Chapter 75
Stay active: 11 Votes
“We stay active, and we stay alert,” Kestrel said, decisively bobbing her head. “Ain’t no sense in hidin’ out in our camp only to just get bit in the ass when we get jumped by Pinks during the job. Better to know things now and get outta a mess before it starts than to walk right into it later.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Tumbleweed agreed. “Today, we’ll start takin’ turns goin’ into the city and keepin’ an eye on things. We get Trixie to put illusions on our scouts, we’ll have a better chance of goin’ in and out without bein’ noticed.”
“Unless we cross paths with another mage,” Kestrel said. “Her magic ain’t good enough to stand up to their eyes.”
“Not unless we keep our distance. And the Pinks, well, they probably have mages, but they ain’t gonna be very subtle about moving around. We should see ‘em before they even have a chance to scrutinize us up close.”
“Hopefully.” Kestrel looked out over the camp as the rest of the Gang began to stir, staggering out of their sleeping places and clutching their heads. Even the sight of their hooves against their temples made her own hangover resume its dull throbbing, forgotten in the midst of food and conversation. “Err… maybe we shouldn’t venture out today,” she said, wincing. “I doubt any of us’ll be in fit shape for spyin’ ‘round town…”
Tumbleweed chuckled at that and massaged around the base of his horn. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Reckon it’s best holdin’ off a day, give everypony some time to feel better. We got time before Wednesday.”
“Exactly.” Grunting, Kestrel stood up and momentarily closed her eyes as the blood rushed through her head, pinching the bridge of her nose with her wingtip to try and cope with the pressure. “Celestia’s fiery fanny… I ain’t as young as I used to be. I never used to get hangovers after a night of drinkin’.”
“Remember that night in that one town… what was it, Ponytown? Horseville? The one just outside of Canterlot.” Tumbleweed shrugged. “We tore that place up when it was just you and me. Easily the most far gone I think we ever been.”
“Only thing I remember is you settin’ fire to that tree library with a match,” Kestrel said, snickering and shaking her head. “The rest of the night’s pretty blank.”
“I figured it was about time we’d added arson to our list of crimes, right? I think we were tryin’ to check off a list or somethin’ stupid like that.”
Snapshot slowly shook his head. “Glad to see that you two have matured since then.”
Kestrel and Tumbleweed exchanged impish looks. “Ain’t by much,” Kestrel said. “But I suppose somepony’s gotta be the parents of ya’ll.”
“That’s why we have Miss Irons,” Tumbleweed said. “I’d say Wanderer too, but he ain’t much better.”
The two gunslingers laughed (while Snapshot watched as impassive as ever), before Kestrel winced and flattened her ears against her skull. “Okay… ow. Still hungover. I think I’m gonna take a nap under a tree. Sleep off what I’ve still got in my system…”
“You won’t find me too far behind you,” Tumbleweed said. “Grab some water while you’re at it.”
“Way ahead of you…” And the seasoned outlaw shambled away from the campfire in search of a shaded spot to curl up and die in.
-----
Kestrel leaned against the bar in a saloon near the industrial heart of Hoofston, her dress itching away at her wings under her disguise. She much rather would have been flying high above the city, rising on the thermals and wheeling away from the smoky clouds hovering over the factories, but it was much harder to keep track of what was happening in the city from above. Hence, the need for the disguise and hooves on the ground.
Is the Gang able to identify any changes in Hoofston? Yes
Does the situation in Hoofston change? Yes
The Gang had spent two days observing the situation in Hoofston, all under disguises provided by Trixie. All throughout the weekend, trains full of wealthy business owners and investors had filed into the station, raising the per capita wealth of the southern town by a substantial margin with their mere presence. Roughshod had suggested robbing a few trains just outside of the city and cleaning out the wealthy passengers as a sort of appetizer to the conference, but Tumbleweed had decided against it. The grand finale of the conference was their target, and moving too soon could jeopardize the whole plan.
Kestrel, meanwhile, had frequented the saloons and bars near the factories to eavesdrop on the conversations of the workers. If anypony had an idea of what might be going on at the conference, it would be the ponies that worked under the fat cats setting it up. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to glean anything more about what was going to be the grand finale. She hoped Starlight would be able to learn more about that, because she kept striking out whenever she tried.
As she loitered in the saloon today, however, she did hear two workers talking about the most recent train that had arrived. The conference had just kicked off early that morning, and a train from Manehattan had arrived with several members of the wealthy Apple Family onboard. Not only that, but they’d brought their own security. The workers didn’t say who they were, only that they were professionals hired solely for the event. That unnerved Kestrel—volunteers and police were one thing, but professional security was another. Volunteers often ran when the shooting started, and police tried to uphold the law and arrest rather than kill. Professional security was often too well trained to run and didn’t care if they had to shoot a pony dead to keep their contract.
As she began to get set to leave, however, the door to the saloon opened, tinkling the bell hung over the corner. Kestrel glanced lazily in that direction, only for her eyes to immediately narrow. Two ponies walked in through the open door, both wearing blazing pink suits and bowler hats with a shiny star pinned above the brim. They were armed as well, with one carrying a repeater across her back, and her companion carrying a shotgun on hers. Both carried revolvers in shoulder holsters, the glistening steel like a metal carnation tucked over their lapels.
Kestrel inwardly cursed and turned away. The Pinks. Of course. If the Apple Family worried that something might ruin their conference, why not hire Equestria’s premiere professional bounty hunters and security agency to keep things running smoothly? It wasn’t like they were lacking in money to afford them.
Instead of leaving the bar immediately, Kestrel began to count down in her head. Leaving as soon as they entered would be suspicious, and two professional bounty hunters would recognize that immediately. She’d wait until they got their drinks and had struck up another conversation with the ponies around them before slipping on out of the saloon.
Unfortunately, the two mares in pink suits chose the opening in the bar by Kestrel to order their drinks. “Two whiskeys,” the cream-colored earth pony said, nodding to the bartender. The pony behind the bar glanced in their direction, blinked once in surprise, then nodded and reached for the whiskey. Kestrel forced down the urge to bolt as the earth pony shifted closer to her to make room for the mint green unicorn to sidle up to the bar, and she felt her wings pinching tight against her sides under her dress. Though the saloon hadn’t exactly become hushed when the two Pinks entered, there was definitely a tension building in the air. That tension left Kestrel’s tail flicking nervously as she waited for her opportunity to leave.
Yet before she could, the earth pony glanced at her, furrowed her brow, and angled in her direction. “Actually,” she said, waving back to the bartender. “Make it three.”
Does the Gang have any trouble with the Law in Hoofston? Critical Yes
Kestrel blinked in surprise. “I-I—no, sorry, ma’am, I was just gettin’ set to leave.”
“Oh, come on. Just one more shot. You look like a mare who needs it.” She turned to her companion. “Don’t you think so, Lyra?”
The green unicorn, Lyra, turned her attention from right to left, her golden eyes looking Kestrel up and down. “I’d say so, Bon Bon.” She leaned in a little closer, a ripple of magic running up the length of her horn before fizzling out. “What kind of makeup do you use? I need to get some of that.”
The outlaw nervously chuckled. “Oh, it ain’t nothin’ at all. It’s my natural look.”
“Your natural look is better than mine, then,” Bon Bon said. She glanced aside as the bartender returned with three whiskeys, and she pushed one in front of Kestrel. “Detectives Bon Bon and Lyra,” she said, nodding to Kestrel. “We’re part of the Pinkie Pie Detective Agency.” She held out a hoof, awaiting a response.
Kestrel did her best to shake it without letting her own hoof tremble as adrenaline began to seep into her blood. “Thistle,” she said, falling back on the alias she’d taken the first time venturing into Hoofston. It was a new name, so at least that didn’t mean the Pinks would have much to go off of.
“Well, Thistle, care to answer a few of our questions?” Bon Bon and Lyra glanced at each other, and Kestrel thought she saw the tiniest hint of a nod between them. “It won’t take very long, I promise.”
1. Play along. Maybe they don’t know who I am yet. I think they got a hunch, that much seems obvious, but maybe not. Talkin’ my way out is my best bet.
2. Flee. I got a drink in my hoof I might be able to toss into this first Pink’s eyes. That aughta get me some time to dash for the door or a window ‘fore her friend can react. Hope she don’t know no good spells, though…
3. Fight. This dress ain’t gonna be very helpful, but I got my revolvers just underneath it, restin’ by my wings. If I can loosen the thing up a bit first, I can draw and put bullets in each of ‘em ‘fore they can get their weapons on me, especially the earth pony.
Stats
Page generated in 0.056 seconds
Total duration
1,040 users online
1,793,972 hits today, 2,571,732 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I vote 1. While our sweet talker stat might not be that good, we have a chance to get out of this without the pinks being any the wiser.
Running just alerts then that someone sketchy (who they probably already know) is in the area while fighting could kill them, we’d have the rest of the bar crawling with people who might think we’re gunning for them next and jump in while also not 100% dealing with the problem.
Gonna be a tough sell though, no way Lady Luck screws us badly twice in a row.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, hell.
1. Best try and tough it out and play along. Any of the other options will bring total hell on the whole operation for sure.
Play along. Time for a buttload of skillchecks.
Got no real choice but to play along. Kestrel's in a really bad position to start a fight (close range with her guns difficult to get to) and running would be suspicious. I'd keep that as plan B though.
Yuh oh.
1. Ain't no reason to rise even more suspicion.
Well ain't that just fuckin' topical? 1. Running gives the game away, and fighting is a good way to fuck everything up
Oh Hell, we're in trouble. But, if we keep cool, we might just get out of this.
I say 1. The other options will either get us killed or we'll have to leave town with nothing. And we won't get far either. Playing along is the smartest option right now.
Motherfucker. Option one ( 1 ).
That said, I'd love a polite turnaway and walk out. Have a little class, and imply that the Pinks are a kind of company Kestrel prefers not to keep.
What are they going to do? Assault a random citizen for not liking them? The fuckin' town will drop on them, blades out. If the Pinks are attacking ponies at random, who's next? So shoot first, or they will.
1 is really the only option at this point. Outnumbered and outgunned at this point.
10101924
I was thinking the same thing!
Option 1 has the best odds of survival, so it gets my vote.
.....shit. Option 1 is our best bet here
Oh no.
The Pinks are as pink as expected.
Oh no, it's Lyra and Bon Bon.
Crap.
1, play along for now.
1... I guess. Can't flee effectively with Kessie's wings trapped, can't fight so good without them, either. As happy as I always am to see LyraBon show up, yeah, it's bittersweet having them be our would-be enemies. Oh well!
Man, and I thought Lady Luck had been hating the gang's guts while I was catching up with the story.
Can't see anything but 1. Fighting would be suicidal and running would basically give the whole game away. At least this way gives a glimmer of a way out.
1