Mare-Do-Well: Genesis

by PaddedCell

Chapter Four: Fire and Steel

Featherweight had never been a popular colt. Aside from his few blessings such as his short time as the head of the production team for the Foalfree Press, his life had never been the best example of a care-filled existance. His anorexic appearance and problems with being underweight had led him down the path of abuse at the hooves of his peers.

It has often been the case that somepony who is pushed beyond a certain boundary acts irrationally. Personalities change. Minds can break. Emotions can battle eachother and tear a pony apart. Unfortunately, Featherweight fell victim to his raging emotions after his abusive young life. One sunny day in Ponyville, the infamously quiet and meek Featherweight managed to break multiple bones in a vicious retaliation against one unlucky bully. The aggressive young colt had only managed to call out one insult before the pent-up rage and warped mentality of the abused victim had snapped something in his mind. Featherweight had dashed at the colt, giving him a violent headbutt and knocking him into a dazed heap on the floor. After a number of crippling stomps to the skull, the once-innocent and gentle Featherweight was finally calmed down. After this event, the broken-minded colt was never the same. After this event, Featherweight grew to become a stallion who would be known thereafter as a shrewd business dealer, a corrupt character and a respected mob boss in the Manehattan criminal underworld.

Featherweight became The Baron.

THE PARADISE ESTATE CLUB, MANEHATTAN
EARLY EVENING

"I don't believe this, you can't-" The business-suit clad pony was silenced by the cloud of foul cigar smoke that was blown in his face as the stallion across the table cut him off rudely.
"You knew what you were gettin' into. You deal with me, you get used to a few surprises, eh?" The Baron's voice grunted. His muzzle twisted into a grim smile as he adjusted the sleeve on his overcoat with a hoof. The businesspony across the table fought to speak through his continual coughing fit, slicking back his dark grey mane.
"But.. Mr Baron.. Sir. I'm a less than honest businessman myself, but ain't we gotta stick up for eachother? We all got our own problems.. We-" The Baron snarled, slamming a hoof down on the table. He leaned across, blowing out more smoke.
"Listen 'ere.. I run the show around Manehattan. Your name doesn't mean the dirt on my hooves in this town unless I says so. If I were you, I'd just go along with my demands and-" The door to the Baron's office burst open and a young security guard burst in.
"Sorry to interrupt, sirs.." He bowed to each. "We have a situation, Mr Baron sir. You'll want to see this for yourself."

The imposing figure of the Baron stomped out into the wide-open space of the club area, cigar smoke clouding around him and the group of four guards which surrounded him. Neon blue lighting lit up the dance floor and the scene unfolding upon it. The crumpled bodies of at least six unconscious guard ponies lay scattered around. One more guard tumbled to the floor as the Baron and his entourage looked on. The Baron smirked, his scarred lips twisting upward as the unconscious guard's attacker was revealed. The dark cape, the unmistakable silouhette of the wide-brimmed hat, the cold glow of the electric-blue eyes; Mare-Do-Well had entered the building.

"Impressive moves, lady." The Baron grunted, cackling. Plumes of acrid grey cigar smoke wafted about the club as he laughed. "Ever considered doing work for a high-payin' employer such as m'self?" He raised an eyebrow curiously. Mare-Do-Well stared the Baron down silently for a few moments. "Well?" The Baron snarled.
"My only employer is justice." Her voice rang out flatly. "No one else." She stepped forward, boots clopping on the dance floor loudly with each step. The Baron's entourage tightened into formation around him as the hero approached. "Now.. I have a question for you." She spoke coldly. The Baron put on an expression of mock-surprise.
"Oh? Well, I'd be happy to oblige, miss.." He stepped a hoof forward, then stopped. A treacherous grin split across his battered face again. "Ahhh.. I almost forgot." He puffed out a cloud of smoke, cackling grimly. "I never give out personal information.. For free." Mare-Do-Well remained silent and motionless as the Baron's entourage surrounded her. "So.. Will you be paying in checque, or cash?" Before anypony could react, Mare-Do-Well whipped around, cape slashing into all four guards and smacking them into a daze. She leapt upon one of them, slamming a hoof into his side. He hit the floor, knocked out cold. The remaining three began to back away.
"Looks like your boys aren't all that they're cracked up to be." Mare-Do-Well spoke, a glimmer of mirth in her usually emotionless voice. The Baron simply sighed, a grin on his smoke-clouded face. He gave a nod to somepony behind Mare-Do-Well. She managed to dodge an iron bar which was swung down toward her head, lightning-fast reflexes saving her skull from a crippling blow. The guard behind her swung the iron bar held in his muzzle again, this time at her legs. She deftly hopped over the moving weapon, slamming a hoof into the wielder's skull and knocking him down. Mare-Do-Well caught her breath, picking the iron bar up in her muzzle. She marched toward the now-shocked Baron.
"Wait.. Wait, you stay there! Guards, on me! Oi, don't come any clo-" He stammered. He was cut off as she swung the bar at his knees. A loud crack resounded as he crumpled to the floor, the guards around the room too afraid to intervene. He roared with pain and glowered up at Mare-Do-Well with fiery eyes. She simply stared down at him. "You.. You little.." Mare-Do-Well stepped a boot onto one of the Baron's hooves, pressing down on it slowly. The Baron sneered up at her. "Questions, questions.. Hurry up and bloody ask 'em!" He barked. Mare-Do-Well loosened her grip on his hoof and began.

MANEHATTAN STEEL MILL
ONE HOUR LATER

The dark form of Mare-Do-Well screeched down from the dark air above the huge stone and metalwork structures of the steel mill. Collosal brick chimneys spewed smoke and vats of molten metal cast an eerie orange glow around the entire site. The hero swooped under a metal framework that spanned the gap between two chimneys, dropping down to the dusty floor outside the main mill building. The Baron had revealed during her interrogation that Octavia had mentioned in their last meeting that she specifically wanted the perimiter of the mill secure for a modest price. Of course, Mare-Do-Well had managed to bypass this security detail via her airborne entry method.

The inside of the main steel mill was hellishly hot. Steam and gases drifted on the humid air, the glow of molten metal permeated the dark recesses of the cavernous room, lighting up every crack and crevice. As Mare-Do-Well proceeded inside, the sound of a quiet but echoing whimper caught her attention. Looking up toward the ceiling, she spied a pony in a cage, suspended by a chain over a vat of glowing-hot molten metal. Behind the mask of her suit, Scootaloo lost her composure for a moment. The weeping, yellow-coated, scarlet-maned young mare trapped in the cage was her best friend.

It was Applebloom.

The clattering of machinery around the mill was drowned out by a voice, soft but strong, speaking over some sort of makeshift P.A. system.
"Welcome, hero. I know you're there.. I can see you." Mare-Do-Well noticed a set of CCTV cameras located about the mill. "The event you are about to take part in is the first part of my master plan. The Overture to my main piece." An alarm sounded from somewhere above, and a rusty set of elevator doors to the side of the room slid open.

A troop of three armed ponies stepped out onto the dusty floor, each carrying automatic weapons mounted on combat vest-like their saddles. They loaded up the weapons as Mare-Do-Well observed from the other side of the room. She fired a grappling claw from her hoof-cannon, reeling herself up into the rafters and upper levels of the metallic walkways.
“Okay.. The boss wants Mare-Do-Well dead by morning! Spread out and find her!” One of the thugs bellowed as Mare-Do-Well simply observed from above, staying crouched and perfectly still on an iron girder spanning the width of the mill. The team spread out as the sound of machinery started up. The chain holding Applebloom’s cage up began to slacken and lower the metal container down slowly, toward the glowing surface of the molten metal in the vat below.
“Now, hero.. Let’s see if you can manage to defeat a team of armed henchmen and save the weak, cowardly little foal in the cage before she’s boiled alive in the scalding liquid steel.” Octavia’s voice sounded out again, a harshness of quality to her tone when mocking the terrified Applebloom. Mare-Do-Well took a moment to plan out her strategy before swinging down with the grappling claw and diving into action.

The first gruff-looking armed stallion stood no chance. Gliding silently down through the air, Mare-Do-Well dropped directly down onto his back. Using one hoof to cover his mouth, she slammed the other into his head over and over until he crumpled to the floor, out cold. Slipping the ammunition cartridges out of his guns, she kept hold of them and quietly continued on around the corner of a large metal container. The second and third armed thugs were standing back-to-back, turning around slowly in order to survey the whole room. An idea sparked to life in Mare-Do-Well’s mind. Tossing the ammunition cartridges over the container in order to distract them, she dashed around the outside edge of the steel vat. The two eyed the cartridges on the floor and both moved toward them as Mare-Do-Well continued to sneak around behind them.
“Where did these come from? I mean, we only got a limited supply each.” One mumbled.
“Who even cares? More free ammo for us.. Means we can shoot up that cape-wearing freak twice as bad." The other replied, grinning.
"Yeah, I guess.. Still, I don't trust it.. What if-" The stallion's sentence was never finished as the dark, wraithlike form of Mare-Do-Well leapt up onto her hind hooves behind the two, cape flapping upward and making her seem even more imposing. One thug was taken down with one strong-hooved punch. As the first crumpled to the ground, the second primed his saddle-guns and fired. The automatic weapons blazed, the clattering of gunfire echoing around the steel mill. Bullet holes torn in her cape, one bullet lodged in her right foreleg, Mare-Do-Well leapt into the attacker, shoving him to the ground before throwing her full weight down on top of him.

"What?!" Octavia's voice called out over the speakers. "Nopony can possibly take on an armed guard without weaponary and come out on top!" Mare-Do-Well turned toward the camera hanging on the wall and spoke monotonely.
"Nopony but me." She raised her hoof and fired an electrical dart at the camera, overloading it and causing it to explode. Mare-Do-Well fired a grappling claw at an iron rafter near the ceiling, swinging over to Applebloom's cage and using a few strong punches to crumple the metal cage door. She ripped it off, grabbing a hoof around Applebloom and swinging back to safety. Octavia spoke out again, her tone cold.
"You may have won this small victory, hero. But for every victory comes a defeat.. This is not over." The elegant voice echoed around the steel mill for a final time before cutting out abruptly.

Author's Note:

Only just realised that this is the first chapter which begins without a setting immediately given. Just an article of pointless trivia. ^^

Comments

[Night_Moon60606]

im surprised that no one has commented on this story, as its pretty good...i didnt see anything overtly wrong with it, save maybe the idea that Featherweight turned into a bad guy, but that just my opinion...

[Night_Moon60606]

still no comments? that is unusual...i certainly hope the next chapter of this story comes soon, there r many loose ends yet to be tied...

[WyvernQueen]

"My only employer is justice." Her voice rang out flatly. "No one else."

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA MARE-DO-WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!