Mare-Do-Well: Everfree

by PaddedCell

Chapter Eight: Alliances

Soaring over the rooftops, gliding from one to the next while firing out a grappling claw to swing gaps every so often, the dark form of Mare-Do-Well thundered across Everfree City. She was tracking thermal signatures via her suit's external scanners, and heading toward the coldest area of the city. The suit had pinpointed the coldest place in Everfree to be in the Canterlot Metro tunnels beneath-ground; a rail system that had been constructed long before the rise of Everfree City, during Scootaloo's younger years. Diving off a rooftop and gliding down, she spotted the entrance to Metro Central, the nexus at which all metro tunnels met, and also the coldest point in the city. Folding her wings inward, Mare-Do-Well dropped silently in through the stairwell entrance, rolling forward and stopping in a crouch at the bottom. She now stood in the lobby area of the Central complex. But something wasn't right. She could evidently feel the cold, but there was no-one around at all. She slowly and surely continued on inside the station, noting the frosty mist and thin layer of ice coating much of the surfaces in the place. Sneaking down the next flight of steps, she dropped down onto the central platform of the station, where all trains would meet to take on or drop off passengers. Icicles hung from the vaulted roof like daggers, and frost adorned the railway tracks that had not seen use since the hostile takeover of Canterlot and its subsequent rechristening. Beautiful, delicate snowflakes fluttered down through cracks in the roof, presumably from the clouds hanging above the city outside. Bitterly cold wind cut into Mare-Do-Well's skin beneath her suit, despite the resistant properties of the material. Looking around, she noted that the place looked deserted. All too late, she spotted the machine hanging from the roof on a chain. A device which emitted searing cold, characterised by a harsh, icy-white glow radiating from transparent pipes along its surface. Some kind of environment-altering device, one which had led her straight into a trap.

The doorway she had entered the platform through, and all other doors around, slid shut with a grinding of metal-on-metal.
"So.. How's life been treatin' you, sweetheart?" A gruff, malicious voice echoed from one of the dark, cavernous metro tunnels leading out of the station. Mare-Do-Well's heart sank as she recognised the distinct, throaty cackle. From the dark archway of the tunnel appeared a grim figure, swathed in a huge, thick fur coat. The pungent smell of a lifetime's cigar smoking permeated the air despite the absence of a single cigar in these cold conditions. But the smoky appearance, now replaced by an icy mist, remained thick and menacing as ever as the Baron and a pair of burly, armoured henchmen emerged onto the platform of the station. He wore a twisted, scarred smile as always. "D'you like my little popsicle machine?" He asked, pointing up at the device hanging from the ceiling with a hoof and cackling. "Let's just say I 'acquired' it from a certain rival, and now, it's bein' put to good use." He grinned, baring his ugly teeth. Mare-Do-Well simply stared, unmoving. "So," He began again, trotting closer. "Did ya miss me? I'm sure you're still a big fan, eh?" But before she even managed to let slip a coldly-delivered pun, she was beaten to the punch with a frostier reply.
"Put to good use, you say?" Came a grating, electronic voice from somewhere in the shadows. The Baron whipped around, staring into the black void like a superstitious foal searching for a well-hidden wraith. From the opposite end of the station, through the opposite metro tunnel to the one the Baron had emerged from, an icy blue light flashed. The Baron yelped, trying to avoid the icy bolt of magic that now flew at him. But there was no escape. A flash of light flared up, and his hooves were frozen to the floor. Stuck in the awkward position, he howled in pain as the icy chill seared into his skin. Mare-Do-Well could only watch as Hyperborea stomped out onto the platform, metal suit glinting in the harsh lighting and booted hooves clacking against the icy floor. "This will teach you not to steal from me, Mr Featherweight." She uttered. A chill moved on the air, the room growing ever colder as she lowered her head, firing another icy bolt from her horn at one of the Baron's henchmen. The stallion's armour could not protect him as his entire body stiffened up, convulsing as his heart literally froze and stopped beating. He dropped dead, ice beginning to form over his corpse as Hyperborea stepped past him, heading for the last henchman. The other thug stood on his hind hooves, wielding his machine gun. A hail of bullets erupted from the barrel with blazing golden light, and headed straight toward the icy opponent. Hyperborea was not fazed by this, however. She lowered her horn, firing out a wide beam of incredibly cold energy at the oncoming bullets. The icy magic blast slowed the bullets to a harmless pace, and when they impacted, they bounced off her suit and helmet. The defunct ammunition fell to the floor with a tinkling of tiny metal pieces. Another blast of magic, and the henchman's gun froze up, completely useless. The final blast finished him, a conjured icicle flying forth and impaling itself straight through his abdomen, shattering on impact with his ribcage. His limp, broken body dropped onto its back, a look of horror etched into its cold, lifeless face. The battle was almost over, and now, it was the masked hero's turn. Hyperborea turned to face Mare-Do-Well.

She was nowhere to be found.

"Mare-Do-Well. Mare-Do-Well, show yourself now, or face the consequences." She ordered, voice echoing around and reverberating across the central station's vaulted ceilings. No reply. Hyperborea gave what might have been an annoyed grunt, but sounded in her voice more like a malfunctioning machine. Her blind, pale eyes surveyed the cavernous room, aided by the ocular equipment on her helmet and the scanning computer built into her suit. With another grunt, she turned her attentions back to the violently shuddering, wide-eyed form of the Baron, still frozen in place.
"L.. Let me go, you little.." He began, but Hyperborea's toneless voice cut him off.
"You stole my equipment, and in doing so, sabotaged my plans. We all have our own agendas in this city, do we not, Mr Featherweight?" She asked, her face pressed disconcertingly close to his. He could smell a decayed, dead scent on her.
"We got plans, yeah.." He managed, scarred face contorting with pain again as Hyperborea began circling him slowly.
"Indeed, Mr Featherweight. We all have plans. And you would do well to stay out of my agenda, lest your own be.. Interrupted." She spoke coldly, her pale, blind eyes moving in their sockets slowly. The Baron sneered at her.
"An' if I carry on stickin' my nose into your business, what will happen? Eh? What are you gonna-" He was cut off as there was an almighty grating, rending screech of breaking metal from somewhere above. Chains rattled and bolts clanked off surfaces. Hyperborea was too late to react as the huge cold-emitting device which had been hanging in a suspended position above the station now came swinging down on its tethering chain. It swung in a wide arc, slamming into the icy foe and smashing down on top of her, crushing her. She wheezed and stared around with the half-broken ocular equipment of her helmet, and spotted her attacker.

Mare-Do-Well dropped silently from the shadows of the vaulted ceiling, spreading open her wings and cape as she glided to the floor. Hyperborea's cold heart thawed with burning rage.
"Mare-Do-Well. I.. I assumed you had turned tail and retreated. I expected you to have fled." Her cracked, fizzling electronic voice sounded. The raspy speech echoed around the frozen station.
"I never flee from my enemies, Hyperborea." Mare-Do-Well returned tonelessly. "Now.. Tell me where Sweetie Belle is."
"The singer from the Silverhoof Club? Good luck finding her.." Hyperborea gasped, coughing up blood. "She escaped from me. When Featherweight assaulted my base of operations, stealing my equipment.. She ran, disappearing into the thick of the battle." She stared blindly for a few moments more, and then her head dropped to the ground, helmet clanking against the ice. Mare-Do-Well checked for a pulse, but Hyperborea was gone. The blood had ceased pumping almost instantly, and now she was as still as the ice around her. Mare-Do-Well sighed to herself, as all now seemed lost.
"I can 'elp." Came the Baron's voice from behind her. She turned slowly. "I said, I can 'elp you get the mare back." He repeated, eyes dark. Mare-Do-Well moved toward him, staring coldly.
"And what's in it for you, Featherweight?" She muttered. He grimaced, managing to break one hoof free of the ice.
"You an' me both want this city rid of the Redcapes, eh? The Street Mares? We both wanna be rid of 'em, so I'll help you get that Sweetie Belle back - if you'll help my crew and I bring down the Street Mares." Mare-Do-Well thought for a few long moments. The Baron was a seedy underworld crime boss, rotten to the core. But in this game, he was only a pawn against the authority of Septimal and the Street Mares. He was no longer a leader figure, only another minor rebel against the dictatorship. In this moment, her mind was made up. She shook the Baron's free hoof, and then pulled him from the ice. "We work together for now. But the moment you try to double-cross me, Featherweight.. I will stop you."

Comments

[Doctor_Brony1234]

Reminds me of Batman: Arkham City! Yay!

-The Good Doctor

[PaddedCell]

3047310
Which was my inspiration, so I must be doing something right.