//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: Under The Rainbow 
// by CommissarVulpin 
//------------------------------//


bananachips
presents






UNDER
THE
RAINBOW




A
Johnny Recon
adventure











ESS Headquarters
Canterlot
11:07 AM

“Yes, your Highness, I understand. I will have my stallion on it right away… You’re very welcome. Good day.” Agent D pressed a button and the face of Princess Celestia disappeared from the monitor in front of her. She sighed, then pressed another button, summoning her secretary into her office.
“Yes ma’am?”
She swiveled her chair around to face her. “Agent M, I don’t suppose Agent R would be within reach?”
“I don’t think so, ma’am. He hasn’t checked in this morning.”
“Well, I need him here. Would you be so kind as to retrieve Agent R from wherever he’s hidden himself?”
“I’ve already tried his cell phone, ma’am, but he’s not answering it.”
“I don’t want you to call him, I want you to find him and get his sorry hindquarters in my office. It’s urgent.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After her secretary left, Agent D ran a hoof through her pale blonde mane and sighed. “What am I going to do with him?”

‘Le Cheval’ Restaurant and Casino
Canterlot Palace District
11:32 AM

The Le Cheval, located in the more ritzy side of Canterlot, wasn’t the largest or most expensive casino in Equestria, but it was undoubtedly one of the classiest. Smooth jazz from a live band floated above the crowd, who made idle chat as they gambled or enjoyed a glass of champagne with a fancy meal. Crystal chandeliers spread a warm glow above the crowd, who had begun to gather around an unusually intense game of dice.
Three dice clattered onto the table, and several pairs of eyes watched them intently as they bounced along the green felt. They eventually rolled to a stop, the characters on top showing the numbers 1, 3, and 5.
“Nine,” The shooter called out. “Madame loses.”
The mare who had bet on the roll frowned and clopped her hoof on the table in frustration. She turned to the brown stallion with a magnifying glass cutie mark who was betting against her.
“It seems that you are a pony of much luck, Mr…?”
“Recon. Johnny Recon.”
“Well, Mr. Recon, let’s see if your luck holds up, shall we?”
“I have a feeling it will,” he responded with a wink.
“Sir?” The shooter spoke up. “Would you care to make a bet?”
Johnny Recon thought for a second, then pushed some chips from the pile before him into the center of the table. “Fifteen.”
“Current bid is three hundred bits for a roll of fifteen.” The shooter shook the dice in his hooves and tossed them onto the table.
After a tense few seconds, the dice rolled to a stop, showing the numbers 6, 4 and 5.
“Fifteen,” the surprised shooter called out. “Sir takes the pot.”
The stallion with the magnifying glass cutie mark scooped up the stack of chips in the center of the table and collected them in a pouch, then stood up from the table.
“I think I’m done for today, madam.”
“Are you? I know an excellent place downtown where we could get some lunch. Meet me in the lobby?”
“That sounds wonderful.” He looked her in the eye and made a seductive motion with his eyebrows. “I knew my luck would hold out.”
“Just don’t fold on me,” She quipped back with a smile and turned, walking back towards the lobby.
“Sir?” A waiter came up behind him with a tray of drinks. “Would you care for a drink?”
“Gin and tonic on the rocks, please,” he said without hesitation, having ordered his favorite drink dozens of times. The waiter hoofed him a glass, which Johnny took and tipped the waiter with a 50-bit chip.
“Keep the change.”
As Johnny was headed to meet the mare who had invited him to lunch, he was approached by a confused-looking busboy.
“Mr. Recon?”
He took a sip of his gin and tonic. “Yes?”
“You have an urgent message. It says, ‘Duty calls, Mr. Recon’. She said you’d know what that meant.”
He sighed. “Yes, I do know what that means. Thank you.”
As the busboy scuttled off, he muttered to himself, “I didn’t even get to finish my drink.”

ESS Headquarters
Canterlot
11:46 AM

“There you are, Agent R,” the secretary greeted Johnny Recon as he pushed through the door.
“Ah, Agent M, looking as stunning as ever this morning.”
“Oh, stop it. You think you’re such a charmer. Agent D is waiting for you.”
“Am I late?” He asked, feigning innocence.
“You’ve been late for the past forty-five minutes, Johnny.”
“Did she ask for my ‘sorry flank’ again?”
“No, she asked for your hindquarters this time.”
“Did she now? Well, I’m afraid she’s going to be disappointed.”
“You know she doesn’t appreciate the innuendos, Johnny,” she warned as she magically opened the door for him.
“She can be such a downer sometimes,” he commented as he proceeded through the door into his superior’s office.

The office was nice, but not too ornate, with various books and knick-knacks on shelves and a polished wood desk in the center. A stern mare sat in the leather chair behind it, who looked up at the brown stallion walking in.
“There you are. Sit down.”
Agent D was a pegasus pony, with light grey fur and a pale yellow mane, done up in a tight bun behind her head. Her right eye wore an eyepatch, while the other eye wore the usual scowl. She sported one of her usual plain black business outfits, which always covered her cutie mark. No one knew why she had the eyepatch, or even what her cutie mark was; and no one was brave enough to ask.
“May I ask,” he began as he sat down in front of her, “What was so important that a perfectly good drink couldn’t be enjoyed?”
Agent D’s expression did not change. “If I wanted attitude, R, I’d listen to my grandfoals. Now keep quiet and I shall explain.”
Pressing a button on her desk, she swiveled her chair around. A wooden panel behind the desk slid open, revealing a large television screen with the ESS logo as a screensaver. Suddenly a picture of Cloudsdale’s weather facility popped up on the screen.
“Mr. Recon, are you familiar with the way rainbows are formed?”
“If it’s anything like the story, I don’t want to know.”
“Whatever are you talking about?”
“Never mind.”
Agent D sighed and shook her head, then continued. “The central building here pipes the material called Pigment to these distillation pools,” she explained, motioning to different sections of the factory. “The Pigment is purified and then sent to the emitters, where they’re sent across the sky. The process is too complicated to explain in such a short time, but that’s the gist of it.”
“So what’s the problem?’
“I’m getting there. The Pigment, the very thing these rainbows are made from, comes from this device.” A schematic suddenly filled the screen, showing a diagram of a cylindrical canister about 40 centimeters in length and 23 centimeters wide.
“This is the Rainbow Core. Created using unicorn magic, it provides the color for every rainbow in Equestria. Approximately twelve hours ago, Princess Celestia received word that it’s been stolen.”
“Who would want to steal a rainbow machine?”
“That’s what we want you to find out.” A map of Equestria popped up on the screen, with a green radar blip in the middle of the San Palomino desert. “Since the Rainbow Core is one of the most valuable objects in Equestria, it has been fitted with a tracking device. We managed to track it to here, where we lost the signal. Pegasus flybys confirmed the location as an abandoned warehouse. We want you to investigate. With the Grand Galloping Gala coming up tomorrow night, this crisis is the last thing the Princess needs.”
“I’ve never tried a vacation in the desert before. When do I start?”
“Tonight. Agent V already has your equipment. I suggest you go see her immediately.”

Agent V’s Laboratory
Downtown Canterlot
12:07 PM

“Ah, Agent R. Good to see you again.” The white unicorn mare known only as Agent V led Johnny through her spacious lab, where several gadgets and devices were being manufactured and tested. The lab was concealed beneath a nightclub where Agent V worked as a DJ during the night.
“I always enjoy a few new toys to play with.”
“Well, since this is a low-risk mission, the equipment I’m sending you in with is pretty standard.” She smiled and tossed her shock of neon-blue hair. “…but you know me. I always like to include a few surprises.”
She led him over to a table strewn with several objects. She began to magically pick them up and explain them, starting with a pile of black cloth. “This is a black form-fitting stealth suit. If you keep still, you’ll be virtually invisible in the shadows. It also contains a small parachute, deployed by pulling on this cord here.
“This belt wraps around your waist, and a magnetic hook in the buckle attaches to any magnetic surface. The powerful motor can then lower you down a 10-meter cable, strong enough to hold your weight. With the push of a button, the magnetic hook will detach and retract.
“Now, this may look like an ordinary camera, but it’s not. It’s a flashbang grenade! The real camera detaches from the unit, hidden within the battery compartment. Attempting to open the film reel starts the three-second fuse, then boom!”
“Interesting array you’ve got here, V. I’ll make good use of it.”
“One more thing, R.”
“More?”
“Your transportation. Follow me.” She led him over to a garage, within which was parked a small vehicle. It resembled a small car, with only a roll cage protecting its single seat. A small engine lay exposed behind the driver’s seat, powering the four wide tires.
“Since you’ll be traveling in the desert, I decided to have my mechanics whip up this little number for you. This sand buggy can reach speeds of up to 75 kilometers per hour along the loosest sand. Its engine is powered by magic, so it’s virtually silent.”
“Thanks for all this, V.”
“It’s no problem. I tried to plan for whatever you might encounter. But honestly, spying on a warehouse? How hard could it be?”