Looking for an information broker (open)

"I'm looking for a pony. A pony that sells information...."

Silver was not one for small talk. Especially now. In such a nice establishment such as this, he felt far too clean and out of place. At least he made an effort to fit in this time. Gone was his dusty worn out vest and duster. Instead was a trim business vest with a fine red undershirt. His mane was well combed and trimmed. Though despite the insistence of the stylist, he kept the hat, but not after it was cleaned and oiled. All in all he looked like a very sharp and established pony that belonged in the finer parts of Manehattan.

A simple nod and tap on the marble counter by the bartender told him to sit and wait. Silver hardly liked the idea. Sitting with you back to the rest of the place was not his forte. He took a seat at the far end against the wall instead despite the frown from the bartender.

"Whisky, please."

Silver was good with keeping his wings snug against himself. The katana he usually carried was not poking out from under his wing like he was used to. Rather it was in the long carry bag on his back. The wakizashi would have to do for now. His wing easily hid that.

He caught the whisky that was slid down the table to his hoof. Now all he had to do was wait. Afterall, he had the bits to spend and find out who was behind his bounty.

OzyManedias sat next to the pony, sulkily sipping on a glass of Gin and Tonic.
How had he even meet this... Appleoosan was it?

OzyManedias did not know many things, Like how he started a conversation with this sword wielding, (Even slightly buzzed, he spotted the concealed weapon a while ago), liquor drinking, well dressed and trimmed cowpony. he also was not familiar with the whole concept of an Appleloosan , the idea was a little ahead of his time...

He tapped his glass on the bar in contemplation. Information brokers...

"An Information broker... I think I know of one." He made as if to say something, but decided against it, taking his time to pick and choose his words carefully. "He's... slightly... eccentric. A little unsettling if you ask me. I... uh..." He took a moment to glance at where the stallion's short sword was very neatly hidden. "I don't think he would be too much of a problem for the likes of you." OzyManedias blanched slightly.

"Uh... Not to imply that you look criminal or in any way look unfriendly! I mean..." He sighed and cursed himself under his breath. "OzyManedias es stultissimus stultorum..." He sank in his chair.

"You look like you don't have time for chit-chat. I think I remember how to get in touch. I can take you to him now, if you like."

Silver watched as the pegasus approached and took a seat next to him. Eyes analyzing this pony, he didn't like what he found. Catching his eyes looking to where his wakizashi hid under his wing alarmed him slightly. It didn't help that he seemed very timid either. A pony of this nature in business like this is either crazy or feigning.

On cue for being suggested a criminal, he did his part to play his 'role' and narrowed his eyes at Ozy. His odd mumbling made him even less comfortable. He knew this would be a double edged sword, but not so questionable so soon.

Tapping his hoof on the bar counter he shook his head. "No. Here." Silver had lived long enough with ponies trying to kill him that you do not want to go where they had and you had not.

"Here?" OzyManedias repeated. He took a deep breath thoughtfully, and let it out.

"I don't know... He tends to like more... Dramatic entrances?" He shrugged. "I guess I could try-"

"Try what, Ozy?" Vassago asked, standing right behind OzyManedias.

OzyManedias literally jumped out of his seat, letting out a paragraph of words in a unknown language in less than a second.

The young colt tittered a the stallion's suprise and sat down on OzyManedias' stool. The waiter noticed the foal and came over with a furrowed brow. "No foals in the bar, I'm going to ask you to..." Vassago's horn lit up and a tendril of sickly green magic reached out and touched the mind of the bartender.

Vassago snorted, offended. "Who are you calling a foal?"

The Bartender blinked a couple times, squinting at the foal. "M-my apologizes, sir. Please! Have a drink on the house! No Ill will right? Uh... sorry." The bartender set out a bottle of beer and shuffled off with a confused expression on his face.

The young unicorn had a messy mane that curved, and a sickly looking, parchment like coat. His swamp green eyes matched his mane, and his cutie mark appeared to be some strange symbol. His head bobbed as he looked the stallion up and down.

"You look like a Cowpony."

OzyManedias rolled his eyes.

"Do you wanna conduct some business, Silver Spurs?" Vassago looked up as he pushed the levitated the beer to a drunkard towards the other end of the bar, who squealed happily as he latched onto it.

Silver raised an eyebrow at the colt that showed up. He didn't like dealing with kids. Usually it meant that any trouble would double whatever number of bits they added to his bounty. His worry only increased as the kid had no issue showing off his ability right before him on the bartender. Now he knew that this situation was getting unfavorable. Hearing his own name was a mild surprise.

In all his years, Silver had run into traps before. Some involving kids even. But very few were dumb enough to identify him before springing the trap. Considering he came forth and demanded to see the information broker now, he doubted this was a trap. Still, anypony tossing his name around was not making him anymore at ease.

"You going to say names and get attention like that anymore?" He said, narrowing his eyes at the child. There was a time when he would be gentler and more forgiving of children. It was a notion that was long since abandon. His lifestyle couldn't afford such sympathy, even when he was a child.

"I just want information simple and quick. No attention." He didn't like how he was broadcasting himself with what he did to the bartender and saying his name aloud. Though his name was not commonly known in Manehattan, enough attention here would get it repeated to ears that did know it.

"Well, sir." OzyManedias shrugged. "Skilled as my young friend is in his trade, he is not the so smart in things like, for example, common sense."

"I think that my employee should shut his Horse mouth." Vassago snapped.

"Besides." Vassago sniffed. "I doubt anypony noticed. The bartender thinks I'm a grey-maned, wrinkly old stallion and most of the other occupants are very inebraited."

The foal was not nervous. Why should he be? It would be a simple business transaction. Hopefully, a fruitful one. He clasped his hooves together.

"Simple and quick. Rightey-O. Thats how I like things. Fast as lickety split. The Vassago Enterprises' Way. So..."

Vassago leaned foreward confidentially. "Whatcha wanna know?"

Silver looked over Vassago and Ozy. These two were an interesting pair. He got a feeling that these two had their fair share of encounters together. It helped put him a little more at ease but still he kept to the point.

"Who is responsible for the bounty renewal on 'Silver Spur'? Somepony put it back up for a fair amount. I want to know who."

"Ooh~ a bounty renewal? I didn't even know you could do that! No statute of limitations in Equestria after all." Vassago dropped the joking expression and appeared to space out, staring very intently at nothing and everything.

OzyManedias watched curiously.

Find the words: Bounty Renewal, Silver Spurs Vassago threw in a couple of his own devising to help the magic find the mark: Revenge, Hate, Betrayal, Retribution, Justice To name a few.

He scoured the city in less than a second, finding every possible thought and conversation. It was incredibly handy, knowing such a simple yet effective scrying spell. One of the many perks of being in good with His Master.

Much to the foal's chagrin, nothing fit the criteria (or at least nothing he could sense). Time to simplify. He took away a few of his own keywords and focused on the two Spur inspired in him. He started over, and much to his surprise, he did not have to go far.

The foal spoke with a hollow tone of somepony not quite there. "I... can't seem to find who is... responsible... But... I can do you the next best thing."

the foal's hoof shot out and pointed across the bar. "White fur stallion blonde mane nice vest glasses blue eyes unicorn Angelus Solis..." Forced back into his own body, Vassago gasped and coughed slightly. his head pounded and he felt blood trickle down his nose."

In a corner table of the bar, was a stallion. A white furred stallion with blonde, curly locks and round glasses. He wore a nice button down shirt, a argyle sweater vest of earthy colors, and a red bowtie. His blue eyes were jolly as he talked and laughed with somepony else, a mare.

The mare had gray fur, and a shiny black mane, cut short. She wore reflective aviator shades (hiding her eyes), even though she was in the relatively dark confines of a bar. The mare had a red maneband on and wore a clean black suit with a red button down shirt, and a black skinny tie.

"Aaaaand... for payment..." Still very exhausted, Vassago leaned up to Silver Spurs and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Now that's done. See you around, Mr. Spurs. You owe me One."

"Literally." OzyManedias added. "As in he just took a I.O.U. For one favor. Its... its his thing... I suppose." He explained helpfully.

"Lets get out of here. Our business is done." Vassago flopped onto OzyManedias' back, eliciting a annoyed grunt form Ozy.

"I am still not your Babysitter." The strange pair left the bar. OzyManedias waved a goodbye and disappeared behind the door to the streets to the Nicer Districts of Manehattan.

The duo in the corner continued their merriment, unaware of the criminal only a meter or so away.

Silver was not as pleased to have anything but a complete answer. Though knowing his line of work, things usually turned out this way. If it was easy to be found then he would be dead himself.

He visibly recoiled when the colt kissed him. There were few things that caught him by surprise, and little ponies randomly being affectionate was a new one to him. After recovering from nearly falling out of his seat, he was only more confused by Ozy's explanation and rubbed his cheek at the two left.

"...Weirdos..."

Silver sat in his seat, not looking to the two ponies who sat in their seat for a few moments. He knew what he had to do now. Questions were in order. He sure didn't like that his target was literally right there. It was trouble. He needed more information. With the few moments he allowed of himself, he listened in best he could on the two.

Finishing his drink, he got up with his long narrow bag on his back and casually walked out, glancing at the two ponies as he made his way out. Unless something happen, he would take to the sky once outside, appearing to fly away behind a building.

Looping around though, he landed on an adjacent building roof. Moving along the edge, he set up on a perch and waited to see for who he was looking for to leave.

"A lovely night, as always, My Dear." Seraph Principatus, ran a hoof through his curly golden mane and adjusted his bowtie. "Shall we meet for lunch tomorrow like always?" His Canterlot accent was fairly noticeable, with potential hints of Trottingham thrown in.

"Eh, I dunno Angel. I got some... plans for tamahrow." The mare said, obviously a native Manehattanite by her dress and accent.

"Anything I should now about?" Seraph raised a eyebrow in a accusatory manner.

"Naw. I was jus' seein a friend is all. Old friend from the neighborhood. Don' worry 'bout it, Angel! If we plan on blowin up Canterlot, You'd be the first I'd tell." She waved a hoof dismissively.

Seraph sighed, slightly exhausted. "I wish I could say with the utmost certainty you were joking, Old Boy. Please do refrain from any felons if you could; Any more incidents and my superiors are going to start asking questions. Harmony forbid that should ever happen!" the mare laughed at Seraph and walked off towards the slummier part of town.

The homely looking unicorn took in a deep breath and stared up at the night sky for a moment. "Shame... jolly big shame..." He muttered to himself. Although not a star could be seen from the sky, the moon and the sparse streetlights illuminated most of the way. He started to walk leisurely by the floral and planted avenues of the wealthier side of town.

Silver watched and followed him for a distance, jumping from one roof to another. Keeping himself hidden and only looking when he was at a standstill. Once he felt he was far away enough from their original location he moved down to street level ahead of his target around the corner. There he waited until passed.

Looking casual and with his hat down a little, he gave the customary 'hiss' of anypony who wanted to talk in private.

"Psst!" He waved the pony over, relaxing and turning to trot in the other direction. Even with it being a nice neighborhood, every place with enough buildings had its alleys and inlets. He didn't care if it was dark or a dead end, he just wanted to be sure their conversation was not overheard.

Rounding about into the inlet between buildings, he sat on his haunches and waited, no expression other than caution and alertness about him.

From what he gleaned about him in the bar, he was probably a cop of sorts, and the other didn't seem to be up to any good. That gave him an advantage. This cop was probably dirty. He would press him on that if he had to.

"You and me gotta talk..." He said, if the pony were to follow him to the inlet.

Seraph was enjoying his walk when he heard the customary 'hiss' of anypony who wanted to talk in private.

On a cursory glance, Seraph briefly wondered why such a fine ensemble was marred by such a... proletariat cowpony hat. Fashion faux pa aside, the stallion obviously wanted to talk. Something urgent, if his manner was of any indication.

Before he could ask what the matter was, the stallion disappeared into the blackness of the alley way.

Customarily, any citypony with a lick of sense would definitely not follow a stranger into a alley. Now Seraph was no fool, but he was not in the least worried about whoever this stallion was.

The stallion cautiously but confidently followed the mysterious cowpony into the dark alley. He sat down across from the strange pony, who was obviously tense. Whatever it was, it must have been important.

"You and me gotta talk..."

Seraph tilted his head and adjusted his glasses. "Oh?" The stallion looked so out of place in the dark, dank alley. He looked much more suited for sitting at a desk pouring over dusty books by a fire with a cup of tea. "I must admit, sir. This is quite the unorthodox was of making ones acquaintance. I should say, some tea would have been much more appreciated given our locale."

He sighed. "But I suppose this will have to do. What may I help you with, Mr..."

Silver didn't bother to answer him. He took a moment to glance about, drawing out the moment intentionally before finally speaking again.

"I'm looking for information. Somepony recently had a bounty 'renewed'. The bounty in question being 'Silver Spur'. I need to know who it was."

He didn't make any attempt to sound friendly, especially as he took a step forward to assert his demand further. In the small speck of light from the street, his harmonica about his neck sparkled.

"And what makes you think I know or care about this bounty?" Seraph said, slightly annoyed. "And you best fix that tone. If your going to be demanding something you might as well do it politely." He stood up.

his harmonica about his neck sparkled.

Seraph stopped for a moment. His horn lit up and he concentrated on the sparkly harmonica. The glow of the reflection grew to illuminate Silver Spur's face. "Well. I'll be." Seraph said, sitting back down.

He adjusted his glasses again, causing the reflection to block his sapphire blue eyes. "Now, why would a pony like you come to a pony like me for information like that? I mean, its fairly obvious why you want to know, but who would point you in my direction?"

"I must say, Old Boy, you have certainly come to the wrong neighborhood. Looking for information."

Silver ignored him when he asked for him to be polite. He couldn't care for common courtesy right now. He needed results. Silver made no attempt to hide his face. The fact he recognized it reaffirmed that this pony was up to date on the bounties, meaning he was more likely to have the information he was looking for. Especially when he asked why he was looking for him.

Silver knew that giving away his source was bad for business and served to only put more enemies on his already very large list of them. All he wanted was answers and then he would leave this pony.

"A hunch...I just need a name. That's all. Who did it?"

If it wasn't for the fact that it was a unicorn, he would be happy to close the distance further, but there was no telling what they could pull on you. He was a bit too confident soudning to use intimidation for the moment.

"A hunch...I just need a name. That's all. Who did it?"


"Apapapapapapa..." Seraph waggled his hoof and shook his head, cutting off Silver. "Your forgetting your manners. If your going to dress nicely you might as well act nice too. Now you must understand how strange of a scene this is, don't you, Dear Boy? A criminal. A wanted, million-bit bounty criminal comes to one of the Angelis Solus for information about who brought you back under our sights." Seraph let out a exhalation of breath in conjunction with a small smile, a joke that's too apparent not to illicit some reaction.

"Other than how unbelievably unintelligent you would have to be to do something of this ilk, I wonder if you have any idea what exactly you were thinking of gaining from this interaction."

Seraph leaned forward made eye contact with Silver. "The only reason you are not currently in cuffs or vaporized into dust is that I have my own assignment currently, and it does not concern your specific kind of criminal." The unicorn leaned back and crossed his legs. "Luckily for you, I did handle the paperwork of your bounty renewal. Last Tuesday I believe. Although I don't recall the name, I assumed it was just some other pseudonym for a anonymous contact. Needless to say I did not pay it much mind. I'd have to see the paperwork, which is back at my flat."

Seraph stood up and adjusted his coat. He walked out of the alley. "I am curious as to how you are going to make this worth my while. Come along, Mr.Spurs. If I am going to be spending the remainder of my evening with a no-good crook, I would like to make this as quick and painless as possible."

He stopped just before leaving the alleyway. "And if you think of trying to use force against me, I will send you into our Majesty's Glorious Light before you can say 'Ride-em-Cowpony'." Seraph looked over the rim of his glasses at Silver. His eyes were a cold, icy blue.

"Do I make myself perfectly clear, Mr.Spurs?"

Silver simply stared at the pony with the same flat unreadable expression he carried on himself at all times. He was not new to this kind of treatment. Especially from a pony of the law. He let him mock him with manners, as if he would get a kinder death sentence from the law instead. And was called 'unintelligent', just as many others had before shortly before he either got away or they died. Then came the whole 'I would have you in cuffs or killed if not for' excuse he heard that almost made him smirk.

He better have a bite to back up those words if he tries anything.

Despite this ponys insistence on dragging out the conversation on petty little things and reminders of 'what he could do to poor Silver' he felt that getting what he wanted wasn't going to be more a game of patience than effort.

Once Seraph was done telling him how he would kill him if he 'tried anything' and waited for his response, Silver helped himself by taking out a cigarette from inside his vest. Lighting up and drawing out the moments, he took in a draw and exhaled.

"For not liking 'criminals' you sure were cooperative with her at the bar." He intentionally put emphasis on 'her', taking a gamble on the relationship she had to play here. She did not seem to be the type a pony like him should be with.

"You want quick and painless? I just need a name. Then you won't ever see me again."

Silver debated on the idea of going to his flat or not. Going into any place that your enemy picks usually means odds are against you. But on such short notice he may be alright. Then again, unicorn. He would have to judge it when he sees it.

"You go to your flat. I'll catch up." Better to keep him guessing on the way there.

"For not liking 'criminals' you sure were cooperative with her at the bar."

That gave Seraph a moment of pause. He rolled his eyes. "Oh please. You just run around taking money and killing ponies. Hardly brain surgery is it?" He smiled to himself and adopted a slightly wistful expression. "She is no criminal. She is an artist." He closed his eyes solemnly. "And I take no shame in associating with such a refined and charming mare. Regardless of the semantics of our respective religious duties."

"You want quick and painless? I just need a name. Then you won't ever see me again. You go to your flat. I'll catch up."

Seraph shrugged. "Then I am afraid that I will have to bid you goodnight, Old Boy. Your presence is not asked for, it is required."

Waiting a moment, Seraph sighed and rolled his eyes. "And no, this will not turn into a arrest. The last thing I want is for me to bring about the attention of another division and risk bringing attention to my own person."

"Now that I have, unnecessarily I might add, proved myself to you, you can either get this information at the cost of a little personal discomfort, or you can continue being a cautious cynic and receive nothing. I mean for goodness sake, Mr. Spurs. We are both grown stallions. We have both played this game before." Seraph motioned to the street. "The worse that could happen is that I will ask you to stay for tea. Or alcohol. But as horrifying as that may seem I think it beats the alternative: Nihil, Nada, Nothing."

Silver began to change his mind. This pony was using his play of words and using his position to suggest that Silver had to 'play his game his way'. Whatever vain attempt at he made at trying to do things his own awkward way was not something Silver was fond of. He had spent 40 years of his life being hunted, killing, hiding, outmaneuvering, and avoiding getting himself in situations that could get him in trouble or killed. He was lucky many times before and learned from it, which lead him to choice of action.

"Bring the documents tomorrow. I'll find you and leave you ten thousand bits for it."

Were Silver any less hardened by his years of survival, he would smile at how much it amused him to ignore this ponies bickering and long winded mouth. While the money was a lot to him, it was worth the cost to avoid ever being on the compromising side. He had seen enough die and nearly killed himself doing so. Plus it was amusing at this point.

Seraph let out an exasperate groan. "For wanting a concise answer, you sure enjoy making things overly complicated. I'm afraid that will be very difficult for you. Unfortunatelly for the both of us, I have to be in a stuffy office filled with other 'administrators of justice.'" He said with a hint of disdain.

"Your welcome to drop by, but I hardly think that is optimal, considering your current predicament." Seraph cautioned. "

"Just have the paperwork or name with you." Was all Silver had to say before trotting around him and out of the inlet. He kept his space of course, but other than that he was finished.

He would, of course, be keeping an eye on the pony as he left. He couldn't care less for his bickering about 'inconvenience'. All he wanted from him was results. And he was, afterall, ultimately his enemy, but would only act on it if he forced his hoof.

Trotting away, Silver made sure to note where Seraph went after he left him, not wanting to be blind with his back to him.

"Well..." Seraph threw his hooves up in the air. "Well alright!"

When Silver was out of his sight, Seraph got up and continued the walk to his home.

He arrived at his small apartment and locked the door behind him. Locking the door was more out of force of habit then any real safety. Locks were flimsy things, easily tinkered with. It was a small flat, only a living room with a dinette, a bedroom, and a small side room that served as his office.

Seraph walked wearily to his small office. He removed the air conditioning cover to reveal a filing cabinet with a circular hole in the side. He stuck his horn into the hole and there was a subtle buzz, then a click.

Seraph Hated all of these dumb precautions and 'safeguards.' Most were hardly necessary, and a truly dedicated thief could probably just destroy the cabinet to get at the documents inside. Indubitably! A useless practice! But, it was 'recommended' by the superiors of his organization, so naturally, it had to be so.

He removed his horn and started to sift through the innumerable documents, receipts, and 'need-to-knows'.

Finally, he found the one he was looking for. He read the name once. Mentally repeated it. Committed it to memory. The name was fresh and solidified in his mind now, no need for this nonsense. His horn started to glow as he touched the corner of the  paper. A thin red line spread from the corner, turning the paper to ashen dust. Within seconds the paper was gone, nothing but an ashen mess.

"Ugh!" Seraph snorted. "Thank Harmony I have tile floors..." He mumbled as he picked up a dustpan and a broom and started to clean up the mess. "Nm... Why did I even do that? should have done it outside..."

He cleaned up the mess and went to bed, carefully returning his clothes to their respective hangers. Seraph thought a moment on Silver. He couldn't possibly be meaning to infiltrate HQ for this name. It would be suicide! Impossible! Surely he was joking.

Surely.

((Time skip to tomorrow?))

The next day would come about like any other. There were no surprises or break ins during the night. Morning was just like any other. That is until Seraph were to take the first twenty paces from his home.

Leaping from a nearby cloud, a grey pegasus dove down, looking like he was going to make a crater in the ground, though with his light weight, he quickly air braked and landed neatly not a dozen paces from him, and just outside the property line too. It was as if he was intentionally keeping himself as detached from this pony as possible.

No longer sporting his 'nice' getup from the other day, he was in his usual rustic attire with his katana neatly tucked away under a wing.

"The name?" He said with the same tone, same expression he had the other day as if the conversation never ended.

Seraph looked a whole lot different than he did last night.

For one, he was in a dirty bathrobe that was once white, but now was a splotchy beige color. His mane was tangled and a lot less pristine. He had bags under his eyes, which seemed much less brighter than they did last night. Levitating next to him, enveloped in a royal blue glow, was a mug full of steamy hot tea. On his hooves were pink fuzzy slippers. He squinted as his magic enveloped the day's newspaper.

As he looked up and noticed the pegasus screeching down towards him, his eye widened and he gasped in surprise. The newspaper he grabbed ignited briefly then was extinguished, leaving a brownish singe on the edge of the paper. His tea cup fell to the ground and shattered.

Seraph groaned sadly at the loss of his tea. "Oh for Harmony's sake..." He mumbled. "Good morning to you too, Silver." He said, his voice slightly hoarse and with a touch of sass. "You certainly don't waste any time."

"The name?"

"Could... could I get dressed? At least have some breakfast?" He pointed back at the apartment building. "I only woke up a couple minutes ago and... well..." He chuckled a bit, embarrassed. "I'm hardly presentable."

Silver simply kept staring at him. He could care less if he was presentable or not. He didn't come here for looks. He just needed the name and he could be on his merry way. Silver's response was simple. He simply stared even longer, slightly narrowing his eyes to express his dislike for that course of action.

Unless there were complications, Silver would be happy to leave once he got what he wanted to hear.