Taking A Stand

by ShadeJak

Evil Hidden

So here I am, now on the rooftop after climbing and teleporting my way up the emergency fire escape floor by floor. I looked around for any sign of vehicles, but saw nothing. They may have hid it indoors for all I knew. I was certain the man I interrogated had told me the truth; probably because his remaining shred of confidence was I was walking right into certain death if I met his friends or whoever sent him.

One particular building stood out; its skylights and high windows were lit. It was old, surrounded by buildings that no one was likely using except for the occasional homeless squatters. Leaping down, I teleported again so I’d reappear on the ground without hurting myself. The building’s entrances were closed and from the looks of it, probably locked. I couldn’t just teleport somewhere I didn’t know the inside of, for all I knew I could appear inside a crate, some PAPA thug’s arms, or right in the middle of a crowd of those psychos and then I’d really be in trouble. I could handle a few with the right supplies and surroundings, but forget a whole crowd of them especially if they’re armed. There had to be some way to get inside…

Pacing around the building, I found a window with several discarded crates nearby. If maybe I could… I focused my magic on one of the crates, trying to lift and float it to where the window was. After I’d succeeded, I did the same with two more, one after the other, then floated an empty trash can and lay it upside-down atop the highest crate. I took a few breaths, using all I’d had so far was slowly wearing me down and I made a note to enjoy a good meal when I got home.

“Alright…” I said, climbing up one and then attempting a small teleport so I could stand on the big metal can without making it fall on the way up. Reappearing on such a small surface I almost lost my balance but then leaned against the wall and stretched upward as high as I could so I could peer through the window.

Inside were about thirty or so people; all of them wearing black, with the PAPA logo, and skimasks that hid their faces. All of them seemed to be sitting down, listening to someone. There were two boxes on a stage in front of them, both of which were covered in dark sheets. I spotted the van from before parked in a corner, near where a pull-down garage door was closed on the other side of the building.

Peering around, I tried to look for a spot I could move myself to without being noticed. Somewhere away from the group, behind them perhaps? Opening the window could risk drawing attention, teleporting near the stage they might notice the sound or the brief flash where I’d appear.

Suddenly they stood up and began applauding. Now was my chance!

Closing my eyes, I looked at the spot behind some boxes inside that I’d noticed. It was to the side, if they were distracted by whatever they were celebrating I might go unnoticed.

In a soft pop I was behind the boxes, and inside their hideout now. The cheers continued and I moved quietly to the side behind the boxes so I could see what the commotion was.

"Brothers and sisters of PAPA, please welcome the man who has become our savior against this pandemic!" a man at the stage announced, causing another eruption of applause as another person came to the stage.

Facing the audience now, was a tall, lean man also dressed all in black, the PAPA logo on patches sewn onto the shoulders of his overcoat which looked military in nature, with matching gloves, pants and boots. Strapped on his right leg was a bowie knife in its sheath. His face was also concealed by a pewter-colored airsoft mask covered by a black hoodie worn under his coat, but judging from the different outfit and where he stood, I’d take an educated guess this man was the boss the thugs I had met earlier had spoken of.

“Welcome, good to see you all made it, my brothers-in-arms,” the man said, spreading his arms out in greeting. I remained hidden, knowing that showing myself now without a solid game plan to save the ponies, especially when I had no idea where they were would be suicide.

“Tonight, is where we usher in the next step towards humankind's retaliation against this growing threat against our future!" he announced. "As you all know, far too many are just too afraid to take the steps necessary to save the lucky ones from those who have been marked! Some think that..." He paced back and forth, making emphatic gestures. “…sign-waving here, preaching in public there… that’ll get the job done. Hell, vandalizing merchandise associated with that which started this mess?”

He laughed. “May as well be leaving burning bags of dogshit on their doorsteps with an angry note calling them stupid-heads or something equally juvenile!” he said sarcastically, earning laughs from his audience. His tone was smooth and low, yet passionate; like a southern preacher who could mesmerize an entire room the moment he opens his mouth, or someone's grandfather perhaps. It sent chills down my back, and it only grew worse every moment that passed.

“But they know nothing!” he explained, raising his hand up, index finger extended. “Nothing… about how to spread the message of our revolution! Of mankind’s revolution!” He held his hands behind his back as he turned to face his attentive followers again. “Mankind’s revolution against those whose depravity has been brought for all the world to see by being reduced to the form of lower creatures. I speak of course of these equine abominations that have surfaced throughout our world… sure we get a little diversity with other creatures from the heathen mythologies, appropriately enough, but the enemy is the same, my brothers and sisters.”

The members in the audience murmured in agreement, some nodding and some lightly applauding.

“This, is where we come in! We are gonna make an example of them, all of them!” he declared. “We will leave our mark upon them! They will discover they have no one to go to! No one, not even that collection of misguided man-children who call themselves the “Night Guard” who sought to protect them!”

Murmurs of approval again.

“Now I’m sure we all know that old pesky commandment that gets in the way of everything. Thou shalt not kill? It only applies to your fellow man, and are these… animals… human? Absolutely not. Does God condemn you for putting down a dog that’s grown old? For slaughtering a steer or swine or poultry for food? For putting down a horse that’s become a burden to you? Absolutely not.” As he said those words, I grit my teeth angrily. I needed an idea, but I still needed to know where the ponies were, though his words seemed to suggest to me that I was going to find out very shortly.

“And on that note, the wicked are to be punished, they have been marked as animals, and they seek to replace us! Those two in New York who were directly involved in the television series behind it all became some kind of horse-deities! Others who have been converted through this propaganda disguised as entertainment have transformed as well, including the president’s daughter. What more proof do you need that this country has lost its values and its decency? It is up to us to fight back, in a way that will show them we cannot be defeated, that we cannot be driven back, and that we will show them they have no place in our world.” He pointed to the covered boxes. “Now, how do we do that, you ask? The message we send, we demonstrate their weakness, we take away what gives them advantages over man. The impurities, and leave them to be judged accordingly by our kind!” he said. “Open the first one.”

One of the members of the audience stood up and went onto the stage, removing the sheet and revealing a bound and gagged pegasus mare. The audience shuddered in disgust, my eyes widened in horror under the mask. What was he planning to do? What could I do?

“This thing right here, may attempt to deceive you, to fool you with the memories it may have carried as a human into making you think it’s still the same person. But this creature isn’t that person anymore. That you can be sure. Does somethin’ that looks like that in any way resemble a human being to any of you? I have seen the way these creatures break apart families and we lose our loved ones and children when they give into this perverse change!” the man asked. “Now observe, as your leader, your Captain demonstrates the future of these ‘ponies’. Cut her loose, brother!” he ordered.

“Yes sir, Captain!” the other man said, pulling the pegasus out and cutting away her bonds and removing the gag. She remained where she was, shaking and terrified. I needed a plan. I didn’t know what this ‘Captain’ planned to do to her and I didn’t want to find out.

“Wh-where am I?” the pegasus asked, frightened.

“Where you belong, for now,” the man who'd called himself captain said. “Where you are to be judged, and punished for your depravity, animal.”

The audience cheered his cruel words and for him to harm or kill the pony, who remained too terrified to move.

“W…where’s m-my husband?” she asked, looking around. The captain chuckled.

“Oh, he’s already been judged. Show her what we have in the other cage, brother!” he ordered. The other man removed it, and I shuddered at what I saw.

Inside, was a shaking, cowering gray pegasus stallion. He was curled up in fetal position and his eyes were squeezed shut. His wings flapped for a moment and I noticed something… they were bleeding. Bleeding because they were missing their primaries; those really large feathers that help with flight. Without them, a pegasus, or anything with feathered wings couldn’t hope to fly… as the captain laughed again, I realized what had happened, and what he intended to do to this mare.

“Now, does that upset you, miss?” he asked smugly. “Does it make you wanna hurt me? You’ve got a chance, here. You can try and make a move against me. Land one hit on me and I’ll let you go, unharmed with your husband and you'll know I can be fair and merciful when I want to be. You fail, or try to escape, you’ll share his fate!” he said, pointing his knife at the weeping stallion and chuckling again. I hoped she’d try to flee, if she did, I could help her escape, and save her husband. I focused on my belt, floating out every firecracker I had. Looking up, I noticed a sprinkler system overhead, if I could set something on fire, it’d make for a better distraction till Steph got the police here. I couldn’t wait any longer.

The pegasus mare grit her teeth furiously and spread her wings, but before she could do anything else, the other man who'd tended to the cages immediately came up behind her and thrust a tazer into her back, causing her to cry out and drop to the ground as he tazered her some more, his leader laughing at her suffering.

“Wow, you didn't last long against me at all! So like an animal, always falling for such an easy trick!” the captain said with a laugh, his audience clapping in approval as he approached, his knife drawn. The other man immediately held the mare down, gripping her wings as his boss prepared to do the same as he did to her husband.

Taking action, I lit the M80’s and sent them right at the stage, once they landed, both the captain and his thug paused, and immediately backed away as they exploded, causing the pegasus mare to immediately take to the air and fly behind the cage her husband was in.

Lighting two more, I sent them flying at the audience, creating more explosions, and the last one at the sheets, setting them on fire. The confusion set, I made a gallop to the stage, teleporting at the last moment so I could appear in front of the two captive pegasi, glaring hatefully at the man who'd just tried to mutilate her.

“Hm, so you’re that pony in the costume one of my men ran into earlier?” the tall man asked, brandishing his knife. “Unicorn, huh? I’ll look forward to taking that horn of yours in exchange for all the pain you caused him for doing his job.”

“You can try!” I said coldly, looking him up and down. "Good to see someone didn't forget to dress up for Halloween," I muttered. As he approached, I immediately teleported, avoiding the attack from behind that I knew was coming and appeared behind the so-called ‘Captain’, but he turned around instantly and swung his knife, grazing me with it and causing me to cry out; blood drawing from the light cut that was now on my chest. I tried my magic on the knife to disarm him, but he fought back, gripping it as hard as he could until I couldn’t focus anymore as more of his friends began to approach the stage.

“Get her!” he said calmly as he stepped away. Dammit, a bunch of these guys and one of me? No chance, I had to make use of something! As several advanced with knives drawn I teleported away from them, and turned my magic to one of the burning sheets, sending it at them and blanketing several of them. Seconds later, the fire set off the sprinklers, allowing enough of a distraction to give the pegasus a chance to free her husband.

The masked leader then began to approach me again. I glared back at him, my magic levitating the nearest thing available to me… a tiny screwdriver, which in a desperate attempt I sent flying at him, but he swatted it aside before it could reach him. Dashing forward he grabbed me by the neck before I could react and held me off the ground single-handedly, nudging my hat off with the tip of his knife. Up close I could see his mask more clearly; his eyes were hidden behind screen lenses, and a cross was carved into the front between the eyeholes and over the brows.

“I believe I promised myself a severed unicorn horn…” He said softly as he held his knife out towards my horn. I struggled but to no avail, when I tried to teleport the moment my horn glowed he shook me violently, breaking my focus. “I guess no one ever told you that heroes always go down first.”

Before he could do the deed, however, sirens could be heard. Turning in their direction, he dropped me and gestured to his men, and they promptly fled to the back door, escaping and leaving me there alone with the two ponies, who both looked over at me.

“Thank you…!” the mare said, tears in her eyes as she flew over and gave me a hug. I flinched from the pain, but then put my hoof on her shoulder.

“…No problem. The police should take it from here, tell them what happened,” I said, floating my hat back to my head. I needed to get out of here as well. Free of distractions, I focused on the place outside where I’d been and was suddenly there, but the moment I did, I felt the last of my energy leave me and I collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.

Must have exhausted myself...

Moments later, I heard the door get busted down and police running in, and moments later, somepony putting their hooves around me. “You’re hurt?” Flitter’s voice asked as I looked up at its owner as she held me.

“Steph...” I said with a sad smile as I slid my mask up.

“Let's get outta here. Hope ya like flying!” the lilac pegasus said with a smile as she hugged me tightly, lifting up into the air as I slowly faded from consciousness, shaking from all that had happened.

No… we can’t go to New York… not yet.

Author's Note:

And another chapter is up! Mare Do Well's first patrol turned out okay in the end, but a pony has been crippled and a new foe has made themself known to the ponies of Richmond, what will happen next?

Teatime!

Comments

[Kalskirata02]

Thanks for inspiring me. Ya I pretty much implied that.

[jmmovieboy]

My god that was intense. I actually felt like tearing that guy apart when read that. Hope the government starts cracking down on these bastards.

[ShadeJak]

3310465

Thanks! I have another chapter in the works I hope to have up this weekend(this month's gonna be tight on me due to moving). And yeah I definitely wanted the main antagonist that MDW would have to face be both a formidable opponent and also someone vile enough to be seen a real danger to ponified people in the story's location. And I'd say I got the reaction I was hoping for, because this won't be the last time MDW deals with him

[Rocky Runner]

Needed more ass-kicking. I'd have been going full-out Batman on those guys.