Rainbow and Twilight had started out small. It was only the two of them, after all, and they were both out of practice.

They’d begun by targeting bottom-level dealers and pimps. Minimum resources, sure. But also minimum risk. And in the meantime, opiates had been destroyed, and money had been pocketed.

Various pimps and dealers – barring the few who had needed an ER visit instead – had been dropped off here and there at super-speed, with a call made on their own phones to the cops to pick them up. There they’d be, beaten up and hanging upside-down, with a horseshoe-and-rainbow Rainbooms logo pinned to their chests. Which, besides sending a message, had also been fun.

But more importantly, the pimps’ girls had been dropped off at women’s shelters, and whatever addicts Rainbow and Twilight had found had been delivered to drug rehab centers and hospitals.

Neither of the women knew how Rarity had gotten her information, separating the honest women’s shelters and medical care facilities from the ones that were in the gangs’ pockets. Nor did they ask. They were just grateful for the help.

Meanwhile, they’d also been setting up shop in what they hoped would be their long-term headquarters.

Twilight had gotten the idea thinking back to the bomb shelter below her old grade school. She could still remember the few times she’d been allowed to get supplies from the then-converted storage sub-basement as the Teacher’s Assistant, years ago. The faculty had told her about the bomb drills held there in generations past, kids filing down to the room that would protect them from the nukes, one grade at a time, youngest first.

That had been many years prior, of course, when they themselves were kids. But the images had stuck in young Twilight’s mind, as she’d tried to even imagine growing up in an environment of such fear and uncertainty.

As far as choosing a current base of operations went, of course, her old grade school hadn’t even been considered. Returning to any site from her past would have been foolish. But Canterlot had plenty of old schools that dated back to the cold war, and all of them had been abandoned for years.

The steel doors were easily a foot thick, and the reinforced concrete walls and ceiling were probably much thicker. Massive sliding levers to either side controlled the several hundred pound steel bar that, in theory, could keep the doors secure even if bombs collapsed the building above completely.

There had been emergency rations, water purifiers, and, best of all, lots of space.

The first thing that Twilight had done was construct an air purification and recycling system, about the size of an air conditioner. Then she’d made another one for water, ensured the airtight nature of the place, and started reviewing the food situation. Within three days, the Rainbooms’ HQ was a bomb-proof, hermetically sealable enclosure, ready to withstand a siege of ten years or more in relative comfort.

Making it possible to access the Internet and cell service in such conditions had been tricky. Rainbow Dash didn’t know how her friend had done it, and after Twilight tried to explain it she’d felt even more confused. Finally, she’d just shrugged it off as ‘egghead stuff’ and focused on more immediate concerns. Like, you know, kicking pimps and chickenhawks in the ass at high speed until they couldn’t move anymore. That part never got dull.

Then, finally, there was the personal equipment.

The armored vests were easy, relatively speaking. Twilight had done some tinkering in the past, thinking she could design something to keep her brother and his fellow police safer. Now she’d just completed the thought, producing something flexible as cloth that could be worn under a loose T-shirt and still stop most bullets, knives, or even arrows.

But Twilight had spent something like a week going over weapon designs, continually editing and improving them. Which, as Rainbow Dash had pointed out, was a long time for her. But Twilight had insisted that there was no room for error, and under the circumstances, Rainbow Dash’d had to agree.

“So, we ready to start assembly?” she’d grinned at last.

“We are,” Twilight had grinned back. “The workspace is set up, I’ve found sellers for the components we can’t risk stealing, and you’ve gotten all the parts that we can. All we need now is the resources.”

Rainbow Dash had nodded. “And the new targets?”

“Well, so far, nobody we’ve busted has been slinging Oblivion,” Twilight had noted. “Apparently, for all that it’s used in almost every part of the city, being a designer drug makes it expensive and exclusive.”

“Okay, so where do we start? CEO meetings?”

Twilight had shaken her head. “Huh-uh, campus meetings.”

Rainbow Dash had blinked, then grinned.

“Sure,” she’d nodded. “Even with all the students relying on loans and grants, there would be enough guys there on their mom and dad’s dime...”

Twilight had nodded. “Exactly. Between stress and disposable income, there’s bound to be a market.”

And so, here Rainbow Dash was. On the campus of Canterlot University, on the first day of Culture Week.

The Quad was an open area in front of the Student Union, a courtyard acting as an intersection of wide cobblestone walkways. It had shade-giving trees around it, several statues of past historical persons of note, and a sculpted water fountain that was anonymously filled with green dye every March, pink dye every June, and red dye every December.

In another world, Rainbow Dash might have been a student there. Studying law by day, partying by night, and smuggling dye packets to the fountain in-between. There was also a culinary course, and there had been a time when Rainbow Dash had quietly been looking forward to the shenanigans she and Pinkie Pie would get up to if they’d attended together.

Sunset was going to study art, she sighed to herself, and become a teacher at Canterlot High. Rarity was gonna study fashion design, of course. She’d already qualified for a work-study scholarship through Carousel. AJ hadn’t been going to college, but she’d been determined that Apple Bloom would. And Twilight was probably gonna be a professor before she was twenty.

But now, Canterlot High was gone, along with most of their old friends. Carousel had gone from fashion design to hostile takeovers, investing in everything from third-world child labor to slum lording to fracking. And at Canterlot U, well...

She looked again through her binoculars and shook her head.

The Quad was filled with various booths for sororities, fraternities, social clubs and honor societies, as it was this time every year. Young men and women merrily chatting and hawking for one cause or another in the springtime sun, passing out literature, sharing drinks and snacks. There were even a few booths for businesses looking for interns here and there, and, sure enough, there was an orange booth for Carousel too.

And there, nestled among the rest like they belonged there, was the green booth with stars for the Children of Trixie.

Rainbow Dash just spent a few minutes lying on the rooftop where she was, gawking in sheer disbelief. Watching with wide eyes as a booth openly dedicated to a bunch of drug-slinging gangbangers happily chatted with students and passed out flyers.

What. The actual. Fuck.

And once, when campus security walked by, they just fucking waved to each other! Sure, the security guard might have looked a little nervous, but... this was normal?

“Rainbow Dash? Can you hear me?”

Twilight’s voice snapped her out of her astonishment, at least a little.

“Yeah, I hear you,” she said. “Earpiece works great. And yeah, it’s just like you said. I hadn’t wanted to believe it, but there they are, big as life and twice as ugly.”

“Okay, just remember to take your time.”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “You do remember who you’re talking to, right?”

She could hear the smile in Twilight’s voice as she answered, “Yes, I do. And once things get started, it’ll be fast, I know. Just be careful, okay? There’s going to be a lot of kids there.”

“Dude, most of these guys are our age.”

“You know what I mean.”

Rainbow sighed, raising her binoculars again. “Yeah. I know.”

“I’m still looking for any known criminals you can target,” Twilight went on, “But I have to be careful. Whoever Armor’s got working for him, they’re good.”

“Yeah, sure” Rainbow said, still watching. “But you’re better.”

“I hope so.”

Time passed. Frequently, Rainbow Dash stopped, squeezed her eyes, trying to refocus them.

It had been happening for a while, now. She’d first noticed when she’d been driving along the Loop, before they’d holed up at Rarity’s. But it hadn’t really affected anything, and anyway, she’d been tired.

Then, at Rarity’s place, it hadn’t even been a problem, so she’d kind of forgotten about it. It had also been easy to ignore when she’d been bouncing pimps and dealers. That was all, by definition, up close and personal.

But apparently, long-range stuff was... harder, somehow.

It wasn’t like the way Twilight had described being nearsighted, before she’d gotten her eyes fixed. Things weren’t blurry. It was like her eyes just... slid off of stuff at long distances.

The binoculars were definitely helping. But at the same time, when she was using them, there was a different kind of strain. It was weird, and she didn’t know how to explain or even describe it.

Granted, it wasn’t going to affect anything today. Beating up gangsters was going to be up-close, by definition. But it was getting seriously annoying. Inwardly, Rainbow Dash sighed. When they were done for the day, she should probably mention it to Twilight, just in case...

Then, Rainbow stared, her ruminations forgotten. She put down the binocs. Blinked hard. Stared through the binoculars again.

“Hey, Twilight?” she said at last. “I think they’re dealing out of the booth.”

“What?”

“Yeah. It was pretty on the down-low, so I don’t think they’re supposed to, even by gang standards. But I just saw goods for money exchanged.”

“Was it Oblivion?”

Rainbow squinted through the lenses, adjusting them hurriedly.

“I... can’t be sure,” she said at last. “What should I do?”

“Everything just got that much simpler,” came the reply. “If they don’t have what we need, they’ll know someone who will. Track the dealer, but don’t move yet. They’ll go on break eventually. When they do, they’ll probably go somewhere less crowded.”

“And then I swoop in, right?”

Back at their HQ, Twilight nodded as she typed, continuing to feed camera images of suspects through her updated facial recognition software.

“Like an eagle on a field mouse,” she said.

It was several hours before the dealer did, in fact, go on break. By which time Rainbow Dash was feeling less like some kind of avenging eagle and more like a caged chipmunk on caffeine.

“Okay! He’s going down the stairs, behind the Student Center!” she exclaimed. “He’s totally going down! Out of sight! Towards a less populated area! I’m gonna lose him! Can I go now?”

“Before you do—”

“Gonna lose him!”

“Before you do, though.”

“He’s getting away!”

“Just one thing.”

“Dude, you’re killing me here!”

“There should be five others, each in an identical green jacket,” Twilight explained, trying not to laugh. “Two in the same outside downstairs area he went to, one across the street at the bus stop, and two in the basketball field off of Philip K. Dick Boulevard.”

“Great! Peachy! Keen! Far out, solid, and right on! Can-I-go-now??”

“Yes, everything looks clear. You should have plenty of room.”

There were a few moments, punctuated by the sound of Twilight typing. Then, she spoke again.

“I’m trying to get confirmation on a final target—”

“Cool,” Rainbow Dash broke in. “Meanwhile, I’ve got something close to fifty grand and some bottles of Oblivion for you to check out.”

“What? Wait, where did you—”

“Aw, c’mon, Twilight.” The satisfaction in Rainbow Dash’s voice was clear as she reclined lazily on her rooftop. “It’s done. What, you forget who you were dealing with?”

Rainbow Dash could imagine Twilight hanging her head, grinning, headphones still on as she replied, “I guess I kinda did. Anybody hurt?”

“The bad guys were, a little,” Rainbow shrugged. “Nothing too bad. I left them with some evidence and a note at the security office.”

There was a brief pause filled with more frantic typing.

Rainbow Dash frowned, rolling into a crouch. “Twilight? What’s going on?”

“Gimme a sec.”

“’Kay.”

After about a minute, Twilight spoke again.

“Okay, Armor’s hacker has some pretty good software imbedded in the campus security system. It managed to start a trace before I caught on, but we’re fine.”

Rainbow Dash let out the breath she’d been holding.

“Okay, good. Also, holy crap. Glad you’re on my side.” She looked out over the campus, adding, “So, are we done here?”

“Almost. I located someone who should be pretty high up on the Children food chain. High roller, big fish with priors. Name’s Gabby Driver. He’s on campus, just off the dorm buildings.”

“Where?”

“Karel Čapek Drive, on the west side of the campus. He’s driving a big green van with a star on the back. You can’t miss it.”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “I’m all over it.”

“Just remember, we need him to talk,” Twilight said. Then, in her best James Earl Jones voice, she added, “No disintegrations.”

But just then, there was the unmistakable sound of gunfire over the connection.

“Rainbow Dash?”

She could hear Rainbow Dash asking someone if they were alright, and then yelling frantically.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight called desperately. “I heard shots! What’s going on!”

Author's Note

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Ending Credits: Ten Crack Commandments, by Biggie Smalls / The Notorious B.I.G.