Arkham Knight: Agent of Harmony

Chapters

Knightfall(ing)
Seven Months Later
Welcome To Ponyville
The Shadowbolt
Running The Guantlet

Knightfall(ing)

My name is Justin Turner. I used to be an ordinary 24-year old guy with an ordinary life with job and a little brother who thought the world revolved around me. Not anymore. These days, I am a soldier. A warrior who has dedicated his life to protecting the land of Equestria from forces that not even the Elements of Harmony can stop.

I am The Arkham Knight.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how I ended up in the land of Equestria like this. Well, in layman's terms, pretty much the same way thousands of other people have, the way I’ve heard it. But, if you really want the specifics…

Me and my little brother, Jacob, were at the New York Comic Con. I was Arkham Knight, and he was the Red Hood. The Jason Todd one, not the Joker one. Anyways, my brother had gone to get a bite to eat, and I was browsing some of the vendors. They actually have some pretty neat stuff at those vendors, truth be told. As I browsed the merchandise, I heard a voice call out to me. I turned to see this guy in a cloak manning his booth, which had a variety of things like Joker cards, Chaos Emeralds, and a whole bunch of other stuff. He told me that I was the first person he’d never seen dress up as The Arkham Knight. Not surprising, as the game only came out a few months ago.

But, since I was the first he’d ever seen, I’d earned a free item from his shop. Who can turn down free stuff, right? Anyways, he reaches into his cloak pocket and pulls out some kind of high-tech remote.

The minute I grabbed the remote, everything turned black as night.

…

High in the skies above Equestria the sky momentarily turned pitch black. In those moments a bright white portal opened in the sky and from it fell two objects; one small and human-shaped, and a giant object that looked like pure silver. The two objects landed on the ground with such force that the whole town shook like a child’s rattle. However, both the human and the giant silver object both seemed to be okay, albeit the human felt like he’d just been hit by a truck.

“Ugh… what in the hell just happened? Did that guy in the cloak slip me something?” asked the human figure, his voice distorted and robotic thanks to the mask that he had on his face. “Wait… this thing actually works now?” he asked aloud as he checked his body. Aside from a few broken bones his body was in perfect health. He saw the car beside him and was surprised at how lifelike it looked.

“Amazing… this looks just like Batman’s spare car from the game…” muttered the human.

A beeping sound reached his ears, indicating a button. Curious, the human pressed the button on his wrist, and much to his shock and surprise, the hatch on the car opened.

“Holy shit! This thing is fully functional?! Awesome!” yelled the human, before attempting to climb into the vehicle.

“Hold it, buddy!” said a commanding voice from behind the human. He turned around and saw…. a male anthro unicorn in full Royal Guard gear pointing a sword at him.

‘Is… is this really happening? Am I ACTUALLY getting punked by a freaking pony?’ The human asked in his mind. When the sword refused to stop pointing at him it left with only one result. That he was, indeed, being ordered by an anthropomorphic unicorn clad in golden armor, backed up by two pegasi in a similar uniform.

“Who or what are you?” demanded the soldier who was pointing the sword in the human’s face.

“Wouldn’t you like to know? Now, make like a bee and buzz off, I’m busy,” snarled the human.

“I don’t think so. You’re coming with us for questioning,” said the soldier.

The human chuckled. “And what makes you think I’ll just come along? I’m just about to have some fun!” He stated as he leaped into the car and turned it on, driving like a maniac down the streets of… whatever city he was.

“Goin’ for a little ride in my love machine, baby! Whoo-hoo!” the human yelled with a Hispanic accent… well, as much of a hispanic accent as he could muster with a voice filter that made him sound like a robot.

“Alert: vehicles are engaging in pursuit,” said a female computer voice from the car. Looking in a rearview camera, the human noticed that there were several vehicles coming after him. “Arkham Knight, recommend use of afterburner in order to evade pursuers.”

“What? Arkham Knight?” asked the human before he looked at himself.

What he saw made his masked jaw drop like a sack of potatoes.

His makeshift Arkham Knight costume had changed drastically. He was now wearing the upper portion of a black, gray, and blue suit of military grade body armor, complete with gauntlets, with a white diamond divided by a large white bar down the middle on his chest and at the tops of his arms, a belt that held two pistols and a handful of flashbang grenades, black and red camouflage pants, black combat boots, and a blue mask with pointed gray “ears” that also made his eyes look like they were glowing.

There was no denying it. The stories he’d heard about people disappearing at conventions were all true… and now he was The Arkham Knight.

“Well… today’s been one hell of a day, now hasn’t it? No way, am I spending it in prison when I haven’t even done anything yet! So, let’s gun it!” yelled The Arkham Knight as he hit the afterburner button. The car shot forward like a rocket, and Arkham Knight was thrown backwards by the acceleration.

“AWWWWW YEEEEEAAAHHHH!” yelled The Arkham Knight in excitement, a wide grin on his masked face.

And then, suddenly, the whole vehicle came to a sudden stop, causing Arkham Knight to lurch forward in his seat as the car was lifted up into the air, surrounded by a pink aura.

“That’ll be quite enough,” said a stern male voice that belonged to white stallion with a dark blue mane and tail clad in gold and royal purple armor with a magenta star on his chest.

“Aw, come on! I just wanted to take my sweet new ride for a little test drive!” yelled Arkham.

The stallion scoffed. “Well, I have a better idea. Why don’t you come out of the silver…” the stallion paused, searching for the right word. “...tank, and get down on the ground?”

“Interesting notion, Captain Armor… but, I’m afraid that’s something I can’t do at the moment. Mostly because the whole damn car is off of the ground!”

“Oh, I can change that.” said the stallion as he slammed the car down with such force the Arkham Knight actually hit his head hard enough to actually feel some pain. “What? Too hard? Next time try NOT to drive away in a car that could kill a normal pony if you ran over them.”

“Oh, really? Thanks for the tip, Shining Armor… you know, for a guy who talks all big and tough like you, you really aren’t that great of a soldier or a pony for that matter,” said Arkham as he climbed out of his vehicle.

Shining Armor raised an eyebrow, a hand wandering near his rapier. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

“Oh, please. You cry at weddings, probably because your own was a complete trainwreck that nearly turned this whole city the new capital of the Changeling Empire, and to top it off, you didn’t even figure out that your fiance was acting almost the complete opposite of the way she usually does! And for a big brother, you’re not exactly living up to high pedestal your sister puts you on. At least meet her at the damn train station when she comes to visit!” snarked Arkham Knight.

Shining Armor simply stood there, completely confused. Almost everything the Arkham Knight said had flown completely over his head. “What the buck are you talking about? I knew about Chrysalis plot from damn near the start! I helped Twilight and her friends drive off her forces, and defuse the bomb she planted as a backup!” replied Shining Armor.

Now it was the Knight’s turn to be confused. Shining had known about the plot, and helped stop it? And where the hell did this bomb thing come from. “Weird… that’s not what the sho-er, my INTEL, tells me. It says your were just standing there like a dummy while Chrysalis and her swarm invaded. Well, at least until the real Cadence brought you back to your senses.”

“Well, your intel is wrong. Now then… are you going to come in quietly, or do I have to get serious?”

“Bring it on,” said the Arkham Knight.

“You REALLY want to try me don’t you big guy?” Shining said as he drew his sword.

“I’m just seeing if you really are as tough as you say you are now.” replied the Knight as he drew out his two guns. Quicker than he could blink, however, Shining slashed at him and the guns were somehow over where his car were and he soon found himself being kicked in the gut by Shining who then brought an elbow down on his back with enough force to crack a rib or two.

“Believe me now?” asked Shining as he kneed the Knight in the face and caused him to stumble back a bit.

“Ugh… well, that was certainly unexpected. But, I’m far from finished!” said the Knight as he tossed a flashbang at Shining Armor, causing the Captain of the Royal Guard to become disoriented, allowing The Arkham Knight to get a few decent punches in, and give Shining Armor a bleeding lip.

“How’s that feel, Captain?” taunted the Knight.

“Okay, you got a few lucky punches in,” said Shining Armor, removing his helmet and tossing it to the side, causing the onlooking Royal Guard members to go, “oooh…” “However, it takes more than just a cheap trick and a few lucky hits if you want to beat me.”

“Is that so? Then how about this?” said Arkham, performing a roundhouse kick that Shining Armor was easily able to duck under before landing a few slashes with his sword, leaving rips in the Knight’s suit. Before he could recover Shining did something that the Knight honestly protests to this day he never saw coming…. he backed up….. then ran towards him and then leaped, grabbed him by the neck, and slammed him down to the ground. With this the Knight soon found himself unable to move not just because his suit locked up…. but that his pride was also wounded.

“And that, fillies and gentlecolts, is how you become a Captain. Get him out of here, and somepony grab his guns and figure out how to get that tank-car thing out of here and into the impound lot… or maybe better yet, we could have my sister and some scientists run some specs on that thing. Either way, it’s doing nopony any good if it’s just sitting there and blocking traffic,” said Shining Armor, grabbing his helmet and putting it back on.

As he was dragged off to his holding cell in the Canterlot Dungeons, The Arkham Knight didn’t say a word. His suit had some issues that needed fixing, he’d gotten his assed kicked by a pony, and a pony that nearly everyone back home thought was totally useless at that, and both his pride and body were wounded. If the real Arkham Knight, Jason Todd, were here, he’d be highly disappointed in his successor's performance.

Hell, even his brother could put up a better fight than he had.

From that pain, however, grew desire. If he was going make it in prison, or wherever his new life was going to lead him, he’d need to apply the same level of dedication his brother had put into his military and martial arts training. He’d need to become good enough that he could give the Batman himself a run for his billions if he existed.

He needed to make The Arkham Knight into the soldier he truly was. The soldier his brother had been.

Seven Months Later

Justin Turner flopped onto his lumpy cot and let the sweat drip off of him from his third workout in six hours. He had a decent build, dirty blonde hair, emerald green eyes, and wore a filthy white t-shirt in addition to the camo pants and black combat boots from his Arkham Knight costume. If his wall mark counting was correct, then he’d been locked up for over seven months. And not once had he met with a lawyer, been interrogated, or had a trial. Hell, he hadn’t even been CHARGED with anything for all he knew.

And I thought the legal system in Gravity Falls was f***** up, thought Justin as he closed his eyes and took slow, deep breaths. He had an ever-increasing suspicion as to why he’d been in here for so long, yet not gone through the whole legal process: the Equestrian Government, the Royal Guard, or SOMEBODY high up wanted to keep him in here and out of the way while they experimented with and, quite possibly replicated, his new Batmobile, his armor, and his other bits and pieces of technology. Not that he blamed them or anything, though. From what he’d seen of this place so far, while it had some fairly advanced technology, there was nothing anywhere near what he had… all the same, Justin hoped that he’d get some money or something out of it.

Justin’s eyes flew open in an instant when he heard a key in the lock of his cell door. “Finally,” he said, his voice deep and smooth, “Somebody, please tell me why-”

Justin stopped short when he saw who was in the doorway: Captain Shining Armor. As he glared at him, Justin noticed there was something different about him.

“You’re needed in the interrogation room,” said the captain in a synthesized voice Justin FINALLY recognized as the Arkham Knight’s voice. That’s when it hit him. The captain almost bit for bit looked like a pony version of the character he was seven months ago. The only differences being the color scheme, which resembled his old armor and he hadn’t lowered his mask just yet.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!” yelled the man as he charged the captain only for the pony to merely clothesline him.

“Now, now. We can’t have you getting all violent now. The Princesses need to have a word with you. Something about a deal they want to make with you,” Shining Armor said. “Also, there’s the matter of almost 50 billion bits that are waiting for you as the inventor of this amazing new weapons technology that White Cliff Labs has taken the liberty of improving upon.”

“Forgive me if I withhold my excitement at being rich. You still shouldn't have stolen my tech!” spat Justin.

“Granted. My baby sister felt the same way, truth be told. However, the benefits outweigh the concerns. Or, so I’m told anyways. Now, come on and get up.”

With that, Shining Armor grabbed Justin off of the floor and pulled him out of the cell, leading him down the hallways, which were crawling with discolored Arkham Knight lookalikes until they finally reached what appeared to be an ordinary room.

“Get in there,” said Shining Armor opening the door and pushing Justin into the room.

Justin blinked several times as his eyes grew accustomed to the light. Sitting in two chairs directly across from an empty one were Princesses Celestia and Luna. Celestia wore an elegant white dress with yellow sandals on her feet. Luna, whose face was partially obscured by shadow, on the other hand wore a royal blue military commander’s uniform with moonlight silver trimming and knee-length black heeled boots with a rapier in its scabbard on her waist.

“Sit down scoundrel,” said Luna who snarled at Justin. He did as he was told but then propped one leg over the other.

“Well? What do you want?” asked the prisoner who merely earned a glare from the princess of the night.

“Watch your tone. Do you not know who we are?”

“You’re a pony who has emo issues and an inferiority complex that you need a THERAPIST to get over and your sister over there is a cake eating do nothing ruler who lets six mares with no combat experience do all the work for her. Did I miss anything?”

“At least we don’t go driving around in military vehicles causing wanton property damage and endangering the lives of countless innocents while dressed up in ridiculous combat armor!” retorted Luna.

Justin was about to retort before Celestia intervened. “That’s enough, you two!” she said, her horn glowing with yellow magic that kept both her sister’s and the prisoner’s mouths from moving for a few moments. Once they could move again, Luna and Justin glared at each other before Celestia spoke up. “All right, now that that’s settled, let’s get down to business. I am Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. This is my sister Luna,” said Celestia, jerking her head towards her sister. “And you are the so-called ‘Arkham Knight,’ yes?”

“You can call me Arkham but yes that’s who I am,” replied Justin. While it wasn’t his real name he didn’t feel it prudent to reveal his real name to these two.

“Very well then, Arkham. You’re probably curious as to why we brought you here.”

“Honestly I really don’t give a crap, especially considering what you’ve done with my technology. Truth be told, I wouldn’t have minded so much, except I don’t remember anyone asking my permission to distribute it to the military, especially one as useless as yours,” said Justin.

“Ah! That’s the problem at hand, as well as the reason we’ve come to you,” said Celestia, her response causing Justin to do a double-take.

“Really, is that so? Well, now you’ve got my undivided attention,” said Justin, leaning forward a little, mildly interested.

“That’s good to know. Anyway, as I was saying, our military, despite the new technology that they’ve been given, still doesn’t have what it takes to defend our land from the bigger problems that plague it, along with some of the organized crime and the Nightmare Moon Cults. And I fear that with your presence in our land, there will be threats that not even the Elements of Harmony will be able to stop,” explained Celestia.

“And this has to do with me because…”

“Because I think that you are a Displaced. A being sent here as a result of making a purchase of some kind from a devious trickster more powerful than Discord known as the Merchant, forced to come here and adopt the identity of whatever costume you happened to be wearing at the time. As a result, my sister and I would like to make you a proposal, one that would mutually benefit everyone involved.”

Justin leaned closer, interest now evident on his face. “What kind of proposal did you have in mind?” he asked.

“Luna?” asked Celestia.

“Do I really have to?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“We flipped on it. I got heads.”

“You cheated.”

“Stop whining and explain.”

“Fine,” sighed Luna. “You see, the Merchant just might start sending some displaced here to try to fight and defeat you. He might actually get a bit worried as you were merely sent here to spread mayhem and mischief.”

Justin smirked. “Good thing I didn’t dress up as The Joker, then. Please, continue.”

“The Merchant's forces could possibly threaten the lives of many innocent ponies unfortunate enough to cross their path. What my sister and I would like is for you to become our agent. A super soldier dedicated to protecting this land and all who reside in it from anything that could harm it and can’t be stopped by the Royal Guard or the Elements of Harmony, be it organized crime, Cult of Nightmare Moon chapters, or the Merchant’s forces.” said Luna.

Justin’s smirk grew into a genuine smile. “So, you want me to be your secret weapon against the forces of evil too powerful for the six greatest treasures in the world to stop or can’t be touched by legal means,” he said.

“That would be accurate, yes.”

“Hmm… you know what? That actually sounds like fun. I’m in.”

Both Princesses did a double take. “R-really? I’d have thought you’d be far harder to convince than this,” said Celestia.

“Well, I’ll be honest with you. I’ve always wanted to be a secret agent or a superhero. So, why would I turn down an opportunity to be both? But, I seriously hope you don’t expect me to do much of anything looking like this,” said Justin.

“Of course not. And considering how you were easily beaten by Shining Armor, I’d say some combat training is in order,” said Celestia. “Luna, take Arkham to White Cliff. I’ll have his living arrangements organized.”

“Very well, then, sister,” said Luna, standing up with her sister. “Come with me Arkham. We have much to show you.”

“Yes you do,” said the new hero.

...

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY CAR?!” yelled Justin as he stared at what used to be his Batmobile, but now looked something closer to the child of it and the Tumbler from the Dark Knight movies. Roughly speaking, it still had the same shape, but was now much bigger and bulkier, as though someone had converted it into a troop transport vehicle.

“Well, the backseat was too small, so we made it a bit bigger,” explained a white pony with a bright blue mane and tail wearing a lab coat, a black shirt, a blue-and-black striped tie, khaki pants, glasses, and brown loafers. This was Wheat Lee, Head of Weapons Developement at White Cliff Labs. “Additionally, we’ve replaced your Riot Suppressor’s rubber bullets with live rounds. Personally, I don’t get why you use rubber bullets for your tank when you have not one, but TWO bloody pistols that fire live rounds. Seems a bit morally ambiguous if you ask me-”

“Lee, focus!” snapped Luna.

“Right, right. Anyways, while we’re on the topic, we’ve also gone ahead and made improvements to the weapon systems as a whole. Now when you fire your 50 mm cannon while in Battle Mode, the round will break apart into three separate rounds. Also, you can now discharge a powerful shockwave in addition to your EMP. Also, we’ve enhanced the armor on your tank to be a bit more durable, so that’s why there’s a bit more bulk to it,” explained Wheat Lee.

“MY GUNS HAD TRANQ ROUNDS IN THEM YOU MORON! THE RIOT SUPPRESSOR WAS FOR F***ING RIOTS!.... why did I just get bleeped out?”

“Hm?” Luna asked.

“I just got bleeped out for using f***. SEE?! THERE IT IS AGAIN! ANYWAYS THE POINT IS YOU MORONS RUINED MY BABY!” Justin said as he just rubbed it.

“Right, well… just… give it a try. You never know, it might grow on you. Anyways, moving on to the guns and armor,” said Wheat Lee as he led a fuming Justin and Luna down a hallway to what at first looked like a lab like any other.

The moment the door slid open, however, Justin’s jaw fell like a sack of potatoes. All over the walls were a variety of guns, knives, grenades, and other bits of weaponry. And standing right there in the middle of it all was what at first glance appeared to be his Arkham Knight suit completely intact but with a noticeable change…. under it’s arms were two black wings.

“You just made me… into a gun toting Batman Beyond knock off,” stated Justin as he just looked at his suit.

“What’s Batman Beyond?” asked Wheat Lee. Justin just looked at him with a look that stated that if he was from Earth? He’d be a smear on the ground right about now. “Anyways, I suppose I should walk you through it. The armor itself is made out of tri-weave titanium fibers, with flexible liquid armor and an experimental MR fluid that hardens on impact, and it should allow you to put more force into your attacks, while making you faster, lighter and more agile. Also, the wings on the back can fold away when you’re not using the flight function, and it can launch non-lethal shuriken from the gauntlets. Why don’t you try it on, get a feel for it?”

Justin groaned in frustration, but nonetheless complied. He pulled the suit on and was amazed at how well it fit him but it still didn’t feel entirely comfortable but then again comfort isn’t part of the job. He pulled the gauntlets on and got a good feel for them before putting on the boots. Here was his first problem… the boot felt heavy as all hell.

“Hm? Something wrong?”

“Yeah, the boots are too damn heavy! I can hardly lift my foot in them!” said Justin.

“Hmm… that was one of the concerns that came up during testing. Don’t worry, I’m sure with a little bit of a workout, you’ll get used to them,” said Wheat Lee as The Arkham Knight scowled at him before the mask slid over his face.

“Very well, then, now that you’re all suited up, let’s begin some combat-” started Wheat Lee, before Luna’s cell phone went off.

“Sorry about that,” said Luna, answering her phone. “Yes, what is it?” she said. “Uh-huh… uh-huh… okay. Bye, Celie,” said Luna before hanging up her phone. “Well, it seems your living arrangements have been made, and they’re on their way to the castle to pick you up.”

“Who’s ‘they?’” asked The Arkham Knight.

…

Six ponies, all mares, and a young purple and green dragon stood waiting on the castle front lawn. There was Rainbow Dash, a cyan blue pegasus wearing a white-t-shirt with the picture of a rainbow lightning bolt on the front, a dark blue hoodie, blue jeans, and knee-length boots. Applejack, a tan earth pony with a blonde mane and tail wearing a red and white pinstriped farmer’s outfit and her pants were dirtied from the day’s farm work. Pinkie Pie, a pink earth pony with a bushy pink mane and tail who wore a green t-shirt that was tied together showing off some cleavage and blue jeans that had cake batter splattered on them. Fluttershy, a butter-yellow pegasus with a soft pink mane and tail, who was wearing a white t-shirt with a green skirt and sandals. Rarity, a pale white unicorn with a purple mane and tail, wore a simple blue t-shirt and a purple skirt with black shoes.Twilight Sparkle, a lavender unicorn with a dark blue mane and tail, both of which had a magenta stripe, wore a purple t-shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers. Lastly, there was Spike the Dragon, who wore a purple hoodie, a green t-shirt, black jeans, and black-and-white sneakers.

“Well, girls, where do you think this ‘Arkham Knight’ guy is hidin’ out at?” asked Rainbow Dash looking around as if expecting to find him hiding somewhere.

“I don’t know, but I suggest we tread lightly around him. Princess Celestia said that he wasn’t too happy about the Royal Guard adopting his technology for their own use… and honestly, I’m not too fond of the idea either,” admitted Twilight.

“I agree with you there Twilight, If someone were to use a design I worked so hard to create against my wishes, then I think I’d be more than a little livid,” said Rarity.

“D-do you think this Arkham Knight being will try to eat us?” asked Fluttershy, her voice a mere squeak.

“Ah wouldn’t worry ‘bout it, sugarcube. This here Arkham Knight’s gonna be stayin’ with me an’ mah family on the farm. If’n he tries ta harm anypony, Ah reckon I can knock some sense inta him,” said Applejack.

“Hey, do you girls hear something, like a big, loud, monster of an engine inside a tank or something?” asked Pinkie Pie.

Spike and the other Elements of Harmony frowned. There was indeed a loud engine noise coming from somewhere. Before they knew it a gigantic tank flew up to them after it hit a ramp. It then rolled up to them with its tire an inch away from Rainbow’s face who promptly fell backwards just as the Arkham Knight opened his cock pit.

“Alright. Where’s the escort?”

Welcome To Ponyville

A short time later, the Elements of Harmony and Spike were on the train back to Ponyville, with The Arkham Knight following close behind them in his vehicle on the nearby highway. On the train, the six mares and one dragon were talking about the unexpected appearance of The Arkham Knight.

“So… did any of you know that the Knight was a gun-toting robot who drives A BUCKING TANK?” asked Rainbow Dash, looking between her friends, who all shook their heads.

“I thought he was supposed to come back on foot,” said Twilight “Shining said he was supposed to anyways.”

“Well he clearly isn’t doing that right now!” yelled Rainbow.

“Well, Ah know one thing’s fer certain. Long as that Arkham Knight feller’s around, there ain’t gonna be no thievin’ varmints coming around Sweet Apple Acres without gettin’ themselves reduced to a black spot on the ground,” said Applejack, who actually sounded kind of excited.

“What I’m more worried about is PONYVILLE getting reduced to a black spot on the ground,” said Rainbow.

“Rainbow, I understand your concerns. The Princess did say that he wasn’t from anywhere near Gaia, and that could possibly mean that he has evil intentions for our home,” said Twilight. “However, they’re willing to place their faith in him to protect our country from threats that even our Elements can’t stop. What the Knight does with that trust, however, rests entirely on his shoulders.”

Rainbow still looked a little unsure. However, she said nothing else.

Fluttershy then spoke up. “Um, girls? I’m not sure the Arkham Knight is a robot,” she said.

“That might be what he WANTS you to think.” Rainbow replied causing either eye rolls or face palms from her friends… with Twilight she got both.

“Rainbow aren’t you just being a little bit paranoid?” Twilight asked.

“Aren’t you just being a little too trusting? I mean the guy landed in the middle of NOWHERE.”

“That may be so, but even if he is a robot, he’s definitely not a pony, which could very well mean that he’s all alone here, the last of his kind, or perhaps the first.”

“Exactly! Who’s to say that that a whole militia of robots Tartarus-bent on destruction following right behind him, just waiting for the order to blast everypony to kingdom come?”

“Rainbow, will you at least just give the guy a chance? I promise, the minute I see a horde of robots blowing up Ponyville, I’ll admit I was wrong. Agreed?” said Twilight.

Rainbow groaned in defeat. “Fine… I’ll give him a chance,” she grumbled.

“Thank you,” said Twilight.

“I’VE GOT IT!” yelled Pinkie Pie, causing everyone on the train to jump, before turning to face the pink haired Earth Pony.

“Er… what do you got, exactly?” asked Spike, confused.

“I know what kind of cupcakes to serve at Arky’s ‘Welcome To Ponyville’ party! Oil cakes!” said Pinkie, a grin on her face.

“Pinkie, foal steps. They might not like parties where the Knight comes from,” said Applejack.

“Yeah! They could see it as a declaration of war!” said Rainbow, earning a glare from Twilight. “...what? Just spitballing here.”

…

As he continued to follow the train the Elements of Harmony and Spike were on in his Batmobile, which he was thinking about dubbing The Sword, The Arkham Knight began to realize that maybe the improvements White Cliff had made to his baby weren’t so God-awful after all… although, he still strongly disliked the fact that they’d swapped out the rubber bullets in his Riot Suppressor for live rounds. But, then again, maybe that change was for the better. After all, he’d end up killing ponies with this new job of his. But, The Arkham Knight couldn’t concern himself with that right now. There was something a different about this place than what he’d known and seen from the show… and it wasn’t just because the ponies here walked on two legs or had hands in addition to their “normal” pony parts.

So, Shining Armor was actually useful during Queen Chrysalis’ invasion, and the Changeling Queen even planted a bomb in case her plan went south… yep, that’s not how I remember that one going at all, thought the Knight as he swerved to avoid an oncoming car driven by a gray pegasus with a blonde mane and who appeared to be cross-eyed. I wonder what other changes I’ll find. King Sombra didn’t become a tyrant by himself? The Griffon Kingdom actually being a productive kingdom with a ruler like most fanfiction back home states and not an anarchy-ridden slum? Applejack’s parents still alive? Pinkie and Rainbow weren’t complete jackasses to Gilda when she came to visit?

On that last thought, The Arkham Knight’s hidden expression turned to one of disappointment, and perhaps one of anger. Oh, so help me God if I find out you two acted the way you did in Griffon The Brush-Off, I’ll blow you to bits with my cannon. Gilda must’ve been saving every bit she had for years in order to come up and visit… and you two had to go and make her stay as uncomfortable as possible… especially you, Pinkamena Diane Pie… thought the Knight as anger towards that pink pony surged through him.If my mythology knowledge is correct, griffons are carnivores, and bad things happen in their digestion should they eat fruit or vegetables… paying for that apple was probably the last thing on Gilda’s mind if she wanted to even EAT that apple.

As Arkham continued to drive alongside the train, he began to think of ways to make Pinkie and Rainbow realize what they’d done wrong and make amends to Gilda. One thing was for sure: those two were about to get a SERIOUS talking to.

…

As the train pulled into the station a few hours later, there were multiple different ponies standing on the platform, waiting either to board or waiting for their loved ones to get off so they could enter the metropolis that was Ponyville. Among them was an orange pegasus of around 15 or so with a purple mane and tail and small wings wearing a white t-shirt under a blue and gray jacket, blue jeans, and blue sneakers. This was Scootaloo, the surrogate little sister of Rainbow Dash and, by extension, her girlfriend. Rainbow was her hero and her inspiration to one day be as awesome and badass as the rainbow-maned pegasus herself was. And, she’d come along way towards achieving that dream with her dear friends Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle by her side. Scootaloo smiled. If she didn’t have the support from the friends she had, or had Rainbow Dash and her girlfriend as her big sisters, who knows where she might’ve been?

“Scoots! Ah think they’re almost here!” She heard her friend Apple Bloom shout. Scootaloo squealed in excitement as the train pulled up.

“Hey try and keep Dash here! I’m gonna go fetch her okay!” Scootaloo shouted and before Apple Bloom could respond Scoots was already off, leaving Apple Bloom, who was a butter yellow Earth Pony with a blood red mane and tail wearing a green t-shirt, blue jeans, and cowboy boots, to just sigh and shake her head as the train pulled into the station. Right behind her, however, she heard a loud motor in addition to ponies screaming something about a tank coming their way, and she could’ve sworn she heard someone scream that it was about to run her over, before hearing the dull thud of a body landing on the pavement.

Before she could go investigate, however, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Pinkie disembarked from the train. “Hey, everypony!” she called out to the Elements of Harmony.

“Hey, there, little sis! How’s it hangin?’” asked Applejack, giving her little sister a hug.

“Nothin’ much,” Apple Bloom replied before looking around. “So… where’s that there Arkham Knight feller who’s gonna be stayin’ with us?”

“Standing right behind you.”

Apple Bloom turned around and jumped about a foot in the air at the sight of The Arkham Knight. “AH! EVIL KILLER ROBOT!” she yelled.

The Arkham Knight frowned under his mask. “Okay, just because I look like this and sound like this does NOT automatically mean I’m a robot!” he said in frustration. “As it is, I’d like to have a little chat with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow gulped and looked at Pinkie, who was smiling as she looked back at her. “O-okay…” she said nervously, walking off to the side of the platform while their friends watched on in concern.

“So, whatcha wanna talk about, Arky?” asked Pinkie, grinning from ear to ear.

“First off, DON’T call me Arky,” growled Arkham with a hint of menace. “Secondly, I am highly disappoint-”

“There she is, Gilda! She’s talking to that robot!”

Rainbow and Pinkie turned around to find Scootaloo standing beside an athletic-looking griffoness with a tuft of white feathers drooping down from the top of her head like bangs and piercing yellow eagle’s eyes. She wore a dark gray t-shirt, a black leather jacket, black jeans with a crooked royal purple belt, and black leather boots. Arkham didn’t need the shout from Rainbow Dash to figure out who this was.

“Gilda!” with that shout Rainbow ran to her and hugged her…. and then the two passionately kissed and held it for a whole minute. Meanwhile Arkham just stared dumbfounded at the scene in front of him.

“Um... something wrong?” Pinkie asked him to which Arkham just shook his head back to normal.

“Er... no just… nevermind.”

“Oh. Okay, then! See ya later!” said Pinkie, before skipping off, singing to herself.

Twilight then spoke up. “Well, there’s no use standing around here! Let’s get going!” she said.

And with that, the whole group made their way off of the platform and went their separate ways, agreeing to meet up later that night for dinner. As the Knight, Applejack, and Apple Bloom made their way through the city in The Arkham Knight’s car, Arkham’s mind was racing.

Well, that makes it official. Between Gilda and Rainbow Dash’s romance, which obviously means they’ve literally kissed and made up, the size of Ponyville, and Shining Armor being far more useful during the Changeling Invasion, it’s pretty clear that this is a Bizzaro Equestria. An altered copy of the real deal. The good news is, I’m along for for the ride, and who knows where I’ll end up. The bad news is, I don’t know who’s good, who’s evil, or how and why. Eh, guess I’ll just have to wait and see, thought the Arkham Knight as Applejack, who was in the passenger seat next to Arkham, decided to take the initiative.

“So… Ah bet this is purty hard to adapt to, after spending almost all yer in… wherever yer from,” said Applejack.

“Well, it’s certainly not what I expected, I’ll say that much. So much is different from what I learned back home about this place.”

“An’... what exactly did ya learn about this place?”

“Well…” said Arkham, rubbing the back of his neck for a moment. “The town is bigger by a long shot and the Changeling Invasion played out differently than what I remembered. I haven’t really seen much of this world while I’ve been here, you know.”

“Uh-huh… Twilight said her brother saw you fall from the sky with this here tank of yers. Care to explain what that there’s all about?” asked Applejack.

“Well, it’s an... interesting story. You sure you wanna hear it?” asked Arkham, sounding unsure about telling his story.

Applejack smiled and nodded. “Sure, go right ahead,” she said.

The Arkham Knight didn’t know exactly what it was, but something about Applejack’s smile made him feel stronger, more confident. So, he pressed a button on the side of his mask, which slid up and revealed his face, taking both Apple sisters by surprise. Apple Bloom immediate launched into curious child mode.

“Whoa! What happened to yer face? Why’s yer muzzle all scrunched up? And where’s yer fur?” she asked Justin.

“Apple Bloom, Ah’m sure he’ll get to that point in sooner er later. Go on,” said Applejack.

“First off, you should probably know that ‘Arkham Knight,’ is not my actual name. It’s Justin. Justin Turner. I’m what’s called a human being, so that’s why my face looks like this,” explained Justin. “Anyways, it all started when I went to New York Comic Con dressed like this with my little brother…”

…

“So, let me get this straight. You think this Arkham Knight guy is secretly planning to lead a robot invasion with an army of robotic tanks, flying machines, and soldiers,” said Gilda, raising and eyebrow as she and Rainbow made their way towards their cloud home with Scootaloo lagging behind them.

“Oh, come on, Gilda! Twilight said he fell from the sky with that tank of his. If that’s not a sure sign of scouting for the mission, I don’t know what is,” said Rainbow.

“Whatever, Dash. You’re just jealous that there’s somepony here who might actually be cooler than you are,” said Gilda.

“Of course she is.”

Gilda, Rainbow, and Scootaloo turned around to see a teal pegasus mare with a golden mane and tail wearing a black jacket, a dark purple shirt, black jeans, and brown boots. There was something about this mare that sent shivers down Scootaloo’s spine.

“Lightning Dust? What are you doing here?” asked Rainbow Dash, recognizing her former Wonderbolts Academy Lead Pony.

“I moved here, genius,” said Lightning, her voice as cold as a gust of icy wind. “Just today, as a matter of fact. So, when I saw you, your girlfriend, and your sidekick walking by, I figured I’d say hello. I mean, we’re still friends, right? I mean, it’s not like you got me kicked out of the Wonderbolts Academy, preventing me from carrying on my grandfather’s legacy, which was something I’ve dreamt about since I was a filly, and practically ruined my life, right?”

Rainbow frowned. “You’re still not sore about that are, you? That was your own damn fault, you know,” she said.

Lightning flinched at her words, before regaining her composure. “Of course not. Well, I must get going and start looking for a job. Nice to see you again, Dash,” said Lightning, before she turned on her heel and took to the skies, leaving a disturbed Rainbow, Gilda, and Scootaloo behind.

“What the buck was that all about?” asked Gilda.

Rainbow shook her head. “ I don’t know… but, we’d better get back home and get ready for dinner tonight.”

“Agreed,” said both Gilda and Scootaloo, before the trio continued on their way… unaware that Lightning was watching them from a nearby building.

That’s right, Dashie… go home. Live the life that should rightfully be mine! The life you stole from me! While you can, anyway… thought Lightning. I’ve got some new tricks up my sleeve, and after I’ve finished you off, I’ll use my brand-new Necromancy and Dark Magic skills to eliminate Shit-fire. By the end of the month, all the pain and suffering I’ve been through to get my new powers will finally be worth it… and I’ll finally know peace.

As these dark and sinister thoughts ran through Lightning Dust’s mind, her eyes turned dark purple and her irises turned lightning yellow as a sinister grin spread across her face...

The Shadowbolt

As the sun set on Sweet Apple Acres, Arkham stood on the farmhouse balcony. He couldn’t help but wonder just what caused this world to shift in the direction it did. Was it simply him showing up that caused all of this? No that was stupid the whole world didn’t revolve around him. Perhaps he’d just been sent to a slightly altered version of Equestria by that Merchant. That was the only thing that made any sense. Although, what DIDN’T make sense to him was why the hell didn’t the people who run these conventions increase their security if people kept disappearing all over the place? Did they honestly just turn a blind eye to what had been going on under their noses?

Guess we’ll never know, thought Arkham bitterly, thinking of his younger brother’s reaction when he realized he wasn’t there.

Applejack walked out out onto the balcony behind The Arkham Knight, holding what appeared to be a suit and tie of some kind. “Howdy,” she said.

The Arkham Knight allowed a small smile to cross his face. “Hello,” he replied, his voice modifier making him sound grumpy.

Applejack paused for a moment. “Justin- er, can Ah call ya Justin?” asked Applejack nervously.

“Of course,” replied Arkham.

“Anyway, what’s wrong?” asked Applejack, walking up to Arkham’s side.

“Nothing. Just… thinking.”

“About what?”

Arkham sighed.“About my brother and why this world is so different from the way I thought it would be. I mean, I thought I knew a thing or two about this world when that Merchant sent me here, so I thought I’d have knowledge on my side, but now… almost everything’s changed.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” She asked him. Arkham just sighed.

“Not entirely, but it makes things more complicated. For instance I don’t know what’s coming next or how to stop it if it does.” He told her. She just giggled a bit.

“Sugar, you’re more worried than a turtle during dry season.”

“Well, if you were suddenly shipped off to an alternate reality, I’m sure you’d be a little worried about what was in store yourself,” said Arkham, a small smile under his mask.

“Ya got me there,” said Applejack, grinning from ear to ear. “Say, it’s almost time to meet up with the others. An’ since ya’ll can’t go to the restaurant wearin’ full battle armor, Ah got ya somethin’.”

With that, Applejack pulled out the suit she’d had behind her back. Applejack couldn’t really tell for certain due to his mask, but The Arkham Knight seemed impressed.

“Nice suit,” said the Knight.

“Thanks. It was my pa’s,” said Applejack, a sad look entering her emerald eyes. The Arkham Knight noticed this, but chose to remain silent. “Anyways, Ah reckon yer both about the same size.”

“Yeah, I think this’ll fit me okay. Thanks,” said Arkham.

Applejack’s smile returned. “Yer welcome. Now, hurry on inside an’ get changed...assuming you know how to get that there suit offa ya.”

“Well… duh I know how to get it off. What do you think it is? My whole body?” Arkham joked but deep inside he felt a bit of doubt. He may have put the suit on in his world, but since it’s become something like the real deal, how WOULD he take it off?

Well, if there’s button that opens up the mask, then maybe there’s a button that can get this thing off of me, thought Arkham as he followed Applejack into the house.

…

“Where are they?” asked Rainbow Dash, tapping her foot impatiently as she, Gilda, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie waited outside the Hayloft, waiting for Applejack and The Arkham Knight.

“Rainbow, just be a little patient, will you?” said an annoyed Twilight.

Gilda scoffed. “Patients are for hospitals, I’m hungry,” she said.

No sooner had the words come out of her mouth than a monstrous engine roared loudly as the Arkham Knight’s car pulled up, causing a little colt with brown fur and a helicopter hat to fall flat on his ass as the tire was an inch from his face.

The cockpit opened, and Applejack climbed out, but instead of The Arkham Knight, what appeared to be a furless, save for a small patch on top of his head, ape in a suit and tie climbed out.

“Ya know, one of these days yer gonna run somepony over with this here tank,” said Applejack.

“Yeah, but today isn’t that day, is it?” the ape said.

“Okay, two questions. One: where’d you get that bald gorilla? And two: WHERE THE BUCK IS THE ARKHAM KNIGHT?!” yelled Rainbow.

“I AM The Arkham Knight. I just left my armor in the trunk,” the ape said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, Justin saw both Pinkie and Rarity slip Fluttershy five pieces of gold each.

“Wait… you mean you... and the... okay, you know what? No, I’m not gonna dwell on this. It’ll just hurt my head.” Rainbow said.

“Not that it’d be that hard.” The ape responded. “Also, Arkham Knight is more or less an alias or a codename, y’know, like superheroes have. My real name is Justin Turner.”

The ponies and griffoness just stood and stared at Justin for what felt like days. Finally, Twilight spoke up.

“Well, Justin, perhaps you can tell us all a little bit about your home… preferably over some dinner. Come on, let’s eat,” said Twilight as Rainbow and Gilda led the way into the restaurant.

Unbeknownst to them, a dark figure lurked in the shadows of a nearby alleyway, watching the group enter the restaurant.

That’s right, Dash… enjoy the company of your friends and that birdbrain you call your lover. Because tonight's the night that you finally get what you deserve…

…

“Er... this is all... interesting,” Justin cautiously said. “But uh... is there anything that ISN’T just… you know... vegetables?” he asked as he looked through the menu.

“Not really. I mean, your kind’s not exactly a common breed in here in Equestria,” said Fluttershy. “Just out of curiosity, what exactly DOES a ‘human’ eat?”

“Well, humans are omnivores. Means we can eat both plants and meat, the most common of the latter being beef which comes from a cow, chicken, pork from a pig, and fish,” explained Justin, earning a terrified look from Fluttershy and Rarity. “Don’t worry, though. We don’t usually eat horse, and definitely not horses that can walk on two legs or have horns and wings.”

“That’s completely barbaric,” commented Rarity.

“Hey, it’s just how my kind survives.”

“Heh. I dunno. Seems kinda how my kind are to a degree.” Gilda said as she pulled out something that Justin instantly recognized as a ham sandwich.

“Hey uh... you’re… GONNA share that right fellow carnivore?”

“What, this? Dude, you just said you can eat plants too. You can live without meat for a while.”

“Oh, come on-”

Before Justin could finish his sentence, a large explosion blew apart the front entrance of the restaurant. Through it stepped what appeared to be a pegasus, a mare judging by her build, wearing what looked like a formfitting black and purple Wonderbolts flight suit with black leather knee length boots, black gloves, a mask that completely covered her face with yellow lenses in the eyeholes, and a black and purple wig.

“Knock knock!” said the costumed pony with a wicked grin under her mask as she watched the surrounding patrons panic and flee the building. “I’m looking for Rainbow Dash… anypony seen her?”

Gilda and The Mane 5 looked at Rainbow Dash, who simply nodded and stood to face this new threat.

“Who are you and what do you want with me?” asked Dash, her voice cold as ice.

“Oh, nothing much really. Just a chance to do something I’ve wanted to do for a few months now,” snarled the mare, before bolts of black lightning shot from her fingertips, sending Dash flying through a nearby window. “Oh, and I’m The Shadowbolt.”

Before The Shadowbolt could do anything further, she heard a gun cock behind her head.

“If you lay a finger on Rainbow Dash, so help me God, Faust, or whatever deity this world worships, they’ll be mopping your brains off the walls for a week.”

The Shadowbolt chuckled as she turned to face The Arkham Knight. “You can’t be serious with that getup you have on,” she said with a chuckle.

“Shall I shoot you full of serious?” replied the Knight, causing Gilda, Applejack, and a few other patrons to snicker.“Oh shut up. Like any of you could’ve said anything better.”

“I think we’re done here,” said Shadowbolt, firing a bolt of dark lightning at The Arkham Knight, sending the hero reeling backward, his Tactical Visor going crazy from the attack.

“Ugh! F***! Again with the censorship? What deity has control of the g****** bleeper button?!” snarled The Arkham Knight in anger, earning some concerned looks from the patrons. “Okay... that last curse I admit... a bit too much.”

“Okay, that happened… well, back to my vengeance!” said The Shadowbolt, returning her attention to a retreating Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, no you don’t!” yelled Arkham, firing a round of shots, a few of which actually nicked The Shadowbolt’s shoulder, causing her to turn around and face the Knight.

“Okay… since you really want to play, then let’s play,” snarled Shadowbolt, a purplish black ball of fire in her hand before she tossed it. Arkham quickly dodged the blast and aimed his gun back at her. She growled as her wings flared and she launched herself at him. Using his brain Arkham quickly jumped over her and let her fly into a wall. She yelled in pain but other wise just growled at him. “I’M GOING TO TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!”

“Oh. I’m ALL shaken up right now!”

Shadowbolt roared in fury as she sent a whole torrent of black lightning towards The Arkham Knight, who barely got out of the way in time and fired off a couple of shots, one of which nicked The Shadowbolt in the leg.

Crying out in agony, Shadowbolt fell onto one knee, hissing as pain ran through her like a razor blade. She may not like it, but she knew when she was beat. Her wings flared to life and she took off through the hole in the wall that she’d made.

“You’re not getting off that easy, Shadowdolt!” said Arkham as, much to the shock of everyone present, his black bat wings unfolded from behind his back and his jet booster turned on, allowing him to pursue the Shadowbolt.

Or, at least, TRY to.

“Yikes!” yelled Arkham as he crashed into the window of an office building, knocking over several cubicles walls as he did so. “Sorry! Excuse me! First-time flier! Hope that wasn’t worth anything! My bad!” As he finally reached the outside he focused on Shadowbolt and flew after her. She was fast but he figured that if he clipped a wing she’d stop flying. Pulling out his pistols he began firing randomly before trying to aim better.

Come on, aim straight, damn it! thought Arkham.

Finally, a scream told him that he’d finally found his mark, as he spotted the form of the Shadowbolt falling and crashing onto a nearby rooftop where she lay injured. Flying down to her, Arkham Knight found her whimpering in fear.

“P-please! D-don’t hurt me anymore! I’m sorry for what I did! You wouldn’t understand what Rainbow Dash did to me! She- she ruined my life, destroyed everything I worked so hard to create for myself!” The Shadowbolt whimpered as she tried to crawl away from what she no doubt saw as a terrifying creature.

A sneaking suspicion running through his mind, Arkham strolled up to Shadowbolt, and yanked off her mask and wig, revealing the tear-soaked face of Lightning Dust.

Should’ve seen this coming from a mile away, thought Arkham, his grim expression hidden under his mask.“Let me guess, you’re pissed off at Rainbow Dash for ratting you out about nearly killing her friends with a tornado, so you decided that you’d try and become so powerful that no one could stand up to you, am I right?”

“N-no…”

“Then tell me why you decided to ruin a night out with some of her good friends with Dark Magic?”

“SHE RUINED MY LIFE! I WAS JUST SNEAKING IN A COUPLE OF ENHANCERS FOR SOME ROOKIES BUT SHE COULDN’T KEEP HER DAMN MOUTH SHUT!”

“And I’m willing to bet that your family wasn’t exactly proud of your actions?”

“Th-they threw me out of the house and left me to die! They kept t-telling me all about how I’d disgraced the f-family legacy, and that as f-far as they were concerned, I was d-dead to them… I tried to tell them that I’d done it for them, b-but they just wouldn’t listen to me. They’ve always hated me,” sobbed Lightning.

Arkham couldn’t help but pity this pathetic excuse of a Pegasus. His finger rested on the trigger of his pistol… if he were to kill her, here and now, would it be murder, or assisted suicide?

No. That’s not what a true hero would do… they’d turn her loose, or at most bring her in and try to get her some help, thought Arkham, bending over to grab Lightning Dust’s arm. “Can you stand?”

“You shot me in th-the leg… of course I can’t stand,” said Lightning with a sniffle.

“Okay, then, first things first, we get you to a hospital and get you patched up. Odds are you might be in jail for a while after that, but I happen to know some… powerful friends. I’ll try to see if they can do anything to get you back on your feet again,” said Arkham.

“O-okay,” said Lightning.

As The Arkham Knight took to the skies once again with Lightning Dust in his arms, he felt strange somehow. He felt as though doing things like this was his duty. He also felt pride and honor. Was this how his baby brother had felt whenever he’d been called into action?

Was this how it felt to be a true hero?

Equestria is MY home now. I must be the knight in shining armor who has to protect it from harm from the monsters who seek to harm its citizens, no matter what the cost may be… no matter who I must face….. does EVERY superhero have to sound this cheesy?

Running The Guantlet

Wheat Lee looked up from his clipboard at the sound of a large engine revving. Moments later, The Arkham Knight’s vehicle pulled into the laboratory. The cockpit opened, and out of the car climbed Arkham.

“I got your message. What’s this all about?” demanded Arkham as he approached the scientist.

“Well, first off, congratulations on apprehending Miss Dust. As a matter of fact, your actions left a bit of an impression on the population,” said Wheat Lee, pulling out a remote and turning on a nearby monitor. On it was a newscast.

“-news from Ponyville: a strange creature has appeared out of nowhere,” said the news anchor as footage of The Arkham Knight fighting the Shadowbolt came on the screen. “Nopony knows what it is or what its intentions are. However, all sources seem to agree on its name: The Arkham Knight. More on this story as it develops.”

As Wheat Lee turned off the monitor, The Arkham Knight chuckled softly. “I have to admit, that’s some damn good television,” he said.

“Don’t get too cocky, Arkham,” warned Wheat Lee.

“What? I was complimenting the TV.” The Arkham Knight said with a chuckle.

“True, you got an easy first fight but there might be tougher ones ahead.” warned Wheat Lee. “And more importantly, not all of the missions the Princesses want to send you on use the guns blazing approach. They’ll require a bit more stealth and finesse in order to be completed. That’s why they’re sending over some help.”

“Help? What do you mean help?” asked Arkham, mildly confused and interested at the same time.

“Who do you think?”

Arkham groaned in frustration as he turned to face the newcomers. Of all the ponies they had to send, they just had to send HIM. “Hello, Shining Armor,” he said.

Shining Armor, clad in his uniform, walked forward. With him was what appeared to be a bat pony wearing a stylized dark blue suit of armor with black fur and icy blue eyes with slits for pupils. “Hello Arkham. My name is Night Shade. I am the captain of the Lunar guard and will assist you in your stealth based training. Captain Armor has agreed to train you on combat.”

“I bet he begged for it, didn’t he?”

“Almost... but I had my dignity to take care of after all. Oh, and it was to make sure we have another round of fun.”

“Your definition of fun and mine are two very different things, cap.”

“I’ll bet they are, especially considering that you’re not from around here,” admitted Shining Armor. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get this thing started.”

“Very well, then, gentlecolts, if you’ll follow me,” said Wheat Lee.

The Arkham Knight, Shining Armor, and Night Shade followed Wheat Lee down various hallways, where it looked like a variety of things were being tested out, most of which were weapons such as a grenade that seemed to encase dummy targets in what looked like ice and a grapple claw that suspended the targets by their ankles or sent heavy objects flying towards them.

Finally, after a few moments of navigating the halls, Wheat Lee, The Arkham Knight, Shining Armor, and Night Shade arrived at what appeared to be just a dark room. Even with his mask’s enhanced vision capabilities, Arkham couldn’t see for more than ten feet in front of him.

“Where are we? What is this place?” asked the Knight.

“Lights,” said Wheat Lee.

As the lights slowly turned on, they revealed a very futuristic-looking room that reminded the Arkham Knight of something from the Tron movies, with its dark gray steel textures and glowing lines of neon light here and there. Scattered all across the floor were what appeared to be platforms of some kind, possibly for transporting target dummies of some kind.

“Gentlemen,” said Wheat Lee, turning to face The Arkham Knight, Shining Armor, and Night Shade, all three of whom seemed impressed with the room. “Welcome to The Proving Grounds.”

Arkham looked at Wheat Lee, his deadpanned expression hidden under his mask. “The Proving Grounds? That’s seriously the best name that you guys could come up with for this place?” he asked the scientist.

“Yes, well, calling it the Training Facility was too boring,” said Wheat Lee, a hint of irritation in his face. “Now, then, allow me to explain what’s what with this facility. This room is designed to run a full scale obstacle course to help you exercise your stamina and endurance. A fighting arena to train your durability and skills and a predator ground to help you improve on your stealth.”

“Okay... anything else?” Arkham asked.

“Well… we have a race course for your vehicle.”

This seemed to brighten the Knight’s mood. “Well, okay then. When do we start?” asked Arkham.

Wheat Lee smirked. “Combat training begins…right now,” he said.

And with that, he, Shining Armor, and Night Shade made their way into an observation booth while a squad of seven robots ascended from the floor and the Proving Grounds shifted into its Combat Arena mode. Arkham cracked his neck a bit as one robot came charging towards him.

“Bring it on, metal-” the Knight started to say before another robot tackled him and pushed him into the wall, knocking the wind out of him before it started to give him a beatdown that only got worse as the other robots joined in and started pummeling him.

“Ow, ow, okay, ow! Knock it off you buckets of bolts!” yelled Arkham while the three ponies in the control booth laughed their heads off.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” said Wheat Lee before he pressed a button on his control panel that deactivated the robots, revealing the battered form of The Arkham Knight underneath.

“Is your mask supposed to be flickering like a bad TV channel?” asked the grinning Shining Armor.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK, SMART ASS?!” yelled Arkham in anger as he pulled himself up off of the floor.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough you two,” said Wheat Lee with a smirk. “Let’s try something a little less painful for you, shall we? Like, say, some strength and endurance training?”

“Oh, yes, let’s,” said the Knight, his voice modulator full of sarcasm.

“No need to be snarky,” responded Wheat Lee as he changed the room to a track and field setting.

Arkham heaved a sigh and began to run the obstacle course. Hopefully this would be easier than getting thrown right into combat training.

…

Several hours later, The Arkham Knight was lying on the ground with his mask open, panting and gasping for breath as the sweat dripped off of him. Meanwhile, up above him, Shining Armor and Night Shade were discussing what exactly they should do with him.

“There’s a lot to be desired here if this Arkham Knight is to be Equestria’s supersoldier as the Princesses hope,” said Night Shade.

“Hey, I wasn’t exactly Royal Guard material myself when I first joined up. Now look at me. I’m Prince Concert of the Crystal Empire AND I’m the Captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard,” said Shining Armor. “Not entirely sure how that works, but still.”

“Fair enough,” said Night Shade with a shrug. “All the same, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”

“That I don’t doubt.”