"Hooftofen! You better be in here!" Gearun yelled, bursting into an office. The overhead light shone on the Blue stallion with the series of gears for a cutie mark. The office was normal sized, but a bit cramped due to the Bookshelves that lined the walls and desk that was covered in blue prints. "Oh, Hello there Director... What can I do for you?" A grey pony answered, looking out the window into the dark streets of the city of Stalliongrad. The pony turned around, his short darker grey hair barely hid a broken horn.
"I want to talk to you about where 20 million bits went? Don't hide it... I know you used it..." Gearun raged, his bald head shook so much it could give one a headache.
"Used for the betterment of ponykind, my little Blue friend" Hooftofen laughed, walking slowly past the angry stallion. "It's better to talk while ve walk, Yes?"
"Fine, But whatever you're doing... I want my money back..." Gearen yelled.
"Don't vorry; all will be right when it is finished..." Hooftofen replied calmly in a German accent. He walked out of the office and onto a catwalk. Below, the factory floor was pitch-black and seemed endless. Only the lights from Hooftofen's office and some low glowing lights on the catwalks seemed to glow in the darkness.
Gearun followed the grey unicorn. "What will be finished? What are you working on?" The Earth Pony questioned the scientist.
"The voices say I shouldn't tell you..." Hooftofen replied.
"Don't horseapple me Hooftofen. Tell me what you're going to do. I hire you to make weapons for Celestials army, and we still can't pull off what Stark could do." Gearun got frustrated again.
"Again with the Stark Complaints." Hooftofen sighed. "His industry is doing better... He's living in Canterlot while I'm still stuck in the industry..." Hooftofen said in a mocking voice
"We come up with a lighter sword with better durability for the army to use. What does Stark do? He goes and is able to get the boompowder from the Ibex and use it in a mini handheld cannon he calls a "rifle". Why can't you come up with anything that can help us?" Gearun started yelling at his top scientist.
"You complain just like my sister did ven we were young. Mommy's little girl, got any piece of clothing she wanted. Could little Hooftofen have a chemistry set? NO!" Hooftofen complained "Could Photo have a new dress? Vhy not? She is such an angel..."
"Hooftofe.." Gearun Tried to cut in
"Fine, I will show you what I am vurking on... Only because she says so..." Hooftofen said before walking away. Gearun froze before catching up to the scientist.
The two colts walked silently down the stair and into the dark ground floor of the factory. The machinery looked eerie in the moonlight. Hooftofen walked up to a sealed door and pulled out a card, swiping it the door open. The lights flashed on as soon as they opened the door, revealing what looked like a testing room. At the far end, sticking up amongst the floor were cutouts of ponies made from wood. To the left was what seemed to be tables full of scrap and weapons. To the right, were glass boxes that held...
"You're keeping Hostages? What kind of sick man are you?" Gearen looked at the two ponies that were locked in two different cells. One was a white earth pony with a green mane and a cutie mark of a bandits mask, the other was a blue unicorn with a silver-greyish mane and a Magic wand for a cutie mark. Their mouths were shut, but they started banging against the glass in a futile attempt to be free...
"They were mean to me..." Hooftofen whined in a high voice before returning to his normal voice "Green Girl over here thought she could steal from the factory... Isn't that nice? And this unicorn here tried to rob me with fireworks and rope... And then threatened me vith a piece of glass..."
The Blue Unicorn somehow spoke when she heard the word glass. "The Great and Powerful Trixie would never resort to using glass as a weapon. I used a fine dagger made from si..." She stopped abruptly as her mouth was closed again.
"You are lying again. I do not like lying..." Hooftofen said before turning back to the blue stallion. "Now, I vill show you the thing that vill outperform Stark." He continued, walking towards a table with a sheet. The grey pony pulled away the cloth to reveal two objects. One was the rifle they tried to compete against, a wooden weapon with some metal. It had a plate against the side which was used for the trigger for the gun. Beside the normal rifle stood a complete metal version of the same gun, but with three prongs on the end.
"What is this?" Gearun asked, looking at the metal rifle.
"How 'bout I show you... Bring out the prisoners." Hooftofen announced. The two doors seemed to open by themselves as he watched the two fillies try to bolt out, trying to get to the door. They stopped as the door opened and another colt walked in. The newcomer wore a black flight suit that covered most of his coat and goggles that covered his eyes, only a blue mane and large grey wings that seemed to be made of metal. Behind him came a jumpy mare that wore the same suit and goggles, but had an orange mane with black streaks, black wings and was half the size of the colt. The two blocked the two escapees, glaring at them through there goggles.
"What are you doing? HOOFTOFEN!" Gearun yelled as he watched the two pegasi scare the two fillies back into the room.
"Just relax. Now, this is what Mr. Stark's weapon can do..." Hooftofen said calmly before picking up the rifle, shooting the loaded gun at the White ponies cutie mark. The director looked shocked as he heard Hooftofen giggle while watching the white pony start to bleed from the puncture in her leg, the girl cried in agony as she fell to the floor.
"Now... This is my new gun..." Hooftofen continued to giggle as he picked up his invention. He pointed it to the Blue unicorn. Both the Blue Unicorn and Gearun stared in shock as Hooftofen fired the gun. A ball of electricity flew towards her as she screamed "No... NO!"
The ball hit her and her body filled with electricity before flopping down. Hooftofen looked at the shocked colt beside him before laughing at him in his German accent. "Don't worry, she's still alive... Though at a higher voltage, Maybe not..."
"You crossed the line Hooftofen!" The scared blue stallion twitched before bolting to the door. He ran past the two pegasi and into the main facility floor. He looked for the exit to arrest that man before almost running into the mare with the orange mane. He swerved and dodged her, continuing his galloping. Then again, the same Pegasus appeared infront of him. He swerved again around here and galloped faster. He started running down different corridors, each time being blocked by the Pegasus. Again and Again she appeared, trying to block his escape. He finally decided to charge right at here, His maneless head pointed forwards. As he rushed into her, he felt nothing. Gearun stopped as he looked behind him, seeing the orange maned mare still standing there and watching her disappear into thin air. He looked in awe and fear until he felt himself being flattened, orange hair falling from the rough landing on the blue earth ponies back. Gearun tried getting back on his hooves, but he was surrounded by the two pegasi and the insane unicorn with the broken horn.
"I'm not letting you escape that easily..." Hooftofen laughed down at his former boss, his eyes shining pure malice. The insane Scientist pulled out a lighter before saying. "How about a flashy exit? Fire is the best vay to clean a soul..."
From the forest nearby, the three evil ponies could hear the riot of the burning factory. The Pegasus with the orange mane spoke up to the other two. "That was fun! Can we do it again later? Huh? HUH?" She squealed in an extremely positive voice...
"Shut it you! Now, I must get back to the council. I spent too much time here with these fools." Hooftofen shushed the exited mare. He picked up the unconscious body of the blue Pegasus and put her on his back. "I vill take this girl along with me... She may be useful to us. Jetstream, You..."
The tall colt with metallic wings growled to the professor, "It's Sky Steel, Not Jetstream..."
"Whatever, you vill head to the Border and wait for instructions. Blink, you are to head to a small village called "Ponyville" and meet up with Icescar. There is one who lives there who has yet to accept the darkness as their mistress..."
The Jumpy, black winged pegasi jumped for joy and disappeared into the dark along with the other 2 ponies.