Chapters It was five o'clock sharp on a Friday. Michael was sitting down on a couch in Octavia's living room reading a book. He flipped through it slowly. Octavia walked in sitting next to Michael. "What are you reading?" she asked. Michael looked up. "Eh. It's a book called, 'Remember Me'."
"Is it any good?"
"It's pretty nice. The plot is about a couple who's love was broken apart by a secret kept by the husband."
"What was the secret?"
"I'm not sure. I'm still getting to that part. How was the concert?"
"Tiring. The audience didn't really even clap. It was also very boring."
"Mhm."
Michael looked down to see an envelope in Octavia's hoof. "What's that?" asked Michael. "I don't know. Derpy gave it to me before I came in. It says it strictly only for you," replied Octavia.
"Must be from my job."
"Here. Speaking of which, would you like to go out for dinner later?"
"Sure. Where?"
"Bistro L'Montes."
"Please don't tell me it's where all those snooty people go. Remember what happened last time?"
"I know. Don't worry. This one is less formal."
"Mmm... Is anyone else coming?"
"No. Please? I haven't gone to it in a while."
Michael looked down at the envelope. He put it on a coffee table and said, "Fine. But I'm picking the next place."
"Yay!"
Michael and Octavia went and dressed into something nicer. Michael got into a white polo with a grey vest. He waited downstairs for Octavia. He saw Vinyl unlock the front door and walk in. "Oh hey there Michael," she said. "Why so formal?" "Octavia are going out for the night. How are the wubs comin' out?" asked Michael.
"Pretty good. Neon and I got half done. We are still planning on adding or removing a few things."
"That's good to hear."
There conversation was cut short as Octavia walked down the stairs. She wore a light black dress. It shined in the light. She had also put a small rose. Both Vinyl and Michael were stunned. Vinyl leaned over and said, "You've got one helluva girlfriend..."
Both Michael and Octavia walked out of the house. They walked to the bistro and waited to be seated. As they got to their seat, Michael saw somepony sitting down eyeing him. He chose to ignore it. He thought of him as a guy just looking at who came in. The two sat down and read through the menu. "The atmosphere here is pretty nice. It has been a while since I came here," said Octavia. "I've actually never been here," replied Michael. He leaned over to his left to see the pony look away back at his food. Michael began getting suspicious. Again, he shrugged and looked through the menu.
The waiter came over to take their order. "I'll have the Filet Mignon," said Michael. "I'll have the same," said Octavia. As the waiter left, Michael glanced back to the other pony. He had left. "So Michael," said Octavia. "How is work for you?"
"Eh. Still got a few more business trips to take. You want to come?"
"I wish I could, but my concerts..."
"I understand."
The food arrived quickly. The two of them ate slowly. They continued their conversations about their hobbies and jobs. Then it night came. They had finally finished eating and left. "That was a lovely place," said Octavia. "Yeah, I guess it was good," said Michael.
"So when are you ever going to learn how to play the violin?"
"If you keep asking me, I may never try."
"Oh you."
Octavia and Michael continued to their home. They were at the front door when Octavia stopped Michael. "Hmm?" asked Michael. "I had a great Friday. We should do this again when we get the chance," said Octavia.
"That we could definitely do."
The two ponies kissed and continued into the house. Both of them walked into their room and changed. Vinyl wasn't anywhere at the bottom so she must have been sleeping. Before Michael slept, he decided to read the letter. As he opened it, he read through the details. He was shocked.
Dear Michael,
We write this letter to you to ask you for one job. It's not just a simple 'hit and run'. This is more difficult than anything you can imagine. Please take note of the large sum of bits you will receive upon accepting the job. 500,000 bits. If you succeed with no questions asked or get into any trouble, you get the bits. If you fail, you and everypony you know will have their lives at stake. This is the job we'll be giving you. Kill President Brawny Hooven.
Michael stopped for a second. He couldn't comprehend on what they had asked for. He kept his questions for later and read on.
Killing him will boost your reputation. It will also prove our dominance. But it won't be easy. There is an attached file with a map and a detailed description of the place. Where guards, police, S.P.O. (Stallion's Special Operations. New Military program.) will be stationed at. There is also information for good vantage points and escape routes. Do not disregard this.
Signed,
L. R. Corp.
L. R. Corporation. It sounded familiar to Michael. But that didn't matter. He was still in a state of shock. He thought it over. That's a lot of bits. He thought. Octavia and I could use it. But if I were to fail, everyone's life could be at risk. That's it. No matter what they try to do to me, I have to say no. I can't risk anything. Michael walked to his briefcase. He opened it revealing a large amount of files. He lifted a padding under the files to reveal a disassembled Cheytac .408 Intervention sniper rifle. He put his hoof over it for a second to reminisce in the times with it. There was also a word engraved into it. 'Redemption'. Michael placed everything back and pushed it back into his closet. Octavia had already been sleeping. He layed down next to her and did the same.
Michael woke up that Saturday morning. He could already hear Vinyl's music, so he knew that it was around nine o'clock. He turned to see Octavia burying herself in her pillow trying to stay asleep. Michael got out of bed and went downstairs. He saw Vinyl preparing food. "Hey, look who's awake," said Vinyl. Michael just yawned and went to get a mug of coffee. He picked through cabinet and got a mug, filled it with coffee, and sat at the dining table. He yawned yet again. His mind drifted. He still thought of that message he received. Other than how odd the job was, he thought of the corporation. L.R. Corporation. Had he worked for them before? He came to and realized Vinyl's hoof waving in his face.
"Hello? Equestria to Michael. You there?" she asked. Michael shook his head, "Oh. Sorry. Yeah. What is it?"
"What's up?"
"No nothing, it's just about this letter-"
Michael had nearly revealed the letter. "What letter?" asked Vinyl. Michael though of something quickly. "A letter from my job. They need me at the office in a few hours."
"Oh. Why so worried? It's just like a typical day."
"Mhm."
Michael took another sip of his coffee. Vinyl's wubs were still loud as could be. Michael got used to it. "There's some eggs and some small sandwiches ready if you're hungry," said Vinyl. Michael nodded and walked over to grab a plate of food. That was when Octavia walked down the staircase. "Hey! Look who's here! How was your night Octy?" asked Vinyl. Octavia's face still looked tired. She walked over to Vinyl's disc player and turned it off. "Hey! You killed the wubs."
"Vinyl, it's like nine o'clock. People like me could still be sleeping."
"Oh lighten up Octy."
"Humph."
She sat down next to Michael. She leaned her head against him and fell asleep. Both Michael and Vinyl gave a small giggle.
A two hours had passed. To make it look real, Michael prepared himself as if he were going to a meeting. He walked down the stairs. Octavia was sitting down reading and Vinyl was on her laptop. Octavia looked up. "Where are you going?" asked Octavia. "I have a meeting that I need to attend. It'll only be a few hours. Maybe even less," replied Michael. He opened the door and left.
He roamed the streets of Ponyville for a while. He looked at the time and thought it was time to head home. As he walked around, he knew his decision was final. He wasn't going to take the job. As he turned a corner. To ponies in heavy coats stopped him. One was a unicorn and the other was a Pegasus."You must be Michael Ryders," said one of the ponies. "You are?" asked Michael sarcastically.
"Doesn't matter. Our boss says that you chose to forget our job. So we were sent here to jog your memory."
One pony bulled out a knife while the other kicked Michael in the side. Michael fell over but tried to recover. But, before he could, he was again kicked to the ground and punched in the face. Michael kicked him away. The other pony drove his knife straight for Michael's face. The pony missed, but Michael was still cut near his snout. He came in with a punch, but was rewarded with a kick and then a punch. He fell to the ground, badly beaten. One pony raised a knife and dropped his hoof towards him. The other one stopped him. "Ah-ah. That's enough. We ain't here to kill him. But Michael, if you don't take the job, well, we'll have to kill you, and your little lover girl." "Fuck you," said Michael.
"You have two choices here. Take the job or suffer."
Michael knew either way, that if he failed, his life would be destroyed. So he had no choice. "Fine. I'll take this damned job." The two ponies gave a small laugh and walked away. Michael slowly got up. He was weak. He was covered in blood and bruises. He still managed to limp his way back home. As he opened the door, Octavia greeted him. "Hi Michael- Oh my god!" She yelled. Vinyl and Neon Lights leaned from the hallway. They saw Michael's injuries and helped him over to the coach. "What happened Michael?" asked Octavia. "I got into a little tussle," replied Michael.
"'Little'? This isn't little Michael!"
"Octavia. I'm fine."
"No you're not. Vinyl get the medical kit. It's in the bathroom."
Vinyl nodded and galloped to the bathroom. "What did you do?" asked Octavia. "Mmm... Two guys tried to mug me, they didn't great away with any of my stuff. I just got roughed up," replied Michael.
"Which way did you walk?"
"Same way as usual. Anyway, I have an important business trip I need to take."
"Where?"
"Stallington. I need to be there to meet the executives for the president's speech."
"Stallington! That's quite for dont you think?"
"It's worth it. Trust me."
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning."
Vinyl came back with bandages. They wrapped up most of Michael's wounds. "Isn't tomorrow morning too early?" asked Octavia. "They told me to prepare now," said Michael trying to make it sound real. "I guess they really need me to convince the executives about something."
"Mmm... Okay... But you'd better be back as soon as you can. I'll pack your bags."
"No it's fine. I can do it. Just help me up to the room."
Neon Lights and Octavia help Michael up to his hooves and brought him upstairs to his room. There, he took out his brief case with the disassembled intervention. He pushed the files aside in a neatly manner and places an asbestos sheet over his hidden rifle. He wanted to be sure it wouldn't be detected at the airport. Michael put some clothes on top to make the briefcase looked filled. He layed down in bed to rest his wounds and prepare for a big day.
Michael and Octavia had arrived at the airport. Michael had only brought his own briefcase with him. He looked around to find the flight check-in. But, before they could go anywhere, they were stopped by an awkward looking pony. He was a light blue unicorn with slicked back hair. "You must be Michael Ryder's," said the unicorn. "Yes," replied Michael. "And you are?"
"Where are my manners, my name is Spark."
"Nice to meet you."
"I was told to take you straight to the jet."
Michael turned to Octavia. He kissed her goodbye and followed Spark. "I understand why you are here," said Spark. "I am to be your personal helper until the actual assassination is to happen. Think of me as an assistant." "I work best alone..." replied Michael.
"Well, you're stuck with me. I was told to-"
"I know."
The two of them had reached the boarding. They passed through the metal detector and moved on. The flight attendant nodded and let them through. The jet was small. Big enough to seat a few men. As they took a seat in the private jet, Michael spotted a few other guards sitting down. must be for extra protection. Then, Michael asked a question. "You seem quite different from other henchmen that I've seen." "Well," said Spark. "I'm not really a henchman. I work as a free lance mercenary. I still seem a bit lighter than most though."
"I see. So how did L. R. Corp. contact you?"
"Eh, I hang around places, lookin' for people and things like that. Eventually, some guy handed me a shitload of bits. So, I took it. They told me that I was to work with them for a few months."
"What do you do?"
"Small stuff really. Just shaking up people if they hadn't payed up. Haven't gotten into a real gunfight as of yet."
"Know how to handle a gun?"
"I mostly use pistols. But, I am a decent shot with a rifle."
"Alright. When's the president's speech going to happen?"
"In about, three days."
"Wonder why they shipped me out early."
"Just to set up I guess. Get to know the layout of the area. Don't worry, I'll take you there."
The loud speaker came to life. A mare's voice came out. "We are lifting in approximately five minutes. Please turn off all electronic devices before flight." Michael checked his phone to see if it was off. He turned it off and put it away. Five minutes later, the jet flew into the sky. The trip felt endless for Michael. He couldn't sleep. Spark however, was luckier. He managed to fall asleep quickly. Michael sat there thinking about Octavia and how her life could be in danger. He thought hard about it. What if I miss? The thought of this made him sick. Eventually, he felt tired. He managed to lay down and rest for the few hours of the flight.
Michael had awaken to the sound of the loud speaker announcing their arrival. Michael looked around to see Spark had already left. He grabbed his briefcase and quickly ran down the hall to the airport. There, he saw Spark and the other guards waiting. "What took you?" asked Spark. "Sorry. Fell asleep," replied Michael. The two of them ventured through the airport trying to find their way out. Eventually, they ended up outside standing in front of the airport. "What are we waiting for?" asked Michael. "There is suppose to be someone picking us up. As he spoke the words, a grey Mercedes with black tinted windows pulled in. Spark walked up to it opening the back door for Michael. "After you," said Spark. Michael got in, followed by Spark who closed the door.
The car went from freeway to freeway trying to pass traffic and get back to the city. After a while, they had finally reached the southern part of Stallington. Michael looked out the window. The streets were battered and the buildings looked broken down. It had been at least an hour since they left the airport. The car came to a stop. It stopped next to a motel. The outside was very displeasing for Michael. Windows were smashed and its discolored battered brick walls were seemingly falling apart. "Alright. This is your stop," said the driver. "Hurry up. Chairman Horsebrawn is waiting for you." Michael turned to see Spark sleeping. He nudged him to wake up. Both of them got out and entered the motel.
Amazingly, the inside of the motel was more well-kept rather than its outside. Spark looked at the front desk to see a male earth pony who stared at them. "Whaddaya want?" asked the receptionist. "We're here to meet with Horsebrawn," replied Spark.
"Oh, that's right. Go all the way up the stairs to level four. The code for the door is 5706."
Spark nodded and walked to the stairs. Michael followed behind. The two of them went up the stairs until they found the code door. 5706 . The door unlocked. Michael and Spark saw a grey Pegasus pony wearing a black suit surrounded by many guards. He was lighting a cigarette. "Ah. You must be Michael," said the Pegasus. "It's also nice to see you again Spark. Please. Both of you have a seat." Of course, Spark and Michael took a seat. "Now, Michael, you probably already know what job you will have and know who I am. Chairman Horsebrawn. You will have the privilege of assassinating President Brawny Hooven. But, you don't know all the details. The actual speech has been delayed by two days. So you have four days to get to know Spark and get to know Stallington. Anyways, the president will be taking the stage right in front of the city hall. The streets in front will have multiple buildings that would provide great vantage points. But the downside is that there will be tight security. This map will give you the locations of the guards' locations. Our inside man personally drew this out for us. Spark will take you there he'll be your extra eyes in case of anything. Any questions?"
Michael shook his head. "Good. But remember, if you fuck this up, then everything's gone. Please, take your leave." Michael and Spark stood up and left the room and headed down to the main lobby. "So," said Spark. "Where to first?"
4 Exploring and Discovering
"Let's head to some fast food place. I'm kinda hungry," said Michael. "Alright. I know this great place we can eat at," replied Spark. They headed out and walked down a few streets. They stood in front of what looked like a fast food place. "This is?" asked Michael.
"It's Hays n' Stuff."
"Hays n' Stuff?"
"Yeah, it's a great place to grab a quick bite."
"Okay sure."
They both walk in and walked over to the cashier and ordered some food. They took their food and sat down. As they began to chow down, they spoke. "So," said Michael. "What drew you to become a merc?" "Well," replied Spark. "I took a lot of other jobs. First one was plumbing. Didn't go down to well. Then there was being a janitor. Didn't turn well neither. Next, was pest exterminator."
"What happened there?"
"Sprayed some poison on my face. Couldn't talk for a week!"
Both of them started laughing. "So, what drew you to being an assassin?"
"Hitman, I prefer, but what drew me to it was really about my family. My dad left my mom. Them she became a drug using addict. From then on, I felt my life wasn't important. So I killed. Kept killing and killing. That is, until I met Octavia. "
"Oh, that one mare from the airport?"
"Yeah. Once I met her, I had to stop. I wanted to anyways. But, my reputation got the best of me."
"What do you mean?"
"I got the letter to come here. I basically thought 'no', so I was beaten."
"What? I didn't know that..."
"Never mind that. So, you said you know where the president is going to have his speech?"
"Yeah, it's a thirty minute trip."
"Alright. Let's just finish eating and let's head over there."
"Sure."
They ate their food. But, as they were about to leave, Michael's phone rang. "Hello?" he said. "How is it over there Michael?" asked Octavia.
"Pretty well, just enjoying the sights and everything. How's it back home?"
"Ugh. Boring. Vinyl is too busy working on something and I'm still doing nothing. The concert isn't coming up until a few more days."
"Don't worry Octavia. It'll get there in a matter of time."
A doorbell stopped both their conversations.
"Oh. Well I better check who that is."
"Alright. See you then."
"Love you!"
"Love you too. Bye."
Michael hung up his phone. He turned to Spark and said, "Where to?" "Let's hail a cab," said Spark. Once their cab rolled in, they got in and headed toward their destination. Upon arriving, Michael saw the surrounding buildings. They were quite tall and looked very tidy. Up ahead, he saw a large flat grey platform being set up by construction ponies. It was obvious to Michael that this was going to be the place where the speech was going to be held. "Come on," said Spark. "This way." Michael tagged behind. They turned into a dark alleyway. Spark turned to Michael and pointed up at a ladder. "Here, go up here. This should give you a decent vantage point of the place. Watch out though, the ladder is very rusty." Michael climbed up and Spark followed behind him. As Michael got to the top, the ladder gave way. It fell apart only giving Spark enough time to grab hold of the ledge. "Damn! I could use a little help here," exclaimed Spark.
"Yeah. I got you."
Michael pulled Spark up very slowly. Then both of them glanced over the ledge.
"Hey, thanks. I owe you one."
"Well," said Michael. "There's no way we're gettin' down from here. Anyways, this looks like a great view."
"Yeah. But you won't be able to even get out your sniper without getting caught. Here, follow me into the building. There's a room set up."
"Okay, but how are we gonna get back down and how can I get back up?"
"L. R.'s men could handle it."
Michael nodded and both of them proceeded into the house. The inside was less pleasing than it's outer walls. There were cobwebs everywhere and the wooden floors creaked. The smell of beer filled the air. "This place is horrible," said Michael.
"Well, you're probably lucky they didn't give you the other building. It's basically fallin' apart!"
"Heh. I'd drink to that."
Spark opened up a door. There was a semi-boarded up window with a table carrying an astray and a few empty bottles of whiskey. There was also a small sofa couch that looked extremely dusty. "Alright. This room is where you'll be at," said Spark. "In case you get spotted and need to stall the police, drop that metal bar by the door and lift the couch up. There is a loose plank that you can fit under to get to the bottom floor."
"Cool. Thanks. Good thing I got some extra time to prepare. Hopefully though they can get that ladder fixed."
"Don't worry. You can trust them on getting it done."
"Alright, well I'm gonna get settled in. I'll meet you back at the motel?"
"Got it."
As Spark walked out, Michael took out his phone and dialed Octavia's number. Michael heard beeping for a while. There was no response. Must be busy. Thought Michael. He shrugged and began dusty and fixing up the room.
I'm not a typical earth pony. No sir, no one would expect any of this. I'm a hitman. A professional. If you need someone dropped, it'll take only a few minutes. But, I've worked with a lot of powerful people. Dangerous ones even. Give me a job and I'll do it. As long as I get payed in that matter. After a few years of blood, I decided to retire. I wanted to settle down and find a nice home. But I found something better. Her name was Octavia.
I settled down. Worked as a business man. Started taking life easy. I put my old life in the past. I wanted to start over. So I did. I met Octavia at a music concert. She's a great cello player. I decided to try to find her after the concert. You'd find it amazing how easy the two of us became friends. She eventually she showed me to her friends. One who became my closest friend who was also Octavia's. Her name was Vinyl Scratch. She was a DJ. She helped me get settled in and showed me some of her great material. Whenever I saw her, she was working with her friend Neon Lights. We were like one big happy family.
I started dating Octavia a while ago. She and I had cared for each other since. We shared our thoughts and lives. She told me about her life. Me? I simply told her I lived a good life with thoughtful parents. That was a lie. My mom was a goddamn junkie and my dad disappeared before I was born. I guess this is what made me what I am. Doesn't matter. As long as I have her, everything was fine. That was, until I received a message.
This damned envelope came from the mail. It was strictly eyes-only for me. I opened it. I read the details. This was some crazy shit. They wanted me to kill the freaking president. You wouldn't imagine what was going on in my mind. I was thinking hell no. But the money was big. The stakes were also high. If I completed it, I get the money. If I failed, everypony I know would be at risk. I decided to ignore it. That was until a day later I was beaten by these assholes. They told me that if I don't take it, they'd kill Octavia and everypony that I knew. Of course I took it. I took whatever I could and told Octavia that I had an important meeting with a corporation out in Stallington. I thought I had him. But I didn't. Everything went downhill.
My name is Michael Ryders and this is my story.
