From Dusk to Night

by KuroiTsubasaTenshi

16 - Perceptions

I was starting to think that if Barkeep ever stopped letting me have the back room for free, I would have to adjust my budget. Thankfully, that day was not today.

Good thing too, as I had other concerns on my mind, such as just how well a heart-to-heart with Starshadow would go. Sure, sometimes the others were so wasted or otherwise incapacitated that we might as well have been talking by ourselves, but going into a separate room always changed the tone of things.

Starshadow waited patiently by the farthest booth, an expression that said “business” written across her face. The question was whether or not she knew just what kind of business I was going to bring up.

I shut the door and trotted over. She waited until I was seated before speaking.

“Am I correct in presuming that you wish to discuss Night Flurry’s knighthood?”

“That’s one of the things. But since we’re on the topic, let’s start with that.”

“Very well. Has he informed you that he is no longer a knight?”

“He has. But that’s not the entirety of my concern.”

“The fact that he was even a knight to begin with?”

“Yes, that would be it.” I watched Starshadow carefully. If she was following my line of thought, there was no way she could have been ignorant to Night Flurry’s disposition. My gaze fell upon the exotic scales of Starshadow’s armour. “Why? I doubt many trained Equestrians could hold up to Ostfriesen standards of combat. You can’t possibly have believed Night Flurry fit for your ranks.”

“It is true. I had my reservations, even after Sister told me he had passed the trials.”

“Trials?” My imagination slipped back to the books of my foalhood, to Daring Do and how she had to fight her way through endless rooms of death traps for each and every artifact she recovered. To the story of Grand Trek and her ten-year struggle to return to her home and family. Or to the Twelve Tasks of Titan, challenges so difficult that even a nigh-unstoppable alicorn nearly lost his life several times. I caught myself before my mind could run away with me, in part because the stories weren’t quite exact parallels. Still, I couldn’t help but cringe.

“Yes. It is up to the recruiter to assess an applicant’s abilities. This includes, but is not limited to, cunning, martial prowess and physical fitness. Usually this involves pitting the applicant directly against the recruiter, who is, of course, not fighting her hardest. The details vary from house to house, but the bottom line is that they determine whether the applicant can survive our training.”

I cocked an eyebrow. Unless I was missing something, Starshadow wasn’t making much sense. “Okay, but that just makes it even more questionable how he got in.”

“To put it bluntly, Merriweather lied. When I found out, we had many words. In the end, we determined that it was not the knighthood itself, but the training, that he wanted. While his heart was in the right place, he had clearly chosen the wrong path.”

At this point, I think my brow was somewhere up inside my forelock. “So, what? Your solution was to just let him continue until he crashed?”

“It was a conclusion he needed to come to on his own. Sister was of the opinion that should we push back too hard, he would give up entirely.” Her voice wavered a little, but she didn’t break eye contact. “After much thought, I had to agree. As much as I disliked deceiving my friend, our best option was to go along with it.”

A frown crept across my lips. “I think I see where you’re coming from, but do you really believe him so fragile as to merit stringing him along like that?”

“In retrospect, no. However, our assessment did not have the same benefit of closeness that you two share.”

I blinked, the heat of annoyance spreading across my cheeks. “I’m sorry, are you trying to imply something?”

Starshadow stared at me a moment, eyes widening with realization. She shook the surprise from her face as she replied, “No, no. My intent was not to suggest romance. Consider that, aside from Mahogany, you are the one he is most comfortable around, the one he tends to talk to.”

It was a bit strange to think of it that way. I mean, with all his hesitating and stammering, ‘comfortable’ was the last word I’d have used. And yet, he’d confided in me many times, even revisiting a past that had clearly left its mark on him. It all seemed completely contradictory, but at the same time, it was a very Night Flurry approach to things. Perhaps Starshadow was right.

“I suppose that makes sense, but it still doesn’t excuse what happened.”

“Of course not. That is why we apologized to him.” Starshadow gave me a solemn, sincere look. It was the kind of disciplined determination I’d occasionally seen from my mother and—more often—in the mirror.

“All right. I guess we can move on to the next topic, then.”

“Which would be?”

“Terrabona.”

Starshadow’s ears drooped just a little as she looked away. “Is she unwell?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Are you sure all the spell’s effects are accounted for?”

“Yes. It is a simple, if powerful, spell. What is her issue?”

“Aggressive mothering.”

It was Starshadow’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “I do not follow.”

“She won’t leave this one filly, Aster, alone.”

“You are sure she was not like this before?”

“Absolutely. She never showed as much as a hint before the spell. Up until then, she was all about the matchmaking. Not to mention she’s clearly aware she shouldn’t be hanging off of a stranger’s foal like that. Then I come back to find she’s latched back onto Aster and even reminding her of our previous conversation wouldn’t break her out of her mothering trance.”

“Hmmm, that is most odd. There is nothing in the spell that should do that. However, I admit that since my assumptions have always been based on an invalid sample pool, I did not properly consider the psychological side effects. Is it possible she is compensating for her inability to engage in this matchmaking?”

“Maybe?” I shook my head. “I don’t think I’m really qualified to make a judgment one way or the other.”

“That is unfortunate. Without further assessment, I do not believe I can come up with a proper magical solution.”

“Understandable. That’s why I’d like to ask you a favour.”

“I shall do whatever I can.”

“Could you write the spell down for me? I’d like to have a friend crosscheck it, just to be certain.”

“Very well. Give me a moment.”

---

Starshadow’s spell checked out. According to Twilight, it did exactly as advertised and nothing more. Which meant that Terra’s libido was such an intrinsic part of her personality that removing it practically made her another person. I wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than the prospect of her behaviour being overwritten by magic.

The thoughts weighed heavily on me throughout the entirety of my afternoon shift. Thankfully, Winter Wrap Up had just happened, so I could afford to be a bit distracted when it came to the less intense rain clouds. By the end, I could only come to a single conclusion: I never thought I’d see the day when I missed her meddling.

I’d just clocked out when Mahogany strolled in. Which was strange—not because he was here, but because he wasn’t lugging a half-dozen parcels through the doorway. He made a beeline for me.

I tilted my head. “Hi, Mahogany. What’s going on?”

“Hey, Dusky. Some guardspony is outside looking for you.”

I smirked. Just like Blaze to get bored waiting at the Seapony.

“Orange unicorn mare with a red mane?”

Mahogany shook his head. “Nah, he’s a he and he’s brown.”

The smirk faded from my lips. “Strange. Did he say what it was all about?”

“Something or other about private business.”

My heart sank. Is Noble Light already breaking his promise? Am I never to be free of this? Or something else?

A nagging little detail, in the shape of an ID badge, drifted in from the back of my mind. The downside of a totally anonymous submission was that it did nothing to protect me if the incident itself led them to me. My first instinct was to go out the back door.

Calm down. There’s no need to jump to conclusions, I told myself, preemptively shutting down my imagination. He could just be looking for witnesses. And if worst came to worst, I could discreetly drop Noble’s name. For the moment, I needed more information and if I knew one thing for certain: avoiding him would only cast suspicion on me.

“Hey, Dusky, you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry, just thinking. Let’s go meet this guy.”

---

It didn’t take long for us to find the guardspony, even in the crowded town square. He was a chestnut unicorn, clad in full Guard armour, which stuck out like a sore hoof amongst the Ponyville populace.

“Here you go, officer. Found her!” Mahogany called out as we approached.

The guardspony turned his head, his soft orange eyes catching and holding mine. There was a certain warmth to them, an inherent feeling of safety.

“Dusky Down?” His question broke my reverie.

I nodded. If he already knew my real name, I needed to get whatever this was addressed as quickly as possible. “And you are?”

He stood at attention. “Sergeant Light Horn, Equestrian National Investigation, ma’am.”

“And what can I do for you?”

“We believe you have information regarding a certain incident in Hoofington.”

Mahogany looked straight at me, the doubt in his eyes asking, ‘What now?’

To his credit, those were the extent of his tells, but there was little chance Light Horn didn’t pick up on it. Still, I decided it was preferable to make him work for it, so I could get a better read on him.

“And what makes you think that?”

“We have reason to believe you were in Hoofington, entering a certain warehouse on the night of the incident.”

“And?” I raised an eyebrow.

“And we believe you have a story to tell.” He was confident, I’ll give him that. Perhaps he was used to charming everyone into cooperation, but it would take more than a friendly face to persuade me.

“What if I have nothing to say?”

Light Horn’s expression hardened ever-so-slightly. “I would wonder why an innocent pony would refuse to give her account.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mahogany open his mouth, a wise crack most likely on the tip of his tongue. But when I caught his eye, his jaw snapped shut.

“Are you trying to imply something?” I met Light Horn’s stare with my own.

“I’m saying you’re walking a fine line between witness and suspect.” He turned a forehoof up. “I can’t help you if you say nothing.”

At this point, I definitely had to satisfy him enough to make him go away. It wouldn’t do to have an open trail leading back to Ponyville.

“I suppose I have no choice, then.”

“Sorry.” The hardness evaporated from Light Horn’s face. “We’ve got a private room at the inn, so if you’ll follow me, I’ll try to make this as fast as possible.”

“No.” I shook my head. One agent was already one too many to deal with. The last thing I wanted was to end up in an interrogation room with several of them.

“What?” This time, surprise spread across his face. I suppose he didn’t expect me to have conditions.

“We do it on my terms. I want to use a place where I feel safe.” Where that was, I didn’t quite know. Just that it wasn’t the Seapony. I needed somewhere disposable. Then it came to me. There was an old warehouse, behind the one the weather office owned, that no one ever used.

He paused, looking for just a moment like he was thinking about arguing. “As you wish. Lead the way.”

I turned to Mahogany. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

----

We were barely three streets from the town square and it was already strangely empty. I supposed that traffic in this area was never that high to begin with, but it still felt a little odd. On the upside, it would make being alone with Light Horn easier.

A breeze drifted through, picking up some of the loose dirt. I tucked my muzzle into my scarf as the grains pelted my coat. Once the wind had died down, I shook myself out, the dirt making tiny crackles as they bounced off the nearby wall.

Light Horn coughed under his helmet, its golden paint highlighted by the descending sun. I supposed it wouldn’t do much to protect against errant grit. Still, he didn’t break pace as he marched onward, his barding bobbing in rhythm to his steps.

We’d said little since we’d parted from Mahogany, which wasn’t particularly surprising. The business ahead of us wasn’t exactly mirth-inspiring.

Perhaps after this discussion was done, regardless of whether I needed to play the Noble Light card or not, I’d have to contact him and see if he could do anything to preempt any more unwelcome visits.

I couldn’t help but wonder who had seen me enter that warehouse, since I’d been wearing my cloak. Perhaps it wasn’t even a ‘who’, but a ‘what’. My entry would have been logged and if someone had been persistent enough, as well as found my lost ID, they might have been able to piece something together. I cursed my carelessness.

As I thought more on it, I came to realize that it wasn’t the accusations that bothered me. It was a nagging feeling in my mind, insistently pulling my attention away again and again. Something was off, but I couldn’t put my hoof on it. The best I could come up with was that Light Hoof was just a bit too charismatic. Which wasn’t a big deal, really—I’d just have to be more careful during our discussion, that’s all.

And yet… my mind wouldn’t let it be.

My ear twitched, picking up the faint crunching of gravel behind me. I tilted my head a little, glancing out of the corner of my eye. Two shadows.

I felt a little colder.

Are we being followed or am I just being paranoid?

The road was coming to an end, its wings diverging and forming a T-intersection. Light Horn turned back to me, an expectant expression on his face.

Time to find out.

“Left,” I said, keeping an eye on him. He nodded, but said nothing else.

Bit by bit, despite the weather being spring, the cold was taking hold.

We were among the warehouses now. They weren’t anything huge, not like Hoofington. A smaller city like Ponyville benefitted much more from quantity over size. That is, more businesses could find affordable storage, which leveled the playing field for local owners.

And so, as we traversed the street, a mix of large, ascending wooden and steel doors loomed over us, almost comically, as they took up the majority of the face of each squat, square building. While the odd one out did have a second story, the proportions still didn’t do them many favours.

The two shadows rounded the corner and I caught a glimpse of them. Earth pony stallions, both clad in Royal Guard armour. That settled it.

The question, then, was why two guards were skulking around behind me like a couple of muggers. The easy answer was, of course, that they wanted to keep their agent safe. Some part of me really wanted to believe that, but the more I thought about it, it just didn’t sit right with me; if they’d really found me that threatening, they would have just arrested me. No, there was something off about them, almost sinister.

As I continued to watch, I realized it was their gait. Unlike Light Horn, these guys were awkward and weighed down by their armour. While I didn’t know a whole lot about the Guard, I had a sneaking suspicion even cadets wouldn’t come out of training looking like that.

So those two were obviously imposters, but I still didn’t know if Light Horn was friend or foe. I really, truly wanted to believe the former. Even just looking at him, I felt safe from the advancing thugs. But another, nagging part of me, told me I couldn’t risk it; I couldn’t trust anyone I didn’t know.

I glanced up. The clouds just ahead were denser, forming something that resembled a forest canopy. It would certainly explain why the air was a bit cooler here. I mulled it over. If I could get into the air, they’d never catch me. The clouds would be perfect for hiding a pegasus like me. Or pegasi waiting to ambush me.

I cringed inwardly. Suddenly, the expanse of cloud was quite daunting; there was no telling how many pegasi were up there. I could run. But evading two earth ponies by running straight at them was a poor gamble. And there was no telling what kind of magic the unicorn could do. My imagination immediately set itself to work on that one.

Fighting wasn’t an option, either. I just wasn’t going to win a three-on-one. Even if I could get my wingblade out in time, they were armoured, to say nothing of whatever weapons they may have brought.

I could delay, but eventually they’d catch on that I’d caught on and I’d lose what little advantage I had.

We passed under the clouds and something strange happened. Light Horn’s helmet continued to glow. It was faint, just the barest of golds, but it was an all-encompassing light that clearly shouldn’t have been there. As the realization hit me, I finally understood where the warmth was coming from.

Magic. I shivered.

This whole thing had been a trap and somehow, I’d walked right into it. With all the obvious avenues cut off, the warehouses were my best bet. If I got in among the maze of alleyways, perhaps I could lose them.

“Right, coming up,” I said, motioning my head toward the intersection.

Light Horn nodded again.

I waited until we’d passed the second-last alley before the corner. My eyes fell back to the earth ponies one last time. They were still quite a few paces behind. Even if they reacted immediately, I’d still have some time.

Three... two... one!

I turned and bolted, doubling back and into the alley. A flurry of hoofbeats filled the air around me.

The farther away I got, the colder—and better—I felt. It was like a fog lifting from my mind, one thin layer at a time.

I rounded a corner and screeched to a halt, just shy of ramming my muzzle into a wall. It was a dead end, one with a scuffed-up wooden door, but still. I glanced up. No, it was too soon to evade their aerial sentries. I’d only reveal myself prematurely.

“Get her!” someone shouted, pulling my eyes behind me. Two shadows were barreling down the alley, maybe ten seconds away.

With a deep breath, I pivoted, slamming my hind legs into the door with all my might, hoping against all odds that it would open.

With a feeble crack, it gave way so easily that I almost fell over. A deafening crunch echoed down the alley as the door slammed into the inner warehouse wall.

Great, now the whole block knows where I am.

I really couldn’t complain, though. Slipping into the open door, I glanced around. There were crates stacked anywhere and everywhere, with no obvious logical pattern to their placement.

Swinging round, I rammed my side against the door, smashing it into the door jam. The lock dislodged itself, clattering to the floor, which was no matter, really; if it couldn’t even hold against me, it wouldn’t do anything to stop a group of angry thugs.

There was, however, a tower of crates just to the side of the door. Without thinking, I circled around and threw my whole body, chest first, at them. The base barely moved, but the top half was only happy to oblige. They toppled right over with a thunderous crash, the lid exploding in a shower of dusty books.

Not a moment later, something hit the door from the other side, followed by a long string of expletives.

I spun around, searching for a sign of any other exit. There was no way those crates would hold them for long, and I needed to get out before I was surrounded.

The old floorboards protested as I dashed around the perimeter of the far wall. The only other entrance was the heavy main door—not exactly a good gamble. Of course, even if I’d been willing to try, the pulley lay in a tangled wreck on the floor, taunting me.

My eyes darted around, looking for something, anything. As luck would have it, I’d chosen a two-story warehouse. A staircase ran along the wall to my right, doubling up on itself before reaching the loft.

I galloped as hard as I could, reaching the top in a time that would make Rainbow Dash proud. As I cleared the final step, I dug my muzzle into my scarf, pulling my wingblade from its sheathe.

While I attached the blade to my wing, I glanced around, hoping for some sort of balcony door. But the second floor was only an isolated half-loft, crammed full of crates and sacks. A lonely railing ran the edge of the loft, from the wall to the stairwell, where it merged with the stairwell’s. At least I had a decent view of the floor below.

A final crack drew my eyes below, where splinters spewed across the floor. A couple more cracks and the rest of the door came down in larger chunks.

“Moooooonlit.” Light Horn’s voice wafted up.

The two earth ponies and a pegasus mare tromped into the main area. The pegasus stopped in the centre of the room while the others started plowing through the mess of crates.

“Or perhaps you prefer Indigo? Or maybe Dusky, hmmm? Tsk. You sure like your false identities, don’t you, you naughty girl?” Light Horn wagged a forehoof. “There’s no escape, you know. Come quietly so we don’t have to mess up that pretty face of yours.”

I glanced around, guessing they would be smarter than to leave the door unguarded. The upper floor had little to offer. What few windows it had were far too small.

My eyes returned to the stairwell and the larger, circular window sitting high above the mid-level. There.

If I tucked my wings, I might just be able to fit. But first I needed to deal with that glass.

Creak, the stairs groaned. They were coming. I stood stock still, unwilling to give away my position.

That’s when I saw it. Out of the corner of my eye, a lonely little sandbag, about half the size of the other sacks. I crept over, taking it in my teeth.

I could hear the careful, muted steps. Surely, they were at least halfway up by now. This meant I had one chance and one chance only.

Steady...

I spun with all my might, releasing the bag at just the right time. A helmeted head poked itself halfway above the stairs, falling back out of sight with a yelp as the bag whizzed by.

I rushed forward, the sound of shattering glass bringing the barest smile to my lips.

He never saw it coming, my firm buck sending the earth pony guard tumbling down the stairs. The second earth pony, who was making his way up the mid-level, leapt over him, just narrowly avoiding being bowled over.

The second earth pony charged straight up the remaining stairs. I held my ground. If I could keep him there, he’d be at a severe disadvantage.

He swung wildly, his long forehooves smashing into the floor, but a quick backstep put me out of reach. I countered with a quick forehoof swipe of my own, catching him in the side of the jaw. Somewhat predictably, he kept pressing forward.

I backed up some more, letting him waste his energy as I waited for an opening. When he tossed his head, I knew it was time. I dashed in, slamming my full weight into his neck before pushing away, taking a swipe with my blade as I went. I scowled. It wasn’t a total miss, but the blood trickling from his neck was little more than a flesh wound.

He came at me like a crazed Ursa and this time, he was able to push clear of the stairs.

However, I wasn’t about to let him have it for free. I circled right, giving myself the majority of the floor to work with. Ducking under a particularly vicious swipe, I brought my head up. I felt something give as he stumbled away.

One, two. And buck!

He crashed into the railing—then straight through it. He toppled over the edge with a scream. The whole warehouse seemed to shake as he impacted the first floor.

I cringed, almost tempted to look, but there was no time. Plus there could only be one outcome from a spill like that.

Instead, I put my energy toward shoving everything that was near the stairs straight down it. Crates, sacks and their contents tumbled over the edge, followed by much shouting and cursing. Then silence.

I stole a peek down the stairs. Only a couple hooves protruded from the mess of books, splinters and papers. A particularly large sack sat right on top of his muzzle.

Two down. Who knows how many to go...

There was a thunk behind me. I knew it had to be the pegasus. I knew I was in trouble. Spinning wildly, I swiped blindly with my wingblade. It fell completely short, but at least it gave me some space to work with.

A glint of light caught my eye. She was using a wingblade too. Not only that, but she was larger than me.

Her counterattack came quickly, a precise thrust that I barely parried.

Stepping to the left, I brought my wing across again, this time cleaving top to bottom. But this one was quicker and less about brute force.

She backed away before coming for a quick horizontal cut. I ducked just in time, or so I thought. A sticky warmness trickled down my left cheek. But it was shallow, a nick that I barely felt.

With a grimace, it was my turn to press forward. Even if Light Horn was watching the door, he was a unicorn. He was undoubtedly searching for a good angle to snipe me from with some spell or another.

I feinted left before slashing upward. The pegasus pulled her head away. I knew she would, as it had become clear she was watching my blade very carefully. Thing is, it’s pretty easy to get fixated on the weapon to the exclusion of everything else. And that’s just what I was banking on.

Leaping forward, I smashed my forehead dead into the centre of her muzzle. With a screech, she stumbled back, but not before I felt something dig into my side.

This time the cut burned like fire, searing the nerves and muscle just behind my foreleg. I knew it wasn’t that deep, at least not with that much pain, but there was already an undeniable stickiness creeping down my leg.

Stupid...

I was out of time. It was do or die.

Taking one more swipe as I spun, I didn’t bother to check if I’d connected. All my focus was on my gallop as I limped my way toward the top of the stairs.

Ahead of me, the window was like a shark’s maw, its jagged fragments just waiting to taste flesh. Doubt filled my mind. I wasn’t going to make it. Apprehension became energy, a surge of strength rising with my nerves.

Somehow, I had just enough speed for my feeble leap to get just above the window. I spread my wings for just a moment, keeping myself as on-target as I could.

And… tuck!

I bowed my head and closed my eyes as I barreled through. Something brushed against my back.

However, I was clear and for just a moment, I didn’t care. But just a moment. As I spread my wings again, my back felt like I’d just shoved it into an oven. I wavered, tears clouding my eyes and I struggled to keep myself from plummeting.

I needed help and fast. A single image filled my mind, overriding every other thought: the Seapony.

Flapping with all my might, I pushed onward, even as every motion jarred my body to new heights of pain.

The beating of a second set of wings reached my ears. My eyes followed. It wasn’t the pegasus from before. It was someone fresh and he was closing in fast.

No! It can’t end here!

I pushed harder, somehow finding just a little more strength. Yet still it was not enough.

The pain cut right through me as I whirled and I dropped a couple feet. My opponent tried to correct course, but the angle was all off. We collided, a tangle of flailing hooves in the air.

Desperately, I slashed at the blurry silhouette that was my opponent. I thought I felt something spray onto me. More stickiness. I couldn’t even tell if it was mine anymore.

I had to dislodge, get away. The ground would be coming soon. But as I kicked off, it was too late. I think I lost consciousness.

Then we were rolling and skidding. At some point, I ended up on top of him.

I think there was a wall. He hit first. I blacked out again. Then I was in the dirt somewhere. I couldn’t see. But I had to get up. I had to get to the Seapony. My legs just wouldn’t work.

Once. Twice. Thrice. Each time, my muscles giving out sooner than the last.

I groaned. There were many voices. Many hoofsteps. Friend or foe, I couldn’t tell. I had to get away, just in case. If only my body would cooperate.

“...usky... … … stay still!”

Night Flurry?

I’d made it. I couldn’t believe it. I forced my eyes open. There was a face and it was vaguely blue. I was safe, at last.

“Too many...” I mumbled. Wasted words.

Night Flurry was moving his lips, clearly talking, but nothing was coming out. I tried to shift my ears, but they wouldn’t listen.

Something was lifting me.

“...be fine ...y, ... get you … ... clinic...” Night Flurry suddenly become audible again.

The clinic. Even in my condition, I knew it was bad. I had to tell him.

“What? Clinic? No... they'll... they'll find...”

My voice was gone. I didn’t have anything left. Not even enough to feel pain.

I thought I saw blots of light, racing above me. Then Night Flurry again. More silent words. I was moving again. There was a blinding flash.

And then everything became nothing.

Comments

[Meta Four]

That's one hell of a place to end the chapter.

[KuroiTsubasaTenshi]

5816416
What's an adventure without a little dramatic tension?

[Shachza]

Ugh! How does the cartel keep doing that? And where's the real internal intelligence service when you need them?

I know it wouldn't be a good way to resolve plot that's intrinsically Dusky's, but it would just be so satisfying to see a moment where one of the princesses stumbles on one of these altercations, gets a telekinetic hold on Dusky and the guard she's been fighting. The other guards roll up, stop, and stare. Said princess narrows her eyes and says, "Wait, you're not my guards..." Then magic, magic everywhere.

[FoodFrogs]

He stood at attention. “Sergeant Light Horn, Equestrian National Investigation, ma’am.”

BANG BANG BANG
"ENI, open up!"