Consequences

by shallow15

Mistrust, Violence, and Decisions

“Nice place.” Tempest looked around the living room with approval. “I don't suppose you three actually paid for it?”

“None of your business.” Adagio got to her feet. “Get out.”

Tempest grinned. “What? And not catch up? It's been, what, five years since we last saw each other?”

“I think it's been six,” said Sonata. She frowned in thought. “No, wait, we came here... and then there was the thing before that... no, you're right, five years. Hey, where's the other one? Why isn't she with you?”

Tempest froze, her smile vanishing. “Sit down,” she ordered.

The corner of Adagio's mouth turned up in her crooked grin. “Oooh, something must have happened. Your partner leave you behind? Get a promotion to a nice, safe desk job?”

“She always did seem the softer of the two,” Aria jumped in. She grinned at Adagio. “Remember how we got her to do that strip tease at that club? The look on her face when she woke up was hilarious!”

“We probably shouldn't have uploaded the video to ViewTube,” Adagio replied.

“But she did trend for almost a week before the video got pulled for TOS violation,” Sonata said. “Made the front page of Blueit.”

Aria let out a cruel laugh. “But look on the bright side, internet fame's almost as good as real money these-- ACK!”

Tempest whirled and grasped Aria by the neck before lifting her off the ground and pinning her to the wall. “I. Said. Sit!”

Aria gasped for air and kicked her legs. Tempest twisted out of the way of her feet, increasing the pressure on her throat. Her lips pulled back from her teeth with an ugly growl. Aria grabbed the agent's wrist and tried prying her hand away from her throat, but Tempest's arm was immobile.

Tempest's face was twisted up in rage. Her breath hissed through her teeth. Her fingers closed further around Aria's windpipe.

Her eyes widened when she felt a blade at her throat.

“Let her go,” Adagio hissed, holding the discarded kitchen knife. “I might not be able to mind control you anymore, but I will slit your throat right here, right now, and I don't give a damn if your bosses send a whole army after us.”

Tempest took a deep breath and let it out through her nose. She lowered Aria to her feet and released her. Aria fell to the floor and gasped for air. Sonata helped her to her feet and took her over to the couch.

Tempest raised her hands and glanced out of the corner of her eye, seeing Adagio's hair in her peripheral vision. She felt the edge of the knife pressing into her skin.

“I let her go. Lose the knife.”

“I don't think so,” Adagio said. “Where's the rest of your goons?”

“Nowhere. I'm on my own. This is an investigation, not a detention.”

Adagio frowned. “Investigating what? Us?”

“No. I didn't even know you were here until I got to town.”

“The diner.” Adagio sighed. “I knew something was off when we left.”

“Forget that shit!” Aria hissed, her voice hoarse. “Cut her throat. We'll dump the body in the river outside of town.”

“Bad idea,” Tempest replied. “If I don't make regular reports, SOP is to send a team in to find out what happened to me. You remember what happened in Whinnyapolis the last time we met.”

Adagio's frown deepened and she pulled the knife away. “Sit.”

Tempest straightened her jacket and took a seat in the easy chair next to the couch. Adagio followed, sitting next to the other sirens.

“You all right?” she asked Aria, not taking her eyes off Tempest. Aria was sitting next to her, putting her head between her knees while Sonata rubbed her back. She looked up.

“I'll be fine. I still think we should kill her. We can steal her car and get the hell out of town afterwards.”

“We'll see,” Adagio replied. She looked Tempest over. “What do you want?”

“STORM's looking into the disturbance at the mall last week,” answered the agent. “They sent me to look into it.”

“We didn't have anything to do with that.” Adagio leaned back and crossed her legs.

“I didn't say you did. But I've heard about other things that have happened in this town over the last year or so. Rainbows at night, girls with horse ears and wings...”

Tempest leaned forward and looked intently at the siren leader. “Odd monster sightings during Canterlot High's Battle of the Bands finals. You know anything about that?”

“Not a thing.” Adagio answered.

“Where's your amulets?” Tempest asked.

“We had to hock them. Money got tight.”
Tempest's eyes narrowed. “Bullshit. I know what those things did for you. And you already let slip you can't mind control people anymore. So what happened?”

“None of your business.”

“Oh, I think it is. You three are very much my business.” The STORM agent leaned back, crossed her own legs, and began counting off on her fingers. “Manehattan, Vanhoover, Baltimare, Fillydelphia, Whinnyapolis. Those files are still open and STORM is still wanting answers. In fact, I already mentioned to the director that you might be here. He was very interested in what I found.”

The three sirens exchanged a glance. Adagio's frown returned, but she said nothing.

“However,” Tempest continued. “I told him I only suspected you were here, not that I was sure. It could be entirely possible I was mistaken.”

“And what exactly would it take for you to be convinced you were... mistaken?” Adagio asked.

“Tell me what happened to your necklaces. What really happened.”

“Don't tell her a god damn thing,” Aria snarled. “Amulets or no amulets, we can still take her.”

Sonata looked at Tempest, eyes wide. “Can you get STORM off our backs for good?”

“If you're telling the truth about not being able to control people anymore, then that means you aren't a threat. I'm pretty sure I can get the case closed. If I feel like there's something more important I can occupy my time with, well...”

Tempest trailed off an smiled at the three on the couch. Adagio looked back at her, thinking. Aria turned to her.

“You don't seriously believe anything this bitch says do you?”

“But if it'll get STORM off our backs --” Sonata said.

Aria made a disgusted sound. “She broke four of your ribs and your wrist in Whinnyapolis, Sonata!”

“Well, we were trying to drown her.”

“Shut up, both of you!” Adagio snapped. She looked back at Tempest. “I don't trust you.”

“Which is probably a wise move,” Tempest answered. “But, for what it's worth, I'm not lying. Tell me what I want to know, and I'll call the director tonight. You could go on with the rest of your lives without worrying one day I'll show up again.”

She leaned forward, her expression hardening. “And I will show up again. No matter how far you run, no matter how long it takes. I don't stop. You know that.”

Adagio's lips pursed, pondering.

“Don't do it,” Aria said.

“I think we should,” said Sonata.

Adagio ignored both of them and met Tempest's gaze. She leaned forward.

“Let's talk.”

Comments

[Speedy Silverstreak]

The Dazzlings might not have to worry about Tempest killing them anymore....

.....but now they have to worry about the Rainbooms or worse, PRINCESS CELESTIA killing them.

[CapNTilfy]

I think somebody's pride got injured.

[Dark Feather]

9309106
Injured? Try mortaly wounded whit that canon barage.

[DullDragon2070]

Well, that was intense.

Tempest had a partner? Given how she reacted, this person must have been pretty close/important to her.

This is bad. Even if Tempest doesn’t mention that it’s specifically the Rainbooms she’s investigating, the Sirens’ story will further confirm her suspicions about them.

There’s no way that Tempest will keep her word to those three. Given their history, this will be like a personal vendetta for her.

[Maldarach]

I was expecting (even just one of them, or, maybe not Sonata) them to bargain talking against STORM letting them go and close any cases, and having some insurance : getting revenge on the Rainbooms without facing them.

Maybe it will be so, but I thought that they would have considered it, not literally jumping on the occasion, as they wanted to keep the reason of the destruction of their amulets secret for some reason.

[DanaO]

Nice symmetry that we get to see the Sirens display the classic spectrum of responses to a threat: flight, fight or freeze (which also means assess). Also nice how everyone gives notice to and then politely ignores the evidence Tempest is by now panicking and had no plans going in other than to make anything at all happen so long as it promptly obliged.

Sure, Adagio will talk. I doubt being in the presence of somebody consumed by hatred or wanting to kill her is anything other than comfortingly familiar. But that she hasn't yet either sacrificed security for grudges or sought out people to make nice with doesn't speak well for STORM's chances here.