Blood of the Families

Manehatten

January 3, 1934

Viktor was running as fast as he could through the rather deep snow away from local police, a saddlebag full of precious jewels on his back. He began to hear sirens from a nearby police car, so he bolted down an alley near his apartment building. He ducked into a tight, dark space between two buildings and watched as two police ponies trotted swiftly by, looking for him. After a few minutes passed and no sign of police officers, Viktor slowly crept out of the crevice and looked around. No one. He ran down the alley to his building, going in the back entrance and up the stairs to his room, which was on the fourth floor. He dug through his saddlebag full of gems for his key's, which he eventually found, and went in his apartment as quick as possible. Upon entering, Viktor looked at his unchanged apartment. When you walk in, a large mirror sits on a wall to the left and a phone sits on a small table to the right. As he walked in the kitchen, Viktor noticed the piling dishes in the sink and the overflowing trash can in the corner next to the fridge. On his dinner table sat a few empty cartons of local takeout, an empty coffee mug, a full ashtray, and a .38 Snub nose revolver.

"Okay, let's see what I've got here." Vik said to himself as he poured the bag of gems onto the table. "Good, good. I can get at least two g's out of this score." Vik took the gems he had just stolen and put them with the rest in a large locked chest in his bedroom closet. He then proceeded out his window, onto the fire escape, and pulled out a pack of cigs he "borrowed" from a nearby gas station. He took one out and lit it. As he smoked, he looked at the widespread city beneath him. He wondered how long it would be before he was pinched by the law. After the cig was down to the butt, he tossed it down to the ground below and went back into his apartment. He took off his clothes and put on sleeping clothes, hopping into bed afterward. He fell asleep to words that have been implanted in his mind since he was a colt: I love you brother. Blame my bleeding on our parents.

Viktor Wingspeed is a Pegasus Pony. He was born in Manehatten 1911 to a poor family. His father was a drunk who beat his wife a lot if she didn't feed his habit. Viktor had an older brother, who was five years older than him, who didn't want to put up with the constant fighting anymore and jumped from the roof of the families twenty-five story apartment building. The only pony who cared about his death was Viktor. When Nightsail, Vik's brother, jumped off the building, Viktor ran down to the ground and found his brother clinging to life. Nightsail's final words, which haunt Viktor every day, were "I love you brother. Blame my bleeding on our parents." These words made Viktor the pony he is. As Viktor became older, his uncle took him for weekends away from Manehatten, to Ponyville, to get him away from the fighting. Vik's uncle had lots of guns, which they shot together at firing ranges. Viktor was an excellent shot and he competed with his uncle a lot, winning most challenges. One day when Viktor's uncle was shooting a rifle, it misfired and the bullet shards shot back at him, killing him instantly. Viktor's mind was so corrupt with death that he began to turn into a criminal. He robbed five pony's houses and beat up the ponies around Ponyville for money. He lived at his uncles house secretly until the town had it torn down, due to it falling apart. By this time, however, Viktor had enough money to get a train back to Manehatten, where he finds his parents still in a feuding relationship. Viktor was eighteen when he decided to enlist in the Royal Guard, only to be declined due to an eye injury. This particular injury was caused when Viktor was a colt. His father was in a drunken rage and smashed a bottle over his head, cutting his eye and leaving an X shaped scar over his eye. After being rejected from the Royal Guard, Viktor decided to rob places for quick cash to stay afloat. He later found out he was an excellent thief. He continued his criminal career for the many passing years of his life.

January 4th

Viktor woke abruptly the following morning to the usual blaring radio next door. Being fed up with the recurring noise, Viktor rose from his bed, grabbed a hammer from his small toolbox, and went out into the hallway and knocked on his neighbors door, concealing the hammer behind him. When the door opened a smelly, under dressed stallion came into Viktor's view. "Can you please turn your radio down. It's six o'clock in the morning." Viktor said in a calm tone.

"Yeah man, sure." the pony said. He then slammed the door in Viktor's face and as Viktor went to return to his room, he heard the radio get turned up all the way.

"Well I asked nicely." Viktor said to himself. He went back to his neighbors door and he bucked it off it's hinges and onto the floor in the apartment.

"Whoa, man! What the hell?!" the shocked pony said. Viktor didn't respond. He simply walked up to the radio and smashed it brutally to pieces until it made no noise whatsoever.

"I asked you to turn it down, and since you didn't, I did!" Viktor yelled. He then trotted back to his apartment and put coffee on, realizing that sleep was out the window for the day. Once his coffee was finished, he downed an entire pot and went to his closet and grabbed an outfit for the day. He found a heavy flannel shirt, a winter hat, and a wool scarf. He threw them on and put on his leather jacket, preparing to go for a drive, when he heard a knock at the door. He opened it and found three stallions, one being the neighbor, and the other two he didn't recognize.

"Can I help you?" Viktor asked in a polite manner.

"Fuck you! This is payback for that radio!" the pony closest to Vik said. He threw a hoof in Viktors direction, but he dodged it and grabbed it, pulled the stallion toward him, and into his own hoof. Viktor then smashed the stunned stallion's head on the mirror next to him. When the other two went to react, Viktor pushed the stallion he had beaten into them, causing them all to fall in the hallway. By the time they all contained themselves, they had a gun at their head.

"I suggest you leave now while you're still alive." Viktor said pushing the gun to one of the pony's head. They all just scrambled, two down the stairs, and the third went back into his, now door-less, apartment. Viktor walked out into the hallway and closed his door, locking it in the process. He kept the gun in his pocket for protection on the mean streets of south Manehatten. As he exited his apartment building, Viktor trotted briskly to his lockup where he kept his car. He unlocked the door and lifted it up revealing a beat up old sedan. "Better than walking, I guess." Viktor said as he got in his car. He put his keys in the ignition and turned it over. He drove out of the small garage and out into the street, headed for a diner a few miles down Mane Street for a cheap, home cooked breakfast.

A few blocks from the diner, Viktor came to a red light and when he stopped he looked in a nearby alley next to a bakery and saw a large stallion, possibly the baker himself, beating a younger one in the face. Better help this kid before he's beat to death Vik thought. He got out of his car, despite the traffic behind him, and ran down the alley to aid the young stallion. Viktor didn't say anything to the baker. He simply picked up a large brick and smashed it over the over weight baker's head, knocking him unconscious.

"You okay?" Viktor asked the young stallion.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for saving my flank. Name's Shadow Night." the stallion said, holding out a hoof.

"Viktor. Viktor Wingspeed. What was that all about?" Vik asked.

"Uh....well....I kinda robbed his store." Shadow said, holding out a bag full of bits.

"Ah, so you hit small time stores to stay afloat, am I right?"

"Yeah, look, don't tell anypony. I'll pay you." Shadow said beginning to get a hoof full of bits out of the bag.

"Hey, I do it too. No need to pay me." Vik said.

"You do?"

"Yeah, I hit a Jewelry store last night. Don't tell anypony I said that, and I'll make sure nopony finds out about your little stick-up."

"Thanks. That's good to hear." Shadow said in a relived tone.

"You want to join me for breakfast? I was headed toward a diner a few miles up Mane Street."

"Uh, yeah. I haven't eaten today yet. Sounds good."

"Cool. My car's over there. C'mon, before lard ass wakes up." Viktor said.

The two ponies trotted to Viktor's car and they got in it. Viktor started it up and continued his drive toward the diner. Once they got to the diner, Viktor and Shadow went in and ordered their food.

"So, where do you live? I'll drop you off after breakfast." Viktor asked Shadow.

"Uh, I don't really live anywhere. I had a makeshift bed on a fire escape, but the owner of the building found me, so I had to run."

"That sucks. You know what. Why don't you stay with me for a while. My apartment is small, but I have a couch you could crash on." Viktor said as he took a sip of his milkshake.

"Really? That's a good offer, but, why? I'm sure you wouldn't ask some hobo to live with you. Why me?" Shadow asked.

Viktor put his empty glass down and looked at Shadow. "Because as I was growing up, I did the same thing as you. Robbed ponies and stores. I got cars for a buddy of mine up at the junkyard. Stuff like that. I think, if we team up, we could hit bigger things. Like loan companies, or even banks! My dream has always been to hit the Manehatten National Bank. For years I've been studying it, but I needed another pony to fully complete the job. With a little practice, I'm sure you'll be a good thief. A better one."

"Damn, that's a hard score to take. Okay, I'll roll with you. I got the tab. It's the least I can do." Shadow said pulling out fifteen bits and giving them to the waitress. The two of them went back outside and got in Viktor's car and made their way back to Viktor's apartment building. Once Viktor put his car in his lockup, they entered the building and ascended the stairs to his room.

"What happened to that dude's door?" Shadow asked as he passed the dislodged door.

"Don't ask. It's this room here." Viktor said as he stopped at his door. He unlocked it and entered. "Here we are, home sweet home." Viktor said as he took off his coat and scarf.

"Cool. I'm guessing this is where I'll be crashing?" Shadow asked as he pointed at the thrift store couch.

"Yeah. Better than the streets, I guess. Building's got a good heater, so you shouldn't be cold." Viktor said. He approached the fridge and pulled out a brand new bottle of whiskey, grabbing two glasses out of the cabinet afterward.

"You ever had a drink before?" Vik asked Shadow.

"Ye...no. I'm only fourteen."

"Want one?"

"Sure. One glass'll do." Shadow said nervously.

"Here." Vik said holding out the full glass. Shadow took it and took a drink.

"Damn, that's hard to down. What is that?" Shadow said while gagging on the strong liquid.

Viktor laughed. "Straight whiskey. Good, ain't it?"

"Yeah, but hard to drink."

"Eh, you'll get used to it. Tomorrow we have some planning to do. We're going to hit the Manehatten Mall's Gem Joint as our first score together. I need to see how you do things."

"Already have a place to hit?" Shadow said putting the now empty glass on the table.

"There's always a place to hit in Manehatten if you look hard enough. You just have to have a good eye. We're going to relax today, but tomorrow we have work to do." Viktor said as he downed his entire glass in one gulp.