Selective Service, Volume II

Hearing heavy, unmistakable hooffalls approaching from behind her, Vise smiled and slid to one side of the bench she sat upon. The sun was shining, the temperature was pleasantly warm, and nearly everypony she’d passed that morning had a smile on their face, yet those things, while each enjoyable in their own right, weren’t the root of why she was in such a good mood. As she turned her head and looked over to the titanic stallion easing himself down beside her, the corners of her lips turned up.

“Didn’t figure you for a mint chocolate chip type of mare,” Swift hummed, offering her a heaping cone of ice cream.

It was still sort of strange to see him out of his crimson suit, having grown used to being around him when he was playing the part of his evil alter ego, although his sheer size and the kindness in his sapphire eyes were a dead giveaway that he was none other than Blister Wing, nefarious ne’er-do-well and second in command to Burner Visor. Forcing herself to look away from his face, she took the frozen treat from his magical grasp. Being out with him in public warmed the depths of her heart for a number of reasons, not the least of which being he trusted her to keep his identity under wraps.

Licking at her ice cream, she nodded over to the cone he held in his forehoof. “Chocolate?”

“Coffee,” he noted with a smirk. Turning his eyes down to the sidewalk, he sighed. “Sorry we can’t do this more often.”

“It’s fine,” she murmured, snuggling up to his side. “I’m guessing things have been busy at the base?”

He nodded and glanced over at her as the faintest trace of a smile returned to his adonic features. “Something like that. You may not realize it, but your presence created quite the little stir. Aco-Lights, particularly Stinger, are always asking about you, and things just don’t feel the same - so much so that Burner has decided to call in some extra help to assist with productivity.”

“Like somepony to boost morale?” she quipped.

Shaking his head, he mirthlessly laughed. “Not quite. Her specialty lies with less friendly means of motivation. I hope I’m wrong, but she doesn’t appear to have changed much over the years, and I was hoping I’d seen the last of her when she’d sought employment elsewhere.”

Vise scrunched her snout and knit her brow in thought. “I could always come back and try to -”

“No,” he cut her off. “As much as I and a great many of my subordinates would appreciate more of your company, that would only complicate matters. So - uh - how have you been doing?”

Realizing the clumsy transition and his awkward grin meant he was trying to change the subject, she let the matter lie. “I’ve been doing alright - you know, staying busy in the shop and whatnot.”

“And your brother?” he pressed.

“He’s…” she went quiet and chose her words carefully before continuing to speak. “He’s doing ok. Honestly, he’s been acting weird lately.”

Peaking a brow, he cocked his head. “I suppose that’s understandable, seeing as how you were essentially kidnapped and were missing for some time. I’m assuming he’s been extra clingy?”

“Actually it’s the opposite,” she muttered. “He’s been less talkative and more distant than ever. At first I thought he was feeling guilty about what happened to me, but it’s almost like he’s been trying to avoid me.”

She didn’t mind talking about her sibling with him, but he wasn’t the only one keeping secrets. The irony was palpable - her brother was an upcoming hero, while her newfound coltfriend was on the most wanted list of criminals for the entire eastern seaboard. While she didn’t enjoy concealing anything from anypony, especially if it involved outright lying, it was for everypony’s good that she kept certain details in confidence between the two.

“Hmmm,” Swift hummed, absentmindedly lifting his cone of ice cream up to his face. “You don’t think he’s doing anything nefarious ~ do you?”

She turned and glowered up at him only to be greeted by his impish expression. “Come on,” she laughed, “there isn’t a bad bone in his body!”

“Coming from the mare who knows all about having bad bones in them, I’m sure you’d - Yeowch!” he squawked as she elbowed his ribs.

“Swift!” she bleated, feeling blood rush to her face.

She wanted to be mad at his scandalous remark, though it took an extreme exertion of will not to start giggling like a school filly. Under his gruff exterior, past the scars and imposing veneer, beat the heart of a good pony, a truly good pony, and she felt like the bond between them grew every time they were together. Seeing a streak of ice cream on his face, she motioned him closer.

Leaning over to her while theatrically clutching his side, he winced. “Please don’t give - Nnnph - me a black eye. I may not be the most handsome stallion, but I’d like to -”

Licking a dab of sweetened cream from his cheek, she silenced him. Despite his intimidating physique and all the incredible power he wielded, he froze. His reaction to such a small show of affection was adorable and amusing in equal measure, but it bore an unintended consequence. Peering into his big, beautiful eyes, she shifted and gave him a fleeting kiss on the lips.

He blinked as she withdrew and went back to savoring her treat like nothing had happened. “And that was for…?”

“Two things.” she began. “One was to remind you that you’re not as big and bad as you think you are.”

Waiting a fruitless moment for her to continue, he pursed his lips. “And the second?”

“The second is because this mint chocolate chip isn’t as sweet as you are,” she whispered, winking over at him.

As he shook his head, his snicker grew into a laugh - a laugh that she swiftly mirrored. She really would have liked to spend more time with him, if only because he was the first pony to make her feel so special. He liked her for more than her looks, unlike a great many stallions she’d met in the past, and the only crime he’d committed against her was stealing her heart.

Blushing more heavily than he may have realized, he rubbed the back of his neck. “W…well I hope things do work out with your brother. I’m sure that whatever’s going on with him will pass.”

Pressing herself against him, she closed her eyes. It would have been impossible for her to say if she could ever convince him to turn over a new leaf, to forsake his life of wrongdoing, though that concern was overshadowed by the thought of Torque. She really couldn’t say what was going on with her brother, but she hoped that Swift was right about him returning to his normal, upbeat self…