Will To Survive

Usually mornings were the same; waking up, grabbing something to eat, maybe take a shower, and do whatever work needed to be completed. However, time has now changed. I just woke up and there have already been three attacks on us overnight by Evergreen himself.

When my friends told me he was a psychopath, they weren’t over exaggerating. One place Evergreen struck was another lab like ours near the Manehattan University. Evergreen dragged the three people out and tortured them until they spoke. One of them was killed after Evergreen had enough of him and lunged his machete through his head.

The other two were the same, both at people’s homes. Everyone inside was killed with the exception of any pony who had Cosmic’s and I whereabouts. The scenes were gruesome, they were chopped up and their blood was everywhere, like there was an explosion inside their bodies.

If that wasn’t enough, now I have some corrupt government pony wanting me to work for him in order to get my hooves on Evergreen first and to wipe my record clean. To be honest, I don’t have a huge issue with it, but when he busted Sparky’s Den I’ve had to go somewhere else. I ended up at Roseberry Bud’s weapon shop. It’s not bad, other than its freezing cold. It’s surprising the pipes haven’t all froze up.

After I woke up I headed straight to the government building to meet up with the government agent. If the city wasn’t corrupt enough, the ones running it are just as bad, and on some occasions worse. Now I’m working for one of them, but at least he can be helpful. Celestia knows for a fact the rest aren’t.

I headed in through the front door of the building and began to head to the stairwell until I was stopped by the receptionist.

“Hey,” she looks down and circles the floor a little with her hoof. “I wanted to say I’m sorry for being an ass the other day.”

I wave my hoof at her with a smile, “No problem.” I began to head up the stairs to the office. I looked back at her to which she gave a nervously creepy smile.

The door to his room was unlocked, so I suspected him to be there. Surprisingly he wasn’t yet. The thought occurred to me to just head out and try again later, but then a different option came to mind. I headed to the back of his desk and opened up his drawers looking for the file with my name, none. However, I found a thick file on Evergreen Reign. It looked to be an inch thick filled with papers.

I pulled out the beast and placed it on the desk opening it up. Papers and pictures all fell out with reports on this guy. There was just about every crime you could possible think. Robbery, murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, kidnapping, rape, and even assisted suicide. The list went on for pages, and the pictures were all there to prove his evil deeds.

The most interesting part of it though was the medical background of him. There was a few that stuck out to me. He had schizophrenia and was locked up in the nut hut for a few years because of it, until he broke out. He had bouts of extreme anxiety and in very rare cases he’s been known to have multiple personalities. How he’s even able to run an organization of this size without obliterating anything is beyond my understanding.

Still flipping through the file the door opened up and the tan colored stallion I talked to yesterday walked in. He looked at me flipping through Evergreens files and smiled.

“He’s quite an unusual pony isn’t he?” He said still standing by the door.

No words came out as I browsed through the files again. He walks in and places two more files on the desk in front of me, both had Cosmic Joy’s name on them. When I was about to open them he used his magic to pull them away.

“Not today, you have a separate task.” He opens up the small filing cabinet and placed the folders inside, along with Evergreens. He sits in his seat and moves me away from the back of his desk. “You have a very important job to do today.”

I take a seat across from him and listened in without interruption.

“I need two ponies taken out. However, there’s a catch. They aren’t going to be like your idiot friends walking down the street with a red target painted to their sides. They’re going to be like you, being stealthy and hidden.

I look at him with an eyebrow raised, “Then how am I going to kill them?” He responded quickly by opening up a closet and grabbing a large case and slamming it on the desk causing papers to fly off from the airflow. His enthusiasm explodes.

“With this badass piece of equipment!” He gains a large smile as he cracks open the case showing a large sniper rifle with a wood finish. On the end is a bipod and a high powered scope attached on top. He gleamed with pride when he showed it. “Customized it myself, took a while but it’s beautiful!”

I picked it up standing on my hind legs while doing it. The sheer weight of it nearly made me fall over. Eventually I did, but right back into the seat. He laughed as he uses his magic to float it back into the case.

“That’s what the bipod is for, it’s too heavy to use without it. Anyway, it’s a .50 caliber, the range is incredible, and the stopping power,” He pauses and chuckles a little “let’s just say that if you get hit anywhere with this thing, you’re dead.” He finished his sentence while motioning his hoof under his chin like a knife.

Even with the massive cannon lying in front of me, the though occurred to figure out who was the target. “So who am I shooting?”

His smile fades down a little, but still maintained. He sits down and closes the case to the sniper and levitates it into the corner. “How do you feel about our,” he pauses and spins his hoof in the air thinking on how to say his next part. “Political power?”

“Who? Like Celestia? I don’t mind them.”

“Let me reword that, what is your thought on political ponies?”

“Depends.”

His smile grows back, “You see, there is a pony coming in to run for Mayor. He’s expected to, as he says, ‘bring Manehattan back to its glory days’.” He nods his head a little as to slightly agree with the statement he had said.

“So what do you need me to do?” I asked but almost knowing the answer which I felt almost upset by.

“Well, he’s going to run for mayor, and our current mayor is going to try and lose to give him the position. She’s worn out, tired, and wants to move on.” His face shows a small frown as to give some sympathy to her.

“Anyway, the new mayor is being hunted by two assassins. One who will try and take him out up close and the other is going to use a sniper. Most likely he’ll be in the old bell tower near the city hall. It’s the only place to get a good shot if the other assassin fails.”

“The mayor is meeting up with the new candidate today around one. Make sure he lives.”

I was taken back, he didn’t want me to hurt the future mayor, but instead help him. When I came out of my shock I was quite relieved. I continued with the subject, “So you want me to take them both out?”

“Yes, and I’ll wipe some of you and your friends records.”

“And what about Evergreen.”

“I’ll get some info on him later. Get going, you only have a half hour to get to the bell tower.”

The clock was ticking near 12:30. I get up and head out the door without another word.

Rain… wonderful.

Not only that, but the weather team rolled the fog in as well. This was going to cause some serious problems. There wasn’t a lot, but enough to make a difference. The rain was small drops, but it was coming down fast.

After a few minutes of walking around I came to the base of the building that had the bell tower. There were a few old buildings as well as new, but from the construction it looked as if they had fused together. The bell tower was really just the tip on top of the buildings rooftops. As I look up I see a metal barrel sticking out the side. It was the sniper. It wasn’t until then I realized I forgot to get the sniper rifle from the office.

The candidate was going to soon arrive, I didn’t have much time. Quickly, I ran into the building and ran up the staircase and headed to the rooftops. I got up to the roof and walked up a metal staircase to the bell tower and saw the sniper, oblivious to my existence. Once I was behind him he spins around to notice me.

He didn’t have enough time to pull out his knife before I knocked it out of his hooves. My intention was just to shove him off the roof, gruesome, yes, but there wasn’t any other way. Just as I was approaching him he grabs the sniper and uses it as a melee weapon at hit me across the face. I fall to the ground and open my eyes to see him coming in for another hit with the butt end of the weapon.

With enough reaction time I swing my back leg up and kick him in the chest knocking him to the ground. I crawled over and grabbed the weapon and aimed it at him. This sniper was much lighter than the one in the office, but the weapon caliber was smaller.

The Vimont member gets up and without hesitation and sprints towards me. With a quick swing I hit him across the face with the end of the sniper rifle knocking him out. He falls on his back and laid unconscious on the ground. There was a slight trail of blood running from his head.

After a second I looked over an edge and find another nearby rooftop that was about a seven foot drop down. I dragged the unconscious body and lightly dropped him over the edge to which he fell and hit the ground with a loud thud. From where I was it looked like he’d be fine and wouldn’t be bothering me anymore.

When I felt reassured I picked up the sniper and went prone to help steady the aim better. The fog got thicker and made it even more difficult to see what I would be aiming at. After a few seconds the office was in sight. Inside from the faint view was the old worn down mare that was currently running this broken city.

He was right. She does look tired.

She had no expression of joy going through all the files on her desk, stacked to ceiling. She had dark bags under her eyes and she could barely get through the work she was doing. Occasionally she would put her head down for a few moments.  After a few minutes the pony of the hour arrived in her office. The new candidate, young and ready to work, approached the mare whose expression changed drastically.

She was overjoyed to see someone who would be taking over and finally taking all the weight off her shoulders. I searched in hopes to spot the assassin early and take care of him now. As I searched there was no sign of this hit pony.

The meeting between the mayors seemed to be going quite fine; the two looked as if to have a peaceful conversation. I was starting to wonder if the information was false, and the sniper was the only real enemy. I look away from the snipers scope to allow my eyes to rest for a second.

When I looked back in I see one of the body guards of the solicitant approaching him, he taps his shoulder to gain his attention. When he turned to look at him the guards flings out a pistol and aims it at his head. Before he could shoot the other guard fired the weapon at him. His aim was off long enough the assassin quickly flung his pistol and had a crack shot on the guard.

The solicitant jumped up and tackled the hit pony to the ground and the two wrestled to take advantage of the situation. All the while, the mayor sat and did nothing but watch. She was too old and weak to do anything anyway. I line up my sights to get a clear shot, but the two rolled around so much it was difficult to determine who I would hit.

After a few seconds I make an educated guess and slowly pulled the trigger. Within a second the rifle fired and the bullet went onward to the fight. As I viewed down the sight time seemed to almost slow down as I could see a small trail were the bullet was. It went straight through the window and into the collision of ponies.

Neither of the two moved giving me the impression that I hit both at the same time. The mayor at this point was breaking down into tears.

There was no sense of sound and all nervous went numb. The feeling that I had failed not only at my task, but also failing the chance to help revive this mutilated city began to surround me. I put my head down in shame for a brief moment before looking through the scope once more.

The two bodies on the ground began to move, and the assassin’s body that was lying on top of the candidate was pushed off and he got up with a small bullet wound in his shoulder.  My eyes went wide open to see he was fine, hurt badly, but alive never the less.

I couldn’t resist, I cracked a large smile and a reassuring feeling went throughout me. I got up and looked over the edge were the other assassin was. He was still on the ground, but he had rolled over. I jump down and drag him out of the rain and stuck him upright under the metal staircase that lead to the bell tower. It didn’t protect him from all the rain, but it was better than being drenched.

His eyes slightly crack and he mumbles some words. After a few seconds he closes his eyes. He was still breathing and seemed fine, but I couldn’t really tell, and I couldn’t stay around.

After sticking him under there I made my way down by hopping from rooftop to rooftop. Here’s the good thing about being a pegasus, we can walk on clouds. Now technically fog is a cloud, but we can’t walk on it unless we were above it, however it does slow down my decent drastically, almost half. I easily float from one rooftop to the other. After a moment it got me thinking.

I haven’t been flying this whole time.

I haven’t needed to, but surely I’d be strong enough by now. I try and make an attempt by jumping off the last ledge straight into and alleyway and began flapping my wings to how I remember when I was really young. I had no experience what so ever, and my wings were hurt from being unused for so long. My decent was slowed a bit more, but I wasn’t stopping. Luckily I was moving slowly enough a hit the ground without much force.

Quickly I got out of the area to make sure no one saw me. I headed down the street and made my way back to the office to give the good news that the new mayor of the city was safe.

The rain began to die down, but the fog was just as thick. I was walking through Mezzo Park until I heard my name being called. Behind me was DimLight slowly making his way towards me. He walks up and points the park bench. I sit down and he does the same.

“Hey, I was sent to find you. I have some good news.” He said

“And what would that be?” I asked sounding a bit puzzled.

“Evergreen has been found near as old orphanage near the outskirts of the city. He’s got a large lab down there.” He said with a large grin, “We might take care of him first.”

“So when are we going?”

“Tonight. It’s going to be you, Cosmic Joy, Sparky, Golden, and Black Mail.” He said while tapping his hoof counting out the ponies going.

“You’re not going?”

He shook his head, “No, they told me to stay back and keep an eye on things, because of what happened at Sparky’s.”

I assured him with a nod, “Alright, I’ll be at Roseberry’s tonight, I’ll meet them there.”

DimLight gets up, “Alright, I’ll go tell them.” He then heads off.

Once he was far enough away I continued into the government building.

I walk in through the dark door into the office where the fancily dressed pony was looking out the window with a cigar lit and being levitated in the air. He spins around with a large smile and began to slowly nod his head.

“You!” He points to me and picks up a small bunch of papers from a file with my name on them. He takes the cigars and puts in into his mouth and levitates the papers to the lit end of his stogie and lights the papers on fire.

“You did a wonderful job, and there is your pay. And I will begin to search for Everg-” I cut him off.

“Yeah about Evergreen, my friend Black Mail located him, so were going after him tonight.”

His smile drops and his eyes go wide. He leans forward and stands up with his hooves on his desk. “You’ve found him already? Where?”

“He’s said to be at an old orphanage on the out… skirts…” My mind goes blank to my final realization. I know where he is.

Evergreen Reign is at my old orphanage.

“At an old orphanage? That doesn’t seem right… he was found that easily?”

When my mind came back I looked him in the eyes, “Yeah,”

He shakes his head back and forth, “Don’t go.”

I was taken aback by this, “What, why?”

“Evergreen wouldn’t be found this easy, this doesn’t seem right.”

I stood up, “Yes, well, I don’t have much of a choice. I don’t know when I’ll have a chance like this again, so I’m taking it.”

He sits back down, “Fine, but be weary, for your sake.”

I gave him a nod and walked out the door and headed to Roseberry’s, with Evergreen on my mind.

“In shocking news, an assassination attempt goes wrong.”

“Here at the city hall, Silver Bill, a running candidate for the Mayor of Manehattan was almost killed today by an assassin sent by the criminal organization, Vimont. We had a chance to speak to Silver Bill today a few hours after his near death experience.”

~

“I was just talking to the mayor until one of my ‘bodyguards’ walked up and tried to kill me. I tackled him to the ground until he was shot in the back by some sniper!”

“Do you know who shot him?”

“No idea, but I owe my life to this, Guardian Angel.”

~

“Silver Bill says this assassination attempt has only made him want to become mayor even more and end the crime spree in the city.”

“In other news…”