Smile Wide

by AtrenGraves

Rack'em up...

“Lieutenant!? Hey, boss, where are you?!”

“In h're!” Blued Steel huffed, tugging at a woven strap with his teeth until the latch clicked, the last armor plate locking into place on his back with a metallic snap.

Red Brass came trotting in as he tucked the strap out of sight, narrowly missing an open locker door when he turned the corner. “Boss! Hey, finally, I've been lookin' all over for ya!”

“I just got in.” Steel sighed, eying his Corporal's reflection in the polished sheen of his helmet. “Lemme guess...another fire?”

“There...wha...yeah...how...?”

“Singed feathers on the steps out front.” A practiced twist of his hoof, and the helmet settled snugly in place over his head. “They were still smoldering. Response team must have just gotten in.”

Brass stared for a second, then shook his head. “And that's why you're the boss.” He gave a strained chuckle. “Erm...The Captain wants you on this one, though...fresh eyes, I guess?”

“He knows that my brother spent three years in the Fire Department.” Steel snorted. “And he knows that I'll be able to put Pepper at ease because of it.”

The Corporal scuffed a hoof against floor, one ear flicking back for a moment. “So...are we going in?”

Steel just smirked. “Of course. Get your squad together, let Brightside know he's on standby...” He paused for thought, his smirk turning into a pensive frown. “Wait, hold on...ask him if you can trade out Cross Stitch for Haywire. I want her on the scene.”

“Stitch isn't gonna like that, y'know.”

“Brass?”

“Uh, yea boss?”

“Rooftop in ten.”

Brass gave a sheepish smile. “Right, I'll get to work, then...”

The Lieutenant snorted, kicking his locker shut before nudging past the Corporal. “You do that.” Through the door, out into the open hallways. Forward. “Can't afford to fall behind...”

---

The sky carriage touched down, light as a feather, rolling for a few feet before coming to a final stop. Ironhoof kicked the latch to let the ramp in back fall open, and the rest of the squad trotted out onto solid ground.

With varying degrees of grace.

“Ugh...Lieutenant?” Marigold stumbled forward, spreading her legs wide as she came to a stop in an attempt to regain her balance. “Why'd we have to fly?”

“Relax, dirtside.” Cloud Burst shrugged out of his harness, ruffling his feathers with a practiced shake before turning to smile at the others. “We just saved a twenty minute walk.”

“I'd rather walk. Walking is nice. Nopony ever got walking sickness...”

“Don't hear the others complaining about our flying.”

“My flying, you mean.” Bluetip snorted, flicking his tail to swat the lighter pegasus in the face as he passed. “I was carrying you halfway over here.”

“Hey!”

“Sorry to break up the love-fest...” Lieutenant Steel turned a steady glare around at the assembled Guards. “But we do have a job to do here. Now.” Nopony moved. “If you don't mind?”

The sudden flurry of apologies and 'Yes Sir's', while mildly amusing, got them nowhere. So Steel went ahead and started belting out orders. “Ironhoof, take Marigold and Cloudburst, form a loose perimeter. Just make sure nopony comes in too close. Bluetip, you and Haywire are with me. We're gonna go have a chat with the Fire Brigade...and somepony get that wagon out of the way. It's blocking traffic.”

Without waiting for a response, he headed for the burnt-out storefront at a canter. Hoofsteps, loud against the paving stones, followed behind. It was comforting to know that at least some of his subordinates could listen...

The mess in front of him had been an apothecary, at some point. An upscale establishment that acted as both a distributor and retailer of reagents. It had, for the longest time, supplied the various small shops and clinics, along with two hospitals, and the local college.

He felt a pang of sympathy for whatever poor paper pusher would have to deal with all the complaints. Not to mention the search for new suppliers...

“Hey!” Steel called one of the firefighters over, putting those stray thoughts aside in favor of his 'professional' gruff attitude. “Who's in charge here?”

“Sergeant's inside.” The heavy earth pony huffed, dropping a bundled-up hose next to the fire cart and adjusting his heavy coat. “Good luck.”

Wonderful. Poor moods all around.

Steel fought the urge to sigh, turning back to look at his Guards. Neither of them looked entirely enthusiastic either...it was very nice to know that he wasn't the only one not loving the early work.

“Bluetip, take a look around. See if you can see anything that would indicate a break-in.”

The pegasus blinked, once, before turning to eye the storefront. “You think somepony did this on purpose?”

“This is the fifth fire that the Guard has been brought in on. Does that scream 'accidental' to you?” Haywire sniffed imperiously, her tail swishing back and forth in annoyance. “Honestly, you pegasi...”

“Oh, just you wait sparky...”

“Would the two of you kindly shut up and get to work?” Steel ground out from behind gritted teeth, his patience already wearing thin. “Bluetip, move your flank. We've wasted enough time already. Haywire, you stick close and keep an eye out.”

They both looked properly chastised, Bluetip slinking away with his head down while Haywire very carefully avoided looking at the Lieutenant. Steel just took yet another moment to calm himself, lamented the fact that he hadn't had his morning coffee, and carefully made his way into the charred shell of the apothecary.

Scents of woodsmoke and scorched stone were readily apparent...for a short moment or two. A few steps into the ruin, however, and an undefined reek made him wish for a mask. His eyes began to water as he trotted further in, and he sneezed as he circled around a fallen beam...

And there was the group he was looking for. A few firefighters, sweeping through the remains of the store to be sure everything was extinguished. Steel motioned for Haywire to look around, wiping at his eyes as the unicorn picked her way around a broken shelf.

“Sergeant!”

A tall, heavy-set earth pony perked at his call, carefully setting down a half-broken counter top before turning to look. “...Steely?” The Sergeant gave a wide grin, reaching up to adjust his helmet. “I hardly recognize ya, in all tha' copper!”

Steel sighed, glancing down at his own armor for a moment. “Sergeant, I am here on business...”

“Oh, now what've I told'ja about tha', Steely?”

“...” Steel just stared, for a long moment. But he knew, for a fact, that he wouldn't get anywhere without playing along...which meant playing along. “Alright then, Pepper...” He made sure to enunciate the name, rolling his eyes as the older stallion chuckled. “What's the word? Why am I here?”

Pepper's smile faded a bit, as he looked over the wreckage. “Yea, well, tha's a bit've a thing.” He motioned for Steel to follow, nudging aside debris as he moved toward the remains of a doorway. “S'far as we can say, this perticular fire seems pretty simple.”

“I'm hearing a lot of uncertainty in that sentence.” Steel remarked as casually as possible with the sudden entrance into a room that seemed to lack anything resembling a ceiling. Weak rays of sunlight streamed down through the gaping hole in the roof, casting light over the pile of broken brick and scorched thatch that had been swept into the middle of the room...

“Do you have reason to believe this was intentional?”

“Fire started o'er this way.” Pepper nodded toward a particularly blackened corner of the room, stepping aside to let Steel move ahead. “Sniff around a bit.”

The Lieutenant nodded, edging forward as carefully as he could manage. His first, careful sniff just sent him into a sneezing fit, and it took a few seconds to gain control of himself again. But he did, eventually, manage to catch his breath...

And a very particular, cloying scent.

“Lamp oil?”

“Uh-huh.” Pepper moved up to stand beside him. “And take a guess 't what we didn't find.”

Steel sighed. “A lamp.”

“Tha's right.”

There was silence between them, then, the obvious implications universally unsettling.

That silence was shattered entirely as one of the wall panels fell inward with a crash, causing everypony nearby to jump in surprise.

Bluetip stood in the opening, slowly drawing his hoof back to rest on the ground.

“Uh...Lieutenant?”

Steel sighed again. “Yes?”

“...I think I found a point of entry.”

“I can see that.”

Pepper stomped the ground in irritation, eyes narrowing as he looked around. “No doubt about it, now.”

“Nope.” Steel shook his head, expression grim.

“This was arson.”

---

His stomach was growling by the time night fell, and he was quick to slip out of his impromptu hiding spot. The streets were quiet and very nearly empty, perfect for his purposes...

He gave the blackened shell of the potions shop a backwards glance...and smiled.

“Mm...this was a good day.” A muffled giggle, as he tugged the wagon into motion, the wheels creaking loudly with every turn. “Defffinitely a good day...”

A bee-yootiful fire, some tasty (stolen) food, and the wonderfully, entertainingly, terrible reactions from the locals. Oh, it had been so much fun watching them scramble around with absolutely no understanding of what was happening.

No he hadn't had so much fun in days. It made him feel on top of the world!

“Heheh...F is for fire that burns down the whole town...” He warbled, terribly off key. “U is for uranium...bombs!” A snicker, as he swept his hair back with one hand, and his voice rose until it echoed down the street. “N is for noooo surviiiivooors! When you're h-”

A light flickered on, and he hit the ground. Literally. He actually spent several seconds clutching at his head before managing to scramble back beneath the wagon and, hopefully, out of sight.

Not twenty feet away, a door opened wide. An elderly mare poked her head out a moment later, peering around curiously...before turning back inside to pick up an empty milk bottle and set it on the front stoop.

The door closed, the light turning off. Silence descended again.

And the Joker chuckled. “Shhh...sleep tight, little pony...” He pulled himself back out into the open, wincing as he straightened out. After a moment's consideration, he shed his jacket and tossed it on top of the wagon, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows and cracking his back. “Urrgh...aaand onward.”

Three blocks later, he pulled the wagon into an alley and let it rest. For several, long moments, he just stood, leaning heavily against a wall...

“Why is it so quiet?” The question echoed down the alleyway with all the aching frustration that had been building. “This is the big city! There should be...thugs and...wise-guys...”

He rubbed at his bared forearms, his attention jumping to the trash cans, the wagon, the wagon's wheel, the trash cans again...the sky.

The stars were unnaturally bright. He squinted, pushing away from the wall and pacing a slow circle. Watching the shiny little points of light. Too bright. The city was big enough to make it easy to lose...but the sky was clear.

It was quiet, too. And not just the crime...

“No, it's never just one thing, eheh...” No, no, it was the city at large. The streets were practically empty, even as early as it was (hardly two in the morning), and it made everything seem still.

Where was the hustle and bustle? The seething masses of panicky...idiots?”

A nice, big, public fire, with major property damage, plenty of chemicals to make it dangerous...

And nobody noticed. Nobody was...was preparing. Nobody was worried to go out.

“This...” He clicked his tongue, turning his attention back to the streets. “This is going to get...boring.” And far too quickly, too.

Of course, there was a simple way to fix that.

He snatched his coat up, kicking open the door to this new hideout with a vicious grin.

No more planning. No more tests.

Tomorrow would be a day for action.

The wagon was loaded in short order, and he started pulling. Five stops. Five carefully wrapped little...gifts. And a perfect little path or three.

Sunlight was just starting to glow on the horizon when he pulled the wagon into an out-of-the-way alley and curled up inside. The restlessness that had kept him moving finally abated, with the promise of future mayhem.

A few hours rest of rest. And then...

Then...

---

Steel got through two cups of coffee before the smell of smoke drifted into his office. For a brief second, he managed to ignore it, focus entirely on the carefully brewed drink...

But then he sighed, and pushed the mug to the far edge of his desk. He trotted out into the bullpen, nodding to both Lockstep and Lookout. Lookout hardly glanced his way, though Lockstep nodded back. The snub went uncontested, though, because a moment later, the Captain appeared, one of Lookout's Guards beside him.

“Steel! Get that squad of yours back to that potions shop!”

The Lieutenant frowned, raising his head and squaring off his stance to stand at attention. “What's the problem?” As if he didn't already know...

“It's burning again.”

And there it was.

Steel gave a sharp nod, snorted once, and turned his attention toward...there they were. Already gathered. He had to hide the smile that threatened to break his stern expression. “Alright, you lot. Rooftop, now.”

A chorus of 'Sir's. That time, he did smile.

---

The blaze had spread this time. Due it part, no doubt, to the lack of fuel left behind by the first fire. The fire wagon was in place, a pair of heavy earth stallions working the pumps as another two guided the water, fighting the flames to a standstill.

“Steely!”

Steel hardly blinked as he stepped out of the sky carriage, trotting to the Sergeant's side with an economy of motion that he rarely displayed. “Pepper. What's the story?”

“Report came in 'bout ten minutes past. Fire spread by the time we got 'round.”

“Any sign of the culprit?”

Pepper lifted a hoof to wave down the street. “Pair've foals were walkin' by. Said somethin' bout a 'clowny monster'.”

Steel stiffened, even as the squad came to stand around him. “A clown?”

“ 'ats what they said. Poor little'uns...”

There was a whole half minute where he stood, just trying to...decide.

And then he shook his head, sharply, and turned to his squad. “Bluetip! Cloud Burst! In the air, five minutes ago. You're looking for a biped, green mane, and it'll be trying to hide...”

“Sir?”

“You think it could be th-”

“Move!”

The two of them started, shared a glance...then saluted and took to the air. Steel watched as the guards started to circle in the air, scraping the edge of his hoof along the paving stones. A nervous gesture. “Brass, get the restraints out of the carriage.”

His Corporal nodded once, apparently catching onto the general idea that the situation was 'serious'.

Haywire stood at his side, shifting her weight carefully from side to side. Obviously uncomfortable with the sudden turn of events. “Sir, if I can ask...”

“Yes, I think it's highly possible.” Steel grit his teeth. “Too many coincidences, too close together.”

Pepper looked around for a few moments, now about as edgy as the others. “Steely? What's this all about, then?”

“It's complicated, Pepper.”

“Yea, an' I'm askin' for an explanation.”

Steel snorted, his attention on the slowly dwindling fire. “Little while ago, a colt was attacked just outside town. Told us about a strange creature with its face painted up like a clown.”

The fire sergeant's eyes widened. “Clown monster?”

“That's what I'm thinking, yea. And if I'm right, th–”

A loud BANG drew all eyes down the street. Thick, black smoke became visible, even from so far away.

“...it's been starting fires, Brass, Haywire, we're moving now!” He took off at a gallop, vaguely registering the sound of the other two behind him. The clank of armor, clatter of hooves, the startled and frightened cries of the ponies ahead...

It had probably been a market stall, but all that had been left was a pile of scattered wood and fruit. Cloud Burst was already on the scene, standing over a pony in a ruined apron. The stallion was breathing, thankfully, but his face and neck were blackened with soot.

A flicker of movement, too tall to be a pony.

“Brass, Alley!” The Corporal didn't have to ask, already rushing ahead. “Haywire, what did this?”

Her horn lit with a bright yellow glow, magic sweeping down and over the wreckage as she stepped closer. It began to swirl in a localize spot, and she tilted her head, took several deep breaths.

“Lamp oil, sir, a few more volatile reagents...most likely the ignition source...” Her eyes flashed. “They created a slight delay between mixing and the reaction. How it set it off without being seen...”

“It's early yet, no crowds of alert witnesses. And let's be glad for that. Cloud, get back in the air, find Bluetip, and start tracking the thing. Haywire, I want you sweeping.”

“Sir, if we're on the move...”

“Multitask.”

He broke into a gallop again, turning the corner of the alley just before a wave of yellow light overtook him, sweeping ahead of him at a constant rate. Not far enough out for advanced warning, but hopefully it would at least help with t–

Another explosion. Another cloud of greasy smoke.

Too slow.

He pushed himself faster, skidding out into the street to see Brass lingering at another corner, further down.

“Lieutenant! This way!”

No breath wasted on a response. His heart raced as he neared the corner, some distant part of him recognizing the tiny restaurant across the street, its shattered windows belching thick smoke out into the air.

He drew even with Brass, heard Haywire on his tail. Saw his fliers darting back and forth overhead.

Seconds passed like minutes. Another explosion, this one bigger than the others, made his stomach churn, his labored breathing catch. Ponies were starting to panic, but he couldn't stop, theycould afford it. Who knew what else the thing had, what it was planning...

What it was planning.

His squad rushed past a tiny park, a gazebo and nearby tree alight with flames. But now his mind was racing as fast as his heart. The thing was planning. It had started fires in secret, it hadn't been spotted once, but today it was suddenly out in the open?

And it had a path. Multiple fires, explosive devices...it was all too deliberate.

He could see it, ahead, stumbling as it darted into a narrow side-street. Brass led the way...the thing was just ahead, pulling itself upright against a wall. It must have tripped, or...

“Lieutenant!”

Steel dug his hooves in, momentum nearly carrying him to the ground before he was able to turn...

Haywire had stopped, her horn glowing, eyes wide...

...staring at a trash can...

...magic highlighting a length of twine laying tangled on the ground where unwary hooves had torn it loose...

...a smoking hole in the side of a trashcan...

A path. It was a path. And paths always led somewhere.

It had been herding them.

He closed his eyes, as the world erupted with a flash of fire and a deafening bang.

Time blurred. His ears rang and colorless starbursts blinded him. He tried to stand again, but his legs wouldn't let him, tangling with each other in a complete lack of coordination...

Something heavy landed off to his side, and he caught a brief glance of rope, cloth. Something struggling beneath it, loose feathers and hooves barely peeking out...

Pressure against his neck. Rough fabric covered his snout. Something sickly-sweet made his head spin.

And darkness fell.

---

When the Guards recovered...

Their Lieutenant was gone.

Comments

[AtrenGraves]

Hello all! It's been a little while!

And I've got only two questions for you! First: Is this moving too quickly? Do you want to see more in the way of a story? Or is it good as is?

Second question: I've got a lot of OCs cropping up, despite my original intent. Does anyone want to know more about them? Because I might consider putting some bios up on my profile. Good idea? Stupid idea? Let me know what you think!

Yes, I love input. It's how I improve.

With nothing left to say today, I bid you all adieu! And I hope you enjoy the chapter

[RandomEncounter]

Well, this isn't my type of story, so I don't think I'll keep up with it.

With that said however, it's not bad at all. The writing is excellent, you capture the character fairly well, and it's cleanly presented. It's also an interesting take on such a crossover; I'd be willing to say one of the better ones in fact. And even though I don't like the idea itself, you get an upvote none the less.

Have a good day.

Edit: Forgot to mention this, but consider finding a picture to go along with the story. Not having one tends to discourage those with "bright shiny object" personalities.

[DavidPony]

ive been waiting for this and i haven't been disappointed

i have no idea why this story isnt more popular
keep up the good work

[TherpLajerp]

YES. I love it this way. Keep going!

[Journeyman]

I'm really digging this. Discord is more like Chaotically Neutral, while the Joker is Chaotically evil. Chaos for chaos sake. There's no room for fun or enjoyment, only to watch the world burn.

I can relate. That smile will haunt their dreams.

[randaltherin]

Listening to this makes this story so much more entertaining.