The Enigmatic Mare Do Well

Mare Do Well flew into an abandoned warehouse and made her way to a broken beam with a bent nail sticking out of it. Mare Do Well pressed down on the nail, which caused the floor beneath her to sink like a high-speed elevator. When it stopped, she found herself in a room that resembled a laboratory. Sitting at a table, working on something, was a green unicorn stallion with a brown mane and tail with a cutie mark of an electric node and a three cogs. This was Nick Nack, the pony who came up with Mare Do Well’s suit and gadgets… and on whom Mare Do Well had a crush.

“Ah… Fillydelphia’s newest hero returns,” said Nick.

Mare Do Well smiled beneath her mask before pressing the M on her cape’s clasp. A purple glow covered Mare Do Well, and with a bright flash, her costume disappeared, revealing orange pegasus mare with a pink mane and tail underneath. Around her neck was a gold necklace with the Mare Do Well logo on it.

“Not a bad night for being a superhero. I came across three different robberies, two muggings, and and out-of-control carriage,” said Scootaloo as she plopped down on a chair near Nick. “I still don’t think the crime bosses actually think I’m worth their time… yet.”

“Scoots, you’ve been at this for a month, you’ve busted up umpteen hundred crimes, and captured who knows how many thugs, even if the judges are corrupt enough to turn them loose. You’re bound to be worth somepony’s attention,” said Nick.

“I hope you’re right, I’m getting sick of catching pond scum,” said Scootaloo as she cracked open a bottle of cider.

~

I have tried to be patient with the world but it always has spat at me. My home has rejected me, my friends have separated from me, and my only love has abandoned me. So naturally I have found a city that reflects me. Fillydelphia is a cesspool of darkness… funny how that now shows my heart as well to the scum of Equestria now. There have been rumors of a hero from an old town of mine. They say she calls herself ‘The Enigmatic Mare Do Well’. The last part on the name is something I haven’t heard in years. Mare Do Well… she was that one light in the darkness of Ponyville, one of the few things I trusted. Now I can meet her again. I can show her just how much she means to me now. I do hope that this city is ready for a new brand of hero. My name… is The Notorious Negamare and you are about to find out why I have earned that name among the criminal scum.

~

“Come on! Let’s get out of here before the freak shows up!” growled the leader of a group of Earth Pony thugs, who were robbing a grocery store.

“Heh heh heh… I always love a group of thugs who come in and out. It makes the thrill of the hunt that much more…enjoyable,” hissed a dark and raspy voice.

The thugs turned to face the source of the voice. It was a mare, a mare dressed in a costume similar to that of Mare Do Well’s, but with a very different color scheme. The bodysuit was a charcoal gray,  her hat along with her cape, which was torn in certain places, boots, and mask were jet black. The lenses of her mask were also blood red, and the M on the cape clasp was instead an N.

“You’re not Mare Do Well!” yelled the leader after a moment.

The masked mare let out an amused laugh. “No shit, Sherlock! True, our costumes look very similar, but we are not the same pony. I am The Notorious Negamare, a hero in the making. And you sons of bitches, look like my first enemies. Consider yourselves honored,” said Negamare.

“I beg to differ. Let’s get her!” yelled the leader of the thugs.

Negamare smirked beneath her mask. “You were warned,” she said, before mule kicking the thugs’ leader with authority, sending him flying.

“Anypony else want some?” asked Negamare.

Another Earth Pony tried to slash at Negamare with a knife, only to get a N-shaped throwing star stuck in his shoulder.

Within fifteen minutes, all six thugs were in serious condition and barely clinging to life.

Not that they didn’t deserve it, thought Negamare as she walked out.

~

The following morning, Scootaloo was walking the streets, keeping a lookout for trouble, when she saw an ambulance carriage in front of a grocery store.

What the Tartarus? thought Scootaloo as she made her way to the ambulance. “What happened here?” she asked a pair of familiar-looking mares, one an Earth Pony with a light pink coat and a lavender and white mane and tail wearing a tiara, the second a white unicorn with a light pink and lavender mane and tail.

“Well, they’re saying- Scootaloo? Is that you?” asked the Earth Pony mare. “Hey, Sweetie Belle, look who it is.”

Sweetie Belle turned to see Scootaloo. “Scoots! How have you been?” she cried.

“Diamond Tiara? Sweetie Belle? What are you two doing here? I thought you guys were on your way to Manehattan,” said Scootaloo.

“Well, we’ll explain it and what happened here over coffee if you have time, that is,” said Diamond.

“Of course,” said Scootaloo.

~

“So, let me get this straight: your record label up and ditched the two of you?” said Scootaloo.

“Yeah… but don’t worry about us. We’ve already gotten offers from several other record labels,” said Sweetie. “Say, have you heard? They say Mare Do Well’s back!”

Diamond took a sip of coffee. “You know, if she is back, and I were her, I wouldn’t waste time trying to catch the criminals… I’d teach them a lesson, just like she did to those robbers last night at the grocery store,” she said.

“Wait, what?” said Scootaloo.

“Well, they say Mare Do Well came across a robbery, and put the robbers in the hospital,” said Sweetie Belle.

“No, Mare Do Well wouldn’t do that. It must’ve been somepony else in a costume that looked like hers… but, who?” thought Scootaloo.

“You got me. Well, Sweetie, we’d better go, we have that meeting with that record company,” said Diamond.

“See ya, Scoots,” said Sweetie Belle as she and Diamond Tiara left.

~

That night at an abandoned warehouse, Big Boss’s ram associate waited patiently as an orange Earth Pony stallion with a blonde mane and tail wearing a black cowboy hat, a wiry unicorn stallion with a black mane and tail and a turquoise coat, and a big blue minotaur approached him.

“Finally. Come on, the Big Boss wants a word,” said the ram.

The Enforcers followed the ram into the warehouse, where there was only a speakerphone on a small stool.

“The gang’s all here, boss,” said the ram.

“Thanks, Hammerhead. Now, to business, gentlecolts. For the past month, a pest known as the ‘Enigmatic Mare Do Well’ has been plaguing our operations. At first, I could hardly credit the reports. But, last night we managed to get some pictures of her. Show ‘em, Hammerhead,” said the Big Boss’s gravelly voice.

Hammerhead passed out pictures of Mare Do Well.

“So, what do you want us to do about this… Mare Do Well? Catch her, rough her up enough to make sure she stays out of the way?” asked the Earth Pony.

“Why, no, Bad Apple… I want you and your boys to destroy her, as a message to any other idealists who try to cowboy up. Understand?” said Big Boss.