Harper had decided to walk Greenlight to school. The little colt waiting with them at the bus stop didn't look very healthy, and with all this talk of sickness going around Harper didn't want to risk it. She was staring at the cars passing by; waiting for the light to change so they could walk across the street. She noticed Greenlight staring up at her and looked down at him. "Yes?" She asked placing her hoof on his back between his wings and right under his purple school tie.

"Why are we walking, Sis?" His blue eyes magnified with the thick black glasses he wore. She rubbed his lime green fur reassuringly as she thought of an answer.

"I just wanted to spend some time with you and thought I'd buy that thing you wanted from the school store... What was it again?" She asked noticing the light change in the street and started walking with Greenlight right beside her. She didn't want to lie but she just couldn't see the logic in telling him about her paranoia.

"Oh! Really?!" He said grinning from ear to ear. "Are you really going to get the spy kit for me?!"

'That's right, he has been talking about nothing else...' she thought as they stopped at the convenience store two streets from the school. "That's right! Now how about we buy some candy to share with you class mates?" Greenlight stopped at the door.

"Do we have too?" He asked sheepishly, rubbing a hoof on his shoulder. "They don't really like me... I don't want to get them anything..." Harper was a little shocked by it and stood between the automatic glass door just staring at him. Greenlight must have realized how he sounds for his cheeks flushed red just under his glasses. "I-I didn't mean it, like THAT, that. It's just-"

"... No worries... How about we just get a snack for your lunch box?" She smiled changing the subject. She didn't really have room to scold him about it. She too had trouble as a kid with other foals, but she most defiantly will let her mother know tonight. "How does hay chips sound? Or maybe a pie?"

He leaned against the roof top railing smoking and playing on his smartphone. His black hair hanging in his steel colored eyes made it harder to see but he needed some form of relaxation. He just got back from vacation but already Hocus was up his ass about work. He hasn’t even been here for 2 hours and already they were at each other’s throats. He had already smoked 4 sticks and was planning on one more but got an email. Seeing who it was from, he grumpily opened the app and read it.

Star-tech Status Meeting, Today after lunch!

For those who are unable to attend, we will not be sending info, you will just need to pack your desk and have a lovely life...

Items to address

* Safety Committee follow-up

* Enrollment update ( to replace tarty employees)

* Support for new viral outbreak research?

*Team selections

If anypony has additional items to discuss, please bring them up during the meeting.

Thanks.

Head Director

Hocus Pocus

Using a gray hoof he scratched his hickory brown fur just below one of his scars on his chest. Then, he closes the email and ignores the ringing of his earpiece. She was calling. His gray eyes looked at his watch and saw it was another 2 and ½ hours till lunch.

Getting a call on his private phone, he cringed dreading who it was. He peeked at the Id and signed in relief. It read Maverick, answering it as he lights one up, filling the air with smoke. “What?” he asked.

“Really nice, man… You kiss your mother with that tone?” He joked.

“I don’t kiss Ladies, Mav. They can’t handle all this...” He half joked back, feeling better about his day. “I mean I got a face a Mother couldn’t even love!”

“Ah well, what do you kiss, man? Not stallions right?!” He could hear Maverick laughing loudly.

“Na, Never! I go for the mares with bad eyes!” He laughed along with him. After they settled down he asked. “So what do you need Mav? I’ve only been here a few hours and already I want to blow my brains out.”

“Sorry to hear that! The Queen causing trouble?” Maverick asked referring to Hocus. He hummed to confirm Maverick’s question. “Aww, just start your own lab. You are the best there is!”

“All true, I know, but with my looks and background I was lucky the she-devil looked past all that. I get paid VERY well and am learning a lot from Professor High Dive. Old fart knows his shit Mav.” The stallion pushed off the railing and made his way to the door. “I still got opportunities here so, got to suck it up…”

“Ohh! I remember when you came to the school with that old man, ha!” Maverick laughed. “None of us could understand a thing he was saying! He couldn’t even get our names right, even yours!” He heard laughter and what sounded like stomping. “Man! How hard is it to say Atlas Codex?!”

Atlas smiled to himself. “Hey, I just met the man a day before he made me attend the thing! I also remember a scrawny little stallion that followed me around the rest of the day! How old were you? 10?” He joked. Maverick was a big fan of the scars. Said it made him look bad ass. Has treated Atlas like his big brother ever since.

“Naw, I was a 9th grader! And I ain’t scrawny no more!!” Atlas could just imagine Maverick flexing his brawny muscles.

“Ok, ok, put the guns away man. You’ll scare the delicate mares.” He leaned by the door. He knew he had to go to work but didn’t want to end the call. “But, seriously, do you need something?”

“Aww… OK…” Long pause, Atlas thought maybe the phone cut off. “You know anything about this ZP1?”

“Well, that was unexpected… Thought you’d ask all subtle like…”

Sheepishly Maverick said, “Yeah… No need here right...”

“I’ll tell you the truth, I honestly don’t know much. Yes, I’m a Bio-engineer but there are projects even I can’t know about…” Atlas sighed, “But I am having a meeting today. I might learn something more, then.”

“If you could share later, that’d be grand…” Maverick asked sullenly.

“Of course, Maverick. Hey, now stay out of trouble, ok?” Maverick is a friend, despite the age difference, that is how Atlas feels.

Making friends wasn’t easy for Atlas, so he holds onto the few he has. Atlas wasn’t joking when he was talking about his looks. An accident when he was in college scarred his front, left side pretty bad. His hoof is chipped in multiple places. Scars litter his whole front leg, left side of his chest. He has scars on his face, though not as deep and grotesques as his leg, up to his ear. One tooth was even chipped into a scary fang. He was very lucky not to have his leg ripped off or his face. Luckily the lab coat covers most of his body. Also doesn’t help he has a very, very, very short fuse. No joke, it might not even exist.

Atlas has scared a number of new techs, not only with his looks but with his temper. Might be why he and Hocus fight a lot. The Queen doesn’t scare easy, and professor High Dive doesn’t care how a pony looks as long as you get the job done.He often works alone, but he’s gotten us to it. When he HAS to have a tech help he can hear them argue who’s going to do it. One day it made him so mad; he now has a list and picks who’s to help. Stopped the fighting between the techs so Hocus didn’t care either way.

“Ok see you around!” Maverick said then hung up the phone. The piece in his ear started to ring again. Sighing Atlas finally answered it.

“What?...” He heard an irritated huff and the sound of a keyboard tapping.

“Don’t give me that tone!” She was angry again. The tapping got faster. “Get to my office, NOW...” The call ended just like that. He grumbled as he places his ID band back on his arm.

‘Back into the pits of Hell...’, he thought scanning his ID to open the door and making his way down the stairs. “This should be good...”

Author's Note

Hello! Just a few words! Sorry if you don't want to see this, It'll be quick!
In THIS world cell phones exist, cars as well but not what you are thinking, These ponies eat meats (not cows because they talk...), most magic is used but not to the extent of teleportation, or floating large objects.(example: they can't levitate car sized thing. Motorbike sure, but it'll be hard on them.)

Big thanks to Nightmare Darkness for the much needed help with editing!!

Tell me what you think!