Equestria At War - In the Shadow of the Sun

"You've got ten seconds to explain this to me, or I'll paint this entire room red with my damn talons!" Gomer yelled - barely restrained by Umfuni and Chari.

The unknown stallion who stood by the window - facing him with his back, shook his head. "You know I cannot do that - at-least not in that short frame of time. Any agent captured for any amount of time must be tested. To confirm that he hasn't compromised vital information, to ensure he hasn't been brainwashed, and to ensure that he is still capable."

Gomer was able to free his right talon, but Umfuni was able to take it as well, holding Gomer from behind. "That kid's a hero! His efforts alone confirmed where and how Stalliongrad's been involved in Zebrica! We've managed to uncover so much shit, that we've got the advantage! And after he's wasted away in some hole where they've maimed him, you treat him like this!?"

"...Gomer." Colton softly spoke as he stood at the entrance to the room. "Stand down."

"Colton, you're not serious! I know you're not! All that bullshit - you being worried sick about Cipher - what, it's actually bullshit!? You're gonna let that freak mess with his brain now, after all he's gone through!?"

"By freak you refer to Mr. Tull?" The mysterious stallion asked.

Gomer growled. "Yes, or whatever fake name that bastard goes by! You've seen what he does - the freakish things he does, and asks..."

The mysterious stallion humphed. "I heard due to his interrogation techniques, you had almost failed the interrogation resistance course, Mr. Gomer. Do you harbor a dislike toward him due to this reason?"

"Why you--...If anything happens to Cipher, it's your ass on the line, "Mister Handler"!" Gomer yelled, holding back himself at this point. His talons were not clenched - quite the opposite, prepared to swipe and cut.

"..." The Handler smiled. "You think I'm here to antagonize you, right? To make your life more difficult? To hurt your friend?" He asked.

Chari whimpered - she wanted to say something, but she couldn't.

"..." The Handler saw this, and sighed. He turned around. His glowing blue eye made it clear - he was a changeling, one wearing a black suit that made him look rather featureless otherwise, save for an eyepatch. "No. You're wrong, Gomer. I am not here to endorse the torture of a pony that has been dragged through hell as it is. But, there is a reason for everything."

"What reason could doing this to Cipher have!?" Gomer shouted - to which Colton stepped forward.

"Gomer..." The Colton said. "Why do you think Cipher was taken from us half a year ago when we were investigating communist assets in New Mareland?"

"Well, because--...You mean, why...specifically him?"

The Handler chuckled softly at these words. "It is as I said, Gomer. There's a reason for everything."

***

The banging had occurred fifty times. In a row. The metallic baton bashing against the iron bars produced a most awful sound - but its uniform frequency had ironically made it less distressing. Cipher always looked into numbers and meanings - whether he wanted it or not. It was a hobby he had no idea he loved or not. Patterns and context - his favorite factors behind anything. Perhaps this was his autism - or perhaps he just got used to it working with numbers so much.

What Tull intended to be a means to force Cipher into distress - was instead a form of relaxation for Cipher, who was amused by the fact Tull somehow struck the baton in perfect intervals each time, 50 times each.

"Cipher." Tull softly spoke - a thin pony with a rather fiendish, impish look. "I know you slipped some facts. You throw the wolf a bone so that you delay the moment it eats you. Zebrica does not have the same POW treatment as they have it in Equus or West Griffonia. Why would anyone care about keeping you alive - if not for the fact you were a piggy bank of secrets? A plump little piggy bank who could give a secret away just to live longer...?"

Cipher smiled softly. "They did ask me a few things I had to answer, you're right."

"Like what, Cipher? What sort of information did you surrender to our enemy?" Tull asked, using the baton to guide it along Cipher's remaining hooves - making sure to pause at the points where striking could hurt the most.

Cipher giggled. "I did tell them that I am allergic to sweet food. They tried to shove a cake so big into me, that even Celestia couldn't have finished it. It was torture of the worst kind. I also told them that our interrogation resistance training is reallyyyy poor, so I asked them to be gentle. Uh, also I told them about that one plan we had to put a whoopie cushion under Sinister Serov's chair during an important meeting! Oh, right - I told them that my favourite color was green. I think that might've been too much..."

Tull smiled. "So in short...You're still messing with me."

Cipher innocently frowned at his interrogator. "Tull, come on. Why would I ever do something as awful as lying? That would go against the Element of Honesty itself! And what am I, if not an embodiment of the Elements of Harmony? Well, maybe I lack the "Magic" part being an Earth Pony, but hey, what's a little--"

Cipher's jokes were finished once the baton struck his already-hurt hoof, hitting it right in the stump. It was just recently bandaged and filled to prevent bleeding and infection - but the pain was something that made Cipher scream. Losing it was different - the Zebras had failed to keep him awake when it happened. But now - he could feel just how much having a severed nerve hurt.

"Cipher - having you die here can be written off as your body failing to adapt, that you were claimed by shock and weakness. Tell me what you have told them - I will allow you to take a break. That much I can guarantee."

Cipher looked past the tears of pain - looking down at his severed leg...He sniffled softly, and shivered as the pain let go of him...He supposed that there was a point to Tull's words. He had to say something. Anything at all.

"..."

"Go on." Tull's baton was resting against Cipher's head now.

"...Other than the names of our Prywhen agents...I told them about Operation Starbreaker."

"...Operation Starbreaker, huh?" Tull humphed. "Why was the information of this operation relevant to your interrogation?"

Colton sighed softly, trying to look away in shame. "They needed to relay this information back to Serov and his government-in-exile. The Stalliongrad agent who was there - he probably had his suspicions, and he knew that I would have a level of information on this plan."

"I see. Are you aware who else has clearance for the details in regards to this operation? How did they find out about it?"

"No idea. Obviously the list is small. My team, the Handler, the President - a select few others, including you. Why such a question?"

"I'm the one asking the questions here." Tull growled. "But this is strange. We would be aware if the operation's intelligence had leaked, if they kept you there for six months asking about it. Otherwise, we would be aware one way or another that our assets were compromised."

"Maybe those who received the information are hesitant to allow it to spread..." Cipher sighed. "Think about it - someone tells you about the biggest plot ever against Stalliongrad's communist movement, a plan so big that it might put a nail in their coffin. To break their "red star", and doing it in such a way that nocreature could even anticipate. If you were Serov himself, who would you want to notify, and how safely could you do it? They could be aware - but they might be withholding a reaction to catch us by surprise, even if it means keeping their own operatives in the dark."

"...A fair point." Tull softly said. "Okay - what have you detailed in the plan exactly? Go over what you told them as if I was one of the Zebras - or that foreign agent."

Cipher quietly looked at the floor as he spoke. "Establishing a formal alliance with Aquileia and Wingbardy, and then seeking partnership with Vartai - convincing Starry Night that the Stalliongrad model of communism is too expansionist and bloodthirsty under Serov. Then, we arm Bandit Tribes in the region to begin an incursion on Prywhen - and prompt Vartai to begin their second war against Blackrock - supporting Vartai with the military strength, while closing the air space around Prywhen."

"...Go on."

"Of course, naturally - all able SIB teams will infiltrate Prywhen to assassinate Serov and install a more Harmonist-leaning, Socialist government, based on the Aquileian model of Democratic Socialism."

"..." Tull was quiet for a moment. "That is indeed a lot of information. You seem to have spoiled most of our operation's plans, and we may not be able to carry it out in the end. Cipher - you have given away very, very vital intel.."

Cipher quietly stared forward.

"...On behalf of the SIB - I cannot let this breach of information go unpunished." Tull said, standing up. "You know that I work for this organization because I believe in New Mareland. I believe in the leadership of our president, and I believe in a better future for my country." The stallion said, raising his baton. "...So, I must make sure you understand the gravity of your mistake." He grinned - prepared to split Cipher's head open.

"...Just, one silly thing of note." Cipher smiled up at Tull.

"...What?"

"You know everything about Starbreaker, right?"

"Of course. I have clearance."

"...Operation Starbreaker - and everything I just told you..." Cipher could barely suppress his chortle. "...It's not real."

Tull froze in place. "What...?" He hissed. "...I see. So you're here to rub it into my face that you've confirmed all your suspicions about me, huh? Can't let yourself die without the clarity. I respect that, almost, but I cannot let the goals of Stalliongrad be ruined by a nosy little pony. And here, I thought that separating you from your team and letting the Zebras take you would fix my problems. Maybe I thought getting you back here would be a bonus of its own - you had me excited at all this information. I thought maybe Serov would appreciate my efforts. Now though..."

Tull prepared his hoof - to strike even harder than he had anticipated. "Now - my bonus is to do it myself!"

And yet - the baton never came down. A noise made Tull drop it - from shock and terror.

The noise came from the door opening. The Handler's voice was like melting ice - a strange description for the strange voice he spoke with. "It was as I told you, Colton. Reading in-between the lines as to why Cipher disappeared, you already know what's wrong. Then a quick chat with Cipher filled in all the blanks. After that, all you need is a confession."

Gomer was flabbergasted, looking with his beak wide open. Chari whimpered - she knew the whole time, but couldn't let her mouth run. Umfuni quietly watched it all unfold, the newbie who had been given a tour of the headquarters only recently.

Tull grit his teeth. "...So this was all...All-"

The Handler flicked his sunglasses back onto his face. "This wasn't Cipher's interrogation. This was yours, Tull."

Colton stepped forward. "You took my team member because he was unto you. I noticed this as soon as he was the only one to be taken, when the enemy might've had the chance to take us too. But you needed our team to operate so that you could reap more information. Cipher had no evidence to prove your betrayal - but I guess everycreature here knows that Cipher has a talent for seeing things others don't. That's what irritated you - and scared you."

Tull tried to reach for his pistol - and he had even squeezed the trigger. And yet - nocreature felt the bullets.

Cipher grinned wide at his teammates. "You're right! Loading blanks instead of just having his mag emptied was kinda funny."

Tull fearfully shook...He knew what had to be done. Closing his mouth - the sound of something clicking was heard. And yet - before he could swallow, a blast of magic hit him in the back - sending him sliding towards the Handler, and spitting out the suicide pill in his mouth.

Plymouth laughed, dropping from the airvent with an audio recording device strapped onto his backpack. "What a pussy, too. You're not getting out of this the coward's way." He said, kicking the suicide pill away for Umfuni to take it in as evidence.

"You..." Tull grunted. "You'll pay...You'll pay for--"

"But we're gonna need you alive for a bit longer." The Handler said, leaning down right above him. "After all, somepony like you has information that we could use."

"And even if he keeps quiet..." Colton smirked. "We can just keep roughing him up as revenge."

Tull nervously swallowed. Two guards had entered the room and promptly cuffed him, before dragging him away. Approaching Cipher, the Handler lowered his sunglasses.

"I'm sorry to have made it so difficult. But I thank you for taking the initiative to expose him." The Handler said.

"Another minute of him being in the SIB could've spelled disaster." Cipher smiled. He attempted to reach in for a hoofshake, but ended up falling forward. The Handler had caught him, and helped him stand once again on his three hooves.

"...Seems like the Zebras took a trophy." The Handler frowned looking at the hoof, but then smiled. "Don't worry. R&D has some promising prosthetics to work with. The question is..." The Handler quieted down, paused...and tried again. "The question is...The civilian model, or the military model?"

Cipher was given minutes to think...The suffering he went through was immense over that half-year, he had anticipated death and pain beyond his worst nightmares...The SIB could spell his death. Any time spent working for it could destroy him more, and result in further damage that he may never recover from.

Yet, it was nothing compared to the resolve that still burned deep inside him.

He smiled at the Handler. And the Handler understood what the smile meant.

"Take some time off." The changeling said. "We'll get you the luxury you need while we get the leg ready. Cipher..." The Handler took a step back, and put his glasses back on. "It's good to have you on-board again."

Cipher grinned softly. "Clocking in, boss."

He attempted to salute with his organic, scarred hoof, and fell onto his side.