> Equestrian Gangster
>  by InvaderSplorch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Let the Hunt Commence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"I said keep your damn heads down! Do I have to make an example out of one of you? I'll do it, so help me!"

"You heard the missus! Put the money in the bag and no pony gets hurt! Get your ass movin'! Put the money in there! Hurry up!"

Amongst the yelling, two mares stood tall, giving orders and demanding the greenbacks hidden away inside the vault. This was the gang's 4th bank robbery in three months, their success rate at an astounding 100%. Their no-play attitude kept them well disciplined and easily away from the cops on their tail. The gang's leader, Octavia, was known as "Ms. Ice". Her tactical decisions combined with the ability to get what she wants, even at the cost of a few injuries, made everyone question whether she really had ice in her veins. The muscle of the group was Applejack, also known as "The Hammer". She received the name through an interesting interrogation method by picking the pony up off the ground and slamming their head directly into the pavement, their skull cracking through sheer force. She repeated this process until they either spilled the beans or passed out due to a concussed frontal lobe. The ground where the head was slammed into always had a nice round hole in it after she was finished. The driver of the group was Vinyl Scratch, also known as "DJ Speed". Primarily known for her driving skills, she also hosted parties where she sold her most famous drug, Bass. Bass was a small pill that you rested on your tongue. The pill would dissolve with the participant's saliva, easily directing the the chemicals into the bloodstream, eventually working themselves into the brain. The euphoric feeling they felt  was intensified with loud vibrations, the dopamine in the brain spreading to the central nervous system, their entire body feeling as if it was on a cloud. This intensity lasted for a couple of hours, with the after effects being dehydration, headache, and occasional nausea. The more severe cases would die from brain hemorrhaging or internal organ failure. This was a small price to pay for the happiness that they all felt. And the best part? It was highly addictive, yet cheap to make. The trio was known as the Gun Girls. They were wanted for three other counts of armed robbery and aggravated assaults from Detrot to Manehatten. This strike was in Filly Delphia, the last stop before the trio went to rest in Baltimare. 

"Y'all got one more minute to keep your heads! We're leaving and don't none of y'all follow! Anyone that does, you're gonna have a date with my friend here," AJ yelled, waving a colt single action revolver, the silver refracting the sun onto the floor. 

AJ threw the bags full of cash over her shoulder, firing three rounds into the air before her and Vinyl ran outside and jumped into the running car. "GO!" shouted AJ, the wheels picking up rocks and spraying them all over the sidewalk. With 5 bags full of money, Vinyl lowered her tommy gun and rested it on the floor, her snub rose revolver dangling in her side pocket. Vinyl's weapon of choice was a pump action shotgun which sat in the back seat, carefully attended to by AJ. Seeing that she could relax, AJ lowered her revolver next to it.

"So, where to next?" asked Vinyl.

"Baltimare, right? Yeah, I think we can hit up one more major city before the entire coast catches on to us," replied Octavia.

"Then what?" asked AJ.

"Then we head south. Hit up some areas there, and head west. Go along the coastline, eventually ending up in Las Pegasus."

"Why stop there?" asked Vinyl.

"With enough money, we open our own bar and nightclub. We pay off the police and any higher authority. With those that get too curious, we easily dispose of them, money or by other means," replied Octavia, retrieving a cigarette from the glove department. 

"What if the police catch on and stop us?" 

"That won't be a problem, I have an inside man on the job. Every angle is taken care of. There should be no problems," she mumbled, a small flame erupting from her lighter, the cigarette glowing in the high noon sky. She took a long steady drag, exhaling joy and pleasure.

"That's my girl! Everything solved and figured out! Guess that's why you're the brains of the group. Ain't that right Ms. Icccccce?" mocked Vinyl.

"I told you before, please don't call me that. I'm a lady of fine taste."

Vinyl and Octavia locked eyes, Octavia's slender figure bouncing off of Vinyl's custom purple haze sunglasses. AJ smirked in the back seat, her stifled laughter mixing in with the sound of rubber on dirt. Vinyl and Octavia started to cackle themselves, the trio laughing into the wind, their brazen crime spree unstoppable.



"Another one?" she sighed.

"Afraid so miss, 4th one caused my them."

"And let me guess, no evidence, hoofprints, tracks?"

"Clean as a whistle, Ms. Sparkle. The only tracks are from their car, but with that popular brand, it's almost hard to identify."

"Thanks Sheriff, that'll be all," huffed Ms. Sparkle. The detective assigned to track down these girls was Detective Twilight Sparkle, although she liked to be known as either Twilight or Ms. Sparkle. Back at HQ, she was assigned the task of tracking them down by her chiefs, Celestia and Luna. They filled her in on the assignment, wishing her the best of luck. Rubbing her temples, Ms. Sparkle listlessly walked along the inside of the bank, hoping to catch some sort of hint to the trio's next destination. She spent a couple of hours searching for clues, but ended up at yet another dead end. Walking outside, she was greeted by her partner, Big Mac. When Twilight accepted the mission, Bic Mac was working as the Captain of the police force at HQ. Upon hearing there was a new gang terrorizing towns, he immediately arose to the occasion. To his dismay, he never thought he would be tracking down his own sister.

"Nothing, I presume?" asked Big Mac.

"Nothing except disappointment and frustration," replied Twilight.

"Heh, seems we get that alot lately, huh?"

"Seems that way. Any local tips?"

"Nothing yet. They took off east of the bank, but the locals outside lost them in the cloud of dust they kicked up," said Big Mac, his brow furrowing in anger.

"Anypony hurt?"

"No, no one. It seems they only suffered watery eyes."

"As usual. Dammit, why can't we get any leads?"

"They're professionals, Ms. Sparkle. The ring leader is clever. We read her file. We both know that since she was 13 she's been in and out of foster homes and juvy. She's been successful in scams and in instilling fear in those who oppose her. We also know that she has a thing with flames. I think that'll be her downfall."

"How can you be so sure?"

"If there's one thing criminals stick to, is instinct. And her outlook on fire is as the same as you are on catching criminals."

"It comes naturally."

"Bingo, Ms. Sparkle."

"You can call me Twilight, Bic Mac. It's not a big deal."

"It's not that Ms. Sparkle, it's just proper to address a lady as such."

"Well this lady isn't having the best of times right now."

Big Mac pondered on what she meant by that. He didn't really know very much about Twilight, but if she isn't having the best of times, that must mean... 

"Sorry to hear that. At least after this week, it'll be over."

Twilight cocked her head at him, puzzled by this response. "What will be over?"

"What?! It's your ummm," he stuttered.

"My what?" she demanded.

"Your time of the month," he whispered.

Twilight's mind immediately halted in its tracks, rage and a sense of strangling him filling the void. "My time of the month?" she asked.

"Y-yeah, isn't it?" he questioned.

"Well, Bic Mac, actually, NO! I'M NOT ON MY PERIOD! YOU JUST THINK THAT BECAUSE I'M IN A BAD MOOD, YOU ASSUME I'M HAVING MY TIME OF THE MONTH?! ARE YOU SERIOUS! I SHOULD BEAT YOUR ASS-"

Well, I'm wrong. Guess I'll just take a tongue lashing and be done with it. Heh, tongue lashing. No, stop it! No dirty thoughts! She's a missus and a lady of etiquette. She shall be treated as such. But, it wouldn't be so bad to, no no! I can't see her in that light. Oh, looks like she's stopped talking. Better nod my head and apologize. he thought to himself.

"Good, seems like you've been listening. The weird part is that we just can't catch a break. C'mon Big Mac, let's go for a walk."
> Preparation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The car halted to a stop, a cloud of dust kicking up into the crisp, fall air. The trio stepped out of the convertible; rifles in one hoof, bags of money in the other. They donned black garments that snuggled close to their bodies. Octavia wore a black duster complimented by the white shirt underneath. The purple tie affixed to the collar blew gently in the wind, the tip casually stroking the side of her face. She tucked the tie back into her dark navy blue waistcoat, careful to lay it flat while doing so. A black fedora, complete with a purple stripe around the base of it, held down her straight, jet black hair. She strutted her way to the front door of the apartment complex, the cool breeze feeling good on her warm face. She dropped her weapon and the bags of money on the ground, glancing around to make sure no one had followed them. Removing a key from her suit, she opened the door and strolled on inside.

Vinyl followed behind her, putting her revolver back into its holster. She wore a purple shirt underneath her black waistcoat with a shotgun draped over one shoulder. On the other shoulder rested her two bags of money, the weight carefully distributed throughout her delicate frame. Keeping watch outside was Applejack, her colt 45 pushing up the brim of her hat. She wore a grey undershirt underneath her own black duster, the tail ends of it frayed from years of usage. Her signature cowgirl hat rested atop her matted golden hair, adorn with sweat. She continued to guard the little shack they dwelled in until all the bags were deposited inside. Seeing that no one had seen them or attempted to follow, she walked inside and shut the door behind her, deadbolts locking in place.

"I got dibs on shower."

"C'mon, you went first last time Octavia. It's my turn," declared Applejack.

"The plan went smoothly and we hauled all of the cash. It was my idea that it worked, and besides, I'M THE LEADER!" she stated boldly, slamming the bathroom door behind her.

"Why that little-"

"Don't let her get to ya Applejack. Tavi is just stressed out after a big heist. She just needs to unwind is all," replied Vinyl, removing her waistcoat.

"Unwind? She always gets things her way every time!"

"Yeah, but she's the boss. She helped us when we needed her most. She didn't need our help, we did."

"You might have, Vinyl, but I didn't."

"Is that so?" said Vinyl, her waistcoat and shirt being thrown into the makeshift hamper.

"Yeah, that's so. What are you gonna do fight about it?"

"Nah, I don't fight people that are weak minded."

"Ohoho, sister, I'll show you who's weak."

"You really wanna do this? Right here? Right now? Are you serious?"

The two of them glared at one another, each one not ready to back down. AJ snorted in disgust while Vinyl scoffed, each pony turning their heads. Vinyl flopped back onto the couch and turned on the television while AJ began to clean her pistol. Vinyl surfed through the various channels, each one less entertaining than the last. She cycled through all of the available channels before snagging a news report. She chuckled slightly at the idea that they had gotten away with another robbery.

"Today at noon, the Gun Girls struck again in Manehatten. They managed to rob the 1st Union Bank, getting away with over $30,000 in cash. They left the scene with barely any clues, but the question still remains, where will they strike next? Here, we have the detective on the case, Ms. Sparkle. Ms. Sparkle, 'Do you have a hunch about where they would be heading next?' "

"While they didn't leave much evidence, the tracks and eyewitness accounts spotted them heading west. My hunch is that they're trying to escape the eastern coast. If they struck again, their luck would surely run out. Every bank south of us has been notified in case of an attack," Twilight answered.

"And your opinion, Captain Mac?"

"There's no way those girls would be heading south. It'd be suicide."

"There you have it folks! The latest on the Gun Girls and their latest heist. Coming up, can dogs really talk? Find out next-"

Vinyl shut the television off by accident, her flank hitting the power button. She was laughing hysterically, literally falling off of the couch. She snorted in between breaths of air, AJ just looking at her weapon. AJ stared at this powerful tool, her memories of her brother flooding her thoughts. She held back the tears in her eyes, the knot in her stomach being caught in her chest. Octavia stepped out of the restroom wrapped in a towel, asking what was so funny. AJ quickly stripped and ran into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. AJ grunted under her breath to stifle her breaking heart.

"T-The news said we would be heading west! WEST! Can you believe how dumb she is?! Ahahahaha!" 

"Hmmm, that may be a problem," retorted Octavia.

"Huh?! Why?" asked Vinyl, her laughing halted to a standstill.

"They are playing mind games with us. Did the news mention anything else? Clues, hints, maybe an eyewitness?"

"Well the detectives were on there."

"And?"

"Their so called hunch was that we would be heading west and not going south. More or less, a foolish decision by us as they notified all the banks south of our location."

"You've made a fatal flaw, Ms. Sparkle," said Vinyl, grinning.

"What's the flaw? We're in the clear. They won't expect it!"

"You're only half right, dear. See, they made a public appearance to challenge us. They know we'll be heading south. They know the last major bank is within a few hundred miles of us. They're preparing to capture us. And by saying it's foolish, they are daring us to rob them blindly. You see, they want us to head west and leave them alone. If we are out of their vicinity, eventually we'll run out of road and have to either double back or go into a foreign country. By forcing us to venture farther out, we will be in a new domain. And you know what that means?"

"What?"

"More bounty hunters and a higher reward for our heads. Right now the price is small, but it'll eventually ramp up. It's up to them how quickly the price adjusts. But, because no pony has gotten hurt, they can't raise it too quickly. Public demand will outcry that the far more violent types should have a higher reward, not us. In a sense, we still have the upper hoof."

"I see. So what's the plan?"

"Shower first, then we'll discuss. I don't talk with a smelly person beside me."

"But I thought you liked me when I'm dirty," Vinyl smirked.

"Keep it up and I'll have to clean you myself."

"Oh, would you clean every inch of me?"

"I'd do more than that. But first, business. Shower."

"Awwww, c'mon Tavi. Can't I just skip the damn thing?"

"Not unless you want to sleep on the couch."

"Fine," Vinyl huffed.

AJ eventually walked out of the bathroom, tossing the towel into the hamper. Vinyl bolted for the bathroom, the shower quickly turning back on. AJ walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Octavia joined her and began to make the tomato bisque. AJ prepared lemongrass sandwiches, lightly toasting them on the stove. By the time the two were finished, Vinyl had already walked out of the shower. Spotting that they were in the kitchen, she set the table and awaited the hot meal. The trio ate their supper, washed the dishes, and lounged on the couch. Octavia filled AJ in on what she had missed. AJ agreed that a trap might await them, but at the same time, the demand for them is too small. It was a valiant attempt to try and lure them out west. Octavia smiled, happy knowing that at least somepony understood what was occurring.

"Question though. When do we move? When do we strike?"

"Patience, AJ. If we move now, we'll be spotted. The fact that our clothes need to be washed is a matter on the table. In addition, for the next job, we need another vehicle."

"For what?" 

"Distraction. We need a decoy."

"What didya have in mind?"

"We need a truck."

"Foooor?" said Vinyl.

"Well, if they do have a trap, and I expect they do, we need the extra weight to push our way through. Also, they'll be curious about the new vehicle. Then we jump to our old one and leave the joint. Upon reaching our next city, we burn it and buy a new one. That's the plan. A truck for a little comfort and then we'll be home free. Sound good?" inquired Octavia.

"And where do we obtain the truck?" countered AJ.

"That's where Vinyl and I come in handy. We shall use our feminine charm to lure that sad stallion into a false sense of security," beamed Octavia.

"So you're gonna let him buck you? Well, that's your lifestyle."

"If it comes down to it then maybe. But if he's attractive, I might let him have a little fun," Octavia snickered.

"Well whatever, what do you want me to do?" 

"I want you to do the shopping."

"WHAT!?!? NOW HOLD ON!"

"AJ, we are actually about to use our bodies for business. Do you volunteer yours as substitute?"

"Well, no, but-"

"No buts, AJ. Only Vinyl's and mine are involved in this one. You just use the money for food and gas. Oh! And bullets, we'll need those. But there are a few other items I'll need you to grab while you're there. I will need 9 bottles of liquor; 6 of them to be the cheapest kind, and the other 3 to be whatever you want to drink. We'll need rags, barbed wire, and some 2X4's."

"And where do you expect me to get all these items?"

"Look around town. Walk, use your legs for more that just bucking trees and knocking ponies unconscious. I have confidence you'll find them."

"But why me?"

"We can't exactly use the car right now. We need someone strong to carry the items back. And neither Vinyl and I are versatile enough to carry them all the way back. Please, AJ, lend us your strength."

AJ grunted at this idea, but slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Any liquor I want?"

"Ohoho, the most expensive ones I believe suit you the best. Like I said, any kind of liquor you want. We start tomorrow. Understood?"

"You got it boss!" shouted Vinyl.

"And AJ?"

"Heh, I'll be sure to make you pay for each and every bottle you buy me," AJ grinned.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. For now, let's relax," sighed Octavia.
> Step Behind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"There you have it folks! The latest on the Gun Girls and their latest heist. Coming up, can dogs really talk? Find out next-"

Twilight headed towards the squad car, her face scrunched up in an oddly shape; the corner of her lips turned downwards, her nose wrinkled, and eyes tightly shut. She lightly banged her head on the top of the car fame, each time the sound intensifying in rapture.  The car let out out a rustic moan of bang bang, the sound echoing inside of Big Mac's ears. He winced instantly, groaning as he shook his head back and forth. Bang bang, the sound becoming louder. Bang bang, memories of the past filling his mind. Bang bang, all the decisions he would have to make in the future taunting him.

"STOP IT! STOP IT! ENOUGH!" he shouted, clasping his ears tightly.

Twilight sharply turned her head, startled by the sound. She slowly caught her breath, eyeing Big Mac the entire time. He still had his ears and eyes tightly shut, but a small stream of clear liquid trickling out of the corner of his eyes. It gently moved across his face, around his dry, chapped lips, eventually falling off his chiseled chin. Twilight brought out a small handkerchief from her black duster and wiped away the tears from his eyes. Big Mac snapped out of his internal nightmare to see a dazzling mare before his eyes. While his vision was still blurry, he could make out a wavy purple mare holding some kind of napkin through blood shot eyes.

"Thought you needed it more than I did," she chuckled. "Look, I know it's hard that we haven't found anything yet, but it's nothing to get upset about," she smiled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he sniffled.

"I know your sister is one of the criminals we're after," she paused briefly, placing her right hoof on his shoulder, "But I will make sure that she gets released to you. She's family after all, and that goes a long way."

"Blood's thicker than water, right?" he chortled.

"Damn straight. Now, let's get some grub huh?" 

"Sure thing partner."

Twilight smiled strutting away from him, her hips popping as she walked. She pushed her mane back over her ears before stopping at the passenger side door. She glanced into the side-view mirror, making sure that she was somewhat decent before they went to lunch. To her bewilderment, she caught Big Mac in the background. His eyes were fixated on something, but what was it? Squinting her eyes, she realized what he was staring at when she walked away from him.

"Like what you see?"

"Er uhh, what?" stammered Big Mac.

"Y'know, staring in public is going to cost you. However, in private, it's free," she flirted, slowly climbing into the car, making sure to show off her assets. 

Big Mac's mouth spew imaginary words, his thoughts all jumbled up.  He gulped and tried to keep his balance as he walked over the car, his steps shaky and wobbly. He tried to open the door, but his hooves shook nervously, the handle fidgeting in his grip. He eventually swung the door open and climbed inside, Twilight staring out of the side of the car, her two hindlegs crossed over one another on the passenger seat. Her left buttocks hung over the edge of the seat, the cutie mark visible for him to see. He turned the ignition over and began to drive, uncertain of where he was going.

"Take a left up here and go straight until you hit Route 95. Take that south until you see Baltimare. Get off at that exit and find us a decent restaurant. I'm going to take a nap for a bit," said Twilight, her head resting between the seat and the door panel.

"You got it," stated Big Mac.

The humming of the tires on pavement started to drowse Twilight. Combined with the occasional bumps in the road and the soft music playing on the radio, she fell asleep. She dreamt of catching the trio in a warehouse, a trap she planned earlier. With the three of them in her pistol's sights, she laughed at how easy it all was. She did a soliloquy of how they would rot in a prison cell, all of them. She ordered their surrender, but Octavia burst into a fit of laughter. Twilight cursed her out and told her to keep her trap shut. She cocked the hammer of her pistol, ready to shoot until she heard another hammer being cocked. She felt a snub nose pistol pressed into the back of her skull, the point of it nuzzled underneath her occipital bone. "I'm sorry, Twi, but I can't let you do that," the voice said behind her. It was deep and distorted, a hint of sadness intertwined within. Twilight gasped loudly, her body being shook awake. 

"You alright Ms. Sparkle?" asked Big Mac.

"Y-Yeah, just a," she gulped, "A bad dream. A bad dream, that's all," she shuddered.

Big Mac put the vehicle in park and they ventured inside the diner. The layout was simple, yet elegant. There was a bar counter with small stools, the steel foot railing running along underneath the seats. The booths were a beige color, the small table in the middle being stacked with a mini jukebox and a condiment rack. The floor had an occasional tile or two missing, the cement foundation showing. The two of them sat down at an open booth, Big Mac looking out the window while Twilight browsed through the jukebox to her left. 

A brown mare walked over to the table with two glasses of ice water. Pulling a small notebook out from her apron, she opened it up and asked what they wanted to drink besides water. She was a thin earth pony, her curly mane dangling over the side of her face. Her chest was a decent bust, her waist small, but the thing that stood out the most was her rear. Big Mac had noticed it when he walked in, but tried to look out the window and rid the thought from his head. The both of them looked at her and just responded with "Water is fine, thanks."

"Sure, no problem! My name is Jessica and I'll be your server. Here's the menus and just to let you know today's special is a pasta salad with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, topped with a nice balsamic dressing. I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order," she smiled.

She turned and left the table, Big Mac catching another glimpse at the beautiful backside winking back at him. He drank the water, the cool liquid running down his throat. He sighed in relief, glad to be finally off of the road and relaxing. The flipping of pages could be heard from the jukebox, Twilight still choosing a song.

"You should get her number. And if things get serious, I'll just catch a movie," Twilight boldly stated.

Big Mac's face flushed rapidly at this sudden outburst. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, for starters, you were checking out her ass."

Big Mac had no retort for this situation.

"I mean I guess you didn't like mine, too bad," she said lazily, still flipping through the pages.

"What? No, your ass is really fine. It looks great!"

"Oh, so you were looking at my flank." Big Mac's face turned red again. "You like flanks, I get that. Any stallion would. And she's got a nice flank, plenty of it to grab onto. I mean I wouldn't mind grabbing a hold of it now and then."

Big Mac's eyes were spiraling, his vision hazy. His face was hot as a brush fire, his hooves sweaty and shaky. He stuttered over his words, a twitch emerging from his eye.

"You really are so easy to toy with, Mac. Tell me, have you ever been with a mare?"

"O-Of course I have!" he yelled.

"Looks to me like you still haven't had that card punched yet."

"What card?"

"Your V-card, dear. Please do keep up."

"How would you know? And also, how did you see me looking at her?"

"Peripheral vision is a wonderful thing, dear. It's amazing what new things we learn every day. For instance, did you know that every time you get flustered, you stutter? Or when you're aroused, your eye twitches? It's actually pretty funny."

"Have you been spying on me?"

The sound of flipping pages stopped, Twilight's eyes still on the jukebox. "Yes, I stalk you. Every time you go to sleep, I open your window, sneak in, and stare at you. I watch you intently, taking notes. When you shower, I peek underneath the curtain and catch a glimpse of you completely nude and wet. And when you have your alone time, I'm in the room, turned on by your performance."

Big Mac was dumbfounded. A race of adrenaline and starvation filled his brain. "Y-You saw me do all those things? Even me, ummm, having a private moment?"

"Oh, yes, it was very large, I must say. I would totally ride it," she said sarcastically.

"And that one time when I finished on the mare?"

Twilight's head jerked upright, her vision staring out through the window. "The mare?" she asked.

"Well, yeah, I mean she was umm, using her talents on me."

Twilight slowly turned her head and faced Big Mac, her jaw agape. "Dude, I  have been joking this whole time. I have been completely fucking with you. I didn't even know you were with a girl last time, let alone having sex. Well, I guess I know now that your card is punched," she giggled, turning her attention back to the jukebox.

"Wait......you were kidding?" asked Big Mac.

"Eeyup, the whoooooole time." Big Mac's head slammed into the table, startling the waitress next to him. 

"Is he alright?" asked Jessica.

"Oh he's fine, just a bit embarrassed is all," replied Twilight.

"About what?" she inquired.

"Well, you see-"

"NO!" Big Mac shouted.

"Shush, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. You see yesterday after I was investigating the clues from a crime scene, Big Mac saw a filly crying across the street. He rushed over and asked her what was wrong. It turned out that she had lost her mother when the Gun Girls arrived. Well, Big Mac spent the next hour next to the filly's side, eventually reuniting the girl with her mother. He didn't think anypony saw, but I saw the whole thing. And now, I'm just torturing him with it, is all."

"Awww, that's so sweet. You really did that?" asked Jessica. Twilight's right eye caught the attention of Big Mac. She motioned with her eye back at waitress, giving him the signal. 

"Yeah, I didn't think she saw. I don't really like to show my sensitive side, that's all. She more or less caught me in a private moment," Big Mac replied.

"Well, I wouldn't mind seeing you in a private moment," Jessica flirted.

"Oh? Well how about this? Let's make a bet. If I can make you laugh, then I'll pick you up when your shift is over. If I can't, then I'll give you a $50 tip. Deal?"

"Only 50?"

"Well, it would be 100, but well, I'll need the other fifty for your other expense."

"My other expense?"

"A new hip after I'm done with you," he grinned.

Jessica's face turned red, the notebook trying to conceal it. A small giggle escaped her lips, Big Mac's smile growing wider.

"Seems like I won."

"No, I didn't laugh," Jessica replied.

"You giggled. And then you hid your face with your notebook. Not only are you sexy, but you're sneaky as well. What other things should I know about you?"

"My shift ends at 8."

"Then, I'll be back. In the meantime, I'll have a hayburger fully loaded. Ms. Sparkle, what would you like?"

"The special's fine."

"I'll be right back," smiled Jessica.

Twilight waited until the waitress was out of view. "Good job Casanova, way to reel in a big fish. One small problem."

"And that is?"

"Who's car are you going to borrow?"

"The squad car."

"Oh? So first you take the room and then the car. Why don't you put lipstick on me first."

"Lipstick?"

"Because I like to look pretty when I'm being fucked. Anyway, let's talk business. Your sex life bores me."

"So what's the plan?"

"We warn the major banks in the surrounding area of a possible attack. It shouldn't be anytime soon, they can't move out in the open. That car may be common, but we have a clue to know which car belongs to them."

"But I thought there were no clues?"

"C'mon, if I publicly state we have clues, they won't act brazen anymore. They'll be even more uptight and cover their tracks more intensely."

"So, what's the clue?"

"Rust particles. Meaning, the undercarriage is starting to rust."

"But that could come from so many other places. It's not really a great clue."

"True, but it's a start. Any small thing I will take," Twilight replied, taking a drink from her glass. 

"Oh, you only take small things?" retorted Big Mac.

"Anyway, we'll have barricades and the sort. Extra protection and security. All we can do, I'm afraid. Oh and Big Mac?"

"Yes, Ms. Sparkle?"

"Your thing is too small for even for my standards," she replied, her one up stumping Big Mac.

	
> Mysterious Caller
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Applejack waited patiently by the phone, eagerly awaiting its wail. She broke into a small sweat, nervous of what may had happened to her brother. She held her head in her hooves, trying desperately to calm herself. The phone rang only once; she instinctively grabbed it and answered.

"You should know the rule AJ, two rings."

"I know, I know, I just worry all the time. I'm so scared for you. Are you alright?"

"I'm alright. Honestly, it's you I'm worried about. They don't suspect a thing about me. But you, I don't want to see you die. I don't want to lose you forever. I can't afford that heartache."

"You won't lose me, I promise you. So, any tips?"

"The only one we have is rust off your vehicle. Other than that, nothing else. Don't worry, I'l let you know if anything comes up. Just a warning, you have about a week before the major banks are barricaded. If you don't hit it before the week is up, head west. WOULD YOU HURRY UP FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"

"Who is that?"

"That's my partner. Don't worry, I'll protect you, AJ. I love you."

"I love you too brother. Be safe." Applejack hung up the phone, sighing a breath of relief knowing that her brother was safe and sound.

"Who was that?" asked Vinyl.

"Our inside informant," AJ replied.

"Oh? Any new leads on us?"

"Just rust on our car. Nothing else, they're still in the dark about everything. We have a week before road blocks are set up."

"That's good. Hey, what's he look like? Is he cute?"

Applejack blushed, "I-I don't know. I guess?"

"Ohhhh? Does someone have naughty images of him?"

"Hell no!" AJ shouted.

"Whoa, calm down, I'm just kidding. You know only you and Tavi know who he is, yet I don't. It's not fair!" Vinyl whined.

"What's not fair?" asked Octavia.

"Tavi, it's not fair that you and her know the informant, but I don't!"

"Because if you knew, you'd blab it to the whole town. And darling, I'm not taking that risk. You almost cost us with your damn parties and drug sales."

"Hey, that cash is a nice benefit."

"And it exposes not only you, but all of us as well! I have no problem in making that pill sell to those junkies, but if your clients go to a source and sell info about us, our operation is done! Over! It's dead!" shouted Octavia.

"I make sure about that."

"Make sure about what, Vinyl?"

"You think I only make one pill? Oh, Tavi, I still have my secrets. A girl can't just expose herself wholly you know? Sometimes a tease is just as exciting."

"What the hell are you going on about?" inquired Octavia, rubbing her temples.

"Well, when they're feeling like they're on cloud 9, I use my charm to indulge them. I ask about their fantasies, what turns them on, etc. Then I ask if they would ever sell us out. What they don't know is that I can tell when someone is lying, even under the effects of narcotics and alcohol."

"And if they're lying about selling us out?"

"Why, I just make out with them. Well, the transfer of one more pill from my mouth to theirs is pretty kinky right? I like to call it the kiss of death. Romantic, huh? One last kiss from their mystery lover. It's so endearing and deadly," Vinyl laughed, walking over to Octavia. "And remember Tavi, I would never do that to you. You know me all too well, isn't that right?" she smiled, her hoof brushing over Octavia's foreleg.

"Right," Octavia grunted.

"Well, same plan today?" asked Vinyl.

"Yeah, let's get to it," replied Octavia, the corner of her eye firmly affixed to the DJ pony standing next to her.

"Perfect! We'll go find a truck and Applejack, since you brought groceries yesterday, how about 2x4's today?"

"You got it Vinyl," said AJ.

"See, Tavi? That wasn't so hard. You honestly worry too much about this whole plan failing," said Vinyl. AJ and Octavia briefly locked eyes, fear resonating off of one another.



Twilight opened her eyes and looked around the motel room. She saw the fan was still on, the oscillating blades slowly spiraling around and around. She glanced over the arm of the chair to see Big Mac sound asleep, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Twilight groaned as she got up out of the reclining chair, her back hurting from the stiff position she fell asleep in all night. She wished that she had reserved another room, but this was temporary as the hotel they were to stay at wasn't registered until today. At least now, Twilight would have her own bed. She stretched, her back popping occasionally, moans of pleasure escaping her mouth. After she finished stretching, she walked over to the large red stallion. The sheets were drawn only halfway, his upper chest exposed. His big forelegs were sprawled across the two pillows. He was lightly snoring, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth. His strong pectoral muscles rose and fell with each breath, the mid morning show making Twilight's face become hot. She arrived the previous night to a spent Big Mac sound asleep next to Jessica, the waitress he met previously. Twilight was too tired to care, so she reclined the chair, and passed out. Now, this was the sight she had awoken to: a big stallion, completely spent and happy. She smiled warmly, her foreleg extending backwards. 

"WAKE UP!" she yelled, bitch smacking Big Mac across the snout.

"I don't know if it will fit!" he yelled.

Big Mac gasped for air, his brain realizing what he just said. His pupils dilated, fear coursing through his veins. He slowly turned his head to see Twilight standing there, her mouth hanging open. Twilight's jaw just went into a spasm, imaginary words being spoken while her hooves went into muscle spasms. She blinked profusely, her mind racing to figure out what had just occurred.

"It won't fit?" she asked, her eyebrow being raised.

"Never mind that, just babbling. So what's on the agenda?" asked Big Mac.

"Well, we're going to warn the major banks and tell them to beef up security."

"Sounds like a plan. What time and day is it?"

"11:30 on Wednesday. Why?"

"I usually call Granny Smith at noon. Just to check up on her."

"Is she sick?"

"No, but she occasionally gets dementia. It's in its early stages, but y'know I still want to talk with her before she forgets me. Forgets our family. Forgets her whole life."

"No problem. Along the way, we'll stop at a payphone. Deal?"

"Deal," smiled Big Mac.

After Twilight left the room so Big Mac could clean up and get dressed, she leaned against the side of the car. She could feel the bright sun beaming itself on her face. Combined with the high humidity, she was already sticky with sweat. Cursing under her breath, she reached into the car and pulled out her hat. She donned it atop of herself, the brown ridges reflecting the sunlight off her face. It was an old sheriff hat that she had from her previous job. Though the badge was removed, she still loved the memories that it brought. Smiling at faded past events, Big Mac stepped outside. He was wearing a white button up shirt with a black tie. The suit he wore was black with small white pinstripes running down it. Dangling out of the front breast pocket a small golden chain was barely visible. His hat was a black fedora, also complete with small white pinstripes. Twilight looked at her reflection in the driver side mirror, making sure she still looked sexy enough to toy with him.

Twilight wore a black duster with a robin blue undershirt. Her tie was a midnight purple hue, accentuating her eyes. She beamed with pride knowing that she still looked good even with the intense conditions. She saw Big Mac walk over to the main office of the apartment complex. She waited for Big Mac to finish talking with the front desk before she walked around the side of the car and hopped inside. Big Mac started the engine, rolled up the windows, and turn on the air conditioning. A blast of warm air hit the both of them in the face, casually being replaced by the cool icy sensation. They traveled for a bit into the heart of Baltimare, where they stopped at the first major bank in the city, Credit One. Spotting a pay telephone nearby, Big Mac ran towards it. Twilight stepped out of the car and began to inspect the building.

Big Mac inserted bits into the coin slot, the recorded voice asking him to dial the number. Big Mac put in the numbers, the other line ringing. He was notified that he only had two minutes of talk time once the call was connected. The phone rang once, the other end immediately picking up.

"You should know the rule AJ, two rings."

"I know, I know, I just worry. I'm just so scared for you. Are you alright?"

"I'm alright. Honestly, it's you I'm worried about. They don't suspect a thing about me. But you, I don't want to see you die. I don't want to lose you forever. I can't afford that heartache."

"You won't lose me, I promise you. So, any tips?"

"The only one we have is rust off your vehicle. Other than that, nothing else. Don't worry, I'l let you know if anything comes up. Just a warning, you have about a week before the major banks are barricaded. If you don't hit it before the week is up, head west-"

"WOULD YOU HURRY UP FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" yelled Twilight.

"I'm on my way, hold on!" Big Mac shouted, making sure the speaking part of the telephone was blocked.

"Who is that?"

"That's my partner. Don't worry, I'll protect you, AJ. I love you."

"I love you too brother. Be safe."

Big Mac hung up the phone and headed over to where Twilight was standing. She stood in front of the main entrance, her hind leg tapping the ground impatiently.

"What's the big rush?" asked Big Mac.

"We have a situation," she replied.

"What is it?"

"We have a new tip. The informant is inside. We need to get the information quickly, so I had to cut the call short, sorry. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, she still remembers me, so she's good at the moment."

"Good, I don't want to lose you. I don't need you breaking down mentally. I need you well. If anything happens, I'll protect you, got that?" said Twilight, the last phrase echoing inside of Big Mac's head.

"You got it Ms. Sparkle, I'm in your care," he replied, fake smiling.

"Good, now let's see what this tip is all about."



	

	

	
> The Tip
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Bic Mac and Twilight stepped inside the bank. They were directed by the two guards to go in the back and into the vault. They nodded and walked behind the counters, down the hall, and reached the vault, the entire outside encompassed in solid steel. Next to the vault was another guard, an automatic assault rifle in his grip. He looked them up and down before pointing them to go inside. They stepped inside to see an elderly stallion sitting down in a chair. He held his hoof out to show them two chairs that were seated before him. Twilight and Big Mac sat down, unsure of what to expect.

"I see that you already are aware of the fact that my bank may be targeted," said the old stallion.

"Yes, we are aware of the type of banks that the gang are after. So my question is, how many clients does your bank serve?"

"Well, that's a loaded question. We service over 20,000 clients locally, but nationally... that would be in over the hundreds of thousands. And must not forget the government or internationally," he replied, stroking his beard. 

"Did you say in the hundreds of thousands?" asked Twilight.

"Yes, that's right. And whether you came here by luck or because you're smart does not matter. All that matters is that this will be the bank that they are after. All the other ones do not have the funding necessary to quench that gang's thirst. So, here's the plan. I will beef up security while you plan on how to dismantle their weapons and apprehend them. Sound fair?"

"First of all, we haven't even heard your name. And secondly, what's the tip? Who's your source? So far, it sounds like you're full of it," Twilight said sternly.

"Oh, dear me, my apologies. Where are my manners? I am Mr. Mogul. As far as the source is concerned, I cannot reveal who they are. They came to me for a loan, which I outright declined. Then, they said they had info on the gang. Soooo, I accepted their offering, but instead offered them cash for the info. Now then, why I called you in here. The thing is, the gang has weaknesses. Every girl has a weakness. The only one known so far is DJ Speed."

"And that would be?"

"Drugs and parties. As a side job, she hosts raves where she sells her Bass pill. My client said it intensifies with the music, causing the host to feel a euphoric feeling for hours. On top of that, it's highly addictive in nature."

"So you gave them cash so they could buy more drugs?" asked Twilight.

"It's none of my concern of what they do with the cash. All I'm concerned about is my bank and its active members. I could give a rat's ass if they overdose tomorrow. It would be one less junkie on this planet."

"That's disgusting."

"Is it? Ponies, griffins, and other creatures die on a daily basis. Drugs, natural disasters, hell, even old age kill them," he chuckled. "It doesn't bother me that he wants to decrease his death timer. Who am I to judge?"

"You just said it's a he," Big Mac chimed in.

"Shit. Did I say that? Oh well, who the hell cares. Not like he's going to live very long," replied Mogul. 

"And why's that?" asked Twilight.

"Think about it. He's either going to overdose, which is fine, or the information being told about him will find a way back to him. It doesn't matter how it travels back to him, but it will. Information is spread like a disease. Once one filthy inhabitant contracts it, it soon infects the others. And like information, once it's in the open, it can never go back into hiding."

"But who would know besides us?" said Twilight.

"Oh, you may be young and sharp, but you're still foolish. My dear, if you live long enough to be this age, you realize some things in your life. One of them being, karma is a living, breathing, ironic bitch. It doesn't matter what you did, or who you did, she will exact her vengeance. Look at me, I'm 68 years old, manager of one of the biggest banks, and very wealthy. But, where's my children? Where's my wife? All gone and left me. See, I prioritized money over a family, something I regret now. But, it's her way of making life fair. You see in my youth of trying to get ahead in life, I denied loans to clients that needed them. Loans to keep their houses, loans to make sure they could survive. But I denied them. Why? I knew that the loan was so low, that the interest rate wasn't even worth paying attention to. And then there were high loans that others took out that I gladly accepted. So why is that karma? I knew they couldn't afford it. These were folks with families, with livelihoods. I stripped them of that, kicked them out of the houses, and sold them back to the public at an auction. I sucked them of their money and then pawned it off on someone who could afford it. I'm the scum of this world, yes, but money talks. And with it, power comes naturally. So, judge me as you will, but this whole fiasco of a case goes against your code of justice. You want to catch them, no? I want them stopped at all costs. Like I said, you work on disarming them, and I'll work on my security. I won't give you all the details unless you agree to work for me and only me for this gang. After they're caught, we go our separate ways. No one has to know."

Twilight took his words into consideration. The stallion sitting before her was very shrewd and clever. If she accepted, she would have to obey his laws and regulations, thus sacrificing her own freedom of doing things. If she declined, she might be an outsider to the operation, unaware of what would be occurring. She pondered these two choices back and forth, finally reaching a conclusion.

"I'm afraid I have to decline."

"Might I inquire why?"

"If I accept, I'm essentially under your control. You can guide me how you will and if I refuse, you can blackmail me into doing your work regardless. If I decline, I might not know of the operation, but in the end, I will still have my dignity."

The old stallion smiled, chortling a bit. He sighed deeply, stroking his long, gray beard. Coughing, he cleared his throat.

"You've examined every element of this situation in record timing. You're good, detective. Might I ask of your name?"

"I'm Twilight Sparkle and my partner is Big Mac."

"Well, Ms. Sparkle, you're very intellectual for someone your age. Big Mac, I would be careful if I were you. She could play you like a violin."

"I'm afraid to say, sir, but she already has on multiple occasions."

Mr. Mogul laughed heartily, his jowls jiggling with joy. "I see that this is the case. Well, Ms. Sparkle, since you are a very smart, attractive mare, I will fill you in on the plan. I expect them to burst through the front door, guns waving about. I'm arming my guards with assault rifles, as well as hiring more personnel for the next couple of weeks. I don't know when they will strike, but I'll be ready. For now, that's all the info I have for you, detective. Have a nice day."

Twilight and Big Mac said their pleasantries and disembarked from inside the vault. Big Mac surveyed the structure of the vault and made sure to pay attention to any weak points in it. He followed closely behind Twilight, making mental imagery of his surroundings. Upon exiting the bank, Big Mac had a general idea of the layout of the establishment. He knew what he had to do. The only problem was finding the right moment to make the call. Idly chatting with Twilight, he occasionally glanced over at the telephone booth. He asked Twilight if he could call HQ and inform them of their status. Twilight gave him the go ahead to place the call. Big Mac picked up the phone and inserted the bits into the slot. Upon hearing the recorded voice, he dialed the number to his sister, hoping that she would pick up. The phone rang a couple of times before the audible click was heard.

"Hello?" 

"Is AJ there?"

"Mmmmm, she's out. Who is this?"

"It's Big Mac."

"Oh, Big Mac. Good thing I picked up. It's Octavia."

"Where's my sister?"

"Out gathering supplies. Why?"

"I have a new tip."

"Better than the last one?"

"Much better."

"Good, glad to hear it. Oh, and if you're going to call in the future, use your damn code name. We gave it to you for a reason."

"Sorry, I kind of forgot it."

"You're hopeless, you know that?" Octavia sighed. "Your name is Hustle. Got that?"

"Hustle?"

"Yeah, cause you hustle pony folk into your control. Look, what's the tip?" Octavia demanded impatiently.

"Ok, it's about what to expect."
> Feminine Charm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Uh huh, yeah. Got it. Yeah, we should be ready soon. We're just waiting on a crucial item. Yeah, I'll keep an eye on her. You have my word. Goodbye, Hustle," said Octavia, hanging up the telephone.

"Who was that?" asked Applejack, the front door closing.

"It's your brother."

"Oh?! Did something happen?" Applejack asked, worry drenching her tone.

"No, no, quite the opposite. He had a tip for us, that's all."

"And it is?"

"They are preparing the major banks in the south for a raid. The one they entered was called Credit One. Your brother saw the inside briefly, but couldn't pin point all the fine little details like guard posts and entry ways. He did see the vault which is a plus. He said it is massive in size, a thick concrete floor as the base. The outside walls are surrounded by strong iron."

"Sounds like it'll be difficult."

"It will be, but if it's easy to break into, then there's nothing worth taking."

"You can't be serious."

"We are breaking in there, Applejack. We are going there. We'll be prepared, I promise. The only problem is the truck and seeing the inside of the bank. We won't know what kind of security we're up against until we arrive."

"You let me take care of that," replied Vinyl, strolling into the room.

"And how's that?" asked Applejack.

"Well, I know some clients that would be pretty happy to be paid in more pills than they could handle. And if they act as the extra security..." Vinyl tapered off, her eyes locking with Octavia's.

"Then we'll know the inside of the establishment. And not only that, the extra muscle would surely help us with the escape. Dammit, Vinyl, you are pretty smart for a drug dealer," said Octavia.

"Whoa whoa! I prefer happiness distributor, thank you very much. I can have them apply for the extra guards, but what of the materials?" questioned Vinyl.

"I just hauled in the barbed wire today. We're all set to go. We only need the truck," answered Applejack.

"Perfect. Now, let's go get that truck. Applejack, we'll be home late. Can you save us some stew?" asked Octavia.

"No problem, partner. I expect a sturdy pickup, preferably one with a flat bed," smirked Applejack.

"We'll see what we can do. Come, Vinyl. We're off."



Minutes passed into hours as Vinyl and Octavia waited for the bars to be crowded. They spent the earlier part of the day eyeing good spots for single, available stallions. When the sun faded behind the clouds, dusk approached them rapidly. The neon lights of the bars lit up, the illuminating lights casting a low glow of colors on the street outside. They stalked the bars until one of them stood out. It was called the Lucky Horseshoe, a giant gold horseshoe hanging outside of the opening, completely bright with yellow and gold neon. Smirking, Octavia signaled Vinyl to go in with her. Upon entering the bar, they saw the crowds of stallions and mares, mingling occurring between the sexes.

"Showtime," whispered Octavia.

After the two of them flirted with countless stallions, they realized that very few of them had vehicles. The ones that did have a vehicle turned out to be a car. Finding failure after countless failure, the two of them began to lose hope. Just as they were about to give up, a sky blue stallion walked into the bar, a trucker hat resting upon his head. Octavia laughed at how ironic the bar was called while Vinyl walked over to introduce herself.

"Hey there stranger, this seat taken?" asked Vinyl.

"No miss, please take a seat," he smiled.

"Why thank you," she winked, sitting down. "A jack and coke please! And for you?"

"Oho, a lady that can drink. This will be interesting. Care to wager?"

"I might be obliged. What's the stakes?" she asked, the bartender setting the icy cold glass on the counter.

"If I win, you come home with me. If you win, I'll buy you whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" she flirted, her hoof rimming the top of the glass.

"Sure, why the hell not? It's not like you'll be winning anyways."

"Ooooh, confidence, I like that in a stallion. You're on! But, we need an official. Oh deary!" she yelled, Octavia walking over.

"And who's this?" he asked.

"Well, this is Tavi. She's my mare friend and our official. If you win, she's joining us tonight. I'm Pon3, nice to meet you."

"I'm Soarinthall the III, but everyone just calls me Soarin for short," he said, shaking hooves with both of the girls.

Vinyl and Soarin downed shot after shot, a small collection of glasses being stacked upon one another. After the second bottle of Jack was finished, the duo began working on some old fashion rum. With half a bottle gone, each pony was still talking trash to each other, their eyes locking onto one another. Octavia smiled, knowing that he was playing right into their trap. They've done this same routine over and over; two sexy, available mares looking to make bets with lonely clients. With the promise of sex on the line, it was easy to find prey. Octavia reminisced of the time the both of them took home two different stallions, each one making over a grand each. With the bottle of rum gone, Soarin's eyes began to wave back and forth. Vinyl began to sway from side to side, her balance becoming harder to control. It didn't matter who won or lost, this was just Vinyl's way of scoring free booze. With the final shot of rum, Vinyl's head slammed onto the bar. A small groan gurgled out of her mouth.

"Oh, do we surrender?" mocked Soarin.

"Mgghhhhh, maybe. But Soarin, dear, have you ever wondered how high you sit up on these stools? Like how really high off the ground they are? Look for yourself if you don't believe me."

Soarin swung his head over the side of his chair, his eyes still wavering. Unable to determine how gravity works, Soarin fell off of the stool, his face slamming into the floor. This sudden rush of pain made him vomit in a small puddle next to him. Shouting loudly, Vinyl celebrated her victory.....for three seconds. Vinyl jumped off of the stool, slammed her own face into the floor, perked back up, and ran outside. A loud, disgusting sound could be heard around the corner of the establishment. Octavia helped pick Soarin up off the ground. Making him pay the entire tab of 180 bits, she helped carry him outside where he emptied his stomach as well. Waiting for him to finish, Octavia saw his keys hanging out of his pocket. Telling Soarin that since he was such a stud at drinking, she would drive him home where he could rut both of them. Liking the idea, Soarin tossed her his keys. 

The three of them walked to the parking lot. It wasn't really a lot, but a flat patch of land with rocks and dirt. Directing them to his truck, Octavia hit the jackpot. The truck was a flat bed, complete with an extended tail hitch and reinforced bumpers. She opened the hood to see a V6 engine just waiting to be revved. Closing the hood, she climbed into the truck and asked him where he lives. Soarin and Vinyl had already moved to the back seat, giving Octavia full control. Following his directions loosely, she stopped the truck near a patch of woods, a lone dirt road the only path back to civilization.

"Why did we stop?" asked Soarin.

"I-I just can't wait. I'm much too wet thinking about what you'll do to me. And frankly, I want you inside me now," moaned Octavia, her back arching in the driver seat.

"Can't wait huh? Guess I'll have to abide a lady's request," smirked Soarin, slowly making his way up to the front seat. "And how would-" 

Soarin's speech was cut short. Pressing against his throat was a small knife, its tip resting casually on his Adam's apple. Soarin began to pant, fear taking over his thought process. Vinyl lifted up her skirt to pull out a few strands of rope. She licked the side of Soarin's face, his eyes darting behind him.

"Don't you move if you know what's good for you. I may be tipsy, but I can still slash your throat wide open if you were to jerk suddenly. I love it when they squirm. Especially ones that have that look. Yeah, that look, right there. The fear of death. It really turns me on. Too bad for you that you won't experience me," giggled Vinyl, throwing Octavia the rope.

Octavia tied up Soarin's forelegs and hindlegs. Then, she pulled out a rag from her purse and shoved it into Soarin's mouth, his gasps muffled by the thick cotton in his mouth. Looking in the glovebox, Octavia found some duck tape. Chuckling deviously, she wrapped the tape around his mouth, making sure he couldn't utter even a syllable. Opening the door, Octavia pulled Soarin out of the truck. A wobbly Vinyl didn't help too much as she just pushed him out of the truck and onto the ground. Rolling him off the road and into the woods, Octavia clapped her hooves together as a job well done. She climbed back into the truck, shut the door, and drove back home. With the truck secured, the final requirement of the plan was complete. The only thing that remained were the finer details. 
> Past Sins
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Now remember AJ, barbed wire on the front grill and the reinforced 2X4's go on the side skirts."

"Yeah, Octavia, I know. You act like this is the first time I'm doing this. Don't you remember how we met?" asked AJ.

"Sort of. Wait, were you? No, that's not it. Well, since Vinyl is off selling her product, we might as well get the truck ready and just BS while we do it," replied Octavia.

"So you really don't remember?"

"No, sorry, I don't. It's been awhile and with all the other things going on, my focus has shifted to keeping us all safe. But please do indulge me while you reinforce the vehicle."

"Well, I suppose I understand yer position. Anyway, hand me the saw. I was back at the ranch when I heard that we had a shipment coming in from the east. We headed to the docks along the eastern coast. My brother went on ahead to secure the deal, while I scouted the town for information. I headed into the local bar. I went in for a drink, hoping to calm my nerves that everything would go well. As I started to drink the hard cider, I found....them."

"You don't mean?"

"The same ones that wanted you dead."

"The Flim Flam Brothers," sneered Octavia.

"I knew they weren't in town for pleasure; they had business. I noticed them, but thankfully they didn't notice me. I slithered out of the bar area and went into the kitchen. I sneaked out through the back room and escaped. I had a hunch something went wrong at the docks, so I took a drive out there. And that's where I found you."

"In a damn boat."

"Well, it was docked and you were in safe company. I trust Nautilus and Dash, even though she may be a bit of an airhead. When I arrived, Big Mac informed me you were there, so I took it upon myself to escort you back to our ranch. That and with the deal going south, we weren't exactly in a safe location. So for the meantime, you lived with the Oranges until the heat went down. After things settled, you re-joined us. Anyways, the party at the dock we were dealing with were suddenly asking for more bits. And the best part? They said we had promised them this insane amount. What started with words ended up with bullets."

"Think the brothers were behind it?"

"I wouldn't put it past them. You were in the damn ocean after all. After you came back to the ranch and we chatted for a bit, I decided to go find your friend. You wouldn't believe where I found her."

"Where?"

"You're not gonna like the answer."

"I can handle it."

"Promise me."

"Promise you what?"

"Promise me that you won't get irrational when I tell you. We need you to keep a calm head. Your brains are the reason we got this far," implored AJ.

"I promise I won't get mad. And besides, your brains helped as well."

"But these brains can't get through to that girl. She's on another level. And well... she trusts you. But that's why you're the boss right?" mocked AJ.

"Yeah, boss," replied Octavia, rolling her eyes. "We both know the reason, AJ. If we get caught, I get the most time for being the leader while you can still continue the operation. I understand boss, I wouldn't betray the Apple Family."

"I wish I could buy loyalty like yours. Unfortunately trust like that is earned, not bought. Well, the answer you wanted. Your mare friend was in a whore house, a large collar chain around her neck. We got the info about her location from some... persuasive tactics."

Octavia slammed her hoof into the truck, her loud snorting mixing in with the sawing. She shut her eyes and tried to push this rage behind her, but all she could see was red. She shook her head harshly before she was embraced by something warm.

"It's okay sugarcube, I got you. Let it out."

Octavia burst into a fit of tears and anger. She yelled into AJ's soft chest, her warm tears flowing down her muzzle. AJ just continued to embrace her, cooing her the entire time. When Octavia had finally calmed down, AJ opened the truck door and handed her a bottle of wine.

"W-Wine?"

"One of the three that I bought."

"But those were for you," Octavia sputtered.

"Well yeah, but I only need two. I was going to save this for when we complete our operation, but well... I think now's a good time to open it. Go ahead, take a swig. I'm just going to mount the wood to the grill.

Octavia tried to un-pop the cork, but it wouldn't budge. She walked inside the apartment to grab the wine opener. When she had opened it and drank nearly half the bottle, AJ had already installed half of the wood onto the front of the truck. The 2X4's were mounted diagonally on the front side, the grill now looking like a train's rail guards. They were also shaved near the point, helping provide the vehicle with a nice sharp wedge. AJ beamed proudly of her new contraption, while a buzzed Octavia patted her on the back.

"Nice work there, AJ. Now we have something to drive on the railroad tracks."

"Har-dee-har-har. This will knock those cops out of our way."

"And the wire?"

"I'm using that on the hubcaps. If the cops' tires get close, this will shred them instantly. Oh, and sorry for not informing you. Your idea was ummmm dumb."

"That's fine, you got me wine," said Octavia, shaking the bottle in her hoof. AJ chuckled before again apologizing for what had happened to Vinyl. Octavia merely waved her hoof back and forth merely saying "It's fine."

"And that's where Vinyl joined us huh?"

"Yep. After that, we all became one big Apple Family," replied AJ.

"One question though. How in the world did you get your brother to be a captain of the police?"

"That's a family secret, my dear. But, I will only give you one piece of the puzzle. His bosses also have a weakness for free hard cider. That's it."

"I see. So it seems we're not the only ones who think this prohibition is complete shit. "

"The only one that's actively trying to stop us is that pesky detective Twilight Sparkle. But, I do believe we can change her. Everyone has a price, some just higher than others," smirked AJ.

"Heh, it does seem like you have a soft side after all."

"Only those I trust get to bear witness."

"Do you trust her?"

"Not yet. I'll give her a choice. If she accepts, then she'll be one of us. If not, then she'll just be another piece of trash. C'mere Tavi, hand me that wire so I can attach it to the wheels."

"You got it boss," said Octavia, stumbling to hand her the wire.
> Do or Die Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Big Mac, let's go over the plans once gain, shall we?"

"C'mon, Ms. Sparkle, we've been going over this dang ol' plan for hours."

"Fine, just one more time for good measure? Please?"

Big Mac sighed, knowing she wouldn't stop until he agreed to her whims. He reluctantly nodded his head, to which Twilight was very delighted to explain the process one last time.

"All right, one final time!" she beamed. "The new guards came in today, totaling 42 armed personnel. We set up the new barricades around the perimeter, blocking off access from the four major checkpoints. The back alley is guarded with 10 foot patrol personnel. The streets have access checkpoints and vehicle searches just to make sure no one is planning on breaking through easily. There are 20 armed personnel on the ground guarding the checkpoints in rotations. We have three skilled sharpshooters on the rooftops. One on top of the bank and the other one directly across from the bank on top of the grocery store. The third one is in an undisclosed location. Inside remain the other nine armed guards, each one wielding a shotgun. In addition, we are acting as the first line of defense against any intruders. That's pretty much it right?"

"Except for one more thing, Ms. Sparkle."

"And that is?"

"Did you forget the rumor? That some of the guards may be trying to rob the bank themselves."

"I don't believe in rumors. I believe in cold hard evidence. Those girls are going to be stopped, mark my words, Big Mac. We have it all planned out."

Too bad the only other pony that knows of this plan is standing next to you. Still though, is this right? Family comes first and all, but I sort of consider you family for the most part. Oh, AJ, am I doing the right thing? Big Mac thought to himself.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Huh, yeah, fine, why?" 

"Well, I asked if you wanted to go get tacos and you blanked out. Are you sure you're really alright?"

"Yeah, just thinking if we're ever going to catch those girls, that's all," he replied.

"Big Mac, I stand by my word. No harm will come to your sister, I promise you that. She will be released, no matter her affiliation to the family. It's the least I can do for the info you've provided about the gang to the precinct. I know you're doubting if you're doing the right thing, correct?"

Big Mac's pupils dilated, a small bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face. 

"Heh, knew it. You really are too easy to read. But sometimes, knowing all the answers leaves you empty inside. There should be mystery in what you do, but when you analyze things continuously, eventually you forget what surprise feels like. You forget what it means to be alive, what it means to be a living, breathing being. But Big Mac, you're an exception. I've tried to analyze you, your ulterior motives, and what you're after. Maybe you'll betray me in the end, and maybe you won't," said Twilight, slowly walking her way over to Big Mac, her head nestled in his chest. "But, in the long run, that's what makes it so mysterious and exciting. I like the fact that I don't know if you'll stab me in the back or be my knight in shining armor when I need you the most. It makes me feel alive, Big Mac. You make me feel alive," she said, wrapping her arms around his head. 

She went in for a kiss, Big Mac meeting her halfway. He held Twilight close to him, their embrace lasting for almost a minute. He broke the kiss first, his face flush with heat. He gazed into Twilight's eyes, his reflection bouncing off of her purple irises. They had a sparkle to them, something that Big Mac hadn't seen in a long time. The last time he saw sparkling eyes is when he saved his sister from the Flim Flam brothers, taking a bullet directly in the chest for her. Twilight lowered her head, confused and ashamed at what she did.

"I-I'm sorry, that was a mistake, excuse me," she quickly said, leaving the makeshift outpost in a hurry. Big Mac remained inside the outpost, two chairs and a lonely table accompanying him. The outpost that they made was nothing more than a giant tent in the woods. It was located among the trees off to the side of the main road. Big Mac grunted in frustration, his breathing becoming erratic. He picked up the chair and thew it into the other one, the legs splintering into pieces. He then proceeded to flip the table over, yelling expletives in the process. Big Mac's emotions were going rampant, each one fighting for dominance. In a fit of aggravation, he hurried out of the tent and ran down the main road, trying to find the nearest payphone.



"So what's the plan boss? Run it and gun it?" asked Vinyl.

"No, not anymore," replied Octavia.

"What? Why?"

"I just received a call from my brother. That damn detective isn't playing games with us anymore," piped AJ.

"It seems security was highly encouraged, and from the sound of things it's 3 of us versus 42 of them. And that's not counting the detectives," said Octavia.

"Snipers? For real? Damn, that's too much pressure on the driver," joked Vinyl.

"DAMMIT VINYL THIS IS SERIOUS! STOP FUCKING AROUND!" yelled Octavia.

"T-Tavi, you're scaring me."

"Do you wanna die Vinyl? Is that it? You just want to waltz in there and take a bullet to the head? Do you? I'll do it right now even, if that's your wish," replied Octavia, withdrawing her revolver.

"Whoa, calm down there. Let's not get hasty. She's your best friend. You've always been there for her, and vice versa. Look, you're just stressed, that's all. How about we-"

"Don't you fucking lie to me! I WASN'T THERE FOR HER! I FAILED HER! I...I wasn't there to protect her. I wasn't there when she needed me most," Octavia sobbed, the pistol falling onto the floor. "What kind of friend am I that puts my best friend's life in danger? I'm a horrible friend."

"That's not true," grunted Vinyl. She hopped off the couch and slapped Octavia right in the mouth. A stunned Octavia stared at Vinyl through watery eyes. "What happened in the past isn't your fault. You couldn't have possibly known the future that awaited me. After all, you held back the Flim Flam Brothers after they ambushed us. And I'm thankful for that," she smiled. Octavia began to wipe the tears from her eyes, AJ grinning as she turned her head. While AJ turned away for that split second, the cock of a hammer could be heard behind her. Spinning around, Vinyl had picked up Octavia's pistol off of the ground, the barrel pointing directly into Octavia's temple.

"Vinyl!"

"Answer me, Tavi. Why did you betray me?"

"W-What?" stuttered Octavia.

"Why did you betray me?"

"She didn't betray you! Drop the gun Vinyl, it doesn't have to be like this!" pleaded Applejack.

"STAY OUT OF IT AJ! This is between Tavi and I. Now then," continued Vinyl, the pistol being shoved deeper into Octavia's skull. "Why did you betray me? Why did Lyra Heartstrings rescue me from your goons?"

"L-Lyra?" echoed Octavia, a flashback registering in her mind. Octavia had just finished telling Vinyl to escape out the theater via the fire escape. While she fought back against her rivals, she saw the pastel green colored pony standing in front of her. A grin on Lyra's face and a revolver in her hoof, she chuckled in front of Ocavia, Lyra's minty breath wafting through her nostrils. She felt a sharp pain in the back of her head before everything went blank.

"Yes, her! Answer me!"

"It wasn't my goons. I could never betray you! I-I was already dead."

"Bullshit! Quit your lying!"

"Vinyl....it's okay. I don't know what they did to you or what had happened in the span of those months. But if you feel that I betrayed you, that's fine. I led you into this world and there's nothing I can do to change that fact. If you feel the need to kill me will quench your hatred of me, then that's fine. Vinyl, we've been together since we were young. I will never forget that scared look on your face when you arrived at the orphanage. While we didn't get along at first, you slowly grew on me. You never gave up on me when I was willing to throw it all away, and Vinyl... I'll never give up on you. But, if you feel this is your answer for my sins, then do it. Here, I'll help you." Octavia rested her hoof atop of Vinyl's, their warmth being felt through one another. "It's okay Vinyl, I will never be mad at you," she sighed, shutting her eyes.

Vinyl's hoof started to spasm, the tiny vibrations reverberating through Octavia's skull. The buzzing feeling made Octavia open her eyes, the shaking pistol quivering around her temple. Small gasps could be heard from Vinyl, tears running down the side of her face. "I'm sorry," said Vinyl, the shaking stopping. 

"It's fine, I will always be with you, now and forever," replied Octavia.

"Vinyl NOOO!" shouted AJ, but it was too late.

A single shot echoed throughout the room.
> Do or Die Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Vinyl, NOOO!" shouted AJ, but it was too late.

A single shot echoed throughout the room. A small hole appeared through the ceiling, the brown circle smoking with cracked edges. Vinyl's tears fell softly on Octavia's face, the revolver pointing straight upwards. AJ fell onto the floor, her beating heart running rapidly. Octavia looked up at her marefriend, a tear starting to emerge from her.

"D-Don't you start to cry, Tavi. Remember?" blubbered Vinyl.

"Right, you're the crybaby and I'm the mother," she joked.

"Tavi?"

"Yes?"

Vinyl threw her left hoof back and socked Octavia right in the jaw, Octavia's head turning sharply to the left. Octavia collapsed on the floor, coughing up a few droplets of blood. Licking her lips, she felt the split on the bottom half. 

"You always had a good left hook."

"Don't...you...ever...LEAVE ME!" cried Vinyl, falling on top of Octavia. 

Vinyl sobbed heavily into Octavia's chest, her body rising and falling in exasperated breaths. Octavia just embraced and held her there, waiting for Vinyl to work it out. Octavia glanced to her right to see AJ just lying on the floor, her breathing calming down. Vinyl continued to bawl her eyes out for a few minutes before she started to dry heave.

"All right, think you've cried enough. C'mon, stop the waterworks. Don't want your stomach pumped now do we?" smirked Octavia.

"You're not my mom!" smiled Vinyl.

"You're right, I'm your...." Octavia's smile disappeared instantly.

"Hey, it's alright. When you're ready to say it, I'll be here. No need to rush. Besides, I'm the emotional one and you're the logical one. Can't have us switching roles now can we?"

"Well, in certain situations," teased Octavia.

The two of them started to laugh in each other's arms while AJ just continued to lie on the floor, still shocked at what had just occurred. She snorted loudly, working up the strength to sit straight up. She glanced over to see that their relationship was back to being somewhat normal, even though they never had a normal relationship to begin with in the first place.

"Do you hate me?" asked Octavia.

"No, Tavi... I thought you actually betrayed me. But thinking back on our history and on our little rendezvous, I realized you couldn't have possibly betrayed me. In the end, I was angry with myself. I was pissed off that I could fall for her deceit. But why didn't you rescue me?"

"I was in a coma. I had a concussion."

"Are you okay?"

"Well, now yeah, but then, not so much. You see the same bitch that lied to you pistol whipped me in the head for answers. After I eventually spilled the beans, I was thrown into the ocean to die."

"How did you get out?"

"You remember our pirate friend, Dash? Yeah, she saved me. Luckily Captain Nautilus was nearby to put me on his boat. By the time we got back to the docks, Big Mac was there. I must have the worst timing because a deal was going on, and it quickly went sour from what I heard. I took a shower in the nearby Oranges' estate and put on new clothes. Big Mac guarded me until AJ showed up and she escorted me back to the ranch."

"What info did you tell?" asked AJ, now walking over.

"I told them how we transferred our product. The exact info I told you, I told them. Again I'm sorry, AJ, I didn't want them to hurt Vinyl. I guess even then I wasn't able to save her," Octavia trailed, lowering her head.

"Don't worry, Tavi. You did what you thought was right. There's no need to apologize."

"D-Did she just call you Tavi? HOLD UP!"

"Looks like you let the cat out of the bag, AJ," smiled Octavia.

"Seems like it. It's just not my forte to keep secrets. I'm an honest pony after all," she grinned.

"What is going on? Explain!" demanded Vinyl.

"Alright Vinyl, relax, we'll tell you. We'll let you know what's going on, but on one condition," explained AJ sternly.

"What is it?"

"You must devout yourself and your whole self to the Apple Family. If you betray at us at any time, the penalty is death."

"I accept."

"Vinyl?" asked Octavia, worry in her voice.

"Tavi, that's the other reason I'm pissed. You didn't let me in on your life. You tried to shield me from what was happening and look where it got us. You were almost dead and I ended up as a sex slave for those disgusting bastards. Now, we can either let bygones be bygones or you can pretend that you can still protect everyone. I know that you protected me when I was young, but I'm an adult now. Let me return the favor, Tavi. Otherwise, your face is going to be disfigured," she chuckled. Octavia sighed before accepting her proposal, a wide grin emerging on her face.

"Good, after we reach headquarters tomorrow, you'll be branded as one of us."

"Branded? Where?" asked Vinyl.

"You'll be branded behind the ear, which one doesn't matter. This way it's hard for rival gangs to notice, but the individual can walk free amongst the crowd. Now then, the real reason as to why we are on this mission of robbing banks. We're moving our headquarters west, expanding if you will."

"But why? I thought HQ was in Ponyville."

"It was. That is until the info Octavia gave them was released. We had to seal off the tunnels and move the product. The location's whereabouts are only known by three ponies; Octavia is not one of them. Only blood related family knows of the whereabouts."

"Does Big Mac know?" inquired Vinyl.

"You shouldn't be asking those kind of questions, Vinyl."

"Sorry, sorry AJ. I didn't know."

"It's fine, but let that be a warning. Don' ask about operations and everything will go smoothly. As far as your question, no, he doesn't. Now, we moved the product before the cops showed up. They were pretty pissed off to find non-alcoholic cider, let me tell you. I've never seen that detective Twilight so flustered in all my life. But it wasn't her that I was chuckling about. Off in the distance two shadowy figures stood there, watching us."

"I'm guessing the brothers."

"More than likely. They left rather hastily when we weren't arrested. In a response to this, their operations picked up speed. We learned that their headquarters was based in Manehatten. We were lucky to leave there so easily. But it's not Manehatten that's got me worried. It's Baltimare. That's their production and distribution location. To make matters worse, it's also their main docking bay to export their product overseas. After the scandal that we may be involved in bootlegging was released, we had to sell our warehouses near the bay. Finding the product in there would cripple us. So, we had to come up with a plan. What was our next move? And thus, we decided to head west. But with the farm needing more repairs and the fact that we lost a main choke hold on the eastern coastline, we needed the extra cash to fund our operation in a hurry."

"Thus the robbing of the banks."

"That's the gist of it, Vinyl. We need these heists to go seamlessly and smoothly."

"How are you transporting the money though? It seems we almost have like zero cash on us."

"Vinylllll," warned AJ.

"Sorry, continue."

"That's the second one today Vinyl. Please, think before you ask questions. If you don't, that trap of yers will get us all killed. Anyway, we have our ways. Now, we leave at night. Sources say that they're arming themselves to the teeth with security. They even have snipers."

"Fucking hell!" blurted Octavia.

"It's fine, just a minor inconvenience. Vinyl, how about your sources?"

"Well, thanks to your brother's help, I re-contacted one pony in particular. He's got something planned for the distraction tomorrow. I can't say what the plan pertains as it will blow his cover, but it'll give us enough time to get in and out within five minutes. That's our window. Now, as far as security goes. While I only have 8 on the inside, it's better than 0. All I have to do is play my melody when we arrive. It doesn't have to be on a loudspeaker, just a humming of the tune. Tavi knows what it is. Hey Tavi, it's the one where you and I were alone that one night and-"

"I GOT IT!" shouted Octavia, her face shining a bright red.

"Yeah, she remembers," teased Vinyl. "Anyway, when that tune is hummed inside the bank, it'll give them the signal. From there, the pony I mentioned earlier will create a distraction, giving us five minutes."

"Just one small problem."

"And that is?"

"How in the hay are we going to just waltz inside of the bank? We'll be arrested on the spot!" retorted AJ.

"That's where my good friend comes in. He has a really strong memory. He goes by the name of Noteworthy. We'll be meeting him tomorrow in the city. He'll be at Mo' Donuts at 0600 sharp. We have to be there. If not, it'll really throw a monkey wrench into our plans. Now, any other questions?"

"Only one. Everypony ready to go in two hours?" asked AJ.

"Well, seeing at how the truck is complete and our outfits are ready, only one more thing," replied Octavia. She walked over to the bedroom, grabbing her Thompson gun. She fed it bullets until it was stuffed. Twirling the chamber she said, "Are we locked and loaded?"

Vinyl's face scrunched tightly before she burst into laughter. "Tavi, that is a terrible pun! Oh my, my sides hurt! Ahahahahah, they hurt! Stop! You're killing me!" she laughed, AJ joining in the fun.

"It was pretty bad sugarcube," AJ chuckled in between breaths of air. Octavia grunted, her eyes rolling in anger.



Twilight walked back into the tent, seeing only a table remaining inside. She sighed deeply, her eyes focused on the ground near her feet. She walked back to the car, opened the trunk, and brought out two sleeping bags. She carried the bags back inside the outpost, setting them up parallel to each other. She rolled them out and flopped on her own purple bag, staring up into the green ceiling. She rolled on her left side, trying to figure out why she did that earlier. She promised herself to not be involved in others' affairs as she has only been burnt in the past. Countless times she's been in a relationship where the other party only wanted her for one thing. Feeling broken again, she buried her face into the bag. She heard the tent being opened, footsteps walking next to the table. She pretended to be asleep, her left eye being partially open and peering out through the side. Big Mac had reappeared, setting two new chairs next to the table.

"Ms. Sparkle, you awake?" he asked.

Twilight didn't respond, hoping he would take the bait.

"Well, even if you're asleep, or not, what you did wasn't wrong. I know that there is something between us, but we're partners first, and that's not going to change. Even while we may have had a lapse in judgement, I don't blame you. You did what you felt was right, and in the end, only you know what you felt is real. I know what i felt... I also know that you felt it too when we were embraced with each other. However," Big Mac trailed off, his grip tightening on the back of the chair, "We can't be together. We're working together and you know as well as I that we can't be romantically involved. It'll just throw everything off. Well, Ms. Sparkle, if you are sleeping, I'll let you continue. If not, take my words into consideration. You know what must happen between us." 

Big Mac walked back out of the tent, the outside being zipped up. Twilight continued to lie motionless, unsure of what to make of his words. She grunted quietly, her eyes shut tight. Her breathing was shallow, her head starting to hurt from all the confusion that she was enduring. She continued to lie there, analyzing each and every word he spoke. She eventually opened her eyes and sat up, her elbows resting atop her knees. What Big Mac had said was absolutely true. She came to a conclusion: We're partners first and that's it. Anything that develops after the case is purely coincidental. There is no other path than the path of justice . She started to chuckle maniacally, tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes. She shook her hard harshly, grunting in the process. Her grin was wavering between happy and despairing, her pupils dilating into two small purple circles. She climbed inside her sleeping bag and began to doze off, ready to catch those criminals.

Big Mac walked to town, surveying the area. He walked to the bank where he met up with one of the guards.

"Did you call them?"

"Yeah, I got in touch. You ready for tomorrow?"

"Yeah, all ready. Did you knock her out?"

"More or less. When we had dinner, I slipped something in her drink. She won't be awake in time for the show," grinned Big Mac.

"Did you see her drink it?"

"She only took a small sip, but it'll be enough time for us to enact our plan. By my calculations, she won't be awake until it's all too late."

"You're that confident?"

"I am. Are you that confident that humming a damn tune will give the rest of the guards the signal?"

"Hey, easy there. I am the one and only Noteworthy. I know how to hum a damn tune. That's the easy part. The hard part is doing it loud enough that the rest will hear, but quiet enough that the other guards won't suspect me. Trickery is very sly, you know?"

"But do you think it's wise to talk with me now about this outside the bank?"

"Look, night patrol only has four guards doing rotations. This lasts until the bank opens at 0700, which means we have six hours to finalize the plan before the operation is a go."

"What did my sister offer you?"

"Not your sister, but Vinyl."

"What did she offer you, drugs, cash?" asked Big Mac.

"Not even in the slightest. I haven't even touched the stuff, and I don't want her money. It's a favor she called on, that's all," replied Noteworthy.

"Care to indulge?"

"Got a smoke?"

"Yeah, here you go," chuckled Big Mac.

"Thanks," said Noteworthy, the end of the cigarette burning crimson. The small light illuminated Noteworthy's face, a scar appearing on the right side of his cheekbone, just below the eye.

"It happened when I found those girls. I was playing in the woods near our house when I stumbled across a makeshift fort. Still being a dumb colt, I ventured inside, declaring it my pirate cove," he trailed, his eyes staring up at the night sky. "I was looking for booty when they came back to their home. I demanded payment for entry, and Octavia accepted, handing me a bit. My eyes shone brightly as I accepted them inside. I made some arrangements to the structure, just reinforcing it with sturdier branches and covering the roof with leaves and wet mud. I made the fort into a little adobe, complete with pine needle flooring. We started talking and I found out that they ran away from home. They didn't tell me what home, mind you. After some prying, I learned that they had escaped from the orphanage. Apparently, the workers there would occasionally beat the children, their mindless anger being unleashed upon them. Y'know, I never could understand that. Why did innocent fillies and colts get beaten for no reason? It just makes you sick, right?"

"Yeah, that's fucked up," said Big Mac.

"Glad you agree," uttered Noteworthy. He took one last drag of the cigarette, the butt of it falling underneath his hoof. He ground it into the concrete, the embers being extinguished. "Well, I guess I could understand them in some way. My father was an officer, you see. And after seeing the shit he went through, he changed. He started to drink more. During his drunken escapades, he would assault my mother. She took the brunt of his beatings so I didn't have to. But one day, that all changed. My father came home, his breath smelling of whiskey. I knew what was in store. My mother just smiled and brought dinner to the table. My father didn't like the way I was eating so loudly, so he started to yell at me. My mother tried to console him, but that just set him off. He was waiting for somepony to open their mouth. This time it was my mother's. He lashed out at her, pinning her to the wall. I tried to intervene, but he threw me aside, my face catching the side of the table. The knife we were using for our food was resting on the same side. It sliced my face open pretty damn well, red liquid pooling onto the floor."

Noteworthy scratched the back of his head, his rifle dangling in his grip. His eyes looked at the gun from barrel to stock, observing its simplicity. His grip tightened, his eyes glaring at the ground.

"If I had this back then, I would've done it myself. But I was weak, too weak," he mumbled. "I ran out of the house and towards the adobe in the woods. Octavia saw me first, alerted by my crying. She asked what had happened, and I told her." 

Noteworthy paused briefly before continuing. "I swear, that girl frightens me. Vinyl came out of the adobe next, consoling me while Octavia started to walk towards the house. Vinyl and I stayed behind her, unsure of what was going to happen. When we arrived at the house, my mother was turning blue in the face. Her right eye was swelled shut, her face a disarray of punches." Noteworthy began to chuckle, a small grin appearing on his face. "And that's when the fun really began. Octavia grabbed the knife of the table and sliced the back of my father's ankle, his body tumbling to the ground. My mother was freed, but she was still in bad shape. She was coughing, gagging for breath. I stood there helpless, shaking at the scene unfolding before me. My father was still pretty coherent as he grabbed Octavia by the throat, slamming her to the floor. I tried to kick him in the face, but I missed, kicking him in the shoulder. With his other arm free, he grabbed me by the throat and slammed me to the ground as well. What a scene, Big Mac," he chuckled.

"Holy...." muttered Big Mac.

"There we were, Octavia and I on the floor, both of our windpipes being crushed by the stallion who raised me. Well, that's where the favor comes in. Vinyl's expression changed from one of fear to one of anger. She kicked him sharply in the ribs and plunged both of her hooves into his eyes. We were free from his grip, but I wanted that son of a bitch to suffer. I pinned his arms to the ground, his wails growing louder. Octavia pulled the both of us off him, telling us that 'We should go.' Vinyl and I nodded, but not before I took some provisions with us. I ran up to my room, grabbed my suitcase, and stuffed it full of clothes and food from the kitchen. My mother had dialed the police and was holding my father, his hooves over his eyes, dark red liquid staining his shirt. I didn't care anymore. My father and my mother were both dead to me. I went into my parent's bedroom and flipped over the mattress. I took whatever money they had and ran out the back door. To my surprise, Vinyl and Octavia weren't there. I headed back to the adobe, where I found them, packing their things. After they were set, we took off into the city, looking for food and maybe a job. No one really hires children, so we did some shady stuff to live. We robbed others, stole, committing petty crimes to get by. We did this until we were teenagers where I found a local bar looking for musical talent. I auditioned and got a spot singing songs to the customers. This helped find lodging for us. I worked there for some time, eventually convincing the manager to hire two more musical talents. Octavia played the violin on stage while Vinyl played the piano. Thanks to their beauty, the bar received more patrons, and in turn, they received better time slots. The better the time slot, the better the pay. We lived together for a few years before you guys showed up."

"Where we hired Octavia, yes?" asked Big Mac.

"Yeah, where you hired Octavia. Vinyl lived with me while Octavia lived her double life. Eventually it caught up to us though, and we were forced to move. Not wanting to involve us, Octavia wanted to go it alone. Vinyl wouldn't have it and they had a fight. Eventually, I bid my farewell and the two of them drifted off somewhere."

"So how did she contact you?"

"We've been friends a long time. A bond like that isn't easily forgotten. She has her ways," snorted Noteworthy. "You should get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're right. See you at the donut shop at 6," said Big Mac.

"Yep! See you then." Noteworthy waited until Big Mac's frame was out of the light. "See you again old friend," he mumbled, a small smile emerging upon his face.
	

	
> Do or Die Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Let's get going. The drive will be about four hours. Everyone good?" asked AJ.

"Car's all set. I'll be waiting for you to hurry," replied Vinyl.

"And the truck is fully rigged, ready to go. Cocktails are pre-made and we have our meeting at the doughnut shop. I believe we're ready to go," smiled Octavia.

"Yeehaw, let's get this show on the road!" shouted AJ. The trio were ecstatic to pull off another heist, mere hours away.

They drove through the dark night, their headlights the only ones on the road. Miles passed by as they were eager to find their informant. The drive seemed to drag on, the country music being too much for Octavia. She made gagged faces into the passenger side window, trying something, anything to drive the country tune out of her head. In the other car however, Vinyl was having a great time. She was listening to a remix she did herself. Complete with bass drops and a steady beat, she banged her head along with the music. The four hours finally passed, a large city with bright lights awaiting them. They drove off the main road and took side routes, knowing full well of the checkpoints in the city. Parking in an abandoned lot, they left their vehicles and began their walk to the doughnut shop. They were wearing heavy wool coats to not only hide themselves, but to protect against the sudden cold chill that ran down their spines. A cold snap was occurring throughout the Midwest, extending down along the northeastern coastline. Thanks to their northern neighbor's friendly climate, they were walking outside in the mid 20's. Vinyl wore an old fashion head cap with a small, fluff ball on top. AJ still wore her cowgirl hat, refusing to switch it just due to the climate. Octavia went for something more modern, a wool hat that was attached to the collar of the jacket. Its warmth made her sigh in relief.

The establishment was rather small, only having a few tables for sitting. The bar counter was still an alternate option for those that just wanted coffee. The trio sat at the bar, waiting for Noteworthy to pop his head. They ordered some grub and two large coffees. AJ and Octavia began to drain their respective cups, Vinyl drinking only water. Octavia felt a tap on her shoulder, making her turn her head.

"It's been awhile hasn't it?"

"Heh, it sure has, Noteworthy. How's life?"

"Better than what you found me in," he chuckled. "Anyway I'm glad you made it," he said, hopping on the stool next to Octavia.

"So, here's the tune you need," said Octavia, humming a soft melody. It didn't take long for Octavia to sing the words. In fact, it was a song she used to sing to Noteworthy in his younger days. It was Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star, an easy to remember melody. Vinyl stopped her humming of a different tune and looked at Octavia.

"I thought we were going with the other one," chimed Vinyl.

"Yeah, but it's a little too long. Also, the rest might not know the entire song in length. So, something simple was needed," replied Octavia.

"Heh, seems you still have that cool head of yours Octavia," chuckled Noteworthy.

"Oh? And it seems that you're just as carefree as ever."

"You got me there," said Noteworthy, stick his tongue out in response.

"Well, anything else we should know?"

"Well, the main guards near the vault room have shotguns. And these aren't pump action, mind you. These are military edition, brand spanking new. They're called riot shotguns, the blast radius very wide. Even the air knocks you on your ass. But be warned, the kickback is pretty strong."

"Meaning, those guards have to be pretty strong I bet."

"Hell, I wouldn't put it past the owner that he hired mercenaries. Be careful, Tavi. I don't know what would happen if I lost the both of you. I lost my parents, but I'll be damned if I lose you both."

"Same goes to you Noteworthy. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. The feeling is mutual. Take care and SHIT!"

"What?"

"The fucking detectives are walking over here. Who the hell set them off? AJ, quick, go out the back. We'll stay here. They don't recognize us with these coats on. But since you brought that damn hat, you're pretty easy to spot." AJ nodded in agreement, fleeing through the kitchen and out through a back door. She sprinted back to the truck, praying that the two of them would be safe.

"What's the plan, Tavi?" asked Vinyl.

"We're here for coffee and doughnuts. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't talk to them too much. If you have to, short phrases only. Oh, lose the glasses Vinyl, they're a dead giveaway."

"But Tavi, my condition."

"I know. Bear with it please, for our sake."

Vinyl removed the glasses and put them into her coat pocket, the fluorescent lightning starting to annoy her eyes. Since she was young, she had a stigmata in her eye. Partially sensitive to light, she couldn't be outside for very long in bright light. Regular glasses wouldn't work with her ailment. She had to wear these over sized dark glasses, the frame too big for her snout. They would occasionally fall off, the other fillies and foals mocking her in the process. Octavia took note and proceeded to protect her from the other young ones in the orphanage. As they grew older, Octavia pooled her money together and bought Vinyl a new pair of glasses. The purple lenses deflected the bright light from her eyes while the inside of the lens helped her see better in the process. In addition, the frame size fit snugly on her face, her tears of joy more than enough compensation for Octavia.

"Thank you," whispered Octavia, a small peck being placed on her cheek.

"For you, I'd do anything."

The detectives walked into the shop, sitting at a table near the bar. Twilight looked out the window, her left hoof propping her head up off of the table. Big Mac leaned back into the seat, his head lurching over the back of the booth.



Earlier in the morning, Twilight and Big Mac were walking around town, making sure the checkpoints were in order. The chilly air blew through Big Mac, his teeth chattering. To his amazement, Twilight seemed to not even notice the temperature. Her eyes were focused and sharp, the wind whipping around her slender frame. She continued to march forward, determined to catch those who oppose her. Big Mac meekly followed behind, his steps wavering with each step. He was unsure if he was still doing the right thing, his mind playing a thousand thoughts a second. After they scanned the checkpoints,Twilight peered into the starry sky above. Blotted out by lights, only a few stars remained. She grimaced in anger, her teeth grinding against one another.

She marched forward once again, Big Mac just following suit. Twilight still felt bitter at yesterday's scene with Bic Mac, but decided that right now wasn't the best time to discuss the matter. In all honesty, she didn't feel bitter at the romance, she quite enjoyed it. She felt bitter at the fact that she had pretended to be asleep and didn't respond to Big Mac's confession. She had wanted to scream her lungs out, telling him that it was perfectly natural for this to happen. Caught between infatuation and maybe the hint of love, it felt as though her heart was in a constant tug of war. Combined with the fact that he was the brother of the gang they were after, she still felt compelled to keep him at bay. She only wanted to scan the checkpoints so it would give her something to do, something to occupy her thoughts. 

She would occasionally glance at the sky, hoping to find a shooting star to wish upon. She was really hoping that Big Mac would stop following her like a puppy, this thought bringing a smile to her face. With forced effort, she wiped it off, her eyes staring straight ahead. She naught dare to look back, the mere sight of Big Mac's face would surface these feelings to light. She never did find that shooting star, only empty feelings and a sense of regret.

"Damn, sky. You piece of shit," she mumbled under her breath. "Hey, lost dog! Let's go get some coffee. Alright?" she yelled out loud over her shoulder. 

"S-Sure," Big Mac stuttered.

The detectives walked into the shop, sitting at a table near the bar. Twilight looked out the window, her left hoof propping her head up off of the table. Big Mac leaned back into the seat, his head lurching over the back of the booth.

"Hey Big Mac," said Twilight.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"What's your sister like?"

He jerked his head upward, his back still lying against the booth. Vinyl and company heard the question, their movements frozen solid.

"Well, she's very kind. Generous as well. But the thing I like most about her is her honesty. She's not afraid to tell you like it is, even if it may hurt you in the process. She's one tough mare, I'll give ya that," he smiled.

"Kind of like my brother," replied Twilight.

"Oh yeah, where is he?" asked Big Mac.

"He's down in Washington. He's working with other political leaders for the shaping of our country."

"Sounds noble."

"He's going to get hurt. He's too soft on the inside. They're going to use him like a damn puppet. In fact, if you believe it, we're at odds with each other," she chortled.

"About what?"

"Prohibition. He's trying to convince the other leaders it should be removed. He's such a damn fool."

"But he's doing what he thinks is right. And so are you."

"Maybe, but our reunions are always a political debate. Combined with the fact that my sister-in-law used to be a major manufacturer of alcohol, I could see him being easily persuaded."

"Your sister-in-law sold alcohol?"

"Probably still does. Hell if I know. All I know is that if he keeps this up, he's going to suffer. I just fear that I'll have to bury him one day, y'know?"

"That's how I feel about AJ. I feel if she keeps this up, she'll end up six feet under. Heh, seems like our siblings are nothing but worry for us."

"Yeah, guess you could say that," she giggled.

The only server at the joint walked from behind the bar and asked them what they wanted to eat. The two of them ordered their meals while Vinyl, Noteworthy, and Octavia slipped out through the front. Vinyl donned her glasses while Noteworthy and Octavia said their goodbyes and departed. Octavia and Vinyl walked back to their vehicles, a cozy AJ sitting in front of the vents. Vinyl entered her vehicle and retrieved the six cocktails that they had made earlier.  She handed them to Octavia through the passenger window.

"So, in one hour?" asked Vinyl.

"Roger. It's do or die time, Vinyl. Let's do it," grinned Octavia.

"Hell yeah! Let's go!"

A pumped Vinyl jumped back into her car, head banging to the new beat pumping through the speakers. Octavia looked over to AJ, stunned at what she saw. AJ's eyes were focused directly in front of her, an evil smile spreading across her face. Her pupils shrunk inside of her bright jade green eyes.

"Taviiiii," she hissed.

"Yes AJ?"

"Let's do thissss."
	
> Breaking and Entering
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"It's 0700, Octavia. Know what time it is?"

"Time to roll?"

"Time to leave an impression. Let's go," AJ grinned.

The truck started its engine, black smoke pouring out of the exhaust. They pulled out of the abandoned lot and headed down the main road, Vinyl taking a side route to the destination. Picking up speed, AJ swerved around traffic into the oncoming lane. Passing cars as if they were standing still, she burst through the first checkpoint, the wooden barricade splintering into pieces.

"AHAHAHAHAHA," laughed AJ.

Octavia buckled her seat belt and sunk into her seat, hoping that she wouldn't die before the job was even started. With the speedometer reaching 80, AJ didn't have to worry about traffic anymore. Shunting the cars out of her way, her eyes went wide. Adrenaline pumped through her veins like battery acid, sweat starting to form on her brow. The bank came into view, smoke engulfing the area. 

"Seems your friend came through," said AJ.

"Seems like it. Shall we go through the front door?"

"That would be most lady like," chuckled AJ.



Twilight and Big Mac walked back to the bank, the clock on the wall reading 0658. Twilight walked down to the vault and informed the owner that the checkpoints were good and there appeared to still be no forced entry. He merely grunted at her talking, Twilight quickly taking her leave. She joined Big Mac back in the main area where all the receptionists were stationed behind the counter, prepping their drawers for the day. 

"Think they'll show up, Ms. Sparkle?" asked Big Mac.

"Who knows? It's been five days since we issued that statement. My guess would be no. But then again I've been wrong before."

The clock on the wall ticked to 7:00 AM, Twilight catching a glimpse of it. One of the guards near the entry way began to hum "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". Some of the other guards began to hum it as well, repeating the chorus with mere hums and whistles. This extended around the area all the way down to the main vault. Twilight scanned the area rapidly, sensing something was up. As soon as the song was over, some of the guards began to question the ones that were singing. The response was silent, their body movements frozen. Knowing all too well this was a set up, Twilight caught on too late.

"GET THE FUCK DOWN!" she yelled, shoving Big Mac onto the floor. 

Gun fire erupted inside of the building, the guards in the main area being obliterated within an instance. The panicked workers ducked behind their counters, screaming in the process. Big Mac took charge, pulling Twilight into a nearby bathroom and locking the door. While they remained safe inside, complete chaos ensued in the bank. Noteworthy threw a couple of canisters of smoke outside. He then proceeded to the vault, clearing the path for the rest of his entourage. Going through a door behind the counters, he made a right down the two part hallway. Upon reaching a corner, they encountered a small hold up. Ten guards were far too trigger happy with their shotguns, thick pieces of concrete being jettisoned from the wall. Being held back, Noteworthy tried to think of a scheme. Unfortunately for him, the other guards that were on break started to descend upon them, their boots pounding the marble flooring beneath them. Noteworthy knew that his crew didn't have much time before they would appear through the door to their left.

"Clear behind us, then move forward! Shoot the bastards!" he screamed through the gunfire. 

The group of 8 turned around and opened fire. Since they were bottle necked into a small closure, Noteworthy's crew easily disposed of them. Despite this, they still lost three in this process, a mere 5 of them remaining. It was 5 of them versus 10 armed guards. Noteworthy tried to think of a plan, his back resting on the wall. He didn't have much time to think before he heard a clank and an object hit him in the muzzle. A small green ornament had smacked him in the nose, his eyes watering. Looking closely though, it sort of resembled a-

"GRENADDDDDE!" he shouted.

Noteworthy picked it up and hurled it around the corner, the explosion sending shrapnel careening into his rib cage. The blast radius stunned the shotgun wielders, giving his men enough time to spray their bullets down the hallway, immobilizing the statuesque guards . The four members continued through the hallway before they were shot instantaneously. Their bodies dropped to the floor in a massive heap, shells clinking off of the floor tiles.

Inside the vault, smoke rose from a lit cigar. The cigar danced in the mouth of one Mr. Mogul. He inhaled the foreign export, the ashy end crumpling on the floor, its life span dissipating in the air. He walked out of the vault, putting the last two rounds of his clip into the heads of those he missed. One of Noteworthy's crew was still struggling on the floor, a giant hole in his throat. Mr. Mogul picked up a fallen assault rifle and put a round into his head, ending the pony's suffering. He walked over to where Noteworthy was, a smile on his face.

"Still alive eh? Well, let's change that," he grinned.

Noteworthy shut his eyes, wishing he could see his old friend just one more time and telling her how he truly felt.

"But where's the fun in that? Nah, that'd be too easy. Let's have some fun shall we?" Mr. Mogul grinned sticking his pistol into Noteworthy's bleeding side. Noteworthy cried out in agony, his rib cage popping and gurgling. "Yes, like that. Come on you dumb colt, you got more doncha? Yeah, you got tons of misery in store for you. Have some more," Mr. Mogul grunted, his forehoof slamming into Noteworthy's jaw.

Mr. Mogul began to tenderize Noteworthy, making sure to repeatedly go for his weak spots. He stomped his face in, punched his abdomen, and prodded his side. It felt like an everyday routine of torture, his cries starting to fade. Noteworthy's vision started to go hazy, his body losing too much blood.

"Any last words there punk?" 

"What time is it?"

"What an odd request. Oh well time of death 0710," the hammer of the pistol cocking into position. The barrel was pressed firmly into Noteworthy's temple.

"I think you're too late actually," smiled Noteworthy.

"And why's that?"

"Because I'm here," said Octavia, her beloved Thompson gun in hoof.

"If you shoot me dear, your friend-"

Mr. Mogul was interrupted by the sound of gunfire. Octavia unloaded her entire clip, the floor being riddled with empty shells. Tears started to form in her eyes, the clip clicking over and over again. Mr. Mogul collapsed on the floor, his body resembling Swiss cheese. AJ sprinted into the vault, emptying its contents into three large duffel bags. Octavia knelt next to Noteworthy, trying to pick him up.

"Octavia, it's fine."

"I'm not leaving you here!"

"Tavi, I've lost too much blood. Even if you were to get me to a hospital, I don't think I would make it."

"Dammit, stop talking! Look, we'll bring you there, and you'll be better, and-"

"Tavi," whispered Noteworthy, his hoof holding hers. "I'm glad to have met you.... really, I'm glad."

"Not like this, not like this!" she cried.

"I know we never were together, but I still cared for you. I always had a crush on you, ever since we were young. I know I said this was for Vinyl, but really it was for you. Please just remember I'll always be by your side..... now and always."

Octavia started to cry, her head resting on Noteworthy's chest. Her tears ran down her cheeks and fell onto his stomach.

"Actually, I have one last request."

"Anything."

"I would like to kiss you. One mere kiss is all I want."

"G-Granted, you big wimp," she replied.

Their lips met one another, interlocked with each other in harmony. Noteworthy's eyes closed completely, his hoof going flaccid. Octavia broke away quickly to see that he had stopped breathing. She began to cry hysterically, beating on his chest, begging him to wake up. She tried to perform CPR, but AJ was trying to usher her out.

"DON'T PUSH ME! WE CAN SAVE HIM!"

"He's gone, Tavi, I'm sorry. But if we don't leave right now, we'll be dead as well. Let's go!" she yelled pulling Octavia form the floor.

"NOTEWORTHY! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" she shrieked.

AJ continued to move forward, dragging Octavia before she regained her footing. They headed towards the main door before a single shot hit Octavia in the right calf.

"Fucking hell!"

"Dammit, you motherfuckers!" yelled AJ, quickly firing six shots off to the side. They escaped through the front door, spotting a car driving up to the scene. Vinyl drifted the car around, making sure the passenger side doors faced the bank. Opening up the side door, she bolted for the truck resting on the sidewalk. Retrieving the six cocktails, she lit one and hurled it into the building. Octavia jumped into the back seat of the car, holding her calf tightly. AJ threw the duffel bags in the back, grabbing three of the cocktails. Lighting all three, she hurled two of them inside the building. With the third, she threw it at the ground. Vinyl threw another one onto the truck for good measure. The ground where AJ had thrown her Molotov was saturated with gasoline. 

Vinyl jumped into the driver's seat of the car and slammed the gas pedal, the tires gripping the pavement beneath them. A trail of liquid on the ground led back to a large oily cloth that dangled out of the truck's gas tank. A few seconds later, an explosion erupted in the background, a giant fireball engulfing the sky. 

"We can't go along the south coast. It's not safe anymore," said AJ.

"What the hell are you talking about? You said that was the plan," replied Vinyl, swerving through traffic.

"I understand, but this is different. What was a battle has now turned into war. Prepare for the hitponies," AJ replied.

"Shit," said Vinyl, the speedometer needle reaching 85.



"Let's go out, Big Mac. C'mon, the shooting's stopped," said Twilight.

"Alright, but be safe," said Big Mac.

Twilight took lead, carefully stepping out of the bathroom. She heard a shriek from down the hall. Twilight drew her pistol and cocked the hammer back, ready to go. She saw AJ running to the front door with Octavia. Carefully aiming, Twilight fired a round into Octavia's calf.

"Fucking hell!"

"Dammit, you motherfuckers!" yelled AJ, quickly firing six shots off to the side. 

Twilight dove back into the bathroom, narrowly avoiding the shots.

"Ms. Sparkle! You alright? Where are you hit?"

"Luckily for your sister, she didn't aim down her sights," laughed Twilight.

"My sister s-shot at you?"

"Yeah, no worries, I'm fine. But we need to catch her now."

"Agreed, let's go."

Twilight and Big Mac ran out of the bathroom and towards the main door. A large fire started to spread across the opening, trapping them inside. Outside an explosion could be heard, the blast radius shattering the nearby windows. The two detectives jumped through the opened windows to the outside, a large truck engulfed in flames.

"We need a car, now!" yelled Twilight.

"There! At the Donut Shop!"

Twilight and Big Mac sprinted towards the patrol car, an officer stepping out of it. Twilight yelled that she needed the car, flashing her badge in the process. The police offer requested backup through the radio before telling them that the gang was spotted on highway 66, heading southwest. Twilight thanked him for the tip, climbing into the squad car. Big Mac stepped hard on the gas, the vehicle peeling out from its resting spot.

"This ends now!" yelled Twilight, her teeth grinding against one another. 

> The Chase
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Anyone in the vicinity respond!" yelled Twilight into the two-way radio.

"Car 56 here, car 57 here, car 58 here responding."

"We have the Gun Girls heading west on Route 66, blockade northern route 81, make them head south, over."

"On route to blockading northern division, ETA 7 minutes, over."

"Copy, await further orders, over," replied Twilight.

"Who the hell gives us orders, over."

"The detective that's been on this case for over two years. Now I suggest, we try and capture them alive....preferably, over."

Twilight slammed the receiver into its holder, her eyes constantly checking the speedometer. It ran a consistent 90 miles, the needle jumping at the red line. Twilight's eyes furiously scanned the vehicles ahead of her, trying to spot the culprit's car.

"Knowing them, they're still in their car. Question is, where are they?" said Twilight.

A few hundred feet up the road, the Gun Girls slowed their pace to match traffic, hoping to blend in. AJ was busy tending to Octavia's wound in the back while Vinyl looked out for any law enforcement. Octavia was handed a rag to bite onto while AJ did her work. Octavia bit hard into the cotton cloth, her tongue being dried by the soft fabric. AJ shined a light into the small opening, trying to determine where the bullet was located. Since Octavia didn't have an exit wound, the fragments still remained inside. AJ retrieved some tweezers from the medical kit that was placed earlier in the car. 

"Well, good suggestion of grabbing a kit before the heist, Tavi. Kinda funny you would be the one to get hit," chuckled AJ. Putting a flash light in her mouth, she went to work.

She scanned the area for fragments, occasionally hitting a nerve. Octavia winced, her eyes welling at its corners. AJ found a fragment and removed it, but she shook her head in disappointment. The fragmented piece was cracked near the top of the bullet head. AJ knew she had to keep digging. After diving in again, she found another piece, this time the middle section. Telling Octavia she was almost done, AJ dove back in again. AJ commanded that Vinyl slow down so she wouldn't hit a major artery. Vinyl slowed the vehicle to 30 MPH, the other cars passing them on the side. AJ wiggled the tweezers back and forth, blood continuing to pour from the wound. Feeling a hard object, AJ positioned the tweezers on top of it and slowly removed it upward. It was the final piece of the bullet, all fragments removed from Octavia.

AJ rubbed Octavia'a head in an attempt to soothe her. Octavia opened her mouth, the rag sliding onto the floor into a pool of blood. Octavia panted heavily, sweat protruding off of her face. Octavia clenched her eyes shut fiercely, screaming in pain. Vinyl swerved the car by this sudden outburst. Octavia continued to yell while AJ packed the wound with gauze. Seeing that it was tightly packed, she applied medical tape over the gauze, firmly holding it in place.

"There, all done. You won't be able to walk awhile, mind you," said AJ.

"No problem. It's just, ughh, a minor setback. Nothing I, ighh, can't handle," smirked Octavia. 

"Uhhhh, guys? We have a problem," said Vinyl.

"What is it?" asked AJ.

"They caught up," replied Vinyl.

During the careful procedure that was ongoing, the time they used to slow the car down had given Twilight and Big Mac enough time to catch up. Vinyl sensing they were getting closer punched the gas pedal, the car lurching forward dramatically. Vinyl looked for another highway, but the on ramp to M-81 N was blocked by police. She took the south ramp, perfectly falling into Twilight's plan.

"Good, they're taking it south. Attention in the area, the Gun Girls are heading south on M-81. Backup requested, over," said Twilight.

"Ms. Sparkle, cars 12 and 13 are on it. Any special instructions? Over."

"They are armed and dangerous, be careful. One member is injured, they can't travel far on hoof. Stop them at all costs. Make them continue south, block off all exits leading west. Force them into the Bad Lands. I don't think the folk there will take too kindly to these criminals. Step on it Big Mac, we've almost got them."

Big Mac pushed the pedal to the floor, the car scratching the guard rails as it went around the turn. Vinyl drove the car into the break down lane, bypassing all the traffic. Big Mac followed suit, the car gaining distance on the crew. Twilight rolled down the window and leaned out of it, her pistol aiming for the tires. Unable to get a good shot, Big Mac dived back into traffic, passing vehicles with ease. Two more patrol cars joined the chase, traffic smoothing out along the route. Unannounced to Twilight, patrol ahead had blocked oncoming traffic from using the highway. Eventually only seven cars remained, six police and the gang themselves.

"Hey, we got six on our tail now. We can't shake them! Any ideas?" asked Vinyl.

"We'll have to take drastic measure," said AJ.

"Drastic?" asked Octavia.

"We're going to have to shoot our way out. Octavia, use your tommy gun and knock out the first patrol car, I'll figure something out," smiled AJ. "Oh this is going to be so much fun."

Two patrol cars enclosed around both side of the gang with Twilight's car directly behind them.  The other three squad cars stayed in the back, awaiting orders. Octavia leaned back into her seat and opened fire through the window, glass shattering on the pavement. The bullets ripped holes into the left squad car. The tires popped and shredded quickly, the car slamming into the divider before barrel rolling past Twilight. A patrol car behind Twilight wad caught up in the aftermath, its windshield being split wide open. Two cruisers were down thanks to Octavia's powerful ally.

"Cars 12 and 56 are down! I repeat cars 12 and 56 are down! Fire has been opened! Need backup! We need, ahhhh shiiiit!" 

AJ had fired all six shots into the squad car's tires on the right. The car swerved back and forth before spinning out of control and colliding with the guard rail, collecting the last two police cruisers behind Twilight. Big Mac pushed the pedal all the way to the floor, their car parallel to the Gun Girls. Big Mac rolled his window down and was met face to face with AJ. 

"How's it going brother? Having fun playing good cop bad cop?" she laughed.

"Pull the car over now!" shouted Twilight.

"Can't do that, I'm afraid. See, we're mighty busy and don't need you to interfere. Now if you'll excuse me, this conversation is over," smiled AJ, turning her head back to Octavia.

"Ram them," demanded Twilight."

"Beg your pardon?" asked Big Mac.

"FUCKING RAM THEM!" she shouted.

Big Mac swerved the car hard to the left, Vinyl's car ricocheting off of the divider. AJ fell on top of Octavia, her pistol slamming the fresh wound. Octavia yelled out again in pain, AJ's temperament rapidly changing. Big Mac forced their car into the divider, sparks spraying from the grinding of steel.

"Motherf.......I can't get it off the damn divider! If this keeps up, my tires are going to be gone!" shouted Vinyl.

"They wanna play rough huh? We'll play rough all right," smirked AJ.

AJ grabbed the last bottle of alcohol and lit the rag. Burning at the tip, AJ smiled, her lips turning upward into a wicked grin. 

"Hey, Twilight! Happy birthday you bitch!" she yelled, tossing the Molotov cocktail onto the windshield. 

The bottle erupted into a spew of flame, hot liquid starting to pour into the car. Big Mac slammed on the brakes, the car grinding to a halt. Big Mac and Twilight jumped out of the car, the engine now ablaze with molten liquid. They could do nothing as they watched the Gun Girls drive off into the distance. Twilight yelled at the escaping vigilantes, firing off her last five shots at the far away car. She threw her pistol onto the road, stomping the ground in the process. Big Mac merely sighed as he walked away from the car, now completely unsure of whom to help.
> Bounty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The Gun Girls barely escaped from their last heist, their car rolling into the Bad Lands. The vehicle sputtered to a halt, the fuel gauge reading E. AJ opened the door and started to haul the bags of money. Vinyl helped a hobbled Octavia to stand on her own two hooves. Vinyl popped the trunk and removed a gasoline canister, pouring its contents on the vehicle. Flicking a match, Vinyl tossed it onto the car, the flames spider webbing around it. The trio walked a few hundred thousand feet, a loud explosion being heard off in the distance. 

"We need a new car, but first, lodging. And we're not exactly in the best neighborhood either. Be on the lookout, we're not in friendly waters," said AJ.

"Have we ever been?" asked Octavia, panting.

"Good point, but we need to reach Appleloosa. I have contacts there. If we can get there, we can hold up for a few days while your injures heal."

"Who do you know out there besides your cousin?"

"There's lots of my family out there. Throw in my aunt and uncle's business plan out there, and now you got a nice little militia," grinned AJ.

"You mean the Oranges? But they operated in Manehatten," rebuked Octavia.

"They do, sugar cube, they do. However, money talks louder than words. You wouldn't believe what commodity they invested in that city."

"Indulge me."

"Black gold."

"How did they find it?"

"Lucky, I reckon. They drilled at least a few thousand holes before nailing a damn gold mine. They were almost out of money at the point too. I guess lady luck really favors them both."

"Seems coincidental. Too simple, AJ. Oil isn't found that easily."

"Never said it was. They bought over 1,000 acres of land, something was bound to turn up. Took them over 4 years to dig all those holes as well. Never said they found it overnight."

"And they funded it with bootlegging?"

"Bingo, Octavia. With oil and the bootlegging business, they're on their way to being very powerful. We first opened shop in Las Pegasus, and now we have three major junctions. We'll have Las Pegasus, Ponyville, and Manehatten under our control."

"But Manehatten still is under partial control of the Flim Flam brothers."

"True, but with enough pull, we'll be unstoppable. Those two insects will be powerless when we gain full control of the western coastline. With oil and alcohol being our capitol, we'll have money pouring into the political scene. And you know what that means?"

"What?"

"Complete protection. We'll have congress and the senators under our hoof. We'll pay them off with commodities or cold, hard cash. With them in our control, other gangs will have to be absorbed by us... or dissolve and die."

"Sounds like our future is bright," said Vinyl.

"Indeed it is, Vinyl. We just need to secure a few more assets," replied AJ.

"And the Flim Flam brothers?"

"I'll let you two have fun with them in any way your hearts desire."

"You know the way into a mare's heart," chuckled Octavia.

"I do my best. That looks like a hotel. We'll stay there until we can afford transportation," pointed AJ.

"Alright good because I think Tavi here put on a few pounds. Ow!" 

Octavia had smacked Vinyl on the snout with her hoof. Vinyl began to snort and shake her head, tears welling up in her eyes. AJ giggled at the lover's quarrel as they approached the front desk and paid for the room for three nights. 



Over in Ponyville, Twilight was standing in front of a large podium in the city. The clock had struck noon, a large crowd gathering in front of the mayor's building. Low mumbling and soft banter was spreading through the crowds, the citizens unaware of what was occurring. Big Mac pulled out his pocket watch, a sour smile curling his dry, cracked lips. Five more citizens walked onto the stage, each one more mysterious than the last. Twilight waited until they were in place before announcing why everyone was summoned.

"Attention, citizens of Ponyville! With much debate and thought, the police department and I have decided that it is beneficial to the community as a whole that we emphasize the immediate capture of the Gun Girls. Since they have shown us a first look of how dangerous they can be, we can no longer be passive in this encounter. We must take action. We must protect the citizens of Equestria! As a result, these five brave souls up here will personally see fit to apprehend these criminals. As an added bonus, there is a reward for any information leading to the capture of these girls.  And girls... if you're seeing this... we're coming for you. That is all," stated Twilight boldly, her chest puffed out in admiration. Twilight's illuminated face went dark, the cameras' lights stopping their recording session of the brave detective. 

"Think this will work? I mean, one is still my sister," asked Big Mac.

"They fired at me. They lit our car on fire. They assaulted the guards of the bank. In my eyes, those girls are dangerous and they must be stopped....by all costs necessary," she grumbled, pulling the brim of her hat down.

"Well... at least tell me the bounty hunters' names we recruited."

"Fine," she sighed. "I'll introduce you to them." Twilight looked over her shoulder to see the five bounty hunters chattering with one another; the occasional chuckle being heard from the group. "The one on the far right is One-Shot. He's the best damn sniper straight out of the Badlands; 30 targets tracked with 29 confirmed kills. The only one he didn't kill was a diplomatic ambassador for the Gryphon Kingdom. He was able to track the ambassador and vanquish her captors. He saved the relationship between Equestria and the Gryphon Kingdom itself."

One-Shot wore an all black trench coat from his neck down to his lower waist. His grey, mattered mane was cut very short near the skull, his ears brushing up against the thin patch of fuzz on his head. On this earth pony's back dangled a long rifle. It hung over his broad shoulder, the weapon firmly attached to a brown strap harness. There were three pouches that were also on the strap, each of its contents still unknown to the populace. To top off his outfit, his belt held a .357 magnum, the barrel of it pointing downwards to the dirt below. This sure fire sniper was one of the finest marksman in all of Equestria.

"To the left of him is Wild Fire. Thanks to her Pegasus wings, she's able to survey the area for reconnaissance and Intel. She's currently teamed up with One-Shot. They make a fantastic duo. It's no wonder that they are among the best hunters I have ever had the pleasure to lay my eyes upon."

The cream colored mare stood next to One-Shot, her brown mane tied up neatly into a bun. She wore a full camouflage outfit, complete with goggles and a mesh helmet, hanging carelessly on her hip. Her forest green cargo pants bore many pockets that held various amounts of ammo and survival gear. Around her waist was a belt with different colored grenades;  the light to dark color of them being aesthetically pleasing on the eyes. She was standing straight up, her right hoof twirling a throwing knife as if it was a mere toy.

"To her left is The Solo. No one knows whether it's a mare or stallion.  All we know is that they keep that gas mask firmly on their snout, a hood on their head, and their entire outfit is a vast array of coats and miscellaneous garments. I don't know how they track their victims, but I'd rather not find out for myself. And lastly the other duo. These mares are known as The Undertakers; their success rate is at a staggering 98%."

"Who didn't they capture?" asked Big Mac.

"Well, they did catch the culprit. The problem is... what they did to him afterwards is why they didn't get paid."

"Was he supposed to be alive?"

"The deal was alive or dead. They captured their target alive; no easy task mind you. The problem is that they... tortured him. Castration with a red hot fire poker is not exactly a common practice. When the authorities found him... they couldn't recognize his face from all the burn marks. And the crazy thing Big Mac? They just wanted to test out two simple things. One, how much pain can the body endure before going into shock. Two, how much "art" they could create. The entire scene was a disaster and a disgrace to the department. Word of the incident got out and while their work continued, it was from only one source."

The two mares stood side by side to one another, a giant yellow umbrella shielding the both of them from Big Mac's view. Big Mac continued to stare at them, Twilight's following words merely buzzing noises to his ears. The umbrella twirled back and forth, the frays shining in the sunlight. I feel like... I know them thought Big Mac. The umbrella was moved slightly to the left, the two mares identities being revealed. Big Mac's eyes went wide, his blood boiled, and he felt his brow furry. The one mare holding the umbrella wore a brown dress, her cotton candy hair resting gently on the upper part of her back. Her blue eyes complimented her cream complexion. Standing next to her was minty green mare with yellow eyes. She wore a black waistcoat with a white undershirt. She carried on her hip a 6 round revolver, the pistol being tucked inside its holster.

"Are they only known as The Undertakers?" inquired Big Mac.

"No, at one point they were known by a different alias."

"And that is?"

Twilight looked at Big Mac, his body trembling with anger. Twilight hesitated, her heart fleeing into her stomach. "The cream one was known as Bon Bon, and the green mare was known as Lyra Heartstrings."

I'm gonna kill ya. I can't wait to wring out those necks of yours. Wait... Big Mac's body ceased its trembling and began a new one. His eyes started to waver back and forth in his skull, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. If they're the bounty hunters, then....they've gotta be close. Shit, how do I warn AJ? They're planning on taking us all down at once! thought Big Mac.

	
> Wanted Mares
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"And girls, if you're seeing this, we're coming for you. That is all," stated Twilight boldly, her chest puffed out in admiration.

"And there it is folks! This is the latest on the Gun Girls and the crime spree across Equestria. Coming up next on Badland News, an incinerated car found abandoned in a dark alley. Could this mean that the Girls are here? Found out after our commercial break."

"You gotta be fucking kiddin' me. Bounties. On our heads. We're in for a rough ride," said Octavia.

"When did it start?" asked Vinyl.

"Fair point. The fact is, we can't exactly buy another vehicle. If they found it, then someone saw us last night. Someone is trailing us."

"Any idea who?"

"At this moment, not yet. AJ said she went to check the perimeters. We'll found out in a second." The apartment door opened and closed, a worn out orange mare resting on the door.

"Speak of the devil, she's here," said Vinyl.

"I didn't see anypony who would be trailing us. And furthermore, we have to leave tonight," replied AJ.

"But AJ! Octavia can't-"

"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT, SUGARCUBE?!" AJ's nostrils had flared up, her eyes like daggers piercing into Vinyl's body. "WE HAVE TO LEAVE...TONIGHT. No other rebuttals. We're going to have to walk a bit. Occasional breaks, maybe find a bus station. We have to get to Appaloosa now. We don't have much time. If we arrive there, we'll meet up with Braeburn. He's the local sheriff, and with any luck, we can bunk with him."

"I don't know, AJ. It's a bit risky. Octavia's having trouble walking."

"It's fine, dear. See.. mmm... I'm perfectly ok...ghe."

"Tavi, please don't. If you strain yourself too much, the wound will open up. Don't strain yourself. Just relax," cooed Vinyl.

Octavia sat back down on the bed, her panting become ragged. AJ scoffed loudly and headed into the kitchen. Vinyl grunted before packing everyone's belongings into their suitcases. Octavia sat on the bed, the movements of the other two becoming a blur to her. Minutes turned into hours as the trio made the final preparations to head out. Suitcases fully packed... a splintered branch used as a makeshift cane... pistols fully locked and loaded...they were ready to be on the move. AJ carefully opened the door and tried to see if somepony had spotted them.

Leading the way, AJ walked out of the apartment and secured the perimeter for their travel. With Vinyl walking out of the apartment, and a hobbling Octavia in tow, the Gun Girls made their way to the edge of the Badlands. Unfortunately for them, there was one pony who had been trailing them. With the scope of the rifle falling downwards, the pony took a drag on their cigarette, the embers falling onto the roof below them.

"Seems like they're moving, but where?"

"Any ideas?" asked a voice from the background.

"Not yet, Wild Fire."

"Well, want me to scout on ahead?" she grinned.

"No, not yet. If we cut them off, their prior plans will change. We can't have that. Instead, just trail from a safe distance. I'll join you after I get down from this roof. Until then, stay in my line of sight. No sight seeing, understand?"

"I get it, One-Shot. No detours, just another boring follow them like always plan. This really sucks, y'know. Always doing the trailing but never getting any action," she replied, folding her forelegs over the back of her head. She looked upwards to the sky, the bright starts illuminating the night. "Hey, One-Shot."

"What is is, Wild Fire?"

"You still remember that promise you made me?"

"The one about living out our days in the country together?"

"Yeah, that one... I can... still hope for it, right?"

One-Shot took one last drag of his cigarette before letting it hit the cold, hard concrete. He extinguished the embers, a thin line of smoke wafting across his muzzle. "You still can, Wild Fire. I promised you after you took care of me. I would fulfill any wish you had."

"And it still is my wish. I just... don't want to lose you. I just want this whole outlaw thing to be over and done with, y'know?" 

"I know, Wild Fire, I know. I promise you this," he paused, Wild Fire looking over at the older stallion. "This is our last job, so let's go out with a bang, alright?" he grinned.

Wild Fire's eyes lit up. Her wings flapped furiously while she smiled back at him. "Let's make it known who's the best around here!"

With a nod of his head, the duo started to trail the Gun Girls. Off in the distance, a solo pony fully covered in coats watched the duo leave the roof. Breathing into their gas mask, they adjusted the scope on their own rifle.

"50 clicks.....2 targets.... engage? Roger, standby for further instructions. Orders? Copy. Will re-locate and assess the situation. Time until next meeting? 0600 roger. Moving out."

The masked outlaw dissembled the rifle quickly, putting it underneath one of their coats. The pony trudged along the sands, the shallow breathing accompanying them on their journey. While three outlaws had found their targets, Bon Bon and Lyra were on a train to Appaloosa.

"Hey, Bon Bon."

"Yes, Lyra?"

"How much longer."

"Well, judging by the correlation of the sun and the moon, how the fuck should I know? We literally just boarded the train. We haven't even left the station."

"Well, I'm still curious."

"So go find an answer somewhere else. I don't have all of them."

"Well, I do have another one."

"Is it going to be stupid?"

"No, at least, I don't think so."

"What is it?" trailed Bon Bon.

"How do you know that they will be in Appaloosa. What gives?"

"Well, since they told us that they were last seen heading west, that means that they need a safe house. Do you remember one of their big safe houses, Lyra?"

"It was in the Wild West, but why not the Badlands?"

"Darling, sweetie, who do you think runs the Badlands?"

"Ummm, our bosses?"

"Well, you're half right. Flim does. He cleaned up most parts of that shithole and he paid the other gangs to join us. After all, how do you think we have info about them?"

"Yeah... that I don't know Bon Bon."

"I know, dear, but it's okay. You do the fighting and the shooting while I organize a plan to trap them. After all, we do have a bargaining chip," smiled Bon Bon.

"Which one?" asked Lyra.

"The small fry we have as an emergency scenario. The first chip is their old friend, Noteworthy."

"He's still alive?" inquired Lyra, puzzled.

"Yep, after the bank was hit, Flim and Flam found that stallion on the ground, bleeding profusely. They took him back, stitched him up, and began to question him. They worked him, stitched him up, and asked again. This went on for about 5 days or so. My," she chuckled, "You should have seen him. His left eye had been swollen shut and he was stitched up a good 8 or 9 times. He looked nothing like fine art. He was all red and bruised over. It is a shame really, I very much wanted to paint with a new canvas. It's not every day you get a new, fancy canvas."

"Well, how is he getting there? Not by train, I'm sure."

"He's with Flim and Flam. They're escorting him to Appaloosa. Not sure what they're planning, but I don't dare question it. I just agree and fulfill my job."

"Yeah, fair enough Bon Bon. Hey, Undertaker, who do you want to sculpt first, Octavia or Applejack?"

"My, I haven't heard that name in ages. And sculpting, Lyra? Well, I didn't know you sculpted."

"I work with my hands after all, so I have to become great at it," she boasted.

Bon Bon stared at Lyra, her eyes half open and jaw hanging open. "Really?"

"What?"

"Hands? Again?"

"I'm telling you, I had a vision! I saw these weird long ligaments that could poke things and grab things with this smaller, pudgier limb. I think the voice called it a thumb or something."

"And I'm telling you that was no vision. That was the result of drinking too much moonshine and rotting half of the brain cells in that head of yours. You hallucinated, Lyra. That's it."

"But thumbs and hands!"

"And moonshine does this to you. Go to sleep, Lyra, we both need it."

"Hey, one more thing."

"What is it?" grumbled Bon Bon.

"Are we there yet?"

A long pained groan resonated within Bon Bon.
> Destination
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Gun Girls continued their trek across the frigid desert. With some heavy coats and scarves, they continued their travels across this foreign land. Clattering of teeth resonated off of one another, each one shivering to stay warm. Heavy, elongated white clouds dissipated into the night, their breath disappearing right before their very eyes. They slouched along the barren road, the bright stars illuminating the skies above them. Various twinkles of light shone in the thick veil of darkness, nightlights in the ever expanding universe. The girls trudged forward, barely able to see what was road and what was desert.

Wild Fire and One-Shot continued to trail from a distance, Wild Fire's night vision goggles aiding in the stalking of their prey. Occasional chatter turned into banter while they also fought the barely freezing temperatures. Wild Fire tried to find the barely visible footprints, the indention barely making a dent into the unyielding earth. One-Shot lit another cigarette, the embers cascading into the wind. The occasional howls of the wind were lullabies for the dead, their songs hushing them back to their eternal slumber. Following them was still the fully hooded pony. It walked casually along the already trodden path, enjoying the brisk chill. It was a nice feeling underneath all of the layers of clothing. The follow the leader pattern continued for what seemed like hours, time nothing more than a measuring tool.

Small lights appeared ahead of the girls. The lights gradually grew brighter, a welcome sight for such dreary mares. They ventured into Appaloosa, a wide wooden sign hanging above the central opening. It was held up by chains on each of its four corners. Two tall wooden posts stood erect in the ground, the chains on the sides of the sign connecting to it. This lonely city was illuminated only at the sign; the rest of the town was slumbering away. With a head nod, AJ directed the girls to a one story shack. The shutters' paint had been cracked and were in dire need of a new coat. AJ rapped on the door, awaiting a response.

"Wha-Who GOES THERE?!"

"It's your 'cuz. C'mon open up, we're freezing out here," answered AJ.

"Aw, hold on one minute."

Small clicking noises could be heard from inside the house. The door groaned open wide, a very enervated Braeburn stood in the archway. An occasional yawn escaped his mouth as he scanned behind the girls. He pointed to inside his house. The girls entered the residence, while Braeburn still monitored the surroundings. When all three had entered the house, he quickly latched the brass and iron locks. Turning around, he headed to the kitchen and lit some candles. Venturing back into the archway, he handed one of them to AJ before inquiring why the hell they were here.

"Well, we have two reasons," said AJ.

"And they are?" 

"One is to wait until Octavia's leg heals. The second is your share."

"You mean?"

"Haven't you seen the news?"

"Look, the newspaper doesn't get delivered until tomorrow morning. All I know is that there was a robbery at the bank and....Get out."

"What?"

"You didnt....You did? You really did? You really did! Hot damn! We're back in business, yeehaw!"

"Umm, I'm a bit confused. What's going on?" asked Octavia.

"Well, since he's part of the Apple Family, he gets a share of what we earned. On top of that, half of the money we're giving him is for an investment," replied AJ.

"Investment for what?" said Octavia, raising an eyebrow.

"Investment for the Wild Wild West Casino. Managed by Apple Fritter. And the owner? Yours truly," smirked Braeburn.

"Isn't that a bit of an odd endeavor though? A sheriff running a casino?" asked Octavia.

"A tad, yes. However,most of the money spent will go for adding onto the city and drawing more patrons in. The more ponies that come, the bigger the city gets. The bigger the city becomes, the police department grows. And since I'm in charge, I will have two fronts covered. One, I manage all of the protective force. Two, I will rival those who have money in the railroad business. Partnering with them, we can form a partnership on trains. Traveling casinos. Rich patrons can gamble while they travel, all while enjoying the finest luxury we have to offer them. With the money from there, we can open the next big factory for the Apple Family Apple Cider. With the third front here, we can manage resources in the western part of the country and also import our product to the neighboring towns. Of course all I needed was the money," replied Braeburn.

"Why not use the money to open the factory now?" inquired Vinyl.

"If I did that, it would look like I'm trying to make myself super rich and not a protector of the people. I need the persona as a cover to receive the financial gain. Once the city rises and I expand it, my legacy will be solidified. Once solidified, the Apple Family will be successful and we won't have to worry about the Flim Flam Brothers. They will join us or die."

Braeburn hugged AJ, thanking her for the efforts and relieved that she was safe after the whole ordeal. He also thanked Vinyl and Octavia, forever grateful that they helped out in the Apple Family's time of need. He promised them that if they ever needed a place to stay or ran into trouble, to come see him and he would take care of it. 

"Tomorrow morning I will grab food for the three of you and take some of the cash into the vault. I will say inheritance came in before the papers hit. It'll just be a coincidence that I deposited it on the same day as some shocking news. Besides, I helped save the city in the past when we had a war almost break out. I think that the citizens will look past this little thing. I have to be up tomorrow so I'm turning in. G'night girls," waved Braeburn.

"G'night 'cuz," said AJ. "We should get some rest as well. But first take out one fifth of the loot and leave it in the kitchen for him. Braeburn will see it."




"So they entered into the house, eh? Who is that stallion? One-Shot do you know who lives in that house?" 

"Not a clue Wild Fire. Tomorrow we scout for clues and find out who's protecting them. For now, let's go check into a motel."

"Ohhh, you and me......in a-a-a motel? This is all so sudden," she responded playfully, hiding her face away from him.

"I really hate it when you do that."

"Oh c'mon, live a little."

"With you, I live a little too much," replied One-Shot.

With both of them heading to the nearby motel,  the shrouded pony headed for the motel. It waited patiently for them to check in before entering the establishment. Putting a fake name on the check in list, they took the key from a young stallion. He was no more than 19 years old, his face young and void of wrinkles or crow's feet. His wavy brown mane was in great condition, neatly trimmed and very full. He wore normal bellhop outfit complete with a tiny red hat. His brown eyes were the only dull thing on his face. With a chiseled chin and small cheekbones, his muzzle looked like it had molded by a sculptor.  He was working the midnight shift with a peppy attitude and a smile on his face.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, his stomach becoming a knot.

"No, nothing. Just nice to see a young face greet me at this hour, and such a handsome one as well. Must be a good night for me," the shrouded pony replied through the gas mask, shuffling its way down the hall.

The young stallion blushed and thought back on the words. He never did catch a glimpse of the patron's face. He paid no mind to it before going back to his newspaper.