(Gleaning Coin’s House)
(A week later)

There was a knocking on the door that interrupted the quiet of the house that morning. “I’ll get it!” Coin’s mom said as she walked to the door and slowly opened it.

“Hey Coin you ready to- Woah!” Deep Shadow stopped himself once a mare made herself known to him.

“Oh are you another one of my son’s friends?” Shadow nodded and looked off nervously, he held his notebook in his hand and his black uniform revealed why he was here. “Well if you’re going to school together than he’ll only take a second.” She turned and looked upwards toward the staircase but the nervousness that Deep Shadow had would be replaced with pain, “GLEANING COIN GET DOWN HERE NOW! You have a friend waiting.” A crashing sound happens at the end of the yelling and Gleaning Coin quickly came down the stairs with a binder in his grip and was wearing a black uniform.

“I was coming already mom! Good thing I was cleaning Emerald’s tank or else she’d be mad that I dropped her.” The teenage colt explained as he hi-fived his massive friend. “How’d you get here so fast?” Coin asked as his mother rubbed his head affectionately.

Deep Shadow pointed down the street towards a large manor with a brick wall topped with a fence surrounding the land and a single mare was visible watering plants. “My family lives right there. Since my dad and herd mothers have so much combined we can afford it.”

The duo waved to the mare and walked down the sidewalk towards their destination.

==============================
The odd pair walked for about ten minutes and were back into the city as they navigated the near empty early morning streets. “I’m glad that the break’s over, I miss seeing my friends.” Coin sighed. “But it’s stupid that the break ends on a Friday, why not make it Monday?”

“I don’t know and I don’t really have any friends... but I can still hang out with you and those other two stallions. It’s hard to believe we’re in the same year but never met until now-“

“SOMEPONY HELP!” A scream rang from a small crowd in front of a shop. The teenagers raced to the scene and saw two officers behind a barricade with a dozen ponies behind them, all staring at a stallion holding...

“Is that... Silver Star?!” Coin pointed at the captive who was a Pegasus mare around his age with silver fur and a black uniform like his and Shadow’s.

“Nopony get any closer or I’ll break her neck!” The stallion’s eyes were frantic and unfocused. “I want all of the bits from this store and a safe way out of this city!” He held his captive higher in the air and looked at the officers.

“We need to do something!” Coin got closer to the barrier but was held back by Deep Shadow. “Why are you stopping me?”

“If you care about that girl then you’d think about it... in the time it’d take for you to use your Specter he’d hurt her... that’s why I’m using mine. I’ll show you later but there’s a way to make it so only we can see our Specters.”

“Hey sir come back! That’s a dangerous criminal!” An officer nearly yelled as Shadow jumped over the blockade and approached the stallion.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” His grip tightened. “I’ll kill her you know!”

Tears started coming from Silver Star’s eyes and she struggled to speak. “P-Please... G-Get b-b-back...” Shadow wasn’t deterred and walked until he was only three steps from the pair.

While Silver Star wept the stallion’s eye nearly clenched shut from anger and veins were popping out on his face. “You’ve got a pair but it looks like your parents raised an idiot!” Shadow froze at the proclamation and a dark aura appeared around him, but only Coin could see even a trace of it while everypony else watched on in horror.

“You mind saying that again?”

“Your parents must not know how to raise their hands if you’re dumb enough to come up to me.” He held Silver Star closer and tightened his grip.

“Kid get back before he snaps!” An officer yelled

“You stay back before I break this filly!”

“You can say whatever you want about me but...” Infest formed fully with a dark cowl over his head.

“You should’ve listened because I’m gonna kill this girl right now!” He screeched and brought his other arm over.

Silver Star grew more frantic and struggled to get away while pleading for her life. “No! P-Please don’t!”

Shadow had a dark look on his face as Infest stood beside him, an evil smile under the Specter’s cowl. “My parents worked hard for what they have and we even lost my sister... And despite everything they keep smiles on their faces so anypony who disrespects them...” Infest appeared behind the stallion with a hand cocked back.

“We don’t forgive!”

“What?” The stallion heard a voice but a sudden pain deep in his torso stopped him before he could react. “Wha-“ Shadow walked closer and pulled Silver Star away.

“What’d you do to him?” Coin asked as Shadow walked back to him, allowing Silver Star to run to him and cry onto his shoulder.

“AAAH! M-MY CHEST!” There were sharp points pressing against the inside of the stallion’s chest, almost breaking through but not quite. The officers moved in and apprehended the stallion.

“You took him down in like ten seconds! How didn’t he see Infest?” At this point the officers gave Silver Star a blanket and lead her to an ambulance. “I could’ve sworn that anypony can see Specters so how?”

Shadow snickered and held a cocky pose with a finger beneath his chin. “Well it’s all about- Huh?!” An officer tackled Shadow and pinned him to the ground. “Wait what’s going on? I’m the hero here!”

“We’re apprehending you kid!”

“You should’ve stayed back when we told you!” They struggled on the ground while Gleaning Coin looked off at the rooftop of a skyscraper.

“Is that...?”

“Gleaning!” Coin snapped back and saw a handcuffed Shadow being put into a horse drawn carriage. “Call Blue Dart or Hunter!” The door was shut and the carriage pulled off to a police station.

“Great start for today...”

===

On that rooftop there were four figures clad in black or deep red skintight clothing, three were griffins while the other figure was a mare. “So Titus you think the rumor’s true?”

“I don’t know True Shot... supposedly the Blue Dart guy showed up around the same time so they’re probably friends.” Titus answered while the male Griffin shakily walked forward.

“If it helps me get my revenge and end the blood contract then I’ll take it. We didn’t get that blood from the Changeling agents for nothing and I definitely didn’t make sure to distribute it around Equestria to not draw him out. Gale!”

The female griffin stepped forward with a canister in her hand. “I’m here Kanek, I’ve got the medicine.” She took a salve from the container and rubbed it against the clothing on his leg and arm, the bluish paste quickly absorbed into the material.

True Shot laughed while Titus shook his head. “Hard to believe you got beat Kanek, and so badly at that. It’s a shame what happened to Rhyken though.” Titus would’ve taken what he said back but the pain from a clenched talon hitting him in the face took any chances of that away.

“We aren’t here to talk about the past, we’re here to lure that... huumain and bring him before the council. It seems we only have those two ponies here to see what we’ve done so I want you two to stick around until he shows.”

True Shot helped Titus up, making sure his beak wasn’t cracked in the process. “Why are we still after this guy? He’s just defending himself from what I hear!”

“I’m curious too since he’s not trying to hunt us or anything.”

“You idiots! You think that’s not his plan? He wants to make us think we’re safe and then get rid of us... we are the Red Claw! Every major political figure hires us to get a job done except that Princess, and she’s probably pulling his strings... he might just be a familiar she summoned, regardless we aren’t taking that chance.” Kanek turned and stepped on a cloud and floated away with Gust flying behind him, leaving Titus and True Shot alone.

“They say good ponies keep good company right?” True Shot asked

“Um...”

“So Hunter and that Blue Dart guy both know the kid so why not ask them?” Titus stood up straight and looked around before asking a simple question.

“How do we get down from here?”

==============================

Blue Dart was standing in a cellblock with his arms crossed, Gleaning Coin next to him while Deep Shadow was behind a set of iron bars. “So you got in the way of police business and you’re surprised they arrested you. Why didn’t you just use Infest from behind the blockade?”

“I can’t!”

“What do mean you can’t?”

“From what they told me, there’s different types of Specters and Infest is close ranged, he’s made to punch. The farthest I’ve got him was twelve feet away then I get dizzy.”

Coin brought out Yellow Haze, who floated on his back. “But Yellow Haze can fight and I got him to hang back when we fought.”

“Maybe he’s not a close ranged Specter...” Dart added

Shadow sat up as a guard came and unlocked the door. “Yer free to go kid, Mr. Dart settled everything here but next time leave the police work to the police.”

The group walked out of the holding area and regrouped outside. “There’s close range, long range, augment and object Specters. Close and long range are opposites since one punches and the other shoots but augment is dangerous since it can change somepony or its surroundings and object Specters just exist and the pony it’s attached to can make it do crazy stuff.”

“So Yellow Haze is an augment, then out of everypony in the gang who has what?” Coin asked.

“Me and one other guy had close range and a mare had long range. This one stallion had an augment to turn you into a foal again and nopony has an object anymore since he fell off a crane. I don’t know if there’s anymore who got the injection so I’m guessing by now there might be.”

“What about the boss? You said his ‘devourer’ was able to eat so much but what type is it?” Dart questioned

Shadow decided to answer the question this time. “Nopony knows since they get eaten if they ask too much. The boss is smart so he doesn’t want- Wah!” Dart pulled him out of the street in the nick of time to avoid an oncoming carriage. The driver waved and smiled nervously while the passenger rolled the window down and revealed that he was a blonde unicorn stallion with a blue suit and a mare with a sun hat was next to him.

“Be more careful next time boys.” He spoke with a smooth voice. The window went up and the carriage began to move again while the trio continued to walk.

“It seems like a lot of crazy stuff’s going on recently. Wait what time is it?! Shadow we’re late!”

“Oh no! It’s the first day back and we’re late?!”

“Calm down guys I’ll write a note.” Dart produces a quill and paper and scribbled a message onto it and put a symbol at the bottom. “He- Ok?” The paper was snatched and the teenagers sprinted to school.

“We’ll see you later Mister Dart!” Coin yelled

==============================
(Sunset)

“They should have set up around here somewhere... so we need to figure out where.” True Shot said as she and Titus covertly exhamined the suburban neighborhood. Titus managed to peer through windows to find ether Blue Dart or Hunter but had no luck.

“Maybe we're in the wrong neighborhood... or maybe they know we’re looking for them?” He said ominously but got a glare from True Shot

“We need to find them and hear about that Zeko guy. What Kanek gave to Bright Inanis was way too much and if we don’t at least tell them what they’re in for then-“

“Why do you care so much? I guess I get not hearing both sides but why are we doing this for the enemy? If mistress Culina found out...” Titus gave his input as a cat ran across the street.

“I don’t trust Mistress Culina, and I know you don’t. Admit it, when you met her you thought she wasn’t telling us the whole story.”

Titus rubbed the back of his head and looked into another window from the ground. “Ok you got me but I think that just because she wants revenge for her daughter doesn’t make her a liar.”

“Mist was an arrogant mare who got carried into leading that team. She didn’t deserve the ranking! Whatever... you can do what you want but I’m gonna find some answers.” She resumed identifying potential houses while Titus shook his head. He continued to follow her and exhamine living situations to identify their target.

“You owe me a steak for this.”

===================================
(A few minutes into sunset)

(At 2:12 I’d hope you’ve made it to the climax))

“My ancestors migrated here hundreds of years ago and even watched Manehatten become what it is. Because of that I’ve lived here my whole life, been a nice quiet place to enjoy. Especially since I live just a short walk from the beach. I work at a nice little iron production company in upper management, I just handle business transactions and exchanges but it pays the bills and then some.” The blonde unicorn said to his partner as the carriage pulled into a street with large houses and villas. “But since my mother and father passed I’ve lived alone and come to enjoy solitude but occasionally I’ve had guests such as yourself.”

“Just ahead sir?” The driver asked

“Mm hm.”

“Ok.” He pulled the reins and turned the horses next to a gate to a modest villa with a tree in front. Ten foot walls surrounded the building allowing privacy.

“I suppose this is the end of our ride.” He opened his door and stepped out, walking around to his partner’s door and opening it all with a friendly smile. “No need to be nervous now... I even bought you a nice hat to go with your dress.” He took her hand and she stepped out with a fine bag slung over her shoulder and a neat white dress.

The driver looked back at them. “Not to intrude but-“ A small pouch of bits was tossed to him he tipped his hat and lashed the reins, leaving.” The pair walked past the gate and the stallion closed it behind him, the gate was wooden and allowed even more privacy.

“Now then... we can enjoy our weekend...” He took off her sun hat and revealed she...

Was missing her head...

She slumped but his magic stopped her. “Woah now!” She straightened and stood as if she were alive again “Almost lost you there. Hm?” He looked at her bag and saw that blood had dropped onto it. “Oh now you’re making a mess, not very ladylike. Of course you’ll have to clean it.” He put a handkerchief in her hand and directed it to wipe the liquid away before staring at her chest. “The sad thing is that I’d forgotten your name but at this point why does that matter?” He withdrew her hand and the cloth. “All better. Now let’s enjoy ourselves for the evening hmm? I know how to make an amazing dinner.” He walked with the corpse into the house.

The outside of the gate had a name on it, reading... “Inanis”

=======

Author's Notes:

It should be obvious what I’m modeling here.
I think I’ve made the tension thick enough to cut with a steak knife. Any questions feel free to ask

Early upload since it was done today.
See you next time.