Black Fury, Red Logic

by Inazuma

Chapter 4: Close Encounter Of A Strange Kind.

I loomed over the pathetic excuse of a gang, waiting, daring them to make a move. They were shocked to say the least but they quickly got over it.

"What the hell are you?" one goon asked.

I thought for a moment before deciding on an answer. Intros are important.

"I am the terror that Hunts in the night! I am the Jackal that gnaws at your bones!"

One particularly frighted goon tried to run away but I stretched out a hand and fired a large bolt of lightning that only missed him by a few inches and struck the ground, charring the dirt black.

"I'm not fiiinished." I called down a large bolt of lightning to strike behind me for dramatic effect.

"I am BLACK ALICE!!

Another goon aimed his gun at Little Strongheart but I flew right up to him and bitch slapped him which sent him flying off his steed and smashed straight through a wheeled stall of cabbages and through a building wall.

Everyone was shocked by this, King Longhorn ordered his remaining minions to fire their guns at me and what unicorns were with him fire their deadliest spells at me.

I don't know why but even though every instinct in me told me to dodge, I decided to just continue to float there and take it. When the bullets hit my shirt and my skin I felt them but there was no pain. It felt like, I don't know, like if someone or something poked you gently but at rapid pace. Next came the spells. The spells did touch me but each impact seemed to create mini bursts of lightning as if striking an invisible force-field, they didn't leave a single impression.

I thought about all the ways I could end this but why do something so complex on a bunch of losers like these? Hmmm. Heh heh heh. I know just what to do.

I raised my hands in the air to indicate that I had surrendered.

The spells and shots from the guns ceased. The gangsters were shocked that I was unharmed but even more shocked that I had surrendered.

"All right I give. You guys are just too hot to handle." I said with smirk while lowering my hands. Once they were at chest level, I brought them together in a mighty clap.

THOOOOM!

The resulting shock-wave sent the entire gang plus their mounts flying several feet back and into unconsciousness. Miraculously somehow King Longhorn managed to stay awake albeit dazed. Must be all those muscles, I wonder if he's related to Ironwill. Well time to deal with the leader...heh, heh, heh.

---

King Longhorn tried to get back to his feet but his body just wouldn't stop shaking. As he continued to struggle he thought of his plan to take Appleloosa. The plan was simple: Deliver threats to the town so they know danger was coming. Send in few parties to cause trouble every so often and then have them disappear for a while and send more threats and insults but don't appear to make them antsy and paranoid. Capture hostages and use them to force the townspeople to surrender then acquire the town. Easy. It should've been easy, how did things go so wrong?

A voice called out to him,

"Did you hear me? I said get up." the voice commanded.

King Longhorn lifted his head up to look at the one addressing him, it was that strange female from before, Black Alice he remembered her calling herself that. He opened his mouth to say something but before he could Black Alice grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and forcibly yanked him to his feet.

"Now, let's talk shall we?" and with that the two took off into the sky.

---

I flew straight into the air until we were about fifty feet high, then I turned to address my "passenger".

"All right you, talk. But first I'm going to punish you for crimes against my friends. Now let me think, what would be a suitable punishment for you? Hmmm." I looked upon his trembling form to see what I could do to him. I'll admit that my sadistic and perverse side made my eyes travel downwards to his "thing" and the thought of me ripping it off, frying it up in a pan and forcing him to eat it did cross my mind. However even I'm not that brutal. I turned my gaze toward his head and looked at his horns which even I had to admit were magnificent. My thoughts then turned toward his name King Longhorn. With a name like that he obviously must have been very proud of them. Perfect.

"You know what? I'm willing to be lenient. What with schools today being what they are an' all, they obviously didn't teach you proper respect. I bet they they didn't even teach you proper math. I'll tell you what, instead of punishing you I'll give you a little tutoring."

"Bu-But--"

I grabbed his horns before replying, " 'S okay. No charge."

"One--"

RRRRRiiiiiiPPPP!!!!

"--Plus one--"

RRRRRiiiiiiPPPP!!!!

"--Equals TWO!

My victim screamed in agony as I ripped off each of his horns by the roots. I didn't want him bleeding to death as I wasn't done with him yet, so summoning up a bit of power I fully cauterized the wound on his right side and only partially cauterized the wound on the left side of his head, that way bleeding out was still a threat but not an immediate one.

"Now then, how about you and me play a game? Here are the rules: I'll ask you some questions and you'll answer them truthfully. For each truth you give and answer that I like, you score a point. Collect enough of these points and you'll be able to cash them in for fabulous prizes! Such as me not maiming you further and if you're really good, you'll be able to earn the Grand Prize of me only breaking your arm and then letting you go. However, for each lie and answer I don't like you get a penalty, a penalty in the shape of this," I broke his thumb in demonstration. "Understand?"

King Longhorn nodded his earnestly.

"Good. Now then. Question Number One..."

*One hour later*

"It seems our time is up, thank you for playing. You know you are really good at this game. You've just barely racked up enough points to afford the Grand Prize! Congratulations!"

"So you'll let me go?" King Longhorn asked.

"Of course. Are you implying that I'm a liar?" Alice demanded.

"No! No! Of course not!"

"Good, now hold out your arm."

He did so.

SNAP!

"ARRRRGH!!" King Longhorn screamed as Alice broke his left arm.

"Now that that part of the deal is finished I will now fulfill the other part our bargain." with those words said Black Alice let the former gang-leader go; and he began plummeting to the ground, screaming all the way.

Black Alice waited a few seconds before she flew after him.

"Poor sweet baby. Are you not enjoying your hard earned prize?" Alice asked when she caught up with the doomed King Longhorn.

"You said you'd let me go!" he shouted.

"And I did. I just didn't say whether it would be on the ground or not. Tell you what, if you give up your prize I'll catch you. What do you say?"

"Okay I'll do it."

With their deal struck Alice caught the helpless Minotaur and flew to a new location.

The Dump stretches out of sight from the far bank of the West River. I was told it ends somewhere before some farmlands that belong to the Diamond Dogs. It smells of rot and rust--it's a breeding ground for insects and rodents.

Black Alice arrived and drops King Longhorn unceremoniously to the ground.

"Oof!"

"Now then I've grown bored so I'm just going to drop all pretense and simply maim you ok?" Alice says simply.

"But you said you wouldn't." King Longhorn cried out fearfully.

"I lied. From the very beginning I've been lying to you. From the moment you began threatening my friends you were doomed and now it's time to pay the Piper. I've brought us here because we'll be completely alone. Absolutely no witnesses save the bugs and rats to what I'm about to do to you."

King Longhorn began screaming again as Black Alice got to work.

---

First I make him eat some garbage.

KRMP

--Then I help him swallow it.

THWAKK

A beauty to his Solar Plexis

KLUDD

--I worry he might drop too soon.

CHUDD

Surprisingly he offers some resistance with a swift kick. Not that it matters.

WHUKK.

I show him my appreciation by breaking his nose.

THAK

Some ribs

CHOK

KLUDD

The remaining arm

KKRAKKKKK

The legs

KRAKKKKK

He falls. He won't be getting up for a long time. I conjured up a steel table right underneath him along with some chains to hold him down. I then use a little spell to wake him back up.

"Now for your final lessons."

I take out a combat knife.

"This here is the true reason I brought you here. I don't want to scare my new friends."

I grin.

"Amateurs always start with the eyes or groin, they should be left for last. The correct way is to start with the knees and elbows. Why you ask? Cutting the joints produces far more pain than the legs, arms or torso. It reduces the risk of a spasm spoiling the work. And it has the added benefit that every single time you move, it's like knives are slicing those joints all over again. And you will move.

King Longhorn screams

"No, No, No, NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

---

Black Alice dropped off what was left of a barely alive King Longhorn at Appleloosa's hospital. After transforming back to normal Alice finds her friends outside the hospital.

"So, Cheeseburgers?" Alice asks.

They look at each other before nodding.

---

*Sometime later*

Alice sits down on a boulder in the middle of a field of wheat to think about what had transpired.

"King Longhorn and his gang were scumbags to be sure and I certainly don't regret what I did. But still...did I go overboard? Should I just have beaten the shit out of him then sent him to jail?" Alice hid her face in her hands.

*sigh*

Out of nowhere a voice call out.

"Tomoe."

Startled Alice quickly looks all around her for the source voice seeing nothing she looks up to see a familiar figure floating in the air.

"GAH!" cries Alice as she falls off the boulder she as sitting on.

"Fear not, I am the Phantom Stranger. I am here to help you." the figure says calmly.

"You didn't bring the Spectre with you, did you?" Alice asked fearfully.

"No."

Alice let out a massive sigh of relief before standing back up.

"So what can I do for you Stranger?"

The Phantom Stranger held out two strange looking items.

"Allow me to tell you about a collective of beings called the Displaced."

Author's Note:

*dies*

Comments

[Schroedingers_Katze]

*reanimates you*

[Inazuma]

6787865 I live! So hat did you think of the new chapter?

[Schroedingers_Katze]

6787907
Well, let me phrase it like this: "Equestria has done goofed." At least if they piss of Alice.

The part with Longhorn was pretty intense. Mind you, you where a lot less visceral in your description than most might have been, not sure if it´s a bad thing tough. I´m still pretty hungover from the New Year party yesterday so I might not be in the best condition, mental wise.^^°

I am a bit torn between wanting you to use them words to describe newcomers like Phantom Stranger and that you keep on using these pictures.

[Inazuma]

6787920

Yes well I could have been more visceral but I'm trying to keep this T rated.

Well Phantom Stranger is a special case because in Alice's mind no words can truly describe him, he isn't something you can describe, only experience. As for the future I'll most likely use words for the majority and only use pics for Alice's transformations but either way it'll be situational.

[EarthbendingProdigy]

I loved the Lobo reference, and the introduction of the Phantom Stranger will make for quite an interesting next chapter.