//------------------------------//
// The Road to Payback 
// Story: An Eque$trian Payday 
// by The card holder 
//------------------------------//

Three vehicles traveled on an abandoned desert road, their headlights slicing through the pitch black of night. Of the three vehicles, one of them housed the most wanted criminals in both the US and now in Equestria, as well. 

Eventually, the lights of a nearby city could be seen in the distance, and the convoy turned off their lights. They continued, shrouded in darkness, until they were only a mile out of town. Once there, the cars pulled to a stop, and shortly after four men were thrown out onto the sand, their hands still cuffed. 

A single guard followed them out, working to undo their bindings. Once that was done, and all four of them were on their feet, the guard spoke. "You have three days. Good luck."

At that, he got back into the transport, and the convoy turned around, leaving the four men alone in the desert. 

Before any of them could formulate a plan, they could spot a pair of headlights driving towards them, from the city. Soon after, it was revealed to be an unmarked van, driven by someone they couldn't see.

The van pulled to a stop, and a couple of armed, masked men opened the back doors. "Bain sends his regards," one of them said, and the crew piled into the van, before it pulled back onto the road and left for the city.

Las Pegasus was already a fairly profitable place, resting on the border between Equestria and Griffonia, but its success only skyrocketed with the arrival of humans. It wasn't long before the city was as bright as its Earth counterpart, and some would say that Las Pegasus had even surpassed the original Las Vegas in wealth.

Of course, just like Vegas, Las Pegasus had quite a bit of a seedy underbelly. And for the four men known as Dallas, Wolf, Hoxton, and Chains, they wouldn't have it any other way.

While in the van, the two masked men gave the crew small radios, so they could get back in touch with Bain. Once they were in place, he spoke to them.

"How you guys feel about getting a little payback?"

"Bain, you fucking magnificent bastard!" Wolf cheered. 

"Nice work back there," Hoxton added. "So, what's the plan?"

"Featherton is only about an hour drive out of Las Pegasus, but that still brings up the issue of who we're looking for. So you'll be pleased to know that I found out who it was."

"Well, don't leave us in suspense," Chains said. "Who was it?"

"One of the largest drug cartels from Earth. Apparently, they're hoping to gain a foothold on Equestria, and they'll do so by selling off the Elements to the highest bidder, and using that money to fund themselves. I've also tracked them to a group of warehouses in Featherton, but they've also hired some Murkywater mercs for added security. I'm sure you remember them."

The crew gave a few low whistles as they remembered their last encounter with Murkywater. That slaughterhouse nearly saw the death of them.

"But that's not all," Bain said, ever the bearer of good news. "Apparently this cartel is working with a medium sized griffon crime syndicate. So not only does that mean there's even more opposition waiting for you, but they have the entire police force at Featherton under their payroll. As if that wasn't enough, I've heard rumors of several under-the-table deals from Gensec being completed there. We have our work cut out for us, boys."

Dallas ran a hand through his hair. "Shit, we better get going, then."

"First, I gotta get you guys rearmed. The problem is, I couldn't secure as much guns as you'd want for this, so you'll have to manage with the bare minimum."

"And how much is that?" Wolf asked, slightly worried.

"Four pistols with suppressors. No body armor. Anything else, you'll have to figure something out."

Dallas grunted. "Well, it's better than nothing, I suppose."

The van pulled into a back alley behind a casino, and came to a stop. The armed men and the crew piled out, quickly heading into a nearby building. The inside was dimly lit, but they could still see all manner of weapons, cash, and even some drugs scattered about.

"This is where you'll get rearmed, and don't worry, I already took care of payment. Plus, I was able to get you guys a bit of extra help."

"You couldn't afford more guns, but you could afford a hired thug?" Chains asked, confused.

"Not quite. He offered to do this for free. I think you'll see why when you meet him."

None of them knew what Bain meant, but they had learned by now to not question his judgement. 

The two armed goons escorted the crew further into the building, where a single table was waiting. On said table were four handguns, along with four suppressors and four iconic clown masks.

As they inspected the pistols to see if they were functional, the door behind them opened, and a figure walked through. The crew turned to face the newcomer, finding them to be yet another masked man.

"So, you the one tagging along with us?" Dallas asked, still focusing on his sidearm.

The newcomer chuckled. "Now, is that any way to talk to your little brother, Nate?"

Dallas froze at the voice, and whirled around, his eyes shining with recognition. "Well holy shit, look who it is!"

The masked man smiled, and pulled off his mask, revealing a face belonging to a man that didn't look that different from Dallas, only younger. "Hear you guys got screwed over real bad."

While the other three were confused at Dallas's reaction, they still nodded.

"Anyway, yeah," he continued, "Bain told me the situation, and I can't help but feel that you might need a hand with this."

"So, you gonna tell us your name?" Wolf finally spoke up.

The man smirked. "Just call me Houston."

Dallas couldn't hold back his laughter. "Really? That's what you've been calling yourself?"

"Hey, shut up, it makes sense! Since you already took 'Dallas', it's only right I get to be named after another city in Texas!"

Despite the serious situation, everyone in the room couldn't help but laugh. 

"Well, glad you all got reacquainted," Bain cut in, laughing a bit himself. "but now it's time to get down to business."

And like that, the mood in the room was now serious. "Right, so here's the layout of the warehouse," Houston said, bringing out a blueprint. "There are a lot of ways you could enter, but we'll have to wait and see where exactly they have guards posted. I will say, though, that the sewer seems the best bet." He pointed to a portion of the map that was circled, showing where a manhole allowed access into the building. "While we haven't figured out where they'd keep the Elements, we did find the location of an armory," he added, pointing to another circle, "so that should help you with your weapons problem."

"I can't help but notice that you didn't say there were a lot of ways 'we' could enter," Hoxton said. "You not going with us?"

"Not inside, no. I'll be providing sniper support, as well as being your getaway driver once you grab the Elements."

The Brit nodded. "Seems reasonable."

After looking at the blueprints for a bit, Chains let out a hum. "So, we have a plan for this, or are we just wingin' it?"

"I don't know about you," Wolf answered, "but I say we go in and kill every last motherfucker in there. Seems fair, doesn't it?"

The others couldn't help but agree.

"As good a plan as that is," Bain cut in, "you guys should know that you're heading into basically a suicide mission. You're all going to have to be on your A game if you want to live through this."

As silence filled the room, Houston lit up a cigarette. Dallas noticed this, and smirked. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, 'Houston'. It wrecks hell on your lungs. I should know."

"Helps calm the nerves, keeps me focused."

"So, when are we heading out?" Hoxton asked.

"It'd be best if you leave now. There's a van waiting outside for you all. Good luck."

As the five of them began to exit the room, four of them wearing their iconic masks, Wolf stopped Hoxton just before they left. "You alright, Hoxtinator? You seem a bit... off."

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just, that 'Houston' guy... something about him rubs me the wrong way, but I'm not sure why."

"Eh, I'm sure it's nothing. Now let's get some payback on those sons of bitches!"

With Wolf lifting the spirits of the rest of the group, the five of them piled into another unmarked van, Houston taking the wheel. "You guys have three days, huh?" he asked, adjusting the mirror. "We'll be done in two."

Quickly, the van pulled into the street, driving its occupants towards what was believed to be certain death.