Not the Equestrian Average
The calm wind settling in over Canterlot's cool blue morning is soothing to Swift Wind's silky, light grey mane as he gazes upon the bustling city. Sitting on his faded yellow pool side chair, he picks up the bottle of scotch sitting on the embroidered glass table to his right, pouring the fine liquid into a glass of ice. His button up shirt flaps openly in the breeze, lapping at his body with inconsistant movements.
Today is just like any other off-duty day, Swift relaxing by his personal penthouse pool. Despite being the pony he is, he always enjoyed the finer things in life. Scotch that costs nearly a thousand bits alone, a penthouse suite in the finest hotel in Canterlot with the most gorgeous view of the city that money can buy.
He does what he does to be able to keep up his luxurious lifestyle. He is a bodyguard, a spy, an assassin and things of the like. He doesn't do anything with discrimination and he doesn't accept jobs that will benefit the employer just because he wants. His motivation is money. The golden bits that can buy him whatever he likes is his reason for doing the things he does.
He doesn't care much for politics or anything else that creates a problem or complication that is deemed unnecessary. Like music and subgenres, only purpose in existence is to stoke everypony's constant fire of hatred to those around them.
In his eyes, life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer to the end you get, the faster it goes and he isn't one to waste each little sheet on pointless matters that only cause problems. That's why for the right price, he will do anything. You need a bodyguard? Nothing he can't handle. Need someone to gather sensitive information with open ears but a closed muzzle? He's got you covered. Need somepony who is causing you a problem to disappear? He is your pony.
He has been hired to murder cheating boyfriends, greedy politicians, and more. Some might think that killing a pony of importance would be a bold and risky move; not to Swift.
For Swift, titles and badges hold no more weight than the balance on a scale. Your prefix doesn't put you in a higher place than anypony else. One of his greatest philosophies is if you bleed red, you are no different from anypony else on Celestia's sunlit earth.
A loud beep breaks the peaceful silence that has fallen over the opulent high rise from behind the glass back doors of the suite. Gulping down the last of the aged beverage, he stands up over his chair and takes a glance at the distant sunrise, rays of yellow glistening off the ripples of blue on the pool's surface.
He turns and heads to the door and once inside walks over to the intercom on the wall and the red button next to it. "Yes?"
"Mr. Wind," the feminine voice of the receptionist in the lobby comes through the intercom clearly. "There is somepony down here looking for you."
"What's their name, Gemma?" Gemma is a former accountant, age twenty-three with a deceased husband and three kids. Swift has known her for years having met just after high school and knows these things through an extensive background check as she is on his payroll, along with many other ponies in Canterlot.
"He says his name is Zephyr."
"What does Zephyr want?" Swift asks.
"He says he has a business proposition for you."
Swift ponders this for a moment. He just recently finished a job last week with enough money to last him for at least another two or three months. Thinking over his options, the idea of having a possible five or six month vacation crosses his mind and he is pleased with the possibility. "Have a guard pat him down and send him up."
Swift flies up to the indoor balcony that holds his bedroom and looks through one of his wardrobe's for a nice suit. His eyes focusing in on a beige linen suit, he pulls it down from the rack gently with his teeth and slides the suit on and walks into the bathroom. Staring at himself in the mirror, he straightens the turquoise bow and the pocket square and looks at himself for a moment more. His turquoise eyes match the bow and square perfectly in terms of shading and the suit itself is almost a complete match for his sandpaper colored coat.
Knocking at the door brings his attention from his appearance back to reality. He flies over the balcony and down to the first floor and lands in front of the door. Peaking through the hole on the door, Swift sees a roughly styled blonde mane with strands of grey coursing through it and a midnight blue coat. The pony is wearing a black, business tux and a black top hat and is hovering with magic a black with silver hardware case directly behind him.
Swift opens the door, the pony immediately greeting him with "Mr. Wave?"
Accepting the use of his false alias, Swift responds with a smile, "The one and only. Come in," Swift steps aside and motions his hoof for Zephyr to enter.
After taking in the size and elegance of the penthouse suite, Zephyr says, "I can see you are doing well for yourself, Mr. Wave."
"I do enough to get by," Swift says smoothly, closing the door and walking over to a small table and pouring two glasses of the finest wine in Canterlot.
"Let's talk business shall we?" Bringing the two crystalized glasses over to Zephyr, Swift nods his head. Taking the glass in his telekinetic grasp, Zephyr begins, "So there is some information that I need to get ahold of. Very sensative information." Zephyr takes a small, experimental sip of the wine that he is given and nods his head in approval, hovering the glass away from him to get a better look at the dark red liquid.
"Sounds like my kind of thing," Swift says to him, motioning for Zephyr to sit on one of the soft couches whilst also taking a seat for himself in a chair across the coffee table from him.
"I'm hoping so," Zephyr begins before taking another sip of the exotic drink. "The problem is, only one pony holds this information. I don't know if you know who I am, but I own one of the most well-known drug import and export operations in Canterlot and this pony stole from me."
Great, another 'he stole my drugs' scandal, Swift says to himself, whilst mentally rolling his eyes.
"A drug deal went wrong when one of my men figured out one among the buyers was a snitch. Something leads me to believe that the entire ordeal was setup, as the one who my soldiers tell me is the snitch, ran away with an entire crate of the purest drug money can buy during the chaos of local authorities arriving.
"Any idea who this pony is?" Swift asks with a twinge of hope in his voice. He really hopes that Zephyr at least has a name for snitch because if he doesn't, that means this job is going to require him to put more effort than what is comfortable to him.
"One of my crew members said something about a Blue Sapphire," Zephyr says to Swift's relieved face.
"Alright, I think I can work with that. What information are you wanting and how do you want me to go about getting it?" With the amount of money that Swift's services cost, he likes to provide options for the buyer. Of course, there is a base price for everything; being a bodyguard is definitely his cheapest service with a flat rate. However, information gathering is a bit more expensive. If it is something simple such as eavesdropping or breaking into an office and stealing or making copies of file, you are looking at ten grand. Seven grand is for the service, two is for the risk and one is for secrecy. While the first two are mandatory, secrecy is not. He wouldn't go and tell anyone but if someone asked, there wouldn't be anything holding his lips together.
When we get down to a darker side of information gathering, which is the type of job this is starting to look like, you are looking at a minimum of thirty grand.
Prices are based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the popularity of the victim and special requests. Usually rich wives or husbands are the ones with special requests of how they want their cheating significant other dealt with. But every case is special and Swift is indifferent.
In response to Swift's question, Zephyr replies, "I almost don't care about the two employees dying, but I do care about the coke," this is when Swift realizes that Zephyr is an asshole but the money this job will earn him will keep his opinion to himself. "I want to know where the merchandise is and do whatever you have to get the information.
"And for the snitch?"
"Dump him in the pond under the city," Zephyr gulps down the last bit of the wine. "Alive."
~~~~~~~~
Swift grabs his beige fedora with a turquoise band from the hat rack and puts it on, his ears slipping through the ear holes comfortably. He closes the backdoor and locks it and takes to the sky. After negotiating prices, he let Zephyr go on his way and now Swift is on his way to the police station to pull some information on his new target.
He flies in between the skyscrapers of the never sleeping city of Canterlot. It's about one-thirty in the afternoon which means Swift's contact should be getting off soon. The police station is now in sight but it doesn't seem that all is well.
The streets all around the station are blocked off and three medical wagons are outside of the stations front doors and several swat units armed with batons and crossbows line the streets and entrance. A pool of blood is visible from the on the side walk in front of the stations doors. Something definitely happened down there.
Swift floats down to the outside of the perimeter and lands about ten feet in front of the roped off crime scene. A uniformed pony notices Swift approaching the ropes, but Swift notices the pony moving to intercept him.
The uniformed pony says, "Sir, this area is off limits I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
Swift responds by pulling a counterfeit badge adorned with a real picture of him but a fake alias from his pocket. He allows the officer a long glance before returning it to his pocket. "I'm Agent Shock Wave of the Equestrian Bureau of Investigation. Mind briefing me on what happened here?" Swift tacks on the question for the legitimacy of his false identification.
"A couple of goons from what is presumed to be a gang attempted a jailbreak on a recently incarcerated fugitive. Two injured officers and a deceased assailant."
This is actually an eyebrow raiser for Swift considering the current circumstances. "In broad daylight?"
"Yep, and motive isn't very clear either."
"Who were they trying to break out?"
"Somepony named Sapphire, although not really sure why."
Jackpot. The pony he is looking for is has been arrested. He might be getting slightly over payed for this job.
He walks up the steps to the front doors and enters the building, the officer who was accompanying him going his own way. The receptionist on the right is scurrying about in her little office space. "Excuse me," Swift says to grab her attention. One she stops, he continues, "Do you know where Lt. Sliverwing is?" Swift pulls up his badge from his front pocket to ensure he gets a response worth his time.
"He should be in his office." Right as Swift is about to thank her, she says, "I'll warn you, he isn't in the greatest of moods."
"I can imagine," Swift says as he is about to walk away. "Thank you."
Swift begins to make his way through the building towards Sliverwing's office. A group of medics with a gurney rush by Swift, a uniformed officer groaning, his hooves rapped around the shaft of an arrow, blood caking his uniform and the gurney under him.
Once upon the door with a name plate in the center reading "Lt. Sliverwing", he knocks on the closed door. A shout from the other side giving him the okay to come in, Swift opens the door.
Sliverwing is shuffling through all kinds of different papers says with a hint of aggravation, "Hello, Swift."
Swift nods his head,"Sliverwing."
"What brings you by? I know it isn't because of this recent event."
"As always, you are right," Swift says, walking up to the desk. "Although I am sorry about your ponies-"
"You're sorry for them?" Sliverwing asks in mock shock. "They'll live! The amount of paperwork I'm stuck with is going to put me under."
After a light chuckle, Swift makes the reason he is here known. "So, I need to speak to the pony they were trying to break out."
"Okay, might I ask what for?" Swift gives a glare as a response. Sliverwing sighs, "Right. He's in the holding cells. I've heard that he has been making quite the ruckus so it should be easy to tell which one is him."
"Thanks, Sliverwing."
"Yeah, yeah," Sliverwing responds passively.
Swift exits the office and turns down the hall to his left, back the way he came. The hallway ends and the sectional offices begin, several ponies in cuffs and horn-locks sitting at various desks through out the room. The room's ceiling is high with a large moon roof in the center, the morning sun gleaming into at an angle.
Continuing across the back end of the building to the other side, he meets another hallway and walks down it to a flight of stairs. When enters the stairwell that only goes down, Swift hears shouting somewhere at the bottom.
Swift sighs and walks down the stairs. At the bottom he opens the door and enters a hallway with many cells to the left and the right. Many remain empty but there are five that have occupants.
As he glances into each occupied cell, one pony catches his eye. A younger stallion, couldn't be older than sixteen, sits on a mattress atop a concrete slab against the wall, head hanging low and staring at the ground.
Swift resists the urge to stop. For a split second he saw himself at that age in cell. His past moving from foster home to foster home always kept him in trouble. Whether it was sneaking out or stealing. He always used sneaking out more as a way tontrain himself more than it was for getting away. He knew if he ran they would get him and they'd just bring him right back.
Despite his urge, Swift continues farther down to the holding cells. The yelling gets gradually louder, bouncing off the painted, cinderblock walls.
"I did what you asked! You wanted to know and now you do! I held up my end of the deal!"
Swift sighs again.
"Hey," a pony from the last cell on the row grabs Swift's attention. "Are you going back to the holding cells?"
"What's it to you?" Swift asks the pony who is now standing up off his own bed and is walking over to the bars. Speaking up loud enough for everyone in the downstairs part of the P.D. to hear, "I was just hoping you could shut that crying bitch up!"
Swift looks at the pony for a moment but to his surprise the pony that was yelling stops. Swift looks at the pony in the cell expectantly. "Is that really all it took?! Sweet Celestia," the pony mumbles and walks back over to the bed. Swift chuckles and continues walking and turning left down the hallway to the holding cells.
Each cell has a wooden door with a rectangular, bullet proof window above the door knob. Swift passes by three of the cells before finally seeing a pony.
The pony is a soft but dark blue, with a light blue mane that kinks up in the front, as if it were trying curl.
Swift puts his fake badge to the door's card lock and inserts it. The light on the lock flashes red and then green and the door opens. The pony looks up at Swift with a tear in his eye, then he looks back down. "Here to tell me another broken promise?"
Swift scoffs sarcastically. "Such hostility"
"I have a right to be hostile! They lied to me," the stallion yells. He doesn't seem much younger than Swift, maybe his early twenties.
"What did they lie to you about," Swift asks him. Cooperation is key.
"They told me that if I gave up to the location of that drug deal, they would let me go free and no charges."
"How did you get into this situation?" The pony starts to stand up and Swift gets in a defensive stance and says in a stern voice, "Sit back down!"
The pony looks at him in shock and sits back down. Returning back to the question, the pony answers, "I got busted during a previous drug deal and was arrested and they said if I turned on the others they would let me go and put me in witness protection."
This news is good for Swift because now he has an easy reason to take this pony with him. "What did you say your name was?" Swift asks.
"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," the pony responds, Swift's eyes narrowing.
"This is not a game that two colt's play when their parents aren't looking," Swift begins to raise his voice to make sure the point comes across loud and clear. "You can either tell me your name and I can go fulfill that promise they failed to keep or you can keep playing games and rot in this cell for a length of time based on your judge's discretion. Choose now," Swift finishes, relying on the pony to not overthink it.
And he doesn't. "Okay, okay! My name is Sapphire!"
"That wasn't so hard was it?" Swift asks but instead of letting him answer, Swift continues, "I'm Agent Shock Wave with the Equestrian Bureau of Investigation."
"That's how you are going to fulfill your promise right," Sapphire asks him more rhetorically than anything.
"Correct. I'll be back with some papers to get you released. Sit tight." Swift lets the door close behind as he makes his way back up to the offices to get the release papers. On his way down the hallway of cells the inmate that stopped him earlier says, "Thank Celestia for whatever you did back there to shut his ass up."
Swift smiles as he continues walking and says "You're welcome."
Swift then passes the cell with the young stallion in it. He is now lying on his back with his wings spread out against the cold, stone floor.
~~~~~~~~
Swift stops back by Sliverwing's office and enters unannounced. "Sliverwing, I need release papers for Sapphire."
"I can't just let you-"
"Not optional."
Sliverwing sighs after attempting and failing to make another remark. He pulls the papers out of his desk and slides them towards Swift. "Thanks," then Swift thought about the colt down in the cells. "Hey, what is that colt doing down there? How'd he get here?"
"Simple theft, again."
"Let me get another set of those papers."
"Swift, come on," Swift clears his throat in warning to Sliverwing for using his real name, which Sliverwing ignores. "You can't release every single pony in here, you know?"
"I know that. Think about the favor I'm doing for the tax payers though," Swift says, knowing that either way Sliverwing will give him the papers. That's what being on a payroll means. Swift doesn't like to threaten the ones he pays to be on his side. By bringing that up in brings a level of mistrust and that's just not something you want when dealing with these type of things.
"Fine, here," Sliverwing reluctantly pulls out another set of papers and slides them across the desk. "I hope there is a favor coming my way."
"As always," Swift responds as he leaves the room.
~~~~~~~~
After going through the long process of signatures and authorization, Swift is heading back down to the cells to give them to the respective ponies.
He decides to surprise the colt by walking past him and continues walking to Sapphire in the holding cells. Opening the door to the holding cell, Swift walks in and flops the stack of papers on the floor and drops a pen next to it.
"I've marked everywhere you need to sign so go ahead and hop to it," Swift tells an eager looking Sapphire as he scurries over to the papers.
He quickly and quietly fills the papers out and gives them to Swift. When he finishes, Swift takes them and motions for him to go first out the door.
As they go back down the hallway, Swift stops Sapphire by stepping on his tail and drops the papers and tells him to wait.
Swift slides the papers across the floor and into the cell that the colt is in. The papers bump him on the head and the colt jumps up and spins around. He first looks at me and to the papers looking a little confused. "My name is Agent Shock Wave with the EBI and today is your lucky day."
Some Things Can't Be Rushed
Swift, Sapphire and the colt who's name was found to be Jake, exit the front doors of the police station together. Swift continues walking but Sapphire and Jake stop behind him. To see why, Swift turns around.
"So, what next?" Sapphire asks.
"Well, I was going to let you two come by my place for while and talk," Swift says coolly.
"That sounds boring," Jake pipes up.
Swift hasn't ever really dealt with children before so his puzzled reaction to the comment isn't really surprising.
"Oh come on, buddy," Swift says while desperately searching for something to convince them. "I live on the top floor and there's a pool up there, too."
"I'll believe it when I see it," Jake responds, barely hiding his excitement.
"You'll have to come with me to see it."
Jake thinks over it for a second before saying, "I guess I can come with you."
"Alright, that's one onboard," Swift says looking over at Sapphire. He too is thinking over it. "Hey, I got you out of there, the least you could do is come over and chat."
That is all it took to convince Sapphire. "I suppose you're right. Thank you for getting me out. I should have known those lying crooks would do something like that."
"Hey, not all of them are bad," Swift says as he turns around and continues walking. The police line that roped off the block is now gone and much of the activity is gone.
They continue the long walk down Canterlot's big city sidewalks. "So, how old are you Jake?" Swift asks.
"I'm twelve but I'll be thirteen soon," he replies eagerly.
"What are you doing getting sent to jail at such a young age?" Swift says with concern but also with a smile because the colt reminded him of himself at a younger age.
"I don't like my foster parents because they are abusive so I ran away. I've got to eat somehow," Jake responds without remorse.
"Have you ever thought you could be better than this? Better than stealing from the nearest corner store?" Swift asks.
The colt thinks for a moment before answering. "I don't guess I have."
"There is a lot more to life than just surviving, Jake. Everything is an opportunity if you just take it."
The group rounds a corner in silence, Jake taking in what he was just told and Sapphire making a mental note as well.
"Here we are," Swift says while crossing the street to the entrance of the massive forty-four story luxury apartment.
"Whoa, you live here?" Jake asks in amazement and Sapphire to looking at the building in awe.
"Sure do, kid," Swift responds, opening the door and letting them walk in ahead of them.
When Swift enters, Gemma sitting at her desk looks up and greets him. "Welcome home, Mr. Swift," she says enthusiastically. "You have guests, I see."
"Hello, Gemma," Swift stops for a second, Jake is still taking in the elegance of the lobby and Sapphire looks a bit nervous. "Gemma, this is Sapphire," Swift points to the blue unicorn and then at the colt pegasus, "and that's Jake."
"Hey guys," she responds as Swift starts walking off.
Once he stops at the elevators on the far side of the lobby and calls back, "Gemma, no visitors until I say other wise."
"I've got you covered, Mr. Swift," she assures him.
The elevator opens and Jake and Sapphire enter it and then Swift. The elevator doors close and Jake says, "I thought your name was Shock Wave."
"I'll tell you all about it in a moment," Swift responds.
About a minute passes and the elevator stops and they all step out. The door is about ten feet in front of the elevator, only two other doors in the hallway but both are just utility closets. The entire top two floors are Swift's apartment.
He puts his key card through the door and a metal panel slides up on the wall to the left. Swift looks straight into the magical device that is the retina scanner and the metal cover over the door knob's key hole opens. Swift pulls the key from his coat pocket and inserts the key with his muzzle and opens the door.
Sapphire says, "That's a large amount of security." Swift ignores the statement knowing that as soon as he steps inside, he will know why.
Swift walks in and steps behind the door, allowing them to come in. Neither says anything, only jaws dropped in wonder adorn their faces as they glance around the expensive and opulent apartment.
"Celestia, this is beautiful," Sapphire says.
Swift smiles, "Sure is. And I busted my flank for a long time to achieve it and still do sometimes." Swift turns to Jake who still has a look of wonder on his face and says, "This is what I mean when I say to take every opportunity you can. Jake, I used to be just like you. Running away from foster homes, stealing, living on the streets and the list goes on," Swift turns around and looks outside at the now afternoon sun that's beating down from above and into the apartment. "An opportunity presented itself to me and I took it," he turns back around. "Now, ponies run away from me, ponies want to steal from me, I live in a half of a million bit hotel room and the list goes on." Swift then realizing that he sounds like a braggart, shortens down to the point. "I see potential in you because basically, you are what I was and I know you can do better, because I did better."
Jake only looks at the floor not knowing what to say and a few moments pass in silence.
"I don't mean to barge in on your moment," Sapphire says. "What is your name?"
Swift knew he wasn't going to get out of this situation. He didn't mind if anypony knew his real name, he just keeps a false alias for, well, breaking out a couple of fugitives without lawful resistance. "I'll start with the fact that I do not work for the EBI at all. My name is not Shock Wave, it's Swift Wind."
"If you don't work for the EBI, then how did you get us out?" Sapphire asks, Jake now paying full attention as well.
"Connections and social engineering," Swift responds with a smile.
"Social engineering?" Jake asks inquisitively.
"Yes, it's a method that is easily the biggest threat to every security protocol in existence. It's a form of manipulation, causing the pony you're using it on to involuntarily skip normal security procedures," Swift says, knowing that he has peaked there interest. "Basically tricking them into saying something they wouldn't normally tell you."
A few moments pass as they take in what the mysterious pony is saying to them. Jake thinks it's really cool and is thinking of ways that knowing how to be a social engineer could benefit him.
Sapphire is now a little nervous at the prospect that ponies can get away with such things like what was just described to him. Now he wants to know what Swift wants out of them.
"So, why'd you do it?" Sapphire asks Swift.
Swift responds with a question. "Do what?"
"Why'd you break us out? Why are we enough trouble to go through?"
"I'll tell you the reason I broke you out in a moment, but Jake I can tell both of you," Swift waits for a moment before continuing. "When I passed by Jake's cell on the way to yours, I saw myself in him. I was just like him." Jake's head slowly droops down and Swift notices this. "Don't get down about it; I didn't say it was a bad thing." Jake relaxes slightly and looks up to see Swift's confident smile. "Just remember what I told you."
"What about me?" Sapphire asks impatiently.
"Follow me," Swift replies and starts heading up the stairs, "Jake, stay down here. I'll be back down in a minute."
Sapphire follows him up the stairs although a little reluctantly, still kind of skittish of the myterious pony.
Once on the landing, Swift turns around and waits for Sapphire. Sapphire climbs up the last step and keeps a distance from Swift.
Swift walks to the large windows that look out over the swimming pool, the evening sun beginning to set, glistening bright orange off the blue ripples.
"You were given the word of one of the officers that you would be released and all charges dropped, correct?"
"Yeah," Sapphire replies.
"Now, I know you stole thag crate of drugs during the chaos of the police showing up and the gangs fighting with each other."
"What?! No I did not!" Sapphire is shocked by Swift's quick assumption but Swift is too confident in the fact.
"I'm afraid you did. Did you hear about those ponies that attempted to break you out?"
"Break me out?"
"Yes, a group of ponies by the gang that was going to buy those drugs came after you, because you know where they are."
"No, I don't," Sapphire replies nervously.
Sift raises his voice, now angry at him lying, "Yes you do! You wonder why the police didn't keep their promise? Because you didn't uphold your end of the deal, which was for them to get a hold of the narcotics that were being sold."
Sapphire doesn't say anything for a moment, "I don't know where they are!"
Swift has had enough. His hoof connects with Sapphire's muzzle, knocking him off his hooves. Swift steps over him and hits him again with practiced coordination, knocking Sapphire out cold.
Swift goes to his closet and pulls a rope from the back along with a gag. Swift ties Sapphire's fore hooves together and his back hooves together, and puts the gag on him.
Swift looks at the pile of work and sees something is missing. He goes back to his closet and looks around. A horn lock goes right on a unicorns horn and are universally sized. With one on, the unicorn cannot use their magic at all.
Putting the horn lock on Sapphire, Swift walks back downstairs, leaving the unconscious pony in the middle of the floor.
Once he gets downstairs, Swift looks around to find Jake but doesn't see him anywhere. "Jake?" Swift hears something break in the kitchen. Swift enters the kitchen and sees Jake standing there with a halfway worried look and a glass in pieces on the floor.
"I am re..really sorry Mr. Shock-...Swift, I didn't means too," Jake says shakily and with a slur.
Swift notices his demeanor, then looks around the kitchen and sees an open bottle of scotch with a little bit of it spilled on the counter.
Realizing now what is going on, Swift says, "Did you drink some of that?"
"Y-yess, but I wush really thirsty, Swift," he replies.
Swift doesn't know what to do. He has a slightly drunk twelve year old on his hooves and a pony bound and gagged upstairs.
"You ar-aren't mad are you?" Jake asks.
Swift decides to keep it cool, he isn't mad. Still a little rushed from the event upstairs but he found this situation rather amusing.
"No, I'm not mad," Swift assures the little colt. It's soon going to be dark and he planned on letting the colt leave pretty soon but he couldn't let him leave like this. He'd just get arrested again and if he did it could cause Swift some unwanted attention if they found out where he got the booze from. "Okay, do you have anypony who would be looking for you?"
"No," he says stumbling a little bit. Not wanting him to step on the glass Swift moves it all to the side carefully with one of his wings and helps him over to one of the couches in the living room.
"Okay, you don't go outside this room. Don't go upstairs at all ever and don't go near the pool unless I'm there watching," Swift tells him after he sits down. "Promise?"
"Promise."
Swift nods and goes back to the kitchen and cleans up the glass on the floor. This is going to be a long night, Swift thinks to himself. A beep from the intercom in the living room grabs his attention. Swift walks back to the living room towards the door and answers the intercom, "Yes?"
"Mr. Swift, sorry to disturb you. It's Mr. Zephyr again, he says he wants to talk with you," Gemma says.
"I said no visitors," Swift says irritably.
"He refuses to leave, sir."
Swift sighs. These big shots and their ignorance, Swift thinks to himself before replying, "I'll be right down."
Swift scowls and flies up to the second floor, passing the unconscious pony and into the walk-in closet next to the bathroom. He walks through the clothes to a secret room hidden behind them and puts his eye up to the magical scanner to the right. The light turns green and the door splits in two and retracts into the wall on either side.
The room is a solid steel, explosive resistant box. It has many tools and weapons in it. An assortment of crossbows hang on the wall, many of them customized for different environments. Several explosives of many types lay in ordinance crates on metal shelves. A box full of unused arrow-proof vests sits in the corner and a wide selection of knives lay inside one of the glass see-through cases mounted on the wall. Swift grabs a crossbow from the wall to his left and reaches down to the box of arrows beneath them and pulls out a quiver full of grapple tips and throws them on his shoulder.
He closes the door behind him as he leaves and floats down over the balcony and to the front door. He turns around to face Jake who is still sitting on the couch and says, "I'll be back. Remember what I told you."
"You can...can count on me!" He says, hiccuping afterwards. Swift chuckles and opens the door to leave when Jake asks, "Where did Sapphire g-go?"
"He said he had to leave," Swift lies. "Something about a marefriend."
"Eww."
Swift chuckles a second time and closes the door behind him.
~~~~~~~~
The elevator opens with a ding and Swift continues out into the main lobby, the marble tiled floor cool to the touch. "What can I do for you Mr. Zephyr?"
Zephyr has two body guards with him, both of them levitating crossbows above their heads at Swift. "When do you plan on giving me the information? Or are you going to steal the product for yourself?"
"I'm insulted that you would think of me as someone who would indulge in such petty things like narcotics, first of all," Zephyr's nostrils flare at Swift's statement. "Second of all, a rule of agreement was that you do not interfere, as I can handle the job myself, as I always have."
"Do you even know where the target is?"
"As a matter of fact, I do," Swift says nonchalantly. "I even know his full name, an extensive background check on file, and his current location."
"Tell me where he is then," Zephyr says trying to test Swift's knowledge.
"The precinct four blocks from here in a holding cell," Swift lies.
The guard to the right whispers to the guard on the left, "I told you."
"I assume you are the one behind the attack at the P.D.?" Swift asks Zephyr, truly hoping he won't lie to him.
"Indeed," Zephyr says confidently.
"I told you not to interfere!"
"I don't think you know who's calling the shots here, Shock Wave." Swift laughs at the ignorance in his statement. He thinks he calls the shots but he doesn't even know his real name. Zephyr nods his head sideways at the guard on his right. The guard turns his bow and his gaze to Gemma. The sliding sound of wood on metal and a small splatter sound resonates in the lobby. Gemma's body slumps to the floor and out of sight behind the desk.
"Son of a-" Swift begins as he pulls his own loaded bow around to point at the pony who is now reloading his but is quickly interrupted by Zephyr.
"Let's simmer down for a moment," Zephyr says. "Come on now, lower your weapon, it's not going to do you any good." Swift's breathing now quickened, he looks over his options. Realizing he has no other move, he lowers his bow but still keeps it at the ready. "You've got til end of day tomorrow to finish what I tasked you with or our agreement is void. You know, if you think you can handle it."
Swift only stares him down, "I still call the shots, bud. Whether you believe it or not, whether you like it or not. Just remember I know where Sapphire is and you don't. Sapphire knows where your drugs are, I don't. You take me out of the equation, you are still left with the nothing you came to me with." Swift doesn't stay to get a reaction out of him because has seen and heard enough. Swift gets to the elevator and opens it before turning around and pointing a hoof at the receptionists' desk. "Oh, and you are cleaning that up or by end of day tomorrow, your little peasants will be cleaning you up off the floor," Swift finishes coldly before pressing the elevator to go back up.
~~~~~~~~
Swift goes through the security procedures on the door and walks back inside his suite, closing the door behind.
He looks over to the couch to check on Jake but the young stallion is out cold. Soft snores emit from that side of the living room and Swift sneaks by, flying up to the second floor and back to the weapon closet. He returns the crossbow to its mount on the wall and the quiver to the box below it.
He walks out of the closet and into the loft that is his bedroom. The bound pony is still there not having moved an inch and still unconscious. He loads the pony on a luggage cart that he normally keeps in his room in case of situations like this and drags the pony onto it.
He slowly eases it down the stairs carefully to not wake Jake and continues through the front door and back into the elevator. He presses the elevator button for the second floor and descends.
The door opens and he carts through the second floor to another elevator that will take him to the basement.
The door opens and he continues his descent and once at the bottom, walks out into the dark room that is the basement. A single light from the ceiling illuminates a small area that has a small table of tools and a chair with metal cuff restraints.
A hat and coat rack sits to the side and Swift takes his expensive coat and fedora off, leaving it on the rack.
He brings the pony over to the table and drags him up on the table with only a little bit of trouble. He unties Sapphire who is still knocked out and straps each hoof in with the metal cuff on the four corners of the rectangular slab.
Swift set his head in a metal brace that keeps him looking forward at all times and Swift takes the gag off of him.
Swift taps his hoof against Sapphire faces and nudges him until he awakes.
"Gah, shit," Sapphire slurs looking around blinking a couple of times. His eyes go wide upon seeing Swift. "No, no-"
"Okay before you start screaming senselessly, let me explain-" Swift starts before being interrupted.
"Help! Somepony help me!" Sapphire yells before Swift punches him straight in the muzzle again.
"I said shut up and listen," Swift begins, giving a moment to see if he would respond. After keeping quiet and just wimpering softly, Swift continues, "I've been tasked by an employer, the same one who sent those ponies to break you out of jail to get information that only you know to him."
"Please, I don't know anything! Please," Swift punches him in the muzzle again, Sapphire emitting a pained gasp.
"Shut up and listen or I will make this night a lot more painful than it has to be," Swift growls lowly. "The employer just killed one of my employees, so his agenda is not of my concern any longer. I will get him that information, however. This can be as painless as you want it to be. You hold more power than you would think being bound to a chair can give you."
"I don't know anything!" Sapphire yells again, "Somepony help me!"
"Wrong answer!" Swift says and punches the pony in the face two more times. Sapphire starts to cry a little bit and let's out a loud wimper. To prove Swift's point he yells loudly, "Nopony can hear you! Tell me where that crate is!
"I don't know where it! I swear!" Sapphire cries.
"I'm a bodyguard, an assassin, an informant...you think I can't tell if somepony is lying to me?!"
Swift grabs a potion that is sitting on the table next to him and pours the white liquid into a small cup and forces open Sapphire's quivering mouth and pours the liquid in.
"I'm telling you, this is as easy as YOU make it." The pony stays quiet. "What are you going to do? Sell it? Is going through what I'm about to do to you really worth the money?" Once again silence. "I gave you a chance."
Swift walks over to the metal table, the various instruments reflecting the light of the bulb above them. Swift looks over them, surveying which one he'll start with. "You know, I don't feel like getting bloody tonight, so let's keep that to a minimal," Swift says as he walks off into the darkness that it the area where the bulb's light doesn't reach.
Swift returns and stops right in front of Sapphire, hovering slightly above the ground with a wooden baseball bat in hoof. Sapphire whimpers softly and Swift says, "Last chance. Where is the crate?"
"I'm telling you I don't know-"
"Wrong!" Swift brings down the bat with a hard swing and hit Sapphire straight in the lower front part of his back leg. He screams out in pain and starts sobbing and struggling in the restraints to no avail. "I told you that this can be as painless as you make it! Where is the crate?!"
"I-I d-don't know," Sapphire forces out, biting his lip and grunting loudly in pain.
"Swing batter batter, sw-" The last part is inaudible over the sound of bat on bone and Sapphire's agonizing screams as Swift brought the bat back down on the same leg. "Do you think I like torturing people? Do you think I get off on this shit? Cooperation is key! The faster you cooperate, the sooner this is all over!" Swift yells at the heavy-breathing pony hoping to convince him to spill the beans. Swift doesn't like yelling a lot, but during jobs like these yelling makes him look insane, which is good when dealing with these types of situations. If people assume he won't stop at anything then maybe they will cooperate.
Which isn't working.
"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!" Sapphire screams out to the darkness.
"Why won't you just tell me? Why make this hard?"
"Because I don't know!"
Swift brings the bat down on the same leg for a third time with full force. A loud smack sound and screaming ensues and Swift throws the bat across the room in a fit of rage.
He flips the table that Sapphire is strapped to until it's horizontal and he grabs the roll of saran wrap under the table of tools and rips a decent sized square of the plastic off.
Swift walks into the darkness and returns with a water hose in his mouth. He wraps the saran wrap around Sapphire's head and turns the water hose on.
Letting the water poor right next to Sapphire's, Swift says, "That baseball bat is zero compared to what I'm about to do. You sure you don't want to give it up?"
Sapphire just sits there, staring at the ceiling. His neck musles are twitching and his whole demeanor is as if he doesn't care at all. Swift is about the change that.
Swift drags the hose over and the water begins pouring on Sapphire's head. He doesn't react much at first but as a few seconds pass he begins struggling. "Hard to breathe?" Swift asks nonchalantly.
Sapphire begins attempting to pull his legs free of the restraints with an obvious flinch on his back righ leg. Swift let's the water pour for a bit longer and when Sapphire starts struggling less he stops the water and pulls the plastic off his face.
Sapphire starts desperately taking in breath trying to regain lost oxygen. His chest heaving with every breath and coughing.
"So, about that crate?"
"O-okay!" Sapphire sobs between breaths and coughs. "It''s stored in a wareho-house in the industrial area of C-Canterlot!"
"I need more than that!"
"It's..." Sapphire stops and Swift takes immidiate notice.
"That's good! It's almost over, just spit it out!"
"It's on P.V. Drive, th-third one on the left. The crate is inside of a blue shipping container. It's the only one without a label."
Swift turns the table upright and begins walking towards the elevator and says in a rough tone, "You'd better not be lying."
