//------------------------------// // Stake Out // Story: A Maximal Crusader // by Jongoji245 //------------------------------// Mid December, 2015 In a dark night, one room was very much a lit. A user moved the mouse around, scrolling through the user settings of a Facebook account. A few clicks showed a message. “Are you sure you want to close your account, Anon-a-Miss?” - the user aimed the cursor over to the yes button - “This account will be taken down within 24 hours. We will miss you Anon-a-miss.” The user then closes the web page, points the cursor at the shutdown button and clicked on it, darkening her room as it faded into black. February 12th, 2016 Amidst the frigid weather in the Centennial State, the warm fuzzy feeling that develops in everyone’s hearts. And it is no exception in Canterlot High. A recent budget increase gave the opportunity to bring over a Valentines Day Dance. Now in the middle of the week, holiday decorations dotted across the halls, ranging from streamers to red and pink confetti. At the gymnasium, many of the student body were hard at work setting up the decorations. Especially among the Rainbooms, some have witnessed some of the help gathering the courage to ask their special somebody to the dance. “Awwwww!” - Cooed Pinkie Pie as her hair wiggled - “Seeing them always gives me the wiggles.” “Indeed, Pinkie.” - Rarity said in a soothing voice as she added as she taped a pink and purple heart on a backed up bleacher - “Valentine's Day brings out the strangest in us.” The party planner held her eyes half closed as she leaned over to the fashionista, “Someone has a special somebody?” “What, no, no, no, no, no!” - Rarity shuffled back - “You can’t possibly assume that I-” Once again, the skeptical faces of her closest friends got the best of her. She looked away, muttering a few indistinguishable words. “I'm sorry, what was that?” Asked Applejack as she held her hand behind her ear. Rarity whined a little before answering, “I'm asking Fancy Pants to the dance.”- The Rainbooms gasped - “What? We’ve been close before the Friendship Games.” “Yeah, but a person from Crystal Prep?” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Well, I don't see you expanding your tastes outside the athletes!” Rarity’s backlash made the others shout out, “Oh!” Sunset and Twilight chuckled before the former turned to find Flash Sentry stepping towards them. “Hey, Twilight.” “Oh, hi Flash.” Twilight said in a nervous tone. “I was wondering… With the dance a while away…” Flash stretched out his hand. Since transferring over to Canterlot High, Flash had often asked her to any event he found. Granted it was a method to expand Twilight's comfort zone, but attempts to asking their Twilight out on a date was moot. This time, she merely looked away, not even answering him. "Take that as a 'no.'" Sunset answered for her. “Oh, okay.” With a saddened look, Flash turned around and exited the gym. Closing the doors behind him, he let out a sigh. “Still no luck with Twilight, huh?” - Flash turned to find Cosgrove leaning back on a locker, looking at a section newspaper with tired eyes. The article in question related to a few reports of monsters raiding stores and warehouses. - “You seem to have much better luck with the Princess, not the human.” He had a point; Both during the Fall Formal and the Battle of the Bands, the Pony Twilight developed an interest in the lead Rocker, and the two have passionately embraced each other in both. Flash scratched his head, before turning to the Maximal. “Of course, you have been mean to her during the whole Anon-a-Miss fiasco.” Flash gritted his teeth, “So were you before you-!” - Flash saw Cosgrove flip his bloodshot eyes away from the printed text, intimidating the larger teen - “Sorry…” Cosgrove breathed through his nostrils before reading the text again. After a long silence, Flash leaned on the lockers with him. “So, plan on taking a date to the dance?” “No.” Noticing his flustered tone, Flash raised an eyebrow. “You… Don’t plan on going to the dance?” Cosgrove folded the newspaper in half before walking down the hall. “Depends if that stake out doesn’t last much longer.” As he continued to walk down the hall, Flash looked away for a moment before saying, “Can I say one thing about you?” - The Maximal stopped in front of a trash can, not turning his head away - “Even before you got your beast mode… I’m glad you haven’t… Done... You know...” “Noted…” Hearing Flash walk back into the gym, Cosgrove opened the folded newspaper. The front page displayed a photo of a press conference between Victor Veloci and David Xanatos shaking hands. The way the transforming Dakotaraptor looked at the camera had him spit on the paper before tearing it in half and throw it in the garbage. As the end of the school day bell approached, he shuffled over to the hall where his locker is. Just as he neared his left, he heard sniffles getting louder and louder as he got closer. Just at the corner, Apple Bloom sat on the floor, with her back to the locker, looking down as she sniffled again. “You alright?” Apple Bloom looked up to find Cosgrove standing next to her. Every year, the students’ get new lockers, and in this sophomore year, Cosgrove and Apple Bloom’s lockers are in an alternating pattern across from each other, with their closest friends scattered around the hall. Being friends since Elementary school, they didn’t mind that much, especially now that they have mastered their magical talent. “I’m… Fine…” Apple Bloom sniffled, not enough to convince the police man’s son otherwise. “Doesn’t seem that way.” - He sat down next to her - “Let me guess: Garble?” The Crusader turned her head to him, showing a split lip, widening the Maximals’ tired eyes. “Who fought better?” His answer was made again when they heard Garble coming to his locker. Cosgrove brought his neck back; whatever Garble said, Apple Bloom returned with a black eye and a busted cheek. One of Estes Park’s notorious bullies scowled at them, receiving a growl from the Maximal. He took a deep breath, “Much as I don't like him either, you knew that he posed no overall threat.” “And she’s lucky she didn’t get expelled.” - The two looked over to see Granny Smith looking down at her granddaughter with furrowed brows. Not the first time the two have fought in school when push came to shove, but each one is worth a scolding from her older peers. Knowing what this would mean, Apple Bloom simply got onto her feet and joined with her grandmother, who turned back to Cosgrove. - “You’re coming back on that stake out of your’s?” Cosgrove nodded; for the past three weeks, each Maximal had their part of the city to investigate, Cosgrove has Sweet Apple Acres and part of Great Valley Drive. With a small yawn, he opened his tired eyes to see the two joining up with Applejack as they exited the school. Looking at the tile floor for a while, he too got up and gathered his items for another day. As he exited the school, Flash got a glimpse before turning over to the remaining Rainbooms and Maximals. “Does it seem like to you that Cosgrove has gotten a little… ruthless?” Chelsey, Tex, Zipper, and Diver looked at each other before the last answered, “We all haven’t been much the same since the whole Anon-a-miss thing. Once this stake out blows over, it'll cool off.” Sunset placed a finger on his chin. Cosgrove isn’t his father, but whatever got his father into the character he had today is starting to creep into his son now. Only one other pressure will make him snap. Just a short while after the Apple’s reached their home, Apple Bloom was in the dining room, working on her school work for the weekend. Fighting a rival is one thing, being grounded was another. She just finished her math work when her eyes picked up her phone screen lighting up. Leaning over, she saw Scootaloo’s picture before promptly picking it up. “Hi, Scootaloo.” “Hey Apple Bloom, you available for Crusading?” “Sorry, I can’t.” - Apple Bloom’s bow drooped as if they were another pair of ears before shooting back up - “Wait, you’re not grounded?” “No, just a little extra work around the house after I’m done.” “What?!” - Sweetie Belle exclaimed, having dialed Apple Bloom’s number shortly after Scootaloo had - “Mom grounded me for the weekend, and I didn’t lay a finger on Garble!” Apple Bloom rubbed her temples, “I hope he has a much worse punishment. Tell you two what, we’ll meet up at the dance this Sunday.” “Gotcha.” “See you then.” Hanging up the phone, Apple Bloom finished the last couple problems, packing up her bag before walking to her stairs, her eyes picking up another anomaly outside, one of a yellow and violet kind. She looked at her hand, lifting each finger regarding her imposed restrictions. She can’t go on crusades into town, but with Cosgrove’s stakeout on their property, it wouldn’t be breaking the rules as long as she is careful. With a nod, she flipped her backpack onto her bed, running back downstairs and opening the door to find her brother just about to enter her home. As usual, his relatively blank expression gained suspicions, having been told about the fight at school. “I’m… just about to check on the chicken coop!” Big Mac’s expression didn’t falter, prompting Apple Bloom to add more to the appeal with a large grin. “Eeyup.” He answered, walking around his sister to the living room. Apple Bloom ran out of the house, following the displaced grass to her left. It wasn’t long before she spotted Cosgrove kneeling next to a tree. Rubbing dirt between his fingers, the Maximal took a sniffle as he rose up and turned around when- “Howdy.” “Gah!” - Cosgrove jumped back a few feet, landing his rear onto the ground - “Hi, Apple Bloom, checking out the farm?” Apple Bloom looked around, seeing if anyone was watching before answering, “I can’t go on crusades for the weekend and-” “You do not want to get bored, so you’re asking to join my stake out?” Cosgrove said with a raised brow, receiving an answer with a nod. “We can cover more ground… at least.” Apple Bloom added, hoping to convince him as she did her brother. Cosgrove took a shallow breath before turning around, “Maybe a change in strategy can be helpful.” - He walked towards the barn - “Here let’s get the chiller and spiller.” With the great thanks to the barn, the retro-mutagen guns were just as fit as the livestock around them. “A mutantsaur?” - Apple Bloom grabbed the spiller - “I thought your team took care of that by Thanksgiving?” “So have we all.” - He shifted through his backpack, taking out a series of photos, including photos comparing the size of one of their animal's footprints to the mutantsaur - “From what I have gathered, it’s one of your pigs.” Widened eyed at first, she furrowed her brow, “Something’s tellin’ me that it could also be a wild boar.” In any case, pigs are troublesome pests. If it is a wild boar, or worse a mutant one, the team would get quite a few lethal gashes, even if they remove the mutagen. “I’ve tried baiting it, playing a series of sounds from a boombox, but it’s always been eluding me. And right now,” - Cosgrove kicked a bit of dirt - “I’m up to my neck.” Apple Bloom walked by the Maximal, standing just outside before placing her fingers in her mouth and gave out a loud whistle. As the sound echoed the land, the farmer called upon her magic, sprouting her ears before giving out another loud whistle. Curious, Cosgrove call upon his ears and measured them; they're longer than Apple Bloom’s, but half as wide. But even then, he should have been able to track the animal by smell. Apple Bloom’s ears flicked forward, “It’s one of ours.” True to her word, a bison-sized hog did trot over from a nearby orchard. It is hairless, a godsend for Cosgrove’s worry, but the cold has made the mutagen seep at the surface of the animal. Putting the chiller down, he grabbed the spiller and sucked out the mutagen, changing the pig from a size not unlike their prize hog Piggington to a squeaker just hardly reaching above their ankles. Apple Bloom picked it up and put it back in the pig pen. Recollecting the pig's trail, the two have found the source of the problem at a ravine. Sometime between the fiasco with Veloci and now, the freezing mud oozed out the mutagen, and earlier before the stake out, the piglet escaped and literally swam in it. With a huff, Cosgrove aimed the spiller and sucked up the mutagen, cleaning it up for good. “Well, that ends the-” The ledge underneath her boots gave way. With a snatch and tug, Cosgrove pulls her a good distance from the ravine. In the silence of the orchard, the Maximal and the Crusader looked at each other. Cosgrove could just prop her back up, but beneath those tired eyes, he couldn’t help but look at her. The amber eyes, a cream skin tone, her red hair touching his wrist, a raindrop landing on her cheek. Raindrop on the cheek? Propping her back up, the two looked at the cloudy sky, feeling more raindrops dripping onto their skin. It is with the sound of thunder that they realized that they’ve worn out their welcome outside. Just two seconds slower than the clouds, their clothes and hair soaked a little of the rain, Apple Bloom’s bow especially dropped down. “I thought they said it wouldn’t rain this month?” Said Cosgrove as he hung his head low, shifting his drenched hair forward. “The new weatherman hasn’t been that honest.” Added Apple Bloom as she squeezed the water out. Stepping inside the house, they took off their shoes, leaving them on the floormat as they walked towards the stairs. “So, sugar cube,” - Apple Bloom jolted, turning to her left to find her sister towering over her - “how are those chickens?” Apple Bloom was in for it now, there are worse things than being grounded, but such punishments haven’t been exercised until probably now. “Well, uh-” “I saw her in the coop. They’re fine…” - Cosgrove interjected - “and she helped me with my stake out.” Applejack curled a dimple, though still having a suspicious brow as she looked at her sister. “Much as I don’t agree with you lying to Mac, helping Cosgrove is greatly appreciated. Go, get yourselves dried up.” The two soaked sophomores walked up the stairs, going to the closet and grabbing a couple towels. Apple Bloom walked into her room, untying the ribbon and hanging it on a clothes rack. Cosgrove meanwhile stayed in the restroom, wiping off rainwater from his hair and skin. “(What was up with that? Did I just pull a Flash Sentry?) Cosgrove shakes his head. - “(Must have been the sleep kicking in. I’m really going to bed after this.)” The Maximal's thought was interrupted with a few loud knocks on the door, “You all right in there?” “Oh uh, yeah.” - He opened the door, seeing the mistress of the house at the other side - “I didn’t get that much wet.” Applejack chuckled, “So what was it by the way?” “Just one of your squeakers. Little guy has been swimming in mutagen.” - He scratched his head before looking up at the ceiling - “Well it sounds like the weather is letting up. I’d better thank Apple Bloom before” - he stops to yawn - “the sleep starts to get to me.” "Much obliged." Said Applejack as she let Cosgrove out of the bathroom. He walked down the hall, stopping over at a door displaying an insignia of various shades of red-pink with an apple in the center. Since they have mastered “Ponying up,” such newfound power requires a new insignia, and so the Crusaders have since made badges that they would wear on their shirts. Cosgrove knocked on the door. “Be just a minute.” - He heard the rustling of clothes and slamming of dressers before the door opened - “Yes?” “Just wanted to say thanks for your help.” He looked up, seeing the room much to his surprise. Apple Bloom’s room was very large. Apple Bloom easily noticed his curiosity and opened her door wider. “I’ve never shown you my room have I?” To be fair, Cosgrove hasn't been in the house much of the time, for a majority of his time spent at Sweet Apple Acres were outdoor related from birthdays, to herding sheep on a horse, to removing dead apple trees with his friends. Even parties are spent outside. But he considered respect for the interior. “Oh, I shouldn’t…” “Consider it between teams.” - Apple Bloom opened the door wide - “We wouldn’t be a team if we don’t show our assets.” She did help him close a case, he owed her this much. Cosgrove stretched his body, pulling his eyelids and releasing them. Applejack peaked from the middle of the stairs, watching her sister lead him into her room. Inside, the astonished Cosgrove looked around the room. On one corner of the bedroom was the bed itself, in front of it the closet with various styles of clothing. On another corner was a desk with a turned on desktop computer. “This is how we render our videos and upload them to Youtube.” - She then turned him around, over, leading him to a corner with a set of microphones and a small violin - “This is where we record our songs. Scootaloo has the video camera we use to record the footage of our music videos.” Cosgrove looked around, finding a blank corner with a target board on the floor. “And that?” Apple Bloom came to his line of sight, pointing at said corner, “Sometimes we stand here and think of great ideas.” The Maximal looked around, opening his jaw as he kept his lips together. This is one reason why the Crusaders were great at the Battle of the Bands versus most of the Maximals just scat singing. Cosgrove nodded, turning his head to a small radio, seeing a blank CD inside before reaching the radio. “Do you make CD’s of your songs? They’re pretty good.” “Don’t-!” In a small jolt, his finger clicked on the play button rather than the eject button, playing the refrain of “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” Noticing his shoulders relaxing again, Apple Bloom stopped the radio. “That was…” Cosgrove was pulled by the arm out of her room. “Well, it was nice helping you, but I have school work that needs to be done.” With that, Apple Bloom pushed him out into the outside world of the coming twilight. Cosgrove gaped his mouth for a moment, then closed it and left the premises. As he approached the car, the Maximal took out his cell phone, setting the recipient to every one of his team, and sent a text. “Stake out complete, turned out to be a baby pig rolling in mutagen. Thank also to Apple Bloom.” The text was sent to everyone, quickly being received by everyone as soon as it was sent. From afar, Applejack watched from her window as Cosgrove entered his car and leave their land. The apple farmer turned around, walking over to Apple Bloom’s room. “What that all about?” She asked, leaning on the entrance with her arms crossed. “He touched something he shouldn’t.” - Her sister wasn’t convinced, Apple Bloom shied away - “I’m sorry… I haven’t seen him look so… so...” “Calm?” - Applejack pressed the play button on the radio, continuing the song again - “I couldn’t blame you, it’s quite beautiful.” “You... really think so?” “After spending quite some time on his part of a stakeout, I wouldn’t say why not.” - Applejack chuckled - “Y’know, he has learned a lot about us, yet we don’t know much about his family.” As Applejack walked away, Apple Bloom turned off the radio before sitting on her bed. She raised her hand again, counting off the facts she does know. But so far she could only count that 1) he has a brother, and 2) his parents are very busy police officers. Cosgrove wasn’t the only boy her age in this town, but whether it was his intent or not, one thing that she always noticed is him going through just about anything, including his loss with Night Dancer. But even boys like him screw up sometime. Five years before today As Applejack had suggested for herding sheep, Cosgrove began to learn how to ride a horse. It took a few tries to get comfortable while in a walk, a few more for the trot, and quite a few more for a canter. On one such day, Apple Bloom watched Cosgrove get the horse into a canter for halfway around the track before trotting the rest of the way, stopping right next to her. “You’d getting quite good at this, maybe a few weeks, we could race around.” - Apple Bloom rubbed the horse’ snout, before noticing the future Maximal rubbing his hair - “What’s up?” “Apple Bloom, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask.” The Crusader relaxed her shoulders, eyes widened, as she was about to be popped the question. “Yes…?” Scratching his head, Cosgrove took in a breath. “Do you have freckles?” A record label scratched in her head, almost making her fall off the fence post. “Pardon?” “Do you have freckles?” - Cosgrove lifted his hand, uncurling each “finger” - “Applejack has freckles, Big Mac has freckles, even your cousin Babs has freckles…” He continued on with that one simple fact, not paying attention to Apple Bloom as she unfastened the cinch, causing him to shift to his right has she not caught him by the collar of his shirt. But the save wasn’t mutual, as she looked at him with furrowed brows. “No.” With a little push, Cosgrove spun off the horse, landing hard on the ground, shielding his head as the beast walked over him. Lying there like a beaten dog, he watched as Apple Bloom left in a huff. Today But how else since he’d improve? Many things. Finding Sunset Shimmer a new family, helping Pip in being school president of their elementary school, risking his life to find his brother in a land of dinosaurs (with help of course), the list goes on. But why? That could be one such question… along with how he could move objects with bound fingers. Then it occurred to her: one of her history course assignments asked to find a person outside of her family who participated in a historical event. In one of her family' neighborhood gatherings, Tremor, the elderly patriarch of Cosgrove's family, mentioned at earshot that he did participate in the Korean War. The assignment called for a short paragraph, but the more information is usually better. Apple Bloom took out her phone again, scrolling down to his name. But giving the fact that he is dead tired, it wouldn’t be the most polite of moves to call him if he is asleep. But it’s fortunate that he has a younger brother. Switching to the text mode, she scrolled over to Dapplewood’s name. She took a deep breath and texted to him. “Hey Dapplewood, is your brother home?” She waits a while before her phone buzzes. “Yeah, he’s dead asleep. Thank you for helping him :)” At this rate of being thanked, she could just as well be the town hero. But such a coincidence was not her mission and began typing a reply when. “Dinner’s ready, y’all.” Applejack called out. Apple Bloom finished her reply before walking over to the kitchen. Unlike their Equestrian counterparts, they do eat meat, but for the most part, it consisted of fruit, vegetables, and pasta, a result from part of their share of the yearly harvests. After being served a plate, the youngest of the family twirled her fork, balling up as much pasta as she could before she felt another buzz. Taking a bite, she took out her phone and looked at the screen. “I talked it over with Mom and Dad: they’re okay.” “Who are ya texting to, sugar cube?” asked Applejack, noticing her face lit up by the screen. Her sister looked up, noticing her family looking at her with curious faces before putting the phone back in her pocket. “I’ve been thinking about what you have said, and my history assignment needed me to talk to someone outside of the family, and I know I’m grounded, but it would be for a day.” Apple Bloom watched her sister widened her eyes. Applejack understood, but she didn’t expect her sister to come up with a decision so fast. But as Apple Bloom is grounded for the weekend, Applejack became skeptical as to whether this was an excuse to go with her friends or not. She looked for any signs that she could be lying. Seeing that there hasn't, Applejack relaxed. “Your first personal crusade.” She chuckled, seeing Apple Bloom in front of her. “One… day!” Said Apple Bloom, emphasizing each word by poking her sister’s shoulder. “Whatever you say.” Said Granny Smith, taking a few bites of mashed potatoes. “Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed before chuckling.