//------------------------------// // Part 15 Pinkamena Vs. Dan*: Chapter 134 Pinkie Vs. Hospital Trip // Story: The Wheel and the Butterfly A Dan X Pinkie Pie Saga // by Justice3442 //------------------------------// The Wheel and the Butterfly A Dan X Pinkie Pie saga Part 15 Pinkamena Vs. Dan* Chapter 134 Pinkie Vs. Hospital Trip -ooooooo- Sunset opened her eyes, her blurred vision slowly coming into focus as she noticed a number of people hovering around her. Her vision returning was quickly followed by the not-very-pleasant-at-all sensation of her head throbbing. Slowly she processed her surroundings, noting she was lying down with her head in Dan*’s lap as he, Helen, Dr. Pullum, and a man with chin-length, wavy brown hair wearing eye shadow hovered over her. The man with eye shadow she recognized as Magnifico the Magnificent. Dan* was the first to speak. “That was quite the smack on the head. Are you alright?” Sunset darted her eyes across the concerned-looking faces, each one seemingly looking for some sign that she was okay. She gave them one. “… Am I in Hell?” The group collectively rolled their eyes. Most of the members leaned up, putting a little more distance between themselves and the constantly foul-tempered Sunset Shimmer. “Yep, she’s fine,” Helen said. Despite her response, Dan* couldn’t help but smile a little bit as he shook his head. “You always know how to make an impression on people.” “Yeah, yeah,” Sunset said in a dismissive tone signifying she was no stranger to the line Dan* had spoken. She didn’t bother to move her head as she brought a hand up to it and rubbed it. “So how’d Magnifico get in here? We were pretty trapped last thing I remember.” Magnifico smiled and gestured to himself, the jewelry on his wrist jingling slightly as he did. “Magnifico the Magnificent is a master of grand entrances! My magic knows no bounds!” he announced. Sunset moved her head enough to scan the warehouse. She noted one of the freight doors had been opened ever so slightly. “I’m guessing knowing a little lock-picking doesn’t hurt either?” Magnifico furrowed his brow and glared down at Sunset. Dan* shook his head. “You’ll have to excuse Sunset, she doesn’t really do gratitude.” Helen chimed in. “Or positive emotion for that matter.” Sunset furrowed her brow and sneered up at Helen. “Sorry if I’m in a bad mood,” she said in a tone that was quite far from apologetic, “but you all left me to die back there!” Helen smirked. “Hello Pot? This is the kettle. Have I news for you!” “I… shut up!” Sunset snapped. “Just…” Sunset glanced over at Dan, who simply laid on the ground in a heap, a pool of drool forming around his open mouth. The only signs that he was still alive was the small and steady movement of his chest in and out and the obvious, obnoxiously loud snoring he was doing. “What happened to us?” Magnifico was all too happy to answer. “Magnifico cast his most powerful sleep spell!” Sunset thought about this briefly, remembering the bottle she saw and the smell that hit her before she blacked out. “Is that what they’re calling a thrown bottle of chloroform these days?” she asked. Magnifico returned to scowling down at Sunset. “You really have trouble expressing gratitude, don’t you?” Helen quipped. Sunset sighed heavily. “Maybe I wouldn’t if everyone around here wasn’t such a goofball!” Sunset paused as she felt something wet and sticky trickle onto her nose. She crossed her eyes and noticed a small red stream. She quickly lifted a hand to her forehead. Her fingertips felt warm and sticky on contact and she brought them in front of her eye. “I’m… I’m bleeding? I thought I hit my head on the floor…?” Dan* nodded. “You did. However, Dan threw the concrete just as you both began to pass out. It almost hit you, but ended up just scratching your forehead as it passed over you.” Sunset paused then shivered slightly. Although she had spent the last several minutes in mortal peril, only now did it dawn on her just how close she had come to dying. She leaned up into a sitting position and woozily tried to balance herself as she continued to hold a palm against her throbbing head. She looked up at Magnifico. “Uh… thanks for showing up when you did, and possibly making it so I didn’t die.” Magnifico looked down at Sunset with a blank expression. His lips slowly opened into a small smile and he lowered a hand. Sunset reached out and grasped the hand firmly. Magnifico helped Sunset to her feet. “You know… I could use another lovely assistant,” Magnifico practically purred out. “Pass,” Sunset said shaking her head slightly. “I don’t do second fiddle… plans of vengeance aside… Plus Trixie might flip her stuff if I accepted. I don’t need the temper tantrum that’s sure to follow.” Magnifico shrugged. “Very well. Let me know if you change your mind.” “Whatever,” Sunset said. She turned towards Dan* as he rose back up to his feet. “So what do we do now? I mean… we’re holding a man who apparently has super strength. That certainly wasn’t in the plan.” Helen spoke up, “I say we just kill him.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “Awwww, but he looks so peaceful snoring like a little demon.” Dr. Pullum frowned. “Well that just sounds anticlimactic,” he said in a disappointed tone. Dan* chimed in, “Not to mention counterproductive to luring all of Dan’s friends here so we can eliminate them all.” Helen cocked an eyebrow. “We don’t need to tell them he’s dead.” “True,” Dan* replied, “but as soon they figure out Dan’s not alive, they start figuring out a way to get revenge rather than a way to rescue him.” Helen folded her arms across her chest. “How would they even find out?” “At least one of Dan’s friends is incredibly resourceful both in terms of competence and access to resources. If she figures out all we have is Dan’s corpse, we all probably get to spend the rest of what may be short lives looking over our backs.” Magnifico crinkled his brow slightly. “My front is too good-looking for me to spend my time looking at my back.” Helen turned towards Magnifico. “So what? We just keep him around and hope he doesn’t get loose and start throwing some of the building at us again?!” Sunset frowned. “She has a point, unless I dozed off during the ‘we run around and pray way don’t get hit by chunks of concrete’ part of the plan.” Magnifico pursed his lips. “Dan is extraordinarily dangerous if he can tap into the powers of the fourth dimension to do all this,” he said as he motioned to the damaged warehouse that enclosed the group.   Dan* held his hands up defensively. “Look, this is really all very simple. We just need to keep him in a state where he doesn’t pose a threat! We have a licensed dentist here and plenty of chloroform! I’m sure we can keep him alive and harmless.” He turned towards Dr. Pullum. “Right, doctor?” Dr. Pullum rubbed his chin and glanced up briefly. “Well, I should be able to keep him in a state of semi-consciousness… At least that way we can make things uncomfortable for him… though it’d be a far-cry from the excruciating state I was hoping for.” “See!” Dan* said as he motioned towards Dr. Pullum with both his hands. Sunset shook her head. “Whatever… you guys can lock him in shackles and fill him with whatever gas, liquid, or pill he needs so he doesn’t crush us with pieces of the floor. I’m going to grab some coffee and celebrate not being dead.” Sunset glanced at Helen. “Do you want one? My treat. I’m feeling generous on account of me still being alive.” Helen glared at Sunset. “You wanted me to go up and fight Dan just so you could escape and now you want to sit down and have a cup of coffee with me?!”   “And you wanted to watch Dan kill me first,” Sunset retorted. “Look, do you want free coffee or not?” Helen paused briefly and stared at Sunset with a blank expression on her face. She sighed. “Yeah, actually that sounds… that sounds really good right now…” -ooooo- “Well that took for frickin’ ever!” Pinkie cried as sliding glass doors parted, allowing her to walk out onto a sidewalk underneath a large, green overhang that extended from the hospital and across a two-lane street. Chris, Elise, and Jean followed close behind. Chris spoke up as the group walked across the street, “Actually, that was one of the shortest trips to the hospital I’ve ever been involved in.” He paused and added, “And it was nice to not have to go because I was injured for a change…” Elise nodded and glanced at Pinkie. “Yeah, they saw you right away when you showed them that head injury.” Chris glanced up as he rubbed his chin. “Though, I’m guessing slamming your insurance card on the counter and throwing a wad of money at the receptionist while telling her to ‘make it snappy’ didn’t hurt.” Jean sighed. “You know I have medical equipment back home. I’m sure I could have safely removed that little chip of plastic from Pinkie’s cranium and given her some new abilities.” Elise chuckled and smiled at Jean, the sunlight lighting up her face as the group walked out from under the overhang topped with the words ‘St. Larry’s Hospital’. “That’s okay, Jean,” Elise said. “Pinkie’s scary enough right now without you giving her the ability to shoot lightning out of her fingertips.” Jean shook his head. “Never figured out how to do that. Though I have figured out how to get dogs to fire electricity when they bark.” “Really?” Elise said with interest. The group approached a wide set of concrete stairs. The stairs led down a large hill, ending at another sidewalk which was next to a parking lot. Pinkie stopped, frowned, and began patting down her personage. She dropped her head slightly as she scowled out into open space. “Uhg… I left my handbag in the examining room and it’s got my stabbing knife in it… You dorks go get the car or something and I’ll meet you downstairs.” Pinkie quickly pivoted and marched back into the hospital, shoving her way past healthy visitors and the sick or injured alike as she single-mindedly tramped on to retrieve her handbag. Elise turned after Pinkie and frowned. “Well… I guess we better get going…” she uttered. “You two go ahead,” Chris said. “I’m going to stay back here and make sure Pinkie doesn’t get arrested.” Elise smiled and nodded. “Good idea.” She turned towards Jean. “Now maybe you can tell me a little bit more of these dogs that bark electricity?” Jean smiled. “With pleasure,” he said as he and Elise began walking down the concrete steps. Chris sighed as he watched Elise and Jean walk down the stairs and into the parking lot, both motioning out with their hands excitedly as they enjoyed the animated conversation. He slumped down, sitting on the stairs with his elbows resting on his legs and his chin resting on his hands at the hospital steps for a while. He simply watched Elise and Jean with a forlorn expression on his face until Pinkie walked back up, her pink handbag slung diagonally over her green shirt with its abstract floral pattern. Pinkie looked Chris down at Chris. “What the hay are you doing just sitting around for?” “Oh just… thinking…” Chris answered. “Well that explains the burning smell,” Pinkie muttered. “Heeeey!” Chris protested in a sad-sounding tone as he raised to his feet. “What?!” Pinkie snapped, looking up at Chris stood up to his full height. “My boyfriend has been kidnapped by an obsessed maniac and rather than be upset or angry about it, you just look like a lost puppy!” “I’m sure Dan will be fine,” Chris said, “I mean… he’s had to have dealt with worse, right?” “That’s not even the point!” Pinkie cried in a shrill tone. “Dan’s in trouble and all anyone can talk about is if I’m wearing anything under my skirt, or if I should go to the hospital, or even what chemicals to use if you want a fireproof capybara that’s also always on fire!” Chris hung his head. “I can’t believe those two sat and talked about mutations and DNA manipulation the entire time we were at the hospital!” “I can’t believe how little I care!” Pinkie replied. “Oh wait, yes I do… I don’t care at all! Have you listened to a word I said?!” Chris continued as if Pinkie had not just expressed complete disinterest and annoyance with him. “I can’t even remember the last time Elise looked so happy talking to anyone!” “I don’t recall asking you about your boring personal problems,” Pinkie said as she scowled at Chris. “Pinkie, be honest… Do you think Elise might be happier with someone who was… Oh, I don’t know… smarter than me?” “I know I’d be happier with someone quieter!” Pinkie snapped. Chris sighed. “Guess this isn’t a great time to be seeking relationship advice from you…” “That was a hint for you to shut up, by the way.” Chris rolled his eyes. “I got that, thanks.” Pinkie narrowed her eyes. “I don’t think you did.” Chris uttered yet another sigh, this one a tad more defeated than the last few before it. The two turned their attention back down the stairs as a thin, bald man with a gruff expression in a wheelchair slowly rolled closer to the pair, pushing his wheelchair along the sidewalk heading towards the hospital. He wore a simple black t-shirt, and jeans, both far too baggy for him and a black beanie that covered his head. The skin on the back of the man’s neck and head was bright pink and had a slightly raw and exposed look to it as if it was still healing. Pinkie suddenly froze in place as she saw the man. She started intently narrowing her eyes as the man drew closer and closer. The man’s gruff expression turned downright ugly as he caught Pinkie’s dirty look. “Hey broad, what’s with the evil eye? Never seen a burn victim before?” the man said in a deep, gravelly voice. Pinkie’s eye twitched and she gritted her teeth briefly. “Yeah, once,” she answered. “After the guy tried to mug me.” The man paused and stared up at Pinkie, his eyes went wide and the color drained from his face as he took in the color of her hair and eyes. There was a silent but intense uncomfortable pause as the two stared at each other. The man finally spoke up. “Uh… wow… tough break, lady…” The corners of Pinkie’s lips suddenly went out and up into a giant grin. “Poor choice of words,” Pinkie said before closing her mouth into a smile once more, the corners of her lips as small and as pointed as ice picks. Chris simply watched with a slightly confused expression. The man gulped. “Wait… Let’s talk about this… We can make a deal…” he pleaded as Pinkie walked behind the wheelchair. Chris’s eyes shot open wide. “Pinkie! What are you—” “Stop, drop, and roll, pal,” Pinkie said darkly before she pushed the wheelchair down the stairs. “No! Wait! AAAAAAHHHHH!” Chris could only stare in shock as he watched both man and wheelchair tumble down the concrete steps. The metal chair clattered as the man yelped and cried in pain accompanied by the odd ‘thump’ and ‘crack’ as he hit each step. Soon the screaming stopped, shortly before the sounds of the man hitting the steps ceased. Chris’s mouth hung agape as he attempted to process what he had just witnessed. He looked down the steps at the man who laid motionless on the sidewalk below. Pinkie sighed heavily. “Do you know how many smoochees I’d be in for if Dan saw me do that!?” Chris looked at Pinkie in disbelief. “You threw a handicapped man down the stairs because Dan would approve if he was here?!” “Well, that and the fact that I hate that guy!” “Huh?” Chris said. He looked back down the stairs. “Why?” “That’s the guy who tried to mug me the day I showed up here!” Pinkie cried as she flung her hands to her sides. “Oh…” Chris said. “I guess that makes your action a bit less morally concerning if perhaps no less illegal…” A blue sedan suddenly pulled up to the bottom of the stairs, quickly followed by Elise and Jean throwing open the doors and stepping out of the car, concern clear on their faces. “OH MY GOD!” Elise exclaimed as she looked the unmoving heap of a man at the bottom of the steps. “WHAT HAPPENED?!” “I pushed him down the stairs,” Pinkie said simply as she walked down towards the car, Chris following her. “Are you done gawking? We have a busy day ahead of us!” “WHY DID YOU PUSH THIS MAN DOWN THE STAIRS?!” Elise cried. “Because he tried to mug me!” Pinkie said, scowling at Elise as she reached the bottom of the stairs. “From a wheelchair?!” “What? No! Not just now, you dummy! When I first arrived in the city!” Pinkie pushed passed Jean and reclaimed the front passenger’s seat. Pinkie’s voice started to become increasingly shrill as she spoke, “Now if everyone is done not making revenge their number one priority, can we please get a buckin’ move on and stop wasting time on a crippled mugger!” Mr. Mumbles gave an excited “Meow” as she jumped from the back seat and onto Pinkie’s lap. Pinkie buckled her seatbelt and began absentmindedly petting Mr. Mumbles. “Oh,” Elise said as the concern on her face fell away, “that’s the guy who tried to rob when you first got here? That’s okay then.” Chris turned towards Elise and frowned. “You’re seriously okay with Pinkie tossing a helpless man down a flight of steps?” “Helpless, sure,” Elise said, “but that doesn’t mean the guy didn’t deserve it.” “See!” Pinkie said as she leaned to her left slightly to get a better look at Elise and Chris. “Elise understands! Stop being a wet blanket and get in the car already!” “Look,” Chris said, “I get that this guy is probably a bad guy, but—” “But you want a shoe thrown at you again?” Pinkie suggested. Chris slowly raised his hands in front of his face. “—maybe we shouldn’t just leave him on the sidewalk like this.” Chris closed his eyes and turned his head away from Pinkie, holding his hands up as shields in case a shoe was thrown his direction.  Pinkie paused to rub her chin as she thought about this. “Huh… I guess he might survive, I mean… we are pretty close to the hospital… I can always finish the job…” Pinkie reached to unbuckle her seatbelt. Chris quickly sat in the driver’s seat and placed a hand on Pinkie’s seatbelt. “Hey! Maybe we should just go and concentrate on helping Dan.” Pinkie removed her hands from her seatbelt. “Finally you said something not totally stupid!” Chris gave another heavy sigh as Elise and Jean walked towards the back of the car and climbed in. Chris quickly started the car and pulled away from the steps, the wheelchair, and the man lying in a heap. Pinkie jumped straight into the matter at hand. “Alright, we need a theme before we go out and start revengening,” she declared. Chris frowned. “I don’t think that’s a word…” ‘Slap!’ “OW!” Chris exclaimed. “Pinkie!” Elise exclaimed. “Don’t slap Chris! Especially while he’s driving!” “He undermined my revengening planning!” Pinkie cried. Chris sighed and but said nothing as he rubbed his cheek. Pinkie continued, “Now which theme would everyone prefer? Tarantino or Kubrick?” “Theme?” Jean asked in a confused tone. “Well we can’t go out revengening all random!” Pinkie cried as she turned towards the backseat. “We’ve got to be professionals about this and coordinate our image and plan of attack!” “We’re talking movies, right?” Chris asked. “Well d’uuuuuuuuh!” Pinkie replied. Elise pondered this. “So… what…? Like suits for Tarantino or white pants and shirts with black boots for Kubrick?” “That’s the idea!” Pinkie confirmed. Jean looked back and forth between Elise and Chris a few times. “How are you two even following this?” Chris glanced into the backseat briefly. “When you spend enough time with her, you learn to speak ‘Pinkie’.” Elise pursed her lips into a small frown. “If we go with Kubrick, do we also have to wear codpieces and suspenders?” “Oh Elise, don’t be silly!” Pinkie said. “Of course!” Elise and Chris shot each other a quick, concerned glance and simultaneously answered, “Tarantino.” Mr. Mumbles gave another “Meow” as if in agreement. “Great!” Pinkie said. “Chris, drive us to the nearest suit repository! I’ll call everyone and tell them Dan’s been kidnapped and to meet us there!” Chris crinkled his brow slightly. “So before we go out looking for Dan, you want everyone to dress up in matching suits?” “Hey!” Pinkie protested. “I don’t want Dan to think I’m sandbagging it in the revenge department just because he’s not around! He expects better of me!” The other occupants of the car went quiet briefly. Chris spoke up, “It’s sad how much that makes sense…”