Guardian Angels

Chapter 3

He texted me.

I don't know how, but Daniel texted me. He hacked into my phone, got my number, and added himself into my contacts. The text wasn't that long, but it was intimidating as all get-out. I looked at the words on the screen and could feel my skin crawl.

NEW TEXT: Daniel

Message: I'm watching. Always.

I looked around, and saw a camera. It was facing right at me, I could see the lens twisting as it focused on me. Daniel had access to CTos, as did I. I pulled out my smart phone and opened the profiler. I scanned the camera. A notification was pushed to my screen, saying "Connected to CTos user." That meant somebody was using that camera right now. I was willing to bet my life savings that it was Daniel.

I selected the link and tried to trace the connection. Just as soon as I started the hack my phone swapped over to the Flappy Bird app, cancelling the hack. I tried to swap back, but instead it took me to my text message screen, where Daniel had sent me another text.

NEW TEXT: Daniel

Message: I think you're forgetting that I have access to your phone as well. Don't worry, you'll get your chance at me soon enough. In the meantime, play nice.

Play nice? What did that mean?

Suddenly, my screen swapped over to the CTos map function, and the police radio chatter kicked in.

"Starting CTos scan for criminals and hackers." Dispatch said, as yellow circles, the areas they were scanning, started filling the screen. One of those circles was right on top of me. I tried to disconnect from the CTos servers, but every time I tried to, Daniel swapped me over to a different app. If they scanned me, they'd have a lock on my phone, and the police would be on top of me in a few seconds. I had to do something, the scan was already at 73%.

I panicked.

I pulled out my gun and fired a few shots in the air. I yelled, "EVERYBODY GET DOWN, NOW!" Instantly, my phone picked up 911 calls and police radio chatter. Dispatch cancelled the scan and started sending available units to my location. I had to pick Grand Celestia Square to get caught in this mess. At least they didn't lock my phone. That much was safe.

A police SWAT van rolled up.

Fantastic.

SWAT units piled out of the armored van, shouting commands, "EVERYBODY GET ON THE GROUND! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!"

I crouched behind a low wall, pulled my scarf over my snout, and lowered my cap. I made certain to tuck my gun away. I sneaked my way around the wall as more police arrived and SWAT began searching for fire arms in the crowd. It was only a matter of time before a civilian pointed me out or an officer saw me. I need to get out of here somehow. I looked around, the pegasi traffic was thick today. I wonder, would the same trick work twice? Only one way to find out.

I pulled out my smart phone to try and send white noise into the police radio in an attempt to form a distraction, only to be stopped as Daniel turned on the media app, and played death metal music. The SWAT were the first to notice.

"YOU THERE!" one of them shouted through their gas mask, "STOP IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA!"

I always hated doing things the hard way. I pulled my gun back out and opened fire, disabling (but not killing) one of the SWAT members. They returned fire with extreme prejudice, two bullets biting hard into my flank and shoulder. It burned deeply, but I had to fight through it. I found better cover on the other side of the low wall and made a crouched sprint for the nearest alleyway. I saw a fire escape and was about to jump for the ladder...when it raised just out of reach. As if a ghost pulled it up. A ghost named Daniel.

"Is that the Twilight Town umbrella shooter?" one of the police said, over the radio.

Another officer responded, "I think it is! All available units, report to Grand Celestia Square! We have a very hostile shooter!"

This just got much harder.

I ran down the alley way, vaulting fences and rolling under pipes. A homeless stallion bumped into me, falling over. I could hear the police at the end of the alley shouting commands. It would only be seconds before they opened fire. I picked up my pace when I found the friend I was looking for.

An orange pegasus sporting a silver mane swooped down, gliding alongside me. He grinned maniacally and said, "Need a lift?"

I nodded and he flew over me, wrapping his hooves around behind my shoulders, and lifting up. His powerful wings projected us up and over the rooftops. He disrupted the pegasi traffic and nearly crashed several times. My hind legs dangled behind me as we tore through the air and crowding pegasi. We broke out above the pegasi traffic and flew higher, up above the clouds.

We broke the cloud layer. I could feel the moistness of the cloud dissipate around us, the sun blazing down and drying the dampened areas it created in my fur. I turned and craned my neck, looking back down to see if we were followed. Not another pegasus came up after us. We escaped...a little too easily. I looked at my phone, a single text from Daniel sat on the screen.

NEW TEXT: Daniel

Message: Maybe now we are at an understanding. Expect to hear from me soon.

This guy was working at an angle that I didn't fully understand, no matter what, I had to disconnect him from my phone. This couldn't go on.

I looked back again to double check. Nobody was following us. I noticed my old friend's cutie mark, a single analog gaming joystick. I looked up at his face to see that old grin he got when he carried me. He always joked about dropping me, I don't know why he thought it was so funny.

"So, Alex? How ya been?" He asked.

"Not too well, Joystick. Not too well." I replied.

"Do you wanna talk about it, or would you rather have some alone time?" He smirked.

"Just take me down to the ground." I groaned.

"As you wish!" His face turned cold.

He let go of me.

Have you ever ridden a roller coaster? You know that feeling you get in your gut when you go down the drop? I had that feeling as I plunged hundreds of feet through the air, descending to my death. As luck would have it, Joystick loved playing cruel pranks. Before I could break the cloud layer, he swooped down and scooped me back up.

Panting, I yelled, "What the fuck is wrong with you!?"

He grinned, "Tons of things! Which are you talking about?"

I put my hooves to my chest, I could feel my heart trying to break out of it. My legs turned to jelly, and the blood had flushed from my face. I felt cold, and every sensation was amplified a million times over. I think I may have been in shock. I would have clocked him one right in the jaw, but considering he was the only thing keeping me from going through that same experience, I thought better of it.

"So, what did you need me for?" He asked.

"Not to kill me!" I joked, "That's for sure!"

He chuckled, "Well, I didn't kill you." He looked at me with a scary smile, "Yet."

"Look," I started, "I need your help to track somebody."

"Really?" He stated, "What makes you think I'd help you?"

"Well," I grinned, "We are friends, right?"

He seemed to ponder the question for a moment, as if he wasn't sure. After a second, I thought he was going to drop me to scratch his chin, but then he said, "Yeah, I'd say so."

I sighed, "Well don't friends help friends?"

He sighed in return, "When was the last time you helped me?"

Now I was thinking. If I recalled correctly, the last time I assisted Joystick was when I helped him hack into CTos. That was eons ago, so it had been a while.

Before I could say that, he cut in, "Exactly. It's been a long time."

I nodded, he was going to ask me to do something. What it was, I was unsure of.

He huffed, "This is the part where you say, 'Well what can I help you with, friend?'"

"Oh!" I shook my head, "Well what can I help you with, friend?"

"Nothing much," he said, "Just a little bit of bull-shit."

"What kind of bull-shit?" I asked.

"A bull." He stated, "He's full of shit."

"Uhhh..."

"Okay, a Minotour. His name is Iron." he admitted.

I raised an eyebrow, "What's this guy done to you?"

"Well," He smiled, "He knows too much. Now he wants to tell the wrong people about it."

"A snitch?" I asked.

"The worst."

"Well you know what snitches are?"

In sync, we said, "Snitches are bitches, and bitches get stitches!"