them. Yeah, I did kill a few terrorists, so it makes sense that a few people saw me in a bright light. But not every single one of them."

He shook he head as he spoke, trying his damnedest to look disbelieving. Meanwhile, Hard Case seemed intent on sniffing out any and all senses of falseness in Cole's tone. The five other officers behind Hard Case stared intensively at the conduit, like they were preparing to draw on him at any second. Hard Case spoke up, his expression and tone clearly saying he didn't believe Cole's story.

"Uh huh, do you have any ID on you Mr. Macgrath?"

Never keeping his eyes off the other people, Cole reached a hand backwards and slipped his thin wallet from his back pant pocket, slowly handing it to Hard Case. Grabbing it without a moment's hesitation, Hard Case scanned the wallet's interior. As he did so, Cole planned his next move.

The cops were interested in him once again, and by the way things were looking, it was a negative interest. They knew he had stopped the Changlers, though it seemed like they were more afraid and cautious of him, rather than thankful. 

While Hard Case scrunched up his face while reading the wallet, one of the female cops huffed out in exasperation, glaring at Hard Case's back. 

"Come on detective, enough with the games. We all heard the stories and he's obviously lying. Ask him about what truly needs to be brought to light." 

Without looking away from the wallet, the detective growled at the officer behind him. "You mean about how seemingly one nonexistent man managed to save a fourth of the city without any sort of bodily damage or help from other specialized lawmen? Or how hundreds of people claimed to have seen him fight off armed killers as he destroyed a machine turret? If that's so, you can rest easy knowing that's what I'm trying to get to the bottom of right now, officer." 

Snarling with venom, the female officer snarled. "You know what I'm talking about. We all know this guy used more than just guns to fight those monsters.

"Cakepop." Hard Case rumbled in a warning tone.

"Oh, stop ignoring it, you said it yourself: Out of all those people, they all said the same thing, the exact same thing! We saw the crime scene ourselves. Accept it, as crazy as it seems, it's true and you know its true!" 

"Cakepop!"

"She has a point Hard Case."

One of the officers next to Cakepop decided to voice his own opinions on the matter, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the conduit.

"One guy doesn't take on a literal army, with just being 'good at guns and survival.' We heard them all say it, even our own claimed to have seen the same thing. After all the evidence, all the clues, what more do we really need? We have to discuss this front and center. Besides, what kind of normal person would go around looking like THAT?!"

The male officer flung his hand in Cole's direction, motioning towards his slightly less than normal attire. Though the only thing that looked completely out of the norm on him was his Amp. The man in question kept a poker face, understanding almost immediately what they were talking about.

Hard Case opened his mouth to say more, but the male officer interrupted him. "It's crazy, I know, insane even, but if what all those people said was true, then this guy is beyond dangerous!"

"Enough!"

Hard Case swirled around and glared at the two frantic officers, immediately silencing them into submission. The glares on the male and female cops quickly softened into looks of shame the longer the detective stared back at them, not unlike a frustrated parent staring down at disobedient children.

Seemingly satisfied with his work, Hard Case nodded his head in approval before looking back down at the wallet, scrunching up his face as if he was having trouble processing the information inside it. While the two cops behind him shifted their gazes back to Cole, glaring at him in silence. He clenched his teeth as the scene unfolded; He really didn't have time to deal with police right know, and from the way things were going, if he didn't do something, he'd be spending a lot more time with them than he wanted. He needed to be vigilant and on alert both for the sake of these people's safety and for John. But what could he possibly do in this situation?

Cole hummed as his mind began planning the different routes he could go. He could probably just knock the six of them all to the ground right here and now, getting them out of the picture also meant getting them off his back. It'd certainly save him the headache.

Then again, knocking out officers wasn't the best way to appear as an ally to the citizens. Probably best he answer some of their questions so they'd understand he was on their side. Besides, he had a handful of more fibs packed in his pockets.

"Empire city? I don't recall that place. Where's it located?" Hard Case spoke as he kept his eyes on the wallet in his hands.

Cole looked to the side nervously, trying to ignore the heated gazes of the other five officers boring into his forehead. His mind quickly made up a lie.

"U-uh, yeah, it's..." putting his hands on his hips, Cole turned his gaze back to the detective. "...off in one of the corners in Equestria."

Hard Case raised an eyebrow at the information, but seemed satisfied with the answer nonetheless. One of the cops, a different one from the two before, spoke in an interrogating voice.

"So, what was it like? Taking down terrorists all by yourself? Must've been pretty scary."

Cole adjusted his bag strap, his eyes narrowing as he ignored the question, instead focusing on Hard Case. The female officer, Cakepop, growled at the hero.

"Don't ignore the question, sparky."

Without even looking in her direction, Cole simply snorted at the comment. "Lady, I don't know what you've heard about me, but whatever your problem is, keep it to yourself."

THAT got her angry. Her face became tomato red as she clenched her fists in anger. He could practically hear her mashing her teeth together.

"Well, I think it's safe to say you've got quite an unknown background Mr. Macgrath." Hard Case hummed as he handed the wallet back to Cole. The other man took it without hesitation.

"I'm gonna need you to come with us." Hard Case's cold tone continued as Cole inwardly sighed. He didn't know these cops nor their ways, how were they going to react when they eventually found out about his powers? Not in any good way, that was for sure. There had to be some way out of this where they all left unscathed.

"Whoa there man, why do you need me to follow you? I did what you wanted. Surely if you have more questions we can talk about them here?"

This time, Hard Case didn't respond to the question. One of the cops behind him spoke up instead, thankfully, this cop was more lax than the first two. "You're a suspect Sir. A person of interest. We just need all the facts we can get, every piece of information gives us a fighting chance."

Cole thinned his lips as he observed the six officers. He had too many things on his plate already and if memory served him correctly, he didn't have to give them the satisfaction of an answer. "Sorry officers, but I don't think I have anything else of use to say. I saved those that I could and killed those that I had too. There was no funny, partnership business, no solo hero stuff, none of that. Just a guy doing what he could, when he could. That's all there is to it." and with that, he turned on his heel and scooted away from the frustrated law-people. As he figured, that decision didn't sit well with the people behind him, as the sounds of rushed footsteps filled his ears.

"Hold up. You can't just leave." 

Cole growled at the voice, instantly recognizing it as Cakepop. This lady was starting to get on his nerves. Although, he did kinda understand her behavior; After all, she had heard and seen the aftermath of his little tussle with the terrorists. She was scared of him, more importantly, she was scared of his powers.

As she waited for an answer, Cole continued walking down the sidewalk, ignoring the rubberneckers and stares of civilians who had started to notice the ordeal. 

"Where do you think your going?! Get back here!"

"Cakepop-"

"We have evidence that you were involved with this, that you had stopped the attack. Now that normally wouldn't be a problem if we didn't figure out how you stopped them! We- I, can't let someone as dangerous as you just flaunt around my city, endangering the lives of people who've already got too much on their plates to deal with!"

He said nothing as he mechanically kept his pace. This situation was already bad to begin with, now it was getting worse with every second.

"Stop ignoring me and turn around damn it!"

"Cakepop, stand down!"

Cole clenched his teeth as the grating voices continued to yell. He really should've just ignored Hard Case from the beginning.

"I SAID TURN AROUND YOU FREAK!"

The sound of something unclipping from it's holster filled the air, as Cole shut his eyes and counted to ten.

"Cakepop! What do you think your-"

"Shut it Hard Case! You’re not my superior!"

She aimed her weapon straight at Cole's back, her icy voice carrying a warning tone to it.

"Now listen, you are coming with us whether you like it or not. We know you were a part of the attack today, that you had something to do with it! You really think I'm just gonna let you walk away after what I saw!? We know the things your capable of, the damage you can do! I don't know what you are, but unlike everyone else, I am NOT taking any chances with you. So stop lying and if you know what's good for you..."

Before she could finish, Cole slowly turned, bringing himself face to face with the smaller woman, his previous annoyed look now sour and cold. He easily towered over her, about three feet higher from her head. If he had a shadow, it would've been covering her entire body. Looking at him from this angle, Cakepop's mind froze as she started to realize the change in his attitude. Before, he just looked like any regular person, but that was when he was just answering questions on his own accord. Now, his back was against the proverbial wall, with a threatening weapon posed to his chest. This had prompted a whole new, dangerous and unnerving version of him to surface, one she honestly felt very intimidated by.

Staring up at his piercing gaze, the female cop began to feel herself shake and her pupils dilate, the taser in her hand rattling from the increasing motion. Why was she so terrified all of the sudden?! He didn't say a word, only glaring at her in a calculating and expecting way, as if daring her to pull the trigger. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead as she struggled to form words in her mouth.

"I-b-um. I-I mean, w-w-well I-I..." 

It seemed like the more she opened her mouth, the deeper his scowl got, making her question if she'd be better not speaking at all. Grinding her teeth, she forced herself to calm down as she gulped.

"C-Come quietly, and things won't have to get messy."

His arms still crossed, Cole moved his feet not one inch, instead leaning his upper body downward, meeting her gaze at a closer range.

"No."

Narrowing her eyes, Cakepop fought against the sick feeling in her stomach and held her weapon more firmly, trying her best to look intimidating. 

"I'm not asking."

"And I don't care. I don't have time for you're nonsense. I'm NOT your enemy, and I'm sure as hell NOT working with the Changlers. Now would you kindly, get that thing out of my personal business."

The purple skinned officer snarled at the younger man, a determined marring her features. 

"You sure that's the choice you wanna make kid?"

"Lady, I am telling you I don't have anything else for you. Do not hit me with that, please."

Through her determined facial features, Cole caught a hint of regret in her eyes, before she spoke in a soft whisper.

"Have it your way then."

Without warning, two spokes shot out of the tip of the taser, a long line of rope tailing behind them. In a split second they pierced into Cole's chest, a hissing buzz spilling out of them. Cakepop braced herself for the man to fall limply to the ground like a bag of rocks, so she could cuff the mysterious man and haul his behind to the station where he belonged. 

She had seen the horrific damages in the streets from what she was told was the aftermath of a massive battle. Mangled Changler corpses riddling the streets, their supposed impenetrable trucks destroyed beyond use. And she could never unsee the shape their stolen military truck was in; The thing looked like it had been beaten to a pulp. Not that she had any trouble with any of those sights. As far as she was concerned, the Changlers got what they deserved.   

But then she heard about the witnesses, how many had claimed to have seen something only Faust herself could conceive. She had talked with a woman by the name of Berry about what she saw, and amidst all the poor woman's crying and hysterics, she was given information on how Berry had seen a regular looking man survive a turret shot straight to the kidney and take down a Changler with a bazooka. She would have easily dismissed the story as a hallucination, if she hadn't gotten word that almost every victim, medic and the two captured Changlers her fellow officers had visited told the tale of the exact same man, taking down terrorists left and right. But the truly terrifying part was when they told them exactly how the guy took down the terrorists.

That, she was extremely hesitant to believe. The shear idea of it was insane. And it was, until the officers of her own squadron, the ones who were captured, vouched for the victim's stories; Claiming they too, saw the whole ordeal, and while struggling to believe it, forced themselves to accept such a thing after they found out so many of them saw the same thing. Finally, there was the tale from Copper Bronze, who had informed everyone in the CCPD that the same man had healed him of his wounds and helped heal many of the sick and dying. Although Copper was an officer she didn't know personally, she had heard many good things about him, that he was a trustworthy officer, so she decided not to doubt him. Pretty soon, she too started to believe in the rumor of the "Electric man."

However, unlike a vast majority of the people, she along with a couple other people had suspicions. If someone really did have that much power, were they truly safe? Sure, he did take down only the Changlers, but who's to say he only dealt with them because they were in his way, or perhaps, he was faking his hero posture, to get their guards down. She seethed at the thought. What kind of monster would do such a thing? The people here had enough to deal with.

But to her surprise, as the high currents in the stun gun stabbed through the younger man's shirt, he didn't even so much as flinch. Instead, he just raised an eyebrow at the display, as if he was rather miffed with the whole ordeal.

Without turning his gaze from the spokes, Cole raised a hand and grabbed the two wires, before yanking them straight out of his skin. The tingling buzz of electricity still tickling his chest, Cole released the taser lines in his hands, letting them drop pathetically onto the concrete ground. 

Eyes widening into saucers, Cakepop struggled to come up with words. Then her mind snapped. Fine! Words weren't needed anyway, this sicko needed to be stopped! Flinging a hand to her belt, Cakepop pulled out her baton and with precise precision, hurled it towards Cole's face. Cole widened his eyes at the hostile blow, but quickly recuperated by stopping the baton mid swing with his hand, grabbing it before it hit his face.

The two stared at each other for a minute, ignorant to the slack jawed officers behind her.

"Dammit, will you just calm down! I'm on you're side!" Cole growled as the older woman struggled to pull her baton free from his grip.

"Liar! I know what your planning and I'm not letting you hurt anyone here!"

Deciding enough was enough, Cole yanked the baton from her hand and tossed it a good few yards from them, landing it in a dumpster next to a pie shop. Now that she was out of close range weapons, Cakepop stumbled back from the man, fear destroying her once determined look.

Seeing their fellow officer in trouble, the seven other lawmen immediately went on the defensive. Rushing to her side, they pulled out their revolvers and aimed simultaneously at the conduit.

"GET ON THE GROUND NOW! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!" 

Cole got into a defensive stance, eyeing the police with caution. Well, now things just got sticky. Damn, this was one crappy day. If he went with them, he had no idea what they would do with him, probably confiscate his Amp and hole him up for a long time, bombarding him with questions as he gave them answers they wouldn't even believe. It'd be hell if he went with them, with no progress to be earned in the slightest.

Then again, he needed to make allies with these people, at the very least have some help in case the terrorists attack. Cole's mind raced as he thought of an answer to his plight. Which was the better option: The idea of having allies, yet being forced out of commission for a dangerously long time, or being ready to come to the aid of the citizens and police force against any and all danger, yet having almost no one on his side?

"WE'RE NOT GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN. HANDS. ON. YOUR. HEAD."

Cole looked at them, face emotionless. He scanned the area around him, desperately trying to come up with a plan.

"Whoa there, easy, she attacked first!" Cole motioned towards the now standing Cakepop, who in turn glared hateful daggers at him.

Before anyone could say anything else, a sound that easily mimicked a bomb going off exploded somewhere in another street of Canterlot, the shockwave nearly rocking the seven people off their feet. As the ground shook, Cole waved his hands in the air, desperately trying to keep himself from falling over. After a half second, the world slowly began to calm down, allowing him to gain his bearings. He whipped his head to the direction of the sound, just in time to see a massive, rainbow colored ring burst from behind a row of skyscrapers, before quickly evaporating like it was never there.

Suddenly, Cole felt the wind get kicked out of him, as though he had just been suckerpunched straight in the stomach. As his body struggled not to buckle under the new, unforeseen and immense pressure, his mind instantly recognized the source. The same, mysterious feeling he'd been experiencing all day, the one that made his conduit senses perk up, was back. However now, it wasn't just an eerie sense, like a small, yet noticeable breeze, this was more like a tsunami straight to his face. Cole winced as his conduit senses exploded into a frenzy, the amount of strength in the source his was feeling actually began to feel heavy and thick, so much so it nearly made him nauseous. If the small senses from before had stirred his supernatural side, it sure as hell riled them up now. The source made his stomach clench into a knot and his head pounded like hammers on a board. It felt as though his entire body was spazzing and twitching from the increasing energy in the air, which, unlike the giant rainbow ring, didn't seem to be going away anytime soon. And just like before, it was wildly uncomfortable, yet oddly soothing at the same time.

"What in the world."

Perking up at the voice, Cole turned to see the other officers slowly gain their bearings as well. What caught his attention however, was the fact that Hard Case was staring straight at Cole with his jaw to the floor. Cole raised an eyebrow. What was he staring at? 

A blue spark flickered in Cole's point of view, prompting him to shake out of his daze. Then, more heated sparks of blue started dancing all around his face, causing him to blink in surprise. His hands began to feel hot, really hot, like he was holding some kind of heat pad. Automatically looking down, Cole was beyond baffled at what he saw. Apparently, massive sparks of electricity had formed on his hands without his knowledge, so massive, the sparks nearly reached his forehead! Bringing his arms up to his chest, Cole examined them as his brain tried to figure out just what was going on. Something was forcing his powers to activate beyond his control, an invisible force was calling and his body was trying to answer. Just like the first time his powers awakened ages ago. Only this time, he had a pretty clear idea of what was causing this.

He needed to find the source of that rainbow ring.

While he stared in bewilderment at the display at his finger tips, he failed to notice the now very frightened officers staring at him from the side. He did however, hear the sound of gasps over the crackling electricity. He looked up and saw dozens of people who weren't staring at the previous location of the ring gawk at him instead, terror and fear evident in their eyes. His eyes widened in realization. Turning around, Cole finally acknowledged the shocked officers, sighing in exasperation.

Any normal person would have been rolling on the ground by now, shrieking in pain, but Cole was no "normal'' person. And from what he heard from Cakepop, the cops had been informed about his powers from literally every single person he saved, and though the idea was up in the air for a while, as much as he tried to do everything in his ability to hide it, it was now a cold, hard fact. And he couldn't do anything about. Damn.

Keeping his eyes trained on the police, Cole flicked his wrists and the blue energy on his hands quickly seeped back into his arms, leaving them bare and clean. He silently waited for them to make a move, some of them blinking rapidly while others shook their heads, nearly losing their shades from the amount of force they used. Hard Case closed his mouth and started breathing rapidly, muttering and shaking as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"It's true. Oh Faust, it's true. Copper was right. He was right. Oh Faust."

Meanwhile, Cakepop shook herself out of her shock daze and grit her teeth. 

"I knew it." She growled.

Pulling out her gun, she aimed straight for Cole's head. This freak was going down right here and right now. Her allies noticed her display, as they also brought their guns back up, aiming for the bike courier.

"Your coming with us. Hands on you're head or I will shoot." 

Cole watched her display, before narrowing his eyes at her.

"Lady, I already told you, I'm not a threat. I just want to be left alone."

The female officer either didn't hear him or didn't care, as she cocked the hammer on her pistol and spoke in a low voice.

"One."

Cole frowned at the police, he needed to diffuse the situation and he needed to do it now.

"Hey, wait, there's gotta be-"

"Two."

He sighed as her voice got colder. He needed to stay out in the city, ready to protect the people from the terrorists. He'd be of no use captured within the police station. Or worse, hauled off to the government. 

Cole twitched his fingers. He knew what needed to be done.

"Thr-"

Cakepop was interrupted as Cole flung both his hands forward and a massive blue shock wave engulfed the six officers, knocking them onto the ground. As they slammed into the concrete with shouts of pain and surprise quickly following suit, Cole forced down the guilt in his stomach and did a 180 before bolting down the sidewalk, pushing past shocked bystanders.

Shit, this was bad. This was very bad. He had no idea were the flying hell he was, he pissed off an entire terrorist organization and now the cops where going to rain down on his ass. Why can't anything be simple. He all but snarled in his mind.

Hauling down the street, Cole noticed a telephone pole coming into view, with thick wires sprouting from it's tip and flowing alongside the buildings. Grinning Cole continued his pace towards the wooden beam, nearly a few feet from it's base when a gunshot sounded off and his back suddenly felt a spike of pain erupt in it. Skidding to a halt, Cole ducked his head and peered at his attacker.

Apparently, the cops he knocked over had regained themselves faster then he expected, and had run after the conduit, quickly catching up to him in no time. Glaring at the cop who shot him, as evidence by the smoking barrel, Cole snorted at his surprised face as he grabbed onto the wooden pole. Positioning his feet onto the pole, Cole crawled up the construct with relative ease, never slowing down his pace.

"Whoa! What the fu-"

"It doesn't matter, get him down! Don't kill him!"

He heard Hard Case roar underneath him as he made his way to the top, bullets whizzing by while some embedded into his sides. Growling in annoyance, Cole hoisted up onto the T-shaped top of the telephone pole, bringing his arms out to balance himself.

"He's not stopping! How is he not stopping!?"

"What the heck is he doing?!"

"This guy's insane!"

"Shut up and keep shooting!"

Ignoring the commotion below, Cole placed a foot in front of him and stepped onto the metal wire. As soon as his foot made contact, blue electricity burst like fire through the wire's exterior, he could already feel the current inside it pulling him. Cole brought his second foot onto the wire, and immediately he was propelled forward, causing him to crouch down so he wouldn't lose balance. As he gradually picked up speed, he could just make out one last shocked voice below him.

"Holy hell."

Without shifting his gaze, Cole flung his hands backward and crouched even lower, giving him even more speed as the electrical current dragged him across the long line like he was surfing. 

After a few minutes when he knew he was finally alone, Cole took this time to think as he zoomed past the surrounding buildings, nearly to the point of them appearing blurry. 

He was in even more trouble than he was to begin with. He didn't want to knock the police back, but it seemed like the only option with the best outcome for everyone. Now he had double the enemies to look out for and the people he'd be trying to protect would once again look at him like he was some kind of monster. He would have face palmed if he had been able to. It was like his life was going in one big damn circle. Why couldn't he just be able to do his job and not be given hell for it, for once. He mumbled a curse as he followed a curve the wire made, ending up in a new street. Okay, enough grumbling, he needed to find someplace to stay out of sight, allow all the heat to die down so he wouldn't have much of a problem when the people here needed him. But where to go? He really wanted to inspect the area were he saw the ring, unfortunately, because of his little scuffle with the police, he'd only be able to simply scan the place out before high tailing it out of there before anyone reported him. But what about the problem of finding a place to stay?

"Larson square."

Cole hummed in thought. That place sounded promising, it probably had some good hiding places too. If not, than the forests Tadwell mentioned would certainly hold good shelters. First, he needed to make sure he was a safe distance from the police before he could scope out the place were that rainbow ring was, then he needed hunker down somewhere safe and wait for all the heat to die down. 

He scowled as he turned left at a fork the telephone wire made. 

"Man, I hate this job sometimes."

______

"DID YOU SEE THAT! W-W-WHAT... "

"Parkens, be quiet." Hard Case all but grumbled tiredly at the frantic officer, rubbing the bridges of his nose as he desperately tried to think. Copper was right, the guy had powers. Faust damn it. 

Putting a hand on his hip, he put his pistol back in its holster. A super human. Super powers were actually real. He growled in his throat as he thought the information over. There was no doubt about it, what he just saw had to be real. It had to be. It sure as hell felt real, his side was still aching. If not, why did everyone else see it? 

He definitely took down the Changlers, and that terrified him. What they just saw, what they just witnessed, was that just him holding back? If one man had the power to destroy an entire army of people in a couple of hours that the police could just barely hold off for a month, how quickly could he take them down? 

"Fuck." He cursed. This was well out of his league, what was he supposed to do now?

As he mulled the situation over, he overheard his fellow officers in the background.

"Oh Faust, what are we going to do? What are we going to do?"

"That guys gonna slaughter us if we tick him off, should we be contacting the government for this. Heck, why not even the military?"

"First the Changlers and now this? Man, when will this end?!"

"ALRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Hard Case winced at the loud voice. Cakepop. He growled at the mere thought of the name.

"Have you guys completely forgotten who we are!? We're CCPD, we uphold the law and stop people like this, no matter who or what they are! You all need to put yourselves together. If we let ourselves get all emotional and scared, we get sloppy, if we get sloppy, all kinds of people are going to get hurt! First, what we need to do is find out were he went."

Hard Case clenched his fists to the point of his knuckles whitening, before swirling around and stomping towards the preaching female. Shoving his panicked comrades to the side with enough force to nearly send them sprawling, he glared hatefully at Cakepop. 

The woman herself was standing right next to the telephone pole, making her appear like a standup spokesperson. Her gaze was focused on the wires above, as she continued her speech, oblivious to the furious detective making his way over to her.

"There's no way we can catch up to him now. The cars are parked too far away, and judging from the speed he was going, he's probably well out of our reach anyway. That doesn't mean everything is hopeless though, we nee-"

Cakepop was interrupted from her talking when Had Case suddenly grabbed a fistfull of her uniform's collar and shoved her harshly into the telephone pole, forcing her shocked eyes to greet his angry ones.

"What the hell Cakepop! I thought I told you to stand your ass down!"

The shock on Cakepop's face decreased once she snapped out of her daze and begun to realize the situation.

"Do you have any idea what you've done? I was trying to get information from him, you know, information that maybe would have helped us know who he was and what his goals were. But no, you had to let your own emotions loose like a first year rookie, screwing up what could have easily been just a simple, less forceful conversation and pissed off quite possibly the most dangerous person on the planet! Now who knows what's going to happen?!"

When the look of her previous confusion melted away completely, Cakepop glared at the man in front of her, her expression hardening with every word as he continued.

"I mean, do you understand the sheer cluster of consequences this could bring on us, on everyone?! Faust Cakepop, did you realize how many people you've endangered, the tons of more work you've given everyone or how stupidly lucky we are to just be breathing right now?"

Once the elder detective finished speaking, he panted from the strain in his voice, silently waiting for the other officer to respond to his demands. Never taking her eyes off his, Cakepop gave him a look that nearly sent shivers down his spine, a cold and chilling look that she normally stored for interrogating tough and cruel criminals. Before he could blink, Cakepop lifted her hand up and roughly shoved Hard Case's grip off her collar with her palm.

"Talking and conversing isn't going to help the situation. We're dealing with a person who can fight an group of people even the army can't handle. A person who, might I add, had all the signs pointing to him having actual supernatural powers..."

The female officer flung her hands up to the telephone wires to emphasize her statement, before bringing them down after a few seconds and pointing an accusing finger at the detective's chest.

"...That YOU blindly ignored because of your stupid, stubborn self-belief! If we let a person as dangerous as him walk loose in the city, do you know the amount of threat he could bring upon these people? Talking to him and hoping we get answers won't solve anything, We need to stop him before something we could have prevented happens and make sure he stays someplace where he can't hurt anyone. Or better yet..."

Hard Case glowered at the girl. He himself was admittedly scared of Cole, actually scratch that, he was terrified of Cole, but Cakepop's reaction was far too risky. Why couldn't she see that?

"But what you did was wrong Cakepop!" The old detective practically roared. "I was trying to defuse as much tension as I could. And in case you, for whatever reason, forgot, if you would have let me continue I might've gained enough information for us to issue an arrest. That way we'd have an easier time taking him in: we'd have backup, less lawsuits and no civilian safety to worry about. Problems like these take time, we can't always just straight point our guns at every possible scenario, you know this."

Cakepop tsked at his sentence, shaking her head while frowning, her next choice of words dripping with venom.

"We don't have time for waiting games anymore Hard Case." 

The two of them glared at one another, almost in a standoffish way, before Cakepop scoffed and turned to face one of the officers.

"Radio Lawbound, tell him we found the 'Electric Man' and confirm that he's not a friendly. Notify the other stations as well, let them know who and what this guy is, and that he's loose on the streets." 

The officer she was talking to nodded his head while fumbling his radio from his belt, spluttering a "yes ma'am." 

Shifting her gaze, she eyed the three other officers, clearing her throat to get their attention. Once their eyes were on her, she placed her hands on her hips, voicing out in a commanding tone.

"Listen up! Now that we know what we're dealing with, we need to be vigilant. Like I was saying, there's no way we'll be able to catch up to him at this point. But that doesn't mean we're out of options. Before everything went to Tartarus, we saw him exit the visitor center, so that should be the first place to check out, see if we get any clues as to where he might be headed."

"And what happens when we find him?" One officer asked, sweat starting to form on his brow.

Cakepop ground her teeth as she spat. "This man is wanted for resisting arrest, assaulting an officer and possible terrorism. Bringing him in would be extremely beneficial for us, both for our understanding of the power he carries and on account for civilian safety. Although, from what we've seen, arresting him may prove more than a hefty chore for us, so if things get too sticky, You know what to do." 

The fellow officers nodded as they soaked in the order, some fidgeting nervously while others gulped.

"This, Cole Macgrath, has powers a guy like him shouldn't have, so taking him out may be the more preferable route, we need to be smart, as well as safe with this. Things have changed now, we make a mistake, give mercy to our enemies, and innocent people are as good as dead."

With that last tone of finality spoken, Cakepop adjusted her taser in it's strap and started walking back towards the cars, which were parked a far ways away.

"Don't do this Cakepop."

The woman in question stopped to a halt, lips morphing into a frown as the warning growl reached her ears. Barely shifting her head to the side, she replied with a sneer.  

"I'm done waiting for the enemy to make the first move. You got a problem with that detective?"

"..."

"Didn't think so."

Cakepop scoffed as she shook her head and started walking again, eyes fixed with a determined look.

Hard Case watched as the five officers trudged back to their vehicles, an ominous, dour cloud forming over all their heads. The old detective sighed as he brought a hand up to his face, rubbing the bridges of his nose in a tired manner, his other hand reaching into he shirt pocket. Pulling out a pack of cigarettes, he stuffed one in his mouth while taking the left hand off his nose and bringing out his lighter.

With a flick of his finger the cigarette lite to life, followed by him inhaling a mouthful of it's smoking essence. After a few blissful seconds, he took it out while blowing a smoke cloud. "Fuck." Hard Case sighed as he tossed the drug, a sour look adorned marring his features. 

He gave one last glance at the telephone wires, far above him, before following his associates. He could feel it, every detective skill in his bone screamed at him, hell, he might as well say he could see it. 

The biggest shit storm of the century was forming, and judging on how things were going, Canterlot City would be lucky enough to have one brick left standing by the end of it.