Rainboom Revolution

For Agent Treachery, alias Guard Lieutenant Tempest, and the 20 or so rebels under him wearing the sky-blue lightning bolt symbol, the objective was simple. The rebel leader Agent Snake, who was also Tempest's commanding officer Lieutenant Captain Aten, had already started the humiliation of the Wonderbolts by capturing its three leading ponies - now Agent Treachery and his squad of disgruntled Wonderbolt rejects were to finish the job by destroying the Wonderbolt HQ in Canterlot. If all went right, the blow would be fatal to the organization's continued existence.

As the rebel group ascended the cloud lifts into the pegasi colony above Canterlot, Agent Treachery briefed his group - the aforementioned rejects and a few professional thieves - about what they were going to do. Thanks to Agent Snake's machinations, the Wonderbolts would be critically distracted until it was too late to stop the attack. Once the attack was initiated, the rejected pegasi would get the revenge they were so seeking...

At the Wonderbolt HQ itself, the Wonderbolts had become irreconcilably split in response to their lead trio going to investigate the rumors of rebel activity. The pro-Spitfire faction, Fleetfoot being the most important member present, insisted that Captain Spitfire was making a huge mistake in trying to stop the rebel gathering, while the anti-Spitfire faction lead by Lightning Streak argued that the pegasus-based rebellion had no particular beef with the Wonderbolts and that assurances would arrive that the rebels would not attempt to destroy the Wonderbolts.

The argument was at an impasse when a Wonderbolt Surprise lets out a ominous warning, watching as she is for the return of her senior officers: "There's ponies coming, fast!"

"How many, Surprise?" Fleetfoot naturally asks, all Wonderbolts having riveted attention to Surprise's warning.

"Not Spitfire and the other two. This is a big crowd, probably about two dozen pegasi. Two of them at the front are wearing Guard armor." Surprise somberly explains, the emotion she is named after spreading across her fellow Wonderbolts.

"What does it mean? Are we under attack?" Fleetfoot exclaims, trying to get more information from Surprise.

"We'll deal with it, Fleetfoot. You don't have any authority to stop us, anyway." Lightning Streak contemptuously interrupts, starting toward the main door leading into the offices accompanied by the four other members of his anti-Spitfire faction.

"Fleetfoot, do something! Those pegasi out there don't look friendly!" Surprise exclaims, hoping Fleetfoot would try to stop Lightning Streak and his companions from heading outside the building into presumed danger.

"I don't have any authority currently beyond my seniority." Fleetfoot replies, sadly shaking her head as she speaks. "Tell the others though to be prepared just in case something bad does start to happen."

"Right." Surprise replies as Fleetfoot flies up to the watch point - the main balcony the Wonderbolt Captain sometimes used in addressing the public - Surprise had been occupying.

A tense minute or two follows, as Fleetfoot sees Lightning Streak's party approach the lead rebel group. At first, it does seem like the rebels are interested in only talking, but watching from a higher vantage point Fleetfoot sees something Lightning Streak's group cannot - rebel party members moving around and above the group in ambushing intent!

Before Fleetfoot can shout a warning, however, the second-in-command of Agent Treachery suddenly appears hovering in front of her, wielding a Guard spear! The spear is swung around like a staff, forcing Fleetfoot to dodge the swinging and divert her attention from events outside. The blunt end of the spear connects with the left side of Fleetfoot's head, knocking her down on her side. When she gets back up, she feels the pain of the black eye the impact had just given her - the rebel second-in-command is gone.

Shouting and alarmed noises are heard outside as Surprise flies up to help Fleetfoot back up to her hooves - she had seen the attack on Fleetfoot but was unable to react before Fleetfoot took the hit. She gasps as she glimpses outside at the shouting and exclamations.

"Surprise, what's going on out there?!" Fleetfoot exclaims, a forehoof covering the damaged eye.

"The party outside was ambushed, it was a trap!" Surprise exclaims, the noise outside now joined by the sounds of a door being blasted open and her fellow Wonderbolts being knocked aside.

Fleetfoot now rapidly rush back and forth between looking outside, seeing Lightning Streak's group pinned to the cloudbank "ground" and beaten up by the rebels, two to a Wonderbolt, and looking at the entrance to the building, where the rest of the rebel group is beginning to spread out inside the building, shoving aside the rest of the Wonderbolts as they do so.

Fleetfoot and Surprise are horrified by the orders heard by Agent Treachery just inside the main door of the offices: "Looters take whatever historical artifacts you can grab quickly! Place explosive charges, set timer for one minute!"

Agent Treachery then looks up and notices Fleetfoot and Surprise looking back down at him. He pushes off and zooms at full speed straight toward the two frightened Wonderbolts as chaos envelopes the building around them...