//------------------------------// // Good? Bad? I'm The Guy With The Horn. // Story: The New Boss // by Dash Attack //------------------------------// 40 Minutes Earlier.         I open my eyes and moan as my alarm goes off.  I levitated my phone toward me and disable the infernal noise.  The beeping finally stops, allowing me to actually hear my own thoughts.  I look at the car’s clock and see that it’s about 10:00 P.M. Let’s see now. I’m sitting in the front seat of Joe’s car, outside of a restaurant . From here, it’s about twenty minutes to my house. I stare at the restaurant wishing I could go in and eat something. Pancakes, waffles, sausage, bacon and steak would be nice.  Wait, why am I craving meat?  If I’m turning into a horse, shouldn’t my diet be changing into something more akin to that of a herbivore? My eyes shift to the back view mirror and notice a few things that weren't there last night.  For starters, I see that my horn is almost fully grown at this point. My eyes shift downwards and I see... fangs!  I have fangs now. Large, pearly white fangs. Well, guess that explains why my appetite hasn't changed.  Any creature with one of these babies wouldn’t want to stick to just lettuce, tomato and onion.  No, these fangs were meant for ripping into flesh. Before I establish whether or not to be freaked out at my razor sharp dentures, I take note of my very agitated blatter. “Shit!” I say to myself in my head.  “I really need take a piss, but I can’t go into there without knowing what else might have changed.  Echo, teach me how to cast an invisibility spell.” Echo teaches me the spell and I cast it effortlessly.  While my body is still visible to myself, I can no longer see my reflection. Satisfied with the results, I step outside. I open the car  and stretch my leg to make the first step out.  As soon as my foot makes contact with the floor, an odd sound echoes into my ear.  Instead of the silent sound of a gentle footstep, my foot makes an odd clop sound.  I look down at my feet and realise that they are no longer feet, but large grey hooves. I stare at them dumbfounded.  Although I am slowly coming to terms with the creature I am becoming, the sight of large hoof with parts of my torn shoe hanging on it startles me.  By this point, I’m not even phased by the small patches of grey fur on the bottom of my leg. The hooves are trippy enough. I shake my head and slowly come to my senses.  Even with the invisibility spell, I’m going to need to tread carefully.  Even the lightest step on this hard pavement will make a sound loud enough for someone in this parking lot to hear.  It’s a good thing I parked near the grass. After two long steps, I make my to the soft quiet grass and run into the woods.  When I’m deep enough, I disable the invisibility spell on the off chance someone sees me take a ghost piss.  As hilarious as it sounds of an invisible man/pony taking a piss in the woods,  I’m going to be storming the Anello mansion,  machine guns and horn blazing really soon, and I’d rather not risk making a scene right now. As I prepare to take my leak, I notice that my private area has been altered as well.  A part of me is grossed out by the equine feature, yet at the same time I can’t help but be turned on slightly by this.  I start thinking about ponies in shackles, attending my ever will, while I have them... The fuck is wrong with me!  I hate that SMF shit.  And am I no longer turned on by human women. I force myself to think about a young Scarlett Johansson in her Black Widow outfit while she slowly undresses.  Despite  the enjoyment I felt when ever I fantasized about this in the past, I am disappointed to find that it’s only getting me partially excited.  It’s a bummer, but it’s probably for the best.  Besides, once I’m fully transformed, where would I find a human woman who would be willing to do it with a sentient horse.  Nope, I bet there isn’t a single woman in Chicago with that fetish. Nope! Nada! Ain't happening! I finish my piss and recast the invisibility spell.  It’s time take down my Dad Commando style. -------         “What do you mean you haven’t found my son yet,” I yell at the miserable piece of shit at the other end of the phone.  I pass around the study and almost trip over one of Antonio's japanese comic books. “We have some of our boys in the the police looking for him, as well as the rest as most of the the organisation looking for him.  We’ll find him Mr.Anello, but aren’t you worried about what the boys at the bank saw.” “My son is not possessed by the Devil.  Even if God or the Devil existed, I doubt that anyone of them would go anywhere near my son.  He’s that pathetic.” “But sir! Ten of us including myself looked directly into his eyes. They were was smoke coming out of it.  We can debate religion all you want, but even you can’t deny that something unnatural is at work.” I scowl at him, for I have no way of proving him wrong.  After all, I wasn’t at the bank yesterday.  Had I been, I would have debunked this demon possession rumor in an instant. “Just find Steve or I swear you are all going to be swimming in the bay tonight.” With that I hang up my phone and chuck it at my armchair. I make my way to the window and look down at my front lawn.  Despite my disbelief in the supernatural, Greek mythology has always fascinated me.  Outside sit statues of Greek parthenon surround the large fountain in the middle. The state in the center of that fountain is Zeus, the god of lighting and king of Olympus.  I know it sounds arrogant, but I always thought of myself as being like Zeus.  The only difference is that Zeus could keep his damn children under a tighter leash. I sigh and look up at the heavens. “Martha.” I say out loud to myself softly. “I hope you can’t here me right now.  I hope you're not looking down at us, protecting our children.  Because if you are, then I will surely be damned by whatever god controls the heavens.” A single tear trickles down my face, but that’s I allow myself to shed.  Still, despite the lack of tears, my voice sounds like it is in shambles. “Every time Steve tells me that I was the one that killed you, I tell him the truth.  I tell him it wasn’t me.  But it should have been me.  Instead, I let one of my flunkies do the deed for me.  At the time, I told myself it was because I had more important things to attend to.” I lower my head down and cuff my hands over my face. “I realise now that it’s because deep down I still love you, even though your love for me died long ago.  Not one day goes by where I don’t secretly regret what I have done.” After a moment silence, I on cuff my hands and look back up at the sky. “However, this time I won’t make the same mistake.  This time, I’m going to do the deed myself.” I reach into my pocket and take out a fully long silver revolver.  I hold it in my right hands, on the off chance Martha's spirit can see it. “Together, you and I made Steve, just like Zeus made Padora from clay.  That’s why in the end, it’s my duty to end him.  As much as it will hurt me to do this, it must be done by me and me alone.  In this way, I will punish him, but at the same time show my love.” Out as look from the gun to the window, I see something on top of the hill overlooking the machine.  Although, it was far away, i could easily make out Joe’s car in the distance.  What I couldn't make was the long haired figure walking toward the edge of the cliff. I see the figure been crotch down in a familiar fashion.  My as wide open as I realised what was happening.  The position the figure now took was the one that a person took just before firing a rocket launcher. I make a break for the door and slam it wide open. As I run into the hall the hallway, I hear the sound  loud explosion come from outside.  I needed to get to the safe room.  There no way there's only one of them out their. --------         With a vest full of guns, a magical horn of death, and my finger inches away from pulling the trigger of a fully loaded rocket launcher, it’s hard for me not to grin. I light up my horn and chanel my magic into the rocket to increase it’s power.  I set my sights on a group of four guy’s with some automatics just right of the fountain. While It would have been smarter to aim at the snipers on the balcony, I rather not fire such a powerful weapon to close to the house.  My brother was still inside after all, and their no way I’m going to have this end with me accidently killing him.  I have to trust that Dad’s men will get him to safety once things start to escalate.  Right now, it’s time to get this party started with a bang. I see one of them take one of them put down his gun and take out his cell phone.  I aim for the center of the group and pull trigger. The rocket zooms past a the statue of Ares, and lands in the dead center of the group. The shock wave from the explosion sends the four of them flying in all directions.  I can hear them scream as their burnt bodies soar through the air.  I cringe a bit as one of the bodies lands on edge of a stone spear held by one of the statues.   Damn! Now that’s what I call a magic missile.         It doesn't take long for them to spot me, as I see shot’s wiz pass me. I summon a pair of uzi’s into the palm of my hand and jump down the hill.  When I my feet reach the ground, I pull I unleash a frenzy of bullets at them.  At the same time, I create a magnetic force field around my self.  Three of them are mowed down instantly while two fall to the ground in agony.  Those still standing fire at back at me, only to have the pushed away by an unseen force. Unforchantly the magnetic spell is too tricky to maintain, and both my guns quickly run out of ammo.  I strategically make a break for the fountain, only to have my head nearly blown off by one of the snipers on the balcony. The bullet whizzed right past  past my face and smashes right in a statue of Poseidon.   I set my legs back and sit on my flank, my back against the fountain.  Everywhere I look, I see statues crumpling from barrage of bullets piercing the statues.  I realize that I don’t have enough fire power if I want to get through this.  If I don’t get to my Dad soon, the entire organization is going to come race back here from their manhunt. I get up and take a grenade out from my vest.  I start channeling more magic into the grenade.  I pull the pin and blindly toss it in the air with my right hand.  Using my magic, I manipulate it’s trajectory so that it landed right on the balcony.  There a loud banging sound as a green flash I peer through the cover and see the balcony crumbles on top of my father's men. There are only about four or five guys left outside, but now the only way into mansion is around the back.   I levitate a pistol into my hand and make a run for the Athena statue on the left.  Dad’s men are still trying to catch their bearing from my last attack, for their aim is sloppier than before. I charge up my horn and release a stream of green lighting at two frighten guards.  Their bodies start to spaz out before collapsing to the ground.  In my head I silently hope they are still alive.  As towards the back of the mansion, a tinge of guilt surges within me.  Hours ago, I told myself I was going to try and spare as many of Dad’s men as equinely possible, yet now I’m the darker parts of my persona go wild.  The overwhelming power I felt, taking the lives of my former comrades as if they were fleas on my flank was like nothing I had ever experienced.  At least in this existence. I tell myself that need to calm down.  What I am doing right now can’t be helped.  This is war damit.  The moment I left David’s apartment, I knew people were going to die.  Now is not the time to be soft.  Now is the time harvest my hatred and exact revenge against my bastard father. When make it to back of the house, my body abruptly comes to a halt.  At least a dozen of my Dad’s men have lined up into a firing squad. Each one holding an AK:47. “Steve!” one of them shouts.  “My God you don’t even look human anymore.  Is that even still you.  And... Sweet Jesus is that a freaking tail?” The man, who I recognised as one of the guys from the bank yesterday, shakes his head and does a double take.  I can practically smell the fear emanating from there bodies.  I watch as they shake from my mere presence.  As I revel in their anxiety as long lost knowledge from what I assume is from my former life resurfaces. “Pl... Pl... Pl... Please Steve.” he say with terror in his eyes. “Please don’t ma... mak... make us shoot you.” I break out into an insane fit of laughter and glare at them with my glowing green eyes. “You are all so pathetic.” I say with viger.  “Now step aside mortals, for I am now your lord and master. You will all worship me or drown in you own fear.” A stange feeling cores thought my being, one that is alien yet familiar to me. “Echo, what’s happening to me.” “You are becoming one with the shadows, your special talent has emerged.  You are now capable of one of the powerful forms the magic in equestria.  The hate you harbor for your human father and the fear you have sown has awakened your protection.  My purpose has been served.  Now that my persona been preserved, and my power fully awaken, you will have little need of an echo. It is a shame that will not be around to see the success of my earthly reign of terror, but I am confident at the wonders that I, or rather you, will achieve.  Farewell, o mighty Sombra.  May you unleash Hell upon your enemies.” -----         I watched in terror as Steve's body disappears into the dark cloud forming around him.  I should have shot him as soon as he came around the bend, but the Boss strictly told me he wanted him alive.         Just then then the dark cloud begins to rise up and and expand outward until it’s practically touching the room of the mansion.         “What the hell is that?” cried the man next to me who I saw pointing up at the top of the cloud.”         I watched in horror as a shadowy image of Steve's demonic head emerges like a snake.  Though the smog I could see I serpent like tongue slithering in anticipation.  For what I’d rather not know.         “Man screw this shit!” blurted the guy next me. “I’m out of here.”         He toss his gun away and breaks into a sprint.  However, he’s soon captured by a green field of energy.  I watch helplessly as his body is lifted into the air towards the creature that was once the bosses son.         “Oh Jesus please don't eat me!” The man screams and he struggles to escape the green aura trapping him.  The creature chuckles and starts licking his floating body.         “But you taste so good.” The creature says playfully.  “It would be selfish of you not to let me have a nibble.  After all, this is my house.”         “Fucking shoot him now!” the man screams.           A few more of us begin to retreat, but me and a couple of other fools stay.  Why am I not running with the rest of them?  Even I didn't know.         We fire our weapons at the creatures neck, but they don’t do a damn thing.  Even when when one us shoots him in the head, the built phase through him.         As the creatures green eyes begin to glare at us, the energy surrounding the prisoner disappears.  The man's body falls back down and hits the hard pavement.  I can only hope that the fall didn't kill the pour son of bitch.  The creature stretches his long snake-like neck so that his head is was in front of us.  It looms only a few inches from where I’m standing now, and it looks pissed.         “Worthless humans!” He says furiously. “You dare interfere with my pleasure.  For that you shall all drown in shadow.”         I crouch down and close my eyes.  Soon I will be dead, and this nightmare will be over.  Moments past and I don’t feel any pain.  Out of curiosity, I open my eyes and am shocked to find that I’m still alive.   How could I possibly still be alive?         I look up at the creature and see that someone else is standing their.         I call out to him and tell him to get away, but he shooed me away with his hands.  All I can do is watch as the the young boy walk closer to the smoggy creature.         The creature, whose eyes were totally fixated on the boy, bore an expression of shame and regret.  The anger that had been on his face moments before was gone.         For a moment all was silent until the boy final spoke.         “Steve.” Antonio says softly. “What’s happened to you?”         The creature turns it’s head towards us and speaks.         “Drop your weapon’s and leave me and my brother alone, but do not leave the estate unless you wished to die a slow agonizing death.         None of us waste anytime, so I toss my gun aside and make break for the garden.  I don’t know what's scarier.  The fact that that giant shadow was really Steve back there, or the fact I’m still alive right now.  Either way, I’m breaking into the boss’s wine cellar after as soon as the coast is clear.