//------------------------------// // In The Street // Story: The Ghost Of Me // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// "Hope you guys are ready for this." Black declared. "Because there's no turning back now..." "I'm guessing it's 'major bombshell' time, right?" Caboose asked Armory. "I must confess, I'm curious to learn just what this 'Project: Argo' was all about." Fletcher mused. "So was I." Armory frowned. "But what I learned changed everything." Many years ago... Inside Elite's office, Elite and Ballista were explaining to Armory just what Project: Argo was. "Project: Argo was created with a singular task." Elite revealed. "To train a soldier to be completely detached from his emotions. Essentially, a sociopath." "Say what?" Armory frowned. "Why would you knowingly create a soldier like that?" "Because a soldier without emotions is a soldier with no weaknesses." Ballista declared. "A soldier who is a hundred percent focused on the task at hoof. A well-oiled killing machine that would do what needs to be done when it comes down to the line. That was the whole point of the project." "You seem to know a lot about this project, Ballista." Armory mused. "Of course I would." Ballista nodded, "Me and Elite have been working on this project for years. Elite gave the go ahead, and I made sure everything in the project went according to plan." "And why would Elite go for this project to begin with?" Armory frowned at Elite. "Because it seemed like a good idea." Elite admitted. "An operative who could go where no other would... Seemed like just the trump card we'd need somewhere down the road." "All we needed was the right candidate." Ballista nodded. "A loner, somepony with nothing to lose, has an unhealthy taste for violence, doesn't get along well with others... or to put simply, a guy one step away from becoming a murdering psycho." "And you thought Black was that kind of pony?" Armory grimaced. "Black?!" "Well, when we examined his psych evals from when he joined the RDL, we found some perturbing things, but not full-blown socipathy." Elite admitted. "I didn't think he would be right for the project, but Ballista was very insistent that he was the perfect candidate. After much deliberation, I decided to meet Black face to face..." "Wait... so that night at the bar in Saddle Arabia..." Armory gaped. "Was not a coincidence, I'm afraid." Elite sighed. "Ballista had told me how Black was constantly sneaking out to participate in those cage matches. And we were stationed there anyways, so it was the best opportunity to recruit him." "Unbelievable..." Armory shook his head in disbelief. "So all that talk you gave him about giving him a challenge... all that guff was just for show?!" "Well, Elite had to say something that would get him to join." Ballista defended. "Isn't that right, Elite?" "...Yes." Elite sighed. "But I actually did mean every word I told him." "And what makes you think that Black is the perfect candidate for this project?" Armory glared at Ballista. "I know Black, and while he has been having a rough time lately, he is no sociopath!" "Yet." Ballista rebutted. "We didn't pick Black because he was a sociopath. We could have easily just taken a stallion from some prison if that were the case. No, we picked Black because he was a sociopath in the making. With a psych profile like his, he was bound to snap sooner or later, and if we recruited him before then, all the better." "And you agreed with him?" Armory snarled at Elite. "Ballista made a very compelling argument." Elite nodded sadly. "But Black has been a much greater boon than we had anticipated when he joined. Even if he is to be a part of Project: Argo, it cannot be denied that he has done the Taskforce a great service." "You see? Everypony wins!" Ballista smiled. "Pretty cleve-" "...You Faust damn dummkopf!" Armory roared. "Excuse me?" Ballista frowned. "Armory, please..." Elite tried to sooth him. "I can't believe either of you!" Armory scowled. "How could you... how could you do this to Black?!" "Armory, it wasn't a decision we made lightly." Elite explained. "But you made it nonetheless!" Armory glared. "You're using him! Taking advantage of him!" "Hey, it's not like we're proud of it, Armory." Ballista glared. "But we're doing this for the cause. Because we need to stop the Forefathers and their twisted schemes. And if we have to bring in a mentally unbalanced soldier to do it, then that's just the way it has to be." "Yeah?" Armory scoffed. "Well, I doubt Black will see it the same way. Maybe I should go ask him?" "I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that, Armory." Elite said sternly. "And why not?" Armory challenged. "Black has a right to know!" "Use yer head, mate." Ballista growled. "Black's already on the edge. Whattaya think it'll do to his mental health when you tell him he was only recruited because there was a good chance he'd go nuts?" "Well, I..." Armory floundered. "I know this is hard for you, Armory." Elite sighed. "But this must remain between us. Not just for the good of the mission, but for Black's own good, too. I think we can all agree that he is in no state for this news right now." "Yeah..." Armory admitted. "And as his friend, I know the last thing you want is to cause him any more pain than he's already suffered." Elite added. "I think that goes without saying." Armory frowned. "...Okay, fine. I won't tell Black." "You're doing the right thing, mate." Ballista smiled. "But that doesn't mean I'll forgive either of you for this." Armory spat, as he turned and made his way out the office. "I expected more from the both of you... especially you, Elite. After everything Black's done, everything he's given up for you..." Armory slammed the door. Elite let out a harrowing sigh as he put a hoof to his face. "Come on, don't let what Armory said get to you." Ballista frowned. "He'll get over it." "No, no, he won't." Elite shook his head. "And honestly, I don't blame him... Ballista, are we really doing the right thing, going through with Project: Argo?" "Don't you start, Elite." Ballista grunted. "I know what we're doing to Black isn't exactly the most equine thing, but it'll help in the long run. Besides, the tougher a soldier is, the least likely they'll fall in battle. And none of us want to lose any more than we already have. Project: Argo will go a long way towards making that hope a reality." "Yeah, you keep saying that." Elite frowned. "But it doesn't make me feel any better about this. Black is a good stallion." "I know he is, but you saw his file." Ballista reminded him. "If this line of work didn't make him snap, something else would have, and we would have a serial killer instead of a soldier. Project: Argo will be for the best of the Taskforce and Equestria, just you wait and see." "I only wish I had your faith." Elite declared, before thinking 'As it is, I'm beginning to worry this might all blow up in our faces...' Meanwhile, over at Infinity, Pike was making his way back to his room, still unsure of his next move. He knew that he couldn't put off the hunt any longer, as the Forefathers would have him terminated. And then, there was Black. He couldn't kill him, especially after what he had just learned regarding Project: Argo. 'Damn, this is some clusterbuck I'm stuck in.'Pike groaned to himself. 'Come on, Red, you can find a way out of this. You just gotta find it before somepony-' Suddenly, Gridlock stepped in front of him, catching him off guard. '...Aw, buck.' Pike cursed. "Pike." Gridlock huffed, "We need to talk." "Well, I'm kinda not in the mood right now." Pike frowned, as he tried to go around him. "So if you'll excuse me..." "I don't care if you're not in the mood." Gridlock stopped him. "We're talking. Now." "Okay..." Pike sighed. "So what is it you want to talk about?" "Oh, nothing in particular..." Gridlock sneered. "Only the lousy job you've been doing regarding the Black Knight situation we've been having for the past couple of years! You and your Black Sheep have been dropping the ball for far too long!" "Here we go!" Pike scoffed. "Loveless probably already told you that I'm trying my best, what more do you want from me?!" "I want you to stop being so incompetent!" Gridlock snarled. "Loveless might be willing to turn a blind eye, but the rest of us aren't." "And who is us, really?" Pike asked. "Last I checked, it was you, Harlhooves, that drunk jackass Rico, the good doctor, that one Black Thorn feller, and... sorry, who's that prince from that country I can't pronounce?" "Nalik of Schwartzamungaknackerhobblestan." Gridlock declared. Pike stared at him. "Yeah, I wish I didn't know that either... but the point is, they're all growing tired of Black still living. How are we to continue on with our projects if we're constantly worrying about this son of a draft horse coming in to ruin EVERYTHING?!" "Hey, it's not my fault Black's such a tough customer!" Pike declared. "Maybe he's just that good. Ever think of that?!" "Or maybe you're just a terrible leader." Gridlock retorted. "And maybe the Faust-damn Sheep would be good for something if you weren't leading!" "Says you." Pike growled. "Loveless seems to think I'm doing okay." "Sorry, but Loveless is half a stallion who's somehow still living without an ass!" Gridlock snorted. "His opinions don't go for much nowadays!" "Yet he's ranked higher than you." Pike scoffed. "Regardless..." Gridlock growled, gritting his teeth. "Me and the other Ouroboros have had enough of your crap. And it's about time I do something about it." "What's that supposed to mean?" Pike glared. "Simple." Gridlock cleared his throat. "Pike Redfield, on the authority of yours truly, Aspir Harlhooves, Black Thorn, Nalik Aqqbar-Royale, and Ricochet Hailstorm (after a couple of beers), you are hereby ordered to cede leadership of the Black Sheep to me. Perhaps with me in charge, something can finally get done!" "You can't do that! Only Father has the authority-" Pike snarled. "Father couldn't be bothered to deal with low ranked wretches like you and the Black Sheep." Gridlock sneered. "That's what the Ouroboros are for." "But I worked hard for that position!" Pike protested. "The Black Sheep are what they are today because of me!" "And what a crappy job you did!" Gridlock taunted. "Oh, and don't even think about running to Loveless about this. Me and the others are sick of you, sick of Black, and sick of that damn Taskforce!" He then frowned. "Rico is just sick because of all the beers we gave him." He then regained his scowl. "Either way, there's nothing Loveless, or Father for that matter, can do to change our minds. Try and get in our way, and... what is it that you always say, you'll get a hoof up your ass? Well, what we do will be a lot worse than that and a temporary demotion." "...Well, it doesn't seem like you've left me much choice, does it?" Pike seethed. "None at all." Gridlock grinned triumphantly. "Then it seems my only option is to stand down." Pike admitted. "It sure is." Gridlock smirked. "Then go ahead." Pike frowned. "Take charge of the Black Sheep. Let's see if you can do any better. But don't come crying to me when you fail spectacularly." "Oh, trust me, I won't fail." Gridlock boasted. "I've been one of Father's strongest fighters for years. The chances of me failing to kill Black is about as high as me getting blown into a spinning rotor." "...Why-" Pike frowned. "Don't ask." Gridlock glared. "I'll be gathering the best your pathetic Sheep have to offer in the main room within the hour. Be there." "I wouldn't miss it..." Pike said sarcastically. "Good. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to get in a check work-out before getting to work." As Gridlock walked away, Pike let out a growl as he stomped his hooves, cursing the change in the situation. 'Great, just great.' He thought angrily. 'Like I didn't have it bad enough at the moment. Now that muscleheaded idiot's taken over my job. How could this get any worse?!' In an hour's time, Pike arrived at their meeting place. He saw Reaper, Scalphunter, Talbolt, DeRose, and Sam Revolver gathered around Gridlock. To his surprise, there were also two other stallions: a young tan Earth Pony with a light orange mane and light blue eyes, and an older Unicorn stallion with an electric yellow coat, orange eyes, short, spiky white mane, and a Cutie Mark of a thunder cloud with a bolt of lightning coming out of it... plus a very perturbing grin on his face. "Ah, there you are." Gridlock noted. "Good to see tardiness isn't one of your flaws." "Hey, former boss." Scalphunter sneered. "Too bad about the demotion." Reaper added. "Still, it's not the end of the world." Talbolt declared. "It's just the end of you lording your position over us." DeRose smirked. "Now yer no better than the rest of us, ain't that right?" Sam snickered. "Yeah, yeah..." Pike grumbled, as he then glanced at the two newcomers, who glanced back at him. "And what exactly are these two doing here? I figured this was a Black Sheep-only operation." "Well, as it turns out, while I was doing my morning exercises, these two came up to me and volunteered to help us put an end to that son of a draft horse." Gridlock smirked, as he placed his hooves on the Unicorn and Earth Pony's shoulders. "You remember Solomon Thunder and Sterling Cross, right?" "Greetings." Solomon nodded. "Hey, how ya doing?" Sterling smiled. "Yeah... I've heard of you two." Pike admitted, as he faced Solomon. "Solomon, the infamous lightning bender from the plains." "That is one of the more impressive talents under my belt, yes." Solomon smirked. "And Sterling... you're Loveless' boy." Pike noted. "I hear he's taken you under his wing." "That's me..." Sterling nodded, albeit a bit nervously. "Loveless also talked a bit about you. All good, I assure you." "And why exactly are these two volunteering to go on this pony hunt?" Pike frowned. "Why for vengeance, of course." Solomon answered. "From what I understand, Black's been causing a lot of trouble for the Forefathers. Such a crime against us can't go unpunished, now can it?" He then shrugged. "That, and if we were to take down Black, it would certainly help me and my friend here climb up the ranks at break-neck speed." He turned to Sterling. "Right, Sterling?" "Well, yeah, I guess." Sterling rubbed his head. "Look, it doesn't matter why they're here." Gridlock chuckled. "All I know is that these two are the best among our up-and-comers. And who knows, they might come in handy." "Yeah, not a good idea, if you ask me." Pike frowned. "Oh, yeah?" Gridlock sneered. "And why's that?" "They're too green, that's why." Pike retorted. "Rookies like them won't last long against an opponent like Black." "Who are you calling a rookie, old man?" Solomon scoffed. "I will have you know that I know my way around a battlefield, and I've taken down more ponies than I can even count! And can Black fire lightning from his hooves? I don't think so!" "Well, I'll have you know that Sweet Tooth, one of our old members, had slain a thousand... and guess where he is." Pike glared. "...Who the hell is Sweet Tooth?" Solomon growled. "Exactly." Pike crossed his hooves. "He's dead. Because of Black. So power ain't gonna get you far." "Whatever. I can take anything Black Knight throws at me!" Solomon boasted. He bumped his hooves together, causing a spark of electricity. "So can I!" Sterling added hastily, his eyes filled with uncertainty. "That Black had better watch out. Just wait until I get my hooves on him!" "Sterling, dial it down a bit..." Solomon warned silently. "Like you two are going to be the ones who take Black down." Reaper scoffed. "If anypony's doing that, It's me. We have a score to settle, after all." "Get in line, pal." DeRose growled. "Yeah, that varmint's caused us all sorts a' trouble!" Sam added. "And I aims to get even!" "Not if I don't do the deed first." Talbolt growled. "'Talbolt smells'... still can't believe I fell for that." "Hehe... yeah." Sam chuckled. Talbolt glared, as he pulled out his pencil, still bloodied from the last 'magic trick'. Sam immediately clammed up. "Well, I'd like a crack at him." Scalphunter sneered. "I wanna turn his skull into my new cereal bowl..." "Frankly, I don't care who does the deed!" Gridlock spat. "I just want Black dead! That damn horse has ruined fifteen years of work and I have suffered in silence while you fools bumbled around, trying to kill this guy! Black's reckoning is at hoof! If any one of you can manage to end his life, then you'll be amply rewarded. Heck, I might dub you an Ouroboros myself..." He then scowled. "But if you all fail... well, let's just say I'm not as forgiving as your former boss. Speaking of which..." He turned to Pike. "I expect you to actually pull your weight here. I don't care if you're still bruised from that last fight of yours. If you foul things up again, you'll be sorry. Clear?" "Crystal." Pike frowned. "Good." Gridlock smirked. "Now, gather around. I've got a plan that can't fail...." 'What now, Pike?' Pike thought to himself. 'You can't bring yourself to kill Black, but it's not like you can stop any of these guys from doing the deed. And if you try, you'll be fired... with prejudice. It's a lose-lose situation...' A few days later, back at the Taskforce headquarters, Black was once again eating lunch alone. That is, until Armory joined him. "Hey, Black." Armrory smiled. "How's the radishes today?" "Fine." Black said gruffly. "...You know, I was thinking." Armory said awkwardly. "Maybe you could join me over at the main table? You could get to know Incognito and Mastermind more." Armory waved at the two new operatives. "I don't want to get to know those two pony-come-latelys!" Black said, loud enough for the others to hear. "What is your problem?" Mastermind growled. "My problem is you!" Black snarled. "Why can't you two greenhoofs just get the message and stay away?" "Black, please-" Armory started. "Please what?" Black snarled. "We may be co-workers, but we don't have to be friends." "I don't care much for that way of thinking, Black." Armory declared, knowing full well it jibed with the requirements for Project: Argo. "Well, no offense Armory, but that's just how it is." Black said darkly. "You, Titan, Elite and Ballista are the only friends I need around here." "But Incognito and Mastermind are really nice guys." Armory protested. "If you just spent some time together-" "I know you just want to help, Armory." Black admitted. "But stop. I can barely stomach those guys being here, let alone working with them. I'm not interested in being their friend, and nopony can convince me otherwise, not even you. Understand?" "But Black-" Armory frowned. "I said... understand?" Black glared at Armory venomously. "...Y-yeah, I understand." Armory cringed, unnerved. "Good." Black smiled. "Now if you don't mind, I have a lunch to finish." "Of course." Armory sighed, walking away. 'Oh, Black...' He thought. 'Ballista can't have been right about you. I shouldn't believe it. And yet, that look in your eyes... I don't know what to think.' Not long after lunch, Black was called in to Elite's office. "Really hoping there's some action coming my way." He told Elite. "That remains to be seen." Elite declared. "We've just received word that some Forefather agents may be hiding out in a fort out in the badlands by Dodge Junction. We need you to scope it out, and possibly bring in any agents... not too badly injured this time." "Relax, I got this." Black snorted. "Seriously, one slip-up, and I never hear the last of it." "I hope it's only one slip-up..." Elite muttered, as Black departed. After taking a few moments to get geared up, Black made his way to the fort, which was a large, square-shaped, four story building. From the outside, it seemed to be deserted. "If this turns out to be a wild Cockatrice hunt, I'm gonna be very annoyed..." He muttered to himself, as he entered the fort through the back, intending to surprise any supposed Forefather agents. Inside, the fort was dark and quiet, the wind blowing softly. Black had entered into a storage room, various wooden crates stored in the wide area. "Typical." He frowned. "I came all this way for nothing. Son of a draft horse!" He then let out a sigh. "Might as well get the buck out of here..." As Black turned to leave, the doors suddenly slammed shut. "What the-?" Black gaped. "I'm afraid you're not going anywhere... Black Knight Paladin..." Black turned around, and was faced with a pony clad in a heavy brown leather jacket and a black cap. While he had never met the stallion before... he recognized him. "...What the..." Black frowned. "Aren't you Grenade Gridlock, the Equestrian Secretary of Defense?" "That's me." Gridlock nodded. "And you're Black Knight, the huge pain in my ass that ruined our project!" "What are you talking about?" Black grimaced, "How do you know my name?!" "Let me jog your memory." Gridlock sneered. "Saddle Arabia. Reinadh. Horsey-bug love. Project: Infestation. You killing everypony." He then snarled. "Does any of that ring a bell?!" "Wait... you're the one behind Project: Infestation?!" Black growled. "The one trying to unleash that Last Bacterium crap?!" "Yeah, and me and my comrade would've gotten away with it if you hadn't ruined everything!" Gridlock snarled. "For over fifteen years, I let you get away with ruining our work... but now, speaking on behalf of the Forefathers, we are all sick of your crap!" "Well, the feeling's mutual!" Black glared. "I gave up quite a bit bringing an end to that noise, and now that I can put a face to one of the assholes who made it, I am going to bring you down1" "Is that so? I wouldn't bet on it, you damn punk!" Gridlock growled. "I'm not the only one who wants a piece of you." "What are you talking about?!" Black snarled. "He's talking about me." Black turned to the left, to see none other than Scalphunter, leaning against the wall. "And who the hell are you?!" Black snarled. "The name's Scalphunter." Scalphunter sneered. "Second in command of the Black Sheep. I've heard a lot about you, Blackie. Gotta say, I pictured you bigger." "Great, another Black Sheep..." Black rolled his eyes. "As if I haven't already clobbered enough whackos from your group already!" "Oh, I think you'll find that I am..." Scalphunter pulled out a knife. "A 'cut' above the rest. I've been dying to get a taste of you." He licked his lips creepily. "Look, I already kicked your boss to the curb. I doubt you and this asshole here-" He glared at Gridlock. "Will pose any challenge." "I wouldn't count on that, Mr. Paladin." Black let out a growl, as he recognized the voice of Talbolt, who walked up aside Gridlock. "Great, you're here too?" Black snarled. "I thought I killed you back at the warehouse." "You tried and you failed." Talbolt shrugged. "And now, I'm here to see to it that you meet your maker." "Wait... if you're alive... then Reaper is..." Black surmised. "Right here." Black glared as Reaper's telltale black fog slithered to Gridlock's other side, materializing into Reaper himself, his mask on. "You..." Black scowled. "I am going to make you pay for what you did to Shadow!" "I doubt it." Reaper scoffed. "I already let you live once, and that is not a mistake I intend to make again" "Well, I'm going to make sure you die this time!" Black rebutted. "Die like some second-rate bandit!" "Hey, I resent that remark!" "Oh, for Faust's sake..." Black groaned as Sam and DeRose walked up next to Talbolt. "You brought these yahoos too?!" "Indeed. We have some unfinished business with you, Black." DeRose sneered, as he brushed his mane aside. "Because of you, we can't show our faces in Las Pegasus ever again. I loved Las Pegasus!" "And I loved my money!" Sam growled. "And ya ruined it all! We hate you more than that damn mare right now!" "And I hate all of you!" Black groaned. "Is that all of you? I just want to make sure nopony's being left out." "My, how courteous of you." A rough voice sneered. Black glanced left and upwards, as he saw a yellow white-maned Unicorn standing on a upper walkway, flanked by an tan Earth Pony with a light orange mane. The unicorn seemed to smile condescendingly, while the Earth Pony was stuck in a frown. "And who exactly are you two?" Black frowned. "Oh, where are my manners?" Solomon said coyly, as he then hopped over the rail of the walkway... and slamming his front hooves into the ground, causing electricity to spark up, much to Black's surprise. "The name's Solomon Thunder. The name of the stallion who's going to kill you." Sterling awkwardly climbed down, jumping off the walkway and stumbling as he landed. "And I'm Sterling Cross." He announced. "Scared yet?" "Not really." Black sneered, unimpressed. "So, you've all come to try and waste me, huh?" "That's right." Reaper nodded. "Not only have you been ruining the Forefathers' plans, you've been tarnishing the reputation of the Black Sheep." "Neither can be tolerated any more." Talbolt added. "That's why we lured you here." Scalphunter cackled. "The time has come for you to die!" "Bring it." Black said defiantly. "Gotta admire the varmint who goes to his own death with courage." Sam smirked. "We'll see how long that courage lasts." Reaper sneered. "He's no match for us all!" Talbolt declared. "Seems a little unfair." Sterling frowned. "I mean, it's eight to one." "That is what makes it so much fun, Sterling." Solomon chuckled. "At last, the infamous Black Knight will be put in his place." "The only ones that'll be put in their place will be all of you!" Black snarled. "Either in a cell, or in the ground! I can take all of you! I already kicked some of your flanks, remember?" "You've taken down enough of the Forefathers' agents." Gridlock spat. "That ends today, and so do you! Charge!" The whole group rushed at Black, Gridlock leading them. "Yee-haww!" Sam fired his crossbows haphazardly. "Your aim still needs work." Black sneered, nimbly dodging each shot as he casually used his arm-mounted crossbow to knock one of Sam's away. "Ow! Bucker!" Sam hissed, shaking his hoof while continuing to fire. "Step aside, ya crazy loon. Watch how a real stallion takes care of business!" Gridlock snarled. "Go ahead and try! I can take-" A sound of a train whistle echoed. "Wait, is that a train I hear-" Black was about to ask... before he was uppercut by Gridlock's right hoof. "UGH!" He nearly fell to the ground before he caught himself. "Don't BUCK with Gridlock!" Gridlock snarled. "Erk, lucky shot." Black rubbed his chin. "But now it's my turn!" With a simple heave of his legs, he bucked Gridlock square in the chest. "Oof!" Gridlock skidded along the ground. "Watch out, he has a good kick." "My turn!" Reaper roared, as he revealed his sickle, swinging it at his foe, "Die, Black!" "Not today!" Black dodged several swings, then caught the last, and shattered the blade with his free hoof. "Gah, dammit!" Reaper snarled as he chuckled the handle aside. "Yahhh!" Talbolt charged Black... only for Black to duck his assault and flip him on his back. "Ugh!" "Eat this!" DeRose swung a rapier. "No thanks, not hungry!" Black jumped over and jump kicked DeRose in the chest. "Oh, you're funny." Scalphunter charged with knife in hoof. "In fact, you're a real cut-up!" Scalphunter tried to cut Black... only for Black to slap the knife out of his hoof. "...Why does this always seem to happen to me?" Scalphunter scowled. "I don't know. You tell me!" Scalphunter barely had a chance to look up before he was headbutted by Black. The red stallion scoffed as he glanced at the Black Sheep and Gridlock, the former getting up again. "Come on, is this really the best you got?! I'm barely working up a sweat!" "BANZAI!" Sam screeched, jumping on Black from above... only to get back-hoofed in the face, causing him to drop flat. "Come on, fellas, give me a challenge!" Black taunted. "I demand a chall-" Suddenly, Black's body was struck by lightning, the metal of his suit conducting all the electricity. "Arrrh!" Black groaned, falling to his knees. "What? You demanded a challenge." Solomon sneered, as his hooves crackled with electricity. "Unlike the Black Sheep, I have the firepower to back up anything I say!" "You son of a draft horse..." Black snarled, trying to get up. "HEY!" Black turned back... only to get slugged hard in the face by Sterling. "GAH!" Black groaned, his visor cracking. "Didn't see that coming, did you?" Sterling taunted, shaking his now sore punching hoof. "Don't you get it, Black?" Gridlock boasted, as he then slugged Black with a punch, sending him to the ground, back onto his knees. "You were dead the moment you came in here." "Not yet, I'm- Arrrh!" He yelped, as Solomon zapped him again. He fell to the ground in pain, as his enemies surrounded him. "Let's finish this." Gridlock smirked. "The one who lands the killing blow gets a promotion." "That'd be me." Scalphunter smirked. "Not a chance." Talbolt scowled. "I've waited too long for this..." "We all have." DeRose declared. "But only one gets to kill him." Reaper snarled. "And that's going to be me." "Oh, please." Solomon scoffed. "I did most of the work, so I should get to finish him!" "In your dreams, newbie!" Scalphunter spat. "I don't care who kills him, as long as you do it now!" Gridlock growled, annoyed. "Enough of this hoo-hah!" Sam snarled, as he stepped on Black and aimed his crossbow at him. "I'mma killing this vermin, and that's fin-" A loud boom echoed in the air as out of nowhere, Sam was hit by a red blur, sending him flying into a wall and exploding upon impact. "What the buck?!" Everypony gaped, including Black. As the smoke cleared, a burned and ashen Sam was embedded in the wall, letting out a weak whimper. "Gah..." Gridlock gaped... only to frown. "Okay, how is it that Sam can tank explosions, yet none of us can?" "To be honest, that's lost on me as well, sir." DeRose admitted. "Who fired that?!" Reaper glared. "My apologies, gentlepony." Gridlock and co. glared upwards above the doorway, as none other than Armory was standing there, his sniper cannon from the assault on Dysley's lab, Der Urknall, smoking. All of them quickly recognized the scientist. "But I am afraid I can't have you kill Black right now." Armory declared. "He is my comrade, after all." "Armory!" Black gasped. "But how-" "After our last 'anonymous tip', I decided it would do to be cautious." Armory declared. "I bugged your suit, just in case. Pretty clever, huh?" "Oh, you think you alone can save your comrade?" Gridlock sneered. "Last I checked, there's eight of us-" The injured Sam whimpered. "-Seven of us, and only one WEAK you." "And here I thought that the famous Heinrich Armory was smart." DeRose shook his head. "Gonna be hard to run with that limp of yours!" "Better think again, pal." The villains' eyes widened as they turned to the doors, as suddenly, they burst open, revealing Titan, Ballista, Mastermind, and Incognito, all standing there. "Oh, buck..." Sterling silently cursed, not expecting more ponies. "Well, well, look who decided to join the party." Gridlock grinned wickedly. "Cutter Ballista and the whole motley crew." "Huh, so all those rumors I heard about the secretary of defense being in league with the Forefathers wasn't bullcrap after all." Ballista scowled. "Then again, with an ego as big as yours, it's kinda obvious when you think about it." "You're one to talk." Gridlock spat. "Why don't you goody-goods just get lost?" Scalphunter sneered. "If you want your pal so badly, I'll be sure to mail you a piece or two." "That's not going to happen, you whackjob." Armory growled. "And I suppose you're going to try and stop us?" Reaper cackled. "Are you not aware of what I did with your friend?" "Oh, we're aware, alright." Incognito snarled. "Make no mistake, you're going to pay for that." "Your delusions really are laughable." DeRose sneered. "You're the deluded ones." Mastermind scoffed. "We've beaten your kind before, and we will again." "Rrf!" Titan barked. "Black beat most of us before." Talbolt retorted. "The rest of you? Not so much." "In fact, fighting seems like a decent bout of exercise." Solomon added. "Right, Sterling?" "Yeah, right." Sterling nodded. "Hey guys..." Sam groaned, still stuck in the wall. "Can I add somethin' to the conversation? Just 'cuz I'm down don't mean I can't talk..." Sam's words reminded Gridlock of why they were there. "We have no interest in you and the others, Ballista." He declared. "We're here for-" Gridlock paused, as Black was no longer where they left him. "Motherbucker!" Gridlock snarled as Black, recovering from the shock Solomon gave him, ran back over to his team "Thanks for the save." Black declared. "It looks like we got ourselves a battle royale. And here I thought I was going to have all the fun!" "Sorry to disappoint." Ballista grinned. "Now, let's take these bloody idjits down a notch!" "Um, Gridlock, I think we might be at a disadvantage here." DeRose murmured. "Nonsense!" Gridlock yelled. "It's still eight-" Sam let out a muffled yell. "Seven of us!" Gridlock snarled. "Against six of them! Now let's go kick some Taskforce ass!" "Aw, yeah!" Scalphunter whooped. "Six kills are better than one." Reaper added. "Yehawww!" Sam whooped. "But didn't taking Black down take most of us?" Sterling asked nervously. "Everypony knows Black's the best these losers have." Talbolt sneered. "Taking them out should be easy." "And personally, I'll be making it as slow and painful as possible." Solomon smirked, his horn sparking. The two factions charged, engaging in a vicious throwdown of great proportions. As they clashed, match-ups between the sides emerged. "You're mine, Black!" Gridlock roared. "I'll finish you myself!" "Better stallions than you have tried." Black dodged Gridlock's punch, and threw one of his own. "But I'm going to succeed!" Gridlock catch the punch, and threw Black overhead. "We'll see about that..." Black declared, and he landed on his hooves. Titan approached Reaper, growling savagely. Reaper only scoffed at the bigger beast. "Huh, in all my years of killing, I never killed a Diamond Dog." Reaper gave a sadistic smile under his mask. "This could be fun." "Rrrf!" Titan lunged at Reaper, who pulled out a hunting knife. "Time to spill some dumb mutt blood!" Reaper roared as he slammed the knife into Titan's neck. ...Only for the knife's blade to break off, leaving not even a scratch on Titan's skin... but it ticked Titan off greatly. "Rrrr...." Titan beared his teeth. "...Well, that was highly improbable." Reaper deadpanned. "RAWR!" Titan grabbed Reaper, and with a simple flick of his wrist, sent him flying into some crates, splintering the wood. "Ouch." Reaper cringed. "Are you buckin' kidding me?!" Gridlock gaped, as he snarled at Scalphunter. "And he's the best pony in your damn division?!" "Okay, in Reaper's defense... he's good at killing ponies. Not dogs." Scalphunter frowned. "Don't worry, Gridlock, just give me... a moment." Reaper groaned, as he struggled to get up. Meanwhile, DeRose quickly made his way over to where Sam was stuck in the wall. "Why is it that I have to save your butt every time we get into a fight?" DeRose sighed. Sam gave a muffled growl, which seem to translate to "Just get me down, ya varmint". "As you wish. But first: Cure!" DeRose declared. Sam's body glowed green, as his burns and bruises healed up a bit and he was no longer blackened. Then, with a tug of his horn, Sam was pulled out of the wall. "Honestly, where would you be without me?" DeRose frowned. Sam spat out debris, still a bit woozy from the blast. "Now, let's get back to the f-" DeRose started. "Hey, you!" Instinctively, DeRose turned around, bringing Sam with him, as Mastermind, pulling out a retractable baton, swung at him. DeRose quickly threw Sam in front of him to block the attack. "Ow!" Sam groaned. "Sorry!" DeRose cringed. "Oh, you will be!" Mastermind glared, as he swung his baton again, with DeRose using Sam as a shield again. "OW!" Sam snarled. "Sorry!" DeRose repeated. Mastermind let out a grunt as he unleash a flurry of blows, with DeRose using Sam to absorb each blow, Sam yelling in pain and DeRose apologizing each time. "Hey, do you mind ditching Sam for a moment? Because I don't think he can take any more abuse." Mastermind frowned. "I suppose you're right." DeRose sighed as he gently set the once again bruised Sam on the ground. "You okay, Sam?" "Buck... you..." Sam croaked. "Now... where were we?" DeRose asked... before adopting a sinister grin, as he pulled out his rapier once more. "Oh, I remember." "Bring it, DeRose." Mastermind said boldly. "I may be the newest member in this team, but I am also the top of my classes! And unfortunately for you, fencing was one of them!" "Well, then, en garde!" DeRose swung his rapier at Mastermind. "Gladly." Mastermind blocked it with his baton, batting his rapier aside. "Ugh, you know, this swordfight would had been better if you had a more noble weapon." DeRose groaned. "Naw, swords are overrated. Besides, you could have Excalibur, and you would not be more noble than me." Mastermind sneered. "Pffft, as if I need nobility to run you through!" DeRose growled. Their baton and blade clashed. Though they were equally matched in terms of skills, Mastermind used years of studying fencing (as a hobby) and that one week learning about pressure points, using them to ascertain where to hit DeRose where it hurt most. "Ha!" He jabbed DeRose in the leg with the baton. "Ah!" DeRose yelled. "Why, you-" "Yah!" Mastermind slapped his side. "Ugh!" DeRose screeched. "That's it, no more mister nice-" Mastermind knocked his rapier away. "You were saying?" He smirked. "Okay, how is a baton mightier than the sword?" DeRose snarled. "That doesn't make any sense!" "With science and understanding of physics, it ALL makes sense!" Mastermind rebutted. Elsewhere, Incognito took on Talbolt, using his nimble body to dance around his attacks. "Stop prancing around and fight me!" Talbolt spat. "I am." Incognito smirked, as he kicked Talbolt hard. "I mean real fighting, you-" Talbolt growled. Incognito flipped over Talbolt's back, then swept his hooves, knocking him down. "Real enough for you?" He smirked. "I have to give you credit." Talbolt admitted. "Your predecessor wasn't nearly this tough." "You're talking about Shadow, aren't you?" Incognito snarled. "Yes, I am." Talbolt smirked. "I was there when he died, you know. He died on his knees, like the weakling he really was. How pathet-" "SHUT UP!!" Incognito punched him hard, knocking his foe senseless. "Nopony disrespects Shadow. Nopony..." Reaper rose to his hooves, finally recovering from the blow Titan dealt upon him, cricking his neck. "Ugh..." Reaper groaned. "Reaper, stop standing around and take out that guy with the cannon!" Gridlock bellowed, as he parried another blow from Black. Reaper glanced over at Armory, who was watching the battle from the walkway, the scientist realizing that the serial killer was looking right at him. "Uh-oh." Armory gulped. "Time to die, Armory." Reaper chuckled evilly, as he menacingly approached him on the ground floor. "Oh yeah?" Armory glared, as he aimed the Der Urknall. "Taste cannon, fodder!" Armory fired, the blast coming right for Reaper, only for him to assume his shadowy form and leap to the right, before reassuming his normal form and continuing walking forward, past the explosion. "Oh no... no, no, no..." Armory gasped, as he quickly worked to reload the Der Urknall. Once he did, he aimed the cannon again, and fired... only for Reaper to dodge it again via turning into shadowy mist. "Dammit!" Armory cursed. "That was my last shot!" "Enough of this!" Reaper growled, as he took on his shadow form and leapt upwards onto the walkway, mere feet from Armory. Upon returning to normal, he glared viciously at Armory as he stormed towards him, with knife in hoof. "Stay back!" Armory demanded, slowly backing away, knowing full well he couldn't outrun him. "Your comrades can't save you this time." Reaper taunted him, intentionally walking slowly towards Armory, waving the knife from side to side. "I don't need to be saved." Armory steeled himself. "I can save myself!" "Then by all means, do so." Reaper smirked. "But you'd better make it fast. It's almost dying time!" "How's this for fast?!" Armory pulled out a new gadget. It fired a stream of sticky pink goo at Reaper, which covered the hoof with the knife, smothering the blade. "What the-?!" Reaper gaped. "I call this my gum gun." Armory smiled. "Nice, huh?" "You little..." Reaper spat. "I can still kill you with my bare hooves!" "Wrong." Armory pulled out a new version of the Homer. It fired not a dart, but a clamp, which latched onto Reaper's other hoof. "Going my way?" Armory pulled, swinging Reaper around and slamming him into a wall. He then retracted the clamp, and used his gum gun to coat the same hoof in goo. "Curses, beaten again!" Reaper groaned. "What is happening to me? I've always been unstoppable before..." "Times change, Reaper." Armory smirked. Meanwhile, Black continued to trade blows with Gridlock. "Your friends aren't going to change the outcome of this fight." Gridlock snarled. "But at least now I get you to myself!" "Didn't think you were brave enough to take me on alone." Black sneered. "I've taken on better!" Gridlock roared, charging at Black. "Oh, please..." Black snarled, punching Gridlock in the chest, knocking him back. "I am going to kill you, Black. Make you pay for ruining Project: Infestation!" Gridlock snarled. "Well excuse me for averting a zombie-like apocalypse, because that's what it was going to be!" Black snarled, throwing a few more punches. "Honestly, why do you want to destroy the world so bad?!" "I don't have to explain anything to you!" Gridlock slugged Black. "All that matters is putting us Forefathers on top. And if I have to crack a few million eggshells to make that omelette, so be it!" "You buckin' madpony." Black scowled, as he grappled with him. Titan saw Black struggling with Gridlock and was about to step in to help him, until... "Away, beast!" Solomon zapped Titan with lightning from his horn. "Rooo!" Titan yelped... before snarling, glaring viciously at Solomon. "Rrrr!" "Um, okay, that usually leaves a foe writhing in pain..." Solomon gulped, only to scream. "Why aren't you writhing?!" Solomon zapped Titan again, only for him to flinch. The Diamond Dog only growled louder as he stomped towards him. "B-back away!" Solomon yelled, as he fired lightning from his hooves in addition to his horn, but Titan shrugged off every shock. "I said back a-" Titan grabbed Solomon, and flung him hard into the wall, right next to the indent where Sam was. "Gah..." Solomon groaned. "That's it... you're on my list." "Rrrf!" He smirked. "Doesn't feel good now, does it?" Reaper groaned, still face down from Armory's assault. "You're gonna cut up real good, big fella!" Scalphunter told Ballista, as he drew another knife. "Don't be so sure, mate." Ballista snorted, pulling out a hunting knife. "Mine's bigger than yours." "Ooh, that only makes it easier to cut it off you!" Scalphunter swung his knife. "...Wait, we are talking about knives, right?" Ballista frowned, as he blocked the blow. "Yes..." Scalphunter licked his lips. "Oh yes, we are." "...You're gross." Ballista grunted. "And you're bald!" Scalphunter rebutted, as they drew back their knives. The two swung their knives viciously, clashing blades and parrying blows until Ballista caught Scalphunter across the hoof. "Agh!" Scalphunter dropped the knife. "Who's cutting up real good now?" Ballista smirked, before punching Scalphunter hard. "Ooh..." Scalphunter groaned, as he collapsed. "Damn freak." Ballista growled. "Now who's next-" "YAAAAH!" Sterling let out a battle cry, pulling out a knife he had and stabbing him in the shoulder from behind. "Ow!" Ballista cried, as he glared at Sterling. "You little-" Ballista flung him overhead, sending him to the ground. "That. Really. Hurts." Ballista growled, as he pulled out the knife from his shoulder and dropped it on the ground. "That isn't the only thing that's gonna hurt!" Sterling got back up on his hooves. "I am taking you down!" Sterling lunged at Ballista. "Not today, kid." Ballista slugged him, knocking him back onto the ground. "I'm not a kid!" Sterling growled, as he quickly rose up to his hooves again. "Take some of this!" Unfortunately, Ballista simply clotheslined him, reintroducing him to the ground. "Grrr..." Sterling groaned. "Look, I don't have time for this." Ballista growled, looking down at him. "So why don't you run along to your dad and mum before you get hurt?" "SHUT UP!" Sterling snarled, quickly getting back up, much to Ballista's surprise. "I don't need ANYPONY!" Sterling let out a roar as he lunged at Ballista once more. Ballista however simply grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the nearby wall. "Big mistake, kid. Now I'm gonna-" Ballista began, raising his hoof... however, he paused. The younger stallion had his eyes closed, letting out what sounded like a small whimper. In fact, Ballista could feel his body quiver in his grasp. His foe was obviously scared. "...Lauren Faust..." Ballista let out a sigh, as he lowered his hoof, and let him go. "You're really are a kid, aren't you?" "W-what?" Sterling hesitantly opened his eyes, and felt his neck, still a little shaken. "What are you doing?" "I'm not going to kill a kid." Ballista declared firmly. "Even if that kid is you." "Why?!" Sterling demanded, despite his quivering body. "Are you too scared?!" "You're the one who's scared, kid." Ballista snorted. "In fact, you look like you don't want to be here any more than we do." "That's bullcrap!" Sterling growled. "I am not afraid of you!" "Maybe not me." Ballista frowned, "But you are afraid... it saddens me that you let yourself be dragged into this mess by these ponies." "What do you know?!" Sterling challenged. "I know that you're no killer." Ballista mused. "And that scares you. You're a little colt who got in way over his head." "You're wrong!" Sterling snarled. "I'm not a 'little colt'! And I'm not in over my head! I chose this life, pal. No 'dragging' involved. I know exactly what I'm expected to do, and I will do it! You know why? Because I am a stallion! A strong, capable stallion! I am not weak, and I will not be pushed around ever again!" Sterling let out a scream, charging at Ballista... only for Ballista to reply with a punch to the chest. "Urk!" Sterling crumbled to the ground, coughing. "You son of a-" "Look, Sterling." Ballista frowned, sympathy in his eyes, "I'm not your pops or anything, but I can tell you that your way of thinking is going to dig you a early grave. So do everypony a favor and quit while you're ahead..." Ballista turnedand walked away, intent on helping his comrades.. "I don't quit..." Sterling struggled to get up. "You lousy..." He collapsed on the floor. "Ugh... This can't be happening..." Sterling lay sprawled on the floor, stewing in his undignified defeat. Back with Black and Gridlock, Black managed to overpower Gridlock and throw him to the ground. "Ah! Dammit!" Gridlock roared, as he was about to get back up... only for Black to stomp on his back and pin him down. "Before I kill you, I want to ask you something." Black declared. "Oh yeah, what's that?" Gridlock growled. "Where's Pike?" Black glared. "I know he's here. How else would you know I was coming?" "Hmph, up on the roof." Gridlock grunted. "I don't know why you want him, he's just a-GAH!" Black slammed his head into the ground, leaving him dazed. "It's time to finish this." Black growled, as he rushed up the nearby stairs. "Black?! Where are you going?!" Ballista yelled, as he made to follow, only to get jumped by Sam. "Giddy up, horsie!" Sam pulled on Ballista's neck. "Gah, get 'em off!" Balilsta cried as he tried to shake him off, unable to follow his comrade. After running a couple flights of stairs, Black finally made his way to the top. With a slam of his shoulder, Black burst through the doors leading outside to the rooftop. Just as Gridlock said, Pike was indeed there, sitting on a old wooden stool. Right next to him was an old radio, playing a song that Black felt like he heard somewhere before... Hanging out, down the street The same old thing, we did last week Not a thing to do, but talk to you We're all alright, We're all alright Hello, Wiscoltsin! Pike shut off the radio before the song could continue any further, as Pike turned to face him. "Oh, hey, Black..." He said flatly. "Pike." Black said curtly. "I take it you said 'hi' to the others downstairs?" Pike asked. "Yes." Black frowned, "So the secretary of defense is-" "One of my superiors, sadly, yes." Pike sighed. "He was sick of me not killing you." "Funny, I was sick of you trying to kill me." Black scowled. "...So, let me guess, we're really going to do the old 'try and kill each other' song and dance again?" Pike frowned. "Yes. Hadn't my friends came when they did, I would had been dead down there." Black snarled. "And honestly, I'm not very happy. So, are we going to do this or not?!" "...Sure, why not?" Pike sighed. "We can beat each other senseless for the umpteenth time... or we could just not. It's not like there's any real point to it, after all." "Say what?" Black grunted. "I said there's no point to this." Pike echoed. "Fighting beget more fighting, creating an endless cycle of pain and violence." "...Okay, what the buck is up with you?" Black frowned. "Not that I care, but it sounds like you don't even want to fight. What kind of game are you trying to play?!" "No game." Pike shrugged. "The truth is, I'm just tired. Tired of the ol' grind. The constant fighting and killing. I just can't take it anymore..." "Then you should have thought of that before you became a bounty hunter!" Black glared. "Heh, maybe you're right..." Pike sighed. "I wasn't always this merciless killer, you know." "Is that a fact?" Black sneered. "Oh, yeah." Pike nodded. He pulled out the small bird-shaped brooch, which he had in his pocket. "Once upon a time, I had it all. A wife, two kids, a home in the suburbs, a job, neighbors and friends I could tolerate... a perfectly normal life..." He glanced at Black wistfully. "In fact, you remind me of my own son." "...In what kind of way?" Black glared. "Not really sure to be honest." Pike chuckled. "I mean, Spear, Faust bless his soul, was a wimp and sometimes a dumbass... but I still loved him... I loved all of them." He felt a tear come to his eye as he glanced at the brooch. "Especially Kitty..." "I'm probably gonna kick myself in the flank for this later, but what happened?" Black frowned. "How did Pike Redfield go from normal to being a psycho." "...They were all murdered." Pike grimaced. "And what's more, they were tortured and mutiliated. In a single afternoon, I lost everypony I cared about. I was all alone..." He sniffed. "I tried everything to make the pain go away. Alcohol. Drugs. Even that stuff my son and his friends used to smoke all the time... but nothing worked." "And how did you figure killing ponies was the answer?" Black glared. "Well, one night, I was trying to drown my sorrows in cheap beer, when I heard about this escaped crook from a couple of guys at the bar." Pike declared. "They said there was a bounty on him: Two hundred bits, dead or alive. I figured all that cash would help buy more beer, so I went for it. I checked at the police station, and along with copping a mug shot, I heard the crook was hiding out near my old neighborhood. Since I knew the neighborhood pretty well, I figured out which house was good to hide in, and I came to get the guy. I meant to take him in alive, but he came at me with a knife, and while I was fighting him off, I accidentally stabbed him in the heart." Pike sighed. "I'd never killed a pony before then. I thought I'd be horrified. But instead, I felt... good. More alive than I had in days. After I brought the guy in and got the bounty, I started to think about how what a thrill killing him was. I wanted more thrills like that, so I decided to become a full-fledged bounty hunter. I was freelance at first, but after I bagged a dozen or so scumbags, the Forefathers took notice, and recruited me on the spot. I figured 'why not? More targets for me to kill'. And I've been doing their dirty work ever since." "And you're telling me this why?" Black frowned. "Because I want you to know how I became this sorry thing you call a pony." Pike shook his head. "In my time of loss and torment, I became this thing who developed a thirst for bloodshed and murder... a thirst that to this day I was never able to quench. I always knew it was wrong, and I wanted to stop. Every time I killed, a piece of me died inside... but I didn't care... I didn't care one bit. I just wanted to feel something... something besides pain and grief." "There is a point to this, right?" Black said coldly. "Because as sad as your life story is, I'm really not interested." "My point is that you still have ponies you care about." Pike said forlornly. "Who care about you... but you're going down a very bad path, and if you don't get off it now, you'll probably lose all of them and end up like me... and believe it or not, the last thing I want is for you to end up like me." "Oh, I'm touched... or I would be, if you hadn't devoted so much time to trying to kill me." Black spat. "Well, I'm done with that." Pike declared as he put the brooch away. To Black's surprise, he reached into his right jacket sleeve, pulling out the strap that held his 'Redfield Pike', and threw it on the ground. "I'm surrendering to you right here and now, no fight needed." He held out his hooves. "Take me away, Black." "Seriously?" Black frowned. "You're giving up, just like that?" "Anti-climactic, I know." Pike admitted. "But I like I said, I'm tired of all this garbage. It's over. You win." Black was stunned. A part of him couldn't believe it was going to be that easy... however, a larger, more paranoid... more bloodthirsty part of his mind convinced that it was too easy. "...Um, Black, this is the part where you cuff me." Pike frowned, shaking his hooves. "...Do you really think you're getting off that easily?" Black glared. "That after everything you did, you can just turn yourself in?" "Um... yeah, I figured that's how it worked with the RDL." Pike murmured, not liking the look in Black's eye. "The RDL maybe... but not with me." Black sneered. "Because of you, I lost a friend... and for that, I'm going to make sure you can't hurt anypony else ever again." "Black, please... I give up, we don't have to fight!" Pike stepped back in fear. "I know... but I WANT TO!" Black roared. "Wait, I-" Pike started. "Shut up!" Black tackled him. "Ah!" Pike stumbled backwards, as he glared at Black. "I don't want to fight you anymore, Black. But I'm not gonna stand here and just let you kill me!" "Good... it makes the kill all the more fun!" Black sneered. "Show me the thing that you've become and hit me with your BEST SHOT!" "Damn you, Black!" Pike snarled as he quickly snagged his 'PIke' and strapped it on. He clenched his hoof, causing the blade to pop up. "You made me do this!" The two let out their battle cry as they engage in one last brutal clash. Despite not wanting to hurt Black, Pike put up a decent fight, knowing that if he didn't, Black would surely kill him. But Black had become ever more vicious, and showed no mercy, punching and kicking and headbutting with no restraint. 'Such savagery... such power...' Pike murmured internally, avoiding Black's right hook. 'Is this what Everest and Ballista wanted? I couldn't imagine Elite wanting anypony to become something like-' His thought process was derailed when Black grabbed him by the throat. "GAH!" Pike gagged, as Black hoisted him upwards, and to his horror, moved him over the edge of the roof, "UGH! Black, no!" "This is the end of the line, Pike." Black sneered. "This is where you die..." "Black, please, don't..." Pike pleaded. "You wouldn't do this to me, would you?" "Why wouldn't I?" Black snarled. "You and your Black Sheep have caused me a lot of pain. Cost me a good friend. I should just drop you now and end this!" "But would that friend of yours want this?" Pike asked. "Would he want to see you like this?" Black felt his grip tightening... then thoughts of Shadow entered his head. The very thought of his friend disapproving of his actions was enough to break through the fog of rage... "No... he wouldn't." Black sighed, as he pulled Pike from over the edge and set him down. "Oh, thank Faust." Pike sighed. "I'm glad to hear that. Really-" Hoofcuffs were slapped on his hooves. "Let's go." Black said firmly. "...Of course." Pike sighed. Downstairs, Gridlock's forces were being overwhelmed. "Come on, we got them on the ropes!" Gridlock snarled, having recovered from his daze. "Um, are you referring to us? Because it looks like they got us on the ropes!" Sterling frowned. "The kid is right. We gotta fall back!" DeRose declared. "Are you kiddin' me? I still got some fight left!" Solomon growled, although his body was banged up, courtesy of Titan. "This isn't a wood-measuring contest, man!" Scalphunter snarled. "These guys are playing for keeps! We have to make a run for it!" "Never!" Gridlock yelled. "I won't run!" "Would you prefer we get arrested or killed?" Reaper asked. "I can care less what happened to you guys!" Gridlock snarled. "I want Black and this Taskforce dead! Every single one of them!" "This damn blockhead's gonna get our gooses' cooked!" Sam protested. "I got this." Talbolt sighed, as he pulled out a syringe and slammed it into Gridlock's neck. Gridlock paused for a moment... as he then glared viciously at Talbolt. "Did you just try to drug me?!" Gridlock roared. "...No." Talbolt said nervously. *DING!* Gridlock fell to the ground, as Reaper had bashed the back of his head with a random pipe. "That guy sure can take a tranquilizer." Reaper quipped. "Guys, we all know the drill!" Scalphunter declared. Each of the villains pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it down, causing the whole room to be covered in smoke. It blinded the Taskforce long enough for them to escape. "Oh, dammit!" Ballista snarled, as the smoke cleared up, and not a Forefather member was in sight. "They got away!" "Not all of them." Black declared, dragging a cuffed Pike downstairs. "Great work, Black!" Armory smiled. "Yeah, nice one mate." Ballista nodded. "Just doing my job." Black grinned. "Too bad the rest of the snakes slipped away..." "But at least we showed 'em who's boss." Armory smirked. "I say we let them run back to their bosses with their tails between their legs. Maybe next time, they'll think twice about going after one of our own." "We can only hope." Incognito nodded. "Statistically, it seems unlikely." Mastermind admitted. "Either way, it's another win for us." Black declared. "What I wouldn't give to see those clowns' faces right now..." Meanwhile, in a cave not too far away, the Black Sheep (and Solomon and Sterling) were licking their wounds, upset with their loss... but nopony was more upset than Gridlock himself, who had just woken up with a throbbing headache. "I can believe you bludgeoned me with a pipe!" Gridlock glared at Reaper. "We had to do something. You were going to get all of us killed!" Reaper glared. "And given our track record with Black and the Taskforce, our chances of success was next to nothing to being with." DeRose sighed. "I just don't understand this!" Gridlock growled, rubbing the bruise on his head. "We should have beaten them! We had the stallionpower! We had the equipment!" "And we still lost. Buck our worthless lives." Talbolt growled. "What about Pike?" Sterling asked. "We left him back there!" "Hate to break it to ya, kid, but he's probably dead by now." Scalphunter sneered. "Ya really think so, Scalp?" Sam fretted. "Considering Black almost killed him before, it's pretty much a certainty..." DeRose mused. "Oh, who gives a damn about him? He was dead weight anyway!" Gridlock snarled. "We're better off without that loser." "I sure won't miss him." Reaper agreed. "He was no longer the stallion we saw as a leader." "And to think, he thought we would be the ones to go down." Solomon told Sterling, as he scoffed. "Still, so much for that promotion." "Yeah." Sterling nodded weaklingly. "But at least we got out of there with our lives... except... Pike. And are free to fight another day." "Well, maybe you two." Gridlock shrugged, as he then glared at the Black Sheep. "But as for you stupid Sheep, I think the time has finally come for all of you to disband." "What?!" Talbolt gaped. "You can't do that!" DeRose yelled. "Ya no-good, double-crossin'..." Sam spat. "Who do you think you are?" Reaper growled. "No! I've had it up to here with all of you!" Gridlock growled. "The Black Sheep have been nothing but dead weight for years! But no... no, no, no, Father continues to keep all of you on for some reason I cannot figure out! But that ends now. This is the last straw! You hear me? The last-" "Oh shut your damn piehole, Gridlock!" Scalphunter yelled. Everypony gasped at Scalphunter's interruption. "What did you say to me?!" Gridlock snarled. "You heard me." Scalphunter glared. "I am sick of your crap, Gridlock. You think you can come in, take over our division to carry out your pitiful revenge fantasy, and then blame us for your failure? Well, then, you got another thing coming!" "Don't you mess with me, Scalphunter." Gridlock growled. "We are far away from home, and there is nothing to keep me from killing you right here and now." "Oh, is that so?" Scalphunter sneered. "Well, you know what they say... what goes around, comes around..." "...What?" Gridlock frowned, "What are you going on about?" "I'll just cut to the chase." Scalphunter smirked. "When we get back to Infinity, you're going to make me the Black Sheep's leader again. And then you're going to slither back into the Coils and leave us the BUCK alone." "And why the hell would I do that?" Gridlock glared. "Simple. We all know how you value being feared and respected among your peers." Scalphunter shrugged. "...I wonder what would happen if word were to get out that the illlustrous Grenade Gridlock failed to kill Black Knight Paladin?" "You all failed too!" Gridlock roared. "Yes, but the other agents have come to expect that of us." Scalphunter smirked. "But to hear that about Gridlock of all ponies? As if Project: Infestation hadn't done enough to ruin your reputation." Gridlock's glare hardened. "So, this is how it's going to be: you stop bothering the Black Sheeps about Black. You and everypony else in the Ouroboros. And we'll take the rap for this mission and what happened to Pike. No harm, no foul." Scalphunter declared. He then shared glances with his fellow Black Sheep, who had caught onto his plan, and they all gave snide grins towards Gridlock. "If not, we'll go around telling everypony how Black made you his mare, and how you failed to do what a bunch of Black Sheep couldn't. Then we'll see how the others, especially Father, will see you. Right, guys?" "Indubitably." Talbolt smirked. "Precisely." DeRose sniggered. "You will never be feared again." Reaper laughed darkly. "Like a little mare." Sam chuckled. Gridlock nearly felt a vein popped, seething at the Black Sheep... but he knew that he was beaten. "...Fine." Gridlock spat. "You can have the damn Sheep! Just stay the buck out of my way from now on!" "Pleasure doing business with you." Scalphunter sneered, as he held up a hoof that had the word 'Scalp' tattooed on it... then twisted it to show off his black ram tattoo. "You know what they say: 'It rubs the lotion on its skin...'" "'Or else it gets the hose again!'" The other Black Sheeps chanted. Gridlock stewed in silence, as Solomon scoffed. "Wow, you let them walk all over you." Solomon growled. "Shut it, Solomon." Gridlock growled, "When you are in a position of power like I am, you gotta learn to just bear it and grin it." "Trust me, when I do get to be an Ouroboros like you, I won't make the mistake you just made..." Solomon grumbled. "That will be the day." Gridlock scoffed. "Loveless really liked Pike though..." Sterling frowned. "He won't be happy to hear that he's gone..." "Forget Loveless, Cross." Gridlock spat. "He coddled Pike for too long. And Faust hopes you don't end up like him. Wherever Pike is now, he's no longer an issue... for anypony." Back at the bunker, the Taskforce pulled a hoofcuffed Pike into the carriage. "Thank you, Black." Pike said suddenly. "What?" Black frowned. "Why would you be thanking me?" "Because you reminded me of what it meant to be a pony." Pike smiled. "All our encounters, all of our talks... it awakened a part of me I thought I'd lost forever. No matter what happens, I want you to know that you've turned my life around, and I can never thank you enough for that." Black stared at Pike for a moment, the words seeming to sink in. "Whatever." He scoffed. "I was only ever doing my job. And now that you're finally in chains, I can close this sad chapter of my life, and hope I never see your ugly face ever again..." "Fair enough I guess..." Pike gave a sad smile. "Just... remember what I said earlier, okay?" "...Whatever." Black scoffed, as he then glanced at Ballista, who was driving the carriage. "Let's go." A couple of days later, Pike was being interrogated by Ballista and Titan. Elite was watching through one-way glass. "I think you know full well what we want from you." Ballista declared. "We want you to start spilling the beans on your Forefather pals. And if you don't, well... let's just say Titan doesn't take disappointment well." "Rrrr..." Titan growled, bashing his fists together. "You can knock off the tough guy routine." Pike snorted. "Even if I were willing to talk, there's nothing I can give you that will do your Taskforce even a lick of good." "I think I'll be the judge of that." Ballista slammed his hooves on the table. "And make no mistake, you will talk sooner or later. It's our job to make you talk. So we can protect Equestria from what the Forefathers are planning." "How noble." Pike smirked. "But we both know you, Mr. Ballista, aren't as pure and heroic as you like others to think." "You're one to talk." Ballista retorted. "Rrf!" Titan agreed. "True, I'm not exactly squeaky-clean." Pike shrugged. "I've done bad, terrible, lousy things. But I owned up to them. I embraced them. I never tried to hide them behind a veneer of righteousness. Too bad you can't say the same..." "What's that supposed to mean?" Ballista growled. "Oh, let's just that you have some... shall we say, less than noble plans of your own." Pike grinned. "Like, say... Project: Argo." "What?!" Ballista froze. "Rooo?" Titan frowned. "How do you know about that?!" Ballista snarled. "I have my sources." Pike said smugly. "I know all about this little project of yours. And I gotta say, I'm not impressed." "Oh, yeah?" Ballista said through gritted teeth. "And why's that?" "Because your little plan is never going to work." Pike retorted. "It's total garbage from start to finish. It'll fall apart in no time." "That's your opinion." Ballista said anxiously. "But it's an opinion that's correct." Pike smirked... before frowning. "You shouldn't do this. Especially not to a stallion like Black. It'll turn him against you, make him into something far worse than anything the Forefathers could ever hope to be." "You don't know what you're talking about!" Ballista yelled. "I know sociopaths." Pike retorted. "And I know what you planning to do with Black will save nopony. Instead, it'll doom us all!" "You are full of it!" Ballista screamed, slamming his hooves in the table. "And what's worse is that you're dragging Elite into this!" Pike glared. "There's no way a stallion like Elite would come up with a plan as cruel as this. No... this atrocity is all on YOU!" "SHUT UP!" Ballista roared, wrapping his hooves around Pike's neck, tackling him to the ground. "Just shut up!" "What the-?" Elite stood up in shock. "No!" Elite rushed into the room, where Ballista was pummeling Pike with his hooves. Titan tried to pry Ballista off him, but Ballista pushed him back. "Say your prayers, scum!" Ballista pointed his crossbow at Pike. "Ballista, stop!" Elite yelled. "What do you think you're doing?!" Ballista lowered his crossbow, Elite's words snapping him back to reality. Ballista let out a huff as he stepped off. "Thanks, Everest." Pike said weakly. "I owe you one..." "...Sorry, boss." He panted heavily. "I... I don't know what came over me." "Rrrf!" Titan barked, thoroughly confused. "Well, I do." Elite frowned. "It seems your little pet project means more to you than I thought." "And you're not more concerned that this clown knows about it?" Ballista pointed at Pike's bruised self. "If it helps, I just found out myself." Pike declared. "And I only got the info due to extreme duress. Only she and me knows about your dirty little secret." "She..." Ballista's eyes twitched. "Oh, that little wench..." "Elite..." Pike glanced at Elite. "It's not too late. Stop this project before it's too late-" "Watch your mouth, unless you want more!" Ballista growled. "That's enough for today, I think." Elite declared. "Titan, take Pike to Triage, then back to his cell. Tomorrow, I'll handle the interrogation myself." "Ruff..." Titan frowned, confused about what 'Project: Argo' was and what it had to do with his friends. Gently, he picked up Pike and carried him out. "Have anypony told you that you have surprisingly soft paws?" Pike joked as they left the room. Elite glared at Ballista. "Ballista..." Elite began. "Aw, come on, Elite!" Ballista pouted. "I only lost me temper a little." "And I can't afford it being a lot." Elite scowled. "We already have one operative on the verge of a psychotic break. Faust knows we don't need two." He sighed heavily. "I'm beginning to think Project: Argo is becoming more trouble than it's worth..." Ballista looked away petulantly. The present... "I see cracks were starting to form in the plan." Fletcher mused. "So what happened to Pike?" Caboose asked. "Lemme guess, you put him in prison for life or something, right?" "Not exactly." Black declared. "Follow me, gentlestallions..." Black led Fletcher and Caboose down into the depths of the headquarter, to a long tunnel with several small cells. "So this is the 'Pipeline' you mentioned earlier?" Fletcher asked. "Yes it is." Black declared. "It's where we keep the most high-profile offenders. The ones who are too dangerous or well-connected to be allowed into regular prisons. We don't have too many inmates, but the ones we do have are pretty important." They stopped at one cell. Black pushed a button on the side, causing the panel to lift up. Behind the panel was a glass pane, with a Earth Pony stallion within. "Meet one of our oldest inmates." Black declared. "Meet Pike Redfield." Pike was clearly showing his age, boasting wrinkles and a completely bald head. His cell contained various hoof-carved wooden sculptures, and he was currently whittling away at another one with the 'Redfield Pike'. His brooch was sitting on the shelf next to his bed. "Huh." Caboose mused. "Not what I was expecting." "He's not quite the stallion he used to be." Black admitted. Pike noticed he had visitors. "Oh, hey, Black." Pike smirked, "You already got some more wood for me?" "Say hello to Pike, fellas." Black declared. "Uh... hi." Caboose said awkwardly. "...Hello?" Fletcher frowned. "Oh, so you got yourself some new pals, Black?" Pike noted, "Maybe we can all get to know each other some time?" "Yeah, maybe." Black shrugged. "Might I ask why Pike is still here after all this time?" Fletcher asked. "While he may have been dangerous back in the day, he... doesn't look much." He glanced at Pike, "No offense." "Not taken." Pike shrugged. "Is he really a danger to anypony anymore?" Caboose frowned. "He's not." Black agreed. "But he's useful to us, and has been for a long time." "Useful?" Fletcher mused. "How?" "That's quite a story in itself." Black declared. "But it's nothing compared to what came after he was locked up. Trust me, you'll be way more surprised at that."