Beyond Equestriaby Grave_WingChaptersIssue #0Issue #1Issue #2Issue #3Issue #4Issue #5 Issue #6Issue #7Issue #8Issue #9Issue #0Gotham City; the city that seems to be forever shrouded in the nights embrace. The bright moon bathed the dark city in its while glow, thick clouds covering the dark sky. The city lights made the dark city bright with life. Cars and trucks drove down the busy streets. Highways that were elevated off the ground were swarmed with cars filled with people getting home for the night. The Gotham city trains were still operational even at night. The large silver trains trudged on the metal tracks that were over the city streets. Even at night, the city was still alive. And so was the crime. Yes Gotham City wasn’t the safest city in the United States of America. From mobsters to psychotics, Gotham had it all. But there was its traditional jewel thief’s and bank robbers. Of Course, most of the crime was stopped by the work of the city’s police department which was led by the praised commissioner. Large blimps hovered around the city with their large spotlights. These were created by the police to spot any crimes in progress so the police could stop them before they escalated. But the city also had another being that helped to deter the late night crime of the city. The vigilante simply known as the “The Dark Knight”. The Dark Knight was known for being the world’s greatest detective. He was the silent avenger. He was the night. No crime could not be committed without the knight of Gotham putting an end to it. Some even say that the Dark Knight isn’t even human. Some believe him to be a demon who was cursed to roam the city of Gotham. Or an angel that was sent by god himself to watch over the crime ridden city and protect its inhabitants. But even with his reputation, people still feared him. They respected their guardian angel but feared him as well. Like they always said, he wasn’t human. Over the many years, Gotham has been protected by its dark knight, but his presence seemed to be slowly disappearing over the years. As time progressed and as the city changed, so did the dark knight. Some even said they the fabled hero disappeared and quit his life as their once respected guardian. Some say that the Joker, the clown prince of crime, finally did the unthinkable. But people still held hope that the knight wouldn’t fall so easily. And even when Gotham began to change, they all had hope that the Batman still lived. It is the year 2040. Gotham city hasn’t changed. The tall skyscrapers that littered the city were silver. Lights illuminated the dark city, some from the city streets while others from the buildings. The faint sound of sirens indicated a crime in progress. Yes, Gotham was exactly as it was in the past, but more advanced in its technology. But no matter how much you change the outside of a city, just like a machine the inner workings of the mechanism still remained the same. Crime was still the same as it was in the past, except that over time the psychopaths population seemed to dwindle. Pant… Pant… Pant… A dark figured man stood in an alley. His body was covered by the dark trench coat he wore. His shallow breath could be seen puffing out of his mouth. Fall was beginning to come to an end in the city, winter slowly creeping up. The man placed his back on the cold brick wall of the alley and breathed. His dirty blonde hair covered one of his eyes as he gazed up at the dark cloudy city. With a sigh, the man cleared his throat and began to walk down the alley. The thin alley was crowded with old bags of garbage and loose paper. A small cat leapt out of a large metal dumpster and hissed at him, startling the man. He sighed as the cat ran away. “I think I lost him…” the man whispered to no one in particular. He moved his hand from his side, the cold metal of the pistol sending a shiver down his skin. “Close,” the man froze. “But no cigar.” Without even thinking, the man began to run. His heavy footsteps echoed down the long alley. He knew exactly who it was, and he didn’t want to turn to find out if he was right. The sounds of another set of footsteps made the man begin to run faster, his dark trench coat blowing in the wind. A dark shadow flew over him, the distinct shape making his heart skip. Eventually, the man came out of the never-ending alley and into the industrial area of the city. The man ran through the dark street, ignoring the loud screeching of a car that almost ran him over. He didn’t care if he got hit; he just wanted to get away. < * / * \ * > A large white truck was parked in the front of a massive warehouse. The large garage door was slowly being opened from within, the creaking of metal sliding against steel as it rose off the ground and to the roof of the warehouse. The white trucks light glowed to life as it began to back up into the building. Soon the back of the van was kicked open and a group of men jumped out. They wore a black turtleneck and a ski mask to hide their identities. They stepped into the dark warehouse, the ceiling lights flickering to life. One of the masked men ran up to a large crate, a metal rod in hand. He stabbed the metal crowbar into the side of the crate and pulled down. -CRACK!- The masked man beckoned one of the groupies to help as he lifted the cover off the crate. They threw off the wooden cover and looked into the crate with awe. The two grinned and gave a thumb up to one of the masked men that stood at the truck. “Alright, load up the trailer.” He smiled. The masked men nodded to the supposed leader and began to carry the large crates into the white truck. The sound of footsteps made the men freeze in their place. They all reached to their sides and pointed their guns at where the sound was coming from. The soft tapping of footsteps sounded like whoever was running for dear life. One of the masked men motioned for one of the robbers to turn off the warehouse lights. Soon the bright lights shut off with a soft click, and the men were purged into darkness. They all stood and waited for whomever to come around the corner, their fingers itching to shoot on sight. The footsteps began to get louder as whoever got closer to the warehouse door. They all sighed in relief as they saw who it was. One of the men nodded and the lights flickered on. “B *Pant* Bat,” the man huffed and puffed as he rested a hand on the side of the truck. He clenched his chest as he breathed. One of the men patted him on his back as he breathed. “Spit it out Larry.” The masked man growled. “B-Batman’s here!” -CRASH!- All eyes were directed to the large window on the top of the warehouse that just shattered. Glass rained down onto the warehouse floor, the bright moonlight making the shards sparkle. A dark figure fell through the shards of glass and landed in the center of the warehouse. The figure rose to its top height and made everyone gasp in horror. In the centre of the room was a tall dark figure. The dark man wore all black, covering its identity. Its eyes were completely white, almost glowing in the light. A silver belt was strapped to the dark figures waist. In the center of the belt was a red dot. But that’s not what made the men gasp in horror. It was the red bat symbol that was on the figured chest. “Throwing a party without me?” the dark figure smiled. “I’m hurt.” The men began to back away, horror in their eyes. “You brought him here!?” the masked man turned to his friend. He then glared at the dark figure in the center of the warehouse. “Doesn’t matter, you’re dead Batman!” “Where have I heard that before?” before the men could shoot, the dark figure tosses a group of black and red batarangs at their guns. The batarangs landed in front of the guns muzzle. -POW!- The man all winced as their guns exploded in their hands. In a fit of rage, one of the masked men rushed at the dark figure, his hands clenched into fists. The figure quickly dodged the man’s barrage of fists. He grinned as he caught one of the man’s fists. The dark knight punched the masked man straight into the jaw, sending the man crashing into a stack of crates. The dark knight quickly stepped to the side, avoiding a fist from behind. He elbowed the man in the back of the head and swept his leg on the floor, knocking the man to the ground. Batman quickly back flipped away as a man slammed a crowbar at the dark knight’s former position. The dark knight stood up and motioned for the man to come. The man roared as he rushed at the Bat, the metal crowbar in hand. The dark knight quickly reached into his belt and tossed a bola at the man’s feet, tying them up together. The sound of a truck engine brought the dark knights attention to the fast moving truck. “Bye bye Bats!” the masked man held onto the open trucks door. In his other hand was a rocket launcher that he pointed at the dark knight himself. -FSHOOM!- The dark knight quickly ducked as the rocket flew over his head. He aimed his fist at the truck and a black dot shot out of the top of his hand. The tracer stuck to the back bumper of the truck, barely visible to anyone but the dark knight himself. -BOOM!- The batman looked over his shoulder to see a large metal post falling from the ceiling of the warehouse. He quickly rolled out of the way, letting the metal support crash to the ground. The dark knight looked back at the growing fire that was created by the rocket that crashed into the back of the warehouse. Embers shot out of the flame, catching crates on fire. Soon, the whole warehouse began to catch on fire. The dark knight pressed a button on his cowl and began to scan the crates. His white eyes went wide as he discovered the contents of the many wooden crates that began to catch on fire. “Terry, get out of there!” an old man’s voice yelled on his communicator. “Don’t have to tell me twice old man!” The dark knight quickly grabbed two unconscious henchmen. He slung a third masked man on his shoulder and sprinted to the open warehouse door. The feat would have been impossible if it weren’t for the neuromuscular amplifier that was built into the suit. -KA BOOM!- -POW!- “Oomph!” -BOOM!- The dark knight was launched forward by the blast. Fire and burning metal and wood rained down on the industrial area of Gotham. Smoke rose up to the clouds as the remains of the burning wreckage of the warehouse lit up the street. The dark knight weakly got up to his hands and knees, wincing in pain. Although the suit softened most of the blast, the dark knight still felt it. His ears were ringing, making him unable to hear the sound of sirens or a voice that was calling to him. He looked up to see the three masked men lying unconscious on the grey floor. He groaned as he got to his feet, rubbing the back of his head in pain. He looked at his shoulder to see a small rip in the suit, the inner material glowing a faint red in the night. “Terry, are you alright?” the old man’s voice rang in the dark knight’s ears. He pressed a button on his cowl to activate the call. “I tore the suit, but I’m fine.” The dark knight turned around to face the burning wreckage of the warehouse. “Still got the tracers signal?” “They’re passing through Gotham Midtown.” The voice responded. “On it.” < * / * \ * > -SCREECH!- The white truck shot down the busy highway, swerving around cars and other trucks. Cars tried desperately to move out of the way but were met with the guard rail on the large highway bridge. Any other car that wasn’t trying to move out of the way was rammed right in the back. This caused cars to crash into one another, making massive accidents and property damage on the streets of Gotham. The masked men within the horn laughed as they crashed into another car. The small car smashed through the guardrail and began its descent into a building. People screamed as the car crashed through the windows and into the building itself. The loud horn of the truck echoed in the streets as the crooks began their mad rampage. “Ha ha ha! We killed the Bat AND blew up most of the industrial district!” one of the masked men laughed and gave the crooks a high five. “This is the best night ever!” “Really?” the voice made the two men at the front of the large white truck freeze. They glanced over to their left to see a large black jet like vehicle flying next to the truck. On top of it stood the dark knight himself. “Because the night is still young.” “SHOOT HIM DOWN!” The dark knight leapt from the atop of the flying batmobile. His retractable claws instantly activating as he clung to the side of the truck. The wind blew rapidly against him as the truck began to gain speed. He looked to his right to see a group of white cars speeding behind the truck, their red and blue lights flashing in the night. The dark knight’s focus was brought back to the truck as it began to lurch to the left, getting dangerously to the guard rail. Terry quickly grabbed the edge of the truck and brought himself to the top of the trailer. The electromagnetic soles in his boots quickly activated as he stood on top of the trailer. He quickly ducked as a lamp post whizzed overhead. The dark knight crawled on the surface of the metal trailer. He crawled to the link that connected the truck to the trailer and pointed his right wrist at the link. A long orange laser shot from his wrist and hit the link, slowly severing the trailer. -CLUNK!- “What was that?” one of the masked men in the truck looked out the window to see their trailer disconnecting with the truck. “The Bat’s messing with the cargo!” the masked man yelled. “Stupid Batman! When I get my hands on him I’ll-“ -SLAM!- “You’ll do what?” the dark knight said as he stood on the hood of the truck. “I’m all ears.” His white eyes went wide as the driver took out a large rocket launcher and pointed it at the dark knight. “Say goodnight Batfreak!” -FSHOOM!- Terry quickly leaped out of the way as the rocket crashed through the windshield and into the air. The truck was filled with the rockets smoke, the grey smoke blowing out through the shattered windshield and the open windows. The masked men coughed and hacked, waving their hands in front of their faces to get the smoke away. The smoke finally cleared, but they weren’t out of the woods yet. The men screamed as their truck began to near a turn on the highway. At the speed they were going, they couldn’t turn in time. The masked driver slammed his foot on the breaks, lurching the truck forward. They screamed as the truck crashed through the stone guard rail, launching the truck into the night air and falling to the Gotham floor. -CLICK!- -GRRRR!- The masked men opened their eyes to see them floating over the sleeping Gotham. One of the masked men blinked, looking at his hands in unbelief. The second masked man looked out his window and gasped in horror. Flying over the white truck was the Batmobile. Its slick metal frame shone under the neon lights of Gotham City. A long black cord hung from the black vehicle and was attached to the back of the truck, holding it in place. One of the masked men aimed his pistol at the cord, but was stopped instantly by one of his friends. The ship began to fly around and back to the highway where multiple police guards stood in ready to take down the crooks if they tried to shoot. One the truck landed back on the highway, the black cord snapped and the Batmobile flew away, leaving the reluctant crooks to surrender to the massive amount of police that surrounded them. “Hope those kids play nice.” Terry said on his communicator as he piloted the ship back to Wayne Manor. “Terry, we have a visitor.” The old man’s voice responded. “Yeah I’m coming back Wayne.” Terry said as he flew. “So, who’s the visitor? Commissioner?” “Superman.” … … … “Oh.” < * / * \ * > The dark cave that was under the large house known as Wayne Manor was quiet. The lights that illuminated the cave known as the Bat Cave were flickering on and off. The soft hum of an engine from outside woke up the bats that hung upside down on the ceiling. The batmobile flew into the quiet cave, scaring a few bats that began to fly off into the night. The cockpit slid opened and out jumped the Dark Knight himself. Terry looked around the cave in confusion. It wasn’t unusual to see the batcave empty, but the destroyed bat computer told a different story. The dark knight walked around the quiet cave with a batarang in hand. Something felt wrong and he didn’t like it. -CRASH!- Terry looked up. The sound came from upstairs. He jogged over to the stairs that lead to the house, ignoring the trashed equipment that was scattered across the stony floor. The dark knight shoulder charged the door, crashing through the secret entrance that was in Wayne Manor. He rubbed his shoulder and looked around the quiet library in the house. His white eyes went wide as he walked out of the library and into the main hall of the massive manor. Lying on the ground were two bodies. One was clad in silver armor. The black wings that were on the unconscious body looked like they were broken in several places. Blood trickled down from his mouth, creating as small pool around his head. The other body was a female. Her seaweed green one piece swimsuit was ripped and torn. Her silver hair was tainted with the blood from her head. “Warhawk and Aquagirl!” Terry whispered in shock. “Bruce!” “TERRY!” The dark knight sprinted into a scene that shocked him to no words. In the center of the room were four people. A small child in a green suit was unconscious on the ground, his suit torn in many places. A woman in a red suit stood over an old man, protecting him from the large man in a pure black suit with white accents. She gritted her teeth as she tried to push back the man’s strength. The man tossed the woman away, watching her fly away. He was about to grab the old man when a batarang slashing him on his arm. The man held his arm in pain and glared at where the object came from, his red eyes glowing in the dark. “Show’s over, Superman.” The dark knight yelled as he tossed another batarang at the man known as superman. A beam of red shot out from the man’s eyes and incinerated the object in mid-air. “No, dark knight,” Superman turned to face Terry. The dark knights eyes went wide as he realized the mastermind behind this. On the man’s chest was a large purple and white starfish-like alien. Its red eye glared at the dark knight. “It’s only just begun!” -BZZZMMM!- Terry gasped as a beam of heat shot from Superman’s eyes. The beam shot the dark knight right in the chest and caused him to crash back into the library. Books and wood buried him as bookshelves fell to the floor. Terry groaned as he got to his feet. The suit protected him from the blast with only smolder coming off of his chest. “GRAAAH!” the dark knight barely dodged Superman fist as it smashed into where he was before. He ducked as a fist waved over his head, scratching the tops of his bat ears. He quickly back flipped out of the way as Superman smashed his fists into the ground. The dark knight reached into the back of his belt to grab something. He sidestepped a beam of heat and tossed a bunch of small black pellets at Superman’s face. The pellets exploded once they got close enough, blinding the man of steel. Terry rushed over to the stunned superhero and kicked him with all his might in the chest, right on Starro himself. The neuromuscular amplifiers in the suit caused the kick to have more power. -CRASH!- The man of steel crashed through the window of the library. Shards of glass and metal fell to the ground and shattered into more pieces. Terry breathed heavily. He knew that wouldn’t stop him, but it would slow him down. The dark knight quickly rushed into the main room. He jogged over to the old man that was leaning on a chair for support. The old man wore a dark black suit and tie. It was noticeably torn and ripped, but it was still in one piece. The dark knight ran over to the old man and held him up for support. “Bruce, are you ok?” Terry asked with concern. “What happened?” “It’s a long story.” Bruce Wayne glared at the dark knight. “You know that won’t stop him.” “It wasn’t supposed to. It was just to slow him down.” Terry softly sat down the hurt man. -CRASH!- A large hole was created on the ceiling, sending debris to fall to the ground. Terry quickly shielded the old man from the falling debris with his back. The smoke cleared to reveal the man of steel himself. His eyes were glowing red with rage as they glared at the dark knight. Batman quickly activated his rocket boots. He stretched out his arms which now had two red wings under them. He quickly grabbed the small silver box that was on Big Barda’s belt and flew off. Superman was hot on the dark knight’s trail. They turned into the library and flew down the secret entrance to the cave. -BZZZMMM!- “GAH!” -CRASH!- -Tumble- -Tumble- -Tumble- Terry winced in pain as he tumbled to a stop on the stony floor. His back felt like it was on fire even though the suit absorbed most of the heat. Smolder rose from his back and into the air. Reluctantly, the dark knight began to pull himself off the ground, retracting his red and black wings so they don’t get damaged. -BZZZMMM!- The dark knight quickly rolled away as a beam of heat exploded on where he was before. He quickly flipped to his feet and stood in a combat stance. He jumped to the side as another beam whizzed by him. With a battle roar, Superman rushed at the dark knight, his hands clenched into fists. Terry quickly dodged two blows. A third blow barely grazed the side of his face. The dark knight swatted away the fist with his arm and punched the man of steel right in the chest, stunning Starro for a mere second. He leapt backwards, dodging another beam of heat, and landed on the bat computer console. Superman rushed at the dark knight, rage in his eyes. The dark knight looked over the enraged super being to see the vault opened behind him, the dark knight’s prize sitting in a lead suitcase. Terry quickly jumped over the man of steel's fist. He planted two plastic explosives on his shoulders and jumped off. -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BOOM!- Terry shielded himself from the explosion and ran over to the vault. The yell of an angered alien made sweat form on the dark knight’s brow as he tore open the metal suitcase. There, glowing a faint green was the only thing that could remotely stop Superman. The dark knight quickly put the crystal into the barrel of a silver pistol that was within the box and sheathed it on his belt. -BZZZMMM!- “GAH!” The dark knight slammed into the back of the vault. His chest was smoldering with smoke. He groaned in pain and looked up to see Superman towering over him. Before he could block, the man of steel grabbed him by the collar and tossed him to the batmobile. The suit absorbed the damage but that didn’t mean it protected the flying vehicle from getting dented. Terry looked up to see the man of steel slowly walking over to him, his eyes glowing red. Starro glared at the dark knight and almost chuckled at his untenable demise. -Click!- -BOOM!- A large while flash illuminated the cave. Starro turned around to see a large, tube like portal appear behind him. The sound of air being sucked into the boom tube could be heard throughout the room. Superman turned to face the dark knight. He froze as Terry pointed a silver pistol at the man of steel. Starro stood there, confused as the dark knight got to his feet, his eyes narrowed at the man of steel. “You think a bullet could stop me!?” Starro said through Superman. “I possess the strongest being this planet has to offer!” “Yeah, but you also have their weaknesses too.” The glow of the green crystal could be seen from the pistol’s barrel. Starro began to back up as the radiation from the kryptonite began to make Superman feel weak. “What’s the matter, scared of a bullet?” Superman fell backwards. He began to crawl away as Terry walked closer. He stopped as he realized he was getting closer to the boom tube. Starro’s red eye began to get wide as the dark knight got closer, the radiation making Superman groan in pain. The red eye narrowed as he saw the silver box in the dark knights other hand. Superman’s eyes began to glow red. -BZZZMMM!- The mother box exploded in the dark knight’s hand. He waved his hand in pain, the smolder disappearing in the air. His white eyes went wide as the boom tube began to get larger. The normal white portal began to glow red as it started to go into overload. Terry quickly sheathed the gun as the boom tube began to suck up everything. Dust and dirt began to get sucked into the massive portal to wherever. Superman tried to fly away, but the force was too strong. He slammed his fists into the ground, hoping that he doesn’t get pulled. Terry dug his claws into the ground as the pull got stronger. He looked up to see a large stalactite slam into his chest. He quickly dug his claws into the ground, the wind making him grind closer to the portal. The dark knight looked behind him to see Superman being sucked into the portal, disappearing into the red light. Terry tried to claw his way away from the portal, dirt and dust almost blinding him. -Crumble- -Crumble- Terry’s grip soon loosened. He tried to shoot out a grapple but the boom tube was too strong. He yelled out for help but it was useless. Soon, the dark knight was engulfed by the light of the boom tube and was sucked in. the bright portal began to flash and suddenly, it disappeared. Dust and dirt fell back to the ground once the portal disappeared. The Dark Knight was nowhere to be found. < * / * \ * > The chilly wind of fall blew in the quiet city. It was a cold night in the busy city that hung below the glow of the large white moon in the sky. The dark city was quiet, not unusual in the night. But the street lights on the quiet streets of Manehattan plus the lights from some of the tall skyscrapers indicated that there were still people awake at night. The starry sky bathed the quiet city in a faint light. Police ponies could be seen patrolling the streets of the sleeping city, looking for any crime to bust. But there was usually no one outside at this late night other from a few red light district mares. The only sound that could be heard in this night was the quiet sounds of taxi’s still running. The soft sound of a boom could be heard in the distance, but it was just a stray cat falling into a dumpster. -Clop- -Clop- -Clop- -Clop- The soft sound of hooves on the cobblestone floor echoed faintly in the night. In the center of an empty street was a young Pegasus. Her butter yellow fur and pink hair stood out in the all grey streets of Manehattan. Fluttershy was running for dear life. Her wings hugged her petite form in fear of what she was running away from. She was clearly lost in the massive city and forgot where the hotel was. The petite mare ran into a dark alley and slowed down. She remembered this alley as it was a shortcut to the hotel. But it looked better in the morning. The shy mare slowly walked down the dark alley with fear in her heart. The alley was fairly dirty. Bags of garbage and filled up garbage cans littered the dirty alley. Steam seeped through a sewer cover and into the dark air. Fluttershy slowly walked down the alley, avoiding the trash and paper that blew in the chilly wind. The Pegasus snuggled the green and yellow scarf on her neck and continued to walk. It would’ve been better if she could fly, but her right wing was slightly hurt. -Clatter!- “Eep!” Fluttershy jumped on top of a large dumpster. She hastily looked around for the noise. The frightened mare smiled as a small cat jumped out of a trash can. “Oh hello there.” -Mew!- “You scared me little guy!” Fluttershy smiled. She jumped off the dumpster and onto the cobblestone floor. “Are you lost too?” -Mew!- “So am I.” Fluttershy sat in front of the small kitten. “I would’ve found my way back, but I hurt my wing. Plus I’m no flyer like Rainbow Dash. But at least now I have company!” -HISS!- Fluttershy got up quickly. She wasn’t expecting the small kitten to hiss at her. The mare began to back up as the cat hissed and clawed at the air. Fluttershy froze as she backed up into something behind her. She turned around to see a tall stallion in a black coat grinning at her, mostly at her flank. Fluttershy sheepishly backed away, her eyes in fear of what the stallion was thinking. The dark covered stallion licked his lips as he took a step closer. “What’s a beautiful mare such as yourself doing out here so late?” the stallion grinned. Fluttershy backed up into a wall and froze. “Don’t be scared. I’ll be gentle. I don’t want to ruin that lovely face of yours.” Fluttershy screamed but was quickly silenced by the stallion slamming his hoof on her mouth. “C’mon lady, I don’t bite.” -CRACK!- “OW!” Fluttershy kicked the stallion away and began to run deeper into the alley. The sound of a second set of hooves made her run faster. She twisted and turned down alleys, almost slipping on a shattered bottle of alcohol. But her chase was soon cut short when the petite mare ran into a dead end. She turned to see the stallion standing at the only way out, blood dripping down from his muzzle. He was clearly agitated but grinned as he realized that she was trapped. Fluttershy tried desperately to back away but her rump just hit the cold brick wall behind her. She shook as the stallion was getting closer, his hot breath visible in the cold night air. “Tch, stupid bitch! When I’m done with you, you’re not going to be sitting anytime soon!” -WHIIISH- -SHINK!- The stallion stood in his place. A dark red and black blade struck the ground in front of him, almost cutting the stallions hoof. The stallion looked up onto the rooftops to see where the blade came from. his eyes turned into pinpricks as he stared at a figure that stood on top of the building. It was in all black and had a large silver belt on its waist. Two long black horn-like ears stuck up from its head. Its eyes were completely white like the moon. Its figure wouldn’t have been able to see in the night sky if it weren’t for the large red insignia on its chest. “It’s a school night kids,” the figure spoke. “Shouldn’t you two be in bed?” Author's Note This has been in my head for a while now. Since no one made a Batman Beyond story, I decided to be the guy. I usually try to stray away from making stories like this because I fear of the DC fandom. Even though me myself is part of set fandom. But, here it is folks! Hope you enjoy! Feedback/Criticism would be greatly appreciated! Edited by The Valyard! Thanks buddy! Issue #1Five minutes earlier… -BOOM!- A loud boom echoed throughout the quiet night in Manehattan. Most would mistake the sound for a cat that just fell into a dumpster, but it was much louder on the top of one of the tall buildings in the quiet city. A bright white glow could be seen on top of the building from a distance, resembling a large flashlight. The boom tube portal opened and a dark figure shot out. The figure slammed onto the ground due to the world’s gravity and tumbled closer to the edge before stopping. The light from the bright boom tube illuminated the black body, showing off its silver belt that was around its waist and the red bat symbol that was on its chest. The boom tube began to flash as the portal was becoming unstable. It soon disappeared into the night, leaving no trace of its existence in this world. The white eyes of the dark knight began to slowly open. He rubbed his head as he got up to his knees. His eyes went wide as he began to remember the earlier events. The dark knight quickly checked his belt, just to sigh as he found the silver gun still sheathed where he left it. Terry groaned and got to his feet. He scanned his surroundings and paused. The white eyes on the dark knight went wide as he looked at the buildings that spanned the plain before him. He wasn’t unfamiliar with tall buildings in Gotham, but these seemed too old. The street lights illuminated the many roads that went across the sleeping city. The yellow glow of the lights collided with the starry sky that hung over the massive city. Terry looked in marvel at the large moon that bathed the city in its glow. “Looks like New York.” Terry said to himself. “But it seems… older.” The dark knight stood and watched the city, the cool wind of fall blowing onto him. He was about to contact the batcave when he heard a scream. Terry quickly ran to where he heard the sound. He looked over the edge of the building to see a figure running down a dark alley. The figure looked small and wore a yellow and pink jacket. But behind the figure was another. The second figure slowly chased after the supposed girl. The dark knight quickly jumped off the building. His retractable red wings stretched out from under his arms as he glided in the night air. He continued to watch the girl twisting and turning down many alleys. His rocket boots activated as he saw the dead end the girl was going to run in. Terry narrowed his white eyes as he landed on the building that was close to the dead end. He retracted his wings and sprinted on the grey building. The dark knight quickly reached into his belt and held a red and black batarang. He could literally feel the girls fear as she walked into the dead end. He stopped at the edge of the building, standing over the girl that was pinned in the dark alley. He watched as the man began to walk over to the girl, anger and pleasure in his eyes. -WHIIISK!- -SHINK!- Terry watched as the dark figured man directed his eyes to him on the building. The dark figures eyes went into pinpricks as he saw the dark knight standing there. He could see the figure shaking in fear as he looked at the dark knight. “It’s a school night kids,” Terry smiled. “Shouldn’t you two be in bed?” The dark knight jumped from where he was standing. He landed right in front of the yellow and pink…. Pony!? Terry looked over his shoulder at the frightened pony he thought was a girl. His white eyes grew in size as he looked at the pony. Her, at least he thought it was a her, was much smaller than him. The pony’s height only went up to his waist, though it was much smaller since it was shaking in fear of the dark knight. Her coat was a soft yellow and her mane was a soft pink. Terry blinked as he swore he just saw the pony have wings. Sure, the dark knight has seen weird things, but not a pastel coloured pony. The dark knight looked back at the man just to have the same reaction. In front of him was a fear induced stallion. Again, at least he thought it was a stallion. It was wearing a black trench coat and had a dark black mane. Its fur was covered by the jacket it wore. “W-Who, or what, the buck are you?” the stallion stuttered. Terry couldn’t believe it. Not only was he protecting a pastel pony from a stallion, but it actually talked to him. He began to rub his head in pain. Everything wasn’t making any sense. Ponies, if not all animals, shouldn’t be able to talk. Then again, he remembered about the aliens he’s seen over the years. “Take a hike and get out of here,” Terry glared at the scared stallion. “Or the next one’s going in your leg.” Terry didn’t like making threats, but it got the job done. The stallion began to run out of the alley, screaming bloody murder. The dark knight looked behind him at the scared mare. She was huddled into a ball and was shaking in fear. Her petite face was covered by her long pink mane. Terry sighed and got down on his knees so he could be at her level. She shook some more, trying to squeeze herself into the brick wall behind her. He raised his hand to comfort her, just to see her squeal in fear. Terry shakily petted the mane on her head, his fingers cutting through her silky mane. The mare began to slow stop shivering as the dark knight petted her, trying desperately to calm her down. The mare sheepishly looked through her mane at the dark knight, her blue eyes meeting the white eyes. “Eep!” the mare quickly hid her face under her mane, causing Terry to sigh. He got back up to his feet and looked up at the sky, preparing to fly off. He looked back down at the mare and sighed, face palming. “Look, I’m not here to hurt you.” Terry couldn’t believe what he was saying. “I know you can understand me, so you’re welcome.” Terry was about to fly off when he heard something. “What was that?” “T-Thank you…” the mare said sheepishly. The dark knight smiled. “Just doing my job.” -BZZZMMM!- “Huh?-“ -SLAM!- -THUD!- Terry winced in pain as he was shot in the chest by a beam. He sat on the stony cobblestone floor, his back against the brick wall. Smolder came off his chest and disappeared into the air. The dark knight looked across the alley to see a group of stallions. they all wore a blue uniform and hat. One of the stallions had a horn that stuck out of his forehead. The horn had smolder rising off of it, an indication of its use. The second one had its wings outstretched, trying to make itself look bigger. The third one was much more petite, probably the mare of the group. She looked at the dark knight in fear and intrigue. The unicorn’s horn began to glow, and indication that the stallion was charging up another blast. “Not on my watch, Charlie.” Terry reached into his belt and grabbed a batarang. -WHIIISK!- -SHINK!- The batarang sliced through the stallion’s horn with ease. It flew over the shocked group and embedded itself into the brick wall in the alley. The horn slowly fell off the stallions head and hit the ground with a soft thunk. Terry winced and got up to his feet. He rubbed the spot where the stallion shot him, sighing in relief that it didn’t tear the suit. He watched as the group stood there for what felt like hours. The hornless unicorn looked at his severed horn and then to his forehead. His scream of pain caused Terry and the group to cover their ears. The stallion fell to the ground, crying in pain. His screams and cries caused the city to come to life. Lights from within buildings began to spring on as the city wondered what was going on. “GRAAAHH!!!” the Pegasus stallion roared in anger and charged at Terry in rage. -SLAM!- “Ooph!” The dark knight was shoulder charged into the abdomen. The enraged Pegasus pinned the dark knight onto the wall, the impact pushing the air out of Terry’s lungs. The Pegasus stepped back from the stunned man and reeled his forehoof back. Terry quickly caught the hoof in the air and kicked the angry Pegasus away. The stallion landed on his hooves, the metal horseshoes grinding on the cobblestone floor. The Pegasus roared and charged at the dark knight, pure hatred in his eyes. Terry dodged two blows. He tried to kick the stallion away, but the Pegasus knew this time. Instead, the Pegasus ducked under the dark knight’s leg and twirled around. His two back legs shot out and kicked the dark knight in the chest. Terry slammed into the brick wall. He groaned in pain as he struggled to stay on his feet. The dark knight looked up to see the stallion rushing at him again. His white eyes narrowed as he quickly jumped over the incoming hoof. He landed on his hands and back flipped onto his feet. Before the stallion could react, Terry kicked his right in to the wall. -SLAM!- -THUD!- The stallion fell to the ground. His head was bleeding and he was unconscious. The dark knight sighed. He looked over to the petite yellow mare and frowned. She was horrified at the spectacle. Her eyes were locked with the stallion that lost his horn. Terry looked over to the stallion to see him getting back up onto his hooves. He shakily walked over to the batarang that was embedded into the cobblestone floor. -SHINK!- The stallion glared at the dark knight with hate. He held the batarang in his hoof, an impossible feat to an animal with no hands. Terry backed away from the mad stallion. He looked back at the frightened mare and then at the stallion. The dark knight stood his ground and got into a combat stance, beckoning for the stallion to come. The stallion ran at the dark knight, his eyes locked with the white eyes of the Batman. Terry quickly blocked the batarang that was in the stallions hoof. The stallion swung madly with the batarang, determined to cut the dark knight. Terry continued to block, the blade on the batarang making small cuts on his forearms. The stallion tried to attack again, but his fore hoof was caught in mid-air. Terry grabbed his foreleg with both hands. He slammed the stallion into the brick wall and let go. The stallion fell to the ground with a thud, clearly unconscious. The dark knight looked over to the third member of the group just to see the mare run away. He turned to the scared yellow mare and bent down. “We have to get out of here,” Terry ordered. “She’s probably going to get more.” Terry scooped up the frightened mare. “B-But… Eep!” the frightened mare shook as the red and black retractable wings shootout. Terry grinned. “Hold on!” The mare compiled by wrapping her hooves around his neck. -FSHOOOM!- The dark knight’s rocket boots shot the duo into the air. They flew up over the building and hovered for a moment. The dark knight’s white eyes went wide as he scanned the area. A group of Pegasus were flying over to them, their uniforms matching the ones that Terry already fought. He curved around in the air and flew past them, stunning them for a moment. The sounds of their wings flapping were an indication that they were following him. The dark knight and the sheepish mare twisted and turned around buildings. No matter what Terry did, he couldn’t lose the determined ponies that chased him. He banked around and flew straight at them. The ponies slowed to a stop and quickly split up to avoid the speeding red and black dark knight. The butter yellow mare tried to say something, but was too scared. -BZZZMMM!- -BZZMMM!- -BZZZMMM!- Terry whizzed around as beams of energy was shot at him. He dodges two beams and barely avoided the third. The dark knight looked to see more of those ponies stationed on the rooftops, trying to shoot him down. His white eyes went wide as a lavender colored beam got dangerously close to him, aimed at his chest. Terry quickly flipped around and held the yellow mare tightly and he braced for impact. “GAAHH!” Terry took the beam straight on his back. The suit absorbed most of the hit, but the blow caused his to let go of the yellow mare. The mare began to fall from the sky, her screams echoing in the quiet city. The dark knight gasped as he saw the mare leave his grip and fall from the sky. He ignored the pain of the beam and flew after the falling mare. His red wings retracted back into his suit as he put his arms to his side. Gravity shot him down like a bullet as he tried to grab the falling mare, his white eyes narrowed to catch her. The yellow mare looked at the dark knight and tried to stick out her hoof. Terry stuck out his arm and tried to reach for her hoof. He activated his rocket boots to give him more of a thrust. Suddenly, a cyan colored blur flew past him and took the yellow mare. The blur left a long rainbow streak as it banked around. Terry quickly pointed his legs down and slowed to just a hover. He landed on top of an empty building and watched the rainbow streak. The blur brought his attention to the building that was across from his. On top of the building across from the dark knight were four ponies. The first one was a lavender color. Her dark purple mane blew in the cool wind. A long pink streak ran through the mare’s mane. Her violet eyes were locked on the dark knight, filled with intrigue and determination. The second pony was a light orange with a tied up blonde mane. Her brown Stetson hat blew in the wind. The third pony was all pink. The dark knight raised an eyebrow as the pony was literally hopping on her spot. The last pony was a marshmallow white color with an indigo mane. Her blue eyes almost glowed in the night light. the rainbow streak landed next to the ponies. It revealed a cyan colored Pegasus with a multicolored mane, one of which Terry wouldn’t have believed if he wasn’t looking at the group of pastel ponies. The group all looked at the dark knight with one thing in mind: To take him down. Author's Note Wow! So many favourites in one day! I'm not even that good but apparently all you guys beg to differ! Thank you all for this! I hope you enjoy the coming issues as much as you like this! Next Issue: Terry McGinnis vs. The Mane Six! Edited by The Valeyard! Thanks you! Issue #2The cool night of Manehattan was bristling with activity. The once quiet city was awakened by the sound of an ear piercing scream. No one knew where it came from, but they knew that someone was in pain. Police ponies were now flying around the skies in search for something. Most of the lights from within buildings were now turned on as ponies looked out their windows to look for what caused all this activity. A lavender unicorn ran across the roofs of buildings. Behind the mare were three other ponies. One was an orange colour and had a tied up blonde mane. She ran beside the purple mare with determination in her emerald eyes. The second was all pink and was literally hopping behind the speedy duo. The last mare was a snow white colour with a curled indigo mane. The four jumped over an alley as they continued to follow the long rainbow streak that flew across the sky. “With all these police ponies outside,” Twilight Sparkle said as they trailed the rainbow streak. “Whatever made Fluttershy scream must've been big.” “Police said that it was some sorta creature,” Applejack began to slow down as they saw the rainbow streak curve around. “Nothin’ like they’ve ever seen before.” “*Gasp!* What if it’s an alien?” Pinkie Pie squealed. “We could throw it a party!” “Considering it tried to fillynap Fluttershy, I doubt it darling.” Rarity smiled. Her smile faded as she noticed Twilight and Applejack standing at the edge of the building, completely frozen. “Something wrong darling?” “What…” “In tarnation’s…” “Is that?” The two other ponies caught up to the shocked duo. Their expressions mirrored theirs as they looked at what they were staring at. In the centre of the building across from theirs was a tall dark figure. Its white eyes stared at the group with surprise. Around its waist was a silver belt. Two long black ears stuck out from the top of the figures head, almost making it look like a demon. Rainbow Dash finally landed next to the group. Fluttershy got out of the rainbow ponies hooves and looked at the figure in the centre of the rooftop. Of all the things the main six have seen, they have never seen such a monster such as what stood in front of them. The bright moon in the sky shone down on the figure, revealing the large red symbol on its chest. The cool wind of fall began to blow, making it feel like they've been standing there forever. “What is that thing?” Twilight said in barely a whisper. Even though she was scared, she was also interested to learn more about the dark figure. “That’s the thing that tried to fillynap Fluttershy!” Rainbow glared at the creature. She flared out her wings so she looked larger to it. “A-Actually-“ “Maybe we could try talking to it.” Twilight suggested. “Screw that!” Rainbow yelled. “No one tries to fillynap my friends and gets away with it!” Rainbow flew towards the dark knight, revenge in her eyes. The dark knight narrowed his eyes as he waited for her to get closer. Terry quickly sidestepped the angered Pegasus. Rainbow landed on her hooves and slid to a stop. He turned to face the cyan mare and got into a combat stance. Rainbow Dash growled and rushed at him. The dark knight quickly blocked two blows and dodged the third. Her hoof was caught in mid-air, stopping her in her tracks. She tried to use her other forehoof but it was caught also. Terry smiled and slammed his forehead into hers. Rainbow stumbled backwards, clearly dazed. The dark knight took this to an advantage and kicked the mare backwards. Rainbow quickly recovered and rushed at him, pure hate in her magenta eyes. Batman quickly dodged the mare’s fury of blows. He caught another blow and punched the mare right in the gut. The neuromuscular amplifier caused the punch to have more strength. Rainbow fell to the ground, clutching her gut in pain. Applejack jumped from the building and tackled the dark knight. They both fell to the ground, the farmer mare on top. Terry winced as the mare began to punch him repeatedly in the face. He grabbed the mare’s forehooves, straining under the mare’s resistance. Terry was surprised on Applejack’s strength. He placed a foot on the mare’s chest and kicked upwards. Applejack flew up and landed on her hooves. Batman quickly got up and beckoned for the mare to come. Applejack smiled and rushed at the dark knight. Batman grinned and didn’t move. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Rainbow was getting up, rage in her eyes. She began to rush at the dark knight with rage. His rocket boots quickly activated once Applejack twirled around. -CRACK!- Terry shot up in the air before Applejack could buck him in the chest. He looked down to see the farmer mare’s back hooves hit Rainbow Dash right in the face, launching her backwards. He landed right in front of the shocked farmer mare and punched her right in the face. “THAT’S ENOUGH!” -BZZZMMM!- Terry quickly back flipped away from a magic bolt. He looked up to see Twilight and Rarity standing on the rooftop across from his. He reached to the back of his belt and grabbed two batarangs, not leaving his gaze off the two mares. He glanced around the building in confusion. “Where did the pink one go?” Terry said to himself. -POW!- “Hm?” -SPLAT!- The dark knight quickly dodged a cake from hitting him. He glanced across the rooftop to see Pinkie Pie putting another cake into a cannon. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. He didn’t even know what he was looking at. The mare glanced at the confused man and waved. She then pulled a string that was attached to the cannon. -POW!- Terry dodged another cake and tossed a batarang at the cannon. The sharp blade embedded itself into of the cannon. Pinkie looked at it in confusion. She gasped as a red light turned on and began to blink. “Party’s over.” Terry said to himself. -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BOOM!- “YOU RUFFRIAN!” “R-Rarity don’t!-“ Fluttershy tried to plead to the white unicorn but it was no use. Rarity jumped from the top of the building and onto Terry’s. She glared daggers at the dark knight. Her white horn began to glow a soft light blue as she charged up her magic. Terry tossed a batarang at the mare. Rarity gasped and stepped to the side, but the blade sliced off some of her indigo mane. The two stood in silence. Applejack rubbed her head and glanced at the scene. Her emerald eyes turned into pin pricks as she saw a piece of Rarity’s mane on the ground. Rainbow and Twilight gasped in shock. Rarity shakily glanced down at the piece of her mane on the ground. Her sapphire eyes locked onto Terry’s white eyes. Terry took out another batarang and stood his ground. He could literally feel the rage building inside the marshmallow mare. Rainbow grinned and chuckled. “You’re dead now, freak.” “I’ve been told that many times.” Applejack and Twilight gasped as they heard the dark knight talk. “You can talk?” Twilight asked. -BZZZMMM!- Batman quickly dodged the gigantic beam of magic that shot out of Rarity’s horn. The beam managed to graze his right arm. He looked at his arm to see a large tear on the suit. The red interior glowed in the night. Terry held his arm in pain, feeling the hot energy of the bolt begin to burn his skin. He dodged as another beam almost hit him. He back flipped away from another beam and landed on top of a water tower that was on the roof. Terry quickly reached into his belt and took out a circular blade. The saw hummed to life once he activated it. The dark knight sliced through the side of the wooden tower. Water broke through the wood and landed on the enraged Rarity. The mare screamed as she was drenched in the cold water. “Time to cool off.” Terry jumped off the tall tower and stood in the center of the building. He glanced over at Twilight and paused. She was the only one that didn’t attack. “Why did you attack Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. She wanted to jump down but was scared of getting too close. “I didn’t attack her, I saved her.” Terry glanced over his shoulder to see Rainbow and Applejack getting up. “Bullshit!” Rainbow growled. “If you saved her, then why the buck did you attack those cops and attack us?” “Self defense.” Terry looked back at Twilight. “You can ask her yourself. She was there.” Twilight looked over at her frightened friend. Her gaze was moved when she saw a large group of police ponies flying over to them. -POMPH!- Twilight’s turned around to see a puff of grey smoke where the dark figure was. She raised an eyebrow in confusion but her expression was turned into shock once the smoke cleared. Three buildings away was the dark knight. He was much faster than even she thought was possible for the mysterious figure. Before she could call for it to stop, a long rainbow streak flew off after it. Twilight looked from Fluttershy to the fleeing figure. She stomped her hoof in frustration and galloped after the duo. Even though she knew she couldn’t catch up, the alien would have to stop eventually. Fluttershy watched as Applejack got up and chased after her, determined to take out the creature. Terry sprinted across the rooftops of buildings. He jumped over alleys with ease and continued to run. The sounds of wing beats made he glance over his shoulder to see a cyan bullet on collision course for him. Behind the cyan bullet were the lavender pony and the orange mare. He glanced back at Rainbow Dash and winked. Rainbow clenched her teeth and flew up closer to him. Terry glanced forward and grinned. He skidded to a stop, letting Rainbow fly completely past him. She looked back in confusion. Terry pointed ahead of her, causing her to look back at where she was flying. Her jaw dropped as she looked to where the dark figure was pointing at. -SLAM!- “Appropriate use of a billboard.” Terry watched at the rainbow haired mare slammed straight into a billboard. The Pegasus fell to the ground with a thud. -THADUM!- A large spotlight shone onto the dark knight. He covered his white eyes and looked around in horror. On each of the buildings around him were more ponies in uniform. Some were flying in the air, creating a perimeter around the dark knight. Others stationed themselves on the roofs, their horns pointed at Terry. More lights were shone down on the Batman as more of the ponies decided to file in on the rooftop, completely surrounding the dark knight. He looked around for an opening, spotting only one but it would be incredibly risky. The orange mare and the lavender unicorn soon joined in on the large group that surrounded the dark knight. Terry stood in a combat stance, but instead opted to just standing still and raising his arms in the air. The group of ponies still surrounded him, not moving an inch. Rainbow Dash began to get to her hooves and watched the spectacle that was happening on the building. More spotlights began to shine down on the dark knight, making sure that they won’t lose him in the dark. “What’s that in his right hoof?” Raindow asked. Batman smiled and threw the smoke pellet and a flash bang on the ground. The bright flash caused everyone to shield their eyes as the smoke masked his trail. The smoke began to clear, showing nothing but the bare rooftop of the building. ... ... ... “But… How?” Twilight gasped. She stood in silence as the police began to fan out and search for the missing creature. Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof on the ground and flew off, joining the search. “Slippery critter ain’t it?” Applejack whistled as she walked up to Twilight. Twilight merely stared at where the dark figure was and then back at the billboard. “C’mon Sugarcube, let’s get back to the police station and maybe Fluttershy can give us some answers.” “Y-Yeah, alright.” Twilight turned around and began to walk away with her friend. < * / * \ * > “Where the hell am I?” Terry stood atop one of the tall buildings of Manehattan. He clicked a button on his belt and turned off the cloaking device he had on. The cool wind of fall blew on him as he gazed down at the city. The sun began to rise over the horizon, indicating that morning was coming. He looked at the tear on his arm and sighed. He didn’t know where he was, or even if he was still in the same universe. But one this was for sure that whatever these were, they didn’t like him. The rainbow one was loyal to her friends, too loyal that she tried to fight for their safety. But the lavender one reminded him of a scientist discovering a new creature. If anything, he was the creature here. Terry sat down on the ledge of the building, letting his legs dangle over the edge. He watched as he saw the uniformed ponies searching for him. He sighed and got up. For now he needed a place to stay and hide or he’s going to be running forever. He pressed a button on his belt, activating the cloak. He’s going to have to be more careful since it’s more visible under UV light. The retractable wings outstretched and he jumped off, gliding over the city. He had other things to do than fight colourful ponies. Like finding out where he is. Author's Note Here we go! This is why people must learn to wait! When I read the comments of this story, I was actually surprised about a couple things. 1: That it was on the featured list. and 2: How some people actually liked it. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting all this. But here it is! For all the people who favourite it, I thank you! This shows that sometimes, its not good to just judge a book by its cover. Some people wrote if off because it seems generic. But they never gave it a chance. Sometimes you just have to give things chances! If you don't try new things, then you'll be doing the same thing over and over again! But anyways here's the new chapter/issue. Next Issue: Getting Answers... Issue #3It’s been three days since Terry’s arrival in the strange new world. The city’s been buzzing with life as news began to travel about the dark knight’s arrival. Rumors soon surfaced about him being an extraterrestrial from another planet or a demon that escaped Tartarus. Terry just watched from the rooftops, staying hidden. The police were still searching for him, especially a rainbow maned Pegasus that had a vendetta on the dark knight. The moon shone down on the now sleeping city. Terry kept note of the increasing number of cops on the streets. He ran across the rooftops, looking for some sort of way to find out where he was. He knew he wasn’t on Earth anymore, but he had to find out what force in the universe allowed a kids fantasy to flourish and create a world of pastel ponies. Terry quickly stopped and ducked under the shadow of a billboard. He watched as two police ponies flew overhead. He gave them credit for looking for him. He sighed and jumped off the edge of the building and landing in an empty alley. The smell of trash and sewage almost made him gag if it didn’t remind him of Gotham. Batman quietly walked down the alley, his right hand near his silver belt. The sounds of hooves made him quickly hug the side of the wall, blending in with the shadows. He watched as two police ponies walked down the streets. Terry sighed as the cops turned down the corner. He looked both ways before coming out of the alley. The street light shone down on his dark figure. He walked down the street in silence. The dark knight paused and found what he was looking for. A small wooden newspaper stand stood beside the entrance to a convenience store. He glanced into the dark store to make sure it was closed. Batman grabbed a newspaper and ran back into the alley, hiding in the shadows. “Manehattan Times?” Terry said to himself as he looked on the front page. “So I was right, I am in a New York esque city. Though the name is just stupid.” He continued to read the front page and smirked. WHO IS THE DARK CREATURE? “It’s the dark knight, get it right reporter.” Terry chuckled as he looked on the front page. His white eyes narrowed as he looked at a picture. “They didn’t even get my good side.” “Did someone say something?” Batman quickly dropped the paper and hid under the shadows. A petite mare in police uniform walked into the alley. She looked like a rookie with her mane tied back. Terry watched as the mare walked down the alley, shivering in the cold wind. Terry looked down the entrance of the alley to see that she was alone. She shakily looked around, her golden eyes shooting left and right. The mare sighed to herself and walked out the alley, continuing her rounds on the streets of Manehattan. Batman sighed and shot up to the rooftop. He rolled under a billboard as another group of Pegasi flew by. Terry sprinted across the roofs. He couldn’t fly due to there being too many air patrols and the cloak used too much energy. That only left him with traditional travel. He reached into his belt to get the traditional grappling gun. The dark knight pointed it at a tall building and fired. The grapple impaled itself on the stone wall and Terry jumped. He swung over the streets of Manhattan, careful to avoid any air patrols. He let go of the wire in mid-air performing a vault flip before grabbing a horizontal flag pole. He perched himself on top of the flagpole and watched the police ponies that were looking for him on the ground. His gaze paused at a building as he thought he saw a flash of light from the short buildings sunroof. The building seemed to be made of marble, different from all the other buildings. The front reminded him of the ancient pantheons in Greece he learned from history class. Multiple marble pillars held up the tall front roof. On the front was BANK in gold letters. Batman stretched out his arms. The red and black wings struck out as he jumped off the flagpole. He glided over to the rooftop and landing with a roll. Terry glanced over the edge of the building to make sure he wasn’t seen. He ran over to the glass sunroof and looked over. The white eyes of the bat widened at what he saw. The room within the building looked like it was trashed. A group of guard ponies were tied up in a corner with a piece of cloth in their mouths. Five stallions and some sort of bird-lion hybrid stood at the end of the room, staring at a large metal vault at the end of the marble building. “Alright Falco, crack open the vault.” The griffin nodded and walked over to the vault. He reached into the bag on his back and took out a stethoscope. He put the buds into his ears and placed the diaphragm on the golden vault. -CRASH!- The stallions and the griffin shifted their gaze to the ceiling. The large glass sunroof shattered. The dark knight fell through the shattered glass and landed on the marble floor. The group backed away in fear, recognizing the menacing figure from the newspaper. He rose up from the ground, showing off his full height. The tied up guards were even shocked to see the creature this close. “Isn’t it past your bedtimes?” Terry smirked as the robbers eyes turned into pinpricks. “It can bucking talk!?” one of the stallions whispered. “Doesn’t matter, its interfering with our heist!” the second stallion growled. “Maybe if we take it out, we can get money for saving the city!” “You can try.” Terry got into a combat stance. He beckoned for the group to attack him. One of the stallions looked back at the griffin and motioned for him to continue to unlock the vault. One of the stallions rushed at Terry, his eyes locked onto his white eyes. He quickly sidestepped the stallions blows. The stallion growled and aimed for his head, only to have his hoof caught in mid-air. Terry punched the stallion right in the gut and proceeded to grab the stallions head and slam it right into his knee. The stallion stumbled backwards, completely dazed as Batman kicked him away sending him crashing into a wooden desk. Terry ducked as a stallion with a baseball bat swung at him. He dodges another blow and kicked the stallion away. Reaching into his belt he proceeded to grab a bola, quickly tossing it at the stallion that was charging right at him. The bola’s tied up his hooves, causing the stallion to fall to the ground. The baseball batted stallion charged at the dark knight. He quickly grabbed the metal bat and took it out of his hooves with ease. The stallion grinned and twirled around. His back legs shot out, bucking the dark knight. Terry slammed into a marble wall falling to his knees and groaning. The sound of hooves made him roll away as a set of hooves slammed the position he was once in. Getting up he beckoned the enraged stallion to him. A stallion jumped onto his back and proceeded to wrap his hooves around Terry’s neck to try and strangle him. Terry snapped his head back, hitting the stallions face. He grabbed the stallion’s forelegs and tossed him over his head. The stallion collided with his friend. They both were down for the count. The dark knight sighed and counted the unconscious stallions. He paused as he only counted four, including the tied up one. “Hey freak!” “Huh?” -SLAM!- “Oomph!” A large wooden desk hit Terry in the chest. A green aurora covered the wooden finish in a faint glow. Terry winced. He was pinned to the marble wall. The unicorn stallion walked over to Terry, a grin on his face. Terry looked at the stallion closer. A white bandage was wrapped on his nose. The stallion noticed his gaze and chuckled. “Yeah, that’s right. I’m the guy you stopped from raping that bitch three days ago!” “I spared you.” Terry shifted his gaze at the griffin that just unlocked the vault. “I could’ve done much worse. Besides, you got taken out by a girl. Kind of pathetic don’t you think?” “Buck off!” the stallion spat on Terry’s chest. He took no notice as he watched the griffin open up the vault. His white eyes narrowed. There were invisible tripwires. “You better stop him.” The stallion raised an eyebrow. He followed Terry’s gaze and gasped. “FALCO, NO!” -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BEEP!- Horns began to echo in the large marble bank. Metal bars barricaded the windows. Terry watched as the front door was barricaded. He quickly activated his rocket boots and shot up into the air. His escape plan was cut short as metal bars covered the sunroof. Batman paused and flew down to the panicking stallion. He ignored the stallion and reached into his belt grabbing a bunch of black pellets and tossing them to the ground. Green smoke began to seep out of the pellets. The built in rebreather activated as the green smoke spread out around the building. The knock out gas caused the stallions to fall into a deep sleep. He could hear the sounds of the police coming closer to the building. Terry quickly shot up to the sunroof. He then began to cut through the metal with the laser in his wrist. The severed metal bars fell to the smoky floor. -SLAM!- Terry looked down at the bank. The front door was kicked open. A group of police ponies walked inside. They scanned the area, covering their muzzles with their hooves. They gazed up to see the dark knight finally being free. Terry quickly activated his retractable wings and shot out of the building. Magic beams shot out from the sunroof, aimed at the dark knight. He quickly avoided the beams and flew off. His escape was cut short as Pegasus ponies began to chase him. He flew around a building, determined to lose them. Police ponies stationed on buildings began to shoot at Terry. He dodges a few blasts, almost getting grazed by one. The night was being lit up by multiple beams of magic. A blast of magic shot Terry right in the chest. He lost his balance and flew into a building window. He quickly got up to his feet, wiping away the shards of glass. He was in an office building of sorts. Luckily there were no ponies inside. His recovery was cut short as a bright light shone through the shattered window. He shielded his eyes and looked at the bright light. Two Pegasus held up a large spotlight. They shone it down on the dark knight, making sure they don’t lose him. Terry quickly got up to his feet and sprinted down the large office building. He reached into his belt and tossed a batarang at the light. The bulb shattered, purging the building in darkness. He quickly smashed through a window in the side of a building gliding into the night sky. Pegasi began to fly after him, making sure not to lose him in their sight. His rocket boots shot to life as he flew around the city. The police were now in full force, chasing him from the ground and the air. He quickly flew around the corner of a tall building. His retractable claws grabbed the side of the building. His cloak quickly activating as he placed his back against the wall. The cops flew straight past him, not noticing the two white eyes that watched them. He waited for a bit before turning off his cloak. Terry sighed to himself. He couldn’t keep this up for long. Eventually he’d lose power or empty his belt. His red wings shot out as he jumped off the building. He flew around the corner. -Bump!- “Hey, watch it!” Terry shook his head and looked at what he bumped into. His white eyes widened as in front of him was a cyan furred pony. Her rainbow colored mane blew in the cool wind as she shook her head in frustration. Her magenta eyes turned into pinpricks as she looked at the dark knight. She furrowed her brow. “You!” Terry groaned. “Have to work on my evasive skills.” Terry said to himself. Author's Note Editor: The Valeyard Sorry about this being on the short side! Slightly rushed but here we are! Next Issue: Rainbow Dash vs. The Dark Knight Place your bets on the outcome. I assure you, what will happen none of you would've guessed! Issue #4Applejack yawned to herself. She sheepishly rubbed her eyes and got out of bed. the farmer pony took no mind to the sleeping white mare that slept in the bed beside hers. She opened the door to the room and walked to the kitchen. Her blonde mane hung over her eyes, almost blocking her view as she brushed away the strands of her silky hair and opened up the fridge. Applejack smiled as she grabbed a bottle of cider and closed the fridge. The mare leaned against a wall and opened the bottle with her hooves and smiled as she took a sip of it. The burn of the alcohol woke up her senses. Her ears perked up as she heard a door open. The farmer mare quickly hid the bottle of cider as a purple unicorn came out of her bedroom. “Can’t get any sleep, Twi?” The purple unicorn smiled and yawned. “I’ve read all the books I’ve gotten from the library yesterday.” Twilight walked over to the farmer mare. “The only thing I could find that was remotely close to the creature’s description was a Minotaur. But that thing has no hooves so-“ “Twilight, you’re more determined to find this thing than Rainbow Dash.” Applejack chuckled. “I mean, ever since she stole that police communicator, she’s been going outside every night.” Twilight leaned against a wall. She put a hoof to her chin as she got deep in thought. “What if it is an alien?” … … … “Say what?” Applejack gave her a questionable look. “Well, Fluttershy said she’s never seen a creature like that before. And she’s the animal expert.” Twilight paused. “Or what if it is a demon? We don’t know half of the things in Tartarus.” “I don’t know Twi.” Applejack sighed to herself. “But whatever it is, it still saved Fluttershy.” “Now if only Rainbow Dash could believe that.” Twilight said, glancing at the door that leads into the rainbow pony’s room. < * / * \ * > -FSHOOOM!- Terry flew high in the sky. His rocket boots shot him around the city. He gazed over his shoulder to see the cyan mare still hot on his trail, her magenta eyes locked on the dark knight. He dived down, his red wings cutting through the cool air. Rainbow Dash shot after him. The dark knight quickly flew straight, his chest almost scratching the cobblestone floor. He passed a couple ground police, weaving and flying around them. Rainbow shot past the police with ease, ignoring their protests. No matter what Terry did, he couldn’t lose her. The dark knight shot upwards as he approached a building. He looked down to see that the cyan mare disappeared. His white eyes narrowed as he flew up. He looked at the glass windows, gazing at his reflection. The dark knight’s eyes went wide as he saw a cyan bullet approaching him in the reflection. -CRASH!- The cyan pony slammed into Terry’s back. The duo smashed through the building’s window and into a large office building. Rainbow Dash jumped off the dazed dark knight and slid on her hooves. Terry brushed off the shards of glass and got to his feet. He held his head in pain. He quickly got into a combat stance. His white eyes narrowed. He could’ve sworn he saw her eyes flash. Rainbow grinned and charged at him. The dark knight quickly blocked two blows and countered a third with a punch to the jaw. He rapidly punched her in the gut and proceeded to kick her away. The dark room gave him an advantage as he disappeared into the shadows. Rainbow quickly recovered and looked around the room. Her magenta eyes darted around the room, determined to find the dark knight. “So why do you hate me so much?” Terry said from the shadows. His voice seemed to echo around the room. “I mean, I did save your friend.” “Lies! You were probably going to kill her!” “Really? What’s your proof?” Terry said. “I saved her from getting raped. Just because I might look intimidating, doesn’t mean I’m a demon.” Rainbow stood in her spot. “You’re right.” Terry sighed to himself. He finally got through to her. -THADUM!- “You’re a monster!” The light from the spotlight from outside stunned the dark knight. He shielded his eyes, barely able to see the rainbow maned pony running at him. Rainbow Dash twirled around and kicked the dark knight in the chest with her back legs. -CRASH!- Terry was kicked straight out of the building. His red wings quickly sprung out. He held out his arms and glided against the wind. He gazed over his shoulder to see the enraged cyan Pegasus jump out of the building and fly after him. His rocket boots shot to life, shooting him away from the pony. He dipped and dived onto the cobblestone floor. The dark knight reached into his belt and grabbed a bunch of black pellets. He tossed the smoke pellets to the ground before he hit the floor. Rainbow Dash screamed as she flew straight into the smoke. Terry flew away from the cloud and hovered. He stayed there for what felt like minutes, hoping he didn’t kill her. “GRAAAHHH!” Rainbow shot out of the smoky cloud and tackled Terry in the gut. The two crashed through a wooden billboard landing on top of the stony building. Terry kicked the crazed mare off of him and stood on his feet. He rubbed a small trace of blood from his mouth and glared at the cyan pony. Rainbow charged at him. She tackled the dark knight to the floor and began to punch him in the face. He grabbed her hooves and kneed her in the gut. Rainbow coughed in pain. Terry kicked the cyan mare off of him and got to his feet. Rainbow growled and punched him in the face. She ducked under a fist and punched him in the gut but Terry caught her hoof and punched her twice in the chest. He blocked what would’ve been a haymaker and punched upwards into her jaw. Her head snapped backwards as she stumbled back. Terry kicked her hooves and spun around to kick her right in the side of the face. Rainbow weakly got to her feet. Blood was dripping from her nose. But she still glared at the dark knight with hate. She ran at the dark knight and kicking him right in the chest as Terry stumbled backwards he looked up to see the mare deliver a right hook to his the face. She punched him right in the gut and bucked him backwards. He blocked the mare’s fury of blows. The dark knight ducked under a blow and punched her repeatedly in the gut. She arched forward in pain, coughing up blood. He almost forgot about his own strength and the amplifier in the suit. Terry wrapped his arm around her neck and got her in a sleeper hold. She began to thrash about, trying to escape. Her wings outstretched. The cyan wings hit the dark knight in the side, causing him to let go as Rainbow shot up into the sky. She banked around and flew towards him. The dark knight braced for impact, not knowing that he was standing on a sunroof. -CRASH!- The two smashed through the glass and fell into the large warehouse. They landing on top of a stack of wooden boxes. Terry groaned as he pushed off the couple of crates that had fallen onto him, taking note of the pain in his head and the rest of his body as he sat upwards. He brushed off the random shards of glass and wood and got to his feet. The warehouse was remotely empty. Boxes were stacked up against the walls and in the middle of the room. He didn’t even know he was in the industrial part of the city. He rubbed his shoulder and got off of the destroyed boxes. Terry looked around the room. His gaze stopped as he looked at a pile of boxes that fell over. A cyan hoof stuck out of the pile, unmoving. He rushed over to the buried mare. He quickly began to pull the boxes off of her. Terry paused. Something wasn’t right… -BZZZMMM!- “GAH!” A large green beam shot Terry backwards. He slammed into one of the metal supports that held the warehouse up. The dark knight clenched his chest in pain. Even though only smolder rose from where the blast hit, it still knocked the wind out of him. He gazed upwards. His white eyes went wide. Where the piles of boxes once were was replaced with green fire. The wood burned and crackled in the night. But what stood in the center was what Terry couldn’t believe. A black pony stood in the center of the blaze. One of the fore hooves was a cyan while the other was black with holes in it. Two bug-like wings stuck out of its back. The rainbow mane was now torn and had many holes in it and half of the bug pony’s face was cyan with its magenta eyes while the other half was black and twisted. Two fangs stuck out of the monster’s mouth while its magenta and glowing green eyes glared at the dark knight. Terry got up to his feet and got into a combat stance. The twisted changeling smiled. Terry narrowed his eyes and beckoned for it to come. -BZZZMMM!- Batman quickly dodged the green beam taking out a batarang and tossing it at the twisted creature. The changeling sidestepped the blade and rushed at him uppercutting the dark knight and punching him in the gut. Terry caught its hoof and punched it in the chest. His knee connected with the changeling’s jaw, stunning it momentarily. He took it to advantage and kicked the creature away. The changeling landed on its hooves and charged up another blast. The dark knight back flipped away as a bolt of magic struck where he was before. A box wrapped in a green glow slammed into him. Sending him crashing into a stack of boxes that eventually buried him. The changeling smiled in victory. Terry shot out of the pile of boxes and tackled the changeling to the floor. He punched the creature in the face, determined to at least knock it out. The changeling grabbed both of his fists and mid-air. Its twisted grin grew as he stared into the batmans white eyes. The dark knight looked at the changeling’s hooves to see that they changed into two black hands. The changeling’s arms turned as black as the night. Its face changed into a completely dark face with two glowing green eyes. A tainted red symbol merged on its chest, resembling a bat. Terry flipped away from the shape shifting creature. The creature stood on its hind legs. Two long ears shot out from the creatures head. It stood in full height, the same height as the dark knight. Terry gasped as he realised that the changeling turned into an exact replica of him. The creature beckoned him to come. The dark knight rushed at the clone. The changeling grinned and blocked a blow. It punched the dark knight in the face and kicked him backwards. Terry quickly blocked as the changeling punched him again ignoring the bright lights that shone through the warehouse’s windows and proceeded to counter one of the blows with a kick. The changeling chuckled causing Terry to narrow his eyes as he shoulder charged the creature to the floor. The clone grabbed a fallen pipe and attempted to swipe at him. Terry flipped off of the clone before he could hit him causing the changeling to jump onto its feet and toss the pipe at the dark knight. He hastily dodged the pipe and countered with a batarang in response. the batarang cut the bat clone on its cheek, causing the changeling to wince. It was about to attack the dark knight when the warehouse door was kicked open. A group of police ponies walked into the warehouse to see that everything had caught on fire. The cloned Batman chuckled and flew up to the shattered sunroof. Terry was about to fly off when a flaming box exploded. He looked at the wooden boxes and gasped. WARNING: FLAMMABLE FIREWORKS Terry ran at the cops and tackled them out the flaming building. Fireworks shot out of the ceiling as multiple boxes exploded. The whole building ruptured into a colourful explosion of fireworks and green flames. The other cops that surrounded the building fled in terror as the warehouse exploded. Colorful fireworks shot up into the air, showering the skies in rainbows. Terry stood in silence, watching the spectacle. He gazed at the buildings for any sight of the clone. Before the cops could attack, the dark knight flew off into the sky. He had other things to worry about now. Like the Identity Thief. Author's Note Told you that you wouldn't have guessed right! The plot twist I know! If you haven't realized by now, Beyond Equestria is written in a comic like style. Though some don't like the sound fx, they are there! Though I'm probably going to make a blog post about this, I have to thank all the people who Favorited this and even got it on the featured list! Thanks guys! Next Issue: The Identity Crisis Arc Issue #5 Issue #5 Twilight sat alone in her hotel room. It’s been nearly a week since the creature arrived in Manehattan. She still remembered when she first met it; its tall black form and pure white eyes. It’s menacing height and the symbol on its chest that resembled a bat. Even though Fluttershy said it saved her, Twilight was still determined to discover more about it. She knew that it wasn’t from this land, since no book she’s read had any description of such a bipedal creature. But then it showed its true colours. Ever since Rainbow Dash came back, claiming that the creature attacked her and the firework factories explosion, it’s been pure anarchy. The creature robbed banks, destroyed stores, and even killed a group of cops that tried to attack it. All it said to Twilight was pure lies. It wasn’t self defense; it wanted to kill her friends when it had the chance. This bipedal creature of the night was a demon. She stared at the parchment that was on the desk she sat at. She had no choice but to tell Celestia of its deeds. At first she thought it didn’t go through, but today Applejack told her that a scroll was in the mail with Twilight’s name on it. She didn’t want it to come to this, but it had to be done. My Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle; Your letter surprised me. All the other letters you’ve sent me intrigued me of this creature’s arrival. I was interested to meet this ‘Night Watcher’ as you called it. But your recent letters have changed my view on this suspected alien. I fear I have no choice Twilight. I’ve sent your brother and a large group of Royal Guards to Manehattan. By time you receive this letter, they should be arriving by the train. They know their mission. I’m sorry Twilight, but the creature must be contained. And if it refuses, then Shining Armor knows what he must do. I’m sorry Twilight. Celestia < * / * \ * > The cool wind of fall blew in the dark Manehattan air. There were more patrols around the large city than ever before due to the growing popularity of the alien visitor. But the increased police was for a reason. Three days after the firework factories’ explosion, the dark knight has been seen all across the city. From robbing banks, to destroying buildings, to even killing ponies-- the dark knight has been everywhere. And Terry didn’t like it one bit. Not only was it harder for him to roam the building tops to avoid the cops, but the identity theft has been disguising itself as one of the Elements of Harmony. He learned the group title after sneaking into the local library after hours. The identity thief is known as a Changeling, due to the description he found in a book that resembled what he saw. He hated that there were no computers here, but he had other things to care about. Terry sat in the large two story library. Bookshelves could be seen as far as the eye could see. He sat in front of a large wooden table, even though he hated the chairs, and flipped through the large book on species in Equestria—also something he learned. His white eyes scanned the black text on the pages of the paper. He paused and looked at a paragraph. “’Changeling’s only food source is love. They feed on the love of others through their magic.”’ Terry raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t make any sense. If changeling’s feed on love, then why is this one killing and causing chaos?” “Did somepony say something?” Terry looked up. A small beam of light illuminated the doors of the library. He almost forgot about the security. The dark knight quickly shot a grapple up to the large sunroof on the library and fled the scene. He glanced over his shoulder to see the security pony investigating the book he left. The guard looked up to see nothing but the starry sky of the night. Terry stood atop of a large building, blocks away from the library. His white eyes scanned the busy streets of the quiet city. It seemed that the streets were more active due to a certain event coming up. Nightmare Night as they called it. He ignored the stupid names of everything once he learned that the nation he was in was called Equestria. He quickly ducked into the shadows as two Pegasus flew by. They slowed their flight to scan the roof before flying off. He sighed and peaked his head out of the shadows. The dark knight’s white eyes narrowed as he looked down the street. A small cyan Pegasus with a rainbow mane walked into the local bank. Her magenta eyes looked left and right for any signs of the police. A sly grin crept on the mare’s face as she galloped into the bank. He got near the ledge and shot a grapple at the building across from him. He checked for any cops and smiled. “Hero time.” < * / * \ * > A dark black figure stood in the middle of the large bank of Manehattan. Unconscious bodies of ponies in uniform surrounded his tall form. The dark figure rubbed his wrists and sighed. He glanced at the bank teller at the front, his white eyes burning into hers. The mare cowered behind the wooden table as she was about to press the silent alarm when a dark shadow went over her. The mare looked over her shoulder to see the black figure standing behind her with a large toothy grin. The mare backed away into the wooden table, fear washed on her face. The figure glanced at the button for the silent alarm then back at the mare. He raised his clawed hand in the air, the shadow covering the mare’s face. She quickly closed her eyes, knowing what would happen. “No need to be scared, I won’t hurt you.” The dark figure patted the mare on the head, ruffling her mane. She sheepishly opened her eyes. She almost screamed at his face was mere inches away from hers. “But I need your help with something.” “W-What is it y-you need?” the mare barely stuttered out. The figure frowned. “I’d like to take out a deposit, but it seems that I have forgotten my bank pin.” A large toothy smile covered half of the creatures face. “So, if you would be kind and give me the lock combination to the bank,” he grabbed her by the back of her neck and brought her face closer to his. “I’ll spare you.” “23-25-9!” the mare blurted out. “Please! I have kids!” “Cute. I’ll visit them when I’m done.” The dark figure walked to the back of the bank and towards the vault. ‘And don’t even think of triggering that alarm, or I just might have to kill you!” the mare’s face turned cold as the figure turned the combination into the lock. The massive door swung open, releasing its contents. -CRASH!- The figure stopped in his tracks. A grin crept onto his face as he looked behind him. Glass littered the marble floor as a dark figure stood in the middle of the room. The red bat symbol on his chest matched his as two white eyes glared at his. The dark knight rose to his full height. “I was wondering when you were going to show up, Batmane.” “Batmane?” Terry said in confusion. “That’s not a name, let alone my name.” “You know, since we’re having this conversation, what is your name?” the clone asked. Terry stood there for a second. “Batman.” Terry said finally. … “That’s what I said, Batmane.” The changeling said, crossing his arms. “No, you fully said BatMANE. Its BatMAN.” Terry mumbled. “Yeah, Batmane!” The changeling said. “Listen, I know what I say.” Terry was about to say something, but brushed it off with a face palm. “Say Bat.” Terry said through his hand. “Bat.” “Now man.” “Man? Weird word.” “Now, just say Batman.” “Batmane.” …. “You’re just stalling, aren’t you? Terry said as he rubbed his temples. “Took you long enough.” The changeling smiled. Terry narrowed his eyes and tossed a batarang at the changeling. The blade cut the side of the creature’s cheek. The creature winced and covered the cut, blood oozing through his dark fingers. “You missed!” “Did I?” -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BEEP!- An ear piercing alarm roared in the large marble room. Red lights caused the room to be in a soft red hue. Suddenly, large metal bars began to barricade the windows and the doors. The vault was barricaded by large metal bars that glowed in a faint magical blue. The broken sunroof was bared closed. The changeling looked around in shock and confusion. He looked at where the bladed batarang flew to see the red and black bat shaped blade lodged inside of the barred off vault. He looked back at Terry just to be met with a fist straight to the face. The amplifier in the batsuit caused the changeling to fly backwards into the metal bars on the vault causing the bars to suddenly glow to life. The blue magic hummed once the changeling made contact and soon, volts of electricity coursed through the bars and into the back of the creature. He roared in pain and agony. The flashes of light and electricity caused Terry to shield his eyes as the changeling soon fell to his knees and to the ground. Terry stood where he was. Smolder rose off the seemingly darkened black figure of the changeling. He took a step forward, watching for any movement. He was about to reach into his belt for some handcuffs when the burnt body moved. The clone shuffled and shook as he brought his hands to the floor. He shakily brought himself onto his hands and knees. Blood spat out of his mouth and splattered onto the floor. The figure rubbed the blood off his face with his hand and paused. From where Terry was standing, he couldn’t see the figures eyes. The changeling licked the blood off his hand with his forked tongue. Terry narrowed his eyes as the changeling got up to his feet. Half of his face was the twisted face of the changeling. A set of fangs hung out of the creature’s mouth as he looked at Terry with its green eyes. The dark knight backed up as the changeling coughed up some more blood. a grin creeping onto his face as he licked the crimson liquid off of his lips. “LET’S DANCE!” The changeling rushed at him, teeth barred and claws out. Terry hastily blocked the changeling’s wild blows and kicked him away. He rushed at it himself and right hooked it in the head. He quickly followed up with an uppercut and a punch to the gut. The changeling grabbed his arm and roared in his face, blood and spit splattering onto his mask. Terry growled and proceeded to kick him away. The changeling winced and pointed his palm at the dark knight. Suddenly, a large beam of green fire erupted from his dark palm and shot at Terry. He quickly dodged the beam with only a small burn on his arm. The fire erupted the wooden desks and other things in the room. The fire alarm blared to life as the sprinkler system sprayed down some water on the whole room. The changeling groaned as the water put out his fire. Terry rushed at him and kicked the creature in the gut. He followed with a quick flash kick and proceeded with a flip kick to head. He knew the changeling was still dazed by the shock, so he had to take advantage of it. He ducked under a swipe and punched him in the gut. The creature coughed up some more blood and doubled over. Terry narrowed his eyes and kneed him in the jaw, the sounds of a bone cracking causing him to wince. The changeling took advantage of the pause and tripped him to the wet ground. He grabbed him by the neck and began to choke him as much as he could. Terry kneed him in the gut. The changeling coughed some blood onto his face, almost blinding him if it wasn’t for the sprinklers. He kneed him again, this time with more force. He grabbed the changeling’s arms and pried his grip off his neck. He narrowed his white eyes and head-butted him right in the nose. The changeling got up and covered his now shattered nose. He ignored the beast’s cries of pain and tossed a bola at him. The bola’s tied up the changeling’s arms and legs. He fell to the ground with a soft thud. Terry walked up to him and pulled him upwards. He glared at the wounded mirror of him. “It’s over, changeling.” Terry said. The changeling smiled. His smile turned into a chuckle, which then turned into a laugh. “You forget one thing Batman.” The changeling looked directly at Terry. “Who are they going to believe? You? Or me?” Suddenly, the clone of Terry erupted into green flames. He quickly covered his eyes from the green light. His white eyes widened as he looked at a cyan pony with a rainbow mane looking at him with a large grin. She was covered in wounds from Terry’s assault and her nose was bleeding. “FREEZE!” Terry looked over his shoulder and at the doorway of the bank. There, in full clad armor, were at least ten stallions. all of them wore golden armor with golden helmets except for one. His white fur and blue mane was drenched in the sprinkler system. He glared at the dark knight, his horn glowing a faint blue. His eyes glanced at the tied up Pegasus then back at him. Behind the stallion was a purple mare that looked at the tied up Pegasus in shock and horror. “Rainbow Dash!” Twilight exclaimed. She was about to run to her friends side when the blue manned stallion stopped her. “You dare hurt one of the elements of harmony?” The stallion yelled at Terry. “Hooves in the air! NOW!” “Who are they going to believe?” Rainbow Dash whispered to the dark knight. Author's Note I feel like I've just fought against the world, or at least 7 evil ex boyfriends. [Please someone get this reference.] I'm back! And I am somewhat recovering but I'm better then I once was! This was slightly rushed, but from here the plot thickens! I know you people just want him to just be friends with the gang like every other story, but here he's not going to know them for a while [For obvious reasons *Points at recent chapter*] But I'm back, hope you enjoy! Feedback would be nice! P.S: reference does not mean I'm a guy or a girl, it was just a reference. Issue #6The drenched bank was quiet, with only the sound of the water spraying out of the sprinkler system and hitting the floor. Terry stood in the middle of the room, his white eyes looking across the room and at the large group of stallions and a purple mare that stood at the entrance of the marble bank. Next to Terry was Rainbow Dash. Her face was bloodied and battered, her nose gushing blood like a faucet. Her rainbow mane was drenched and covered her two green eyes that looked at the dark knight. A small smile was on her face as she watched the spectacle. Twilight looked at her friend in horror. She couldn’t believe that this creature tried to kill one of the Elements of Harmony. Shining Armor glared at the dark knight, his white horn glowing a faint sky blue. The other guards behind him had their spears and their horns pointed at Terry, ready to strike if he did anything funny. They stood for what felt like hours, no one moving an inch. Terry looked passed the captain of the guard to see that there were more stallions in gold clad armor outside. “I said hooves up! NOW!” Terry looked back at the captain of the guard. Rage was in the stallions sapphire blue eyes. Terry slowly began to raise his hands into the air. All the guards flinched as they watched his arms go into the air. “W-What’s going on?” Terry froze. He glanced to his side to see a bunch of destroyed tables begin to shuffle. A small mare got out of the rubble and looked around. The teller’s eyes glanced over to the dark knight, and she almost fainted at his massive form. “PLEASE DON’T HURT ME!” “It’s alright ma’am, you’re safe.” Shining Armor said. The teller wasn’t as beaten as Rainbow Dash was, with only minimal cuts and some splinters. This meant that this was a conflict between the dark knight and her. “Wait, wasn’t there two of you?” Rainbow quickly glanced at the mare in fear. Terry smirked. “Swear there were two of you. One walked into the building while the other crashed through the roof.” “You must’ve been hallucinating ma’am. Maybe when you fainted-“ “No, I swear on my mother’s flank there were two!” The mare glanced at Rainbow Dash, wincing at her battered face. “Rainbow Dash, when did you get here?” “I-I was always here!” Rainbow stuttered. “Really? But then where were you when two of those creatures were fighting?” the mare asked, confused that everything she saw was a lie. “Ma’am, you probably hit your head and imagined what you saw. We’ll escort you to a doctor and get you some medical attention.” Two guards began to walk over to the mare, keeping an eye on the dark knight. “No, I’m not crazy! There were two of them!” The mare shouted. Even though the sprinkled system drenched everyone in water, Rainbow Dash began to sweat. “And Rainbow Dash wasn’t originally here! She was… She was… She…” the mare’s eyes rolled back as she fell to the ground. A small silver dart stuck out from the back of her neck. Although no one saw it, because they were shocked at the mares fall and glaring at him, Terry looked through the window behind her, looking at the small hole in the glass. In the distance, a tall figure stood on top of a roof across from the building. “You… You killed her!” one of the guards yelled. Terry’s attention was brought back to the enraged guards that glared at him. His white eyes narrowed at Shining Armor looked at the unconscious mare and back at him. “That’s it! No more turning you in! I don’t give a mule’s flank what Celestia say, SHOOT TO KILL!” Terry quickly shot out a grapple from his forearm at the ceiling. He quickly shot upwards, barely dodging the flurry of magic bolts. His retractable wings quickly shot out as his rocket boots activated. He shot through the non-barred sunroof and into the night sky. He hovered over the bank and glanced over to where he saw the figure. But all he saw was nothing but dust. Terry growled in anger. His thoughts were quickly interrupted as a flurry of magic bolts shot at him. A single bolt managed to hit him in the shoulder. He winced in pain as the impact almost shot him right out of the air. Smolder rose from the charred spot as his white eyes widened. The bolt managed to shoot off some the suit, leaving the red internals to glow in the night sky. He looked down to see Shining armor glaring at him with pure hate. His horn began to glow a bright blue as he pointed it at the dark knight. Terry quickly flew off, actually frightened by the look in the stallions eyes. -BZZZMMM!- The dark knight quickly banked to the side as a beam of magic shot at him. The massive beam managed to blow off the tip of his left wing and collided with a billboard. The structure exploded with a light show of fire and magic. The blast sent Terry crashing into a building. A stallion and a mare screamed in surprise, hiding under the blanket on their bed. Terry winced and rubbed his head, brushing off all the glass off his suit. He quickly got to his feet and looked at his wing. It was damaged, but he could still fly. His white eyes looked outside to see a large brigade of Pegasus flying to his position, spears in their hooves. He quickly jumped out the building and began to plummet to the ground. He glided upwards and activated his boots. He shot under the guards and down the streets, barely avoiding a traffic jam full of carriages. He flew around them and shot up into the sky. Just when he thought he was safe, a flurry of bolts shot at him again, causing him to growl in frustration. A Pegasus guard shoulder charged him in the chest. The two plummeted to a tall rooftop, slamming into the stony ground. Terry kicked the armored Pegasus off him and got to his feet. He glanced over his shoulder and sidestepped a beam of magic that was shot from the rooftop across from his. The beam collided with the Pegasus guard, tossing it across the roof and crashing into a wall. He quickly proceeded to toss a batarang at the unicorn, slicing off his horn. Even though he knew that it was technically part of the unicorn’s skull, it was the only way to disarm them. His rocket boots shot to life as he shot into the night sky when a Pegasus shot out from one of the clouds in the sky and collided with the dark knight’s stomach. The two crashed into an office building, startling a janitor that was cleaning the quiet building. Terry threw the enraged armored stallion off him. The stallion landed on his hooves and ran at the dark knight. He quickly caught the stallions hoof and right hooked him in the jaw, denting the golden helmet. He followed it up with a blow to the gut, causing the stallion to lurch forward. Terry let go of the stallions hoof and kneed him in the jaw. The stallion fell to the ground unconscious. The dark knight looked at the janitor pony. The stallion cowered behind an office table, shocked by the whole spectacle. “Sorry for the blood stain.” Terry said as he pointed at the stallion that was now bleeding from his mouth. The stallion gulped in fear as Terry jumped out of the building and flew off. “Battery power at 85%.” A small voice came from his suit. He mumbled in response. “Cloaking really did do a number on the power.” Terry said to himself. He used the cloak ability too much that it took almost 10% of the battery life. Plus with all the flying, he’s just burning it out. “Better be more careful next ti-“ -BZZZMMM!- A large blue beam shot at the dark knight. He barely dodged it, but the beam collided with his right foot. His rocket boot exploded on impact. Terry quickly lost control and began to fly around with no control. He quickly shielded his face as he crashed into a building. He rolled on the carpeted floor and crashed through another wall. The rocket boot shot him around the room and through another wall before he crashed through a window on the other side. His wings were slightly damaged, and yet he still glided in the air, slowing his descent. He crashed into a carriage and tumbled on the cobblestone floor. Ponies that were in the area screamed in surprise as they looked at the dark knight in fear. He retracted his wings and got to his feet, holding his head in pain. He looked at his right foot to see that the black suit was completely gone from the heel down. The red innards faintly glowed in the light of the street. He winced as he put pressure on the damaged foot. The sound of hoof steps made him look around. Guards began to pile into the intersection, surrounding him. Some had long metal spears while others had swords and even shields. Ponies in blue police uniform began to clear the streets of bystanders as the guards filed in. A large spotlight shone down on his position, illuminating him in the middle of the street. Unicorns were stationed on the rooftops, ready for anything. Pegasi flew overhead, all watching him for any moves. He was completely surrounded and with nowhere to go. A stallion pushed his way through the guards and stood in front of the large brigade. Shining Armor looked at the dark knight, his blue eyes locked with his. His blue mane was still damp. “In the name of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, I order you to surrender.” Terry stood his ground. He didn’t say anything. The streets were quiet, with only a small cough from a guard and the shuffling of hooves. He looked over the stallions shoulder to see the main six watching in the distance. He looked at the guards that surrounded him. “Listen, I know you can understand me freak.” Terry looked back at Shining armor. “So just give up. You’re completely surrounded.” He glanced over at Fluttershy. The butter mare hid behind her mane in fear. He was all alone here. With a sigh, he raised his hands in the air. Shining Armor stood for a bit and then nodded to a stallion behind the dark knight. The guard began to approach him, small metal cuffs in his maw. Terry quickly spun around and tripped the stallion with a swipe of his leg. He dived under a magic bolt from Shining Armor and punched him upwards in the jaw. Once the captain of the guard hit the floor, anarchy reigned. A guard rushed at him, spear in hoof. Terry quickly caught the spear and took it out of his hooves. He raised his right arm to shield his face as three guards slashed their swords at him. The blades cut the suits forearm, the red wires glowing through the small slashes. He quickly pushed them back and tossed three batarangs at them knocking them incapacitating them . Terry jabbed the blunt end of the spear into a soldier’s forehead, knocking him out. He swung the metal rod around and slammed it into the side of a few guards. He flipped the rod in his hand and got into a combat stance. A guard rushed at him, with sword in mouth. Terry blocked the blade with the middle of the spear. He pushed against the stallion’s weight and caused him to fly backwards. Another guard blasted a bolt of magic at him. The beam cut the spear in half. Terry flipped the two rods in his hands and slammed them both on each side of the stallions face, dazing the stallion. He followed it up with a hard knee in the jaw, knocking the stallion unconscious. He quickly tossed one of the rods at a charging stallion, which took it head first and fell backwards to the ground. He shot out two batarangs from his wrists at a group of guards. The blades ricochet around the group. A guard grabbed the dark knight by the neck from behind. Terry quickly tossed the stallion off of him and into an incoming bolt of magic. He gazed up, remembering about the unicorns on the roof. He dodges a flurry of bolts and tossed a batarang at them. The blade curved in mid-air and sliced off the horns from a group of unicorns on one of the surrounding roofs. A stallion jabbed a spear at his head. The blade cut the side of his cheek. He batted away the metal rod and kneed the stallion in the jaw. The suits neuromuscular amplifier made everything hurt more than it should. His forearm spikes extended in length as a group of stallions with swords rushed at him. He slashed at the blades slicing through the metal. The stallions stared at the hilts of their broken swords in surprise. A unicorn rushed at him in rage. Terry slid backwards as the stallion collided with him. He grabbed the stallion’s horn before it embedded itself in his abdomen. He winced as he gripped the horn harder, trying not to make it stab him. The stallion pushed under Terry’s strength. With a war cry, Terry kneed the stallion in the jaw as hard as he could. The sheer iron grip and the power of the knee broke the stallion’s horn right off. The unicorn screamed in agony as he fell to the ground, blood spilling out from his mouth as his jaw was clearly broken. Terry tossed the horn to the ground. He was about to grapple away when a Pegasus flew down and slammed into him. The two crashed into a street store, glass and wood scattered across the floor. The store owner gasped in surprised as the two landed on his tiled floor. Terry grabbed the guard’s hooves before they impacted his head and pushed against the pressure. He kneed the stallion in the gut, hoping that it would get it off. The stallion growled in rage, steam almost seeping from his nose due to the cold. Terry slammed his head into the stallion’s helmet, groaning at how it was a bad idea. He kicked the dazed stallion off and flipped onto to his feet. He quickly followed up with a flash kick before lunging into the stallion and back out into the street. He jumped off the dazed stallion and quickly got into a defensive stance. His retractable claws shot out as he leapt into the air, dodging a charging stallion. He grabbed the side of the building and jumped across the street and to the large horizontal flagpole. He quickly jumped off, barely avoiding a blast of magic, and proceeded to climb up the side of the building across from his. He ran up and jumped backwards to the other building. He did a handstand on the ledge of the building and flipped in the air, surprising a group of unicorns. He shot out a group of batarangs from his wrists at the unicorns, severing their horns before he landed on the rooftop as he glanced over the ledge just to barely dodge a bolt of blue magic. Shining Armor roared in anger and shouted out orders. Terry turned around and began to run, glancing behind him at the Pegasus’ that were chasing him. He paused as he looked across the many rooftops. A tall figure stood on a rooftop far away from him. A Pegasus slammed into his back and pinned him to the ground. Terry kneed the Pegasus in the groin, a small crack making him wince. He kicked the pained Pegasus off and got to his feet. He wasn’t surprised that the figure was gone. He jumped over an alley and continued to run across the rooftops. A group of unicorns on a building began to shoot at him, causing him to change directions. -BZZZMMM!- Terry flew backwards as a bolt of magic hit him square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. He tumbled to the floor, groaning in pain. He shakily looked up to see Shining armour glaring at him. Blood dripped from his maw as he walked to the dark knight, his horn glowing. Terry knew those eyes well. Those weren't the eyes of an officer. Those were the eyes of a killer. Shining Armour kicked Terry in the ribs. Hard. The kick caused Terry to lie on his back. His chest was scolded, smoulder rising off of it. Luckily, the red bat symbol was still intact, just darker. Shining Armour slammed his hoof on his chest. The suit absorbed the blow, but he might’ve cracked a rib by the kick. He began to apply more pressure, his eyes locked on Terry’s eyes. “I give you credit for trying to go out with a bang.” His voice was much lower and darker. “But today will be the last day you EVER harm a pony in Equestria EVER again.” “Shining don’t!” a voice called. Shining glanced over his shoulder to see Twilight and the rest of the main six rush over to him. “You don’t have to kill him!” “It killed that mare at the bank and maybe more than that!” Shining glared at the dark knight. “It deserves to die.” “Without a fair trial?” Twilight shot back. “He may have done what he did, but he’s still a sentient being. He deserves a trial. Besides, the mare isn’t dead. she’s just unconscious.” Shining looked at his sister then back at Terry. Although he could’ve got out of this, he felt the power this ‘Shining’ had. “…Fine.” Twilight sighed as Shining bonded the dark knight’s arms and legs in magic chains and cuffs. “But I want to be this monster's executioner.” Twilight winced as Shining picked up the dark knight with his magic. Guards followed their captain as they went to the police station. Terry glanced at Rainbow Dash, who had a small smirk on her face. He has to clear his name, or this might be his last breath. Author's Note Sorry for the lateness, again! Had a lot of stuff to do that I actually almost forgot about this! Who was the mysterious figure that was watching Terry? Leave what you think below! Next Issue: Escaping the Justice System Issue #7“That should keep him locked up until Celestia comes here, or vise-versa.” Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard, was fed up. He didn’t want to wait until Celestia’s decision; he wanted the dark knight dead. But due to his sister’s pleads to keep it alive for a fair trial—whatever that meant, he had to lock him up in a prison cell until further notice. He glanced over his shoulder to a tall brown stallion. The stallion wore a dark brown trench coat and a brown fedora. His mustache covered his muzzle in fur, the only thing giving a hint of where it was the large cigar. The stallion adjusted his glasses as he walked alongside the captain of the guard. “Make sure that scum doesn't escape from here commissioner.” The brown stallion snorted, the grey smoke seeping through his nose. “Warden says that Stalliongate Prison is the most high security prison in Equestria, surpassing Goatham Asylum by a mile.” The stallion grunted as they walked down the dimly lit hall that lead to a large elevator. Two guards in uniform greeted them at the door as they entered. “If it’s any better than that, then it has to be good.” “Bad times, eh?” Shining asked. The elevator jerked as it began to rise. “Crazies as far as the eye can see.” The commissioner mumbled to himself. “Now there’s some colt dressing up as a bat. Must’ve thought the creature downstairs is a good role model.” “If you know that freak like me, he’s nothing but.” The commissioner glanced at his friend. Shining ignored his gaze. The elevator finally stopped as the doors swung open. They both walked into a large lobby, where the mane 6 sat in waiting. Twilight’s head was the first to look up once she saw their arrival. She quickly got up and galloped over to her brother. “Is he going to be OK?” Twilight asked. Shining gave her a questionable look. “IT’s going to be fine until its execution.” Shining said flatly. He brushed past his sister and began to walk to the door. Twilight stomped her hoof on the ground. “Shining, you’re acting like a foal!” She yelled. “This guy just arrived here on Equestria and you’re treating him like you've known him for years!” Shining stopped in his tracks, not even looking behind him. “Yeah Shinin’, you've been kind of different since you've arrived here.” Applejack said, concern in her voice. “You don’t know that THING like I do…” Shining said coldly. Everyone flinched as the temperature of the room shifted. “Uhm, it’s not a thing. It’s actually a he.” Fluttershy said softly. “That is NOT a HE!” Shining glared at the group. “That is a monster. A freak of nature! A demon that escaped Tartarus! A being of pure evil that should be killed on sight for what he’s done to you all!” Everyone was frightened by Shining’s attitude, except for Rainbow Dash. “I heard that the thing’s been around longer than we think.” Rainbow said. “Ponies say that the thing attacked a Changeling kingdom years ago. They say it killed Queen Chrysalis’s daughter who owned the kingdom and killed the entire changeling race that lived in the kingdom. I'm surprised my au- I-I mean Chrysalis didn't attack Celestia.” “I heard about that too, but I could care less about them.” Shining said flatly. Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “I just want it dead.” “But why?” Twilight asked. “Even though it destroyed an entire kingdom of Changeling’s, it didn’t do any harm to-“ “The thing technically sliced off the horns of a lot of soldiers! Some of those soldiers I knew! Some of them have families to support! What now? Now they have no magic and have to live with being a hornless outcast!” Shining glanced at his sister. "You saw what happened on the streets. It took on probably an entire battalion without breaking a sweat!" "Shining, he's lost!" Twilight walked up to her brother. "It's obviously not from here!" "Yeah, Tartarus is where it's from." Shining said flatly. "First the Cerberus attack in Ponyville, and now a demon that walks in the night? I have a feeling Hades is smiting us!" "Now you're just speaking crazy." Applejack chuckled. Shining smiled and rubbed his head. "Yeah, I guess I just need some coffee." He sighed to himself. "Hearing about this thing's escapades by Celestia's been keeping me on edge. Plus with the crisis in Baltimare." "Baltimare? What's going on over there?" Rarity asked. "Some sort of explosion or something. She said that over 50 ponies died." "Celestia's teats." the commissioner gasped. "Yeah. Celestia sent Luna to investigate so she might not be able to come to Manehattan immediately, what with raising the sun and the moon and such." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "How come she didn't tell me?" She said to herself. "Enough with the sappy stuff, lets talk about something happy so we can turn those frowns upside down!" Pinkie jumped into the group, her bubble attitude lifting their spirits. "Like what?" Twilight asked, still deep in thought. "Like how much candy we're going to get on Nightmare Night silly!" The girls all began to talk about how their going to enoy the scary celebration, leaving the prison behind them. Little did they see the dark figure that watched them from the roof. “That thing is not a he,” Shining said coldly. “It’s a monster.” 2 weeks later… < * / * \ * > Terry sat in the small cell. His arms and legs were chained to the walls when he arrived, but he escaped them pretty easily. He was imprisoned in a large white room. One of the walls as made of glass, or so he thought if he didn’t hear the guards talking about how it was a magic barrier. He looked at the two guards that stood at the metal door that was on the magical wall. They ignored the fact that he was free due to them thinking that he was stuck in the cell as long as magic kept him in. He could just prove them wrong, but he’s never experienced magic before. “Wonder if Bruce ever dealt with magic.” Terry said to himself. “Then again, he’d probably think I’m crazy if I tried to explain to him a realm full of magical ponies and unicorns.” “Shut up prisoner!” one of the guards shouted. Terry white eyes narrowed. “Ass.” He mumbled. He gazed at his suit and sighed. “You know, you guys owe me a new suit.” “We owe you nothing you filthy mule.” One of the guards growled. “That’s one of the things I wanted to ask you ponies; what’s with calling things mule? I mean, you are aware that mule is a sentient race on your planet right? You’re kind of being racist.” “We can call you whatever we like, mule.” “Actually, the creatures got a point.” The other guard commented. “I mean, they are part of our society.” “Fine then, we’ll call him a filthy pig.” “The whole reason I’m filthy is because you ruined my suit!” Terry yelled. “Shut up!” the guards both yelled. … … … “We can’t call him a pig.” “Why the buck not?” “That’s another thing I wanted to ask.” Terry mumbled. “Well, pigs are sentient.” “They are!?” Terry and the other guard said simultaneously. “Well, there was a long lost Mayan pig tribe centuries ago.” “That was from Daring Doo you idiot.” The other guard face hoofed. “They’re fictional.” “T-There’s sprinkles of truth in those books!” the guard protested. They’re argument died down once the door at the end of the dark hall opened. The light from the other hall illuminated a tall dark figure. The guards looked at the figure, fear in their eyes. Behind the figure was a dead stallion that was sprawled on the marble floor. “What the-“ SHINK! The guard began to gasp for air. Terry got to his feet and took a step back. a large knife was lodged into the guards throat. Blood ran down the steel blade and to the floor. The guard choked as he fell to the ground. A small blood splatter present on the barriers wall. The other guard began to back away, fear in his eyes. His flank hit the magic wall, giving him a small shock. He looked back at Terry, then down the hall. The figure stood in front of the stallion. But before anything could be said, the figure slammed the guards head into the magic barrier. The stallion screamed in agony as the barrier began to burn the fur on his face. It began to shear through flesh and bone as it worked on his skull. The figure stopped applying pressure to the guard and let him fall to the ground. Half of the guards face was gone to the bone with only parts of his flesh left behind. Terry grabbed a batarang and kept it aimed at the dark figure. A grizzly laugh made his eyes narrow. “You can put the batarang away, Batman.” The light from the barrier shone of the figure. The man was in a large duster jacket that covered his whole body. By the looks of it, it was made of animal skin. A hood covered the figure’s face, only revealing two white eyes that looked at the dark knight. “How do you know me? Who are you?” Terry lowered his throwing hand but kept the batarang. “Questions for another time. But I know one thing; you’re not the real Batman.” Terry narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?” “You try to act like him; being quiet while being intimidating. If you spoke you wouldn’t be here.” The figure shuffled in place. “And yet, you’re not one of his prodigies.” “Prodigies?” Terry raised an eyebrow. “You’re no Grayson, that’s for sure. And you’re definitely not Drake. And you can’t be the dead one.” The figure rubbed his chin, or what Terry thought it was. The figures eyes looked at Terry. “You’re Waller’s kid.” “Waller? Amanda Waller? The former leader of CADMUS?” Terry stepped closer to the barrier. “What does Waller have to do with this?” “More than you think, McGinnis.” Terry took a step back. “H-How-“ “Let’s just say, you were meant for the job.” Even though he couldn’t see it, he knew the figure was smiling. “I’ve been away long if you’ve grown this tall.” “Who. Are. You.” Terry demanded. “So easy to enrage, just like the dead one.” The figure turned his back to the dark knight. “You may wear the suit and call yourself Batman, but to me, you’re nothing but a Robin.” The figure began to walk away, his hands placed behind his back. “I’ll find out who you are.” Terry growled. “Oh I know.” The figure glanced over his shoulder. “We’ll meet again, Robin.” -POOMF!- Terry shielded his eyes from the bright light that came from the figure. He looked back to see that the figure was gone, leaving a burnt spot on the floor that had smolder rising from it as the long hallway began to illuminate itself with light. Terry raised an eyebrow in confusion. The magic barrier began to make a faint buzzing sound. And then it disappeared. The dark knight stood in silence. He took a small step out of the cell, then another. His eyes went wide as he stepped out of the cell and into the illuminated- -BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!- “Damnit!” Terry ran to the door in the hallway. He ignored the sounds of the blaring horns and the flashing red lights as he dived through the door and into a large room. Walls were covered by cells with magical barriers. Prisoners looked at the dark knight, howling and yelling at him. He sprinted down the hall, looking for an elevator. He slid to a stop as a bunch of guards turned the corner. Terry quickly ran down another hall, avoiding the blasts of magic behind him. He smiled as he found an elevator at the end of the hall. The dark knight flipped around and tossed a batarang at a guard that was chasing him as he quickly landed on his feet diving into the open elevator. The elevator doors quickly closed, blocking the barrage of magic bolts that would’ve hit him. He sat in the elevator and breathed. A soft, but catchy, tune played as he got to his feet. The elevator stopped and made a soft DING! sound. The metal doors slowly opened, and Terry could’ve believe what he was looking at. The room was massive, with cells lining the walls. Over 25 stories of prison cells lined the walls, with small metal balconies on each floor. The ledges connected to a large elevator in the center of the room that probably brought prisoners to each floor and maybe to the top floor. Terry knew he was underground, but he didn’t know how far. But that’s not what scared him. It was the armada of guards that went from the elevator to where he was standing. They all guarded the center elevator. Some of the guards were in armor, probably leftovers of the assault in Manehattan, while others were in security uniforms. But what surprised him were the massive Minotaur’s in armor that had clubs and even axes. They all glared at the dark knight, not moving a muscle. He could hear the breathing of the guards in the silence. He gazed up to see a few unicorn guards stationed on each floor, their horns pointed at him. “GRAAAHHH!” Terry looked back to see a Minotaur rushing at him. Each step shook the very floor beneath him. Terry quickly jumped over the massive creature, landing on his head. He quickly jumped off as he shot a grapple at the first floor of the prison. Barrages of magic shot at him, some grazing his chest and neck as he hoisted himself up. He gracefully landed on the metal bridge and ducked under a hoof from a guard. He punched the guard in the gut and tossed him off. A massive cleaver flew in the air and cut through the metal bridge with ease. Terry quickly jumped off the falling bridge and grappled to the 5th floor. Bolts of magic shot at where he was, causing him to evade as he ran down the bridge and to the elevator. He skidded to a stop as a Minotaur slammed onto the bridge, causing it to shake. The Minotaur Ran at him, cleaver in hand. He jumped over the creature’s massive blow and grabbed hold of its horns. He back flipped off, kicking the Minotaur in the back of the head. Bolts of magic shot at the Minotaur As terry used it as a shield while he was in mid-air. He shot out a grapple from his forearm and propelled himself to the 8th floor. His red wings shot out as he glided his way to the 9th. He flipped off the rail and onto the bridge. Out roars from the prisoners turned into cheering as they watched Terry try to escape. He smiled and saluted the prisoners before running to the elevator. A Pegasus guard tackled him over the ledge and to the 10th floor. They slammed into the bottom of one of the metal bridges before falling back to the 9th floor. Terry flipped to his feet. He jumped off the ledge and glided in the air, desperately avoiding the bolts of magic. The dazed Pegasus flew at him, rage in his eyes. Terry flipped onto the bridge above him, avoiding the quick pegasus that curved around to get him. He quickly ran to the elevator and slid inside. He slammed his fist on the button and watched as the elevator door quickly shut. A loud THUNK made him flinch as the Pegasus flew into the closed door. He pointed his wrist at the door and welded it shut. Even though the elevator was magic proof, a flaw, as he could hear the sounds of the magic bolts colliding with the metal. He rested his back on the wall and slid down to the floor. He pressed a button on his forearm. A few numbers flashed on his visor before stopping. “83%. Good, still have some battery life.” Terry said. The numbers quickly disappeared. He paused, listening carefully. But all he heard was the hum of the elevator. The elevator abruptly stopped, causing Terry to get to his feet. -CRASH!- A massive hand ripped through the metal and grabbed Terry by the neck. The arm ripped him right out of the metal confines of the elevator and onto a bridge on the 23th floor. He landed hard on his back, the loud pang echoing in the large room. He got to his feet and groaned. Standing in front of him was a massive Minotaur, bigger that the others. The beast was clad in dark onyx armor that looked battle damaged. The shoulder pads were two large skulls of a lion. His massive hoof stomped on the bridge, causing it to shake. His fur was black as night, with only scars breaking up the colour. A massive gold ring hung from his nose in the shape of a skull. His horns were curled down like a ram, making a skullcap with horns. The Minotaur took a step closer, his hot breath dissipating in the cold air. “I’m the warden of this Prison.” The Minotaur growled. “And if you think you can just waltz on out of here, you’re in for a world of pain. Because NO ONE. ESCAPES. STALLIONGATE PRISON!” “Well then I get the honor to be the first.” “BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU? ESCAPE?” The Minotaur bellowed. “You’re smaller than my daughter and she’s five!” “Well if she can take you down, so can I ugly.” The Minotaur snorted.” “Funny guy. TOO BAD THAT WILL BE THE LAST WORDS YOU SAY!” The Minotaur’s massive fist slammed into the bridge, the metal exploding on impact. Terry jumped off the bridge and over the Warden. The massive creature spun around, ready to punch the smug grin off of Terry’s face, when the bridge gave away. The Warden roared as he fell, slamming through bridges with ease. Terry watched as the massive creature fell and began to climb up the side of the elevator shaft. -SHREEEEEESH!- Terry glanced down below. His white eyes went wide as the Warden gripped to the side of the elevator shaft on the 18th floor. His eyes glared at the dark knight as he began to climb, his hands bending the metal as he climbed. Terry gripped the side of the metal shaft with his claws and pointed his wrist at the metal. An orange laser shot out as he cut a hole in the shaft. He quickly jumped inside and climbed up to the ground floor as he grabbed the shaft doors and pried them open, ignoring the sounds of the warden’s rage. the light from the lobby almost made him not see the group of unicorn guards that pointed their horns at him. He slammed the doors shut and ducked under the doorway. A massive bolt of magic blew the doors open, right off of their hinges. The two blazing metal doors fell down the shaft, landing on the broken elevator. He waited for a bit, hiding in the shadows. A guard walked over to the edge in order to look over but sooner than he did Terry grabbed the stallion’s hooves, the electromagnetic pads on his boots keeping him up. As he pulled the guard over the edge and let him fall onto the broken elevator. He then proceeded to toss a few of his pellets over the edge as he flipped up onto the main floor. The gas pellets quickly activated as he ran through. Terry charged through the twin doors and into a large courtyard. The glare of the moon shone down as he ran. A large wall was around the building he ran out of. He ignored the twin spot lights that shone down on him as he rushed to the large metal doors on the large wall. Bolts of magic began to shoot at him, causing him to go into a full on sprint as he proceeded to dodge them. A recognisable roar came from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see the Warden charging at him, pure rage in his eyes. Any Pegasi that were stationed in the dark clouds above the prison flew down to surround him. He had one chance. A Pegasus flew at him low to the ground. He jumped over the pegasus and continued to run. A few prisoners that were outside were cheering him on as he ran. If he didn’t know better, he could’ve sworn he was in a football game. He reached into his belt and grabbed a grappling hook. He aimed it at the wall and fired. The hook gripped to the ledge, surprising a unicorn guard. He pulled himself to the wall, flying in the air. a Pegasus grabbed the wire by him mouth and flew off with it, causing Terry to let go. His red wings shot out as he glided to the wall. His white eyes went wide as he saw what was over the wall. The maximum prison was on an island, miles away from Manehattan. He could barely see the city in the distance. A rebreather covered his mouth as he dove over the wall and into the dark sea. He began to swim deeper as bolts of magic shot into the water. The bolts began to stop and soon it was quiet. Terry knew what they were doing. They were waiting for him to come up for air. Terry saluted the waiting guards and swam away, heading straight for the big apple. If he was right, it was Nightmare Night. And he knows a certain mare that would be out at this time. Author's Note Here we are! Multiple foreshadowing inbound! This Issue was basically a clear-things-up/foreshadowing/reference issue. Who's the mystery man? Where's Terry going to find Rainbow? Better question: WHERE IS RAINBOW? Find out on next weeks episode of DRAGON- I-I mean, BEYOND EQUESTRIA Issue #8Manehattan City Square 22:25 It was a cool night in Manehattan. The bright moon that hovered in the night sky illuminated the decorated streets of the busy city. Fillies and colts in many different costumes ran from house to house, gaining as much candy as their little bags could hold. The city plaza was decorated in dark colors. Different shades of orange and black decorated the plaza that was stuffed with plenty of carnival games. Everypony knew that their children would have cavities for days after the festivity. But they still wished that Luna could’ve come to their city for Nightmare Night. And yet, in the bright city, no one noticed the shadow that ran across the tall rooftops of the many buildings that spanned the city skyline. Cold water dripped off the fast moving figure as it jumped over an alley gap. Its breath puffed in the chilled air as the dark knight ran. Terry slid to a stop on the roof of a building. He gazed over the edge at the massive carnival that was built in the city square. Ponies in costumes were enjoying the many festivities the carnival had. Terry’s white eyes scanned the large crowd. He ducked into the shadows when he saw a police pony that was patrolling through the bright and colorful carnival. Even though the moon shone down on the city, the carnival brightened up the starry sky. Terry pressed a button on the side of his temple. His white eyes swapped into a dark red, causing his HUD to change. All the ponies’ in the crowd were altered into a bright blue, their bones visible through the visor. The sounds of fillies and colts playing were lowered to almost a whisper as he focused on the crowd of ponies. “So this is how Superman sees the world.” Terry said to himself. “Mildly scary, to be honest.” His laughter died down once he caught an anomaly. Instead of the normal blue that Everypony had, one pony glowed a faint orange. Terry pressed and held onto a button on his mask to zoom in. ‘Scanning’ appeared on the HUD before saying ‘Done’. His eyes narrowed before they turned back to the normal white. His red and black wings shot out from his back and soon the bat was in flight. <*/*\*> “Isn’t this carnival super-duper mega awesome?” Pinkie exclaimed as she hopped around in her chicken costume. Fluttershy sneezed as one of pinkie's feathers came loose and brushed her nose. “Calm down Pinkie!” Applejack smiled at her super hyper friend. “Though, I have to admit, it is pretty amazing.” “I’m more amazed that the mayor of Manehattan was ok with Pinkie making this Nightmare Night carnival.” Twilight smiled as she gazed around the crowded games and the many candy stands. “It’s better to not question Pinkie darling,” Rarity said. “You have no idea how easier life becomes.” Twilight smirked at her friend’s witty response. Her smile faded once her violet eyes set on her cyan friend. “Rainbow Dash, you’ve been quiet for this whole trip.” “And you ain’t wearing your costume.” Applejack gave her friend a questioning look. “Everything alright?” Rainbow Dash said nothing as the group walked in silence. They all stopped in their place and watched as the cyan Pegasus still kept walking. “Um, Rainbow Dash?” “Hm?” Rainbow turned around to see her friends 5 feet away from her. Her cheeks turned rose as she put a hoof behind her head. “Oops, I guess I wasn’t paying attention.” The cyan pony walked back to her friends. She raised an eyebrow then the group gave her a concerning look. “You’ve been like this the whole day rainbow dash, is everything alright?” Twilight asked. “U-um yeah! Yeah I’m fine!” Rainbow stuttered. “Just uhh… looking for the bathroom! Yeah!” “Oh silly! We passed one a while ago!” Pinkie smiled. “R-Really! Thanks!” Rainbow galloped past her friends. She paused and looked back, giving them a soft smile. “I’ll be back in 20 seconds flat!” the mane 6 watched their cyan friend gallop off and disappear in the multicolored crowd. “Doesn’t she usually say ’10 seconds flat’?” Applejack asked. “Well no one could go to the restroom in ten seconds darling. That would be repulsive.” “But they can in 20 seconds?” Applejack gave the mare a questionable look. “We are talking about Rainbow here.” “You’ve been on a roll with these witty responses there Rarity.” Applejack chuckled. “I guess that haircut must’ve done something fierce.” Rarity kicked the southern mare in the leg, scrunching her face in annoyance. “I have to agree with Applejack.” Twilight said, looking back at where Rainbow ran off to. “You’re too kind.” Rarity said sarcastically. “Not the hair!” Twilight blushed. “I mean about Rainbow. She’s been acting... different lately.” “You could almost say… suspicious…” in a blur, pinkie changed from her chicken suit to a suit and tie. A dark brown top hat sat on her head, squishing her mane down. She adjusted the monocle that was on her right eye and rubbed the white mustache that was stuck to her upper lip. “I say that she’s hiding something! Like maybe she’s a secret agent!” Twilight was about to say something when Rarity glanced at her and shook her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to just invade someone’s space Pinkie…” Twilight reeled back as the pink pony literally appeared in front of her. “Quick on the defense eh? Are YOU a secret agent?” Pinkie gave her violet friend an accusing stare. “What? No! No one’s a secret agent!” Twilight shot back. “That’s exactly what a secret agent would say!” Pinkie narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to the purple unicorn. “I’ve got my eye on you, ‘Twilight Sparkle’.” <*/*\*> Rainbow Dash hastily galloped around the corner of a candy stand. The cyan mare glanced around the corner, making sure she wasn’t followed. She sighed to herself when all she saw was just the many ponies in costumes minding their own business. Rainbow brushed a strand of her mane out of her face and walked down the somewhat alley, checking for if anyone was listening. “Bad time for a call mother, you almost got me caught.” Rainbow said to herself. She nodded as an unheard voice spoke to her. She rolled her magenta eyes and sighed. “Yeah but it takes a lot of concentration to talk to you when you’re on the other side of Equestria.” “Noted.” Rainbow gasped and spun around. Her magenta eyes were met with the silver belt of the tall humanoid figure that stood behind her. She reeled back in horror, not believing what was infront of her. “Enjoying Nightmare Night?” “H-How?” Rainbow stuttered. “Stallion Gate is un-escapable! How did you get out?” Terry smirked. “I swam.” Rainbow blinked. A small grin crept onto her face as she gazed behind the tall man in a bat suit. Her magenta eyes began to turn green as her hooves began to catch on fire. “Alright, you came all the way from jail so you could meet me. I’m touched, really I am.” Her whole body began to glow a faint green as the fire engulfed her in flames. Terry shielded his eyes as the fire got brighter. Her petite body began to grow in size, causing the fire to grow. She stood on her hind legs as her body altered. Her forearms began to bulk up, her cyan fur turning a dark blue. Two four fingered hands grew out from her hooves. Bones could be heard cracking and breaking as her body grew in size. Her multicolored tail changed into a long dark tail as her bottom half turned into a dark black color. She almost screamed as two long horns grew out of the sides of her skull, ripping through her dark blue skin. Her muzzle increased into a shape of a bull. Terry moved his arms from his face to see the hulking beast stand more than a foot and a half over him. The sickly green flames died down, turning into just smolder rising off the muscle-bound beast that towered over him. The Minotaur grinned, his teeth jagged and sharp. “Let’s dance!” Terry barely ducked under the beast's hulking blow. He shot up, his head connecting with the beast’s jaw. He kicked the beast in the knee, causing it to howl out in pain. following it up with a few blows to the stomach before he kicked the beast backwards, the neuromuscular amplifier causing the beast to crash through the back of a game stand and into the crowded carnival streets. Fillies and colts screamed as the massive beast slammed into the cobblestone floor on his back, its weight rupturing the ground. Terry looked at all the cowering ponies and narrowed his eyes. He glanced over the groaning beast and narrowed his eyes at an amusement ride in the distance. He jumped over the beast, slamming its head into the ground as he landed on its head. He sprinted across the sea of ponies in costumes. An ear piercing roar echoed in the night, followed by the screams of many fillies and colts. He glanced over his shoulder just to be met with a massive paw. Terry Flew across the cobblestone floor and crashed into a candy stand. He groaned and looked up. In the distance from where he used to be was a large four legged monstrosity. Its body was a hulking lion but its back had two black wings that stretched out, displaying its size. Its tail was replaced with a midnight black scaled scorpion tail, the green venom dripping on the cobblestone floor. Terry quickly jumped out of the debris as the beast charged at him, his roar almost shattering nearby windows. Before the hulking beast could takedown the young Batman, a large purple and light blue wall of magic shot out in front of Terry. The beast tried to slow to a stop but crashed right into the wall. Terry glanced behind him to see Twilight and Rarity standing behind him, their horns glowing the same color as the wall. “You’re helping me?” “No,” Rarity said as she strained holding the beast’s weight. “We’re helping them.” Terry glanced over the white pony’s shoulder to see Fluttershy and Pinkie escorting all the ponies out of the area. The beast groaned as it rubbed its head. Behind the beast was Applejack, her lasso twirling over her head. “Applejack now!” Twilight yelled. The beast almost choked as the lasso wrapped around its neck. Applejack bit hard on the rope as the beast tried to get the rope off of it. The beast glanced over its shoulder and narrowed his eyes at the earth pony. It twirled the rope around its tail and yanked hard. Applejack screamed through her teeth as she was tossed straight into the magical barrier. She groaned and fell to the floor unconscious. The magical wall soon disappeared as Twilight ran up to her friend. The beast’s mouth began to glow as it glared at the farmer pony. Terry ran past the ponies and stood in front of the beast as a large beam of fire erupted from its mouth. The flames engulfed Terry’s body but were seemingly blocked by him. The blast of flames died down as the Manticore grinned in satisfaction. Everyone gasped in horror at the tall figure that was engulfed in flames. But then the unthinkable happened. The flames began to die down and soon turned into smolder. Terry stood in defiance, his white eyes glaring at the shocked Manticore. “H-How!?” Twilight barely managed to say. Terry smirked. “Fire resistance.” The Manticore backed up in fear. It quickly turned around and ran down the streets. “We have to go after it before it causes anymore damage!” “Relax darling, it won’t be hard to find a fully grown Manticore in Manehattan.” Rarity said as she checked on her unconscious friend’s condition. “That’s not an ordinary Manticore. That’s a changeling.” “Changeling? What’s a changeling doing in Manehattan?” Rarity and Terry turned around to see Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie joining the group. “Same reason why your friend has been acting weird lately; they’re one of the same.” Terry glanced at the awe struck lavender mare. “Please stop staring at me, its creeping me out.” “Wha-huh?” Twilight shook her head. “You mean to say that Rainbow Dash is a….. Secret agent?” Rarity hid her face behind her sun hat as Pinkie gave her the ‘I told you so’ look. “Exactly, which begs the question of where the original Rainbow Dash is.” Terry glanced at the direction of where the Manticore went. “Fluttershy, you stay with Applejack until the medical ponies or the Royal guard come. Rarity you and Pinkie try to find any other wounded. Twilight you’re with me.” “Wait, how do you know our names?” Twilight asked, giving the dark knight a skeptical look. Terry pointed his wrist at the edge of a tall building. A black wire shot out and the grapple hooked onto the stone edge moments later. Terry glanced at Twilight and smiled. “I did study when I first arrived here, ‘Elements of Harmony’.” Before Twilight could say a word, Terry shot up into the air as the line reeled him in. Author's Note <*Special thanks to my editors! Links to their pages are in the description!*> This... was rushed. If you haven't read my blog then you know I've been going through a lot in my life so far. To be honest, I have second thoughts on if I should continue this story. I kind of... got myself stuck but I'll fix it.. hopefully. But I don't want to just give up! I don't want to just forget about it because of all the popularity or if I can't handle all this notoriety! Taking care of my Mom... She's taught me to always be strong. Not only for her, but for anyone I care about. And being strong means you never give up no matter the challenge! If you get knocked down, just get back up and fight! This is why I'm always positive! This is why I accept criticism because I want to learn from my mistakes and become better! So I guess I just fixed my own problem... I guess I won't drop it. Thanks for the prep talk me! I'm still mildly stuck though so I guess this won't be updated for a bit Issue #9Terry’s rubber soled boots pattered on the cold rooftops of Manehattan. His warm breath puffed in the chilly air as he ran. His midnight black suit almost made him invisible in the starry night sky if it weren’t for the large red bat symbol on his chest and the multiple rips on his suit. The dark knight glanced over his shoulder, making sure that his company was keeping up with his speed and agility. Twilight was amazed at Terry’s speed, her magenta eyes locked on the dark knights agile form. He flipped over an elevated water pipe and landed gracefully on the stony floor with ease, something that she’s only seen a Pegasus do without breaking a sweat. Of course, there were other things about Terry that shocked Twilight. His figure was something she’s never seen before. When she heard about his arrival, she was surprised about how the police described him. And by seeing him in person weeks ago, she still couldn’t believe what she was looking at. The first night after his arrival was all the confirmation she needed to know that it wasn’t a dream. That this ‘thing’ was real. And real it was. Its tall frame, easily as tall –if not taller- than an Alicorn. Its intimidating looks; white eyes that seem to have no emotion in them, five digits more than a dragon or Minotaur’s four, its oddly shaped hooves. Everything about this ‘creature’ was a mystery. A mystery in Twilight wanted to solve. Terry jumped off the building they were on and fell to the next; rolling on the ground once he landed. This was another feat Twilight still didn’t understand. This creature could withstand falling from great heights, getting blasted by magic multiple times, and even get bucked in the chest by an earth pony. And yet, with the exceptions of the many red marks that were on its dark frame, it was literally unfazed. Though, it seemed to have lost its flight capability due to getting shot in the leg. Is that how this thing flew? Twilight was shot out of her thoughts once Terry stopped at the edge of the building. He peered off the edge, his white eyes scanning the streets below. Twilight breathed heavily, her breath shallow. She’s never ran this much since the Running of the Leaves competition. “Uhm, h-how are we supposed to find a changeling?” Twilight asked once she caught her breath. “What do you mean, Miss Sparkle?” Terry glanced over his shoulder at the purple mare. “Are you saying you’ve never seen a changeling?” Twilight furrowed her brow. “Of course I’ve seen a changeling before! I’ve seen a changeling queen as a matter of fact!” “I know.” Terry gazed back at the streets. Twilight gave the dark knight a raspberry behind his back. She peered over the edge and sighed. “Well, if you know so much then you know that changeling’s can change form!” Twilight crossed her hooves and gave the dark knight a sly gaze. “You know, you’re actually right.” Terry frowned and looked at Twilight’s satisfied face. “I guess you’ve won Sprinkles. Oh wait, I almost forgot about the tracking device that I put on your friend a while ago.” Terry continues to scan the area, oblivious to the shocked face of a certain mare. “You put a what?” Twilight blinked. “You’re more surprised about that and not the fact I called you sprinkles? The things that seem to go straight over people.” “Forget about that! What’s a tracking device?” Terry got up and glanced down the street. A mare was running down the decorated street, pushing past fillies and colts that were going door to door getting candy. “Hold that thought.” Terry sprinted across the building, leaping over alleys as he chased the evading mare that galloped down the streets. His red and black wings shot out from his back as he leapt off the edge of the building, gliding across the street to the building across from where he once was. He missed flying, but gliding would do. He reached into his pocket and shot out a grapple at a tall building across from him as the mare galloped around the corner. He jumped off the edge and swung around, the cool air blowing in his face. Terry glided in the cool air, looking around in confusion. He landed on top of a building and stood in silence. His audio receptors soon picked up the sound of hooves as Twilight finally made it to the dark knight. She huffed and puffed, her shallow breaths dissipating in the chilly air. She brushed a strand of her lavender mane out of her face as she walked over to the dark knight. “Sheesh, could you slow down for once?” Twilight huffed. “I’m not as fast as you.” “I know you aren’t. But I also know something else.” Twilight barely ducked as Terry foot swiped right over her head. “You’re not Sparkle.” Twilight’s horn began to glow a faint green as a blast of magic shot out from the tip. Terry flipped to the side, almost getting clipped on his foot. He quickly reached into his belt and tossed a batarang. The changeling’s body erupted into flames as it changed form. A talon shot out of the flames as a half bird, half lion beast stood on its hind legs, holding the batarang in its talons. The griffin looked at the batarang up close, its blade reflecting its menacing gaze. “These are pretty nifty.” The griffin cooed. “I might keep these once I kill you.” “Maybe after you thaw out.” The batarang exploded in a whitish light blue haze. The griffin screamed as the explosion froze the changeling’s talon and half its face. Before it could react, Terry’s knee connected with the frozen half of the griffins face, shattering the ice and creating a loud crack sound as bone hit bone. Terry grabbed the back of the griffin’s head and kneed it again, this time in the beak. Blood spilled from the griffin’s nostrils as half of its beak shattered on impact, revealing the insides of the creature’s mouth. It lurched back in pain, gripping its face in agony. Its green eyes glared at the dark knight. The changeling roared and lunged at him, using its frozen hand as a club while the other as a blade. Terry dodged the creature’s talons, its sharp edges barely scratching the suit. He blocked the club with his forearm and countered with a punch in the chest, causing the creature to stumble backwards. Terry rushed at him and flipped in the air, delivering a downwards kick to the creature’s head. The griffin quickly caught Terry’s fist and whacked him in the head with the frozen talon, shattering the ice and freeing his hand. Its lion tail quickly wrapped around Terry’s leg and yanked hard. Terry screamed as he slipped and fell to the ground. The griffin pounced on top of him and began to slash at his face. Terry blocked two slashes before catching both of its claws. He smashed his head against the creature’s forehead and kneed it in the gut. The changeling coughed up some blood, its red and green liquid splashing onto Terry’s chest. Terry kicked the changeling over him and flipped up onto his feet. The changeling shape shifted into a Minotaur in mid-air, its weight shaking the roof as it landed on the hard surface. The Minotaur snorted and rushed towards Terry, its black horns aimed at the dark knight’s chest. Terry grabbed the Minotaur’s horns and flipped right over the beast. He spun around in the air and kicked the beast right in the back of the head. The Minotaur roared in pain and crashed into a wall. The brick and stone wall crumbled over the massive beast, burying it. The dark knight slowly approached the destroyed wall, his right hand hovering over his belt. The sounds of hooves caused him to glance over his shoulder. Twilight sighed to herself when she finally saw the dark knight. “What happened here?” she asked, catching her breath. “A party,” Terry narrowed his eyes at the rubble. “A violent one at that. You missed the fun.” “I don’t think beating up a changeling counts as fun.” Twilight said. “Then again, you’ve been beating up a lot of ponies lately.” “Sorry about that, I didn’t know that those horns were actually part of the head.” Terry smirked. “Where I’m from, getting blasted by beams of energy mostly meant death.” Terry narrowed his eyes as a green light shone through the cracks of the rubble. “It’s still alive!?” Twilight gasped, pointing her horn at the rubble. “It’s a girl, Sparkle, not an ‘it’.” Terry aimed a batarang at the glowing rubble. The glow began to increase, green flames now erupting through the cracks. Terry’s eyes widened. “GET DOWN!” The rubble exploded in a giant ball of green flames. Terry quickly tackled Twilight to the ground and shielded the mare as the fire from the blast engulfed his back. Half of the building’s rooftop was engulfed in the magical fire. Pieces of brick and stone flew off in all directions, some hitting the dark knight in the back. Terry continued to shield the mare as the fire soon began to disappear. He looked over his shoulder to see the previous pile of rubble now replaced with a large black spot. Anything that was near the blast was now covered in black ash. He groaned and got up, rubbing his back in pain. Twilight looked around in horror and amazement. She almost flinched when Terry stuck out his hand to help her up. She sheepishly blushed and reached out her hoof. Terry pulled her to her hooves and gazed around. “Did she-“ “No, it was a flashbang.” Terry glanced around the roof. “Flashbang?” Twilight repeated. “Remember our first encounter?” Terry pressed a button on his cowl as he scanned the area. “That bright flash was a flashbang.” His head stopped as he looked in the distance. “She’s heading for the docks!” “Wait a minute! If that white flash was a flashbang, then what was the smoke thingy?” Twilight glanced over to where Terry was standing just to see the dark knight swinging down the dark streets of Manehattan. “H-hey! Wait up!” “Try to keep up, Twilight!” Terry called as he swung onto the top of a building. He sprinted to the edge and stuck out his arms. The retractable wings quickly shot out as he glided in the cool night. <*/*\*> Manhattan City Industrial District 23:01 The Manehatten industrial district was quiet. Most of the workers that would be loading up the ships were either enjoying the festivities or completely forgot. Bright lights shone down on the quiet alleys and large warehouses that sprawled in the district. The sheer silence in the area caused the sound of hoof steps to sound like elephant feet. A large stallion walked down the dimly lit road. His green eyes darted to each warehouse and alleyway he passed. The small flicker of lights almost made him jump. He groaned as it was just the streetlights playing tricks on him. With a sigh, he continued to walk. Nightmare Night was known for its festivities. But it was also known for its pranksters. Teenage colts always broke into abandoned factories to scare their friends. Or whatever kids do today. Due to this, the mayor established that the industrial district was banned from being entered during Nightmare Night UNLESS you worked there. But even then, the teenagers still carried on with their pranks. -Clang!- The stallions brown ears shifted to the sound. He gazed to his right, his green eyes staring directly into a dark alley. His unicorn horn began to glow as he stared down the pitch black alley. He narrowed his eyes when something moved. On instinct, he began to walk to the alley, his horn illuminating the large walls. Although he tried to resist, his legs began to tremble in fear. His mind began to race at all the possible things it could be. Fear began to grip him in its cold embrace as he looked around. He shakily stopped once he reached the middle of the dark alley. A small mare leaned on the brick wall. Her cream fur was ragged and covered in dirt. Her red mane was frizzled up, making its original style unrecognizable. She gripped her right leg in pain as she breathed heavily. The stallion immediately rushed to her aid, worry in his eyes. “M-Miss! Are you ok?” the stallion said. He tried to move her hoof but she backed away. The stallion looked at her arm and froze. Instead of the usual red blood, green goo oozed through her hoof and onto the floor. Her fur was slick black, blending in with the darkness. “M-Miss!?” a beam of green energy hit the stallion straight in the chest. The stallion flew backwards and fell to the ground. He groaned in pain before falling unconscious. “I’m fine, thank you.” The changeling said with a smug grin. She winced as she placed pressure on her wounded leg. “Can’t even keep in disguise for a few minutes without my wound messing up my concentration.” “Well then, that makes my job all the more easy.” The changeling spun around to see Terry standing atop one of the large buildings in the alley. Her eyes grew in size as she galloped away in fear. Terry grinned. “They always run.” Terry ran across the tall rooftop, never keeping his eyes off the galloping changeling. The changeling skidded to a stop as it neared a warehouse. Her green eyes darted around, scanning the rooftops for any movements. With a sigh, the changeling kicked open the door to the warehouse, wincing once she put pressure on her leg. She hastily ran into the large warehouse, slamming the door behind her. Her black horn glowed as she levitated a couple crates in front of the door, barricading it for the time being. She slowly backed away from the door, keeping her horn pointed at it. A large shadow flew over her, causing her to glance up at the large window in the ceiling. The bright moon shone down in the dark and dusty warehouse, illuminating the stone floor. She narrowed her eyes, hoping that it was just her eyes playing tricks on her. The small clatter of metal made her spin around in fear. Her eyes stopped at the calmly swaying metal chains that hung from the ceiling. She blasted a bolt of magic at the chains, engulfing them in flames. Three small black balls shot out from the shadows. The balls rolled on the stone floor and stopped in front of the mare. She shrieked as the balls exploded into smoke. The changeling began to fire bolts of magic around in a fit of blind rage and fear. A dark figure passed by her in a blink. She screamed and fired a large beam of flames at where she saw the shadow, hoping she hit something. The thick smoke began to clear, revealing large boxes and crates engulfed in fire. Her green eyes darted to each shadow, her legs shaking in fear. “Why are you so afraid?” a voice called. She spun around, looking or the source. “You weren’t so afraid the last time we fought. Or the time before that. So why now?” “Where are you!?” the changeling called. She blasted a bolt of magic at a group of boxes, engulfing those in flames. “Is it because you’re wounded? Because you’re vulnerable?” the voice called. “Or is it because you’re scared? “I’m not afraid of you!” the changeling yelled. “I’m a princess! I outrank you! If anything, you should be afraid of ME!” “But I’m not.” Terry lunged from the shadows, the fire barely touching his suit. The changeling roared and blasted a bolt of magic at him, blasting him backwards into a burning crate. The changeling rushed at him, horn pointed at the large red bat symbol on his chest. Terry quickly caught the horn before it could even touch his chest. He quickly kneed her in the chest and pushed her off. Terry got to his feet and beckoned her to come. “Let’s dance in the moonlight.” Terry grinned. “They say it’s romantic.” “I’ll show you ROMANCE!” The changeling lunged at him, her form quickly changing into a griffin. Terry quickly ducked under an overhang slash and punched her hard in the gut. He lunged back, dodging another blow and spun into a hard kick to the side of the face. Blood and spit splashed onto the ground. The griffin roared and began to swipe in a flurry of blows. Terry quickly blocked as much as he could. The talons shredded his suits forearms, revealing its red interior. He grabbed both of her claws, struggling to pull them away. He grunted as he slammed his forehead into the griffin's head, stunning her momentarily. Terry reached into his belt and grabbed a batarang. He quickly tossed the bladed projectile right at the griffin. Directly at the black horn that stuck out of its head. -SHINK!- The world grew silent as the blade embedded itself into the wall behind the griffin. The sound of the burning boxes and other assorted things in the warehouse was muted as the black horn that was once on the changeling fell to the ground. The black horn sparked before dying completely. The griffin’s eyes turned into pin pricks before they were completely enveloped in green. Its body erupted into flames, the center glowing brighter and brighter. Terry backed away, covering his eyes with his right arm. Suddenly, the burning changeling exploded, the blast knocking the dark knight right off the ground. Terry groaned as he slammed into a pole, the power of the blast bending the metal rod. The shockwave left a large fiery line vertically across his abdomen. He gripped his head in pain, glancing around the completely engulfed warehouse. Terry held onto a crate and hoisted himself up. His chest hurt and his back was in pain. In the center of the burning warehouse was the changeling. But it was different. Its right forehoof was black and holed while its left was the claw of an eagle. Half of its mane was rainbowed while the other was the sickly swamp green color. One of its eyes was magenta while the other was completely white. Half of its face was black, its ear pointed upwards like the batsuit. The other half was cyan with patches of black. Its right back hoof was cyan while the left was brown with holes. The changeling glanced at itself, its eyes in horror. “W-What have you done!?” the changeling said. “That’s not a face you want to wake up to…” Terry said as he backed up in fear. “I’LL KILL YOU!” the changeling slammed into Terry’s chest, knocking him to the ground. It repeatedly slammed its hoof on Terry face, the dark knight barely blocking each blow. Terry gasped as the griffin hand gripped onto his neck, strangling the life out of him. “You made me a freak! I’ll rip you from this life, and kill you in the next!” Terry grabbed the changeling’s arm, trying to pry its grip off. “Not so fun when you’re on the brink of death HUH?” the changeling grinned, its teeth jagged and pointed. “Not so funny when you’re dying huh? I’ll kill you for what you did to my clan! I’LL RIP THAT CUTE HEAD OF YOURS AND MOUNT IT OVER MY FIREPLACE! AND I’LL USE YOUR LIMBS TO KEEP ME WARM FOR THE WINTER!” -BZZZMMM!- A large bolt of magic shot the twisted changeling right off of the dark knight. The changeling slid down the stone floor and groaned. Its body soon fell limp as it fell unconscious. Terry coughed and rubbed his neck. He glanced to where the magic bolt came from to see a purple mare rushing to his side. Twilight skidded to a stop as she looked at his neck to his forearms. “A-Are you ok?” Twilight asked, coughing slightly at the amount of smoke. “Yeah, just a little neck pain." Terry said. Twilight sheepishly helped him up, which was hard considering he was much larger than she was. “You didn’t-“ “Knock out spell.” Twilight smiled. Terry did the same and patted her on the head. Their get together was soon broken once a box in a corner of the room suddenly exploded. Terry quickly scanned the boxes. His white eyes went wide once he saw what was within. Large cans of highly explosive liquids. “WE NEED TO GO!” Terry yelled. He quickly ran over to the unconscious changeling and slung her over his shoulder. Before Twilight could say a thing, Terry grabbed her around the waist with his other arm and ran to the large garage like door. Boxes began to explode as he ran, sending charred pieces of wood flying. “HOLD ON!” “LIKE I HAVE A CHOICE!” Twilight yelled over the explosions. She glanced at the closed door and blasted a hole in it. Terry sprinted to the hole and lunged through. The warehouse immediately exploded, launching them forward and crashing onto the large dock area. Terry shielded Twilight from the blast as the warehouse erupted into many explosions, creating a large ball of fire to rise into the air. Burning bricks and wood fell from the sky as smoke rose from the large blaze. Terry glanced over his shoulder. He continued to shield the scarred mare as another blast went off. Twilight gazed over his shoulder and looked at the large burning warehouse. She looked around to see the unconscious changeling right under her. Terry slowly let go of the mare and sat on the cobblestone floor, gazing at the fire. The wind blew the warm heat onto them, making the cold seem like nothing. “You… You saved me…” Twilight said, shocked at the large explosion. “That’s what I do…” Terry said. Twilight turned her head at Terry. In the light, she could see the somewhat features on his face. Although with his slim form, his face looked brave and hardened. “No… Even after we chased you… Even after we locked you up…” Twilight blinked. “You still saved me.” “It doesn’t matter what you would’ve done to me.” Terry turned to face the lavender mare. “Saving people- err ponies is what I do.” He glanced at his torn forearms. “No matter what.” Terry sighed and got up. “W-Where are you going?” Twilight got up and watched as the dark knight stretched his arms. “The police and fire crew will be here momentarily.” Terry pointed at the changeling. “Make sure she wakes up in custody.” Twilight looked back at the unconscious changeling. “Don’t worry, she will. Wait, why did you say-“ Twilight turned around to be met with nothing but air. “-That…” Twilights ears flickered as she heard the sound of sirens. She turned around to see the police coming. As well as the pegasi flying high in the sky, creating rain clouds to douse the fire.
Issue #0Gotham City; the city that seems to be forever shrouded in the nights embrace. The bright moon bathed the dark city in its while glow, thick clouds covering the dark sky. The city lights made the dark city bright with life. Cars and trucks drove down the busy streets. Highways that were elevated off the ground were swarmed with cars filled with people getting home for the night. The Gotham city trains were still operational even at night. The large silver trains trudged on the metal tracks that were over the city streets. Even at night, the city was still alive. And so was the crime. Yes Gotham City wasn’t the safest city in the United States of America. From mobsters to psychotics, Gotham had it all. But there was its traditional jewel thief’s and bank robbers. Of Course, most of the crime was stopped by the work of the city’s police department which was led by the praised commissioner. Large blimps hovered around the city with their large spotlights. These were created by the police to spot any crimes in progress so the police could stop them before they escalated. But the city also had another being that helped to deter the late night crime of the city. The vigilante simply known as the “The Dark Knight”. The Dark Knight was known for being the world’s greatest detective. He was the silent avenger. He was the night. No crime could not be committed without the knight of Gotham putting an end to it. Some even say that the Dark Knight isn’t even human. Some believe him to be a demon who was cursed to roam the city of Gotham. Or an angel that was sent by god himself to watch over the crime ridden city and protect its inhabitants. But even with his reputation, people still feared him. They respected their guardian angel but feared him as well. Like they always said, he wasn’t human. Over the many years, Gotham has been protected by its dark knight, but his presence seemed to be slowly disappearing over the years. As time progressed and as the city changed, so did the dark knight. Some even said they the fabled hero disappeared and quit his life as their once respected guardian. Some say that the Joker, the clown prince of crime, finally did the unthinkable. But people still held hope that the knight wouldn’t fall so easily. And even when Gotham began to change, they all had hope that the Batman still lived. It is the year 2040. Gotham city hasn’t changed. The tall skyscrapers that littered the city were silver. Lights illuminated the dark city, some from the city streets while others from the buildings. The faint sound of sirens indicated a crime in progress. Yes, Gotham was exactly as it was in the past, but more advanced in its technology. But no matter how much you change the outside of a city, just like a machine the inner workings of the mechanism still remained the same. Crime was still the same as it was in the past, except that over time the psychopaths population seemed to dwindle. Pant… Pant… Pant… A dark figured man stood in an alley. His body was covered by the dark trench coat he wore. His shallow breath could be seen puffing out of his mouth. Fall was beginning to come to an end in the city, winter slowly creeping up. The man placed his back on the cold brick wall of the alley and breathed. His dirty blonde hair covered one of his eyes as he gazed up at the dark cloudy city. With a sigh, the man cleared his throat and began to walk down the alley. The thin alley was crowded with old bags of garbage and loose paper. A small cat leapt out of a large metal dumpster and hissed at him, startling the man. He sighed as the cat ran away. “I think I lost him…” the man whispered to no one in particular. He moved his hand from his side, the cold metal of the pistol sending a shiver down his skin. “Close,” the man froze. “But no cigar.” Without even thinking, the man began to run. His heavy footsteps echoed down the long alley. He knew exactly who it was, and he didn’t want to turn to find out if he was right. The sounds of another set of footsteps made the man begin to run faster, his dark trench coat blowing in the wind. A dark shadow flew over him, the distinct shape making his heart skip. Eventually, the man came out of the never-ending alley and into the industrial area of the city. The man ran through the dark street, ignoring the loud screeching of a car that almost ran him over. He didn’t care if he got hit; he just wanted to get away. < * / * \ * > A large white truck was parked in the front of a massive warehouse. The large garage door was slowly being opened from within, the creaking of metal sliding against steel as it rose off the ground and to the roof of the warehouse. The white trucks light glowed to life as it began to back up into the building. Soon the back of the van was kicked open and a group of men jumped out. They wore a black turtleneck and a ski mask to hide their identities. They stepped into the dark warehouse, the ceiling lights flickering to life. One of the masked men ran up to a large crate, a metal rod in hand. He stabbed the metal crowbar into the side of the crate and pulled down. -CRACK!- The masked man beckoned one of the groupies to help as he lifted the cover off the crate. They threw off the wooden cover and looked into the crate with awe. The two grinned and gave a thumb up to one of the masked men that stood at the truck. “Alright, load up the trailer.” He smiled. The masked men nodded to the supposed leader and began to carry the large crates into the white truck. The sound of footsteps made the men freeze in their place. They all reached to their sides and pointed their guns at where the sound was coming from. The soft tapping of footsteps sounded like whoever was running for dear life. One of the masked men motioned for one of the robbers to turn off the warehouse lights. Soon the bright lights shut off with a soft click, and the men were purged into darkness. They all stood and waited for whomever to come around the corner, their fingers itching to shoot on sight. The footsteps began to get louder as whoever got closer to the warehouse door. They all sighed in relief as they saw who it was. One of the men nodded and the lights flickered on. “B *Pant* Bat,” the man huffed and puffed as he rested a hand on the side of the truck. He clenched his chest as he breathed. One of the men patted him on his back as he breathed. “Spit it out Larry.” The masked man growled. “B-Batman’s here!” -CRASH!- All eyes were directed to the large window on the top of the warehouse that just shattered. Glass rained down onto the warehouse floor, the bright moonlight making the shards sparkle. A dark figure fell through the shards of glass and landed in the center of the warehouse. The figure rose to its top height and made everyone gasp in horror. In the centre of the room was a tall dark figure. The dark man wore all black, covering its identity. Its eyes were completely white, almost glowing in the light. A silver belt was strapped to the dark figures waist. In the center of the belt was a red dot. But that’s not what made the men gasp in horror. It was the red bat symbol that was on the figured chest. “Throwing a party without me?” the dark figure smiled. “I’m hurt.” The men began to back away, horror in their eyes. “You brought him here!?” the masked man turned to his friend. He then glared at the dark figure in the center of the warehouse. “Doesn’t matter, you’re dead Batman!” “Where have I heard that before?” before the men could shoot, the dark figure tosses a group of black and red batarangs at their guns. The batarangs landed in front of the guns muzzle. -POW!- The man all winced as their guns exploded in their hands. In a fit of rage, one of the masked men rushed at the dark figure, his hands clenched into fists. The figure quickly dodged the man’s barrage of fists. He grinned as he caught one of the man’s fists. The dark knight punched the masked man straight into the jaw, sending the man crashing into a stack of crates. The dark knight quickly stepped to the side, avoiding a fist from behind. He elbowed the man in the back of the head and swept his leg on the floor, knocking the man to the ground. Batman quickly back flipped away as a man slammed a crowbar at the dark knight’s former position. The dark knight stood up and motioned for the man to come. The man roared as he rushed at the Bat, the metal crowbar in hand. The dark knight quickly reached into his belt and tossed a bola at the man’s feet, tying them up together. The sound of a truck engine brought the dark knights attention to the fast moving truck. “Bye bye Bats!” the masked man held onto the open trucks door. In his other hand was a rocket launcher that he pointed at the dark knight himself. -FSHOOM!- The dark knight quickly ducked as the rocket flew over his head. He aimed his fist at the truck and a black dot shot out of the top of his hand. The tracer stuck to the back bumper of the truck, barely visible to anyone but the dark knight himself. -BOOM!- The batman looked over his shoulder to see a large metal post falling from the ceiling of the warehouse. He quickly rolled out of the way, letting the metal support crash to the ground. The dark knight looked back at the growing fire that was created by the rocket that crashed into the back of the warehouse. Embers shot out of the flame, catching crates on fire. Soon, the whole warehouse began to catch on fire. The dark knight pressed a button on his cowl and began to scan the crates. His white eyes went wide as he discovered the contents of the many wooden crates that began to catch on fire. “Terry, get out of there!” an old man’s voice yelled on his communicator. “Don’t have to tell me twice old man!” The dark knight quickly grabbed two unconscious henchmen. He slung a third masked man on his shoulder and sprinted to the open warehouse door. The feat would have been impossible if it weren’t for the neuromuscular amplifier that was built into the suit. -KA BOOM!- -POW!- “Oomph!” -BOOM!- The dark knight was launched forward by the blast. Fire and burning metal and wood rained down on the industrial area of Gotham. Smoke rose up to the clouds as the remains of the burning wreckage of the warehouse lit up the street. The dark knight weakly got up to his hands and knees, wincing in pain. Although the suit softened most of the blast, the dark knight still felt it. His ears were ringing, making him unable to hear the sound of sirens or a voice that was calling to him. He looked up to see the three masked men lying unconscious on the grey floor. He groaned as he got to his feet, rubbing the back of his head in pain. He looked at his shoulder to see a small rip in the suit, the inner material glowing a faint red in the night. “Terry, are you alright?” the old man’s voice rang in the dark knight’s ears. He pressed a button on his cowl to activate the call. “I tore the suit, but I’m fine.” The dark knight turned around to face the burning wreckage of the warehouse. “Still got the tracers signal?” “They’re passing through Gotham Midtown.” The voice responded. “On it.” < * / * \ * > -SCREECH!- The white truck shot down the busy highway, swerving around cars and other trucks. Cars tried desperately to move out of the way but were met with the guard rail on the large highway bridge. Any other car that wasn’t trying to move out of the way was rammed right in the back. This caused cars to crash into one another, making massive accidents and property damage on the streets of Gotham. The masked men within the horn laughed as they crashed into another car. The small car smashed through the guardrail and began its descent into a building. People screamed as the car crashed through the windows and into the building itself. The loud horn of the truck echoed in the streets as the crooks began their mad rampage. “Ha ha ha! We killed the Bat AND blew up most of the industrial district!” one of the masked men laughed and gave the crooks a high five. “This is the best night ever!” “Really?” the voice made the two men at the front of the large white truck freeze. They glanced over to their left to see a large black jet like vehicle flying next to the truck. On top of it stood the dark knight himself. “Because the night is still young.” “SHOOT HIM DOWN!” The dark knight leapt from the atop of the flying batmobile. His retractable claws instantly activating as he clung to the side of the truck. The wind blew rapidly against him as the truck began to gain speed. He looked to his right to see a group of white cars speeding behind the truck, their red and blue lights flashing in the night. The dark knight’s focus was brought back to the truck as it began to lurch to the left, getting dangerously to the guard rail. Terry quickly grabbed the edge of the truck and brought himself to the top of the trailer. The electromagnetic soles in his boots quickly activated as he stood on top of the trailer. He quickly ducked as a lamp post whizzed overhead. The dark knight crawled on the surface of the metal trailer. He crawled to the link that connected the truck to the trailer and pointed his right wrist at the link. A long orange laser shot from his wrist and hit the link, slowly severing the trailer. -CLUNK!- “What was that?” one of the masked men in the truck looked out the window to see their trailer disconnecting with the truck. “The Bat’s messing with the cargo!” the masked man yelled. “Stupid Batman! When I get my hands on him I’ll-“ -SLAM!- “You’ll do what?” the dark knight said as he stood on the hood of the truck. “I’m all ears.” His white eyes went wide as the driver took out a large rocket launcher and pointed it at the dark knight. “Say goodnight Batfreak!” -FSHOOM!- Terry quickly leaped out of the way as the rocket crashed through the windshield and into the air. The truck was filled with the rockets smoke, the grey smoke blowing out through the shattered windshield and the open windows. The masked men coughed and hacked, waving their hands in front of their faces to get the smoke away. The smoke finally cleared, but they weren’t out of the woods yet. The men screamed as their truck began to near a turn on the highway. At the speed they were going, they couldn’t turn in time. The masked driver slammed his foot on the breaks, lurching the truck forward. They screamed as the truck crashed through the stone guard rail, launching the truck into the night air and falling to the Gotham floor. -CLICK!- -GRRRR!- The masked men opened their eyes to see them floating over the sleeping Gotham. One of the masked men blinked, looking at his hands in unbelief. The second masked man looked out his window and gasped in horror. Flying over the white truck was the Batmobile. Its slick metal frame shone under the neon lights of Gotham City. A long black cord hung from the black vehicle and was attached to the back of the truck, holding it in place. One of the masked men aimed his pistol at the cord, but was stopped instantly by one of his friends. The ship began to fly around and back to the highway where multiple police guards stood in ready to take down the crooks if they tried to shoot. One the truck landed back on the highway, the black cord snapped and the Batmobile flew away, leaving the reluctant crooks to surrender to the massive amount of police that surrounded them. “Hope those kids play nice.” Terry said on his communicator as he piloted the ship back to Wayne Manor. “Terry, we have a visitor.” The old man’s voice responded. “Yeah I’m coming back Wayne.” Terry said as he flew. “So, who’s the visitor? Commissioner?” “Superman.” … … … “Oh.” < * / * \ * > The dark cave that was under the large house known as Wayne Manor was quiet. The lights that illuminated the cave known as the Bat Cave were flickering on and off. The soft hum of an engine from outside woke up the bats that hung upside down on the ceiling. The batmobile flew into the quiet cave, scaring a few bats that began to fly off into the night. The cockpit slid opened and out jumped the Dark Knight himself. Terry looked around the cave in confusion. It wasn’t unusual to see the batcave empty, but the destroyed bat computer told a different story. The dark knight walked around the quiet cave with a batarang in hand. Something felt wrong and he didn’t like it. -CRASH!- Terry looked up. The sound came from upstairs. He jogged over to the stairs that lead to the house, ignoring the trashed equipment that was scattered across the stony floor. The dark knight shoulder charged the door, crashing through the secret entrance that was in Wayne Manor. He rubbed his shoulder and looked around the quiet library in the house. His white eyes went wide as he walked out of the library and into the main hall of the massive manor. Lying on the ground were two bodies. One was clad in silver armor. The black wings that were on the unconscious body looked like they were broken in several places. Blood trickled down from his mouth, creating as small pool around his head. The other body was a female. Her seaweed green one piece swimsuit was ripped and torn. Her silver hair was tainted with the blood from her head. “Warhawk and Aquagirl!” Terry whispered in shock. “Bruce!” “TERRY!” The dark knight sprinted into a scene that shocked him to no words. In the center of the room were four people. A small child in a green suit was unconscious on the ground, his suit torn in many places. A woman in a red suit stood over an old man, protecting him from the large man in a pure black suit with white accents. She gritted her teeth as she tried to push back the man’s strength. The man tossed the woman away, watching her fly away. He was about to grab the old man when a batarang slashing him on his arm. The man held his arm in pain and glared at where the object came from, his red eyes glowing in the dark. “Show’s over, Superman.” The dark knight yelled as he tossed another batarang at the man known as superman. A beam of red shot out from the man’s eyes and incinerated the object in mid-air. “No, dark knight,” Superman turned to face Terry. The dark knights eyes went wide as he realized the mastermind behind this. On the man’s chest was a large purple and white starfish-like alien. Its red eye glared at the dark knight. “It’s only just begun!” -BZZZMMM!- Terry gasped as a beam of heat shot from Superman’s eyes. The beam shot the dark knight right in the chest and caused him to crash back into the library. Books and wood buried him as bookshelves fell to the floor. Terry groaned as he got to his feet. The suit protected him from the blast with only smolder coming off of his chest. “GRAAAH!” the dark knight barely dodged Superman fist as it smashed into where he was before. He ducked as a fist waved over his head, scratching the tops of his bat ears. He quickly back flipped out of the way as Superman smashed his fists into the ground. The dark knight reached into the back of his belt to grab something. He sidestepped a beam of heat and tossed a bunch of small black pellets at Superman’s face. The pellets exploded once they got close enough, blinding the man of steel. Terry rushed over to the stunned superhero and kicked him with all his might in the chest, right on Starro himself. The neuromuscular amplifiers in the suit caused the kick to have more power. -CRASH!- The man of steel crashed through the window of the library. Shards of glass and metal fell to the ground and shattered into more pieces. Terry breathed heavily. He knew that wouldn’t stop him, but it would slow him down. The dark knight quickly rushed into the main room. He jogged over to the old man that was leaning on a chair for support. The old man wore a dark black suit and tie. It was noticeably torn and ripped, but it was still in one piece. The dark knight ran over to the old man and held him up for support. “Bruce, are you ok?” Terry asked with concern. “What happened?” “It’s a long story.” Bruce Wayne glared at the dark knight. “You know that won’t stop him.” “It wasn’t supposed to. It was just to slow him down.” Terry softly sat down the hurt man. -CRASH!- A large hole was created on the ceiling, sending debris to fall to the ground. Terry quickly shielded the old man from the falling debris with his back. The smoke cleared to reveal the man of steel himself. His eyes were glowing red with rage as they glared at the dark knight. Batman quickly activated his rocket boots. He stretched out his arms which now had two red wings under them. He quickly grabbed the small silver box that was on Big Barda’s belt and flew off. Superman was hot on the dark knight’s trail. They turned into the library and flew down the secret entrance to the cave. -BZZZMMM!- “GAH!” -CRASH!- -Tumble- -Tumble- -Tumble- Terry winced in pain as he tumbled to a stop on the stony floor. His back felt like it was on fire even though the suit absorbed most of the heat. Smolder rose from his back and into the air. Reluctantly, the dark knight began to pull himself off the ground, retracting his red and black wings so they don’t get damaged. -BZZZMMM!- The dark knight quickly rolled away as a beam of heat exploded on where he was before. He quickly flipped to his feet and stood in a combat stance. He jumped to the side as another beam whizzed by him. With a battle roar, Superman rushed at the dark knight, his hands clenched into fists. Terry quickly dodged two blows. A third blow barely grazed the side of his face. The dark knight swatted away the fist with his arm and punched the man of steel right in the chest, stunning Starro for a mere second. He leapt backwards, dodging another beam of heat, and landed on the bat computer console. Superman rushed at the dark knight, rage in his eyes. The dark knight looked over the enraged super being to see the vault opened behind him, the dark knight’s prize sitting in a lead suitcase. Terry quickly jumped over the man of steel's fist. He planted two plastic explosives on his shoulders and jumped off. -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BOOM!- Terry shielded himself from the explosion and ran over to the vault. The yell of an angered alien made sweat form on the dark knight’s brow as he tore open the metal suitcase. There, glowing a faint green was the only thing that could remotely stop Superman. The dark knight quickly put the crystal into the barrel of a silver pistol that was within the box and sheathed it on his belt. -BZZZMMM!- “GAH!” The dark knight slammed into the back of the vault. His chest was smoldering with smoke. He groaned in pain and looked up to see Superman towering over him. Before he could block, the man of steel grabbed him by the collar and tossed him to the batmobile. The suit absorbed the damage but that didn’t mean it protected the flying vehicle from getting dented. Terry looked up to see the man of steel slowly walking over to him, his eyes glowing red. Starro glared at the dark knight and almost chuckled at his untenable demise. -Click!- -BOOM!- A large while flash illuminated the cave. Starro turned around to see a large, tube like portal appear behind him. The sound of air being sucked into the boom tube could be heard throughout the room. Superman turned to face the dark knight. He froze as Terry pointed a silver pistol at the man of steel. Starro stood there, confused as the dark knight got to his feet, his eyes narrowed at the man of steel. “You think a bullet could stop me!?” Starro said through Superman. “I possess the strongest being this planet has to offer!” “Yeah, but you also have their weaknesses too.” The glow of the green crystal could be seen from the pistol’s barrel. Starro began to back up as the radiation from the kryptonite began to make Superman feel weak. “What’s the matter, scared of a bullet?” Superman fell backwards. He began to crawl away as Terry walked closer. He stopped as he realized he was getting closer to the boom tube. Starro’s red eye began to get wide as the dark knight got closer, the radiation making Superman groan in pain. The red eye narrowed as he saw the silver box in the dark knights other hand. Superman’s eyes began to glow red. -BZZZMMM!- The mother box exploded in the dark knight’s hand. He waved his hand in pain, the smolder disappearing in the air. His white eyes went wide as the boom tube began to get larger. The normal white portal began to glow red as it started to go into overload. Terry quickly sheathed the gun as the boom tube began to suck up everything. Dust and dirt began to get sucked into the massive portal to wherever. Superman tried to fly away, but the force was too strong. He slammed his fists into the ground, hoping that he doesn’t get pulled. Terry dug his claws into the ground as the pull got stronger. He looked up to see a large stalactite slam into his chest. He quickly dug his claws into the ground, the wind making him grind closer to the portal. The dark knight looked behind him to see Superman being sucked into the portal, disappearing into the red light. Terry tried to claw his way away from the portal, dirt and dust almost blinding him. -Crumble- -Crumble- Terry’s grip soon loosened. He tried to shoot out a grapple but the boom tube was too strong. He yelled out for help but it was useless. Soon, the dark knight was engulfed by the light of the boom tube and was sucked in. the bright portal began to flash and suddenly, it disappeared. Dust and dirt fell back to the ground once the portal disappeared. The Dark Knight was nowhere to be found. < * / * \ * > The chilly wind of fall blew in the quiet city. It was a cold night in the busy city that hung below the glow of the large white moon in the sky. The dark city was quiet, not unusual in the night. But the street lights on the quiet streets of Manehattan plus the lights from some of the tall skyscrapers indicated that there were still people awake at night. The starry sky bathed the quiet city in a faint light. Police ponies could be seen patrolling the streets of the sleeping city, looking for any crime to bust. But there was usually no one outside at this late night other from a few red light district mares. The only sound that could be heard in this night was the quiet sounds of taxi’s still running. The soft sound of a boom could be heard in the distance, but it was just a stray cat falling into a dumpster. -Clop- -Clop- -Clop- -Clop- The soft sound of hooves on the cobblestone floor echoed faintly in the night. In the center of an empty street was a young Pegasus. Her butter yellow fur and pink hair stood out in the all grey streets of Manehattan. Fluttershy was running for dear life. Her wings hugged her petite form in fear of what she was running away from. She was clearly lost in the massive city and forgot where the hotel was. The petite mare ran into a dark alley and slowed down. She remembered this alley as it was a shortcut to the hotel. But it looked better in the morning. The shy mare slowly walked down the dark alley with fear in her heart. The alley was fairly dirty. Bags of garbage and filled up garbage cans littered the dirty alley. Steam seeped through a sewer cover and into the dark air. Fluttershy slowly walked down the alley, avoiding the trash and paper that blew in the chilly wind. The Pegasus snuggled the green and yellow scarf on her neck and continued to walk. It would’ve been better if she could fly, but her right wing was slightly hurt. -Clatter!- “Eep!” Fluttershy jumped on top of a large dumpster. She hastily looked around for the noise. The frightened mare smiled as a small cat jumped out of a trash can. “Oh hello there.” -Mew!- “You scared me little guy!” Fluttershy smiled. She jumped off the dumpster and onto the cobblestone floor. “Are you lost too?” -Mew!- “So am I.” Fluttershy sat in front of the small kitten. “I would’ve found my way back, but I hurt my wing. Plus I’m no flyer like Rainbow Dash. But at least now I have company!” -HISS!- Fluttershy got up quickly. She wasn’t expecting the small kitten to hiss at her. The mare began to back up as the cat hissed and clawed at the air. Fluttershy froze as she backed up into something behind her. She turned around to see a tall stallion in a black coat grinning at her, mostly at her flank. Fluttershy sheepishly backed away, her eyes in fear of what the stallion was thinking. The dark covered stallion licked his lips as he took a step closer. “What’s a beautiful mare such as yourself doing out here so late?” the stallion grinned. Fluttershy backed up into a wall and froze. “Don’t be scared. I’ll be gentle. I don’t want to ruin that lovely face of yours.” Fluttershy screamed but was quickly silenced by the stallion slamming his hoof on her mouth. “C’mon lady, I don’t bite.” -CRACK!- “OW!” Fluttershy kicked the stallion away and began to run deeper into the alley. The sound of a second set of hooves made her run faster. She twisted and turned down alleys, almost slipping on a shattered bottle of alcohol. But her chase was soon cut short when the petite mare ran into a dead end. She turned to see the stallion standing at the only way out, blood dripping down from his muzzle. He was clearly agitated but grinned as he realized that she was trapped. Fluttershy tried desperately to back away but her rump just hit the cold brick wall behind her. She shook as the stallion was getting closer, his hot breath visible in the cold night air. “Tch, stupid bitch! When I’m done with you, you’re not going to be sitting anytime soon!” -WHIIISH- -SHINK!- The stallion stood in his place. A dark red and black blade struck the ground in front of him, almost cutting the stallions hoof. The stallion looked up onto the rooftops to see where the blade came from. his eyes turned into pinpricks as he stared at a figure that stood on top of the building. It was in all black and had a large silver belt on its waist. Two long black horn-like ears stuck up from its head. Its eyes were completely white like the moon. Its figure wouldn’t have been able to see in the night sky if it weren’t for the large red insignia on its chest. “It’s a school night kids,” the figure spoke. “Shouldn’t you two be in bed?” Author's Note This has been in my head for a while now. Since no one made a Batman Beyond story, I decided to be the guy. I usually try to stray away from making stories like this because I fear of the DC fandom. Even though me myself is part of set fandom. But, here it is folks! Hope you enjoy! Feedback/Criticism would be greatly appreciated! Edited by The Valyard! Thanks buddy!
Issue #1Five minutes earlier… -BOOM!- A loud boom echoed throughout the quiet night in Manehattan. Most would mistake the sound for a cat that just fell into a dumpster, but it was much louder on the top of one of the tall buildings in the quiet city. A bright white glow could be seen on top of the building from a distance, resembling a large flashlight. The boom tube portal opened and a dark figure shot out. The figure slammed onto the ground due to the world’s gravity and tumbled closer to the edge before stopping. The light from the bright boom tube illuminated the black body, showing off its silver belt that was around its waist and the red bat symbol that was on its chest. The boom tube began to flash as the portal was becoming unstable. It soon disappeared into the night, leaving no trace of its existence in this world. The white eyes of the dark knight began to slowly open. He rubbed his head as he got up to his knees. His eyes went wide as he began to remember the earlier events. The dark knight quickly checked his belt, just to sigh as he found the silver gun still sheathed where he left it. Terry groaned and got to his feet. He scanned his surroundings and paused. The white eyes on the dark knight went wide as he looked at the buildings that spanned the plain before him. He wasn’t unfamiliar with tall buildings in Gotham, but these seemed too old. The street lights illuminated the many roads that went across the sleeping city. The yellow glow of the lights collided with the starry sky that hung over the massive city. Terry looked in marvel at the large moon that bathed the city in its glow. “Looks like New York.” Terry said to himself. “But it seems… older.” The dark knight stood and watched the city, the cool wind of fall blowing onto him. He was about to contact the batcave when he heard a scream. Terry quickly ran to where he heard the sound. He looked over the edge of the building to see a figure running down a dark alley. The figure looked small and wore a yellow and pink jacket. But behind the figure was another. The second figure slowly chased after the supposed girl. The dark knight quickly jumped off the building. His retractable red wings stretched out from under his arms as he glided in the night air. He continued to watch the girl twisting and turning down many alleys. His rocket boots activated as he saw the dead end the girl was going to run in. Terry narrowed his white eyes as he landed on the building that was close to the dead end. He retracted his wings and sprinted on the grey building. The dark knight quickly reached into his belt and held a red and black batarang. He could literally feel the girls fear as she walked into the dead end. He stopped at the edge of the building, standing over the girl that was pinned in the dark alley. He watched as the man began to walk over to the girl, anger and pleasure in his eyes. -WHIIISK!- -SHINK!- Terry watched as the dark figured man directed his eyes to him on the building. The dark figures eyes went into pinpricks as he saw the dark knight standing there. He could see the figure shaking in fear as he looked at the dark knight. “It’s a school night kids,” Terry smiled. “Shouldn’t you two be in bed?” The dark knight jumped from where he was standing. He landed right in front of the yellow and pink…. Pony!? Terry looked over his shoulder at the frightened pony he thought was a girl. His white eyes grew in size as he looked at the pony. Her, at least he thought it was a her, was much smaller than him. The pony’s height only went up to his waist, though it was much smaller since it was shaking in fear of the dark knight. Her coat was a soft yellow and her mane was a soft pink. Terry blinked as he swore he just saw the pony have wings. Sure, the dark knight has seen weird things, but not a pastel coloured pony. The dark knight looked back at the man just to have the same reaction. In front of him was a fear induced stallion. Again, at least he thought it was a stallion. It was wearing a black trench coat and had a dark black mane. Its fur was covered by the jacket it wore. “W-Who, or what, the buck are you?” the stallion stuttered. Terry couldn’t believe it. Not only was he protecting a pastel pony from a stallion, but it actually talked to him. He began to rub his head in pain. Everything wasn’t making any sense. Ponies, if not all animals, shouldn’t be able to talk. Then again, he remembered about the aliens he’s seen over the years. “Take a hike and get out of here,” Terry glared at the scared stallion. “Or the next one’s going in your leg.” Terry didn’t like making threats, but it got the job done. The stallion began to run out of the alley, screaming bloody murder. The dark knight looked behind him at the scared mare. She was huddled into a ball and was shaking in fear. Her petite face was covered by her long pink mane. Terry sighed and got down on his knees so he could be at her level. She shook some more, trying to squeeze herself into the brick wall behind her. He raised his hand to comfort her, just to see her squeal in fear. Terry shakily petted the mane on her head, his fingers cutting through her silky mane. The mare began to slow stop shivering as the dark knight petted her, trying desperately to calm her down. The mare sheepishly looked through her mane at the dark knight, her blue eyes meeting the white eyes. “Eep!” the mare quickly hid her face under her mane, causing Terry to sigh. He got back up to his feet and looked up at the sky, preparing to fly off. He looked back down at the mare and sighed, face palming. “Look, I’m not here to hurt you.” Terry couldn’t believe what he was saying. “I know you can understand me, so you’re welcome.” Terry was about to fly off when he heard something. “What was that?” “T-Thank you…” the mare said sheepishly. The dark knight smiled. “Just doing my job.” -BZZZMMM!- “Huh?-“ -SLAM!- -THUD!- Terry winced in pain as he was shot in the chest by a beam. He sat on the stony cobblestone floor, his back against the brick wall. Smolder came off his chest and disappeared into the air. The dark knight looked across the alley to see a group of stallions. they all wore a blue uniform and hat. One of the stallions had a horn that stuck out of his forehead. The horn had smolder rising off of it, an indication of its use. The second one had its wings outstretched, trying to make itself look bigger. The third one was much more petite, probably the mare of the group. She looked at the dark knight in fear and intrigue. The unicorn’s horn began to glow, and indication that the stallion was charging up another blast. “Not on my watch, Charlie.” Terry reached into his belt and grabbed a batarang. -WHIIISK!- -SHINK!- The batarang sliced through the stallion’s horn with ease. It flew over the shocked group and embedded itself into the brick wall in the alley. The horn slowly fell off the stallions head and hit the ground with a soft thunk. Terry winced and got up to his feet. He rubbed the spot where the stallion shot him, sighing in relief that it didn’t tear the suit. He watched as the group stood there for what felt like hours. The hornless unicorn looked at his severed horn and then to his forehead. His scream of pain caused Terry and the group to cover their ears. The stallion fell to the ground, crying in pain. His screams and cries caused the city to come to life. Lights from within buildings began to spring on as the city wondered what was going on. “GRAAAHH!!!” the Pegasus stallion roared in anger and charged at Terry in rage. -SLAM!- “Ooph!” The dark knight was shoulder charged into the abdomen. The enraged Pegasus pinned the dark knight onto the wall, the impact pushing the air out of Terry’s lungs. The Pegasus stepped back from the stunned man and reeled his forehoof back. Terry quickly caught the hoof in the air and kicked the angry Pegasus away. The stallion landed on his hooves, the metal horseshoes grinding on the cobblestone floor. The Pegasus roared and charged at the dark knight, pure hatred in his eyes. Terry dodged two blows. He tried to kick the stallion away, but the Pegasus knew this time. Instead, the Pegasus ducked under the dark knight’s leg and twirled around. His two back legs shot out and kicked the dark knight in the chest. Terry slammed into the brick wall. He groaned in pain as he struggled to stay on his feet. The dark knight looked up to see the stallion rushing at him again. His white eyes narrowed as he quickly jumped over the incoming hoof. He landed on his hands and back flipped onto his feet. Before the stallion could react, Terry kicked his right in to the wall. -SLAM!- -THUD!- The stallion fell to the ground. His head was bleeding and he was unconscious. The dark knight sighed. He looked over to the petite yellow mare and frowned. She was horrified at the spectacle. Her eyes were locked with the stallion that lost his horn. Terry looked over to the stallion to see him getting back up onto his hooves. He shakily walked over to the batarang that was embedded into the cobblestone floor. -SHINK!- The stallion glared at the dark knight with hate. He held the batarang in his hoof, an impossible feat to an animal with no hands. Terry backed away from the mad stallion. He looked back at the frightened mare and then at the stallion. The dark knight stood his ground and got into a combat stance, beckoning for the stallion to come. The stallion ran at the dark knight, his eyes locked with the white eyes of the Batman. Terry quickly blocked the batarang that was in the stallions hoof. The stallion swung madly with the batarang, determined to cut the dark knight. Terry continued to block, the blade on the batarang making small cuts on his forearms. The stallion tried to attack again, but his fore hoof was caught in mid-air. Terry grabbed his foreleg with both hands. He slammed the stallion into the brick wall and let go. The stallion fell to the ground with a thud, clearly unconscious. The dark knight looked over to the third member of the group just to see the mare run away. He turned to the scared yellow mare and bent down. “We have to get out of here,” Terry ordered. “She’s probably going to get more.” Terry scooped up the frightened mare. “B-But… Eep!” the frightened mare shook as the red and black retractable wings shootout. Terry grinned. “Hold on!” The mare compiled by wrapping her hooves around his neck. -FSHOOOM!- The dark knight’s rocket boots shot the duo into the air. They flew up over the building and hovered for a moment. The dark knight’s white eyes went wide as he scanned the area. A group of Pegasus were flying over to them, their uniforms matching the ones that Terry already fought. He curved around in the air and flew past them, stunning them for a moment. The sounds of their wings flapping were an indication that they were following him. The dark knight and the sheepish mare twisted and turned around buildings. No matter what Terry did, he couldn’t lose the determined ponies that chased him. He banked around and flew straight at them. The ponies slowed to a stop and quickly split up to avoid the speeding red and black dark knight. The butter yellow mare tried to say something, but was too scared. -BZZZMMM!- -BZZMMM!- -BZZZMMM!- Terry whizzed around as beams of energy was shot at him. He dodges two beams and barely avoided the third. The dark knight looked to see more of those ponies stationed on the rooftops, trying to shoot him down. His white eyes went wide as a lavender colored beam got dangerously close to him, aimed at his chest. Terry quickly flipped around and held the yellow mare tightly and he braced for impact. “GAAHH!” Terry took the beam straight on his back. The suit absorbed most of the hit, but the blow caused his to let go of the yellow mare. The mare began to fall from the sky, her screams echoing in the quiet city. The dark knight gasped as he saw the mare leave his grip and fall from the sky. He ignored the pain of the beam and flew after the falling mare. His red wings retracted back into his suit as he put his arms to his side. Gravity shot him down like a bullet as he tried to grab the falling mare, his white eyes narrowed to catch her. The yellow mare looked at the dark knight and tried to stick out her hoof. Terry stuck out his arm and tried to reach for her hoof. He activated his rocket boots to give him more of a thrust. Suddenly, a cyan colored blur flew past him and took the yellow mare. The blur left a long rainbow streak as it banked around. Terry quickly pointed his legs down and slowed to just a hover. He landed on top of an empty building and watched the rainbow streak. The blur brought his attention to the building that was across from his. On top of the building across from the dark knight were four ponies. The first one was a lavender color. Her dark purple mane blew in the cool wind. A long pink streak ran through the mare’s mane. Her violet eyes were locked on the dark knight, filled with intrigue and determination. The second pony was a light orange with a tied up blonde mane. Her brown Stetson hat blew in the wind. The third pony was all pink. The dark knight raised an eyebrow as the pony was literally hopping on her spot. The last pony was a marshmallow white color with an indigo mane. Her blue eyes almost glowed in the night light. the rainbow streak landed next to the ponies. It revealed a cyan colored Pegasus with a multicolored mane, one of which Terry wouldn’t have believed if he wasn’t looking at the group of pastel ponies. The group all looked at the dark knight with one thing in mind: To take him down. Author's Note Wow! So many favourites in one day! I'm not even that good but apparently all you guys beg to differ! Thank you all for this! I hope you enjoy the coming issues as much as you like this! Next Issue: Terry McGinnis vs. The Mane Six! Edited by The Valeyard! Thanks you!
Issue #2The cool night of Manehattan was bristling with activity. The once quiet city was awakened by the sound of an ear piercing scream. No one knew where it came from, but they knew that someone was in pain. Police ponies were now flying around the skies in search for something. Most of the lights from within buildings were now turned on as ponies looked out their windows to look for what caused all this activity. A lavender unicorn ran across the roofs of buildings. Behind the mare were three other ponies. One was an orange colour and had a tied up blonde mane. She ran beside the purple mare with determination in her emerald eyes. The second was all pink and was literally hopping behind the speedy duo. The last mare was a snow white colour with a curled indigo mane. The four jumped over an alley as they continued to follow the long rainbow streak that flew across the sky. “With all these police ponies outside,” Twilight Sparkle said as they trailed the rainbow streak. “Whatever made Fluttershy scream must've been big.” “Police said that it was some sorta creature,” Applejack began to slow down as they saw the rainbow streak curve around. “Nothin’ like they’ve ever seen before.” “*Gasp!* What if it’s an alien?” Pinkie Pie squealed. “We could throw it a party!” “Considering it tried to fillynap Fluttershy, I doubt it darling.” Rarity smiled. Her smile faded as she noticed Twilight and Applejack standing at the edge of the building, completely frozen. “Something wrong darling?” “What…” “In tarnation’s…” “Is that?” The two other ponies caught up to the shocked duo. Their expressions mirrored theirs as they looked at what they were staring at. In the centre of the building across from theirs was a tall dark figure. Its white eyes stared at the group with surprise. Around its waist was a silver belt. Two long black ears stuck out from the top of the figures head, almost making it look like a demon. Rainbow Dash finally landed next to the group. Fluttershy got out of the rainbow ponies hooves and looked at the figure in the centre of the rooftop. Of all the things the main six have seen, they have never seen such a monster such as what stood in front of them. The bright moon in the sky shone down on the figure, revealing the large red symbol on its chest. The cool wind of fall began to blow, making it feel like they've been standing there forever. “What is that thing?” Twilight said in barely a whisper. Even though she was scared, she was also interested to learn more about the dark figure. “That’s the thing that tried to fillynap Fluttershy!” Rainbow glared at the creature. She flared out her wings so she looked larger to it. “A-Actually-“ “Maybe we could try talking to it.” Twilight suggested. “Screw that!” Rainbow yelled. “No one tries to fillynap my friends and gets away with it!” Rainbow flew towards the dark knight, revenge in her eyes. The dark knight narrowed his eyes as he waited for her to get closer. Terry quickly sidestepped the angered Pegasus. Rainbow landed on her hooves and slid to a stop. He turned to face the cyan mare and got into a combat stance. Rainbow Dash growled and rushed at him. The dark knight quickly blocked two blows and dodged the third. Her hoof was caught in mid-air, stopping her in her tracks. She tried to use her other forehoof but it was caught also. Terry smiled and slammed his forehead into hers. Rainbow stumbled backwards, clearly dazed. The dark knight took this to an advantage and kicked the mare backwards. Rainbow quickly recovered and rushed at him, pure hate in her magenta eyes. Batman quickly dodged the mare’s fury of blows. He caught another blow and punched the mare right in the gut. The neuromuscular amplifier caused the punch to have more strength. Rainbow fell to the ground, clutching her gut in pain. Applejack jumped from the building and tackled the dark knight. They both fell to the ground, the farmer mare on top. Terry winced as the mare began to punch him repeatedly in the face. He grabbed the mare’s forehooves, straining under the mare’s resistance. Terry was surprised on Applejack’s strength. He placed a foot on the mare’s chest and kicked upwards. Applejack flew up and landed on her hooves. Batman quickly got up and beckoned for the mare to come. Applejack smiled and rushed at the dark knight. Batman grinned and didn’t move. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Rainbow was getting up, rage in her eyes. She began to rush at the dark knight with rage. His rocket boots quickly activated once Applejack twirled around. -CRACK!- Terry shot up in the air before Applejack could buck him in the chest. He looked down to see the farmer mare’s back hooves hit Rainbow Dash right in the face, launching her backwards. He landed right in front of the shocked farmer mare and punched her right in the face. “THAT’S ENOUGH!” -BZZZMMM!- Terry quickly back flipped away from a magic bolt. He looked up to see Twilight and Rarity standing on the rooftop across from his. He reached to the back of his belt and grabbed two batarangs, not leaving his gaze off the two mares. He glanced around the building in confusion. “Where did the pink one go?” Terry said to himself. -POW!- “Hm?” -SPLAT!- The dark knight quickly dodged a cake from hitting him. He glanced across the rooftop to see Pinkie Pie putting another cake into a cannon. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. He didn’t even know what he was looking at. The mare glanced at the confused man and waved. She then pulled a string that was attached to the cannon. -POW!- Terry dodged another cake and tossed a batarang at the cannon. The sharp blade embedded itself into of the cannon. Pinkie looked at it in confusion. She gasped as a red light turned on and began to blink. “Party’s over.” Terry said to himself. -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BOOM!- “YOU RUFFRIAN!” “R-Rarity don’t!-“ Fluttershy tried to plead to the white unicorn but it was no use. Rarity jumped from the top of the building and onto Terry’s. She glared daggers at the dark knight. Her white horn began to glow a soft light blue as she charged up her magic. Terry tossed a batarang at the mare. Rarity gasped and stepped to the side, but the blade sliced off some of her indigo mane. The two stood in silence. Applejack rubbed her head and glanced at the scene. Her emerald eyes turned into pin pricks as she saw a piece of Rarity’s mane on the ground. Rainbow and Twilight gasped in shock. Rarity shakily glanced down at the piece of her mane on the ground. Her sapphire eyes locked onto Terry’s white eyes. Terry took out another batarang and stood his ground. He could literally feel the rage building inside the marshmallow mare. Rainbow grinned and chuckled. “You’re dead now, freak.” “I’ve been told that many times.” Applejack and Twilight gasped as they heard the dark knight talk. “You can talk?” Twilight asked. -BZZZMMM!- Batman quickly dodged the gigantic beam of magic that shot out of Rarity’s horn. The beam managed to graze his right arm. He looked at his arm to see a large tear on the suit. The red interior glowed in the night. Terry held his arm in pain, feeling the hot energy of the bolt begin to burn his skin. He dodged as another beam almost hit him. He back flipped away from another beam and landed on top of a water tower that was on the roof. Terry quickly reached into his belt and took out a circular blade. The saw hummed to life once he activated it. The dark knight sliced through the side of the wooden tower. Water broke through the wood and landed on the enraged Rarity. The mare screamed as she was drenched in the cold water. “Time to cool off.” Terry jumped off the tall tower and stood in the center of the building. He glanced over at Twilight and paused. She was the only one that didn’t attack. “Why did you attack Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. She wanted to jump down but was scared of getting too close. “I didn’t attack her, I saved her.” Terry glanced over his shoulder to see Rainbow and Applejack getting up. “Bullshit!” Rainbow growled. “If you saved her, then why the buck did you attack those cops and attack us?” “Self defense.” Terry looked back at Twilight. “You can ask her yourself. She was there.” Twilight looked over at her frightened friend. Her gaze was moved when she saw a large group of police ponies flying over to them. -POMPH!- Twilight’s turned around to see a puff of grey smoke where the dark figure was. She raised an eyebrow in confusion but her expression was turned into shock once the smoke cleared. Three buildings away was the dark knight. He was much faster than even she thought was possible for the mysterious figure. Before she could call for it to stop, a long rainbow streak flew off after it. Twilight looked from Fluttershy to the fleeing figure. She stomped her hoof in frustration and galloped after the duo. Even though she knew she couldn’t catch up, the alien would have to stop eventually. Fluttershy watched as Applejack got up and chased after her, determined to take out the creature. Terry sprinted across the rooftops of buildings. He jumped over alleys with ease and continued to run. The sounds of wing beats made he glance over his shoulder to see a cyan bullet on collision course for him. Behind the cyan bullet were the lavender pony and the orange mare. He glanced back at Rainbow Dash and winked. Rainbow clenched her teeth and flew up closer to him. Terry glanced forward and grinned. He skidded to a stop, letting Rainbow fly completely past him. She looked back in confusion. Terry pointed ahead of her, causing her to look back at where she was flying. Her jaw dropped as she looked to where the dark figure was pointing at. -SLAM!- “Appropriate use of a billboard.” Terry watched at the rainbow haired mare slammed straight into a billboard. The Pegasus fell to the ground with a thud. -THADUM!- A large spotlight shone onto the dark knight. He covered his white eyes and looked around in horror. On each of the buildings around him were more ponies in uniform. Some were flying in the air, creating a perimeter around the dark knight. Others stationed themselves on the roofs, their horns pointed at Terry. More lights were shone down on the Batman as more of the ponies decided to file in on the rooftop, completely surrounding the dark knight. He looked around for an opening, spotting only one but it would be incredibly risky. The orange mare and the lavender unicorn soon joined in on the large group that surrounded the dark knight. Terry stood in a combat stance, but instead opted to just standing still and raising his arms in the air. The group of ponies still surrounded him, not moving an inch. Rainbow Dash began to get to her hooves and watched the spectacle that was happening on the building. More spotlights began to shine down on the dark knight, making sure that they won’t lose him in the dark. “What’s that in his right hoof?” Raindow asked. Batman smiled and threw the smoke pellet and a flash bang on the ground. The bright flash caused everyone to shield their eyes as the smoke masked his trail. The smoke began to clear, showing nothing but the bare rooftop of the building. ... ... ... “But… How?” Twilight gasped. She stood in silence as the police began to fan out and search for the missing creature. Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof on the ground and flew off, joining the search. “Slippery critter ain’t it?” Applejack whistled as she walked up to Twilight. Twilight merely stared at where the dark figure was and then back at the billboard. “C’mon Sugarcube, let’s get back to the police station and maybe Fluttershy can give us some answers.” “Y-Yeah, alright.” Twilight turned around and began to walk away with her friend. < * / * \ * > “Where the hell am I?” Terry stood atop one of the tall buildings of Manehattan. He clicked a button on his belt and turned off the cloaking device he had on. The cool wind of fall blew on him as he gazed down at the city. The sun began to rise over the horizon, indicating that morning was coming. He looked at the tear on his arm and sighed. He didn’t know where he was, or even if he was still in the same universe. But one this was for sure that whatever these were, they didn’t like him. The rainbow one was loyal to her friends, too loyal that she tried to fight for their safety. But the lavender one reminded him of a scientist discovering a new creature. If anything, he was the creature here. Terry sat down on the ledge of the building, letting his legs dangle over the edge. He watched as he saw the uniformed ponies searching for him. He sighed and got up. For now he needed a place to stay and hide or he’s going to be running forever. He pressed a button on his belt, activating the cloak. He’s going to have to be more careful since it’s more visible under UV light. The retractable wings outstretched and he jumped off, gliding over the city. He had other things to do than fight colourful ponies. Like finding out where he is. Author's Note Here we go! This is why people must learn to wait! When I read the comments of this story, I was actually surprised about a couple things. 1: That it was on the featured list. and 2: How some people actually liked it. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting all this. But here it is! For all the people who favourite it, I thank you! This shows that sometimes, its not good to just judge a book by its cover. Some people wrote if off because it seems generic. But they never gave it a chance. Sometimes you just have to give things chances! If you don't try new things, then you'll be doing the same thing over and over again! But anyways here's the new chapter/issue. Next Issue: Getting Answers...
Issue #3It’s been three days since Terry’s arrival in the strange new world. The city’s been buzzing with life as news began to travel about the dark knight’s arrival. Rumors soon surfaced about him being an extraterrestrial from another planet or a demon that escaped Tartarus. Terry just watched from the rooftops, staying hidden. The police were still searching for him, especially a rainbow maned Pegasus that had a vendetta on the dark knight. The moon shone down on the now sleeping city. Terry kept note of the increasing number of cops on the streets. He ran across the rooftops, looking for some sort of way to find out where he was. He knew he wasn’t on Earth anymore, but he had to find out what force in the universe allowed a kids fantasy to flourish and create a world of pastel ponies. Terry quickly stopped and ducked under the shadow of a billboard. He watched as two police ponies flew overhead. He gave them credit for looking for him. He sighed and jumped off the edge of the building and landing in an empty alley. The smell of trash and sewage almost made him gag if it didn’t remind him of Gotham. Batman quietly walked down the alley, his right hand near his silver belt. The sounds of hooves made him quickly hug the side of the wall, blending in with the shadows. He watched as two police ponies walked down the streets. Terry sighed as the cops turned down the corner. He looked both ways before coming out of the alley. The street light shone down on his dark figure. He walked down the street in silence. The dark knight paused and found what he was looking for. A small wooden newspaper stand stood beside the entrance to a convenience store. He glanced into the dark store to make sure it was closed. Batman grabbed a newspaper and ran back into the alley, hiding in the shadows. “Manehattan Times?” Terry said to himself as he looked on the front page. “So I was right, I am in a New York esque city. Though the name is just stupid.” He continued to read the front page and smirked. WHO IS THE DARK CREATURE? “It’s the dark knight, get it right reporter.” Terry chuckled as he looked on the front page. His white eyes narrowed as he looked at a picture. “They didn’t even get my good side.” “Did someone say something?” Batman quickly dropped the paper and hid under the shadows. A petite mare in police uniform walked into the alley. She looked like a rookie with her mane tied back. Terry watched as the mare walked down the alley, shivering in the cold wind. Terry looked down the entrance of the alley to see that she was alone. She shakily looked around, her golden eyes shooting left and right. The mare sighed to herself and walked out the alley, continuing her rounds on the streets of Manehattan. Batman sighed and shot up to the rooftop. He rolled under a billboard as another group of Pegasi flew by. Terry sprinted across the roofs. He couldn’t fly due to there being too many air patrols and the cloak used too much energy. That only left him with traditional travel. He reached into his belt to get the traditional grappling gun. The dark knight pointed it at a tall building and fired. The grapple impaled itself on the stone wall and Terry jumped. He swung over the streets of Manhattan, careful to avoid any air patrols. He let go of the wire in mid-air performing a vault flip before grabbing a horizontal flag pole. He perched himself on top of the flagpole and watched the police ponies that were looking for him on the ground. His gaze paused at a building as he thought he saw a flash of light from the short buildings sunroof. The building seemed to be made of marble, different from all the other buildings. The front reminded him of the ancient pantheons in Greece he learned from history class. Multiple marble pillars held up the tall front roof. On the front was BANK in gold letters. Batman stretched out his arms. The red and black wings struck out as he jumped off the flagpole. He glided over to the rooftop and landing with a roll. Terry glanced over the edge of the building to make sure he wasn’t seen. He ran over to the glass sunroof and looked over. The white eyes of the bat widened at what he saw. The room within the building looked like it was trashed. A group of guard ponies were tied up in a corner with a piece of cloth in their mouths. Five stallions and some sort of bird-lion hybrid stood at the end of the room, staring at a large metal vault at the end of the marble building. “Alright Falco, crack open the vault.” The griffin nodded and walked over to the vault. He reached into the bag on his back and took out a stethoscope. He put the buds into his ears and placed the diaphragm on the golden vault. -CRASH!- The stallions and the griffin shifted their gaze to the ceiling. The large glass sunroof shattered. The dark knight fell through the shattered glass and landed on the marble floor. The group backed away in fear, recognizing the menacing figure from the newspaper. He rose up from the ground, showing off his full height. The tied up guards were even shocked to see the creature this close. “Isn’t it past your bedtimes?” Terry smirked as the robbers eyes turned into pinpricks. “It can bucking talk!?” one of the stallions whispered. “Doesn’t matter, its interfering with our heist!” the second stallion growled. “Maybe if we take it out, we can get money for saving the city!” “You can try.” Terry got into a combat stance. He beckoned for the group to attack him. One of the stallions looked back at the griffin and motioned for him to continue to unlock the vault. One of the stallions rushed at Terry, his eyes locked onto his white eyes. He quickly sidestepped the stallions blows. The stallion growled and aimed for his head, only to have his hoof caught in mid-air. Terry punched the stallion right in the gut and proceeded to grab the stallions head and slam it right into his knee. The stallion stumbled backwards, completely dazed as Batman kicked him away sending him crashing into a wooden desk. Terry ducked as a stallion with a baseball bat swung at him. He dodges another blow and kicked the stallion away. Reaching into his belt he proceeded to grab a bola, quickly tossing it at the stallion that was charging right at him. The bola’s tied up his hooves, causing the stallion to fall to the ground. The baseball batted stallion charged at the dark knight. He quickly grabbed the metal bat and took it out of his hooves with ease. The stallion grinned and twirled around. His back legs shot out, bucking the dark knight. Terry slammed into a marble wall falling to his knees and groaning. The sound of hooves made him roll away as a set of hooves slammed the position he was once in. Getting up he beckoned the enraged stallion to him. A stallion jumped onto his back and proceeded to wrap his hooves around Terry’s neck to try and strangle him. Terry snapped his head back, hitting the stallions face. He grabbed the stallion’s forelegs and tossed him over his head. The stallion collided with his friend. They both were down for the count. The dark knight sighed and counted the unconscious stallions. He paused as he only counted four, including the tied up one. “Hey freak!” “Huh?” -SLAM!- “Oomph!” A large wooden desk hit Terry in the chest. A green aurora covered the wooden finish in a faint glow. Terry winced. He was pinned to the marble wall. The unicorn stallion walked over to Terry, a grin on his face. Terry looked at the stallion closer. A white bandage was wrapped on his nose. The stallion noticed his gaze and chuckled. “Yeah, that’s right. I’m the guy you stopped from raping that bitch three days ago!” “I spared you.” Terry shifted his gaze at the griffin that just unlocked the vault. “I could’ve done much worse. Besides, you got taken out by a girl. Kind of pathetic don’t you think?” “Buck off!” the stallion spat on Terry’s chest. He took no notice as he watched the griffin open up the vault. His white eyes narrowed. There were invisible tripwires. “You better stop him.” The stallion raised an eyebrow. He followed Terry’s gaze and gasped. “FALCO, NO!” -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BEEP!- Horns began to echo in the large marble bank. Metal bars barricaded the windows. Terry watched as the front door was barricaded. He quickly activated his rocket boots and shot up into the air. His escape plan was cut short as metal bars covered the sunroof. Batman paused and flew down to the panicking stallion. He ignored the stallion and reached into his belt grabbing a bunch of black pellets and tossing them to the ground. Green smoke began to seep out of the pellets. The built in rebreather activated as the green smoke spread out around the building. The knock out gas caused the stallions to fall into a deep sleep. He could hear the sounds of the police coming closer to the building. Terry quickly shot up to the sunroof. He then began to cut through the metal with the laser in his wrist. The severed metal bars fell to the smoky floor. -SLAM!- Terry looked down at the bank. The front door was kicked open. A group of police ponies walked inside. They scanned the area, covering their muzzles with their hooves. They gazed up to see the dark knight finally being free. Terry quickly activated his retractable wings and shot out of the building. Magic beams shot out from the sunroof, aimed at the dark knight. He quickly avoided the beams and flew off. His escape was cut short as Pegasus ponies began to chase him. He flew around a building, determined to lose them. Police ponies stationed on buildings began to shoot at Terry. He dodges a few blasts, almost getting grazed by one. The night was being lit up by multiple beams of magic. A blast of magic shot Terry right in the chest. He lost his balance and flew into a building window. He quickly got up to his feet, wiping away the shards of glass. He was in an office building of sorts. Luckily there were no ponies inside. His recovery was cut short as a bright light shone through the shattered window. He shielded his eyes and looked at the bright light. Two Pegasus held up a large spotlight. They shone it down on the dark knight, making sure they don’t lose him. Terry quickly got up to his feet and sprinted down the large office building. He reached into his belt and tossed a batarang at the light. The bulb shattered, purging the building in darkness. He quickly smashed through a window in the side of a building gliding into the night sky. Pegasi began to fly after him, making sure not to lose him in their sight. His rocket boots shot to life as he flew around the city. The police were now in full force, chasing him from the ground and the air. He quickly flew around the corner of a tall building. His retractable claws grabbed the side of the building. His cloak quickly activating as he placed his back against the wall. The cops flew straight past him, not noticing the two white eyes that watched them. He waited for a bit before turning off his cloak. Terry sighed to himself. He couldn’t keep this up for long. Eventually he’d lose power or empty his belt. His red wings shot out as he jumped off the building. He flew around the corner. -Bump!- “Hey, watch it!” Terry shook his head and looked at what he bumped into. His white eyes widened as in front of him was a cyan furred pony. Her rainbow colored mane blew in the cool wind as she shook her head in frustration. Her magenta eyes turned into pinpricks as she looked at the dark knight. She furrowed her brow. “You!” Terry groaned. “Have to work on my evasive skills.” Terry said to himself. Author's Note Editor: The Valeyard Sorry about this being on the short side! Slightly rushed but here we are! Next Issue: Rainbow Dash vs. The Dark Knight Place your bets on the outcome. I assure you, what will happen none of you would've guessed!
Issue #4Applejack yawned to herself. She sheepishly rubbed her eyes and got out of bed. the farmer pony took no mind to the sleeping white mare that slept in the bed beside hers. She opened the door to the room and walked to the kitchen. Her blonde mane hung over her eyes, almost blocking her view as she brushed away the strands of her silky hair and opened up the fridge. Applejack smiled as she grabbed a bottle of cider and closed the fridge. The mare leaned against a wall and opened the bottle with her hooves and smiled as she took a sip of it. The burn of the alcohol woke up her senses. Her ears perked up as she heard a door open. The farmer mare quickly hid the bottle of cider as a purple unicorn came out of her bedroom. “Can’t get any sleep, Twi?” The purple unicorn smiled and yawned. “I’ve read all the books I’ve gotten from the library yesterday.” Twilight walked over to the farmer mare. “The only thing I could find that was remotely close to the creature’s description was a Minotaur. But that thing has no hooves so-“ “Twilight, you’re more determined to find this thing than Rainbow Dash.” Applejack chuckled. “I mean, ever since she stole that police communicator, she’s been going outside every night.” Twilight leaned against a wall. She put a hoof to her chin as she got deep in thought. “What if it is an alien?” … … … “Say what?” Applejack gave her a questionable look. “Well, Fluttershy said she’s never seen a creature like that before. And she’s the animal expert.” Twilight paused. “Or what if it is a demon? We don’t know half of the things in Tartarus.” “I don’t know Twi.” Applejack sighed to herself. “But whatever it is, it still saved Fluttershy.” “Now if only Rainbow Dash could believe that.” Twilight said, glancing at the door that leads into the rainbow pony’s room. < * / * \ * > -FSHOOOM!- Terry flew high in the sky. His rocket boots shot him around the city. He gazed over his shoulder to see the cyan mare still hot on his trail, her magenta eyes locked on the dark knight. He dived down, his red wings cutting through the cool air. Rainbow Dash shot after him. The dark knight quickly flew straight, his chest almost scratching the cobblestone floor. He passed a couple ground police, weaving and flying around them. Rainbow shot past the police with ease, ignoring their protests. No matter what Terry did, he couldn’t lose her. The dark knight shot upwards as he approached a building. He looked down to see that the cyan mare disappeared. His white eyes narrowed as he flew up. He looked at the glass windows, gazing at his reflection. The dark knight’s eyes went wide as he saw a cyan bullet approaching him in the reflection. -CRASH!- The cyan pony slammed into Terry’s back. The duo smashed through the building’s window and into a large office building. Rainbow Dash jumped off the dazed dark knight and slid on her hooves. Terry brushed off the shards of glass and got to his feet. He held his head in pain. He quickly got into a combat stance. His white eyes narrowed. He could’ve sworn he saw her eyes flash. Rainbow grinned and charged at him. The dark knight quickly blocked two blows and countered a third with a punch to the jaw. He rapidly punched her in the gut and proceeded to kick her away. The dark room gave him an advantage as he disappeared into the shadows. Rainbow quickly recovered and looked around the room. Her magenta eyes darted around the room, determined to find the dark knight. “So why do you hate me so much?” Terry said from the shadows. His voice seemed to echo around the room. “I mean, I did save your friend.” “Lies! You were probably going to kill her!” “Really? What’s your proof?” Terry said. “I saved her from getting raped. Just because I might look intimidating, doesn’t mean I’m a demon.” Rainbow stood in her spot. “You’re right.” Terry sighed to himself. He finally got through to her. -THADUM!- “You’re a monster!” The light from the spotlight from outside stunned the dark knight. He shielded his eyes, barely able to see the rainbow maned pony running at him. Rainbow Dash twirled around and kicked the dark knight in the chest with her back legs. -CRASH!- Terry was kicked straight out of the building. His red wings quickly sprung out. He held out his arms and glided against the wind. He gazed over his shoulder to see the enraged cyan Pegasus jump out of the building and fly after him. His rocket boots shot to life, shooting him away from the pony. He dipped and dived onto the cobblestone floor. The dark knight reached into his belt and grabbed a bunch of black pellets. He tossed the smoke pellets to the ground before he hit the floor. Rainbow Dash screamed as she flew straight into the smoke. Terry flew away from the cloud and hovered. He stayed there for what felt like minutes, hoping he didn’t kill her. “GRAAAHHH!” Rainbow shot out of the smoky cloud and tackled Terry in the gut. The two crashed through a wooden billboard landing on top of the stony building. Terry kicked the crazed mare off of him and stood on his feet. He rubbed a small trace of blood from his mouth and glared at the cyan pony. Rainbow charged at him. She tackled the dark knight to the floor and began to punch him in the face. He grabbed her hooves and kneed her in the gut. Rainbow coughed in pain. Terry kicked the cyan mare off of him and got to his feet. Rainbow growled and punched him in the face. She ducked under a fist and punched him in the gut but Terry caught her hoof and punched her twice in the chest. He blocked what would’ve been a haymaker and punched upwards into her jaw. Her head snapped backwards as she stumbled back. Terry kicked her hooves and spun around to kick her right in the side of the face. Rainbow weakly got to her feet. Blood was dripping from her nose. But she still glared at the dark knight with hate. She ran at the dark knight and kicking him right in the chest as Terry stumbled backwards he looked up to see the mare deliver a right hook to his the face. She punched him right in the gut and bucked him backwards. He blocked the mare’s fury of blows. The dark knight ducked under a blow and punched her repeatedly in the gut. She arched forward in pain, coughing up blood. He almost forgot about his own strength and the amplifier in the suit. Terry wrapped his arm around her neck and got her in a sleeper hold. She began to thrash about, trying to escape. Her wings outstretched. The cyan wings hit the dark knight in the side, causing him to let go as Rainbow shot up into the sky. She banked around and flew towards him. The dark knight braced for impact, not knowing that he was standing on a sunroof. -CRASH!- The two smashed through the glass and fell into the large warehouse. They landing on top of a stack of wooden boxes. Terry groaned as he pushed off the couple of crates that had fallen onto him, taking note of the pain in his head and the rest of his body as he sat upwards. He brushed off the random shards of glass and wood and got to his feet. The warehouse was remotely empty. Boxes were stacked up against the walls and in the middle of the room. He didn’t even know he was in the industrial part of the city. He rubbed his shoulder and got off of the destroyed boxes. Terry looked around the room. His gaze stopped as he looked at a pile of boxes that fell over. A cyan hoof stuck out of the pile, unmoving. He rushed over to the buried mare. He quickly began to pull the boxes off of her. Terry paused. Something wasn’t right… -BZZZMMM!- “GAH!” A large green beam shot Terry backwards. He slammed into one of the metal supports that held the warehouse up. The dark knight clenched his chest in pain. Even though only smolder rose from where the blast hit, it still knocked the wind out of him. He gazed upwards. His white eyes went wide. Where the piles of boxes once were was replaced with green fire. The wood burned and crackled in the night. But what stood in the center was what Terry couldn’t believe. A black pony stood in the center of the blaze. One of the fore hooves was a cyan while the other was black with holes in it. Two bug-like wings stuck out of its back. The rainbow mane was now torn and had many holes in it and half of the bug pony’s face was cyan with its magenta eyes while the other half was black and twisted. Two fangs stuck out of the monster’s mouth while its magenta and glowing green eyes glared at the dark knight. Terry got up to his feet and got into a combat stance. The twisted changeling smiled. Terry narrowed his eyes and beckoned for it to come. -BZZZMMM!- Batman quickly dodged the green beam taking out a batarang and tossing it at the twisted creature. The changeling sidestepped the blade and rushed at him uppercutting the dark knight and punching him in the gut. Terry caught its hoof and punched it in the chest. His knee connected with the changeling’s jaw, stunning it momentarily. He took it to advantage and kicked the creature away. The changeling landed on its hooves and charged up another blast. The dark knight back flipped away as a bolt of magic struck where he was before. A box wrapped in a green glow slammed into him. Sending him crashing into a stack of boxes that eventually buried him. The changeling smiled in victory. Terry shot out of the pile of boxes and tackled the changeling to the floor. He punched the creature in the face, determined to at least knock it out. The changeling grabbed both of his fists and mid-air. Its twisted grin grew as he stared into the batmans white eyes. The dark knight looked at the changeling’s hooves to see that they changed into two black hands. The changeling’s arms turned as black as the night. Its face changed into a completely dark face with two glowing green eyes. A tainted red symbol merged on its chest, resembling a bat. Terry flipped away from the shape shifting creature. The creature stood on its hind legs. Two long ears shot out from the creatures head. It stood in full height, the same height as the dark knight. Terry gasped as he realised that the changeling turned into an exact replica of him. The creature beckoned him to come. The dark knight rushed at the clone. The changeling grinned and blocked a blow. It punched the dark knight in the face and kicked him backwards. Terry quickly blocked as the changeling punched him again ignoring the bright lights that shone through the warehouse’s windows and proceeded to counter one of the blows with a kick. The changeling chuckled causing Terry to narrow his eyes as he shoulder charged the creature to the floor. The clone grabbed a fallen pipe and attempted to swipe at him. Terry flipped off of the clone before he could hit him causing the changeling to jump onto its feet and toss the pipe at the dark knight. He hastily dodged the pipe and countered with a batarang in response. the batarang cut the bat clone on its cheek, causing the changeling to wince. It was about to attack the dark knight when the warehouse door was kicked open. A group of police ponies walked into the warehouse to see that everything had caught on fire. The cloned Batman chuckled and flew up to the shattered sunroof. Terry was about to fly off when a flaming box exploded. He looked at the wooden boxes and gasped. WARNING: FLAMMABLE FIREWORKS Terry ran at the cops and tackled them out the flaming building. Fireworks shot out of the ceiling as multiple boxes exploded. The whole building ruptured into a colourful explosion of fireworks and green flames. The other cops that surrounded the building fled in terror as the warehouse exploded. Colorful fireworks shot up into the air, showering the skies in rainbows. Terry stood in silence, watching the spectacle. He gazed at the buildings for any sight of the clone. Before the cops could attack, the dark knight flew off into the sky. He had other things to worry about now. Like the Identity Thief. Author's Note Told you that you wouldn't have guessed right! The plot twist I know! If you haven't realized by now, Beyond Equestria is written in a comic like style. Though some don't like the sound fx, they are there! Though I'm probably going to make a blog post about this, I have to thank all the people who Favorited this and even got it on the featured list! Thanks guys! Next Issue: The Identity Crisis Arc
Issue #5 Issue #5 Twilight sat alone in her hotel room. It’s been nearly a week since the creature arrived in Manehattan. She still remembered when she first met it; its tall black form and pure white eyes. It’s menacing height and the symbol on its chest that resembled a bat. Even though Fluttershy said it saved her, Twilight was still determined to discover more about it. She knew that it wasn’t from this land, since no book she’s read had any description of such a bipedal creature. But then it showed its true colours. Ever since Rainbow Dash came back, claiming that the creature attacked her and the firework factories explosion, it’s been pure anarchy. The creature robbed banks, destroyed stores, and even killed a group of cops that tried to attack it. All it said to Twilight was pure lies. It wasn’t self defense; it wanted to kill her friends when it had the chance. This bipedal creature of the night was a demon. She stared at the parchment that was on the desk she sat at. She had no choice but to tell Celestia of its deeds. At first she thought it didn’t go through, but today Applejack told her that a scroll was in the mail with Twilight’s name on it. She didn’t want it to come to this, but it had to be done. My Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle; Your letter surprised me. All the other letters you’ve sent me intrigued me of this creature’s arrival. I was interested to meet this ‘Night Watcher’ as you called it. But your recent letters have changed my view on this suspected alien. I fear I have no choice Twilight. I’ve sent your brother and a large group of Royal Guards to Manehattan. By time you receive this letter, they should be arriving by the train. They know their mission. I’m sorry Twilight, but the creature must be contained. And if it refuses, then Shining Armor knows what he must do. I’m sorry Twilight. Celestia < * / * \ * > The cool wind of fall blew in the dark Manehattan air. There were more patrols around the large city than ever before due to the growing popularity of the alien visitor. But the increased police was for a reason. Three days after the firework factories’ explosion, the dark knight has been seen all across the city. From robbing banks, to destroying buildings, to even killing ponies-- the dark knight has been everywhere. And Terry didn’t like it one bit. Not only was it harder for him to roam the building tops to avoid the cops, but the identity theft has been disguising itself as one of the Elements of Harmony. He learned the group title after sneaking into the local library after hours. The identity thief is known as a Changeling, due to the description he found in a book that resembled what he saw. He hated that there were no computers here, but he had other things to care about. Terry sat in the large two story library. Bookshelves could be seen as far as the eye could see. He sat in front of a large wooden table, even though he hated the chairs, and flipped through the large book on species in Equestria—also something he learned. His white eyes scanned the black text on the pages of the paper. He paused and looked at a paragraph. “’Changeling’s only food source is love. They feed on the love of others through their magic.”’ Terry raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t make any sense. If changeling’s feed on love, then why is this one killing and causing chaos?” “Did somepony say something?” Terry looked up. A small beam of light illuminated the doors of the library. He almost forgot about the security. The dark knight quickly shot a grapple up to the large sunroof on the library and fled the scene. He glanced over his shoulder to see the security pony investigating the book he left. The guard looked up to see nothing but the starry sky of the night. Terry stood atop of a large building, blocks away from the library. His white eyes scanned the busy streets of the quiet city. It seemed that the streets were more active due to a certain event coming up. Nightmare Night as they called it. He ignored the stupid names of everything once he learned that the nation he was in was called Equestria. He quickly ducked into the shadows as two Pegasus flew by. They slowed their flight to scan the roof before flying off. He sighed and peaked his head out of the shadows. The dark knight’s white eyes narrowed as he looked down the street. A small cyan Pegasus with a rainbow mane walked into the local bank. Her magenta eyes looked left and right for any signs of the police. A sly grin crept on the mare’s face as she galloped into the bank. He got near the ledge and shot a grapple at the building across from him. He checked for any cops and smiled. “Hero time.” < * / * \ * > A dark black figure stood in the middle of the large bank of Manehattan. Unconscious bodies of ponies in uniform surrounded his tall form. The dark figure rubbed his wrists and sighed. He glanced at the bank teller at the front, his white eyes burning into hers. The mare cowered behind the wooden table as she was about to press the silent alarm when a dark shadow went over her. The mare looked over her shoulder to see the black figure standing behind her with a large toothy grin. The mare backed away into the wooden table, fear washed on her face. The figure glanced at the button for the silent alarm then back at the mare. He raised his clawed hand in the air, the shadow covering the mare’s face. She quickly closed her eyes, knowing what would happen. “No need to be scared, I won’t hurt you.” The dark figure patted the mare on the head, ruffling her mane. She sheepishly opened her eyes. She almost screamed at his face was mere inches away from hers. “But I need your help with something.” “W-What is it y-you need?” the mare barely stuttered out. The figure frowned. “I’d like to take out a deposit, but it seems that I have forgotten my bank pin.” A large toothy smile covered half of the creatures face. “So, if you would be kind and give me the lock combination to the bank,” he grabbed her by the back of her neck and brought her face closer to his. “I’ll spare you.” “23-25-9!” the mare blurted out. “Please! I have kids!” “Cute. I’ll visit them when I’m done.” The dark figure walked to the back of the bank and towards the vault. ‘And don’t even think of triggering that alarm, or I just might have to kill you!” the mare’s face turned cold as the figure turned the combination into the lock. The massive door swung open, releasing its contents. -CRASH!- The figure stopped in his tracks. A grin crept onto his face as he looked behind him. Glass littered the marble floor as a dark figure stood in the middle of the room. The red bat symbol on his chest matched his as two white eyes glared at his. The dark knight rose to his full height. “I was wondering when you were going to show up, Batmane.” “Batmane?” Terry said in confusion. “That’s not a name, let alone my name.” “You know, since we’re having this conversation, what is your name?” the clone asked. Terry stood there for a second. “Batman.” Terry said finally. … “That’s what I said, Batmane.” The changeling said, crossing his arms. “No, you fully said BatMANE. Its BatMAN.” Terry mumbled. “Yeah, Batmane!” The changeling said. “Listen, I know what I say.” Terry was about to say something, but brushed it off with a face palm. “Say Bat.” Terry said through his hand. “Bat.” “Now man.” “Man? Weird word.” “Now, just say Batman.” “Batmane.” …. “You’re just stalling, aren’t you? Terry said as he rubbed his temples. “Took you long enough.” The changeling smiled. Terry narrowed his eyes and tossed a batarang at the changeling. The blade cut the side of the creature’s cheek. The creature winced and covered the cut, blood oozing through his dark fingers. “You missed!” “Did I?” -BEEP!- -BEEP!- -BEEP!- An ear piercing alarm roared in the large marble room. Red lights caused the room to be in a soft red hue. Suddenly, large metal bars began to barricade the windows and the doors. The vault was barricaded by large metal bars that glowed in a faint magical blue. The broken sunroof was bared closed. The changeling looked around in shock and confusion. He looked at where the bladed batarang flew to see the red and black bat shaped blade lodged inside of the barred off vault. He looked back at Terry just to be met with a fist straight to the face. The amplifier in the batsuit caused the changeling to fly backwards into the metal bars on the vault causing the bars to suddenly glow to life. The blue magic hummed once the changeling made contact and soon, volts of electricity coursed through the bars and into the back of the creature. He roared in pain and agony. The flashes of light and electricity caused Terry to shield his eyes as the changeling soon fell to his knees and to the ground. Terry stood where he was. Smolder rose off the seemingly darkened black figure of the changeling. He took a step forward, watching for any movement. He was about to reach into his belt for some handcuffs when the burnt body moved. The clone shuffled and shook as he brought his hands to the floor. He shakily brought himself onto his hands and knees. Blood spat out of his mouth and splattered onto the floor. The figure rubbed the blood off his face with his hand and paused. From where Terry was standing, he couldn’t see the figures eyes. The changeling licked the blood off his hand with his forked tongue. Terry narrowed his eyes as the changeling got up to his feet. Half of his face was the twisted face of the changeling. A set of fangs hung out of the creature’s mouth as he looked at Terry with its green eyes. The dark knight backed up as the changeling coughed up some more blood. a grin creeping onto his face as he licked the crimson liquid off of his lips. “LET’S DANCE!” The changeling rushed at him, teeth barred and claws out. Terry hastily blocked the changeling’s wild blows and kicked him away. He rushed at it himself and right hooked it in the head. He quickly followed up with an uppercut and a punch to the gut. The changeling grabbed his arm and roared in his face, blood and spit splattering onto his mask. Terry growled and proceeded to kick him away. The changeling winced and pointed his palm at the dark knight. Suddenly, a large beam of green fire erupted from his dark palm and shot at Terry. He quickly dodged the beam with only a small burn on his arm. The fire erupted the wooden desks and other things in the room. The fire alarm blared to life as the sprinkler system sprayed down some water on the whole room. The changeling groaned as the water put out his fire. Terry rushed at him and kicked the creature in the gut. He followed with a quick flash kick and proceeded with a flip kick to head. He knew the changeling was still dazed by the shock, so he had to take advantage of it. He ducked under a swipe and punched him in the gut. The creature coughed up some more blood and doubled over. Terry narrowed his eyes and kneed him in the jaw, the sounds of a bone cracking causing him to wince. The changeling took advantage of the pause and tripped him to the wet ground. He grabbed him by the neck and began to choke him as much as he could. Terry kneed him in the gut. The changeling coughed some blood onto his face, almost blinding him if it wasn’t for the sprinklers. He kneed him again, this time with more force. He grabbed the changeling’s arms and pried his grip off his neck. He narrowed his white eyes and head-butted him right in the nose. The changeling got up and covered his now shattered nose. He ignored the beast’s cries of pain and tossed a bola at him. The bola’s tied up the changeling’s arms and legs. He fell to the ground with a soft thud. Terry walked up to him and pulled him upwards. He glared at the wounded mirror of him. “It’s over, changeling.” Terry said. The changeling smiled. His smile turned into a chuckle, which then turned into a laugh. “You forget one thing Batman.” The changeling looked directly at Terry. “Who are they going to believe? You? Or me?” Suddenly, the clone of Terry erupted into green flames. He quickly covered his eyes from the green light. His white eyes widened as he looked at a cyan pony with a rainbow mane looking at him with a large grin. She was covered in wounds from Terry’s assault and her nose was bleeding. “FREEZE!” Terry looked over his shoulder and at the doorway of the bank. There, in full clad armor, were at least ten stallions. all of them wore golden armor with golden helmets except for one. His white fur and blue mane was drenched in the sprinkler system. He glared at the dark knight, his horn glowing a faint blue. His eyes glanced at the tied up Pegasus then back at him. Behind the stallion was a purple mare that looked at the tied up Pegasus in shock and horror. “Rainbow Dash!” Twilight exclaimed. She was about to run to her friends side when the blue manned stallion stopped her. “You dare hurt one of the elements of harmony?” The stallion yelled at Terry. “Hooves in the air! NOW!” “Who are they going to believe?” Rainbow Dash whispered to the dark knight. Author's Note I feel like I've just fought against the world, or at least 7 evil ex boyfriends. [Please someone get this reference.] I'm back! And I am somewhat recovering but I'm better then I once was! This was slightly rushed, but from here the plot thickens! I know you people just want him to just be friends with the gang like every other story, but here he's not going to know them for a while [For obvious reasons *Points at recent chapter*] But I'm back, hope you enjoy! Feedback would be nice! P.S: reference does not mean I'm a guy or a girl, it was just a reference.
Issue #6The drenched bank was quiet, with only the sound of the water spraying out of the sprinkler system and hitting the floor. Terry stood in the middle of the room, his white eyes looking across the room and at the large group of stallions and a purple mare that stood at the entrance of the marble bank. Next to Terry was Rainbow Dash. Her face was bloodied and battered, her nose gushing blood like a faucet. Her rainbow mane was drenched and covered her two green eyes that looked at the dark knight. A small smile was on her face as she watched the spectacle. Twilight looked at her friend in horror. She couldn’t believe that this creature tried to kill one of the Elements of Harmony. Shining Armor glared at the dark knight, his white horn glowing a faint sky blue. The other guards behind him had their spears and their horns pointed at Terry, ready to strike if he did anything funny. They stood for what felt like hours, no one moving an inch. Terry looked passed the captain of the guard to see that there were more stallions in gold clad armor outside. “I said hooves up! NOW!” Terry looked back at the captain of the guard. Rage was in the stallions sapphire blue eyes. Terry slowly began to raise his hands into the air. All the guards flinched as they watched his arms go into the air. “W-What’s going on?” Terry froze. He glanced to his side to see a bunch of destroyed tables begin to shuffle. A small mare got out of the rubble and looked around. The teller’s eyes glanced over to the dark knight, and she almost fainted at his massive form. “PLEASE DON’T HURT ME!” “It’s alright ma’am, you’re safe.” Shining Armor said. The teller wasn’t as beaten as Rainbow Dash was, with only minimal cuts and some splinters. This meant that this was a conflict between the dark knight and her. “Wait, wasn’t there two of you?” Rainbow quickly glanced at the mare in fear. Terry smirked. “Swear there were two of you. One walked into the building while the other crashed through the roof.” “You must’ve been hallucinating ma’am. Maybe when you fainted-“ “No, I swear on my mother’s flank there were two!” The mare glanced at Rainbow Dash, wincing at her battered face. “Rainbow Dash, when did you get here?” “I-I was always here!” Rainbow stuttered. “Really? But then where were you when two of those creatures were fighting?” the mare asked, confused that everything she saw was a lie. “Ma’am, you probably hit your head and imagined what you saw. We’ll escort you to a doctor and get you some medical attention.” Two guards began to walk over to the mare, keeping an eye on the dark knight. “No, I’m not crazy! There were two of them!” The mare shouted. Even though the sprinkled system drenched everyone in water, Rainbow Dash began to sweat. “And Rainbow Dash wasn’t originally here! She was… She was… She…” the mare’s eyes rolled back as she fell to the ground. A small silver dart stuck out from the back of her neck. Although no one saw it, because they were shocked at the mares fall and glaring at him, Terry looked through the window behind her, looking at the small hole in the glass. In the distance, a tall figure stood on top of a roof across from the building. “You… You killed her!” one of the guards yelled. Terry’s attention was brought back to the enraged guards that glared at him. His white eyes narrowed at Shining Armor looked at the unconscious mare and back at him. “That’s it! No more turning you in! I don’t give a mule’s flank what Celestia say, SHOOT TO KILL!” Terry quickly shot out a grapple from his forearm at the ceiling. He quickly shot upwards, barely dodging the flurry of magic bolts. His retractable wings quickly shot out as his rocket boots activated. He shot through the non-barred sunroof and into the night sky. He hovered over the bank and glanced over to where he saw the figure. But all he saw was nothing but dust. Terry growled in anger. His thoughts were quickly interrupted as a flurry of magic bolts shot at him. A single bolt managed to hit him in the shoulder. He winced in pain as the impact almost shot him right out of the air. Smolder rose from the charred spot as his white eyes widened. The bolt managed to shoot off some the suit, leaving the red internals to glow in the night sky. He looked down to see Shining armor glaring at him with pure hate. His horn began to glow a bright blue as he pointed it at the dark knight. Terry quickly flew off, actually frightened by the look in the stallions eyes. -BZZZMMM!- The dark knight quickly banked to the side as a beam of magic shot at him. The massive beam managed to blow off the tip of his left wing and collided with a billboard. The structure exploded with a light show of fire and magic. The blast sent Terry crashing into a building. A stallion and a mare screamed in surprise, hiding under the blanket on their bed. Terry winced and rubbed his head, brushing off all the glass off his suit. He quickly got to his feet and looked at his wing. It was damaged, but he could still fly. His white eyes looked outside to see a large brigade of Pegasus flying to his position, spears in their hooves. He quickly jumped out the building and began to plummet to the ground. He glided upwards and activated his boots. He shot under the guards and down the streets, barely avoiding a traffic jam full of carriages. He flew around them and shot up into the sky. Just when he thought he was safe, a flurry of bolts shot at him again, causing him to growl in frustration. A Pegasus guard shoulder charged him in the chest. The two plummeted to a tall rooftop, slamming into the stony ground. Terry kicked the armored Pegasus off him and got to his feet. He glanced over his shoulder and sidestepped a beam of magic that was shot from the rooftop across from his. The beam collided with the Pegasus guard, tossing it across the roof and crashing into a wall. He quickly proceeded to toss a batarang at the unicorn, slicing off his horn. Even though he knew that it was technically part of the unicorn’s skull, it was the only way to disarm them. His rocket boots shot to life as he shot into the night sky when a Pegasus shot out from one of the clouds in the sky and collided with the dark knight’s stomach. The two crashed into an office building, startling a janitor that was cleaning the quiet building. Terry threw the enraged armored stallion off him. The stallion landed on his hooves and ran at the dark knight. He quickly caught the stallions hoof and right hooked him in the jaw, denting the golden helmet. He followed it up with a blow to the gut, causing the stallion to lurch forward. Terry let go of the stallions hoof and kneed him in the jaw. The stallion fell to the ground unconscious. The dark knight looked at the janitor pony. The stallion cowered behind an office table, shocked by the whole spectacle. “Sorry for the blood stain.” Terry said as he pointed at the stallion that was now bleeding from his mouth. The stallion gulped in fear as Terry jumped out of the building and flew off. “Battery power at 85%.” A small voice came from his suit. He mumbled in response. “Cloaking really did do a number on the power.” Terry said to himself. He used the cloak ability too much that it took almost 10% of the battery life. Plus with all the flying, he’s just burning it out. “Better be more careful next ti-“ -BZZZMMM!- A large blue beam shot at the dark knight. He barely dodged it, but the beam collided with his right foot. His rocket boot exploded on impact. Terry quickly lost control and began to fly around with no control. He quickly shielded his face as he crashed into a building. He rolled on the carpeted floor and crashed through another wall. The rocket boot shot him around the room and through another wall before he crashed through a window on the other side. His wings were slightly damaged, and yet he still glided in the air, slowing his descent. He crashed into a carriage and tumbled on the cobblestone floor. Ponies that were in the area screamed in surprise as they looked at the dark knight in fear. He retracted his wings and got to his feet, holding his head in pain. He looked at his right foot to see that the black suit was completely gone from the heel down. The red innards faintly glowed in the light of the street. He winced as he put pressure on the damaged foot. The sound of hoof steps made him look around. Guards began to pile into the intersection, surrounding him. Some had long metal spears while others had swords and even shields. Ponies in blue police uniform began to clear the streets of bystanders as the guards filed in. A large spotlight shone down on his position, illuminating him in the middle of the street. Unicorns were stationed on the rooftops, ready for anything. Pegasi flew overhead, all watching him for any moves. He was completely surrounded and with nowhere to go. A stallion pushed his way through the guards and stood in front of the large brigade. Shining Armor looked at the dark knight, his blue eyes locked with his. His blue mane was still damp. “In the name of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, I order you to surrender.” Terry stood his ground. He didn’t say anything. The streets were quiet, with only a small cough from a guard and the shuffling of hooves. He looked over the stallions shoulder to see the main six watching in the distance. He looked at the guards that surrounded him. “Listen, I know you can understand me freak.” Terry looked back at Shining armor. “So just give up. You’re completely surrounded.” He glanced over at Fluttershy. The butter mare hid behind her mane in fear. He was all alone here. With a sigh, he raised his hands in the air. Shining Armor stood for a bit and then nodded to a stallion behind the dark knight. The guard began to approach him, small metal cuffs in his maw. Terry quickly spun around and tripped the stallion with a swipe of his leg. He dived under a magic bolt from Shining Armor and punched him upwards in the jaw. Once the captain of the guard hit the floor, anarchy reigned. A guard rushed at him, spear in hoof. Terry quickly caught the spear and took it out of his hooves. He raised his right arm to shield his face as three guards slashed their swords at him. The blades cut the suits forearm, the red wires glowing through the small slashes. He quickly pushed them back and tossed three batarangs at them knocking them incapacitating them . Terry jabbed the blunt end of the spear into a soldier’s forehead, knocking him out. He swung the metal rod around and slammed it into the side of a few guards. He flipped the rod in his hand and got into a combat stance. A guard rushed at him, with sword in mouth. Terry blocked the blade with the middle of the spear. He pushed against the stallion’s weight and caused him to fly backwards. Another guard blasted a bolt of magic at him. The beam cut the spear in half. Terry flipped the two rods in his hands and slammed them both on each side of the stallions face, dazing the stallion. He followed it up with a hard knee in the jaw, knocking the stallion unconscious. He quickly tossed one of the rods at a charging stallion, which took it head first and fell backwards to the ground. He shot out two batarangs from his wrists at a group of guards. The blades ricochet around the group. A guard grabbed the dark knight by the neck from behind. Terry quickly tossed the stallion off of him and into an incoming bolt of magic. He gazed up, remembering about the unicorns on the roof. He dodges a flurry of bolts and tossed a batarang at them. The blade curved in mid-air and sliced off the horns from a group of unicorns on one of the surrounding roofs. A stallion jabbed a spear at his head. The blade cut the side of his cheek. He batted away the metal rod and kneed the stallion in the jaw. The suits neuromuscular amplifier made everything hurt more than it should. His forearm spikes extended in length as a group of stallions with swords rushed at him. He slashed at the blades slicing through the metal. The stallions stared at the hilts of their broken swords in surprise. A unicorn rushed at him in rage. Terry slid backwards as the stallion collided with him. He grabbed the stallion’s horn before it embedded itself in his abdomen. He winced as he gripped the horn harder, trying not to make it stab him. The stallion pushed under Terry’s strength. With a war cry, Terry kneed the stallion in the jaw as hard as he could. The sheer iron grip and the power of the knee broke the stallion’s horn right off. The unicorn screamed in agony as he fell to the ground, blood spilling out from his mouth as his jaw was clearly broken. Terry tossed the horn to the ground. He was about to grapple away when a Pegasus flew down and slammed into him. The two crashed into a street store, glass and wood scattered across the floor. The store owner gasped in surprised as the two landed on his tiled floor. Terry grabbed the guard’s hooves before they impacted his head and pushed against the pressure. He kneed the stallion in the gut, hoping that it would get it off. The stallion growled in rage, steam almost seeping from his nose due to the cold. Terry slammed his head into the stallion’s helmet, groaning at how it was a bad idea. He kicked the dazed stallion off and flipped onto to his feet. He quickly followed up with a flash kick before lunging into the stallion and back out into the street. He jumped off the dazed stallion and quickly got into a defensive stance. His retractable claws shot out as he leapt into the air, dodging a charging stallion. He grabbed the side of the building and jumped across the street and to the large horizontal flagpole. He quickly jumped off, barely avoiding a blast of magic, and proceeded to climb up the side of the building across from his. He ran up and jumped backwards to the other building. He did a handstand on the ledge of the building and flipped in the air, surprising a group of unicorns. He shot out a group of batarangs from his wrists at the unicorns, severing their horns before he landed on the rooftop as he glanced over the ledge just to barely dodge a bolt of blue magic. Shining Armor roared in anger and shouted out orders. Terry turned around and began to run, glancing behind him at the Pegasus’ that were chasing him. He paused as he looked across the many rooftops. A tall figure stood on a rooftop far away from him. A Pegasus slammed into his back and pinned him to the ground. Terry kneed the Pegasus in the groin, a small crack making him wince. He kicked the pained Pegasus off and got to his feet. He wasn’t surprised that the figure was gone. He jumped over an alley and continued to run across the rooftops. A group of unicorns on a building began to shoot at him, causing him to change directions. -BZZZMMM!- Terry flew backwards as a bolt of magic hit him square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. He tumbled to the floor, groaning in pain. He shakily looked up to see Shining armour glaring at him. Blood dripped from his maw as he walked to the dark knight, his horn glowing. Terry knew those eyes well. Those weren't the eyes of an officer. Those were the eyes of a killer. Shining Armour kicked Terry in the ribs. Hard. The kick caused Terry to lie on his back. His chest was scolded, smoulder rising off of it. Luckily, the red bat symbol was still intact, just darker. Shining Armour slammed his hoof on his chest. The suit absorbed the blow, but he might’ve cracked a rib by the kick. He began to apply more pressure, his eyes locked on Terry’s eyes. “I give you credit for trying to go out with a bang.” His voice was much lower and darker. “But today will be the last day you EVER harm a pony in Equestria EVER again.” “Shining don’t!” a voice called. Shining glanced over his shoulder to see Twilight and the rest of the main six rush over to him. “You don’t have to kill him!” “It killed that mare at the bank and maybe more than that!” Shining glared at the dark knight. “It deserves to die.” “Without a fair trial?” Twilight shot back. “He may have done what he did, but he’s still a sentient being. He deserves a trial. Besides, the mare isn’t dead. she’s just unconscious.” Shining looked at his sister then back at Terry. Although he could’ve got out of this, he felt the power this ‘Shining’ had. “…Fine.” Twilight sighed as Shining bonded the dark knight’s arms and legs in magic chains and cuffs. “But I want to be this monster's executioner.” Twilight winced as Shining picked up the dark knight with his magic. Guards followed their captain as they went to the police station. Terry glanced at Rainbow Dash, who had a small smirk on her face. He has to clear his name, or this might be his last breath. Author's Note Sorry for the lateness, again! Had a lot of stuff to do that I actually almost forgot about this! Who was the mysterious figure that was watching Terry? Leave what you think below! Next Issue: Escaping the Justice System
Issue #7“That should keep him locked up until Celestia comes here, or vise-versa.” Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard, was fed up. He didn’t want to wait until Celestia’s decision; he wanted the dark knight dead. But due to his sister’s pleads to keep it alive for a fair trial—whatever that meant, he had to lock him up in a prison cell until further notice. He glanced over his shoulder to a tall brown stallion. The stallion wore a dark brown trench coat and a brown fedora. His mustache covered his muzzle in fur, the only thing giving a hint of where it was the large cigar. The stallion adjusted his glasses as he walked alongside the captain of the guard. “Make sure that scum doesn't escape from here commissioner.” The brown stallion snorted, the grey smoke seeping through his nose. “Warden says that Stalliongate Prison is the most high security prison in Equestria, surpassing Goatham Asylum by a mile.” The stallion grunted as they walked down the dimly lit hall that lead to a large elevator. Two guards in uniform greeted them at the door as they entered. “If it’s any better than that, then it has to be good.” “Bad times, eh?” Shining asked. The elevator jerked as it began to rise. “Crazies as far as the eye can see.” The commissioner mumbled to himself. “Now there’s some colt dressing up as a bat. Must’ve thought the creature downstairs is a good role model.” “If you know that freak like me, he’s nothing but.” The commissioner glanced at his friend. Shining ignored his gaze. The elevator finally stopped as the doors swung open. They both walked into a large lobby, where the mane 6 sat in waiting. Twilight’s head was the first to look up once she saw their arrival. She quickly got up and galloped over to her brother. “Is he going to be OK?” Twilight asked. Shining gave her a questionable look. “IT’s going to be fine until its execution.” Shining said flatly. He brushed past his sister and began to walk to the door. Twilight stomped her hoof on the ground. “Shining, you’re acting like a foal!” She yelled. “This guy just arrived here on Equestria and you’re treating him like you've known him for years!” Shining stopped in his tracks, not even looking behind him. “Yeah Shinin’, you've been kind of different since you've arrived here.” Applejack said, concern in her voice. “You don’t know that THING like I do…” Shining said coldly. Everyone flinched as the temperature of the room shifted. “Uhm, it’s not a thing. It’s actually a he.” Fluttershy said softly. “That is NOT a HE!” Shining glared at the group. “That is a monster. A freak of nature! A demon that escaped Tartarus! A being of pure evil that should be killed on sight for what he’s done to you all!” Everyone was frightened by Shining’s attitude, except for Rainbow Dash. “I heard that the thing’s been around longer than we think.” Rainbow said. “Ponies say that the thing attacked a Changeling kingdom years ago. They say it killed Queen Chrysalis’s daughter who owned the kingdom and killed the entire changeling race that lived in the kingdom. I'm surprised my au- I-I mean Chrysalis didn't attack Celestia.” “I heard about that too, but I could care less about them.” Shining said flatly. Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “I just want it dead.” “But why?” Twilight asked. “Even though it destroyed an entire kingdom of Changeling’s, it didn’t do any harm to-“ “The thing technically sliced off the horns of a lot of soldiers! Some of those soldiers I knew! Some of them have families to support! What now? Now they have no magic and have to live with being a hornless outcast!” Shining glanced at his sister. "You saw what happened on the streets. It took on probably an entire battalion without breaking a sweat!" "Shining, he's lost!" Twilight walked up to her brother. "It's obviously not from here!" "Yeah, Tartarus is where it's from." Shining said flatly. "First the Cerberus attack in Ponyville, and now a demon that walks in the night? I have a feeling Hades is smiting us!" "Now you're just speaking crazy." Applejack chuckled. Shining smiled and rubbed his head. "Yeah, I guess I just need some coffee." He sighed to himself. "Hearing about this thing's escapades by Celestia's been keeping me on edge. Plus with the crisis in Baltimare." "Baltimare? What's going on over there?" Rarity asked. "Some sort of explosion or something. She said that over 50 ponies died." "Celestia's teats." the commissioner gasped. "Yeah. Celestia sent Luna to investigate so she might not be able to come to Manehattan immediately, what with raising the sun and the moon and such." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "How come she didn't tell me?" She said to herself. "Enough with the sappy stuff, lets talk about something happy so we can turn those frowns upside down!" Pinkie jumped into the group, her bubble attitude lifting their spirits. "Like what?" Twilight asked, still deep in thought. "Like how much candy we're going to get on Nightmare Night silly!" The girls all began to talk about how their going to enoy the scary celebration, leaving the prison behind them. Little did they see the dark figure that watched them from the roof. “That thing is not a he,” Shining said coldly. “It’s a monster.” 2 weeks later… < * / * \ * > Terry sat in the small cell. His arms and legs were chained to the walls when he arrived, but he escaped them pretty easily. He was imprisoned in a large white room. One of the walls as made of glass, or so he thought if he didn’t hear the guards talking about how it was a magic barrier. He looked at the two guards that stood at the metal door that was on the magical wall. They ignored the fact that he was free due to them thinking that he was stuck in the cell as long as magic kept him in. He could just prove them wrong, but he’s never experienced magic before. “Wonder if Bruce ever dealt with magic.” Terry said to himself. “Then again, he’d probably think I’m crazy if I tried to explain to him a realm full of magical ponies and unicorns.” “Shut up prisoner!” one of the guards shouted. Terry white eyes narrowed. “Ass.” He mumbled. He gazed at his suit and sighed. “You know, you guys owe me a new suit.” “We owe you nothing you filthy mule.” One of the guards growled. “That’s one of the things I wanted to ask you ponies; what’s with calling things mule? I mean, you are aware that mule is a sentient race on your planet right? You’re kind of being racist.” “We can call you whatever we like, mule.” “Actually, the creatures got a point.” The other guard commented. “I mean, they are part of our society.” “Fine then, we’ll call him a filthy pig.” “The whole reason I’m filthy is because you ruined my suit!” Terry yelled. “Shut up!” the guards both yelled. … … … “We can’t call him a pig.” “Why the buck not?” “That’s another thing I wanted to ask.” Terry mumbled. “Well, pigs are sentient.” “They are!?” Terry and the other guard said simultaneously. “Well, there was a long lost Mayan pig tribe centuries ago.” “That was from Daring Doo you idiot.” The other guard face hoofed. “They’re fictional.” “T-There’s sprinkles of truth in those books!” the guard protested. They’re argument died down once the door at the end of the dark hall opened. The light from the other hall illuminated a tall dark figure. The guards looked at the figure, fear in their eyes. Behind the figure was a dead stallion that was sprawled on the marble floor. “What the-“ SHINK! The guard began to gasp for air. Terry got to his feet and took a step back. a large knife was lodged into the guards throat. Blood ran down the steel blade and to the floor. The guard choked as he fell to the ground. A small blood splatter present on the barriers wall. The other guard began to back away, fear in his eyes. His flank hit the magic wall, giving him a small shock. He looked back at Terry, then down the hall. The figure stood in front of the stallion. But before anything could be said, the figure slammed the guards head into the magic barrier. The stallion screamed in agony as the barrier began to burn the fur on his face. It began to shear through flesh and bone as it worked on his skull. The figure stopped applying pressure to the guard and let him fall to the ground. Half of the guards face was gone to the bone with only parts of his flesh left behind. Terry grabbed a batarang and kept it aimed at the dark figure. A grizzly laugh made his eyes narrow. “You can put the batarang away, Batman.” The light from the barrier shone of the figure. The man was in a large duster jacket that covered his whole body. By the looks of it, it was made of animal skin. A hood covered the figure’s face, only revealing two white eyes that looked at the dark knight. “How do you know me? Who are you?” Terry lowered his throwing hand but kept the batarang. “Questions for another time. But I know one thing; you’re not the real Batman.” Terry narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?” “You try to act like him; being quiet while being intimidating. If you spoke you wouldn’t be here.” The figure shuffled in place. “And yet, you’re not one of his prodigies.” “Prodigies?” Terry raised an eyebrow. “You’re no Grayson, that’s for sure. And you’re definitely not Drake. And you can’t be the dead one.” The figure rubbed his chin, or what Terry thought it was. The figures eyes looked at Terry. “You’re Waller’s kid.” “Waller? Amanda Waller? The former leader of CADMUS?” Terry stepped closer to the barrier. “What does Waller have to do with this?” “More than you think, McGinnis.” Terry took a step back. “H-How-“ “Let’s just say, you were meant for the job.” Even though he couldn’t see it, he knew the figure was smiling. “I’ve been away long if you’ve grown this tall.” “Who. Are. You.” Terry demanded. “So easy to enrage, just like the dead one.” The figure turned his back to the dark knight. “You may wear the suit and call yourself Batman, but to me, you’re nothing but a Robin.” The figure began to walk away, his hands placed behind his back. “I’ll find out who you are.” Terry growled. “Oh I know.” The figure glanced over his shoulder. “We’ll meet again, Robin.” -POOMF!- Terry shielded his eyes from the bright light that came from the figure. He looked back to see that the figure was gone, leaving a burnt spot on the floor that had smolder rising from it as the long hallway began to illuminate itself with light. Terry raised an eyebrow in confusion. The magic barrier began to make a faint buzzing sound. And then it disappeared. The dark knight stood in silence. He took a small step out of the cell, then another. His eyes went wide as he stepped out of the cell and into the illuminated- -BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!- “Damnit!” Terry ran to the door in the hallway. He ignored the sounds of the blaring horns and the flashing red lights as he dived through the door and into a large room. Walls were covered by cells with magical barriers. Prisoners looked at the dark knight, howling and yelling at him. He sprinted down the hall, looking for an elevator. He slid to a stop as a bunch of guards turned the corner. Terry quickly ran down another hall, avoiding the blasts of magic behind him. He smiled as he found an elevator at the end of the hall. The dark knight flipped around and tossed a batarang at a guard that was chasing him as he quickly landed on his feet diving into the open elevator. The elevator doors quickly closed, blocking the barrage of magic bolts that would’ve hit him. He sat in the elevator and breathed. A soft, but catchy, tune played as he got to his feet. The elevator stopped and made a soft DING! sound. The metal doors slowly opened, and Terry could’ve believe what he was looking at. The room was massive, with cells lining the walls. Over 25 stories of prison cells lined the walls, with small metal balconies on each floor. The ledges connected to a large elevator in the center of the room that probably brought prisoners to each floor and maybe to the top floor. Terry knew he was underground, but he didn’t know how far. But that’s not what scared him. It was the armada of guards that went from the elevator to where he was standing. They all guarded the center elevator. Some of the guards were in armor, probably leftovers of the assault in Manehattan, while others were in security uniforms. But what surprised him were the massive Minotaur’s in armor that had clubs and even axes. They all glared at the dark knight, not moving a muscle. He could hear the breathing of the guards in the silence. He gazed up to see a few unicorn guards stationed on each floor, their horns pointed at him. “GRAAAHHH!” Terry looked back to see a Minotaur rushing at him. Each step shook the very floor beneath him. Terry quickly jumped over the massive creature, landing on his head. He quickly jumped off as he shot a grapple at the first floor of the prison. Barrages of magic shot at him, some grazing his chest and neck as he hoisted himself up. He gracefully landed on the metal bridge and ducked under a hoof from a guard. He punched the guard in the gut and tossed him off. A massive cleaver flew in the air and cut through the metal bridge with ease. Terry quickly jumped off the falling bridge and grappled to the 5th floor. Bolts of magic shot at where he was, causing him to evade as he ran down the bridge and to the elevator. He skidded to a stop as a Minotaur slammed onto the bridge, causing it to shake. The Minotaur Ran at him, cleaver in hand. He jumped over the creature’s massive blow and grabbed hold of its horns. He back flipped off, kicking the Minotaur in the back of the head. Bolts of magic shot at the Minotaur As terry used it as a shield while he was in mid-air. He shot out a grapple from his forearm and propelled himself to the 8th floor. His red wings shot out as he glided his way to the 9th. He flipped off the rail and onto the bridge. Out roars from the prisoners turned into cheering as they watched Terry try to escape. He smiled and saluted the prisoners before running to the elevator. A Pegasus guard tackled him over the ledge and to the 10th floor. They slammed into the bottom of one of the metal bridges before falling back to the 9th floor. Terry flipped to his feet. He jumped off the ledge and glided in the air, desperately avoiding the bolts of magic. The dazed Pegasus flew at him, rage in his eyes. Terry flipped onto the bridge above him, avoiding the quick pegasus that curved around to get him. He quickly ran to the elevator and slid inside. He slammed his fist on the button and watched as the elevator door quickly shut. A loud THUNK made him flinch as the Pegasus flew into the closed door. He pointed his wrist at the door and welded it shut. Even though the elevator was magic proof, a flaw, as he could hear the sounds of the magic bolts colliding with the metal. He rested his back on the wall and slid down to the floor. He pressed a button on his forearm. A few numbers flashed on his visor before stopping. “83%. Good, still have some battery life.” Terry said. The numbers quickly disappeared. He paused, listening carefully. But all he heard was the hum of the elevator. The elevator abruptly stopped, causing Terry to get to his feet. -CRASH!- A massive hand ripped through the metal and grabbed Terry by the neck. The arm ripped him right out of the metal confines of the elevator and onto a bridge on the 23th floor. He landed hard on his back, the loud pang echoing in the large room. He got to his feet and groaned. Standing in front of him was a massive Minotaur, bigger that the others. The beast was clad in dark onyx armor that looked battle damaged. The shoulder pads were two large skulls of a lion. His massive hoof stomped on the bridge, causing it to shake. His fur was black as night, with only scars breaking up the colour. A massive gold ring hung from his nose in the shape of a skull. His horns were curled down like a ram, making a skullcap with horns. The Minotaur took a step closer, his hot breath dissipating in the cold air. “I’m the warden of this Prison.” The Minotaur growled. “And if you think you can just waltz on out of here, you’re in for a world of pain. Because NO ONE. ESCAPES. STALLIONGATE PRISON!” “Well then I get the honor to be the first.” “BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU? ESCAPE?” The Minotaur bellowed. “You’re smaller than my daughter and she’s five!” “Well if she can take you down, so can I ugly.” The Minotaur snorted.” “Funny guy. TOO BAD THAT WILL BE THE LAST WORDS YOU SAY!” The Minotaur’s massive fist slammed into the bridge, the metal exploding on impact. Terry jumped off the bridge and over the Warden. The massive creature spun around, ready to punch the smug grin off of Terry’s face, when the bridge gave away. The Warden roared as he fell, slamming through bridges with ease. Terry watched as the massive creature fell and began to climb up the side of the elevator shaft. -SHREEEEEESH!- Terry glanced down below. His white eyes went wide as the Warden gripped to the side of the elevator shaft on the 18th floor. His eyes glared at the dark knight as he began to climb, his hands bending the metal as he climbed. Terry gripped the side of the metal shaft with his claws and pointed his wrist at the metal. An orange laser shot out as he cut a hole in the shaft. He quickly jumped inside and climbed up to the ground floor as he grabbed the shaft doors and pried them open, ignoring the sounds of the warden’s rage. the light from the lobby almost made him not see the group of unicorn guards that pointed their horns at him. He slammed the doors shut and ducked under the doorway. A massive bolt of magic blew the doors open, right off of their hinges. The two blazing metal doors fell down the shaft, landing on the broken elevator. He waited for a bit, hiding in the shadows. A guard walked over to the edge in order to look over but sooner than he did Terry grabbed the stallion’s hooves, the electromagnetic pads on his boots keeping him up. As he pulled the guard over the edge and let him fall onto the broken elevator. He then proceeded to toss a few of his pellets over the edge as he flipped up onto the main floor. The gas pellets quickly activated as he ran through. Terry charged through the twin doors and into a large courtyard. The glare of the moon shone down as he ran. A large wall was around the building he ran out of. He ignored the twin spot lights that shone down on him as he rushed to the large metal doors on the large wall. Bolts of magic began to shoot at him, causing him to go into a full on sprint as he proceeded to dodge them. A recognisable roar came from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see the Warden charging at him, pure rage in his eyes. Any Pegasi that were stationed in the dark clouds above the prison flew down to surround him. He had one chance. A Pegasus flew at him low to the ground. He jumped over the pegasus and continued to run. A few prisoners that were outside were cheering him on as he ran. If he didn’t know better, he could’ve sworn he was in a football game. He reached into his belt and grabbed a grappling hook. He aimed it at the wall and fired. The hook gripped to the ledge, surprising a unicorn guard. He pulled himself to the wall, flying in the air. a Pegasus grabbed the wire by him mouth and flew off with it, causing Terry to let go. His red wings shot out as he glided to the wall. His white eyes went wide as he saw what was over the wall. The maximum prison was on an island, miles away from Manehattan. He could barely see the city in the distance. A rebreather covered his mouth as he dove over the wall and into the dark sea. He began to swim deeper as bolts of magic shot into the water. The bolts began to stop and soon it was quiet. Terry knew what they were doing. They were waiting for him to come up for air. Terry saluted the waiting guards and swam away, heading straight for the big apple. If he was right, it was Nightmare Night. And he knows a certain mare that would be out at this time. Author's Note Here we are! Multiple foreshadowing inbound! This Issue was basically a clear-things-up/foreshadowing/reference issue. Who's the mystery man? Where's Terry going to find Rainbow? Better question: WHERE IS RAINBOW? Find out on next weeks episode of DRAGON- I-I mean, BEYOND EQUESTRIA
Issue #8Manehattan City Square 22:25 It was a cool night in Manehattan. The bright moon that hovered in the night sky illuminated the decorated streets of the busy city. Fillies and colts in many different costumes ran from house to house, gaining as much candy as their little bags could hold. The city plaza was decorated in dark colors. Different shades of orange and black decorated the plaza that was stuffed with plenty of carnival games. Everypony knew that their children would have cavities for days after the festivity. But they still wished that Luna could’ve come to their city for Nightmare Night. And yet, in the bright city, no one noticed the shadow that ran across the tall rooftops of the many buildings that spanned the city skyline. Cold water dripped off the fast moving figure as it jumped over an alley gap. Its breath puffed in the chilled air as the dark knight ran. Terry slid to a stop on the roof of a building. He gazed over the edge at the massive carnival that was built in the city square. Ponies in costumes were enjoying the many festivities the carnival had. Terry’s white eyes scanned the large crowd. He ducked into the shadows when he saw a police pony that was patrolling through the bright and colorful carnival. Even though the moon shone down on the city, the carnival brightened up the starry sky. Terry pressed a button on the side of his temple. His white eyes swapped into a dark red, causing his HUD to change. All the ponies’ in the crowd were altered into a bright blue, their bones visible through the visor. The sounds of fillies and colts playing were lowered to almost a whisper as he focused on the crowd of ponies. “So this is how Superman sees the world.” Terry said to himself. “Mildly scary, to be honest.” His laughter died down once he caught an anomaly. Instead of the normal blue that Everypony had, one pony glowed a faint orange. Terry pressed and held onto a button on his mask to zoom in. ‘Scanning’ appeared on the HUD before saying ‘Done’. His eyes narrowed before they turned back to the normal white. His red and black wings shot out from his back and soon the bat was in flight. <*/*\*> “Isn’t this carnival super-duper mega awesome?” Pinkie exclaimed as she hopped around in her chicken costume. Fluttershy sneezed as one of pinkie's feathers came loose and brushed her nose. “Calm down Pinkie!” Applejack smiled at her super hyper friend. “Though, I have to admit, it is pretty amazing.” “I’m more amazed that the mayor of Manehattan was ok with Pinkie making this Nightmare Night carnival.” Twilight smiled as she gazed around the crowded games and the many candy stands. “It’s better to not question Pinkie darling,” Rarity said. “You have no idea how easier life becomes.” Twilight smirked at her friend’s witty response. Her smile faded once her violet eyes set on her cyan friend. “Rainbow Dash, you’ve been quiet for this whole trip.” “And you ain’t wearing your costume.” Applejack gave her friend a questioning look. “Everything alright?” Rainbow Dash said nothing as the group walked in silence. They all stopped in their place and watched as the cyan Pegasus still kept walking. “Um, Rainbow Dash?” “Hm?” Rainbow turned around to see her friends 5 feet away from her. Her cheeks turned rose as she put a hoof behind her head. “Oops, I guess I wasn’t paying attention.” The cyan pony walked back to her friends. She raised an eyebrow then the group gave her a concerning look. “You’ve been like this the whole day rainbow dash, is everything alright?” Twilight asked. “U-um yeah! Yeah I’m fine!” Rainbow stuttered. “Just uhh… looking for the bathroom! Yeah!” “Oh silly! We passed one a while ago!” Pinkie smiled. “R-Really! Thanks!” Rainbow galloped past her friends. She paused and looked back, giving them a soft smile. “I’ll be back in 20 seconds flat!” the mane 6 watched their cyan friend gallop off and disappear in the multicolored crowd. “Doesn’t she usually say ’10 seconds flat’?” Applejack asked. “Well no one could go to the restroom in ten seconds darling. That would be repulsive.” “But they can in 20 seconds?” Applejack gave the mare a questionable look. “We are talking about Rainbow here.” “You’ve been on a roll with these witty responses there Rarity.” Applejack chuckled. “I guess that haircut must’ve done something fierce.” Rarity kicked the southern mare in the leg, scrunching her face in annoyance. “I have to agree with Applejack.” Twilight said, looking back at where Rainbow ran off to. “You’re too kind.” Rarity said sarcastically. “Not the hair!” Twilight blushed. “I mean about Rainbow. She’s been acting... different lately.” “You could almost say… suspicious…” in a blur, pinkie changed from her chicken suit to a suit and tie. A dark brown top hat sat on her head, squishing her mane down. She adjusted the monocle that was on her right eye and rubbed the white mustache that was stuck to her upper lip. “I say that she’s hiding something! Like maybe she’s a secret agent!” Twilight was about to say something when Rarity glanced at her and shook her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to just invade someone’s space Pinkie…” Twilight reeled back as the pink pony literally appeared in front of her. “Quick on the defense eh? Are YOU a secret agent?” Pinkie gave her violet friend an accusing stare. “What? No! No one’s a secret agent!” Twilight shot back. “That’s exactly what a secret agent would say!” Pinkie narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to the purple unicorn. “I’ve got my eye on you, ‘Twilight Sparkle’.” <*/*\*> Rainbow Dash hastily galloped around the corner of a candy stand. The cyan mare glanced around the corner, making sure she wasn’t followed. She sighed to herself when all she saw was just the many ponies in costumes minding their own business. Rainbow brushed a strand of her mane out of her face and walked down the somewhat alley, checking for if anyone was listening. “Bad time for a call mother, you almost got me caught.” Rainbow said to herself. She nodded as an unheard voice spoke to her. She rolled her magenta eyes and sighed. “Yeah but it takes a lot of concentration to talk to you when you’re on the other side of Equestria.” “Noted.” Rainbow gasped and spun around. Her magenta eyes were met with the silver belt of the tall humanoid figure that stood behind her. She reeled back in horror, not believing what was infront of her. “Enjoying Nightmare Night?” “H-How?” Rainbow stuttered. “Stallion Gate is un-escapable! How did you get out?” Terry smirked. “I swam.” Rainbow blinked. A small grin crept onto her face as she gazed behind the tall man in a bat suit. Her magenta eyes began to turn green as her hooves began to catch on fire. “Alright, you came all the way from jail so you could meet me. I’m touched, really I am.” Her whole body began to glow a faint green as the fire engulfed her in flames. Terry shielded his eyes as the fire got brighter. Her petite body began to grow in size, causing the fire to grow. She stood on her hind legs as her body altered. Her forearms began to bulk up, her cyan fur turning a dark blue. Two four fingered hands grew out from her hooves. Bones could be heard cracking and breaking as her body grew in size. Her multicolored tail changed into a long dark tail as her bottom half turned into a dark black color. She almost screamed as two long horns grew out of the sides of her skull, ripping through her dark blue skin. Her muzzle increased into a shape of a bull. Terry moved his arms from his face to see the hulking beast stand more than a foot and a half over him. The sickly green flames died down, turning into just smolder rising off the muscle-bound beast that towered over him. The Minotaur grinned, his teeth jagged and sharp. “Let’s dance!” Terry barely ducked under the beast's hulking blow. He shot up, his head connecting with the beast’s jaw. He kicked the beast in the knee, causing it to howl out in pain. following it up with a few blows to the stomach before he kicked the beast backwards, the neuromuscular amplifier causing the beast to crash through the back of a game stand and into the crowded carnival streets. Fillies and colts screamed as the massive beast slammed into the cobblestone floor on his back, its weight rupturing the ground. Terry looked at all the cowering ponies and narrowed his eyes. He glanced over the groaning beast and narrowed his eyes at an amusement ride in the distance. He jumped over the beast, slamming its head into the ground as he landed on its head. He sprinted across the sea of ponies in costumes. An ear piercing roar echoed in the night, followed by the screams of many fillies and colts. He glanced over his shoulder just to be met with a massive paw. Terry Flew across the cobblestone floor and crashed into a candy stand. He groaned and looked up. In the distance from where he used to be was a large four legged monstrosity. Its body was a hulking lion but its back had two black wings that stretched out, displaying its size. Its tail was replaced with a midnight black scaled scorpion tail, the green venom dripping on the cobblestone floor. Terry quickly jumped out of the debris as the beast charged at him, his roar almost shattering nearby windows. Before the hulking beast could takedown the young Batman, a large purple and light blue wall of magic shot out in front of Terry. The beast tried to slow to a stop but crashed right into the wall. Terry glanced behind him to see Twilight and Rarity standing behind him, their horns glowing the same color as the wall. “You’re helping me?” “No,” Rarity said as she strained holding the beast’s weight. “We’re helping them.” Terry glanced over the white pony’s shoulder to see Fluttershy and Pinkie escorting all the ponies out of the area. The beast groaned as it rubbed its head. Behind the beast was Applejack, her lasso twirling over her head. “Applejack now!” Twilight yelled. The beast almost choked as the lasso wrapped around its neck. Applejack bit hard on the rope as the beast tried to get the rope off of it. The beast glanced over its shoulder and narrowed his eyes at the earth pony. It twirled the rope around its tail and yanked hard. Applejack screamed through her teeth as she was tossed straight into the magical barrier. She groaned and fell to the floor unconscious. The magical wall soon disappeared as Twilight ran up to her friend. The beast’s mouth began to glow as it glared at the farmer pony. Terry ran past the ponies and stood in front of the beast as a large beam of fire erupted from its mouth. The flames engulfed Terry’s body but were seemingly blocked by him. The blast of flames died down as the Manticore grinned in satisfaction. Everyone gasped in horror at the tall figure that was engulfed in flames. But then the unthinkable happened. The flames began to die down and soon turned into smolder. Terry stood in defiance, his white eyes glaring at the shocked Manticore. “H-How!?” Twilight barely managed to say. Terry smirked. “Fire resistance.” The Manticore backed up in fear. It quickly turned around and ran down the streets. “We have to go after it before it causes anymore damage!” “Relax darling, it won’t be hard to find a fully grown Manticore in Manehattan.” Rarity said as she checked on her unconscious friend’s condition. “That’s not an ordinary Manticore. That’s a changeling.” “Changeling? What’s a changeling doing in Manehattan?” Rarity and Terry turned around to see Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie joining the group. “Same reason why your friend has been acting weird lately; they’re one of the same.” Terry glanced at the awe struck lavender mare. “Please stop staring at me, its creeping me out.” “Wha-huh?” Twilight shook her head. “You mean to say that Rainbow Dash is a….. Secret agent?” Rarity hid her face behind her sun hat as Pinkie gave her the ‘I told you so’ look. “Exactly, which begs the question of where the original Rainbow Dash is.” Terry glanced at the direction of where the Manticore went. “Fluttershy, you stay with Applejack until the medical ponies or the Royal guard come. Rarity you and Pinkie try to find any other wounded. Twilight you’re with me.” “Wait, how do you know our names?” Twilight asked, giving the dark knight a skeptical look. Terry pointed his wrist at the edge of a tall building. A black wire shot out and the grapple hooked onto the stone edge moments later. Terry glanced at Twilight and smiled. “I did study when I first arrived here, ‘Elements of Harmony’.” Before Twilight could say a word, Terry shot up into the air as the line reeled him in. Author's Note <*Special thanks to my editors! Links to their pages are in the description!*> This... was rushed. If you haven't read my blog then you know I've been going through a lot in my life so far. To be honest, I have second thoughts on if I should continue this story. I kind of... got myself stuck but I'll fix it.. hopefully. But I don't want to just give up! I don't want to just forget about it because of all the popularity or if I can't handle all this notoriety! Taking care of my Mom... She's taught me to always be strong. Not only for her, but for anyone I care about. And being strong means you never give up no matter the challenge! If you get knocked down, just get back up and fight! This is why I'm always positive! This is why I accept criticism because I want to learn from my mistakes and become better! So I guess I just fixed my own problem... I guess I won't drop it. Thanks for the prep talk me! I'm still mildly stuck though so I guess this won't be updated for a bit
Issue #9Terry’s rubber soled boots pattered on the cold rooftops of Manehattan. His warm breath puffed in the chilly air as he ran. His midnight black suit almost made him invisible in the starry night sky if it weren’t for the large red bat symbol on his chest and the multiple rips on his suit. The dark knight glanced over his shoulder, making sure that his company was keeping up with his speed and agility. Twilight was amazed at Terry’s speed, her magenta eyes locked on the dark knights agile form. He flipped over an elevated water pipe and landed gracefully on the stony floor with ease, something that she’s only seen a Pegasus do without breaking a sweat. Of course, there were other things about Terry that shocked Twilight. His figure was something she’s never seen before. When she heard about his arrival, she was surprised about how the police described him. And by seeing him in person weeks ago, she still couldn’t believe what she was looking at. The first night after his arrival was all the confirmation she needed to know that it wasn’t a dream. That this ‘thing’ was real. And real it was. Its tall frame, easily as tall –if not taller- than an Alicorn. Its intimidating looks; white eyes that seem to have no emotion in them, five digits more than a dragon or Minotaur’s four, its oddly shaped hooves. Everything about this ‘creature’ was a mystery. A mystery in Twilight wanted to solve. Terry jumped off the building they were on and fell to the next; rolling on the ground once he landed. This was another feat Twilight still didn’t understand. This creature could withstand falling from great heights, getting blasted by magic multiple times, and even get bucked in the chest by an earth pony. And yet, with the exceptions of the many red marks that were on its dark frame, it was literally unfazed. Though, it seemed to have lost its flight capability due to getting shot in the leg. Is that how this thing flew? Twilight was shot out of her thoughts once Terry stopped at the edge of the building. He peered off the edge, his white eyes scanning the streets below. Twilight breathed heavily, her breath shallow. She’s never ran this much since the Running of the Leaves competition. “Uhm, h-how are we supposed to find a changeling?” Twilight asked once she caught her breath. “What do you mean, Miss Sparkle?” Terry glanced over his shoulder at the purple mare. “Are you saying you’ve never seen a changeling?” Twilight furrowed her brow. “Of course I’ve seen a changeling before! I’ve seen a changeling queen as a matter of fact!” “I know.” Terry gazed back at the streets. Twilight gave the dark knight a raspberry behind his back. She peered over the edge and sighed. “Well, if you know so much then you know that changeling’s can change form!” Twilight crossed her hooves and gave the dark knight a sly gaze. “You know, you’re actually right.” Terry frowned and looked at Twilight’s satisfied face. “I guess you’ve won Sprinkles. Oh wait, I almost forgot about the tracking device that I put on your friend a while ago.” Terry continues to scan the area, oblivious to the shocked face of a certain mare. “You put a what?” Twilight blinked. “You’re more surprised about that and not the fact I called you sprinkles? The things that seem to go straight over people.” “Forget about that! What’s a tracking device?” Terry got up and glanced down the street. A mare was running down the decorated street, pushing past fillies and colts that were going door to door getting candy. “Hold that thought.” Terry sprinted across the building, leaping over alleys as he chased the evading mare that galloped down the streets. His red and black wings shot out from his back as he leapt off the edge of the building, gliding across the street to the building across from where he once was. He missed flying, but gliding would do. He reached into his pocket and shot out a grapple at a tall building across from him as the mare galloped around the corner. He jumped off the edge and swung around, the cool air blowing in his face. Terry glided in the cool air, looking around in confusion. He landed on top of a building and stood in silence. His audio receptors soon picked up the sound of hooves as Twilight finally made it to the dark knight. She huffed and puffed, her shallow breaths dissipating in the chilly air. She brushed a strand of her lavender mane out of her face as she walked over to the dark knight. “Sheesh, could you slow down for once?” Twilight huffed. “I’m not as fast as you.” “I know you aren’t. But I also know something else.” Twilight barely ducked as Terry foot swiped right over her head. “You’re not Sparkle.” Twilight’s horn began to glow a faint green as a blast of magic shot out from the tip. Terry flipped to the side, almost getting clipped on his foot. He quickly reached into his belt and tossed a batarang. The changeling’s body erupted into flames as it changed form. A talon shot out of the flames as a half bird, half lion beast stood on its hind legs, holding the batarang in its talons. The griffin looked at the batarang up close, its blade reflecting its menacing gaze. “These are pretty nifty.” The griffin cooed. “I might keep these once I kill you.” “Maybe after you thaw out.” The batarang exploded in a whitish light blue haze. The griffin screamed as the explosion froze the changeling’s talon and half its face. Before it could react, Terry’s knee connected with the frozen half of the griffins face, shattering the ice and creating a loud crack sound as bone hit bone. Terry grabbed the back of the griffin’s head and kneed it again, this time in the beak. Blood spilled from the griffin’s nostrils as half of its beak shattered on impact, revealing the insides of the creature’s mouth. It lurched back in pain, gripping its face in agony. Its green eyes glared at the dark knight. The changeling roared and lunged at him, using its frozen hand as a club while the other as a blade. Terry dodged the creature’s talons, its sharp edges barely scratching the suit. He blocked the club with his forearm and countered with a punch in the chest, causing the creature to stumble backwards. Terry rushed at him and flipped in the air, delivering a downwards kick to the creature’s head. The griffin quickly caught Terry’s fist and whacked him in the head with the frozen talon, shattering the ice and freeing his hand. Its lion tail quickly wrapped around Terry’s leg and yanked hard. Terry screamed as he slipped and fell to the ground. The griffin pounced on top of him and began to slash at his face. Terry blocked two slashes before catching both of its claws. He smashed his head against the creature’s forehead and kneed it in the gut. The changeling coughed up some blood, its red and green liquid splashing onto Terry’s chest. Terry kicked the changeling over him and flipped up onto his feet. The changeling shape shifted into a Minotaur in mid-air, its weight shaking the roof as it landed on the hard surface. The Minotaur snorted and rushed towards Terry, its black horns aimed at the dark knight’s chest. Terry grabbed the Minotaur’s horns and flipped right over the beast. He spun around in the air and kicked the beast right in the back of the head. The Minotaur roared in pain and crashed into a wall. The brick and stone wall crumbled over the massive beast, burying it. The dark knight slowly approached the destroyed wall, his right hand hovering over his belt. The sounds of hooves caused him to glance over his shoulder. Twilight sighed to herself when she finally saw the dark knight. “What happened here?” she asked, catching her breath. “A party,” Terry narrowed his eyes at the rubble. “A violent one at that. You missed the fun.” “I don’t think beating up a changeling counts as fun.” Twilight said. “Then again, you’ve been beating up a lot of ponies lately.” “Sorry about that, I didn’t know that those horns were actually part of the head.” Terry smirked. “Where I’m from, getting blasted by beams of energy mostly meant death.” Terry narrowed his eyes as a green light shone through the cracks of the rubble. “It’s still alive!?” Twilight gasped, pointing her horn at the rubble. “It’s a girl, Sparkle, not an ‘it’.” Terry aimed a batarang at the glowing rubble. The glow began to increase, green flames now erupting through the cracks. Terry’s eyes widened. “GET DOWN!” The rubble exploded in a giant ball of green flames. Terry quickly tackled Twilight to the ground and shielded the mare as the fire from the blast engulfed his back. Half of the building’s rooftop was engulfed in the magical fire. Pieces of brick and stone flew off in all directions, some hitting the dark knight in the back. Terry continued to shield the mare as the fire soon began to disappear. He looked over his shoulder to see the previous pile of rubble now replaced with a large black spot. Anything that was near the blast was now covered in black ash. He groaned and got up, rubbing his back in pain. Twilight looked around in horror and amazement. She almost flinched when Terry stuck out his hand to help her up. She sheepishly blushed and reached out her hoof. Terry pulled her to her hooves and gazed around. “Did she-“ “No, it was a flashbang.” Terry glanced around the roof. “Flashbang?” Twilight repeated. “Remember our first encounter?” Terry pressed a button on his cowl as he scanned the area. “That bright flash was a flashbang.” His head stopped as he looked in the distance. “She’s heading for the docks!” “Wait a minute! If that white flash was a flashbang, then what was the smoke thingy?” Twilight glanced over to where Terry was standing just to see the dark knight swinging down the dark streets of Manehattan. “H-hey! Wait up!” “Try to keep up, Twilight!” Terry called as he swung onto the top of a building. He sprinted to the edge and stuck out his arms. The retractable wings quickly shot out as he glided in the cool night. <*/*\*> Manhattan City Industrial District 23:01 The Manehatten industrial district was quiet. Most of the workers that would be loading up the ships were either enjoying the festivities or completely forgot. Bright lights shone down on the quiet alleys and large warehouses that sprawled in the district. The sheer silence in the area caused the sound of hoof steps to sound like elephant feet. A large stallion walked down the dimly lit road. His green eyes darted to each warehouse and alleyway he passed. The small flicker of lights almost made him jump. He groaned as it was just the streetlights playing tricks on him. With a sigh, he continued to walk. Nightmare Night was known for its festivities. But it was also known for its pranksters. Teenage colts always broke into abandoned factories to scare their friends. Or whatever kids do today. Due to this, the mayor established that the industrial district was banned from being entered during Nightmare Night UNLESS you worked there. But even then, the teenagers still carried on with their pranks. -Clang!- The stallions brown ears shifted to the sound. He gazed to his right, his green eyes staring directly into a dark alley. His unicorn horn began to glow as he stared down the pitch black alley. He narrowed his eyes when something moved. On instinct, he began to walk to the alley, his horn illuminating the large walls. Although he tried to resist, his legs began to tremble in fear. His mind began to race at all the possible things it could be. Fear began to grip him in its cold embrace as he looked around. He shakily stopped once he reached the middle of the dark alley. A small mare leaned on the brick wall. Her cream fur was ragged and covered in dirt. Her red mane was frizzled up, making its original style unrecognizable. She gripped her right leg in pain as she breathed heavily. The stallion immediately rushed to her aid, worry in his eyes. “M-Miss! Are you ok?” the stallion said. He tried to move her hoof but she backed away. The stallion looked at her arm and froze. Instead of the usual red blood, green goo oozed through her hoof and onto the floor. Her fur was slick black, blending in with the darkness. “M-Miss!?” a beam of green energy hit the stallion straight in the chest. The stallion flew backwards and fell to the ground. He groaned in pain before falling unconscious. “I’m fine, thank you.” The changeling said with a smug grin. She winced as she placed pressure on her wounded leg. “Can’t even keep in disguise for a few minutes without my wound messing up my concentration.” “Well then, that makes my job all the more easy.” The changeling spun around to see Terry standing atop one of the large buildings in the alley. Her eyes grew in size as she galloped away in fear. Terry grinned. “They always run.” Terry ran across the tall rooftop, never keeping his eyes off the galloping changeling. The changeling skidded to a stop as it neared a warehouse. Her green eyes darted around, scanning the rooftops for any movements. With a sigh, the changeling kicked open the door to the warehouse, wincing once she put pressure on her leg. She hastily ran into the large warehouse, slamming the door behind her. Her black horn glowed as she levitated a couple crates in front of the door, barricading it for the time being. She slowly backed away from the door, keeping her horn pointed at it. A large shadow flew over her, causing her to glance up at the large window in the ceiling. The bright moon shone down in the dark and dusty warehouse, illuminating the stone floor. She narrowed her eyes, hoping that it was just her eyes playing tricks on her. The small clatter of metal made her spin around in fear. Her eyes stopped at the calmly swaying metal chains that hung from the ceiling. She blasted a bolt of magic at the chains, engulfing them in flames. Three small black balls shot out from the shadows. The balls rolled on the stone floor and stopped in front of the mare. She shrieked as the balls exploded into smoke. The changeling began to fire bolts of magic around in a fit of blind rage and fear. A dark figure passed by her in a blink. She screamed and fired a large beam of flames at where she saw the shadow, hoping she hit something. The thick smoke began to clear, revealing large boxes and crates engulfed in fire. Her green eyes darted to each shadow, her legs shaking in fear. “Why are you so afraid?” a voice called. She spun around, looking or the source. “You weren’t so afraid the last time we fought. Or the time before that. So why now?” “Where are you!?” the changeling called. She blasted a bolt of magic at a group of boxes, engulfing those in flames. “Is it because you’re wounded? Because you’re vulnerable?” the voice called. “Or is it because you’re scared? “I’m not afraid of you!” the changeling yelled. “I’m a princess! I outrank you! If anything, you should be afraid of ME!” “But I’m not.” Terry lunged from the shadows, the fire barely touching his suit. The changeling roared and blasted a bolt of magic at him, blasting him backwards into a burning crate. The changeling rushed at him, horn pointed at the large red bat symbol on his chest. Terry quickly caught the horn before it could even touch his chest. He quickly kneed her in the chest and pushed her off. Terry got to his feet and beckoned her to come. “Let’s dance in the moonlight.” Terry grinned. “They say it’s romantic.” “I’ll show you ROMANCE!” The changeling lunged at him, her form quickly changing into a griffin. Terry quickly ducked under an overhang slash and punched her hard in the gut. He lunged back, dodging another blow and spun into a hard kick to the side of the face. Blood and spit splashed onto the ground. The griffin roared and began to swipe in a flurry of blows. Terry quickly blocked as much as he could. The talons shredded his suits forearms, revealing its red interior. He grabbed both of her claws, struggling to pull them away. He grunted as he slammed his forehead into the griffin's head, stunning her momentarily. Terry reached into his belt and grabbed a batarang. He quickly tossed the bladed projectile right at the griffin. Directly at the black horn that stuck out of its head. -SHINK!- The world grew silent as the blade embedded itself into the wall behind the griffin. The sound of the burning boxes and other assorted things in the warehouse was muted as the black horn that was once on the changeling fell to the ground. The black horn sparked before dying completely. The griffin’s eyes turned into pin pricks before they were completely enveloped in green. Its body erupted into flames, the center glowing brighter and brighter. Terry backed away, covering his eyes with his right arm. Suddenly, the burning changeling exploded, the blast knocking the dark knight right off the ground. Terry groaned as he slammed into a pole, the power of the blast bending the metal rod. The shockwave left a large fiery line vertically across his abdomen. He gripped his head in pain, glancing around the completely engulfed warehouse. Terry held onto a crate and hoisted himself up. His chest hurt and his back was in pain. In the center of the burning warehouse was the changeling. But it was different. Its right forehoof was black and holed while its left was the claw of an eagle. Half of its mane was rainbowed while the other was the sickly swamp green color. One of its eyes was magenta while the other was completely white. Half of its face was black, its ear pointed upwards like the batsuit. The other half was cyan with patches of black. Its right back hoof was cyan while the left was brown with holes. The changeling glanced at itself, its eyes in horror. “W-What have you done!?” the changeling said. “That’s not a face you want to wake up to…” Terry said as he backed up in fear. “I’LL KILL YOU!” the changeling slammed into Terry’s chest, knocking him to the ground. It repeatedly slammed its hoof on Terry face, the dark knight barely blocking each blow. Terry gasped as the griffin hand gripped onto his neck, strangling the life out of him. “You made me a freak! I’ll rip you from this life, and kill you in the next!” Terry grabbed the changeling’s arm, trying to pry its grip off. “Not so fun when you’re on the brink of death HUH?” the changeling grinned, its teeth jagged and pointed. “Not so funny when you’re dying huh? I’ll kill you for what you did to my clan! I’LL RIP THAT CUTE HEAD OF YOURS AND MOUNT IT OVER MY FIREPLACE! AND I’LL USE YOUR LIMBS TO KEEP ME WARM FOR THE WINTER!” -BZZZMMM!- A large bolt of magic shot the twisted changeling right off of the dark knight. The changeling slid down the stone floor and groaned. Its body soon fell limp as it fell unconscious. Terry coughed and rubbed his neck. He glanced to where the magic bolt came from to see a purple mare rushing to his side. Twilight skidded to a stop as she looked at his neck to his forearms. “A-Are you ok?” Twilight asked, coughing slightly at the amount of smoke. “Yeah, just a little neck pain." Terry said. Twilight sheepishly helped him up, which was hard considering he was much larger than she was. “You didn’t-“ “Knock out spell.” Twilight smiled. Terry did the same and patted her on the head. Their get together was soon broken once a box in a corner of the room suddenly exploded. Terry quickly scanned the boxes. His white eyes went wide once he saw what was within. Large cans of highly explosive liquids. “WE NEED TO GO!” Terry yelled. He quickly ran over to the unconscious changeling and slung her over his shoulder. Before Twilight could say a thing, Terry grabbed her around the waist with his other arm and ran to the large garage like door. Boxes began to explode as he ran, sending charred pieces of wood flying. “HOLD ON!” “LIKE I HAVE A CHOICE!” Twilight yelled over the explosions. She glanced at the closed door and blasted a hole in it. Terry sprinted to the hole and lunged through. The warehouse immediately exploded, launching them forward and crashing onto the large dock area. Terry shielded Twilight from the blast as the warehouse erupted into many explosions, creating a large ball of fire to rise into the air. Burning bricks and wood fell from the sky as smoke rose from the large blaze. Terry glanced over his shoulder. He continued to shield the scarred mare as another blast went off. Twilight gazed over his shoulder and looked at the large burning warehouse. She looked around to see the unconscious changeling right under her. Terry slowly let go of the mare and sat on the cobblestone floor, gazing at the fire. The wind blew the warm heat onto them, making the cold seem like nothing. “You… You saved me…” Twilight said, shocked at the large explosion. “That’s what I do…” Terry said. Twilight turned her head at Terry. In the light, she could see the somewhat features on his face. Although with his slim form, his face looked brave and hardened. “No… Even after we chased you… Even after we locked you up…” Twilight blinked. “You still saved me.” “It doesn’t matter what you would’ve done to me.” Terry turned to face the lavender mare. “Saving people- err ponies is what I do.” He glanced at his torn forearms. “No matter what.” Terry sighed and got up. “W-Where are you going?” Twilight got up and watched as the dark knight stretched his arms. “The police and fire crew will be here momentarily.” Terry pointed at the changeling. “Make sure she wakes up in custody.” Twilight looked back at the unconscious changeling. “Don’t worry, she will. Wait, why did you say-“ Twilight turned around to be met with nothing but air. “-That…” Twilights ears flickered as she heard the sound of sirens. She turned around to see the police coming. As well as the pegasi flying high in the sky, creating rain clouds to douse the fire.
