"Spike?" Spitfire spoke through the speakers.

"What is it?" Spike asked

"It's Diamond Tiara; she's not filing the papers right and I'm getting spam emails all over my controls. You gotta talk to her."

"I'm on it." Spike exited the briefing room and took the elevator up. On his lright, both Trixie and Zecora stood at the end of their rooms, talking together about their past. They saw Spike, nodded to each other, and went back to their area. Spike rolled his eyes and walked around, seeing way down into at the very end of the other side of the room, was the main battery, and Mrs. Cake stood there talking to Sunset Shimmer. On the right, Redheart was attending to a sick patient, and on the left, Diamond Tiara walked anxiously around her room. Spike walked to Diamond's room; she noticed him and took her seat behind her desk.

"Spike," she spoke "look, I'm sorry, but... I need your help." Spike took a seat in front of her "I hate discussing personal manners...but this is important."

"Diamond, you're part of the crew," Spike replied "What's on your mind?"

"...Do you remember our days back in Ponyville? Back when I was a huge bitch?"

"I do, though I hope this doesn't involve Sweetie Belle."

"It doesn't." She stood right up and walked to Spike "Do you remember Silver Spoon?"

"Yeah, you were both best friends with each other, am I right?"

"Correct, but I received news from her from the last five years: someone called 'Free Verse' is has her as a hostage and is holding her ransom."

"Do you know this person? Or any news around him or her?"

"None at all, and it's been a while since I've spoken to her, but she needs my help!"

"Can't you just pay the ransom?"

"It's not easy like that, Spike. She's not a part of FIST, and though our family businesses have helped each other, we can't just pay her out. Plus, have you meet an honorable kidnapper before? I don't know who Free Verse is, but if we do pay the money, they may just kill Diamond Tiara right away."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"They're on Canterlot as we speak; you & I will go down there, talk to his coworker, Smuggle Boots, kill every one of those bastards including Free Verse, and rescue my best friend."

"That's easier said than done, especially with just us two."

"I know, that's why I'm bringing Sweetie Belle with us."

"That's my call!"

"I know, but I think she needs to come; I need to prove to her that I'm not far from my young, bitch self. I know what she's saying in her old language, as I've said, I studied a lot." Spike took a deep breath.

"Alright, we're going. Do you know where this coworker is at?"

"She's at a dance club as we speak. Better get ready."

"I will."

Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle followed Spike as they entered a club, seeing the famous Vinyl Scratch behind her DJ board, playing loud music. Many people were dancing to the music, but they saw a lone Shadowbolt in the back, leaning against a door to a private booth. They walked to the shadowbolt member, who noticed them.

"Smuggle Boots?" Spike asked, having to yell as a new song played. The shadowbolt nodded, opened the door, entered, and waved her hand for them to enter. They followed, the door closing behind them and muffling the loud music.

"Which of you three is Diamond Tiara?" the Smuggle Boots asked. Diamond Tiara stood forward

"That would be me." she answered

"Hm... you look about as how Silver Spoon described you."

"Where is she you son of a bitch!?"

"Calm down there, she's fine, for now. Hand me the bits now and, in the morning, Silver Spoon will be back unharmed."

"Malakíes!" Sweetie Belle replied

"Tell your boss that we'll meet him or her personal," Spike added "and we'll get her in person. Or else."

"Or else what?" Smuggle boots asked. Spike walked next to Smuggled Boots and quickly grabbed her, slamming her into the wall. "AHH!!! MY RIB!!!"

"There's more where that came from. Tell Free Verse, or else I'll break your left arm!"

"...Damn! That's my writing arm." She placed her right hand to her communicator and spoke "Free Verse? Yeah, it's me. No, I didn't get the money, but they want to meet you in person... they want to pick her up in person... yes, I told them that, but they didn't believe me... No, I haven't told them about you at all." Dimaond Tiara picked up Smuggle Boots and slammed her against the wall!

"Who's Free Verse and where are they!?" Diamond growled.

"I ain't talking shit!" Diamond Tiara pulled out a gun and placed it against Smuggle Boot's head. "...But... I can show you."

"Please, do. I don't want to get blood on my favorite dress. Take over, Sweetie!"

"Otidípote" Sweetie grumbled to herself, taking Smuggle Boots. Diamond let out a sigh of relief and  walked next to Spike.

"Thank you very much for doing this, Spike. Hopefully, we have the element of surprise with us."

"I'm sure we do." Spike replied with a smirk. A beeping came from Diamond's wrist. She looked at it, showing a hologram with coordinates.

"I'll get us a rental. I can pay for all the damages. Sweetie; tell our person that we'll be meeting Free Verse in person."  

The team drove above a warehouse district, the place where Free Verse is at and, hopefully, Silver Spoon was at.

"I never thought you had it." Sweetie spoke, cocking her shotgun in the back.

"Had what?" Diamond asked, turning back.

"A kardiá."

"I do have a heart! You were never in it."

"Because my friends and I had no talent!?"

"Because you were blank slates that could be future competitors in the industry." She looked outside, seeing some Shadowbolts flying by their window, next to a gunship. "Damn it! There goes our element of surprise."

"Put us down in that cover behind them." Spike ordered.

"Let's hope they're stupid enough to fall for this." The shadowbolts below saw their car, aimed, and began firing at their vehicle. "SHIT!!!"

"Hold on!" Their vehicle landed roughly and parked past some crates. The door opened and they came out. One of the shadowbolts, in better armor, approached them.

"I got this." He told his allies. Spike, Diamond, and Sweetie walked to the group leader.

"Since you're not firing," Diamond questioned "I take it you know who I am?"

"Yeah, Smuggled Boots told us you'd be in the car. You're that bitch's best friend, the rich one."

"That 'bitch' is Silver Spoon, and I demand to know where she's at!"

"Pay up right now and you'll get her in no time. You already know the price."

"And what is the price?" Spike asked

"Twenty billion bits. We already know that they can make up the money in less than a day."

"Money doesn't work like that." Diamond growled.

"For us, but not for you rich types."

"And are you Free Verse?" Spike asked

"Hell no! Free Verse has Silver Spoon ready in her office. Just pay up and you'll get her back; promise."

"You're not going to keep Silver Spoon hostage anymore. Surrender now or else everything will go bad for you and your friends." The shadowbolt crossed his arms.

"Free Verse ordered us to give you this last chance to pay up and leave. As we've been talking, my boys have been lining up shots. When I say the word, we'll kill you and that mage with you, but stun your bitch here as well. Oh, we're going to be so rich!"

"...I don't think so. Sweetie!" Sweetie Belle's aura went around the shadowbolt's neck and strangled him. Spike and Diamond Tiara fired at the mercs, who were now firing at them. Looking up, Spike saw a claw holding fuel. He fired at the claw, making it drop and explode on an advancing groups of mercs, making their bodies burn as well as fly & land on other mercs.

"We've got to get to Silver Spoon!" Diamond yelled.

"Let's go!" Spike lead the group ahead, shooting at the other mercs around the area. Conveyor belts were around, blocking some shots as well as dropping hazardous materials around them. Sweetie Belle was able to throw a majority of the hazards to the Shadowbolts, keeping themselves save.

"Send in the mechs!" A low, very mechanical voice ordered through the mercs helmets, presumably Free Verse. Mechs came out and aided the Shadowbolts in combat.

The three entered an elevator, pressing the top button, going to where Free Verse was at.

"Stay where you are!" Free Verse spoke, sounding afraid "I don't want to hurt you, Diamond! Just put the bits inside Silver's account and we'll call this a deal!"

"I hardly believe you," how were you able to kidnap my friend with this weak security!"

"I have the brain, they have the brawn! Don't come up here! Stop and turn around!"

"Give us the coordinates to Silver Spoon and we'll let you go." Spike offered.

"I...I can't! There's... a problem with the computers."

"Lucky for you," Sweetie spoke "I can fix them easily."

"Yeah, and I'm going to kick your ass!" Diamond added

"No! Please! I'm begging you! Turn around now! In fact... no bits! Go! She'll be back! Just go, now!"

"Right after I see your face before I shoot you, Free Verse." The Elevator reached the top and the doors slowly opened.

"NO!!! Diamond Tiara! Please! Go back now!" They walked into a dark room where, at the very end, was the silhouette of a woman near some security cameras. "Men! Please! I need help here!!! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS!?!?!?" Diamond pulled her pistol out and aimed it right behind the back of the woman's head.

"Where's Silver Spoon?"

"...She's here." the voice of Silver Spoon spoke. Diamond Tiara jumped back as the figure turned around in her chair. Sweetie Belle turned on the lights, and, sitting on the chair, was Silver Spoon herself. She had on the familiar clothes of a light gray dress with a darker gray jacket over it, black, leg length socks, blue high heels, blue glasses, and her gray hair tied at the back, but she was filthy all over and not presentable to the public.

"Silver Spoon?" Sweetie Belle and Spike asked in unison and surprise.

"Y-you... you were-" Diamond stammered.

"Yes, I am Free Verse." She replied "Diamond, please, let me explain why-" Diamond screamed, picking her up and slamming her into the wall.

"WAS THIS SOME SORT OF SICK GAME!?!?!? WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!?!?"  

"DIAMOND!!! PLEASE!!!"

"TALK!!!" Silver whimpered weakly.

"M-My parents! Th-they abandoned me those years ago! I-I tried to make a living! I-I did! E-Everything I-i did failed! I lost everything; first, m-my job at All-Mart, then m-my house, all of my b-b-belongings, and... my money."

"Why didn't you just call me!?"

"I tried to, I did, but... I-I-" Spike turned and picked up a needle.

"She's a junkie." Spike observed, heading to Diamond's side. "She's been depressed, took drugs as a means to escape the harshness of reality, but it backfired."

"And you've been buying from the shadowbolts!?" Diamond asked. Tears fell from Silver Spoon's face.

"It feels good!" She cried "I-I did it once! At work, when they degraded me into a fucking cart pusher! Then I want more! More of it! I couldn't control myself! I lost everything and owed a lot of money for the Shadowbolts! They were going to kill me if I didn't pay for them!!!"

"So you made this thing where I'd pay you out of debt? You owed them twenty billion bits!?" She notably covered her face. "Oh you fucking bitch!"

"I want more!!! I told them I can make them richer here and I wanted more!!! Please, I'm sorry! I-I truly am." Diamond sighed to herself, earing up as well. She pulled her gun out and aimed it at Silver Spoon's head.

"I'm sorry too."

She needs help!

She's not worth it.

Do it.