//------------------------------// // Sexy Back // Story: The Ghost Of Me // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// "Las Pegasus?" Fletcher asked. "What in Equestria happened there?" "You didn't gamble away all the Taskforce's funds, did you?" Caboose asked. "I kinda did that once... only with Slot's savings." "Not exactly." Black smirked. "It did get wild out there, though." "Another wild event." Fletcher mused. "So soon after the last one?" "Actually, no." Elite corrected him. "It was actually quite some time after." "Yep." Black nodded. "And to be honest, I was glad to see some action again..." Many years ago... Several months had passed since the phony deal with Talbolt. Things had been very quiet since then, with barely a hint of Forefather activity, or any other trouble occurring. Of course, for Black, no missions meant no chance to sneak away to see White or Belle. That, combined with the cabin fever setting in from him not being allowed to go any further than a few feet from the base, was stretching Black's patience to the limit. 'I don't know how much more of this I can take.' He thought one morning, as he was doing sit-ups for the umpteenth time. 'I'm a stallion of action. I'm gonna get bored to death at this rate...' At that moment, Armory entered Black's quarters. "Black, Elite wants to talk with everypony." He declared. "It sounds urgent." "I hope so." Black snorted. Black and Armory joined the others in the meeting room. "What's up, boss?" Black asked hopefully. "Some new Forefather activity?" "Not exactly." Elite declared. "Shadow Slinker found something interesting in today's newspaper..." Shadow placed the newspaper in the center of the table, so they could all read it. "'Missing Pony Report'." Micro Manager read. "Yesterday, well-known socialite Rosedust reported the disappearance of her sister, Bluebell. According to Rosedust's statement, she last saw Bluebell in Las Pegasus, in the company of a male stallion with a red mane'. Authorities could not identify the stallion in question, nor do they know if he had a hoof in the disappearance." "Missing pony, huh?" Black mused. "Not my usual mission, but I'll take it. I can go there right now." "Not so fast." Ballista stopped him. "What's your problem?" Black growled. "It's you who has the problem, mate." Ballista sneered. "Always going off on your bloody own... I think we need to break you out of this 'lone wolf' habit, once and for all. We'll all go with you." "'We'?" Shadow asked. "Yeah." Ballista nodded. "You, me, Black, Armory, Titan and Micro." "Rrroo?" Titan cocked his head. "All of us to find one missing mare?" Micro frowned. "Seems a little like overkill to me." "I prefer to think of it as a fun little guy's trip to Las Pegasus." Ballista smirked. "Whattaya say, boys? All five of us hit the town!" "Yeah, I'm not really one for group trips." Black snorted. "It sounds like fun to me." Armory declared, "I hadn't spent a night out of HQ in months." "Me, too." Shadow agreed. "The bright lights, entertainment, buffets..." "Ruff!" Titan licked his chops at the mention of food. "I've never been on a guy's night out before." Micro admitted. "It should be most informative." "You guys are nuts." Black frowned, turning to Elite. "Right, boss? Tell 'em it's a crazy idea." "I don't see the harm in it." Elite shrugged. "Besides, the more of you there are, the higher your chances of success." "You can't argue with that kind of logic." Micro admitted. "Seriously?" Black growled. "Come on, Black." Armory urged. "It'll be great. We'll do the mission, take in the sights, have a good time..." "But if you want, you could just stay here, and do nothing." Ballista jeered. "Okay, fine." Black groaned, hating the idea of any more inactivity. "I'll go..." "Fantastic." Elite grinned. "All of you, working together on the same mission. We don't see that often enough, if you ask me..." "This is gonna be so great!" Armory cheered. "Roooo!" Titan howled joyously. "Yeah, great..." Black groaned. The group headed down to the garage. "We're gonna ride to Las Pegasus in style, boys." Ballista smirked, as he led them over to a large metallic carriage. To Black's bemusement, there seemed to be no place for pulling ponies to latch onto it. "Um, Ballista, no offense, but don't we need pullers?" Black growled. "A carriage without pullers is basically a tiny house on wheels." "Not this baby, it isn't." Ballista smirked, as he turned to Armory. "Armory..." "This is my latest work." Armory smirked. "A mechanized, steam-powered carriage that drives itself... " The present... "Wait, seriously?" Caboose frowned. "Steam-powered? I thought the only steam-powered contraption around was that big metal spider..." "Speaking of which... you wouldn't happen to know where that oversized monstrosity went, would you?" Elite asked. "Oh, well, uh..." Caboose stuttered. "Who can really tell? It was a pretty hectic day. Can't expect me to remember everything that happened..." "Perhaps we should get back to the story." Fletcher declared. "I know Black doesn't like being interrupted." "Go that right." Black nodded. "Now, where was I..." Many years ago... "...With a fully armored exterior, and a comfortable exterior." Armory smiled. "It'll easily seat all six of us. And it even comes with cupholders." "Nice." Shadow whistled. "Yes, a most impressive piece of hardware." Micro nodded. "Well, since things have been so quiet lately, I figured I'd put my time to good use." Armory shrugged. "It sounds like a crazy idea to me." Black snorted. "Steam-power... But if you say it'll work, I guess it's good enough for me." "Thanks, Black." Armory smiled. "Okay, all aboard." Ballista grinned. They all got into the carriage. "And away we go!" Ballista pulled a lever. The steam engine sputtered to life, and the carriage started moving. "Steam power." Armory grinned. "It's the way of the future." After a long trip, they arrived at Las Pegasus just as night fell, bringing the whole city to life. The team gazed upon the tall buildings, and neon lights. "Wow." Armory gaped. "It is quite a sight, isn't it?" Shadow smiled. "Rah!" Titan leaned out of the window, his tongue flapping in the breeze. "Hurts my eyes..." Micro cringed. "Baby." Black sneered. "I've only got one eye, and I'm doing just fine.." Ballista drove into a corner, and pulled on the brake, stopping the carriage. "Okay, we will stop here." He declared, as he then opened up a compartment. "Now, since we are covert, I took the liberties of packing us some suits." He pulled out a few suits, wrapped in plastic, and hanging on hangers. "With these, we can not only blend in, but blend in with style." "Um, aren't you afraid that they might recognize me?" Black glared. "I may have an eye-patch now, but I think ponies can recognize a dead traitor when they see one." "Leave that to me." Ballista smiled. He pulled out a wig and false beard, forcing them on Black. "There. Now your own mother couldn't recognise ya." "I hope not." Black scowled. "I look ridiculous." "It can't be helped that your face is so... recognisable." Micro pointed out. "We can still have fun, though." Armory smiled. "Yeah, sure..." Black groaned, as the others donned their outfits. The others wore similar suits, except for Titan, who wore just a bow tie. "Lookin' good..." Armory crooned. "Yes, we are quite dapper, aren't we?" Micro smirked. "Even Titan looks good." Shadow noted. "Rruh!" Titan nodded. "Hey Black, you got that tape player on ya?" Ballista asked. "Yeah, why?" Black asked. "Just trust me." Ballista grinned, "Play the next song." "Okay..." Black murmured, as he then switched on the tape player, sans headphones. Soon, a flirty tune started blaring out, as Ballista stepped forth. "Just follow my lead, boys." Ballista smirked, as he donned a pair of sunglasses. The other ponies (and Diamond Dog) glanced at each other and shrugged as they began marching forth. I'm bring sexy back Them other boys don't know How to act I think its special What's behind your back So turn around And I'll pick up the slack I'll take 'em to the bridge Dirty babe You see these shackles Baby I'll your slave I'll let you whip me If I misbehave It's just that no-one makes me feel this way Take 'em to the chorus... As they walked through the streets, Ballista smiled and winked at passing mares. The others (except for Black) did the same. While they mostly earned admiring glances in return, Titan only got looks of revulsion (the wind blowing his breath there way didn't exactly help). "Oh, yeah." Ballista grinned, pumped up by the music. "Nice." "So... not that I don't enjoy walking down the streets like a poser, but where exactly are we going?" Black frowned. "Well, from what intel we were able to gathered, it appears the red-maned pony mentioned in the report is the co-owner of a local casino/hotel. Goes by the name of DeRose Fiora." Micro declared. "He runs it alongside a pony named Sam Revolver." "Sam Revolver?" Armory frowned. "Basically, a nutcase with a love for explosions and deadly weapons." Micro deadpanned. "Like Michael Bray?" Shadow suggested. "Only worse." Micro joked. "I hate him already." Black smirked. "Always loathed those lousy Bray movies..." "Okay, let's get back on track." Ballista cut them off. "So, where is this casino? If we are to find this DeRose, our best bet will be there." "It's called Rose Dynamite, and it's so big, we can't possibly miss it." Micro declared. "It's on the east side." "Sounds like a plan." Black declared, "Let's do this." The team wandered through the crowded streets, making their way past over-excited tourists and natives, before finally reaching their destination. Just as Micro said, the casino was indeed impossible to miss; it was one of the taller buildings in the city, adorned with a flashing neon image of a stout Earth Pony stallion with a dull brown coat, gray eyes, and a crimson mane, tail, and incredibly large handlebar moustache, along with a Cutie Mark of a stick of dynamite going from standing on all fours to standing on his back hooves and giving a silent 'yee-haw'. "Wow, a nutcase AND a narcissist." Shadow scoffed, as he then cockily elbowed Armory, "Think he's compensating for something?" "Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh." Titan sniggered wheezily. "Okay guys, try and play it cool." Black urged. "Don't want anypony thinking we're up to something..." "Hey, this isn't our first rodeo, mate." Ballista scowled. "In case you've forgotten, I'm the best actor here." "Believe me, I'd like to forget everything about you..." Black said under his breath. "Let's split into pairs." Shadow suggested. "I'll go with Micro. Armory, you're with Titan." "But that leaves..." Black realised. "You and me, boyo." Ballista smirked. "Great..." Black groaned. The group split up, and scoured the casino. As Shadow and Micro walked through the rows of gambling machines, they saw several female employees wandering over with dazed, lovestruck grins on their faces. "Can I get you anything, sirs?" One mare smiled. "And I do mean 'anything'." She smiled seductively. "...We're good, thanks." Shadow said awkwardly. "Let me know if you change your mind." The mare winked as she departed. "Strange..." Micro frowned. "She was... inordinantly friendly." Over by the blackjack tablet, Titan was sniffing for clues. His nose led him to the hooves of a dealer mare. "Hello, there." She smiled. "Sorry about that." Armory apologised. "Oh, don't be." The mare smiled. "Your friend's a real cutie!" The mare scratched Titan behind the ears. He panted happily, his foot twitching with pleasure. "I'd love to get to him a little more." The mare purred. "...Sorry, but we're a little busy right now." Armory dragged the reluctant Titan away. "You know where to find me!" The mare giggled. Black and Ballista searched by the floorshow. "Nothing yet." Ballista mused. "Thanks for that." Black snorted. "You're very helpful." "Look, me old mucker, that kind of talk isn't mush helpful either." Ballista declared. "I know you're still tweaked at what happened between us, but can we at least keep it professional?" "Yeah, yeah..." Black scowled. At the moment, the floor show began. A group of mares in scanty outfits began dancing in an overly provocative manner. Some left the stage to flirt with the male audience members. "Whoa, that is not family-friendly entertainment." Black gaped. "Who cares?" Ballista smirked. "It's my kind of entertainment!" "Lap dance, sirs?" One dancer asked as she approached. "Well, since you asked-" Ballista smirked. "No, thanks!" Black dragged Ballista away. "We're good." "Your loss." The dancer smiled. "What do ya think yer doin', mate?" Ballista growled. "Like you said, I'm keeping it professional." Black smirked. "We got a job to do, remember?" "Bleedin' killjoy..." Ballista growled. As they continued exploring the casino, the pairs began to notice that most of the staff they came across were mares, each one having a dazed, lovestruck look about them, as if hearts were forming over their heads. The team met up again by the dining tables. "Any trouble?" Black asked. "Not exactly." Micro admitted. "But there is something strange happening." "You don't say." Shadow mused. "Because I've noticed the female workers acting... unusually." "Me too." Armory nodded. "So have we." Ballista frowned. "Yeah, something's off here..." Black mused. "Can't quite put my hooves on it, though." "More cider?" The waitress asked a group of gamblers, while staring off into space. "Yeah, thanks." One stallion nodded. The mare poured them more cider. "Let me know if you need any more." The mare smiled. "I'm here to serve..." As the mare walked away, the gamblers shared confused looks. "She was acting a little odd, don't you think?" One asked. "Yeah." Another nodded. "...Still, she was pretty hot, right?" "Yeah!" The gamblers all agreed. "Okay, that's pretty weird..." Armory frowned. "'Weird' is putting it mildly." Black frowned. "There's definitely something up with all the ladies in here." "I'll say." Shadow cringed. "Those looks on their faces..." "And their lack of aversion towards sex." Armory grimaced. "They offered to give Titan 'executive relief' about six times." "Ruh..." Titan scowled, annoyed that the others hadn't allowed him to take the mares up on that offer. "There's definitely something wrong in those mare's heads." Black frowned. "And they say stallions only ever notice a mare's body." "Huh?" The stallions (and dog) turned towards the direction of the voice. They were soon approached by another mare, one noticeably lacking the dazed lovestruck gaze on her face. She was a very attractive Unicorn with a dark gray coat, a blonde mane and ice blue eyes, wearing a pristine blue necklace. Her Cutie Mark was that of a playing card: the Queen of Hearts. "Noticed something's off, have we?" "What's it to you, missy?" Ballista frowned. "Well, you see, I kinda make it my business to know things." The mare shrugged with a slight Russiaddlan accent. "I must say, you look rather handsome in that suit, Cutter Ballista." Immediately, the stallions and Titan took defensive stances. "What the... you know my name?" Ballista glared. "How could you know that?!" "Not just your name, sweetheart." The mare smirked. "I know all your names." She turned to each of the stallions and Titan, "Heinrich Armory, Shadow Slinker, Micro Manager, Titanium Cerberus..." Then she faced Black. "And who could forget you, Black Knight Paladin, the deceased traitor of the state." "How could she know all this?" Micro frowned. "Maybe she's on of the Forefathers' flunkies." Black scowled. "But if she were, she wouldn't just walk and talk to us." Shadow mused. "That, and she's too pretty to be evil." Armory added. "Now, now, lady, you must be mistaken." Ballista tried to hide his discomfort. "We're just a bunch of guys, lookin' to have a good time-" "Yeah, right." The mare snorted. "Nice try, but I know all about your little Taskforce Omega. Led by Elite Price Everest, Director of the RDL." "The Taskforce is supposed to be a bleedin' secret organisation." Ballista growled. "Not to me." The mare smirked. "You know, we could easily make you disappear." Micro frowned. "Especially if we think you're a threat to the secrecy of the Taskforce." "There'll be no need for that." Natascha smiled. "I'm not going to reveal your secret. Scout's honor." "I believe her." Armory grinned. "Big surprise..." Ballista snorted. "Besides, if I wanted to tell, I already would have." The mare added. "So what do you say you ease up on the suspicion, so we can have a nice little conversation?" "Before we get ahead of ourselves, how about you tell us your name since you know ours?" Black demanded. "Fair is fair, after all..." "Of course." The mare nodded. "Natascha Lady-Luck, at your service." "Nice to meet you, Natascha." Armory smiled. "Very nice..." "The feeling is mutual." Natascha nodded. "...As I was saying, I know why all of you are here, and I am here to help. Follow me to my room, so we can talk in private." "Wait, how do we know if we can trust this broad?" Black frowned. "She might be an agent of... you know who." "Please." Natascha snorted. "If I'm any kind of agent, it's a free agent. You've got nothing to worry about, patch." "Watch it..." Black scowled, sensitive about his eye. "Come on, Black." Shadow urged. "If she does have a lead for us, we have to check it out." "Besides, we outnumber her." Micro pointed out. "If she were to try something, she'd be out of luck." "I think she's gorgeous... I mean, trustworthy!" Armory blushed. "Thanks." Natascha grinned. "A lot of stallions think I'm very... trustworthy, you know." "Sorry Black, looks like you're outvoted." Ballista smirked. "Let's get going." "Ruh!" Titan nodded. "Right this way, boys." Natascha led them away. "Fine." Black reluctantly followed. "But don't blame me if she tries to blow us away!" Up above the casino, in a large office, a Unicorn stallion with a white coat, spikey red mane and short black goatee, gray eyes, and a Cutie Mark of a bouqet of roses, was talking with the spitting image of the neon pony outside. "It looks like our little venture is working quite well." The Unicorn grinned. "Ya got that right, DeRose." Sam nodded. "Ya don't hear any of them gals demanding 'better wages' and 'workin' conditions', do ya?" "And this is only the beginning, my dear Sam." DeRose smirked. "Once we have enough of our little miracle, I'll be able to able to entrance every mare in Equestria." "Ah never thought some fancy cologne could pull off somethin' like that." Sam admitted. "But blow me down, it works. That stuff lets ya make mares do whatever ya want." "And soon, I'll be using it for more than just cheap labor and booty calls." DeRose declared. "I plan to use it to entrance and exploit the higher-up mares all over Equestria... Heck, this stuff might even work on Celestia and Luna themselves!" "Dayum!" Sam smiled. "If ya can get them to do what you want, ya oughta be the first stallion alive to get a bareback ride from a princess!" "That would be quite an accomplishment." DeRose smirked. "Something to brag about, all right..." "Hoo, dawgy." Sam chuckled. "Ain't no bigger notch on yer bedpost than an Alicorn..." "And if I could use her infatuation with me to pass a few laws in my favor, all the better." DeRose grinned wickedly. Suddenly, a mirror on the wall started beeping and flashing. DeRosa pressed a button, and Pike's face appeared. "Ah, Boss!" Sam noted, "Nice to see ya!" "To what do we owe the pleasure?" DeRose asked. "DeRose, Sam..." Pike nodded, "I'm glad to see that you are both doing well. But I'm afraid I got some bad news." "What seems to be the hullabaloo, Redfield?" DeRose questioned. "I just got word from the scouts that Black and his little playmates are in Las Pegasus." Pike frowned. "In fact, their intel shows them 'striding' over to your casino. As you know, there's that bounty, so if you see them... you know what to do..." "Of course, sir." DeRose nodded. "I'll blow them varmints up real good!" Sam whooped. "Just don't underestimate them." Pike instructed, "Black alone is a major threat, but those others will make it even harder. Use whatever measure you think are necessary to take them out." "You can count on us, sir." DeRose nodded. "We'll see..." Pike frowned, as his face vanished from the mirror. "Okay, where do ya think them no-good polecats are at?" Sam asked. "They may already be in the casino." DeRose mused. "That being the case." The pair walked over to a wall where several monitors showed feed from the magical security cameras. "Now, where are..." DeRose saw them on an upper-left screen, following Natascha into her room. "You..." "Bingo!" Sam smirked. "Gather some of our best stallions." DeRose ordered. "I'll make sure the recipe for the cologne is safe. Don't want Black and his friends stumbling onto our little goldmine..." Meanwhile, Black and the others made themselves comfortable in Natascha's room. "Nice place." Shadow noted. "Set you back much." "Nothing I couldn't spare." Natascha shrugged. "Lucky you..." Micro mused. "So... first off... how the hell do you know so much about us and the Taskforce?" Black demanded. "Ooh, straight to the point, are we?" Natascha gave a sultry chuckle, "Well, Black, I am what you would call a whistleblower." "You mean a snitch?" Shadow deadpanned. "Whistleblower." Natascha corrected firmly. "I prefer the term 'whistleblower'. And no, I am not like those pesky impotent rats who just say anything to save his or her ass. I'm the kind who digs real deep and find intel about anything and everything." "And who exactly receive all this 'intel'?" Ballista frowned. "Anypony really." Natascha shrugged. "I don't just give these top secrets away for free. I give them to whoever willing to part with their money. What they do with the information I give them afterwards is no concern of mine." "That still doesn't explain how you know about us." Black growled. "Well, I can't really tell you. It's trade secret." Natascha gave a wink. "But don't you worry, boys, the intel I have on all of you and Taskforce Omega is very expensive. Worth an estimated total of... 51.2 million Bits." "Whoa! That's a national budget right there!" Armory gaped. "What can I say? Your organization is very valuable." Natascha mused. "But I feel like I'm dragging on. We should probably get a move on with our conversation." "Right." Black murmured, "So... 'Natascha', what exactly is going on around here?" "Surely by now, you've all noticed the way every mare working here is acting, correct?" Natascha asked. "Kinda hard not to." Shadow shrugged. "It's like they drank a crap ton of love poison." Armory frowned, "The only thing missing is all that creepy lovey-dovey talk." "Well, you aren't far off, Armory." Natascha declared, "You see, the reason the mares are acting the way they are is because of the stallion who co-owns this place... the one I presume you are here for... DeRose Fiora." "So he is responsible for Blue Belle's disappearance." Micro frowned. "But what did he do to these mares exactly?" "He brainwashed them." Natascha revealed, "DeRose, while a womanizer on the outside, is a mad scientist on the inside. He concocted a special cologne that allowed to entice any and all mares." "...Seriously?" Black snorted. "Does he also have aftershave that can turn 'em into puppets?" "I am being serious, Black" Natascha growled. "I even have proof." She held up a playing card and set it on the table, being a Queen of Diamonds. "...A playing card?" Ballista frowned, just as skeptical. "It was DeRose's partner, Sam Revolver's idea." Natascha explained, "Both he and DeRose are working together. Sam, as you've heard, is not right in the head, and was very paranoid. And the cologne itself is so complex. For both these reasons, they had it written on the back of this card. As so." She flipped the card and to the guys' surprise, the back peeled right off, revealing small but legible enough to read. "Wow... that is very clever." Armory smirked. Micro picked up the card to examine it. "What do you think, Micro?" Ballista asked. "It looks legitimate to me." Micro Manager noted. "Several of these ingredients are commonly used in mind-control serums. And there are quite a few pheromone extracts. Miss Lady-Luck may be on to something." "But even if it's true, what's the point?" Black asked, taking the card himself. "Why is this nut brainwashing mares? So they can all work here?" "This is only the beginning. DeRose is planning to use that gunk to brainwash every influential mare he can find." Natascha revealed. "Senators, mayors, police... all so he can do whatever he wants, and not suffer the consequences. Of course, having an endless supply of mares to get with is a fringe benefit." "And Sam?" Ballista questioned. "That crazy coot is just along for the ride." Natascha scoffed, "He wants whatever DeRose can get with the cologne." "What a bunch of slimeballs." Armory snarled. "Treating mares like slaves..." "Not any more." Natascha smiled triumphantly. "With that recipe out of his hooves, he won't be able to make anymore. And it's only a matter of time before the mares he's entranced snap out of it." "There's one thing I don't get." Ballista frowned. "Why are you giving us the card, or even telling us all this?" "Let me guess." Black sneered. "You want to be paid big Bits for this info." "Actually... no." Natascha shook her head. "I'm giving it all to you for free." "Rooo?" Titan frowned. "Not that anypony's complaining, but why?" Ballista asked, "I mean, what's in it for you?" "Look, I may seem like I'm only in it for the money, but I do have a sense of morality." Natascha said firmly. "And all I want from this is a peace of mind, knowing that innocent mares and fillies don't get their mind messed up by this stuff. No money is worth as much as that." "Heh, that's some integrity you've got there." Black smiled. "Beautiful inside and out..." Armory sighed. "Such altruism is refreshing." Micro admitted. "Your kindness is appreciated." Shadow nodded. "Speaking of, maybe you'd be kind enough to give us some intel on the Forefathers?" Ballista asked. "Since you seem to be so well-informed..." "Sorry, boys." Natascha teased. "Only one freebie at a time..." Meanwhile, Sam and two goons were approaching the room, ready to ambush their targets. "Let's blow these meddling varmints away..." Sam smirked. "Hold on!" DeRose rushed over to them. "Huh, why?" Sam asked. "The recipe for the cologne." DeRose gasped. "It's missing!" "Say what?" Sam gaped. "How in tarnation-!" "The mare." DeRose snarled. "The mare Black's bunch are talking to. I saw footage of her stealing it from the back room like, twenty minutes ago!" "This ain't good." Sam frowned. "Ya think?" DeRose spat. "Without that cologne, I'm ruined. We must get the card back!" "And get it back, we will!' Sam then turned to the goons, "Alright, change of plans! Listen up, ya darn imbeciles, we gotta get them varmints and recover the card!" "And then we blast them?" The first goon asked. "Then we blast them." Sam smirked. Inside, Natascha was still talking with the Taskforce. "Well, Miss Lady-Luck, your assistance in this matter has been invaluable." Ballista declared. "But I think we can take it from here." "You guys should be careful with DeRose and Sam." Natascha warned them. "Those guys are bad news." "Please." Black snorted. "We've taken on worse than a misogynistic stallion and a nutjob casino owner." "Yeah." Armory nodded as he made his way to the door. "We're Taskforce Omega. We don't know the meaning of the word 'fear'." As Armory opened the door, a cannon was aimed right at him with Sam and his goons laughing maniacally. In a instant, Armory froze. "Fear. Noun. A state of terror." Armory meeped. "Get down!" Black dashed as he slammed the door shut and dragged Armory down. Everypony ducked as the cannon blasted through the door, Ballista pulling Natascha down with her. As the smoke cleared, DeRose, Sam (rolling in with the cannon), and their goons came in. "Sam... was the cannon really necessary?" DeRose asked. "Yer darn tootin' it was!" Sam yelled. "Now let's ventilate these varmints!" "...I am not paying for repairs this time." DeRose groaned to himself. "Um, guys?" Micro turned to his comrades. "Good thing we also know the meaning of the word RUN!" Black yelled. Instantly, the stallions (with the exception of Ballista) and Diamond Dog darted to their feet and ran out the back door. "Sorry, love, but I gotta run." Ballista smirked as he ran to join his comrade. "Don't lose that card, whatever you do!" Natascha yelled after them. "After them!" DeRose yelled as he and Sam ran in hot pursuit. As Natascha rose to her hooves, the two goons made to grab her, but without looking, she elbowed them in the guts, punched them in the faces, and kicked one of them in the side for good measures. As they fell unconscious, she made her own exit. 'Good luck, boys...' She thought. 'May we meet again...' "We need to bail, folks!" Ballista yelled. "So much for checking out the buffet..." Black mused. "I wasn't that hungry, anyway." Armory admitted. "I'm on a no-lead diet, myself." Shadow added. "Ruh-ruh!" Titan panted. "My thoughts exactly." Micro nodded. "Less talk, more running!" But before they could get any farther, DeRose and Sam (having taken a detour) rounded the corridors so they intercepted them, joined by even more goons. "Give me that card, or I'll slice you to ribbons!" DeRose pulled out a rapier. "I'll blast ya all ta smithereenies!" Sam screeched, firing explosive crossbow bolts from the two weapons he was carrying. "Yikes!" Armory dodged one. "Not so much fun when they're coming from somepony else..." "We can't let them reclaim the card." Ballista declared. "We've got to fight our way out!" "Ruff!" Titan raised his fists. "Been itching for some real action all night." Black smirked. "Well, you got it, pardner!" Sam sneered. As Sam made to fire again, Black rushed over and tackled him, knocking the crossbows out of his hooves. With that, the brawl officially began. "Rrruh!" Titan grabbed two of the goons, then slammed them together, knocking them both out. "In truth, I'm more of a thinker than a fighter." Micro told his foe. "Too bad for you, pal." The goon sniggered. "No, too bad for you!" Micro grabbed one of the vases that adorned small shelves among the walls, and threw it upward. The vase collided with a lightshade, which dropped from its fixture and crashed onto the goon's head, knocking him out. Shadow was nimbly dodged all his opponent's strikes. "Stand still!" The goon roared. "No, I don't think I will, thanks." Shadow smirked. "But why don't you take a lie down?" Shadow leapt and spun a kick into his foe's face, knocking him out. A particularly large goon confronted Armory. "Oh, I'm hoping for a chance to test this.." Armory pulled out a small disc. "Catch." The goon did as instructed. "What was that?" He sneered. Suddenly, the disc squirted out knockout gas, bring the goon done. "Gas grenade." Armory smirked. "It works just as I'd hoped." "You think you can take my greatest weapon from me?" DeRose swung his rapier at Ballista. "You should be thankin' us, mate." Ballista snorted, dodging his swing. "That cologne doesn't half pong!" "Take that back!" DeRose roared, thrusting his rapier forward. "Nope." Ballista dodged the thrust, the blade embedding itself in the wall. "Now you take this!" Ballista slammed down his elbow, breaking the blade. "Why, you..." DeRose snarled. DeRose charged at Ballista, who grabbed him and slammed him against the wall. "This one's for all the ladies you hypnotised." Ballista declared, punching DeRose out. "Oh... not the face..." DeRose slurred as he slid down to the floor. Meanwhile, Sam and Black continued their fight. Sam spotted the card in Black's hoof. "Hand that over, ya son of a polecat!" He yelled. "Try and take it!" Black sneered. This time, Sam tackled Black. The force of the charge brought them against a wooden railing overlooking the casino. "Gimmee... that... card!" Sam growled, as they struggled over it. "Never!" Black yelled. As they struggled, the railing collapsed. As Black and Sam fell, the card slipped out of Black's hoof. "Oof!" Black grunted as they hit the ground. "The card!" Sam yelled, spotting it fluttering over the casino. The two stallion chased after it, but the card fell into a card sorter at the blackjack table, which was being run by a pinto Pegasus stallion with a red mane and yellow eyes was running the blackjack table. "Place your bets, I say, place your bets." He declared, as Black and Sam took seats, Black setting down a twenty-piece. "Money plays, loser stays. Everypony's a winner! Well, not everypony..." "Here's my money." Sam held up a sack of Bits. "Now play." "Cards, sir?" The Pegasus asked. "Hit me." Black declared. "Aren't you gonna look at your cards, sir?" The Pegasus asked. "Boy's about as sharp as a bowling ball..." Black checked the card. It wasn't the right one. "Hit me." He repeated. "No, hit me first!" Sam urged. "Wait your turn, sir." The Pegasus urged. "Hit me." Black ordered, only to get the wrong card, "Hit me. Hit me. Hit me. Hit me." Each time, Black only got aces. "No, no, no!" Sam raged. "Hit me, fragnabbit!" The dealer struck him with a plank of wood, knocking out. "He's the boss." He shrugged. "...Hit me?" Black declared, a bit uncertain. The dealer passed him another card, which was the one with the recipe on it. "I fold!" Black rushed off with the card. "That's the wrong game, sir!" The Pegasus called. "Boy's not too bright..." Sam regained consciousness just in time to see Black fleeing. "Aw, no ya don't!" He roared. Black met up with the others as he ran towards the exit. "I got the card!" He yelled. "Good." Shadow smiled. "Now let's get out of here!" "You don't have to tell me twice!" Armory nodded. "Maximum ambulation, fellows!" Micro declared. "Rrr!" Titan nodded, going on all fours. "To the carriage!" Ballista added. As they left the casino, Sam was yelling after them. "Come back, you absconders!" Sam roared as he ran past a rug with his face on it. Quickly, he stopped, bent down and kissed it. "I love this rug..." Then, quickly, he bolted out the casino. "Come back here, ya varmints!" The Taskforce quickly made their way to the carriage and climbed into it with haste. "Time to go, go, go!" Ballista started it up. The Taskforce's carriage roared off into the streets. "It seems we've managed to escape intact." Micro smiled with relief. "Yeah, this baby can outrun any pony-pulled carriages or taxis." Armory panted. "I think we're in the clear." "Good." Shadow wheezed. "I couldn't run anymore." Titan panted loudly. "At least now, we're home free." Black smiled. Suddenly, they heard a similar steampowered roar. "Or maybe not..." Black glanced out the window. "Outta my way!" Sam yelled, as his own carriage, just as mechanized as their own, ploughed through a souvenir stand. He was joined by two more goons. "Dagnabbit!" "Um, what are the chances that Sam and DeRose are a part of the Forefathers and that carriage is Mr. Irons' work?" Black cringed. Sam's carriage slammed into the Taskforce's. "Very high." Micro admitted, "Ninety-nine point nine percent." "Come on, floor it, Ballista!" Shadow urged. "Consider it floored!" Ballista smirked. The carriage sped off down the street, Sam's in hot pursuit. As Sam's carriage moved alongside the Taskforce, one of the goons held up a stick of dynamite, and lit it, laughing evilly. "Dynamite?" Micro frowned. "Who has dynamite?" "Welcome to my world." Black snorted. "Hang on!" Ballista yelled, turning the carriage sharply into traffic. He then reversed through the other carriages, whose pullers were shock to see a carriage without one. Meanwhile, Sam's bunch had a little problem with the lit dynamite. "Throw it out the window!" Sam yelled. "But innocent ponies could be hurt." A goon frowned. "Throw it out the window!" Sam repeated. "It'll send the wrong message to the foals." Another goon pointed out. "Just throw it out-" As Sam pushed the dynamite away, it exploded, filling the carriage with black smoke. "Oooooh!" Sam growled. After finally negotiating through all the traffic, the Taskforce all let out a sigh of relief as they thought they lost them... only to find Sam's carriage facing them. "Didn't he used to be behind us?" Armory gulped. "Oh, buck me." Ballista groaned. The chase began anew, Sam's carriage right behind the Taskforce's, which was nearing a dead end. "We're having Diamond Dog tonight!" Sam sneered in insanity. "Um, just a suggestion, but all those in favor of not hitting that brick wall, say 'aye'." Black deadpanned. "Aye!" The others agreed unanimously in horror. "Hang on!" Ballista pressed a button. The carriage sprouted a pair of wings, and propellors in the rears carried them upwards. Meanwhile, Sam's carriage was heading straight for the wall. "Uh-oh..." Sam gulped. The carriage smashed through the wall, back into the casino. The dancers fled as the carriage crashed into the floorboards. Sam was flung out, bouncing off a neon sign and into a dark space. "Why, those rassa-frassin'..." Sam snarled. Sam lit a match. As he took in his surroundings, he realised he was surrounded by dozens of sticks of dynamite, several of which he had accidentally lit. "Ooh..." Sam felt his hat wilt. KABOOM! The blast sent Sam flying out of the casino and screaming into the sky. "Hey look, a shooting star!" Black pointed. "Make a wish!" "I think mine already came true." Ballista snorted. "Now that we've got the recipe, no more mares can be brainwashed by DeRose." Shadow smiled, holding up the card. "Let's head back to base." "And we'll do it in style." Ballista grinned. As the morning sun rose, the carriage flew over the landscape, Quanticolt drawing near. "We really should travel like this more often." Black remarked. "Well, I'm afraid we can't." Armory declared. "Why not?" Black asked. "Because the carriage's flight mode really guzzles the fuel." Armory answered. "There's barely enough to get us back to base." "Well, if you put like that, we really should land." Shadow fretted. "Don't want to risk running out of fuel and dropping out of the sky like a stone." "Will you relax, ya big nancy?" Ballista sneered. "There's more than enough fuel to fly us home." The carriage's propellors suddenly sputtered and died. "...Or not." Ballista gulped. The carriage dropped downwards, its terrified passengers screaming. "Do something!" Micro yelped. "Like what, get out and push?!" Black snarked. "I can't believe this!" Shadow yelped. "This can't be how it ends!" "I love you guys!" Armory held as many of his teammates closely as he could "Arooo!" Titan howled... only to cough. He quickly pulled out a spray bottle and sprayed his mouth. After putting it away, Titan regained poise and continued screaming with more gusto, his eyes bulging out. "Hope you guys like pancakes... because we're about to become them!" Ballista yelled. Moments before the carriage hit the ground, it suddenly stopped, hanging ten foot off the ground, perfectly suspended. "...Uh, not that I'm complaining, but why aren't we dead?" Black asked. "And how did we manage to stop in mid-air?" Micro asked. "Simple." Ballista declared. "I put on the brake." "Seriously?" Shadow gaped. "Yep." Ballista nodded. "Don't thank me for saving our lives all at once." "...Um. sorry, Ballista, but brakes don't work like that." Armory pointed out." "Ruh-roh." Titan cringed. The carriage suddenly finished its drop, crashing to the ground. "You just had to say it." Black groaned. "So much for our fun guys' trip..." Some time later, the team crawled to HQ. "Hey, guys." Elite smiled. "How was the trip?" "Very... eventful." Micro admitted. "So I've heard." Elite held up a newspaper. "What's that?" Black asked. "The latest issue of the Las Pegasus Tribune." Elite smiled. "According to this, Blue Belle has been found. When questioned, she implicated casino co-owners DeRose and Sam with her disappearance. Both stallions apparantly skipped town before they could be questiond. I'm guessing you had something to do with that?" "You could say that." Shadow chuckled. "We also recovered the recipe for a cologne that ensnares mares' minds." Armory declared. "Might be best if this was safely locked up." Black held up the card. "My thoughts exactly." Elite smiled. "Good work, fellows." "Rrf!" Titan barked triumphantly. "So Black, did you enjoy our trip?" Armory asked. "Eh, it was better than I thought it'd be." Black shrugged. "And I guess having you guys with me was kinda fun..." "Same here." Shadow smirked. "I hate to say, but you handled yourself pretty well out here." Ballista admitted. "Yeah, well, you kinda did too." Black nodded. "But don't get used to the compliments." "You too." Ballista smirked. "Like they say, what happens in Las Pegasus, stays in Las Pegasus." "Which is just how I like it." Black snorted. Far from the base, in a luxury villa located in an isolated place, Natascha was soaking herself in an ivory bathtub. "Ah, this is just what I needed..." She sighed, stretching one of her curvy legs out of the water. Moments later, a butler Earth Pony stallion, possessed of a gray mane and pale green eyes, knocked on the bathroom door. "Madam, the Napoleons are the phone... again." He called. "I'll be right there." Natascha called. Natascha climbed out of the tub, wrapping her mane body in silk towels. "Typical Napoleons..." She sighed. "Always calling at the wrong time... what would you boys do without me?" As the bathtub drained, Natascha sauntered out of the bathroom, duty once again calling. Meanwhile, over at Infinity... Deep below the monastery, Pike, aaccompanied by a guard, was wandering through the dungeons, looking for 'somepony'. Despite the shadiness of many Forefather agents, Father had saw it fit to have a dungeon to contain the more... as he put it, 'unruly' of his sons. As the two passed by several cells,making their way to a partiuclar one in the back. "Ah, here we go." Pike smirked, "A-are you sure about this, Mr Redfield?" The guard trembled, obviously frightened. "You know what this guy's like. If we let him out, who knows what he'll do!" "Sure, he's crazy. Not to mention homicidal and buckin' bloodthristy" Pike admitted. "But he's also one of the best we've got. You read the news. They managed to outwit DeRose and Sam. And I'm beginning to think that most of my men will not be able to stop Black, so we need this guy if we're going to finally nail this son of a draft horse." Pike walked over to the cell door. "Ah, Pike." A voice from within declared. "What brings you down to my level of hell?" "Hey, it has been a while..." Pike admitted, "But I had come here before you with a problem. A problem in the form of a meddling troublemaker by the name of Black Knight Paladin." "Nice name." The voice snickered. "Black has become a serious thorn in our collective side." Pike continued. "Even I haven't been able to take him out. And he's been evading the Black Sheep and the Forefathers for months now." "You just can't get good help these days..." The voice jeered. "Which is why I came here." Pike smiled. "If you'd be willing to put that sucker down, once and for all, I'd be willing to let you out of that cell. Whattaya say?" "...Before I agree... you must do what I had asked you to before coming here..." The voice declared, "...Did you bring it?" "Of course." Pike nodded. "Pass it here." The voice urged. "Here." Pike pulled a cigar and a lighter out of his jacket. "Catch." Pike threw the objects through the window in the door. The pony inside caught them both with one hoof. He lit the cigar and smoked it for a few moments... "Hmm, that is a good brand there..." The voice puffed... Then suddenly, he then held the lit cigar to his head, his silhouette framed by the small light... then held it against his seemingly bald head, which was set aflame. "Holy buck..." The guard quivered in horror. "I know I'm going to regret this someday..." Pike silently admitted to himself. "Ah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!" The pony laughed maniacally, seeming not to care that his head was burning. Then the pony stared at Pike, his ghoulish clown face revealed by the fire on his head. "...I'm in." The present... "Oh, yeah." Black scowled. "Trouble was starting to rear its ugly head again." "Well, you wanted more excitement." Fletcher pointed. "And it sounds like things were really started to pick up again." Caboose added. "That is an understatement." Elite frowned. "If I'd known what was coming my way, I think I would have preferred boredom..." Black grimaced.