Crisis of Infinite Trixies

“The heck?!” Shade said, alarmed. She winced as drywall rained on her head when a tentacle pierced the wall behind her. Her illusionary disguises dropped, revealing the group of Trixies and their lioness and pegasus friends.

“The Kingpin mentioned that multiple versions of the same individual had invaded our universe. Can’t say I’m impressed. Still, why would some inter-universal lord care about destroying you? A fascinating conundrum.” Doctor Octopus broke into an unnerving grin, her tentacle clamps clapping together. “I must study you! I think a dissection is in order. And with so many test subjects, who’ll care if I mess up once or twice?”

“Okay, Octavia’s definitely a bad guy in this universe!” Laughter said. “Run! Split up!”

The Element didn’t need to speak twice, their group breaking in different directions. Guard took Shade and Northern Lights, while Razzle fled with Laughter, Kassa, and Jade. While not ideal, they had little choice. Hopefully, one of their group would find Spider-mare and Iron Will.

“No fair,” Doctor Octopus said in a childish whine. After hovering indecisively for a few heart beats, she chose Razzle’s group. Lucky her. The tentacled scientist’s speed was insane, catching up with them in seconds. Jade fired potshots as she ran, aiming with remarkable accuracy. But Doctor Octopus was too quick, dodging the red, angry bolts with a dancer's liquid grace.

“This isn’t working!” Kassa took a sudden turn, leaping at the scientist with animalistic fury, claws extended. But Doctor Octopus ducked, a claw catching the lioness in midair.

“You!” Kassa slashed at Doctor Octopus. But the earth pony only pulled back the irate lioness, creating some distance between her and the sharp feline claws. But this worked to their advantage, giving Jade a better avenue of attack with her laser gun. With one of her tentacles occupied, it made it harder for the earth pony to defend herself.

“Hey!” Doctor Octopus ducked a red bolt, a burn mark scorched in the wall behind her. Annoyed, she grappled onto the ceiling, a still-furious Kassa struggling still in her grip. A tentacle lashed down at Jade, but the smuggler leaped back.

“Annoying.” Doctor Octopus said as Jade continued to dodge her vicious assault. “Just like an irritating web crawler, I could mention,”

“What should we do?” Razzle’s heart raced as she watched as Jade fought for her life, unable to help.

“Um, well,” Laughter floundered. Unlike the others, they were useless against deadly supervillains. A light flashed in her fellow Trixie’s eyes, her grin turning mischievous. “Leave it to me. Keep her distracted.” Without another word, she fled down a corner.

“Great,” Razzle gulped, wondering how she’d gotten into this mess. She winced as Jade howled in pain when Doctor Octopus suddenly threw Kassa into her. They collapsed in a heap of tangled limbs. Dazed, the pair were helpless.

Now or never. Razzle stepped forward, all bravado. “Hey, you!”

“I’d almost forgotten you were here!” Octavia said, amused. “What tricks do you have, little unicorn?”

“Well, I’m just wondering why you’re working with the Kingpin! You’re a scientist! You should help fight world hunger instead!”

“First off, I’m a nuclear physicist. That’s not my field. Second, the Kingpin and I have an understanding. He provides me the funding I need for my research in exchange for my services. You object to using my talents for selfish motives. But I ask you this, when everypony thinks you’re a monster, why not turn to the Kingpin?”

Much to Razzle’s relief, it had taken little to get Octavia talking. Bad guys always loved the sound of their own voice. Kassa leaped out at the earth pony from nowhere, only to be caught in midair by a claw.

“Those fools at the institute, they mocked my research! Called it unsafe! Because they refused my work, I experimented on my own! And look what happened to me!” The scientist continued to rant, ignoring the squirming and slashing lioness in her tentacled grip. “Now they fear Doctor Octopus, and rightfully so. But that doesn’t get you grants. So, I searched for other means to fund my vital research. I tried bank robbing at first, but a certain annoying web crawler got in my way. So, now I’m working for the Kingpin. Can’t complain. He knows how to pay those in his employ.”

“Really? Does he offer good health insurance?” Out from the corner crawled a familiar red superhero clinging to the walls.

“Spider-mare! I should have known you’re the source of the commotion,” Doctor Octopus said, dropping Kassa like a bag of rocks as she turned to face the interloper. Her claws clamped together in excitement. “Now things are really getting interesting! I finally get to squash an annoying bug once and for all!”

“Tisk tisk, Octy,” Spider-mare replied. “Don’t you know that spiders aren’t technically insects? A pony with a big brain like yours doesn’t know something so obvious?”

This mocking only earned Doctor Octopus’s ire, and she pounced. Her tentacles lashed out at the superhero, but Spider-mare only dodged away, leaping from wall to wall.

“Stay still!” The earth pony advanced, her attention focused on her hated enemy. As the battle progressed, Razzle noticed Laughter in the distance, a confident smirk on her face. Was she planning something? She lifted a hoof to them, telling them to wait for the signal. What this meant, Razzle hadn’t a clue.

“Woah!” Spider-mare fell from her perch as one of Doctor Octopus’s tentacles shook the wall. It left the superhero helpless as her arch-nemesis moved in for the kill.

“You can’t believe how long I’ve waited for this, Spider-mare. You’re small and helpless compared to me!” Two of her tentacles stabbed forward, but Octavia gasped as the appendages flew right through her. “What? An illusion?”

“Now!” Laughter said. Kassa didn’t need to be told twice, pouncing on the distracted supervillain. Doctor Octopus howled as the lioness’s claws left bloody scrapes across her chest.

“You!” Doctor Octopus turned to re-engage her attacker but grunted as a red bolt crashed into her from behind. She stumbled on her tentacles, lashing out behind her at Jade. But Jade landed another shot as she leaped aside, delivering a third. After a fourth, the supervillain finally collapsed to the ground.

“She isn’t..?” Razzle said worriedly.

“No, she’s only stunned,” Jade said, pocketing her laser weapon. “Tough, though. Most ponies only need a single stun bolt to get knocked out.”

“Nice thinking with that fake Spider-mare,” Razzle said.

Laughter smirked. “I thought it’d keep her distracted. Octy was so annoyed about Spider-mare’s presence that she never considered she might not be real.”

“Let’s find the real Spider-mare,” Jade said. “This mess will soon attract some unwanted attention.”

“This way. I saw the security room earlier.” Laughter pointed down a left corridor.

“Hey, who are you?” A guard yelled at the sudden presence of several unknown ponies, but Jade stunned the three guards with a single shot.

“Okay. Let’s see,” Laughter said, scanning the collection of a dozen various screens. “Impressive. You can see everything from here!”

It wasn’t hard to find Guard and Shade. They were helping a limping Iron Will from a laboratory labeled 6-D. Northern Lights was blasting at a company of guards, giving her friends cover as they retreated. It pleased Razzle they’d rescued their friend, though they seemed to be in hot water. “Where was Spider-mare?”

“There!” Jade pointed at a bottom-right screen. They watched as the arachnid-themed superhero tangled with a shadowy figure. But they were moving so quickly, Razzle caught only a blur on the camera. They burst through a nearby wall, disappearing from sight.

“Oh, great. It must be another supervillain!” Laughter said, annoyed, before sighing. “But I suppose we must help her.”

“What about Shade and the others? They’re in even deeper hot water.” And they still needed to find whatever device the Kingpin had hired Doctor Octopus to examine. Razzle fretted, unsure what to do.

“I’ll help Shade’s group,” Jade said, already moving towards the door. “A few shots from behind and I’m sure they scattered.” A self-satisfied smile grew on Jade’s usually stoic face. “They won’t see it coming. You help Spider-mare and secure the target.” She vanished in a flash, running with remarkable quickness.

“She sure knows how to think on her hooves.” Razzle admired that about the mare.

“It’s a good enough plan. I don’t think Spider-mare is very far. I can pick up their fight from here,” Kassa said, ears twitching. Since she was a lioness, Razzle guessed she must have a cat’s sensitive hearing. They followed her down the corridors, only to cough on drywall dust as a nearby wall exploded.

“Impressive. You’ve improved since our last fight,” somebody said. “You will be a worthy challenge.”

“Glad I’ve gotten your approval,” a coughing Spider-mare said. She perked up when she noticed Razzle. “What are you doing here? I told you to stay behind!”

“Saving your flank!” Laughter replied, annoyed. Before she could continue her tirade, the pony that jumped into view stopped her cold.

The light gold pegasus was a sight to behold. She wore a skinned lion worn like a jacket. Its royal mane swung behind her like a cloak, making her as fearsome as the predator she wore. From Kassa’s horrified expression, it’d once been a real lion.

“Honey Do?” Laughter said, dumbfounded. And Razzle realized she recognized the mare, too. The fur-appointed hunter looked like the fictional Daring Do from Friendship is Magic. But this mare was a fearsome hunter of beasts, not a heroic archaeologist.

“That is my name, one of many I have worn over the decades. But I prefer to be called Kraven the Hunter!” Daring Do said.

Laughter put both hooves on her face. “Of course you do. Are all my friends evil in this universe?! I can’t imagine what kind of horrible monster a sweet pony like Twilight is in this accursed universe!”

“Let me guess, the Kingpin hired you to hunt us Trixies down,” Laughter said, her voice exhausted.

“No! I care little about some ponies from alternate worlds. I’m only here because I heard Spider-mare’s involvement. It seemed the ideal opportunity to track down and destroy this great prize. You won’t escape me this time, Spider-mare!” Kraven replied as she circled the superhero.

“Not before I tear your eyes out!” Kassa’s eyes blazed with a hatred that took Razzle's breath away, showing her jagged fangs. Razzle guessed the lioness really hated seeing her kin debased like that.

“Oh, this might be interesting,” Kraven said, perking up. “An intelligent version of your kind should prove the most exhilarating hunt!”

“Yes, when I make you into a bloody corpse!” Kassa launched herself with a ferocity Razzle had never seen before. She’d abandoned herself to the most primal rage. Her claws slashed, not caring if she ripped her opponent to bloody shreds.

“Watch out! Kraven isn’t somepony to take lightly!” But Spider-mare’s warning fell on deaf ears as the hunter dodged the lioness’ furious swipes with an amused grin on her face. Was this only a game to her?

“Not bad! But not enough to defeat Kraven the Hunter!” After ducking under a swipe aimed at her head, she delivered a punishing back kick that drove the wind out of Kassa’s sails. Not content with this, she shot a net from a concealed slot on her metal gauntlets. The trapped lioness fought against the metal net, but to no avail. A single punch was all the hunter needed to topple the mighty lioness.

“Incredible.” Kraven had beaten Kassa without even breaking a sweat. The pegasus gave the lioness a contemptuous snort before turning to more interesting prey.

“Don’t get in my way again. My only prey is the Spider.” the hunter said.

“Then how about I grant you your wish!” the web crawler knocked Kraven sprawling with a swinging flying kick. But this only excited her more.

“Good! You’re making this a worthy hunt!” Kraven said, recovering from the blow with remarkable quickness.

“Gah!” Spider-mare recoiled from a sudden punch to her jaw. She jerked in surprise and leaped aside almost before something shot from the hunter’s gauntlet. Tiny darts protruded from the wall where Spider-mare had just vacated.

The pair tussled, neither gaining the upper hoof. While Spider-mare was quicker, Kraven was relentless, taking each blow with surprising vigor. What was this pegasus made of?

With the pair occupied, Razzle rushed to Kassa’s side, helping Laughter to remove the net from her. The lioness roused but remained unsteady on her paws.

“I think we’ve done the best we can,” Razzle said, taking Kassa’s weight on her back. It encumbered her step, but she’d manage. While she hated leaving Spider-mare, they had little choice. Already, she heard a company of guards rushing in their direction.

“Yeah, it sucks leaving Proto’s device, but we have little choice.” Laughter said, reading her mind. “Who knows what other freaks are lurking around here?”

“A freak like me?” A familiar melodic voice said, sending a chill down Razzle’s spine. She looked up to see a displeased Doctor Octopus blocking their path. Her tentacles dug into the walls, cracking as she used them to stay aloft.

“Great. You’re here too?” Spider-mare said, somewhat exasperated.

“An interloper, how irritating,” Kraven stepped back, disappearing into the shadows.

“Come back!” Kassa snarled, swiping at the retreating hunter.

But her claws struck only shadow as the pegasus hunter disappeared. “We’ll meet again, Spider. I won’t allow another to interfere with the hunt.”

“Ah, the real Spider-mare. I can hear the melody of your heart,” Doctor Octopus said, giving her enemy a nod of acknowledgment. “I’m not happy about that trick you pulled on me, you insects. Distracting me like that. Once I finish with you, that irritating Spider-mare is next!”

“Oh dear, she seems mad,” Laughter said, backing up a step.

“Spider-mare, the others have rescued Iron Will! Best we skedaddle!” Razzle said.

“Got it!” Spider-mare shot two webs at Doctor Octopus’s tentacles, trapping them against the wall. While only a minor inconvenience, it’d buy them the precious seconds they’d need.

Without another word, Laughter and Kassa joined Razzle as they fled the scene. From what she remembered of the building’s layout, a fire exit wasn’t too far away.

“You aren’t going anywhere!” Drywall exploded as Doctor Octopus tore her tentacles free and hurried after them. Her eyes blazed underneath her sunglasses.

“Somepony’s in a bad mood!” Spider-mare ran with them with remarkable swiftness. To hold their pursuer off, she shot concentrated web balls. Doctor Octopus batted them aside and dodged away, but it slowed her precious seconds.

“The exit’s over here.” Razzle’s breath was ragged as she pushed her legs harder.

“There they are!” A pony in body armor cried from a cross corridor. He and his compatriots opened fire, Razzle ducking as angry red lines of laser light lashed at her. The dozen guards raced after them, shooting as they ran.

“Hey, do you mind? We’re trying to escape!” Spider-mare shot a web at the first guard’s hoof. Momentum did its work, the guards falling into a tangle of limbs as the leading guard tripped.

“Woah!” Spider-mare leaped back as a fire extinguisher flew past her head, bursting against the wall. Razzle coughed as exploding foam obscured her vision. She ducked as the extinguisher flew around in random directions as it leaked foam.

“Yikes!” Spider-mare lost her footing and tumbled to the floor.

“Got you now, you annoying arachnid!” Doctor Octopus screamed, pinning the superhero to the ground. Try as she might, the tentacles were impossible to break free from.

“Oh, ponyfeathers!” Razzle howled in pain as a tentacle struck her across the skull, dazing her. Kassa wasn’t any luckier, getting thrown into a wall.

“And now for you, prankster,” Octavia said, rising to meet Laughter face to face.

“Can’t you take a joke?” The Element gave a nervous laugh, edging away from the irate supervillain.

“No.” A tentacle lanced out at Laughter, ready to impale her like a spear.

“No!” Spider-mare said, shooting a web to catch the mare before. It stuck Laughter’s chest and reeled her in, but not before the mare got an ugly gash across her head. Spider-mare underestimated her pull, causing the Element to collide with the evil scientist.

“Oof.” Doctor Octopus blinked her eyes, dazed, as her head collided hard with a nearby wall.

“Now’s our chance! Run! Run! Run!” Razzle said.

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Spider-mare said. They darted into freedom, the welcome cacophony of Manehatten greeting them. The superhero webbing up the fire escape door as another barrier against Doctor Octopus’s rampage. They all sighed in collective relief, getting their breath back.

“Well, that was fun! Should we go again?” The superhero quipped.

“I think you have other issues to worry about, Spider-mare.” A familiar voice said.

“Hey!” Laughter said in outrage and alarm.

“Kraven!” Spider-mare turned and gasped as Kraven the Hunter flew above them, Laughter caught in a metal net. The Element tried breaking free, but the links were too strong to break.

“We’ll meet again soon, Spider-mare!” The pegasus said, flying away. “After all, I have the perfect bait!”

“Kraven!” Spider-mare swung after her, but the hunter was too quick, and she disappeared behind some buildings.

“No, Laughter!” Razzle could only watch helplessly as the maniac hunter took her friend, and she was useless to help her.