Indigo stood up, planting her new hands on her hips, as she looked at the room.

"Well?" Officer Gawain asked.

"This might be the most perfect break-in I've ever seen," Indigo said. She nodded to the rest of the house, to the slight damages along some of the furniture. "As far as I can tell, our invader just walked right in. No damage to the lock or door, and the position of the androids shows that they did, indeed, come in through the front door, and not a window. You dusted for fingerprints?"

"None," Gawain said. "We're doing some looking on the androids, but we think the perp was wearing some kind of glove."

Minuette looked up with a frown. "While removing the memory cards?"

"Well, there's no fingerprints," Gawain said with a shrug.

Minuette stood up. "Get someone to check again."

"Why?" Gawain asked.

Minuette inhaled sharply, a classic sign that she was rapidly losing what little patience she had to begin with. "Because, my good sir, the memory chips in Flashpoints are very tiny. Flashpoints have a lot of armor in their heads. I wouldn't want to try delicately removing them while wearing gloves thick enough to hide fingerprints."

"What about magic?" Indigo asked. "Could you use telekinesis to remove them?"

Minuette frowned. "Probably not. There's not a unicorn alive I'd expect to do that, flawlessly, on seven androids consecutively. Including myself." Minuette stepped over the chalk outline where one of the Flashpoints had been found, stopping in front of Gawain. "And has nobody managed to reach Fleur yet?"

"Upper Crust says he contacted her, and she was visiting a friend in Ponyville," Gawain said slowly.

"And we haven't made any contact with her since?" Indigo asked.

"No," Gawain replied.

Minuette let out a frustrated breath. "Okay, go let your captain know to do a check again on those droids. Let me know if anything comes up. But the Inquisitors are officially handling this case now."

"Yes, Ma'am," Gawain said with a salute. He stepped outside, past the open doorway, leaving Minuette and Indigo alone.

Indigo walked around the room, not looking at Minuette, as she knelt besides a damaged chair. Something had collided with it—she assumed a Flashpoint. Those things were heavy. But there had been three in the foyer, plus a Bitsworth, and while that one couldn't fight, it would have been able to call more guards in if the intruder took on the first three quickly enough. She knew there were a few other destroyed Androids, but they hadn't been immediately in the foyer.

Unless the Bitsworth had went down first. A silenced gun, most likely, but there weren't many guns that could punch a massive hole in a Mister Bitsworth and still be effectively silenced.

"You found any bullets yet?" Minuette asked.

"Nope."

Minuette fell silent.

Indigo's ten-millimeter could destroy a Bitsworth, but the hole wouldn't be that big. That was a rifle-hole. And somepony had then taken out the memory cards. But...the bullet hadn't hit the memory card. Given the size of the gun, the perpetrator had to have known exactly what he or she was doing.

"Who do you think it might have been?" Minuette asked.

"Too early to make any guesses," Indigo said simply.

"Oh for fuck's sake, would you just talk to me?" Minuette snapped. "I get it. I messed up. But that doesn't mean you need to sit there and only talk to me about the job."

"Chrysalis got your security key because you weren't paying enough attention to your job."

"I wasn't on the job," Minuette countered.

Indigo snorted. "Yeah, you were up getting high off your flank on fucking Salt licks. But hey, it was your time off, Minuette."

Minuette sucked in a deep breath. But she didn't say anything further. Indigo breathed a sigh of relief, head back to the door. And then stopped, before kneeling down, frowning at some dust on the ground. She pulled out a specialized brush, gathering up the dust, as Minuette stared forlornly at a wall.

Emerald dust. Which meant quite a bit of money, too. Emerald rifle rounds. By the amount of dust, probably lower caliber, unless...they'd swept up the dust and just missed some.

Indigo put the dust in a specialized pouch, tucking it into one of her evidence pockets. A silenced rifle. That was not something that was for sale...anywhere, really. Maybe some black market dealers, but that certainly narrowed down the search. The military and law enforcement didn't make those, as they weren't really focused on the kind of operations that would require a silenced rifle.

This almost looks like...something an Inquisitor would do, Indigo thought. Sour? "We need to check on Sour Sweet," Indigo said. "I didn't think she used a rifle, but she could have gotten one easily enough."

"Sounds...like a plan," Minuette said in a pained tone.

Indigo turned, seeing Minuette leaning against a wall, eyes closed, clutching her chest.

"Min?" Indigo asked, rushing over.

"I'm fine," Minuette said, straightening. "Just...Chrysalis's EMP did a number and a half on my heart. Surgery's scheduled for tomorrow."

"Surgery? Then why are you moving about?" Indigo demanded. "Go rest!"

"I can't do that, we have work—"

Indigo rolled her eyes. "Enough trying to prove your point, Minuette. Go home and rest until your surgery is done. I'll handle things here."

"But—"

Indigo stepped around her, supporting her across the room. "I said, enough," she said firmly. "I got this, Min. Need help getting back to the Canton?"

"No. I'll make it on my own just fine." Minuette broke free of Indigo, then paused, hand on the door knob. "Thank you. And...I'm sorry."

Indigo sighed, then pulled Minuette away from the door. Minuette frowned at her, folding her hands over her chest, as Indigo considered what she was about to say.

"Did you...read about my past? Why I decided to join up with the Inquisitors?"

"No," Minuette answered, after a slight pause. "I was busy at the time, so I put it off."

"Well...most of my childhood was spent trying to put distance between me and Dad," Indigo explained. "The days back then were...kind of a blur. I don't remember much. But I remember how he'd come home on a bad day. Storming in through the front door, screaming curses, and...stinking to high heavens of the Salt he was selling. He used them himself, of course....and while he was home, I'd make myself scarce. Mom would..." She took in a deep breath, then continued. "Mom would distract him, so I would be safe. It continued like that, until I was seventeen. Mom had had...a wreck while buying groceries. She was at the hospital. This meant...Mom wasn't there, so...he came for me." Indigo slipped a hand into her coat, then pulled out a switchblade knife. "For the first time in my life, I fought back. I didn't have experience, and I didn't really have the weight, so I fought dirty. I kicked him in the balls, bit on the throat, and plunged a knife into his eye. When he was down, I finished it.

"That should have...wrapped things up nice and tidy, but when the cops came, and I told them what happened, they still arrested me. Turns out that 'anything you say can be used against you' thing was really important, actually. I confessed to killing him, pretty much, and everything I told them about him attacking first couldn't be used to help me in court."

Minuette's face darkened. "Ponies who pull that one are the big reason why everypony hates the cops, and the Inquisitors."

Indigo nodded. "By the time my lawyer arrived, I was in deep shit. The cops...I think they get a bonus for making arrests or something? I was never quite sure on the why of it all. Maybe they were just lazy. Then, as suddenly as the mess had started, it stopped. I was told the charges were completely dropped. I asked why, and apparently, an Inquisitor had been in town, and stopped to sort out my situation." She chuckled. "So...maybe I overreacted to you...smoking. But I don't like those things."

"I'm sorry that happened," Minuette said slowly. "I...it's pretty easy to see why you don't like it much."

Indigo nodded.

"Did you ever find out which Inquisitor that was?"

"Nah. Never asked around." Indigo raised an eyebrow at her. "Was it you?"

Minuette smiled. "If you were seventeen, then that was '93. I was still going through screening. I only arrived in Canterlot in the Spring of '94."

"Do you...know which one it was?"

"You lived in Coltston City, right? That would have been Grade One Inquisitor, Twilight Sparkle." Minuette smiled. "Alright. I think I need to leave you to your case now."

"My case?"

"Derpy's still en route from Vanhoover—she apparently wrapped up her case nicely, but she's not back yet. Our two infiltrators are both on jobs, and Lyra left yesterday on some work or other. Unless Princess Midnight gets involved here, that means you're in charge of the investigation." Minuette clapped her on the shoulder, nodding. "Good luck. Give one of us a call if you need anything." Minuette stepped out the doors, striding past Wonderbolts.

"I'm in charge, huh?" Indigo breathed out slowly. Well, there was only one lead to follow.

She stepped outside, meeting Gawain's gaze.

"Well?" he said snappishly.

"Whoever did this was good. Very good. The only evidence I've found is emerald dust from a rifle. Get this to forensics for analysis. Call me if you find anything further."

"Where are you going?" Gawain asked.

"Our missing pony was last seen in Ponyville. Any further clues would be out there."

Discord had sent Vinyl elsewhere. Fleur didn't catch what was said, but they had exchanged a few quiet words. Vinyl had simply clapped Fleur on the shoulder, wished her good luck, and left.

Discord herself lead the way, through twisting turns of, seemingly, a medieval castle. Or...perhaps older? The interior seemed in very fine condition, though there were patches that looked positively ancient.

Not to mention the occasional vine growing along the walls and roof. But all of that gave way to a room with metal walls and lots of complicated machinery lying about.

Discord gestured for her to take a seat. Fleur complied, then Discord began to walk away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Fleur called out, twisting to watch her.

"I have my own work to do," Discord said. "Don't worry, our doctor is one of the best. Perhaps the best." She strode out the doorway, turned the corner, and was gone.

Fleur sat back in her seat, feeling the seconds tick by. And as they did, she inevitably thought back to Bit. Who never even got a proper name—just a nickname for his model. She'd always thought she'd treated her androids kindly, but when she looked at it, she named them things like "Bit" and..."Second". As in, "Second in Command". Fancy, meanwhile, named his. Or perhaps they named themselves? Fancy was a father to his androids, whereas Fleur was still just a slaveholder; their master, their...owner. And Bit had still walked into his death at her behest.

Wherever his soul was now, she hoped he didn't resent her for it.

A door opened, and a thin, middle-aged pegasus peeked into the room. "Fleur de Liss?" she called out.

Fleur wobbled to her hooves, unsteady, until Rainbow Dash caught her gently around the shoulders to support her. "Here," Fleur said.

The pegasus beckoned for her to come in. Rainbow Dash supported her, as she wobbled her way into a doctor's office.

Complete with a motivational cat poster. The cat in question was peaking from beneath a blanket, little paws clasping the blanket tightly, and a fully red thermometer sticking out of his mouth. The poster was captioned, "IT GETS BETTER."

Fleur found herself chuckling.

The doctor sat down on her seat, and Rainbow Dash helped Fleur into hers before producing another cup of water.

"The....the nausea seems to have passed," Fleur said. She still took the cup, sipping the water slowly.

"I'm Doctor Fluttershy," the pegasus introduced, hand to her chest. "I heard from the Boss about your situation. I'm sorry about all this."

"Thank you," Fleur said. "I'm...I'll be fine. I suppose we weren't that close anyway...not as close as I should have been."

"I...once lost a bunch of ponies, whom I should have cared for more," Fluttershy said quietly. "Ponies who deserved better than to have me as a friend. You can't do anything about it, except how you handle it next time." She smiled, then reached out and took Fleur's hand.

"Is that why you have the poster?" Fleur asked.

Fluttershy looked to it, then said, "I hoped it would help somepony." She let go of Fleur's hand, then leaned back, picking up a notebook. She flipped through it, then said, "So you were having trouble after installing a reflex chip?"

"Yes. A lot of them."

"CyWear or NuYu?"

"CyWear," Fleur said. "Is there that much of a difference?"

"NuYu is smaller, and makes lower-end cybernetics," Fluttershy explained. "Being 'lower-end', they usually work just fine. But that doesn't mean much when the reflex chips are involved. What about insomnia?"

"I have gotten roughly eight hours of sleep, over the past week," Fleur replied.

Fluttershy nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry to hear that. Has your eyesight worsened since you installed the chip?"

"Uh...no, I don't think so."

"Sense of hearing?"

"Definitely not," Fleur said.

"Good, good," Fluttershy said. "Sense of smell?"

"I...have been having trouble," Fleur admitted, "but with the smog how it is up on Canterlot, it's hard to say how much is the chip's fault." She paused. "Does...do reflex chips really cause all of those problems?"

"All of them at once, usually not," Fluttershy explained. "Are you aware of how they work, Miss Liss?"

"Suitably so. I...I actually own stocks in CyWear. They use...electricity to boost reflexes?"

"Specifically, your nervous system," Fluttershy said. "And the constant jolt to your brain keeps you awake. The insomnia is simply a part of how the chip works, and not a sign of damage. However, the electricity can damage nervous system pathways, thus numbing senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch."

"My taste hasn't been meaningfully impacted," Fleur said.

"That's good. What about your sense of touch?"

Fleur ran a hand along the length of her sweater. "W-well...recently, when I was with...a lover...I noticed I couldn't...feel as well, but I hadn't made the connection."

"That is an indication of damage," Fluttershy said. "The official term used by Canterlot officials is 'cyberjolted'."

"There's an official term for it?" Fleur demanded.

Fluttershy nodded. "Celestia wants technology to advance. If ponies are afraid of it, the Canterlot officials think they won't--"

"—Won't want to participate in the advance, I know," Fleur finished. "That's one of the old secrets that Father shared with me."

Fluttershy nodded. Then, she stepped away from her desk, looking amongst all of her doctor's equipment, until she pulled out a strange dome. "Here," she said. "I want to see the extent of the damage."

"R-right."

Fluttershy adjusted something on the dome, then fitted it over Fleur's head. Her horn went through a hole, and then Fluttershy put a strap around it.

"Please don't use your magic or you might damage the machine," Fluttershy asked politely.

"Okay. Do I...need to do anything?"

"Please sit still." Fluttershy stepped back to her computer, staring at it with a calm, collected poker face.

"Have you...done this before?"

"I usually do a pony every other month," Fluttershy replied. Then her poker face deepened.

Fleur knew what it meant when somepony deliberately wiped those last few threads of emotion off their face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Fluttershy, wordlessly, clicked a few buttons on her computer. "Do you have the papers for the reflex chip on you?" she asked.

"N-no. I'm afraid I left them at my house."

"I'm afraid I don't recognize the model," Fluttershy said slowly. "That means the operation is going to wait until I can figure that out." She looked up at Rainbow Dash. "Can you get her a room to stay in?"

"'Course," Rainbow said. "Can she take the thing off now?"

"I already have everything I need, so yes," Fluttershy said.

Rainbow helped her remove the straps, picking up the device. "What is this thing?" she asked. "I don't think I've seen it in any doctor offices before."

"Ponies call it a jolt screener," Fluttershy said absentmindedly, clicking more buttons on the computer. "As most hospitals are either ignorant of or purposefully ignore cyberjolting, they don't have them."

"Thank you for this. I don't think...I'd have made it long if it weren't for your help."

"Don't mention it. I'm just doing my part," Fluttershy said, giving her a smile.

"This way, Ma'am," Rainbow said, beckoning out the door.

Somewhat unsteady, but seemingly over her previous weakness, Fleur stepped out of the doorway, following Rainbow Dash's directions.

Fluttershy pushed a button on her computer, sending her results to the Castle's other medical expert. Then, she pushed a button on the intercom. "Hey, Marble, Maude? Can you take a look at this for me?" She looked back to her screen, and at the strange model of reflex chip shown. "I have no idea what I'm looking at."

Author's Note

Author Note: NuYu and CyWear
These are two of the biggest cybernetic manufacturers around. NuYu (pronounced New-You) is notably smaller. CyWear is the one directly managed by Princess Trixie. There are a few other companies, but these are usually discarded in favor of the big names.