//------------------------------// // Arrivals, Circumstances, and Realities // Story: Consequences // by shallow15 //------------------------------// The Director arrived early the next afternoon. Tempest was on hand to greet him. He was not in the mood for pleasantries. “Show me.” Tempest had taken him to an observation post on Level One, where she showed him the security feeds from the cells. He cycled through each feed and snorted. “This is what gave you so much trouble?” he asked, glaring at Tempest out of the corner of his eye. Tempest felt her teeth clench, then forced herself to relax. “As I said in my report, sir, they were ready for us, somehow. And they had help.” “Yes, yes, the principal and her sister at that school. What are we doing about them?” Tempest blinked. “I... wasn't aware we were expected to do anything about them, sir.” Now the Director's head turned to look at her fully. “You seriously think it's a good idea to let anyone who knows about what these girls can do to run around loose?” “Sir, with all due respect – “ “'With all due respect' means 'I think you're full of shit,'” The Director interrupted. He sighed and waved a hand. “Go ahead. Tell me what the problem is.” “Given what I've seen while I was there, if we detained everyone who knows about these girls and what they can do, we'd have to isolate at least half the population of Canterlot City, if not everyone. And that would definitely bring us the kind of attention that even Congress couldn't ignore.” The Director let out another exasperated sigh. Sometimes the damn Constitution could be a real nuisance. “Understood. So let me make sure I've got this straight: these girls have, for want of a better term, 'super powers.' We know what five of them can do. Two of them are unknowns. Three of them also grow wings when their powers are active. They're also connected, somehow, with the cryptid contained on Level Three. But they don't have their powers unless they have those necklaces you confiscated from them.” “That's correct, sir.” “What about those necklaces? Do we know how those work yet?” Tempest shook her head. “Our team hasn't been able to get them to do anything. As I said on the phone, as far as they can tell, the necklaces are made from ordinary geode crystal. I believe that they won't do anything unless they are in those girls' possession.” The Director turned his attention back to the security monitors. He leaned forward. “Show me the ringleader.” The security guard brought up Sunset Shimmer's cell. She was stretched out on her bunk, her arms folded across her stomach. She was looking at the ceiling, her eyes unfocused, lost in thought. “What do we know about her?” asked the Director. “Not much. Her documentation is fake. Very good forgeries, but not good enough to fool our people. As far as I've been able to tell, she showed up in Canterlot City almost six years ago. Ran with a local gang leader for a while before enrolling as an eighth grader at Canterlot High. No record of her anywhere within a 100 miles of the city before then. Used to be the terror of the school until something happened at their Fall dance last year. Since then, she's apparently become a model student.” “You mentioned something about some other POIs out there?” Tempest nodded. “Adagio Dazzle and her cronies. I think these girls encountered them. We've got reports of weird lights and manifestations over the local concert arena. And something else interesting: I ran into Dazzle. She claimed she and her friends don't have their powers anymore.” The Director frowned and looked back at Tempest again. “And why aren't they in custody as well?” “I was hoping they could give me something to use against Shimmer and her friends. I'm afraid I spooked them, sir. They appear to have run again.” The Director growled in his throat. “Seems to be a habit with you, agent.” Tempest's eyes flashed and she opened her mouth to protest, before closing it again. “Yes, sir.” The Director looked at the feed for a few more seconds, then stood up. “Right. Bring them to one of the larger interrogation rooms. I want to talk to them.” Tempest blinked. “Sir, I'm sure that's not necess – “ “You've gotten nowhere with them, so far, Agent Shadow,” the Director snapped. “They know your face and your tactics. They're inoculated. They probably still think they're going home at some point. I intend to make their situation perfectly clear.” He turned and walked out of the security room, pausing as he passed Tempest. “You've done well, agent. But don't push me. Not if you want me to tell you what you want to know.” The Director didn't wait for a response, but continued on his way out of the room “Ten minutes, agent,” he called over his shoulder. One of Tempest's fists clenched. Her other hand went up and rubbed at the scar across her eyes. She turned back to the security guard. “You heard him. Set them up in Interrogation Two.” “Yes, ma'am.” Tempest stalked out of the security room, Sunset's words ringing unbidden in her ears. The seven friends were finally back together for the first time since being captured. They sat in metal folding chairs on one side of the stainless steel table. The handcuffs had been dispensed with. The table didn't have seven stations for the chains. “What – “ Twilight swallowed hard. “What's going on?” “Somethin' important, I reckon,” Applejack replied. Sunset nodded. “I agree. They wouldn't risk putting all of us together otherwise, geodes or no geodes.” “Should we be talking about those out loud?” Twilight asked. “There's probably microphones in here somewhere.” Sunset shrugged. “Agent Shadow already knows they're special. She has to have passed the word up the chain. Still, if I were in her shoes, I wouldn't let all of us be in the same room together unless I didn't have a choice.” “So, what do you think is going on?” asked Fluttershy. There was a click and Sunset straightened up in her chair. “I think we're about to find out.” The door opened, admitting Tempest, a security guard, and a tall, lanky man with an impressive white beard and incongruously broad shoulders. His upper lip was clean shaven and he walked with an easy grace. He was dressed in a expensive suit that fit his somewhat awkward frame. He had a genial smile on his lips, but his blue eyes were hard and cold, almost hooded by his bushy white eyebrows. The security guard took his post be the door, as the man sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the table. Tempest placed some files on the table in front of him before stepping back. She remained standing. The man's smile turned into a grin. “Ladies, you've been granted a rare privilege. My name is Cosmos Stormking. I'm the Director of STORM.” Rainbow Dash snorted. “So, you're the jerk in charge who sent that jerk --” She pointed at Tempest. “ – to hassle us all damn –OW!” The athlete glared at Applejack, who had elbowed her in the ribs. Applejack just looked at the Director, who let out an amused snort. “Yes, I am 'the jerk in charge.' And believe me, I understand how annoying this all is. But, look at it from my perspective. I see a report on the news of four women tearing up a shopping mall with what appears to be genuine supernatural powers. I send one of my best agents out there to look into it, and she finds not just one incident, but several over the last year or so. Along with that, a massive conspiracy of silence on the part of most city officials to try to keep it all undercover. “And so she digs and what does she find? That nearly every incident reported can be traced back to seven teenage girls. All of whom appear to have access to the aforementioned supernatural powers, and one – “ He looked directly at Sunset. “Who seems to have appeared out of nowhere six years ago, and certainly seems to know more about what's going on that she's telling.” The Director leaned forward and folded his hands on the table. “Now, there are a couple of ways this can go. You can continue to keep quiet, and then I'll have to do something regrettable to get you to talk, and it will be a long drawn out ordeal that won't be pleasant for any of us. Or, you can tell me what's actually been going on in Canterlot City and your part in it and things will go easier for you.” “And when do we go home?” Rarity asked, coolly. The Director shifted his glance to her, his expression still pleasant. “I beg your pardon?” “I noticed that your generous offer failed to indicate when we can all go home,” Rarity elaborated. “One would presume, since that is the way these things tend to work in the movies and so on, that such an offer would include promises of going home if we decide to cooperate. So, Director Stormking, if we decide to cooperate, when do we get to go home?” “Oh, that,” the Director replied pleasantly. “You don't.” “What?!” shouted Rainbow Dash. She leaped out of her chair and slammed her palms on the desk. “That's bullshit!” The Director calmly rose to his feet and leaned forward. He towered over Rainbow Dash. He raised one hand, placed it on her shoulder, and shoved hard, causing her to crash back into her chair.Rainbow let out a cry of pain as she landed. Applejack and Fluttershy, on either side of her, moved in to make sure she was all right. The Director rose to his full height and put his hands behind his back. “Let me make your situation perfectly clear, ladies,” he said, his voice even. “You aren't going home. As of now, you belong to me. I can use power like yours for the betterment of STORM and the country. What we are discussing right now is whether you'll be using that power as willing agents... or as unwilling assets.” “You can't do this!” said Twilight. “There are people --” “'People who care about us who won't stand for it,' blah blah blah.” The Director waved a hand dismissively. “I've heard it before. And I've dealt with it too. Many, many times. You're not dealing with an amateur, ladies.” “Neither are you,” Sunset said, getting to her feet. “We've dealt with worse than you before. We can take anything you dish out.” “Maybe, but they didn't have my resources. Besides, I don't have to do anything to you. There's plenty of people in Canterlot City who know what you can do. It'd be a shame if we had to quarantine the entire town for an indefinite period until we can assess what exactly you've done to them to engender such loyalty.” “We didn't do anything to them!” cried Pinkie Pie. “That's what you say,” replied the Director. “But, I'm sure you'll forgive me if I don't believe you. And of course, there's your families. Who knows what you've infected them with since you got these abilities? We might even have to take... extreme precautions.” Sunset felt her face flush and her teeth clench. She fought to keep her temper in check. It wouldn't do any good to lose it now. Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash didn't have Sunset's sense of restraint. “You give us back our geodes and we'll show you what kind of ass kicking you're in for if you try any of that crap! We'll kick all your asses from here to Baltimare and back!” A grin came across the Director's face. “You know, that is an excellent idea.” He turned and walked out of the room. Tempest blinked and leaned over the table to gather up the files. As she did so, she caught Sunset's gaze. “I told you,” Sunset said quietly. Tempest glared at her and followed her superior. The door closed behind her and the guard stood in front of it, making it clear that any unwise moves would be dealt with. Twilight looked over at Sunset. “What just happened?” Sunset frowned. “I'm not sure.” “Sir, what's going on?” Tempest asked, as she finally caught up to the Director. “They tipped their hand, agent,” Stormking replied with amusement. “So now we can get confirmation of what all of them can do. Send them down to Observation Two on Level Four.” “Observation Two? Sir, you aren't seriously thinking of giving them those necklaces, are you?” “Why not? From all your reports, even with their powers, they still have a few standard vulnerabilities. The first sign of trouble, we flood the place with knockout gas.” “Sir, the second they get those necklaces, they're going to try to break out. And they might succeed.” “I'm well aware of that, agent,” said the Director. “Which is why we're going to give them something else to worry about... and maybe kill two birds with one stone.” Tempest frowned in confusion. “I'm sorry, sir, I'm not following you.” The Director turned to look at her, a malicious grin on his face. “Send the cryptid down to Observation Two as well. Let's see how those girls handle these kind of things, shall we?”