I can’t believe it. I. Am. Bored.
Twilight sulked in her bed as she watched the rain fall down outside her window. Every now and then the pegasi would give Ponyville a real downpour for a few days to help the farmers in town with their crops.
And Twilight had at this point read every single book in the library twice. Spike was away in Canterlot on royal business and her friends were isolated as well from each other because of the rain. It was fun the first few times of solo-playing “Follow the Raindrop” but that deteriorates very quickly.
Add to the fact that she had done a number of multipony activities on her own to see if it was possible and you had a very bored princess on your hands.
Okay, I can’t go reread the books because I know what will happen, nopony would be stupid enough to try and deliver something in this deluge, and I just don’t feel like going out for a visit.
The only thing Twilight hadn’t touched was Spike’s comic book collection. He still bought them at that House of Enchanted Comics store in Canterlot and chances were he’d pick up some more with his own money.
Twilight didn’t touch his stuff because they were his private collection, just like he didn’t touch her private collection of special edition novels of various genres.
Frankly, though, at this point, Twilight was gaining an interest. They say that when you can’t have something, you want it even more. Twilight wasn’t big on that saying but she found it somewhat relevant here. Fidgeting with her fingers, Twilight weighed the pros and cons on taking a comic book and living in it.
On one hand, Twilight could genuinely have fun. She could take one out, become one of the Power Ponies again, kick some tail, put them in jail and have a good time while the rain was happening.
On the other, she could picture Spike coming home while she was in the comic book and he’d be crossed with how she violated his privacy. Celestia knows how much they’ve been squabbling in the past about where the privacy line went. Really she did.
But Twilight took one look at the rain outside one more time and she made up her mind.
She went over to her writing desk, took a blank piece of paper and began her note.
Spike,
I’m sorry I did what I did. I took one of your comic books and if you’re reading this, I’m probably still in there being a superhero.
As an apology, I owe you one. You can call in a favor from me and it’s of your choosing, so long as it is reasonable.
Love you,
Twilight
With her note done, Twilight put it in a place she knew he would find it and began to rummage through the collection.
There was a rather disturbing number of issues featuring Radiance. Twilight frowned but she wouldn’t tattle on him. But she wasn’t in the mood to be Radiance.
She did spot a comic that featured a solo adventure for the Masked Matter-horn. Huh, that was fun the last time, she thought and took it into the light.
Twilight wasn’t the most well-versed in comic book characters. The cover was that of the Matterhorn looking behind her because of a large black muzzle that covered the pony’s entire face, with the red eyes staring up at Twilight. The title was Masked Matter-horn: Muzzles Come In Black.
“Hmm, I think I’ll go with this one.” Twilight went back to her bed and began reading the comic first.
It started with the story of a Hobby Falabella, a wealthy business pony who specialized in teamstering, transporting goods for other companies. In his youth, he had suffered a terrible accident, resulting in him constantly wearing the muzzle mask because his family couldn’t afford surgery.
Twilight felt bad for the pony and read on. In modern Maretropolis, Hobby donated to an orphanages with the profits of his company. That was until there was a banking failure and he began to lose his profits.
Then the story was turned blank. Here she realized was where the Matter-horn came into the story. “Okay, time to be hero,” Twilight said and started the little incantation.
Matterhorn woke up in her bed, kept in the dark (as to conceal her true identity) and out of her uniform. “Mm, not a bad way to start this story.”
“Good evening, Matterhorn. Have you enjoyed your nap?”
“Huh?” Matterhorn turned her attention to the direction. It was a wall. No, it was a flat screen on a wall. She hadn’t seen anything like that. Well, there was that silver display screen she had packed away but this was much more sleek, more built into the wall, and it could talk.
“I wondered if you enjoyed your nap?” The wallscreen asked again.
“Oh! Yes, I did. Though I think my memory’s a bit foggy. Is that normal?” Matterhorn asked it.
“No, Matterhorn, it isn’t. Would you like a refreshment on your memory?” The screen asked her.
Matterhorn rubbed her forehead as she walked up to the screen. “Please do. I know I am the Masked Matterhorn, but that’s it so far.”
“I am pleased to know you have not forgotten your own persona, though it wouldn’t surprise me if you thought it your only persona, given your fervour to keeping Maretropolis safe.”
“Oh great, my talking wall screen has a sense of dry humor. Did I build you specifically for that?”
“Yes, you did,” The screen replied. “I am Virtual Intelligence Emergency Tracker.”
“VINCENT,” Matterhorn said the abbreviation.
“Yes, your naming skills are not of this world. You are one of the Power Ponies, a group of superheroes dedicated to the protection of Maretropolis. Shall I prepare the files for the other members of the group?”
“No, I know them all,” Matterhorn told VINCENT. “Speaking of them, where are they?”
“Zapp is tracking down a lead on the criminal Minos, Radiance and Humdrum went on to find a conundrum left by Puzzling, Mistress Mare-volous and Fili-Second are off to Trotham City to aid the police force in chasing down the quagga known as Zeal and Saddle Rager is out of town for some emergency call relating to Grudge Match, alias Foul Play.”
“So I’m the only one available right now for Maretropolis,” Matterhorn said flatly. “Great. This better be something small to do.”
“You should feel good, then. Police radio is chattering about local small time criminals working to sabotage several other companies out there,” VINCENT told her. “Shall I reply to them that you are on your way?”
“Might as well. I could do with some exercise tonight,” Matterhorn began walking away from VINCENT and off to the exit.
“Would you like to get your attire first, or will you go as you currently are?” VINCENT asked her. “You’re usually quite discreet in your supersuit but I think going out in your birthday suit should give you an equally low profile.”
Twilight snapped back to attention and walked back in to get her suit. “Remind me to reprogram you to be less sassy next time I come back here!”
Matterhorn was a pegasus in the comics and Twilight took it in stride that she could fly. Certainly cut down on travel time for her from the base and into the city itself. Twilight began to wonder if the Masked Matterhorn was specifically made for pegasi who wished they were unicorns.
Twilight decided she needed to start buying her own copies. “VINCENT, any news on where the criminals are?”
“The most recent report is at Clydesdale avenue. If that doesn’t help your bearings, I recommend following the police wagons with the blaring sirens.”
Twilight looked down to hear the sirens of the cops turning west. “Right, I’ll clean this up, take out some thugs and then I’ll come back.”
“Good to know I have a time limit, then.” Twilight cut off her little vox contact with VINCENT and took off after the police wagons. They’d surely be surprised at seeing Matterhorn being able to fly but given the circumstances, they wouldn’t complain.
“Okay, now where’s the the frequency for the police communications?” Twilight fiddled with the vox in her right ear and decided to try and recreate the darn thing back home when she had the opportunity. “Come on, work.”
“We got a white carriage turning south away from Clydesdale avenue on to Galiceno Highway at high velocity. Visual confirms saboteurs. Over.”
“Stay on visual, Zebra–1018” another voice cut in over the radio. “Word just came in that Matterhorn is on approach. Repeat, Matterhorn is on approach. Check your surroundings, we got a Power Pony incoming, over.”
“Yeah, like we wouldn’t know who the Masked Matterhorn is, out.”
Matterhorn shook her head and spotted the white carriage they mentioned. Good Celestia, that can’t really be street-legal. They could hurt somepony. She activated her vox. “This is Matterhorn. I have visual on the carriage. Engaging now, over.”
“Copy, Matterhorn. Zebra, you are in for a show tonight.”
Twilight smiled as she dove down in an interceptive course with the carriage. Okay, flying lessons with Rainbow Dash, martial arts lessons with her and Rarity. I can do this. Twilight became Matterhorn again and deliberately went for the side of the carriage when she got close enough.
Simple physics did the rest when she flew past the carriage with a hand on the guard rail. Being an alicorn, Twilight was considerably stronger because the carriage spun around with horse and spokes connecting the horse to the carriage snapped clean off and the horse ran off. Matterhorn let go and slided against the asphalt of the street upon landing.
“It’s Matterhorn,” one of the crooks shouted as he got off. “Get her!”
Twilight found this very cliché. Still, had to deliver something equally dull. “Bring it, boys.” There were three of them, one of them armed with a baseball bat. Oh, come on, how is that even fair? Matterhorn decided that it was a better idea to save her energy for something more important. Her horn flashed up and the crooks froze up because of her freeze ray. Okay, I need to know the other applications of this horn.
“Nice work, Matterhorn,” one of the police officers said as he walked past her to put handcuffs on the frozen crooks. “Not much of a show, there.”
“Meh,” Matterhorn stuck out her tongue. “Small fry. Give me something tougher and you’ll see a show, then.”
“These guys are just the latest bunch. We got reports of small-timers committing a city-wide crime crusade against several companies.”
“Crime crusade? Really?” Matterhorn raised an eyebrow at him. “And I thought VINCENT was bad. Anyway, thanks for saying that. Gonna go track these guys down. I’ll contact you guys where to find them when I’m done.” Matterhorn took off in flight before the cops could say anything.
To say that Twilight was having a workout was putting it mildly. Three times has she chased bunches of small-timers who had committed the same crime. Three times had she tried talking to them about why they did what they did.
And three times had they tried to “knock her over her flanks.” The keyword was tried. Twilight had beaten down every single one of them and she found it very frustrating with how they just attacked her for no good reason. It was like trying to sleep next to a sewage pipe on an airship. Nureeking and rotuting and when you expect them to nureek again, they squelookle.
Her horn ached from overuse and some of her limbs were aching from having to engage hand to hand with some of them. Most of all, her wings hurt from having flown a bit over what Rainbow Dash recommended for her at the rate she flew. Twilight was going to take it slow afterward but she was anxious to get this over so she could get back to the library.
This was going to be her fourth attempt at diplomacy with these crooks and already she was trying to figure out how to make the best of it if it came to a fight. She was already in the warehouse they hid out in and were above them on the railings, listening to them talking.
“Hey, you got the meds to your little sister, right?” One of them asked his friend, taking Matterhorn by surprise with the question.
“Yeah, she got the meds in time. Doctor was pleased to say that she’ll make the recovery,” the other replied. “He was surprised at the ‘anonymous donor’ of cash but he didn’t care much how I got it.”
“Good, man. Hate to see your girl get… you know.”
“I still say we should have taken her to the hospital when we found out.”
Matterhorn agreed on that one. Maybe this crime they committed was a one time thing for them. Then again, they had stolen medical stuff needed at the hospital. Although it was just for one pony. Could this have gotten worse for them?
“No way. You know what they do to ponies who can’t afford the bills?”
“No?”
“They take them out in their hospital gowns, dump them on the streets and just leave them to it. We couldn’t afford the care and they charge too much thanks to the demands of the high and mighty rich in this town.”
Matterhorn felt her hand close down on the railing she was on. Things weren’t as bad back home in Equestria and she was starting to feel bad for the guy’s little sister.
“Yeah but,” the stallion said. “I hear the princess is working on a bill to ensure free healthcare. Maybe we could have used this to help push it through.”
Matterhorn felt a little flutter in her heart about how he was concerned for his sister and how he was talking. Maybe he was gonna go straight after this.
“Look, all due respect, the princess can’t get her butt in motion to pass those bills. It’s her parliament and the House of Nobles who do that. And yeah, the parliament likes the idea that helps the little pony but the nobles? Hah, they prefer to leave the privilege of free healthcare to themselves,” the first on said. “How is she gonna convince them if she has to be all passive and caring for all of us since that means the nobles get to be cared for as well.”
Matterhorn sighed. The bill for free healthcare was passed decades ago back in real Equestria and here in the comic world, that didn’t seem the case. When she got out, she was gonna add talking to these comic book writers about the world setting. Also, she decided it was enough listening in on them. She felt more and more guilty about it since they did it out of desperation, apparently. At least one of them was.
She dropped down from the railing and landed in the middle of them. “What the–?”
“It’s Matterhorn!”
“Look guys,” she started talking. “I haven’t really had a good night tonight with four other gangs trying to knock me over my flanks, as they put it. And I heard about that guy’s little sister so I got a little proposition for you. You guys turn yourselves in and we can skirt around a few laws about your sentences for what you did. Sound good?”
They looked at each other first. “Get her!” Another yelled and they decided to go with that.
Matterhorn closed her eyes and sighed. “Squelookle.” She blocked the first guy’s punch and countered with a heavy slap to his face and then she sprung into full action with them.
By the time the cops arrived, they found Matterhorn surrounded by a dozen stallions knocked on their flanks and Matterhorn sitting on one of the crates they had stolen, holding the one guy who had a sick little sister.
Over at the precinct, the cops were interrogating several of the criminals Matterhorn had brought in. Matterhorn felt that she was going through several time skips since it felt like days between the periods. This did feel up to be one of those long story arc comics. Twilight didn’t know how much time had passed outside and Spike was probably already home.
Twilight was sitting in a waiting room reading some book she had found in there when a police officer came by. “Matterhorn, someone wants to talk to you.”
Matterhorn put down the book and followed the officer. “So who is it?”
“One of the thugs from that last gang. He said he would only talk to you about something. He didn’t say on that and he wants full secrecy. Whatever he wants to say, he just wants you to hear,” the officer said.
“Hmm, give me ten minutes. I might strike a deal with him,” Matterhorn told her. A quick glance and Twilight noticed she had just passed a big mirror and she saw something she had to get a double glance at.
The police officer stopped walking when she realized Matterhorn wasn’t following her. “Matterhorn?”
Twilight was a little busy inspecting her bottom and she had a frown on her face. “I’m gonna give Fili-second a piece of my mind after all this. She told me this suit didn’t make my butt look big.” Pinkie was in for it now.
A passing officer dropped his donut on hearing her. Matterhorn ignored it and followed the other officer leading her to the interrogation room. “Right through there, madam. Do you want us to listen in or…?”
“No, this stays between him and me. I’ll inform you guys later about it. The less people know what he wants, the better for him. Someone might get the idea of silencing whoever squealed.”
“Good plan.”
Matterhorn was left alone outside the room, deciding if she should go in or not. It was one thing talking about doing something, actually going through with it is another. It felt like doing her princess duties as well. And this pony might have something up his sleeve. Maybe a shiv, or a glass he could smash to make a makeshift knife out of the shards.
No, I made my decision, she told herself and opened the door. She had half-expected the stallion who was sitting inside. It was the one who had a sick little sister. “You wanted to see me in private?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I didn’t really know who else to trust with this.”
“You could have talked to the commissioner. He might have listened,” she argued.
It took a few seconds before he answered. “I was too scared for that. Not sure if he’d listen to me.”
Matterhorn didn’t want to blame him. “First you get jumpy about robbing a shipment of medical supplies, then you join the others in jumping me, and now you’re approaching me because you’re scared of the commissioner not listening to what you have to say?”
“I grew up here long before you Power Ponies showed up. You guys are a real boon because some of the cops here took money from the crime lords to beat down on the little guy. I did what I had to do in order to provide for me and my sister. The commissioner isn’t known for having a clean record, himself. It’s only after you came that he decided to go straight. Even then, I don’t know if I can trust him.”
Matterhorn kept quiet for a few moments. “Well, I’m trusting you now. Nopony’s listening in on us, nopony is going to hear things about what you’re gonna tell me. It’s just you and me. I could make sure your little sister won’t have to pay you a visit behind bars. I think that’s what you’re really afraid of. I can stop that, but only if you come clean.”
The stallion closed his eyes and sighed. “The day before, we were approached by some rich guy. We were gonna rob him first, but he told us about a shipment of medical supplies that were loosely guarded. At first we were gonna take his money, then I got a call from my neighbor my sister had collapsed. The guy banked on that, told us that we could help her. He told us where and when we could make the hit and then we just let him go.”
“Did you recognize this stallion?” Matterhorn asked.
“No, we just called him black muzzle.”
“What?”
“The guy had a black muzzle mask over his face. I don’t know why he had that but he didn’t seem to part with it. Like he didn’t want to be recognized. I didn’t care much for his reasons, I just…”
“I know,” Matterhorn intercepted. “Thanks for the info.” She rose up and left the room, finding an eager group of police officers surrounding the captain in charge of this case. “I got what I needed from him.”
“Good. We can’t act on this right now,” the captain told her. “But we have to ask what did he want in return?”
Matterhorn sighed, guessing that they would say no. “This is strictly off the record. He came clean with his motivations and the information. I want his record cleaned out. No charges, no history of crime. He wants to go straight and he needs it for somepony else.”
“Wipe the record clean?” The captain asked suspicious. “That’s rather unorthodox.”
“Which is why I said that it’s off the record. This is a deal between him and me and there’s a little girl out there I don’t want to see visiting her brother behind bars. Every little bit helps,” Matterhorn told him.
The captain hummed for a few moments. “Alright, but he’ll have to do community service in exchange. After that, he’ll get it clean.”
Matterhorn let out a breath of relief she barely knew she had. “Thank you. Now, I gotta get back to HQ. I need to find out who’s been conducting all this.”
Matterhorn flew back to her secret base she shared with the other Power Ponies and walked straight over to her screen. “VINCENT. I need you right now.”
“But I haven’t finished writing my eulogy yet,” VINCENT complained.
“Forget that,” she waved it off. “I need a full record of all stallions known to have black muzzle masks for whatever reasons.”
“Is that all? You find it an interest?”
“Keep that up and you won’t ever get to finish your eulogy,” Matterhorn stated in an angry tone. “I don’t have time for your antics nor your smarm. Just get me a list of suspects. It’s connected to these robberies.”
“Very well, it should take me only a few minutes, VINCENT complied. “May I recommend you have a look at your artificial horn in the meantime? It might need some maintenance after tonight.”
Matterhorn didn’t say anything and left VINCENT to its devices. In-character, Twilight played that she didn’t know about who the guy in question was. Out-of-character, she figured it was the stallion she read about earlier. Note to self, do not read the storyline before you enter it. It ruins the tension completely.
She did remove her mask and inspected the “artificial horn.” Not that she needed one, she was just an alicorn playing a pegasus and her horn was still there. Her artificial horn was a bit dull in color thanks to her overusing it. Maybe relying on it the whole time wasn’t such a good idea. But I really enjoy doing this gig. Maybe I should try out some of the other Power Ponies after this.
“Matterhorn, I have completed the list.” VINCENT’s voice couldn’t have come at a better moment. Matterhorn donned her mask again and decided to keep it low with the horn use (Good Celestia, that went somewhere horrible) and fetched the paper being printed.
“Okay, let’s see,” She said out loud while reading the list. “Top results are… “Loose Lips” Fouta, Iomud, Hobby Falabella, Galiceno, Brumby and… Haf Linger IV. VINCENT-”
“Already comprised files of them,” VINCENT told her and displayed the pictures of several stallions and two mares, all wearing black muzzle masks.. “After examining the files on a closer level, Brumby, Falabella and Fouta are the ones that stand out.”
Matterhorn took a look at all of them. “Fouta would fit as the one letting slip of the shipments. Brumby seems more a hired brute than a schemer. Could Fouta have…?”
“I just checked the police records. Fouta is currently in Ironhoof prison and will be on parole within four months.”
“Then we only got one suspect who fits the bill.” Matterhorn selected the file and saw the picture. “Hobby Falabella. Hm… good records at school, philanthropist… huh, it says here that he’s been wearing that mask because of a childhood accident and they couldn’t afford surgery.”
“Mr. Falabella is the owner and CEO of the Pony Logistics Incorporated, a large supply chain management company that hires itself out to companies for transporting their goods. They span over Maretropolis, Trotham and Dockholm City and expanding. Mr Falabella is the only pony in all three to conduct in this business.”
Matterhorn read the file extensively. Hobby was a good pony, a model citizen even. His only drawback so far was that mask of his. “Anything else on his resume?”
“He also holds a large stock share in the Talonclaw Industries.”
“Huh. Might consider going on a date with this guy,” Matterhorn muttered to herself. “Alright, I’ll head over and talk to him at least. Check what alibi he has.”
“I do hope you have an invitation, Matterhorn,” VINCENT told her. “Mr. Falabella is currently attending as a guest to a fundraiser party.”
“I think I got my ways.”
Ms. Higher Class has outdone herself.
The penthouse suite party was packed with the finest guests and the best service Maretropolis had to offer. Stallions had a good laugh with each other and mares competed with who had the finest dresses.
Higher Class herself had gotten a hand-stitched dress straight from the best shop in Canterlot, a gorgeous sky-blue sash-tied robe with white trimmings inspired by the Kirin culture with a matching coat, all made from imported silk. She aspired to be the envy of the partygoers.
Singles were targeting out whom to approach, but no matter how well you placed yourself next to a girl or a man who was interested, nopony got as much attention as the Emperor of Teamsters himself, Hobby Falabella.
Several stallions who were single viewed with envy on how he got the ladies so easily. “Mr. Falabella, there has been something on my mind ever since I saw you,” one of the girls surrounding him asked.
“Oh?” Hobby asked, interested in her question.
“Why is it, that a stallion as influential and as wealthy as you are, keeps wearing a muzzle mask that covers your whole face?” Hobby reeled back, having heard the question over and over many times. “Why is that?”
Hobby decided to tell her the truth. “Sweetie, the truth of the matter is that I had a very unfortunate childhood accident. I can’t have been… I believe I was eight.” All of the girls gasped in shock. “It was a traumatizing event. I can’t remember how it went, but I do remember that my family could not afford the surgery to have my face restored. I donned the mask because I was scared to keep seeing myself in the mirror while growing up.”
“Aww, you baby.” Another girl began stroking the left side of his mask. “I bet you’re gorgeous underneath.”
“But wait, you can afford surgery now,” the first girl, Sweetie, pointed out. “You would be the new grand face of Maretropolis but you keep wearing the mask.”
“Yes, you have a good point,” Hobby told her. “I can afford surgery now. But I don’t go because of two reasons: first off, I don’t think I’d get as many girls as I am now.” Many of the girls laughed at the little joke he made. “Secondly, when I see myself in the mirror, I see a young boy who was unfortunate. It is a sad thing, but I keep telling myself that the boy in the mirror simply cannot let things like what I went through happen to others. The main problem, I feared, was that there wouldn’t be enough supplies out there. Somepony who’s starving might never get that one hayburger. Or someone in need of medicine finds out the pharmacy doesn’t have what they need to not get sick. Whatever it is, someone might not get what they need.”
“And that is where your company comes in?” Sweetie asked.
“Yes. Pardon me for giving you the sales pitch, my dear. Pony Logistics Inc. exists for the sole purpose of ensuring the needed supplies and goods of this city and beyond comes to them. I founded it with that in mind for everyone. I aspire to ensure that the little boy I see in the mirror… is the only one who had to suffer such a childhood.”
It was then that the group heard the applause. Hobby and his entourage was surrounded by a bunch of ponies who applauded generously at them. “Well said, Mr Falabella,” Higher Class said, approaching the stallion. “It is always good to hear a pony who aspires to help society.”
Hobby felt himself blushing under his mask and gave a courteous nod. “I merely strive to do what the Princess wants us all to do, Ms Class.”
He could see a journalist for the tabloid magazine Face of Maretropolis writing down on his notepad. Sigh, more journalists. Always eager to take things for granted. “Excuse me, Mr. Falabella?”
“Hm?” He turned around to see Class’ butler. “Oh, yes?”
“There is somepony who wants to see you. She says it’s business,” the butler informed him.
Well, that’s another way of saying she just wanna snog me in private, Hobby thought. “Really? Is that all there is to this girl?”
“Er, no, she wears a mask like you do, sir.”
“Oh, no. Not another fan of the whole ‘I got a mysterious face’ fangirls,” Hobby whined, earning some laughs from the crowd. “It’s always the same. Somepony who likes the idea of me wearing a mask all the time and decides to do the same to make it more intriguing for people looking for a good time.” More ponies laughed. He could hear her hooves marching across the floor behind the butler. “This is gonna be the fourth this month. I dunno if I can take… any…”
“‘I got a mysterious face fangirl’, was it?” The Masked Matterhorn said as she stepped into view of everypony and the room just exploded with glee from the guests. Hobby was awfully quiet.
“Oh my god, it’s the Masked Matterhorn!” A griffin chick squealed and several of the guests rushed forth to greet the big hero.
“Oh, yes, yes. Hi, it’s good to see you,” Matterhorn said to the guests, shaking hands, signing autographs, accepting hugs as she tried to squeeze by. “Yes, yes. I know, it’s good to see you all, I’m sorry, trying to get through.”
Hobby was stunned. One of the Power Ponies coming to see him? Now of all times? Why would she come to him at this time? At a party where he was one of the guests? Hobby swallowed deeply and braced himself as she stepped up to him. Oh my, she has some rather lovely curves- No, mustn’t stare, mustn’t stare!
“Excuse me, Hobby Falabella?” She asked when she was clear of the group of fans.
“Miss Matterhorn,” he replied courteously. “I’m both honored, and surprised, that you came here, just to see me.”
Matterhorn smiled while looking down before looking up at him again. “Yes, I was unsure if the bouncer would even let me through. Anyway, I didn’t come here for pleasure. Though I might again at some point.” In response, several of the guests gasped in surprise and jealousy. “I did come here for business regarding a matter of…” she leaned forward to whisper. “Questionable ethics.” She leaned back.
Hobby felt a bit unnerved by her tone but he was certain he had a good alibi. “Yes, of course. I’d be glad to assist. But perhaps somewhere more private where we wouldn’t get disturbed, would be more appropriate?”
He regretted saying that, since his words caused a silent outbreak of anger and envy. Stallions who had certainly eyed Matterhorn’s curves themselves, or the mares seeking his attentions changed their looks from surprised to angry, at either of them. He wished he could have phrased that better.
Matterhorn said nothing, but nodded. He led her aside down a hall away from the main party, and he could hear the gossips go off already. This wouldn’t look well in the tabloids.
Somepony followed behind and he dared a look back. Higher Class, the hostess of the party. Oh dear, this might get even worse.
The three of them assembled by a couple of empty couches, and Hobby felt like sitting down from the rush of it all. “Now, if you don’t mind me asking, miss Matterhorn… what kind of matters are we talking here?”
“I’d like to know that myself.” Higher Class didn’t seem happy about leaving the two alone.
Matterhorn took a deep breath first before starting. “For the past few days now, I’ve been tracking down criminals, bunch of small-timers who has stolen from several companies. Mostly shipments of goods, food, medical stuff, clothing. Only recently did one of them talk.”
“What?” Class seemed utterly confused now. Hobby could hardly blame her. “What are you on about? What does one of Maretropolis’ finest citizens got to do with this?”
“I’m getting there. He said he was told about the shipment by a rich stallion who wore a black muzzle mask. I have done a serious investigation on the number of ponies in the city who wear black muzzle masks and-”
“And I came out on top of it, didn’t I?” Hobby cut her off with a sigh. He could tell that she didn’t like her own nod.
“That’s ridiculous!” Class exclaimed. “Hobby is one of the best and brightest model citizens in the whole of Maretropolis! He’s a philanthropist and a good pony. How could he turn up on this investigation?”
Hobby started before Matterhorn spoke, because he figured Class would dismiss anything she said from that point on. “Because I would be a pony who would know about the shipments, and I wear a black mask, and add to the fact that there might be a good chance I might have paid the thugs to do the hit. There are a number of reasons that could put me forward as a suspect. The police checks with everyone on stuff like this, Ms. Class.”
Higher Class kept quiet. And Matterhorn turned to Hobby. “There is only one problem with my investigation.”
Hobby nodded at her. “Lack of motivation. I don’t see why I would want to hire small time criminals to do my bidding, even if that was beneficial for me. I’m not that kind of pony.”
“Yes, I know. But, I need to ask you the questions nonetheless. You know them, no doubt?”
“Go ahead, I’ll answer them all truthfully,” Hobby told her with a small hint of pride in his voice.
“Where were you July 6th, the day before the first hit?”
“In my office at the Argennes Boulevard station.”
“Was there anyone with you?”
“My assistant, she can verify.”
“In the timespan of three days following July 6th, describe shortly the events you were doing.”
“July 7th was my day off from work where I spent most of the day in my apartment, having a friend over. 8th was when I returned to work and had a job interview with a new applicant for a desk job in Trotham and 9th, I had to inspect a shipment personally that was going to Silver City for the first time for starting a new station there.”
“Did you have any deliveries done from July 6th to July 9th?”
“One. My main Dockholm station had requested a load of diamonds for a jewelry store. July 6th.”
Matterhorn took another deep breath. “Have you been gettings reports of your own company workers being robbed by them?”
Hobby thought back for a moment but had an answer. “No.”
“I find it a bit strange. I did a little more investigation. I found that you would actually gain in profit from these attacks because the shipments were conducted by others, resulting in you gaining sole access to contracts for transporting across the city. Don’t you find that a big coincidence?”
“That’s ridiculous!” Higher Class objected but Hobby held up his hand to keep her from talking.
“It might be. However, let’s assume I did hire the criminals.” He rose up to match Matterhorn’s height. “Is this an accusation for which there is hard proof?”
Matterhorn turned from him and closed her eyes. “No. There is no hard proof. Look, I’m sorry but I have to check-”
Crash!
Then the screams followed along with bellows of keeping quiet. “Oh, come on!” Matterhorn said in frustration and rushed over to the scene. Hobby followed along Higher Class.
Off all the times there had to be an interruption, it just had to be this one. Matterhorn didn’t rush out fully, she slowed down when she got close enough to listen in on the one who bellowed.
The Earth Pony was huge. Bigger than Big McIntosh even and built like a brickhouse. He wore heavy body armor along with a black muzzle mask as well. Heck, it was Brumby. She had seen him before on her list of suspects but dismissed from for a brute.
“Alright, listen, you lot. We’re not gonna hurt you unless you give us good cause to and not staying still and doing what you’re told to do is good cause enough! Now, we gonna collect your valuables and if we all cooperate, we can all go home and have a laugh about this.”
His gang of six were also Earth ponies, heavy muscles the lot of them. How was this a solo adventure, again? Twilight wasn’t that good a fighter and what’s more, Matterhorn was meant for pegasi, not unicorns.
Then she remembered she was an alicorn and that might even the odds. But what if her regular alicorn strength had been nullified? Was that even possible? It wasn’t impossible, given the last time-
“Come here!” One of the earth ponies grabbed one of the guests, a young unicorn mare recently of age by the look of it.
Screw doubtfulness, time to be a hero. Matterhorn flared up her horn and blasted the guy in the back, knocking him down unconscious.
“Huh?” Brumby turned around to see her. “Matterhorn? Wasn’t expecting you here tonight.”
“I’m saying the same about you, Brumby. Though I was here first and what are you doing here?”
Brumby waved his arms about. “Ain’t it obvious? Me and my new gang the Rumblers are looking for some easy pickings with most of your gang out of town. You?”
Matterhorn rolled her eyes at the name he had picked but let it slide. “Investigating a crime, and as of now… stopping one.”
Brumby laughed at her. “Oh, hear that, boys? Little Matterhorn thinks she can take us all on. You don’t stand a chance. It took Mare-volous nearly all of her strength just to take me down. And you may be the smartest, but you’re the weakest by far of the Power Ponies. What makes you think you can beat my gang on your own?”
Matterhorn heard the guy behind and reacted before he knew what she was doing. The Rumbler had tried to sneak up on her. Matterhorn ducked his grappling attempt and then delivered a haymaker to his face, sending him tumbling down to the floor. “Next?”
Two more charged. They didn’t come at once and Matterhorn saw that they weren’t the brightest with their attack. One went for a charging punch, the other behind him just came jogging on. She went with diverting the first guy down into the floor and breached the other’s defense with an elbow strike to his barrel. The stallion went down with air emptied out of his lungs.
Then Brumby came onto her. He swung his massive arms at her and she had to dodge those. Okay, time to see how I can beat Brumby. He’s wearing body armor so most of my attacks at this point would be nulled by it. I could shoot him with my horn, but he might shrug it off if I’m not too careful and he won’t let me charge it up enough.
Matterhorn noticed a group of bystanders almost getting hit by his arms when she dodged. I also need to consider collateral damage. I make a mistake, somepony else will get their bones broken. Applejack could restrain him, but I haven’t got a rope. I need to find his weak spots and target them to get his armor off. I do that, he won’t stand a chance.
Of course, it was easier said than done. Brumby was bigger than Big McIntosh back home and he knew how to fight and he wanted to hurt her. Maybe a quick strike to his face would give her some breathing space-
Somepony tackled her from behind. She forgot that there were other Rumblers nearby. They tumbled to the floor. She got up quickly and knocked him out with a punch to his face, but after that, she got pulled up by her collar by Brumby.
“You know, I’ve been always wondering why you all wear masks.”
“Oh no, don’t you go there.” Matterhorn knew exactly where he was going with that train of thought.
“If you’re so tough being them Power Ponies,” he kept going.
“Don’t even think about it,” she warned him.
“You shouldn’t be scared of showing your real face.” Brumby went straight for trying to take off her mask, only she tried to swat his hand away.
“Keep away! Hands off! No cake for you!” Matterhorn swatted as much she could but she couldn’t stop his hand completely. “Let go! LET GO!” If they saw her horn, it would be a disaster.
The sound of flying cloth filled her ears and then she was dropped. “Hey, who’s the wiseguy!?” Brumby shouted, struggling with a tablecloth wrapped around his face. Unfortunately, her mask had come off as well and she curled up to cover her horn.
“Come here, freak!” She heard another Rumbler yell, but then he got cut off by something hitting him, followed by the sound of a chair connecting with his head. She has heard that noise before.
Right now, her main concern was finding her mask so she could rejoin the fight. Moving her head risked exposing her real horn and who knows how they would react. She spotted it on the floor, goggles and everything and she tumbled over there to get to it fast without getting seen.
She heard Brumby smack down who ever was helping her and hoisting him up. “Another freak with a mask? What’s with you wannabe heroes hiding your faces?”
Hobby?
“Says the guy who’s wearing one himself,” Hobby croaked. “You got revealed on your first hit, Brumby. Why bother wearing a mask when everyone knows who you are?”
Matterhorn hurried with putting on her mask and goggles. “I just like the way I look, unicorn. You ain’t gonna last long for what you did there.”
Matterhorn didn’t bother to say anything corny when she finished putting it on. She just rose up with a very angry expression on her face and many of the guests backed away from her. While Brumby was talking, she grabbed a chair and an empty silver platter. And then she whacked him across the head with the chair.
Hobby fell to the floor undignified, but he crawled away when he saw Matterhorn’s face. Brumby recovered quick and halted himself when he saw her, too. “What?”
“You really shouldn’t have done that,” Matterhorn said as she flared up her horn. A blast from her stunned, making him wide open for her to bash the chair on him, along with slamming the platter into his face. From there, she pounded him with punches.
Something pulled Brumby back from her and she saw Hobby grab onto the giant’s back, pulling at a cord in his armor. “Whoa, whoa!” Brumby protested, but Hobby pulled it loose and the torso armor came loose. “Uh, oh.”
Matterhorn jumped up to reach his face and punched him, turning him around. She took the opportunity to jump onto his back and pull him down to the floor, face first.
The crowd gave hearty applause, but she didn’t feel it was over yet without something to ensure Brumby stayed down. She rolled him over first and stepped on his face. “What was it you said?” She asked. “I’m the weakest Power Pony by far?”
“You…” he coughed. “You ain’t supposed to do that… ain’t fair.”
“There’s a reason I lead the Power Ponies, Brumby. Think on that while you’re in prison.” Then Matterhorn kneed his throat, knocking him out. “Dispatch, this is Matterhorn. I got Brumby and his gang out cold in the fundraiser at Andalusia Royal Hotel. Do send an escort.”
“Copy, Matterhorn.” And then she fell down on her butt on the floor next to Brumby.
Ugh. Not going through this one again. How long until this storyline is over? This is something you get over multiple comic books, not just one issue!
Some of the guests helped her up and she took a deep breath of relief. “For the record, nothing happened between me and Hobby.”
“She was just asking me some questions she didn’t want you guys to hear,” she heard Hobby confirm. The two of them shared a glance at each other and he nodded first.
Twilight didn’t feel being in a victorious moof after tonight. Her original case was missing its leads and she had to wait for something to happen. And she felt exhausted after engaging Brumby and his Rumbler gang. When was this story going to end?
Spike was probably already home by now and no doubt gorging on ice cream and chocolate chip cookies while she was stuck in here. And even though he helped her, it would probably be a while before Hobby would trust her again.
“Congratulations on taking down Brumby, Matterhorn,” VINCENT praised her. “I must say that for a mare who doesn’t engage in physical combat like Mare-volous and Saddle Rager, it was most satisfying to watch you take on the new Rumblers on in such a fashion.”
Twilight didn’t look at the screen. “Mm, just let me rest for a few moments, okay?” She couldn’t change her tone to sound. “I’m just… tired after everything.”
“You do seem a little tired. Perhaps another nap?”
“No, I don’t think another nap is going to help.” Twilight just wanted to get back home and have a nice long bath after all this. Plus, after all this, even some edict signing would be a welcome change, along with trying to muster up a new Guard for her. Luna had proposed it a while back and now it didn’t seem such a bad idea to go through with. “It’s… mental exhaustion, VINCENT. I have gone through a lot with this case and I’m nowhere near as close as I first thought I was.”
“Matterhorn, might I suggest you call the other Power Ponies back to Maretropolis? Give yourself a chance to rest while they help?”
Twilight considered that. “I could, but they have troubles elsewhere with the other villains on the loose. As much as I want to have a rest after these events, it’s too dangerous to leave Zeal, Puzzling and Foul Play on the loose.”
“Of course, Matterhorn. It was just a lowly request from your AI to ensure you didn’t overdo yourself while defending Maretropolis on your own.”
“Keep going like that, you’ll have surely earned your spot in the sarcastic AI’s Hall of Fame,” she retorted back at him.
“I thought I was already at the top.”
Twilight rose from her seat in anger at VINCENT. “Okay, now I’m just getting sick of your-”
“Dispatch to all available units. We have a 240S going on at the Bardigiano condo. Repeat, we have a 240S.”
“Oh, no. Why did you get started?” Twilight yelled in frustration. “I’m getting sick of having to chase villains all the time!”
“10-4, Dispatch. Charlie 138 on approach. Do we have confirmation of the suspect?”
“Suspect identified as Mane-iac, committing a personal assault on the pony inside. Repeat, 240S is the Mane-iac.” Twilight froze at the name. The Mane-iac was in the story? How the heck did this justify as a single-player story?!
“10-4. Should we call the Power Ponies for this one?”
Twilight rushed to the radio and turned on her talkie. “Dispatch, this is Matterhorn. 10-4. On my way there now. All 10-10s redirect to Bardigiano ASAP, over.”
“Matterhorn, shouldn’t we call the-” VINCENT started but was cut off by Twilight.
“They won’t make it in time, VINCENT. I gotta go take care of this myself.” She paused herself. “I hope. I was unprepared last time, but she won’t get the best of me again.”
Oh, how he squirmed under her mane.
Mane-iac was having fun on this one as she dragged him over to where she was standing in a group of four, herself included and a rather large earth bald pony of considerable strength. “You know, I kind of was surprised when you contacted me, Hobby.” She rose him up into the air and slammed him down again. “It’s not everyday when you get a job offer to attack someone.”
“This wasn’t…”
“How it was supposed to go?” She finished for him. “What do you expect from somepony who can’t even control her hair? Hahaha!” She took a look around his apartment, filled with paintings, statues and deluxe models of nearly everything you could buy. “Good going for you, Hobby. You certainly know how to live a life of luxury. Were you expecting to impress a certain type of girl in this city?”
“Mostly… gifts from… ladies and their fathers.” Oh she could hear him squawk while pinned. It was so exhilarating she could just want to give him a cuddle just to freak him out.
“Ooh, you certainly have impressed me, that’s for certain. And now I’m annoyed, since it’s all gifts for you, we can’t just take them. Somepony might get the idea to take them all back for you. Be funny the first few times but when every pretty lady would want my hair for the deed, it just doesn’t seem so practical,” she cooed looking around, swaying her hips intentionally to aggravate Hobby.
“Oh well, I’ll just settle for smacking you around.”
“What?” That was all Hobby could say before she flung him into a wall, and he dropped to the floor.
“Now, boys. Mind leaving me and the good rich Emperor of Teamsters alone for a bit? I need to talk a little to him.”
“I will stay. I care not for what you say,” the large earth pony said while the other two left.
“Suit yourself, baldy, but I like a little privacy for these sessions myself,” she said and dropped down to Hobby, going as far as putting his head in her lap. “You see, Hobby, you don’t seem to get how it works. You got some skills, yes, but you aren’t what I think is… suitable for being a small time villain in this town.”
Hobby just stared at her in silence.
“So here’s a little session of Villainy 101 if you like. If I’m on, say nothing.” For good measure she covered up his mouth with her hair. “Alright, I’m on!
“Now do pay attention,” she started and gave a punch to his stomach. “I like getting a bit dirty while talking.” She got up from her sitting position and kicked him hard in the back. “See, in Maretropolis, you either are a villain or you are not. I don’t know what drove you to hire those small-fry to attack the other companies, and I wouldn’t normally care, but hiring griffin criminals to attack your own company and then use some small timer to pull a few strings to get me into this? Tch, and here I thought you were a model citizen of this city. Hobby, my friend, you’ve betrayed your own principles. Wow, I’m in such awe of your scheming, we oughta go on a date.” She punched him in the face as a punctuation. “I like it when you can’t really decide on what to say, or are you unconscious?” She slapped him.
“Ugh…”
“Good, you’re paying attention.” She had some of her hair get a bowl of water to the two and then she dunked his muzzle right in. “There we go, have some water.” She pulled him out. “See, I learned something myself when I started out, myself. Can I get some privacy this time, please? I’ll make it up to you.”
The Earth pony glared angrily, but conceded to her request. “Thank you!” She cried after him. “Now, where were we? Oh yes.” She put Hobby down gently against the wall and then proceeded to sit in his lap. “What I learned is that when you become like me, you either become a full criminal, or you stay out of the thing altogether. I like being a villain so I can have fun with the Power Ponies, and Humdrum, of course. You? I think you’ve to the point where you decide. Villain or not? Bystander or not? Either way, you’ve fallen hard, Hobby. You certainly won’t be getting back up anytime soon.”
Hobby stared at her for a few moments before dozing off. “Aww, was that all you could last for? Pity. But this is a good chance to see what you look like underneath-”
“Mane-iac, boss,” one of her pegasus mooks interrupted and flew in through the broken fullsized window. “We got SWAT incoming and lookout says Matterhorn is on her way.”
Oh, the Power Ponies were on their- wait. “Matterhorn? Just Matterhorn?”
“Yeah.”
“No other Power Ponies coming in?”
“None.”
Mane-iac looked at him, then back to her unconscious victim. “Fall back.”
“Huh?”
“I said, fall back.” She got up and headed for the window. “If it’s just her coming in, she can take us all on in a fight. Pull back to our secret lair.”
“You mean the factory everypony passes by, everyday?”
“Just do it, now!”
Matterhorn flew at high speed to the Bardigiano, having to rely on a map to find it. If she ever decided to play a scenario like this again, she would go with a map of the city beforehand so she could get there fast. It felt a bit embarrassing.
“Somebody talk to me, do we have anything to suggest Mane-iac’s purpose at Bardigiano?”
“Negative, Matterhorn. We’re getting second-hoof info from someone living across the street. They’re uncertain themselves.”
“Do we have an ID on the victim?”
“Negative.”
“Matterhorn, if I may cut in?” VINCENT was heard over the vox.
“Who is this? Get off this frequency.” Charlie 138 reprimanded.
“That’s my AI, VINCENT,” Matterhorn told them and the comms went silent. “Go ahead, VINCENT.”
“I ran a registry check on the building. There are two habitants that stand out but the one whose apartment is being attacked is one we have talked to before.”
Wait. Twilight knew exactly who it was VINCENT was talking about. “It’s Hobby. The Mane-iac is assaulting Hobby personally?”
“Hang on. My caller says the Mane-iac is leaving the apartment. Repeat, the Mane-iac is leaving.”
“Was that it, then?” Charlie asked. “Do we give chase?”
“No, Mane-iac is too dangerous to take on with just one Power Pony,” Matterhorn responded. She figured it out. Mane-iac wasn’t meant to be an opponent in this storyline. “As soon as the rest are back in town, we’ll bring her in, but for now, let’s focus on ensuring Hobby’s safety. Do we have an ambulance?”
“On a 240S? Roger that, over.”
Matterhorn sped up, not acknowledging the call. Diving down, she noted in the distance when she saw the colorful Bardigiano condo that there were a number of carriages going above the speed limit. And she could spot the Mane-iac swinging her mane across the rooftops and not looking back at the place. “Just saw the Mane-iac fleeing the scene. Any unit seeing them coming, ignore them. Repeat, ignore them.”
She landed in the apartment and looked around. The whole place was thrashed and- Hobby was lying against a wall, battered up and bruised all over. She ran over to him. “Hobby!” She shook him lightly and he stirred.
“Uh…”
“Hey, you awake?”
“And I had such a good nap…” he groaned, causing a small smile from her.
“Come on, I’m getting you to the hospital. You need a doctor.” Then a door slammed open and a large bald Earth Pony came through.
“You ain’t going nowhere with him, Power Pony,” he told her as she rose up.
“Oh, here we go.” She made clear with her tone that she was already bored.
“I’m gonna string you up like a salami,” he threatened her. “And then carve you up one slice at a-” He was encased in a massive iceblock before he could finish that sentence.
Matterhorn walked past him and got down on all her four limbs. “Enjoy the ride.” Then she bucked him as hard she could and he was sent out the window onto the street. She proceeded to pick up Hobby and carry him over to the window. “Where’s that ambulance!?”
…
“It’s not everyday when you get a job offer to attack someone.”
“You aren’t suitable for a small time villain in this town.”
“In Maretropolis, you either are a villain or you are not.”
“I’m gonna string you up like a salami!”
Hobby woke abruptly from his nightmare. His head hurt. He was sore all over and he was pretty sure somepony had violated his personal space. Again. Celestia, he didn’t want to remember that incident ever again. He also saw he was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.
He rose up in the bed and saw clinical machines in a clean room and he was in a hospital gown, covered in bandages. He was in the hospital, he reckoned. How had he gotten there?
Then the events of last night came slamming down in his head. The Mane-iac. After he had contacted that small griffin gang, those… Steel Talons, he had arranged for somebody to send the crazy archnemesis of the Power Ponies to make an assault.
Only she did it in her own fashion. Oh well, live and learn. At least his day couldn’t get worse now. He was in the clear and he could continue what he had done.
The door opened and in walked two mares. The first being a nurse. “Hello, Mr. Falabella. Glad to see you’re awake. You’ve been out for two days.”
Two days? Ouch, the Mane-iac must have hurt him worse than he first expected. “Ugh, my head hurts.”
“Well, that’s what happens when you get attacked by a supervillain.” She checked his statistics and provided him with a fresh blanket. “I’ll leave you with your guest, but I’ll be back soon.”
He nodded at her gently. She left and he turned to the other mare. It was the Masked Matterhorn. She didn’t seem happy to see he was awake. “Hobby, I didn’t get to apologize that night at the fundraiser because Brumby.”
“It’s okay,” he assured her. “You’re only doing your job with such questions. I understand.”
“Still, I need to. I’m sorry for being so cold against you with that last one and I shouldn’t have asked such a question during the interrogation. I don’t like having to say such things.”
He nodded at her though she kept her distance from him.
“That being said…” Her tone changed and he faltered a bit with it. “During the time you were unconscious, your assistant came by. Coco Leaf was polite to show me your ledger and…” His eyes went wide. “It contained all the evidence. You did hire those thugs to attack the other companies. Coco wrote it down in the ledger to balance out the books.”
Hobby didn’t look at her anymore. It was all out? The secret was out? Coco…
Matterhorn sighed. “And apparently, shortly after I visited you, you also contacted the griffins for some job. Whether it was legit or otherwise, we couldn’t tell at this point. Now, you would be placed under arrest, but in your condition as it is, you are not likely to be in a condition to move for at least 2 months according to the doctors. So… this is your cell.”
Hobby’s world crumbled to pieces and if he fell down to his pillow again. He kept quiet.
“There’s only one thing I want to know before I go.” She sat down next to him and leaned closer. “You’re a model citizen of Maretropolis, with a large profit in the books, all the wealthy, beautiful and connected girls you could cope with and a popular standing with the high class. So why? Why would you willingly commit crimes to improve your status and revenue?”
Should he tell her? Would it make a difference? What would society say? They would point out he could have gone about it another way. But seeing the look in her eyes, the look of a pony who respected him and wanted to believe in him and now… she wasn’t so sure about it all. “...The foals…”
“What?” She nearly whispered.
“A pair of orphanages out there, one in Trotham, the other here in Maretropolis,” he said. Point of no return now. “They received money taken from the profits of Pony Logistics Inc. and I always made sure to visit them for Hearth’s Warming Eve and read them stories and tuck them in alongside each other.” He could see tears in her eyes.
“Profits began running low,” he continued. “I tried everything. Everything, but the thing about when you start to see a shortage, there’s next to no chance you’ll see yourself rise above that. I just… didn’t want to disappoint the children.”
Matterhorn cleared her eyes. “Well, you now can’t, according to your records. But I wonder really at what cost? Was it worth getting a criminal record to make the children happy?” She asked him. He didn’t answer. “I have to go. I intend to get the Mane-iac for what she did to you and you focus on recovering and deciding what to do next, Hobby.”
She rose up and headed for the door.
“You either become a full criminal, or you stay out of the thing altogether.”
“Wait.” His tone surprised even him, but it caused her to stop and turn to her. “I suppose that after this meeting, we won’t be seeing each other again on friendly terms. Now that I have gotten myself a record, I don’t think I can go back to being my normal self. As soon as I have come out, I’ll be coming at you, Matterhorn. Full speed.”
Matterhorn flared her nostrils. “That’s ridiculous. You’re in here for only 2 months. You need time to build up and even if you did, you’d still be Hobby Falabella to me.”
“Yeah, what’s it matter to you, black muzzle?”
Hobby shook his head and looked her in the eye. “No. I may be Hobby still, but you should consider me by my new moniker.”
Matterhorn stared at him in disbelief.
“Black Muzzle.” He felt a surge rise within himself and he felt more energetic than he could remember being before.
Matterhorn had a brief moment of dread on her face before leaving.
Twilight leaped out of the comic book. “Oh, FINALLY!”
“Hey, Twilight,” she heard Spike call from downstairs and she felt busted. “How was the comic?”
Twilight felt reassured and walked downstairs to see him. “Not too bad, actually. Took longer than I anticipated and I think I need a shower after it. How long was I in there? I entered about eleven.”
“It’s 5 o’clock, now,” he told her. “Was it fun being Matterhorn again?”
She thought back on the event. “Well, apart from VINCENT constantly snarking every five seconds and having to deal with that Brumby guy… yeah, it was fun.”
Spike nodded at her and she headed for the bathroom. “You know, I was surprised to see you take Black Muzzle’s debut comic. Thought you’d go for something else.”
“Well, the only other single player comics I could find were all those Radiance comics. We need to talk about that,” she told him as she poured herself a bath. “Also, Spike, could you tell me a bit about Black Muzzle? He seemed a decent guy until the Mane-iac.”
“Yeah, sure, I can tell you over dinner.”
It took an hour and Twilight was now out of the bath while they were having dinner, eggplant gratin with a side of confit byaldi. Their chosen beverage was tropical juice which was surprisingly sweet to even out the taste. “So, Spike. About Muzzle. I mean, Hobby seemed a good pony. Model citizen, rich, popular. How bad did he fall?”
Spike took a deep breath. “Black Muzzle was declared legally insane by doctors because of the Mane-iac. She did a real number on him and was the cause of him becoming a villain. He’s not really a supervillain but he is the greatest crime lord the Power Ponies have ever met. He’s not the good tactical thinker at the start like Mane-iac is, but he backs it up with having the greatest army of minions and money to hire other supervillains out there to help him. No superpowers yet, but he is a very dangerous villain for them.”
Twilight leaned back in her chair. “Ouch. And to think he did it all for the kids in the orphanages.”
“Well, he still sends money to them. The orphanages are for those who’ve lost their parents to supervillains and collateral damage. In hindsight, it wouldn’t make sense for him to keep doing it since he’s a villain himself, but it’s overlooked on that it’s a nice touch for him.”
Twilight smiled at hearing that. She sighed deeply and smiled. She also wished for Hobby to return to the regular pony he was. “Anything else about him?”
“Oh yeah, he’s in love with Matterhorn for saving him that night.”
Twilight stopped all trains of thought and blinked. Twice. “What.”