Switched Roles

Talon pointed his hoof back at the fury of filly before tapping his hat. "Don't be so quick to get me out of my clothes goldy eyes. I told you I wasn't hitting on you. The irony of that statement is immeasurable now given the situation. Also she threw the first hoof and we got a crowd of witness to testily she was fully capable of fighting back and assaulted a unarmed colt with wrench."

Was watching Blue the entire time as he explained on. He wouldn't dare let his guard down. he noticed a group of 'pleasant looking citizens' leaving the growing crowd. Something wasn't right about it, but he didn't have come to care. "So I'd suggest you convince Grandma-wrench over here to submit, or I'll beat her down then will get pizza."

Corkscrew and Nothing looked around at the murmuring at this chain of events. Whilst like any Manehattanite they enjoyed the city's official pastime of watching interesting things happen, none were too keen at the prospect of actually getting involved, especially as courtroom witnesses. Some even preemptively started to go about their business to avoid the storm of trouble approaching.

"You have your aid kit with you, right?" Corkscrew asked.

"Yep, and my penknife," Nothing replied.

"Why do you have-" Corkscrew rounded on the colt, "Nothing, you are not going to fight! I thought I made that clear!"

Nothing's response was calm and measured. "I know. It's just that if I'm going to hang around in the vicinity, and ponce comes upon me, I'd rather have both fight and flight options. Besides, I can have his eye out if given the chance."

"His eye," Corkscrew asked skeptically.

"With care."

Corkscrew shook his head, "In the case he comes upon you, you are to run. Do I make myself clear?"

Nothing grumbled his assent.

"Good. Now ponce said something about pizza..."

Blue spit her wrench to the floor. "Fine, Rena. Let this piece of trash walk. Obviously a good hard flank kicking hasn't corrected this yappy bitch up yet, or I wouldn't have to do it. Now off with you, but if you come any closer we'll both wind up in the hospital. You with a wrench and maybe a boot up your ass, and me to get my possessions back."

Rena was not entirely convinced that he was not hitting on her to some degree. Usually it was part of her daily life. But hearing him talk like he had something going for him upset her court minded self.

"Tomorrow's headline. Colt beats an old aged mare that defended her friend. Witnesses say that the colt was more than happy and willing to fight the old mare and beat her to a pulp. You would have to buy the media out if you wanted that spun any other way. Now get out of here." She turned, grumbling that her business dress was now wet with rain.

"And you're not my type." She said over her shoulder to Talon, as if it were one of her finer insults to him before encouraging Blue to follow her back inside.

Talon instead of saying something in responds. He looked around to at the crowds around him. He hadn't truly seen till this moment. No one saw him as strong or weak. There were no lines or understanding.

This filly didn't even see him. The mare couldn't see him. The crowd didn't see him. He looked at his hooves as he pulled off his hat. "You know what? I'm sorry." He torn his hat in half. He looked to the colt writing things down. He walked over to him and the colt seem fearful Talon might hit him.

"You want a reason this happened right? It's like this filly said. I'm just some punk that attacked the mare. Don't add that she had a weapon. Words, hooves and anything can be considered a weapon." Talon turned to the crowd with a happy look. "I'm sorry MaryRose! I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." He walked out into the crowd.

"Let me share something with all you strangers. I beat up a entire gang yesterday. The 5th street gang." He pointed to colt who reacted to the name. "Yeah you know them. Guess why I beat them up? Because I thought they were apart of a attack CrimeLord did. He killed my best friend. Just so he could trick me into being his lackey. I protected the colt who hurt my friend." Talon had red on his eyes. "She died from her wounds and he said she was stable. I did things for him. Awful things. Things you can'ts take back. Things you can't forgive. I'm bad pony and I had accepted that."

Then he pointed to the mare. "Then I fought her. She was so cuaght up in her sense of self righteousness and morals, she felt she needed to teach me a lesson. She doesn't care about the pony I am. Why I'm like this. I'm problem to her. She sees me as something to dispose of." He pointed to Rena.

"This filly was nice to me. I crossed lines that should have, however she viewed what she expects to see. What she thinks she should see. She sees me taking interest in her as something like attraction. When in fact she reminds me of one of the only ponies I hold a single bit of respect for. I respect her more then myself. I don't EVEN KNOW HER." He taps his chest with a desperation in his look.


"Look at this hallow shell echo his things he claims as thoughts to a unloving world. So lost in discord you can't even see me. Nothing I am saying will affect you. You'll all go home to your lives while I live going to the next fight. Seeking something I'll never get back. So I'm sorry, because I could say it and I should say it. I would say because I am sound at this moment. I don't live knowing or not if some punk will off me, just because I told CrimeLord to fuck himself up a river."

Talon with that he started walking away. He felt a hell of a lot better.

"He's a nutter," Corkscrew concluded, "Did you understand any of that?"

Nothing shook his head, perplexed, as the crowd dissipated, show now finished. Most started leaving when granny left, not caring what ponce said. The sideshow complete, it was time for the main event. The pursuit.

"Say, Corkscrew," Nothing whispered, "Who's CrimeLord?"

"A scapegoat, really," Corkscrew hissed back, "All the corrupt politicians, union bosses, police...they all work through that name, I think. No pony would name themselves or their children something like that."

Nothing considered this, and compared it to the names Corkscrew, Hammer, Nail, Brick, Breaker and Bruise.

"Besides, ponce is clearly mad," Corkscrew continued, "We teach him a lesson in common respect, then leave him to the ponies in white coats. It's for his own good really. Ah, hopefully our brothers have gone ahead to cut him off. And if we're really lucky, we can get the jump on him..."

Blue picked up her wrench and allowed herself to be walked back into the cafe. She didn't pay a lick of attention to what the cleverly dressed thug was saying. Based on his previous speech in the cafe, and the mismatch between the pony's clothes and personality lead her to believe that the only things that could come from that pony were nonsense, as well as things that would make her want to sock him in the jaw.

Once inside she shook herself clear of the rain in the doorway before entering the cafe proper, very much in the mood now for a warm relaxing tea. Possibly with honey.

Rena listened to what Talon had to say, but she offered nothing else in return. She only sighed and shook her head before tuning and following Blue back inside. She needed to break from this moment.

Once inside, she returned to her seat, her tea waiting for her. Rena groaned as her business suit was wet and her mane along with it. Even her makeup was running, but she fortunately did not use very much of it. Her face looked rather good even without it.

"Ugh, I'm a mess...." She let out a frustrated sigh. "Don't you think you took that a bit too far Blue?"

The rain had made him feel a bit better. He felt like burden had been thrown off with his suit being ruined. No longer having to worry about gum, or stains. The whole thing was ruined. He liked when everything about something was just destroyed. Made easier to deal with then a stain that would come out.


He chuckled to himself as he threw his overcoat in the trash, which was taken by hobo seconds later. The white short hung to his chest as he felt a little strange without his hat. He would have to get a new one at least. He adjusted his tie as he walked along the narrow alley, one that could let maybe two ponies walk side by side without getting stuck. He leaned against the wall for awhile before jumping up on the cleanest trash can he could find and just listened to the rain.

Why was it that they always chose the smallest alleyways, Nothing never knew, but ponce was definitely showing signs of an unstable mind. Corkscrew was going to do his usual tactic of talking far too much because he liked the sound of his voice.

In the back of the alleyway, Brick and Breaker congregated, whilst Bruise joined Corkcrew at the top.

"Nice speech, back there, justifying beating up old mares. You could become a lawyer, or a politician. Especially since you managed to say a lot of words without saying anything."

They didn't all go at once, that would make things too crowded. Brick approached from behind, whilst Bruise approached from the front. They approached confidently, knowing that if they did get hurt, they could tag out and get ultimately treated by Nothing.

"Now, we're needing to return some things you gave our brothers. It's only fair trade, right?"

Small alleys were common do to poor building ideas. All the good architects were in Canterlot. He can't seem to remember there names. Devise? Delineation? Depiction? Diagram? He couldn't remember. Talon liked alley because it made it easier to fight many opponents. They couldn't surround you and they had a hard time swinging around weapons in the tight space.

"Tough words from someone that needs his brothers to talk. If it was just me and you here you'd wish you had never been born. But I can't blame you for doing. Hell if this was tuned around I'd likely do it to you, though I might offer a one on one cause I got shred of honor. Also I would bring a child with me."

Talon stood up as he kicked a trash can with full force at brick. As it went flying he turned back to Corkscrew. "You got ten minutes." His words seem not to hold his egotistic tone, but more like he was stating fact. He seem to be betting on something.

Brick turned to his side, taking the brunt of the can with nothing more than a short grunt of pain. He was slow, both of thought and finesse, but he made up for it by being somewhat hard to stop. He didn't know all the details of what was going on, but older brother Corkscrew said that this loudmouth had hurt Hammer and Nail, and that was enough for him. If a rubbish bin would stop him, then he wasn't trying hard enough.

Speaking of loudmouths, older brother Corkscrew was shouting his reply. "Ten minutes, yeah. We'll try five to kick your flank. Cause if you hurt one of us, you hurt all of us. You hurt two of us, so this is more of duty than mere charity. I won't be able to live with myself if I let some upright prick go and harm my family with no retribution. 'Cause I care about them."

Shaking the stinging off, Brick surged forward. Bruise would be at the front because he was crazy like that, but Brick was the only one out them all that could withstand a point blank buck without being knocked out cold. Thus, he approached from behind, slow and steady.

Talon could at least give them credit as a gang. They seem to cover the main thing a gang was suppose to do: Look out for each other. That being where he loses respect. It wouldn't surprise them if they were in the magic item black market or selling the WackyWhizzers all the druggy types were yelping about. Though from how that one colt took the trash can. Talon was thinking maybe they were extra muscle bigger gangs might hire.

Talon looked at corkscrew. He didn't plan on responding, simply in the fact there wasn't a good reply and the colts were readying a assault on him. He wonder if taking out him would be good or bad. He seem like he was the leader and maybe the others would lose moral, making him weaker. Or it could have side effect one being they could get more determined. Also Cork Screw could be the strongest of them and with that kid in the way it made fighting harder.

The kid worried him. He couldn't believe they would bring someone so young to something like this. Couldn't they old off a few more years before making him a gangbanger?

Talon breathed in as the one colt rushed at him. He needed to have them facing the same way to avoid being surrounded. He in the last moment of him running at him he moved out of th way with his back to the side wall. He couldn't combo on any of them or fear of getting hit by his assists. He would poke them with a few hits till it happened.

Bruise loved a good fight, and would be dead if it wasn't for his brothers keeping him back, usually by knocking him out themselves. Like Brick, he was hard to put down, but his endurance was bourne from what Corkscrew called 'pure bloody mindedness'. Nothing usually complained about the amount of bruises on Bruise, whilst Bruise complained about having to be patched up.

So when he heard about the counter, the crazy pony in a nice suit, he had been itching to fight him. He had been vehemently denied the chance to seek him out, but the beating of Hammer and Nail had forced the ineveitable. Bruise couldn't have been happier. He was not going to waste the opportunity.

A smile was permanently plastered on his face as he threw some punches at the ponce. He wasn't wanting this to be quick. He wanted it to drag on for as long as possible. He didn't even care if he won.

Times like this Talon wonder how he got here. First he was just some punk, then he became the punk with nice clothes, then he was titled the Counter. He wasn't to sure why he was called that. He didn't react to attacks. He as the one normally throwing the first hoof.

Then he was hired by ponies to snuff out other gangs, or weaken them to prevent them from gaining ground. Then he asked to work for the big players and MaryRose was killed... and all the terrors of that event. He must of gained this name when that happened. He couldn't remember how many ponies...

Talon wondered if he could beat them. He had fought with numbers against him, but he had heard about these colts. They were dangerous because they were famliy. They could trust each other without hesitation. Also they seem to be holding strong in the areas they have influence. Likely he was only one of their many 'appointments' in the alleys today.

Talon went to block his attack, then if so would try uppercutting him.

Breaker watched impassively as Bruise and ponce traded blows, with Bruise staggering more and more after each one. Brick was doing his job of containment, pushing their foe back into the fight everytime he was forced into him. It was just a classic routine of theirs, really, and he...he was the punchline.

The only unicorn of the siblings, Breaker didn't really like hoof on hoof combat, being somewhat weaker than the rest. So he specialised in throwing shit. Rocks, bricks, bottles, sort of thing. He had a bottle of cheap booze on hoof, too, and it stung like hell when put on injuries. His cue was when Corkcrew said...

"Stop!"

...that, which meant Bruise would reluctantly stagger back from a blow, until behind Corkscrew, and he would throw the bottle, over Brick, who was also retreating at his glacial pace, to smash into ponce.

Talon had been trading blows for the last couple minutes with leap of joy as the adeline rushed through him. He hadn't fought a big colt like this in while, sucked though on account blocking hard when you protected yourself.

He was having his fun till he heard the colt yell something and he sees a bottle in front of him. the oh thought that came before the pain was 'shit.' Talon senses went black for moment as he staggered back. He in his swirling of thought saw the booze was cheap. A fleeting thought that the ass didn't even throw good stuff at him pissed him off more then the fact he threw something at him.

Talon leaned against a wall holding his face as wiped a little blood from his fore head.


"Well well, look what we have here. The Counter and growing to fame Fifth Street Boys." A colt wearing a multi-colored suit. Crude mix of purple, orange and many other needless flashy colors. The colt was older looking and had hat that was mix of one you wore on a safari and a top hat.

Behind was a almost crowd of colts armed with very nasty looking weapons. "To think you that I'd find a traitor back to me and I will no longer need to draw up plans for assaulting your turf." He gestured to the colts behind him. "Would you boys be so kind as to kill these colts for me? I have meeting with the mayor."

The colts rush forward into the alley as Suited pony steps back.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Pushing Nothing back behind him, Corkscrew retreated swiftly back into the alley, reaching into is pockets for...yes that was it. He stared at the clown with quite possibly the most stupid hat ever to exist. Not only that, but he was an...idiot.

Everything about him screamed 'idiot'. His attire, his voice, his stupid grin, his crew of five trying to charge into a small alleyway, swinging weapons that did more harm to the pony on their side than anything that would be in front of them. And his hat. It was an offence to all things sensible, and its bearer deserved to suffer for even considering the possibility that its existence wold not be completely and utterly absurd.

"Breaker, another bottle! Make it a double!"

"Coming right up!"

Another two bottles of cheap booze flew through the air smashing into the crew of fools. Corkscrew drew his hoof from his pocket, revealing and igniting a lighter. He gave them a terrifying glare.

"Now if you retards have any brains, you'd figure out what will happen if you decide to take one. More. Step."

He hoped they did. Whilst setting the now alcohol drenched ponies on fire would take care of them, he'd rather not have to scramble out of the alleyway trying to escape a flaming crowd. It was with a little sastisfaction that he noted that each of his brothers had taken Nothing and pushed him to the very back. It was with less satisfaction that he noted that ponce was right behind him, but if he read the situation right these dunderheads were after him, too.

The five were cramped into alley way already by orders of the boss. The boss always sent them into bad situations with his touch-n-go politics. They had thought they would sit in lobby playing cards while the boss spoke to the mayor. He had been going to a lot of meetings lately and it was with the big-wigs of the city.

The bottles cracked and slashed over them as you heard grunt from one of them. They were covered it the cheap stuff and they had look that you only wore when your day got bad. They stepped back as you heard some whispering. Boss wasn't the around and they could just run, but coming back empty hoofed would be bad and getting these guys out of the boss's mane would really make him happy. When he was happy they were happy by affect. Parties, drinks, mares and everything you want, even colts for the greenish-yellow colt to the far left.

Talon had recovered from the knock to the head, though there was a large bruise where it hit. It was nasty mix of blue, purple and the part where it was still bleeding. That damn suited pony never quit, why couldn't he just understand when someone says they quit? Granted he did a /lot/ more then just say he quit, but he felt that was equal exchange for what he had done to him


The little gang had decided, well the one in the back with the least amount of wine on him did. "Now!" They all at the same time threw their nasty bladed and heavy blunt weapons at the them as the one in the back took to the air.

"Run for your life!"

Nothing heard Corkscrew order. He didn't have to be told twice. Grabbing the dazed Bruise with Breaker, they hoofed it to the other side of the alleyway, Brick lumbering behind. They had to trust that Corkscrew had the skill to get out of this situation, even as they heard the fire started from a thrown igniter.

After a few minutes out of the alleyway, Nothing said, "I'm going back."

The other brothers waited for the interjection, but none came. They looked at each other waiting for one of them to say what Corkscrew would say. Nothing continued. "Take Bruise home and only go looking when you are sure he is okay." Then the colt ran back. There was a silence, then one of them said, "The fuck?"

---

Corkscrew cursed his luck. Normally, throwing your weapons all at once meant they hit each other and proved ineffective, but somehow a freaking knife glance his leg, cutting it and hindering his retreat. He closed his ears to the screams of burning ponies as they flailed about behind him somewhere. He limped to the end of the alleyway, glaring at ponce. He opened his mouth to say something to him, but he was interupted by the voice of his youngest brother.

"Corkscrew! Corkscrew!"

Talon stepped in front of the leg bleeding colt with a smirk. He had that look he had directed at you guys before these guys showed up. "Tell you what bubbles. How about instead of running we all go teach them why throwing your weapons is stupid. Or you can run cause it kind puts a rock in my stomach to see kid at fight. Next time you come to kill me in a alley don't bring him."


Talon was only helping them because of that kid. It reminded himself when he was on the street. He walked ponies get mugged, beaten and 'another' kinds if abuse in every part of the city. He could take you ona grand tour of all the places he saw someone hurt another pony. Sometimes that had been him doing the beating and receiving.

Why did this world have to be so damn cruel? When was someone gonna see this was all stupid and stops this? Why couldn't everyone be like MaryRose? All he wanted was to see the light once more, her smile. That kid however seem to light up the darkness, for a moment he wasn't thinking of where he would hit next or what snippy thing to say. He had felt empathy. He felt that feeling you get when your foots asleep and you bang against someone to wake it up, then you feel that painful tingle but for his whole being.

Talon run at the group of colts with smile on his face. However he forgot about the flying one as it dive bombs at him as he punches out the big colt in the front.

"Fucking knock yourself out," Corkscrew grumbled to himself, before waving Nothing over, "Nothing, knife. Deal."

"Well, we're leaving it in," the colt said, "Pulling it out might cause more damage..."

As Nothing treated the wound, they moved further away from the scuffle. It wasn't their fight at the moment, and Corkscrew didn't feel like fighting in his condition. Just a preference.

"We shouldn't move much," Nothing warned, "The others should be getting proper medical help."

"What? Close to-" Corkscrew gestured to the fight, "-them? No, we're getting out of here."

"We are going nowhere," the young colt said, voice firm, "This wound is beyond my skill to do alone, okay?"

A rebounding sound of something cracking followed by the scream of a deep voice colt could be heard in the alleyway as Talon discarded him to lean against the wall. Town have been doing a good job at protecting his head and face, but in response they started doing some nasty body shots. Talon had thought that somebody might, but help them but turns out he was wearing a solo but he always was.

At least from what he seen it look like the other two had gotten a distant away. Talon however didn't see the other colt that decided to fly over and behind him sneaking up to stab him back.


Meanwhile, somebody had gotten word to the guard that there was an all-out gang war in an alleyway. Adorning their armor they took to the air to hit the scene as quickly as possible. Also ground forces were also receiving word in case there was local agents nearby.

Whilst Nothing was fussing over the wound, it was Corkscrew that noticed the pegasus attempting a sneak attack on ponce.

"Oi, ponce!" he shouted, "Behind you!"

The four other colts were broken legged, black an blue faced messes on the ground as Talon wiped the blood from his jaw. He heard the cry from knife wound over there but before he could even turn the knife sank into his back.

He screamed as he fell to the ground with a thud. The winged thug smiles pleased he had done in the boss's thorn that had been aching his paw. Suddenly he felt a voilent pain as he saw Talon kick, causing his leg to bend a strange way. He collapsed as he felt two legs around his head... then blackness. He was no more after a simple snap of his neck.

Talon coughed a few times as he pulled out the knife with a grunt.