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// November 3rd: The Flightless Falcons 
// Story: MLDC: The Batmare - The Long Nightmare Night 
// by littleman001 
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If there was one thing Twilight Sparkle hated more than anything, it was interia. Add to that having to follow a crime boss' instructions in order to move an investigation forward and she was understandably more than a little peeved the next day.

For twenty four hours, all she could do was pray that the Candy Colt won't strike again until she had the information she needed. And to her relief, it looked like her prayers have been heard. When she went through the paper the next morning, she was glad to see no report of another underworld figure or costumed rogue poisoned by candy. The Batmare's capture of the 'Crossbow Killer' made the headlines instead. Twilight recalled an old joke she heard from Spike about how the Batmare was making journalism the most well paying job in the city.

According to the paper, she was a pony named Holly Baroness, the heir to one of Manehattan's oldest crime families and the massacre they were killed in was a mob hit that she was the sole survivor of. Twilight should have probably felt some sympathy for her. She probably would have if she was still Princess Celestia's student. But now, she couldn't. As far as she was concerned, it was just another criminal getting put where her place was.

She was far more interested in the transportation technology she retrieved from her. Or what was left of it anyway. Capper's rocket sure did a number on it, but she and Spike were able to salvage enough to understand how she built a motorised bike for herself. That was something they could use for their own advantage.

But for now, Twilight had to concentrate on her meeting with the abyssinian crime boss. All throughout the day, all she could think about what she would hear from him. She couldn't even focus on her work at the library properly. Good thing Spike was always there to cover for her. She spent the whole day pacing in her room, looking out the window every five minutes to see if the sun had set already.

When the time had finally come, she headed straight down to the batcave, got into her suit and headed out into the night. She didn’t even stop until she reached the Iceberg Lounge. She knew Capper said to be there exactly when she arrived last night, but knowing her luck and this city as well as she did, she knew that she will find plenty of things to keep her busy until then.

Once again, she wasn”t wrong. If there was one good thing about the criminals of Manehattan, it was that they always gave her a way to kill time and take some of her frustration out on something. Five assaults, three attempts of robbery, two of rape and even an act of arson that ended up being part of an insurance fraud. Just a night in the life of the Batmare.

By the time she took care of her last remaining business, it was long past the time she met Capper last night, so she was worried that she wouldn’t find him there when she jumped through his office window. Thankfully, he was still there, sitting behind his desk with a bored expression on his face, pushing small figurines around on a map of the city. When he heard the vigilante land in his room, he looked up at her before checking his watch.

“You’re late.” The cat stated. Batmare just stared at him blankly and Capper threw his hands up defensively. “Oh, don’t get me wrong! I am not offended at all. In fact, I am glad I was actually prepared for your arrival for once.” Batmare had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

“Let’s just get this over with.” She growled. “You said you would tell me who else had the means and the motive to kill Cyan.” Capper sighed.

“Always so crude.” He said, but he quickly decided not to push his luck any further. “Alright, listen here.” He then arranged his figures around the map. “Here is me in my little casino and night club in the middle of the city and here is everything owned by the late Black Mask.” He placed a penguin figure over the Iceberg Lounge on the map and black skulls over the other areas he mentioned. “Notice how nothing we have interlaps with each other.”

Batmare looked over the map and indeed, she saw nothing that would imply that Capper and Cyan were in a conflict. Capper went on. “Now, here are all the other major players in the city.” He then placed cocktail glasses over the places still owned by Silver Martini’s family in the absence of the imprisoned stallion, a wooden pony over some outskirt establishments that have been recently taken over by a new guy who picked up the supposedly cursed puppet of a former ventriloquist turned bank robber.

“Now, tell me if you see anything interesting.” Capper said before placing one last figure on the table.on an old mansion. Batmare’s eyes widened in realization as soon as she saw what the figure was. Between a few of Manehattan’s most profitable nightlife attractions, was a residence most of the city had completely forgotten about in the past year. For it’s residents have slowly faded into obscurity. But she would never forget about them.

A small wooden falcon was placed on the mansion’s drawing surrounded by clubs, restaurants and bars currently owned by the late Romance Cyan, that formerly belonged to none other than the stallion that ruined Twilight Sparkle’s life in Manehattan. The stallion who took away the pony she wanted to spend the rest of her life with from her. The stallion who was the reason she began her one pony war on crime. Caramel Falcon.

Capper turned away only for the duration of pouring himself another drink and by the time he turned back, the Batmare was nowhere to be seen. The abyssinian chuckled to himself before taking a sip of his glass.

“Leaving without even saying goodbye? How ill-mannered. Well, at least she’s out of my hair for the time being.” As he leaned back in his chair, he heard a knock on his door.

“Yes?” He called out and a gray pegasus stallion entered carrying a package..

“Sorry for disturbing you boss, but this arrived for you earlier today.” Capper raised an eyebrow.

“And you’re only telling me this now?”

“You said you didn’t want anypony to bother you until your business for the day was concluded.” Capper sighed.

“Fine. Just put it on my desk.” The pegasus obeyed and left, leaving Capper alone with the strange package. The cat finished his drink and picked up his umbrella, unleashing a blade from it’s tip and slicing the package open, revealing a brown box. He observed it for a while before poking it with his umbrella, using it to tip the lid open, his eyes widened as he saw thirty pieces of chocolate balls interconnected by a wire and a timer counting back.

He did not panic. He pressed a button on his umbrella’s handle and placed it on the timer which stopped immediately. Good thing, he had an electric jammer built into it a while ago. He closed the box and pressed a button on a small intercom he had on his desk.

“Boys, I want the list of every mail delivery to the Iceberg Lounge today, pronto.”

“Right away, boss.”

Capper then opened his laptop and begin reviewing the security footage recorded at the entrance that day. He couldn’t count on the Batmare alone to discover the identity of the Candy Colt. And once it comes to light, so will his address. Capper did not appreciate the little gift he sent him. He would have to return it.





Caramel Falcon, the former biggest crime boss of Manehattan leaned back in his seat with a heavy sigh. He had just finished another uneventful day of boring accounting to see how much longer would his savings hold out.

Ever since his criminal empire fell and he lost everything he built for himself by the hooves of the Joker, the stallion finally decided to retire and dedicate the rest of his life is raising his son. The only thing he had left.

Fortunately for him, he still had a vast fortune left on his accounts from his time as the most influential crime lord of Manehattan since it wasn't like he could just go and get himself a daytime job. Who would hire him? Almost every pony in this stinking city had been wronged by him at some point during his career one way or another.

He also lost his illegal incomes as well. Half of them was taken down by that accursed Batmare and the other half was taken over by the smaller fish of the city's underworld. That spoiled heiress, Romance Cyan turned out to be the most ambitious one of them. She was the one that scooped up a vast majority of them, much to his dismay. It was a small comfort when he read in the paper that she choked on some poisoned candy. But it wouldn't give him back the things he lost.

He had lost every bit of influence and respect he once had. Only his son kept him going. Young Alabaster Falcon, bless his soul fully understood the magnitude of their situation. With his father's status gone, he knew his only chance in life would be to earn himself a proper education and spent almost all day studying. 

But what he did during his free time, Caramel couldn't imagine. And that really bothered him. The boy hasn't been himself ever since his mother died right in front of him. And who could have blamed him? He tried to get the boy to open up to him but it seemed that each day, the two grew more distant from each other.

As he pondered on how to improve the situation between them, he felt a breeze sweeping over him from the direction of the window. Strange, he could have sworn that he closed it. He got up from his chair to check only to bump into a shadowy figure standing in front of him. He bumped into it so hard that he stumbled back into his chair. When he looked up, he saw none other than the Batmare glaring down at him.

"Caramel Falcon. We need to talk." It took Caramel a few seconds to process what just happened, but when he did, he felt an incredible rage well up inside him upon realising who the intruder was.

"You!" He snarled before lunging at her and striking her across the muzzle with her foreleg. The attack had visibly no effect on the mare in front of him. If anything, it made the stallion's hoof hurt. He was not a weakling by any means, even in his elderly age, but he was not going to do any damage to the armor she was wearing.

"What the hay do you want?" He asked, rubbing his aching hoof. "Did it take you so long to come and rub my fall from grace in my face?" The former crime lord was a pathetic sight to behold. His classy suit was gone and he was wearing a tattered robe, his wrinkles were much more visible than ever before and it was obvious he's been drinking heavily. If he wasn't the stallion who ordered the assassination of her fiance, Batmare would have even felt sorry for him. But he was. She wanted to get this visit over as soon as possible.

"The Candy Colt. What can you tell me about him?" Falcon's lips curled up into a taunting smile.

"What? You lost your edge with me no longer there to keep you on the tip of your hooves?" The costumed vigilante growled and advanced onto the stallion, forcing him back into the chair.

"Don't test me, Falcon! Do you know anything about him or not?!" Falcon just laid back in his chair smugly.

"You're the detective, you tell me."

"Both the victims had connection to you, Caramel." She replied. "They were both thorns in your side at some point and even with you being a shadow of your former self, you could still have the influence to put them down like that."

"You call this being influential?" He snapped back at her, motioning across himself. "I am nothing anymore! You and the clown saw to that." Falcon could tell the Batmare wasn't having any of it, so he decided on another approach to convince her.

"Besides, do you think if it was me, i would have handled them in such an amateur way? You of all ponies should know me better. I also don't leave my calling card on the scene like one of those psychotic freaks you enjoy playing with so much. I'm not like them."

Batmare watched him as he talked. He seemed like he was talking genuinely, but she's been wrong before. She was good at analysing any kind of evidence, but unlike ponies, they never lied. Before she could say anything, she heard the door open and a young voice entered her ear.

"Dad? What's going on?" Alabaster Falcon asked as he peeked into the room. "Why are you yelling?" Batmare turned around and saw the young colt's eyes widening when he recognised the consumed mare in the room in front of his father. "What… What is she doing here?" Falcon narrowed his eyes at the vigilante before getting up and walking over to him.

"Nothing, son. She was just leaving. I suppose she wanted to make sure we're still 'behaving'." He snarled. But Alabaster wasn't convinced.

"Haven't you done enough damage to our family, already?!" He yelled at the Batmare. "You got what you wanted! Our family is ruined! We're no longer a threat to you, the law or anypony! Can't you just leave us alone?!"

Batmare was thankful she was wearing a mask because she wasn't sure she would have been able to keep her face stoic in front of the small child. He may be a mobster's son, but he was still just a foal. A foal who was still grieving his mother. To top it off, he looked so lost and angry at the whole world, just like she was when she lost her fiance to his demonic father.

She saw the fire burning inside the colt's father's eyes and decided it would be better to make herself scarce for now.

"We are not finished." She snarled before making her way to the window and disappearing into the night.

"No." Caramel said, pulling his son into a comforting embrace. "Not by a long shot."





On the other side of Manehattan, another one of the city's demons was sitting in a cell, playing with a deck of cards in front of her on the bench she was sitting on. The unicorn reached a hoof out and picked one of them up revealing the five hearts.

"Five carved out hearts." She chuckled.

Next, she turned up the four pikes.

"Four poisoned apples."

Then the three clubs.

"Three grenade launchers."

The two diamonds.

"Two bloody daggers."

And the joker.

"And a dead bat in a burning city." She laughed to herself. Before picking up all the cards, shuffling them, then placing them in front of herself in random order again. She had lost count on how many combinations she had drawn in the past few months, but in the psychiatric ward of Manehattan prison, this was her only entertainment.

It's been almost a year since she last had a blast when she wiped out nearly all of the Falcon crime family and tried to drown Manehattan in the same laughing gas she used to accomplish it. That was the time when she met her lifelong playmate, The Batmare.

Of course, she tried to have some fun with the guards and the doctors here. Just a few weeks after being thrown in here, the guards found her in the middle of a therapy session with her doctor’s face melted off from her spraying flower. A few weeks ago, she dismembered a guard with her razor edged cards after putting a smile onto his face with them and they still didn’t find the one she fried with her joy buzzer. She laughed as she wondered whether or not they ever will. Though given how clueless they were about how she smuggled her toys in, she doubted it.

Still, it just wasn’t the same. This place was fun and all, but it had nothing on the fun she had with the Batmare the last time. She hated to leave the ponies of this place without her company, but she needed to get out of here and visit the town the next chance she got. Little did she know. that chance would present itself far earlier than she expected.

As she shuffled her cards, she heard a knock on her door. She looked up to see an earth pony mare - a police officer, judging from her uniform - looking down at her with disdain as she held a package.

“Hey, Trixie! Somepony was stupid enough to send you something.” The unicorn formerly known as Trixie grinned so widely that the scars at the sides of her mouth almost split apart. Her visitor nearly recoiled at the sight.

“Well, it was about time I got the recognition I deserved! I finally have a fan! How delightful!” She already began to plan what lovely surprise she should send them in return. She wondered if they would settle for the deliverer’s decapitated head.

“Well…” The officer said once she got over her disgust at the other mare’s sight. “...are you gonna get it or not?” She asked, opening up a hole in the cell door and pushing the package through it. Trixie raised an eyebrow. Usually the guards were wary about sticking their hooves inside her cell. Getting joybuzzed with an almost lethal level of electricity at every occasion tends to have that effect. This mare must have been very eager to give her that package and she couldn’t help but wonder why.

“Oh, I would love to but I’m feeling so cozy on my little bench here.” Trixie said, feigning a sad expression. “Would you bring it to me, please?” The officer just stared back at her blankly in response.

“Just come here and get it!” She said. “It’s just a few seconds.”

“Aren’t you the deliverer?” Trixie asked. “Well then, why don’t you deliver it to me directly?” She laughed, much to the officer’s annoyance.

“Look, clown! Just get here and take this damn package!” She snapped at the unicorn. but it merely served to amuse her.

“That reminds me of a a joke.” She said, ignoring the officer’s outburst. “What do you get when you take a little earth pony filly in the 32nd street school and deliver a box rigged with explosives to her?” She asked, grinning up at the officer demonically. “A dead filly and a grieving police mommy.”

The officer paled so much that it was visible through her coat. She had no idea how the clown knew she had a daughter and which school she attended, but the implication enraged her more than anything ever did in her entire life. She glared down at Trixie murderously as she pulled the package back, closed the hole in the door and opened the door itself and entered the cell, cracking her hooves before slamming the door shut.

A few minutes later, when a guard passed by the Joker’s cell, he was stunned to find a police mare sitting on the cell’s bench, incapacitated and tied up with the bedsheets and the Joker’s prison uniform with the clown nowhere to be seen and most alarmingly, a bunch of ticking chocolate balls stuffed into her mouth with a timer on her chest counting down.





Batmare was still waiting outside Falcon’s mansion, waiting for something to happen while planning her next move. She kept prowling around the mansion, hoping to catch a glimpse of anything suspicious, but what she saw when she took a turn around a corner was definitely not what she expected. It was her sign on the sky.

She looked back at the mansion. She really didn’t want to leave as she was sure she would find something related to the Candy Colt case here. She just felt it and her detective instincts were rarely wrong. But she also didn’t want to let Captain Garden down, so in the end, she reluctantly abandoned her post and headed towards the police station.

Captain Garden was already waiting for her there and when she landed in front of him and when she saw his face, she already knew the situation was dire.

“What’s wrong, captain? Is it the Candy Colt again?” Garden looked down with a sigh.

“It’s worse. Much worse.” He replied before looking back in her eyes. “The Joker’s escaped.”