Author's Note

Sorry this took so long! Dealing with a lot of block. Also, real life in the way too, so that's another issue. Hope this was worth the wait, and enjoy it!

Also special thank you to Scholary-Cimmerian for the creation of River Stone, and his character!

Recruitment Of The Mind

The next day, Spitfire and her crew began to step into action. Their new objectives had been planned ever since they broke out of prison. Step One for them was to, well, break out of prison so that one was now out of the way. Step Two was finding a new place to hide out. Now, Step Three was to find the rest of their remaining allies.

Down the road, Spitfire hid her face as well as the rest of her in a car that they had stolen. Thankfully she had made sure the tracks were covered up; switched license plates as well as a few other things to make the car look completely unlike the one that had been stolen. Now she was incognito, and ready to patrol.

She took the car down to a widespread of forest, a path which would lead her to a few different directions, including Camp Everfree. But Everfree wasn't on her mind. No, her attention was to the man walking along the dirt path, with a long bow used as a walking stick, and a bag with apples hung over his shoulder. She had a sharp grin on her face when she saw the man with a bamboo sun hat, and Japanese robes.

Pulling up the stolen car beside the man, she rolled the window down so she could talk. The man slowly raised his head up, and looked to the side, seeing Spitfire sitting in the car.

"Need a lift? I can save you the journey."

The man didn't say a word, but instead turned his head straight ahead.

"I am alright."

"Do you mind if I walk with you?" Spitfire asked.

"I am walking all the way back. You wouldn't want to leave your car sitting all alone."

Spitfire shrugged. "Very well."

As the man continued to walk, Spitfire kept her car moving, slowly. Keeping it to the same pace as the man was.

"River Stone, I know you're very skilled at what you do. Which is why I wish to talk to you. I need you back on our gang once more."

The Japanese man tilted his head up. "I am listening."

"We have a new menace. Some teenagers in Canterlot, posing as superheroes. We want them out."

"Hmm. Have those girls done anything to you or your gang?" River asked.

"No. Well, not yet, but I know they will..."

River Stone turned his gaze back to the road in front of him. "Then I am not helping you."

Spitfire frowned. "Why not?"

River slammed his bow into the pebbles, making them dance. With a straight face, he gazed deep into Spitfire's glowing fire-like eyes.

"If they had stolen from you, I would understand why you'd want them dead. If they had insulted you, I would understand that too. But they have done nothing to you or the Wonderbolts. They are just high-schoolers, Spitfire. I have no interest in coming out of retirement to kill some kids who've done nothing to deserve it."

Spitfire was appalled. Her head shook slowly, in disbelief.

"You're kidding."

River Stone nodded. "Watashi wa watashi no kotoba no hitodesu."

Spitfire groaned. "Very well. I will leave you alone to your isolation. Such a shame... I could have used your assassination skills."

"I am done with my former life. My life sentences have made sure of that too."

Spitfire just rolled her eyes, and kicked the engine back on. "Sorry it had come to this."

"If you would be wise Spitfire, you would leave those children alone. They have done nothing to provoke you or your gang."

Spitfire sneered at the older man, unfazed and undeterred.

"Well this world needs to know who real heroes are. And those kids, are not real heroes."

Spitfire's car growled and she took off, leaving River Stone in the dust. River Stone only watched as the stolen ride had taken off like the wind.

"They are heroes. More than you realize."

"We interrupt this broadcast for an important announcement. As we're coming to you live from Canterlot's Male Ward, as it seems there is yet another break-in!"

The news reporter looked behind her, and the camera zoomed in on what to she was talking about. Several amount of gunfire was going off at the front entrance of another prison. Several police and security forces were surrounding the building, trying to take down the people who were causing the ruckus.

"Do not let them escape! Whatever is going on, there's some men going mad!"

One of the men that was firing at the security guard sneered as he held the gun. He pulled the trigger several times, not letting up. But as he was about to reload, the gun was shoved out of his hands and landing on the ground. He looked to what hit it, and found a shuriken had slapped it out of his hands.

"What the!?"

His body was kicked to the ground, and he groaned. He tried to stand up, but he felt a foot keeping his chest down, and a sword pointed to his face.

"Do not get up, Shikaku," a Japanese sounding voice said.

The man groaned, seeing the Green Ninja before his eyes.

"Friends. There seems to be some security guards who are causing the fire," Lyra called.

Indeed she was right. There were three security guards, dressed like the police officers outside. All of them were firing at everyone outside, and without giving up.

"Who are they?" Vinyl asked.

"Rogue cops, that's who they are!" Octavia shouted under her mask.

"Well we got to pin them down. Get their guns out of their hands!" Trixie said, ducking behind a pillar.

"I've got it!" Lyra shouted. She threw a few more shurikens towards the guards, slapping more guns out of their hands. Now the two men and woman were unarmed, no weapons.

But before they could stand up to retrieve their weapons, the girls all jumped, tackling them to the ground. Each of the girls kept their hands on the adults, making sure they couldn't get back. The girls all panted, their hearts beating as they held the guards down.

At first glance, the guards didn't look too out of the ordinary. But now, they were terrifying. All of their eyes were glowing with a bright blue and turquoise color, nothing but voids.

"What's going on with them?" Amethyst asked, trying to keep her visor on her eyes.

"No idea. But they're down!" Octavia cheered, keeping her hands on the guard.

"So... now what?" Bon Bon asked.

The six girls stared down with serious faces, not wanting to show any fear or concern. But all at once, their faces drooped to concern and worry. The three civilians stared up at them with their eyes all glowing, and all of them speaking at once. The three adults laughed like they were maniacal beings, sending chills down their spines.

"I see you..." they said in unison. "Your end will come in due time..."

"Um..." Trixie bit her lip. "Which one is saying what?"

"Tr-erg, Magician, they're all talking," Vinyl added, catching herself.

"It's clear all three of them are under the same spell. Whoever has their minds in control is speaking through them," Lyra added.

"So... should we try doing the same thing?" Trixie asked. "Maybe we should."

"Okay, well if we are, then we need to think about what we will say first, otherwise it isn't going to be scary, it'll just be stupid."

The three adults chuckled once again, making them shiver.

"Do I have your attention?" They asked.

"Um... yeah..." Trixie shuddered.

"Minds, are everything. Everything has a mind. Our bodies are controlled, by our minds. And minds, are controlled... by me!"

The girls all freaked when they heard the voice suddenly become distorted. But even scarier was when they looked up and saw a masked woman staring at them as they held the adults down, accompanied by another man; a man in a jumpsuit.

"Who is that!?"

Fleetfoot cackled under her mask, and she and the mysterious man waved them goodbye. As a car came rushing by, the two of them clutched onto the back of it, fleeing the scene. The girls were left flabbergasted as Fleetfoot left with the principal. And as soon as she left, the three adults all groaned and moaned in pain. The bright turquoise color in their eyes had vanished, now returning back to their normal eye colors.

"Oh... what happened?" The security guard asked, holding her head.

"How did I get here?" Another asked.

The girls looked at one another with worry. Now this was bad...