Revan galloped along, flanked by several thuggish subordinates. Up ahead, they saw a thick crowd gathered, chatting nervously. His eyes narrowed, and as soon as he and his cohorts turned a corner, his jaw dropped.
Several thugs lay on the surface of a bridge, twitching and groaning in pain.
Revan galloped up to the first thug he could find. “Tell me what happened here...” When the stallion's head simply reeled, he snarled and shook the groaning stallion. “Hey! Snap out of it!” He sneered into her face. “Who the Hell did this to you?”
“Mrmmmf... drawling punk in... a stupid hat...”
“Bard...” Revan sneered through clenched teeth. “I'm gonna punch so hard he'll be shitting that thing out... along with his guitar.”
“B-Boss...” Another guard sat up, wincing. “He wasn't alone.” He rubbed his neck. “There was... a bird thing... metal arm.”
“A griffon?” remarked one of Revan's accomplices.
The injured stallion nodded. “And a blue mare. Rainbow mane.”
“Where did they go?” Revan spat. “TELL ME!”
One of the injured thugs turned and pointed. “Due south... through the Iron District...”
Two of Revan's lackeys exchanged glances. “What the hell is in the southern edge of the city? A hideout?”
“They couldn't hide from us for long.”
“That friggin' midnighter did.”
“This is different. They know we'd be burning them out of hiding! Naw, I think they're trying to escape.”
“No boat could outrun us though!”
Revan's pupils shrank. “... … ...what time is it?”
Another guard glanced at a pocket watch. “About ten til six, sir.”
Revan gnashed his teeth. “Verlaxion dammit... the Arrowfish!”
“S-sir?”
Just then, a revving motor could be heard beneath them, growing closer. Those in the group who were standing turned to look. Two Syndicate boats came gliding southwest through the canals.
In one quick breath, Revan galloped to the side of the bridge, jumped off, and landed on the bow of the foremost vessel.
“Gah!” The pilot stumbled back into his crossbow-toting companions. “Boss?! What gives—”
“Move over!” Revan swatted the thug, crept into the pilot's chair, and throttled the boat forward. As he skimmed under the bridge, he shouted so that both the guards on top and the ones in the boat following could hear: “Head to the drydocks! Go! Go! They're gonna try escaping on one of the Arrowfish!”
“Two thousand.... two thousand two hundred and fifty... two thousand five hundred...” The elderly dockworker looked up with a smile. “There you have it. Five seats on board the Mark Two!”
“Mmmmm... very well then,” Theanim Mane said, nevertheless shivering. He glanced over his shoulder, glancing across the crimson, sun-lit lengths of the platform city. “It's a pleasure to be... coming on board...”
The worker arched an eyebrow. “Is something the matter, sir?” Behind him, several unicorn trotted up the ramp that lead into the port side of the segmented sea-skimmer. They made their way to the rear engine compartment, preparing to prep the thruster manifolds. “I must say, my friend,” the worker continued. “You seem to be... four passengers short.”
Theanim gulped. “I think I was born four brains short of common sense,” he wheezed. “Seems to be my lot in life.”
“Well, I hope you enjoy your trip to Shoggoth, either way.” The worker said, bowing. “We'll be casting off soon! Like... really soon.”
“It's alright,” Theanim said, putting on a crooked smile. “There's nothing in life you can't make more adventurous than doing it at the last seconddddd-dd-dd-dd—” His voice peeled off as he heard several loud engines from the north. He turned to squint.
Two Syndicate boats pierced the water underneath the nearest bridges. They came skimming southwards, heading towards the drydocks and the single large gate right behind Theanim. Then, around that same time, Theanim spotted three figures with a limp Sarosian gliding their way along the platforms hugging the east edge of the artificial inlet.
Theanim gulped hard. “Oh, my Queen, let there be at least a scrap of flesh to spare from all this...” Teeth chattering, he bolted up the platform and stood in the open doorframe in the Mark Two's hull. “Hey!” he whistled. “Gallant friends! Over here! Hurry!”
"They're gaining...." Echo echoed, jolting over Bard's flanks.
"Uh huh..." Bard huffed and puffed, wings flapping.
"They're gaining even more," Echo droned louder.
Bard's muzzle wrenched into a frown. "Uh huh..."
"We're almost there, guys!" Rainbow's voice cracked. "Theanim's up ahead! I can see the fruity blue of his eyes--" CR-CRACKKK! A lamppost exploded from an impacting crossbolt above. "Gaaah!"
VRMMMMM! Revan's boat came within screaming distance. Four stallions riding in the back aimed their crossbows and fired volley after volley. THW-THW-THW-THWIFFT!
The storefronts and market stands to the group's left shattered and flew into pieces from the projectiles. Shrieking citizens dove for cover while the group struggled to outrun the shots with their weighty loot.
"That is Syndicate property!" Revan hollered, his voice booming. He freed one hoof and cocked a crossbow of his own, aiming over the port side as he came up alongside the four heisters on the platform. "So are your kidneys when I'm through with you!"
"Companions, hurry!" Theanim shouted from up ahead as the Mark Two's engines revved and glowed. The gate started opening with a loud groan.
"Darn if this doesn't sting to high hell!" Bard snarled. "Okay, how 'bout we split up and--"
Th-Thud! Two heavy satchels full of platinum bars landed on the platform.
Rainbow, Echo, and Bard gawked. "Dubya-Cee...?"
Frowning, the griffon stripped of the weight, perched on the platform's edge, and dove out towards the waters.
NO, WC! DON'T BE A HERO!!!
IC is truly a master of the gender swapping technique.
Damn it, IC, breaking the fourth wall is Pinkie's job!
Too bad Dash doesn't have something that can give a boost to her wing power, like a chalice of some sort, something that creates a wind?
Oh shit. We might get our first major character death since Uroh.
Too bad that metal arm didn't come with an assassin's blade. Or hidden pistol. Or a flamethrower.
Meh, at least we'll see the bastard child of Gary Stu demonstrating his Gary Stuness again. I can't imagine him dying or getting caught, so I'm not really worried.
I've sort of been expecting Theanim to buy the farm, but it looks like W.C. has other plans. You never know, though. Theanim may have his chance to be a hero yet.
6238982 Calling it now, Revan is going to wind up getting cooked in the wake of the Arrowfish's mana engines.
6239043 That, or Revan's our new Shell-in-the-making.
No no no! Wildcard! You best stay alive boy!
From a logical standpoint though... it makes sense. since he's mute, if he gets captured, he'll never be able to reveal anything from torture.
So logically. he made a good choice.
Emotionally... No. No dead kittybird things. None.
-Memories given light, ease a lonely flight. Ynanhluutr.
Oh you better not do this WC! You better come back alive and intact.
And here all of this time I thought Short Harvests and Imploding Essays was a cyborg who pumped out horse words day and night without sleeping. You learn something new every day I guess.
6239074 NO! We don't speak of such things!
It seems the syndicate has a quarrel with our heroes!
THE AUTHOR is entitled to sleep late once in a while.
Oh bum! I've caught up, no more thirty chapter feasts into the small hours for me. Such is life...
I followed a hobbit to the Cracks of Doom.
I followed a leper to Kiril Threndor.
I followed a cowboy prince to the Tower, and a curious rabbit to Watership Down.
I even followed a monkey to Vulture Peak.
I followed all of these and (so many) others.
Now I follow the rainbow.
Hello everyone.
6238982 Being a hero is Rainbow's job, go get your own!
6239479
Silly you, everyone knows SS&E is actually the god of fiction and all the seeming imperfections in his work are just his attempt to make people think he's human.
6239558
Congratulations on catching up, and welcome to the Noble Jury!
Things haven't gone wrong because things have gone wrong: the whole plan was to slip away unseen in the panic of the flood, instead every involved member was identified and pursued to their getaway craft.
ech, wildcard's got most of those documents that they grabbed, don't he?
so here's hopin he gets those bags and back alive, otherwise alls they got is the one with Revan's hoof-print, and the camera
also, i wonder how the crew of the arrowfish is gonna feel about this? though, i suppose they could just bribe them, what with all that stolen loot
What I wonder is: with the Syndicate basically owning the city, what is the captain of the Arrowfish gonna do? "Oh, you just robbed my boss blind? Sure think, hop on, we'll depart right away!"
This will end badly. Lets just hope the arrowfish crew doesn't take orders from Revan as well.
I thought they were full of platinum bars. Huh.
Well, I was waiting for something to go belly-side up, and I guess this is it. That, or it turns out one of them is a different gender. Can't really tell sometimes.es with IC.
Yes Revan, channel your inner Shell...or, perhaps, maybe half of it. Badasserey is ok,but you're not allowed to be undying.
Who needs gold bits when you have so much platinum?
lh4.googleusercontent.com/-sRyTDMxZr1c/VTqNEYTD1QI/AAAAAAAAdhA/1CmC0D2jJTM/w500-h281-no/tumblr_n3wjqmw1wi1qj5jqso2_500.gif
Oh no! Wildcard is gonna sacrifice himself! Darn you honor!
6239658
Nothing is more troublesome than capable villains.
6239074
Revan confirmed for diet Shell
6239558 Welcome to the Jury.
6239718
WC has gone hi-speed-lo-drag mode. Dis gon' be good.
I so want Wildcard to do an ACME.
How thin are those lightweight chase boat hulls, and just how hard can a psycho cyborg Griffon impact in a power dive?
Unless theres something seriously weird about th Arrowfish, then again it seems to be a submarine? Dash can always get back in time?
6239922 You may have a point. It even feels like Pinkie is following me now.
Idk, shell was a monster and a war criminal. Revan is just a greedy asshat desperate to move his investment into the black again. I don't believe he's going to turn into shell at all. He might be a thorn for several chapters, maybe a book. But, he still seems like a business poni. And I believe he will give up eventually, maybe even become a tool for harmony some how before RD ships out.
So, my character is making a comeback...
WC noooooooooooooooooo
6239558 Donaldson? Sweet.
Oh Andelain! forgive! for I am doomed to fail this war.
I cannot bear to see you die--and live,
Foredoomed to bitterness and all the gray Despiser's lore.
But while I can I heed the call
Of green and tree; and for their worth,
I hold the glaive of Law against the Earth.
Oh, and welcome to the Lunar Ninth!
6239074
He'll be coming after our intrepid party, hungering for Revan-ge.
6242284
We are the Giants,
born to live,
and bold for going where the dreaming goes
--Pitchwife
A fair description of Dashie and crew don't you think?
6244014 Absolutely! And I hope her fate more closely mirrors that of Pitchwife and the First, rather than Foamfollower and the Unhomed.
You can do it, WC!
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
6239558 Welcome to the Lunar Ninth! Congratulations on catching up,
No! Water Closet, please! You have so much to live for! I think...
Anyway, just don't die.
I have high hopes that WC will come out of this alive. I really do. Fingers crossed.
Revan is pretty quick on the uptake.
Distract them... by punching them in the face!
6293674 Revan has some brains. It's a shame no one else in the Syndicate does...
You got this, Wheelchair! ...er, Worldclass!
What I happily picture the Arrowheads looking like basementrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/atlantis-the-lost-empire-movie-review-ulysses-submarine-review-disney-animated-feature.jpg
Couldn't you have stayed stupid for another ten minutes?
My, my I wonder what could have happened to inspire a chapter name like this?
Wildcard no!