At the stroke of midnight...
As the large clock tower at the center of Manehatten struck twelve the rain was pouring out like a leaking faucet from the heavens hitting the window ceil of the abandoned warehouse at pier thirteen. Rats scurried along the gutters that drained the falling water into the river. Darkness stretched over the entire city gripping it with its black hand.
Nights like these always made coin purse nervous. Coin Purse was a large brown stallion with a white mane and a cutiemark to match his name. He grew up in the slums of Manehatten with his mother and kid sister. His mother was a very poor woman that could hardly feed her two children so at a young age he took to crime. He started with a few small smash and grab jobs that gave Coin just enough to keep himself fed. When he turned twenty he graduated to muggings and house breaking. At twenty five he took work as an enforcer for a local loan shark and now he was a thug for the mob.
That night he was told he would be playing watchdog while the boss was working out a deal with some big time drug dealers. The better the deal went the bigger his cut would be so he usually didn't care but, tonight he just had a bad feeling something would go south.
"What's wrong Purse got cold feet?" his companion asked as he lit his cigarette outside the door the two stallions guarded.
"I don't know but, somethin' don't feel right about this. You heard what happened to Boomer and his boys."
"Yeah They botched a delivery job and the cops iced em'." He told his friend in a rather uncaring tone since he never really liked Boomer much anyway.
"I heard that he got to them before the cops ever got there. A buddy of mine says it looked like a massacre." Coin sad with a hint of fear that showed in both his voice and face."
"Who the shadow? come on man gimme' a break, that's just a story they tell the new guys so they don't screw up a job. I'm tellin' ya there ain't know shadow offin' our guys." He said trying to reassure his friend that the rumors were just some hogwash someone put in the papers.
"Now i'm gonna go water the flowers if ya catch my meanin'. Don't let the shadow getcha' while I'm gone." He said with a chuckle while he turned a corner out of sight.
Coin Purse mumbled insults about his companion waiting for him to return when suddenly he heard a scream from where his partner had went to. There he found lying in a puddle of blood with his eyes still wide open he found his partner. Coin ran for the door he was meant to be guarding so he could warn his boss of the intruder only to discover the door wide open as if someone had entered without his knowledge.
"Boss! Boss! we've been made! Someone offed dagger!" He screamed at the top of his lungs while he ran toward the spot where the deal was going down. He had interrupted right in the middle of the exchange.
" What? Who did it? Never mind who did it we need to beat it before the cops show!" The well dressed mare in the suit commanded with urgency.
"Ms. Ring it seems that since you cannot even set up a meeting without attracting unwanted attention we must take our business elsewhere." Said one of the ponies on the opposite side of the deal. then they left without any concern for their former business partners.
"That's the thing boss the cops aren't here, I didn't see nobody!" coin purse tried to explain to his superior. when suddenly a menacing laughter echoed throughout the building as if it was everywhere at once.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Did you really think I wouldn't know Gold Ring?" the voice called out naming Coin's leader as his target. it echoed across the building seemingly coming from all directions.
"I know that it was you who ordered those thugs to wreck that shop on 3rd street last week claiming hospitalizing the owner and his wife. All because they refused to serve as a front for your money laundering scheme."
"Where are you? to afraid to face me on your own?" She asked with rage and malice in her voice. This pony dared to insult her and didn't even have the guts to show his face. It was a disgrace to mock someone with her power in such a fashion. the voice laughed once again followed by the darkening of the lights causing the emergency lamps to turn on only to giving off only enough light to see about a few feet in front of you.
"Me afraid of you? You should be the one frightened. The tree of crime bears bitter fruit and now the time has come to taste it." The mystery pony said in the same eerie voice.
"Fan out and search the place. The pony who kills him gets a 1000 bit bonus!" Gold Ring proclaimed to her following of gangsters and thugs. Coin Purse couldn't take the stress anymore and made a mad dash for the door only to have it slammed into his face the moment he felt a glimmer of hope rise up the moment he thought he was home free. the closed door was accompanied by another fit of laughter. a dark silhouette approached from behind Coin Purse until it was right upon him. Coin turned around and screamed at what he came to find when he turned around. There was nopony there to cast a shadow. CRASH! the sound of of glass breaking rang throughout the room filling everypony's presents heart with dread.
"Go check that out and will somebody please find this guy!" Gold Ring shouted. sending to henchponies off to investigate. Her order was met only moments later by the two ponies yelling and that sound of glass and boxes shattering.
"Screw this lady I'm blowin' this joint!" Her final pawn exclaimed and fled only to be met with the same horrible fate as the last three. Now Gold Ring was truly terrified Because whoever had gotten to her boys was coming for her next. She was completely and utterly alone. then the voice started to laugh again
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha." it cackled on and on taunting Gold Ring. She screamed and pleaded for her life over and over like a broken record.
"Please don't kill me! Please I'll do anything. Anything just please don't kill me she cried.
"You will go to the police and confess to everything you've ever been involved in and those who were involved with you. I'll know if you lie." the voice commanded her. this time there was no echo it was quite clear who it came from.
"Wait how did you know I was here? How did you know I gave the order?" She asked the voice. As if out of nothing a figure in black masked by a red scarf covering half its face materialized. it loomed over her and disappeared after uttering three final bone chilling words.
"The shadow knows. Hahahahahahahahahahaha!"
It was an average morning in the city. The streets were jumping with life as rows of vendors and shops competed for customers. If you wanted to get anywhere in life while living in Manehatten you had to be an early bird. Most woke at six in the morning and opened at eight then worked until nine. all except the local paper colt. He woke at ten and shouted his lungs out for two hours trying to sell the news. Occasionally someone would stop and pay the standard fee of one bit but, most just walked by.
" Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Mobster spills beans about local crime ring. Mysterious shadow may be involved but, police remain skeptical!" He yelled over and over. While he did two earth ponies passed by talking back and forth. One was a gray mare with a black mane. She wore a pink bowtie around her neck. The other who was a stallion sported a white coat and brown mane.
" You have been making quite a stir in the papers Bright Light." The mare said to the stallion in a complimentary tone. This annoyed Bright to the point of making a scowl visible on his face.
" Octavia must you speak so loud?" He asked his female companion. Octavia always did have a very loud speaking voice even in a simple two person conversation. The last thing Bright needed was a detective showing up at his door warrant in hoof or worse a petty crook wanting some payback.
" Oh have a little faith. I'm not some old gossip at the hair salon you know." She tried to put his mind at ease. no matter how long she keeps her mouth shut about Bright Light being a vigilante dressing up in what looked like a high school play cloak and hat
