Shining Armor didn’t know what to make of the redhaired woman at the interrogation table. He’d interviewed his share of suspects for everything from disorderly conduct to murder, and there had always been a bit of nervousness as he walked in the room in full uniform. Yet, this woman was calm and expressionless.

As he closed the door, Roseluck tilted her head towards him. Her eyes flicked over his uniform, and the polished badge attached to his chest. She gave a sigh as she tilted her head up to the ceiling, leaning back as far as her hands, cuffed to the metal bar in the center of the table, would allow.

It was difficult to believe that she was the same suspect from the incident report. She would have looked like an average, everyday woman; an athletic physique that leaned more towards tone than curves, and a plain outfit of a button up shirt and blue jeans. An illusion that was easily dispelled by the signs of chaos that clung to her; the dark splash of blood across the front of her shirt, the smell of burning rubber that filled the cramped interrogation room, and the obvious fact that the left side of her hair had been burned far shorter than the right.

She didn’t look like a criminal; she looked like a soldier fresh out of combat.

Shining had to admit to himself that he felt just a bit unnerved. He’d never seen anyone look so calm when faced with the Captain of the Guard. He watched her as she looked at him, head tilted to the side almost as if she was considering him, then gave a small sigh as she leaned back as far as her handcuffs would allow.

He focused on his training. It wouldn’t serve the Princess to look thrown in front of a criminal. He kept his face calm and composed.

“So, Miss Roseluck-”

“I want a lawyer. I’m not saying shit otherwise.”

Shining allowed himself a hint of a smile as he looked at her. “Yes. The detective told me that you wanted your lawyer present. However, we are denying that request.”

That got her attention, he noticed. Her head whipped down, eyes locking onto his. If looks could kill, Shining would need a coroner; he had no idea that golden eyes like hers could look so cold. “I have my rights. You can’t deny those.”

“The Police can’t deny those rights. The Royal Guard can. When the decision is made to prosecute for Crimes Against The Crown.”

Shining had expected her to sag, a look of distress, a shocked and angry outburst perhaps. It wasn’t every day that someone was told that they had been stripped of all rights and labeled a traitor.

Instead, Roseluck pursed her lips, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes, but her face retained it’s calm, expressionless gaze. “Figures.”

“As such,” Shining continued, flipping the file open to look at the report, “Any crime connected to the initial crime can be tried under the same set of legal circumstances.”

“Really? What else are you charging me with, aside from grand theft royal?”

Shining ignored the sarcasm in her tone as he flipped through the pages of the report. “It’d be easier to list what you’re not being charged with. Unregistered weapons, mass destruction, maybe even a terrorism charge if we feel like we can make it fit. Which, I think we can. Murder, attempted murder-”

“I didn’t kill anyone.” Roseluck snapped.

“We know. However, we can charge every member of a team with one crime, under-”

“Some other bullshit law that’ll put me in the dungeon for a very long time,” Roseluck muttered, waving her hand in a looping motion. “I get it. I’m fucked.”

“Rose, I’m not here to tell you you’re fucked. I’m here to get to the bottom of this.” Roseluck kept up her silent staring, so Shining continued. “Your...associates are known to be unstable.”

Shining Armor laced his fingers together, setting his arms down on the table as he forced himself to give Roseluck his most determined look. “I want to know what could have possibly lead you to wind up in the company of one of Equestria’s Most Wanted surrounded by death and destruction.”

Roseluck leaned back in her chair and stared at him, the chains on her handcuffs rattling as she threw her hands into her lap.

“You have nothing to lose from telling me. Even if we don’t prosecute on every other count, the initial crime is enough to put you away for treason. The rest of the guards know this. I’m the only one who wants to find out exactly what went on.”

“Have you spoken to Vinyl?”

“I did.”

“And what did she say?”

Shining couldn’t help but chuckle, despite the circumstances. “She told me to ‘get fucked’ in as many creative ways as she could manage.”

“Nonono.” Roseluck leaned forward, elbows on the table as she looked at him. “What exactly did she say to you?”

“Like I said, she told me to get fucked. Then she promised to hunt me down and make me eat my own liver.”

Roseluck considered that for several seconds, her eyes closed. Finally, she nodded. “Fine. You want to know. I’ll tell you.”

That threw him off for a few seconds. “...Because Vinyl threatened to kill me?”

Shining couldn’t resist the chill that ran up his spine, as Roseluck looked him dead in the eyes, her mouth twisting into a toothy grin.

“Oh no. It’s because she promised to kill you. And I know from experience that that is a promise she’ll keep.”

== One Week Earlier==

“You got out of the game, with a lot of reluctance if I remember correctly, and now you’re diving back in head first? Why?”

“Why does anyone do something stupid? Money.”

Doc whistled through his teeth as he looked at the paper. “That’s a reason.”

“A few million reasons, I’d say.”

“So, what precisely are you stealing?”

“No clue.” Roseluck tapped the paper with two fingers. “With this printout, you know everything I know.”

“And you’re being paid not to ask questions.”

“Yeah.”

Doc rested his chin on interlaced fingers, looking at Roseluck over the top of his glasses. “It’s dangerous. You know it is. Any job where you don’t know exactly what it is that you’re going after...”
“Of course I know. But this seems pretty cut and dry. They just want what is in some deposit box.”

“Deposit boxes are for banks.”

“And what exactly is this place?”

“They’re a private contracting firm.” Doc said, as he rummaged through his messenger bag. “I printed out what I could find here…”

He withdrew a manilla folder, tossing it on the table with a light slap. “They’re defined as a holding company, but mostly a matching service.”

“Dating?”

“Haha, you’re funny. They take people who need services and match them to those who provide services. They’re old.” Doc drew out the word as he turned pages in the file. “Just over five hundred years. One of the oldest companies in Equestria. They’ve been used by the royal family for centuries, as well as just about every bank in the world, and quite a few unsavory figures.”

Roseluck sipped her coffee, her eyes closed as she contemplated the situation. “Holding company...matching service. So they must have their own in-house companies...people come to them wanting something and they either provide those services in house, or direct them to an outside company?”

“All built on the good reputation that they have provided for years. They have their fingers in a lot of pies. Contracts with the military, security firms, overseas corporations…here.” Doc handed Roseluck a stack of papers. “Brand listing.”

Roseluck flipped through the pages as she leaned on her other hand. “So the end result is, I have no idea what I’m stealing.”

“Could be anything from gold to potatoes.” Doc said cheerfully.

Roseluck stayed silent as she gave the folder a blank stare.

“Any idea how you want to play this?”

With a breath that ruffled her bangs, Roseluck turned her eyes towards Doc. “I think I’d better prepare for anything and everything. I can’t solo it. Company this old and well established, and wiith the clients that they’re bound to have, security’s gonna be top notch.”

“I can certainly help with that.”

Roseluck leaned back in her chair, balancing it precariously on two legs. “We’ll have to do a smash and grab. In and out, quick as possible.”

“What about an exit strategy?”

Roseluck tilted her head. “Aerial or streets?”

“Know anyone who can do both?”

“Nope…” Roseluck sighed. “But I’ve worked with Berry Punch in the past. I can’t think of a better driver than her.”

“What’s her going rate?”

Roseluck considered that. “Surprisingly affordable.”

“Well, I might be able to call in a favor for some aerial support.”

“Drug runner?”

“Ex military. Ditzy Doo. Honorably discharged from the Equestrian Air Force after an accident with a test plane. If it flies, she can fly it.”

“CIA Black ops?”

“How do you think I met her?”

“Right. Fair enough.” Roseluck rocked her chair back and forth. “I wonder if I can reach out to Octavia?”

“Octavia? As in, two dozen paintings, eight sculptures, and a crate of gold bars?”

“Ingots. And yes, that’s her.”

“Didn’t she do the Stradivarius job last year?”

“Yep. And The Baltimare Job.”

“I remember that one. I still can’t figure out how she did it, and I’m in the government for fuck’s sake.”

“So that’s a yes for Octavia. We need a hitter. Know any ex-military thugs?”

“None willing to jeopardize their government funded retirement. What about Amethyst Star?”

“Isn’t she dead?”

“...In some jurisdictions. Pinkie Pie?”

Roseluck slammed her chair to the floor as she locked eyes with the Doctor. “How about someone who isn’t a fucking psychopath?”

“Hey, if you want the best…” The Doctor gave a shrug.

“I want someone whose plan for witnesses doesn’t involve leveling a square block.”

“Did she actually do that?”

“Stalliongrad.”

“Oooh right, that was her, wasn’t it...Vinyl Scratch?”

“Doc, that wasn’t a challenge to come up with someone worse.”

“She’s the best I can think of.”

Author's Note

This story is the most unfinished out of the lot, and in my opinion, the most fun. The premise of this story is pretty easy to explain; A group of criminals take on a heist, only for things to go terribly, terribly wrong. While I don't want to give too much away on the off-chance that I continue this some day, the prologue (Anything before the "One Week Earlier" Break is technically the middle of the story. It starts there, goes over the events, and then comes full circle where the story continues for the next half.

At the time I came up with this idea, I was playing quite a bit of Saints Row: The Third. I thought it'd be funny to make the boss look like Vinyl, and that's what wound up inspiring a lot of the ideas here. I switched the main character to Roseluck because Vinyl had become such a dominant force in this story; She's loud, confrontational, and a borderline psychopath that only Roseluck can control. To put this into perspective, there was a planned scene where Vinyl has sex with a gun (In non-explicit terminology) for the express purpose of pissing Octavia off and shocking every other member of their team. This would have resulted in Octavia shooting Vinyl in the shoulder, and Vinyl laughing at her for it.

It was an insane story.