Jack Spicer's Quest to Conquer Equestria

by CrazedLaughter

Chapter 8 - Scootaloo the Genius

Jack began to work on making his Jackbots. Feeling a newfound vigor as he couldn't wait to be able to yell out "JACKBOTS! ATTACK!" And something actually happen.

He would call out for various tools for the CMC to bring him. Sometimes he had to correct them, but he actually didn't snap at them for doing any wrong. He had grown somewhat attached to them. And he wanted to teach them enough to get by. He still had to use his cheat sheet to get their names right though. Since they didn't have normal human names.

"Sweetie Belle, I notice you got a horn on your head. You can do magic right?" Jack asked, interested to see if he could perhaps use it as some energy source. Since there was no fuel around.

"Not very well...but...whatever you ask, I'll do my best!" She said, puffing her chest out.

Jack tried not to squee from the cuteness. There could only be so much softness one of evil should publically show. He pulled out some special looking contraption and held it out to her. "I need to see what happens when this is zapped with magic"

Sweetie Belle got close to look at it. It looked like some glass jar with some gears and pistons on it. It was straight out of some sort of steampunk dealie. "What is it?"

Jack pointed at it "This is the emergency power unit for my Jackbots. Since I don't got any fuel around. This will have to do. But if my calculations are correct, then giving it a magical boost could provide the power I need to make them run....or it could explode and take us all out in a horrible blaze."

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened "T-that's a joke right?"

Jack had realized what he just said, he didn't even have a basis on his theory. He just knew these had a chance to blow up with an improper source of power. "Oh..y-yeah! hahaha! I'm quite the jokester..haha...ha..so um, can you try hitting it with your best shot?"

Sweetie Belle felt reluctant given the "joke". But she wanted to be of help. She gave the EPU a good stare before closing her eyes and mustering as much magic as she can. She didn't have a spell in mind. So she just tried to imagine a flow of magic going into it. the device started glow, sputter, and shake violently.

Jack screamed and ducked into some hay immediately "HIT THE DECK IT'S GONNA BLOW!"

The CMC Panicked and jumped into the haystack with him. But the EPU didn't explode. It just ran, and it didn't seem to be draining internal power like it normally would. Jack poked his head out "It worked? what?! IT ACTUALLY WORKED?!? HAHAHA, I AM A GENIUS!" He hopped out of the haystack and started dancing "GO JACK! WOO WOO! GO JACK! UH HUH! UH HUH!"

The CMC just poked their heads out, and gave Jack a mean look. "I thought ya said it exploding was a joke" Said Applebloom, mystified by Jack’s lie

Jack stopped his celebratory dance and looked at them "..It was a joke..haha...got to keep you three on your...erm..toe..le...hooves? I dunno, just take it as it is. The point is it worked, and that I'm a genius!"

The CMC popped out of the hay, still a little angry at the "mean spirited joke". But they had to disregard it for now. Equestria was in danger! "Jack, can we stay focused? I mean, we gotta save the world right? Scootaloo asked.

"Right,focused. Let's get back to work, the first Jackbot is almost finished anyway. I want to show you all how it works. You'll love it" Jack said as he grabbed the EPU unit and installed it into the Jackbot and closed the hatch. Then he turned around "Applebloom!"

Applebloom saluted "Sir!"

"I need apples!"Jack said

Applebloom wondered why he needed them..unless "Wow! Are you going to use them for something special to power your robots too?"

Jack shook his head "No, I'm gonna use them to power myself. I'm starving. A hero like myself needs as much food as possible. So just bring me the best you got! got it?"

Applebloom frowned, she thought it was going to be more important "Y-yes sir!" she went off to get the freshest apples she could get. and maybe a few snacks for herself and the girls.

As Jack turned around, he spotted Scootaloo climbing around on the Jackbot. "Hey! What are you doing?!"

Scootaloo had a wrench in her mouth. She seemed to be tightening the bolts on the Jackbot. She carefully hopped down onto the ground and put the wrench down. "Tightening up the bolts, Jack, sir! I may not look it. But I'm getting pretty good at putting stuff together myself"

Jack stood up to inspect the bolts. Yeah..they were tight. and she did it pretty quickly "Wow...good work." he turned to look at her "Building stuff huh? So you're some sort of genius?"

Scootaloo smiled at the insinuation "hehe, not really. Still sorta learning. But I am getting good at it."

"Don't put yourself down like that! If you keep at it. One day..you may...just may..be as good as me. All you need is some natural talent, brains, and practice. But at least you got a built in escape plan on your back huh?" Jack said, trying to offer her his sagely wisdom.

"Actually..mnnn" Scootaloo frowned. "I...sorta ..kinda...can't fly.." She looked down in shame from saying that. That even this guy had a way of flying, and her "natural escape plan" didn't work.

Normally, Jack would have found this hilarious. With the added plight even being moreso. But he couldn't laugh. It downright hurt him to know a fellow “genius” was flightless . "That just isn't right. Aren't you supposed to be able to fly? I mean you're a flying horse thing right?"

This line of questioning was only making her feel worse, she slowly shook her head "yeah...but..I just can't....I dunno if I'll ever be able to" She was starting to tear up. To her, to know even a flightless being was able to fly using his marvelous machine. It just made her feel shameful.

Sweetie Belle interjected "uuhh...Mister Jack..I don't think we should talk about it anymore" She walked up to her friend and gave her a nuzzle "Don't worry about it Scootaloo, you'll be able to fly one day. Or my name isn't Sweetie Belle."

as Scootaloo nuzzled back, Jack took a quick look at his cheat sheet to make sure her name was actually Sweetie Belle.

"I hope so..." Scootaloo said, trying to get her spirits up.

Jack turned around, deep in thought. He took off his helipack and reached into his toolkit and began to mess with it. Removing and rearranging pieces of it. Working furiously.

Applebloom walks back into the barn. Balancing three bowls of apples and a container with apple related treats "Got the food Mister Jack"

"yeah yeah, just put it somewhere Applejuice. Working on something" He was too busy to sneak a peak at his cheat sheet.

Applebloom sighed, he was doing so good too. then she looked at Scootaloo "Scootaloo, what's the matter?"

Scootaloo looked back at her, trying to smile from Sweetie Belle's comfort "It's nothing. hehe, just got reminded of something sad. It's ok now."

"Not yet it isn't!" Jack quickly got up and forcibly strapped something onto Scootaloo's back.

Scootaloo, startled by Jack, actually tries to fight him off "Hey get off! What are you doing?!"

"Hold still! Darnit!" He was having trouble keeping her still.

Applebloom revved up a bucking "What are ya doing to Scootaloo! Get off her!"

Jack managed to get whatever it was strapped onto her and jumped back. "Geez, relax. I tell ya, you actually try to do something nice for once and you still get hated on"

Sweetie Belle looked on the new and strange device on Scootaloo and turned to Jack "w-what is that thing?"

Jack snickered as he pulled out a small remote and pointed it at Scootaloo "You're about to find out" he then pushed the button.

Suddenly, small propellers came out of the small backpack like object behind Scootaloo. making her hover. "W-woah! What's going on?!"

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were astonished "Scootaloo, yer,yer flying!"

"I am!?" She looked down "W-woah!" she smiled big "I AM FLYING!"

Jack couldn't help but smile, he rushed up in front of Scootaloo and waggled his finger at her "Ok, before you get too excited. Let me explain how you control it. I got the base of your wings connected to small metal controllers, so All you gotta do is mimic how a bird can fly and viola! You're flying."

"Wo-woah..ok..let me try..umm...UMM..HERE I GO..I HOPE!" Scootaloo spreads her wings and tries moving like a Pegasis would. It automatically moves her forward and around dependant on her wing positions. "LOOK GIRLS! I'M FLYING!" She was so happy. So excited.

Sweetie Belle just looked in awe, it was working much better than Tank's propellor ever could. "Wow! GO SCOOTALOO GO!"

As Scootaloo zipped around the barn, Applebloom turned to Jack and bowed "I'm-m awful sorry Jack, ah thought you just went nuts or somethin and attacked Scootaloo"

Jack smirked, and waved his hand "It's no big deal" he smiled as Scootaloo started soaring inside the barn "Just look at that, not even two minutes and she's already got the handle of it." a tear formed and ran down his cheek "I'm so proud, she'll make a good Evil Horse Girl Genius someday. And when she conquers the world...she'll be all like...Jack Spicer made this happen."

Applebloom was smiling, until she caught a few words that didn't seem right "Come again?"

"what…?" then Jack realised his mistake "Oh, that. I said Good Genius..and um..save the world...because that's what we are doing...Saving the world...yup!"

Applebloom shrugged "oh...coulda sworn you said somethin about evil and conquering worlds...musta been my imagination. I guess I'm just really happy for Scootaloo that I just imagined it...Thanks for helping her out Jack! As far as ahm concerned. You're Cutie Mark Crusader material!"

Sweetie Belle nodded in agreeance "Yeah, you're amazing Jack. We've never met anypony as cool as you are.....and you're not even a pony!"

Jack blushed "ahh girls, I already know I'm the coolest guy ever. As for Cutie Mark Crusader...Just call me a Cutie Mark Heylin...has a better ring to it."

Applebloom nodded "Alright....wait....what's a Heylin?"

"Not important! We still gotta finish the Jackbots." Jack turned back to making the Jackbots. Playtime was over for now. He knew he had to get it done before anyone else suspected him of being there. Though, he couldn’t help himself to look at Scootaloo every few moments. Who had forgotten why she was there in favor of flying about with her new toy.

And so he worked tirelessly through the day. One by One making a new Jackbot fueled by Sweetie Belle's unimpressive magic. By the end of it. It at least turned out to be a success in terms that they seemed to function like any other Jackbot would. Luckily for him. Just pouring magic into their units is better in terms for Sweetie Belle than her actually casting some sort of powering magic constantly. She seemed pretty ok despite her zapping all those power units.

With each passing moment Jack became closer with the CMC. Joking with them, telling them skewed versions of events that happened to him, and telling them just how much Wuya sucked. Making her sound like a complete tool.

Big Mac only came to check on the girls once, which Applebloom had an easy time guiding him away making him think they were working on a super secret project. Which wasn't far from the truth.

by the end of the day, Jack had managed to make a dozen Jackbots. Two specifically made to scavenge for more material.

What the future held for Jack. Nobody knew. He himself only knew the future he wanted to reach.

Comments

[Lightning-Striker]

you know I kinda hope the CMC help Jack turn to good I mean he really is a genius imagine what good he could do with all his inventions

[Nikolas]

Jack is not that kind of evil like Hannibal or Wuya, he just want to prove that he is important and he thinks conquer the world would do that. In the series it was proved that Jack have a good side, just it hard to get rid from bad habit. Not mentionong evil offer an easyer way, but i could see Jack be redempted by the natural kindness of the ponies.