Chapter 3 - Raided
Sometime later the scent of food becomes too much for Arc to resist. Leaving the room, he walks downstairs where the others are eating happily. Derpy looks to him nervously.
“Everything okay, Arc?”
“Mostly, yes.”
Dinky grimaces. “Trouble back home, dad?!”
“Decimus is… being his usual self.”
Hammer appears confused. “Who?”
Sereb growls. “A very bad stallion.”
Arc clenches a fist. “Right. He was the one responsible for many heinous acts back there.”
“Like what?
Derpy grimaces. “He poisoned two of the princesses and tried to overthrow the government when Arc was in charge.”
Sereb sighs. “And he attempted to sabotage a peace summit between the nations Arc had organized.”
“Don’t forget about putting a wanted poster out with Big Brother’s face on it.”
Dinky grits her teeth. “That and he tried tossing my dad out a window to his death!”
Hammer turns to Arc angrily as she draws her signature gun from behind her. “Let’s head back there and waste that guy then!”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Where the heck were you concealing that?!”
“Does it really matter?! That punk’s earned himself a well-deserved death warrant in my book!”
Derpy puts a hand on Hammer’s shoulder. “Please calm down, miss.”
Dinky nod. “Yes, Miss Hammer! My dad’s already done what he can!”
“Then let me go a few rounds with em! I’ve got a few ideas that’ll make an example out of him!”
Sereb scoffs. “Such as…?”
“Putting a laser beam through his brain!”
Arc sighs. “I don’t think that would stop him.”
Scootaloo shrugs. “Might slow him down though.”
Hammer grins. “Like your style, kid!”
Arc clears his throat. “In any case, Decimus has a nasty habit of not staying dead.”
Dinky shudders. “Yeah. He’s come back from worse.”
Hammer grins wickedly. “Want me to try my tank?”
Arc shakes his head. “While your enthusiasm is… appreciated, this stallion has survived his skull being caved in and brain turned to soup. Then he was incinerated down to his armor by me personally.”
Sereb grins toothily. “Don’t forget about the time Ember put her spear through his heart after Trixie stabbed him.”
Hammer frowns. “How the heck…?!”
Derpy shrugs. “He just keeps coming back somehow.”
Hammer grins as she brandishes her weapon. “Bet I could make it stick! Or at the very least, have fun trying!”
Arc shakes his head. “We don’t need him knowing about you, Hammer. Or that I’m alive either.”
“Big Brother’s our land’s trump card in case things get out of hoof.”
Dinky clears her throat. “Hand, not hoof though. Hopefully it won’t come to that though.”
Sereb nods. “Right. With any luck Twilight will be able to convince Princess Celestia that Arc here is not the enemy.”
Hammer grits her teeth as she sits down and puts her gun away. “Fine. But if you change your mind, my offer still stands.”
Arc chuckles. “I’ll remember that.”
They finish eating and clear the table. Derpy turns to Dinky.
“Let’s get these dishes done.”
“Can I watch cartoons after that?”
“It’s up to your father.”
“Sure, Dinky. After you do a bit of reading with your mother.”
“Which book should I read?”
“One of the science books from the library. If you can’t go to school you should at least keep on learning independently.”
Hammer nods fervently. “Your dad’s right. Knowledge is power.”
Sereb grins. “Indeed.”
“What about me, Big Brother?”
“I want you to read with Dinky and Derpy as well. After all, when we get back to Equestria you’ll have to start school.”
Scootaloo groans. “Do I have to?”
“Yes, Scootaloo. You’ll need an education to be productive as an adult mare.”
“Fine…”
Hammer turns to him. “Arc, can you do me a favor?”
“Sure. What is it?”
Hammer pulls at the t-shirt and grins. “Now, I don’t mind wearing your clothes. Kinda like it actually. But I need a few things from my apartment if I’m going to stay here.”
Sereb growls. “That may not be wise.”
Scootaloo frowns. “Right! Your sisters might be there waiting for you!”
Hammer laughs. “Nah. They’re at the base by now.”
Derpy looks to Hammer. “Are you sure?”
“If nothing else, they’re dedicated to their work.”
Arc sighs. “The others are right, Hammer. Going back there would be really dangerous. Whatever you need I can buy you from the mall.”
“Not this you can’t.”
Sereb raises an eyebrow. “What is so important?”
“My… uh…”
She says something quietly under her breath that the others cannot hear. Sereb appears confused.
“I am not sure what that is.”
Arc frowns. “Uh… didn’t catch that. Look, Hammer… if you need some undergarments, they have plenty at the…”
Hammer blushes. “I don’t care about that! My diary’s still in the apartment!”
Scootaloo appears confused. “What’s that?”
Derpy shrugs. “I’m not sure.”
“Me either. Dad?”
“It’s a book that you write in regarding what’s on your mind at the time.”
Hammer sighs. “Right. I’ve kept one since meeting you, Arc.”
Derpy turns to Hammer. “What for?”
“Just in case I ever needed to remind myself of something we did on our dates. I wanted to chronicle them, as I’d never felt this way about someone before.”
Scootaloo raises an eyebrow skeptically. “Why not just start a new one then?”
Hammer shakes her head vehemently. “NO! We have to get that one!”
Sereb narrows his eyes. “What did you write?!”
Hammer sighs. “The item Arc left me in the toolbox… I wrote about it in my diary.”
The blood drains from Arc’s face as he slowly turns to Hammer.
“You mean…?”
Hammer nods soberly. “Yeah. Anyone who reads that thing will know the Hero of Light’s real name.”
Dinky gasps. “We have to get it then!”
Scootaloo clenches a fist. “I’ll help!”
Sereb looks to Hammer. “Won’t your sisters have retrieved it by now?”
Hammer shakes her head. “No. They don’t know that I keep one. But it’s possible that they might search my apartment.”
Derpy shudders. “If they haven’t already, that is.”
“They’d most likely do it after work today. I’m guessing Mio and Stingray spent most of last night at the hospital trying to get her stitched up.”
She turns to Sereb.
“You did good back there, big fella!”
Sereb frowns as he sighs. “I didn’t want to harm her. My body just… reacted.”
Arc nods soberly. “You did fine, Sereb. But what Hammer is saying makes sense. They’d have been at the hospital most of the night before returning home for a few hours of sleep before work this morning.”
Dinky appears hopeful. “So there’s a real chance the place is untouched!”
Scootaloo grins. “Makes sense. That gives us time to make our move.”
“I’ll make the move. You stay here with Derpy and Dinky for reading time.”
“But you might need me, Big Brother!”
Sereb bares his teeth. “That role can be filled by me.”
Arc nods as he uses his magic to pull his car keys to his palm. “Yeah. You, Hammer, and I will take this one.”
Arc and Hammer grab their shoes and hastily put them on before standing and heading toward the front door together. Derpy calls out after them.
“Be careful out there you three!”
Sereb grins toothily as he walks with Arc. “I shall guard him with my life!”
Hammer chuckles as they make their way out the door. “We’ll be fine!”
Closing the door behind them, Scootaloo turns to Dinky.
“I still wish Big Brother would have let me come with him.”
“He just doesn’t want you to get hurt.”
Derpy nods. “That and your studies should come first. Now then, shall we begin?”
Scootaloo sighs. “Not sure if I’ll be able to concentrate on anything.”
“We’re all going to be worried about my dad until he and the others get back.”
Derpy closes her eyes and smiles. “Yes. But I learned long ago to trust that Arc always has a plan.”
“Really, mom?”
“It may not be the best or most clear. But he always has one, sweetie.”
Meanwhile, Arc, Sereb, and Hammer jump into the Jeep. Hurrying down the road, Arc addresses Hammer.
“Any ideas?”
“On what?!”
“Going in there.”
Hammer shrugs. “I was planning on just walking in. Why?”
Sereb growls. “We may not be the first one’s there.”
“Believe me, Stingray and Mio didn’t have time to come over and rummage through my stuff!”
“Are you sure?”
“Completely!”
Sereb sighs. “We should still be cautious.”
Hammer reaches behind her back and pulls out her gun. “I got your ‘cautious’ right here!”
Arc frowns. “With any luck we won’t need it.”
Hammer disables the safety. “Best to be prepared.”
Arriving, Arc parks the Jeep and looks to Hammer.
“Ready?”
Hammer nods with a smile. “I was born ready!”
Sereb turns to Arc. “I shall go first.”
“That might…”
“They would not think much of a dog walking by, Arc.”
Hammer nods. “He’s right, you know.”
“I was actually going to agree with you, big guy.”
“Oh? My apologies.”
Hopping out of the Jeep, Sereb runs across the street and through the door, which he opens with his magic as Arc and Hammer watch from the vehicle.
“He’s quite loyal to you.”
“That he is.”
A few moments later Sereb pokes his head outside again. Motioning for the pair to follow, Arc and Hammer step out of the Jeep and enter the building together. Hammer looks to Sereb.
“See? I told you it was safe.”
Sereb shakes his head. “You were not correct in that regard, Hammer.”
“Huh?”
“We are not the first to arrive.”
Arc frowns. “Stay sharp! Sereb, how many are in there?!”
“At the moment, none. We missed a dozen humans by several hours.”
Pushing past Arc, Hammer draws her weapon and peeks past her ruined front door into the dark apartment. Arc joins her momentarily as she looks to him.
“I’ll go first!”
“Why you?!”
Hammer motions to her weapon. “Because I’m the one with the gun!”
Arc grins. “Oh… well, if that’s all it takes…”
Reaching for his ring, Arc pulls out a gun identical to Hammer’s. Her eyes grow wide at the sight of it.
“Where did you get THAT?!”
“Your basement storehouse.”
“Oh… that explains the mana bomb you used to get out of Damocles Base.”
Sereb growls. “Can we discuss this later?”
“Right. Let’s go.”
They enter the apartment with Hammer in the lead. Her meager furniture lies in ruins and possessions are strewn around the floor. She carefully makes her way through each room before turning to the others and sheathing her weapon.
“All clear.”
Arc nods as he puts his own gun in his ring. “Good. Sereb, you watch the door while Hammer and I take a look around.”
Hammer sighs as she looks around. “Where do we even start?”
“How about the kitchen next to the front door? We can work our way from there.”
“Fine.”
Entering the kitchen they find the dishes on the floor. Anything made of glass or ceramic lie in pieces. Pots and pans are strewn around the room haphazardly. The contents of the refrigerator lie on the floor and smeared on the walls. Hammer frowns as she looks around.
“Stingray and Mio didn’t have to do all this. After all, why would I hide something in here?!”
Sereb calls out from the door. “Their scents are not strong here.”
“What does that mean?”
Arc scowls. “That they didn’t do this.”
Hammer gasps. “So I was burglarized?!”
“I don’t think so. After all, simple thieves would have just quietly searched the place for valuables. These people did everything they could to cause damage. “
“Let’s move on to the living room.”
Walking through the kitchen they enter the living room. Hammer’s couch lies overturned and sliced open. Her television is smashed and the heart shaped box of chocolates lies in the corner. Foil wrappers litter the floor along with various garbage from the kitchen. Arc sighs.
“More of the same in here.”
Hammer sadly. “Yeah.”
“The couch has me wondering something though.”
“What is it?”
“Why cut it open?”
“They must’ve been looking for something.”
Arc nods. “Right. And not very subtly.”
Sereb growls. “Do you suppose they know about the diary?”
Hammer rolls her eyes. “Nah. Besides, I wouldn’t have stored it in my couch.”
Arc nods. “Good point. Let’s continue on.”
Passing the bathroom they find the contents of the medicine cabinet on the floor along with the glass from the mirror. Entering Hammer’s bedroom they look around, horrified. Clothing is strewn around the room, the bed lies in tattered ruins, every dresser drawer lies upside down on the floor, and there are numerous holes in the wall. Hammer grits her teeth as she walks over to a single piece of paper on her pillow.
“Looks like whomever did this left a note.”
Arc frowns. “How nice of them.”
Picking it up, Hammer reads aloud.
“We have your diary and will release its contents to the public if you don’t meet us at the old base tonight at sunset. Bring your new boyfriend with you as well. All of us have unfinished business to attend to. Bloodletter.”
“You think your sisters put him up to this?”
Hammer nods soberly as she tosses the note aside. “Probably. They don’t want to fight me themselves so this was the next logical choice.”
“Can I assume the ‘old base’ is what’s left of the abandoned hospital?”
Hammer nods. “Yeah. There isn’t much there now, I suppose. But he probably wants to go there for irony. Bloodletter may be an idiot, but he has a flair for the dramatic.”
“Oh?”
“Making a statement to his boys like this helps keep him in power. Anything to stay on top.”
“Great. And we’re the examples, huh?”
Hammer sighs. “Looks like it. In any case, I can handle this on my own.”
“But the note says he wants both of us there.”
“I don’t care what that idiot wants! It’s my problem, and I’ll handle it my way!”
“There’s no shame in having help. That’s a lesson I’ve been struggling with myself for a long time.”
“You? But your boys support you from the basement. I saw all that equipment down there.”
“I mean hands-on stuff. They were always held back… kept at a safe distance.”
“Didn’t they help you against Bloodletter last time?”
“Yeah. But that was the first time I let them. And it made the job a LOT easier. Not sure I could have won without their help.”
Hammer sighs. “You’re going to come even if I tell you not to, aren’t you?”
“Pretty much.”
“I’d like to go on record as saying that this is my problem, and I should be the one to solve it.”
“And I’d like to go on record as saying that I’d like to watch your back.”
“This isn’t going to be easy OR safe, Arc.”
“For either of us I would assume.”
“Probably not.”
“Well… either way, Bloodletter and I have a score to settle in addition to retrieving your diary.”
Hammer nods as she kneels down to pick up some undergarments.
“Right. Just let me grab some unmentionables and we’ll get out of here.”
“Anything else you want to take?”
Hammer shakes her head. “Nah. Other than what’s in my toolbox back at your house, I don’t really have any possessions with sentimental attachments.”
She looks around the room and gestures with a hand.
“Besides… this place is done for. Nothing left to save here. I’d like to just make a clean break from it and start again.”
“Maybe that’s for the best. This isn’t the safest place to live.”
Hammer grins. “Right. That’s why I’m starting fresh with you, Arc.”
“Me?”
Hammer nods as she stands up. “Yup. I’m starting a new life with you.”
“You know I already have others back in the other country whom are waiting for me to marry them.”
Hammer takes his hand and looks him in the eye. “I do. But I’m hoping us and them can come to some kind of… agreement.”
“I’m… not sure how something like that would work out.”
“Can we at least ask them?”
“If you want to. But I haven’t actually made any real commitments to anyone there or here yet.”
“So there’s a chance?!”
Arc sighs. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told them. All I want to do is get to know everyone before going further.”
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yes this is a total setup by hammer's sisters
With all due respect, why wouldn't ponies have the concept of journal keeping?
They write letters to each other all the time, and keep detailed notes and logs regarding their work, and I believe the show even outright has them keeping journals and mentions diaries. I can't believe that this concept wouldn't exist on their world. I'll accept that they don't understand cars and television and the internet, and I'll even accept that they don't have the concept of pizza to an extent, but diaries?
Arc shouldn't have to stop and explain something as simple as that. It's not even a "well we have it but they might not" situation, as I pointed out above: they write far too much to not know what a diary or journal is. You can let the ponies know things. I know you lean on the idea that they're gullible and not bright, but this is too far of a stretch.
Really stealing her diary to get to arc?! I mean unless she has something that that she could never stand anyone knowing this has got to be the dumbest trap I've ever heard of.
Someone really wants to be living up to their name.
11081784
As if he were a nail.
Something tells me this isn't Mio or Stingray but Mustang and Diva
Doctor Who, Captain Jack Harkness, enough said.
edit-figured out the quotes.
11082463
It leads one to wonder... did Hammer have that gun in the back of her shorts all night?
11082031
As soon as I release the next chapter you will have your answer.
11081634
Well, it does have the Hero of Light's secret identity in it.