Inside the Face Hunters warehouse, Starlight Glimmer was miserable. Why was she miserable? Because Sunset Shimmer was gone. She remembered the events of the previous night all too well.
(Flashback Starts)
Before Sunset could answer, the woman removed her finger and stood up straight. “If you want to defeat Solar Force that badly, then I suggest you come with me,” She said in a silky voice.
Sunset’s face screwed up in annoyance. “What do you know about it?” She demanded.
“Oh, I know a lot about you, Sunset Shimmer,” The woman replied with a smirk. “I know what kind of Bey you wield. Your Flint Kitsune. I also know all about your recent defeat at the hands of young Solar Force and his Solar Phoenix. He defeated you with his dive bomb attacks, did he not?”
“How did you know that?!” Sunset snapped.
“Word travels fast,” Said the woman nonchalantly. “Especially word of someone’s defeat. I bet they're still talking about now. The infamous Sunset Shimmer, with a reputation for preying on the weak, finally beaten by some random unknown.”
By now, Sunset was grinding her teeth in frustration. “Are you going somewhere with this?” She asked. “What’s the deal between you and Solar Force anyway? You seem kinda obsessed with him.”
The woman chuckled. “Me? Obsessed with that little brat? Hardly,” She said in an amused tone. “It’s not I who has an obsession. Let’s just say someone I know has a grudge to settle with that boy. A deep, personal grudge.”
“OK, fine, whatever,” Sunset said with a groan. “But what’s any of that got to do with me?”
“Why, It has plenty to do with you,” Said the woman. “Because I know how you can defeat Solar Force.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow sceptically. “Really? Because if you know so much, why don’t you defeat him yourself?”
At this, the woman held up a launcher with a Bey already attached. “How about instead of simply telling you, I show you in a battle!” She challenged Sunset.
Sunset smirked. “Your're actually challenging me? Your're gonna regret those words.”
“We’ll see about that, little girl,” The woman said with a devious grin.
The two opponents took a short walk away from each other, and Sunset prepared her Bey. Starlight walked up to her and tried to reason with her. “Uh, Sunset?”
“Not now, Starlight,” Sunset said. “Let me handle this.”
“But, are sure you want to do this?” Said Starlight nervously.
“You bet I wanna do this,” Sunset said dangerously. “I want to teach this lady what happens when you disrespect a queen in her own domain.”
“You, a queen?” The woman chuckled. “You don’t have what it takes to be a true queen.”
Sunset glared at her. “Oh, I am so gonna enjoy taking you down.”
They both readied their Beys.
“3! 2! 1! LET IT RIP!!”
The two Beys flew at each other at blinding speed, colliding with each other in a fierce clash, sending sparks flying in all directions.
The woman’s smirk only grew. “Is that all you can muster, little girl? Pathetic,” She said sadistically.
Sunset’s eyes narrowed. “All right, that’s it!” She yelled. “I’ll show you what I’ve really got! Go, Flint Kitsune! Special Move! Fox Flame!” Her Bey ignited, and began circling the woman’s Bey at an increasing speed, creating a wall of flame around it. Sunset laughed victoriously. “Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha! Now I’ve got you!”
“Sorry, my dear,” The woman said darkly. “But I’m afraid that the wolf always beats the fox.” She gestured with her hand. “Shadow Wolf, now is the time to pounce!” With lighting fast speed, her Bey struck, and Sunset’s Bey went flying across the warehouse before smashing into the far wall, where it juddered to a stop.
For a moment, there was a stunned silence, before Sunset looked over her shoulder at her defeated Bey, and her eyes widened with shock and horror. “N-no way. I-Impossible!” She stuttered in disbelief.
Starlight was just as shocked. “She beat her! She beat Sunset’s Flint Kitsune like it was nothing!”
“Oh, I assure you, it’s very possible,” The woman said smugly.
Sunset turned back to the woman. “What did you do? How did you do that? Was that some kind of special move?” She demanded.
“If only it was,” The woman replied. “No, my dear, that was just an ordinary attack. I did it that way to demonstrate the difference in our levels of strength. And believe me, that wasn’t even close to my Shadow Wolf’s full power.” She finished with another smirk.
Sunset was now furious. “Alright, you’ve made your point!” She yelled. “But I ask you again! If you know so much about Solar Force, and if your really that strong, why don’t you take down that little brat yourself?! Why do you need me to do your dirty work?!”
“Quite simple, my dear,” The woman said. “I need you because I have no choice. As you may know, the game Beyblading is a pastime for the young. Those with plenty of youth can always improve, always become stronger as Bladers. However, once a Blader leaves their youth behind, they hit a metaphorical wall. They can no longer advance, no longer become stronger. In other words, due to my age, I cannot become any stronger. And Solar Force will always be stronger than me.”
Sunset frowned in disbelief. “Don’t make me laugh. That’s impossible. I mean yes, I admit he beat me, but that must have been a fluke. He was struggling against me for most of the match.”
“No!” The woman snapped, “Don’t be so naive! He was playing you!”
“That twerp, play me?! No way!” Denied Sunset.
“Think about it!” The woman fired back. “From the moment that battle began, Solar Force knew exactly what he was going to do. He knew exactly how the battle was going to end. And every time he battles with that Bey of his, he gains more power. Even when he battles weak opponents, he gains more strength. Soon he will become too powerful to battle.” She then gave Sunset a calculated looked. “That’s why I've come to you, Sunset Shimmer. You're still in your prime. You still have so much untapped potential, just waiting to be released. I can help you achieve this. I can make you stronger than your wildest dreams. Strong enough to utterly destroy Solar Force before he himself becomes too strong. That is, if you accept my offer.” She finished by holding out her open hand.
Sunset was silent, matching the woman’s intimidating eyes with her own. Off to the side, Starlight held her breath. She wasn’t really considering going off with this woman, was she? At last, Sunset spoke. “If I accept your offer, how strong will I be?”
“How strong do you want to be?” The woman said with a purr.
(Flashback Ends)
“And then she just left with that... that... that Temptress!” She shouted in frustration. “And all because of that kid, Solar Force! This is all his fault!”
“Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Tell the lucky lady what she’s won Jack! The greatest prize of all! Absolutely nothing!” Shouted a loud, very cocky, and kind of obnoxious voice.
Starlight turned to the warehouse door, where she saw a tall man, dressed in a business man's suit. He had mismatched eyes, a small pointed goatee, slimy slicked back brown hair, and was giving her the most arrogant smirk she’d ever seen. “And… you are?” She said, giving him a strange look.
“You can just call me Handsome Jack, cupcake. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think,” He said, swaggering towards her.
“EW! Cringe alert!” Starlight thought with a shudder. Everything about this man was like something her mother had warned her about when she was little. “OK, first of all, don’t call me cupcake!” She snapped. “My name is Starlight Glimmer! Remember it! And second of all, what are you going on about a prize for?”
“OK, OK, let me explain something,” Said Jack. “You don’t get the prize for identifying a problem. You get one for solving it. You follow me? Because your right. That little twerp you call Solar Force is the reason your great leader is gone. He’s also the cause of several other major problems in this town.” He then pointed at Starlight. “And so, if someone were to take care of the kid, everything would go back to normal.”
Starlight finally realised what Jack was saying. “You mean...me? Beat Solar Force?” She said.
“You, or someone else. We don’t really care who does it, as long as that brat is off our backs for good,” Jack replied.
Starlight pulled out her own Bey and simply stared at it. “But, Solar Force is so strong,” She said doubtfully. “How can I beat him with just a standard BBA Bey?”
Somehow, Jack’s smirk grew even bigger. “Oh, you won’t be able to do much with a little kiddies spinning top like that,” He said, before holding up a suitcase and opening it. Inside was a shiny new Bey.
“Whoa! What is that?” Starlight hated to admit it, but she was impressed.
“The latest model from our development team,” Said Jack. “We call it, Dark Stryker.”
“Whoa!” Starlight said again in awe.
“That’s right, take it all in, kid,” Said Jack. “And guess what. This baby is all yours. All you gotta do in exchange, is do us one little favour. Use it to destroy Solar Force!” He finished with a sinister grin.
Starlight was entranced by the shiny, powerful, brand new Bey being offered to her. She reached out to grab it, and held it up in her hand. Even just holding it, she could feel the power practically radiating from it. With a Bey like this, she’d be unstoppable! “OK, you got yourself a deal!” She said excitedly.
“That’s what we like to hear, kid!” Said Jack with his trademark smirk. “But be warned. That Bey’s a wild stallion. You’ll first need to break it in.” And with that, he turned and swaggered out of the warehouse. “Catch you later, kid!”
Once Jack was gone, Starlight looked down at the new Bey in her hand, grinning with excitement. “Time to try out this bad boy!” She said with enthusiasm, reaching for her launcher, and attaching the new Bey. She stepped into the middle of the warehouse, where she’d have plenty of room. She held her launcher out in front of her, and braced herself. “OK, here we go!” She said with determination. “In 3! 2! 1! LET IT RIP!!” She yanked the rip cord hard, and felt like she’d been hit by a tornado. She was flung off her feet, and fell flat on her back. She sat up just in time to see her new Bey shoot across the ground, and crash into a wall, grinding to a halt. She stared in disbelief. “Wow! That Jack guy really wasn’t kidding!” She exclaimed. She stood up, walked over to the Bey, and picked it up. She stared down at it, her eyes burning with determination. “I’m going to keep practising with this Bey! And I’m not gonna stop until I tame this wild stallion! And then, I’m gonna use it to destroy Solar Force!” She vowed to herself.
Meanwhile, back with Solar Force and his friends, he was currently having a battle against the cowgirl known as Applejack. “Go, Terra Taurus! Back that varmint into a corner!” She commanded, her Bey closing in on Solar Phoenix. “I gotcha now, bird boy!” She said with a smirk.
Solar Force didn’t answer. He hadn’t even heard her. He had his headphones on, and he was too busy bobbing his head to the beat of the music pounding away in his ears.
Applejack frowned at him. “I hope ya ain’t attached to yer eardrums, partner?” she said. “Because yer gonna bust ‘em one of these days.” As her Taurus Bey closed in on his Phoenix Bey, she gave a smirk of triumph. “Like I’m gonna bust you in this battle!”
Again, Solar Force didn’t answer, he just looked up at Applejack, giving a smirk of his own. Suddenly his Bey began to accelerate, spinning around the edge of the dish faster and faster, before jumping out of the dish, and landing on top of it, literally riding it.
“What in tarnation!” Applejack exclaimed in shock.
Then Solar finally spoke. “Aw, yeah! Go, Phoenix! Ride that Bull!”
Applejack growled in annoyance. “Oh, you are so gonna get the horns now, you little varmint!”
“Oh, yeah? Good luck trying to give them to me!” Solar replied with a cheeky smirk, which only annoyed Applejack even more.
“Oh, you think you can tame this bull, do ya? Well, your Phoenix better hold on tight! Let’s take ‘em for a ride, Taurus!” Applejack commanded, as her Bey started shaking violently, trying to throw the other Bey off, just like a bucking bull. This went on and on, but no matter how hard Taurus shook, it couldn’t seem to get rid of Phoenix, much to Applejack’s chagrin. Her Bey’s movements seemed to become slower and slower, until it made its way into the centre of the arena, where it ground to halt, still standing on it’s tip, with Phoenix still spinning on top. Applejack could only watch, her jaw dropped, as her Bey toppled over, and Solar’s own Bey leaped out of the stadium and into its master’s outstretched hand. “N-no way!” She stuttered.
Solar finally took off his Headphones, before giving the cowgirl a victorious smirk. “Sorry, Applejack. Looks like I beat ya again!”
“Not Again!” Applejack growled in frustration, before grabbing her hat, tossing it on the ground, and stamping on it. “I can’t believe it! That’s five times in a row!”
“Eh, don’t it take too hard, AJ,” Said Rainbow Dash. “You win some, you lose some. No big deal. Not everyone can be as awesome as yours truly.” She finished with a confident smirk.
Applejack rolled her eyes. “If you're so awesome, then how come you lost to Solar 10 times in a row?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.
“It was an off day!” Rainbow said indignantly.
“It’s always an off day,” Applejack muttered.
Solar chuckled to himself. “He he he, I love being over powered.”
Just then, Twilight walked up to him. “Hey, Solar, can I borrow your Phoenix for a bit please?” She asked.
“Yeah, sure,” Said Solar, handing over his Bey. “I’ve had enough battles for one day. What’cha you want it for?”
“Oh, nothing much, just a little data gathering,” Twilight replied. “I want to do a comparison between Phoenix’s stats before and after it’s recent repairs and improvements. Then I’ll have a much clearer picture of just how much stronger you and Phoenix really have become.”
“You don’t need to do all that complicated stuff. I know how strong my Phoenix is,” Said Solar with a casual shrug.
“Judging your Bey’s strength purely on your gut instinct is not what I call scientifically sound,” Twilight said with a raised eyebrow. “Besides, you should count yourself lucky that you have a Bey mechanic who’s willing to repair, maintain and upgrade your Bey when required for free. So I’d say it’s a fair trade, wouldn’t you?” She finished with a smirk.
“Yeah, OK, you got me there,” Said Solar. “You just do whatever you need to do.”
“Great, thanks!” Smiled Twilight.
“Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am simply exhausted from watching the rest of you go at each other with your Beys all day,” Said Rarity with a stretch. “I believe it’s time for me to take my leave. Sweetie Belle! We're heading home now! Come along!” She called to her sister.
“Aw, Rarity,” Said Sweetie Belle with a groan. “Can’t I stay five more minutes?”
“Oh, very well, Sweetie Belle, we can stay,” Said Rarity, before giving her sister a knowing smile. “But if we do, you’ll miss your favourite TV programme.”
“Wait, what?” Said Sweetie Belle, quickly pulling out her phone to look at the time. “Oh, my gosh, it’s that time already?!” She exclaimed, before turning to her two friends. “Sorry girls, looks like we’re gonna have to pick this up tomorrow,” She said apologetically.
“What?!” Said Scootaloo. “But what about the tie breaker?
“Tomorrow!” Repeated Sweetie Belle.
“The tie breaker?!” Exclaimed Scootaloo again, but Rarity and Sweetie Belle were already making their way out of the Beypark to head for home. She pouted in annoyance. “Oh, great. I hate waiting.”
“Well, any who,” Said Applejack with a stretch. “I say it’s time I was heading home to hit the hey too. Come on, Applebloom. We’ve got an early start tomorrow.”
“Aw, we’ve always got an early start tomorrow,” Applebloom groaned, but reluctantly followed behind her sister. After that, everyone else agreed it was time to go home, and said their goodbyes as they slowly filed out one by one, leaving only Twilight and Solar Force.
“Well, I’d better be getting home too,” Said a tired looking Twilight. “I’ve got a lot of Bey data to analyse.” She left the Beypark and made her way back to the Beyshop. Once she got inside, she placed Solar’s Bey on her work table, and was about to start work, but she just felt too tired. “I can analyse the Data tomorrow.” She took off her back pack, and was about to toss it on to her coach.
“Your laptops still in your bag, Twilight,” Said a voice.
“Oh, thanks Solar,” Said Twilight as she was about to leave the room… only to turn on her heel to look at the coach. “Solar?!”
“Hi,” Solar said with a wave as he lounged on the coach.
“W-w… What are you doing here?!” Twilight stuttered.
“You said we were going home,” Solar said casually.
“I said I was going home!” Twilight said in annoyance. “Don’t tell me you're gonna freeload off me again!”
“Yup,” Solar said simply.
“On my coach?!”
“You have a spare bed?”
“No!”
“Then it has to be the coach.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and groaned heavily. “My mother was right. The moment a stray comes into your house, you never get rid of them,” She muttered. “Spike, make sure he doesn’t raid the fridge!” She called to her dog as she headed upstairs.
Once she was gone, Solar stared down at the little dog. “I’m still raiding that fridge,” He stated.
Back at the warehouse, Starlight’s hand grasped the top of a wooden crate, as she dragged herself back to her feet, gasping and panting in exhaustion, her whole body dripping with sweat. She took a moment to regain her breath, before her lips turned up in a triumphant smirk. “Finally. I did it,” She said in a satisfied tone, looking down at the powerful Dark Striker, spinning innocently on the ground in front of her. “I tamed you.” She walked up to her new Bey and picked it up, looking at it with a sinister grin. “I take back what I said about you Jack. When it comes down to it, you know how to build one Powerful Bey.” She gripped it tightly in her hand. “And tomorrow, I’m going to use it to destroy your Phoenix, Solar Force.” With those words, she threw back her head, and let out a long, maniacal laugh.
Next day, around noon, Twilight walked into her kitchen, headed toward her fridge and opened it, looking for leftovers, only to not find what she was looking for. “Huh? Hey! Where's my leftover Omelette Rice?” She then frowned, before heading into the living room, only to see Solar Force lounging on the couch like usual. “Solar Force,” She said in an interrogating tone. “Did you raid my fridge last night?”
“Nooo,” Said Solar Force innocently.
“Did you eat my leftover Omelette Rice?” Twilight asked.
“Nooo,” Repeated Solar Force.
Twilight then looked closely at Solar’s face, before narrowing her eyes at him. “Is that a piece of rice stuck to your cheek?” She said, reaching out and pinching the tiny morsel away with two fingers. “Well, look at that, it is rice. And from the texture, I’d say it’s recently been reheated.”
“Oh, that,” Solar said, still trying to sound innocent. “How did that get there?”
“Oh, I’ll tell you how it got there,” Said Twilight accusingly. “It got there after you ate my Omelette Rice, because one, your a sloppy eater, and two, unlike most people, who wash their faces early in the morning, you always wait to wash your face in the afternoon, and since it’s not even noon yet, there’s no way you’ve washed your face.” She crossed her arms and glared at him. “So, what do you have to say for yourself?”
Solar looked sheepish for a moment, but then he stared back at her with a devilish smirk. “It was delicious!” He said in triumph.
“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!!” Twilight yelled in anger, and gave chase as Solar tried to flee from her vengeful wrath. However, as the furious, bespectacled girl chased him in circles around the room, something fell out of the young boy’s pocket. Twilight stopped, then knelt down to pick up the dropped item, before looking up Solar with a vengeful smirk. “Well, well, well, what do we have here?”
Solar stopped in his tracks, turning around to look at her, only for his eyes to go wide in shock. “Hey, that's my wallet!” He exclaimed in worry. “Give that back!”
“Oh, ho, ho, no way,” Said the smirking Twilight. “I’ve got plans for this wallet. I think I’ll go treat myself to a nice, big lunch,” She narrowed her eyes, and her smirk grew in triumph. “All at your expense.”
“NOOO!!” Solar cried in horror. “NOT AT MY EXPENSE!!”
(30 minutes later)
“Mmm, that was so good,” Twilight said with a satisfied smile, patting her belly. She was sitting at a table outside a cafe, and she had just finished a three course meal. “And thank you so much for paying the bill, Solar,” She said with a devious smirk as she looked over at the miserable, distraught boy sitting across from her, laying his head on his arms, tears streaming down his face. “Very generous of you.”
At that moment, the three Crusaders popped their heads around the corner, watching Twilight and Solar closely.
“You see,” Said Sweetie Belle. “I told you they were on a date.
“I dunno,” Said Applebloom sceptically. “Doesn’t look like a date to me. I mean, look, Solar’s just sittin’ there, crying his eyes out.”
“All my money,” Solar said mournfully, staring into the bottom of his empty wallet. “You even spent the moths.”
“Wait, Moths?” Twilight said with a raised eyebrow.
“Trust me, this is a classic romance scene,” Said Sweetie Belle. “Once he’s done crying, they’ll head back to either of their apartments, most likely Twilight’s, and then he’ll take her in his arms and then-” Her speech was cut off when a blushing Applebloom quickly placed her hand over her mouth.
“W-where are ya gettin’ this information?” She asked timidly, before removing her hand.
“Uhh,” Sweetie Belle blushed. “From my sister’s romance novels.”
Scootaloo scrunched up her face in disgust. “Blehh! You actually read that garbage?!” She exclaimed.
“Uh, y’know what, girls,” Said Applebloom in a bored voice. “I’ve lost interest in this. I’m out.”
“Wait, what?” Said a bewildered Sweetie Belle.
“I agree with Appleboom,” said a just as bored Scootaloo. “This is getting weird. I’m out too.”
“But girls, wait!” Said Sweetie Belle. “The sparks between the lovebirds are about to ignite!”
“We’re out!” Shouted Applebloom and Scootaloo in unison as they walked away.
In the old warehouse district, Starlight was giving instructions to her face hunter goons, sitting on a makeshift throne, made of boxes and crates. “All right, listen up! I want you to get out there, find Solar Force, and bring him here!” Instead of obeying her, they all looked at each other uneasily, like they were reluctant to follow her orders. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get going!”
“Uh,” Said one of the goons nervously. “You see Starlight, we… don’t really want to do this.”
“What?!” Starlight snapped, her eye twitching with barely suppressed fury. “May I ask why?!”
“Well, it’s just that,” Said another goon. “None of us want to face this guy again. We tried beating him twice, the first time was five on one, including you, and we lost. The second time was 100 on 1, and we still lost! He even took down Sunset!”
“Yeah, that kid is just way too strong for any of us!” Called out a third goon.
“Oh, I get it,” Said Starlight in a low, dangerous voice. “You are all just a bunch of cowards!”
“U-uh, no, Starlight, it’s not-”
Before the goon could finish, Starlight raised her launcher, and with a scream of rage, launched her new Bey with incredible force. It shot across the warehouse like a bullet, ricocheting off the far wall, leaving a large hole in its wake. It flew across to the opposite wall, impacting hard, leaving a hole in that wall, before bouncing off in another direction, crashing through a stack of crates, reducing them to splinters. This went on and on, with the wild Bey zig zagging in all directions, destroying everything in its path, with the FaceHunters ducking, covering their faces, or diving to the ground in fright. Finally, a smirking Starlight raised her hand, and caught the Bey out of the air.
“You see this?” She said in a low voice. “This is my new Bey. Dark Stryker, the first of its kind.” Her smirk grew slightly. “And believe me, it is by far the most powerful Bey that I have ever seen, and you have all just had a small taste of its power.” Her eyes narrowed in a furious scowl. “Now, get off your sorry, worthless behinds, AND BRING ME SOLAR FORCE!!”
The goons, utterly terrified, ran out of the warehouse faster than any of them had run before, both to carry out Starlight’s orders, and to not have to face her wrath.
Meanwhile, the CMC’s were still arguing with each other.
“I’m telling you,” Said Sweetie Belle. “The fireworks of passion were starting to ignite between the two of them!”
“Ugh, give it a rest, Sweetie Belle!” Snapped a scowling Scootaloo. “Before you make me lose my breakfast!”
“Yeah, and y’all seriously need ta lay off those stupid books of your sister’s,” Agreed an equally agitated Applebloom. “Do you even understand half the gunk you’ve been sayin’? And besides, ain’t y’all kinda young to be readin’ that kind of stuff?”
Before Sweetie Belle could answer, they were confronted by the FaceHunter goons. “Hey, kids! Tell us where that punk, Solar Force is, now!” The lead goon demanded.
The CMCs glanced up at them, but otherwise simply ignored them, before going straight back to arguing. The lead goon glared at them. “Hey, you little brats, I said-”
“Yeah, yeah, we heard you,” Scootaloo interrupted, sounding bored. “Why should we listen to you losers?”
“What’d you say?!”
“You heard her,” Said Sweetie Belle, sounding just as nonchalant as Scootaloo. “Why should we even listen to a bunch of washed up has bins?”
“Also, wasn’t it Solar Force who took down your entire gang, all by himself, even your precious leader?” Added Applebloom. “And you're still lookin’ for a fight with him?” She rolled her eyes. “You guys really are gluttons for punishment, ain't ya?”
Twilight and Solar had just left the restaurant and were on their way back to the shop, when they spotted the CMCs confronting the face hunters. “Hey, Solar, look. Aren’t they the FaceHunters?” Twilight said, pointing ahead.
“Ugh, what do they want now?” Solar groaned, before they dashed over to them. “Hey, girls, what’s going on?” He then glared at the FaceHunters. “Are these losers giving you trouble again?”
“It’s him!” One of the goons shouted.
“We’re not here for these pipsqueaks!” Shouted the lead goon. “We’re here for you, punk!” He pointed at Solar.
“Oh, really,” Said Solar with a raised eyebrow. “Sorry, not interested. I already kicked all your sorry butts.”
At this, the FaceHunters walked a short distance away and huddled together, whispering to each other. They couldn’t fully make out what they were saying, but they could tell from the tone that they were nervous.
“What are we gonna do…?”
“If we don’t get him to go, Starlight’s gonna…!”
“Hey, why don’t we…?”
The goons broke the huddle and headed back over to Solar and the others, and much to their shock, they got down on their knees and bowed, with the lead goon holding up his hands, presenting a coin purse. “Please accept this and come and see Starlight,” He said in a begging voice.
For a moment, there was a stunned silence, until…
“And there’s the payoff!” Shouted Scootaloo.
“You're paying him to go and battle Starlight?” Asked Twilight in disbelief.
“That’s just sad,” said Sweetie Belle, with a disappointed frown.
“Real sad,” agreed Applebloom.
Solar reached down and took the purse, opening it to look inside. “Wow, there's a lot in here,” He stated.
“Solar, you're not actually thinking of accepting their offer are you?” Twilight said.
“I can’t pass up free money,” Solar said with a shrug. “Not after you totally cleaned me out.”
“You had it coming for eating my Omelette Rice!” Twilight said indignantly.
“Well, the point is I’m broke,” Solar continued. “Besides, it’ll be a piece of cake. I already beat Starlight once before.” He tucked the purse in his pocket, and turns back to the FaceHunters. “Alright, let's go see what your second in command wants.”
“My purse,” said the lead goon.
“You mean my purse,” Solar smirked.
“Aw,” the lead goon groaned. He and the rest of the FaceHunters got back to their feet, and they led Solar, Twilight and the CMCs toward the old warehouse district.
As they approached the lair of the FaceHunters, Twilight leaned over to whisper to Solar. “Solar, are you seriously going along with this? This could very easily be a trap.”
“Of course it’s a trap, what else would it be?” Solar smirked back at her.
“And you're just going to walk right into it?!”
“You won’t get anyway by playing it safe all the time,” Solar shrugged. “Besides, I want my money.”
“You already have the money!”
“Yeah, but that doesn't mean I shouldn’t keep my end of the deal.”
“You’re impossible!”
They finally entered the warehouse, seeing Starlight sitting on the makeshift throne. Her eyes narrowed dangerously the moment she saw Solar. “Well, well, look who finally showed up,” she said coldly.
“Alright, Starlight, I’m here,” Said Solar nonchalantly. “Let's get this over with. I need to earn my pay.”
At this, Starlight raised both eyebrows. “Wait. Pay?” She said in confusion, before looking over at the FaceHunters and glaring at them. “Did you pay him to come and battle me?”
“Uh, well…” Said one of the goons sheepishly. “He wouldn’t come otherwise.”
Starlight slapped both hands to her forehead, and dragged down her face, breathing in deeply through her nose, before letting it out through gritted teeth. “Well, that completely kills the mood,” She groaned.
“Look, Starlight,” Solar said. “The deal was I come here and battle you, so let’s just skip the melodramatic stuff and get to it.”
“You know, I kind of had this whole thing planned out,” Starlight said as she stood up from her throne. “You would show up, I would give you a nice little villainous speech, you’d get mad at me and then we’d battle.” She rolled her eyes. “But the mood’s gone now, so I think I’ll just get to the part where I destroy Phoenix.”
“And how do you plan on doing that?” Solar asked.
Starlight reached into the holster on her hip, and held her new Bey for all to see. “Easy. With this,” She said with a sinister smirk. Everyone stared at it.
“I’ve never seen a Bey like that before,” Twilight said, as she reached into her backpack and pulled out her laptop. She booted it up and gave the Bey a scan. The results confused her. “What? No data? How’s that possible?”
Solar then gave an amused smirk. “Alright, Starlight, what serial box did you get that out of? Come on, I’m not gonna laugh, I promise.”
“Oh, I didn’t get this from no serial box,” Starlight said smugly, before raising her launcher and locking her new Bey into place. “But I’m gonna be the one laughing when I destroy Phoenix with my Dark Stryker.”
At this, Solar’s smile vanished. “What did she call it? Dark Stryker?” He said in an almost nervous voice.
“Uh, Solar, are you alright?” Twilight asked, noticing the sudden change in his demeanour. “Have you heard of this Dark Stryker?”
“There’s only one Bey I know with the word Dark in its name,” Solar thought, as a long, loud laugh, the laugh of a madman, echoed through his mind as he remembered his distant past. “Tell me, Starlight,” He demanded. “Where did you get that Bey?”
“Wouldn't you like to know,” Starlight said in snarky tone.
“Uh, yeah, that’s why he asked,” Said Sweetie Belle with a raised eyebrow.
“Fine. We’ll play it your way, Starlight,” Solar said with a determined look as he stepped forward, readied his own launcher, brought out Phoenix, and attached it to the launcher, ready for battle.
“3! 2! 1! LET IT RIP!”
With a flourish, both Bladers yanked on their ripcords, sending both their Beys rocketing towards each other. They collided with a clash, filling the air around them with sparks. They circled each other, like they were sizing the other up before moving in for a strike. Everyone watched intently, until Starlight declared, “Alright, enough of this tip toeing around. Dark Stryker, destroy his Phoenix!” With seemingly lightning fast speed, her Bey struck Solar’s, sending it flying across the warehouse, as Solar stared in shock.
“Whoa! I almost felt that! That Bey is fast, and really strong!” He said. “This might be tougher than I thought.”
“So much force,” Twilight said as she used her laptop to analyse the battle. “The amount of power behind that attack was off the charts! Where did Starlight get that Bey?”
“Alright, I shouldn't let this drag on,” Solar thought. “I’d better finish this fast. The sooner I end this, the sooner I get some answers.” He reached up and placed his head phones over his ears, before starting his music at max volume. As he lost himself in the beat, Phoenix began to zip back and forth in time with the rhythm. This was the technique that he had spent many hours perfecting, which he dubbed ‘The Dancing Phoenix’. Dark Stryker moved in for another attack, with Phoenix zipping out of the way. However, this proved fruitless, as Stryker suddenly did a Zig Zag manoeuvre, closing in for another hit. The attack struck home, sending Phoenix skidding away across the ground. Solar stared in disbelief. “What?! I wasn’t able to dodge her attack? How?!”
“You didn't seriously think it would be that easy did you?” Starlight said in a condescending tone.
“I've seen your battle style more than once, and trust me, it's useless against My Stryker!”
“We’ll see about that!” Solar shouted. “Go Phoenix!” His Bey moved in on hers, ready to hit back, but at the last second, Dark Stryker zig zagged away again, before reversing course, and speeding back for a counter attack, sending Phoenix flying again.
Off to the side, the three Crusaders watched the seemingly one sided battle with worry as Twilight finished a scan of Dark Stryker. She was shocked by the results. “No way!”
“What’s wrong, Twilight?” Asked Applebloom nervously as she and the other Crusaders looked over her shoulder at the screen.
“I’ve figured out how Starlight’s Bey is able to manoeuvre so well,” Twilight Explained. “It has a completely rounded performance tip called The Eternal Smooth! I thought It was just an urban myth!”
“The Eternal Smooth?” Sweetie Belle asked. “What’s so special about it?”
“Well, normally, a Bey has a pointed performance tip,” Twilight explained. “It’s good for helping Beys keep their balance, but it does cause a small amount of drag while the Bey is spinning. However, The Eternal Smooth is a completely rounded performance tip, making it smooth enough to reduce air resistance to practically nothing.”
“In other words,” Scootaloo said nervously.
“No drag,” Twilight finished ominously. “That’s how it can change direction so fast, and why Phoenix can’t land a hit, as well as not being able to dodge it.”
“But that means Starlight has an unfair advantage!” Exclaimed Applebloom.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Starlight tutted snidely. “Don’t you know, all’s fair in love and war.”
Solar knew he was in real trouble. He had heavily underestimated the situation, and now he was backed into a corner. What could he do? “If what Twilight said is true, the secret of Dark Stryker’s power is in it’s completely smooth performance tip. What if… What if it wasn't smooth?! “That’s it!” He finished out loud. He then looked up at Starlight with a renewed sense of confidence and hope. “Sorry, Starlight, but it’s time to really heat this battle up, literally! Go Phoenix!” Solar’s Bey suddenly ignited into flames, charging toward Stryker, before circling it, going faster and faster, as the air began to get hotter and hotter. But Starlight was not intimidated.
“Try whatever tricks you like, It won’t change a thing. I’m still gonna destroy your Bey! Dark Stryker! Let’s end this! Special Move! Dark Lance!” At Starlight's command, Her Bey glowed a deep black, before speeding right into Phoenix’s path. It seemed like it would hit home, but a split second before impact, Phoenix sped away in the other direction, missing by inches. However, it continued to speed on across the warehouse, one of the metal support beams of the warehouse directly in its path. It hit the pillar with a juddering crash, before bouncing away. Everyone looked and stared in shock. Right where the Bey had struck, there was a large, perfectly round hole, right the way through the pillar. If that had hit Phoenix…? Solar shuddered at the thought. Starlight just smirked at the looks on everyone’s faces. “You scared? I would be If I was in your shoes!” She gloated.
At this point, Solar pulled his headphones off his ears. “Er, Starlight? Wasn’t that the support beam for this place?”
Starlight’s smirk vanished. “What?” She looked over at the pillar, and the damage she’d caused, as the pillar suddenly buckled and broke, as the whole warehouse was filled with the screeching of rending metal. Her eyes became pinpricks. “Uh oh.”
“The whole place is coming down!” Shouted Twilight.
“RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!” Screamed the Crusaders.
Solar held out his hand as Phoenix leapt up and he caught it. “We’ll finish this later,” He said to the stunned Starlight, before turning and running toward Twilight and the Crusaders. “Let’s get out of here!” The girls didn’t need telling twice. They turned and ran as fast as they could out the warehouse. They made it out the door just in time, as the whole roof of the warehouse caved in, before the walls crumbled and collapsed, kicking up a huge plume of dust. They came to stop, coughing and spluttering, before looking back. The warehouse was now just a pile of rubble. “Well, that could have gone better,” Solar muttered.
“I think we should just go,” Twilight said with a sigh.
“Agreed,” Chimed the Crusaders.
So they all turned and left.
Meanwhile, Starlight and the FaceHunters looked over the damage she had caused.
“Sunset’s not gonna be happy about this,” Muttered one of the goons.
At this, Starlight's face scrunched up in rage, as she grabbed her beanie hat off her head, throwing it to the ground, and stomping on it furiously, as she let out a furious scream. “DANG IT!!”
After seeing the Crusaders back home, Solar and Twilight were now back at the shop. Twilight was carefully examining Phoenix. “Wow! Look at this damage! Even though that battle was short, that Bey Starlight used was really powerful. Where did she get it?” She looked over at Solar, who was lying on the couch. He was unusually quiet. From his face, she could tell he was troubled. “Solar?”
Solar didn’t answer. He was lost in his own thoughts. “That Bey she used. How is it possible that she had another Dark Bey? Could this have something to do with…?” His thoughts trailed off as he let out a yawn. “I’m too tired to think about this now.” He looked over at Twilight. “Goodnight.” He then closed his eyes and promptly fell asleep.
“Uh, goodnight,” Twilight said. “He must be really tired.” She thought, before turning back to her work on Phoenix.
Meanwhile, in an unknown location, the man known as Jack was studying the data from Starlight and Solar’s battle.
“Hmm, it has power, just not the kind of power we’re looking for,” Analysed Jack with a disappointed frown.
At that moment, the clacking sound of high heels could be heard approaching him. It was Chrysalis. “So, what does the data show?” She asked.
“Dark Stryker was a success to an extent. The Bey fed off young Starlight’s negativity, making it that much stronger, but unfortunately, it’s not what you're looking for,” He explained.
“Well, then, we will just have to keep manufacturing more Dark Beys,” Chrysalis said while rubbing her chin. “Oh, and one more thing. How is our little friend doing?” She asked.
Jack changed the display on the screen to show Sunset Shimmer training with all of her might. She was panting heavily, and her body was dripping with sweat, but she powered on furiously, not letting up for a second.
“Her training is going well, but she still has a long way to go,” Jack stated neutrally.
“Hmm, well, in that case, I think it’s time for me and Miss Shimmer to go on a little field trip,” Chrysalis said with a conniving smirk. “Jack, continue your research into Project Darkness. I want to know any and all progress as it happens,” She ordered.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Said Jack with his own smirk.
Chrysalis then left Jack to his work, making her through the facility, and entering another room. In this room was a large metal and glass cylinder, surrounded by monitoring equipment. She stepped up to the cylinder, placing her hand on the glass, as she gazed at the figure inside.
“Soon, you will awaken once again, my young friend. And when that time comes, you and I will finally have our revenge.” She gave a sinister smirk, before letting out a villainous cackle.
To Be Continued...