The Ghost Of Me

by Bluecatcinema

Unbreakable

As they were finishing up their food, the group were joined by Elite.

"So this is where everypony is." Elite mused. "Shouldn't be surprised. It is taco night..."

"You said a mouthful." Caboose smiled, swallowing a taco whole.

"I take it Black is still regaling you with his life story?" Elite asked.

"Very much so." Fletcher nodded.

"We're at the part where Black joins back up with us." Ballista announced.

“Oh, really?” Elite smiled. “Well then, it looks like it’s high time we have you gentlestallions meet the other member of the team we're putting together.”

“Oh, jeez…” Black suddenly frowned. “I was so not looking forward to having to bring him into this.”

“Come on, Black. They are going to have to meet him eventually.” Pike smirked.

"Who's 'him'?" Fletcher asked.

"Follow us, mate." Ballista joined Elite. "You'll soon find out."

"Might as well get this over with..." Black groaned.

"Ooh, a mystery guest." Caboose finished his last taco. "Fun."

As the group made their way to the training arena, Caboose sidled up to Black.

“So… who is this guy?” Caboose asked. “You don’t seem too happy to talk about him.”

“Because I’m not.” Black shook his head. “He and I don’t really get along that well.”

"And who is 'he', exactly?" Fletcher asked.

"He's... good." Black admitted. "One of the best fighters I know."

"But...?" Caboose urged.

"But don't expect him to be too friendly." Black shrugged. "He's a little... intense."

"Intense ho-" Fletcher started.

“AAAAAHHHHH!”

A loud thud was made.

“What was that?!” Caboose gaped.

“...That would be your other teammate.” Black frowned.

The group finally arrived at the training arena, a wide open room with punching bags, training dummies, various exercise equipment and gym mats. In the middle of the arena was a Griffon, donned in a dark grayish-blue muscle shirt, wielding a spear whose head was shaped like a dragon’s head with it’s jaw wide open. His lion body was a dark gray, his feathery head a grayish white. His sharp talons, his big wings, and his beak were all black. The Griffon, while slightly leaner and shorter than Black, was pretty bulky, and the few scars on his body, barely visible through his feathers and fur (including ones hidden under his shirt), as well as the scratches on his beak, could attest that he knew his way around a fight.

This was further attested as he swung one of the four RDL operatives he was sparring with out of the arena, the bruised stallion landing right next to the group as they were coming in.

“Yikes!” Caboose leapt.

“Ooh…” The RDL operative groaned, struggling to get up.

“Putting you through the meat-grinder again, eh?” Ballista asked knowingly.

“Uh-huh…” The officer whimpered.

“Who is that?” Fletcher asked, pointing to the griffon.

“That… would be Fury Xaldin.” Elite revealed.

“Come on, ya flappin' pansies!” Fury taunted, his bright red eyes glinting with savagery as he glanced at the four remaining RDL soldiers, who were all sorts of badly beaten. “I’ve barely worked up a sweat!”

"I really should be going." One operative said. "I have a mission to attend to."

"I have paperwork to sign." The second added.

"It's my turn for sentry duty." The third claimed.

"I have a doctor's appointment." The fourth quivered

“Well, none of that sounds like it’s really my problem.” Fury sneered, as he pointed his spear forward. “Come on, one more go.”

The stallions reluctantly took their positions. Fury moved like lightning, punching the first down, grabbing the second and slamming him on the floor, tripping the third with his spear, then kicking the fourth square in the face. It was over in less than twenty seconds.

"Whoa." Caboose gaped.

"This fellow is good." Fletcher mused.

"Eh, he's okay." Black shrugged.

"I know some mercenaries who wouldn't agree..." Pike mused.

The Griffon smirked at his handiwork. He then turned to notice the others.

“Well, well…” Fury chuckled, as he slammed his spear into the ground. “Didn’t know I had an audience. I would have put up a better show.”

"Excellent work as always, Fury." Elite smiled.

"Yeah, top marks, mate." Ballista grinned.

"Please, you're too kind." Fury smirked.

"...Showoff." Black snorted.

“Take five, you guys.” Fury told the RDL operatives, who could only groan as he approached the group. “So, why's everypony here? I doubt you came for the view.”

“Fury, I’d like you to meet our two newest prospects: Fletcher Ulysses and Caboose Napoleon." Elite announced.

"Hey." Caboose smiled.

"Good to meet you." Fletcher added, holding out a hoof.

“Ah, so you’re the two guys that Elite was going on about the past couple of months.” Fury grinned darkly, ignoring the hoof. “The name’s Fury Xaldin. Always a pleasure to meet fresh meat.”

"Okay..." Caboose frowned. "Not the best greeting I've ever heard."

"So... am I to assume that this Fury fellow has something to do with the next part of your story?" Fletcher asked Black.

“Story?” Fury repeated… only to scoff in boredom. “Oh, for Faust’s flappin' sake, you’re telling that sob story again, Black?”

“I wouldn’t call my life a 'sob story', Fury.” Black glared. “It was a story that needed to be told.”

“Oh please, I’m playing the world’s smallest violin.” Fury glared back, while rubbing a thumb and foretalon together. “It didn’t make me shed a tear the first time, so I doubt they will either.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Fury.” Fletcher frowned. “Black’s story has been quite compelling.”

“Yeah, and I just about bawled when White died.” Caboose added.

“Really? You didn’t look like it.” Black raised a brow at Caboose.

“I was crying on the inside.” Caboose corrected.

“So, where are you at, Black?” Fury asked.

“If you must know, I'm at the part right after I decided to stay.” Black growled, crossing his hooves.

“Oh, that’s where I come in!” Fury smirked. “I remember those days quite fondly…”

“Wish I shared your sentimentality...” Black groaned.

Years ago...

Once Black agreed to stay, things seemed to have turned back to normal… well, almost.

Firstly, he had many months of recovery to endure, his body still injured from the Crystal Sun incident, and his sight destroyed.

Fortunately, Armory had been hard at work creating a mechanical eye to replace the one that White had shot out. He had actually been working on it for quite some time, but had only reached success recently. After putting in some finishing touches during the following months, the device was complete, and ready for Triage to "install" it.

"So, how is this going to work?" Black asked, as he was being prepped for surgery.

"Put simply, I'm going to remove your dead eye, and wire this mechanical eye into your optic nerves." Triage told him. “With luck, you'll be able to see again.”

"What about my other eye?" Black asked. "The one my darling grandniece blasted?"

"We have something else in mind for that." Elite declared. "Once the prosthetic eye is implanted, we'll take care of it."

"Fair enough." Black shrugged.

"Best of luck, Black." Armory smiled.

"With one of your gadgets, I won't need luck." Black grinned.

"Okay, we're ready to operate." Triage declared. "Are you ready, Black?"

"As I'll ever be." Black nodded.

"Excellent." Triage started wheeling Black's bed to the operating theater.

"See you soon, guys." He told Elite and Armory. "Literally, I hope."

Once they reached the theater, Black was administered anaesthetic, and drifted into unconsciousness.

Hours later, Black felt himself coming to.

"Ugh..." He groaned, disorientated. "Did it work?"

"Hold on." Triage urged, unwrapping the bandages around Black's eyes. "Just have to carefully uncover the eyes... The operation was a success, by the way."

As soon as the bandages were off, Black winced from the light… only to realize he could see light. Tenderly, he opened his eyes… and saw everything. The medical unit, his comrades’ smiling faces, everything he couldn't see before, and more.

"Welcome back, Black." Elite smiled.

"I hope the new eye is to your satisfaction?" Armory asked.

Outwardly, Black's new eye resembled a standard glass eye, the eye being the same shade of gold as the original, but it had several innovations within it, allowing him perfect vision.

"You bet." Black nodded. As he blinked, he realized his vision was complete. After spending so much time with only one eye, he had failed to notice, but he clearly had 20/20 vision again. He then frowned, noticing his other eye. "Wait... you fixed my other eye too? How? I thought Miracle's magic had totally fried it."

"As I said, we had something in mind for it." Elite smiled. "I called in a friend of mine to use his skill with... particular magics to undo the damage caused to your eye."

“What kind of ‘particular’ magics?” Black asked. “It had to have been one doozy of a spell to undo all that.”

"Well, it was..." Triage said awkwardly.

"The thing is..." Elite

"What?" Black growled. "Tell me."

"It was... dark magic." Elite confessed. "We used a dark magic spell to restore your eye."

“Whoa, whoa, whoa… you’ve used Sombra’s magic…” Black frowned, pointing to his once blind eye. “On me?”

“Not necessarily Sombra’s magic.” Elite explained. “Simply ‘dark’ magic. According to our friend, Miracle’s magic was a powerful form of light magic… so it stood to reason that only dark magic could undo light magic.”

“...Huh, now that I think about it, that does make sense.” Black nodded. “But who is this 'friend' exactly? And how does he know so much about dark magic?”

"Oh, you'll be meeting him soon enough." Elite smiled.

"But for the next couple of days, you should rest up, and get to grips with your new eye." Triage declared. "We need to be certain everything's working okay, with no unforeseen complications."

At that moment, Armory entered the room.

"Hey, Black." He smiled.

"Hey, pal." Black smiled. "Good to see ya again."

"We'll make ourselves scarce." Elite smiled, as he and Triage departed.

"So your eyesight is back." Armory smiled.

"Yep." Black nodded. "It's starting to feel like old times again, huh?"

"Sure is." Armory smiled.

Days later, Black was led into Elite's office, where a familiar pale yellow Unicorn stallion was waiting.

"Barbossa, always a pleasure." Elite smiled.

"Same here, old friend." Barbossa grinned.

"Black, allow me to introduce you to my old friend and senator, Barbossa Wheatley.” Elite declared, “Barbossa, this is Black Knight Paladin.”

"So this is the Black Knight Paladin I've heard so much about?" Barbossa smiled. "A pleasure to see you at last."

“Elite told you about me?” Black asked.

"Oh, Elite has been keeping me very well informed." Barbossa smiled.

"It was Barbossa who provided us with the dark magic to heal your other eye." Elite declared.

"Was it?" Black mused as he frowned. "I guess I owe you thanks for that… but, and please don’t take this the wrong way, why exactly you are dealing with dark magic? Especially considering what I nearly did with it months ago?”

“I can see why you're hesitant.” Barbossa admitted. “Elite told me all about the horrid experience you had with Sombra. But you need not worry… I have been dealing with dark magic almost my entire life.”

“...You have?” Black’s eyes widened.

“Indeed.” Elite stepped forth. “You see, Barbossa here is an advocate for a group of special ponies. A group that has the ability to use dark magic… Nightcrawlers.”

“...Nightcrawler… where have I heard that word before?” Black pondered. “I heard Armory and the others talking about it the other day.”

“It’s a term that has been growing in popularity since the Crystal Sun incident.” Barbossa explained. “You see, my grandfather, Tenebros, discovered a gene within himself and others that when subjected to dark magic, ‘awakens’ certain dark magic within them. Kind of like a superpower, if you will. Right now, there are many ponies, yours truly included, who have this gene, albeit unactivated.”

“...Yeah, yeah, it’s coming back to me.” Black nodded. “I hear that a lot of stuff regarding these Nightcrawlers has been goin’ on. I haven’t had much chance to get out, but I did hear a rumor that some Thestral tried to destroy the Crystal Heart not long after what I did. Is that true?”

“Oh, yes. Bad stuff went down during those months. In fact, the reason I hadn’t come to meet you and Elite sooner was I had been dealing with some trouble of my own.” Barbossa admitted.

“That’s right.” Black realized. “Armory read to me how those two ambassadors and a bunch of other senate members were conspiring with murderers to pass some registration act. You and those Nightcrawlers were involved in that, weren’t you?”

“That was I. Those were dark times… but I like to think that they are behind us now.” Barbossa smiled. “It was rough going after the Crystal Sun incident for us Nightcrawlers, but thanks to a few special individuals, we will surely find our place within society yet.”

“I see…” Black frowned, before remembering something with a grimace. “Oh, crap… Now I remember where I first heard it. There were those rumors about me. They said that I only managed to use Sombra’s horn because I was a Nightcrawler. Because of that, ponies have been taking their hatred for me out on them…” He rubbed his head. “I kinda had a part in all those ‘dark times’, didn’t I?”

“Maybe you did, maybe you didn’t.” Barbossa shrugged. “Ponies will think what they want to think. But I do not blame you one bit. You were as much a victim as the rest of us were. Heck, you were lucky to have survived such an ordeal. Elite told me all about what a noble stallion you were, and I figured you could use all the help you could get.”

“Well, thank you.” Black smiled. “I’m still not the biggest fan of this dark magic stuff, but it makes me feel a bit better, knowing that guys like you can make good use of this stuff.”

“It was my pleasure, Black.” Barbossa said humbly. “Any friend of Elite Everest is a friend of mine, and I always help my friends.”

“Speaking of which, you and Elite, what’s the story with that?” Black asked.

“Well, Barbossa has been a staunch supporter of Taskforce Omega.” Elite revealed. “He has helped me and Ballista out a lot in the past. He had our back, and we had his.”

“Is that right?” Black smiled.

“Oh yes. I could not count the number of times Elite and the Taskforce saved my hide.” Barbossa chuckled.

“In fact, there is another reason Barbossa is here.” Elite explained. “Me and Ballista have been working on a new project. It's still in the early stages, but we believe it could benefit from your input."

"What kind of input?" Black frowned. “This isn’t anything like Argo, is it?”

“No, far from it.” Elite declared. “We're still working out the details, but essentially, we are recruiting new members.” He then gestured to Barbossa. “And Barbossa here has gladly presented us with one.”

“A new member, huh?” Black mused. “Where is he?”

“He’s in the training arena.” Barbossa revealed. “I was hoping you'd consent to a little sparring match. You know, to test his mettle."

"You don't say..." Black mused. "Well, I have been hankering for a chance to use my old combat skills again... okay, let's do it."

"Excellent." Elite smiled. "Please, follow us to the training arena."

Black joined the two as they made their way to their destination. Waiting for them was none other than Fury. He was wearing the same dark gray-blue shirt as in the present, plus a fading leather jacket. He was sharpening his talon on the tip of his spear, when he noticed Barbossa, Elite, and Black.

"Ah, there you guys are." Fury noted. "I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me."

"Perish the thought." Barbossa smiled.

“Black, this is Fury Xaldin, our new recruit.” Elite announced.

"A Griffon, huh?" Black glanced at Fury. "Haven't really run into many of you in my time..."

"So this is the great Black Knight Paladin, huh?" Fury appraised him. "I thought you'd be... taller…”

“Fury here is a close friend of mine.” Barbossa explained. “He and I met a long time ago, and ever since, he has been under my employment. Until recently, he has actually been going undercover as a member of the mercenary group who were working for those ambassadors. Until the mercenaries all died.”

“...Really?” Black’s eyes widened, as he looked at Fury. “Did you…”

“I wish…” Fury scoffed. “Trust me, if I wanted to do it, those assholes would have been dead long ago. They were only kept alive as long as they were because it wouldn't have helped anypony.”

“I’m sensing a bit of an attitude there.” Black frowned. “That might need some adjustment.”

"I'd like to see you try and give me one." Fury smirked.

"Oh, I will." Black chuckled. "I've been asked to test your mettle, and test it, I will."

"Ooh, scary." Fury sneered.

"Okay now, let's keep it friendly, fellows." Barbossa rolled his eyes. "I would like to see a clean fight. Hoof to talon combat, no overly vicious blows.”

"Yes, this is just a small skirmish." Elite added. "No need to destroy each other."

"I may not be able to help it." Fury smirked.

"We'll see who needs help, cat-butt." Black sneered.

“First thing first.” Barbossa stepped in, holding out a hoof. “If you would, please.”

“Of course, sir.” Fury nodded, as he placed his spear in Barbossa’s hoof. “I won’t need it anyway.”

The two made their way to the center of the battle arena, Fury throwing off his leather jacket at the edge..

“May the best stallion win.” Black glared in determination.

“Oh, I intend to.” Fury glared back.

The two circled each other, each preparing to make the first move. Fury lunged first.

"Rookie mistake!" Black sidestepped his attack.

"Pretty quick, I'll give you that." Fury admitted. "Now let's see how tough you are..."

Fury charged at Black, swinging his talons. Black sidestepped the first swing, but Fury leapt forward, ramming into him.

"Not bad." Black grunted. "My turn..."

Black punched Fury, knocking him backwards. Fury bounced back, grabbing Black. The two grappled for a moment, Black pushing Fury back.

"Time to go to the corner..." He smirked.

"Wanna bet?" Fury grinned darkly, as wisps suddenly appear from his eyes.

“What the-” Black gaped.

He didn’t have time to finish his sentence, as Fury spread his wings, and a sudden powerful gust of wind blew, throwing Black back.

“Ugh...what the hell was that?!” Black snarled as he quickly darted to his hooves. He noted Fury’s eyes were wisping, just like Sombra, but they remained the same color. More notably, Fury’s wings were spread, and his body was rustling, as if he was standing atop a fan. “How the hell are you doing all that?”

“Didn’t they tell you, Black?” Fury smirked. “I’m a Nightcrawler.”

“What?!” Black gasped, as he turned to Barbossa. “I thought only ponies can be Nightcrawlers!”

“That was my grandfather’s original theory, yes.” Barbossa nodded. “But as I discovered a long time ago, other species are capable of carrying the gene, but it's so rare that it’s practically nonexistent. Fury here is one of the very few non-pony Nightcrawlers known to date.”

“And that’s why we're recruiting him?” Black frowned. “Because he won the dark magic lottery?”

“Heh, funny.” Fury scoffed. “But no… this is why.”

Fury brought his front claws into the air, crossing them. He let out a vicious roar, then suddenly, six black cyclones emerged from out of nowhere, flanking him, causing the entire arena to be caught in a major windstorm.

"Sweet Celestia!" Elite gaped. "This is... unbelievable!"

"You get used to it." Barbossa shrugged, as the spear he was holding disappeared.

"What the buck?" Black looked at the cyclones, stupefied.

Then, as soon as they'd appeared, the cyclones quickly dissipated, as in their places were six spears, all identical to Fury’s one, floating in the air. Fury lowered his front claws. He gave a nod, and the spears moved in an instant, all of them pointing right at Black.

“...Ta-da.” Fury sneered.

“Holy crap…” Black whispered. As much as he didn't like the Griffon, he couldn’t deny the sense of raw power he was getting from him. It was as if he was facing somepony that was as powerful as Sombra… perhaps even stronger.

“Judging by your expression, I'd say you've never seen something like this in your ‘illustrious’ career.” Fury smirked. “The dark magic I was gifted with is as follows: I can manipulate the winds. And from those winds, these spears are at my beck and call. I could take down an entire army with these things... and even without them.” He gave a bloodthirsty grin. “The director wanted the best… well, he got it… and he’s raring to go.”

Black was not proud of it… but he felt a twinge of uncertainty… which was soon replaced with derision.

“So basically, you’re a big windbag with needles sticking out of it.” Black snorted. “What I'm getting is that you can’t face me Griffon to stallion. That you need to hide behind fancy dark magic to beat me.”

“Say that again!” Fury snarled. “Say that to my face! I dare you! I double dare you, you motherfu-”

“Fury.” Barbossa chimed in. “Remember, hoof to talon combat.”

Fury’s angry expression softened. After glancing at Barbossa, he waved a talon, causing all his spears to disappear into thin air.

“...Lucky for you, I don't need my magic to beat you.” Fury glared at Black. “If I did use my magic, you would be royally bucked in the ass.”

“Well, why don’t you prove it, then?” Black taunted.

"Gladly!" Fury pounced at Black.

The two exchanged punishing blows. While Black was as tough as ever, Fury's speed and ferocity was unlike anything he'd ever faced before.

'Come on, Black...' Black told himself. 'You can take this oversized cat-bird...'

The fight continued. Fury lashed out with vicious blows, pounding him with his fists, then jabbing his nerve points in rapid succession.

"Gah!" Black stumbled. "Where did those come from?"

"Let's just say I've been around." Fury smirked, delivering a headbutt to Black.

In return, Black punched Fury hard in the face, then put him in a headlock.

"Nice move." Fury admitted. "But I've got some fancy tricks of my own. Observe..."

Fury grabbed hold of Black's sides, then, in an astounding display of agility and Griffon might, flipped them both to the ground.

“Gah!” Black groaned, as he tried to get up.

But Fury followed up with a rough pin to the ground, bending both Black's front legs back.

“Urrgh!” Black screeched.

“Come on, Black, say it!” Fury sneered, “Say uncle!”

“B-buck you!” Black snarled, trying to fight the pain, but Fury was a lot stronger than he looked.

“Wrong answer, bub.” Fury smirked.

"Alright, I think that will do for now." Barbossa declared, stepping into the arena with Elite. "Fury, release him."

Fury obliged, letting his opponent get back up, a victorious smile on his face.

"Unbelievable." Black groaned, rubbing his hooves. "I never lose… not this easily."

"Then you probably haven't fought any real fighters before." Fury sneered. "Either that, or you've gotten rusty."

"Why you..." Black hissed, ready to slug him.

"Black, that's enough." Elite declared. "Fury won fair and square. Now shake on it."

Black reluctantly held out his hoof, stifling his cussing.

"No hard feelings, pal." Fury clasped the hoof in his talon. "The better Griffon won, that's all."

"Yeah, sure..." Black grit his teeth in anger.

"Well, I'm afraid I must be going." Barbossa declared. "I promised to meet Mr. Alchemy and his wife for lunch later. I take it Fury will be in good hooves with you?”

“You can count on us, Barbossa.” Elite smiled, as he glanced at Black. “Right, Black?”

“...Yeah, sure.” Black had to fake a smile.

“I'd best be off.” Barbossa nodded, as he smiled at Fury. “I will be back to see how you're faring with the Taskforce. Do take care, Fury.”

“Will do, Barbossa.” Black was a bit surprised to see Fury’s arrogant sneer change to a smile of actual sincerity. “And if you need anything. Absolutely anything… I’ll be there, any day, any time of the week.”

"I'm sure you will." Barbossa smiled.

"Until next time, senator." Elite nodded.

Barbossa gave a nod as he walked off. Fury glanced after him, until he could see him no more.

Elite then turned to Fury.

"Well, if you need any help settling in-" He started.

"I think I'll be okay." Fury said flatly, the sincerity gone. "I think I'll grab some food. Winning makes me hungry..."

Throwing Black that same cocky smirk, Fury left the room.

"And he's going to be working with us?" Black snarled. "Yeah, this is gonna be fun..."

"You know as well as I that his skills and his… ‘ability’ make him a worthy recruit for our cause." Elite declared. “I doubt Barbossa would have suggested him if that wasn’t the case.”

"The skills and that dark magic stuff I won’t deny.." Black admitted begrudgingly. "It’s that Faust damn arrogance I can’t stand. Seriously, how can he think he’s so tough!"

"The memory of you saying that with a straight face will provide me with much enjoyment..." Elite chuckled.

"Hardey-har-har." Black scowled.

Over the next couple of days, Fury settled into his new abode. He was even less sociable than Black had ever been, keeping to himself, and staying at limb's length from the others.

'And ponies called me anti-social...' Black thought, as he watched Fury eating lunch as far from the others as possible.

Black was soon joined at his table by the others.

"Hey, mate." Ballista smiled. "Mind if we join you?"

"Go ahead." Black smiled. "So... whattaya think of the new guy?"

"He's an... interesting specimen." Master Mind remarked. "A Griffon Nightcrawler. Quite rare, you know."

"And those powers of his could definitely give us the element of surprise." Incognito noted.

"And he seems pretty tough." Ballista mused. "We could always use a little more muscle..."

"I dunno." Armory frowned. "I get a weird vibe off the guy. He seems kinda... aloof."

"Try 'full of himself'." Black snorted.

"Remind you of anypony, Black?" Master Mind grinned.

"Don't forget, you had a knack for being, excuse me for saying, arrogant and distant yourself once." Incognito smirked.

"This again?" Black frowned.

"Give the feathery guy time." Ballista urged. "I'm sure he'll fit in soon enough."

"I guess he will." Armory shrugged. "Sooner or later."

"Let's just hope working with him won't be too much trouble in the meantime..." Black mused.

A few days later, Black was called in for a mission by Elite. To his annoyance, Fury was there too. And judging by Fury’s glare, the feeling was mutual.

"Okay, Black." Elite smiled. "I have a mission for you and our newest recruit."

"...You're kiddin', right?" Black frowned. "Do I look like a foalsitter?"

"Like you could even keep up." Fury snorted.

"Watch your beak, rookie." Black snarled.

“Watch who you call 'rookie'.” Fury glared. “You may be older, but I've been at this game for a long while. Maybe even longer than you.”

“I find that hard to believe.” Black scoffed.

“Oh, you want to test that theory?” Fury smirked. “Because I think we both know who's the better fighter here.”

Black was about to retort, only for Elite to cut him off.

"Okay, that's enough, you two." Elite frowned. "I have very good reasons for pairing you two up." He glanced at Black. "First, you haven't been in the field for a while, and you need somepony to watch your back in case you're out of step."

"Like that'd ever happen." Black snorted.

Elite turned to Fury.

"And secondly, for all your skill and past experience, you’re still a novice in this line of work." He continued. "You need to learn how to work as part of a unit. As a former soldier, Black is more than qualified to assist you in that regard."

"Lucky me..." Black muttered.

"What if I refuse to work with him?" Fury asked defiantly.

"Doubtful." Elite declared. "You wouldn't want to disappoint the Senator, would you?"

"...No." Fury sighed, drooping.

"Very well." Elite smiled. "Now, on to the mission itself: It's a simple retrieval mission. You must make your way to Vanhoover, to one of the Forefathers' safe houses." He passed over a map with the house's address. "You must force your way in and liberate sensitive documents that they recently stole."

"Sounds like a piece of cake." Fury smirked.

"Just so long as you stay in line, rookie." Black declared.

“Again, don’t call me 'rookie'.” Fury growled at Black.

“Black does have a point, Fury.” Elite nodded. “There are quite a few agents in there. Working together may be essential to success. Good luck, you two."

"I don't believe in luck." Fury scoffed,

"Let's hope you don't need it..." Black muttered.

The two went to prep for their journey. In the wake of the Crystal Sun incident, Elite told Black that he was now required to wear the Dreadnought Armor every time he left the headquarters, no matter what. It was an order from Elite and Ballista’s superiors, they told him, part of the probationary measures they had instilled upon him. Black had no problem with it, understanding that this was the only way he could continue to help ponies.

Furthermore, Armory was required to redesign the suit, so that no pony could tie the old version back to Black. The eager scientist saw this as a chance to add some new perks to the suit, and make it more useful to Black, since he was going to be wearing it more often.

Black stood in his new suit, helmet off, getting used to how it felt again.

"Just like old times..." He sighed.

He joined Fury by the carriage. Fury was wearing a brown leather jacket and a black shirt.

"About time." Fury scowled. "I've been waiting forever."

"Well, now I'm here." Black noted, putting on his helmet. "So now we can go."

"Aye-aye, captain buckethead..." Fury muttered.

The pony and Griffon made their way to Vanhoover in the motor carriage, Black being the one piloting it, with his helmet off.

En route to the destination, Black glanced at Fury, who was lounging in the opposite corner of the carriage, seemingly sleeping, his spear resting next to him. As he did, he decided that if he was going to be working with the Griffon, he would have to swallow his pride and try to make nice with Fury.

“So… Fury.” Black started. Fury’s brows perked. “I feel that we might have gotten off on the wrong hoof. So… how is it that you came under Barbossa’s-”

“I’m gonna stop you right there, bub.” Fury growled, as he glared at him.

“Huh?” Black frowned. “What? It was an honest question-”

“Well, forgive me, but I don’t feel like answering them.” Fury sat up, his red eyes staring viciously at him. “I did not join this little circus sideshow so I could be buddies with its carnies. And don’t take this the wrong way...but I especially don’t want to be friends with somepony like you.”

“Fury, I’m trying to be civil here.” Black grunted.

“And so I am.” Fury growled. “I've heard all about the psychotic breakdown you had a couple of months back. And how that breakdown nearly doomed all of Equestria!”

Black stifled a groan. Already his past crimes were coming back to bite him in the flank.

“Look, I know I've made some mistakes-” Black tried to reason, but Fury cut him off swiftly.

“Oh no, a mistake would be putting salt instead of sugar in your coffee.” Fury chuckled sarcastically, before his beak formed a dark snarl. “What I'd call your little tantrum is massive destruction and terrorism across Equestria, hundreds of ponies brutalized and nearly killed by those Shadow Ponies, you making a pact with a flappin' Umbrum, and, this one my personal favorite, just about condemning us Nightcrawlers to a life of prejudice and persecution! All that because of your ‘mistakes’.”

“That's not fair.” Black scowled. “I'm trying my best to make up for what I did. Besides, it’s not like there are lynch mobs screaming for your head right now, are there?”

“This isn’t about me.” Fury glared. “This is about Barbossa.”

“Barbossa?” Black’s scowl fell.

“Yes.” Fury nodded firmly. “Barbossa's spent his whole life fighting for rights and equality for us Nightcrawlers. Before him, there was nopony else who gave a flap about us. He protected us, provided us with shelter and safety. He treated us better than most. He poured his heart and soul into making a better place for us… and all of that was nearly wiped away, because of what you did. You may have miraculously made it through the Crystal Sun incident alive, and without killing anypony, but don’t you dare think that your actions don't have consequences.”

Black remain silent, stupefied, and a bit miffed, at Fury’s rant. He could not deny that there was truth in his words… but he would be damned if he was going to be told off like that.

“Now you listen, Fury.” Black scowled. “I’m trying to give you a chance here to not be an asshole.”

"I didn't ask you to give me a chance." Fury snarled. "And I don't want it. I may have to work with you, but I don't need to know you and your sad little life. I'm only on this team because Barbossa believes it'd be a proper application of my skills, and he never steered me wrong before."

"Well, suit yourself." Black snarled. "But later. Today, we need to work together. Meaning you stick by me, and stay in line."

"Yeah, sure." Fury scowled. "We'll see how that works..."

They arrived at Vanhoover soon after (not soon enough in Black’s opinion), and approached the safehouse.

"Okay, here's the plan." Black declared, flipping on his helmet and visor. "We sneak in around the back, so we can get the drop on these guys..."

"Or we could just do this." Fury marched over to the front.

"What are you doing?!" Black hissed.

"Takin' care of business." Fury smirked.

Fury kicked down the door, revealing a pack of Forefathers agents inside.

“Olly, olly, oxen free!” Fury roared.

“The hell?!” One of the agents gaped. “Who are you?!

“No one important.” Fury grinned, as he walked inside. “Just a Griffon looking for some missing documents. Mind givin' 'em to me?"

"We'll give you this, feathers!" One of the agents snarled, as they charged at him.

'What was that idiot thinking?!' Black thought as he rushed over. 'I've gotta do something before he gets-'

Before he could finish his thought, an agent was smashed into the wall beside him.

“Say wha?” Black gaped.

Black watched in shock as Fury took on the lion's share of the group. He used a blast of wind to propel himself into two agents, holding out his talons to clothesline them. As another one charged, Fury ducked his blow, then swept his feet with his spear tripping him. As more ran at him from all sides, he jammed the spear into the ground, then swung around it, striking them with spinning kicks.

"Too easy." He smirked, as he landed back on the ground.

Black snapped of his stupor, realizing that Fury was single-handedly taking down everypony.

'Oh no you don't.' Black seethed. 'You're not getting all the fun.'

Black leapt into the fray, taking down some of the few remaining agents whose focus was mainly on Fury. But it was clear that Fury had already dealt with most of them, and was making quick work of those who were left.

"Had enough yet?" Fury taunted the last agent standing.

"You stinkin'-" The agent charged, only for Fury to take him out with a brutal elbow strike.

"Yeah, you have." Fury grinned.

Black looked on in shock as Fury picked up the stolen documents. He then noticed Black, who he could tell, despite wearing his helmet, was glaring holes into him.

"What. Was. That?!" Black roared.

"That was me getting the job done." Fury smirked.

"You didn't even have a strategy!" Black growled.

"Sure I did: crush 'em. With great prejudice." Fury countered, holding up the documents. "And lookey here, it worked."

"That's not how the Taskforce does things." Black seethed. "Just wait until the others find out about this."

“Oh, a would-be conqueror and a tattle-tale.” Fury sneered as he made his way to the carriage. “You're not doing yourself any favors here.”

Black let out a loud growl that was muffled by his visor.

On the way back, Black, while still livid, amused himself with thoughts of how Elite and Ballista would chew Fury out for his recklessness. Even if it was a little petty, seeing the Griffon in trouble would make him feel a lot better… unfortunately, he couldn't have been more wrong...

"Excellent work, Fury!" Elite smiled.

"What?!" Black spluttered.

The group was gathered in the meeting room, where Fury slapped the documents down in front of everypony, and the two gave their debriefing regarding what occurred. They were all surprisingly elated by Fury’s success.

"Yeah, nice goin', mate." Ballista added.

"That has to be the fastest-accomplished mission ever." Master Mind mused. “Not even Black was this fast.”

"Speed isn't everything..." Black growled.

"I knew you'd provide an element of surprise, but wow." Incognito grinned. "Those agents never knew what hit them."

"Hard not to, with that entrance." Black grumbled.

"Hit 'em fast, and hard." Ballista chuckled. "Just like a real soldier."

"Except he's not." Black muttered.

“Look, I was just doing my job.” Fury smirked. “It’s what I do.”

"I'll bet Black helped though, right?" Armory asked, noting Black’s scowl.

"Sure, sure." Fury shrugged. "I needed somepony to clean up the scraps."

"Very funny." Black growled.

“Come on, mate, it ain’t a competition.” Ballista smirked. “Fury just got the initiative this time ‘round.”

"Yeah, right." Black spat, walking away. "Because initiative is everything."

"It's okay, Black." Armory joined him. "There's always next time."

"Oh, sure." Black growled. "Unless that grandstanding gloryhog takes all the action then, too..."

Later that evening, Black was in his quarters, still seething over what had just happened.

'How can this be happening?' He thought angrily. 'This was supposed to be my triumphant return. How can some dark magic-toting asshole be stealing my thunder? I'm the top agent around here, not some birdy-come-lately! Me!' He paused for a moment, then took a deep breath. 'Come on, Black. Just relax. You’re letting Fury get to you. He may be good, but you've been with the team for years. You're probably just rusty, that's all. Nopony can blame you for that. You'll get your chance to shine soon enough...'

Unfortunately, Black would not be able to back up his own assurance, as what followed was a streak of missions that involved both him and Fury. Elite meant it when he wanted Black and Fury to team up more so they would both become battle-ready.

However, every mission Black and Fury took on was completed easily and without a hitch, all because of Fury’s charging into the action head on.

One mission was a illegal smuggling operation at the Manehattan docks that needed busting.

Black made his way stealthily to the location, with Fury approaching from the sky.

As they neared the target, Black contacted Fury via mirror.

"Remember the plan." He whispered, as they came up on the group moving a big crate of illegally imported potions. "We move in from both sides, and-"

“Oh, don’t you worry, Black.” Fury chuckled darkly, “I already have a plan… Highwind Technique Go.”

Black frowned in confusion.

“Highwind What-”

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a slew of spears rained down onto the crate, smashing it and its contents to smithereens.

“What the hell?!” Black and the other smugglers gaped, as they glanced up.

“Time to dive in!” Fury swooped down on his prey, as more spears materialized to his side.

"Look out!" One smuggler yelped, before Fury swiftly slammed into him, knocking him hard into a crate.

“Lauren Faust, not again…” Black groaned as he quickly leapt into the fray.

Once again, Fury took out most of the smugglers. He swiftly jumped off walls and crates like a lion, pinning down his prey, then punching (or headbutting) them out. His wings were closed, but he moved like he was flying, never stopping for an instant. It wasn't long before most of the smugglers were out cold.

A Unicorn smuggler was about to attack with a raised crowbar, only for Fury to glare at him.

“...Buck this crap!” The smuggler yelled, as he dropped his weapon and ran in the other direction… only to get clotheslined by Black.

“Hey, I was wondering when you would come in.” Fury smirked.

“I can’t believe you charged right in again!” Black snarled. “What happened to the plan?!”

“Well, I didn’t like your plan of attack, so I made my own plan: attack.” Fury smirked.

“...Just help me tie these buckers up.” Black groaned.

Fury gave a victorious "hmph" as they made to tie up all the smugglers. Much to Black’s anger, Fury got most of them tied up as well.

"You know, if you're going to charge into a firefight like this every time, you could at least leave me a few more." Black growled, as he finished tying up his last one.

"Hey, it’s first come, first served." Fury sneered. "Be a little faster next time."

Black scowled as Fury took flight again.

"Smug, stinkin' pigeon-tabby." He spat.

Things just got worse from there. Fury always insisted on taking the lead, forcing Black to catch up.

On one mission, they were tasked with stopping a convoy carrying stolen gold ingots. Black had suggested setting up a fake roadblock, and ambushing the drivers when they stopped. But Fury had a different idea.

"I got your roadblock right here!" He stepped out onto the road.

"Are you nuts?!" Black yelped, as the convoy approached.

"Maybe..." Fury smirked, staring down the carriage at the head of a convoy, whose driver had no intention of stopping. He conjured up his spear, and flung it with all his might at the carriage. The spear embedded itself in the carriages wheel, causing it to veer and crash, with the carriage behind crashing into it. "Just like dominoes."

"Unbelievable." Black growled, as he moved in to take down some of the crooks before Fury finished them all. "Foolhardy nut..."

On another mission, they were sent to take down a small organized crime ring with connections to the Forefathers. For once, Black had gotten the headstart, and was grappling with one of the more powerful thugs.

"Give it up, punk!" Black snarled.

"Never!" The crook spat.

Just as Black was starting to gain ground, Fury's spear suddenly flew over, the handle catching the crook in the back of the head and knocking him out.

"Hey!" Black yelled. "He was mine!"

"Sorry." Fury shrugged, catching the spear. "Must have misfired. Besides, you were taking too long. We don't have all day, y'know."

"Somepony doesn't..." Black growled.

Some of the crooks tried to make a run for it.

"Oh no, you don't!" Fury threw all his spears like boomerangs.

The spears all hit their marks, either in the head, back or feet, knocking them down.

"Looks like another seven for me." He smirked. "How many did you get, by the way?"

"None of your business." Black growled.

"Sure it's not." Fury chuckled.

On another mission, they went after a drug dealer who had been selling powdered Poison Joke, their mission being to interrogate him over suspected links to the Forefathers. Fury, of course, had gone after the target first, pouncing on him at his usual selling grounds, and chasing him down several alleyways, before finally cornering him in a dead end.

"Feel like talking yet?" Fury smirked.

"Go to Tartarus." The dealer snarled.

“Wrong answer, bub.” Fury scowled, as he held up his talon. “Blackjack Technique Go.”

Black darted in, having finally caught up.

“Fury, no!” Black gasped.

A flurry of spears fired rapidly in a straight line. The drug lord let out a screech of horror, his eyes clenched shut…

“Fury!” Black snarled.

“What?” Fury frowned. “I didn’t touch him!”

Fury was right. The drug lord opened his eyes after realizing he wasn't feeling any pain, and glanced down to find himself pinned to the wall in an awkward pose, the spears having stabbed uncomfortably close to his body.

“Whew…” The pony let out a sigh of relief. “For a moment there, I thought you- ugh!”

Fury slugged him in the abdomen with his left talon, rendering him unconscious. He waved his right talon, and the spears disappeared, the drug lord falling onto Fury’s shoulder.

“Shall we?” Fury smirked as he passed Black.

It took every ounce of Black's strength not to scream in outrage.

Sadly for Black, the trend continued, with Fury excelling in mission after mission, leaving Black in the dust. With the frustration of being overshadowed by the Griffon and the overwhelming sense of inadequacy looming over him, Black needed to vent.

Fortunately for him, Armory was more than willing to lend an ear one day at lunch.

"He's trying to take my spot, I know it." He grumbled.

"Come on, Black, that's crazy." Armory told him. "Nopony can take your place. Not even a Griffon."

“Really?” Black frowned. “Because it feels like he is. Ever since he got here, he and I have been on every mission together, and every time he ends up taking charge and taking down all the hostiles by himself. I'm barely lucky enough to get a punch in edgewise!”

“Black, it’s not about who takes down more enemies.” Armory declared. “All that matters is you two ended up busting the Forefathers’ operations. In that regard, you two have been cleaning house!”

“No. Fury has.” Black petulantly scowled. “You know, when I rejoined the Taskforce, I thought I could go back to doing what I do best: taking down the Forefathers and protecting Equestria. But now, this Griffon comes along, and he’s doing what I do best even better! I mean, with him around, I might as well be chopped lentils!”

"Don't talk like that, Black." Armory tried to reassure him. "You're still rusty from the surgery. Not to mention being in recovery for months. It's only natural that you'd be a little out of practice."

“It’s not just that, Armory…” Black sighed. “It’s just… what if it comes to a point where Elite decides he doesn’t need me anymore, and replaces me with Fury?”

“Don’t say that, Black.” Armory urged with a firm glare. “Elite would never do that to you. Not after everything we’ve been through. Even if in some bucked up universe he did, he would have to go through me and the others.”

“...Thanks, pal.” Black gave a sad smile. “Fury might be better than me in the field right now, but at least he can’t take you guys from me.”

“Trust me, Black.” Armory scoffed. “Fury might be a master in spears and creepy dark magic, but he’s kind of a jerk. Look.”

Across the mess hall, Fury was making his way out to the exit (presumably to train) when Titan came in. Upon seeing Fury, Titan gave a happy smirk as he made to greet him with a customary hug.

However, Fury stepped back, raising hackles at the Diamond Dog.

“Back off, mutt.” Fury glared. “I don’t want your Faust-damn fleas.”

Fury stormed past him, leaving Titan with his feelings hurt.

"Rooo..." Titan whined, ears drooping.

"You see?" Armory pointed out. "He doesn't have your winning personality!"

"No kidding." Black noted. “And here I thought he just hated me.”

“Oh no.” Armory glared at where Fury had departed. “I bet that what Fury has in terms of fighting skills, he sorely, and I do mean sorely, lacks in social skills.”

Armory was proven right, as Fury continued to prove that he was far less impressive off the battlefield.

"Pardon me, Fury." Master Mind approached him one day in the hallways. "May I ask that you assist me with calculating some new battlefield strategies?"

“...Um, what for?” Fury frowned.

“Well, with your dark magic capabilities, I feel like we could maybe implement them in some of the team maneuvers.” Master Mind shrugged.

“No thanks.” Fury snorted. “All that thinking's for nerds like you. I prefer just to fight."

"Well, that's all well and good, but strength of mind can be just as important as strength of body." Master Mind retorted.

"Not to me." Fury scoffed.

Fury walked away, leaving Master Mind outraged.

"Well, I never." Master Mind scowled. "And here I thought Black was anti-social..."

A few days later, Incognito entered the training room, finding Fury already there, making mincemeat out of the training dummy with his spear.

"Hey, Fury." He smiled. "You wanna spar?"

Fury paused mid-strike, his spear raised high, as the dummy fell to pieces. He glanced at Incognito.

“What do you say?” Fury asked.

“You… wanna spar?” Incognito repeated, a bit confused by Fury’s glance.

Fury was silent for a moment… before he burst out laughing.

“...Did I say something funny?” Incognito grimaced.

"Oh my Faust, are you serious?" Fury snorted, as he continued chuckling. "No offense, but I'm pretty sure I'd break you in half without even trying. You're just way too weedy for me. So thanks for the offer, but no thanks."

“Hey!” Incognito glared, “Just because I don’t have big muscles doesn’t mean I’m a joke! I’ll have you know, I have been trained to be the best infiltrator in the business by the former best!”

“Hate to break it to you, bub, but ‘infiltrator’ is a nice way of saying you’re so pathetically weak that they want you to avoid conflict.” Fury scoffed.

“...You know, a simple ‘no’ would have sufficed…” Incognito growled as he left. “No need to be an asshole about it.”

Not even Armory was safe. One day, Armory called Fury into his workshop to show him some of the gear he had invented.

“And that is how the ‘Homer’ works.” Armory explained, showcasing his oldest invention. “What do you think?”

Fury was lounging in his chair, having been listening to Armory drone on about the invention, and judging by his frown, he wasn’t impressed.

“Question, Armory…” Fury started. “What the hell would I need a pseudo-grappling hook when I have wings?”

“Um…” Armory murmured. “It isn’t just for grappling. You can use it to bring foes to you, or you to your foes. Trust me, the Homer can be very useful in any situation for anypony.”

“Just not me.” Fury grunted. “No offense, but I have no need for your little tinker toys. The only thing I need is a spear and my wits. Everything else is just dead weight.”

"'Tinker toys'?!" Armory gaped, as Fury left the workshop. "Of all the nerve..."

The day after, Ballista was talking with Fury about his past exploits.

"So we jumped them from behind, and filled 'em full of lead." Ballista declared. "And that's how we won the battle of Palomino Gorge."

"Not bad." Fury nodded. "You were pretty good back in the day. Before... you know."

"Before what?" Ballista frowned.

"Before you got old, of course." Fury smirked.

"Old?!" Ballista scowled.

"No offense, gramps." Fury shrugged. "Sure, you've still got some moves, but you're not a young stallion anymore. Best leave the fighting to the young guys, like it should be. You've had your time. Still, you're one heck of a fighter. You should take pride in that while you celebrate your twilight years..."

As Fury walked away, Ballista frowned.

"Don't know if I should be honored, or insulted..." He mused.

Fury continued to be rude and distant to the others over the coming days. Nopony could quite get through his abrasive outer shell (and many didn't want to). Black, on the other hoof, simply kept his distance.

One morning, Black was laying in his quarters. Despite Armory’s pep talk from earlier, the thought of Fury outshining him still looming over his head like a rain cloud, and did little for his mood.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" He called.

Armory entered.

"Hey, Black." He smiled.

"What's up?" Black asked.

"I was down in the Pipeline, and Pike... well, he said he wants to talk with you." Armory declared.

"He does, does he?" Black mused. “What about?”

"He didn’t say really." Armory shrugged. "All he said that he wishes to talk to you, but you are free to ignore him if you like-"

"No, I'll go." Black stood. "At the very least, it could make for an interesting conversation."

Black made his way down to the Pipeline, where Pike was sitting in his cell. His age was starting to show, as his mane was all but gone. However, despite all that, Pike seemed quite elated to see him.

"Ah, Black." He smiled. "Long time, no see. No pun intended..."

"None taken." Black mused. "Nice to see you’re doing well. You’re pretty chipper for a prisoner, you know that?”

“Well, it ain’t that bad once you get used to it.” Pike shrugged. “Besides, I've been in much worse prison cells in my days.”

“What do you want, Pike?” Black suddenly asked. “Not that I mind chatting to the guy who tried to kill me for years, but Armory told me you wanted to talk.”

"For a while now, actually." Pike declared. "Since your miraculous resurrection and return to duty, I've been hoping for a chance to catch up with you."

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly in a talkative mood right now." Black frowned.

“Oh?” Pike frowned. “Why’s that?”

“It’s nothing really.” Black shook his head. “You wouldn’t be interested.”

“Now, don’t you go saying that.” Pike glared. “Remember, blocking ponies out is what got you into that mess with the Crystal Sun. Take it from me, pal, you want to talk about your problems with somepony.”

“I don’t know…” Black said with uncertainty. “Should I tell a prisoner about my personal problems?”

“Well, it’s not like I’m going anywhere.” Pike joked, “So if you have any secrets, they are stuck in this cell with me.”

“Hmm, that is a valid point.” Black mused.

“Damn right it is.” Pike smirked, as he sat back. “Come on, tell ol’ Pike what’s on your mind. Are things going well on the up-side?”

“...Not so well, actually.” Black grunted.

"How so?" Pike asked.

“Well, Elite and Balilsta decided to start this new project, and it involves recruiting new members.” Black announced distastefully. “And this new guy is some reckless hotshot Griffon. He’s a Faust damn jackass who hates my guts because of the Crystal Sun incident, and hates everypony else because he’s one of those loner types. You should see how he treats everypony else on the team.”

“Wow, sounds like a real prince, this guy.” Pike deadpanned.

“Yeah…” Black growled, before sighing. “But that isn’t the half of it. Despite being a jerk, he’s good. I mean, really good. He can easily do what I can do, but faster and better. You should've seen him when we went on this mission to Manehatten…”

And for the next hour or so, Black went on to explain everything that had being going on since Fury’s arrival. Despite the misgivings he still had about Pike, it felt pretty good for Black to finally vent his frustrations.

“It’s just baffling! No matter what situation we’re in, Fury’s answer is to just throw spears.” Black continued, his voice having escalated to a livid rant. “And if that doesn’t work, throw even more spears! And not once, since he joined, has it not worked for him!” Black let out a deep breath, calming down a bit. “It‘s like everything I did means nothing next to him...”

“Uh-huh…” Pike murmured, having been hanging on his every word. “So, you think the new guy is edging you out. Trying to take your place.”

“Well, it sure feels like it.” Black growled. “I chose to stay because this was where I belong. Where I can matter. Where I can make a difference. But with that featherhead snatching all the glory, what good am I to the team? What do I have to offer that Fury isn’t offering in troves? I just feel… pointless, in the grand scheme of things."

Pike paused for a moment, mulling over the situation.

“...You know what? You shouldn’t stand for that, Black.” Pike announced, adopting a glare. “After everything you've been through, I know you deserve better. Some jackass like this Fury feller can’t just come in and take your place.”

“That's what I was thinking!” Black nodded. “But what can I do? Fury has practically became a one Griffon army!”

“Well then, you just need a chance to show the Taskforce that you’re still an important part of this team.” Pike declared. “And I think I can help you…”

“Really?” Black frowned. “Help me how?”

“...I think I'd like to make a deal with you.” Pike smirked. “I can give you the name and an address of a noteworthy Forefather associate. What you do with it will be up to you.”

“Wait, Elite and Ballista said that you had nothing to say that would help us.” Black frowned suspiciously.

“That was only half true.” Pike admitted. “I really don’t know much about the higher ups of the organization, let alone what they're planning. But I do know a few guys that the Taskforce might be interested in. It’s not much, but I figure you could use the information.”

“But what exactly is in it for you?” Black asked. “What do you want in exchange?”

“Nothing much.” Pike shrugged. “All I want… is to talk.”

“To talk?” Black repeated.

“Yes.” Pike nodded. “Like we did just now. You come in, I tell you what you want to know, and we chat, stallion to stallion. That's all I want.”

“...Really?” Black frowned. “No offense, but that’s an odd deal.”

"What can I say?" Pike shrugged. "It's lonely down here. The only pony willing to talk to me is Armory. And he's not here too often. And honestly, I was hoping talking with each other might help us both with recovering from being the ponies we once were."

"Really?" Black mused.

"Yeah." Pike nodded. "We're in the same boat now. So many past regrets. It'll be good for both of us to talk things out, give each other a shoulder to cry on, and provide emotional support. So, what do you say?"

“...Hmm. Well, so far, I see no downside to this, so I guess it couldn’t hurt.” Black shrugged, before adding firmly. “But if you don’t mind, I'd like the info first, so I know you’re not lying.”

“I guess that's fair.” Pike sighed. “Better listen up, because the guy I'm about to tell you about is one heck of a doozy.”

A short while later, Black presented the information Pike gave him to Elite and Ballista in Elite’s office.

“Wait, you got Pike Redfield to talk?!” Ballista gaped. “For real?”

“Yeah, and all he wanted was for me to visit him more often.” Black shrugged. “But that’s aside the point. Pike told me about one of his old contacts, a pony named Steeple Chase. He's a mercenary cruiser bruiser, responsible for managing most of the mercenaries the Forefathers hire. If we can take him down, the Forefathers could stand to lose quite a bit in terms of hired help"

"And you're certain your source is trustworthy?" Elite asked.

"Very." Black nodded. "Pike even told me where to find him. His hideout is over on the east side of Applewood. We can take him completely by surprise.”

"Very well then." Elite nodded. "Assemble the team."

"You got it." Black nodded. "And you know, Pike really did help us out here. Maybe we can loosen his sentence a little. Let him out of that cell, at least. It's pretty lonely down there."

"I suppose we could place him under house arrest." Elite mused. "Armory has been working on a hoof collar that zaps the wearer whenever he tries to exit a certain radius."

"That could work." Black nodded.

"I'll take it under consideration." Elite nodded. "But for now, let's focus on the mission at hoof."

"You got it, boss." Black smiled.

Before long, the entire team (sans Elite and Ballista) had been gathered, prepping for the mission.

"Okay, watch yourselves out there." Black told the others as he donned his suit. "From what Pike's told me, this guy is no pushover..."

"Please." Fury snorted. "It's probably just a bunch of hype. Just send me in first, and it'll all be over."

"I can believe that." Incognito snorted.

"Statistically, the odds are in his favor." Master Mind admitted.

"Let's not forget that this is one of the bigger cheeses." Black said irritably. "We don't want to underestimate this guy..."

"Or maybe he shouldn't underestimate me." Fury smirked.

"Let's... get going, shall we?" Armory said awkwardly.

"Yeah, let's." Black declared, putting on his helmet.

Fury threw Black a cocky smirk as they boarded the carriage.

Soon after they arrived on the outskirts of the east side of Applewood, near an abandoned factory, which Pike had told Black was Steeple's main hideout.

"Okay, let's surround the place from all sides, toss in a few gas grenades, and-" Black started.

"Forget that!" Fury sneered, charging right towards the factory. "Let's just go in there and pound this guy!"

"That's not a plan!" Black yelled.

“Should we go in after him?” Master Mind frowned.

“We might as well. Much as I hate the guy, we can’t let him get himself killed.” Incognito grunted.

“Ruff-ruff.” Titan nodded in agreement.

"Sorry, Black." Armory sighed. "Looks like we've lost the element of surprise."

"No kidding." Black growled. 'I swear to Faust, that feathered freak better not get us all killed!'

The team, following Fury, stormed into the building.

"Now the fun begins!" Fury yelled triumphantly.

The group was surprised to find only one stallion. He was a chocolate brown, brawny Earth Pony stallion with a black scarf, dark brown jacket, light brown mane, pale green eyes, and a Cutie Mark of a church spire waiting for them.

“Ah, if it isn’t the Taskforce Omega.” The stallion smirked. “I was expecting you.”

"Steeple Chase." Fury smirked. "Wow, thank you for saving us the trouble of finding you in this dump. We're here to take you in on the charge of working for the Forefathers. Please, do me a favor and resist. It makes things more fun."

“Well… if you insist.” Steeple smirked. He stomped his hoof, and several heavily armed thug ponies emerged from the shadows.

"Uh-oh." Armory gulped.

"Looks like the other horseshoe just dropped." Black frowned.

"I had a feeling you guys would be coming for me sooner or later." Steeple admitted. "I've been hearing words that Elite Everest hired two new ponies to take the place of the now deceased Black Knight. One was an armored stallion. Nothing remarkable about him.”

Black let out a small grunt of insult.

“But the other one…” Steeple whistled. “Don’t think I don’t remember you, Fury. The other mercenaries still talk about how you were the only one to survive the massacre that befell Nero and his squadron.”

"Um… who's Nero?" Incognito frowned.

“And now I see why.” Steeple continued, ignoring Incognito’s question, glaring at Fury. “You’re one of those Nightcrawlers, and a deadly one at that.”

“Well, I assure you, Steeple, the rumors are true.” Fury grinned.

“That I can see. That is why I wasn't going to take the chance of what happened to the others happen to me. So I took a few precautions." Steeple smirked.

"Big deal." Fury scoffed. "Bring in as many hired guns as you want. It won't make a difference." He turned to the others. "Let's take this punk."

"I assure you, any attempt to 'take this punk' will result in your swift demise." Steeple smirked.

"And I thought you were overconfident." Black sneered at Fury, before approaching Steeple. "I hate to admit it, but feathers is right. Thugs or no thugs, there's only one way this is gonna end."

"We'll see about that." Steeple raised his hoof. "Attack!"

The thugs charged forward, readying their weapons.

"Come get some!" Fury responded in kind.

A vicious firefight soon ensued. While Fury had no projectile weapons, he made use of his spear, deflecting the crossbow bolts fired at him, and knocking away the weapons, so he could take his foes on up close and personal.

"How d'ya like this?!" He headbutted one thug brutally.

As another tried to jump him from behind, he wrapped his tail around the thug's neck. While his victim gasped for air, Fury punched him out.

Titan was doing almost as well as Fury, punching thugs left, right and center.

"Rrrruufff!" He barked, hitting one hard enough to shatter his helmet.

Unfortunately, the others weren't doing nearly as well. The mercenaries were well-trained, making it a struggle for the Taskforce.

"Whoa!" Incognito barely managed to flip over a barrage of crossbow bolts. "May as well have painted a bullseye on my flank..."

Master Mind did his best to weave in and out of enemy fire, firing back his own hail of bolts.

"Brute force can never prevail over intellect!" He said boldly.

Due to his bad leg, Armory took on a defensive position, firing upon his foes with a crossbow of his own from the shadows, and moving as fast as he could from one point to another.

"You won't tag me that easily." He muttered.

Meanwhile, Steeple faced off with Black.

"Are you the one in charge of this bunch of wimps?" Steeple asked Black. “What a shame.”

"Go to Tartarus." Black scowled.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." Steeple smirked. "Taking you down will make things so much simpler."

"You can try." Black snarled.

"Not try. Succeed." Steeple countered.

The two exchanged a brutal flurry of blows. For all his size, Steeple was quite agile. He leapt in and struck Black where the armor was more vulnerable. Black returned some precision blows of his own, but Steeple kept on the move.

"Hard to be fast when you're wearing a tin can!" Steeple taunted him.

"Wanna bet?" Black fired the crossbow on his armor. The bolt embedded itself in the wall behind Steeple, and exploded a second later, sending him flying. "How's that for fast?"

"Cheap tricks." Steeple spat, as he struggled to get back up.

"Don't worry." Black smirked under his helmet. "I won't need any to finish this.”

At that moment, Master Mind was struck in the foreleg by a crossbow bolt.

"Ahhh!" He yelped, dropping to the ground.

"Not so smart now, are ya?" The mercenary who fired the bolt advanced on his prey.

Black heard Master Mind’s cry and saw him trying to crawl away from the mercenary closing in on him. As he did, Black could only think of what happened to Master Mind's predecessor.

'I have to help him.' He thought. 'I can't let him die. Just like I almost did with Micro...'

“Hey! Eyes on me, tin-pony!” Steeple roared.

“Oh, piss off!” Black snarled as he turned away and slammed his hind legs into Steeple, knocking him back.

Swiftly, he rushed over to Master Mind, and he punched out the thug with a single blow.

"That's my cue to leave..." Steeple muttered, as he got back on his hooves and made to flee.

"Are you okay?" Black asked Master Mind.

"I'm fine." Master Mind nodded. "But our quarry is getting away!"

Black turned to see Steeple running up the stairs to the roof. He quickly turned to Fury, only to see that he was occupied with the many thugs that were surrounding him.

"Is that the best you've got?" He snarled. Despite his boast, his breathing was becoming labored, the endless horde of foes starting to slow him down. Fatigue was starting to set in... though he wouldn't dare show it.

"Go, Black!" Armory joined Master Mind. "We'll finish up here!"

“Okay.” Black nodded. “You take care!”

Black gave chase, following Steeple onto the factory roof. There was a small airship, barely big enough to hold one pony, as Steeple climbed into it.

“Hey, get back here!” Black roared.

"Sorry, tin-pony! So close, yet so far!" Steeple taunted as the airship began to take off.

"Close enough." Black smirked.

Black fired the "Homer" at the airship. The dart sunk into the side, allowing Black’s weight to drag it back down.

"Your flight's just been cancelled!" Black declared.

“Oh, come on!” Steeple snarled as he tried pulling the ship up. But it was no use.

“Hey, why don’t you come down here and face me like a stallion!” Black taunted.

“Oh, for Faust’s sake!” Steeple growled.

Steeple jumped out of the airship.

"You just make a big mistake." He snarled. "Now, you die."

"Bring it." Black taunted, retracting the rope-dart. “I’m putting an end to this!”

The two let out battle cries as they charged at each other, and duked it out once more.

Where are the people that accused me?
The ones who beat me down and bruised me
They hide just out of sight, can't face me in the light
They'll return but I'll be stronger

Steeple, angrier than ever, lashed out with far greater fury than before.

"Lousy helmet-head." He spat. "What's the matter, afraid to ruin your pretty little face?"

"You don't have that problem, do ya?" Black punched him hard. "Or at least, you won't when I'm through with you."

"Promises, promises." Steeple sneered.

God I want to dream again, take me where I've never been
I wanna go there, this time I'm not scared
Now I am unbreakable, it's unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

Steeple caught Black with a glancing blow on his side.

"You feel that?" He smirked. "You know what that is I'm hitting you with? Skin! And I'm not afraid to lose some!"

“Well, that’s good to know.” Black smirked, as he flicked one of his gauntlet-wearing hooves, revealing a sharp blade. It was a recent addition by Armory, having been inspired by Pike’s own blade.

With a swift swing, he nicked Steeple in the side.

“Augh! You'll pay for that!” Steeple snarled.

Sometimes it's hard to just keep going
But faith is moving without knowing
Can I trust what I can't see to reach my destiny?
I want to take control but I know better

As the fight went on, Steeple couldn’t help but notice how his opponent carried himself in battle. He felt as if he had seen this kind of fighting style before...

"You're pretty tough." He noted. "And you've got some skills, too."

"I'm flattered." Black sneered. "Thanks for the compliment." He fired a crossbow bolt.

"It won't save you, though." Steeple spat, dodging the bolt. "Not against me!"

Steeple rammed into Black, knocking him back.

God I want to dream again, take me where I've never been
I wanna go there, this time I'm not scared
Now I am unbreakable, it's unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

Black stumbled back, as Steeple approached him menacingly.

“You are such a fool, you know that, tin-pony?” Steeple taunted. “A greenhorn like you, facing a top of the class mercenary like me? You should've done the smart thing and had Fury go after me… good thing he's too busy with my boys.”

“Me? A greenhorn?” Black let out a chuckle. “Don’t make me laugh. It doesn’t matter how tough you are. At the end of the day, you’re just another Forefather lackey. I've taken down enough of them in my time.”

"Wait... you have?" Steeple frowned. He knew of very few who could have taken down so many. “How could that be? We would've known if some guy in a armored suit had been taking ponies out in the organization!”

“Oh, I think you heard of me.” Black smirked under his helmet. “I had the pleasure of making acquaintances with several of your colleagues over the years. Some industrialists in Saddle Arabia, a giant scary clown, a rich boy who bit off more than he can chew, and a bunch of ponies who watched way too much ‘Silence of the Lambs’... and those are the more noteworthy ones.”

Steeple's blood ran cold as he realized his opponent had described many of the ponies who had met their demise or had suffered a great defeat… but what shocked him most was that they all had one thing in common… but it couldn’t be...

"How could you know-?" He started.

"Because I've been fighting scum like you for a long time." Black punched Steeple back. “Gave up quite a lot doing it too!”

Forget the fear it's just a crutch
That tries to hold you back
And turn your dreams to dust
All you need to do is just trust

Steeple dodged Black's next few attacks, but he couldn't shake a feeling of dread over his current situation.

“Who are you?!” Steeple demanded. “How could you have been there?! For each and every one of those battles?! There was never any mention of you!”

“Oh, there has.” Black smiled darkly. “In fact, I'm all that your superiors used to talk about.”

“Then enlighten me!” Steeple snarled. “Who is the stallion behind the mask?!”

“Hmph, very well.” Black nodded. “I think you deserve to know the identity of the stallion who will bring you down.”

Black tapped a button on the side of his helmet, his visor lowered and his helmet flipped open, revealing his face to the now stupefied Steeple…

“No… no… it can’t be…” Steeple gaped. “You’re… you’re Black Knight!”

“That I am.” Black nodded.

“But how?! You’re dead!” Steeple snarled. “It was all over the news! The higher ups told me you perished!”

“Nope." Black smiled. “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. I have to let the world believe I am dead, so I can continue to fight the Forefathers!”

"Wh-why are you telling me this?" Steeple asked.

“Because I know you won’t tell.” Black smirked.

“What?! But you're one of the Forefathers’ greatest threats!” Steeple growled. “Why wouldn’t I tell anypony?!”

“Because I know you will never make it back to the Forefathers… alive.” Black advanced on the shocked Steeple.

God I want to dream again, take me where I've never been
I wanna go there, this time I'm not scared
Now I am unbreakable, it's unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

Black inflicted several punishing blows on Steeple, whose confidence had faded after realizing just who he was up against. It wasn't long before Steeple was on the ground, a bruised mess.

"Please... no more..." He groaned, shielding himself from any further blows.

Black stood over Steeple, raising his hoof with the blade attached. The familiar urge to kill the awful pony where he lied was calling out to him. It would be so damn easy…

However… as he did, flashes of everything he had experienced in his coma came back to him. The talk with his former selves, the memories of his loved ones, and the darkness that nearly ruined everything because he had lost control.

With those memories etched deep in his mind pulling him back, the urge to kill faded away. He retracted the blade, and slammed his hoof into Steeple’s face, knocking him out.

“Sorry, Steeple. I meant it when I say you wouldn’t make it back alive… because you aren’t going back.” Black said firmly.

Downstairs, Fury had worn himself out after taking out most of the thugs.

"Come on." He breathlessly taunted the last few thugs. "Give me your best shot."

The thugs charged at Fury, who recoiled slightly. Just before they reached him, the rest of the Taskforce intercepted their attack. Armory zapped one with a mini-taser, Incognito kicked another, Titan punched a third, and even Master Mind took one out with a well-placed crossbow shot.

"I didn't need your help!" Fury growled, annoyance.

"Sure you didn't." Armory smirked. "Not when your second wind was about to blow over."

“Oh, ha-ha.” Fury scoffed. He then glanced around. “Now where’s that Steeple flapper? I still got enough left for that asshole!”

"Too late." Black called, as he descended down the stairs with a bound Steeple. "He's mine."

"Way to go, Black!" Armory smiled.

"Nice one!" Incognito added.

"I knew you could prevail." Master Mind smiled, one hoof on his bandaged wound.

"Rrrf!" Titan barked.

Fury gave out a petulant scowl as he glared at Black.

"Thanks, guys." Black grinned. "Now, let's head back. I don't know about you, but I've had enough of Applewood for one night..."

Back at the base, the team continued to applaud Black's success.

"Splendid work as always, Black." Elite smiled.

"He's back!" Ballista clapped Black on the back.

"Just like old times!" Armory grinned.

"Yeah, that really took me back." Incognito nodded.

"We truly are lucky to have you back with us." Master Mind admitted.

"Thanks, guys." Black said proudly.

Black then glanced at Fury, who was stewing in the corner of the meeting room.

“Well, Fury?” Black asked. “What do you think? Not bad for a rusty stallion, right?”

“So you took down the big kahuna, big whoop.” Fury snorted as he approached Black. “I still took out all of his thugs! You only got him because I was busy clobbering them!”

“Seriously?” Black growled, “Even now, you can’t give me just a little respect?”

"Nope." Fury smirked.

"Well, luckily, I can't afford to give you respect either." Black growled. "We were lucky to get out of that mess. Not to mention your blindly rushing in got Master Mind hurt. If I hadn’t stepped in, he'd probably be dead right now."

“For Faust’s sake, Black, he’s fine.” Fury grunted. “A little crossbow wound isn’t going to kill anypony.”

“You’re missing the point, Fury.” Black snarled, “You're a part of this team. And when you're part of a team, you have to look out for your teammates. And I'll be damned if you put anypony in this team in that situation again.”

"It's not my fault they couldn't keep up." Fury defended himself. "Besides, it's their job to go into battle and risk their lives, remember?"

"Risk them, not throw them away following a reckless loon like you." Black scowled.

"In case you haven't noticed, my way gets results." Fury snarled. "Think on that while you're on your high horse, you self-righteous-"

“Okay, that’s enough.” Elite stepped in, frowning at Fury. “Fury, while we do appreciate your initiative and your exceptional performance thus far, Black does have a point. You would do well to try and cooperate with your teammates, rather than charge headfirst into every battle.”

Fury was about to retort, but seeing the firm glance in Elite’s eyes, as well as in the others staring at him with disapproval, his beak turned into a scowl.

“Hmph, whatever.” Fury grumbled as he stormed off.

"Well, I should get back to the workshop." Armory shrugged.

"And I have to log the official mission report." Master Mind added.

"And I'm just going to bed." Incognito sighed.

"We could all use some rest." Elite noted.

"Yeah, night." Ballista nodded.

They all departed, leaving Black to stew over Fury.

"Lousy pigeon-cat." He scowled. "No respect... totally reckless..."

"Now, now." A voice declared. "Don't be so quick to judge."

Black glanced to see Barbossa approaching him.

“Barbossa? When did you get here?” Black questioned.

“Oh, just now, really. I just dropped by to see how Fury was fitting in.” Barbossa declared. “I assume things between you and Fury have not been going smoothly?”

“That’s an understatement.” Black snorted. “That Griffon has to be the most smug, stuck up piece of crap I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting.”

“Well, that certainly does sound like Fury.” Barbossa mused.

“Really? Including the part where he recklessly charges into every situation, disregarding everypony else around him?” Black scowled.

“Yep. Always eager to get into a fight.” Barbossa nodded.

“...Him being an asshole to his comrades?” Black frowned.

“Fury is kind of a loner, yes.” Barbossa admitted.

“...Him refusing to admit that I did better than him at something?” Black deadpanned.

“Oh, definitely.” Barbossa chuckled. “Griffons are naturally prideful creatures. Fury even more so.”

“...How the hell are you friends with him?!” Black gaped. “I just told you what a jerk he's been the past couple weeks, and you're taking it like it’s perfectly normal!”

“That’s because it is.” Barbossa declared. “Fury is a powerful Nightcrawler. I did not say anything about him being the most polite Griffon.”

“But how can that be?” Black scowled. “Fury shows nothing but the utmost respect for you. It’s like he’s a completely different Griffon when you’re around.”

"Yes, well, we weren't always so." Barbossa admitted. "But over time, we came to understand one another. In fact, for the longest time, I was Fury's only friend."

"Shocker." Black snorted. "With such a winning personality, too."

"Fury had all but isolated himself from others, strongly believing that he was strong all on his own." Barbossa continued. "Even now, save for yours truly, he has little use for others."

"That explains a lot." Black sneered.

“It is my hope that this team will not only challenge Fury to better himself as a Nightcrawler, but as a Griffon, opening himself to others.” Barbossa declared. “That is exactly what I said to Elite when I told him about Fury.”

“Well, I don’t see that happening anytime soon.” Black scowled. “The guy absolutely loathes me and everypony else on the team. Can’t even get a freaking compliment from him.”

“Please do not take that personally.” Barbossa smiled. “I’m sure that when you brought down Steeple yourself, Fury was impressed. He just has a unique way of showing it.”

"Yeah?" Black grumbled. "Not exactly how I see it."

“I know you must not think much of Fury now.” Barbossa admitted. “But I can tell you without a doubt that Fury is a very kind-hearted being. And that with time, you and he just might come to respect each other as comrades, and maybe even friends.”

Black took a moment to contemplate Barbossa’s words.

“...Okay, sure.” Black sighed. “I'll keep trying with him. But don’t expect any miracles.”

“One won’t be needed.” Barbossa smiled. “I’m going to check on him right now. Would you like to come with?”

“No thanks.” Black shook his head. “I have to stop by the Pipeline. There’s somepony I'd like to have a talk with...

The present...

"And there you have it." Black declared. "That's how Fury came into our lives, and into our little family. Unfortunately, he was here to stay..."

"Unfortunately for you, or unfortunately for me?" Fury smirked.

"That's up for debate." Black frowned.

"So... shall I hazard a guess that the story isn't over quite yet?" Fletcher asked.

"You guess right." Black nodded. "There's one last tale to tell. The most important one of all."

"More important than getting your eyesight back?" Caboose gaped. "Can't wait to hear this."

"Trust me, it's one heck of a show-stopper." Black grinned.

"The grand finale, at last." Fletcher smiled. "Can't wait..."

“...Okay, you two are getting WAY too much into this,” Fury scoffed.

"Well, I suppose somepony here has to be." Caboose snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fury growled.

"Oh, nothing." Caboose smirked.

"Okay, that's enough." Black. "I'm not letting anything interrupt my story. Not when I'm almost done."

"Then by all means, continue." Fletcher smiled. "I know this going to be quite an ending."

"You don't know the half of it." Black grinned.

Author's Note:

"Unbreakable" belongs to Fireflight.

Comments

[danick]

Wow fury is a big douchebag

[Vakama95096]

I wonder what the ending is gonna be