Author's Note

Sorry it took so long

Phoenix ch. 6 The Silencer

“... YOU REALLY THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN ME?!” a man said as he and Spike fought in a dilapidated factory.

“You said it, not me,” said Spike as he punched the man in the face making him stumble back for a second before he recovered and lunged at Spike again, shoving Spike, and almost making him fall over the railing.

“You disappoint me, kid…” the man said as he walked up to Spike and hoisted him up by his neck, choking him “... you’re just plain mediocre, just like everybody else in this stupid city,” the man said as he slammed Spike against the concrete wall, cracking it in the process.

Spike fell to the ground, squirming in pain and whizzing for air as his vision became blurry due to the lack of oxygen in his system.

“Hehehe, it seems I’ve won,” the man said as he turned around to face another person in the room.

“Y-you haven’t… won… I already called for backup, they’ll be here soon,” the girl said as she tried to free herself from her bindings.

“Well… it seems we better hurry… oh, but don’t worry, even, if it is going to be fast, I’ll make you enjoy it,” the man said as he walked towards her.

“You even dare off touching me a-and my father will make your life a hell in prison,” said the girl

“Prison, well, first of all, they’d have to catch me, and secondly… I’ll be out before soon to continue where we left off,” the man said as he walked even closer to the girl.

He was just about to grab a hold of her when he felt something smack him in the back part of his head.

“OUCH! WHAT THE FUCK!!” he exclaimed as he looked at the pulverized remains of the brick around him

He turned around and saw Spike in a fighting stance

“Gotta hand it to ya kid, you’re tougher than you look… let me fix that!” the man said as he lunged at full speed towards Spike, and just as his fist connected with Spike’s face, he felt something smack him in the stomach, hard.

Spike was able to knee him in the gut with all this strength before he was sent flying across the room, landing in some boxes.

“F…fuck…y-you… fucking kid…” the man said as he struggled to get up.

Spike also had trouble getting up, and to make matters worse, the hit had caused him to have double vision.

The 2 of them looked at each other as they tried their best to recover faster.

Then, from the corner of his eye, Spike noticed something on the ground, a hunting knife, his hunting knife.

He quickly grabbed it and stared back at the man.

“Oh, it seems someone is feeling brave, what are you going to do? Stab me?... you, heroes, don’t have the balls to do such shit… drop the knife kid…” the man said

Spike just tighten his grip on the knife

“... drop the knife or else…” the man said as he took a step forward

But so did Spike

“... then, so be it,” the man said as he ignited his fire magic in his arms and lunged at Spike at full speed, creating a massive shock wave as their bodies smacked against each other.

“FLAME!~” the girl screamed as their bodies connected

Seconds passed, and neither one of them moved.

After a few seconds of breathing, Spike opened his eyes and made eye contact with the man, his look frozen with shock as he looked down at his chest.

Spike followed suit and saw the knife impaling the man right in his heart, as blood began to drip down the hilt and onto the floor

“You… you see kid… you are… just like me… if not worse” the man said with a diabolic grin on his face

“No… I … am … NOT!” Spike said as he spartan kicked the man off the ledge and into the dark abyss below them.

“Flame!” the girl screamed catching his attention

“Empress! Are you ok?” Spike asked as he ran over to her and freed her

“I’m fine… you?” asked Empress

“I’ll be fine,” Spike said

“Flame… you… you just…” Empress said

“I know… but… what other choice did I have?” Spike said, unknowing that a dark cloud was forming behind him.

“I-I guess your… FLAME BEHIND YOU!!!” Empress screamed

Spike turned and saw the dark cloud of smoke rise as a macabre, diabolic laugh emanated from it, as the cloud took the shape of a demon’s head

“THE SAME!~” the cloud roared as it lunged at Spike, and everything went dark.

“AH!~” Spike screamed as he sat and jumped up, breathing heavily, cold sweat covering his body, as he looked around his bedroom.

“SIGH… the same fucking nightmare…” Spike said as he looked at the clock and saw it read 9 AM “... 5 hours of sleep again… well, it’s better than nothing,” he said as he got up from his bed, just as his doorbell rang.

“I wonder who that is?” he thought, as he started opening his bedroom door only to realize something.

“I should probably put on some clothes,” he said as he rushed back into his room.

3 MINUTES LATER

“Yes, sorry for taking long,” Spike said as he opened the door

“Morning Spike,” came a male voice Spike knew well

“Soarin? What are you doing here?” asked Spike

“The funeral is over… and neither my mother nor I wanted to stay there longer than necessary,” Soarin said

“Ok… so, what brings you to my house?” asked Spike

“Oh, yeah, it’s about these 2,” Soarin said as Flitter and Cloudchaser popped into view

“What about them?” asked Spike

“I was thinking… what if they join us… they’re all for it,” said Soarin

“Yeah, we wanna help too,” said Flitter

“I’m going to assume that he told you what his father did,” said Spike

“Every detail,” said Cloudchaser

“I-i don’t know girls, what I do… my method of combat… its… not what you’re used to,” said Spike

“We can learn,” said Flitter

“But will you be ok with killing someone… on a regular basis?” asked Spike

Both girls went silent

“Taking someone’s life is not a simple thing, it affects you… look at Soarin for example,” said Spike

“What about me? I’m good!” said Soarin

“You have dark circles under your eyes, and those are not from your “hobo survival training” nor “My-girlfriends-kept-me-up-all-night” circles either… thinking about it well… there is no turning back after you do it,” said Spike.

The girls nodded and said their goodbyes just like Soarin did, hopped into his car, and drove off.

“Sigh… he’s only killed one person, and he is already like this… the emotional burden it gives you… only a few can tolerate it,” Spike thought as he looked at the sky. “Beautiful day… I’ll eat breakfast, do my morning workout, and head to the mall to do some quick shopping, I still need to buy some supplies,” Spike said as he closed his front door.

2 HOURS LATER

Spike had made his way to the Centennial Mall (The mall where he spotted Radiance and Gallahan years back) to finish up doing his supply shopping.

“This place has changed a lot, there are many new shops and… what the?... why are there some many posters of my old persona?... better ask…” Spike thought as he walked towards a clothing store

“Excuse me?” Spike said

“Welcome, what can I help you with?” one of the associates said in a cheerful voice

“Uhm… I’m from out of town, and I’m just wondering, why are there so many posters of one hero everywhere, is he the owner of the mall?” Spike asked lying

“Oh, no, that is-was Humdrum, he was a sidekick that showed much more capabilities and potential than almost all of the heroes in his class,” said the associate

“Oh… is he the guy that died during the Coup d’etat at the Crystal Empire?” Spike said

“Yeah, he was only 15 years old… after that day he kind of became a “patron saint” of sorts to most people, I mean, they adore him at the Crystal Empire,” the associate said

“Oh… but, if he is dead, isn’t it illegal to use his image as a marketing strategy?” asked Spike

“Yes, and at the beginning, there were many stores that were trying to profit from his image,” said the associate

“Oh, and what happened to them?” asked Spike

“His old league-mates came and served them “cease and desist” orders, many of them had to pay hefty fines,” said the associate

“And what happened to the money?” asked Spike

“It was given to Non-Profit Organizations,” said the associate

“Really? So, there wasn’t a crooked businessperson behind it to steal the money?” asked Spike

“Yeah, Radiance, Masked Matter-Horn, and Mistress Mare-velous made sure of it, I mean, Radiance literally destroyed 2 clothing boutiques that were, not only selling knock-offs but also using Humdrum’s image to sell them,” said the associate

“Wow, that’s new,” Spike said

“Yeah, she even said, and I quote “I will not let, greedy assholes like you ruin MY Humdrum’s legacy,” and quote,” said the associate

“That comment is also new…” Spike said as he looked around and noticed something, 2 girls walked by, one of them had long Purple hair with a magenta strick, and the other had long straight pink hair, both girls seemed to be around Spike’s age, and for some reason, Spike felt a sense of familiarity from them. “Those hairstyles, they look a lot like Masked and Ragger… but they are popular, maybe they are fans… still, that feeling, it was the same as the girl at Sugarcube Corn… OH MY GOD!~” Spike said as an image of Paola came into his mind, and slowly merged with an image of Fili-Second “Paola IS Fili-Second… oh no, this is bad, it took me this long to realize this, which means if I’m not careful I might bump into another one of them without realizing it… at least it seemed she didn’t recognize me…” Spike then turned to look at the sales associate was beginning to look nervous and uncomfortable with Spike.

“Sorry about that, I was just going through a mental list of things I had to buy…” Spike said with a smile as he looked up and noticed some hoodies in the store “By the way, how much to the hoodies cost?” asked Spike

“Oh, they depend on the size,” said the associate

“Do you have this one in XL?” asked Spike as he grabbed a black hoodie with green and purple details

“Sure, but, wouldn’t XL be too big for you, I take it you’re tall, but, not fat,” said the associate

“I just like my hoodies to be loose, personal preference,” said Spike

The associate smiled and went to the back to get the hoodie.

After a few minutes, Spike paid for the hoodie, put it on, and started heading toward the door

“By the way, is there any store in this mall that was actually endorsed by Humdrum?” asked Spike

“Yeah, it's a custom shop on the 3rd floor, Humdrum got his gear from there… it's a nice story, that shop was about to go out of business, and then Humdrum came, before he was famous, ordered his gear, and I believe he spread the word, because after that, many heroes and sidekicks came by the store, now, there is even a waitlist for orders,” the associates said

“Oh, nice, thanks for the help,” said Spike

“Anytime, come again, soon!” she said as Spike left

“Well, That was something,” Spike thought as he started to walk around the mall again

AT THE FOOD COURT (minutes later)

Spike continued walking around the mall until his stomach started to rumble, so he decided to head to the food court to eat something

“Ok, we’ve got the classic burger joints McD’s, King, A&W… we also have Taco Bell, but that one isn’t happening… pizza?... I’ll consider it…” Spike said as he looked around the food court for something to eat when he noticed something… more like someone… a group of someones.

Spike saw as a group of seven girls, around his age, got to a table and sat down, for whatever reason, Spike felt a sense of nostalgia when he saw these girls, 3 unicorns, 2 pegasuses, and 2 earth ponies.

It was something that Spike could not understand, for whatever reason, his gaze was stuck on the group of girls, it was a good thing he was a great dissimulator, cuz if he wasn’t he would be tagged as a creep; but he kept looking, looking at their hair, and whatever other facial feature was exposed to his eyesight.

To the far left was a pegasus with shoulder-length, rainbow-colored hair, next to her was a unicorn with long red and yellow hair, sitting across from her was an earth pony with long golden locks, green eyes, and by the looks of it, enough muscle to lift a car; next to the blond girl was another earth pony with familiar long pink curly hair; across from them were a pegasus with long straight pink hair, and a unicorn, or pegasus, Spike couldn’t tell, with long purple hair with a magenta strick, and lastly, Spike noticed a unicorn with a very stylish and purple long haired unicorn; Spike was able to get a bit of a look at the unicorn’s face, and the first thing he noticed was her eyes which gave Spike a strange feeling, she seemed happy, but at the same time, here eyes… the seemed void of life or light, they seemed dead.

“I am one hundred percent sure that’s Paola, and those are the 2 from earlier, if they are hanging out with Paola, that means they ARE Masked Matter-Horn and Ragger… which means, those are the girls… Zapp is the Rainbow girl, the blond one must be Mare-velous, and the one with the purple hair is Radiance… the other one has to be Demoness… this isn’t good, if I recognized them, they might recognize me and that will be a problem, I have to leave,” Spike said as he began to make his way across the food court to leave, not knowing, it was already too late.

MEANWHILE

“Hey girls!” said Pinkie as she waved at Twilight and Fluttershy to join the table.

“Hey, sorry we're late, we had a 22-12 at Robin Hood Ave,” Twilight said as she and Fluttershy sat down

“Oh, hopefully, it was nothing serious,” said Mare-velous

“We wouldn’t be on time if it were,” said Twilight

‘Y-yes… only some drunken road rage,” said Fluttershy

“Sigh… crime is getting out of hand lately,” said Empress

“Yeah, it's thanks to those annoyin’ Merchants, they have so many heroes and officials in their pockets, they’re destroying this city, and no matter all the evidence we find, nothing sticks or it just disappears… AH CAN’T STAND’EM!” Applejack said as she smacked the table

“Darling, I agree with your sentiment, but, you’re gaining unwanted attention,” Rarity said

“Yeah, cool your boots, sister,” said Zapp as the girls look around at the people staring at them.

“Ah apologize,” said Applejack.

“Well, let’s get down to business, class starts on Monday, has everyone worked out their schedules?” asked Twilight

“Yup, we’ve got it covered,” said Empress

“What about you Pinkie? You also have to help at Sugarcube Corner,” said Twilight

“Well, Mr. and Mrs. Cake are aware of this and they told me that if I have to leave due to emergencies during my shifts I must, just tell them… before… hand…” Pinkie said as she looked up and noticed Spike walking away from the food court.

“Something wrong, dear?” asked Rarity

“Give me a second,” Pinkie said as she jumped up and started to fast walk trying to catch up to the dragon.

“What was that about?” asked Zapp

“More than likely she spotted Cheese Sandwich walking around, and knowing how possessive she can be, ran after him so he is not head hunted by other girls,” said Twilight

“N-no, her reaction was more of shock, it seemed she saw someone else, maybe an old friend,” Fluttershy said

“Right~ anyway, I’m going to get some grub,” said Zapp as she got up and left to buy food.

One by one, all of the girls followed suit

“You getting somethin’ suga cube?” Applejack asked Rarity, who had been quiet most of the conversation.

“N-no, thank you, darling, I had a big breakfast, I’m not hungry right now… I’ll just guard the table until everyone comes back,” said Rarity, not looking up

“Ok, if you change yer mind, let me know, ah’ll buy yer food,” said Applejack

“Much appreciated, dear,” said Rarity

“Man, ah hope Rares recovers completely soon, she has days where she is happy, at least on the outside, and others, ah fear for her life, like today… maybe coming to this mall wasn’t a good idea… sigh… Humdrum… we both miss you so, SO, much… ah hope you’d be’ere to help us like the good ol’ days,” Applejack said as she went to get her food.

WITH SPIKE

"Shit, I think she saw me, I have to get out of here, and fast…" Spike thought as he looked back and saw Paola turning the corner and making eye contact.

"FUCK!" Spike said as he walked towards a large group of people in an attempt to hide in plain sight.

And it seemed to have worked.

"Where did he go, he was right here… And He isn't a ghost… or is he… and I'm just having a living nightmare?..." Paola said as she looked around the crowd, hoping to spot Spike, but he was gone.

DOWN THE HALL

"OK, there are the stairs that no one uses… except to have some "quality time with their special someone" heh, this is the first time in a long time that I am grateful for elevators," Spike thought thinking he was home free, however, he made a CRUCIAL mistake, he forgot to account for one particular variable of Fili's way worse than her determination… her speed.

"Good… the coast is clear… time to go~," Spike said as he turned to face the stairs only to bump into a short puffy, pink-haired girl "FUCK!~" Spike said as he looked down and made eye contact with her.

"PAOLA! Hey, what a small city this is! " Spike tries to act as if their encounter was pure coincidence.

Without a warning, Paola grabbed his arm and dragged him halfway down the stairs, and slammed his back into the wall

"P-Paola?" Spike said concerned

"It's you… isn't it… Humdrum" Paola said

"I'm not…" Spike started saying

"DON'T LIE TO ME!!!" Paola said as she took out her phone and showed him the screenshot of his thumbprint information

"FUCK! I knew there was something wrong about that day…" Spike thought as he looked at Paola

"Yes" Spike answered going back to his usual self

Without warning Paola tackled him into a hug and she started to cry.

"Wow! Hey don't hug me out of the blue, what if someone sees us and gets the wrong idea," Spike said

As soon as he finished saying this, Paola jumped back and tried to stop her tears

"Y-you're r-right… C-cheese would feel s-so betrayed," Paola said as she gradually stopped crying.

“Who’s Cheese?” asked Spike

“Oh, my fiance, Carlos… you know him,” said Pinkie

“Doesn’t ring a bell,’ said Spike

“One of your best friends during your academy days,” said Pinkie

Spike just looked at her plainly

“The Creator? The hero that can literally create anything from his imagination!” Pinkie continued

Spike didn’t react

“Knick Knack!” Pinkie screamed having enough of Spike not catching on

“KNACK! You guys are an item! Never so that one coming!” said Spike

“Yeah… your “death” brought us together… NOT IN THAT SENSE! I just mean, that we helped each other get closure,” said Paola

“Oh… well, that is nice to know… anyway, how have you gals been doing?” asked Spike

“Well~ we could be doing better,” said Paola

“If you’re talking about the crime thing, then… yes, definitely,” said Spike

“That’s the thing… I’m not talking about crime… don’t get me wrong, we know it's bad, and Applejack has a plan to reduce the amount of crime, but…” Paola started

“Who’s Applejack? A new hero?” asked Spike

“Mare-velous… oh, right, you weren't here, let me explain…” Paola went on about the new nicknames the girls used in public

“New nicknames, that one is new as well,” said Spike

“Yeah, but as I said, makes things easier,” said Pinkie

“Right, so, Pinkie, was it?... you were telling me about the problems you gals have,” said Spike

“Yeah, it's not that we’re not fighting crime, it's just… after you died… things were… off… for a couple of months,” Pinkie said as she sat down on the stairs

Spike looked at her in confusion

“... your death affected everyone on campus, especially us… so, we were really out of for some time, especially AJ and Rarity… without them, we couldn’t even go out to fight crime, and to add more problems to the mix, Celestia, Luna, and Discord, refused to let any student of the academy fight crime for almost 3 months, this caused the heroes from town to be overwhelmed with work and, before we knew it, crime was out of hand, and what’s worse, we don’t know who is “clean” and who isn’t anymore…” Pinkie said

“Clean?” asked Spike

“Corruption has also increased this past 3 years… we know, not everyone is dirty, but…” Pinkie said

“The seed of doubt and lack of trust has placed a strain on “teamwork”, shit, it's worse than I thought,” said Spike

“I know, there isn’t much of a police force left anyway,” said Pinkie

“Wait, what?” asked Spike

“Yeah, a motion was passed to disarm the police, they say it was because of an increase in police brutality, and well, not a day had passed when the police officers turned in their weapons and criminals took to the streets armed as if they were going to war,” said Pinkie

“That smells like corruption to me,” said Spike

“Yeah, a little, I mean, it was a cell of the “Platinum heroes” (incredibly rich and influential heroes) that allied themselves with the movement out of nowhere and threw everyone off,” said Pinkie

“I see… wait, was this one of those “wake” attitude movement things?” asked Spike

“More than likely, it was not… and it’s pronounced “woke” not “wake”,” said Pinkie

“But that’s grammatically incorrect,” said Spike

“Anywho… the fact that the police have been disarmed and many of the police officers have resigned has placed a massive strain on our jobs,” said Pinkie

“What about the Super Police?” asked Spike

“Oh, you mean “Corruption with a batch and a cape” They’re there, doing absolutely nothing but protecting the criminals they swore to stop,” said Pinkie

“I can’t believe Celestia allowed any of this to happen, much less Luna,” said Spike

“Yeah, they were truly against it, but, this side swiped them so badly, they haven’t recovered, I mean, from all the most powerful heroes the city has, we are sure more than 70% of them are dirty, and added to the fact that Discord and many more heroes have been heading to other cities to help with the crime there has really left us thin,” said Pinkie

“Add the reason why Celestia and Luna are not fighting crime themselves is?” asked Spike

“Maternity leave,” said Pinkie

“Really?” Spike asked in surprise

“Yeah, both of them have kids now, so…” said Pinkie

“Wow, congrats… this, changes everything,” said Spike

“It does?” asked Pinkie

“Yeah, I thought crime was bad because the heroes here were lazy… no offense…” said Spike

“None taken,” Pinkie said

“But, it turns out that they are both lazy and dirty,” said Spike

“Yeah~” Pinkie agreed

“Is there anything else I need to know?” asked Spike

“Well, thanks to the Merchants ruling the black market, we’ve seen an increase in street gang activity, but, most of them are just teenagers and mid-life crisis goons that revert back to the “good side” when you scare them well… however, gangs like the Diamond Dogs, Greyhounds, and the Mexicoltian family are more organized than that, and, well…” Pinkie said

“Add to the drama,” Spike finished

“Yup,” said Pinkie

“Well, it seems I’m going to have to do it again,” said Spike

“DO what again?” asked Pinkie

“The situation here is similar to the one we had in the Dragonlands a few years back… I’ll have to do the same here… but, Soarin and I can’t do it alone, especially since is not mentally ready for what it entails,” said Spike

“Well, why don’t we help, I mean, the girls and I will be more than happy to…” Pinkie started

“Not happening,” Spike interrupted

“WHY?!” she asked

“Have you forgotten the part that in their minds, I AM DEAD!” said Spike

“Oh, yeah, you’re right,” said Pinkie “So what are you going to do?”

“I’ll think of something… by the way, do you have a means of communication?” asked Spike

“You mean a phone? Well duh, it's the 21st century… HEY!” Pinkie said as Spike snatched her phone

“There, now you have my number, and I have yours, in case I need some info on a certain target or location,” said Spike

“You only had to ask for it… now that we’re at it, why don’t we exchange hero contacts, in case the girls and I need back up,” said Pinkie

Spike looked at her with a raised eyebrow

“I won’t blow your cover, but, in this day and age, you can’t trust many people, but we trust each other, and so will the other girls, sure, they’ll be warry of you at first but they’ll open up eventually,” Pinkie said

Spike sighed in defeat “Fine, here” he said as he gave her his communicator

“Anonymous, really?” said Pinkie

“Hey, I don’t want to use Dead Flame, and Humdrum is out of the question…”

“YOU WERE DEAD FLAME! MAN RAINBOW DASH IDOLIZES YOU!” Pinkie squealed

“Add that to the list of facts I don’t give a damn about, also, that is a weird behavior for Zapp,” said Spike

“True, but, in her defense, you and your hero squad were so cool,” said Pinkie

“It wasn’t my squad, I was a member of it,” said Spike

“Same thing,” said Pinkie

“Well, it was nice to catch up, but I better start looking into this new information you gave me,” said Spike

“You’re right, I’ve been gone a while, the girls must be wondering where I am, don’t be a stranger, on campus or phone, and don’t doubt in calling me for reinforcements,” Pinkie said

“Sure… see you on Campus,” said Spike

“By Spike, see you on campus,” Pinkie said as she dashed away

“Well, that was something, luckily no one saw us, that would’ve caused so much drama… well, time to get to work,” Spike said as he walked away, not realizing, someone else had identified him before Pinkie dragged him into the stairs.

BACK AT THE FOODCOURT

Rarity had her eye on her phone, watching various videos on her phone, the videos in question were about a father who liked to play pranks on his kids and wife, most of the time, scaring them or causing a massive ruckus at home.

“...WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU! YOU DON’T DO THAT TO YOUR MOTHER, AT LEAST NOT INSIDE THE HOUSE!” the wife screamed after her husband super-soaked her and handed the gun to the youngest child.

Rarity let out a chuckle, but then a memory invaded her brain, and she heard Humdrum’s voice

“HAHAHA! This is the type of shit I’m going to be starting once I become a father!” Humdrum said as he and Rarity watched funny videos back at the base.

This memory made Rarity stop laughing, and place a hand over her womb

“Humdrum… I would’ve loved to have been a part of that wonderful dream… I-I miss you so much!” she thought as tears started to fall onto the screen of her phone.

“HEY RARES! I’M BACK! Is something wrong?” Pinkie said as she approached the table and noticed Rarity crying

“Oh no, darling, I was just remembering something, everything is alright,” said Rarity

“You were thinking about Humdrum, weren’t you,” said Pinkie

“No~... yes… it’s just… I miss him TOO much,” Rarity said as she started to cry again

“Hey, hey, it’s ok, it’s ok… just remember, that he is in a better place, looking down at us and protecting us… I can’t believe I’m lying through my teeth to one of my best friends about this, I was just talking to him like 30 seconds ago… But, I see his point of not revealing he is alive, it would cause a massive issue, especially for Radiance,” Pinkie said as Rarity calmed herself down

“HEY girls, we’re back! Did something happen?” asked Twilight

“Just a small episode, but, I’m ok now, darling, don’t worry,” Rarity said as she fixed her makeup

“But we do Rarity, you tried to kill yourself once already,” said Fluttershy

“And it was stupid of me, I didn’t realize that I was throwing Humdrum’s last gift away by doing such a thing,” Rarity said

“Well, at least that Isn’t a concern anymore,” said Rainbow Dash

“Yeah… anyway, that smells delicious, I’ll go buy something to eat too,” Rarity said as she got up and went to buy her food

“Well, at least she’s eating,” said Empress

“Yeah, by the way, did something happen Pinkie?” asked Applejack

“Oh no, I just saw an old friend and wanted to say hello,” Pinkie half lied

“Oh, why didn’t you bring them here, we’d love to meet them,” said Twilight

“He was in a hurry, next time,” Pinkie lied again

“Alright then, enjoy your meals,” Twilight said

“Likewise,” as they started eating, and Pinkie left to get her food as well.

BACK AT SPIKE’S HOUSE

“What Pinkie told me is concerning, and by the looks of it, Tirek planned everything ahead of time… it seems that he is also causing trouble in other cities… for now, I have to concentrate in getting rid of the Merchants… or at least the street gangs that terrorize Canterlot… but how?... I go after their pillars! Yes! Just like in the Dragonlands, except, it going to be more complicated here in Canterlot since the method down here is much different… I just need to figure out where to look or what to look for… and I know just who to ask…” Spike said as his doorbell rang “Now what?”

Spike rushed up to open the door and was surprised at who was standing there

“Flitter… Cloudchaser, what are both of you doing here?” asked Spike

“We want in!” they both said

“What happened?” asked Spike

Suddenly a large thud was heard behind them.

Spike looked up and saw someone laying on the ground

“It seems my dad’s friends are now targeting anyone related to me, this one and his friends tried to go after my girls,” Soarin said as he landed

“And where are his friends?” asked Spike

“Dead… just like him,” Soarin said

“Ok, at least that is an improvement… and I do need a team… OK, you want in, follow me,” said Spike as Flitter, Cloudchaser and Soarin followed him down to the base.

HALF AN HOUR LATER

“...Welcome to the Organization… now, I know Soarin told you that we usually Kill criminals, but, I want to modify that rule… I’m not saying arrest everyone, but, try not to kill those who don’t deserve it,” said Spike as he finished the induction ceremony

“Understood,” both girls said

“Now, Soarin here, will give you a few pointers on how to use them, I, on the other hand, have business elsewhere… lock the door when you’re done,” said Spike as he left the base

“What’s with the creepy attitude?” asked Flitters

“More importantly, what did he mean by “use them”?” asked Cloudchaser

“He meant these!” said Soarin as he made the blades appear

“WOW! Just like AC,” said Flitter losing her mind a little

“Ok, first thing you need to learn is…” Soarin started

AT A NEW LOCATION IN TOWN, LATER THAT DAY

“Mommy look, I can hit the bullseye from here!” said a small boy as he and his sister ran around the front yard of the house.

“Well done my little warriors, now, time for you 2 to head inside and defeat the mud that has coated your fur in the bathroom,” said a female unicorn with dark purple fur, and shoulder-lenght reddish-purple hair and blue eyes.

“Aw! Mom, do we really have to take a bath?” asked the boy

“Well, if you want to be a real warrior, you have to learn how to keep presentable, you never know when you’re meeting an important client, first impressions are everything, Now, get to it, young ones,” said the woman

“YES MOM!” the 2 little kids saluted their mother as if they were in the army and ran into the house

“NO RUNNING INSIDE THE HOUSE!” she screamed back

“SORRY MOM!” the 2 kids screamed back making the woman chuckle

“Cute family,” said Spike as he appeared out of nowhere, in his uniform, scaring the woman.

‘IT’S YOU! WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH MY FAMILY!” the woman said as she got into a fighting stance

“With your family, nothing, with you… I need to talk business,” said Spike as he removed his mask

Once he did, the woman’s eyes opened so wide, they looked like moons

“Hello Tempest, it’s been a while,” said Spike

“H-Humdrum,” she said in surprise

“Not anymore,” said Spike

“You’re alive!” Tempest said

“Yes… and I need information,” said Spike

“Information?... for what?” asked Tempest

“You’re old organization,” said Spike

“Oh… Humdrum… I… I can’t,” said Tempest

“Tempest… I’m not here to force you to… I’m here to do business with you,” said Spike

“Business?” asked Tempest

“Like in the old days, you give information, you get paid,” said Spike

“Humdrum, I’m not an informant,” said Tempest

“I'm not asking you to be… but it sounds better on paper… I’m here as an old friend… and I know that money is not an issue for the both of you… but, I know you don’t want your kids to grow up surrounded by crime and criminals,” said Spike

Tempest sighed as she thought about it

“Tempest, I know you aren’t a snitch, but these people tried to kill you and Troubleshoes… and maybe the fact that I came with him not here right now is an issue, but, every second I waste another crime is committed,” said Spike

Tempest remained silent for a few seconds and then said

“W-what do you want to know?” she asked

“Anything, names, rackets, anything really,” said Spike

“That’s too broad of a question,” said Tempest

“How do they make money in the city?” he asked

“The black market, they control it,” said Tempest

“Where do they get the product?” asked Spike

“I don’t know,” said Tempest

“Who runs it?” asked Spike

“I don’t know his name, but they call him “The Stitch”... other than that, I don’t know,” said Tempest

“Where do they get the manpower for the market and rackets?” asked Spike

“From the youth of poor communities,” said Tempest

“How do they recruit them?” asked Spike

“From what I know, they use a record label, they give them hope to earn some money for their families, not to mention, most of the songs have propaganda, in a very subliminal way… that’s all I know,” said Tempest

“Well, it's enough to start, thanks…” said Spike as he left “Say high to Joe for me,” Spike said as he disappeared and Tempest’s phone beeped

When she looked she noticed that Spike had deposited $1 million in her account

“That kid… he always gives too much… a belated wedding, baby shower, and housewarming gift… of course… good luck, Humdrum… you’ll need it,” said Tempest, as she entered her house.

AT A NEARBY SKYSCRAPER ROOF

“So, they use music to pass their propaganda around… what a cliche… however, I wasn’t able to get the name of the record label or any of the artists that are involved… but I know someone else who can give me some insight…” Spike said as he dialed the phone

“Hello?” came Pinkie’s voice

“It’s me,” said Spike

“Oh, hey Spike, what can I do for you?” asked Pinkie

“Remember when you told me about the Merchants and how they’ve controlled the city through the black market?” said Spike

“Yeah,” Pinkie said

“Well, I did some investigating and I was able to identify how they get an endless supply of manpower,” said Spike

“How?” asked Pinkie

“They recruit youths from impoverished neighborhoods and promise them a way out, especially through music,” said Spike

“Interesting,” said Pinkie

“So, here’s the question… do you know what record label is in charge of this?” asked Spike

“No, I’m sorry, I… wait a minute… yeah, it has to be them…” Pinkie started to go off

“Pinkie?” asked Spike

“Oh, sorry, you should investigate a Record Label called “Rampant Records”, according to some of our friends, they have some very… interesting tactics,” said Pinkie

“Care to elaborate?” asked Spike

“Well, we have some friends that were signed to that record, but, after a year they became blacklisted because they started to go against the rules of the record label, not to mention, they were stripped of their creative freedom, something that apparently happens with most artist signed to them, only those who outperform and are “true believers” are given creative freedom, the rest have to sing whatever the producers tell them to,” said Pinkie

“Tyrannical, but not uncommon,” said Spike

“Yeah, it’s nothing like our label, Celestial Records,” said Pinkie

“You mean Celestia went through with the creation of the record label?” said Spike

“Yup, the girls and I, and the boys have already posted music with her,” said Pinkie

“You gals have a band?” asked Spike

“Yeah, The Rainbooms, but I am also in a Band with Cheese called “Sentinel” you should check us out,” said Pinkie

“I will… thanks for the insight,” said Spike

“You’re welcome,” Pinkie said as the call ended

Spike then looked around for a second and sat at the ledge of the roof, getting his phone out and accessing Youtube

“She called it Sentinel… aha, here it is… Superhero… well it’s one of their most popular songs so, let’s play it,” Spike said as he pressed play

“Well, Knack, Micro, and Shadow aged… some better than others… and it seems that Knack took inspiration from what I told him when we were younger… “ Spike said as something caught his attention “Is that… Mare-velous?” he said as he pressed the video

“Wow… I… I wasn’t expecting that one…” Spike said as another song started

“Masked and Ragger… and Pinkie at the back… this…” Spike said as another song began

“ZAPP! Even she did…” Spike thought as he noticed another song, with a familiar face on it “Radiance?” he said as he tapped on it

(I was going to use Lucy Thomas' version, but, I thought the original had more feeling to it)

“She sang this at the 1 year anniversary of the siege of the Crystal Empire, it was a tribute to all the fallen heroes like Megasword, Flyhigh, Powerhoof, and… me… my death hit all of them hard, but at least I know that they’re successful in every way… it kind of makes me feel better… but, that is not the mission now… HAWK, did you find anything about these Music producers and writers?” asked Spike

“Certainly, all of the producers and writers have gang backing, with the best ones being protected by the Merchants themselves,” said Hawk

“Well, there goes that option… what about the ones not protected by the merchants?” asked Spike

“Most of them belong to a gang known as the 57th Street Wild Kingz, which is also one of the biggest recruiters and allies of the merchants, they run most of their rackets alongside the henchmen for the Merchants,” said Hawk

“And they recruit with the music,” said Spike

“Not exactly, the music helps, but the biggest marketing plot they use, is to post videos on Videoshare,” said Hawk

“The unregulated video-sharing website?” asked Spike

“That one,” said Hawk

“The only regulations that respect and enforced in that website are NO Sexual content or excessively graphic content… however, this group still uploads videos about their racketeering and operations, including many “promotional” videos of their work… HA! The balls on these guys, and they know they can do it because most heroes in this city don’t have the time or are on their side… Hawk, anything else?” asked Spike

“Despite being a massive record studio, Rampant Records only has 10 songwriters, the rest of the songs they “creatively share” from other lesser-known writers, or kids trying to get into their label,” said Hawk

“So, I take out these songwriters, I'll be putting them in a pickle… until they get more writers, which can happen overnight… unless I send a message,” Spike said

“Following that last sentence, I have already located the nearest hang-out owned by these groups,” said Hawk

“Ok, do tell,” said Spike

“The Robinson Palace,” said Hawk

“The mansion at the top of the Sunkissed Heights?” asked Spike

“Yes, records indicate that the mansion belongs to Producer and Songwriter Breeze-easy, who is also a leader of the Wild Kingz,” said Hawk

“Alright, let’s go pay him a visit,” said Spike as he got up and jumped off the ledge

LATER THAT NIGHT NEAR THE MANSION

“HELLO!~ My Lunatics! Welcome to Mad Kingz TV, this is your host Big D, and we are here outside the Robinson mansion, and as I promised, once we made it to 5 Million subs, I will tour the mansion and interview the big dawg Bre-eazy, so, y’all remember, this life, is not so far away, just subscribe, or come out and join the movement, everyone’s welcome here!” said the man holding the camera.

“Really, anyone?” Spike said acting as if h was part of the video

“Yeah, everyone~... Holly shit, I-i-i-it’s you… the guy that killed Manestrosity and the Doctor guy,” said the man as he pointed the camera at Spike and began to shake in fear.

“Indeed… is it live?” asked Spike as he pointed to the camera, his voice hidden by a vocabulator

The guy shook his head yes while shaking in fear

“Excellent,” Spike said as he pointed a finger at the man, and all of a sudden the man began to shake and jitter uncontrollably, as he fell to the ground unconscious.

“Taser, never leave home without it,” Spike thought as he went up to the guy “Terry Oloyuvwe, 3 priors for gun possession, 2 drug possessions, various assault charges… warrant issued for his arrest, well, it seems you live another day,” Spike said as he summoned some handcuffs and a rope

After securing the camera guy to a lamp post, Spike noticed the camera and the man’s phone which had a connection to the live stream.

“Hawk, start firewall protection to avoid live stream execution,” Spike said

“Already on done,” said Hawk

“Excellent,” Spike said as he walked over to the camera and picked it up “Dear, watchers, it appears our dear friend D has taken a… break, but, do not worry, allow me to show you the life you’re so interested in, shall we?” Spike said as he strapped the GoPro onto his helmet and headed toward the front gate.

“OY! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!” one of the guards screamed

Spike said nothing as he continued getting closer

“ONE MORE STEP AND WE POP YOU MAH N…!” the other guard screamed as Spike raised his hand, and pointed a finger at him, and a loud BANG was heard as the guard flew backward, cracking the concrete wall as he made contact, falling lifeless to the floor.

“What the fuck,” the other guard said as he turned to look at Spike

“Bang,” he said as the other guard fell backward dead. “I apologize, but this is a family-friendly channel, that type of language is not allowed,” Spike said as he walked forwards and kicked the gate down

“Sir, I count 16 heat signals inside the residence,” said Hawk

“How many are enemies?” asked Spike

“10… the other 6 are 2 women and 4 children,” said Hawk

“His wives and children… I’ll avoid them,” said Spike as he entered the driveway, well, not what I was expecting,” Spike said as various bullets started flying around him as he ducked for cover.

“WHO THE HELL IS THAT!” another guard said

“DON’T CARE JUST KILL HIM!” said another

“Well, my dear viewers, this just got fun, let’s take a closer look, shall we?” Spike said as he calmly got out of cover and lit his arms on fire, and he started firing fireballs at the guards, killing one instantly, and pining the other one behind a column.

“I NEED BACK UP!” he screamed as Spike used a fire grenade to end his existence

“Indeed you did,” Spike said as he got close to the mansion, only to feel a massive change in air pressure as he got there.

“Interesting, they have activated an anti-magic shield… old-school it is,” Spike said as he kicked the door down and a barrage of bullets flew around him.

Spike quickly ducked behind a pillar as the bullets penetrated the pillar.

“Not so strong without your magic, eh, amigo!” another guard said as they continued firing, however, they had not realized that Spike was no longer behind that column.

“I think he’s dead,” said another guard

All of a sudden, the lights turned off living them guards in pitch darkness, with the only source of light being the moon shining through the windows

“What happened?” asked one guard

“Power outage?” asked another

“No, the shield is still up,” said another Guard

All of a sudden, the guard furthest to the left, felt someone grab his shoulder but was only able to let out a surprised “Huh!” before he was flung into the shadows

“BILLY!” the other 2 guards said as they pointed their guns at the area where their friend was last scene.

“Billy! You good?!” one of them asked as they heard a struggle happening, followed by a crack and then silence

After a few seconds, the 2 of them started to creep toward the darkened section, only to be thrown back when an object came flying at them.

The 2 guards jumped out of the way, as the body of the third guard fell lifeless on the floor, his face frozen with fear.

“What the fuck?!!” One guard said

“Neck’s broken, we have to be…” the other started to say before hearing footsteps coming towards them.

And as they turned, they saw Spike coming out of the darkness

The guards quickly aimed their guns at Spike, but just before they could open fire, Spike lunged at them using his Escrima sticks to disarm them both in a matter of seconds, however, the guards did not give up so easily and lunged at Spike with the intent of punching him, however, Spike noticed this and easily dodged them both.

“Not bad,” Spike said as he twirled his sticks and got into a fight stance “My turn,” he said as he lunged at them and started to hit pummel both guards with attacks.

Both guards were so dazed by the barrage of attacks, that they had to take a step back and take a breather.

“You boys tired?” Spike mocked the guards, this angered one of them, and he lunged at Spike

However, as history has taught us, jumping into a fight with someone much stronger and well-trained than you, will not end well, something this guard found out immediately.

As soon as he was some inches away from Spike, Spike smacked him in the stomach winding him and stopping him in his tracks, and just before he could kneel down to catch his breath, Spike hit his head so hard when he fell, he not only cracked the floor but, he bounced 2 feet off the ground.

The other guard, when he saw this, he tried to run away

“Where are you going?” Spike asked as he threw one of his sticks at his legs, tripping him, and making him land head-first onto the stairs.

Spike walked over to the guard and saw that he was passed out.

“Whimp” Spike said as he walked back and grabbed a gun “3 bullets, more than enough,” said Spike as he started to climb the stairs toward the second floor

Just as he was about to get to the top, Spike heard footsteps coming toward him from the floor above, and without even looking, raised his gun and fired a shot.

Moments later, another guard came tumbling down the stairs leaving a small trail of blood, as he reached the bottom floor.

As soon as Spike reached the second floor, he got a message from Hawk

‘Sir, I believe you should head to the room were we saw the heat signals for the women and children,” he said

“Why?” asked Spike

“After you made entry, 2 guards entered and pointed their guns at them, it seems they’re not exactly a loving marriage,” Hawk said

“Where are they?” asked Spike

“3 doors down, the largest door to the right,” Hawk Said

Spike quickly dashed down the hallway and arrived at the door

“LET US GO!” he heard a woman scream

“Sorry sweet cheeks, the boss said we have to protect you or kill you, and so far, it seems you’re about to die,” said a guard

“So is willing to kill his own children and wives?” the other women said

“He said, he can always have more whores and children,” the other guard said as he raised his gun at them

Right before he was about to pull the trigger, Spike quicked the door down, scaring everyone

And just as the guards recovered, Spike's head-shotted them both, killing them.

“Y’all ok?” Spike asked

“Yes, t-thank you,” one of the women said

“Take their guns, and your kids, and get out, the other guards have already been defeated,” Spike said

The women didn’t even think about it twice, they grabbed their kids and a gun and started to leave.

Before they left, one of the kids stopped and turned to look at Spike

“Mister,” he said

“Something wrong, kid?” Spike asked

“Please stop my daddy, he is not a good person,” the kid said with tears in his eyes

Spike walked over to him and kneeled down

“Don’t worry, kid, my mission is to stop everyone who is just like your daddy… I swear, he won’t hurt you, your siblings, or mothers ever again, now, run along… and be a good kid, unlike your daddy,” Spike said as he patted the kid on the head

“Thank you, sir,” the little boy said as he took his mother’s hand and they left

”Brave kid, it takes courage to ask someone what he asked me,” Spike said as he got up and headed to the main bedroom of the mansion

“I DON’T GIVE A FUCK! I WANT YOU TO KILL HIM,” Breezeasy said

“Boss, this guy ain’t normal, we need to use magic,” said another guard

“OH, OH, AND TELL ME, IF HE CAN BEAT YOUR ASSES WITHOUT MAGIC, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN WE TURN THE MAGIC BACK ON, HUH!” Breezeasy said

“Good point,” said the other guard

“I KNOW IT IS, NOW GO!” he yelled

The 2 guards nodded and headed toward the door

As soon as they open the door, Spike grabbed one of his throwing knives and threw it at one of them, hitting him in the neck.

The other guard quickly closed the door and took cover

“How the fuck can he do this? Asked the guard

“You should be thinking, how the fuck can we get out of here!” said Breezeasy

Just then, Spike knocked on the door, catching the 2 of them off guard

They looked at each other in confusion, and just as the guard was about to aim his gun at the door, a bullet came flying through the door hitting the guard in the head, killing him.

However, when the guard fell to the floor, his gun fired and the bullet hit the anti-magic generator, causing a small explosion that injured Breezeasy.

“AH~” he screamed as Spike entered the room

“You? You are Breezeasy?” Spike mocked

Breezeasy looked up at him in pain

“Not what I was expecting, you look more like Callou to me,” Spike said

“Fuck you…” Breezeasy said

“No thanks, you’re not my type,” Spike mocked

“W-why are you doing this? We’ve got no beef!” Breezeasy said

“It's not about, its about what you represent, in this city,” said Spike

“Wh-who, hired you? Listen, man, I-I’ll pay you double, no TRIPLE, what they paid you,” Breezeasy said in a panic

“No one hired me, and I don’t want your blood money,” said Spike

“Th-then, why?” Breezeasy said

“You’re little propaganda machine is bleeding the streets of this town red with the blood of young men and women who are recruited and given false hopes… and I am here to silence it for good,” Spike said as he got close

“T-that’s it! All this for that?! Y-you only had to tell me to stop and I would’ve, honest!” Breezeasy said

“I know, you are a coward after all, but, you’re “friends” wouldn’t, and they aren’t the “silent” type either,” said Spike

“Wh-what are you going to do?” Breezeasy said as he tried to reach for his gun, without Spike noticing

“Send. a. Message!” Spike said as Breeseasy grabbed the gun, but before he could aim it at Spike, Spike summoned flames to his left hand and shot a ball of fire at Breezeasy’s head.

Breezeasy immediately dropped the gun and began to twist and scream in pain as the fire both suffocated him and burned his skin.

A few seconds later, the only thing left of Breezeasy’s head was his skull, not a cell of flesh was left.

Spike looked around and then grabbed the camera

“And that dear viewers, is why this life, is not as cool as they claim. Yes, the money is good… if you’re in a high position, but then, you’ll have to deal with people like me… and no one should deal with the devil… thanks for watching,” Spike said in an ominous voice as he destroyed the camera.

“Sir, I’ve been able to download information about the Wild Kingz from the servers,” Hawk said

“Oh, anything good?” asked Spike

“Yes sir, I’ve got rackets, drop-off locations, and addresses of all the other higher-ups in the gang,” Hawk said

“Excellent… do you have Discord’s contact stuffed somewhere in you?” asked Spike

“You could’ve worded that better, but yes,” said Hawk

“Send him the drop-off locations, that way he’ll get the evidence,” said Spike

“What about the rackets and the addresses?” asked Hawk

“The night is young, I’ll pay them a little visit,” Spike said as he walked out of the room and left the mansion.

MONDAY

“Weekend of terror is what people are calling the past 2 days of carnage, as a hero, who people are now dubbing “The Silencer” took on a personal war against the 57th Street Wild Kingz, not only ending the lives of various higher-up members but disrupting rackets and sending various other members to either an early grave, or jail, any thoughts on this?” asked the anchor

“You’re telling me that one person, took out one of the best-structured gangs in Canterlot, by him or herself, in one weekend?!” one of the panelists said in surprise

“Yes,” said the anchor

“Welp, I have my new hero Idol… well, with Humdrum…” the Panelist said

“Oh for God’s sake, he ain’t no hero!” Boris Lakov said

“Excuse you, you know how many bodies the Wild Kingz have put underground?!” the Panelist said

“The Wild Kingz were… Wild, yes, but…” Boris started

“But nothing Boris, it’s time for you to open your eyes, we’re living in the past, following outdated “gentlemen and women” rules that don’t work, we let this situation get out of hand, US, the “old-school” heroes who did not want to do what had to be done,” said the Panelist

“If you say so, but in my mind, a “hero” doesn’t broadcast mass murder to send “a message”, and you know this Markus,” said Boris

“In your eyes, a hero doesn’t do shit, but being idolized as a God, and only help those who have money in their pockets,” said Markus

“We are to be beacons of hope, that’s the mission of a hero!” Boris said

“And how do you plan to do that if there is NO hope?! There hasn’t been much for years,” said Markus

“Well, obviously not what this person is doing!” said Boris

“Why not? Is it TOO heroic for you?” said Markus said

Boris said nothing

“I, for one, applaud what Silencer is doing, we finally have someone who is fighting fire with fire,” said Markus

“Heh, Boris still doesn’t like me, but it seems that the reason is much deeper than I thought,” Spike said as he parked his car in the campus parking lot

As soon as he got out of his car, his phone beeped

“A message from Pinkie…” Spike thought

“What you did is amazing, Dash/Zapp is jealous that she wasn’t a part of something so cool… you know what else is cool, the name “Silencer”, you should trademark it… you know what, Imma start calling you that… also, if you’re gonna do some crazy shit like that again, you should invite us, or Zapp WILL go nuts with jealousy!” Pinkie said in her text

Spike smiled and answered back

“Sorry, Fili… I prefer to do this stuff, alone… nothing personal,” he said as he added a smiling face emoji

“Rude!... welcome back, Hum,” Pinkie answered back with a laughing emoji

“It’s good to be back,” Spike said with a smile

Just then, Spike felt a hand on his shoulder

“And it seems we have a lot of catching up to do… Humdrum,” a voice Spike knew too well, said.