Contracted

by Slywolf930

Judice

Marx looked down the scope of his crossbow. The bow strength and weight of the crossbow was optimal for long range use, and he planned to do just that. The sight was settled on the window of one of the tallest buildings. With the tree on the side of his vision, he made sure the cat was where he wanted it to be.

Sliding the bolt into place, he chose the normal bolt he would use. Resting a sleep bolt next to him, he wished that Screw had given him the special darts. Now, he waited for his plan to fall into place. Any second now, the Element of Generosity would look out the window.

“What are… um, what are you looking at?” Fluttershy asked from the nearby tree, enjoying her lack of restraints and single thick leash connecting her to the tree.

“You’re about to see one of your friends again…” Marx said, concentrating. He saw a shadow in the window. Marx lifted his extra bolt and checked which way the wind was blowing. It felt like a light breeze to the left, and he adjusted accordingly. Marx was confident that he wouldn’t miss. He never does.

“Please… don’t hurt them,” Fluttershy said.

“That’s up to them, my job is just to take you in,” Marx said.

“Your job?” Fluttershy asked.

“It’s best you didn’t know,” Marx said.

“But I didn’t do anything wrong… or maybe I did… but, it wasn’t that bad. Please, give me another chance,”

“Relax, I don’t know what you did wrong, but somepony wanted me to get you for it,” Marx said.

“I’m not a bad pony… and you aren’t either,” Fluttershy said.

“I’m definitely not the good pony here,”

“But you’re not bad,” Fluttershy said.

“Why do you care? Nopony’s given a shit about me, so what makes you different?” Marx said, agitated at her attitude.

“You’re only doing what you’re told… that’s not bad,” Fluttershy said.

“But why do you care about who I am?”

“Somepony has to, isn’t there somepony who cares about you?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well… there is one pony… but that’s an exception,” Marx said.

“Why?”

“Because she’s just like me…” Marx said.

“She sounds… special, what’s her name?” Fluttershy asked.

“Rogue… my black rose…” Marx said, feeling joy remembering her nickname, and when she got that name.
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Marx turned into his designated room. He stopped when he saw the face of his best friend, Rogue. She held out her hoof and shoved him out.

“O.L. wanted to see us. He said it was important. So turn yourself around and let’s get going,” Rogue said, nudging him to start walking.

“You could have just said so… and what were you doing in my room?” Marx asked.

“Waiting for you. If I waited at the entrance, you would have snuck around. With your dark blue coat, you can move like a shadow when you want to. That grey mane gives you a ghostly feel too,” Rogue said.

“And what’ve you got going for you?” Marx playfully asked.

“I’m drop dead gorgeous, isn’t that enough?” Rogue asked.

“Yeah, like a rose. You look nice, and then stab,”

Rogue pushed him away. “Haha, I’m not that mean,” Rogue said.

“You’re just creepy and dark colored,” Marx continued.

“Dark rose, sounds like a good name,” Rogue said.

“Not that catchy, you need to work on it,” Marx said.

“I’ll think about it after the meeting, now get in there,” Rogue said, pushing him in the door.

Marx looked around the silver looking room with a round table in the middle. The chairs were lined in gold, with silk tablecloth on top of the table to make it look fancy. O.L. was waiting for them, as well as three other ponies. Marx knew them all, and he wasn’t particularly fond to see them.

“Take your seats, now that everypony is here,” O.L. said.

The five of them sat around the table, eyeing each other with curiosity. None of them knew what this was about.

“I’ve gathered the five of you here because you all possess an ability that can be used to the Organization’s benefit. Your skills of combat and abilities are needed in what the Boss envisioned,” O.L. said.

“What are you talking about?” The pony across from Marx said.

“Dalen, everything will be clear soon, just be patient,” O.L. said.

“And what is he doing here? He’s nothing special,” Dalen said, pointing at Marx.

“He’s got just a right to be here as you do,” Rogue said.

“Enough, let me continue,” O.L. said. Dalen settled down and Rogue kept her attention on O.L.

“Boss says we need a new source of income, because we’ve got a lot more ponies living here than we have income currently. If you agree, you’ll be invited as founders of the Mercenary group in our Organization. We’ll get more recruits in the future, but as of right now, you five are the strongest,” O.L. said.

"Mercenaries? That sounds awesome, we'll get to fight stuff, won't we?" Dalen asked.

"Of course, as well as other duties," O.L. said.

O.L. pulled out a sheet of paper and slid it to Dalen. “If you accept, you need a new name to keep you safe from those who might and will hate you in the future. Once the name is accepted by three of the five of you, it will be your new name,” O.L. said.

“Oh I know, my cutie mark is a scythe… how about death?” Dalen asked.

“All in favor?” O.L. asked.

Unanimous agreement in the room allowed Dalen to take the name Death. He signed the paper and slid it to the pony on his left.

“Well, I always wanted my name to be Stella…” She said, looking around.

Dalen was the only one who declined, saying how that wasn’t a very tough name. He was ignored and Stella signed the paper. She passed it to Rogue who nodded to herself.

“How about Rose?” Rogue asked, giving Marx a wink.

The fifth pony didn’t agree, while Death actually agreed to the proposal, saying how she could be scary at times. Rogue signed the paper and slid it to the fifth pony. He was a more shy colt, but Marx had seen his speed on more than one occasion.

“You should be ‘Outcast’, doesn’t that sound fair guys?” Death asked the others. No one laughed, knowing Death was trying to bully him. Instead, the pony gave a small smile at the others.

“It’s okay, I know I can be a bit reclusive… how about Recluse?” He asked.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Rogue asked.

“Yeah, that way ponies know I’m not much of a talker,” he said.

Stella was the only one who didn’t agree. She said it was degrading and refused to accept his reasoning. Finally, the paper was passed to Marx who didn’t have an idea. He looked to Rogue for help, and she gave him a knowing smile. He suddenly knew what to suggest.

“Shadow,” Marx said.

“What kind of name is that?” Death asked.

“Mysterious and stealthy,” I like it,” Stella said.

“It sounds like a good name to me,” Recluse said.

“I like it,” Rogue said.

“And that makes three,” Marx said.

“Whatever, just don’t expect me to call you that,” Death said.

“The names are only for everypony else. You can call each other whatever you want, but publicly in towns and with non organization ponies, you use those names,” O.L. said.

“Hey Asshole, you’ve got yourself a new name,” Death said, chuckling to himself.

“Get out of here, I’ll give you a brief later. And don’t tell anypony about this… anypony,” O.L. said.
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Marx saw the white figure poke out from the window. Focusing on his objective, his mind went into adrenaline mode. He had his shot. Turning to one of the other tall buildings, he shot the lowest window of it he could see. Immediately, he reloaded the sleep bolt and shot at the figure. As a precaution, he grabbed another sleep bolt from his bag and shot the cat in the tree. He stripped the crossbow of its attachments and started to run down the hill.

Having already pathed out the way to the Carousel Boutique, he weaved through the houses and stayed away from the main streets. When he approached the building, he was glad the distraction had worked, the ponies had dispersed to follow the noise from the first bolt and did not notice the second shot.

Entering the shop, he found the stairs quickly and ascended. When he opened the door that belonged to the window, he found it unlocked. Marx entered and found the collapsed body of the Element of Generosity on the floor. The sleeping dart protruded from her upper leg, and she was out cold.

Marx lifted her to lean on his side and started to practically drag her out the room. When he reached the hallway, he found a white unicorn filly looking up at him with curious eyes. She had her mouth open and Marx was ready to take her out.

“I don’t even want to know…” Sweetiebelle said, turning and walking away. She mumbled something that sounded like. “Not again,”

Marx had his mouth agape as she entered her own room. He continued with his task and dragged Rarity down the steps. When he left the building, he took her through back alleys and towards his hill. When he finally dragged her to the tree Fluttershy was tied to, he stopped to rest.

“Oh my, tell me she’s okay…” Fluttershy said.

“I’m sure she’s… fine,” Marx said, catching his breath. “But she sure does weigh more than I thought,” Marx said.

“That’s not very nice…” Fluttershy said.

“But it’s true,” Marx said.

Fluttershy looked over Rarity’s unconscious body as Marx went and got the rope back out.

“Wanna help me with this?” Marx asked.

“You… you trust me?” Fluttershy asked.

“If she gets loose, you’ll be the one taking the bolt. So… it’s a different kind of trust,” Marx said, handing her the rope.

“I-I understand,” Fluttershy said, tying tight but comfortable knots on Rarity’s hooves.

“Nine Point Five days… that’s how long until they realize you’re gone. But Rarity is outgoing…. Maybe Eight Point Five…” Marx said more to himself than her.

“Is that when you’ll… let us go?” Fluttershy asked hopefully.

“If I told you that, I’d be breaking my contract,” Marx said.

“Contract?” Fluttershy asked.

“Nothing to worry about… yet,” Marx said, taking out a roll of paper.

Marx looked down at the map he’d packed. It labeled all the important places in Ponyville, as well as the back alleys he could use. Now, he saw a major flaw in his plan. Three of the next targets were in town, while the fourth was nearby in a farm. He couldn’t have watch over all four, and that was a problem.

Taking the loner out first would detract too much time from the other three, while catching the other three by surprise will be difficult with an unknown variable of the loner walking into town any moment. Then he saw his new plan unfold in front of him. It could work, but it would mean he’d have to take risks.

“…Um, what are you doing?” Fluttershy asked. Marx had been mumbling the plan to himself and now was mapping out his route.

“I wouldn’t worry about me too much, has she woken-,”

“Sir, can you explain to me what is going on? And why am I covered in… dirt?” Rarity asked, looking over her side that Marx had partly dragged around in the dirt.

“Why do they always ask questions?” Marx asked, rummaging through the bag.

“Why am I tied up? This rope is really dirty, and itchy, can I get some lotion? My mouth is getting dry, do you have any-, why are you holding that cloth?” Rarity asked.

“Why couldn’t you be like your friend? Nice and quiet… sort of,” Marx said, walking over.

“Fluttershy, what are we doing here?” Rarity asked.

“I… don’t know,” Fluttershy said, as Marx gagged Rarity.

Rarity struggled and Marx had to hold her head down as he tied the cloth tight. When he stood up, Fluttershy remained quiet and he walked back to his map. Rarity made sounds of resentment and Marx thought he heard some words he didn’t think she would say. When Marx blocked the noises out of his head, he took out a pencil and began to take notes.

Nearby, Fluttershy looked at Rarity with sympathy. Rarity looked at her with pleading eyes. Fluttershy could tell she wanted the cloth and ropes off, as well as everything else she asked about. Fluttershy also knew that if she did that, she would probably be put in the same treatment. While Marx was talking to herself, she tried to comfort Rarity.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help you right now,” Fluttershy whispered to Rarity who gave her the eye.

“I’m… sorry, Fluttershy said, looking away at the rabbit.

Marx realized that he had to prepare before his plan continued. Rummaging through his bag, he found the Wingrazor traps Screw had given him. Marx went to the back of his camp, where the trees were most heavy, and dug a few centimeters into the ground. He positioned the trap exactly in the center of a cluster of trees. Going to the right of the camp, he positioned another, although further into the forest than the last.

Marx wished he’d gotten more traps, but they were prototypes, after all. He doubted Screw had tested them yet. Walking back to his camp, he found that Rarity’s gag had been removed and Fluttershy wasn’t raising her head.

“I… She promised she’d be good,” Fluttershy said, looking away from his curious gaze.

Marx looked at Rarity, who seemed to be controlling herself, although he could feel the barrage of questions about to come out.

“Who do you think you are? I mean, this is not how you treat a lady. Would you care to explain?” Rarity asked, not nearly as politely as Fluttershy thought.

“My name is Shadow, I’ll be your executioner today if you wouldn’t prefer to wait in silence for a while,” Marx said, annoyance in his skin.

“Executioner? Why, I haven’t done anything wrong! Well, recently that is. And Fluttershy has no reason to be here,” Rarity said.

“I just need to capture six ponies and then my job is done. You have a little time to say goodbye to this place before I finish my job,” Marx said. Fluttershy lowered her head and Marx thought he saw Rarity give her a look of comfort before turning back to Marx.

“What kind of satisfaction do you get from terrorizing mares? Don’t you have a soul?” Rarity asked.

“I never said I enjoyed this,” Marx said, looking back to his map.

“Then why would you do it?” Rarity asked.

“Because… it’s who I am,” Marx said, glancing at his cutie mark once more.

“Ponies change,” Rarity said.

“Now you’re sounding like… her,” Marx said. Marx wasn’t referring to Fluttershy. In fact, he was thinking of the day Rogue came back from her first mission. He shook his head before any memories came back.

“Please… you don’t have to do this. There’s some good inside of you,” Rarity said.

“Just… leave me alone. I’m going to finish what I started,” Marx said, rolling up the map. The sun was going to set soon, and he needed some time to think. If his plan would work, he’d have to start early in the morning and work as fast as possible.

Marx listened to the sounds of the forest. The birds and the animals were rustling in the leaves. The wind blew the leaves into a rhythmatic sound that played like an angel’s harp. He could listen to it all night, if the whispered talk didn’t enter his ears. Marx listened to their conversations, and quickly learned that they were discussing anything that could have gotten them in this mess.

They didn’t seem like prime targets, but it wasn’t his job to judge. The judgement was up to his employers, however shady they seemed. Now, he was left with a choice to make. Warning the residents of an attack would bring the Royal Guard almost immediately. On the other hand, they’d realize something was wrong when six of them go missing, especially these six.

Marx heard a growl and opened his eyelids. The sun was setting and the campfire hadn’t been lit yet. Marx rose from his position and walked towards the noise. Near him, Fluttershy and Rarity had gone quiet and Fluttershy was holding Rarity for comfort.

Marx located the sound of the noise before Fluttershy. A group of Timberwolves were converging on the camp. They bared their teeth and drips of sap fell down. When the leader stepped forward, Marx could tell it was the Timberwolf that escaped the day before.

“I warned you…” Marx said, pulling out the sheathed sword.

The Timberwolf at the front hesitated, but the two behind it urged him forward. The three of them came at once, one jumping into the air while the others continued running. Marx had to grin when he heard the sound of a click. At the same time, he unsheathed his sword and held it out.

The airborne Timberwolf was caught by surprise as the wire sprung from the ground. It was attached to six spearheaded bolts. They went in different directions, hitting the trees that Marx had set them up to hit. When the bolts hit the trees, the wires attached to the launching wire was released, they closed in on the center point, five feet above the Wing razor trap. The Timberwolf was wrapped in the razor sharp wire and held in midair by the wire.

“Watch out!” Fluttershy said, putting her hooves over her face again. She couldn’t bear to see this. Rarity, on the other hand, kept her eyes on the events.

With one of the Timberwolves out of commission, Marx concentrated on the more confident Timberwolf. Bringing the sword up, he dodged the hesitating wolf and sliced at the legs of the confident Timberwolf. When the Timberwolf landed, he found that his paws were now on the ground, five feet away. Again, he charged, as the other stopped to assess the situation.

Marx waited until the Timberwolf pounced before ducking and slicing at the jaws of the beast. Before the Timberwolf could feel the damages, Marx was on him. He sliced at the legs and back until the Timberwolf could barely stand. The other, sensing defeat, lowered his tail.

Marx held his sword at the injured Timberwolf’s throat. Once again, he awaited the reply. The Timberwolf, unable to give up, snarls at Marx. Marx doesn’t hesitate to drive the sword home and cut off the wood that made up the Timberwolf’s head. As the body fell back, Marx sheathed the sword and looked at the last one.

“If I have to deal with you one more time, I’ll use your wood to build a tree house,” Marx said. The Timberwolf left with his tail between his legs. When Marx walked over to the trap, he realized he didn’t know how to reset it.

Marx collected the spearheaded bolts and the wire loosened. The entangled Timberwolf could only tuck his tail as it slackened slightly. Now, Marx looked for a way to untangle the wires.

“Just a second, don’t try anything while I get you out,” Marx said, seeing how tight the wires got around his legs.

The Timberwolf tried to whine, but Marx pulled on the wire and the entire wire tightened once again. He quickly loosened them again, but the Timberwolf was dripping a lot of sap. Marx unsheathed the sword and in one quick slash managed to cut the wires around its legs. The Wing razor trap was disabled, and the Timberwolf quickly ran into the forest, a big limp visible.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Fluttershy said, when she noticed Marx was coming back.

“Yeah…” Marx said, glancing at the remains of the dead Timberwolf.

“I don’t know why you showed those disgusting creatures any mercy, but at least you got one of them,” Rarity said.

Marx was holding the blade up to her throat before she could take a breath. “Your life means less to me than theirs; don’t think you’re worth more than you are,” Marx said, his eyes piercing into hers. She didn’t respond, and only cowered back in fear. There was something about his look that gave her the chills. It was like he meant what he said.

Marx was done with today’s events. He walked back to the camp fire and tossed the remains of the Timberwolf inside for fuel. Lighting the fire, he laid nearby and watched the flames and the sparks. Gradually, he felt sleepy and closed his eyes to rest.

Nearby, Rarity looked to Fluttershy, who had gone pale when Marx had threatened her. “Fluttershy, oh what are we going to do?” Rarity asked softly.

“I don’t know,” Fluttershy whispered back.

“Just who is he?” Rarity asked.

“He’s… still a good pony,” Fluttershy said, lowering her head.

“How can you say that?” Rarity asked.

“Everypony is good… at heart,” Fluttershy said, closing her eyes to sleep. Rarity shook her head as she followed suit, feeling a slight headache from today’s events.

"Not this pony..." Rarity whispered to herself before falling asleep.

Author's Note:

I'm not particularly fond of this chapter, but I still have to post it. Not sure if you’d get the chapter name, but I was going for a judgement type of chapter. Marx was showing off some of his traits as well as conversing with the ‘prisoners’. It's up to the reader if Marx is a good/bad pony.

Next Time: Chaos Rising, Phase cannon set to Confetti!

Comments

[lordofmyth]

........is he aware that technically speaking, they are probably going to aware she is gone by morning, right? pinkie pie.............. she'll know. she will try to find rarity, aske sweetie belle, take about twenty minutes to understand what is happening, then go right for twilight.
then a chain effect involving alicorns, royal guards, and this guy committing seppeku with a crossbow bolt when he realizes crossbows are not very effective against demigods; that lst bit was more of a joke.

it makes me wonder why these guys have even accepted this contract. they are gonna garner the attention of the rulesr of the land, demigoddess, alicorns, not to mention once Celestia or luna knows, they all gonna know..............

so far he has only dealt with the least aggressive and the most clever. now he has to deal with someone with a will of iron and matching strength and a pegasus so fast and aggressive that she could be on him before he could blink.

[Slywolf930]

3765932 Dat comment...
You deserve something better than a cookie.

[Bateman66]

I LIKE THE DIALOUGE!!!!!