Thief of the Frontline

Chapter 12

The old factory district of Manehattan was one of the oldest and most rundown places in any city of Equestria.  No building was spared from the creeper vines that grew up and around their walls as if trying to squeeze blood from the very bricks themselves.  The roads were also brick, instead of the smooth asphalt that now paved the roads of the other more grand districts.

It may have looked like a bad and unhealthy place, but at a second glance, one would find that it was full of life.  They just had to look in the right places.  Large makeshift markets and neighborhoods stretched through many of the alleys in between old shops and textile mills that now lay empty, waiting for somepony to either make it their home or base of operations.

This is where the poor lived.  This is where the thieves lived.  This is where the forgotten lived.  This is where decent ponies, who have been given no other choice go to seek hope.  Not all were fortunate enough to find that hope though.  There were still those who chose this lifestyle, not because they had to, but because it put them in an environment where they could blend in effortlessly.

The factory district was split into many subdistricts.  There were those that were controlled by one gang or another, ones that resembled the commercial districts toward the center of the city, where all the rich went and spent their bits as if they grew on trees.  The only difference was that you wouldn't find high end items here.

This subdistrict that Nightfall, Paper Cut, Bastion, and Foxtrot now found themselves in was a bit more active than where they had just come from.  This is where they would find what, or who, they were looking for.

"You really thing we'll find the rebel base in one of these old factories?" Paper asked.

"No," Nightfall replied.  "This is too big of a city for them to have a central base.  If they know what they're doing, then their leaders will be nomadic, moving from place to place, setting up when they need to.  They'll then coordinate with their followers from there before moving on.  Anypony here could potentially be a member.  We just have to find which ones."

"How do you plan on getting to them?" Foxtrot asked.  "If they have eyes all over, walking in on one of their meetings will be impossible.  And we cant just start asking ponies, that would bring way too much attention.  Besides, do you really think they would just tell us if they were part of a resistance?"

"Of course not," Nightfall answered.  "That's why we make them come to us."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Paper asked, curious to see what tricks Nightfall had up his sleeve.

"Easy."  Nightfall smiled one of those confident smiles that told Paper that this was going to be fun.  "We become very interesting."

"What do you mean by interesting?" Foxtrot asked.  He didn't like where this was going.  He didn't like it one bit, but he was confident that Nightfall knew what he was doing.  And if he didn't, well he was sure that improvising was something Nightfall was also good at.

"We need to grab their attention somehow," Nightfall began to explain.  "We could become valuable, make them want us to join them.  We could also start a little trouble."

"I fail to see how causing trouble helps us," Foxtrot criticized.  "The last thing we need is to antagonize these ponies.  We're here to make allies, remember?"

"I said a little trouble," Nightfall reminded.  "Appear to be a rat or mole who could jeopardize everything they've worked for and they'll come running after you... big time."

"I don't like this idea," Foxtrot said nervously.

"Don't worry, they wont shoot you in open daylight," Nightfall assured the uneasy pegasus.  "Doing that would only bring more suspicion their way.  No, they would probably want to capture you, see what you know and what you've been reporting to the guards."

"That doesn't sound like a little trouble," Foxtrot pointed out.  "More like a lot."

"That's why we aren't going that route," Nightfall replied.  "If we weren't trying to ally ourselves with them, I would do it, but not with you guys.  I would take someone more..." he thought for a second.  He didn't want to offend anypony with his word choice.  "...experienced," he finally settled on.  "Besides, we need to prove that we're on their side.  In a place like this, nopony is as good as their word."

"So what do we do?" Paper asked.

"Scotchy said that there's a fence in one of the small markets in this district.  They may have done business with a pony or two who are in the resistance.  If we can find out who, we'll have a better chance at getting their attention."

"And you think that they'll just tell us?" Foxtrot replied to Nightfall's explanation.

"Of course not," Nightfall answered.  "We'll have to do business with them first.  It's all about what we can do for each other and whether or not we see value in each other's positions."

"You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours," Bastion said.

"Precisely," Nightfall confirmed.

"So then," Foxtrot said.  "Where is this fence?"

Nightfall stopped walking and turned to look down an alley way that seemed relatively inactive.  There were a few ponies sitting around minding their own business.  Some looked homeless, some looked worn and tired, and some just looked plain drunk.

  "There," Nightfall said as he pointed to the end of the alley where a pony sat with a blanket spread out in front of him.  On the dirty and stain covered blanket was all sorts of junk and trash.  The pony with it didn't look much better.  His mane and coat frizzed and looked as if it hadn't felt water in months.  He also wore an eye patch that looked homemade.

"All the best goods here!" the crazy pony announced as the group of four approached.  His voice was scratchy and rugged.  He kind of reminded Paper of Border Sketch.  "Perhaps you gentlecolts would be interested in some rusty tin cans!  Or a rotten apple core!  The seeds are still in it!"  He held up an apple core that had turned completely brown.  "I've even got a special on this tooth brush!"

The tooth brush that he was talking about was an old wooden one.  It was also broken in the middle and the actual brush only held on to its handle by a few splinters.

"How much for the apple?" Nightfall asked.

"Thirty bits."

"Deal."  And just like that Nightfall and the crazy pony made their exchange.

"Um, what are you doing?" Paper asked, obviously confused by what was going on.

"Just go with it," Nightfall answered.  He turned back to the crazy pony and held out the rotten apple core that he had just purchased.  "How much to decode it?" he asked.  This confused everypony even more.

The crazy pony smiled a little.  "Ten extra," he said in a much different voice this time.  It had lost all scratchiness and actually sounded like something one would expect from a Canterlot noble with the exception of being just a bit more rough and tumble.

Nightfall tossed the apple to him and he caught it in his magic.  "Do it," he said putting down ten more bits.

The pony that had once appeared to be little more than a drunk hobo trying to sell junk, stood up and motioned for the four to follow him.  He knocked twice on a metal door and it opened into a room, the size of which only Nightfall could see due to the shroud of darkness that made it seem as if it were a void.  The black veil was pierced though by a green light coming from the unknown pony's horn.  He then removed his eye patch to reveal, not a blind eye or empty socket, but a full healthy green eye.

He placed the eye patch on the ground with the interior padding facing up.  Everypony gathered around, curious to see what was happening.  As the pony cast another spell, a design that covered the entire patch's surface, a rune, began to glow, before igniting a small green flame that matched the magic of its caster.  The apple was then placed just above the flame, where it hovered without the assistance of further magic.  From the flame, a thin green beam of light shot up into the apple core causing a transparent orb to form around it.  There were several flashes within the orb.  Each flash caused the apple core to visibly change, until after the fifth.  The orb disintegrated and a small green flame fell from the center.

Nightfall caught this flame, staring at for a few seconds as it burned and flickered in his hoof, before finally dying out to reveal a small coin.  It was bigger than a bit, but also much thinner.  It was silver with gold engravings and trim.  In the middle was a small clear gemstone that quickly turned green.

"By excepting this coin, you except a binding contract with us," the mysterious pony said as he retrieved his eye patch from the floor.  "259 Sierra Avenue.  Take it there immediately.  It will grant you entrance and get your name on a list.  If this coin falls into the hooves of the enemy before then, you will be held responsible and expected to face the consequences."

"I understand," Nightfall said.

"Good.  Do me a favor and make sure you're not followed."

Nightfall pocketed the coin into one of the many pouches on his jacket, before leaving without any kind of farewell.  He was closely followed by Foxtrot and Paper with Bastion still lagging behind.

"Well, that was..."

"Awesome!" Paper exclaimed excitedly, cutting Foxtrot off.

"I would have said, interesting, but that works too I guess."  Foxtrot looked back to Nightfall.  "So, where is this Sierra Avenue?"

"If I remember correctly," Nightfall answered, placing a hoof under his chin.  "Then it should be three or four blocks down that way."  He pointed down the street, deeper into the old district.

"What are we waiting for then?" Bastion said grumpily.  "Let's go.  We don't have all day."  He pushed passed the others and began heading down the side walk in the direction of the street they were looking for.

"What's his problem?" Foxtrot asked

Paper simply shrugged, not knowing how to answer.

"I don't know, but something is definitely up."  Nightfall could tell when something was getting to somepony.  It was something he had learned from experience.  There was always the weight of so many things that got to him hanging over his head and after having a daughter for five years, nearly six, he had quickly picked up how to recognize when somepony was stressed by something.  He knew he would have to resolve this situation soon.  Stress was bad for group cohesion.  Back in his days of thieving, he would often have to solve these sorts of things during collaborations with other criminals.  Most turned out better than others.

Nightfall quickly rid himself of the thought.  He didn't need that ghost coming back to haunt him.  Not right now.  He would deal with that later.  Right now, he needed to confront Bastion.

"Hold up," Nightfall called out as he glided in front of Bastion, staring the much larger pony in the eyes.  "What is it?"

"What is what?" Bastion asked shrewdly as he glared back down at the smaller batpony.

"Ever since we got off the train, you've been moping around acting like you would rather be swimming in a shark tank."  Nightfall spoke very firmly without coming off as pushy.  It was an element of him that neither Paper nor Foxtrot had ever seen in him before.  "So what is it?  What's bothering you?"

Bastion remained silent before looking away, being the first to break eye contact.  "Nothing."

Bastion tried to walk away, but Nightfall placed a hoof out that was even firmer than his voice and stopped him cold.  "No it's not nothing," Nightfall said.  "Listen.  You don't have to tell me exactly what "it" is if you don't feel like it, but you need to get your shit together.  We cant have these kinds of things jeopardizing what we're here to do."

Bastion sighed.  "Yeah.  Okay.  I'll keep it to myself... sorry."

"Hey," Nightfall stopped Bastion again before he could leave.  "If you ever want to talk about it, just say something."

Bastion nodded in compliance.  "Thanks," he mumbled.

It was a very strange feeling for Nightfall.  A strange feeling indeed, doing what he had just done.  Ever since losing Shady in that terrible fire, Nightfall had sunk into not wanting to talk about anything, always keeping his feelings bottled up.  But now he found himself offering to talk to somepony else about their problem.  There was something about being here in this city though.  It was almost like he was a puzzle piece finally fitting back into the hole where it belonged.  Or maybe it was Twilight.  Nopony ever really pushed him to share his feelings like she had.  She was also in a unique position to get him to do so.  Or perhaps, it was both.  Nightfall didn't think about this too long.  They still had a job to do.

"This is it," Nightfall said, stopping at a door after walking a few blocks in silence.  "Let's see if anypony is home."  He knocked on the wooden door and waited.  The door never opened.

"Maybe they went out for dinner?" Paper suggested.

"Or maybe..." Nightfall removed the coin from the pouch on his jacket and pushed it into the mail slot.

The sound of several locks coming undone was fully audible before the door slowly swung open, creaking as it did.  "Get inside," a pony said, waving the four in.

Upon entering, everypony immediately noticed that the place was basically just an abandoned apartment building.  The lobby that they now found themselves in was nice, at least it probably was ten years ago.  The wallpaper was now pealing, the hardwood floor had boards missing, and the ceiling had large brown spots from water damage.  The only thing it didn't have was dust and cobwebs, which meant that the place was probably used often.  It had still obviously seen better days though.

"You can take care of any business you have down in the sub-basement," the door pony said.  "Make it quick though.  We prefer it if the place didn't get too crowded."  He pointed to his left.  "You can take the elevator."

Nightfall nodded before looking back and motioning for his accomplices to follow.

"Sub-basement?" Paper said in a confused tone as they all stepped onto the elevator.

The elevator descended down slowly and loudly.  A terrible shrieking could be heard as the rusted mechanisms moved the car downward.  Nightfall seemed to be the only one not bothered by this.  "This will lead us down to a level below the basement," Nightfall said loudly above the machinery.  "We dig these sub-basements under the main one as a way of concealing our operations.  They have direct access to the city sewer system and the elevator shaft can be cut off so the car wont come down here.  Hidden, easy to safe guard, and provides several escape routes.  Perfect place for a large fence to hide."

"We?  Our?" Foxtrot asked after realizing Nightfall's word choice.

"It's all organized crime," Nightfall answered.  "Different groups tend to band together.  Most thieves within certain groups tend to feel a sense of brotherhood after joining.  I guess I still consider myself a part of it, even though I cut most of my ties."

The elevator came to a stop and everypony got out as the doors opened.  The sub-basement was actually quite big.  More so than what one would expect.  There were crates everywhere and at least twenty ponies roaming around, going about their daily illegal activities.

"So who do we talk to?" Foxtrot asked.

"I am going to talk to the pony over by those crates," Foxtrot said, pointing at somepony who was counting several large stacks of bits.  "If we all go up, it might seem like we're threatening him.  You guys just mingle or something.  Don't say anything stupid okay."  Without waiting for a reply, he walked off.

Nightfall approached the older earth pony casually, as to not spook him.  "What do you have for me?" the stallion asked as he looked up from his several coin purses.

"I was actually hoping you could help me with something," Nightfall replied.  "You see, I'm looking for some information."

"What kind of information?"

Nightfall leaned in close.  "I'm looking for a certain group of ponies," he said in a hushed tone.  "My sources say that they may have done business here in the past.  They may or may not be trying to cause a little damage to the system that currently runs the country.  You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"I might be able to get you in contact with somepony," the earth pony said.  "It's going to cost you though.  I cant just go giving this information out to anypony who asks for it."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Two things.  First, there's this jewelry store in the high end district.  The place is loaded with all kinds of things worth stealing, but that's not what I want you to do.  You see, it has a rival.  A threat to their business.  They're right to be worried too.  This other place has a ring that every other diamond in Equestria pales to in comparison to.  The owners aren't friendly competitors either."

"I think I see where this is going," Nightfall interrupted.  "Steal the ring, put it in the other stores display case, make the owners go at each other's throats, and let the guards clean up mess."

"Bingo," the other pony confirmed.  "Once that's done, I'll be in the perfect position to execute my master plan."

As far as Nightfall was concerned, there was only one true master plan, and that was get some friends and do what work you can.  Do that and you're set for a simple life, but also a happy one.  Just make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew.  That was rule number twelve.  Or was it rule number twenty one?  Nightfall had stopped keeping them in any kind of specific order long ago.  "What's part two?" he asked.

"This is the fun part.  You're going to need to prove that you're really invested in this so called cause of theirs.  Bringing down a certain statue of a certain monarch may do just that."

"Alright, shouldn't be too tough," Nightfall said calmly, hiding the fact that he really didn't know how he was going to bring down this statue.  He knew what statue this pony was referring to.  It was in a large, open plaza.  There was an outpost near by which meant that there would also be guards nearby as well.

The earth pony sifted through a few small boxes for a moment before pulling out a blank piece of paper and a pen.  "This is everything you'll need to know about the jewelry stores, the owners names, and some possible entry points," he said as he wrote.  He gave the piece of paper to Nightfall.  "Don't lose it."

Nightfall nodded in response.  "I'll get it done."

"Preferably by the end of the week," the earth pony said before picking up all his bits and walking off.  "Good luck," he added after looking back.

It was Thursday, so that gave Nightfall the rest of the day, which wasn't much time at all, it was almost 10pm, and it also gave him an additional two days to do recon, plan, and actually perform the break ins.  After the first, the guard presence in the area would be increased, just like it had for an entire week in one part of town after he and Paper broke into the Ponyville outpost.  This brought a troubling complication.  He would have to do both break ins in one night.

Nightfall sighed.  "Great," he thought.  "Just wonderful.  These places always have a bazillion security features that I'll have to get passed, and now I have to do it twice in a single night."  He wasn't going to worry about it right now.  When he got back to the Salted Wound, he would get some sleep and then get everything planned tomorrow.  Trying to plan a heist while tired was like trying to do calculus without a calculator.

As he turned around to find Paper, Foxtrot, and Bastion, he noticed that everypony was huddled around in a large group.  Something was happening.  Nightfall just hoped that Bastion hadn't gotten in a fight.  He quickly flew up to the ceiling and inspected the scene from just above everypony's heads.

It wasn't a fight, thank the stars and moon, but it was a competition.  Bastion was engaged in a fierce hoof wrestling tournament, one that he appeared to be winning.  Judging by how many bits were being exchanged, not everypony had bet on him, but those who did were quickly striking it rich.

Bastion stood up after forcing yet another pony's hoof to hit the table.  "Is there anyone else?" he asked with a confident smile.

Nopony said anything.  The answer to his question was yes.  No one dared challenge him now.

Nightfall landed as everypony dispersed and went back to business.  He walked passed a few ponies and then to Bastion.  "That was quite the display," he said as he approached.

"I'm still the champion," Bastion said as he smiled proudly.

Paper and Foxtrot were each holding several coin pouches.  They both knew better than to bet against Bastion, which in the end earned them a solid chunk if change.

"So, did you get what you needed?" Foxtrot asked.

"Yeah," Nightfall answered as they all started walking toward the elevator.  "I need to break into two jewelry stores first, though.  Also, there are some things I need you guys to take care of for me."

"What do got for us?"  Foxtrot opened his saddle bags and had Paper levitate their money into them.  The last thing they needed was to get jumped on the street.  Not that they wouldn't be able to handle a mugger with both Nightfall and Bastion with them.  It was better to be safe than sorry though.

"There's a statue in a plaza in one of the more wealthy districts," Nightfall explained.  "We have to prove that we're on their side by bringing it down."

"Shouldn't be too hard," Paper said.  "You're pretty good at making things go boom."

Nightfall shot him an unamused look.  He was still a little shaky around that subject.

"Oh, sorry," Paper apologized.

"It's fine.  I have to get over it eventually.  Anyways, the complicated part is that there's an outpost only a block away, so you'll have to do it fast."

"You're not helping?" Paper asked in surprise.

"I still need to figure out a way to break into two jewelry stores in a single night without leaving any trace that I was at one of them.  I think that statue just might be the distraction I need."

"So you want us to take down the statue so that the guards' attention will be on us and not you, right?" Foxtrot asked.

"Don't worry.  I'll figure out a way for you guys to escape without getting seen.  I just need some time."

The elevator came to a stop and the old doors slid open with a squealing noise as the worn out parts rubbed against each other.  They all then stepped out into the lobby and exited the way they came.  The sun was now beginning to set and night would come in a few hours.

"Let's get back to the Salted Wound," Nightfall instructed.  "We can stay there for the night and start making a game plan in the morning.  I'll explain things in further detail once we're all rested."

"Sounds good to me," Foxtrot agreed.  "I still feel like shit from that damn train ride.  I think there was something in that seat."  He rubbed his back.

They all began walking back when Nightfall noticed everything around him in a different way.  The old buildings, the low light, the shining city center that could be seen just over the rooftops.  It all gave him a feeling of dejavu.  He felt like this is where he belonged, but he also had a bad feeling about this place, as if he shouldn't be here.  He would just have to do his best to make sure he kept a low profile, while getting done what needed to be done.

Nightfall breathed lightly, making no noise as he carefully scanned his environment.  Faint whistling came to his ears as they twitched slightly to the current of the air.  From what he could tell, there was only one pony in the hallway ahead.  He looked back and motioned for the ponies following him to move up to the shadows just to his left.

They followed his commands without question.  He didn't know the names of any of these ponies.  In this line of business though, he rarely worked with names.  He knew them as clients and they knew him as the shadow thief that they hired to get them into this mansion.  He wasn't exactly sure what they were after, but they were paying him well to get them into the master bedroom.  The owner was away on vacation so they only had to worry about the staff and guards that the noble hired to keep watch over the estate.

Nightfall closed his eyes and concentrated on the sounds around him.  The three ponies he was leading were holding position just across from him, where the hall connected to a much larger office.  They had managed to sneak in through a window after getting through the front yard undetected.  The first floor wasn't much trouble, and now they were on the second where their target was.

The target in question, was actually several things, mostly documents that these ponies, who had never done anything illegal in their lives as far as he knew, didn't trust him to find on his own.  Nightfall hated having to drag others around when he worked so much better alone or with somepony experienced, but they were paying him well, too well.

Once the guard down the hall left, Nightfall lead the three ponies down the darkened corridor before stopping at the corner.  He looked around.  The guard stood there, lighting a cigarette with his a lighter he held in his hooves.

"I'd stop that if I were you," a voice sounded from an unknown source.

The guard turned to his right.  "Hey, I've gone the whole night without one of these.  One wont hurt anything."

"Even with just one, that smell is going to linger for days," the voice replied from the other side of an open doorway.  The other guard finally stepped out into the hall where Nightfall could see him.  He took the cigarette out of the other guards mouth.  "No smoking.  If our pay gets docked then everyone is going to be pissed off at you."

"Fine."  The guard took his cigarette back and placed it in his box.  "I'll take it outside.  Be right back."  He took off around another corner and vanished.

"Stay here," Nightfall whispered softly to his clients.  They all nodded.  He slowly walked down the hall toward the open door way, where one of the guards had disappeared.  He walked slowly, listening for hoof steps and the sound of door knobs clicking.  He didn't need any surprises.

When he was at the doorway, he peeked inside the room.  The only guard stood in the dark, staring out the window at some distant object with only a candle to light his surroundings.  He was completely unaware of Nightfall.  This would be a piece of cake.  Slowly, he crept up from behind.  The floor was carpet, so he was able to move faster than in the hall where the floors were hard wood.  Nightfall didn't want to take any risk of somepony outside seeing him take this guard out, so he blew out the candle.

"Damn it," the guard said as the darkness engulfed the room in an instant.  "Cant you just stay lit you stupid ca-"  He wasn't able to finish his sentence before Nightfall grabbed him around the neck with one hoof while covering his mouth with the other.  Nightfall pulled back as hard as he could, but the guard fought like an angry minotaur just to break free.  It wasn't enough though.  After several seconds, the guard blacked out and his body went limp.

Nightfall dragged the now unconscious guard around the bed in the room and let him down where he wasn't visible from the doorway.  He stuck his head out of the room and looked both ways down the hall.  Still nothing.  This was good.  He could go back and get his clients.  He was alarmed though, when he heard the sound of a struggle just before he got to the corner.  He quickened his pace into a run and as the ponies that he had left alone for less than two minutes came into view.

One was on the ground leaning against the ground holding a hoof against his jaw.  He was dazed but he would be fine.  The other two were trying to bring down a guard that they had somehow managed to alert.  One of them landed a punch square in the snout while the other gave a solid kick in the gut.  Nightfall then delivered a flying punch to the side of the guards head, knocking him down.

Nightfall landed on the other side of the group and turned to finish off the guard.  One of the other ponies leapt on top of him and held his shoulder, before raising his hoof to deliver a final knock out blow.

Nightfall had said something before this job about him being better off alone and these "proper gentlecolts" not being able to fight worth a damn, so he was happy to let one of them finish this fight and actually prove that they were worth the bits that they were paying him to drag them around.  Then he noticed the knife in the pony's hoof.  He froze as the piece of metal was thrust down into the guards stomach and back up, ready for another stab.

Nightfall lunged forward and caught the pony's wrist and twisted it behind its owner's back before slamming him down into the ground and flinging the knife across the hall with a single swat.  Nightfall quickly let go and ran to the guard instinctively placed a hoof under his head and lifted him upright while placing his other hoof on the stab wound and pressing down.

The guard shook as his breaths grew ragged and desperate.  This close, Nightfall could see that he was young, much younger than he was, nineteen at the most.  He stared into Nightfall's eyes in fear.  "P-p-please," he pleaded as blood began to flow from his mouth.  "N-no."

"Keep breathing.  Deep, in and out," Nightfall instructed in a normal voice.  "What the buck was that!?" he nearly yelled in anger at the pony behind him that was recovering from his takedown.

"I did what was necessary," the pony whispered, still not wanting to be heard.

"This isn't how we do things!!!" Nightfall actually yelled this time.  He didn't care at this point.  He looked back down at the guard who was silently crying to himself as he still shook in fear of what was happening to him.  "He's just a kid you son of bitch!!!" Nightfall shouted in even more anger than before.  He looked back down at the dying guard in his hooves, still pressing on his wound.

"I-I don't want to die," the guard said before coughing out more blood before he stopped shaking and breathing.

Nightfall's eyes widened and he slapped the guard in the face a few times, trying to wake him up.  "No, no, no," he panicked under his breath.  He sighed in defeat when the guard didn't wake up.  He gently set him down and placed a hoof over his eyes and closed them.  He looked back up at the three ponies that he had been leading.  "We're done here."

Nightfall opened his eyes.  The room around him was just beginning to be saturated with the light of morning that was beginning to leak through the upside down windows.  Everything was upside down to him right now, as he hung by his back hooves from a metal bar that was nailed to the ceiling.  Sleeping upside down was something he hadn't done in a long time.  Despite reliving one of his worst experiences in his dreams, he slept decently because of this.  It was always easier to relax when suspended like he was now.  The nightmare only acted as a reminder of what he was getting himself back into.

He stretched his hooves while still hanging before looking to his right.  There were a few darts sticking into the ceiling next to him, so he grabbed one and threw it across the room at a small target that hung on the wall.  He didn't pay attention to where it hit, he didn't care.  He just dropped to the floor head first, before spreading his wings to twirl himself upright and then landed on his hooves.

The clock on the wall had just turned a few minutes passed six o'clock.  Looking over, he noticed that Paper and Bastion were still asleep, each of them lying in old beds that were kept in the upstairs room.  Foxtrot was gone though.  He was more of an early bird, a habit he never dropped after leaving the royal guard.

Nightfall walked over and grabbed his cargo jacket, that he used on most of his heists, off the back of a nearby chair and opened one of the pockets.  He pulled out the piece of paper that the pony from the fence had given him and unfolded it.  All the details were written down in a short list.  The locations of each of the jewelry stores were at spots number one and two with the names of each owner next to them.  The location of the statue was written below that.  At the very bottom was a picture of the ring he was after.

Nightfall refolded the paper and threw his jacket over the back of the chair, before heading downstairs into the bar.  Scotchy was behind the bar as usual and Foxtrot sat on one of the stools.

"Foxtrot," Nightfall called out as he approached.

Foxtrot turned around and gave him a tired look.  He hadn't woken up all the way, but the coffee he was drinking would change that soon enough.  "Ready to get started?" he asked before taking another sip of his coffee.

"Foxtrot told me about your next heist," Scotchy said.  "Says you need to hit two places in one night."

"Yeah," Nightfall confirmed, taking a seat next to Foxtrot.  "Two jewelry stores.  The owners are competitors so I'm guessing the security is going to be tight."  He unfolded the piece of paper he brought with him and spread it out on the counter.  "I need to get into the first place, steal some oh so coveted ring, place it in the other store and leave."

"Doesn't sound too hard," Foxtrot said.  "Get in get out, right?"

"I don't really know what these places are like yet so I cant really say.  The thing that makes these kind of jobs hard is that I cant leave any trace at the second store.  The first store can have a sign or two of a break in, but if the store I'm trying to frame has any sign that it's been broken into, then it would be to suspicious."

"Why is that a problem?" Foxtrot asked.  "You're Nightfall, the Shadow.  Isn't leaving no trace your specialty?"

"First of all," Nightfall began.  "Never call me the Shadow.  That's just a name that some newspaper gave me and it stuck.  Second, the whole leaving no trace thing is absolute myth.  There will always be some sort of evidence.  The trick is leaving as little as possible."

"What do you mean?"

"If you look hard enough, you'll notice little out of place details.  A master of his craft can usually make them small enough that nopony will notice until he's long gone.  An open window, a broken lock, things like that."

"Makes sense," Foxtrot agreed.  "What do you plan on doing then?"

"First comes recon," Nightfall said.  "Then we can formulate a plan."

"When are we going to do that?" Foxtrot asked.

"How about now?"

"Yeah, I could do now."

"Alright then, lets go."

Scotchy wished the two luck as they got up to leave.  It wasn't like they would need any luck though.  This was just recon.  Go see what the places look like, gather information, and nothing illegal... yet.  Recon rarely went wrong, but he knew more than anypony left that Nightfall liked to get as many details as possible, which meant sometimes getting closer than what was healthy.  He still remembered a time when Nightfall had gotten in a fight with a security guard in order to steal his keys.  It was completely planned.  He walked up pretending to be drunk, Scotchy broke it up before things went too side ways.  It still resulted in Nightfall getting a black eye, but in the end their take was worth a little physical pain.

Scotchy was stirred from his thoughts by the sound of bits hitting the counter.  A hooded pony was sitting in front of him looking at him with two orange eyes.

"Can I help you?" Scotchy asked.  He didn't recognize this pony.  It wasn't uncommon for randoms to walk in for a drink every now and then, but something seemed off about him.

"Something strong," the mystery pony answered as he removed his hood.

"Rough night?" Scotchy asked as he began to fill a tankard from a keg behind him.

The pony sighed.  "Try several years," he replied in irritation.  "I just got out of bucking prison.  I was only there because some stupid bucker screwed me over.  Left me and my friends to die in some damn mansion we broke into."

"Well," Scotchy replied after remaining quiet for some time.  "You're out now, so if you're looking for work I could point you in the right direction."

"Thanks, but I've already got that figured out," he said after taking a drink.  "If you want to help me though, then you can start by telling me where I can find a certain pony.  He's a bat like you.  Has green eyes, a blue mane, and a grey coat.  I heard he may be around here somewhere.  You know him?"

Scotchy stalled for a second and pretended to think back.  "No sorry," he said.  "Cant say I know who you're talking about."

"That's alright.  When I get my hooves on this guy though, I'm going to make him wish he was never born."

Scotchy stayed silent.  This was bad, very bad.  He didn't know exactly who this pony was, but he did know that he needed to find Nightfall, and fast.  The last thing they needed was a revenge crazed pony going after them and yet, one had shown up anyways.  This was going to be a problem.