//------------------------------// // Chapter Three (SilentWhisper) // Story: The Quills and Sofas Exquisite Corpse // by The Red Parade //------------------------------// The masked pony’s smile grew as he watched Sky Stinger struggle against his bonds. “Don’t worry,” the mysterious pony purred, watching the Wonderbolt groan and fight against the ropes holding him down. “You’ll be useful to them again, one way or the other.” His laughter rang throughout the room as Sky Stinger tugged harder at the ropes, but to no avail.   “Yeah,” chimed in Grubber, making the pegasus shy away as much as his restraints would allow. “Let’s hope they deliver, or we’re gonna deliver you! In lots of little colt-sized Bolt bits! Right, boss?” He looked back at the masked pony, who nodded solemnly.  “You know,” the masked pony said, giving a casual nod to Grubber that sent chills down Sky Stinger’s spine. “Maybe we should send a little reminder her way, so she doesn’t get cold hooves about the delivery. A few pictures, perhaps, of what would happen to her dear friend, should she fail to deliver on time.” Grubber grinned as he reached for the clippers. “Don’t worry,” he chortled, “If they show up, we’ll let you go. And if they don’t…” “We’ll see how far you can fly off the roof.” The boss turned around to grab the camera, ignoring the Wonderbolt’s gagged protests. “We’re ponies of honor, you see. We’ll let you go free, after all is said and done. We promise.” His grin stretched wider as he wheeled back towards the whimpering Sky Stinger. “No wings attached.” ****** “What’s the plan?” asked Angel Wings, trotting close behind Daring Do as they left the building. “We can’t just feed Vapor Trail to the wolves. Or, worse than wolves, really. The Las Pegasus Mafia isn’t fluffy, or sweet, or-” “Focus, Angel Wings,” snapped Midnight Strike, checking the perimeter. “Hotel Indigo isn’t going to be easy to break into. We need a plan if we’re gonna get our teammate back. One that doesn’t involve delivering that damn package to Lucky Stallion Casino.”  “We’ll need more than a plan,” Daring Do said, hailing a taxi with the sort of casual discretion that only a celebrity can muster. “We’ll need backup, if we’re going to figure out who’s really behind this. It could be Ahuizotl… or worse.” Vapor Trail hesitantly raised a wing, then quickly lowered it before the swerving taxi could tear out any feathers. “What could be worse than Ahuizotl? Or having a teammate kidnapped?” Daring Do opened the rear taxi door, revealing plush seats and a nerve-wracking lack of seatbelts. She motioned them inside with a grimace. “Trust me, if we’re going to get Sky Stinger back, we’re going to meet worse creatures than Ahuizotl.”  Vapor Trail gulped. “To fight them?” Daring Do shook her head, claiming the passenger seat and bracing herself against the dashboard. “Nope. To ask them for help. We’re going to need all the resources we can get, and we don’t have that much time left to get this done.” Vapor Trail whimpered, shrinking in the back seat next to Midnight Strike. “I was afraid of that.”  Midnight gave her a reassuring pat as Daring Do slid the taxi driver a slip of paper. “Here,” she murmured, surveying the car as though searching for secret exits. “And hurry. Lives are at stake.” “That’s what they all say, ma’am,” grumbled the driver, pressing on the gas as his engine revved to life. ****** The sun crept lower in the sky as Daring Do led the three pegasi up the dilapidated apartment steps, waiting patiently as they stumbled over the uneven concrete. “This resource you mentioned,” muttered Midnight Strike as he rubbed a hoof that was sure to bruise come the next morning. “Couldn’t they have picked a less, I don’t know, shady place to live? Some place that doesn’t make me feel like I’ll get wing mites just by thinking about it for too long?” Vapor Trail shuddered behind him, tucking her wings closer to her sides.  “It’s important for my contact to keep a low profile,” retorted Daring Do smoothly, not missing a step as she swiveled to do a 180. “She’s usually working in Canterlot, but she prefers living in areas that won’t draw too much attention to herself. Upper-crust ponies would notice somepony coming and going at odd hours, but here you’d be lucky to have someone sober enough to remember they have a neighbor at all.”  “If they’re the best you’ve got, we’ll take it.” Angel Wings nodded, unsure if she was trying to convince herself or her friends. “We appreciate you and your source helping us out.” Daring Do chuckled, stopping them on the third-floor landing. “Oh, she hasn’t agreed yet. But she will, don’t worry. She’s the best source of information we’ve got, and she’ll never turn down a chance to help her friends.” “I’ll never turn down what?” grumbled a voice from inside a cracked door. “Careful, A.K. There’s a first time for everything, even with you.” Daring Do straightened her pith helmet before pushing the door open. “Yeah, well there’s no time to argue. Not right now. A Wonderbolt’s been taken hostage by the Mafia and you’ve got the most intel about obscure villains and information-gathering methods I know. So spill it, Moondancer. Are you with us or not?” The figure at the desk, barely visible in the dim light of the apartment, squinted at the ponies in the doorway. She flipped back the hood of her jacket, scowling. “I don’t know why you always insist on dragging me into your strange problems, A.K. Don’t you have books to write?”  The author smirked before she flicked on a light switch, making everypony wince at the sudden brightness. It illuminated Moondancer’s current living space, though living was probably not the best way to describe it. It looked more like the death throes of a pathological hoarder.  Slumped in the end of the hovel, amidst fallen stacks of paper and heaps of books, dog-eared and musty, sat Moondancer. She glared with all her might at the lightbulbs, as though she wished it would burn out and leave her in peace.  Angel Wings was the first to move, determinedly sticking out her hoof for Moondancer. “Nice to meet you, Miss,” she said, trying not to breathe through her nose. “I’m Angel Wings, my friend has been kidnapped, and we need your information to figure out who’s really behind all this. I’m sorry we caught you on a-” she hesitated, searching for the right words. “A, uh, a bad time, but we’ve been told to deliver a package or our friend is gonna die. Please,” she added. “Will you help us?” Moondancer blinked owlishly up at her before straightening her glasses and holding up a surprisingly clean hoof, meeting Angel Wing’s. Her lips curled up into a weary smile. “When you say it like that… sure. Fine. Just tell me what you need to know, and what you’ll need to get them back.”