"What?!" Rainbow yelled. "What happened?"
"He was flying around and his wing just stopped working!" Shining said. "Where are you? Maybe I can pick you up on the way to the hospital."
"I'll meet you there," Rainbow said. "It'll be faster."
"I'll see you soon," Shining said, hanging up.
Rainbow turned back to the direction she had come from and pushed more power into the boots as she could.
*******************************
Shining Armor hung up the phone and looked up at the lab around him. There had to have been something around here to tell him what had happened to the original prototype. All he had to do was find it and modify it to do what he needed to. But it was nowhere to be found.
That left him with Plan B.
He had to do something and get Rainbow Dash back here fast. He needed something to get her attention quickly. Thinking just as fast, he ran up the stairs and called for Soarin. it didn't take long, and soon enough, Soarin was on the ground and Shining was on the phone.
He didn't have much time to finish what he was doing until Rainbow got back. He needed her help to get out of this mess. If she was willing to forgive him for everything and help him out, that would be best.
He could barely breathe as he followed the flashing lights in front of him. Hopefully, that hit to his head would keep Soarin's memory fuzzy about what had really happened.
*******************************
Rainbow Dash got to her house with enough time to remove the suit, but not much else. She grabbed her coat and moved over to one of her cars to get to the hospital. Soon enough, she was there and heading in when Shining Armor walked out.
"What happened? How is he?" Rainbow asked.
"He'll be fine," Shining said. "It was a muscle spasm that caused him to fall. He hit his head pretty hard when he did. They say he has a concussion and won't be able to fly for a while."
Rainbow leaned against the wall, relieved he was alright. With his spirit, he'd be back in the air in a few weeks, albeit not too high up.
The part that scared her next was seeing Shining levitate a gun up under his coat.
"What are you doing?" Rainbow asked, staring at it.
"I'm sorry," Shining said. "I need that reactor in your chest."
Keeping her eyes on the weapon, Rainbow said, "Well considering that would kill me, I don't exactly have good motivation."
"I know it's not the only one," Shining said. "I overheard the conversation and operation when you had that one stallion swap them out. I just need one of them. Please."
"I wouldn't think being polite would be high on your priorities right now, considering you're holding me at gunpoint," Rainbow said. "And considering you wouldn't have a job at Sparkle Industries, I really don't see why you don't just kill me, take the reactor and accuse the griffons."
"I don't want to kill you," he said. "Please just give me the reactor or at least tell me where the other one is."
"It should be a pile of ash at this point," Rainbow said. "But I can make another one. We just need to get to my lab and I can get one built for you in five hours."
"I don't have five hours," Rainbow heard Shining say under his breath. "Alright. Let's head back to the lab. Stay in front of me."
*******************************
Rainbow had barely made it through the front door before Shining hit her in the back of the head with his gun. She yelped in pain as she fell, numbness spreading across her body.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry."
She was rolled onto her back and could see Shining standing over her. He reached out with his magic and twisted the reactor, releasing it from the clamps holding it in place. The glow on his face brightened as it drew nearer, but his expression darkened.
"Why?" Rainbow got out.
"I don't have a choice," he said. "I was hoping you would see it."
There was a sharp pain as he pulled the reactor all the way out, unplugging it from the baseplate. He then took it, turned and walked away, putting it in a bag on his way to the door. "I'm sorry it had to end this way," he said, pausing in the doorway.
Once he was gone, Rainbow started looking for the stairs. She had to get down to her lab for the other one or she was going to die. And she might not be the only one, with how Shining was acting.
The trip down the stairs was painful, but still easier than what was to come. Now she had to get through the door and to her safe before she could rest. It wasn't too difficult, but pulling herself up for long enough to get the emergency passcode in was exhausting.
*******************************
Spitfire was busy looking over everything when her phone started going off. Looking at it, she sighed. "What is it this time, Dash?"
"This is an automated recording," came Rainbow's voice on the other end. "The emergency code for my lab has been used to get in. Please get over there quickly to make sure everything is alright."
"Very funny," Spitfire said. "Seriously though, what do you want?"
"This is an automated recording," came the other end.
"You can quit the charade," she said.
"The emergency code for my lab has been used..."
Spitfire hung up and trotted over to the door. Turning to the others in the room, she said, "I'll be back in a few minutes. I need to check in on someone."
*******************************
After getting the door opened, Rainbow barely had the strength to pull herself across the ground to her floor safe. She could barely think through the pain enough to get the code into the box, but was lucky enough to get it unlocked.
Now came the tricky part. The five-pound door needed to be opened for Rainbow to be able to get to the ARC she had stored there. she could barely move her legs, let alone the metal door. Of course, that's where having random pieces and parts laying around came in handy. She could barely reach a strip of metal thick enough to open the safe.
After wedging it in the space between the door and the wall, Rainbow fell on it. it was the best way to get enough force to open it without having to move quickly to grab the reactor before it fell closed again, though still painful. Luckily, that shot of pain was enough for her to grab the reactor and plug it in.
*******************************
The flight to Rainbow Dash's house was quick enough for the Wonderbolt. it had only taken a few minutes, but that was too long. Spitfire was annoyed that Rainbow would pull something like that, especially after the favors she had done for her. But there was something else that was on her mind as well. That actually did sound like a recording.
And Rainbow's house was almost completely dark.
All thoughts of punching her friend for an ill-timed joke vanished. Spitfire trotted up to the door cautiously. Something didn't feel right. There was always a light on on the main floor.
Spitfire went inside, after opening the door with a creak. There was a light on leading to the lab, but at this point, Spitfire was cautious to go anywhere in the house. Of course, she had to make sure her friend was still alive, so she really didn't have much choice. She jumped and glided over to and down the stairs to where the door to the lab was wide open.
Carefully, Spitfire stepped into the light of the lab. Everything was in disarray, though it was moreso now. Files and scrapmetal were everywhere and there was the sound of heavy breathing behind the desk.
She flew over and hovered above the desk for a moment before seeing Rainbow on the ground with the safe open right next to her and a piece of metal under her. She almost dropped in panic, but instead moved beside her and started shaking her.
Rainbow rolled over with a gasp and looked right at her old friend before grunting in pain. Spitfire carefully helped her onto her hooves before asking, "What happened here?"
"Shining Armor," Rainbow said, grimacing a little. "He was a mole in the company trying to sell weapons and technology to the griffons."
"What?!" Spitfire yelled. "Why?! He has no reason to do that!"
"That's what I intend to find out," Rainbow said. "For now, though, I have to find him. He's a threat to everypony in the city if not the country with that reactor."
*******************************
Shining Armor stood in front of his project. It wasn't too much, nowhere near the perfection of Rainbow's, but enough to be used. He held the reactor in his magic and plugged it into the machine. Instantly, it came to life, eyes glowing red with all the files he needed. Soon enough, though, he wouldn't be the one to decide what would happen.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the suit.