Warriors of Harmony: Mare Do Well

"So, how's my dearly beloved this morning?" asked Flash as Twilight, now wearing a white bathrobe, sat down at the table.

"She is just fine," said Twilight with a smile.

"That's wonderful. What's not so wonderful is the fact that I'm gonna be working late at the weather factory," said Flash with a certain longing in his voice.

Twilight couldn't help but smirk. Back before they met, Flash had been a member of the Equestrian military. He truly missed the action... and beating his comrades at poker, and most especially, blackjack.

"You're lucky it's not date night," said Twilight. "Say, I've been meaning to ask, why haven't your injuries healed?"

Flash suddenly got nervous. "W-well, ever since I got hurt, I've been studying defensive techniques," he said.

"Doesn't behind a former soldier come with a knowledge of combat?" asked Twilight, her eyes narrowed.

"They don't teach hand-to-hand combat at boot camp, Twi," said Flash. "Well, time for me to go. Love ya, sugar bumps."

With that, Flash grabbed his suitcase, stuffed full as usual whenever he worked until the crack of dawn, kissed Twilight, and left the apartment.

~

As Celestia's moon rose into the sky, Mare Do Well leapt, and in some cases teleported, from rooftop to rooftop.

The city's been quiet tonight... for a change, thought Mare Do Well as she stood on a ledge over looking the city's center.

Abruptly, something caught Mare Do Well's attention: crys of pain and what seemed to be blinking lights coming from the same direction.

'Spose I'd better check it out, thought Mare Do Well. She pulled out her grapple claw and beginning to make her way towards the ruckus.

Completely unaware that there was somepony watching her.

~

Down in an alleyway, a Pegasus stallion wearing a black shirt, black jeans, black boots and gloves, a brown overcoat, a black hat with a peacock feather, along with sunglasses and a red bandana, which concealed his face, and judging by his wings, a tan coat, fought the bodyguards of a unicorn stallion wearing a suit and tie and was currently hiding behind a dumpster, with the aid of a collapsible metal staff and playing cards that exploded in bursts of energy when he threw them.

With a thud, the last thug hit the ground, and the masked stallion made his way towards the unicorn.

"Please! I can give you anything you want! Money! Mares! Everything can be yours!" begged the unicorn.

The pegasus chuckled. "Sorry, but that's not in the cards," he said in a passable New York accent as the playing card he held, the Deuce of Diamonds, crackled with energy. "Not for you, anyways. Besides, I'm in a commited relationship."

With that, the pegasus threw the playing card. It detonated and sent the unicorn flying into a nearby wall, knocking him out cold.

"And just who are you supposed to be?" asked a raspy female voice.

The pegasus smiled and turned to face Mare Do Well. "My name, Miss Mare Do Well, is Blackjack," said Blackjack. "It might help if you consider me an ally in this war against crime."

Mare Do Well put her hands on her hips. "And why would I need an ally?" she asked.

Blackjack chuckled. "In a town this bent, you'll need somepony to back you up from all the hit ponies the crime bosses will send after you," he said, before something caught his ears: a kind of charging up noise. "Like the one who's about to shoot at us."

Mare Do Well cocked her head. "What are you-" she said, before a shockwave blasted her and Blackjack and sent them sprawling to the ground.

Looking up, Mare Do Well saw an Earth Pony wearing a blue and silver padded suit with gleaming gauntlets of some kind on his hands.

"It must be my lucky day," said the pony in a southern accent. "Twice the do-gooders, twice the payday for good ol' Boomboxer!"