"Move faster!" Shadowlight screeched at his lackies, dusting lint off the sleeves of his white jacket. "If we don't get these gems to Baron Bloodknight before the full moon, our commission is invalidated!" The emaciated unicorn sneered to himself as he turned away, silver glasses gleaming in the dark of the night. "Sometimes I wish I had a more stable collection of associates, these rookies could end my entire business."
The ponies carrying the boxes out of the big vault tried their best to speed up their illicit transaction, unaware that they were being watched. From the second floor bridge, a shadowy figure observed them carefully, unmoving, unflinching. Blue eyes traced the criminals as they made their way toward the southern door, narrowing slightly. A quiet hum built up, unnoticed by the ponies below...
Suddenly, a beam of power lanced out from the figure's horn! Ice spread across the floor, slipping up the ponies and sending them sprawling as the container fell to the ground. Even as Shadowlight's armed goons whipped out their Managuns(1), the shadowy figure leapt from the bridge and snapped her wings open, zooming toward them and knocking one out with a swift kick to the jaw. She twirled round and snapped an uppercut at another of her foes, the energy in her horn building up once more as she faced the two gang members firing mana bolts at her. A single blast of force knocked them against the wall, and they fell unconscious as they hit the ground.
The criminal tycoon smirked as the mare spun to face him, twin blades of shadow and light already in his magical grasp. "I was wondering when you'd come play princess, Matter-Horn. It's been a while since the Chalice fiasco.(2)"
"Your reign of crime is at an end, Shadowlight! I will ensure you get locked up for your crimes!"
The blades that Shadowlight wielded projected odd patterned on his black face. "Oh, my poor dear Matter-Horn, when will you ever learn? Money is the only true power in this world, and even the legal system bows to it."
"There will always be those that will remain true to justice." The mare narrowed her eyes. "Bribery will not solve all your troubles. And today I shall prove it to you!"
Once more her horn hummed, a blast of fire shooting out at the unicorn! It was swiftly deflected by the shadowy blade, but the criminal underlord barely had time to respond to Matter-Horn's charge. The sword of light just barely managed to deflect Matter-Horn's silver clad hoof, and Shadowlight spun his darker weapon at her neck. She rolled away from the strike moments before it would have connected, glowering at the emaciated unicorn as her wings flared out.
Shadowlight smiled, shaking his head. "Still so eager for vengeance my dear? I would have thought your constant failure to contain my greatness would have wearied you."
"On the contrary, professor, all your rule breaking has done is motivate me." The Masked Matter-Horn smirked, pawing at the ground. "I will not rest until you and your ilk are brought to justice."
"Tut, tut, princess. So rude." Shadowlight idly twirled his blades. "I suppose you've already alerted the local Guard?" The starlight reflected off his silver glasses as he raised an eyebrow. "No doubt this whole assault is a delaying tactic, meant to keep me here long enough for them to arrive."
"It's a shame you haven't put your mind to more legitimate purposes, professor." The heroine narrowed her eyes. "With your intelligence you could easily make the world a better place."
"Oh, but I am, my dear." The unicorn tilted his head. "After all, what better purpose do I have then making sure Maretropilis does not fall to corruption and poverty? If I rule the underworld, then I can ensure that the very evils you seek to erase are controlled. I honestly do not see why you will not join me."
"Your hypocrisy sickens me," Matter-Horn explained bluntly.
"Hypocrisy? I preach that money is power, and I seek to earn that power. But alas, I cannot afford any more time for you." The unicorn nodded to something behind Matter-Horn. "Now, please."
She twirled, ready to face the new foe--but a lance of lightning struck out and hit her chestplate, arcing through her and breaking the conduit gems between her horn and armor! In mere moments, she fell battered and bruised to the floor, fighting desperatly to stay awake. A strange clawed foot entered her vision; a thing constructed of alien metal.
"TARGET NEUTRALIZED." The newcomer slowly spun an optic toward Shadowlight. "OUR BARGAIN?"
"Mmm, yes." A tracking device hovered from the unicorn to the strange machine. "There you are. I can't guarantee you'll find her with that, but it's the best I could obtain."
"...SUFFICIENT." Without another word, the robot bounded away.
Shadowlight smiled to himself, using his magic to revive his lackies. "Well, that's that then. I have what I came for, X-Term N8 is off hunting its prey, and you... oh, you." He chuckled, kneeling and meeting the eyes of the suffering heroine. "You've failed. And this time, your wondrous little toy was broken. I'd love to examine it for myself, of course, but... well, how could the guards recognize the Masked Matter-Horn without the Matter-Horn itself? Such a notorious criminal, too, stealing these gems...." He shook his head sadly.
"You'll... never get away with this." The mare looked up at her foe. "There's too much evidence I was attacked. Too much evidence that--"
"Oh you know common criminals," Shadowlight replied smoothly. "They'll turn on each other for the smallest of reasons. Now then, I do believe you need to rest. You have been seriously injured, after all."
His hoof descended, and everything went dark.