Trial and Error: Second Edition

Chapter the Twenty-Ninth: Extracted

"So what's your plan now?" asked Kai as he stepped off the train.

"I'll probably head back to Manehattan," Said Usu. "Make up a new team. In the meantime, I have a security company I head. I am a licensed locksmith, after all."

"So we both have plans, then."

"I'll be on my way shortly. Just going to give out business cards before I go. Starting with miss Fluttershy, of course. I owe her that courtesy."

The two made their way to Fluttershy's cottage. As the door came into view, Kai immediately felt his heart drop. He knew that it was closed when he left. He had closed it himself. More importantly, He didn't remember there being a knife stabbed into the door. He stepped forward slowly, repeatedly squeezing his eyes shut in the hopes that when they opened, everything would be fine. Each time, he was disappointed as reality sank in.

He reached the door with Usu close behind him. Through the doorway, they could see smears of blood dragging across the floor, furniture knocked over and some damaged walls. Kai's heart beat harder as he began to become enraged.

Usu pulled the knife out of the door. Between the knife and the door was a folded up sheet of paper. He opened it up and began reading.

"To whom it may concern:

"The mare that lives here has been kidnapped. She has been taken to a secret compound underground. If anypony cares about her, she may yet live. Bring five hundred thousand bits to Whinnyapolis at night. Find a dark alley and wait there. We'll find you. And don't even think about calling the guards. If any are around when we arrive, she will be killed."

Kai was visibly shaking. His muscles were tensing up and his blood pressure was rising.

"This is Stain's writing. He's been wanting to break into ransoming for awhile, now. Only..."

"What?" growled Kai through gritted teeth. He turned to face Usu with a scowl covering his face. "Only what?"

Usu wore a somber expression. "He was afraid of the victims being able to track him. He had this idea that he could strap explosives to the pony he stole, and detonate them from a safe distance."

"Then..."

"You'd see her just long enough to say your goodbyes. I'm sorry, Kai, but there's not much you can do."

Kai sat down and held his head in his hooves.

"Not to mention that the two of you already have a history. He'd be very glad to be rid of you.

Just at that moment, Rarity came into view. She was on her way to the cottage. "What has you two so glum?" she asked, having not seen the interior of the house yet.

Usu responded by offering her the note. As she read it, her eyes went wide.

"It's the same three stallions that tried to take you," said Kai, his voice as shaky as his body. "I wasn't around to protect her this time."

"You can't mean she's been taken from us?" cried Rarity. "I refuse to believe it!"

Kai kicked the door the rest of the way open. Rarity shrank back at the sight of the mess.

"What's the hold-up?" shouted a familiar voice as Rainbow Dash darted into view.

"Fluttershy's been kidnapped!" Rarity cried. "She's gone!"

Rainbow dashed down to the door and looked inside. "Looks like she put up quite a fight."

"Whatever shall we do?" sobbed Rarity.

Kai stood up. The air around him rippled as his eyes burned red with rage. "I'm going to bring her back. I don't know if this is her blood or one of theirs, but I can promise you all that before the night is over, more will be spilled." He turned to Usu. "And you're going to help me."

Grabbing Usu firmly by the scarf, he dragged his brother into the forest. After sending Rainbow Dash to alert the others, Rarity followed along.

For the second time in as many months, Fluttershy awoke on a stone floor with her hooves bound behind her. She had a feeling these three weren't going to be nearly as accommodating as Kai had been, especially considering that her lip was still bleeding. As she looked around, a collar dug into her neck. Rather than the woven collar Kai had made, this one was steel, and it pinched her skin where it connected to itself. The heavy chain rattled as she began to pick herself up. She was greeted by a kick to the gut, causing her to fall back down to the floor.

Stain stood over her, a bloody rag against his face. "Welcome back to the waking world." He reached down and grabbed her by the jaw. "You're going to regret breaking my nose, you filthy swine. " He tossed her to the floor again. "I hope you have somepony who cares about you. A friendly face to look at as you fade from existence. Else you're in for a world of anguish."

She would have said something back to him, but her voice was muffled by a gag.

"You should make yourself comfortable. Over the next few days, you'll only end up worse off until you're either paid for or sold off to the highest bidder."

"I thought we were just going to ransom her back to her family?"

Fluttershy looked to where the new voice had come from. He was short and slim, almost muscular. This was probably Frost.

"She's already caused us quite a bit of trouble," answered Stain. "If they can't pay the price, she's being sold off to cover the cost of bringing her in. Besides, she has a real pretty face. I'm pretty sure somepony would want her as a sex slave."

"That wasn't part of the plan, though. Are you just making this up as you go along?"

"It's called adapting. Not that you'd know anything about that, mister 'I'm too much of a coward to use my blade.' Why don't you go be useless somewhere else?"

Placing a hoof over his chest as if he were hurt, Frost backed away and left the room. Stain turned back to Fluttershy. "I'll give you one night. If somepony doesn't show up with five hundred thousand bits tonight, I'll start early on your training. You see this?" In front of her face he waved a branding iron. It was still cold. "This is going to stamp you in several places. Even though we only need one, we'd like for you to remember who it was you kicked in the face."

Slamming the iron rod down on a nearby table, he left the room. Fluttershy curled up and began crying. Her only light in this darkness was the thought that Kai or her friends were coming to save her. Or even better, both.