//------------------------------// // A Rocky Start // Story: Equestria Ninja Girls: The Thievius Raccoonus // by RainbowRaptorDash1 //------------------------------// As the van drove through the streets, Rarity woke up from her nap. "Good morning, everyone." Rarity greeted after a yawn. "Morning Rarity." Murray greeted back. "I got to admit. This van is surprisingly spacious." Karai noted. "Well Bentley did need more room if he needed to do some hacking work." Sly answered. "So, who's next for us to beat up?" Adagio asked. "You know, it's been a while I've been back in the US. Next up, our second target, the notorious Muggshot, ruthless muscle of the Fiendish Five. What he lacked in brains, he made up for in brawn." Sly told the Beauty Trio. "So we're up against a musclehead next?" Rarity assumed. "That's right, but it turns out he wasn't always that way." Sly added. "He wasn't?" The Beauty Trio asked in confusion. "Yeah, as a kid he grew up as the runt of the litter, the neighborhood weakling." Sly explained. "But why'd he turn out to be like this now?" Adagio wondered. "Because the only friends he could turn to were usually found on the big screen. It was there that he spotted his first gangster, and he knew instantly that's what he wanted to be." Sly responded. "Yeesh, he turned out as a gangster because of a movie?" Karai asked. "Unfortunately, yeah. He spent the rest of his youth working real hard to get there, fueled on his dreams of great power and respect. With enough perspiration, he realized that dream. He'd become a hard-boiled, street brawling, tough-as-nails gangster, ensuring that he'd never be picked on or pushed around again." Sly answered. "I just hope my sister and her friends never turn out like that." Rarity dreaded. "If they're friends with each other, that won't happen. So Muggshot's holed up in Mesa City, huh? I've always wanted to go to that thriving American boomtown." Sly noted. "I think Sonata said something about wanting to go there too." Adagio remembered. "Then I guess that Sonata's gonna be jealous after hearing our latest adventure." Karai said as the van was only a few minutes away from Mesa. "Okay, I modified your headset to work like a binco-u-com, Adagio. I even added a flashlight feature." Bentley informed. "Thanks." Adagio said in gratitude. "I also finished the Grappling Hook Launcher Bracelets for Rarity." Bentley added. "Functional and fashionable?! I LOVE IT!!!" Rarity squealed in excitement as she strapped them onto her wrists. "You'll have to learn on the fly. We're here." Sly said as he and the Beauty Trio went outside the van and onto "Hey, Sly! I thought you said Mesa City was going to be loud and busy. This looks more like a ghost town!" Bentley pointed out. "The only people I'm seeing are Muggshot's men." Adagio informed as she used her headgear's new upgrade. "Man, this place is starting to give me the creeps! What do you guys say we take off?" Bentley asked. "And miss all the fun? Besides Bentley, we need to get the pages and take down Muggshot. Give us the quick version of Rarity's gauntlets." Sly responded. "The gauntlets can latch onto edges and enemies, but I haven't had time to test them." Bentley informed. "And it looks like we’ll need to use my ancestor, Rioichi Cooper’s Ninja Spire Jump." Sly added. "Just means it's natural for us." Adagio said as she, Sly, Rarity and Karai headed down the path as they kept out of sight from the guards. "So much for his security system." Karai scoffed as Adagio started sniffing the air. "I’m not sure. Look at the floor." Adagio pointed out as Sly saw the lasers go on and off. "Bentley, What's with those flashing lights?" Sly asked. "What are they hooked up to?" Rarity added. "I don’t know, but they’re the latest in high-tech security, electronic floor sensors. Step onto them, and you’re a goner." Bentley answered. "Nice touch." Sly quipped. "They're safe to walk on while flashing, but it also means they're about to switch to a different sector. And I don't think we have time." Bentley informed. "Then let's try my gauntlets out." Rarity suggested. "Rarity, wait. I forgot to mention you only have ten shots before you need a new cartridge. I'm still working on new ones." Bentley pointed out. "Oh, thanks for the warning then." Rarity said in gratitude as she fired a line across with her right gauntlet and heard the mechanics change. "Now I have four lines on my right gauntlet." After Sly and the Beauty Trio got across, they found 9 guards at the gate. "Alright, ladies: Pick them off or straight at them?" Sly asked. "Honestly, I’d go with picking them off." Adagio answered. "A lot more fun that way." Karai agreed. "We'll need someway to draw then away." Sly noted before he, Karai and Adagio immediately looked at Rarity. "Oh, I see. Some charm is needed." Rarity realized as she gained an intrigued smile, while the thugs at the gate were bored out of their minds. "Oh, boys." A female voice sang, calling out to the thugs. "Huh?" A thug asked as he and his friends saw a beautiful young lady snow leopard in a pretty dress. "I'm afraid that I'm a bit lost. Can any of you gentlemen help me?" The woman, revealed to be Rarity asked as the thugs went head over heels for Rarity’s beauty. "I just need some help changing the tire on my car. Can any of you help me." "I’ll help you doll." A thug answered, while that name made Rarity a bit angry on the inside. “Doll?!” Rarity thought in anger while all of the thugs started trying to top each other. "Boys, this a big job. More hands means faster work." Rarity suggested as the thugs followed her into her team's trap. "Time for this snake to strike her prey." Karai quipped as she wrapped her tail around a thug and pulled him away. "Huh?" That grabbed thug wondered before the next thing he knew was Karai beating him up. "Hey, where'd the beauty go?" Another thug asked. "Could two of you come over here? I think I twisted my ankle." Rarity's voice called out. "On our way, doll!" The thug said while the real Rarity seethe with anger as the he and his friend got beat up by Adagio "Hey, what's going on?" Another thug asked, not noticing Sly holding his cane up behind the thug's neck. "Heh, lights out big guy." Sly quipped as he pulled the thug back and beat him up. "Hey, somebody here?!" A thug shouted. "Boys, over here." Rarity called out. "Doll?" The thug asked as he went to Rarity’s spot and received a savage beating before being hung upside down. "Okay, I'm calling the boss." The leader thug declared before Rarity walked up to the him. "Now why would you want to do that?" Rarity asked as the thugs were unaware she held a bomb full of Karai's venom. "There is no reason to do that." "B-But..." The leader thug stammered before Rarity started to caress the thug's cheek, making his tail wag. "Okay..." He goofily gave in as Rarity pulled the pin, then covered her eyes as it exploded, hitting all of the thugs' eyes. "Don't... Ever... Call... Me... Doll!" Rarity roared as she beat up all of the conscious thugs without hesitation or restraint, leaving them all in a pile, knocked out cold, before Adagio, Karai and Sly showed up. "Trust me Rarity, I understand." Adagio said in empathy before a radio came on. "Hey, what was that noise?" A voice asked, presumably Muggshot. "I got this one." Adagio assured as she activated her voice modulator. "Someone better respond before I get really mad." Muggshot growled before something came through the radio. "Uh, everything is fine. Thought we saw someone trying to get in." A voice answered. "A false alarm?" Muggshot asked. "Yeah, turns out to be a rat. Everything going good on your end, Boss?" Adagio responded in a disguised voice as Sly entered the code into the fault. "Yeah. Yeah, you can say that." Muggshot answered. "We'll contact you when we actually have something." Adagio said in a disguised voice as Karai got a treasure key. "Good." Muggshot responded as Adagio hung up. "Idiot. What's the loot this time?" Adagio asked as Sly brought out the page. "Outstanding! After inputting 3-1-4, you guys uncovered Rob McCooper’s patented Explosive Hat Technique! Now Sly can toss his cap and detonate it. Don’t worry, he has more of those, and that technique can be modified to other fashion choices. But if you’re using it, better back off to a safe distance first!" Bentley informed as Sly put his calling card into the vault. "Save that one for emergencies." Rarity agreed as her left gauntlet switched. "And I got a treasure key." Karai said. "Let's move, everyone." Sly declared as he and the Beauty Trio kept on going forward after Karai opened a small gate, going into the circular tunnel.