//------------------------------// // 4 - Complications // Story: Cutie Mark Crusader Superheroes // by infernape612 //------------------------------// *BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP* *click* Apple Bloom turned off her alarm clock and dragged herself out of bed. She briefly wondered why Applejack hadn't gotten her up before remembering she had left early in order to see Spike and Discord off on some trip to Canterlot. Apple Bloom couldn't for the life of her figure out why males enjoyed watching other males smash each other into the pavement while screaming about how manly they were. She went to the bathroom, splashed some water from the sink onto her face to wake herself up fully, and made sure to put on her lucky red bow before heading downstairs. As she began to pour herself some cereal, she heard the door open and some ponies enter. She glanced at the door. "Hi, Sis. Hi, Rai- GAH! MR. SCOOTALOO'S DAD! WHATEVER IT WAS, WE DIDN'T DO IT!" Apple Bloom knew for a fact that Scootaloo's father Biggs was hooves-down the laziest pony in Equestria, and if he had dragged himself to Sweet Apple Acres in his full Royal Guard armor, chances were somepony was in trouble. Scootaloo's dad chuckled. "Nah, unless you've decided to become a superhero behind everypony's backs, you didn't do it. ...You haven't decided to become a superhero behind everypony's backs, have you?" Oh, nonononononononono, he couldn't know, how could he possibly know, what's going on, did Scootaloo tell him everything? Nononononononononononono! "Uh... no. Of course not. That's... that's just dumb. Well, I'ma gonna go play with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo now, seeya later, bye!" Apple Bloom dashed out the door as fast as her underdeveloped filly legs could carry her. It was only halfway to Ponyville's main plaza when she realized she had forgotten her breakfast. Apple Bloom finally caught up with her friends at Sugarcube Corner, where they were staring at a stall that was selling "licensed" Mare Do Well hats and capes. "Hi!" The two turned to her. Sweetie Belle piped up, "Hi, Apple Bloom! Check out what these guys are selling!" Apple Bloom lowered her voice and said, "We have a problem. Scootaloo, you didn't tell your dad about our... latest adventure, didja?" Scootaloo shook her head. "No way. Adults are dumb. They'd just get in the way. Why?" "Your dad showed up at mah house this mornin' sayin' he was looking for Mare Do Well. He actually asked me if ah was Mare Do Well!" Sweetie Belle frowned. "Did he seem serious about the accusation?" Apple Bloom recounted exactly what she saw and repeated word for word what he had said. "Well, if he was like that about it, it honestly seems like it was a hilariously ironic joke. Calm down." Apple Bloom did not calm down. "Even if it was a joke, we have another problem. If Rainbow Dash and mah sis are looking for Mare Do Well, then that means they probably hid the costumes or set 'em on fire or somethin'! Not only that, but even if they didn't, they'll be lookin' for us to try and take them again! How are we gonna be Mare Do Well now?" The three fillies thought about it for a moment. Finally, inspiration struck Scootaloo. She turned to the nearby market stall that was still selling the hats and capes. "You know, nopony would think twice if we decided to join our own fan club..." She and Sweetie Belle pulled their wallets out of their manes, but Apple Bloom reached her third problem of the day (well, fourth if you counted breakfast). "Uh, ah forgot mah wallet. Ah'd better go home and grab it..." Scootaloo, however, had a faster idea. "Look! It's Dad and Rainbow Dash! Save me a spot on line, will you?" She ran off to the two adults, who had just landed and began approaching the bakery. "Hi, Dad!" "Hey, Scoot. I can't play with you right now, I'm busy doing work." "Hey Dad, can I borrow a couple of bits? The new Mare Do Well capes and hats are all the rage right now!" Scootaloo's dad begrudgingly forked over some bits. "Thanks, Dad!" Scootaloo returned to the line. "Here. You can pay me back tonight." "You didn't have to do that..." Scootaloo shrugged. "What are friends for?" A short while later, they all owned their very own filly-sized Mare Do Well hats and capes. Once they left, Scootaloo said, "Now that that's done, we can head to my house and do some research on how do be superheroes!" It was as good a way to spend the day as any. The three spent some time reading Scootaloo's collection of comic books. It only took a few issues of Batpony to realize something very important that they were missing. Sweetie Belle summarized what they needed with one succinct word. "GADGETS!" A short while later, the three were inside Twilight's castle. They figured since Twilight Sparkle was the smartest pony in Equestria, she would probably have the materials they needed to invent some cool superhero tools. "So... why do you need to borrow my lab?" The three fillies had prepared a (half-truthful) explanation. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADER INVENTORS!!!" Twilight sighed. "Wedge, make sure they don't hurt themselves. And make sure to keep them away from the dangerous chemicals." The three fillies followed Wedge to Twilight's lab, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle began playing with anything in sight. "Now, kids, before you start trying to invent things, you should probably take a look at these books on electrical engineering..." Only Scootaloo bothered to heed his words, which was unusual given her typical lack of patience. After quickly getting a feel for how electricity worked, she began to gather up parts as an idea formed in her head. "You really shouldn't be playing with th-AARGH!" While Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle accidentally sent a textbook into Wedge's face with a nearby catapult, Scootaloo began to work. "That isn't safe for fillies your-GAH!" Wedge found himself stamping out the fire that had lit on his own tail and not really comprehending how it had gotten started. Scootaloo, within minutes, had a working prototype grappling hook. She attatched it to her right forleg and tried to grapple a rafter on the ceiling. While she zoomed up to the top almost effortlessly, the sudden force felt like it nearly tore her leg off. "Ow... gotta find some way to make this thing... not hurt..." She flapped her wings - although she couldn't fly, she could still slow her descent back to the ground. "Oh, nonono! Those are the dangerous chemicals! STAY AWA-" Scootaloo grabbed several more parts and worked them into her design. Soon, she had found a way to get the device to absorb its own recoil. When she tried using it again, it worked like a dream. "Quack. Quack." Scootaloo turned and saw Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle standing next to a maroon-colored duck. Scootaloo gaped, "How... did you do that?" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle giggled as Twilight barged into the room. "Ah think our special talent is chaos..." Twilight Sparkle immediately restored Wedge to his true form, and the latter's face immediately became a scowl. "Your highness, I don't think these two fillies are going to be inventors." This confused Twilight. "Two?" She turned to Scootaloo, who still had her grappling hook. As Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Wedge also looked at her, they all noticed something. "You... you..." "Ah don't believe it..." Scootaloo followed their gazes to her rear. Sitting there, where a dreaded patch of blank fur had sat before, was a picture of a gear. Scootaloo poked it tentatively. Not a paper cutout or something. Then she rubbed it. Not a marker stain. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle snapped out of their stupor, ran over to their best friend, picked her up, and began whooping and cheering. "YOU DID IT!!! YOU DID IT!!!! IT WOOOOOOOOOOOOORKED!!!" It was a cutie mark. Twilight turned to Wedge. "Get Biggs. I think celebrations are in order." Wedge nodded and vanished. The three fillies continued celebrating, and it was only a short time before Wedge returned with Scootaloo's confused looking father in tow. He approached his daughter. "Is... is it true?" Scootaloo nodded and showed off her flank, and Scootaloo's dad began celebrating as well. "I have a nice big bottle of champagne I've been saving for this moment!" "Cool! I've never had alcohol before!" "Nice try, squirt." "If you weren't gonna give me champagne, you shouldn't have screamed so loudly about it." Everypony laughed.