The guards escorted the trio on to one of the airships. All the while, they said nothing. It was only when the guards thew them in the small, confined brig of the airship, did Deadshot break the silence.
"Looks like I wasted the money on those clones." he said, hanging his head in shame. Shining and Flash didn't know what to say. They had never seen the proud Mob boss look so hopeless before "I'm really sorry guys," He apologized. "I should have known that bank job was too risky. Now you guys have to pay alongside me for my mistakes. You're right Shiny, I am a rotten scumbag."
Shining and Flash stood up and walked over to Deadshot. They sat beside him and put their hooves over his shoulders in an attempt to comfort him.
"Hey Deadshot-" Shining began to say some kind words, before Deadshot cut him off.
"Don't call me that!" Deadshot spat. "I don't deserve that name anymore. Just call me Rusty Bullet, 'cause that's what I am. I ain't any better than that now- OW!" Shining hit Deadshot across the face with his hoof.
"Don't talk like that!" he half yelled. "If it weren't for you, we would never have got this far." He took a deep breath. "What I'm trying to say is that Flash and I appreciate all you've done for us so far."
"Yeah Deadshot." Flash piped up. "Even though you're a criminal an all, you really went out of your way to help us."
"I suppose you two are right." Deadshot said. "I am being too hard on myself. But I can't guarantee a way out of this."
"Then I guess we'll just wait and see what happens." Shining said, and the three stallions sat on the bench in their cell, and didn't say another word for the rest of the journey.
A couple hours later, the door of the cell was unlocked. Six Burly guards stood outside.
"Look pretty," The senior officer of the group said. "You got a date with the prince himself." There were too many guards to fight, so the trio allowed themselves to be escorted up on deck.
The main deck of the war dirigible was rather large and flat. Prince Blueblood sat on a large chair placed in the middle of the deck, surrounded by his own escort. Another slightly larger airship could be seen off the port side, presumably Blueblood's own private craft.
"How kind of you three Gentlecolts to join me," The prince's voice had a mocking air to it. "Please make yourselves comfortable." Three servants brought out chairs and set them in front of Blueblood. "Sit." he ordered. The guards forced the trio down into their chairs. "Now, you three caused a lot of trouble for me lately." He rose form his seat and walked over to each of them. "I was rather shocked to hear that you were a participant in robbing me of some of my funds, is that so, Captain?" he said as he passed over Shining. Shining shivered at his voice, it was full of loathing and spite. "And you," Blueblood move on to Flash, who was visibly shaking. "You had so much potential. It's a shame you had to go and squander your life like this." At last, he came to Deadshot. "And you. You most surprised me." He grabbed on to Deadshot's cheek and pinched it slightly. "I thought you were dead."
"You can't kill me." Deadshot said, his grin surfacing for the prince. It was a plain and simple statement. Blueblood snickered and withdrew his hoof.
"Well, I suppose we'll put that to the test soon enough." Blueblood looked at his hoof rather distastefully. "Eugh, smells like peasant. Servant!" He called. A servant hurried over with a towel. She shined Blueblood's hoof until he told her to stop. She ran back to wherever she came from just as quickly as she had come.
"Now that that's out of the way," Blueblood smiled evilly. "You three will be taken to the Hoofington High Security Prison until I decide what to do with you.And I promise your deaths will be quick, for I am not a harsh stallion."
"Wait, you're going to have us killed?" Shining's horn lit up. "You can't do that!"
"Oh but I can," Blueblood assured. "Grand larceny and murder are capital crimes, and you did just heartlessly slaughter one of your own. You better stand down, Captain" Blueblood's expression did not change. "After all, I don't want to have to kill you in front of your mare friend."
"What?" Shining ceased his magical output. "Cadence is gone, though."
"She might be a little closer to home than you think, ha ha." Blueblood pointed over to his airship. Shining was astounded.
On the deck of Blueblood's ship, there was a mare. A bound and gagged mare. An alicorn, in fact. An elegant, pink, very familiar alicorn. "YOU SICK BASTARD!" Shining yelled at Blueblood. He lunged at him, only to hit by a stunning bolt sent by one of the guards. Shining collapsed to the deck. He panted deeply as Deadshot and Flash picked him up and sat him back in the chair. "Why are you doing this, Blueblood?" he spat between ragged breaths.
"It's rather simple," Blueblood explained. "With my cousin out of the way, I am the first in line to the throne. This way, I will assure my rule as Prince of the Sun. And before you ask about Auntie Celestia, let me remind you that accidents can happen. Ha ha ha." The Prince rose up from his chair and his escort took him back to his Airship. "Enjoy the rest of your sorry little life, Captain!"
"Right, take these prisoners to the brig, and set a course for Hoofington High Security Prison!" the captain ordered, and the three were taken back to the brig in silence.
"I should have known that pompous twit was behind this." Shining ranted as the others listened patiently to him. He was furious with himself for not seeing the truth earlier. He flopped down on the bench. "I can't believe I didn't see it before. Now we're all gonna die because of my inability."
Deadshot scooted over to his cousin. "Hey, Shiny, don't feel bad. I have a feeling we can still save your mare, and expose that lousy hypocrite for what he really is."
"Oh yeah? How so?" Shining said halfheartedly. "Hoofington Hi Sec is one of the most closely guarded prisons in Equestria. Only the worst of the worst go there."
"Well you're with one of the baddest crooks alive." Deadshot said. "And I'm still here. That place ain't so bad anyhow."
"How did you escape?" Flash scooted in now. The three were huddled together closely now.
"All it took was some shivs, a little formaldehyde, and some donuts. Too bad I can't do the same thing this time. I think they check the donuts and take inventory on the formaldehyde now. But I think I have a plan. We just need more shivs, a bit of luck and a guitar. Anypony know where we can get a guitar?"
A few hours later, the ship pulled in to the docks at Hoofington High Security Prison. Shining, Flash, and Deadshot were hustled off the ship and into the main building. Mugshots were taken, uniforms were issued, and cells were assigned. The first day was pretty harsh. Shining almost choked to death on the awful dinner he was served, and Flash dropped the soap in the shower. Fortunately, he managed to make it out without injury.
After a rough first day, the three met up once more in the prison commons during the evening free period. The commons was a large courtyard in the middle of the prison. Guards armed with rifles stood in towers in the corners of the courtyard. Deadshot, Flash and Shining sat around one of the tables strewn about the prison.
"I almost choked on the food they serve here." Shining started. "Stuff's tougher than rubber. Tastes like it too."
"Well I dropped the soap in the shower." Flash said. The other two gasped. Flash put up a hoof to calm his fellow inmates. "But I managed to get out scot free. Don't know how I pulled that one off."
"Guess you were as quick as a flash, then." Deadshot complimented. "I sold some of my secret stash of cigars to get our guitar. It's back at my cell."
"Why do we need a guitar, anyways?" Flash questioned.
"Well, here's the plan," Deadshot began. He looked at Shining. "To do this, we gotta kill some more. Can you do that, Shiny?"
Shining closed his eyes. It would be hard to overcome this, but Prince Blueblood had made it clear that he would show no mercy to Shining, or his friends. To make things worse, he had Cadence in his clutches. Shining wouldn't stand for that. His job was to protect Equestria from evil, and if this wasn't evil, he didn't know what was. He opened his eyes.
"I'm ready to do what I have to." he said. "Leave nothing out."