Changes

chapter four

Paper Bones

You were happy to be on the move again, but you would miss the quiet... You were on the train to canterlot to meet up with Luke. You had been itching to talk to him since the hospital incident and were finally going to have the chance. The ride was only a couple of hours long, so you just decided to read up on the gang activities of late. Being an undercover guard in your spare time had it’s benefits. You were allowed access to the guard databases and had asked one of the guards back at the town for information on the Regs. They gave you a small booklet containing all gang activity in the past few weeks (seems that Luke had known you would want the info and left it with them). You brushed up on the recent history and found all activities to be the same as usual drug dealing (minus the attempted murders directed towards you and an assault on a hospital that is). You spend any time left from being useful to sleep. You had the feeling that it would be a long day.

The trains whistle woke you up just as it stopped at the station. You stepped off of the train carrying only your duffle bag filled with ammo, (which wasn’t very easy to get past security) two pistols on shoulder straps, (also not easy) and a small booklet on gang activities. You placed it in your duffle bag and, after getting through security, went on your way to the castle. It was hard to miss, a giant castle in the middle of a city. You wondered how difficult it would be to break in there....

You are shaken awake by the sound of Luke rushing at you, arms spread apart. Before you could say hello he picked you up in a bear hug so massive you were worried it would break your ribs again.

“I’m so happy to see you back to normal!” Luke said, holding you in mid air, (He always was the stronger of you two).

You, sore from the hug, reply, “If you keep hugging me like that I won’t be for long.”

He puts you down and apologizes. You both smile and start walking towards the castle. After some small talk he informs you that the interrogations hadn't been leading anywhere. The guys they caught hadn't been broken and he just couldn't get them to talk.

“That’s where you come in.” Luke said as you neared the castle. “Canterlot isn't very big on torture or heavy means of interrogation. Us Royal Guard members can’t touch the guys, and we have to let them go tomorrow. You aren't legally recognized as a member of the Royal Guard. So if you, say, found your way into the interrogation room and got the information yourself it wouldn’t cause a political crisis. Of course you would be punished however the Guards saw fit, but I’m sure they would go easy on you.” He said the last sentence with a wink, emphasizing the hint.

The two of you enter the castle and begin to head towards the interrogation room. Several guards are outside of the interrogation room, some standing guard, several others clearly taking breaks, exasperated with the interrogation.

Luke had clearly discussed this plan with the other members of the guard, because all of their faces lit up when you arrived. Luke’s keys had been ‘left’ on the floor outside of the room, so you picked them up and entered the room, locking the door behind you. You walk into the room and see two changelings sitting at a small metal table in the center.They were both guys, probably in their late teens to early twenties. One looked to be about your height, skinny, and had short dark brown hair. The other was clearly a few inches shorter than you, had long blonde hair, and was also skinny.

They both looked to be angered by their situation, but not worried in the least bit. These looks of anger only intensified once you walked in, carrying nothing but your duffel bag in one hand and a small paper bag in the other.

The taller one spoke up, “Listen here Guard, we ain’t talking and you can’t touch us. Why do you guys keep comin’?”

You ignored his question as you walked to the table, pulled up a chair found in the corner of the room, and sat down. You set down your duffle bag on the floor next to you and placed the paper bag on the table.

“Is somethin’ wrong with your hearin’? He said we ain’t talking!” The shorter one said.

They seemed to be growing furious about your lack of acknowledgement. You reached into the paper bag and pulled out a sandwhich, which you begin eating, clearly in no rush.

“What do yah think you’re doing? Are you just gonna sit there and eat?” The taller one spoke this time, clearly frustrated with you. You continue ignoring them and eating for the next couple of minutes.

Once you finish your food you begin cleaning up any crumbs and stuffing the trash into the bag. You then take the bag and place it alongside your duffel bag on the floor. The two goons had been silent the entire time you ate, unsure of your reasons for doing so.

Once the place is clean you decide to speak up, “Sorry guys, I had to ride into town a couple of hours ago and missed lunch. Now, what was it you guys were saying?”

The tall one became enraged at this and replied, “We was saying that you could get out of here! We ain’t talkin’ and you can’t touch us. So scram!”

You retained the look of uncaring that you had been wearing since you entered and said simply, “I don’t think you understand. I’m not a member of the Royal guard.”

At this the two goons’ faces turned from anger to surprise. You even think you saw a hint of fear. You continue, “I am the guy you came to kill at the hospital. I really would’ve thought that you would have recognized me. Anyway, I’m here to find out where your boss lives, I heard he moved after I ‘borrowed’ that money from his house.”

This nonchalant attitude and calm statement had clearly frightened these two already.

The short one spoke up this time, “Oh, yeah? If you isn’t a Guard then how’d you get in here?”

You answer him calmly, “Simple, I killed them all. Every guard in the castle. Did you really think I would let you two get away scott free? That’s not gonna fly with me.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=oAhOn1ChDIw&feature=endscreen

-Two Hours Later-

“So, I’m going to ask you again, where is Apex?” You say to the broken men in front of you. They were covered in blood and had been crying for at least an hour and a half.Not that you could blame them. The tall one had both of his legs broken (you had snapped them against the edge of the table), a dislocated shoulder, a broken nose, two black eyes, and broken jaw from several kicks to the face

“Please...Please, no more! No more!” He screamed.

“Wrong answer.” You say as you slam his head into the table, breaking his nose in two places now. He made muffled sounds of pain and fear as he grabbed his nose.

“What about you short stack?” This time your question was aimed towards the shorter fellow. He had both of his arms fractured (you did the same to his right arm as the tall ones legs, but you broke the left one over your leg like a twig. You know, to mix it up) his hip displaced from a chair to the side, one black eye (you left him one to see what you did to the other), and, judging by the look of him, at least five broken or fractured ribs.

“I already told you, Apex will kill us if we rat him out!” The short one said in a pleading voice.

You decide to try something more drastic and grab your pistol from your shoulder holster. You aim it at the tall ones broken right leg. “You have till the count of three. Every second after, I take a shot and then aim a little higher.” The men began crying again.

The tall one was pleading for his life. “Don’t do this, please no!”

You begin counting. “One....”

They are both pleading with you now, saying that Apex would kill their entire bloodline if they even hinted to where he lived.

“Two...” You say, completely apathetic to their pleas. “Three.” As you say this you fire a bullet into the thigh of the tall man. He begins screaming and thrashing in his chair, unable to move. Blood was pouring out of the new hole profusely. “Are you ready to tell me now?” You ask.

“WE CAN’T!” says the tall man.

“Four.” You aim the pistol at his belly button and fire. Blood splatters over you and the short man as the bullet enters. The both of the men are begging, pleading for you to stop.

The short one finally breaks,“Please stop! I- I’ll tell you everything! just please stop!”

You had done it! You fist pumped in your head while retaining an outer air of seriousness.

”That was what I wanted to hear. Where does he live? Oh, also five.” You raise the gun an inch up and fire. The tall man made some half-choked out screams, but was losing blood fast. You knew that if you didn’t get an answer soon that he would die.

“H-he lives i-in Diamond dog territory! Just outside of Ponyville!”

You were almost there, you just needed a bit more information. You decided to speed up the countdown. “Six. Seven.” Firing a solitary round into the tall ones arms with each word. “Eight.” You hold the man by his head and point the gun towards his temple. “Tell me where the entrance to the base is, how well defended it is, and what room Apex stays in or I will go to nine. At ten I start shooting you.” The short man gives up all the information you needed, crying the entire time.

After he is done you look at your handiwork, the tall one is about to bleed out and is in need of medical attention. You holster your gun, walk over to your bags and pick them up, taking your time. You open the door and step outside to see what looked every Royal Guard member waiting by the door.

“I got it. Someone get those men a doctor....better yet, get like three, they need them.”

The Royal Guards are astounded. All of them. You grin inwardly, and say, “What are you waiting for?” The Royal Guards begin scrambling about in search of something to do. Luke comes up to you for debriefing and the two of you walk out of the room.

‘Man’, you think, ‘I’m a badass.’