Crisis of Infinite Trixies

“Unconventional way to call me,” Spider-mare said, gesturing a hoof at the spotlight with a spider insignia. The costumed hero sat in a crouched position on her position on the roof.

“It worked, didn’t it?” Razzle said with a slight shrug.

After examining the makeshift spotlight, the superhero shook her head. “It’ll never catch on. Besides, I’m not the type of superhero that comes when beckoned,” She surveyed her audience. “And I see you’ve collected more Trixies now. How many are you? Is there some special prize if you collect them all?”

Unamused, Laughter got into the superhero’s masked face. “Why didn’t you tell us our counterpart in this universe is an unhinged maniac? That’d be nice to know.”

“So you’ve met big, black, and friendly, I see,” Spider-mare only shrugged. “I wasn’t exactly sure how I’d explain to you about how my Trixie is a violent monster. It’s a tad awkward.”

“What is that black suit? Apparently, you once wore it?” Jade eyed the arachnid-themed superhero with a great deal of curiosity.

“Yep. It arrived from space after a test mission a couple of months ago. It found me one day and joined with me,” Spider-mare released a deep sigh. “It was great, at first. I became stronger than ever! It allowed me to shift into my costume whenever I liked. No need to awkwardly search for a place to change when danger reared its ugly head. I could even do some minor shapeshifting.”

“Remarkable,” Northern Lights said, scratching this testimony on a notepad. “But you noticed it came at a cost.”

“Yeah. It made me lose sight of myself. I became aggressive, more eager to hurt people. When I noticed what was happening, we had a nasty divorce,” Spider-mare replied.

“And it somehow found its way to Trixie?” Razzle asked.

“Yeah. We’ve never really been what you might call friendly. With the symbiote added to the mix, it’s made a deadly combination.”

“Symbiote?” Jade asked, curious. “Is it some type of parasitic organism?”

“Right. It forms a symbiotic bond with its host. They don’t just wear it, but share minds. This allows the symbiote to grant whatever its host desires. In my case, it augmented my already considerable abilities,” Spider-mare said.

“We’ve seen it in action. It’s terrifying.” Razzle suppressed a shudder. “But it has weaknesses. We’ve discovered loud sounds hurt it.”

Spider-mare nodded, pleased. “And it fears fire. Even knowing that, don’t underestimate it. Venom is a nasty customer.”

“We’ll stop her and avenge Blossomforth.” Laughter slammed her hooves together, still peeved about seeing her friend hurt, alternate universe version or not.

“But will she return to normal if we remove the costume?” Kassa asked. “This Trixie sounds like a real piece of work.”

“Well, yeah. She’s not the most likable pony. She painted me as a villain because it sells papers,” Spider-mare released a mournful sigh. “Not that her attitude’s a rarity.”

“While a total jerk, we can’t abandon her.” While Razzle disapproved of the local Trixie for a myriad of reasons, they couldn’t allow Proto to destroy her or allow the symbiote to continue to corrupt her. “Let’s hope she sees sense once she’s free of the costume’s influence.”

“Now that’s settled, we can focus on freeing Iron Will and smashing Bayou Runner’s face!” Shade said, one-track-minded as always. She gave Spider-mare a quick rundown of what had happened to her in the millionaire’s penthouse.

“And you’re sure Bayou Runner did this to you?” Spider-mare gestured to Shade’s considerable wounds, her words doubtful.

“Trust me. Bayou Runner is a natural-born killer!” Shade replied.

“And he’s the Kingpin? But I suppose I am speaking to a gaggle of alternate Trixies. Much nicer ones, too!” Spider-mare said. “I guess I’ll just have to see the truth for myself. I’ll see what I can do about rescuing your friend.”

“The problem is that he could be anywhere,” Northern Lights said. “We’ve done some considerable searching but came up empty. Manehatten’s a big place.”

“What makes you sure he’s even alive?” Jade said, asking the unwelcome question.

“The Kingpin knows you’re after him, right? It makes sense to keep your friend alive as leverage,” Spider-mare stroked her masked chin in thought. “Bayou Runner owns some of the world’s biggest scientific laboratories. Real innovative stuff.”

“So?” Shade asked.

“And Iron Will’s from another universe. He’d be the perfect test subject. Who knows what they might discover,” Spider-mare then excitedly broke into fringe dimensional theories several degrees higher than any of their understanding. The nerd rambling cutely reminded Razzle of the fictional Twilight Sparkle. Her actress, Star Power, herself wasn’t a slouch in science, either. She improvised much of Twilight’s geek dialogue to great success. “And if they map his dimensional wavelength, it might even be possible to travel to his universe. The possible scientific discoveries are endless!”

“You sure are smart for somepony who dresses around in outside underwear and fights purse snatchers,” Shade said, a forced grin on her face. “Your point?”

“Bayou Runner owns a huge stake in Alchemax. They are one of the world’s leading developers in new technology. They have a research lab close to here. My money’s on your friend being kept there.”

“And the device that Proto gave him! I bet he wants its secrets too!” Laughter said. The mere mention of the evil contraption brought a chill down Razzle’s back. Who knew what it might do?

“Thanks for the tip,” Spider-mare said, shooting a web at a nearby skyscraper.

But Laughter tore it down before the costumed superhero could rush off to danger. “Hold on. You’re not going alone!”

Behind her mask, Spider-mare looked annoyed. “You’re not suggesting you should come along. It’s much too dangerous. Look what happened to your friend.” She gestured at the still gravely injured Shade. “Besides, I work best alone.”

“We might not have your powers, but we’re no slouch in defending ourselves,” Jade said, stroking her laser weapon.

“You might need backup,” Guard said, a firm set to her jaw. “It’s dangerous to go alone.”

“While I appreciate the offer but trust me, it’s better this way.” With an impossible leap, the costumed hero reached the other end of the rooftop. A moment later, Spider-mare web slung away.

“That mare!” Laughter said, seething.

“What now?” Shade said, sighing. “That didn’t go so hot.”

“We go after her, obviously,” Laughter said, rolling her eyes. “Trixie’s never been one to do as ponies tell her.”

“Maybe Spider-mare is right. It might be too dangerous to involve ourselves.” And Razzle just realized going after Proto’s mysterious device might actually be a trap.

“No, we’re going,” Shade said, refusing to budge. “Iron Will is my teammate. We aren’t abandoning him. I won’t let Spider-mare do a job I’m supposed to do.” Northern Lights and Kassa both added their assent to this plan.

“Come on. We’ll only get in Spider-mare’s way!” But nopony seemed interested in listening to her. Razzle sighed as the others started making plans. Jade had already disappeared to find a phone book to find this lab Spider-mare had mentioned.

Ten minutes later, Jade returned with the location. Thankfully, it wasn’t far. They crammed into the cab, Razzle wincing as a hoof flew into her face.

“So, where are you headed?” The cab driver asked, nonplussed about almost a dozen ponies crammed into his cab.

“The Alchemax building,” Razzle said, past Jade’s head.

As they drove, the hour had become late into the night. They’d given Shade a day to recover. Besides, it seemed prudent to contact Spider-mare during the nighttime. Razzle hoped the lab would be empty by the time they arrived. They hadn’t a clue what kind of security Alchemax might have. Thanks to Spider-mare’s rushing off on her own, they didn’t have time for a real plan.

Razzle squirmed around to get more comfortable. “Say, Laughter, I’ve been meaning to ask, why don’t you like Spider-mare? Why hate masked heroes?”

The Element’s expression turned pained, taking a breath before speaking. “Trixie doesn’t like ponies who hide their face. She’s always appreciated honesty. But that isn’t only it.” She paused, collecting her thoughts before continuing. “Back on my world, my friends almost broke our friendship with a little stunt involving a mask.”

This caught Razzle’s attention. Everypony perked up to hear more. “What happened?”

“After Trixie performed an act of brave derring-do, they thought Trixie had developed too big a head when she went around bragging about it. They feared that my ego had gone out of control. It hadn’t. I bragged because, as a performer, my reputation means everything. If everypony thought me a hero, they’d eagerly see my shows. Twilight misconstrued my behavior and thought she needed to take action.”

Laughter grimaced. “So they invented Mare Do Well, a costumed vigilante and Manehatten’s greatest hero. They each posed as the hero, giving her amazing, impossible abilities. Was Mare Do Well an earth pony, unicorn? And now she has wings? Each of their heroics showed up and humiliated Trixie. Instead of humbling me, I grew outraged that this interloper would mess with Trixie’s life!”

“Oh,” Razzle said, speechless. She saw where this was going. For a proud pony like Laughter, it must have devastated her to learn the truth.

“So when Trixie learned Mare Do Well’s true identity, it hurt. Hurt real bad. One of the worst moments in my life. That my friends couldn’t just talk to Trixie like normal ponies. Instead, they humiliated her and made her feel like dirt.” A small tear slid down an eyelid. “I’ve forgiven them, but it still makes me angry thinking about it.”

“Terrible business what your friends did to you,” the cab driver, a spectacled, graying earth pony with a bushy mustache, said. “It warms the heart you forgave them. It couldn’t have been easy.”

“Thanks,” Laughter replied, pleased someone was getting her viewpoint.

“I don’t recall asking for your opinion,” Shade said, somewhat peeved by the cab driver butting into their emotional conversation.

“It’s Manehattan, Shade,” Razzle said, rolling her eyes. “Ponies here speak their minds.”

“So yes, Trixie doesn’t like ponies who hide behind masks. This unreliable, joking Spider-mare rubs her the wrong way. Trixie feels Spider-mare is hiding too much behind her mask,” Laughter continued.

“But I think you’re missing something.” The cab driver said. “You’re looking at the mask, but not the pony beneath.”

“And why does that matter?” Laughter said haughtily.

“You’re new to these parts, but I’ve followed Spider-mare’s career from the very beginning, and you know what I’ve seen? A mare who risks her life to protect somepony else. Not for glory or fame, but because it’s the right thing.”

“But.” Laughter floundered, unsure how to reply.

“Never said she’s been perfect. Spider-mare’s made plenty of mistakes, many spectacular. But no matter what hardships she experiences, she always rises again to do what’s right. But when you examine what she’s done to help Manehatten safe, you see a true hero behind the mask.”

Laughter remained silent as a building came into view. The entire facility was enormous, filling several city blocks. The building was modern, its surface polished to a sheen. A stylized green ‘A’ that looked like an arrow pointing up adorned its side.

“Thanks for the ride,” Laughter said, paying the cab driver. She paused before speaking. “You’ve given me much to think about.”

“No problem. I hope you girls find your way back to your home universes!” The cab driver said before driving off. “Excelsior!”

“He sure accepted the existence of the multiverse without issue.” Shade said, somewhat flummoxed.

“We’re in Manehattan,” Laughter and Razzle said in unison. It was just the culture of their city. In the Big Apple, anything could happen. Little phased them.

Shade muttered to herself, complaining that everypony in this city was nuts. “Whatever. We should hurry. Time is short.”

Razzle pricked up her ears, searching for any alarms or excited activity. She heard nothing but the dead silence of a building closed for the day. “It seems Spider-mare hadn’t caused a commotion yet. Does that mean that she’d already rescued Iron Will?”

“Doubtful,” Laughter said, rolling her eyes. “No way that mare could sneak in without causing a considerable commotion.”

“The security seems pretty good,” Jade said, eyeing the electronic locks. “Well, for a primitive pre-spacefaring planet, anyway. Shouldn’t be too difficult to slice.”

“You can hack too? You are a mare of many talents. Where would be the best point to break inside?” She decided the smuggler would have the best expertise in this situation.

Jade scrutinized the building. She opened her mouth to reply, but a screeching alarm blared from the building interrupted her. There was little doubt what he meant.

“The front door should work just fine. There isn’t time for a subtler approach.” Jade said.

“This is why I didn’t want her to go alone,” Laughter said, annoyed. “Whatever. Let’s bail her out of this. No doubt that she’s run into some nasty surprises.”

“No remember Jade, no killing.” Shade shot the smuggler a dirty look. “There should be no more needless bloodshed.”

But the mare only responded with a half-hearted shrug. “Fine.”

“I mean it.” Shade threw a threat into her voice. Razzle couldn’t blame her. They’d all been a little shocked how carelessly Jade dispatched lives. It disturbed Razzle how detached the mare seemed. She made a mental note to push the issue later. They still hadn’t learned much about her past.

With the entire facility in turmoil, nopony was paying a bunch of guards rushing into the building much attention. Shade’s illusionary work impressed Razzle. The problem was locating their superhero friend. Finding the labs wasn't difficult, but the section spanned multiple floors, and they had no idea where she might be in them.

“The security room?” Razzle suggested. “It has cameras all over the facility.”

“Good thinking,” Jade said, nodding. She pointed at a spot on the helpful map they’d found. “Right around here.”

“Good. I’m ready to bust some heads,” Guard said, stretching her neck and pounding her hooves together.

As they fled down the annoyingly similar corridors, a strange sight caught Laughter’s eye. She paused mid-run and stopped in her tracks.

“What is it?” Shade asked, worried. She glanced around, expecting trouble at any moment.

“Octavia?” Laughter said.

A strange sight greeted them in the employee lounge. They found a dark gray earth pony playing a cello. She wore an emerald green smock with a yellow hem that matched well with her purple eyes. Across her neck was a cute pink bow tie.

After playing eight notes, the mare gritted her teeth as the blaring alarm made her bow struck the wrong note. She glared at the hidden speakers. “I’m trying to play. Can somepony please silence that racket!” She turned to her unexpected audience and gave them an apologetic smile.

“Apologies. I’d give you a better show, but somepony had to ruin my concentration.” When she noticed Laughter’s familiar expression, she gave the disguised unicorn a quizzical look. “Have we met before?”

“No, sorry. You remind me of somepony I know,” Laughter said, lowering her head, so her illusionary cap disguised her eyes.

“You’re surprisingly calm considering the crisis,” Shade said with a raised eyebrow.

Octavia only shrugged and returned her bow to her instrument. “It isn’t my problem. They’re paying me for my research. The grunt work is for lowly, empty-headed brutes they use for security.”

“Research?” Shade said, surprised. “Not a cellist by trade then?”

“I’m a nuclear physicist.” the earth pony’s words were superior, quite pleased with herself. “Alchemax hired me for my expertise. They have some unknown artifact they want me to examine.” This caught their attention. So Proto’s device was here!

Octavia played a couple crisp notes. They were like a dream to Razzle’s ears. This mare was quite talented. “I play the cello to unwind. Though I have to admit any orchestra would die to have my talent in their number.”

“This mare sure’s full of herself,” Razzle thought.

“Stay here,” Shade said, turning to leave. “We’ll see whatever’s happening.”

“Wait,” Octavia said, using her bow to block their path. “Are we sure we haven’t met? There’s something about you.” She paused, her ears perking up like she was picking up a distant sound. Razzle frowned. She didn’t hear anything. “Something discordant. Like you don’t belong.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Razzle replied, plastering a dumb, hapless smile on her face.

“All of you don’t fit in the universe's symphony, a note played by the wrong instrument. You’re from another dimension, aren’t you?” Octavia’s nose wrinkled in distaste.

“What?” This proclamation caught everyone off-guard. They tried playing innocent, but it was too late.

“I thought I didn’t care about what caused this alarm, but now I’m getting interested. Something’s happening here that I don’t dare ignore.” Everyone gasped as the earth pony mare suddenly rose into the air. Metal tentacles sprouted from her dress, tearing it off to reveal four metal appendages attached to her back, each ending in a claw with wickedly sharp clamps. Octavia smiled, putting a pair of purple shades over her eyes.

“W-what?” Laughter said, taking a step back. “O-Octy?”

“Octavia is my name, but I’d rather my enemies call me by my other moniker. Call me Doctor Octopus!”