A Marvelous Rainbow

Chapters

Issue One: The Sonic Rainboom
Issue Two: The Mugger and the Mare
Issue Three: Past the Future
Issue Four: Friendship and Fury
Issue Five: Meet the Team
Issue Seven: Headaches and Horseshoes
Issue Eight: Castlemania
Issue Nine: Debrief
Issue Six: Green to Go

Issue One: The Sonic Rainboom

“Prepare to meet your doom, evildoer!”

The tiny filly’s voice resounded throughout Ponyville’s town square, oblivious to the obvious racket she was causing to the otherwise tranquil scene. With tiny wings flapping, the orange filly rocketed towards her target. Her purple cape billowed in the wind as her target drew closer and closer, until she was right on top of it!

Literally.

Rainbow Dash fell to the ground with a thud. As the dust settled, the pegasus slowly opened her large, magenta eyes. Lying strewn across her back was the recognizable young filly, Scootaloo.

“Uh, sorry Rainbow Dash.” she said with a nervous chuckle, obviously not being sorry at all. The truth is, she would take any chance she could get to tackle Rainbow to the ground.

“Don’t worry about it, squirt.” Dash said as she stood, keeping Scootaloo balanced on her strong wings. “What’re you doing anyway?”

Scootaloo hopped off of Dash’s back and looked to the ground in embarrassment. She grumbled something quietly as she kicked at the dirt with her little hoof.

“Come on, you can tell me! Was it more Cutie Mark... whatever stuff?” Rainbow Dash pleaded, trying to pry the answers out of the filly’s head.

“Crusaders!” Scootaloo said exaggeratedly, “But no, I’m not.”

“Okay then, what are you doing?”

“I was, uh...” she closed her eyes tight, as if not seeing Rainbow Dash would ease the confession, “...pretending to be a superhero!”

Almost like a reflex, Rainbow Dash burst into laughter, cackling madly into the sky. Scootaloo turned an interesting shade of red before stammering out a response,

“W-what’s so funny?”

Rainbow tried to talk through her laughter, but doubled over again after her attempts were met by an array of snorts. Ponies stared at the obnoxious mare as they walked by, worried as to whether or not they should call the mental clinic. Even though the embarrassment hit Scootaloo like a train, she couldn’t help but join in on the contagious laughter. Soon the laughter of both ponies filled the town square, effectively vacating the area.

“Whats... so funny... about superheroes?” Scootaloo asked through fits of giggles.

“Oh.” Rainbow replied as she finally collected herself, “Superheroes are just... weird. I mean, they run around in bright colored tights and do silly things like save babies and-”

“You were a superhero once! Remember?” Scootaloo said. This time it was Rainbow’s turn to blush.

“Uh... Well... You see...” she stammered, thinking of a good excuse. “That... wasn’t me! You have me confused with some other pony!”

“Uh-huh, sure.” Scootaloo said unimpressed, “I doubt anypony could mistake you for another pony.”

“Well, they did this time. I would never want to be a superhero.” she said, crossing her hooves.

“Not all superheroes are lame...” Scootaloo said, forcing her way between Rainbow’s crossed hooves.

“Like who? And don’t you dare say Mare Do Well!”

“I was thinking of Buff Bantam.” the filly said as she sunk to the ground.

“Who in the hoof is that?” Rainbow asked. She was starting to feel the tendrils of annoyance peeling away at the back of her head. Scootaloo was nice and all, but only in small doses. Too much Scootaloo can be harmful to a pony’s health.

“He’s only, like, the BEST superhero ever! He can fly! And he can’t get hurt! And he always catches the bad guy!”

“Piece of cake! I could do that any day.”

“I doubt it. Buff Bantam is so fast, he can fly to the sun and back before you even realize he was gone!” Scootaloo said, running circles around Rainbow Dash.

“Easy peasy. I would too, but Twilight says I can’t go into space. Something about vacuums, or some boring egghead stuff like that.”

“Well, whatever a vacuum is, it’s not strong enough to beat Buff Bantam!” Scootaloo edged on, almost intentionally trying to get on Rainbow’s nerves.

Rainbow sighed, “Has he ever done a Sonic Rainboom? Last I checked, yours truly was the only pony to pull it off.”

“He can do better! He can fly so fast, that he can travel through time! Like this one time, this evil doctor from the future goes back in time to beat Buff Bantam when he was just a colt. So he starts flying around-”

Rainbow rubbed her temples as Scootaloo went on with the story, waving her hooves in the air and running around to simulate the over-the-top action events. As her story died down, Rainbow slowly shook her head; she was losing her most avid fan, and she wouldn’t let free admiration like that slip through her hooves.

“What do I have to do to prove to you that I’m better than Buff Bantam?” She asked harshly.

Scootaloo brought a hoof to her chin for a moment, tapping gently as she cooked up a solution. In reality, there was no way to prove your worth against Buff Bantam. Scootaloo figured that the only way Rainbow could be compared to Buff Bantam would be if she crowned herself Princess and used her royal powers to rewrite every issue of the comic, turning Buff Bantam into a wimp. But since coup d'état wasn’t in Dash’s forte, she went with a simple test.

“A race! We’ll have you fly as fast as you can. We’ll know that you beat Buff Bantam when you find yourself...” Scootaloo raised onto her hind hooves and whipped her head back, screaming to the sky, “...Back in time!”

Rainbow was unimpressed, “I don’t think that was as cool as you thought it would be. But I’ll do it; it’ll be easy!”

“We’ll see.” Scootaloo chuckling, “We’ll see...”

*****

Soft green grass flowed gently in the wind outside of Ponyville. Large open plains stretched out for miles, making it the perfect spot for practicing flying. Or in this case, perfect for showing up an imaginary comic book character. Rainbow and Scootaloo positioned themselves at one end of a large, flat expanse of land.

“Maybe we should have gotten Sweetie Belle first.” Scootaloo said as she watched Rainbow stretch her wings, “She’s got a camera and stuff. She could take pictures of what it looks like to go through time!”

“It’s probably not that exciting. I watched this one movie with Twilight about time travel. All they did was get in a cart, and there were some cheesy effects, and then they somehow showed up in the past.” She finished her sentence as she took her place on the starting line, getting low to the ground. Scootaloo was nearly bursting at the seams as she watched her idol.

“Ready?” Scootaloo asked tentatively, not wanting to ruin the moment.

Rainbow merely nodded.

“On your mark!”

Piece of cake.

“Get set!”

Just do a Sonic Rainboom or two and she’ll be impressed. No need to go all out.

“GO!”

The grass around Rainbow caught fire in a blaze of glory as she bolted away from her position at speeds that rivaled lightning itself. Scootaloo was blown over casually by the sheer force of the takeoff, but quickly got back on her hooves to watch the coming spectacle. Soaring at a dizzying height was the tiny black speck that was formerly Rainbow Dash. It climbed higher and higher into the clouds until it was nearly invisible.

High above the clouds, Rainbow took a deep breath before pulling her wings into her sides. They pressed tightly against her body as she rocketed straight down towards the ground miles below her. A bright mach cloud formed around her as she pushed past the familiar barrier of sound, followed shortly by breaking the barrier of light. Rainbows shot out in every direction as a loud boom echoed through the peaceful valley.

Her first Sonic Rainboom of the day had been a success, but Rainbow was unamused. She still had plenty of room to fly; nearly a mile left between her and the ground. She pushed herself farther, gaining as much speed and adrenaline as possible. She had never gone this fast before, and cherished the feeling.

A second cone formed around Dash. Her heart leapt in her chest as she thought of the possibilities. Two Sonic Rainbooms in the same dive! Driving herself harder, she plummeted toward the ground as her body was enveloped by the cone. Despite the tearing and ripping of the wind, she could feel a tiny tingling sensation slowly overtake her entire body.

The ground was getting closer now and she could see Scootaloo’s tiny figure rushing towards her. Begrudgingly, Rainbow decided there wasn’t enough room to pull off another Rainboom, and quickly tried to pull out of it. She shot her wings out, only to have them pressed against her by the force of the freefall. No matter how hard she tried, there was no way to pull her wings out.

Which meant there was no way to brake. Or steer.

Rainbow clenched her eyes shut painfully. She felt the wind against her skin for the final seconds of falling. Before she hit the ground, she could hear the tiny whelps of Scootaloo, followed immediately by a sharp ringing in her ears. Everything went dim for a moment before Rainbow plummeted into the ground at nearly one-thousand miles an hour.

*****

Dash’s memories slowly floated around her as she seemed suspended in air. Her mother’s smile, her first flight, her coltfriend from flight school, and her friends in Ponyville intruded Dash’s mind, filling her with a bitter nostalgia. As her conscious slipped back into reality, the memories slowly faded to black, leaving Dash alone. An empty chill ran through her, both mentally and physically.

As Dash used up her last bits of consciousness, she came to the conclusion that, given everything that could have happened, faceplanting into the ground after a Sonic Rainboom isn’t the worst death she could have had. It was way more awesome than dying from old age, or something lame like the flu. Her only complaint was how wet her face was. The cold waves stung Rainbow’s brain like a knife, making her entire ordeal all the more painful.

She brought a hoof to her face to smear the wetness away, only to have it return seconds later.

Oh well, she thought I’ll be dead in a few-

Her thoughts stopped in their tracks as the realization hit her. She moved a hoof again, tracing tiny lines in the ground underneath her. She was alive!

Slowly her eyelids lifted, bombarding her eyeballs with water. She sat onto her haunches in a flash, whipping her head up out of the water. Her mane was soaked, and water had nestled into the crevices in her lungs, forcing loud fits of hacking coughs. Coughing rattled her chest, aching her ribs and internal organs, but not to Dash’s dismay. She was happy enough to not have been turned into a crater.

“Now... Where am I?” she asked groggily, still not feeling comfortable sitting upright.

Surrounding her were three tall brick walls, spanning into the sky at least one-hundred feet. Behind her, a long corridor stretched on for a while before turning right into the darkness of an alley. The ground below her was cluttered with gratuitous amounts of trash and litter, and was speckled by puddles of murky brown water. The aroma of the entire place was... Let’s just say it was unpleasant.

The pegasus got to her feet, carefully trying not to fall over again. She looked around, perplexed.

“What is this place? Am I dead or not!” she commanded to no one. Unsurprisingly, no one answered. Impatiently, Rainbow huffed and slowly made her way down the alley.

“I don’t even care where I am.” she said again to the air. “It’s not like I can’t fly on back to Ponyville! I’m Rainbow Dash! Fastest flier in-”

Her trademarked title was interrupted by a high pitched squeal of terror. Her heart jumped in her throat as it echoed from further down the alley. It sounded like a mare, high pitched and filled with worry. Seeing the opportunity to help somepony in need, and the opportunity to receive some admiration, Rainbow did her best to bolt towards the noise. She took two steps before clumsily tripping over her hooves and falling onto her face.

“Ponyfeathers...” she swore, rubbing her muzzle. Slowly she took one step forward, always keeping three hooves on the ground. Her pace was mind-numbingly slow, but it was progress.

“Hold on! I’m coming!” Rainbow screamed down the alley.

Issue Two: The Mugger and the Mare

A flash in the darkness. A glimmering sweep through the shadows, slicing the air with deft ease; inching closer and closer to the victim’s exposed neck. She shouted out in terror as loud as she could, hoping someone could hear her. Her voice passed through her trembling lips seconds before a heavy fist slammed into her, silencing any sound.

The attacker stared at the unconscious woman for several seconds, making sure everything was going smoothly. As far as back-alley muggings went, it would probably rate somewhere around a B+. As he rooted through the woman’s purse, a small figure slowly approached from behind.

*****

Rainbow Dash spotted the creature as its back was turned. It was fumbling with a saddlebag, grabbing items and throwing them onto the cold ground around him. In the shadows of the alley the beast’s features were hidden, only allowing a silhouette to be seen. Rainbow tentatively approached him, attempting to muffle the sound of her steps as quietly as she could.

The beast suddenly began whistling a tune, the surprise of which caused Rainbow Dash to nearly jump out of her skin, yelping out in terror.

“Shit!” the beast shouted as it spun around to face the confused pegasus. He had risen to his feet and towered above Rainbow Dash by nearly two feet. It was clothed in some sort of a tough, black material that squeaked slightly as he moved. His face was covered in tiny uneven hairs, obscuring the beast’s lower features and chin. Its long, lanky limbs shot out, trying to catch his balance as he reeled backwards at the sight of Rainbow Dash.

“Thank God...” he sighed in the darkness, “It’s just a dog. Scram!”

“Dog? I’m no dog!” Rainbow said, deciding that the best thing to do at the moment was to argue.

She watched as the beast nearly fell onto his backside, opening and closing his mouth as he attempted to speak. Acting more out of instinct than anything, he reached for his knife, holding it out in front of him. Rainbow slowly walked forward, oblivious to how dangerous the man was.

“Were you screaming? ‘Cause I heard a scream and-”

Rainbow’s eyes fell to the woman on the ground. With some mental strain, she eventually came to the conclusion that she was unconscious, and that the man before her was more than likely responsible. With the amount of time it took for Rainbow to connect the dots, the attacker had snuck behind her, knife at the ready.

“What in the hay hap-” Rainbow began before getting grappled from behind. She struggled against the muscular restraint of the monster, kicking and waving her arms wildly, much to the detest of her aching muscles. The cold metal of the blade pressed harshly against her side.

“I don’t know what the Hell you are,” the man said, his breath stinking of alcohol and other disgustingly foreign smells, “But I gotta make sure you don’t go nowhere.”

The pressure of the blade increased as he attempted to slide it between her ribs, but made no headway. Rainbow looked down at her side as the man brought the knife in fast. It hit her skin, but went no further. He tried a second time, with the same results. No matter how hard he stabbed the pony, nothing happened.

Rainbow took her momentary opportunity to take the man off-guard. She brought her wings out, dislodging the man’s hold on her. As she fell to the ground she kicked her hind hooves back as hard as she could, remembering just how Applejack had taught her. She felt them connect with the torso of the man, and heard snapping sounds as his ribs were crushed under Dash’s strong legs.

Dash hit the ground hard and immediately started running, her muscles spiked with adrenaline. Behind her, the man was cursing and gasping for air, but not completely incapacitated. A quick peek behind her showed that the man was still able to pursue Rainbow, and hobbled after her.

Rainbow’s hooves hit something and lost balance, spilling her over the cold ground. She scrambled to stand, and as she did so noticed the woman lying on the ground. Her breathing was uneven and shallow, and she appeared injured. At first, Rainbow’s only thoughts were about herself and getting away from the knife man. But as she lay on the ground, staring at the helpless victim of injustice, something awoke within the pegasus. A burning sensation in her stomach, reminding her of her duty as the Element of Loyalty.

Heavy, ragged breathing approached behind her. Acting quickly, Rainbow rose to her feet and faced her aggressor.

Only to find the long metal barrel of a revolver pointed straight at her.

The first shot exploded forth, nearly blinding Dash and making her ears ring. The impact rocked Dash’s chest, throwing her back to the ground. Out of the silence that followed the gunshot, a single sound could be heard; the sound of a small metal object clanging to the floor. Rainbow rubbed her chest at the point of the impact as she rose back to her feet, eyeing the melted bullet on the ground in front of her.

Taking no time to stall, Dash rocketed forward, headbutting the man in the gut. He was driven back into a wall as Dash continued her relentless assault, throwing punches, kicks and the occasional headbutt. The man showed no sign of fighting back, and resorted to cowering behind his arms, letting them take the front of the attack. But as the fight went on, Dash found a way past the man’s blockade, and delivered a crushing right hook to the man’s jaw. He went slack and fell to the ground in a thud, dropping his gun into a murky puddle of water.

Dash stared down at the monster, breathing heavily. A knot formed in her stomach as she stared at the creature on the ground. It was the first time she had seen him clearly in the light, and though he was much larger than the pegasus, something about him made him seem small and weak. Was it how easily he was beaten? Or was it how physically inept he was when it came to a straight on fight?

Dash was left puzzling as her attention focused back again to the woman. Her saddlebag was lying strewn across the alley, the contents haphazardly tossed in every direction. The woman herself was exactly the same as Dash had left her, but now that she had the time to investigate her, she was able to take more careful observations. Her eye was blackened and bruised, and a thin trail of blood leaked from the edge of her mouth.

“What are you...?” Dash asked herself as she lifted the human’s arm with her hoof. She was lighter than Dash expected.

“Oh well,” she said, her voice laden with tiredness, “You’re safe now. Twilight’s gotta know what you are.” she gently rest the woman’s arm on the ground.

As she turned to leave, her eyes shifted to the glinting metal of the revolver. Her mind raced as she imagined the repercussions of what would happen if the man awoke earlier than the woman. He might hurt her! Or... considering how much of a wimp he was in a fight, she might hurt him! She couldn’t let that happen to either of them.

Sighing at the two unconscious humans, Rainbow trotted over to the woman. Clumsily shifting the human’s onto her back, she slowly walked out of the alley, into the dim light at the end of the alley.

*****

Twisting and turning through the seemingly endless chain of alleys had begun to take a toll on Rainbow Dash. To make it worse, she had to carry the weight of a fully grown thirty year old woman on her already aching back.

“It’s okay... Rainbow...” she said to herself, “Only... a few more... steps! Look, lights!”

The end of the alleyway was in sight, beckoning Rainbow like a white fluffy cloud after a long day working. She increased her pace to a near trot, bouncing up and down with the excitement of freedom. The rancid odor of the air and the gloomy shadows of the alley disappeared as Rainbow emerged on the other side.

The new sights made the alley seem like a picnic in the park.

Bright lights shone harshly through the night, bombarding Dash’s head with an instant headache. Loud mechanical noises filled the air as giant metal monsters veered on the road in front of her. All the while, hundreds of similar creatures walked to and fro, not noticing the pony and the unconscious woman for several moments. When someone finally took their sweet time to notice the two, Dash had already began to sink into a degrading fetal position.

Many of the monsters around her looked very similar to the knife man. They were tall and loud, not caring for the space of anyone else as they occupied the crammed sidewalk. Even in the dead of night, they approached Rainbow with a ferocity that was unmatched in Ponyville, even by the most irritable of ponies. They reached at her with their long, slender hands, wanting to touch her. Or worse.

Without thinking, Rainbow flung the girl onto the sidewalk and bolted into the air, soaring past the high buildings. Tears stung at her eyes as she climbed higher and higher into the sky, taking in the massive expanse of scenery.

It went on for miles and miles; lights as far as her eyes could see. Even past the sheen of tears she could make out impossibly tall buildings and endless plains of housing. In the sky she could see half a dozen blinking lights, slowly descending towards the metropolis below her. Red and blue lights flashed on and off below her, accompanied by high pitched, warbling sirens. More lights. Everything was lights! Lights! Lights!

Gotta get outta here!

Nowhere to go!

It never ends!

Rainbow squeezed her eyes shut as hard as she could, picked a random direction, and flew as fast as she could. She wouldn’t stop until she was in her friends’ arms in Ponyville.

Issue Three: Past the Future

Sunlight crept over the horizon, resting itself on the tired eyelids of Rainbow Dash. They fluttered open without protest, meeting a new day with bitter remorse. Well, more than usual.

“Okay... I’m up.” she groaned to herself, her voice echoing through the empty drainage pipe she had hid in. It was cramped, damp, and smelled only slightly better than the city. But it made for a nice way to escape the lingering light from that... atrocity.

She was half in and half out of the pipe, leaving her head and front hooves hanging in the air. Sleeping like that for hours had put a crick in her back, but she didn’t care. As long as she was away from the lights, everything was good.

As she clambered out of the pipe, her hooves struck tall grass. The feeling was only slightly comforting, and only for a moment. For a few fleeting seconds Rainbow could imagine the grass in Ponyville beneath her feet. But in a flash, it was gone, replaced with the stinging realization that she was far, far from home.

“Now just to find out just how far I am.” she sighed. Flapping her wings, she took to the sky with a lot less vigor than usual.

*****

Even though Rainbow was miles from the city, it was clearly visible. Towering up out of the horizon, taunting Rainbow Dash with its complexity and its alien nature. The only thing Rainbow could relate it to were the stories of Manehattan that Applejack had told her about. Except that Applejack had never mentioned homicidal bipedal monsters, or a sea of migraine-inducing lights that never ceased. Or if she had, Rainbow hadn’t paid attention.

The only light shone directly from the sun, casting reflections off of the glass towers in the distance. They were horrific, yes, but something about them transfixed Rainbow. Behind their horror they possessed an underlying tone of greatness. They were certainly the most impressive buildings Dash had seen in a very long time.

“No!” the pegasus exclaimed, hovering in the air, “You’re not going back!”

Her stomach argued against her, rumbling loudly.

“Oh no, no! Not even for...” Dash licked her lips at the thought, “Food.”

She shifted her eyes around the ground below her. Grass covered the ground everywhere she looked, but it was crunchy and dying. Sure, she could eat it if she was really hungry; she had eaten worse before. But something in the back of her mind -or in the bottom of her stomach- told her that there was greater food to be found in the city.

“Well...” she started, rubbing her tummy gingerly, “It couldn’t hurt. I guess. And I’ll only be there for a few minutes. Just get food and get out; easy.”

With her foolproof justification set, she started flying to the city, eyes darting around everywhere, scanning for a threat. So far she saw nothing, but she never let her guard down. Aliens, zombies, robots, dragons, ANYTHING could jump out at any second, and Dash would be prepared for it.

She took her flight time to think. She had only done her Sonic Rainboom... six hours ago? Seven? Rainbow shrugged. Keeping track of time was never something that came easily to Dash. All she knew was that she woke up at nighttime, spent about an hour in the city before flying out and finding a place to hide and sleep until morning, which couldn’t have been more than seven hours.

Rainbow casually wadded up the idea and threw it away to the unwanted, dusty part of her brain where she shoved other useless things, as she did with half of Pinkie’s rants. It didn’t matter how much time she had spent here; what mattered more was, well, everything else.

First, the freefall. The impact should have killed her. A thought crossed her mind, suggesting that she was actually dead, but living in the ‘Space Between Spaces’. Another rumbling from her stomach dismissed this as ‘Disappointing Hogwash’. Dead ponies aren’t hungry; that was a well known fact throughout all of Equestria.

It still left questions unanswered. Straining, she recalled the events that led up to the crater. She had done a Sonic Rainboom, then went faster and almost did a second one before hitting the ground. Was there anything else? Rainbow violently tapped her head, hoping the bombardment of her cranial cavity would recall more memories. Coincidentally, it did, and Rainbow Dash remembered another peculiar happening. As she fell into the second Rainboom, a tingling sensation had come over her. She wasn’t an egghead, but she was almost sure that that had something to do with her crazy teleportation.

Buff Bantam can fly so fast that he can travel through time!

The sudden memory of Scootaloo’s words brought Dash to a dead stop.

“Travel through time...”

Her heart raced as a giant grin spread across her face. Dash flew harder towards the city, scolding herself for being so blind. Of course she had traveled through time! It all made sense now! The only question left was how far in the future she had gone.

“Easy.” she said as she dove towards the ground, skimming the water of the bay surrounding the city, “All I gotta do is ask some... thing.”

Your logic is flawless, Rainbow.

“But first, food!” she exclaimed, preparing to barrel through the cramped streets and alleys of the city. While the city did overpower her, it wasn’t nearly as threatening now that she knew what it was. Clearly, the only logical explanation was that it used to be a pony town, but after an impossibly long amount of time, it had evolved into a more complex system, complete with a new form of intelligence. Or something like that. Dash didn’t really care; she was hungry and that was all that mattered.

As she wove through canals of asphalt and metal, several different aromas wafted into her nostrils. From the smell of rotisserie hotdogs to the scent of body odor and uncleanliness; there wasn’t a smell in the city to be unsmelled. On the wind she caught the faintest smell of fresh bread and moved in its direction, unconsciously drooling. Everywhere below her, humans walked along, oblivious to the rainbow pegasus flying hundreds of feet above their heads.

She was nearing the center of the city, where giant metal buildings gave way to a large expanse of lush green grass and trees. It was fitting there. A tranquil glade in the terrifying jungle of noise and concrete. The park reeled Dash in with a sense of security and strange familiarity. Plus, the sweet smell of food didn’t hurt either.

She came in for a landing, grazing the treeline with her wings. Humans were everywhere, but ever since Dash cracked the code of their existence in the future world, she was much more comfortable approaching them. No one seemed to notice her as she landed, which seemed a trifle bit odd to Rainbow. Back in Ponyville she would be surrounded by ponies the second her hooves touched the ground. Albeit most of those ponies only came up to her chest and had yet to earn their cutie marks, but it still counts!

She cantered down an empty path, eyeing the scenery with a mixture of wonder and caution. Everything was much clearer in the future, as if something had come through and clarified every detail on every little object. From the tiny veins on the tree’s leaves to the minute cracks in the bricks, it almost overwhelmed her how much attention to detail the future had. Even the light of the fires in the street were clearer!

Dash continued on towards a vendor, who was flaunting-

Wait... Fires?

Whipping her head around, Dash spotted tall towers of smoke and orange flame rising into the sky. At its base was the abandoned, splintered wreckage of one of the metal machines. Its hull was warped, shattered and bent out of recognition, spouting gouts of flame in every direction. Rainbow galloped towards the flames, transfixed as to what could have caused them. Humans screamed as they ran around, not even attempting to help.

The crowds were growing thick around the wreckage, and Rainbow took to the skies to get in closer. As she flew, the attention of the humans shifted from the burning fires to the technicolor pegasus who was flying directly towards them. Some humans screamed louder, as if Rainbow was some intergalactic mutant monster, intent on feasting on their very souls. Other humans simply glanced at her, shook their heads, and continued walking. Nothing impresses New Yorkers after all.

She hovered above the wreckage, letting everyone take a good look at her. Underneath their gasps and screams, one particular voice stood out. It came from directly below Rainbow, in the wreckage of the machine. She barreled down, slamming into the asphalt. Sure enough, inside one of the machines was a tiny creature, much smaller than the ones around her.

Rainbow shoved her hooves against the pane of glass, trying to reach the tiny creature inside. The flames had almost completely engulfed the machine, creating an intense heat hot enough to begin to singe Rainbow’s rainbow mane. Rainbow turned around to face the crowd. Their attention had turned completely to Rainbow, almost ignoring the inferno behind her. All eyes were wide, filled with confusion and puzzlement. Their disgusting lack of concern sickened Rainbow, filling her to the brim with-

Another scream behind Rainbow Dash. Without thinking she bucked her legs back, connecting with the glass window. It shattered, creating a gaping hole in the machine. Turning swiftly, she reached into the blazing hunk of metal and stared at the tiny creature. It was tugging at some sort of restraint around its chest and waist. Rainbow took it in her vise-like jaw and pulled harshly, ripping the nylon harness out of its depository.

Wrapping the child in her hooves, she quickly threw her out of the machine, seconds before it exploded in a shower of debris and flame. Rainbow and the child fell to the ground together, still clutching to each other, eyes closed. The cries of the crowd had gone silent as they stared at the child and her rescuer, the strange cyan pony. Without warning, ecstatic cheers exploded from the crowd. Laughter, squeals of joy, and even the occasional ‘I love you’ could all be heard, followed by a loud ‘Kerchunk’ noise behind her.

Slowly, Rainbow opened her magenta eyes, expecting the crowd to be congratulating her on her daring, selfless rescue. Instead their eyes rested on something behind her. Turning around, Dash came face to face with yet another strange future-thing.

It was tall, glimmering proudly in the sunlight. Covered in red and gold metal, the figure looked more like a robot, but moved with such fluidity that it had to be sentient. It was covered in blue lights, the most prominent of which was a bright blue triangle, which rest in the middle of its chest. Its soulless, square eyes glared down at Rainbow Dash, and seemed ready to incinerate her with deadly laser beams.

“Nice job.”

Rainbow’s spine quaked. It sounded like the creature was talking through a metal can. After the utterance of the metallic voice, the crowd cheered louder. Rainbow got to her feet in a flash, staring down the metal-man. She bravely stood her ground, despite only coming up to the man’s hip.

“Th-thanks...?” Rainbow croaked before covering her mouth with a hoof. Her voice was sore, and thick with mucous after breathing through the smoke. “I-it was pretty cool, wasn’t it?” she asked rhetorically.

“I’m going to need you to come with me.” he replied emotionlessly. Dash was impressed; this creature reacted no differently to her than he would have to a human. It was like he dealt with ponies on a regular basis.

*****

Tony Stark’s mind was flooded with insane thoughts, all smashing together in a headache.

Oh my God it talks! Jesus, it talked to me! What did it say? I wasn’t even paying attention. Oh man, it’s talking again! How can it- Shutup! It’s still going!

“-on fire, and I didn’t know what to do. Am I in trouble?” The thing asked, staring at him with giant round eyes.

Stark stood there, contemplating what to do next. All he could focus on were those two giant balls of magenta and white staring at him.

“God that’s cute.” he uttered behind his mask. Tony relished the next few seconds of peace as he watched the pony fume in front of him, rage ascending in her eyes. The last thing he saw before hitting the ground was a cyan marshmallow hoof heading straight for his helmeted head.

“Listen here, buster, nopony calls me cute unless I say they can!” she shouted, growing red in the cheeks. She extended her wings and shot off down the street, leaving a bright rainbow trail behind her. Tony groaned as he got to his feet.

“At least she’s not hard to follow.” he said to the crowd. They cheered him on as his repulsors engaged, rocketing him into the sky. He took pursuit on the pegasus with a feeling of ‘what the Hell am I doing with my life?’ stuck in his head.

It didn’t take long to catch up to her; it seemed like she was flying leisurely. He placed himself next to her as they flew down Madison Avenue.

“So. You’re made of metal?” Rainbow asked past the sheer of the wind.

“And you’re a pony.” Tony retorted. “If you don’t mind, I just wanna ask some questions. Maybe when we’re done you can get an apple or... What do ponies eat anyway?”

“Look, if you want to ask questions,” Dash started, a sly grin spreading across her face, “You’ll have to catch me!”

Dash turned on a dime and sped down 57th street, leaving Tony Stark in the dust. She cackled as she watched the buildings speed by past her, looking over her shoulder every now and then to see how the golden metal-man was faring.

*****

Tony’s communicator buzzed in his ear harshly as he tore through New York’s streets.

“Tony?” the voice asked on the other side. It was stern, serious, and Tony could detect the faintest hint of eyepatch in it. “Where are you? I’ve got three-”

“You know what Fury, I’m gonna stop you there. I’m a bit busy chasing a flying rainbow pony down the street.”

The line was silent for a moment.

“Stark, what did I say about hitting the sauce?”

“Trust me, a drink would help at the moment.”

He turned sharply, attempting to keep up with Rainbow’s impossible speed.

“Tony, I don’t have the slightest clue what you’re talking about, but you need help! I need you to get your ass here as fast as-”

Stark clicked off the communicator, setting his gaze straight on Rainbow Dash. Nothing would stop him. This pony was a visitor to Earth, possibly violent, and was speeding through New York at dangerous speeds, threatening herself, property, and everyone around her. He had to catch her.

That, and she challenged him to a race.

Issue Four: Friendship and Fury

Walking down the moonlit streets of London wasn’t an act practiced often by Professor Cobbleton. In fact, he loathed it. His mind raced with images of cutthroats, brigands and thugs all waiting to beat him senseless for his wallet. Little did he know that his fears would be realized in due time.

Clutching his leather briefcase to his chest, he jogged on, looking over his shoulder every now and again. The streets were empty, and a low fog had begun to spill out over the path. He kept true, never slowing down as he made his way to the safehouse. Once there, he and his work would be safe.

The contents of the briefcase were more important than anything in Professor Cobbleton’s life thus far, and that included his wife. Fifteen years of research and nearly fourteen million pounds went towards the research that he now held to his chest. It would be a breakthrough in the scientific community, and would pave a new era for the world of man. Years ago it was but a dream, but the Professor had proven those dreams a reality with his breakthrough in synthetic intelligence.

A light flickered behind the scientist, causing him to turn around with a shrieking gasp.

“Nothing!” he wheezed after ensuring the area was vacant.

He continued on, moving slightly faster than before. His footsteps echoed loudly in the dark streets, drowning out any background noise. Including the extra pair of footsteps behind him.

Synthetic intelligence. The two words beamed in his mind as he made his way down the street. Nothing had ever come close to being such an amazing breakthrough as this had; not even Tony Stark’s arc reactor technology. Manual labor could be done faster, cheaper, and more effective than human production. There would no longer be the need for-

Another light snapped off behind him. This time he knew it wasn’t faulty British wiring. Not even taking the time to turn around, Cobbleton sprinted down the street as fast as his withered legs could take him. Muscles burned in his legs and his breath was ice cold in his lungs, but he continued. The safehouse was in sight, just a few blocks away, when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder.

Violently, the professor was plunged to the ground, spilling his briefcase and a few loose papers. Though the fog was thick, the professor could clearly make out two large, metallic boots resting in front of his face. From the man’s waist hung a thick steel sword, stained with splotches of dried blood. His face was hidden by a menacing medieval helmet, painted black to match the night sky.

A chill ran through the professor’s spine as he heard the sound of scraping metal, brought on by the attacker withdrawing his sword. He merely held it in his hand, letting it hang above the ground non-threateningly.

“Art thou Professor Cobbleton of London?” the figure asked from behind his helmet, his baritone voice echoing in its confinement.

“Y-yes!” he squeaked, unsure of what to do.

“Most excellent!” the armored man continued, “Then thou shall be rewarded for thine efforts in our undertaking.”

The professor darted his eyes towards the briefcase. “My efforts? Are you talking about my work?” he asked, hoping that he might be spared his life if he complied.

“Aye. Mine leader hath a brighter idea of thine future. One that can only be made real through the work of thou. I have come to seize it.”

“Th-the work isn’t for you! I-I have a contract with-”

The man raised his sword above the professor’s body. “That is why I hath said ‘seize’. Do not fret, Master Cobbleton, for thine efforts shall not go unrewarded.”

“Unrewarded?” he asked, barely audible.

“Aye. I shall spare thee of the torment of the future. Mine leader’s ideals are... violent.”

Cobbleton didn’t even have time to scream before his life was cut short, and his work stolen from his lifeless corpse.

*****

After three straight hours of chasing, Tony Stark was no closer to catching Rainbow Dash. It was like chasing a carrot on a stick, and no matter how fast he went she still outpaced him. Not that Tony had any experience with carrots on sticks, drunk or otherwise. It was just something that he would think about at times.

More to the point however, Rainbow Dash was showing significant endurance, the likes of which Stark had never seen before. Her agility was unparalleled, as she was able to turn on a dime without losing speed in the slightest. Tony almost lost her a few times when his Iron Man suit wasn’t able to match her acrobatic flight skills. However, it’s never too hard to find a chromatic flying horse; especially when it left a bright trail of rainbows in its wake.

As noon rolled past, and the chase was beginning to dull, Rainbow’s mind had begun to wander, thinking of more interesting things to do. Sure, flying away from a metal-man at breakneck speeds through tight alleys was fun, but the excitement waned after a while. She could call it off and give-

NO! Her thoughts roared, I am not letting him win this!

As she rocketed off, pulling together newfound strength from the corners of her body, Tony Stark had questions of his own. The most prominent being; What the Hell is a flippin’ pony doing flying around New York City? Second; Why would she be running if she didn’t do anything wrong? Third; What the Hell is a flippin’ pony doing-

His repetitive train of thought was derailed by the dignified, metallic voice of his computer-butler-servant, Jarvis.

“Sir, I’ve finished running diagnostics on the species and classification of your target.”

“Good, lemme hear ‘em.”

“There is none.”

Stark was dumbfounded; Jarvis was loaded with almost limitless knowledge with the most in-depth of information in the world. And he didn’t know what it was. It raised further questions, but not ones that Stark could attend to at the moment.

“Jarvis, what do you mean there is none?”

“By my records, what you’re chasing shouldn’t exist.”

“Well, I’m looking at it right in front of me, Jarvis. Unless you’re saying I’m going crazy.”

“No, sir, your vitals appear to be quite stable, if not a little agitated.”

“Duely noted.” Stark retorted as he struggled to turn a corner in pursuit of Rainbow Dash. “Any calls from Fury?”

“I’m screening them as we speak, sir. He seems quite angry at you.”

“Yeah, well, it’s in his character...”

All Tony wanted at this point was to ask some questions. It wasn’t about racing, or proving who was faster, he just wanted answers.

*****

All Rainbow Dash wanted at this point was to win. It wasn’t about an interrogation, or proving she wasn’t dangerous, she just wanted victory. And it seemed to be an easier task than previously anticipated. She had never flown this fast for this long in her entire life. She was practically going at full speed, non-stop, for three hours straight, and she didn’t have the faintest feeling of strain in her wings.

In fact, she seemed pretty normal, as if she had just woken up from a nice nap. Her body seemed fresh; new almost. Despite strenuous work, which would normally leave her sore for hours, she felt great.

Maybe this has something to do with how I can’t-

Her careless thinking had distracted her, and she had listed behind, almost to the point where the metal-man could reach out and touch her. With a devilish grin, and a quick burst of speed, Dash left the pursuer in a metaphorical cloud of dust.

Geez, Dash, you’d think you’d remember by now; Don’t think and fly.

Still, she couldn’t help it; the race was getting boring. If she could get the race over and done with, then maybe she could get on with the rest of her day. Naps and snacks wait for no pony. There were only two solutions; either give up the race, or find a way to shake the metal-man off her tail.

She brought her wings in, hugging her body with her feathers. She felt the slight loss of speed before turning her body around so that she was gliding backwards. She now faced the metal-man head-on, staring into his gleaming, merciless eyes. In an instant, she shot her wings out again, pumping as hard as she could. Her breackneck change in direction was sure to lose him, she was positive of it.

Yet there he was, no further behind her than he was thirty seconds ago. He waved at her, seeming to beckon her to him.

Letting out a hearty chuckle, she dove straight for the concrete ground below, weaving through pedestrians and traffic with deft ease. The metal man stayed overhead, not risking any danger by flying what was basically a homemade rocket through crowded intersections of innocent civilians. Rainbow Dash didn’t find it all too entertaining either, after realizing that massive crowds of new-world-people smell rather awful. Gasping for air, she surfaced nearly a block away from Tony.

Rainbow remained motionless, staring at the encroaching metal-man. He seemed tired. Bored, almost. He waved a hand towards himself, beckoning her over. Begrudgingly, she complied, but remained poised to dash off in an instant. She insisted on getting the first word in the matter,

“What do you want?”

Stark slowed down, rocked by the mere fact that a technicolor pony was speaking to him. He awkwardly maintained his flight and replied, “Well, I did want to talk, but I suppose you’re too good for that.”

“Uh... Sure.”

“I like your humility.” Tony deadpanned, “Well, uh, I’m... Geez, where do you start when talking to a flying horse?”

“I’m a pony.”

Stark shook his head, “Same difference. Listen, I don’t really care one way or another anymore; I just want to know what you’re doing.”

Rainbow scoffed, “Beating you of course! But I gotta admit, you’re not bad at racing, I guess.”

“You offend me... I’m more than ‘not bad’.”

“Ha! Sure didn’t seem that way.” Rainbow Dash said with a smirk.

“Okay, I give up, you win, woohoo.” Stark replied without the slightest hint of excitement. “It’s not like a cared about racing anyway.”

“Pshaw,” she spat, “I can tell when someone’s lying!”

“Believe it or not, I’ve got better things to do than to be smartmouthed by a h-” he caught himself, “A pony.”

“Like what? Losing?” Rainbow Dash said with another giggle.

“Okay, we’re done here.”

Tony Stark’s repulsors roared to life in a blazing inferno, sending him accelerating towards the sky away from the alien intruder. In the meantime, Rainbow Dash was having the time of her life cracking up over the metal-man. All previous fears and worries about him had vanished in an instant.

“Wait up!” she shouted, flying at his heels.

Rainbow could hear the metal-man groan as he turned around, facing her with his emotionless faceplate.

“What a surprise... Do you have anything constructive to say?” he mumbled.

“How do you fly with that anyway?” Rainbow asked, puzzled at the lack of wings.

Tony cleared his throat, “Simple. I used a combination of repulsors in my boots, coupled with flight stabilizers built into my gauntlets. The entire system is powered by a miniature Arc reactor I have built into my chest, interlocking with the entire suit, which provides more sustainable energy than five nuclear factories, allowing a controlled flight lasting upwards of seven hours.”

Rainbow nodded, pretending she understood what he was saying, just as she did with Twilight on a regular basis, “Yeah, sure, but how do you fly? Where’s your wings?”

Tony strained every cell in his body to resist facepalming.

“Don’t you have anywhere better to be? You know, away from me?” he asked.

“Nah.” She responded plainly, not wanting to explain how she didn’t know a single soul in her strange new world. “Besides, you’re fun! My name’s Rainbow Dash, what’s yours?” she asked, holding her hoof out to shake.

Tony stared at it, shaking his head slowly. “You know, after all this, I really shouldn’t be surprised at your name, but... I can’t help it.” He gently took the stubby hoof and shook it gingerly, “My name’s Tony Stark.”

Rainbow smiled. It was a start. At least she knew the name of one person in the future.

“Listen,” Tony continued, “I’ve got some things that need doing. And if I don’t get ‘em done fast, Fury’ll turn this suit into a toaster. If you wanna talk, just come and find me; I’ve got a lot of questions for you.”

Rainbow nodded. For once, answering questions didn’t seem like a bad thing to do. Normally just the thought of a test would send shivers down her spine. But she had nothing better to do, and naps would get tiring after a while.

“Well, if you want, I can come with you now. I mean, I don’t really care, but the faster I get it done, the faster it gets out of the way, you know?” she said, hovering alongside Tony.

“That’s not a bad idea. If Fury gets a good look at you, he’ll probably forget what he wanted me to do... This could work.” his repulsors churned, preparing for another sustained flight, “Alright, Dash, stay on my heels. If you can.”

*****

The dimly lit deck of the SHIELD Helicarrier was immediately flooded by harsh, flashing red lights, coupled with an ear-splitting alarm. Deckhands scattered to and fro, stationing themselves at their computers in preparation of whatever emergency was at hand. Standing at the head of the bridge, shouting out commands mixed with expletives, stood the dreaded Commander Fury. His single eye glared at the incompetence of the newest crew of the Helicarrier.

“Sir!” shouted a young operative from the back of the room. Fury rushed over, his black trench coat billowing behind him.

“The Hell is going on, private?” he asked furiously. Get it?

“Sir, radar is picking up two unmarked objects closing in on the carrier. They appear to be flying in a battle formation, and we’re trying to-” the private stammered.

Fury left him in mid sentence, strolling down the center of the bridge, pointing to individuals along the way.

“Call deck support now! Tell them to get some guns up!”

Fury pointed again, causing everyone under his cyclopean gaze to cower in fear,

“Who do we have on board?” he asked in a rather demanding way.

“C-Captian Rogers and...” the miniscule deckhand concentrated, trying to resist fainting at the sheer authority of Commander Fury, “Agent Barton!” he finally shouted.

“Tell ‘em to get their asses on deck, now!”

Fury turned without saying another word and headed for the elevator, all the while trying to reach Tony Stark for the twelfth time. There were more problems in using a billionaire playboy in your team of super-soldiers than Fury had originally thought. The most annoying of which was that he never answered his phone.

“What’s the point of spending four-hundred dollars on a phone if you leave it off all the time...” Fury grumbled to himself as the elevator came to a screeching halt. The doors swooshed open, bathing Fury in the bright light of the mid-afternoon sun, nearly blinding his one good eye.

All across the deck, SHIELD soldiers lined up, rifles at the ready. Jets were warming up, and stationary turrets were being loaded. Fury took no time to marvel at how quickly the deck was secured; it was in their training to do so. Instead, he took up his own position at the head of the line, withdrawing his pistol and aiming it to the sky.

Despite the three dozen soldiers on deck, there was nothing but silence. Soldiers dared not move, as if making a single sound would doom them all. Heads turned to the port-side of the Helicarrier as a strange sound surfaced. Through the clouds, nothing could be seen, but it could be heard. A strange sound... it reminded Fury of-

AC/DC?

Fury grimaced as he holstered his gun and walked to the edge of the carrier. Sure enough, the chords of Highway to Hell assaulted his ears moments before the annoyingly familiar Tony Stark flew overhead, built-in speaker systems blaring. Unlike their Commander, several soldiers on deck cheered and hollered Tony on, prompting him to make an unnecessarily showy landing.

“Dammit, Stark! Where the Hell have you been? I’ve been calling your ass all day! Do you know how-”

At this point, Stark tuned Fury out, as usual. It wasn’t that he was being inconsiderate, it was just that the first five minutes of any of Fury’s conversations consists with chewing the other out. It wasn’t until that was all over that he actually said anything important. Besides, listening to most of the chewing out part made Stark feel sick on the inside.

He decided to pop back in, and see if Fury was done yet.

“-you like that? Would do? Because really, I’m this damn close to shutting you out of this, Stark! Don’t think that-”

Nope, still not done. Patiently, he waited. He scanned the skies, trying his hardest not to move his head too noticeably. Rainbow was somewhere there, hiding in the clouds. Only a matter of time until-

“-Stark?! Dammit, have you even been listening?” Fury finished, rage practically dripping from his eyes.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, of course.”

“What the Hell took you so long getting here?” he asked.

“I met a friend!” Tony retorted, throwing his arms out to the sides for emphasis, and as a signal for Rainbow Dash. Seeing the command, Rainbow bolted from her hiding spot in the clouds, aiming straight for Tony’s feet. She moved in a blur, too fast for the soldiers to react to, and landed in a cloud of rainbow-colored dust at the ground in front of Tony’s feet. She felt extremely awkward sitting in front of so many new-world-folk, each staring at each her with prying eyes. Still, despite their soul-piercing gazes, Rainbow struck a heroic pose in front of her new friend.

“Marvelous entrance.” Tony remarked in a whisper.

Rainbow was at a loss of words, not for the first time today. All she could do was look around at the dozens of new-world-folk. The dark one with the eyepatch in particular fascinated her; she’d never seen one like him before. His voice, too, heightened her curiosity. It reminded her of a tornado, how it was filled with grace and beauty, but also contained hints of destructive vigor and relentless anger. The angelic sounds that were his voice graced Rainbow’s ears yet again,

“Shit...”

Issue Five: Meet the Team

Sorry for the wait. I was busy. No, not fighting aliens in 'Spess'. That's MAGO5's job.

Northern Ireland

Rain poured against the bare head of Nathan Garrett as he made his way through the tall wooden doors of an ancient castle. Clenched in one hand was a drenched folder, containing enough knowledge to create a deadly force capable of destroying the world three times over. Clenched in the other hand was a jagged black sword, coated in dried blood, and more powerful than anything found in any folder. His bucket helmet hung by a leather strap around his neck, bobbing gently with every step he took.

The hall of the castle was empty and bare. The floor was cluttered with nothing but dust and cobwebs. But behind the emptiness, Nathan Garrett knew what was going on; he could feel the minute vibrations in his feet. A faint scent of oil and coolant filled the air, guiding him to the secret passage built into the corner of the room. With a swift kick to the bottom-most stone, the passage slowly opened, revealing a dark, twisting staircase. Hearing the nigh silent whirring of machinery, Garrett began his descent.

As he traversed the narrow stairway, his head ached, and his thoughts repeated one word.

Obey.

Each time the word repeated in his mind, his sword pulsed faintly. It would get so intense, that it practically vibrated. As it did so, Garrett could feel tendrils wrapping themselves around his mind, digging into the annals of his conscious, and controlling his every move. Free will wasn't an option any more. Everything he did was controlled.

He reached the bottom of the stairs, which opened up into a long, darkened corridor. Cobwebs clung to the ceiling, and rats scurried underfoot. But Garrett pressed on, ignoring the vermin. The hallway ended in a rusted iron door, which opened with relative ease under Garrett’s augmented strength.

Inside was alien. Wiring and pipes ran along the walls like tentacles, and monitors were hung on every corner of the large room. The floor was covered in metal plates, and littered with machinery and bits of scrap metal. Everything in sight was bathed in a sickly green light, emanating from rows of buzzing lights screwed into the cavern’s ceiling. In one side of the room was a workbench, with secret SHIELD files scattered about, and in the furthest corner of the room was a vacant stable. Beside the stable, a tiny cavern opened up, leading further underground.

Down.

Garrett listened to his thoughts and continued, passing the empty stable. He followed a series of wires and pipes down the thin cavern, and soon the deafening sound of industrial machines filled his ears. The cavern widened immensely, revealing massive conveyer lines and production vaults. They were producing shells, resembling bipeds in design, and lining them up along one side of the cavern. Garrett deduced there were no less than two hundred shells already produced, with hundreds more well on the way.

“So, Black Knight, you return… With the plans in hand, I trust?”

Garrett turned to the voice, and, though the figure was concealed by shadows, Garrett knew exactly who he was facing. His heart raced as he trembled in his boots at the mere thought of being so close to someone so powerful. With a shaking hand, he handed over the files. Swiftly, a gaunt gloved hand shot out and snatched the files away before retreating to the darkness. After the faint sound of pages being turned, the voice resumed,

“Very good. The artificial intelligence algorithm is the final key. You have played your part well, Black Knight. You are prepared for your last task?”

Garrett pulled his bucket helmet over his head and fastened it securely.

“Aye. Thine Avengers shall be dealt with, my leader.”

The silence on the Helicarrier’s deck was impermeable. Not a soul had said a word in nearly five minutes, and everyone was beginning to feel the awkwardness of the situation. Rainbow Dash shuffled from hoof to hoof, having no idea what to do. She watched as several of the soldiers had gone inside the carrier, shaking their heads and muttering how ‘Stark’s lost it’. Fury continued to stare off into space, or occasionally throw an intense glare at Tony Stark.

But out of everyone, it was Rainbow Dash who suffered the most. She had always loved being the center of attention, and as the fastest flier in Equestria, that wasn’t hard to do. But being the center of attention while the crowd points guns at you is a little more nerve-wracking. She was visibly shaking out of anxiety when Nick Fury finally broke the never-ending silence.

“Stark, a word?” he motioned off to the side with his one good eye.

Tony went without protest. As Rainbow watched her new metal friend leave, her nervousness began to wane. No one was on deck, and she finally got a good look around; it distracted her from her outlandish situation. The sight was incredible. She had seen airships before, but nothing like this. It was massive, and it was powerful, and-

Rainbow’s attention shifted to the open door on one side of the deck. Thoughts swam through her head about the endless adventures and possibilities that lay below deck. Without thinking, she trotted through the door and into the endless catacombs of the metal monster.

“Captain, Fury wanted you on the deck now!”

The crackling of the intercom quickened Steve Rogers’ pace as he fastened the straps on his suit. The patriotic red-white-and-blue shone brightly in the stark grey of the Helicarrier’s interior as Captain Rogers sprinted to the top deck. His signature Vibranium shield rest on his back, ready to be used at any second.

“Ma’am, what’s the situation on deck?” he asked into his communicator as he ran past security guards and tech officers.

“No idea, Cap. Haven’t heard anything from up top for about five minutes now.” The voice responded in his ear. “Could be anything, so be careful.”

“Will do.” Steve replied, vaulting over a few random crates blocking the hallway. Because, you know, crates are known to do that.

The super-soldier’s mouth went dry as he contemplated what he would be facing. Before his emergence in the new world, situations were simple; Nazis. They were the root of his problems. But now that he lived in ‘the future’, things were a bit more complicated. Not only were there Jihadists and Communists, but he had the whole ‘Interdimensional Alien War Fleet’ to think about. Between that, the rag-tag team of superheroes and the colossal technology gap, there wasn’t much left to surprise the new-age soldier.

He turned the final corner, ready to begin his ascent to the top deck when his foot landed on something with the consistency of a marshmallow. He tripped and went head over heels, unable to catch himself on the bare walls. His face connected squarely with the bottom-most stair, followed by a painful groan.

He opened one clenched eye and faced his ‘aggressor’. The cyan mass was lying on the ground, her wings and legs outstretched. Her equine face looked up at Steve with a nervous smile, hoping he wasn’t hurt too much. She chuckled,

“You alright? Looked like you banged your head pretty hard.”

Steve stared at her, wide-eyed, “Yeah. Maybe a little too hard…”

Steve rose slowly, grasping the stair’s railing to keep his balance. He locked his gaze with the pony as he withdrew his shield and placed it in front of him. Rainbow didn’t even notice, and continued on as if nothing had happened.

“Can you help me out?” she asked, rocking on her hooves in anticipation.

Steve narrowed his eyes. He didn’t trust her. She came out of nowhere, immediately after an emergency on deck, and acted as if nothing had happened. Not only that, but the fact that she was a talking pegasus didn’t help her much.

“I just wanted to know if there’s any food around her. I’m starved!” she explained, rubbing her stomach with her hoof for emphasis.

“Who are you?” Steve finally asked.

Rainbow smirked, and hovered in the air gracefully, “I’m Rainbow Dash! Fastest flier in all-“

Light bombarded the two as the door to the deck swung open. Nick Fury stood at the top of the stairs, staring down at the two. Without saying a word, he made his way down, slowly shaking his head. When he reached the bottom, he placed himself in front of the hovering Rainbow Dash.

“Stark tells me you’re fast.”

His voice sent another shiver of excitement down Rainbow’s spine. It was like nothing she had ever heard before. It was majestic, in a way, with such mountainous force. But it also chilled her very soul. There was no doubt in Rainbow’s mind; his voice alone has killed more men than can be counted.

Rainbow shrugged, “He’s not wrong.” She said almost inaudibly, too frightened by his demeanor to respond with her trademarked cockiness.

Fury shook his head, “He also tells me that you’re not dangerous. Can I trust him?”

Rainbow gulped and nodded her head.

“Good. Does that mean I can trust you too?”

Again, she nodded. Fury patted her on the shoulder, “Good. Now, what’s your name?” he asked nicely, but without a smile.

She stammered under his colossal figure, trying to get the words out, but to no avail.

“Her name’s Rainbow Dash, sir.” Steve said from behind Fury.

“Thank you, Cap. Go ahead and meet me in the bridge; I’ll be there in a minute.”

Steve saluted before heading down the tight hallway towards the bridge. As soon as he was gone, Fury squinted his one good eye at Rainbow. He grimaced,

“Listen, I don’t care what or who you are. I’ve got a situation on my hands, and I don’t care what you do, just don’t mess it up. There’s a lot more at stake than you can imagine, and it’s all on me. Understood?”

At this point, Rainbow had sunk to the ground, trying to hide herself under her mane.

I guess this is how Fluttershy feels… she thought to herself as she peeked out from beneath a few strands of hair. Silently, she confirmed her understanding. Fury stormed off down the hall, leaving Rainbow alone. After he had left her sight, he shouted back,

“Follow the blue line to the bridge.”

Rainbow waited a few seconds before looking around. Sure enough, painted into the grey floor, was a solid blue line. Keeping her muzzle inches away from it at all times, she began to trot towards the bridge.

“Really, I thought you’d be excited.” Tony Stark said as his Iron Man suit peeled away from him. He faced Steve Rogers as it did so, and stared at him with mild amusement.

“Why should I be? As far as I’m concerned, and as long as she’s as harmless as you say she is, she’s no different than any other guest.” He replied, arms crossed.

“Come on, Cap, she’s way better! She’s fast, cocky, and has a good sense of humor. She’s just like another me!”

Steve shuddered visibly. “Please don’t say that…” In truth, there was almost nothing that could scare Captain America. He could stand before Hitler himself and not show signs of cowardice. But the only thing that could keep him in a state of fear was another of him.

The automated robotic arms took away the final pieces of the Iron Man suit, leaving Tony standing in the middle of the room, wearing his normal casual clothes. Following Steve out the door, they continued towards the bridge.

“All I’m wondering is how she got here? Where’s she from?” Steve asked.

“Don’t know. And to be honest, I don’t care.”

“Come on, you’re saying you’re not even a little curious?”

Tony shook his head, “The only thing I’m curious about is how she’ll fit into the team.”

Steve stopped in his tracks. “You really think that Fury’s going to let her in? He’s not really the type to tolerate… well, horses, I guess.”

“Ponies.” Tony corrected, “And I don’t care if he tolerates them or not, she’s going to join. When I first saw her, she was saving a kid from a burning car.”

“That’s nice, but it’s not really the basis for-“

“Steve, she was standing in the fire.” Tony interrupted, losing his limited patience, “Like, in the fire! She didn’t get burned, either. I don’t even think she noticed. What if she can’t get hurt?”

Steve shrugged, unsure how to respond.

“Think about it; what if she can’t get hurt?” Tony repeated, “Aside from Thor and the Hulk, none of us are invincible. Thor’s almost never here anyway, and the green guy isn’t a particularly nice guy. With her, the only thing we’d have to worry about is running out of sugarcubes.”

Steve mulled it over in his head for a long time before finally saying, “I think we should get back to Fury before he loses it again.”

“Fine. But this conversation isn’t over.”

Rainbow Dash continued following the blue line. It seemed to go on forever. With her head so close to the ground, focusing solely on the blue line, she didn’t even notice the dozens of technical workers that stared at her as she passed. On one occasion, they had dropped an entire toolbox, scattering wrenches, hammers and fusion cutters everywhere in an enormous racket. Rainbow hadn’t noticed.

As she walked, Rainbow thought about how her friends would react to her situation. Of all the ponies, Twilight would probably feel most at home. With her technical insight, she would be right at home in the belly of the scientific behemoth. She imagined how aghast Rarity would have been, observing an entirely gray scene. She rolled her eyes at the thought of Fluttershy venturing through the strange land; or at least trying to. And she didn’t even dare her mind to think about Pinkie.

Rainbow noticed tears forming in her eyes, and violently shook them away. She had been caught off guard.

Stop it! You’ll see your friends, eventually…

She listened to her mind, even though she knew it was wrong.

She followed the blue line until her head hit the solid metal door with a ‘Clang!’. She stared at it for a few moments longer before it slid open with a hiss. She was presented with a room, containing only a large V-shaped table. She recognized the red-white-and-blue guy sitting at the table. Beside him were two others; a muscular man wearing a black jacket and sunglasses, and another bearded man of less-than-intimidating demeanor. Her spirits soared when she noticed the blue triangle glowing underneath the man’s shirt. She trotted happily over to the non-metal-man.

Stark stood up, pointing at Rainbow.

“See that, Clint? She’s the one I was talking about.” He said to the third man, who stared at Rainbow. It was difficult to gauge his emotion behind his sunglasses, but Rainbow safely assumed he was in shock. That was a common emotion that humans felt when they first met her.

The one named ‘Clint’ only silently chuckled before casting his gaze elsewhere; primarily to the unadorned grey wall. Tony patted the chair next to him, beckoning Rainbow over.

As soon as Rainbow planted her haunches onto the chair, a second door slid open, and Nick Fury strode in, joined by a second man. Rainbow dared not make eye contact with him, lest the fabric of her very being be torn asunder by his mere image.

“I see we’re all here.” He said to the group, “And that we’ve gained one extra.” He finished with his one-eyed gaze on the pegasus.

“Yes, sir.” Steve said, only to break the silence that was sure to follow.

“Well then, let’s get started. First off, this is our new field agent.” He extended his arm to the man in the suit behind him. “Agent Benjamin Poindexter. He’ll be accompanying you.”

The rain had ceased, and a fog crept in as the Black Knight stepped outside. Irish fields of green stretched out into the fog surrounding the castle. It felt peaceful, but he wasn’t fooled by the looks. He knew that this was the staging point for the end of the world.

The Black Knight whistled sharply into the wind before planning his attack. His extensive mind had become a master of strategy, rivaled only by Captain America himself. Considering the living legend would be one of his upcoming opponents, he took every precaution to make sure his plan would succeed. His arsenal was lined up behind him; electric axes, mechanical crossbows, and a medieval flail with taser-like appendages lay on the moist grass. But most importantly, his lance.

It was really a technological wonder. The ten foot lance was built with almost unlimited capabilities. A small flamethrower was built into the tip, as well as a liquid nitrogen launcher to freeze enemies in their tracks. It was capable of shooting electrically charged rounds, and steel-fiber nets. In a sense, it was an unstoppable weapon.

His attention shifted as the sound of beating wings filled the air. The Black Knight smiled underneath his helmet as a familiar whinny greeted his ears, followed by the black shape of his winged steed. The genetically engineered pegasus landed heavily in front of The Black Knight. Though it still resembled a horse, genetic modification had taken its toll. Its face had been twisted into a horrific guise, almost resembling a dragon in nature. Razor sharp spines protruded from where its mane should have been, and a scaled tail swished back and forth behind it. But the most prominent feature were the leathery black wings resting at its sides.

“Elendil…” The Black Knight said, stroking the horse’s black muzzle, “Today, we ride into the throes of battle one final time. Ready thine self, friend, for tonight we die deaths fit for kings.”

Elendil bowed its horrific head, and lowered itself, so the Black Knight could mount himself on the saddle. As soon as he was situated, Elendil took flight, circling around the castle, and waiting for the Avengers to arrive.

“So we’re just checking out a castle?” Clint Barton asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Seems a little easy…” Steve pondered.

“Are you sure this is the right place? We’ve got the same signs in Latveria.” Stark explained, pointing out the signs of radiation emanating from Northern Ireland.

“How does this work?” Rainbow asked, pointing to the computer monitor in front of her. She craned her head around, trying to grasp the concept of the electronic device. Stark reached over and guided her hoof to the screen, gently tapping it. Rainbow beamed as the monitor reacted to her hoof, and proceeded to scroll through as many things as possible.

Fury rubbed his temples, “It’s sketchy at best, but it’s our best lead.”

“Remind me, who is it that we’re worried about?”

Fury clicked a few buttons on his end of the table, and a database emerged on each of their computer monitors.

“Nathaniel Garrett. Genetic engineer, and descendent of Sir Percy of Scandia. He used to work in the genetic science department for Oscorp, but I guess lately he’s taken up villainy as his main hobby.” Fury explained as walls of text flowed past their monitors.

“And you’re thinking he’s not working alone?” Steve asked, never taking his eyes off the screen.

“Someone like Garrett wouldn’t willingly turn to such drastic action by himself. No, I think he’s working with someone. The main question is, who?”

“That’s what we’ll find out.” Tony said, before rising. “When do we leave?”

“We’re warming up a chopper for you right now. Suit up.”

Steve and Clint Barton stood and saluted to Nick Fury before exiting the room, leaving behind Tony and Rainbow Dash.

“Stark, I don’t want any screwing around on this one, got it? Try to be professional.”

Stark waved his hand, “Please, you’re talking to the essence of professionalism here.”

“I’m serious Stark. One screw up, and I’ll have you’re suit turned into a microwave.”

“I’ll take a note of that.”

Tony turned to leave, drawing Rainbow’s attention away from her monitor. She hopped off her chair to join him, but was stopped as Fury spoke up behind her.

“Not you. I’ve called in someone to take a look at you.”

She raised an eyebrow in his direction, “Take a look at me?”

“No offense, but I’m not taking my eye off you until I found out just what you are. So I called someone in. He may not know a lot about ‘time-travelling ponies’, but he’s a smart man.”

Rainbow huffed. “Why can’t I go with them? The Tony guy trusts me.”

Fury scoffed, “Stark would trust a squirrel if he thought it would get him attention. I’m sending Agent Poindexter in your place.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes over-dramatically, “Fine… What am I supposed to do until your guy shows up?”

Fury shrugged as he left the room, “You seem to like that computer a lot.”

Six hours later

The four men sat silently in the chopper as it began its descent to their target. Making their way through the dense fog had set them on edge. Clint Barton fidgeted with some arrows, and Captain Rogers rotated his shield in his hands. The only man who seemed calm in the situation was Agent Poindexter, who sat with his eyes closed, completely still.

Of them all, it was Tony Stark who seemed the least collected.

“Guys, do you think she’s doing alright?” he asked, followed by a collective groan from the rest of the group.

“Jesus, Stark, give it a rest!” Clint exclaimed, “That’s the fourth time you’ve asked…”

“Yeah, Tony, she’s fine. Stop asking.”

Tony shook his head as he shifted his helmet in his hands. “I’m just saying, I feel as if I owe some kind of responsibility for her. You know, like a...”

“Father?” Clint deadpanned.

“I was going to say debt.”

“Guys, I don’t know how you normally do this,” Agent Poindexter softly spoke, “but aren’t we supposed to go over a plan or something?”

His voice was small, and shy. The group had to strain their ears to hear him, and even then it was difficult.

“He’s right. Stark, when we land, I want-“

Something hit the front of the chopper, instantly killing the pilots. The four men were thrown around, crashing into the walls of the chopper. Beacons blared in their ears, almost drowning out the sound of Tony’s cannons as they charged and fired at the chopper’s rear entrance. It exploded, rocking them with yet another explosion.

Clint was the first out, initiating a rolling dive out of the falling chopper before deploying his parachute. He disappeared into the night. Next, Steve reached out and pulled Agent Poindexter to him, before following Clint into the darkness.

Stark faltered, trying to get a foothold in the tumbling chopper. It was difficult, considering it would alternate between being upright and upside down every other second. Just when he thought it was over, Stark got a clear view of the sky out the back entrance. Silhouetted against the dull grey sky was an all-too familiar shape. Its black wings blotted out the sky as it rode in all its grace and majesty. It was enough to distract Stark long enough.

The chopper crashed into the ground, taking Tony Stark with it.

Double Author's Note. Sorry for this chapter sucking so much. I sorta just wrote it in a couple hours after eating an entire pizza all by myself. But now that I'm back in the swing of things, I'll try to get into a regular schedule.

Also, I've concluded that, though it may by very similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is my own universe that I created. Hence why Oscorp and Benjamin Poindexter are in here, despite neither of them appearing in the canon universe. Just to clear things up. Kthxbai.

Issue Seven: Headaches and Horseshoes

Agent Poindexter sat silently, watching his vision blur and swim before him. His eyes betrayed him, showing the room as moving and swaying. He knew it was caused by the heavy loss of blood, and shook his head in an attempt to alleviate his disorientation. But to no avail, the swimming came back tenfold.

Finally, Poindexter lowered his gun. It was getting too much for him; he had to do something. He would bleed out before long. Seeking medical attention, Benjamin shuffled along the floor, slowly moving further into the castle. There had to be something in the bare stoney fortress to mend his wound. About halfway across the main hall, he found it.

An open door rest to the side of the grand staircase. Inside was darker than anything he had seen before. Through the penetrating darkness, it seemed to go on forever, spiraling downwards into the earth. Despite it seeming inhospitable and abandoned, Poindexter heard something in its depths. The unmistakable pounding noise of machinery. Slowly getting onto one leg, he began descending into the darkness, using the wall for support.

With a pounding head and an aching leg, the descent felt impossible. Every fiber of his being was shouting at him to fall to the ground and accept his final fate. But the sheer will to live kept him going, placing one foot in front of the other. After what felt like hours, but in reality wasn’t even two minutes, Benjamin found himself at the bottom, faced with a metal door.

Despite Benjamin’s anticipations, the door was unlocked, and swung open freely. What caught him next stunned him.

Green lights bathed the room, with monitors posted along the wall, showing everything from the castle he was in, to major metropolitan areas. He recognized New York City, Beijing, and Berlin, but there were many others along the wall. Around them, smaller monitors displayed data, which ran along their surface in an endless tide of numbers and figures. It hurt Poindexter’s head.

Off to the side there was a second door, from which the cacophony of noise sounded. A metal locker was bolted to the wall near it, with a large red cross painted lazily over the front. Even through his delirium, he could see the padlock on the front. Without thinking, he picked up the nearest object to him, which happened to be a screwdriver from a near toolbox. With an overarching throw, Benjamin flung the screwdriver at the locker, and used his momentum to tumble his way near it. As he expected, the screwdriver struck true, hitting the padlock clean off.

Something moved, forcing Benjamin’s heart into his throat. He looked around, stunned and afraid. He wasn’t alone.

“Who’s there?” he asked, his voice weak and tired.

“That was an exemplary throw, Agent Poindexter.” The voice was higher pitched, with a hint of a rasp to it. It spoke fluently and marvelously. “Despite a gratuitous amount of blood lost, you haven’t seemed to have lost your touch.”

“Who are you?” the agent asked again, drawing his gun tiredly and scanning the room.

“I’m nobody. But you, Agent… you’re something.” The voice said with venomous fascination. “I could use you. I know what you want.”

“What do you mean?” he replied, finding nothing but shadows. The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, in every direction.

“You want power, as most mortals do. I can give you that power.”

Agent Poindexter whirled around and shot once into the darkness. The room exploded with noise, and his head nearly split open from the sound. He expected to find his aggressor, but was disheartened only to find an obliterated pair of wings from the housefly he had just shot.

“You missed me.” The voice said, accompanied by a whirling of fabric. The agent could feel the presence of the figure as it stood directly behind him. He tried to move, strained at his own muscles as they disobeyed his command. His mind hurt, but not from any injury; this was different. A tugging feeling.

“Now, Benjamin, let’s look into that head of yours!” he snarled as he began pulling out memories.

*****

Rainbow Dash clenched her teeth hard as the winged monstrosity known as Elendil charged her from the sky. It barreled towards her, wings drawn in in a cyclone of terror. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the heroic Steve Rogers begin to move to intercept the beast, but he was too slow. Rainbow took the entire weight of the creature, effectively being thrown from the top of the castle’s tower.

Elendil’s sharp talons encompassed Rainbow’s lithe body, holding her in a vice-like death grip. At this point, most of Elendil’s prey would suffer from pressure so great, it would essentially liquefy their innards. Unfortunately Elendil wasn’t dealing with normal prey. Rainbow’s squirming body was impenetrable, and suffered no noticeable effects from the crushing attack.

Enraged, the winged monster circled the tower, holding Rainbow Dash closer to her body.

On his third pass around the tower, Elendil spotted his deadly master, facing off against a gargantuan brute of muscle and madness. Seeing his master falter brought rage to the being, who soared higher into the clouds, piercing the heavens with its shrilling cries. Rainbow’s ears began to ring.

There was a striking feeling of familiarity with the monster. Rainbow noted keenly the leathery wings on the steed’s side, which mimicked her own, minus the feathers. It’s equine muzzle, though grotesque and misshapen with the addition of fangs, was nothing new to her. Even the way it spoke, in hellish, shrill whinnies and neighs got to Rainbow.

I’ve got it! She thought to herself, momentarily forgetting the life-threatening peril of herself and her comrades, These are future ponies! Obviously they’ve evolved, or mutated by some crazy war or something. Yeah, that makes sense!

Satisfied with her newfound explanation of the monster, Rainbow was able to focus her attention on the solution to the problem. Obviously anything she did wouldn’t hurt her, so her possibilities were seemingly endless!

“Okay, time for something cool!”

Rainbow sprang into action with the likeness of a beached eel. Instead of flawlessly breaking Elendil’s hold, she fumbled and squirmed around until she could get one wing out. Though not the entrance she had anticipated, it would have to do. Using her wing as a rudder, she altered Elendil’s course, decelerating him and causing a loss of altitude. Knowing her window would be small, she readied herself.

Elendil, now in a dive, worked to secure his prey, and tried to get a better grip. For a split second he took his talon off of Rainbow to reposition it. At the same time, Rainbow extended her wings as far as she could, basking in the feel of the wind beating against them. Twisting her body, she put herself into a roll, breaking Elendil’s final hold on her.

Free at last, Rainbow barreled to the surface. Her trick would only work once, so getting caught again wasn’t an option. She would have to take out Elendil.

“Just do something super-awesome to impress them!”

Grinning to herself, she centered her focus on the castle’s large northern wall.

*****

Grime. Stink. Filth. Just a few words to describe the damp cubicle of masonry in which Agent Clint Barton sat. His jacket was scuffed and torn, and his trousers were covered in mud and blood. Shakily, he tried to stand. Nearly falling, he threw his arms out, catching the first thing they hit; a hanging chain.

But instead of supporting his weight, the chain went slack and fell to the slimy ground along with the agent. A clatter of metal and bone surrounded the winded Clint. When he regained himself enough to see, he surveyed the area.

The first thing he noticed was the human skull, sitting mere feet from him. Small strings of flesh still clung to the clean white bone. Clint reacted calmly, kicking it away from him with as much force as he could muster. His eyes were drawn up, away from the human remains.

He was in a small cell, five feet wide. Stone walls lined three sides, with the fourth replaced by thick iron bars, which allowed only the bare minimum of light through. Clint ran his hands along the stones and used his keen eyes to search for a seam in the stone, but to no avail. Cursing and throwing his fist against the bars, he sank against the wall.

“Barton?”

The voice echoed across the room, reaching his ears. It sounded like it was only coming from a few cells over. The nonchalance and smoothness of the voice could be only one person,

“Stark?”

“Yep. Glad to see you’re alive, Robin Hood.”

Clint scoffed, “I can’t say the same about your sense of humor, pal.”

“You figured out a way out of this?” he asked from across the room.

Clint couldn’t see him, but judging by the non-metallic voice, and the fact that he was still stuck in a cell, he assumed his suit had been taken.

“Not yet. Why can’t you, mister genius?”

“Cut me a break, I’m working on it. Just gotta give me time.”

A slight rumble from above them caused Clint’s stomach to turn, “I don’t think I can do that, Stark. You gotta hurry.”

Suddenly, the room was filled with the loud jingling of chains, clattering of metal, and scraping of bone. Though unseen, Clint knew Tony was working a way out of his cell. And from the lack of swearing, he figured it was going smoothly.

His thoughts were confirmed seconds later by the crashing of the iron door. From his restricted viewpoint, Clint could see Tony, shirtless and bleeding, stumble out of his prison.

“I’m out.”

“I can see that.” Clint deadpanned.

“Well… good job. Just because you’ve got eyes like a-“

“A hawk?” he finished, grinning.

“I was gonna say finch.”

“Just get me out of here.”

Tony didn’t reply, and instead scoured the room for a solution. Finding it in the form of a ring of iron keys, Tony rushed to the aid of his companion. Quickly throwing the door open, he came face to face with his fellow SHIELD member.

Clint on the other hand was worried for Tony’s health. Not only was he cut and bruised over his entire body, but his arc reactor shone dimmer than usual.

“Is that gonna be a problem?” Clint asked, pointing to Tony’s bare chest.

“Let’s hope not. What’s the plan?”

Clint thought, “Well, I don’t know about you, but I just want to get the Hell outta here.”

Tony nodded, “Sounds good. You do that. I’m gonna find my suit.”

Tony began meandering across the room, walking in a wavering line for seemingly no reason. Thought it seemed he had an idea where he was going, something wasn’t right about him.

“Come on, man, you’re hurt. Forget your suit, don’t you have a dozen of those?” Clint pleaded as a second wave of rumbling resonated the room.

“What’s that noise?” Tony asked, seeming to ignore Clint.

“I can tell you one thing; it’s not good. So let’s get going. The quicker we’re out of here, the better.” Clint said, taking Tony by the arm and pulling him in the other direction. His resistance was persistent, but feeble.

“I think this is the way out.” Clint said, reaching a thin metal door on one end of the long room.

Pushing it open with one arm and pulling Tony with the other, Clint entered the room. Immediately, he regretted his decision as nearly two dozen figures rushed at him, eyes glowing green. The sound of metallic joints squeaking filled the air, and became louder and louder as they approached. Backing out of the room proved fruitless as they ran into another figure.

Clint spun around on his heel, ready to throw a punch, but hesitated at the sight of the man. His normally tidy black hair was tussled and covered in blood. He had ruined the pristine SHIELD suit, which rest over his shoulders practically in threads. In one hand, Benjamin Poindexter held a trio of throwing knives.

“Poindexter?” Tony asked, disoriented.

His only response was a flick of the wrist, sending a shard of metal hurdling towards Tony’s midsection. It impacted without a sound, save for the slight splatter of blood splashing on the floor. Clint rushed forward, prepared to tackle the rogue agent, but stumbled as his eye caught a second figure. From over Benjamin’s shoulder, a tall, gaunt figure stood, one hand outstretched. In dismay, Clint lost grasp of the situation, and took Benjamin’s right hook straight to the jaw.

For the second time that day, Clint was knocked unconscious.

*****

“Let’s hope this doesn’t hurt…” Rainbow gulped, nearing the castle’s wall. She was approaching it at an angle, hoping to crash land in one of the bottom levels. Her mach cone was weak, and nowhere near the speed needed for a sonic rainboom, but it would suffice. A quick peak over her shoulder revealed Elendil was still hot on her heels.

Closing her eyes tight, Rainbow readied herself. The first impact couldn’t even be felt; she tore through the masonry as if it were tissue paper. A split second later, the wall took a second, larger projectile, followed by cries of pain and agony. Rainbow smirked as she neared the stone floor. This one would hurt.

And it did. Despite her nigh-invulnerability, her face tingled as it took the front of the impact. Her meteoresque approach successfully carved a path through the castle’s floor, leading to the basement. Elendil followed, taking hit after hit on his way down.

Emerging from her pile of rubble, Rainbow Dash looked around. Elendil lay a few meters away, unconscious or dead, she couldn’t tell. All she knew was she was resting beneath the castle, in a large cavernous room. It was filled to the brim with clunking machinery, churning away in its autonomous state. The noise was deafening, and confused the pegasus.

“The buck is this?!” she exclaimed, throwing her hooves around, “More future stuff! This is getting old!”

Her voice would have echoed, if not for the ear crushing noise of the factory. Manufacturing lines circled the caves, carrying an assemblage of parts across. Rainbow followed them with her magenta eyes, trying to find the end. But the machines were vast, and so many that it took ages to scan through the production.

Eventually, she ended, and her eyes rest upon a group of humanoid figures. Though she was new to their forms, she could easily tell something was wrong with them. For one, they were made of metal. And second, most humans she had met didn’t have guns coming out of their arms.

The figures charged her, spraying the area with a volley of bullets. The pinging and clanging of the projectiles surrounded her. The bullets’ impacts were hardly felt through Rainbow’s hide, but she knew there were many. The casings alone from their automatic assault were enough to smelt down and construct an entirely new robot.

Rainbow made no attempt to find cover. She was her own cover. Standing proud and heroic among the carnage and destruction caused by her own face, she met her aggressors head-on. They attacked her up close, grappling at her hooves and throwing mediocre punches. It was too easy for Rainbow.

They stood no chance for her invulnerability. She could hit them as hard as she could without injuring herself, and that’s exactly what she did. A wild haymaker to the right struck a robot in the head, shattering its plastoid skull and spilling its mechanical brain all over the floor. She took two robots by the shoulders and rammed them together with all her might, conjoining the two in a messy pile of shrapnel and debris. A bucking kick successfully sliced one of the robots in half from the force.

As Rainbow tore through the waves of robots, she began to construct new, unique ways of dispatching her foes. After tearing one’s head off, she would use the body as a bat, crushing additional robots with their own fallen comrade. Or, using uncanny strength, she would crush one under the debris she had brought with her through the castle. Finally, as their numbers dwindled, Rainbow developed a growing sense of accomplishment.

It was almost exhilarating to her, having so much power. Before, in Ponyville, she had always been the toughest, but there were times when that just didn’t cut it. Certain things, like manticores or dragons could put up a fight against Rainbow. But in the future world, where everything was fragile and weak, she was unstoppable. The elation was almost too much for her.

As she crushed the final robot’s skull under her hoof, she looked around. No challenger showed themselves to her. She was victorious.

“Awww yeah!” she shouted to the destruction she had caused, “You robots don’t have anything on Rainbow Dash, Fastest Flier in-“

“-Equestria.”

Her neck snapped to the source of the noise. A trio of men approached Rainbow Dash. The middle man, tall and skinny, was obscured by shadows and darkness. But the two men flanking him received just enough light to be viewed, and, upon examination, proved familiar. Agents Barton and Poindexter walked towards rainbow, each brandishing a weapon. Poindexter held a short knife, and Barton had traded his traditional bow for a simple pistol.

“Guys?” Rainbow asked, upon realizing the identity of two-thirds of the group.

“I apologize for interrupting, Miss…” the voice paused for a second, stopping in his tracks. For a moment, Rainbow’s mind went numb, and she felt a vague tugging at the back of it. “…Rainbow Dash. Peculiar name, for sure.” The voice continued.

“Who are you?” she asked, not threateningly. She was merely curious.

“Oh, I’m nobody. Just a face in the crowd.” He explained in his raspy voice, “But you… I’d like to get to know you.” He finished sinisterly.

*****

Captain America had finished his descent through the now ruined castle. As he emerged onto the front yard, it didn’t take him long to find his target. The gigantic green behemoth stood out like a sore thumb. At his side was the dreaded Black Knight, now comically small compared to the Hulk’s bulk. The Captain sprinted in to help his ally.

But the Black Knight was persistant. He had withstood over ten minutes of nothing but assault from the Hulk; an impressive feat for anyone. His strategic mind and surprising agility kept him in the fight long enough to keep the Hulk busy. Now his mettle will be tested as a second foe joined him in the fray; the great Captain America.

His first attack was simple to dodge; a generic right hook.

“Doth thou insult me?” he jokingly asked, “Such a trivial attack couldn’t possibly have faltered my defense.”

Steve knew he was right. If he could take the Hulk on one-on-one for as long as he had, a textbook approach wouldn’t work. What he had to do was stop the Black Knight from gaining the upper hand.

To his side, lying in the damp grass not far from his enemy was the Black Knight’s lance. Save for the Ebony Blade, his lance was the deadliest weapon in his arsenal. Going for broke, the Captain rushed the Knight and charged for the lance.

At the same time the Hulk worked his way around the tiny Captain Rogers, and flailed his arms at Nathaniel Garrett. Unlike Steve, who used military combat and textbook attacks, the Hulk used his own fighting style. Mostly because the Hulk couldn’t read or remember what textbook attacks were. Instead, he used his massive bulk as a wrecking ball, flailing around and hoping it would hit something.

Unfortunately, the Black Knight was far too experienced in warfare to be fooled by such a barbaric tactic. A simple sidestep was all it took to give the Black Knight the opening he needed. A simple swing of the ebony blade struck true to the monster and, though it didn’t cause any physical harm, the psychic link to the blade and its bearer began to affect the Hulk. The Hulk’s mind, being weak of will, was easily overcome by the dark powers of the ebony blade.

The Hulk brought his massive hands to his head, screaming to the sky in agony. It was a pain he had never felt before; like his brain was being fried in boiling oil. Smirking beneath his black bucket helmet, Nathaniel Garrett turned to his second target; Captain Steve Rogers.

But Steve had different plans. While the Black Knight was dealing with the Hulk, Steve had gone off to the side to acquire Nathaniel Garrett’s lance. He held it in front of him, putting a good ten or twelve feet between the two men. The Black Knight wasn’t swayed, however, and casually advanced on the American.

“An interesting piece of knowledge, mine friend,” the Black Knight said, toying at the end of the lance with his blade, “Whilst fighting thine Man of Iron, I had fallen victim to the simplest of counterattacks. I had mine own weapons turned against me.”

Rogers tapped one of the several buttons on the lance’s hilt, hoping some defensive mechanism would activate.

“Thou can thank your Man of Iron for inspiring me. I have had mine weapons installed so that only their true master could command them.”

A thick black gauntlet grasped near the shaft of the lance, and viciously yanked it out of Steve’s hands. Without saying another word, the Black Knight drew his sword back, preparing to strike down Captain America.

Steve closed his eyes, not wanting to see his fate as it was thrust down upon him. He readied himself for the pain.

…

Nothing.

Slowly, Steve opened one eye. No one stood in front of him; all he saw was an incapacitated Hulk, lying prone on the grass, and the ruined castle on the horizon. It was as if the Black Knight had vaporized.

Steve looked to his left, where the ground smoked in a hazy ring of singed grass. Following the trail made in the ground, Steve’s eyes eventually landed on the Black Knight, lying on the ground twenty yards to his right. The unmistakable figure above him gazed at the Captain. His red cape billowed in the late morning wind, and the hammer in his hand shone with a mystical blue light. Slowly, a smile crept across his lips.

Steve sighed and gave a meager wave of his hand, “Thor…” he acknowledged.

“Greetings, my friend.” Thor exclaimed heartily, “Quite the skirmish, yes? I’m lucky I arrived when I had.”

“Sure are,” Steve said softly, pointing at the castle, “Tony and Clint are stuck in there, as well as one of our new agents.” An annoying jab at the back of Steve’s mind forced him to add, “Two agents, actually.”

“I’m aware.” Thor said, making his way towards the castle, “Your newest arrival; the alien. I need a word with her.”

“And what kind of word might that be?” Steve asked, jogging to catch up with the god.

“With any luck, a peaceful one. If not,” he stopped, and grasped his hammer Mjolnir tighter, “I would suggest you find somewhere safe to hide while we ‘talk’.”

Author's Note

I didn't care much for this chapter, it seems just a wee bit pointless. BUT, that's because I don't understand the fundamentals of writing and yadda yadda. Next chapter will be more exciting, and I'll finally get around to providing that oh-so-sweet exposition that people tend to love.
Or is it hate?
I dunno.
But to whoever can figure out who the main villain is (MAGO5 excluded due to already knowing. Thanks NSA...) gets a free prize.

Issue Eight: Castlemania

Rainbow Dash wiped the groggy state from her eyes. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been out, but she knew it was too long. Her stomach growled, indicating it had been at least four hours since her last meal. Grumbling, she rose to her hooves.

The familiar setting of Ponyville Park greeted her with warmth and comfort.

“Great… I napped on the bench again.” She groaned, popping her spine with a satisfying crack.

Around her, ponies milled about, chatting and doing the usual social things that Ponyville ponies do. Bon Bon and Lyra were off having a picnic, and a trio of elated cries beat against Rainbow’s ears, indicating the juvenile Cutie Mark Crusaders were up to something. Trotting along towards the town’s center, Rainbow breathed in the familiar sights.

She passed Sugarcube Corner, slowing to a gentle canter to relish in the sweet smells of treats inside. The scent of sugar, dust and oil, and candies filled her nostrils with joy. Putting an extra spring in her step, she continued downtown, passing the familiar town hall. It was pleasant to be back in town after everything she’d been through.

Everything was just as she’d left it. From the fine thatched roofs to the broken husks of machines lying casually in the street. She breathed a sweet sigh of relief. After everything she’d been through, a nice chat with one of her friends could do her some good.

But her friends never came. Through her walk throughout the town, not a single one came to see her. Twilight’s tree library was dark and closed, and Rarity’s boutique showed the same signs. Not even the commonfolk stopped to greet Rainbow Dash. It was almost like they didn’t even-

Exist.

Like a floodgate opening, intense pain surged through Rainbow’s head. Memories of the past twenty four hours rushed in to fill the gaps in Rainbow’s mind. Her world melted away in a pit of chaos and destruction. Ponyville fell to the ground, dust and fire rising in its wake. The faint screams of ponies could be heard past the intense throbbing of Rainbow’s skull. For a split second, it felt ready to burst open.

But it began to subside. Slowly at first, then almost instantaneously. Her brain slowed down and almost felt like it slid back into place. The tugging that she had encountered earlier was nonexistent, and her brain settled back down.

She opened her eyes, releasing fluid down her cheeks. Whether it was tears or blood, she couldn’t tell, but she had a feeling it was both. Her vision consisted solely of a bare stone wall, marked only by a few chips and cracks. She tried to turn her head, but found resistance in the form of a tight leather band, compressing her head into the back of a chair. Her hooves were wrapped similarly.

She squirmed, trying to get some movement back into her.

“I wouldn’t do that.”

Rainbow’s heart froze at the voice. It was chilling how calm, yet sinister it was. It was directly behind her, out of her sight, but close enough that she could practically feel him towering over her.

“Why?” Rainbow asked as bravely as she could. Unfortunately, given her circumstances, a fair amount of fear crept into her voice.

“Let’s just say, unless you want your brain matter to be liquefied, you’ll listen to me.” He answered, snarling as he spoke.

“Who are you?” Rainbow asked, her voice still marked with fear.

“Oh, that hardly matters. A name is just a name. Who I am is irrelevant to you, Miss Rainbow Dash. Nor is it relevant to Mister Tony Stark. Or Captain Steve Rogers. Or even Doctor Banner out there!”

A gloved hand rest itself atop Rainbow’s head, burying itself in her rainbow mane. It stroked her slightly, creating a rough sensation of the cloth on her hair.

“In time, who I am won’t matter. Who you are won’t matter. Nothing will matter.”

He leaned in close to Rainbow’s ear. His hot breath tickled her, sending chilling waves of terror down her spine, “I’ll make sure of that.” He whispered.

*****

Thor Odinson, proud protector of Asgard, strode mightily through the now ruined castle. He clambered down the steep slope of rubble, disregarding all notions of caution. Mjolnir in hand, and Captain Rogers behind, he made his way over disheveled machinery, and broken robots. His sight fell upon the beast Elendil, buried and crushed under rubble. Fires had begun to break out over the cavernous walls.

“This was all from your visitor?” Thor asked, surveying the impressive damage.

“I’d say so. She doesn’t seem like the gentle type.” Rogers replied, impressed at how she dealt with the situation. Almost on the same level of discrete as Tony…

Thor had arrived to the lone door, standing innocently off to the side of the destruction. From under the door, a dim light shone. Thor turned to his mortal companion.

“Behind this door lies the enemy. Are you prepared?” he asked, genuinely concerned for the man.

“We’ll find out.” Steve replied, placing his shield in front of him.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Thor kicked the door in. The thunderous crack of splintering wood was all it took for the trio of evil-doers to turn tail and run. The tallest of the three, clad in orange, moved like a blur out of the room. Two men trailed behind him, easily identified as the two former agents. In the middle of the room, abandoned by her captors, sat the sky blue pegasus, staring humbly at the wall. Her face was stained with blood, but aside from that, she looked fine.

“Give chase! I’ll deal with the prisoner!” Thor bellowed, prompting Captain America to sprint after the fleeing suspects. His genetically altered legs propelled him across the room faster than most, and shot him down the halls at an impressive speed.

“They’ve done something to the iron dude!” Rainbow shouted after Captain America, before squirming in her seat some more. She strained at the leather straps, but felt strangely weak. Thor moved to her side.

“Great Odin’s raven… You’re a…”

“Pony.” Rainbow deadpanned, “I don’t know who you are, but you sound like a good guy. Can you help me out?” she asked, or practically pleaded.

Working quickly, the bulky god unfastened the belts and let them fall to the floor. Rainbow slumped forward and fell to the ground, barely landing on her hooves. Immediately, she tried to run after Steve, but was stopped by two muscular hands grasping her at the shoulders.

“Do not think to run, little horse.” Thor insisted, “I’m to have a word with you.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, “Look, pal, what’s your name?”

Smiling, the God of Thunder answered, “I am Thor Odinson, protector of Asgard and-“

“Well, Thor, my pal Tony is in trouble. I gotta help him!” Rainbow pleaded, spreading her wings, “If you don’t let me go this is gonna get messy.”

“You dare think you can challenge the might of Thor? Have at it, little horse!”

Rainbow grinned, “If you insist…”

*****

The corridors were narrow, dimly lit, and small. Several times Steve had to run crouched over, just to avoid the low ceiling. But he was catching up to them. In the straightaways, he could even see the slowest of the pack; Clint Barton. He had no idea how much further ahead the other two were, but he intended to find out. He had one advantage over them.

His super-soldier body could withstand extreme punishment for hours, and that included all-out sprinting. His agile moves always kept him on the approach, practically nipping at the heels of his prey.

As they progressed through the seemingly endless escape tunnels, Steve saw the perfect opportunity. Up ahead, Clint had just turned into a hallway that split off at a forty-five degree angle. With a mighty grunt, Steve Rogers chucked his vibranium shield down the hallway as hard as he could. The spin was perfect, and the shield shot down the hall, bouncing off the wall’s corner, and rocketing down the hall. He heard a solid impact, followed by a grunt. By the time he reached Clint’s fallen body, his shield hadn’t even hit the ground yet.

Clint looked up at him, pain and confusion painted on his face, along with a sheen of sweat and blood. The archer put his hands up, mouthing words to speak, but not finding the voice to do so.

“Clint? Are you alright?” Rogers asked, keeping his tone friendly but assertive. He painfully glanced upwards, down the hall. His prey was escaping.

“Don’t go…” Clint whispered, shaking. “Mind control… Don’t…”

“Clint, they’ve got Ben. And I don’t know who this guy is, but I can’t let him-“

“Steve. The castles going down." Clint replied, tears forming in his eyes.

*****

Castle walls were breaking yet again as the sky blue mare shot through the dungeons. Her mass had increased significantly at the acquisition of the God of Thunder, whose mighty hold on the mare never faltered. His hands remained stalwart on the pony’s shoulders as they crashed through walls, searching frantically for Tony Stark.

“Little horse!” Thor shouted over the sound of ruin and destruction, “Cease your flight! The castle will fall upon us if you continue destroying its foundation!”

Rainbow came to a screeching halt, nearly throwing Thor off her shoulders.

“What do you want me to do, huh?” Rainbow almost shouted, “Tony’s out there bleeding out. You know what’s gonna happen if I don’t find him in time?” she asked, getting within inches of the man’s face.

“I understand more well than you.” He replied, letting go of the pegasus. “We’ll split up and find Master Stark. But afterwards, I require your presence.”

Rainbow nodded, not wanting to respond to his odd way of speaking. Instead, she took flight and zipped down the corridors. It was slower, having to follow the pathways instead of making her own, but she couldn’t risk bringing the castle down on top of everyone.

Choosing a hallway seemingly at random, she flew with all her might, peering into every branching room and corridor. Though she hadn’t found Tony, she happened across an equally familiar duo. Captain Steve Rogers was carrying Clint Barton over his shoulders, straining to maintain his impressive speed through the corridors. Upon seeing the flying horse, a combination of relief and annoyance filled his eyes. Quite similar to the look he adopted whenever Tony Stark himself walked into a room.

“You! Have you seen Tony?” Rainbow asked, talking at lightning speeds.

“Clint has, he told me where to go. Follow me.” Steve explained, moving quickly through the halls.

“What about the other two? Poindexter and that… third guy?” Rainbow asked.

“Now isn’t the time. We’ll get Agent Poindexter back later, and as for the third guy, I’ll have to explain it later. We’re in trouble.” Steve explained breathlessly, not missing a stride.

“Why? What trouble? Where’s Tony?” Rainbow pleaded, shooting question after question at the already pressured Captain America. As the questions bombarded his ears, he slid to a halt, almost tripping over himself.

“Rainbow,” he started, “Take Clint and get out of here. I’ll find Stark, just get everyone to the surface. Now!” he bellowed.

Rainbow threw the archer over her back, balancing him with her neck. His legs draped over her flanks and rest on either side of her tail, and his head rest against her own. Despite the uncomfortable position, it was enough to fly. Though not as quickly or agile as before, Rainbow continued to fly down the passageways, picking them at random until they began to ascend. Though nothing changed, her heart grew heavy with a sense of dread. Not only was her first friend in the future in peril, so was her own being. She couldn’t place her hoof on it, but there was a keen feeling of doom permeating the air.

“Well, at least you get to sleep through it, huh buddy?” she asked the unconscious body of Agent Barton. She chuckled at herself, but her laugh was void of all happiness and hope, and instead replaced with cautious pessimism and hopelessness.

“Celestia, let him be safe…” she said to herself.

*****

Thor kicked down yet another door, setting the casualties at four. But this time proved fruitful. As the Asgardian entered the room, only one thing caught his eye; the bandaged man resting on a massive stone tablet.

“Stark…” Thor whispered, moving towards him. Bandages were tightly wound around the man’s midsection, but were still damp with blood. The device in Tony’s chest shone, but it was so dim that Thor had to get within inches of it to notice any light.

Using his godly strength, Thor picked up Tony Stark and carried him over his shoulder to the doorway. He wasn’t even a dozen steps out before Captain Rogers literally ran into him. Steve went flying, landing on his backside feet away, while the God of Thunder stood motionless.

“Why the rush, Captain?” Thor asked, bemused.

“We gotta get him out; Clint and Poindexter were mind controlled and set the castle to blow! I don’t know how much time we have left.” Steve explained, pulling at Thor’s bright red cape in an attempt to move the god.

“Unhand my cape!” Thor bellowed, “And lead the way.”

Steve nodded, and began running down the halls towards the gaping hole Rainbow Dash had provided.

“What of the horse?” Thor asked on the heels of Captain America.

“I gave her Clint and told her to get out of here.” He explained, “My turn; what do you want with her?”

Thor sighed, “She’s a threat to the realms. My father Odin sent me to either send her back to her realm, or to ensure her banishment on Asgard.”

Steve raised an eyebrow as he pushed past some rubble, “Geez, you sure about that? I mean, you have seen her right?”

Thor ignored the Captain’s questions, and continued ahead on his own. The exit was in sight; the massive hole bored into the castle’s floor. The sun’s rays shone down into the depths like a ray of hope. Thor eyed Captain America as he began his ascend up the rubble.

“She’s reckless. Dangerous, even.” He called up to the man.

Steve shrugged as he looked for his next handhold, “I can’t argue that. But I know a guy who fits that description. And he’s draped over your shoulder.”

Thor grimaced as he shifted Tony’s weight. “But Master Stark is of Midgard, not from beyond the realms. The tiny horse is of different origins.”

Steve had made it to the top, and was attempting to balance amongst the loose rocks and debris, “You’re gonna have some time convincing her that. She thinks she’s in the future.” Steve chuckled as he watched Thor clamber up the rocks recklessly, nearly slipping several times.

“I have faith in my ability.” Thor grunted, nearing the top. Tony was wrapped around both of the god’s shoulders, almost mimicking hunted game draped across a hunter’s back.

“Let’s go.” Steve said simply, motioning towards the front doors, which now rest wide open, “Fury’s gonna want to talk to you.”

*****

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had found her own way outside. By ramming her body into the ceiling hard enough to create an exit of her own. The crumbling ruins were tougher than she expected, helping her believe the fact that it wouldn’t crash down on top of everyone.

Clint Barton had begun to come to. He was groaning, and mumbling nothings about mind control and robots. As awesome as it sounded at times, it worried Rainbow, and she worked to get him out as quickly as possible. Finally, with a massive gout of strength, she broke through the wall, flooding the corridors in natural sunlight, and revealing the grand hall of the castle. Moving quickly, she took Clint on her back and flew him out of the castle.

It took her seconds to find Captain Rogers and the new guy. Their bright costumes stood out against the stark, foggy landscape. Rainbow felt a brief comfort in her own colorful nature, and felt slightly accepted amongst the flamboyant costumes everyone else donned. The only one missing out is Clint.

He might look good in purple… Thought Rainbow Dash, before being interrupted by Steve.

“Rainbow, you made it.” He sighed in relief, “We’re lucky; Tony’s fine.”

Rainbow beamed, “Can I see him?” she asked, craning her neck around Steve to try and sneak a peek.

The baritone voice rolled across Rainbow’s ears like thunder, “Not yet.”

She turned to see Thor. She hadn’t been around him much, but even so, she didn’t like him as much as the others. He talked weird, and seemed a bit more… viking.

“About your promise, little horse…” Thor began.

“Yeah, fine. What is it?” She responded, obviously not enjoying herself.

“By my right as heir to Asgard, I demand you tell me your origin, and the intents and purposes of your intrusion on this realm!” he bellowed.

“Geez, tone it down.” Steve interrupted, standing between the two. “What he’s asking is, why are you here?”

Rainbow smiled; this was an easy question for her, "You see, I’m a time traveler!” she explained, waving her front hooves in the air to add a sense of mysticism to her words, “I flew so fast that I ripped a hole in the space-time-something, and ended up here in the future!”

Steve nodded in acknowledgement, seeming to appreciate her creativity. Thor, however, groaned and rubbed his eyes in annoyance, “No. What you did wasn’t time travel, it was travelling across realms.”

“Realms?” Rainbow asked.

“When you performed your act of speed and flight, you broke through a mystical boundary. The combination of a powerful magical entity near you and your speed created a bridge between worlds. In Asgard, we call it the Bifrost.” Thor explained, losing patience, “Which you deliberately created to reach Midgard. I want to know why.”

Rainbow’s brow crumpled. She rubbed her hoof against her chin, wondering just what the strange man had said. It went against all of her thorough, concrete evidence of time travel, and completely shattered her made-up views of the world. She plopped onto her flanks and poked at the ground with her hoof, still struggling to decide whose story to believe.

“So… you’re saying that I didn’t time travel?” she asked.

Thor nodded.

“And your saying I used a frosty thing to get here?” she asked again, hoping to gain some ground.

“The Bifrost yes. On Midgard they call it a wormhole.”

“Okay… One problem; I’m not magical. If it required magic, I wouldn’t be able to do it. So it must be time travel!” Rainbow countered, hiding behind her fortress of infallible logic.

Thor shook his head, “You don’t have to be magic, you simply must have something of high magical power nearby to activate it.” He tried explaining, though he was losing patience.

“Twilight’s pretty good with magic…” Rainbow admitted, “But that doesn’t prove anything!”

“Guys,” Steve interrupted, “Clint’s awake.”

The three most conscious members of the team gathered around Clint Barton, who had sat up and rest his weight on his elbow. He was clutching his head, and sneering in pain, but able to talk.

“Clint, you alright?” Steve asked, acting as the voice of reason amongst the three.

“I couldn’t help it. You know, it was… strong. Stronger than…” he trailed off, catching a glimpse of something beyond the gathering crowd. “I’ll be damned, when’d he get here?”

Everyone turned to view the scrawny man ascending the hill to their position. His arms were wrapped around his chest, and his pants were torn and loose. A thin trail of blood leaked from his nose. Though shaky, the man seemed intact, at least enough to walk. Upon hearing Clint's outburst, he smiled wanly,

“I just dropped in…” he deadpanned in a scratchy, hoarse voice.

“Hey doc!” Rainbow shouted, bounding over to her friend.

“Clint.” Steve continued, trying to wrest the conversation back to the topic, “You got a look at the guy; who is he?”

Clint shrugged and shook his head, “I don’t know. They guy was a freak though, you know? Like, tall guy, orange suit. Freaky part was the guy’s head. That thing was massive! Swollen beyond belief.” Clint explained, using his hands to mimic his own head expanding.

Steve nodded, “But you don’t know who he is?”

Again, Clint shook his head, “Not a clue. But how many tall green guys with big heads are there?” he asked jokingly.

“Well…”

Everyone in the group turned to the source of the voice, Doctor Bruce Banner. He was rubbing the back of his neck nervously, and moved his mouth as if he were looking for the right words,

“Samuel Sterns.” He finally spat out, “High school dropout, from Boise.”

“You know him?” Clint asked, “Must have been some introduction…”

Ignoring him, Bruce went on, “He called himself Leader. And if previous experience has any say in it, we’re in big trouble…”

“How big is big?” Rainbow asked, trying to add something to the conversation, despite knowing absolutely nothing about anything anyone had said in the past five minutes.

“If he’s doing what I hope he’s not doing, then I’d say global domination is a pretty high probability.”

Author's Note

I will admit, this is by far my least favorite chapter, both in quality and substance. It's unnecessary and the pacing is screwy. However, I don't intend on making this a regular thing. I rushed this because I knew it would be a boring-ish chapter for me to write and I didn't want to deal with it in the future. Hopefully more whimsical, fun chapters ahead, I've got a few ideas in my noggin.
And yes, the title of this chapter is referencing Castlevania.
Also, to those guessing the villains, you guys can really think up some cool stuff. Morgan Le Fey and Maximus and the works. Seriously, I wish I had thought of something like that at the beginning. But the winner of the guess the villain is Sieurin, who was the closest to the correct answer with the Leader. I mean, yeah, you kinda sorta took it back, but still, you win. And what do you win? I... don't know. Depends on what you want and how generous I am.
Anywhoozles, long note is long, and technically not a note at all.
tl;dr - Fun chapters ahead, and no more writing dumbness.

Issue Nine: Debrief

Hidden away from the rest of the world, tucked behind majestic snow-capped peaks, the Leader planned his next move. Already, his manufacturing plants around the world were churning out androids. Their numbers were expected to hit one million strong within a week. But it wasn’t good enough; the Avengers were more stubborn than he had anticipated.

His plan should have worked. But instead of dispatching the two or three Avengers as he planned, they all escaped his grasp. It infuriated the villain, sending hot waves of hatred across him. His downfall and failure was the cause of one aspect he couldn’t account for; Rainbow Dash. But it wasn’t all lost.

Before his escape, the Leader had taken both Rainbow Dash and Tony Stark aside, with the intent to warp their minds to his cause. Unfortunately, fate intervened, but not before he gained access to nearly every memory. Every personal experience. Every secret. The Leader now had more information on SHIELD than he could ever have hoped, as well as the key aspects of flight mechanics, and the entire series of Daring-Do. This increased his plans.

He had to work fast; his window was small, and allowed very little margin for error. Already, they had an idea what he was planning. But it was for naught. Even if they knew what he was doing months ago, they couldn’t stop him now. Not with the android formulas.

The formulas, which the Black Knight had personally delivered, gave the Leader’s army a conscience of their own, allowing for a level of intelligence and strategy that couldn’t be matched by any other automated force. And they will take the world in a siege of carnage and destruction.

The Leader strode over to his lair’s window, overlooking a snowy, craggy valley between two mountain peaks. Down below, a thin frozen river meandered through the landscape, cutting a winding path of grey through the white background. The sky seemed closer than usual, and incredibly blue. Everything about it sickened the Leader. Why he chose such a dreadful place for a lair was beyond him.

“It doesn’t matter...” he said softly to himself as he sunk down into his large chair, “It won’t last long anyhow.”

*****

The quinjet ride was bumpy, jarring, and overall unpleasant. But it was the fastest way to carry five people and a pony across the Atlantic. Despite having the ability to fly (faster than the jet, even) Rainbow was given explicit orders to stay inside the jet, as it was cloaked, and untraceable, whereas Rainbow wasn’t. She grumbled, crossing her hooves in distaste of that fact.

The others in the group didn’t seem to mind, save for Thor who had a slight loathing of Midgard technology. They all sat motionless in their seat, or seats in the case of the unconscious Tony Stark, who was tied down over three seats. On occasion, Tony would grumble, or say something incoherent, but aside from his outbursts, he remained silent throughout the voyage.

For Rainbow, the four hour flight was one of the most uncomfortable in her life. There had been flights that had come close, back in Equestria. Flight school primarily held the record for most awkward flights, but those memories were quickly expelled by Rainbow.

Funny she thought, how easily those memories are coming back...

Still, it didn’t matter to Rainbow. As long as it wasn’t killing her, or wasn’t completely awesome, she ignored it.

Their flight ended on the majestic Helicarrier, still flying over the northeast United States. Any uncomfortability Rainbow had on the flight was manifested at twice the strength on the Helicarrier. As soon as the doors opened and the team descended the ramp, half the crew was staring at them. A massive crowd had gathered on deck to greet the returning heroes, and to mourn the possibility of one of their deaths.

All eyes were on her though; not the bloodied and battered group of men. Her flawless, pristine condition contradicted the wartorn look the others had adopted. They marched across the deck as a medical team brought Tony a stretcher. Rainbow looked on with worried eyes as the limp body of her friend was lifted onto the device, and rolled away in the opposite direction.

“Is he gonna be okay?” Rainbow asked, looking up at Bruce Banner.

Bruce shrugged, “I hope so. We’ve got good doctors aboard.”

“Like you?” Rainbow asked, hoping to gain some confidence in the situation, knowing his position as a doctor.

“No, not like me; real doctors.” Bruce replied, killing the short-lived confidence of the pegasus.

Before anyone could continue their conversations, the bulkhead to the interior of the ship flew open. A single man strode out, practically darkening the sky with his presence, and demanding a hush across the crowd. Nick Fury’s black trenchcoat flapped in the wind as he walked towards the group of heroes moving across the deck.

“Commander-” Captain America began, before being quickly silenced by a one-eyed death glare.

“Now’s not the time, Cap. We need you debriefed.” Fury allowed himself a brief pause as his one good eye rest upon the pony, “All of you. Report to the medical bays for examination and debriefing.”

Without letting another word be said, Commander Fury turned on a heel and withdrew to the dark interior of his Helicarrier, leaving a significant emptiness in terms of complete and absolute authority.

The team stopped for a moment. Thor and Banner exchanged sly grins at each other before abandoning their group and heading down the deck.

“Hey, where are you two going?” Rainbow demanded, shouting over the shrieking wind.

Captain America leaned down to Rainbow’s level, “They don’t do debriefing.” he explained, “Thor claims diplomatic immunity, and the big guy isn’t too helpful.”

“Exactly, Cap.” Bruce replied.

“Aye. If you require us, we’ll be in the mead hall.” Thor announced, slapping Banner on the back with slightly too much force.

Rainbow watched as her friend, and her almost-sorta-viking-friend both ventured forth to whatever a ‘mead hall’ was. It was a confusing term, but there was one more that was more confusing.

“What’s debriefing mean?”

*****

Steve Rogers was well practiced in the art of debriefing. From his beginnings as a soldier, it had become a routine for him; go on a mission, beat the Nazis, come back, debrief, rinse and repeat. SHIELD, unlike the 1940’s American military, viewed debriefing as a form of art. Every single aspect was taken into effect, to the tiniest detail. For others, it was complete and utter Hell, but for Captain Rogers, it was stimulating.

The debriefing room itself was as simple as could be. Gray walls, gray floors, gray tables. The only life in the room emanated from the brightly colored costumes of Captain America and Rainbow Dash. Clint refused to change costumes after hearing Rainbow’s proposal. Honestly, only an idiot would wear a bright purple and blue costume when fighting a war.

The three heroes sat on one end of the long table. None of them held any possessions, save for a small glass of water given to Rainbow only after twenty minutes of complaining. It felt more like they were being arrested than debriefed.

Finally, an agent came into the room, followed by a red haired man in a brown suit. The agent stood by the door, as protocol dictated. The doctor however, sat himself across the table from the three individuals. As usual, he took a long sigh and adjusted his glasses before speaking,

“Good evening. To those of you who don’t know, my name is Doctor Phineas Horton, I’m here to conduct your debriefing and evaluate your psychological conditions.” the man droned into a handheld device, presumably a recorder.

On either side of Rainbow, the two heroes acknowledged the man with nothing more than a nod.

“For the record, I will state that our newcomer, Miss...” the man shuffled through papers on his desk until he grasped the one he needed. It was nearly blank, save for two sentences and a name, “...Rainbow Dash, though appearing to be sentient, is not human in nature. Debriefing will continue as usual.”

Rainbow squirmed in her chair. The room was hot, and smelled slightly of paint. Her chair didn’t lean back how she liked it, and there was a faint hissing from inside the walls. All in all, she preferred crashing through castle walls and punching robots to this. Who knew being a hero could be so... bureaucratic?

“Describe the events leading up to the incident.” the doctor began, setting his recorder on the table, facing the trio.

As expected, Captain Rogers began, “Agent Barton, Agent Poindexter, Stark and I were sent to Ireland to investigate a possibly threatening level of activity.”

“And when you arrived...?” the doctor pried.

Clint was able to snag the first words before Captain Rogers, “We got our asses kicked.”

Rainbow sat silently between the two as they described the battle with the Black Knight. Next to sitting through one of Twilight’s lectures, it was the most tedious thing she’s done. It was almost as if the doctor enjoyed asking questions. Like it was his job. Rainbow scoffed internally.

The award for most boring job in the world goes to... she thought, holding a mock ceremony in her head for the psychologist.

As Steve was explaining how he saved Agent Poindexter, Rainbow’s mind wandered still. From a list of boring jobs she had personally done, most of which involved using her ‘brainpower’, to why Clint looked like he was scowly all the time. Anything to get her mind off the droning man across the table. Until, that is, he mentioned her by name.

Rainbow snapped out of her thoughts, looking at the doctor with a raised eyebrow and a cocked head.

With a sigh filled with contempt and boredom the doctor repeated, “When did you arrive at the castle?”

Rainbow slowly gathered her memories, “I followed the... Hulk missile,” she explained, recalling the term Clint had used on the quinjet, “Raced it, actually. Technically, I won, but-”

“So you’ve arrived at the castle after you followed Doctor Banner?” he asked, jotting down a simple note.

“Raced Doctor Banner.” Rainbow corrected.

To her left, Rainbow could barely make out Clint say under his breath how, even with Tony in a coma, his personality never left the room.

“I wrote down ‘followed’.” explained the doctor.

“Yeah, but it was cooler than that...” Rainbow said dejectedly, remembering the thrill of the race with the missile.

“Well, what happened afterwards?” he asked.

Rainbow grinned wickedly and prepared for the greatest story ever told.

*****

Tony Stark’s operation was complicated, to say the least. Not only did they have to artificially power Tony’s arc reactor, but they also had to avoid disturbing the carefully constructed metabolism Tony had created for himself. The wrong balance of chemicals or medicine could throw off his internal system, causing a destabilization of his entire operating system. Since running the Iron Man suit is a complex process, involving a lot of brain power, it was extremely important to maintain a specific level of maintenance.

Knowing this, the doctors used no anesthesia.

Hoping that the lack of power from the arc reactor would be enough to keep Tony under, they went to work with the surgery. Their first goal was to mend Tony’s innards, which had been severed by the knife. Using the traditional method of approach, the doctors entered through Tony’s midsection.

Everything about the operation went smoothly. They even acquired one of Tony’s backup reactors for when the job was finished. They had sewn and stapled his organs back together in a matter of minutes; a personal record for the surgeons. And just as they were about to sew the entrance to his guts up, they saw it.

A thin metal tube, not even the size of an ordinary staple, rest snugly behind Tony’s squishy interior. Carefully removing it with forceps, the head surgeon set it aside on a tray, where a young intern took it out of the room, leaving the surgeons to finish the operation.

Intern Richards, a blooming mechanics student, took the tiny object to his workspace, just across the hall. Given its miniscule size, Richards was required to use a microscope for his examination; something he wish he could have done sooner.

Practically flying out of the room, Richards rushed to the bridge to give the news of the tracking device.

*****

Rainbow Dash had left her seat, and now stood on the table, hooves flailing. For moments, she would hover in the air, mimicking the act of flying extremely fast. And for others she would punch imaginary robots in the air, simulating the intense fighting. All the while describing her part in the attack using her extensive vocabulary of words like ‘awesome’ and... Well, really, that was about it.

Meanwhile, the entire room was enjoying her story. Even the stalwart agent at the door cracked a smile at how eccentric the mare was, and for a brief shining moment, Rainbow Dash felt like herself more than ever. She had become the center of attention, not for being an alien freak, but for being awesome. It was elating.

Until she noticed the doctor. His plain face never changed throughout the entire tale. He jotted down notes quickly, but a glance revealed he’d left out the most important details, like how she kicked a robot in half. That was cool!

Finally, as her story dwindled down, she settled back into her seat. She was slightly out of breath, but she didn’t mind. Everyone was impressed. Steve was trying hard to hide his chuckling, and even the grumpy looking Clint had a grin on his face.

It took the doctor another two minutes to finish writing down notes from the story, never saying a word until he set his pen down. He picked up the recorder and brought it near his mustached face,

“No further questions. The subjects seem... reasonably sane. This has been the debriefing of Captain Steve Rogers, Agent Clint Barton, and Agent Rainbow Dash in Operation: Scouting Hawk.”

Doctor Phineas Horton, with the fluent grace of a wildebeest, gathered his papers in a rough stack, noisily threw them into his briefcase, and left the room, taking his agent with him.

The trio sat a moment longer at the table. They had all heard it, though they hadn’t believed it. Agent Rainbow Dash...

Steve patted the pony on the back, “Let’s go find Fury.”

“Yeah,” Clint said, “obviously there’s been some kind of mistake.”

Rainbow didn’t hear Clint, her mind was focused on Fury. She didn’t want to see him, not after he yelled at her the way he did. She wasn’t scared of him, but if she had to be in a room with him, or a room filled to the brim with spiders, she would take the spiders.

“I’m gonna go find Bruce!” Rainbow nearly shouted, scrambling over the table and to the door.

The two remaining men watched the pony go, leaving them behind in the gray room. They looked at each other a moment before Clint finally broke the silence,

“You don’t think the doc just assumed she was an agent?” he asked.

Steve shook his head, “No, I’ve known Horton awhile. He doesn’t get his facts wrong.”

“Come on, Cap. You really think Fury would let her join SHIELD just like that? And an agent?” Clint pleaded, making his way to the exit.

“Fury’s been known to make crazy decisions. Crazy, not stupid.” Steve explained, following Clint close behind. They were headed inwards, deeper into the ship, presumably to change out of their field outfits.

“I think we should have a word with him about it.” Clint proposed, legitimately feeling that way. Many people would toss the idea of talking to Fury around, but always back out of it out of fear.

“Hey, you wanna talk to him, be my guest. I trust his decision. Rainbow Dash seems competent.”

“I never said she wasn’t competent. Just... headstrong. Too much like Stark.” Clint explained, sending another shiver down both their spines. They didn’t like comparing the two. The resemblance was too close.

“I put my faith in SHIELD. If they think it’s a good idea, I have to agree.” Steve explained, remaining stalwart.

“Whatever, but I’m gonna need some explaining. Hopefully the word doesn’t get out too fast...”

*****

Rainbow ran across the cafeteria, bumping into workers as she went. All the while, screaming towards Banner on the other end of the room,

“Doc! Bruce, I’m an agent now!”

The cafeteria, which was almost completely full, went dead silent as the pony sprinted across the room to her friend. Her shouting disrupted every conversation in the hall, bringing a mixed feeling of surprise and panic to everyone. Rainbow repeated her phrase four or five times before finally reaching the doctor and, in one last attempt to hammer her point home, repeated proudly,

“I’m an agent!”

Bruce chuckled, “Right, and I’m the President of Australia!” he joked.

“I’m serious,” Rainbow scowled, “That doctor dude told me so!”

After a moment, Bruce’s chuckles died down. He eyed the dumbfounded crowd behind the oblivious mare, then shifted his sight back to Rainbow. His mind worked this new fact over, analyzing every side of it. Shrugging, he forced himself to believe it.

“Alright, agent. Congratulations. Take a seat.” he said, patting the chair next to him. Rainbow eagerly thrust herself into the seat. Thor, who continued feasting upon the mortal’s food, simply looked up at Rainbow through the tops of his eyes.

“So, what does being an agent mean?” Rainbow asked Bruce, not bothering to have thought about that beforehand.

“Are you ready for a long, boring talk?” Bruce asked, grinning to himself. He loved explaining technical things, and there wasn’t a force on earth that was more technical than the bureaucracy of a SHIELD agent.

*****

The Leader sat motionless in front of a wide array of screens. Each monitor showed something unique; from manufacturing plants across Asia, to simple security cameras throughout his lair. Even his missile defense system had its own screen.

As the automated metal door slid open, the Leader slunk into his chair.

“And what news, on this dismal day, do you have for me now, Garrett?” the Leader asked, rubbing his large forehead with a gloved hand.

“Mine Leader, we are to believe that the device inside thine Man of Iron hath been found. SHIELD is aware of our actions.” The Black Knight explained, still dressed in his suit of armor.

The Leader rose from his chair, “Do you know what sets me apart from other masterminds, Garrett?” he asked his mind-bent champion.

“Nay, mine Leader.”

“The difference is, I have a plan for everything. And then everything past that. What you see as a setback or a defeat, I see as an opportunity.” he explained in a low voice, making his way past the Black Knight and out the door.

His lair wasn’t massive. It used to be an old lookout station used by Hydra in the war. With that, there wasn’t much substance to it. It had an observatory, which the Leader had modified to become his own personal room. From there, it was only a few hallways and supply closets, with one or two larger rooms for housing soldiers. The most prominent feature of the base, however, was the landing bay.

And the fabricated quinjet that rest in it.

“Garrett, summon Poindexter to the hangar bay. With due haste!” the Leader commanded, taking long strides to the hangar. Things were going in his favor, for the most part. What he couldn’t accomplish in Ireland, he could make up for on SHIELD’s own turf, and with one fell swoop, take out his only resistance.

He stood motionless for a while, staring at the quinjet and using his gamma irradiated brain to analyze everything. He was interrupted only by the meek Agent Poindexter. Without turning to face him, the Leader spoke,

“We know where the SHIELD’s helicarrier is. This is where you come into play, Poindexter.” the Leader announced, “My factories have built this quinjet to be identical to the rest. Infiltrate their defenses.”

Poindexter nodded, watching the Leader turn around and approach him. From his new perspective on life, the Leader had become far less threatening. Majestic, almost. The way his hair peaked on his massive forehead, to his expertly trimmed mustache. He was a powerful figure.

With a gloved hand, the Leader touched Poindexter’s face, abandoning all personal space boundaries. Poindexter felt a tug, followed by a numbing feeling in his brain. He could feel his master inside, moving around and twisting his conscious. And he liked it. It gave him power. Already, he felt his knowledge growing as the Leader transferred Tony Stark’s stolen memories to him, giving him untold amounts of knowledge on SHIELD.

When he was done, the Leader stepped back. “You know your place, Poindexter. And this,” he said, pulling out a bundle of black cloth, “is for your escape.”

Poindexter took the bundle, and gently unfolded it. It was a plain black balaclava. Totally unmarked save for one feature, positioned just above the eyes on the forehead.

A white bullseye.

Issue Six: Green to Go

Clint Barton hit the damp ground with a roll, immediately reaching for his trusty collapsible bow. With a flick of his wrist, the bow unfolded with a snap, and was ready for action. But as he surveyed the area, he found nothing. The air was still and silent.

“Shout out!” he screamed, hoping one of his teammates would hear him.

He took a few seconds to wait for a response. Nothing.

Maybe they’re still-

A mild shockwave hit him as the ground vibrated underfoot. Through the dense fog, Clint saw a bright orange light, accompanied by a dull roar of an explosion. Arrow drawn and at the ready, Clint scurried quickly to the scene of the crash.

The eerie silence was broken only by Clint’s heavy boots striking the damp grass, creating an innocent squeaky sound with every step he took. His eyes stared straight ahead, focusing on the increasing orange glow. As he made his way closer, an image began to appear, cast into the flames’ glow; a bulky shadow, appearing to be armored.

“Stark?!” Clint shouted, desperation leaking into his voice. There was the possibility that the shadow wasn’t Stark, and he prepared himself for it. His bow was at its fullest draw; 115 pounds.

The shadow moved, and Clint stopped in his tracks. He aimed the arrow straight at the figure’s head as it slowly made its way toward him. It came into view, swirling tendrils of fog wrapping around its frame. Clint’s mind was overtaken by fear, and he froze.

“Alas,” said the Black Knight, “I fear thine Man of Iron hath been dealt with.”

Gaining control of himself, Clint loosed the arrow straight at the Knight. At the range he was at there was no way he could have the time to dodge. Instead, the arrow struck the Black Knight straight in the chest, bouncing harmlessly off his armor and sending him stumbling backwards several paces.

With a grunt similar to a grizzly, the Black Knight shot forward, withdrawing a horrific medieval mace. It crackled with lightning as arcs of plasma shot out, connecting to the ground and the Black Knight himself. Swinging the weapon only intensified the lightning, bringing it closer and closer to Clint.

The archer tried to loose another arrow, but fumbled as the mace was swung within inches of his face. Attempting a sidestep proved to be his fatal flaw, as doing so resulted in a tremendous blow to the gut by the blunt instrument. Clint fell to the ground with the wind knocked out of him, and undoubtedly a few broken ribs. As he struggled, grasping at the dew-soaked grass, the Black Knight stood over him.

“Commendable.” He stated in his baritone voice, “Though for naught.”

Clint lost consciousness as a hefty boot connected with his jaw.

*****

Halfway across the world, hovering nicely north of New York City, Rainbow Dash was running out of things to do in the Helicarrier. Fury had denied her access to anything outside the briefing room and the mess hall. Three bowls of chocolate ice cream and an hour long nap later, Dash was in a slump.

It wasn’t bad at first; Fury had let her play Solitaire on their computers. Though Solitaire could be considered an ‘Egghead sport’, Dash didn’t care. She just liked the noise the cards made when they were dealt. But even the cool ‘thwip’ noise couldn’t keep her entertained for long, and after ten minutes, she was fed up.

For a while she just sort of rummaged through the computer’s files. She had no idea what she was doing, of course, but the fact that it was new and exciting kept her attention. But, again, Rainbow’s entertainment was limited, and halfway through reading about some guy named Maxwell Dillon, she gave up. A combination of gnawing hunger and sheer boredom was too much.

Just when Rainbow was ready to tear her rainbow hair from her head, Fury came into the room.

“I trust you’ve been occupying yourself?” he asked, glancing around the room to make sure no property damage had occurred.

Dash simply responded with a groan.

“Make yourself presentable then. Your doctor is here.” He finished with a smug grin as he turned and left the room.

“Doctor?” Dash asked quizzically.

Fury ignored her, stepping aside to let a fumbling man walk into the room, pushing two large rolling crates. His spectacles hung on the end of his nose, and his dark hair was muddled and untidy. He didn’t bother to glance at Rainbow until his crates were safely secured in the room and the door shut behind him, leaving the pegasus and himself alone in the room.

Rainbow looked him over. He sure was different from everyone else she had seen. His skinny stature and almost apprehensive actions completely contradicted the authoritative, muscular humans she had become accustomed to. It was a relief to her, finally having someone who didn’t seem so intimidating.

“Hello? You do talk, right? I’m not just… talking to myself?” he asked, waving a hand inches from her face.

Shaking her head, Rainbow caught herself. Blushing at the realization that she was lost in her thoughts, she smiled,

“Yeah, I can talk.” She responded.

Upon her talking, she watched as the man beamed and rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

“Well, that’s wonderful! When Fury told me about… well, you, I was skeptical.” He explained, stammering slightly from his excitement.

Dash chuckled, unsure how to respond. Rubbing the back of her neck with her hoof, she struggled to find something to say. The seconds dragged on at a painful rate, causing Rainbow to squirm. After what seemed like minutes, she finally asked,

“You’re a doctor?”

“A little bit,” he responded, using his thumb and forefinger to demonstrate his minute knowledge in the field. “I’m more practiced in gamma radiation, and other related fields.”

Dash ignored the egghead talk for a while, saving those questions for later, “Well, what’re you gonna do? I’m not sick or anything. I think…”

“Well, the first thing I’m going to do is just take a little blood.” He said, opening his crates, revealing rows upon rows of shining medical instruments. Everything from scalpels to those saw-things that cut skulls open were inside the crate, causing both the pony and the human to grimace and squirm a bit.

“You’re not gonna take my blood with that, right?” Rainbow asked, pointing to a large hacksaw.

“Oh no, no no. When I asked for some instruments, I guess Fury just figured I could find a use for all the tools. I’ll hold off on the lobotomies until I’ve got a basic grasp of what’s going on.”

Dash gulped and nodded. She helped the man rummage through medical instruments until they found some sterile needles and cotton swaps. She handed them over before laying on her stomach, hoping the man knew what he was doing.

“So,” he started as he began cleaning an area around one of Dash’s veins, “They say your name is Rainbow Dash?” he asked, chuckling at the end.

“Fastest Flier in Equestria, that’s me!” she responded happily, “What’s yours?”

“Bruce Banner.” He said simply as he lined up the syringe with her blood-supply-line.

“Neat” Rainbow said through gritted teeth, feeling the cold needle press against her skin. It continued to press into her, harder and harder, until she heard a tiny audible ‘snap’ from behind her. She craned her neck around to view Banner, who held a broken needle in his hand.

“That was unexpected…”

*****

Steve Rogers carried the limp body of Benjamin Poindexter across his back as he sprinted uphill through the fog. The orange glow of the chopper’s flames lit the way, guiding Steve towards the dark shape of a large castle ahead of him. Everything in Steve’s mind shouted at him to turn around, and that the castle was obviously a ruse. But it was his only option; either that or get stuck in the fog with the Black Knight.

“Come now, Captain! I have yon friends captured! Art thou too foolish as to not surrender?”

A collective shiver ran down the spines of both Benjamin and Steve. The voice seemed to come from all around him, in every direction.

“Where are they?!” Steve shouted demandingly, craning his neck around to make sure the Black Knight wasn’t right behind him.

“Doth thou take me for a mere fool! I shan’t trouble myself with your petty inquiries! Prepare your end, Captain, for your death comes swiftly on wings of ruin!”

Fireballs streaked past Captain America, scorching the ground under his feet. From behind him, the shrill whinnies and snorts of some hellish creature resounded through the fog, shortening the distance at a frighteningly fast pace. The scorching hot breath of the beast could almost be felt on the back of the men’s necks as they scurried inside the decrepit castle. Agent Poindexter fell to the ground, clutching his leg, as Captain America slammed the doors, blocking themselves from the outside world.

The suspense was only intensified in the silence of the castle. The mere sound of their haggard breathing seemed to deafen them. Finally, Captain Rogers spoke,

“Agent, do you have a gun?”

Poindexter painfully moved his hand to his holster, grasping the pistol in his hand. It was a heavy, cumbersome weapon compared to his usual preference, but in his current predicament he didn’t have much of a choice. He nodded his response to Rogers.

“Good.” The super soldier replied, readying his shield in front of him, “Are you any good with it?”

Poindexter chuckled slyly, “I’m a little more than good.”

“Then watch the doors here. I’ll take a look around the surrounding corridors to make sure he doesn’t flank us.”

With that, Rogers took off, sprinting through the hallways into the depths of the castle.

*****

Flames licked at Tony’s armor as he lay in a crumpled heap inside the downed Quinjet. Sparks flew from the jagged tears in the nearly-crushed Iron Man suit, and the heavy smell of smoke and blood filled Tony’s nostrils as the suit rebooted, enveloping Tony’s body in a blanket of warmth. Slowly, the suit’s joints unlocked, allowing Tony to move freely.

Groggily, he crawled out of the wreckage, observing the suit’s status inside the helmet’s HUD. For the most part, the suit was destroyed. Flight capabilities had been rendered useless, as well as almost all weapon systems. The communications arrays had been neutralized, either by the impact or the fog, it was impossible to tell. It seemed the only thing still working was his right repulsor, which flickered and spat sparks every few seconds.

Tony exited the Quinjet, standing on the singed ground. He opened his mouth to speak, and immediately was thrown into a fit of violent, hacking coughs. Desperately, he grasped at the suit’s helmet, practically trying to tear it off its bolts. The claustrophobia was getting to him.

Even through the dense fog, the sun shone harshly into Tony’s eyes, forcing him to squint. His vision was limited, but that didn’t matter. All there was to see was fog anyway. Fog, and the demon-horse rapidly approaching him.

Tony barely managed to get out of the way in time, dodging the pegasus’ barbed hooves by mere inches. It flew past, strafing the ground with one of its monster wings. Taking a wild shot, Tony let fly a beam of energy out of his gauntlet. Though it was a weakened shot, it connected with something, as the air was suddenly filled with violent shrieks of immense pain.

Tony, helmetless and without much to defend himself with, ran headlong towards the noise.

*****

“Ready?”

“Do it, filly!” Dash shouted to Bruce, seconds before the metal chair crashed down on her back. It bounced off, bent and misshapen, while leaving Dash without a mark.

The two let out cackling laughs of jubilation. The room was a disaster. Broken tools, equipment and furniture lay strewn across the floor. Rainbow Dash stood triumphantly among the mountain of destruction, completely spotless and without injury.

“Dash, what you can do is incredible…” Bruce said for the fifth time. His shy, apprehensive demeanor had completely changed, giving way to an energetic, happy person.

“Yeah, I’m pretty awesome.” Dash boasted haughtily.

“I’d have to look into it, but I’m thinking it’s cellular. Maybe… maybe your cell structure is… I don’t know, enhanced? I honestly don’t have a clue how it works, but you’re practically invincible.” He explained breathlessly.

“Invincible, huh?” Dash pondered the implications. Being able to do anything without getting hurt… The possibilities were limitless. She could do anything!

“Hey! Try hitting me with the hammer again!” she suggested, bouncing up and down with excitement.

Bruce agreed, gripping a small hammer tightly in his hands. He stood over Rainbow Dash, resembling a baseball player stepping up to the plate. The hammer was poised behind his head as he set his mark. But as he swung, the weight of the hammer vanished, and he was sent spiraling due to the lack of balance. Rainbow Dash shrank away as she gazed upon Nick Fury, who held the hammer tightly in his vice-like grip.

His one cyclopean eye looked over the room as he slowly shook his head.

“A blood sample. That’s all I wanted.”

“Well, we ran into… complications.” Bruce said, regaining his posture.

Fury raised an eyebrow, “Oh?”

“As you may have heard, Miss Dash here is… well, she’s impervious to physical harm. And that makes blood samples a bit wily to get a hold of.”

Fury waved his hand in the air, dismissing Bruce’s claims, “Never mind that. There’s been a problem with the Ireland team. Can I get you in the hanger in five minutes?”

Bruce nodded, despite not fully understanding the situation. “Sure thing.”

“Good.”

With that, Fury turned and left the room, only casting a slight glare at Rainbow Dash on the way out. The door hissed shut behind him, leaving the pony and the man alone again in silence.

“Geez…” Dash said, hovering in the air next to Banner. “It’s weird seeing him calm like that. If it was that iron dude that made this mess, he woulda exploded!”

Bruce began setting tools aside, “Yeah, he gets that way around me. Most people do.”

“Why’s that?” Rainbow asked innocently, trying her hardest not to clean up the mess she just caused.

“Well…” he started, “You know how Stark has his suit? And how Steve is really strong?”

Rainbow slowly nodded, beginning to understand what was going on.

“Well, I’ve got something like that too. And people say it’s a lot stronger than what everyone else has. The thing is, it only really… comes out, I suppose, when I’m angry or if I get too worked up. So-“

“So people act different around you because they’re afraid?” Rainbow finished.

Bruce stared at her, surprised. He may have only known her for twenty minutes, but he never took her to be the understanding type. Let alone understanding to something she had never experienced before.

“Yeah.” He finally said. “Look, I gotta get going. See if you can tidy up a bit.” Bruce left, walking quickly down the halls towards the hanger.

“Hey, wait up! I don’t wanna clean this!” Rainbow Dash shouted, chasing after him.

*****

Captain Rogers sprinted around the perimeter of the castle via the corridors. It seemed that the only way in was through the front entrance. At least on foot. Gulping, Captain America began his ascent to the roof, where the Black Knight could easily make a landing on his felstead.

As he made his way, his earpiece began to crackle and hiss. At first Steve passed it off as mere interference, and was about ready to toss it away, until he heard the commanding voice of Nick Fury slowly make its way through. He raced up the stairs, attempting to get a better reception.

“Rogers, come in.”

Steve found himself nearly at the top of the castle’s frontmost tower. Breathing heavily, he put a hand to his ear and responded,

“I’m here. Agent Pointdexter was injured in the crash. I don’t know where-“

“Never mind that, I got some news.” Nick Fury interrupted, “We’re sending in a rescue team.”

“That’s great, sir, but we’re gonna need a bit more than a Quinjet and some guns to get outta here.” He responded, looking around warily for an attack.

“No, no, Captain. You misunderstand me. We’re sending in the rescue team. Get out of there.”

Steve took a moment to understand the situation. He had an injured man, and two missing personnel. And at that precise moment, SHIELD decides to send in their contingency plan, in all its green wonder. Steve sighed.

“Understood, sir. I’ll do my best.”

With that, Steve raced down the stairs. If what they were saying was true, then in an hour’s time, the castle wouldn’t be standing.

*****

Rainbow Dash and her newfound doctor friend reached the hanger in record time, having raced the entire way there. Unsurprisingly, the lanky doctor was out of breath, and Rainbow Dash had won. This prompted a quick boasting before looking around the hanger. Nick Fury stood in the center.

The hanger bay was abuzz with activity, but no Quinjet was on the launchpad. With a puzzled look, Bruce turned to Nick Fury.

“What’s the deal, Fury?” he asked submissively.

“I’m sorry we have to do this, Mister Banner. We’re sending the Hulk to Ireland.”

Bruce scratched his head, trying to wrap it around the situation. “To do what?”

“Approximately ten minutes ago, the Ireland crew was hit by an old friend. Nathaniel Garret. Up until now we’ve had radio silence, and we’ve learned that the situation is more dire than we thought. We need something to level the playing field.”

Bruce began to shake his head. “No, you’re not sending him! Call someone else; Hank, or Victor!”

Nick Fury placed a hand on his shoulder, “Calm down, son. This is an order.”

With that, the man used his second hand to shove a long needle into the side of Bruce’s neck, quickly injecting a soft blue liquid. Slowly, Bruce’s knees weakened and he fell down into Fury’s arms. Rainbow Dash watched with confusion as Fury took him off to the side.

“Doctor Banner will wake up, probably tomorrow. You have to promise me you won’t say a word about this.”

“About what?” Rainbow Dash asked as she watched Fury’s actions.

He easily carried the lightweight doctor to the side, where a band of missiles sat. A crew of engineers quickly opened one of them, revealing a plush interior. Bruce was gently laid down inside the missile with his feet pointing towards the thrusters. The missile was sealed around him and placed on a cart.

“A series of gasses will awaken the doctor’s other half. When the missile hits its target, they’ll be in for a surprise.” Nick Fury said with a hint of enthusiasm.

“But why’s he in… that?” Rainbow Dash asked, unsure of what exactly was going on.

“Follow me and you’ll see.”

The duo watched as the missile was hauled off to a tube on the side of the hanger. It slid nicely into place, resting snugly against the walls of the silo. With a flick of the wrist, Fury unfolded a com-screen on the side of the silo, and dexterously punched in the coordinates. Doors snapped shut, and a red alarm light went off. Rainbow heard a loud roar from inside the silo, before a tremendous ‘whoosh’.

“Missile travel is the quickest way to Ireland. And only Bruce can survive the landing.”

“It’s the fastest?” Rainbow Dash asked, smirking slightly.

Nick Fury’s one good eye shot open, realizing what would follow. Placing his hands on his hips, the man said, “Don’t you even think about it.”

“Think about what?” Rainbow Dash asked rhetorically, grinning madly.

“You’re thinking about-“

A whoosh and a shower of rainbows later, Nick Fury was left staring at empty space.

“-racing it…”

*****

The pegasus was relieved to have the wind roaring in her face again. Her powerful wings pumped the air, following the thin black mark on the horizon. The missile was fast, that was for sure, but it wasn’t unbeatable. With a sudden burst of speed, Rainbow Dash rocketed forward, catching up to Bruce Banner’s personal transport system.

It was nice to fly again. Being cooped up in the Helicarrier was new and exciting, but Rainbow just wanted to go back to her roots in the sky. Flying under her own power was exhilarating, and she could see why humans wanted to do it so much. The Helicarrier flew. Tony Stark flew. Heck, even Bruce Banner’s mini-jet-like-thing flew!

Rainbow, lost in her thoughts, hadn’t realized her increased speed. Instead of catching up to the missile, she had completely overshot it, and now flew ahead of it by almost thirty yards. Bewildered, she pulled back and marveled at the speed. She must have broken the sound barrier with such minimal effort that it went unnoticed. The missile must have been going mach 6 or 7, and Rainbow Dash was leaving it in her proverbial dust.

She smiled as the missile began turning downwards, heading straight for a small island in the ocean. Rainbow Dash tucked in her wings and hooves and barreled to earth’s surface, preparing to see the show of her life.

*****

Tony Stark took yet another blow to the chest from the Black Knight’s gauntleted fists. Each fist had brass knuckles tipped with electrodes; a very useful weapon when dealing with a metallic suit. Tony’s vitals were dropping rapidly.

“Now, Man of Iron, ye disappoint me.” The Black Knight spoke in between blows, “I thought of thee as a combatant!”

Tony grabbed one fist as it punched, but failed to block the other, which caught him in the gut. He doubled over, clutching himself.

“Ye are but a peasant!” the Black Knight roared before throwing a knee at him. Tony rolled at the last second, leaving the Black Knight’s knee to pass through thin air. Taking the opportunity, Tony let loose a few repulsor blasts. The first two shot wide, due to Tony’s targeting system having been yanked out. The third shot, however, went true and hit Nathaniel Garret in the gut. But even a clean hit didn’t slow his assault, and soon he was back on top of Tony.

Nothing was working. Tony’s suit was too clunky to move quickly, and the Black Knight was too agile, despite wearing bulky armor. Not to mention that almost all of Tony’s impressive arsenal had been disabled or spent, with no effect.

Meanwhile, the Black Knight had taken almost no damage. Sure, Elendil had been driven away by a repulsor blast, but the real threat stayed. The Black Knight had his entire arsenal at his disposal, including the dreaded Black Blade, which he had drawn. The blade swung lightly in his hand as he paced towards Tony Stark. He raised the sword high above his head, ready to slash down.

Tony braced, unable to dodge the blade fast enough. He knew it would hit, but didn’t know where.

Just as the sword began its descent, a roaring noise slowly found its way to Tony’s ears. It intensified, drawing the Black Knight’s attention away from Tony, enough to misjudge the path of the sword and send it slicing inches above its target. Both characters looked through the fog to the sky, spotting a glowing yellow light barreling through the clouds. Tony’s heart leapt in his chest, and he turned away running, slipping slightly on the damp grass.

The Black Knight withdrew a shield from his back and waited. This was just what he had planned on.

*****

Rainbow Dash raced feet from the missile, watching its smooth body penetrate the cloud layer. It was a marvelous device just from an aesthetic standpoint. From its smooth shape to its small, delicate wings, everything about it filled Rainbow Dash with a strange feeling of admiration. It was the pinnacle of flight.

But something was off. During the duration of its flight, the missile had stayed in a perfectly straight line, never deviating from its set course. But as it fell through the atmosphere, it began to pitch and yaw. Rainbow Dash didn’t know much, that she would admit. But she knew more about flying than almost any other pony, and that was something she was proud of. She knew that something of this design shouldn’t be moving around like it did.

She moved in for a closer look, watching the ground below her as it raced towards the pair. The missile seemed fine from the outside, but through the relentless shrieking of wind, Rainbow could hear something. A tinny banging noise. Thin trails of vaporous smoke leaked out the end of the missile. With a raised eyebrow, she watched it closely.

The ground was too fast approaching to do anything with the missile. It shrieked towards the ground, leaving a decelerating Rainbow Dash behind. She watched, a quarter mile above the ground as the missile went straight for its target outside the castle. Before hitting the ground, it slowed and broke apart. Massive clouds of dust and clods of dirt exploded from the impact, but no ball of fiery death arose as Rainbow had hoped.

What happened next confused Rainbow. A figure, tiny from Rainbow’s distance, emerged from the crater. Its herculean arms smashed at the ground, ripping the grass from its roots. Even from the distance, Rainbow could hear its faint roaring and shouting as it charged in a seemingly random direction. It moved like a gorilla, on its knuckles, thrashing about like a wild animal. Rainbow shook her head.

From atop the castle’s tower, a figure appeared. Clad in blue, Rainbow assumed it was the Captain America. Slowly, she flew towards him, keeping an eye on the monster.

Geez, right once I think I’ve got this world figured out… she thought to herself, strafing the tower.

She came up behind Captain America, slowing her descent. He must have seen her in his peripherals, because he turned on her with a swinging fist. Though impacting her skull dead-on, Rainbow didn’t flinch nor move backwards. She stared at him through her big magenta eyes.

“Hi!” she addressed Steve, smiling.

Steve shook the dull pain from his fist and furrowed his brow, “What’re you doing here?” he asked.

“I followed the doctor’s missile. What’s going on?”

Steve shook his head and began pushing Rainbow Dash towards the trapdoor leading down the tower, “You don’t understand, things are about to get ugly. You don’t want to be here for them.”

“Why not?” Rainbow Dash asked, concerned by the Captain’s struggle.

Before he could respond, the sky erupted in a cacophony of noise. Shrill shrieks and cries blasted against Rainbow Dash’s ears, causing them to ring. Both their necks shot up, seeing a black shape fly through the fog.

“Just get out of here, Miss Dash! You need to get to safety.”

Rainbow Dash ignored his commands and flew alongside him as he ran to the edge of the tower. She could feel something behind her, approaching fast. She turned her head, viewing it out of the corner of her eye.

It was a monster. Black as the night sky, and covered in spines. Its leathered wings spanned three times her wingspan, and beat the air with a ruffling noise. Glowing red eyes pierced her soul, and froze her in place. The thing was fear incarnate. It impacted her, taloned hooves first, and grasped her around her waist. She could feel the claws wanting to tear into her, but her impenetrable skin proved resistant enough.

The final thing she saw before entering the fight was the ground, and the large behemoth that stood swinging through it. It was completely green and bulging with muscles. Massive biceps pulsed as he swung punch after punch at a smaller black figure, whose surprising agility proved a useful tactic against the beast.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. Nothing made sense in the future. She prayed it wouldn’t get any stranger. As long as robots, aliens, and Vikings stayed out of it, she could handle it.

She turned to Elendil, and readied her attack.

Author's Note

Almost a year after it was published, I decide to update it. ThePartyCannon works in mysterious ways! Hopefully I haven't lost the delusional sense of good writing that I thought I had. And I'll update it later, maybe. Possibly. Yeah, I will. But it'll take time. So.... in the meantime, read stuff, or go see Equestria Girls (evil laugh) or play the new Star Wars Battlefront or something.
Okay, I love you, buh bye!