Cape and Cowl III: Showdown

by Artimae


Chapter Nine

1

“They got us surrounded, boss!” one of the Red Hoof’s goons cried, winding his crossbow and firing it aimlessly at the sea of Guards. “Sure wish we had that freaky Neighponese fella!”

“Dammit, I can’t work under this amount of pressure!” the bombardier yelled as he fiddled with the bomb’s wiring.

“Figure it out, ‘cause any second we’re gonna get kebabed by those spears!”

“Keep resisting arrest and that’ll be the least of your problems!” Murdoc snarked. “Trust me when I say the Captain is so pissed you should be glad you’re dealing with me and not him!”

One of the invaders shot a bolt at Murdoc, hoping to get lucky and be the hero of the day. The bolt bounced harmlessly off of the Lieutenant’s magical shield.

“If I wasn’t about to kick your asses, I’d commend you for having the balls to take a potshot at me," Murdoc said, pinning his ears. "But not today! On your hooves, Guards! Take ‘em down!”

Roaring their unanimous agreement, the Royal Guard line charged forward, colliding hard with the enemy forces. Murdoc and a pair of Sentries pushed their way through the chaos, in order to get to the bombardier before he could complete his work.

“Shoot the bastards!” the gang leader cried, winding his crossbow. “Shoot ‘em all!”

“Shields up!” Murdoc bellowed, continuing his mad charge. As the enemy stallions let loose their bolts, shimmering gray shields sprung to life near the forward line, causing them to rebound in odd directions, though some weren’t quick enough and did get hit.

In the blink of an eye, Murdoc was forced to put up his own shield as a massive weight attached to a chain flew directly at him. His jaw dropped in shock when the weight smashed through the shield a second later, shattering it like glass. It had served its purpose, however; Murdoc had been able to avoid the oncoming attack. That… that could have killed me… he thought.

“Back off, colts…” a deep voice said, emerging from the line of enemy stallions. A moment later, the voice’s owner stood in full view. A deep gray stallion with reddish brown eyes and a grave expression on his face, two long, weighted chains wrapped around his waist, one of which he was swinging in a hoof. A sickle also sat on his back, hooked into the chains wrapped around him.

Murdoc stood his ground, swallowing hard. Something about this stallion seemed familiar, but he couldn’t put his hoof on it. Probably just some thug I put away some years ago. They always hold grudges.

“This one’s mine, boys…” the large stallion growled, locking his killer's eyes with Murdoc.


2

Joules woke with a start, finding that the train had come to a stop. He looked out the window, finding the sun just beginning to peek out over the horizon. He stretched slightly, looking around for Snow. He looked across the aisle from him, almost laughing at what he saw; Snow had finally dozed off and was laying on her back, snoring her life away with all her limbs splayed out in odd directions.

The textbook definition of ladylike conduct, Joules thought with a warm smile. “Up and at ‘em, Snow,” he said, reaching over and tapping her shoulder. “We’re back in Manehattan.”

“I don’t wanna, mom,” she sleep-mumbled, turning over and reaching for a blanket that wasn’t there. “Five more minutes…”

“Ohhh no, you didn’t keep me up almost all night for this ‘five more minutes’ business,” Joules said, shifting over to her and shaking her by the shoulders. “Wake up already, we’re back home!”

“Huh, wha…” She blinked, feeling her brain catch up to the situation. “Home? Home! We’re back!” She rolled off the seat, her wince as she landed on her feet only a reaction of habit, and ran past Joules towards the door.

“Woah, hold up!” Joules said, grabbing both their packs and charging off after her, apologizing to any ponies he knocked over on the way out, one of which happened to be the Conductor.

OI! A’ve had it up ta’ here with the two o’ ye’!” the Conductor bellowed after them, his large mustache twitching in annoyance. “A’ don’t wanna see either o’ ye on ma’ train again for the next year! Ye’re banned!

Move!” Snow commanded rudely, weaving through the crowd and brushing aside more than a couple of ponies. Their reactions to her were most certainly not very pleasant.

Though Joules was managing to valiantly fight his way through the ever-thickening crowd, he stopped short when he saw her trot headlong into another mare. “For Luna’s sake, why did you leave me with all your… stuff?” he trailed off, eyeing the two. His hackles raised as he watched the scene unfold - he could sense a brawl brewing between Snow and this other mare. One that he would inevitably have to break up.

“What is it, Charade?” Snow asked sharply, keeping her guard up. Nothing was ever as it seemed with her, and it couldn’t have been mere coincidence that she was waiting for Snow at the train station. Of course, Charade had helped her in the last fight, but that didn’t mean much. “I’m in kind of a hurry.”

“Wait a second.. is she your friend? You have friends!?” Joules exclaimed. “Oh, this oughta be great!

“Well well well, if it isn’t the Mare do Bitch.” Charade smirked. “I warned you about him. Frankly, he was going easy on you… if he hadn’t, you’d have been a lot more than humiliated out there.”

“That’s not what friends should say to each other. You lied to me, Snow! Here I thought you had gone and made friends with a nice mare, and she’s just as crazy as you are!” Joules said, throwing his hooves up in the air.

“Crazy? I’m a lot nuttier than she is, even if she does like to play dress up at night,” she grinned knowingly.

“Well at least you’re honest about it,” Joules said. “Wait, dress up?” He then turned to Snow, taking one of her hooves in his. “Do you need somepony to talk to? It’s alright if you do. I’m sort of good at listening and she—” he then looked to Charade, seeing her grin shift to a deadpan stare, “—probably doesn’t give a damn.”

“Look, I’d love to stay and give snark back and forth, but I have somewhere I desperately need to be. Joules, if you’d arrest her for consorting with the Red Hoof?”

“Oh, now it matters that I’m a Guard! That’s not how this works, sweetcheeks! I am too sleep-deprived and too tapped out on crazy resistance to give even half a shit about what this mare does!” Joules exclaimed, pointing at Charade. He blinked for a second, frowning, then turned his head towards her. “Wait a sec, did she just say you work for the Red Hoof?”

“Reluctantly. But so does she, technically. Ol’ Red has something of her’s. Something she’d do anything to get back…” she said enigmatically.

“Yeah yeah, her parents, I know that already!” Joules said impatiently. “Tell me everything you know about the Red Hoof and I can promise you’ll get amnesty when he gets taken down. We square?” he said, extending a hoof.

Charade took out a piece of paper, laughing and shaking her head wildly as she scribbled something down quickly. “Like I’d ever squeal! Stop harassing me! I didn't break any laws!” she bellowed, before quickly handing him the scrap. ‘His guys are everywhere. Not safe.’

“Sorry ma’am, I didn’t mean to bother you. I must have mistook you for someone else,” Joules said in a faux surprised tone as he scribbled down an address and a note, discreetly passing it back to her. ‘Meet me at this address. You’ll be protected.’

While the two ponies did their cloak-and-dagger nonsense, Snow swiped her bag from Joules’ custody, slipping away from the pair and sneaking down into an empty alley. “Sweet Celestia I’ve missed this suit.”

Joules felt her grab her bag off his back, and turned to look at her. “Hey! Lunch down at the Neighponese place that just opened up next week! Be there, got it!?” he yelled after her, shaking his head. “Anyway, I gotta head back to the Barracks. See you soon,” he said, nodding to Charade curtly.

Charade nodded, turning to leave. None of the other ponies in the area seemed to be paying much attention, giving her a sense of ease. “At least he’s not around…” she muttered under her breath before heading off.

As Joules made his way to the Barracks, he heard a familiar, blood-chilling sound. “...Is that the Horn!? Crap, crap, crap, crap! I need to get my armor and fast!” he exclaimed, taking to the air and flying off towards his home as fast as his wings would allow, heading for the Barracks immediately after.


3

The Mare do Well whistled sharply, catching the attention of Joules, whom she’d been keeping up with while crossing rooftops. “What’s going on!?” she shouted. “What’s with that horn!?”

Joules looked up, trying to follow the sound of the voice calling out to him. He had managed to get home, quickly throw on all his armor and fly towards the Barracks when the Mare do Well grabbed his attention. “That’s a siren for all available Guards to head to the Barracks as soon as possible, it’s only used in cases of extreme emergencies!” he yelled, pushing himself to fly faster. “Good to see you back up on your hooves!”

“The Barracks!?” she repeated, hopping from rooftop to rooftop. This is gonna leave a stitch... “Red wouldn’t be stupid enough to attack it!”

“After the carriage full of weapons he stole, I’m surprised he hasn’t attacked us sooner!” Joules said. “Need a lift? I can probably get you there faster by air!” he offered.

“I’d be too heavy for you! You look kinda weak!”

“Trust me, I can carry more than my weight!” Joules retorted. “You’re probably a feather in comparison to this armor!”

“Well… if you say so! Here, catch!” She turned sideways, jumping off of the roof without a moment’s hesitation, letting her cape catch air and allow her to glide.

Joules positioned himself to allow her to land on his back, having no major issues carrying her. “See? I got you covered, now hang on!” he said, gearing up to pick up speed.

“Say, I could get used to this!” she said, her forelegs wrapped around his neck, grateful she couldn't feel the cold wind on her face. “Want to be my personal carrier from now on?”

“I’ll think about it, now hang on!” Joules said, kicking it into high gear. The Mare do Well then quickly learned the concept of G-forces as Joules rocketed forward as fast as his body could sustain, picking up altitude as he aimed straight for a storm cloud.

“Uh, that cloud looks pretty cold…”

“This might tingle a bit!” Joules said. They breached the storm cloud, lightning flashing and crackling all around them. “There!” he exclaimed, heading for the center of the cloud where the lightning activity was highest.

“Why in Epona’s name is there a lightning cloud in the middle of January!?” she shouted, squeezing her eyes shut. Did I ever ask Rarity to electro-proof this suit? I don’t think I did.

Without warning, a bolt of lightning arced off the cloud around them and struck both Joules and the Mare do Well. Energy coursed and surged through them for a few moments, before the Mare do Well saw Joules was preparing for a nose-dive.

“Here we go!” Joules yelled.

“What’re you- ohhh no, no no no! I'm out!” She threw herself off of him, hanging suspended in the air for a moment, feeling weightless. After a long minute, gravity began taking hold again, pulling her down towards the epicenter of the action.

Three seconds, Joules thought, aiming at the ground. He spied the Barracks, seeing it was in complete chaos; several sections were partially burning, Guards and thugs were fighting in the streets. Two seconds. He then saw the spot that had the highest concentration of thugs, taking more precise aim.

And he called me nuts! Snow thought, somewhat controlling her descent with her upgraded cape, aiming for the first thug she spotted. He’ll shatter every bone he’s got!

Fire. In an explosive clap of thunder, Joules quite literally exploded downward, glowing a bright gold as he made his way towards his target. As the energy coursed through his body, his hoofguards whirred to life, special plates climbing their way up his legs to help brace for impact.

The clap of thunder caught the attention of all the combatants on the ground, including the thugs that were about to be his target.

“Holy sh-!

Joules slammed into the ground with all the force of a meteor, the massive amount of electrical energy dispersing violently around him and careening into the nearby thugs. The blast sent them flying in a number of different directions, leaving them in twitching, unconscious heaps.

Joules raised his head, his body still sparking and partly surging with electricity as the rest of it grounded out through his hoofguards.

“You idiots are gonna pay for what you’ve done,” he growled, cracking his neck and shaking off the excess electrical energy. Before they could regain their composure, he charged into battle, leaving a smouldering, crackling crater where he landed behind him.

The Mare do Well landed on top of one of the invaders, trying hard not to groan at the over-the-top display. He’s so damned full of himself! she thought, taking down another pair before they even realized she was there. Still, it wasn't that bad. Almost impressive, really. Not that she would ever tell him.

* * *

Joules raced through the crowd of thugs, knocking over or shoulder-checking any in his way to get to the heart of the battle. He arrived just outside the Armory, finding quite the fight with Murdoc and an unknown adversary at its center.

“Murdoc!” Joules cried out, catching his superior’s attention as he made his way over to him.

“That you Joules?” Murdoc replied, not taking his eyes off his opponent.

“Yes sir! Do you need my help with this one?”

“That’s a negative, Sergeant. This guy wanted me… well, he’s gonna get me,” Murdoc said. “Make sure they don’t get to the Armory. Defend it at all costs!” Murdoc ordered.

“Yes sir!” Joules said, finding the nearest thug and tackling him to the ground, immediately going for the submission. Once his target submitted, he continued to make his way towards the Armory’s doors, finding the bombardier still fighting to set up the bomb. “Halt, in the name of the Guard!” he barked.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Mare do Well had run through her fair share of the thugs, and now found herself face-to-face with a group of them. “Aw, come on!” She growled, grinning humorlessly beneath her mask, enjoying every second of the fight. “Eight on one? That’s not fair! You need more!” I don’t see that broody jerk. Is he already inside the Barracks? “Hey, ugly one, where’s that Neighponese guy? I’ve got a score to settle after I’m done with you blowhards!”

“He ain’t here! Boss said he wasn’t necessary, but I’m not inclined to agree!” One of the thugs responded. “It don’t matter none! In a few minutes we’re gonna blow that Armory sky-high and you ain’t gonna be able to do anything to us!”

“Wanna bet?” she said, knocking him out cold and turning on the others.

“How’re you doing, flyboy?!” she called out to Joules once her own fill had been taken care of. “Need some help?”

“Doing alright, how about you!” Joules said, sidling up next to her as he bull-rushed his way through several thugs. “Listen, they’re arming a bomb near the Armory! They’ve got numbers, but we’ve got you, so I think they’re in for it! Let’s kick some ass, yeah?”

“You got it!”

The pair tore off towards the Armory, fighting side by side as they fought their way through the crowd towards their target.


4

Surrounding Amber Shield was nothing but chaos: medical guards barking orders, wounded guards moaning, and healthy guards standing watch by the only doorway. Not to mention the sounds of fighting outside and a steady flow of new patients being brought in. She thought of the old adage about chickens running around with their heads cut off, and had to stifle a short burst of nervous giggles.

This was no place, or time, to be laughing.

“What can I do?” she asked the nearest medic, keeping up with him as he made his rounds. She had wanted to stay out and fight, but Murdoc ordered her to help the injured. The look he had given her left no room for argument, even though one had begun to rise to her lips. Not the least of which was she was quite squeamish around blood, and there was a lot of it running down the shower drains. Too much.

“Get me bandages, sterile IV needles and suturing kits, stat!” Rose Cross ordered while she tried to pop a stallion’s dislocated shoulder back in place.

“Yes, ma’am!”

As Amber worked, the alarm of an ECG machine began to blare loudly throughout the triage area. Rose quickly looked over, finding one guard who had been stabbed in the side had suddenly flatlined.

“Get me a crash cart, now!” Rose yelled, rushing over to the stallion and beginning to do chest compressions. “Damn it, don’t die on me!” she yelled as she continued to try to resuscitate him. “Where’s that crash cart!? He’s only getting more dead over here!”

A group of workers rushed the cart over as Rose tried to keep the stallion alive, quickly grabbing the paddles and rubbing them together. “Damn it, they’re not charged! I need a unicorn, now!”

“I’m here!” Amber offered, charging up her horn.

“Good, focus it into the receiver here!” Rose said, holding it up to Amber’s head. Once the unit had been charged sufficiently, Rose rubbed the paddles together. “Clear!” she barked, everyone present taking a step back as she shocked the comatose stallion. She then began to do compressions again, until another issue occurred elsewhere.

“Cadet, keep those compressions going! Just above the sternum, once per second! If you don’t get a response after two or so minutes, move onto whoever else needs help!” Rose ordered, hurrying off as Amber took over.

Okay, okay, I can do this, I can totally do this! she thought nervously, concentrating on her 'patient' and doing exactly as Rose had shown her.

After a solid minute of compressions, the stallion gave an explosive cough, gasping for air as his vitals came back on the monitor. Amber immediately backed off, breathing heavily and bathed in sweat.

I… I just saved that stallion’s life… she thought. She was pulled from her thoughts when Rose began to call out to her.

“Cadet! I need you here, now!” Rose ordered as she worked to apply pressure to a bleeding wound.

“Ma’am!” Amber responded, feeling her confidence swell, galloping to her next task. I saved a life.


5

“Step it up, buddy!” the Mare do Well said, elbowing another thug in the muzzle. “I’ve already taken out twice as many bad guys as you!”

“Yeah, but your guys are getting back up!” Joules pointed out, seeing several thugs slowly making their way back to their hooves. He rushed over, shoulder tackling one into a nearby wall, then bouncing off of him. He used his momentum to wrap his forelegs around the neck of two nearby thugs, driving their heads into the ground and leaving them lying still. “And that’s how it’s done,” he said with a smirk as he got back up to his hooves.

“Yeah, but, I’m a dainty and helpless little mare!” she responded, blasting a rather large baddie in the chest with both of her rear legs, sending him reeling breathlessly. “I surely couldn’t match your strength!”

“Now I know you can do better than that!” Joules retorted. He charged up to a nearby thug, leapt up onto his shoulders then fell backward, using his rear legs to launch the thug into a group, knocking them out.

“What, are you dancing with them!? Punching them in the face works just as well, you know! Oh, hey, I’m out of bad guys over here. Want me to stop the bomb guy for you?”

“Nah, I think I got this!” Joules pressed a button on the side of his armor, and his bracers began to crackle and spark. Every punch he threw let out a large bang as he knocked out foe after foe, cutting a swath forward towards their goal. “Better catch up!”

“That’s cheating! Where does that electricity even come from!? And why didn’t you use that earlier!? We could’ve been done by now!” Not that she wanted to be done, she realized. Her blood was up now. She lived for this. After all, fighting was her special talent, and she had discovered it at a young age. She was hoping all of Red’s goons would show up just so she could take them down. Especially Hano.

“I got tired of fighting seriously!” Joules yelled out. “Now hurry up, we have a bomb to stop!”

“Well, considering I don’t even know how to stop a bomb, I’ll just cover you! I mean, you’ve had training for this sort of situation… right?”

Joules quickly disposed of the thug working on the bomb, knocking him out with a swift kick to the ribs. “If we take into account the training we got for bombs was ‘call bomb disposal’, we’re about to find out!” He then quickly opened the top latch on the bomb, finding a basic circuit board as well as multiple colored wires.

“Wait, what!?" She blanched beneath the mask, her white coat somehow becoming whiter. "Were you serious just now!? Was that serious!? Please tell me you’re just messing with me!”

“We had basic training for bomb disposal but that was years ago! Now keep ‘em off me while I try to shut this damn thing off!” Joules yelled as he fiddled with the wiring, trying to make sure he didn’t set the bomb off.

“Great, I’m going to die here, in an explosion.” The few thugs who were left began to rout, though they found their exits blocked by Guard reinforcement. “This is not how I planned my life! None of this is! Are you done yet?!”

“Just be quiet and let me think! Now was it red red green, or red green red!?” he said out loud, frantically moving between the wires.

“You know what? It may not even matter! They were trying to get into the armory, not level it! I bet the blast won’t even be that big! Just let it go off before you blow off a foreleg or two.”

Tera, just know your big brother loves you… Kilo, I’ll kick your ass on the other side! Joules thought, shutting his eyes tight as he raised the circuit board and severed all the connections at once with an electrified hoof. The device beeped a few times, then fell completely silent. He checked the circuit board and found it no longer turned on; in fact, it had completely shorted out. He gave a sigh of relief. “It’s done! Bomb’s disarmed!”

“Good job, flyboy! Looks like the rest have surrendered - except that huge ugly one facing down Murdoc. Think we should help him?”

“Nah, Murdoc said he wanted this one for himself. I’ll stay here with him, you go off and make sure everything else is clear!” Joules said.

“You got it,” she said, looking up at the rooftop of the Barracks. “Hey, uh, mind taking me up there? Climbing looks like it’d be tough.”

“Sure,” Joules galloped over, stopping just next to her. “Hop on.”

The Mare do Well reluctantly climbed up onto his back. “You’re not gonna do any of that cloud nonsense again, are you?” she asked with an accusing tone.

Joules smirked. “Nah, not at this point. Just hang on and I’ll get you where you need to go.” He took off, the Mare do Well holding on by wrapping her forelegs around his neck.

Hmm… I’ll never tell him, but him flying me around is kinda nice, she thought. Not to mention he was kinda cool back there… ah, whatever! I’ve got other things to think about!

Once they arrived at the rooftops, Joules touched down, setting her down. “Anything else?”

“You wouldn’t happen to have a pot of coffee in your armor, would you? I need the pick-me-up.” She breathed carefully, trying not to pant from weariness. Now that the fighting had stopped, her legs were beginning to turn into lead.

But she wouldn’t let him see that. Not at all.

“Can’t say I do, buuuut I wouldn’t mind going to get one once this is all over and done with,” Joules said with a cheeky smile.

“... It’d be kind of hard to eat or drink in public with this mask on.”

“I was thinking w-without the mask. I figured you would, uh… get what I meant when I… you know what? I’m gonna go back down to the ground now,” Joules said, turning to leave. Nice job. You hit on a mare, and you act like an idiot.

“Say, thanks,” the Mare do Well said before Joules could take off, letting her voice slip into a more relaxed tone. “For everything.” Hope I sound familiar to you.

“Oh, uh… sure! Anytime you need me, you know where to find me!” Joules said with a smile, hopping off the rooftop and gliding to the ground below. As he made his way down, he could hear the Mare do Well’s voice ringing in his head. Where have I heard that voice before…? His brain was too frazzled to even attempt to place the voice with a face or a name, so he simply brushed the thought out of his mind, hurrying off to help with the wounded.


6

“You cannot possibly believe I’m going to indulge you,” Murdoc growled to the large stallion before him. He waved a hoof, and from behind him came the harmonious clicks of a dozen crossbows getting notched.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk… and here I thought the brave Lieutenant Murdoc would never back down from a challenge! I suppose I was lied to…” the stallion growled, gripping the chains on his waist. “A shame. I was expecting a proper fight between us. I deserve that much, don't I?”

“No, you 'deserve' to be rotting in prison.”

The stallion merely scoffed. “You know, you’re a lot different than what I expected you to be. I know quite a bit about you, Murdoc. In fact, I think I know a lot about you,” he said with a sinister grin.

“I’m sure a lot of ponies do,” the Lieutenant responded, squinting his eyes. The Mare do Well and a group of Guards had gotten through the line and were wreaking havoc on the enemy's flank, which was good. And if this 'heroic' stallion didn't stand down, Murdoc would just have to have him detained forcibly. No problem there.

“Oh, more than them, I can assure you. Would you like to know what, exactly, I know about you?” The stallion said, starting to walk in a slow circle, yet never once taking his eyes off of Murdoc.

“Not particularly. Your little band of misfits have routed and been captured. I’d suggest you surrender, before I am forced to use extreme measures.”

“Mm, I’m not worried…” the stallion said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders, as if to say it didn't even matter. To him, it probably didn't. “Let’s see… I know that you’re a Royal Guard, but that’s obvious. What’s not obvious, is that you’ve been with the Guard for twenty five years! A long time! Congratulations, and sorry if I missed your anniversary,” he said.

“I’m unimpressed,” Murdoc said simply. "Though I am surprised you can do math. Most of the Red Hoof's gang haven't even gotten that far."

“I figured as much,” the stallion said. “I also know… that you’re married, and a father, to boot! To a beautiful mare, with two darling daughters. One of seven years, the other five. I wonder what they’d think if they saw Daddy doing this…?”

Murdoc’s eye twitched slightly. “So the Red Hoof’s been watching me too, now. He won’t be for long.”

“Oh, I’m not done! No, no, far from it…” the stallion grinned maliciously. “I also know you have a father in a nursing home. Bismuth. And your mother, Scarlet, hasn’t been with us for some time now, hasn’t she? A shame… I heard she was a lovely mare.”

“Get to the point,” Murdoc demanded, gritting his teeth. He didn't like how far this pony had dug. Didn't like it at all.

“I also know you had a younger brother. Had. Killed in service to his flag and his country!” The stallion said, giving a faux salute. “Still haven’t put it together? I would like to think by now you would have figured it out, unless…” A thought then dawned on the stallion. “He never told you! Typical Bismuth. Always one to keep secrets, that old stallion.”

“...How do you know my father?” Murdoc growled, feeling a pulse beginning to beat in his head.

“‘Know’ him? I didn’t just know him, oh no,” he said, stopping in his tracks. “It’s simple really. He’s my father too. But you never knew that, did you Slate?

That was the last straw. The mysterious stallion found himself knocked back by a blast from Murdoc’s horn. Fire blazed in the Lieutenant’s steely eyes. “Nopony ever calls me by that name!”

The stallion retaliated, launching one of the heavy weights around his waist directly at Murdoc. “I’m sorry, did I strike a nerve?! Let big brother Granite take care of that for you!”

Murdoc raised a shield at the incoming projectile. “I had a brother! He died a hero!”

“He wasn’t the only brother you had!” Granite yelled, swinging his chains. “I remember the nights he’d come home, reeking of alcohol and soaked in the scent of another mare’s perfume! And if my mother dared question it, the punishment would be horrifying!” He exclaimed as he wound up another throw. “That scum of a stallion had me first! You were just the byproduct of an affair, and then he chose you and that whore when I failed to join the Guard and be his puppet! You, however, fell right into place and allowed him to rule your life with an iron hoof and be the good little colt that Daddy always wanted!”

“You think I asked him to cheat on your mother? Do you really believe for a second that he wouldn’t have thrown me away too, given the chance!?" Murdoc retorted, narrowly avoiding a weight thrown at him. "This is Bismuth we’re talking about! If you’re trying to offend me, it isn’t working! I lived with that stallion for my whole life- I have witnessed the very definition of offensive!”

Your very existence is offensive!” Granite screamed, throwing yet another weight at Murdoc and swinging it at an angle to pass his shield. “I don’t envy you! You were merely my replacement! You only exist because he couldn’t erase me!”

“I still don’t see how that makes me the replacement!” Murdoc replied, narrowly avoiding the weight. Too close.

“I decided to live a life of my own! You followed his hoofsteps!” Granite said, beginning to close the distance as he swung another weight. It came crashing down on the ground near Murdoc, leaving a deep crater where it hit. “You’re just like him!

“It sounds to me like he’s still controlling you!”

“And he still owns you! You still go to see him! You still feel sympathy for that old bastard! A copy can never surpass the original!” Granite said, now hurling two weights at Murdoc.

“Sympathy, huh? You don’t know me as well as you thought.” He blasted at one weight, and rolled out of the way of the other. That thing ruffled my coat, he thought bitterly. Really wish I learned how to teleport… “Did you know he’s an unconvicted murderer?”

“I did! A shame he didn’t add you to his list!” Granite replied, swinging another one of his weights and bringing it down on Murdoc’s shield, shattering it instantly. “I’ll be sure to fix his mistake!” He launched a third weight from seemingly out of nowhere, shooting it directly forward at Murdoc.

Unfortunately, Murdoc never saw it coming. The weight sailed forward, colliding with his right shoulder, immediately disarming him and sending him off his hooves, crashing to the ground hard. The Lieutenant yelled out, grabbing at his shoulder, feeling that while the bone hadn’t been broken, the weight left a deep welt in his shoulder and moving it at this point was out of the question.

Granite stalked forward, moving in for the kill, when an injured thug stumbled into the area.

“Boss… we lost! The bomb’s been… destroyed…” the thug said, collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

The stallion stood there for a moment, considering his options. Retreat had become necessary, he saw - most of his little strike force had been taken down. The influx of reinforcements, not to mention the return of the Mare do Well, had made this whole thing a lost cause. A dozen Guards stood at the ready, their crossbows trained directly on him. They wouldn't fire until commanded... or until he swung a weight down onto his brother's head, squishing it like a melon. The very idea filled him with glee, but he knew he'd never get the chance. He'd be full of bolts as soon as he tried, and he wasn't exactly ready to die.

Not yet, anyway.

“Alright, it’s about time we left then,” Granite said, winding his chains back up to his waist. “This whole mission was just to see if we could take on the Guard; a power play, if you want to look at it that way…” He flashed a toothy smile. “Take care, little brother…” Granite galloped forward, leaping upwards and over a downed section of the Barrack’s walls, disappearing from view.


7

With Granite making his exit, the remaining thugs came to the unanimous conclusion that the raid on the Barracks had been a failure and it was time to leave. The Guards that were standing blocked the escape routes, trying valiantly to detain as many as they possibly could. Unfortunately, a good number of the raiders were still able to escape into the morning's bitter snowfall, vanishing back into the city’s nooks and crannies from whence they came.

Joules sat by the disarmed explosive, its owner tied up and unconscious on the ground nearby. The bomb’s circuit board had been shattered to pieces after he severed its connections, ensuring the bomb would be completely safe to handle. “Whew… that was a pretty close one, huh?” Joules said amiably, nudging the Mare do Well’s shoulder.

“Closer than I’d like,” she admitted. Her surveyance from the rooftop amounted to nothing; the increasing snowfall and the sheer number of thugs had made it impossible for her to keep track of them all. And there was no point in chasing after them - they were too small for her to care about right now. “We still have work to do. Where’s the Captain?”

“I saw him as I ran through the offices to join in the fight. He was back helping what I think may have been the triage area,” Joules said, taking his helmet off for a few minutes, his mane matted to his face and the back of his neck from the sweat. He shook his head to get the excess sweat off, then wiped his forehead. He then noticed his right foreleg was tinged red. He looked at it more closely and found he had a long yet shallow gash from the fetlock almost to the joint. “Must’ve been from when I shoulder-tackled those thugs… one of them probably had a knife or something,” he said.

After a moment, he realized he was talking to thin air. The Mare do Well had already entered the Barracks.

Joules shook his head. “Coulda at least waited for me,” he said. He put his helmet back on, took to his hooves and made his way towards the offices. Along the way, he found a heavily-limping Murdoc struggling to make his way forward.

“Hey sir, you need any help?” Joules offered, sidling up next to him.

“Only if you can put the Captain in a good mood,” Murdoc grunted, keeping one foreleg curled up to his body, and hopping on the other one. “He’s not going to like what I have to tell him.”

“Well, I’m sure me telling him I disarmed the bomb that could have lost us the fight will help… right?” Joules said, allowing Murdoc to lean against him.

“It’s a start,” the Lieutenant agreed. A faint smile spread on his lips.

The two of them followed the large group of still able-bodied Guards into the main area, filling the offices as Captain Leaf tried to keep up with the growing number. “Captain!” Joules called out, waving a wing at him.

The Captain nodded them over, already heavily in discussion with the Mare do Well.

“How many can be ready within a couple of hours?” she asked. “We’re going to need nothing short of an army.”

“What do you have in mind?” Joules said, helping Murdoc to a seat so the aids could tend to his injury.

“Well… I have an idea, but it’s risky.” The Mare do Well paused for a second. “But, anything to do with the Red Hoof is risky, isn’t it?”

“At this point, we need to strike back. We can’t let him think we’re off our game,” Captain Leaf reasoned.

“Exactly,” the Mare do Well agreed. “I can sneak into the Rind house, but… well, I need a distraction. I figure having the entire Guard on his front lawn would make a good one.”

“Not a bad idea… but if we just march on up they may do one of two things- extract the Oranges and take them elsewhere, or…” Joules said, trailing off. Everyone present knew exactly what he meant, so he elected to just be quiet about it.

The Mare do Well shook her head. “If he hurts them, he dies. He knows this.” Joules averted his eyes at this, noting the severity in her tone.

“As much as I like the idea of him dying, we need to be smart about this,” Joules added. “The only thing that would make sense would be for you to infiltrate the compound, attempt to extract the Oranges, and we raid the compound on your signal,” he suggested.

“There’s only one problem with that idea, Sergeant,” she said, staring at him with the blank face of her mask.

“What would that be?” Joules said.

“You’re assuming extraction is my only goal. It isn’t, not anymore. Red’s pushed me too far. I’m not leaving until he’s in hoofcuffs or the ground. I don’t care which. I want to be sure it’s over once and for all.”

“Be careful with your words, Mare do Well," the Captain warned, his tone growing icy. "It wouldn't break my heart if the Red Hoof were to have a very unfortunate accident, but I will have you arrested if I witness you killing him. Nopony's above the law, not even you."

She stared at him, wearing a frown he couldn't see. "... Understood," she said after a moment. You just won't witness me doing it, now, will you?

"I have an idea," Joules piped up, trying to ease the tension in the air.

"Sergeant?"

"Here’s what we can do. We’ll wait ten minutes after you infiltrate. Once ten minutes pass, we raid the compound. If the Oranges haven’t been exfiltrated by then, we’ll get them out,” Joules said. “Whatever happens after that, happens. Any objections, Captain?” He asked, turning to face Captain Leaf.

The Captain shrugged. “It’s the best we can do,” he said, almost apologetically. “I can offer you a screen, but I can’t ask my Guards to sacrifice themselves for petty revenge.”

“That work for you, Mare do Well?” Joules asked.

“Fine by me. I suppose we both need time to prepare - I need to tie up some loose ends." Because there's a good chance I won't even make it out alive. "Where should we meet?”

“Here, at the Barracks, seventy two hours from now. That should give us enough time to rally up and get things in motion,” Joules said. “We end this in three days.”


8

A straight-backed stallion walked uninvited into the Red Hoof’s private study, interrupting the latter’s chess game with Hano. He scowled at the two - how could they play silly games at a time like this?

“Sire, I bring news,” he said. “Your assault failed. The Guard pushed us back, arrested most of the attackers and we lost the spoils we previously won.” His cold eyes stared at Hano, who was making an effort not to pick his head up. “It seems nothing can get done properly without a crutch.”

“It was merely a test of strength… the fact that we did as much damage as Granite reported was a success in and of itself. They will be unable to mount a successful counterattack in short order, and we look to be the superior force,” Hano said without looking up.

“I was speaking to the Red Hoof, not his pet mongrel,” the stallion retorted sharply.

Before the stallion could take another breath, he found himself pinned to the nearby wall, Hano’s hoof pressed heavily across his throat. He had moved so quickly the stallion hadn’t even realized he was off the ground until Hano was staring him in the face, the chess game between himself and the Red Hoof surprisingly undisturbed.

“Care to repeat that, whelp?” Hano growled, ice frigid gaze boring a hole through the stallion.

“Would you care to explain how the Mare do Well was at the defense of the Guard and not, in fact, incapacitated as you reported?”

“That is none of your concern, and you would do well to remember those who have authority over you, lest you find yourself where she was,” Hano warned.

“I have been a proud member of this empire for decades.” And I get to watch it crumble from one stallion’s obsession. Perhaps if I killed him here and now... “You’re nothing more than a mercenary.”

“If I am a mere mercenary… then you are nothing but a pawn,” Hano said, tightening the grip on his throat. “Feel that? That is the air slowly leaving your lungs… are they burning, begging for precious air? I could give it to you… or I could also decide that you are no longer necessary and merely let you die… what do you think, Master? Should I let him breathe, or let him die?”

“I do think he was a little rude… hold him there for a few more seconds, then let him go. I don’t want to have to write off another casualty, and we have a game to finish!” The Red Hoof said, staring at the chess board.

“I have no doubt the Guard are planning a retaliation,” the stallion said after a moment of catching his breath. Oh, yes, he’d love to send a knife right through the Red Hoof’s neck and take the shining red boot for himself. Perhaps then this whole mess could potentially be salvaged. The first thing I would do is get rid of that Neighponese mutt. “And we are running out of resources and bodies.”

“Then we will meet them head on, and we will finish them off,” Hano said, making his way back over to the chess table. “Leave us. You have disturbed Master enough for one lifetime,” he spat.

“I was not aware the mighty Red Hoof had become so feeble, so weak, as to need somepony to speak for him. I miss the old days.” The stallion turned, slamming the door as he left.

Once he was gone, the Red Hoof moved a lowly pawn into a safe position. “Tell me, Hano. How long has it been? Twenty years? Twenty-five? Since I took you from that burning village?”

“Thereabouts,” Hano said, moving his knight to position it better. “Why do you ask, Master?”

“In all of this time, you have never once led me to believe you were telling nothing but the absolute truth. So why, now of all times, do I find myself in the precarious position of questioning your word against that of my best Intelligence Officer? And believing him? You told, no, assured me the Mare do Well was no longer a problem.”

“With all due respect Master, I will repeat myself: she is not a threat. She may have been able to fend off our forces, but not without the assistance of the Guard. Before, she would be able to do so without any assistance… she is afraid. She is scared, Master. Psychological damage lasts far longer than physical. You taught me that, after all…” Hano said.

“I’m not so sure I believe that,” the Red Hoof admitted, moving his bishop out of cover. “Look before you, see this game board. Both sides are even, yes? There is give and take, casualties here and there, and a smart player can control the entire game, but both sides still play predetermined rules. But, now…” From somewhere Hano couldn’t see, the Red Hoof produced a blue-and-purple Queen -- clearly his obsession with this mare ran deeper than even Hano realized -- and set it to the side of the board. “See here, the new piece, one that neither side can control, no matter how hard they may try. And she does not play by the same rules that bound the others, does she? Oh, no, she does not. She may, in fact, choose to ally with one side, but she still will not play by their rules. I don’t like that. Not at all.

“You have me for that. I have removed her as a wildcard once, and I can do so again… you know I have the capability, and you know I have the strength. I do not understand why you doubt me, Master,” Hano said. “She may not play by any rules… but that means little in the face of overwhelming brutality.”

The Red Hoof shook his head. “No, you do not understand, do you? I thought you may after you faced her. You had the opportunity to either end her or bring her to me, but you didn’t. You underestimated her, like I did. How can one filly be so much damned trouble!?” he roared suddenly, throwing the custom piece into the fireplace. For a minute he thought about throwing the entire chessboard in there, too. And why not? It was all moot now.

“Then I must offer you my most sincere apologies for not following through on your request,” Hano said, bowing his head. “The next time I draw my blade, it will know the taste of blood,” he said, grabbing his knight and moving it into position. “If you will excuse me… I have preparations to make,” he said, bowing to the Red Hoof and making his way for the door. “If you doubt my words… the chessboard will tell you otherwise,” he said as he made his exit. The Red Hoof looked down, and found that the knight he had moved had successfully trapped the Red Hoof’s king, ending the game.

The Red Hoof looked down at the board, and felt his blood run cold. For the first time in the many years he had had Hano under his control, after countless chess games against his stoic but naive weapon, Hano had defeated him soundly. He picked up the chessboard and immediately threw it into the fire, watching the board and pieces burn.

“Omens are for fools."