Fillydelphia Freedom 2: Furry Fury

5 Years Ago…

Copper slid behind a crate and peeked out around the corner. There were two stallions patrolling the walkway to the warehouse. Copper looked at the crate across from her to see a cyan mare slide into position. They were both wearing all-black skin-tight suits that also covered up their head, apart from the face. The other mare pulled out a pistol with a silencer and Copper did the same. Without saying anything, they leaned out and fired once at the stallions, one bullet for each head. When the stallions dropped, both mares ran over to the bodies to check for a key card.

“Not bad, Copper,” the cyan mare whispered. “Ready for the main course?”

Copper smiled. “Always, Fuffles.”

Kerfuffle held up a key card before the two quickly moved towards the warehouse. As they approached, they shot four more guards before getting to the main door.

“Guys?” Came a voice over their radio. “Thermal imaging places about ten inside. Be careful.”

“Copy, Berry,” Kerfuffle replied, before she swiped the card. “Can you tell who the target is?” The door beeped and she cracked it open. Inside was a hallway that looped around the building. There was an entryway to the storage area a few feet away. She motioned for Copper to follow her inside.

“No, ma’am. But, if I had to guess, she’s the one at the far back of the room. Maybe in a room by herself.”

“Or in a crate,” Copper muttered as she entered and slowly closed the door.

She and Kerfuffle each pulled out four circular devices from their satchel. Already knowing the plan, they set off to place their explosives around the outer wall of the building.

Everything was going fine until both mares had circled around back. As they set their last charge on the back wall, Kerfuffle set the timer to 10 minutes.

“Alright, let’s grab our target and get out,” the cyan mare said as she made her way towards the entrance to the warehouse.

Copper followed and both peeked inside. There were large wooden crates everywhere, making it hard to spot the enemy. Both mares eyed each other before they entered.

“Nine minutes,” Berry said over the radio. “You’re coming up to the hostiles. Our target should be to the left of them.”

Kerfuffle and Copper pressed their backs to one of the crates and Kerfuffle peeked around. “There they are,” she said, holding her gun tightly. “Go.”

They popped out and opened fire. They performed headshot after headshot, only letting one run away. Copper ran after the last one, motioning to Kerfuffle to get the target out. As the brown mare ran around a crate, she was hit hard with a metal fist, knocking her on her ass. The stallion who had gotten away managed to climb into one of their armored suits.

“Seven minutes,” the radio mare informed them.

“Shit,” Copper grunted as she wiped blood from her mouth.

Kerfuffle ran over as the stallion grabbed Copper by the leg and lifted her up. He then whipped her as hard as he could at the ceiling. She crashed through the wood and came splashing down in the lake outside.

Copper emerged from the water, coughing as she swam back to shore. Her radio fizzled and crackled, telling her it was most likely broken. She stood up and started to run back towards the warehouse, but stopped. She would only have about five minutes now and it would take about three just to get inside. She knew it was all up to Kerfuffle now.

Instead, she ran back to their van and opened the back door. Sitting at her station was the radio mare trying to get a hold of Kerfuffle. “Anything?”

“N-No, ma’am,” the mare stammered, trying to reach Kerfuffle again.

“Come on,” Copper muttered, running beside the van and watching the warehouse.

After what felt like too long, she checked her watch. She let out a soft gasp and ran back to the radio mare. “Shouldn’t the building have exploded by now?”

The mare nodded, looking even more worried than before. “Yes, I-I don’t understand.”

Copper bolted from the van and charged towards the warehouse. Just as she neared the door they entered through, the building exploded. Copper was sent flying back from the force of the explosion. She let out a grunt when she landed on the hard wood of the walkway.

She looked up to see the warehouse on fire. “N-No… What…” She scrambled to her feet and stood before the inferno, knowing her friend was burning inside.

Present Day

Copper let out a sigh. “And, that’s the last I saw of her. I failed the mission, my target… and my friend.”

“Wow,” Blossom muttered. She was sitting in the back of an ambulance with a bandaged leg.

“So, she’s back for revenge,” Luster said as she walked over to sit with Blossom. “And, now she has Bubbles.”

Blossom looked down at the pavement. “I could’ve done more.”

“No, you were perfect,” Copper assured her as she limped over. “Kerfuffle just has a way of being one step ahead. You couldn’t have known.”

“But, how do we get her back?”

Elza eyed the ground and crossed her arms in thought.

Two stallions shoved Bubbles into a chair in a room with four other armed mares and stallions. The changeling looked around and tried to use her magic, but the horn ring kept her magic locked away. She let out a grunt of effort and then sighed in defeat, only receiving a few chuckles. She looked around again before the door to the room opened and in walked Kerfuffle.

"So... Bubbles, is it?" The cyan mare asked. The changeling just narrowed her eyes. "Wow. You are a cutie, aintcha."

"You won't get away with this."

"Oh, not this cliché," Kerfuffle sighed with a snap of her fingers. A mare brought over a chair for her and set it down facing the changeling. "Look, Bubs," Kerfuffle said as she sat down, "this has nothing to do with you."

"Then, let me go."

"Oh, I can't do that. Not now. You see, I reckon that your friends would do anythin' to get you back alive." Kerfuffle rested her elbows on her knees and leaned forward. "Like trade the hyena for you."

"Never gonna happen."

Kerfuffle giggled and reached out to rub Bubbles' cheek. "You disguised yourself as the hyena. I am willing to bet, if your hyena friend cares about you at all, that she feels really bad about letting you take the hit. She may even turn herself in." Bubbles let out a yell and lunged at her captor. Kerfuffle grabbed her by the throat and slammed her to the ground. She then kicked the changeling in the ribs. "So feisty."

Bubbles groaned and held her ribs while she looked up at the mare. "Wh... When did you... figure out it was me?"

The cyan mare smiled. "I could tell Blossom was a clever girl. If she had set me up, she would most likely use you as a decoy. It was a fifty-fifty shot so I decided to take the initiative and send my decoy first. When my former crew took down my decoy, I knew you were the hyena."

"So... we were screwed from the start."

"Now, you understand, dontcha? You can't beat me. I know all of FUFF's secrets and protocols. Your friends can either hand the hyena over to me... or let you die."

One of the FUFF agents ran over to Copper. "We have another situation. There's something going on with the screens in the shopping district."

"What now?" Copper groaned.

Copper and her crew pulled up to the sidewalk and got out. Luster parked her car and Kris helped Blossom out. Elza hesitated before she left the back seat. They all looked around at the various screens on the buildings. The usual ads that played were gone and were replaced with a Please Stand By screen that featured Kerfuffle’s Riot mask behind the text.

"The fuck?" Asked Copper.

"I think things are about to get worse," Kris sighed dejectedly.

Copper eyed her before she returned her attention to the screens. "Set up a perimeter," she ordered her crew. "Get the others and block off access to this part of the city. Then, I want another group to keep an eye on the civilians in here. I have a bad feeling about this." Her crew nearby all nodded and set off on their assigned tasks.

Blossom limped over to the FUFF leader. “Why do I think I already know what’s going to happen?”

Copper looked at her and crossed her arms. “Because, we know who she has and we know who she wants.”

The screens suddenly crackled to life as they were briefly filled with static before Kerfuffle appeared, no longer wearing her mask. She was standing in a dimly lit room. “Good night, Fillydelphians. I have a message for my friends in the Fillydelphia Underground Freedom Fighters.”

“Oh, this is gonna suck,” Kris groaned.

Kerfuffle stopped talking and leaned forward. “Oh, there you are, you guys. And, yes, I can see and hear you.” Kris went wide-eyed and looked at Copper, who was just staring at the screens. “Anywho…” Kerfuffle continued. “I have something you want…” She leaned to the side and pulled Bubbles into view. The changeling was bound by the wrists with tape over her mouth. “And you have something I want.”

Bubbles shot her a glare before she looked at the camera. Blossom limped forward a little just to be a little closer. Elza watched her before returning her gaze to the screens.

“It’s almost midnight,” Kerfuffle went on. “I’ll give you until noon tomorrow, because I’m just that generous. However, for every hour after noon that I don’t have the hyena, your changeling friend gets a bullet.”

“You bitch!” Blossom yelled.

“Ooo, so adorable,” Kerfuffle teased.

"You don't have to go through with this!" Copper called out. "It's not too late!"

"Oh, no, it's definitely too late," Kerfuffle said calmly as she pushed Bubbles out of view of the camera, making Blossom growl under her breath. "It was too late when you left me to die." She then leaned in close to the camera. "And, when I get what I want... I'll destroy everything you care about, saving you for last so you can fully understand your failure."

"What is it you need from me?!" Elza asked as she took a few steps forward.

"Oh, there you are, cutie," Kerfuffle cooed. "Look at ya. If you're worried about your own life, don't be. I'll just be extracting your dormant magic. You should be fine."

"And, what if I don't have any dormant magic?!"

The cyan mare sighed deeply. "Either way, Bubbles will go free. As for what to do with you should you prove useless..."

"I'll go," Elza interrupted.

"What, no!" Copper protested, stepping in front of the hyena. "Absolutely not."

Elza's eyes narrowed before Kerfuffle chuckled, getting both their attention. "Oh, I knew she'd be willing. Such a noble hyena."

"She isn't going anywhere!" Copper snapped, before she looked at Elza again. "You can't. If you do, she wins. We'll all die."

Well..." Kerfuffle began as she leaned back. “I have things to plan so I’ll leave this helpful little countdown clock for you. See ya tomorrow.”

The screen went black as a countdown clock appeared, counting down to 12pm tomorrow. Copper clenched her fists as her phone rang. She let out a sigh and answered the call. “Yes? Yes, Chief, it’s an us problem and we’re working on it. I wouldn’t risk putting any of your own in play, sir. Yeah, you, too.” She then hung up and sighed deeply.

"What do we do?" Asked Blossom. "W-We have to get Bubbles back!"

Copper sat down on the curb and looked up at one of the screens. "We can't let Kerfuffle get her hands on Elza. If she does, she wins."

The hyena stayed silent for a moment before she walked over to them. "I have to go. Or, this Bubbles will die."

"And, if you do go, then everyone will die."

"It can't be that instantaneous," Luster spoke up. "Maybe we'll have time to sneak up on her while she's distracted with Elza."

"It's too risky."

Blossom scoffed. "So, you're gonna fail Bubbles, too?"

Copper let out a soft gasp as she watched Blossom limp away. Kris walked over to the FUFF leader and sighed. "I've never seen her pissed off before," the purple mare said softly.

Copper looked up at her. "She has every right to be mad. Though, you should probably go make sure she doesn't hurt herself."

"Right," Kris muttered, before she and Luster followed the white mare.

Elza took one last look at Copper before she followed the others back to their car.