Father of the Night 24: Gathering Force.


                                            =Father of the Night 24=


                                            >The midday sun hangs high in the sky as you walk out the back door of the house.

                                            >You could hear him out there, the steady THWACK THWACK THWACK of the trees.

                                            >He had been a little blur of motion ever since he was able to get out of bed.

                                            >You sigh explosively.

                                            "Dammit kid..."

                                            >You walk down the cobblestone steps and onto the small path near the back garden.

                                            >After a few dozen steps, you walk off the path and head into the treeline, all the while following the sound of someone striking the trees.

                                            >And that someone you did find.

                                            >Bruce strikes his hooves off one of the trees and spins through the air before connecting on another, his hoof lashing out and throwing his shuriken into a third tree.

                                            >His cape flutters to the ground and settles behind him as he lands.

                                            >"Anonymous." he says as he rises.

                                            "Want some lunch, Bruce?"

                                            >He shakes his head. "I need to get better, I can't do that inside."

                                            "Better?"

                                            >You gesture to the trees.

                                            "You seem pretty on the ball to me."

                                            >Bruce lowers his cowl and you wince a bit.

                                            >The trip through the window had cut up his face. Medicine and magic did what they could, but some of the scars had yet to fade off his prepubescent face.

                                            >"I need to be better..."

                                            >Yu rub your eyes and lean on a tree.

                                            "You also need to EAT, boy. Keep your strength up if you're going to train."

                                            >Bruce grumbles and turns his head.


                                            "Bruce..."

                                            >You take a few steps over to him and put your hand on his shoulder.

                                            "Do you know what overtraining is? It's when you work yourself so hard that it takes its toll on your body and you eventually hurt yourself."

                                            >Bruce shrugs your hand off. "I know what overtraining is...but..."

                                            "But...?"

                                            >He turns to you, his eyes narrowed."But Will is twice your size and several times mine, and all of that is muscle. I...need to beat that somehow."

                                            >You sit down next to him.

                                            "Bruce, Will is a MINOTAUR, they're -all- all muscle. You can't match him in strength alone."

                                            >Bruce violently jerks away from you and whirls around, looking at you with furious eyes. "Then HOW, Anonymous?! How am I to match the strongest there is!?"

                                            >You back away.

                                            "I don't know! Out maneuver him!"

                                            >"How!?" he pleads.

                                            "Because you're better than him!"

                                            >Bruce doesn't say anything, just exhales through his nostrils.

                                            "He...he only has followers, people who flock to him. You have FRIENDS, Bruce. People who want to help you because of who you are instead of what you may be saying."

                                            >He cocks an eyebrow.

                                            "Will...he lies and spreads honeyed words to gather people. You're better than that, SMARTER than that.

                                            >Bruce bites his lip and looks away a bit.

                                            "That's your strength, Bruce. Not your muscles, but your mind and your friends."

                                            >Bruce sighs and meets your eyes.

                                            >"Let's...go get lunch, sir."


                                            >You and Bruce walk inside into the kitchen and you start cutting up some apples for him.

                                            >Behind you, you hear Bruce hop up to the table and switch on the television.

                                            >You also heard everything the TV said, though you wish you didn't.

                                            >"-eports coming in that the mysterious figure known only as "The Will" is moving through west Equestria and gathering a staggering amount of support."

                                            >Oh hell...

                                            >You turn to look at the TV, out of the corner of your eye you see Bruce tense up.

                                            >The newscaster continues. "Will, seen here in this footage of him battling the equally mysterious "Batmane" in Manehattan recently, claims to be the voice and indeed "will" of the people of the world outside of Equestria. A people he claims have been oppressed by our own kingdom's control over a majority of the magic in the world. Both Marehiem and Dream Valley have both publicly stated that they will allow The Will to pass through their city freely, wanting no trouble. We have here Professor Bill Ni-"

                                            >Bruce clicks off the TV and exhales.

                                            "...How can people stand up against something if entire cities are bowing to him?"

                                            >Bruce sighs. "If either Princess publicly denounces Will, they will appear to be tyrants and play right into Will's hands..."

                                            >Bruce taps his hoof to his forehead. "If Will is to be stopped, the people must stop him..."

                                            >He taps his head a few more times before his eyes snap open wide. "...The people must stop him."

                                            >Bruce hops out of his chair and pulls his cowl up. "I have to go prepare, Mister Anonymous!" he shouts as he bounds for his pantry.

                                            "Bruce, wait!"

                                            >He pauses and looks at you.

                                            >You toss the now peeled apple to him.

                                            "Keep your strength up, eh?"

                                            >He grins and nods. "Yes sir."


                                            >You are Captain Shining Armor and it's late at night.

                                            >Around midnight, to be exact.

                                            >And here you were standing on the roof of city hall like a moron because someone on the radio told you to.

                                            >It had come in a little after lunch. You were working at your desk when the frequency on your radio shifted to static. The static didn't last long, however, as a voice came over it.

                                            >"Meet me on the city hall roof at midnight, come alone." it had said before fading.

                                            >You generally didn't heed the orders of mysterious voices on your radio, but whoever this was somehow tuned in to the reserved channel for the town guard.

                                            >That alone had you curious.

                                            >The clock tower behind you moved and struck twelve, sending a dozen bongs out across the town.

                                            >In between the chimes, you could hear a faint "Pchoooo."

                                            >You turn to track the noise and find a black figure filling your vision as it descends from the sky.

                                            "GAH!"

                                            >You swerve to the side and let the little black ball roll along the ground and right himself.

                                            >Those long pointy ears...you recognized them.

                                            "...Batmane."

                                            >"Captain Armor." he answers.

                                            >The tiny vigilante turns and faces you, his blue eyes staring into yours.

                                            "Reports from Manehattan put you as out of commission after your encounter with Will."

                                            >He brushes his shoulder. "Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated."

                                            >Ha. Cheeky kid.

                                            >You nod.

                                            >"This situation with Will is one I want to discuss with you, Captain. That's why I called you here."

                                            >You sigh and look out over the town.

                                            "I have a feeling I know what this is about...and as much as I want to help, I don't have any jurisdiction out west."

                                            >Batmane takes a few steps towards you. "But you can get things done, move them forward."

                                            >He hops up on a railing next to you.

                                            >"I need you to come with me, Captain Armor."


                                            >You climb up the stairs after Batmane and onto the roof of the hospital.

                                            >From the hill you can see all over the town, even to Mane Manor on the other side of it.

                                            "...Why are we here?"

                                            >"We're waiting for someone." Batmane answers.

                                            >"Wait no longer." comes from behind you.

                                            >You whirl around and spark your horn to life, pointing it at the shadows.

                                            >Out from the darkness walks a face you remember from the wanted posters. Pink coated with ears of her own and orange tinged goggles.

                                            "Catfilly!"

                                            >You trot over to her.

                                            "Am I to believe that Batmane brought me here just for you?"

                                            >You'd been after here for a while, but Batmane stops you.

                                            >"She is with me, Captain Armor."

                                            >The criminal grins. "Yes, I'm with him, Captain~"

                                            >You swear you see Batmane roll his eyes under his cowl as he takes a step towards you both.

                                            >"I have called you both here to ask you both for assistance."

                                            >"-What- could you possibly need me and the boy scout over here for?" Catfilly asks.

                                            >"I am going to take down The Will. But I can't do it alone. I need both of your help."

                                            "Hang on, hang on. Why does -she- want Will taken down?"


                                            >The filly scowls at you. "You're not the only one he's effecting. The heightened state of awareness he brings makes traveling around...difficult."

                                            >"Catfilly understands the gravity of this situation, Captain Armor. I promise that." Batmane says, attempting to assuage you.

                                            >You'll let him...but only this once.

                                            "And how are the three of us supposed to take Will and his followers down?"

                                            >Batmane paces back and forth. "The four of us, but that will come later."

                                            >Four?

                                            >"I will need Catfilly to steal something from Will, something important and incriminating."

                                            >The girl mulls that over. "I believe I can do that."

                                            >"Good." Batmane answers. "Captain Armor."

                                            "Yes?"

                                            >"I will need you to use your pull, to gather as many guards who will stand against Will as you can so that we can show him that he is NOT the will of ALL the people."

                                            >Hmm...

                                            "Take a stand against him..."

                                            >"Yes."

                                            >You nod.

                                            "I may know some guys."

                                            >Batmane nods. "I will be in touch for when and where we must meet. But for now-"

                                            >He stands near the edge of the roof. "Let us begin."

                                            >With that he falls backwards and shoots off into the night.

                                            >Alright...time to make some calls.