//------------------------------// // The First Patrol // Story: Taking A Stand // by ShadeJak //------------------------------// “So, magic spirit-walk training thing?” Steph asked, smirking at me. “Eeyup.” I said, floating the remote again. “She’s a pretty cool teacher. Guess they don’t call that school the school for gifted unicorns for nothing.” “Hey!” Steph said, hopping off the sofa. “How about we go out to Cary Street, check out the bus routes and stuff, maybe grab a bite? And… well… patrol?” She said, winking on the last word. “Read my mind!” I said, hopping down. "Now where's that backpack of mine..." ~ Within the next hour we were getting off the bus that dropped us off on Cary Street in Richmond, one of the places we loved to go back when we were still human, especially all the food places, the game store that sold a lot of old-school gaming consoles and such, and of course the place that sold cards and tabletop game supplies. For now, though, we were looking for a place to eat at; patrolling could come along later but I kept the costume hidden in a backpack I wore. Steph hovered behind me; ever since she’d mastered flying she couldn’t get enough of it… and admittedly I couldn’t blame her. “Check it out, my hooves aren’t even touching the ground, Kyle!” Steph said with a giggle. “Trying to make me jealous, Steph? I can counter that easily when we see how well you manage eating.” I said with a smirk. “Aw, spoil my fun.” Steph answered. Grinning as we approached our favorite eating place, the two of us entered and were soon seated without even the slightest hint of disapproval. Noticing a few other ponies here and there; two human parents with a pair of fillies, a mare and a man I assumed was her boyfriend before she ended up all equine. It was moving, really, to see other people who cared for their loved ones enough to stick by them even with such changes. It proved to me that even with wars and prejudice, there were good people in the world, ones who didn’t let fear and hate control their lives. After eating, and sparing no amount of amusement in using my magic for fork-feeding Steph so she wouldn’t have to shove her face into her food, we got up and paid our bill as my girlfriend… or was it marefriend now… grumbled to herself while we left. As soon as we came out, across the street I saw a far less welcoming sight. People were gathered around a man in a black shirt with the familiar PAPA logo on it. He was toting a megaphone and preaching some hate speech like the man we’d dealt with yesterday. I shook my head and tried to walk onward… out of costume, this wouldn’t accomplish anything. I’d have to deal with him later if he stuck around. Steph and I did our best to ignore him until he suddenly pointed at us. “Look there! More of these animals! A pattern has shown that most are of this ‘brony’ and ‘pegasister’ movement that the fans of that accursed show call themselves! Is it that much of a stretch to say that they’ve willingly forsaken their kind? Choosing to become these creatures willingly? Don’t tell me none of you can see it!” “Would you SHUT THE HELL UP?!” Steph yelled suddenly, beginning to fly over before I caught her tail with my magic aura. “Not this time, Steph. He’s trying to bait us!” I insisted. “I’ll kick his ass later if I see him on patrol.” I added more quietly. “Better listen to your friend there, animal! Your kind has no place here and it never will! Our esteemed leader will see to that! Look hard, supporters, and you will get to see the first step in mankind’s fight in protecting themselves!” He declared. That caught my notice, but I couldn’t question him, not here. The people around him seemed likely to agree with him. “And know this, you filthy abominations, you’re all going to regret your blasphemous decision to betray your former species!” The protestor yelled, and my horn began to glow. “OOH! Look at that, people! This one’s planning to knock me from my stand and prove how dangerous they are to our very way of life!” He said with a smug grin. “Gonna do it, horsey? Go on! I dare you!” My horn glowed brighter, a brick next to me began to float off the ground. How I wanted to knock that sneer right off his face like Steph did to the last one… Don’t. Kyle, please! Listen! If you do, he wins! ....Besides, we can come back for this when we’ve got the costume on. Well played, Amethyst. My aura faded and the brick fell. “You’re too pathetic to be remotely worth it.” I said coldly, and gestured Steph to follow. Continuing on our way and ignoring his threats and insults as best we could, we made our way to the game store to kill time and browse. Spotting an ongoing miniatures game in session, we trotted over and watched. “No way… ponies?” A zebra stallion running it asked with an amused smirk. “This world gets crazier and crazier doesn’t it?” “Ran into that jerkass outside, huh?” Steph asked, folding her forelegs and scowling like an angry child as she hovered in place. “Yup. I’m not that big a brony, but I watched the show with my little sister… weird it was me that changed and not her, huh? Name’s Phil, by the way.” He said. “Phil?!” I asked, eyes wide. “It’s me, Kyle! I played a changeling warlock on your D&D sessions, remember?” The zebra stared at me for a moment. Then he promptly burst out laughing. “No… freakin… way!” He said between chortles. “Dude, you’re a chick now?” He asked, pointing downward with his hoof. I scowled a little. “Yeah, my sausage was traded for a taco. What of it?” I asked, my tail flicking back and forth. “I could still be amused a big guy like you had a zebra OC. ‘Not that big a brony’, huh?” I asked, nudging him with my hoof. “Hey, I still got my manhood.” He said with a silly grin, causing me to roll my eyes. “You’re an ass.” “Nope, zebra!” Phil said, laughing again. “Hey, we gonna continue here or what?” One of the players asked impatiently. “Oh, right. We’ll talk later, Kyle.” The zebra said, returning his attention to his game and leaving me and Steph to browse. Once he’d finished, we decided to join the next game. Some people were less then eager to play with ponies, regrettably, and Phil didn’t hesitate to ban them from his games but only got insults in return. I guess when something shows your closet hobbies to the world you find out who your real friends are. It came with cost though… because on the other hand small children were apparently informed ponies were inside playing Warhammer and soon the place gained a larger supply of spectators, many of which taking out their cellphones and snapping photos that I’m sure were gonna pop up on facebook, tumble, twitter, and any other socially active internet location; eventually we just gave up and posed for a few of them. A few hours went by, Steph mostly watched and had bought herself a sourcebook on how to play and got trained for the second round. It all almost felt like old times again. As I looked outside, I noticed the sun about to set. It was time to start my first ever superhero patrol. “Well thanks for the game, catch ya later, Phil.” I said, hopping out of my chair. “Don’t be too glum about losing to a girl okay?” I added with a smirk, heading for the door followed by Steph, who chuckled at Phil’s eyeroll. ~ Stepping outside, we immediately ducked into an alley where I pulled out the Mare Do Well costume and quickly slipped it on. “Okay, Steph. Stick to the rooftops and don’t come in unless I call for you, got it?” I asked. Steph nodded and flew up to the emergency stairs and low rooftops as I moved through the alleys, teleporting when I could by short distances to avoid being in one place for too long. Finally reaching a stopping point, I waited. And waited. And waited. Twenty minutes passed and the place grew darker. Steph peered over and stared down at me. “Hey, uhh… this is getting us nowhere. Let me scout the area a little in case I see anything. We’ve already seen PAPA here likes to do its more extreme stuff when it gets darker. Fewer witnesses.” She said. Spreading her wings, she flew off, and in less then a minute she was back, landing right before me with a scared look on her face. “One block west. We gotta hurry!” She said. I nodded and galloped down the sidewalk as fast as I could, Steph right behind me. As we came to a less populated area and turned ‘round the alley, we heard sounds of a struggle. There, within a small vacant area were two men in all black wearing skimasks, but their shirt logos told me all I needed to know of who they were. They were both standing each with their arms wrapped around a large sack containing some struggling form within. “Bagged ‘em, boss. We’ll have ‘em at HQ in no time.” One said as he held his cellphone to his ear. Nodding a second later, they began to walk towards a parked truck with a closed roof. I motioned for Steph to stay put and my horn began to glow, opening the pouches in my belt and soon several firecrackers floated out of them, followed by a lighter that switched on and lit them before I telekinetically flung them at the two men, and they exploded right as they reached them, causing them both to cry out and drop their captives. “Who’s there?!” One demanded, drawing out a knife. Remaining hidden, I looked over at a trash can near me and floated it straight at one of the men, striking him in the chest and knocking him over. “Unicorn! Over there!” He gasped, out of breath from the impact as his friend drew a gun and fired in my direction, a silencer equipped to it. “Shit!” I cried out as the bullet impacted just an inch away from me and I began focusing my magic on the gun to pull it away from him. Now that they knew my location, it was time to make an entrance. “Unicorn? I have a name, you know...” I said in a low tone as I stepped out. “Call me the Mysterious Mare Do Well, and I see you guys didn’t learn your lesson from before? The filly outside the Kroger two days ago you may have heard about? You’re looking at the pony who saved her.” “Well don’t think you’re saving these two! The boss has special plans for them and every pony we bring in!” The thug I’d just disarmed said, reaching for the tied sack and the muffled cries confirmed to me that a pony was trapped inside. “No freak animal in a costume is gonna stop that.” “We’ll see about that.” I responded, rushing forward and teleporting right before I reached him, reappearing behind him I bucked him in the back of his legs, knocking him down again. The man cried out and fell forward, landing on his hands and knees which only caused him more pain and resulting in him loosening his grip on both sacks he was carrying. Teleporting in front of him, I drew back my hoof and slammed it as hard as I could in his face as I was now closer to it. “Ready to give up?” I growled. As I was smaller now and not as used to fighting in this body, I doubt I hurt him as much as I'd have liked to and made a mental note to rely on my magic more in the future. “Hardly!” The other man I’d dealt with suddenly said, throwing the now-empty trash can at me and knocking me off my hooves. Okay… that actually hurt. A lot. Amethyst's voice said in my mind as I tried to breathe, the wind knocked out of me from the impact. The man picked up his knife and approached. “Your little superhero costume’s adorable, but you’re not gonna make any difference Mare Do Well or whatever you’re calling yourself!” He threatened, grabbing me and lifting me off the ground and drawing his knife back intending to thrust it forward and gut me. Focusing as hard as I could despite the pain, I teleported out of his grip and his knife met air. I reappeared a few feet away from him, but unfortunately off the ground so I fell a short distance. He turned to his friend. “Get up! Get those animals in the truck, I’ll deal with her.” The other man cried out in pain as he tried to stand, and after a few tries, he succeeded. I knew Steph was nearby but I’d ordered her to stay out of this. She couldn’t interfere, if she did she’d be identified, and be in danger. I prayed she had the sense to stay put as I glared at the man who was challenging me. “You’re not taking them anywhere I said lividly. My horn began to glow, and several random bricks levitated around me as I then focused on the man, sending them all his way so they’d pelt him in the chest and legs, and one to the groin just for good measure. The man cried out in pain and collapsed, but his partner was already getting into their van. “Gonna leave your friend here?” I taunted. “GO! Our orders are more important!” The punk I’d just beaten shouted, and unfortunately, his friend complied. NO! Leaving the one I was fighting behind I galloped after the van, but it was too late, it sped off down the empty streets and took a corner as fast as it could… he'd gotten away with the hostages. I’d never catch up. I hung my head in defeat. I failed to save them… what was I gonna do now? ... I'd failed... unless… I turned around, facing the injured man and approached, he was on his knees while moaning in pain as I promptly lunged at him, hooves out and rammed him in the chest to pin him down and floated an M80 firecracker from my belt and had it hover above his face. Time to see if all those Batman comics and cartoons rubbed off on me enough to know how to do an interrogation. “Tell me where he took them, or this goes off on your face.” I said, giving my voice a deadly calm tone. “I-I’ll report assault!” He said, staring right at the firecracker. “And they’ll also know what you did to earn it, so don't think you'll have a remote chance of walking away. Tell me where he took them, and you’re free to go back to whatever passes for your life. If not… you’re gonna be needing a plastic surgeon!” “You wouldn’t! Not to a human being!” “Which, as you and your bunch so proudly claim… I’m not.” I floated a lighter to it, its flame already lit. “Ten. Nine. Eight.” I began, lighting the fuse. “Oh my god! Stop it!” He pleaded. “SEVEN. SIX.” I warned. “Okay! Okay! Okay! I’ll tell you! Just get rid of that thing!” I nodded and let it fall, smushing out the fuse with my hoof and floating it back into my belt. “Talk.” I said. “It’s an old warehouse, we got this whole thing set up, those ponies are being brought to our boss, he’s gonna demonstrate some kinda ‘righteous punishment’ as he calls it for you animals!” He said, his voice full of contempt. “Go on. Where is it?” I asked. “Or do I have to get the M80 out again? ...And remember the fuse is shorter now so you'll have a lot less time to change your mind...” I warned. “You saw him turn, right? Continue five blocks, right at the traffic light you reach, seven more down. Not the cleanest area but that’s where they are!” He said. “Now please let me go!” "Okay. " I got off of him and backed away, leveling a glare at him through my mask. “If you’re lying, you’ll pay dearly. And I really suggest you rethink your life a little. Otherwise... you better hope it's the Night Guard that catches you next time and not me.” “Sure! Sure! Got it!” He said nervously, and finding the strength to stand again he ran off as fast as he could, albeit a little clumsily due to his injuries. Seconds after, Steph flew down next to me. “Sheesh, Kyle… that got.. kinda dark.” She said, looking at me with concern. “I mean, yeah he totally deserved it, but… you weren’t really gonna blow up that firecracker on him were you?” “Of course not.” I said. “I was right in front of it too, it’d be kinda risky to teleport away from in time, you never know with those things." Deep down, though, I did, honestly consider doing that… I don’t know if it would have been the right choice if he didn’t talk or not… I was lucky he was a coward and I didn’t find out that answer. I winced a little, the trashcan impact still smarting from before and I'd had to hold it in to not look weak while interrogating that man. You wouldn't... would you? Amethyst's voice asked, anxious, and I felt even more uncomfortable. No... never... I thought, I didn't have that in me, did I? What if I needed to? What was going to stop these guys? Propping up pillows and trying to talk things over? Not likely. “Kyle…?” Steph asked, looking at me with concern still in her eyes. I took a few breaths, the thought of those ponies getting hurt or killed by these guys, the idea of failing to help them, watching the people who bullied me growing up always get away with it, what Steph had gone through, that filly from before... all were reasons I could not bear to the thought of failing to save those ponies from those who’d hurt them! I had to do this! “Steph, fly to the police station, tell them everything we heard, but word it like you saw them head that way, they may be willing to help. I’m gonna go to the warehouse and try to help the ponies they took. Don't mention me.” I said. Steph looked at me like I was nuts. “Are you crazy? I can’t let you go there by yourself you could get hurt or killed!” She protested. “I’ll be thinking about doing that to myself if that happens to them because I didn’t save them. I don’t…” I took a deep breath. “I don’t want it to be too late when they get there… please, do this, alright?” With a sigh, Steph nodded and took to the air. Flying she’d have an easier time finding the place. Once she was gone, I took another breath, and as fast as I could despite the pain from earlier without wearing myself down, I galloped off in the directions the man had given me. “I’m coming… please don’t let me be too late…” I said softly, trying to hold back the trembling in my voice. I had no idea what I'd find there, or how out of my league I could be... but I had to try...