Dark Marbles Posts two chapter back to back? Pffft, I just post a super long one.
Head Hunter had his head down while he walked through the door into the alley. He did this because he felt the need to watch his step. However, this caused him to miss something important. He did not realize that the alley between the buildings was empty.
"Stop it with the theatrics..." He said into the night. "... You never even told me your names."
Suddenly, a roll of thunder boomed from the other side of town. Head Hunter checked his personal weather calendar. It stated the obvious. There was a thunderstorm tonight.
Another boom of thunder rolled over the sky. This time the power went out in this certain block that Head Hunter was in. Everything went dark. Head Hunter cloud hear the exclamations of the patrons of the bar. They were not totally use to the relatively new electricity.
A flash of lightning lit up the area in front of Head Hunter. He could clearly see the silhouette of two figures. The lights came back on, and standing before Head Hunter was the so-called 'Lettuce' twins.
"Robert Lettuce." Said the man.
"Rosalind Lettuce." Said the women.
Head Hunter stood still, concealing his surprise.
"Well. What do you want with me, exactly? And this time speak clearly. No riddles. No metaphors." Head Hunter did not have the time or energy to decipher nonsense.
"Simple. We need you do a job for us." Started Rosalind.
"Remember the lighthouses? How we told you they were many different worlds?" Asked Robert.
"Yes. Sort of. I never really understood what you were trying to say, but I got the gist of it." Replied Head Hunter.
"Well, to reiterate, each of those lighthouses represented a door to a different world." Started Robert.
"That is to say, a different VERSION of each world. Different possibilities, all real." Finished Rosalind.
"Alright, I'm following. I'll bite. What do you need me to do." Replied Head Hunter. "And, just as important, what do you serve as payment."
"That comes later." Retorted Robert.
Suddenly, a strange portal opened in the wall. It was uneven, and seemed to flow around the edges. Even stranger, the little that Head Hunter could see through it was all in black and white. There seemed to be a film of static on the portal. On the other side was what appeared to be a mountain side.
"If you'll follow us." Said Robert Lettuce.
...
The portal led to the side of the mountain in which the city of Canterlot stood. However, they were on the other side of the mountain, so the Lettuce Twins helped to fill in the details for Head Hunter.
They portal they went through was a portal through 'versions' of the world. Unlike the portals between worlds, like the one that brought Head Hunter here, this new kind of portal was entirely stable. For now.
The Twins talked long in their strange way of constantly finishing each other's thoughts. Most of is confusing to hear, let alone read, so here is a compressed version:
Even as there are an infinite number of different possibilties for what one person experiences in one day, there are an infinite number of 'versions' of the 'worlds,' one for each possible combination of choices. For example, there is one 'version' of the world where a man has grape jelly on a muffin for breakfast, one where he has strawberry jelly, and one where he has no muffin for breakfast. (And also ones for toast, pancakes, and waffles, and so on)
The Twins have had over one hundred years to study the different versions of the worlds, and their relationships to each other.
"We were granted special abilities when our first employer..." Started Rosalind Lettuce.
"...tried to have us killed. We ended up indirectly cuasing HIS death with said abillties." Finished Robert Lettuce.
"Irony." Added Rosalind Lettuce.
The world that they where currently in had two main differences from the world Head Hunter was from. First of all, Mann Co. employed women, who are all pretty much the same as the male mercs. Second of all, most of the Mann Co. Arenas were destroyed during an uprising from some of the mercs, known as 'O.W.N' or 'Our World Now.' A good chunk of them, including the leader, a Medic, had been 'portaled' to Equistria a little less than a year before the Harmonic Warriors would have shown up. I say 'Would Have' because that is another difference that I forgot to mention. There are none who bear the Element of Harmonies. This is due to the absence of Twilight Sparkle. The Twins offered no explanation as to why she was missing, though.
Regardless, when the O.W.N. Medic and his loyal troops marched into Canterlot, the battle was short. No Elements of Harmony Bearers means that Princess Luna was still Nightmare Moon. (And a BadAss) However, as a stange irony, Discord was never a problem. He was still released from his stone statue...ness, but he skipped town, presumedly into the Everfree Forest.
In the Battle for Canterlot, Princess Celestria was shot four times. She did survive, but was forced into an eternal comatose state. The O.W.N Medic now sits on the thrown.
Head Hunters job was to kill this Medic. The Twins simply said that, "There are people we will need in future events whom will be killed be the O.W.N. Medic soon."
...
Finally, after several minutes of walking, they made it to the perch in which the Lettuce Twins chose. Robert Lettuce handed Head Hunter a pair of Binoculars, seeming out of nowhere. Through them, Head Hunter could see that the Canterlot City Wall was greatly extended. At a set interval, the were black flags baring three white letters: O.W.N. The Castle towers had been greatly extended upward, with tall windows and spiked roofs. There was not much else Head Hunter could discern clearly. He handed the binoculars back to their owner.
"Alright. I have seen enough. When do I Start?"
...
The Lettuce Twins brought Head Hunter back to the portal and into his own version of the worlds. They gave him a set time... Next week. After one week, Head Hunter and his team would return to that alley and begin their work. The Twins offered no reason for this delay, but Head Hunter didn't ask.
Nearly as soon as Head Hunter had turned to open the door to the bar had the Twins vanished again. Without unneeded comment into the night sky, Head Hunter walked back into the bar and sat back down at the table with Scout and Raven Holm.
"And that is why Hats are so important to us!" Scout finished whatever ridiculous story he was telling Holm.
"I will be honest with you." Said Raven Holm. "That story did not make any sense. Have of your sounds did not even sound like words."
"What story? Ya know what? Never mind. We have a job." Head Hunter stated.
"A job? Well... I guess we are still a few hits ahead of schedule." Holm replied.
"Well, we have one week to prepare and hit as many off the list..." Head Hunter trailed off as he noticed a familiar pony enter the bar.
"What are you... Oh" said Holm as he followed his gaze.
"Yo? Guys? What's up? What's going on?" Asked Scout.
Head Hunter pointed to a light grey Pegasus sporting a mane that was such a pale blue that it was transparent.
"That is one Ms. Rainward. I never caught if she had a last name." Started Raven Holm. "She was the bodyguard of one of our first hits. She recognized me and tried to stop and talk to my three times afterward. I had hoped she would stay in ManeHattan. Keep your heads down. We don't need her snooping over here."
"While trying to act casual, can you guys answer somthin for me?" Started Scout. "Whats up with all these Mercs around? I mean the Mann Co ones?"
Head Hunter took a quick glance around and realized that there were indeed a good number, maybe a dozen or so, in the room.
"Well, son, these mercs started showing up before you did. I mean the second time, of course." Started Holm. "Most of the Mann Co mercs either heard that there were others in this city, or else were drawn here for some other reason."
"These guys have been showing up for weeks. There were at least four in Manehattan, and there were no more than nine when we came here." Added Head Hunter.
Head Hunter suddenly became aware of heavy footsteps heading their direction. He glanced over to find that Rainward had indeed spotted them, recognized Raven Holm, and now had a backup of two Diamond Dogs. She walked up to the table calmly, and looked at Raven Holm.
"Well, look who we have here. Might Raven Holm. Which, if our intel is right, which it always is, means that these two must be the ones responsible for the deaths of my..." She paused to smirk. "Friends."
"Hey, girl, you sound familiar. Have, uh, we met?" Asked Scout.
"She sounds like Rainbow Dash." Muttered Head Hunter.
"Really? I guess she kinda does." Replied Scout.
"Yes, if her file is anything to go by, she is like Rainbow Dash's Bitch Twin sister." Growled Raven Holm.
"I am not sure if I should be flattered by having a 'file' or mad about the other thing you said." Her voice was strangely similar to Rainbow Dash's indeed. The difference being that Rainward was slightly older, and had darker intonation.
"It really is like speaking to your, heh, 'Fillyfriend,' if she replaced enthusiasm with Greed. And Hate. And whatever." Said Head Hunter.
"Enough Talk." Commanded Rainward. "Walk with us."
The trio stood up, and started to walk to the front door. Rainward lead the way, and the two Diamond Dogs walked a few short steps behind them. Head Hunter was searching for a way of escape when an idea hit him.
Pointing to a Heavy at the bar, one that was wearing a red bandanna and had a biker-gang markings his vest, Head Hunter whispered to Scout: "punch that Heavy."
As they walked closer to said Russian Merc, Head Hunter stealthy made a different's Scout's Baseball cap flipped backwards as they walked passed. When they came upon the Target Heavy, Scout punched him right in the face.
In blind rage, the Biker Heavy punched the soldier to his right, who fell on a drunk Earth Pony, who... Well... You get the idea. With seconds a full on Bar Bare-Knuckle Brawl had erupted, and it was easy for Raven Holm, Head Hunter and Scout to slip out in the confusion.
"Simple enough." Said Head Hunter, brushing a bit of dirt off his vest.
"You know they will never let us back in, right?" Asked Raven Holm.
Scout straightened his hat. "Don't worry, I know of three of three others in town!"
...