With The White Berets

With the White Berets III

Repercussions

    Roy was very happy. Exceedingly so. He was out of the hospital after 3 weeks and was on his way home. He could move his side without pain! He could not spend all day in bed! He could eat actual food! After buying himself three hotdogs from a street vendor he walked happily to his apartment building. It was a dingy building, but it was home. He opened the building’s front entrance and walked in. His room was three floors up and after an arduous climb he walked down the low-lit, boring hallway. He opened the third door down, walked in, and closed the door behind him. He looked around: open main room with a couch, his laptop and T.V. His bedroom door was slightly open and his kitchen seemed clean. His many posters were untouched. Control was sitting on his couch.  The bathroom door was cracked. His rugs were seemingly clean. Roy did a double take and swore.

***

The hotel room was huge. It was the penthouse suite of a 5-star hotel in Manehatten, the windows revealed a beautiful view of the city’s skyline. However, the grey pony inside designed not to appreciate the view. Dark clouds were on the horizon and she had a job to do. After throwing a few personal necessities into her small suitcase she carefully placed a silver briefcase on the bed. She opened it almost affectionately and carefully removed the contents. Her crossbow was a thing of beauty. Custom designed for her, sleek, powerful, yet easily disassembled in a few seconds. Maintaining this was always her first priority. Always. She carefully took it apart piece by piece, polishing and oiling the trigger mechanism and testing the string and limbs. She lost herself in her work, falling into the dreamlike state of habit.

Until a shadow loomed behind her.

A shadow with antlers.

***

Roy spun around, “Please stay here I need to let security know there’s an intruder in the building.”

“Door’s locked.” Control said in her monotone.

It was. “Do I even want to know how you-”

“No.”

“So why are you here? Did you finally realize how much you love me?”

    “How much I Looooooove debriefing you yes.”

“Do I hear a note of sarcasm? For that matter a note of emotion at all?”

“Irrelevant. We really need to talk.”

“How bad do we need to talk? ‘Cause theres a bottle of jack with my name on it...”

“This is a major international incident we have to deal with Roy.”

“ I notice a distinct lack of civil war.”

“ It’s worse than that.”

“Oh.”

***

The grey mare swung her foreleg at the intruder but it met air. The intruder moved like a breeze. She recovered and examined the intruder. A dark red pegasus stood before her, on the smaller side definitely but the antlers that extended up and back from his head made him loom over her like death's shadow. She felt fear rush through her, then felt it turn to adrenaline. She lashed out with a ferocious charge seeking to impale him on her horn. He moved, ducking under her, quick as lightning his hoof swung up catching her in her neck and forcing her up on her back legs and pushed her into the wall. “Well this is a compromising position.” She said. “What now mystery man?”

“Apologies Miss but I need to ask you some questions.”

“What kind of questions?”

“You know the unimportant and mundane, like, “Whos planning an equestrian coup.””

She swore that she could see the long grin under his hood.

***

“Hoofnia nearly collapsed into civil war yes, but it didn’t.” Control said angrily, “Instead a new political faction rises up and takes the throne, led by a known enemy to the queen!”

“That sounds bad.”

“And he’s involved with changelings to boot.”

“What?”

“Mmm we made the connection thanks to the changeling you shot. So at least you did that for us.”

“ I’d like to think I accomplished something despite my near impalement.”

“Don’t be a baby. And your “near impaanythinglement” is an issue. Walk with me.”

She strolled to his door and opened it. Roy blinked and rolled his eyes.

“You coming Roy?” Control said, making it obvious it wasn’t a question.

***

“I know nothing more than I was hired by a changeling with the eventual goal of taking Equestria.”

The cloaked pony was still grinning. She still didn’t know how she could tell but it was obvious.

“But where? By who? How did they get in contact with you? How much money? What currency?”

“Unimportant things.”

“Very important things.”

“Still not telling you anything.”

“You sung before.”

“Because I thought he was cute. Can you blame me?”

“Do I have to flirt with you? Or can we trade?”

“Trade?”

“The old ways. We trade information for information.”

“Aren’t we antiquated.”

“I’m older than I look.”

“Fine then.”

And she explained everything.

“...Now what information can you give me thats worth all of that,” She said after a brief pause. The Pegasus sighed.

***

“Where are we going?” Roy asked after 5 minutes of silent walking.

“That was an exercise of patience, we’re going now” Control said in a monotone.

10 minutes of silent walking.

“For Celestia's sake! We’ve passed that light post at least 3 times!”

“That was an exercise of making you shut up, we’re really going now.”

Control glanced behind her. Their tail was gone. She turned towards their real destination. She had been circling and doubling back for 15 minutes to avoid him had been tiring. But getting Roy to shut up for a while had been nice.

“So is this it?” Roy asked after a very short walk.

“Yes. But first,” Control frowned, “ Roy you’re a good agent. Maybe one of the best I’ve ever seen. But the fact remains, you've nearly failed two missions.”

“But I did all I could!” Roy exclaimed.

“I realize. But you’re just one pony. So I decided to change that.”

***

“I just have a little bit of advice for you.” The cloaked pony said, “Just a little bit from someone who’s seen wars.”

She was staring at him, as he spoke he grew more and more terrifying. He seemed to be a creature of pure shadow, barely framed against the dark clouds, his antlers looming above his head like branches of a ghostly tree. When he spoke he spoke in a whisper: “Run, get as far away from equestria as possible.”

The storm broke with a huge trident of lighting. The Pegasus vanished with it. The grey pony fell to the floor. “That was creepy.” She said. She hastily gathered her gear and nearly fled the building.

***

“What.” Roy said as he entered the cafe Control indicated. She didn’t respond verbally, just pointed to a table where a unicorn and a pegasus were arguing heatedly. The blue unicorn looked up and smiled “You must be Roy. I told her you’d be here.”

The light yellow pegasus snorted.

“Wait.” Roy said. “Who are you two?”

“The Control didn’t tell you? I’m Hertz.” The blue unicorn said giddily. “Shes Corona. “We’re your new teammates.”