The Manehattan Project

Soarin still stood at the window when the gunfire suddenly stopped. Listening carefully, he turned to Vapor. "That stopped too quickly, don't you think?"

Vapor shrugged. "I-I... What do you think happened? A truce?"

The stallion thought for a moment before looking at Coco. "Dusk is up to something. And, if she's there..." he began, before there was a slow knock at the door.

KNOCK... KNOCK... KNOCK...

"Is our little Coco in there?" Came a chilling female voice.

Soarin pulled out his gun and aimed it at the door. "Who is it?!" He yelled, Coco gasping and hiding behind the couch.

"You might know my master," the voice cooed. "Dusk? I'm her favorite plaything... You can call me Fray."

"Fray?" Asked Vapor, pressing her back to the wall beside the door as she pulled out her own gun. "You do realize Coco is under police protection?"

Fray let out a chuckle. "Is that supposed to frighten me?" There was a light couple taps on the other side of the door. "I have two guns. And there's two of you," she said with a deep inhale. "More than enough bullets to get the job done."

Soarin looked out the window, seeing they were on the second floor. Looking at Vapor, he made a motion with his hands to tell her to keep talking. He then slowly opened the window. Vapor nodded in understanding before looking at the door.

"Are you sure?" The pegasus asked, as Soarin climbed out of the window. "I mean, you miss once... and you're dead."

"I don't shoot unless I plan on hitting," Fray said with a deep breath, as if she was getting off on thinking about killing them.

Soarin hung down as far as he could, taking a deep breath before dropping to the sidewalk below. Hitting the ground, he collapsed on his back with a grunt. "Ah, shit..." he groaned, before slowly getting up and stumbling back to the front door of the hotel.

“So, Dusk only warrants two cops for protection?” Fray asked with a sigh. “Soarin and... Vapor, is it?” She then let out a chuckle. “Must feel pretty lucky, Soarin! Two mares and one you!”

Vapor looked at Coco before eyeing the window. When there was no response, Fray called again. “Soarin?!"

Fray listened and then thought for a moment. Her eyes suddenly went wide before she whipped around to face the stairs, firing her guns just as Soarin came into view. He let out a gasp and dropped to the floor, dodging the gunfire. "Motherfucker!" Fray yelled, backing up to the next room and kicking the door in. There was a mare and a stallion hiding behind the couch, the TV blaring. "Piece of shit..." the black mare growled, standing in the doorway so Soarin couldn't shoot her.

Soarin waited a moment before crawling to the top of the stairs, aiming his gun down the hall. "Fray, was it?!" He called. "Those were some good reflexes!"

“Cut the pleasantries, Soarin!” Fray yelled. “I’m not leaving without Coco!”

“Then, I guess you’ll be standing there forever!” The stallion yelled to her.

Fray rolled her eyes before looking at the cowering couple. Aiming her gun at the stallion, she looked at the mare. “Get over here.”

“You are not taking my--“ the stallion began, before a gunshot to the forehead made him collapse to the floor.

“Now, come here!” Fray yelled, before storming over to the mare, who was crying over the stallion’s dead body.

Soarin stared down the hall when he heard the gunshot. Someone was killed. He let it happen. Before he could fully process what happened, Fray stepped out of the room with the mare as a hostage. Her left arm was around the victim’s neck while her right hand had the gun aimed at her head.

“I’ll make it real easy for you!” The black mare yelled. “Give me Coco or this mare dies!” This made the captive mare cry more.

Soarin kept his gun on them, not knowing what to do.

Back in Coco’s room, the white mare asked, “What’s going on?”

Vapor eyed her and looked at the door again. “It sounds like Fray has a hostage. She wants you and the mare goes free.”

Coco gasped and covered her mouth. “Then... you have to give me up!” She exclaimed, standing up. “No one’s going to die because of me!”

Vapor thought for a moment before motioning for the white mare to join her.

Soarin heard his radio crackle before Vapor’s voice came through. “Soarin? I’m going to try something. You get ready to receive Coco.”

Soarin went wide-eyed and grabbed his own radio, holding the talk button. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Yes,” Vapor replied. “Now tell me where Fray is in relation to Coco’s room.

“Who you talking to?!” Fray yelled out, seeing Soarin using his shoulder radio. “Try anything funny and this mare gets a bullet to the head!”

“If you kill her,” Soarin yelled back. “You won’t have protection anymore!”

“There are other rooms in this hallway!” Fray pointed out. “How many will I have I have to kill before you give up Coco?!”

"Now," Soarin whispered.

There was a gunshot, making Fray jump and duck behind her hostage. Just then, the door to Coco's room burst open as Vapor dove to the floor, shooting the hostage in the leg. The mare let out a yell of pain as she dropped to the floor. Fray growled and ducked back in the room, avoiding gunfire as Vapor shot at her.

"Go," Vapor urged as Coco left the room and ran down the hall towards Soarin. She then crawled towards the injured mare, firing a shot at the door where Fray was. "I got her covered."

Fray growled deeply and slammed the door with her fist. "Fuck!" She then looked over at the window in the apartment. "You're not the only one, fucker," she hissed, walking towards the window.

When Vapor got to the downed mare, she pulled out her radio again. "Civilian down at the Sunrise Hotel. Officer in pursuit of suspect."

Midnight's voice then came over the radio. "No need for formalities. Specifics are more important."

"Oh..." Vapor muttered. "Fray showed up and is after Coco. Soarin has Coco and I have Fray pinned down in a room."

Soarin helped Coco into his car and slid into the driver's seat. Putting the car in drive, he took off as Fray jumped through the window of the room she was in. When she hit the ground, she rolled into a kneeling position and fired her guns at the stallion.

"Had her pinned down... She's currently in pursuit of Soarin and Coco."

"Shit..." Midnight sighed. "Uh... We'll send an ambulance for the civilian. Stay with her and I'll contact Soarin."

Vapor nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Fray hopped in her own car and sped off after Soarin, letting out a low growl as she rubbed her right shoulder. When Soarin was directly in front of her, she hit the gas and sped up, bumping the back of his car.

"Shit," the cop said as he looked in the rear view mirror. "Fray's here."

"She doesn't give up, does she?" Coco asked softly, looking really frightened.

Soarin eyed her and blew a red light as he turned right at the intersection. "Don't worry... I'm not going to let her get you."

Vapor placed her hands over the wound on the injured mare's leg. "Just applying pressure. Luckily, it went all the way through."

"Th-Thank you," the mare whimpered, sniffling.

Vapor gave her a smile. "Of course."

"Soarin?" Came Midnight Strike's voice over the car radio.

The stallion picked up. "Yeah?"

"Vapor mentioned Fray is after you?" The assistant Chief asked.

Soarin nodded. "Yeah," he repeated. "What do you have on her?"

"Uh, it's not good..." Midnight muttered. "She used to be a member of the Darkness Eternal; a clan of extremely skilled assassins who worship Nightmare Moon and use shadows to their advantage."

"And, I'm guessing she was kicked out for being a failure?" Soarin asked with a light chuckle. "I've heard this story a thousand times."

"Um..." The assistant Chief muttered, before letting out a sigh. "Actually, she quit because she was, according to her, too good for them. Apparently, she was known for never giving up and always getting her target. She never took no for an answer and always went to extreme measures, if needed, to ensure the success of her mission."

Soarin closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. "So, we're fucked then..."

"Yeah..." Midnight replied. "Soarin, I suggest you drive faster."

The stallion nodded. "See ya later." Putting the radio away, he slammed on the gas and took off.

"I-Is this really the best idea?!" Coco yelled, clinging to her seat. "Just let her take me!"

Soarin looked over at her in disbelief before watching the road again. “I’m not just going to hand you over.”

“I don’t think they want to hurt me,” Coco urged. “I think they want...”

“I know what they want,” Soarin said as he swerved to the side to avoid another bump from Fray. “I saw what Dusk did to you.”

Coco blushed and kept her eyes down, remembering the kiss.

Fray let out a sigh and positioned the gas pedal where she wanted it before hitting a button on the steering wheel to lock it in place. Rolling down the window, she leaned out and pulled her gun. With her right hand on the wheel, she swerved around cars before lining up her shot with Soarin‘s back left tire. When she had it, she fired.

Soarin let out a gasp as he felt and heard the tire pop. The car swerved to the right, mounted the curb, and slammed into the side of a brick building. The airbags hit them both in the face as they coughed heavily. Soarin looked over to see Fray's car drive a ways before it stopped. "Shit, come on," he said, pushing the deflated airbag out of the way. "We have to get out."

"Just... let her..." Coco coughed.

Soarin sighed and undid her seatbelt. "Just come on," he said, opening his door and sliding out. He then held out his hand.

Coco eyed him, let out a cough, and took his hand. As she was pulled out of the car, Fray was pulling up in her car. Soarin pulled out his gun and fired at the vehicle while he helped the white mare into the alley.

When the two had made it inside, Fray opened her car door and chuckled. “It seems no one knows the city like I do...” she cooed to herself, closing her door and walking over to the alley entrance. “That’s a dead end, fucker!” She called out.

Getting to the end of the alley, Soarin looked around for a door into the building. There was nothing. No back doors and no ladders. There was a spot on the floor that looked like a hole was once there. Probably for an entrance into the sewers.

“Uh, maybe that’s weak enough,” Soarin said as he pointed at the filled-in hole. “a-and we can break through it.”

“Soarin!” Coco yelled. “Stop. You know what has to be done.”

The stallion looked at her and said nothing. Taking a couple breaths to calm down, he let out a sigh. “Are you sure?”

Coco nodded. “Trust me.”

In her car, Fray was parked beside the sidewalk and staring at the alley, phone in her hand. "Yeah, I have them trapped in an alley with no way out," she explained. "They can either starve to death in there or come out to me. I'm more than willing to wait." She then noticed Coco stepping out, looking around for the black mare's car. "We have movement. See ya soon." She then hung up and left her car, pulling out her gun.

Coco looked at where Fray was originally parked, not seeing her. Noticing movement in her peripherals, she looked to her right to see Fray walking towards her. "W-W-Wait," she stammered, holding her hands out in defense. "I-I'm giving myself up!"

Fray stopped in front of her just as Soarin arrived at the alley's entrance. The black mare quickly aimed her gun at him, making him take a step back. "This true?" She asked. "She surrendering? And, you're letting her?"

Soarin hesitated, looking at Coco. The white mare gave him a nod. "Yeah... Yeah, she's yours..." he said, defeated.

Fray smiled and looked at Coco again. "Come on, then," she said, backing up towards her car. "Get in the front passenger seat. Now." The scared mare eyed Soarin before walking past the black mare to her car, getting in as directed. Fray watched her with a grin, eyeing her butt, before returning her attention to the stallion. "As for you--"

"You have what you want," Soarin sighed. "Do you really want do this?"

Fray looked puzzled and tilted her head. "Huh? I was just gonna say that... if I see you again... I'll kill you. Now, go."

The stallion hesitated, taking a deep breath as he looked over at Coco. He then turned and started walking back to his car. "Fuck..."

Fray holstered her gun and headed back to her own car, climbing in the driver's seat. "Now, that that's over..." she said, looking at Coco. "we can head back to base..." she cooed, patting the mare's leg before driving away.

Watching her leave, Soarin pulled out his car radio, testing to see if it still worked. It did. "Vapor. Vapor, come in."

It took a few seconds before he got an answer. "Soarin? What happened? Is Coco safe?"

The stallion sat down with a sigh. "She, uh... turned herself in to Fray. Dusk has her now and my car is... broken."

"Oh, no..." the cadet muttered. "Um... What's next?"

Soarin hesitated for a moment before sighing deeply. "Come pick me up. There's someone we have to see. I just hope she's in a good mood..."

"Who are we going to see?" Vapor asked.

Soarin leaned his head back against his car. "Eris."