A Picture worth Half a Mil

by onekface

Plan of Attack

Chapter 2: Plan of Attack

(Hotel Room)

“So that’s the plan.” Rainbow declared to her friends who sat around her in a circle as she briefed them on the bounty. It was a short, non-imaginative plan that lacked in anything but simplicity.

Twilight spoke first. “So let me get this straight. You want us to stalk a certain mysterious driver, get a picture of him and turn it over for a bounty?”

“Yup. It’s easy money. All we need to do is sneak through his defenses, snap a photo of him without his helmet and turn it in to the Canterlot Bugle. And them bam! We’re half a mil rich. I can use half of that cash to fix dad’s bike and split the extra between all of us.”

“That sounds easier said than done.” Sunset noted which the rest of the gang agreed.

AJ followed up. “I’m not really into the whole sneaking in and making out like bandits. But this is a little mighty bit off the morality line for me.”

“I like it!” Of course Pinkie would. “It sounds like totes fun. I can get us climbing gear and high resolution cameras.” She pulled the said gear out of her hair earning a look from her friends. “What? You never know when someone would come around and plot a crime.”

“It’s not a crime.” Rainbow defended. “It’s more of a… service. We’re just giving the people what they want. Think of how many folks want to know the REAL Turbo. All we need is get up close to him and wala, we get half a mil.”

“But haven’t a lot of people tried that already?” Twilight pointed out. “I hear his bodyguards are pretty tough.”

“Yeah, but none of them have cool awesome magic like us! Think about what we can do with the money. Pinkie, you can probably hold a thousand parties with your share.”

“I do love parties! How’d you know?”

“Fluttershy. You’ve always been going on about the animal shelters needing an extra wing to accommodate more of your furry friends.”

“They’re actually scaly. The alligators from the rainforest lost much of their home because of the dry season.”

“Rarity here can buy all the fabric she wants with her cut.”

The fashionista nodded shamelessly. “True. I’ve been eyeing this roll of Yakyakistan silk for a while now and it’s doing a number on my bottom line.”

“Twilight. You’re always talking about lab equipment.”

“There is this new centrifuge I’ve been trying to get on E-mazon. A 2^nd hand. A total steal if you ask me.”

“And Sunset. The new gaming console is coming out soon. Do you really wanna work triple shifts again for an entire week?”

The redhead shivered at the thought. She recalled that memory vividly. The girl spent a whole month working two jobs while surviving on school cafeteria food and cup noodles. All in the effort to get the PlayBox Special Edition.

“It was worth it.”

“That’s right. We could all use the money. And we have the advantage here.”

Sunset scoffed. “And like I said. That’s easier said than done. Even if we were to agree to do it, we hardly know anything about what we’re up against. This is gonna take some research and a long time just to investigate.”

“I knew you were gonna say that. Which is why I called in a favor.” A knock on the door emphasized her point which she expectantly answered.

Two girls in flashy outfits strutted in, throwing confetti on the floor to welcome a third comer as a beatdrop music burst from somewhere.

“I… Photo Finish… have arrived!”

“Photo Finish here is the master of sneaking into places. I offered her a cut of the money for her help. Thanks PF.”

“Quiet! We will now discuss zee plan!” With a snap of her fingers, her two entourage hastily built a mini theater with a projector to size up the pictures. They even provided popcorn for the members. “Our target is zis person. Turbo!” A portrait of the driver in dashing red came into view. Rarity crooned slightly but her praise was left ignored. “He – or – she is zee mark of hundreds of photographers. Myzelf included. However, he has eluded us for the last month. His security detail, Zee Thunder Guards, are always around him, wherever he goes. Zey are professionals and well paid – so zey cannot be bought or bribed.”

“The leader is a girl named Tempest Shadow.” Rainbow added flipping the photo of the woman in question. “She’s the head honcho. And she’s contracted to protect Turbo’s identity till the end of the circuit. In other words, she never leaves his side.”

“Zat woman is a menace! She already broke two of my cameras and kicked me and my gefolge begleiter to zee curb!” Her entourage patted their behinds painfully in response. “But she will not stop us. Together, we will break her and get that photo! And become rich!”

“That’s… good and all.” Sunset shrugged. “But if she doesn’t leave his side – how are we gonna get close to this Turbo?”

“I’m glad you asked.” The mastermind nodded to the photographer. “PF?”

“Zeer are only two places where the bodyguards do not follow. One is at the race tracks, and zee other is at his private suite.”

The projector blinked, showing a wide picture of a luxury hotel. “Zis is the Luxury Luxuria. Zee 5 star hotel rented by zee mayor to house all zee racers.”

“Turbo is staying at the penthouse at the top floor that can only be accessed through the private elevator.” Rainbow continued. “The elevator will be patrolled by the Thunder Guards. It’s also locked with a password and keycard. There are cameras surrounding the hallways, outer area, and lobby. According to Photo Finish, only a few select people are allowed to visit the penthouse. Tempest Shadow herself, the mayor, some celebrities who are invited, and most importantly: The butler. Who brings him food and cleans the place up.”

“Phew…” Applejack whistled. “That’s a barrel and a half of obstacles… plus a bushel and a peck of impenetrability.”

“Indeed.” Rarity agreed. “This looks rather impossible even with magic.”

But Rainbow brushed it all off. “Oh don’t worry. Because Photo Finish and I cooked up a perfect plan to get us in.”

“Oh oh oh! Does it involve balloons?” Pinkie waved her hands frantically. “I can tie a bunch of them on me and float to the side of the building! Wham! They won’t even know I was there. Or we can do it spy style with suction cups to scale the wall! It would be Mission Improbable!”

“Uh… no.”

“Aww… boo.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “So what is the plan, exactly?”

“We’ll play different roles and attack from multiple angles. That way, if one of us fails, the others will still have a shot of getting that picture.” Rainbow finished. “So whadaya say gang?”

The Rainbooms glanced at one another, each sending mixed signals. Some unsure of the whole ordeal.

But thankfully Fluttershy chimed in. “Well… if it’s really that important to you, Rainbow. Then we’ll do it. That is what friends are for after all.”

“Yeah!”

“I guess so.”

“Woohoo!”

In the end, they all agreed.

With their approval, Rainbow began. “Alright then. Pinkie, you’ll be handling the distraction. You’ll draw the majority of the guards by making some confection explosions.”

“A little glitter in the kitchen and it’ll be splatter city!”

“Fluttershy will take out the cameras using her animal friends.”

“Oooh! The birds will be more than happy to help. Crows and ravens are actually attracted to cameras.”

“Sunset, you’ll use your mind reading powers to get us the password needed to access the elevator.”

“That’s… actually a good use of my powers.” The former villain reluctantly agreed.

“Twilight will lift one of their security keycards with her lifting powers.”

“It’s called telekinesis.”

“Whatever. Rarity will sow us some outfits to look like regular staff members.”

“Oooh? A rush job. I love a good challenge.”

“When all of them are distracted, that’s where Applejack will come in and deliver us to the penthouse access point.”

The cowgirl stuttered. “Me? Why me?”

“That’s because you have the most honest face around here.” The gang collectively agreed, much to Applejack’s chagrin.

“I’m not sure whether I should happy or insulted for that comment.”

“That’s where Photo Finish and I will sneak in through the food cart. With my speed and photography skills, we’ll snatch Turbo’s picture and be out of there before anyone’s the wiser. And when we turn over the picture, we’ll be half a million richer. So whadaya say gang?”

The room fell silent as the Rainboom glanced at one another. It was a plan – a risky plan. But it seems worth the try at the very least. Not to mention that the money alone was very enticing.

With a smile, the gang collectively nodded which the girl replied with a fist pump to the air.

“Yaas! Zis operation, iz a go!” Photo Finish interjected.

Comments

[bahatumay]

That bounty is getting split a lot of ways. Rainbow is either really good or really bad at planning.

[schorpioen007]

Cool story , When come next chapter ?