Chapter Four: Stone Cold Killer

Chapter Four: Stone Cold Killer

Six days before Christmas

“Thomas. Come on, on your feet,” came the voice through the haze of drowsiness. Thomas yawned sleepily and snuggled down further into the blanket.

“Mmmm... go ‘way... warm...” he mumbled. There was a sigh from somewhere to his left.

“Last chance, newfledge,” said a male voice in a sing-song tone. Thomas buried his head under his pillow, and a feather tickled his nose. He inhaled the scent of warm sun, leather and metal, and he roused a little. “Okay. You asked for it,” came the voice again. Thomas’s world was a wall of roaring noise moments later, and he flailed in the blanket briefly to get away from it, landing on his face as he fell out of the nest around the hearth.

“Ow... what the hell?” he wondered, rubbing at his ringing ears. Laughter reached him, and he looked up awkwardly to see Gareth standing over him, offering a claw. He took it, and was hoisted to his feet.

“Merkus told me you had a rough night, and to let you sleep a little longer. It’s seven a.m., and the sun will be up shortly. Get yourself some fresh clothes and wash up. Breakfast after that, then you’ll have your warm-up with me today. Going to be longer today, since I won’t be kicking your hide around the back like Tess did. You’re still healing, after all. Oh, and Tiyo took care of moving the meat to that other kitchen. It’s ready for whatever you have planned,” the gryphon instructed, leaning against the wall next to the doorway.

Thomas rubbed his eyes, nodding sleepily, and staggered off to the washroom after grabbing one of his bags from where it’d been placed. He took a speed shower, and dressed anew, coming out with his hair still wet, if combed. Gareth nodded in approval, and led the way out, and down the stairs. He noticed Thomas wincing a little from stiffness as he moved, and reached out with a wing to pat him sympathetically. “Sore, yeah?” he inquired. Thomas flinched slightly as he took the next step down.

“Yeah,” the human affirmed, looking a little embarrassed.

“Don’t worry. Happens to everybody. Even us Gryphons. Just tends to take longer. You’re getting a workout that’s unusual for humans. Between that, and the fact that Tess broke a few things yesterday, it’s no surprise. I’m going to wear you out, but I won’t break anything. Not intentionally, at any rate. Wouldn’t want to upset the medics, now would we?” Gareth asked with a chuckle. Thomas gave him a small smile at that, as they hit the ground floor.

“I’d like to avoid that, yes. Medical types get... creative. I’d wager ponies even moreso,” was the answer, Thomas slipping through the held-open door and Gareth following. Vineyard perked up her ears as they came through, and tapped a hoof on her desk to get their attention... along with Derani holding a courier at drawn bow-string.

“Hey, Thomas. Guy tried dropping this off and running. We grabbed him. The package has something fleshy inside,” Vineyard said, looking a little ill.

“It’s an ear,” Beke muttered, coming in with a small box and putting it down on the desk, prompting Vineyard to leave quickly. Thomas looked at Beke, then the box, feeling cold. “There’s a note, too, in Common,” he continued. Thomas moved, as if in a trance, and opened the package. He stared, then removed the note.

“’Come back, or it gets worse’, it says... Gareth, Beke? This is my friend Barry’s ear. He’s the one that convinced me to come here. This is my doing. I bear the burden of my friend now being hurt, because of me. That courier, I’m willing to bet, is a low-ranking member of the HLF. They likely gave him this mission to prove himself, and tortured Barry until they found out which Bureau I came to. If I could pull a couple strings here to have you hold him, I’d like to interrogate him, find out what he knows.” Thomas said all this in a level, even tone, completely stone-faced. The Gryphons all traded looks, and then Beke grabbed the man by the collar.

“You heard him. Move, coward!” he snarled, and shoved him towards the stairs, Derani keeping her bow trained on him at all times.

“Thomas,” Gareth said in his ear, putting a claw on his shoulder.

“Breakfast will have to wait, Gareth. There’s *work* to be done,” Thomas said, a bitter note in his voice.

“I’ll get Merkus. As our Father, the head of our clan, and the most senior Gryphon here, he needs to be present for this sort of thing. Not a word, not a single question until he gets there. Do you understand?” he asked, watching the human warily.

“Fine. Make it fast,” Thomas spat, and followed after Derani.

It was a minute later that Thomas waited outside a door on the first floor, near the armory. Derani hadn’t let up on her bowstring, and Beke had drawn his sword rather casually, watching the supposed courier. Thomas was leaning against the wall, tapping his foot impatiently. The sound of claws and paws on carpet met his ears, and he stopped tapping to look down the corridor. Merkus was coming. He gave Thomas a look, and then moved past him to unlock the door with a set of keys he pulled from amongst his feathers. The HLF member was shoved inside, Merkus followed, and then Thomas came in, with Beke and Derani behind him. Only once the door was shut and the room was plunged into darkness did Thomas hear the sound of a bowstring relaxing and metal sliding across metal.

“Hey, I can’t see!” protested the man.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, let me fix that issue,” Beke crooned, and hit the lights. They blazed on with all the strength of the sun, blinding the man. Thomas only squinted briefly. It was almost like those old interrogation scenes from movies. One big, bright spotlight, darkness surrounding the rest of the area.

“So... you decide to try to... what, scare me into coming back? thinking that if I just did as my old man said, that he’d let Barry go? is that it?” Thomas asked, stalking around the man.

“I don’t have to fucking answer to you, traitor!” snapped the HLF member.

“Oh, but you do. You see, according to my old man’s own rules, you have to acquiese to anything anyone above you demands in the organization. I’m not part of the HLF anymore, and good riddance... but blood counts for a lot, much as I despise that, too. However, I’ve no qualms about letting my new friends here have fun with you,” Thomas said nonchalantly, and Beke smiled at that.

“Fuck you, Tommy!” came the answer. Thomas had had enough, and he rushed in from behind, knocking the man to his knees, and ripping off the cap that obscured his face.

“Jack Connors... how’s your dad, Jackie boy? Oh, that’s right... a pony fought back and crushed his skull, didn’t he? As I recall, he was an off-duty member of Princess Celestia’s Royal Guard, wasn’t he? He must have died so disappointed, to be taken down by a pretty pony in shiny armor that could have bought a small country. I believe Celestia gave him a commendation for saving lives, in fact” Thomas muttered, getting nice and close, holding Jack by the hair.

“I’ll see you rot, you pony-loving faggot!” Jack answered, then choked as Thomas’s hand closed around his throat.

“Tsk, tsk, mister Connors... such language. One should have respect and courtesy for ones... betters. Wouldn’t you agree, Merkus?” Thomas asked, looking over his shoulder, his hand not letting up on the pressure.

“I wouldn’t go that far, Thomas. Gryphons have their advantages. So do humans. Being the soldier I am, however... I wonder if the HLF know what Gryphons do to those that attack them... or their friends. If they’ve seen an enraged Pony, my my, they’ve seen a tiny fraction of what a Gryphon’s capable of. The stories I could tell. Humans think they’re creative?” Merkus commented, almost off-clawedly, laughing. The gryphon leaned in, smiling, and clacked his beak.

“Oh, that’s right. Humans are a delicacy with the rougher parts of Equestria. Particularly the Diamond Dogs. Meat is meat, after all, even if they prefer gems” Beke said conversationally. Jack whimpered, and Thomas released his grip, only to have it replaced by Merkus’.

“We’re going to give you a chance to live, foolish one. Tell us what has become of young Thomas’ friend, and we will let you go,” Merkus offered. Thomas opened his mouth, only to be stopped by Derani’s claw on his arm. She gave him a knowing look, and Thomas shut his trap. There was something about the situation that told Thomas to trust Merkus.

“... Really? you mean it?” Jack almost whispered.

“Gryphons live by truth, honor, and strength. You have my word,” Merkus affirmed. Jack looked from Merkus, to an impassive Beke, to a stony Thomas, to a neutral Derani, then back.

“They... they move him around. They want Thomas back. Convinced you’re brainwashing him. Thomas comes back, they let his friend go. Simple as that,” Jack said, wide-eyed. Merkus nodded, released Jack’s neck, and made a sharp gesture to Derani, who led Thomas to the door, then out into the hall, along with Beke. Merkus stood, and backed into the darkness, framed only by the light from outside. Merkus shut off the lights, and stepped out into the hall.

“We’ll consider your information. Don’t go anywhere,” he said, and the door shut. Immediately, Jack leapt to his feet, but it was too late. He was all alone in the dark.

Jack was led out at sword point, Beke’s eyes hard and glinting under the lights, and summarily given a kick out the door. Thomas, having followed the others down, leaned out the doorway and smiled sarcastically at him.

“Hey Jack? Deliver a message to my old man, would ya? Stop sending body parts, or we’ll start sending back bodies. Yours, then whoever else he decides to send out. Got me?” Thomas asked, then let the door swing shut. Jack began walking, a scowl on his face, as he left Bureau property. Thomas leaned over to one of the ConSec guards next to the door and very deliberately wrapped a hand around the man’s RAC-7 rifle. His partner on the other side snapped up his pistol and trained it on the back of Thomas’ skull, while the guard and Thomas locked eyes. The gaze Thomas bored into the guard was cold and calculating, and there was a soft growl coming from his throat.

“I’d give it to him, he looks pretty determined,” Beke sing-songed casually, folding his foreclaws across his chest, watching the interaction appraisingly. The ConSec guard’s eyes flicked from Thomas to Beke, who nodded, and then back to Thomas. The grip was reliquinshed, and Thomas took the rifle in his grip, checking it over and opening the door. He sighted down the scope calmly, pausing at the sound of paws padding closer.

“I thought you said you wanted him to deliver a message?” Merkus inquired in Thomas’ ear.

The rifle cracked. Jack jerked as red visibly blossomed from his back and dripped from his front. He dropped to his knees, then slumped to land on his chest, landing in his own blood. Thomas sighed and offered the rifle back to the guard, who accepted it. He wouldn’t meet the eyes of any Gryphon present.

“I did, sir,” he said respectfully.

“Thomas?” Derani asked, concern in her tone.

“Thank you for your assistance, everyone,” he answered in a stony voice, before turning and making his way to the cafeteria. The assembled Gryphons took one last look at the corpse, and shrugged to each other. Not good. Not good at all, even if it was exactly what they would do. The emotions were another matter, or rather the lack thereof. Merkus shook his head and went to his room to deal with the impending paperwork, while Derani headed out to prepare for that morning’s classes. Beke followed Thomas, a curious look in his eyes.

He found Thomas walking into the secondary kitchen wordlessly, only nodding respectfully to Cayenne Pepper before he went in and picked up an apron before the doors swung shut, watched by Gareth from their usual table. Beke took a seat across from him and sighed.

“What happened?” Gareth asked.

“Thomas... dealt with him. Violently. I’ve never seen anybody shut down like that afterwards, though,” Beke admitted.

“You did, once, as I recall,” Gar pointed out. Beke blinked at him.

“I did? When?” he asked with a tilt of his head.

“After your parents died,” was the calm, matter-of-fact answer.

Beke looked at Gareth very carefully, then looked over at the closed kitchen doors. “You think...?” he began, then trailed off.

“It’s a defensive mechanism. You against the world. His father is a local HLF leader, and he’s surrounded by Ponies and Gryphons, the species he was supposed to hate and despise... imagine how that must make him feel,” Gareth said.

“He’s all alone... but he isn’t!” Beke protested.

“He isn’t, no. But that’s how he feels nonetheless. Do you remember, after Father adopted you into our clan? What we had to do with you?” he inquired. Beke sighed at that.

“You all took it real easy with me for about... what, six months? eased me back into things?” Beke asked.

Gareth nodded. “Yeah. I think we need to do the same with Thomas. Conversion will make things easier, mind you... but we still need to take it slow. Tesseth said he has potential, from her first training session with him. He knows which end of the sword goes in his opponent, so he’s not a total loss.”

Beke snorted into his water at that. “Well... you all know I’m not the kindest of Gryphons,” he said nonchalantly.

“No, but you have your moments, little brother. Remember what it was like for you, and use that experience to deal with him. And don’t kill him when it’s your turn to teach him how to fight.”

“You take all the fun out of life, Gareth.”

“It’s what big brothers do, Beke,” the tan and black Gryphon said, laughing quietly.

“So... should I go talk to him?” the younger asked. Gareth shook his head.

“Let him be, for now. Give him some time and room to think.”

In the kitchen, Thomas was almost tearing apart the kitchen. “Where is it...” he muttered to himself, a long knife in one hand as he browsed through cupboards. He’d already found where Tiyo had stashed the meat portions, and sliced up thirty pounds of beef brisket. Now he needed the next ingredient for his plan. A knock against the butcher block countertop made him pause. “Yes?” he asked hesitantly.

“It’s Tiyo. Do you need any help?” the Gryphon asked. Thomas pointed with the knife off to his right.

“I’m looking for what was once called onion soup. A dry powder mix, specifically. Do you know where it might be?” came the query, without really moving.

“Dry soup mix? Let me look. I assume you haven’t checked over here, right?”

“Haven’t worked my way over, no,” Thomas replied.

“Am I also correct in that you don’t want to discuss what happened out there?” Tiyo asked calmly. He caught the knife as it was thrown, and set it on the counter.

“Not. Particularly,” was the answer from gritted teeth.

“Fair enough. That’s your perogative. However, if you do, I’m here to listen.”

Thomas just began rummaging again, grumbling softly. It was quiet for another minute or two as the pair moved through the cabinets.

“Found it! How much do you need? Looks like they’re in packets of a couple ounces each,” Tiyo called out from the rear of the space, near a line of ovens.

“I’m going to need...” Thomas started, then trailed off, searching his memory for the recipe. “Ah, right, ten packets! It’s two ounces of onion soup mix, three pounds of beef brisket, and now we’re just lacking one thing.”

“And what’s that?” the Gryphon asked, carrying the requested amount up front, while Thomas began digging through another opened cabinet. A can thunked onto the counter above his head.

“Beef broth,” he said, and retrieved a second can, then a third, until he had ten cans to match the packets of soup mix. He then stood with a grunt and started opening and closing drawers.

“Now what are you after?”

“Can opener,” was the short answer. Tiyo rolled his eyes.

“Thomas?” he said. Thomas looked at him, and Tiyo gave him an exasperated ‘are you serious?’ look, and simply brandished a claw, talons gleaming. Thomas had the decency to look embarrassed.

“Right... keep forgetting how sharp those things are supposed to be.”

Tiyo just laughed, and began punching holes in the cans, while Thomas retrieved the knife and began arranging a bevy of slow cookers, slicing the beef brisket and throwing the roughly three-pound hunks of meat in. A quick addition of the onion soup mix along with the broth, cover, and turned to low, before they were all plugged into outlets.

“So, now what?” the Gryphon asked, eying the cookware.

“Now? we wait. And I get to hope Head Chef Cayenne Pepper doesn’t try to kill me in about eight hours.”

Tiyo gave him a cock-eyed look. Thomas grinned, a little impishly.

“The smell of cooking meat is going to drive the ponies INSANE in about four hours... Eight? If I wind up with a meat tenderizer upside my skull, I’ll have gotten off light.”

“I think it’s official. Humans are crazy,” Tiyo said with a chuckle.

“Why do you think I want to be a Gryphon?” Thomas asked jokingly.

“And here I thought it was Beke’s charming personality and wit.”

The pair moved towards the doors of the kitchen, but Thomas stopped when Tiyo put a claw on his shoulder. It gave him a peculiar sense of déjà vu. “Are you all right, Thomas?” came the murmured question.

Thomas’ mood didn’t sour, precisely, but it certainly darkened. “This is my burden to bear, Tiyo. Please, don’t press the issue,” he said.

“I won’t... but I want to ask you. What lessons have you been taught so far?”

“Three, from Tesseth. I can’t hurt you as I am, keep my emotions in check, and don’t challenge a superior unless I know for certain that I can win,” Thomas said, ticking the points off on his fingers.

“Then this is lesson four. Whether a native Gryphon as we are, a potential Convert like yourself, or a newfledge proper, know this: You need not bear any burden alone. There is no harm in seeking strength and solace from friends... or family.”

Thomas flinched, and gently jerked his shoulder out of Tiyo’s grip. “I can’t afford to make friends, Tiyo. Because of my family. Better I deal with this alone, no one else gets hurt that way. Only me.”

The human opened the kitchen doors and stepped out into the cafeteria. Tiyo sighed to himself, then followed after a few moments. This explained much.

Author's Note

Chapter four, hot and... mostly fresh. I've got some reservations about posting this one up, it feels off, somehow... but here you guys go, for those that care.

OST for chapter 4:

Gareth’s theme - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIxas0a-KgM

Beke’s theme - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkogNDpk0lg

Merkus’s theme - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ-QLl5qjLg