Part two: The Job
By Dracarion

Apple Bloom sighed for what had to be the thousandth time since they’d left home. “Retrieve the target, notify the contact, await further instruction.” Another sigh left the yellow mare’s lungs. “Sounds like another case of those damned triple E’s.”

“Aw, come on Blooms,” Scootaloo’s purple eyes scanned Apple Blooms normally fiery ones, “where’s your ‘go get ‘im’ spirit?”

“That ain’t funny.” Bloom’s lips curled slightly at the horrific joke the pegasus just managed to get off on her. “That really ain’t funny.”

“Yes it is.” The orange mare said, a proud grin on her face in response to the scolding.
“You’re right.” She finally relented, letting a small laugh dissolve some of her nervousness as they pulled up in front of a large hotel. “This the place?”

“Big, shiny, fancy. Yep, this is the place.” She pulled the large sedan up to the valet. “Let’s hope they can’t lose this one.”

“Like anypony can lose a giant blueberry.” Bloom chided her on her car choice. By Celestia, she has sooooo many different cars. “How many cars do you have again?”

“Seven. Evie, Runner, Midnight,” she motioned to their current ride, “Blade, Slide, Jaunt and Goat.”

“I had to ask.” She only shook her head. Scootaloo’s car obsession hadn’t come to her cheap, but then again, it could be worse. Goat had been her first, she had worked her hooves bloody, quite literally, to get the bits together to buy her first car and wound up in a junk yard ‘saving’ Goat, which had been a rusty shell of a car. She’d fixed it up nicely though, and the black behemoth sat at home, Scoot’s private joy to take out and run around in. Bloom quickly realized that her mind was getting too far off track, and she swiftly brought her thoughts back to the present, to the job at hand, to the dirty deeds that she would commit.

Scootaloo stood there as the large blue car disappeared around the corner. Apple Bloom set a reassuring hoof on her shoulder for a moment, before gently shoving her. “Alright, let’s go get him.” She straightened her posture, turned and started inside. Bloom was right next to her the entire way in.

- - ---- - -- -- - - --

The ride in the large glass elevator had gone almost uneventfully until around the twenty eighth floor, when small drops of water started to pat against the glass. Scootaloo turned and looked out the large window behind them. “Shit.”
“What’s up, sugar?”

“I left Midnight’s windows down.” She mentally kicked herself for her oversight.

“So? What’s the worst that could happen? We get a little wet when we get in?”

The elevator dinged twenty nine.

“The seats are leather…”

“Um…. ain’t that made from cows?”

“Yeah, and your point is?” Purple eyes snapped up to meet the yellow red of her partner’s. She didn’t wait for a response. “Here’s the way I figure it. You and me?” She flicked her hoof back and forth as the elevator dinged onto thirty. “There’s a special little spot reserved in hell for the things we’ve done. And we can’t just say that we did it to survive, or at least I can’t…”

“Scoots?” Bloom laid a comforting hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “I didn’t realize…”

Scootaloo brushed the hoof off. The elevator dinged thirty one. “I don’t know why, but I… I… enjoy what we do.” Apple Bloom’s jaw went slack, this was a revelation she never saw coming. “Not when we’ve had to kill, that’s not fun, but the rest of it, the running, the life in the shadows, the beatings. That’s the part I love. And doing all of that with you.” She winked at Bloom, flashing a sly smile. Bloom stood there silently for a second as Scootaloo turned back to her reflection in the door. “Better pull yourself together,” the elevator dinged and the doors opened on thirty two, “’cause here we go.”

The pair stepped out onto the floor, just as a pale grey unicorn stepped out of his room about half way down the hall. The timing was a little too coincidental for him, as his magic took a subtle hold on a knife under the black coat he wore. The red streaks in his pitch black mane and tail danced like fires as he seemed to limp on all four legs as he walked towards the elevators. He eyed the two mares as they likewise eyed him, each trying to figure out the move the other was going to make. Bloom finally broke the silence.

“Mr. Shade Trotter?” She tried to hide as much of her drawl as she could, but it was impossible to mask all of it. “We’re gonna need you to come with us. Please.” Ask nicely first. Fluttershy had always told us that we could get almost anything we wanted if we just asked nicely. A small tear formed in the corner of her eye from the memory and went unnoticed.

“Sure…” He said sarcastically, all three of them taking another step closer. “So I can just disappear like all the others. No thanks.” I really don’t want to hurt you, he thought, casting his eyes over the mares’ flanks, you’re too good looking.
“The hard way then.” Bloom said, pouncing towards him. He merely flared his magic, shoving her onto her back, and bringing his knife to her throat, where the blade started making small scrolling lines, just touching her enough for her to feel the cold steel without cutting.

Scootaloo found her opening and charged him, catching the distracted unicorn in the jaw with her forehoof before turning and planting both her back hooves into his chest. Shade found himself sprawled on his back with a leg across his throat and purple eyes burning into his dark ones. “Don’t. Ever. Try. Any-Thing. Like. That. A-gain.” Scoots said, pushing down just enough with each syllable to make him cough.

“We need him alive, pardner.” Bloom had a talent for keeping her voice calm and collected when a plan went awry.
“Yeah, yeah.” Scootaloo said, her eyes never turning from Shade. A twisted smile formed on her face as she lifted her free front hoof, and slowly dragged it down the side of his face, the blade concealed on the edge of the shoe leaving a long cut behind. “I won’t kill him.” She felt him sigh under her leg. “Yet.” She shifted her weight onto her leg across his neck, slowly and gently starting to push down again. “Ya’ see, there’s a delicate art to this.” Shade’s eyes went wide as he struggled for breath. “If you push down too hard, you crush the wind pipe and, well,” her smile twisted sadistically, “no more pony.” The unicorn tried to summon his magic, but he couldn’t concentrate enough through the haze to cast anything. “But if you’re too soft, then it either takes forever or it doesn’t work.” Her voice held no malice or even emotion; it was as if though she was keeping herself from killing him by telling him cold facts about the way she was pushing him into unconsciousness. “And of course once you’ve started, you can’t let up until the lights are out, otherwise you have to start all over again.” The look on her face indicated that she briefly thought about letting him catch a breath just to allow her to keep going. “Good night Shade.” She said, as she watched his lights fade out.
Scootaloo produced a small tube from the bag under her outfit, and jabbed it into the limp form before her, she knew the drug mix would keep him out until they could get him to the safe house. She turned to find Bloom already standing next to her, a streak of red running from the left side of her face to her shoulder. “You alright?” Bloom was just staring at her, an amused smile on her face. What’s she staring at… she thought, looking over her own shoulder and right at her small wings standing straight in the air, oh.

“I’m fine.” Bloom finally responded, watching as Scoots carefully folded her wings. “So, you really do, um…, enjoy, this kind of work.”

“Come on,” Scootaloo had already pulled the key card from the unicorn’s pocket, and was turning towards the door, “we need to get you cleaned up.”

---- -- - - --- - -

Dinkie sat in her usual spot behind the monitors of the computer, an open pizza box adorned one corner of the desk. She had spent the last few hours going over the information that they’d been given for their current job. Something had just felt off to her, she wasn’t sure what it was, but it had bothered her since she’d read the email. It’s time to change strategies. She thought, turning to the left screen, which had information on their target already pulled up. Shade Trotter, a little older than Bloom, about as tall as Scoots, but there’s something hidden, she started looking deeper into the file she’d found, military service, three years in griffon lands, released for… Her concentration was broken by the ringing of a phone. Noting that it was Bloom’s number, she answered the phone, her attention still on the page. “Hello?” She mentally kicked herself. Hello doesn’t start with an ‘M’…

“Focus sugar, I need to understand ya.” A voice drawled back.

Dinkie focused her thoughts, and made an effort to get the right words out. “Sorry,” her voice now held the fact that she was being careful with her words, “you kind of caught me in the middle of reading up on Mr. Shade Trotter.” Many ponies had made fun of Dinkie’s mother, calling her stupid because she sometimes scrambled her words and because her eyes didn’t always focus correctly. The former was a magically altered gene somewhere in her heritage that was used to create what were known as ‘code talkers’, ponies that if they talk while distracted would sound like gibberish except to others like them. Few code talkers remain at this point, but like her mother Dinkie bares this curse.

“Really, so whadya… Scoots, what are ya… will ya stop that? Scoots!” Bloom was shouting at her accomplice and Dinkie could hear the orange mare responding, but couldn’t make out what she was saying. She was fairly sure that was a good thing.

Dinkie turned her attention back to the monitors while her friends argued in the background. She’d really only started to read the military file for their target when the red flags went to full mast. “Sweet Celestia…”

“What is it sugar? What’s wrong?” Bloom had dropped whatever she and Scoots had been arguing about when she heard Dinkie’s mild swearing.

“Shade Trotter, why hadn’t I seen it earlier…”

“Specifics Dinks, start at the beginning.” Bloom said, trying to calm Dinkie with her voice.

“Right.” Dinkie took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts and her words. “Something had bugged me about this job from the start. So I started looking into who this Shade Trotter was and couldn’t find anything. Well, almost nothing. Do you know what the Shadow Walkers are?”

“Nope, never heard a’ no Shadow Walkers.” Bloom paused as Scootaloo talked in the background. “Is that so?” another short pause, “Scoots says that their like some sorta E.I.B.?”

“What? No! The Shadow Walkers are unicorns that can shift through shadows like we walk across a floor. A unit was formed of Shadow Walkers during the early part of the war, and I’ve got a list of war crimes committed by one of their members against the griffons that would make both of you combined look like saints.”

“And?”

“Well, that member was one Carver Fel, currently known as Shade Trotter. Carver had been infamous for his use of a knife during the war. He…” She scrolled to the next page, and found herself hurling into her trashcan.

“Dinks? You alright?” A worried voice came from the other end of the line.

-- -

“Dinks? Talk t’ me Dinkie.” Bloom called into the phone, her voice filled with worry. Scoots looked up from what she was doing. “Dinkay! What’s happenin’?!?”

“Bloom?” The orange mare’s voice was filled with concern. “What is it?”

“Dinks jus’ dropped out. I mean she’s still there, but I’m jus’ gettin’ abunch o’ noise.”

“Sorry. I wasn’t expecting pictures.” Her voice was shaky, and sounded uncertain. “I’ve seen you two do some stuff, but…” There were the sounds of heaving. “…sorry, there’s several purples of omegas.”

“Dinkie, pull yourself together mare.” Bloom focused on keeping her voice reassuring, trying to calm her distraught friend from so far away.

“Sorry, it was just… everything. During his time in the war, he didn’t just kill griffons, there…. There were…. ponies in there as well, and dragons. Bloom, he killed unconditionally and without remorse or regret. Watch yourself.”

“Will do, thanks Dinkie. We should be at the safe house in about… Hey Scoots, how long till we get him there?”

Scootaloo thought about that for a second. “About, hmm, an hour, fifteen minutes more if we catch the red lights.”

“Scoots says hour an’ a quarter. I’ll call ya when we get there.” Bloom hung up the phone and returned it to her pack. “Let’s getta move on.”

-- -- - - - -- -- -

Bloom sighed and shifted the unconscious unicorn on her back. Why didn’t I think about having to do this when we came in here… Scoots had gone back out the front so she could recover her car from the valet. She looked out the small window in the door. She should have been here by now. What’s takin’ her? As if on cue, the large blue monstrosity pulled into the back lot, pulling to stop right in front of the door. “Finally.” Bloom breathed, shifting the dead weight on her back once more before heading out to the car. “What took ya’ so long?”

“They lost Midnight.” Scoots said as she opened Midnight’s back door and started helping Bloom load Shade. “And then the foal knocked out a taillight!” She slammed the door.

“That could cause a problem…” Bloom started, grateful she had her hat with the way the rain was falling.

“I’m not stupid; I put some red cloth over it. It still lights and shouldn’t cause us any problems.” She stopped to shake her soaked mane out of her face before getting back behind the wheel.

Bloom had gone behind the car to see the damage for herself. It wasn’t too bad, a bent bumper and some broken glass. A red handkerchief covered the broken light almost perfectly. Bloom hurried around and got in the car.

- --- -- - --- -

He couldn’t tell much about where he was but he knew he had a vicious headache. He tried to move a hoof to his head and learned more about his world, he was also restrained. He let out a groan.

“Good morning!” The voice that sounded far too happy that he was awake resounded in his head.

He groaned again as he opened his eyes, only to be greeted by an orange blurry figure. He blinked a few time to bring the image before him into focus. An orange mare stood before him, her purple mane and tail reminded him of a mare he’d served with during the war. Down her back was a familiar black object, his coat, being flaunted before him. “That’s mine.” He said weakly.

“Not anymore.” She retorted, a playful smile crossing her face.

He tried to grab her with his magic, but only found that his headache spiked when he did. “Arrgg.”

“Don’t try magic.” Her smile remained, as she slightly shook her head. “It’ll only give you a headache.” She started to move towards him, her smile turning devious.

Carver reached out again, not attempting to focus it, and found his knife in the coat pocket. He attempted to gently touch it with his magic, and felt a pain in his head. He stopped before it got any worse. “When I get free,” he growled, unable to stand the confinement, “I’m gonna snap your wings, one bone at a time.”

“Oh Carvy.” Scoots said, reaching a hoof up to Carver’s head. “You won’t get out that easily.” She gently stroked his horn, sending shivers down his spine. “So,” her grin turned evil, “you like that.” Her hoof started down the left side of his face, tracing the cut she’d put there earlier, making him flinch. “But not that… interesting.” She eyed him over, from his cracked horn to his scarred body, noting that not all the scars were made by an enemy. Of the later kind, there were a few prominent ones, a crescent moon on his right shoulder, a swirly door below his left front knee, a castle on his left rear leg, and a ship on his right flank. She also noticed his cutie mark, which could easily have been overlooked, a knife. The blade was only a few shades lighter than his pelt, and the dull rust handle the only color on his body.
“So, you’re doing this for…?” He asked when he’d noticed she’d stopped.

“Fun!” She said loud enough that the words bounced inside his head. “I mean, we don’t get ‘guests’ very often, might as well have some fun with them while they’re here.”

“Don’t antagonize the comp’ny.” Drawled a voice from behind him. “We need t’ get ‘im ready to go, Sweetie just gave us the meetin’ point.”

“Really?” Scootaloo pulled herself off of Carver. “Where?”

Bloom pulled a map of the area around Canterlot from a shelf and unfurled it on a table just out of his view. “Here, about two hours from Canterlot.” She pointed a hoof at the map.

“Um, isn’t that…” Scootaloo let the end of the sentence drop and the question hang.

“Yup,” Bloom took off her hat in a reverent motion, “that’s the place whar the world changed forever.”

To Be Concluded….