//------------------------------//
// Crossfire 
// Story: The Mandate 
// by Mod On Death 
//------------------------------//

	The workplace was tense the next morning as Cloverbud and Golden Bell sat at opposite sides of the room staring at each other. Everypony could feel the pierce of their eyes as they gazed past them. Heyfield, who was sitting right in the middle of the two, couldn't help but feel like he was in trouble.
"I'm...sorry?" he said, hoping whatever it was would stop. The two kept going on while the rest of the staff worked.
"So, Low, I was thinking that we could have the giant robot thing be at the end. Make it so it all leads up to it by including glances of the thing and little hints of the project as well." Finch was excited as he talked about his grand finale.
"Yeah, but how do they get there still? We're still trying to come up with a big baddie for Courage Colt." The two knew that their plan wouldn't work if they couldn't find a good villain for their hero.
"Maybe we could make it a crossover with Hoof of the South Star and have one of their characters be it," suggested Finch. 
"You're not touching any character of mine!" Buronson yelled out.
"Okay. Doesn't look like we're doing that then. Maybe we could do a thing with a villain that's a weakling and have it so in the future he become really powerful?" Finch thought over Courage Colt's menagerie of villains, trying to think of one that wasn't a challenge.
"Hey, what about Mr. Multiple?" suggested Low Web. "He was that guy who could create copies of himself, but each one got weaker as a result. "
"Yeah! We could make it so he not only figures out how to make each copy just as strong, but later on figures out how to extend the process to others and take control of those clones." Finch was starting to get the gears moving.
"He also makes the clones by working with Nega Courage to get the DNA. That way it makes sense of how he could make copies in the first place!" Low Web was scribbling these ideas down quickly, hoping that he could make a full script out of it afterwards.
"Great. Now we still need to figure out where a giant robot can fir into all of-"
"ALRIGHT! STOP IT! I'm sorry for whatever it is!" Heyfield finally broke down under the pressure, feeling guilty about what he'd done. Or at least thought. The rest of the staff looked at him and then continued their work, the only one questioning his condition being Malarson.
"You alright?" he asked. Heyfield came to his sense and got off the floor, feeling embarrassed. 
"Sure. Just...anyway, I was about to tell you about Bloodslash's back story. See, he was part of this elite mercenary group that went on the most dangerous assignments, but found himself being employed less and less as time went on. Turns out that there wasn't a market for mercenaries anymore, so he wasn't able to get paid anymore. Seeing as he was about to become broke, he took up a job in resource management at a paper company. Now, Bloodslash must deal with life as a boring resource manager and not mess it up with his violent tendencies!" Malarson clapped as Heyfield finished up.
"See! You knew how to make a comedy. You just needed the right direction." Malarson started writing up the office space that Bloodslash would be working in. Malarson had been the one to suggest that Heyfield do the main character while he designed the world surrounding it. That way the two writers could base their character's actions off of the other's to create tension within the story.
"Awesome. Now we just need to see Sound about the artwork. I'd like to see what she draws and how you draw yours."
"Don't worry, Mal. I'll get my stuff done and make sure Sound gets her work finished." Heyfield started sketching his character while still being in the crossfire of the two mares' vision. This might be a bit difficult for him.





Lunchtime for Bates was very relaxing. He'd eaten a fancy sandwich with a name he could barely pronounce and was now relaxing on a bench near the water. For him, Trot Comics was on the other side of the world.
"So, what's next?" he asked himself as he tried to make a plan. "I've gone dancing, eating, firebombing, and even karaoke. I guess I should finally go into the water now." Bates was conflicted as he thought this out. He'd never actually gone swimming before and was now going into a large ocean. "Maybe I should stick close to the shore." As he thought this over, a familiar mare took a seat next to him, gasping for air. "Hey, um, Lyre?"
"It's Lyra," she corrected between breaths. "Say, you're the guy who won a whole bunch of money, right?"
"Yeah?" Bates knew where this was heading.
"Awesome. So...could you lend me some?" Right on schedule. "I'm not trying to sound weird or anything, but I need ten thousand bits."
"WHAT?!" Bates couldn't believe what he'd just heard. A pony he'd only met once asking him for ten thousand bits. "Why would you ask me that?"
"Because I'm really desperate really fast. I've gotta pay off these guys or they'll catch me and make me work for them for who knows how long," she explained. "I mean, can you imagine how many nights I'd need to play the harp for them before they let me go?"
"Not really sure on the base rate of that sort of thing." Bates thought about something and asked, "Say, if your name is Lyra, why do you play a harp?"
"Because I'm a harpist? What does my name have to do with my talent?" she asked.
"Nothing. Just seems like a common thing for most ponies to be named after something that they end up being good at." Bates stopped talking for a moment before he remembered something. "Say, weren't you just trying to run away from somepony?"
"Sorta. Some large minotaur in sun-glasses trying to collect on me." Bates thought about his experience with a minotaur not too long ago asking about a colored pony. He realized that it must've been him and that he simply confused what color horse he was looking for. "Right now I'm fine though. Left him in a china shop. Dunno why, but they end up being real careful in those places. Just need to find a good place to hide for now."
"You know, I do have an extra room in my suite. You could stay there." Bates had no idea what he was talking about, but just felt his body saying that. "After all, he wouldn't check the same place twice that quickly."
"You know what? Sure. It'll be close to work as well. Just head down to the lobby, get paid, and soon I'll have enough to pay back."
"Hoping that he doesn't check in on there again," Bates added.
"Yeah. So, you mind taking me there to hide? I'm certain he must be out by now."
"Alright." Bates led the unfortunate mare back to his room in hopes of concealing her from the brute.





The staff at Trot Comics was packing up their supplies, the day just about over. Everypony had had a rough day with planning, writing, glaring, crying, and general fatigue from the mandate. Just as the first pony was about to leave, Low Web pointed something out.
"Say, wasn't Ink Blot supposed to come in at some point to do the coloring?" he asked.
"We don't have anything to color, so why would he?" answered Finch.
"He doesn't know that, so why would he suddenly stop?"
"He only comes in at night. Remember?" Cloverbud informed them. "He should be here tonight. I'll leave him a note explaining what's going on and that there isn't anything for him yet."
"Why don't we do it in person?" Heyfield suggested. "It's not like we've ever even seen him. It'd be awesome to finally see our Colorist in the hide."
"You know, that's actually not a bad idea," Golden Bell added. "We've never paid much attention before with Mr. Bates working us till we couldn't wait to leave, but he's not here right now, so we can all hide and find out who this pony is!"
"Hide?" they asked her.
"Duh. He won't show himself if anypony else is watching. He might just not show up then." Golden Bell seemed to think that the entire reason Ink Blot came at night was to not be seen.
"Fine then. Let's find some place to hide and see what this pony looks like," Cloverbud said, finally giving in.





The crew was hiding in the ceiling above Mr. Bate's office, looking down a small hole they'd made, waiting for the pony to appear.
"You know, this is kinda boring," Tres said, breaking the silence.
"Yeah. Didn't think it'd take this long," Red said. "Think he's a no-show?"
"He better not. Or else he wasted my time," Cloverbud said angrily.
"Our time is valuable as well, Clover." Cloverbud was about to respond to Golden Bell, when they heard the bell to the front door ring. The group silenced as they waited for the sight of the artist to appear, not knowing what he might look like. As he finally came into sight, the group was shocked by what they saw.
"He's a ze-" was all Joe was able to say before the ceiling crashed down, leaving a mangled group of ponies on Bate's floor. Ink Blot stared at this as if it were normal.
"Oh, um, Mr. Ink Blot? I'm Cloverbud, and these are your associates." She motioned over to the ponies stuff lying on the floor. "Anyway, we don't actually have any work for you yet. We were forced into a mandate, meaning we haven't finished writing the stories, so please come back at your regular time." Without a word, Ink Blot left the room, along with the entire crew confused.