//------------------------------// // S1E4: Peaches Goes Under The Ring // Story: The Adventures of Peaches and Mandy // by marmalado //------------------------------// The early thralls of the afternoon meant different things to different agents. For some, it meant more work that needed to get done, more cases that needed to be solved, more oddness to beat. For Agent Mandy, it meant more work that needed to get done, more cases that needed to be solved, more oddness to beat, and more sleeping time as a reward. With her suit hung up on the row of coat hooks that sat on the other side of the room, the hybrid was busy with her afternoon nap, letting out her usual loud snores and nonsensical gibberish. The door opened, and Twilight hobbled her way in. Bloody wounds covered nearly every inch of her body, and her leg appeared to be broken. She was an absolute wreck from head to hoof, and felt like it, too. A series of "ow's" came out with every step she took. "Mandy...nngh...I need help. Wake up." Although the alicorn knew her attempts would fail, she was so desperate for her help that she tried anyway, to no avail. She sighed. "Come on, plea- OWW!" Her body rippled as she gave a ragged exhale, gritting her teeth from the pain that skyrocketed through her splayed wings. Her legs began to wobble. "Mandy, please...my wings..." It was right then that the hybrid ceased her sleep, waking up and giving a mighty yawn. "Can't n' agent nap n' peaces...? Mmm..." she said, before her blue eyes could see Twilight a lot clearer. "Wah! Is that blood?!" Mandy immediately scrambled away from her, falling off the bed in the process and landing with a hard thump on the floor. "Am I bleeding?! Wh-" She felt her entire body. "No, no, no cut there, no cut here, I'm intact, I feel fine..." As she heaved herself back onto the bed with a relieved sigh, her gaze moved across Twilight once again, allowing her to get a better look. "Twilight! What happened to you?" "P-Peaches happened..." Peaches?! Whatever trace of fatigue Mandy had was immediately dissipated by the alicorn's answer. There's no way she did this. Why would she attack Twi like that? Her mind whirling with questions, she grabbed Twilight in her magic aura. "We hafta get you to Dr. O's immediately! C'mon!" Before Twilight could tell her that she already tried that and that he wasn't in, she was out of bed and speeding towards his office like an agent running away from a Skunkbat. It only took a few seconds for Mandy to race to the Medical Bay and start pounding on the door. "Come in!" The bang of a sliding door made Dr. O jump, and the view of an out-of-breath pony-human hybrid met his vision. "Oh, Mandy. How can I..." He trailed off when Twilight was brought into view. "Oh no." "Hi, Doctor...can you..." Mandy shook her head. "Can you fix Twilight up?" "Of course. Set her down here." She did as she was told, setting the princess down on the slide that led to the bullpen and functioned as a makeshift medical exam table. "These cuts look exceptionally deep." Dr. O observed, gently touching them and feeling Twilight wince in pain as he did so. "I have to go and find Peaches, but please, help her as best you can!" "I'll do my best." Mandy quickly dashed out of the room and headed down the stairs as fast as her feet would carry her. "Peaches! Peeeeeeeacheeeeeees!" she called, panic being the emotion that settled in her heart as she tried to find her cousin to get the details on what exactly happened to Agent Twilight Sparkle. "Agent, watch out!" A quick stumble and a flap of her wings sent Mandy careening not into Oprah, but directly over her head. Not that that did anything -- it only allowed her to collide with the ground face-first. "Are you okay? What's going on?" "It's-it's Peaches! Twi came to me all wounded n' stuff and she told me how Peaches attacked her! I need to find her, now!" "I've been getting reports all day about her attacking people and animals and destroying various objects. Some described her as..." A horrified look settled on Oprah's face. "...going feral." "But for her to be this aggressive...she was hardly like this when we first met!" Mandy grit her teeth together. I'm a pony-human hybrid and I haven't once exhibited the aggressive behaviors of a pony! If they even have aggressive behaviors, that is...but all Peaches did was attack me like a cat usually would, and I was able to speak to her and stuff! Now she's... It pained her to think about, and she mentally slapped herself to try and regain focus. "Agent Ocean and Agent Fluttershy might be able to do something about her if she's captured and taken to the Creature Room. I'm entrusting you with that task, Mandy." "Of course! I'll put myself in the path of any danger if it means saving my cousin and my friend! Do you have any leads?" "The last report I received came from the park. She may be somewhe-" Mandy lit up her horn and was gone in a flash before Oprah could even finish her sentence. And likewise, she arrived at the park in a flash. The sound of screaming immediately filled her ears. Ponies and people alike dashed back and forth, the area in an obvious state of chaos. An Earth pony from far away managed to spot Mandy, ceasing her running and waving her over. "Agent Mandy! You have to-" She was cut off by the sight of her savior being slammed to the ground, and then brutally attacked. "Agent Mandy!" All the hybrid could feel for the next few seconds was pain. Raw, sheer, excruciating pain. Fabric was being torn to shreds by claws and teeth, two layers of clothes being torn off just to dig into human flesh and open up the floodgates for blood to gush out like a dam holding water back. A scream ripped from the agent's throat. Loud, desperate, and agonizing, it caught the attention of every human and every pony in the immediate vicinity. The scream activated something in her brain -- something that told her she needed to take action now, or she was going to die. Her attacker was promptly levitated and secured in a magic bubble, where she had nothing to attack but the empty air around her. Mandy shivered in pain. Blood stained her suit, weaving its way through the threads of the fabric to create a color most fittingly reminiscent of a bruise. "Mandy!" The mare that had called her earlier raced over to her. "Please, get up." "I'm...fine." The contrary was quite obvious, but the mare didn't dare argue, instead stepping back and allowing her to get on her feet. A shake of her head, and she was (mostly) back to normal again. "Everyone! Rest assured, I have captured the attacker and will promptly be taking her to Odd Squad!" Cheers erupted throughout the area, cries of gratefulness and thanks ringing out amongst them. "If you're injured, please get an ambulance and go to Toronto General Hospital! They'll treat you there!" The cheers turned into chants, all of them shouting her name in unisonant rhythm. But as much as she was grateful for them, it was when she turned around that the cheers became echoing and hollow. Her face fell, her eyes widened, and shock was the next emotion to overtake her beating heart. Peaches, in her human form, was the attacker in question. Her eyes, once blue and full of good and innocence, were now a deep crimson red and full of nothing but unstoppable rage and hatred. Her claws, sharp like knives, were out in full force. Screams, hisses, and yowls parted from her jaws that were muffled due to the bubble's material. Tears welled up in Mandy's eyes. Whether they were tears of sorrow or tears of rage, no one knew for sure. All she could do was stand there and stare at the bubble she was holding in her magical grasp, the pain from her wounds becoming nonexistent, like an injection of anesthesia rocketing through her bloodstream. Before the tears could fall, she vigorously shook her head. No. I can't cry. Not now. I have to help my cousin. With her horn shining brighter, she used a portion of what magic she had left to teleport back to Headquarters. What had been a relatively peaceful day in the Creature Room for Fluttershy was quickly interrupted when the sound of a door being thrown open made them jump. "Ocean! Fluttershy! I have a dire emergency!" Her eyes drifted to what their fellow agent was holding with her magic. "G-goodness! Is that Peaches?" Fluttershy asked. "Yes. She's gone entirely feral. Oprah instructed me to bring her here to you. Please, you have to help her!" "We'll do all we can." Fluttershy flew up and examined the trapped Peaches at a distance, immediately noting her red eyes and her aggressive behavior. "If you're gonna help her, get some protective wear. Look at what she did to me!" Mandy turned, exposing the wounds on her back, many wide open and bleeding profusely. The Creature Room Director gasped at this sight, both at how bad the wounds are and how Mandy seemed to be just fine despite the wounds needing dire treatment. "We should have something. What has she done?" "Better question is, what hasn't she done?! Biting, clawing, scratching, she's probably killed someone along the way!" Fluttershy went into a hidden passageway. The sound of a beep was heard as a tall cage slowly moved its way forward. As she emerged from the passageway, she punched a few numbers into the keypad beside the lock, which allowed it to open. "Levitate her inside here." "You better be quick." Mandy did as she was told, moving the bubble inside of the cage. "Three, two, one." Her magic released. Just as Fluttershy locked the cage, Peaches rammed into it with all of her body weight, causing it to shake slightly. "Okay." The Pegasus exhaled. "Let me call Ocean and inform him of the situation." As she removed her badge phone and placed a speed-dial call to her fellow Creature Room Director, Mandy contemplated going over to the cage -- maintaining a safe distance, of course, but just enough so that she could talk to Peaches. Before she could make a decision, however, her friend was done with her call. "Just leave everything to us. You should go and get your injuries patched up." I'm fine. Forget about me. My cousin is first and foremost. No. If these wounds get infected with some odd virus, then I'll have a bigger problem on my hands. If I'm struck with an odd disease, I won't be able to help Peaches. Sighing, Mandy gave a nod and a "good luck" before making her way to Dr. O's office once again. Her hair and tail were both in various states of disarray. She hadn't bothered to get a new undershirt nor a new jacket. She had a one-track mind, and no one was going to sway her from it. Her fingers went to work on her keyboard as she typed all sorts of searches into Oddle, from the reasonable ("how to take care of an angry and upset family member") to the outrageous ("is my cousin possessed and if so how can I help her"). Her eyes bored into her screen, absorbing every bit of helpful information she could find. She was so focused that she didn't even register the steel doors opening, nor register the sound of familiar voices. "Watch." Otto smirked. "We'll get Mandy to settle this, then we'll just see who's right in this argument, partner." "Oh, you know I'm right." The gazes of Olive and Otto drifted to the agent in question, muttering something unintelligible as her face was pressed up against her computer screen. Her tapping foot, twitching tail, and flapping ear were all causes for alarm for the duo. "Otto, don't you dare even make so much as a slight breeze. She's gonna explode." Olive said. "Mandy?" No response. "Mandy." Still no response. "Food's on the table? We cooked you a feast? Uhh, go take a nap!" Otto's suggestions got no response, either. Without another word, Olive marched over to Mandy and slammed her hand on top of her head, yanking it away from the computer and pivoting it towards her and Otto. It took the hybrid a moment to register what was going on, but once she did, she screamed. "M-M-Momma! A-and Otto! What are you doing?! Don't interrupt me, I'm on important family business!" "Dear odd, you really are high-strung!" Olive's gaze drifted to the bandages that wrapped around Mandy's upper torso, and her eyes widened. "And what happened to you?" "Peaches happened!" Mandy inhaled. "She’s gone completely feral and I don’t know what happened but all of a sudden she’s attacking people and ponies-" A deep inhale. "-so Ms. O sent me out to find her and once I did she attacked me and tore into my back so I left her in the care of Ocean and Fluttershy and now I’m trying to find out why she’s gone feral!" As much as the duo tried to hang onto every word Mandy said, they got lost right near the end, and only exchanged confused glances with each other. "Um, well, if it helps any..." Olive scratched the back of her neck. "To my knowledge, Odd Squad has nothing on the history of catpeople. Assuming that's what you're looking for, of course." Mandy took another deep inhale. "Nothing on Vallea, either." She exhaled, which turned into a groan of defeat. "She's in the care of Ocean and Fluttershy, you said?" Otto tilted his head. "They're the best of the best when it comes to caring for creatures! I'm sure they can set her straight. Don't worry." "I guess..." Mandy exhaled. "But I'm still worried. She wasn't like this last night..." "What happened last night?" "Well, she decided to take me to the lake so she could teach me how to fish like a cat...unfortunately, I was pretty bad at it, for obvious reasons." "And then you hook it like this!" With a simple yank, a fish squirmed on Peaches's claw, desperate to get free. "Hmm." Mandy looked down at her hands. "But I don't have claws. Maybe I could do it with my hands?" Her gaze was focused on the water, still and blue but certainly not without traces of life. It took a while before the unmistakable shadow of a fish came close, but when it did, she lunged, using both her hands to try and grab it. Unfortunately, when she pulled her hands out, it slipped right out of her grasp and fell back into the water unharmed. She let out a groan. "Sorry. I probably should have seen the obvious." Peaches gave a sheepish smile. "Once we caught some fish and had dinner, we decided to take a fly through the park. It was Peaches's second time riding on my back, but she wasn't used to it yet, so I had to be super-careful. The poor thing was hugging me the entire time!" Feeling the cool air on her face, Mandy smiled as she flew through the dark night sky. "This is quite strange!" Peaches shouted at the top of her lungs. In response, Mandy only did her usual giggle-and-snort laugh. "Ya don't hafta yell, silly!" She used her pinky finger to clean out her right ear. "I can hear ya juuust fine." "O...kay." Peaches said, her voice back down to its normal volume level. "How long have you been doing this?" "Mm. It's been a while. Like I said, my spine got stronger after I transformed and stuff!" "Yeah, about that...how did you transform, anyway?" "Well, once the ponies and I beat a Hydraclops out at sea with the help of Oscar and a few other agents, we came back to land. All of a sudden I started glowing. It was weird, ‘cuz it felt all warm and cozy like a nice hug!" Mandy wrapped her arms around herself to illustrate the gesture. "And then I felt this weird sensation, like something was on my forehead and back, but I couldn’t tell what it was! And then all of a sudden I floated on down to the ground, looked in the water, and lo and behold!" She chuckled. "I had a horn, and wings, and my hair was different too! It was the strangest thing!" She sighed. "It did take me a while to get used to my new...appearance, and abilities, but I’m better now." A simple "huh" was all she got as a reaction from Peaches, not quite understanding the story even after being told of it the second time. She supposed that if she got to hear it in full, she would understand the course of events a lot better. But before she could ask her cousin for the whole story, a loud yawn escaped her. "We're gonna hafta head back soon. I'm getting sleepy...and I don't wanna sleep-fly again!" Mandy scoffed. "That happened to me once, it was so weird. I found myself two cities over the next day!" Oh, great. So she sleepwalks too, Peaches thought. And with her sleep being as unpredictable as it is...ugh, no, I'm not going to even bother thinking it. The catgirl cleared her throat. "Why don't we, uh...head back now, actually? I'm starting to get pretty tired myself." "Okey-dokey-lokey! Hold on tight!" "Whooooooaaaaa!" Mandy quickly descended towards the nearest tube entrance, not paying any attention to the fear that was written all over Peaches's face. "I haven't seen her since then. Or, well, I did...just today. I haven't seen her be normal since then." Olive nodded, but didn't spend any time thinking about Mandy's story -- the answer was clear as day to her. "Look, it's like Otto said. Have faith in Ocean and Fluttershy. They can tame any creature..." "And any animal." "No matter how feral." For a moment, the hybrid looked betrayed, as though expecting the Directors to give more useful advice. But deep down inside, she knew that they were right, and also knew that they could help very little with the current situation. "Yeah...but I don't know if they're familiar with catgirls. I-I mean you said it yourself, Momma, Odd Squad doesn't have any history on them!" Tears began to well up in her eyes again. "I just don't know what happened...to the sweet and kind and outcasted cousin I once knew." "I wish we could help more." Olive murmured, the words slipping out subconsciously. "Hey, Peaches is part cat, right? And she has cat-like behaviors. Maybe something aggravated her!" "Domestic housecats don't go around attempting to destroy every little thing, partner. Not...usually." The trio simply stood in silence, not saying anything, but instead, thinking about what to do next. And then, another idea settled in Otto's brain, this time more helpful than his previous ones. "Maybe it was the work of a villain!" Mandy perked up. "You think so?" "It's the only reason I can think of as to why Peaches is suddenly acting like this." Otto shrugged. "Worth a shot!" the hybrid chirped, already sounding more confident. "I don't wanna sit around doing nothing! I wanna help my cousin, even if it kills me! And I think I'll start by looking for a viable villain!" "Wordplay!" Otto grinned. "Nice!" "If I may give you another piece of advice...don't get worked up over this?" A growl from Mandy made Olive quickly backpedal. "B-bad choice of words, um...I-I mean it's nice that you're concerned for your cousin and all, but what I meant to say was...don't let the stress get to you!" Mandy blinked, then smiled. "D'aww, don't worry! Positive outlook, am I right or am I right?" Normally, this would have put Olive and Otto at ease...if it weren't for the sad, grief-stricken chuckle the hybrid gave before she walked away. "I'm concerned for her." "She's going to overwork herself, isn't she?" "Oh definitely." Olive nodded. "Have you seen Mandy when she gets really upset?" "Yesterday, she scorched my taco with the flames she gave off from her hair and tail..." Otto sighed. "It was a good taco, too. From that new taco place downtown." "We should help with the search. After all, who knows what Peaches is capable of?" Olive shuddered, briefly thinking of a scenario where Peaches broke free and mauled both Ocean and Fluttershy to complete shreds. "But there's no villain that specifically targets catgirls. Most of Odd Squad's villains have a pattern in who or what they attack." "Very true." Olive snapped her fingers. "I have an idea. Let's go to Ocean and Fluttershy and ask them. Maybe they have some information!" Otto eagerly nodded, and the duo took off for the Creature Room. Ocean gave an exhausted sigh, running a hand through his curly black hair. He had to admit, Peaches wasn't one of his easier creatures. He felt like taking a nap, but knew that he still had work to do. A few knocks at the door caught his attention, but before he could answer, the door slid open to reveal Olive and Otto. "Hey, dudes!" He waved. "'Sup, Ocean?" Otto winked. "How's Peaches doing?" "Ohh, kitty girl?" Ocean pointed at the cage, still and silent. "She's doin' fine. Took a loooot of ukulele-playin' just to get her to settle down, but she's asleep now." "May we see her?" Olive asked. "We're trying to help Mandy figure out why she turned feral." "Sure, dudes, c'mon in and make yourselves comfy! Oh, and close the door behind you." Facepalming at his mistake, Otto moved and quickly slid the door closed. "Over here!" Ocean motioned with his hand as Olive and Otto followed him to the cage. As the two Directors peered in, they saw Peaches softly snoring away. "She looks uninjured." Otto remarked. "How has taming her gone so far?" Olive asked. "Shy horse has been a huge help in keeping her calm, but sometimes her ideas don't work. Which is weird, 'cuz she's always been able to tame creatures and animals and stuff. Even her...uh...'Stare' didn't work out!" "Stare?" "Mandy told me about that." Otto explained. "It's an ability Fluttershy has that, according to her, she rarely uses. It helps to control creatures and animals and make them follow her command." "Ah, yes, how could I forget?" Olive shook her head and chuckled. "Good reason why Oprah put her in charge of the Creature Room." She didn't even get to finish her second sentence before Otto had turned his attention away from her and looked at Peaches. "Otto, what are you looking at?" "There's something attached to Peaches's waist! It looks like some sort of..." Otto squinted. "...golden ring?" "Oh yeah! Shy horse and I can't get that thing off no matter how hard we try! It's on super-tight." Olive moved over to the cage and examined the object for herself. Indeed, it was a golden ring that gleamed every once in a while and was gripped tightly around Peaches's waist to such an extent that the Director had to wonder how the catgirl didn't seem to show any signs of internal damage. "You two may be on to something. Maybe that ring is the reason why Peaches is acting feral!" "If that's true, then who put it on her? Enough to be that tight?" Otto wondered. "I'm not sure, but whoever did...it might seem to support my hunch that a villain is behind this." Olive ran to the door. "We have to inform Mandy!" Just before she could open it, however, a low growl came from behind her. Her entire body stiffened with fear, and she became too terrified to look back and see what was happening. "P-p-partner..." Otto and Ocean could only watch in horror as a dark shadow slowly rose behind their fellow co-worker, the shape of it easily recognizable. "Run, dudes!" Olive, suddenly being released from her paralysis of fear, flung the door open and sprinted out. But it came at the cost of the feral catgirl knocking her down by sinking her claws into her legs first. "Partner!" Otto immediately snapped out of his own horror hypnosis and rushed to help his partner. "Otto, help! HELP ME!!" Olive cried, wincing from the pain as she felt the claws of her attacker completely penetrate her arteries and veins. As Otto stood in front of Olive and bent down to grab her arms, Peaches let out a loud yowl that was much deeper than her usual yowls. It almost would have chilled Otto to the bone, if he weren't running on the fuel of adrenaline. He pulled on Olive's arms, hoping that Peaches would release her grasp on her legs, but while his goal was achieved, it only served to cause more injury. The force of Peaches letting go caused him to yank Olive upwards, the claws running deep inside and deep down her legs before they were released, then caused him to take a tumble over the guardrail that lined the second floor. On a last-minute whim, he stretched out his legs to secure himself on the lower part of the guardrail, leaving both him and Olive dangling upside down. Olive was on the verge of hyperventilation by this point, and all she could give was a weak and feeble cry of her partner's name. Tears streamed down her face, but were carried upwards and plummeting towards the ground due to gravity. "I-I'll handle things here!" Ocean said, a hurt look on his face as he knew that he had to get Peaches back under control, and doing so wouldn't leave him free to save neither Olive nor Otto. The Creature Room door closed. Otto knew he was going to lose his grip soon -- he didn't have the same athletic strength Olive did, and it was his height that had put them in such a lucky situation. His partner cried out his name again, and he had to resist crying himself. A squeaking sound as his legs began to lose their grip further. And then he couldn't hold himself up any longer. "No!" He closed his eyes, expecting the worst and hearing nothing but the sound of Olive's scream piercing his eardrums. Only five seconds later, he felt a warm sensation. "Huh?" Opening his eyes, he saw himself surrounded by a rainbow-colored magic aura and lowered to the ground, along with Olive. However, she quickly careened into him, being unable to stand on her own two feet. The pair glanced over at their savior -- one Agent Mandy, looking rather exhausted as her horn shot out a few sparks of magic. "Mandy...saved us." The words danced on Otto's lips, the adrenaline in him dying down as it was replaced with awe. "W-what? How?" "She stopped us from falling. With her magic!" "But..." Olive winced. "She can't lift us up with her magic...she's been trying for years!" "It took what magic she had, and some incredible willpower...but she saved our lives, Olive." A pool of blood began to form around Olive's feet. Her Converse sneakers, already a shade of light red, were now darkened. LIkewise, the ankles of her navy-blue pants were darkening with blood as it seeped through the fabric. "My legs..." Olive choked out a sob of pain. "Let's get you to Dr. O. Quickly!" Mandy watched as Otto scooped up Olive in his arms and bridal-carried her up the stairs. She had watched and listened to the entire conversation, in spite of her exhaustion. Did Peaches...did she hurt Momma?! She vigorously shook her head. No, no. It's like Momma said. It's the work of a villain. I'll find out who did this and make them pay dearly. She made her way to the Lab. "Oona!" "Wah!" Gadgets clattered to the floor, some breaking into a myriad of pieces, others remaining perfectly intact. "Sorry." "No, no, it's fine!" Oona waved. "What can I do ya for?" "Would you happen to have any info on villains that might have moved to Toronto recently?" Oona smirked. "As it just so happens, my dear agent, there's a villain database that we keep here. I have my own one right here in the Lab! It's, uh...more broken often than not, though." A villain database?! Wha- how even- when- is she- A flurry of questions rocketed through Mandy's brain, but she set them aside for now and nodded. "Anyone you're looking for in particular?" "I need a villain that targets felines. Or, uh, any creature and any animal. Or any creature or any animal. Really, anyone who has the ability to turn anyone aggressive with the snap of a finger." Mandy blinked, realizing the literacy of her statement. "Literally or metaphorically." "All righty, let's see here..." Digging under the countertop, Oona pulled out a keyboard (and not the one with all threes for the keys) and got to typing. As was expected of someone who did a hyper-specific search in a search engine, only a few results came up. "There's not many villains when you narrow it down to that much, but there is one. Cherry...Moriarty?" Mandy eyed the images that came with the result. They showed a woman with red hair adorned with cherry decorations and a sparkling red dress with a black belt attached to her waist. What shimmered in the center of it and served as the buckle was a gold-colored cherry, surrounded by a golden ring. Her teeth were a near-blinding white, and her expression in the mugshot taken of her held no traces of regret. "She's a fashion designer situated in Toronto whose overall goal is to create a line of servants to help her with her work. She does this by hypnotizing various people to do her bidding using golden rings that she attaches to their bodies." "Do the rings make them aggressive?" "There's a report from a hypnotized agent's partner who was able to save him." As she typed, a rather lengthy report came up, and Mandy read it aloud. "Agent Orin was hypnotized by Cherry Moriarty, who managed to attach a ring on his arm while fighting her. As a result, he was ordered to attack his own partner, Agent Ordell, and affix a ring to him as well. But Ordell refused to be “ringed”, as he calls it. He tried to convince Orin of the fun times they had together, and their friendship and partnership. The two had very positive chemistry, and all it took was a few reminders for Orin to break free of the hypnosis. Together, the two beat Cherry Moriarty, and set her in her place. Once Ms. O found out about it, she ordered Security agents to destroy Cherry’s lair and all of the golden rings she produced." Mandy blinked. "But...she's back." "She's back?!" "Yes, and she's targeted Peaches. She must have hypnotized her somehow. But...if that ring made Orin aggressive, maybe..." The hybrid thought back to when she was attacked, and what she saw when she was able to get up on her feet again. Although she could feel the shock that ricocheted through her at the time, there was one detail that she happened to notice. "There was a ring around Peaches! I remember seeing one when I trapped her!" She nodded vigorously. "There must be a connection. Cherry Moriarty somehow targeted Peaches, put a ring around her waist, and made her aggressive. But since she's a catgirl and not fully human, the ring must have some adverse effect that made her more aggressive than usual...that made her go completely feral!" "Mandy!" Fluttershy flew into the Lab as fast as her wings would carry her. "I saw Olive with blood dripping down her legs! Is she all right?" "I don't know." Mandy shook her head. "Dr. O should be treating her. But I think I found out who put that golden ring on Peaches. The reason why she attacked Momma in the first place!" "The ring...you mean the one that Ocean and I can't get off?" "Yes!" Mandy grabbed hold of the hovering Fluttershy and pulled her closer. "I want you to find the other ponies and meet up in the bullpen." "Why?" "I want Cherry Moriarty dead." Fluttershy broke free and backed off as she saw Mandy combust into flames that wrapped every inch of her body. As she spoke, the hybrid's voice only served to get more deeper and become more reverberating. "I want her to cower for mercy at the behest of Odd Squad. And I want her GONE FROM THIS WORLD!" The cry of the hybrid's desire echoed throughout the bullpen, and several agents took notice, some looking alarmed by their coworker's sudden change in both attitude and appearance. "R-r-right away!" Fluttershy quickly flapped her wings and took off towards the hallway at about the same speed she came into the Lab. The flames sizzled down, and Mandy returned to normal. "Thank you, Oona. I can't express enough of my gratitude. Remind me what your favorite sweet treat is?" "U-um...R-Rocky Road ice cream?" Oona's voice was higher-pitched than it normally was. For someone who wielded a mallet and certainly wasn't afraid to use it, she drew the line at making Mandy burst into flames, and didn't say anything more at the risk of angering her again. "Perfect. I'll make that for you later. Right now, I have a catgirl to save and a villain to kill!" With a flap of her wings, Mandy soared out of the Lab, Oona watching her go and exhaling a very long and very pent-up sigh of relief. The door to the Creature Room slid open once again. "Ocean!" The room appeared empty. "Ocean?" "Sorry, dude! I was updating the creature database and I got distracted. Be out in a minute or two!" Hearing his laid-back voice, albeit from far away, allowed a wave of relief to wash over Mandy. "Oh, thank odd. I thought you were dead! Can I see Peaches?" "Why?" "The golden ring around her waist is a result of Cherry Moriarty's heinous misdeeds. She's trying to turn Peaches into one of her servants, and the only way to turn her back to normal is if she's able to recognize me." Mandy sighed. "It's a risk, but one I'm willing to take." "Sure! She should be in the cage. I had it secured super-extra this time, so don't worry." It was then that the question of "how did she escape in the first place" re-formed in Mandy's head, and as she went over and examined the cage, she saw that the bars were just wide enough for Peaches to slip through...in her cat form. Of course. I didn't think she would be sane enough to do that, but I guess I was wrong. Peaches snarled and hissed at her, although she made no effort to throw her body against the bars again. Mandy kneeled down. "Peaches." A hiss. "Where did you go? Where's my friend?" A growl, and then a low threatening yowl. "Remember when we first met? It wasn't that long ago...but you were so passionate in finding out who destroyed your hometown. You thought it was me. But it wasn't me. And you were so hardheaded. You didn't open up to me until I left you a note detailing just how far I was gonna go to befriend you." Peaches gave another yowl, although Mandy noted it seemed less fierce and less threatening than the previous one. "I don't really remember anything about Aunt Kimi and Uncle Derek. Really. After all, the only family I know is Odd Squad. They raised me after I found myself in one of their Headquarters." The yowl downgraded to a growl. "Peach? Can...can I call you that? Can I call you Peach?" And then, to a softer growl. "Peach...I'm gonna find who did this to you. I’ll make them suffer dearly by my hammer’s will." Mandy clenched her fists. "But first...I wanna make sure you’re okay. I wanna know more about you, and I wanna help you find the person who burnt your town down. I wanna go up to your King, and tell him how great you are!" Her throat began to close as she began to choke up. "I want you to see the wonders of Odd Squad with me, to help the agents here thrive!" A sniffle. "We have so many more adventures we hafta go on!" It was then that the hybrid began to sob, tears dripping on the ground as she shut her eyes tight, remembering the fun times she had with Peaches that, while few and far between, were still cherished memories to her. "P-please...if there's one thing I wanna do, right now..." She choked out another sob. "It's to get that ring off of you! I-it must be hurting you, it looks so tight..." She collapsed, going from kneeling to laying on her side a quivering and shaking and tear-soaked mess. She felt like letting out a scream, in that instant -- a scream of rage, of misery, of pain, a scream that would be in memoriam of all the adventures that would never come to pass. But instead, she resigned herself to pounding her fist on the floor with as much strength as she could muster, breaking her hand be completely damned. "Why...why couldn't have it been me. Why couldn't it have been me who had gotten attacked by that vile...that vile...degenerate. Why not me. WHY NOT ME?!" The shaking she was doing soon had the emotion of rage greeting sadness and blending together to make a rather destructive harmony all throughout her body. She grit her teeth as she went to war with it, trying to keep it at bay for now, for the sake of Ocean and the creatures he took care of. "I love you, cuz." The shaking stopped. The rage was immediately placed on the back burner. Mandy sat up and stared at the caged catgirl, who had just told her something extraordinary. Her eyes, full of fear and confusion, turned from red to blue. "I love you. As a family member, and as a friend. And I always will, forever and ever." Peaches grunted. "This ring...I feel like my organs are being crushed..." "Don't move, okay? D-don't move!" Mandy got up and attempted to punch in the same four numbers that she had seen Fluttershy punch in earlier. The code allowed the cage to be unlocked, and the hybrid walked right in, not caring about if Peaches would suddenly switch back or even if she was still in a trance. "I'm gonna try and get it off of you with all of my magical ability. It'll hurt, but stay strong." Peaches nodded, and watched as Mandy's horn lit up and attached to the ring. The two girls struggled greatly with the magical object, Peaches moving back to make it easier on Mandy and Mandy channeling every single ounce of strength and energy she had into removing it from Peaches's waist. The ring developed a small crack. Mandy could hear a cry of pain from Peaches. An even louder crack sounded, and the next thing the hybrid knew, she was lying flat on her back, completely exhausted and heaving out massive puffs of air. Her horn sparked once more, and the ring clattered on the floor behind her head. Peaches shook her head vigorously and rubbed it, as though she had a headache. "Mandy? Wh-where am I? Are you okay?" "I'm fine...my magic just shorted out." The hybrid waved a finger nonchalantly. "You're in the Creature Room." "The Creature Room?" Knowing that she had to get rid of the ring -- who knew what it was capable of? -- Mandy quickly rolled over onto her stomach and stood up. From her hammerspace spine, she pulled out her hammer. "Stand back, this could get messy!" she called, letting loose a battlecry as she swung the hammer high above her head then brought it back down directly onto the ring, which disintegrated a few seconds upon impact. "That...should take care of that." "I feel so...woozy..." Peaches stumbled out of the cage that had once housed her, only to start losing her balance. "Whoa!" "Let's get you to Dr. O. You shouldn't be doing anything in your state." The catgirl nodded as she leaned on Mandy's shoulder, the hybrid giving her goodbyes to the still-absent Ocean before leaving. Only a minute later, the pair left the Medical Bay. "Hey, Dr. O gives very strict orders!" Mandy shrugged in response to Peaches's groan. "If he says you should rest, then you need to rest." "But...what are you gonna do...?" At this question, Mandy gave a raucous noblewoman's laugh. "Moi? Why, I'm going to find who did this to you and make them suffer, of course!" She smiled. "For you...cuz." Peaches gave a tired chuckle. "I like that nickname." "Glad you do!" As Mandy helped Peaches into bed, a mischievous smile formed on her face, and she patted her shoulder. "Get some sleep. Lil' ol' Mandy's got things covered." Peaches noticed her cousin's tone of voice went from reassuring to taunting near the end, but said nothing about it, instead closing her eyes as she heard the door to her room close. "Mandy! What took ya so long?" The hybrid was surprised to find the ponies (save Twilight, who was absent) all gathered in the center of the bullpen, apparently having waited quite a while for her. "Sorry, Applejack! I had to help Peaches break free of her hypnosis." She gave an exhale. "And I'm proud to say that I've managed to do it!" "She's not aggressive anymore?" Fluttershy asked. "Nope!" "That is wonderful news, darling!" Rarity smiled. "According to my research, the ring was placed around her waist by Cherry Moriarty, a local fashion designer who wants to hypnotize people into becoming her servants." Just as quickly as it formed, the smile faded. "How dare she!" "To break someone out of the hypnosis, you have to share a deep bond with them and have positive chemistry with each other. If you can remind them of the good times you've shared with them, it helps them to break free. And that's what I did with Peaches." "But doesn't that mean Cherry Moriarty is still on the loose?" Pinkie asked. "Yes. And I'm enlisting you six to help me find her. Are ya in, agents?" All of the mares gave various murmurs of agreement, determined looks settling on their faces. "Perfect. Let's roll out, ponies!" As the group raced for the steel double-doors, Mandy made a quick pit stop at the North Control Room to ask Owen where Cherry actually was. Lucky for her, he was keen on giving her an answer this time around, which she was grateful for. She followed the ponies to the Tube Lobby. Time to twist Cherry's world upside down. As soon as Rainbow Dash arrived at the park to round out the group, Mandy barked out an order. "All right, spread out, all of you. I want Cherry Moriarty destroyed, whether it's by your hooves or my hammer." "Right!" came the unisonant cry of the Mane Six before they darted off in different directions. This, of course, left Mandy free to explore the area of where she was now by going airborne. To her surprise, it didn't take very long to find Cherry, as the hybrid found her within minutes, tormenting poor Fluttershy. The yellow Pegasus whimpered, her wings locked up tight enough to prevent her from flying away and her anxiety too high to become nothing but a sitting duck at the mere sight of the woman in front of her. "Now stay still, horsie, and let me-" A blur passed by her vision so fast that the villainess wasn't sure whether her eyes were playing tricks on her or not. "Huh?!" As Fluttershy was set down onto the ground, she opened up her mouth to give Mandy thanks, but closed it when she saw that Mandy had other priorities at the moment than exchanging words of gratitude. "You're not taking my friend. Not if I have any say in it!" "And just who are you?" Her gaze drifted to the golden badge her opponent wore -- just like that of the Pegasus she was about to attack. She gasped. "Odd Squad?!" "That's right! I'm an Odd Squad agent just like the 'horsie' you tried to hypnotize!" Mandy's body became consumed by flames once again, her voice growing deeper and more reverberating. "And I'm here to kill you." Fluttershy's eyes widened, and she quickly made her escape while she still had the chance, not caring whether Cherry spotted her or not. "Ooh, such tough talk from such a pint-sized agent!" Cherry taunted. "You'd be perfect for my newest fall line. I can use that tail of yours as viable fabric! Imagine...everyone lined up to grab the first exclusive clothing made from the skin and fur of Agent Mandy, the most popular agent of the whole organization!" "You touch my tail, and complete darkness is the last thing you'll ever see." Cherry didn't waver, and only chuckled at what she thought was an empty threat. "Well, if you think you're so brave, come on and take me on! I'll hypnotize you, just like I did with that silly little catgirl!" "Gonna hafta catch me first!" With a flash of rainbow light, Mandy was gone. And in another flash of rainbow light, she appeared right behind Cherry, hammer in hand. It was a direct hit to the back, one that sent the woman stumbling forward as she gave out a grunt. "How dare-" "Oh, I can inflict more damage! Much more!" The flames around the hybrid grew more intense, as did the echo in her voice. "You hurt my cousin, and for that, you'll spend the rest of your life...in hell!!" "Never!" With ease and dexterity, Cherry fired two sewing needles that, as stupid as such a weapon was, looked a lot thicker than regular sewing needles. Because they were so easy to spot, Mandy was able to dodge them with just a few simple steps. "Ha! Ya missed! Now it's my turn! I'm gonna leave you nothing but a husk of your old self!" Forgoing the hammer entirely for this round, Mandy spread her wings and took to the sky, letting her horn be encapsulated by her magic. Once she stored up enough power, she fired a laser blast that would be a spectacle to the naked eye, but absolute torture for whomever was hit by it. And torture it was -- Cherry let loose cries of agonizing pain, feeling tears prick at her eyes from how piercing it felt. Far away from the makeshift battlefield, the five ponies sat, quickly joined by a terrified Fluttershy. "Fluttershy! You all right?" Applejack asked. "I-I'm fine...C-Cherry was about to hypnotize me before Mandy saved me!" "Oh no. She's crazy upset again, ain't she?" "I don't blame her." Fluttershy sat down next to her farmpony friend. "Cherry did hurt her cousin. We should probably let them battle it out." "I do agree, darling." Rarity remarked, watching the battle rage on in both awe and fear. "Even I know not to mess with Mandy when she's all fired up like that." Rainbow had to bite back laughter from the unintentional pun she made. "Still, shouldn't we rush in and help if she needs it?" "Definitely. But I think ol' Mandy's got this one covered, Pinkie Pie." AJ patted her friend on the shoulder. The battle between Mandy and Cherry waged on for what seemed like hours. It was steel versus steel, neither adult nor child willing to back down and be defeated so easily by their sorely-underestimated opponent. Finally, one of the deciding blows was made. Using her magic, Mandy effortlessly swung her hammer directly into Cherry's face with enough force to send her careening quite a ways across the park. The only thing that stopped her impromptu flight backwards was a tree that she collided into, causing her to slump to the ground. It was quite a miracle, at least to Mandy, how the villainess's spine didn't seem to suffer any sort of injury from the incident -- but this was Odd Squad, where human anatomy played by a completely different set of rules that defied all conceived notions of biology. Ever so slowly, the hybrid made her way over to her fallen opponent, her footsteps ominous and looming. She spun her hammer in her hand as though it were a yo-yo, her teeth bared, blood splattered all over her body. One would easily mistake her as having just stepped out of a horror movie -- at least, that's how it appeared to Cherry. After a minute or two, she stopped in front of the woman that had defied her. "P-p-please..." the villainess begged, not getting another word out before a wave of violent coughing overtook her. "When you can't stand on your own two feet, that is when I will concede." Mandy pivoted her head and spit in the grass, the saliva tainted with blood -- whether it was her own blood or Cherry's, she didn't care. "Now you know what the punishment is for hurting my cousin. And if you don't have the brain of a rock from the 1900s, you will not try this stunt of stupidity again. Understand?" Cherry continued to cough. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" "Y-y-yes! Yes!" Mandy exhaled. "Then let's get this over with, shall we?" Tears spilled from the villainess's eyes as she watched her opponent do the worst. "No..." The word was nothing more but a mere whisper on her bloodied lips, her body seizing up with fear as she knew this entire battle was a one-way ticket to death. "Aww, don't cry, little servant of odd." For a brief second, a sympathetic look crossed Mandy's face, but it quickly faded away and was replaced with unbridled rage once more. "It makes the pain worse." A distant but loud bang pierced the sky, making the ponies jump up in surprise and start looking around for the source of the sound. "Did she just do what I think she just did?!" Applejack asked. "I think so!" Pinkie responded, her voice cracking, although no one called her out on it. Fluttershy took to the sky to get a birds-eye view of what was going on. And what she saw made her nearly drop out of the sky in shock. "Wait. She missed!" "You're right, Fluttershy." Rainbow descended from the sky, where she had also gotten an aerial view of the situation. "Did she do that on purpose?" "Knowing Mandy, most likely!" Rarity nodded. The hybrid wiped blood off of her face, again not caring whether it was hers or Cherry's. "You are very lucky I am granting you mercy, Cherry Moriarty." She gripped the handle of her hammer tight, holding it steady. The head of it was wedged all the way into her opponent's mouth to the point where she was fiercely choking and struggling to breathe. "But the next time you dare lay a finger on my cousin, or on anyone from Odd Squad, you have already signed your own death wish, and I will be your sole executioner. Do you understand?" Understandably, all the hybrid got in response to her threat was a series of choking noises, Cherry's face beginning to turn blue from the lack of oxygen. "ANSWER ME!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Cherry nodded, but that didn't help her current situation any -- on the contrary, it made it worse, as the pain in her jaws only got more intense. Finally, with a mighty yank, Mandy freed the head of her hammer from Cherry's mouth, pulling out a few teeth in the process. The scream of pain the woman gave in reaction to her pulled teeth didn't concern Mandy any, and she merely watched as the teeth landed in the grass. "M-my teef..." It was at this point that Cherry's tears of fear turned into tears of both fear and pain. Her mouth now looked akin to that of a smoker who had missing teeth from one too many cigarettes, and since she was an adult and not a child, those teeth were now gone permanently -- a rather fitting price to pay, Mandy thought, for what she had done. The hybrid's flames died down, and she returned to normal once again. "Get that checked out by your dentist. And don't put it on my tab." As a final victorious act of showmanship, she took her hammer in her hand, spun it around like a yo-yo, and threw it up into the air. From there, she grabbed its handle with ease and made a pose reminiscent of a magical girl about ready to kick some serious villain butt. "She's coming!" Rainbow Dash remarked, landing and sitting right next to her friends, all of them lined up neatly in a row like soldiers awaiting their next command. "Follow her orders and do what she says, y'all. She's our higher-up, after all." Sure enough, Mandy approached the group, her gaze holding no positive emotions within it but no negative emotions either. "Go back to HQ. I'm heading to Momma and Otto's precinct to check up on them. Agent Applejack, can you check up on Peaches for me, please?" The farmpony nodded. "Of course, sugarcube." "Thank you." "Let's go, darlings." Taking charge in the absence of Twilight, Rarity led her friends to the nearest tube entrance. "There's gotta be some magic left..." Mandy muttered to herself, allowing her horn to light up so she could teleport away, leaving Cherry to be someone else's problem -- Odd Squad villain she may be, but as far as the hybrid was concerned, she couldn't care less about her fate. Inside of their office, Otto was helping a wheelchair-bound Olive patch her wounds up. "Oww!" she cried, gripping the handles of the wheelchair as she winced at the pain. "S-sorry! I'm being as gentle as I can, but these bandages are already soaked with blood." Just as he was removing the last of the bandages, a bright flash emanated from behind him, and Mandy appeared. "Mandy!" Olive's voice was full of relief and delight, and she had to fight the urge to run up and hug her adoptive daughter. "What happened to you?" Otto asked, his voice full of concern as he eyed the hybrid and the blood she had still on her. "Long fight with Cherry Moriarty. Long story short, she won't be making any golden rings or hypnotizing anyone anytime soon." Reaching behind her back, she yanked out a clean washcloth, which she used to clean the blood off of her face. "How're your legs, Momma?" "It's the worst pain I've felt in a long time." Olive sighed. "Since the pienado attack, even." "I'm changing her dressings now." "Lemme help you!" As she grabbed the roll of gauze that sat on the coffee table beside Otto, she asked, "She was put in a wheelchair?" "Just for a few days, so I can be off my legs and let them heal." For a brief moment, Mandy wanted to ask how the duo got up to their office, but then she remembered they had elevators like her own precinct. She stretched the gauze out. "Otto, grab onto her hand." "Why?" "If it hurts, she can squeeze it." Nodding, Otto did as he was told, taking his hand in Olive's. She gave him a grateful smile, a silent "thank you" for letting it be an impromptu stress ball. A minute later, Mandy had taped the last of the gauze around Olive's legs, even going so far as to design it in bow shapes to give it a little touch of class. "Okay, she should be all set!" Otto gave an awkward smile, feeling pain of his own from Olive gripping his hand tight enough to break a bone -- which it would have, if she were doing it at her full strength. "Make sure you help her with whatever she needs, okay?" "Of course...ah, Olive, let go, she's done!" Like a blood pressure cuff, the Director slowly released her tight grip on Otto's hand, allowing him to break free of the hand-holding and make sure it was all right. "Are you gonna be okay?" she asked Mandy. "Yeah. I hate when villains get in the way of my afternoon nap...such a bother..." The hybrid sighed. "And the adrenaline's wearing off too." "Why don't you head back to Headquarters?" Otto suggested. "Was just gonna do that." Mandy said. "Rest up, okay, Momma?" "You got it, Dr. Mandy." A tired chuckle left Mandy's mouth before she left through the Directors' personal tube entrance. The sound of her tube delivering an arrival made Oprah perk up and shift her attention from the work. "Oh! Welcome back, Agent Mandy." she greeted the arrival. "Thank you." Mandy sighed. "You will be happy to know that I've defeated Cherry Moriarty, the villainess behind Peaches's going feral. I, uh...m-may have gone overboard..." She scratched the back of her neck. "But she won't be hypnotizing anyone else anytime soon." "And is Peaches un-hypnotized?" "Yep! She's asleep in her room right now as per Dr. O's orders." "All right." Oprah nodded. "Hopefully she makes a full recovery soon." "The ring Cherry put around her waist has also been destroyed. I made sure of it." Mandy said. "Would it be possible to have Security agents pinpoint if she's made a new lair?" "From what I've heard from other agents, she has no lair. Not since I sent Security to destroy it." Mandy blinked. She almost wanted to bust out laughing. No lair?! Then how did she expect to build a fashion empire?! Even Rarity had the wits to build a boutique to operate out of! She managed to keep her mockery inside her head, however. "Oh, yeah, um...Olive was hurt by Peaches. She got attacked and got huge bloody gashes in her legs. The Dr. O here told her to stay off of her legs for a couple days." Oprah's eyes widened. Such an event happened...and she hadn't heard it. Regret washed over her as she thought how she could have saved Olive from Peaches had she been there. She made a mental note to check up on her fellow Director later. "I will admit, it's quite terrifying to think of Cherry being capable of doing that. Or, well...not directly, but...y-you get it, I'm sure." She waved a hand. "If you want the full report, I can have it in by 5." "No need. Take the rest of the day off, Mandy." "From what I've been hearing, you've been through a lot. And you look like you're gonna fall asleep standing up, which, let's be honest...your loud snores aren't conducive to my work." Like a trigger that was just pushed, Mandy yawned. "Y' just had to say it, didn't ya?" "Go ahead. You can file the report tomorrow." "Thanks!" Another yawn left Mandy's body as she turned and walked out of the Director's office. After a few seconds passed, Oprah's eyes widened in realization. She leaped out of her chair. "And make sure you clean yourself free of the blood! That's hard to get out of an Odd Squad suit, you know!" "Uh-huh, got it!" On her way to the Bedroom after a well-deserved shower, Mandy peered into Peaches's room, only to find the catgirl snoring away. "Yeah, she's not gonna wake up for a while." she said, closing the door just as quickly as she had opened it. Letting out another yawn, she entered the Bedroom and quickly got changed into some comfy pajamas, then leaped into bed as though returning its welcoming hug. "And neither...will I..." As soon as her head hit the pillow, she began to snore, her first words of sleep-talk being "G'night, Peach" before it devolved into her usual random gibberish.