EC Tales Book Two: Determination

Chapters

Chapter One: A visit to Canterlot
Chapter Two: Dreams Come True
Chapter Three: The Fallen Sky
Chapter Four: The Madman of Manehatten
Chapter Five: The Conspiracy Begins

Chapter One: A visit to Canterlot

Inside a cave, just outside of Baltimare, a dark blue Earth Pony opened his eyes. He slowly stretched and got ready for his day. He looked out at the rising sun and reminded himself of the pledge he had taken to change Equestria. He had to fight to forced the picture of his murdered father out of his mind.

He then looked to the west, toward Appleloosa. He remembered a conversation that he had with his best friend. Former best friend, he recalled. It really did make him sad that he wouldn't be able to see Silver anymore, but he couldn't let his emotions get in the way of a better world. All of a sudden, his stomach growled, and the stallion went out to find some breakfast.

Shadow Blade had been living this way for several years now. He made sure to exercise his physical and mental strength every day. He also built up his magical abilities. He had previously found that by concentrating extremely hard, he could perform simple acts of magic. Since then, he has built up his endurance so that he can levitate one thing for several minutes or several things for a shorter amount of time. He settled into a routine that he never broke for anything.

Shadow thought of what to do next. He knew that he needed supporters to make a stand, but a violent protest is something that he wanted to avoid. He knew that his first plan of action would be to travel to Canterlot. The Princess was kind and caring, Shadow thought. She would be sure to listen to his concern and make some changes. He started planning the long journey.

Shadow Blade spent the last bit he had on the train to Canterlot. He made sure to keep a low profile, because he didn't know if they were still looking for him after running away from home so long ago. He couldn't take any chances on anything, there weren't that many people left that he could trust. When he finally got to Canterlot, he was amazed at the business of the city. Everywhere he looked, it seemed like there were important ponies going someplace in a hurry. He couldn't keep up with all of the hustle and bustle. He made his way to the castle, being careful not to bump in any pony.

Shadow's mouth dropped open as he walked up to the enormous castle before him. He had never seen another structure as magnificent as this one. His attention turned to the front door and the guards standing to either side. He gulped as he walked up to the door.

Two spears crossed in front of him. "Halt!" the guards shouted in unison. "State your name and business with the Princess!"

Shadow Blade swallowed again. "Um, my name is Shadow, and I need to talk to the Princess about an important matter."

The guard's face was unchanging. "Step away from the door, please."

Shadow froze. "No wait, you don't understand, this is really important!" he begged.

The second guard spoke. "No pony sees Her Majesty unless they have an appointment! Now be gone, young colt!"

Shadow quickly sensed that there was no way to convince these two. He turned and walked away with a heavy heart. But soon the sadness turned to rage.

"Just my luck," he mumbled to himself as he got back on the train. "The Princess is too busy to see me. Who needs her anyways? She'd just call me crazy anyways. No, no one can understand me unless they've been through what I have. I just have to prepare until I meet these people. Then they'll help me...."

Chapter Two: Dreams Come True

About the same time as Shadow was leaving Canterlot, a grey Pegasus was coming in on the train. As the doors opened, he looked around the city with amazement. He couldn't believe that he was finally here! He took his map in hoof and tried to find the guard's quarters.

Sky Strike had always dreamed of becoming one of the Royal Guards. Ever since the Princess had payed a visit to Cloudsdale, he had wanted to be a Pegasus that was privileged with protecting her. He had spent hours upon hours reading different guides and handbooks on what to do, and sent in so many applications that he had lost track. Once he was finally of age, he got a reply saying that he was accepted into guard training. He could barely contain his happiness, and he didn't calm down for nearly three days. He quickly packed his bags, kissed his family goodbye, and flew down to Ponyville so he could take the train to Canterlot.

With more excitement than he thought possible, Sky Strike knocked on the door of the guard barracks. A white Unicorn with a blue mane approached him. He smiled and said, "You must be one of the new recruits."

Sky smiled in response. "The name's Sky Strike, and I can't wait to get started!"

"I'm Shining Armor. Let me show you around here." He turned in, and Sky quickly followed.

After giving him the tour, Shining Armor led Sky Strike to his room. "And this is where you'll be staying. I'm not sure where your roommate is right now, but I'm sure he'll be back soon so you can meet him." Shining Armor gave a chuckle, saying, "Be careful though, he's a bit of a neat freak."

Sky smiled back. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Thanks for all of the help, Shining Armor."

About an hour later, an olive-coated Unicorn with a dull green mane approached Sky. "So you're my new roommate, huh?" he said.

Sky leaped off of the bed and stuck a hoof out to shake. "Yes I am. I'm Sky Strike, and I'm really happy to be here."

The Unicorn eyed the hoof that was being offered to him with distaste, and continued on to his bed. "I'm Swift Sprint. If you're going to be my roommate here, you've got to follow some rules."

Sky was a bit disappointed that his friendliness was being ignored, but maybe Swift would warm up after he gave his rules. "Okay, what do I need to do?"

Swift sharply turned and looked Sky in the eyes. "First, whenever in this room, your hooves must be washed and clean of any outside material. Second, for security reasons and my own sanity, I will require your hoof-print. Nothing personal, I just want to make sure that you don't touch anything that doesn't belong to you. Third, you will keep your half of the room tidy and clean. This means bed made, floor swept, and everything dusted. You got all of that?"

Shining Armor was right, Sky thought, this guy is a neat freak. But he didn't let that get in the way of the excitement of being here. "Um, yeah. That's cool, I guess."

Following Sky's expectations, Swift warmed up. "Shining Armor described you well. I can tell that you and I will become good friends. So what are you're specialties?"

Sky smiled and proudly told Swift, "I'm a fighter. Back home in Cloudsdale, I spent a lot of time at the gym for physical training. I even had a boxing class for a little while."

Swift gave a smug smile to him. "A fighter, aye? That's interesting. I happen to be a runner. Speed is my specialty. It would be great to spar with you sometime, a good old speed vs strength match."

Sky Strike's face lit up. "That would be amazing! I need practice against other ponies, and that would be the perfect way to do it!"

Swift continued to grin. "So what do you say to tomorrow morning? I can tell some people about it, and we'll have a little public sparring match."

Sky couldn't be happier. "Sounds great! I can't wait!"

Swift began to walk out of the room. "Excellent. I'll spread the word, and you work on your cleaning duties."

"Ok, cool!" Sky Strike said to his new friend as he left the room.

Chapter Three: The Fallen Sky

Sky Strike awoke early the next morning and headed to the gym. He wanted to do some last-minute training before his sparring match with Swift Sprint. He was nervous that his first 'test' as a guard would come so soon, but he was also eager to prove himself to everyone else that was in training. He spent his morning training and reviewing all of the tactics he had learned in order to become a guard.

Swift Sprint, on the other hand, had a nice and leisurely morning. He made himself a healthy breakfast and conversed with his friends before the match. Even though Sky Strike was strong, Swift was sure that his speed and experience would be no match for the newbie.

Swift reflected on his history: An exceptionally fast colt in Van Hoover, noticed by some Royal Guard members. Soon he was asked to join, which he quickly accepted. But being here was different than he had imagined. He felt that he constantly had to prove that he was the best, to everyone else and to himself. He would be devastated after losing a sparring match, and would hold a grudge against the victor for a while. Eventually he got sick of losing and decided to eliminate those who had beaten him. He would find little things to do, things that drove them crazy, and most of the time they left on their own. For more resilient opponents, he would frame them for doing something wrong, resulting in them quitting or, in extreme cases, expelled from guard training. But Swift liked his new roommate's spirit, and he didn't want to have to get rid of him.

The moment came where the two guards-in-training met in the sparring ring, with nearly the entire barracks there to watch. Swift Sprint was confident and cool, while Sky Strike was excited and focused. Shining Armor met them in the center and explained the rules. "Now remember, this is just a sparring match. Whoever lands a blow with their sword first wins." The roommates nodded. Shining Armor smiled. "Okay, begin!"

Swift and Sky dashed to the center and crossed swords. Swift began to dart around and make quick movements with his sword, but Sky was able to block them and predict where the next one would be coming from. Sky found out his pattern and started adding strikes of his own sword. Swift dodged and jumped around these with relative ease. Swift took a different approach and tried knocking Sky's sword loose, but Sky held tight. Their eyes met for a moment, and a steely gaze of competition was shared. Swift jumped away and then back in to attack. Sky blocked again and pushed him away. Swift was impressed with his opponent's skill and determination, but he decided it was time to end the battle. He charged at Sky, but instead of a quick strike, he flipped over the pegasus. Sky had seen this tactic in one of the many strategy guides that he had read, and he knew just how to combat it. When Swift landed, Sky took to the air, jumping over Swift's sword and forcing his own onto his roommate's back.

Shining Armor blew a whistle and held up Sky's hoof in victory. Everyone spectating cheered. It was a brilliant battle of speed versus strength, with strategy coming through in the end. Sky Strike was enjoying himself and all of the cheering for his accomplishment. He walked back to his room in high spirits with many new friends to talk to.

Swift Sprint lay where he had been defeated for a moment. How could he have lost? He has much more experience than Sky Strike, and speed usually beat out strength. He got up in pain and went to the bathroom to think. He had failed. Swift was known as the fighter who never lost, and here he was, defeated by a rookie. What would the other guys think of him? All of the work that he had done here could be lost by this one fight. But this is not the first time he had been in this situation. He calmly looked in the mirror and thought up a plan.

Sky Strike was walking on cloud nine for the rest of the day. He got so many congratulations and high-hoofs that he lost count. Some of the more elite guards-in-training even conversed with him. Sky felt like a celebrity, but he wanted to share this feeling with his roommate, too. He hadn't seen him since the match, so Sky set off to look for him.

However, Swift was busy with something else. He had formed the plan to get even with Sky, and was taking the first steps to executing it. He was glad that he was such a neat freak. It made getting hoof prints very easy…

Swift finally showed up at the room later that night. Sky approached him with a worried look.

"I've been looking for you all day! Where have you been?" he said.

"Oh, this is what I normally do after a loss," Swift said with a smile. "I never fully congratulated you on your victory. Your use of strategy was unexpected and well executed."

Sky blushed. "Thanks. Everyone has been congratulating me today. It feels really good. I hope there aren't any hard feelings about me beating you?"

Swift put on a fake smile again. "Of course not! I'm not one to hold a grudge, and you did win fair and square."

Sky looked relieved. "Whew, that's good. I thought you might've been mad, seeing as you left, but I'm glad that we're still friends."

Swift looked at the clock. "Well, it's getting a bit late, and I'm starting to get tired. I'm heading in."

"Oh, okay. See you in the morning," Sky replied.

˜˜
Sky was woken up rudely by two of the Castle Guards. Their stares down at him told him that they were not there for a friendly wake-up call.

"Is there something wrong, officers?" Sky stammered as he rubbed his eyes.

They looked at each other and turned back to Sky. "By order of the Princess, you are under arrest for theft of the Royal Jewels! Now get up and come with us."

He tried to comprehend what he was being told. Theft? Jewels? He had stayed up late celebrating, but not that late. "What do you mean?" he finally asked.

"Your hoof prints were found on the door to the Crown Room, and most of the Jewels were missing this morning. Fortunately for us, there were a couple left behind, also marked with your hoof print. You are to be held in custody until a trial is able to be held." They helped him up and cuffed his hooves and wings.

"I didn't do any of that!" he shouted at the guards.

"Then you won't object to a trial," one of the guards said.

They took him out of the room, still in his pajamas. From the top bunk, Swift Sprint smiled coyly.

˜˜˜
Sky Strike was left a while to think. He tried to recall last night. He had spent some time celebrating in Shining Armor's room, but wanted to turn in before it got too late. Swift Sprint was asleep by the time he got back, so he just went to bed. There's no way he could've stolen the jewels, even if he had wanted to! He was confident that the issue would be resolved shortly though.

The trial was held the next day. It was run entirely by the elite members of the Royal Guard. Most of the training barracks were there to watch. They seemed to be in disbelief that such a wonderful guy could have stolen the Royal Jewels, and they hoped that he was innocent.

The trial began, and all the evidence that worked against him was brought up. It was hard to explain the hoof prints on the door and the dropped jewels, but Sky was sure there was a logical explanation. He was more relieved when they brought in Shining Armor as a witness. He started to explain what he knew.

"Well, Sky was in my room celebrating with a lot of us. He left early because he was tired, but thanked me for the party and left," Shining explained. "No one saw him afterword, and it's possible that he swiped the jewels after he left."

Sky was shocked that he would even say that! Sure, the evidence was stacked against him, but he was someone to be trusted! Shining Armor shot a glance of disappointment toward Sky as he left the witness stand.

But his fears were relieved again as Swift stepped up to the stand. He was sure that his roommate would stick up for him. He listened closely to the testimony.

"I was sleeping in my room, when a loud noise woke me up. Sky was trying to sneak into the room late at night. He tried to come in sneakily, but I heard him enter the room. He was looking awfully secretive, like he was hiding something. There is a keypad to enter and leave our room, I can prove the time that he came back, and I'm sure it was long after he left Shining Armor's party. I just can't believe that such a promising prospect would do something like this. I'm disappointed and a bit ashamed, Sky." Swift stepped down with his head low.

Sky's jaw dropped. How could his roommate throw him under the bus like that? He knows very well that none of that ever happened. He was dumbfounded, and didn't know who he could trust anymore.

After the reports from Swift's keypad were brought up, there was no escaping Sky's fate. The jury voted unanimously against him, and he was removed from the guard training program and put in jail. He was shocked at how much changed in such a short time.

˜˜˜
Swift returned to his room later that day. After he was sure the door was closed, he reflected on the job he had done so well. He was able to sneak out late and use Sky's hoof prints to frame him. He knew to leave a couple of gems behind so that the guards had more evidence. He was able to use his speed and stealth so that nobody noticed him. He knew enough about his keypad that he could change the information to frame Sky. And after a considerable amount of time had passed, he would "find" the jewels and look like a hero. Swift was sorry to see him go, but he couldn't let the rookie show him up anymore.

˜˜˜
Sky spent weeks in jail. Every single day of the same routine got boring, and all he could think about was him being framed. It haunted every hour that he was awake, and he relived it in his nightmares. He started to lose his cheery disposition, and slowly became cold and distant.

He thought critically, and figured out that Swift Sprint had framed him. Of course there was nothing he could do about it now; no one would believe him after what had happened. He started to believe that there was no one that he could trust. Everyone is just looking out for themselves, and it was time that he started doing the same. Every day he grew more untrusting and mean.

Sky knew that he couldn't very well look out for himself while he was in jail, so he started thinking on how he could get out. After the first few weeks, the jail guards started to pay attention to him less. He figured that he could overpower a couple of guards at a time, so he just had to plan his escape carefully.

He got his opportunity one night, when he noticed the shortage of prison guards. While being taken back to his cell from dinner, he struck back at the guards. After knocking them on the floor, he made his break for the nearest exit. As soon as he was out, he flew away, not caring where he went. He heard the sirens behind him, but he knew that in a couple of miles that he would be safe. He breathed a sigh of relief. This is the first day of a new life, he thought. I'm not going to give it away again.

Chapter Four: The Madman of Manehatten

In the city of Manehatten, there was a Unicorn who was like no other that had lived there. He was visibly no different from any other Unicorn, with his blue mane, tan coat, and vibrant green eyes. But if he chose to speak with you, it would be apparent that something was odd about him. That is, if you can call the unrelated and random words that came out of his mouth "speech". For this reason, most decided to keep their distance.

The issue for Thunder Sword was that he was not insane. Not completely, anyways. He only appeared to be. Behind those wild eyes laid a quite brilliant mind, but for whatever reason, had difficulty communicating his thoughts to the outside world. It didn't help that there was a significant part of him that made impulsive and irrational decisions, something else that made people think he was crazy. But he went on and continued to live his life.

He grew tired of no pony talking to him, but he adapted to the lonely lifestyle. He learned how to be self-sufficient, though not being able to share his ideas became more and more frustrating to him. His crazy side got to thinking that if people were more energetic, that they would be more outgoing and try to accept him. He had been noticing that the ponies always seemed to be tired. He figured that doing a good deed for the city would help him, too.

Now Thunder Sword was an ele-mage; a Unicorn who specifies in use of the elements. His specialties were thunder and lightning, as evidenced by his name and cutie mark, a sword being struck by lightning. So the easiest way for him to energize the ponies of Manehatten would be to give a small shock to the water supply.

On the day that he decided on, Thunder walked up to the river where the water was drawn. He stood and concentrated, and his horn began to glow a bright green. Sparks began to fly from it, and soon small bolts of green lighting shot in all directions. The townsfolk that saw started to panic and run away. Thunder flashed a crazy grin as he charged more energy into his horn. But as he was about to fire at the river, a police pony tackled him. The bold fired into the air, to the disappointment of Thunder. He wrestled with the cop for a moment or two, but soon other cops came to subdue Thunder.

"Okay, crazy, you're coming with us!" one of them said to him.

"But officer, I-I was just trying to electrocute the river!" Thunder stammered.

"Exactly why you're coming with us," they explained as he was led toward the police station.

˜˜˜

Thunder sat behind reinforced glass windows, a wild grin sitting on his face. The cops at the station looked at him in wonder. Thunder wondered what police glass tasted like, so he stuck his tongue out at the guards and licked it.

"What are we going to do with this one?" one cop asked.

"I have no clue," said another.

One cop put down a phonebook. "He doesn't have any relatives around here. Should I try looking in other cities?"

"Nah," the chief replied. "No one is coming for this looney. I guess we move him to the psychiatric ward."

The other cops nodded in agreement as they prepared to move their newest patient.

Thunder wondered how handcuffs tasted in comparison to prison glass.

˜˜˜

Thunder quickly became bored of bouncing off of his new padded walls. It didn't help that he had an itch that was unscratchable with his straight jacket on. He had never needed anyone but himself to keep him company, but there was something that was missing in the blank white walls. There weren't any madmen who were sent here, he thought. Madmen were created between these four walls. I'm not crazy yet, Thunder thought. But he was slowly getting there. His pupils began to shrink with every coming day, and decided that his ear might taste good when he became hungry. He knew that he had to get out before he lost all sanity.

The guards, in all of their hurry and bustle, had forgotten to restrain Thunder's magic use. The walls were too thick to teleport through, but Thunder had his own unique way of doing thing anyways. He carefully created a plan that would show off his magical ability while escaping as well.

He began to fire thunder off at the walls. The booms resonated through the ward, and cops quickly came to see what the commotion was about. When the door was opened, Thunder threw up a volley of fire to catch their attention. But his misdirection had failed, and the guards blocked his way out. They didn't, however, expect the wall of water that they were met with, conjured by Thunder. He giggled joyfully as he hopped out of the ward and toward freedom. But he wasn't clear yet. The guards, soaking wet, were following quickly in pursuit. Thunder turned and smiled at the guards. He only meant to give them a small shock as to stun them, but in his insanity and the rush of the moment, he gave a little more power than intended. He didn't stay to see if the guards were all right, because he didn't care any longer. He continued on southward looking for whatever happened to come next.

Chapter Five: The Conspiracy Begins

Shadow hung on the unsuccessful attempt to meet the Princess for a while. He took it as another reason why he should continue with his idea, so that he could show her the error of her ways. He looked at the crude plans that he had made with disgust. How am I ever going to do this on my own? Shadow thought. It was one big task for a pony to handle on his own, but Shadow would do whatever it took to make his dream come to light.

He went about his day like he would any other, with catching something for breakfast, taking a bath in the nearby river, and re-reading the books he had until lunch. He really wished that he could go into town and buy more books, but he was an outcast from the world, and that had its drawbacks.

Right around lunchtime, however, Shadow saw a Pegasus fly awfully close to the cave that Shadow was staying in. He hurried back, hoping that he wasn't spotted. But alas, the Pegasus spied him and flew to the mouth of the cave.

He towered over Shadow Blade, with large muscles and an intense scowl on his face. Sky Strike saw the weaker blue Earth Pony and almost cracked a smile. But he didn't smile anymore.

"Thanks for setting up this home for me. Now get out before I have to force you out," Sky said to Shadow.

Shadow put on a steely glare of his own. He would not give up his refuge to any pony that just happened to find it, especially a Pegasus who though that he owned everything. "Hey, I worked hard to make this my home, and have been living here for quite some time. Why don't you find some other place to live?"

Sky felt the rage beginning in his heart. He didn't want to hurt the poor guy, but he wasn't in the mood to keep flying when there was a perfectly good home right here. "And what if I don't go?" he challenged.

Shadow thought for a bit. "Hold on, maybe we can work out an agreement."

Sky scowled. "I don't trust any pony! Not anymore, not after what happened. You have no idea what I've been through, buddy, so I suggest you get out of my way. Now."

Shadow paused at something the grey Pegasus had said. "What have you been through?", Shadow asked.

It was Sky's turn to pause. "Why do you care, anyways? It doesn't even really matter…"

Shadow slowly walked toward Sky. "I care because I have had my share of troubles too. I may be able to help you deal with yours."

Sky squinted. "Why should I trust you?"

Shadow smiled. "You can't be sure, but I bet I could help you."

Sky stared the Earth Pony down. He didn't want to be betrayed again, especially so soon after he had his trust broken. But he did seem well meaning, and Sky had been holding his feelings in for a couple of days. He thought it might be beneficial to vent to this unknown Pony. So he leaned against the cave wall and began to tell Shadow his story.

Shadow stayed and listened intently to the whole thing. Sky was still able to keep his menacing composure while telling the story. When Sky was finished, Shadow smiled and realized he could solve two problems at once. "I think I know just how to help you."

Sky was skeptical. "I don't want your help. I just needed to tell my story to someone."

"Just listen for a second. I have had some tough times too. My point is, I am forming a plan to take down the Equestrian government so that ponies like us reach equality and no one has to go through what we did. I'm having some trouble on my own. I could really use a military mind and fighting skills like yours. Together we'll be able to do a lot more. What do you say?"

Sky was still unsure. "I don't know… I'm not sure if I'm ready to trust any pony yet."

Shadow nodded. "I could share my cave with you. We could recruit others that have the same ideals as us. What do you have to lose? Where else would you go?"

Sky thought. The blue pony had a point, he really didn't have anything to do. And revenge would end up being very sweet. Sky gave a small smile and stuck out his hoof. "It sounds like you have got yourself a deal. The name is Sky Strike."

Shadow returned the smile and the hoof shake. "I'm Shadow Blade. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Sky quickly removed his hoof. "But don't get any smart ideas about betraying me, Shadow. You'll regret it."

Shadow gave a knowing smile. "I wouldn't dare to think about it."

˜˜˜
The two ponies spent the rest of the day getting to know each other, and they had a strong bond by the time Shadow decided it was dinner. But as they were walking out of the cave, they bumped into a crazy-looking Unicorn. He got up quickly and assumed a fighting stance. "Come on, get at me!" he shouted. "I can take you all down with nothing but my mind! And my horn, and my body, to move around and stuff…"

Sky got angry, but Shadow stuck out a hoof and approached the tan-colored pony. For some reason, he felt an immediate sympathy for him. "It's okay, buddy. How about we go inside where we can talk?"

Thunder Sword calmed down at Shadow's words. "Yeah, talk. That sounds good." Shadow led him in as Sky showed a puzzled look on his face.

The two sat and listened to Thunder's story, which was surprisingly clear, even to Thunder. Shadow somehow made him feel safe, and he was able to think and speak clearer when he was around. Shadow made the same offer to join him and Sky Strike, which he accepted. Shadow told Thunder to stay in the cave as he and Sky looked for dinner.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Sky talked to Shadow. "I don't like that Thunder character. He seems a bit too crazy for us. What will he do for us?"

"Use your head, Sky," Shadow stated. "We now have access to magic. We also have another mind looking at the problem, and from a much different angle. I'm sure he will provide a valuable asset to our operations."

Sky scoffed. "If you say so…"

They returned to find Shadow's plans scattered about the floor, and Thunder frantically jumping around. "I know how to help you!" he screamed. "You need an army. One that is like us, that thinks like us, that have been through problems like ours. Then we'll be strong enough, no one will be able to stand in our way! Hahahaha!" he laughed maniacally.

Shadow took another look at his plans. He turned to Sky. "He makes a point, you know. We could have a lot more of us, and we would be strong."

His thought was interrupted by Thunder's frantic ravings. "A conspiracy! That's what we are! The conspiracy of Equestria! Working in the shadows, waiting for our perfect chance to strike in order to bring equality to the land! Conspiracy, Equestrian conspiracy!"

Sky turned to Shadow. "You know, that's actually not a bad name. The Equestrian Conspiracy. Sounds… dangerous."

Shadow nodded. "Sounds good enough to me."

And that night, the Equestrian Conspiracy was born. The leader and brain in Shadow Blade, the brawn in Sky Strike, and the magical ability in Thunder Sword. Together, they would lead a villain group like no other, one fighting for a cause that they believed in. All three of them knew that they were destined for great things; but no one truly saw what they would end up accomplishing.