//------------------------------// // Accusations, Denials, and Decisions // Story: Consequences // by shallow15 //------------------------------// “You used me.” Tempest stared at the Director, who was himself looking out the shattered observation window Sunset Shimmer had just leaped out of. “Amazing,” he said, observing Twilight Sparkle catching the falling girl in her telekinetic field. “This could be more useful than I thought.” He reached out and tapped a button on the console, activating the ventilation fans. The knockout gas began being sucked out of the room. Tempest's lip curled up in a snarl and she grabbed the Director's shoulderand shoved him so he was facing her. “You used me!” The director frowned and straightened his jacket. “You forget yourself, agent.” “You killed Glitter Drops!” “I did no such thing. I think you're letting whatever it was that girl did to us run away with you, agent.” Tempest snorted. “Bullshit. I don't know what she did, but I know it was the truth.” Tempest was certain of this. Everything made too much sense. Glitter's death, the disappearance of the nurse, the way Spring Rain wasn't as personable as he used to be before it all happened. Sunset Shimmer may have been able to break into her mind, but whatever the girl did, it wasn't planting deception. “The truth?” The Director stepped forward, towering over her. Tempest looked up at him defiantly. “The truth is what I say it is, Agent Shadow. The truth is that I am still in command here. The truth is that you will continue to do exactly as I tell you, or you may soon find yourself in a very untenable position. That is the truth.” “You can't gaslight me anymore, sir.” Tempest spat the word. “You've lied to me for too long and I'm not going to be fooled by you anymore.” The Director stared at her and then laughed, loud and mocking. “Do you really think I care whether or not you're 'fooled' by me, agent? You are nothing. A grunt, a drone. Your only purpose is to follow my orders. And I think you know full well how much I dislike insubordination.” The Director stepped back and gave her a grin. “Now, I'm willing to overlook this little tantrum of yours provided you get those girls back under lock and key... immediately.” He didn't bother to wait for a response, turning instead to the door. “I'll send a squad down here to back you up. Don't disappoint me again, agent.” “You KNOW it's the truth as much as I do!” Tempest snapped as he walked out the door. He paused and turned back at her. “Maybe... but good luck proving it.” The door closed. Tempest picked up a chair and threw it against the far wall with a scream. As soon as she did a double rainbow spiraled up into her field of vision from the observation room. She dashed back to the window and leaned out. What the hell?! The cryptid was gone, replaced by a perfectly normal bear. The girls were suddenly dressed in extremely flashy outfits, horse ears and wings in evidence. All of them had long ponytails that added to the anthropomorphic horse theme. Then, she saw something which made her eyes widen even further. “I CAN WALK!” Rarity cried. She ran back toward her friends who caught her up in a massive group hug. They seperated after a moment and walked back toward the bear. Sunset Shimmer turned and Tempest stepped back from the window, out of the girl's sight. She stood there, mulling over everything that had happened. If they were smart, the girls would have sabotaged the doors leading into Observation Two. But if they did that, they pretty much had trapped themselves and it was only a matter of time before the squad showed up to recapture them. Tempest looked at the door leading out of the observation booth then back at the console. Her mind whirled with ideas. What she needed was time, and to get time, she was going to need a distraction. The STORM agent walked back to the console and pressed a button labeled “Containment Level Transport.” Down in the observation room, the girls yelped as the hidden doors in the far wall slid open and the platform with the broken vault began sliding backward out of the room. Tempest watched as they got the groggy bear up and moving and onto the platform just before the doors closed behind them. Tempest nodded in satisfaction. That should do it. She went to the door leading out of the observation booth. She had work to do and not a lot of time to do it.