//------------------------------// // Pursuit // Story: Fact Finder: The Show Must Go On // by Zombi //------------------------------// Fact Finder: The Show Must Go On -Chapter 4: Pursuit- "We've got to get up there!" Fact Finder called to her ally as they galloped into the narrow alleys, trying not to lose track of the shadowy blur that fled across the tall buildings, leaping the gaps with practiced ease. Hot pursuit cast a sceptical glance toward the mare as he swerved to avoid the trash can which blocked his path. "And how do you propose we do that!?" He retorted impatiently. "The guy's seven storeys up!" It was true... The suspect definitely had the high ground. In more ways than one. The wind and rain pelted the detective's face as she ran; trying to deduce a means to reach their quarry and level the playing field. This was proving to be difficult, however, as there were no fire escapes to climb in order to ascend to the rooftops. "There must be something we can try!" Fact cried desperately, nearly slamming into a wall when they came across a sharp turn. The killer was drawing further and further away, now. The questions pooled in Fact Finder's overwhelmed mind. They had never even caught a glimpse of the murderer before now... and suddenly he turns up at the scene of the crime; practically allowing himself to be spotted? Something was not right here... not right at all. It was as if he had revealed himself... ...On purpose. But that did not matter. Nothing did, except the pursuit. She crammed every question she had into the back of her head and focused, transferring all the energy she possessed into her pumping legs. They had to put a stop to this monster, no matter the cost. "Wait..." Pursuit gasped, confused. "Where is my team?" Fact had actually been wondering the exact same thing. The pair had not caught sight of the officers or the guards since they had set off after the suspect. Suddenly, one of the armoured stallions appeared on the rooftop, blocking the fleeing figure's path. Their quarry skidded to a halt and tried to turn back, only to run into the other guard. It was not long before the rest of the group closed in around him. He was trapped. Pursuit grinned and slowed his pace; eventually stopping and turning to his exhausted friend. "Well, well..." He chuckled, exasperated; brushing his golden fringe out of his eyes. "Looks like my boys have already got it covered." Fact could not help but relish the despair of the shrouded suspect, as he looked around frantically for a way out. "Like a bug in a jar..." She breathed; releasing an enormous sigh of relief. Can it really be over? The detective thought; not quite able to believe what was happening. Have we stopped him? At last? The shadowy figure stopped and turned slowly, staring at the scarlet-maned mare through the torrential downpour... then he grinned broadly. Fact's relief soon transformed into pure panic, as her thumping heart sank and her face began to pale. What she had failed to recognise, is that some bugs... Had a deadly bite. Lightning flashed, temporarily blinding the ponies at a crucial moment. The suspect seized his chance... but he did not try to escape... Fact Finder's vision recovered, just in time to see the guard hit the ground before her with a sickening crunch, as his skeleton shattered and cracked upon the collision with the hard, unforgiving cobblestone. Her hoof clasped to her mouth and her eyes widened in horror when she spotted the bloody gouge in his neck, part of his trachea dangling out of it as warm, crimson fluid spilled out of the wound onto the cold, wet ground. Pursuit stared at his late colleague blankly; the colour drained from his face. "Sweet Celestia..." He drew in a sharp, trembling breath, before raising his gaze toward the rooftop once again. The officers were equally as terrified, as the murdere twisted his body in one smooth movement and lunged for the next guard, pinning him to the roof. Due to the angle, Fact Finder could not observe what was happening to the stallion, but she knew it would not be any less gruesome than what had been dealt to the first. The screams of pain and spurts of blood soon confirmed her theory. The mare turned quickly and gripped her partner by yhe shoulders, shaking him violently. "Dammit Pursuit, we have to do something!" She cried, in a state of terror and panic. "W-We have to do something!" "Like what!?" Fact gripped her head and struggled to hold back her tears as she watched the horror unfold on the rooftop, a jade-coated stallion's hind leg being wrended and gnawed from it's socket as his excruciated howls filled the air.Suddenly, an idea came to the unicorn mare. "Launch me!" She yelled, whirling to face Pursuit, who fixed her with a shocked expression. "What?" He breathed; unable to comprehend what was occurring before his very eyes. "Launch me!" The detective screamed. "Get me up there!" Pursuit bit his lip, trembling. "I- I don't... I don't know if I c-" "Just do it!" With that, the stallion mustered up all the magical energy he could, enveloping Fact in a deep-blue aura. He gave a mighty roar as he strained; sweat already running down his forehead, along with the rain and his face turned a bright scarlet. Whipping his head around with immense force , Pursuit flung the sodden, terrified mare as hard as he was able; sending her rocketing skywards, the ground rapidly becoming so far away. The combination of the sudden jolt, speed and height caused Fact FInder's stomach to clench, as she began to lose altitude and started to fall to the ground. No... She thought, as the icy grip of fear embraced her. If I fall from this height, I'll be killed! The plummeting unicorn flung out her hooves in desperation. And as if by chance; she managed to dig it into a small crevase in the wall of the building. However, at the speed she was falling, the sudden stop resulted in excruciating pain. As if her leg was about to pop out of it's socket. But as she dangled there, gasping and gritting her teeth, trying not to scream, Fact Finder knew she could not give up. She raised her head, squinting through the pounding rain, while the howling wind threatened to tear her away from the side of the swaying structure. The detective's eyes burned with determination, as she raised her other leg, probing the wall for another hoofhold. Pretty soon she was ascending at a steady pace... refusing to let the elements get the better of her. She was ending this... byany means; even if she ended up a murderer herself. It would merely be the price of Justice. Fact cast her gaze to the alley below, to check if Pursuit was still alright. Big mistake. The ground seemed miles away... One wrong move now could result in her being carried away in a body bag; and this cheery thought was only made worse by the mangled corpse of the guard, who lay in a crimson puddle far below. The petrified mare squeezed her eyes shut and tried to compose herself. She had to focus now, more than ever, in order to catch the monster responsible for the deaths of a growing list of innocent ponies. Before long, Fact clambered onto the ledge and breathed a deep, ragged sigh of relief. She lifted her gaze to see the killer, standing above the dismembered, bloody form of the last of the officers. This sight filled the detective with an untold fury, a blazing fire igniting within her. "You..." She growled venomously, causing the murderer to whirl and fix her with a piercing stare. It was still too dark to make out his features, but something about him seemed... familiar... However, although she could not see his face clearly, the glint of his twisted, sickening grin was unmistakable; the fresh blood of Hot pursuit's former team dribbling from his lips. He kicked the corpse aside, as if it were little more than litter on the street, and began to circle her, grinning wildly. Fact Finder watched him in silence; the only sounds to be heard were the beating rain as it impacted on the rooftop and the ghostly moaning of the forceful wind. Without warning, the killer leapt at her, shrieking like a wild animal. But the feisty young mare was not afraid... She was enraged. Instead of trying to avoid the sudden assault, she span quickly and drew back her legs, thrusting them out as hard as she could when her attacker drew close enough. Her hind hooves impacted against the killer's face with a horrific crack, sending him flying across the rooftop until he hit the damp gravel. However, this only slowed the murderous stallion slightly, for as soon as he hit the floor he rolled and sprung to his hooves again, preparing for another lunge. Despite the immense pain he must have been experiencing; the disturbing, bloody smile never once left the assailaint's lips. This only fuelled Fact Finder's burning fury. "Stop grinning, you twisted son of a-!" She roared, galloping, full pelt, towards him; her head down and her horn forward. The killer skipped around and released a burst of mocking laughter, whipping his tail around and wrapping it around Fact's throat. She drew in a rattling gasp as he tugged, constricting her. The mare's hooves flew to her neck and she pulled at the tail; but this only succeeded in making it tighter. The rain soaked pony's air was rapidly running out, while the shrouded killer continued to tug; throttling the detective mercilessly. Fact's vision was beginning to blur and darken... and she felt the cold veil of death flutter over her, waiting to claim her... It was all over... "You have been a thorn in my side for too long..." Hissed a familiar voice in her ear. Though it was slightly muffled by her consciousness slipping away, the words were as clear as crystal. "You should have left the case alone... given up.. But you persisted... and now..." He tightened his grip, threatening to crush her windpipe. "...You shall pay the ultimate price!" Fact did not struggle. It was much too late for that. Any resistance now would be completely futile... for she had lost... Or had she? "Hey, freak!" The helpless mare and her assailant turned their heads simultaneously, to see a drenched Hot Pursuit; his sharp, dripping horn glowing dangerously. "Any other time, I would've asked you to step away from the detective and surrender. But now you've royally pissed me off..." He lowered his head suddenly and unleashed a powerful blast of sapphire magic, which struck the killer full in the chest, sending him rocketing across the rooftop with a shriek; impacting on a ventilator with enough force to shatter a few bones. "...I'm not feeling so generous." Pursuit stood panting, his horn emanating a blue smoke as it cooled down in the rain. After a brief rest he galloped over to Fact, who was sprawled on the floor, coughing and spluttering violently. "Could you have taken any longer?" She gasped, glaring heatedly at the caramel stallion, who shrugged and helped the recovering mare to her hooves. "Hey, you're lucky I got here when I did!" Pursuit retorted, patting his companion down. "You just love gettin' yourself into trouble don't you, Fact?" Fact did not answer, for their enemy was stirring again, clutching his side and groaning. But his pained moans soon transformed into a demented chuckle, sending chills down the spines of the detective and the officer. He raised his head and cracked his neck loudly, regarding the ponies with cold, bloodthirsty eyes. Lightning flashed suddenly, lighting up the scene, and for the first time, Fact could see her target clearly... Though what she was seeing, she was having a hard time believing. "No..." She gaped, her voice trembling. "I-It can't be... You were with me when... when..." The bewildered detective could not continue, as the monster rose, spreading his leathery grey wings and grinning like a hyena, exposing a horrifying maw of razor sharp teeth behind crimson stained lips. His eyes were fixed on her and her alone, like burning rubies, shining through darkness. Zombi. End of Chapter