B.E.A.N.S.L.A.Y.E.R.S.

Hours later...

Canterlot was a beautiful city. From its suburbs to its office towers, from the factories to the libraries. Most of its residents had little to complain about, living there.

Most.

Tucked away in between everything else, districts of poverty and crime had festered for years. It was in one such pocket that Beanis Incorporated had made its first real home. And it was just a few short blocks from there that Moondancer was now sitting.

The building was ancient and falling apart. The air inside was both damp and stale, and she was probably breathing some form of toxic mold that was slowly killing her brain cells.

She didn't care.

Nor did she care much about the building's usual residents. The so-called “Assassins' Guild” were really all perverts with knives, as far as she was concerned. They had their uses, but it was better to ignore them.

No, the only thing Moondancer cared about at the moment? Was that the others were late.

And her chair was uncomfortable. Seriously, would it kill Thorax to purchase a few new office chairs for the conference room? She sighed, shifting miserably on the cushion, and glanced at the clock again.

A small triangle of folded paper bounced off her cheek, and Moondancer turned to glare at the girl sitting opposite her. Sonata Dusk looked every bit as thrilled to be there as Moondancer. At least she wasn't making paper knives anymore. Those first few meetings were... interesting.

Still. “Knock it off. With any luck, they'll get back soon and we can-”

CREAK.

SLAM!

“Never mind. They're back now.”

A moment later, the conference room door opened, and the other five members trooped in.

What little sense of excitement Moondancer had mustered quickly faded away. Everyone more an identical grimace, their shoulders stooped and feet dragging. Adagio had twigs sticking out of her poofy mane, and didn't even seem to care.

The group made it to their chairs and collapsed with a massive, collective sigh.

For a long minute, the only sound was the drip of a pipe somewhere.

Finally, Thorax sat up. “I guess this counts as an official meeting, since we're all here,” he began. “So, Moondancer, if you don't mind?”

She nodded and brought out a pen and pad.

Thorax puffed out his cheeks. “I think it's safe to say the plan failed.”

“Oh, you think?” Glimmer spat.

“Spectacularly,” Adagio agreed.

Another groan escaped the group.

A.K. held up a hand. “At least they won't be able to perform the ritual,” she said, sounding rather more optimistic than Moondancer felt. “As painful as it was, I destroyed the original ritual carving. And I made sure my colleagues destroyed all the photos, and even their research notes. Anything that could be used to reconstruct it.”

“Well, that's good,” Sonata agreed.

Adagio scowled. More than usual. “What has you so perky all of a sudden? Did you learn about some obscure execution method?”

Sonata blinked, looking slightly hurt. “I- I don't do that anymore,” she muttered. “You know that, Dagi.” Adagio continued to scowl, but looked away.

“Well, Trixie is glad everyone returned from that mission, alive and unarrested!”

“Hear that,” Glimmer said. She held out a fist, and the magician gleefully returned the bump.

Thorax leaned forward, resting his chin on the back of his interlocked hands. “We are very fortunate in both categories,” he said. “But we can't sit here licking wounds and celebrating minor victories. We have to keep moving forward. Does anyone have any new ideas?”

Trixie slammed a fist down on the table. “We need a name!” she declared.

Everyone stared at her.

Trixie's eyes were manic. “For the group. We need a name. Possibly even an acronym. Something that really sums up our everything, our entire purpose for being!” Trixie shot up out of her seat and began to pace. “I was thinking something like 'Beanis Haterz', with a 'Z'. It sounds really cool and fun! But maybe it's a little too on the nose.”

Moondancer hesitated, the tip of her pen hovering just off the paper. “Is that really important?”

“It's important for morale,” Trixie insisted. “Now, help me brainstorm. Bean Killerz? Beanis Smasherz? I dunno, I really want to make that acronym thing work...”

Sonata perked up. “What about Bean Slayers?”

Trixie spun around, stars in her eyes. “That. Sounds. Perfect! And the acronym, um- Bean... Uh, Bringing...”

“Bringers of Eternal Anguish,” Glimmer intoned. Then smirked.

“Yes, that!” Trixie nodded. “And we're bringing it to... Nascent Sellers... of... Legumes?”

“Legume Abominations,” Adagio blurted out. She looked quite upset that she'd contributed.

“And don't forget a certain Young Entrepreneur,” A.K. pointed out.

“Requiring Slaughter!” Sonata finished. “It fits!”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie thanks you for your help, hench-minion,” Trixie said. She glared in Moondancer's direction. “Well? Write it down, so it can be official!”

Moondancer glanced over at Thorax, who just nodded wearily. She wrote it down. The whole thing.

“That's... a long group name.”

“We'll just call ourselves 'Slayers' for short,” Thorax decreed. “Now can we please focus on how we will accomplish our goals?”

Adagio grunted. “What about Fiji?”

“Ah.” Thorax twitched. “That. We... have an agent. Almost in position. But there's no guarantee he'll be able to bring... the asset... back.”

Adagio nodded, but said nothing else.

Another minute passed in silence.

And then Glimmer spoke up.

“I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm tired of this 'magic' horseshit. We've tried that way, and all we've done is waste time and let people know we exist as a group. Fuck that.” Glimmer stood up, leaning on the table. “What we need is action and results, now. Infiltration, sabotage, something.

“We need to break into Beanis Headquarters.”