A Knight's Tales

by Modern Masquerade

Captive Audience (Future)

The lines at the bank were long and arduous, and Prism could only wait patiently for her turn in the crowd. Species from all around the system were here, as it was the nearest bank to exchange currency for the spaceport, something Prism needed to do as well since the tellers for the spaceport refused gold pieces as payment. Setting aside her feelings of the matter, Prism was simply waiting her turn when she noticed something out of the ordinary.

Three humanoids wore bizarre masks as they entered the bank with large bags on their backs. Two of the figures put restraining bolts on the exit doors as the third drew forth a large ballistic weapon with a wide drum and fired it into the air, startling most in the room with its thunderous rat-tat-tat. The man then spoke in a synthesized voice, demanding that customers hit the ground as his men went to them and took their credits and currency. The two other humanoids drew their own weapons and began going around the crowd while the leader made his way to the back of the bank, and its cred-safe.

Prism saw the other customers complying with the orders, and she kneeled as well, not wanting to risk others getting hurt. The robbers worked their way through the customers, opening their bags and demanding their currencies. When one reached Prism, though, he stalled for a moment. Even with a mask covering his face, Prism still recognized his confusion. Putting the safety of her fellows before her goods, Prism levitated the gold pieces into his bag and nodded gently as he continued down the line, still glancing back at the armored visage once or twice.

Eventually, more movement started at the door, and Prism heard the distant sound of the thieves debating with themselves. Looking toward the entrance, she saw the reason, planetary police. Analyzing the situation, Prism could see that the thieves were holding them as hostages, and had now lost their escape route, something had to be done. Thus, she put her plan into action.

One of the robbers was pacing back and forth, pointing his gun at the crowd to make sure they wouldn’t try anything. As he approached, Prism spoke up, “Um, pardon me, mister bank robber?” As the robber looked around for the source of the voice, Prism raised her head to show that it was her. He moved closer to better hear her, “Is it okay if I stand? This old armor isn’t made for laying down.”

“Are you some kind of crazy?” Asked the robber, drawing closer and aiming his weapon at the pony. “I don’t know where you’re getting off with this ren-faire stuff, but you try anything and I’ll pop a cap through that nice helmet of yours.”

Prism lowered her head, casting her eyes to the side as she glanced the second robber checking on the first in the back room, leaving this one alone. “I’m sorry about that,” Prism spoke, lowering her voice even more as the crook drew closer out of habit to hear, “but someone has to try something.” Prism punctuated this with a hard pull on the gun with her magic, tearing it out of the man’s hand. A pale look overcame his face as he realized what happening, his stunned silence provided Prism the opportunity to speak once more, she indicated toward the police barricading outside the door, “You sit down and stay quiet, and you’ll get out of this alive too.” The thief complied, as his fear of the police and unarmed status put him at a clear disadvantage. As he sat, Prism withdrew some rope from her bag and tied the man up in it, being sure to gag him as well.

Making her way swiftly toward the back room, Prism looked toward the police at the door and gestured for them to wait, not wanting a firefight with the civilians. This evoked looks of disbelief from the police as they even still decided to follow the advice. Prism set to work, spreading a pot of glue from her bag over the floor outside the backroom door and putting a small candle on a desk nearby. Inside, Prism could hear the two robbers drilling into the safe, apparently needing to reset the drill repeatedly.

Taking advantage of a momentary silence inside the room, Prism’s horn glowed with a brilliant light as she flung a smoke stick at the door, knocking on it as it created a growing cloud of smoke, Prism’s candle still visible through the haze. Prism readied herself near the door as one of the robbers opened it, coughing in the smoke as he waved his gun back and forth. Eyeing the distant light with suspicion, the robber stepped toward the light. After he tried to take his second step, he noticed that his foot was stuck.

Acting quickly, Prism slammed the door shut with a glow of magic and stuck a heavy looking piton into the door itself, sealing it tight as she stepped forward. The robber moved to fire his gun at the now revealed unicorn, but Prism responded to his open guard with a clobbering strike from her hammer, incapacitating the thief as his head slammed against the door.

Inside the back room, the drill had stopped, no doubt the leader realizing what was happening. Prism knew she’d need to approach the situation delicately, as the leader would be cornered and was likely as not to spray at the door once it opened. Moving toward the workers, she apologized softly to the terrified tellers as she borrowed their desks, lifting them easily with her magic and turning them upright. Three desks later, with the unconscious robber moved, Prism had hemmed in the door such that there wouldn’t be any spray toward the crowd. Satisfied, she lit another smokestick and held it in her mouth as she removed the piton gently.

Throwing open the door, Prism dropped the smokestick inside, igniting her hammer with magical energy. The leader was terrified, and opened wild fire on Prism, her armor deflecting the few shots that managed to graze her with ease. Her entrance made, Prism simply stepped forward to the leader of the bank robbers, and raised her earthbreaker. She spoke now, lightly as ever, “Surrender now. Kneel or be knelt.”

Rapidly analyzing his options, and the ominously glowing weapon aimed at his face, the leader of the bank robbers dropped his gun, defeated. Prism dropped a lasso around him, and brought the whole gang forward to the waiting police. Officers congratulated the armored unicorn, taking the gang into custody and moving to clean up the scene.

Winding down, the owner of the bank made his way to thank Prism for her efforts, asking if there would be anything that he could do for her. “I was just doing what was right.” Thinking for a moment, Prism continued, withdrawing the bits that had been returned to her, “Although, if you could exchange these bits, I’d appreciate it.”